BRAVA September October 2022

WE GET you

“With Park Bank, we really feel more like we’ve had a partner over the years. It's a relationship … full of trust.”

- EMILY GRUENEWALD OVERTURE CENTER FOR THE ARTS

To us, you’re much more than just another transaction. Strong businesses are the heart of the community and when you win, we all win. We want to be the partner that gets you to NEXT. Connect with a Business Banker today!

SYMPHONY SEASON PREMIERE

SEPTEMBER 23, 24 & 25

OVERTURE CONCERT ORGAN SEASON PREMIERE: GREG ZELEK

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27

madisonsymphony.org/zelek

Single tickets on sale now! ( $20–$98 )

Join us for eight subscription concerts plus Beyond the Score®. New subscribers save up to 50%! View our brochure, subscribe, and discover more at madisonsymphony.org

Buy single tickets in-person at the Overture Center Box Office, 201 State Street, by phone (608) 258–4141, or at overture.org

BEETHOVEN 9 MOZART & infinite joy

The sentiments expressed in the Ode to Joy are fundamental to our lives, and magnificently expressed by the dean of symphonic composers, Beethoven! His greatest influence, that of Mozart, frames the concert. — John DeMain

PROGRAM

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Oboe Concerto in C major Ludwig van Beethoven, Symphony No. 9 in D minor

PRESENTING SPONSOR

Myrna Larson

MAJOR SPONSORS

Rosemarie and Fred Blancke

BMO Harris Bank

Ernest and Louise Borden

Madison Symphony Orchestra League

David and Kato Perlman

Cyrena and Lee Pondrom

ADDITIONAL SPONSORS

Godfrey & Kahn, S.C. Wisconsin Arts Board

TAKE NOTE

We guarantee a refund for tickets to any program that cannot be performed for any reason. For information about health and safety, visit madisonsymphony.org/health

Discover more: madisonsymphony.org/joy

dates, and artists subject to change.

Marc Fink, Oboe

Jared Esguerra, Tenor

Matt Boehler, Bass

John DeMain, Conducting Laquita Mitchell, Soprano

Kirsten Larson, Mezzo-soprano

Madison Symphony Chorus, Beverly Taylor, Director

mozart

Programs,

Photos: (orchestra/front): Amanda Dill; (MSO musicians/front, DeMain, Fink, chorus): Peter Rodgers; (Boehler): Toni Suter/Tanua Dorendorf

SEPTEMBER 23-25

Oktoberfest Games

Prost! Wisconsin’s Elkhart Lake is excited to announce the 1st Annual ELKTOBERFEST! Put on your lederhosen or dirndl, hoist a stein, grab a pretzel and embrace the German heritage. The famous Racing sausages®

kid’s activities & root beer Garten

5K Wine & Beer run/Walk

Kitchen Perfection

Four local kitchens that give us major culinary inspo.

Hiding in the Shadows

DEPARTMENTS

MONEY SMARTS

MONEY SMARTS

BY KIM SPONEM

How do you see the impact of higher rates on my ability to buy a home? Trying to get a home has been crazy. Will that get easier?

People often think of rates going up as a bad thing because it makes borrowing money for a home more expensive. But rates have a sort of balancing impact on consumers’ ability to buy homes. While low interest rates tend to increase demand for property, driving up prices, higher interest rates decrease demand for property, driving property prices down. That can make buying a home a little easier.

Your mortgage rate is important in your purchasing and budgeting, of course. But rather than focusing only on rates, it’s important to understand your whole financial picture. In fact, doing some research and beginning discussions with a lender as soon as you are thinking about buying, even a couple years out, could save you time, money and stress. You may find you benefit from guidance around improving your credit score (which can lower your mortgage rate), consolidating debt ahead of purchasing and building savings.

A little knowledge goes a long way in preparing you to make good financial decisions. Here are a few things beyond interest rates you should know as you work through the home buying process:

• How long you plan to stay in the house

How much you can afford to pay monthly (on top of your other financial obligations)

Your credit scores and how they impact your ability to borrow

• What you’re able to invest on a down payment Taxes, closing costs and insurance costs

When you have answered these questions and you are ready to buy, a preapproval will make your offer stronger, and that makes buying easier, too.

Know your options

There is no one-size-fits-all mortgage. You have many options to explore in addition to rates, including mortgage terms. Many people think a fixed interest rate is the best option, but a different product may be best for you. How do you know? Most people do not stay in their home for 30 years, or even 20, so paying the closing costs for a long-term mortgage may not be your best fit.

There is also more flexibility with qualifications when choosing other mortgage products, such as an adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM). ARMs often offer lower interest rates, making your principal and interest payment more affordable, and come with lower closing costs than 30-year fixed products. And although the interest rate could change, it is locked in for a certain period of time and has limits to how much it can change.

Creative mortgage options are becoming more common. For example, Summit Credit Union has a 15/15 ARM that gives you a fixed rate for 15 years before a potential rate change that would last the next 15 years. That’s long-term stability and a rate lower than a fixed-rate mortgage.

The money you’ve saved for your down payment is another consideration. Maybe you were planning on a 20% down payment and that doesn’t seem possible anymore with the increase in home values. Don’t worry! There are options for buyers with less than a 20% down payment that also provide affordable monthly payments. Finding the right mortgage for your situation and a home in your budget that gives you the flexibility to do things you want to do will make your life a lot less stressful.

Don’t hesitate to reach out with your questions at any time. Whether you are a member of Summit Credit Union yet or not, you can find lots of information and tools to learn about the mortgage process at SummitCreditUnion.com. Start with a conversation and a preapproval so you have a plan before you find the home you love.

Kim Sponem is CEO & President, since 2002, of Summit Credit Union, a $5 billion, member-owned financial cooperative with more than 228,000 members. Kim has a passion for empowering people to improve their financial well-being for a richer life.

Ask Kim your money questions at MoneySmarts@SummitCreditUnion.com.

FEELING POWERFUL

We all know so much has changed since the beginning of the pandemic, which includes our priorities and long-term career goals. That’s why we wanted to examine this topic in our annual Women in Business issue by talking to 15 women executives in our “Women at Work” feature on P. 69. All of these women shared with us how they’ve reached career success and what’s on their mind in our current job landscape.

I interviewed Ana Hooker for this piece, Exact Science’s chief laboratory officer. If you’ve ever seen Hooker speak at an event (which I have) she pulls no punches on the topic of women expressing their point of view and expertise at work.

“You cannot sit there apologetically in the corner and raise your hand. You don’t need to ask permission — you have a voice — use it! That’s OK,” Hooker told me. I loved what she had to say, and you will, too.

Speaking of inspirational women, we feature so many throughout this issue, starting with Beatriz Aguilar on P. 18, who is cultivating the next generation of Latina leaders. Women also offer us advice on matters of career, money, health and much more throughout this edition.

But, there are plenty of women in Madison who work more quietly behind the scenes. Our “Hiding in the Shadows” feature on human trafficking uncovers this shadowy enterprise and the women who are assisting trafficking survivors.

We started discussing this piece roughly a year ago, when we met up with Diane Hanson of United Madison, a cause-marketing nonprofit. Hanson told us about the very real problem of human trafficking in the Midwest. She explained how several area nonprofits are tackling the issue and why it’s an underreported crime. I’ll admit it was eye-opening for me, who had never really thought about the issue before, besides seeing it mentioned on flyers in airport restrooms. That’s why I love working at BRAVA, because we can listen to women working on solving real problems and bringing important matters to light — and help amplify the cause, too.

BRAVA decided to get involved by participating in a public service campaign that United Madison undertook in 2021 and 2022 with Madison media outlets to highlight the issue. As part of this, I also helped moderate an April 2022 event on the topic with Madison experts along with Leigh Mills of NBC15. I suggest you read this article on P. 95 to familiarize yourself with the issue.

Let’s kick off a productive fall where we can feel fulfilled in life and work! You deserve it.

Shayna Mace Editorial Director @shaynamace

DON’T MISS OUR EVENT!

We’re hosting the Empower Lunch Hour on Oct. 20 from noon-1 p.m., sponsored by Summit Credit Union. This free, virtual event will discuss how women can feel confident with their money and break down economic barriers to get them to a state of empowerment. Register at bravamagazine.com.

TAKE A BITE

We have a lot of food content in this issue — and I love it all. I have a soft spot in my heart for historic restaurants — places with a story behind them. I particularly enjoyed Mary Bergin’s “Stay for Supper” piece about the area’s supper clubs. Old Fashioned, anyone?

DO YOU KNOW A WOMAN TO WATCH?

We want to hear about her! Nominate a Madison-area woman who has actionable plans for the coming year for our 2023 class of Women to Watch. Honorees will be featured in our January/February 2023 issue. Nominate them by Sept. 23 at bravamagazine.com/w2w. with

BUSINESS

PUBLISHER

Barbara Krause bak@ntmediagroup.com

VICE PRESIDENT OF PUBLICATIONS

Becky Peck bpeck@ntmediagroup.com

EDITORIAL

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Shayna Mace shayna@bravamagazine.com

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Melissa Moody mmoody@ntmediagroup.com

FACT - CHECKER

Kaleigh Krause ktk@ntmediagroup.com

EDITORIAL INTERN

Jane Houseal intern@ntmediagroup.com

DIGITAL

DIGITAL DIRECTOR

Kristen Rouse krouse@ntmediagroup.com

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

Kristin Dvorak kdvorak@ntmediagroup.com

SALES

SALES MANAGER

Dena Frisch

dena@ntmediagroup.com

ADVERTISING COORDINATOR

Amy Jacobs ads@ntmediagroup.com

ACCOUNTING

Kristin Hovestol accounting@ntmediagroup.com

CONTRIBUTORS

Julie Nor Barber, Emmy Bawden, Mary Bergin, Laura Bird, Shelby Deering, Kristine Hansen, Timothy Hughes, Shalicia Johnson, Maura Keller, Katy Macek, Emily McCluhan, Melanie McManus, Kevin Revolinski, Annie Rosemurgy, Hillary Schave, Jessica Steinhoff, Sue Sveum, Hywania Thompson, Candice Wagener, Hannah Wente, Shanna Wolf

BRAVA Magazine is a publication of Nei-Turner Media Group, Inc. Gary E. Nei, Chairman, William Turner, President.

This issue or any part thereof may not be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved. ©2022 951 Kimball Lane, Suite 104, Verona, WI. (608) 848-6700

SUBSCRIBE AT BRAVAMAGAZINE.COM

Subscription information: (262) 729-4471 or bpeck@ntmediagroup.com.

BRAVA (ISSN 1934-4317) SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2022, Volume 23, Number 05, is published bimonthly (six times a year) by Nei-Turner Media Group, Inc. Periodicals postage paid at 3902 Milwaukee St., Madison WI 53714 and additional offices. Postmaster send address changes to: BRAVA Magazine, 951 Kimball Ln., Ste. 104, Verona WI 53593-1786.

MARY BERGIN

Midwest travel, regional foods, German heritage and eco-friendly destinations are of deep interest to Mary, a sometimes-prolific freelance writer and three-time Lowell Thomas Award winner. She’s a freethinker, adequate cook and Badger sports fan who shares a Madison home with longtime partner Dick Franken and their two near-perfect cats, Siena and Doolin. “Wisconsin Supper Club Cookbook,” Mary’s fifth book and in its 11th printing, covers pickled mushrooms, perfect hashbrowns, pumpkin cheesecake and lots more. In this issue, Mary shared her supper club wisdom in “Stay for Supper” on P. 127. Next up: her book about exceptional small towns in Wisconsin, coming from Globe Pequot in May 2023. @maryinmadison

MELANIE RADZICKI MCMANUS

Melanie writes from her home in Sun Prairie, where she specializes in active travel, fitness and hiking. The author of “Thousand-Miler: Adventures Hiking the Ice Age Trail,” she has set a goal of hiking all 11 National Scenic Trails. To date, she has covered 6,500 of the trails’ combined 18,000 miles. Melanie is a five-time Lowell Thomas Award winner for her travel journalism. She applied her travel expertise to write the “Fall Escapes” guide on P. 107, as well as “That Fall Feeling” on P. 146. @thethousandmiler

SUE SVEUM

Sue is a Madison-area freelance writer who loves writing about any topic, but especially health care and seniors. She worked on a number of articles in this issue, including “Early Action is Key in Treating Breast Cancer” on P. 31, in which she shared her own breast cancer experience. She also penned “The Future of Madison’s Workforce is Female” on P. 81. She likes spending time at home cheering on the Badgers, Packers and Cubs with her husband and golden retriever. And away from home, she enjoys relaxing in sunny Arizona, or visiting her adult children in Denver and Columbia, Missouri.

HYWANIA THOMPSON

Hywania is a freelance writer originally from the Chicago area. She enjoys spending time with her family, volunteering, traveling to Ireland and attending Andy Grammer concerts. She has written a number of profiles for BRAVA in the past, and that continues in this issue on pages 70-71, where she interviewed Suzanne Fanning and Michelle Behnke for our “Women at Work” feature. @hywania THANK

FALL TREND WATCH

With the change in seasons comes a refreshed wardrobe.

STYLING

BY

PHOTOGRAPHY

Back in Black

SHAYNA MACE

BY

TIMOTHY HUGHES

Real and faux leather pieces are big this season. Whether it’s a comfy pair of joggers or a chic quilted handbag, there are multiple ways to incorporate the look into your closet. Clockwise from top left: Alfa Bags handbag, $45 , Chauette ; LAMade Roxbury tank dress, $160 , Cloth & Metal Boutique ; LAMade padded muscle tank , $143, Cosa Boutique ; Clara Sun Woo leggings, $80 , Chauette ; Sanctuary leather-like shorts, $103, Cloth & Metal Boutique ; and Joseph Ribkoff leather joggers, $213 , Chauette .

Top it Off

From weekend chic to workday style, these toppers all offer a fresh take.

Left to right: Hidden New threads cropped denim jacket , $99 , Ciao Bella Boutique ; Tribal plaid shacket, $150, Chauette ; and Ellison Jera blazer, $65, Ciao Bella Boutique

Jean Scene

Forget ordinary — these denim styles have special details to step up your next pair.

Left to right: Bella Dahl Dylan seamed tapered jeans, $218 , and Black Orchid Los Angeles Ava patch skinny jeans, $215 , both from Cloth & Metal Boutique ; and Paige Nellie high-rise culottes, $229, Cosa Boutique

Get Cozy

Animal prints, bold color and even unexpected accessories out of cozy knits make fashion fun this fall.

Left to right: Joseph Ribkoff sweater, $191, dh bag, $130 , and dh hat, $78 , all from Chauette ; and Skies Are Blue mock neck balloon sleeve sweater, $69, Cosa Boutique

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND HOLISTIC FINANCIAL PLANNING

By Joanna G. Burish

Whenlooking for a home to buy, the No. 1 thing that people use to make a decision is how they feel walking into that home. When building a new home, it’s also important that the homeowner feels comfortable with the builder, the design and the construction process.

Now, consider not having any experience in home construction. Would you draw up the house plans yourself? Most of us (who aren’t architects or builders) would say no! You’d hire someone who knows what they’re doing that is highly regarded for their expertise. Then, once your new home is built, you would insure it to protect against any damage or loss. And your banker will insist on this to protect their investment in your home as well. This all makes sense, right? When it comes to your financial future and security, how is it that 75% of Americans manage their own money and retirement plans, and only 17% hire a financial advisor to help

them? According to a CNBC study, only 31% of those age 65 and older and 7% of those ages 25 to 34 hire a financial advisor. Besides your health, financial security is the most important area to plan for today, as it covers all of your present and future goals. Yet, it’s one area people hesitate to hire an expert for help. There are a few reasons for this.

First, people feel that it may not be worth it to work with a financial advisor as there is a cost — such as the 1% fee of assets managed. Second, even without experience, many think they can manage their money themselves just fine. (Or, they ask friends or family for free advice). This second point is where people may not see the fault in this plan until the market declines, as it has this year, or they realize much too late that they didn’t consider the tax implications of this free advice. Lastly, they are nervous about being judged for their lack of knowledge or feel shame about the current state of their finances. This is especially true

for women — we are not great about asking for help! This is where emotional intelligence (EI) can help you.

EI is a psychological characteristic that describes how effectively an individual identifies, understands and regulates emotions and then uses them in problem solving and decision making. When looking to empower your financial future, finding a holistic financial advisor with high EI is key. They will take the time to ask the right questions and truly listen to your goals and vision for your future, and then help construct a plan to that future — with protection built in. An advisor with high EI is not like an old-school advisor who will make you feel like you’re going to the principal’s office each time you meet! They will be patient answering your questions and help you understand the value of how this plan empowers your big picture while keeping you motivated to implement it. You may even learn from your holistic financial advisor on how to increase your own EI, which empowers every area of your life. This kind of relationship will only get stronger over time as you will feel heard, valued and empowered on many levels.

The relationship I have with my clients is what makes my profession a blessing, as some clients have become friends over time. Holistic financial planning and EI together create a bond that allows me to be part of the success stories of my clients’ lives. I’ve followed them throughout their growth and careers, as they’ve followed me. You deserve that kind of experience, so if you’d like to meet with me and my team to learn how EI can empower you, we’re happy to help!

Contact Joanna Burish directly at 608-658-3482 or Joanna.burish@nm.com

Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company (NM) (life and disability Insurance, annuities, and life insurance with long-term care benefits) and its subsidiaries, including Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC (NMIS) (investment brokerage services), a registered investment adviser, broker dealer, and member of FINRA and SIPC and Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company® (NMWMC) (investment advisory and trust services), a federal savings bank. NM and its subsidiaries are in Milwaukee, WI. Joanna Burish is an Insurance Agent of NM and Registered Representative of NMIS. Advisor of NMWMC.

SHOP LOCAL

WORK FROM HOME

Modern and clean in its design, the Linea Desk features a generously sized wood top, a full-width keyboard/ storage drawer and intelligent wire management to keep things organized. Come check out the collection at our downtown or west side location!

RUBIN’S CONTEMPORARY FURNITURE

317 E. Wilson St., Madison 608.255.8998

670 S. Whitney Way, Madison 608.274.5575

rubinsfurniture.com

UPDATE YOUR FALL STYLE

Texture, color and details are the key to looking your best this fall. Check out all the colors in bottoms, sweaters and outerwear. We have them all waiting at McFee On Main! Stop in to say hi and have some fun shopping with us — we love our customers!

SHOP D É COR!

We are so excited to be your destination spot for all of your home accent desires! Stop in or follow us on Facebook (Décor Madison) to see what’s new!

DÉCOR FOR THE WELL-DRESSED HOME

3000 Cahill Main, Suite 215 Fitchburg, WI 53711

608.444.0571 decormadison.com

Come check out our new fall finds!

FALL IN LOVE

Fall favorites include our custom French Kande jewelry line made with pearls, French medallions, crystals and unique chains.

Another jewelry favorite is our fabulous Mariana sparklers made in Israel.

Women’s apparel, accessories, jewelry, shoes, gifts, men’s apparel and MORE! @ciaobellaboutiqueandmore

MCFEE ON MAIN

400 E. Main St. Mount Horeb, WI 53572

mcfeeonmain.com

CIAO BELLA BOUTIQUE AND MORE

305 E. Main St. Waunakee, WI 53597

608.849.2426

ciaobellaboutiqueandmore.com

MORE

SHOP LOCAL

STEP INTO FALL

Feel confident in comfort and style this fall! Find the latest looks in apparel and accessories that match your lifestyle.

Discover our home and garden shop right next door — what a great girls trip!

Take in all of your favorite things while enjoying exceptional customer service, top brands and small town charm.

GORGEOUS GARDEN GIFTS

Unique garden-themed items for the whole family. Open daily! Shop a completely refreshed look and feel, and browse a variety of brand-new products and items.

RAILROAD ST. BOUTIQUE

187th Ave.

New Glarus, WI 53574

608.636.2008 railroadstboutique.com

A LITTLE SELF LOVE IN EVERY BOTTLE

Do you struggle with weight gain, gas, bloating, constipation, foggy brain or frequent UTI’s and yeast infections? Purevee Organics Female Support Probiotics is your solution! Our probiotic contains 10 specific strains and is made right here in Wisconsin by women for women just like you.

Try our Female Support Probiotic today! Save 20% with coupon code BRAVA20.

PUREVEE ORGANICS pureveeorganics.com

OLBRICH BOTANICAL GARDENS

3330 Atwood Ave. Madison, WI 53704

608.246.4550 olbrich.org

THERE’S ALWAYS SOMETHING IN SEASON TO FIND AT BURNIE’S

Custom and ready-to-wear jewelry in silver and gold, home décor, crystals, fossils and minerals from around the world at two locations and online!

BURNIE’S ON PARK

636 S. Park St. | 608.630.9419

BURNIE’S ROCK SHOP

901 E. Johnson St. | 608.251.2601 burniesrockshop.com

A SMALL - TOWN STUNNER

BY SHAYNA MACE

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHANNA WOLF

Sunstreams in the windows of Donna Craig’s The Little Marketplace on a leisurely summer morning, while French bistro music plays in the background. The shop’s black and white aesthetic, coupled with Craig’s sophisticated finds, feels like a shop you might happen upon in a chic Chicago neighborhood, or a European city. And that was Craig’s intention when she dreamed up the concept for her Mount Horeb gift and garden boutique that opened in August 2021.

Having worked at retailers Marshall Field’s, Saks, Talbots and Neiman Marcus in the past, Craig wove in her years of experience to find just the right mix for The Little Marketplace, which includes tableware, graphic tees and totes (designed and produced by Craig herself), vintage tableware and glassware, and a smattering of garden goods.

Most of Craig’s prices are quite affordable (we saw a beautiful baking dish for only $14) to a bit more for vintage items. Craig scours estate sales for her vintage items — but many look brand-new.

“I look for classic pieces — pieces that you’ll have forever, or maybe you’ll pass down,” says Craig.

SHOP THE LOOK

Craig says Brooklyn’s Candle Studio’s candles in scents such as Neroli and Balsam are popular. $38

The Little Marketplace’s graphic tees and totes have cute sayings such as “hello” and “amour toujours.” $24 & $28

Made in Slovakia, Plint's galvanized watering can is pretty and durable. $95

Enjoy a cup of tea in Bordallo Pinheiro's Majolica cup and saucer pairing. $60 (set of four)

There are a number of antler hangings in the shop, all sourced from estate sales. $60-$65

This Stoneware Art green pitcher is one of Craig’s vintage finds. $62

IHealth Series THRIVE AFTER 55

f you could have a better understanding of your personal risk for breast cancer, would you want to learn more? Stoughton Health’s Breast Cancer Risk Assessment can help you understand your personal breast cancer risk and strategies to reduce your risk. The screening is a free service Stoughton Health offers to help women take charge of their health. The Breast Cancer Risk Assessment is recommended for all women over the age of 25.

Why is a Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Important?

“The average risk a woman born in the U.S. has of developing breast cancer in her lifetime is 12.9%, or one in eight women. However, some women can be at a much higher risk,” says Stoughton Health Board Certified General Surgeon Dr. Aaron Schwaab. Knowing your chance for breast cancer can help you make decisions about future screenings, medical/surgical options, genetic testing and lifestyle changes. The Breast Cancer Risk Assessment can assist with the following:

• Assess if you are high-risk, either because of family history, lifestyle, gene mutations or other factors. Screening recommendations for high-risk women are different than for average-risk women.

FINANCIAL

Looking Out for Your Health

Health Series

Stoughton Health explains the importance of assessing your risk of breast cancer.

Health Series

• Explain screening, and medical and surgical options to high-risk women, which can lower their lifetime risk of developing breast cancer.

• High-risk women may be motivated after this screening to choose lifestyle changes, which can lower risk of breast cancer.

Who is Considered “High Risk”?

Although family history is a factor for breast cancer risk, there are many other factors that women should know about. Dr. Schwaab also lists the following as higher risk factors:

• Women with BRCA or other gene mutations.

• Women who have received chest radiation between the ages of 10 and 30.

• Women with greater than 20% lifetime risk of breast cancer as calculated by risk assessment models.

Stoughton Health Breast Cancer Risk Assessment

When you schedule your free assessment at Stoughton Health, you will meet with our Breast Cancer

Risk Assessment Screener in person or on the phone. They will ask you questions about your medical and family history. Our medical screening tool will assess your breast cancer risk and you will receive the results during your assessment.

Stoughton Health High-Risk Counseling

If you are at high risk for breast cancer, you will be scheduled for a follow-up consultation with Dr. Schwaab. He will guide you through your options so you can take charge of your health. The discussion may include information on:

• Annual screening mammograms or breast MRIs

• Breast specialists

• Genetic counseling

• Medical therapy

• Lifestyle changes

Schedule Your Free Breast Cancer Risk Assessment

Please call the Stoughton Health Community Health & Wellness Center at 608-873-2332 to schedule your Breast Cancer Risk Assessment.

Moms are the heart and soul of many traditional Latinx households. The list of “typical” mom responsibilities is never-ending: Changing diaper after diaper, cooking meal after meal, cleaning mountains of dishes and laundry, attending to children’s tears and runny noses, shuttling loved ones to school and medical appointments, and celebrating the milestones of kids, spouses and members of the extended family are just a few examples. With this role comes exhaustion and expectations, but also reverence and love.

It can be hard to take a step back, even in the most thankless moments, for fear of disappointing others — especially relatives who’ve worked hard to maintain traditions. This is particularly true for Latina moms who work outside the home. According to Beatriz Aguilar, an Edgewood College music professor who also teaches intracultural communication and social justice courses at the college, it’s one reason many Latinas often struggle to achieve leadership positions throughout their careers.

“I looked at leadership statistics for Fortune 500 companies and found that the percentage of Latinas in executive or administrator positions is very low. Discrimination is one factor, but there are other barriers to consider as well,” she explains.

“We need to ask what’s driving young Latinas away from these positions within themselves and within the companies that aren’t recognizing what valuable leaders they could be.”

Of course, no amount of talent, ambition or hard work can change the fact that there are only 24 hours in a day. Even when leadership opportunities present themselves, the juggling act required to excel at these jobs can seem like an impossible feat. Sharing how grown-up Latina leaders juggle is crucial because it shows girls how they can do it too, Aguilar says.

This is one reason Aguilar launched the Institute for the Empowerment of Latina Women, a transformative five-week

GROWING A NEW GENERATION OF LATINA LEADERS

Edgewood College’s Beatriz Aguilar is preparing girls of color to run Madison — and the world.

BY JESSICA STEINHOFF PHOTOGRAPHY BY HILLARY SCHAVE

workshop series for Madison-area Latina teens. Aguilar expected about 10 girls to participate in the Institute’s first series, which took place on the Edgewood campus in the fall of 2021, in partnership with Madison College and UW-Madison. Instead, 40 girls showed up, and interest has grown from there.

Aguilar devotes the second half of each workshop to sharing local Latina professionals’ success stories, including those of Brenda González, UW-Madison’s director of community relations, and Ida Balderrama-Trudell, formerly the chief of staff to UW-Madison’s Dean of Students and now Overture Center’s director of equity and innovation.

González, the institute’s inaugural presenter, recalls how she pounced on this chance to connect with young women of color.

“Since the first time I talked to Beatriz about the idea of this program, my heart and mind felt at ease,” she says. “I knew she was bringing tools, knowledge, experiences, trust and love to the spaces she was creating for middle and high school students who identify as women, and I knew she could help these women know that they belong.”

SOFT SKILLS FOR HARD JOBS

In addition to showing how Latina leaders navigate a complicated landscape of cultural and professional expectations, including expectations related to family and gender roles, the institute helps young women challenge faulty narratives that have permeated American society and limited their opportunities.

Aguilar is particularly interested in how Latinas are perceived by both employers and American society at large. This interest stems, in part, from her own experience of launching a career in the United States after growing up in Mexico City. In the 25 years she has lived in the States — seven as a graduate student

at the University of North Texas and 18 as an Edgewood professor in Madison — she has noticed that Latina girls receive discouraging, bias-driven messages about their ability to achieve academically and professionally. This fuels her desire to help Latinas fight the assumptions they’re up against when applying for college, job promotions and other crucial opportunities.

“Soft skills are one set of tools that can be used to fight these assumptions, so several of the institute’s workshops have focused on body language and verbal communication,” she says. “These skills can help Latinas adapt to the [professional] environments they encounter and generate change, no matter what field they choose.”

“We need to ask what’s driving young Latinas away from these positions within themselves and within the companies that aren’t recognizing what valuable leaders they could be.”

Aguilar recognized just how valuable soft skills can be when a leadership coach helped her prepare for a job interview.

“The coach helped me focus on my body language, telling me, ‘If the interviewer sits this way, you can increase your chances of success by mirroring what they are doing,’” she says. “I realized that all minority women should have access to tools like this, and I’ve sought out people I know who can teach others how to use these tools to their advantage.”

