In Business Magazine - November 2019

NOV. 2019

2020 Open Enrollment & Healthcare Decisions Guide for Business

COVERAGE AND COST Medical Marijuana and Drug Testing Storytelling: Effective Business Technique GET

BUSINESS

C E L E B R AT I O N TO 2 0 2 0

Join us for this 4-month celebration of business in the Valley. More inside!

THIS ISSUE Global Chamber

Taking On Trauma in Business $7.95 INBUSINESSPHX.COM

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NOVEMBER 2019 COVER STORY

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Innovating Healthcare: Coverage and Cost

In Business Magazine explores examples of solutions that address challenges employers face in providing healthcare benefits.

14 33 ON THE AGENDA Spotlight on our fourmonth celebration of business in the Valley GROWING YOUR BUSINESS FOR MAXIMUM PROFIT — National Bank of Arizona ARE YOU READY FOR THE NEXT OPPORTUNITY? — NAWBO Phoenix

FEATURES

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Harrison Monarth describes how to apply storytelling techniques to business.

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GLOBAL CHAMBER® Global Chamber® Events

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November 12 Managing Your Global Risk 8 a.m.

November 14 Lunch and Learn at UAT 11:30 a.m.

A Global View Can Create Enlightenment

Spotlight Event 11 December 10 Global Innovation Summit at SkySong

by Doug Bruhnke, Global Chamber®

December 11 Grow Globally Fair Tucson in Nogales Afternoon

Inside this Section

2

Managing Your Career with a 100+ Year Life

3 4 5 6 7

Global to Local Innovation Summit December 10th

International Trade Update: USChina Trade War New Partnership Between KOMPASS and Global Chamber

Grow Globally Fair PHX 2019 Wrap-up Canton Fair and Global Chamber Sign a New Cooperation Agreement

Heroes for Zero Waste and Zero Hunger

Tyler Butler’s series explores the myriad ways that businesses give back and the positive ways their programs are impacting our community.

Organizational Capacity Defined

Bruce Weber and Charlie Smith’s series examines developing and sustaining organizational capacity.

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Pushing Down the Pain

FALL 2019

phoenix.globalchamber.org/events

November 6, 7 GetGlobal in Long Beach

Afternoon

Financial Wellness Is Workplace Benefit for All

Rob Schwister discusses how staying financially fit keeps a workforce fresh.

40 PARTNER SECTION

Convey Complex Ideas Simply and Persuasively

Through our continued support of our “global tribe” of members worldwide, there are several key factors about them that shine through about their capabilities and success.

Members of our global tribe are globally minded and “enlightened,” meaning they have developed advanced business and leadership capabilities, with a more informed view of the world overall. Are you looking to be a better leader? If you’re a member, let’s connect you with more members. If you’re not a member, join today.

Our member companies almost always have executives who have moved past surviving in business to the stage of thriving at a higher level. They are smart, capable, flexible, resilient and, as I’ve sometimes said, “able to leap tall buildings in a single bound” (i.e., Super Woman or Superman). They are respectful, thoughtful and aware of the thoughts and feelings of others, not just their own situation. They have “been there, done that” — and have evolved to a higher plane of performance.

They tend to be good listeners, time managers and leaders. They seek selfimprovement and continued growth for themselves and their business. They are also often involved in supporting their surrounding community as well. These areas are integral in our ongoing soft skills development that we touch on through

League of Extraordinaries, Export Circles, globinars and regular events in chapters around the world. We’re also building soft skills training for members and their teams available in 2020.

We’re not political but we do advocate with politicians to support lower tariffs and lower trade barriers, along with encouraging their constituents to seek foreign direct investment and exports. We’re always working toward making it easier to do business everywhere, and with companies anywhere. And while we believe in “warm introductions” and leveraging connections, we believe in transparent and honest relationships, without corruption. Trade is easier with open and honest companies when corruption is decreased.

Let us know if you’d like to get involved with Global Chamber or any of the enlightened leadership initiatives that we’ve started and are planning. We’ve only just begun . . . because we’re global and UNSTOPPABLE! About Global Chamber®: We are a growing and collaborating community of CEOs, executives and leaders in 525 metro regions around the world, everywhere! We connect member firms to new opportunities while advancing business growth, regional progress and success.

Doug Bruhnke is the founder and CEO of Global Chamber®.

GlobalChamber.org

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45 Global Chamber

Andy Maurer’s series addresses the phenomenon of trauma in the business world of entrepreneurship and leadership.

HEALTHCARE DECISIONS Open Enrollment & Healthcare Guide for Business

Informing Our Business Community on Healthcare Options

53 2019 Business’s Open Enrollment Guide

NOV 2019

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INBUSINESSPHX.COM

15

By the Numbers

A recent SMB economic insights report from Lendio puts Arizona among the best states for small businesses seeking capital.

17

CRE

“Drafting An Entitlement Team,” “Favorable Activity in Office Pipeline,” “Infill Parking Field to Site Pad Development,” “Cavasson Attracts Major Tech Tenant,” “LEED Cert for ASU’s Bio C,” “Lofts at The District” and “Epicenter at Agritopia”

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Healthcare

“How to Get Patients to Use the Patient Portal” and “iTether Platform for Integrated Healthcare Industry”

22

Technology

“Rise of the Modern-Day Product Manager,” “RLabs’ Hotel Technology Innovation” and “Chime’s All-in-One Real Estate Solution”

31

Books

New releases give fresh insights on business thinking.

DEPARTMENTS

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Guest Editor

David Berg, president and co-founder of Redirect Health, introduces the “Healthcare” issue.

SPECIAL SECTION

Startups

BlueBridge: “Waste Not Opportunity” and Tech-Holdings: “Innovating in the Cannabis Market”

10

Feedback

36

Legal

Local attorney Alejandro Pérez addresses what employers need to know about drug testing in the era of medical marijuana.

43

Assets

Michael H. Bill, Peter D. Holt and Chuck McLane respond to In Business Magazine’s burning business question of the month.

2020 Aston Martin DBX Plus: Innovative products offer relief to those who suffer travel anxiety.

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44

Briefs

“Arizona Cardinals-themed Hotel Rooms Debut at Gila River Hotels & Casinos,” “Decentralized Financial Services,” “Payment Product Eliminates Check Fraud,” “App Helps Phoenix Businesses Support Local Schools,” “Local Standouts Recognized for Achievements and Philanthropy,” “Let Your Sales Team Sell!” and “Growing Insurance Industry Seeks New Talent

Power Lunch

Jazzin' It Up at VooDoo Daddy's Plus: Find some top sushi that’s hiding in plain sight.

66

Roundtable

Rob Wilson examines the good and the bad of performance reviews.

Many organizations are going beyond providing basic health benefits, according to new research by global staffing firm Robert Half. Most employers are offering physical (63%), financial (65%) and mental (74%) wellness programs.

The majority are also covering at least some of the cost for these resources. roberthalf.com

Let’s talk.

NOVEMBER 2019 In Business Magazine is a collaboration of many business organizations and entities throughout the metropolitan Phoenix area and Arizona. Our mission is to inform and energize business in this community by communicating content that will build business and enrich the economic picture for all of us vested in commerce.

PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS Kristen Merrifield, CEO Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits (602) 279-2966 www.arizonanonprofits.org Jess Roman, Interim Chief Executive Officer Arizona Small Business Association Central Office (602) 306-4000 Southern Arizona (520) 327-0222 www.asba.com Steven G. Zylstra, President & CEO Arizona Technology Council One Renaissance Square (602) 343-8324 www.aztechcouncil.org Doug Bruhnke, Founder & President Global ChamberÂŽ (480) 595-5000 www.globalchamber.org Angela Garmon, President NAWBO Phoenix Metro Chapter (480) 289-5768 www.nawbophx.org Anne Gill, President & CEO Tempe Chamber of Commerce (480) 967-7891 www.tempechamber.org Our Partner Organizations are vested business organizations focused on building and improving business in the Valley or throughout Arizona. As Partners, each will receive three insert publications each year to showcase all that they are doing for business and businesspeople within our community. We encourage you to join these and other organizations to better your business opportunities.

The members of these and other Associate Partner Organizations receive a subscription to In Business Magazine each month. For more information on becoming an Associate Partner, please contact our publisher at info@inbusinessmag.com.

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

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Something big, bold and exciting is happening in the Grand Canyon state. Cutting-edge companies are launching, testing and scaling new technologies in Arizona. Our culture of innovation, highly skilled talent pool, lean regulatory environment, and affordable operating costs provide the perfect platform for business growth and success. Beyond being a place where you can achieve your professional goals, Arizona also provides a lifestyle that allows you to achieve your personal goals. With year-round sunshine, endless outdoor activities, and a positive outlook, we play as hard as we work. It’s this perfect balance that makes life better here.

azcommerce.com

© Enterprise 2018

NOVEMBER 2019

VOL. 10, NO. 11

Publisher Rick McCartney Editor RaeAnne Marsh Graphic Design German Wegbrait

Nicolas Barrios

NATIONALLY RANKED.

Benjamin Little

LOCALLY FOCUSED.

Contributing Writers Philip Alexander Adam Baugh Dana Bensinger Brock Blake Tyler Butler Larry Fredette Mike Hunter Jon Loftin Andy Maurer Harrison Monarth Alejandro Pérez Rob Schwister Charlie Smith

Enterprise Bank & Trust was recently ranked number 14 out of 161 nationally-ranked banks1. And while we’re proud of that fact, it’s just part of who we are. Whether your focus is on your business, your family or the quality of life in your community, you’ll find us there. We’re committed to supporting dreams, securing financial futures and delivering on community investment.

Teaya Vicente Bruce Weber Rob Wilson ADVERTISING

Learn more at enterprisebank.com/phoenix

Operations Louise Ferrari

Business Development Louise Ferrari

Erik Laudenschlager Cami Shore

Member FDIC 1. Bank Director, 3rd Quarter 2017, Volume 27, Number 3

Events Amy Corben

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FIND YOUR

President & CEO Rick McCartney

Editorial Director RaeAnne Marsh

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www.inmediacompany.com Vol. 10, No. 11 In Business Magazine is published 12 times per year by InMedia Company. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to InMedia Company, 45 W. Jefferson Street, 7th Floor, Phoenix, AZ 85003. To ubscribe to In Business Magazine, please send check or money order for one-year subscription of $24.95 to InMedia Company, 45 W. Jefferson Street, 7th Floor, Phoenix, AZ 85003 or visit inbusinessphx.com. We appreciate your editorial submissions, news and photos for review by our editorial staff. You July 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. © 2019 InMedia Company, LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine July be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission by any means without written permission by the publisher.

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

DAVID BERG, REDIRECT HEALTH

Saving for Healthcare

David Berg, D.O., is the president and co-founder of Redirect Health (www. redirecthealth.com). Redirect Health helps employers and their employees work together to avoid unnecessary healthcare costs — so it becomes available to everyone in the company.

Dr. Berg is the winner of the Phoenix Business Journal 2017 Health Care Innovator Award, the author of The Business Owner’s Guide to Fighting Healthcare, and was a finalist for three “Best in Class” awards at the 2018 World Health Care Congress in Washington, D.C.

Healthcare is seeing advances in all quarters: treatments, delivery, provider systems. And cost.

Here in Phoenix, we’re at the epicenter in all of these areas.

Deciding on a healthcare plan for your employees is a tough decision. This is not only a serious issue for business, it affects everyone in America. Every year, it gets more expensive for employers, and is getting to be completely unaffordable for many families. Average annual premiums have now exceeded $20,000 for a family of four, and deductibles can reach over $15,000. What can they do? Some suggest that working for the government or a large corporation might make it easier, but that is not the answer.

Small business is the heart and soul of America, so I am concerned about them. For the small employers and their employees, it’s no longer possible to even pretend the arithmetic can work.

So, many small-business owners and CEOs are considering new ways of thinking about how they can provide health benefits to stay competitive for hiring and retaining employees. The reality is, nobody is predicting fixed monthly and out-of-pocket health insurance costs are going to come down. Maybe our federal or state governments will figure something out soon, but it’s not likely.

The bottom line is, companies must find new and innovative ways to stay competitive. Providing affordable access to healthcare is the answer.

I’ve had the pleasure of working with In Business Magazine for several years as the magazine has explored businesses’ needs and options related to employee healthcare benefits. I was pleased when they approached me to share the experiences of many of the clients of Redirect Health as part of the cover story for this issue, looking at cost containment options.

This issue also has several articles from local business leaders sharing their expertise on a range of valuable topics. Tyler Butler continues her “Social Impact” series on businesses applying corporate consciousness to affect our community. Bruce Weber and Charlie Smith premier their “Capacity” series in talking about developing and sustaining organizational capacity in both nonprofit and for-profit organizations. And Andy Maurer debuts his “Mind Matters” series discussing mental fitness and well-being for business leaders (and, actually, anyone).

It’s hard to pick out just some of the content to highlight here, as articles cover valuable information on a wide range of subjects that business owners deal in every day as well as trends in different industry sectors. And there is also a regular feature on where to go to, perhaps, get out of business mode; Power Lunch spotlights places around town to enjoy a meal.

Also in this issue is In Business Magazine’s annual “Healthcare Decisions: Open Enrollment & Healthcare Guide for Business” updated for 2019.

Please enjoy this November issue of In Business Magazine.

Sincerely,

David Berg President and Co-Founder Redirect Health

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

Responsibilities to Business There is so much that we, as business owners, take on in an effort to build a strong company and bottom line. Healthcare has become one of those responsibilities for a multitude of reasons — chief among them being to ensure our employees stick with us and are not seeking employment elsewhere. With that said, we have to look at ways to offer benefits that can “excite” our workers and be economical for us and for them.

In this issue, we introduce some alternatives to the “typical” provider programs available to us as business owners.

We want to thank David Berg, who is an innovator in this

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space. He has worked to find solutions for those who struggle with the mainstream options — always keeping in mind the affordability and return on those healthcare options.

It is why we asked him to lead this healthcare issue and be the subject of our cover story. We thank him for allowing us access to his discoveries and presenting options to help heighten the awareness that healthcare can be affordable and it can help our bottom line as company owners.

—Rick McCartney, Publisher

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

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

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NOV 2019

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SPEAKING OUT

WHAT WELLNESS PROGRAMS HAVE PROVEN EFFECTIVE WITH YOUR EMPLOYEES?

IN BUSINESS IS ON APPLE NEWS Subscribe at bit.ly/in-business-phx

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

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

NOV 2019

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MICHAEL H. BILL

PETER D. HOLT

CHUCK MCLANE

Chief Executive Officer MJ Insurance Sector: Insurance

President and CEO The Joint Corp.

Sector: Healthcare

Senior Managing Director CBIZ and MHM Sector: Accounting

MJ Insurance offers different challenges throughout the year that include mindfulness challenges, healthy recipe challenges and physical challenges like daily stretching and wall sits. We continually look for new and innovative ways to engage our population in "just for fun" wellness activities in addition to our population health strategy. This keeps our program exciting while still driving results.

MJ Insurance also offers incentives for healthy measures through Health Savings Account contributions for employees and spouses who achieve healthy cholesterol and blood pressure levels as well as non-nicotine use. We believe wellness is not a one-size-fits-all approach. We take a deep-dive look into our employee population and our healthcare data to tailor programming for our employee population. Our programs have proved successful for many employees, including a part-time employee and firefighter, who attributes his improvement in health and physical fitness to MJ's wellness program — A Healthier YOU. The success, fulfillment and wellbeing of our employees is something the company takes very seriously and that I, personally, am passionate about.

Prolonged periods of sitting due to desk jobs, and aches and pains associated with having a sedentary lifestyle can cause stress to your lower extremities and spine. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, $90 billion is spend on back pain each year.

For The Joint Chiropractic, our mission is to improve quality of life through routine and affordable chiropractic care.

As a healthcare delivery system, we offer complimentary chiropractic care benefits to our employees. We also realize that ergonomic systems can remove risk factors that lead to musculoskeletal injuries and allow for improved performance and productivity. As a result, a large portion of our colleagues and their families participate in the chiropractic care program, and we also have numerous colleagues who benefit from a standing-desk system.

Many companies today are expanding their vision of wellness. These additional benefits reflect the changing definition of workplace wellbeing and create happier, more productive and focused employees who are less stressed, less likely to miss work or leave the company, which is a benefit to all.

CBIZ’s wellness goal has been to reach individuals in every stage of their personal and professional development. Our positive culture of well-being is the result of programs we have implemented around our five pillars of wellness: physical, financial, social, community and purpose.

Last year, we specifically focused on financial wellness and launched Financial Finesse, an online program intended to focus participants on financial health. A premium discount is offered to those who participate and accumulate points in the program. Employees complete the Total Financial Wellness Assessment and answer questions about spending, saving and other money habits. Upon completion, they receive a personal Financial Wellbeing score.

Online tools are then accessible to users who want to take action to move toward more financial security.

Last year, 30 percent of our 4,800 employees used the platform. We have discovered that building a sustainable wellness program is a long-distance run, not a sprint. Our employee population and business are ever-changing, so our resources, pace and focus occasionally have to change to meet the needs of our constituents.

MJ Insurance

The Joint Chiropractic

CBIZ

mjinsurance.com

thejoint.com

cbiz.com/phx

Michael H. Bill became president of MJ Insurance in 2001, where he oversaw the company’s business operations, and was named chief executive officer in the fall of 2006. Bill offers his unique visions, broad experience and wealth of knowledge to all he comes into contact with while focusing on the positive impact he may have upon key constituents — MJ associates and their families, clients, partners and local communities.

Peter D. Holt has been managing franchise systems in both domestic and international markets for more than 30 years. He was most recently appointed CEO of The Joint Corp., the largest franchised network of chiropractic clinics in the world, with more than 460 clinics nationwide. The Joint is a publicly traded company on NASDAQ (JYNT), and is corporately headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz.

As senior managing director of CBIZ & MHM Phoenix, Chuck McLane is responsible for the supervision and oversight of the financial services practice. He has 30-plus years of experience providing audit, financial reporting and business advisory services for clients across a variety of industries. He serves as a National Training and Development advisor and enjoys spending much of his time developing others internally and externally.

Sign up for the monthly In Business Magazine eNewsletter at www.inbusinessphx.com.

Look for survey questions and other research on our business community.

QUICK AND TO THE POINT

by Mike Hunter

BYTES

Decentralized Financial Services Nash recently launched its user-friendly platform for decentralized financial services, making it quicker and easier to implement large-scale exchanges and everyday payment platforms.

Nash combines the security and trust of a decentralized exchange with the speed and performance of a centralized exchange. Unlike a centralized exchange, Nash never takes control of the user’s assets. Nash provides cross chain capabilities, reliable high-quality connections at high speeds, and handles complex order types not yet available on other decentralized exchanges, such as market and limit orders. Nash is also

Photo courtesy Gila River Hotels & Casinos

Arizona Cardinals-themed Hotel Rooms Debut at Gila River Hotels & Casinos Guests booking a room at Gila River Hotels & Casinos – Wild Horse Pass in Chandler or Vee Quiva in Laveen can now stay in newly remodeled Arizona Cardinals-themed hotel rooms.

Unveiled in September, the two rooms (one at each location) were specially created after the announcement that Gila River Hotels & Casinos – Wild Horse Pass, Lone Butte and Vee Quiva is the Official Hotels & Casinos of the Arizona Cardinals. For 15 years, the Arizona Cardinals have enjoyed a unique relationship with Gila River Hotels & Casinos, through which the two community-minded organizations have collaborated to create exciting promotions for fans, often teaming up to support local charities.

