Fargo Inc March 2020

35 UNDER 35 FEATURING UNITED WAY'S

MARCH 2020

The Women's Issue

10 WOMEN'S BUSINESS RESOURCES // WOMEN'S BUSINESS CALENDAR // WOMEN OF SPOTLIGHT

// MARCH 2020

FEATURES

COVER STORY

28 Sponsored Content: SCHEELS Is Putting An Emphasis On Developing Female Leadership 36 Sponsored Content: How Your Electric Cooperative Is Staying Reliable And Affordable 65 Offering It All 70 Women's Event Calendar 72 2019 FMWF Chamber Young Professional Of The Year 74 No Limits 79 Overcoming Adversity and Empowering Women 82 Women Of Spotlight 90 Resources For Businesswomen In Fargo 92 Women Connect 97 Preventing Workplace Injuries

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United Ways 35 Under 35 Program

Grounded in the philosophy that the future of our community will be influenced by the quality of leaders who are engaged and connected, United Way of Cass-Clay launched the 35 Under 35 Women’s Leadership Program. Since its inception more than a decade ago, 420 women have been impacted by the opportunity to grow their leadership skills and have gone on to positively influence their workplaces and our greater community.

Join us as we introduce you to five women who impact the program as alumnae volunteers, mentors and speakers, and introduce you to the 2020 class.

Follow Fargo Inc! on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter

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MARCH 2020

100 A Deeper Look At Ladyboss Of Fargo Moorhead 104 Breaking The Norm 108 5 Questions With John Machacek 111 How To Develop Into A Leader 114 Betting Big On Fargo's Future 118 Ladyboss Of The Month: Rayonna Hystead 120 Events Calendar

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E d i t o r ’s n o t e

Thank You, Mom I

n honor of this women’s issue, I want to say thank you to my mother, Lisa Drake. My Mom, a Credit Officer at Bell Bank, has been a constant supporter of mine and is the epitome of a professional businesswoman. My mom is hardworking, charitable and a true role model. And, I can safely say that I wouldn’t be where I am today without her.

My mom believed in and supported a kid who was usually the worst player on every single sports team he played on through elementary school. Whether it was Tee Ball, hockey

Brady Drake, Fargo INC! Editor 10

MARCH 2020

or football, I struggled mightily. But she was always there to prop me up, dry my tears and never let me quit.

Eventually, I improved. It took a lot of work on my end, but I never would’ve been able to do it without her. Thank you Mom, you really have no idea how much that helped me build my self-discipline and confidence. And all along the way, my mom was there to help me through every sprain, break and surgery. Thank you Mom. My mom helped a kid that struggled in reading, writing and math excel. Without that, I probably never would’ve graduated from college. Thank you, Mom

fargoinc@spotlightmediafargo.com

Throughout this magazine, you will see women who are highlighted because of their redeeming qualities.

Women who are smart, ambitious, goal-oriented, caring, and strong. I’m biased, but I think my mom is all of those things. Thank you, Mom.

Brady Drake Brady Drake Fargo INC! Editor

EDITORIAL BOARD Professional development is paramount to the success of professionals today. We are lucky that our region has such a strong community of support and resources for employees to hone their skills, connect with others and make a real difference. As this issue highlights the United Way’s women’s leadership program, we want to share one more avenue for females to find connection: The Chamber’s Women Connect program.

KRISTI HUBER

JOHN MACHACEK

President

COURTNEY LARSON

GREGORY WALD

Communications Manager

United Way of Cass-Clay

Chief Innovation Officer

Greater FM Economic Development Corporation

Communications and Marketing Officer

FM Area Foundation

Moore Engineering, Inc.

Influence is more important than title or position in business today. Imagine the impact on our community if we all utilized our influence for good. Leading through influence is a core theme which is highlighted throughout the six months of the United Way 35 Under 35 Women’s Leadership Program.

As a father of a 16-year old daughter who I feel is growing into a strong independent woman, I love to see all the things going on here in Fargo Moorhead that encourage and support this kind of personal growth, confidence, empowerment and equity for women. Let’s keep supporting and promoting these initiatives!

The Women’s Fund, a permanently endowed fund of the FM Area Foundation, was created in 2000 by a group of visionary women who wanted to make a difference in our community. The fund has grown to $1.3 million, thanks to generous supporters throughout the years, and has provided $370,340 in grants to support important services and programs for women and girls in the Fargo-Moorhead area. Gifts to the Women’s Fund help make a difference today and for years to come.

Some amazing regional programs encourage girls to get excited about STEM. Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day, uCodeGirl, Tech Savvy, BrainSTEM and the Girl Scouts’ Spooky Science are just a few. With the pace of technology and continual workforce pressures, programs like these play a big role in getting as many kids as possible involved in STEM activities and, eventually, careers.

I encourage you to read the many diverse perspectives from our participants shared in this month’s feature article, be inspired to utilize your influence and join them in creating a better tomorrow for our community.

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MARCH 2020

SCOTT MEYER

Ozbun Executive Director of Entrepreneurship

NDSU College of Business

At The Nice Center at NDSU, we believe in entrepreneurship for all.

That means helping people who might not consider themselves entrepreneurs to think about it as an option.

Less than 40% of our entrepreneurship students at NDSU are female, so we have work to do. This issue of Fargo INC! is a great step in that direction. By modeling and highlighting the stories of the great female leaders in our community, we can create the welcoming ecosystem we need to encourage female entrepreneurship.

JIM PARSONS

ANDREW JASON

Dakota Business Lending

FMWF Chamber of Commerce

Emerging Prairie

One of the most common misconceptions that exists in ND today is that there are no resources available for women entrepreneurs. This year, our team had made it our mission to help set this record straight and show women entrepreneurs the multitude of resources that are available for them right under their noses. This issue highlights some of the many resources and opportunities that ND has to offer and a variety of success stories that go along with them. Let’s use this issue and work together to clarify that misconception and prove that women business owners can find what they need to succeed in this great state.

Starting in 2014, Women Connect was born out of community need to connect area women in business with the networking, support and tools that they need to succeed. The mission is to bring women together in a unique, courageous forum that will build connections, provide a space to be brave and explore what leadership means both personally and professionally. We do this through monthly events, opportunities to network and connect with peers and local leaders, social opportunities to keep the conversation going, and charitable opportunities to give back. I invite you to learn more at our website or checking out an upcoming event.

STEVE DUSEK President & CEO

VP of Finance and Operations

Director of Ecosystem

Kodee Furst, Annie Capital. Kara Jorvig, Allegro Group. Christy Tehven, Love Always. I can go on with the list of female entrepreneurs. And yet, North Dakota is one of the worst states in the country for female entrepreneurs. Ranking in at 48th, North Dakota only has 29.8 percent of female business owners. Not acceptable. Let's celebrate, encourage and celebrate those females who have taken the plunge.

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Don’t overreact to market swings.

Get a second opinion.

Investors have survived market swings and corrections before. But a twinge of uncertainty may have you wondering if you should get another opinion to help confirm your wealth is in the right place. That’s why we’ve made it as easy as we can to have a complimentary, face-to-face meeting with a Financial Advisor.

Maybe you just want to know if you’re really on track for retirement or if your investments could be better aligned to your goals. Or in the process of working hard for your money, you worry you’ve overlooked some necessary steps to transfer your wealth.

Whatever’s on your mind, we’re here to listen, and we’ll help you evaluate your plan. It’s free, and there’s no obligation. Then you can decide if your wealth is getting the care it deserves.

WEALTH MANAGEMENT | INVESTMENT PLANNING | RETIREMENT

Tim Graveline Senior Financial Advisor Senior Vice President – Investments 406 Main Ave, Fl. 2 Fargo, ND 58103 (701) 293-4917 Tim.M.Graveline@wellsfargo.com https://home.wellsfargoadvisors.com/Tim.M.Graveline

Investment and Insurance Products: u NOT FDIC Insured u NO Bank Guarantee u MAY Lose Value Wells Fargo Advisors is a trade name used by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Member SIPC, a registered broker-dealer and non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company. © 2015 Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC. All rights reserved.

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Matt Watson Senior Financial Advisor First Vice President – Investments 406 Main Ave, Fl. 2 Fargo, ND 58103 Direct: (701) 293-4322 Matthew.R.Watson@wellsfargo.com https://home.wellsfargoadvisors.com/Matthew.R.Watson

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March 2020 Volume 5 Issue 3

Fargo INC! is published 12 times a year and is available at area businesses and online at FargoInc.com.

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Custom, Hands-On

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Mike Dragosavich Drago@SpotlightMediaFargo.com Alexandra Martin Brady Drake fargoinc@spotlightmediafargo.com Kim Cowles, Christy German

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Shontarius D. Aikens, Paul Smith, Steve Dusek, Katie Beedy, John Machacek, Adrienne Olson

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Patrick Thompson, Laura Alexander Kellen Feeney Ben Buchanan Neil Keltgen Neil@SpotlightMediaFargo.com

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No parts of this magazine may be reproduced or distributed without written permission of Fargo INC!, and Spotlight LLC, is not responsible for, and expressly disclaims all liability for, damages of any kind arising out of use, reference to or reliance on such information. Spotlight LLC, accepts no liability for the accuracy of statements made by the advertisers.

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This issue of Future Farmer is focusing on education. Working with local educators to find opportunities for education at all stages of life. From kids in 4-H youth development to extension programming on farms and continuing ed training courses in business management and QuickBooks, this issue is packed with real-life stories and educational resources for the farmer.

We all deserve to treat ourselves every now and then. Fargo is home to a number of impressive salons, spas, barbers, nail salons and more...so pampering options are endless. However, in this issue, we took a look at some more contemporary and perhaps untraditional ways to indulge. Come with us as we explore some luxurious local services that you might not have even known existed right in your backyard!

NDSU Athletics is always buzzing, regardless of the weather outside.

While some may point to the football season as the busiest time for athletics, that may not be entirely true.

There is no question football season is as exciting and robust as any on campus, but the month of March offers forth a jam-packed calendar. From conference tournaments to NCAA Championships, March is the craziest month for NDSU, its student-athletes, coaches and administration. Take a seat and behold the madness of March.

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MARCH 2020

SPONSORED CONTENT

Michelle Killoran, Chief Financial Officer Brittany Schaan, Social Media Specialist

By Brady Drake Photos by Kayleigh Omang

Nikki Fjerstad, E-Commerce Sales Leader

SPONSORED CONTENT

IS PUTTING AN EMPHASIS ON

DEVELOPING

FEMALE LEADERSHIP SCHEELS, one of the most reputable brands in our region, has taken big steps to empower its female employees. One of the main ways they have done this is through their Women in Leadership Development Program (WILD). To give us a better view of the program, its impact and SCHEELS’ wonderful culture as a whole, we sat down with some of the women involved with the program.

Michelle Killoran, Chief Financial Officer

Michelle Killoran started off with Scheels as a part-time office assistant while she was a senior at Concordia College and worked her way up until she was named CFO in 2012 and was added to the board of directors. Now in her 20th year at the company, Killoran helps drive the company forward while also continuing to work on developing female leadership in the company, an initiative she was involved in starting.

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You were responsible for helping to kickstart the WILD program. Can you take me through that in the beginning?

In 2013, I started the Women’s Leadership Summit which was for female leaders across the entire SCHEELS company. At the time, there were a lot of females in mid-level leadership roles that were looking for additional leadership training and not necessarily just the traditional leadership training that we focus on at SCHEELS. There were a lot of females that were looking for guidance on tough conversations, mental health, and work/life balance. We continued to hear that they were looking for more. The person in charge of leadership training and development within the company came to me and said, “I keep hearing females asking for this, but I can’t lead this type of training

“When I started with the company, there wasn’t anyone that held the title 'CFO.' The sky’s the limit for both females and males at Scheels and I’m honored to now hold that title.”

because I’m a man.” After some discussion and brainstorming, I decided to give it a whirl.

We had our first Women’s Leadership Summit in 2013. It went well and we decided to make it an annual event and in conjunction the WILD (Women in Leadership Development) meetings were born. I really enjoy the Women’s Leadership Summit because it gives me an opportunity to meet and interact with women throughout our company. I am fortunate because I’m also able to learn and grow from them and their experiences.

How are you trying to push things forward with the meetings?

If you look back at SCHEELS 50, 60 or 100 years ago, the leadership teams were very male-dominated. Slowly, over time, women have become more and more present in leadership positions. Steve D. Scheel was a

big proponent of that and he really pushed blended leadership teams, knowing that diversity in thought and perspective drives greater results. As a female growing up in my career at SCHEELS, I knew that I wanted to continue to push that forward. We have so many amazing females in our corporate setting that have now made the WILD meetings their own. They’re setting up the meetings and coming up with content based on what they hear women talking about in their offices. They’ve done a great job making it their own here in the corporate office.

How are you still presently involved in the planning for WILD? I am and will always be an advocate for leadership training. At SCHEELS, we pride ourselves on the development of our people throughout their career. I still host the Women’s Leadership Summit annually and we talk about the WILD meetings every year at that event. We encourage all of our stores to hold WILD meetings and to promote growth and development of up-andcoming females within our store locations.

I’m also part of the committee for the WILD meetings at our Corporate Office.

What is unique about how SCHEELS supports female leadership within the company?

I think there are a lot of different things that are unique about SCHEELS. As a whole, SCHEELS is a different company than most due to employee ownership and organic growth. But, I think one of the most unique parts about SCHEELS is that it’s grown quickly and therefore has provided many new career opportunities along the way.

When I started with the company, there wasn’t anyone that held the title CFO. Never when I started my part-time role did I think I’d be able to get to that point at SCHEELS. The sky’s the limit for both females and males at SCHEELS and I’m honored to now hold that title.

Did you have any mentors during your early days at SCHEELS? I would say Steve D. Scheel. While not a traditional or formal mentor for me, I’ve certainly learned an incredible amount from him during my career. Truly, I credit him with me still being at SCHEELS. He’s always been an advocate for me and he’s always supported me in my endeavors.

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Nikki Fjerstad is one of the leaders from E-Commerce on the committee for WILD. She has been with SCHEELS for 16 years and has been involved with WILD for the last six years.

Nikki Fjerstad, E-Commerce Sales Leader

How did you get your start at SCHEELS? I started with part-time shoe sales in 2004.

I was going to Minnesota State University Mankato and just wanted a discount on my snowboard and wakeboard. I met some really great people who convinced me to give it a shot and I realized I really love selling and I love marketing products. It was a really great gig to make some money as a college student. Then, I feel like SCHEELS just sucks you in because of the culture. I’ve been with SCHEELS ever since. Eventually, I helped open our Eden Prairie, Minnesota store and worked as an assistant store leader. Then, I moved out to Reno, Nevada and helped open that store also as an assistant store leader. Finally, I moved to our corporate office here in Fargo where I worked as a Buyer for four years and then I took the Sales Leader Position for E-Commerce five years ago.

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How crucial has SCHEELS culture of developing employees been for your professional career?

I got a mentor very early on. She was my very first supervisor. She’s still at SCHEELS today and she taught me that whatever you want, you have to ask for. So, that was my first real impression of that strong female leadership. But, it’s not just the female leaders in our company that have supported us. Every store leader that I have worked for along the way has been a male, but they have supported me in every single aspect of my wants and needs for growth within the company. I’ve held five different positions in the last 16 years and every single one of them has been 100 percent supported by the leader of each area. They were always pushing me to apply for new positions to get me more experience and more growth.

