December 2021 Issue of In Business Magazine

DEC. 2021

Controversy and Must-Have Conversations – the Employer’s Challenge

21

Top Leaders Our list of Valley Leaders who are making a real difference!

Thrive in a Digital Future Renewable Energy End-of-Life Planning Managing Remote Workers

$7.95 INBUSINESSPHX.COM

THIS ISSUE Annual Top Leaders Issue

Innovative leaders move Arizona forward.

azcommerce.com

Helping Arizona’s businesses grow and prosper

Congratulations to the In Business 21 Top Leaders Truly Making a Difference in Greater Phoenix.

The achievements of strong, future-forward and resilient leaders play a critical role in Arizona’s booming economy. With collaborative and innovative spirits, these trailblazers are inspiring success across the state. Cuttingedge companies are launching, testing and scaling in Arizona. And our culture of innovation and highly skilled talent pool are providing a strong platform for business growth. The ACA is proud of all the outstanding leaders making a difference in Arizona, helping to create the perfect balance of business innovation and high-quality living that makes life better here.

DECEMBER 2021

14

Startups

“State Forty Eight Builds Community around T-Shirt” and “Supurb Technology Innovates Cannabis Delivery”

15

By the Numbers

“Hybrid Work: Fad or Future?” and “Identity Authentication Causes Consumer Frustration”

17

COVER STORY Banks & Credit Unions

MAGAZINE

NOV. 2021

IN BUSINESS

Profiles in Excelle nce: Community

TECHNOLOGY

Technology is driving our econom y– where do you fit in?

NOVEMBER

This Month’s

2021

Eric Miller

Guest Editor

• INBUSINESSPHX

Principal and Co-Owner PADT

.COM

THIS ISSUE

National Association of Women Business Owners – Phoenix

Housing: Our Ongoing Issue Prepare NOW for the Next Global Crisis Electric Vehicle s Charging Our

26

21 Top Leaders

As In Business Magazine shines a spotlight on the necessity for empowered leadership, 21 top leaders chime in on what leadership has brought for them and to our Metro Phoenix business community.

Economy

$7.95 INBUSINESSPH

X.COM

DON’T MISS OUT!

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

FEATURE

50

4 Skills Everyone Needs to Thrive in a Digital Future

Lee Lazarus and Janine Kurnoff examine the ways that mainstream consumer adoption of digital technologies has given rise to a fourth industrial revolution.

58

Performance Management Techniques for Managing Remote Workers

Local business consultant John Waters discusses practices employers should be following to help ensure employees are performing at optimum levels.

GUEST COLUMNISTS

56

Donate First, Trash Second – Muscular Moving Men & Storage to the Rescue This month spotlighting Muscular Moving Men & Storage and M3 Junk Removal, Tyler Butler’s series explores the myriad ways businesses give back and the positive ways their programs impact our community.

59

Are We ‘Hear’ for Each Other?

Don Henninger taps into his deep knowledge of our business community to share his perspective on important issues in his ongoing Metro feature.

DEC. 2021

4

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

60

Time to Shine a Light on Renewable Energy Endof-Life Planning

Attorney James Voyles shares the insights behind Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie’s pioneering approach to this issue facing the renewable energy industry.

DEPARTMENTS

9

Guest Editor

Rick McCartney, publisher of In Business Magazine, introduces the “Leadership” issue.

10

Feedback

Simon Beltran, Lorry Bottrill and Charles Eckert respond to In Business Magazine’s burning business question of the month.

11

Briefs

“Holiday Season Retail: Shoppers Will Make Up for Lost Time,” “Splitting the Homebuyer/Agent Commission,” “Dailies Top Stories,” “New Franchise Brings Personalized Fitness to the Differently Abled,” “Colorado Fast-Casual Expands into Phoenix for Its First Franchise Foray,” “Migration and the Pandemic – 1-800-JUNKPRO Sees Growth,” “Hiring the Right Fit Right Away” and “Local Standouts Recognized for Achievements and Philanthropy”

CRE

“Landscape Trends in COVID-Era Residential Development,” “Multifamily Development in Downtown Phoenix,” “New Peoria Self-Storage Facility,” “Industrial Project in Booming Chandler Airport Submarket,” “Tri Pointe Homes Adding New Homes in Three Metro Phoenix Communities” and “Toyota Financial Services Center Opens with Regional Design and LEED Cert”

20

From the Top

Sean Zimmerman builds on team collaboration as a growth strategy in launching Launch Real Estate.

22

Healthcare

“Health Insurance for the Gig Economy” and “Healthcare Model Integrates Mental Health Care”

24

Technology

“GitKraken Gains Git Strength, Adding GitLens and GitLens’ Creator” and “ Text Marketing 101”

51

Books

New releases give fresh insights on business thinking.

52

En Negocios

Feature articles in Spanish and English on Liderazgo / Leadership

54

Economy

Attorney D. Lamar Hawkins discusses ways for businesses to avoid bankruptcy amid the challenges of inflation and supply chain delays.

55

Legal

Attorney Daniel Arana examines key considerations for U.S./Mexico cross-border business transactions.

62

Nonprofit

Looking at the future of philanthropy, next-gen leaders speak out on philanthropy, governance and social change.

63

Assets

2022 Lamborghini Urus Graphite Capsule Plus: Local restaurants offer holiday season gift-card deals.

64

Power Lunch

Streets of New York – Italy in the Neighborhood

66

Roundtable

Eric Yaverbaum examines ways for employers to approach communication around the controversial topic of COVID vaccinations.

Room for Improvement Arizona’s highway system ranks 29th in the nation in overall cost-effectiveness and condition, according to the “Annual Highway Report” published in November by Reason Foundation, which ranks every state’s highway system in 13 categories. Arizona dropped six spots from last year. reason.org/policy-study/26th-annual-highway-report

Dec. 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 Rosaria Cain, 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

6

DEC. 2021

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

Doctors Plan of Arizona: Your new health plan experience In collaboration with Banner Health Network, Doctors Plan of Arizona is designed to provide a better health care experience for you and your employees. With lower out-of-pocket costs1 and an integrated approach to care designed for better outcomes, this health plan helps your employees and their families access a broad network with over 4,200 providers2 to choose from — right where they live, work and play.

Learn more

Call your broker or visit uhc.com/dpaz

1

Savings based on lower premiums for Doctors Plan compared to standard Choice Plus plans at the same deductible and coinsurance level as of 7/1/2020. This policy has exclusions, limitations and terms under which the policy may be continued in force or discontinued.

For costs and complete details of the coverage, contact your broker or UnitedHealthcare sales representative.

2

UnitedHealth Network Access internal analysis, June 2020.

3

Additional copays, deductibles or coinsurance may apply when you receive other services — such as surgery and lab work.

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

0 copays

$

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

Dec. 2021

Simplified banking in a complex world.

Explore BusinessSmart™ accounts.

Visit StearnsBank.com /Phoenix Member FDIC | Equal Housing Lender

VOL. 12, NO. 12

Publisher Rick McCartney Editor RaeAnne Marsh

En Negocios Editor Edgar Rafael Olivo

Graphic Design Benjamin Little

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Daniel Arana Tyler Butler Mike Davis Jonathan Ghiz Lorrie Glaeser D. Lamar Hawkins Don Henninger Mike Hunter Janine Kurnoff Lee Lazarus Clate Mask Johnwick Nathan Donovan Neale-May Fran Poloni Erica Shipione Richard Tollefson Ryan Trudell James Voyles John Waters Demetrius Warren Eric Yaverbaum Sean Zimmerman ADVERTISING

Operations Louise Ferrari

Business Development Louise Ferrari Cami Shore

Events Amy Corben

More: Visit your one-stop resource for everything business at inbusinessphx.com. For a full monthly calendar of business-related events, please visit our website.

Inform Us: Send press releases and your editorial ideas to editor@inbusinessphx.com

President & CEO Rick McCartney

Editorial Director RaeAnne Marsh

Financial Manager Tom Beyer

Office Manager Allie Schimmel

Accounting Manager Todd Juhl

Corporate Office InMedia Company

45 W. Jefferson Street Phoenix, AZ 85003 T: (480) 588-9505

info@inmediacompany.com

www.inmediacompany.com Vol. 12, No. 12 In Business Magazine is published 12 times per year by InMedia Company. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to InMedia Company, 45 W. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, AZ 85003. To subscribe to In Business Magazine, please send check or money order for one-year subscription of $24.95 to InMedia Company, 45 W. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, AZ 85003 or visit inbusinessphx.com. We appreciate your editorial submissions, news and photos for review by our editorial staff. You may send to editor@inbusinessmag.com or mail to the address above. All letters sent to In Business Magazine will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication, copyright purposes and use in any publication, website or brochure. InMedia accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or other artwork. Submissions will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. InMedia Company, LLC reserves the right to refuse certain advertising and is not liable for advertisers’ claims and/or errors. The opinions expressed herein are exclusively those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the position of InMedia.

InMedia Company considers its sources reliable and verifies as much data as possible, although reporting inaccuracies can occur; consequently, readers using this information do so at their own risk. Each business opportunity and/ or investment inherently contains certain risks, and it is suggested that the prospective investors consult their attorney and/or financial professional. ©2021 InMedia Company, LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission by any means without written permission by the publisher.

8

DEC. 2021

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

A New Leadership

Rick McCartney is president and CEO of InMedia Company, a media technology company, and is responsible for producing many local, regional and national brands and media products. He is the publisher of In Business Magazine, which has been publishing in the Greater Phoenix area since 2011. In 2022, In Business Magazine will be expanding into both Denver and Austin, Texas, with new editions.

McCartney is a member of several nonprofit boards and is involved with local and national organizations — all focused on economic development, children’s education and equity issues.

Arizona in general and Metro Phoenix are among the hottest growth spots in the country. Numerous factors are touted to explain this, but certainly notable is the exceptional business leadership that characterizes our business community. So we have a responsibility…

Over the past several years we have looked at redefining leadership to be more inclusive, conscious about opportunity for all and more diverse. True leaders — and certainly the ones we chose for our 2021 Top Leaders cover story — already exemplify these traits. While many of us have made changes to lead and be even more effective, there is no doubt 2021 added to the challenge. Each of our 21 Top Leaders has been tested and each has had to overcome obstacles, with several surprised to find even greater success. We were clear that their stories and sharing of their experience were important because that placed a spotlight on the necessity for empowered leadership and what we, as a business community, need to grow business and Arizona.

In our cover story this month, we interviewed 21 top leaders and asked the tough questions. We asked them to be vulnerable and chime in on what leadership has brought for them and to our business community. They spoke up about responsibility, accountability, fairness, truth and so much more. Overall, it is clear that these leaders are part of what makes us great!

In this month’s feature article “4 Skills Everyone Needs to Thrive in a Digital Future,” Lee Lazarus and Janine Kurnoff take the next step and discuss how businesses can use data gathered through AI and machine learning to have connected, one-on-one relationships with customers for an insights-driven approach that, ultimately, strengthens business as people-centric.

We also look at relationships within the company, as Charles Eckert discusses performance management techniques as we move to a more remote work environment.

Communication is basic to every interaction. All too often, people think that communication is just what they say, and, while honing the messaging is vital, that’s only part of it — for anyone who wants to be understood. This month’s Roundtable goes beyond simple communication and interaction and looks at the special circumstance of health and the especially sensitive topic of vaccination. This is even more crucial since many people are skeptical and distrusting of the medical field (especially marginalized groups who have had negative experiences).

Discussing another of today’s hot topics, Daniel Arana looks at U.S./Mexico Cross-Border Business Transactions in his Legal feature this month.

As in every monthly edition of In Business Magazine, this December edition is filled with content over a varied range, from consumers’ frustration with identity authentication measures and issues related to reopening offices from pandemic closures to new franchise activity in our community.

And, as we have entered the end-of-year holiday season, the staff at In Business Magazine wishes all our readers a joyful season and a happy new year.

Story Ideas/PR: editor@ inbusinessphx.com

Rick McCartney Publisher, In Business Magazine President & CEO, InMedia Company

Unions & Credit nity Banks

DON’T MISS OUT!

Commu

MAGAZINE

NOV. 2021

IN BUSINESS

y– our econom is driving you fit in?

Technology where do

TECHNOLOGY

Our

Housing: Issue Ongoing

the

NOW for Prepare Global Crisis Next

This Month’s

Guest Editor

r Eric Miller and Co-Owne

NOVEMBER

Principal PADT

2021 • INBUSINESSPHX.C

ISSUE

OM

Photo courtesy of

Editor’s note: Our 21 Top Leaders were chosen by our editorial staff because of their clear commitment to leadership; their tangible achievements to empower our local business community; and their proven efforts to make change for Valley workforce, policy and philanthropy in the Valley.

nce: in Excelle

THIS of Women Association National Owners – Phoenix Business

Electric Charging

Vehicles

Our Economy

$7.95

COM INBUSINESSPHX.

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

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.

CONNECT WITH US:

Sincerely,

Profiles

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.

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

Business Events/ Connections: businessevents@ inbusinessphx.com Marketing/Exposure: advertise@ inbusinessphx.com Visit us online at www.inbusinessphx.com

9

DEC. 2021

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

SPEAKING OUT

What economic trends do you expect will impact your business in 2022?

Editor’s Note: This question generated response also from:

EMIL J. MOLIN President and Owner Cove Mesa Vineyard, LLC

JENNIFER REYNOLDS Principal Ideation Design Group Please visit December’s Feedback entry on our website to learn these businesses’ strategies and experience.

SIMON BELTRAN

LORRY BOTTRILL

CHARLES ECKERT

President and Chief Revenue Officer O’Neil Printing Sector: Business Services

Chief Executive Officer Mercy Care Sector: Healthcare

Supply chain challenges will continue to impact our business and the clients we serve. From raw material availability and associated inflation to the impact on timing from logistics providers, we will continue to see the effects on our client programs. We are doing everything possible to communicate early and often with our vendor partners and clients.

Our operations and procurement teams are closely managing our inventories of paper, ink, plates and packaging supplies. Our on-hand inventories are certainly higher than in years past to help us deliver quickly on client expectations.

We have proven that much of the impact of supply chain stress can be overcome with proactive decision making, better planning, and risk management.

As with all sectors, the pandemic has had an impact on the workforce in the healthcare industry. Workforce opportunities will continue to impact the healthcare industry in 2022. Mercy Care is in the process of developing a Workforce Development Task Force to help address the situation. This task force will include participation from providers, so we can hear from them directly. The task force will be focused on developing additional effective workforce recruitment and retention strategies, to create a strong pipeline of workers throughout the healthcare continuum. Our plan is for this pipeline to include physical health and behavioral health workforce opportunities.

As with all projects of this scope, the most important thing we can do in this early stage is to listen, and that’s what we’re doing. We’ve had many conversations with multiple providers in recent weeks and months to further understand the situation. Solutions will require innovation, flexibility and collaboration to ensure continuity of quality care for patients, and an environment that supports those delivering that care.

Principal and Managing Director Red Hawk Garage Suites by Red Hawk Development Corporation Sector: Real Estate

O’Neil Printing oneilprint.com

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.

DEC. 2021

10

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

Simon Beltran is a recognized business and thought leader with more than 12 years of executive level history, excelling in leadership within the distribution, manufacturing, e-commerce, physical and digital communication marketplace. In his role as president and CRO of O’Neil Printing, Beltran oversees all aspects of the technology and revenue organizations, including sales, marketing, product, technology solutions and client experience to ensure clients benefit across a full spectrum of technology-driven solutions, excellence in print and fulfillment services, and marketing supply chain expertise.

Mercy Care mercycareaz.org Lorry Bottrill, CPA, is chief executive officer of Mercy Care. In addition, Bottrill serves on the board of directors for the Desert Southwest Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Foundation for Senior Living and Health Current, which is Arizona’s electronic health information exchange. She also leads the Home Matters Governance Fund in Arizona and is vice president of the Arizona Health Plan Association.

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

Inflation is a nasty bug. Call it the coming pandemic of 2022. However, real estate, like other hard assets, is often an inflation hedge provided demand does not dry up — and demand for all things real estate in Arizona is increasing, not diminishing.

For new construction, and as business owners generally, our inflation challenge is to determine where to price our products to preserve a sufficient profit margin without destroying our business’s value proposition. For new construction specifically, given the opaque and volatile nature of construction cost fluctuations, the pricing model is even more difficult to discern.

However, Red Hawk’s Garage Suites is a market niche and, as such, our value proposition covers more than a storage solution: It is a lifestyle choice and a commercial real estate investment as much as it is a place to store your “stuff.” While we have seen some fallout because of market uncertainty generally, we continue to experience strong demand because of our multidimensional value proposition.

Red Hawk Garage Suites redhawkgaragesuites.com An accomplished real estate developer operating principally in north Phoenix/Deer Valley, Red Hawk Development offers services in land acquisition, site planning, zoning and entitlements and offsite, onsite and vertical development, and brokerage. Charles Eckert has developed 16 successful projects in Arizona with a market value of $50 million.

Eckert’s past roles include VP at Marcus & Millichap and Colliers International, senior positions at Oracle & MCI, and founder of Southern Capital Mortgage.

QUICK AND TO THE POINT

DAILIES TOP STORIES

‘In Business Dailies’ Most Views Last 30 Days Here are the stories with the most views over the past 30 days (prior to press time) that were features in our In Business Dailies. The In Business Dailies hit email inboxes

Holiday Season Retail: Shoppers Will Make Up for Lost Time JLL recently surveyed U.S. consumers to find out how they intended to shop for the holiday season … and the news is good for the retail sector.

Shoppers plan to spend 25.4% more this holiday season than in 2020. That’s a rise from an average $694 per person last year to an average $870 per person this year — getting us back to almost pre-pandemic levels.

Phoenix’s comparatively lighter COVID restrictions already had helped push our market further along the recovery trajectory than some other major metros. As we approach the holidays, the local retail sector can look forward to an additional boost, as 58% of shoppers plan to visit stores or conduct some form of shopping that involves a physical store. That includes 34% who plan to buy online but pick up in store, and 22.6% who will use curbside pick-up.

The top five retailers on shoppers’ list this year: Amazon, Walmart, Target, Macy’s and Kohl’s.

Pent-up demand has also accelerated “revenge shopping” — where consumers make

up for lost time with increased spending and “self-gifts” that they buy for themselves along with the gifts they buy for others. According to our report, more than 70% of shoppers plan to self-gift this year, particularly with shoes and clothing that they need to support a return to the workplace.

Still, a top priority for holiday shoppers is saving money. Buyers will be paying close attention to the affordability of the goods they’re purchasing at mass merchandisers, online and in department stores.

JLL’s one caution: inventory. With the supply chain still facing pandemic-related challenges, there is an increased chance of inventory shortages and shipping delays — especially for the roughly 4% of survey responders who said they would wait until the week before Christmas to begin their shopping. The best way for shoppers to shop for success: start early! And this may be a phenomenon for retailers to keep in mind.

—John Reva, vice president at JLL (www.us.jll.com/en)

Splitting the Homebuyer/ Agent Commission Homie, a disruptive real estate technology company changing the way homes are bought and sold, recently implemented a 50/50 program that offers buyers an opportunity to get a rebate of up to 50% of the offered buyer agent commission when also using other Homie affiliated services such as Homie Loans, Homie Title and Homie Insurance.

“Our goal at Homie is to change the way homes are bought and sold by cutting high fees and commissions,” says Johnny Hanna, co-founder and CEO of Homie, whose company has reported tremendous growth locally since entering the Phoenix market in 2018. “Today’s

market is more challenging than ever for buyers and we want to help ease that process. 50/50 allows buyers to get their dream home while keeping up to 50% of the commission.” These savings can be used toward closing costs or to make a higher offer to win the home.

Homie Loans also recently launched its Homie CashTM program that allows buyers to make cash offers to drastically increase their chances of winning the perfect home. The 50/50 and Homie CashTM programs give buyers the opportunity to land the house they want and save on commission while doing it.

—Mike Hunter

twice each weekday — at 9:30 a.m. and updated at 4:30 p.m.

Sign up today at www.inbusinessphx.com/dailies-signup Economy & Trends | Cover Story | November 2021

Is Every Company a Tech Company?

Technology is driving the economy – where do you fit in?

by RaeAnne Marsh Technology is indisputably an economic driver as a sector. Is it also a driver of successful growth in other sectors?

“The technology industry is critical to economic growth in any community today because it not only produces high-wage jobs, but also supports many other industries,” says Eric Miller, principal and co-owner of Phoenix Analysis & Design Technologies.

Economy & Trends | Feature | November 2021

Electric Vehicles Are Hot for Arizona

Showrooms and manufacturing facilities strengthen the industry here

by RaeAnne Marsh There was a time when going to the mall meant shopping for clothes and home knick-knacks – offering a lot of choices thanks to there being a number of stores conveniently in one place. Now, it can mean shopping for one of an individual’s biggest purchases: a car.

Economy & Trends | inbusinessphx.com | October 29 2021

Has the Government Created a Housing Crisis by Penalizing Fannie Mae? inbusinessPHX.com

There has been much discussion about the inflated housing market in recent months. But what about the continuing problems of high rent and low-income earners who need government assistance to find shelter?

Government & Compliance | inbusinessphx.com | October 25 2021

Governor Ducey Announces $3.5 Million to Assist Arizonans, Small Businesses State of Arizona Office of the Governor Governor Doug Ducey today announced $3,575,000 to support programs that help Arizonans and small businesses recover financially from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Homie homie.com

To cope with inventory shortages, 58% of retailers plan to raise prices; one-third plan to increase prices by 40% or more; 53% of small business owners anticipate inventory shortages through the 2021 holiday shopping season. digital.com/global-supply-chain-delays-will-impact-1-in-2-small-retail-businesses-this-holiday-season

11

DEC. 2021

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

New Franchise Brings Personalized Fitness to Differently Abled A new fitness franchise recently opened its doors in the West Valley, bringing the latest scientific approach to fitness to individuals with physical and mental challenges, including those diagnosed with conditions like autism, cerebral palsy, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis and muscular dystrophy.

The Special Strong franchise is growing rapidly, demonstrating the emerging business trend toward targeted fitness training for special populations generally overlooked and underserved, which is part of what made this franchise opportunity attractive to us. Also, we believe that Special Strong outshines the competition in that the company provides a robust training experience and certification for new owners.

We are proud to bring Adaptive Fitness and Strength Training to the health and fitness industry. Having received a warm welcome from both the community and local gyms that are partnering with us and our clients, it confirms for us that we’re bringing a needed service. Likewise, existing gym members are intrigued and excited about the training services we provide.

They are encouraging to us and our clients, and glad to be supporting a facility that embraces the inclusivity of those with adaptive needs.

As health and fitness is important to everyone, we had no reservations that our fitness program would significantly benefit those individuals currently not being served by the existing health and fitness industry. In the short time leading to our grand opening, our clients already training with us have become more confident in their abilities and comfortable in a gym environment.

Special Strong clients are overcoming their challenges, striving to become healthier and stronger all while, simultaneously, being an encouragement to others.

Overall, it seems there are limited opportunities for fitness and health by certified personal trainers for those with adaptive needs. Special Strong provides what has been missing to individuals with physical, mental and cognitive challenges — a holistic approach for a more independent and abundant life.

—Fran Poloni, co-owner with wife Jayde of the new West Valley franchise of Special Strong (www.specialstrong.com/west-valley-az)

Mici Handcrafted Italian, a family-owned, fast-casual concept based in Denver, has expanded into Phoenix with its first franchise

DEC. 2021

12

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

deal — which will be Mici’s first locations outside Colorado. Founded in 2004 by siblings Jeff, Kim and Michael Miceli, the brand has positioned itself for growth since bringing on CEO Elliot Schiffer in 2017.

To lead Mici’s expansion and growth trajectory, the team welcomes industry leader, Matt Stanton, who will join the business as partner and chief growth officer. Stanton, who was an early investor in Mici, is moving on from his role at WellBiz Brands, where he has been chief development officer since 2017. Of the Miceli’s and Schiffer, Stanton says, “While this team is highly talented, what really sets us apart are our shared values about doing good for our customers, employees and franchisees.

I’m certain that this combination of business competence and family values will make the brand a success as we grow nationwide.”

The newest of such exciting growth plans include Mici’s first official franchise deal — a 30unit agreement in Phoenix. The deal’s principals

Special Strong West Valley AZ is a family-operated business, a husband-andwife team with a background in volunteer and vocational work with adults, teens and children with unique difficulties. specialstrong.com/west-valley-az

are Lucas Farnham and David Doty. Farnham, a longtime operator of Black Bear Diner and Smashburger franchises, will move to Scottsdale with his family and will spearhead the Phoenix developments. Doty, also a former Black Bear Diner and Smashburger franchisee, has been on Mici’s board of directors since Schiffer joined as CEO in 2017.

Of the Phoenix deal, Doty says, “My association and involvement in the brand since partnering with Elliot and the Miceli family in 2017 fueled my desire to get back into the operations side of the business. With my experience in the Phoenix market and longtime connection with Lucas, it just seemed like a no brainer.”