Aguilar has built the institute almost entirely with social capital, inviting professionals she knows — and friends and colleagues they recommend — to present at institute workshops and recruit students for the program. In the process, the students witness how social networks can be leveraged for good, and how they can help an initiative with no funding survive and thrive.

This type of bridge-building is integral to the leadership role González holds at UW-Madison, so she’s thrilled to see Latina students learning it early in their careers.

“It’s an honor to be a part of work that’s having such an impact on local youth, both now and in the future,” she says.

Interested in Aguilar’s next workshop? Contact her directly for more information at baguilar@edgewood.edu.

Jessica Steinhoff is a Madison-area mom, writer and mental health professional.

COACHING YOUR CAREER

A career coach can take your work goals to the next level.

BY KATY MACEK

In the 1990s, Ann Imig was a struggling actor in Chicago. A random interaction introduced her to the idea of hiring a career coach, and she booked an appointment.

Almost 30 years later, her coach has helped guide her through four career transitions, including a pandemicrelated career change.

“She helped with exploration and clarity,” Imig says. “Those are things that coaching is so powerful for, no matter what you’re working on.”

Imig opened her own virtual practice, Listen Life Coaching, in 2021 and now hopes to build those relationships with her clients.

Career coaches offer encouragement and accountability, says Katie Drescher, a Madison-based career coach.

“Many times we have information and know what we need to do, but we have blind spots,” Drescher says. “Coaching helps people move beyond those and have greater awareness so they can clarify goals, better understand and leverage strengths, find greater meaning and purpose, and provide a framework for action steps and accountability … to celebrate success and learning when things don’t go as planned.”

WHAT DOES A CAREER COACH DO?

Mary Michaud worked with Drescher for six months at the end of 2020 into 2021, helping Michaud decide whether the full-time position she has now at UW-Madison was even worth applying for.

“It seems like a luxury, but it shouldn’t be, to have someone entirely focused and thinking really hard about you. — Mary Michaud

”

“You can spin that around in your head, but it bumps up against all the beliefs that, in coaching, they say no longer serve you,” Michaud says. “Katie offers a well-trained eye to pick out when those are popping up and can call you [out] on them — in a very kind way.”

Michaud says their sessions inspired insights beyond what

would come up in casual conversations with friends and family, partly because they are often influenced with that person’s experiences.

“It seems like a luxury, but it shouldn’t be, to have someone entirely focused and thinking really hard about you,” Michaud says.

Another advantage of working with a coach is access to evidence-based tools and resources, including assessments and guidance they can offer to help clients understand how to more deeply connect to purpose and meaning in work and life.

Sabrina Madison founded the Progress Center for Black Women in Madison for that very reason — to give Black women a resource to help them find success and joy in their work.

“Our vision [is] to create a Madison community where Black women proliferate as powerful CEOs, owners of local shops and leaders in their own right,” explains Madison.

The center holds conferences and workshops, but Madison says women often reach out to her for one-on-one sessions on career improvement strategies. This fall, Madison will offer monthly coaching sessions with herself and other professionals of color in the human resources field through Ambition, a nine-month accelerator program put on by the Progress Center for Black Women. The curriculum was developed with UW Extension Dane County. (Women don’t have to be in the Ambition program to sign up for coaching sessions).

WHEN TO HIRE A COACH

A coach can help you transition to a new role, find wellbeing in a current role or improve performance, Drescher says. People also come to her when they are looking to find more meaning in their work or make more of an impact.

For any woman, but Black women in particular, job stagnation or burnout can lead to mental and physical health issues. Madison says oftentimes, women don’t approach her for career advice until they’ve hit their limit.

“Most of the time, these women are at this exhaustion point,” she says. “It does weigh on your mental health … and other [health] issues you don’t even realize [that] are related to your job.”

WHAT DO COACHING SESSIONS LOOK LIKE?

Imig worked with her career coach on and off for more than 20 years, coming back to her whenever she found herself in a transitional period.

The timeline depends on the person and the initial need for coaching, but Drescher says that generally only a few months are needed to have a lasting impact.

She structures her services in three- or six-month packages, meeting twice a month.

“I’ve found that length of time is how long it takes for someone to get clear on what they want and then dig in on examining values, barriers, strengths and networks,” she says. “And then taking action and getting ongoing support for maintaining the progress they’ve made.”

Costs vary depending on the coach and number of sessions.

Drescher charges $3,000 for a six-month package, or 12 sessions.

Imig offers pay-as-you-go, 30-minute “Laser Sessions” for $100 per session with email support between sessions. (She notes the first session with her is free.) She also offers packaged sessions ranging from $600 to $1,600 for four, eight or 12 sessions.

HOW TO SELECT A COACH

Most coaches offer a free 30-minute consultation or “discovery call,” and Imig says to take advantage of those. It

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may take several appointments with different coaches to find the best fit.

“This is going to get vulnerable, and you’re probably going to want to walk away at some points,” she says. “You want someone you can trust and who is going to be energetic and positive.”

She also suggests doing research. Review the coach’s website and read reviews. While certification is not required, Imig says many coaches have some training. She has her masters in social work from the University of Chicago and is also a certified positive psychology coach and a mental fitness coach as well.

Drescher, who not only has a JD from Washington University School of Law and a BA from Lawrence University in conscious business and positive psychology, also has a certificate in professional coaching from UW-Madison, which offers an International Coaching Federation (ICF)-accredited program. She’s also a member of ICF.

The choice comes down to personal preference, which Madison says can be even more important for Black women and women of color.

“I can go to any number of white women in my network, but [they] cannot tell me how to approach my situation as a Black woman,” she says. “You want somebody who has walked in your shoes and has shared experiences.”

Katy Macek is a journalist passionate about women, business and art.

Spotlight On: Natalie Gerloff of Hawks Quindel

BY SUE SVEUM

As a family law attorney at Hawks Quindel, Natalie Gerloff represents clients on a variety of legal concerns — including divorce, prenuptial agreements, custody disputes and property divisions. She says family law was a natural choice because of her passion for helping people.

“I like that in family law, we’re helping people during one of the most challenging and stressful times of their lives,” she explains. “When they really need support, we can guide them.” Her interest in the law began back in middle school, when she and a friend volunteered to join the local Teen Court program. As an alternative to monetary penalties for troubled youths, the court, composed of peers in the roles of prosecutor, defense attorney and jury, assigned “sentences” such as a written apology, exact reimbursement of a stolen or vandalized item or community service. And Gerloff loved it.

“ I like that in family law, we’re helping people during one of the most challenging and stressful times of their lives. When they really need support, we can guide them. ”

Her passion for law and helping others took off from there. As an undergrad at UW-Whitewater, and again while in law school at UW-Madison, Gerloff explored various aspects of family law through internships, volunteer programs and clerkships. These experiences set her up for working within all types of situations — including major life events, such as a divorce proceeding.

Gerloff says during a divorce proceeding, some women feel more comfortable working with a female attorney, who may better understand and can support them — especially in cases involving the custody of minor children or domestic violence.

“It’s only natural to be stressed and concerned for your family during a divorce,” says Gerloff. “And that’s why we’re here to help [clients] be levelheaded when they may struggle to look beyond the immediate circumstances.”

She gives the example of someone who’s anxious to have divorce proceedings over with — and may agree to something just to be done with it. “As an attorney, one of the most rewarding parts is helping to set my client and their family up for success in the next part of their lives,” explains Gerloff, adding that she and family law colleague Naomi Swain often work together as a team, running ideas past each other to determine the best course of action for a client.

“One of the things women most want to know is whether they can get sole custody and placement of the children,” says Gerloff, adding that circumstances may differ, but generally, if the spouse is fit and wants some custody and placement, they are most likely to get it. Why?

“The courts like to do what’s in the best interest of the children,” she explains, “although there are some exceptions for domestic violence, the presumption is that it is in the children’s best interest to maximize time and maintain a relationship with both parents.”

Gerloff says many women don’t realize they have several options when it comes to divorce. These include:

• A one-time consultation to explain the process and advise clients of the next steps.

• Full representation from beginning to end.

• Or, clients can choose a limited-scope representation, where attorneys might handle more complicated aspects, such as completing the financial statement or a review of property division.

“The most common choices are the onetime flat fee consultation or full representation,” she says. “But the flexibility is nice since not everyone has the funds to pay for the whole process.”

Gerloff says women should know going in that divorce is going to be a difficult process. “Even if the divorce itself is for the best, it’s natural to feel stressed and concerned for the future,” she says. “And that’s OK. We’re here to help.”

NATALIE GERLOFF

Email: ngerloff@hq-law.com Phone: 608-512-1821

Spotlight On: Naomi Swain of Hawks Quindel

BY SUE SVEUM

Attorney Naomi Swain has always sought to help people — it’s been a guiding principle throughout her career.

Now, as a family law attorney at Hawks Quindel, she puts that passion to work on a daily basis, helping clients navigate divorce and other aspects of family law.

“I really like that I’m able to help clients achieve a sense of control and autonomy,” she adds. “But at the same time, help them understand what can’t be changed within the constraints of the system.”

During her undergrad and law school education at UW-Madison, Swain gained experience in a variety of areas. After volunteering at the RCC Sexual Violence Resource Center (formerly known as the Rape Crisis Center, or RCC) in Madison, it affirmed her desire to either help people sort through the psychological effects of a traumatic situation — or through the law. And the law won out.

While in law school, Swain also worked at the Family Court Clinic and clerked for Hawks Quindel. Her fluent Spanish also enabled her to help asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border understand their rights and prepare for asylum interviews.

With these varied experiences, Swain is adept at working with clients and meeting them where they are at, especially during stressful life events, such as a divorce.

“I try to make clients feel comfortable from the beginning by discussing their goals,” Swain explains. “This can be a time of worry and concern — a time of uncertainty. So it helps to validate their experience and then explain what remedies are possible and what aren’t.”

When a woman initiates a divorce, she may feel like she’s taking control of her life — and it’s upsetting to find out that judges can make decisions related to custody or child support. “It can be traumatizing,” says Swain. “That’s why I always encourage [clients] to be involved in therapy during this process, as well.”

Once someone decides they’re ready to move forward with divorce proceedings, the first thing they often want to know is the timeline.

“Many don’t realize there’s a mandatory 120-day waiting period from initializing the divorce until it’s finalized,” Swain explains. “That can be frustrating when, understandably, they want the divorce to move forward right away. No one likes being in limbo.”

“ I really like that I’m able to help clients achieve a sense of control and autonomy. But at the same time, help them understand what can’t be changed within the constraints of the system. ”

Of course, every divorce is different, with a lot of little details and moving parts. But here’s a look at some of the steps typical to a divorce timeline:

• Meet with attorney for consultation.

• File the petition with basic information to initiate the process.

• The other party is served.

• Submit necessary financial documents.

• If agreement is reached on property division and child custody and placement, a stipulated divorce hearing is scheduled, and the divorce is granted.

• If couples can’t reach full agreement, mediation is often used to determine property division and child custody.

• And when parties disagree on placement of minor children, a guardian ad litem is often assigned to advocate for the best interests of the children and make a recommendation regarding custody.

“We understand that divorce is a lifealtering, incredibly stressful event,” says Swain. “I am there with my clients at every step to make sure their children and their financial interests are protected. I often remind my clients that the court generally wants to achieve a fair result for both parties.”

She adds that usually — hopefully — if you’re willing to compromise a little, then so will the other side.

“I work to allow my clients to move forward successfully,” she says.

NAOMI SWAIN

Email: nswain@hq-law.com Phone: 608-308-8238

MONEY SMARTS FOR FAMILIES

How parents can help their kids develop financial literacy.

BY JESSICA STEINHOFF

Much like learning to read, cultivating financial literacy takes focus, practice and patience. This type of literacy is crucial for building healthy financial habits and making wise decisions about when and how to save, spend and invest.

For many families, a lack of confidence is the biggest barrier to teaching this skill set. Parents often feel apprehensive if they’ve struggled with credit card debt, budgeting or other aspects of money management.

According to Kristen Ruhl, program director for SecureFutures, a Wisconsin-based nonprofit providing financial education and mentoring for teens, these struggles produce some of the most valuable lessons kids can learn about financial decisions.

“Be vulnerable about your own journey with money,” she says. “Think back on what your mistakes have taught you and pass that knowledge on.”

This includes sharing which decisions didn’t lead to the desired outcome, why this happened and what you wish you had done differently. Another crucial task involves modeling how to put financial concepts into action.

MODELING HEALTHY FINANCIAL BEHAVIORS

Kristen Holt, president and CEO of the nonprofit GreenPath Financial Wellness, will never forget her parents’ financial mantra: “When you earn money, you save half.”

This concept — routing a percentage of each paycheck directly to your savings account or piggy bank — is something financial educators call “paying yourself first.” In addition to modeling it, Holt’s parents helped her find kid-size opportunities to practice it.

“From the moment I had my first job walking dogs in the neighborhood, I had to save half of everything I earned,” she explained in a recent panel discussion.

Holt uses this strategy with her own daughters, emphasizing its benefits while recognizing its potential pitfalls. If those potential pitfalls turn into actual problems, Holt models how to problem-solve.

For instance, Holt noticed that her kids were starting to view their bank accounts as “where birthday money goes to die.” On the rare occasion they’d receive a $20 bill rather than a bank deposit, they’d hoard it.

Exploring other types of bank accounts has been part of the solution. Holt’s older daughter opened a checking account that comes with an ATM card. When the funds are a little more accessible, the money feels more real and she feels more financially independent. And if she makes mistakes with this money, her parents are there to help her course-correct.

LEARNING FROM MISTAKES TOGETHER

SecureFutures’ Ruhl says letting children make money mistakes when they’re young is wise because the stakes tend to be low.

“ ” Learning is a process, and mistakes are effective ways to learn a lesson.

— Kristen Ruhl

“Learning is a process, and mistakes are effective ways to learn a lesson,” she says. “It’s important that teens know that it’s okay to make a money mistake and that it happens to everyone, even the most financially successful people.”

Deciding which parts of your own financial upbringing

you’d like to replicate and which you’d like to approach differently is also key.

GreenPath’s Holt realized that her parents’ approach to financial education didn’t teach her enough about the value of money.

“My parents were very focused on saving, but they didn’t really help me understand how much things cost,” she says. “For example, I never knew how much our house was worth or what the mortgage payments were.”

Holt strives to give her daughters a clearer picture of the family’s finances to illustrate that housing is one of many expenses a family must contend with each month and that planning for these expenses is an important facet of financial health.

BEING TRANSPARENT ABOUT FAMILY FINANCES

Holt is one of many experts who recommend that parents let their kids glimpse the household budget and the decision-making involved in paying the bills and saving for major expenses. Deciding how transparent to be is tricky, though, and it’s normal to want to shield your children from the stress of providing for their needs.

Exploring resources together is another way families can bond over financial literacy topics. SecureFutures offers free Money Sense on Demand modules (financialfitness.centerclassroomsecurefutures) that help students and families develop money smarts, while GreenPath produces a “Real Stories” podcast that shares how real people — including kids and their families — build healthy financial habits.

No matter where your family starts its financial literacy adventure, leveraging your kids’ interests and motivations can go a long way.

“Follow their lead and it will feel less like a lecture and more like a journey,” Ruhl says.

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SUPER - CHARGE YOUR LUNCH

How to keep your energy up and choose healthy options.

BY EMMY BAWDEN

Research shows you’re more likely to have low energy and concentration levels without a nutritionally-complete lunch. This not only translates into lower productivity and performance at work, but it can also lead to less effective workouts and overwhelming hunger at the end of the day! Here are some tips for eating to energize your day.

HOW CAN I MAINTAIN ENERGY THROUGHOUT THE DAY?

Our blood sugar levels can plunge when we don’t eat enough, which researchers believe affects your attention span and impulsivity, and lowers your ability to handle stress and emotions. To combat this, plan for a meal or snack every three to five hours. This is about the amount of energy our liver stores for us that we can use to maintain blood sugar levels, so waiting longer to eat increases the likelihood of intense hunger, mood swings, cravings, brain fog and that dreaded midday slump.

Hydration is also important, as increased water intake is associated with less daytime sleepiness, fewer naps and less non-restorative sleep. A good rule of thumb is drinking half of your body weight in ounces of water daily.

HOW DO I BUILD AN ENERGY - SUSTAINING MEAL?

Combining these four elements in your meals and snacks is key because together they slow digestion, leading to feeling fuller longer and a more even blood sugar response. This translates to more energy and focus, a better mood and less cravings.

1. Lean protein: Eating protein stimulates our fullness hormones and decreases our hunger hormone. Choose things like chicken, fatty fish like salmon, hard boiled eggs, beans, tofu and yogurt.

2. Complex carbohydrates: These provide more fiber, which is key for slow digestion and more energy. Carbs are also required for serotonin production — and we all know a good mood helps with energy! Choose whole grains like farro, beans, fruit and starchy veggies.

3. Fats: By slowing digestion, it helps to keep you from eating past your point of comfortable fullness. It also helps your body absorb fat-soluble nutrients like vitamin D. Add avocado, nuts, seeds, fish and olive oil for great fat sources.

4. Satisfaction factor: Our satiety (and therefore energy) is determined in part by how much we actually enjoy our food. Try different spices, textures, colors and flavors to make your food more enjoyable.

WHAT TYPES OF FOOD WILL ZAP MY ENERGY?

Looking only at calories? This is a sure-fire way to possibly feel a midday crash and make you more likely to skip working out or cook a healthy meal at home. Calories equal energy, so if you’re constantly tired during the day, you might not actually be eating enough food to meet your body’s needs. It’s helpful to think about what you can add to your meal or snack instead of limit.

On that note, we love carbs for energy, but you can get even more out of carbs by pairing them with a source of protein, fiber and/or fat. An apple is going to be much more satisfying when paired with peanut butter versus eaten alone, and crackers with hummus will have a much lower blood sugar spike than crackers alone. If you have a sweet tooth, try pairing that sweet snack with your lunch or as part of your afternoon snack. This will lead to a better blood sugar response and less postdinner snacking because you honored your cravings in an intentional way.

MIDDAY SLUMP - BUSTING LUNCHES

Tuna Salad Snack Box: Load your tuna salad with extra diced celery, onions and bell pepper, and pair with fresh greens, sliced cucumber, grainy crackers and seasonal fruit.

Greek Chicken Power Bowls: Pair lemon herb grilled chicken with cucumbers, red onions, olives, cherry tomatoes, marinated artichokes and a hearty grain like wheat berries. Top with a lemony vinaigrette, fresh herbs and a big dollop of hummus or tzatziki.

Bean-Based Pasta Salad: The pasta has your protein covered, so just add your favorite roasted veggies (I love asparagus, tomatoes and zucchini), slivered almonds, pesto, cheese (if desired) and fresh arugula, herbs and lemon. This tastes wonderful served cold and is a perfect take-to-work lunch.

Emmy Bawden, MS, RDN, CD and LDN, is a registered dietitian nutritionist and owner of the Madison-based nutrition therapy practice Real Good Nutrition.

DENA FRISCH

YOUR VAGINA, 101

Your most pressing questions are answered.

BY EMILY MCCLUHAN

Women deal with contraception, childbirth, hormonal changes and aging. Our health is incredibly dynamic throughout our life span, especially when it comes to our reproductive health and what’s normal “down there.”

So, we turned to Amanda Van Elzen, BS, BSN, RN and nurse educator at Associated Physicians, and Dr. Theresa Piquette, MD, OB/GYN at Physicians for Women – Melius & Schurr, to find out what the most commonly-asked questions are from their patients about vaginal health.

Is vaginal discharge normal?

Piquette says vaginal discharge means your vagina is doing what it’s supposed to do, in most cases.

“In fact, it is usually a good sign of the hormonal fluctuations of your menstrual cycle. Vaginal discharge is a mix of mucus produced by the cervix, shedding of cells from the vaginal skin, the lubrication produced by the glands located just at the opening of the vagina and the good bacteria (called a microbiome) that help prevent infection.”

She explains that at the beginning of your menstrual cycle, estrogen dominates and makes a scant and sticky discharge. Around and after ovulation, when progesterone dominates, discharge becomes more prolific in a stretchy “egg white” texture. This discharge is crucial to facilitate sperm mobility and ability to fertilize an egg.

“Of course, if you have a concern about a change in your vaginal discharge, or [there is an] odor, irritation, pain or rash, schedule an appointment with your provider,” says Piquette.

What vaginal changes will I experience while I’m pregnant?

According to Van Elzen, common vaginal side effects during pregnancy are increased sensation, discharge and

swelling, as well as the potential to develop vulvar varicose veins due to increased blood flow to the pelvic region during pregnancy.

“Another potential vaginal change during pregnancy is an increase in common infections such as yeast infections and bacterial vaginosis,” says Van Elzen. “These infections are common because of the increase in progesterone and estrogen, as well as the change in the good bacteria during pregnancy, which can usually be easily diagnosed by your doctor and easily treated.”

I know kegels help strengthen my pelvic floor, but why is it so important that my pelvic floor is strong?

“The pelvic floor is a super-powerful zone of the body that is crucial to daily functioning but often doesn’t get the credit it deserves,” says Piquette.

She explains that the pelvic floor is a group of muscles that supports the entire weight of the abdominal organs, not just the uterus and ovaries. When it works well, it allows you to control when you empty your bladder and bowels, and allows the passage of a baby with a vaginal birth.

But many things can affect its functioning, such as childbirth, chronic constipation, poor posture, and frequent straining or heavy lifting.

“This leads to troubles like leaking of urine when you laugh or sneeze, pain with intercourse or even chronic pelvic pain,” says Piquette. “Even though these things may be common among women, they do not have to be a normal part of everyday life and should be assessed by your provider.”

I hear that vaginal dryness is a common side effect of menopause. What are treatments to look for and to avoid?

“Vaginal dryness occurs typically because of a loss of estrogen in the vagina, which may cause the lining to become thin and dry. With this thinning [and dryness], you may be prone to pain during intercourse and infections,” says Van Elzen.

Cont. on P.30

WOME N’S Health

FINANCIAL

Avoiding Back-to-School Burnout

Elizabeth Sayles, LCSW, psychotherapist and clinic coordinator at UnityPoint Health – Meriter, lends some insight.

It’s that time of year again — kiddos are leaving behind the carefree summer lifestyle and heading back into the classroom. This transition from summer fun back to the busy schedules of homework, fall sports and after-school activities can be a stressful time and hard to navigate for kids of all ages. Elizabeth Sayles, LCSW, a psychotherapist and clinic coordinator at UnityPoint Health – Meriter’s Child and Adolescent Psychiatry facility, shares some tips on helping kids transition back to school and how to prevent burnout throughout the school year.

Some tips for transitioning back to school:

• Gradually return to school bedtimes for children in the one to two weeks prior to school starting. This may involve actively waking them up at the time they need to get up for school to start. Practice good sleep hygiene routines and stay off screens at least one hour before bed.

• Children may feel anxious returning to school. Check in with them periodically in the weeks

leading up to and after school starts. A great time to talk with your child is in the car or during times where they don’t feel like they’re being grilled (i.e., no direct eye contact). Going for a walk or spending time playing with the family pet are great times for children to open up more about their fears or worries regarding returning to school.

• For some children, visual reminders are very helpful. If you are able, obtaining a copy of their school schedule and setting up a visual calendar in a central part of your home may help to familiarize them with the upcoming changes. This should include morning and after school routines.

Tips for preventing burnout:

• Be aware of your child’s stress points. For some children, being over-scheduled is stressful. If possible, make sure your child has times throughout the week and weekend to be at home with a caregiver. Children need time to recover and recharge.

• Help your child spend time outside each day. Children are increasingly losing unstructured free time in nature, and many studies verify the negative impact on pediatric mental health when children cannot regularly access the outdoors. Find a time to go to a local park, go on a walk or simply sit outside for a period of time each day, if possible. This can go a long way in decreasing symptoms of burnout.

• Limiting screen time and spending time together as a family unit is important. This can be done at mealtimes or other times when you are home together. Parents often say their children (especially teenagers) don’t want to spend time with them — this is generally untrue. Having a trusted adult give undivided attention to a child is a powerful antidote to burnout for kids of all ages.

Learn more about Child and Adolescent Psychiatry services at unitypoint.org/madison/child-andadolescent-psychiatry.aspx .

Vaginal estrogen in the form of a cream you can apply is the treatment of highest efficacy because it supplies the deficient hormone. (Van Elzen notes there are also pills and transdermal patches that can treat holistic menopause symptoms beyond vaginal dryness, such as hot flashes and night sweats.)

“When used as a vaginal cream, it is not absorbed into the body’s bloodstream, which makes it a safe treatment in most any patient, even many of those with contraindications to systemic or oral estrogen,” says Piquette.

She lists other treatments that can help with dryness of the vulva, which can also be an issue, including topical moisturizers that have vitamin E or hyaluronic acid. Her favorite over-the-counter remedy for vulvar moisturization is petroleum jelly, because it’s inert, it’s cheap and it provides an excellent moisture barrier.

Van Elzen warns against using homemade creams and lubricants in general.

“Never put anything in your vagina which was not previously discussed with your provider. I have heard of using coconut oil, aloe vera, essential oils — even olive oil. These common kitchen items can interfere with good vaginal bacteria, break down latex condoms and be more likely to expose you to sexually-transmitted infections, vaginal infections and even pregnancy,” she says.

What signs or symptoms will I experience if I have an STI?

“Sometimes, people can feel embarrassed by the possibility of an STI, but it is very pertinent to seek treatment to prevent long-term damage … to you or your partner,” says Van Elzen.

Some of the symptoms she says to look for include changes in vaginal discharge color and odor, visible changes to your labia or vagina, as well as pain with urination. Other symptoms may include unusual vaginal bleeding, warts or blisters, an itchy vagina or anus, a rash or pain during intercourse.

Since there is such a wide variety of changes that can occur with an STI, Van Elzen reiterates it is crucial to discuss these symptoms with your medical team for diagnosis and treatment.

Should I get the HPV vaccination, even if I am over 20?

That’s a resounding “yes” from Van Elzen.

“Research has shown that the HPV vaccination can be effective in preventing cancer-causing infections in thousands of people every year and can potentially be given as late as 45 years old, and as early as nine years old in females and males.”

She recommends talking with your doctor about the benefits of the vaccination.

Emily McCluhan is a Madison-based freelance writer.

Early Action is Key in Treating Breast Cancer

BY SUE SVEUM

We hear a lot about early detection — and there’s no doubt that it plays a very important role in identifying and treating the early stages of breast cancer. But what some women may not realize, is that anyone — even young women or those with no family history — can get breast cancer.

That’s why it’s so important to know your own body – and contact your provider immediately if you notice anything that seems unusual. We asked a few SSM Health providers and two of their cancer patients to share their stories – and a little advice – with us. The good news? The sooner you act, the better your chances of a positive outcome.

SCAN THIS CODE to schedule a screening today

Living With Breast Cancer

According to Dr. Dana Henkel, screening is still the best way to detect cancer early — many times long before any other signs or symptoms like a lump would appear. “But some women worry about pain, feel they’re too busy or fear finding something they don’t want to deal with,” explains Henkel. “If they have no family history, they may simply think ‘it’ll never happen to me.’”

Maggie Huff, an SSM Health mammographer, agrees, adding, “An abnormal result after your screening mammogram doesn’t necessarily mean you have breast cancer.” The radiologist may want additional images or an ultrasound, but usually these additional images will show normal breast tissue.

“Getting a yearly mammogram isn’t going to prevent breast cancer,” Huff adds, “but will help detect it at the

My Breast Cancer Story

BY SUE SVEUM

I’m no stranger to the importance of breast cancer detection after working for the American Cancer Society and writing about it for SSM Health. With no family history of cancer and a couple decades’ worth of mammograms under my belt, I never expected to experience it myself — but I did.

Pay attention to your body’s signs that something might not be right ... seeing your physician is key to sorting through those signs and correctly diagnosing the problem. “ ”

— Dr. Dana Henkel

earliest stages — giving you more treatment options with a better success rate. It can literally save your life.”

And for those worried about pain, she points out how many uncomfortable things women choose to do regularly, including waxing, plastic surgeries, dental procedures — and even working out.

But what about those younger women who haven’t reached the recommended age for screenings yet?

Amanda was young and healthy and just 28 years old when she noticed discharge from her right nipple. “I knew something wasn’t right,” she says, “so I called my primary care doctor right away.” A blood test came back normal, but a couple ultrasounds and a biopsy revealed a quarter-sized tumor — and the diagnosis of triple negative breast cancer.

“Triple negative is an aggressive cancer that tends to grow and spread quickly,” explains Henkel.

