June 2021 issue of In Business Magazine by InMedia

JUNE 2021

Is wokplace stress too costly for businesses to ignore?

10 companies tell what it took to survive in a year that's been anything but fun!

This Month’s Guest Editor

Derrick Hall

President & CEO of the Arizona Diamondbacks

The Care and Feeding of

Virtual Meetings Tax Advantage:

Employee Retention Credit

Second-Chance Hiring: What and Why?

$7.95 INBUSINESSPHX.COM

THIS ISSUE Global Chamber

Return Stronger Access training programs for new career opportunities.

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GET CERTIFIED

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Arizona Department of Economic Security

Arizona Department

of Education

Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity

ARIZONA@WORK

azcommerce.com/ReturnStronger A proud partner of the

Supported, in part, by funds available through the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) under Title 1B of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).

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Insurance coverage provided by or through UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company or its affiliates. Administrative services provided by United HealthCare Services, Inc. or their affiliates. Health Plan coverage provided by UnitedHealthcare of Arizona, Inc. B2B EI20236739.1 1/21 © 2020 United HealthCare Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 20-189173-B

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for primary care provider visits, urgent care visits, online visits and convenience care visits3

JUNE 2021

14 GUEST COLUMNISTS

Workplace Stress: Facts and Fictions Jen Butler begins a series on stress’s impact on health and business.

Exploring the Possibilities Bruce Weber continues his series on Change: The Provider of Opportunity.

18 20 COVER STORY

Fun Is Our Business

Going to the movies, to the ballgame, to a fine restaurant; adventuring in a hot air balloon, a raceway, a challenging escape room or water park; being out on the links or reveling in our arts and culture — these activities are provided by businesses. And most businesses have had a year that’s been anything but fun.

Virtual Meetings – Beyond the Camera

Karin Reed and Dr. Joe Allen discuss Zoom habits that can make or break careers.

Connections Are Business Capital

Lisa Apolinski discusses why and how to avoid the five biggest blunders with leading professional social networking site LinkedIn.

DEPARTMENTS

Global Chamber® Events

SUMMER 2021

globalchamber.org/events

June 11, 8am PT

Power Pitch for Startup Funding Spotlight Event June 14, noon PT

Global Chamber Phoenix Metro Meetup June 16, 4pm PT

Global Chamber Tucson Metro Meetup June 17, 4pm PT

Global Chamber Cross Metro Meetup Tokyo – NYC June 28, 4pm PT

Global Chamber Phoenix Metro Meetup June 29, 9am PT

Globinar Young African Leaders Virtual Networking

Inside this Section

3 4 5

Expand and Retain Top Talent while Growing Globally

Clubhouse and the Global Tribe Club

Foreign Investment in Arizona

Keep Connecting Virtually. It’s OK!

“Trust Me”: Something We Can Count On? by Doug Bruhnke, Global Chamber®

The ways in which businesspeople connect with others is being transformed through digital technologies amidst the rigors of COVID and widespread public distrust. How can we establish and grow trust to successfully drive business growth and the world’s digital transformation? How can we shape systems in a fully digitized and integrated economy? These were questions that we handled at a recent event, and it reminded me of a transaction that I made at the side of the road in Greece that predates COVID but remains a valid example of building trust in trade. Read on to hear the story and gain tips to reduce risk for your business. Trust is something we think about and act on every day at Global Chamber® and, specifically, we’re building trust within our global network in order to facilitate easier and more productive business for members. Our systems are intended to help members understand the level of trust that we have with anyone whom we introduce through warm introductions or at our events. If during business activities we are involved with normal, random “networking” in business development, it makes “safe” trade difficult. The implied “trust me” request in that case requires due diligence, and sometimes that can be hard and certainly it is not instantaneous. What if there were a way to have a better idea if someone was going to live up to their promises and value proposition, that “trust me” actually could be done fairly quickly? That’s why we’re creating our global tribe of leaders worldwide, continually vetting everyone in the global tribe to make it safer to trade for everyone, so that with each renewal, the member is more trusted.

Definitely check out every potential client and partner you plan to work with, and always ask if they’re members of Global Chamber and for how long. Almost certainly if they’ve been a member for multiple years, you’ve found someone you can trust. That track record is important, because having multiple years with multiple deals done reduces the chances of the next deal going wrong. (It doesn’t eliminate the risk; only reduces it.) This challenge that we face in global business is illustrated in a short story about an exchange I had at a roadside stand while driving through Greece near my wife’s family’s hometown of Koutsopodi, which means “crooked foot.” In the case of the roadside stand, a trade was done but only one party was satisfied, and it wasn’t me! That was despite the two of us doing some sort of accelerated “due diligence process,” which wasn’t enough. Koutsopodi is in the region of Argos, about a two-hour drive from Athens. While driving around the area, my wife, daughter and I came upon a roadside stand selling oranges. “Stand” is a bit of an overstatement GlobalChamber.org

59 Global Chamber

Guest Editor

Derrick Hall, president and CEO of the Arizona Diamondbacks, introduces the “Fun Is Business” issue.

GLOBAL CHAMBER®

Feedback

Shawn Ellis, Elizabeth Hart and Meagan Jackman respond to In Business Magazine’s burning business question of the month.

Briefs

“Keeping Up the Momentum amid a Pandemic,” “Guides and Resources,” “Local Standouts Recognized for Achievements and Philanthropy,” “Why Phoenix Is the Perfect Market for Expansion” and “New Hard Seltzer Is Branded ‘Personality in a Can’”

By the Numbers

The Rocky Mountain Region’s Middle Market is recovering faster then the national average.

JUNE 2021

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

From the Top

With Revolution Parts, Ibrahim Mesbah and Andreas Ronneseth are shaking up an e-commerce niche.

FEATURE

PARTNER SECTION

CRE

“The Importance of the ‘Third Place’ in Multifamily Developments,” “Phase II Homes Open in Goodyear’s Centerra,” “Ground Breaks on 651-Unit Apartment Development in Tempe,” “Luxury Buildto-Rent Project Begins in Apache Junction,” “George Oliver’s Experiential Offices” and “Industrial/Logistics Building Breaks Ground in Buckeye”

Televëda Helps Seniors Combat Isolation This month spotlighting Televëda, Tyler Butler’s series explores the myriad ways businesses give back and the positive ways their programs impact our community.

Startups

“Cyber Dive: Free Social Monitoring Tool for Parents” and “MadeMay: Matchmaking Artist and Client”

Healthcare

“Enabling Remote Analytic System Integration” and “The State of Telehealth – Booming!”

Technology

“Tech Enables Video Control by Eye Movement” and “Meeting the Call for Digital Transformation”

Books

New releases give fresh insights on business thinking.

En Negocios

Feature articles in Spanish and English on Economia / Economy, Ventas / Sales, Liderazgo / Leadership and Finanzas / Finance

Economy

Eric Stenson explains the tax advantages of the often overlooked and under understood employee retention credit.

Legal

Local attorney Alex Karam discusses legislated changes in the legal profession and what it means for businesses.

Nonprofit

A new approach to talent management uses a holistic approach to attract and retain top-level staff.

Assets

2021 Jaguar F-Type SVR AWD Convertible Plus: Outdoor workplace safety in our summers starts with a top-down approach to keeping cool.

Power Lunch

The Herb Box: Return to Roots with a Casual Concept

Roundtable

Jeff Korzenik explores second-chance hiring for an underutilized labor pool that may contribute surprising benefit to businesses.

Seventy-two percent of respondents said they are more likely to shop at a store that gave their employees extra pay during COVID-19, in a polling recently conducted by Vrity using the Invisibly Realtime Research to assess the power of brands doing good. vrity.com • invisibly.com/insights/values-driven-brand

We’re Making Our Mark on Medicine OptumCare® believes that great health begins by providing forwardthinking leadership in the discipline of medicine. So we proudly serve Phoenix with advanced health care at 16 clinics with over 40 providers, all dedicated to putting the patient first. We’re here to stay—and to move care in our community in bold new directions. Find out more at professionals.optumcare.com.

June 2021

Hi Phoenix, Let’s spend smarter.

In Business Magazine is a collaboration of many business organizations and entities throughout the metropolitan Phoenix area and Arizona. Our mission is to inform and energize business in this community by communicating content that will build business and enrich the economic picture for all of us vested in commerce.

PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS Kristen Merrifield, CEO Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits (602) 279-2966 www.arizonanonprofits.org Jess Roman, Chief Executive Officer Arizona Small Business Association Central Office (602) 306-4000 www.asba.com

Learn more at getdivvy.com/phx1

Steven G. Zylstra, President & CEO Arizona Technology Council One Renaissance Square (602) 343-8324 www.aztechcouncil.org Doug Bruhnke, Founder & President Global Chamber® (480) 595-5000 www.globalchamber.org Jean Briese, President NAWBO Phoenix Metro Chapter (480) 289-5768 www.nawbophx.org Anne Gill, President & CEO Tempe Chamber of Commerce (480) 967-7891 www.tempechamber.org Our Partner Organizations are vested business organizations focused on building and improving business in the Valley or throughout Arizona. As Partners, each will receive three insert publications each year to showcase all that they are doing for business and businesspeople within our community. We encourage you to join these and other organizations to better your business opportunities. The members of these and other Associate Partner Organizations receive a subscription to In Business Magazine each month. For more information on becoming an Associate Partner, please contact our publisher at info@inbusinessmag.com.

ASSOCIATE PARTNERS Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce ahwatukeechamber.com Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry azchamber.com Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce azhcc.com The Black Chamber of Arizona phoenixblackchamber.com Chandler Chamber of Commerce chandlerchamber.com Economic Club of Phoenix econclubphx.org Glendale Chamber of Commerce glendaleazchamber.org Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce phoenixchamber.com Greater Phoenix Equality Chamber of Commerce gpglcc.org Mesa Chamber of Commerce mesachamber.org North Phoenix Chamber of Commerce northphoenixchamber.com Peoria Chamber of Commerce peoriachamber.com Phoenix Metro Chamber of Commerce phoenixmetrochamber.com Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce scottsdalechamber.com Surprise Regional Chamber of Commerce surpriseregionalchamber.com WESTMARC westmarc.org

JUNE 2021

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June 2021

Together we are… Experienced. Take any opportunity to collect insight, skill and understanding. When we build experience together, small business is knowledgeable.

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VOL. 12, NO. 6

Publisher Editor En Negocios Editor Graphic Design

Rick McCartney RaeAnne Marsh Edgar Rafael Olivo Benjamin Little

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Joe Allen Lisa Apolinski Jen Butler Tyler Butler Kent Dicks Celia Dietrich Doug Farren Greg Hanover Leah Johnston Merilee Kern James Kerr Jeff Korzenik Bret Larsen Karin Reed Wendi Stalling Eric Stenson Richard Tollefson Bruce Weber Susan Wilcox ADVERTISING

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JUNE 2021

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DERRICK HALL, ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

When Business Is Fun

Derrick Hall is president and CEO of the Arizona Diamondbacks and the fourthlongest tenured CEO in Major League Baseball. Since taking charge, he has implemented, FAWTSY, a unique and personal customer service policy, and two employee rewards programs that have proven highly successful. His involvement on the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation board has resulted in $70 million of donations to Arizona nonprofits since 1997. He is also an active member of many local boards, associations, committees and other charitable organizations. dbacks.com

“Fun” may not be a recognized economic sector, but there are real businesses that qualify for that heading — and they have been dealing with very real business concerns. In fact, it is recognized that businesses which rely on people being “out and about” have been among the ones hardest hit by the pandemic. Imagine the challenge for those of us in the business of gathering crowds having to settle on cardboard cutouts of customers. We went to a shortened season without customers and without revenues. But, like so many others in similar positions, we remained strong and resilient, knowing that normalcy would return, as would be the usual support of this generous community. And while awaiting our re-openings, we reinvented ourselves as we delivered our entertainment and services virtually, while devising safe, comfortable and contactless guidelines for our consumers in anticipation of welcoming them back with confidence. It was this planning and constant client communication that gave us all hope during times of uncertainty and financial stress like no other. From verdant golf courses and pulsing video arcades at ground level to the colorful hot-air balloons that decorate many a morning sky, businesses that provide the escape of recreation and relaxation are important to our economy and to our individual well-being. In Business Magazine worked with a select sampling of these businesses to understand what it’s taken to be here today and where they go from here for this month’s cover story, “Fun Is Our Business.” We are all abundantly aware that the business and employment disruptions and challenges over the past year and a half have spiked stress levels in every setting. In Business Magazine recently concluded a feature series that dealt with one manifestation of stress in the workplace — the potential of violent behavior — and in this June edition, “Workplace Stress: Facts and Fictions” begins a new series that will deal further with issues of stress. Some changes to the legal industry and to payroll taxes have potential to ease some sources of stress, but it’s important first to understand those changes. Eric Stenson explains the Employee Retention Credit in this month’s Economy feature, and in this month’s Legal feature, Alex Karam discusses potential benefits and pitfalls of Arizona opening the legal profession to non-lawyers. For Social Impact, Tyler Butler introduces us to a business created to serve the unique needs of one population (seniors suffering in isolation), and in Roundtable, Jeff Korzenik makes a case for fulfilling the needs of another population (ex-cons suffering unemployment) — with both cases offering benefit to business. Trends in healthcare, advances in technology and more about what matters to business and businesses in our community is what makes In Business Magazine a valuable resource. I’m pleased to help present this June edition, and hope you enjoy this month’s articles.

EN NEGOCIOS Manténgase informado sobre temas empresariales en español a través de En Negocios, artículos para los lectores de habla hispana en el área metropolitana de Phoenix. Visite inbusinessphx.com/ ennegocios para más información. Stay informed on business topics in Spanish through En Negocios, articles for Spanish-speaking readers in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Visit inbusinessphx.com/ ennegocios for more information.

Sincerely,

Derrick Hall President and CEO Arizona Diamondbacks

CONNECT WITH US: Story Ideas/PR: editor@ inbusinessphx.com

Back At It! Having missed so much in the way of fun, we can all understand why businesses that rely on fun, large groups of people and

best for the people of our community.

entertainment were so badly affected by the pandemic. We

He would tell you his was just one

spoke with many, in varied sectors, to get a sense of how they

organization of the hundreds that felt

pivoted to stay in business and remain true to their business —

their obligation to the people was a priority and that coming back

the business of fun.

is the sweetest reward! Here’s to a prosperous period of rebuilding

I want to thank my longtime friend Derrick Hall for leading this issue. His struggle and the hard work of his staff is such a stirring

ce Stress:

DON’T MISS OUT!

Fictions Facts and

Workpla

JUNE

MAGAZINE

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IN BUSINESS OUR BUSINESS FUN IS

ies, compan these 10 survive a year to But for it take but fun? what did been anything that's This Month’s

Guest Editor

Hall Derrick& CEO of the

JUNE 2021

cks President Diamondba Arizona

• INBUSINESSPHX.C

THIS ISSUE

Photo courtesy of MMPR

Business Events/ Connections: businessevents@ inbusinessphx.com

example of doing, at all costs, what’s

Global Chamber

and Feeding s Virtual Meeting age: Tax Advant

The Care

Retention

Credit

Employee e Hiring: Why? Second-Chanc What and COM $7.95

INBUSINESSPHX.

Get a year of In Business Magazine Subscribe now at inbusinessphx.com

our businesses and our community.

—Rick McCartney,

Publisher

Let us know what you think of this issue of In Business Magazine. Email our publisher at feedback@inbusinessmag.com.

Marketing/Exposure: advertise@ inbusinessphx.com Visit us online at www.inbusinessphx.com

JUNE 2021

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SPEAKING OUT

Stress and mental health are hot topics in the best of times. Since the pandemic started raising people’s stress levels, the issue has gotten increased attention. How does your company help employees deal with mental health issues?

FEEDBACK QUESTION: Let us know what you want to know from the Valley’s top business leaders. editor@inbusinessphx.com

For all past Feedbacks go online to inbusinessphx.com and see what Valley executives think on various business topics.

JUNE 2021

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SHAWN ELLIS

ELIZABETH HART

MEAGAN JACKMAN

VP, Human Resources Lovitt & Touché, A Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC Company Sector: Insurance and Benefits

SVP, People Operations Axon Sector: Manufacturing

Managing Partner OH Partners Sector: Advertising and Marketing

Axon partners with Ginger to offer our employees 24/7 support. This platform provides 24/7 unlimited texting support, in addition to access to a resource library with exercises and activities. We’ve learned there is great demand for around-the-clock support from our employee engagement surveys and listening to our employees. Beyond this, each employee at Axon is able to access 12 private 1:1 therapy or psychiatry sessions for free each year. We’re proud to not only offer these benefits to our employees but to two of their loved ones as well. Throughout the year, we also partner with Weldon to support our working parents by providing live, expert-led webinars on a variety of important topics.

Our employees are our most valuable asset, and their mental health is of utmost importance to us. The pandemic was especially challenging for many of our “daytime roommates,” the majority of whom worked remotely from their homes in Phoenix and Las Vegas. While OH Partners always had personal wellness initiatives in place, we added free, private counseling services for those who needed extra support. In addition, our leadership team increased check-ins with team members. We also changed our paid time off policy to offer unlimited PTO, so long as the work gets done and other team members are in place to manage projects. Our “Surprise & Delight Moments” have been well-received. In addition to giving employees a day off on Employee Appreciation Day in March, we surprised them with DoorDash coupons for a free lunch. We started our half-day Summer Fridays again, hoping an earlier start to the weekend will reduce stress. We also offer gratitude coaching, and we hope to resume our yoga sessions when we are back in office.

Promoting employees’ mental health and wellbeing has always been a core focus at Lovitt & Touché. As part of our wellness strategy, we offer several benefits and programs for employees to manage their mental health. During the pandemic, we introduced a suite of mobile apps focused on mindfulness, meditation, exercise and more as a convenient way for employees to manage the unique mental and emotional stresses brought on by the pandemic and social distancing. We also pivoted regular, onsite wellness activities to a virtual environment, allowing employees to connect with colleagues while working from home. Additionally, our Employee Assistance Program provides free access to mental health professionals. We take seasonal opportunities to remind employees about the importance of mental health. For instance, we provide a paid half-day off in honor of World Mental Health Day, allowing employees additional time to rest. For Mental Health Awareness Month, we sponsored a special wellness activity for colleagues and offered resources for them to use to help cope with a myriad of potential issues from anxiety to stress management.

Axon axon.com Elizabeth Hart joined Axon in 2019 and is responsible for leading the company’s global people organization. She resides in Arizona and currently sits on the board of Girls In Tech Phx. Hart holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Mary Washington.

Lovitt & Touché, A Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC Company lovitt-touche.com Shawn Ellis is vice president of human resources with Lovitt & Touché. With more than two decades of HR experience, she has cultivated a passion and expertise in managing risks in recruitment, corrective action and termination stages.

Sign up for the monthly In Business Magazine eNewsletter at www.inbusinessphx.com. Look for survey questions and other research on our business community.

OH Partners ohpartners.com Meagan Jackman is managing partner at OH Partners, an award-winning, inclusive advertising and digital marketing agency that has worked with many notable national brands in diverse categories, such as gaming, tourism and hospitality, entertainment, healthcare and consumer packaged goods. The dynamic agency has vast experience working with national and regional brands, such as Virgin Hotels, Gila River Hotels & Casinos, Arizona Lottery, Four Peaks (Anheuser-Busch), United Nations, Best Western and many others.

QUICK AND TO THE POINT

GUIDES & RESOURCES Find out more in each issue of In Business Magazine as we provide resources and guides that can help businesses get and stay connected to the information they need to build business.

COVID-19 Business Stimulus: With now two phases of the Paycheck Protection Program loans and other Small Business Administration loans and stimulus packages, we include these links for businesses: • Restaurant Revitalization Award Portal: restaurants.sba.gov • PPP Loans: bit.ly/sba-ppp • SBA Stimulus: bit.ly/c19-guide-resources • Get My Check: irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment • Federal Resources for U.S. Small Businesses: covid-sb.org • Vaccine Finder and information: vaccinefinder.org • Testing (Onsite and Mobile): aztestnow.com Vaccine: As vaccines become readily available and businesses begin to go back to the office, we offer these links for more information on where to get vaccinations and who will qualify: • No appointments necessary (but recommended) beginning April 26, 2021.

Keeping Up the Momentum amid a Pandemic

Photo courtesy of NB Pure

The NB Pure team has been busy over the last year. The brand got a packaging makeover, launched a new supplement, Zinc Up, and brought forth a new product, Daily Multi-Fiber. All of this achieved during a global pandemic while business slowed around the world. How did the company accomplish all this? By staying nimble, communicating and using the moment to its advantage. Formerly known as Nutritional Brands, the company had been planning to rebrand under the name NB Pure and had plans to launch Daily Multi-Fiber before the pandemic. Zinc Up is an example of innovating during the present moment. “The idea for Zinc Up had been on our minds for a while, but sometimes it takes a situation to get an idea out of your head and onto the shelves,” says RJ Carvis, director of marketing at NB Pure. The process for getting it in stores involved conceptualizing, formulating, testing and selling. The NB Pure team had to learn to be flexible and agile as challenges arose. If one component falls short when testing ingredients and packaging, everything stops. “There were a few push-backed dates in

this process, but luckily we were able to hit our target launch date,” says Carvis. Working remotely helped NB Pure open communication channels through phone, email and Slack, occasionally blurring the line between 9-to-5 work and personal time. Sharing files, reviews and approvals became easier and the timeline for the rebrand also broadened as a result of many retailers halting product additions. NB Pure’s mission is more relevant than ever: Wellness with a purpose. The newfound awareness of wellness as a result of COVID drives the company to keep innovating. “We look to be a one-stop shop for wellness and something that you can use to achieve whatever your lifestyle wellness goals are. We just keep innovating,” notes Carvis. The consumer demand for wellness products to support immunity, gut health and stress is at a peak. This is fuel for NB Pure’s fire. —Leah Johnston, wellness communications specialist at SRW and a registered dietitian

• Registration: podvaccine.azdhs.gov • General Information: azdhs.gov/index.php

SMALL BUSINESS Assistance and Guidance: Many businesses are looking for information that will improve business through programs to enhance services, resources that can assist in day-to-day business or simply connecting businesses with opportunities. Here are this month’s resources: • Small Business Financial Resources: azcommerce.com/covid-19/financial-resources • Arizona Small Business Association: asba.com • CPLC Women’s Business Center: prestamosloans.org/womens-business-center • Small Business Development Center: maricopa-sbdc.com IN BUSINESS MAGAZINE In Business Magazine creates many resources throughout the year. Here are our most recent: • WESTMARC: The West Valley Connected: nbusinessphx.com/department/westmarc • In Business In the Firm Guide: inbusinessphx.com/2021-in-the-firm MORE Each month we will include other added resources and guides. Here is what we have for our readers this month: Free In Business Digital Subscription: • Get all of the pertinent news and information as

NB Pure nbpure.com

it relates to COVID and your business though the In Business Dailies. Sign up today at inbusinessphx.com/subscribe.

Arizona-born Nutritional Brands was separated into different sub-brands. Rebranding in order to unify the entire brand, NB Pure features modernized designs, key call outs and cohesive branding. This was accomplished during the pandemic along with launching two new products.