The Cardinals was founded in 1898 and in 1920 became a charter member of the National Football League. The club holds the distinction of being the oldest continuously operated franchise in professional football. Away from the field, the organization’s commitment to the community is a year-round mission, highlighted by the efforts of Cardinals Charities, which was founded in 1990 to improve the quality of life and enhance opportunities for children, women and minorities in Arizona.

“We’re thrilled that our long-standing partnership is official in the eyes of the NFL. Not only are we merging two synergistic brands, we’re creating more opportunities to give back

to the community,” says Kenneth Manuel, CEO of Gila River Hotels & Casinos, which operates three locations in Arizona, all owned by the Gila River Indian Community: Wild Horse Pass, Lone Butte, and Vee Quiva. The hotels at Wild Horse Pass and Vee Quiva are Four Diamondaccredited.

To celebrate the official announcement, Gila River Hotels & Casinos is offering more than $250,000 in prizes in one of the largest promotions in its 25-year history. The “Check-in with the Cardinals” campaign is part of that, and the rooms will be available all year, not just during football season.

Each chic room features custom Arizona Cardinals designs, from the logo on the wallpaper to the shower curtain and branded room door. The rooms include custom Cardinals red drapes and chairs, along with a signed jersey by Arizona Cardinals player Larry Fitzgerald as well as larger-than-life images of Kyler Murphy and Chandler Jones. Guests are welcomed with vouchers for Four Peaks Red Bird Lager and a special welcome amenity at arrival featuring customized Arizona Cardinals goodies and snacks. Rates for the Arizona Cardinals-themed room vary depending on the season and availability may be limited.

—Teaya Vicente Gila River Hotels & Casinos playatgila.com

first to issue a regulated exchange security token. nash.io

Payment Product Eliminates Check Fraud

Losses from check fraud total $18.7 billion and affect more than 70 percent of organizations each year.

ValidCheck is a new eCheck product designed to eliminate fraud and streamline the way consumers and businesses process transactions online. It was conceptualized by Matt Widdows, founder and CEO of Scottsdale-based HomeSmart International.

Each ValidCheck eCheck contains the same components as a traditional check, and integrates with Positive Pay, a banking feature that virtually eliminates check fraud.

Unlike other means of paying electronically, ValidCheck does not require the payee to download an app or register in any way, and funds are available immediately. validcheck.com

App Helps Phoenix Businesses Support Local Schools

Clover, a cloud-based point-ofsale solution under Fiserv, and DonorsChoose.org, an education crowdfunding platform, have launched a new app to help

merchants support schools in Phoenix and local communities around the country. The Round Up for Schools app, available in the Clover App Market, offers customers the option to round up their purchases and donate the change to nearby schools chosen by the business owner. To celebrate the launch, donations made through the Round Up for Schools app will be matched by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. roundupapp.com

Two rooms Cardinals-themed rooms were specially created after the announcement that Gila River Hotels & Casinos is the Official Hotels & Casinos of the Arizona Cardinals.

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QUICK AND TO THE POINT

LOOKING GOOD

Local Standouts Recognized for Achievements and Philanthropy ACHIEVEMENTS

Serendipit Consulting Wins Big at Industry Awards Serendipit Consulting made a strong showing at the Public Relations Society of America Phoenix Chapter’s 2019 Copper Anvil Awards. In addition to five Copper Anvil awards and an Award of Merit for its stellar work in the public relations industry, Serendipit was named “Agency of The Year” by the chapter, and Serendipit’s junior account executive Cassidy Landaker was honored with the Up & Comer of the Year award, given to a rising public relations professional with one to eight years’ experience. serendipitconsulting.com

HomeSmart 7 Years on Inc. 5000® List HomeSmart International joins an elite group of companies named to the INC. 5000® list for seven consecutive years. This ranking indicates a sustained trajectory of growth that only 1.64 percent of companies on the list have ever achieved. The Scottsdale-based real estate franchising company is going on its second year with the INC. 5000® Hall of Fame designation for consistently being one of the fastest-growing companies across all industries in the United States. Its ranking represents a 103-percent three-year growth trend. homesmart.com

PHILANTHROPY

Burlington Surprises Local Leukemia Survivor Five-year-old Raven returned to school this year, having completed her last leukemia treatment on September 25, 2019, after her diagnosis at age 3. A surprise shopping spree at the Burlington store at Arizona Mills helped set off her school year. For the 18th consecutive year, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society has teamed up with Burlington Stores to raise critical funds for research and patient support through its “A Style for Every Smile” nationwide campaign. Through December 2, Burlington Stores nationwide will encourage its customers at checkout to donate to LLS. Thousands of children are diagnosed with blood cancers each year; Burlington and LLS are pleased to support young survivors across the country by surprising them with a shopping spree at their local Burlington store, so they can showcase their personal style, providing them with the confidence they need to return to normalcy. lls.org

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Let the Sales Team Sell!

All those sales tools, programs, seminars and meetings business owners think are helping could, in fact, be hurting both their sales team and their revenue gains. Most high-performing salespeople thrive from customer contact, not from meetings or reports. The key is to start somewhere; choosing one problem that will quickly show results will provide the internal momentum to tackle other larger challenges.

Do a quick audit. The business owner should make a list of everything she wants to ask of her sales team beyond customer interactions and closing deals. It’s important to include a simple sales team survey as well. What they have to say about what works and what doesn’t may be surprising.

Focus on behaviors and outcomes, not reports. Many salespeople spend too much time on documenting, which only equates to busywork. They should be encouraged, where possible, to focus on reporting results and outcomes rather than activities. In training, it’s

better to select training modules that focus on behaviors of successful salespeople, not just the activities.

Eliminate redundancies. Capabilities presentations are a great example. It is common for multiple versions of the same presentation to be floating around an organization — each being tweaked and updated periodically by different people. Consistency helps branding and messaging and saves time.

Automate where possible. The business owner should investigate ways to automate lead distribution, reporting, the booking of meetings and other processes that are not active selling.

There are many easily searchable and readily available tools and articles to help simplify the sales process. The key is to understand the trouble spots, then make it a management priority to free — the salespeople to do what they do best.

Larry Fredette, VP of Treasury Management, Arizona, at Enterprise Bank & Trust www.enterprisebank.com

Growing Insurance Industry Seeks New Talent

The insurance industry needs help, lots of help. By 2028, it’s predicted that we’ll have 450,000 open positions.

At MJ Insurance, our goal is to target young professionals and highlight the incredible career opportunities we offer. But why weren’t young people interested, not even a little? They didn’t see insurance as a career. Ouch, that hurt. With a little work, more community engagement and focused efforts, we could right the ship.

Engagement Matters It’s simple — happy employees provide better customer service, boosting retention rates, long-term success and profitability. MJ is committed to inspiring the success, fulfillment and well-being of each person we serve — our associates and their families as well as our business partners, clients and community.

Results Worth Believing We actively work every day to follow our core values: We offer education opportunities to every client and employee. Including InspireYOU, a client education series that generates discussion, and MJ YOUniversity, a personal and professional employee development program. MJ employees select the community organizations where we focus our efforts, providing financial support and volunteer time

off. And we provide an engaging employee experience, offering workplace flexibility, consumer grade technology and offices that support collaboration.

The Industry Sell When selling one’s agency as a great place to work, it’s important to discuss the industry, too.

We need be loud and proud that college risk management majors traditionally enjoy 100-percent employment rates following graduation. MJ has a remarkable range of interests and talent sets for every personality, whether competitive, nurturing, analytical or creative.

As an industry, we should be proud of helping people in their times of need. At MJ, we share our dedication to protecting our client’s life’s work and improving and extending the lives of those we serve.

Turn Up the Volume Graduates have simply overlooked our industry, not because we have a poor story to tell because we haven’t been telling it. It turns out they’re intrigued by the opportunity — once they hear it. It’s time to turn up the volume. Our industry’s —Jon Loftin, president and future is at stake.

COO of MJ Insurance (www.mjinsurance.com), which has offices in Phoenix and Indianapolis.

There is a growing employment gap in the insurance industry. According to MJ Insurance, it’s predicted the insurance industry will have 450,000 open positions by 2028.

BY RAEANNE MARSH

ENTREPRENEURS & INNOVATORS

Innovating in the Cannabis Market

He points out that, for FOG, the 20th century corporate culture required restaurants to spend money on FOG management as a necessary inconvenience and business expense, then notes, “For BlueBridge in the 21st century, a participating restaurant can offset the annual carbon footprint of seven gas-powered automobiles, and deserves to be rewarded and celebrated for that contribution.” bluebridgecoops.com

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to prepare the supporting documentation and responses to the patent process, as well as an experienced and knowledgeable patent attorney. The THC/CBD we are currently negotiating with has a multistate THC operator with licenses in multiple legal states and which has a very aggressive plan for building THC brands and national distribution channels for CBD products.”

The company has a strong commitment to social consciousness and allocates a percentage of earnings from all of the company’s brands to support industry activism and philanthropic organizations.

Tech-Holdings

thegoldq.com drinkquigleys.com 420antidos.com

Waste Not Opportunity BlueBridge is the wastewater industry’s only provider of cooperative resource recovery solutions for the management of fats, oils and grease (FOG), which make up the No. 1 cause of sewer overflows in the United States. Founded in 2018, BlueBridge is developing and implementing collaborative business models between municipalities, restaurants and organics recovery companies to reliably collect waste products and turn them into renewable energy, saving money for all parties.

In his 25 years in the water and sewer industry, overseeing regulatory compliance, BlueBridge founder and CEO David McNeil came to recognize that the innovative and collaborative partnership structures long used in the private sector could be used in public sector to support sustainability initiatives.

He tested his theory while at the city of Tempe when he discovered how faulty the current FOG management system was, with restaurants paying haulers to safely dispose of FOGs but municipalities having very little insight into whether it was being done in a compliant manner. That was his impetus to create the nation’s first compliance and resource recovery cooperative in which municipal utilities partnered with restaurants to establish a purchasing cooperative and repurpose the FOGs as a feedstock for the city’s future renewable energy.

“For an innovative startup like BlueBridge, the challenge is patience and controlled growth. It would be easy to take on a number of municipal clients and drown in the volume of work

at the expense of details and quality, while also losing focus on product quality in the face of corporate growth. BlueBridge is being deliberate and selective about early deployment, selecting only one or two municipal clients in the company’s infancy. The idea is to develop and deploy product success before marketing that success prematurely,” McNeil says.

Taking to heart advice he’d been given to care less about company success and more about product quality and corporate culture, McNeil says BlueBridge throws industry norms out the window. “As a basic tenet, BlueBridge refuses to sell infrastructure in an industry that is heavy on engineering and technology solutions, but instead insists that there is huge potential in simply re-evaluating and changing the way services are structured and delivered.”

BlueBridge

bluebridgecoops.com

Regarding Tech-Holdings’ recent 420 AntiDōs release, founder and CEO Steven L. Trenk says, “We believe in the safe and responsible use of cannabis for its medical benefits, as well as its abundant health and wellness properties. However, the nature of the plant makes the duration of its effects unpredictable. 420 AntiDōs empowers the consumer to end their experience at will and at their own convenience.”

Photos courtesy Tech-Holdings (top) and BlueBridge (bottom)

BlueBridge: Aiming for the Future As CEO of BlueBridge, the wastewater industry’s only provider of cooperative resource recovery solutions for the management of fats, oils and grease (FOG), founder David McNeil believes the most important and overlooked corporate strategy is branding the product to appeal to and attract future talent. “In 10 years, 50 percent of our workforce will be millennials, caring most about change-making, global stewardship, meaningful work and progressive work environments,” he observes. “The successful startup companies of our era will be deliberate about communicating the global difference that employees are making on a daily basis.”

Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Carefree, Ariz., TechHoldings is an innovator in the hemp and cannabis industries, and has developed and patented a proprietary, fast-acting delivery system technology that allows for the products to act within seconds, not minutes. The company owns a portfolio of national brands in these industries and is a leading manufacturer of hemp-derived cannabidiol all-natural beauty and wellness products.

“The advice we received was to build the business with a sustainable approach to supporting legislative change and social equity,” relates founder and CEO Steven L. Trenk. “We focused on developing brands and products that would provide meaningful health, wellness and beauty products for both therapeutic and psychological benefits that could appeal to both the medical and adult use cannabis markets.”

Among the biggest challenges he found in starting and growing his company were protecting its propriety technology; finding reliable, licensed partners for its THC products; and identifying distribution partners for its CBD products. Trenk shares, “We met these challenges by assembling a world-class technology team — which included one of our principles, Tony Alfiere, the inventor of the technology, as well as a talented and experienced cannabis PHD chemist to work with our team

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METRICS & MEASUREMENTS

Small-Business Lending: Arizona Entrepreneurs on a Fast Track for Growth

Arizona is among the best states for small businesses seeking capital

by Brock Blake

In spite of growing concerns, the economy remains strong. As a result, entrepreneurs continue to seek fresh capital to help grow their businesses. According to a recent SMB economic insights report from Lendio, the demand for small-business loans is on the rise nationwide. In Q2 2019, the number of small-business loan inquiries increased 27 percent over the previous three-quarter average, while the number of smallbusiness loans funded in the quarter grew by 13 percent.

How Do Arizona’s Small Businesses Fare?

The report found that Arizona’s small-business community is growing at a faster clip than most of the country. This year, Arizona ranked sixth on Lendio’s Top 10 States for Small Business Lending. In Q2 2019, the state saw a 37-percent increase in demand for loans over the previous three-quarter average. This is 10 percent higher than the national average, with Arizona ranking fifth in the nation for small-business loan demand. The average loan amount for small-business borrowers in the state also grew by 6 percent in Q2.

Cash Rules around Arizona Arizona’s small-business community is a thriving one, mostly represented by traditional industries. While businesses are flourishing in the Grand Canyon State, cash flow is still a

concern for many small-business owners. Managing cash flow remains one of the most common reasons they apply for loans.

In fact, nearly every study Lendio has completed points to cash flow as the number one concern for small-business owners.

Lendio’s three Arizona-based lending offices (Tucson, the East Valley, Phoenix) regularly work with local business owners who are facing a cash flow crunch but aren’t sure where to turn for help. Lendio Phoenix President Sam Foreman says in his market, acquiring the appropriate capital for their unique needs is the biggest issue local business owners face. “It’s a common frustration that really hampers their business's ability to grow and prosper,” he says.

Thanks to growth in the online lending industry postrecession, as well as increased partnerships between banks and online lenders, funding opportunities continue to improve for small businesses. Arizona businesses are capitalizing on that. Lendio has a network of franchise locations across the country, with small business lending experts on the ground helping business owners acquire funding, and through the Lendio marketplace alone, Arizona businesses received more than $12.7 million in loans in the last year, generating an estimated $43.4 million in gross economic output in the state.

WHO IS DOING THE BORROWING IN ARIZONA? (Q2 2019)

Brock Blake is CEO and founder of Lendio, the nation’s largest small-business loan marketplace. With loan products on tap from more than 75 of the best online lenders, banks and industry specialty lenders, Lendio is a onestop shop for thousands of business owners looking for capital. lendio.com

By Gender

By Age

Primarily male (71%); however, the female business

Slightly younger than the rest of

owners in Arizona who do apply for loans are some of the most successful in the nation when it comes to going from application to approval for funds.

the country: 45% younger than 44; increase of 44% among business owners younger than 34.

By Length of Time in Business Less time in business (7.4 years) than the national average (8.1 years).

By Businesses Sector INDUSTRY Retail

INQUIRIES

FUNDED

CONVERSION

AVERAGE LOAN SIZE

89

28

31.46%

$13,098

Construction

135

26

19.26%

$15,695

Restaurants

95

19

20.00%

$19,687

Arts/Entertainment

48

15

31.25%

$10,950

Source: Lendio (www.lendio.com)

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Arizona business owners who take on loans are also slightly younger than the rest of the country (45 percent are younger than 44).

PROPERTY, GROWTH AND LOCATION

Drafting an Entitlement Team Assembling one’s entitlement team is a lot like drafting an NFL prospect. Given the significant investment and risk of acquiring and entitling property, smart developers should assemble a team of pros that balance a roster and position a project for success. The best property owners and developers prioritize the value of strategic teammates.

That includes zoning counsel, architects, engineers and specialized consultants with deep experience, specific knowledge and strong local relationships.

A recent case in Gilbert, Arizona, highlights the value of a strong entitlement team. The developer was in escrow to purchase property previously slated as a school site with plans to develop a new subdivision. Intending to run the zoning case in-house, notice letters were sent to the surrounding community advising of the zoning change and proposed use. To the developer’s surprise, more than a hundred neighbors (and some councilmembers) showed up in united opposition against the zone change. Even worse, the rezone effort coincided with local council elections that added another layer of scrutiny and heightened awareness.

Seeing the challenges that lay ahead, local zoning counsel was hired to rescue the case.

Establishing strategic relationships with neighbors, stakeholders and the elected officials was key to resurrecting this failed launch. It required someone who could build

an immediate rapport with the neighbors and repair trust with key stakeholders. Because some areas can have hyper specific concerns, the developer sought out local counsel with experience in this specific part of town, who understood the issues and was involved in local politics.

More importantly, it was someone who could navigate the sensitivities of election year politics while finding neighbor solutions that didn’t compromise the project. At the end of the day, the case, which was once a disaster, was unanimously approved by both the planning commission and town council.

Drafting a strong entitlement team from the outset can prevent pitfalls and headaches down the road. Local zoning counsel can help navigate these issues. They have the expertise, experience and relationships to detect, identify and resolve concerns before they become larger challenges. Together, developer and zoning attorney — by collaborating early on — can outline a pathway toward —Adam Baugh, a partner at Withey Morris, success.

PLC (witheymorris.com), where he has been practicing land use and zoning law since 2007, working with city councils, planning commissions and neighborhood groups in representing landowners, developers and businesses in obtaining land use entitlements

The Phoenix office market has already absorbed more than 3.07 million square feet of office space in 2019.

According to the Q3 Office Insight report just released by the Phoenix office of JLL, that is a three-quarter absorption rate record for the Valley, topping the last high-water mark of 2.9 million square feet of space absorbed during the first three quarters of 2005.

“Phoenix office fundamentals continue to amaze even the tenured brokers in the community who are used to a much shorter real estate cycle,” says JLL Managing Director John Pierson. “Our strong

by Mike Hunter

GET REAL

Favorable Activity in Office Pipeline

economy, booming population and relatively affordable quality of life has companies lining up to move and expand here.

That has our office pipeline

Photos courtesy Evergreen Devco, Nationwide Realty Investors and ASU Biodesign Institute (l to r)

Infill Parking Field to Site Pad Development Evergreen Devco, Inc., a leading retail and multifamily development company, has begun construction on a pair of single-tenant retail buildings that will house a Black Rock Coffee Bar and a Wilhelm Automotive on the southeast corner of 35th Avenue and Greenway Road in Phoenix.

The two buildings are part of Evergreen’s pad development project of an existing shopping center. Situated on 3.76 acres of land, Evergreen is converting the parking field into five new pad developments. “The infill development opportunity will allow a fresh retail mix of the pads that will revitalize and bring new activity to this existing shopping center,” says Dana Dragon, principal of Evergreen Devco. evgre.com

Cavasson Attracts Major Tech Tenant Cavasson, Nationwide Realty Investors’ 134-acre premiere mixed-used project now under development at Loop 101 and Hayden Road in Scottsdale, will include tree-lined sidewalks, bike paths and green spaces, with ample parking in an adjacent six-story parking structure.