I’d headed to my annual mammogram with the nonchalance of going to the hair salon. Even after I was called back for a magnified image, I wasn’t concerned. A couple suspicious spots led to a biopsy, but hey, the brochure said 80% of women who get a biopsy don’t have cancer. But when the nurse navigator called while I was driving and gently asked if she should call back, it suddenly became real — I had cancer.

Breast cancer survivor Amanda chats with her doctor, Dr. Dana Henkel, on her wedding day.

“Unfortunately, there aren’t good options for ‘targeted’ treatments, so oncologists use chemotherapy to try to eradicate the cancer.”

And that’s exactly what happened in Amanda’s case. “From there, things moved pretty quickly,” explains Amanda, whose treatment started out with six months of chemo followed by a double mastectomy. “The good news is that the chemo completely eradicated my cancer,” she says.

Getting

Your Body, Your Health

Although women with breast cancer may have a lot in common — and can certainly find comfort in the support they get and give to one another — each breast cancer is a little different.

a yearly mammogram isn’t going to prevent breast cancer, but will help detect it at the earliest stages

— giving you more treatment options with a better success rate. It can literally save your life. “ ”

— Maggie Huff

“But I decided to go ahead with a double mastectomy anyway, as a precaution — and to keep everything looking more even.” She had reconstruction surgery a couple months later.

“The collaboration between the entire team at SSM Health was great,” stresses Amanda. “Everyone had my best interests at heart and was on the same page throughout the whole process.”

Dr. Henkel also referred her to a fertility specialist. “I was so focused on the diagnosis, that having children someday was something I’d never thought about,” says Amanda. “Although it was a tight window to get it done quickly before starting chemo, I was able to save 25 eggs, although I didn’t end up needing them.”

Like many other women during the pandemic, Mary’s annual mammogram got pushed to the back burner, so it was a relief when it came back normal. But four months later, she noticed blood around her nipple at night and realized something was wrong. “It wasn’t just a drop,” she says. “It filled an entire Kleenex.” Like Amanda, she immediately turned to her primary care provider, who assured her that doesn’t always mean cancer. But in her case, it did.

Starting with the diagnostic stage, Mary met with Cindy Vickerman, a nurse navigator. “She set up my procedures, called me with the results — and suggested

I was diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). Fortunately, DCIS is an early-stage cancer still contained in the milk ducts and not invasive. I was immediately assigned a nurse navigator (Cindy Vickerman), a surgeon, (Dr. Dana Henkel), an oncologist and radiation oncologist — all of whom were knowledgeable, professional and caring (a quality I can’t stress enough!). Since cancer was still detected after an initial lumpectomy, I had a mastectomy, which came back clear — meaning I wouldn’t need chemo or radiation.

A breast cancer diagnosis isn’t something anyone wants to hear. But in my case, there was no lump — and I wouldn’t have found it on my own. I will be forever grateful for routine mammograms and early detection.

If you haven’t already, please see your provider for an annual physical — and if recommended, schedule your mammogram today!

Breast cancer survivor Mary with her radiation oncologist, Dr. Michelle Mackay.

that I not read the results when they first pop up on MyChart,” Mary laughed.

“My role as a nurse navigator is to focus on education and reassurance through the biopsy process,” explains Vickerman. “But I always let patients know they should keep my contact information handy — and can always call me for support or questions along the way.”

No woman’s journey looks exactly the same [as another], but it’s important to be active in the shared decisionmaking with your physicians. “ ”

— Cindy Vickerman

Vickerman says she believes knowledge is power when it comes to beginning a journey through breast cancer. “It’s so important to ask questions and have all of the information you need to make sound decisions about your own health and treatment,” she stresses. “No woman’s journey looks exactly the same [as another], but it’s important to be active in the shared decision-making with your physicians.”

For Mary, another mammogram, an ultrasound, an MRI and biopsy revealed that she had ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) as well as multiple larger tumors. Due to the size and extent of her cancer, she underwent a mastectomy, followed by chemo and then radiation.

For patients like Mary, postmastectomy radiation therapy directed to the chest wall and lymph nodes is often used to decrease the risk of a recurrence — and to improve overall survival, according to Dr. Michelle Mackay, Mary’s radiation oncologist. “Our multidisciplinary team of doctors and other medical professionals work together to design the optimal treatment plan for each individual patient.”

“Radiation recommendations are based on the diagnosis and stage,” she explains. “But the patient always has a choice in their treatment plan — and ultimately, they decide how they wish to proceed.”

Mary welcomed the team collaboration. “Once I knew we had a plan in place, I felt better knowing we could move forward,” she says. “Everyone did a great job — and kept me in the loop so I felt comfortable.”

She describes radiation as a strange experience that you can’t feel or smell, but you notice over time. Of chemotherapy, she confides it’s pretty disturbing to see your hair fall out. Her solution? Have her stylist shave it off. “As upsetting as losing your hair is, after a while you get used to it,” she says. “It’s just hair. But I’m still here.”

Mary adds that looking too far ahead can be overwhelming. “I’d tell other women, just take one step at a time.”

Mackay stresses that while she advocates mammography as the gold standard for early detection, it’s also important to know your body and seek further evaluation if something changes. “Mary’s mammogram was normal,” she says, “but fortunately when she noticed a change in her breast, she got it checked out.”

Henkel agrees. “Pay attention to your body’s signs that something might not be right,” she stresses. “Recognizing something different about your breasts — whether it’s a lump or nipple discharge — and seeing your physician, is key to sorting through those signs and correctly diagnosing the problem.”

“My diagnosis was very scary,” recalls Amanda, whose grandmother died of breast cancer at a young age. “And we had recently lost my father to brain cancer. So, it was extra scary — because I decided I was going to have to be the first person in the family to beat this.”

It was a rough year, but there is a happy ending for Amanda, who met her husband while she was undergoing treatment. “We started dating when I had no hair,” she laughs. “He’s amazing.” Three years later she’s cancer-free, happily married, and pregnant with the couple’s first child. All thanks to seeing her doctor when something didn’t seem right.

DR. MICHELLE MACKAY

IT’S A MOD, MOD WORLD

Wondering how to bring midcentury style into your space? Read on for helpful tips from experts in the know.

BY SHELBY DEERING

Oftentimes, styles come and go, but there’s one design approach that hasn’t budged since it first emerged in the 1940s. Midcentury modern style continues to permeate current homes, with roots that lie in the culmination of World War II. And, it’s particularly popular right now.

“Just as the name suggests, midcentury modern is a design genre that emerged in the middle of the 20th century,” says Tobin Morrison, an interior designer at The Century House in Madison. He says that this style was “very much a product of its time,” since the war forced the U.S. to be extremely

thoughtful and intentional about how it made things, “being careful not to gobble up precious materials that might be needed for the war effort.”

“We saw different materials and technologies emerge, like molded plywood and fiberglass,” he says.

Additionally, European designers came to the United States, bringing their midcentury design ideas with them, as Deb Corning, owner, designer and general contractor of Madison’s DC Interiors & Renovations, points out.

Midcentury modern design exploded in popularity in the 1950s and 60s, drawing upon this new age of modernism. With its clean lines, head-turning hues, wood touches and trademark lighting (such as the eye-catching Sputnik chandelier with a look inspired by the 1957 Russian satellite), midcentury modern continues to stick around today, and you can find out how to bring it into your home.

STAYING POWER

While it certainly looks modern by today’s standards, midcentury modern is an enduring style that continues to be timeless and classic.

“Midcentury modern is a classic style because it’s such an understated and easy to pair look,” says Noel Fahden, vice president of merchandising at Chairish, an online vintage marketplace. “The clean lines and minimal details make it easy to incorporate in a variety of styles and spaces.”

As Carly Moeller, registered interior designer and owner of the Chicagobased firm Unpatterned, says, “Function never goes out of style. Whether it’s a sleek, easy-to-clean countertop or a wood furniture piece that doubles as a record cabinet, mid-mod style resonates with today’s appreciation for function and efficiency.”

With more and more people looking for ease in their interiors, especially since the start of the pandemic, it makes sense that midcentury modern just might be more popular than ever. And it doesn’t have to be done in a literal way.

“Though we can’t discount the lasting power of ‘Mad Men,’ I also think there are updated ways to incorporate midcentury features that don’t look like a page from a 50’s magazine, but still nod to the style,” Moeller says.

HALLMARKS OF THE STYLE

We asked these midcentury experts to share the top hallmarks of this style that you can bring into your home.

NOEL FAHDEN, CHAIRISH

• Futuristic shapes, like Arne Jacobsen’s iconic Egg Chair

• Aerodynamic details, like chiseled pencil legs and sculpted brass pulls

• Brightly-colored upholstery in durable wovens and wools to balance wood furniture pieces

• Anything in plywood, glass, metal, plastic or vinyl, carrying a minimalistic look and a clean silhouette

CARLY MOELLER, UNPATTERNED

• Functional pieces

• An efficient layout or floor plan (think: a kitchen with workstations and practical, yet modern, lighting)

• Natural materials in medium-tone wood finishes

TOBIN MORRISON, THE CENTURY HOUSE

• Simplicity

• Large patterns and shapes

• Bold textures

DEB CORNING, DC INTERIORS

• Soft, organic curves

• Geometric shapes

• Wood beams

• Large windows

• Stone fireplaces

WHERE TO SHOP

These area shops offer midcentury modern décor:

• The Century House

• Retro-Revolution

• Iconi Interiors

• Rewind Decor

• Rubin’s Furniture

Shelby Deering is a freelance lifestyle writer living in Madison.

Retro Hues

“Color is a major component of midcentury modern style,” says Tobin Morrison. “Designs in the 1940s and 50s incorporated colors in ways that weren't seen before, either as a splashy accent or as a way to make a piece of furniture more distinctive.”

While you can certainly incorporate midcentury modern’s mainstay hues through furniture and decor, like cobalt, tangerine, olive green and goldenrod, as Fahden shares, to go really all-out, opt for a midcentury-inspired paint color. While these colors may sound brazen, Deb Corning says that they tend to generally be muted. And don’t worry about copying authentic midcentury interiors exactly.

“When it comes to current design, I think there’s a fine line between drawing on the past and emulating a rigid style,” Moeller says.

The experts particularly love these colors for midcentury interiors.

Benjamin Moore, Carolina Gull: A green that nods to the past yet looks decidedly current; this hue looks pleasing when paired with walnut furniture.

Farrow & Ball, Bancha: A stunning olive green, this color is bold, yet versatile, when used in a midcentury space with neutrals.

Benjamin Moore, Polished Slate: While turquoise is often used in mid-mod designs, this teal takes it down a notch while still having a throwback feel. Pair it with leather furnishings.

Connection, Love, Intimacy and Sex for Midlife Women

As a midlife woman, Christie Bemis is familiar with the unique challenges women in this age range face. It’s a time of major pivots, transformations and a refocusing of priorities. Midlife women may deal with job shifts, helping aging parents and adult children, and trying to find time for their own passions and purpose in life. This is where Bemis comes in. As an author, psychotherapist with 20-plus years of experience and sex educator and relationship coach, Christie is uniquely positioned to guide women through this time of life.

“I found that when I spoke with women in their 40s, 50s and beyond, there were many common themes among us. One area often missed, paused or discounted is our own sexuality across our life span,” says Christie.

Along with a private practice in psychotherapy, Christie is founder and CEO of Hot Pink YOUniversity, which she founded in 2011. The business provides a supportive atmosphere for women to explore their passions and pleasure. Christie offers her expertise through individual and group coaching, online courses, speaking, blogging and podcasting.

Recently trained in the Somatica Method ®, Christie has added sex education and relationship coaching to her vast array of services and support.

Personally, training in this method has been profoundly life-changing and made a major impact on how I show [up] in relationships. I want to bring that to other women and to couples. ” “

“What the Somatica Method ® provides is a more experiential approach to working with clients. Instead of just talking about relationships, sex, intimacy and connection, we work on the ‘felt’ experience of things. I can focus on topics like your attachment style and how that impacts your relationships. We can work on exploring wounds carried for years.”

In addition, Christie can provide support around creating embodiment practices, exploring core desires, boundaries, handling disappointment, communication and repairing relationships and learning how to attune with your body and with others. “The body holds so much knowledge and is often ignored,” notes Christie.

Physically, midlife women go through hormonal changes and long-term relationship stressors. They may wonder how to keep the spark alive to reduce boredom in the bedroom. It is important for women to prioritize pleasure — which has many healing powers, and actually reduces stress.

Christie's online courses allow women to access the materials anytime to fit their busy schedules and they’re able to incorporate the tools right away. An exciting membership-only group for women focuses solely on sex, intimacy and connection. Members have access to monthly talking circles with other women, exclusive members-only videos and tools to use each month.

“I am especially excited about this offering as it is research based, on a colleague’s work. Women who talk about sex are having more satisfying sex and connections. What is important about that for me is the amount of pain and emotional loneliness women face when that aspect of their lives is not going well or in pause,” explains Christie.

You can find Christie's 50 Wisdom Cards for women and get a free Intimacy Consultation to assess and recommend the next best steps for you by contacting her at hotpinkyou.com or at hotpinkyou@gmail.com.

FALL HOME AND GARDEN PREP

It’s worth getting your home and yard ready for when chilly temperatures arrive to ensure easier maintenance in spring — and possible energy savings, too.

BY MAURA KELLER

When the nights turn chillier and the days become shorter, we know all too well that fall is on its way. Homeowners should take the time now to ready their lawn, garden and home for the upcoming cool weather. In fact, performing a few quick and easy maintenance chores around your home could save you a lot of time and money later.

YARD TO - DOS

Lisa Briggs, garden coach at the Bruce Company in Middleton, says that when it comes to lawn and garden prep for the fall and winter, if summer heat thinned your lawn in places, you can re-seed in early September as the temperatures drop and fall rains kick in.

“[When you re-seed,] applying a starter fertilizer will ensure that those new grass plants are strong and healthy,” Briggs says. “The end of summer is also an excellent time to think about weed control, but be sure to keep broadleaf herbicides away from newly-seeded areas.”

In your garden beds, cut back perennials as the foliage yellows, being sure to dispose of anything that suffered from a fungal disease. And put some thought into planting spring flowering bulbs, like tulips, daffodils and allium.

Gail Stroh, lawn and garden buyer at the Bruce Company, adds that dry summer and fall weather will stress any plants, from grass to trees.

“Gardeners will often water when things are newly planted, but summer activities understandably command their attention and they forget. So, keep on watering anything that you planted this year,” Stroh says. “An inch of water per week will ensure that all of your plants go into the winter as established as possible.

Stroh also recommends applying a slowrelease fall fertilizer after your last mow of the season.

Experts also recommend:

• Mulch leaves with your mower — to use for winter mulch, for composting or to place around tender perennials.

• Place fencing or tree wrap in late October to keep animals away. Wrap tender evergreens with burlap for added protection.

Pruning in late fall and early winter is ideal as the branching structure is visible but there are no leaves.

5 TIPS TO FIND TIME FOR EXERCISE

Finding time to workout while juggling work demands, meaningful connections, school, caring for kids, household chores and all the rest can feel overwhelming. That’s why our team of experts are here for you!

BLOCK TIME IN YOUR CALENDAR

Find one day out of the week that’s not as busy as others and plan out your workouts. Block those times on your calendar and write down what your workouts will look like. Then, show up for yourself!

Finding you’re getting double-booked?

Workout early in the morning instead. No one is scheduling a 5 a.m. meeting, so you know that time will be yours to get your workout in. Not finding enough time? Audit your schedule for a week. Write down how you spend ALL your time, then figure out what can go or what activities can be pared down. Why not scroll through Instagram while on the elliptical? Grab coffee to-go with that friend and walk while you talk!

WORKOUT WHEREVER YOU ARE

See stairs? Take them! On a conference call? Do squats and calf raises! Pairing activities already in your schedule with exercise helps you stay active all day long, even if you have a more sedentary job. Go for a quick walk around the block when you’re done eating lunch. When you take your kids to practice, go for a run or do walking lunges and push ups while you wait. Princeton Club members get LesMills+ workout videos right on their phone for free so you can join a fitness class anytime, anywhere!

MAKE IT FUN!

When you enjoy what you’re doing, you’re more likely to want to do it again. Try different ways to exercise to discover what you enjoy, this way you won’t want to miss your workout! Try group fitness classes (Princeton Club has over 100 classes a week!), swimming, pickleball, biking, walking around the track with a friend, weight lifting, basketball, Pilates … the options are endless. Princeton Club members get 2 free personal training sessions as well to help get started. You can also try pairing exercise with other activities you enjoy, like watching your favorite Netflix show while on the treadmill, listening to new music and podcasts while weight lifting, or hanging out with your friends while you workout together!

And remember, you don’t have to be good at something to enjoy it. Don’t let not knowing how to do something stop you from trying. So if you love dancing and have no rhythm, dance your heart out at Zumba and WERQ!

WORKOUT WITH YOUR KIDS

Go to the park (walk there if you can) and play tag, climb the stairs, pump your legs on the swings or do pull ups on the monkey bars. Just move and have fun! You can also spend family time keeping active at Princeton Club! Play basketball, get to family swim time

or enjoy tennis on the West rooftop. Virtual fitness classes are also offered in our FREE Kids Club, so your kiddos can be active while you attend a class, work with a personal trainer or get your workout in.

KEEP A SPECIAL GYM BAG

Always keep a gym bag stocked with at least a pair of shoes, workout shorts and shirt in your car. That way you’re always ready for the next workout!

Remember, health and fitness IS a lifestyle, not something you achieve and move on from. Creating a fitness plan that’s realistic will help you stick to it. Give yourself grace if you miss a workout, and focus on the longterm benefits exercise brings. You’ve got this! Get started at Princeton Club today with a Free Membership Trial AND limitedtime special joining offers during our 35th Anniversary Celebration this month!

Free Membership Trial + Two Free Personal Training Sessions

PRINCETON CLUB

Eight locations throughout the Madison area princetonclub.net

Riley Bohage, Personal Trainer Princeton Club Fitchburg

Priscilla Peterson, Personal Trainer Sports Performance Specialist - Princeton Club West

Nicole Alexander, Personal Trainer Princeton Club Fitchburg

HOME PREPARATION

There are several steps to consider to prevent energy loss as winter approaches. This includes applying weather stripping or caulking where appropriate.

Your actual windows are also important to consider for energy loss.

“Despite claims of [energy] savings of up to 45%, replacing all the windows in your home will rarely reduce your heating bills more than 10 to 15%. Because window replacement is expensive, the payback in energy savings may take 20 to 30 years or more,” says Madison Gas and Electric (MGE) residential energy engineer Leah Samson. “However, replacing your windows with Energy Star-rated ones will often make you feel more comfortable.”

When it comes to maintaining a warm abode during fall and winter, Samson says that the majority of energy loss in your home is typically due to insulation and windows.

“If your attic has less than seven inches of insulation, consider adding more. If your walls have no insulation between the studs, insulating the cavities can make a big difference,” Samson says.

Also, an energy assessment, sometimes referred to as an energy audit, can help you determine the current levels of insulation in your home and identify areas that need air sealing. Learn more about energy assessments and available

incentives from MGE’s statewide energy efficiency partner, Focus on Energy, by visiting focusonenergy.com

Experts also recommend for fall home maintenance:

• Changing your furnace filter.

• Checking weather stripping in windows and doors and making any needed repairs.

• Opening or closing vents. Properly opening and closing high and low vent returns will help your furnace to operate efficiently.

PEST CONTROL

When the weather turns cooler, insects and other critters turn their attention to finding a warm place to reside — and they often head toward your home. To keep pests from invading your home this fall and winter, the Bruce Company team recommends applying a granular pesticide to the perimeter of your house.

“This can help to prevent insects from moving in as temperatures drop,” Briggs says. “And a home insect spray applied to window and door frames can keep those dreaded stink bugs and Asian ladybeetles outside, where they belong. Be sure to read and follow the product instructions.”

MauraKellerisaMidwest-based freelancewriterandeditor.

FINANCIAL CONFIDENCE:

Summit Credit Union’s Tips to Reach Your Fullest Potential

BRAVA asked the financial experts at Summit Credit Union to share insights about how to relieve stress in the everyday lives of Americans. At Summit, CEO and President Kim Sponem says that every employee is a financial educator, and Summit’s free financial education puts that promise into action.

Financial success isn’t how much money you have — it’s feeling good about what you’re doing with the money you have.

That’s extra important for women, who continue to be paid less and earn less in their lifetime than men, despite living longer. They’re also more likely to interrupt careers to have children or handle needs at home. This challenges women with doing more for the same level of financial stability, especially in retirement. And it hurts self-belief: 81% of women don’t feel financially confident to be the primary financial decision-maker at home.

But Summit Credit Union is working to change that, and, for over a decade, has focused specifically on helping women understand their resources, set goals like boosting savings and reducing debt, and enjoy richer lives. CEO Kim Sponem says empowering women with more financial confidence can build stronger, more resilient lives, families, communities — even a better world. And it starts with knowledge.

“Knowing a clear, big-picture view of goals and priorities is key,” Sponem says. “It’s why we’re opening up the conversation about money and taking a more holistic approach to finances to break the cycle of fear and stress with these topics.”

Every financial situation is different, but Sponem says three strategies can help women boost money confidence:

• Learn and talk more about money — Summit can help!

• Work with financial experts to build a plan

• Act on the plan, self-advocating and staying connected with experts as you go

Read on to learn how these strategies pay off and help you build wealth, from buying a home to starting a business and more.

KIM SPONEM

Financial Self-Care and Caring for Others

Financial self-care comes down to making a plan that works for you, says Wendy Woodson-Jones, Summit Credit Union’s assistant vice president of retail branches. Talking to a financial expert about your short- and long-term goals and making a plan to achieve those goals, whether it be paying off debt, saving for emergencies, building credit or buying a home, helps you feel confident in making day-to-day money decisions. Below, she shares tips for women at different stages.

BUILDING CONFIDENCE AS A SINGLE WOMAN

One of the things Woodson-Jones often sees with women is that they are hesitant to ask questions. Managing finances isn’t always taught in school, yet most women feel like they should know everything — and feel guilty if they don’t.

Overcoming the fear of asking questions is the first step, and online seminars are a great tool for this. Summit Credit Union offers these for free to their members on topics from budgeting (because understanding spending habits is critical) to homebuying, investing and 401ks.

It’s important for women to pay themselves first, and the sooner you set this habit for yourself, the more you’ll get ahead. Set up automatic transfers so a portion of your paycheck goes directly into a savings account. Not only does it help save for bigger purchases, but it’s useful for emergencies that can pop up without warning.

Women should also not be shy about investing their money, though many are — and that’s where Summit can help you get more comfortable and take action (see the “Invest Confidently” section). Make sure to set up a 401k and see if your employer matches your contributions –doubling your money each time you are paid.

“Single and younger people don’t always think about those things until much later,” she says.

“You could already have quite a nest egg put aside if that’s something you do early on.”

COMBINING INCOMES

One of the biggest money mistakes someone in a relationship can make is not taking an active role in the finances.

“A lot of times people in a relationship become codependent on another person to handle the finances,” says Woodson-Jones.

Initiate financial conversations so you both know how much money you make and where it’s going.

Also, make sure you’re both planning for the future: If you want kids, understand how that would increase your day-to-day spending, or if you want to purchase a home, factor in monthly mortgage costs and home improvements.

As early as possible, sit down together with your financial coach so you both understand your assets, savings and investments. Don’t just make assumptions based on what you both make.

- Wendy Woodson-Jones ” “

A lot of times people in a relationship become codependent on another person to handle the finances.

Lastly, it’s never too early to set up a will and life insurance. Too often, people don’t do this until it’s too late, making an already difficult situation more stressful.

CARING FOR YOURSELF AFTER A DIVORCE

Woodson-Jones describes financial trauma as a huge shift in finances that is often the result of a traumatic event, such as a divorce, and the subsequent navigation through that change.

During this time, it’s common for your relationship with finances to change, and that’s OK.

First, assess your current financial situation. Review your account history as well as any credit card, retirement and other account information to understand your monthly bills and credit worthiness.

You’ll need to reassess your budget, and, most likely, make some cuts — at least temporarily.

“Take it one step at a time so you don’t become so overwhelmed you’re paralyzed by it,” she says. “Small successes lead to more successes.”

It can also help to reach out to an expert, like a Summit financial coach, who can view the situation objectively and has seen similar situations many times before.

Know that it’s OK to make mistakes, and pivot along the way when needed. It will take time, but WoodsonJones says it is also empowering to get to financial selfsufficiency.

“When you own your financial situation and find success after going through something as difficult as a divorce, there’s a certain level of accomplishment,” she says. “No matter how long it takes.”

CARING FOR OTHERS — WHILE MAINTAINING INDEPENDENCE

Women are natural caregivers and tend to put others’ needs first. In some cases, women find themselves caring for multiple generations in their household. That can lead to women’s finances taking a hit when caring for a sick loved one, adult kids who move back home or aging parents.

As hard as it may be, it’s important to set financial boundaries from the get-go. Set aside money each month for your own savings and necessities, and don’t dip into it if you don’t need to. Then, make a budget for the loved one’s additional costs, and plan how to fill it.

Woodson-Jones says there are a lot of resources, though it depends on the specific situation. Parents’ Social Security or pensions can be put toward medical costs, and there are often community programs available for illnesses. “Figure out what you can do based on the incomes they have,” she says. “And if there is a deficit, look for resources in the community.”

Above all, don’t plan to do it with your finances alone. Summit’s experts can review your options with you and know what resources could be useful to your situation.

Starting and Owning a Business

A common misconception Dana Hoffmann, Summit’s vice president of business services, sees in entrepreneurship is believing you have to have all the money up front to get your business off the ground.

Women especially are less likely to take investment risks on their business plan — even if it’s a good one. They’re also more likely to ask for less money and use more of their personal funds for their business.

“It’s really about understanding your resources and knowing your value as an entrepreneur,” Hoffmann says.

Invest Confidently

Women make decisions differently and are more likely to compare options before making a choice.

That’s not a bad thing, but it can lead to many women hesitating to make investments, which could hurt them in the long run, says Jody Brown, vice president of wealth management and part of the Summit Financial Advisors team. It leaves more women in poverty or below their desired income by the time they hit retirement.

That’s why Brown says women need a different, more holistic approach to investing. Brown works with her female clients to understand the context and thought processes behind financial decisions.

Start by understanding your income and expenses to see where there’s room to invest. Read your 401k statements and reach out to an expert

The best way to get started is to gather trusted sources to bounce ideas off of and do a little research. Organizations such as the Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation and UW-Madison’s Small Business Development Center offer resources and classes to gain skills — and other business owners can be a great resource.

A business development officer at Summit can also help you work through your options, look at your credit, understand funding resources and review your business plan to increase your confidence in owning your own business.

If you’ve already got a business and are looking to grow, you can count on Summit’s business development officers to guide you in the right direction. As the No. 1 Small Business Administration lender, the Summit team helped 45 businesses in Wisconsin with SBA loans within the last year, and we’re happy to talk through if an SBA loan is right for you.

to talk through investing terminology, tax advantages and other things you want to understand better.

“There’s no judgment, just a conversation that can help you look at the big picture and find solutions that fit your needs,” Brown says.

Making an appointment with a financial advisor is an important step because that person is a valuable mentor and advocate for you. Supplement what you learn from your advisor with Summit Financial Advisors’ free seminars, articles or blogs, and other resources — and ask questions to keep learning.

Then, pull the trigger, even if you don’t understand everything. Brown says too often she sees women wait too long, when the best way to learn is to start somewhere.

Also too often, she sees women apologize for not knowing about investing, but there’s no wrong time to start learning. Gaining knowledge

gives you confidence to start, and that’s nothing to apologize for.

Set aside money in your budget for investing. Experts can help you take small steps, starting with less risky options and working up.

When you have extra money, like a tax return or work bonus, Brown suggests investing it using the rule of thirds: emergency savings, paying off debt and treating yourself.

Content in this material is for general information only and not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. All investing involves risk including loss of principal. Securities and advisory services are offered through LPL Financial (LPL), a registered investment advisor and broker-dealer (member FINRA/SIPC). Insurance products are offered through LPL or its licensed affiliates. Summit Credit Union and Summit Financial Advisors are not registered as a broker-dealer or investment advisor. Registered representatives of LPL offer products and services using Summit Financial Advisors and may also be employees of Summit Credit Union. These products and services are being offered through LPL or its affiliates, which are separate entities from, and not affiliates of, Summit Credit Union or Summit Financial Advisors. Securities and insurance offered through LPL, or its affiliates are:

DANA HOFFMANN

JODY BROWN

Homebuying

Owning a home is one of the biggest wealth-building steps women can take, says Laura Zweep, a mortgage loan officer at Summit. That should make it a top priority for anyone — but especially women — looking for financial success.

Homeownership creates your first — and largest — asset that builds equity over time.