Can you take me through what it’s like planning for the WILD events?

There are different female representatives from each of our offices, we call them female WILD leads. We all get together and bounce ideas off of each other. We bring different content pieces that each of our teams may want more training on or that we have liked from different presentations that we have seen. I feel like we’re all very Type A personalities with our female leads so we’re very productive and efficient but there’s also those side conversations on kids, homes, or even hair stylists so it’s fun to just kind of get a group of strong relatable women together.

It’s fun.

Why do you think SCHEELS places such a big importance on leadership development?

I think it’s because we’re employee-owned, honestly. We are 100 percent owned by our employees so we place all of our emphasis on our employees and their betterment because, ultimately, we all want to retire and all want to retire well. So, if I don’t perform my best or don’t coach my associates to perform their best, there’s no growth and there’s no betterment as a company. That’s why it’s no surprise that SCHEELS is thriving.

Business is good.

There’s always that conversation about having a female mentor or a male mentor or whatnot but I don’t think it’s at all a gender thing. I think it’s all about how we empower our associates. Whether you’re a part-time cashier as the first impression of SCHEELS to Mr. Steve D Scheel himself, there’s always that drive to make things better because we are proud to be employee-owned.

How did you get your start here?

There’s a lot of tenure around here and I’m a newer addition to the team. I’ve been here for about a year and half. The job came about through mutual connections. I had a couple of conversations with the hiring team and we felt like it was a mutual fit. I was hired and moved into my current role as a Social Media Specialist on the marketing team.

What are some things in addition to WILD that SCHEELS does to raise the bar in support of women?

There are some different opportunities that come up. For example, a couple of weeks ago, we were contacted by a group at NDSU by a professional club that was femalefocused and wanted to hear from female leadership.

What’s the most useful thing you’ve taken away from those meetings?

There’s a lot of comradery. We sometimes get so siloed into our different teams. I see and meet with our marketing team every day of the week so it’s an interesting time to hear from different areas of the office and their experiences.

How has SCHEELS helped you to feel welcome?

SCHEELS is a very unique place. It’s very team focused and gives you a sense of being a part of a family. There’s a lot of checking in on what people have going on over the weekend, how their family is doing or their side project outside of work. It’s really supportive in that way.

How do you try to empower your fellow female workers?

I think by celebrating each other. It’s celebrating successes whether they’re small or large, I think it’s important to reach out to somebody and let them know that you think they did a really great job.

What is your favorite thing about working for SCHEELS? I would say my favorite thing is that I’ve been told from day one that you can make your path what you want it to be.

What does it feel like to give back at an event like that?

I think it’s really eye-opening and cool to get to hear from various women around the company in different roles, tenures, and responsibilities. It was also interesting to hear from students about concerns they have as they get into the professional world and to help them address them.

What has your experience been like with the WILD program?

My experience has been very much as an attendee. It’s a really unique experience that happens quarterly where all of the women in our corporate office meet. It’s all based around educating and empowering women so it’s very inspiring. The topic ownership changes quarterly from team to team. The speakers and topics have been both internal and external. We have had a number of speakers come in and talk about wellness, be it mental, physical or financial. We also learn about opportunities to get more involved in our community.

Visit scheels.com

Brittany Schaan, Social Media Specialist

SPONSORED CONTENT

(From left to right) Cass County Electric Cooperative's Manager of Technical Services, Chris Erickson, and President CEO, Marshal Albright

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SPONSORED CONTENT

Cass County Electric Cooperative knows that its

consumer-members need reliable power. That’s why they’re using everything from drones to mobile apps to advanced meter technology, keeping the lights on for the more than 52,000 accounts they serve every single day.

In 2018, Cass County Electric was number one in the nation in terms of reliability among Cooperatives of the same size. Cass County Electric Cooperative CEO, Marshal Albright, says that that’s no coincidence.

“We focus on and invest in our power distribution system, making sure that it’s designed so when there’s an outage, we can get the power restored as quickly and as safely as we can,” said Albright.

Power outages happen, and it’s impossible to prevent every single one. That’s why Cass County Electric has some of its substations equipped with automated switches so that an outage can be managed from their power control center and back-fed from a different direction.

“

In the past, we had to go out and troubleshoot an outage manually, checking the system pole by pole.

Today, technology helps us locate the issue so we can restore power safer and faster,”

“In the past, we had to go out and troubleshoot an outage manually, checking the system pole by pole. Today, technology helps us locate the issue so we can restore power safer and faster,” said Albright.

Cass County Electric also utilizes automated switches for critical members such as some of the hospitals they serve.

These switches work on a two-way power feed so that if power is disrupted on one, the power is immediately switched to the other, minimizing the outage time to a flicker of the lights.

Smart switches are just one technological advancement that Cass County Electric is using to keep its affordable power reliable. They focus on maintaining the electric grid to provide maximum reliability and recently added another UAV (drone) to their fleet to inspect overhead power lines and other electrical equipment. When partnered with their advanced metering infrastructure for outage detection, specialty equipment used in stormy conditions to restore power faster and their dedicated line crew, whose passion is safety, its easy to see why reliability is so vital to the cooperative.

If all of that isn’t enough to make you appreciate Cass County Electric, the capital credits that the company offers its members should be. Because Cass County Electric is a cooperative, they pay back money to their members over time. This year alone, Cass County Electric will return $2 million to their consumer-members. And, with the cooperative not having to raise rates for running the cooperative in over a decade, more returns are sure to follow.

To learn more about the mobile app, please visit CassCountyElectric.com/mobile-app FARGOINC.COM

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35 UNITED WAY

UNDER

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WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP PROGRAM Grounded in the philosophy that the future of our community will be influenced by the quality of leaders who are engaged and connected, United Way of Cass-Clay launched the 35 Under 35 Women’s Leadership Program. Since its inception more than a decade ago, 420 women have been impacted by the opportunity to grow their leadership skills and have gone on to positively influence their workplaces and our greater community.

Join us as we introduce you to five women who impact the program as alumnae volunteers, mentors and speakers, and introduce you to the 2020 class.

BY United Way | PHOTOS BY Hillary Ehlen

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“The single biggest way to impact an organization is to focus on leadership development. There is almost no limit to the potential of an organization that recruits good people, raises them up as leaders and continually develops them.”

– John Maxwell Infinite potential - this is the lens through which United Way of Cass-Clay views our community, and why we focus on investing in local leaders.

Each year, United Way invests in a group of 35 women to inspire them on their leadership development journey through the 35 Under 35 Women’s Leadership Program.

The goal is to help each participant realize their individual strengths and energize their collective power as influencers in our community.

Jesseca White, Downtown Resource Officer for the Fargo Police Department, and 2019 35 Under 35 program alumna said, “Now having been exposed to several different methods of leadership through this program, I see how developing leadership at an early stage of anyone’s career is important. As a leader, you should not be hoarding all of your experience and connections - guiding, mentoring, and influencing others is the greatest gift you can offer any organization.”

By Kristi Huber, United Way of Cass-Clay President & CEO

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When this year’s group of participants finishes the program in June, they will join the 420 alumnae who have the potential to influence their communities every day. We know that none of us can go through a single day without having an impact on the world around us, and this alumnae network is a powerful current of energy continually shaping our workplaces and communities.

Imagine the impact on our community when we intentionally influence one another to focus on our strengths.

This program emphasizes discovering the strengths of not only oneself but appreciating and acknowledging the strengths of those around you. These leaders are equipped to intentionally discover and build the strengths of their coworkers, families, and volunteer groups.

When just one individual in the workplace commits to becoming a better leader, the ripple effect is infinite. A positive, confident, connected leader creates positive, confident, connected teams, that have the networks and abilities to innovate, and ultimately lift our businesses and communities to success.

Officer White’s perspective is just one of the many perspectives shared in this month’s article - I encourage you to take the time to learn from these leaders and be inspired to utilize your own influence to better your workplace and community.

United Way collaborates with individuals, businesses and nonprofits that share a vision for creating a better tomorrow for our entire community, and the 35 Under 35 program is just one way we are rallying people like you to make it happen. We invite you to learn more about United Way of Cass-Clay’s vision at unitedwaycassclay.org.

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Antonia Berning Scilley

Angela Arneson

Melissa Nelson

Megan Berndt

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Annie Wood

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Antonia Berning Scilley Quality Management Coordinator North Dakota Department of Human Services – Southeast Human Service Center

How can we inspire all people to work toward developing their leadership skills and why is this important?

We can take time to show people that being a leader or developing leadership skills, has nothing to do with titles, position or even employment for that matter. The ability to be open about your leadership journey, both the highs and the lows, is crucial in inspiring others to discover their own desire for selfimprovement which will benefit themselves as well as our community in the future.

Angela Arneson Sourcing Manager Sanford Health

Sanford Health is one of the biggest employers in our region - why is leadership development important for all employees, regardless of role?

Empowering a culture of courage takes all kinds of leaders - formal and informal, even ones that may not know they’re leading. While there’s a difference between managing people and truly leading, it takes everyone in a large organization, and I mean everyone, to make an impact. Development is important to me, both personally and professionally, but I take developing others most seriously. As a true leader, not just a manager, helping others reach their goals and potential is an indescribable feeling.

Your own leadership development will inevitably influence others, which in return strengthens an organization and culture.

Melissa Nelson Human Resource Specialist Western State Bank

How do you see your experience in this program having a ripple effect on the wider community?

I believe lifting others up who want to take on that next step and supporting them through their journey happens not only within your workplace but also within relationships you build in the community.

This Program provides the opportunity for women to connect and build strong relationships to support each other through life’s challenges. I have already begun to share my experience and tell them about the concepts I have learned with co-workers and other connections I have in the community. It is so rewarding to be a part of a group that connects women from all different industries, who are passionate about many different things; but all have a similar love to improve our community.

Megan Berndt Marketing Manager Evolution Hospitality

Why are programs like this important not just to the women who participate, but the larger community?

In these groups and programs, participants are taught a new way to look at not only themselves, but how they communicate and interact with co-workers, family members, while networking, and in all other aspects of their lives. When we step into the community and have these new interactions, new ideas and new conversations - it will create a ripple effect that not only benefits us but our community as a whole.

Annie Wood Associate Director for Student Life Minnesota State University Moorhead

You recently did a TEDxFargo talk titled "Find Your Weirdos to Find Community." How is being weird advantageous to leadership development?

The idea of “weirdness,” is not about being awkward or strange – it’s actually about recognizing how your talents, traits and who you are allows you to contribute uniquely. Owning my weirdness allows me to know how I can best contribute and to not be insecure as I learn more about my blind spots. I view those areas as growth opportunities, not as a threat to the value I can provide because I’m secure in my “weirdness.” As I work to help others develop, I use the idea of “weirdness” to discover how people can use who they are to contribute in ways that only they can along with affirming who they are and what they bring to a team.

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Richelle Bishoff Andrea Schulte Kayla Goebel

Ciara Langehaug

Amber Wibstad

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A better return comes from knowing you better.

Andrea Schulte

Graphic Design Specialist Bell Bank

You work for a company that supports the concept of "Pay it Forward" - why is giving back to the community important for young leaders?

The sooner a leader understands their power to make an impact (for good), the better. Giving back is the simplest way to learn how one small act of grace can cause a ripple effect. It’s also extremely important for leaders to remain humble. Giving back can inspire humility – one of the greatest lessons young leaders must learn.

Kayla Goebel

Owner/Chaos Coordinator Strong Roots

As a business owner, how do you balance the pressures of growing your business with your personal life?

I believe that balance is a myth and none of us accomplish greatness alone. We all have the same amount of time in a day. What we are prioritizing and what are we sacrificing each day is what varies. Having an incredible support system and relationships with others who are great at communicating is the best way to chase after the elusive idea of balance. Serena Williams didn’t become the best tennis player by being ‘balanced’ but by making sacrifices each day, busting ass and having a great support system.

Tax and Accounting

Ciara Langehaug

Head Start Home Visitor and Family Support CAPLP – Lakes & Prairies Community Action Partnership

You work with families in need on a day to day basis. How does ensuring they are successful impact the future of our community?

At CAPLP we focus on eliminating poverty while empowering families and engaging communities. It is extremely important to help the Head Start families see themselves as a significant part of our community.

We strive to see the strengths in their families every day while problem-solving some of the barriers they face. When we help the parents build positive parenting skills, it helps the relationship between them and their children which affects their children’s relationships with others. This impacts our community on multiple levels.

Our community is built with all types of people and backgrounds that shape our community into a positive environment.

Positive, trusting and supportive relationships are the foundation of a wonderful and successful community.

WHAT SEPARATES US FROM OTHER ACCOUNTANTS? EVERYTHING BUT THE MATH. You’ve got a business to run, and so do we. So everything we do is designed to keep things running smoothly. And you can count on that.

Amber Wibstad Richelle Bishoff

Costing & Sourcing Manager Border States Electric

Why is it important to ensure more women are in leadership positions in our community?

I believe that the more unique voices you have bringing issues, ideas and solutions to the table the more likely you are to come up with innovative answers to solve and see those ideas through to implementation.

If you have a leadership bench that is only made up of male voices, you’re missing the opportunity to hear from an entire audience that I believe has a tremendous amount of value to add. Border States Electric has had a female CEO since I have started my career with them. So, I have been able to witness the great ideas and solutions that can come from a diverse group of leaders.

Strategic Financial Analyst Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota

Why is being involved in your community important for people of all ages and in all stages of their careers?

Being involved in the community at any stage makes the community stronger.

We wouldn’t have some of the amazing organizations in this community if it wasn’t for great people willing to get out and volunteer. I’m very fortunate to work for a company that allows their employees to take time off to volunteer!

Jamie Passanante, CPA Aimee Schwartzwalter, CPA

(701) 365-0319 • balancecpa.com

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Internship and Experiential Learning Specialist Concordia College

Briana Bye

Customer Business Manager Lamb Weston

As a mom of young children, why is it important that United Way is helping families in poverty be successful?

If we help the families in our community put food on the table, find transportation to and from work and youth activities we will slowly change the dynamic of our community. I believe every child should have the opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities and unfortunately, not all families are able to do so for different reasons. I believe activities in our youth are so important for preparing children for adulthood which in turn, prepares them to be contributing members of our society. If we can help families in poverty be successful, we are actively changing our community’s future for the better!

Danielle Anderson

Physical Therapist Apex Physical Therapy and Wellness Center

The leader of your company is also a 35 Under 35 alumna - how has this program impacted your workplace and employees?

I have always felt important and valued at my place of work and I think this was only capitalized on by the fact that one of our owners, Brooke Erstad, is a 35 Under 35 alumna. We are encouraged to not only find our passion in the workplace but to also find our passion in the community and to leave our mark there as well. It is recognized that we all have unique skill sets and interests and when we develop those we are at our strongest, both individually and as a company.

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How will your experience in this program allow you to better serve the students and staff you work with at Concordia College?

I firmly believe professional growth happens alongside personal growth; through this program, we gain both. From self-reflection and honing leadership skills to networking and relationship development, I will be able to help the students and staff I work with to become strong leaders themselves, impacting our community and world.

Allison Klug Dunham Chiropractor Essentia Health

How can women support each other in the workplace?