JUNE 2021

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QUICK AND TO THE POINT

LOOKING GOOD

Local Standouts Recognized for Achievements ACHIEVEMENTS

Jennifer Adler Wins Stevie Award for Entrepreneur of the Year Jennifer Adler, CEO of Adler Public Relations, was recently named the winner of a silver Stevie® Award in the Entrepreneur of the Year: Advertising, Marketing, & Public Relations category in the 19th Annual American Business Awards®. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 12,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 70 nations. After working in PR at large Phoenix-area advertising agencies for more than a decade, Adler started her own firm in March 2019. Adler Public Relations is a Scottsdale-based, boutique lifestyle and luxury PR firm that specializes in representing restaurant, hospitality and real estate brands. Last year, despite the challenges presented by COVID, she still managed to increase the company’s gross revenue 68% year over year. adlerpublicrelations.com

Coppersmith Brockelman in 2021 ‘Chambers USA’ Best in Nation Rankings The recently released 2021 edition of Chambers USA ranked Coppersmith Brockelman, a business law firm in Phoenix, in the Labor & Employment, Litigation: General Commercial and Healthcare practice areas. The 2021 Chambers USA nationally recognized attorney is Kristen Rosati, for Privacy & Data Security: Healthcare. Six individual attorneys were recognized for their expertise in Arizona: Keith Beauchamp, Litigation: General Commercial; Kent Brockelman, Labor & Employment; Roopali Desai, Litigation: General Commercial; John DeWulf, Litigation: General Commercial; Karen Owens, Healthcare; and Kristen Rosati, Healthcare. cblawyers.com

Ballard Spahr in 2021 ‘Chambers USA’ Best in Nation Rankings Six Arizona attorneys were among the 97 Ballard Spahr lawyers recognized for excellence by Chambers USA in its 2021 rankings: Karen C. McConnell, Business & Transactions: Corporate/M&A (Arizona); Litigation: David J. Bodney, Litigation: First Amendment Litigation (Nationwide); David J. Armstrong, Litigation: Environment (Arizona); Mark Kokanovich, Litigation: White Collar Crime & Government Investigations (Arizona); Ronald J. Stolkin, Litigation: Labor & Employment (Arizona); and Jay A. Zweig, Litigation: Labor & Employment (Arizona). Additionally, Ballard Spahr’s Phoenix Corporate/M&A, Environment, and Labor & Employment practices were named “Leading Practices” for Arizona. ballardspahr.com

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New Hard Seltzer Is Branded ‘Personality in a Can’ Local beverage industry veterans Sheldon Wiley and Eric Burdick recently launched a new “hard seltzer sensation” exclusively in Phoenix. Engagingly named Becky and sporting a tagline of “personality juice,” it is currently available in four flavors: pink lemonade, passion fruit, mango and tropical cherry. It is sold at select retailers Total Wine, BevMo and AJ’s Fine Foods and is available at a number of local restaurants and bars of which Sip, Montauk, Maya Day and Nightclub, RnR, Loco Patron, Sandbar and, of course, The Porch and Bevvy are a few. Wiley and Burdick conceptualized Becky together, teaming up to can a drink prior to the canned cocktail and White Claw craze. “I’ve always had aspirations to create a fun global brand, and having my own alcohol line has been on my bucket list inspired by being entrenched in the food and beverage industry half of my life,” says Burdick, an innovator of Scottsdale nightlife also known as “Burd” who has spent the last 15 years involved in the restaurant and nightclub industry focused on building brands

that revolutionized the Scottsdale nightlife scene. Now a partner in local hotspots The Porch and Bevvy, Burdick is a marketing and branding visionary whose experience has helped grow both concepts into additional locations. Wiley is a three-time Guinness World Recordholding mixologist who’s dubbed the “world’s fastest bartender.” A vanguard of the sipping community, Wiley has been crafting uniquely fresh libations since 1999, creating specialty drink menus for Ian Schragers Morgan’s Hotel Group, Top Chef Kitchen, Top Chef Cruise, The Maggiore Group in Arizona and countless others. Wiley is known both behind the bar and in front of the camera, having been featured on primetime networks and earned hundreds of national media placements. “After 20 years of hospitality service, it’s beyond time for me to plant a flag on the producer side,” says Wiley. “I’m excited about the process and taking our girl global!” —Mike Hunter Becky tastebecky.com

Why Phoenix Is the Perfect Market for Expansion When evaluating new markets throughout the U.S. for our company’s expansion, we look at a number of factors that include population demographics, physical environment and socioeconomic data. For Boss Security Screens, these are important elements as they help determine if there is a need and a willingness of the population to buy our security screens and doors. The purpose of our product is to provide peace of mind to families and individuals as a solution that will excel in times of need. We recognize a strong need in high-crime areas, and, because Phoenix’s overall crime rate and violent crime rates are significantly higher than the national average — according to areavibes.com/phoenixaz/crime — we realized we could serve a larger part of the population that would be more highrisk than in other metropolitan areas. For the fifth-largest city in the country, which continues to grow rapidly, security needs to be of the utmost importance. According to the U.S. Census Bureau last year, Phoenix attracted more new residents than any other city in the U.S. for the fourth year in a row, and the city led the nation in 10-year population growth since

According to the U.S. Census Bureau last year, Phoenix attracted more new residents than any other city in the U.S. for the fourth year in a row, and the city led the nation in 10-year population growth since the 2010 census.

the 2010 census. These numbers only added to our determination to help Phoenix residents. The Phoenix metropolitan region also has more than 400,000 snowbirds each year. As seniors and property owners with second homes are a large part of our clientele, we knew our product could be of assistance as a tool to keep homes safe and secure while these seasonal residents are away for nearly half of the year. Another factor was the convenience of launching an additional Southwest location. Our company’s headquarters is in Las Vegas, with additional operations in Tucson and Albuquerque. These cities are all easily accessible from Phoenix, so it made sense operationally and logistically. With Phoenix’s business-friendly climate and persistent growth, we knew it was a great place for us to expand, and expect it to be a sustainable top-producing market for us for many years to come. — James Kerr, founder and CEO of Boss Security Screens (bosssecurityscreens.com); screens are made in the USA and incorporate more than 55 years of engineering excellence

METRICS & MEASUREMENTS

Rocky Mountain Region’s Middle Market Recovering Faster Than National Average Higher Projections for Revenue and Employment Growth in 2021 by Celia Dietrich and Doug Farren

A collaboration between Dietrich Partners, a Denver-based management consulting firm, and the National Center for the Middle Market, housed at The Ohio State University Max M. Fisher College of Business, recently released the findings from the Rocky Mountain Region Middle Market 2020 Performance and 2021 Outlook report. The report reveals that the Rocky Mountain region’s middle market businesses are experiencing faster economic recovery and stronger business performance than the national average. Between December 2019 to December 2020, 49% of Rocky Mountain middle market businesses experienced year-overyear revenue growth and 30% added new jobs. This compares to the national average of 46% of middle market businesses that experienced revenue growth and 22% that expanded their workforce over this same period. The region’s middle market executives also report stronger optimism about the future, projecting 8.2% revenue growth in 2021. This growth rate is double the national average and stronger than the region’s historical projections. Further, nearly half of the region’s middle market businesses are planning to add new jobs in 2021, compared to one-third of their peers across the country who are projecting employment growth. The survey data, coupled with more than 40 qualitative middle market executive interviews, shine a light on the opportunity ahead for the Rocky Mountain region. The optimistic outlook we are seeing from executives is a strong indicator that many middle market businesses have quickly moved out of a defensive business survival mode and into building forward momentum with longer-term business strategy in mind. As the economic recovery continues, businesses are gaining confidence to engage in a more comprehensive strategic planning process in order to strengthen their competitive advantage for the years ahead. In planning for the future, 56% of the Rocky Mountain region’s middle market executives report a willingness to invest immediately rather than holding cash. Our survey finds that information technology is the top destination for investment dollars across the middle market nationally but investing in acquisitions is nearly twice as likely in the Rocky Mountain region. The Rocky Mountain region’s middle market businesses have historically experienced stronger performance than the segment as a whole, with higher revenue and employment growth between 2016 to 2018. Interestingly, the region’s middle market businesses experienced declining performance beginning in 2019 and into 2020, yet have experienced a faster recovery and ended the year with a slightly higher revenue growth than the national average. While the Rocky Mountain region is not immune to the tumultuous economic impacts of the past year and overall experienced dramatic decline in performance alongside the

rest of the nation, the region’s middle market is poised well as we continue the economic recovery. Diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) was another element that was top-of-mind for businesses this past year and was included in the Middle Market Indicator survey for the first time. The Rocky Mountain region’s middle market shares strong views on the topic and is more likely than other areas of the country to have DE&I policies in place. For example, 59% of the region’s middle market companies report having a documented process for ensuring a diverse slate of candidates are interviewed for open positions, compared to the national average of 41%. The middle market is comprised of companies with annual revenues between $10 million and $1 billion and is a large market segment that drives the health of local economies and generates a disproportionate share of jobs. In the Rocky Mountain region, the middle market represents 10,200 companies located in Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico. Collectively, the region’s middle market businesses employ 2.8 million people and generate a total of $498 billion in annual revenues. Dietrich Partners dietrichpartners.net National Center for the Middle Market middlemarketcenter.org

Confidence

The report is derived from the National Center for the Middle Market’s Middle Market Indicator survey conducted among 1,000 C-suite executives of middle market companies, including 50–100 middle market companies within the Rocky Mountain region each year. Dietrich Partners collaborated with NCMM to expand the research and conducted interviews with middle market executives across industries within the Rocky Mountain region, to provide qualitative insight supporting the survey data. The full the report is available from both Dietrich Partners and National Center for the Middle Market. dietrichpartners.net/ rmrmm middlemarketcenter.org/ research-reports/ rocky-mountain-regionmiddle-market-2020performance-outlook

Historically, Rocky Mountain region middle market leaders express a higher level of local confidence than their peers in other parts of the country. Q4 2016

Q4 2017

Q4 2018

Q4 2019

Q4 2020

Rocky Mountain Region

89%

93%

95%

94%

75%

Average across the U.S.

86%

88%

89%

71%

Capital Investment After reaching a five-year low in Q2 2020 when “invest” and “save” attitudes met at 50%, appetites for investment remain conservative compared to previous years. Q4 2016

Q4 2017

Q4 2018

Q4 2019

Q4 2020

Invest

73%

72%

75%

77%

56%

Save

27%

28%

25%

23%

44%

COVID-19 Impact

The most difficult aspects of running a business in the current environment, according to Rocky Mountain region middle market executives: Maintaining customer relationships and engagement

63%

Ongoing uncertainty

62%

Maintaining employee communication, engagement and productivity

53%

Continuity of operations

51%

Working capital management/cash

41%

Source: Rocky Mountain Region Middle Market 2020 Performance And 2021 Outlook (dietrichpartners.net/rmrmm; www.middlemarketcenter.org/research-reports/rockymountain-region-middle-market-2020-performance-outlook)

A majority of Rocky Mountain region middle market businesses expect healthy revenue growth in 2021, with an average projected revenue growth rate of 8.2% - double the national U.S. average. This growth projection is the highest recorded for the region and significantly above the average regional projection of 5.1%.

Celia Dietrich is the founder and executive chair of Dietrich Partners, a Denver-based management consulting firm that helps middle market to Fortune 500 clients maximize the value of transactions, deliver key programs, and optimize overall operational performance. Doug Farren is the managing director of the National Center for the Middle Market at The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business. Since launching the NCMM in 2011, he leads the dayto-day operations of the Center.

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ENTREPRENEURS & INNOVATORS

MadeMay: Matchmaking Artist and Client MadeMay launched in 2020 to back the human touch to art, giving thoughtful people around the world an opportunity to get custom, hand-made art. Customers can upload a photo, describe what they want painted and choose from more than 400 professional artists to turn their photo or idea into a real, amazing painting. “Whether you want a portrait of someone, a pet portrait, landscape, abstract, sculpture, and more, a MadeMay artist is ready to turn your request into reality,” says founder and CEO Rei Llazani. Explains Daniel Billington, director of content, “We recognized many injustices in the online art world, both from an artist’s standpoint and a customer’s standpoint.” This ranged from online platform’s algorithms devaluing an artist’s work to customers concerned about commissioning artwork — essentially, buying something that doesn’t exist yet. “Additionally, we witnessed many competitors secretly exploiting overseas.” MadeMay uses an algorithm it developed to “match-make” people wanting custom art with its artists, including up-front pricing based on each specific request. “As a double-sided marketplace (for artists and customers), the easy part was getting artists on our platform,” Llazani says. “We were very transparent with our goals and objectives; they loved it and were completely on board.” But, although MadeMay’s artists are vetted professionals and although the business has a money-back guarantee policy, Llazani acknowledges that building trust when nobody knows who you are can be an

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After

obstacle. “Since most orders are above $100, it is naturally difficult for some people to feel confident in placing an order on a new platform.” Observing that startups are chaotic in nature, Llazani encourages his team to not worry too much about making the right or wrong decision. “Embedded in our early stages is the element of freedom, experimentation and comfort in failure,” he says. “If we make the wrong call, it’s okay; we can learn from it and rapidly move in another direction. As Thomas Edison said, ‘I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.’” Says Llazani, “Although it sounds cliche, focusing on providing value and giving customers a great experience is how we intend to overcome our challenges, no matter how long it takes.” —RaeAnne Marsh MadeMay mademay.com

Cyber Dive: Free Social Media Monitoring Tool for Parents Cyber Dive offers a free web-based app that helps strengthen relationships by allowing parents to easily view their children’s social accounts, understand their online activity and interests and achieve peace of mind — an increasingly relevant service at a time when children are more connected than ever. This local tech startup aims to eliminate the relevance of parenting styles when using the platform and brings awareness to a child’s mental health in correlation with their online activity. Built by in-house engineers, Cyber Dive gives parents the ability to monitor multiple social media accounts, all on one platform that is easily compatible with all iOS and Android devices. “We developed this first of its kind online platform because we acknowledge the nuanced challenges we must traverse as parents of digitally connected kids,” says Cyber Dive cofounder and CEO Jeff Gottfurcht. “As parents of 8- to 14-yearolds, we often wonder what kids are doing on the internet, who they’re interacting with and how what they are seeing is impacting how they feel.” Human trafficking and cyberbullying are also in the founders’ crosshairs. Cyber Dive has partnered with Phoenix

Dream Center to collaborate on preventive measures to be taken against cases of human trafficking that are initiated online, and its advanced software enables it to prioritize the issue cyberbullying. “We’ve seen that nearly 9 out of 10 kids avoid telling their parents about the negative things they see happening online. This leaves parents struggling to keep up, and oblivious to what’s happening beneath the surface,” says Derek Jackson, Cyber Dive co-founder and chief technology officer and former military intelligence officer. “As an intelligence officer, my team’s job was to dig through extensive social media data and provide only the most time-sensitive information to the commander to make life-altering decisions. We took that mindset and made the parents the commander. We show them what’s most important, so they can initiate necessary conversations and directly impact how their child navigates social media.” —Mike Hunter Cyber Dive cyberdive.co

More than 85% of preteens in the U.S. are social media users. According to McAfee’s consumer research department, 87% of young people have seen cyberbullying online but most do nothing about it. Ditch the Label published in its bullying survey that 47% of cyberbullying victims will develop social anxiety, 37% will develop depression and 26% will have suicidal thoughts. mcafee.com • ditchthelabel.org

Photos courtesy of MadeMay (top), Cyber Drive (bottom)

Cyber Dive was created by co-founder and CEO Jeff Gottfurcht and co-founder and chief technology officer Derek Jackson, who set out to get a better grasp on social media for families everywhere, including their own. Gottfurcht was the first person in the world to summit Mt. Everest with Rheumatoid Arthritis and worked on Wall Street for 14 years as a senior vicepresident at leading global financial firms. Jackson is an ex-military intelligence officer who previously served as a captain in the U.S. Army, where his intelligence work focused on the social media activity of U.S. adversaries and radical insurgents. cyberdive.co

Before

PROPERTY, GROWTH AND LOCATION

GET REAL

Photo courtesy of Private Label International

The Importance of the ‘Third Place’ In Multifamily Developments Ray Oldenburg, an American urban sociologist, coined the term “third place” in his book The Great Good Place. He identified that in modern societies, time is primarily spent in our first place (home) and our second place (work). He introduced the need for this third place for social and emotional well-being, suggesting that coffee shops, post offices, neighborhood restaurants, parks and other communal spaces provide a place to create organic social bonds and participate in informal gatherings. These places are public but also have a level of intimacy. This past year, social interactions have looked quite different and the notion of the third place in trend conversations has reemerged with a vengeance. Most commonly, we are seeing the office environment adopting the role of the third place, providing a familiar, flexible and well-rounded setting to fulfill the need for community. While we agree wholeheartedly, we see the home and work environments as two sides of the same coin. Currently, this is especially important since our typical third places have been unavailable and are in a state of evolution. Multifamily amenities are a natural option to include third places. Amenities should always strive to promote social interaction and community-building. They cannot simply be a check list of typical spaces but, instead, need to be organic, flexible and respond directly to user needs and behaviors. A wellness offering for a suburban garden property and a wellness offering for an urban high-rise property should be different, not only in size but in programming, equipment and aesthetics. Developers, property managers, architects and designers need to be in touch with their target audience and local market more than ever to be in tune with each unique community’s needs. Why is it so important to create that connection? Amenities can be a dusty untapped resource for revenue if they sit empty. Designing amenities that people actually use, and creating a connection, turns renters into long-term residents with brand loyalty. Owners of multifamily properties should keep the following in mind while programming for amenities that add value. Because the third place has been primary thought of as neighborhood gathering spaces, it’s important to not think only about what the surrounding neighborhood has that can supplement a property’s programming. Consider instead: What does the neighborhood not have? How can the property fill that gap for prospective residents? What are things it can offer that residents don’t have in their own units? Too many times, we walk into a clubhouse to see a generic layout that includes a large sofa, some chairs and a TV. Most residents have that kind of layout in their own unit, so how can we push that to the next level and offer something unique? Another key element is flexibility. Designing a space that is flexible means every inch is still planned but the space is interactive. Spaces aren’t meant to be stagnant; they should be dynamic, living, growing parts of the community. When the offering is more than their first and second place, it fulfills the much-needed role of third place. —Wendi Stallings, principal of Phoenix- and San Francisco-based Private Label International (privatelabelintl.com), a full-service interior design studio that develops hospitality environments and lifestyle brand experiences for clients worldwide

by Mike Hunter

Phase II Homes Open in Goodyear’s Centerra Landsea Homes Corporation has opened the second phase of its homes in the one-of-a-kind Goodyear community of Centerra, which offers homes with seven different floor plans and ranging from three to four bedrooms, with an option for six bedrooms, and two to three-and-a-half bathrooms. Homes include smart home automation technology and an air purifier. The community also features amenities such as two tot lots, playground and a luxury pool. “Our goal is to create attainable housing for anyone interested in entering the housing market,” said Todd Condon, VP of sales and marketing for Arizona. landseahomes.com/arizona/centerra

Ground Breaks on 651-Unit Apartment Development in Tempe Banyan Residential, an L.A.-based private real estate investment company, has commenced construction on phase one of Banyan North Tempe, a 651-unit multifamily development in Tempe. In conjunction with Milhaus, an Indianapolis-based development company, Banyan worked tirelessly with state and local agencies to annex the 16.5-acre site in an area frequently referred to as the North Tempe county island – the first time the City expanded its boundaries in more than a decade. Construction is now underway at the highly anticipated $177 million development, with phase one expected to be complete in early 2023. banyanresidential.com

Luxury Build-to-Rent Project Begins in Apache Junction Paragon Development Group recently closed on the $3.1 million purchase of 15.67 acres in the Southeast Valley. The site, located on the NEC of West Southern Avenue and South Meridian Road in Apache Junction, is slated to become Hampton Meridian, a new 195-unit luxury build-to-rent community with one-, two- and three-bedroom attached and detached residences ranging in size from 645 square feet to 1,295 square feet. Construction of the site is beginning immediately, with its first units expected to be available in March 2022.

According to the 2021 Office Pipeline study from CommercialSearch, Phoenix is among the most active office markets this year, with more than 1.9 million square feet scheduled to be delivered in 2021. commercialcafe.com/blog/office-pipeline-2021-la-boston-sf-lead

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PROPERTY, GROWTH AND LOCATION

BY MIKE HUNTER

George Oliver’s Experiential Offices Even amid a pandemic, local developer George Oliver is flush with new tenant interest across its office portfolio — but with a very common requirement. Prospective tenants all want the kind of experiential, nextgeneration office space that George Oliver, in particular, is becoming known for. “The pandemic dramatically shifted how employees and employers view the workplace,” says George Oliver Managing Partner Curt Kremer. “Our design strategy prioritizes the amenities that employees are clamoring for as they come back to the office, while also giving employers the leverage they need to ‘win’ in their recruiting and retention efforts.” Tenants at George Oliver’s The Alexander in downtown Chandler and CASA in North Phoenix benefit from above-and-beyond features like state-ofthe-art wellness and fitness centers, yoga studios, Kaleidoscope organic juice and coffee bars with lounge-style seating and breakout areas, tranquil outdoor gardens for communal meetings and relaxation, libraries for focused tasks, billiards rooms and outdoor game areas, conference/training centers, dog-friendly spaces, mothers’ rooms, an on-site concierge and upgraded “touchless” features and HVAC systems for optimal building and tenant health. “Our projects replace the traditional office with collaborative, wellnessinspired workspaces, with a focus on personal growth that you won’t find in other Class A office environments,” says Kremer. “They also operate like a campus. Their shared amenities and programming allow our tenants — many of which are small and mid-sized businesses — to successfully compete for the best and brightest employees.”

Demand for these spaces is high, and more is on the way. The company is nearing completion on The Jonathan (a sister building to The Alexander in downtown Chandler) and has just purchased Hayden Station on Mill Avenue in downtown Tempe, planning what Kremer says is their most exciting infill, campus-style repositioning strategy to date. George Oliver georgeoliver.com

LGE Design Build, a full-service design and general contracting firm and winner of AZ RED 2021 General Contractor of the Year, broke ground recently on a new state-of-the-art industrial project in the City of Buckeye being developed by Phoenix-based Creation Equity, an alternative investment and real estate development firm. The project consists of 860,602 square-feet, with potential to expand the footprint to an additional 211,000 square-feet, featuring a modern architecture design consisting of large glass window elements and stamped concrete. The cross-dock distribution center will also offer best-in-class features to the end user. LGE expects to meet the grand opening target date in early 2022. Says LGE Design Build’s Director of Preconstruction Blake Wells, “We are proud of the work our architecture team has done and we look forward to finishing construction in record time, thanks to our streamlined design-build process.” “We were able to achieve a modern aesthetic using conventional materials in an unconventional way,” said Mike Russo, designer at LGE. “The Corner Entry is glazed from end to end, with the front Concrete Tilt Panel spanning over the entire width of the Glazing below, creating a seamless entry. The Aluminum Storefront system doubles as a shade screen with a randomized mullion pattern. This pattern carries through to the canopy below, with a mixture of a solid and open trellis canopy to create a striking entry sequence.” Conveniently located just south of Interstate 10 at the northwest corner of N. Miller Rd. and Lower Buckeye Rd., 10 West Commerce Park is a quick

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30-minute drive to Phoenix’s Sky Harbor Airport and a six-hour drive to the Los Angeles and Long Beach sea ports in California. “There is a tremendous amount of interest from businesses to relocate to Buckeye,” says Buckeye Mayor Eric Orsborn, “but they prefer buildings ready to move into. LGE’s attractive, new state-of-the-art facility provides the opportunity for one or more businesses to relocate to Buckeye quickly and provide additional job opportunities to our residents.” Creation Equity creationequity.com LGE Design Build lgedesignbuild.com

According to the 2021 Industrial Pipeline Report from CommercialSearch, Phoenix is expected to add 18.4 million square feet of new industrial space across 56 projects in 2021, making it the second most active market in terms of construction this year, with the biggest industrial project to come online the 2.3 million-square-foot Amazon Facility in Goodyear. commercialsearch.com/blog/us-industrial-pipeline-2021

Photo courtesy of George Oliver (top), LGE Design Build (bottom)

Industrial/Logistics Building Breaks Ground in Buckeye

MINDING THEIR BUSINESS

Ibrahim Mesbah and Andreas Ronneseth: e-Commerce Revolutionaries RevolutionParts shows dealerships how it’s done By Lauren Epler

When RevolutionParts came on the scene, dealers trying to sell online relied on legacy platforms that made the buying process unnecessarily complicated. It would take multiple steps to find a part and process an order, often taking the consumer from one website to another. RevolutionParts improved the way people were able to search for their parts and process their orders. This resulted in dealers tripling and quadrupling their conversions. More than 6.1 million parts and accessories have been sold through RevolutionParts since its start in 2014.

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• More than $16 billion in auto parts was sold online in 2020. • Despite the pandemic, dealers selling online with RevolutionParts grew revenue by 27% in 2020.

Andreas Ronneseth (left) and Ibrahim Mesbah (right)

start of the pandemic. Like most businesses, RevolutionParts experienced a hard hit as dealerships across the United States began to see a sharp decline in business. “When the pandemic hit, it created a lot of uncertainty in the business, and we had to find a way to keep everything running,” says Ronneseth. The pandemic put the company in a challenging situation, as all deals came to a halt and dealers began asking to cancel their subscriptions. Suddenly, the company was faced with difficult decisions neither Mesbah nor Ronneseth could have predicted. “We had to let employees go. It was the hardest decision we’ve ever made but, fortunately, that layoff wasn’t permanent. We were able to bring some of our employees back and learn how to navigate unpredictable times by planning for the worst-case scenario. This prepared us to start ramping back up within the next three months,” says Mesbah. Dealers who stayed on with RevolutionParts saw an increase in parts sales and hit record highs, despite the initial impact of the pandemic. “We were able to help dealerships stay in business during an economic downturn that was unavoidable,” says Ronneseth. The success of these dealers also helped land two major accounts. In the last nine months, RevolutionParts launched online sales and marketing solutions for Mercedes-Benz and Stellantis (the owner of well-known brands such as Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram and Fiat). The company’s relationships with large manufacturers have been years in the making, and Mesbah and Ronneseth wanted to prove their solution could provide a better experience for their customers than other legacy providers in the industry. Their opportunity to truly innovate in parts e-commerce came as the pandemic hit. More dealers began adopting various e-commerce solutions to combat the drop in business and RevolutionParts proved to be the most compelling solution available. Going forward, Mesbah and Ronneseth hope to expand their business globally to partner with more dealerships, auto group groups and manufacturers. RevolutionParts revolutionparts.com

Photo courtesy of RevolutionParts

A BETTER PLATFORM

Ibrahim Mesbah and Andreas Ronneseth graduated from Arizona State University and, together, are changing the way people are buying and selling auto parts. In 2014, the pair co-founded RevolutionParts after talking with a mutual friend who worked in the parts department of a local Phoenix new car dealership. Through this friend, they discovered the surprising challenges customers had when trying to place an order for auto parts through the parts department, and the complex process the parts department had to go through to fulfill those orders. Not only did many dealerships not sell their parts online, but those that did had a complicated buying process based on outdated legacy platforms. Having spent the past few years working together at PayPal, they knew they could help their friend out by simplifying the ordering processes and creating a better buying experience for customers. The RevolutionParts platform allows dealers to easily integrate several selling channels into a single dashboard. Mesbah and Ronneseth quit their jobs at PayPal and began working with other local dealerships to help them sell more auto parts online. The pair would visit local dealerships to get oil changes in hopes of speaking with the parts manager. This would allow them to show how effective their solution was, talk directly with their customers, and listen to their concerns — a practice they would continue to follow. This practice proved to be effective, as they found more dealers ready to join. It became apparent that if Mesbah and Ronneseth wanted to continue to put their customers first and keep expanding, they needed to hire support. They also needed to find someone to help them broaden their reach to acquire more customers outside their local market. “We decided to hire our first employees. We hired someone to do support, development and marketing soon after. This brought in even more leads, and from there, we began to grow very quickly,” says Ronneseth. Fast forward to 2021, and RevolutionParts is shaking up the way people buy and sell OEM (original equipment manufacturer) auto parts online across North America. Today, RevolutionParts has 95 employees and has partnered with 1,500 dealers. Mesbah and Ronneseth did this by being customer-focused more than anything else. They listened to what wasn’t working for the biggest dealers, knowing that the smaller dealers would be struggling with the same issues. This helped them better understand what problems dealers faced and how they could provide a better solution. “A lot of our success has been market-driven, but what has made the biggest difference is listening to our customers and allowing them to drive our roadmap to success,” Mesbah states. From its beginning, RevolutionParts has seen tremendous growth, but the most significant challenge occurred at the

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4/4/21 3:27 PM

Meet Uncertain Times with Confidence. Quarles & Brady understands your COVID -19 business issues and provides advice and solutions to your challenges.

VISIT OUR COVID-19 MICROSITE AT WWW.QUARLES.COM for current information on how legislation and announcements resulting from the pandemic impact your employees and business operations. FOR INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT Leonardo Loo, Phoenix Office Managing Partner, at 602.229.5638 or leonardo.loo@quarles.com.