“You’re no longer caught up in a cycle of rent that never lets you gain equity,” Zweep says. “Getting into a home is a first big step to changing a family, a life, a future.”

For many, though, homeownership can feel like a down-the-road, hardto-reach ideal. Zweep says too often women face misconceptions about what they need to get started.

Women can feel like if they don’t have enough for a 20% down payment or don’t make enough money, they can’t own a home, but Zweep says that’s not true.

“Even if you think you have these barriers, don’t let that stop you from at least coming in to have the conversation,” she says.

Research and knowledge build confidence. Sitting down with a mortgage loan officer and engaging in these conversations is the best way to start — even if you aren’t sure if now is the right time.

Zweep also suggests doing some homework, such as learning about credit scores and understanding your own. Credit is a big factor in qualifying for a mortgage as well as what that mortgage’s interest rate will be.

Also learn about the communities you want to live in, including property taxes, average purchase prices and the size of the home you can afford in different areas. Talk to a mortgage loan officer to see what mortgage options make the most sense for you, including what your maximum purchase price is so you know payments will fit your budget. Summit’s experts can even help you get preapproved, so your realtor and home sellers see you’re in position to make a serious offer.

Working with a mortgage loan officer can help you strategize ways to prepare for homeownership, from increasing your savings per month to paying down debt.

One common strategy Zweep shares with first-time homebuyers is to act as if they’re making a house payment while they’re still renting: For example, if you pay $1,200 a month in rent but your house payment would be $1,900 per month, put an additional $700 per month in a savings account. This will not only help build savings, but will also let you see what living on the new budget will look like. (A good goal to aim for is $5,000 in savings.)

Summit Credit Union’s mortgage loan officers are here to talk with you. As the No. 1 mortgage lender in Wisconsin, their experts can get you on the right path and guide you to programs available in the community that make homeownership more accessible. And since they know those programs inside and out, they can even handle the applications and other details for you.

“Don’t rule yourself out of a home before you even start,” Zweep says. “We can work with you on just about anything to find the path to homeownership that’s right for you.”

Summit Makes it Easy

Don’t be afraid to ask for help — it’s the first step to financial confidence. Our experts have worked through just about every scenario over the last 85 years, empowering thousands of women in their day-to-day lives, and in their entrepreneurial paths — one of our favorite ways to strengthen our local economy. We’re also building an environment for you to thrive in through our community giveback and award-winning financial wellness program for area employers. The bottom line? We’re here for your first and every step. We’ll connect you to experts who can offer clarity and guidance that will boost your confidence to take action. And we’ll help you make a plan that works for you — staying by your side while you execute it.

We can meet in person or virtually, whichever is most convenient for you. We can also help you open accounts online, on your own time.

Find the resources you’re looking for at SummitCreditUnion.com, including:

• Summit’s women-focused Red SHOES® program, with steps and support to reach your million dollars

• Insights from Summit’s Project Money participants on saving money and reducing debt

• Summit’s personal financial management tool, Climbr®

• Budget and goal planning worksheets

• Financial calculators

• Money tips and helpful blog posts

Schedule an appointment online or give us a call to get started. SummitCreditUnion.com 800-236-5560 | 608-243-5000

LAURA ZWEEP

Four local kitchens show off the latest trends and give us major culinary inspo.

BY SHELBY DEERING

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHANNA WOLF

Dark & Light

The perimeter countertop and stove’s backsplash coordinate, which is “Black Marquis” from Corian’s Endura line. The island’s Corian quartz showcases veining in the “Calacatta Novello” color.

Storage Galore

An extra nook, complete with open shelving and drawers was added, showcasing a backsplash in Brickstone tile from Coyle Carpet One Floor & Home.

Modern & Instagram-Ready

Even though a spec home has yet to be purchased and further customized by its homeowners, every once in a while, there’s a feature that appeals to everyone who views its spaces. Crary Construction created just such a spec home with a showstopper kitchen that would easily fit right into an on-trend Instagram feed.

With an open concept that flows directly into the dining room and great room, the kitchen ties into the home’s “modern cottage” feel, explains Tonia Crary, interior designer and client coordinator for Crary Construction, Inc. The space is a study in stark contrasts and clean lines — “but with an overall soft look,” Crary adds.

“I think this was achieved with the black painted cabinets contrasting the warm tones of the white oak,” she observes.

Beyond stunning aesthetics, the kitchen also features plenty of practical bells and whistles, like a walk-through scullery behind the kitchen that can be entered from either side. This area acts as a “bonus kitchen” with another sink and dishwasher, along with more storage.

This kitchen has no shortage of storage. “With cabinets that go all the way to the 11-foot ceilings, it not only draws your eye up, but adds storage at every turn,” Crary says. “We even added built-in storage drawers to the end of the island on the dining side that could hold all of those special things needed in a dining space. It’s always the goal to not only design a beautiful kitchen, but one that has the most function.”

Crary believes that since the kitchen is the most used space in one’s home, it deserves time and care in the design.

“Choose quality items that are going to last the test of time,” she advises, something that’s certainly been accomplished in this kitchen.

Perfect Mix

Tonia Crary, interior designer and client coordinator for Crary Construction, Inc., says that all the cabinets in the kitchen are from Shiloh Cabinetry, and are a combination of black painted oak and stained white oak, sourced from Coyle Carpet

One Floor & Home. The woven barstools, found through Ballard Designs, punctuate the palette with an organic touch.

Mod Feel

The contemporary lighting adds to the Instagram-worthy visuals of the whole space. These pendants are from Madison Lighting.

Dramatic & Airy

To make a kitchen really turn heads, aim to represent two totally different personalities in the same space. That’s the case in this kitchen designed by Amanda Van Wie, owner and designer of DesignWell Interiors. Here, a breezy white kitchen is juxtaposed next to a dark and moody bar and seating area.

With a team that came together to execute this vision, including Dream Kitchens designer Lindsay Nelson, architect John Melby of Melby Design and Madison’s Hart DeNoble Builders, Van Wie says that various design elements were brought together to create a cohesive, classic design with a modern feel. “The bar area off the kitchen was designed to be a bit more upscale, with a swankier vibe,” she says.

But the design wasn’t without its challenges. The team needed to do some reconfiguring of the spaces. The pantry was originally located off the kitchen in the hallway, and the team chose to swing it around into the kitchen for easier accessibility and enclosed it in a hidden pantry door that mirrors the range column on the right side of the kitchen, “which gives the space good symmetry overall,” Van Wie notes. She adds, “The bar area was a bit closed off and the client really wanted to open that up to make it more an extension of the kitchen, so we reconfigured that space somewhat to achieve that, and added a curved bar to a space that otherwise had a lot of square edges.”

Between the warm wood, natural stone countertops, tile backsplash and multi-tone cabinetry, the team achieved a clean look. The space is “large enough to host parties and extremely user-friendly without any wasted spaces,” says the homeowner. “We wanted it to be very appealing as you first walk into the house.”

Glint of Gold

Amanda Van Wie, owner and designer of Design Well Interiors, believes that the lighting in the bar area truly modernizes the space as the pendants pop against an all-black backdrop. “The bar is full of a lot of texture, but the entire space is pretty monotone, so it was important for the lighting to stand out,” she says.

Stunning Space

The oversized silvertoned pendant lamps are striking accents in the white kitchen. Sourced from Madison Lighting, these Lorford Smoke Bell Lanterns were designed by Chapman and Myers of Visual Comfort.

Smart Storage

All of the cabinets, including the ones in the pantry, were selected through Dream Kitchens. “Lindsay and I worked hard to get the wall layout to be symmetrical with the added hidden pantry door and the introduction of the beams through the cabinetry,” Van Wie recalls.

Mad for Mod

The bar room’s chandelier has a mod vibe, adding to the moodiness of the space. The homeowners love this spot next to the kitchen, noting, “We have access to everything in the kitchen, and all of our guests remain together ... versus having some downstairs and some upstairs.”

Chef-Worthy Space

Al Curran, owner of Curran Cabinetry & Design, says that the L-shaped perimeter with an island is a great layout for a cook’s kitchen, allowing freedom of movement throughout the space. “The wall cabinets were increased in height, and the island was doubled in depth to add more storage,” he says.

Transitional &

Eye-Pleasing

As the first remodeling project in their home, Kris and Anand Lee were hesitant about refreshing their kitchen. “We kept putting off this project for 10 years as we didn’t know where to start and whom to trust,” Kris says. After seeing the work of Al Curran, owner of Curran Cabinetry & Design, at a friend’s home, the couple was sold and decided to move forward.

With a goal of creating a fresh, updated space with more personality than their previous white kitchen, Curran says that he set out to make the kitchen more cohesive with the adjoining dining space and great room.

“The home’s tri-level design left us an open palette with plenty of options,” he

says. In this case, they chose a transitional design solution, which provided modern, yet ageless, feel.

“What I love most about this space now is that all three areas on the main level flow together,” Curran says. “The wood floors assist in tying the spaces together as opposed to separately defining them.”

The new and improved kitchen represents many current trends, such as the use of mixed metals and finishes. “Bronze hardware, fixtures and lighting appointments mix well with the stainless steel-clad appliances,” Curran says.

Meanwhile, the vibrantly-blue island and perimeter neutral cabinetry inject contrast into the space, “yet work well together,” as Curran notes.

With a kitchen that feels organized, down to its custom cabinets, the homeowners view their kitchen as a place that’s “warm and inviting,” and serves as the headquarters for cooking up South Asian meals and baking up a storm. Kris says, “The project was worth the time and effort, and we are so glad we finally mustered up the courage to proceed with a remodel.” Cont. on P. 56

Color Code

The locally-built Amish cabinets feature a simple, modified Shaker style, swathed in Sherwin-Williams’ Mindful Grey. The soft gray perimeter cabinets juxtapose with the island’s deep navy base (painted SherwinWilliams’ Gale Force.)

Great Updates

The kitchen was further updated with new appliances from GE and SharpUSA. New task lighting was installed under the cabinets to illuminate work surfaces and create different lighting moods.

. Scan for more info and directions to our all of model homes!

Green With Envy Jodie Amerell, NCIDQ, ASID of Mojo Home Interiors, believes that they were ahead of the trend when the green cabinets were installed in June 2020. “Make sure you love green and the shade,” Amerell says to others who want to take the green plunge. “Order paint samples to make sure it’s a color you can live with.”

Bold & Unique

When Michael Rosenblum and Jessica Balis set out to remodel their kitchen, they had several goals in mind. They wanted a more functional, open space. They wanted some much-desired features, like a range hood fan, garbage disposal, a large, undivided sink and a secondary oven. And they wanted to shift to more environmentally-friendly appliances.

They accomplished all of this, and even have eye-catching, on-trend green cabinetry to boot. (The color is SherwinWilliams’ Rock Garden.)

“My goal was to reflect the homeowners [in] their home,” says Jodie Amerell, NCIDQ, ASID of Mojo Home Interiors. “The look is their love of green

and black, and their preference of more modern, refined lines in a pre-existing, mahogany paneled home.”

Now, the new kitchen is all about openness, which includes a sizeable island ideal for cooking and entertaining. Jessica says, “I love having a space that I had a hand in creating, that fits my aesthetic

and that works so much better for us on a day-to-day basis.”

Having worked with the couple on previous projects, Amerell executed “their perfect color preferences” since she had already built a relationship with them. The result is emerald-green cabinetry and a swirling, multihued countertop that’s guaranteed to be a conversation starter.

“Not only do I enjoy having an extremely functional space, but every time I walk into the kitchen, I am blown away by the island countertop. I just love the movement and texture,” Michael says.

After the refresh, Michael says that he cooks nearly every night in their kitchen, including Middle Eastern-inspired dishes like chicken shawarma and olive oilbraised chickpeas. It’s a place that looks, and feels, just right to the couple.

Based upon the design, Amerell shares her words of wisdom: “Define what you love, and create your colors and textures around that.” Cont. on P. 58

Back in Black

Stepping away from standard stainless appliances, the kitchen is outfitted with black stainless matte finish appliances by GE’s Café Series.

Double-Duty Drawers

Easy drawer organization allows for everything to have its own spot — and is eye-pleasing, too.

Statement-Maker

The island’s countertop is a handselected quartzite with a honed finish, which isn’t one that’s typically requested among her clients in Madison, says Amerell. The mesmerizing material acts as a focal point and shows off “interesting movement and color,” she says.

THAT CUSTOM TOUCH

Just walk through the multitude of homes built by Classic Custom Homes of Waunakee — a custom home builder founded by Bryan Sipple in 2005 — and you’ll see the passion that goes into each home building project.

Sipple and his team understand what it takes to make a house a home through careful, state-of-the-art design collaboration and innovative construction techniques.

“We are able to give insight on different design aspects that can be achieved easily and in a high-quality way,” says Nicole Hartmann, job operations manager at Classic Custom Homes of Waunakee. “We know the benefits and limitations of a variety of products and can guide you on the best options for our current climate and longevity of the home.” The team also gives consideration to the potential problems and hazards of home placement on a lot.

As Hartmann explains, throughout the entire process, the staff keeps the best interest of the homeowner in mind and uses their expertise to steer each customer in a direction that will promote the endurance and cost effectiveness of their home.

So, why should homeowners consider partnering with a custom home builder? Custom builders are able to offer design help and recommendations, as well as guidance on selections and construction processes, all of which provides a continuity to the look of your home.

“They also manage the project from start to finish using a network of subcontractors and staff, which maintains an efficient timeline,” says Brea Bartelt, interior designer with Classic Custom Homes of Waunakee. “They should be well versed in a variety of styles that incorporate many unique, added features, allowing for a home that is uniquely yours.”

The company offers expertise during every phase of the home-building

process, from in-house drafting to cabinetry design to project management.

“We will help you build your home, progressing from discussing lot layout and permits ... to the last cabinet pull being selected,” Hartmann says. “We use online, cloud-based software that allows you to interface with the project, approve change orders, track costs and view all design decisions in one place.”

Hartmann says a homeowner should look for a custom builder that is able to communicate ideas with ease, is honest about expectations, and is transparent about costs and timelines. It’s also important that the builder has a solid process in place for accurate recordkeeping and project management.

“Equally important is to look at the quality of their work. Make sure there is attention to detail and the work is high quality,” says owner Bryan Sipple. “An experienced builder will understand the elements of various design elements and will know how to structurally bring that design to life.”

“ ”

We will help you build your home, progressing from discussing lot layout and permits, all the way to the last cabinet pull being selected.

— Nicole Hartmann, job operations manager

THE HEART OF THE HOME

Historically, kitchens were often tucked-away, isolated work areas. These days, the kitchen is the central hub of the home, where guests gather and family members dine in style.

That’s why many homeowners are incorporating furniture-style cabinetry, multi-level center islands and elevated eating areas to add a unique architectural flair to the space. And by enveloping the kitchen in diverse material palettes, including woods, stainless steel and stone accents, the space is enriched with visually balanced textures and tones.

“At Dream House Dream Kitchens, we utilize a three-step approach to kitchen design,” says Lindsay Nelson, Dream Team designer. “Once we’ve nailed down our design concept in the first phase, we move on to making material selections, including countertops, tile, wallpaper and cabinet finishes, etc. The final step is the production phase, where we get to see the fruits of our labor in action.”

So, what trends can Nelson pinpoint in today’s kitchen designs?

For one, wallpaper has made a huge comeback. “Wallpaper is a great way to add interest to a space, but it’s also a great opportunity to pull in some texture,” Nelson says. “Wallpaper is available in all sorts of textures these days. Grasscloth, snakeskin, velour — the sky is the limit!”

Larder pantry systems are also very popular, thanks in part to its fashionable yet functional characteristics in keeping a kitchen organized.

“The beauty of a larder pantry system is that it doesn’t need to remain perfectly pristine and organized at all times because of the ability to simply shut the doors — out of sight, out of mind,” Nelson says. Customization is also key to larder pantry systems, allowing homeowners to utilize it based off of their needs. Sometimes the larder pantry is just for dry food storage, but

other times it’s set up more like a coffee station, or even a bar.

As far as kitchen color trends, the Midwest is still seeing a lot of muted earth tones with greens in particular being popular right now.

“I know that 2022 was anticipated to be the year of the jewel tones, but per usual, the Midwest always takes a while to catch up with the fashion and design trends,” Nelson says. “We haven’t been seeing much of the bold, vibrant colors yet, but I fully anticipate that we will.”

Quartz countertops are also all the rage these days. In fact, 90% of Dream House Dream Kitchen’s designs involve quartz rather than a natural stone.

“The quality, characteristics, and the overall look of quartz has really come a long way in the last decade. It’s durable, low maintenance, antibacterial, more uniform in appearance and can really mimic any material without the added upkeep of natural stone,” Nelson says. Large-scale porcelain slabs are also becoming increasingly popular.

“ ”

Wallpaper is a great way to add interest to a space, but it’s also a great opportunity to pull in some texture.

— Lindsay Nelson, designer

Is the Air in Your Home Healthy? Find a Pro

Reduce risk of stroke, heart attack, and cognitive decline. Achieve greater overall wellness, virus protection, fewer allergens, and better sleep with the AprilAire Healthy Air SystemⓇ .

FOSTERING A HEALTHY HOME ENVIRONMENT

s the world slowly recovers from the global COVID-19 pandemic, the air quality of our homes is something that’s become very important in the minds of

And one local company that has always had air quality top of mind is AprilAire. Back in 1954, AprilAire manufactured the first whole-house humidifier in Madison. This revolutionary innovation set the stage quality throughout its long-standing history. indoor air quality products, including humidifiers, were found in homes all across the country. Recently, AprilAire

“We tend to forget what is in the air that is an all-in-one solution addressing all aspects of indoor air quality in the home,” says David Carlson, director of marketing at AprilAire. “It provides fresh and zoning control, and radon mitigation.

consideration, homeowners can ensure a healthy home environment and year-round defense from contaminants like allergens, mold spores, bacteria, viruses, pet dander, dust and dust mites, pests, smog and radon.”

The experts at AprilAire also recognize that the concern about indoor air quality has been growing exponentially since the

“We know that health symptoms or a health diagnosis of a household member — like allergies or asthma, for example — and virus exposure risks are the primary drivers of this concern in recent years,” Carlson says. “And we know that the focus on the air we breathe isn’t going away.”

The AprilAire Healthy Air System ® works in conjunction with a home’s current HVAC system to provide healthy air through the whole house.

As Carlson explains, the company’s nationwide network of AprilAire Healthy Air Professionals is available to evaluate a home’s current HVAC system and indoor air quality needs to determine the best customized Healthy Air System.

“We spend 90% of our lives indoors. With homes being built tighter than ever, it’s hard for your home to inhale good air and exhale bad air,” Carlson says.

“The AprilAire Healthy Air System ® helps your home do just that, in addition to capturing airborne viruses, maintaining balanced humidity ideal for overall wellness, and protecting your family from dangerous levels of radon, which is the No. 1 cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. You eat healthy food, drink filtered water, practice good hygiene, and put focus on getting enough sleep and exercise, but are you breathing healthy air?”

AprilAire encourages homeowners to take the first step toward a healthier home environment and experience the healthy air difference today by contacting a professional nearest them on AprilAire.com.

“We spend 90% of our lives indoors. With homes being built tighter than ever, it’s hard for your home to inhale good air and exhale bad air.

— David Carlson, director of marketing

WHAT’S OLD IS NEW AGAIN

Creativity is a trait that must be employed when cultivating truly successful remodeling projects. Just ask the experts at Waunakee Remodeling, which offers an array of remodeling and home design services.

Their experience speaks for itself — the company has been improving homes since 1977. What started as a siding and gutter company grew into a full-service exterior remodeling company. In 2006, the company began to establish itself in the Madison area for interior remodeling. They currently specialize in kitchen, bathroom and basement remodeling.

Courtney Maier, marketing manager at Waunakee Remodeling, says the biggest benefit to working with a remodeler on a home improvement project is the expertise and experience they bring to the table. Waunakee Remodeling has had the opportunity to work with thousands of homeowners in Madison and its surrounding areas.

Besides having a deep knowledge on the ins and outs of remodels, the Waunakee Remodeling team is passionate about turning their clients’ dreams into reality.

“We help people transform their lives by transforming their living spaces. As a tight-knit group of innovative designers, seasoned project managers and master carpenters, we strive to make the entire remodeling process as fun and stress-free as possible for our clients,” Maier says. “Our goal is to achieve transformative results through conscious, collaborative design and construction that balances form with function, creativity with context, scope with budget and style with sustainability.”

The Waunakee Remodeling team recognizes that hiring a remodeler is a big decision. Not only is it a major investment, but you will be working closely with whomever you choose for several months or more.

As such, the top four to-dos that the Waunakee Remodeling team recommends when searching for a remodeler include:

• Be systematic in your approach.

• Don’t hesitate to ask pointed questions.

• Talk through everything before you begin, including budget, style, project scope, contract details, etc.

• Seek out a remodeler who cares about your goals and respects you.

“You’re not just choosing a company to do work for you, but you are also inviting them into your home,” Maier says. “You are building a relationship that will hopefully last a very long time.”

While searching for a home remodeler, it’s also important to research the company you’d like to use. Are they licensed, bonded and insured?

Maier also recommends asking for references. “Be sure to contact some past clients to find out what working with this company was like and how they may have handled any problems that might have arisen,” Maier says. “It might not be a bad idea to also ask them if you can see a project that has been recently completed or under construction to get an idea of their quality of workmanship.”

“ ”

We help people transform their lives by transforming their living spaces.

— Courtney Maier, marketing manager

TALK ABOUT MONEY,

THE LESS YOU END UP WORRYING ABOUT IT

We see it every day. The more women open up about their money, the more confident they become. Because when you stop second guessing and start getting real about your financial goals, the knowledge you earn can really pay off. So, do you want to buy a new home? Make your side hustle full-time? Retire early? Let’s talk! Then let’s make it happen.

Women

at Work

Madison-area executives share how their careers have shaped their lives — and what we can learn from them.

BY JANE HOUSEAL, SHAYNA MACE, KATY MACEK, JESSICA STEINHOFF,

Now more than ever, we’re thinking about how to make our careers work for us — instead of just earning a paycheck. The pandemic surely factored into this. To get our finger on the pulse of what working women are thinking about right now, we asked a number of executive-level Madison women what has made their career fulfilling, what challenges they’ve faced and how they’ve been able to find joy in their chosen career.

SUE SVEUM, HYWANIA THOMPSON AND CANDICE WAGENER

Suzanne Fanning

How Dreaming Big Can Impact Your Career

BY HYWANIA THOMPSON

Those who partook in the consumption of cheese from the World’s Largest Cheese Board at Madison’s Concerts on the Square in August 2018 have Suzanne Fanning and her team to thank. The record-breaking feat was a follow-up to a cheese board of similar proportions at South by Southwest (SXSW) in March 2018. The Texas festival is typically known for music, film and interactive media — so tables full of cheese seemed unconventional.

It’s that kind of creative thinking that makes Fanning a dynamic marketer. Fanning serves as the senior vice president and chief marketing officer for Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin/Wisconsin Cheese.

The monster cheese board idea came to Fanning early in the morning.

“We were racking our brains trying to think of what we can do that will compel people to come [to the lounge] because we didn’t want to be lame and just be a lounge full of cheese,” she says. But, it

ended up not being lame at all. Fanning worked with a Texas company that created a 3D-printed barn; they added all the features of a true Wisconsin farm party and it was a success. Fanning then brought the idea home to Wisconsin and invited Guinness World Records. The rest is history.

For Fanning, the work she does is about people. It’s not necessarily about a product, it’s about how people feel about it — or in this case — how they feel when eating it. That’s why the experiences she’s dreamed up around Wisconsin cheese have been so successful — they focus on the feeling and the food. She notes food fanatics want to understand where their food comes from.

“That’s what all marketers need to do — is understand people,” Fanning says. “Focus less on their product and figure out what they can do for their fans, because in turn, fans will do some amazing things for you.”

In the mid-2000s, Fanning worked

in public relations and marketing communications at Fiskars in Middleton. She worked under then-CEO Chad Vincent to drive sales and transform the brand to empower people to pursue their passions, like gardening and crafting. Fanning’s career also included stints at Amway in Michigan, Remington and at WOMMA, a marketing organization in Chicago. Now, Fanning works with Vincent again, who is CEO of the Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin, in her current role.

“The greatest honor you can have is to have a boss who wants to hire you again,” says Fanning. “I’ve been really fortunate.”

Fanning works in an interesting industry, too — far different than her past employers. Dairy is still primarily a maledominated industry, though Fanning notes 36% of farmers are female.

“There are so many, even much younger women, who are talking about agriculture and how important it is, and trying to become spokespeople in the industry,” she says. “Females are really making an impact there more than anybody realizes.”

What advice would you give your 20-year-old self?

“Trust your instincts and follow your passion. I really go after things that I want, and I take roles and challenges that get me excited. The passion and not giving in and just really believing in yourself.”

What books, podcasts or resources do you enjoy for career insight?

“I’m a huge fan of Chip and Dan Heath. They wrote a book a few years back called ‘Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die,’ and they’ve written some others since then. I think those are really, really amazing. I’m also a huge fan of Gary Vaynerchuk. I’ve done a lot of roundtables with him and he’s always on the cutting edge. I absolutely adore Seth Godin. He is one of my favorites and his wife is a big foodie; I like both of them. All of those people like to come up with really fun ideas and do things in a different way.”

Utilizing the Power of a Support Network

BY HYWANIA THOMPSON

It’s rare to hear an attorney use the words “happy law” in discussing their work. Michelle Behnke is the exception. As principal of Michelle Behnke & Associates, Behnke helps her clients reach their goals, whether it’s estate planning, starting a business or investing in real estate.

“Being on my own allows me to have control over my fees and … over the kind of work I do, and allows me to really serve clients in a way that I can help them avoid mistakes, as opposed to having to pay an awful lot of money to fix it after the fact,” Behnke says. “That’s much more rewarding to me.”

After graduating from the University of Wisconsin Law School, Behnke practiced real estate and business law at a Madison firm. During that time, her two children were born, and she wanted more balance in her life. So she moved into corporate law at CUNA Mutual Insurance Society. International work became part of her duties, which required early-morning phone calls and travel to places like Taiwan and Indonesia. That wasn’t the kind of work-life balance Behnke had in mind, so she opened her own practice in February 1998.

Early in her career, Behnke says she was often the only woman in the room, or, the only woman of color there.

“I was as likely to be asked to get someone a cup of coffee as for them to think that I was the lawyer,” she says. Behnke used humor as a way to deal in those situations — although many times she wasn’t laughing. “You try to maintain your own dignity and teach them a little something, and humor is one of the ways I found was a way to teach them something without having to have a knock-down, drag-out on every occasion.”

Dealing with challenges in work and life not only requires humor, it requires a support system. Having a trusted circle of family and friends to listen and offer guidance is one of the keys to success.

“Having a support network [that] you can share your innermost thoughts [with]

Wisconsin Supreme Court justice Shirley Abrahamson, who was the first woman to serve on the state’s Supreme Court and its first female chief justice. Behnke met Abrahamson when she was a third-year law student. Pregnant at the time, she was escorting Abrahamson to a graduation event when the chief justice gave her this advice: “At one point she turns around … and she asked me when the baby was due. I said, ‘September.’ And she said, ‘Well you know, [you can be both] a good mother and a good lawyer — so don’t let them tell you anything other.’” Over the years, Abrahamson remained a friend and mentor to Behnke.

She also recalls a partner who recognized her adeptness in dealing with clients and encouraged her to use those talents. “Both of those [people] really impacted the trajectory of my career,” Behnke explains.

Over the years, she’s learned in business to not take things too seriously.

“On any given day there’s an awful lot that could go right, [and] there’s an awful lot that could go wrong,” she says. “About 50% of it has to do with you, and the other 50% has to do with the universe. And so you can’t take that all personally … you just have to pick yourself up and keep trudging ahead.”

“That same support system is going to be there to cheer you on when you hit those successes and they’re also going to be there when you stumble.

What books, podcasts or resources do you enjoy for career insight?

“I often find comfort and advice in — interestingly enough — comedian’s books, like Tina Fey. I didn’t realize it, but they often … teach through humor. You laugh at various things, but you realize there is a whole lot of truth. In [Fey’s] book ‘Bossy Pants,’ you realize how women are portrayed, and you learn some tools to help you … get over what the universe calls derogatory — like bossy. Well, if someone calls me that now, ‘I’m like, yes ma’am, I am — so start taking my direction!’”

Leveraging a Career Move to Your Advantage

BY CANDICE WAGENER

Lydia Zeller didn’t set out on an executive path, but her career journey led there.