Mici’s menu features generations-old Italian recipes from sibling founders Jeff, Michael and Kim Miceli. Mici’s pastas, handcrafted pizzas, salads and gelato are available for dine-in, carryout, catering and delivery. —Mike Hunter Mici Handcrafted Italian miciitalian.com

Photos courtesy of Special Strong (top), Mici Handcrafted Italian (bottom)

Colorado Fast-Casual Expands into Phoenix for Its First Franchise Foray

Migration and the Pandemic – 1-800-JUNKPRO Sees Growth An emerging franchise brand, 1-800-JUNKPRO identified Phoenix for its plans to develop and expand into Arizona after the market was recently voted one of the top 10 best places to live after the COVID-19 pandemic.

The junk removal and dumpster rental company has four locations available in the metro and surrounding areas and has reported a 16% average increase in same-store revenue during the pandemic.

The attractive thing about our business model is that every market in the country needs it. Our customers are mainly homeowners, and we are here to literally take the load off families as they navigate stressful situations like moving, renovating or simply a deep fall cleaning. All of these things take time and an unbelievable amount of energy, so we are here to make things easier.

The locations do require a brick-and-mortar presence, but not an expensive buildout. When the business first launches, each location will bring four to 10 jobs to the Phoenix community; after a two-week training period, a location can open in about 90 days. The typical initial investment ranges from $78,750 to $247,500. It requires minimum liquid capital of $50,000 and a net worth of $200,000.

The Midwest, Southern and Southeastern locations of our Wichita, Kansas-based company have done extremely well, so we are excited to take our footprint further west in Arizona.

—Mike Davis, president and CEO of 1-800-JUNKPRO (1-800-junkpro.com), which was initially founded as Better Hauling Company in 1999 by husband-and-wife team Mike and Misty Davis as a way to earn some extra money and rebranded in 2007 in response to its success and then selling its first franchise in 2016

Hiring the Right Fit Right Away What a difference a year makes. During the pandemic, many people lost their jobs, but a tight labor market in 2021 is making it hard for employers to find top talent.

There is a need for niche recruiters in fields such as finance, IT, engineering and construction, driven by the explosive growth these industries are experiencing in Phoenix. According to November 2021 data from Specialized Recruiting Group of Central Phoenix, there are 7,351 finance and accounting jobs, 4,800 construction jobs, 5,100 IT positions and 2,700 engineering jobs open in the city.

With the sheer number of specialized jobs available, internal HR specialists or standard recruiters are overwhelmed trying to find the right candidates. Recruiters who know these industries intimately, understand the needs of front line managers and use their extensive network of passive candidates are positioned to deliver ideal matches.

According to Gallup, the cost of replacing an employee can range from one-half to two times the employee’s annual salary, not to mention the effects high turnover has on the culture of an organization. With so much hinging on hiring correctly the first time around, outsourcing the recruiting process to an organization like SRG, which is dedicated to making matches that

result in happy client and a happy candidate is imperative, especially during the current tight labor conditions.

Specialized Recruiting Group (SRG) of Central Phoenix is a professional and executive search firm helping companies find specialized employees in finance, IT, engineering and construction.

Named one of Forbes’ top recruiting firms, SRG, part of the Express Employment Professional company, puts the focus on relationship building with candidates and clients.

“We like to meet face-to-face with clients when possible, to not only learn about their needs, but also to get a feel for their work environment,” said Demetrius Warren, Managing Director of SRG. “Cultural fit with a candidate is crucial for a happy match for both the employer and the employee.”

Once SRG identifies a prospective candidate they spend time getting to know the person, understand their experience and skills and learn what kind of work environment and opportunity they are seeking.

—Demetrius Warren, managing director for the new Phoenix Specialized Recruiting Group (expresspros.com/ PhoenixCentralAZsrg) of Express Employment Professionals (expresspros.com/phoenix), which is expanding in the Greater Phoenix area

LOOKING GOOD

Local Standouts Recognized for Achievements and Philanthropy ACHIEVEMENTS

Delta Dental Recognized for Customer Service Excellence Delta Dental of Arizona recently picked up its sixth (in consecutive years) Center of Excellence certification from BenchmarkPortal. The Center of Excellence recognition is one of the most prestigious awards in the customer service and support industry, demonstrating Delta Dental’s dedication to providing superior customer care. Delta Dental of Arizona has worked for nearly 50 years to improve oral health by emphasizing preventive care and making dental coverage accessible to a wide variety of employers, groups and individuals. deltadentalaz.com

PHILANTHROPY

FirstBank and Phoenix Mercury Award $5,000 Scholarship FirstBank, one of the nation’s largest privately held banks with a focus on “banking for good,” recently presented a $5,000 check to local high school graduate Dei’Jonae Moore to assist with college expenses.

Moore, a graduate of Mesa High School and a two-time East Valley Defensive Basketball Player of the Year, is preparing for the start of her academic career at Scottsdale Community College. “Students can learn so much about teamwork and other important life skills by participating in student athletics, and it’s great to see students like Dei’Jonae excel in both sports and school,” said Sophie Cunningham, Phoenix Mercury guard. efirstbank.com

Silver Lining Wealth Advisors Personalizes Its Charitable Donations Donating more than $30,000 to Valley charities this fall, Silver Lining Wealth Advisors, a private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC. in Scottsdale, allowed each member of its team individually to choose a nonprofit organization to donate to that resonates with their unique passions, giving them the ability to impact the community in their own personal way. The generous donations were distributed among The Pet Knot, The Tommy Nuñez Foundation, Hospice of the Valley, St. Mary’s Food Bank, Clearwater Free Clinic, Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome Association, Fresh Start Women’s Foundation, Wounded Warrior Project, Phoenix Children’s Hospital and Bosom Buddies. This is the company’s second year personalizing donations to charities throughout Arizona. silverliningwealth.com

Two Phoenix-area cities crack the top 50 boomtowns nationwide on the road to recovery from the economic fallout due to COVID-19, and Phoenix finishes in the top 100, ranking 77th overall in a recent study by SmartAsset. At numbers 7 and 42, respectively, Tempe and Mesa rank in the top 20% for four metrics: population growth, GDP growth, growth in the number of local businesses and household income growth. smartasset.com/data-studies/top-boomtowns-in-america-2021

13

DEC. 2021

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

ENTREPRENEURS & INNOVATORS

State Forty Eight Builds Community around T-Shirts State Forty Eight is an Arizona apparel and lifestyle brand that is rooted in community. CEO Mike Spangenberg, who co-founded it with Nicholas Polando, describes it as more than just T-shirt company, committed to collaborating with local organizations in the form of unique T-shirt designs that help with raising awareness and even serve as a fundraising tool for charity organizations. With Polando as creative director, the company also offers screen printing and embroidery solutions as well as art and branding services.

“We launched State Forty Eight because we recognized a need for apparel that was both stylish and a way to represent Arizona,” Spangenberg explains. As natives in a state filled with transplants, Spangenberg says they were tired of people rooting for other teams or knocking Arizona down. “There is so much to love about where we live. Nick created a really cool Arizona-inspired design that we decided to put on a T-shirt and people really gravitated to it.”

As a startup, not having enough time and resources was the biggest challenge the company had to overcome, resulting in a lot of trial and error in the years before Spangenberg and Polando could focus on State Forty Eight full time. They met those challenges by never trying to do too much at once, reinvesting everything they made back into the company for the first few years and really focused on leveraging their network and building their community.

“Our company wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the support of the community,” Spangenberg says. In 2019, six years after launching company, they launched an initiative that focused on creating awareness and encouraging volunteerism for local charities. “It was then we realized that people wanted to take part in what we were doing. So, in 2020 we took another leap and launched a 501(c)3.”

On the nonprofit side, the State Forty Eight Foundation is dedicated to fostering the entrepreneurial spirit in Arizona and activating the community through meaningful partnerships and volunteer-driven events, supporting Arizona’s startup culture through educational resources, networking and grant funding. The goal is not just to give back but to encourage others to do the same.

—RaeAnne Marsh State Forty Eight statefortyeight.com State Forty Eight Foundation statefortyeightfoundation.org

Banks & Credit Unions

MAGAZINE

NOV. 2021

IN BUSINESS

Profiles in Excelle nce: Community

TECHNOLOGY

Technology is driving our econom y– where do you fit in?

NOVEMBER

This Month’s

2021

Eric Miller

Guest Editor

• INBUSINESSPHX

Principal and Co-Owner PADT

Housing: Our Ongoing Issue Prepare NOW for the Next Global Crisis Electric Vehicle s

.COM

THIS ISSUE

National Association of Women Business Owners – Phoenix

Charging Our

Economy

$7.95 INBUSINESSPH

X.COM

DON’T MISS OUT!

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

DEC. 2021

14

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

Supurb is a technology company connecting people with nearby dispensaries to help them get their cannabis delivered in a quick, efficient and cost-effective manner. We conceptualized the idea for Supurb knowing that technology in cannabis was limited for both consumers and retailers. We understood that applying technology in the form of delivery would create significant value for both consumers and retailers.

It’s been important to be a master in listening and communicating with our customer base; we believe that, if a technology company can listen to its audience and innovate off of what they are saying, it will always stay ahead of the curve.

Being a self-funded technology company has been difficult because we have to innovate with discipline and restraint, so we speak with our customers through the highest level of customer support and we are regularly in the dispensary learning more about their daily operations. This has helped us grow into a company people genuinely like using and will continue to use no matter what innovations we come up with.

One challenge that was extremely difficult to overcome was convincing the dispensaries of the value we were providing.

Many looked at us as adversarial rather than complimentary, worried that delivery would take revenue generating

Google’s score for Arizona as of this past June is 124 medical cannabis dispensaries statewide.

opportunities from their retail locations rather than open the doors to new opportunities such as increasing customer retention and access to customers in further reaching areas.

In order for us to overcome this challenge, we created a performance-based value proposition for the dispensaries.

Access to our lead generating technology and advertising opportunities were free to use and would only pay a commission when an order was submitted. If all else we knew dispensaries wanted to increase their online footprint of visibility if nothing else. And if they are not an option for the consumer then the transaction will inevitably be submitted elsewhere.

Founded in Arizona in 2016, where delivery will remain medical-only until January 2023, Supurb will be moving into new markets in the first quarter of 2022.

—Jonathan Ghiz, CEO of Supurb (www.supurb.com)

Photos courtesy of State Forty Eight (top), Supurb (bottom)

Supurb Technology Innovates Cannabis Delivery

METRICS & MEASUREMENTS

Hybrid Work: Fad or Future?

Will workers walk if companies require they return to the office?

by Mike Hunter

While many U.S. professionals are embracing hybrid work arrangements, new research from talent solutions firm Robert Half, “The Future of Hybrid Work,” shows a majority of companies anticipate a full return to the office once the pandemic ends. According to a survey of more than 2,800 senior managers in the U.S., 71% of respondents said they will require their teams to be on-site full time once COVID19-related restrictions completely lift. Far fewer will allow employees to follow a hybrid schedule, where they can divide time between the office and another location (16%) or give staff the complete freedom to choose where they work (12%).

Putting this in perspective for Phoenix, regional director Travis Laird says, “Offering employees flexibility is a low-cost way to create a positive workplace culture and employee experience, which are central to recruiting and retaining top talent today. Our recent survey looked at the future of hybrid work, and which cities would likely embrace hybrid work in a post pandemic work environment once restrictions lift. In Phoenix, 73% of managers said they would require workers fully in the office, while only 12% said they would have a hybrid model of in office and remote. Fourteen percent of Phoenix managers said they would allow workers to decide.

“We are seeing many Phoenix businesses move to a hybrid work structure. We are a progressive city, but these figures are still surprising where almost three in four companies are expecting workers back in the office full time.”

Regarding the adoption of a hybrid work model, Laird adds, “It really helps employees with the autonomy and work-life integration they want and expect today. There’s no one-sizefits-all approach when it comes to hybrid work. Each situation is unique and requires careful consideration. However, local businesses must continue shifting the way they work by being more flexible to the hybrid work needs of their teams, especially in our current times of talent shortages and workers quitting at record rates. With effective communication; trust in their teams; and a realistic, balanced workload, employers will see how a hybrid model will only strengthen and grow their business and teams.”

Robert Half’s research indicates there is a significant risk that workers may walk away from jobs, which employers should be aware of when they consider mandating a full return to the office. Research conducted by Robert Half this past April reveals nearly half of employees (49%) prefer a hybrid arrangement, and about one in three professionals (34%) currently working from home due to the pandemic would look for a new job if required to be in the office five days a week. In addition, a separate survey finds 43% of workers feel much more productive when remote versus in the office.

“When it comes to hybrid work, there’s a disconnect between what managers prefer and what employees expect,” says Robert Half senior executive director Paul McDonald.

“But in this talent-driven market, especially, companies need to prioritize their people and look to the future. Providing flexibility is a low-cost way to create a positive employee experience and inclusive workplace culture.”

Office Reopening Plans

Methodology The online surveys were developed by Robert Half and conducted by independent research firms. They include responses from more than 2,800 senior managers in finance, technology, marketing, legal, administrative support, human resources and other areas at companies with 20 or more employees (collected June 4 to July 1, 2021), and more than 2,800 workers 18 years of age or older (collected March 26 to April 15, 2021) in the U.S.

U.S. employers said they will require their teams to work: Fully in-office

71%

Hybrid (both in-office and remote)

16%

Where employees decide

12%

Hybrid work hurdles in supporting a dispersed workforce long-term: Communicating effectively with team members

22%

Trusting employees to get work done

20%

Gauging workloads and helping staff avoid burnout

20%

Effectively recognizing and rewarding employee

20%

accomplishments Finding time for team development

19%

Robert Half is the world’s first and largest specialized talent solutions firm that connects opportunities at great companies with highly skilled job seekers.

Robert Half offers contract, temporary and permanent placement solutions and is the parent company of Protiviti®, a global consulting firm. roberthalf.com

Source: sites.google.com/view/hybridwork

A new Robert Half survey of 2,800 senior managers, “The Future of Hybrid Work,” suggests the hybrid work model may go away post-pandemic. Marketing and finance managers (30% and 28% respectively) and large organizations with 1,000 or more employees (30%) are most likely to favor long-term flexibility for their teams. sites.google.com/view/hybridwork

15

DEC. 2021

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

METRICS & MEASUREMENTS

Donovan Neale-May is the executive director of the CMO Council and BPI Network.

The Business Performance Innovation Network is a peer-driven thought leadership and professional networking organization reaching some 50,000 heads of IT transformation, change management, business re-engineering, process improvement, and strategic planning. bpinetwork.org The Chief Marketing Officer Council is dedicated to high-level knowledge exchange, thought leadership and personal relationship building among senior corporate marketing leaders and brand decision-makers across a wide-range of global industries. The CMO Council’s 16,000+ members control more than $1 trillion in aggregated annual marketing expenditures and run complex, distributed marketing and sales operations worldwide. cmocouncil.org Daon is an innovator in developing and deploying biometric authentication and identity assurance solutions worldwide.

Daon has pioneered methods for securely and conveniently combining biometric and identity capabilities across multiple channels with large-scale deployments that span payments verification, digital banking, wealth, insurance, telcos, and securing borders and seamless travel. daon.com

Identity Authentication Causes Consumer Frustration Consumers overwhelmingly prefer to do business with companies that make authentication both simple and safe

by Donovan Neale-May

Frustration with cumbersome and repetitive authentication processes are overwhelmingly causing consumers to search for brands and digital experiences that securely unify and simplify identity verification, according to a new report by the Business Performance Innovation Network and CMO Council, entitled “Authentication Frustration. How Companies Lose Customers in The Digital Age.” Based on a survey of 2,000 consumers across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Ireland, the study finds that a huge majority of 81% prefer to do business with companies that do a better job of recognizing and verifying their identity “simply, quickly and safely.” More than 60% of respondents say they have abandoned business transactions due to authentication frustration.

Customer Attitudes to Authentication Process Difficult authentication process: Reflects negatively on a company and its brand

85%

Has a “major” or “significant” negative impact

53%

Financial services companies are a frequent source of authentication frustration. Consumers say the top areas where the encounter difficult identity experiences are: Digital devices

43%

Banks

37%

Credit & debit cards

29%

Mobile payment services

27%

Most vexing problems with passwords: Keeping track of numerous passwords

55%

Needing to re-create passwords

43%

Being asked to strengthen passwords

34%

Coming up with new passwords

25%

Consumers overwhelmingly prefer biometric authentication, including the use of voice, fingerprint, face, eyes, and behaviors.

Believe authentication is “absolutely” an easier and

44%

better form of verification Prefer to use biometrics as long as it is secure

34%

Prefer passwords and other forms of

10%

authentication over biometrics

Problems with passwords remain a major grievance of consumers, who say they strongly prefer physical biometric authentication methods, such as facial and fingerprint recognition. Almost 7 in 10 consumers (68%) say they have problems remembering and using passwords. Forty percent of respondents report using at least 11 passwords, including 23% who have 16 or more.

The report is part of a new initiative by the BPI Network and CMO Council, called “Unify How You Verify,” being conducted in partnership with Daon, a global leader in identity assurance technology. The thought leadership program explores the critical business need to simplify and unify the way companies recognize and authenticate their customers and partners across channels of engagement.

In addition to research into consumer attitudes toward current authentication processes, the initiative will include a further report based on interviews and interactions with senior executives and experts in identity management, security, customer support and ecommerce, on what can be done to improve customer experiences and drive greater revenue, satisfaction and compliance.

Password pain is hardly a new phenomenon. Yet it continues to be a persistent problem for consumers. Businesses and brands need to listen to what consumers are so clearly telling them. Simplifying and improving authentication will help gain customer loyalty and grow business. Businesses that fail to do so can expect greater customer churn and revenue losses.

“Data protection, privacy and identity theft are massive challenges for today’s digital business world,” says George Skaff, senior vice president of marketing at Daon. “The issue has become significantly more severe in recent months as consumers relied heavily on digital transactions throughout the COVID pandemic.” Daon enables companies to adopt an “Identity Continuity” model of authentication, in which biometric and non-biometric factors come together on a single platform to create a unified identity experience across the entire customer relationship lifecycle — from identity proofing and onboarding to authentication and recovery.

Market data shows that consumers have dramatically accelerated their use of digital channels and interactions during the pandemic. A recent study by McKinsey found that global business executives estimate their digital interactions with customers and partners have accelerated by some three to four years due to the pandemic.

Source: cmocouncil.org/thought-leadership/reports/authentication-frustration

DEC. 2021

16

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

More than 60% of respondents to the survey “Authentication Frustration. How Companies Lose Customers in The Digital Age,” by the Business Performance Innovation Network and CMO Council, say they have abandoned business transactions due to authentication frustration. bpinetwork.org/cmocouncil.org

PROPERTY, GROWTH AND LOCATION

GET REAL

by Mike Hunter

Multifamily Development in Downtown Phoenix JE Dunn Construction and Lincoln Ventures, an Austin-based student housing and national multifamily developer, recently broke ground on 811 N. 3rd Street, a 24-story, 326-unit multifamily development Sterling Grove in Surprise, Arizona

Photos courtesy of Creative Environments (left), JE Dunn Construction (top right), Mangat Group (lower right)

Landscape Trends in COVID-Era Residential Development

The year 2020 brought so many challenges, yet so many great stories. Isolation from lockdown simply reinforced our need for community and desire for social connections.

“Netflix and chill” gave way to a beautiful spring where tree-lined pathways through community greenbelts were filled with joggers and bikers. Pet adoptions were at alltime highs, and the development of dog parks and pet-friendly spaces provided a great opportunity to get outside and bond with fellow pet owners in a socially distanced manner.

While our beautiful Arizona climate allows for year-round outdoor activities, one thing is certain: Shade is still a premium feature in the desert landscape. Whether it be shade cabañas around a resort-style community pool or arbor-covered al fresco dining areas equipped with BBQ grills and other outdoor kitchen amenities, being able to live life outdoors is best enjoyed by creating cooler microclimates within these larger community spaces. Needless to say, regardless of the landscape features that are being proposed, the addition of beautiful shade trees are an integral part of creating welcoming and livable landscape spaces.

As daytime gives way to night, large-scale fire pits equipped with comfortable seating have become a favorite place for families to gather and enjoy evening drinks or s’mores over the open fire. The flexibility of movable furniture that can be rearranged to meet the scale and dynamics of the group gathering is a huge benefit within all outdoor spaces.

Finally, any current community design that wants to incorporate more active recreation components must consider inclusion of the fastest-growing sport in the country – Pickleball. Between the relatively easy learning curve of the sport (especially for anyone who has played tennis, racquetball or table tennis in the past) and the minimal physical demands of the game, pickleball is a great sport for people of all ages who are looking for a great social sport and physical activity. The smaller play surface area of pickleball, when compared to other traditional sport court games such as tennis or basketball, makes this even more affordable in terms of construction costs and ease of fitting this feature into the community spaces.

If there is one good thing this global pandemic has revealed, it is the reaffirmation that mankind was intended to live in community. We were never designed to live in isolation; rather, we have been created to lean into community, constantly being shaped and developed by the people around us who share in our journey of life. This sense of community is vital to our health — whether it be physical, mental or spiritual — and the beginning of true community starts in our own neighborhoods and radiates out into our world.

—Ryan Trudell, vice president of landscape architecture at Creative Environments (creativeenvironments.com), a Tempe-based outdoor living environments and custom landscaping company founded in 1950

located in the heart of the arts district in Downtown Phoenix. This is Lincoln Ventures’ first multifamily development in Phoenix.

The to-be-named project will feature market-leading amenities, among which will be a ground floor coffee to cocktails concept, co-working and conference spaces with a business lounge, secure bike parking and a dog run. The rooftop pool deck will boast incredible views of Downtown Phoenix, plus an aqua lounge, grills and spa. jedunn.com • lincoln-ventures.com

New Peoria Self-Storage Facility Glendale-based land development company Mangat Group has partnered with Aberdeen Management & Development for a locally owned and operated Arizona Self Storage facility on the southwest corner of Loop 101 and Olive Avenue in Peoria. This is Arizona Self Storage’s ninth property in the state and third in the West Valley.

Construction began in late October with a year build, setting an opening for October 2022. Aberdeen Management & Development will oversee the development and ongoing operations of the facility.

RKAA Architects has designed, and Campbell Development will build. mangatgroupinvestment.com • selfstoragesolutions.com

Industrial Project in Booming Chandler Airport Submarket Denver-based Comunale Properties and Stevens-Leinweber Construction recently broke ground on Chandler Connection, a 201,000-square-foot, mid-bay Class A industrial project within the booming Chandler Airport industrial submarket in Chandler, Arizona. The project, which is located at 2411 E. Germann Road, between Gilbert and Cooper roads, is Comunale’s first ground-up industrial development in Arizona. It is slated for completion during second quarter 2022.

Butler Design Group serves as the project architect for Chandler Connection. Ken McQueen and Chris McClurg from Lee & Associates are the development’s exclusive leasing brokers. comunaleproperties.com • bit.ly/lee-germann

Creative Environments, an award-winning firm known for being a trendsetter in the industry, took home six awards at the Arizona Landscape Contractors Association Excellence in Landscaping Awards in November. Four projects were recognized in the category “Best Model Home Installations Over $100K’’ and two others in the category “Best Commercial Installations from $1 to $3 Million.” creativeenvirnoments.com

17

DEC. 2021

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

BY MIKE HUNTER

PROPERTY, GROWTH AND LOCATION

Tri Pointe Homes Adding New Homes in Three Metro Phoenix Communities In our hot housing market where low inventories are a big part of the problem, Tri Pointe Homes (which served the Phoenix market for more than 25 years under the name Maracay®) has acquired 210 homesites on which it plans to build new homes in three communities across the Phoenix metro area. The land purchases in Chandler and San Tan Valley fit the homebuilder’s growth strategy and focus on areas with convenient access to major transportation and employment corridors, as well as educational centers and consumer attractions.

Tri Pointe Homes acquired 86 homesites in Chandler on almost 26 acres that formerly served as a plant nursery. On tap for the new community, Treeland, are nursery-inspired community gardens and greenspaces as well as easy access to employment centers and the restaurants and high-end retail of the Ocotillo area. Development is anticipated to start in late 2021, with an opening expected in 2023.

Less than 14 miles to the east in San Tan Valley, Tri Pointe Homes acquired 52 homesites for development into a new neighborhood in Oro

Ridge. Backed by the stunning San Tan Mountain Range, the community is expected to include a trail system and pocket parks, and will offer easy access to East Valley commercial and entertainment centers such as Schnepf Farms. Development by Tri Pointe Homes is underway with sales anticipated to start in 2022.

Lastly, Tri Pointe Homes’ approximately 27-acre acquisition, also in San Tan Valley, is slated to become a 72-homesite neighborhood in the second phases of the master-planned community of Bella Vista Farms.

Anticipated to open in 2023, the community offers easy access to major tech employment centers and plentiful shopping, dining and entertainment options in Queen Creek.

Tri Pointe Homes builds high-performing homes with cost and environmental savings in mind through its LivingSmart® program, which spans design and development to construction and the ongoing operation of a home.