It can be hard to recognize the success of others, however, acknowledging another woman’s success or accomplishments does not take away from your own. I’ve learned a lot of women in this program share the same struggles as me, regardless of our careers. How do you balance work with family? How do you lead others in a way that is not viewed as controlling and bossy? Instead of competing against each other, we can depend on each other for grace, guidance and inspiration. Maybe you acknowledge her extra effort, shine a light on her great idea or send an encouraging email. Whatever it may be, be intentional.

There is plenty of success to go around and supporting each other is not a barrier to achieving it.

Mary Roehl

Marketing Business Specialist RDO Equipment Co.

How does this opportunity to focus on leadership skills make you a more valuable employee?

Being able to focus on my leadership skills will help provide a better foundation to help those around me and fully embrace the goals of my team and organization. I believe that being self-aware on a deeper level develops confidence, and with that comes positivity, support and, ultimately, a better understanding of how to best collaborate with others.

Taking the time to build a stronger foundation based on my own leadership style will help me be a successful leader through influence, motivation and mentoring by example.

Allison Klug Dunham Liz Campbell

Danielle Anderson

Briana Bye

Mary Roehl

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Leah DeKrey

April Meidinger

Kayla Koehmstedt

Erin Saladin

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Macy Francisco

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The company you work for is very philanthropic and involved with United Way/the community. From your perspective, why is this important to you as an employee?

Scheels has built charitability into our company's core mission and encourages its employees to give back. This is important to me as not only are we encouraged to better the community we live in; I also believe that giving back can better us as employees. It can strengthen bonds between employees, promote collaboration and networking as well as boost employee morale. It gives me a sense of pride knowing that the organization I work for invests in the community I live in and encourages each of us to make a difference.

Leah DeKrey

Head of Customer Marketing CoSchedule

How does your experience in this program impact and influence your corporate culture?

The tech industry is notoriously maledominated. So my participation in this program shapes the corporate culture at CoSchedule by highlighting the company’s commitment to fostering its female leaders.

It sends a clear message to women within the company that it’s not only OK, but encouraged, to take time away from your day-to-day duties to invest in yourself.

Erin Saladin

Outpatient Therapist - Marriage and Family Therapist Lakeland Mental Health Center

Why are programs like this important not just to the women who participate, but the larger community?

When you lift people up, they will lift up others. A program like this is a great example of doing just that. Not only will participants take away invaluable knowledge and individual growth from this program, but they will also take away a moment of pause. Pause to identify their community needs, their personal strengths, and a stronger sense of action.

This program is like a wave. The ripples will continue on into the community for many years to come as it has already since this programs' inception.

Kayla Koehmstedt

Marketing Coordinator Eide Bailly LLP

You are an active United Way volunteer. What has this experience taught you about leadership?

When I began volunteering with the United Way, it was outside of my comfort zone and I didn’t know what to expect. However, I took the leap and have realized you can be a leader from any position, but you have to be willing to cultivate those qualities within yourself. Often times, opportunities arise that may be outside of your comfort zone or make you nervous. Rather than declining or avoiding them, a pivotal move in growing as a leader is taking that leap and doing something that might make you uncomfortable. By taking risks, you become a stronger leader.

Macy Francisco

Marketing Manager BIO Girls

The organization you work for focuses on improving the self-esteem in adolescent girls - why is it important to help all individuals build their selfesteem in the workplace?

Self-esteem is important in all individuals.

By learning skills at a young age, which is what we focus on at BIO Girls, individuals are able to better navigate adolescence and handle situations later on in life with the tools they have learned. It's also important to grow those skills and practice them daily in order to be confident, productive and successful individuals in the workplace and in one's personal life as well.

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Brittni Kraft-McGarry

Kayla Hanson

Britney Gandhi

Kelly Barbot

Sarah Weisser

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Superintendent and Jr./St. High Principal Richland #44 School District

In your role as an educational leader, how will your experience in this program impact your district?

I aim to be the best leader for my students, staff and community, and I know that this program will strengthen and hone my leadership skills. Consequently, I believe the skills and knowledge learned in United Way’s 35 Under 35 program will impact every child in my school district.

Richland #44 has a strong history of being an excellent school district, but my experience in this program will bring more opportunities to my students and identify resources for all children in my school district.

Brittni Kraft-McGarry

Director of Home Care Ethos Home Care and Hospice

Why is it important for employees to focus on their strengths? How does it impact their coworkers and team?

By focusing on our strengths, we learn more about ourselves and gain a higher level of self-awareness. A good sense of self-awareness increases our abilities to recognize areas we individually excel at as well as areas where we may not be so strong and need to collaborate with other team members’ different strengths. Selfawareness also brings perspective to how individual strengths may have a negative impact when they’re in their raw form, which presents an opportunity to develop our strengths and learn how to interact with our teammates in the best way possible.

Focusing on each other’s strengths helps people find parts of their jobs that feed them rather than drain them. I believe this promotes overall employee satisfaction, motivates the team and encourages positivity.

Kayla Hanson

Kelly Barbot

Lead Creative Dakota Medical Foundation

What unique perspectives do women bring to the table?

Anytime you open the door to diversity, you bring in a new perspective. You never know what skills someone has to offer until you give them a chance and let their voice be heard. No matter where a woman chooses to work, their perspective will always be unique, because their skill set offers an opportunity to inspire a company and other women to meet their fullest potential.

Sarah Weisser

JOBS Program Case Manager Job Service North Dakota

Why is it important to give individuals the opportunity to develop their leadership skills?

It is important to give individuals the opportunity to enhance their leadership skills so that they can feel empowered and are able to implement the skills not only in their professional lives but also in their personal life as well. When an individual feels confident and comfortable in their own skin. It enables them to teach and empower the individuals around them. By encouraging individuals with leadership skills, it enables them to be leaders in their community and directly affects everyone around them.

Customer Relations Representative Renee Forde State Farm

You work for a company that gives back to the community, why is this important to you as an employee?

Working for a company that has a passion for serving our community and giving back has made me open to more of the needs here in our area. Our office strives to give back to our community on a monthly basis and lead a business with purpose. A community wants to see business owners give back, it brings a sense of connection that everyone in the community works as a team to better the place that we call home.

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Faith Ngunjiri

2020 Mentor & Speaker Title: Associate Professor of Ethics & Leadership Organization: Offutt School of Business Concordia College

How do you try to impact the lives of young adults in secondary education?

I love to mentor, coach, sponsor, inspire and inform my students. Some of the feedback I receive from former students is that my vulnerability in relating to them is part of my charm! Seriously, hearing a student tell me in private how something I said in public, such as sharing with them that I am a divorced single parent as part of explaining that sometimes I may have to cancel class if schools are closed due to weather — they feel that they can relate with me. Even the fact that they call me Dr. Faith rather than Dr. Ngunjiri indicates to them that I am approachable and available to them.

For some of my students, that relationship moves beyond the classroom to inviting them to my home and into my life where I can coach and mentor them long past their time in my course.

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You are passionate about empowering female leaders – what is one thing we all can do to advance leadership in any organization?

We all have to be intentional about expanding our definition of leadership, recognizing that while positions are useful, what matters most is the influence that a leader can have, with or without formal positions. As women, we often do have to lead, to influence, without the benefit of the titles and privileges that often accrue to leaders. Yet, we can accomplish much by being creative and resourceful in our problem-solving. Obviously this isn’t to say that organizations shouldn’t be investing in developing women and promoting them into positions of authority. Organizations that fail to do so are doing themselves a disservice, missing out on all the skills, talents and knowledge that women bring to the table.

What drives you?

I am driven by a love for my two little girls, they inspire me to desire to be better as a model for them. I am driven by my deep spirituality, which serves as the source of courage, conviction and the compulsion to act in pursuit of social justice goals. I am also driven by the memory of my mother — she worked so hard to ensure that my sibling and I received the education we needed to rise above the realities of our childhood – the poverty we found ourselves in due to our dad’s irresponsibility. So in gratitude to her, I am driven to do more, be more, serve more, because I am standing on her shoulders.

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April Olson Class of 2014

Title: Regional Manager Organization: Goldmark Property Management

Can you give me a brief background on what you do and your journey?

I provide leadership to Area Managers and Site Managers that serve our residents living in 5,725 apartment homes in the North Dakota market. I started my career in our community offices working directly serving the residents. I became a trainer for the company and traveled to all of our markets in Omaha, Minneapolis, Bismarck and Grand Forks. I was then promoted to an Area Manager and eventually into my current role as a Regional Manager.

What is the THRIVE Initiative and why is it important to you?

The Thrive initiative promotes creating a better living for our residents. We understand that in our communities the three biggest challenges are access to affordable housing, child care and transportation. The long term vision for

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Thrive is to reduce barriers to affordable housing and prevent evictions, to bring in wrap-around services such as child care options at or near the properties, and to provide opportunities for residents to work where they live. Thrive is important to me because eight years ago when I started volunteering with the United Way by reviewing grant proposals and touring local nonprofits such as the homeless shelters, I realized that once a person has housing they can work to improve in all areas of their life. It just felt like the right thing to do to use my influence within my company to reduce barriers to housing for people who are actively working to better themselves and who have support from local agencies to help them stay successfully housed. I did that by partnering with individuals I met through the United Way and 35 under 35, like Ashley with the Housing Navigators.

Everyone wants to feel like their work

has a purpose and Thrive grants me the awesome opportunity to make a positive impact.

How has your experience in this program impacted your life?

In your mid 20’s and 30’s, you feel like you should have your career and life figured out. It was impactful to be in a room with some of the most successful women in our community and learn that they had experienced a lot of twists and turns in their careers and life. I looked at those women and only saw where they were today. Hearing that they made mistakes, had taken the wrong opportunities and had to overcome big challenges, and yet still ended up in a great place helped put things into perspective for me. I felt freer to be my authentic self and to trust the journey instead of forcing my career and life.

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Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice/Clinical Pharmacist North Dakota State University/ Essentia Health

Natalie Gruchow

Certified Veterinary Practice Manager Animal Health Clinic

What is one leadership lesson/tip you have learned that others could also benefit from?

Learn how to advocate for yourself. Keep track of your accomplishments throughout the year by jotting down notes in a pocket planner. When it comes time to prepare for your performance review, compile a summary of things you did that benefited the company. Be proactive about potential areas of opportunity and plans for growth.

Morgan Svingen

Community Relations Manager YWCA Cass Clay

Why is it important for our community to support leadership development opportunities for young women?

As cliché as the statement may be, young women truly are “the leaders of tomorrow”.

And by tomorrow I don’t mean 20-30 years from now, I mean next Friday or next month. In today’s world, our young women mean business. They are finding causes they care about, initiatives they value and they are taking them by storm.

So rather than leaving them to navigate the world alone, why not give them as many leadership development and learning opportunities as we can? Why not be known as the community that is nurturing and growing these incredible women?

I mean, they are going to do incredible things, with or without us, so we should embrace being a part of that impact.

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How will your experience in this program impact the students you teach at NDSU? I feel that my experience in the 35 Under 35 program will teach me the skills necessary to be an impactful female leader. It is my hope that I can take the tools that I learn and share them with the students that I teach, advise and precept at NDSU. Thus, creating a ripple effect reaching many more individuals than merely the 35 participants in this program. It is my hope that all of my students become strong leaders in their families, professions and communities.

Andrea Lillestol

Director of Marketing Lillestol Research LLC

You work for a business that is familyowned and operated - why is building a network of female leaders important to you and your company as a whole?

Our company is presently comprised of a majority of female staff members. The women in leadership positions at Lillestol Research are important and essential to lead, support, understand, communicate with and encourage our staff’s needs. Being a part of the 35 Under 35 program will not only provide professional and personal growth opportunities but also help to gain a network of women to share new ideas, advice and experiences with. I look forward in sharing the knowledge I gain from this network both directly and indirectly with the rest of the Lillestol Research staff.

Megan McManus

Optician McCulley Optix Gallery

Your company was started and is led by a female. Why is it advantageous to our community to have more female leaders?

Female leaders possess a unique skill set that contributes to the community in a wonderful way, and Dr. McCulley is an excellent example of this. Our community deserves to have more female leaders so we can continue growing and improving.

They bring different perspectives, ideas and questions to the table that are crucial for the greater good. In addition to that, more female leaders in our community allows for other women to see that they too can be leaders. It creates more opportunities for mentorship which directly invests back into our community.

Megan McManus Allison Hursman

Andrea Lillestol

Natalie Gruchow

Morgan Svingen

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Natalie Hilgers

Stephanie Melquist

Alexis Scott

Allison Wilson Megan Kleckner

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Account Executive Discovery Benefits

As a working mom with a big family, how does leadership development play a role in both your professional and home life?

Being a mom of five boys is not easy and neither is being the only female in the home. Personally, my goal is to raise capable, helpful and supportive sons. By taking advantage of opportunities to grow in leadership, I can model what a strong and empowered woman looks like. I want them to feel proud to lead alongside the women in their lives one day and participate as an active team member with their female counterparts. Leadership is just as much about serving the needs of others as it is influencing.

Stephanie Melquist

Resident Physician University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences

Why is this program valuable to the future of your career?

As physicians, we are placed into a role that demands leadership. We are not always equipped with the tools and education to utilize our strengths and develop our leadership style. This program is helping me to understand and build upon the strengths that will allow me to grow into an effective leader which I can use when I am teaching, volunteering in the community and caring for my patients.

Natalie Hilgers

Director of Recruitment Selection Northwestern Mutual

Why is it important for United Way to provide a setting for female leaders to network and support one another?

Through the platform and resources United Way provides, the 35 Under 35 program is changing the trajectory of female leaders’ lives in our community.

This positive ripple effect is leaving a legacy by building stronger businesses, families and friendships which impacts the overall success of our community. By shining a light on, and investing in female leaders, our community is seeing first-hand the positive transformation this program has had on the participant’s lives. They have emerged with confidence and purpose, and genuine friendships. This program truly teaches the total person.

Allison Wilson

Sales Support & Logistics Coordinator Anchor Ingredients

How do program like this impact the future of business?

Programs like these are essential to the future of businesses because they help professionals grow into leaders that lead with confidence, compassion and the will to be better and do more for their employer, co-workers and community.

Professionals are also given the opportunity to expand outside their comfort zone and learn new skills to use at their workplace.

These programs provide an avenue for professionals to connect with and learn from others; be inspired to set lofty goals; have accountability with like-minded partners to grow and challenge each other.

Megan Kleckner

Front End Operations Specialist Hornbacher’s

In your role as Assistant Store Director, you lead a team of diverse employees.

How do you encourage leadership development at every level in your organization?

Finding the good in others is a great first step in encouraging growth in any position.

I love to identify what employees do well, recognize it and use that positivity to ignite excitement and motivation in them. I think everyone has a spark of competitiveness inside of them and being able to bring that out and to see their professional growth is so rewarding!

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Ashley Berkenpas

Class of 2016

Title: Housing Navigator Organization: Presentation Partners in Housing

Can you give me a brief background on what you do and your journey?

As a Housing Navigator (HN) I am responsible for working with households experiencing homelessness to access and maintain housing. We utilize proven housing stability case management services to assigned households and utilize a strength-based approach that is rooted in housing first, harm reduction and trauma-informed care methodologies. We collaborate with community partners in housing programs and supportive service organizations. I started in 2016 when the HN Program first started. It has been amazing to be part of a vision the homeless services providers in the F-M area have been dreaming about for years prior, and United Way helped make possible. I feel lucky to be a part of the team since the beginning and watching it impact our participants’ lives and our community!

