CHANTEL32
CHANTEL CHANTELOAKLEY OAKLEY OAKLEY
Prevent:
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Letter Editor FROM
THERE’S SOMETHING
about the dawn of a new year that makes us all pause and reflect. I’m not sure why, but I have a tendency to get stuck in this reflection nearly every year.
Because I’m surrounded by some wise women in my life, I sent out a random text to a few of them just hours before I was supposed to have this letter wrapped up for the first issue of 2025. I crossed my fingers and hoped they’d come through.
Of course, they did.
I texted this question: “So, I am writing my letter from the editor, and I am running on empty. What’s your best advice for the new year?”
“Be intentional,” one friend said. “Intentional when spending time with people you love, intentional with your time and energy at work. But, also intentional with your rest, your boundaries and making time for yourself.”
I know at least some of that advice is a game changer. I always choose a word of the year to serve as a kind of anchor for my life and my choices. One year that word was “invest.” I didn’t want to invest financially. I wanted to invest in relationships, in people, in experiences. Man, did that pay off in spades. I found myself thinking less of what I didn’t have and more about the blessings that I did, all because I made a point to surround myself with those I love.
Another friend lamented about how this time of year tends to focus on image. “Embrace who you are,” she told me. She shared how despite working out hard and eating well, she feels hers is not the body that’s represented as perfect by Hollywood’s standards. Despite that, she told me, “This is my body and it’s strong.” For the record, this woman is indeed beautiful.
One of my favorite pieces of advice that made my heart smile — “Life is too short to not do what makes you happy. So, have fun every day.”
For a while, I was trying to live by that wisdom. I had this routine. I’d wake up, get my morning coffee, look at my calendar and then write down three things that I had to accomplish that day — no more than three. Then, I’d write down a fourth thing that was purely fun. I considered it my reward for nailing my “to do” list. It could be a fancy coffee or something as simple as taking a walk to get some fresh air. It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you see something good at the end of your day.
One of my fierce friends responded exactly how I thought she would. “Love with all you’ve got,” she told me. I can tell you she practices what she preaches.
And lastly, one of my besties told me, “Focus on today, not yesterday, not what’s coming but on what you can do today.” I asked how that impacted her life and she followed up by saying, “By taking what is in front of me today, I am able to take the stress, anxiety and worry about what may happen tomorrow off my plate and give that to God.” Her words hit me. Very few of us live in the present. Maybe 2025 is my year to do that.
There were other tidbits, including: read more books, make gratitude a part of your life every day, volunteer for a cause you care about, try new recipes, plan an adventure, schedule that overdue health checkup, and whatever you choose to do, track your progress so you can celebrate your “wins.” All good advice.
If you’re struggling like me to find your inner focus as we enter the new year, maybe you can get energized by doing what I did. Send a text to some ladies you love and ask them for a little advice. ✻
Wishing you all the best in 2025!
Julie
Kimberlee Garcia Director of Sales and Marketing
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The Vault podcast puts a fresh spin on economic development
54 here to help you soar
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Building a business with passion
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s unshine Seeking Out
s unshine
RED LODGE GIRL USES RUBBER DUCKIES TO BOOST EMOTIONAL HEALTH IN KIDS
written by LAURA BAILEY photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN
THERE’S A DUCK FOR EVERYONE.
Last fall, eighth-grader Rylee Lammiman handed out small rubber ducks to her classmates at Roosevelt Middle School in Red Lodge. Each duck had its own style, and they came in every color of the rainbow. Some wore glitter. Others wore sunglasses. A few sported tiny brown cowboy hats.
“It’s a hard decision,” one sixth-grade boy said, picking up a colorful duck from the collection. “Maybe the clown, because that’s kind of who I am.” Then, his hand found a black duck painted up like a ninja, and he said, “Nope. This one is mine.”
Each duck doled out had a role. It was part of Seeking Out Sunshine, a small nonprofit that was started by 14-year-old Rylee and is dedicated to enhancing the mental health of middle schoolers in her community. Once a duck is adopted, she encourages her classmates to use them to find a sunnier outlook.
“It helps to have a little break, and we do that through duck dating where kids can win prizes for healthy behaviors,” Rylee says.
Seeking Out Sunshine, or SOS as Rylee calls it, provides the ducks and finds creative ways to take the ducks on a fun and playful date. It could be as simple as taking your duck on a walk, eating a healthy snack with your duck or creating a fun playlist and then jamming out with your duck. Rylee came up with 15 duck date suggestions, all of them aimed at fostering a healthy lifestyle.
The reason why Rylee started SOS stemmed from her own battles.
“I have my own struggles, and I wanted to help kids in middle school because I know kids in middle school have a tough time,” Rylee says.
Rylee has Dysautonomia. The disease affects the autotomic nervous system, which is responsible for many of the body’s dayto-day functions including digestion, circulation and heart function. Rylee was diagnosed at age 12 after dealing with a variety of seemingly unrelated symptoms for several years.
“It’s exhausting and takes a lot of effort to make it through the day,” Rylee says.
Constant nausea has her needing to eat frequent, small meals, and she will sometimes step out of class when she’s not feeling well. Vertigo keeps her from taking the stairs when they’re crowded. She deals with daily migraines, and due to joint hypermobility, she wears braces when playing sports or to help get through the day. There isn’t a cure, but Rylee has made major lifestyle changes to help manage her illness. She’s being treated by specialists at the Mayo Clinic.
“It’s really lonely,” Rylee says. “You feel like you’re by yourself all the time.”
The idea to start SOS came after Rylee and her parents had dinner out at a local restaurant where kids took turns winning colorful rubber ducks from a claw machine. Rylee and her mother, Allyson, brainstormed ways that those same ducks could make a difference for kids her age.
“We just want to add a little joy into their lives,” Allyson says.
Later that night, Rylee designed the SOS logo, and everything took off from there. Within a few months, she launched SOS at her middle school. Although SOS is just getting started, Jason Reimer, the principal at Roosevelt Middle School, is optimistic that it will catch on.
“Any time you have things that are student-led, they’re going to
I HAVE MY OWN STRUGGLES, AND I WANTED TO HELP KIDS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL BECAUSE I KNOW KIDS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL HAVE A TOUGH TIME.
— Rylee Lammiman
grab the attention of their peers more than just listening to another adult,” he says. “I love it when kids step up and take initiative like Rylee has.”
Last summer, Rylee did some fundraising to help purchase prizes and create T-shirts and stickers to support the mission. It’s her goal to expand SOS to other neighboring middle schools. She plans to run the program while she’s in high school.
For Rylee, it’s a gift to see fellow students upload photos and videos of their duck dates on social media or share them via email. Every photo equals an entry into the monthly SOS raffle. While the project is voluntary, almost every student in sixth through eighth grade handpicked a duck last October.
These days middle school students face a whole host of stressors. There’s a new school schedule and new expectations from parents and teachers. Their communication and social skills are put to the test, and they can often face peer pressure, bullying and isolation. All that can easily lead to anxiety and overwhelming feelings of sadness. Rylee hopes that by handing out one colorful little duck, it will provide a playful break, building confidence and a sense of community along the way.
“SOS has been an escape for me and something to put my mind on,” Rylee says. “I don’t know who gets more out of it, the kids or me.” ✻
LAURA BAILEY, writer
Laura Bailey is a Red Lodge based storyteller with more than 20 years experience. When she's not tapping away on her keyboard, chances are she's off on an adventure with her family or starting another DIY project. You can find her online at www.penandlight.com
To follow SOS, search Seeking Out Sunshine, on Facebook or find them on Instagram at seekingoutsunshinerms. If you’d like to send a message of encouragement or make a donation, you can email Rylee Lammiman at seekingoutsunshinesos@ gmail.com.
Sparking Sparking GOO and and
WHEN CHANTEL OAKLEY looks at her life and how her experiences put her on the road to becoming a fitness guru, she smiles and says, “God doesn’t waste anything.”
There was a time in her life when her mental state was so dark, she literally had to pick herself off the floor.
“I look back on that season and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy,” Chantel says. “I can see now I was in a pretty deep depression. I wasn't aware enough to acknowledge it then. I struggled with a lot of anxiety, which I kind of have my whole life.” Today, she knows, there was a reason for it all.
“I am actually so thankful because I can offer some encouragement and hope to others,” she says.
The start of that dark season began when she was just 8 years old. Being an ’80s kid, she says, “The diet culture was so intense, so unhealthy and so bad.” She points to the waif-like women who led the fitness industry at the time. “Man, we are just sponges, we pick up on everything.” She says it led to what she calls a disordered relationship with food. “I decided that I didn’t like the way I looked. I wasn’t going to eat all my food and I was going to exercise a lot. It became this really obsessive thing.”
She struggled with that obsession all the way into her 30s.
“It’s so deeply embedded and psychological,” Chantel says. “It’s really hard to break out of that.”
Today, as the owner of Chantel Oakley Fitness, she’s on a mission to help women of all ages feel confident in their own skin.
“I bet I could count on one hand the number of women I've worked with who do not struggle with poor body image,” she says.
Fitness wasn’t Chantel’s original plan. She went
Joy Joyd health Body Confidence Body Confidence
CHANTEL OAKLEY WORKS TO BRING OUT THE BEST IN OTHERS
written by JULIE KOERBER photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN
to Rocky Mountain College to play basketball and got her degree in elementary education. But, after graduation, life put her on a different path. She was married by the age of 20 and had her first son by 24.
“Teaching never ended up fitting into the equation,” she says about a career in elementary education. “My dad was really great about showing me how to put myself out there and find opportunities.” Opportunity presented itself when she asked to teach fitness classes at the YMCA.
“They hired me and trained me, and they felt like I had enough of a personality and people skills that I would be a good fit,” Chantel says. “I fell in love with it.”
By the time she hit her 30s, she had three sons and was moving full steam ahead.
“I was teaching 11 classes a week,” everything from kickboxing and bootcamp to strength training. “I was president of the PTA at our school and was highly involved in our church,” Chantel says. On the outside, it looked like she had it all together. On the inside, however, “I was getting sick probably every six to eight weeks, needing to get on antibiotics. I had a level of fatigue, and it wasn’t getting better.”
Stress Syndrome,” by James Wilson. She soaked up all the book’s advice, from creating a better sleep routine to lowering her intake of sugar and processed foods.
“I got brutally honest about the things that I was allowing into my life,” she says.
She knows there are many women today who struggle in the same way and have no idea what to do about it.
“It’s rampant,” Chantel says. “You think about the number of things that we, as women, carry on our shoulders? We have a lot on our shoulders.”
By the time Chantel had her fourth son, she had learned a very powerful lesson.
GREAT STRENGTH AND RESILIENCY CAN COME FROM PAIN AND HARDSHIP.
— Chantel Oakley
She knew enough about health to know that with her lifestyle, none of this should have been an issue.
“The tipping point for me was I had gotten up one morning to get my kids ready for school and I passed out in the bathroom,” Chantel says.
When her family doctor failed to find anything wrong, she turned to a naturopath. “She told me, ‘You check off every single symptom of adrenal fatigue,’” Chantel says. It took her 18 months to heal from the burnout.
During that time, she read the book “Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st
“Great strength and resiliency can come from pain and hardship,” she says. “I suffered three miscarriages in my 20s, which was really hard and painful. This bout of adrenal fatigue was hard and painful. And then, my fourth son, when he was about 2 months old, we came within hours of losing him.” At the time, her son was critically ill and doctors didn’t immediately know why. “As a newborn, he had lost four pounds in three days.”
She remembers lying curled up on the hospital’s chapel floor as a friend consoled her. Soon after, her family put out a call to have friends come to the hospital to pray over their son.
“It was really hard and traumatic and dark and yet there were some beautiful things that came out of it,” she says. The moment marked a turning point in her son’s healing. Doctors realized he suffered from a rare protein disorder called F-PIES or food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome. It’s a food allergy from cow’s milk, soy, rice and oats. In this case, it was Chantel’s breast milk that was making her son critically ill.
“There is always purpose behind hardship and loss,” she says. “It
Century
doesn’t mean that we need to be toxically positive, but we can still draw hope when things seem dark and dire.”