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YOUR BENEFIT IN BUSINESS

WELL WELL WELL

Enabling Remote Analytic System Integration When looking for silver linings in the cloud of the COVID-19 pandemic, there are the positive gains made in the use of telehealth, to minimize the risk of exposure to frontline care workers and patients alike. In this realm, Life365 is continually adding new solutions to help solidify the embrace of virtual care and make the concept of Hospital@ Home a reality. The pandemic pressured clinicians and patients to think differently about the use of technology, utilizing smart phones and computers for virtual visits with healthcare professionals – reducing likely exposure to the virus, sure to be found in crowded waiting rooms. Now people have become accustomed to this new way of consuming healthcare — remotely from home via telehealth video visits instead of seeing doctors face-to-face — conveniently, on their terms. The pandemic spurred the already growing demand for remote care. The evolution of telehealth technology and new reimbursement has caused major channels to emerge in the industry. Health systems need to scale their ability to connect with large, growing and diverse populations of patients to stay relevant. Whereas health systems, historically, acquired new patients from surrounding communities, the new immense telehealth channels are reaching into those same communities to competitively cherry-pick patients. Health systems are left scrambling to find new ways to bring new patients into their doors — either in-person or, more efficiently, through the “Digital Front Door.” Innovative health systems are looking for a leg up to quickly make this digital connection. White Plains Hospital (NY) is one that has jump-started its initiatives by integrating to the Life365 Virtual Care Platform. One connection provides an array of solutions to enable Hospital@Home, bringing patients at home the same services they’d receive inside the clinic or hospital — like remotely collecting vitals such as weight, oxygen saturation, blood pressure and EKG. Analytic system integration is another piece of the puzzle, enhancing workflow optimization by flagging out-of-range vitals, so clinicians can direct their focus to patients who require attention, intervening with corrective action and avoiding costly ER episodes and admissions. —Kent Dicks, CEO of Life365 (www.life365.health)

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The State of Telehealth – Booming! It’s referred to by many terms in our industry: virtual care, telehealth, telemedicine, virtual health and remote care. No matter what we may call it, one thing is for certain — it’s here to stay! At eVisit, we call it virtual care, namely to signify that our end-to-end SaaS (Software as a Service) technology platform virtualizes every step in the care process from scheduling and intake, the virtual visit itself, as well as discharge, payment and e-prescribe. It is our belief that, in the future, this modality of patient care delivery will be just that — care. Names are important, but they certainly morph. Remember the Automated Teller Machine (ATM) launched in the ‘60s? Now, all digital banking is just banking. The more generic term, however, is telehealth, and telehealth companies like eVisit have experienced unprecedented levels of demand during the COVID-19 pandemic and thus are now becoming a bigger part of the overall healthcare ecosystem. That’s great news for everybody involved — patients, providers, clinicians, payers, employers, hospitals and health systems. Virtual care is convenient and efficient to deliver patient care for many patient-provider engagements. It has the power to enhance patient outcomes, reduce costs, and retain and boost revenue. Many agree that a silver lining in the pandemic is its fueling of telehealth’s advancement. Now, there are many industry analyst firms, research organizations and investment companies working to get their arms around this burgeoning market —

sizing it; identifying the key players; and assessing usage, trends, growth and the future. Gartner, the world’s leading analyst firm, in its Gartner 2020 Market Guide for Virtual Care Solutions, also refers to telehealth as virtual care and defines these solutions as those that “enable delivery of care where the clinician is not in the same physical location as the patient, either synchronously [that is, in real-time] or asynchronously.” In the Forrester Wave™: Virtual Care Platforms for Digital Health, Q1 2021, in which eVisit is the proud SOLO LEADER, Forrester estimates that the virtual care market will reach $43 billion in 2021, with up to 480 million virtual ambulatory encounters and more than 50% of practicing physicians planning to make virtual care a permanent part of their care models for patients. Historically, adoption of virtual health solutions was relatively low, with only 10% of healthcare consumers using telehealth over a 12-month period, according to a 2019 study by J.D. Power. When the pandemic hit, a new sense of urgency around virtual care emerged, pushing the telehealth industry to take a massive leap forward. This was supported by regulatory changes from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, other government bodies and commercial payers that temporarily removed historic impediments to adoption. When it comes to the state of telehealth, one thing is certain: It has been ignited. It will be exciting to watch how it unfolds. —Bret Larsen, co-founder and CEO of Mesa-based eVisit

Did You Know? Hospital-based telemedicine started it all. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information’s website, one of the earliest and most famous uses of telemedicine was in the early 1960s when a closed-circuit television link was established between the Nebraska Psychiatric Institute and Norfolk State Hospital, supporting psychiatric consultations.

INNOVATIONS FOR BUSINESS by Mike Hunter

Tech Enables Video Control by Eye Movement Cox recently unveiled new technology in Phoenix and Tucson that empowers people with disabilities to control their TV with their eyes. The Accessible Web Remote for Contour gives those who have lost fine motor skills — whether from degenerative conditions or paralysis — the ability to browse the video guide with a glance. Specifically, a free web-based tool is navigable using various assistive technologies already owned by customers, including eye gaze hardware and software, switch controls, and sip-and-puff systems that the user controls by gently blowing into a tube. Eye-tracking technology gives people living with conditions like paraplegia, Parkinson’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) the same access to their TVs as customers with the latest edition of Contour. “Innovative technology like this gives people with disabilities an added level of independence,” says Steve Gleason, founder of Team Gleason and former New Orleans Saints football player who has been living with ALS since 2011. “We appreciate that companies like Cox continue to empower their users by adopting products like the Accessible Web Remote, which allows every customer to do something most people take for granted, like controlling their TV.” According to the Bureau of Internet Accessibility, approximately 16% of people in the United States have difficulties with their physical functioning, making things like using a traditional TV remote either a challenge or impossible, depending on the condition. Throughout the last three years, Cox has partnered with organizations like Team Gleason to ensure accessible design and development of its products, increase awareness and education, and improve processes and procedures focusing on disability inclusion. cox.com/accessibility

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Meeting the Call for Digital Transformation The past year has seen an incredible increase in the interest in and demand for home-based work. Companies saw that many traditional office-bound jobs could be performed remotely with similar productivity — if not more. Additionally, removing geographic requirements allowed them to fill positions faster with incredibly qualified candidates. At Liveops, we’ve known and believed in these truths for some time, building a company of more than 25,000 virtual agents across the country who provide customer support for Fortune 500 companies, large enterprises and government entities. Before the pandemic started, we began digging into the agent experience to identify what support and systems would make our independent contractor agents excel at serving customers. As almost every company is now having to adapt to a hybrid workforce of in-person and remote employees, it is critical they take a similar approach, looking at the tools being used in-office and remotely to ensure they are not only meeting business and employee needs today but into the future. Doing so requires thoughtful research and collaboration across the company.

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IS CROSS-FUNCTIONAL

Digital transformation is not just IT’s responsibility. It is a cross-functional effort that requires the input and collaboration of many departments. These departments must agree to a common objective. For us, it was improving the agent’s experience, resulting in higher retention, more referrals for new agents and better service to our customers. In order to truly improve agent experience, we needed to walk in their shoes. Through a series of surveys, one-on-one interviews, focus groups and user experience testing, we learned where the friction points were in our agents’ days. We wanted to offer our virtual agents an opportunity to communicate, collaborate and learn within the context of their own entrepreneurial journey.

MATCHING TECHNOLOGY TO THE JOURNEY

We are rolling out three new technologyenabled platforms this year to meet the needs we discovered through our research. These innovations further enhance the platforms already in place. • Recruiting: Between March and December 2020, Liveops created opportunities for 20,000 virtual agents, and we needed a system that

could handle the volume and speed at which we recruited. Our selected applicant tracking system, Fountain (get.fountain.com) does just that. Additionally, we heard from our agents that most of their job searching happened on mobile devices, so any recruiting platform needed to be mobile friendly in its design and function. • Learning: As experts in adult distance learning, we provide engaging learning content in a “flipped” classroom environment, using a combination of self-paced and virtual classroom learning with real-life practice modules and stage gating. Critical to this success is getting agents up to speed on our customers’ business quickly so they can start answering calls within days of starting. A platform had to support the varied styles of engaging online learning, better help agents track and manage their progress, test knowledge transfer through gamification, handle increased volume as we continue to grow, and integrate more seamlessly into multiple systems. • Community: A drawback of at-home work is it can get lonely and agents can feel isolated and unsupported in their work. We work hard to create a community among all agents, across all our customer teams. With the rapid growth of our agent community, we needed a new “digital water cooler” to allow them to talk to one another and share challenges, tips and tricks, frustrations, and successes. We needed a way to constantly reach out with new content around their work and how to find balance when working from home. With collaboration across our operational groups and coordination with our agents, we homed in on the right solutions that will not only get implemented but get adopted. Digital technology cannot transform organizations unless it meets the needs of its users. Digital transformation is a whole-organization undertaking and, as such, can have tremendous impact on bottom lines if done thoughtfully and strategically. —Greg Hanover, CEO of Liveops (www.liveops.com)

According to the Bureau of Internet Accessibility, approximately 16% of people in the United States have difficulties with their physical functioning, making things like using a traditional TV remote either a challenge or impossible, depending on the condition.

Photo courtesy of Cox (left)

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10 companies tell what it took to survive in a year that's been anything but fun! by RaeAnne Marsh

Over the past year — more than a year! — we’ve learned how much we owe to the “essential workers” who ensure we have the goods and services to keep ourselves alive. With light beginning to shine at the end of a long and lonely tunnel, we can begin to feed our souls with another component that has had to take second seat: fun. Going to the movies, to the ballgame, to a fine restaurant; adventuring in a hot air balloon, a raceway, a challenging escape room or water park; being out on the links or reveling in our arts and culture — these fun activities are provided by businesses. And most businesses have had a year that’s been anything but fun. What were the business moves that enabled companies whose business is “fun” to endure and succeed? In Business Magazine goes in-depth with several valued businesses in our community.

Keeping Moviegoing Magic Harkins Theatres

Harkins Theatres president and CEO Mike Bowers divides the recent challenges into two distinct phases, noting that each presented its own challenges. First was the mandated closure period, and then there was the period of reopening during a continuing pandemic. “When the closure occurred, my attention was focused on our team,” he says. Initially, Harkins continued to pay everyone at full compensation. Then, Bowers says, “Once the CARES Act was passed, with the pandemic unemployment benefits, we were able to strategically furlough members of our team knowing that they would be eligible for unemployment benefits. In addition, we continued to cover 100% of their medical benefits, including the employee premiums, to provide a further level of security. Once this was complete, we were laser focused on reducing expenses across the board, from occupancy cost to office supplies; we scrutinized everything.” At the same time, the company started working on new revenuegenerating ideas. “During times of crisis, our communities have always looked to us to be a sanctuary and escape from the challenges and stresses of daily life,” Bowers notes. “But this time, we were not able to welcome them in. So instead, we innovated and looked for ways to stay connected to our guests and provide flavors of that entertainment experience that they could still enjoy.” The first innovation was Harkins’ rapid pivot to curbside popcorn and treats. “We have been selling a large take-home popcorn called Harkins Big Party Popcorn to our guests for over a decade, so we had an advantage over our competitors in this area,” Bowers says. “The reaction to bringing this offering curbside was tremendous. We could not pop popcorn fast enough in some locations to satisfy demand, with guests lined up in their cars for almost a mile in some instances to take home some hot fresh Harkins popcorn or nachos for movie nights at home.” Harkins also launched a pop-up drivein movie experience at the Chandler Fashion Mall, which, despite selling out each show, was not profitable for the company. “But the goal was really to stay connected to our guests and try to provide an entertaining break to the monotony of staying home,” says Bowers. Permission to reopen brought a new set of challenges, Bowers relates, the first of which was to evaluate whether it even made sense to reopen, with movie studios barely releasing movies — if at all. “Then, we had to determine how to deliver the Harkins

JUNE 2021

Ultimate Moviegoing® experience that our guests expect in a way that we were certain was safe for our team and our guests.” This required new equipment, new hospital-grade filtration, PPE, communication to guests and, most of all, detailed and thorough training and procedures for all employees. “With this done, but still lacking many new movies, we put our energies into finding new and creative ways to entice moviegoers back to the theatres,” Bowers relates. These included discounted pricing, classic films and film series and what turned out to be a great success — Harkins Private Movie Parties. “With Private Movie Parties,” Bowers explains, “we offered private auditorium screenings for as low as $99 for up to 20 guests. This was very well received and led to the launch of Private Gaming Parties where guests could use our giant screens for an epic console gaming experience with their friends.” The party offers had been available prior to the pandemic, but Bowers notes the packaging, promotion and “really attractive price point” were new. “Through a combination of these efforts and the subsequent slow but steady release of some new films, we secured our future through the pandemic.”

THE ECONOMIC ROLLER COASTER

Along with the extensive expense reduction efforts mentioned above, Harkins paused on new expansion and shifted its focus to reinforcing its core theaters by completing three full theater remodels that included upgrades to Ultimate Lounger seating, expanded food and beverage offerings, in-lobby bars, adding Harkins Cine1 (Harkins’ premium large-format screens) and upgraded finishes throughout. Another big focus was outward, says Bowers. “How could we best support our community and employees during the pandemic?” The Harkins Emergency Assistance Relief Trust (HEART) Fund was initiated to provide grants to help employees facing financial hardship immediately after a natural disaster or an unforeseen personal hardship. “And, with the hope of bringing some relief to the communities in which we operate, we donated excess PPE, surprised some healthcare heroes with popcorn and delivered nearly 60,000 bottles of water to local food banks, family shelters and emergency assistance organizations across the Valley.”

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Noting that Harkins has been entertaining guests for more than 87 years, Bowers says 2020 was undeniably one of the most challenging years; the company lost more than 90% of its revenues. In fact, Bowers characterizes the impacts of the pandemic on the industry generally and Harkins specifically as “extraordinarily painful.” However, he says, “Harkins entered this crisis in a stronger position than our competitors and, though wounded, will continue to be in a strong financial position for the future.” But that’s a far cry from being recovered. “We are now only slightly improved at this point from a revenue perspective,” he says, “but with the success of some big (Godzilla big) movies this spring, an amazing slate of films for the second half of the year, and the success in the last few months of the vaccine rollout, we are very optimistic that we will start to build back to normal business in the near future.”

STAYING STRONG AND MOVING FORWARD

“I am extraordinarily bullish on our company and our industry going forward,” Bowers says, observing that the pandemic time at home has made it crystal clear that streaming movies at home is no substitute for the full, immersive moviegoing experience. “Our guests are desperate to come back to the movies and have told us and shown us this at every opportunity. With a slate of great blockbusters that have been ready and waiting to come to our giant screens, we are stacked for the rest of this year,” he shares. Following the kickoff with Cruella and A Quiet Place II on May 28, are huge films like Marvel’s Black Widow and In the Heights; Disney’s Jungle Cruise, Space Jam: A New Legacy, Suicide Squad 2, Dune, The Matrix 4 and Free Guy; Marvel’s Eternals, West Side

Story, The King’s Man, Snake Eyes, Paw Patrol: The Movie, Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway, Hotel Transylvania 4, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City and Spider-Man: No Way Home; not to mention Top Gun: Maverick and one Bowers shares is his personal favorite: the Bond series with No Time to Die coming to Harkins Theatres in October. “That,” he says, “is an almost unparalleled list of huge blockbuster movies.” Harkins will also be launching a new website and mobile app this year that Bowers describes as a quantum leap in technology and guest service, while continuing to be “laser focused” on enhancing the value of Harkins’ loyalty program (My Harkins Awards) for its guests, continuing to offer a variety of programming that includes art and independent movies, enhancing its state-of-the-art amenities, offering unique and elevated food and beverage in theatres, and diversifying its e-commerce product portfolio. Says Bowers, “There is nothing like the magical moviegoing experience on the big screen. There is no comparison to streaming movies at home, any more than watching a game on TV is the same as going to the arena or watching a band on YouTube is the same as going to the concert.” And he shares, “Some of my favorite memories as a kid were on the occasion that I skipped school and spent the entire day watching movies in a cinema (paying for each ticket of course!), and I can still remember each movie I watched that day. That love of cinema and how it can impact people is what drives me today and what will always excite guests back into our theaters.” Harkins Theatres harkins.com

There is nothing like the magical moviegoing experience on the big screen. There is no comparison to streaming movies at home, any more than watching a game on TV is the same as going to the arena or watching a band on YouTube is the same as going to the concert.” —Mike Bowers, CEO of Harkins Theatres

Take Us Out to the Ball Game Arizona Diamondbacks

“We have really had to reinvent ourselves, both with and without fans,” says Derrick Hall, president and CEO of the Arizona Diamondbacks. For the 2020 season, as we all remember, fans were not allowed in stadiums, so the challenge was to manufacture the look and feel of a real game for both players on the field and viewers at home. Piping in crowd noise helped simulate some sense of normalcy, Hall says, although he admits it was nowhere near the real thing. “We also decided to bring fans to Chase Field from their homes, as we conducted virtual first pitches and anthem performances.” This season, the Diamondbacks have focused on the return of fans in a safe and comfortable manner. “We converted all purchases and transactions to cashless, and have made the entire experience contactless,” Hall says. And while the early homestands have required stronger protocols — with masks, distancing and zip-tied and prohibited seats — Hall expects there will be a loosening of restrictions, reallocation of locations and additional seating that will continue as the season progresses. Pointing out that the ball club is the business of performing in front of crowds yet was either prohibited from allowing them in or limited in their capacity, Hall reports the organization lost millions of

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dollars in 2020 and will again this season. “In 2020 alone, some of our most valuable areas of profit such as tickets sold, concessions, merchandise and parking resulted in zero earnings,” he says. “But all categories were impacted, as we had to get creative in make-goods for all of our corporate partners, while rolling over as many season ticket holder and suite accounts into the next season as possible.”

“Baseball has always been a huge part of that recovery historically, be it after world wars or 911 or COVID-19. It has always been the great escape for families and is shaping up to act as such again.” —Derrick Hall, president and CEO of the Arizona Diamondbacks

THE ECONOMIC ROLLER COASTER

“We were entering 2020 debt free for the first time in our franchise’s history,” Hall relates. But no crowds or revenue sources meant needing to look internally to find ways to reduce expenses. “This part hurt the most,” Hall shares, “because although we attempted to do so by dramatically reducing departmental budgets, we knew we could not ignore the need to address staffing and overhead. “We are proud of our recognized and celebrated culture, but with so much uncertainty in the air, we had no choice but to likely negatively impact that. We were forced to furlough, eliminate positions, or assist with early retirement in several cases.” This did, in fact, provide significant savings, Hall says, but combined with so many months of

remote work, “it has given us a prioritized need to recreate those strong feelings of family and value we have for our talented employees.”

STAYING STRONG AND MOVING FORWARD

Hall believes sports — and baseball in particular — is beginning to feel some pandemic and economic recovery. “Baseball has always been a huge part of that recovery historically, be it after world wars or 911 or COVID-19. It has always been the great escape for families and is shaping up to act as such again,” says Hall. As they are able to loosen restrictions, allow season ticket holders to return to their original seats and expand capacity, Hall anticipates fans will enthusiastically go through the turnstiles. “It helps to have a winning product, and we are working on that long-term and sustainable model,” he says. “But regardless of win or lose, our fans have grown accustomed to receiving the greatest fan experience in sports at our games, and I am very bullish on our future and the ability to again consistently draw more than two million a year in attendance.” Arizona Diamondbacks mlb.com/dbacks

Let the Children Play Children’s Museum of Phoenix

“On March 13, 2020, we made the hard decision to close our doors to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 at the start of the pandemic,” says Kate Wells, president and CEO of one of the most loved and visited arts and cultural institutions in Arizona. That same day, she and her team began the thought process of how they could continue to fulfill the museum’s mission of engaging the minds, muscles and imaginations of children and the grown-ups who care about them. “We’ve successfully accomplished not one but four big pivots since then,” she says, “each assuring that we continue to serve our mission while finding ways to maximize any revenue we could muster to get us through the very unpredictable future.”

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A big change was moving from “hands-on” to “online.” But the museums young visitors — “Really, all the young children of our community,” Wells observes - were going to need extra support during such uncertain times. “Just four days after closing, we posted the first of 180 daily activities on our social media platforms in both English and Spanish, featuring our own staff presenting new and fun activities for kids to do each day of the week,” Wells says. And those videos garnered more than 250,000 viewers. Two other very pressing needs were creating new revenue opportunities and keeping key staff employed, the first because earned revenue had accounted for 80% of the museum’s revenue prior to the pandemic, and the second to make sure the museum would be ready to re-open when the time came, Wells explains. One answer was to re-tool the museum’s highly successful summer camps to serve children who were at home all summer. Camp-In-A-Box was created, providing week-long activities for kids to do in the comfort and safety of their homes, including live, virtual content where camp counselors led campers in different activities throughout the day. “As the summer dragged on and it became clear that schools would not be back to business as usual, we built on the success of our Camp-in-a-Box and launched our ‘Thinker Player Creator’ (TPC) boxes, which were hands-on, creative, educational supplements for school-age kids returning to school via all-day or partial-day online learning,” Wells says. “We were proud to partner with Arizona Milk Producers and Dairy Council of Arizona in bringing the TPC Boxes to Valley families.” Something very special that came out of this was a groundbreaking partnership between Children’s Museum and the Cartwright Unified School District, a Title One district that was having significant challenges keeping children engaged in online learning, Wells reports. Children’s Museum provided more than 1,500

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kindergarten students with eight weeks of bilingual, hands-on activities in math, literacy, numeracy, art and movement that gave them a much-needed break from academic screen time. “As the pandemic wore on, and with the beautiful Arizona fall, winter and spring weather ahead of us, we made our biggest pivot of all,” Wells relates. “Based on the scientific evidence that masks worked, that it was safer to have activities outdoor vs. indoors, and that sunlight and social distancing made play possible, we started to think about how we could bring people to the Museum for outdoor fun.” Adventure Play —100% Outside, 100% Fun, opened in late October 2020 and ran through early May 2021. The attraction spanned more than 35,000 square feet, spilling over the museum’s permanent front yard and taking over its entire north parking lot. “While Adventure Play has only allowed us to operate at about 20% of our pre-COVID numbers,” Wells says, it “has been enormously popular and received many positive reviews from our visitors who were missing our unique play spaces and were desperate for their children to have safe, fun experiences with other children.” Crediting the museum staff’s dedication and flexibility, Wells says, “All in all, this precarious time in our history has made us realize that we are resilient no matter what challenges are placed before us. Our commitment to provide fun, interactive play experiences, which will foster a joy of learning in the children of our community, will always be our goal whatever form it takes.”

THE ECONOMIC ROLLER COASTER

By end of March 2020 Children’s Museum of Phoenix had to furlough 75% of its full-time staff and laid off 95% of its parttime staff. “In real numbers,” Wells says, “we went from about 95 employees to 13.” Making her singular focus the survival of the Museum and ensuring there would be enough cash to reopen when the time came, she says, “As a safety net, not knowing what the future held for us, we drew on our line of credit.” The first turn-around came in April, Wells recalls, when the Museum was able to secure PPP funding, followed by a loan from SBA in early June, and then a generous, unrestricted grant from the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust gave us. Due to the very “mission focused” work the Museum continued to do — bi-lingual videos, Camp-in-a-Box and TPC Boxes — other foundations, the Gila River Indian Community, individual donors and a handful of corporations continued supporting its work, Wells says, noting that “because we were able to bring back and retain key staff, opening up Adventure Play — and the corresponding revenue — was possible.” A second round of PPP came in time to rehire staff and prepare for reopening the indoor, regular Museum space Memorial Day weekend. But she notes, “Even with PPP and grants, we are operating at 30% of fiscal year 2019.” Early last summer, not knowing how the pandemic would affect the Museum for its next fiscal year, the management team created a “Museum closed with zero activities” budget — the worst-case scenario built around the intention to slash expenses and keep an eye on cash. “As information was gathered, we developed ways to meet the Museum’s mission and bring in revenue.,” Wells explains. “For each new program we developed, like the TPC Boxes and Adventure Play, we would present a new ‘add-on’ budget to our Board’s Finance Committee, and these individual budgets comprise our Comprehensive Organizational Budget.” Sharing that “we affectionately call our pandemic budget ‘the onion’ because we keep layering additional budgets onto it as conditions change,” Wells says, this method “enabled the Museum to survive, rebuild, manage revenue and expenses while being innovative and keeping an eye on cash.”

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“All in all, this precarious time in our history has made us realize that we are resilient no matter what challenges are placed before us.” —Kate Wells, president and CEO of the Children's Museum of Phoenix In the unprecedented, even desperate, situation created by the pandemic, Wells says they weren’t sure they were making the right move. “But we worked really hard, made sure our eyes were looking forward 12 months ahead for obstacles and opportunities, and always knew what our cash position would be 12 months out given the best- and worst-case scenarios.” And now, with the Museum opening its indoor spaces on May 29, Wells shares, “I would say that yes, it definitely worked. Aside from knowing that we would re-open someday, we had very few expectations. Prior to COVID, as an organization we were doing a lot of work around ‘change’ and ‘resiliency’ — we were exercising our ‘change’ muscle for a couple of years and I feel we were really ready to respond. And, while it was painful, I was confident our team could manage through anything.”

STAYING STRONG AND MOVING FORWARD

The Museum has now finished its budget for next fiscal year, Wells reports it will go into the new year having enough operating cash in the bank to get it through more than a few months if things take a bad turn again. “Our former board member Mark Hillard would tell me pretty much every time I saw him, ‘Cash is king,’ and I think I have repeated this to myself every morning since last March. It really helps me keep my eye on that ball.” Staffing is another key metric the Museum tracks, and Wells says, “Because we were able to retain most of our key, A-Team staff, rebuilding our team is going well — even in these tough hiring times! I honestly think our reputation as a diverse, empowering, equitable and fun place to work is really helping us find great talent while a lot of other businesses are struggling. “However, even as hopeful as we are for the future, we are opening with limited capacity, and we expect to have a loss again next year.” In fact, the Museum is budgeting for earned revenue to come in 21% less than its last full year open. “Coming out of our closure, we felt it was the optimal time to look at how and what we would like to change moving forward. As a result, we re-organized to focus on growing earned revenue, streamlining operations, and focusing on exceptional customer service,” Wells explains. Wells believes the Museum’s work is more important than ever, given the pandemic’s impact on young children and families, an expected gap in school-based achievement, significant income inequity between families in our community, and a generation of children who’s social and emotional development will likely be impacted. “With an increased focus on Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA) our ‘Every Child’ program will endeavor to serve over 50,000 at-risk children next year, and we will be launching a new IDEA Fellowship program for students who are traditionally left out of traditional college internship programs,” says Wells. “As an organization, we look forward to getting back to a place of profitability so we can replenish our cash reserves and turn our profits into more good work.” Children’s Museum of Phoenix childrensmuseumofphoenix.org

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Will Eating Out Be In Again? Common Ground Culinary

“Throughout the last year, many hospitality groups have been forced to adapt to a constantly changing environment,” notes Christopher Collins, chef-owner at Common Ground Culinary, sharing that at his restaurants, “we quickly realized our operations were going to have to be flexible and creative to ensure we were following the laws, keeping our staff and guests safe, and being conscious of our social responsibility in our community.” The first step to accomplish this was the unprecedented shut down of all in-service dining — which forced the restaurants to quickly develop new operating procedures for take-out-only business. Since then, as the situation continued to change, Common Ground Culinary adapted several times in response to guidance from the CDC and local/state government. The restaurants expanded their to-go program by offering curbside service, contactless payment and pick-up, alcoholic beverages to-go, and family packs to our neighbors. “Perhaps our biggest challenge has been keeping our team and guests safe throughout the pandemic,” Collins says. “To do this, we chose to put our social responsibility ahead of our profitability and provided masks for employees and guests, brought in an outside cleaning company to routinely sanitize the restaurants, made changes to all our dining rooms to ensure proper social distancing, conducted employee health checks on a shift-by-shift basis, and created a continual disinfecting program for all guest touch points.”

