February 2022 issue of In Business Magazine by InMedia

FEB. 2022

Can Social Media Revitalize Small Business Competition?

Workplace Progress Who is stepping up

diversity?

This Month’s Guest Editor

Dr. Joel (JP) Martin

Positively Powerful™ Triad West, Inc.

The Business Case for Volunteering

Beware the Menace of Metrics Myopia Maintain Morale in Uncertain Times $7.95 INBUSINESSPHX.COM

THIS ISSUE Global Chamber

FEBRUARY 2022

Startups

“KeepWOL – Growth through Play and Reflection” and “Form Paper Co. Goes Big and Bold with Peel-and-Stick Wallpaper”

CRE

“2022 Interior Design Trends,” “1.5M-Sq-Ft Industrial Development in Mesa,” “Buckeye Development Targets E-Commerce and Logistics,” “10M-Sq-Ft Industrial Planned in W. Phoenix,” “2021 Sees All-Time Records in Phoenix Industrial Market” and “The Sustainable Valley Located in Buckeye, Arizona”

GUEST COLUMNISTS

At the head of The Flower Shop, Greta Brandt promotes integrity in the cannabis industry.

TruWest Credit Union’s TruDifference This month spotlighting TruWest Credit Union, Tyler Butler’s series explores the myriad ways businesses give back and the positive ways their programs impact our community.

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

24 COVER STORY

Workplace Progress: Who is stepping up diversity?

Interest in diversity, equity and inclusion is arguably a universal in business these days. But there is no universal one-size-fits-all DEI program. In Business Magazine spotlights a cross-section of our business community and offers a look at some of the individual journeys toward a shared objective.

FEATURE

Don’t Let Metrics Myopia Drive Away Your Talent

Rick Grimaldi examines what happens to productivity when organizations focus too narrowly on numbers.

Seven Ways Social Media Can Revitalize Small Business Competition

Candie Guay shares strategies for businesses to use this key element in the route from recovery to growth.

DEPARTMENTS

Guest Editor

Dr. Joel (JP) Martin, president of Positively Powerful™ Triad West, Inc., introduces the “Diversity” issue.

10 PARTNER SECTION GLOBAL CHAMBER® Global Chamber® Events

WINTER 2022

globalchamber.org/events

February 1, noon MT

Global Chamber Phoenix Metro Meetup February 2, 1:00p MT

Global Chamber Los Angeles Metro Meetup February 3, 5:00p MT

Global Chamber Tokyo Metro Meetup Spotlight Event February 9, 4:00p MT

US, Japan and Global Semiconductor Market February 10, 11:30a MT

Global Chamber Tel Aviv Metro Meetup Spotlight Event February 17, 4:00p PT

Young Global Leader Event on Transportation, Supply Chain February 23, 5:00p MT

Global Chamber Denver Metro Meetup

Inside this Section

Warmth, Resilience and Growth by Doug Bruhnke

3 3 4 5 5 6

Doing Business in… Book Authors in the Global Tribe Global Chamber Event Planning 2022 Just Do It. Don’t Try. New Home at Thunderbird Why Every Exporter Should be in Global Chamber

Most of us wish to grow our business, but the world can be a cold, uncooperative place. So, at Global Chamber®, we provide warm introductions every day for members to gain new clients, assisting them in their growth across metro regions and borders. Warmth means we know who we’re introducing, and it’s a thoughtful connection. That all helps ensure that more than 90% of the time there is a conversation, and isn’t that what any of us needs to have a chance at a sale? We just need the chance to speak with top executives at growing firms that have needs, and as we fully uncover those needs, we have an opportunity to offer our products and services. Successful firms usually screen out cold calling — so, getting introduced through trusted connections is usually the best and

most productive way to grow. That’s why our trusted network is more highly valued than ever as we all seek more success in 2022, no matter what COVID throws at us. Besides working through a warm, trusted network, I’d also like to recognize the need to be resilient all along the way. That means each of us needs to keep learning and finding new ways to be successful, especially as technology evolves — using artificial intelligence and more. Doing the same thing as pre-COVID or last year or often doesn’t work anymore, creating frustration, lack of productivity and suboptimal performance. Open, creative and resilient minds are what will get us from here to there. Sometimes, it doesn’t take much more than stopping for a moment and doing something very simple. Continued on page 2 GlobalChamber.org

Global Chamber®

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From the Top

Feedback

Scott Gruwell, Percy Kirk and Lauri Leadley respond to In Business Magazine’s burning business question of the month.

Briefs

“Dailies Top Stories,” “Collaboration between Trade Partners Is Revolutionizing Construction Industry,” ““Local Standouts Recognized for Achievements and Philanthropy,” “It’s a Wrap for Safer Policing” and “Identifying an Ideal Employee Pool”

By the Numbers

JPMorgan Chase survey results show optimism despite ongoing supply-chain and cost-related challenges.

Healthcare

“Emerald Expands Its Healthcare Textiles Service” and “A Safe and Healthy Workplace Return”

Technology

“Local Tech Partnering to Invest in Blockchain Research” and “Climate Fintech for the Agricultural Economy”

Books

New releases give fresh insights on business thinking.

En Negocios

Feature articles in Spanish and English on Economia / Economy and Liderazgo / Leadership

Economy

Rhett Doolittle discusses non-traditional lending available to small businesses.

Legal

Discussing corporate mergers and acquisitions, attorney Robert J. Miller also explores where private equity investing fits into the picture.

Nonprofit

Reinventing the way we work involves creating employee-centric recruitment and retention strategies.

Assets

2022 Lexus E 350 F Sport Plus: A virtual meeting can be anywhere, and a virtual background can put it there.

Power Lunch

Daily Dose Kitchen & Bar Innovates Crave-able Breakfast & Lunch

Roundtable

Sam Johnson offers insights to help organizations maintain company morale in times of uncertainty.

Six Arizona cities rank in the top 20 of Dwellics’ recently released report of the top 100 cities in the country to work remotely: Catalina Foothills (2), Tempe (9), Tanque Verde (10), Goodyear (12), Chandler (13) and Queen Creek (16). Oro Valley also shows up well, at No. 21. dwellics.com/rankings/best-cities-work-remote-america-2022

Together, we’ll find new possibilities The health and well-being of your employees matters. UnitedHealthcare is here to help you guide them toward brighter days ahead. From finding new ways of controlling costs to connecting them with medical care and mental health support, it’s good to have a health plan that’s on their side — and in your corner.

Learn more at uhc.com

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 or through UnitedHealthcare of Arizona, Inc. B2B EI211205447.0 12/21 © 2021 United HealthCare Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 21-1202769-A

Feb. 2022 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

Simplified banking in a complex world.

Jess Roman, Chief Executive Officer Arizona Small Business Association Central Office (602) 306-4000 www.asba.com Steven G. Zylstra, President & CEO Arizona Technology Council One Renaissance Square (602) 343-8324 www.aztechcouncil.org

Explore BusinessSmart™ accounts.

Doug Bruhnke, Founder & President Global Chamber® (480) 595-5000 www.globalchamber.org

Visit StearnsBank.com /Phoenix

Rosaria Cain, President NAWBO Phoenix Metro Chapter (480) 289-5768 www.nawbophx.org

Member FDIC | Equal Housing Lender

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@inbusinessphx.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 Scottsdale Coalition of Today and Tomorrow (SCOTT) scottnow.com Surprise Regional Chamber of Commerce surpriseregionalchamber.com WESTMARC westmarc.org

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Words

OUR CONTENT CREATORS

Feb. 2022

VOL. 13, NO. 2

RaeAnne Marsh Editor, In Business Magazine RaeAnne Marsh became editorial director of Phoenix-based InMedia Company in 2010 and helped launch Valley-wide business resource In Business Magazine. Her journalism career began more than 20 years ago, when she left California and 12 years of teaching to transplant in Phoenix’s vibrant entrepreneurial environment,

Publisher

Rick McCartney

Editor

RaeAnne Marsh

En Negocios Editor Graphic Design

Edgar Rafael Olivo Benjamin Little

and includes incorporating her own business, Grammar & Glitz, Inc., through which she has taken writing and editing gigs with business and media clients nationwide. Holding the magazine to strong editorial standards, she says, “New businesses are founded, out-of-staters bring new strengths, established businesses evolve and expand — all of which contributes

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Greta Brandt

Rhett Doolittle

to the dynamic vitality that I see as the mission of In Business Magazine to be the voice of and vehicle to nurture, in

Ed Evans

each monthly edition. It is my challenge to ensure each edition is packed with relevant information on a broad spectrum

Rich Gallagher

of issues, aimed at a readership that runs the gamut from entrepreneurial startup to major corporation.”

Rick Grimaldi Candie Guay

Edgar R. Olivo

Mike Hunter

Editor, En Negocios

Christina Johnson

As editor of the Spanish section of In Business Magazine, Edgar R. Olivo shares

Sam Johnson

weekly content for Spanish-preferred small-business owners in Phoenix. As a

Laura Kaiser

first-generation Latinx and native-Arizonan, Olivo’s upbringing was filled with

Robert J. Miller

similar challenges that Latino communities in Arizona face when they engage with

Tanya Muñiz

the economy. An entrepreneur and nonprofit executive, he is leading the charge to

Chris Peacock

help strengthen a diverse, inclusive and sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystem in

Elaina Verhoff

Arizona. His work is nationally recognized for establishing programs that help advance equitable economic recovery,

Anita Verma-Laillan

and increase generational wealth for Latinx/Hispanic small business owners in Arizona.

Michael Zalle

“I believe today is a moment for leading big change. Business ownership is a critical means to build community and individual wealth. I hope my work will demonstrate to the Latino community that the entrepreneur ecosystem in Arizona has their back.”

ADVERTISING Operations Louise Ferrari

Guest columns are feature articles presented as a special, limited series as well as regular, ongoing series in In Business Magazine.

Tyler Butler Guest Columnist – Social Impact A long time corporate social responsibility practitioner, Tyler Butler is known for her expertise in creating, launching and developing successful social impact programs. Her commitment to rallying people together to make a positive difference has

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

created sustainable signature programs empowering people to give back in a myriad of ways globally. Butler operates under the ethos of “each one teach one,” and so her contributions to In Business Magazine provide her with an outlet to share the best of what companies are doing to aid humanity. Butler looks to shed light on good corporate citizens and share stories about the magic they are creating through their generous outreach efforts.

Don Henninger Guest Columnist – Metro As a 35-year newspaper veteran in Arizona, Don Henninger has always made journalism his passion as well as his career. Facts matter — especially in this day and age — and information is the foundation that enables citizens to be positive participants in their communities at all levels. Henninger has been fortunate to serve as a community leader and continues in that role today as director of the Scottsdale Coalition of Today & Tomorrow, which convenes leaders to work on issues in that city, and as a member of several nonprofit boards in the Valley.

Bruce Weber Guest Columnist – Capacity Bruce Weber sees In Business Magazine as a valuable forum for topics relevant to our business and nonprofit community. “I am deeply interested in organizational capacity and what makes organizations successful and impactful in the work they do. In my work in the community for more than 16 years, I have worked with all sizes of organizations and leaders in helping their businesses grow and expand their impact. My previous careers with Microsoft and Hewlett Packard involved working with business integration partners to design strategies to engage new markets. In today’s complex world, I enjoy exploring the possibilities and opportunities that change can bring.”

FEB. 2022

President & CEO Editorial Director Financial Manager Office Manager Accounting Manager

Rick McCartney RaeAnne Marsh Tom Beyer Allie Schimmel Todd Juhl

Corporate Office InMedia Company 45 W. Jefferson Street Phoenix, AZ 85003 T: (480) 588-9505 info@inmediacompany.com www.inmediacompany.com Vol. 13, No. 2 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. ©2022 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.

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Yes, Workforce Makeup Matters

Joel P. Martin, Ph.D., president of Triad West Inc., has more than 30 years’ experience as a DEI specialist. She is considered “a genuine genius in her approach to transformation” and one of “the best in the nation for delivering breakthrough leadership performance and organizational change.” DEI is her lived experience and her life’s work. Her commitment to creating transformational, inclusive, aligned and successful organizations has taken her before Fortune 500 leaders and business owners internationally. positivelypowerful.com

DEI. And an additional initial: B. Diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging are in the forefront of business operations these days — whether it’s because consumers are evidencing concern for supporting it through their spending habits, or because younger generations are making it a point of their choice of where to work, or because business leadership has decided it’s the “right thing to do.” These reasons and more are why U.S. companies spent approximately $8 billion on DEI. Their investment illustrates the increasing capital allocation and importance of DEI initiatives among companies. DEI is a heartfelt mission that drives bottom-line results. It is one that is undertaken by organizational leaders, board members, internal DEI directors and DEI teams. Working with them are experienced DEI external consultants who are able to “go deep” to identify pain points, needs, solutions and opportunities. As long as there is racism, homophobia and all of the other “isms” that harm, separate and divide, there will be a need for change. In the workplace, DEI has the capacity to facilitate change that then can cascade out to community. It is a journey, not a destination, and there is great value in working with a DEI consultant who can assist companies on their way. A year ago, In Business Magazine explored in-depth the concept of DEI and programs for businesses to implement. In this month’s edition, select businesses in a cross-section of our business community share what they are doing, how they are doing it and how it impacts their operations and outcomes. In determining results — of DEI or any other course of action — organizations measure metrics against specified parameters. But too much reliance on metrics may create other blind spots. Rick Grimaldi addresses this in terms of building a workforce. As he discusses in feature article “Don’t Let Metrics Myopia Drive Away Your Talent,” productivity hinges on more than numbers. And speaking of talent pool, Consumer Cellular took an out-of-the-box approach to hiring that really engages its target consumer, which CEO Ed Evans shares in a Briefs article. Candie Guay gives us a fresh look at marketing in her article “Seven Ways Social Media Can Revitalize Small Business Competition,” Don Henninger makes “The Business Case for Volunteering” in his guest column, and Sam Johnson shares tips to help businesses “Maintain Company Morale in Times of Uncertainty” in the Roundtable feature. Plus, there is the usual range of informative content in the regular departments such as Healthcare, Technology and Startups. I’m pleased to be a part of this edition of In Business Magazine and bringing you this relevant resource for business.

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

Sincerely,

Dr. Joel (JP) Martin President Positively Powerful™ Triad West, Inc.

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

Workplace Change … for the Better The workplace was a space where many spent the bulk of their

We want to thank Joel for leading this

time per week. It was seen as a place to catapult success, great

issue. She made a great impression on

ideas and certainly careers — but not for everyone, and many

me, personally, many years ago on this

might actually be missing from the scene altogether. In the past

same subject and I will never forget the

few years, the spotlight has been on building a space that is

impact her presentation at the time had on me. Her work is doing

diverse, equitable and inclusive so that all belong and that all may

so much to help companies and individuals connect on the subject

access opportunities fairly. The ongoing conversation and the

of diversity, equity and inclusion. This month’s cover story is a great

actions they produce are changing, but the work does not have a

look at some of the progress we are experiencing here in Greater

start or a stop. It does not have a comfort level or a specific look.

Phoenix.

—Rick McCartney, Publisher

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

Photo courtesy of

But it is necessary, and it is happening.

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SPEAKING OUT

“Over this past year, what has been the most significant or successful action your company has taken in regard to DEI?”

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

SCOTT GRUWELL

PERCY KIRK

LAURI LEADLEY

President and CEO Courtesy Automotive Group Sector: Retail

Senior VP and Region Manager Cox Communications› Southwest Region Sector: Utilities

President and Co-Founder Valley Sleep Center Sector: Healthcare

Since 1955, Courtesy Automotive Group has grown as a family-owned business, digging deep into the communities we serve, hiring and promoting employees from nearby neighborhoods and high schools because they mirror and shape our customer base. Our 750-plus employees are a melting pot that is highly inclusive of Hispanics, females and veterans. Our finance directors across stores are all female and many are bilingual. As the labor market has contracted, we’ve placed heavy emphasis on expanding our entry-level positions, hiring for attitude and aptitude. Through our “Courtesy Way” formal corporate training, each new hire and the existing staff sees a transparent career path because we want to unleash their tremendous potential. The Courtesy Way demonstrates our commitment to our people, teaches them how we treat our customers and how we gain their lifetime loyalty. Our inclusive and diverse approach is cyclical, with many new hires coming on because a family member or a friend used to work for us. They know we’ve been here; we live the Courtesy Way and we will help them succeed. Courtesy Automotive Group courtesyautomotivegroup.com

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

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Scott Gruwell is president and CEO of Courtesy Automotive Group. Gruwell started at Courtesy as a retail salesperson learning the foundation of the business, rising through the ranks to assistant used car manager, director, gm and president. He has grown the business into six stores with revenue of more than $920 million. Gruwell is active in the Scottsdale Charros and serves on several professional boards.

At Cox, going beyond words and taking concrete, multi-pronged actions is at the heart of our work to ensure that inclusion, diversity and equity remain at the core of our company’s values. Thanks to our Actions Speak committee established in 2020, we have established diversity best practices around inclusion and have measurable goals that will enrich our people, business and community. Most importantly, it has given us a critical platform to really listen to our employees. In the past year, we established the Center for Inclusion that drives diversity strategies, curriculum and workshops that thousands of employees across our company’s divisions have completed. Cox also continues to increase our spending with diverse and small suppliers, with a goal of a $1 billion spend by 2026. We know it takes our entire team to reflect the communities we serve. Our nine employee resource groups provide diverse team members opportunities to share their perspectives, build connections, grow professionally and influence Cox’s DEI focus and successes. Cox Communications cox.com Percy Kirk is the senior vice president and region manager for Cox Communications’ Southwest markets, leading operations in Phoenix, Southern Arizona and Las Vegas. Kirk has spent more than 35 years in the cable telecommunications industry across the country. He holds a degree from Wichita State and a master’s from Friends University and serves on the boards of the Arizona Chamber and Greater Phoenix Leadership.

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

One of the most important things to me as a female business owner is ensuring I have a diversified workforce, including my board of directors. I’ve learned how to accommodate different religious beliefs, extending past religious holidays. I’ve had employees tell me they were unable to accept a Christmas bonus because they do not celebrate that specific holiday, so I made sure to change the language to be inclusive. I’ve also provided incentive programs for my employees to make sure their work is recognized. In addition to the many international holidays (such as Nurses Day), we established a STARS program that highlights attitude, accuracy and attendance. Employees are nominated to receive bonuses based on the three “A”s. Having survived cancer twice, I understand the need for physical and mental health breaks. My team has access to private areas to relax when needed, to ensure they are well-rested and prepared for productivity. It is my goal to make sure my employees feel welcomed and safe when they come into the office. This allows for better ideas and processes, increased productivity, different perspectives and overall cultural awareness. Valley Sleep Center valleysleepcenter.com Lauri Leadley is a clinical sleep educator and president and co-founder of Valley Sleep Center. She is a 27-year, two-time cancer survivor, having beat Burkitt’s lymphoma and breast cancer during her career.

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 twice each weekday — at 9:30 a.m. and updated at 4:30 p.m. Sign up today at www.inbusinessphx.com/dailies-signup HR & MANAGEMENT | COVER STORY | JANUARY 2022

Employers, Employees and the ‘Great Resignation’ by RaeAnne Marsh

“When you identify a statistical trend large enough to garner its own label like the ‘Great Resignation,’ it is likely that there is more than one contributing factor,” says Eric M. Bailey, president of Phoenix-based business consulting firm Bailey Strategic Innovation Group, into a global health crisis that has caused tremendous uncertainty, stress and anxiety — and disruption at all levels. HEALTHCARE & WELLNESS | INBUSINESSPHX.COM | JANUARY 19 2022

CVS Health Brings New Health Zones Initiative to Phoenix to Help Advance Health Equity CVS Health CVS Health introduced its new Health Zones initiative in Phoenix. The initiative provides concentrated local investments in Phoenix that aim to reduce health disparities and advance health equity in underserved communities across the country. The program works with trusted national and local partners to address the six key social determinants of health: housing, education, access to food, labor, transportation, and health care access. HR & MANAGEMENT | FEATURE | JANUARY 2022

Could the U.S. Really Move to a Four-Day Workweek? by Arran Stewart The pandemic is responsible for opening our eyes to the importance of “quality of life.” We were all confined to our homes in the blink of an eye, and the requirement for a drastic increase in remote work saw 42% of people working from home in 2020, according to the American Time Use Survey from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Collaboration between Trade Partners Is Revolutionizing Construction Industry Scottsdale-based Synergos Companies, a construction solutions organization for single-family and multifamily residential builders, recently announced the acquisition of Brewer Companies to complement its existing portfolio of construction firms (which include Erickson Framing, Austin Concrete, Austin Electric, Austin HVAC and Door Sales & Installations). Through this acquisition, Synergos will control the entire rough construction process, allowing the company to eliminate the extended delays and frustrations that have plagued the industry for years. The trade community is extremely fragmented, which makes it unrealistic to seamlessly coordinate labor and material scheduling given competing agendas, lack of consistent trade capacity and an inability to roll technology over a broader group of businesses. The challenges the industry faces are not new but, rather, are a continuation of decades’ worth of problem solving to cover growing demands that our existing infrastructure isn’t built to handle. Trade organization and cooperation is important, not only under today’s extreme market circumstances but as a key part of revolutionizing the construction industry. This

collaboration allows the trades to effectively leverage advancements in technology and building applications, and to provide innovative solutions for ongoing labor shortages. These strategies are more effectively deployed once there is a united understanding of how to quote, schedule, order, build and service across all stakeholder enterprises. Synergos has already proven its concept, delivering hundreds of homes to customers weeks and, occasionally, months ahead of recent standard build times. Admittedly, what Synergos is doing is not rocket science; it is simply bringing together highly accomplished and like-minded contracting companies to create a more efficient and predictable construction delivery process. The secret sauce is created through the company experts working together to establish advanced building systems and applications. The leadership team at Synergos has worked in both the builder and trade community space, and understands the challenges that exist in all areas and is well equipped to offer solutions that benefit us all. This is just the beginning, as the company plans to continue making responsible investments in places that make sense holistically. )

Governor Doug Ducey has recognized February as Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month, highlighting the importance of increasing interest in the trades. Build Your Future Arizona predicts our state will need more than 261,000 craft professionals by September 2024.

