November 2019 UPCOMING EVENTS A Letter From the President How can the Chamber help you have a great end to your year? • Make a holiday inventory list (and check it twice) • Preparation is your best friend this time of year. Once you are in the middle of the holiday crunch, you will be glad you took the time to list out everything you need to Martha VandeLeest get you through it. Remember to check out the Chamber’s November calendar and add those events to your list. • Keep your employees motivated (and happy!) • Even though festive cheer is the emotion of the moment during the holidays, it is not always easy to keep your team motivated and focused on ending the year on a high note. The stress of holiday preparations, social obligations and shorter days poses a challenge for business owners. An inattentive, distracted or downright exhausted staff makes it hard for everyone to concentrate on their work. • Keeping your team motivated is as simple as showing appreciation for all of their hard work. A recent study suggested that 86 percent of respondents feel motivated when they receive recognition for a job well done. There is no better time to tell your team how valuable they are than during the holiday season—after all, this time of year is all about giving thanks. Thank those employees – buy chamber cash, shop locally and show them how much you appreciate their efforts. • Give thanks to the people who make your business thrive • Holiday and office parties are not the only ways you can say thanks to those who keep your business humming. A little extra appreciation for your staff and customers goes a long way: Not just because it helps both groups feel appreciated, but also because it motivates employees & customers to stay engaged. • Think of a few inventive ways to give back, depending on your line of work. You will build brand affinity and loyalty, which is an investment that reaps dividends all year long. • The key to surviving the holidays is preparation and appreciation. Stay on top of your business by being organized and thankful by showing how important your community is to your company. Attend the chamber community events, send your staff and show support for Sheboygan County. In the Issue: President Update, Executive Update, Workforce Development Update, Coastal Young Professionals Network Update, Membership Update, Upcoming Events and What’s been happening…photo’s enclosed.
ATHE NA L ea d er s hi p Aw a rd s
11.7.19
ATHENA LEADERSHIP AWARDS LUNCHEON 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM
11.13.19
OUT FOR BREAKFAST with Deidre Martinez 7:30 AM - 8:00 AM
11.20.19
FOCAL POINT with Charlie Krebs 7:30 AM - 9:00 AM
11.20.19
BUSINESS AFTER HOURS WITH CARGILL MALT: AT CARGILL MALT 5:00-7:00 PM
HAVE A HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
11.27.19 - 12.2.19
SHEBOYGAN COUNTY CHAMBER CLOSED
Event Update sponsorship opportunities available. Please contact Scott Kuehn at scott@sheboygan.org for more information.
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from the desk of the executive director And just like that, the cold has moved in… As I complete my second full year serving the Sheboygan County community this November, I am thankful for the continued opportunity, the friends I’ve made along the way and a community that has embraced not only me, but also my family. We are really excited to begin the journey of our third year! This week we will have the opportunity to celebrate 17 Athena nominees from across Sheboygan County at the Annual Athena Leadership Award luncheon. This is such a wonderful event to bring together men and women who believe in the power of lifting women up. We hope you’ll be joining us, Thursday, November 7th at Blue Harbor Resort & Conference Center. Deidre Martinez
We’re also excited to have Charlie Krebs of Lakeland University, lead us in our final Focal Point of 2019, talking about “How to Teach Employees to Get Along and How Employees Getting Along Impacts the Work Climate on Wednesday, November 20 from 7:30 – 9:00 am in the Large Conference Room at the Sheboygan County Chamber of Commerce. As we roll into the holiday shopping season, remember the importance of shopping small and keeping our money in our local communities. We have so many wonderful shopping gems throughout Sheboygan County, so before you make that purchase online, get out there and explore your community. Keep your dollars local this holiday season! I am looking forward to finishing out another successful year, spending time with family and friends and eating way too much at holiday parties. I encourage each one of you to take some time thinking of all the wonderful things you have to be thankful for. Thankfulness helps us to acknowledge others intentions, makes us feel good and puts us in a positive frame of mind. This feeling of thankfulness isn’t just positive for your family and friends, but also can benefit you in business relationships. “Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you’ll never, ever have enough.” Oprah Winfrey
Newsletter sponsorship opportunities now available! Please contact Scott Kuehn at 920-918-1315 or scott@sheboygan.org for more information.
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UPDATE FROM Workforce Development The Workforce Development Symposium allowed participants to expand their focal points and gather information that is needed in an organization. This was a great opportunity for Educators, Human Resource Professionals, Executive Leadership and everything in between to come together and learn ways to prepare our organizations to embrace a changing workforce across generations. To start the day, Markus Brauer, a professor from the Department of Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison will be presenting “Effective Ways to Reduce Prejudice and Create an Inclusive Climate.” As Bauer states, “Many pro-diversity initiatives have one shortcoming: They don’t work! Reviewing empirical studies conducted by our and other research teams, I discuss effective ways to get people to develop positive attitudes towards members of other social groups and to engage in inclusive behaviors (in schools, organizations, and communities).”Wisconsin Secretary of Workforce Development, Caleb Frostman, also be participated to speak from the state level on employee retention and the workforce shortage we as a state are currently experiencing. Along with Secretary Frostman, Kelly Lietz, Vice President of Marketing and Brand Strategy & Rebecca Deschane, Talent Initiatives Director, both from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation spoke about their recent talent attraction strategies. Other presenters included Melanie Romas from Living As A Leader and Scott Schmidt from Scout-n-About.