Hospitality franchisor Choice Hotels International, Inc., one of the world’s largest hotel franchisors, will relocate its technology headquarters to anchor a 150,000-square-foot, five-story building in the project. Fred Darche and Spencer Nast of Lee & Associates represented Nationwide Realty Investors in the real estate transaction. Construction on the building is slated to begin this year, with anticipated completion in late 2021. cavasson.com

LEED Cert for ASU’s Bio C The $120-million Biodesign Institute C research building at Arizona State University, which was constructed

by McCarthy Building Companies and completed in June 2018, recently received LEED Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Following ASU’s green building standards, Biodesign Institute C was designed and constructed to the highest levels of sustainability and included an innovative HVAC system that limits its energy and environmental footprint. The project scored highest in the Energy and Atmosphere, Innovation in Design and Sustainable Sites categories within the LEED certification process. The building’s adaptable design accommodates multiple types of scientific research, including chemistry, biological sciences and engineering research. mccarthy.com

The 191,035-square-foot Biodesign Institute C research building at Arizona State University includes approximately 60,000 square feet of flexible lab space for up to 80 lead researchers and 300 staff who are supporting ASU’s goal of increasing research revenue to $815 million by 2025.

stacked with activity that could easily push us over the 4-million-square-foot mark for 2019 absorption.”

—Mike Hunter

us.jll.com/en/trends-andinsights#research

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PROPERTY, GROWTH AND LOCATION

BY MIKE HUNTER

New North Scottsdale Office Lofts

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A brand-new loft-style office project is coming to North Scottsdale, courtesy of Phoenix-based commercial real estate investment and operating company George Oliver and Vancouver-based Kootenay Holdings. Lofts at The District will target small to mid-sized tenants with high-end, innovative office space reflective of the creativity found in other George Oliver developments.

Located just east of the popular Scottsdale Quarter open-air retail center near Scottsdale Road and Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard, Lofts at The District will convert existing — but underutilized — high-end commercial space into five upscale office suites identified as the East Loft and West Loft, and ranging from 2,000 to 10,000 square feet.

The second-floor suites will serve as building bookends, featuring a mix of 12-foot ceilings and 20-foot vaulted peaks with dramatic window lines that offer panoramic views of the surrounding mountains. Upon delivery, all suites at Lofts at The District will also be move-in-ready, complete with highend finishes and professionally designed modern interiors as reflected in the project’s virtual tour (roundme.com/ tour/411846/view/1550626).

Lofts at The District is surrounded by millions of square feet of popular retail, restaurant and multifamily development, including The Promenade, Kierland Commons and Scottsdale Quarter. It also sits at the center of a highly educated labor pool, drawing employees from Scottsdale and its neighboring cities.

Construction at Lofts at the District is scheduled to be completed before the end of the year. Ryan Timpani and Nick Bialkowski at Colliers International serve as the project’s exclusive leasing brokers. RSG Builders is the general contractor. georgeoliver.com

Groundbreaking is imminent at Epicenter, the high-end, vertical mixed-use community and retail destination in the heart of Agritopia®, a village that includes an 11.3-acre organic farm. The multi-family project, which is currently pre-leasing its available retail space, will feature elevated apartment living situated above thoughtfully selected restaurants and retail focused on healthy living and treasured finds for all generations to live, gather and thrive. Epicenter’s 49,000 square feet of retail space will be leased to best-in-class businesses that are experts in their craft. Some of the current tenants include Matt’s Big Breakfast, Gadzooks, Bunky Boutique, Wylde Salon and the Hooligans Barbershop.

“We are excited to complete this project, making it the first of its kind in Arizona. Epicenter will be the town center within Agritopia®, creating a gathering space for the community to come and enjoy luxury living and renown local restaurants, shops and entertainment for decades to come,” says William Johnston, CEO of Johnston & Co. “Epicenter will become one of the top shopping destinations in Gilbert. Our thoughtfully selected retailers will experience high foot traffic from the walkable Agritopia® community, other neighborhoods

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throughout Gilbert, the greater Phoenix area, as well as visitors coming to Arizona. The project is the capstone to complete the Agritopia® community, creating vertical village living for all ages. Whether you’re a senior, young adult, family or kid, Epicenter is your place to call home, to dine and shop— where experiences are made, shared and remembered.”

Epicenter’s team is comprised of top experts in their respective industries, including William and Joe Johnston of Johnston & Co., the development group leading the retail portion of the project; Joe Doucett of Newmark Knight Frank, the retail listing agent representing Johnston & Co.; Casey Treadwell of Thompson Thrift, the owner’s representative of Johnston & Co.; and Greg Nadeau, StreetLights Residential’s vice president of development, who’s Epicenter’s development partner. The novel project design is by the architecture team at LRK. epicenteratagritopia.com

Epicenter’s amenities include a maker’s space for woodworking and crafting with tools available to residents and a demonstration kitchen for residents to come together, create and connect. Epicenter features agrarian elements and each building is uniquely designed with no repeatable patterns to represent individuality and different entities of a community coming together.

Photos courtesy George Oliver and Johnston & Co. (top to bottom)

Epicenter at Agritopia® Is Underway

YOUR BENEFIT IN BUSINESS

WELL WELL WELL

by Mike Hunter

iTether Platform for Integrated Healthcare Industry Digital health management platform iTether is designed to promote positive and sustainable outcomes for patients while also benefitting providers by helping reduce administrative work and increase billable events because more patients show up to appointments.

The iTether Technologies, Inc. platform provides users with a care navigation system with access to telehealth and social determinants of health that allows patients to remain connected (tethered) to their clinicians outside the clinic walls, 24/7. Since launching pilot programs in Phoenix and St. Louis in 2017, the technology has shown reductions in no-show rates, enabled remote patient monitoring, improved patient medical compliance, saved staff time and increased patient and clinical satisfaction.

Key iTether features include individualized treatment planning and goal monitoring, HIPAA complaint patient-provider communication, integrated telehealth, data analytics, health assessments and targeted SDOH resources.

The iTether solution is aimed at health plans, behavioral health providers, integrated care providers and justice agencies.

According to Centers for Disease Control and IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics, there is only one clinician per 529 individuals with a behavioral health condition, there is a 40-percent no-show rate for in-person appointments, 95 percent of patient costs are related to gaps in care between visits, and nine out of 10 patients say they need more help.

“Patients with long-term behavioral health conditions are at greater risk for poor outcomes when they have difficulty staying motivated and engaged following in-patient care,” says Sean Gunderson, co-founder and CEO of iTether, “iTether allows our customers to create a digital ecosystem of outpatient services that meaningfully support individuals and their families in recovery.”

After realizing the significant market need, Gunderson, who is an expert in the technology and business intelligence solutions, joined with behavioral health advocate Brad Wilde, a wellknown Arizona leader active in the investment and development business. itethertech.com

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How to Get Patients to Use the Patient Portal It’s a question that persistently confounds healthcare providers: how to keep patients from leaving their network. This desire to prevent patient leakage stems from more than wanting to protect the bottom line. When patients go out of network, provider-to-provider communication is limited if it takes place at all, which puts patients at risk. This also sets the stage for the creation of duplicate patient records and patient record mismatching — all of which can lead to medical errors. It just makes sense to make every effort to keep the patient in-network.

Patient engagement is essential here. However, providers have found this to be another challenge on its own. It’s not that providers aren’t adopting patient engagement strategies; according to an MGMA survey (www.mgma.com/news-insights/ quality-patient-experience/mgma-stat-mostpractices-offer-a-patient-portal), 90 percent of practices make a patient portal available for such engagement. The trouble is, patients aren’t using these portals in great enough numbers, according to research by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (www.gao.gov/products/GAO-17-305).

The good news is, providers can tweak existing in-house solutions to significantly improve patient engagement. The key lies in making portal interfaces more like an online retail experience.

Think about our own interactions shopping on Amazon, or checking our credit scores on Credit Karma. Both have created a “one-stop shop” experience that gives consumers an impressive selection of features and information.

On Amazon, consumers can purchase almost anything, but also store their (digital) purchases on the site, such as movies, music and e-books.

And, because Amazon uses AI that studies and remembers every interaction, the site “self learns” to become a customized experience, such as making recommendations for new items based on the consumer’s previous purchases. Credit Karma similarly offers different information and products — credit scores and credit offers — and also induces users to regularly visit the website by pushing out email alerts, such as when the user’s credit score changes.

The takeaway for providers: Consumer adoption is reliant on the user experience. If the experience

meets or exceeds these needs, the user is likely to return and use the application again.

Of course, with patient portals, we have two user groups to satisfy — the patient and the provider. Successful patient portal adoption will occur only if both groups adopt and embrace the technology. To that end, patients need a compelling reason to visit the portal, while physicians and practice staff need a compelling reason to integrate portals into their work.

Successful patient adoption is directly tied to successful provider adoption.

With some optimization and workflow enhancements, the needs of both groups of portal users can be met.

An example would be Epic’s MyChart patient portal, which patients can use not only to access their medical records, but to make payments, view test results, schedule appointments, communicate directly with their providers and much more.

Additional optimization can further customize MyChart — and other patient portals — to the needs of a provider’s unique patient mix and community.

Given the benefits these capabilities can deliver, patients should be encouraged to refer to the portal frequently, and to share information on it, including social determinants of health information that patients might be less comfortable sharing in a face-to-face encounter.

Yet it will be increasingly important for providers to have this information as healthcare evolves into a “whole-person health” model. At the same time, providers and their staff should be educated about the power of portals to inform and communicate with patients about their health and wellness.

While using portals as a primary patient engagement tool may strike some as depersonalizing the provider-patient relationship, the reality is it’s easier to connect with the majority of patients online than through any other medium. Patients are clearly telling providers where and how they want to be engaged. Providers that engage them there will keep patients both happy and in their networks.

—Dana Bensinger, MSN, RN-BC, a client solution executive at CTG (www.ctg.com), an IT services provider

Patient portals can help prevent patient leakage and improve provider-to-provider communication. Although 90 percent of practices make a patient portal available, only a small number of patients are using these portals.

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INNOVATIONS FOR BUSINESS

TECH NOTES

by Mike Hunter

RLabs’ Hotel Technology Innovation RLabs is a travel technology-based innovator, created as a subsidiary to RLH Corporation. It will focus on new revenue verticals, and on developing unique technology and system offerings for the hospitality industry that includes software, robotics and artificial intelligence.

The first offering from RLabs is Canvas Integrated Systems, an all-in-one, cloud-based hospitality management suite featuring a collection of seamlessly integrated tools designed to drive revenue, secure more revenue opportunities, automate channel management and reduce cost and friction for independent hotel owners. A fully customizable platform backed by best-in-class providers that allows independent hotels to choose components to get exactly what they need and avoid paying for unnecessary items, Canvas Integrated Systems harnesses powerful technology not currently accessible by most independent hotels to provide revenue management, channel management and global sales at the fraction of the price independent hotels (and many brands) are able to secure on their own. Canvas Integrated Systems also utilizes technology to provide additional desired platforms such as personalized loyalty programs and keyless entry. rlabs.com rlhco.com

Chime’s All-in-One Real Estate Solution Phoenix-based Chime Technologies is an all-in-one business development platform for the real estate industry. Its award-winning productivity suite offers a robust set of features that help real estate professionals and teams of all sizes run and grow their business. Among its features are its intelligent IDX website, customer relationship management (CRM) and the ability to optimize marketing.

The customizable, easy to use content management system ensures seamless site design and is built to attract new leads while cultivating actionable insights through site activity analysis.

A powerful business development platform, powered by Chime’s AI scoring system, prioritizes leads, analyzing the likelihood to close based on key indicators, and empowers agents to assess and respond to leads’ behavior in real-time. And its multichannel online advertising service identifies and tracks potential leads through intent targeting and powerful AI to optimize lead capture and help refine the advertising strategy. chime.me

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Rise of the Modern-Day Product Manager “We want to know what every product in the world is. We want to know who every person in the world is. And we want to have the ability to connect them together in a transaction.” — Walmart’s CEO of global e-commerce Technology is driving innovation and new product development in companies around the world. In turn, the demand for product management professionals who have a strong technical grounding is on the rise.

The evidence of this is apparent: The number of engineers/developers per product manager has increased by two in the past year alone, according to the results of the 2019 Pragmatic Institute Product Management and Product Marketing Survey (www.pragmaticinstitute.com/resources/ annual-survey). The survey also found that those professionals who consider themselves to be very technical are reaping the financial benefits of their knowledge, earning an average 11 percent more than their peers who don’t consider themselves technical at all.

Clearly, companies are on the hunt for product managers who have a strong technical background and are comfortable communicating with development and engineering teams efficiently and effectively — and they’re willing to pay for them. Yet, knowledge of the technical aspects of back-end development isn’t particularly new for product professionals. What is new, though, is the increasing need to understand the implications of big data.

Early adopters of big-data analytics have proven the benefits of leveraging information. Companies with the most advanced analytics capabilities outperform their competitors by wide margins and are twice as likely to be in the top quartile of financial performance within their industries, according to survey results from management consulting firm Bain & Company (www.bain.com/

insights/big_data_the_organizational_challenge).

They’re also five times as likely to make decisions faster than market peers and three times as likely to execute decisions as intended.

Currently, 80 percent of all customer data is completely unused. But, for companies that do it right, data is a way for product professionals to learn who customers are, what they want, and what motivates them to either stick around or go to a competitor. Insights-driven companies are using this constant feedback to build better products — and it’s giving them a competitive edge.

Take Target as an example. For many years, the retailer launched its swimwear collection in late spring and early summer. Then the company took a closer look the data and realized it was missing a key piece of insight: College kids plan and get ready for spring break in late winter and early spring. To position itself as a leader for this market segment, Target started selling its swimwear collection online in February — just in time for spring break.

This represents just one example of companies that are leveraging users’ behavioral data as a direct line of communication to inform business decisions.

And, ultimately, these decisions are resulting in better products, better customer experiences and — perhaps most important — better revenue.

—Philip Alexander, CEO of Pragmatic Institute (www.pragmaticinstitute.com) — the world’s leading authority on product management, product marketing and data science, whose courses are based on a proven framework for creating market and data-driven products — has spent more than two decades on the front lines of senior-level international marketing, witnessing firsthand how some of the world’s leading companies managed their brands

While some building and business owners are considering relying on Wi-Fi as an alternative to cellular coverage, a report from iGR — a market strategy consultancy focused on the wireless and mobile communications industry — indicates building tenants actually prefer cellular coverage for various use cases. igr-inc.com

COVERAGE AND COST Solutions address challenges employers face in providing healthcare benefits

by RaeAnne Marsh

Not every business comes to the question of healthcare coverage from the same angle, but they share a common concern: cost. Innovations that impact cost in the healthcare space are coming out of two businesses with a presence in Metro Phoenix, one home-grown and one recently expanded here.

“The talent market is so competitive right now, and employees are looking for so much more than just salary,” says Melissa DiGianfilippo, co-founder and president of public relations at Serendipit Consulting. “They are comparing full benefits, and healthcare is a major part of that. Many of our employees are on the younger end of the spectrum, so this may be the first time they are getting healthcare on their own and it feels like a big deal to them, so we work to make it as easy as possible by offering some great solutions.”

While some see healthcare benefits as a way to set their business apart, others see it as a necessity. Geoff Stanisic, owner of YC’s Mongolian Grill, says this no longer seems like a benefit tool. “in the day of ‘carve outs,’ it was so much easier to lure someone with a tremendous healthcare package. Now, as an Applicable Large Employer (ALE), I am mandated to provide coverage and it is difficult to separate myself from others.”

Focus: Redirect Health Says Dan King, COO of Harmon Electric, “It is very important. Medical costs continue to rise for both employer and employee.” And he adds, “One of the biggest benefits to recruiting top talent is being able to offer free healthcare.”

Crediting Redirect Health for being able to attract top talent and retain employees in a highly competitive market with limited tradespeople, he says, “I felt that Harmon’s benefit package was always competitive with others in our industry/space. What we were looking for was something that we could offer at no cost to our employees and make it really simple to access.”

NAVIGATING HEALTHCARE

Redirect Health was co-founded by David Berg, applying practices he used to remarkable effect in running Arrowhead Health Centers.

“With Redirect Health, our employees have 24/7 access to a live person who can help them through whatever is going on. That is huge,” DiGianfilippo says. “Many times, our employees can call at night when they are not feeling well or having an issue, and they can get meds that night and then are back to work in 24 hours or less.”

And when Serendipit employees have had life happenings such as babies or surgeries, DiGianfilippo says, “Redirect has been able to not only get those employees the appointments they need with specialists right away instead of waiting months but also save significant money on medical bills by navigating that process for my employees.”

Drywall, says, “Using Redirect’s concierge services is very easy and provides for our employees and their families to get the care they need immediately.

Whether they call to make an appointment for an issue they or their family member is dealing with, they can be seen on the same day, which provides peace of mind and as the employee misses far less work than under a traditional healthcare model.

“And, with their 24/7 service, issues are resolved far more efficiently than with traditional healthcare models because they are dealt with earlier.

Because the concierge services coordinate appointments and provide costs upfront, we’ve been able to eliminate the in-network/out-of-network model, and employees determine what’s best for them.” Johnson adds, “Redirect Health is not only affordable, it’s easy to use and has a model based upon our employees being informed of their healthcare options and costs upfront.

The Redirect program teaches our employees to be better consumers of their health and their healthcare services while providing unrestricted access to Redirect’s concierge services. Redirect Health is available 24/7 to our employees and their families.”

Ease of use is a key factor for Mike Arce, founder and CEO of marketing firm Loud Rumor. “Our advice to our employees — and myself — is always just, ‘Call the number’ when we’re not feeling right. We don’t know if they take care of it all the time, but more often than not they do. In those rare instances where they don’t take care of it, they’re really, really great at giving advice as to what

“Our advice to our employees — and myself — is always just, ‘Call the number’ when we’re not feeling right. We don’t know if they take care of it all the time, but more often than not they do.”

—Mike Arce, Founder and CEO, Loud Rumor Traditional healthcare coverage had left Eli Hall, owner of AMS Landscaping, cynical about the healthcare industry.

“I feel like healthcare cost is just ridiculous (as most people do), but when you offer to pay cash, many hospitals or doctor offices will take much less money. Because of this, I feel that paying for a traditional health insurance policy is a waste of money and very confusing. There are deductibles and fees that, once you start paying on top of the high cost of health insurance premiums, I feel its unsustainable.” Deciding “the only way to reduce cost is to not play the game,” he says he would rather save his money to pay for things out of pocket as much as possible. “I utilize Redirect since they are great about looking for cost savings on my healthcare cost. Sometimes, they can do this before I have to utilize healthcare, or, if I go to the emergency room, I have added Sedera to my policy to cover the most costly items afterward, and Redirect helps us utilize the additional coverage to pay for the hospital visits.”

Sharing his experience, Robert “Cole” Johnson, president of Paul Johnson

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to do next and how to take care of it. And in our case, we’re using Sedera — Redirect Health recommended it — and between Redirect and Sedera, they take care of everything.

“Previously, we had to do our own research and figure out what to do or where to go. Now, Redirect really acts as a consultant if they’re not able to take care of it, and makes sure that we’re recommended to the right spot, the right people, and also what we should pay for that. For example, Redirect does a great job of letting you know where to get your medication, where to get your X-rays, where to get anything done. Where you’d normally pay $1,500 for a sleep study that I had to pay for, it cost $750 going to a certain place versus another. Redirect did that shopping for me, which was great.”

Continues Arce, “Redirect has streamlined the process of healthcare for our company. Many of our employees are tech savvy and enjoy communicating their needs through their app and helpline. This cuts out the difficult navigation of benefits administration.”