Photos courtesy of Synergos Companies

pointing out that we are approximately two years

LOOKING GOOD

Local Standouts Recognized for Achievements and Philanthropy ACHIEVEMENTS

Plexus Worldwide Celebrated for Ethics Plexus Worldwide, a leading health and wellness company based in Scottsdale, was named a finalist in the Better Business Bureau’s 2021 BBB Torch Awards for Ethics in the Big Business category for its demonstrated commitment to ethics and trust in four categories: character, culture, customers, and community. plexusworldwide.com

iCIMS Award for Talent Acquisition Innovation Risas Dental and Braces staff member Regina Limon has been recognized with an iCIMS 2021 Innovator Award, celebrating talent leaders’ dedication to improving the candidate experience, for the practice’s recruiting and talent processes through new programs and processes. Risas is committed to changing the way dentistry is offered in the United States, making it accessible for all regardless of insurance status or financial situation. risasdental.com

PHILANTHROPY

Fresh Cravings’ ‘Salsabrate’ Gives Back Fresh Cravings, a Phoenix-based, family-owned brand known for produce-aisle chilled salsas and hummus dips, recently honored Tierra Madre, an Arizona-based sanctuary for both horses and humans with a $5k donation as a part of its Salsabrate™ The Good giveback campaign. This is a great example of local organizations looking out for each other, which is in-line with the goal of the giveback campaign as whole. Fresh Cravings sought out to spotlight unsung heroes in communities across the country over the course of 12 months through donations making up a total of $250,000. freshcravings.com tierramadrehorseandhumansanctuary.org

Barro’s Holds St. Mary’s Food Bank’s Biggest Fundraiser of the Year In its continuing efforts to help fight hunger in Arizona, Barro’s Pizza hosted its Tenth Annual Doran Barro Holiday Hunger Fight, a one-day fundraiser that raised more than $330,000 for St. Mary’s Food Bank. With the recent contribution, Barro’s Pizza has raised more than $2.1 million, which equals almost 15,000,000 meals for Arizona’s hungry, and every dollar raised equates to seven meals served. The Doran Barro Holiday Hunger Fight is St. Mary’s Food Bank’s largest cause-related marketing effort each year. barrospizza.com

FEB. 2022

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It’s a Wrap for Safer Policing

“Safer policing outcomes through innovative technology,” says the website of locally based WRAP®, a global public safety technology and services company organized in March 2016. The company recently released its BolaWrap 150, the latest development in the BolaWrap family of products. The BolaWrap is a hand-held remote restraint device that deploys Kevlar tether to safely wrap a subject in crisis, and the previous BolaWrap 100 device helped produce more than 100 successful policing outcomes without injury or higher levels of force. “By 2023, the non-lethal weapons market valuation will be $11.85 billion, up from $6.32 billion in 2016,” says WRAP COO Glenn Hickman. “The total addressable market includes 110,000,000 police, military and security worldwide,” he adds. Today, more than 600 agencies (local police, security, etc.) in the U.S. and 44 countries have BolaWrap devices. The new 150 model, designed by Wrap’s skilled team of engineers, improves on what made the BolaWrap 100 an effective policing

tool with significant technical upgrades and a brand-new look. The 150 is electronically deployed, rather than mechanically like its predecessor. The 150 device cassettes are powered by micro gas generators — the same technology used to power airbags — rather than the 100 device cartridge propellant of .380 blanks. Additionally, the battery life is increased more than 10 times compared to the previous model. The 150 contains new duel 80 lumen LEDs that automatically illuminate when the device is powered on, freeing up an officer’s hands when responding at night. And, also among the BolaWrap 150 upgrades, the integrated safety caps of the 150 tether anchors lower the risk to the wrapped subject and the officer removing the tether. —Mike Hunter WRAP® wrap.com

Identifying an Ideal Employee Pool At Consumer Cellular, we are fortunate to be growing and expanding our footprint across the country. During the last month of 2021, we announced the opening of two new customer service centers — one in Oklahoma City, which became up and running in January, and one in Kentucky, which we hope to have open very soon. What that means is: jobs. Hundreds of jobs, in fact. In addition to what we are looking for in Oregon and Arizona at the two new facilities, we are looking to hire around a combined 800 individuals. Like so many companies hiring during the pandemic, it was a challenge to find employees. However, this process allowed us to discover a solution and another demographic that is an ideal fit for our positions. We decided to bolster our hiring efforts on the people we serve — seniors. Because our main customer demographic is 50 and older, we noticed some specific characteristics in these individuals who have already come to work for us. They have patience, they are sincere and

they genuinely want to help people. These are the traits we look for in all of our employees because we pride ourselves on outstanding customer service. The individuals we are looking for are highly motivated selfstarters who want to help our growing company and be a part of our success story. That is why we have been ranked No. 1 by J.D. Power 11 times in a row for best customer service. We also pride ourselves on being 100% based in the United States, where we serve our more than 4 million customers. In addition to identifying seniors as valuable employees for us, many seniors may also find our company attractive for their schedules or lifestyle. We offer competitive pay, on-the-job training, full benefits, flexible working options and more. We are continuously recruiting at all our locations and welcome anyone who has the attributes to contribute to our award-winning team. —Ed Evans, CEO of Consumer Cellular (www.consumercellular.com)

According to a Bureau of Labor Statistics report released in January, the national unemployment rate in December was 3.9%, dropping from 4.2% in November. The unemployment rate for college-degreed workers was 2.1% last month, edging down slightly from 2.2% in November; these professionals are in highest demand by employers. bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf

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

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

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METRICS & MEASUREMENTS

Businesses Set Their Sights on Growth in 2022 JPMorgan Chase survey results show optimism despite ongoing supply-chain and cost-related challenges by Mike Hunter

JPMorgan Chase & Co. is a leading global financial services firm with assets of $3.8 trillion and operations worldwide. The firm is a leader in investment banking, financial services for consumers and small businesses, commercial banking, financial transaction processing, and asset management. A component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, JPMorgan Chase & Co. serves millions of customers in the United States and many of the world’s most prominent corporate, institutional and government clients under its J.P. Morgan and Chase brands. jpmorganchase.com

FEB. 2022

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Small and mid-sized U.S. business leaders remain confident in their companies and resourceful in their approaches to confronting macroeconomic challenges that have created growing pains over the last year, according to findings reported in the recently released JPMorgan Chase’s 2022 Business Leaders Outlook Survey. As a new year begins, the majority of business leaders are feeling upbeat: Eighty-three percent of mid-sized and 71% of small businesses are optimistic about their own performance in 2022, up from 77% and 63% one year ago, respectively. Business leaders also have increased optimism around their industry performance and local, national and global economic outlooks compared to the start of 2021. Despite continued uncertainty posed by COVID-19, businesses are setting their expectations high, with 81% of mid-sized businesses and 63% of small businesses anticipating revenue and sales growth in the year ahead. In line with these expansion plans, more than four in 10 of those surveyed expect credit needs to increase in 2022, representing the highest percentages recorded in the last five years. In response to today’s challenges, small and mid-sized businesses have made changes to their business models. The top three challenges cited by small and mid-sized business leaders are: • Supply chain workarounds: To alleviate supply chain disruptions, nearly two-thirds (65%) of mid-sized businesses have used strategic stockpiling and more than half (51%) have added suppliers from new geographies. A significant number have also allocated more funds to cover increased costs related to moving products (48%), changed materials or manufacturing processes (32%) and replaced or stopped doing business with certain suppliers (30%). • Employee incentives: In response to recruiting and hiring concerns, a staggering 81% of mid-sized businesses and 38% of small businesses have or plan to increase wages. Flexibility is also a key consideration for many business leaders, with 45% of mid-sized businesses having or planning to give employees flexibility on where they work and 40% of small businesses already offering or planning to offer employees more flexible hours. To retain staff, small businesses have boosted their employee benefits, such as health insurance (61%) and 401K programs (37%). • New consumer channels: While small businesses are concerned about how shifting consumer preferences due to COVID-19 will impact them, they are increasingly taking action to reach consumers via digital channels. Nearly onequarter (24%) of small businesses have implemented more contactless payment options and 22% have increased selling

on social media platforms. In the year ahead, 19% expect to move to a nearly 100% e-commerce model, up from 12% one year ago. As businesses plan for 2022, JPMorgan Chase suggests businesses embrace uncertainty, remain patient and consider environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors. [This is covered in more detail in this article as posted on the magazine website at www.inbusinessphx.com.]

Navigating Economic & Operational Challenges Financial Needs of Small Businesses In the year ahead, small business leaders are increasingly seeking new ways of financing and funding. • Planning or needing financing in 2022: 69%, up from 59% a year ago (with software systems and development being the greatest need, at 23%). To help fund their purchases, nearly half of small businesses • Planning to use business credit cards to help fund their purchases: 48%, up from 38% a year ago (with line of credit funding being the next most common funding method) • Number of small businesses planning to explore online lending options: 68%, up from 56% a year ago

Growth in Mid-sized Businesses The return to pre-pandemic productivity is on track to continue as nine out of 10 mid-sized businesses expect to grow in 2022, with the most common growth drivers including expansion into new markets or geographies, innovation or diversification in product and services and increased consumer demand. • Operating at least at the same capacity as before the COVID-19 pandemic: 53% • Running at greater capacity than pre-pandemic levels: 31% (which indicates that some businesses have leaned into the disruption and continued to grow) • Businesses that have seen profits return to or exceed prepandemic levels: 70% Sources: Mid-sized business report: jpmorgan.com/commercialbanking/insights/2022-business-leaders-outlook Small business report: business.

The top challenges for small-business owners in the West include shifting consumer habits due to COVID-19, uneven COVID-19 vaccine adoption impacting business, and economic uncertainty.

chase.com/resources/manage/blo-2022

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BY RAEANNE MARSH

ENTREPRENEURS & INNOVATORS

KeepWOL – Growth through Play and Reflection

KeepWOL games provide education across all lines of business whether it be engineering, finance, HR, marketing, sales or procurement. The company services small and mid-sized business and enterprise organizations, and its content is applicable across many industries. Customers include nonprofit, higher ed, healthcare, engineering, tech and consulting organizations.

KeepWOL — which stands for Keep Wondering Out Loud — creates learning and development technology that maximizes cultural intelligence in the workplace. Its psychology-based games emphasize storytelling to elevate the human experience, provide contextual details, encourage understanding, and promote inclusivity. The impact of each session is tracked by data collected within the platform, providing accountability, measurable change, and continuous development opportunities. “If we think about the fundamentals of learning, it all starts with play,” says CEO and founder Lauren Fitzpatrick Shanks. “Being an ‘outsider’ was pretty much the norm for me,” says Shanks, explaining the inspiration for this company she founded in 2020. In school, she was the first Black woman to graduate from the University of Kansas’s Aerospace Engineering department, one of only two women in her graduating class. “Because neither the students nor the teachers understood me and my life experiences, I felt misplaced. Relationships were challenging to build, my mental health was terrible, and I constantly questioned changing my major. Just think about that, feeling the need to change your entire trajectory because you don’t feel like you belong.” In her 14 years at Fortune 500 companies, Shanks found their diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging programs were more for vanity metrics. “None of the programs were geared around retention or ensuring the success of diverse hires,” she says. “What was worse, managers received no training on managing, leading, motivating, and communicating with people from all walks of life. I watched employees either suffer and provide less than optimal output or get fed up and leave.”

What led her to found KeepWOL, she shares, are “my lived experiences, the lack of resources and support for managers and teams to have complex, non-combative conversations that provide context details, and learning through storytelling so that everyone can thrive and achieve their full potential.” Shanks says the most valuable piece of advice she’s received is to be more in love with the problem than with the solution. Applying that advice to this endeavor, she says KeepWOL’s purpose is to provide context details into the person behind the employee, parent, partner or any other “label” placed upon us and allow others to grow from those learnings. KeepWOL keepwol.com

Form Paper Co. Goes Big and Bold with Peel-and-Stick Wallpaper

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FEB. 2022

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Form Paper Co. is an online company offering commercialgrade, peel-and-stick wallpaper designed “for those who aren’t afraid to go big or bold,” says founder Dala Al-Fuwaires. “All our patterns are vetted and approved by an interior designer, making high-design accessible and affordable. Our peel-and-stick wallpaper breaks the mold with curvy contours and statement-making color schemes that bring instant designer drip into people’s homes, offices, and commercial spaces.” And she notes the products are 100% U.S.-made “in my home state of Arizona.” The company officially launched in July 2021. The idea was born in March 2020, during the first lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic, as Al-Fuwaires began to see the pandemic’s effect on her interior design firm, House of Form, which serviced the hard-hit hospitality industry. She was also driven, she says, “to solve the challenges I personally experienced when looking for stylish, high-quality and affordable wallpaper.”

She brought to the endeavor a service-based sales mindset from her five years growing House of Form, but found e-commerce an entirely different beast. “So, I put immense effort into educating myself on this new (to me) world and relying on the experts around me to help me make wise decisions.” Quoting New York Times bestselling author Neil Patel, “Your brand is your purpose,” Al-Fuwaires shares, “I had to spend intentional time diving deep into why I was interested in developing a product prior to jumping into the excitement of designing the actual product.” Working through the discovery phase of generating a new business idea led her also to a determination to pair her desire to make high design accessible with her need to help the planet, and her company includes the “Buy One Plant One” program: “For every product you purchase, Form Paper Co. will plant a tree on your behalf.” Form Paper Co. formpaperco.com

KeepWOL’s SaaS talent development platform uses a digital library of multiplayer games to facilitate recurring guided immersive team experiences that cultivate engagement and learning.

PROPERTY, GROWTH AND LOCATION

GET REAL

by Mike Hunter

1.5M-Sq-Ft Industrial Development in Mesa New York-based Wharton Industrial has acquired a 101acre parcel of land

2022 Interior Design Trends It comes as no surprise that COVID-19, quarantines and lockdowns are still at the forefront of our minds. Experiences over the past two years has led society to seek commercial spaces that promote health, flexibility and the comfort of home in a shared office setting. Knowing this, we have identified four key trends for 2022 (and beyond) and they are all very interrelated: sustainability, natural materials, flexible spaces and approachable luxury.

SUSTAINABILITY

One concept that has had a significant effect on consumer behavior is the idea of time. Quarantines and lockdowns have stressed the importance of time more than ever. Climate expert Julian Popov predicts that, culturally, we will want to slow down, focus on streamlining unnecessary objects and actions, and eliminate things that do not enhance the quality of our lives or make them more efficient. We see this as a type of sustainable design focused on our mental health and the need to declutter, both physically and mentally. This can be aesthetic, like a minimalist movement, or programmatic in how we are able to allow our spaces to function more efficiently.

Photos courtesy of Private Label International (left), Wharton Industrial and Contour Real Estate (right, top and middle)

it plans to invest more than $200 million to develop The Hub@202, an 11-building, 1.5 million-square-foot Class A industrial park. Construction is set to begin in Q2 of 2022. The site is among the last large contiguous land parcels remaining in the area. Financing for the project was provided by MSD Capital, LP, the family office of Michael Dell. msdpartners.com whartonequity.com/wharton-industrial

Buckeye Development Targets E-Commerce and Logistics SVN Desert Commercial Advisors completed the sale of an approximately 77-acre industrial site in Buckeye at the southeast

NATURAL MATERIALS

Directly related to sustainability is the connection to nature. For health reasons, many of us have found the benefits to spending more time outside and, in turn, bringing the outside in. Natural materials have been a design staple since the beginning of time but, more and more when faced with a decision between natural or synthetic, natural is coming out on top. Materials such as brick, clay, terra cotta, woods, wools, cottons and pure metals paired with plants, skylights and picture windows feel like much-needed breaths of fresh air.

corner of Apache Rd. and Southern Ave., adjacent to the Cardinal Glass and Walmart distribution facilities. Contour Real Estate, a California-based real estate investment and development firm, purchased the land for $14.5 million and plans to develop a 1.2 million-square-foot Class A cross-dock facility targeting e-commerce and logistics-related tenants in need of a regional distribution hub. The Buckeye project is the last of three fourth-quarter land acquisitions by Contour in 2021. Leasing inquiries are being directed to Marc Hertzberg of the JLL

FLEXIBLE SPACES

When considering minimalism and efficiency, flexible spaces come into play. Offices and shared amenity spaces are at the point where they must be flexible to some degree to be useful. An office space needs to accommodate large and small groups. In turn, shared amenity spaces need to be able to accommodate both events and day-to-day functions, as well as be modified depending on the social activities taking place.

APPROACHABLE LUXURY

in Mesa in which

Phoenix office. contourre.com • svndesertcommercial.com us.jll.com/en/locations/west/phoenix

10M-Sq-Ft Industrial Planned in W. Phoenix Dermody Properties, a national private equity real estate

The idea of approachable luxury was something we started researching nearly 10 years ago as we saw luxury brands changing to appeal to the culture of the young tech startup, wearing T-shirts, jeans and a flashy pair of sneakers as opposed to a threepiece suit. Now, it’s become an aesthetic all on its own in both fashion and architecture. Marketing to that type of clientele is like trying to market to a generation, although it’s been adapted as more of a mindset than an age. As 2022 begins, we look forward to how interior design will continue to evolve and identify top trends that, in one way or another, will factor into our designs. — Christina Johnson, creative director of Phoenix- and San Francisco-based Private Label International (privatelabelintl.com), a full-service interior design studio that develops hospitality environments and lifestyle brand experiences for clients worldwide

investment, development and management company focused exclusively on the logistics real estate sector, has acquired 961 acres of land in El Mirage, Ariz., which will be developed into one of the largest industrial parks in Arizona’s history. With initial development of the Copperwing Logistics Center beginning this year, Dermody will develop approximately 10 million square feet of speculative warehousing space over the next 10 years and will develop approximately 300 acres for other third-party owner/users and build-to-suit customers. Pat Feeney, Rusty Kennedy and Dan Calihan of CBRE are the leasing brokers for the industrial park. cbre.com • dermody.com

Experiences over the past two years has led society to seek commercial spaces that promote health, flexibility and the comfort of home in a shared office setting.

FEB. 2022

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

PROPERTY, GROWTH AND LOCATION

BY MIKE HUNTER

2021 SEES ALL-TIME RECORDS IN PHOENIX INDUSTRIAL MARKET Colliers in Arizona reports the Metro Phoenix industrial market set a series of records in 2021, making it the most active year in the area’s history. Net absorption in 2021 was 80% higher than 2020, construction levels hit a historic peak in fourth quarter, and vacancy rates dropped to their lowest levels ever in the final months of the year. In addition, investment sales reached their historic high level during fourth quarter.

The Metro Phoenix industrial market added 15.2 million square feet of new industrial space during 2021, but managed to decrease vacancy 260 basis points during the year. Every submarket posted decreased vacancy both quarterover-quarter and year-over-year. The largest decreases were experienced in the Southwest and Southeast submarkets. Rental rates increased 9.8% during 2021 and 3.1% during fourth quarter, which are the largest quarterly and annual increases in Phoenix industrial market history. Fourth quarter, like each preceding quarter of 2021, set a new record for construction levels in the industrial market. And in investment, fourth quarter was the top-producing single quarter for investment sales in Phoenix history; investment sales volume during fourth quarter topped $2.7 billion, bringing 2021 sales total to $4.9 billion. The 2022 outlook for Metro Phoenix industrial remains strong. While some may speculate whether the market is becoming overbuilt, it is important to notice that during 2021 we added 15.2 million new square feet, but absorbed more than 24 million. Vacancy has dramatically decreased and the tenant pipeline remains extremely robust. More investors and employers are looking at Phoenix because of the healthy, sustainable growth, as well as robust and strong labor force. —Mike Hunter

colliers.com/en/united-states/ cities/phoenix

FEB. 2022

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The Sustainable Valley Located in Buckeye, Arizona We recently facilitated an accumulated $20 million deal in Buckeye, Arizona, with the purpose of driving sustainable energy, warranting the name Sustainable Valley for the syndicated 200-acre land deal. The real estate market alone makes up 49% of global carbon emissions. This fact drives our interest in making sustainable living more prevalent, especially here in our home state, and we recently assisted in connecting the land owner with the buyer for the KOREPlex land deal in Buckeye, connecting land developers and investors to city employees to better the community. The Sustainable Valley, adjacent to the KOREPlex facility, will be utilized to attract green companies as well as KORE power suppliers. The project, combining the recent land deal with the existing KOREPlex property within the same area, stands at a whopping 400 acres. The KOREPlex facility is the first lithium-ion battery manufacturing facility wholly owned by a U.S. company. This facility is producing clean and renewable energy as well as bringing jobs to the growing city of Buckeye. Green energy is crucial as it replaces the negative effects of fossil fuels with alternatives that are environmentally friendly. Green energy is also often renewable and clean, emitting little to no greenhouse gases and is often readily available. Buckeye is a hot market, hosting about 15 active home builders. The city is paving the way to a clean and robust economy while driving a healthier and more affordable lifestyle for Arizonians. The majority of Buckeye land is vacant, and, due to the incoming residents, the city is expanding home development as

more Valley residents relocate. The Sustainable Valley will provide jobs for these incoming residents in a convenient location. The City of Buckeye alone is expected to bring in 300,000 residents, not including surrounding areas in the West and East Valley. Maricopa County is expanding, and, while many residential developments are coming to fruition, bringing in sustainable and clean energy helps the Valley stay healthy. Arizona Land Consulting is paving the new way for the clean and sustainable energy industry by bringing it to the Valley. Half our portfolio is dedicated to solar energy and sustainable living. I strive to promote solar and renewable energy, especially in Arizona. It has been incredible to see the Buckeye area grow and unveil the potential it has for green energy. We’re also proud to be able to give more employment opportunities to the Buckeye community while supporting sustainable living. We hope this acquisition will help attract other green energy companies to the area. Buckeye Mayor Eric Orsborn is supportive of the project, stating in a recent Yahoo! article, “This incredible announcement is not only a win for Buckeye and our residents, but a win for the region and the entire state of Arizona. The Sustainable Valley is the future of industrial development with cutting edge technology that will secure Buckeye’s future as a leader in green energy.” —Anita Verma-Laillan, CEO and founder of Arizona Land Consulting (arizonalandconsulting.com), a Phoenix-based land investment and consulting company that specializes in commercial real estate

In Metro Phoenix’s industrial market, large blocks of space are in such high demand that only 16 existing buildings offer options for tenants seeking 150,000 square feet, Colliers in Arizona reported in January. A mere nine options offer available blocks of more than 300,000 square feet. colliers.com/en/united-states/cities/phoenix

Photo courtesy of Arizona Land Consulting

The industrial market’s dynamic activity can be attributed to a number of factors, one of the largest being the Valley’s historic low unemployment. Metro Phoenix unemployment fell to 2.8% at the end of November. As of November 2021, Phoenix had approximately 18,300 more people in the labor force than in February 2020 (pre pandemic).