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“To be brutally honest, it was so bad during the shut-down that “If we made thoughtful there were several times I did not know if our company was going to and compassionate survive it,” Collins candidly shares, choices to protect our noting, “As we began to come out business and those who of that, we were hopeful. But it worked for us, it would seemed that every time we started give us the best chance to gain momentum, something happened — new guidelines, possible to rebuild.” surges in cases, difficulty hiring, —Christopher Collins, etc. — that brought us back to chef-owner at Common uncertainty.” Just in the second Ground Culinary quarter of 2020 alone, sales were down more than 56%, obviously not a sustainable business model. “Several government relief programs allowed us to continue operating and breathe a momentary sigh of relief as we waited to see how the pandemic would continue to unfold.” Changes in operations started with restructuring Common Ground Culinary’s staffing proforma to reflect the new business model: Managers functioned as curbside servers, kitchen managers worked the line, and ownership ran the day-to day-management. “From there, we continuously monitored all state and federal relief programs and used our relationship with our local bank to quickly and efficiently apply for aid and loans,” Collins relates. “Every day, we tried to make the best decision possible for the company and our employees,” Collins says. “There was no way to know if those decisions were the correct ones at the time, but we sincerely believed that, if we made thoughtful and compassionate choices to protect our business and those who worked for us, it would give us the best chance possible to rebuild.” Since being given the opportunity to gradually increase the restaurants’ dine-in operations, Collins has found that guests from out of state have been eager to visit Arizona “and enjoy our restaurant scene and in-person dining.”

STAYING STRONG AND MOVING FORWARD

“We are very fortunate that our neighbors recognized our efforts and rallied around us,” Collins says, sharing, “Many times I’ve heard, ‘Common Ground did it right.’” And he feels Common Ground Culinary is coming out of this with even stronger support than it had before, and a larger presence in our community. For his company, he says, “We are excited and optimistic about Common Ground Culinary’s future as we plan to open two new concepts in 2021.” And for the industry as a whole, he says, “We believe in Arizona as we watch new residents flocking in from all over the country, and welcome new culinary talent and restaurateurs to help take the state’s hospitality scene to the next level.” Common Ground Culinary is the restaurant development company behind the brands Grassroots Kitchen & Tap, The Collins Small Batch Kitchen, The Macintosh, Twisted Grove Parlor & Bar, Wally’s Gastropub and Sweet Provisions.

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Shaking Up the Escape Game Scene The Nemesis Club and Soda Jerk

“Our concept consists of two complementary experiences: The Nemesis Club, offering epic escape game adventures, and Soda Jerk Co. Milkshake Bar,” says Dustin Smith, who co-owns the business with his wife, Kylee. They originally conceived of The Nemesis Club as the primary attraction, with guests “sneaking through” Soda Jerk Co. on their way to play an escape game and then, at the end of their 60-minute adventure, guests would sit in a “secret lounge” to celebrate or commiserate over a delicious dessert made in the Soda Jerk Co. kitchen. “For Soda Jerk Co. to fully contribute as both a really fun entrance and a truly desirable dessert option, we completely developed the Soda Jerk Co. brand, interior design, menu — the whole restaurant concept,” Smith says. “But even though we were completely in love with what we were creating, we really thought that Soda Jerk Co. would see very little counter traffic aside from guests to The Nemesis Club.” In fact, he shares, their initial financial projections included exactly zero dollars in revenue from the Soda Jerk Co. counter. The game rooms is where the Smiths expected to draw the revenue. Their grand opening had been planned for spring of last year, and they expected to have three of the attraction’s five escape games ready for the grand opening of our first location in Desert Ridge, which is the number of games they had projected would be required to hit a breakeven revenue target. “But then COVID threw us some major curveballs,” says Smith. Citing labor and materials shortages as the biggest challenges, he relates they started swinging hammers on their tenant improvements mere days before COVID lockdowns began. “We felt the COVID squeeze very early,” he recalls, noting that not only did building supplies not arrive and but subcontractors called out with COVID symptoms. And on down the supply chain, as the scenic artists and technology suppliers notified the Smiths of delays and rising costs due to their own labor and materials supply issues. “Despite our best efforts to keep the project on track, the expenses grew and the timeline slipped by days ... then weeks ... then months, quickly eating into our build budget and operating capital reserves.” By mid-summer, Smith says, they knew they’d need to pivot to survive — which became not just a jog in direction but actually a complete reversal of plans. Their first change was to scale back the escape game build plan by completely cutting one of the three initial games. A month later, they realized the second game would have to open sometime after the first rather than concurrently. “And then,” he says, “in September 2020, recognizing that the first escape game was still months from completion, we set a grand opening date for Soda Jerk Co. in October. We turned all of our attention to the business that was meant to be a secondary source of revenue and that would deliver tighter margins — the less desirable business model in many regards.” With that reversal, Smith says they hoped their unique, carefully crafted dessert concept would be interesting enough to get customers venturing out enough to sustain the business until they could get games open. “Despite the enormous effort we invested in the pivot, we couldn’t have predicted how positively the community would respond to the opening of Soda Jerk Co.,” Smith relates. “Guests raved about our milkshakes in reviews and on social media. Our line wrapped around the

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building. We suddenly had a list of new problems — good problems, like how to house so much inventory, how to increase production speed, where to seat all the guests, and how to quickly triple the size of our team. In fact, all work on the escape games halted for a number of weeks while we learned to run a high-volume shake bar!” The first escape game — EVIL Robots — opened this past February, and Smith says it has had a very positive public response and is meeting their revenue goal for one game. The second game is anticipated to open in a few weeks. “But Soda Jerk Co. will continue to be our primary revenue driver this year,” Smith says. “Not bad for a secondary concept that didn’t even make it into our initial projections!”

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Since The Nemesis Club and Soda Jerk opened while COVID restrictions were in place and public anxiety was still relatively high, Smith says they have no experience to judge exactly what the COVID impact has been. But their revenue has been more a steady climb than a peaks-and-trough roller coaster. Says Smith, “We’ve seen traffic steadily rise as immunity increases and consumer confidence grows. But,” he adds, “it’s difficult to say what the biggest contributing factor is — growing consumer confidence, better brand awareness or the tourism season.”

STAYING STRONG AND MOVING FORWARD

“Despite Soda Jerk Co.’s success, the scope changes COVID forced restricted our revenue potential,” says Smith. They considered the High Street location to be their prototype and had ambitious plans for growth. But, in addition to the pivot described above, they have had to keep operating costs as low as possible “while still delivering a premium product and experience.” One of the areas that has impacted is staffing. Instead of hiring a manager and other people into supervisory roles so they could continue developing processes and start scouting new locations, the Smiths have continued to manage the day-to-day operations themselves — while their tiny game development team has carried more of the production load than originally planned. “We knew those decisions weren’t optimal for long-term growth, but it was a matter of survival,” Smith explains. Although noting he and his wife have been working 18-hour days, six days a week, for more than a year, Smith says, “We wouldn’t dare

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complain about it, because we’re thrilled to be living our dream of running our own business.” But, he says, their family has paid a price. “We bring our kids to the shop as often as possible, but they definitely need more Mom and Dad time.” All their exploration around growth screeched to a halt, too, in the short term. Long-term seems to be a different story, as Smith says they are constantly getting requests from consumers and developers all over the state and even across the country to bring both Soda Jerk Co. and The Nemesis Club to their neighborhoods. Expansion is certainly in their sights, but Smith says COVID has made that economically impossible to contemplate for a while. “While things haven’t gone perfectly, we’re thrilled to have one thriving business model, with another growing steadily,” Smith says, expressing optimism about the future of their business and noting that people love both experiences. “We haven’t started advertising

“Despite the enormous effort we invested in the pivot, we couldn’t have predicted how positively the community would respond to the opening of Soda Jerk Co.” —Dustin and Kylee Smith, co-owners of The Nemesis Club and Soda Jerk for The Nemesis Club yet, but the secret is out. We’re fully booked most weekends. We’ll open the second game in a couple of weeks. Then we’ll start working on our expanded lounge space and another game. By this time next year, we should have five games open and at least one new location under construction. Then the next location, and then another. The next few years are going to be really fun!” The Nemesis Club and Soda Jerk thenemesisclub.com

High Adventure Hot Air Expeditions

Prior to the pandemic, in early 2019, business was booming for sisters Amanda and Stephanie Long, co-owners of Hot Air Expeditions. “It was busier than we had seen in years,” Amanda recalls. Then, COVID-19 hit and they experienced the opposite: Reopening after being forced to shut down for two months, business was slower than they had ever seen. So, along with increasing their sanitation efforts and reducing their tour capacities, they made some strategic pivots in their business operations. They shifted their marketing and promotions from shared hot air balloon rides to private hot air balloon rides. “We also adjusted operations to account for last-minute bookings, which became more prevalent,” Amanda relates, “as well as adjusted our cancellation policy to account for last-minute cancellations due to the pandemic.” Additionally, as travel came to a standstill but they saw an increase in staycations and road

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trips, they shifted their focus from visitors to Arizona, which had been their primary customer base, to those who live locally and those within driving distance of Arizona. “We are fortunate to be an outdoor activity, which has made guests feel more comfortable with enjoying the hot air ballooning experiences we have to offer,” Amanda says.

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Furloughing their employees and closing for two months with no incoming revenue, the Longs still had bills coming in. “We worked diligently to apply for any assistance that was available due to the pandemic,” Amanda says. This included applying for the Paycheck Protection Program, disaster loans made available by the Small Business Administration, and any grants that were available. “We were successful in many of these efforts,” she says, adding, “We

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are forever grateful for these programs that kept our small business open, and allowed us to provide some enjoyment during these tough times.” Thanks to a PPP loan, the Longs were able to keep their core staff members employed during this time. Says Amanda, “Though we are typically open year-round, our high season is October to May and we had no idea what to expect in terms of demand with the pandemic.” They were excited when business began to pick up after Labor Day, but also overwhelmed. “There was no way to forecast this demand, and we were running on a skeleton crew,” she explains. “But because of this demand, we were able to bring our remaining staff members back to work, and interest in our hot air balloon tours has continued to soar.”

STAYING STRONG AND MOVING FORWARD

Hot Air Expeditions is still recovering from the height of the pandemic and is currently down 20% from where business

was in 2019, Amanda shares. “But things continue to improve week to week, which is promising.” Explaining that their goal has never been to be everywhere but rather to make their hot air balloon rides and experiences memorable from start to finish, Amanda says, “Instead of just a balloon ride, we aim to elevate our tours to make them unique and truly one of a kind, with additions like post-flight catered fare in the desert, combination tours with other local activities and attractions, and exceptional customer service. “Moving forward, we will continue to enhance our hot air balloon tours, and also cater to the local/road trip market. We look forward to taking the lessons learned from the pandemic and using them as a source of strength to propel us to new heights!” Hot Air Expeditions hotairexpeditions.com

“Instead of just a balloon ride, we aim to elevate our tours to make them unique and truly one of a kind." —Amanda and Stephanie Long, co-owners of Hot Air Expeditions

Missing the Links? Quintero Golf Club

“Normally, our clientele consists of a lot of people from out of state or even international travelers. We’re a destination or ‘bucket list’ golf course, so a lot of people who travel to Arizona, do so to play here,” says Quintero general manager Mike Poe. When the country shut down in March, the only people who could golf here were Arizonans, so Quintero had to adjust its operations to accommodate the change in customer base. One of the initial changes was reducing rates to bring locals to the course. “We took a stab at the rate we thought would best entice people in the area to drive out here and play, and we hit that amount right on the nose,” Poe says. “We got lucky.”

rates to match demand thinking it would slow things down a bit, but people kept coming. We actually had to increase rates three more times over the summer to keep up with demand. People just wanted to get out of the house to do something and they were willing to pay the higher rates to do so.” Poe found one of the most challenging aspects of operating through a pandemic was keeping up with guidelines. Rakes were removed from sand pits, guests were told to not touch the flags, golf carts were sanitized, and the patio area was closed. The constantly changing rules forced us to adapt quickly while business was still going on. “We had

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Between mid-March and mid-May of 2020, Quintero Golf Club lost 65% of its annual revenue, with people cancelling their trips and tee times in the middle of prime golf season. People were even cancelling the trips they booked for the fall and winter. “We saw all our tee times dropping off the books. It was a nightmare,” Poe relates. Although Quintero responded by adjusting its rates to serve the local clientele, it took a while for people to notice those reduced rates and start securing tee times. “We lost a lot of high-value bookings in prime season. It was tough.” Things began to turnaround for Quintero toward the end of May, when Arizona allowed golf courses to operate while surrounding states like California and Nevada were totally shut down. Noting that people began leaving those nearby states and travelling to Arizona where things were more open and they could golf, Poe says, “This created a big surge in the Arizona golf industry — something we weren’t really expecting.” In fact, Quintero started to experience an increase in volume over the summer that it had never experienced before. Summer golfers had traditionally been local as very few people travel here to golf in Phoenix’s blazingly hot summers. “We paid close attention to our clientele and where they were coming from, and, because we had so much business coming in, we decided to try and get back some of the revenue we lost in the spring months,” Poe shares. “We increased

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to stay on our toes to make sure the guests knew we were doing our best to follow the CDC guidelines as they came in,” Poe says, noting it seemed like daily there was some new adjustment to make.

A-HA!

One innovative change Poe made to survive the economic challenges of the pandemic was to turn the entire golf course into a restaurant. Although attendance on the golf course surged, the club’s onsite restaurant couldn’t serve food, which, obviously, was really hurting the food and beverage revenue numbers. “Then we realized if other restaurants were allowed to deliver, there was no reason we couldn’t turn our whole golf course into a dining experience,” Poe says. “We put our full menu on our golf carts’ GPS system and began delivering food on course, remaining within CDC safety guidelines. That was huge for the drinking and dining aspect of our club.” The question was how receptive people would be to ordering electronically. But not only was that successful, Poe says it worked out even better than expected. “We had to add two additional team members to service our guests and deliver food, so we were actually employing more people during the pandemic because of that move,” he says. Guests ordered through the GPS system on the golf carts; since the carts were already equipped with those capabilities, all that was needed was to expand the menu so people had more options. “Now that people could eat on the course, our customers could leave fed and happy. At this point, it’s almost an expectation that our course will serve them food while they’re out,” Poe says, adding, “There’s a demand for it, and we love it.” There was a learning curve in rolling out the food service. One already mentioned was adding staff so as to be able to deliver over all 485 acres of the course. Poe also changed what foods could be ordered. “At first, I thought people would only want clean, easy-toeat food while golfing, but learned that people still want the greasy, messy food on the course.” He added those messier options after a short time, and reports food and beverage numbers are way up because of it.

STAYING STRONG AND MOVING FORWARD

“We evaluate our results with a simple year over year comparison. Like any business, we want each year to be better than the last,” says Poe. So how did Quintero do last year? Poe reports “We put our full menu the club took a hit at the beginning of 2020 but the year finished as its most on our golf carts’ GPS profitable year on record: Quintero’s system and began 2020 numbers were up roughly 34% delivering food on across the year over 2019, and food course." —Mike Poe, and beverage revenue alone was up general manager of 27% in 2020. Quintero Golf Club “The pandemic increased our overall customer based with other states migrating to AZ. Additionally, a lot of people took up golf that hadn’t played before or some people even revisited golf after not playing for a while because it was the only activity left. All of which is helping our future business,” says Poe. Poe maintains Quintero in great shape even in the hot summer months, so the club was ready to go when the influx of out-of-state and new golfers began arriving — and has already welcome many of them back as returning guests. “Those repeat customers alone is enough to increase market share,” he says. The past year has also brought in more business travelers — people conducting business on the course, doing things virtually and playing a round. “During the pandemic, that’s the only place they could go to do business,” Poe notes, observing that now they love it and don’t want to go back. Poe says there is also an increase in the number of female golfers as well as an influx in kids coming out with their families. “We also recently added ‘stay & play’ options to our course, which we hope will drive even more traffic to the club,” Poe says. “We offer six luxury condominiums right on the course that are perfect for families, groups of friends or even just a romantic vacation/ staycation. We can provide meals, grocery shopping, entertainment, our chef can cook in the fully equipped kitchen, whatever you want we can make happen. We can also arrange fun activities nearby like a boat ride at Lake Peasant, horseback riding, ATV-ing, shooting at the nearby range, all that fun stuff. It’s a full desert experience with the bonus of an amazing golf course right outside your door.” Notwithstanding successfully operating through a pandemic, Poe notes that this phase of returning to normalcy is just as difficult to predict as the beginning of the pandemic. “We don’t know how people will react as the rest of the country and other countries open,” he says. For instance, will Quintero lose clients as people travel internationally? Would people rather travel to play golf in nearby Canada or Mexico instead of staying in the states? Staying on top of the unknowns will require keeping an eye on data and paying attention to what’s going on with clients and future bookings, but Poe says, “We’ll keep working hard and serving our customers to the best of our ability because we know now is not the time to put it on cruise control.” Quintero Golf Club quinterogolf.com

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Ballet Arizona dancers in "Topia"; photo by Rosalie O'Connor

For the Joy of Dance Ballet Arizona

As a business, Ballet Arizona is comprised of three aspects: performances, school and community engagement. So, there were different responses to the COVID-19 restrictions. Performances moved to a hybrid that combined limited-seating, socially distanced in-person performances with virtual presentations. The ballet company’s school, similarly, adopted a hybrid of reduced-sized, inperson classes and virtual classes. There was dramatic change in all the ballet company’s community engagement programs as they moved exclusively to online delivery, explains Samantha Turner, Ballet Arizona’s executive director. “We expanded to provide patrons and the community at large ways to stay connected with the ballet and one another.” For instance, Ballet Arizona launched a new Ballet Arizona book club that met exclusively online four times over the past season. “It garnered excellent participation as well as insightful conversation and camaraderie among participants,” Turner reports, adding that, based on feedback from participants, it will continue into next season. Another new launch, out of the Education and Community Engagement team, was Read, Dance, Play!, a monthly interactive workshop series for young children that combines literary exploration with creative movement. Yet another from Ballet Arizona was the Movement Moments series, five-minute movement breaks led by Ballet Arizona dancers, and a collaborative effort with Arizona Opera called Music Movement Breaks was created to combine operatic music with dance to give students a chance to learn and move.

The Virginia G. Piper Trust and The Flinn Foundation also stepped in with financial support. PPP loans and reserves provided additional funding. Combining the funding from all those sources with making dramatic reductions in expenses, Turner says Ballet Arizona was able “to keep nearly everyone at the organization employed.” After the long hiatus, Ballet Arizona’s first large scale performance since the pandemic began is running May 18th through June 5th at the Desert Botanical Garden, and, with its opening still a week off at the time of this writing, was nearly sold out. “The School of Ballet Arizona and Phoenix Youth Symphony Orchestras are also collaborating for the first time to present Swan Lake, also at Desert Botanical Garden, and that also is nearly sold out,” Turner says. “We are hopeful that this is a sign of the enthusiasm we will see in the 2021-2022 season.”

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Ballet Arizona balletaz.org

The financial hit was severe, says Turner, sharing that about $4 million in revenue evaporated, beginning with the first cancellations in March of last year. Ballet Arizona was able to launch a fundraising campaign to help keep itself going. The campaign was spearheaded by Jacquie and Bennett Dorrance, and, describing its success, Turner says it was “enthusiastically supported by existing and new donors.”

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STAYING STRONG AND MOVING FORWARD

Turner says she expects the next few years to continue to be a challenge, but adds, “We are bolstered by the enthusiasm we see for our upcoming world premiere production of Ib Andersen’s The Four Seasons at Desert Botanical Garden.” In fact, she notes Ballet Arizona welcomed a number of first-time patrons who participated during the ballet company’s hybrid season. “And we are hopeful that trend will continue as everything opens up,” she says.

“We expanded to provide patrons and the community at large ways to stay connected with the ballet and one another.” —Samantha Turner, executive director of Ballet Arizona

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Letting the Good Times Roll Octane Entertainment (Octane Raceway and Mavrix) Octane Entertainment, which operates Octane Raceway, opened its second entertainment venue, Mavrix, on March 7, 2020, only to find itself mandated to close Mavrix a mere 10 days later. “Our management team immediately went to work to predict (as best as was possible) and prepare for what we would need to re-open when the time came,” says Scott Sanders, founder and CEO of the Scottsdale-based company. “Our goal has always been to provide memorable entertainment experiences for our guests and now we were going to have to figure out how to do that in a new environment with smiling faces hidden behind masks.” The first step was to evaluate all customer contact points. Octane Raceway worked with a company that had been using UV-C lights to sanitize materials in hospitals to adapt a large, refrigeratorsized cabinet to sanitize all helmets after a race. And the company purchased sanitizing fogging machines to disinfect the karts between races. At Mavrix, Plexiglass dividers were installed between each set of bowling lanes and all booths in the sports grill, where a fewer number of tables, chairs and barstools were spaced out “to better accommodate a term we were quickly becoming more and more aware of: ‘social distancing,’” Sanders relates. Along with developing detailed sanitization wipe-down procedures for all touchpoints throughout both venues, Octane Entertainment implemented QR code food and drink menus and created signs to place on tables once they had been sanitized by a team member after each use. And, in efforts mirrored throughout business and home settings alike, Sanders says, “We sourced hundreds of reusable masks for our team members as well as thousands of disposable masks for guests. We purchased as much hand sanitizer as we could from our local vendors and then scoured the internet for more.” Additionally, Octane Entertainment purchased touchless temperature thermometers and created check-in logs for each shift, to help ensure employees were safe for guests as well as each other. “Once we had the needed safety infrastructure in place,” says Sanders, “it all came down to training our team on how to work effectively in this new environment while still ensuring our guests had a great time.” Crediting them for going above and beyond in very uncertain and challenging times, he says, “It was, and still is to lesser extent, a crazy and challenging time to operate a customer-facing business where your guests are looking for a fun escape from their own daily challenges. “We ultimately did not pivot our business away from our core competency, memorable fun, but transformed each and every customer contact point to be as safe as possible while still providing a temporary escape from the challenges of COVID.”

JUNE 2021

THE ECONOMIC ROLLER COASTER

Mavrix’s opening coincided with Spring Training, and its secondweek soft opening was a huge success; Sanders recalls Mavrix had a nearly packed house all weekend. And then, all of a sudden — COVID-19, and the venue was closed. “We went from a $75,000-plus weekend to zero revenue for the next two and half months,” Sanders relates. Noting that Mavrix was a high-seven-figure project that was funded through of combination of personal investment and bank financing, Sanders says he began reaching out to the bank, the landlord and all key suppliers to talk through what could or could not be done as soon as the company came to understand that COVID was not going away in a matter of days or weeks. “I am thankful for the relationships that have been built over the years,” he says, “and there was a lot of compassion and understanding that we ‘were in this together and would get through it the same way.’” But dealing with the potential disastrous financial meltdown that was narrowly avoided was not his most challenging decision, Sanders shares. “The truly most challenging task I had was to lay off (temporarily, but we did not know for how long) approximately 85% of our team. It weighed extremely heavily on me as I consider Octane Entertainment to be an extended family that I take both pride and responsibility for employing more than 200 people.” According to Sanders, Octane wrapped up 2019 as the best revenue — and profit — year in its 16-year history, and 2020 was poised for a repeat performance. “The first 10 weeks of 2020 brought in more than a million dollars of sales. After closing on March 17, it would take another 26 weeks to repeat the same milestone,” he says. When the business reopened over Memorial Day weekend, it was to minimal traffic; and, while business slowly improved, it seemed to be at the mercy of the national news cycle: When COVID spiked, business would quickly drop; as numbers declined, business would slowly build. By October, Octane’s public business had returned to approximately 90% of 2019 levels, but, critically, the corporate events that have historically been the core strength of business — 30 to 40% of Octane’s total revenue — remained nearly non-existent. “We started to see some positive momentum beginning in December for holiday events, only to see half of them cancel or postpone when another surge occurred in November,” Sanders relates. “For both Octane and Mavrix, January marked the start of what feels like a real recovery. Both companies have regained profitability, which has been a major relief, although we are now struggling heavily with staffing shortages along with the entirety of the restaurant and hospitality sector,” says Sanders.

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STAYING STRONG AND MOVING FORWARD

The “anything and everything” mindset included working with vendors and banks, securing a “just in case” line of credit to backstop potential losses beyond existing cash reserves, and applying for EIDL loans and PPP loans. Sanders describes the divide and conquer effort he shared with Octane’s COO JP Mullan to try and cover all of bases. “His focus was to ensure we had all of the policies, procedures, equipment and training needed to ensure guest and employee safety and mine was to ensure we had sufficient cash to continue to cover ongoing operating losses and whatever additional COVID-related expenses that continuously popped up,” Sanders says. “As to whose job was harder, it depended upon the day. Neither were fun but both were necessary.” Focused on making guests and employees feel safe and putting their team back to work as soon as possible, “to help them earn money and put food on the table for their families,” Sanders says, “We were in a constant cycle of flux from week to week.” The challenge was how to staff to meet unknown and quickly changing demand. “If we over-staffed, we lost

even more money, and if we were caught short staffed, we suffered through service challenges below our standards,” Sanders explains. The two companies together lost more than a million dollars in 2020. “We were extremely lucky and thankful to be able to have the PPP program help recoup a portion of those losses.” Appreciative of Arizona’s business climate and the support of the many customers who have come out to support a locally owned business, Sanders says he believes Octane has made it thought the most challenging part of the storm and will continue to recover. “Octane Raceway and Mavrix are expecting very strong second halves of the year as consumer confidence continues to build and companies begin to reward and bring together their employees who have worked remotely and in front-line essential businesses,” Sanders says. “We are looking forward to an even stronger 2022 and expanding both Octane Raceway and Mavrix to new locations in the Valley.” Octane Raceway octaneraceway.com Mavrix mavrix.com

"There was a lot of compassion and understanding that we ‘were in this together and would get through it the same way.” —Scott Sanders, founder and CEO of Octane Entertainment

Making Waves in Mesa Cannon Beach

“The key to getting where we are today was having outright stubbornness in not pivoting from the goal of Cannon Beach,” says its developer, Cole S. Cannon, Esq. When COVID hit, not only were there many unknowns but he was getting strong advice to give up on retail/restaurant or even anything that involved crowds. “We stood firm, and resolved to create an experiential park,” he says, “and now, with a building permit, are ready to start delivering on those promises. Had we given in to ‘market forces’ we’d be 18 months behind schedule. We had faith in peoples’ innate need to associate and be active as a force strong enough to overcome any adversity caused by COVID.” Still under construction and with the first attraction slated to open in Mesa next year, Cannon Beach has yet to turn any profit, and Cannon notes that fundraising, in light of COVID, was nearly impossible in the retail/restaurant/entertainment space. “So, we were resigned to look into our own pockets to fund the heart of the project — the Surf Lagoon,” he says, adding, “We are operating from the premise of Field of Dreams: ‘If you build it, they will come.’” He reports their optimism has been justified, as every step of forward progress on the surf lagoon has been met with some positive market reaction, be it a tenant who wants to operate by the beach or a hotel group coming out of the woodwork.