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HEALTHCARE AS A BENEFIT TO BUSINESS

“Providing health care through Redirect generates multi-faceted benefits for our employees and our business,” Johnson says. “By making healthcare available to every Paul Johnson Drywall employee — including our craft, crew leaders and administrative staff and their families, beginning on their first day of employment — we have realized drastic advancements in our recruitment and our retention efforts and are able to clearly and easily further differentiate ourselves from our competitors. We have really stood out to customers and employees in the drywall and construction industry because, traditionally, healthcare benefits have not been offered to craft or trade workers. Historically, this level of benefit was reserved for only management.

We have executive level employees, office staff, journeymen and laborers from vastly different backgrounds with varying needs for dependent coverage. Redirect handles all of this seamlessly.

Specifically in terms of attracting and retaining employees, Johnson says, “Our employees, and the employees of our competitors, recognize and appreciate the value of Redirect Health. Redirect has helped to make PJD the employer of choice at two levels of influence: Our employees using the

provide. So it’s an additional selling point not just to attract but also to retain.”

Says Hall, “It has been a differentiator for us, but in the landscaping industry it is less expected. We offer Redirect to help with the daily stuff like doctor visits and chiropractic care.” Furthermore, he says, “We utilize Redirect for help with keeping our workers’ comp down by paying for issues out of pocket directly through our office for minor injuries so we don’t have to utilize the WC premium.”

Johnson notes that universal coverage for employees through Redirect has significantly reduced improper workman’s compensation insurance utilization for healthcare services, often being administered vis a vis urgent care or emergency room visits. “Having the appropriate coverage helps our employees actually become better informed about their health issues and the options that exist for them.” In fact, he says, “PJD is able to provide benefits and simultaneously save money by providing it. We have overlaid our healthcare and workers’ comp and we’re seeing a direct and very significant cost-savings on workers’ comp rates.” So significant, in fact, his company has realized an annual savings of approximately $3 million.

“We have really stood out to customers and employees in the drywall and construction industry because, traditionally, healthcare benefits have not been offered to craft or trade workers. Historically, this level of benefit was reserved for only management.”

—Robert “Cole” Johnson, President, Paul Johnson Drywall

services are better employees; they are healthier and know they are being cared for by us, and as a result they are strongly committed to PJD. Because our employees’ spouses and their families are also able to participate in Redirect Health, they also positively influence our employees’ decisions to work for PJD. Redirect simply makes us more successful in hiring and retaining employees.”

Stanisic feels smaller companies are sometimes at a competitive disadvantage in offering healthcare benefits to employees. “Larger companies have so many advantages. While a larger base to spread the risk is obvious, simply trying to get time with a broker is difficult for us smaller guys. Who would a broker rather spend time with — a policy with 10 or with 500?

Redirect is tremendous for me as they will write policies for the little guys and help to provide options we can afford.”

In terms of an overall compensation package, Arce says, “Healthcare is something that people are looking for; it’s a selling point; it’s something that their spouse will ask about when they accept a position; their parents will ask about; et cetera. So being able to say that this company does provide that and take care of them goes a long way when justifying the new position that you’ve just accepted. … And also, when considering leaving our company, it’s hard to leave our company for another company that doesn’t provide what we

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COST AND ADMINISTRATION

“Redirect has given us an advantage in cost-containment,” says Johnson.

“Our employees have become better consumers of health services under Redirect Health’s system; they now weigh their options because they know costs and care options upfront. PJD also benefits when our employees make more informed, and therefore better, healthcare choices. In fact, PJD doesn’t have to use the common in-network/out-of-network model. Instead, Redirect negotiates rates for our employees upfront and then allows the employee to decide what’s best for them.” He notes, “Since Redirect keeps detailed records, monitors our employees’ care and so easily facilitates better care decisions, the financial burden on PJD is extremely minimal.”

Some businesses are covering the full cost of Redirect’s everyday care for their employees. Says DiGianfilippo, “Our offering of ‘Free Healthcare’ is very attractive to new talent. We do market that heavily in our job descriptions and during the interview process and it's proven to be very effective.”

What’s key for Stanisic is the ability to cover a diverse workforce. “We have such a diverse workforce with completely different needs at each end of the spectrum. Redirect allows us to have a plan our employees can, and do, use!

Without this affordable option, our employees would have no care at all. They have not ever enrolled in traditional healthcare plans.”

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Focus: Advanced Medical Pricing Solutions THE PACE OF PRICING

Taking an alternative approach to healthcare cost containment is Advanced Medical Pricing Solutions, which works with self-funded entities to provide its healthcare cost containment services. Its approach is based on the strategy of negotiation.

The company is relatively new here, and CEO Kirk Fallbacher explains why it chose Phoenix for its expansion. “When considering a West Coast presence, we wanted a location that would have a strong workforce and provide the ability to better serve our growing customer base across the nation. Greater Phoenix is home to a wealth of healthcare expertise, combined with a toprated university which is ideally suited toward AMPS expansion plans.” And he shares, “Within 12 months of establishing our Phoenix location, we are already seeking a larger office space to house local team members and serve our West Coast clients.”

Looking at healthcare pricing trends, Fallbacher expects healthcare prices to continue their inflationary pace for everyone that remains in the

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entrenched status quo of conventional health insurance plans. “There are really no checks and balances there to slow down, much less reverse, the cost trajectory,” he says. “Premiums, deductibles and co-insurance will all keep rising. … To put this into stark perspective, over the past five decades, pre-tax compensation has increased by over 60 percent, but actual take-home pay has increased less than 3 percent. And that can be attributed to what’s taken out of their check for healthcare insurance.”

This, Fallbacher believes, has led many employers to decide to bypass conventional health insurance altogether and directly pay their employees’ healthcare bills. “That has saved some on costs, but prices will continue to increase for everyone, in self-funded and conventional plans alike. The solution is to take several steps beyond simply bypassing insurance plans and paying directly for care. Self-funded employers also must negotiate pricing with the providers of that care.” This is one of the roles that AMPS takes — negotiating what it calls a “fair price for all” that strives to assure providers aren’t underpaid and patients aren’t overcharged.

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INFORMATION AS COST-CUTTING POWER

Discussing negotiation as a cost-containment strategy, Fallbacher says, “At AMPS, we achieve a ‘fair price for all’ by utilizing our proprietary technology and pricing data to calculate prices both pre-care and post-care. Along with medical bill reviews by our own staff of board-certified physicians, we use this strategy to reduce medical claims on average 70 percent. And that includes high-dollar hospital bills.”

AMPS eschews a “one size fits all” approach to offer a portfolio of cost containment services and offerings to choose from. “We believe companies of all sizes can and should self-fund their employees’ healthcare. But we recognize that companies want choices in how they contain the costs of doing so — some employers are interested in repricing claims for procedures that have already taken place, especially high-dollar hospital claims; other employers want to have prices negotiated prior to care.”

AMPS’s program is also founded on member advocacy and education that, unlike conventional health insurance plans, results in fewer than 5 percent of members ever having a billing issue. “Employees in conventional health plans are very much on their own when it comes to finding the right providers and dealing with surprise out-of-network bills,” Fallbacher observes. “The health plan may have a 1-800 number to call and a (typically out-of-date) provider directory, but proactive outreach to plan members is rare. There isn’t a concerted effort at enrollment to really educate the member about the plan. Even self-funded employers may not have the resources to do this kind of education.” AMPS’s service provides “member advocates” to proactively communicate with members from the outset and an up-to-date Provider Finder tool with information about providers that are friendly to fair prices.

Also key are plan performance insights and visibility through on-demand data and dashboards. This kind of transparency is rare for employers because,

“Over the past five decades, pre-tax compensation has increased by over 60 percent, but actual take-home pay has increased less than 3 percent. And that can be attributed to what’s taken out of their check for healthcare insurance.”

—Kirk Fallbacher, CEO, Advanced Medical Pricing Solutions

Saying, “Striking the ‘Fair for All’ balance requires deep experience, including an ability to foster healthy local relationships between employers and healthcare providers,” Fallbacher notes that AMPS has been in business for 15 years and, over that time span, its physicians and pricing experts have reviewed and negotiated more than $1 billion’s worth of medical claims.

“That’s more knowledge about healthcare pricing within a single company than resides anywhere else. It’s also the foundational basis for our ‘intelligent pricing’ engine or database. The data in it is constantly updated, refreshed and representative of every healthcare market in the country. It is our core tool for pricing what a healthcare service or procedure should fairly cost. Very often, that price can easily become half of what an employer was previously paying through their PPO network discounts.

“Providers respect our informed analysis. That’s why we rarely experience pushback. And it’s a two-way street. We are forging mutually beneficial relationships between providers and employers. Providers that work with us know they can expect reliable, timely, predictable reimbursement.”

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

Fallbacher explains, “If they cover their employees through conventional insurance, they never see a claim, so have no insight into the value of what they’re paying for. And even self-insured employers don’t have insights into how much they are saving compared to important benchmarks.”

OVERALL While the debate rages over national healthcare policy, the business sector is demonstrating its power to innovate solutions that address one of the biggest challenges employers face in providing healthcare as an employee benefit.

Advanced Medical Pricing Solutions

advancedpricing.com Redirect Health redirecthealth.com

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Marketing

PACKAGED TO IMPRESS

Convey Complex Ideas Simply and Persuasively Storytelling techniques applied to business

by Harrison Monarth

Not everyone is a natural raconteur. But everyone can enhance his or her skill by keeping three principles in mind: People need to feel something for a story to have an impact.

The story must be easy to follow and stripped of unnecessary detail. And finally, because focus is a scarce resource in the brain and attention spans are dwindling, the quicker it gets to the point the better.

The following are a few techniques to help put these principles into practice.

Harrison Monarth is the CEO and founder of Gurumaker and author of Executive Presence: The Art of Commanding Respect Like a CEO. An executive coach, he teaches C-suite leaders, senior executives, high potential managers and other top professionals effective leadership and positive behavior change for professional and organizational success. gurumaker.com

NOV 2019

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Technique 1: Make It Personal Trial lawyers are among the best storytellers, and the late Moe Levine of New York was one of the greatest. Levine was able to use emotion in the summation of a case to such devastating effect that the result was the award of one of the largest verdicts in the history of New York State. Levine represented a man who had lost both arms in an accident. When the trial was coming to a close, everyone present, from the defendants to the judge to the opposing counsel, anticipated a long speech from Levine about the travails of a life with no arms. However, he surprised everyone. His concluding argument lasted no longer than a minute or two. It wasn’t its brevity that won the day for his client. Its real power lay in his making personal what everyone knew yet no one had thought about. Here’s what he said, as reported by Texas trial lawyer Howard Nations: Your Honor, eminent counsel for defense, ladies and

gentlemen of the jury: As you know, about an hour ago we broke for lunch. And I saw the bailiff came and took you all as a group to have lunch in the jury-room. And then I saw the defense attorney, Mr. Horowitz, and his client decided to go to lunch together. And the judge and the court clerk went to lunch. So, I turned to my client, Harold, and said why don’t you and I go to lunch together, and we went across the street to that little restaurant and had lunch.

He then took a significant pause before resuming: Ladies and gentlemen, I just had lunch with my client. He has no arms. He eats like a dog! Thank you very much.

And then he sat down. The lesson: Any time one wants to emphasize a particularly strong point, one should simply make the human connection in an understated way. Avoid weakening the drama of one’s story with long-winded verbiage. As in Levine’s summation, it is best to let the audience’s imagination deliver the biggest punch.

Technique 2: Keep It Short For a story to work, it has to take the listener somewhere in his or her imagination. It has to make a clear point. But it doesn’t have to be long, as this anecdote shows. In fact, stories told for strategic purposes in business and the professions should be as brief as possible while still meeting their objective. TED Talks are a good example. These presentations, on just about

A fail-safe way to make sure stories are short and sweet is to prepare versions of varying lengths — starting with a longer version and systematically cutting it shorter and shorter while evaluating its impact.

BETTERING YOUR BUSINESS

The Experience Economy any topic, are by design no longer than 20 minutes, with many of them less than 15. And they typically include several stories within the allotted time frame that serve as context for the speaker’s key message.

A fail-safe way to make sure stories are short and sweet is to prepare versions of varying lengths. Write out the longest version first and see how much time it would take to tell it. (People speak at about a rate of 150 to 180 words per minute, though this doesn’t include the beats necessary for dramatic pausing or speeding up.) Now start cutting detail from the story. Go from a five-minute version to a three-minute version and see what happens. Does the story still make sense? Ask others for their take-away; does the leaner version work? Next, cut it down to one minute — then try to do a 30-second version of the story without sacrificing the overall message. It may be surprising how often even very short versions still accomplish the job. Condensing stories in this way will also wean the presenter from adding too much detail that add zero meaning to the stories and may even distract listeners from the primary point.

Technique 3: Pick a Theme We’re all consumers of advertising, and effective advertisements communicate in themes. A clever theme frames a story in just the way its creator wants it perceived. How about this successful theme from the Las Vegas Tourism Board: “What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas.” What type of stories come to mind when we hear this? That theme gives all the stories an unmistakable meaning. How about this one: “The Truth Is Out There.” That was the theme for the ultra-successful TV series The X-Files, and it guided our understanding that each story in the series was about mysteries that needed to be solved.

A smart central theme transcends the story and gives it greater meaning. One must think about what meaning one would like one’s audience to take away from one’s stories — whether one is running a business meeting or a political campaign — and pick a theme that crystallizes that point.

Technique 4: Use Drama to Make It Stick Whether one is still aspiring to leadership or is already there, sharing knowledge with others is a key requirement at any level of responsibility.

Stories are an effective tool to accomplish this sharing, but, as we’ve learned by now, it takes the right kind of story to have the most impact.

Although it would make sense that a story highlighting how people made good decisions and solved problems can teach an audience how to do likewise, academic research says the opposite: In stories, we can increase the effectiveness of training and development by focusing on the errors and poor decision making. In one study, researchers found that firefighters who experienced mistake-riddled training scenarios not only paid more attention to the training and retained the information better, but vastly improved their judgment and displayed more adaptive thought processes than did those who got straight “how-to” training.

The key to success with such a story is not only to show how things went wrong but to discuss what actions could have been taken to avoid the negative consequences. In other words, a type of reverse engineering of how things unfolded, with the pros and cons mulled over, analyzed, and advocated or rejected by one’s peers can have tremendous benefits.

Storytelling is as much art as it is science. Our ancestors over thousands of years of human evolution have honed this craft to a point where we can easily adapt various structures and styles to suit our purpose and, most importantly, influence the hearts and minds of our audiences.

Apple Stores, Disney, LEGO, Starbucks. Do these names conjure up images of mere goods and services, or do they evoke something more — something visceral? Welcome to the Experience Economy, where businesses must form unique connections in order to secure their customers' affections — and ensure their own economic vitality. This seminal book on experience innovation by Joe Pine and Jim Gilmore explores how savvy companies excel by offering compelling experiences for their customers, resulting not only in increased customer allegiance but also in a more profitable bottom line. Now with a brand-new preface, Pine and Gilmore make an even stronger case for experiences as the critical link between a company and its customers in an increasingly distractible and time-starved world. Filled with detailed examples and actionable advice, The Experience Economy helps companies create personal, dramatic, and even transformative experiences.

The Experience Economy, With a New Preface by the Authors: Competing for Customer Time, Attention, and Money B. Joseph Pine II and James H. Gilmore Harvard Business Review Press; Revised ed.

368 pages Available 11/10/2019

$32

Get Sh*t Done Get Sh*t Done not only shows readers what’s preventing them from daily achievement, it provides the tools and the strategies to help them get to where they want to be. Get Sh*t Done is much more than just the title of this book; it’s the method that unlocks the secrets of accomplishment and achievement —the GSD Secret Formula. In this engaging and easy-to-read book, readers will learn to identify and implement the elements of superior productivity, eliminate the causes of procrastination, and achieve the best possible outcomes in business and in life. Bestselling author and "King of Sales" Jeffrey Gitomer guides readers through each aspect of the GSD process, from attitude, desire, and determination, to goals, productivity, resilience, and fulfillment.

Get Sh*t Done: The Ultimate Guide to Productivity, Procrastination, and Profitability Jeffrey Gitomer

224 pages

Wiley; 1 edition

Available 11/12/2019

$25

Talk Is Chief Leaders today spend up to 90 percent of each day communicating to make good things happen in their organizations. They communicate with colleagues, customers, shareowners, creditors, regulators, advocates and competitors.

They influence culture, opportunity, risk taking and risk aversion. The stakes in this new communication environment are very high, driving home Winston Churchill’s statement, “The difference between mere management and leadership is communication.” These days, leaders are likely to face adversity and careertesting situations. Crisis defines leaders and their organizations. But it does not have to take them down. Talk Is Chief provides sound advice, examples and even a list of the “Ten Commandments of Crisis Management” so that leaders can either avoid crises or avert worst-case scenarios when confronted with an existential threat.

Talk Is Chief: Leadership, Communication, and Credibility in a High-Stakes World Jack Modzelewski RosettaBooks

240 pages Available 11/19/2019

We’re all consumers of advertising, and effective advertisements communicate in themes. A clever theme frames a story in just the way its creator wants it perceived.

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$27.97

NOV 2019

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BY MIKE HUNTER

APRIL 2019

National Bank of Arizona

National Association of Women Business Owners – Phoenix

Thurs., Nov. 7 | 7:30a – 9:00a

Wed., Nov. 20 | 9:00a – 11:00a

“Grow your business for maximum profit” is the mantra of all business. So, for those looking for ways to grow their business, National Bank of Arizona offers this event to help owners of businesses of all sizes hear from some of the best minds. It will address topics such as “Are you thinking about the long term – where do I want to be in three years, five years or even 10 years?” and “How am I going to get there?”

This seminar will be held Thursday, November 7, at 7:30 a.m. at the National Bank of Arizona. The program will be an interactive session helping attendees identify ways to grow their business by focusing on their financials and Google My Business. Lisa Riley will share a case study for improving the value of one’s company — crucial when growing through acquisition or lending needs. Randy Lisciarelli will provide tips and tricks to increase clients and customers and responding to public negative and positive reviews.

There are great networking opportunities for those in attendance. Attendees can also take advantage of some on-the-spot services like complimentary head shots. A continental breakfast will be provided as well.

“Are You Ready for the Next Opportunity? Incorporate Knowledge, Tools, and Resources on Which to Grow Your Business” is designed to help small-business owners be ready for growth opportunities, which can present themselves at a moment’s notice. Presenter is Paula Wittekind, business analyst with the Arizona Small Business Development Center (www.maricopa-sbdc.com).

These can be opportunities to partner with another business, sell products or services to larger businesses, or gain access to funding in the form of grants, business credit cards, lines of credit and other lending options. It is easy, as a small-business owner, to procrastinate and not take the steps needed to be “opportunity ready.”

During this program, attendees will learn how to prepare their small business for future growth opportunities. Using common opportunity scenarios, presenters will discuss the actions to take from the day the business is launched to actions needed on a yearly basis. Attendees will assess their current status and leave with a checklist of action items and resources to guide them after the program.

Program topics are presented in five sections. Section 1: is “Opportunities: What are the potential opportunities?” Section 2 is “Concept Clarity: Have you thoroughly defined, and can you communicate your business concept?” Section 3 is “Line of Sight: Do you know what lies ahead in the next 12 months?” Section 4 is “Finances: Do you have the basic financial tools and know the financial leadership behaviors needed for success?” Section 5 is “Funding Strategy: Do you know the amount of funds needed to grow the business? What is your funding strategy?”