She kept reflecting on the phrase, “God doesn’t waste anything,” and realized that instead of ignoring those moments in life that might have been painful, she could use them to strengthen others.
“I thought, I’m drawn to fitness, so I know this is going to be my platform and foundation for how I am going to help people find healing in their life,” she says. Today, at 44, she’s built an entire program on the concept.
“There are two schools of thought,” she says. “There is the mind-body theory which says what your mind thinks, your body will follow. I think there is some truth to that.” But Chantel believes even more strongly that the body can affect the mind. “If you just start moving your body, your mind will follow,” she says. “I think that’s true and I have seen it over and over.”
She shares the story of one man in his early 20s who started coming regularly to her classes at the Y.
“He struggled with depression and he was on medication,” she says. “He kept showing up and was quite the personality. He really got into it and he started to lose some weight and gain some confidence. He made some really good friendships at the gym.” Eventually, she says, “He was able get off his anti-depressants and did a complete 180 in his life.”
Chantel watched as another woman in her late 50s, who was pre-diabetic, reversed her numbers to the point that medication was no longer necessary.
“She lost some weight and went down a few percentages in body fat,” she says. “She’s feeling really strong and really confident. It’s changed her life, and I got to be a part of it.”
And then, there’s 41-year-old Shannon George, a fourthgrade teacher at Meadowlark Elementary who, Chantel says, poured everything she had into her students and her family.
If you ask Shannon, she was what many would consider a picture of health. She had competed in Spartan Races and completed a few half marathons but kept suffering injury after injury. When she sought out Chantel’s help as a wellness coach, she was in the middle of physical therapy.
“I asked her, ‘What would it look like for you to receive a little more grace?’” Chantel says. Turns out, Shannon was over-train-
How did you decide on the concept of your business and what makes it unique?
We both see the long term effects of obesity and how devastating it is on overall health. We want to take a more holistic approach to sustainable weight loss. Understanding that each person is unique.
What is your best advice for those coming to see you at your practice?
Make sure we are a good fit for you! This is a process that takes time and commitment. Having practitioners that you trust, and that you can be open and honest with aids in the success of your weight loss journey.
Tell us about your background and healthcare experience.
Annie: I have worked as a nurse on the Cardiac floor, medical surgical, pre and post operative surgery, family practice clinics. The last three years I have been a nurse practitioner in Geriatrics.
Marji: I have worked as a nurse in family medicine, ortho/ trauma and geriatrics. My nurse practitioner experience has been in geriatrics for the past 4 years.
EXERCISE CAN BE AS EFFECTIVE AS MEDICATION FOR MILD TO MODERATE DEPRESSION, WITH A POTENTIAL 20-30% LOWER RISK OF DEPRESSION FOR THOSE WHO ARE PHYSICALLY ACTIVE.
SOURCE: NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
ing and not letting her body rest.
Chantel changed up Shannon’s workouts and gave her nutrition advice, along with some help with meal planning.
“I lost over 15 pounds and I’ve been able to keep it off,” Shannon says. “I was able, through training with her, to actually quit physical therapy. She’s such a positive person, so encouraging. And her laugh, it’s contagious.” Shannon has been injury free for over a year and she competed in two half marathons last summer.
“She stopped being so hard on herself, which is probably the thing I am most proud of,” Chantel says.
Over the years, Chantel has shared that positivity with young athletes at the NBC Basketball Camps, leading their fitness program and collaborating with Nike Sports to do it.
As a former collegiate athlete, she has a soft spot for young female athletes.
“Statistically, female athletes eat about 50 percent less in calories than what their body needs to perform,” she says. “And so, I am pretty passionate about encouraging girls to think of food as fuel for their bodies.” She tells them to go easy on themselves. “The amount of pressure they experience is just so intense and I don’t see it lessening.”
Last summer, she ran a 12-week program called “Girl, You are Strong,” which targeted 10- to 12-year-old girls and focused on combatting negative body image, eating healthy without guilt or shame, managing stress and keeping an eye on mental health cues. The goal was to affect young women during their formative years.
“I think it established a core memory within them,” Chantel says, “that their worth is not
CHANTEL TRAINS CLIENT SHANNON GEORGE
Back in 2022, when Chantel’s business was gaining steam, her brother who lives in Los Angeles called her and told her she should think about making a trip out that following January for the LA Fit Expo.
“It’s the West Coast’s largest fitness exhibition,” Chantel says. “They will have 65,000 people in a weekend going in and out. The show gives you an idea of what’s going on big picture within in the fitness industry.”
So, she went.
“Do you remember Billy Blanks TaeBo? I was obsessed with his videos in high school,” Chantel says. “I walk into the Expo. My brother sees him and says, ‘Chantel, you should go over and introduce yourself.’” She did, and after chatting for a while, Billy asked her, “Would you ever want to do this?” Chantel laughs as she says, “I have learned if someone asks me if I want an opportunity, I just say yes.”
Billy ended up introducing her to Angela Davies, the woman who books every aspect of the Expo.
“Chantel messaged me after the event and said I'd really like to get more involved,” Angela says. The two kept in touch and by the time the Expo rolled around that following year, Angela found herself without an emcee for one of their stages. She called Chantel. “I said, ‘You know, you would be an amazing host.’ The host has to think on the fly and create energy.”
“I'd never emceed before,” Chantel says. “I was like, ‘Yeah, I can do it!’ I started watching a bunch of videos before I flew down that January. I introduced celebrity trainers to come on stage. I got to run panel discussions. I got to work with Billy Blanks a few times.”
Aside from products and new fitness trends, the show features fitness influencers and celebrity trainers — trainers like Brad Bose, who worked with Robert Downey Jr. for his role as Iron Man, and Cory Calliet, who was Michael B Jordan’s personal trainer for all three “Creed” movies.
Since then, Angela has called on Chantel in other ways. When Angela needed a series of videos produced for a new type of fitness called Yoga Fit — a workout that meshes yoga with strength training
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
have the conversation and risk the potential rejection. You learn how to not take it personally and then you dust yourself off.”
CHANTEL WITH HER SONS AND HUSBAND. L TO R TOP: BROOKS, CHANTEL'S HUSBAND, NATE, CHANTEL AND PEYTON. FRONT: RHYS AND MCLAIN.
— who did she ask? Chantel.
“I got certified and ended up doing instructional videos for the company’s yoga instructor network,” Chantel says, noting that the platform serves more than a quarter million instructors worldwide.
“When you dig deeper, she understands how the human body works and she’s got this ability to be the front person of a brand,” Angela says.
Chantel also sought out master training for the company Two8 Bandz, which produces resistance training bands. After she finishes training, she says there’s a chance she’ll be traveling to put on training sessions all over the country. She’d also be a featured trainer on their app as well.
Is she shocked that she turned one serendipitous trip to L.A. into a whole new career path? Is she surprised that she’s found purpose in her pain and is using it to help others? She simply smiles and says it’s all about “doing life scared.”
“It’s just a matter of putting yourself out there,” she says. “You
She learned to “do it scared” after going to a faith-based summit where she listened to a speaker who did one thing that made her scared every day for 100 days. The talk changed her.
“Her whole point was, rather than ask yourself what’s the worst thing that can happen, ask yourself, what’s the best thing that could happen,” Chantel says. “So, I started doing that. What’s the best that could happen? Go talk to Billy Blanks. What’s the best thing that can happen? Say yes, I’ll emcee this stage. It’s way more fun this way.”
Back at home, she keeps a busy schedule training clients. She also started the technology consulting firm SanoVita to help businesses in the fitness and wellness industry be a little more tech savvy in their day-to-day operations. She’s currently helping the YMCA in Billings put the finishing touches on a brand-new app to streamline all their programs and challenges.
At the end of the day, however, her biggest joy comes from walking alongside people wanting to live healthier lives and using her own experiences to enrich others.
“We’ve got one life to live, so let’s make the most of it,” she says. “We are capable of so much more than we give ourselves credit for. I like finding opportunities to help people see that in themselves.” ✻
TO LEARN MORE about Chantel and how she helps others through fitness, visit chanteloakley.com
KATHY STEVENS (FAR LEFT) AND ANGELA DAVIES (FAR RIGHT) OF THE LA FITEXPO WITH CHANTEL AND BILLY BLANKS
CHANTEL INTERVIEWS MATTHEW JANUSZEK, CEO OF ESCAPE FITNESS
BROOKE FORSYTHE knows the statistics. Six out of 10 nurses experience burnout on the job. This goes beyond the average toll of stress or fatigue. It’s emotional, mental and physical exhaustion. She also knows what’s at the heart of it all.
“For me, as a nurse for 20 years, I know we just put a shield over ourselves,” Brooke says. Besides being an R.N., Brooke is a mentor for new nurses and a charge nurse in St. Vincent Regional Hospital’s Oncology Department.
“We’ve been taught not to show our emotions,” she says. As a result, she adds, “I think we show up at the hospital as our best selves and when we get home, we show our worst selves to our family. We put on the stoic face, but we are mentally exhausted.”
When you pair that with 12-hour shifts, constantly changing schedules and the fact that the profession is staring down a shortage of roughly a half million nurses nationwide by 2026, “It’s a mental struggle,” Brooke says.
It’s why she’s not only pointing her career down a new path, but she’s written a book to be a source of light for others. The book, “Dispensing Pills, Popping Pills: My Life as a Nurse & Psychiatric Patient,” was released last May. It’s a raw look at Brooke’s personal life dealing with anxiety, depression and the weight of the job. Brooke knows every healthcare professional who has ever felt their career weighing down their mental health will relate to the stories she shares.
The cracks in Brooke’s psyche began at the age of 27. Her parents were going through of a divorce, one she says she didn’t quickly recover from.
“At the time, I just felt defeated,” she says. She was used to having that family unit to lean on when her job got tough. Seeing it in shambles, she says, “It ruined me.”
Like many of her fellow nurses, she kept a lot of those emotions tucked away.
“Things just erupted,” she says, and after that came the suicidal thoughts. “The first thing? I got a prescription. Honestly, I think I just needed someone to talk to at that point.” She went years trying different prescription cocktails to help boost her mood.
LIFE IS SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT HAPPINESS AND POSITIVITY. I WAS LIMITING MYSELF WITH MY NEGATIVE EMOTIONS. ONCE I TURNED THOSE AROUND AND DID SOME POSITIVE SELFTALK, THE WORLD CHANGED. I WAS TRANSFORMED.
— Brooke Forsythe
“I think they helped for a little bit, until they didn’t,” Brooke says. “I didn't see anybody for counseling for eight years. Instead, I came on and off 18 different medications. That’s where I think healthcare is failing. We are prescribing pills to people when all some need to do is talk about what they are going through.”
As a way to deal with her thoughts, she started a blog. She never really expected anyone to read it. But, after about two years, a
colleague told her how helpful it was and urged her to write a book.
“She told me, ‘I think this needs to get out there to help healthcare workers in general.’” Brooke says she took the woman’s advice. “It was very hard to write because I put myself out there, but I know that’s what you have to do for people to relate and get the confidence to talk about it.”
She dedicated the book to all the nurses and caregivers who put their whole heart into their work. While the book outlines the heartache endured on the job, Brooke also delivers a strong message about the power of positivity.
“I woke up one morning and realized that this is not what life's supposed to be,” she says of the stress she often brought home with her. “Life is supposed to be about happiness and positivity. I
NURSES THESE DAYS ARE DEALING WITH SUCH CATASTROPHIC CASES. YOU NEED TO GO IN WITH YOUR WHOLE HEART, JUDGEMENT ASIDE, AND JUST TREAT EACH PERSON WITH KINDNESS AND POSITIVITY.
— Brooke Forsythe
was limiting myself with my negative emotions. Once I turned those around and did some positive self-talk, the world changed. I was transformed.”
During the course of her career, she’s seen how dramatically nursing has changed. Patient ratios are going up she says, and so many of her patients are in critically poor health.
“Nurses these days are dealing with such catastrophic cases,” she says, and if you dwell on that, it can wreck you. “You need to go in with your whole heart, judgement aside, and just treat each person with kindness and positivity.”
For the past few years, Brooke has focused on teaching the new nurses she mentors how to live in the present moment with every patient. She urges nurses to slow down, listen to their patients and learn how to deal with the loss tied to cancer care.