Despite those roadblocks, Cannon is adamant that he and his team did the right thing by not slowing down their entitlements. “The market rewards risk takers, and we were often the only project on the development agenda for various city and county meetings.” The process involved appearing remotely at planning commission meetings, which was a first for Cannon, who says he is “used to more hand-to-hand combat in public meetings.” Observing that things have worked out better than he’d expected, with the City of Mesa “a big cheerleader of the project,” he notes, “We can celebrate only that we have a building permit. Our success heretofore can be measured by that fact. Truth is, though, we have a lot to prove at Cannon Beach in the coming months.”

THE ECONOMIC ROLLER COASTER

STAYING STRONG AND MOVING FORWARD

Scheduling has been highly impacted by supply chain reductions, most notably aluminum and steel, which Cannon reports are backlogged by three to four months, and he notes these are critical components for storm drain and wave tech construction. “The best we can do is try and move short-supplied materials off the critical path list and spend our time on other aspects of the projects while we play the waiting game,” Cannon says.

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“We expect the Summer of 2022 to be a big year for Cannon Beach,” Cannon says, referring to the Surf Lagoon at that point, and not yet the surrounding buildings. He expects the attraction will, by its nature, create a whole new class of surfers in Arizona and also provide a local “wave” for the transplants from California who miss the surf. Cannon Beach cannonbeachaz.com

"We had faith in peoples’ innate need to associate and be active as a force strong enough to overcome any adversity caused by COVID.” —Cole S. Cannon, developer of Cannon Beach

JUNE 2021

OUR SUBJECT IN-DEPTH

Workplace Stress: Facts and Fictions The first of a six-part series on reducing workplace stress by Jen Butler

Heavy workloads, team conflicts, miscommunications, struggles to balance work and home, and job insecurity — it’s no wonder we’ve come to believe that workplace stress is inevitable. That first fiction, that workplace stress is inevitable, leads us to a second: Stress is something we simply have to live with. In fact, if we want to succeed in our jobs, we have to learn how to handle stress. Finally, if we are looking for ways to alleviate the stress in our lives, we are bombarded by countless enthusiasts who insist they have the one true cure for stress — and if we don’t like that cure, we’re doomed. Jen Butler, CEO of JB Partners, is the creator of Get SMaRT – Stress Management and Resilience Training for the workplace. Her SMaRT Club learning platform is the leading self-guided tool for all companies looking to reduce stress and increase profits. Butler also travels throughout the United States to provide business leaders with one-onone, onsite guidance in managing stress; turning around their business; and achieving real, longlasting results. jbpartners.com

JUNE 2021

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THE TRUTH ABOUT STRESS

With so many myths circulating about stress, it’s more than time to look at a few hard facts: • Stress is not inevitable, but it is increasing. COVID-19 plunged us into fears around a new disease, unemployment and food insecurity. A study by the CDC compared similar populations from June 2019 and June 2020 for symptoms of anxiety, depression and strain. Anxiety disorders rose from 8.1% in 2019 to 25.5% in 2020; depressive disorders tripled (from 6.5% to 24.3%; and mental strain rose from 30.9% to 40.9%. • Workplace stress is life-altering at all levels of an organization. According to a recent Yale School of Management study, high exposure to very stressful situations reduced a CEO’s lifespan by at least 10 years. Moreover, 80% of second-level executives identify themselves as burned out. Finally, a 2018 survey by Wrike found that in both small and large companies, the major contributor to employee stress was poor communication. • Workplace stress is too costly to ignore. According to the American Psychological Association, stress causes

U.S. businesses, at a minimum, $300 billion a year, a figure that would certainly be revised upward during crises like the Boeing 737 Max airplane failure or the pandemic. A Gallup poll found that 51% of stressed employees are disengaged, and a Colonial Life poll found that 41% are less productive. Stress compromises customer service, causes distractions that lead to costly errors, increases absenteeism and hurts the company image among future employees and customers.

THE INDIVIDUALITY OF STRESS

One size does not fit all. We are each susceptible to different triggers for stress. One person may shrug off a friend’s insensitive joke or the failure of a pet project or even a “happy” event like a promotion; another finds it intolerable. Our go-to responses to stress also vary wildly, through every stage from total withdrawal to anger and even violence. Stress itself has three components. It may be psychological, the stress we put on ourselves by our way of thinking; physiological, those things we do to our body that are unhealthy (such as sitting at a desk for hours without a break); and situational, brought on by events, activities, and situations in our daily life (such as interpersonal conflict). It may be triggered by any one or any combination of those components or all three together.

THE OPTIONS AVAILABLE

The same stress-reduction techniques may make perfect sense for some of us but only add to the stress of the rest. Many so-called team-building events have that effect — not everyone bonds happily over bungee jumping. Moreover, we each learn at a different pace and need time to absorb, practice and embrace new ways of responding to stress.

A study by the CDC compared similar populations from June 2019 and June 2020 for symptoms of anxiety, depression and strain. Anxiety disorders rose from 8.1% in 2019 to 25.5% in 2020; depressive disorders tripled (from 6.5% to 24.3%; and mental strain rose from 30.9% to 40.9%.

STRATEGIES FOR WORKING REMOTELY The options for dealing with stress fall broadly into four categories: • Health. When we exercise too much or too little, sleep too much or too little, and fail to take opportunities to rest and relax, we put stress upon our health. A failure to protect our health may also be a clue to underlying problems. For example, sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, teeth grinding, arthritic pain and allergies may all interfere with sleep. By staying within healthy parameters, we give our bodies time to repair and rejuvenate and our minds a chance to make creative connections that fizzle out among the constant interruptions and challenges of daily life. Restoring health begins with a visit to a physician, followed by learning specific techniques to overcome physical and emotional challenges. • Habits. Self-medicating and self-soothing behaviors often emerge when we are stressed. Cigarettes, alcohol, drugs and sugar are among the items we turn to when we ignore stress or refuse to deal with it. The stress trigger becomes a cue (“I can’t think straight”), which leads to a routine (“I have to get away from here”) and provides the soothing reward (“I’ll go out for a smoke”). Habits may be broken and rebuilt when we understand the cue/routine/reward cycle and how to make the cycle work to our benefit. • Mindfulness. Our minds are tricky—they may constantly ruminate about the past, worry about the future or shut down in an effort to find temporary relief. They are seldom here, in the moment. Mindfulness brings us back to the here and now, and to appreciation and gratitude for what we have. It breaks the stress of always thinking about what might have been, what might happen and what we cannot have. Among mindfulness activities are visualization, focused breathing, practices like qigong and yoga, and distractions like counting your steps as you walk (rather than revisiting your anger once again, for example). • Skills. No one teaches us how to be a team member or leader at work or, for that matter, a partner or parent at home. The skills we need to communicate well, deal with conflict, avoid discriminatory behavior, foster productivity and engagement, and so on can be learned — and once learned, they reduce our workplace stress considerably. Even mentor relationships benefit from professional advice on giving and receiving mentoring. “I know how to handle this” is a very satisfying feeling.

Row the Boat Minnesota Golden Gophers Head Coach P.J. Fleck and bestselling author Jon Gordon deliver an inspiring message about what a person can achieve when he or she approaches life with a never-give-up philosophy. The book shows how to choose enthusiasm and optimism as one’s guiding lights instead of being defined by circumstances and events outside one’s control. Perfect for athletes, coaches, business leaders and anyone else who hopes to squeeze a little more enjoyment and productivity out of life, Row the Boat will propel leaders, teams and organizations to greater heights than they have ever reached before. Row the Boat: A Never-Give-Up Approach to Lead with Enthusiasm and Optimism and Improve Your Team and Culture Jon Gordon and P.J. Fleck Wiley

According to the American Psychological Association, stress causes U.S. businesses, at a minimum, $300 billion a year.

Available 6/9/2021

$23

Be Where Your Feet Are When we’re moving at 115 mph, we rarely see the wall coming. But it comes for all of us and when it does, we grasp for lessons, for meaning, for purpose. Each moment (good or bad) and each win or loss provides us an opportunity to learn, and, if we choose to take it, that opportunity can change our lives — and the world — for the better. The human spirit craves connection. Authenticity. Belonging. Touch. Gratitude. Purpose. We need to make our interactions count. Whether it’s dealing with the death of a friend, loss of a job, a bad break-up or the isolation of COVID-19, those who manage to be where their feet are will grow, stretch and emerge stronger, smarter and more prepared as we find peace and gratitude in the pause. Be Where Your Feet Are: Seven Principles to Keep You Present, Grounded, and Thriving Scott O’Neil

272 pages

St. Martin’s Essentials

Available 6/1/2021

$25.99

Creative Directions Creative Directions is a management masterclass in which

OVERCOMING RELUCTANCE

With all the various techniques, programs and experts at our disposal, why do we hesitate to deal with stress? In addition to the belief that stress is inevitable, that ignoring it is laudable and that bowing to it is a moral failure, we face the stigma associated with any referral to a doctor, mental health practitioner or coach. That stigma may find its roots in a desire to be perfect, harnessed to a secret conviction that we are far from perfect and therefore need to hide anything we consider a weakness. It may also arise from a desire to transform ourselves into something we aren’t — thinner, smarter, more successful, more in command — leading us to try paths that compromise our physical, mental and emotional health. We may also simply be afraid. What part of ourselves will we lose during meditation? How much respect will we lose if anyone finds out we are addicted to stimulants? What if we are expected to do more and be better when we are already struggling? This reluctance is in itself a source of stress. However, there are practitioners out there who will meet us where we are; offer a range of options; and provide the time, resources and skills needed to deal with stress. We do need to deal with it. The personal, organizational and social costs of stress are simply way too high.

144 pages

readers attend lectures and seminars as they learn from some of the best in the business, including directors Ava DuVernay (When They See Us) and Joe Russo (Avengers: Endgame); two-time Academy Award-winning editor Angus Wall (The Social Network); executive producers from hit TV shows like “The Simpsons” and “GLOW”; and creative directors and leaders at businesses like Amazon, Apple, Disney, TikTok and more. All these lessons are provided in an attractive, easily accessible format so that readers can open the book to any page and find some actionable or inspirational insight or strategy. Readers will receive essential guidance on how to master the delicate balance required to successfully lead a creative team, like how to relinquish control while keeping the focus where it needs to be. Creative Directions: Mastering the Transition from Talent to Leader Jason Sperling HarperCollins Leadership

320 pages Available 6/1/2021

$32.99

39 JUNE 2021 INBUSINESSPHX.COM

En Negocios

Edgar R. Olivo es un educador empresarial bilingüe, asesor económico y colaborador de varios medios de comunicación. Es apasionado por la educación y comunidad. Está certificado en finanzas y análisis de datos y posee un título en negocios de la Universidad Estatal de Arizona.

Edgar R. Olivo is a bilingual business educator, economic advisor and contributor for several media outlets. He’s a nonprofit executive who is passionate about education. He is certified in finance and data analytics and holds a business degree from Arizona State University.

JUNE 2021

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

LIDERAZGO / LEADERSHIP

POR EDGAR R. OLIVO

7 estrategias que promueven los principios DEI en su negocio por Edgar R. Olivo

Diversidad, equidad e inclusión (DEI) ya no son palabras de moda en el mundo empresarial, son compromisos y claves del éxito. Los líderes empresariales se están dando cuenta de que cuando la DEI se convierte en una prioridad, marca la diferencia en todas las facetas de una empresa. Un estudio de McKinsey & Company y la Sociedad de Gestión de Recursos Humanos (SHRM, por sus siglas en inglés) demostraron que un compromiso con la diversidad se correlaciona con un mejor desempeño financiero. Descubrieron que las empresas que muestran diversidad étnica y de género tienen más probabilidades de superar a las organizaciones menos diversas hasta en un 35%. Las empresas con más diversidad racial y de género generan más ingresos, más clientes y mayores ganancias. A pesar de estos beneficios, pocas empresas saben qué pasos tomar para crear y fomentar equipos diversos. Las pequeñas empresas pueden comenzar invirtiendo en una variedad de talentos, que tienen conocimientos, experiencia y pericia más amplios. Pero DEI no se detiene ahí. Para cosechar verdaderamente los beneficios de DEI en su empresa, siga estos siete principios de DEI para promover una cultura donde se acepta la diversidad, se toma en serio la equidad y la política es la inclusión. 1. Ayude a los demás a sentir que pertenecen. Sus trabajadores quieren sentirse bienvenidos, apreciados

y respetados por sus ideas y contribuciones. Cuando contrate, deje en claro que su empresa hace todo lo posible para que los demás sientan que pertenecen al presentar a los miembros del equipo utilizando un lenguaje inclusivo como “Esta es María, es parte de nuestro equipo de productos”. La palabra “nuestro” enfatiza la sensación de estar en un equipo. 2. Demuestre empatía al liderar a otros. Cuando dirija a otros, esté atento a las señales de los miembros del equipo con exceso de trabajo y muestre un interés sincero en ayudarlos con sus necesidades. Para ser eficaz, esté dispuesto a ayudar a un empleado con problemas personales donde y cuando pueda. 3. Asumir la responsabilidad en su cultura laboral. El conflicto es un efecto de comunicación natural entre las personas. Cuando surge un conflicto, pueden convertirse en grandes oportunidades para aprender algo nuevo y ampliar las soluciones. Este enfoque requiere que asuma la responsabilidad de su cultura laboral y cree un espacio psicológico seguro para que surjan ideas y debates. 4. Comprender la diversidad, la equidad y la inclusión va más allá de los números. Los trabajadores que son miembros de comunidades diversas pueden saber cuándo una empresa simplemente está tratando de cumplir con su cuota de diversidad. ¿Cómo lo saben? La primera pista es cuando alguno de estos principios está ausente en

DEI es un acrónimo que significa diversidad, equidad e inclusión. La diversidad es la presencia de diferencias dentro de un entorno laboral. La equidad es el proceso de asegurar que los procesos y programas sean imparciales, justos y proporcionen los mismos resultados posibles para todas las personas. La inclusión es la práctica de garantizar que las personas tengan un sentido de pertenencia en el lugar de trabajo.

BY EDGAR R. OLIVO

ENGLISH TRANSLATION el lugar de trabajo. El compromiso de promover la DEI en su empresa requiere que los líderes comprendan que los trabajadores no son solo números, son humanos. 5. Aumente su conciencia de sí mismo y encuentre formas de aprender de los demás. El mayor beneficio de promover la diversidad en su empresa es el intercambio de ideas para soluciones complejas. Una variedad de antecedentes, experiencias y conocimientos pueden llevar la creatividad colectiva de su empresa a un nuevo nivel. Esta es la clave para superar a sus competidores. Anime a sus trabajadores a aprender unos de otros y a ser conscientes de cualquier sesgo que impida la cohesión en su equipo. 6. Cree ambientes de trabajo armoniosos escuchando y compartiendo sin juzgar. La seguridad psicológica requiere que sucedan dos cosas importantes, como la igualdad en la conversación con la toma de turnos y la escucha ostentosa parafraseando o eliminando distracciones. Se crea un entorno mucho más productivo y armonioso cuando los miembros del equipo pueden compartir ideas por igual y escucharse unos a otros con intención. 7. Fomente el crecimiento personal y profesional de sus equipos. El aprendizaje continuo es clave para promover un entorno en el que los miembros del equipo puedan crecer. Brinde oportunidades para aprender en el lugar de trabajo alentando a los miembros del equipo a asistir a seminarios web, iniciar clubes de lectura o participar en grupos de recursos para empleados. Estos principios son solo el comienzo de un entorno de trabajo más diverso, equitativo e inclusivo. De ninguna manera esta lista sugiere que sea fácil de hacer. Los empleados y la alta dirección deben tener expectativas claras sobre los objetivos de DEI y comunicar las mismas a toda la empresa. Las empresas deben realizar un seguimiento de los datos y los comentarios de sus equipos para convertirse en líderes inclusivos, sólidos y consistentes en la economía del siglo XXI.

7 Strategies That Promote DEI Principles in Your Business by Edgar R. Olivo

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) are no longer buzzwords in the business world; they are commitments and keys to success. Business leaders are realizing that when DEI is made a priority, it makes a difference in every facet of a company. A study by McKinsey & Company and the Society of Human Resource Management showed that a commitment to diversity correlates with better financial performance. They found that companies that display gender and ethnic diversity are more likely to outperform less diverse organizations by up to 35%. Companies with more gender and racial diversity bring in more revenue, more customers and higher profits. Despite these benefits, few companies know what steps to take to create and foster diverse teams. Small businesses can start by investing in a wider variation of talent, who have broader knowledge, experience and expertise. But DEI does not stop there. To truly reap the benefits of DEI in your company, follow these seven DEI principles to promote a culture where diversity is embraced, equity is taken seriously, and inclusion is the policy. 1. Help others feel like they belong. Your workers want to feel welcomed, appreciated and respected for their ideas and contributions. When you hire, make it clear your company makes every effort to make others feel like they belong by introducing team members to each other using inclusive language like “This is Maria — she is a part of our product team.” The word “our” emphasizes the feeling of being on a team. 2. Demonstrate empathy when leading others. When leading others, keep an eye out for signs of overworked team members and show sincere interest in helping them with their needs. To be effective, be willing to help an employee with personal problems where and when you can. 3. Take responsibility in your work culture. Conflict is a natural communication effect between people. When conflicts arise, they can become great opportunities to learn something new and expand solutions. This approach requires you to take responsibility in your work culture and create a safe psychological space for ideas and debates to happen.

4. Understand diversity, equity and inclusion goes beyond hitting your numbers. Workers who are members of diverse communities can tell when a company is simply trying to meet its diversity quota. How do they know? The first clue is when any of these principles are absent in the workplace. Commitment to advancing DEI in your company requires the leaders to understand that workers are not just numbers, they are humans. 5. Grow your self-awareness and find ways to learn from others. The biggest benefit to advancing diversity in your company is the sharing of ideas to complex solutions. A variety of backgrounds, experiences and knowledge can take the collective creativity of your company to a new level. This is the key to outperforming your competitors. Encourage your workers to learn from each other and become self-aware of any biases that prevent cohesion on a team. 6. Create harmonious work environments by listening and sharing without judgment. Psychological safety requires two important things to create equality in conversation: turn-taking and ostentatious listening by paraphrasing or removing distractions. You create a much more productive and harmonious environment when team members can share ideas equally and listen to each other with intent. 7. Foster personal and professional growth in your teams. Continuous learning is key to promote an environment where team members can grow. Provide opportunities to learn in the workplace by encouraging team members to attend webinars, start book clubs or engage in employee resource groups. These principles are just the beginning to a more diverse, equitable and inclusive work environment. By no means does this list suggest it is easy to do. Employees and senior management need to have clear expectations about DEI goals and communicate the same to the whole company. Companies should track data and feedback from their teams to become inclusive, strong and consistent leaders in the 21st century economy.

DEI stands for diversity, equity and inclusion. Diversity is the presence of differences within a given setting. Equity is the process of ensuring that processes and programs are impartial, fair and provide equal possible outcomes for every individual. Inclusion is the practice of ensuring that people feel a sense of belonging in the workplace.

JUNE 2021

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En Negocios

ECONOMIA / ECONOMY

POR EDGAR R. OLIVO

Optimismo vs realidad: ¿Están las pequeñas empresas preparadas para un regreso económico? El optimismo se define como la esperanza y la confianza sobre el futuro o el resultado exitoso de algo; un sentimiento que muchos propietarios de pequeñas empresas podrían estar de acuerdo en sentir cuando comienzan su negocio. Pero, como todos experimentamos en la primavera de 2020, cuando la pandemia sacudió el suelo, el optimismo ahora nos sirve para despertarnos todos los días y superar los nuevos desafíos a los que nos enfrentamos a diario. La realidad se define como el mundo o el estado de las cosas tal como realmente existen, en oposición a una idea idealista o nocional de ellas. Si sigue las noticias, la realidad, hoy en día, está en marcado contraste con el optimismo que alguna vez sintieron los propietarios de pequeñas empresas que tuvieron que cerrar sus puertas para siempre o continuar aferrándose a un hilo todos los días para mantenerse abiertos. Optimismo y realidad significan cosas diferentes para diferentes personas, creando una paradoja que hace muy difícil proyectar financieramente el futuro de cualquier negocio.

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Sin embargo, hay realidad en el optimismo que se siente en el aire cuando vemos la nueva administración desplegar esfuerzos de vacunas para las masas, proporcionar controles de estímulo muy necesarios para las familias e inversiones en servicios comunitarios para ayudar a combatir la pandemia. Pero, la realidad es que el impacto positivo de estas inversiones aún está por verse y se prevé que muestre un efecto a finales de este año o el próximo. Es casi imposible que una pequeña empresa sobreviva a una secuela económica de esta magnitud sin ningún tipo de asistencia financiera. Y, la realidad es que, si el negocio no genera dinero en este mercado actual, tendrá que cerrar. Entonces, ¿qué debería hacer el propietario de una pequeña empresa optimista? A continuación, se ofrecen algunos consejos para ayudar a los propietarios de pequeñas empresas a prepararse para el regreso económico que llegará eventualmente. 1. Esencial realmente significa esencial. La palabra “servicios esenciales” adquirió su

verdadero significado cuando el gobierno ordenó el cierre de los servicios no esenciales. Para muchos que comenzaron un negocio hasta 2020, esencial no era un término común utilizado en un plan de negocios, pero ahora nos estamos dando cuenta de lo valiosos que son realmente los negocios y los trabajadores esenciales. Por lo tanto, si planea iniciar un negocio que sea a prueba de recesión y pandemia, considere invertir o cambiar a una industria esencial. 2. Supervise de cerca las tendencias en su industria. Hay tantas tendencias que comienzan a desarrollarse en los servicios cotidianos, como los salones de uñas que ahora ofrecen juegos de uñas personalizados y pedidos por correo y los restaurantes que venden sus comidas populares para que los clientes las cocinen en casa. Esta forma de innovación de servicios puede parecer un movimiento temporal, pero muchos informes muestran que los pedidos en línea a una pequeña empresa han aumentado y pueden estar aquí para quedarse. Supervise también las tendencias que suceden en su cadena de suministro. Es

Las pequeñas empresas, que emplean a casi la mitad de la fuerza laboral privada de EE. UU., se han visto afectadas por el COVID-19 y perturbó las economías locales. Según datos económicos con sede en Harvard, en comparación con enero de 2020, antes de la pandemia, la cantidad de pequeñas empresas abiertas en los EE. UU. se redujo en dos dígitos en casi todos los estados.

ENGLISH TRANSLATION posible que haya oportunidades de ingresos que aún no haya explorado. 3. Invierta sabiamente y gaste de forma conservadora. Nadie quiere escuchar que la pérdida de otra persona es la ganancia de otra persona. Desafortunadamente, esa es la realidad de invertir y tener efectivo durante una economía en recesión será una de sus mejores herramientas para prepararse para un regreso económico. Entonces, si tiene efectivo en el banco, haga sus movimientos sabiamente e intente hacer crecer su pila de efectivo de la manera que pueda. La realidad es que las oportunidades de inversión siempre vendrán y usted quiere estar listo para la inversión que más le convenga. 4. Mejore sus estrategias digitales y sea coherente en línea. No se puede enfatizar lo suficiente lo importante que es para una pequeña empresa tener una estrategia digital. Una estrategia digital no tiene por qué ser demasiado complicada, pero sí debe ser organizada y coherente. Monetizar sus esfuerzos en las redes sociales requerirán que brinde valor a sus seguidores y futuros clientes. 5. Sepa qué recursos están disponibles para las pequeñas empresas. Hay muchos recursos disponible para ayudar a las pequeñas empresas a superar las dificultades de la pandemia. Explore recursos en su comunidad para acceder a préstamos condonables, obtener asistencia técnica y encontrar oportunidades educativas. 6. Planifique, planifique y planifique un poco más. La planificación es el acto de hacer coincidir su optimismo con la realidad en una estrategia que resultará en el logro de sus objetivos. No se puede confiar únicamente en el optimismo para tener un negocio exitoso; la realidad es la otra cara de esa moneda. Dedique tiempo a planificar su estrategia, hable con asesores empresariales, lea publicaciones comerciales, comprenda los cambios geopolíticos y, lo más importante, escuche a sus clientes. El optimismo y la realidad tienen cabida en los negocios, en cualquier condición de mercado. Recuerde, usted define su optimismo y la realidad es como son las cosas. No toda la realidad es oscura y lúgubre, también es brillante y emocionante. Hay tantas nuevas oportunidades e industrias que están surgiendo como resultado de nuestra crisis global. En ocasiones, la aceptación de la realidad actual permite ver un futuro con más optimismo, la misma forma que lo haría ver mejor cuando vaya a limpiar las manchas de las lentes de sus gafas.