MINDING THEIR BUSINESS

The Flower Shop Promotes Integrity in the Cannabis Industry AT A GLANCE The Flower Shop is a multi-state cannabis operator focused on curating the largest selection of flower in Arizona. Our numbers: • 2 States (Arizona and Utah) • 5 Retail locations • 3 Cultivation locations • 2 Extraction and processing facilities • More than 200 team members

FEB. 2022

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

Female leadership and ethics model change for the industry by Greta Brandt

As a female attorney and executive of a multi-state license holder, I’ve overcome numerous hurdles and obstacles on my journey. When I first joined The Flower Shop, I was the only female in the C-suite and that, in conjunction with my age, required me to conquer a host of baseless stereotypes. Nonetheless, I worked hard to not only excel in a maledominated industry but to exceed expectations and earn the respect of my colleagues and team. My role in the company continued to evolve and in 2019 I was named president. Despite the continued revelation of external and internal roadblocks, I continued to forge a path toward leadership in my organization as well as in the broader industry. Being a lawyer, I approach things differently from many other executives in the cannabis industry. I analyze things first from a compliance and legal perspective and then through a business and operational lens. Among the characteristics I value most are integrity and honesty, as in this new and emerging industry so much has been tainted by unethical practices and bad acts. Having seen the damage that results from a lack of ethics and trustworthiness, these are some of the most essential traits we look for when hiring. I can teach someone the ins and outs of the industry, but I can’t teach honesty and reliability. I believe in leading by example and by empowering my team, rather than micromanaging. I establish clear goals and expectations and then challenge my team to not only meet but exceed them through their own style of leadership. I am always available to provide guidance and direction as needed, making myself accessible to every member of my team regardless of their position. I have a strong work ethic and a transparent management style and I work hard to pass those traits down through the company.

I learned long ago: I don’t have all the answers. Too many executives believe they can solve every issue on their own and it quickly becomes their Achilles Heel, costing them employees, time and money. To be a successful and effective leader, I believe it is necessary to build a team of the most qualified and knowledgeable people, engage with them, listen to their advice and give them a role in the development of the organization. My vision for The Flower Shop is to offer a best-in-class customer experience and the highest quality products that meet the diverse needs of our customers. We are especially focused on providing a robust selection of clean cannabis products concentrated on the health and wellness needs of our customers. As we work to move the industry and available products in a more sophisticated direction, we are launching a new loyalty program and soon-to-be-released app that will provide customers with convenient access and ordering options, in addition to exceptional products they can rely on. It’s also important to me that The Flower Shop be a sought-after employer. I strive to make The Flower Shop an organization where employees are heard, valued and enjoy coming to work every day. To truly create such an environment, however, requires diversity and inclusion of women and other underrepresented groups of people. I feel a responsibility to help move that change. This is an exciting industry that is fast-moving and constantly changing and evolving. I hope that my efforts as well as my leadership will help pave the way and inspire other women to pursue a career at the highest level of the cannabis industry or any other industry they are passionate about. The Flower Shop theflowershopaz.com

While more men on average use cannabis, women are the fastest growing market segment, especially since the expansion of adult use programs. In fact, marijuana use year-over-year sales for Gen Z women, defined as those born in 1997 or later, grew the fastest in 2020 compared to any other demographic, according to data from Headset, a cannabis analytics firm.

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YOUR BENEFIT IN BUSINESS

WELL WELL WELL by Mike Hunter

Emerald Expands Its Healthcare Textiles Service Emerald Textiles has become the largest commercial healthcare linen and laundry service provider in the Western United States thanks to its recent acquisition of the West Coast assets of Angelica Corporation, a national healthcare linen service provider. The transaction includes nine facilities and allows Emerald to expand into the Phoenix and Las Vegas markets and strengthen its footprint in both Northern and Southern California. Service to hospitals for patient care providing hygienically clean reusable scrubs, packs and isolation gowns is of the utmost importance, especially with the heightened times surrounding infection prevention. Emerald has invested $35 million in capital since 2018 in equipment, technology, customer care services, leading in exceptional quality of care and laundry services for the healthcare market and further expanding its footprint as the largest commercial healthcare textiles provider in the Western United States. “We are excited to build out our network of facilities with the acquisition of Angelica’s West Coast assets,” says Andy Kratky, chief executive officer of Emerald, noting the new locations from Angelica complement the company’s existing six facilities in California, Nevada, and Utah. “This acquisition represents a continuation of our effort to build a world-class healthcare linen provider that can serve the overall needs of the West Coast market, where our current and future customers continue to expand and benefit from our support.” Emerald Textiles, a portfolio company of Los Angeles-based private investment firm Pacific Avenue Capital Partners, LLC, was created through the combination of Emerald Textiles and Encore Textile Services in July 2018. Today, Emerald Textiles is the owner and operator of 15 plant facilities and two service depots with the unique ability to service more than 560 million pounds of linen across a well-invested footprint in California, Nevada, Arizona and Utah. Facilities include San Diego, Riverside, Los Angeles, Colton, Pomona, Orange, San Fernando, Livingston, Livermore, Turlock, Sacramento, Fresno and Pittsburg, all in California, as well as Reno and Las Vegas in Nevada, Phoenix in Arizona, and St. George in Utah. Emerald Textiles emeraldus.com

FEB. 2022

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

A Safe and Healthy Workplace Return As more and more people return to the workplace in the New Year after working from home for months, a lot of adjusting is going to take place: back to wearing business casual waist down, no more checking to see if mute is on or off during meetings, and not having the household’s fuzzy companion at arm’s length during the day. There are a lot of aspects of running a safe and healthy company that do not need to be considered when employees are working from their homes. Companies need to remember all the risks that come with being in the workplace and be prepared to have precautions in place in order to keep employees comfortable being back in the workplace, whether that be an office, a construction site or a warehouse. Each company is unique in its needs when it comes to health and safety, so it can be tough for business owners to know exactly what they need to provide for their employees. It is important they discover the issues before the issues are discovered for them, since OSHA fines are a minimum of $13,000 per violation. So, how do business owners know they are at risk without the fear of fines? By conducting a mock OSHA assessment. These can be performed by an environmental health and safety (EHS) professional for a much lower cost than a fine.

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM A MOCK OSHA INSPECTION

Conducting a mock OSHA inspection can have a multitude of benefits for the overall well-being of a company. EHS professionals will be able to come in and identify gaps in the current health and safety program and suggest ways to fill them in. It also allows companies to learn what they are doing correctly and encourage those practices to continue. It is not often that people get to have access to safety professionals’ knowledge, allowing employees to ask questions that they may have concerns about. All these benefits

will result in companies avoiding OSHA fines by abating hazards before they become a problem. The EHS professional will conduct a standard safety evaluation and mark down any potential OSHA violations as well as look into the health and safety programs, training records, and injury and illness logs. From this information, the EHS professional can provide a report with best practice recommendations to move forward and provide the safest work environment possible.

HOW THIS ASSESSMENT CAN HELP LONG-TERM To continue the success of a business’s safety program, EHS professionals can also provide training regimes for employees, so it is a group effort to ensure the safety of everyone around them. This training program might give suggestions for new employee orientations, onthe-job training and, depending on the industry, personal protective equipment and vehicular safety training. One of the most important pieces of training will be emergency response to ensure each employee knows emergency exits, evacuation routes and signals to alert other employees that they need to evacuate. Because many of these safety training programs often occur when an employee is a new hire, they could easy slip through the cracks for employees who were hired while a company was doing remote work. At a time when health and safety are more important than ever, this cannot be left unaddressed. On top of that, overlooking this could result in a world of hurt where it comes to OSHA fines, so it’s best to correct any hazards before they become a problem. — Michael Zalle, founder and CEO of YellowBird (www.goyellowbird.com), a gig-economy marketplace that quickly and easily connects Risk and Safety professionals with businesses on-demand, including helping with mock OSHA assessments by pairing a business with an EHS professional to help within two hours

“Omicron uncertainty is causing a hiring hangover in the New Year in the logistics, retail, and hospitality sectors. As the variant spreads rapidly through the US, staff are being forced to isolate and stay away from work, while bricks and mortar stores and restaurants are seeing lower footfall,” says Andrew Hunter, economist and co-founder of global search engine Adzuna (www.adzuna.com).

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INNOVATIONS FOR BUSINESS

TECH NOTES

by Mike Hunter

Local Tech Partnering to Invest in Blockchain Research The Partnership for Economic Innovation, a passionate collective of business and community leaders dedicated to accelerating Arizona’s economic opportunities, launched the Arizona

Climate Fintech for the Agricultural Economy

Blockchain Applied Research Center in 2019 to leverage emerging blockchain research to create usable products for the global marketplace, with Arizona State University as its research partner. Companies that have a presence in Arizona can sign on as Members of AZ BARC to gain exclusive first access to any research findings. PEI recently announced that its initial group of members includes Intel, Kudelski Security, Early Warning Services, BD and Movemedical. Blockchain technology’s business benefits include consumer engagement, greater transparency, enhanced security, increased efficiency and improved traceability of data. AZ BARC aims to build solutions to complex digital security challenges its Members face. AZ BARC’s inaugural projects include: • Medical Device Inventory Management, a collaboration with BD, uses a blockchainbased platform for secure data sharing, provenance, and tracking of devices for better supply chain management. • Multi-Signal Device ID Management addresses the accuracy, scalability and privacy-compliancy to establish the integrity and security in device/IoT management. • Zero Knowledge Proof focuses on ways to validate a voter’s identity without the need of providing sensitive information. “The Arizona Blockchain Applied Research Center takes an industry-led approach to conduct research, develop products and grow Arizona’s technical workforce. We’re thrilled to have such a robust group of influential companies lead AZ BARC to stay ahead of emerging blockchain research and position Arizona as leader in innovation and technology,” says Kathleen Lee, director of applied research at Partnership for Economic Innovation. The AZ BARC follows a consortium model as its research is led by industry needs. AZ BARC is a publicprivate partnership funded by member companies, the Partnership for Economic Innovation and grants made available from the Arizona Legislature through the Arizona Commerce Authority. Arizona Blockchain Applied Research Center azbarc.org Partnership for Economic Innovation azpei.org

FEB. 2022

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In the face of a constantly changing climate, creating long-term business resilience has evolved from nice-to-have to a necessity. From uncertainty and increasing competitive pressures to the need to mitigate today’s climate and regulatory risks, a myriad of challenges have created an opportunity to digitize the agriculture finance sector. Agricultural data and risk management are entering an age of understanding that boasts rapid and integrated decision support, empowering proactivity. The business paradigm is shifting toward advanced risk discovery and mitigation — a shift caused by unprecedented external threats. Fintech is widely and rapidly being embraced, and ag finance institutions leveraging fintech tools will be equipped to better understand how to mitigate and adapt to a changing climate. Transitioning to the digital age through fintech gives agricultural finance many benefits, including the bolstering of risk management practices, the streamlining of data management and a way to better connect with their borrowers. Whether discussing human and economic impacts or social and environmental well-being, climate change has an outsized — and occasionally overlooked — impact on agriculture. Modern risks in agriculture pose both acute and chronic risks to financial portfolios. Consequently, ag finance businesses need speed, integration and connectedness. They require a new approach to organizing and analyzing actionable data to improve operations and mitigate risk efficiently and effectively. The question, then, revolves around where to start. In order to see real progress in de-risking financial portfolios, there must first be a deeper understanding of parcel-specific vulnerability to

climate risks and other criteria that aggregate to create a picture of portfolio risk. This level of understanding begins when there is clarity and accuracy of parcel-level loan data. Once obtained, the data requires sufficient context to reveal what it doesn’t show on its own — and make the knowledge actionable by financial institutions. Context can be provided by integrating third-party data with first-party data. That context, though, is useless to an ag finance business without a medium to rapidly activate the newfound insights. In other words, the portfolio, loan and investment data that is held by a financial institution — which includes climate risk data, land use data, public records data, borrower loan data, appraisal data, probability of default scores and more — needs to be unlocked holistically. This process, called data acclimation, is done with climate fintech to help solve issues associated with a changing climate. For ag finance, climate fintech paves the way forward by helping farm credits, national and regional lenders, farmland investors and international food brands identify — and proactively mitigate — climate-related risks. With the ability to better manage data, quantify risk exposure, assess and track climate risks, and aid in risk planning and mitigation, climate fintech tools empower ag finance institutions to acclimate their data to a changing climate and build long-term resilience. —Chris Peacock, founder and CEO of AQUAOSO Technologies (aquaoso.com), is a recognized authority in risk management and the leader of a purpose-built fintech ecosystem designed to de-risk financial portfolios in the agriculture sector through geospatial data and risk management; his core principles are built on the belief that data must not be siloed to create change and build resilience

AQUAOSO Technology’s “Climate Fintech” white paper presents information on specifics of climate fintech and data acclimation. Chris Peacock, founder and CEO of AQUAOSO Technologies, has witnessed firsthand the human and economic impact that climate change inflicts. aquaoso.com/resources/white-papers-ebooks

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Workplace

Progress Who is stepping up diversity? by RaeAnne Marsh

nterest in diversity, equity and inclusion is arguably a universal in business these days. But there is no universal one-size-fits-all DEI program. Businesses may be tempted to apply to their own operations programs they’ve seen be effective in other organizations. But, as Joel (JP) Martin, Ph.D., emphasizes, “Each program is organic.” Speaking from her two decades’ experience as a coach, consultant, speaker and trainer, the founder and president of Positively Powerful™ Triad West explains, “If you take all the people out of one organization and bring all new people in, it wouldn’t be the same organization. So why would you give them the same DEI program?” This is why Dr. Martin places such importance on “going deep” – going in and getting to know the organization. Her approach is to get to know the business context and the challenges and opportunities of the people involved in it in order to present a transformational DEI program. And, following an initial needs assessment, she has found it effective to invite the team to design the program with her. Passionate, committed employees comprising a DEI committee then take ownership of the program. “DEI is all about people,” says Dr. Martin. Recognizing that it’s all about people, In Business Magazine is spotlighting a cross-section of our business community and offering a look at some of the individual journeys toward a shared objective.

Leila Gimino is the legal and compliance lead and DE&I co-chair at Lovitt & Touché, a Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC company.

LOVITT & TOUCHÉ, INSURANCE BROKERAGE “The ultimate goal with our DEI efforts is to provide a workplace where everybody feels they belong and where they do not have to hide a part of who they are to be included, ” says Leila Gimino, who heads the Legal & Compliance department and co-chairs DEI at Lovitt & Touché, A Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC Company. Lovitt & Touché has been committed to cultivating a diverse, equitable and inclusive work environment since the company’s founding more than 100 years ago. Despite the French surname, the Touché family is of Hispanic descent, with a historical journey from France to Argentina and Mexico to America. Founder Carlos Touché dedicated his career to building a business that respects and embraces a diversity of backgrounds, cultures and experiences. It is a legacy his two sons — CEO Charles and President Steven — not only helped him build, but one they continue to enhance to this day. “We recognize the importance of ‘walking the talk’ and making our DEI focus more than performative or lip service,” Gimino says. “It truly is a critical part of the company culture from the top down. Our entire leadership team participates in DEI activities and trainings, modeling for their teams and fellow colleagues that these efforts truly are an important piece to the company culture.” To achieve its DEI goals, the company established a DEI Council of 15 to 20 colleagues tasked with engaging and educating their fellow colleagues by spotlighting different cultures, backgrounds,

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countries and more. “We have hosted many speakers and events to bring awareness and greater understanding of a diverse set of backgrounds and cultures,” says Gimino. For instance, for Native American Heritage Month, the DEI Council hosted a Zoom event with a member of the Tohono O’odham Nation in Southern Arizona, who discussed the Nation’s history and culture. This year the council is focused on the theme of Listening Generously, gearing our activities around the idea of open, compassionate listening and seeking to understand. And Gimino notes Lovitt & Touché’s leadership team is making internal business decisions geared toward recruiting a more diverse workforce. In terms of assessment, Gimino reports that the company evaluates its efforts based on how many people attend and engage with events, emails and activities, as well as the feedback received from colleagues — who, she notes are encouraged to share suggestions on cultures and communities to highlight as well as share their own stories and experiences. “One day, a colleague came into my office and asked me why I included my pronouns in my email signature,” Gimino relates. “I explained how people choose to use different pronouns and that it was an act of solidarity and allyship with the LGBTQIA community. As she left my office, I heard her tell others, ‘I found out what it means.’ The fact that she felt comfortable enough to ask me is a direct result of the power of emphasizing DEI and creating a workplace that is inclusive, compassionate and understanding.” More and more of the company’s clients and prospects have begun asking about its DEI efforts. “Clients and prospects want to ensure their vendors, partners and providers share their same values,” Gimino observes, noting that “What is your company doing about this?” is becoming an important part of the business conversation. “Through our DEI efforts, we act out our belief that inclusion means more than acceptance — it means true belonging. It’s a promise of full participation in the life and work of our company and a voice in its future,” Gimino says, emphasizing, “Everyone at Lovitt & Touché has unique knowledge and experience that, taken together, make us extraordinary.”

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Tim O’Neal is president and CEO at Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona.

GOODWILL OF CENTRAL AND NORTHERN ARIZONA, COMMUNITY-FOCUSED NONPROFIT DEI is nothing new at Goodwill. Says President and CEO Tim O’Neal, “Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona has always been a pioneer of diversity efforts.” O’Neal explains that Goodwill’s early goals with DEI efforts were to first listen to employees and community and engage its team members in these efforts. “Rolling out our focus groups was the first success we achieved as we had interest throughout the organization and a very engaged workforce.” Goodwill hosted several lunch-andlearns and workshops on a variety of topics, such as “Mentorship” and “Implicit Bias and Microaggression Training,” and brought in outside subject-matter experts to walk the leaders through the history of systemic racism. However, the organization recognized the need to enhance its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion journey. Says, O’Neal, “After the powerful events of 2020, we took a hard look at our organization’s efforts in DEI, had difficult conversations and listened to our employees and the communities we serve.” And they decided to partner with external DEI experts to gain an insight to best practices, as well as things other organizations might have found to not be successful when establishing solid DEI programs. Among next steps were forming a DEI steering committee, followed soon after with the launch of several DEI action groups, including Black and African American, Women’s Action Group, Native American and Indigenous People, LGTBQ+, Hispanic/Latino, and Disabilities Action Group. “These groups helped bring awareness to their unique focus and allowed us to start the process of providing learning opportunities throughout the organization,” says O’Neal. “We are mindful of the different demographics of the various regions we serve, and strive to enable our team members to participate in all types of events. “Currently,” O’Neal continues, “we are in the process of working with outside consultants to conduct a full Diversity, Equity and Bias (DIBs) survey and action plans that will help guide the direction for where we go with our DEI efforts next.” Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona is now working with an outside DEI consultant to help set its next company-wide goals in DEI. Using the results of the above-mentioned DIBs survey will help its leadership focus the organization’s DEI efforts by establishing that baseline of where things stand now and then enable goal-setting — with measurable goals — for moving forward. “We will build and share that plan with our employees and our community to ensure we all can hold each other accountable to meeting those metrics,” O’Neal says. “Our long-term vision is to be able to show a return on our DEI efforts through more diverse employee retention — from recruiting, hiring and promoting people from all backgrounds and abilities.”

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O’Neal describes the team as “incredibly passionate” and eager to move quickly, noting, “Our team members throughout the organization have been excited to participate.” An example of the high level of engagement among the workforce around DEI efforts, whether in joining action groups, attending learnings or organizing community events, comes from Goodwill’s recent sponsorship of the Phoenix PRIDE event. “We had several team members, including their family members, volunteer to support this event,” O’Neal relates. “The outpouring of support from both the community and our internal team was tremendously gratifying. We heard from numerous people that, as a first-time attendee at this event, they were extremely impressed with our initiatives and are excited to see our company continue to embrace all cultures and walks of life.” And O’Neal shares what one team member shared with him, as expressive of his own experience: “More than anything, it’s uplifting to know that we are talking about the DEI Journey at GCNA. To be at the table, and having conversations is the first step to seeing any change or progress that’s needed within an organization. When the CEO, Tim O’Neal, made it apparent that we had to do something when it comes to DEI, I was more than ecstatic to know that something was going to be done within GCNA. When the opportunity came for me to help with this initiative, I raised my hand immediately. I understand the importance of bringing awareness and education to our team members within the organization. As the leader of the Black/African American action group, I have been able to bring up many important issues that impact the black/AAs, and also organize and coordinate events.” Acknowledging that there have been many challenges, and a lot of pivoting, Ron Mack, senior community awareness partner with Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona, says, “I know that we are headed in the right direction to see the change that will help GCNA grow when it comes to DEI. By brainstorming, being more intentional, and also strategic with our approach, I believe we have the right pieces in place to do what we need to see more change. I know this won’t happen overnight, but knowing the leaders within GCNA are onboard, makes me want to continue working hard to see this necessary initiative succeed to the highest degree.”

FEB. 2022

Sam Foos is vice president of people and culture at Upward Projects.

UPWARD PROJECTS, RESTAURATEURS “We don’t take the traditional path when it comes to Diversity education; instead, everything we do is driven by our founding motto to ‘Make People Feel Good,’” says Sam Foos, vice president of people and culture at restaurant group Upward Projects. He notes the company is not reacting to social shifts, but that it all starts with Upward Projects’ mission statement to create a welcome space for everyone. And the company has a dedicated Diversity Council that is open to all staff members at any level. The company also eschews a top-down approach with leadership dictating how people are supposed to feel about any particular issues. When the Black Lives Matter protests exploded into the public consciousness, Foos says, “We worked with our Diversity Council to suggest books and documentary movies that would provide new perspectives and open people’s eyes to different points of view around the movement and the historic roots of discrimination, and then organized voluntary staff viewing parties so people could get together to become better educated about this issue, and make their own decisions and talk to each other about how what they learned impacted them.” And all employees are given a flyer as part of their onboarding process that explains the company’s current diversity initiatives through the end of the year, and how they can get involved. “Most important,” Foos says, “our efforts can’t stop at company policy. It’s about creating an environment and culture where every single individual — team members, guests and even the

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vendors we work with — can show up as their authentic selves and feel welcome, accepted and celebrated.” To evaluate its efforts, the company looks to its own team members. As Foos explains, “We want them to hold us accountable to our mission statement.” Enabling that since its very founding, Upward Projects has offered an email reporting system to give all employees the power to speak directly and anonymously with the leadership team, to tell them if they are ever not doing the right steps and what they need to correct. Foos relates, “A recent representation of that ‘come as you are’ culture was when an LGBTQ+ Upward Projects team member stood up in front of his whole team during a staff meeting to accept an award and spoke to the team, crying, telling them that it’s the first place of work where he wore lipstick and felt like he could be himself.” In terms of establishing what DE& I looks like for the company, Foos says it simply comes down to being a part of the communities we serve, “especially since many of our locations are adaptive reuse; that is, revitalizing existing buildings in underserved communities.” This includes the company’s second Postino’s, located on Central Avenue — which, as hard as it may be to imagine now, was considered an underserved communities at the time. “As with our locations in Houston’s Montrose neighborhood, or Deep Ellum in Dallas, these are places with deep histories that mean a lot to their communities, even if they seem a little rough around the edges to outsiders.” The Montrose location, along with the Broadway location in Denver, were also both historically gay bars, which speaks to the underserved communities they catered to. Foos notes that, rather than making a clean slate, Upward Projects embraced that diversity, creating an art wall in Houston that features colorful old ads from the previous bar, plus a rainbow chandelier and a mosaic mural in the entryway celebrating love in all forms. “When we talk adaptive reuse, we are not just talking about preserving the architecture and bones of the building,” Foos emphasizes, “but also that history of diversity and relevance to the neighborhood; celebrating that this building has long been a safe spot for underrepresented people, and not only elevating that history, but celebrating it and making it visible, literally.”