The Madison native is CEO of Flyte, a Minneapolis-based healthcare company which developed a groundbreaking, fast, convenient, over-the-counter treatment for bladder leaks with continence rates comparable to surgery. She is a shining example of how mentorship can bring unexpected and appreciated opportunities.

Living in San Francisco while her ex-husband attended graduate school at Stanford, Zeller found a secretarial position at a wealth management firm “to pay the bills” and found her first mentor.

“One of the partners was the first person in my career who saw me as a person rather than a skill set,” says Zeller.

Eventually, the partner decided to build her own firm, and asked Zeller to become partner and handle the operations side of the business. Zeller had no formal

training in operations or finance, but she embodied determination and grit, and figured out how to be successful; as a result, the firm grew rapidly.

It’s a theme Zeller wholeheartedly promotes: Leaders need to look beyond a resume and intuit people’s capabilities in applying determination and grit, ability for continual growth and core competencies.

Zeller gave birth to twins in 1997, and the family moved back to Madison in 1998. She stepped away from 60-hour work weeks, choosing to do consulting in SEC regulatory management while homeschooling her daughters.

In December 2012, she started volunteering at Kiio, a health care technology startup, and encountered another mentor. The founder knew she was highly capable and asked her to help with financial operations, among other things. She was hired in 2013.

“You wear a million hats in a startup,”

says Zeller. “There is no lack of things to do. If you are a determined person with passion and grit, and the ability to think outside the box — and see big and dream big and vision big and see opportunities in unexpected places and then get things done — you’re going to advance.”

As the company grew, so did Zeller’s responsibilities. Eventually, she led product strategy, sales and marketing. She was promoted to CEO in 2020, and was the only woman on the executive team.

Although she hired women during her tenure, she has never considered her gender a disadvantage. “I would never want to be hired because I’m a woman. You’re always looking for the best person for the job. I’ve hired fantastic women as well as fantastic men. As leaders we need to be cognizant of opportunity gaps, how we’re building relationships, sourcing opportunities, and doing so in a way that we’re going to attract diversity across the board,” explains Zeller.

Kiio was sold in 2021 and Zeller joined Flyte in April 2022, working remotely. She values the incredibly supportive entrepreneurial community here in Madison as well as the entire team at Flyte. “Being a CEO is kind of a lonely position,” says Zeller. “Having fellow CEOs and people you can speak with candidly is hugely valuable. We learn from people at all levels in our organizations.”

What advice would you give your 20-year-old self?

“Give deep thought to decisions regarding your career, but don’t worry too much about 'shutting the door' on other opportunities. Don’t make the assumption that the job you take is predetermining some kind of lifelong path. You can make forks at your path throughout your life, go into entirely new areas, discover entirely new passions. Opportunity is out there.”

And, trust yourself. “Understand risk, but take appropriate risk. Not ever putting yourself out there is probably the biggest risk you can take … recognize your strengths and your superpowers and own them.”

HILLARY SCHAVE

Increasing Female Representation on Business Boards

TEMPO Madison is an invitation-only, peer-to-peer organization that aims to lead, engage and connect local women from diverse backgrounds and experiences to help them succeed. With 230 women, the organization is composed of female executives from around the Madison area.

One of TEMPO Madison’s latest initiatives, Project Reach, is working to increase the number of women serving on corporate and business boards. Launched in 2019 by founding co-chairs Kris Euclide and Kim Sponem, the project recognized a need for more women on boards — and TEMPO Madison was already full of qualified women.

Currently, 20 TEMPO Madison members from a variety of industries are in the Project Reach database, and it’s growing. The Project Reach team connects the women in the database with companies who need to fill corporate and business boards.

“For us, it’s … about having an impact in the community,” says Shana Lewis, current Project Reach co-chair.

Project Reach’s website notes that a Milwaukee Women Inc. study found that it takes “a minimum of three women on a board to maximize the positive impact, yet women and people of color remain largely underrepresented on business boards nationally.”

Echoes co-chair Patti Epstein: “Diversity is good for business — it provides a greater opportunity for a board to reflect the membership of the clientele, and the communities it serves.”

Lewis explains that companies often claim to lack women on their boards because it’s hard to find qualified women for the seats. The Project Reach team hopes the database will serve as a solution.

“There’s no way that [companies] could say that they couldn’t find a qualified woman, because TEMPO Madison’s database is filled with them,” says Lewis.

— Jane Houseal

Empowering Women and People of Color Through Building Connections

BY KATY MACEK

For Saran Ouk, she realized the power of relationshipbuilding when she introduced a friend interested in financial advising to another colleague in that field. She quickly learned that building networks was a key rung in the proverbial career ladder.

“That was that lightbulb moment,” she says. “It clicked, and I realized what I wanted to do with my life was help people get connected with folks to reach their career goals.”

Ouk went on to found a nonprofit called conNEXTions (connextions.org) in 2016 based on that mission. The nonprofit consists of a free, six-month program that offers professional development opportunities for underrepresented young adults through a series of skill-building workshops. These skills in turn can help them find a job or even start their own business. Each mentee is also paired with a mentor in the field they are interested in.

Now, as the Office of Business Resources manager for the City of Madison’s Economic Development Division, her lightbulb moment has come full circle. She oversees the very programs and policies that help support businesses owned by women and people of color in Madison — and creates new ones that make starting a business more equitable.

She didn’t start surrounded by connections though, and it was that lack of resources and mentors to look up to that inspired her to build those relationships for others.

In fact, Ouk was born in a Thailand refugee camp and moved to the U.S. with her family in 1984. She says she was raised by “very traditional” Cambodian parents who believed a woman’s role was to find a husband and raise a family.

She, however, had other plans. She spent 15 years working for financial institutions and learned underrepresented communities often had

the most barriers to financial education.

“I faced barriers and challenges growing up, not knowing what [I wanted] to do with my life,” she says. “That’s why I wanted to create a program that helps others learn what they want to do with theirs.”

When creating her nonprofit, Ouk says she sometimes felt she was looked down upon. She has plenty of stories of racist and sexist comments she received while networking, including people who tried to convince her starting a nonprofit was too difficult.

contractors to hire women and people of color.

“It takes a toll on your mental health, and your confidence and energy,” she says.

She says seeking out other women who faced similar situations helped her overcome those feelings and focus on her end goals.

“My goal is to … bring together the private, public and nonprofit sectors to solve issues in our community. The more we collaborate, the better our community and economy will be.

She says conNEXTions has 45 alums. As Ouk transitions away from the nonprofit to focus on her city job, she’s handing the reins to a previous conNEXTions mentor and mentee.

“I’m so proud that our participants are now running the organization,” she says.

Ouk started working for the city in 2019 in the Department of Civil Rights, where she certified small businesses, and businesses owned by women and people of color, and encouraged diverse hiring practices, such as getting employers and

Her new role with the city’s Economic Development Division allows her to build and grow relationships on a city-wide scale. As the Office of Business Resources manager, she implements programs and policies that help women and people of color create generational wealth. She also reviews current policies to ensure they are equitable and accessible to underrepresented community members.

She helped start the City of Madison’s Pop-Up Shop Program, which fills vacant storefronts with pop-up businesses owned by people of color, and promotes programs like the Commercial Ownership Assistance Program and Contracting Equity.

“My goal is to … bring together the private, public and nonprofit sectors to solve issues in our community,” she says. “The more we collaborate, the better our community and economy will be. ”

What advice would you give to other women leaders?

“Speak your mind, share your ideas with people and build relationships. And then give back. Those are what made me successful.”

SHALICIA JOHNSON

To learn more about how Courtney and her team can help you, visit JohnsonFinancialGroup.com/my-financial-priorities

Finding Your Professional Superpower

BY JESSICA STEINHOFF

It all started with an apartment.

Betty Harris Custer was living with her parents while attending UW–Madison. She had wanted to attend college out of state, but it was out of reach financially. At the very least, she wanted a place to call her own.

“My dad said I had a perfectly good bedroom in their house, so I found a way to work full-time while going to school full-time to be able to live on my own,” she recalls.

People who know the founder and managing partner of Custer Financial Services might say, “I’m not surprised she pulled that off. She’s Wonder Woman.” But she’s a real woman with real problems that can’t be solved with a lasso.

Custer fell ill while trying to be superhuman. She had to put school on hold and move back in with her parents to recuperate. To save up for her next apartment, she got a job at a financial services firm.

“I had never thought about financial services as a career. I thought I was going to be a journalist,” she says. “When I returned to college, I stayed on part-time and eventually rose to the role of training director for new financial planners. My boss said, ‘If you’re going to work this hard, you should become a planner yourself.’”

When she turned 22, Custer decided to give it a shot. The next step was taking a psychological test. When she called the testing company to schedule it, they told her they’d never tested a woman before. This was 1971. Being seen as a curiosity was common for women in the field.

Custer passed the test, but not with flying colors, much to her manager’s surprise. He put on his detective hat and called the testing company.

“He asked why I’d received such a low rating, and they told him I was off the charts for empathy, which was viewed in a negative light at the time,” she says.

Thankfully, her boss could see the value of empathy and let her do the job. Before long, she was racking up

accolades and making history — first as one of Wisconsin’s first women in the profession, then as the first woman in a leadership role in the eight-state region she oversaw as a regional vice president for Investors Life. Then she became one of the first women in a regional CEO role for Lincoln Financial Group.

The professional milestone that brings her the most pride, however, is launching Custer Financial Services, which creates customized plans that help families save for retirement, manage their investments or prepare a small business for the future. Custer started it 41 years ago, when she was almost eight months pregnant with her first child.

“I wanted to spend time with my child, and I didn’t want to do a lot of traveling,” she says. “I knew that starting my own business could offer me that flexibility.”

Custer used her relationships from a previous venture — Personal Planning Services, a two-year partnership with a former colleague — to build the new business.

That colleague’s belief in her, and his willingness to give her an equal stake in the company, helped her thrive when critics assumed she was too young, too green or too female to steer the ship.

“I was 24 years old at that point, so quite a few men in our professional circles had questions,” she recalls. “One time someone asked him, ‘Why are you giving her 50% of the company when you’re bringing in all the clients?’ He told them, ‘I can’t do this without her. She knows how to do the work and does it better than almost anyone.’”

The pair started by working with stockbrokers and branched out to serve clients from the Medical College of Wisconsin, UW–Madison and other powerful institutions.

“Some of my clients from back then are still my clients today,” she says.

Over time, Custer Financial Services has evolved to meet the needs of a changing population and economic landscape. There are many more women

in professional roles, including leadership positions, and they have more assets than ever before. Plus, there are new sources of worry — inflation and the rising costs of housing and education, to name a few — that can complicate financial decision-making.

Though Custer isn’t Wonder Woman, she says empathy is a superpower when it comes to helping people navigate change and manage these kinds of worries. It’s essential for building relationships that stand the test of time.

“Many women have the gift of empathy, which is why many women make fantastic financial planners,” she adds. “It’s one of the most important qualities a person can have.”

What would you tell a young woman starting her career?

“I’d tell her what a favorite teacher of mine told me in ninth grade: Be your own person. I grew up with an older sister who challenged me to work hard and succeed, as she was very bright and led the way. Today I’m more aware that I don’t have to compare myself to others to be successful, and that being my best self is a better goal.”

Taking a Bite Out of Success

BY JANE HOUSEAL

Find a group or a company that you believe in, and work from there,” says CC Jacob.

Jacob, who is art director for Food Fight Restaurant Group, the Madison-based restaurant group with 17 Madison establishments, does everything from creating logos to designing menus for the company. The details that make many of Food Fight’s eateries special can be credited to her artistic touches.

Food Fight’s diverse portfolio of restaurants includes casual dining spot Canteen and the more upscale Cento, among others. Jacob personally worked on the design and development for Canteen, helping to craft its vibrant atmosphere.

She says behind Food Fight’s success is

a team with incredible devotion to the job and each other.

“It is really easy to show up every day and work hard and do my best to provide a product that [Food Fight] needs to help with their success,” Jacob says. “They also felt invested in me and wanted me to succeed, so it was a mutually-ensured success.”

Restaurant ownership in general is still a male-dominated industry. And although Food Fight was founded by Monty Schiro and Peder Moren back in 1994, current CEO Caitlin Suemnicht has worked for the company for 21 years. She started with Food Fight as dining room manager at the now-closed Ocean Grill. (Suemnicht recently welcomed a baby girl.)

“We focus on inclusivity — it is something that is important to us,” Jacob says.

Jacob hopes that in the future, the rest of the food and beverage industry catches up and establishes more female-lead teams.

Although some could view a restaurant’s logo or menu design as oneoff details, Jacob sees her role with Food Fight much more holistically than that.

“My hope is that through the company, with my support, we leave the community a little better, a little happier than when we found it,” Jacob says. “We give people spaces where they can celebrate their life, whether it be their birthday or just a Tuesday. I think food in general is something of a celebration.”

What is the most memorable moment in your career?

“When I moved from being a designer up to being an art director. I felt that it was a stepping stone that was important for me to reach and I felt really good when I reached it.”

WAUNAKEE ARTISAN MARKET

Your Viewpoint Needs to Be Heard

BY SHAYNA MACE

For Ana Hooker, working at a company whose mission is to “eradicate cancer” has been an invigorating challenge. Yes, it’s a lofty goal, she admits — but Exact Sciences is making strides in their pursuit. Besides the company’s signature Cologuard colorectal cancer screening test, the company offers a portfolio of other screening products for breast and liver cancers. The company is also developing a multicancer blood test to detect multiple types of cancers at earlier stages through a single blood draw.

Hooker, who is the chief laboratory officer for the company, started at Exact Sciences in March 2013 after being recruited from a job she had overseeing an international genomics lab in Salt Lake City.

“[Coming to Exact Sciences] was an opportunity to play a role in population health, and a solution for something as significant as colon cancer was something that I felt was going to have a broad impact on my legacy as a lab professional,” explains Hooker. “When you look at population health, the other great story out there is cervical cancer. And I consider colon cancer screening as a similar parallel to cervical cancer screening. And [what we do] has the impact to truly change the trajectory of this disease.”

The Puerto Rican native oversees the company’s eight labs across the United States and Germany. As a woman of color in the STEM field, Hooker says that she’s certainly dealt with her share of workplace challenges throughout the years. But they’re not something she chooses to dwell on — she uses them as learning lessons.

“You have to take the risk and break the ice [in a conversation]. If you start thinking, ‘I’m not being understood,’ or, ‘I’m not being treated equally.’ Or, ‘I’m being spoken over,’ then you

start playing into that dynamic. If somebody’s overpowering the conversation, you insert yourself; you say your point. You say, ‘I need to finish that sentence.’

You cannot sit there apologetically in the corner and raise your hand. You don’t need to ask permission — you have a voice — use it! That’s OK.”

Equally important is having male allies in the workplace, she says. “Getting the support of the males in the room and getting them to understand your perspective [is important]. Then you start having a voice that’s heard and respected. Because you can be at the table, but your mic might be muted [as they say].”

“You cannot sit there apologetically in the corner and raise your hand. You don’t need to ask permission — you have a voice — use it! That’s OK.

The good news is that Hooker says the medical technology field has a lot of female representation, though she notes the balance is still tilted toward males in the medical diagnostics/ biotech areas.

“More women are getting accolades, visibility, being able to demonstrate their work. But again, it’s something that’s taken a long time to get there,” she says. “And now it’ll take several generations until we’re ‘fully’ integrated.”

Mistakes are good. Really!

“I have made so many mistakes in my career. I think mistakes are what make you, because for me, a mistake is a gift. It’s not a gift at the time it’s happening. Because at the time it’s happening, you’re in the moment, you’re stressed, it’s terrible. But I’ve learned to think of them as a gift, because they all have a lesson embedded in them, in some shape or form.”

How have you been able to achieve work-life balance?

“Well, I wish I could tell you that I’m this magic person that did such a great job (laughs). I missed a lot of things for my kids growing up. My husband works in higher education — he taught at a university — so he had more flexibility. So, we juggled. So, for me, this was a gift — but maybe not one that pays out for me. It pays out for my staff because now I’m very conscious of my employees and telling them family comes first. I tell them, ‘Please don’t sacrifice important family times. This can wait. If we cannot wait, we’ll figure out a way that we can accomplish both. But family is very important.’ So, that is a gift I can pay forward.”

Using a Low Point to Rise to the Top

BY CANDICE WAGENER

At the start of 2016, Darcy Luoma was living the entrepreneur’s dream. After five years (and thousands of hours) researching her Thoughtfully Fit model, she had finalized the concept. She was a sought-after speaker and life coach — and she was adding team members to her business.

But in March, her life took a hairpin turn. Her husband of 10 years (and stayat-home father to their two daughters) was arrested for the sexual assault of a minor he met online. Additional charges came later, and he would be convicted for possession of child pornography and sentenced to 10 years in prison.

“At the darkest hour of my life, when I was completely alone, I had to test-drive my model firsthand … that helped me to be able to help others through my story of

_DSC3398.jpg

resilience,” she recalls.

Contrary to the advice of her team and the PR firm handling crisis communications, she shared her story with BRAVA in the May 2019 issue. “I was scared to share when BRAVA reached out. Ultimately, I decided to because it was exhausting to try to live a secret.”

Despite fears she would derail her reputation and business by going public, the exact opposite happened.

things happening in their lives.”

“People reached out and said, ‘I need to hire you. I have a fill-in-the-blank [situation] and need your help,’” says Luoma. “People who reached out felt like ... they could share because there’s going to be no shame … people have really hard

The foundation of Luoma’s coaching practice, Thoughtfully Fit, is designed to support people through challenges. Having it as a tool in her own personal crisis was integral to moving her career — and her life — forward.

Wisconsin’s Newest Food & Shopping Destination

Luoma took a few months off from her business to heal. “It gave me the time to grieve and deal with the complete and utter chaos my life had become,” says Luoma. “I would not have been able to write the book, talk to you, give keynotes, [without going] through the process, giving myself permission to not have the strength for a while, to cry and be in therapy.”

“I

had to

figure out how to forgive … My life is better because of what I went through.

She went back to the drawing board on her book, including her personal story and how she used the model to persevere. Her story has become a fixture in her presentations, too. She and her daughters have forgiven her now ex-husband. Deeply understanding forgiveness has allowed new speaking opportunities for Luoma. She makes regular volunteer trips to a women’s prison in Denver, sharing her story and helping inmates reflect on their relationships.

“I have peace in my heart,” says Luoma. “None of us want to be defined by our worst moment. We’re so human and so flawed. For me it just became a non-negotiable; I had to figure out how to forgive … My life is better because of what I went through.”

Thoughtfully Fit Model

Similar to being physically fit, which makes day-to-day living easier, Luoma’s Thoughtfully Fit model builds resilience to overcome challenges. Pause: Kick off autopilot, avoid reacting impulsively.

Think: Ask thoughtful questions to engage awareness. “What are my choices?” “What does an ideal outcome look like?” “What’s triggering me?” Create new awareness and consider new perspectives.

Act: Consciously choose what you’re going to do and how to move forward.

Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone to Thrive

BY CANDICE WAGENER

Graduating with a bachelor’s degree as a medical technologist, Sue Erickson envisioned her career path in a laboratory setting. Today, Erickson is the COO at UnityPoint Health and celebrates a 33-year career within Meriter/UnityPoint Health. She credits mentorship, collaboration and getting uncomfortable for moving her career in unexpected directions.

It was just after earning her master’s degree in business from Edgewood College, which she intended to use to move up to a director position at the lab she was working in, that a mentor encouraged her to consider a director role at Meriter Home Health.

“I was hesitant to do it because it was moving out of where I was comfortable, but I think it was one of those growth experiences where you are really challenged to move away from the work that you’re the expert at into work where you really have to rely on the team around you and their skill set, and really lead in that space,” says Erickson.

From there, she moved into administrative roles at the hospital, eventually becoming CEO in 2018. She was well-positioned to help Meriter seek out partnerships, which led to the affiliation agreement with UnityPoint Health, as well as a stronger relationship with UW–Madison. This past summer

she was promoted to COO for UnityPoint Health, coordinating their hospital systems throughout the Midwest.

Despite improvements in leadership equity in the healthcare industry, Erickson was notably the first female CEO of Meriter in its 100-plus year history and is UnityPoint Health’s first female COO. The challenges of being the breakout female, says Erickson, are not due to external friction with colleagues but, rather, internal dialogue.

“It’s that imposter syndrome: ‘Am I good enough to do this job?’ Usually it’s not the people coming at me, it’s usually me coming at the role that I have to navigate through.”

There’s been unquestionable pressure to perform at a high rate of competence, given Erickson has led through both a pandemic and building strong partnerships for Meriter to thrive.

Her key tools include:

• Collaboration: both brainstorming ideas within her team and bouncing ideas off her mentors.

• Humility: adapting to being the leader of subject matter experts, not necessarily the expert.

• Open communication: leading with a flexible perspective, encouraging counterarguments to find the best solutions.

It’s not the career path she imagined, but she’s grateful she listened to her mentors and got uncomfortable.

“I used to work on the night shift as a medical technologist and now I’m working with nine different regions ... [my] career took a path on its own,” says Erickson. “Sometimes people see things in you that you don’t see within yourself. It’s okay to step up to those challenges ... It’s okay to be afraid and intimidated sometimes ... trust in yourself and know those are normal emotions that you’re going to go through.”

The Future of Madison’s Workforce is Female

BY SUE SVEUM

According to Fortune, only 8% of CEOs in the U.S. are women. Although these numbers continue to rise, we have a long way to go.

Attracting and retaining women — especially to executive and leadership positions — should be top of mind for companies. Fortunately, Madison does have a number of companies with female leaders. Here’s a glimpse into how they’ve successfully recruited and retained women to their ranks — and how they’re continuing to push these numbers.

UnityPoint Health – Meriter may

“There’s a longstanding history of women gravitating towards health care with many pathways to leadership roles.

— Shana Wuebben

find the task a little easier than most.

“There’s a longstanding history of women gravitating towards health care with many pathways to leadership roles,” says Shana Wuebben, vice president of human

resources. “Our workforce is comprised of 84% females in various health care occupations.” So it’s no surprise to find that the executive team at UPH-Meriter is 71% female. In fact, five of the seven executive-level positions are held by women. And recruiting for these roles has been no problem — they’ve all been promoted from within.

That’s no accident. “We’re fortunate to offer leadership opportunities for team members that have an interest in that track,” says Wuebben. “So, when we have those roles available, we first look to our internal team members seeking opportunities for growth.”

And that policy has also reaped rewards when recruiting externally — because their track record for providing growth opportunities within the organization is something women find attractive.

Promoting work-life balance through an on-site childcare program, as well as paid parental leave, adoption assistance and flexibility to plan time off when it works best, have also drawn women to the organization.

UPH-Meriter also offers a leadership development program and another that focuses on the needs of a diverse population — supporting employees’ personal and work lives, mental and emotional health, and financial wellbeing, while offering career growth and recognition.

“We recognize that we’re only a single part of our team members’ lives,” says Wuebben, “but we do our best to offer a variety of options that make working at Meriter fit well into their lives.”

Notable Madison employer American

Family Insurance, whose campus is on the city’s east side, not only has a number of female executives in its C-suite (though its CEO is not female), it offers many advancement and mentoring programs specifically for women at the company.

“At American Family, we have a purposeful strategy to advance and develop the women in the company. There are formal and informal opportunities to reach woman to be able to customize their development to support their personal career goals,” says spokesperson Janet Masters.

American Family has sponsored over 200 women at the Women In Leadership Institute, a global summit with learning opportunities, keynotes and individualized leadership action plans for women. Since 2020, they’ve also partnered with Building Brave, which is an online mentoring platform and mentoring community for women. It provides a virtual “connection point” for women in the company to seek and share advice and guidance. (Building Brave was founded by Mary Burke, a BRAVA Woman to Watch.) High-potential women can also participate in Mettacool’s Collective Advancement Academy, an intensive 12-month leadership program for women with complex or leadership roles with the company. And, a Women’s Business Resource Group offers an array of programs and events for employees in a number of areas, including career development.

According to Renee Moe, president and CEO of United Way of Dane County, nonprofits are a sector that traditionally see more women in the workforce. “Our

organization attracts individuals that have a passion for their work,” she says, crediting their recruiting success to a meaningful and measurable mission, strong and family-friendly work culture, and competitive salaries with strong benefits.

“While these are not unique to women, much of our work assists and benefits women and children — making it appealing to strong and talented individuals,” she says. “In our case, many of them happen to be women!”

Moe stresses however, that having a diverse team is critical to achieving their mission in uniting the community. “We strive to ensure all staff can grow in their roles through training and opportunities to engage with the community and other partners,” she says. “Our team members are fortunate to have access to volunteers and partners across the community — providing some very inspiring and effective professional development.” United Way’s retention rate is a very strong 80%.

“Good benefits such as health care, maternity leave, daycare and hybrid work schedules also contribute to a good workplace for women.

— Saran Ouk

“A good workplace for women is ideally a good workplace for every staff member,” stresses Moe. “People want to be challenged in their work, recognized

for their efforts and outcomes, and know their efforts are making a difference. We work to provide that.”

Saran Ouk, Office of Business Resources manager for the City of Madison’s Economic Development Division, agrees, adding that a good workplace for women is one where they can feel free to speak their minds, share ideas and be heard. “Good benefits such as healthcare, maternity leave, daycare and hybrid work schedules also contribute to a good workplace for women,” she says.

Ouk credits recruiting as a big reason for women holding various leadership roles with the city. Their success in recruiting is due to job descriptions that are inclusive along with promoting positions to organizations or groups that work with women. And when it comes to retaining women, she says professional development training and a positive work culture for women are responsible.

Ouk brings her experience as founder of the nonprofit conNEXTions — focused on helping women and people of color achieve their career goals — to her current role. “When working with women, especially women of color, we have to understand the barriers they face,” she explains. “Lower confidence, lower pay, discrimination, etc.”

“The city has taken steps and is continuously reviewing our programs and policies to ensure that we’re eliminating barriers for women to apply and get the job,” says Ouk. “For me personally, having women in leadership roles who are mentors plays a huge role.”

The People Company Consulting Group is a diversity, equity and inclusion consultancy that provides organizational training and diversity practitioner certification. Founder and chief consultant Deborah Biddle looks for people who embody their mission of “helping people think better, be better and do better.”

“Women are especially attracted to our company because of that mission,” she explains.

Because of their consulting services, Biddle says it’s important to model what they’re encouraging other organizations to do.

“We intentionally seek out partners who are women and people of color to support them as part of the entrepreneurial ecosystem of diversity,”

“We intentionally seek out partners who are women and people of color to support them as part of the entrepreneurial ecosystem of diversity.

— Deborah Biddle

she explains, adding that 66% of their executive team is female. “We can speak authentically about the benefits of having a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, multigenerational, multi-gender team.”

She points out that women are often caught in the double-bind of being expected to work hard and be successful — but not too successful. Other times, women feel that to fit in better, they need to be more like men. “We’re criticized if we’re too emotional — and if we’re too harsh,” says Biddle. “That results in confusing messaging about how to succeed.”

But a good work environment goes a long way toward attracting, retaining — and helping women succeed — in leadership roles. So, what makes for a good workplace? Biddle offers these tenets:

• Empower women to develop and excel.

• Provide flexible work options that may better fit their lifestyle.

• Train and educate leaders about gender bias in the workplace.

• Assess the work environment to identify and eliminate ways women are at risk of stereotypic bias.

Good employers know that girls — and women — don’t just want to have fun. They want to make a difference, be appreciated — and maintain a healthy work-life balance. That’s what makes work fun.

JULIE MCDERMOTT, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

An Unexpected Path to Leadership

When Julie McDermott began her accounting career, she never imagined she’d be where she is now. “As someone who has always worked with numbers, a law firm wasn’t even on my radar,” she says.

After working in banking for over 20 years, Julie joined Boardman Clark as a paralegal, then soon transitioned to become the firm’s Accounting Manager. Now, as Executive Director, her unexpected path has proven invaluable. “My job touches all areas of the firm, and I wouldn’t have the perspective I do now without my experiences in prior positions.”

Julie’s responsibility as Executive Director is to lead the different management teams, including human resources, accounting, administrative support, and others. “It’s also my job to provide strategic vision to the Partners by developing, recommending, and deploying effective solutions for the changing needs of the firm,” Julie explains. Her day-to-day, effective, and kind management allows attorneys to focus their time on their clients and leads the supporting departments to success. As a large and continually growing firm, having a leader like Julie is essential.

BOARDMAN CLARK

Madison, WI

608.257.9521

jmcdermott@boardmanclark.com

boardmanclark.com

Though not in her job description, she keeps employees connected with pizza parties, happy hours and other fun engagement opportunities. The pandemic brought a new hybrid work environment to Boardman Clark, and Julie knows that keeping employees safely connected, and thoroughly supported, is critical to maintaining the positive culture throughout the firm.