It wasn’t too long ago that Brooke’s floor witnessed three deaths in just one shift.
“People were emotional. You could just feel
the energy being sucked from us,” she says, adding that she’s learned how to turn this energy around. “You tell them it is okay to grieve. You help each other out. Ask a fellow nurse, are you OK?” Brooke says.
Today, Brooke works part time at the hospital. The rest of her week is spent as a nursing coach.
“It’s a new revelation in healthcare,” she says. “It’s body, mind and spirit.”
A nurse coach is a registered nurse with additional training to help clients from a holistic point of view. Brooke works one-on-one helping others make lasting lifestyle changes that will ultimately impact a person’s health. “We listen to them, talk about the present and what their future goals for their health look like. We lift them up.”
While she loves coaching wellness, she isn’t ready to stop working in traditional healthcare yet. She knows she can help her fellow nurses embrace
change there too.
Recently, a younger nurse approached her after getting a hold of her book.
“She told me, ‘To know you feel this way makes me feel so much better about myself. You are one of the strongest nurses. Now, I know I can just talk to you.’”
It was one of the best compliments she’s received.
“Vulnerability should be shown as a strength,” Brooke says. “We should be talking about what happens during our day. Our stories need to be known.” ✻
YOU CAN FIND Brooke Forsythe’s book, “Dispensing Pills, Popping Pills: My Life as a Nurse & Psychiatric Patient,” on amazon.com To learn more about her wellness coaching, you can visit forsythewellnesscoaching.com
New Life,
New Life, h ealthy h eart
BUSY RN BEATS HEREDITARY HEART DISEASE
written by LAURA BAILEY photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN
CHERISH DOWNING and her two sons have a longstanding wintertime tradition. Every year at the end of December, they visit Wild Bill Lake near Red Lodge to celebrate her youngest son’s birthday. They all look forward to the trip, but last year, Cherish could only watch as her boys, Fisher, 9 and Lucas, 12, threw snowballs, built snow forts and played in the snow.
“I couldn’t do anything,” Cherish says. “I just had to sit on the side. It was depressing. It was not any quality of life.”
In 2020, Cherish was diagnosed with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM). For years she dealt with high blood pressure, chest pain and extreme fatigue. Any exertion, even walking from the parking area to the lake, was difficult, but this year, thanks to Billings Clinic Cardiologist and Certified Heart Failure Specialist Dr. Juan Pablo Rodriguez, Cherish didn’t have to sit back and watch. She jumped right into all the fun activities with her boys.
HOCM is a hereditary disease that causes the heart muscles to thicken. In Cherish’s case, it restricted blood flow from the left ventricle. It limited oxygen supply to the rest of her body, and caused shortness of breath, chest pain and fatigue. Untreated, HOCM leads to heart failure and can cause sudden cardiac arrest.
“I was feeling a lot of uncertainty,” she says. “I wasn’t even thinking about me. I was thinking about my kids.”
Because HOCM is hereditary, her sons have a greater likelihood — almost 50 percent certainty — of developing the disease.
“I went on every medication you can possibly think of all the way through 2023,” she says.
Eventually, the cardiologists she was seeing told her they had run out of options, and she should learn to live with the disease. But Cherish wouldn’t take no for an answer. That’s when she sought out Dr. Rodriguez.
“He was the first one to say, you don’t have to live like this,” Cherish says.
HOCM AFFECTS ABOUT 1 IN 500 ADULTS WORLDWIDE, OR 0.2 PERCENT OF THE POPULATION. HOWEVER, IT'S PROBABLY UNDERDIAGNOSED, AND ESTIMATES SUGGEST THAT IT MAY AFFECT AS MANY AS 1 IN 200 PEOPLE.
“At first, I didn’t realize it was limiting because I was subconsciously avoiding any exertion or any adversity,” she says.
Cherish first noticed symptoms in 2019, but her general practitioner told her it was probably just anxiety. Then in April 2020, she was hospitalized for an unrelated illness, and her physician ordered an echocardiogram. The test revealed HOCM, and an appointment with a cardiologist was scheduled immediately.
Cherish, a registered nurse, works in the Intermediate Care Unit at Billings Clinic. Like all patients, she had access to her chart, and while recovering in her hospital bed, she did a deep dive into HOCM and her treatment options.
After some testing, he prescribed a medication called Camzyos, which was newly approved by the FDA in 2022.
“I couldn’t believe what they’d said,” Rodriguez says. “I knew I could try this new medication to help her help her feel better. We tried it and in a few weeks she was better.”
Because the symptoms of HOCM can mirror the symptoms of other diseases, it often goes undiagnosed or is diagnosed only after it has progressed to a serious condition.
As a cardiologist and certified heart failure specialist, Rodriguez is one of only a few physicians in the state with advanced training in diagnosing and treating disorders of the heart. He routinely treats patients for HOCM.
“Early recognition of the disease is key here,” Rodriguez says. “If you have any of these symptoms, please find a cardiologist or heart failure specialist. There are plenty of people out there who are experiencing these symptoms, and they are not recognized.”
Before seeing Rodriguez, Cherish was diagnosed with class IV heart failure, the most advanced stage. Now after treatment, she no longer meets the criteria.
EARLY RECOGNITION OF THE DISEASE IS KEY HERE. IF YOU HAVE ANY OF THESE SYMPTOMS, PLEASE FIND A CARDIOLOGIST OR HEART FAILURE SPECIALIST. THERE ARE PLENTY OF PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING THESE SYMPTOMS, AND THEY ARE NOT RECOGNIZED.
— Dr. Rodriguez
JUAN PABLO RODRIGUEZ, BILLINGS CLINIC CARDIOLOGIST AND CERTIFIED HEART FAILURE SPECIALIST
“Had this been diagnosed with HOCM in 2020, I would likely have avoided that diagnosis,” she says. “Now my heart is as good as a newborn baby’s.”
For early detection of HOCM, Fisher will have bi-annual echocardiograms until he’s 12, and Lucas has annual echocardiograms.
“It puts my mind much more at ease,” Cherish says. “It can develop anytime for them.”
Cherish believes that her experience in the medical field offered her an advantage during her diagnoses and treatment. She understood the importance of education. She didn’t hesitate to advocate for herself, and didn’t wait for information from her doctors. Cherish researched HOCM herself and thoroughly understood the disease, its potential outcomes and treatments. It empowered her to continue to pursue treatment after her doctors essentially gave up.
“Physicians have an extremely hard job and there’s often no opportunity for education and advocacy,” she says. “You have to be your own advocate, and ask questions.”
Cherish is looking forward to even more outings with her boys, and she loves her job as a nurse. Rodriguez is equally excited for what’s ahead for her.
“She has a brand-new life,” he says. “It’s as if she’s a new person now.” ✻
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NURSE
BY ALL ACCOUNTS, 65-year-old Jim Jones was a lover of life, a guy who was a straight shooter and an emergency department charge nurse who brought much-needed levity to the job. In his younger days, he served in the military and was sent to Germany to care for the wounded during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. He was known for being a calm presence in the midst of chaos.
When he was laid to rest last December after a battle with cancer, his funeral was standing room only. In the back sat nine nurses ready to honor him. Dressed in white, with navy capes and traditional nurses’ caps, the women were a part of the newly formed Yellowstone County Nurses Honor Guard. It’s a tribute designed to celebrate the care and healing a nurse provided during his or her life.
“It is a heartfelt thank you to the nurse for his/her years of service and the difference that he/she made in the lives of others,” says Leslie Small, who started this group. She’s been a nurse at the Billings Clinic for more than 42 years.
Leslie first learned of the Nurse Honor Guard a few years ago after her college roommate and dear friend showed her a video of a memorial service in Havre, Montana, that used what is known as the Nightingale Tribute, named for Florence Nightingale.
“I was very touched by the message and felt that this is an offering that needed to be given,” Leslie says.
It wasn’t long before she touched base with Havre’s Honor Guard and learned they were one of three such guards in the state.
“I sincerely believed that in Billings, where two of our state’s largest hospitals are the center of our health system, we should have a Nurse Honor Guard,” she says. It wasn’t long before she called the organization’s national founder in Michigan and then ordered the materials — the nurses capes, hats, musical triangle, a white scrub outfit and the Nightingale lamp — to provide this symbolic and touching service.
“As it happened, one of our own shining nurse stars passed away, far too soon, in her dedicated life to the nursing profession,” Leslie says. With a service planned at the Billings Clinic, she says, it seemed like the perfect time to launch the Nightingale Tribute.
“This nurse was a very talented and dedicated educator at Billings Clinic, teaching literally thousands of critical care nurses to be the best at what they do. She deserved this tribute.”
Today, there are 14 nurses in Yellowstone County who volunteer their time to serve at fallen nurses’ funerals. If you ask any one of them, they will tell you it’s their gift to someone who dedicated his or her life to caring for others.
“I think it is one of the biggest honors of my whole nursing career — just the wording of the tribute and what it means to the family and the people attending,” says nurse and Honor Guard member Joanna Church. “It brings a tear to everyone’s eyes.”
“It shows our colleagues how much we care about each other. It’s
HONOR GUARD L TO R: JOANNA CHURCH, JO ROWLAND, CAROL KEENAN, CARLA HUNT, MARICELA NELSON, VICKI HERT, ANNA AMMONS, LESLIE SMALL
★★ NURSE HONOR GUARDS ★★
TODAY, THERE ARE ROUGHLY
100 NURSE HONOR GUARDS ACROSS THE U.S. THERE ARE FOUR IN MONTANA WITH HONOR GUARDS IN HAVRE, GREAT FALLS, THE FLATHEAD VALLEY AND BILLINGS.
a way to lift up the profession of nursing,” says Anna Ammons, one of the nurses in the Honor Guard.
During Jim’s service, nurse Carol Keenan read the Nightingale Tribute.
“We are here to pay tribute to Jim for his life spent in the nursing profession. Nursing is a calling, a lifestyle, a way of living,” she shared with those gathered, half of them nurses themselves.
“Jim was there in the excitement and miracle of birth and in the mystery and loss of life. Jim was there when a silent glance could uplift a patient, family member or friend.”
As a white rose was laid on his flag-draped casket symbolizing his dedication, one of his fellow nurses handed his wife, Holly, the Nightingale Lamp, symbolizing the light and hope he brought to his patients.
Nurse Maricela Nelson struck the musical triangle as Carol read Jim’s name.
“Jim, we officially release you of your nursing duties. Your shift is over.”
The Honor Guard is hoping funeral homes begin offering this
family in ZooMontana’s 14thzoomontana.org Chase December Finals Montana. Memorial during
Beauty & the Beast
Billings Studio Theatre presents “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast Junior,” January 10th-13th. Brainy and beautiful Belle yearns to escape her narrow and restricted life including her brute of a suitor, Gaston. Belle gets adventurous and as a result becomes a captive in the Beast’s enchanted castle! Dancing flatware, menacing wolves and singing furniture fill the stage with thrills during this beloved fairy tale about very different people finding strength in one another as they learn how to love.billingsstudiotheatre.com
F R inge Festiva L
Venture Theatre presents its Fringe Festival, January 18th-19th and 25th-26th.The festival features four nights of shows featuring local and regional performing artists of all types including dance, standup comedy, theater improv, one act plays, musicals, performance art, spoken word/poetry, and puppetry.venturetheatre.org
s ou L s t R eet d an C e
THE NIGHTINGALE
This high energy show comes to the Alberta Bair Theater on January 19th and presents a new era in dance, while pushing the artistic boundaries of street dance. Soul Street concerts consist of a mix of movement that will keep you at the edge of your seat. The music is combined with an electric mix ranging from hip-hop to classical. It’s a show that will make you laugh and keep audiences of all ages entertained.
FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE, THE FOUNDER OF MODERN NURSING, TRAINED NURSES DURING THE CRIMEAN WAR IN 1856, AND ORGANIZED CARE FOR WOUNDED SOLDIERS. SHE SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED DEATH RATES BY IMPROVING HYGIENE AND LIVING STANDARDS. SHE WAS KNOWN AS THE “LADY WITH THE LAMP” AS SHE MADE ROUNDS ON THE SOLDIERS EACH NIGHT.
a Con C e R t F o R the w ho L e Fami Ly
service to any nurse who is being laid to rest. Right now, the group operates primarily through word of mouth. So far, they’ve performed this ceremony at a handful of funerals.