BY EDGAR R. OLIVO

Optimism vs Reality: Are Small Businesses Ready for an Economic Comeback? Optimism is defined as hopefulness and confidence about the future or the successful outcome of something — a sentiment many small business owners could agree to feeling when they first start their business. But, as we all experienced in the spring of 2020 when the pandemic shook the ground, optimism now serves us to wake up every day and overcome the new challenges we now face daily. Reality is defined as the world or the state of things as they actually exist, as opposed to an idealistic or notional idea of them. If you follow the news, reality nowadays, is in stark contrast to the optimism once felt by small-business owners who had to shut their doors for good or continue to hang on to a thread every day to stay open. Optimism and reality mean different things to different people, creating a paradox that makes it very difficult to financially project the future of any business. However, there is reality to the optimism felt in the air as we see the new administration rollout vaccine efforts to the masses, provide much-needed stimulus checks to families, and invest in community services to help combat the pandemic. But the reality is, the positive impact of these investments is yet to be seen although they are projected to show an effect by the end of this year or next. It is nearly impossible for a small business to survive an economic fallout of this magnitude without any sort of financial assistance. And the reality is, if the business does not generate money in this current market, it will have to close. So, what should an optimistic small-business owner do? Here are a few tips to help small-business owners prepare for the economic comeback that will come, eventually. 1. Essential really means essential. The phrase “essential services” took on its true meaning when the government ordered shutdowns of nonessential services. For many who started a business through 2020, essential was not a common term used in a business plan; now we are realizing how valuable essential businesses and workers truly are. So, if you plan to start a business that is recessionand pandemic-proof, consider investing or pivoting to an essential industry. 2. Monitor trends in your chosen industry closely. There are so many trends starting to develop in everyday services, such as nail salons now providing customized, mail-ordered nail sets and restaurants selling their popular meals for customers

to cook at home. This form of service innovation may seem like a temporary move, but many reports are showing that online orders to small businesses have gone up and may be here to stay. Monitor trends happening in your supply chain as well. There could be revenue opportunities you have not explored yet. 3. Invest wisely and spend conservatively. No one wants to hear that someone else’s loss is another person’s gain. Unfortunately, that is the reality of investing, and having cash during a down economy will be one of your greatest tools to prepare for an economic comeback. So, if you have cash in the bank, make your moves wisely and try to grow your cash pile any way that you can. The reality is, investment opportunities will always come and you want to be ready for the right one for you. 4. Polish your digital strategies and be consistent online. It cannot be stressed enough how important it is to a small business to have a digital strategy. A digital strategy does not have to be too complicated, but it does need to be organized and consistent. Monetizing your social media efforts will require that you provide value to your followers and future customers. 5. Know what resources are available for small businesses. There are many resources available to help small businesses ride out the hardships of the pandemic. Explore resources in your community to access forgivable loans, get technical assistance and find educational opportunities. 6. Plan, plan, and plan some more. Planning is the act of matching your optimism with reality into a strategy that will result in achieving your goals. One cannot solely rely on optimism to have a successful business; reality is the flip side of that coin. Spend time planning out your strategy, talk to business advisers, read business publications, understand the geopolitical shifts and, most importantly, listen to your customers. Optimism and reality have a place in business, in any market conditions. Remember, your optimism is defined by you and reality is the way things are. Not all reality is dark and gloomy, it is also bright and exciting. There are so many new opportunities and industries rising as a result of our global crisis. Sometimes, accepting the current reality allows you to see a future more optimistically, the same way you would see better when you clean the smudges off the lenses of your glasses.

Small businesses, which employ nearly half the U.S. private workforce, have been impacted by COVID-19, and it disrupted local economies. According to a Harvard-based economic data tracker, when compared to January 2020, before the pandemic, the number of small businesses open in the U.S. is down by double digits in nearly every state.

43 JUNE 2021 INBUSINESSPHX.COM

En Negocios

POR EDGAR R. OLIVO

FINANZAS / FINANCE

5 pasos para comenzar a vender sus servicios virtuales ¿Está explorando la idea de ofrecer un servicio virtual? ¿Tiene una experiencia que puede ayudar a alguien o una empresa? ¿Tiene alguna habilidad especial que otras empresas necesitan, como escribir, diseñar, vender o enseñar? Bienvenido al club. Este artículo es para usted. Establecer un servicio independiente es una excelente manera de diversificar sus ingresos, ya sea que esté empleado o no. Obviamente, la crisis de COVID-19 ha cambiado el panorama laboral para siempre y esto significa que hay muchas oportunidades para aprovechar en el mundo digital. Hoy en día, es prudente mejorar sus habilidades, valorar su experiencia y ahora cómo venderse en línea. ¡Un servicio virtual tiene muchos beneficios! Limita su contacto personal con las personas, lo cual es bueno porque ayuda a prevenir la propagación del virus. Y un servicio virtual independiente lo abre a más personas porque ahora tiene acceso a un comercio electrónico global. Además, puede trabajar desde casa y evitar pagar el alquiler en una oficina. Aquí hay 5 consejos para ayudarlo a configurar sus servicios virtuales independientes rápidamente:

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1. Sepa a quién le está vendiendo. Tómese un momento para reflexionar sobre a quién está tratando de ayudar. Comprenda realmente cómo se puede ofrecer el servicio y cómo lo ofrecen sus competidores. Luego, escriba cómo se diferencia de sus competidores para que pueda sentirse seguro acerca de su posición en el mercado cuando venda a nuevos clientes. Esta pequeña tarea puede ahorrarle muchos errores vergonzosos que podrían costarle a sus futuros clientes. Asegúrese de estudiar su mercado para comprender qué necesitan sus clientes y cómo sus competidores están llenando este vacío para que pueda obtener su porción del pastel del mercado. 2. Registre su nuevo negocio. Si está trabajando por cuenta propia para comenzar, entonces está vendiendo un servicio. Es una buena idea configurar una LLC y un número de identificación fiscal para que pueda abrir una cuenta bancaria comercial para vincular todos sus gastos e ingresos. Esto lo ayudará a mantener sus finanzas organizadas y evitar mezclar sus ingresos personales. Hable con un asesor comercial o alguien con experiencia en presentaciones comerciales antes de registrarse con el Estado. Hay muchos recursos gratuitos

disponibles en YouTube y en sus cámaras de comercio locales para ayudarlo con el proceso. 3. Crea su sitio web. Su sitio web es su tienda en línea y es una impresión importante. Querrá crear un excelente sitio web que destaque sus especialidades y que sea fácil para los clientes reservar citas con usted. Hay muchos diseñadores web independientes que pueden ayudarlo a configurar un sitio web simple para comenzar en Fiverr.com o elance.com. Asegúrese de crear una fuerte presencia en línea para dar a sus futuros clientes la impresión de que es un profesional de primer nivel. 4. Crea una cuenta en Zoom. Las plataformas virtuales como Zoom pueden proporcionar un excelente vehículo para configurar llamadas de videoconferencia a través de Internet y dispositivos móviles. El contacto personal con los clientes a través de videollamadas se está volviendo mucho más común y los clientes son cada vez menos tímidos para hablar con un proveedor de servicios en cámara. Configurar una llamada de conferencia es fácil y Zoom ofrece una gran variedad de videos de entrenamiento fáciles de seguir. La mejor parte es que puede crear una cuenta de forma gratuita. Antes de comenzar a hacer

El cambio del trabajo tradicional al trabajo independiente se ha vuelto más obvio, y una cosa queda clara: la economía de los contratistas independientes seguramente está para quedarse. Se estima que hay 57 millones de trabajadores independientes en los EE.UU. y el 31% de los trabajadores independientes ganan un promedio de $75,000+ al año.

BY EDGAR R. OLIVO

ENGLISH TRANSLATION

5 Steps to Start Selling Your Freelance Virtual Services

videollamadas, también querrá asegurarse de tener un espacio de trabajo adecuado con un fondo limpio. 5. Promocione sus nuevos servicios en todas partes. Ahora que ha configurado lo básico, es hora de promocionar su nuevo sitio web en cada huella digital que tenga: firma de correo electrónico, biografías de redes sociales y publicaciones en redes sociales. Incluso puede ir más allá de lo digital e invertir en calcomanías de ventanas para su vehículo o señales en una intersección concurrida. Asegúrese de recopilar direcciones de correo electrónico en su sitio web para hacer crecer su base de datos de marketing. La clave es que mucha gente vea su sitio web y clientes leales que compartan su experiencia. Vender su servicio independiente prácticamente ahora es más fácil que nunca en linea. Los empresarios de hoy pueden ejecutar virtualmente una operación completa desde su teléfono con solo 5 aplicaciones. Si este es un estilo de vida que crees que quieres explorar, hazlo. La barrera de entrada es baja y cuando se hace bien, la recompensa es muy alta.

Are you exploring the idea of offering a freelance virtual service? Do you have an expertise that can help someone or a business? Do you have any special skills that other businesses need, such as writing, designing, selling or teaching? Welcome to the club. This article is for you. Setting up a freelance service is a great way to diversify your income whether you are an employed or not. Obviously, the COVID-19 crisis has changed the work landscape forever, and this means there are a lot of opportunities to seize in the internet of things and services. Nowadays, it is prudent to sharpen your skills, value your experience, and know how to sell yourself online. A virtual service has its many benefits! It limits your personal contact with people, which is a good thing because it helps prevent the spread of the virus. And a freelance virtual service opens you up to more people because you now have access to a global e-commerce. In addition, you can work from home and avoid paying rent at an office. Here are 5 tips to help you set up your freelance virtual services quickly: • Know Who You Are Selling To. Take a moment to reflect on who it is you are trying to help. Truly understand how the service can be offered and how it is being offered by your competitors. Then, write out how you differentiate yourself from your competitors so you can feel confident about your market position when you sell to new customers. This little piece of homework can save you a ton of embarrassing mistakes that could cost you future customers. Make sure to study your market to understand what your clients need and how your competitors are filling this gap, so you can get your slice of the pie. • Register Your New Business. Even if you are freelancing to start, you are still selling a service. It is a good idea to set up an LLC and Tax ID number so you can open a business bank account to link all your expenses and income. This will help you keep your accounts organized and avoid mixing your business income with your personal income. Talk to a business advisor or someone experienced in business filings before registering with the state. There are many free resources available on YouTube and your local chambers of commerce to help you with the process. • Create Your Website. Your website is

your online store and an important part of the impression you make. You will want to create a great website that highlights your specialties and is easy for customers to use to book appointments with you. There are many great freelance web designers who can help you set up a simple website to get started on Fiverr.com or elance.com. Make sure to create a sharp online presence to give your future clients the impression you are a topnotch professional. • Create Your Zoom Account. Virtual platforms such as Zoom can provide an excellent vehicle for setting up video conference calls over the internet and mobile devices. Personal contact with customers over video calls is becoming much more common and customers are becoming less shy speaking to a service provider on camera. Setting up a conference call is easy and Zoom offers a great variety of easy-to-follow training videos. The best part is that you create an account for free. Heads up, you will also want to make sure you have an appropriate workspace with a clean background before you start doing video calls. • Promote Your New Services Everywhere. Now that you have set up the basics, it is time to promote your new website on every digital thumbprint you have — email signature, social media bios and social media posts. You can even go beyond digital and invest in window decals for your vehicle or signs at a busy intersection. Make sure to collect email addresses on your website to grow your marketing database. The key is to have a lot of people seeing your website and loyal customers sharing your expertise. Selling your freelance service virtually is now easier than ever. Entrepreneurs today can virtually run an entire operation out of their phone with just five apps. If this is a lifestyle you think you want to explore, do it. The barrier of entry is low and, when done right, the reward is very high.

The shift from traditional work to freelancing has become more noticeable, and one thing becomes clear: The gig economy is surely taking over the world. It is estimated that there are 57 million freelancers in the U.S. and 31% of freelancers earn an average of more than $75,000 a year.

45 JUNE 2021 INBUSINESSPHX.COM

En Negocios

POR EDGAR R. OLIVO

VENTAS / SALES

Destacar su negocio. 5 consejos para ayudar a su pequeña empresa a diferenciarse durante COVID-19 La pandemia es una bola de demolición para la economía estadounidense y, con ella, se produjeron muchos cambios nuevos en la vida cotidiana, especialmente en la forma en que los consumidores gastan su dinero y su tiempo. Las consecuencias positivas han llevado a los consumidores a profundizar sus relaciones con sus comunidades locales mientras se enfocan en dónde gastar su dinero. Esta nueva realidad sienta las bases para que las pequeñas empresas se levanten y desarrollen estrategias para diferenciarse de las grandes empresas, especialmente cuando miran hacia adelante para generar ventas durante las vacaciones y el nuevo año. Como pequeña empresa, pensar en cómo brindar un mejor servicio es una buena práctica empresarial. Hoy en día, tener presencia digital es lo mínimo que deben tener los negocios para que sus clientes potenciales los puedan descubrir. A medida que la pandemia afecto los sectores minorista y de restaurantes, contar con un plan de marketing sólido con estrategias de comercio electrónico bien pensadas ayudará, pero no es todo lo que una pequeña empresa necesita para tener éxito. Aquí hay cinco estrategias útiles para diferenciar su pequeña empresa durante COVID-19.

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Estrategia n.° 1: Comprender el presupuesto de su cliente y ofrecer opciones de precios alternativas. El poder de elección puede hacer que su cliente se sienta empoderado. Piense en sus productos y servicios como un menú en un restaurante de comida rápida, ¿puede ofrecer opciones pequeñas, medianas y grandes? ¿Puede ofrecer un plan de pago? ¿Puede eliminar a ciertas tarifas? La forma más fácil de investigar esto para su propio negocio es prestando mucha atención a cómo sus clientes le compran actualmente. Escuche sus preocupaciones sobre el presupuesto y cómo expresan sus opiniones sobre sus precios. Potencialmente, podría aumentar sus ingresos proporcionando un enfoque escalonado para sus productos y servicios. Estrategia n.° 2: Enfocarse en el servicio al cliente. Un excelente servicio al cliente es una marca distintiva de una gran empresa. También es lo que puede acabar con sus ingresos si no es lo primero en su lista. No existe un enfoque milagroso para brindar un excelente servicio al cliente; sin embargo, existen comportamientos fundamentales que su pequeña empresa debe practicar para diferenciarse de sus competidores. Comportamientos como cumplir su palabra, llegar a tiempo a las citas y entregas, así como la cortesía y una actitud servicial probablemente

mantendrán a sus clientes entusiasmados con su negocio durante mucho tiempo. Estrategia n.° 3: No tenga miedo de cambiar su producto o servicio para resolver un problema. Los tiempos que atravesamos requieren que cada pequeña empresa analice cómo brinda actualmente una solución a los problemas de sus clientes. ¿Puede proporcionar un enfoque más sostenible a su producto o servicio? ¿Puede eliminar funciones innecesarias y crear otras nuevas? ¿Puede su cliente estar sin su producto o servicio? Si es así, ¿qué hacen entonces? Estas son algunas preguntas difíciles de responder, pero pueden llevarlo a satisfacer nuevas demandas y evolucionar con un mercado en constante cambio. Estrategia n.° 4: Encuentre siempre formas de innovar en su industria. Como dice el viejo refrán, la necesidad es la madre de la invención. No importa en qué industria trabaje, la innovación siempre se puede lograr escuchando constantemente las necesidades de sus clientes. Utilice la tecnología para ayudarlo a descubrir nuevas formas de brindar sus servicios o productos. Una crisis crea las condiciones adecuadas para resolver problemas de nuevas formas aprovechando su creatividad. En algunos casos, una pequeña empresa puede necesitar

Las investigaciones muestran que la lealtad a la marca está siendo reemplazada por la demanda de los consumidores de servicios personalizados. Más de la mitad de los consumidores dicen que ya no son leales a una marca. Nunca ha habido un momento más competitivo para iniciar o administrar una pequeña empresa.

BY EDGAR R. OLIVO

ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Stand Out from the Crowd. 5 Tips to Help Differentiate Your Small Business during COVID-19

girar industrias o segmentos de mercado, y eso está bien. Estrategia n.° 5: Sea el experto y sea el ejemplo. Ahora, más que nunca, los clientes necesitan confiar en la información de los expertos para tomar buenas decisiones. Si se considera un experto en cualquier área, asegúrese de que sus clientes lo sepan. Querrá incluir información importante sobre su experiencia en su sitio web, como sus credenciales educativas, asociaciones, membresías, premios y cualquier otro punto clave para comunicar que es una fuente confiable. Más allá de eso, una gran red de referencias de clientes también puede demostrar su experiencia. Destacar su negocio entre la multitud de competidores simplemente requiere que se concentre en una experiencia de calidad y en la atención a las necesidades de su mercado. Además, piense en usted mismo como un consumidor y reflexione sobre sus propias preferencias de compra. Es necesario implementar estas estrategias en su plan de marketing durante el tiempo que desee permanecer en el negocio. La buena noticia es que solo requieren que usted sea más consciente.

The pandemic is a wrecking ball to the American economy and with it came many new changes to everyday life, particularly on how consumers spend their money and time. The positive consequences have led consumers to deepen their relationships with their local communities while focusing where to spend their money. This new reality sets the stage for small businesses to rise up and develop strategies to differentiate from big box companies, particularly as they look ahead to generating sales during the holidays and the new year. As a small business, thinking about how to provide a better service is a great business practice. Today, having a digital presence is the bare minimum to be discovered by your potential customers. As the pandemic ravaged the retail and restaurant sectors, having a solid marketing plan with thoughtful e-commerce strategies will help, but it is not everything a small business needs to succeed. Here are five helpful strategies to differentiate your small business during COVID-19. Strategy #1: Understand your customer’s budget and offer alternative pricing options. The power of choice can make your customer feel empowered. Think about your product and services like a menu at a fast-food restaurant: Can you offer small, medium and large choices? Can you offer a payment plan? Can you waive certain fees? The easiest way to research this for your own business is to pay close attention to how your customer currently buys from you. Listen to their budget concerns and how they express their thoughts about your prices. You could potentially increase your revenue by providing a tiered approach to your products and services. Strategy #2: Focus on customer service. Excellent customer service is a signature mark of a great company. It is also the thing that can kill your revenue if it is not at the top of your list. There is no silver bullet approach to great customer service; however, there are fundamental behaviors your small business should practice to stand out from your competitors. Behaviors like keeping your word, being on time with appointments and deliveries, as well as a courteousness and a helpful

attitude will likely keep your customers buzzing about your business for a long time. Strategy #3: Do not be afraid to change your product or service to solve a problem. The times we are in require every small business to analyze how it currently provides a solution to its customers’ problems. Can you provide a more sustainable approach to your product or service? Can you eliminate unnecessary features and create new ones? Can your customers be without your product or service and, if so, what do they do then? These are some difficult questions to answer, but they can lead you to meet new demands and evolve with an ever-changing market. Strategy #4: Always find ways to innovate in your industry. As the old saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention. It does not matter what industry you work in, innovation can always be accomplished by constantly listening to the needs of your customers. Utilize technology to help you discover new ways to deliver your services or products. A crisis creates the right conditions to solve problems in new ways by tapping into your creativity. In some cases, a small business may need to pivot industries or market segments, and that is okay. Strategy #5: Be the expert – walk the talk. Now, more than ever, customers are relying on knowledgeable professionals and information to make good decisions. If you consider yourself an expert in any area, make sure your customers know that. You will want to include important information about your expertise on your website, like your educational credentials, associations, memberships, awards and any other key points to communicate you are a credible source. Beyond that, a great referral network of customers can also demonstrate your expertise. Standing out from the crowd simply requires you to focus on a quality experience and attention to your market needs. Also, think of yourself as a consumer and reflect on your own shopping preferences. Implementing these strategies into your marketing plan is required for as long as you want to stay in business. The good news is they only require you to be more aware.

Research shows that brand loyalty is being replaced by consumer demand for tailormade services. More than half of consumers say they are no longer brand loyal. There has never been a more competitive time to launch or run a small business.

47 JUNE 2021 INBUSINESSPHX.COM

Economy

DEVELOPING & GROWING BUSINESS DYNAMICS

Tax Advantage: Employee Retention Credit This tax credit was created to incentivize employers to keep workers on the payroll during the pandemic by Eric Stenson

Eric Stenson has been spent his 15-year career advancing new products and services to the market. After his previous companies received more than $2 million in PPP funds, Stenson created a software-first approach to PPP loan forgiveness and ERC tax credits, co-founding Stenson Tamaddon, where he currently serves as chief executive officer. To date, Stenson Tamaddon’s platform has assisted more than 2,100 businesses with $500 million in economic stimulus benefit. stentam.com

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As part of the CARES Act introduced in 2020, Congress created a new tax credit to incentivize employers to keep workers on the payroll during the pandemic. The employee retention credit is an offset to certain payroll taxes; it is not an income tax credit. The credit, which began on March 12, 2020, was originally set to expire at the end of 2020. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, extended it through the first half of 2021 and then the American Rescue Plan extended it through the end of 2021. The Employee Retention Credit is a refundable tax credit against certain employment taxes equal to 50% of the qualified wages an eligible employer pays to employees after March 12, 2020, and before January 1, 2021. Eligible employers can get immediate access to the credit by reducing employment tax deposits they are otherwise required to make. If the employer’s employment tax deposits are not sufficient to cover the credit, the employer may get an advance payment from the IRS. For each employee, wages — including certain health plan costs up to $10,000 — can be counted to determine the amount of the 50% credit. This credit can apply to wages already paid after March 12, 2020. Employers, including tax-exempt organizations, are eligible for the credit if they operate a trade or business during calendar year 2020 and experience certain impacts to their business. The ARPA extends the credit to apply to wages paid during the third and fourth quarters of this year, from July 1 through December 31, 2021. Employers can claim $7,000 for each employee in every quarter, with a maximum credit of $28,000 per employee. In the final two quarters of 2021, however, the employee retention credit is a credit against the Medicare tax instead of the Social Security tax. Qualified wages depend on how many employees an eligible employer has: If an employer averaged more than 100 full-time employees during 2019, qualified wages are generally those wages, including certain healthcare costs (up to $10,000 per employee), paid to employees who are not providing services because operations were suspended or due to the decline in gross receipts. These employers can only count wages up to the amount that the employee would have been

paid for working an equivalent duration during the 30 days immediately preceding the period of economic hardship. According to IRS FAQs, a business qualifies if it can open but would still be partially shut down due to a governmental order. For example, if a restaurant dining room normally has 100 tables but, due to social distancing orders, the restaurant is only permitted to have 50 tables, the employer is still subject to a partial shutdown order and would be eligible for the ERC. If an employer averaged 100 or fewer full-time employees during 2019, qualified wages are those wages, including healthcare costs (up to $10,000 per employee), paid to any employee during the period operations were suspended or the period of the decline in gross receipts, regardless of whether its employees are providing services. Due to the enactment of the ARPA, most employers can qualify for the employee retention credit. This includes hospitals, colleges and universities and 501(c) organizations. Physician practices qualify for the employee retention credit if they underwent either a full or partial suspension of operations during any calendar quarter in 2020 or 2021 due to a government order or a significant decline in gross receipts during any calendar quarter compared to the same quarter in 2019. For medical groups, health systems, hospitals, physician practices and other healthcare providers that qualify for the credit, there are specialty tax firms available to assist in claiming the ERC. To claim the new Employee Retention Credit, eligible employers will report their total qualified wages and the related health insurance costs for each quarter on their quarterly employment tax returns — which will be Form 941 for most employers — beginning with the second quarter. The IRS notes that for the first and second calendar quarters in 2021, employers may elect in a manner provided in future IRS guidance to measure the decline in their gross receipts using the immediately preceding calendar quarter compared to the same calendar quarter in 2019. The credit is taken against the employer’s share of social security tax but the excess is refundable under normal procedures.

Under the new Consolidated Appropriates Act of 2021 (the most recent stimulus) businesses can have both PPP and ERC. However, wages attributable to PPP loan forgiveness are encumbered and cannot be used toward ERC credits. ERC is not a loan and does not need to be repaid or “forgiven” like a PPP.

LAW MATTERS TO BUSINESS

Changes to Arizona’s Legal Landscape Put Local Businesses in Uncharted Territory Potential benefits and pitfalls when non-lawyers practice law by Alex Karam

Arizona blazed new legal trails this year by becoming one of the first states to permit non-lawyers to share fees with lawyers and also own law firms. Arizona is also one of the first states to allow non-lawyers to practice law. As with other trails blazed throughout history, these changes could result in a gold mine of new opportunities for businesses and entrepreneurs …. but the trails are hardly smooth and it’s possible all parties — including their clients — could face Oregon Trail-like consequences. To avoid being crushed by a metaphorical wagon or bitten by a figurative snake, businesses should fully understand both the benefits and pitfalls of paying referral fees and working with someone who isn’t a lawyer before setting foot on any of these new trails.

REFERRAL FEES REWARD RELATIONSHIPS BUT PRESENT A SLIPPERY SLOPE

An attorney with Guidant Law Firm focused on corporate law and bankruptcy, Alex Karam assists entrepreneurs, small and mid-sized businesses in every stage of development with entity formation and structuring, contracting with employees and third parties, regulatory compliance, corporate governance, and business acquisitions and sales. guidant.law

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Before the Arizona Supreme Court amended the rules, attorneys were prohibited from giving anyone anything of value for recommending or referring them. Recognizing that referrals have value, the rule revision now allows law firms to thank or compensate clients and partners for the business they send. Being able to send flowers, a gift card or other small token of appreciation is innocuous and a welcome change. And when a company refers a lot of business, it’s certainly worth having a discussion about additional compensation. It’s fair for both parties to recognize that relationships take time to cultivate and are worth rewarding. However, the option to pay referral fees runs the risk of turning recommendations into a commodity, where businesses could begin referring cases to firms who will pay the highest referral fee instead of to the best qualified or most experienced attorney. Because their reputations are on the line, companies and individuals should refer to the attorney or firm best suited to the client’s needs. Taking the time to get to know a law firm and building a genuine relationship before making a referral will cement trust and protect business interests in the long run. Ultimately, who will the client blame if the referral results in a poor outcome?

LEGAL PARAPROFESSIONALS MAKE LAW MORE ACCESSIBLE BUT BUYER BEWARE

On its face, creating legal paraprofessional licensure sounds like a good move. Authorized to provide services for simple, lower-value legal matters (wills, uncontested divorces, etc.) and even appear in court, legal paraprofessionals will

offer more affordable legal representation to individuals and small businesses. Expanding access to justice is vital; however, the adage “You get what you pay for” certainly applies. Although there is a test they must pass, legal paraprofessionals are not required to have a degree of any kind, let alone a law degree. There is no requirement that their work be supervised by an attorney, yet legal paraprofessionals are able to appear in court (a key difference between them and legal document preparers). Proponents for this license compare it to a certified nursing assistant, but even that profession requires 120 hours of training and is very often under direct supervision of a doctor. At a minimum, businesses with complex legal challenges will want to carefully vet any legal paraprofessional before engaging to ensure they are receiving the best representation possible. They should also consider hiring an attorney to supervise the work being done or finding a legal paraprofessional who partners with an attorney to ensure everything is done correctly. Without oversight, legal paraprofessionals could make a costly mistake from which it could take businesses years to recover. Those considering becoming a licensed legal professional should understand they will be held to the same standards and bear the same risk as attorneys. In that light, it may instead be worth obtaining the associate degree required to become a paralegal. It is also worth noting that Washington State discontinued its similar limited license legal technicians program last year, partially because such a small number of individuals participated in the program.