Tri Pointe Homes, Inc. tripointehomes.com

Toyota Financial Services Center Opens with Regional Design and LEED Cert

DEC. 2021

18

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

waste and energy while maximizing efficiency and enhancing the health and well-being of employees and guests. Ware Malcomb’s in-house branding team designed a branded environment, signage and custom graphics for a curated tour path within the office for visitors and employees to experience a unique journey through the company’s sustainability history and mission. hardison/downey construction, Inc. hardisondowney.com Toyota Financial Services toyotafinancial.com/us/en.html Ware Malcomb waremalcomb.com Verde verdepp.com

Ware Malcomb’s history with the Toyota and Lexus companies spans more than 20 years, completing more than 100 projects across the United States that range from corporate offices, dealerships and showrooms to training centers and service centers.

Photo courtesy of Ware Malcomb

Toyota Financial Services Experience Center West was recently completed. Located in Allred Park Place at 1650 S. Price Road in Chandler, Arizona, TFS West is a 56,219-square-foot workplace organized into neighborhoods with a variety of spaces to support employees’ unique work styles and changing needs. Focus zones, formal meeting environments and informal collaboration spaces provide flexible and dynamic options for various work types. The office contains individual seating for 300 employees and features exposed ceilings to facilitate an open, bright and functional space. The design incorporates sound mitigation strategies that include acoustical wall treatments and sound-reducing 3form Clario Clouds.

Award-winning international design firm Ware Malcomb partnered with TFS to provide design services for the consolidation of 29 locations into three regional experience centers – West, Central, and East. The firm also provided design services for the East experience center located in Alpharetta, GA. For these locations, the aesthetics needed to reflect the natural professionalism of Toyota’s brand yet align with a regional design expression.

Providing workplace strategy, interior architecture and branding services for the West experience center, Ware Malcomb utilized nature-inspired materials such as stone, wood and greenery for a coastal aesthetic, creating a biophilic connection between people and nature. The general contractor for the project was Hardison/Downey Construction, Inc. TFS has spent decades curating lasting relationships with customers and dealers while striving for quality, convenience and consistency.

Consolidating the U.S. dealer service operations will enable TFS to increase efficiency and elevate customer and employee experience.

The Experience Center West project achieved LEED v4 ID+C: CI, Gold Level certification. Ware Malcomb worked in collaboration with Verde, the sustainability consultant, to execute strategic goals focused on minimizing

MINDING THEIR BUSINESS

Launch: Moving the Bar on Real Estate and Leadership Building on team collaboration as a growth strategy

by Sean Zimmerman

UNIQUE LEADERSHIP AT LAUNCH TAKES OFF Launch started with just over a handful of co-founders and a dozen or so agents in Paradise Valley, Scottsdale and Arcadia. More than five years later, we service all of the Phoenix Metro area plus have agents in Flagstaff and Tucson, and have closed more than $2 billion in real estate in the last 12 months alone. From every part of our organization, we focus on our values daily to work as a team and help our agents continue to grow their career. Our success depends on how much we help our agents, clients and communities throughout the Phoenix area. Our leadership is not top to bottom. It has, and always will be, a collaborative team effort. Every agent and employee is part of the leadership team.

DEC. 2021

20

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

For nearly 30 years, I have had an obsession with leadership since the first glimpse of what it meant to me at 13. As a teen, I was active in Student Council, participated in Hugh Obrien Youth Leadership and sought out leadership within team sports. During this time, my relationship to leadership was as much about the attention I received as it was about the purpose.

After graduating college, I viewed leadership as the path to high pay, control and decision-making early in my career. At the time, I believed being a leader meant being the boss. This belief created challenges as I sought out a job, which resulted in a series of internal challenges and changes in my career.

I recall one potential employer letting me know I wasn’t the right fit after the company’s personality test. It turns out I was so convinced of being the boss, it came out subconsciously.

Life lesson: Be humble. Don’t be afraid to pay your dues and earn it.

A few years later, after a corporate consulting stint, I was young, eager and full of fear of failure. I had landed myself in the midst of providing consulting services for those two to three times my age and far more experienced.

At this stage of my leadership journey, I took on the role of leader pleaser and the “do it yourself” boss. I dubbed this as my leadership style — focused entirely on those in my organization liking me. This meant making decisions that were not genuinely right for the organization but right for just one person. I learned first-hand how this approach was not sustainable, as it’s impossible to please everyone while maintaining growth and stability within the organization.

My age and self-perceived lack of experience led to an approach that would, ultimately, weigh down my organization.

I believed I needed to show those around me I could do it all, no job was beneath me and no employee could hold me hostage. This thought cost dozens of hours a month and took away accountability and purpose for those in my organization.

Ultimately, I would attribute this approach to making poor hiring decisions and never letting those better than me perform in the roles they should.

The end of a company that took me around the world in my 20s, put me on stage as a keynote speaker in front of thousands and allowed me to “lead” others in two languages actually left me feeling like a failure. I’ve since discovered I was suffering from “Imposter Syndrome” far longer than I had known. The collapse of the market and resulting loss of my company, identity and purpose simply validated my internal beliefs.

Nearly three decades after my love affair with leadership was born, I realized that leadership is not about my own needs or wants, but that of others and the organization.

As a co-founder of Launch Real Estate, I was not the visionary; instead, it was the vision of our CEO and celebrated individual John Vatistas. As a leader, he enabled his ideas to become “The Vision.” This was the first time in 30 years that I let go of the need to lead my own vision. Instead, I learned that there was no greater compliment than leading another’s vision. An idea that once belonged to one man now belongs to an organization of 200 people.

Assuming such responsibility, it became clear that for an organization and the people who create the organization to flourish, decisions had to be made based on what aligned with the “Launch vision.”

We clearly defined cultural values and core beliefs, allowing large or small decision-making to be simplified. Decisions can be validated as to whether or not the outcome of the decision will align with our four core values: collaboration, professionalism, character and family. From technology and programs to administrative staffing and human capital, I no longer look at what my vision should be. Our employees come here because of our culture built around company values and the shared vision across the organization.

Launch belongs to the real estate professionals and team members who choose to align with its core values. As such, they have actively become key decision-makers and help identify new paths, opportunities and growth. As I think more about my role as a leader, it seems more fitting to be called a coordinator or a facilitator who keeps the vision growing and continues to succeed.

I have come to realize my most effective leadership style is not about me; it’s about those around me and the organization’s greater good. This philosophy now guides my leadership as president of Launch Real Estate.

Launch Real Estate azhomes.com

Launch Real Estate has been invitation-only since its inception and relies on its agents to help build and maintain its current dynamic. Each of its real estate professionals and team members has the right to veto an invitation for ethical reasons.

Invest in your future workforce.

Invest in JA Students.

JA’s proven programs prepare students to succeed in work and life.

51%

of JA Alumni say they have worked in the same job or career as their JA Volunteer

53%

of JA Alumni report having started or owned a business

51%

of JA Alumni report having a bachelor’s degree or higher*

Check out our new JA Inspire Virtual program to connect your company to thousands of AZ students!

Volunteer. Sponsor. Get Involved. *COMPARED TO 33% OF THE U.S. POPULATION

JAAZ.org

YOUR BENEFIT IN BUSINESS

WELL WELL WELL by Mike Hunter

Health Insurance for the Gig Economy The Association for Entrepreneurship USA and Hooray Health, an affordable benefit solution that provides nationwide access to healthcare, have teamed up to provide health insurance to self-employed individuals and those working in the gig economy.

Smashing industry norms, Hooray Health’s approach uses Urgent Care with basic insured benefits that give people first-dollar coverage – meaning there are no copayments or deductibles to be paid first.

“As a serial entrepreneur myself, I not only understand the challenges of securing affordable, reliable healthcare, Hooray Health was born out of my struggles with the current healthcare system,” says Shane Foss, founder and CEO, who aimed to develop a solution to the changing landscape healthcare has experienced since the Affordable Care Act was passed in 2009 and launched Hooray Health in 2017. “We’re excited about being able to support entrepreneurs working to make their dreams come true!”

AFEUSA serves independent and small business leaders across all 50 states through community involvement, peer mentoring and education. By partnering with Hooray Health, AFEUSA is working to eliminate the struggle many entrepreneurs face when attempting to source affordable health insurance. According to Statista, in 2019 only 24% of full-time freelancers in the U.S. had health insurance coverage through a self-purchased plan and 7% had coverage through their parents’ plan, highlighting a major need for easy to secure, affordable and reliable coverage.

“Health insurance has always been difficult for entrepreneurs to secure as they don’t work for a company that can provide them this benefit,” says Wayne Goshkarian, director of communications for AFEUSA. “Our partnership with Hooray Health will not only make securing insurance a breeze, but applicants will also have access to an affordable group rate that they wouldn’t be able to secure on their own.”

Association for Entrepreneurship USA afeusa.org Hooray Health myhoorayhealth.com

DEC. 2021

22

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

Healthcare Model Integrates Mental Health Care There is a mental health crisis in the United States, one that has been difficult to meet the demands of. State-run facilities do their best to aid those who are in need of care, but resources are stretched thin. Local facilities are unable to provide more permanent fixes or long-term treatments for ailments due to the vast numbers of patients.

In Arizona, for example, where the number of mentally ill people reaches well over 250,000, the state simply has its hands full helping them all.

This is where Harbor Health steps in. Harbor Health is an alternative type of care facility that offers counseling, medical services, treatment and even housing to its patients. More than eight homes are on the care provider’s campus, and each houses individuals with varying issues. Some patients are from the local Native American community, itself struggling with major issues such as depression and alcoholism. Others are from Phoenix itself, with the city struggling with numbers and seeking out care from independent sources.

A particular focus also has been recognizing the need of military veterans, who, according to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, suffer from mental illnesses and troubles every day. The sense of community in the U.S. military is very strong. It is definitely beneficial when fulfilling their duties but could be an obstacle once they come back to “regular” life, when it’s important for veterans to assimilate and become part of another community.

Harbor Health Integrated Care was founded with the goal of helping all those in need in the Phoenix area. With a unique approach toward mental health treatment through its clinic and housing structure, Harbor Health is a fine example of how an independent business can make a huge difference to people where it truly counts.

Harbor Health is able to help people due to its total commitment for the entire care process.

Instead of having temporary fixes in mind, care providers at Harbor Health see the entire process of healing a person. Treating a problem doesn’t fix the underlying issues that caused it, so Harbor

Health helps treat a person’s ailment while offering counseling and support services to help repair the trauma that caused it. And if a person has nowhere to go, Harbor Health offers a place on campus to stay that is safe, comfortable and in very close proximity to those providing care.

It is a hands-on approach, one that ensures a patient receives excellent care but also builds a trusting relationship with Harbor Health staff. Patients may not always feel a healthcare provider has their best interest in mind; this is particularly true of those who suffer from mental illnesses. However, at Harbor Health, the personal relationship that they build with their care providers coupled with group therapy helps to create a feeling of community and of safety that has long been absent from their lives.

This healing process is almost impossible to do at a state-run facility due to the differences of resources and philosophy between the two.

Harbor Health is able to focus its energy on truly helping to heal someone, while a state-run facility has to carefully divide its resources in treatment so that many people can receive something, even if it is only a temporary fix.

State-run care facilities are extremely important and Arizona invests a great deal of time and energy into running them. However, Harbor Health offers a community that focuses on the individual healing journey and it does so in a way that people leave in far better shape than when they first arrived.

As Harbor Healthcare Integrated continues to expand, new services will be developed in order to ensure that every patient, new and current, will receive the specialized care that they need to feel healthy and happy again.

—Johnwick Nathan, founder and president of Harbor Health Integrated Care (harborhealthinc.com), which provides healthcare and mental healthcare services and is built on the philosophy that building relationships and working on mental health issues go hand in hand with seeing a future and being able to create opportunities for a recovery

Arizona entrepreneur Dr. Johnwick Nathan recently traveled to Ghana to help struggling communities and, due to his contributions and actions, was inducted as royalty in the Ga-Adangbe tribe of Ghana.

He was granted the title Nii Borlabi Tesaa I as a showing of his continued support in Ghana.

AZBLUE.COM

678790-20

LIFE CAN CHANGE PRETTY QUICKLY. LET US HANDLE THE OTHER STUFF, SO YOU DON’T MISS WHAT MATTERS MOST.

INNOVATIONS FOR BUSINESS

TECH NOTES

by Mike Hunter

GitKraken Gains Git Strength, Adding GitLens and GitLens’ Creator GitKraken, creator of the world’s leading Git GUI and CLI, recently acquired GitLens, the most popular Git extension for Visual Studio Code.

GitLens was created by Eric Amodio in 2016, and has since been developed and maintained nearly exclusively by Amodio in his spare time. He joins GitKraken and will serve as the company’s chief technology officer, to lead GitLens and GitKraken’s entire suite of popular Git collaboration and productivity tools and lead the continued development of GitLens for VS Code users.

“GitKraken is on a mission to make Git easier, safer, and more powerful for developers and DevOps teams of all sizes,” says Wayne Williams, CEO of GitKraken, an Arizona-based software company with headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona, and EU offices in Spain.

GitLens is a free open-source Git extension for VS Code with more than 11 million active users and 71 million downloads in the past five years. Of more than 30,000 VS Code extensions, it is one of the most popular. It is relied upon by developers, DevOps professionals and enterprise teams around the world, to help them better understand and work with code. GitLens unlocks the untapped knowledge within each repository to help visualize code authorship, seamlessly navigate and explore Git repositories, and gain valuable insights via powerful comparison commands.

“I’ve always been passionate about making software development easier, more accessible, and inclusive. My mission with GitLens has been to make code easier to understand by leveraging the knowledge within each Git repository and making it accessible to everyone,” says GitLens founder Eric Amodio.

Developers and DevOps professionals can download the free GitKraken Git client and the free GitLens Git extension in the VS Code Marketplace.

Text Marketing 101 In my experience, the key to business success is communicating the right message to the right clients at the right time. When businesspeople communicate effectively with current and prospective clients, they can increase conversion, reduce churn and build long-term relationships that result in more sales.

But engaging with customers and prospects can be difficult if the right marketing channels are not being used. Email has been the predominant channel for small business because it’s efficient, but email open rates have been on the decline.

The use of text messaging, on the other hand, has substantially increased in professional settings.

Research shows that customers respond to text messages within four minutes, compared to 48 hours for email, and they are 10 times more likely to redeem an offer sent via text message, making text a powerful tool for your marketing needs.

Let’s examine how text marketing can help improve customer engagement and bolster the bottom line.

APPOINTMENT REMINDERS

SPEED CONVERSION

KEEPING CUSTOMERS INFORMED

When a potential customer visits a business’s site, the business wants to engage them as quickly as possible. Gone are the days of struggling to send one-off texts. Utilizing automated text messaging allows a business to send prospects a relevant text based on their specific action. For example, as soon as they complete a form on a business’s website or subscribe to its email list, it can send a welcome text that includes a link to book an appointment or a discount code for their first purchase. This helps move prospects further into the sales funnel.

ENCOURAGE REFERRALS

Sending a text message automatically to thank the customer for their purchase is a best practice, but this is also a great opportunity to upsell a complimentary product or service. The business might also ask for a positive review on Google or another site — or even squeeze in a little extra incentive to motivate customers to refer a friend.

A business can schedule a text message to be sent to customers a few hours ahead of their appointment and include a means to inform that business if they’re unable to make it, so the business can follow up with them afterward.

While 1:1 texts are great for communicating information, it’s not efficient when there’s a need to communicate to multiple customers at once.

Fortunately, businesses can utilize broadcast text messaging to notify customers of open appointment slots resulting from cancellations, which can increase sales.

SPECIAL OFFERS AND LOYALTY PROGRAMS

Seasonal promotions are great for attracting new customers, and loyalty programs are ideal for rewarding those repeat customers every business depends on. Broadcast text messaging allows businesses to efficiently communicate to all their customers at once or they can choose just a select segment of their customer list.

Leverage text messages to share information about new services or products. It’s a great way for businesses to remind customers they may not have heard from in a while that the business offering continues to evolve.

Text messaging is quickly becoming a critical sales and marketing tool for small businesses.

Leveraging personalized text messages that are timely and relevant enables businesses to enhance the customer experience and generate more business. Savvy marketers are effectively utilizing text messaging to increase conversion, promote new offerings and special deals, encourage referrals, and build brand loyalty.

—Clate Mask, founder and CEO of Keap (keap.com), a maker of sales and marketing automation software for small businesses, and co-author of “Conquer the Chaos: How to Grow a Successful Small Business Without Going Crazy.”

GitKraken gitkraken.com

DEC. 2021

24

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

GIT Extensions is a distributed version control system that enables a user to robustly manage a collection of source files and the changes made in them. Users can make changes by accessing a central repository called remote repository and committing the changes to it.

21 Top Leaders Our list of Valley leaders who are making a real difference!

by Mike Hunter

Each year, we interview some of the Valley’s top leaders to give our readership some insight into what they see in the coming year for business.

This year, we asked some hard-hitting questions of 21 top leaders who are truly entrenched in building our economy, developing policy, managing people and growing business through innovations that have demonstrated a real positive effect on our business community.

Each was asked the same questions on the subjects of their effective management style, the impact of COVID-19 disruptions, what we can do to empower economic growth and how their future will impact our economy. Their answers are intriguing, thoughtful and certainly inspiring as we move into this new world of business we find ourselves in.

21Top Leaders David Adame President & CEO

Chicanos Por La Causa

Q:

What most notably stands out about your leadership style or what is an example of leadership success you can share with our readers?

When I joined Chicanos Por La Causa, I recognized that success requires risk.

So, after years of providing social services in the community, we decided to diversify and take a risk by opening a restaurant — a completely new endeavor for CPLC. I remember the feeling of pride that swelled in me on the day of our grand opening ribbon-cutting ceremony, having taken a risk and brought it to fruition. That intense pride was quickly surpassed by humility one year later when we locked the doors of the restaurant for good.

But the story doesn’t end there. What I have learned is that failure is not the opposite of success; it’s part of success. The key is to fail quickly, learn your lesson, and move on.

Openness to risk enables your organization to adapt quickly. By creating a culture of empowerment where employees are encouraged to innovate at the ground level, an organization is more adept at adapting to the changing business world.

That kind of bottom-up innovation is best because it comes from people with first-hand experience. As a leader, it requires trust in your people and trust in the process.

What impact has COVID-19 or the disruptions of the past 18 months had on you as a leader?

The world was rapidly changing before COVID-19. However, COVID accelerated the pace of change like we never imagined. While we recognized the importance of adapting before, adaptation has become front and center for my leadership team and me.

For us, adaptation has been based on the grassroots needs of the community. Time and again during the last 18-plus months, the community has voiced a need that extended beyond our current scope. However, rather than sit idly by, we recognized that in many cases there were no other organizations poised to answer the call, and so we asked ourselves, “If not us, then who?”

Unlike with our failed restaurant venture, however, our success during COVID-19 was literally life-or-death for many of the families we serve, so we learned from our previous mistakes going it alone and reached out to other organizations to fill in our gaps of expertise.

As a coalition, we were able to provide critical services to the Hispanic community, which was hardest hit by the pandemic, including COVID testing

Name of Leader: David Adame Position of Leader: President & CEO Organization Name: Chicanos Por La Causa No. of Years with Organization: 13

28

DEC. 2021

and vaccinations in underserved neighborhoods, technology access for low-income students, and more Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans to small businesses than any other organization in the country.

What do you feel we can be doing as a business community to empower economic growth here?

Study upon study shows that the foundation of economic growth begins with housing.

Safe, affordable housing is the bedrock of stability at all levels — economic, education, and even health outcomes all hinge on an individual’s housing circumstances.

Multiply those individual outcomes by the population of a particular region, and you have the makings of economic growth or economic stagnation.

Here in Maricopa County, and in many other regions across the country, we are in the midst of a housing crisis where demand far exceeds supply.

So what can the business community do to address this? It comes down to investments and real estate.

Certainly, it’s tempting to chase the high-dollar luxury apartment projects.

But for our long-term economic stability across sectors, the only solution is to build more affordable housing — and distribute that affordable housing across a particular region rather than concentrating it in areas without access to resources.

What is new and notable for your company’s near future that will impact our economy?

Our board of directors has recognized that CPLC is not the same organization that we were even a year ago. We have nearly doubled in size and our ability to effect systemic change is greater than ever. So, we are investing strategically, based on our mission of empowering individuals to achieve self-sufficiency.

We are creating systems and programs that help individuals go from being dependent upon others to meet their basic needs to being self-reliant and, in fact, contributing to the system.

As our society has more contributors starting businesses, purchasing goods and making investments, our economy will achieve greater growth and sustainability.

Main Local Office Address: 1112 E. Buckeye Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85034 Phone: (602) 257-0700 Website: cplc.org

Number of offices in Greater Phoenix: 17 Year Established Locally: 1969 City Nationally Headquartered: Phoenix

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

Michael Bidwill Owner and President

Arizona Cardinals Football Club

Q:

What most notably stands out about your leadership style or what is an example of leadership success you can share with our readers?

Something I learned from my father was being honest enough to know what you don’t know, astute enough to hire people who do and then smart enough to let them do their job. That’s not to say — either in the case of my father or me — that you aren’t involved or ask questions to make sure the best decisions are being made. I think that’s healthy and important. But it’s a cliché for a reason: “Hire good people and let them do the job you hired them to do.”

What impact has COVID-19 or the disruptions of the past 18 months had on you as a leader?

I think we all learned the value of being flexible and nimble. We have all been operating in an extraordinary and unprecedented environment that is constantly changing. For those in leadership positions, it has required decision making based on the best available information at the time while also recognizing that the ground can shift quickly and you may have to adjust quickly because of that. It has placed an even greater emphasis on creativity, collaboration and communication. In our particular business — professional football — we learned that the teams that navigated this dynamic landscape and adjusted the best to changing circumstances and new challenges would likely be the most successful. We are all better for the experience but certainly hope never to go through it again.

One example from earlier this season came right before a key road game at Cleveland. Positive COVID tests late in the week meant we had to play without our head coach, play caller and quarterbacks coach. But nobody blinked or panicked, and as a team we rose to the occasion to score a convincing victory on the road. There have been many examples of that kind of adaptability in the last 18 months.

What do you feel we can be doing as a business community to empower economic growth here?

When it comes to economic development, we all know the goal is to attract quality companies that bring high-paying jobs to our state. Arizona has had the advantage of a low corporate tax structure as well as a regulatory environment with a light touch, and continuing both is important. Governor Ducey and the Arizona Commerce Authority have done a great job in both of those areas.

Another critical factor in the decision-making process for these companies is whether Arizona has a robust, educated workforce from which to draw their employees. It’s just one more reason that improving

Name of Leader: Michael Bidwill Position of Leader: Owner & President Company Name: Arizona Cardinals Football Club No. of Years with Company: 25

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

the quality of education is so vitally important to the long-term success of our state. In working with Greater Phoenix Leadership and analyzing the data in this area, it is clear there are staggering student achievement gaps and racial inequities where it comes to access to education in our state (and many others). And it’s why private-, public- and policy-sector leaders have a responsibility to assist in developing a long-term game plan to reverse this trend. We would all benefit from an approach that includes targeted investment into programs that work, real-time data to analyze, and transparency and accountability relative to the return on the public investment. In addition to simply being the right thing to do, it’s a key driver in ensuring Arizona’s economic growth.

What is new and notable for your company’s near future that will impact our economy?

One area of our business that continues to grow in prominence and is one on which we place great emphasis is regarding content delivery. Just like they do in other areas of their daily life, our fans want to consume information and content about our team, not when we dictate but when they choose. They want it when they want it and how they want it. And, perhaps most importantly, they want it where they want it. That may be on their TV screen but, increasingly, it’s on their phone or tablet and perhaps soon a device we are not yet considering.

So, we are very mindful of this when it comes to content creation and also when we enter partnerships that affect how we engage with our fans.

The sports betting partnerships we have with Bet MGM and Gila River are excellent recent examples of that. This is an area where we know many of our fans have an interest and one where they are actively engaging with our product. It makes sense to connect with them and meet them where they are.

Main Local Office Address: 8701 S Hardy Dr. Tempe, AZ 85284 Phone: (602) 379-0101 Website: azcardinals.com

Number of offices in Greater Phoenix: 2 Year Established Locally: 1988 City Nationally Headquartered: Tempe

DEC. 2021

29

21Top Leaders Katherine Cecala President

Junior Achievement of Arizona

Q:

What most notably stands out about your leadership style or what is an example of leadership success you can share with our readers?

Trusting, empathetic and supportive — each is fundamental to empowering a team to succeed. As leaders, we must believe in the individual members as much as in the greater group — trust that they will put in the work, they are committed to the goals and that together, and only together, we can achieve our shared vision.

We must foster environments where our teams know we care, where we see the whole person and where we celebrate their individual contributions and value as part of the greater success. We must support our teams through coaching, development, generative thinking and helping to carry the load when necessary.