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Essen Otu is the manager of diversity and inclusion at SRP.

SRP, PUBLIC UTILITY SRP has a mature Supplier Diversity Program, with a longstanding commitment to supporting a broad coalition of diverse business partners, as well as long-established Employee Resource Groups. “However,” says Essen Otu, TITLE, “we really began to assess, establish and formalize our DEI strategy in 2018.” The effort led to establishing a diversity and inclusion strategic roadmap, heavily focused on building a strong foundation and commitment from leadership. “While we began with a focus on diversity and inclusion, we decided equity was an important component of our work and now integrate DEI to ensure there is an emphasis on equity.” SRP’s vision now is to fully apply the power in diversity, inclusion and belonging to create a company that is more equitable and sustainable for its customers, employees and community. Says Otu, “We know that diversity makes our communities and businesses stronger.” SRP employs a collective, growth mindset to achieving it DEI vision. “We know that, as the nation’s third-largest not-for-profit utility, our DEI journey is unique to SRP in many ways, but,” Otu notes significantly, “we share many of the same challenges.” SRP may benchmark to understand how it compares to other utilities or similarly sized organizations. However, its leadership is aware that the strategy they’ve established and actions they’re taking relative to SRP’s workforce, workplace, customers and investments have and will continue to pay off. “We’ve focused on workforce by identifying opportunities to ensure inclusion and equity from hiring to development and advancement to promotion and succession planning,” Otu says. He notes that creating a culture of continuous DEI learning has been an element of helping create an inclusive workplace. And SRP also has continued to find opportunities to apply a DEI lens to its customers and community through partnerships, investments and support for diverse communities. “One of the ways we have evaluated our efforts is by elevating voices,” Otu shares. “In late 2020, we implemented our first DEI allemployee survey at SRP. Among other things, our DEI survey results helped inform our metrics and refresh our DEI roadmap.” SRP operates on the belief that the advancement of DEI is often the result of many small, often subtle, changes to polices, practices and systems. One of the efforts Otu describes is SRP’s heavy investment in DEI learning and development, particularly for those in leadership positions. “The large-scale learning initiatives

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we’ve rolled out have focused on growth mindset, inclusion and voice,” he says, noting, “To see and hear the learning manifest in more effective teams, empowering new ideas and perspectives and positive mindsets and approaches has been reassuring.” Additionally, he says, “We’ve also created space for learning through our ongoing Brave Space Dialogues. These dialogues have been instrumental in creating opportunities for SRP employees to grow in their understanding, compassion and empathy on various DEI topics in a safe environment.” SRP started these dialogues in 2020 to acknowledge all that was happening around us and continued these discussions on a quarterly basis, and Otu has found it to be an important realization of the need to welcome critical discussion that spurs learning about DEI topics that are sometimes viewed as taboo in the workplace. “We believe our leaders are the stewards of our culture and want to ensure they have the tools and model what it looks like to create an inclusive environment,” Otu says. To further this, SRP has also began to implement and scale bias-mitigation efforts in its hiring, development and succession-planning efforts, helping identify and normalize the reality of where and how unconscious bias impacts company decision-making. Says Otu, “These collective efforts shift our culture over time and impact our ability to best anticipate the needs of our customers, attract and retain a diverse workforce and ensure we continue to have meaningful connections to our diverse communities.”

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Nate Rhoton is the executive director at One-n-Ten.

ONE-N-TEN SOCIAL ACTION NONPROFIT All the discussion and action around DEI start with awareness, and awareness is what One-n-Ten and its mission were born on. So, how does that manifest in the organization’s operations? It began with studying where things really stood, so as to start on a foundation of facts rather than impressions. Together with a Race, Equity and Inclusion consultant, Dr. Kellie Warren, One-n-Ten has conducted surveys of youth, staff, board members and community stakeholders to better understand where the organization stands, where they want it to go, and what the best path is to get there — all while recognizing the work of REI is

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not a “one and done” effort but, as Executive Director Nate Rhoton emphasizes, requires constant rededication to the efforts by all. “At one-n-ten, I believe, our goal should be to set a new standard of what it means to be an antiracist organization,” Rhoton shares. “If all we do is base our work on reflecting parity with the demographics of the youth we serve, we are only meeting the minimum.” Rhoton reports the organization has inventoried all its processes and remains open to changing anything needed to prioritize this work. In hiring, for instance, One-n-Ten has changed its procedures for advertising and interviewing for new roles, now keeping REI in mind. Rhoton reports that, over the past two years, the organization has increased the representation of the BIPOC community on both staff and its board of directors. “But this metric is only the start,” he says. A new position at the director level has been created, Director of HR and Operations, with a specific responsibility of leading the REI efforts. However, Rhoton believes the responsibility falls on everyone to continue to prioritize and recognize the importance of the work, as he notes that roughly half the youth One-n-Ten serves identify within the BIPOC community. “We must continue to include our youth, especially those of color, in the discussions, planning and execution of the work.” One-n-Ten is also working to develop a scorecard so that it can measure results overtime and report back to all constituents. “In doing the work, I have personally seen how it makes all staff and board members feel more engaged and included,” Rhoton shares. “When a company or organization strives for deeper, more meaningful inclusion, all of us feel better about being a member of the team and contributing to the work at hand, fueling us for the difficult conversations and steps ahead. No one says the work is easy, but the reward is far greater than the efforts.”

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Liz Shipley is Arizona public affairs director at Intel Corporation.

INTEL TECHNOLOGY MANUFACTURER “At Intel, we are committed to advancing diversity and inclusion at every level in our company and the broader industry,” says Liz Shipley, Arizona public affairs director at Intel Corporation, expressly connecting the business side with the company’s human resources philosophy. “It is foundational to our business and purpose – to create world-changing technology that improves the lives of every person on the planet.” Shipley points out that, for more than 40 years, Intel has developed and manufactured some of the world’s most advanced semiconductor technology, right here in Arizona. Intel technology is driving digital transformations across industries. From processing to moving and storing data, Intel’s end-to-end product portfolio offers innovative solutions that scale from edge computing to the network, the cloud, artificial intelligence, autonomous driving, and more. “In 2020, we launched our new 2030 ‘RISE’ strategy and goals to create a more responsible, inclusive, and sustainable world, enabled through our technology and the expertise and passion of our employees,” Shipley says, reporting that the company took actions in 2020-21 to advance progress against these goals as well as steps to further integrate inclusion expectations into company policies, performance management systems, leadership expectations annual bonus metrics and employee surveys. One example she shares is the set of best practices and training Intel developed to mitigate the potential influence of unconscious bias in the hiring process. These practices include posting of formal requisitions for internal positions, using impartial descriptions of qualifications for all open jobs, and having diverse slates of qualified candidates and diverse hiring panels. “In 2020 and 2021, we linked a portion of our Annual Performance Bonus to metrics aimed at accelerating global inclusive hiring behaviors in support of our 2030 workforce inclusion goals,” she says. “We met these goals, providing inclusivity training to 99% of hiring managers globally, and completing 84% of internal hiring through posted requisitions.” Last year, Intel partnered with Dell, Nasdaq, NTT DATA, and Snap Inc. to create the Alliance for Global Inclusion. The Alliance for Global Inclusion is a global coalition of companies that have publicly pledged their commitment to developing and aligning on shared metrics that track progress in diversity and inclusion. “Coalition partners acknowledge that the best way to accelerate the adoption of inclusive business practices is through data transparency and collaboration on a unified set of measurable goals,” Shipley says. The Alliance for Global Inclusion will also release a bi-annual inclusion index, which will serve as a benchmark for companies to track “D+I” improvements and provides information on current best practices and

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opportunities to improve those outcomes across industries. The goal of the Alliance and index, Shipley explains, is to focus on shared responsibility, align on a consistent system of measurement to better track progress, and address persistent gaps while identifying areas for improvement. “One of the workforce attraction strategies we are also adopting is the concept of a ‘returnship,’ Shipley says. Describing the Relaunch Your Career program, she explains, “For people who have taken a career break and have a gap on their resume, we have a special program to provide transitional support, onboarding and mentorship through a 16-week paid program designed to ease their re-entry to the workforce.” And she adds, “This is especially important as many very talented individuals had to step away from their careers due to the pandemic.” Intel recognizes that its success depends on the health of its local community, Shipley says, pointing out that Intel has long been committed to investing in our community to help make it more vibrant for everyone. “One of the ways we’re doing this is by working to make careers in technology fully inclusive and expand digital readiness for everyone. For example, Intel is partnering with Maricopa County Community College District on the first Inteldesigned artificial intelligence associate degree program in the United States.” And just last month, Intel announced it had partnered with Dell Technologies and the Chandler Unified School District to implement a 1:1 technology strategy to bridge the digital divide and accelerate student learning, making a joint investment with Dell of $1.6 million to support the pilot and create a new blueprint for how devices are deployed into schools and ultimately transform the way K-12 embraces education technology.

FEB. 2022

Sam Coppersmith is a founder and partner at Coppersmith Brockelman.

COPPERSMITH BROCKELMAN, LAW FIRM “When Andy Gordon and I started Coppersmith Brockelman in 1995, nobody used the term ‘DEI,’” recalls Sam Coppersmith, founder and partner. “But we recognized that we’d be a better law firm if we hired people who didn’t have our same blind spots. We saw that traditional law firm recruiting often meant lawyers hiring someone who looked, acted and thought exactly as they did — and we thought that made a firm both less interesting and less capable.” Furthermore, Coppersmith explains, they also recognized that looking outside the usual, traditional boundaries would let them bring in smart and capable people often overlooked by other firms. They believed that gave them an advantage because, he explains, non-traditional lawyers that other firms wouldn’t seek out could feel comfortable in their firm, which would benefit from their skills and experiences. “So, pretty early on, we became a majority-female partnership, with a great deal of flexibility for personal and family choices being the default, not the exception. And as we’ve grown over the past 25 years, we have tried to remain both inviting to different types of people and personalities, and flexible enough to accommodate their lives and outside obligations and interests.” And those recruitment goals — a diversity of viewpoints and experiences, and being welcoming and flexible enough to accommodate that diversity — fit well in the DEI framework. Coppersmith notes that the firm has no specific DEI numerical goal but rather a qualitative one: “We as a firm need to keep getting better, and becoming more diverse and inclusive is part of that process.” The firm expects to continue increasing its percentages of women and diverse

lawyers as its older partners move toward retirement and its more junior lawyers recruit their peers. Noting that the clients and communities the firm serves are becoming more diverse, he says, “We offer them top-flight legal services and a group of colleagues that they would be happy to have in their own organizations.” Malvika Sinha, who joined Coppersmith Brockelman as a senior associate in September after working at two large, multinational law firms in Los Angeles, describes her experience: “I had simply been in Phoenix to clerk for a year and was planning to rejoin my former firm in L.A. as counsel. I interviewed only because of CB’s tremendous reputation in the Phoenix community, and because I knew one of the young partners who loves it there.” So, she interviewed — and came away convinced that was where she wanted to work. “The reason was simple: it seemed like a place where talented women could do their best work and reach their potential. I saw first-hand how many women are top players at the firm — women who built their practices from the ground up and are simply the best at what they do. Second — and this was important — I noticed that each of these women had built unique practices. There clearly wasn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to being successful at the firm. That resonated with me, because at several other firms there appears to be a formula to success that leaves no room for the unique experiences and capabilities of diverse attorneys.” Sinha has found that many large firms publicly tout their diversity commitment and place their diverse associates on formal committees as soon as they arrive. She believes this practice is largely aimed at making the firm look good, and it often has the inadvertent effect of burdening female associates and associates of color with administrative tasks that aren’t borne by their male counterparts. “I knew that I didn’t want to join a firm that merely posted the right diversity buzzwords on their website or had structured diversity committees in place that they boasted about in interviews. Those outward-facing gestures are hollow when not supported by action within the firm,” she says. “When we talk about a firm’s commitment to diversity, we need to focus on action within the workplace, not simply outward-facing action designed to make a firm competitive with clients,” Sinha continues. Aspects she feels should be considered: What opportunities are diverse lawyers given? When they offer their input, how is it received? Are they afforded opportunities to work directly with clients and develop their own practices? Are they given feedback on their work, and chances to improve and grow? Do they have people in the partnership genuinely invested in their careers and development? When they need support, are they able to ask for it? Does the compensation structure reward hard work and initiative? Observing that, when diverse associates are given what they need to succeed, they will be satisfied at work, and that this will help the firm with retention, minimize turnover and attract diverse talent during the recruitment process, Sinha says, “Ultimately, these practices benefit the firm’s bottom line. And clients will see diverse lawyers who are committed to the firm and to growing their practice from within.”

Malvika Sinha is an associate at Coppersmith Brockelman.

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Anabell Castro Thompson is a nurse practitioner and senior vice president of Health Equity at Equality Health.

EQUALITY HEALTH, HEALTHCARE PROVIDER As an organization that’s focused on addressing healthcare disparities in underserved communities, DEI at Equality Health isn’t just a goal — it’s a business imperative. In fact, one of Equality Health’s Company Values states, “Embrace Unity and Collaboration with all. Seek to build consensus and understanding of different viewpoints. Build upon the Diversity of thought and experience and Inclusion of others.” “We could not have realized the success that we’ve achieved as a company without the diversity of thought and perspective that our employees embrace and contribute each day,” says Anabell Castro Thompson, a nurse practitioner and senior vice president of Health Equity. From the start, the Equality Health executive team recognized the importance of building an organizational culture that’s not only diverse but welcoming and offers a sense of belonging to all people, including employees and their family members, clients, vendors and visitors. Early on, they established “Safe and Respectful Workplace” training for all employees and managers, which helped set the cultural tone around expectation on how to create and foster a safe, respectful and inclusive environment. “We are intentional in how we develop our policies, our practices and even our benefits. For example, our bereavement policy does not define family, nor does it limit the time an employee can take off for a loss,” Castro Thompson says. “This is because we believe that employees may view family differently than what traditionally has been defined in the past, and not all losses are the same.” Castro Thompson believes DEI in an organization is not just about its workforce. “For DEI to become truly impactful, it has to become part of the fabric in every department of the organization, from marketing to technology to client success,” she says. “To that point, in 2021, we established an executive DEI committee, chaired by our CEO, so that we could further explore our DEI initiatives from a broader enterprise perspective.” Castro Thompson adds that, while Equality Health has a very diverse workforce, it has, as all companies do, more to explore when it comes to defining inclusiveness and belonging, and what that looks — like starting with individuals but also from an organizational lens. This will not only impact its workforce, but better serve clients and communities as well. One of the impactful and proactive actions that Equality Health embraces as an organization is to influence the future workforce. In 2021, Equality Health established an intern program and hired 10 students across varying

disciplines. This class was diverse not only in race, ethnicity and gender, but each student brought unique skills, education and perspective. Through this program, Equality Health is able to provide real-world experience to students and build a pipeline of diverse talent. Castro Thompson also notes that Equality Health added “new parent leave” as a benefit, which means that all new parents — regardless of gender, sexual orientation, or circumstance (birth, adoption, foster) — can take ample time to help strengthen family bonds. The executive team furthered that commitment by adding adoption assistance benefits this year. Additionally, the company offers on-site financial counseling for all employees at no cost because Castro Thompson recognizes that the lack of financial wellness and security can disproportionally impact women and minorities. “The most important aspect of Equality Health’s focus is the awareness that achieving DEI is a continuing journey, and not a destination where one day we can say ‘we’ve arrived,’” Castro Thompson says. “It’s necessary to recognize and honor that the world is constantly evolving, and what may have served employees and clients well in the past may not be the right answer or solution today.”

Coppersmith Brockelman cblawyers.com

Intel intel.com

Positively Powerful™ Triad West positivelypowerful.com

Equality Health equalityhealth.com

Lovitt & Touché lovitt-touche.com

SRP srpnet.com

Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona goodwillaz.org

One-n-Ten onenten.org

Upward Projects upwardprojects.com

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FEB. 2022

PEOPLE ARE KEY

Don’t Let Metrics Myopia Drive Away Your Talent

Productivity hinges on more than numbers by Rick Grimaldi

Rick Grimaldi is a workplace trends expert and the author of FLEX: A Leader’s Guide to Staying Nimble and Mastering Transformative Change in the American Workplace. Grimaldi’s unique perspective comes from his diverse career in high-ranking public service positions, as a human resources and labor relations professional for an international hi-tech company, and presently in private practice as a partner with Fisher Phillips, LLP, one of America’s preeminent management-side labor and employment law firms. rickgrimaldi.com

FEB. 2022

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

“Employee engagement” has been a boardroom buzzword for quite some time. We’ve long known engagement matters. Still, the unspoken “but” has always been that metrics — especially those of the performance and financial ilk — matter more. Now, with the talent shortage at a 10-year high, according to a 2010 survey by ManpowerGroup, the time is right for a major shift in this “metrics-first” attitude. I have a unique perspective, having negotiated hundreds of labor agreements and seeing firsthand what attracts and retains employees. As leverage keeps shifting toward employees, I see companies scrambling to offer new benefits and put all sorts of expensive retention programs in place — but they’re missing the one thing they should be doing. As I negotiate contracts, one thing I hear all the time is that employees don’t feel cared about. The key to winning the war for talent might be simpler than many employers realize. It’s not just about paying more. It’s about putting engagement at the center of everything. Many of my clients get it. For example, the CEO of a huge corporation just flew in all his HR VPs, from every division, and said, “I want a 180-degree change in how we engage employees, and you’re empowered to do it. Don’t be driven by the business or the operators — and if there’s a problem, come to me.” With the explosion of technology over the past few decades, and the advent of AI, there’s been a tendency to reduce everything to just metrics. It’s easy to see how this happened, as technology is an incredibly valuable tool. But too much of a focus on tech gets in the way of making real connections. Employees are pushing back. Their message to employers is this: “You’ve got these programs designed to manage us. You’re looking at the metrics

The key to winning the war for talent might be simpler than many employers realize. It’s not just about paying more. It’s about putting engagement at the center of everything.

and saying, ‘The data shows you’re not being productive.’ But you’re not asking us on the back end, ‘Why is that? Are you struggling? Is there something going on in your life we can help with?’ And if you’re not willing to do that, well, I don’t need to be here.” So, in light of this growing sense of dissatisfaction, what can business leaders do to better engage their employees? Here are a few tactics: Stop putting metrics front and center. It’s not that metrics aren’t important. They are. It’s that engagement matters at least as much if not more than, say, tracking and rating employee productivity and performance. And business leaders need to show through their words and actions that they value their employees, care about them and want to help them become their best selves. Think of this as not an “either/or” but as an “and” approach. Businesses are probably going to keep measuring. But the more intentional they can get about showing employees they care about them in meaningful ways, the better. Get intentional about knowing the people. Of course managers need to know employees’ goals, strengths and other work-related factors. That should be a given. But they should also know their birthdays, who their kids are and where they like to go on vacation. This requires regular human connections, and they aren’t going to “just happen.” Businesses need to put systems in place to make them happen. I’m seeing a resurgence of the old “management by walking around” method happening even on factory floors. When managers schedule time to do this, and also make a point of having regular face-to-face meetings with employees that go beyond performance reviews, a lot of things will change.

STRATEGIES FOR WORKING REMOTELY Be as flexible as possible in regard to work/life integration. Studies show millennials and Gen Z-ers have a strong preference for good work/life integration, and they’ve gotten used to working this way over the past couple of years. Employers may realize fully remote doesn’t work for a particular position, but that doesn’t mean businesses can’t work out a hybrid arrangement or that managers can’t let people adjust start and stop times. Employers have to realize that there can’t be any more rigid rules. The hybrid workplace is here to stay. Of course, this has to be tempered by common sense, and it has to work for the employee and the company. Still, engaging employees means listening to their needs and making every effort to accommodate them. Make employee well-being a top priority. Mental health issues are no longer in the closet. They can’t be, in a time when so many have moved past stress and into trauma territory. Companies are realizing that psychological well-being impacts not just engagement but also productivity, performance and every aspect of culture. Employers should do everything they can to promote employee wellbeing, and keep an eye on this issue as they design benefits, career tracks and work arrangements. It’s also important to destigmatize mental health issues. It has to be okay to ask for help. Don’t neglect psychological safety. If employees don’t feel safe, they won’t trust; and if they don’t trust, they won’t collaborate and innovate. Also, trust is directly connected to employee willingness to give honest feedback to leaders — about what they want and need as well as about where the problems lie that could be driving them away. How to create psychological safety? Allow people to deliver bad news without fear of their manager’s reaction. (This may require some soulsearching on the part of leadership.) It’s important that business leaders not tolerate any behavior, in themselves or others, that demeans, belittles or blames. It may help to spell out expectations for how co-workers should interact and implement a zero-tolerance policy for bullying. Think beyond DEI. Earnestly seek to create a sense of belonging. We know diversity and inclusion are important. But organizations that want to thrive go further. They work toward what DEI expert Tristan Higgins calls “metaclusivity.” In other words, they cultivate a true sense of belonging. Feeling that they belong is what gets people engaged and allows them to do their best work. Leverage generational differences in a smart way. Research shows multigenerational companies do well in terms of performance and productivity. It makes sense: A blend of different ages means businesses get more diverse perspectives and a synergy that gives them a competitive edge. And they can also leverage the gifts of different age groups to boost engagement. We know young people crave development. Well, multigenerational companies have these seasoned employees who could share their expertise with younger ones. And reverse mentoring is a big trend now, too: How better to engage younger employees than to get them involved in teaching older employees about technology or social media? For companies used to thinking in terms of number of units produced, profit margins, number of errors and other metrics, some of these ideas may seem foreign. That’s because engagement is truly a different language. Engagement is about emotional connections. If leaders inside a company have no idea how to make and nurture these connections, it may be time they take a hard look at the culture they’ve created. Like it or not, to win the war on talent, there have to be some changes.