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How are you looking to impact homelessness in our region?

My dream would be to see our community reach “functional zero”. This describes the situation in a community where homelessness has become a manageable problem. This means the availability of services and resources match or exceed the demand for them from the target population. For example, a community may declare they have ended homelessness when they have enough supportive housing, shelter beds, service workers, and funds to assist the number of people accessing the services. I would love for everyone to have a house to call home! Our community is doing a great job of working together to end homelessness. We need to keep on that path!

What is one tip you can give young business professionals?

Believe in yourself and take risks. I was

lucky enough to have professionals in the community that believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. When I was unsure, the professionals around me assured me! I wouldn’t be a Housing Navigator and be a part of the amazing team I am now, without that push.

Why is it important that we all care about reducing homelessness in our community? What is the ripple effect?

Reducing/ending homelessness affects all of us. If we can get individuals and families safe homes to live in, we can help break generational poverty, generational homelessness, jail visits, and literacy issues. If we take care of this now our overall future as a community becomes brighter! Reducing homelessness saves our community money and gives everyone a happy community.

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Jesseca White Class of 2019

Title: Downtown Resource Officer Organization: Fargo Police Department

Can you give me a brief background on what you do and your journey?

I moved to the Fargo Moorhead area from Colorado in 2003 to go to school at MSUM. I was a two-sport college athlete and majored in Criminal Justice.

After completing the Police Academy, I started my first real job at the Fargo Police Department in 2008 and have worked as a patrol officer for the majority of my career. I am involved with the training program within the department and help train and mentor new officers and trainers.

I am currently one of three Downtown Resource Officers (DRO) and work during the day in Downtown Fargo. I interact with anyone who works, lives or comes to visit downtown and do my part to promote a safe environment for everyone. This is my last year as a DRO, which is bittersweet, but I have mostly enjoyed building partnerships with a multitude of service providers in the area to problem solve some of downtown’s most apparent issues, one of them

being homelessness. At the Fargo Police Department, we do our best to provide the best customer service to our community and partnering with different entities has really expanded what we can do to help someone in need.

What advice would you give to young women who want to follow in your footsteps?

Don’t be afraid to take a seat at the table, even if you have to force your way in. As women, we tend to knock ourselves out of the competition before we even set foot in the door.

Have you drawn from the program in your profession?

My involvement in the United Way 35 Under 35 Women’s Leadership Program was extremely eye-opening as to the many different approaches to leadership. Law enforcement, in general, is primarily viewed as para-military organizations and a lot

of training, specific to leadership, tends to be similar. I was really looking for an experience that would expand my view of what leadership is and this program did that for me and more.

What does authentic leadership look like to you? Why is it important?

Authentic leadership was a term I had not heard of before starting the program.

At the core of authentic leadership are relationships that you build with those you work around. Building those relationships creates an environment where members can feel supported, heard, trusted, and open to working together as a group to create ideas and solutions to problems you are faced with. Through building relationships, those you work with are also more open to constructive feedback as it comes from a place where they know you truly care about their wellbeing. It fosters a true team mentality.

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Sarah West

Class of 2011

Title: Owner Organization: Light Consulting & Coaching

Can you give me a brief background on what you do and your journey?

I’m all things finance and leadership. My career has been in various parts of finance from banking, investments, insurance, to CFO. It was through my leadership roles that I really became the person I’m supposed to be in helping make complex business light.

What advice would you give to someone trying to start their own business?

Surround yourself with a support group. Nothing will prepare you for the rollercoaster you are about to get on and how lonely it’ll be, especially after being part of a larger organization and team and you start off as a solo-preneur. Your friends and family will support you emotionally, but it’s all on you.

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How do you try to help people succeed through your business?

In so many ways, there are many financial ramifications to decisions in how you are set up legally, how and when you use bank financing, how to invest in people and in capital. At the end of the day, as a business owner, you don’t want to think about those things. You just want to serve your clients, after all, that’s why you went into business.

How does getting involved in the community help people flex/build their leadership skills?

A big part of leadership is emotional intelligence and empathy. Service humbles a person and develops your empathic mindset so you can more efficiently lead our ever-changing workforce.

You provide executive leadership coaching and the tools necessary for people to reach their maximum potential – what are some things you learned during your experience in the program that you now utilize when working with your clients? #1 – People specifically just need someone to believe in them, to tell them yes you can when self-doubt creeps in. #2 - Be genuine in your relationships, mostly in your appreciation. Send that email to that person’s boss telling them how great they are, because they ARE!

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401(K) • WEALTH MANAGEMENT • TRUST ACCOUNTS

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OFFERING

IT ALL How the services one entrepreneur offers at her wellness center are as diverse as her background.

F Karla Wolford, DC, MS, CCSP, CSCS

or many chiropractors, opening a practice that specializes in caring for the musculoskeletal system would be enough. Very few would operate their own chiropractic practice alongside a CrossFit gym that accommodates every level of athlete while offering yoga classes, various tools for recovery and supplements for sale at the front desk. However, Karla Wolford, owner of Elevate Human Potential and EHP CrossFit in Moorhead, does.

By Brady Drake Photos by Kayleigh Omang FARGOINC.COM

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“I definitely see when people come in, they come in for a purpose,” said Wolford. “Then they realize ‘wow, you guys offer a lot of stuff here.’ That makes me smile.”

Wolford began her career as a chiropractor in Temple, Texas while working in a traditional hospital setting. However, the former Concordia College undergraduate quickly realized that she was looking for something different in her career.

“I quickly realized that my morals and standards didn’t align with what the hospital and insurance setting wanted me to do and what insurance dictated that I do,” said Wolford. “I decided that when I moved back here that I wanted to open my own practice where I could care for my patients with the morals and standards that I thought were applicable.”

That’s why Wolford, who was sidelined with a broken foot at the time, began the process of opening up her two-sided business in November of 2014. Elevate Human Potential and EHP CrossFit were opened just one month later.

Opening two businesses in just one month’s time would be a daunting challenge to many, but Wolford is no stranger to picking things up quickly. The former three-sport collegiate athlete began her CrossFit career in 2012 and in seven short years, placed 16th in the United States and 25th in the world in the women age 35-39 division in 2019. All while running two businesses and competing professionally in CrossFit internationally.

“When I do things, I don’t do them halfheartedly,” said Wolford. “I do them fullheartedly, sometimes to a fault.”

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With such a go for it attitude, it’s no wonder as to why Wolford offers so many products and services across both of her businesses.

However, Wolford has learned that a focus on core products needs to come first and accessory products need to be trialed and discussed with clients by using things like surveys before being fully implemented.

When Wolford comes up with something different that she can offer her athletes, she runs it through a pilot program. If the pilot is a success, Wolford will offer the product or service going forward. If it is not, she may scrap it and move on to something else or tweak it and re-offer it in a different way.

SERVICES OFFERED

BY ELEVATE HUMAN POTENTIAL • Adjustments

• Manual work • Myofascial release • Chiropractic acupuncture • Dry needling • Gait analysis • Biomechanical assessment • Rehabilitation • Return to play

SERVICES OFFERED BY EHP PERFORMANCE • Crossfit classes • Elevate class • Littles training (ages 3-5) • Kids training (ages 5-11) • Teens training (age 12 through high school) • Contract work through the military

and local schools

• Yoga • Adaptive athlete class for

people with cognitive and

physical disabilities

• Body transformation challenge

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To learn more, visit elevatehumanpotential.com and ehpcrossfit.com

“Sometimes what we think people want, they want but they might want it in a different way,” said Wolford.

“I’m one of those people that wants to do everything and offer everything,” said Wolford. “I had to do a little bit of a check and say ‘you’re not Super Woman, you can’t do everything.’” In order to find that balance and continue to make her business feasible, Wolford says she worked on separating her wants from her needs while working with an advisory board to help her with some of the financial aspects of the business. “I’m about people, products and not necessarily about what the cost is to us.”

That focus on people and products has driven Wolford through entrepreneurship and its rough patches.

“You always think your path to success is this straight linear line, but really it’s this squiggly line with a lot of cul-de-sacs and dead ends where you have to turn, reverse and get back out of it and find that trajectory again,” said Wolford.

In order to get back on track during some of her rough patches during her entrepreneurial journey, Wolford turned to organizations like the SBA and The Emerging Leaders Program in order to get back on track with her businesses.

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WOMEN’S E V E N T

C A L E N D A R

It’s no secret that there are a ton of great business events in our area. For the Women’s issue, we wanted to give you a sneak pick into some of the upcoming business events for women in our area.

2020 Leading Ladies Luncheon

Wednesday, March 11 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The North Dakota Women’s Business Center (NDWBC) is pausing to honor and celebrate Women’s History Month with a panel of five women making an impact in the history of North Dakota. Join them to learn from, connect with, and be inspired by this network of valiant, visionary women. They’re are proud of these women, their accomplishments, and look forward to sharing their stories with you. ndwbc.com Holiday Inn 3830 13th Ave. S., Fargo

2020 YEA! Investor Panel Shark Tank

Tuesday, March 24 5:30 p.m.

The Chamber’s Young Entrepreneurs Academy teaches middle and high school students how to start and run their own real businesses! This year’s class invites you to their Investor Panel “Shark Tank,” where you can be the first to hear their exciting business ideas and cheer them on as they pitch local investors for funding. fmwfchamber.com Concordia College 901 8th St. S., Moorhead

Why NOT Me? Overcoming Self-Doubt

Wednesday, March 25 from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Speaker: Jessica Fyre of AgCountry Farm Credit Services. This session will explore key motivators of self-doubt, and challenge women to get out of their own way and feel confident that they deserve success, happiness and fulfillment. fmwfchamber.com Delta by Marriott 1635 42nd St. SW., Fargo

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Developing a Comprehensive Communication Strategy

Wednesday, April 8 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Speaker: Jodi Duncan of Flint Group. Learn the best way to craft a comprehensive communication plan that will serve as a roadmap to your business success. Attendees will learn the basic structure needed for a successful strategic approach. fmwfchamber.com Holiday Inn 3803 13th Ave. S., Fargo

Coaching is a GameChanger

Tuesday, April 28 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Speakers: Sarah West of Light Consulting & Coaching LLC and Melissa Marshall, Roers. This session will help you do a deep analysis to identify the importance of having a professional coach – someone who supports and encourages you – and a coaching tool to move you out of overwhelm and into action. fmwfchamber.com Delta by Marriott 1635 42nd St. SW., Fargo

Workforce Transformation: Navigating the New Normal

Wednesday, May 13 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Speaker: Lynn Billing, Spherion Staffing Services.

Business leaders today must address new questions relating to ethics, transparency, diversity and inclusion, purpose-driven business initiatives and more. Amid a continuously shrinking pool of talent, employers need new approaches as they face an ever-widening array of challenges in how to effectively recruit, engage and retain the talent they need to grow and prosper.

Attendees at this session will learn why shifts in where and how work is performed can influence corporate culture, communications and collaboration. fmwfchamber.com Courtyard by Marriott 1080 28th Ave. S., Moorhead

By Brady Drake | Photos via the Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber of Commerce

2020 ChamberChoice Awards Luncheon

Friday, May 22 It’s time to honor and celebrate the best of the best in our community. The Chamber’s annual awards luncheon highlights this year’s most visionary and communitydriven businesses and individuals that are leading the way and contributing to the vitality of our community.

Join us at the awards luncheon, where we’ll honor this year’s outstanding candidates in each of the categories and name the 2020 award winners. fmwfchamber.com Delta by Marriott 1635 42nd St. SW., Fargo

Women Connect

Tuesday, May 26 from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Tuesday, June 23 from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Tuesday, July 28 from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Tuesday, August 25 from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Join us for Women Connect! Here, you can expect to hear from a local woman sharing her expertise in a topic carefully selected for you. Each month you get the opportunity not only to learn something new and be inspired by the speaker, but you get the chance to make connections with other professional women to learn and grow together. A tasty dessert and new friends await you! Stay tuned to find out what each month’s topic is and who the speaker will be. fmwfchamber.com Delta by Marriott 1635 42nd St. SW., Fargo

When North Dakota/

Minnesota Nice Meets the Difficult Conversation

Wednesday, July 15 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Speaker: Tiffaney Holm, First International Bank & Trust.

Don’t avoid “crucial” or “difficult” conversations because they are hard. It is possible to be assertive and still be nice! It just takes some self-awareness and listening skills. In this session, we will talk about: Determining where you are stuck and where you are avoiding conversations, the typical responses we have difficult conversations, getting your head straight and your emotions sorted out, and positive outcomes of these conversations. fmwfchamber.com DoubleTree by Hilton 825 E. Beaton Dr., West Fargo

2019 FMWF Chamber

Young Professional Of The Year

ERIN LARSGAARD Associate Attorney, Wold Johnson P.C.

By Brady Drake

E

Photos by Kayleigh Omang

rin Larsgaard, at the age of 27, is already well into a promising career as an Associate Attorney at Wold Johnson, P.C. She recently added another notch to her belt after being named the 2019 Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber of Commerce Young Professional of the Year.

Prior to her professional career as an attorney, Larsgaard graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor’s Degree in Paralegal from Minnesota State University - Moorhead. After working as a paralegal for Wold Johnson P.C., Larsgaard went on to graduate summa cum laude from the University of St. Thomas School of Law, where she served as Student Government President and won numerous awards,

“The thing I enjoy the most about my job is the people I get to help. A big part of my day is answering questions from the residents of Fargo about the transit system, including routes, fares and timetables.”

JULIE TRANSIT

Q&A

including Dean’s List every semester and the Dean’s Award for the highest grade in seven different classes.

Larsgaard’s developing practice focuses on estate planning and probate, real estate, collections, and business and corporate. She is currently licensed in both the federal and state courts of Minnesota and North Dakota. Larsgaard also serves as a Board Member for CCRI. We sat down with her to find out what this newest accomplishment means to her.

What does winning the award mean to you?

Winning the award was an overwhelming honor. It makes me grateful for the amazing professional community we have. I did not expect to be nominated, let alone win the award when there are so many remarkable young professionals in the Fargo-Moorhead area. It is a great privilege to be a part of a network of young people striving to make themselves and their community better.

I grew up in a small town where coming together for everyone’s good was par for the course. Both of my parents were heavily involved in anything and everything they could be with our little town. They instilled the value of giving back in me from a young age. I am grateful to have found another community like that to invest in and grow with.

How do you plan to build on your success in the coming year?

By utilizing that great group of professionals I just bragged on! In all seriousness though, I am thankful for the connections I have

made, not only in the legal field, but in the entire community. It is difficult to succeed in any area without encouraging mentors and inspiring colleagues. I have been blessed with both. Along with that, there is no substitute for hard work. With the opportunities I have been given and the unwavering support along the way, I am determined to use those blessings for a greater purpose. “[U]nto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required…”

What accomplishment are you most proud of to date?

As an attorney working mostly with estate planning, probate, and real estate, there are few milestones that transactional lawyers are publicly recognized for. However, I am proud to be a valuable asset to my clients and demonstrate that effectiveness through helping them reach their goals, whether it be creating an effective estate plan, building their business or closing a key real estate deal.