I truly believe it is because of those dynamics that the JA team chose to see the pandemic as an opportunity to expedite innovation rather than the crisis it has been. As a result, the organization and the students we serve throughout the state benefit the most!

What impact has COVID-19 or the disruptions of the past 18 months had on you as a leader?

The past 18 months have been emotional. It was stressful to manage a significant decrease in revenue for JA and the uncertainty around how we would deliver our critical programs.

Pre-COVID JA served more than 80,000 students per year entirely in person. The JA team worked together to adapt existing programs and to develop new programs to serve 70,000 students all virtually during the last school year.

I was so proud of our team. We had staffing reductions and pay decreases, and yet everyone rallied around our mission, volunteering to work even harder to expedite innovation and serve our students.

I knew JA was a great place to work before, and yet I was blown away by how much we accomplished. In the midst of all of this pressure and uncertainty, JA staff satisfaction was the highest ever (95%). As a leader working with this team, I could not be more excited about our future. Stress, pride, excitement — what a roller coaster journey.

What do you feel we can be doing as a business community to empower economic growth here?

We can spend more effort on making a difference and taking action. Have a bias for action and be more nimble.

Name of Leader: Katherine Cecala Position of Leader: President Organization Name: Junior Achievement of Arizona No. of Years with Organization: 6

30

DEC. 2021

I believe we have the expertise and, if we partner and draw on everyone’s strengths, we can accelerate economic growth.

JA is working with schools, businesses and organizations throughout Arizona to prepare our students for success in work and life. Our youth are our future and are key to economic growth. Let’s work together, take action and invest in their education.

What is new and notable for your company’s near future that will impact our economy?

JA Inspire! One of the programs that JA developed earlier this year is a virtual career exploration and work readiness program where middle and high school students explore the careers of the future and gain critical work readiness skills to prepare them for success in the future.

The only program of its kind in Arizona, JA Inspire connects students to our state’s top industries and businesses via our on-demand virtual experience with three parts: (1) online, pre-event career assessment and preparatory lesson(s); (2) the virtual career experience; and (3) a post-event reflection and debrief. Combined, this program offers valuable context for students’ career and educational pathway planning.

JA is partnering and collaborating with leading education and business groups to enhance and grow this program. We have already reached 6,000 students and plan to reach 25,000 more this school year and more than 100,000 within the next two years. JA Inspire is preparing Arizona youth for the work world. These students are much more likely to succeed and, as a result, benefit our state’s economy and business community.

Main Local Office Address: 636 W. Southern Ave. Tempe, AZ 85282 Phone: (480) 377-8500 Website: jaaz.org

Number of offices in Greater Phoenix: 1 Year Established Locally: 1957 City Nationally Headquartered: Colorado Springs, CO

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

Christopher Collins Owner & Founder

Common Ground Culinary

Q:

What most notably stands out about your leadership style or what is an example of leadership success you can share with our readers?

I think my success as a leader is a direct result of my leadership style.

What is most notable about my leadership style is that I lead by example. It does not matter what the task is, I am the first person willing to tackle it.

I firmly believe in never asking an employee to do something that I would not be willing to do myself, and I think that resonates deeply with my staff.

Naturally, the restaurant business comes with extremely long hours and very hard work. By battling in the trenches night in and night out with my employees, I have built and instilled a great culture and work ethic in all my restaurants.

In my experience, employees are much more willing to rise to the occasion when they see the boss rising to the occasion right alongside them.

What impact has COVID-19 or the disruptions of the past 18 months had on you as a leader?

I can say my leadership style never changed because of the pandemic.

The biggest lesson I learned from the disruptions that came from COVID-19 over the past 18 months was the significance of control in my industry. Control is absolutely crucial in the restaurant industry. Control over every little detail is something that restaurateurs need to get their vision executed properly, and over the last 18 months I realized that there are certain things that are 100% out of your control.

The big question was, “How do we adapt to our current situation in which we have minimal control?” Once I, myself, came to accept our current environment, I was able to work with my team on an individual level to strategize a way to push on collectively as a team.

Once we got a good grip on the situation, we were able to breathe a little easier from a management perspective. Our success was directly related to rolling with the punches and worrying only about what was within our control.

What do you feel we can be doing as a business community to empower economic growth here?

Empowering economic growth is extremely important to me as a restaurateur. For me, it is focusing on what I can do personally, and that is to continue to contribute to my community by successfully operating and staffing seven — soon to be eight — restaurant concepts.

Name of Leader: Christopher Collins Position of Leader: Owner & Founder

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

I feel that Arizona, and the Phoenix Metro area as a whole, has and continues to set itself up for a successful future economically. We need to continue to embrace and bolster our business-friendly environment by working and building locally in our community.

I believe that supporting local business is paramount in fostering a thriving community, both economically as well as socially. Getting people excited about their community through events, charity and new business is also a great way to empower economic growth.

What is new and notable for your company’s near future that will impact our economy?

We have two very notable things coming up in the near future that will positively impact our community and economy. Common Ground Culinary is opening two new concepts this winter. At the end of December, our newest concept, Neighborly Public House, will be opening at The Colony on 7th Street and Missouri.

Neighborly Public House is exactly the elevated neighborhood spot that the Uptown Phoenix neighborhood has been craving. It will serve quality seafood, pristine cuts of meat and fresh vegetables.

The second concept, St. Urban, opening directly above Neighborly Public House at the start of 2022, is my take on a modern French brasserie. St. Urban is going to serve craft cocktails, beer and wine alongside light bites and shareable plates.

I have full faith in Arizona’s business community for the next five, 10 and 20 years, which is why I am opening these two concepts now.

Main Local Office Address: 8390 E. Via de Ventura Scottsdale, AZ 85258

Company Name: Common Ground Culinary

Phone: (602) 321-9758

No. of Years with Company: 10

Website: commongroundculinary.com

Number of offices in Greater Phoenix: 9 Year Established Locally: 2011 City Nationally Headquartered: Phoenix

DEC. 2021

31

21Top Leaders Michael M. Crow President

Arizona State University

Q:

What most notably stands out about your leadership style or what is an example of leadership success you can share with our readers?

I think one of the keys to leadership is adaptability. Technology is changing the marketplace so rapidly that if you aren’t able to adapt your leadership style — and, ultimately, your product — in accordance with what the market is demanding, failure is imminent. This is a core concept we teach at the ASU Leadership Institute — a program for up-and-coming and current leaders for professional and personal leadership development.

In addition, as I’ve evolved as a leader, I’ve become more willing to reevaluate and regroup for new approaches to solving problems; I engage in more one-on-one conversations, away from group dynamics; and I am always more interested in the options of how to achieve something versus the arguments against something. I have a strong commitment to the logic of “yes, and.”

What impact has COVID-19 or the disruptions of the past 18 months had on you as a leader?

COVID-19 and the ensuing disruptions have completely reinforced the need for adaptability and reinforced our role as being of service to the community. ASU had to pivot to remote learning in a matter of days, and we marshalled all our resources to help fight COVID — from developing and deploying the first saliva-based test in the Southwest, to making and delivering PPE, to training K–12 teachers in best practices in digital learning.

The work of the ASU community during COVID-19 has never made me prouder and it has completely reinvigorated me as a leader as to what the possibilities are when we all come together to tackle problems.

What do you feel we can be doing as a business community to empower economic growth here?

Technology and innovation are vital to Arizona’s long-term economic outlook as the impact of a new economy reshapes our lives; industries; the workplace; and the education, training and skills people need to get and keep good-paying jobs.

Arizona’s business and education community need to work together to prepare and educate the workforce of tomorrow and to help businesses adapt to these changes. And we need to continue to encourage the state to strategically invest in areas that support the new economy. ASU Science and Technology Centers (Energy & Materials and Advanced Manufacturing)

Name of Leader: Michael M. Crow Position of Leader: President University Name: Arizona State University No. of Years with University: 20

32

DEC. 2021

are designed to partner directly with businesses to help them innovate, discover and expand on the research, development and manufacturing front. Companies can test ideas at ASU to determine market-level scale.

Further, ASU can work with the business community to help launch startups, make connections and identify new research opportunities, source seed funding, and work to help companies and their employees get trained or re-trained for the jobs needed by industry and in job opportunities attractive to people shifting careers.

What is new and notable for your company’s near future that will impact our economy?

ASU is focused on being a catalyst for the new economy. Our engineering school is home to more 25,000 students and we graduate thousands of engineers and technologists each year. These graduates provide a deep pool of talent that attracts major companies to the state, starts new companies and provides research and development skills that help companies that are here grow and prosper.

ASU has launched a new engineering school specifically focused on advanced manufacturing to support the national and local efforts to bring microchip manufacturing back to the U.S. and Arizona.

And, as engineering and technology touches nearly every facet of life, we’re harnessing the intellectual power of teams from nearly every discipline across the university to support the new economy. ASU is and will continue to provide the full extent of its resources to be an asset to the state, to cities and towns, to private sector business and public sector institutions as this competition evolves.

Main Local Office Address: 1151 S. Forest Ave. Tempe, AZ 85281 Phone: (855) 278-5080 Website: asu.edu

Number of campuses in Greater Phoenix: 4 Year Established Locally: 1885 City Nationally Headquartered: Tempe

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

Barbara J. Dawson Partner

Snell & Wilmer

Q:

What most notably stands out about your leadership style or what is an example of leadership success you can share with our readers?

At Snell & Wilmer, we do well when we stay true to our guiding values, reflected in our Credo. We believe in service of our clients, our communities and each other. This code aims to align our actions with our intentions and define the focus for our leaders.

This Credo is consistent with the concept of servant leadership. This approach strives to encourage diversity of thought, create a culture of trust, foster an unselfish mindset and develop leadership in others. In other words, it seeks to bring out the best in each of us for the collective good.

What impact has COVID-19 or the disruptions of the past 18 months had on you as a leader?

The disruption has been a great teacher. We have learned that we can adapt to change and accomplish our work in ways previously unimaginable.

We also have been reminded about the core value of relationships and community. Clients and community leaders called upon us for help during the pandemic because we had worked side by side with them for years. We are so grateful for their trust.

Also, we came to value community as never before — both through building it in new ways while apart and now enjoying it so much upon returning to in-person contact.

We hope to fold the best of our learning from the pandemic into our ongoing practices for the future.

What do you feel we can be doing as a business community to empower economic growth here?

The state is well poised to build upon its expanding role as the destination for key high-tech, high-wage industries such as semiconductors, electric vehicle manufacturing, startups and more. As legal counsel, we hear frequently from clients with headquarters outside Arizona that our state has unique appeal as a cost-effective venue. Having a business-friendly climate in terms of economic incentives for relocation, a talented and diverse workforce, and a reasonable regulatory climate has served us well.

Much progress has been made in allowing those considering Arizona to see why it has been the home of choice for so many of us. It is critical that we continue to invest in education and the community resources that enrich the lives of our people if we want to draw leaders with options to bring their families and teams to our state.

What is new and notable for your company’s near future that will impact our economy?

On a local basis, we look forward to a physical move in 2022. While the Phoenix office move will decrease our physical footprint in the Valley from 170,000 to 115,000 square feet, we anticipate that our team will continue to expand across both transactional and litigation practices. With this move, we are considering ESG factors. We see opportunities for enhanced efficiencies and new ways of working together as we look forward to our next chapter.

More broadly, our firm is focused on expanding our expertise, from local knowledge to global ties, to support our clients’ success. With offices spanning the Western U.S., plus D.C. and Mexico, we have seen opportunities for growth and talent recruitment that is unprecedented. We find that great lawyers want to live and work where we are located and are embracing our flexible approach to an in-person/remote work balance.

Name of Leader: Barbara J. Dawson Position of Leader: Partner Company Name: Snell & Wilmer No. of Years with Company: 32

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

Main Local Office Address: One Arizona Center 400 E. Van Buren St. Phoenix, AZ 85004-2202 Phone: (602) 382-6235

Number of offices in Greater Phoenix: 1 Year Established Locally: 1938 City Nationally Headquartered: Phoenix

Website: swlaw.com

DEC. 2021

33

21Top Leaders Kate Gallego Mayor

City of Phoenix

Q:

What most notably stands out about your leadership style or what is an example of leadership success you can share with our readers?

In politics, there is always a temptation to focus on the short-term. I try to think longer term and plan for the type of city we want to leave our kids. I have worked for a more diverse economy with jobs in areas such as healthcare and semiconductors. (And those jobs are great, since at least my kid is often better at electronic devices than his mother!)

I have really enjoyed my work on Phoenix’s citywide transportation plan through 2050, which was the largest local government commitment to transportation infrastructure in the country when it passed in 2015.

Transportation 2050 has helped us improve our bus and rail system while also dramatically cutting down on potholes.

I have also worked with my fellow mayors and other partners to work on a regional plan that will go to the voters soon and will help our county for decades to come.

What impact has COVID-19 or the disruptions of the past 18 months had on you as a leader?

COVID has been painful, and hard for all of us. The pandemic began during my first year as mayor. One of things the pandemic pushed me to do was to broaden the group of people who help me make decisions. I am thankful for groups that range from the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce to ASU health faculty to small businessowners and fellow mayors who have shared their expertise. I have tried to put the health and safety of this community first in my decisions, and I couldn’t do that without partners.

On a personal note, in the past months I have lost my mom, my grandfather, my family dog and many good friends. I know many families who have been impacted much more deeply than I have. I am grateful for the people who have been kind on hard days, or tolerant when my son slammed the laptop shut during a Zoom meeting. Perhaps because the family cat or kid now wander into meetings, I think I have become more conscious of other people’s personal lives, and I appreciate that many people have done the same for me.

What do you feel we can be doing as a business community to empower economic growth here?

From global companies headquartered in Phoenix to our small businesses, from our recognized universities to schools and neighborhood workforce development partners, and from our researchers to entrepreneurs, Phoenicians tackle solutions as a team, and that is what companies discover when they come here.

Everyone talks about our big win in attracting Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation, which in itself is incredibly significant; however,

Name of Leader: Kate Gallego Position of Leader: Mayor City Name: City of Phoenix No. of Years as Mayor: 8

34

DEC. 2021

if you remove TSMC from the equation, we still experienced our largest year of capital investment — and that was all during the pandemic.

We are systematically strengthening our pipeline of talent, working with our schools and universities to ensure programs can meet the future needs of the businesses we are attracting, and implementing workforce upskilling and reskilling programs, even dedicating federal funds to help displaced workers pivot into new careers.

In 2014, when I was a councilwoman, the average annual salary for a job the city attracted was $36,000. Today, that figure has doubled to more than $72,000. My work with our partners in economic development has brought about growth in advanced manufacturing, electric vehicles, unmanned systems and aerospace, bioscience and healthcare, advanced patient care, implantable devices, and important R&D. We are growing the jobs important to a sustainable future for the health of our city and for the families who are proud to call Phoenix home.

What is new and notable for your company’s near future that will impact our economy?

I am very excited for some of the investments we will be making to improve life for Phoenicians. We are going to make upgrades to the airport that should make it easier to get to the airport and shorten wait times on the tarmac.

We are going to make major investments in training workforce in key areas such as advanced manufacturing, electric vehicles and healthcare. I know a lot of people are making decisions about where they want to work, and the city wants our residents to have rewarding career options in our community.

We are also introducing several important affordable housing opportunities from grants to nonprofits to an expansion of our hotels to housing programs. One of my favorite projects is with U.S. VETS, where we have found a great space for our veterans to call home in Phoenix.

My work on infrastructure and climate lays an important foundation for the future of Phoenix. Last month, at COP26 (the UN Climate Conference) in Glasgow, I was named Public Sector Co-chair of the 50 Liter Home Coalition (50L Home), a collaborative of private, public and civic leaders who aim to reinvent the future of urban water use through innovations that reduce carbon emissions and promote water security.

Main Local Office Address: 200 W. Washington St. Phoenix, AZ 85003 Phone: (602) 262-7111

Read full answer online at inbusinessphx.com »

Number of offices in Greater Phoenix: 1 City Nationally Headquartered: Phoenix

Website: phoenix.gov

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

John Giles Mayor

City of Mesa

Q:

What most notably stands out about your leadership style or what is an example of leadership success you can share with our readers?

I am compelled by working with my community to find resolutions. I enjoy convening people to better understand issues and working together to solve problems. Inviting different perspectives from the community to accomplish big goals is rewarding, and it’s one of the things I enjoy most about the role of Mayor. I do not take for granted the impact we can have through working together for the best interest of our community.

My deep roots in Mesa have always been the driving force for leadership — I‘ve always felt compelled and honored to serve in my hometown. I hope I can inspire or encourage people of all ages to find opportunities to get involved in their community. I’m inspired by the Mayor’s Youth Committee, an aspirational group of high school juniors and seniors from schools throughout Mesa. It’s enlightening to see through the eyes of these future leaders who have an opportunity to learn about local government and to participate in service projects for a school year. I always ask them to return to Mesa when they are ready to step into the workforce. We’re going to need them!

What impact has COVID-19 or the disruptions of the past 18 months had on you as a leader?

The pandemic taught us unforgettable lessons, many of which have transformed the ways we work and live. As mayor of a large city, the experience of navigating food insecurity, housing issues, social isolation, the digital divide, access to education and challenges faced by our small businesses provided clarity on the needs in our community and informed future programs.

I’m proud of the way the City of Mesa responded, and how we’re growing to better serve our residents. We’ve always said small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and the support programs that grew out of our COVID-19 response will continue through the Mesa Business Builder, providing a wide range of technical assistance to our businesses.

Homelessness was a crisis before the pandemic, but COVID-19 intensified the crisis and showed us the urgency of addressing the issue.

As chair of the Maricopa Association of Governments Regional Council, I’m working closely with leaders throughout our region to coordinate a regional plan to address homelessness.

While no one could have predicted or wanted the COVID-19 pandemic, we will be stronger as leaders for having gone through this alongside our community organizations, faith groups and volunteers that support our residents every day. Our partnerships are stronger, our connection to residents is deeper and we’re moving ahead with an eye toward a bright future.

Name of Leader: John Giles Position of Leader: Mayor City Name: City of Mesa No. of Years as Mayor: 8

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

What do you feel we can be doing as a business community to empower economic growth here?

We’ve seen remarkable economic growth in Mesa, despite the challenges of the pandemic. It’s because we have all the right ingredients, and we’ve always been strategic about infrastructure investments. Mesa is home to Amazon, Apple, AT&T, Boeing, Dexcom and Google. This year, we’ve announced the addition of Facebook, ElectraMeccanica and Gulfstream, among others, adding to the long list of dynamic businesses that choose to locate in Mesa.

CEOs have shared that they are attracted to Mesa and the region because of our engaged workforce, access to their target market, great community partners, existing infrastructure coupled with future investments and the fact that the City of Mesa is business friendly, working together with businesses to overcome obstacles.

We’ve also seen success in in building strategic partnerships between the private sector, local government and our educational institutions, providing solutions for workforce needs and strengthening job opportunities for residents. Continuing to work this way can set us up for continued success.

What is new and notable for your company’s near future that will impact our economy?

In Mesa, we continue to see notable groundbreakings, openings and expansions. This growth is the direct result of Mesa’s strategic investment in infrastructure, preservation of what makes our city unique and intentional support of small businesses.

In FY21, more than 2,600 jobs were created or announced by 46 different companies, including Amazon, Comarch, ElectraMeccanica, Auer Precision, CMC Steel and Dexcom. Growth and expansion projects resulted in the creation and absorption of more than 3.7 million square feet of space and capital investment that exceeded $1.2 billion.

Mesa College Promise, a program supported by the business community that fills the financial gap for qualified high school seniors to attend Mesa Community College, welcomed its first class this year. We announced our Climate Action Plan with aspirational goals to be carbon neutral by 2050. ASU @ Mesa City Center is in a later stage of construction and downtown Mesa is taking shape as the innovation district we envisioned. Gateway Airport continues to see record travel, and the new control tower, terminal improvements and apron expansions will accommodate the fast-growing needs of our city and the region.

Main Local Office Address: 20 E. Main St. Mesa, AZ 85201 Phone: (480) 644-2388 Website: mesaaz.gov

Number of offices in Greater Phoenix: 1 Founded in: 1878 City Nationally Headquartered: Mesa, AZ

DEC. 2021

35

21Top Leaders Neil G. Giuliano President & CEO

Greater Phoenix Leadership

Q:

What most notably stands out about your leadership style or what is an example of leadership success you can share with our readers?

People support what they help create; it’s not about me, it’s about we. Our strategic plan, public policy and member engagement redesigns were all collaborative and inclusive efforts to advance the mission of the organization. As a result, we are more effective and impactful with our community betterment work as business leaders.

We will continue to identify and work on the most pressing long-term challenges for our great state. From education, transportation and water to arts and culture, affordable housing and criminal justice innovation, we are organized, engaged and partnering to better our state.

What impact has COVID-19 or the disruptions of the past 18 months had on you as a leader?

We have learned to listen more; accept where people are; share, reflect, and adjust as necessary to ensure we keep moving forward even in challenging times.

Personally, I have witnessed people slowing down, exercising patience and supporting each other as 90% of the staff experienced COVID-19 firsthand and we all learned to fill in as necessary to ensure the work gets done.

Also, we need to acknowledge the workplace changes that will likely be permanent: flex time, some amount of remote work when feasible and accommodating employee’s needs.

What do you feel we can be doing as a business community to empower economic growth here?

We need to recognize that growth should occur at every level of the economy and that every level is important. We must prepare for the future more intently with workforce training, housing and societal support, all of which enable grater economic growth.

This will mean greater policy advocacy related to employees and monitoring the further changes ahead for the workforce.

We must remember our people are our greatest asset and it is their work product that will create the capacity for our economy to grow. Those will be important conversations to have as we look into 2022 and beyond.

What is new and notable for your company’s near future that will impact our economy?

Greater Phoenix Leadership, functioning as a CEO Business Roundtable, is committed to leading efforts for improving racial equity in Arizona. All initiatives related to greater Latino attainment in Arizona — in education, workforce development and across all metrics — must be heightened for the future strength of our economy and state.

When we do more in a sustained way on these issues, we will impact all aspects of the community for the betterment of our state. This is an imperative for our future in Arizona.

Name of Leader: Neil G. Giuliano Position of Leader: President & CEO Company Name: Greater Phoenix Leadership No. of Years with Company: 6

36

DEC. 2021

Main Local Office Address: 400 E. Van Buren St. Phoenix, AZ 85004 Phone: (602) 252-5667 Website: gplinc.org

Number of offices in Greater Phoenix: 1 Year Established Locally: 1974 City Nationally Headquartered: Phoenix

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

Adam Goodman CEO

Goodmans Interior Structures

Q:

What most notably stands out about your leadership style or what is an example of leadership success you can share with our readers?

Each year, we set the same three goals for ourselves. The goals are prioritized, so that the first goal — to be a best place to work — is most important to achieve while the third goal — a profitability benchmark — is least important. That prioritization makes it clear, to the entire company, that there is nothing more important than the welfare of our people.

Plenty of companies proclaim that their people are paramount, but their annual goals are misaligned with that assertion. I like to say that if you show me the priority of your annual goals, I will show you the values of your company.

What impact has COVID-19 or the disruptions of the past 18 months had on you as a leader?

In 2020, we had the highest sales revenue in our 67-year history, despite the fact that our offices were closed for the entire year. This taught me that people can be productive working from home, so we want to continue that.

But some work activities are difficult to do from home, so we need to repurpose the office to optimize for those activities. For example, meetings longer than one hour are more effective in person than virtual. The same is true for socializing to build trust and culture. And, ironically, heads-down concentrative work is also more effective in the office than at home. We are redesigning our space, and our customer’s spaces, to compel employees to leave their home and come into the office because they choose to perform those activities in an optimized environment.

My personal leadership style didn’t change very much through the pandemic. We have a high-trust culture that was already well-positioned for remote work. Goodmans has always had a liberal work-from-home policy as part of our ambition to be a positive influence on our employees’ family life.

When the pandemic hit, it was no different than if everyone in the company suddenly had to stay home to take care of a sick kid … for 18 months.

What do you feel we can be doing as a business community to empower economic growth here?

Our Latino community is a massive, underutilized economic engine that needs to be engaged. In Phoenix, non-Latinos are six times more likely to own an employer business than Latinos. If we can inspire and support our Latino community to pursue entrepreneurship at a rate closer to the rest of the population, we could self-generate a massive economic boom. To help, non-Latino businesses can diversify their supply chain, support technical assistance programs like Fuerza Local, or get engaged with the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

What is new and notable for your company’s near future that will impact our economy?

We have become the first distributor in the world to represent both Herman Miller and Knoll. Both of these rival manufacturers have deep legacies as industry pioneers, and are widely recognized as innovative and thoughtful leaders in modern design. We have been partners with Herman Miller since 1968, and bringing Knoll into our family is a dream come true.

Our customers now have access to the best of both worlds!

We anticipate the tail of the pandemic to be active as employees return to the office and companies modify their space to accommodate hybrid work.

It’s going to be a busy couple of years for us as businesses reposition their offices to compete for talent with other, more progressive organizations.