On days she’s not in her downtown office, she’s taking her family on day trips to different destinations around the wonderful state of Wisconsin.

DEPUTY H. KRUCKENBERG, DEPUTY L. CLARK, LIEUTENANT H. GARDNER,

DETECTIVE

E.

ALLEN, DETECTIVE J. BOEHNEN AND TRAINING DEPUTY H. STUDNICKA

Law Enforcement: A Woman’s Career

DANE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE

115 W. Doty St. Madison, WI 53703

608.284.6174

teamdane.com

30x30initiative.org

Women have been significantly underrepresented in policing since the profession’s founding. Research shows that women officers, on average, rely less on physical force, more on communication and respond more effectively to violence against women. It’s simple: In order to serve and represent our community more effectively, law enforcement needs more women officers. At the Dane County Sheriff’s Office, women represent 21% of all sworn employees, 9% higher than the national average. We also surpass the national average of women officers in supervisory positions by 26%.

In an effort to increase the amount of women in law enforcement, the Dane County Sheriff’s Office has signed the 30x30 Pledge. Through decades of research, the Policing Project at the NYU School of Law created the 30x30 Initiative with the goal of increasing the representation of women in police recruit classes to 30% by 2030, and to ensure police policies and culture intentionally support the success of qualified women officers throughout their careers. With the help and direction of the 30x30 Initiative, the Dane County Sheriff’s Office is dedicated to improving internal culture and implementing strategies and solutions to advance women in policing. The Sheriff’s Office offers a competitive salary, excellent benefits, paid time off, educational incentives, and tremendous opportunity for career growth. For more information on employment opportunities, visit: teamdane.com or contact the DCSO Recruiter, Deputy Carrie Tobias at Tobias.Carrie@danesheriff.com

For Spaces That Are Uniquely Yours

Deb Corning is the owner of DC Interiors & Renovations, a designbuild firm, and Décor, a home goods store featuring the latest in trends and styles, located in Fitchburg. Launching the business in 2001 as a design firm, Deb quickly saw an opportunity to expand her services and has since added general contracting to her offerings and grown her team to meet the needs of her clients.

DC INTERIORS & RENOVATIONS

3000 Cahill Main, Suite 215

Fitchburg, WI 53711

608.444.0571

info@dcinteriorsllc.com

dcinteriorsllc.com

As a designer, Deb and her team work closely with homeowners, listening to them and designing solutions that create living spaces full of personality, enhancing the way they live.

Seeking new and creative ways to accommodate her clients takes excellent communication not only with the homeowner but with all her team. Deb and her team work tirelessly to make sure that everyone is heard and understood before moving on to the next step of a project.

Deb, an award-winning designer, and her associate, Alana Barrera, have completed hundreds of beautiful projects which can be viewed on houzz.com and on their website at DCInteriorsllc.com

In September of 2019, Deb opened Décor, a home goods store that offers beautiful and unique accessories and gifts for the welldressed home. Manager Melissa Corning stages the space to help customers visualize the way items will look in their home. Explore the store any time of year, but be sure to visit during the holidays, when decorations and gifts adorn the store transforming it into a Winter Wonderland.

ALANA BARRERA, INTERIOR DESIGNER, DEB CORNING, INTERIOR DESIGNER & GENERAL CONTRACTOR, PRINCIPAL, MELISSA CORNING, DECOR SALES AND EVENT MANAGER

Building the Future

As an industry leader and innovator in construction, Dawn McIntosh is not your typical general contractor. As owner of CLE Consulting LLC, her company earned the 2021 Builder of the year Award. CLE Consulting LLC is a local, woman-owned design/build firm. “Following my passion of designing and building homes has led me to enjoy the challenging world of the construction industry,” says McIntosh.

Founder of the Women in Construction Industry group of WI, McIntosh empowers women to compete in what once was a male-dominated industry. “I have experienced more woman joining the construction industry and embracing their careers over the last five years than in my 35-plus years in the industry.”

CLE specializes in aging in place design, which incorporates safety features and products to help people stay in their homes. “I enjoy working with my clients to design the best spaces for their needs — the key is planning for the future. Whether I am working on custom home build or a first-time home buyer’s project, I get the joy and pride of helping design my clients dream projects! Listening to my clients’ needs is one of my key strengths.”

McIntosh is a community leader and volunteer. She serves on the Wisconsin Area Builder’s Association board of directors, the Madison Area Builder’s Association board of directors and is a Building Contractor Representative for the governor-appointed Uniform Dwelling Code Council. “I am investing in the industry that I have a passion for and love the work I do,” says McIntosh.

CLE CONSULTING

8155 Forsythia St., Ste. 170, Middleton, WI 53563 608.515.3548

dawn@cleconsultingllc.com cleconsultingllc.com

WOMEN IN BUSINESS

We Do Weird Well

What may seem an unlikely tagline for a general contractor is what drew Carole J. Schaeffer to Friede & Associates. They take pride in tackling projects that may need a little extra creativity. Known for extensive work in hospitality and waterparks, Friede brings imagination to any commercial or residential project.

“I work with clients who are great at what they do, but may never have done a commercial construction project.” Schaeffer says. “We work from inception to completion and frequently assist our clients with land acquisition, obtaining financing, and the permitting and approval process.”

Schaeffer’s commitment to creating great communities extends beyond buildings. She serves on the boards of directors for the Salvation Army of Dane County, NAIOP, Wisconsin Latino Chamber of Commerce, Smart Growth Greater Madison, Mundo Esperanza and the Madison Symphony Orchestra. She also co-founded the Madison Downtowners.

Being a connector fits in well with the ethos at Friede, Schaeffer explains. “We are committed to cooperatively, transparently, and creatively working with our clients to get their projects across the finish line.”

FRIEDE & ASSOCIATES

122 W. Washington Ave., Suite 105 Madison, WI 53703

608.768.9814

cjschaeffer@friede.com friede.com

CAROLE J SCHAEFFER

DAWN MCINTOSH

Providing Entrepreneurs With a Competitive Edge

At Berndt CPA LLC, everything we do is focused on giving entrepreneurs and small business owners a competitive edge. We’ve reinvented the accounting model to help you better manage daily operations and provide you with the insight required to boost productivity and profitability.

Accurate and timely accounting data, coupled with expert guidance from our team, are necessary to any successful business or personal financial situation. Let the Berndt CPAs team provide you with dedicated accounting and advisory services to help you meet your goals.

You will collaborate with our expert team to design a customized plan that supports your unique business. We offer a full range of services with the expertise you require. We welcome you to review our comprehensive suite of professional services:

• Outsourced Accounting Comprehensive Business & Tax Consulting

•

JOYCE PETERSON, JORDON OLSON, KRISTIN MCDANIEL, ALICIA GREER, MIRANDA REUTER, KATHY SANDRIDGE, VICTORIA THAYER, SHARI KASSUBE, MEGAN WILKINS, CARRIE MORSE, JONI KEEHN, MEGAN KASHUR

YOUR FAMILY LAW CENTER

152 W. Johnson St., Ste. 210 Madison, WI 53703

608.819.6800

121 E. Racine St. Jefferson, WI 53549

920.675.9040

Your Family is Our Focus

The preeminent, top-rated, experienced lawyers at Your Family Law Center offer compassionate and zealous advocacy in our clients’ family law matters, whether that be a divorce, legal separation, paternity, change of custody or placement, stepparent adoption, grandparent’s rights, guardianship, child or spousal support.

Our team is dedicated to helping our clients obtain results that reduce trauma for children and are in their best interest, while also protecting our client’s rights and assets. Many clients are satisfied with and prefer results from settlement, whether through mediation or alternative dispute resolution — but our lawyers are prepared to fight in court if that is what the case demands. We have obtained successful results in courts throughout the state as well as at the appellate level.

We are reputable attorneys doing remarkable work for our clients. Read about our accomplishments or reviews on martindale.com, superlawyers.com, avvo.com. or yourfamilylawcenter.com.

“Family Law: It’s all we do!”

WOMEN

IN BUSINESS

Your Personal Color and Style Consultant

Have you ever stood in front of your closet full of clothes and thought, “I have nothing to wear”?

House of Colour Madison is a locally-owned franchise offering color and style analysis for anyone who is interested in looking their best. We simplify getting dressed each morning and make shopping fun and simple.

A Personal Color Consultation is a one-and-a-half to two-hour service that uses a sophisticated process and the principles of color science to discover your color season. You will leave with a palette of colors personalized to you.

We also use Carl Jung’s basic body archetypes to help dictate what style of clothing will naturally look better on you — which helps create a wardrobe that reflects confidence, trustworthiness, authority and beauty.

House of Color

HOUSE OF COLOR

8383 Greenway Blvd., Ste. 625 Middleton, WI 53562

608.698.9557

lisapretto.com

GINGER L. MURRAY, BOARD CHAIR - MEGAN E. CORNING, PRESIDENT

WOMEN IN BUSINESS

Woman-Led for Over 30 Years

The Norman Fletchall Team at RBC Wealth Management has provided financial guidance for families for three generations with a woman at the helm.

We believe women have super-powers like:

Making people feel seen, heard and understood

• Going above and beyond to get things done for our clients and making money management less complicated

• Taking a client’s financial goals and then developing a plan to assist in achieving them together

Helping clients optimize their lives now, while planning for a financially secure future

• Providing approachable financial advice without industry jargon or excessive charts

• Proactively reaching out to give perspective and actionable next steps when things feel uncertain

Building relationships across generations to help the people who are most important to our clients — kids, grandkids, friends, siblings, parents, neighbors or co-workers

Investing in the strength of our community through volunteerism and nonprofit board leadership

Changing the face of financial services through mentorship and the advancement of women

If you are interested in working with a team committed to knowing you the best we can, providing personalized advice, and empowering you to make informed financial decisions, we look forward to hearing from you.

RBC Wealth Management, a division of RBC Capital Markets, LLC, Member NYSE/FINRA/SIPC

BETH NORMAN

Protecting Your Future and Loved Ones Through Thoughtful Planning

Whatever stage of life you are in or your life’s destination, Krueger Hernandez & Thompson SC, will protect your legacy, family, business and wealth. Located in Middleton, Wisconsin, owner and attorney Stephanie Thompson proudly immerses herself in her clients and community.

It is extremely important to have a professional assist through the process of creating a legacy plan. Stephanie excels in guiding her clients through the often-confusing maze of financial and legal decisions. This can only be accomplished by creating plans that ensure the well-being of families and preserving assets for future generations. Our commitment to the community goes beyond our legal practice. We are real lawyers for real people.

8215 Greenway Blvd. Ste. 590 Middleton, WI 53562

608.824.9540

stephanie@khtlawyers.com khtlawyers.com

Locally-Made, Artisan Skin Care

Luminous Rose, a local skincare brand, was founded by Maria Henry in 2018. The sole proprietress, she formulates all products in small batches. For years she studied herbs and how they are beneficial for skin and hair health, along with overall wellness. She trained in Organic Skin Care Science and Hair Care Formulation and follows standards of the European Union. Maria’s personal ethics have driven her to formulate with ingredients that are ECOs and COSMOS-certified, focusing on plant-based products.

Her customers reach out to her with concerns like acne, rosacea and aging skin along with various hair issues. Because of her education, she is able to offer custom guidance. Nourishing butters and botanical extracts offer the support needed to help heal skin. Maria’s customers will share results, proof that plants truly are magical.

A piece of Maria shows up in every aspect of Luminous Rose. Her heart extends beyond being a “business owner.” Sharing her own journey connects Maria on a more intimate level with her customers. She truly loves helping people feel their best.

LUMINOUS ROSE

Columbus, WI 53925

hello@luminousrosebeauty.com

luminousrosebeauty.com

@luminousrosebeauty

STEPHANIE A. THOMPSON, ATTORNEY

MARIA HENRY, OWNER

Meet Madison’s Skincare Experts

Lasting SkinSolutions is a locally-owned Medical Aesthetic Clinic that has been serving the Madison area communities since 1999. Kim Schuchardt, PA, founded the clinic, and along with her team of friendly and supportive professionals, specializes in a wide variety of skin rejuvenation and wellness services to make her clients look and feel their best as they age.

The Lasting SkinSolutions team is dedicated to creating a comfortable, relaxing experience to those they are treating as well as assisting clients to address diverse issues including sagging skin, wrinkles, sun damage, melasma, rosacea, mole removal, body contouring, hormone replacement therapy and more. Combining their experience with the latest equipment and innovative techniques, the team at Lasting SkinSolutions is able to create a customized approach for each individual and achieve the most natural look possible.

LASTING SKINSOLUTIONS

2981 Yarmouth Greenway Dr. Fitchburg, WI 53711

608.661.0000

lastingskinsolutions.com

Schedule your complimentary consultation today to start your journey to discover your true potential!

Testimonial:

“Because of the skill with which Lasting SkinSolutions provided these treatments, I now look more refreshed and feel confident! I look like myself, only refreshed. Lasting SkinSolutions has given me a second wind and I’m so thankful I found them. Take care of yourself! You are the only one who can.”

ELISE LIEN, KEELY WENDT, KIM SCHUCHARDT, SARAH STELLINO, MELISSA PERKINS

MADE IN THE SHADE

Madison, WI

608.334.8022

leah.herro@madeintheshadewi.com

We Bring the Showroom to You

Are your windows in need of a new covering? Leah Herro and the Made in the Shade team can help you find the perfect solution within your budget.

The Made in the Shade team is available to come to your home for a complimentary consultation, offering flexibility to work within your schedule. During her visit she will take measurements, bring samples and offer creative custom solutions that meet your goals in terms of aesthetic, functionality and budget.

Made in the Shade is locally owned, and offers a variety of custom blinds, shades, shutters and other treatments.

Contact Leah to learn more about the beautiful and affordable window treatment options available through Made in the Shade.

SOUL SEED STRATEGY

Amber Swenor

amber@soul-seed.com

www.soul-seed.com

Engaging Authenticity for Personal Joy and Career Success

Authenticity is not a buzzword, it’s a courageous act that creates greater joy, freedom and success. And that’s something that Amber Swenor is passionate about helping more people to experience.

As a certified transformational coach and strategist, Amber helps people live into their vision for authenticity in their own lives and leadership. She’s particularly passionate about helping business leaders to thrive with alignment between purpose, profits and positioning strategy.

Her company, Soul Seed Strategy, provides hands-on strategic partnership to help business leaders strengthen their leadership and their business operations.

Her book is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today best-seller: “Unleashed: A Been-There Rocked-that Guide to Radical Life and Business.”

Work with Amber and her team to accelerate your business growth, partner as a speaker at your next event, or attend Unleashed Live to support your personal transformation, her annual retreat from home experience coming up Oct. 6-8.

LEAH HERRO

AMBER SWENOR

FRONT ROW: LIZ DEIHS, CHIEF EXPERIENCE OFFICER; HOLLY HEUER, CHIEF TALENT OFFICER; JENNIFER MOOTZ, VICE PRESIDENT RETAIL BANKING AND CONSUMER LENDING; SHAUNA GNORSKI, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER; AND KARLA TYDRICH, VICE PRESIDENT MORTGAGE OPERATIONS. BACK ROW: TERESA MAZURE, VICE PRESIDENT COMPLIANCE; KRISTINA ANDERSON, VICE PRESIDENT ENTERPRISE REPORTING ANALYTICS AND COMMERCIAL LENDING ADMINISTRATION; SHELLEY EDGINGTON, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT RETAIL BANKING; CARRIE SCHRAEDER, VICE PRESIDENT RETAIL BANKING MANAGER, AND HEATHER TYLER,VICE PRESIDENT MARKETING.;

Feel-Good Banking – Women Leaders at OCB Provide Feel-Good Leadership

One Community Bank (OCB) is a locally-owned, full-service bank, offering Feel Good Banking at ten locations. OCB is a modern, progressive, and forward-leaning bank, focused on serving their clients, supporting their colleagues, and investing in their communities. The talented women on the team are committed to ensuring their mission is clear and are working to make OCB the best billion-dollar bank in the world.

“We’re proud to have strong women at OCB and grateful for the leadership they provide us” remarks Steve Peotter, President and Chief Executive Officer. “They are inspiring to everyone in the organization. And we greatly appreciate their talents and commitment.”

Every decision at One Community Bank is made by bankers who work and live in your community. They also pride themselves on volunteering in your community and cheering on your teams. Community is their middle name, and it is something they take seriously.

“The women leaders at OCB make a significant impact on our organization, provide thought leadership, and lead key teams across the organization,” beams Jeff Versluys, Executive Vice President and Chief Retail Officer.

While the banking industry has evolved, OCB has not wavered from their guiding principle — to give clients everything they want and need in a bank. It is their motivation to come to work every day, and why they have loyal colleagues and clients. Feel Good Banking is deeply rooted in their culture.

“The OCB women leaders are executing OCB’s strategic vision on a daily basis through their collective diversity of thought, energy, and authenticity,” says Shauna Gnorski, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. “I am honored to be a part of this incredible group of women and an organization that empowers its leaders in this manner.”

January/February 2023 issue.

BY ANNIE ROSEMURGY

EDITED BY SHAYNA MACE

PHOTOGRAPHY BY HILLARY SCHAVE

When you think of the term “human trafficking,” what comes to mind? Perhaps you envision a flyer posted in a gas station bathroom or airport, with a number to call or text if you’re being held against your will. Or maybe it feels like a far-flung problem that you’ve heard about in passing, but it’s not really happening here — is it?

The stark reality is that human trafficking, which is defined as the illegal trade of humans against their will for the purposes of sexual exploitation or forced labor, is happening in our area — and a number of experts and nonprofits can speak to its prevalence locally.

“Human trafficking occurs in cities, suburbs and rural areas; it is a statewide issue,” says City of Madison Police Department (MPD) sensitive crimes detective Shannon Siirila.

The issue is significant enough that Wisconsin law enforcement agencies, including the MPD, the Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigation and the FBI office in Madison each employ a full-time detective to work human trafficking cases. Siirila adds that just recently, the Dane County Sherriff’s Office also added a full-time human trafficking detective.

The goal of human traffickers is to take advantage of individual vulnerabilities to exploit others for monetary gain.

“Trafficked individuals are under the control of another,” explains Siirila, “[and are] coerced to engage in commercial sex or labor for money or something of value through force, fraud and threats.”

It’s a complex issue, says Diane Hanson, founder of United Madison, a cause marketing nonprofit that has studied the issue and held a panel discussion with local experts on the topic this past April. United Madison chose the topic for a multifaceted public service campaign (unitedmadison.com/ trafficking) because of its increasing presence in Madison.

According to Hanson, there are

multiple ways that traffickers exert control over someone who is being victimized*. In the beginning, a person who has been victimized is led to believe that the trafficker is taking care of them and fulfilling their needs, providing food or shelter, for example. As the relationship evolves, traffickers will use control tactics such as threatening the person’s family members, access to addictive substances or stealing their identification documents to keep the trafficking relationship going.

The caveat is, much like sexual assault, experts agree that it’s an underreported crime, and current statistics don’t reflect the “real” numbers. Even more difficult is that some people being victimized don’t realize they’re being trafficked. However, as people who work with human trafficking survivors can testify, it’s a much bigger problem locally than most people recognize — and it extracts a profound toll on people caught in its grips.

*The terms “people being victimized” and “trafficking survivors” are used interchangeably throughout this story. Human trafficking experts note the term “victim” isn’t the preferred terminology, but this is still evolving. The word “victim” is used in direct quotes throughout from anyone who was interviewed and used that term.

Shannon Siirila

“It’s a Problem in Our Own Community”

Detective Siirila has a friendly face, yet authoritative presence. She’s dressed casually, in a black top and blazer, with her badge showing. It’s clear that in her 24 years on the police force, she’s seen it all — and not much can throw her off.

During an April 2022 panel discussion in Madison on human trafficking, Siirila talks about a case that she worked six years ago. She was investigating the sexual assault of a teenager in Madison, which was also a human trafficking case. After describing the extremely sad twist of events in the case, Siirila pauses and becomes visibly upset, shaking her head. (Siirila says out of respect to the victim’s family, she prefers BRAVA not share more detail about the case.) She looks at the audience, simply stating that human trafficking is happening — right here in our city. Siirila says the case still haunts her today.

“[That case] was life-altering,” says Siirila when we speak to her again in late July. “And unfortunately, we

have so many cases like that. People don’t realize what a problem we have. There wouldn’t be a full-time detective working for the city if [human trafficking] wasn’t such a problem.”

Susan Alan-Lee, forensic nurse examiner at UnityPoint Health –Meriter in Madison, agrees. “It’s convenient to think of trafficking as something that only exists somewhere else and only happens to someone else,” she says. Alan-Lee says that UnityPoint’s forensic nurse examiner

“It’s convenient to think of trafficking as something that only exists somewhere else and only happens to someone else.”

— Susan Alan-Lee

program serves anywhere between 450-650 patients in Madison — though patients may be from outside of the area as well.

Typically, patients are seen by a forensic nurse examiner if they are a victim of a crime or sexual assualt — or suspected human trafficking. Alan-Lee says that UnityPoint sees people who have been trafficked “monthly.” In fact, she says that 50% of people who have been victimized encounter the health care system while being trafficked. It could be that they have contracted a sexually transmitted disease, or are simply in poor health due to lack of resources from being under a trafficker’s control.

During the human trafficking panel discussion, Alan-Lee recounts how a local trafficking survivor kept getting dropped off at the ER close to death several times. It turned out the person being victimized had type 1 diabetes, and they would “work” for a while under their trafficker without getting proper medical attention. Then they would become so ill again their

Susan Alan-Lee

trafficker would drop them off at the ER to obtain medical attention. The person would be nursed back to health, leave the hospital and the cycle would begin again. (Alan-Lee says every time this particular person being victimized came in, staff did share resources with them about how to obtain help, if they wanted it.)

Due to what she sees on a daily, and monthly, basis, Alan-Lee confirms: “It’s now coming to light that human trafficking is not somebody else’s problem — it’s a problem occurring in our own community that we need to face.”

A Shadowy Enterprise

In 2019 the Bureau of Justice Statistics registered 614 national prison admissions for a trafficking offense. In Wisconsin, The Human Trafficking Hotline (humantraffickinghotline.org) reported 337 contacts in 2020 with 97 trafficking reports on file. Most people being trafficked are women, and most of the cases involve sex trafficking. But again, experts agree these statistics are woefully underreported.

So if the problem is so significant, why do the numbers fail to capture the scale of this crime? For one, Siirila says that many cases are actually reported as something other than human trafficking, but upon further investigation, may turn out to be a trafficking case.

“Everybody wants stats [on this], but it’s difficult to do this because it may go under … being identified as something other than human trafficking. But if you’re working these cases [like we are] — you know it’s underreported,”

she explains. “In some cases [this is] because of threats made to the victim by the trafficker. [For example] if a police officer is answering a disturbance call, the victim may be fearful to talk to the police, and as a result it will be unreported, or reported as something other than human trafficking. But the number of trafficking cases is not an accurate reflection [currently] due to so many variables.”

Jan Miyasaki of Madison’s Project Respect, a nonprofit that assists trafficking survivors, says that a 2017 change in Wisconsin law means that some human trafficking cases are being identified and tracked, but these statistics do not come close to representing the true stats.

“Even with the new law, there is no mandated, centralized reporting on human trafficking,” says Miyasaki, which she says remains a significant impediment to understanding the true scale of the issue.

“There are so many barriers to understanding the true scale of

trafficking locally,” agrees Hanson, “but we do know that there are 150-200 ads placed every day [online] selling sex here in Madison, and most of those involve an individual being forced or coerced.” (Essentially, a trafficker is selling the “services” of the person being victimized in the ad.)

Hanson says that increasingly, health care settings are a crucial place to identify people being trafficked. She says that new screening measures are being developed and tested in local health care settings with the goal of understanding the scope of the issue so resources can be best utilized to support those being victimized. With some simple changes to patient evaluation protocols and interview questions, clinic and inpatient health care staff can identify more people who have been victimized. Staff can then connect them to health care resources, such as a forensic nursing team, for further assistance.

“We do know that there are 150-200 ads placed every day [online] selling sex here in Madison, and most of those involve an individual being forced or coerced.”

— Diane Hanson

“There are so many reasons sexual violence and trafficking goes unreported,” says Missy Mael, coexecutive director of the RCC Sexual Violence Resource Center (formerly known as the Rape Crisis Center, or RCC) in Madison. “In some cases, the survivor doesn’t even realize that what they are experiencing is trafficking at all. They think they are in a romantic relationship with someone who is giving them love and attention and fulfilling basic needs that parents or

other caregivers might not have been previously filling.”

Alan-Lee agrees. “Traffickers are often good at what they do,” she says. “Traffickers make their victims feel like no one else understands them and the only way to survive is to stay with the person who is abusing them. Then there are all the logistics needed to establish a [post-trafficking] safe life: housing, a job, transportation, medical care. Victims of trafficking face an uphill battle.”

Those who are being trafficked often feel a heavy burden of embarrassment and self-doubt, making them less likely to come forward.

“Victims feel a lot of guilt and shame. Victim-blaming, along with abysmal conviction rates, makes it seemingly hopeless for survivors,” says Mael. Finally, people who have been victimized fear for their personal safety and the safety of their loved ones. “Victims may be fearful to report to the police due to the trafficker’s threats,” says Siirila.

Diane Hanson

This fear is grounded in reality; the days and weeks after a person who has been victimized attempts to break free of the cycle of trafficking is a dangerous period. Simply put by Hanson, “victims can have a target on their back.”

A Problem With Deep Roots

“Trafficking is a market-driven criminal enterprise with a renewable commodity — humans,” says Kelly Olson, support services director with the Damascus Road Project in Oshkosh, a nonprofit that assists trafficking victims statewide. “Trafficking [yields] maximum revenue with minimal financial investment, [so it is a crime that has] a low probability of being caught.”

Typically, traffickers prey on vulnerable people. “Victims are often survivors of childhood sexual trauma, economic instability, drug addiction, low self-esteem or worth, homelessness, runaway youth, those with mental health issues, in foster care or have gang involvement,” says Olson.

“Traffickers use drugs, alcohol and

psychological manipulation to make sure their victims stay. Some victims are convinced that their abusers are the only people in the world that love them because they’ve been told over and over that they are worthless and their families don’t want them and won’t accept them anymore,” says Mael.

Detective Siirila says people being victimized may experience a phenomenon known as trauma bonding. Here, “a strong emotional connection develops between the victim and perpetrator during an abusive relationship due to an imbalance of power. The victim may be intensely grateful for any small kindness from the abuser and denies or rationalizes violence or injury.”

When working with people being

“Traffickers use drugs, alcohol and psychological manipulation to make sure their victims stay.”

— Missy Mael

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trafficked, Olson says it’s critical to be aware of and sensitive to the victim’s unique psychological state. “These victims experience complex trauma at a rate similar to a wartime veteran, they deal with trauma bonding and more. Often they do not self-identify, let alone realize their status as a victim of a horrible crime.”

“I Didn’t Know Myself At All”

Holly Harris had what she describes as a very normal childhood in Portage, Wisconsin. But the absence of her biological father (he left after she was born) caused emotional trauma for Harris. Eventually, her mother remarried, and her stepfather legally adopted her when she was eight years old. But the void of her biological father made her question her self-worth and she felt like she never belonged in any social situation. She felt, she says, extremely alone.

To fill that void, Harris began practicing promiscuous behaviors at an early age. By 16 she moved out of her home and into an abusive boyfriend’s

home, cutting all ties with her family. After leaving this abusive relationship, Harris met a man online who told her that she could make money quickly by purchasing cell phones in her name and selling them on the black market. As a seventeen-year-old living on her own, the offer was seductive.

Before long, the man told Harris that there was another way that she could make even more money: by moving to Madison and having explicit pictures taken of her. Harris recalls that she left Portage for Madison that very night,

“Often [trafficking survivors] do not self-identify, let alone realize their status as a victim of a horrible crime.”

— Kelly Olson

with only a few duffle bags of personal possessions. She would never return.

The months that followed were a blur for Harris. She was sex trafficked, raped and essentially lived as a prisoner in her trafficker’s Madison home. She lost contact with the outside world. She says she internalized extreme anger. She had never been a violent person, but she found herself wanting to hurt others.

After months of living this nightmare, Harris cashed a bad check, and her trafficker stepped up to take the charges for her. With her trafficker in jail, Harris finally had some space to step back from her current situation and consider her options. One day, she says she reached a mental tipping point where was done selling her body for someone’s else’s profit. She went to the jail and told her trafficker she was done.

The months that followed were anything but a story of redemption. Harris fell in with a gang and was involved in a shooting on Madison’s east side. She went to prison, where she continued to feel rage and self-loathing, spending most of her time in solitary confinement.