I consider it a great success to enjoy what I do every day.

LEARN MORE AT FargoND.gov/WeWorkForYou

OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY IS SERVING THE RESIDENTS AND VISITORS OF FARGO.

VOTED #6 NATIONALLY FOR BEST CITY SERVICES - WALLETHUB

We are committed to fostering a safe, smart, growing and vibrant community.

The City of Fargo and its team members work for you every day to deliver nationally recognized services.

HOW AN UPCOMING CONFERENCE HOPES TO SHOW SOLOPRENEURS THEIR LIMITLESS POTENTIAL.

By Brady Drake Photos by Hillary Ehlen

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The Speakers Rebecca Undem Author & Speaker Peter Schott, Owner Sales Your Way Mike Brevik, Owner Cyberdogz Ashley Hammnon Owner - Happy Balance Accounting Kristy and Jon Jelinek Network Marketing Professionals Joelle Suess Network Marketing Professional Jessica Zuroff Network Marketing Professional Heather Godfrey Network Marketing Professional Michaela Schell Director - Limitless Conference Dean McMurray The Military Medium Theresa Pazdernik Network Marketing Professional

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Only recently has the term “side hustle” come into our culture’s collective vocabulary. However, solopreneurs have been chasing their dreams and earning money on the side of their full-time careers for a long time. Unfortunately, the side-hustlers of the past had to go at it on their own, learning to navigate through business life with little guidance. Although she doesn’t love the term “side-hustle”, Michaela Schell is looking to give side-hustlers guidance with her new business conference called Limitless.

Scheduled for April 18 at The Pines Wedding and Events Venue in Davenport, ND, Limitless will feature a rolling list of speakers that will cover everything from personal and professional branding, intuition, accounting, networking effectively, sales and mindset each in a 30-minute session. There will also be an “insta-hour” where attendees who don’t have the funding necessary to create picture-perfect images can utilize “nooks” that offer a visually appealing space to get photos that can enhance their companies brand.

The idea for the conference started as a result of Schell receiving a large number of requests from other solopreneurs in the area who admired the success that she had with direct sales while working for herself as a salesperson for Rodan + Fields.

All of the speakers are local and accessible according to Schell. “If an attendee resonates with something they are saying and get a ton of good nuggets but need more help, they have a person that they can go to and talk to outside of the conference,” said Schell.

Although Schell works independently now, she is no stranger to corporate life. After graduating with her bachelors she worked as a promotions director for a radio station before getting her master’s degree. After getting her masters, Schell began working in economic development.

As her family grew with children, she says she began valuing flexibility more which led her to do freelance marketing work, but that

didn’t give her the time she wanted either.

“I was doing that for the corporate world and they work nine to five,” said Schell.

Eventually, she found a calling with direct sales by selling skin care products for Rodan + Fields, which allowed her to search for clients in a time frame that worked for her.

She has been selling the skincare products for over seven years now and says she works 15 to 20 hours a week and her and her team do over one million in sales each year.

“That’s why people started coming to me for help with network marketing,” said Schell. “I’m so happy to help and give advice whenever I can, but it got me thinking on how I can expand this further. I can do that with this conference.”

Schell has found that often time the solopreneurs or side-hustlers are really good at the passions driving them, but they don’t necessarily have the full gambit of skills to run a fully completed business.

“If you’re a tech person working on an app, you might not know anything about branding or accounting,” said Schell. “This conference is meant to help you develop your skills and ideas in other areas.”

“When you are the entrepreneur, you have no limits,” said Schell. That’s what she wants attendees to see at the conference.

To learn more and get tickets go to limitlessnetworkingmarketing.com

TRADITION. COMMUNITY. EXPERIENCE.

EQUAL HOUSING LENDER

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Overcoming Adversity and Empowering Women

BY Brady Drake PHOTOS BY Kayleigh Omang

A look at a new nonprofit in town, She Overcomes

S

he Overcomes, a local nonprofit was created to address that North Dakota ranks last in the country for female entrepreneurship.

Melanie Iverson, the organization’s co-founder as well as the CEO and Lead Designer of Mosaic Design and Build, is looking to change that by empowering businesswomen in our area.

Melanie Iverson, Founder of She Overcomes

Iverson is currently accepting applications from women-owned or operated organizations, and women who are in leadership in the startup community for the first year of her program. She Overcomes forms small cohorts of women that will receive leadership training, capital, and other resources to accelerate their company. “We want to treat the cohorts somewhat like a dynamic building community where we’ll be able to see who wants to scale and at what rate,” said Iverson.

“After the year commitment, we can take a look together at what pitching to a venture capitalist could look like, as one of our classes will be geared toward writing proposals and pitches for scalable growth.”

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There’s a significant need for what Iverson plans to offer. We live in a state where there are 1.5% fewer women-owned businesses in North Dakota today than there were in 2014, according to a study commissioned by American Express. All while female-founded businesses tend to deliver twice as much per dollar invested than those founded by men according to an article written by Forbes titled, The Next Decade Will Bring More Venture Capital To Female Founders.

“I was thinking about what I could do in our community to improve the entrepreneurial ecosystems and opportunities,” said Iverson.

“There’s no reason we can’t have more female entrepreneurs in a community that is so entrepreneurially inspired.”

In addition to investing in local women, she is committed to helping women who are starting new business after been recovered from human trafficking internationally. “When the tide rises for one, it should rise for all,” said Iverson.

“I want to create a space where women collaborate and don’t compete with one another.

I want to create a space where there’s permission to fail forward and permission to try new things,” said Iverson. “I think sometimes women don’t launch their dreams because they’re afraid of failure. It’s okay to suck at something for a while until you learn.”

Iverson knows what it’s like to get back up after failing first hand. Melanie and her husband, James, were married for seven years before getting divorced. “During that time, I really discovered what it was like to fail forward,” said Iverson. The two were divorced for four years before reconciling and remarrying two and a half years ago. After getting back together, the couple picked up the broken pieces of their lives and started a design and general contracting firm named Mosaic Design and Build which was named to represent the rebuilding of their lives.

“Someone said to us, ‘your lives shattered in front of you and it seemed like God picked

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Melanie Iverson and her husband James Iverson were featured in the June 2019 issue of Design & Living.

up all the good pieces and put them back together to create a really beautiful mosaic of your life,” said Iverson. “Losing everything taught me about resilience, grit and the tenacity of unconditional hope for something better.”

Now, Melanie and James run a thriving business together, Melanie co-founded this nonprofit with Jennifer Schillinger, owner of Strengths Advantages, and she was recently named Mrs. North Dakota International 2020.

James and Melanie enjoy their reconciled family life, along with their two children.

“Whether you are a housewife from North Dakota, or a victim of human trafficking internationally, every woman has something she needs to overcome. I want to help women discover how innovative, industrious and confident they can be inside and out of the marketplace.”

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BRADY DRAKE

THE WOMEN OF

We would be absolutely nothing at Spotlight without all of the professional, hard-working and extremely intelligent women that drive us forward every single day. That's why we're highlighting them here, to say thank you to all of them and to give you, the reader, a peek at some of our most talented employees.

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Photos by Kayleigh Omang and Hillary Ehlen

What made you choose your profession?

I always knew I wanted to be in the story-telling business, whether that be writing, graphic, design or art direction. I came to really love the visual possibilities that print media offers and how I can wrap all my skills and passions into one package: a magazine. Having a physical copy of the magazine stays with people longer than a webpage, meaning that the stories I work hard to tell get to stay with the readers longer.

What has been the biggest challenge in your professional life?

I often struggle with "imposter's syndrome." When I'm feeling overwhelmed with my workload, I find myself questioning if I'm the right person for the job or if the company just made a mistake and are stuck with me on accident. When I get in this headspace, I try and remind myself that my company knows what they are doing. I also look back and recognize that I've worked so hard to be here and that I DO belong.

Alexandra Martin Editorial Director

Why Spotlight?

I chose to come to Spotlight because their ethics and vision for who they are and where they are headed as a company completely align with who I am and where I want to go with my career. I have been in the agency world ever since I graduated from college, which adds up to almost a decade. In all of those years, I can't say that I have ever seen a more hard-working, positive group of individuals who truly have their clients' best interests in mind and will go the extra mile to make sure things are done the right way.

What is a piece of advice would you give to young women who want to work in media?

Educate yourself. Constantly. This is a fast-paced environment and there's no time to get behind in the industry, especially when clients are depending on you to have the answers when it comes to the latest trends in digital marketing and technology. Get in the habit of staying on top of it by reading blog posts, relevant articles, listening to podcasts, going to networking events — really anything you can think of to stay ahead of the curve.

Kirsten Lund Inbound Marketing Strategist

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What has been the biggest challenge in your professional life?

Honestly, getting started. In media, employers want bylines and proof that you can write a good story. I think if I could give my past self any advice, it would be to get started sooner and get my byline out there as much as possible.

What is one piece of advice you'd offer to a younger you?

Everything happens for a reason.

Without mistakes and failure, you would have never learned. Also, you can have everything, but not all at once.

Danna Sabolik Future Farmer Editor

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Why Spotlight?

I had met our CEO Mike Dragosavich in college when we both worked for D-S Beverages (I joke we were both Budweiser girls.) I remember him talking about his big plans to make a website for the community showcasing the cool happenings of the Fargo-Moorhead community.

Fast forward a few years, it was fun to see his ideas come to life. I followed by reading Spotlight's publications and saw all of the cool things they were doing. I was looking for a job and ran into Mike at Business After Hours. I asked if he was hiring and he said, "not really, but let's talk." I came in to talk about an advertising sales position. Something in my gut just felt right, even as he and the team were telling me how difficult the job would be.) Four years later, I have had the opportunity to grow as a professional.

I started our Client Relations department and was able to put

processes and procedures in place to streamline our advertising traffic and hone in my skills as a project manager.

I am so glad Mike took a chance and brought me on board and sees the potential in me to continue to grow within the company.

What are some ways you think can help other women achieve prominent roles in their organizations?

Be yourself, don't ever change to fit into a mold. Be clear about your goals and actively find ways to further your knowledge in your field. Also, be vocal about your dedication to your company and make sure your management team knows that you want to be a leader and find out what you need to do to make that happen.

Jenny Johnson Client Relations Manager

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What is a piece of advice would you give to young women who want to work in media?

Never give up. It's a difficult and ever-changing world that you have to be willing to continually adapt in. Also, stay humble. You won't always know everything. Your ideas and art won't always be the best in the room and that's OK! What is your mantra and why?

"Do what most people won't, and you'll accomplish what most people haven't." Taking risks and being unconventional is fun for me, and, in the end, if that means I help the community and the world, it's a win in my book.

Kayleigh Omang Photographer

What does the 35 Under 35 issue mean to you?

It means a lot actually. Being able to see and read about women in our community that are making waves is inspiring! It gives young women, like myself, an example that it doesn't matter the age, if you want something to do something, you can!

What skills do you find most important in your current role?

Communication and the ability to think on your feet!

Laura Alexander Videographer

What does the 35 Under 35 issue mean to you?

Humanity as a whole is greatly achieving so much and at such a younger age. You see these amazing young female entrepreneurs, activists and philanthropists popping up everywhere that are so in-tune to the needs and issues of the world and society. It is time for us to move over and let these young minds get to work. The 35 Under 35 issue is a platform to celebrate all the women working their tail off and leading the way.

Why Spotlight?

I love community and I find there is a deep connection to fulfillment when people are connected and feel as if they belong. Creating a space where everyone can flourish is a passion of mine and Spotlight allows me to stay connected with all the great little pockets of creativity, culture and knowledge our region has to offer.

I am constantly finding bits in our magazines that make me say, "Wow...I had no idea that existed," which is always a fun surprise.

Cassie Wiste Account Strategist

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Why Spotlight?

When I moved to Fargo I didn't know anything about the city, my first interaction with Spotlight was a Fargo Monthly magazine outside the grocery store. I learned a lot about Fargo from it, I started following them on Instagram and I was becoming a fan of what they were doing. I am honored to now be part of this company because all they care about is our community and I cannot be more grateful to be part of this.

What are some ways you think can help other women achieve prominent roles in their organizations?

Networking is really important. Be part of the community, attend events and expose your work to the world.

Kim Cowles Editorial Graphic Designer

What made you choose your profession?

I have always been a creative person, so attending college for graphic design was sort of a no-brainer. I have been lucky enough to find jobs that allow me the opportunity to work with both digital and print media.

Who has been the biggest influence on your life and why?

My big sister, Heather. She has always been there for me with helpful advice and ready to give me that extra push when I feel out of my comfort zone.

Christy German Marketing Designer

What has helped you get to where you are?

My mentors. I have acquired many professional women and men mentors in Chicago and Fargo and I know I can turn to them for advice or guidance on all aspects of my life, whether it be professional or personal.

What is one piece of advice you'd offer to a younger you?

Don't worry if you are not a member of management or making $100,000 right out of graduate school. All opportunities come when they are supposed to.

Colleen Dreyer VP of Human Resources

North Dakota Women's Business Center

Provides education and resources to entrepreneurs and professionals through one-on-one business advising, customized programming events and other training opportunities. ndwbc.com

RESOURCES FOR B U S I N E S S WOM E N I N FA RG O

North Dakota Women's Network

Works to improve the lives of women in North Dakota through communication, legislation and public activism. Their core areas of focus are leadership, opportunity and equality. ndwomen.org

Ladyboss Fargo Moorhead

We want the businesswomen of North Dakota to thrive that's why we put this list together of some of the best women-specific resources available in the state of North Dakota.

Arise! Communities

Arise! Communities' mission is to create a more diverse and inclusive technology industry by establishing learning communities that help individuals explore their career in technology, learn and sharpen their technology skills, and build confidence in their technical abilities. facebook.com/AriseComms/

NDSU Women In Business

A student-run organization at North Dakota State focused on providing opportunities for and developing businesswomen. myndsu.ndsu.edu/organization/womeninbusiness

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Ladyboss Fargo Moorhead is a place to make new connections, try new things, learn from and support each other. It’s about empowerment, it’s about having each other’s backs, it’s about educating ourselves and being the best advocates for women possible. Aside from the active online group, they host in-person networking events and an annual conference. ladybossfm.com

North Dakota AAUW (American Association of University Women) For 130 years, AAUW members have examined and taken positions on the fundamental issues of the day — educational, social, economic, and political. Visit their website for information on their work in the following areas.

• Research • Campus Leadership Programs • Stem Education • Public Policy • Legal Advocacy Fund • Educational Funding & Awards • Global Connections aauw-nd.aauw.net

WiN (Women In Networking) Annie Capital

Annie Capital provides investment and coaching to entrepreneurs looking to move their businesses forward. goannie.com

Girl Develop it Fargo

Girl Develop It (GDI) creates welcoming, supportive opportunities for women and non-binary adults to learn software development skills.

Through classes, projects, and events, GDI students develop code, confidence, and community. We envision a world where all people are included and empowered in developing the future of technology. meetup.com/Girl-Develop-It-Fargo

Power of 100 ND Farmers Union- WILD (Women In Leadership Development)

100 women gathered together one hour, four times a year with a willingness to share $100 with a deserving charity. powerof100rrv.com

Women in Networking is one of the Fargo areas's leading women's business networking groups. win-fm.com

New American Consortium for Wellness & Empowerment

The Women’s Empowerment Program is designed to build leadership teams in 5 neighborhoods spread across Fargo, West Fargo, and Moorhead.