Name of Leader: Adam Goodman Position of Leader: CEO Company Name: Goodmans Interior Structures No. of Years with Company: 28

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

Main Local Office Address: 1400 E. Indian School Rd. Phoenix 85014 Phone: (602) 263-1110 Website: goodmans.com

Number of offices in Greater Phoenix: 2 Year Established Locally: 1954 City Nationally Headquartered: Phoenix

DEC. 2021

37

21Top Leaders Scott Harkey CEO

OH Partners

Q:

What most notably stands out about your leadership style or what is an example of leadership success you can share with our readers?

I believe the No. 1 trait of a great leader is empathy. This is especially true now, when we’re all dealing with the devastating impacts of a global pandemic and political and financial uncertainty. As a fairly young CEO, I feel a great responsibility to empower our team members to grow professionally.

While my title is CEO, I really view my role as a coach. Fortunately, I’ve learned from both good and bad coaches, and being a father has also helped me develop a nurturing coaching style. I aspire to be like my own coaches, who provide encouragement, but also continue to challenge me to do better.

I believe I have been most successful helping my team with conflict resolution. Often in business, we tell people what they want to hear but not what needs to be said. I try to facilitate conversations that are deeper, open and transparent. Conflicts are going to happen, and there will be failures. No matter how uncomfortable, it’s important to discuss conflicts, and the best way to do that is with respect and authenticity.

What impact has COVID-19 or the disruptions of the past 18 months had on you as a leader?

We’ve all been changed profoundly by this pandemic, but I have been encouraged by the resiliency that I have witnessed, particularly among our team members. We’ve certainly had our share of challenges as we tried to navigate this new world, but we’ve been forced to come up with creative solutions.

For example, at the onset of the pandemic, we had to quickly shift to animation and using stock footage instead of shooting due to COVID restrictions and stay-at-home orders. We learned to pivot quickly to keep our clients’ voices in the market while still staying sensitive and relevant to the times. The way we create content is different now, too, due to changes in media consumption. There’s a greater emphasis on social media and creating bite-sized content.

But even more important than operational challenges, I was most concerned about the well-being of our employees. We went from having a vibrant office to working remotely, and I knew many team members were struggling with isolation. Our leadership team spent more time checking in on team members and we tried to keep connected with fun, virtual events. We also offered free counseling to employees — something we continue today.

What do you feel we can be doing as a business community to empower economic growth here?

Despite so many challenges that this pandemic created, I think we have been doing a great job in so many sectors. We’re recovering jobs faster than

Name of Leader: Scott Harkey Position of Leader: CEO Company Name: OH Partners No. of Years with Company: 13

38

DEC. 2021

most states, and I was encouraged by the recent Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity report, which predicts more than 700,000 jobs will be created by 2030.

I also think we can do a better job of fostering more partnerships and collaborations among entrepreneurs. In many ways, entrepreneurs are the engine of economic development. We can do a better job of finding more ways to support their innovation, whether that’s through more angel venture capital, startup incubators, simplifying local regulations or other efforts.

I’d like to see Phoenix become known as a creative, collaborative community, similar to Austin, Nashville and Los Angeles. We’re gaining steam, but I think we can do more to engage and spark these collaborations.

What is new and notable for your company’s near future that will impact our economy?

We’ve been hyper-focused on growth, and we’re proud to include multiple Fortune 1000 companies in our roster of clients. Our organic growth outside of Arizona allows us to hire more people in Arizona, and we’re already planning for a more than 30% increase in job creation in 2022.

Last year, Matt Owens and I created a holdings company, OH, with the goal of offering the world’s biggest brands speed, value and results.

Our OH family of companies consists of award-winning, inclusive national agencies, including OH Partners, an Inc. 500/5000 company and full-service advertising agency; Nomadic, a national digital creative agency; Matter Films, a creative and production film company; OH Predictive Insights, a highly regarded market research firm; OH Strategic Communications, a strategic communications and public affairs powerhouse; and OH Adaptive, a dynamic firm that provides highly customized strategic marketing services.

We work with many notable brands in diverse categories, such as gaming, tourism and hospitality, entertainment, healthcare and consumer packaged goods. All our clients contribute to the economy through significant media buys and other marketing investments.

OH is growing, and we’re currently seeking other specialized agencies to join our OH family.

Main Local Office Address: 3550 N. Central Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85012 Phone: (602) 254-5159 Website: ohpartners.com

Number of offices in Greater Phoenix: 1 Year Established Locally: 2008 City Nationally Headquartered: Phoenix

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

Sharon Harper

CEO, Chairman & Co-Founder

Plaza Companies

Q:

What most notably stands out about your leadership style or what is an example of leadership success you can share with our readers?

At Plaza Companies, we are committed to success, engagement, performance and persistence. Traits that are embedded in every decision, project and relationship are respect, accountability and excellence. This describes what I strive for daily as CEO and chairman. But leadership at Plaza Companies really excels in these areas as well. Every sector of Plaza has a depth of impressive leaders in their respective fields, and these experts serve as members of the Plaza Executive Council. The leadership is deep, diverse and highly talented — this is the true example of superb leadership.

Great leadership empowers others, and it is the growth and success of many that create essential depth, education, loyalty and opportunity for an organization. I am very proud of the successes that have resulted from the leadership style and depth at Plaza Companies.

What impact has COVID-19 or the disruptions of the past 18 months had on you as a leader?

Plaza Companies decided at the very beginning of COVID that no employee would be put on leave, have their compensation reduced or have their hours reduced. Although at the time the future was uncertain, Plaza put our team first. We protected their jobs, salaries, families and work environment.

We were committed to our responsibilities as an organization. Our tenants, buildings and projects were protected and managed and we did all we could to not miss a beat during the pandemic. It was a struggle for Plaza just as it was for everyone, but that commitment and consistent approach paid off. The company continued to grow, construction projects stayed on track, and our support of tenants and their many different situations saved the day.

During the pandemic crisis, I personally engaged in sourcing and distributing Personal Protective Equipment at a time when government, hospital systems, senior living communities and nonprofit organizations were desperate and at risk. Along with a colleague, I brought in 11 million pieces of PPE. Governor Ducey provided distribution support from the Arizona National Guard and the PPE went to most every hospital throughout the State of Arizona, the Native Tribal Lands, public safety organizations and senior living communities.

What do you feel we can be doing as a business community to empower economic growth here?

Strong engagement in the community, education institutions, boards and commissions, government and nonprofits can empower our entire city and

Name of Leader: Sharon Harper Position of Leader: CEO, Chairman & Co-Founder Company Name: Plaza Companies No. of Years with Company: 39

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

state. This collaboration of time and talent brings power and a higher level of success to all. Plaza Companies strongly encourages community engagement at all levels as we believe it is our responsibility as business leaders.

Significant engagement in politics, including supporting strong political leaders, will greatly impact the future of Arizona. As leaders, we should be uniquely focused on protecting and enhancing the reputation and the brand of our State.

Finally, active engagement in the top areas that strengthen economic growth is essential. From my perspective, the top priorities are education from early childhood through K–12 and into higher education, as well as job training. Ensuring opportunity for every single child and every zip code equally is paramount, and it’s important we support job training programs and options, equality in healthcare delivery and services for every citizen, job and education opportunities for those released from prisons, and immigration reform to provide employment. Success with these specific focuses would transform the future for our residents and for our State.

What is new and notable for your company’s near future that will impact our economy?

Plaza Companies has an exciting and bright horizon!

Our success and our growth — the very future of the organization — is on the shoulders of a great reputation, years of performance and results, a dynamic and talented leadership group, and core values that have not wavered.

We are immensely proud of our partnerships with Arizona State University, Creighton University Health Sciences Campus and the municipalities of Phoenix, Scottsdale, Glendale and Peoria. We greatly value our institutional and health systems partners, our business partners and investors, our tenants, our employees, and our architect and general contractor partners.

2022 will see significant new development and growth at SkySong, The ASU Scottsdale Innovation Center, Park Central, our medical office and senior housing platforms, City of Glendale projects, and growth in our thirdparty services with our institutional and family office investors.

Main Local Office Address: 9401 W. Thunderbird Rd. Peoria, AZ 85381 Phone: (623) 972-1184 Website: theplazaco.com

Number of offices in Greater Phoenix: 5 Year Established Locally: 1982 City Nationally Headquartered: Peoria

DEC. 2021

39

21Top Leaders Pam Kehaly President & CEO

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona

Q:

What most notably stands out about your leadership style or what is an example of leadership success you can share with our readers?

There are always 1,000 reasons not to do something. It is much easier and more comfortable to support a path of inaction versus action. When the state reached out to request our help staffing a 24/7 drive-through COVID-19 vaccine site at State Farm, I had 1,000 reasons to say no — most notably that we had never done anything like this before.

With a week of preparation, we rallied more than 300 BCBSAZ volunteers daily to staff the site — from January through March — working three shifts a day; around the clock; in the wind, sun and rain. Our priority was vaccinating as many Arizonans as possible, and we were committed to changing our everyday life to support the community.

It would have been so much easier to simply say no — however, finding ways to say yes is what truly drives meaningful, positive change.

What impact has COVID-19 or the disruptions of the past 18 months had on you as a leader?

COVID taught me to be more aware of incremental, iterative change versus wholesale meaningful change. We all see the world through the lens of our own experience, so it is many times extremely difficult to envision the magnitude of the possible versus a version of an existing product or program.

Most company change is iterative — we take the models that are familiar and tweak them to make them marginally different. Prior to COVID, my version of a progressive workforce strategy, for instance, was having select positions work from home occasionally. This was simply an iteration of the predominant model of working in the office. COVID allowed me to look at workforce strategy in a completely different way — it rendered my lens of experience useless and forced me to view the entire range of possibilities versus an iteration of the norm. Many things I thought I knew about culture, collaboration in a workplace setting, relationships with customers, and people’s capacity for change came crashing down.

As business leaders, our beliefs have been challenged. We would do well to keep a learner’s mindset as we encounter a future that is forever changed.

While difficult, it is hugely beneficial to take off the lens of our experience and try and look at things from a completely different perspective.

Name of Leader: Pam Kehaly Position of Leader: President & CEO Company Name: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona No. of Years with Company: 4

40

DEC. 2021

What do you feel we can be doing as a business community to empower economic growth here?

As a business community, it’s important to embrace and engage Arizona’s startup, early-stage and innovation community. We’re fortunate to live in a growth state, and supporting these emerging companies at the grassroots level provides additional resources to promote their success. Additionally, talent acquisition is an important aspect of business growth plans.

Since we are focused on Arizona, we work closely with customers to design and deliver health coverage needed to acquire talent in a tight job market. For example, we worked closely with the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to introduce “Cultivate” insurance plan options designed to meet the health needs of AZHCC members and their employees.

What is new and notable for your company’s near future that will impact our economy?

As we head into the new year, at BCBSAZ we are partnering with business leaders to tackle unsustainable healthcare cost escalation. Members and employers have made it clear that they are looking for affordable health coverage and care.

At BCBSAZ, we continue to go to bat for affordability. Currently, we are gauging against medical inflation so providers are covered but customers don’t see unnecessary increases. Another area to impact is pharmacy, both in helping members find lower-cost options and ensuring that members are taking medications as prescribed.

Healthcare should be accessible to all, yet the cost of healthcare is out of reach for many. This is an issue that must be solved collaboratively, with everyone from the healthcare ecosystem at the table. We are actively looking for new ways to ensure health is affordable for Arizonans.

Main Local Office Address: 2444 W. Las Palmaritas Dr. Phoenix, AZ 85021 Phone: (602) 864-4100 Website: azblue.com

Number of offices in Greater Phoenix: 1 Year Established Locally: 1939 City Nationally Headquartered: Phoenix

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

Jonathan Keyser Founder

Keyser

Q:

What most notably stands out about your leadership style or what is an example of leadership success you can share with our readers?

I’ve built my commercial real estate brokerage firm, Keyser, around selfless leadership and selfless service. This strategy has allowed my firm to skyrocket to eight figures and has been a catalyst that attracts high-caliber talent and loyal clients.

Keyser is different from any other commercial real estate firm and is disrupting the industry because of the way we operate. We only serve and represent tenants, keeping us free of conflicts of interest; are collaborative between members and teams; and are centered on 15 core operating principles.

As a leader, it’s my duty and honor to serve my team, help them be successful, and lead by example, which is why my most notable leadership quality is my ability to listen and serve. While it may seem simple, many business leaders today are missing this vital quality. So much so that, as we kick off 2022, I am kicking off a leadership workshop series that teaches C-Suite leaders to implement a selfless service strategy into their own business. Those who adopt this game-changing approach to business will see the impacts reflected in their recruitment, retention and referral quality.

What impact has COVID-19 or the disruptions of the past 18 months had on you as a leader?

While many business leaders may have a negative perception about the events of 2020/2021, I refuse to see that time as anything less than a gift.

The pandemic allowed me to be a better, more intentional leader.

As a firm, Keyser has always focused on selfless service, but our culture became more important than ever when connecting with my team and my clients. With the uncertainty rising, especially in the commercial real estate industry, we doubled down on our efforts to serve every individual, not just clients, whom we met, regardless of the immediate benefit to us. Moreover, we served without asking for anything in return — that’s how we define selfless service at Keyser.

With the health of their businesses on the line, many leaders were open to hearing and implementing new commercial real estate strategies that could not only save them money on their office, industrial, retail or healthcare leases, but provide stability and flexibility for their professional futures. As skilled negotiators for one of the most inflexible and costly elements in a business, our perspective and services were highly beneficial to our clients.

We were able to be a positive force for many in an uncertain time, and we continue to have the opportunity to serve companies because of their new, post-pandemic need to be flexible with their commercial real estate.

Name of Leader: Jonathan Keyser Position of Leader: Founder Company Name: Keyser No. of Years with Company: 8

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

What do you feel we can be doing as a business community to empower economic growth here?

As many business leaders are already aware, the old way of doing things will not be sufficient for this new era. For some, that means offering flexible space for employees, which could mean offering the choice to work from home or the office. For others, that means doubling down on creating a culture that attracts top talent. As a business community, we need to make sure Arizona companies can be sustainable. From my perspective, that ability comes only by attracting top talent to our market.

As a company, Keyser recognized this need early on. Currently, we are working with dozens of local organizations to reduce their commercial real estate costs by renegotiating their lease agreements and helping them define their workforce and workplace strategy. The attention to commercial real estate and the needs of employees, in combination with a focus on cultural development, will help strengthen our business community.

What is new and notable for your company’s near future that will impact our economy?

Keyser is continuously focusing on the needs of our clients and adjusting our services to fit those needs. Currently, our clients have verbalized a significant need in cultural development, which is why we’re launching the 6,7,8 Workshop Series. This, in combination with some of our more established service lines like commercial real estate, project management, and business advisory services, will create an environment for our clients to thrive. Our job as client representatives is to do whatever we can to help our clients succeed, regardless of our job description. As a result, we often find ourselves customizing our services to fit our clients.

Another, more recent, service line we’ve developed this year is our business brokerage services. As business brokers, we assist entrepreneurs in the Greater Phoenix area and beyond who are buying or selling a business. Whether it’s an industrial-, retail-, office-, franchise- or servicebased business, we help business owners navigate each stage of the business selling and/or buying process.

Main Local Office Address: 4141 N. Scottsdale Rd. Scottsdale, AZ 85251 Phone: (602) 909-8081 Website: keyser.com

Number of offices in Greater Phoenix: 1 Year Established Locally: 2013 City Nationally Headquartered: Scottsdale

DEC. 2021

41

21Top Leaders Devney Preuss President & CEO

Downtown Phoenix Inc.

Q:

What most notably stands out about your leadership style or what is an example of leadership success you can share with our readers?

I hope my organization would say I advocate for the team’s needs, whether that’s evolving roles to create new growth and development opportunities, increased schedule flexibility or just taking the time to learn how to most effectively communicate with each team member.

I strive to be an authentic leader, and accountability, fairness and gratitude are important pillars of our organizational culture. Developing clear and consistent company policies, organizational work plans and setting priorities and goals for each employee helps us achieve these pillars.

And when we accomplish our goals, whether individually or collectively, it’s equally important to celebrate the wins!

And lastly and most importantly, no relationship is insignificant. I often observe that Downtown Phoenix has been built on relationships, and the greatest strength of Downtown Phoenix Inc. is our connectivity to the neighborhood. Our work should reflect the priorities of those in the community, and that’s accomplished through our relationships with our stakeholders. From the small, locally owned restaurant to the large corporate employer Downtown and to the community groups representing the adjacent neighborhoods and districts, every stakeholder perspective contributes to the success of our work. It always starts with the relationship.

What impact has COVID-19 or the disruptions of the past 18 months had on you as a leader?

While our organization ultimately needs to be in the office and engaged with our downtown neighborhood in order to do our jobs to the fullest, flexibility and accommodating staff needs are paramount.

We’re making sure our employees are taking care of themselves and their families first. Since every person’s experience during COVID is different, we have led with compassion and empathy when updating our return-to-office plan as well as employees’ needs for time off for child care, elder care and their own mental health. Asking “Why?” when developing COVID-related policies, such as return-to-the-office requirements, has helped put our employees and their safety first.

Prioritizing employee safety and health while also delivering on our work plan was a rigorous challenge but one we rose to together.

Name of Leader: Devney Preuss Position of Leader: President & CEO Company Name: Downtown Phoenix Inc. No. of Years with Company: 5

42

DEC. 2021

What do you feel we can be doing as a business community to empower economic growth here?

In partnership with the City of Phoenix and through collaboration with the business community and other community and economic development organizations, we must continue to make Downtown Phoenix a place for all. This means more dynamic jobs, improved access through multimodal transportation, more housing options, increasingly diverse cultural amenities and safer streets and sidewalks.

What is new and notable for your company’s near future that will impact our economy?

We are continuing to grow and strengthen our DTPHX Ambassadors and Clean & Green programs. Their invaluable work helps maintain our reputation as one of the cleanest, safest and most welcoming downtowns in the country. These services help us increase convention business, attract new employers and land mega events like Super Bowl (2023), NCAA Men’s Final Four (2024) and Women’s Final Four (2026).

Through Phoenix Community Alliance, the business leadership and advocacy affiliate of Downtown Phoenix Inc., fundraising for the revitalization of Margaret T. Hance Park continues. Every great city needs a great urban park, and PCA, in partnership with the City of Phoenix and Hance Park Conservancy, is leading a capital campaign to transform Hance Park into an iconic, must-see urban park that will contribute to the thriving, world class city Phoenix is becoming.

Main Local Office Address: 1 E. Washington St. Phoenix, AZ 85004 Phone: (602) 254-8696 Website: dtphx.org

Number of offices in Greater Phoenix: 1 Year Established Locally: 2013 City Nationally Headquartered: Phoenix

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

Dave Ralston Arizona Market CEO

BOK Financial

Q:

What most notably stands out about your leadership style or what is an example of leadership success you can share with our readers?

I have always emphasized the need to find the best talent in the marketplace, provide the support they need, and focus on enhancing their careers through training and development. We offer three leadership development programs within our organization: • Accelerated Career Track is a one-year training and development program that prepares selected high-caliber college graduates for a career within BOK Financial. The program assists with their transition from college to professional working life through an introduction to different lines of business in the organization and professional development skills. The year ends with participation in track-specific rotations.

• Emerge, which is for emerging leaders in the organization, and Empower Engage for established leaders’ further development.

Participants in both programs partner with the Harvard School of Business for leadership development to learn from Harvard thought leaders and gain key competency development, utilizing best-in-class curriculum. Participants are also assigned to a cross-functional team to complete an assigned business case.

In addition to the above leadership programs, all BOK Financial employees have access to multiple online educational courses that allow individuals to expand their knowledge and skills at their own pace. LinkedIn Learning courses focused on the organization’s core competencies as well as business, technical and soft skill development. Employees want to know that, in addition to supporting them in their current role, you are looking to advance their career and provide additional opportunities for advancement.

What impact has COVID-19 or the disruptions of the past 18 months had on you as a leader?

The pandemic placed unprecedented hardships on so many individuals and families and some are still trying to recover. I am so proud of our team and their resilience in overcoming these challenges and continuing to support our clients. Many of our staff shifted from their normal daily activities to support our clients with their PPP loan process from application to forgiveness or payoff. They were there for our clients every step of the way while also balancing a new day-to-day at home.

As a leader, I found understanding their challenges and expressing compassion became more important during the past 18 months.

Name of Leader: Dave Ralston Position of Leader: Arizona Market CEO Company Name: BOK Financial No. of Years with Company: 37

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

What do you feel we can be doing as a business community to empower economic growth here?

The various chambers of commerce and state-supported economic groups do a great job of attracting new business to our state. It is our role as community leaders to support their initiatives. As long as we continue to promote favorable tax policies and a pro-business environment, companies will consider Arizona for their growth and expansion.

What is new and notable for your company’s near future that will impact our economy?

BOK Financial has grown since entering the Arizona market in 2005 because we’re so much more than a bank. We’re a financial services partner with diverse expertise for consumers, businesses and wealth clients alike.

We build relationships so that our team of experts know our customer’s unique needs, providing them with new technologies, infrastructure and business services to meet their changing needs.

Two areas of service modernization and enhancement right now are the private wealth platform and treasury services platforms. We also added insurance services for our clients.

In the future, we will continue to expand existing lines of business and consider opportunistic growth to serve our clients and help build the Arizona economy. With this growth of our organization, we expect to add to our workforce and recruit top talent to the marketplace.

Main Local Office Address: 16767 North Perimeter Dr. Scottsdale, AZ 85260 Phone: (480) 459-2821 Website: bokfinancial.com

Number of offices in Greater Phoenix: 7 Year Established Locally: 2005 City Nationally Headquartered: Tulsa, OK

DEC. 2021

43

21Top Leaders Nate Rhoton Executive Director

one-n-ten

Q:

What most notably stands out about your leadership style or what is an example of leadership success you can share with our readers?

Over the last 25 years, I have been in various degrees of leadership, ranging from small organizations to Fortune 100, for-profit and nonprofit, with teams consisting of two reports to more than 100. Therefore, my leadership style has continually evolved with each new opportunity. I learned where my strengths are best served and, likewise, where I needed to improve, change or adapt. A style of leadership that worked at a Fortune 100 in 2003 may not serve me today at a smaller nonprofit.

During this time, one quality that has stayed true is my willingness to be a servant leader, one who sees the strengths in others and manages to those specific qualities. At one-n-ten, I view myself as the person responsible for making sure my team has the resources they need in order for everyone to do the life-changing work they do so well.

When I became the executive director, I flipped the org chart upside down, putting myself at the bottom and demonstrating the importance of our frontline staff. This also demonstrated how my position is the proverbial tree, with expanding roots, working to provide what our staff needs most to succeed.

What impact has COVID-19 or the disruptions of the past 18 months had on you as a leader?

The pandemic has shaken companies far and wide. Many leaders have left the sector completely, while others have made major career changes as a result. My experience is not any different and there were many moments when I thought long and hard if I was the right one to lead the charge or if I could continue.

Despite the stress of managing through the unknown, there were many silver linings. One was most certainly my staff. I learned I could trust my team to work remote, be collaborative and focus on our mission, despite the upheaval around us.

I was never a believer in remote work, but now I see it as an effective tool for various roles and it offers flexibility for those who need it. The ROI for the organization is staff who feel valued, trusted and empowered to lead, while leveraging technology to allow us to be more effective. Truly a win-win.

Name of Leader: Nate Rhoton (he/him) Position of Leader: Executive Director Organization Name: 1n10, Inc. dba one-n-ten No. of Years with Organization: 6

44

DEC. 2021

What do you feel we can be doing as a business community to empower economic growth here?

Leadership does not begin and end at your office door. As a community, leaders must reach beyond their companies and organizations to help grow the community they call home.

I believe we live in one of the very best cities in America, poised for continued and vast growth. Each of us must be a part of this collaboration or, ultimately, we will only be as good as the weakest link of our connections.

To accomplish the synergistic potential, we must work together and be a part of the solution to community needs and issues. This may take the form of serving on a city commission, a nonprofit board or volunteering for a campaign or foodbank. Reaching out and being a part of the fabric of the community is necessary and makes us better leaders for our teams.

What is new and notable for your company’s near future that will impact our economy?

At one-n-ten, we believe in the potential of our LGBTQ youth and young adults. Often overlooked, marginalized populations such as ours (and others) can provide some of the best and brightest ideas, employees and leaders to our business community. Therefore, we actively worked through the pandemic to revamp and reinvent our Promise of a New Day (POND) Workforce and Supportive Housing programs. Relaunched this year, these two programs work to ensure our young people have the skills necessary to be actively employed in our community, while also creating the safety and support needed with adequate housing and social services to achieve the success we know they are capable of.

Through this work, along with our employer taskforce and community businesses supporting these programs, we are striving to bring capable young people into the job market, ready to make an impact on their community. Together we can make tomorrow better for all by focusing on the individual.