You Can Be Yourself Here Does your company or organization have trouble attracting and retaining people from diverse and underrepresented communities? Does your organizational culture suffer from low morale, exclusive cliques, or microaggressions you don’t know how to address? You Can Be Yourself Here lays out the deep psychology of our need to belong, its critical impact on workplace performance, and the practical steps any organization can take to make everyone feel welcome and included. Learn how diversity and representation can lead to a greater experience of belonging for everyone. Glean insights from interviews with real employees speaking openly about their workplace experiences. Discover how to facilitate a culture of belonging, with practical tips for creating inclusive workplaces where people can show up as themselves. You Can Be Yourself Here: Your Pocket Guide to Creating Inclusive Workplaces by Using the Psychology of Belonging DDS Dobson-Smith Lioncrest Publishing

$15 Available 2/8/2022

Competing in the New World of Work New York Times #1 bestselling author Keith Ferrazzi, along with coauthors Kian Gohar and Noel Weyrich, shows leaders how to shape their organizations and practices to remain competitive in a new, post-pandemic context. Based on an ambitious global research initiative involving thousands of executives, innovators, and changemakers who redefined their strategies, business models, organizational systems, and even their cultures, Competing in the New World of Work. This Book offers a bold new vision for the organization of the future, reveals the workplace innovations that emerged during the pandemic and defines the new model of leadership—radical adaptability—for sustaining continuous change throughout the coming years of opportunity and transformation Competing in the New World of Work: How Radical Adaptability Separates the Best from the Rest Keith Ferrazzi, Kian Gohar and Noel Weyrich

$30

Harvard Business Review Press

256 pages

Available 2/15/2022

Cultures of Belonging This book shows how to bypass the faulty processes and communication styles that make change impossible in so many organizations. Filled with actionable advice Alida Miranda-Wolff learned through her own struggles being an outsider in a work culture that did not value inclusion, and from her work since with more than 60 organizations to prioritize diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and all the value and richness it adds to the workplace, this roadmap helps leaders learn why the new barometer for employee engagement is an environment where everyone feels the belonging. Build all new processes and communication priorities that allow employees to be a part of something greater than themselves while the organization learns to value and embrace the unique experiences and perspective that each employee brings to the company. Cultures of Belonging: Building Inclusive Organizations that Last Alida Miranda-Wolff HarperCollins Leadership

Technology is an incredibly valuable tool. But too much of a focus on tech gets in the way of making real connections. Employees are pushing back.

182 pages

$19.95 Available 2/15/2022

272 pages

FEB. 39 2022 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.

FEB. 2022

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

LIDERAZGO / LEADERSHIP

La gran reestructuración: 5 tendencias que las pequeñas empresas deben observar en 2022 por Edgar R. Olivo

El año pasado ha estado lleno de muchos desafíos para las pequeñas empresas y, a veces, esos desafíos adquieren un nombre popular como “La gran renuncia de 2021.” Eso se debe a que hubo un número récord de personas que dejaron sus trabajos durante varios meses seguidos este año. Pero los grandes movimientos en el mercado laboral también tienen consecuencias en otras áreas. A medida que las pequeñas empresas miran hacia el nuevo año, parece que una nueva frase popular está cobrando impulso y es “La Gran Reestructuración de 2022.” Las fuerzas de la oferta y la demanda en el mercado laboral están acelerando la transición a la inteligencia artificial y otras tecnologías. Aunque esa no es una tendencia nueva, los cambios en las condiciones económicas creados por la pandemia de COVID-19 están obligando a las empresas a buscar una nueva forma de operar de manera sostenible y rentable. Eso se vuelve especialmente cierto cuando las pequeñas empresas están perdiendo empleados y luchan por reemplazarlos. Tendrán que cambiar sus modelos de negocio

para depender menos de las personas, lo que generará menos puestos de trabajo en el mercado. Entonces, ¿qué hay en el horizonte para la comunidad de pequeñas empresas? Aquí hay cinco tendencias económicas a tener en cuenta en 2022 para prepararse para la Gran Reestructuración. 1. Los trabajos subcontratados serán la nueva normalidad. Con menos solicitantes, las empresas recurrirán a trabajadores subcontratados para puestos no esenciales y ayudarán a gestionar las tareas administrativas dentro de los departamentos. Los trabajadores subcontratados son contratistas independientes que se especializan en ciertas habilidades o tareas por una tarifa. Aunque hay más trabajos disponibles que personas que pueden ocupar esos puestos, muchos son para puestos de nivel de entrada y de nivel inferior. 2. Tener una presencia en línea pulida será más importante. Toda empresa debe tener presencia en línea, especialmente si es una pequeña empresa. El cambio a una economía digital fue el más significativo durante la pandemia,

¿Qué viene después de la Gran Renuncia de 2021? La gran reestructuración de 2022. El año pasado, hubo un número récord de personas que renunciaron a sus trabajos y las empresas han estado en espera tratando de sobrevivir a la pandemia. Muchas empresas ahora miran hacia adelante para realizar cambios drásticos en la compensación y la reestructuración hacia modelos más sostenibles.

ENGLISH TRANSLATION y las pequeñas empresas dependieron de las ventas en línea para mantenerse a flote. Tener una presencia en línea refinada significa que ha configurado lo mínimo para poder realizar negocios digitalmente, como una tienda en línea, correo electrónico, sitio web y canales de redes sociales. 3. La sostenibilidad es el camino que seguir. En todos los sectores, las empresas luchan por una rápida transformación y la crisis del cambio climático está desplazando las inversiones hacia modelos comerciales más resilientes. Toda empresa debe encontrar una forma de eliminar o reducir su huella medioambiental. Esto significa reducir el desperdicio y los costos hacia arriba y hacia abajo en la cadena de suministro, y observar las operaciones actuales para mejorar la sostenibilidad en general. La sostenibilidad está vinculada a la resiliencia, y la resiliencia significa poder adaptarse y sobrevivir a largo plazo. Es poco probable que cualquier negocio que ignore la sostenibilidad tenga un buen desempeño en esta era de consumo consciente. 4. Reinventar la experiencia de los empleados. La forma en que trabajamos también está evolucionando y cada día se incorporan más jóvenes a la población activa. Las empresas deberán reinventar lo que significa el empleo tradicional a tiempo completo para ellas y el trabajo se alineará con las motivaciones de sus equipos. No es una tendencia nueva, pero las investigaciones muestran que una de las principales razones de la Gran Resignación de este año estuvo relacionada con sentirse desconectado del trabajo con propósito y satisfactorio. 5. Los negocios con propósito estarán de moda. A medida que los consumidores buscan marcas más auténticas, las empresas ya no deben ignorar cuestiones importantes que son significativas para su mercado objetivo. Las empresas ahora deben existir para cumplir un propósito significativo, y no solo generar ganancias para los accionistas. Un propósito sólido tiene la promesa de luchar por algo mejor, ya sea un mundo mejor, una mejor manera de hacer algo o cualquier cosa que sea importante para su negocio. Para algunas empresas, el cambio se producirá rápidamente y todas las pequeñas empresas deberán revisar su estrategia a medida que ingresan al nuevo año. A medida que las empresas se adapten a una nueva realidad, la Gran Reestructuración revelará nuevas oportunidades para que las empresas tengan un éxito espectacular.

The Great Restructuring: 5 Trends Small Businesses Need to Watch in 2022 by Edgar R. Olivo

This past year has been filled with many challenges for small businesses and, sometimes, those challenges pick up a catchy name like “The Great Resignation of 2021.” That is because there were record numbers of people who quit their jobs for several months straight this year. But major movements in the labor market also create consequences in other areas. As small businesses look ahead toward the new year, it appears a new catchy phrase is picking up steam, and that is “The Great Restructuring of 2022.” The forces of supply and demand in the labor market are accelerating the transition to artificial intelligence and other technologies. Although that is not a new trend, the shifts in economic conditions created by the COVID-19 pandemic are forcing businesses to look at a new way to operate sustainably and profitably. That becomes especially true when small businesses are losing employees and struggling to replace them. They will have to change their business models to be less reliant on people, leading to fewer jobs in the market. So, what is on the horizon for the small business community? Here are five economic trends to watch for in 2022 to prepare for the Great Restructuring. 1. Outsourced jobs will be the new normal. With fewer applicants, businesses will turn to gig workers for nonessential positions and help manage administrative tasks within departments. Gig workers are independent contractors who specialize in certain skills or task for a fee. Although there are more jobs available than people who can fill those positions, many are for entry-level and lower-level positions. 2. Having a polished online presence will become more important. Every business must have an online presence, especially if you are a small business of one. The shift to a digital economy was the most significant during the pandemic, and small businesses relied on online sales to stay afloat. Having a polished online presence means you have set up the bare minimum to be able to conduct business digitally, such as an online store, email, website and social media channels. 3. Sustainability is the way to go. In every sector, businesses are struggling with rapid transformation, and the climate change crisis is shifting investments toward more resilient business models. Every business must find a way to eliminate or reduce its environmental footprint. This means reducing waste and costs up and down the supply chain, and looking at the current operations to improve sustainability all around. Sustainability is linked to resilience, and resilience means being able to adapt and survive for the long term. Any business that ignores sustainability is unlikely to do well in this age of conscious consumption. 4. Reimagining the employee experience. The way we work is also evolving and there are younger people entering the workforce every day. Businesses will need to reimagine what traditional full-time employment means to them and align the work to their teams’ motivations. It is not a new trend, but research shows that a leading reason for the Great Resignation this year was related to feeling disconnected to purposeful and fulfilling work. 5. Purposeful businesses will be in fashion. As consumers seek more authentic brands, businesses must no longer ignore important issues that are meaningful to their target market. Businesses now must exist to serve a meaningful purpose — and not just serve up profits to shareholders. A strong purpose has the promise of striving for something better — be it a better world, a better way to do something, or whatever is important to your business. For some businesses, the change will come fast, and every small business will need to review its strategy as it enters the new year. As businesses adapt to a new reality, the Great Restructuring will reveal new opportunities for businesses to dramatically succeed.

What comes after the Great Resignation of 2021? The Great Restructuring of 2022. Last year, there were a record number of people quitting their jobs and companies have been in a holding pattern trying to survive the pandemic. Many companies are now looking ahead at making dramatic changes in compensation and restructuring to more sustainable models.

FEB. 2022

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

En Negocios

ECONOMIA / ECONOMY

¿Por qué Residuo Cero? Los negocios pueden beneficiar a nuestra economía y nuestro medio ambiente por Edgar R. Olivo La práctica de estrategias de residuo cero (conocido como Zero Waste en inglés) a través de nuestra cadena de suministro tiene efectos profundos en nuestra economía y el medio ambiente. Aunque muchas de las corporaciones más grandes de Estados Unidos han dedicado recursos para abordar el residuo de su negocio, ¿están las pequeñas empresas conscientes de las oportunidades para practicar el residuo cero? El reciclaje es importante y, si bien se han logrado avances con el compostaje y el reciclaje en los EE. UU. y en todo el mundo, aun ambos tienen grandes desafíos. Nuestro sistema actual de gestión sostenible de residuos necesita una revisión y los vertederos solo pueden transportar tanta basura antes de afectar nuestro medio ambiente. Según la Agencia de Protección Ambiental de EE. UU. (EPA por sus siglas en ingles), la generación total de desechos sólidos municipales en 2018 fue de 292.4 millones de toneladas (toneladas cortas de EE. UU.) o 4.9 libras por persona por día. Los desechos electrónicos y los plásticos de un solo uso son los principales contribuyentes al llenado de los vertederos. Aunque las personas contribuyen, son las empresas las que desempeñan el papel más importante en la acumulación de residuos. El costo de la eliminación de desechos aumenta cada año junto con la sensación de urgencia de los consumidores. ¿Qué es el residuo cero? Según la Agencia de Protección Ambiental de EE. UU. y la Alianza Internacional Zero Waste, Zero Waste o residuo cero es la conservación de todos los recursos mediante la producción, consumo, reutilización y recuperación responsable de productos, embalajes y materiales sin quemar y sin vertidos a la tierra. agua o aire que amenazan el medio ambiente o la salud humana. Construir una economía que sea regenerativa y restauradora por diseño tiene el potencial de desbloquear oportunidades económicas y ecológicas, aquí hay seis formas de cómo:

FEB. 2022

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

1. Protección de los recursos naturales: Las estrategias de cero residuos ayudan a proteger nuestros recursos naturales. Piense en esto, somos más de 7 mil millones de personas que viven en un planeta. Nuestros recursos como agua, combustibles fósiles, metales y otras fuentes son limitados. El residuo cero nos ayuda a vivir dentro de los medios de nuestro planeta al usar los recursos de manera más eficiente, de modo que tengamos las materias primas para sustentar a las generaciones futuras de humanos y otras especies. 2. Resiliencia climática: ¿Sabía que la forma en que producimos, consumimos y desechamos nuestros productos y nuestros alimentos representa el 42% de todas las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero de EE. UU.? Establecer objetivos de cero residuos es una de las formas más fáciles y rentables en que las pequeñas empresas pueden reducir nuestro impacto climático. 3. Empleos verdes, economía local más sólida: Otro hecho importante que hay que saber es que las actividades con cero residuos crean 10 veces más puestos de trabajo por tonelada que los vertederos y las incineradoras. Se trata de trabajos de calidad para trabajadores poco cualificados y de nivel medio. Podemos ayudar a fortalecer nuestra economía local manteniendo el dinero y los materiales circulando localmente, en lugar de enterrarlos en un vertedero. 4. Gente sana, planeta sano: He aquí un hecho inquietante, todos y cada uno de nosotros, incluso los peces del mar, transportamos sustancias químicas tóxicas en nuestros cuerpos. Estas toxinas son emitidas por plantas de fabricación sucias y vertederos e incineradores contaminantes. Las estrategias de residuo cero instan a las pequeñas empresas a observar cómo se empaquetan nuestros productos y los procesos de fabricación en general para que sean lo menos tóxicos posible para que todos los organismos vivos del planeta sean más saludables.

Según la Alianza Internacional de Zero Waste, “Zero Waste significa diseñar y gestionar productos y procesos para evitar y eliminar sistemáticamente el volumen y la toxicidad de los residuos y materiales, conservar y recuperar todos los recursos, y no quemarlos ni enterrarlos. La implementación de Zero Waste eliminará todas las descargas a la tierra, el agua o el aire que son una amenaza para la salud planetaria, humana, animal o vegetal.”

ENGLISH TRANSLATION

5. Suelos sanos, comida sana: Entre todos estos beneficios, el compostaje de restos de comida y escombros de su jardín ayuda a reponer nuestro suelo con los nutrientes que tanto necesita. Los suelos saludables producen alimentos más saludables, requieren menos pesticidas, ayudan a conservar el agua y retardan el cambio climático al almacenar carbono. 6. Justicia social: La estabilidad social se ve directamente afectada por la salud de nuestros ecosistemas. A medida que nos quedemos sin recursos para satisfacer nuestras necesidades, como petróleo, minerales e incluso agua dulce, se producirán disturbios civiles. Al implementar estrategias de residuo cero, podemos utilizar menos recursos, para que nuestras generaciones actuales y futuras puedan vivir en paz. Ser una empresa sin residuo tiene muchos beneficios que van más allá de nuestra pequeña empresa: ayuda a la salud general de nuestro entorno natural. Las estrategias de cero residuos ayudan a mantener el equilibrio de nuestros recursos naturales para que las generaciones futuras puedan prosperar. Cuando se trata de los efectos devastadores del cambio climático, la gente puede querer levantar las manos y girar la cabeza. Afortunadamente, hay muchas organizaciones que brindan recursos para ayudar a las pequeñas empresas. Las pequeñas empresas pueden encontrar educación y recursos gratuitos que marcan la diferencia. Para alcanzar el objetivo de cero residuos de la ciudad para 2050, el departamento de Residuos cero de la ciudad de Phoenix tienen un equipo que brinda educación y recursos comunitarios para enseñar a la comunidad sobre el desvío de residuos. El equipo Zero Waste es una gran fuente de educación e información sobre reciclaje para residentes y empresas. Además, tómese un momento para explorar el Programa Going Green and Going Smart para aprender cómo puede transformar su pequeña empresa uniéndose al movimiento #GreenBizAZ. Esta iniciativa tiene como objetivo educar a los propietarios de pequeñas empresas en prácticas comerciales sostenibles para un futuro más limpio y verde en Arizona.

Why Zero Waste? Businesses Can Benefit Our Economy and Environment by Edgar R. Olivo

Practicing zero waste strategies through our supply chain has profound effects on our economy and environment. Many of the largest corporations in America have dedicated resources to tackle their business waste; are small businesses aware of the opportunities to practice zero waste? Recycling matters, and while strides have been made with composting and recycling in the U.S. and worldwide, both have major challenges. Our current system of sustainable waste management needs an overhaul and landfills can carry only so much trash before affecting our environment. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the total generation of municipal solid waste in 2018 was 292.4 million tons (U.S. short tons), or 4.9 pounds per person per day. Electronic waste and single-use plastics are major contributors to filling up those landfills. While individuals do contribute, it is the companies that play the biggest role in the accumulation of waste. The cost of waste disposal is rising every year along with a sense of urgency from consumers. What is zero waste? According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Zero Waste International Alliance, zero waste is the conservation of all resources by means of responsible production, consumption, reuse and recovery of products, packaging and materials without burning and with no discharges to land, water or air that threaten the environment or human health. Building an economy that is regenerative and restorative by design has the potential to unlock economic and ecological opportunities Here are six ways to accomplish that: 1. Protecting natural resources: Zero waste strategies help protect our natural resources. Think about this: We are more than 7 billion people living on one planet. Our resources like fresh water, fossil fuels, metals and other sources are limited. Zero waste helps us live within our planet’s means by using resources more efficiently, so we will have the raw materials to sustain future generations of humans and other species. 2. Climate resilience: It may surprise some to learn the way we produce, consume and dispose of our products and our food accounts for 42% of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Setting zero waste goals is one of the easiest, most cost-effective ways small businesses can reduce our climate impact. 3. Green jobs, stronger local economy: Another important fact to know is that zero waste activities create 10 times more jobs per ton than

landfills and incinerators. These are quality jobs for low-skilled and mid-level workers. We can help strengthen our local economy by keeping money and materials circulating locally, instead of burying them in a landfill. 4. Healthy people, healthy planet: Here is a hard realization: Every single one of us — even the fishes in the sea — carries toxic chemicals in our bodies. These toxins are emitted from dirty manufacturing plants and polluting landfills and incinerators. Zero waste strategies call on small businesses to look at how our products are packaged and overall manufacturing processes to be as non-toxic as possible so that all living organisms on the planet can be healthier. 5. Healthy soils, healthy food: Among all these benefits, composting food scraps and debris from our yards helps replenish our soil with muchneeded nutrients. Healthy soils grow healthier food, they require fewer pesticides, help conserve water and slow climate change by storing carbon. 6. Social justice: Social stability is directly impacted by the health of our ecosystems. As we run out of resources to support our needs — like oil, minerals and even fresh water — civil unrest will follow. By implementing zero waste strategies, we can use fewer resources, so that our current and future generations can live peacefully. Being a zero-waste business has many benefits that go beyond our small business — it helps the overall health of our natural environment. Zero waste strategies help keep the balance of our natural resources so future generations can thrive. When it comes to the devastating effects of climate change, people may want to throw up their hands and turn their heads. Luckily, there are many organizations providing resources to help small businesses. Small businesses can find free education and resources that make a difference. In order to reach the city’s zero waste goal by 2050, the City of Phoenix’s Zero Waste team provides education and community outreach to teach the community about waste diversion. The Zero Waste team is a great source of recycling education and information for residents and businesses. Small businesses can also take a moment to explore the Going Green and Going Smart Program to learn how they can transform their small business by joining the #GreenBizAZ movement. This initiative aims to educate small-business owners in sustainable business practices for a cleaner, greener future in Arizona.

According to Zero Waste International Alliance, “Zero Waste means designing and managing products and processes to systematically avoid and eliminate the volume and toxicity of waste and materials, conserve and recover all resources, and not burn or bury them. Implementing Zero Waste will eliminate all discharges to land, water or air that are a threat to planetary, human, animal or plant health.”

FEB. 43 2022 INBUSINESSPHX.COM

En Negocios

LIDERAZGO / LEADERSHIP

6 metas que toda pequeña empresa debe establecer para 2022 por Edgar R. Olivo

Es sorprendente todo lo que puede suceder en un año, especialmente si eres propietario de una pequeña empresa en el mundo actual. Las estrategias comerciales cambiaron de la noche a la mañana para muchos durante la pandemia, y ahora que tenemos más información sobre COVID-19, sabemos que existirá por algún tiempo. Las incertidumbres continuarán, pero tenemos que seguir adelante y planificar un año nuevo sólido. Tener una estrategia empresarial que responda a las tendencias actuales será de gran utilidad en 2022. Antes de comenzar a planificar, comience siempre con las necesidades de sus clientes. Esto lo ayudará a abordar sus necesidades y quiere ayudarlo a resolverlas. A medida que desarrolle soluciones innovadoras para sus clientes, considere también desarrollar una visión poderosa que sea realista para las condiciones del mercado en el que está vendiendo. Mantener un enfoque claro en su visión lo ayudará a mantenerse en el camino hacia el logro de todas sus metas en el nuevo año. El establecimiento de metas anuales es una práctica popular en las empresas más exitosas. Pueden suceder muchas cosas en un año, por lo que dividir su meta en pequeñas metas a intervalos regulares a lo largo del año es una mejor estrategia para ayudarlo a mantenerse encaminado. Los objetivos a corto plazo más comunes de las pequeñas empresas son

FEB. 2022

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populares por una razón: son adecuados para prácticamente todas las industrias, modelos comerciales y culturas empresariales. Aquí hay seis metas que todo propietario de una pequeña empresa debe considerar para un año nuevo exitoso y resistente: 1. Mantenga sus gastos bajos y reduzca sus costos. Este es un objetivo característico de cualquier negocio. Debe decidir si reducir los costos es realmente factible y dónde sería posible recortar el gasto. Algunas opciones incluyen el pago de deudas, el uso de tecnología para optimizar sus procesos, la renegociación de contratos con proveedores y la eliminación de gastos innecesarios. 2. Encuentre una manera de ser más productivo. A medida que la economía avanza más rápido, las pequeñas empresas se ven obligadas a encontrar formas de mantenerse al día. Además de reducir sus costos, mejorar la productividad en su negocio puede ser tan simple como usar tareas financieras automatizadas, respuestas automáticas de correo electrónico y herramientas de administración de calendario. Reflexione sobre lo que le está quitando tiempo para ganar dinero y encontrará áreas para mejorar su negocio. 3. Promueve su empresa en línea como su estrategia principal. El marketing ayudará a los nuevos clientes a conocer su negocio y aumentar

Las metas mantienen tanto a usted como a sus empleados enfocados en lograr los objetivos estratégicos de su empresa y le permiten medir los resultados con respecto a la estrategia comercial. Más del 80% de los gerentes dicen que sus metas son limitadas en número, específicas y medibles.