Billings Symphony presents its Family Concert on January 26th at the Alberta Bair Theater. Four time Grammy nominees, “Trout Fishing in America,” will perform along with the Billings Symphony. Trout Fishing in America is a musical duo which performs folk rock and children’s music. billingssymphony.com
“The reaction from families has been tremendous,” Leslie says. “They are very grateful for us acknowledging what they have seen in their loved one throughout their lives.”
For nurse Vicki Hert, the ceremony is an exclamation point on a
nursing career well lived.
“You are in the middle of people’s intimate lives,” Vicki says. “It’s such an honor to be a nurse.” ✻
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED in requesting this ceremony, please contact Leslie Small, (406) 861-1394.
Real , Raw & Resolved Raw & Real , Raw
Resolved
TWO WOMEN USE A UNIQUE APPROACH TO GET TO THE ROOT OF GRIEF
written by CYDNEY HOEFLE
photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN
MOST THINK OF GRIEF happening when they’ve lost a loved one, or experienced a major life change like divorce, job loss or a serious illness. Everyone anticipates that, at some point, they’ll face this type of emotional pain. Those seeking help to overcome it often turn to either one-on-on professional counseling or the help of others through a support group.
When Kira Pertuit was looking for a means to deal with her grief, none of those options seemed to work. After the loss of her daughter 12 years ago, she sought help in a multitude of ways.
“I didn’t like people telling me how to feel,” she says. “I heard things like, ‘You have to be strong.’ ‘You can have more children.’ ‘You just need to keep busy,’ and other unhelpful statements. It wasn’t mending my heart and in fact, I grew more resentful and fell deeper into my grief.”
Kira finally discovered an evidence-based program, supported by rigorous testing, evaluation and scientific research, using a structured seven-step approach to cope with grief.
“It rocked my world,” she says. “I uncovered what I had been running from after my daughter passed. How freeing to understand that this is why I do the things I do. I can now choose to do differently and move forward again. I found I can hold both grief and joy.”
Kira walked away with a deeper understanding of herself and a new passion — a desire to help others deal with their grief in the same way.
Kira says the first step is understanding exactly what grief is.
“Many people don’t understand that any significant change in our lives has the potential to cause grief,” Kira explains. “Such chang-
es don’t always need to be as traumatic as experiencing a death but are still capable of permanently altering what is familiar.”
Life changes such as a child leaving for college or getting married, facing unmet dreams, or dealing with health issues can all lead, even in some small way, to grief. Even if something isn’t deemed negative, there can still be a loss of some sort.
“When we recognize that, it allows us to equip ourselves with the tools to manage our grief effectively,” Kira adds.
In 2016, after completing her training as a grief recovery specialist and educator, Kira opened Aspen’s Angels, choosing the name to honor her daughter.
Kira uses the same evidence-based grief program to facilitate one-on-one meetings as well as small groups. Over the years, she’s helped hundreds deal with their grief.
The seven-step program is extensive. There’s homework. There’s a time commitment and there’s an expectation that you’ll only get out of the program what you put into it.
“We identify and help you complete what was left emotionally incomplete by a death, divorce or any other loss.” Kira says. “Sometimes the light comes on quickly, other times it takes all seven weeks to get there, but we are empathetic facilitators. We’re grievers supporting grievers.”
Tina, one of Kira’s clients, came to the program over five years ago.
“Nobody teaches us how to grieve,” she says. “This program provides the tools to realize the things that you didn’t even know you needed to know.”
Working through the homework forces clients to dig deeper and uncover why they feel the way they do and to know what to do with those emotions when they feel them.
Tara Goodwin came to Kira when her husband unexpectedly died several years ago. As a young widow and single mother, she knew she needed help moving forward.
“Our past is our present until we are healed,” she says. “This program taught me how to maneuver through the rest of my life. I think I would have died without it.”
It made such an impact on Tara that she has since taken the course to become a grief recovery method specialist herself. In addition to her full-time career, she spends as much time as possible doing grief recovery with others.
The course taught her to be vulnerable, honest and real.
estly at yourself so you can move from discovery to recovery.”
At the end of the seven steps, participants are encouraged to write a letter expressing all that they went through. It might be to a person whom they are grieving, or it might address a change they are going through.
“That’s the part that was so impactful for me,” Tina says. “I was writing the letter with one person in mind, and before I realized it, I was writing it to another. It showed me that I had unresolved emotions that I needed to deal with.”
OUR PAST IS OUR PRESENT UNTIL WE ARE HEALED. THIS PROGRAM TAUGHT ME HOW TO MANEUVER THROUGH THE REST OF MY LIFE.
I THINK I WOULD HAVE DIED WITHOUT IT.
— Tara Goodwin
“We share our hearts with each other,” she says. “We get right in there with each other. It can be scary, but it doesn’t have to be. Hearing each other’s stories helps create a safe space and a realization that you are not alone.”
All three women say that being open and doing the homework makes the difference.
“Do the homework,” Kira says. “You have to be willing to look hon-
Evidence-based grief recovery gives tools to continue the work on your own and to be more prepared when grief comes again.
“Sometimes we just aren’t happy, and we don’t know why,” Kira explains. “We haven’t had anything ‘bad’ happen, but there is a root cause. When you can identify it, you can begin the steps to reclaiming your life.”
As the groups move through their seven-step course, Kira says, it often happens that when the root cause is exposed, it might be something the person has never shared with anyone, or they were completely unaware of its effects on their life.
“That’s when you know they need a listening ear, validation and action steps to move through their incompleteness and their grief,” Kira says.
“We give them the freedom to be heard,” Tara continues. “There’s a lot they can say.”
“That’s where the letters come in,” Tina adds. “You can tell the truth, you can say goodbye, you can say whatever you want and get it out there. That’s how you resolve it.”
As Kira thinks about the future, her hope is that more people will come to the knowledge of how this method of grief recovery works.
“I’d like to see the place overflow with people,” she says. “Because when we teach others how to maneuver through grief and we model to our children how to do it, we can all move beyond grief and reclaim our lives.” ✻ FOR MORE on evidence-based grief recovery, visit Aspen’s Angels online at aspensangels.life
CYDNEY HOEFLE, writer
A fourth generation Montanan, Cydney was raised on a ranch on the banks of the Yellowstone River where an appreciation of the outdoors was fostered. She and her husband raised three children in Billings and are now the proud grandparents of three. The best part of any of her days is time spent with Jesus, family, friends, a good book or capturing someone’s story in words.
Changing the s ti G ma s ti G ma
BILLINGS WOMAN GIVES A VOICE TO OTHERS LIKE HER LIVING WITH DEMENTIA
written by LINDA HALSTEAD-ACHARYA photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN
MEETING
BONNIE ERICKSON TODAY, you’d never realize she lives with early-stage dementia. To see what she’s done since being diagnosed, you’d be astounded.
Bonnie was only 57 when she suffered a stroke. She was barely 58 when a follow-up MRI and further testing at the Mayo Clinic revealed she had mild cognitive impairment. Today, seven years later, the Billings woman faces her diagnosis with humor, optimism and a drive to help others who are traveling similar paths.
“When you hear the term ‘dementia,’ most people’s minds go to late-stage dementia,” she says. “Yes, that is part of the journey, but I want people to know there’s a whole lot of living before that.”
Bonnie’s positive approach didn’t come automatically. Even before her stroke, she’d struggled with brain fog and confusion — symptoms her doctors thought to be menopause-related. But then she suffered a stroke that left her stuttering, overly emotional, fatigued and confused. An MRI revealed that many silent strokes — too numerous to count — had accumulated deep within her brain. She was diagnosed with white matter disease and mild cognitive impairment.
“You don’t get a diagnosis one day and get late-stage (dementia) the next,” she says. “But you don’t get a diagnosis and get a lot of hope, either.”
Like many who live with dementia, Bonnie values her friendships “that stay.” She realizes some drop away for lack of knowing what to say. But she encourages people to treat someone newly diagnosed just as they would a friend with any other serious health issue. And then she chuckles.
“It’s certainly not catchy,” she says.
WHEN YOU HEAR THE TERM 'DEMENTIA,' MOST POEPLE'S MINDS GO TO LATE-STAGE DEMENTIA. YES, THAT IS PART OF THE JOURNEY, BUT I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF LIVING BEFORE THAT.
— Bonnie Erickson
“Otherwise, I’m a healthy girl,” she says now with a wry grin. At the time, however, the diagnosis sent her world spinning.
“It was so frightening,” she says. “Once you get diagnosed, you automatically get catapulted into the grieving process.”
She tried to return to the job she had held for 17 years as a program analyst for the Department of Homeland Security. But the effort left her too drained. For 18 months, she struggled with denial before finally coming to a level of acceptance.
During those first months and years following her diagnosis, Bonnie sought to connect with others on a similar journey. She scoured the internet but found nothing, other than caregiver support groups and just enough information to be dangerous.
“I really scared myself to death,” she says.
Then, she hit on a site posted by Brenda Roberts, a dementia educator in Michigan. Brenda was creating a small team of people who had recently been diagnosed with dementia. She promoted the concept of letting people with dementia speak for themselves and she thought their first-person input would be invaluable. The prospect piqued Bonnie’s interest, so she traveled to Michigan to join seven others who were similarly inspired by Brenda’s vision. Together they created a workshop they called “The Journey,” which they presented to an audience.
“It received rave reviews,” Bonnie says. “There was not a dry eye.”
From the power of that presentation was born the National Council of Dementia Minds.
Bonnie is one of eight founding members and current board chair of the organization, which is the first national nonprofit founded by and governed by those living with dementia.
“We’re trying to change the stigma, to increase awareness and promote a positive narrative,” she says. “Usually, people with a dementia diagnosis get spoken for or spoken about. This platform allows us to speak for ourselves. Our motto, is ‘nothing about us without us.’”
Dementia and strokes were not a stranger to Bonnie’s family. Her father died at age 57 after several strokes — the same age at which Bonnie had her life-changing stroke. As for dementia, Bonnie’s mother first showed signs of confusion and memory loss in her mid-60s. Though the cause was never diagnosed, Bonnie and her family cared for her mother until her passing in a memory care facility a decade later.
When Bonnie was first diagnosed with dementia, her son and her husband dealt with it by denial. Her daughter Lacey Abell, a nurse, responded by “jumping in to save the day.”
Since that time, Lacey has taken on the role of Bonnie’s “care partner.”
“I want to partner for my care,” Bonnie says. “I don’t want to be taken care of.” That means Lacey assists Bonnie when needed, particularly in attending doctors’ appointments and as a travel companion. Lacey admits she was a little “hovery” early on. Now she has learned to step back and encourage her mother’s independence. They both acknowledge that the relationship — and level of care — will change with time.
“As a nurse, I advocate for her,” Lacey says, “so they didn’t put her into a box.”
Lacey has also led the charge by organizing the Race for the Minds. The annual event serves as the only fundraiser for the National Council of Dementia Minds, which otherwise depends strictly on grants. To date the race has raised $65,000. Next year’s event is slated to take place on Aug. 17 in Billings. Both Bonnie and Lacey have been deeply touched by the stories they’ve heard
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF DEMENTIA MINDS
THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF DEMENTIA MINDS IS COMPOSED OF PEOPLE LIVING WITH DEMENTIA. MEMBERS RANGE IN AGE FROM THEIR 40S INTO THEIR 80S AND COME FROM ALL CORNERS OF THE WORLD. FOUNDED IN 2019, IT ADVOCATES EDUCATION AND DIALOGUE AMONG PEOPLE WITH NEUROCOGNITIVE DISORDERS, HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS, RESEARCHERS, FAMILIES, CARE PARTNERS AND COMMUNITIES. THE GROUP STRIVES TO OFFER PEER CONNECTIONS AND HOPE-FILLED STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT LIVING WELL WITH DEMENTIA.
FIND OUT MORE AT WWW.DEMENTIAMINDS.ORG
from participants, including one who came from Florida to Billings just for the race.