PROCEED WITH CAUTION

Arizona is exploring exciting new legal trails by allowing attorneys to pay referral fees and licensing legal paraprofessionals. Businesses can benefit from both, but because the territory is largely uncharted, they must carefully select their partners to protect their reputations and avoid costly mistakes.

OTHERS ON THE LP TRAIL A handful of states are exploring similar measures. Utah began licensing legal practitioners in October 2019, and Minnesota launched a two-year pilot paraprofessional project in March. California and New York are reviewing similar options.

Social Impact

BUSINESS GIVES BACK

Televëda Helps Seniors Combat Isolation Business offers seniors across the country the gift of direct access to its online community by Tyler Butler

Tyler Butler is the head of Corporate Responsibility for Aventiv Technologies, where she leads programs that positively impact society. She is also founder and principal of 11Eleven Consulting and is often cited as a subjectmatter expert by Forbes, SHRM, Entrepreneur, U.S. News and World Report and more. 11elevenconsulting.com

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Televëda is a social venture with a mission to combat social isolation for older adults and adults with special needs. televeda.com

Online experiences include live and interactive Bingo, group tai chi, chair yoga, tap dancing lessons, nutrition education, art and watercolor workshops, sculpting, live music performances, book clubs and other social experiences, all led by world-class experts from around the world. Recently, Televëda ran a successful community engagement webinar series with A.S.U.’s Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute’s Peoria Forward and the City of Peoria to connect local business owners, entrepreneurs, artists and authors with the Peoria community. “Exploring Peoria Entrepreneurship On-line Community Catalyst” was a four-part interactive virtual series hosted live at the Peoria Main Library, Sunset Library, Rio Vista Recreation Center and the Sports Complex over the course of four weeks in October. The series was live-streamed through Televëda’s platform so that participants from across the city could safely participate and engage from wherever they were and interact in real time with one another. In this series, the local entrepreneurs of Peoria led a conversation around how they have innovated to survive and thrive, the trends in their respective fields and the available business opportunities in the current tumultuous climate. “We’re honored to help keep the music playing during these times,” Gurudanti shares. “Challenging times require great leadership, and it’s incredible to see how quickly and effectively the leadership teams have been able to develop and implement a comprehensive digital strategy. My hope is that this event inspires confidence in other organizations to embrace virtual opportunities. Engaging patrons online and beyond the four walls of your building significantly expands your reach. Now people are no longer bound by geography.” Televëda televeda.com Photo courtesy of Televëda

Arizona start-up Televëda is proud to now be offering, for the first time ever, direct consumer access to its online community so that seniors can find friendships and stay active and connected. Televëda is the easiest, safest and most welcoming way to connect seniors with new friends and activities they’ll love. televeda.com

Shruti Gurudanti has a commitment to combating isolation that comes from a very personal place. In her youth, she watched her own grandparents suffer from seclusion. During those difficult times, she realized that older adults experience a massive issue with social isolation and loneliness. These experiences shed light on the importance of social interaction and community. And, ultimately, led Gurudanti to develop a solution. Today, Shruti Gurudanti is CEO and co-founder of Televëda, an organization that is addressing the very issues that impacted her grandparents during her youth. Televëda is a social venture with a mission to combat social isolation for older adults and adults with special needs. This virtual community management platform empowers local civic communities (like senior centers, municipalities and assisted living facilities) with the infrastructure and media needed to manage and scale engaging virtual community centers. The subscription program, which launched in December, welcomes seniors into a community of like-minded adults that supports their social, mental and physical well-being every day. Members rave that it is the “friendliest community” of active adults, and that it has given them a sense of “meaning and purpose.” Membership has rapidly grown by word of mouth. “Whether it’s a grandparent, parent, friend or anyone, we are here to help them find a friendly and supportive community so they can always live the best versions of their lives, and all from the safety of their own home,” says Gurudanti. This first-time-ever direct consumer access model was not easily put into place, though. Delivering virtual activities to older adults is a fragmented offering that involves a lot of complex steps. Rather than piecemealing various software and media solutions together, Televëda offers organizations and caregivers the ability to save time and offer peace of mind. This is particularly important now as the pandemic has overwhelmed those organizations that serve the vulnerable. A recent time audit at municipality recreational centers revealed that even with using Zoom and their own instructors it was still costing organizations around 25–40 hours of additional staff time weekly and $5,000 in additional monthly spend to manage the offerings that Televëda shares. Televëda’s solution is simple. Its end-to-end turnkey platform for civic organizations includes video streaming, calendaring and registration system, plug-and-play media library, live tech support, automated reminder system, custom data reporting, analytics and security and privacy moderation. Televëda has helped frontline workers save 6–15 hours every week while increasing overall attendance and engagement of their online classes. Now, older adults 65 and up from across the U.S. can directly join Televëda’s online community of active seniors and enjoy more than 50 classes a month via a membership subscription. Programs are geared toward fostering friendships, a sense of community and social connections.

NEW OPPORTUNITIES

Change

Exploring the Possibilities

Setting the framework for change as a provider of opportunity. by Bruce Weber

In the previous article, embracing change, our topic surrounded acceptance that change was all around us and here to stay. Rather than running from the unknown, we should embrace it and look for new opportunities to move forward. Once we’ve have made the decision to move ahead in exploration, how do we dream big and begin? It all starts with a framework of knowing the desired destination and outcome. This framework is not a rigid set of ideas disqualifying creativity, but a container to work within. The mission or company purpose provides the focus and direction and defines the why, but the what is determined solely by the individual. Let’s begin by outlining the steps. The first step is letting one’s imagination wonder and, for a moment — forgetting about the resources needed to deliver, as those analyses will come later — making the sky the limit. A planning tool I use frequently is known as blue dot visioning and originates from space. Carl Sagan, an astronomer who worked for NASA, was a part of the Voyager One probe space exploration visual team. As the Voyager One space probe was beginning to leave our solar system on its journey into deep space, Sagan begged for the camera to be turned around for one final look at Earth. NASA was reluctant at first, fearing it might damage the camera, but finally agreed. The resulting photograph became known as the “pale blue dot.” Our planet appeared as nothing more than a blue spec in the massive vastness of space. Stepping back and looking from far out at one’s business opens the opportunity to visualize and dream almost anything. In business, we refer to blue dot visioning as the way to think big and outside the norms. This “dreaming” can be incremental additions and enhancements to our business without initially worrying about detail. The only request during this process

is to be audacious! Don’t cloud the ideas with details, for the moment. Just dream! Step two is to circulate ideas and thinking among trusted stakeholders and advisors. Gaining valuable insight from those who understand our business and have an interest in our success will aid in the decision tree as to whether to embark on a specific path or not. We are looking for impact through these conversations but not basing our decisions on the input. It’s important, therefore, to clearly explain that we are exploring. Step three is to begin to communicate the ideas within one’s organization without worrying about specifics yet. It’s important to underscore to the staff and management that ideas remain in line with the business goals and mission while keeping the core values and business impact in mind. Engaging those internal to the organization will enable inclusion and trust, and help everyone understand the proposals and ideas under evaluation. Everyone involved needs to understand that this is a process and that all options will be thoroughly vetted and explored within the framework we establish. Nothing is sacred for the moment and the process provides a chance for anything to be on the table within reason. Ideas will be vetted thoroughly. In next month’s article, we will look at the decision framework and the necessary pieces to the evaluation puzzle. In his 1994 book, Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space, Carl Sagan wrote, “From this distant vantage point, the Earth might not seem of any particular interest. But for us, it’s different. Consider again that dot. That’s here. That’s home. That’s us.” As we embark on exploring the possibilities for the future created by change, we, too, need to remember that it is our business that’s here, providing value within our community. It all starts with us!

Carl Sagan, in his book Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space, describes the famous photograph: “The Pale Blue Dot was captured on February 14th in 1990. Since then, along with Sagan’s moving tribute, it’s inspired generations of people to look differently at their place in the universe.”

Bruce Weber is founder and president/CEO at Weber Group. Weber brings more than 20 years of experience to the for-profit and nonprofit community, working with startup, growth and mature organizations. His focus is in strengthening organizations through strategic planning, organizational development, leadership and board development. He is a BoardSource Certified Governance trainer and a founding partner of the Nonprofit Lifecycles Institute. webergroupaz.com

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LOUDER THAN WORDS

Virtual Meetings – Beyond the Camera Karin Reed is an Emmy Award-winning former anchorwoman who transitioned over the last decade and a half into coaching C-Suite executives in the art of communicating on camera. Suddenly Virtual is her second book published by Wiley & Sons Publishing. linkedin.com/in/karin-reed Joe Allen, Ph.D. is a professor of psychology at the University of Utah and director for The Center for Meeting Effectiveness. He is the world’s leading scientific expert on workplace meetings and organizational community engagement, with more than 100 published articles in academic journals. Suddenly Virtual is his first book. linkedin.com/in/ joe-allen-b175434

Written by two masters in the field, Suddenly Virtual: Making Remote Meetings Work (released in March) serves readers as an on-camera coach; remote and hybrid meeting etiquette expert; and a guided, detailed roadmap (backed by science) to thriving professionally in a virtual world.

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Some Zoom habits can make or break careers

by Karin Reed and Dr. Joe Allen Remote work, virtual Zoom meetings, hybrid meetings — it’s all been so sudden, impactful and, to many, intimidating and overwhelming. Few people would likely ever have thought we would all need to master the art of on-camera performance, lighting, sound and virtual presentation. The following are a few tips to help succeed in this new virtual world. Turning the camera on is not enough. Simply looking at the camera is not going to make one an effective virtual communicator. Key is to change one’s mindset. The camera is the conduit to one’s conversation partner. One must focus not just one’s eyes but one’s energy through the lens, in order to truly connect with the person or people on the other side. Otherwise, the “communicator” will simply appear to being held hostage by the camera lens. Take care of one’s “personal production value.” Ensuring that one looks and sounds one’s best on camera isn’t just a matter of vanity. It’s about showing respect for one’s audience. It’s important to make it as easy as possible for the audience to engage with the presenter. That means making sure nothing distracts from the communication. For example, sitting in shadow doesn’t impact the way the presenter feels on a call, but it certainly impacts everyone else. They can’t receive the message properly if they can’t read the presenter’s facial expressions. Meetings were tedious before; virtual meetings can make them even worse. All that stuff we’ve known forever about what makes meetings more effective, that many of us never bothered to do (e.g., having an agenda, even-handed participation, coming prepared, etc.) is more important online because the flaws in the process are even more obvious online. We are quicker on our feet in person than we are in a virtual setting, and we can make up for those mistakes or missteps more easily in person. The old best practices for effective meetings are common sense, but uncommonly practiced. Not doing them now, in virtual meetings, leads to virtual drudgery and less productivity. Don’t overly rely on virtual meetings — they just clog up people’s calendars. There is often an over-reliance on video meetings that up clog calendars and lead to “Zoom fatigue.” Zoom fatigue is not due to a problem with Zoom and similar platforms, but to user error. Not every human

touchpoint needs to be a video meeting. There’s a huge need to be more strategic in determining when a video meeting is required. If it’s just information transfer, consider whether that could be delivered via email, a message in Slack or Teams channel, or a quick phone call. But if it’s a meeting that requires group collaboration, discussion and decision-making, it absolutely should be a virtual meeting with video on. Stop the back-to-back meetings; recovery time is critical. Virtual meeting technology has enabled back-to-back meetings like never before! How many of us have looked at our calendar and thought, “When am I going to get lunch?” or, “When will I get to the restroom?” A new study, reported briefly in our book, confirms that we need five minutes recovery time after a good meeting and 17 minutes recovery after a bad meeting. Neuroscience confirms that humans need time to cognitively switch gears. Put more humanity into meetings or team culture will suffer. It is helpful to start the meetings with the question “How are you?” and actually listen to people. That social lubrication where we catch up in the hall or the breakroom has been lost, and must be re-introduced. And it’s important to connect, beyond running down a checklist of updates, projects, or tasks. This is particularly true and important when human touch and social interaction is reduced due to a pandemic or after we remain in our homes and work remotely. Stop letting the slides dominate the screen; the presenter brings the value, not the visual aids. The typical virtual presentation looks like this: The presenter introduces him- or herself, then introduces the topic, shares the screen with the audience and presents way too many slides. The presenter then concludes by asking if there are any questions. By that time, it’s questionable if anyone is still listening and awake. The in-person equivalent would be someone introducing oneself and then turning one’s back on the audience while reading off the slides for the entire slide deck. Don’t do it! It’s more effective to deliver the presentation in digestible chunks, sharing only a few slides at a time before toggling back to gallery view. It changes everyone’s virtual environment and forces them to re-engage with the presenter. Plus, it allows the presenter to actually drive dialogue by putting people front and center — not the visual aids, which too often become visual crutches.

Having quickly become a gold standard for preparing professionals to navigate our virtual on-camera world, Stanford University’s School of Business incorporated Suddenly Virtual into its curriculum for its Essentials of Strategic Communication course for the current Spring 2021 semester.

LOUDER THAN WORDS

Connections Are Business Capital Avoid the five biggest LinkedIn blunders by Lisa Apolinski

LinkedIn has more than 575 million users, according to leading WordPress hosting platform Kinsta, and nearly half of those are active every month (meaning they post, comment or “like” on the platform). If that isn’t impressive enough, LinkedIn has its sights on further investments into Latin America. What makes LinkedIn even more powerful is that users update their bios regularly, which is why LinkedIn remains the leading professional social networking site as those seeking to connect can be confident the connections they are potentially requesting are in the roles listed on posted bios. LinkedIn is a digital goldmine, especially now in the postCOVID digital paradigm. Users post on career engagement, network with others in the industry and share expertise and advice. Unfortunately, less professional engagement can and does happen on LinkedIn. Understanding what works in the world of LinkedIn for networking, and what hinders, can help remove obstacles for engagement. The following are the five biggest blunders that can hurt credibility and, potentially, career advancement. Blunder #1: Being vague in why a connection is requested. Some people believe more connections are better. However, some connection requests come with a note that does not share why the sender wants to network. If there is not a clear reasoning for the network connection, many of these requests appear to not help or enhance the receiver’s network. A connection request with a note can help put the connection request into context for the receiver. Try Instead: Clearly state why a request has been sent and how the connection benefits both parties. To get a connection request accepted, the sender should consider the reason for requesting the connection. Blunder #2: Focusing on selling versus connecting. Many LinkedIn users complain about this practice and it seems to have become more common. After a connection has been accepted, the next message is a long selling pitch. What is even more surprising is the immediate request for a call or virtual demo. This is a request of someone’s time without taking time to connect first. A focus on selling will not help with lead generation or brand reputation. This type of communication does little for the recipient. Try Instead: The sender would do better to offer a thank you for the connection and share something that might benefit the new connection, such as a video or article. Sharing knowledge can go a long way. Blunder #3: Not investing in a current professional photo. One of the first digital impressions from a LinkedIn profile is the user photo. Using a photo that is casual, that is old or that is provocative is missing a great opportunity to showcase a level of professionalism. A photo is a visual precursor to a job interview or lecturer. Investment in a professional photo is also a wise one as it can be used in a variety of digital ways. By keeping the photo current, network

members are also easy to identify in other settings (remember those trade shows?). Try Instead: Even a quick shot with a smartphone can work. Lighting that is direct and natural is best (morning or late afternoon). The photo should capture from the shoulders up and minimize distractions in the background. Blunder #4: Posting on politics. While many may have an opinion on the current political climate, sharing political viewpoints may not be the best decision. Posts and articles on LinkedIn should highlight expertise, provide knowledge and leadership within an industry and share resources that can help networks. Political postings do not fall into these three categories. These may also be off-putting or polarizing to current and future networks. Try Instead: Those wishing to share political viewpoints should consider posting to another social media channel, keeping the LinkedIn channel focused on how to provide professional leadership and insight. Blunder #5: The social channel is LinkedIn, not Love Connection. With so many dating apps and websites available to find a soul mate, LinkedIn is not the place to request a connection with the purpose of asking someone out. Not only is this request unprofessional, but it can also easily come across as creepy, especially for women. LinkedIn users are using the platform for career and networking and expect others to do the same. Try Instead: Use LinkedIn for its primary purpose — namely, professional networking — and save the search for love to those websites or apps that have been specifically created for that reason. LinkedIn provides amazing potential to connect with experts, learn about new trends in one’s industry, explore options and discover new career paths and positions. LinkedIn can work well for digital connection and professional networking, especially if these blunders are avoided. These small modifications can unlock new networking opportunities and strong professional engagement now as well as in the future, helping establish one’s credibility within both one’s industry and organization – and tapping in better to the power of LinkedIn in one’s professional practice.

LinkedIn has more than 575 million users, and nearly half of those are active every month (meaning they post, comment or “like” on the platform).

Lisa Apolinski is an international speaker, digital strategist, author and founder of 3 Dog Write. She works with companies to develop and share their message using digital assets. Her latest book, Persuade With A Digital Content Story, is available on Amazon. 3dogwrite.com

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INVESTING IN COMMUNITY

Talent Management Reimagined Use a holistic approach to attract and retain top-level staff by Richard Tollefson

LESSONS LEARNED: 1. It’s critically important that current and future employees understand and support the mission, culture and values of their organization. 2. The workplace flexibility that COVID forced upon organizations has become an expectation. Those organizations that continue to provide flexible work environments will have an advantage in hiring and retaining employees. 3. Leaders must understand what motivates each individual employee and be prepared to act on that knowledge in efforts to retain high-quality employees. 4. Creating an inclusive environment will require a deep dive assessment of organizations, asking difficult questions and staying in the room for the answers.

Richard Tollefson is founder and president at The Phoenix Philanthropy Group, an Arizona-based international consulting firm serving nonprofit organizations as well as institutional and individual philanthropists. phoenixphilanthropy.com

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While attracting great talent and reducing staff turnover is a persistent challenge in often financially constrained nonprofit organizations, there are solutions. The key is to think holistically. Taking a holistic approach to talent management requires an organization to look beyond the day-to-day issues and crisis management that human resource teams naturally get pulled into, says Gregory Leet, senior consultant at Aspen Leadership Group. “It means taking a broader view to include the culture and values of an organization and ensure the staff aligns with its mission.” Skills, expertise and experience are important. But equally important — or perhaps even more so — is whether individuals in the organization believe in and embrace the mission and truly support its culture and values. If there is a disconnect, the organization’s culture will be at risk, teams will struggle to work toward common goals, negativity will prevail, and energy will be wasted.

RETAINING THE BEST EMPLOYEES

While taking a holistic approach to hiring will positively impact retention when staff is culturally aligned, a renewed approach to professional development and flexibility are also important. “A lot of candidates are asking whether the employer is flexible about time in the office or time working from home,” says Leet. “I believe this can be a benefit in the nonprofit sector. Distinguishing ourselves as the more flexible sector can give us a competitive advantage.” Organizations must also be willing to proactively promote the professional advancement of staff, which will be different for each person. Personalizing development isn’t easy and requires special attention. “It’s important to manage talent with intention,” says Leslie Motter, chief operating officer at Make-A-Wish America, “and knowing what’s important to each individual. It’s understanding what motivates and drives them and then acting on that knowledge.” Retaining the best takes a combination of innovative thinking with more traditional benefits: • Creating an open dialogue with employees about the organization’s evolution and their role in the solution • Defining professional development opportunities specific to each individual • Consistently reinforcing the values and impact of the organization • Creating an entrepreneurial, safe environment for employees to try different things • Providing multi-year contracts with clearly defined metrics • Paying a competitive wage and offering a complete benefits package

Often, women and people of color eliminate themselves from an opportunity if they can’t meet every item in an exhaustive list of responsibilities and qualifications.

• Maintaining a professional work environment • Offering financial and non-financial incentives

REMOTE HIRING & WORKING: POST-COVID GAME CHANGERS

Remote hiring was unheard of before COVID. The pandemic drastically changed that. “I would never have predicted that we would become comfortable with a completely virtual hiring process start to finish,” says Leet. “But that has become the norm.” Eliminating geographic barriers “brings more opportunities, creating a bigger and more diverse pool of people who could be interested in your mission and want to get on board with what you’re doing,” he says. The work-from-home environment is also positively impacting retention efforts, providing increased flexibility to employees who may need to move away for personal reasons. The year 2020 showed us employees can contribute significantly while working remotely. This trend also opens opportunities for our existing employees, cautions Motter. “I think we will see more movement as more opportunities open up for our employees. As leaders, we need to make sure we are listening and attentive to their wants and needs.”

DIVERSITY & INCLUSION: CREATING AN OPEN ENVIRONMENT Organizations are challenging themselves to think differently about how they look for diverse talent. Leet encourages organizations to take a hard look at how job descriptions are written and remove inherently biased requirements. Often, women and people of color eliminate themselves from an opportunity if they can’t meet every item in an exhaustive list of responsibilities and qualifications. This is true, too, if the job description details exactly how goals will be met instead of simply meeting those overarching goals. It can be more helpful to identify a person’s ability to perform responsibilities broadly instead of the number of years, or specific types, of experience. Otherwise, candidates from diverse backgrounds may not apply, even though they possess the skills, talent, values, and other attributes that could be beneficial to the organization. “Rather than looking for specific pedigrees, look at what’s actually needed to accomplish the job,” says Leet. Creating an environment that fosters a welcome and inclusive environment takes a deep dive into every aspect of the organization and may take help from outside consultants or other resources. Perhaps the most important point to consider when reimagining talent management is the importance of inclusion and making sure employees feel they belong to the mission of the organization. A good place to start is understanding how every employee feels about how they contribute to the organization’s mission.

WE VALUE WHAT WE OWN

2021 Jaguar F-Type SVR AWD Convertible This convertible is meant to impress with its 2.0L i4 296 HP Turbo-charged engine that hits 60 mph in 5.4 seconds and will catapult the driver and passenger to a maximum speed of 155 mph. This lightweight and functional luxury car is all about summer and all about style. Its exterior is designed to appeal to anyone wanting a small but strong topless vehicle that speaks to European style and American comfort. The Sport seats with Grained Leather and suede cloth facings look good and feel even better. They are soft and comfortable hugging the occupants so that they feel

like they are part of the ride — adjustable to any configuration for any size driver. The fully automatic and hidden top can be retracted with the convenience of opening the glove box. Its smart and ultimate aerodynamic styling allow for minimal drag and minimal “wind-in-your-face” when going at top speeds. The Interactive Drive Display marries the technology of the engine with the technology of the entertainment. Braking systems and torque are as much a part of the gauges as speed and rpm. Navigation and entertainment through any smart device sync to make this vehicle customized to any sound or communication pattern available. The Meridian sound system encompasses the driver’s and passenger’s area so that it is not “blaring” outside even when the top is stowed away. Speakers are clever in their placement so as to give the best acoustics to all ears in the vehicle. It is truly a summer fun experience and the perfect ride for these upcoming months. —Mike Hunter

2021 JAGUAR F-TYPE SVR MSRP: $64,700 City: 23 mpg Hwy: 30 mpg Trans: 8-speed automatic 0-60: 5.4 sec

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COVID Verified: Bracelets Bolster Awareness businesses and visit public places. People

is safe to be around as part of a global

who see the purple bracelet will know the

#IAMCOVIDVERIFIED campaign.

wearer has been vaccinated and is safe

finally within reach. COVID Verified is a

#IAMVERIFIED to encourage others to join

new program founded in Scottsdale that

the cause.)

Can Benefits Flex

identification bracelet program that’s based

vaccinated people to voluntarily share their

on the honor system that signals to others

vaccine status and show their support and

its wearer has had the vaccine, making

the pandemic. Now, purple COVID Verified

solidarity for others as the race to vaccinate

others feel more comfortable at businesses

bracelets can take their place as a signal

the globe presses on.

and in public places and showing support

that we are moving the world forward

for the global effort to encourage others

together in a safe and healthy way. —

get vaccinated as we return to normal life.

Melissa Rein Lively

(similar to the Livestrong wristband) is designed to help people self-identify as being vaccinated and inform others of

For the last year, face masks have been the most recognizable symbol of

This Month’s Guest

Editor

Partner at Vintage

Partners

Walter Crutchfield

Critical Differences among Clauses

Contract Dispute

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COVID Verified is a voluntary self-

by offering an easily identifiable way for

This new awareness bracelet campaign

with

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using the tags #IAMCOVIDVERIFIED and

What’s the e for Big Pictur Metro Phoenix?

•

experts say the end of the pandemic is

CRE: MAY 2021

post their bracelet selfies to social media

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Photos courtesy of Jaguar (top), COVID Verified (bottom)

to be around. (Wearers are encouraged to

currently in distribution worldwide, health

ESTATE COMMERCIAL REAL

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Today? How Does It Play – Once a Taboo Mix, Branding and Politics

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the wearer has been vaccinated and

IN BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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The R-Dynamic: The R-Dynamic model adds a driver-selectable active exhaust and several cosmetic upgrades, including the RDynamic Gloss Black Body Pack. The exterior comes with a gloss black front bumper beam, chin insert and side sills. Standard with this model are the 19-inch Style 5058, 5-split-spoke wheels in Technical Grey with contrast Diamond Turned finish.

57 JUNE 2021 INBUSINESSPHX.COM

MEALS THAT MATTER

The Herb Box: Return to Roots with a Casual Concept by Susan Wilcox

Herb Crepe with feta cheese and caramelized onion $11

Boston Cream Pie Dossant $8 Susan Wilcox is the owner of The Herb Box.

JUNE 2021

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

MAY

gorgeous interior with a Southern aesthetic, incorporating a lot of wainscoting, textured wallpapers, beautiful lighting and a soothing color palette. It will feature a gourmet marketplace with some of the signature menu items that we’re known for, grab-and-go hot and cold dishes, delectable handmade pastries, bottles of wine and seasonal products from local purveyors. Created as a blend of our restaurants and catering business, the new Shea location also houses our main catering kitchen and offers two private event spaces, each with indoor-outdoor dining space for daytime and evening events. Both event spaces, the Thyme Room and the Sage Room, are available for booking with capacity of up to 75 guests and flexible configurations based on group size. The Herb Box 7000 E. Shea Blvd., Scottsdale (480) 289-6160 theherbbox.com

The Herb Box’s DC Ranch location’s last day of operation was May 2 in preparation for the opening of the new location at 7000 E. Shea Blvd. in early June. The move created 20 new jobs in addition to continued employment for all current DC Ranch team members.