These groups will be comprised of refugee, former refugee, and immigrant women living in these neighborhoods.

This program aims to develop leadership, professional and organizational skills, and to encourage personal growth newamericanconsortium.org

Did we miss something?

Email us at fargoinc@ spotlightmediafargo.com and let us know.

NEW Leadership Development Institute

The National Education for Women’s (NEW) Leadership Development Institute is an award-winning women’s leadership development program hosted by Minnesota State University Moorhead and organized

by NEW Leadership™ Northern Lights, a partner in the national NEW Leadership National Network. mnstate.edu/new-leadership

ndfu.org/about/wild/

Center for Technology and Business

Women-Owned Business Certification- denotes that a woman (or women) has majority ownership and control of a business entity (at least 51%). WOB Certification is not based on company size, the number of employees, or profitability. This certification is conducted

by CTB who is solely authorized by the ND Department of Commerce to examine the applicants’ documentation and qualify the applicant for status as a Certified Women Owned Business in the State of North Dakota.

Women's Leadership Program- This six-month program brings women together monthly to focus growth on personal, professional, community, and health leadership. The Women’s Leadership Program allows participants to learn from inspirational leaders and practice skills and concepts in a safe community. Women of all ages, industries, and past leadership experience have built lasting connections and sharpened their leadership skills through this program. Topics like tackling adversity, building confidence, negotiation skills, risk-taking, influence, and trust are all part of the experience. ctbnd.com

Dakota Business Lending Activate Women Learning Workshop Series

ACTIVATE Women is a free learning workshop series with sessions hosted in Grand Forks, Fargo, Bismarck, and Minot. From financial statements and marketing to human resources, Quickbooks, and budgeting and forecasting, attendees can dive into a variety of topics and come out with the knowledge and resources they need to move forward. The bi-monthly events, held over lunch, serve as a chance for women business owners to come together, learn from local experts about a variety of topics, and build a network of support and growth. dakotabusinesslending.com/activate-women/

Amber Grant

They’re called Amber Grants, businesswomen from North Dakota and all around America are eligible to apply. If you win one of the monthly grants ($4,000) awarded during this year, you’ll be eligible for an additional $25,000 Amber Grant to be awarded in December. That’s right — someone will be awarded a total of $29,000 from WomensNet this year. ambergrantsforwomen.com

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Women Connect The Monthly Event That Is Uplifting Women

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n the fourth Tuesday of every month, the Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber of Commerce helps local women learn and network at the Delta by Marriott with their aptly named event program, Women Connect.

At monthly sessions, attendees get to take in a different speaker addressing topics pertaining to women in the modern workplace. The Chair of the Women Connect committee, Katie Hutton, and her team work together to uplift women and find the most relevant topics. To learn more about the program, we sat down with her to find out how and why they do it.

BY Brady Drake Photos via Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber of Commerce

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Katie Hutton, Chair of the Women Connect committee

How long have you been involved with Women Connect and how did you get started?

I have been involved with Women Connect for four years. I used to attend all of the events. I also have been involved in The Chamber for a number of years. I just started going because it was a program that sounded interesting with me being a woman in the business community. I wanted to get more involved. Back when I worked for The Chamber, I was involved in some of the preliminary discussions when they were trying to get the program off the ground, so, it’s really cool to see it come full circle and see it be as successful as it is.

How do you try to push the mission of Women Connect forward?

We have a committee of 10 working professionals in the community and we go through and we get different applications from different speakers in the community on any number of topics and they’ll present on different topics to speak on. Also, we get surveys after every event where women can present different things that they’d like to have talked about. We try to marry that with the different speakers we have in the community because the mission of the entire program is to provide a courageous forum where women can discuss what leadership means to them both personally and professionally. By getting that feedback from women in the community, we see what leadership topics they’re hoping to talk about and also how we can help promote different speakers in the community.

What impact have you seen the program make?

Since the program’s inception, we have seen over 21,000 women attend an event.

We have seen around 30 charities receive donations. Attendees every month can donate items to a selected nonprofit.

We’ve had over 12,000 donated items over the course of the program. That’s really impressive, because we’re giving back to the community. We’ve also seen the formation of over 60 P.U.S.H groups, which are formed to extend the mission into small group settings.

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JOIN A PUSH GROUP! The P.U.S.H program under Women Connect stands for Pursue Dreams, Unite Women, Shatter Barriers and Have Heart, and has a mission to create a supportive network of women who empower each other to ask tough questions, challenge the norm and grow individually and professionally.

In a PUSH group, women can meet in small groups on their own time, outside the sessions. Organizers provide discussion prompts and inspiration via the Facebook group, but each group can set their own rules and structure. It’s a great way to form close connections to other professional women in the community! fmwfchamber.com/push facebook.com/groups/ FMWFPush/

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What type of attendees can benefit from going to a Women Connect event?

I would say any type of person can benefit from attending. On average, we get 200 people at events with a wide age range.

In February especially, we’re encouraging men to come because the topic is about us working together collaboratively.

Have men been allowed to come before?

Yes, they’re always allowed to come. It’s always an open Chamber event. You can’t have a conversation about leadership without both women and men present to see what that looks like.

Do you have to be a Chamber member to attend?

No, just because it’s a Chamber event does not mean you have to be a Chamber member to attend. Come and get involved!

Visit fmwfchamber.com/women-connect to learn more.

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Preventing

WORKPLACE INJURIES How Fargo Ergonomics is keeping employees healthy

By Brady Drake Photos by Hillary Ehlen

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ccording to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 2.8 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses reported by private industry employers in 2018. Those injuries, as we know, can hurt the bottom line.

One local company, Fargo Ergonomics, is working to prevent those injuries from even happening in the first place.

Crystal Nelson, Occupational Therapist and Certified Ergonomic Assessment Specialist, opened Fargo Ergonomics in 2016 with the goal of treating and preventing workplace injuries. Nelson offers a wide variety of services to accomplish this, but there are two main things that you may want to know about.

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1.

Ergonomic Assessments One of Nelson’s main services she offers is an ergonomic assessment. Nelson will conduct an ergonomic assessment for two different reasons with the most popular being the employer’s ability to access North Dakota Workforce Safety and Insurance’s Ergonomic Initiative Grant which provides employers resources, including financial assistance, to address ergonomic issues.

SIDE (Design Note: Can this be in big bold lettering or something): Grants from Workforce Safety and Insurance’s Ergonomic Initiative Grant can range anywhere from $5,000-$50,000, depending on premiums.

Once a grant amount is approved, WSI provides financial assistance for 75 percent of ergonomic fees and employers pay the other 25 percent.

Companies looking to reduce their risk of injury and take advantage of the grant program can apply online at workforcesafety. com and can choose a provider, such as Nelson, to complete an ergonomic

2.

Nelson offers a variety of training and testing methods to determine whether or not an employee is capable of performing a task.

assessment which will help determine their company’s need for ergonomic equipment. Nelson will also make equipment recommendations during the assessment, along with instructions for correct positioning and placement of current items.

Also, for companies that have already used the program and it’s grant dollars, they also qualify for education and training by an approved provider like Nelson which is covered completely by WSI, once an approved number of hours has been submitted.

“I am able to provide in-services and training on-site to reduce work-related injuries,” said Nelson.

The second most common reason for an ergonomic assessment is to address an employee who is complaining of problems at their work station. Nelson will then work to help the employee out with their situation.

“Some companies have me come in during the orientation process,” said Nelson. “So, when companies are going through their training I’ll come in and fit them up with a

Post-Offer Employment Testing

desk, an office chair and monitor, those sorts of things. To make sure they’re getting a start on the right foot.”

Nelson does not sell ergonomic equipment herself, meaning her advice is in the best interest of her clients. Every recommendation for the equipment also comes with a good, better or best option to fit everyone’s budget.

Explanations for why each item would be beneficial for each client is provided to further help all involved understand the process.

“Our number one goal is to provide quality services in order to reduce the number of work-related injuries which will help workers feel happier and healthier,” said Nelson. “And, help companies prosper and grow.”

The second crucial service that Nelson offers in terms of injury prevention in the workplace is Post-Offer Employment Testing.

This option tests whether an employee can perform the physical demands of the job in a safe manner. If companies are interested in applying this type of testing to their hiring process, Nelson works with them by doing a free functional job analysis to determine the required physical requirements for a given occupation.

After Nelson figures out what is physically required for each given position, Nelson will then be able to take each person that is hired at that position through a series of tasks to see if they are able to meet the required physical demands.

“Areas that I look at when I do post-offer employment testing include safely lifting a specific amount of weight, ladder climbing, stair climbing, kneeling, crouching, grasping, pinching and more,” said Nelson.”

If interested in working with Nelson, visit fargoergo.com, email info@fargoergo.com or call 701-532-2222.

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A Deeper Look At

Ladyboss Of Fargo Moorhead

(Left) Danyel Moe and (Right) Laura Caroon, founders of Ladyboss Fargo Moorhead

BY BRADY DRAKE KAYLEIGH OMANG

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ith 4,600+ members, Ladybosses of Fargo Moorhead has accomplished an impressive reach in a short time and is still growing. The organization focuses on connecting and empowering women of the FM. We sat down with the founders, Danyel Moe and Laura Caroon, to learn more about the business.

What is Ladyboss? How did the idea for it come about?

Ladyboss FM is a network of women making an impact in the community. We’re currently over 4,500 ladies strong and growing every day.

Ladyboss started in 2018 with an idea.

Danyel and I (Laura) worked closely together in the marketing department at Concordia College. As we spent more time together, we started dreaming up our own projects. It turned out we both had an insatiable passion for empowering women and decided to do something about it.

We started with an idea for a conference.

We wanted to create a one-day conference for women to spark connections among the awesome women of our community. We wanted to invite leaders to speak about topics that weren’t being talked about enough and offer opportunities to ignite creativity and have the event feel special and fun and totally instagrammable.

And, because we’re both marketers, we knew we needed to build an audience. So, we started a Facebook group. And we invited 80 of our friends. It felt a little silly in the beginning, but it wasn’t that long before people started engaging. We introduced ourselves and asked new members to introduce themselves. They were sharing their favorite podcasts and books and asking each other for recommendations. We challenged them to ask another member to coffee to get to know each other. And they did. They started inviting their friends to join.

And, their friends invited their friends. And the

group grew. We got really excited.

We wanted to offer opportunities to build connections offline and we held our first Ladyboss event less than four weeks after we started the group. It was a Galentine’s Day painting party at Make Room, a local business owned by Ladyboss Chelsea Thorson.

Women showed up. Women that didn’t know each other. Women that didn’t even know us. They showed up, learned new things, they created, they laughed together and they wanted more. Needless to say, it didn’t take us long to achieve a proof of concept.

By the time we opened ticket sales for our Ladyboss Summit in April, we had over 800 members in the group. We sold out of our 50 tickets to the event in about a week.

How can people get involved?

The best way to get plugged in to the community is to join our Facebook group or check out our Facebook page. Other than that you can find us one Twitter and Instagram @ ladybossfm or on our site ladybossfm.com.

How can women benefit from Ladyboss?

Ladyboss is a community for womxn, for artists, for makers, for small business owners, for corporate executives, for health care providers, teachers, doers and dreamers. It’s a place to make new connections, try new things, learn from and support each other.

Ladyboss is about empowerment through educating ourselves, connecting with one another, and being the best advocates for women that we can be.

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The 2019

Ladybosses

Of The Month

Taking a look at all of the Ladybosess Of The Month we featured in Fargo INC! This past year.

Photos by Hillary Ehlen, Andrew Jason & Gary Ussery

January Ladyboss Of The Month

Nancy Kelly

Lexa Rundquist

Owner of Labor Masters

Artist and Owner of AEROW

March Ladyboss Of The Month

April Ladyboss Of The Month

June Ladyboss Of The Month

Theresa Garrett

Jessie Rock

What types of activities does the organization offer?

Aside from our active group online, we offer regular in-person events including panel discussions, book clubs, speed-networking, collaborations with local businesses, selfcare experiences, happy hours, creative endeavors and we’ll be hosting our third annual conference at The Pines on June 16, 2020 called Ladyboss Summit.

Who is perfect for Ladyboss?

Ladybosses can look and act in many different ways. We celebrate the diverse women in our group. Our specific definition of a Ladyboss is: an empowered womxn, confident in her abilities and instinct, boldly leading with heart and integrity. If that sounds like you, you’re Ladyboss material and we’d love to have you in our group.

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February Ladyboss Of The Month

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Geology Lecturer, Department of Geosciences, North Dakota State University and President of the FargoMoorhead Science Museum Project

July Ladyboss Of The Month

Steph Lauritsen

Owner of All Things Finance LLC and Co-Owner of Retirement Planners

Dr. Faith Ngunjiri

Professor at Concorida College’s Offutt School of Business

September Ladyboss Of The Month

Yvette Reyes

Trail King Industries Welder

2320 S Louise Ave • Sioux Falls, South Dakota 57106 Phone: (605) 361-8700 • Fax: (605) 361-5950 www.siouxfalls.clubhouseinn.com

October Ladyboss Of The Month

Nicole Turchin

CoreLink Manager, Communications & Administrative Services

November Ladyboss Of The Month

Dani Gilseth, Dori Walter and Aimee Hanson Grateful Cratefulls

What impact have you seen the organization make already?

We hear stories all the time about how women are making awesome connections through this community and it’s so inspiring and humbling. Women who are soloentrepreneurs have found places to plug in and find women with similar challenges, women going back to school to further their education have found mentors in their new fields, women have found leadership opportunities, women have found volunteers to support their non-profits, women have even found their dream jobs through Ladyboss.

Now that we’ve created the space for this community to happen, we can’t imagine going back to a time without it.

Last year, Ladyboss FM won a YWCA Woman of the Year award in the category of “Leader in Women’s Empowerment”. That was such an honor and that really solidified for us that Ladyboss wasn’t going away any time soon.

The Ladyboss community is bigger than the two of us, and it’s something the women in our community were yearning for.

What is your dream for Ladyboss?

Our hope for Ladyboss is to leave a legacy of connection between women in and outside of our community. We want a network of strong empowered women leading in our businesses, education and elected offices, all working together to create lasting change for the next generations.

In what ways can our community work to uplift our ladybosses?

December Ladyboss Of The Month

Dani Leverington

Engineer Officer in the North Dakota National Guard and Owner of Downtown Yoga

Hire women. Promote women. Elect women.

Invest in women. Pay women.

What are some tips you have for your fellow ladybosses?

Be your own biggest advocate. Whether that means asking for the raise at work, taking the opportunities that come your way, getting a second doctor’s opinion on a health issue or saying no to the things and the people that drain you. Speak up for yourself!

What’s next for Ladyboss?

You’ll be seeing a lot more Ladyboss in 2020!

We’ve got some big changes and plans on the horizon, so you’ll want to follow along on social and get on our newsletter for the latest news, events and opportunities.