UPDATE FROM Coastal Young Professionals Network The Coastal Young Professionals Network and the Sheboygan County Chamber hosted Coastal’s largest fundraiser event of the year - OktoberFeast 2019.This signature event held at the beautiful John Michael Kohler Arts Center served as a place for attendees to mix, mingle and sample Sheboygan County’s finest appetizers, entrees and desserts! Greg VanDemark, owner of Local Press Eatery, won the Best of OktoberFeast award with his braised short rib ragu slider with smoked Gouda fondue, balsamic onion jam and mixed greens. Greg VanDemark, Local Other participating restaurants include Bourbon Street Pub and Grill, Whisk Press Eatery Owner Paleo, Umi Sushi and Steak House, Texas Roadhouse, Parker John’s BBQ & Pizza, Legend Larry’s, The Plymouth Cheese Counter, Greece-e-Spoon, ARTcafe, Il Ritrovo and 3 Sheeps Brewing Company. The event also featured live music and entertainment by Tonic Roots. Thank you to the premiere Young Professional Network Sponsors: Sargento, Kohler and Johnsonville. Other event sponsors include Rockline, Johnsonville, Oostburg State Bank, CLA and Zimmerman Printing Company.
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News from THE DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIP DEVELOPMENT Wow, can you believe it’s November already? I can’t believe we’re having a white Halloween, and Christmas is fifty-five days away! Take a second to unpack those facts…ugh! As we look forward to November, I want to take time to remind all our members to review their business profiles and make sure your representatives listed are correct and current. If your list has changed at all, please login to your Chamber account and make the appropriate changes. Keeping your reps current will insure information will continue to flow without interruption. If you have any questions regarding this request, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I’d be more than happy to walk you through this short process!
Scott Kuehn
As this year continues to wind down, I’d like to review with everyone your membership benefits and involvement opportunities. Let’s maximize those opportunities for the remainder of this year, and start working on a checklist of things you’d like to accomplish through your membership in 2020. First and foremost, take advantage of advertising through Member News. At no additional cost, you can utilize a simple Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) I can send you to insert a jpeg of your choice, add an explanation, followed by contact information…done! It’s that simple and you can keep it posted for up to 30 days on the Chamber website. Below is a list of what I consider some of the “biggest bang for your buck” benefits when it comes to Chamber participation. • Complimentary Business After Hours events (food, beverages & networking) • Opportunity to participate in free Deep Dive 1.5 groups (structured referral program) • Focal Point workshops focusing on customer service, marketing and networking • Promote business through advertisement in Member2Member or The BUZZ • Free Job Postings on our website, which links to the SomeplaceBetter.org job board • Free promotion of your company’s business news (Member News section) • Place brochures/business cards in Chamber lobby • Free assistance with grand openings and ribbon cuttings • Complimentary subscription to Business News (New North Publication) • Chance to sponsor events (golf outing, awards gala, business expo) • As part of your membership you can participate in Peer-to Peer Business Roundtables (Nonprofit, Sales, Safety, Strategic Sourcing, HR Managers, Business Owners Success Strategy, CFO/Controller & Internal Control, Worksite Wellness, Marketing, Innovation Leaders) • Become an Ambassador for the Chamber Remember, the Chamber is a huge smorgasbord of opportunities. But in order to make the most of those opportunities, you need step up and participate. Don’t worry, the waters fine…come on in, you’ll be glad you did, because we are all #BETTERTOGETHER!
Newsletter sponsorship opportunities now available! Please contact Scott Kuehn at 920-918-1315 or scott@sheboygan.org for more information.
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October EVENTS RECAP
Member Orientation - October 3rd
Workforce Development Symposium October 8th
First Friday Forum with Senator Ron Johnson - October 4th
Countdown 2 Connect - October 16th
Business After Hours at Float Doctor - October 16th
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October ribbon Cuttings
Steimle Birschbach LLC - Pop-Up Shops - October 3rd
Sixty & Scentualities - October 9th
Home Instead Senior Care - October 19th
Kriete Truck Center - October 22nd
Local Press Eatery - October 24th
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sPeCiAL eVents
save the dates
1.23.20
2.20.20
ECONOMIC OUTLOOK BREAKFAST 7:30 AM - 9:30 AM
CHAMBER CHAMPIONS GALA 7:30 AM - 9:00 AM
4.18.20
COMMUNITY & BUSINESS EXPO 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
To register for these events and find out more information, Please visit Sheboygan.org
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