Dana Pellebon and Missy Mael, co-executive directors of the RCC Sexual Violence Resource Center

While incarcerated, Harris had an epiphany that would change the course of her life. She recalls that she kept seeing the same women in and out of prison and realized that this, too, would be her fate if she didn’t make changes. She knew she would either become a career criminal or die if she stayed on this path.

“I don’t hide. I’m not scared anymore.”

— Holly Harris

After serving her six-year sentence, Harris was released, and relocated with her family out of state to get a fresh start. (Many trafficking survivors choose to move for safety and/or start a new life elsewhere.) Harris entered the residential program with the Selah Freedom Foundation, which is an immersive program for victims of trafficking. She received intensive therapy, group support and lived amongst a holistic community to promote healing. She joined a church and reconnected with her spiritual roots. “I finally felt understood; that I belonged. I was part of a community,” she says.

Now, she owns her own business, volunteers for the Selah Freedom Foundation where she started her healing journey and is a youth leader in her church.

Reflecting on her story, Harris says that she realizes that she was vulnerable to all of the events that befell her

because she lacked self-worth. “I didn’t know myself at all. I didn’t even know what I liked. You have to find you. You have to find yourself.”

Harris wrote a book detailing her harrowing experience titled “Relentless Survivor” (available on Amazon) which she hopes will educate the public about this complex crime.

When asked how she finds the strength to share her story after all she’s been through, Harris states simply, “I don’t hide. I’m not scared anymore.”

Heartbreak and Hope

Human trafficking takes a serious toll on those who have been victimized — but it’s also true that survivors can establish a productive life after escaping it, like Harris.

“I never thought I’d write a book [about my experience]. But writing the book really wasn’t about me; I want people to see that nobody is beyond God’s saving grace, and that everybody can be redeemed no matter what they’ve done. I never thought I’d be living the

Cont. on P. 104

On the Front Lines: Susan Alan-Lee, Forensic Nurse Examiner

People who are being trafficked can become so isolated that many times they are first identified in a medical setting after a crisis situation. Specially-trained medical professionals are front line workers, working with those who have been victimized helping to collect evidence to build a legal case against traffickers and perpetrators of sexual assault.

One such medical expert is Susan AlanLee, forensic nurse examiner at UnityPoint Health – Meriter in Madison. Alan-Lee provides care for survivors, STI testing, safety planning, pregnancy prevention and full-body exams to ensure wellness.

“Victims of sex trafficking are often subject to horrific physical and sexual abuse that have long-term health consequences. Forensic nurses seek to mitigate these consequences by offering medical care to restore bodies to full health, evidence collection to assist with prosecuting abusers and resources to victims for emotional support and safety needs,” she says.

She continues, “It’s certainly challenging to spend so much time with victims of violence, hearing what’s happened to them and seeing their wounds, but it also feels deeply human and important to help

hold their burden.”

The most difficult aspect of the job for Alan-Lee is seeing and helping the children that come in.

“When people come to us looking for certainty, it’s difficult not to be able to give a firm answer — sometimes there is immediate physical evidence of sexual assault, but usually it leaves no marks or changes on the body, especially in children.”

But despite the brutality of this work, for Alan-Lee the reward is profound; to help survivors reclaim their bodies and lives.

life I have now after what I’ve done,” Harris explains.

Several area nonprofits are dedicated to spreading awareness to the public of the issue, assisting those who have been victimized and helping them to establish a healthy and safe posttrafficking life (see P. 105 for a list of organizations).

And, these area anti-human trafficking nonprofits work together seamlessly. At the April human trafficking panel discussion, local experts frequently referenced one another’s organizations, and how they work together identifying survivors, providing assistance, service referrals, obtaining housing for victims and more.

Project Respect, which is under the umbrella of ARC Community Services, is well-known and respected in the anti-human trafficking space. The organization offers a holistic approach to helping survivors including outreach, advocacy, counseling and crisis management for adults and juveniles who’ve been victimized by prostitution, sexual exploitation or human trafficking — free of charge. The organization utilizes a holistic perspective when working with trafficking survivors, focusing on building back self-esteem and reclaiming self- empowerment, and encourages them to take pride in each small accomplishment as they rebuild their lives.

UnityPoint’s forensic nursing program works hand-in-hand with Project Respect, the RCC and Child

“I wish I would’ve been taught what trafficking even was … I thought growing up, ‘Oh, that happens in other countries or [the] movies.’”

— Holly Harris

and Adult Protective Services on identifying trafficking survivors and providing information to them on organizations that can provide assistance. The RCC is called to the ER every single time a sexual assault occurs or a trafficking victim needs help. The nonprofit assists the person being victimized through the physical exam and connects them with needed services. What all of this equals is an interconnected safety net for trafficking survivors, if they need it.

Because Siirila says human trafficking is such an issue of concern in Madison, education efforts are also underway at MPD to increase awareness on the force on what trafficking is, and what to look for.

“Police officers are receiving more training on human trafficking. Now, with having a full-time human trafficking detective, more education and training can be done internally within the police department. Also, community awareness is essential,” adds Siirila. Out of the area, but still worth noting, is Damascus Road Project in Oshkosh, which works to protect and empower trafficking survivors statewide; helping them heal, find community and transition to a life beyond trafficking. Since 2017, the nonprofit has helped over 500 people who have been sex trafficked or exploited. The nonprofit employs a

three-part model to combat trafficking which includes education, location of survivors and advocating/direct outreach. Survivors are provided access to professional therapists, transportation, clothing and personal hygiene items, and gift cards for gas and food when appropriate. Kelly Olson, support services director, notes that Damascus Road is frequently contacted by women who are incarcerated for crimes other than prostitution or trafficking and helps them to self-identify and connect them to services. They also host a weekly pen pal program, and support the women post-incarceration.

Although the reality of human trafficking is difficult to confront, it’s worth being informed about what’s happening and knowing that local organizations are dedicated to combatting the problem. It’s eyeopening to know that the issue hits far too close to home.

“I wish I would’ve been taught what trafficking even was … I thought growing up, ‘Oh, that happens in other countries or [the] movies.’ So I didn’t even know it was happening to me,” says Harris. “I just thought, ‘That doesn’t happen in America.’ I think [people should be aware] of what to look out for.”

Annie Rosemurgy is a Madison-based writer.

Resources for Survivors of Human Trafficking

Briarpatch Youth Services

There are an estimated 300 youth in Dane County who are homeless every night. The Briarpatch Youth Shelter provides a safe haven and other services to homeless or runaway youth, kids that have been involved in human trafficking or are at risk for trafficking, or youth at risk of separation from their family due to conflict or other reasons.

Opened in 2015, the shelter has eight beds and welcomes young people of all gender identities, ages 12-17. Briarpatch also offers individual counseling, family counseling, case management and a 24-hour help line.

“Briarpatch works hard to help every person who comes through our door,” says parent support coordinator Michelle McKoy. “The people we work with are not alone any longer once we get involved.” youthsos.com

Every Daughter

Every Daughter is a coalition of women from churches around Dane County who meet regularly to connect with and offer assistance to women who are sexually trafficked and exploited in the area.

Their website lists an array of services they offer to trafficking survivors, such as: regular check-ins to offer encouragement; providing treatment options to address substance abuse and mental health needs; referral and assistance in applying for long-term residential recovery programs; short-term respite care; assistance with completing housing and employment applications; and transportation to appointments.

The group also offers prayer blessings to survivors who are open to receiving them; however, the organization notes that “it is not necessary for a woman to participate in prayer or other spiritual practices in order to be served by Every Daughter.” everydaughter.com

Project Respect

Located under ARC Community Services’ umbrella, Project Respect is well-connected and respected in the trafficking space in the area. The nonprofit serves juvenile and adult trafficking survivors and assists victims with advocacy, case management, crisis intervention, counseling, service referrals and alternatives to incarceration.

Services are free to clients, and funding for the nonprofit is provided by the City of Madison, Dane County, the U.S. Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime, the Wisconsin Department of Justice Office of Crime Victim Services and United Way of Dane County. arccommserv.com/sexual-exploitationand-human-trafficking.php

RCC

Serving Dane County since 1973, the RCC Sexual Violence Resource Center (formerly known as Rape Crisis Center, or RCC) provides services to survivors (and their support people) of all forms of sexual violence, including recent sexual assault, past sexual assault, incest (past or present), sexual harassment and sexual exploitation and/or human trafficking. RCC advocates for those harmed by sexual violence by centering survivors, promoting societal change and committing to be an evolving force for social equity.

Co-executive Director Missy Mael says education is a key focus at RCC. “We offer educational programs in middle and high schools throughout Dane County about consent, which is a concept critical to preventing trafficking.” Weekly girl groups, gender equity clubs and self-defense classes all arm girls with tools to prevent trafficking. thercc.org

United Madison

United Madison has a two-part mission concerning the issue of human trafficking: to shed light on this stigmatized and underreported crime, and to support community resources around the topic. The nonprofit creates public service campaigns, hosts educational events and does direct outreach to existing coalitions.

Founder Diane Hanson says there are many ways community members can support an anti-trafficking movement. The first step is to educate yourself on the topic. Everyone can have a role to reduce the burden of trafficking, she says.

“Companies can be safe places to hire trafficking survivors, landlords can help by agreeing to rent to survivors and workplaces can offer trainings around this topic.” unitedmadison.com/trafficking

Zeteo Community Homes

The Zeteo Community is a group of Christian-identifying people from churches and organizations throughout Madison and surrounding areas whose mission is to serve women and children who have been sexually exploited and/or trafficked.

Founder and executive director Marlene Sorenson says Zeteo recently secured a parcel of land that will be used to build a housing development for female trafficking survivors. (Due to privacy concerns, Sorenson won’t disclose where the parcel is located).

Within the housing development, Zeteo’s plan is “to provide a safe space, within a loving community, to heal and grow. Using strength-based programming and trauma-informed care we expect [survivor’s] lives to be transformed as we will walk with them, assisting them with education, job and life skills.” zeteocommunity.org

Fall Escapes

From autumn color to foodie adventures, these ten stellar Midwest getaways offer loads of fall fun.

BY MELANIE RADZICKI MCMANUS

MINNEAPOLIS

Explore Green Bay’s Treasures

You don’t need the excuse of a Packers game to come to Green Bay. The city has a diverse array of attractions and activities to suit all tastes. Like the National Railroad Museum , one of the largest rail museums in the nation. The museum is home to such treasures as a Big Boy steam locomotive (named the Dwight D. Eisenhower), which is the train Gen. Eisenhower used in Europe during WWII; and an Aerotrain, designed in the 1950s to resemble a car. Outside, you can ride the train chugging around the grounds.

The Automobile Gallery explores more than 100 years of automobile history by displaying cars such as the ultra-rare Cadillac Model T touring car on up to the futuristic 2020 Ford GT Supercar. Its focus is also on the automobile as art. At the Green Bay Botanical Garden , you can wander through various gardens including shade, perennial, English cottage, Wisconsin woodland, rose and xeriscape, which is a garden that requires almost no watering. Make sure to check out the unusual hobbit house on the grounds, too. North of town, the NEW (Northeastern Wisconsin) Zoo & Adventure Park combines animals and adventure. Start your visit by viewing animals native to Wisconsin, North America, Australia and Africa, then head to the petting zoo. Then tackle the adventure park’s zipline, the ropes course with 17 challenging elements and climbing wall.

SOUTH BAY MARINA

UNIQUE STATE PARKS

The Green Bay area is home to two of the most unique state parks in the system. Heritage Hill State Historical Park is a living history site that interprets local life during three eras: the La Baye fur-trading days (1700-1850), the Fort Howard era (1830s) and the heavy immigration period (1850-1912). There’s also a section focused on agricultural history from 1845-1900.

Lost Dauphin in De Pere is a state park that’s operated locally. The 19acre parcel boasts beautiful views of the Fox River, rolling hiking trails — and a fascinating history. The park was once part of missionary Eleazer Williams’ homestead. In 1841, Williams claimed to be the Lost Dauphin, or the son of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, the royal couple executed in 1793 during the French Revolution. Official accounts said their son (and heir to the throne) died in captivity in 1795. But rumors persisted he escaped. Was Williams really a French king?

Locals know one of the best places to catch a stunning sunrise or sunset is South Bay Marina. Head there at dawn or dusk, or during the day, when you can rent a pontoon boat to explore the bay or the Fox River. Captain Jack’s at Louie’s Lagoon is also on the water, and is a bar and grill that offers live music and, of course, great water views.

Green Bay Shines in the Fall

If you love catching fall color, Green Bay and its environs are home to some pretty special spots, like Wequiock Falls and Fonferek’s Glen. Wequiock Falls is a roadside park featuring a waterfall that tumbles over a piece of the Niagara Escarpment, an ancient rocky ledge stretching from Wisconsin to Niagara Falls. Take the staircase down to the waterfall, framed in blazing colors every autumn, for the best views. Fonferek’s Glen, 20 minutes south, also contains a portion of the Niagara Escarpment, plus dolomite cliffs, a stone archway and a 30-foot waterfall.

At Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary, six miles of trail wind through wetlands and woods. Go for a stroll, then visit the nature center and wildlife. A few miles south, more than 10 miles of varied trails unspool through the scenic Baird Creek Greenway, open for hiking, mountain biking and exploring. On the west shore of the bay of Green Bay, more hiking can be found at the Barkhausen Waterfowl Preserve and the Reforestation Camp. Trails at the Barkhausen Preserve — which also features an interpretive center — meander through forest, meadows and wetlands, while the 1,500-acre Reforestation Camp paths take you past oak, pine and more.

If you prefer recreational trails, Green Bay is home to both the Fox River State Trail and the Mountain Bay Trail. The 25-mile Fox River path unwinds along the beautiful Fox River, connecting Green Bay and Greenleaf, while the crushed-limestone Mountain Bay Trail stretches northwest from the bay of Green Bay.

WHEN HUNGER STRIKES

You won’t go hungry in Green Bay. Kroll’s is a local institution, famed for its charcoalgrilled burgers, which are topped with butter, ketchup, pickles and raw onion. Chives Restaurant is perhaps its opposite, with dishes such as butternut squash ravioli, fried calamari, and chicken and goat cheese wontons on the menu.

Cheese Cake Heaven serves soups, salads and inventive grilled, toasted or cold sandwiches, plus a dazzling assortment of cheesecakes and cannoli. At Republic Chophouse, its sophisticated décor is as appealing as its steaks, chops and well-curated wine list.

CHEERS!

The Green Bay area is home to more than a dozen breweries, wineries and distilleries, such as Stillmank Brewing Co., whose flagship beer is Wisco Disco, an ESB (extra special bitter). It also brews Killer Bees, a jalapeño-infused blonde ale, and offers hard seltzers and apple ciders. At Zambaldi Beer, you can indulge in IPAs, a variety of ales and two fruit beers, while you may find a double-oaked imperial stout, fruited sour ale or kölsch on tap at Copper State Brewing Co. In nearby Greenleaf, enjoy a glass of wine at Trout Springs Winery, then stay overnight in its glamping cabin. The new Paradise North Distillery Co. creates premium rum, whiskey and vodka. Tours include a minimum of four half-ounce tastings.

There are more than just two colors in Green Bay. Discover our annual show of color this fall as leaves turn to brilliant shades of yellow, red and orange. With abundant indoor and outdoor activities, Green Bay delivers the ideal mix, allowing you to enjoy everything fall offers. Visit Green Bay and see why it’s beyond legendary.

or

Finding Fall Color in the Fox Cities

One of the best ways to drink in the fall colors in the Fox Cities is by foot, as the region has a wealth of recreational opportunities. At the 1000 Islands Environmental Center in Kaukauna, there are more than seven miles of trails, including a one-mile stretch right along the Fox River. Two observation decks let you take in a cluster of islands dotting the river. Picnic facilities and a nature center are also on the grounds.

High Cliff State Park in Sherwood is the only state park on Lake Winnebago, and offers panoramic lake views in several spots. The park is open for hiking, biking, boating, canoeing and kayaking, horseback riding and more. Check out the lime kiln ruins, then challenge yourself by hiking the adjacent Lime Kiln Trail, which features a steep climb up to the ancient Niagara Escarpment, over which Niagara Falls tumbles.

The Loop the Lake Trail is a popular recreational trail open to walkers, bicyclists and rollerbladers, among others. A 3.2-mile circular path, it links Neenah, Menasha and Fox Crossing as it circles the southern end of Little Lake Butte de Morts. The path features four trestle trail bridges and some Fox River locks.

SUPER SUPPER CLUBS

FALL EVENTS

Cuff Farms

Last weekend in September through October, Hortonville

Take the kids pumpkin-picking via a wagon ride through the fields, then check out the goods in the shed, which include hay bales, mums and apple cider donuts. There’s also a small, family-friendly corn maze and a spacious kids’ play area.

Mulberry Lane Farm

Sept. 16-Oct. 31, Hilbert

Select your perfect (free!) pumpkin, then try your hand at milking a cow or catching a chicken. Hayrides are available, too. A kids’ area features giant tractor tires, hollow logs and retired farm equipment; adults can browse through antiques and memorabilia in the shed and barn. On the weekends, a food truck sells caramel apples, mini donuts, chili and more.

License to Cruise and Octoberfest

Sept. 23-24, Appleton

This massive, two-day block party kicks off with License to Cruise, a classic car show on Friday night. Check out the 400 or so cars while listening to live music and noshing on food. On Saturday, the tunes start at 9 a.m. In addition to bands, a wealth of food booths and, of course, beer, the event features an arts and crafts show and family area.

Shop Monroe

Monroe is known for its picturesque downtown square, dominated by the striking Green County Courthouse. The historic red-brick edifice features arched porticos, marble pillars and an eye-catching, 120-foot clock tower. But after snapping some photos, cross the street and check out the impressive variety of locally-owned specialty shops ringing the square.

One such shop is the Artful Gourmet. This kitchen boutique sells plenty of useful items, such as Matcha tea frothers and Atlas pasta machines. But it also carries an intriguing variety of gift items, like colorful macaron sugar scrubs, stencils for creating cappuccino art and boozy bacon barbecue sauce. At JoAnne’s Dress Shop, you can snag brand-name women’s clothing and accessories, from casual to chic, while Zodica Perfumery carries fine fragrances matched to the 12 signs of the Zodiac. Each scent, crafted with organic ingredients, is created to reflect the emotion and season of the sign.

A few doors down, House to Home Designs carries primitive and modern farmhouse pieces. Think hutches, benches, tables and more. The boutique also has rural-life prints by artist Billy Jacobs, environmentally-friendly soy candles produced by the 1803 Candle Company and popular buttered maple syrupscented candles. Edelweiss Gifts and More is the place for handmade, vintage, repurposed and eclectic goods, like Czech glass jewelry. You’ll also find gourmet foods such as blueberry lemonade jam and spicy-smoky serrano salt from Green County’s Remember When Farm.

On the square’s east side, 213 Mercantile offers handmade signs and décor. It even has a colorful “garland bar” containing dozens of solid and patterned felt balls, plus some specialty shapes. Select your favorites to create your own swag or lei. On the north end of the square, grab some fresh flowers and succulents from Busy Bee Floral, or perhaps a tea and honey gift set. And on the west end, pick up some vintage clothing, accessories and jewelry at Vintage Emporium — or perhaps sell your own.

NOW THAT’S CHEESY

TIME TO EAT!

Take a break from your shopping by ducking into one of Monroe’s downtown eateries, which offer a tempting array of food and drink. Suiss Haus Food & Spirits is known for its homemade pizzas and hamburgers, crafted from freshly-ground chuck. Grab a stuffed baked potato at Garden Deli, or perhaps a French Toast Crumble doughnut and piña colada smoothie at Sunrise Donut Café. And the goodies at Chocolate Temptation’s espresso and chocolate bar are not to be missed.

Nearly two dozen festively decorated cheese wedges are scattered around Monroe as part of the city’s “Cheese, Glorious Cheese” public art installation, now in its eleventh year. Decorated by 20 regional artists, the designs on the five-foot-tall wedges celebrate all things Wisconsin, from Bucky Badger to lake life. The wedges will remain in place through Monroe’s famous biennial Cheese Days celebration, taking place Sept. 16-18.

All About the Arts in Mineral Point

Many know Mineral Point as the place where Cornish miners settled some 200 years ago, building quaint, creamcolored stone homes for their families. But this richly historic town, set in a beautiful corner of Wisconsin’s hilly Driftless Area, is also home to a thriving community of artists and artisans.

Some 20 galleries and specialty shops line Mineral Point’s downtown. You’ll find pottery studios, art galleries, antique shops, spinning studios, fine arts and fine crafts boutiques, and more. Many sites offer lessons, too, sometimes even in the artist’s home studio. You can learn to knit and spin, for example, or practice wheel-throwing and hand-building at a pottery studio. At the Shakerag Alley Center for the Arts, there are opportunities this fall to explore gas forge blacksmithing, home cider fermentation and oil and cold-wax painting. Also this autumn, Mineral Point is the first stop on the Fall Art Tour, taking place Oct. 14-16. During this three-day art crawl, which features 49 art galleries and studios between Mineral Point and Baraboo, you’ll be able to meet the artists and watch them at work. Head to town for the weekend to explore the city’s 16 participating shops and galleries. But before heading out to check out the other stops in Spring Green, Dodgeville and Baraboo, stroll around Mineral Point’s city center, where every single building is on the National Register of Historic Places. When hunger strikes, duck into one of the town’s 50year legacy restaurants or pubs.

In the end, the city’s eclectic, magical vibe may lure you into staying put.

EXPLORING THE MERRY CHRISTMAS MINE TRAIL

Mineral Point is the home of Pendarvis, one of Wisconsin’s 12 historic sites. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the attraction showcases several of the 19th-century cabins that the town’s Cornish immigrants built when they came to mine lead. But while Pendarvis gets much acclaim, many visitors aren’t aware of the Merry Christmas Mine Hill Trails and Prairie in the back of the property.

WHERE TO STAY

There’s a wealth of diverse lodging in Mineral Point to suit everyone’s taste and budget. You can stay in a historic cottage or home filled with old-world charm, or bunk in a boutique hotel. You can rent an apartment in a former turn-of-thelast-century hotel, or stay in an AirBnB. And, yes, there’s even a modern, spacious motel.

The one-mile path, comprised of two loops, leads past old mining artifacts. You’ll see some of the sucker holes, or badger holes, the miners had dug to extract lead that was near the surface. You can also view two of the nine shafts from the old Merry Christmas Mine, a reproduction open lead smelter and more. A 43-acre prairie that lies along the trail is one of the largest native prairies in southwestern Wisconsin.

S pend a D riftle ss Wee kend with u s .

Dine and lodge safely in Mineral Point. Tour our historic architecture, enjoy our small shops, and experience all the outdoor activities of the Driftless area.

Have Fun in Mount Horeb

Set amongst Wisconsin’s scenic Driftless Area , Mount Horeb is a great place for a fall escape. One of the most popular activities here is troll-hunting along the Trollway . More than two dozen fancifully carved trolls are scattered around town, where they may be seen playing the accordion, hiking or reminding you to brush your teeth. Find them on your own, or grab a troll map at the visitor center.

Still have energy after your troll hunt? Then take a hike at Brigham, Donald or Stewart Lake county parks. Brigham is known for its panoramic views of the Wisconsin River Valley, while Donald boasts intriguing rocky outcrops. At Stewart Lake, water is the key attraction. Nearby, Blue Mound State Park boasts miles of trail and two viewing towers that afford expansive views of the surrounding terrain. The 40-mile Military Ridge State Trail connects Fitchburg and Dodgeville, allowing plenty of options for a scenic stroll or ride. If you head west to Blue Mounds, you can check out Cave of the Mounds , which offers one-hour guided tours of its colorful crystal formations. The property also features hiking trails, a bird observation area and a stunning prairie restoration site.

Relax afterwards with a fall chairlift ride at Tyrol Basin . Viewing the Driftless Area’s rolling hills ablaze in color from up high is an experience you won’t forget. On the way back, snag some fresh produce at Linstroth’s Valley View Farm (pumpkins and squash), Munchkey Apples (more than a dozen varieties) or Sutter’s Ridge Farm (apples, pumpkins and a corn maze).

FALL EVENTS

Thirsty Troll Brew Fest

Sept. 10, Grundahl Park

Sample more than 125 beers from 30 brewers. There is also food, music, entertainment and more.

Fall Village Market

Oct. 1-2 , Downtown Mount Horeb

Snag some gifts for yourself or others at this carefully curated selection of crafters and vintage peddlers. During market hours, you may purchase an adult beverage in one of the downtown restaurants or pubs and sip as you go.

Witches’ Night Out

Oct. 13

Dress up like a witch or warlock for this popular midweek event, then shop, dine or simply hang with your friends.

Terror at Tyrol

Fridays and Saturdays in October, plus Halloween

This spooky outdoor attraction begins with a chairlift ride to the top of the hill, followed by 35 to 45 minutes of winding your way through four different haunted areas.

FALL SPECIALS

Bergey Jewelry

Up to 50% off previously-owned vintage and modern jewelry during Fall Village Market.

Oct 1-2

Cave of the Mounds

For $3 plus a ticket, get a reusable cloth bag and trick-ortreat for crystals and fossils in the cave. Oct. 1-31

McFee on Main

Birthday sale

Sept. 24-30

Skal Public House

Cranberry mule cocktails and pumpkin spice old fashioneds. Sept.-Nov .

A Special Fall in Sauk Prairie

The scenic Sauk Prairie Riverway bursts with color each fall, making it the perfect backdrop for the special events taking place in Sauk Prairie in the coming weeks. First up is Fermentation Fest (Oct. 1-10), a multifaceted food and farming event that showcases and celebrates the harvest season in southwestern Wisconsin. During its 10-day run you can watch fermentation demonstrations, see sculptures crafted from hay bales and listen to book readings and performances in the pasture. There are also interactive workshops and, of course, plenty of fresh food. This year, the biennial Farm/Art DTour is also part of the fun. A 50-mile, self-guided drive between Sauk City and Plain, the route showcases site-responsive artwork, local food markets, roadside poetry and more.

The Prairie du Sac Night Market is up next (Oct. 14). Set along the banks of the scenic Wisconsin River at Riverwalk Park, the free, openair street market will feature live music by guitarist and singer Mike Droho, arts and crafts vendors, food trucks and other events tailored to women and families.

Finally, help Sauk Prairie honor women who are making a difference in their families and workplaces by purchasing a ticket for Women, Wine & Wizardry (Oct. 19). The evening event, which will be held at Vintage Brewing Co., includes heavy appetizers, wine and even a spooky adventure or two, allowing you to just relax, laugh and connect. To learn more and purchase your ticket, visit saukprairie.com .

BY WOMEN, FOR WOMEN

REVEL IN THE OUTDOORS

On a crisp, fall evening, there’s nothing better than enjoying live music al fresco. At The Vines, you can do just that. The Vines is a vineyard and music venue tucked in between Fish and Crystal lakes, with beautiful views of the surrounding countryside. Grab some lawn chairs and arrive in time to catch the show, or come earlier with some food and drink to relax and soak up the ambience.

Vintage Brewing Co. occasionally offers live music in its beer garden, where you can drink in beautiful views of the Wisconsin River. So when music is on tap, head over and order a margherita flatbread, Big Sky burger or bluegill fish fry — plus suds, of course — and enjoy the tunes.

Plan your visit at saukprairie.com/explore

S auk Prairie is home to many quality female-owned businesses, like Unfolded Clothing & Home. The boutique’s clothing, home décor and wellness products are targeted at women of all ages, so everyone can enjoy shopping together. At 3 Generations, you’ll find home décor and gifts such as candles, garden art, large wall hangings, inspirational signs and vases galore. The team of artists and makers at Retwist-T produce fine art, gifts and home décor, often using vintage, reclaimed and rustic materials. There are handmade kids’ clothes, kitchen goods and collectibles here, too.

find Your HAPPY PLACE

every season, has a new reason

From the Baraboo Bluffs to Lake Wisconsin, from Devil’s Lake State Park to Devil’s Head Resort, there is a variety of things to do year-round. Whether you are an avid outdoorsman or looking for a relaxing getaway the Town of Merrimac has something for you.

During spring, summer, and fall, enjoy boating on Lake Wisconsin, fishing the Class I Trout streams at Manley Creek or Parfrey’s Glen Creek, taking a ride on the FREE Merrimac Ferry, or golfing at Devil’s Head Resort. If adventure is more your style, try mountain biking the slopes of Devil’s Head Resort, visit Merry Mac’s Campground for watersport fun, or hike many of the local state parks.

During the colder months, things definitely don’t slow down! From skiing at Devil’s Head Resort to snowshoeing and hiking the Riverland Conservancy trails. Be sure to try ice fishing on Lake Wisconsin and should you get hungry, snowmobile delivered pizza is at your service!