Breaking Gate City Bank is doing impressive work in empowering its female employees

BY Brady Drake PHOTOS BY Kayleigh Omang

(Left) Heather Rye (Senior Vice President of Human Resources and Development) and (Right) Kim Settel (Executive Vice President of Retail Banking and Lending) 102

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ate City Bank is empowering its female employees at an impressive rate. Last month, our wonderful writer for our Ladyboss of The Month features, Katie Beedy, pointed out stats from the World Economic Forum that showed just 40 percent of bank depositors and borrowers and less than 20 percent of Executive Board Members are women. Meanwhile, 70 percent of Gate City Bank’s leadership roles are held by women. In order to highlight this great fact, and learn a little bit more about why this is so important to Gate City Bank, we sat down with the companies Senior Vice President of Human Resources and Development, Heather Rye, for a quick Q&A.

The Norm

Championing our female team members passion and support for other female leaders within our communities is extremely important to us.

Heather Rye, Senior Vice President of Human Resources and Development

With 70 percent of Gate City's leadership roles being held by women, why do you think Gate City has offered women opportunities that other places seem not to?

Gate City Bank believes having diverse leaders is essential to the success of an organization and this belief starts at the top. The Bank’s Executive Chair, Steve Swiontek, encourages and supports women in leadership roles.

He specifically looks for leaders who are innovative, creative and that take initiative. In addition, Gate City has always championed benefits for women such as 12-weeks maternity leave and an on-site mother’s room.

Our Executive Leadership Team currently consists of 50% female executives. Strong female leaders in these roles demonstrates to other female team members that they too can achieve a leadership role – allowing us to grow our existing team members and attract new individuals.

How does Gate City foster a culture of professional development for women?

We invest in our team members and encourage all leaders to take advantage of our internal and external development opportunities. Internal development for our leaders is an on-going focus each month.

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Our leaders tackle topics ranging from self-development to personal branding to innovation. Our Emerging Leaders Program consists of 58% women who work one-onone with a professional development coach to tailor growth uniquely to match each of their individual needs and aspirations.

Championing our female team members passion and support for other female leaders within our communities is extremely important to us. Many of our team members attend and present at female-focused events and conferences and we encourage our team members to hold positions with non-profit charities on committees or boards they are passionate about. We also make a conscious effort to financially support female-focused community events and programs such as Ladyboss, Women’s Entrepreneurship Week and more.

Why is that important?

Gender diversity in companies provides greater productivity, greater innovation, better decision making and higher retention of team members. These are must-haves for a great work culture. We believe supporting organizations that are female led, as well as our female customers, is important for sustainability and growth within our communities.

What are some tips you would have for other organizations in that regard?

At Gate City Bank, we believe team members can achieve both personal and professional success.

• Having strong benefits that support women is a must. We offer fully paid 12-weeks maternity leave, fully paid military leave, great health benefits, are an infant friendly employer, and provide flexible work schedules.

• Supporting female-led and focused organizations. Whether it’s through financial support or volunteerism, connecting to the organizations and charities that help drive women’s empowerment is essential.

• Recognizing women who have achieved success throughout our communities.

We send personal notes to women; recognizing them and thanking them for their leadership in women’s empowerment.

• Investing time in future generations of female leaders. Get involved with colleges, universities and youth-focused programs.

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5Questions WITH JOHN MACHACEK

J

ohn Machacek, Chief Innovation Officer for the Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corporation, has worked with countless startups throughout our communit over the past seven years. He knows their ups, their downs, but most of all, he knows the questions to ask them.

Here is John Machacek’s 5 questions for ZulaFly, a local startup making waves in the security industry.

BY John Machacek PHOTO BY Kayleigh Omang

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1 What is your ZulaFly elevator pitch?

ZulaFly is an industryleading software and platform solution. Our solution provides workflow, locating, i.e. the ability to search and locate people and equipment, temperature monitoring of fridges, freezers, and rooms, across multiple locations in a cloud-hosted environment or on-site implementation.

Think of ZulaFly as an indoor GPS system. Our solutions work in multiple industries; all aspects of the healthcare continuum and education, to name a few. Our customers utilize our mobile app to quickly locate anyone or anything in a matter of seconds and can also call for assistance with a simple badge button press.

2 How do businesses typically use RealTime Location Systems (RTLS) and what are the benefits?

In the 10+years we have been dedicated to the real-time locating space, there has definitely been a shift in what facilities are looking to accomplish. Asset management used to be the first application customers would roll out so that they could see a hard dollar ROI by no longer buying replacement equipment they could now find. But most recently, we have seen a shift to patient workflow being a primary focus. Facilities want to understand where and how long patients are spending time in their facility, identify bottlenecks, how much time providers are spending with patients and essentially, how do they become more efficient, while providing better care.

Staff safety and temperature monitoring of medication fridges and freezers are both critical applications we see almost all facilities utilize as well. Providing an RTLS solution for the senior care space allows residents to move freely throughout the facility with the ability to call for assistance from anywhere.

“Some of the best advice we have had along the way is to remember that some days it will feel like you are the ball, and other days you will feel like the kicker.”

3

4

Your team works remotely. Do you have any advice for other companies trying effectively managing remote employees?

If you could go back in time to Stephanie and Lori from five years ago, what hindsight advice would you give yourselves?”

Communication is key. When having employees located in different locations and time zones, it is important to set clear expectations around core business working hours. Although working remotely is not for everyone, no longer having a commute to and from work is a huge bonus especially depending on location. As a software development company, most developers are heads down, do not miss the distractions of an office environment and feel like they get more done by easily going into their home office to work.

ZulaFly has a cloud-hosted solution, so not only can our employees work from anywhere, we can also deploy and configure a new customer from anywhere.

Being wise enough to know the process of creating a software solution would take at a minimum twice as long as you anticipate, there will be more bumps in the road than you expect, and although it will be harder than you expected it would be, the reward of building a company and solution that is used worldwide is second to none. We also would have been more focused early on, instead of trying to do too much. As a start-up you are trying to ‘do it all’ to succeed while trying to find your niche customer base. Looking back, there were projects we would not have taken on, but as a start-up it’s hard to say ‘no’ to any opportunity. Some of the best advice we have had along the way is to remember that some days it will feel like you are the ball, and other days you will feel like the kicker. There are many highs and lows, you need to be able to roll with the punches and continue moving forward.

5 What can we do as a community to help ZulaFly succeed?

Continue to add programs like Prime Academy to help fulfill the tech jobs that are primarily needed in the FM area. Software Developers and Quality Assurance Engineers are in high demand throughout the U.S., as ZulaFly expands we are always looking for local talent.

About John: John Machacek has been helping local startups with the Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corporation since Prior to his position with the GFMED, Machacek was the VP of Finance & Operations at United Way of CassClay and a business banker at U.S. Bank.

PHOTO BY Hillary Ehlen

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How To Develop Into A Leader

By Paul Smith

Paul Smith is Director of the ND Small Business Development Centers (ND SBDC) – Fargo. As an SBA resource partner, the ND SBDC helps North Dakota small business owners to start, manage and grow their companies by providing free, confidential business advising services in a wide range of areas such as business setup and planning, financial projections and getting funded.

The program assists more than 1,000 clients each year through nine service Centers located across the state. The Fargo Center is located in the NDSU Research and Technology Park Incubator.

I

To register for counseling services, please visit ndsbdc.org.

t’s no secret that leadership skills can play a large role in career development and advancement. Some say people are either born leaders or they’re not. While I have worked with a few highly gifted “natural” during my career, the vast majority did not have those innate leadership qualities. Which means you can learn to become an effective leader (or more effective leader).

Here are some things to think about.

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Who is a leader?

When we think of leaders, we often think of the stereotype of someone who “bosses” others around simply because they have a title. But is that authentic leadership?

John Maxwell, leadership thinker and author of "The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership," believes becoming a great leader is all about having a genuine willingness and a true commitment to lead others to achieve a common vision and goals through positive influence.

“Leadership is not about titles, positions or flowcharts. It is about one life influencing another...A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way.”

In "Turn the Ship Around: A True Story of Turning Leaders Into Followers, "David Marquet argues that a leader is measured not just by what she or he accomplishes, but by the accomplishments of those who work for and alongside that person – at every level of the organization.

In "Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success," Adam Grant finds that the most successful people – he calls them “givers” – are those who encourage and support those around them, earning respect and creating a productive team in the process.

If you think about it, chances are you’ve had lots of opportunities to lead. Perhaps you were part of a workgroup, and although you may not have been the official group leader, you stepped in to help get the project to the finish line by lifting others up. That’s leadership!

The essence of leadership In "Awesomely Simple," global business consultant John Spence asked thousands of employees to identify five key characteristics that they look for in their leaders: 1. Credibility – High level of integrity,

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competent, accountable, passionate about the work, employees, company and customers.

2. Respectful – Respectful of others, interested in what they have to say, treats everyone fairly.

3. Approachable – Genuine, great listener, maintains open door policy, appreciative.

4. A team player – Follows through on commitments, supports the team and its decisions, is fun to work with, asks good questions, keeps everyone informed, willing to admit when they make a mistake or don’t have the answer.

5. Highly professional – Committed to lifelong learning, has clear set of values, communicates with honesty, treats everyone with respect and dignity, dedicated to delivering superior service to their team and customer, strives for work/life balance and helps others do the same.

People are willing to follow a leader who is credible, respectful, authentic, professional and a team player. At the bedrock of these qualities is character and trust.

According to the author of "The Trust Edge," David Horsager, “trust, not money, is the currency of business and life.” He also argues that trust is quantifiable and is built on what he calls the “8 pillars of trust:” Clarity, compassion, character, competency, commitment, connection, contribution and consistency.

“Character makes trust possible.

And trust makes leadership possible,” according to Maxwell.

“Leaders must treat trust as their most precious asset.” Leaders can build trust by continuously modeling competence, connection and character. They earn respect and trust by making good decisions, humbly admitting mistakes and putting the needs of others and the organization before their own.

If those you lead were asked how trustworthy you are, how would they answer?

Building habits to becoming aHerebetter leader are some practical skills and habits, which applied can enhance your leadership skills: Take initiative Leaders are proactive. Volunteer to take on more responsibilities while going above and beyond in your current position.

See “downfield” A character trait of a good leader is the ability to foresee and avoid potential problems before they occur. They’re also aware of potential opportunities and take advantage of them to benefit the company and employees.

Self-discipline To be a good leader, you need to be selfdisciplined. Even if you have a vision or a good idea, it’s useless without the discipline to execute effectively.

Continual Learning When things are changing rapidly, it is important to constantly learn and grow. An effective leader inspires others to do their best work by being passionate and committed to becoming better each day at his work.

Handling Conflicts Conflict is an inevitable part of life. The real question is how we will handle conflicts when they arise. Leaders don’t avoid conflicts but know how to resolve them in a healthy, respectful way. This requires courage, honesty and good listening skills.

Put First Things First Prioritize, plan and execute your tasks based on importance and impact on your goals rather than simply urgency.

Communicate often Leaders are “active communicators.” A good communicator is not just a great speaker but listens well to others.

Involve others Leaders recognize the value of team members and encourage others to contribute to achieve goals no one person could have done alone.

John Quincy Adams famously said: “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”

Anybody can be an effective leader. “The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority,” said Ken Blanchard. If you want to improve your leadership skills, think about what actions you can take starting today to enhance your own skills in the areas listed above and to influence and bring out the best in others.

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Rendering by JLG Architects

W

hen the Black Building cornerstone was being laid on Broadway in 1930, downtown Fargo was bustling with commerce and services, ripe with hotel rooms and theaters, and on a trajectory to create the urban neighborhood we know and love today. Downtown was Fargo and big bets were being made on Fargo’s future.

In 1930, Fargo was closing in on 60 years as a City and its population density was 5,800 people per square mile. Most recent Census results in 2010 put Fargo at 2,200 people per square mile. The growth in our city limits has far outpaced the growth in our population.

Our city leaders have fine-tuned the use of

BIG special assessments and investment of tax dollars into new infrastructure to ensure a constant supply of new subdivisions to keep Fargo growing. This growth in new housing helps attract people to our metro area and meet market demand. It also adds to the cost of operating the city.

In 1999, Fargo city leaders recognized the need to balance the growth of the physical size of the city, with reinvestment into the areas where it all started. The city contributes to new subdivisions through city special assessment, financing of new infrastructure costs and building new infrastructure with tax dollars. But existing neighborhoods already have the infrastructure in place so the same type of assistance doesn’t work.

On Fargo’s Future

BY Adrienne Olson, Kilbourne Group

The Renaissance Zone was launched in 1999, allowing the city to contribute to downtown projects through five years of property tax deferral, which lowered the cost of projects and helped to attract return-seeking private investment into an existing neighborhood.

Fargo’s PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) program essentially extends the Renaissance Zone property tax benefits beyond the five years, allowing for larger projects. The PILOT is only used when a project wouldn’t otherwise happen and is constantly reevaluated by the City of Fargo and the state legislature. It has evolved over time to encourage and incentivize more multi-family housing in downtown Fargo. More downtown housing is a goal identified in the Fargo

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Rendering by Zerr Berg

Rendering by ZW Design

InFocus Downtown Comprehensive Plan, as well as the overall Fargo GO2030 plan, both of which were driven through citizen-input.

The idea is that in exchange for waiting to collect on higher taxes to allow projects to move forward, the City experiences a big payoff with dramatically increased property values downtown, which pay dramatically higher taxes once the incentive period is over.

The idea works. Since 1999, property tax values in downtown Fargo have grown from $200 million to more than $700 million. Each year more projects come off the incentive period and pay higher taxes. According to the city of Fargo, this has created more than $4 million in property taxes for Cass County, Fargo Public Schools and the city that would not otherwise be available.

For decades, multi-family housing projects (apartment buildings) were pulled toward the outskirts of town due to lower up-front and construction costs and higher expected

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investment returns. Through these programs, these kinds of projects have become better investments and are now also happening downtown over the last couple of years.

The formula is being adopted across the region and state. New mixed-use projects in downtowns are being announced in West Fargo, Moorhead, Bismarck, Grand Forks, Minot and more. And the payoff for taxpayers is great.

Downtown development incentive programs draw private money to where public infrastructure already exists. This lowers the cost to and risk assumed by the government.

Infill development in existing neighborhoods creates the highest return for taxpayers.

Downtown Fargo and new subdivisions provide neighborhoods for two different markets, depending on personal lifestyle choices. Kilbourne Group envisions building a city that provides a neighborhood for

everyone. The city of Fargo is creating policies to make both financially viable.

Today, 90 years after that big bet on the Black Building, downtown Fargo is embarking on another wave of economic and demographic growth. City and business leaders have worked to create an environment that draws new investment and new people into the heart of our city. A growing downtown Fargo residential population strengthens the city’s core and supports the budding local retail, restaurant, and entertainment ventures that bring vibrancy and energy, and a unique flavor to our city. Downtown Fargo is once again a place that can transform impressed visitors into new residents. It’s a thriving economy that is attracting major companies to set up shop downtown. It’s our picturesque postcard to the world and it’s something we can all support and enjoy.

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Rayonna Hystead Q In a brief summary, what do you do?

A As the Communications Coordinator for [Microsoft's] Fargo site, I have three buckets: community engagement, partner and customer engagement, as well as our employee engagement. I support all three of those with communications like newsletters, our SharePoint page, social media accounts and digital signage. I recently added on a new role, so not only am I supporting Fargo, but I’ll be supporting our business group for North America and Latin America. So that’s only a little terrifying, but I’m very excited.