Main Local Office Address: 1101 N. Central Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85004 Phone: (602) 400-2601 Website: onenten.org

Number of offices in Greater Phoenix: 9 Year Established Locally: 1993 City Nationally Headquartered: Phoenix

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

David M. Roche Dickey Family Director & CEO

Heard Museum

Q:

What most notably stands out about your leadership style or what is an example of leadership success you can share with our readers?

I believe that our nation’s strength is in our diversity, and I had always thought of museums as being diverse and welcoming spaces. But a report produced by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation found that art museums on average weren’t particularly diverse. What was of particular interest to the Heard Museum was that fewer than 1% of jobs associated with the intellectual and educational mission of museums were held by Native Americans. We thought the Heard was well-positioned to address this by creating a program that would develop future Native American leaders for the museum field.

We’re now in our fifth year of the Andrew W. Mellon Fellowship Program and have trained nine Fellows. We hired Velma Craig, a Fellow who completed three years in the program, as an assistant curator. The Fellows have done outstanding work and enriched the Heard Museum with their energy and creativity. They curated an exhibition titled “Color Riot!” that is now touring the country and receiving rave reviews. Most of all, I’m pleased that their success is raising visibility for career opportunities in the museum field for Native Americans.

What impact has COVID-19 or the disruptions of the past 18 months had on you as a leader?

Over the past 18 months, we have developed a practice of assessing and adapting to continually changing circumstances — a practice that has been imperative throughout the organization. The success of this approach has

revealed the creative strength of the organization, which I will continue to cultivate and draw upon. For example, our temporary closure due to COVID-19 accelerated our plans to build our technological strengths so that we could engage virtually with the community. There is no substitute for experiencing the power of art in person, but adding a virtual dimension to our work has intriguing possibilities for deepening our visitors’ connections to art and to the Heard Museum.

What do you feel we can be doing as a business community to empower economic growth here?

We are struggling to find the talent and skill sets in the local workforce that we need to grow. By focusing on quality-of-life opportunities, I believe the business community will have an easier time attracting professionals to Phoenix. Supporting arts and culture, promoting the beauty and natural resources in the state, and developing sustainable living models are essential to this.

What is new and notable for your company’s near future that will impact our economy?

We received a seven-figure gift to renovate the Heard Museum Shop.

Planning is underway and construction is set to begin in summer 2022.

Wholesale improvements to the shop’s cases, lighting, flooring and overall design will be a game-changer for this jewel of our community, which helps to generate $46 million annually in economic activity across the State of Arizona and throughout Indian Country. Most importantly, the shop plays a vital role in supporting American Indian artists and families.

Name of Leader: David M. Roche Position of Leader: Dickey Family Director & CEO Company Name: Heard Museum No. of Years with Company: 6

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

Main Local Office Address: 2301 N. Central Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85004 Phone: (602) 252-8840 Website: heard.org

Number of offices in Greater Phoenix: 1 Year Established Locally: 1929 City Nationally Headquartered: Phoenix

DEC. 2021

45

21Top Leaders Troy Swope Co-Founder & CEO

Footprint

Q:

What most notably stands out about your leadership style or what is an example of leadership success you can share with our readers?

Footprint is a purpose-driven company. As a CEO who is also a co-founder, I make sure the original mission for Footprint — to create a healthier planet — is core to the conversations I have all day long.

I believe 100% in servant leadership, and I’m responsible for painting a picture of the future and then bringing in the best talent to bring it to life.

My goal is to lead from the perspective of the customer and to make sure we’re all obsessed with customer success.

Every Saturday, I have a Healthy Choice Power Bowl from Conagra — to see what our customers’ customers are experiencing. Today, millions of these plant-based fiber bowls are in supermarkets and we got there by having early customers who were partners in our journey, and by not being afraid to fail, learn and iterate.

I started my career at Intel, which really helped give me a reference at the beginning for what scaling looks like and how to prioritize when it seems like everything is urgent. I constantly remind people of our bigger mission, I dive into the details when needed and, at the same time, try to get out of the way when I need to.

What impact has COVID-19 or the disruptions of the past 18 months had on you as a leader?

As a business leader responding to disruptions over the past year and a half, you immediately go from a vision of the future and massive impact the business will have on the planet to focusing on survival. Making sure your team members are safe is priority one and then you can turn your focus on the mission, the survival of the business and how you can help your customer.

The dynamic environment that is COVID has taught me patience, excessive continuity planning and creating as much operational flexibility as possible. I will likely be far more cautious in the future.

What do you feel we can be doing as a business community to empower economic growth here?

Arizona is having a lot of success already. A limiter to growth will be the availability of labor. If we want sustained growth long term, we will need to embrace immigration — more H1B visas to bring in engineers and scientists and a much stronger labor relationship with Mexico. In addition, businesses have historically not selected Arizona because of education funding, so

Name of Leader: Troy Swope Position of Leader: Co-Founder & CEO Company Name: Footprint No. of Years with Company: 7

46

DEC. 2021

continued investment in education is a must. With all the technology companies in the Valley, why can’t we lead the country in math and science education, in grades 9–12?

We need to set the vision and ask Arizona companies to help create it. I guarantee they would not only provide money, they would provide time.

What is new and notable for your company’s near future that will impact our economy?

We’re focused on creating a healthier planet and today we’re inventing, designing and manufacturing plant-based materials that replace singleuse plastics — with an aspiration to completely transform supermarkets and rid them of plastic. That is a giant market opportunity. You can see our solutions at Fry’s, Trader Joe’s and Walmart with brands like Beyond Meat sausages, Healthy Choice Power Bowls, General Mills Annies mac & cheese and Sambazon Acai bowls — and more are coming all the time.

Through our work at Footprint Center, we are able to put our plant-based technology in the hands of a million fans per year who pass through the doors, educating them about steps they can take at home to reduce waste, recycle and even compost.

We also want to encourage private- and public-sector companies to increase confidence that waste will actually be recycled, and more of it can be picked up and composted.

More broadly, with increased investor focus on environment, social and governance topics as key success metrics, we believe sustainability needs to be factored into the business approach throughout the Valley, that it will attract other like-minded companies, and that it ultimately makes good business sense.

We’re proud that we’re helping so many big retailers, food and consumer packaged goods companies reach their sustainability goals today by choosing plant-based materials and reducing their carbon dioxide emissions.

Main Local Office Address: 250 E. Germann Rd. Gilbert, AZ 85297 Phone: (480) 209-1064 Website: footprintus.com

Number of offices in Greater Phoenix: 1 Year Established Locally: 2014 City Nationally Headquartered: Gilbert, AZ

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

Sandra Watson President & CEO

Arizona Commerce Authority

Q:

What most notably stands out about your leadership style or what is an example of leadership success you can share with our readers?

I truly enjoy helping others grow and succeed! I would describe my servant-leadership style throughout my career and currently with our team at the ACA as both direct and inclusive. I believe people perform best when they clearly understand expectations, and that big ideas are a result of encouraging diverse opinions and collaboration.

There is no question that productivity comes from highly engaged employees who feel their work is valued. We’ve implemented several initiatives at different scales to help ensure everyone at the ACA is connected and recognized. For example, as a small regular touchpoint, I send a daily email message to all our staff highlighting an important item: team accomplishments, birthdays, new colleagues, promotions and more.

In addition, during our quarterly all-staff meetings, the ACA executive leadership team members provide updates on their department’s results.

We’re careful to structure these presentations so that each person in the organization sees the impact of their work.

When the ACA team succeeds, this translates to economic success for our state — benefitting Arizonans with new resources and career opportunities. For me, that’s the most rewarding part of the job.

What impact has COVID-19 or the disruptions of the past 18 months had on you as a leader?

The pandemic emphasized the importance of community, connectivity and trust. I’ve been incredibly proud of how our team has remained focused and flexible through the challenges of the pandemic. As a result of their dedication, our clients and stakeholders have continued to experience the highly customized level of service the ACA is known for nationwide.

In many ways, despite difficult moments, the pandemic propelled us forward, rapidly accelerating digital and cultural transformations that were just in the early stages and forcing us to adapt. As leaders, it’s critical that we take the lessons of the last 18 months and continue to incorporate new approaches and best practices into our organizations.

What do you feel we can be doing as a business community to empower economic growth here?

Collaboration is key. Innovators and companies of all sizes are seeking environments that inspire new ideas, generate beneficial connections and attract a strong pool of talent.

Name of Leader: Sandra Watson Position of Leader: President & CEO Company Name: Arizona Commerce Authority No. of Years with Company: 10

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

Fortunately, Arizona is recognized for having one of the most collaborative economic development ecosystems in the nation, which creates a streamlined experience for clients. We also have one of the most welcoming business communities. Together, we can continue to increase our momentum and set Arizona apart for all the right reasons by fostering a collective viewpoint that the success of one is the success of all.

What is new and notable for your company’s near future that will impact our economy?

The ACA continues to fill our robust pipeline with companies seeking to relocate, to grow and start up in Arizona. Notably, our growth over the past year in advanced manufacturing sectors such as semiconductors, electric vehicles, battery and clean energy technologies, aerospace, and biopharma is remarkable. Likewise, Arizona has fast become an epicenter for next-gen innovations like optics, quantum computing, smart materials, automated vehicles, freshwater science, artificial intelligence and more.

Ensuring Arizona’s workforce remains readily equipped to fill high-tech jobs in these rapidly evolving industries is a top priority for the ACA. To that end, we continue to foster close collaboration among Arizona’s world-class universities, community colleges and K–12 schools, as well as leaders from local government and the private sector. This comprehensive approach is designed to meet the needs of both job seekers and job creators — connecting skilled talent to opportunities and driving growth for all.

Main Local Office Address: 100 N. 7th Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85007 Phone: (602) 845-1200 Website: azcommerce.com

Number of offices in Greater Phoenix: 1 Year Established Locally: 2011 City Nationally Headquartered: Phoenix

DEC. 2021

47

21Top Leaders Corey Woods Mayor of Tempe

City of Tempe

Q:

What most notably stands out about your leadership style or what is an example of leadership success you can share with our readers?

It’s my goal as a leader to work with others in a collaborative fashion. It’s important to our community that our city council works in partnership with our residents, businesses and nonprofits. Bringing all voices to the table for a robust conversation almost always results in a better outcome.

A successful example of a collaboration is the City of Tempe’s Hometown for All program. This effort was born out of a need to create more affordable and workforce housing opportunities. I worked diligently on housing issues during my two terms as a councilmember. Since that time, affordable housing has become a national issue, not just a regional one, so we as a city have accelerated our efforts. I had conversations with our city staff and city councilmembers to ascertain which methods might work best and pass legal muster, especially when traditional tools that other states use have been prohibited in Arizona. Our resulting program, Hometown for All, allocates 50% of certain permitting fees paid to the city to buy land and buildings or to otherwise incentivize the creation of affordable housing. In less than one year, we’ve raised more than $6 million. I’m really excited about the future opportunities that this very collaborative process has brought us.

What impact has COVID-19 or the disruptions of the past 18 months had on you as a leader?

It’s clearly challenging to start your term in the midst of a global pandemic. Regardless of circumstances, residents still expect to live in a high-quality city with well-run services. As a council, we had to figure out a way to deliver that.

Early on, we worked with the private sector to identify employers hiring and bring them people looking for work. We provided small business loans and grants to those trying to stay afloat or expand. We helped in every way we could.

The work of the city couldn’t just come to a halt. Innovation came out of necessity with an eye toward serving the public. We shifted to virtual programs and meetings. Our city council is now back to meeting in person, but we’re still employing a hybrid format to accommodate people who are either not ready to gather or who may not be able to attend in person for work or other reasons. I think this is one of the innovations that will stand the test of time.

48

DEC. 2021

What do you feel we can be doing as a business community to empower economic growth here?

Continued partnerships with our education community — ASU, Maricopa County Community College District, our local K–12 school districts — are all very important. High-quality educational opportunities are critical to our local and regional businesses. Almost every business entity that talks to us about locating in Tempe is extremely impressed with our schools, from pre-K through college.

Housing is obviously a critical issue as well. Recently, I met with a group of hotel managers. The top issue they brought up was a lack of affordable housing for their employees. Hoteliers are able to recruit people but retaining staff is a challenge because of commute times, gas prices and all the factors of living further away from their jobs. Restaurateurs and retail shop owners would likely share the same opinion. Attainable housing is critical to a thriving economy and business community.

Maintaining partnerships with our business community is vital. Those open lines of communication keep you connected to the policies, culture and climate needed to maintain a healthy, prosperous economy.

What is new and notable for your company’s near future that will impact our economy?

We are in the process of starting a new BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) manufacturing program. Working with two Tempe-based co-manufacturing spaces, we will provide grants to cover the cost of space, raw materials and equipment and offer a network of business coaches.

This program will not only start new businesses, it will help them succeed. We know there are so many creative entrepreneurs in our community who can benefit from this opportunity, and diversification of business ownership is healthy for a community.

Name of Leader: Corey Woods

No. of Years as Mayor: 2

Website: tempe.gov

Position of Leader: Mayor of Tempe

Main Local Office Address: 31 E. Fifth St., Tempe, AZ 85281

Number of offices in Greater Phoenix: 1

City Name: City of Tempe

Phone: (480) 350-4311

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

INNOVATIONS FOR BUSINESS

4 Skills Everyone Needs to Thrive in a Digital Future A fourth industrial revolution arises from mainstream consumer adoption of digital technologies

by Lee Lazarus and Janine Kurnoff

Lee Lazarus (left), founder and chief revenue officer of The Presentation Company, oversees sales and custom solutions.

Lazarus has been bred in the lightning-fast business pace of Silicon Valley. She deeply understands the client’s need for workshops and custom solutions that simplify storytelling and help drive business decisions forward.

Janine Kurnoff (right), founder and chief innovation officer of The Presentation Company, oversees global training and design. Kurnoff has a diverse background in international business, sales and broadcasting.

As lead visionary at TPC, Kurnoff thrives on optimizing the ways she can help professionals present their ideas in a manner that is captivating and results-driven. presentation-company.com

DEC. 2021

50

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

There’s a lot of talk these days about disruption and the constant change we all seem to experience at faster and faster speeds. In the past decade, every industry worldwide has been impacted by the rise of technology, people and interactivity coming together to create an explosion of new products and services that did not even exist 10 years ago. Who could believe that one day we’d feel comfortable renting a room in a stranger’s home (Airbnb), ride in the backseat of their car (Uber), or carry around a mobile device with more computing power than the Apollo spacecraft used to fly to the Moon!

With this change, the ability for a company, and its employees, to adapt quickly has never been more vital for businesses to succeed. Nearly nine out of 10 (88%) of Fortune 500 companies in 1955 are now gone, merged or contracted — and, at the current churn rate, half of S&P’s 500 Firms will be replaced over the next 10 years.

Sitting at the center of this change is the mainstream consumer adoption of digital technologies that have created a fourth industrial revolution inspiring a David-and-Goliath competition between small startups and corporate giants.

Those that embrace the adoption of all things digital are transforming how we do business — and, more importantly, how we use data gathered through AI and machine learning to have connected 1:1 relationships with our customers. This people-centric, insights-driven approach to business is going to require executives who want to survive and thrive in the digital future to adopt four critical skills:

LEARN, UNLEARN, RELEARN

In a world that is constantly changing, every right idea is eventually the wrong one. Upskilling is not simply a matter of teaching people how to use something new. That something new may be obsolete by next year. According to experts, close to 40% of the information people learn today will be useless within a decade. In today’s business environment, where the rules (and sometimes players) constantly change, we need to stop playing the game as though it had a distinct beginning, middle and end. Think of it as the difference between playing baseball and playing a video game. The business goal is no

According to experts, close to 40% of the information people learn today will be useless within a decade.

longer to win at the game, like baseball (and then you’re done), but to stay in the game and thrive. These are dynamic games where the rules are constantly changing, and the objective is to play better than yesterday and, most importantly, to keep the game in play.

Getting good at this requires ongoing training and learning so as to develop evolving capabilities that can flex and adapt to the changing needs of business. Learners embrace the unknown, take risks, fail and succeed, all while learning, unlearning and relearning in a constantly evolving world driven by disruptive innovation. This continuous 360-learning experience allows individuals to shift away from “one and done” education (like getting an MBA that quickly becomes outdated) and, instead, embrace infinite learning that allows for them to think, act and thrive in a digital world that is sustainable over time.

USE DATA TO DRIVE DECISION-MAKING

The future of work is increasingly being defined by humanmachine collaboration. Automating routine tasks allows a business to increase efficiency while shifting focus toward the most valuable aspects of a creative workforce and complex problem solving (and allows for the creation of an entirely new field of jobs based on our human skills).

For example, the world is surrounded by data (and more data). What to do with this flood of information requires an organization to shift from Big Data to Big Understanding.

With advances in AI, machine learning and real-time analytics, quickly fading from view are traditional product development and consumer targeting practices that relied upon broad-use cases, outdated Age/Demo/Zip consumer segmentation, static pricing and linear purchase “funnels” that don’t work in today’s increasingly omnichannel retail environments.

Regardless of function area, data gathered through realtime signals is helping HR, finance, sales, marketing, product development and even creative make better, more informed and faster decisions about what is working and not working with their employees and external customers. For marketers, getting good at this allows them to harness the holy grail of customer buying experience by serving customers the

STRATEGIES FOR WORKING REMOTELY

Boundless Leadership

right product offer with the right creative at the right time. Data-driven decision-making = Growth and Profitability.

Boundless Leadership offers accessible, real-world applications to bring ease to leading oneself and others,

ADOPT AGILE PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT & MARKETING

Surprisingly, many executives get bogged down in the process required to move forward quickly. Historically, getting a new product out, or even a new marketing campaign, took a year or more to develop; today’s speed of business, however, won’t wait for traditional lumbering five-year plans to be implemented.

Here’s the secret: Real change actually happens in tiny increments. For example, a company like Netflix is pushing innovation by optimizing its streaming platform continually, knowing the viewer will give it only 60 to 90 seconds as they scan through 10 to 20 titles before losing interest.

This continual incremental adaptation allows Netflix to embrace radical improvements over time, resulting in 80% of viewer choices being based upon Netflix recommendations.

Here’s another way to look at it: If we wanted to create a mode of transportation that gets us from point A to point B, would we start with a wheel that leads to a chassis that leads to a door that eventually becomes an automobile, or would we start with something simple, like a skateboard, and then get it into the hands of a consumer and iterate and iterate (allowing little changes to add up to big innovations along the way)?

Facebook adopts this agile approach with the slogan “shipped is better than perfect.” The idea is that as long as a product is sitting somewhere being thought about, dreamed about, improved upon or held onto because “it’s not ready yet,” it has no relevance in the world. A “shipped” finished product — whatever form it takes — may have its flaws. It may be criticized or judged. It may be rejected. But at least it’s out there.

An effective strategy for business leaders is to embrace imperfectionism and move fast and make things — things that they know can and will change over time. By learning and relearning, and using data to drive decisionmaking, they will be headed into a successful and agile digital future.

LEVERAGE STORYTELLING TO INCREASE COLLABORATION AND, YES … INNOVATION

And finally, in a world of headlines, overflowing inboxes and information overload, the ability to communicate and get ideas heard is critical.

Probably the biggest complaint we hear from business leaders is their struggle to deal with an always-on/never done business culture where ideas across an organization are not being shared, opportunities for collaboration breakdown and, ultimately, innovation suffers.

The solution? Storytelling. Simply put, a great story helps us cut through the noise and be heard internally with our co-workers and externally with our clients and business partners. Most great ideas that come to life start with great storytelling. It’s how we move business forward. Why? Because storytelling creates a speed of trust with co-workers that encourages shared ideas to spread across an organization. If we look at any great product breakthrough in the past decade that disrupted an industry, chances are it came out of an organization that communicates and collaborates well with one another through the power of storytelling.

And people who thrive in rich, storytelling ecosystems rapidly rise in their careers. It’s the essential ingredient in building a mastery of ideas, connection and the power skill everyone wants: executive presence.

Whether it’s making a recommendation to a boss’s boss, providing a product update or managing difficult questions from a prospective customer, knowing how to build a story framework humanizes the content, creates a two-way dialogue, and lets business leaders meet their audience’s needs in the moment.

and provides examples from the authors’ experience with clients, including CEOs of multibillion-dollar businesses, entrepreneurs and managers trying to balance the complex challenges of work and life in our interdependent age. Each section includes a range of practices based on neuropsychology and contemplative science, including guided meditations to improve focus and awareness, cultivate empathy and compassion, and build fearlessness and flow. Each section also offers a practical application to ease daily challenges, including clarifying intentions for better decision-making, improving accountability and responsibility for better team collaboration, and embodying purpose to optimize impact on one’s organization and society at large. Boundless Leadership is especially needed during this explosion of remote working Boundless Leadership: The Breakthrough Method to Realize Your Vision, Empower Others, and Ignite Positive Change Joe Loizzo and Elazar Aslan Shambhala

$26.95 Available 12/21/2021

296 pages

Uncommon Accountability The implementation of true, organization-wide accountability has the potential to transform a firm’s — and an individual’s — performance. Unfortunately, the word “accountability” often has negative connotations, including blame, fear and conflict. In Uncommon Accountability, best-selling authors and leadership strategists Brian Moran and Michael Lennington compellingly argue for a positive and affirming conception of accountability — one that stands for personal ownership of one’s goals, actions and progress The authors show how to harness the power of accountability, with all its built-in potential to enable growth and learning, improve well-being, reduce stress and drive results.

Uncommon Accountability: A Radical New Approach To Greater Success and Fulfillment Brian P. Moran and Michael Lennington

$25

Wiley

208 pages

Available 12/29/2021

From Me to We Shared value is a management strategy in which companies find business opportunities in social problems. While philanthropy and CSR focus efforts on “giving back” or minimizing the harm business has on society, shared value focuses company leaders on maximizing the competitive value of solving social problems in new customers and markets, cost savings, talent retention and more. This book takes the concept of shared value to the next level, with the concept of “Me to We” (also abbreviated as “M2W”) and discusses the current state of the business-environment-government relationship and shows how the shared value model can contribute to each entity. Citing real cases and examples from multiple industries, the authors show that shared value promotes shareholder interests while serving as a successful business strategy.

From Me to We: How Shared Value Can Turn Companies Into Engines of Change Ricardo Ernst and Jerry Haar Palgrave Macmillan

Most great ideas that come to life start with great storytelling. It’s how we move business forward. Why? Because storytelling creates a speed of trust with coworkers that encourages shared ideas to spread across an organization.

$49.99 Available 12/31/2021

224 pages

51

DEC. 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.

DEC. 2021

52

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

POR EDGAR R. OLIVO

LIDERAZGO / LEADERSHIP

El trabajo de un líder: 5 prácticas que transforman a las personas y los resultados por Edgar R. Olivo

¿Qué hacen los líderes? El liderazgo es una cualidad en la que muchas personas están de acuerdo en que es admirable y deseada. Es una habilidad que se desarrolla en la vida por experiencias personales o profesionales, por diseño intencional o no. Piense en dos líderes a quienes admira y respeta. ¿Qué hacen que sea tan diferente a los demás? ¿Qué rasgos tienen que les ayuden a lograr grandes resultados? Lo más probable es que no le haya resultado difícil pensar en un líder en su propia vida.

Ser líder requiere trabajo. Requiere cambiar sus relaciones y compromiso con los resultados. El camino de un líder es exclusivamente personal. Pero como líder, debe comprender los rasgos específicos que lo ayudarán a lograr altos niveles de éxito en su carrera, negocio y equipo. Incluso si no se considera un líder ahora, practicar las habilidades de liderazgo tiene el potencial de transformar la trayectoria de su vida y como realizar sus metas.

En el libro, The Leadership Challenge (tercera edición, 2002), Kouzes y Posner describen cinco prácticas de liderazgo que

ayudan a los grandes líderes a enfrentar eventos desafiantes, producir resultados y alcanzar nuevas alturas. Son: 1. Modele el comportamiento. Un líder debe demostrar el comportamiento que gana respeto al modelar el comportamiento que espera de los demás. Tenga una idea clara de sus propios principios rectores, su estilo de liderazgo se desarrollará naturalmente y permitirá que otros lo sigan con claridad también. La gente primero sigue a la persona, luego al plan.

2. Inspire una visión compartida. Los líderes sueñan con lo que es posible y actúan con confianza para entregar cosas extraordinarias. Un líder sabe cómo identificar una oportunidad para crecer y puede inspirar a otros a actuar de acuerdo con esa visión. A las personas les gusta seguir a los líderes con una gran visión porque su visión también crea propiedad y se basa en los deseos y sueños de los demás.

3. Desafíe el proceso. Los líderes no tienen miedo de buscar y aceptar los desafíos que se presentan. Los desafíos se ven como oportunidades para desarrollar ideas innovadoras y

Un gran liderazgo es una necesidad para cualquier empresa que se esfuerce por alcanzar el éxito, especialmente en tiempos difíciles. Sin un liderazgo eficaz, es casi imposible que una empresa crezca y se expanda en un mercado en constante cambio.

ENGLISH TRANSLATION

BY EDGAR R. OLIVO

The Work of a Leader: 5 Practices That Transform People and Results

by Edgar R. Olivo

transformar el statu quo. Estar abierto a aprender cosas nuevas y superar los fracasos son las características de un gran líder.