In the years since Bonnie’s mother lived with dementia, technology has offered numerous tools that make living with dementia much easier. Zoom sessions allow Bonnie to connect with her peers, Alexa tells her when the cake is done, and smart phones provide alarms and reminders that help keep Bonnie’s day on track.
“It’s huge,” she says.
Rather than hide in a corner, Bonnie takes an active role in trying to change the stigma associated with a dementia diagnosis. She attends meetings and travels to conferences related to dementia. She participates on Montana’s State Dementia Coalition and the Montana BOLD (Building Our Largest Dementia) Grant Steering Committee. In addition, she has been involved with the National Alzheimer’s Association Early Stage Advisory Group and she’s currently one of only two people testing a social recall app under development at Clemson University.
In appreciation of her broad efforts, Bonnie was honored with the National Maude Award, which recognizes groups and individuals who have developed outstanding projects and programs to enrich the lives of people with dementia.
While Bonnie’s efforts are far-reaching, she has also worked at the local level to expand Billings’ Memory Café, a place for those experiencing memory loss and their caregivers to get together with others facing the same challenges. Bonnie also participates in an activity at the Yellowstone Art Museum, sponsored by the Montana Alzheimer’s Association, that’s geared for people with mild cognitive impairment or dementia.
“We enjoy the featured gallery, share thoughts and then create art with the help of the docents,” she says. “It’s super fun.”
Bonnie’s sense of humor shines again as she tells of attending the YAM activity with a woman more than a decade older than she.
“People thought I was there with her, but she was actually there (to help) me,” Bonnie says smiling.
Bonnie is convinced that a hopeful outlook, bolstered by exercise and social interaction, have helped her keep her progression at bay. Her grandson, Kevin, 9, also adds an invaluable spark of joy to her life.
Has her dementia progressed? Bonnie asks the question and then answers herself.
“I can put on two or three miles in my house and get nothing done,” she says. “I’d go into a room and forget why I was there. I used to go back and the thought would come back to me. Now,
THE STRESS OF TRYING TO REMEMBER CAN BE SO DIFFICULT. IN ALL ACTUALITY, WE DO THAT ON THE OUTSIDE BUT IN REALITY, THERE'S TURMOIL ON THE INSIDE
— Bonnie Erickson
it’s just not there. It’s under lock and key.”
She’s also reached the point where she’s not willing to cover up for lost memories. When someone asks the generic “do you remember?” she no longer pretends that she does.
“The stress of trying to remember can be so difficult,” she says. “In all actuality, we do that on the outside but in reality there’s turmoil on the inside. So, I took that mask off.”
Instead, she rolls with the punch es. What used to devastate her — such as tossing a valuable item in the trash — now hardly causes her pause.
“Today,” she says, “it’s ‘Oh, well, oops.’ I don’t know if that’s progression or acceptance.”
During the years since her diagnosis, Bonnie knows others through Dementia Minds who have died or whose dementia has advanced significantly. They say a person diagnosed with dementia will typically live another seven to 10 years, Bonnie explains.
“But I’ve met people who have been on their journey for 15, even 20 years,” she says and then smiles. “I’ve met my expiration date of seven years and I don’t feel remotely close (to the end).” ✻
LINDA HALSTEADACHARYA, writer
A long-time resident of the Columbus area, Linda Halstead-Acharya enjoys spending time and learning from her rural neighbors. She has a degree in wildlife biology but for the past 25 years has pursued a career sharing other people's stories in print. She loves riding, writing and traveling.
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START SOMETHING NEW START SOMETHING NEW
I AM HERE to tell you that you can. You most definitely, without a doubt can. Can what? Well, whatever you please, really. Each year, as I prepare to write my first article of the year for YVW, I promise myself I won’t write about resolutions, goal setting, or losing weight. Then, the time comes, and all I can think about is growth, possibilities, living your next and starting something new.
It could be from too much eggnog, but more likely it is because I have lived a life of “nexts.” Trying one thing, and then another, learning about this, trying that, shedding the tears, squealing with laughter, and becoming more me while encouraging you to become more you. Right now, in the middle of dark and cold winter, we can settle in for a long winter nap, waking more rested but essentially the same as we were before our 40 winks, or we can start something new, something refreshingly, restoratively new.
What you start can be both a reward and a challenge, like Liz Enslow’s commitment to read one book every week, which she accomplished in 2024. Melanie Sands-Snyder says this about what she started: “Becoming an author has been one of the most transformative experiences of my life. Writing ‘Becoming Me’ felt like stepping into my own story with a mix of vulnerability, courage, and a
deep desire to connect with others. This lit a spark that has created a huge flame.”
Maybe you need to start a new job. Shelley Pierce says: “I landed where I was meant to be. Of course, there’s a learning curve with any new thing or job but it felt so much less, and I just had the freedom to ‘figure it out.’ It was also nice that it was a brand-new position so I could make it my own and run with it.” You might take on a new job, lean in for the promotion, or suggest a new way for an old organization to impact the world by starting something new.
I think that aging is best done with enthusiasm, and that enthusiasm comes from curiosity, engagement, and every once in a while, being scared to death. I did that last year, scared myself to death. I clicked “Consider Me for Stand Up” on a conference registration form, feeling both brave and safe that they’d never pick me. They picked me. I froze in my tracks. Then I asked for help, got a coach, and as my friends and I like to say, “did it scared.” And it was amazing. I felt so good at the end of my set that I did a mic drop.
The result? I decided that I could let go of the nagging voice in the back of my head that kept suggesting I become a fulltime comedian. Those people work way too hard, and while the laughs were amazing, what happened because of that
event was more fulfilling. You see, a new friend I’d made at that conference, Desiree Miller, who lives in Atlanta, was about to start something new, a travel business, and she hired me to coach at a What’s Next retreat in Portugal. And so I did. All because I tried something new that I really don’t have to try again — standup comedy.
So, where do you begin to start something new? You listen to the voice in the back of your head, those whispers that keep you awake. Do you need to pursue that idea? Would it give you satisfaction to at least try whatever it is that dances around in your mind? I want you to know that if it is nagging you, and you feel like you must, you probably should. It might be there because right now someone somewhere is praying for the solution you’ll offer, or the inspiration you’ll provide.
If the voice is dim, but the desire is burning, and you don’t know exactly how to fuel the fire, I often have my coaching clients begin by making a list, as long of a list that they can, of what they do and don’t want. Here’s mine: I Don’t Want to beg for laughs. I don’t want to work at night. I don’t want to offend my family. I don’t want the noise in nightclubs. I Do Want to make others laugh while inspiring them. I do want to help people work as a team. I do want to cheer on others. I do want to coach people forward.
over is that you can't actually do that. The hardest thing is that you're picking up pieces of a life you thought you'd have, trying hard to rid yourself of memories you no longer want, and wishing you could genuinely start from scratch. The easiest part is that, instead, you get to pick and choose what serves you now. And you get to do that with all your newfound wisdom, courage, and, if you're lucky, a fierce tribe who loves you unconditionally. I get told often I'm living my best life now. I don't know if that's true. I'm living a different life. Most days, that doesn't suck.”
I THINK THAT AGING IS BEST DONE WITH ENTHUSIASM, AND THAT ENTHUSIASM COMES FROM CURIOSITY, ENGAGEMENT, AND EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, BEING SCARED TO DEATH.
See how this list eliminates comedian, but pushed me back to wards what I do, public speaking and team building? My own start something new for 2025 is adding retreats to my services, which can encompass all of those things in a whole new way. As you work on your list, you’ll want to include the work, the dream, the reality and the most authentic feelings that you have.
As the list of I Do Want becomes longer, you can focus in on it. Try a few things and honor ideas by actually giving them a go. The more you do this, the easier it will be to start something new. If you try something and you don’t like it, well, begin again with something else. Just don’t quit. Quitting is the exact opposite of starting, and you are not a quitter. Unless you are, but I just don’t see you quitting. Begin again.
Becky Rosenleaf didn’t quit, even though crawling under a rock might have been easier. Here’s what she says about starting something new: “After a brutal divorce (who are we kidding, all divorce is brutal) and a near fatal car accident, I found myself starting over. Both the hardest and easiest thing about starting
Because we don’t want life to suck, it’s often wonderful to start/refine a business of your own, like Salicia Borges, who says: “Starting something new in business, seems to have made me fearless in decision making. Once you actually do something you dreamed of accomplishing, you get the courage to listen to your intuition and dream even BIGGER.” All you have to do is decide! I love this.
No matter what you start, I hope it puts some pep in your step, maybe makes you dance a little bit, or a lot, like Akvilina Rieger, who took up dance. She says: “Once you discover dancing, it tends to continuously emerge from the most surprising places. It’s like this forever replenishing fountain of youth. We truly don't give enough importance to dancing. Perhaps, because it seems a bit primal and simple, yet, it is this ‘language of the soul.’ To freely dance, one lets go of any self-image constraints or ‘what would they think’ fears and allows you to be who you are.”
So, I guess, with her passion lighting the way, we are going to dance in 2025!
And maybe, no, not maybe, most definitely we shall Start Something New. I know you can do it! Let’s go! ✻
KAREN GROSZ, writer
Karen Grosz is a local Team and Leadership Development coach and motivational speaker. She owns Canvas Creek Team Building, is the author of “What’s Next” and “Quiet Leadership” and founding voice of the Facebook group “I’ll Help”- Billings. You can find more from Karen at karengrosz.life.
By Karen Grosz
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Enterprising women wo m e n women
Marce-B Marce-B Marce-B and KayVo KayVo KayVo
ON THE MIC ON THE MIC
THE VAULT PODCAST PUTS A FRESH SPIN ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
THE VAULT PODCAST PUTS A FRESH SPIN ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
written by JULIE KOERBER photography by MADDIE NICOLE PHOTOGRAPHY
written by JULIE KOERBER photography by MADDIE NICOLE PHOTOGRAPHY
WITH THE NAMES “Marce B” and “KayVo,” you’d think these women are pop culture podcasters who riff on the latest trends. They do. It’s just not what you’d expect. On their weekly podcast, “The Vault at 201 North Broadway,” the two candidly chat with the men and women who are blazing new trails and driving business in Billings.
EACH EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS A DIFFERENT PERSON THAT HAS AN INTERESTING STORY TO SHARE OF HOW HE OR SHE HAD A HAND IN EXPANDING OR PIVOTING WITHIN THE CITY’S BUSINESS WORLD.
By day, Marce B is Marcell Bruski, the senior director of engagement at Big Sky Economic Development. Marketing, communication and branding is her gig. She also oversees BillingsWorks, which drives workforce development in our city, and manages the Rock 31 program, which is a business incubator and coworking space. KayVo, a.k.a Kayla Vokral, is the Small Business Development Center’s business advisor and training manager, who helps entrepreneurs find solutions to their everyday issues. But, when these two pair up to record the podcast, it boils down to helping the community see economic development through the eyes of our city’s entrepreneurs.
“We wanted the podcast to be a little more fun than just economic development — not like economic development isn’t fun,”
Marcell says with a laugh. “Your community grows and it’s healthy because of the people in it and the people doing the work. So, by highlighting our small business owners, our entrepreneurs in the community, workforce leaders, resource partners, it’s really just about educating people on the things going on in their community. It all makes the community what it is. That's economic development.”
Each episode highlights a different person. Each has an interesting story to share of how he or she had a hand in expanding or pivoting within the city’s business world.
“I’m going to throw the Seafood Guys out here,” Kayla says. “How can people understand and listen to their customers and pivot their business to match that? When we came up with that idea, Jon (Wanderaas) immediately came to mind.” Kayla shares how his customers asked for seafood kits to make preparing a breeze. She says, “He understood what his customer wanted and acted on that.”
At the end of every show, the pair loves asking what they call three rapid-fire questions to learn a little bit more about every guest. They might ask something “snoopy,” like what is your standard
coffee order? Or, how do you start your day? They didn’t expect Kaitlyn Bolotas of House of Color’s answer to the question, “What advice would you give an entrepreneur who is just starting out?”
“She said one of my favorite things,” Kayla says. “She said, ‘Don’t quit when it’s hard.’ I just love that. Don’t give up when it’s hard because those are the days that you want to but those aren’t the times to make those decisions.”
In February, the two will launch season three with close to 100 episodes under their belts.