Q What’s your favorite part of what you do?

A I love that I get to be an advocate for Fargo. I love to be able to champion all the cool things that we have going on at Microsoft in Fargo, but also in the surrounding community. People think Fargo is so small, they think it’s just like the movie, but it’s so much more. And I get to show people that. I also serve on the board for the YWCA. Microsoft does a really nice job of supporting us in those types of endeavors.

For every hour I volunteer, Microsoft pays $25 to that organization.

t’s been said that inspiration comes from the most unlikely of places. For Rayonna Hystead, Communications Coordinator at Microsoft’s Fargo campus and 2019 alumna of United Way of CassClay’s 35 Under 35 Women’s Leadership Program, it came in the form of a sticky note and a push from her 35 Under 35 peers.

BY KATIE BEEDY, LADYBOSS AND WRITER AT TELLWELL KAYLEIGH OMANG 116

MARCH 2020

Q How would you describe your 35 Under 35 experience?

A Everyone gets out of it what they need.

For me, it really was that career expansion.

I knew I was looking for something more,

and this program gave me the push and the support that I needed. I also wanted to find a network of women that are supportive of each other, not competitive. And oh my gosh, did I find that! That support didn’t just end with the program; we have really remained connected. I don’t know what I would do without them anymore.

Q What’s the most valuable lesson you took away from 35 Under 35?

A In our emotional intelligence session, we talked a lot about understanding your emotions and controlling them at the right time, and there was one line that stood out to me: “No one will know your worth unless you know it and show it.” It gave me that confidence to go after what I wanted, even when I maybe didn’t think that I deserved it.

You have to believe in yourself and let that show.

Q How has the 35 Under 35 program impacted you and your career?

A Timing is everything. The session that we had our speeches was at Microsoft, and one of the women who was in the program with me actually worked at Microsoft. She started off her speech by giving each of us a sticky note and telling us to write the words “Be Brave” on it. She spoke about being bold, deciding what we want and just going for it. I stuck that note in my binder, and later that night I sat next to her at a gathering. She encouraged me to reach out

to Sandi Piatz, the Site Leader at Microsoft’s Fargo campus, to have coffee with her and see if she could be a mentor of sorts for me.

It was totally out of my comfort zone to ask a stranger to have coffee with me, but the next day I just did it. I looked at that sticky note and I thought, “I’m going to be brave.” We ended up having coffee, I talked about my job at the time, she gave me some advice. She had mentioned that there would be a position coming available that I may be interested in. It wasn’t posted yet, but sure enough, a couple weeks later it was posted, I applied, and I ended up where I am now. I’m just eternally grateful. If it wasn’t for that sticky note, for that support of all the other women in my 35 Under 35 program, I don’t think I would have ever reached out to Sandi.

Q What does being a “Ladyboss” mean to you?

A Being a Ladyboss is all about being bold and passionate and supporting other women. That’s the most important thing.

women who lead the YWCA; their grit and their selflessness is amazing. And I’m inspired by my fellow 35 Under 35-ers.

There are a lot of good women out there.

Q What is the best career advice you have ever received? Or, what’s the best advice you have to offer?

A Everyone thinks of life as being a balance, but Microsoft’s CEO, Satya Nadella, says “It’s not a balance. It’s a harmony.” Balance implies that everything is equal, but they don’t have to be. By nature, we work more hours than we are at home, but those things can complement each other. One 35 Under 35 speaker said, “What’s on your calendar is your values statement.”

What is on your calendar should be what is important to you, so if you want your life to be more family- or friend-oriented, then put more of those things on your calendar that support that. If I looked at my calendar six months ago, it was work, work, work.

But now I have been much more intentional about coffee and lunch dates with the people that either I want to learn from or just make me happy.

Q Who is your hero and why?

A It’s hard to pick just one person, because different people inspire me in different seasons of my life. When I became a mom, my mom became my hero. Right now, I’m very focused on my career, so I’m inspired by the bold, articulate, and down-to-earth women I work with. I’m inspired by the

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BUSINESS EVENTS

MAR/APR

2020 CALENDAR

Fargo & Moorhead Events

MARCH 3 Local Impacts Globally: How Midwest of Us! Tuesday, March 3 from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.

Our community has great people and great organizations doing great things – that’s no secret. But did you realize how many of these organizations are reaching beyond our metro, our bistate region and our country’s boundaries, to do good? How Midwest of Us as a community to give back in bigger ways than imagined! Come in March to hear more about the great work that three local organizations are doing on a global scale. These are the kinds of stories that the community needs to share; they are part of what makes our region so special. fmwfchamber.com 1080 28th Ave. S., Moorhead

MARCH 4 Lunch & Learn: Sponsors and Fundraising Wednesday, March 4 from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.

March’s Lunch & Learn is focused around giving you the answers to a common issue around nonprofits and startups: fundraising and sponsors! The presentation will cover strategies for raising funds, finding sponsors and how to build relationships and retain sponsors year after year. emergingprairie.com Prairie Den 122 1/2 N. Broadway Dr., Fargo

MARCH 5 Master Networks - Goal Diggers Thursday, March 5 8:30 a.m.

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One hour weekly meetings focused on Master Networks’ mission is to lead a movement of learning-based, serviceoriented entrepreneurs and business leaders.

KFGO 1020 25th St. S., Fargo

MARCH 10 ACTIVATE Women: Leadership Tuesday, March 10 from 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.

Learn from entrepreneurs throughout the community and dive into perhaps one of the most crucial aspects of your business: leadership. dakotabusinesslending.com Dakota Business Lending 5630 36th Ave. S., Fargo

MARCH 11 2020 Leading Ladies Luncheon Wednesday, March 11 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The North Dakota Women’s Business Center (NDWBC) is pausing to honor and celebrate Women’s History Month with a panel of five women making an impact in the history of North Dakota. Come to learn from, connect with, and be inspired by this network of valiant, visionary women. The NDWBC is proud of these women, their accomplishments, and look forward to sharing their stories with you. ndwbc.com Holiday Inn 3830 13th Ave. S., Fargo

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Fargo & Moorhead Events MARCH 11

MARCH 11

The Normalization of Deviance: How Workplaces Can Avoid Deceit

Emerging Digital Academy Open House & Campus Tour

Wednesday, March 11 from 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Wednesday, March 11 6 p.m.

Have our actions over time actually increased the risk of fraud? This session takes a look at workplace fraud from a different perspective. Brett Johnson will lead a theory-based presentation with an overview of the small behaviors we accept, ignore and allow in the workplace that can lead to larger issues, including various forms of fraud. Attendees will be able to reflect on their own workplaces and explore any gray areas that are unintentionally creating an environment that increases the risk of deviant behavior.

Emerging Prairie welcomes everyone interested in Emerging Digital Academy to come visit the Prairie Den, ask questions, meet new people and share some pizza with their Director, Blaine.

fmwfchamber.com DoubleTree by Hilton

122 1/2 N. Broadway Dr., Fargo

emergingprairie.com Prairie Den

825 E. Beaton Dr., West Fargo

MARCH 18 Lunch and Learn: Authentic Communication Wednesday, March 18 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Whether it’s in a meeting, interview, presentation or during a conflict situation, your ability to communicate authentically has an impact on you and your organization’s success. Discover the key essentials it takes to be an authentic communicator and how it can influence professional success. thevillagefamily.org The Village Family Services Center 2701 12th Ave. S., Fargo

MARCH 19 MARCH 10 5 O’Clock Connections - March Tuesday, March 10 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Join POC for the second-ever after-hours networking event! Can’t make the Networking Before 9 events? Come after your workday ends for a great atmosphere, great conversations, and even better people at Brewtus Brickhouse in Moorhead! Come when you can; leave when you have to!

Brewtus Brickhouse 937 37th Ave. S., Moorhead

Business After Hours

Thursday, March 19 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Come for a springtime evening of networking! Business After Hours is the region’s largest networking event.

Booth space is often sold out, and attendees can connect with their peers and exhibitors ranging from cell phone companies to financial institutions and more. A great time over apps, networking and fun awaits! fmwfchamber.com Delta by Marriott 1635 42nd St. S., Fargo

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BUSINESS EVENTS

CALENDAR MARCH 24

Fargo & Moorhead Events MARCH 25

2020 YEA! Investor Panel Shark Tank

Why NOT Me? Overcoming SelfDoubt

Tuesday, March 24 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, March 25 from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The 2019-20 Young Entrepreneurs Academy students invite you to the Investor Panel. Be the first to hear what exciting businesses these bright individuals are working on! Local business leaders will serve as judges and award funding in a “Shark Tank” style format.

Then you can vote on your favorite business to win People’s Choice!

There is an old saying that you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. Self-doubt is often a primary driver for not taking that shot. This session will explore key motivators of selfdoubt, and challenge women to get out of their own way and feel confident that they deserve success, happiness and fulfillment.

fmwfchamber.com Concordia College Barry Auditorium

fmwfchamber.com Delta by Marriott 1635 42nd St. S., Fargo

801 13th St. S., Moorhead

MARCH 20 Morning Buzz Friday, March 20 from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.

Come and network with other young professionals before you start your workday and get your morning caffeine boost. Coffee on your own; networking is free! fmwfchamber.com Thunder Coffee 300 Sheyenne St. Suite 190, West Fargo

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BUSINESS EVENTS

CALENDAR

Fargo & Moorhead Events

MARCH 30 YPN Business Tour: Four Star Ninja Academy Monday, March 30 from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Join YPN as to learn about one of Fargo’s newest fitness attractions, Four Star Ninja Academy! You will be learning about the business and operations, as well as getting to test out some of the obstacles at the gym. Bring your workout gear and a great attitude for this special YPN Business Tour. *This tour is only open to YPN members* fmwfchamber.com Four Star Ninja Academy 205 5th St. N., Fargo

APRIL 7

APRIL 8

The Farm Economy - Stable, Rebounding or Declining?

Developing a Comprehensive Communication Strategy

Tuesday, April 7 from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.

Wednesday, April 8 from 11:30 a.m. 1 p.m.

Agriculture is known to be the backbone of our economy. This session will hone in on the current farm economy with debate if it is stable, rebounding or declining. Our speakers will discuss the fiscal, political, adjacent industry, related industry and environmental variables associated with the farm economy. They will dive into how these areas are impacting the economic state of the agriculture industry, as well as how they are being affected by the agriculture economic situation. Come for a lively discussion surrounding one of our area’s largest industries – agriculture – as well as hot breakfast and networking.

Today’s communication channels make it easier than ever to tell your business story; however you need to be smarter than ever in how you tell your story. Learn the best way to craft a comprehensive communication plan that will serve as a roadmap to your business success. Attendees will learn the basic structure needed for a successful strategic approach.

fmwfchamber.com Courtyard by Marriott 1080 28th Ave. S., Moorhead

fmwfchamber.com Holiday Inn 3803 13th Ave. S., Fargo

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Bismarck Events

MARCH 10 ACTIVATE Women: Leadership Tuesday, March 10 from 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.

Learn from entrepreneurs throughout the community and dive into perhaps one of the most crucial aspects of your business: leadership. dakotabusinesslending.com Center for Technology and Business 2720 E. Broadway Ave. #1, Bismarck

MARCH 4 Leading Ladies Luncheon Wednesday, March 4 from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

The North Dakota Women’s Business Center is celebrating Women’s History Month with a panel that features five of North Dakota’s leading ladies. Join them to learn from, connect with, and be inspired by this network of visionary women. ndwbc.com Ramkota 800 S. 3rd St., Bismarck

MARCH 5 Chamber EDC Open House Thursday, March 5 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Join the Bismarck Mandan Chamber EDC for an Open House. bismarckmandan.com Bismarck Mandan Chamber EDC 1640 Burt Boat Drive, Bismarck

MARCH 11 How to prepare staff for interviews with press Wednesday, March 11 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

When you need to prepare your leadership for interview with the media — or maybe that person is you — what steps do you need to take so your organization is prepared? What points do you need to share so reporters have the information they need? What should you do to be ready to go on camera?

In this session, you will learn what steps to take, and what to avoid when sharing with the press.

Dakota Stage Ltd 412 East Main Ave., Bismarck

MARCH 19

refreshments, hors d’oeuvres, and some business after hours. Mixers are FREE for Chamber EDC members to attend. Please consider attending and bringing colleagues from your workplace. bismarckmandan.com University of Mary Campus 7500 University Drive, Bismarck

MARCH 20 CORE Women Friday, March 20 from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

On March 20, Trainer and Founder Heidi Woods of Mindful You-Mindful Me takes listeners deeply into conversations on boundaries and intentionality. This session will empower you in all circles of your life.

Capital Ice Complex 1504 Wichita Dr., Bismarck

Membership Mixer: University of Mary Thursday, March 19 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Join fellow Chamber EDC members for

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BUSINESS EVENTS

CALENDAR Bismarck MARCH 24 Business Builders Bismarck Legal Considerations For Your Business Tuesday, March 24 from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.

This workshop will focus on how to protect your business and its assets, whether the assets are people, equipment or an idea, and cover topics such as entity formation (LLC or Corporation?), intellectual property (Do I need a trademark or patent?) and contract considerations (Should I have a lawyer review this?).

Grand Forks MARCH 11 Preparing for and Managing Through an Economic Downturn Wednesday, March 11 from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Small businesses in rural communities in North Dakota are likely to have a challenging time at this point in time. This is likely to spread to larger communities like Grand Forks as well. Farmers are suffering from having not been able to extract their crops from the field and therefore may not be able to make their typical expenditures which supports the

businesses. Learn about things that will help you be more effective in tightening markets. gochamber.org Conference Room First International Bank and Trust 1970 Columbia Road #110, Grand Forks

MARCH 19 Chamber Business After Hours Thursday, March 19 from 4:45 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

gochamber.org

CTB 2720 East Broadway Ave., Bismarck

Economic Outlook Forum Tuesday, March 24 from 7 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

In January, the Bismarck Mandan Chamber EDC distributed a survey to gauge business performance in the Bismarck-Mandan area and national level. Join The Chamber again for the 2020 Economic Outlook Forum on Tuesday, March 24th at the Ramkota Hotel & Conference Center to find out what factors are influencing the local and the national economy. This half day presentation will feature a large panel of professionals, in a variety of different industries that will inform on the current community. bismarckmandan.com Ramkota Hotel & Conference Center 800 S. 3rd St., Bismarck

APRIL 9 Membership Mixer: Anyleaks Thursday, April 9 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Join members of the Bismarck Mandan Chamber EDC during the April’s Membership Mixer hosted by Anyleaks. Enjoy refreshments, hors d’oeurves, and some business after hours. bismarckmandan.com Anyleaks 140 Riverwood Ave. SE., Mandan

MARCH 10 Business Builders Workshop: Simple Steps to Choosing the Right Financing Tuesday, March 10 from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Technology is streamlining the process of getting a small business loan. In much the same way tech companies like Amazon, Priceline, Zillow, and Uber have changed the way we shop, travel, buy a home and even hail a cab, technology is changing the way many business owners get a small business loan.

Learn from presenters on a range of topics to help you understand how to approach financing for your business. There is also the opportunity to complete a fundability quiz, helping you think through the available options. ndwbc.com UND Center for Innovation Idea Lab 4200 James Ray Dr., Grand Forks

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