Growing Your Business for Maximum Profit: Now & In the Future

Free National Bank of Arizona 7000 E. Mayo Blvd, Scottsdale

NAWBO University – Are You Ready for the Next Opportunity?

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NOVEMBER 2019

9414 N. 25th Ave., Phoenix

S M T W T F S

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

17 18 19 20 21 22 23 NOVEMBER 2019 NOTABLE DATES 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Mon., Nov. 11 — Veterans Day 31

Thurs., Nov. 28 — Thanksgiving

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Economy

DEVELOPING & GROWING BUSINESS DYNAMICS

Financial Wellness Is Workplace Benefit for All Staying financially fit keeps a workforce fresh

by Rob Schwister

As more and more business owners offer retirement and healthcare benefits for their employees, the question is: What else can I do? This isn’t purely altruistic; while employers do want to help employees live well, benefits are also critical to a company’s success.

Eighty-five percent of Americans are nervous about their financial lives, and 65 percent lose sleep over money. This spills into the workplace, where people spend an average of three work hours per week on personal financial matters.

Financial insecurity can disrupt the natural balance found in vibrant workplaces, and money worries can lead to stress, absenteeism and lowered productivity.

The next generation of benefits packages address overall “financial wellness,” which teaches employees to manage debt, save for emergencies and prepare for the future.

Initiating a financial wellness program can be beneficial to not only a business’s employees, but also its bottom line.

Rob Schwister is president of Phoenix Metro Market with Alerus Financial, which offers business and consumer banking products and services, residential mortgage financing, employer-sponsored retirement plan and benefit administration, and wealth management that includes trust, brokerage, insurance and asset management. alerus.com

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Attract, Engage and Retain Employees with Enhanced Benefits In a competitive employment marketplace, financial wellness stands out. A complete wellness program goes beyond traditional benefits. Personalized, live advice from a trained advisor is a valued benefit that can make a job offer stand out.

With financial wellness served by their employer, employees are also more likely to remain loyal, reducing turnover. Smart programs also keep employees engaged and incentivized to keep improving their financial wellness, helping them retire comfortably and on-time — which is good for both employee and employer.

Relieve Near-Term Financial Stress to Improve the Bottom Line More than 50 percent of Americans can’t come up with $500 in an emergency, and 40 percent have credit card debt they can’t pay off. That’s stressful. Financial wellness programs teach people to set goals and make a habit of building emergency

savings and managing debt. Starting automatic transfers and repayment plans relieves stress and makes things better step by step. Insurance also relieves the stress of recovery if something does go wrong. Relieving stress can improve employee health and reduce employer healthcare costs. It can also improve productivity, with less time lost and employees who are more focused on work.

Simplify Everyone’s Life with Easy-to-Use Online Tools Education, support and online tools let employees take more control. Believe it or not, the one benefit employees probably want most is education. A financial wellness program serves it in a way they can understand. Even better, they can use online tools to improve their wellness without a lot of employer interaction. Employees learn from and engage with financial experts instead of using their employer as an intermediary, adding a sense of confidentiality and saving employers’ time.

They get a personalized assessment and help in the areas where they need it most, whether that’s retirement, debt management or credit help.

Keep Employees on Top of Financial Wellness with Regular Check-Ups Financial wellness is not set-it-and-forget-it. Needs change over time. At one point, employees may need coaching on how to best use their benefits; at another point, they may need financial consulting on personal debt and savings, all with live support from real advisors. Changes can be employee-initiated when they need them, or many employers proactively offer regular one-on-one checkups or group seminars hosted by the financial wellness provider. This ensures all the benefits of financial wellness aren’t lost over time.

Comprehensive financial wellness can’t be achieved overnight, and, like physical fitness, it isn’t always easy. But with a financial wellness program, employers can help fill the gap many American workers experience, and reap the benefits of a less stressed, more secure workforce.

Financial insecurity can disrupt the natural balance found in vibrant workplaces, and money worries can lead to stress, absenteeism and lowered productivity.

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LAW MATTERS TO BUSINESS

Cutting through the Weed(s) Drug testing in the era of medical marijuana

by Alejandro Pérez

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Alejandro Pérez, Esq., founder and manager of the Law Firm of Alejandro Pérez, PLC, is a labor and employment attorney.

Pérez regularly serves as a legal commentator for various media outlets and is the host of his forthcoming podcast “Work Matters,” focusing on employment law and human resources issues. alejandroperezlaw.com

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The legalization of marijuana in Arizona has created an exciting buzz in this State. Medical marijuana has proven itself a unique, and potentially lucrative, business endeavor.

Medical marijuana has also caused some serious frustrations; this is especially so for employers. Many employers find themselves confused as to whether they can still drug test and, particularly, how to deal with employees who are medical marijuana cardholders.

Federal law poses very few requirements or limitations on employee drug-testing. Thus, Arizona law will usually control whether drug testing is required or prohibited.

Employers should familiarize themselves with the Drug Testing Employees Act (the “DTEA”) and, of course, the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act (the “AMMA”). Knowing how to navigate between these two laws is essential for employers.

The DTEA The DTEA sets forth standards all drug test policies must meet.

These include: • A statement of the employer’s policy regarding drug and alcohol use by employees; • A description of those employees or prospective employees who are subject to testing; • The circumstances under which testing may be required; • The substances as to which testing may be required; • A description of the testing methods and collection procedures to be used; • The consequences of a refusal to participate in the testing; • Any adverse personnel action that may be taken based on the testing procedure or results; • The right of an employee, on request, to obtain the written test results; and explain a positive test result in a confidential setting; and • A statement of the employer's policy regarding the confidentiality of the test results.

So long as the drug-testing policy meets these requirements, the DTEA holds employers responsible for their own policies. Accordingly, employers who set their bar higher than what the law requires must meet the standards of their own policies.

The DTEA allows employers to require collection and testing of samples for any job-related purpose consistent with business necessity. The phrase “consistent with business necessity” typically includes impairment, workplace accidents, safety, productivity and reasonable suspicion. The DTEA also allows employers to require employees to undergo drug

testing on a uniformly applied randomized or “chance basis” policy.

Under the DTEA, failing or refusing to take a drug test can result in termination, suspension, refusal to hire, rehabilitation or other adverse employment actions. An exception to this exists, of course, for medical marijuana cardholders.

The AMMA The AMMA protects rights of cardholders. Under the AMMA, an employer may not refuse to hire, fire or penalize an employee or prospective employee due to their cardholder status or for testing positive for marijuana unless failure to do so would cause the employer to lose a monetary or license-related benefit under federal law. The AMMA, however, does not require employers to allow employees to possess marijuana at the workplace, ingest marijuana in the workplace or work while under the influence of marijuana.

Compliance with the AMMA is crucial for employers. In Whitmire v. Wal-mart, the Arizona District Court established the AMMA allows medical marijuana cardholders to sue their employers if their employers violate their right to use marijuana. Whitmire involved an employee who suffered an injury while working. In accordance with their policy, Wal-mart required the employee to undergo a drug test. The employee, who was a medical marijuana cardholder, failed her drug test because marijuana metabolites were present in her urine. Walmart terminated the employee and failed to make an exception for her even though she reported she was a cardholder.

Whitmire stands for the proposition that employers with a “zero tolerance” policy for marijuana use, without exceptions for cardholders, expose themselves to civil liability.

Whitmire is also significant because it held a drug test that only proves recent drug use is not enough to form a good faith belief of impairment in the workplace. Therefore, employers should thoroughly document any observations of impairment and gather any supporting evidence immediately.

Thus, while the laws relating to medical marijuana continue to evolve, compliance with the DTEA and the AMMA is not rocket science. We have some clear guidelines to follow. If an employer has a policy, he or she should apply the policy both strictly and uniformly. Moreover, cardholders are now a “protected class” of employee with the ability to sue for damages resulting from discrimination based on their cardholder status. Lastly, employers should thoroughly and accurately document any signs of impairment to support a good faith belief of impairment prior to requiring a drug test.

Undoubtedly, things are changing every day, but a solid understanding of the applicable laws, proper training and a relationship with employment counsel will ensure employers remain on the right side of the law.

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Social Impact Feeding America is the nationwide network of 200 food banks that leads the fight against hunger in the United States. Together, they provide food to more than 46 million people through 60,000 food pantries and meal programs in communities across America. Feeding America also supports programs that improve food security among the people it serves, educates the public about the problem of hunger and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. feedingamerica.org World Wildlife Fund is one of the world’s leading conservation organizations, working in 100 countries for more than half a century. With the support of almost 5 million members worldwide, WWF is dedicated to delivering science-based solutions to preserve the diversity and abundance of life on Earth, halt the degradation of the environment and combat climate change. worldwildlife.org

Tyler Butler (“Tyler Butler | Giving in Style”), founder and CEO of 11Eleven Consulting, is a corporate social responsibility practitioner and expert leader in the corporate citizenship space.

She has served on numerous national and local boards and is often cited as a subject matter expert by Forbes, Entrepreneur, U.S. News & World Report and more.

11elevenconsulting.com givinginstyle.net

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BUSINESS GIVES BACK

Heroes for Zero Waste and Zero Hunger

Fry’s aims to end the strife of hunger by 2025

by Tyler Butler

Feeding the Human Spirit is a guiding principle that Kroger Fry’s brands live by. Their commitment to end hunger in communities and eliminate waste across their company is something of an amazing undertaking. Sadly, in the United States an astounding 40 percent of food produced is thrown away. This is where Fry’s’ signature campaign, Zero Hunger Zero Waste, comes into play. Fry’s has established the lofty goal to end the strife of hunger by 2025.

Fry’s has named this program the “Moonshot” Initiative. This national campaign has become a hallmark for the company.

“We don’t — and we won’t — have all the answers,” says Jessica Adelman, Kroger’s group vice president of corporate affairs. “While we are clear about our vision, we are flexible about how to get there. We are working closely with both Feeding America and World Wildlife Fund, our longstanding partners, to develop transparent metrics to track our progress.”

Fry’s recognizes that, as a leading grocer in the U.S., it must take a stand. “No family in a community we serve should ever go hungry, and no food in a store we operate should ever go to waste,” says Rodney McMullen, Kroger’s chairman and CEO. “We recognize we have a lot of work to do,” he adds, “but we know when Kroger’s more than 443,000 associates put their passion to work to make something happen, we can uplift our communities, the planet and each other.”

As America’s grocer, the chain has a size and scale that makes this pledge to squashing hunger even more impressive and yet very possible. The chain of 122 locations has some courageous commitments. The largest of these is its Division level allocation of $2 million annually that nonprofits can earn through their Fry’s Community Awards programs. This commitment impacts more than 4,000 Arizona organizations.

Additionally, this corporate citizen giant donates another $1 million in financial support to organizations throughout Arizona. The company focuses on supporting organizations that are concerned with providing nutritious meals. Through its Food Rescue program, Fry’s donates edible food from all its locations to food banks for distribution. In total, Fry’s support amounted to more than $9.4 million meals donated in 2018 alone.

This support creates a full circle approach that sets the food chain apart from its competitors. Inedible food is sent to feed livestock or repurposed for composting programs. And the grocery giant diverts 40 tons of food, cardboard, plastic film and other recycling from landfills. This bold, audacious plan to end hunger and eliminate waste across the enterprise led Fortune Magazine to name Kroger sixth on its exclusive Change the World list in 2018.

And on a personal level, this commitment to excellence in giving back has made for some amazing success stories.

Through employee activation, the already impressive impact of Fry’s is amplified even further. At the District 5 Promise Team Summit, associates and customers joined forces to donate 1,239 jars of peanut butter to the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona. The stores’ big pie sale inspired employees to donate 77 pies to Prescott’s Meals on Wheels in Yavapai County.

Through meaningful partnerships, the impact of Fry’s is amplified even further. Working collaboratively with the Phoenix Suns, Mercury, Arizona Coyotes, Arizona Diamondbacks and Sun Devil Athletics, the grocers are able to help an even greater number of people in need. Each fall, 20,000 visitors flock to Arizona Science Center for Fry’s Free Weekend in support of the Phoenix Zoo. During this annual event, attendees can gain free admission courtesy of Fry's Food Stores. Additionally. alliances with Junior Achievement, USO Arizona, American Red Cross, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Duet Partners in Aging and Health, and Valley of the Sun United Way gain support for their programs thanks to the support of Fry’s.

As Fry’s prepares to open Downtown Phoenix’s first fullservice grocery store, the organization is primed to aid the community through yet another facet, by building crucial infrastructure to our burgeoning cityscape. Block 23 — a high-rise, mixed-use development slated to open by the end of 2019 — will most prominently feature a Fry’s Grocery Store on First Street. This long-awaited addition marks a milestone in our capital city’s growth. Fry’s President Monica Garnes was quoted earlier this year touting, “The growth of the city has just been spectacular and we're thrilled to be a part of really anchoring everything together.” It is truly through Fry’s commitment to community, to people, to the environment and now to making our downtown a more well-rounded atmosphere that Fry’s has established itself as a savior for our city.

The Kroger Co. thekrogerco.com

In the United States, an astounding 40 percent of food produced is thrown away.

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Capacity

Bruce Weber is founder and president/CEO at Weber Group.

Weber brings more than 20 years of experience to the forprofit and nonprofit community, working with startup, growth and mature organizations.

His focus is in strengthening organizations through strategic planning, organizational development, leadership and board development. He is a BoardSource Certified Governance trainer and a founding partner of the Nonprofit Lifecycles Institute.

Shift happens. Change management and capacity building should be center of every high-performance team’s strategic agenda. According to Grant Makers for Effective Organizations, “Organizations should keep the 3 C’s in mind when undertaking capacity building: Make it contextual, continual and collective.”

Charlie Smith is managing partner at the Weber Group.

Smith brings decades of experience in the financial services industry, including an extensive background working within organizations to develop high-performance teams. His focus is working with nonprofit CEOs, executive directors and board chairs to build smarter high-performance organizations focused on strategy and execution. He is a BoardSource Certified Consultant, a certified 6 Sigma Black Belt and a Master Black Belt in planning. webergroupinc.com

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FOR-PROFIT & NONPROFIT GROWTH

Organizational Capacity Defined

The first of a six-part series on developing and sustaining organizational capacity

by Bruce Weber and Charlie Smith

These days, businesses are often exhorted to build organizational capacity, but what does that really mean? There are many definitions of “capacity,” but in simple terms, an organization’s capacity is its potential to perform — its ability to successfully apply its talent and resources to accomplish stated goals and satisfy stakeholder expectations. Capacity is the engine that drives performance and makes it possible for an organization to meet its goals and achieve its overall mission. Simply put: Capacity = Ability to Perform.

Understanding capacity is critical because shift within an organization happens. Disruption is a 21st century reality.

Organizations must be nimble and leadership must be paying close attention and be adaptive. Building capacity must be intentional and deliberate. Leaders can learn to create culture and systems that encourage people to focus “on the business” rather than always working “in the business.” It is far too easy to become entrenched in the day-to-day activity and neglect to step back and look at the larger vision of what the business needs to thrive. We are often caught up in the “operational whirlwind,” a phenomenon in organizational life — running from one reaction to the next. There is often too little focus beyond the immediate.

There are a few good reasons why this dilemma exists.

Sales, back office, accounting and finance exist in functional silos. While this approach may work for a time and seems to be an effective way to create value and distribute assets and resources, this type of structure will also create barriers. What works best for sales may not fit well with finance and vice versa. Silo structures focus on the present as they are typically based on historical cost accounting measurements. That is easily understood. “1+1=2” is easy to comprehend. Working on the present seems like the right thing to do because it is often the most urgent. But urgent and mission critical are not always the same thing. An orientation to the future is a call to rise above the daily grind and have the capacity required when opportunity arrives.

Creating a capacity-building organization begins with

creating a collaborative culture and building mechanisms that reward innovative, forward-thinking and adaptive behaviors.

It is critical, early on, that the team identify the businesscritical success factors that lead to opportunities for improved process throughout the organization. This process will also be influenced by where the organization is in its life cycle. Startup organizations typically have different requirements from those in growth or maturity. Looking holistically at the lifecycle stage of the organization allows for more informed decisions based on fact rather than conjecture. This approach lets one make informed investments in the areas with the greatest impact in moving the business forward while having the greatest impact on those the organization serves.

The model we use for capacity building consists of four elements: intent, culture, process and innovation. Intent is passionate and engaged leadership alignment to the mission and vision; the why of the organization’s existence and efforts. Culture is an open dynamic environment that encourages active participation from all stakeholders; the who that defines various roles of the humans carrying out the work of the organization. Process is adaptable methods and formats that provide freedom with a framework; the how the work gets done. Innovation is the nimble strategic framework that spawns regeneration; the wow that keeps energy high, commitment strong and the work meaningful; the future.

Carsten Tams, a Forbes contributor and blogger, writes, “The challenge companies face is no longer to force discrete change projects through the organization every few years. Instead, they must loosen bureaucratic structures and expand and accelerate their adaptive capabilities. To sustain success, organizations must develop excellence in continuous renewal as part of their operating DNA.” Business owners and nonprofit leaders, alike, should start thinking about their organization’s future today, and challenge the leadership team to bring the concept of capacity — its ability to perform — into strategic conversations now..

Shift happens. Change management and capacity building should be center of every high-performance team’s strategic agenda. According to Grant Makers for Effective Organizations, “Organizations should keep the 3 C’s in mind when undertaking capacity building: Make it contextual, continual and collective.”

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Mind Matters

BUSINESS OF THOUGHT

Pushing Down the Pain Trauma’s impact on high-performance leaders

by Andy Maurer

Andy Maurer brings wholeness to the fragmented lives of leaders. As a keynote speaker and licensed therapist, he works with high-performance leaders, including CEOs, founders, entrepreneurs, professional athletes and TV personalities, educating and equipping them on the issue of toxic stress and trauma and its impact on their work and relationships. He holds both a Master of Divinity from Phoenix Seminary and a master’s in marital family therapy from Fuller Theological Seminary. andymaurer.com

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Something is stirring deep beneath the often-polished exterior of startup founders, CEOs and entrepreneurs. Studies have revealed startling rates of toxic stress and disruptive mental health conditions among this population. A study

by KPMG Enterprises revealed that 66 percent of founders say their role is extremely or very stressful and 40 percent reported working seven days a week. In addition, 78 percent of founders felt they didn’t spend enough time with their children. Another study by Norwest Ventures found that the fear of failure keeps 90 percent of CEOs up at night.

These statistics reveal signs of a deeper reality. Difficulty slowing down, depression, anxiety, burnout and an inability to connect deeply with others — these are all symptoms of a larger issue: trauma. At the core, trauma is about disconnection — from ourselves, from others and from our work. Research shows that trauma obstructs leaders’ most valued assets: logical decision-making, empathy and connection, creativity, confidence, emotional stability and emotional intelligence. To better illustrate this reality, it is important to look at the real-life narrative of Alex, a highly successful CEO. Alex came into therapy feeling burned out and depressed.

When his company was successful, he felt alive and confident, but when things began to deteriorate, he would isolate himself, crippled by discouragement and shame. In addition, his success had created a type of relational paranoia in which he felt like everyone wanted a piece of his wealth, fame and charismatic persona. He would lie awake at night wondering if people would stick around if they knew the truth about his inner struggles. Deep inside, he felt alone, without deep friendships and with a marriage that was falling apart.

From the outside, Alex looked happy and successful, but internally he felt fragmented and lost, and this area of his life needed attention. For the next year, Alex began to name and face the trauma he was running from: divorced parents, bullying, starting and running a business, and his emotionally neglectful relationship with his father. Alex is just one of many leaders who are plagued by the prevalence of trauma.