“It’s super weird because we just like having conversations with people and sharing their stories,” Kayla says. “Did we think years ago that we would be talking about season three and almost 10,000 downloads? No.”
Marcell laughs when she thinks of the show’s humble beginnings. They were able to secure funding for equipment thanks to a grant during the Covid pandemic.
“We had no idea what we were doing — zero,” Marcell says. “Oh my gosh,” Kayla chimes in with a laugh, “we didn’t know what we didn’t know!” But, over time, they listened to other podcasts to get ideas on their show’s structure, and they partnered with Wade Haesemeyer of Lamplighter Creative to manage the podcast production.
AS LONG AS WE KEEP TELLING THE STORIES OF OTHER PEOPLE IN A WAY THAT HELPS PEOPLE UNDERSTAND HOW WE COME ALONGSIDE THEM TO PROVIDE RESOURCES, LEADERSHIP AND SUPPORT FOR THOSE SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS JOURNEYS, I THINK WE’VE HIT SOMETHING SPECIAL.
— Steve Arveschoug, executive director at BSED.
“We were really intentional,” Marcell says. “If we were going to do this, we were going to lean in and do it well.”
Last November, Marcell presented at the Young, Smart & Local conference in Philadelphia and shared how a podcast can be a powerful tool to get and keep young talent. She gave a nuts and bolts talk on everything from content creation and scheduling to creative ways to market a show.
At the conference, Marcell says, one attendee came up to her and called her a podcast expert. The comment threw her for a loop.
“It’s wild to think that or even just say that,” she says with a laugh.
Truth be told, the show is turning heads statewide and across the nation. In September of last year, they received an Excellence in Economic Development Silver Award from the International Economic Development Council celebrating their innovation through digital media. In the fall of 2023, the pair earned an Impact Award through the Montana Economic Developers Association for the creative ways they celebrate economic development.
“It’s really cool that we get the recognition for that hard work,” says Steve Arveschoug, executive director at BSED. He applauds Marcell and Kayla’s efforts and says he really doesn’t see a sunset for this kind of show.
“As long as we keep telling the stories of other people in a way that helps people understand how we come alongside them to provide resources, leadership and support for those successful business journeys, I think we’ve hit something special,” Steve says.
Both Kayla and Marcell love the fact that a busy retailer or active restaurateur could listen to their show as they work.
“If I was a business owner doing inventory, I could pop headphones in and listen to the content that could help me in different ways in my business,” Kayla says. Both she and Marcell
know that’s happening. While most of the listeners are from south-central Montana, covering for the most part a nine-county region, the two recently uncovered a vibrant pocket of listeners in, of all places, Boardman, Oregon.
Kayla laughs as she says, “Who listened and shared it with the village? It’s a town of about 4,200 people!”
No matter who the two decide to bring on their show, both agree there’s an underlying theme in the type of person who sits in the spotlight for an hour with them.
“There’s so much grit,” Marcell says. “They are going to figure it out and they are going to do it even if it is hard. They are going to push themselves and they are going to be better on the other end for it. That is so inspiring.”
TO LISTEN, simply visit thevaultat201.com for all their episodes. You can also follow them on Facebook at facebook.com/thevault201 or on Instagram at thevault_201.
Here to Here to Here to help you help you help you Soar Soar
ROCKY MOUNTAIN WOMEN’S BUSINESS CENTER written by CYDNEY HOEFLE photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN
THERE’S A ROMANCE when it comes to thoughts of owning a business. There’s an appeal to being able to make all the decisions and having a say in how you spend your day. But once that romance wears off, there’s the realization that with that freedom comes a lot of work just to get a business off the ground.
Kassi Strong is the program director for Rocky Mountain Women’s Business Center (RMWBC), a nonprofit program that’s dedicated to helping female entrepreneurs in Montana. As a business owner herself, she understands the frustration, the fear and the excitement of running and growing your own enterprise.
“If someone thinks she might have a good idea for a business but has no idea how to go about putting it together, we can help her,” Kassi says. “And if someone’s been in business for years and is looking for new ways to expand or rebrand, we can help her too.”
RMWBC, structured similarly to the Small Business Development Center, is federally funded and offers most of its services for free. Offering one-on-one coaching and learning events, the program is designed to help with everything from developing a business model and setting up a limited liability company to applying for a business license, along with suggestions and ideas for marketing.
In addition to working for RMWBC, Kassi co-owns the Prairie Sisters Vintage Market, a business she purchased two years ago. Marketing is paramount for her as they hand-pick hundreds of vintage and handmade vendors from across the region and serve as the host to bring them and their unique goods together under one roof.
“I have a strong understanding of what women go through as business owners,” Kassi says. “Not only with Prairie Sisters, but because I started my first business making and selling crepes at the Missoula Farmers Market years ago.”
It’s drive and passion that Kassi wants women to think about. Are they ready to make their dream a reality or take it to the next level?
“Are they wanting to keep their career or stay at home and do a side hustle, or are they ready to launch into full-time business
ownership? Those are some of the things we want them to think about,” she says. “Women-owned businesses are a big deal. They impact not only families, but entire communities.”
RMWBC doesn’t offer grants, but it does help entrepreneurs look for ways to finance their business, from finding the right lending agencies to other creative sources of financing.
IF SOMEONE THINKS SHE MIGHT HAVE A GOOD IDEA FOR A BUSINESS BUT HAS NO IDEA HOW TO GO ABOUT PUTTING IT TOGETHER, WE CAN HELP HER. AND IF SOMEONE’S BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR YEARS AND IS LOOKING FOR NEW WAYS TO EXPAND OR REBRAND, WE CAN HELP HER TOO.
Kassi handles the digital marketing and creative side of the program and works with Marguerite Thordarson, the RMWBC business adviser, who lives in Philipsburg and who brings a background of finance and accounting expertise. Together the two are available to help business owners all across the state with in-person and digital events tailored to cover different aspects of owning a business as well as personal coaching.
— Kassi Strong
KASSI STRONG
“It’s exciting to hear about how a woman works to grow her business,” Kassi says. “Is it out of her home, or in a brick and mortar? In a small town, if someone opens a coffee shop, for example, it can have a huge impact on the entire community. It’s fun to be part of that.”
Though RMWBC sees many brand-new business owners, they also serve those that have been operating for some time and are looking for some new ideas.
That was the case with Barbara Wells, owner of Montana Dress Co. Barbara has owned her boutique in downtown Billings for 10 years. She’s an astute businesswoman and has a very successful shop. Still, Barbara is aware that to stay in business, she needs to stay relevant and appeal to a wide range of customers.
“I’m always open to new ideas,” Barbara says. “Because my shop is inter-generational, I need to be able to draw in young women for prom dresses and their mothers for their needs too.”
That’s why she’s curated looks from formal to casual for all ages and sizes.
“I want to appeal to the generation that likes to feel the fabric and try on the dress,” she says, “but I also know that many customers like to browse websites and order online. The big question is how to do both effectively.”
Coming up with ad campaigns that are authentic, attractive and effective takes time and creativity. Barbara reached out to RMWBC to get ideas on how to implement her plans in a way that worked for her.
“Social media changes on a daily basis,” Kassi says. “Our advice is to find a platform that you are comfortable with and where your audience is and just use it. If the worst part of your day is thinking of content to post, and fretting over Instagram or Facebook, maybe it’s not for you, and that’s OK.”
Barbara has found her audience on Facebook. She periodically videos new products and gives fashion tips.
“I think my customers like it because it’s authentic,” she says. “Retail is kind of like psychology; you just have to figure out who your customers are and what they want and then try and fill that.”
Across the state, women have reached out with creative ideas,
BARBARA WELLS, OWNER OF MONTANA DRESS CO.
and together with RMWBC came up with a plan to see if they are viable as a business.
“One of my favorites is a woman that as part of her outdoor business teaches women how to back a trailer. She didn’t want the idea of pulling a camper or a boat to deter someone from going on an adventure, so that became part of her business plan,” Kassi says with a laugh. “We love hearing the ideas that women come up with.”
Kassi tries to bring entrepreneurs together for support and camaraderie. Through her Zoom meetings and social gatherings, she’s seen women become friends as they navigate toward the common goal of success.
“It’s helpful to talk to other business owners to see what they did that worked,” Kassi says. “Women are almost always willing to talk about and share their experiences with each other. We want to see more of that happening.” ✻
FOR MORE ON Rocky Mountain Women’s Business Center, visit rockymountainwbc.org
conversation.
c o l o r color
JENNIFER REISER IS PASSIONATE ABOUT BRINGING OUT THE BEST IN OTHERS
written by BECKY HILLIER photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN
THERE SEEMS TO BE NO shortage of to-do lists, obligations and routines. When you take a closer look at how you spend your time, are you spending at least some of it pursuing your passions? Have you even identified what you’re passionate about? It was that question 20 years ago that rocked Jennifer Reiser’s comfortable and predictable world.
“I remember the very first leadership program I went to,” Jennifer says. “I was 35. I was sitting in a hotel room with people from across the country, paired up with a partner, and we were supposed to answer the question, What are you passionate about? I had absolutely no idea.”
With degrees in biology and chemistry, Reiser was working in environmental public health at the time. She could analyze some things with ease, but this question engaged her mind in a different way.
called “Leading in Color,” which teaches people how to be effective leaders, through lessons inspired by the animal world.
“This workbook is about the intentional development of leaders, whether it’s developing yourself or your team or entire organization” she says.
The idea for the workbook came from Dave Nordel, who hosts the podcast, “Kangaroo Leadership.” He also wrote the introduction for the book, where he explains coloring as a simple yet potent tool that reduces stress, promotes mindfulness and enhances focus and concentration.
WHAT I’M PASSIONATE ABOUT NOW IS LEARNING AND HELPING OTHERS LEARN.
— Jennifer Reiser
“The partner I was with for this exercise was very emphatic that I should have something I was passionate about,” she says. “I left that room crying because I could not come up with one thing. What I realized was, nobody had ever asked me that question, and you don’t have answers to things if you didn’t take the time to think about it.”
Roughly two decades later, she’s had plenty of time to think about it, and today she answers without hesitation: “What I’m passionate about now is learning and helping others learn.”
Jennifer, who went on to serve as the chief operating officer for the Billings Chamber of Commerce for nearly 14 years, is now the proud author of a unique and purposeful coloring workbook
“Coloring combines your left brain and right brain, it’s therapeutic,” Jennifer says. “After I agreed with Dave that the book was a good idea, he said ‘I think you should do it.’”
That conversation one year ago, set Reiser’s scientific and logical mind in motion. She built a spreadsheet where she researched and logged the traits and personality characteristics of animals and how they translate to humans. In the end, she chose an eclectic group of 48 animals of the land, sea and sky, with each being assigned two key leadership traits.
A polar bear, for instance, leads with courage and patience. Its commanding presence and strong sense of responsibility gives it the courage to approach large prey in harsh conditions. While the polar bear gets high marks for its leadership traits, some animals are less natural leaders.
“You look at the vulture who might lead with indifference and
isolation,” she says. “They are very independent, not independent like strong, but isolated. They’re also scavengers, so they are opportunistic to some extent and they’re also taking advantage of someone else’s hard work.”
During her “Leading in Color” workshops, she prompts teams or one-on-one clients to identify their strengths and then find the animal in the book that shares those traits. They spend 15 minutes coloring before answering pointed questions on the opposite side of the page, questions designed to engage their creativity and critical thinking about their management or leadership style.
“An animal can’t decide they would like to be something else, but people can,” Jennifer says. “Maybe I have the leadership traits of a bison, of unity and support. I’m very cooperative in my work, but I need focus and vision for something, so I need to develop that
or go find it in someone else.”
If focus and vision are what you’re looking for, Reiser says you’d want a cheetah on your team. Its speed and focus exemplify determination, confidence and fearlessness.
The next time someone calls you a sloth, consider it a compliment. “You think of the sloth as slow moving, lazy, but what if you applied the traits of thoughtfulness to the sloth?” she says. “They are very patient, not reactive. They are considerate, deep thinkers going through every potential scenario before they make a move.”