ENGLISH TRANSLATION

la lealtad de los clientes actuales. Un buen lugar para comenzar es su sitio web. Como mínimo, su sitio debe estar optimizado para la búsqueda, ser fácil de usar y contener toda la información necesaria sobre su negocio. Publique regularmente en su blog y páginas de redes sociales para generar aún más tráfico a su sitio web y mantener a sus clientes comprometidos. 4. Cuídese y evite el agotamiento. Iniciar un negocio es divertido, pero también es un trabajo duro. Si mantener su negocio en funcionamiento se está volviendo más arduo y menos divertido, entonces está en el camino del agotamiento. Establezca descansos en su calendario para tomarse un descanso y darse tiempo para reflexionar. Programe un tiempo libre del trabajo durante unos días para pasarlo con su familia o dedicarlo a sus pasatiempos. Siempre puede comunicarse con sus empleados de forma remota un par de horas al día. 5. Brinde el mejor servicio en su industria. Hoy en día, los clientes tienen muchas opciones para comunicarse con usted y se espera un excelente servicio. Centrarse en un excelente servicio puede ayudarlo a hacer crecer su negocio de manera orgánica en los próximos años. Algunas estrategias de servicio al cliente incluyen responder a las críticas negativas con la acción adecuada, responder los mensajes más rápido, brindar opciones de autoservicio y utilizar una herramienta de gestión de relaciones con el cliente. 6. Conviértase en una empresa más ecológica. Este será un tema constante para muchas empresas en 2022, y las pequeñas empresas pueden desempeñar un papel importante en el cuidado del medio ambiente. Dar pasos hacia un modelo de negocio ecológico requerirá algo de tiempo y esfuerzo, ¡pero los beneficios son grandes! Es satisfactorio para usted y sus empleados, y es excelente para la imagen de su marca. Empiece poco a poco, como no utilizar papel; esto también reducirá sus gastos e incluso puede mejorar la productividad. Establecer metas para su pequeña empresa es un trabajo importante. Como dice la frase popular, un barco sin timón es como un negocio sin metas. Cada año, esta tarea puede ayudarlo a crear objetivos que tengan significado y lo conduzcan hacia mejores resultados.

6 Goals Every Small Business Needs to Set for 2022 by Edgar R. Olivo

It is amazing how much can happen in one year, especially for a small-business owner in today’s world. Business strategies changed overnight for many during the pandemic, and now that we have more information about COVID-19, we know it will be around for some time. Uncertainties will continue, but we have to move ahead and plan for a solid new year. Having a business strategy that responds to current trends will be very useful in 2022. Before starting to plan, business owners should always start with their customers’ needs. This will help the business address their needs and wants to help solve them. As they develop innovative solutions for their customers, they should consider also developing a powerful vision that is realistic to the market conditions they are selling in. Keeping clear focus on the business vision will help business owners stay on the path to achieving all their goals in the new year. Annual goal setting is a popular practice within the most successful companies. A lot can happen in one year, so breaking down goals into small goals set for regular intervals throughout the year is a better strategy to help stay on track. The most common small business short-term goals are popular for a reason: They are suitable for practically every industry, business model and company culture. Here are six goals every small-business owner should consider for a successful and resilient new year: 1. Keep expenses low and reduce costs. This is a signature goal for any business. It’s important to decide if reducing costs is actually feasible and where it would be possible to cut spending. Some options include paying off debt, using technology to streamline processes, renegotiating contracts with vendors and cutting out unnecessary expenses. 2. Find a way to be more productive. As the economy moves faster, small businesses are obligated to find ways to keep up. In addition to reducing costs, improved productivity in a business can be as simple as using automated financial tasks, email autoresponders and calendar management tools. By reflecting on what is taking time away from making money, business owners will find areas to improve their business.

Goals keep both employer and employees focused on achieving their company’s strategic objectives and allows the employer to measure results against the business strategy. More than 80% of managers say that their goals are limited in number, specific and measurable.

3. Market the business online as the primary strategy. Marketing will help new customers become aware of a business and increase loyalty from current customers. A great place to start is with the website. At a minimum, the site should be optimized for search, be user friendly, and contain all the necessary information about the business. Posting regularly to a blog and social media pages will drive even more traffic to the website and keep customers engaged. 4. Take care of self and avoid burnout. Starting a business is fun, but it is also hard work. If keeping the business running is becoming more hard work and less fun, the owner is on a path for burnout. It’s important owners set breaks in their calendar to take time off and allow themselves time to reflect. One idea is to schedule time off from work for a few days to spend with family or dedicate to hobbies. Business owners can always check in with their employees remotely a couple hours a day. 5. Provide the best service in the industry. Today, customers have a lot of options to communicate with a business, and excellent service is an expectation. Focusing on great service can help business owners grow their business organically for years to come. Some customer service strategies include responding to negative reviews with appropriate action, answering messages faster, providing selfservice options and using a customer relationship management tool. 6. Become a business that is more ecofriendly. This will be an ongoing topic for many businesses in 2022, and small businesses can play a big role in taking care of the environment. Taking steps toward a green business model will require some time and effort, but the benefits are big! It is fulfilling for employer and employees alike, and it is great for the business’s brand image. One way to start small is to go paperless — this will also reduce expenses and may even improve productivity. Setting goals for a small business is important work. Like the popular phrase says, a ship without a rudder is like a business without goals. Every year, this assignment can help business owners create objectives that have meaning and lead them toward better outcomes.

FEB. 45 2022 INBUSINESSPHX.COM

En Negocios

ECONOMIA / ECONOMY

El estado económico de los latinos en Estados Unidos: El sueño americano revisado por Edgar R. Olivo

El estado actual de la economía está constantemente revelando desigualdades entre los diversos grupos demográficos de nuestro país. Las disparidades salariales y de ingresos en los Estados Unidos son barreras que impiden que los latinos participen plenamente en la economía, lo que podría tener un impacto multimillonario, desatar aún más su espíritu emprendedor, crear millones de empleos, impulsar el gasto de los consumidores y generar riqueza intergeneracional, según el último informe publicado. Por McKinsey & Company en diciembre de 2021. Los latinos en Estados Unidos representan alrededor del 18,4% de la población de los EE. UU. y el 17,3% de la fuerza laboral de los EE. UU., un segmento que se proyecta crecerá a más del 30% para 2060. Los latinos representan el espíritu y la realidad del sueño americano, pero no experimentan una movilidad económica ascendente al igual que sus contrapartes blancas no latinas. Aunque los latinos crean más negocios y tienen índices más altos de movilidad intergeneracional, lo que ayuda a garantizar que cada generación sucesiva esté mejor que la anterior, la participación económica total en el sueño americano sigue siendo desigual. Los latinos enfrentan discriminación cuando se trata de obtener capital para iniciar y escalar negocios. Continúan luchando por acceder a alimentos, vivienda y otras necesidades esenciales. Y su nivel de riqueza familiar, que afecta directamente su capacidad para acumular y transmitir riqueza de generación en generación, es solo una quinta parte del de los estadounidenses blancos. Además, la pandemia de COVID-19 continúa

FEB. 2022

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afectando desproporcionadamente las vidas y los medios de subsistencia de los latinos. El informe de McKinsey & Company destaca cuatro áreas clave para comprender mejor las barreras que enfrentan los latinos en los Estados Unidos hoy. Encontró que los latinos enfrentan obstáculos similares a los que finalmente superaron las oleadas de inmigrantes que les precedieron. Los ingresos, la riqueza y la movilidad intergeneracional están mejorando para los latinos a lo largo de las generaciones, lo que ayuda a cerrar la brecha económica. Pero eso todavía no es suficiente. Aquí hay un breve resumen del informe. 1. La fuerza laboral latina está creciendo y están haciendo los trabajos que nadie quiere hacer. El informe encontró que se prevé que los latinos representen el 22,4% de la fuerza laboral de EE. UU. para 2030 y más del 30% para 2060. Sin embargo, siguen concentrados en roles generalmente descartados como “trabajos que nadie más quiere hacer”. Están mal pagados, es menos probable que tengan beneficios de empleador no salariales y son desproporcionadamente vulnerables a las interrupciones. La brecha de ingresos anual de más de $288 mil millones en comparación con los trabajadores blancos no latinos representa una oportunidad económica perdida y tiene implicaciones significativas para la capacidad de los latinos para iniciar negocios, generar riqueza y participar plenamente como consumidores. Al cerrar la brecha de ingresos, los salarios de los trabajadores latinos podrían ser más de un 35% más altos y 1,1 millones de latinos adicionales podrían unirse a la clase media.

Los latinos en Estados Unidos representan alrededor del 18,4% de la población de los EE. UU. y el 17,3% de la fuerza laboral de los EE. UU., un segmento que se proyecta crecerá a más del 30% para 2060. Los latinos representan el espíritu y la realidad del sueño americano, pero no experimentan una movilidad económica ascendente al igual que sus contrapartes blancas no latinas.

ENGLISH TRANSLATION 2. Los latinos están iniciando negocios a un ritmo mayor, pero no alcanzan su potencial. Según el informe de McKinsey & Company, los latinos inician más negocios per cápita que cualquier otro grupo racial o étnico en los Estados Unidos. Durante los últimos cinco años, uno de cada 200 latinos (0,5%) ha iniciado un nuevo negocio cada mes, en comparación con el 0,3% de los siguientes grupos más altos (blancos y asiáticos). El número de empresas de empleadores propiedad de latinos ha crecido un 12,5% anual, en comparación con el 5,3% de las empresas de empleadores propiedad de blancos. Y aunque las empresas de empleadores propiedad de latinos se concentran en ciudades y estados con poblaciones latinas grandes y densas, como Los Ángeles, Miami y la ciudad de Nueva York, 45 de 50 estados vieron un aumento en las empresas propiedad de latinos entre 2012 y 2017. Sin embargo, la participación y el desempeño de las empresas propiedad de latinos están muy por debajo de su potencial. A pesar de representar alrededor del 18,4% de la población de EE. UU., los latinos solo poseen alrededor del 6% de las empresas empleadoras y alrededor del 14% de las empresas no empleadoras. Si la participación de los latinos en la propiedad empresarial de los empleadores alcanzara la paridad con su participación en la población, se podrían agregar unas 735,000 nuevas empresas a la economía de los EE. UU., apoyando 6.6 millones de nuevos empleos. Y si las ventas por empresa de esos negocios estuvieran en línea con las de los negocios que no pertenecen a latinos blancos, se podrían generar $2,3 billones adicionales en ingresos totales. Aunque los latinos tienen la tasa más alta de iniciativa empresarial, existen diferencias significativas entre las empresas de empleadores latinos y las empresas de empleadores no latinos. Casi el 13% de las empresas propiedad de latinos cierran en su primer año, en comparación con el 10% de las empresas propiedad de blancos, y la brecha persiste con el tiempo. Los latinos también tienen más probabilidades de ser propietarios únicos: el 92,5% de las empresas propiedad de latinos son empresas de una sola persona, frente al 83,1% de la población total en promedio. También existen brechas relacionadas con la representación, los ingresos por empresa, la rentabilidad y el número de empresas empleadoras. [Editor’s note: To read the full versión of this article, go to www.inbusinessphx.com.]

The Economic State of Latinos in America: The American Dream Revisited by Edgar R. Olivo The current state of the economy is constantly revealing inequalities between the diverse demographic groups within our country. Wage and income disparities across the United States are barriers preventing Latinos from full economic participation that could have a multitrillion-dollar impact, further unleashing their entrepreneurial spirit, creating millions of jobs, driving consumer spending and building intergenerational wealth, according to the latest report published by McKinsey & Company in December 2021. Latinos in America make up around 18.4% of the U.S. population and 17.3% of the U.S. labor force, a segment that is projected to grow to more than 30% by 2060. Latinos embody the spirit and reality of the American dream, but do not experience upward economic mobility the same as their non-Latino white counterparts. Even though Latinos create more businesses and have higher rates of intergenerational mobility, helping ensure that each successive generation is better off than the last, full economic participation in the American dream is still uneven. Latinos face discrimination when it comes to obtaining capital to start and scale businesses. They continue to struggle with access to food, housing and other essential needs. And their level of household wealth — which directly affects their ability to accumulate and pass on wealth from generation to generation — is just one-fifth that of white Americans. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to disproportionately impact Latino lives and livelihoods. The McKinsey & Company report highlights four key areas to get a better understanding of the barriers Latinos face in America today. It found that Latinos face obstacles similar to those ultimately overcome by waves of immigrants before them. Income, wealth and intergenerational mobility are improving for Latinos over the generations, which is helping close the economic gap. But that is still not enough. Here is a quick summary of the report. 1. The Latino workforce is growing, and they are doing the jobs no one wants to do. The report found that Latinos are projected to make up 22.4% of the U.S. labor force by 2030 and more than 30% by 2060. Yet, they remain concentrated in roles generally dismissed as “jobs no one else wants to do.” They are underpaid, less likely to have nonwage employer benefits, and disproportionately vulnerable to disruption.

The annual income gap of over $288 billion compared with non-Latino white workers represents a lost economic opportunity and has significant implications for Latinos’ ability to start businesses, build wealth and fully participate as consumers. By closing the income gap, Latino worker wages could be more than 35% higher and an additional 1.1 million Latinos could join the middle class. 2. Latinos are starting business at greater rates, but fall short of their potential. According to the McKinsey & Company report, Latinos start more businesses per capita than any other racial or ethnic group in the United States. Over the past five years, one in 200 Latinos (0.5%) have started a new business every month, compared with 0.3% for the next highest groups (white and Asian). The number of Latino-owned employer firms has grown by 12.5% annually, compared with 5.3% for whiteowned employer firms. And while Latino-owned employer businesses are concentrated in cities and states with large, dense Latino populations — such as Los Angeles, Miami and New York City — 45 of 50 states saw an increase in Latino-owned businesses from 2012 to 2017. Yet the share and the performance of Latinoowned businesses fall well short of their potential. Despite accounting for about 18.4% of the U.S. population, Latinos only own about 6% of employer firms and around 14% of non-employer firms. If Latinos’ share of employer business ownership reached parity with their share of the population, some 735,000 new enterprises could be added to the U.S. economy, supporting 6.6 million new jobs. And if the per-firm sales of those businesses were in line with those of non-Latino white-owned businesses, an additional $2.3 trillion in total revenue could be generated. Even though Latinos have the highest rate of entrepreneurship, there are significant differences between Latino employer firms and non-Latino employer companies. Nearly 13% of Latino-owned firms close in their first year, compared with 10% for white-owned firms, and the gap persists over time. Latinos are also more likely to be sole proprietors: 92.5% of Latino-owned businesses are single-person firms, versus 83.1% of the total population on average. There are also gaps related to representation, revenue per firm, profitability and the number of employer businesses. [Editor’s note: To read the full versión of this article, go to www.inbusinessphx.com.]

Latinos in America make up around 18.4% of the U.S. population and 17.3% of the U.S. labor force, a segment that is projected to grow to more than 30% by 2060. Latinos embody the spirit and reality of the American dream, but do not experience upward economic mobility the same as their non-Latino white counterparts.

FEB. 47 2022 INBUSINESSPHX.COM

Economy

DEVELOPING & GROWING BUSINESS DYNAMICS

Non-Traditional Lending Enters where Rejection Reigned Arizona-based public company raises $10M for small businesses by Rhett Doolittle

Rhett Doolittle, chairman and CEO of Business Warrior, has been a business owner for 13 years and had two successful exits in the past. Much of Doolittle’s experience and capabilities stem from running his first business, Entrust Bankcard, a payment processing company launched in 2006. Entrust Bankcard had a remarkable threeyear revenue growth rate of 8,417%, which placed it No. 18 on Inc. 500’s list of the fastest-growing companies in the United States. Business Warrior is the culmination of his years of experience creating products and learning what problems need to be solved for small businesses. Business Warrior shared results for its fourth quarter and end-of-year financials in December 2021, announcing a 1,331% revenue growth compared to the previous year and more than $5.5 million in total income. businesswarrior.com

FEB. 2022

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Half of U.S. small-business owners report facing significant hurdles brought on by the current supply chain disruptions. Couple that with a record number of new businesses being created this year (60% increase from 2020), it’s likely many will fail without access to funding that is typically bestowed only upon larger companies with established track records. In response to the severe hardship entrepreneurs have endured these past two years, publicly traded and Arizonabased SaaS company Business Warrior has raised more than $10 million in funding in the last 12 months to help small businesses grow. Five million of those funds are being offered as loans to small business owners in partnership with elev8 Advisors Group to help entrepreneurs who face difficulty receiving lending from traditional banks. The other five million raised is being used to propel the company’s rapid growth and launch the newest version of its software, which will work to enhance the automation process for receiving approval on a loan. Typically, cash advance companies charge more than 40% to small-business owners looking for a loan. Business Warrior’s new program has a targeted average rate of 15% for borrowers. The company is upfront that, while the interest rate is higher than a traditional small-business loan from banks, the vast majority of small-business borrowers cannot get approved for those loans. The two biggest problems business owners face is a lack of customers and lack of cash. We understand that small businesses have been unnecessarily denied loans in the past through old and outdated legacy credit processes. Small businesses need access to reasonably priced loans; these loans have not existed before to the businesses that need it the most. The Bureau of Labor Statistics cites that around 20% of business startups fail in the first year and, even more, 77% of small-business owners who apply for a loan from a big bank get rejected. Business Warrior uses automation and predictive algorithms from its software to scan both major public and

private data points to help determine a company’s Business Score and, therefore, eligibility to receive loans from $5,000 to $50,000. The proprietary Business Score is broken down into four categories: advertising, business listings, reputation and web/SEO. While loans are a crucial part of a small business’s success during ongoing supply chain disruptions, COVID-19 complications and an employee shortage, there are other steps business owners should be taking to ensure their company survives. Right now is a great time for small businesses to change their models. Business Warrior advises small businesses to use shipping delays as an opportunity to look at other providers and consider ordering local in the United States. Companies should also provide customers an incentive if avoiding delays is not an option. This includes supplying gift cards or discounts to loyal customers to say “thank you” for shopping local during tough times and being patient while their product or service is delayed. Being transparent about a company’s struggles helps build trust with its repeat customers. Businesses should let people know what they are doing to combat delays and offer incentives to encourage their customers to continue to support their brand. In addition to the pandemic and shipping delays, so many industries are short staffed. The best way to mitigate longer wait times, bad reviews and a stressful environment for employees is to communicate that gap with customers. Business Warrior suggests making an announcement explaining staffing issues and acknowledging it may lead to other issues, such as longer wait times. Managing all these different facets of a company is a lot for any business owner to handle. The bottom line is that it’s crucial for small-business owners to evaluate their resources and educate themselves on what strategies are available to allow the company to stay successful during turbulent times.

Ninety-seven percent of consumers use the internet to find local businesses, meaning the most effective way for a small business to acknowledge staffing issues, shipping delays and other company issues is to stay vigilant with updating their website, social media and online listings.

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LAW MATTERS TO BUSINESS

Corporate Mergers and Acquisitions – Where to Next? And how does private equity investing fit into the picture? by Robert J. Miller

Robert J. Miller is a shareholder in the Scottsdale, Arizona, office of Buchalter, an AmLaw 200 law firm. His practice is devoted to providing legal advice and guidance to businesses across the United States, with a particular emphasis on finance and distressed businesses needing transactional solutions. buchalter.com

FEB. 2022

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During 2021, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) proceeded at a torrid pace in the United States. This article examines what may lie ahead for domestic middle market M&A, which is likely to continue at the same pace in 2022. The advent of private equity (PE) investing is a big part of why M&A activity is likely to remain strong in 2022. PE investing as a business model only began in the 1940s, but its growth has been massive in recent decades. From 2010 to 2020, private equity assets under management more than tripled to over $3 trillion, according to a Deloitte PE Report. As of mid-2021, according to S&P Global, PE firms around the globe were sitting on more than $2.0 trillion in “dry powder” — capital committed by PE investors that has not been invested. PE firms have a strong incentive to invest this money, which puts continued upward pressure on M&A activity. There is also no shortage of M&A middle market companies — generally measured as companies with annual revenues between $10 million and $1 billion — according to the Small Business Investor Alliance, which reports that in the U.S., the middle market is comprised of 200,000 companies. In addition to dry powder for investing held by PE firms, the lending market’s appetite for more loans drives M&A activity as well. M&A buyers nearly always use debt leverage to enhance their return on equity. Traditional lenders like major banks are generally considered to be very rigorous in underwriting for new borrowers and/or significant increase in availability. However, competition is fierce for quality borrowers in the middle market space, and enhanced competition almost always results in more favorable terms for borrowers. Significantly, the private debt market has also exploded in recent years. As of the end of 2020, private non-traditional lenders (non-bank lenders) grew to more than $400 billion in a market that tends to focus on smaller companies. According to S&P Global, private lenders had almost $150 billion in their own dry powder to lend. This, too, should put upward pressure on M&A activity. The lending market has a huge influence on commerce and M&A activity. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, most commercial lenders have had a general bias against forcing repayment from a borrower in default and were inclined to “kick the can down the road” through the granting of liberal extensions — typically, under a loan forbearance agreement. Lenders were justifiably sensitive about calling loans in the middle of a global crisis. Plus, entire industries (e.g., restaurant chains, hoteliers) faced near-total shutdowns that made it nearly impossible to either refinance a loan or sell a business to provide for loan repayment. Many of these companies and their lenders were essentially frozen in place pending a “new normal” and its effect on stabilized financial performance.