4. Permita que otros actúen. Un líder sabe que no puede hacer todo el trabajo solo y aprecia el poder del esfuerzo en equipo.

Consideran importante fomentar la colaboración y generar confianza al permitir que otros hagan un buen trabajo. Un líder proporciona todas las herramientas necesarias para hacer un trabajo con éxito y aprovecha el talento en consecuencia.

5. Estimular el corazón. Los grandes líderes dan prioridad a la apreciación de las personas por su compromiso y contribución a una meta.

Los momentos de agradecimiento le permiten al líder tener una mejor idea de las motivaciones de los miembros del equipo para dar forma a la identidad del equipo y facilitar la orientación durante tiempos difíciles.

No necesita un título o descripción de trabajo para ser un gran líder. Los líderes se enfocan en los actos simples y valientes para hacer cosas que otros pueden no tener la capacidad de hacer. La buena noticia es que cada una de estas prácticas se puede aplicar y practicar a lo largo del tiempo, lo que constituye un sólido ejemplo a seguir para otros.

What do leaders do? Leadership is a quality many people can agree is admirable and desired. It is a skill that is developed in life by personal or professional experiences, by intentional design or not. Think of two leaders, whom you admire and respect. What do they do that is so different from others? What traits do they have that help them achieve great results? Chances are, it was not difficult for you to think of a leader in your own life.

Being a leader takes work. It requires changing your relationships and commitment to results.

The journey of a leader is uniquely personal. But as a leader, you need to understand the specific traits that will help you achieve high levels of success in your career, business, and team. Even if you do not consider yourself a leader now, practicing leadership skills has the potential to transform the trajectory of your life and how you get things done.

In the book The Leadership Challenge (3rd Edition, 2002), Kouzes and Posner outline five leadership practices that help great leaders face challenging events, produce results and reach new heights. They are: 1. Model the way. A leader must demonstrate the behavior that wins respect by modeling the behavior the leader expects from others. If you have a clear idea of your own guiding principles, your leadership style will naturally develop, and it will it allow others to follow with clarity. People first follow the person, then the plan.

2. Inspire a shared vision. Leaders dream of what is possible and act confidently to deliver extraordinary things. A leader knows how to identify an opportunity to grow and can inspire others to act on that vision. People like to follow leaders with great vision because their vision also creates ownership and builds on the desires and dreams of others.

3. Challenge the process. Leaders are not afraid to search and accept challenges as they come. Challenges are viewed as opportunities to develop innovative ideas and transform the status quo. Being open to learn new things and rise up from failures are the markings of a great leader.

4. Enable others to act. Leaders knows they cannot do all the work alone and appreciates the power of team effort. They find it important to foster collaboration and build trust by enabling others to do good work. A leader provides all the tools needed to do a job successfully and leverages talent accordingly.

5. Encourage the heart. Great leaders prioritize appreciation in people for their commitment and contribution to a goal. Moments of appreciation allow the leader to get a better sense of team members’ motivations to shape team identity and facilitate guidance during difficult times.

You do not need a title or job description to be a great leader. Leaders focus on the simple and courageous acts to do things others may not have the ability to do. The great news is that each of these practices can be applied and practiced over time, setting a strong example for others to follow.

Great leadership is a necessity for any business that is striving for success, especially during trying times. Without effective leadership, it is nearly impossible for a business to grow and expand in an ever-changing market.

53

DEC. 2021

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

Economy

DEVELOPING & GROWING BUSINESS DYNAMICS

Avoid a Plunge into Bankruptcy

2022 challenges include inflation and supply chain delays

by D. Lamar Hawkins

D. Lamar Hawkins is an attorney with Guidant Law Firm. He is an eight-term chair of the Arizona Board of Legal Specialization’s Bankruptcy Law Advisory Commission and one of Arizona’s foremost experts on bankruptcy law, debt restructuring, loans and loan workouts. guidant.law

DEC. 2021

54

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

Although many businesses look forward to putting 2021 in their rearview mirrors, some economists suggest 2022 could be even worse, with inflation and supply chain delays causing a slowdown or perhaps even a recession.

Many struggling businesses try to navigate their financial difficulties alone, yet that can put them at greater risk. Making smart decisions now, including implementing the following tips, can slow — and possibly even prevent — a plunge into bankruptcy.

Get the full picture. It’s important to understand the legal and tax consequences of a company’s past and future actions, as well as those stemming from current inaction. Attorneys, accountants and consultants can provide information and analysis needed to make informed decisions.

Understand all obligations. Reading and comprehending documents governing the business’s obligations is critical; failure to thoroughly do both can result in severe consequences. Because most people do not have the expertise or experience to review and understand concepts such as subrogation, joint and several liability or non-recourse carve-outs, consulting an attorney to review and evaluate key documents helps them get a better grasp on their options.

Cultivate relationships with customers, vendors and creditors. A good relationship can mean the difference between lender cooperation and a battle to the financial death in which the creditor is determined to crush the debtor no matter what the cost. Maintaining periodic contact and keeping the lines of communication open is vital. If that becomes difficult, an attorney can protect the business without needlessly antagonizing opposing parties.

Focus on the business. Some businesses try to postpone the day of reckoning by refinancing debt when they should instead concentrate on generating income and minimizing expenses. The business cannot take care of itself; focusing on strategies for business development and marketing is much more effective than struggling with problems better left to attorneys and accountants.

Beware of third parties with adverse agendas. Creditor representatives, commission salespeople and unlicensed upfront fee consultants often have a conflict of interest or lack substantial experience and qualifications to help businesses successfully resolve financial difficulties.

Even if these agencies are successful in obtaining a loan workout agreement, the agreements are usually very onesided (in favor of the lender), poorly written and empower lenders even more. Frequently, loan workout agreements compel a business owner to reaffirm the debt, eliminating any chance of contesting it.

Such agreements are usually written by banks, which are aware the business will continue to have problems in the future and likely file bankruptcy at some point. This is exactly what banks want, since they get to keep all the money paid under the terms of the loan workout agreement, in addition to the collateral after the business files for bankruptcy. Thus, all the money that was paid under the terms of the loan workout agreement is lost.

Hold on to cash. One of the largest mistakes businesses make is waiting to file for bankruptcy until they don’t have anything left.

With outstanding debts, everyone will want a piece of the cash. Many creditors act like businesses have plenty of money to spare, failing to recognize that having spending money isn’t the same as having money tied up in a lease, payroll or daily expenditures. Businesses should pay the most urgent expenses first to keep the business running.

Another common mistake is using exempt assets that could have been saved to pay debts that could have been discharged.

Such assets can often be preserved from creditor claims, especially with the help of an attorney.

Recognize when the cause is lost. After exploring all options, sometimes bankruptcy alternatives are the best way forward. The longer struggling businesses wait to get good legal advice, the fewer options they will have. There are new bankruptcy options that began shortly before the pandemic, including the use of a subchapter V form of Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Turning to competent and experienced counsel helps businesses make educated and informed decisions on their financial future, including how to minimize losses and maximize assets.

Preparing for the worst is painful, and many businesses will need to make some tough decisions in the months to come.

However, pre-bankruptcy planning gives many of them hope for the best.

According to S&P Global Market Intelligence, U.S. corporate bankruptcies reached their worst levels in 10 years during 2020. 630 public and private companies with assets or debts of at least $2 million declared bankruptcy, surpassing the number of filings in every year since 2010. spglobal.com

LAW MATTERS TO BUSINESS

Key Considerations for U.S./Mexico Cross-Border Business Transactions Including the often-overlooked due diligence

by Daniel Arana

Conducting cross-border transactions and taking advantage of the resources in Mexico can present fruitful opportunities for U.S. businesses. There are some key considerations for U.S. businesses looking to explore working with companies in Mexico.

The first critical piece in setting up a successful crossborder transaction is having effective communication with one’s counterparts in Mexico. Being able to effectively communicate at the transaction level is key to understanding everyone’s expectations in the transaction. The laws in Mexico and the way business is conducted are different from in the U.S. When a U.S. business engages an attorney or other specialized professional, it’s important to take the time to ensure that the professional is well versed in the subtleties of cross-border trade with Mexico. It is very helpful if the professional is also a fluent Spanish speaker, as this will go a long way in streamlining the transaction with counterparts in Mexico. Translators can be used effectively, but there is always something lost in translation.

The second key consideration is due diligence. This is often a step that companies miss. It is critical to gather certain information in order to make informed business decisions. In the context of the produce industry, for example, many U.S. distributors do not search for registered security interests or liens against a grower before entering into a transaction or lending money to growers in Mexico. Because the grower is an entity or individual in Mexico, there are nuances regarding where to search for security interests. Due diligence may reveal the Mexican grower has multiple outstanding security interests registered against it, which may be a key consideration when deciding whether move forward with a transaction.

The next vital consideration is to make sure that a crossborder transaction is structured properly. This is where good counsel on both the U.S. and Mexico sides is crucial to

making sure the transaction is structured in a way that is both economically beneficial and legally sound. For example, it is usually not beneficial for a U.S. entity to conduct business directly in Mexico because of the registration and legal reporting requirements in Mexico. When possible, a U.S. entity will want the transaction to occur and be governed by the laws of the U.S. so that the company can take advantage of remedies under U.S. law and have access to the U.S. court system. Structuring a transaction properly is also critical from a tax perspective. The tax laws related to foreign individuals with business interests and assets in the U.S. are very different from those for U.S. citizens, and there are many pitfalls that can have impactful tax consequences if a transaction is not structured properly.

The fourth consideration is tied very closely to structure and that is to make sure to take advantage of U.S. laws whenever possible. There are laws specific to certain industries that can benefit a U.S. client conducting cross-border trade with Mexico. For example, the IMMEX program has great tax and duty advantages for manufacturing in Mexico, but there are very specific requirements that need to be followed in order to qualify for those benefits. There are treaties, trade programs and many bodies of law that need to be followed and that create a competitive advantage for U.S. businesses if the transaction is documented and structured properly.

The final consideration is being aware of changes in the law in both countries. Changes in the law may require changes in structure to a transaction. Recently, there have been significant changes in the IMMEX program due to a reform of the laws in Mexico. Even the common practice of having independent contractors working in Mexico has changed due to a change in the laws in Mexico. If businesses and their counselors are not up to date on these changes, they risk losing the advantages the business has enjoyed from cross-border trade.

IMMEX, formally known as the IMMEX maquiladora program, is a program that enables foreign companies to operate in Mexico under a preferential, low-tax cost structure while still taking advantage of Mexico’s lower-cost labor. napsintl.com/manufacturing-in-mexico/the-immex-program-manufacturing-in-mexico

Daniel Arana is an attorney with Fennemore working in the firm’s business and finance law group. His practice focuses on agribusiness, international trade and tax law, international transactions, and mergers and acquisitions. The son of attorneys and fluent in Spanish, Daniel takes great pride in becoming an integral member of his clients’ teams, knowing their businesses, families and culture, and guiding them to success. fennemorelaw.com

55

DEC. 2021

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

Social Impact

BUSINESS GIVES BACK

Donate First, Trash Second – Muscular Moving Men & Storage to the Rescue Sustainability solutions are focused on donation and recycling

SUPPORT HELPSNACKZ Through HelpSnackz’s monthly subscription program, a monthly donation ensures that each homeless child will have food available to them every school day of the year. The impact and emotional support that every HelpSnackz Subscription provides is truly priceless.

HELP can stop the cycle of homelessness in one generation. helpingthehomelessnow.org

Tyler Butler is 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

The dreaded process of moving. Not only can this be a stressful experience, but it also has a tendency of taking a toll on our environment. In truth, moving is a proven cause of unnecessary waste. According to the website Move Buddha, humans produce nearly 16.4 billion pounds of waste annually as a result of moving. And with Americans projected to move 20% more next year than in previous years, planet Earth can count on an excessive amount of unnecessary waste in the near future.

As a trusted Arizona-based moving and storage provider, Muscular Moving Men & Storage has a long reputation for moving, packing, storage and more. The company recognized the unique opportunity it had to serve as a steward of sustainability. So, in November of 2020, it expanded its services to meet this need through its M3 Junk Removal division of M3 Commercial Moving & Logistics. Its goal is simple: to guarantee donation of certain items back to charities.

“Our team at M3 Junk Removal is on a mission to guarantee the donation of certain assets to charitable partners in our community for those in significant need,” says Jim Stevens, vice president of M3 Commercial Moving & Logistics. “We have already made a positive impact, but we’ve just scratched the surface. We look forward to exceeding our community impact goals moving forward and I’m proud of the team’s relentless determination to do so.”

Ever since M3 Junk Removal’s “donate first, trash second” model launched in November 2020, the company has been focused on creating a solution. Thus far, the program has kept more than 300,000 pounds of waste out of landfills. What’s more, the company saw the chance to save these assets and, instead, began donating items to benefit local charities. When M3 leaders started looking for items they could donate, they realized just how much was available that was previously being thrown away. Excited by this opportunity to build a more sustainable business model, they began prioritizing this part of their service.

“We are picking up amazing furniture that still has life left in them every day. Coming up with an infrastructure that revolves around saving assets has been a very difficult but rewarding process,” says Ethan Delahunty, director of M3 Junk Removal.

“We are taking truckloads of items every single month to local organizations. With these massive quantities comes a need for efficient processes.”

3M has been mindful to keep its process simple yet efficient.

When they pick up items from a site, 3M’s movers evaluate if they are suitable for donation. Those that are usable are then donated rather than being discarded to a landfill. By providing local charities with quality items, the company has been able to foster great relationships with the community and with

important causes — while aiding our environment. Since the launch of the junk division, M3 has donated about 250,000 pounds of furniture and household goods to UMOM, Project C.U.R.E., New Life Center, Hope’s Closet, Furnishing Dignity, Goodwill and St. Vincent de Paul.

To expand on this mission, M3 leaders decided to explore other ways to help the local community and started to hold charity events with local organizations. In the months of February, March and April, the company hosted a food drive with The Society of St. Vincent de Paul. This drive helped St. Vincent De Paul continue to feed vulnerable families in need.

During the food drive, M3 Junk Removal coordinated dropoffs and pickups of complimentary donation boxes to local businesses. With the help of more than 20 local businesses around the Valley, M3 Junk Removal was able to donate a truckload of food to the organization.

Most recently, M3 began working with Homeless Engagement Lift Partnership (HELP) in a backpack drive to support Arizona children experiencing homelessness. Working in conjunction with HelpSnackz, a program that improves students’ lives by aiding children in our community who go to bed hungry every night, M3 has expanded its giving efforts to support our local youth. For many of these kids, the only meals they receive are through their school’s breakfast or lunch programs. Through the execution of two HelpSnackz events, M3 team members were able to pack 18,000 snack bags, providing a helping hand to our local youth in need. Through this program and many more, Muscular Moving Men & Storage and M3 Junk Removal are making a positive impact, one issue and one cause at a time.

M3 Junk Removal m3junkremoval.com Muscular Moving Men & Storage muscularmovingmen.com

DEC. 2021

56

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

According to the website Move Buddha, humans produce nearly 16.4 billion pounds of waste annually as a result of moving.

Photo courtesy o f Muscular Moving Men & Storage

by Tyler Butler

Two double-shot macchiatos before 10, then it’s decaf all the way.

Chai tea, soy latte, or regular joe, we make it our priority to understand what makes you, you.

In doing so, we address your legal needs with a uniquely tailored approach.

Find out more at swlaw.com

Albuquerque | Boise | Dallas | Denver | Las Vegas | Los Angeles | Los Cabos | Orange County Phoenix | Portland | Reno | Salt Lake City | San Diego | Seattle | Tucson | Washington, D.C.

OUR SUBJECT IN-DEPTH

Performance Management Techniques for Managing Remote Workers Ensure employees are performing at optimal levels

by John Waters

John Waters is the principal of Waters Business Consulting Group, LLC in Scottsdale, Arizona, which helps business owners and management grow their business. watersbusiness consulting.com

DEC. 2021

58

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

Remote workers are here to stay, so business leaders need to know how to get the most out of their team. Statistics show that 4.7 million people in the United States work remotely at least half the time. With these numbers — which are still growing — it is important leaders understand different techniques so they can get the best performance from their employees. Scheduling meetings with team members, giving feedback on a consistent basis, requesting status updates and trusting the employees are all vital ways to be sure employees are performing at optimal levels.

Schedule meetings. When employees are in the office, it’s a simple matter to stop by and check in periodically throughout the day and see what people are working on. This isn’t the case when most of the staff is working remotely. Checking in regularly, via video calls or regular phone calls, keeps both management and the employees updated on progress and expectations. When managing remote workers, checking in regularly, at least once a week, helps build rapport and makes it easier to give feedback. These weekly check-ins need to be on the same day and time every week, and it’s important to have a set agenda where each team member reports specific updates and KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators) or metrics (previously established) to provide objective data on their weekly performance pertaining to their roles and expected outcomes and results.

Annual reviews aren’t enough to understand the performance of team members since it is nearly impossible to recall a year’s worth of information in one meeting. Having regular one-on-one and group meetings, at least once every two weeks, allows managers to keep up to date on performance aspects, including where people are excelling and where they may need help.

Give consistent feedback. It’s important to be clear about giving feedback with remote workers. Doing so ensures employees aren’t overanalyzing the communication being given to them. This is especially true when giving feedback to remote employees, who don’t have the benefit of recognizing body language. Communication should be clear and concise.

The goal should be for communication to flow freely, but it’s also important to emphasize clarity in the feedback. Being clear with what is working and what isn’t allows employees to see where they can improve and where they are excelling.

When there is negative feedback to give an employee, it’s best to discuss it one-on-one with the employee and never in a group meeting.

Request status updates. Requiring regular status updates, once a week, means leaders and their remote teams have information they can refer to on a regular basis.

When remote workers keep a weekly log of the work they

Statistics show that 4.7 million people in the United States work remotely at least half the time.

have done during that period, management and employees are able to keep track of what is getting done and how efficient they are. It’s not necessary to read the logs every day, but having them allows management to look back on it when it comes time for one-on-one meetings. For managers, these logs help keep accountability and helps them not overlook any accomplishments where praise needs to be given.

Trusting the employees. “If you don’t trust your employees, they shouldn’t be working for you in the first place.” This is a basic tenet. Trust is built over time, and just as employers need trust in their employees, the reciprocal is also true: They need to be able to trust their employer. A manager may notice a team member missing a meeting or a deadline, but a better strategy than assuming they aren’t doing their work is to give them a call. They may be overwhelmed or might have a personal matter they are dealing with. This is hard to know if leaders aren’t in the office and around them daily. It’s important to remember that communication is key when keeping the trust between management and employees and vice versa.

Performance management can be tricky when it involves remote workers. There aren’t the daily interactions that a normal office management team has. By following these few simple techniques, leaders can keep track of performance and keep themselves and their teams accountable in their positions.

OUR SUBJECT IN-DEPTH

Are We ‘Hear’ for Each Other?

Businesses build on relationships

by Don Henninger

You can observe a lot just by watching.

That’s one of the sayings made famous by Yogi Berra, a Hall of Fame baseball catcher perhaps best known for his off-thewall quotes. While some of his “Yogi-isms” are hilarious, many of them have a deeper meaning if you take a minute to think about it.

Here’s a twist on “watching” that might have a useful purpose.

You can hear alot just by listening.

Listening does not come easy these days. Actually, it has become an endangered skill — to the detriment of just about everything we do.

It’s not hard to understand why. There’s a never-ending explosion of information — a lot of it is on social media, which tends to be negative, opinionated and often short on facts. It can overwhelm our ability to hear anything truly useful, divide not unite us and, even worse, warp reality.

That point hit home in a New York Times article in November

by Jonathan Holloway, president of Rutgers University.

He wrote: “If we Americans listened to one another, perhaps we would recognize how absurd our discourse has become. It is our own fault that political discussions today are hotheaded arguments over whether the hooligans storming the halls of the Capitol were taking a tour or fomenting an insurrection.”

You don’t have to be storming the halls of the Capitol — or our own city halls — to see the negative effects of our unwillingness to listen to each other. It’s also bad for business and erodes leadership at all levels.

It’s not easy to cut through the sheer volume of noise and distractions in today’s world.

Consider: • We consume three times as much information daily as we did just a few decades ago.

• Two-thirds of us can’t ignore our electronic devices.

We check them within the hour, if not the minute, after getting an email, text or alert.

• Most of us check our work emails outside of work hours, including weekends and vacations. Actually, who doesn’t?

• M ore than half of us feel jealous, depressed, sad or annoyed after checking updates on our social media accounts.

• Eighty-one percent of us admit we interrupt conversations, mealtime or playtime with family or friends to check our social media, text messages or email.

• Three out of five of us spend more free time on our computer than we do with our significant others.

• Three-quarters of us believe our use of electronic devices has contributed to stress in our lives.

These stats were from a stress management survey that asked 1,000 people about how the flood of information has impacted their lives and how it affects their attention spans and relationships with each other.

In business, we all know that success is based on developing good relationships. That’s true in all aspects of life, which is why it is amazing that in these, the most challenging of times, we are turning a deaf ear to the one core value that matters the most: listening to each other.

If you embrace the concept that listening is a skill and, like any skill, it takes awareness and practice to sustain and grow it, then consider these seven signs, courtesy of the Center for Creative Leadership, that suggest you might need to pay more attention to developing your listening abilities: • You find it difficult to concentrate on what someone is saying, especially when the person is complaining or rambling on.

• You’re always thinking about what you are going to say next, not really hearing what the other person is saying.

• You shut down when someone questions your ideas.

• You shut down when confronted with someone’s negative attitude.

• You’re ready to provide advice and solutions before the person has finished explaining the problem.

• You tell people why they shouldn’t feel the way they do.

• You do more of the talking.

Yogi also said this: “We made too many wrong mistakes.”

Don’t let poor listening be one of yours.

Is This Listening: Eighty-one percent of us admit we interrupt conversations, mealtime or playtime with family or friends to check our social media, text messages or email.

3 STEPS TOWARD GOOD LISTENING • Don’t talk when others are speaking.

• Let others know you’re listening through expressions and verbal replies.

• Be able to repeat what you just heard.

Don Henninger, executive director of Scottsdale Coalition of Today & Tomorrow (SCOTT), spent more than 30 years in the newspaper business in the Valley with The Arizona Republic and Phoenix Gazette, where he served in numerous roles, including managing editor, and at the Phoenix Business Journal, where he was publisher for 14 years. SCOTT is a nonprofit group of business and civic leaders who work to educate and advocate for issues important to the city’s economic health and quality of life. scottnow.com

59

DEC. 2021

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

OUR SUBJECT IN-DEPTH

Time to Shine a Light on Renewable Energy End-of-Life Planning Critical thinking will be needed to deal with a staggering volume of waste James Voyles is Of Counsel in the Regulatory and Government practice at Lewis Roca, where he focuses on diverse matters in the environment, energy and natural resources space. Previously, he served as senior counsel at the U.S. Department of the Interior, where he focused on federal land management, responsible natural resources development, recreation and grazing access, conservation, environmental quality and infrastructure deployment.

Lewis Roca carefully and deliberately assembled the interdisciplinary team that makes up its Renewable Energy Endof-Life Planning Group to ensure it can handle every issue that may arise in this unique time in the renewable industry’s lifecycle. lewisroca.com

DEC. 2021

60

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

by James Voyles

To address the unique end-of-life challenges and opportunities presented to renewable energy developers and operators, Lewis Roca created a first-of-its-kind Renewable Energy End-of-Life Planning Group. This team draws on our many years of experience in the energy and utilities sector and includes attorneys from throughout the firm’s practice areas to assist clients with matters that include the assignment of decommissioning responsibilities in construction, power purchase and real property agreements; compliance with or the development of state and local regulations related to renewables decommissioning; protecting intellectual property related to emerging renewables recycling technologies and structuring innovative collaborations to realize such opportunities; and, yes, litigation when things go wrong.

To understand the pressing need for a practice that offers such unique services, it is helpful to briefly examine the history of renewable energy and to understand where the country and the state stand in relationship to the industry’s lifecycle.

For the past 20 years, Arizona has been at the forefront of renewable energy deployment in the United States. Arizona Public Service installed the first utility-scale solar facility in the state in 1997. This early solar farm was a 95-kilowatt singleaxis tracking photovoltaic (PV) facility that operated near Flagstaff, which is now beyond obsolete by today’s standards.

Since 1997, Arizona has deployed solar generation facilities at an incredible pace.

As of Q2 2021, the Solar Energy Industry Association says the state has installed 6,111.7 megawatts of capacity,

produces enough solar electricity to power almost 1 million homes and ranks fifth in the U.S. in installed capacity. Solar accounts for approximately 8% of the state’s electricity use.

Utility-scale wind installations lagged a decade behind the state’s solar counterparts but arrived on the scene with a bang. In 2009, the Salt River Project began constructing the 128-megawatt Dry Lake Wind Project in Navajo County, which can power anywhere between 51,000 and 115,000 homes (depending on operating capacity). The Dry Lake Project is still the largest wind energy facility in Arizona. As of 2020, the state had installed 618-megawatts of wind generation capacity.