Jennifer suggests thinking of your workplace as a habitat and creating an environment where every member can thrive. “If you have a team that is mostly safari animals, leading with speed, focus and vision, and you have a penguin in your midst who works with empathy and teamwork, how does that little penguin fit in?” she asks. “How long is that penguin going to stay working for you, if you don’t make some effort to leverage their strengths and include them?”
After researching and writing the book, Reiser reveals the animals with whom her leadership style most closely aligns. “The traits of the fox are strategy and cleverness. I’m putting pieces together before I move,” she explains. “I would also take the honeybee with focus and balance and the chameleon because of its adaptability.”
Those strong leadership traits led her to start a consulting business after leaving the Chamber of Commerce and she’s tapping into her science background as the director of operations for Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy. It’s a national net-
work of chambers of commerce, looking for ways to transition to a clean energy economy.
Thanks to that thought-provoking question 20 years ago in a hotel, Jennifer has not only identified her passion but is happily and fully engaged in it, even though she never saw it coming.
“It’s funny because I never wanted to be a teacher,” she says. “Part of what I love the most is helping people become better versions of themselves. My whole platform in the work I’m doing is investing in the individual, investing in the team, investing in the organization and then the entire community.” ✻
YOU CAN FIND Jennifer Reiser’s Book, “Leading in Color: Leadership Lessons from the Animal World,” on Amazon or at Barnes and Noble online.
BECKY HILLIER, writer
Born and raised in Miles City, Becky spent 20 years as an award-winning local news anchor. She served as a board member of Big Sky Honor Flight which helped fly WWII veterans to Washington, D.C. to see their war memorials, free of charge. Becky served as the director of communications and media for the Professional Ro deo Cowboys Association (PRCA). She currently works for the NILE Rodeo in Billings. Her husband is a Billings Police Officer and they have two adult children.
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Jenna enna O’BRIEN O’BRIEN O’BRIEN
BUILDING A BUSINESS WITH PASSION
written by STELLA FONG photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN
IN DOWNTOWN BILLINGS,
created a space for food and family. On the walls of her restaurant, Spitz, vibrant graffiti and massive black-andwhite photos tell the story of her and her husband Peter’s life journey and heritage.
The Mediterranean street-food eatery serves up modern ver sions of wraps, salads, garden bowls, gyros, falafels and pita chips found on the streets of Europe and in cities across America. The restaurant's name is a nod to the classic vertical method of broiling meats.
For Jenna, Spitz isn’t just a restaurant. It’s her passion and a way to feed her entrepreneurial spirit.
"I love working for myself,” she says. “I love building a business."
Born in the Magic City and a graduate of Cen tral High School, Jenna has strong ties to the community. Her father's family has been firm ly rooted in the area for generations.
“I have aunts and uncles here,” she says. “My great-grandmother once lived down town, where the courthouse parking lot now stands."
As you approach the front door of the restaurant on Broadway, you’re met by a unique image on the glass — a hand with an eyeball signaling peace, juxtaposed with an eagle landing on a flying saucer, all drawn in pink. It’s not only playful but conveys a message of good karma.
Everywhere you look, there’s a lighthearted spir it. The bar glitters with bright lights shining on collectibles, including old Montana license plates, a Native American hand drum and a figurine of the character Woody from Toy Story. At the end of the bar, below a collection of acrylic antlers, is a lit display of gui tars. The opposite wall holds images of the O’Briens’ chil dren and their niece and nephew, along with a photo of Peter skiing down a snowy slope.
JENNA & PETER O'BRIEN
Designer and co-owner Devon Paulson interweaves a music theme while personalizing each Spitz to reflect the owner and the location. Old vinyl records decorate the back patio wall while portrayals of artists like John Prine are depicted on the main wall.
When Jenna was living in Salt Lake City, she was a frequent diner at Spitz in the Sugar House neighborhood.
“I went there all the time,” she says. “I loved the food. I loved the flavors.” She wanted to recreate that “eclectic young fun place that I could go to with my 2-year-old. I can order at the counter. The place needs to be loud enough so my child does not disturb other people. I wanted a good place for those who have a child in tow.”
Spitz is a franchise founded by Bryce Rademan, who grew up in Park City, Utah and later attended Occidental College in Los Angeles to study diplomacy, world affairs and Spanish. His taste for adventure led him to Europe, where he discovered the Turkish doner kebab sold at street stands.
restaurant Perch, and before that, Seva Kitchen. The location was originally owned by Billie Ruff and the Travel Cafe, a travel agency and internet café that had its start in the late 1990s. The earlier pursuits were variably successful. When the new owners wanted to purchase the building, some in the business community had doubts, and they found challenges in raising the funds.
Jenna, with a degree in finance from Montana State University and experience as an accountant, business manager and an oil and gas “landman,” trusted her own fiscal savvy. Having grown up in Billings, she felt she knew this town.
A MEDITERRANEAN STREET-FOOD EATERY SERVING UP MODERN VERSIONS OF WRAPS, SALADS, GARDEN BOWLS, GYROS, FALAFELS AND PITA CHIPS.
❖❖ OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK ❖❖
While specifically catering to young families — paper, crayons, toys and games are available — Jenna says the restaurant is also popular with a more mature crowd, especially on performance nights at the Alberta Bair Theater, across the street.
“There are all types of diners,” Jenna says. “There are ladies with lunch dates who eat here monthly. The theater volunteers eat here every show, ordering wings and wine.”
Jenna and Peter may have finally figured out what works in this conveniently located venue. Most recently it was home to the
“I crunched all the numbers. That’s what I loved to do,” she says with a laugh. They bought the building because it was “such a great space, so cool.”
The food at Spitz is a modern take on the fresh, healthy Mediterranean food ubiquitous in the streets of Europe. Jenna wants diners to have a different level of experience with each bite. “There’s crunch and crispy from the garbanzo beans and chips,” she says. And attention was spent modifying dishes to vegan without sacrificing flavor. “Vegetarian and vegan should not be an afterthought,” she says.
Everything is made in-house, and drink options include frozen slushies, sangria and draft beers, some of them made locally.
And though not every Spitz has wings, Jenna says, their offerings include fried wings dusted with za’atar and served with Tzatziki Ranch and a choice spicy sauce.
Spitz is open seven days a week. “Peter is day to day working in the kitchen, or in the back of the house. I manage the front of the house and do 25 percent of the ordering,” Jenna says.
The couple has two kids, Jack, 5, and Henry, 8. The two met in Missoula and later moved to Park City, Utah. That’s where Peter was the Freeski Coach for the U.S. Ski Team. He later joined Jenna as a landman for a brief stint, and now sits on the Silver Run Skiing Foundation executive board. The couple came back home in 2019 to begin their journey into opening a restaurant.
“Our youngest is in preschool and our oldest is in day care. My parents help out a lot,” Jenna says, with at least one of them staying until the restaurant closes at 9.
Even with the hard work of managing a restaurant and its staff of 25, Jenna continues to feed her passion for building a business. The couple just opened a second Spitz location in Shiloh Crossing.
“We learn to give each other a lot of grace,” Jenna says. “We don’t have time to be mad at each other. We understand how hard we each work every day.” ✻
YOU CAN FIND SPITZ at 313 N. Broadway downtown or 1001 Shiloh Crossing Boulevard Suite 8 on the city’s West End.
STELLA FONG, writer
Stella divides her time between Billings and Seattle and is the author of two Billings-centric books, Historic Restaurants of Billings and Billings Food. Her writings have appeared in Big Sky Journal, Western Art and Architecture, the Washington Post as well as online at lastbestplates.com.
THE CAJUN QUEEN’S CUISINE THE CAJUN QUEEN’S CUISINE THE CAJUN QUEEN’S
ASHLEY ROBICHAUX, owner of Cajun Phatty’s, radiates a bit of joie de vivre. The self-proclaimed “Cajun Queen” is now sharing that joy of life in two new cookbooks, presenting traditional Cajun cooking with a modern flair.
Ashley, a native of New Iberia, Louisiana, moved to Billings in 2011. She and her husband, Shane, started a catering service a year later. They later bought a food truck and then found a brick-and-mortar space in downtown Billings in 2015. Seven years ago, she moved into her current location on King Avenue.
At Cajun Phatty’s, fans have raved about her traditional gumbo. In her first cookbook, “Born on Da Bayou,” you will find her Chicken Sausage Gumbo and her Seafood Gumbo, along with potato salad and mac and cheese. In the cookbook she shares this tip: add a spoonful of potato salad to gumbo. It adds richness and thickens the broth.
find recipes for a Chantilly King Cake as well as a Praline King Cake.
“One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in this kitchen for the holidays,” she says with a smile.
Both books are dedicated to mother, Jerry, to whom she expresses gratitude for “loving me unconditionally and always believing that I could do anything.” She also gives thanks to her Aunt Peggy for “showing me the gift of cooking,” and to her mother-inlaw Ronnie, an old-school Cajun cook who could cook anything.
Her second cookbook, “Southern Holiday Cooking,” celebrates recipes that are perfect for Christmas, New Year’s and the all-important Cajun holiday of Mardi Gras. The holiday falls on the day before the beginning of Lent. It is known as “Fat Tuesday,” when revelers feast before the traditional time of fasting.
“The King Cake is a significant part of Mardi Gras, with the name coming from the Bible’s story of the three wise men who brought gifts to Jesus on the Twelfth Night,” Ashley says. “The colors of the cake, with purples, greens and gold, represent justice, faith and power.” She shares how a small plastic baby is hidden inside the layers of the cake to symbolize Jesus. In “Southern Holiday Cooking,” you’ll
ASHLEY'S COOKBOOKS AT CAJUN PHATTY'S
CAJUN PHATTY'S
LOCATED AT 2564 KING AVE. WEST
Ashley wrote and self-published the cookbooks because of her love of food. “Food brings everyone together. When I love something, I want to tell you,” she says. She includes stories in and tips in both cookbooks. One which cooks might enjoy is the correct colors of different types of roux, which is the base of many sauces in Cajun cooking.
She’s hoping that by sharing her Cajun flavors, it will bring richness, spice and a joie de vivre to anytime cooking.
“A lot of people don’t love to cook,” Ashley says. “Even though you might not be a good cook, you can always learn!” ✻
EDITOR’S NOTE: You might remember Ashley Robichaux as one of YVW’s former cover girls. To read her full story, visit yellowstonevalleywoman.com/ashley-robichaux.
That’s My Jam That’s My Jam
GROWING UP, when we went out to dinner and I ordered meat — frequently steak — the waitress would bring A1 Sauce, and I would wave my hand and decline. I wanted to savor my beef. I was a purist.
My epiphany came many years later. I was about to enjoy a premium cut of Montana beef and I needed to choose one of several savory accoutrements. I decided on Onion Bacon Jam.
I was changed.
I later realized that I had been enjoying these jams or condiments all along, or at least around Thanksgiving when I would add homemade cranberry relish to turkey sandwiches or pork chops or ….
Now, I look for interesting flavor enhancers to add some “zhuzh” to beef, fish, pork. They are not always savory. Some of my go-to jams are Onion Bacon Jam, my Huckleberry
Compote (my daughter gets annoyed with my line about huckleberries — “All those grizzlies can’t be wrong”), or my Spiced Cranberry Relish.
Add these to your recipe box to add a burst of fruity, sweet or savory flavor to all kinds of dishes and baked goods, as an ingredient in a sauce or even diluted as a glaze. Your taste buds will thank you.
Enjoy! ✻
KAY ERICKSON, writer
Kay has spent her professional career in public relations and broadcast news, currently at Yellowstone Public Radio. Her journalism degree is from Northern Illinois University. Her passions include her family, sports and food. Her mom and an aunt taught her the finer points of cooking and instilled a love of good food and family mealtime.
ONION BACON JAM
1 lb. thick cut bacon (maple bacon is good), diced
1 large, sweet onion, chopped
¼ c. light brown sugar
¼ c. maple syrup
⅓ c. apple cider vinegar
¼ t. freshly ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS: Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until bacon is crispy, stirring frequently. Be careful not to overcook. Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the skillet, discard or save for other uses. Add the diced onion to the 2 tablespoons of the fat. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook the onions until they are caramelized, stirring often and scrapping any browned bits on the bottom of the pan, about 15 to 20 minutes. Mix in the brown sugar, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, black pepper and cooked bacon. Simmer for about 10 minutes or until the mixture has thickened, about the consistency of jam. Cool to room temperature and then refrigerate.