As we emerge from the pandemic, companies and their lenders are more likely to critically evaluate appropriate debt load and ability to perform. Especially given the forced changes of many business models caused by the pandemic and ever-evolving technology, it is distinctly possible lenders will reposition their portfolios, with certain borrowers no longer being suitable for any number of reasons, the most common of which would be large revenue and profit decline. Generally speaking, there are only three ways to take out a lender: sell the business to repay the loan, refinance the debt with a new lender or put in more owner’s equity to repay the lender. Given this reality, M&A activity may be stimulated by less credit-worthy companies being put up for sale if it cannot find takeout financing or the owners are unwilling or unable to inject more capital. While middle market M&A activity is poised for a strong 2022, this outcome is by no means a slam dunk. Given recent history, it is hard to argue that a continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic would necessarily dampen M&A activity. A significant uptick in interest rates, however, could certainly create negative pressure on M&A volume by increasing the cost of debt and company valuations. There are also increasing signs that labor shortages and supply chain issues may adversely affect M&A activity in certain sectors by harming the bottom line performance of companies and interest to buyers. Lastly, M&A activity almost certainly will vary widely across industry sectors. M&A activity is presently strong and we head into 2022 with significant moment. While nobody can predict the future, it is likely this M&A pace will continue, but it will be important to keep an eye out on negative influences like inflation because there is no assurance this pace will continue.

From 2010 to 2020, private equity (PE) assets under management more than tripled to over $3 trillion, according to a Deloitte PE Report. As of mid-2021, according to S&P Global, PE firms around the globe were sitting on more than $2.0 trillion in “dry powder” — capital committed by PE investors that has not been invested.

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

Social Impact

BUSINESS GIVES BACK

TruWest Credit Union’s TruDifference

TruWest demonstrates its commitment to supporting the community in which it operates MCC’S YEAR UP PROGRAM RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS RECOGNITION FROM THE NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR STUDENT SUCCESS In June 2021, Mesa Community College’s First Year Experience program, a supportive year-long engagement with firstyear college students, was recognized as a Program of Promise by the National Organization for Student Success. The NOSS recognition is given to programs using effective and promising practices promoting student success and development. The MCC First Year Experience is identified as an exceptional program exemplifying the NOSS mission to assist education professionals in making a positive difference in the lives of students, as well as engaging in promising practices and demonstrating positive outcomes. Since 2020, TruWest has donated more than $70,000 to the program. thenoss.org

Tyler Butler is the chief social impact officer for the Weedmaps’ corporate portfolio where she leads programs that positively impact humanity. She is also the founder of 11.11CoLab and is often cited as a subject-matter expert by Forbes, SHRM, Entrepreneur, US News & World Report and more. weedmaps.com

FEB. 2022

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

Steeped in Arizona history, TruWest Credit Union was originally established in 1952 as Motorola Credit Union. With more than 93,000 members and eight Phoenix locations, the TruWest of today is focused on building upon the rich legacy on which they were established and on building a stronger community. Operating under the philosophy “people helping people,” the organization functions as a cooperative, providing members with not just financial services but also a culture of caring for its members, employees and communities. TruWest is not only a provider of trusted financial solutions and services, but it also promotes its TruDifference. Through its commitment to community, TruWest lends a hand to local nonprofits while serving to educate and activate necessary programs to aid society. Helping the community is part of the fabric of the organization and is one of the pillars it was founded upon. The credit union is a member-owned organization. And with this comes an obligation to provide support for the community in which it is located. Over the years, its volunteering and financial contributions have grown and evolved to support larger organizations such as the local community college, Phoenix Children’s Hospital, and the local chapter of the American Lung Association. TruWest also believes in supporting the community through volunteer efforts. Each employee is eligible for up to eight hours of Volunteer Paid Time Off per year. While many employees take advantage of this program, in 2020 TruWest sought to increase participation and expanded the list of eligible organizations. These include Feed My Starving Children, local food banks, schools and school districts, charities and city chambers, allowing for greater opportunities to serve within the community. “We take pride in volunteering and supporting the community with open arms,” says Jennifer Kimmell, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at TruWest Credit Union. “Giving back and prioritizing this is part of the culture at the credit union and is something we are very proud of.” Undoubtedly, TruWest’s greatest strength as a good corporate citizen is its leveraging of its expertise and experience to provide necessary opportunities for education. TruWest is a strong advocate of financial literacy and supporting higher learning. It has been a major supporter of Mesa Community Colleges’ Year Up program. This program provides assistance and scholarships to first-generation college students. In 2020, TruWest donated more than $70,000 to this program alone. Furthermore, TruWest representatives regularly host financial literacy trainings for program participants and their parents, providing gift cards to students in need, sponsoring the college’s food pantry and clothing closet, Mesa Market and providing monetary contributions to help with tuition, fees and textbook costs for participating students. What’s more, the credit union also actively hires interns and retains first-generation college students in the Maricopa Community College’s Year-Up program.

TruWest funds also promote student leadership opportunities through stipends given to FYE ambassadors. Additionally, TruWest has provided part-time employment opportunities for MCC students. TruWest’s partnership has become integral to the success of the community by providing stability for students so they can focus on learning. The credit union makes it a priority to support the underserved communities in the Phoenix area. For eight straight years, TruWest’s Workforce Initiative Subsidy for Homeownership program has given homeownership to households that range from very low to moderate income, the opportunity for a 3-to-1 down payment match and closing costs when they purchase their first home. Since 2014, TruWest has helped more than 570 families, distributing $1.33 million in funds for matching grants toward the purchase of their first home through this program. TruWest also awards scholarships to college juniors. The credit union has multiple opportunities throughout the year to participate in employee-contributed school supply drives, food, and toy donation drives. And employees visit schools to provide financial literacy programs multiple times throughout the year. Thanks to these efforts, TruWest has furthered the success of college students, their ability to “get ahead” from first-time homebuyers and enabled a better understanding of financial literacy. Adding to and enhancing these initiatives are regular sponsorships and initiatives for local schools, social diversity causes and disaster relief efforts. “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to demonstrate the credit union philosophy of people helping people,” says Alan Althouse, president and CEO of TruWest Credit Union. “Whether it’s launching a backpack drive for young students returning to the classroom, volunteering our time or making a financial donation, finding ways to contribute and help is how we come together and make a difference in our community.” Whether it’s ensuring those in the community are educated about their financial goals or lending a hand at local nonprofits, TruWest lives and breathes the original credit union philosophy of “people helping people.” TruWest Credit Union truwest.org

In 2018, TruWest partnered with the local chapter of the American Lung Association to help in the support of lung cancer awareness and fight lung diseases. Through employee participation and donations made in the annual LungForce Climbs and Walks, as well as company donations and matching grants, TruWest contributed more than $100,000 to the American Lung Association in 2021.

Photo courtesy of TruWest Credit Union

by Tyler Butler

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

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OUR SUBJECT IN-DEPTH

Seven Ways Social Media Can Revitalize Small Business Competition A key element in the route from recovery to growth by Candie Guay

Candie Guay is the co-founder and creative director of Scottsdalebased Envida, the nation’s leading multifamily creative agency. Her insight has been featured on Page 6, The Huffington Post, CBS and ABC News. Most recently, Arizona State University named Guay No. 7 on its Most Innovative Alumni list. In 2020, Envida was honored to be included in Inc. Magazine’s 5000 List for Top Places to Work. envida.com

FEB. 2022

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

Economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic could very well continue to play out over decades. Change is a forerunner to growth, and businesses across the nation were forced to pivot over the past two years. Perseverance was tested, resilience was built and the presence of small businesses on social media, or lack thereof, was noticed. Small businesses, which account for 99% of businesses and employ 47% of workers in the U.S., were hit hardest by the pandemic. Many closed their doors, let employees go and canceled shipments upon shipments. On the other hand, many small businesses rose to the top thanks to a strong presence, honest vulnerability and calculated strategy on social media. As small business owners navigate change and recovery in the wake of the pandemic, social media will continue to be a key element in accelerating future growth. There are several ways social media can revitalize small business competition and positively influence bottom lines. Maximize micro-influencers. Micro-influencers are defined as creators with 10,000–75,000 followers. The reason it’s a good idea for small businesses to partner with this tier of influencer comes down to a few factors: engagement rate, collaborative partnerships and click-thru capabilities. Micro-influencers tend to be a perfect fit for brands of every kind and size because they have enough experience to create high-quality, professional content, yet they’re still in a stage of growth that allows for maintaining a highly engaged community. Talk the Tok. This might seem like a no-brainer, but if a business doesn’t have a TikTok profile, it’s time to pull the trigger in 2022. This platform has proven to be an absolute monster when it comes to connecting with untapped audiences. By incorporating TikTok into a marketing strategy, small business owners can solidify brand recognition and messaging, highlight product and service offerings, and connect with a growing and influential audience that has the potential to become loyal and lifelong customers. Use social data for more than marketing. Many businesses pull social data to observe the latest or emerging trends to edge out competitors, but small business owners should shift the focus to their audience’s interests and needs, create content around popular products that are flying off the shelves, and discover which platforms customers prefer by identifying where audiences are most active. Customer surveys will help small business owners figure out who their customers really are, who they follow and what they really like. Use buzzwords. One thing seen during the pandemic was an overwhelming amount of support for small businesses. People wanted to support local and shop small and they still do. Businesses should not be afraid to use words like “help” and “support” in posts. By being vulnerable and honest,

there’s a huge opportunity to reach consumers who want to shop small. There may be opportunity to try networking with other small business owners and plug each other’s causes, highlight inspirations and note the struggles that both businesses have overcome. Ride the social commerce wave. This just means buying and selling goods or services directly within a social media platform. This model enables customers to complete the full buyer journey from discovery to purchase without leaving their preferred apps. Small businesses can do this by turning their social profiles into a shoppable catalog and create a seamless customer experience. Rack up reviews. Consumers trust customer reviews over business mission statements. Small business owners should be wise and add user generated content (UGC) to their marketing game plan. Organic content boosts opportunities to build trust with consumers, so it’s important to post curated content that will resonate with the brand. Edge out small business competition through social customer service. Consumers believe that the best in brands offer strong customer service. So, engaging the audience is important, but businesses that go above and beyond to prioritize customer service will gain a competitive advantage. Small businesses should track feedback, address all important inbound messages in a timely manner, keep track of common complaints and questions, be transparent and forthcoming with their customers about shipping issues, and request customers leave reviews. It can be difficult for a small business owner to know which social media platforms and trends to pay attention to and which ones to ignore. Sometimes, the best practices include trial and error. Small business owners should test trends, track their success and pivot when necessary.

Micro-influencers tend to be a perfect fit for brands of every kind and size because they have enough experience to create high-quality, professional content, yet they’re still in a stage of growth that allows for maintaining a highly engaged community.

MATTERS OF INTEREST

The Business Case for Volunteering Check out its economic power by Don Henninger

VOLUNTEERISM AT A GLANCE • The value of a volunteer hour is estimated at $28.54. • Volunteers efforts worldwide are equal to 109 million full-time workers. • Arizonans reported that 1,648,684 volunteers contributed 160.9 million hours of service worth an estimated $3.8 billion to our communities. • Generation X (born between 1965 to 1980) leads volunteer rates among generations in the U.S. at 28.9%.

Arizona enters the new year on a roll. The state’s economy posted one of the most robust recoveries in the nation in 2021, with record job growth and business investment and healthy funding conditions for startups. All of that has received ample news coverage and is a worthy feather in the state’s cap as it looks to build on that success in 2022. But there’s another key element in the economic mix that doesn’t get as much notice, and that’s the work our nonprofit partners contribute to the well-being of our communities and their reliance on volunteers to keep them running. Yes, financial assistance is vital. But I have always had a soft spot for business leaders who roll up their sleeves and donate their time and talent to work for groups that need their help — by serving on boards or spending time sweating it out at weekend work-a-thons. Arizona is not a leader in the pack when it comes to volunteering, ranked at No. 34 in a polling of states, with about 30% of residents volunteering in some capacity. As a metro region, the Valley is ranked No. 21 in the country, with a 34% rate. There are more than 20,000 nonprofits in Arizona. It’s fair to say that many of them wouldn’t exist without volunteers. And our community, economy included, would suffer without them. It’s easy to make the business case. We’ve all heard it preached over and over that the health of a community depends on the challenging work that our nonprofit partners handle. But enough about them; let’s talk about you. Volunteering is good for you, plain and simple, and here are a few reasons why: • Volunteering improves your leadership skills. That’s the assessment of more than 90% of human resources executives. Volunteers have a 27% better chance of gaining employment as 60% of managers see it as a valuable asset when making hiring decisions, according to a Career Builder study. When you consider that 35- to 44-year-olds are the largest segment that volunteer, that’s exactly the group that will fill corporate and community leadership pipelines.

• It’s good for morale. People who do good things together stick together. Show up back at the office and watch that spirit carry over into the regular workplace. More than 70% of corporate volunteers say it’s more effective than holding things like company mixers. Less expensive, too. • It builds networking skills. Since it’s a social activity, it can expand your list of important contacts, too. You work with a different set of people and interact with others as you handle new challenges. Relationships happen. • It helps you sleep better. It improves your health. It reduces stress, giving you a break from the usual tension surrounding work routines. Good moods also help strengthen your immune system. There’s scientific evidence that volunteering boosts the mesolimbic system — the portion of the brain responsible for feeling rewarded. • It inspires those around you. Nothing is more motivating that actually doing the work you ask others to do. Lead by example. • It provides new experiences. You may learn more than you think. It may lead to a new career path, or perhaps a second career. • It’s a good diversity tool. No boundaries: age, gender, ethnicity — it’s unifying when people come together to work for a good cause. • It puts your passions to work. You get to pick and choose where you spend your time and efforts without relying on it to earning a living. Let your passions take you wherever you want. Studies say volunteer works leads to higher selfesteem, too. • You’ll be a better community leader by getting a different view of important issues and be better prepared to help solve them. And in case you haven’t noticed, we are facing more than enough community challenges these days. So here’s hoping more of us will pay it forward this year — both for ourselves and for our communities.

Arizona is not a leader in the pack when it comes to volunteering, ranked at No. 34 in a polling of states, with about 30% of residents volunteering in some capacity.

• Single people volunteer more than married people for organizations benefiting the arts and culture, sports, health, environmental, animal-care, public safety, educational and youth services. On average, people in U.S. spend 52 hours per year volunteering their time.

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

FEB. 55 2022 INBUSINESSPHX.COM

INVESTING IN COMMUNITY

LEARN HOW TO RIDE THE GREAT RESIGNATION WAVE Organizations large and small across the country are reporting that employee turnover rates are already reaching record highs this year. The Society of Human Resources Management’s “How to Ride the Great Resignation Wave” offers information about how leadership teams and Human Resources professionals can prepare for the changes ahead. shrm.org

Tanya Muñiz is chief financial and administrative officer for Valley of the Sun United Way, overseeing all fiscal and fiduciary responsibilities, human resources, legal, facilities, IT and data analytics, as well as the economic and infrastructure plan to support MC2026 and achieve its bold community goals. Laura Kaiser is chief corporate relations and brand officer for Valley of the Sun United Way directing corporate relations, fundraising, marketing and volunteerism teams, as well as the MC2026 Cabinet of community and corporate volunteers who are critical in engaging local companies in new ways to help advance their social responsibility objectives and achieve the MC2026 goals for the community. vsuw.org

FEB. 2022

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Reinventing the Way We Work How to create employeecentric recruitment and retention strategies by Tanya Muñiz and Laura Kaiser

The ongoing pandemic has created a wave of change of epic proportions that has led to the great employment “reset” that the country, and the world, is now experiencing. Workers across various business sectors and age and ethnic groups are rethinking where and when they want to work, or if they want to stay in the workforce at all. Many employees are experiencing a radical re-assessment of their lives and their careers. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s June 2021 Poll: The COVID-19 Unemployed, “Half (49%) of Americans who became unemployed during the pandemic say they are not actively or not very actively looking for work; less than a third (32%) reporting that they are strongly active in their job search.” Trends are also showing that many employees do not feel compelled to stay in their current jobs. As we envision a community where every child, family and individual is healthy, has a safe place to live and has every opportunity to succeed in school, in life and in work, the community needs effective organizations that make a difference. Here are three strategies to help reimagine Human Resources in the new era of work: Commit to higher levels of transparency. Before a worker will commit to an employer, many employees are demanding more transparency around a company’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. Now more than ever, corporate social responsibility needs to be at the forefront of retention and recruiting efforts, and how employees are treated is central to achieving that goal. For example, the Return on Action Report 2021 conducted by Atlassian and PricewaterhouseCoopers highlighted that, for millennials, a company that speaks out on issues important to them is more attractive as a future employer, and 85% say, “A business should take specific actions across the issue types (equality, health and well-being, environmental, economic, human rights/legal).” Continue flexible work schedules. In the spring of 2020, millions of office workers began logging in remotely and have yet to return to the office. Many companies have adjusted workdays to suit the needs of employees dispersed across time zones and workers that may also be burdened with childcare responsibilities. This remote model can provide greater access to the workplace, opening recruitment for untapped talent.

Continued flexibility, in the form of remote work, not only minimizes the ongoing risk of COVID-19 in the workplace but also provides employees with the choice of how to structure their workday and their personal time, which allows time for familial obligations and time for giving back to their community through volunteering. This empowers employees to meet their needs and meet company goals at the same time. In a survey of Valley of the Sun United Way employees, conducted by Cushman & Wakefield, 73% of staff feel they have better work-life balance thanks to a hybrid office/remote solution. In addition, staff are given opportunities to give back and connect beyond the requirements of the job, including a Culture Committee, DEAI committee and volunteering for VELLO online tutoring. Create advancement and upskilling opportunities. The deep financial divide between the higher wage “knowledge workers” and lower wages earned by on-site essential service employees has become painfully more prominent. According to Time Magazine’s The Future of Work, “During the pandemic, nearly half of all employees with advanced degrees were working remotely, while more than 90% of those with a high school diploma or less had to show up in person.” In addition to the wage disparity, low-paid workers are facing higher levels of exposure to COVID-19. There is evidence that some new hires are seeking out companies that are giving raises along with pathways to better careers. Upskilling and career mobility might prove to be the value proposition that matters most. As Time Magazine reported, in May, one of Valley of the Sun United Way’s Corporate Partners, Waste Management, “Held a recruiting drive and attracted 1,200 potential employees. The company made 420 offers, and 70% of those new hires have started working for the company. More than half of applicants mentioned free college tuition offers as an incentive.” We have the opportunity to reinvent the way we work for the better. There is both a moral and business incentive to creating an accessible and supportive environment for current and future employees. A more inclusive workplace and diverse workforce will build upon itself. Therefore, the more an organization invests in this effort, the more return it will see.

Valley of the Sun United Way and Maricopa County Community College District recently created an Education Concierge Partnership that provides United Way employees access to a dedicated advising team to assist them with admissions, tuition benefits, financial aid navigation and personalized success coaching as they attend any of the 10 Maricopa community colleges. info.maricopacorporate.com/concierge

WE VALUE WHAT WE OWN

2022 Lexus ES 350 F SPORT The potent 302-horsepower, 3.5-liter direct injection V6 propels from 0 to 60 in a mere 6.6 seconds. This powerful engine also features dual Variable Valve Timing with intelligence (VVT-i). It’s designed to provide added torque at lower speeds and greater horsepower at higher speeds. Lexus’s F SPORT features a specially tuned suspension for greater agility. Taking performance even further, the ES 350 F SPORT offers the same next-generation Adaptive Variable Suspension system found in the LC. The sleek, coupe-like silhouette of the ES has been refined even further for 2022. It features a provocative new

grille pattern and elegantly redesigned LED headlamps for striking illumination. Strikingly styled from the ground up, this beast features exclusive 19-inch wheels with a daring Gloss Black finish, signature upper and lower grille inserts, a distinctive front bumper and F SPORT badging add even more edge. Options include Circuit Red–trimmed sport seats with enhanced bolsters and the Hadori Aluminum trim inspired by a traditional Japanese sword-making technique. These are just two of the thrilling upgrades in the ES F SPORT. This sporty thrill ride also boasts state-of-the-art technology, an all-new touchscreen, and innovations like Apple CarPlay® integration and Android Auto™ compatibility. Offering class-leading audio technology, every element of the ES is crafted around the driver. The available 10.2-inch, full-color, Head-Up Display can project key information such as speed, current gear and rpm onto the windshield. Display information can be adjusted to suit the driver. In addition to driver’s and front passenger’s dual-stage and knee airbags, the ES features front and rear side curtain airbags, front seat-mounted side airbags and rear seat-mounted side airbags for all-around protection. —Mike Hunter

2022 LEXUS ES 350 F SPORT MSRP: $46,525* City: 22 mpg Hwy: 31 mpg Trans.: 8-speed automatic 0-60: 6.6 Sec

Lexus lexus.com

Virtually Where? Virtual meetings have become a staple of business

what is really a blank “green screen.” When a

life, and participants join from their home office or

person moves, the computer immediately fills in

living room or kitchen. But they don’t have to show

the space that person is no longer in front of.

that location in their background. Some virtual meeting programs allow a user to upload an image from the computer to virtually

another choice, somewhat less common. Their

place as a background. It may look great as long

biggest advantage over other choices is the fact

as the person doesn’t move but then pixelates

that they differ most distinctly from any human

at the edges when the person does move. But

skin tone.

having a single, uniform background color to

Photos courtesy of Lexus

Why green? That is, indeed, the most common color choice for the chroma keying effect. Blue is

Green screens (and a couple of blue ones)

superimpose a chosen image on can eliminate

are available in various hues and sizes on the

that pixelating. We’re all familiar with TV weather

ubiquitous Amazon. The screens come with a frame

announcers who point out weather fronts on a

for easy placement behind the person sitting in at a

map, acting as if pointing to specific places on

virtual meeting. —RaeAnne Marsh

Lexus Smartphone App: Manage your vehicle on the go with the Lexus app. You can do everything from starting your vehicle remotely with your smartwatch to scheduling a service appointment with a few simple taps. The Lexus app is available for download from the Apple App Store® or Google Play™ store. drivers.lexus.com/lexusdrivers/technology/lexusapp

DON’T MISS OUT!