The impressive rise of renewable energy generation in Arizona can be attributed to a variety of factors that include world-class sun resources, public demand, available acreage, a business-friendly climate, favorable tax treatment and a Renewable Portfolio Standard. Based on these factors, Arizonans can expect continued renewable deployment for years to come.

This basic history of renewable deployment in Arizona shows a relentless drive toward installed generation capacity, power components manufactured in the state, and a mature market that attracts capital investment dollars from across the country. Until very recently, the conversation around the renewable industry in Arizona was nearly silent regarding what to do with solar and wind facilities that have reached the end of their useful or economical lives.

The need for a long-term solution for solar panels and

According to data aggregated by the European Environment Agency, by the year 2030, the world will produce 3,000,000,000 pounds of PV solar panel waste per year, 9,500,000,000 pounds of wind energy waste per year, and 450,000,000 pounds of energy storage and mobility waste per year.

turbine blades that have reached the end of their useful life is perhaps the most pressing question facing the renewables industry. Significant public, industry and government attention is currently being paid to decommissioning fossil-fueled power plants based on the national trend toward renewable energy production, but these decommissioning issues are not unique to traditional power plants. Just like a coal, gas or nuclear plant, renewable projects must be decommissioned or repowered with new, more efficient equipment after the installed technologies reach the end of their useful life.

The average expected life of a solar panel is between 20 and 30 years, with the average Tier 1 panel manufacturer’s warranty lasting 25 years.

According to the Nation Renewable Energy Laboratory, most panels still produce power after 25 years but at a reduced capacity. On the wind side, the average turbine blades are rated to last 20 to 25 years. However, history shows us that wind turbine blades are generally replaced, or repowered, every 10 years to capitalize on increases in blade size and efficiency.

Whether it be at the end of 10 years or 30, renewable energy technologies are decommissioned and/or repowered, just like traditional energy generation facilities. According to data aggregated by the European Environment Agency, by the year 2030, the world will produce 3,000,000,000 pounds of PV solar panel waste per year, 9,500,000,000 pounds of wind energy waste per year, and 450,000,000 pounds of energy storage and mobility waste per year. This is a staggering volume of new waste being created on an annual basis. At this time, the predominant solution for handling renewable waste is some form of specialized storage, or burying renewable waste in designated landfills.

Solar and wind energy facilities provide numerous benefits to the environment, and the reason this amount of waste matters, other than

the sheer volume, is that renewable technologies contain materials that are toxic, do not decompose or are not recyclable. For example, typical solar panels contain toxic substances and heavy metals such as cadmium telluride, copper indium selenide, silicon tetrachloride, cadmium gallium (di)selenide, copper indium gallium (di)selenide, hexafluoroethane, lead and polyvinyl fluoride. Wind turbines and blades contain materials such as Bisphenol A, resin, BPAs and fiberglass that do not decompose or recycle readily — if at all.

On the positive side, solar panels and wind turbines contain substantial quantities of critical and rare earth minerals that, if recovered, represent a potential revenue stream and make renewable power renewable in more ways than one.

Numerous developers, utilities, research groups and universities are seeking to solve these issues through material science, land use, recycling solutions and more. State legislative bodies are also beginning to impose decommissioning requirements for existing renewable facilities and bonding requirements to ensure the decommissioning of future facilities.

While certain entities are making headway, solutions are still maturing.

This is a unique time in the renewable energy industry’s lifecycle as the industry begins to grapple with such issues as whether a company needs to protect new turbine recycling technologies, establish a joint venture for disposing solar panels, lobby a state or federal government for efficient decommissioning and bonding rules, or needs to acquire land for disposal.

The issue of what to do with solar panels, wind turbines and other associated equipment and facilities at the end of their useful life will continue to require critical thinking and robust problem solving from numerous disciplines that include engineers, land use professionals, material scientists — and even lawyers.

On the positive side, solar panels and wind turbines contain substantial quantities of critical and rare earth minerals that, if recovered, represent a potential revenue stream and make renewable power renewable in more ways than one.

61

DEC. 2021

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

INVESTING IN COMMUNITY

The Future of Philanthropy

Next-gen leaders speak out on philanthropy, governance and social change

by Richard Tollefson

A new era of philanthropy, nonprofit governance and social change is upon us. Why, how and where the next generation of philanthropists give and engage is drastically changing in America and reshaping how nonprofits do business. To optimize the potential and impact of next-gen leaders, nonprofits must understand that leadership is more than money — although the wealth of this generation and its philanthropic potential is enormous as millennials are due to inherit $30 to $70 trillion from their baby boomer parents.

The Long Beach (California) Community Foundation recently brought a panel of millennial and xennial social change agents to discuss the Future of Philanthropy. Their observations and recommendations hold true for communities around the world.

“Charitable giving and community leadership are changing,” said Marcelle Epley, president and CEO of the Long Beach Community Foundation. Organizations will need to adapt and make way for younger leaders, board member and donors driven by a global sense of responsibility.

“We want to impact our neighborhoods and kids’ schools, our communities, the world,” said Sumer Temple, vice president of the Don Temple Family Charitable Foundation.

“While we may have many of the same morals and values as our parents, we want to do things our way, to make change how we think is best.” Often, the way they give is through volunteerism and active involvement, not just donating money.

Tasha Hunter, business and cultural consultant, said younger donors want their donations of time to be recognized as something meaningful and tangible. “We need to understand the importance of time, in addition to money, and quantify the value of that time and expertise.”

A LIFESTYLE, NOT AN OBLIGATION OF PRIVILEGE

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

DEC. 2021

62

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

“We are demanding social change and social impact in very explicit ways,” said Sentari Minor, social impact thought leader and brand and positioning expert. Organizations are increasingly called upon to demonstrate their commitment to DEI in how they serve their communities and recruit and engage board members and donors.

Compared to prior generations, younger donors are driven by “social consumerism,” often focusing their giving on urgent, immediate needs that directly impact the social issues they prioritize. “Our generation seeks to help as best we can today,” said Amanda Johnson, owner of Yellow Truck Investments.

“Philanthropy is not part of our retirement plan; it’s part of our work life and our family life; it’s part of our every day.”

SHAKING UP THE BOARD ROOM

Nonprofit boards need to think differently and recognize that board membership is no longer just for name recognition, status and how much money one can give. In addition to including more idea-generators and problem-solvers, boards need to engage younger members, listen to their

The wealth and philanthropic potential of the millennial generation is enormous as they are due to inherit $30 to $70 trillion from their baby boomer parents.

ideas, and align their activities around meaningful, positive social impact.

5 KEY SUCCESS FACTORS FOR NEXT-GEN ENGAGEMENT

It’s more than just money. But don’t forget the money.

The adage of “time, treasure and talent” comes into play with next-gen leaders. It’s important to help donors and board members understand how best to contribute all three. But don’t forget the money. While this group’s discretionary income may be limited right now, they are on the verge of having huge financial resources under their control and becoming the richest generation in American history.

It’s a lifestyle — not a duty. For many, social activism and community engagement is a lifestyle that drives spending habits, professional and personal activities, and more. Don’t assume next-gen leaders compartmentalize their activism; rather, assume they live it every day.

Engagement and accessibility. Younger donors and board members want to be a part of the decision-making process. Allowing members flexibility — to attend meetings virtually, participate in activities meaningful to them, take a more “curated” approach to board engagement, and meet the expectations of membership in customized ways — should be considered when recruiting and engaging younger donors and board members, resulting in greater involvement and participation.

Mutual respect. It’s important for board members to realize they can learn from younger generation leaders who have professional and life experiences and perspectives that are different and valuable. There needs to be a true sense of mutual respect, understanding that everyone has something to offer.

Pass the baton. Existing donors and board members need to share their experiences and help educate their successors while being open to hearing and learning from the ideas of their new solution-oriented next-gen peers.

WE VALUE WHAT WE OWN

BY MIKE HUNTER

2022 Lamborghini Urus Graphite Capsule The Urus Graphite Capsule presents Lamborghini drivers all the possibilities to go anywhere with inimitable character and style. Sporting a powerful look and a dynamic stance, these exclusive configurations combine sophisticated satin-effect matte colors with contrasting bright-colored details that may express new interpretations of its owner’s personality.

The Urus Graphite Capsule has a V8 twin-turbocharged engine with a maximum power output of 650 horsepower, and offers the best power-to-weight ratio in the SUV segment.

The new matte colors of the Urus Graphite Capsule — Nero Noctis, Grigio Keres, Grigio Nimbus and Bianco Monocerus — further enhance the sporty, bold lines of the Super SUV. Vibrant, gloss-finished colors bring sharp contrast to specific

exterior details, accentuated by the gloss black rear diffusor and 23-inch Taigete rims. Together, these exclusive new color combinations create a mesmerizing intensity.

The captivating bold and innovative two-tone look will make a commanding presence on any road with the car’s unprecedented sportiness and style.

Four available interior configurations play on the Urus Graphite Capsule’s two-tone combinations, each a perfect complement to the striking exterior, for an even more distinctive look. The door opens to new horizons of personal style with elements such as the perforated and ventilated Alcantara® seats, the signature hexagonal Q-citura stitching, the embroidered logo, plus the matte-finish carbon fiber inserts and the black anodized aluminum details.

In the Urus Graphite Capsule, sportiness, comfort and luxury blend in a unique and multifaceted work of art shaped

by Lamborghini DNA. Here, the sporty lines of the world’s first Super SUV become even more vigorous — an expression of solidity, power and pure energy that is ready to unlock any road. Thanks to state-of-the-art connectivity with exclusive navigation, comfort, safety and entertainment features, the driving experience with Urus Graphite Capsule reaches unparalleled levels both onboard and remotely.

2022 LAMBORGHINI URUS MSRP: $218,009 City: 17 mpg Hwy: 12 mpg 0-60: 3.1 sec Trans: 8-speed automatic

Lamborghini lamborghini.com

Gift Cards Support Local A popular employee gift for many employers is a gift card. Several local restaurants have special offers this holiday season to make that budget item go a bit further. —Mike Hunter

nce: Community Profiles in Excelle

Unions Banks & Credit

IN BUSINESS

Photos courtesy of Lamborghini

Four Valley locations • grimaldispizzeria.com

Thirsty Lion Gastropub

Kasai Japanese Steakhouse

Thirsty Lion Gastropub will give a complimentary $20 gift card

Kasai Japanese Steakhouse will give a bonus $20 gift card with

with the purchase of a $100 gift card, online and in-store through

every $100 gift card purchased at the restaurant, through

December 31.

Christmas Eve.

Four Valley locations • thirstyliongastropub.com

NOV. 2021

Editor

Eric Miller Co-Owner

.COM

Three Valley locations • pedalhausbrewery.com

INBUSINESSPHX

$50 gift card, online and in-store through December 31.

December 31. Bonus cards will expire January 31, 2022.

Housing: Issue

Our Ongoing

Guest This Month’s

•

online and in-store (excluding Grimaldi’s Pizzeria To-Go) through

y– driving our econom Technology is fit in? where do you

2021

of a $100 gift card and a $10 gift certificate with the purchase of a

NOVEMBER

Pedal Haus Brewery will give a $25 gift certificate with the purchase

card and a $20 bonus card with purchase of a $100 gift card,

TECHNOLOGY

Pedal Haus Brewery

Grimaldi’s will give a $10 bonus card with purchase of a $50 gift

MAGAZINE

Grimaldi’s Pizzeria

Principal and PADT

for the Prepare NOW Crisis Next Global s Electric Vehicle y Econom Charging Our $7.95 INBUSINESSPH

X.COM

THIS ISSUE

of Women National Association – Phoenix Business Owners

DON’T MISS OUT!

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

14344 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale • kasaiteppan.com

MUDETEC The Lamborghini Museum in Italy near Modena has been updated to become Museum of Technologies, where fascinating history, the iconic models and tours of the production lines tell the story of more than 50 years of innovation that project Lamborghini into the future. lamborghini.com/it-en/museo

63

DEC. 2021

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

MEALS THAT MATTER

CHOPPED ANTIPASTO Capicola ham, Genoa salami, pepperoni, Roma tomatoes, cucumbers, mixed bell peppers, pepperoncinis, black olives, green olives, Swiss and mozzarella cheeses, tossed with Streets Italian dressing $14.50

LORRIE’S LASAGNA Ricotta, Italian sausage, ground beef, marinara sauce, mozzarella and pecorino cheeses $16

Streets of New York – Italy in the Neighborhood Local Arizona franchise celebrates 45 years

by Erica Shipione

There is something to say about a classic, and that’s just what the local and privately-owned pizzeria, Streets of New York, brings to the table with classic East Coast-style pizza and authentic Italian cuisine. Starting with the opening of the original Streets of New York location at 32nd Street and Cactus in north Phoenix in 1976, and now with locations across Arizona and in Las Vegas, this family-owned business has kept the feeling of comfort and familiarity for the past 45 years.

Where casual dining meets exceptional ingredients, the atmosphere at Streets of New York will have guests feeling like they’re part of the family, with the familiar faces of multigenerational employees and long-standing guests. With the intention to welcome families, Streets and its partnerships with local sports teams have made an imprint on the ambience of the restaurant as well. Televisions hang throughout the restaurant, making no seat a bad seat, while also creating an environment for fans of any sport to watch their favorite teams.

Streets of New York, known for having a passion for quality ingredients that include handcrafted and never-frozen pizza dough, also has a passion for family recipes. Streets develops its

own recipes, and Lorrie Glaeser, president and CEO, pride herself on being the Chief Food Taster for all new menu creations.

At first glance of the menu, guests will find all the staple Italian dishes that include the iconic Lorrie’s Lasagna, but it’s the attention to detail that goes into the food that takes these staple dishes to the next level. Starting with using tomatoes grown in Naples, Italy, to non-GMO and antibiotic sausage specially prepared in Chicago, Streets of New York carefully chooses every ingredient that goes from its kitchen onto guests’ plates.

In addition to being a “Power Lunch” spot, Streets of New York packs a dynamite happy hour Monday through Friday with discounted appetizers, including garlic brushed-to-perfection Pizza Rolls with stuffing of choice of toppings.

After one visit at Streets of New York, it will be no family secret to how this Arizona pizzeria with a New York-style flare has been a staple in the valley for 45 years and counting.

Streets of New York Multiple locations streetsofnewyork.com

Streets – Connecting with Community for 45 Years

Price varies with size

Instilling a sense of community and connection in my life has

always been very important to me and has continued to follow me

I’m proud to be a woman and carry

and not love it. You can’t be doing something for 45 years and not

the lead. It’s never been a negative,

be totally dedicated to the customers, to the employees, to all that

it’s always been very much a positive.

you’re doing. It takes continuity, passion, love of hospitality and

When I speak to people, they’re

connecting with people to develop yourself to be that much better

always taken aback, responding, “Oh,

each year.

a woman owns this? A woman is at

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

the head of it?” Yes, there is a woman

including the Arizona Diamondbacks and Phoenix Suns, and we

at the head of it and she loves what she’s doing. I’m not giving it up for

take pride in being named the Official Pizza of Arizona Sports,

a long time. We’re growing, and I’m running around in my high heels

bringing our local teams together with our team at Streets of

tap dancing through my restaurants.

New York. I’ve enjoyed growing with the company, with many of

64

As a CEO and a chef in my company,

in my career in the restaurant industry. You can’t be in this industry

We are proud to have cultivated partnerships with local teams,

DEC. 2021

years who truly feel like family.

The Streets of New York family wants to thank our customers

my family members working by my side and also working with

for their support as we celebrate 45 years. —Lorrie Glaeser,

employees who have been with the company for more than 30

president and CEO of Streets of New York

Streets of New York has cultivated partnerships with local sports teams, including the Arizona Diamondbacks and Phoenix Suns, and was named the Official Pizza of Arizona Sports.

Photos courtesy of Streets of New York

PEPPERONI PIZZA

Adame, David, 28

Farnham, Lucas, 12

Kurnoff, Janine, 50

Roche, David, 45

Amodio, Eric, 24

Foss, Shane, 22

Laird, Travis, 15

Skaff, George, 16

Arana, Daniel, 55

Gallego, Kate, 34

Lazarus, Lee, 50

Spangenberg, Mike, 14

Aslan, Elazar, 51

Giles, John, 35

Lennington, Mchael, 51

Swope, Troy, 46

Beltran, Simon, 10

Giuliano, Neil, 36

Loizzo, Joe, 51

Tollefson, Richard, 62

Bidwill, Michael, 29

Glaeser, Lorrie, 64

Mask, Clate, 24

Trudell, Ryan, 17

Bottrill, Lorry, 10

Goodman, Adam, 37

McDonald, Paul, 15

Voyles, James, 60

Butler, Tyler, 56

Goshkarian, Wayne, 22

Moran, Brian P., 51

Warren, Demetrius, 13

Cecala, Katherine, 30

Ghiz, Jonathan, 14

Nathan, Johnwick, 22

Waters, John, 58

Collins, Christopher, 31

Haar, Jerry, 51

Neale-May, Donovan, 16

Watson, Sandra, 47

Crow, Michael, 32

Harkey, Scott, 38

Polando, Nicholas, 14

Woods, Corey, 48

Davis, Mike, 13

Harper, Sharon, 39

Poloni, Fran, 12

Yaverbaum, Eric, 66

Dawson, Barb, 33

Hawkins, D. Lamar, 54

Preuss, Devney, 42

Zimmerman, Sean, 20

Doty, David, 12

Henninger, Don, 59

Ralston, Dave, 43

Eckert, Charles, 10

Kehaly, Pam, 40

Reva, John, 11

Ernst, Ricardo, 51

Keyser, Jonathan, 41

Rhoton, Nate, 44

1-800-JUNKPRO, 13

Greater Phoenix Leadership, 36

Pedal Haus Brewery, 63

State Forty Eight Foundation, 14

11Eleven Consulting, 56

Grimaldi’s Pizzeria, 63

Phoenix Mercury, 13

Stearns Bank, 8

Arizona Cardinals Football Club, 29

Guidant Law Firm, 54

Phoenix Philanthropy Group, The, 62

Stevens-Leinweber Construction, 17

Arizona Commerce Authority, 2, 3, 47

Harbor Health Integrated Care, 22

Phoenix, City of, 34

Streets of New York, 64

Heard Museum, 45

Plaza Companies, 39

Supurb, 14

HelpSnackz, 56

Presentation Company, The, 50

Tempe, City of, 48

Homie, 11

Red Hawk Garage Suites, 10

Thirsty Lion Gastropub, 63

Hooray Health, 22

Robert Half, 15

Toyota Financial Services, 18

JE Dunn Construction, 17

Scottsdale Coalition of Today & Tomorrow, 59

Tri Pointe Homes, 18

Arizona Community Foundation, 49 Arizona State University, 32 Association for Entrepreneurship USA, 22 Aventiv Technologies, 56 Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, 23, 40 Chicanos Por La Causa, 19, 28 CMO Council, 16 Common Ground Culinary, 31

Waste Management Phoenix Open, 5

Kasai Japanese Steakhouse, 63

SRP, 68

Waters Business Consulting Group, 58

Keap, 24

State Forty Eight, 14

CHECK US OUT

Launch, 20

Delta Dental of Arizona, 13

Lewis Roca, 60

Divvy, 6

M3 Junk Removal, 56

Downtown Phoenix Inc., 42

Mangat Group, 17

Ericho Communications, 66 Express Employment Professionals, 13

Goodmans Interior Structures, 37

Ware Malcomb, 18

Special Strong, 12

Lamborghini, 63

Daon, 16

GitKraken, 24

Snell & Wilmer, 33, 57

UnitedHealthcare, 7

Kiterocket, 67

Creative Environments, 17

Footprint, 46

Silver Lining Wealth Advisors, 13

Keyser, 41

Comunale Properties, 17

FirstBank, 13

JLL, 11 Junior Achievement of Arizona, 21, 30

BOK Financial, 43

Fennemore, 55

Jive, 8

Mercy Care, 10 Mesa, City of, 35 Mici Handcrafted Italian, 12 Muscular Moving Men & Storage, 56 O’Neil Printing, 10 OH Partners, 38 one-n-ten, 25, 44

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

/inbusinessphx

@inbusinessphx

Bold listings are advertisers supporting this issue of In Business Magazine.

65

DEC. 2021

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

A CANDID FORUM

BY

Walking the Line: How to Keep Your Employees Healthy, Safe — and Respected To be understood necessitates understanding one’s audience – especially regarding health, since many people are skeptical and distrusting of the medical field

by Eric Yaverbaum

Eric Yaverbaum, CEO of Ericho Communications and author of Public Relations for Dummies and Leadership Secrets of the World’s Most Successful CEOs, is a 40-year public relations veteran and communications expert and the bestselling author of seven books. He is a regular TV pundit, and his expert commentary has been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, The Washington Post, The New York Times, HuffPost, CNBC and PR Week, among others. erichopr.com

DEC. 2021

66

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

There was a moment this summer when it seemed the end of the tunnel was finally here. Something like normal life blossomed for a couple of months before the Delta surge; I even went out to a movie at one point. It was almost like old times.

Now, with national vaccine mandates in place covering tens of millions of workers and private mandates coming into force at countless American businesses, anti-vaxxers are raising their voices in umbrage. If this seems strange to you, it only means that you are still sane; unvaccinated individuals are almost 30 times more likely to get infected and as carriers are more likely to spread the virus. That puts companies and particularly HR executives and professionals in the difficult position of determining how to move forward with unvaccinated but otherwise solid employees who remain hesitant or hostile to getting their shots.

However misguided anti-vaccination is, for millions of Americans it’s a deeply and sincerely held belief reinforced by a crumbling collapse of their trust in political and health authorities. Some of these people believe the vaccine is harmful and are genuinely afraid. So, our goal needs to be about communicating, providing information, filling gaps and tackling misinformation so that those who are vaccine hesitant can make informed decisions on their own.

Vaccination as a public health measure is essential to ensuring community safety writ large; as a workplace policy, it protects both employees and unvaccinated clients and customers alike from infection while allowing workplaces to reopen and in-person meetings to resume. And while it might not be possible to change every vaccine skeptic’s mind, there are some communication strategies that can help.

• Begin with empathy. Employers should do their best to understand why the employee is hesitant to get the vaccine — what exactly are their concerns? Really listen and reserve judgment; remember, empathy is key! Employers can then offer clear, concise and fact-based evidence addressing their concerns.

• Remove practical barriers. Employers should make getting the vaccine as easy as possible for employees. Provide time off, offer transportation and additional sick days for those who get the vaccine in case they don’t feel well afterward.

• Incentivize vaccination. Employers should consider offering bonuses, paid time off or other material, direct benefits. While there’s been limited success with this strategy, it’s still worth trying. Linking vaccination to reward rather than

punishment is inevitably going to sway some people.

• Appeal to positive emotions. What are employees missing out on by not being vaccinated? Employers can champion the message that the vaccine is what allows us to enjoy all the things we’ve had to miss out on for 19 months — without having to worry about infecting ourselves or others!

• Prioritize the safety of immunocompromised employees (if and wherever possible). A helpful strategy is to schedule employees returning to the office so that unvaccinated workers don’t share shifts or common workspaces with immunocompromised employees, and to keep the workplace thoroughly disinfected.

• Restrict unvaccinated workers from public-facing roles. This will help prevent inadvertent spreading of the disease. Employers should make it clear that the company has an obligation to follow federal mandates in order to ensure the safety of all its employees and clients and that other work will be found for unvaccinated employees unless and until they accede or the pandemic fully resolves.

• Require frequent and regular PCR infection tests for unvaccinated employees. Employers need to have a system in place to track and check the results and furlough infected workers until they’re clear. It’s also important to stay up-to-date on and follow federal mandates, guidance and reporting practices in order to avoid any potential fines.

These are practical recommendations for any HR professional to consider that, while not the most fun, attempt to respect both the agency of unvaccinated employees and the health of everyone else. Are some of them a pain? Yes, but as we all know by now, COVID-19 isn’t something we can simply wish away, and safety for everyone will require ongoing life changes for people who, of their own volition, decline vaccination. While HR can’t take responsibility for their decisions, companies have every obligation to respond to those decisions appropriately and ensure the safety of their employees, clients and customers — doing their best to take care of what they can.

Messaging is one vital part of communication; another is understanding the audience. Where it comes to health, this is even more crucial since many people are skeptical and distrusting of the medical field (especially marginalized groups who have had negative experiences).

SALUTING THOSE WHO ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE. Each year, SRP honors several commercial customers who have invested in solutions that help advance energy and water efficiency. In fact, last year alone these businesses, along with others, conserved 137,000 megawatt-hours of energy. Join us in recognizing the difference they are making both in their communities and Arizona.

STATE FARM STADIUM CITY OF TEMPE CHANDLER UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT GRAND CANYON UNIVERSITY NEW VILLAGE HOMES SAGE COMMUNITY MOUNTAINSIDE FITNESS TARGET CORPORATION

savewithsrpbiz.com