In the largest study on trauma ever conducted, 82.7 percent of individuals had experienced trauma, with 30.5 percent experiencing four or more traumatic events in their lifetime.

Additionally, numerous studies have shown that childhood

trauma greatly increases rates of anxiety, ADHD, suicide and bipolar disorder among adults. For instance, in one study of 349 chronically depressed patients, 75.6 percent reported clinically significant histories of trauma.

It isn’t surprising, then, that the rates of toxic stress and disruptive mental health conditions among entrepreneurs are 2.6 times higher than in the general population. Michael Freeman, a clinical professor of psychiatry, has been studying the mental and emotional state of entrepreneurs for decades.

In a 2018 study, he found that, compared to the general population, entrepreneurs had 2 times the rate of depression, 6 times the rate of ADHD, 3 times the rate of addiction, and 11 times the rate of bipolar disorder. Could trauma be a culprit to this debilitating mental health epidemic? Some believe so and are taking drastic measures to address it.

Across the nation, government agencies, educational and criminal justice systems, and even faith communities have jumped into action after recognizing the pervasive scale of trauma and its devastating outcomes on human health and performance. Yet, sadly, the business community remains mute. In reviewing more than 5,000 articles from 10 of the top business editorials in the world — such as Forbes, Success, Entrepreneur and Harvard Business Review — there were only a handful of articles that addressed the issue of trauma and not a single one talked about the impact of trauma on business leaders. Because of the stigma associated with negative mental health amongst high-level leaders, in addition to the sheer prevalence and the lack of resources around this issue, these leaders are suffering in silence.

Trauma is not something lurking in the shadows; it is pervasive and active throughout venture capital firms, startup incubators and accelerators, Fortune 500 companies and startup cultures, low-level leaders and CEOs. Turning away from these realities only causes further fragmentation and negatively impacts the overall health of workplaces, families and communities. If the business community does not confront these truths directly, everyone loses. Only when leaders choose to face their stories of discomfort and pain can they truly experience flourishing in their work and relationships. It is up to each leader and the business community as a whole to inspire this movement forward.

A study by Norwest Ventures found that the fear of failure keeps 90 percent of CEOs up at night.

BY MIKE HUNTER

WE VALUE WHAT WE OWN

Coming December 2019: 2020 Aston Martin DBX Richly appointed and meant to be a technology hub, this high-performance SUV has it all. The custom-appointed interior is all designed to look and feel like a private jet. The interior, in addition to its luxurious yet sporty appeal, is equipped with the latest technology from Aston Martin.

The exterior is sleek and its timeless design houses an interior that is roomy and seats five comfortably — reportedly, that is, as Aston Martin has gone to great pains to keep it under wraps. This five-door beast will be followed by a hybrid model and eventually an all-electric version. Details are slim, but this debut will excite the

greatest of enthusiasm and will not disappoint.

There are more than 11 distinct packages offered. The options available within each of these carefully selected packages encompass everything from exquisite details such as illuminated tread plates, polished carbon fiber tail pipe finishers and valve caps with Aston Martin wings, to larger options for carrying bicycles or surf boards on the roof. Suffice to say, Aston Martin has worked with its trusted brand partners to ensure it is offering the best solutions to customers, whatever the usage, journey or destination.

Aston Martin astonmartin.com

ASTON MARTIN DBX MSRP: $200,000 City: n/a Hwy: n/a Transmission: n/a 0-60 mph: n/a

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Photos courtesy Aston Martin (top and right), Patti + Ricky (bottom)

S MAGAZIN

Air travel is common, so it might surprise some to learn that flight anxiety is a phenomenon many people suffer from. Products sold on Patti + Ricky, an e-commerce site featuring designers who make fashion and accessories for the disability community, can help relieve that or other anxiety-related issues for people who, during an important meeting, don’t want to be perceived as rude or inattentive by fidgeting with their phone. (Something to think about as we head into a high season of travel — and gift giving.)

For women, there is fidget jewelry available in necklaces, bracelets and rings. Chewelry, which is described on the site as a “wearable chewing solution” and has several gender-

IN BUSINES

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The famed British sportscar maker has finally done it — Aston Martin has built an SUV. Uber luxurious and fast would be a better description of this new model set to release this quarter. A direct competitor to the Bentley Bentayga and the Rolls-Royce Cullinan, this new entry will boast a Mercedes-AMG-sourced 4.0-liter twin turbo V8. With 546 horsepower, it is more than just a sporty SUV — it is an SUV for the likes of James Bond.

The higher-end version will carry the Aston Martin 5.2-liter V12. That is some serious power for an SUV this size and undoubtedly some top-of-the-line performance.

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neutral styles and colors, offers another discreet option.

If anxiety comes from the health-related concern of sitting for long periods — whether in a plane or car or other — and the resulting swelling of the legs that, in turn, can result in blood clots, compression socks can help reduce that swelling. (Those with true medical conditions may find their doctors suggest thigh-high styles.) Patti + Ricky offers attractive knee-high styles for men and women. pattiandricky.com

Accessory Packages: A broad range of accessories in 11 individual packages ensures that DBX can be tailored to specific lifestyle needs, such as golf, skiing, cycling, field and adventure sports. Practical load space size and shape ensures DBX can carry luggage, equipment or pets with ease for a truly custom vehicle.

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MEALS THAT MATTER

BY RAEANNE MARSH

Jazzin’ It Up at Voodoo Daddy’s

$10

Voodoo Pasta Pasta with shrimp, chicken, tomatoes, green onions, mushrooms and Cajun spices $10

is another filling entrée. Shrimp bisque may sound like a side dish, but adding a mound of rice — white or dirty — to the rich, shrimp-filled potage makes it a meal unto itself. Tasty and colorful Voodoo pasta mixes shrimp, chicken, tomatoes, green onions and mushrooms in just enough shrimp-lobster bisque to keep everything moist enough to hold a swirl of pasta together for a forkful bite.

Cayenne heat level of the dishes is completely customized to order, from Trinity (level 0) to Hot Mama (level 5) to the extreme Bites Like a Gator (level 10). But guests should consider carefully their choice, as every level fully lives up to its name.

Authentic Cajun experience can include starting with an order of beignets served with the de rigueur mounds of powdered sugar. Or Gator Puppies, balls of deep-fried crunchiness and a very soft center.

Voodoo Daddy’s also offers New Orleans’ signature drink, the Hurricane – here served as a blended drink with a ribbon of red (the Hurricane) between bands of purple (sangria). In fact, Voodoo Daddy’s is arguably better than the original as the sangria cuts some of the standard ultra-sweetness. Other drink choices include craft beers and cane sugar-based sodas.

Voodoo Daddy’s Steam Kitchen 1325 W. Elliot Rd., Tempe (480) 659-6145 voodoodaddy.com

Sushi Unbarred There are a lot of sushi restaurants that declare themselves with the word a prominent part of their name. But there is good sushi to be found at other dining establishments. Here are three that offer great sushi as part of a broader menu.

AJ’s Fine Foods

AJ’S FINE FOODS

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HILLSTONE

KONA GRILL

Hardly a sit-down, but there are tables

Subdued dining room or friendly bar.

Restaurant includes a sushi bar.

for a quick lunch.

2650 E. Camelback Rd., Phoenix

Multiple Valley locations

Multiple Valley locations

(602) 957-9700

konagrill.com

ajsfinefoods.com

hillstonerestaurant.com

From the glossary at Voodoo Daddy’s Steam Kitchen: Cajun is bayou country cooking. Creole is New Orleans fancy cooking, from the aristocratic descendants of mainly French and Spanish colonial settlers. It’s fancier because they had money, kitchen help … and tomatoes.

Photos courtesy Voodoo Daddy’s Steam Kitchen (top), Janet Zhou-Wilt (far left, Bashas' (bottom)

Jambalaya Rice with the Cajun/Creole “holy trinity” of onions, bell pepper and celery, plus chicken and Andouille sausage

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

That phrase (“Let the good times roll!”) is nearly synonymous with “New Orleans.” And while that city is geographically a ways away from us in Metro Phoenix,, restaurateur Ron Lynch strove to give us a taste of its atmosphere through Voodoo Daddy’s Steam Kitchen’s décor and menu.

A mural dominates the dining room, depicting vividly garbed jazz musicians performing along the undulating swath of a piano keyboard. The theme is carried further with display cases of vintage brasses: trombones, saxophones and trumpets. Background music is blues and jazz, with a monitor conveniently informing us of what we are listening to and what’s on deck to play next. And, on Saturday nights, jazz is performed live.

Voodoo Daddy’s fast-serve style fills a niche Lynch had observed as missing from the restaurant market. At Voodoo Daddy’s, guests have no longer than a 15-minute wait from the time they order at the counter to the time their food is delivered to their table.

Lynch continues to tweak the menu. Jambalaya is still the most popular item, but Lynch says he’s noticed that, as people become more familiar with the Cajun-Creole-Caribbean cuisine, other choices are catching up. Grits are a stand-out, blended with mascarpone cheese before being covered with a sauce of shrimp and Tasso ham. Cajun/Creole staple red beans and rice — “My dad’s favorite dish to prepare,” Lynch shares —

GLOBAL CHAMBER

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Global Chamber® Events

FALL 2019

phoenix.globalchamber.org/events

November 6, 7 GetGlobal in Long Beach November 12 Managing Your Global Risk 8 a.m.

November 14 Lunch and Learn at UAT 11:30 a.m.

Spotlight Event 11 December 10 Global Innovation Summit at SkySong Afternoon

December 11 Grow Globally Fair Tucson in Nogales Afternoon

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Managing Your Career with a 100+ Year Life

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International Trade Update: USChina Trade War New Partnership Between KOMPASS and Global Chamber Global to Local Innovation Summit December 10th Grow Globally Fair PHX 2019 Wrap-up Canton Fair and Global Chamber Sign a New Cooperation Agreement

A Global View Can Create Enlightenment

by Doug Bruhnke, Global Chamber®

Through our continued support of our “global tribe” of members worldwide, there are several key factors about them that shine through about their capabilities and success.

Members of our global tribe are globally minded and “enlightened,” meaning they have developed advanced business and leadership capabilities, with a more informed view of the world overall. Are you looking to be a better leader? If you’re a member, let’s connect you with more members. If you’re not a member, join today.

Our member companies almost always have executives who have moved past surviving in business to the stage of thriving at a higher level. They are smart, capable, flexible, resilient and, as I’ve sometimes said, “able to leap tall buildings in a single bound” (i.e., Super Woman or Superman). They are respectful, thoughtful and aware of the thoughts and feelings of others, not just their own situation. They have “been there, done that” — and have evolved to a higher plane of performance.

They tend to be good listeners, time managers and leaders. They seek selfimprovement and continued growth for themselves and their business. They are also often involved in supporting their surrounding community as well. These areas are integral in our ongoing soft skills development that we touch on through

League of Extraordinaries, Export Circles, globinars and regular events in chapters around the world. We’re also building soft skills training for members and their teams available in 2020.

We’re not political but we do advocate with politicians to support lower tariffs and lower trade barriers, along with encouraging their constituents to seek foreign direct investment and exports. We’re always working toward making it easier to do business everywhere, and with companies anywhere. And while we believe in “warm introductions” and leveraging connections, we believe in transparent and honest relationships, without corruption. Trade is easier with open and honest companies when corruption is decreased.

Let us know if you’d like to get involved with Global Chamber or any of the enlightened leadership initiatives that we’ve started and are planning. We’ve only just begun . . . because we’re global and UNSTOPPABLE! About Global Chamber®: We are a growing and collaborating community of CEOs, executives and leaders in 525 metro regions around the world, everywhere! We connect member firms to new opportunities while advancing business growth, regional progress and success.

Doug Bruhnke is the founder and CEO of Global Chamber®.

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Managing Your Career with a 100+ Year Life

by Doug Bruhnke, Global Chamber®

Recently, we were honored to speak with Teresa Martín-Retortillo, executive president of executive education at IE Business School, a member University based in Madrid and expanding around the world.

It was a WOW! I hope you get the chance to see it on our site.

The discussion was based on the book The 100 Year Life: Living and Working in an Age of Longevity by Lynda Gratton & Andrew Scott. The basis of our discussion was that with people living longer, there are significant implications for managing your career and life differently.

• Did you know that a person born in 1987 has a 50-percent chance of living to 101 years old?

• That the average tenure for an executive in a given position is down to four years?

• That being a “centaur” and knowing your Adaptive Quotient (AQ) is critical to success?

• How can any of us have more impact to make a difference at work and in our lives?

• How can we leave behind the legacy we want, considering the elongated career?

• How do new career models impact the way we network, connect and get educated?

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Martín-Retortillo explains what the implications are of people living longer, and how you can make career adjustments to better take advantage of new opportunities. This new reality impacts your financial well-being throughout your life, what positions are likely best for you along the way, and what training and executive education will be best to meet your goals through life.

IE University strives to provide the very best training in management and business consultancy. It is for this reason that they created the “IE Experience,” sharing the real-life experience of an entrepreneurial and innovative school, making a real difference in the lives of students and professionals and executives in their programs.

We encourage you to understand and leverage the IE Experience to advance your success.

The IE Business School Executive Education mission is to provide tools to professionals with a lifelong learning mindset who seek growth at every stage of their careers. Their educational experiences are tailored to the needs of self-motivated individuals as they build the skills necessary to adapt to and thrive in an ever-evolving global landscape. Reach out to learn more.

Doug Bruhnke is the founder and CEO of Global Chamber®.

Global to Local Innovation Summit December 10th

by Mike Langley, Global Chamber Phoenix

Join us for a fast-paced and interactive discussion on developing the global business innovation ecosystem you need to succeed when your firm is based in Metro Phoenix, from technology to talent, exporting, financing, logistics and more!

We’re engaging attendees in this conversation on more ways to keep building the global innovation and growth ecosystem through high-energy talks and small-group discussions.

It’s a style of event that has worked in Southern California, so why not Arizona?

This is a collaborative event between Global Chamber® Phoenix and ENP Institute (Irvine, Calif.). It features keynote speakers, panels and groups of attendees connecting through breakouts and report-backs — with high-quality connecting.

Agenda – December 10, 2019 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. Gather & Connect 1:30 p.m. Start of Interactive Program 1:30 – 5:30 p. m. Keynotes and Discussions 5:30 p.m. End of Program 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. Reception www.globalchamber.org Mike Langley is deputy director of Global Chamber Phoenix.

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New Partnership Between KOMPASS and Global Chamber

by Rufiya Blank, Kompass NA

Reach higher and further! We’re pleased to announce a new partnership between Kompass North America and Global Chamber®.

The working relationship makes it easier for clients of Kompass to access Global Chamber® and vice-versa; members of Global Chamber® get a discount for the use of the Kompass database. Kompass is now offering a special discounted price to Global Chamber® members/ partners. Contact us.

With the Kompass Easybusiness Premium Subscription, Global Chamber® members can access information on 42 million B2B

Global Chamber partners with leading organizations around the world.

Pictured: CEO Doug Bruhnke with Steve Wozniak of Apple, Woz U and DesTechAZ.

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Global Chamber®

companies in more than 68 countries, with 40 million contacts and 56,000 products and services. Kompass can help businesses to: • Promote within the global marketplace; • Analyze global market sectors for potential opportunities; • Identify suppliers of products and services; • Identify potential clients, partners, agents and distributors; and • Identify and research competitors.

Kompass serves companies all over the world, whatever their size, to help them develop their business. Whether you’re a large corporation or a small business that wants to develop its local market or export its know-how abroad, Kompass puts a unique worldwide database at its clients’ fingertips with its prospecting assistance tools and direct-marketing solutions.

Assistance may be obtained with market analysis, sales mapping, targeting, internal database optimization, preparation of prospecting files, mailing and emailing. Kompass can support its clients’ marketing and sales goals at each stage of their business development. It’s a wonderful counterpoint to the warm introductions and other connections you get at Global Chamber® Kompass facilitates corporate decision-making. The emergence of the information society has greatly increased the role of collecting, processing and interpreting data all along the decisionmaking chain. The Kompass database is structured to constitute an especially high-performance tool for knowing the industries, the competition, the markets, the players and production. With Kompass Booster Advertising, Global Chamber® members will be able to advertise in 24 languages.

Kompass enhances visibility. With its worldwide scope, the quality and diversity of its content, the efficiency of its search engine and the pertinence of its business classifications, the new Kompass supports companies worldwide. Today, the Kompass.com platform and subscription solutions can offer effective solutions that enhance a company’s visibility on its sector of business and target markets, whether local or for export.

Access private and public tenders. Kompass Public Tenders is a new service that enables companies to find listings for their needs and promotes linking with professionals in their areas. With the Kompass Public Tenders platform Global Chamber® members can access more than 50,000 bids per day, more than 10 million per year, 145 languages detected, 1,700,000 purchasing entities throughout the world. The solution is based on the best worldwide tool search engine to find public procurements with more than 50,000 bids per day, more than 10 million per year, 145 languages detected, 1,700,000 purchasing entities throughout the world.

International Trade Update: US-China Trade War

by Mark Heusel, Dickinson Wright

Last month, trade delegations from China and the United States continued bilateral meetings in the U.S. capitol, and talk in Washington suddenly turned toward trade and friendly relations between these two great countries. Before long, the chief negotiators from the U.S. (Secretary of Treasury Steven Mnuchin and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer) and China (Vice-Premier Liu He) were headed to the White House for a meeting before the Chinese delegation returned to Beijing. In an almost anticlimactic announcement, after 18 months of uneasy negotiations, it was announced that the U.S. and China had reached an unpapered accord over many of the issues that separated the countries, including agricultural purchases, intellectual property, currency and foreign exchange, technology transfer and a lesser-known area of concern for the U.S., financial services.

The U.S. has outlined the key issues upon which the parties had reached an agreement in principle, and indicated that phase 1 of the deal would be finalized in writing over the next three to five weeks, and could be agreed upon as early as mid-November when the presidents possibly meet in Chile for a previously scheduled economic summit. The remaining issues could be dealt with in phase 2 or even a phase 3, but neither side seemed willing to commit to the details in any additional phases. This is what we do know about the deal reached in mid-October: • China has committed to increase its agricultural purchases to historic levels of $40-$50 billion.

• Intellectual property and technology transfer concerns previously leveled by the U.S. would be worked out in some regard in phase 1, but would likely not be finalized until phase 2. This suggests that more concessions are required by the China side, perhaps in exchange for the alteration, reduction or even removal of the ongoing additional tariffs on Chinese goods identified in tranches 1–3 (also known as the Section 301 tariffs) that have been in effect since July 2018. It also suggests that one of the main planks for U.S. tariffs to begin with has not been resolved and remains thorny — an area to certainly watch as the parties try to finalize a comprehensive trade deal.

• Tariffs on $250 billion of Chinese goods that were scheduled to increase from 25 percent to 30 percent will remain at 25 percent pending completion of the recent agreement. Tariffs that were to go into effect in December remain on the table but will likely be further delayed — or never be implemented — if the parties formalize their agreement.

• Currency and foreign exchange concerns are also in the deal, but no details were released. The U.S. previously designated China a “currency manipulator” and Mnuchin indicated separately that this designation may be removed upon a final agreement.

• U.S. financial service companies would have expanded opportunities in China, but details on this aspect of the deal were sparse as well.

• Reporters inquired about mechanisms of enforcement, Huawei, immigration and a host of other potential issues but, again, the delegations deferred on details, except to mention that Huawei would be dealt with separately.