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FEB. 57 2022 INBUSINESSPHX.COM

MEALS THAT MATTER

CINNAMON ROLL CAKES Cinnamon-filled buttermilk batter and vanilla icing $11.50

Old Town Scottsdale

Daily Dose Kitchen & Bar Innovates Crave-able Breakfast & Lunch Delivering fresh food and fun in Scottsdale, Phoenix and Tempe by Elaina Verhoff

BREAKFAST NACHOS Warm corn tortilla chips topped with white and red cheese sauce, jalapeños, chorizo scrambled eggs, tomatillo salsa and pico de gallo, served with a side of sausage gravy $12.75

Daily Dose Kitchen & Bar has been a Valley favorite for scratch-made breakfast and lunch since 2008, when owners JenLyn and Matt Long opened their first Daily Dose on Scottsdale Road. This locally owned restaurant now has three locations — the original Daily Dose Old Town, plus Daily Dose Midtown near 20th Street and Highland, and Daily Dose Rio Salado, located next to Tempe Marketplace. Over the years, Daily Dose has earned a cult following for mouthwatering dishes like its Cinnamon Roll Pancakes, Breakfast Nachos, Banana Bread French Toast and the Hangover Sandwich — always a fan favorite when the Spring Training crowd hits Old Town. Not to be missed are the crave-able Daily Dose Three-Berry Compote, harissa aioli, cilantro lime dressing, and chipotle ranch dressing — all made in-house daily, as are all the dressings. Extensive breakfast and lunch menus are both available all day, and a Mid-Day Happy Hour, from noon to 3 p.m., lets afternoon diners enjoy deals on some of Daily Dose’s most

SMOKEY CHICKEN & BACON SANDWICH Grilled chicken breast topped with smoked mozzarella, avocado, peppered bacon and harissa aioli on an egg bun $12.75

popular items. Happy Hour specials include burgers (such as the Daily Dose Burger served with cheese and crisp peppered bacon), tacos, nachos and the classic Straight Shooter breakfast — a popular combo of eggs, meat, potatoes, pancakes and fruit. A Daily Dose experience is just as much about the drinks as it is the food. Guests can choose from a wide selection of beverages, both alcoholic and nonalcoholic. Specialty cocktails like the Spicy Watermelon Margarita, Spiked Palmer and Bacon Bloody Mary are made with care, using only the freshest ingredients. A variety of mimosas and unique spiked coffee drinks are a fun treat, and craft beer lovers will appreciate the wide assortment of brews. Gluten-free foodies are big fans of Daily Dose gluten free pancakes and French toast. And while there are plenty of splurge-worthy items on the menu, diners looking for healthy breakfast and lunch items also have delicious options, such as the power bowl, peaches and cashew oats, tempeh burrito, and the egg white wrap, loaded with veggies and served with fruit. Daily Dose serves breakfast and lunch daily from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., daily at its Scottsdale and Phoenix locations and Wednesday through Sunday in Tempe. Daily Dose also offers an extensive catering menu, creating custom menus for groups from 10 to 500. The Longs run their “urban mom and pop” restaurants with the attention to detail that only comes from a locally owned business with owners who truly care. Daily Dose Kitchen & Bar 4020 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale • (480) 994-3673 1928 E. Highland Ave., Phoenix • (602) 274-0334 96 S. Rockford Dr., Tempe • (480) 590-6937 dailydosegrill.com

FEB. 2022

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Daily Dose owners JenLyn and Matt Long will soon offer their jams, sauces and dressings packaged up for guests to enjoy at home.

Photos courtesy of Daily Dose

Rio Salado

GLOBAL CHAMBER

Global Chamber® Events

WINTER 2022

globalchamber.org/events

February 1, noon MT

Global Chamber Phoenix Metro Meetup February 2, 1:00p MT

Global Chamber Los Angeles Metro Meetup February 3, 5:00p MT

Global Chamber Tokyo Metro Meetup Spotlight Event February 10, 4:00p MT

US, Japan and Global Semiconductor Market February 17, 11:30a MT

Global Chamber Tel Aviv Metro Meetup Spotlight Event February 17, 4:00p PT

Young Global Leader Event on Transportation, Supply Chain February 23, 5:00p MT

Global Chamber Denver Metro Meetup

Inside this Section

Warmth, Resilience and Growth by Doug Bruhnke

3 3 4 5 5 6

Doing Business in… Book Authors in the Global Tribe Global Chamber Event Planning 2022 Just Do It. Don’t Try. New Home at Thunderbird Why Every Exporter Should be in Global Chamber

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Case in point, the two sneakers shown here. There’s quite literally a painful lesson that relates to the key business issue of asking for help. Would you believe that both shoes shown here are left-footed, size 12? Do you see a difference? The one on the left is a New Balance size 12 sneaker that I’ve worn for the last three years. I convinced myself that these were the best shoes — and so I lulled myself to sleep despite having more and more foot and leg pain as time passed. With COVID, I delayed a hip replacement surgery and along the way assumed that I had the best sneaker for my feet, but that was a wrong assumption without asking for help from the right people. The shoe on the right is my new size 12 sneaker from Nike, noticeably larger — and causing no pain when I wear it. Last month, I finally stopped by Dick’s Sporting Goods with my N95 mask to measure my feet and get help with the best shoes for me. It worked! The larger Nike size 12s are “just right,” and they feel AMAZING. I want to wear them all the time. Thank you, Dick’s and Nike! It took me to stop, not be controlled by my bad assumptions and, ultimately, ask for help, despite all the comings and goings of COVID. The smaller New Balance size 12s had been too small for my feet, and the arch support was not effective, causing pain in my feet and legs. I’ll bet you can relate to this issue for your own business. We can get lulled into believing that the current reality is unchangeable, as we wrestle with alligators and other business issues. Everyone is too busy. Too busy to stop for a moment and do the right thing? Sometimes reaching out to the right expert for help changes everything in a good way. Another factor is, many of us have been taught that asking for help is a weakness. But you know what? That’s not true. Not revaluating from time to time, and not asking for help along the way is the weakness. That’s certainly an occasional weakness for me, and I see it in others from time to time, too! At least nine of 10 exporters I speak with have holes in their international activities and don’t ask for help. Ouch! Part of that is being busy, and part may also be the issue of being numb to the fact that things could be much better with a tweak here or there. Hey ... Who am I to judge ... I wore the wrong size shoes for three years!! The analogy stands, that sometimes something very simple can be done that makes a big difference. The opportunity is there, because 85% of new business in the next five years is estimated to be outside the U.S., and usually more than 99% of new business is outside your home metro. Yet fewer than one of 100 U.S. companies exports, and most companies have incomplete sales networks for success in other metros and countries, despite all that opportunity! There is SO much! Therefore, in 2022 I encourage all of you to be an extraordinary global leader and ask for help. It’s an art very much needed in challenging and amazing times like today. Warmth, resilience and growth are all intertwined. Don’t forget to ask for help, too. All these are important to consider for a successful 2022 and, we hope, a best year ever. Doug Bruhnke is founder/CEO at Global Chamber®.

Global Chamber®

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

Doing Business in… by Cesar Trabanco

Global Chamber® has members everywhere around the world, and that gives us a unique ability to help companies reach every corner of the world. Few businesses, like Coca-Cola and Apple, wish to literally be everywhere, but nonetheless we help in every metro and town because you never know where members will need help. To assist doing business everywhere, in the past few months we began globinar series “Doing Business in...” to eventually cover all 525 metropolitan areas around the world where we have chapters and members. We’re explaining market opportunities and how to manage issues like cultural differences, from the perspective of regional leaders. That’s going to take a while because we hold this globinar every two weeks. That’s 26 programs per year, times five metros each

Ewa Mróz

time, or 130 metros per year. So, in about four years we’ll get through the entire world! Good news: We’ll actually be a bit faster through it because we’ve been doing some combining — like when Ewa Mróz (pictured, principal at Memo Consulting) spoke about Warsaw, Poland, she covered the main metros of Poland as well. During that session we also covered Manila, Philippines; Tallinn, Estonia; Tashkent, Uzbekistan; and Houston, Texas. You may not wish to grow in all these areas, but members will have access to information and connections in hundreds of metros around the world, which will assist global expansion and growth. We discuss business opportunities and cultural issues in these major metropolitan areas around the world. And the most recent programs have included all the main metros and regional cities and towns in the countries of Kenya and South Korea. Watch to hear about markets, companies and regions of interest for your business. Connect with trusted leaders to learn and grow your business. Join us to learn more about business opportunities, lower risk and do business worldwide.

Book Authors in the Global Tribe by Yvonne Luker

We recently concluded the 2nd series of globinars featuring book authors at Global Chamber®. These members have been providing tips and techniques for writing your next book! Whether your next book is number one or 25 (for member Lon Safko), each author can do better and be more effective the next time time with help from the global tribe. By ourselves we can move forward quickly, but we go farther together! The original leader for these has been member Gloria Peterson, pictured. These globinars were designed for those who have an interest in writing a book, all the way out to Lon Safko. The group of 50 authors is continually growing, and they’re finding it valuable to support each other, including reading manuscripts, providing 5-star book reviews and more. Gloria is already mobilizing the global group again for series 3 in 2022, and so stay tuned for more to come from the Global Chamber Press and members who seek to support each other’s success. Yvonne Luker is managing director of Global Chamber®.

Cesar Trabanco is VP of Business Services at Global Chamber®.

GlobalChamber.org

Global Chamber Event Planning 2022 by Yvonne Luker

As of this writing, COVID is still with us, and, after nearly two years, illnesses are going strong. Global Chamber® found the switch to virtual events fairly seamless, holding more than 500 events last year. Since most of our members wish to grow business in more than one metro region, and often in other countries as well, virtual meetups and globinars are an effective way of connecting. That said, we’d like to hold more in-person events, and we began to hold more and more of those, country by country, as it has been possible. Israel has been one of the regions where open events have been safer and easier. In Metro Phoenix, we held a special advisory board meeting at the end of the year, and more live events are planned. Virtual and in-person, here are some of the key areas that we’ll be holding events this year. • Young Global Leaders – We’re connecting young global leaders looking to make more of a global impact with others in trade with more experience to give them ideas and skills to do more and be more successful. The more senior folks will be learning, too! • Women in Global Leadership – These are signature events at Global Chamber, ongoing from our early days, spotlighting women leaders and their challenges and opportunities. They are held regionally and on specific topics — like economic development. • Exporting – We’re spotlighting members who are exporters to get their take on the challenges and opportunities, and pick their

Global Chamber®

brain for tips and techniques for all of us to be more success in our global expansion. • Logistics and Supply Chain – These are monthly events that cover the evolving situation with ocean freight, air freight, resourcing products (from China and other countries) and supply chain disruptions, higher cost and other challenges. • New Leadership – COVID has changed everything, including business leadership, talent retention, leading extended teams, work from home and so much more. We have monthly events on adjusting executive leadership approaches to match the days we are in now. • Digital Transformation – Reaching clients is easier than ever through the internet and e-commerce, and we already feature regular programming on taking your business direct to your clients, with all the localization, marketing and technology you’ll need. • Equity, Diversity and Inclusion – Leaders doing global business are often more aware of the value of equity, diversity and inclusion than local-only businesses. So, we’re featuring more programs on how to be more effective using these key principles. • On Clubhouse – Global Chamber has regular discussions on Clubhouse on exporting, global business and Women in Global Leadership. These are free, allowing people new to global business to get up to speed quickly and get connected to the tribe. Yvonne Luker is managing director at Global Chamber®.

Just Do It. Don’t Try. by Doug Bruhnke

“Don’t try” is the two-word suggestion engraved on the headstone of Charles “Hank” Bukowsky. Charles was a writer and artist with the ability to condense complex ideas into simple sentences. He was NOT asking us NOT to try. In fact, just the opposite. He’s one of three inspirations for how we help Global Chamber® members every day. Number one for me is the memory of my grandparents Joseph (Pops) & Emma Brings, who became entrepreneurs at age 50 by starting their own machine shop in Queens, New York. My Pops became the “go to” person for motor problems in NYC, because he would solve any problem. He did it by getting up early and doing whatever it took. I think about those two “get it done” leaders every day. Number two for the global tribe is focus on member success. It’s not about us — it’s about YOU. That’s the way my Pops thought, too. I had the additional experience of living and working in Japan and in other demanding markets. Our global team thinks similarly. Deliver value to members and clients, and the rest takes care of itself. Number three is Charles Bukowsky, an author who published from the 1940s through early 1990s. Perhaps like Charles, my Pops never told someone, “I’ll try,” when they came to him with a problem. Pops just asked questions and then got it done. So it is with our daily efforts. Member needs, typically centered on finding new clients, are listened to and then fulfilled, often involving extra effort, whatever it takes. Most exporters underperform, so make your life a little easier with Global Chamber. Our team and members are available every day to give you the advantage you need to succeed everywhere. And do or don’t do. If you’re an exporter, invest in the three T’s for global success: Time, Talent and Treasury. If global business matters to your business, then make sure your activities and investments are aligned with your growth priorities, not with what’s always been done. Don’t try.

New Home at Thunderbird by Doug Bruhnke

We’ve moved our global headquarters into new quarters in Downtown Phoenix at the new Thunderbird School of Global Management. This is a collaboration made in heaven, with two organizations that are focused on helping companies succeed through the smart implementation of global business strategy. Thunderbird has been an inspiration in the development of Global Chamber, starting with the old campus in Glendale, which was so magnificently global — populated with leaders from all over the world. The new building has that feature and more, full of the latest technology to help students succeed. And now both organizations lean forward into the future, newly aligned to help executives be more successful. Doug Bruhnke is founder and CEO at Global Chamber®.

Doug Bruhnke is founder and CEO at Global Chamber®. GlobalChamber.org

Why Every Exporter Should Be in Global Chamber by Doug Bruhnke

Member success further inspires us to come in every day to make more warm introductions and continuously improve our services. Thank you, members, for the inspiration! That’s important because a lot can go wrong when you’re doing global business, including the 10 issues below (a partial list)! • A firm’s initial “accidental export” turns into a strategy to expand sales in that country, and that wasn’t the best place to grow next. • A new partner turns out to be not who they said they are, and that can risk not only one deal but the global business, and even the entire business. • The number of people within a company who really understand the company, the markets and global business is nearly always too few. • The pipeline for global leadership talent within the company is not as strong as it needs to be. According to a survey, only 18% of firms say it’s strong. • Women, young global leaders and others with special skills and needs are not generally fully supported or celebrated. • Country rules, including compliance and legal nuances, can be surprising, creating “below the waterline” risk that can threaten everything.

Global Chamber®

• Distance to new markets can create delays, misinformation and other errors — inducing issues that reduce the chance for success. • The executive team for a global business can skew decisions toward “what we know” instead of new markets and opportunities. • Working across markets requires working with partners across cultures and languages, and underperformance can be a normal result. • Leaders growing globally don’t know what they don’t know, and that means they miss out on new opportunities and/or run into new challenges. Thank you to all of you who get it. Sorry to the others of you for not being better at communicating the issues and the relatively easy solutions. I’m going to keep working on that. We’ve created the place to meet all the capable, professional leaders to help exporters grow globally and to connect members and their team to clients anywhere in the world through warm intros. It’s the Global Chamber®. Our activity and passion are driven by the desire to increase member success and reduce risk. Thank you to the global tribe for “getting it,” and we are pleased to serve you and your success. Doug Bruhnke is founder and CEO at Global Chamber®.

Al-Fuwaires, Dala, 18

Frissora, Mark P., 66

Kimmell, Jennifer, 52

Otu, Essen, 33

Althouse, Alan, 52

Gallagher, Rich, 12

Kirk, Percy, 10

Peacock, Chris, 26

Brandt, Greta, 22

Gimino, Leila, 30

Kratky, Andy, 24

Rhoton, Nate, 34

Bruhnke, Doug, 59

Gohar, Kian, 39

Leadley, Lauri, 10

Shanks, Lauren Fitzpatrick, 18

Butler, Tyler, 52

Grimaldi, Rick, 38

Lee, Kathleen, 26

Shipley, Liz, 35

Coppersmith, Sam, 36

Gruwell, Scott, 10

Mack, Ron, 31

Sinha, Malvinka, 36

Dobson-Smith, DD, 39

Guay, Candie, 54

Martin, Dr. Joel (JP), 9, 29

Thompson, Anabell Castro, 37

Doolittle, Rhett, 48

Henninger, Don, 55

Miller, Robert J., 50

Verma-Laillan, Anita, 20

Evans, Ed, 14

Hickman, Glenn, 14

Miranda-Wolff, Alida, 39

Weyrich, Noel, 39

Ferrazzi, Keith, 39

Johnson, Christina, 19

Muñiz, Tanya, 56

Zalle, Michael, 24

Foos, Sam, 32

Kaiser, Laura, 56

O’Neal, Tim, 31

11.11CoLab, 52

Envida, 54

Positively Powerful™ Triad West, 9, 29

Synergos Companies, 12

AQUASO Technologies, 26

Equality Health, 37, 49

Private Label International, 19

TruWest Credit Union, 52

Arizona Blockchain Applied Research Center, 26

Fisher Phillips, LLP, 38

Prologis, 15

UnitedHealthcare, 5

Flower Shop, The, 22

Quarles & Brady, 15

Upward Projects, 32

Form Paper Co., 18

Risas Dental and Braces, 14

Valley of the Sun United Way, 56

Fresh Cravings, 14

Scottsdale Coalition of Today & Tomorrow, 55

Valley Sleep Center, 10

Arizona Commerce Authority, 68 Arizona Community Foundation, 11 Arizona Land Consulting, 20

Global Chamber®, 59

Arizona Manufacturing Extension Partnership, 68

Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona, 31

Barro’s Pizza, 14 Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, 25 BMO Harris Bank, 7 Buchalter, 50 Business Warrior, 48 Chicanos Por La Causa, 13 Consumer Cellular, 14 Contour Real Estate, 19 Coppersmith Brockelman, 36

Snell & Wilmer, 51

Intel Corporation, 35

SRP, 33, 53

Jive, 6

Stearns Bank, 6

JLL, 21

SVN Desert Commercial Advisors, 19

Waste Management Phoenix Open, 2 Weedmaps, 52 Wharton Industrial, 19 WRAP®, 14 YellowBird, 24

JPMorgan Chase, 16 Junior Achievement of Arizona, 23

CHECK US OUT

KeepWOL, 18 Kiterocket, 67 Lexus, 57

Courtesy Automotive Group, 10

Lovitt & Touché, A Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC Company, 30

Cox Communications, 10

MSD Capital, 19

Daily Dose Kitchen & Bar, 58

One-n-Ten, 34

Dermody Properties, 19

Optum Care, 17

Desert Financial Wealth Management, 3

Partnership for Economic Innovation, 26

Emerald Textiles, 24

Scottsdale Community College, 27

Plexus Worldwide, 14

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

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FEB. 65 2022 INBUSINESSPHX.COM

A CANDID FORUM

SOME WAYS TO BOLSTER COMPANY MORALE DURING UNCERTAIN TIMES: • Have regular one-on-one meetings with managers of all departments. • Address the concerns of employees via virtual webcasts or team calls. • Express gratitude for the work employees perform. • Reward the highestperforming employees with recognition and/or gifts.

Mark P. Frissora is a successful businessman who was previously the chief executive officer and president of Caesars Entertainment, and served as the chair and CEO of two Fortune 500 companies, Hertz Global Holdings and Tenneco, Inc. With more than 42 years of business experience, Frissora’s expertise spans all levels of managerial and functional roles. He is known especially for consistently generating stakeholder/shareholder value at highly leveraged companies in both private equity and public markets, and successfully leading companies out of bankruptcy. markfrissora.com

FEB. 2022

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

Maintain Company Morale in Times of Uncertainty Adapt, change, pivot – and communicate by Sam Johnson

If the events of the past few years have proven anything, it is that companies’ success correlates with the morale of their employees. Studies have shown that when employees feel happier and more appreciated, they tend to value their work more, leading to boosts in morale and productivity. At the same time, when employees’ morale declines, they begin to feel less valued in their work, contributing to extended periods of diminished productivity and revenues for the company as well as decreased retention rates — all of which can directly harm the overall health of a workplace. With this in mind, organizations and their leaders should bolster the morale of their employees in order to maintain the health of their company, especially in times of uncertainty. “If a company is under stress or having issues,” said Mark Frissora during a recent conversation, “it’s important for senior management and leadership to remain positive.” Frissora, who formerly served as the CEO and president of Caesars Entertainment and The Hertz Corporation, is no stranger to managing and guiding companies through rough periods. We sat down with Frissora and asked him what advice and methods other organizational leaders and executives can use to maintain the morale of their employees and companies through uncertain times. Here’s what he had to say.

STAY POSITIVE TO RISE ABOVE THE NEGATIVE

During times of uncertainty like economic downturns (such as that brought about by the 2020 pandemic) or when a company obtains widespread negative media coverage, it can be easy to feel bogged down by the sheer amount of news and information in circulation. When this occurs, the company and its employees, including senior executives, can feel more vulnerable, and that vulnerability can hinder the organization. “In uncertain times, there will always be negative noise and chatter — be it around suppliers, customers, competitors or the company or its employees themselves,” said Frissora. “But by remaining positive and open to communication, the impact of that negative noise can be heavily mitigated.” According to Frissora, it is the responsibility of the company’s leadership to not only retain a positive attitude but

also to stay open to communication and remain accessible to their employees during these times. “Whenever uncertainty arises, your employees are undoubtedly going to have questions about their place within the company, how valued their work is, and how secure the longevity of their position might be,” Frissora added. Frissora emphasizes that the shadow of a leader is bigger than we tend to imagine. “Your peers and employees will see your body posture and read into it, so it’s important that you take an extreme positive stance as the face of the company. Your attitude will have a huge impact on all those around you, and they will be watching you closely.”

REMAIN ADAPTABLE AND OPEN TO CHANGE

• During the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, one common trait of the businesses that survived the financial and economic fallout was their ability to remain adaptable, changing and pivoting to fill new needs for their customers. This is another realm that Frissora is personally familiar with, even prior to the onset of the pandemic. • “We had some really uncertain times at Hertz, especially during the financial crisis of 2008 to 2009,” Frissora said. “But we figured out how to do something no one else in the car rental industry had done at that point by shifting operations to start a used-car business. We had to acquire some new licenses, but we were able to leverage assets that we already had in place with existing suppliers and partners.” • Additionally, Frissora described how he and his team at Caesar’s performed a similar pivot after the company declared bankruptcy. “We set new standards around the pre-existing assets of hotels we already had, gave those standards and our brand name to developers, and created plans around an audit team to ensure those standards were met.” • Leaders within organizations can unlock opportunities for growth and success by taking their company’s existing assets and finding the best ways to leverage them. Meanwhile, retaining a positive attitude and remaining open to communication from their employees maintains company wide-morale. In these ways, businesses can thrive at times when everyone else sees only negativity and uncertainty.

Improving and maintaining the morale of a company doesn’t need to be detrimental to its bottom line. Simply showcasing gratitude for the employees and recognizing their hard work can help bolster morale, retention rates and productivity — even during uncertain times.

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