Photos courtesy of Ghost Ranch

Smoked Gouda Mac ‘N Cheese with rosemary brioche breadcrumbs

The Herb Box is ecstatic to announce the relocation of our North Scottsdale restaurant from DC Ranch to Shea Blvd. in a return to our roots just down the street from our very first restaurant location. Our beautiful, new, 6,000-square-foot space will open in June and will include a larger kitchen, an expansive patio, a gourmet marketplace, ample indoor and outdoor seating and two private event spaces. It also will be the new home for our corporate office and will house our booming event planning and catering business. Our new location on Shea is a serendipitous one and has a lot of personal meaning to me. It feels like a homecoming and I wanted to create an environment that conveys that same feeling — an inviting space where people instantly feel at home, comfortable and at ease. It is the culmination of our extensive hospitality experience and I can’t wait to welcome all of our amazing guests who have continued to support us throughout the years, but especially during the past year. Just as all other restaurants were, we were significantly impacted by the challenges of the pandemic. It affected everything — our customers, our team members and the supply chain. We had to rewrite menus due to not being able to get certain ingredients and every day was extremely uncertain. Things have started to smooth out now, but the cost of labor and food has significantly increased and hiring has become much more difficult. Our new location will allow us to still offer amazing food, but in a way where we eliminated structured service in favor of a more relaxed environment. We are reimagining the new Shea location as an upscale casual service concept, inviting guests to stay a while and use the space as they wish — to work, meet or just hang out while enjoying all the offerings and amenities. It will have a

GLOBAL CHAMBER

Global Chamber® Events

SUMMER 2021

globalchamber.org/events

June 11, 8am PT

Power Pitch for Startup Funding Spotlight Event June 14, noon PT

Global Chamber Phoenix Metro Meetup June 16, 4pm PT

Global Chamber Tucson Metro Meetup June 17, 4pm PT

Global Chamber Cross Metro Meetup Tokyo – NYC June 28, 4pm PT

Global Chamber Phoenix Metro Meetup June 29, 9am PT

Globinar Young African Leaders Virtual Networking

Inside this Section

3 4 5

Expand and Retain Top Talent while Growing Globally

Clubhouse and the Global Tribe Club

Foreign Investment in Arizona

Keep Connecting Virtually. It’s OK!

“Trust Me”: Something We Can Count On? by Doug Bruhnke, Global Chamber®

since it was a guy, a table and some bags of oranges. That region is known for oranges, and so it seemed like a good idea to stop and pick some up. I pulled over and got out in the countryside on a beautiful sunny day in Greece, blue sky and blue ocean — magnificent! Issue number one was that the vendor didn’t speak English. I don’t speak Greek. Issue number two was that he was smoking a cigarette and offered me one. I’m not a smoker. I took the cigarette and there we were, the two of us, on a country road in Greece overlooking the sea, each smoking a cigarette, and “connecting” in some sort of due diligence. Finally, we spoke in our own languages and I was able to understand the price, so I purchased a bag. We stood there in silence until we both had nearly finished our cigarettes, then I waved good-bye and got back into the car. That exchange viewed from inside the car by my daughter did not go well; she had been watching with my wife and couldn’t believe that I had smoked. I got quite a scolding! She didn’t understand the need for that. I did my best to explain but I wasn’t successful. We got back to the hotel in Napflio and I set the oranges on the table and opened up the bag. It was then I came face to face with two surprises. First, each orange had a stamp of “Sunkist” and “California” on it. Second, they were all overripe and mostly rotten. The illusion of trust through that cigarette on the side of the road was simply that, an illusion. He got his money. I got a free cigarette and a story to talk about forever about building trust in a business transaction. We can do better! Anyone in any business will have a comparable experience somewhere, sometime. That’s why we’ve built and continue to build a trusted network everywhere around the world — so you don’t need to smoke a cigarette on the side of a road to determine if a potential deal is going work out. To be fair, you should always be careful and do your due diligence. But working with the global tribe reduces the time from meeting to deal, and eliminates the smoking, too.

Global Chamber®

As the world comes out of lockdown, there are additional issues that arise as we weave in more virtual aspects to business development, fulfillment and overall. You’ve managed to be successful in business till now, and that has undoubtedly included a variety of shifts and changes, including immeasurable updates in technology. Now, we just need to make a few more steps ahead to be successful in the next phase. We can do this! Let’s work toward a business and personal world of trade built on a foundation of honesty, high ethics, transparency and cross-cultural understanding in a new age of globalization driven by technology. Our collective growing dependency in technology has led many to recalibrate their relationship with it. People enjoy reaping the benefits of technology, such as increased connectivity, flexibility, access, speed, etc. — although the ones reaping most of these benefits skew younger (under 45) and wealthier. Tech issues like security hacks, inappropriate or illegal surveillance, misuse of personal data, spread of fake news and misinformation, algorithmic bias, and lack of transparency are regularly hitting the headlines, feeding a “techlash” and resulting in distrust. People can feel a gap between the individual and societal benefit of technologies. With emerging technologies like AI, blockchain and self-driving vehicles, there are similarly concerning consumer sentiments, as people worry about job loss and being unable to quickly adapt to new skill sets and knowledge requirements, leading to a fear of being left behind. We need digital trust to drive business growth and shared prosperity in the communities where we live and work. How do we achieve it in a reasonable time frame? With so much at stake, it is imperative that we rebuild and rethink “trust” among consumers, employees and citizens. And that’s why we at Global Chamber think about it every day, and why we’re doing something about it, to help us grow. Doug Bruhnke is founder and CEO at Global Chamber®

Global Chamber®

Global Chamber Phoenix and Tucson Global Chamber® is a growing and collaborating community of CEOs, executives and leaders in 525 metro regions around the world taking on global business and advancing growth and success. Contact us at info@globalchamber.org or (480) 595-5000. Chairman/CEO Sponsors American Industries Gazelle.ai Spencer Fane Squire Patton Boggs Thunderbird School of Global Management Vistra Group President Sponsors Allata Bank of America BBVA Compass Bank City of Phoenix Cresa Phoenix Lee & Associates R&A CPAs Sunflower Bank Tetakawi Special Global Advisors Hank Marshall, UK Honorary Consul in Arizona Melissa Sanderson Leila Aridi Afas, Toyota Michael Patterson, Spencer Fane Kiyoko Toyama, Japanese Friendship Garden Jimmy Douglas, Tesla Electric Cars Eduardo Gonzalez, 258 Consulting Susan Shultz, The Board Institute Committees All Metros, Industries and Regions Contacts CEO/Founder: Doug Bruhnke, doug@globalchamber.org Business Services: Cesar Trabanco, cesar@globalchamber.org Membership: Yvonne Luker yvonne@globalchamber.org Deputy Director: Mike Langley mike.langley@globalchamber.org

Expand and Retain Top Talent while Growing Globally by Natali Oprya, Director at Express Global Employment

Companies face organizational changes from their global expansion, corporate restructuring and international mergers and acquisitions. One of the key issues that needs to be addressed during the reshuffling is global workforce management. We always want to come out with each new hire as getting an award-winning contributor. When going through acquisition, opening or liquidating business entities overseas, many companies are unable to hire new or transfer current workforce before entity setup or after liquidation due to regional laws and issues. There can be a lot of red tape that pumps the brakes on hiring, delaying onboarding of essential employees. Things can get even worse in urgent hiring scenarios when companies need to onboard selected candidates without shifting the hire date or risk losing the talent to competition. Or businesses may wish to retain their current foreign employees after they have closed their foreign legal entity. All these are problems with solutions. An innovative, fully compliant answer to these challenges was designed by Express Global Employment to meet these needs and give growing businesses an opportunity to engage and transfer global talent quickly, regardless of organizational changes being faced. This solution helps businesses to legally

onboard global workforce in 190 countries in as little as 72 hours. Companies have the freedom to expand their talent pipeline to fill sudden growth. Expanding businesses can operate globally without costly incorporation while skipping the in-country red tape — and remaining compliant. With mergers and acquisitions, companies may be faced with challenges related to workforce management and therefore risk losing seasoned top talent during restructuring. This is particularly the case where international acquisitions are taking place and global talent management is concerned. Corporate reshuffling presents new challenges to global HR experts and can leave critical gaps in key positions, displacing key employees or demanding relocation or employee transfer from one entity to another. Some employees who are hired directly by the company want to continue employment while the company is terminating its business entity because of the takeover or decision to withdraw from the country. Hasty decisions to scoop up the first warm bodies in the talent pipeline may lead to long-term regrets. In such situations, it is crucial for companies to be armed with robust solutions for immediate global hiring scenarios. When dealing with projects

requiring an immediate hiring date, tailored solutions to engage global talent in an immediate mode is the best option for companies hiring global workforce. For cases of urgent employment, Acumen International has pioneered an innovative Express Global Employment (EGE) solution that covers: • Urgent global talent onboarding on multiple fronts, where new technologies, new departments or new products and services require skilled professionals for implementation. However, timely onboarding can become crucial in the war for top global minds in order to not lose valuable candidates to competition. • Local compliance threats, where international contractors must be rapidly converted to full-time employees to avoid litigation and tax issues related to independent contractor/employee misclassification. Political unrest, legislative changes and economic downturns caused by COVID-19 or regime changes can make compliance a volatile landscape. • Sudden critical growth, where a new company receives more orders than it can handle to keep up with explosive demand for products or services. While this is generally a good thing, the urgent need for staffing can be a nightmare. EGE is an efficient way to augment in-house teams with top international talent. This is a solution to meet urgent international onboarding needs and help to officially employ selected international talent on a clients’ behalf within only 72 hours. It can be used as an interim solution before companies’ legal entity is opened. This solution also covers the needs when a business is liquidating the company and wants to transfer current employees to a third-party employer to retain the talent. For more information, visit the Express Global Employment website or discover more detailed information on their blog, covering different hiring scenarios. Natali Oprya is director at Express Global Employment (expressglobalemployment.com). GlobalChamber.org

Clubhouse and the Global Tribe Club by Yvonne Luker of Global Chamber®

Are you on Clubhouse yet? Clubhouse (www.joinclubhouse.com) is a new and engaging way to speak with new connections around the community and world. It can be a wonderful way to find new clients, resources and partners to grow your business. Global Chamber® has been in Clubhouse the past few months, and now our presence is primarily through the “Global Tribe Club,” with rooms being hosted one to five times a week. Join us! What is Clubhouse? It’s a way to jump into a virtual room with a group of other people from anywhere in the world to talk about pretty much anything. It’s voice only — so don’t worry about how you look at the time or what you’re doing. I often work and listen at my desk. As I’m writing this article, I’m in a Club called “The Rundown” and the title of the room is “Crypto Talk: Dogecoin, Bitcoin, Eth, Shiba… All Are Down!” with 525 other people. Each person in the room is shown in a static picture on my iPhone as either on the stage or in the audience, and the audience is further segregated by those who are followed by people on the stage and the general audience who are not yet followed by anyone on the stage. Only the people on the stage can talk, usually one after the other, in a conversation. Anyone in the audience can raise their hand to speak, and one of the moderators on stage can bring anyone up to speak and or ask a question. It’s better to have a solid profile when you raise your hand so they know you’ll be a respectful speaker and not a troll. You are also able to click on any picture of people in the room and see what they’ve written there. Unlike other social media forums, in Clubhouse you can actually hear people speak and have a conversation, most still in English.

Global Chamber®

Some of the rooms held last month by Global Chamber in the Global Tribe Room are illustrative of what our members wish to hear. Those topics were “Fearless Global Leadership,” “Effective Global Expansion,” “Business Opportunities in Latin America,” “How to Use LinkedIn in Global Business Development” and “How to Stay Innovative in the Post-COVID Global Business Environment.” Listen or engage — it’s up to you. If I’m working, I’ll stay in the audience and listen; If the topic is interesting and I want to say something, I raise my hand. Trolling is not allowed, and trolls are reported by other users. They will be reviewed and kicked off the platform. Also, as you might imagine, if you’re in any room on any topic with men and women and people of different styles and cultures, conversations can heat up and get a little interesting in both good and bad ways. There are general ground rules of letting each person complete their thought with no interrupting. There are non-business rooms, too — and so imagine any topic with anyone on the stage, talking it through. One recent room about Israelis and Palestinians got a little heated. I heard that politics was not allowed, but some of the early rooms with people from China were centered on politics — and the Chinese government quickly banned Clubhouse. I stay mostly in the business rooms, but where you go will be up to you. Jump in and follow the Global Tribe Club and check out our talks on global business. Follow our CEO Doug Bruhnke at @dougbruhnke and the Global Tribe Club, too. Yvonne Luker is managing director of Global Chamber®.

Foreign Investment in Arizona by Yvonne Luker, Global Chamber®

In the past couple of months, Global Chamber® has held two significant events in collaboration with regional business and government leaders that spotlighted growth opportunities in Arizona for foreign companies and investors and the international business opportunity overall. The cities of Phoenix, Surprise, Scottsdale and Peoria, especially, are leading the way to support local companies and encourage foreign companies to land here. First, we held an “Invest in Arizona” program that was held in collaboration with the City of Phoenix and the Country of Japan to share business benefits of investing in Metro Phoenix. We were pleased to feature Senator Kyrsten Sinema, Senator Mark Kelly, Mayor Kate Gallego, Thunderbird Dean Sanjeev Khagram, Chris Camacho (GPEC) and three Japanese companies that have had success in Arizona — IRIS USA (Surprise), MUFG Union Bank (Phoenix) and Yokogawa Electric (Tucson). We were treated to a compelling review from the regional leaders of why companies should consider Arizona, and we also heard from the success story companies. Subsequent to the session, we received additional inquiries from Japan and other countries about next steps and what it will take to land in the region. Welcome! The wrap-up and recording for this program are

available on the Global Chamber® blog. Secondly, we held our annual “International State of Metro Phoenix,” which in 2007 was the very first event that we did, centered on the question “How are we doing?”

When we became Global Chamber® six years ago, we institutionalized a report card with the help of regional leaders that identified where we’re making progress and where we still need to get better. Thank you to all the leaders involved over the years, especially Hank Marshall with the City of Phoenix, who has done the report card several times, including most recently in 2021. We were also able to hear from Hank, Mel Sanderson (Western Rare Earths), Emily Cloke (British Consul General in Los Angeles), Jack McCain (American Airlines), Arizona State Representative Lorenzo Sierra, Jeff Campos (Southwest Valley Chamber of Commerce), Jane Spicer (Daphne’s Headcovers) and M. Brett McMickell, Ph.D. (Ag Junction). Inspiring exporting success and more! This program is also on our blog and on youtube. Yvonne Luker is managing director at Global Chamber®. GlobalChamber.org

Keep Connecting Virtually. It’s OK! by Cesar Trabanco, Global Chamber®

For the past 15 months during the global pandemic, Global Chamber® has held many more events every week all over the world, many more per week, than we had ever before held. Last month, we had six virtual events on one day! All these events have allowed members to jump in from anywhere to connect with the trusted global tribe everywhere — and it’s wonderful to hear all the success stories. Bravo, members! This virtual approach fits the global tribe well because they want to find ideal clients and trusted resources across metros and borders, with less focus on their own town or city. What better and faster way to connect across distances than to do it virtually? There are many examples of recurring virtual meetings that we hold frequently, including near-daily “meetups” that bring members for any metro area together with others from around the world, cross metro meetups (where one or more cities collaborate on the event, such as PhoenixTucson, London-Nairobi, Tokyo-NYC (this month), etc.), “League of Extraordinaries” (business referrals across borders), “League of Opportunities,” “League of Global Nonprofits,” “Global Women Online Network” and “Virtual Dining.” All these create global networking opportunities that couldn’t practically be done without new software that keeps us connecting effectively. Virtual Dining centers members on a particular cuisine, and then we meet over

zoom with that food made at home or received by take-out. Then we learn about the country or region, and we discuss business opportunities. Last month, we ate food from the Philippines and talked about trade. Before that it was a Virtual Dining in the Balkans, including Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova and more. We spoke with an artisan baker based in Sofia, a wine expert in Italy and two chefs in the region about what to expect at the table. Join us every month at Global Chamber to bring at least one cuisine to dinner over a virtual dinner, to connect to grow.

Most of us like to talk over coffee with friends and business acquaintances, and now that more people are being vaccinated and wearing masks, meeting face-to-face is getting safer and safer. We encourage you to get back out there at your own speed and keep connecting through our globinars and meetups to accelerate success. Virtual meetings can be less satisfying than in-person discussions, but they save time, driving, parking fees, coffee fees and other costs. We can do much more now than we ever could before, so let’s continue the progress we’ve established as we consider what to do in the next phase. Let’s not go back to what we did before, now that everyone is trained to be more virtual. Keep connecting virtually — it’s OK! Don’t let your desire to get back to some level of normal force you into a less productive world that we can leave behind. It still makes sense to meet people, and we look forward to doing that again. And we’ll continue our virtual world to extend success. Cesar Trabanco is VP of Business Services at Global Chamber®.

Global Chamber®

Adler, Jennifer, 12

Dietrich, Celia, 13

Kerr, James, 12

Russo, Mike, 16

Allen, Joe, 54

Ellis, Shawn, 10

Korzenik, Jeff, 66

Sanders, Scott, 36

Apolinski, Lisa, 55

Farren, Doug, 12

Kremer, Curt, 16

Smith, Dustin, 31

Billington, Daniel, 14

Fleck, P.J., 39

Larsen, Bret, 20

Smith, Kylee, 31

Bowers, Mike, 26

Gordon, Jon, 39

Long, Amanda, 32

Sperling, Jason, 39

Bruhnke, Doug, 59

Gottfurcht, Jeff, 14

Long, Stephanie, 32

Stallings, Wendi, 15

Butler, Jen, 38

Gurudanti, Shruti, 52

Mesbah Ibrahim, 18

Stenson, Eric, 48

Butler, Tyler, 52

Hall, Derrick, 9, 27

O’Neil, Scott, 39

Tollefson, Richard, 56

Cannon, Cole S., 37

Hanover, Greg, 22

Oprya, Natali, 61

Turner, Samantha, 35

Collins, Christopher, 30

Hart, Elizabeth, 10

Poe, Mike, 33

Weber, Bruce, 53

Condon, Todd, 15

Jackman, Meagan, 10

xReed, Karin, 54

Wells, Kate, 28

Dicks, Kent, 20

Karam, Alex, 50

Ronneseth, Andreas, 18

Wilcox, Susan, 58

11Eleven Consulting, 52

Desert Financial Credit Union, 17

Nemesis Club, The, 31

RevolutionParts, 18

Adler Public Relations, 12

Dietrich Partners, 13

Octane Raceway, 36

Snell & Wilmer, 67

Arizona Commerce Authority, 2, 68

Divvy, 6

OH Partners, 10

Soda Jerk, 31

Arizona Community Foundation, 7

eVisit, 20

Stearns Bank, 8

Arizona Diamondbacks, 9, 27

Express Global Employment, 61

Ohio State University Fisher College of Business, 13

Arizona Manufacturing Extension Partnership, 68

George Oliver, 16

ASU, 19 Axon, 10 Ballard Spahr, 12 Ballet Arizona, 35 Banyan Residential, 15 Becky, 12 Boss Security Screens, 12 Cake, 51 Cannon Beach, 37 Center for Meeting Effectiveness, The, 54

Global Chamber, 59 Guidant Law Firm, 50 Harkins Theatres, 26 Herb Box, The, 58 Hot Air Expeditions, 32

OptumCare, 5 Paragon Development Group, 15 Phoenix Philanthropy Group, The, 56 Private Label International, 15 Quarles & Brady, 19 Quintero Golf Club, 32

Jaguar, 57

Stenson Tammadon, 48 Televëda, 52 UnitedHealthcare, 3 University of Utah, 54 Weber Group, 53 WESTMARC, 49

CHECK US OUT

JB Partners, 38 Jive, 8 Kiterocket, 21 Landsea Homes, 15 LGE Design Build, 16

Children’s Museum of Phoenix, 28

Life365, 20

Common Ground Culinary, 30

Liveops, 22

Coppersmith Brockelman, 12

Lovitt & Touché, 10

COVID Verified, 57

MadeMay, 14

Cox Communication, 22

Mavrix, 36

Cyber Dive, 14

NB Pure, 11

In each issue of In Business Magazine, we list both companies and indivuduals for quick reference. See the stories for links to more.

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65 JUNE 2021 INBUSINESSPHX.COM

A CANDID FORUM

Second Chance Hiring Can Transform Business Underutilized labor pool may contribute surprising benefit to businesses by Jeff Korzenik

Jeff Korzenik is chief investment strategist of one of the nation’s largest commercial banks and the author of Untapped Talent: How Second Chance Hiring Works for Your Business and the Community (HarperCollins Leadership, April 2021).

JUNE 2021

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

As businesses emerge from the setbacks of the pandemic, they are increasingly challenged to find the workforce they need to grow. Much of this is demographic. Many older workers have permanently left the workforce, joining a march of retiring baby boomers that will average 10,000 retirees each day over much of the next decade. The millennials, largely already in the workforce, have not been followed by another age wave of workers since birth rates have been declining since 1990 and hitting a record low in 2020. Declining fertility is a global phenomenon, so even immigration is an incomplete solution. The answer and key to our ability to prosper is for businesses to “dig deeper” into our population, supporting those who have been sidelined from the labor market. This is second chance hiring, employing some of the 19 million Americans who have felony convictions, a significant barrier to full participation in the economy. Corporate leaders, like the new Second Chance Business Coalition led by JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon and Craig Arnold, the CEO of Eaton, are spurring change. Fortunately, in pockets across the country, small and mid-sized businesses have already developed models of success that larger firms can emulate, which is the subject of my book, Untapped Talent: How Second Chance Hiring Works for Your Business and the Community (HarperCollins Leadership, April 2021). The experience of the second chance employers I have studied is, their businesses benefit even beyond the acquisition of loyal and engaged workers. I often cite the example of JBM Packaging, a second-generation Ohio company with 150 employees, more than 20% with criminal records hired through the company’s “Fair Chance” program. Extracts from the Epilogue of Chapter Six: Case Study – JBM Packaging JBM sought to solve a labor shortage. In finding the solution, the business transformed the lives of those in its Fair Chance Program, transformed the legacy employees and, most surprising, transformed JBM itself. That people with records who are given the chance to succeed can do so is the inspirational outcome of every true second chance company I have studied. What struck me about JBM is the way its program also changed the lives of employees. Ashley Caudill (the company HR recruiter) observed that the long-time employees who had been most resistant have

become the most accepting, complimenting the “fair chancers” (a classification not encouraged by management, but used on the plant floor) for their old-school work ethic, “They work harder than anyone.” Some employees have referred family members and neighbors into the program … For Marcus Sheanshang, JBM’s CEO, the Fair Chance Program changed his entire vision for the company: “As we learned, it really did change who we are. This was a revolution, not an evolution.” The company changed its name from JBM Envelope to JBM Packaging with a broader view of its business and what the company represents. In Sheanshang’s words, “We are certainly a packaging business, but we are more than that.” Most telling is the change of vision from “Dominate targeted small, open-end envelope markets” to “Be the role model for a profitable, purpose-driven company.” Fair chance is now an intrinsic part of a purpose-driven company. Coupled with the new vision was a statement of purpose: “Better Solutions, Better Lives, Better World.” The change in the company’s purpose flips the narrative with JBM’s sales team. Where once the point was to sell more product, tied to the mission of dominating the envelope market, now Sheanshang tells his sales group, “You have to sell a lot so we can transform more lives.” The statement of purpose has focused the company on new solutions using its expertise and experience in dealing with mechanized paper-folding techniques. The company is increasingly growing its packaging business using glassine and other paper-based materials, part of the plastic-to-paper transition that is reducing plastic use worldwide. To highlight the biodegradable nature of its packaging solutions, the company trademarked the phrase, “We create packaging products with their death in mind.” JBM proudly shares its Fair Chance Program with prospective customers as part of the fulfillment of its purpose. Says Sheanshang, “I want our people out there talking about this.” Linking the statements of Vision and Purpose are the six Core Values of the company. Like other companies, JBM sought to enumerate the bedrock principles to which the company should aspire, through a statement of “core values.” Among the six that JBM chose is “Grit,” a descriptor applied to second chance hires repeatedly in my research. Sheanshang agrees and reminds his fair chance hires that they model this value for the entire company.

JBM sought to solve a labor shortage. Its solution — adopting a program of second chance hiring, employing some of the 19 million Americans who have felony convictions — transformed the lives of those in its Fair Chance Program, transformed the legacy employees and, most surprising, transformed JBM itself.

Huge teams. Hidden costs. Everything on the meter. Sorry, that’s just not us. Our clients hire us to understand who they are and what they want, whether that’s leaner teams, transparent budgets or alternative fee arrangements. We continually monitor and evaluate their needs, anticipating the value they demand – delivered the way they want it. Find out more at swlaw.com.

“Arizona MEP was very creative, looked at the individual opportunities and challenges, and supported what we needed to tackle the challenge and grow. They do it in a personal, creative, and helpful way.” Sherri Barry, Co-Founder, FABRIC

With decades of leadership, manufacturing and business expertise, the Arizona Commerce Authority’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership (Arizona MEP) helps small- and medium-sized manufacturers achieve their goals. This past year, Arizona MEP provided critical expertise to FABRIC in response to the impacts of COVID-19. The program enabled Tempe-based FABRIC to set up four socially distanced production lines, recruit more than 60 team members and pivot operations to produce more than 200,000 FDA-approved, reusable hospital gowns statewide.

Arizona’s manufacturers can leverage Arizona MEP’s programs to continue recovering. From responding to workforce and supply chain disruptions to making operational shifts to support the manufacturing of PPE and critical supplies, the Arizona MEP Emergency Assistance Program provides subsidized services to help manufacturers return stronger for the future. Applications for this one-time, CARES Act-supported program are open until late Spring 2021 and offered on a first come, first served basis.

Learn more about Arizona MEP and the Emergency Assistance Program azcommerce.com/programs/arizona-mep | 602-845-1256

June 2021 issue of In Business Magazine

Articles inside

Assets

Roundtable

Nonprofit

En Negocios

Virtual Meetings – Beyond the Camera

Economy

Connections Are Business Capital

Legal

Books

Technology

By the Numbers

Guest Editor

CRE

Briefs

Feedback

Healthcare

From the Top

Startups