Whatever the motivations of the trading parties, this recent announcement, while still not documented in a formal agreement, is an historic and significant shift toward a comprehensive trade deal. To avoid the problems of the past, it will be critical that the parties seize the momentum and avoid political pressures from their respective constituents to bring this deal to fruition. Geopolitical events such as those involving Hong Kong, Taiwan, the South China Sea, even the NBA, pose obstacles to a final deal as time ticks on; therefore, like all settlements, it will be incumbent for the parties to complete the deal before their enthusiasm is chilled by other forces. We will continue to update our readers as developments occur.

Mark Heusel is an experienced commercial business attorney at Dickinson Wright and serves as the chair of the firm’s China Practice Group.

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Grow Globally Fair PHX 2019 Wrap-up

by Doug Bruhnke, Global Chamber®

We completed the Grow Globally Fair PHX 2019, bringing together all the global business resources in the Metro, all together, one time per year. These are the best of the best. Thank you all!

Every year, we choose people and firms who do great work every time. We’re lucky to have these resources and more in our global tribe, helping exporters, importers and investors.

Exporter of the Year, Product • Master Electronics, President Riad Nizam — succeeding despite the impact of tariffs.

Exporter of the Year, Services • Skybridge — a unique way of exporting that helps e-tailers reach Mexico and foreign markets.

Importer of the Year • Mangat Group — importing a variety of goods amidst changes in worldwide sourcing.

Landed Company to Watch • Sojitz — a mega-global firm based in Japan with aerospace activities in Arizona so far.

Cross Border Consulting • Ramirez Advisors — successful at projects and cross-border business.

Transcendent Community Leader • Barry Wong — we appreciate Barry’s support, echoed by Senator McSally.

International Banking • Bank of America — Vince, Karen and Norm bring heart to a highly capable, international bank.

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International Business Law • Squire Patton Boggs — highly capable attorneys with more than 50 offices in 20 countries.

Immigration Attorney • Jessica Weiss / Weiss & Moy, PC — immigration skills to cut through a difficult system.

Diplomat of the Year • Laura Machuca Arroba — constructively bringing refugee issues into the conversation.

Translation and Localization • CommGap Communications — capability across languages with never-ending energy.

International Logistics • Expeditors — unique e-commerce and logistics solutions for Arizona exporters.

International Accounting & Tax • R&A CPAs — extreme expertise between the U.S. and Mexico, always ready to help.

International Finance & Insurance • General Southwest Insurance — led by Dave Binsfeld, a knowledgable, tireless globie.

Global Risk Management • International SOS — world’s leading medical and travel security risk services company.

International Talent & Payroll • Safeguard Global — global managed payroll and global workforce solutions.

International Real Estate Leader • Cresa — worldwide capabilities with a local, personal touch that makes a difference.

International Wealth Management • Global Wealth Strategies — thoughtful global strategies supporting clients.

International Business Coaching & Speaking • Gary Covert / Gary Covert Consulting — global reach with a strong track record.

International IT Services • RO Solutions / Necodex — ramping up to meet new app and development needs.

International Marketing • Executive Digital — global marketing solutions across a wide range of businesses.

International Education • Thunderbird School of Global Management — unmatched global business capabilities.

Collaborating Organization • Global Ties Arizona — collaborative events that make a difference

to participants.

International Non-Profit • Japanese Friendship Garden — big plans that will change JFG for the much better.

International Business City • Scottsdale — strong, landed results with a solid value proposition and evolving plan.

Globally Minded Elected Leader • Senator Kyrsten Sinema — a truly remarkable USGLC speech.

Young Global Leader • Ali Anderson — a passion to serve and strong capabilities to provide value.

Global Tribe Leaders of the Year • Debra Allen — champion for International Day of Peace, international portfolio.

• Doc Jones — tireless champion for AZ International Jazz day; another year of progress.

• Hugh Hallman — leadership in Kazakhstan and a global triber at a very deep level.

• Joanna Moore — aerospace and cross-cultural juggernaut who can’t be stopped.

• Kevin Hull — consistent cross-border capabilities and success; a banker to count on.

• Mike Patterson — top supporter and the easiest referral you can ever make; does it all.

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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

Canton Fair and Global Chamber Sign a New Cooperation Agreement

by Doug Bruhnke, Global Chamber® and Lucia Li, Canton Fair

Global Chamber® hosted Mr. Zhuang Hong, deputy director general of China Foreign Trade Centre, in Los Angeles to sign a new agreement of cooperation for 2020 and beyond. The two organizations have been collaborating for the past 18 months, and the memorandum of understanding furthers the relationship. Mr. Zuang Hong signed the agreement for the Canton Fair and Doug Bruhnke signed for Global Chamber.

“We have enjoyed sharing information for the benefit of our members about Canton Fair,” says Doug Bruhnke, founder and CEO of Global Chamber. “In addition to events on Canton Fair in Dallas, Detroit and Phoenix, we have been sharing information about the upcoming activities in Guangzhou regularly. We appreciate the opportunity to advance our collaboration.”

Canton Fair, or the China Import and Export Fair, is the largest trade fair with the largest scale, the most complete exhibit variety, the broadest distribution of overseas buyers and the greatest business turnover held in Guangzhou (Canton) China. More than 25,000 exhibitors and about 200,000 buyers will attend the fair at China Import and Export Complex. How big is it? We toured the massive Los Angeles Convention Center after we signed the agreement, and it turns out that the Canton Fair is eight times larger than the entire Los Angeles Complex. Massive!

Canton Fair was established in 1957. Co-hosted by the Ministry of Commerce of PRC and the People’s Government of Guangdong Province and organized by China Foreign Trade Centre, it is held every spring and autumn in Guangzhou, China. The Guangzhou International Convention & Exhibition Center (Canton Fair Complex, for short) is the largest modernized exhibition center in Asia. It is located in Pazhou Island, Guangzhou, China. Address is No. 380, Yuejiang Zhong Road, Guangzhou, China.

Very special thanks to Todd Cornell of Cultur668 and Global Chamber® Northern Colorado, who provided the professional bridge between the delegation from Guangzhou and all the people we met with during the day, including the Port of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Convention Center and the leaders at the office of the Mayor of Los Angeles. We also collaborated with Vlady Cornateaunu, who manages Canton Fair marketing on the West Coast.

Lucia Li is a manager at China Foreign Trade Centre (Group) in Guangzhou, China.

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info@globalchamber.org or (480) 595-5000.

Chairman/CEO Sponsors BMO Harris Bank Spencer Fane Bank of America Squire Patton Boggs Thunderbird School of Global Management President Sponsors Cresa BBVA Compass Bank Dickinson Wright American Express R&A CPAs Special Global Advisors Sanjeev Khagram, Thunderbird Hank Marshall, UK Honorary Consul in Arizona Melissa Sanderson, Freeport McMoRan Leila Aridi Afas, Toyota Michael Patterson, Spencer Fane Jimmy Douglas, Tesla Electric Cars David Farca, International Business Group 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 Global Marketing: Esteban Cepeda esteban@globalchamber.org

HEALTHCARE DECISIONS Open Enrollment & Healthcare Guide for Business

Informing Our Business Community on Healthcare Options

Enrolling all generations.

Open Enrollment Everyone deserves clinical expertise with humankindness. With your choice of doctors and specialists, you’ll be surrounded by people who truly care about you and your family’s health.

So this year during Open Enrollment, choose a plan that includes Dignity Health’s physicians and hospitals. Enroll in humankindness at dignityhealth.org/my-home/affordable-care-act.

HEALTHCARE DECISIONS

Employers Benefit from Price Transparency in Healthcare Employers as well as consumers have been pushing for price transparency in healthcare for some time, but now the idea is gaining momentum. Employers know price transparency can help their employees make informed healthcare decisions and, ultimately, better manage the cost of care.

Nationally, healthcare represents nearly one-fifth of the total gross domestic product, and the annual per-person cost of healthcare stands at $10,348, according to 2016 data from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. As the cost of care continues to rise at an unsustainable rate, employees are feeling the pinch in the form of higher premiums and deductibles. The same is true for employers that must carve out a bigger line item for healthcare in their annual budgets.

The irony is that patients are largely in the dark when it comes to the cost of care.

They don’t know that healthcare providers bill different insurance companies at different rates for the same services or that a CT scan in one location could be much less expensive at another facility a few blocks away. As long as they have insurance and their premiums are paid, they have come to accept the outof-pocket costs as “normal.”

When asked about their concerns with healthcare, nearly two-thirds of Americans say it’s too difficult to find out what

medical care costs, according to research presented by six U.S. senators sponsoring healthcare transparency legislation. There’s also the issue of cost vs. benefit. In some cases, the same lab and other services could vary in price. In other cases, unnecessary tests may be ordered and additional services provided, driving up the cost of care without necessarily improving the outcome.

A good example is the treatment of acute lower back pain. Evidence-based guidelines prove that for the vast majority of patients, such pain will resolve itself within 30 days without any medical action. Even so, an immediate reaction by patients is often to request an MRI or a procedure that has little to no measurable impact on their recovery.

That’s why giving employees an opportunity to comparison shop for healthcare is so important.

It starts with awareness — providing employees information about their healthcare plan options, including the services covered and the total and out-of-pocket cost of care.

Employee engagement also is critical. By getting regular check-ups, keeping track of medications and implementing wellness initiatives, employees can make a positive difference in their health and the cost of care.

Finally, physicians must be cognizant of the relationship between quality of outcomes and the cost of care. Research shows that while consumers do want price information,

they rely on their doctor when it comes to making most healthcare decisions. As such, physicians must understand the true cost of the care and operationalize this in their practices by eliminating duplicate services, openly discussing the cost of care — and safe alternatives — with patients.

Accountable care organizations can help by offering new health plan options to employers and employees, and helping physicians navigate a changing healthcare environment.

The idea is not to ration healthcare, but to help everyone along the healthcare continuum — from providers to patients — make the best, most cost-effective healthcare choices that yield the best results.

Employer often bear the cost burden of inefficiencies in employee healthcare. They can improve cost transparency simply by asking their health plan for a menu of choices and the cost of covered services, and arming employees with information and technology tools to help them take better care of themselves and evaluate the cost and benefits of care they receive.

Ed Clarke, M.D., is chief medical officer of Arizona Care Network (www.azcarenetwork. org), a physician-led and -governed accountable care organization that improves healthcare and reduces costs for patients in Maricopa and Pima Counties.

In Business Magazine’s Healthcare Decisions: Open Enrollment & Healthcare Guide for Business is a special section meant to remind company owners as to the options that are available in the individual marketplace open enrollment window, which is open through November 15, 2019. Open enrollment timing can happen throughout the year for company policies, but with the national window open during this time, we feel it is important to highlight various opportunities and list those groups offering plans and/or services. Using healthcare as a tool to build productivity through a healthy workforce is an advantage to business regardless of regulation and/or mandates, and it is becoming ever clearer that healthcare will be a focus for business owners and not simply an outsourced option as it has been in the past.

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HEALTHCARE DECISIONS Associations & Government Many associations and government healthcare services give specific information on policies, open enrollment dates and services provided that may help employers understand the many options. Below is a list of local organizations.

Arizona Dental Association 3193 N. Drinkwater Blvd., Scottsdale (480) 344-5777 azda.org Arizona Foundation for Medical Care 2700 N. Central Ave., Suite 810, Phoenix (602) 252-4042 azfmc.com Arizona Health Care Association 1440 E. Missouri Ave., Phoenix (602) 265-5331 azhca.org Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) 801 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix (602) 417-4000 azahcccs.gov

Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association 2800 N. Central Ave., Suite 1450, Phoenix (602) 445-4300 azhha.org Arizona Medical Association 810 W. Bethany Home Rd., Phoenix (602) 246-8901 azmed.org Arizona Pharmacy Association 1845 E. Southern Ave., Tempe (480) 838-3385 azpharmacy.org Maricopa County Medical Society 326 E. Coronado Rd., Phoenix (602) 252-2015 mcmsonline.com

Dental Insurance Getting the right coverage means truly investigating the best plans and supplemental plans. Here is a list of area companies offering dental insurance that have a great reputation and plan options for individuals and groups.

American Dental Plan 1645 E. Bethany Home Rd., Phoenix (602) 265-6677 arizdental.com Breslau Insurance & Benefits Paul Breslau 8362 E. Via de Risa, Scottsdale (602) 692-6832 breslauinsurance.com Delta Dental of Arizona 5656 W. Talavi Blvd., Glendale (602) 938-3131 deltadentalaz.com Matsock & Associates 2400 E. Arizona Biltmore Circle, Phoenix (602) 955-0200 matsock.com

Employee Benefits Consultants (many offer insurance) Using a consultant to work though options and the many plans can alleviate much of the confusion surrounding healthcare these days. We have included a list of brokers and firms that are reputable and have a tremendous amount of experience working with businesses to provide plans and ensure compliance.

Arizona Benefit Consultants, LLC 6245 N. 24th Pkwy., Suite 201, Phoenix (602) 956-5515 arizonabenefitconsultants.com

Connect Benefits 1818 E. Southern Ave., Mesa (480) 985-2555 connect-benefits.com

Benefits By Design 4500 S. Lakeshore Dr., Suite 300, Tempe (480) 831-7700 benefitsbydesignaz.com

FBC Services, Inc. 14201 N. 87th St., Scottsdale (602) 277-8477 fbcserv.com

Benefits Commerce Group 14300 N. Northsight Blvd., Scottsdale (480) 515-5010 benefitscommerce.com

Focus Benefits Group 4120 N. 20th St., Suite B, Phoenix (602) 381-9900 focusbenefits.com

Blue Water Benefits Consulting 7848 E. Davenport Dr., Scottsdale (480) 313-0910 employeebenefitcompliance.com

Health Insurance Express, Inc. Superstition Marketplace 1155 S. Power Rd., Bldg. 101, Mesa (480) 654-1200 healthinsurance-express.com

Breslau Insurance & Benefits Paul Breslau 8362 E. Via de Risa, Scottsdale (602) 692-6832 breslauinsurance.com

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Horizon Benefits Group 6245 N. 24th Pkwy., Suite 216, Phoenix (602) 957-3755 horizonbenefits.com

Individual & Group Health Insurance Knowing what plan is right for your employees and understanding who is managing that plan can make all the difference for your company. We have included below a list of reputable and experienced insurance companies, many of which you will be familiar with, that can guide your organization to the perfect group or individual plans.

Amenda Insurance Associates Ltd. 5046 E. Redfield Rd., Scottsdale (480) 284-6400 douglasamenda.com American Family Insurance (800) 381-6789 amfam.com Banner Aetn 8362 E. Via de Risa, Scottsdale (602) 692-6832 banneraetna.com Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona 2444 W. Las Palmaritas Dr., Phoenix (602) 864-4899 azblue.com

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HEALTHCARE DECISIONS

Moving Health Forward Together At Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona (BCBSAZ) we’ve learned a powerful lesson over the years — the best way to predict the future is to create it. And we’ve been busy doing just that — creating the future by moving health forward.

With 75 plus years of serving Arizona businesses and the nationwide reach of the Blue plans, we are putting our extensive insights, long-standing provider relationships and proven clinical results to work for businesses like yours: • Insights — through insights, we anticipate your employees’ health needs so they have a better health journey.

• Relationships — through our relationships, we are making healthcare services more effective and challenging the status quo in the way healthcare is delivered.

• Results — through a focus on results, we are taking actions that lead to improved quality of life and lower healthcare costs.

With a multigenerational workforce, pressure on medical costs, growth of new treatments and concerns about societal health, BCBSAZ is accelerating change so that we have better healthcare starting now.

Focus on What Matters to You We know that healthy employees lead to a more competitive benefit program for your company. That’s why we focus on helping your employees stay well and providing additional care to those who need it.

As the largest local insurance company in Arizona, we deliver health insurance products, related services and networks to more than 1.5 million customers.1 In a recent satisfaction study, 92% of those surveyed reported they were satisfied with our products and services.2 We offer: • Medical Plans — PPO or HMO plans with a wide range of deductibles, including high deductible health plans that work with a health savings account (HSA).

• Dental Plans — Standard plans include 100% in-network coverage for diagnostic and preventive services.

• Additional Products and Services — Life, short-term disability, long-term disability, critical illness, accident, cancer, COBRA services and a vision-savings program through Vision Care.3 A Partner You Trust Companies like yours need a partner leading the way, innovating, and creating that future, not simply reacting to it. BCBSAZ is that partner. We’re helping to create a future where people get healthier faster and stay healthier longer. That is a future we can all look forward to.

Better Healthcare Consumers 73% of consumers agree they could make better health decisions if they knew the cost of medical care before receiving

it.4 BCBSAZ has tools for members to help them manage their healthcare like never before. Our treatment timeline and cost estimator provides detailed information that your employees can use to make informed healthcare decisions.

1. Some plans are not offered or underwritten by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona.

2. The Customer Study and Group Benefits Administrator Study were conducted in 2015 by Thoroughbred Research, an independent research company.

3. Vision Care is not insurance, it is an independent company that provides discount eye services and products.

4. 2014 NerdWallet Health Study.

BCBSAZ is an Arizona nonprofit corporation and independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

AT-A-GLANCE Company Name:

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona

Local Phone:

(602) 864-5792

Toll-Free

(800) 232-2345 ext. 5792

Website:

azblue.com/ employersandorganizations

Established Locally:

1939

ADVERTISING PROFILE

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HEALTHCARE DECISIONS

Cancer Treatment Centers of America® Founded in 1988 on a personalized, patientcentered approach to cancer care, Cancer Treatment Centers of America® (CTCA) is dedicated to tailoring a combination of cancer treatments to the needs of each individual patient. From genomic tumor assessments to state-of-the-art technologies and evidenceinformed supportive therapies that target cancerrelated side effects, comprehensive services are delivered by a team of cancer experts.

CTCA® operates two Outpatient Care Centers located in North Phoenix and Scottsdale, which enables more access to more patients in a more cost-effective setting. The Centers will also offer the same integrative approach to oncology care available in the CTCA hospital setting, providing patients with access to a range of certified specialists in surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, as well as supportive therapies, such as meeting with naturopathic medicine, oncology nutrition, massage therapy and acupuncture, designed to help combat side effects and enhance quality of life both during and after treatment.

It is also launching a new telehealth platform and app that will offer virtual visits along the entire continuum of care — from pre-treatment consultations and post-surgical follow-up, to support well after treatment — making its patient-centered, personalized model of care even more accessible.

Additionally, effective April 1, 2018, CTCA was proud to be a contracted provider in Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona’s (BCBSAZ) statewide PPO and HMO networks, giving more patients who have BCBSAZ insurance through their employer access to personalized, patient-centered cancer care, with medical experts who focus only on cancer treatment.

“A cancer diagnosis is life changing, and patients deserve access to the most advanced, evidence-based treatment options available, delivered by a team of compassionate doctors who work hand in hand to provide the best possible care,” said Marnee Spierer, M.D., chief of staff and chief of radiation oncology at CTCA Phoenix. “I became a doctor to help as many people as possible, and with the expansion of our physical locations and

our relationship with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, our physicians and I have more opportunities to do just that.”

The Phoenix hospital and Outpatient Care Centers are part of the CTCA Comprehensive Cancer Care Network, which includes hospitals and Outpatient Care Centers in Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia and Tulsa. It employs accomplished physicians with decades of experience treating cancer. Additionally, these physicians work collaboratively throughout the CTCA Network and with the CTCA Cancer Institutes. The Institutes are comprised of nationally recognized subject matter experts who lead the coordinated development and delivery of disease-specific, evidence-based cancer care to CTCA patients.

AT-A-GLANCE Company Name:

Cancer Treatment Centers of America

Office Address:

14200 W. Celebrate Life Way, Goodyear, AZ 85338

Phone: Website: Top Plans:

(623) 207-3000 cancercenter.com CTCA is proud to participate in a wide network of insurance plans, including Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna and more.