HUCKLEBERRY
COMPOTE
1½ c. huckleberries, fresh or frozen
3 T. sugar
3 oz. water
½ t. fresh lemon juice
DIRECTIONS: Combine the berries, sugar and water in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to break up the berries. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Cool completely. Refrigerate.
NOTE: Fresh blueberries are a good substitute.
SPICED
CRANBERRY RELISH
3 c. fresh cranberries
½ c. water
12 whole cloves
12 whole Allspice
1 stick cinnamon, broken
⅛ t. ground mace (spice from the nutmeg tree)
1 c. light brown sugar
DIRECTIONS: Put the cranberries in a covered pot. Add the water. Put the spices in a large tea infuser or tie in cheesecloth and add to the pot along with the mace. Cover and simmer until the cranberries are soft and pop, about 25 minutes. Remove the spices in the tea infuser or cheesecloth pouch and discard the spices. Press the cranberries with a masher and stir in the light brown sugar over low heat until dissolved. Cool in refrigerator before serving.
NOTE: For a little kick, you can add ¼ cup of orange liqueur when you add the brown sugar.
home and2garden7
78 from the nineties to now Couple makes their ideas of a revamp a reality
88 is your home smart?
from the7
NINETIES TO NOW
COUPLE MAKES THEIR IDEAS OF A REVAMP A REALITY
written
by GAYLE SMITH photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN
MICHELLE AND BRENT TOOGOOD knew their home had great bones but the heart of it, the kitchen, just wasn’t functional anymore. As the owners of this early ’90s home, they found out that having the right tools, amenities and purpose in your kitchen brings its own kind of happiness.
The couple loved to entertain, and so it became clear that the time was now to make their ideas of a revamp a reality. They’d been pondering a remodel for years.
“The kitchen layout wasn’t optimal, and it was very dated,” Michelle says. “The original honey oak cabinets showed lots of wear and tear, and some doors wouldn’t close properly.” On top of that, she says, the layout of the cabinets didn’t have a good flow. They were oddly placed and didn’t allow for much storage. When you pair that with the dark counters and floors, Michelle says, it made the kitchen appear “unwelcoming.”
before
PUTTING THE WHEELS IN MOTION
When it came time to pick a kitchen design company, Michelle chose Beyond the Box’s Emily Ludwig. Michelle appreciated that the company was woman-owned.
“Emily was amazing,” she says. “She listened to all our ‘must-haves’ and our wants and came up with perfect solutions. She turned our outdated kitchen into the gourmet kitchen we have always dreamed of.”
For 18 years, Emily has been helping homeowners realize what you can accomplish in a renovation.
“What made this project so easy was that Michele came to me with a clear plan in mind,” Emily says. After measuring and discussing the construction needed with the help of a contractor, Emily suggested Boyce Built Construction. The company provided all general contracting and logistics for the renovation, including managing subs, materials, schedules and utilizing their team members for all the finishing touches.
Boyce Built Construction, owned by Tom and Heather
before
Boyce, began when Tom got his start in construction by flipping houses. The company launched in 2013 and jumped into building both new homes and remodeling existing ones.
“Michelle did her homework before approaching us,” says Emily. “She knew what she liked including the colors she wanted, and had a clear idea of what she wanted accomplished before the project even began.”
To give a client the best outcome, Emily says she starts with a walk through of the space. “We call it our discovery trip,” she says. “It enables us to see the existing space for ourselves.”
“That first walk through gives us a great view into the scope of the project along with our capabilities to accomplish what the homeowners envision,” says Tom. “First, we find out if there are any challenges we need to be aware of, then we do our best to make it happen for the owners.”
MAKING IT THEIR OWN
“Navy blue is my favorite color,” Michelle says. “I wanted one stand-out centerpiece in the kitchen and for me that would be the copper vent. It is an oil-rubbed bronze and copper wall mount range hood from Zline Kitchen and Bath. This
before
combo makes me think cozy and relaxing.”
Since she wanted a counter with pattern but not one that would take away from the navy cabinets, she chose a creamy eggshell quartz counter by Viatera called Aria. It’s a neutral counter with faint black marbling. For the floors, Michelle says, “Since the kitchen area faces north, there’s no direct sunlight, so I went with a lighter flooring.”
The gray farm sink was Brent’s idea, Michelle says. “Once I saw it, I was sold. The idea of a large deep sink was ideal because I don’t like things piled up on the counters when we entertain,” Michelle says. Also, she says, it’s easy to stack plates in the sink and deal with them later.
For baking functionality, a friend told Michelle about Bosch appliances. “I found out they are only one of two brands that the built-in over doors swing open,” Michelle says. The oven opens much like a microwave door instead of the traditional flip down door. “This is great for those of us who are short, no more opening an oven door that is the height of my face and then having to lean in to get food out.”
Included in the remodel were also space savers like drawers that pull out to store all Michelle’s plastic storage containers or another pull out that holds all her ladles, spatulas and whisks.
THE EXTRAS
Just around the corner from the kitchen, you’ll find Brent’s haven. It’s a space he uses not only to build guitars but as a recording studio. It used to have counters and cabinets that were falling apart before the remodel. Today, it’s a streamlined space with plenty of storage for his guitar-related hardware.
While Michelle added storage space, she laughs when she says there was some give and take. “The pantry is also a guitar amp storage unit, so I do have to share space with my hubby,” she says. The space easily stores small appliances and, Michelle says, “We added a sliding barn door that adds so much character.” The couple also chose to carve out some space off the kitchen for a wet bar with a beverage fridge and even more storage to enjoy here.
CLOSING THIS DOOR FOREVER
One interesting challenge, Tom says, was the presence of two exterior doors in close proximity to each other in the pantry and bar areas.
“After considering the remodel plan, we took out one of the
doors, patched the wall, sheet rocked, insulated and painted it to match the interior. We removed, replaced and painted the exterior siding and it looks as though the door was never there,” says Tom.
The process of an average kitchen remodel takes, on average, three to four months from concept to completion. In the Toogoods’ home, Boyce Built Construction and Beyond the Box were able to use that time to create both a beautiful and lasting space that reflects both the owners’ desires and personalities. ✻
BOYCE BUILT CONSTRUCTION
Boyce Built specializes in home remodeling, new home construction, custom additions and small commercial projects. It prides itself on delivering high-quality craftsmanship.
“As the owner, I am passionate about what I do and look forward to delivering exceptional outcomes for many more clients in the future,” says Tom Boyce. “We value family, integrity, superior results and an unwavering work ethic. These principles are at the core of every project we undertake.”
BEYOND THE BOX
Beyond the Box, which just celebrated its 10th year in business, carries cabinetry of all kinds and all budgets. The company specializes in helping clients envision and create the perfect space to suit any
lifestyle. From kitchens and bathrooms to closets and garages, Beyond the Box provides the expertise to explore the possibilities
IS YOUR HOME smart2
smart2 ?
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY MAKES LIFE A LITTLE EASIER
written by GAYLE SMITH
MAYBE YOU’VE JUMPED into smart home technology with your Amazon Echo. Or, you’ve hooked up Google Home to feel connected and in control, from anywhere. This technology is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to high-tech additions that can make life a little easier.
Smart home technology has come a long way over the past decade. You might have a clothes washer that automatically senses your load size, or an oven that has a built-in air fryer and microwave oven that can be controlled with an app. With so much on the market, we had some of the local industry experts weigh in on some of the innovations in home technology and give us the inside scoop on where they might be headed.
LET’S START WITH COMFORT
Jeff and Tony Scherr, the owners of Comfort Heating and Air Conditioning, love the advances they’ve seen in their corner of heating and cooling.
“You can now remotely control your HVAC products along with the ability to receive notifications if something should go wrong,” Jeff says. “No more wondering if things are operating correctly, as the communication system will tell you in advance of an emergency.” On top of that, each system can be fine-tuned based on a customer’s needs.
Some of the company’s thermostats, for instance, come with what’s called geofencing technology. It uses your phone’s GPS to know when you’re not home. The system will then heat or cool your home accordingly, helping to cash in on energy savings while you’re away or maximize your comfort when you’re home.
“We can now customize a system to a home rather than the one-sizefits-all mentality of the past,” Jeff says.
In time, Jeff believes, all heating and cooling systems will be wireless, meaning no matter the age of your home, you’ll be able to have the latest technology. “All great news for older homes,” he says.
Jeff doesn’t doubt that there will be a day when these energy efficient systems will be able to control the temperature with greater precision.
“The ability to control every room individually is close to being a reality,” Jeff says.
LIGHT UP YOUR WORLD
What if we told you that there was a piece of smart home technology that could improve your mood and help you to sleep better? If you ask Craig Kahnke, owner of CK Tech & Security, he can make that happen with his smart lighting technology.
“The system automatically adjusts based on the time of day,” Craig says. “They are the tunable light fixtures that go from a warm white to a cool white throughout the day. It’s all powered on a Cat 6 cable and tied into the smart home platform that you can adjust by the date and the time of day.”
Craig adds that switching from a warm light in the morning to a cool light mid-day and then back to a warm light in the evening has proven health benefits. “There are a lot of studies that show this helps your circadian rhythm,” Craig says. “It’s less stressful on the body.”
Lighting is just one piece of technology that Craig likes to tie into every smart home he helps build.
“We sell smart blinds that can be opened and closed at sunrise and sunset,” he says, and this can be controlled from the light switches in the room. Audio and video can be tied into a smart home panel, and that’s not all, he says. “The alarm system is on that panel. Outdoor lighting is on that panel. Smart door locks
can be seen and controlled from that panel. If you have a pool or a sauna, we can tie that in as well,” Craig says. Each smart home panel has icons built in to help control different areas of the home with ease.
You might think that this kind of technology comes with a high price tag or can only be added with new construction. Craig says many of these things can be retrofitted into an existing home and you can install an entry level smart home panel for as little as $1,500.
“We have options for everyone,” Craig says.
I THINK WE WILL SEE THE DIY MARKET GET BETTER AS FAR AS ALLOWING END USERS TO CONSOLIDATE MORE INTO ONE PLATFORM LIKE APPLE HOMEKIT, ALLOWING USERS TO AVOID USING MULTIPLE APPS TO CONTROL PRODUCTS FROM HUNDREDS OF DIFFERENT MANUFACTURERS.
— Craig, CK Tech & Security
CONTROLLING ACCESS
Remember when you could only open your garage door by using a little muscle and the help of two giant springs at the bottom? Or, maybe you locked with a key on the side? Those days are long gone. Thanks to smart home innovation, garage doors have even more of a focus on safety and security.
Matt Weber, owner of Alpha Overhead Door says the new technology his company uses makes it even easier for homeowners to control their garage doors with flexibility and peace of mind. Not only does his system support smartphone connectivity with a dedicated app, it enables the homeowner to control their garage door from anywhere in the world.
Do you need something delivered but don’t want to give a person or company full access to your home? This system has that covered as well.
“It lets them generate a temporary or one-time access code through the smartphone app or wall-mounted keypad,” Matt says. “This allows delivery services to partially open the door for a brief period to place packages in your secure garage.”
This type of system is also equipped with an encrypted rolling code technology, which changes the access code each time the remote is used. That means you’ve got an extra level of security with the click of a button.
— Matt, Alpha Overhead Door
KEEPING IT CLEAN
Central vacuum systems have been around for decades, but if you ask Sandy Berkshire with Stuart’s House of Vacuums, she'll tell you that thanks to technology, you no longer have to lug that heavy hose from room to room.
“The vacuum’s hose retracts into the tubing that we lay out in the house,” Sandy says. “There’s no bulky hose to carry around.” When you’re finished, the suction from the central vacuum power unit retracts the hose right back into the wall.
As if that weren’t enough, this central vac system offers a patented dual-seal system to make sure you have enough power for your cleaning jobs. There’s a built in 360-degree swivel handle to make vacuuming a breeze. And, with an automatic lock, you can pull out the amount of hose you need and it will automatically lock to prevent the release of the full length of hose. Worried you might not have enough hose? Fear not.
“Each hose covers up to 2,200 square feet of living space,” she says. ✻