ADVERTISING PROFILE

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Access to comprehensive cancer care should always be an option.

Your employees deserve the best.

That’s certainly true should they ever need access to comprehensive cancer care close to home.

At Cancer Treatment Centers of America® (CTCA) in Phoenix, we specialize in the treatment of just one disease: cancer. We use the latest diagnostic tools to identify the molecular composition of each patient’s unique cancer, then develop personalized treatment plans that help patients fight their disease, and provide integrative oncology services that help them manage side effects as they progress through treatment. This is precision cancer treatment delivered in a uniquely compassionate environment, now in three locations across the greater Phoenix area: Goodyear, North Phoenix and Scottsdale.

For more information about our services, please call 800 · 515 · 5603 or email employer-referrals@ctca-hope.com.

© 2018 IPB

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HEALTHCARE DECISIONS

Individual & Group Health Insurance (con’t.)

Bowman & Associates 216042 N. 32nd St., Bldg. A, Phoenix (602) 482-3300 bowmaninsurance.com Breslau Insurance & Benefits Paul Breslau 8362 E. Via de Risa, Scottsdale (602) 692-6832 breslauinsurance.com Cigna Multiple locations Valley-wide cigna.com Farmers Insurance Group Kara Anspach 7077 E. Marilyn Rd., Suite 125, Scottsdale (480) 998-8070 farmersagent.com/kanspach

Glass Financial Group 4455 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 260D, Phoenix (602) 952-1202 glassfinancialgroup.com

Reseco Insurance Advisors Todd Newton 7901 N. 16th St., Suite 100, Phoenix (602) 753-4250 resecoadvisors.com

HealthNet 1230 W. Washington St., Suite 401, Tempe (602) 286-9194 healthnet.com

State Farm Arizona Multiple agents Valley-wide (877) 331-8261 statefarm.com

Humana Health Insurance of Phoenix 20860 N. Tatum Blvd., Suite 400, Phoenix (480) 515-6400 humana.com

UnitedHealthcare 1 E. Washington St., Suite 1700, Phoenix (800) 985-2356 uhc.com

Hospitals Many of the healthcare providers listed below are part of specific networks or have created their own network to lower costs for businesses and individuals with the intent to provide all needed services for the patient.

Banner Ironwood Medical Center 37000 N. Gantzel Rd., San Tan Valley (480) 394-4000 bannerhealth.com/ironwood

Abrazo Arizona Heart Hospital 1930 E. Thomas Rd., Phoenix (602) 532-1000 abrazohealth.com

Banner Boswell Medical Center 10401 W. Thunderbird Blvd., Sun City (623) 832-4000 bannerhealth.com/boswell

Abrazo Arrowhead Campus 18701 N. 67th Ave., Glendale (623) 561-1000 arrowheadhospital.org

Banner Del E. Webb Medical Center 14502 W. Meeker Blvd., Sun City West (623) 524-4000 bannerhealth.com

Abrazo Central Campus 2000 W. Bethany Home Rd., Phoenix (602) 249-0212 phoenixbaptisthospital.com

Banner Desert Medical Center 1400 S. Dobson Rd., Mesa (480) 412-3000 bannerhealth.com/desert

Abrazo Maryvale Campus 5102 W. Campbell Ave., Phoenix (623) 848-5000 maryvalehospital.com

Banner Estrella Medical Center 9201 W. Thomas Rd., Phoenix (623) 327-4000 bannerhealth.com

Abrazo Scottsdale Campus 3929 E. Bell Rd., Phoenix (602) 923-5000 paradisevalleyhospital.com

Banner Gateway Medical Center 1900 N. Higley Rd., Gilbert (480) 543-2000 bannerhealth.com

Cancer Treatment Centers of America at Western Regional Medical Center 14200 Celebrate Life Way, Goodyear (623) 207-3000 cancercenter.com

Banner Baywood Medical Center 6644 E. Baywood Ave., Mesa (480) 321-2000 bannerhealth.com/baywood

Banner Heart Hospital 6750 E. Baywood Ave., Mesa (480) 854-5000 bannerhealth.com

Cardon Children’s Medical Center 1400 S. Dobson Rd., Mesa (480) 412-5437 bannerhealth.com

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Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center 2946 E. Banner Gateway Dr., Gilbert (480) 256-6444 bannerhealth.com Banner Thunderbird Medical Center 5555 W. Thunderbird Rd., Glendale (602) 865-5555 bannerhealth.com Banner University Medical Center Campus 1111 E. McDowell Rd., Phoenix (602) 839-2000 bannerhealth.com

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

HEALTHCARE DECISIONS

Redirect Health Hiring and retention can hinge on a company’s healthcare benefits. But many businesses and their employees feel shut out of the traditional game by costs they can no longer afford.

Redirect Health provides an alternative solution for these businesses looking for a new edge in their marketplaces — an affordable and competitive way to use healthcare to attract and keep employees. They’re finding a better way — one their larger competitors have difficulty even considering.

How are they doing this?

Most health plans start with insurance products that only the high-wage-earners in a company can afford, especially when also considering rising deductibles and copays.

Redirect Health instead uses meaningful access to routine healthcare for the lowest-paid worker in the company as the foundation of every company’s health plan benefit. These companies are quickly learning this can be the beginning of their unique staffing strategy as well.

This new approach always starts with basic routine healthcare like primary care, labs, preventive services (like mammograms and colonoscopies), immunizations and even chiropractic care. And there’s never a copay or deductible blocking access to care for these services. It’s even convenient and free to speak with a primary care provider 24/7 in English or Spanish when needed, so employees always have an option besides driving to the urgent cares and emergency rooms or having to miss work unnecessarily.

Ideal for businesses whose

Only then are voluntary financial protection and payment solutions added to the plan to pay for the less frequent but more expensive services and hospitalizations that arise.

Sometimes these include traditional insurance products, but many times they include very good truly affordable alternatives.

Ideal clients for Redirect Health’s solution include small startups; landscape and software businesses; and businesses whose high turnover rate — such as with restaurants, construction and home health care — hinders their ability to grow.

As a company that uses healthcare strategy to create competitive recruiting advantages for small business, Redirect Health won “Gold” in the Small Employer Group category at the World Health Care Congress’s Health Value Awards in Washington, D.C., earlier this year.

Founded in 2013, Redirect Health has been simplifying the healthcare system and creating cost-efficient care for businesses around the country, with its services now available in all 50 states. For more information about Redirect Health, please visit www.redirecthealth.com.

employees and families can’t afford traditional insurance, deductibles. It’s an alternative solution for businesses looking for a new edge in their marketplace — an affordable and competitive way to use healthcare to attract and keep employees.

AT-A-GLANCE Company Name: Office Address:

Redirect Health 13430 N. Scottsdale Rd., Suite 200 Scottsdale AZ 85254

Phone: Website: Established Locally: Top Plans:

(888) 995-4945 redirecthealth.com 2013 EverydayCARE — $105 per month EverydayCARE Plus CHUBB EverydayCARE Plus Sedera EverydayCARE Premium Self-insured

ADVERTISING PROFILE

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HEALTHCARE DECISIONS Workplace Bundled Health Programs

Hospitals (con’t.)

Dignity Health Chandler Regional Medical Center 1955 W. Frye Rd., Chandler (480) 728-3000 chandlerregional.org Dignity Health Mercy Gilbert Medical Center 3555 S. Val Vista Dr., Gilbert (480) 728-8000 mercygilbert.org Dignity Health St. Joseph’s Hospital & Medical Center 350 W. Thomas Rd., Phoenix (602) 406-3000 stjosephs-phx.org Gilbert Hospital 5656 S. Power Rd., Gilbert (480) 984-2000 gilberter.com HonorHealth Deer Valley Hospital 19829 N. 27th Ave., Phoenix (623) 879-6100 honorhealth.com HonorHealth John C. Lincoln Medical Center 250 E. Dunlap Ave., Phoenix (602) 943-2381 honorhealth.com

HonorHealth Osborn Medical Center 7400 E. Osborn Rd., Scottsdale (480) 882-4000 honorhealth.com HonorHealth Shea Medical Center – Shea Medical Center 9003 E. Shea Blvd., Scottsdale (480) 323-3000 honorhealth.com Mayo Clinic Hospital 5777 E. Mayo Blvd., Phoenix (480) 515-6296 mayoclinic.org Mountain Vista Medical Center 1301 S. Crismon Rd., Mesa (480) 358-6100 mvmedicalcenter.org Phoenix Children’s 1919 E. Thomas Rd., Phoenix (602) 933-1000 phoenixchildrens.org St. Luke’s Medical Center 1800 E. Van Buren St., Phoenix (602) 251-8100 stlukesmedcenter.com Valleywise Health Medical Center 2601 E. Roosevelt St., Phoenix

In focusing on creating the perfect plan for your company, local providers offer direct benefits that your organization may rely on to ensure a strong healthcare program and policies for your employees.

Redirect Health 4 Valley locations (623) 334-4000 arrowheadhealth.com

Workplace Ergonomics Wellness includes how our bodies function in our work spaces, and is therefore greatly impacted by the physical elements of that space.

These businesses provide solutions, from chairs to desks to lighting — and beyond.

ESI Ergonomic Solutions 4030 E. Quenton Dr., Suite 101, Mesa (480) 517-1871 esiergo.com Ergoguys Products 5622 W. Orchid Ln., Chandler (602) 354-4190 ergoguys.com Goodmans Interior Structures 1400 E. Indian School Rd., Phoenix (602) 263-1110 goodmansinc.com

Workplace Wellness

Urgent Care Walk-in, face-to-face, brick-and-mortar urgent care facilities remain an important element in the healthcare system, even as virtual options expand.

There are many companies working to orchestrate alternative healthcare plans and consulting to customize healthcare benefits programs and policies for companies. These organizations below offer consulting, program development and direct care programs for businesses of all sizes.

Alliance Urgent Care 7 Valley locations (855) 887-4368 allianceurgentcare.com

NextCare Urgent Care Multiple Valley locations (888) 958-2128 nextcare.com

Absolute Health 8360 E. Raintree Dr., Suite 135, Scottsdale (480) 991-9945 absolutehealthaz.com

FastMed Urgent Care Multiple Valley locations (480) 545-2787 fastmed.com

Phoenix Children’s Urgent Care 4 Valley locations (480) 922-5437 phoenixchildrens.com/urgent-care

Healthcare Solutions Centers 4831 N. 11th St., Phoenix (602) 424-2101 hcsonsite.com

Urgent Care Extra Multiple Valley locations urgentcareextra.com

LifeCore Group P.O. Box 10264, Glendale (602) 235-2800 myhealthdividends.com

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Put healthier on your horizon.

Every Arizona business deserves big ideas.

As Arizona’s market leader in health plans,* we offer expansive coverage, proven options and so many innovative tools and programs, your path to healthier employees — and bottom lines — is wide open.

Innovative company. Healthier choice.

Explore your health plan options today. Visit uhc.com/azbusiness or call your broker to learn more.

*Source: HealthLeaders InterStudy [DRG] data supports ASO membership; FI and FEHBP based on statutory filings and SHCEs. 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. Facebook.com/UnitedHealthcare

Twitter.com/UHC

YouTube.com/UnitedHealthcare

MT-1180806 8/18 ©2018 United HealthCare Services, Inc. 18-9203 INBUSINESSPHX.COM

NOV. 2019

63

Embracing culture.

Empowering health.

Equality Health is the nation’s leading integrated health delivery system focused solely on improving care for diverse communities through culturally sensitive providers and programs that improve access, quality, and trust.

The new culture of care

64

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NOV. 2019

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Alexander, Philip, 22

DiGianfilippo, Melissa, 24

Holt, Peter D., 10

Martin-Retortillo, Teresa, 46

Pine, B. Joseph II, 31

Arce, Mike, 24

Dragon, Dana, 17

Hong, Zhuang, 52

Maurer, Andy, 42

Schwister, Rob, 34

Baugh, Adam, 17

Fallbacher, Kirk, 24

Johnson, Robert “Cole,” 24

McLane, Chuck, 10

Smith, Charlie, 40

Bensinger, Dana, 20

Fredette, Larry, 12

Johnston, William, 18

McMullen, Rodney, 38

Stanisic, Geoff, 24

Berg, David, 9, 24

Gilmore, James H., 31

King, Dan, 24

McNeil, David, 14

Trenk, Steven L., 14

Bill, Michael H., 10

Gitomer, Jeffrey, 31

Li, Lucia, 52

Medzelewski, Jack, 31

Weber, Bruce, 40

Blake, Brock, 16

Gunderson, Sean, 20

Loftin, Jon, 12

Monarth, Harrison, 30

Widdows, Matt, 11

Bruhnke, Doug, 44

Hall, Eli, 24

Lynch, Ron, 44

Pérez, Alejandro, 36

Wilson, Rob, 66

Butler, Tyler, 38

Heusel, Mark, 48

Manuel, Kenneth, 11

Pierson, John, 17

Wittekind, Paula, 33

11Eleven Consulting, 38

China Foreign Trade Center, 52

IE Business School, 46

Polsinelli, 51

Advanced Medical Pricing Solutions, 24

Cigna, 32

iTether, 20

Pragmatic Institute, 22

Agritopia, 18

Clover, 11

Jive, 6

Quarles & Brady, 37

AJ’s Fine Foods, 44

CTG, 20

JLL, 17, 19

Redirect Health, 9, 21, 24, 61

Alerus Financial, 34

Delta Dental, 39

Johnston & Co., 18

RLabs, 22

AMS Landscaping, 24

Desert Financial Credit Union, 23

Joint Chiropractic, The, 8, 10

RLH Corporation, 22

APS, 35

Dickinson Wright, 49

Joint Corp., The, 10

Serendipit Consulting, 12, 24

Arizona Commerce Authority, 7

Dignity Health, 54

Kompass North America, 48

Snell & Wilmer, 68

Arizona Diamondbacks, 67

DonorsChoose.org, 11

Kona Grill, 44

Tech-Holdings, 14

Arizona Small Business Development

Enterprise Bank & Trust, 8, 12

Kootenay Holdings, 18

UnitedHealthcare, 5, 63

Equality Health, 64

Kroger, 38

ValidCheck, 11

Evergreen Devco, 17

Law Firm of Alejandro Pérez, PLC, 36

Voodoo Daddy’s Steam Kitchen, 44

Feeding America, 38

Lendio, 16

Weber Group, 40

First Bank, 6

Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, 12

Wilson Companies, 66

15, 57

Fiserv, 11

Loud Rumor, 24

Withey Morris, PLC, 17

BlueBridge, 14

Fry’s, 38

MHM, 10, 13

World Wildlife Fund, 38

BMO Harris Bank, 41

George Oliver, 18

MJ Insurance, 10, 12

YC’s Mongolian Grill, 24

BOK Financial, 2

Gila River Hotels & Casinos, 11

Nash, 11

Burlington Stores, 12

Global Chamber, 44

National Association of Women

Cancer Treatment Centers of

Google, 3

Center, 33 Arizona State University Biodesign Institute, 17 Aston Martin, 43 Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona,

America, 58, 59 Canton Fair, 52 CBIZ, 10, 13 Chime Technologies, 22

Business Owners – Phoenix, 33 National Bank of Arizona, 33

Gurumaker, 30

Nationwide Realty Investors, 17

Harmon Electric, 24

Patti + Ricky, 43

Hillstone, 44 HomeSmart International, 12

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

CHECK US OUT

Paul Johnson Drywall, 24

Bold listings are advertisers supporting this issue of In Business Magazine.

/InBusinessPHX @InBusinessPHX www.inbusinessphx.com

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A CANDID FORUM

Rob Wilson is president of The Wilson Companies, whose affiliated firms include national employment solutions firm Employco USA, Inc..

Together, The Wilson Companies provide HR and insurance solutions to businesses throughout the United States.

Employco USA, founded

by Wilson in 1996, was recognized in Inc Magazine in 2015 as one of the fastest-growing companies in America.

Wilson, who received his Bachelor of Science in marketing from Bradley University, is a high-energy leader and an ambitious entrepreneur. He is frequently interviewed by news publications and is a sought-after public speaker. He has been quoted by Fox News, The Wall Street Journal and Forbes, among others, and was honored as a finalist for both Ernst & Young (Entrepreneur of the Year competition), and Business Ledger Magazine (Today’s Young Executive competition). thewilsoncompanies.com

NOV 2019

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BY

Performance Review – Useless Procedure?

The shift now is away from an annual review

by Rob Wilson

Evidence from a recent survey by Gallup (www.gallup.com/ workplace/249332/harm-good-truth-performance-reviews. aspx) and others has found that two-thirds of organizations feel their performance reviews are not effective. Described as “subjective and highly ambiguous,” performance reviews can be a very impactful tool when used appropriately, but, as this research shows, most companies say they are falling short of the mark.

As a response, some employers are eliminating the annual performance review. However, we don’t see that as a good solution for the vast majority of companies. Without an annual review — even if it’s just a compilation of more frequent ones — it’s very difficult for employers to work on merit pay increases.

So, there is a purpose to be served. Instead of ditching performance reviews entirely, therefore, companies need to rethink the way they approach this measuring stick and bring performance reviews into the modern era.

Modern performance reviews are largely based on the merit system used by the military in World War I - a system that has not grown adequately to suit the needs of today’s corporate structures. The original idea was, workers were so plentiful that poor performers needed to be identified from efficient workers so the former could be replaced and the latter promoted. This mentality is slowly dying as the labor market tightens up.

Employers are now more concerned with coaching poor performers instead of replacing them immediately. Annual reviews are less effective in this regard, since their primary purpose is to hold employees up to what is, typically, a quantitative standard rather than to assess granular performance and insert coaching opportunities.

That’s where frequent check-ins come in.

What is a frequent check-in? Think of frequent check-ins as microscopic evaluations. In this process, managers evaluate employee performance periodically throughout the year, not just at its end. Managers are checking in on employee performance as it happens, not giving a rating months later.

Employees can, and should, still set attainable goals for themselves each year related to their performance, but examining that growth annually may do them a disservice.

“Frequent check-ins, such as monthly or bi-weekly, allow employers the chance to nip any emerging issues in the bud and let employees receive coaching when it’s actually relevant.

Moreover, checking in with an employee more frequently can build a lasting rapport with the company and strengthen company culture.

To get started, employees should first develop a goal for themselves for the year. It could be related to performance or some other aspect that’s important to the company where they work, like growing a particular skill. Next, managers should schedule individual meetings at set intervals throughout the year to check in on the progress of the goals. The meetings are also an opportunity for employees to receive feedback in any areas where they’ve fallen short, such as not achieving a goal or milestone on time.

Frequent check-ins might not be the best option for every business, but having even a few meetings before an annual review could improve employee growth and rapport. These check-ins, which are often paired with a final annual review, show employees that their employer cares enough about their development to give them time to discuss it throughout the year. People, on average, spend around 260 days at work each year. It’s reasonable to assume employees would want their manager to take an interest in their development more than just once a year.

Modern performance reviews are largely based on the merit system used by the military in World War I.

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Because no two clients are ever the same.

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Understanding what makes you unique.® www.swlaw.com

JAMES P. MELENDRES | 602.382.6555 | JMELENDRES@SWLAW.COM SNELL & WILMER | ONE ARIZONA CENTER | 400 EAST VAN BUREN STREET | SUITE 1900 | PHOENIX, AZ 85004 DENVER | LAS VEGAS | LOS ANGELES | LOS CABOS | ORANGE COUNTY | PHOENIX | RENO | SALT LAKE CITY | TUCSON