When it is time to relax, choose a cabin at Rustic Ridge Cabins, a camp spot at Merry Mac’s Campground, or a room at Devil’s Head Resort

Chicago’s North Shore is a Great Fall Getaway

The Badgers will be playing an away game against Northwestern University on Oct. 8, which is the perfect excuse for a fall road trip to Chicago’s North Shore. Plan to stay the weekend and check out Westfield Old Orchard while you’re in town, because it’s never too early to start your holiday shopping. This beautifully landscaped shopping center is home to more than 100 stores, including powerhouses such as Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s and Nordstrom, plus dozens of select retailers. Think shops like Apple, Anthropologie, Lululemon, Free People and Zara. At Blank Mason Candle Bar, you can purchase candles or pour your own during a one-hour workshop. San Francisco-based Marine Layer, one of the newer arrivals, sells premium casual apparel designed and manufactured in California. There are plenty of restaurants at Westfield Old Orchard, too, like Uncle Julio’s, which offers made-from-scratch Mexican fare, and Shake Shack, where you can snag burgers, chicken sandwiches and, of course, shakes of every kind. (Chocolate churro shake, anyone?) The Hampton Social is a good choice for dinner, where you can nosh on crab cakes, salmon poke or spicy rigatoni, then retire to the Rosé All Day lounge for a glass of wine or craft cocktail. At Bar Siena, the downtown Chicago hot spot that just opened a new location here, you can indulge in Italian street food and shared plates.

Head here later in the month, when the Chicago Botanic Garden will be hosting its Night of 1,000 Jack-o-Lanterns event, taking place Oct. 12-16 and 19-23. Wander through the garden and check out the 1,000-plus hand-carved pumpkins on display, some of which will be carved by professionals. The event includes costumed entertainers and live carving demos.

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW! Lightscape Celebration

The holidays are still a few months away, but if you want to catch the über-popular Lightscape celebration at the Chicago Botanic Garden, buy your tickets now before they’re sold out. The evening event features blazing colors, music, lights and fire that bring to life a 1 ¼ mile path meandering through the garden and around its main island. The fan-favorite Winter Cathedral feature will be back, along with a reimaged fire garden. Hot drinks and light snacks will be available for purchase at the beginning and middle of the route. Nov. 11, 2022 – Jan. 8, 2023

Ghost Army: The Combat Con Artists of World War II

If you love World War II history, head to the Illinois Holocaust Museum to catch the exhibit “Ghost Army: The Combat Con Artists of World War II.” This intriguing exhibit tells the story of the U.S. military’s top-secret Ghost Army, which helped win the war in Europe by creating illusions of massive Allied forces in the distance to fool German troops. Featured artifacts include some of the original inflatable tanks used in the creative scam. Now through Jan. 2, 2023

Bordering Chicago along Lake Michigan, Chicago’s North Shore is an ideal spot to base a Chicago-area visit for a fall or holiday getaway. You’ll find affordable hotels — most with freeparking, amazing restaurants, easy access to the city, unique North Shore attractions and more.

Find events, hotel packages and more: visitchicagonorthshore.com @chicagonorthshore

Calling All Shoppers to Edina

Edina is a shopper’s paradise, as the stylish Minneapolis suburb features three distinct retail areas: the Downtown, aka 50th & France; the Galleria; and Southdale Center. 50th & France is a mélange of boutiques, specialty shops and award-winning restaurants, with Wild Ivy and Equation perennial favorites for women’s apparel.

The Galleria offers everything from Louis Vuitton luggage to Pottery Barn furniture. Favorite apparel shops include Melly, which carries classic women’s clothing and accessories, and men’s clothing boutique Hammer Made, which offers limited-run shirts made from fine fabrics, plus ties, belts and accessories.

Southdale Center — opened in 1956 as the nation’s first enclosed mall — is anchored by Macy’s and features more than 100 specialty stores, sit-down and to-go dining, and a 16-screen AMC Megaplex.

FALL INTO THE ARTS

Edina’s 18th annual Fall Into the Arts Festival (Sept. 10-11) is a two-day art show set in beautiful Centennial Lakes Park. Some 225 artists and exhibitors will be showcasing a variety of items, including sculpture, mixed media, photography, glass, pottery, jewelry and fiber arts. Food vendors will offer ice cream, mini doughnuts and Chicago-style hot dogs, plus an array of global fare.

STYLE EDINA

Attend this annual fashion show (Sept. 25), held at the Westin Edina Galleria. Models sport the latest fashions from local shops, while attendees enjoy mimosas, brunch and pop-up shops from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Search for tickets on Eventbrite.

Step Outside in La Crosse

No matter the season, vibrant colors can be seen from the banks of the Mississippi River, or from atop a soaring riverside bluff, like La Crosse’s famous 600-foot Grandad Bluff. Trek along its five-mile trail system, then treat yourself to dinner at Red Pines Bar & Grill , which locals say has the best fish fry in the county.

If you enjoy the outdoors, book a stay at 200-acre Justin Trails Resort, where you’ll be able to enjoy glamping in a sumptuous cabin or cottage. During the day, check out its miles of trails, then hand-feed their pet llamas. Another good option is Rainbow Ridge Farms, a four-room B&B that offers goat yoga.

LUXURIOUS LA CROSSE

Time to celebrate a special event or simply pamper yourself? Then reserve a room at the Charmant Hotel or Castle La Crosse. The 67-room Charmant, a boutique hotel, is an 1898 candy factory and retains some of its original architectural details.

Castle La Crosse, often likened to Downton Abbey, is a four-suite B&B filled with gleaming hardwood and sparkling stained-glass windows.

During the day, go wine-tasting at picturesque Elmaro Vineyard. Pair your selections with smoked pistachios, marinated olives or perhaps one of Elmaro’s artisanal cheese plates. Lovechild is a good choice for date night, with its elegant velvet booths, floor-to-ceiling drapes and exceptional customer service.

Explore Beloit’s Arts Scene

Art aficionados will appreciate Beloit’s rich arts scene. The Logan Museum of Anthropology provides a deep dive into world cultures, while the Wright Museum of Art has some 6,000 pieces in its permanent collection. Both are on the historic Beloit College campus. Nearby, the Beloit Art Center offers gallery talks, tours and classes in ceramics, painting, Tai Chi and more. Every first Friday of the month, there’s a free reception (5-7 p.m.) celebrating new exhibits, with artists on hand for a meet-and-greet. And, it’s always a treat when the Beloit Janesville Symphony Orchestra is in town.

Take An Art Walk

A stroll downtown lets you take in prime artwork, such as the larger-than-life modernistic sculptures by Beloit College alum O.V. Shaffer that dot the city center. An eye-catching American flag affixed to the Ironworks complex along the Rock River is crafted with patterns once used by the Beloit Corporation. And when night falls, illuminated murals along the city’s “Spine Road” dazzle.

STAY FOR SUPPER

Madison-area supper clubs are a throwback to a bygone era — yet are more popular than ever.

BY MARY BERGIN

Madison will be a 2023 destination for “Samantha Brown’s Places to Love,” a syndicated PBS travel show. I assisted Samantha and her team as they traveled to Madison earlier this year, introducing her to supper club dining as a beloved part of Wisconsin identity.

As we sat at the bar of the Tornado Club Steak House, she learned how to properly order an Old Fashioned. Deconstruction of the state’s unofficial cocktail was the first order of business. What kind of brandy? Sweet (7-Up) or sour (Squirt) soda? Fruit or olive garnish?

We pored over the old-school, yet savvy-hip Tornado menu, sampling

sautéed frog legs, a 20-ounce, bone-in tenderloin and more. We watched tables fill quickly on an otherwise ordinary Sunday night, and the experience felt like ritzy dining within homey confines.

Maybe the most difficult to explain to her was: What makes a supper club different from other restaurants? Cue the relish tray (or, in this case, raw veggies cleverly assembled like a little bouquet centerpiece) and chit-chat about ice cream drinks.

Forget cookie-cutter approaches and décor. In the supper club world is family-friendly and fine dining, hearty

fare and artistic flair.

“A lot of restaurants can deliver on the food,” notes Henry Doane, owner of Tornado, “but another thing I think is important is authenticity — a feeling and sense that this place has been here a while. A place with a patina and history in the community. My favorite places are the very old ones that look very much like they did when they first opened.”

Tornado’s predecessor was Crandall’s, a longtime, popular supper club. During the renovation, Doane says, “I peeled back the layers of wallpaper and carpeting to reveal the original

Tornado Club Steak House

look and feel of the old restaurant. It wasn’t hard to create that old supper club authenticity.” He adds, “The menu is a tribute to Crandall’s and all the old supper clubs I loved.”

Coquille St. Jacque — scallops poached in a white wine cream sauce and served over mashed potatoes — is a rich nod to the past. Fall-off-the-bone spareribs, a newer entrée option, was added as a to-go option during the pandemic. Doane says come winter, the spareribs will be replaced with a filet au poivre with cognac mushroom cream sauce as a to-go choice. tornadosteakhouse.com

Read on about five other area supper clubs — each with its own unique personality.

DRIFTLESS SOCIAL

Longtime fans of Smoky’s Club, the quintessential Madison supper club that closed in spring 2022, should feel at home when Driftless Social, a contemporary reincarnation, opens this fall in downtown Mount Horeb.

Owners Matt and Tim Schmock are brothers whose grandparents established Smoky’s nearly 70 years ago. Grandma’s recipes for cottage cheese and pickled beets are coming with them to Mount Horeb. So is the

overhang from Smoky’s bar, and an eclectic smattering of Smoky’s décor (kitsch and taxidermy, including a blowfish).

Matt describes Driftless Social as a hybrid supper club with novel twists that begin with the relish tray. Although steaks and seafood are the menu’s foundation, chef Jeffrey Whitford has room to experiment. He is the owners’ longtime friend and migrates from a Madison-area restaurant.

Like Smoky’s, the bar menu at Driftless Social is big on martinis — expect at least four dozen choices. Expect Old Fashioned variations too, led by Tim’s “Cre-old” version with creole bitters and ginger ale. His recipe won a Korbel brandy contest in 2016. driftlesssocial. com

KAVANAUGH’S ESQUIRE CLUB

Sisters Jackie and Bridget Kavanaugh are the third generation to keep plates spinning at Madison’s oldest restaurant to stay open in its original location. The northside spot opened in 1947.

Purists may say supper clubs should only be open for an evening meal, but customer loyalty dictates otherwise at the Esquire Club (which it’s more commonly called). They serve lunch, too. Groups of card players,

retired police officers and firefighters converge and linger.

“A supper club means many different things to others,” Jackie acknowledges. To her, “it’s feeling like you want to sit back, enjoy your cocktail, your meal,” and knowing your preferences are heard.

Longtime daily specials include corned beef and cabbage on Thursdays and chicken dinners on Sundays. For the latter: order a single serving or allyou-can-eat. At the bar, look for the beer-cheese spread, customary since the 1960s. kavanaughsesquire.club

THE HARVEY HOUSE

Drawing national media attention since its 2021 opening is a mix of nostalgic and nuevo dining owned by Shaina Robbins Papach and Joe Papach, a couple with epicurean credentials from Chez Panisse and The French Laundry, among others.

“The sense of hospitality and generosity that is a part of supper clubs was surprisingly seductive to both of us,” says Robbins Papach. She and Joe are Midwest natives who infuse sophistication into tradition. One example: caviar as an optional add-on to the à la carte relish tray.

Add thoughtfully complex culinary approaches: think slow-cooked

salmon, hand-cut cannelloni, ciderbrined pork chops. French onion soup begins with a nub of Gruyère custard to which a triple onion broth and teeny

croutons are added at the table. (Menus change with the seasons.)

The Harvey House was No. 8 in Esquire magazine’s 2021 list of America’s best new restaurants. theharveyhouse.com

TOBY’S SUPPER CLUB

No reservations and a lengthy wait to dine here is business as usual, which is part of the fun. Order a cocktail at the circular bar, where a server takes food orders and guides you to a table when it’s ready. When you arrive at your table, it will be decked out with a relish tray, bread basket, pickles and salad or soup.

Many of owner Roxanne Peterson’s grandchildren work here, plus her sister (and other non-relatives). Staff make from-scratch salad dressings by the gallon. A food grinder shreds boiled potatoes for the popular hash browns, which are fried in cast-iron skillets around 70 years old (and not used to cook anything else).

From Monday through Thursday, diners are in for an extra treat:

cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting. tobyssupperclub.com

DORF HAUS

In Roxbury (pop. 1,912), 20 miles northwest of Madison, is Dorf Haus, a supper club that reflects the owners’ and community’s German heritage. Note the murals, paintings, stained-glass windows and antiques that transport diners to another era and country.

Rebecca Maier-Frey and Monte Maier stay true to what their parents established, serving German specialties — schnitzels, rouladen, sausages, traditional sides — in addition to standard supper-club fare.

From-scratch cooking is the norm, starting with creamy liver paté and baskets of fritters. Unique during Lenten season: roasted turtle, mashed potatoes and veggies on Fridays.

Mary Bergin’s “Wisconsin Supper Club Cookbook”(Globe Pequot Press) is in its ninth printing.

COFFEE TALK

Where to order your next freshly-brewed, crafted cup.

BY CANDICE WAGENER

With an abundance of independent coffee shops, Madison is a coffee-drinker’s paradise. Here’s a nod to some newer spots in town and some all-star favorites.

BANDIT TACOS & COFFEE

Tacos and coffee?! Heck yeah! The former Porter space has been reimagined by Gilbert Altschul and his team to become Bandit Tacos & Coffee, serving a nice selection of tacos — including multiple vegetarian options, like roasted Vitruvian Farms oyster mushrooms with chimichurri, pea shoots, queso fresco and salsa macha — plus tostadas, pozole and salad. Wash it down with booze or coffee. Go for the dirty horchata, a creamy nonalcoholic drink with a little punch of espresso. By the way, Bandit’s coffee partner, Counter Culture Coffee, helped divert 18,000 pounds of LDPE plastic from landfills and donated $42,000 to fund coffee seed projects in Guatemala, Peru and Ethiopia, among other places. Now, that’s feel-good coffee. bandit-tacos. com

INDIE COFFEE

Located just beyond the Meriter campus on Regent Street, Indie Coffee is a long-time favorite. You can’t beat their comfortable courtyard seating in the back, open year-round. They serve breakfast all day and their waffles earned celebrity status when they were featured on “Wake Up with Al Roker.” With eight different flavors,

Bandit Tacos & Coffee

including their house original red and white and a gluten-free option, it’s easy to see why. Get caffeinated with a Mayan spiced mocha containing cinnamon and cayenne, a granita (think espresso slushie) or a basic Americano. indiecoffee.net/index.html

TWISTED GROUNDS

Located east of the interstate, just off Cottage Grove Road, Twisted Grounds is a very welcome addition to an area lacking in coffee options. Working with local partners JBC Coffee Roasters and Cadence Cold Brew, they offer hand-crafted favorites including the Dirty Zebra (chocolate chai, white chocolate, espresso) and the Witch’s Brew (matcha, lavender, white chocolate). Their loaded breakfast bowl is a standout with spinach,

corn, caramelized onions, peppers, avocado, scrambled eggs and garlic aioli. Lunch options include chicken pesto panini, BBQ chicken grilled cheese, nachos, salads and more. With a good amount of comfy seats, tables and chairs, and picnic tables outside, it’s a good place to settle in. Also catch live music here Friday nights and Sunday mornings. twistedgrounds.com/home

N+1 CAFE

Bike aficionados will appreciate the moniker, and coffee fans will appreciate the simple menu and locally-roasted Rusty Dog Coffee. Located inside Rocket Bicycle Studio in Verona, the spot is a favorite meetup for friends to convene over a beer, a cold brew or a big slice of quiche. Try their signature “From the Lab” drinks, like nitro crema cold brew (housemade cold brew, oat milk, demerara sugar). Just off the Military Ridge State Trail, this is a common refreshment stop for bikers. Don’t be surprised if you leave wanting one more. nplusonecafe.com

LIV’S DRINK EMPORIUM

If the name didn’t already give it away, Liv’s in Sun Prairie offers more than coffee. Notably, craft sodas with locally-sourced, fresh add-ins. Quirky, fun names will make you smile, like Berry Mangilow (Mountain Dew, mango puree, strawberry) and Lime in the Coconut (Pepsi or Coke with coconut cream and fresh lime). It’s a modern-day soda fountain that will delight parents and kids. A standard coffee menu and Japanese iced brew are available if soda isn’t your thing. There’s also a small food menu for those looking beyond beverages. livsdrinks.com

MICHELANGELO’S

Sam Chehade has been running Michelangelo’s on State Street since 1997, a wholly respectable feat considering the transient nature of businesses downtown. The cafe uses fair-trade, socially-conscious coffee beans and specializes in small-batch brew. The picturesque brick facade leads into a homey interior, with plenty of space to study or hang out. They have an extensive list of mocha combinations, as well as a chai charger (double shot espresso, chai tea,

Bandit Tacos & Coffee

Twisted Grounds

steamed milk) and a red eye (16-ounce coffee with two espresso shots) for when focus is essential. Choose from a number of grilled panini sandwiches for a quick bite, or treat yourself with their ultimate chocolate cake. michelangeloscoffeehouse.com

MERCIES COFFEE

Tucked behind East Towne, Mercies Coffee is on a mission to build up the community while advocating for the fight against sex trafficking in Dane County. An entire wall educates customers on the cause and organizations serving as valuable resources.

The vibe is calm, with a cozy purple couch, fireplace, and the words “you are loved” painted on the wall. Settle in with a cardamom rose latte or a London Fog (steamed milk, Earl Grey tea, housemade vanilla). A small selection of breakfast and lunch sandwiches, toasts and smoothies are available if you’re hungry. facebook.com/merciescoffee

Candice Wagener is a freelance writer who enjoys telling stories that intrigue, inform and inspire.

Mercies Coffee

A BOWL FULL OF COMFORT

We’re a city full of delicious soups.

BY CANDICE WAGENER PHOTOGRAPHY BY HILLARY SCHAVE

Once sweater weather begins to descend upon us, the soup cravings are undeniable. Lucky for us, Madison offers a plethora of flavors and textures when it comes to soups. So grab your soup spoon, and let’s dig in.

Morris Ramen

When you’re in the mood for flavorful broth plus copious amounts of noodles, make a stop at Morris Ramen for their signature ramen. Brimming with velvety noodles, chashu pork belly (braised, so it melts in your mouth), ajitama (jammy, hardboiled eggs marinated in soy sauce) and bamboo shoots, this soup will boost your spirits, regardless of the weather outside.

If you just can’t get enough of rich broths and plentiful noodles, you’ll also be a fan of the Vietnamese pho served up at Saigon Noodles on the West Side. My favorite is #21, the Saigon Deluxe, chock-full of skinny rice noodles and beef in its various forms — thinly-sliced eye round steak, beef meatballs and tripe, and little flavorful blasts of gelatinous tendon. The best part is all of the fresh mix-ins that come on the side: cilantro, scallions, bean sprouts, Thai basil, lime wedges

and chiles. Yum. Also, if you’re not up for dining in, Saigon excels at takeout packaging.

A similar, Cantonese-style version of pho exists on the East Side at Bowl Bowl Rice , located inside the Global Market on Zeier Road. Enjoy generous chunks of brisket, bok choy and wide rice noodles — a bowl full of comfort. If you’re in the mood for French onion soup — and sometimes that mood just hits, doesn’t it? — the city’s best can be found at La Kitchenette . Loaded with caramelized onions and French bread, which soaks up the savory broth, breaking into the oozy Gruyère “coating” on top to get a spoonful is a beautiful moment. Their beef bourguignon — a rich beef stew with red wine, mushrooms, onions and bacon, served with mashed potatoes, side salad and baguette — also hits the (savory) spot.

For the days when you’d prefer a vegetarian option, the dal at Himal Chuli on State Street has been a favorite for decades. It’s a simple, but filling, lentil soup enhanced with an array of spices. Or, you can head around the corner to The Globe on Henry Street for their protein-packed, Himalayan 15 beans soup. On Atwood Avenue, Monsoon Siam delivers with Tom Ka, sauteed mushrooms served in a velvety coconut milk broth, topped with cilantro and scallion. Or you can try the Tom Yum, a similar soup with a bit spicier broth, enhanced with lemongrass.

Chowder enthusiasts can saddle up to the bar at Blue Moon on Old University for a hearty bowl of Boston clam chowder (also sometimes referred to as New England clam chowder), a creamy broth laden with potatoes, carrots, celery and — you guessed it — clams. A special blend of spices brings everything together and enhances the flavor.

If you want a soup that can pass for an entire meal, the Hungarian goulash at The Weary Traveler is probably your best bet. It’s an old family recipe, with beef tenderloin tips, Yukon Gold potatoes, carrots and celery, seasoned with caraway seeds and spicy Hungarian paprika.

Of course, a capital city soup roundup wouldn’t be complete without a mention of our classic — could it even be designated as a state soup? I’m talking about the Wisconsin beer cheese soup, which The Old Fashioned has mastered with a cheesy, creamy base infused with ale flavor, uniquely topped with Tietz popcorn as a garnish.

Winter’s coming. Good thing there’s soup to get us through!

Morris Ramen

La Kitchenette

The Globe

CHILI FOR WHEN IT’S CHILLY

When I’m not in the mood to cook, I can depend on any one of these restaurants to serve up a hearty, delicious bowl of chili.

DOTTY DUMPLING’S DOWRY

The award-winning spicy hot chili at Dotty’s is where it’s at. Don’t let the name scare you away — it’s a tolerable, subtle heat that builds with each bite of jalapeno and banana pepper. The combo of beef tips, pork tenderloin and smoked bacon adds a depth of flavor beyond your standard bowl.

MIDTOWN PUB

Their chili will make your mouth water. The tomato base has just the right amount of seasoning, the shredded beef is plentiful, the mix of pinto and red beans is smart, and they don’t skimp on the cheddar, red onion and sour cream.

PASQUAL’S

In Madison, you have to do a little searching to find green chili. Its base of tomatillos and roasted green chiles (a combo of Anaheim, poblano and jalapeno) gives chili verde its signature color and smoky, somewhat tart flavor. Pasqual’s version has shredded chicken and pinto beans, and is garnished with cheddar-jack cheese and green onions. You get a piece of blue corn bread for dipping, too.

GREEN OWL CAFE

When you’re on the hunt for vegan chili, find it here. Their chili is made “beefy” by using house-made seitan, which resembles ground beef, incorporated into a tomato base with kidney beans, celery and bell peppers. You can even get vegan cheese shreds and sour cream to top it off.

Dotty Dumpling's Dowry

FROM LAOS WITH LOVE

Madison’s Lao Laan-Xang has been a local favorite for more than 30 years.

BY KEVIN REVOLINSKI

Bordering on Vietnam, China and Thailand, Laos often flies under the radar when it comes to their cuisine. Not so in Madison.

Lao Laan-Xang first opened on Madison’s west side in 1990, proudly serving Lao food in a city always willing to try something new. In 1997, the eatery moved to Williamson Street, into a two-story building with a brick façade that blends right into the eclectic, mixed-residential Willy Street neighborhood. Since then, it’s become a veritable institution, prompting the owners to open a second location in 2005, a mile east, on Atwood Avenue. Both are run by members of the Inthachith family. Founders Christine Inthachith and her mother, Bounyong, fled Laos in 1980, along with Christine’s three siblings. The family spent three months in a refugee camp in Thailand, and another three in the Philippines, until Catholic Relief Services found them a sponsor family in Madison. Ten years old at the time, Christine, like the rest of her family, didn’t speak a word of English. She went to school on Madison’s east side, and a decade later, while still earning her university degrees, she looked to the restaurant industry for an opportunity for her mother to use her great skills in the

kitchen — thus, Lao Laan-Xang was born.

Here you’ll find several sumptuous curries crafted with herbs, spices and warming chilies. Lao Laan-Xang created their own quirky heat thermometer — timid, careful, adventurous or native Lao — so guests can specify how spicy they want their meal. And it’s served up with rice. Rice is a cornerstone of Lao cuisine and is often called “sticky rice” for the way it clumps together. It’s something any first-timer should be sure to try.

One menu item is not only a signature of the restaurant, but of the city itself:

their curry squash has made several “reader’s choice” lists. At neighborhood festivals, crowds wait in long lines at the restaurant’s food cart for a serving of this masterpiece, which features locally-grown acorn and butternut squash, zucchini and Thai eggplant in a creamy, coconut milk-based curry sauce, with a choice of tofu or chicken. Another must-try is Thum Som, a salad made from shredded green papaya pounded in a mortar with garlic, chilies, shrimp paste, tamarind, lime, cherry tomatoes, Thai eggplant and fish sauce. It’s a great counterpoint to the fried chicken that comes with it

Trend-Setter — Quark CLOCK SHADOW CREAMERY, MILWAUKEE

One of only two urban creameries in the country, this outpost in Milwaukee’s Walker’s Point neighborhood makes a rare quark (plain and flavored cheese) that’s fresh and spreadable. clockshadowcreamery.com

Cool + Classic — Cheese Curds ROELLI CHEESE HAUS, SHULLSBURG

Fourth-generation owner and Master Cheesemaker Chris Roelli’s time-tested recipes churn out cheddar curds so fresh they squeak. roellicheese.com

Traditionalist — Master’s Reserve Cheddar

CARR VALLEY CHEESE, LA VALLE

Crafted by fourth-generation Master Cheesemaker Sid Cook, who has won at least 800 awards for his cheeses, this slightly aged cheese was added to Carr’s offerings in 2019. carrvalleycheese.com

WHAT’S YOUR CHEESE PERSONALITY?

Wisconsin crafts 600-plus different varieties of cheese, and picking one can be mind-boggling. Here’s your cheat sheet.

BY KRISTINE HANSEN

Fall is a great time to whip up a charcuterie board. Stop by Fromagination, Brennan's Market, Wisconsin Cheese Mart or the Babcock Dairy Store to stock up on a few of the varieties below.

Minimalist — Mild Brick

WIDMER’S CHEESE CELLARS OF WISCONSIN, THERESA

Now in its fourth generation, Joe and Joey Widmer make a non-fussy, but oh-so-good, brick that’s crafted in the original factory Joe’s family founded in 1922. widmerscheese.com

Globe-Trotter — Marieke Gouda

HOLLAND’S FAMILY CHEESE, THORP

When Netherlands-born Marieke Penterman moved to Wisconsin in the early 2000s, she missed her Gouda so much that she began making her own. She earned national and international awards right out of the gate — garnering her first just six months after launching her business. mariekegouda.com

Sports Buff — Triple Play HOOK’S CHEESE COMPANY, MINERAL POINT

This blend of sheep, cow and goat milks (baby Swiss, Gouda and Havarti) is an homage to a rare three outs during a single play — which has only happened 727 times in Major League Baseball history. Owner and Master Cheesemaker Tony Hook’s genius cheese idea nabbed third place in 2015 at two cheese championships. hookscheese.com

Life of the Party — El Sancho Diablo

CESAR’S CHEESE, SHEBOYGAN FALLS

Born in Oaxaca, Mexico, cheesemaker Cesar Luis folds in two of the hottest peppers (scorpion and ghost peppers) for some major heat in this cheddar. wisconsincheese.com/wi-cheesecompanies

Daredevil — Limburger CHALET CHEESE COOPERATIVE, MONROE

Founded by five farmers in 1885, this coop is the only remaining U.S. producer of Limburger, although a half-century ago, about 100 Wisconsin creameries made this extremely pungent soft, ripened cheese. Hold your nose if you dare! chaletcheesecoop.com

CELEBRATE THE ARTS THIS FALL

Forty-plus ways to experience Madison’s vibrant entertainment scene.

BY JESSICA STEINHOFF

LIVE MUSIC

DOMi & JD Beck

Sept. 15, UW Memorial Union Play Circle

This pair of creative talents infuses jazz with a double dose of humor and youth, drawing inspiration from boom-bap hip-hop of the early ’90s, Pokémon soundtracks from the ’00s and artists of today they’ve collaborated with, including Thundercat and Ariana Grande. union.wisc.edu

Julian Lage

Sept. 16, High Noon Saloon

A guitarist who combines brains, technical skill and creativity in compelling ways, Lage has been known to improvise jazz and more to the rhythm of great speeches, especially those by author James Baldwin. You’re bound to float out of the venue, in a state of contemplation or even ecstasy. high-noon.com

S. Carey

Sept. 15, The Bur Oak

Though he’s the drummer in Bon Iver, the

band that made Eau Claire famous in the aughts, Carey is also well known for his vocal harmonies, which have been likened to those of “Smile”-era Brian Wilson. He’ll perform songs from a new solo album, “Break Me Open.” theburoakmadison.com

Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe

Sept. 16, 100 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

Equipped with saxophones, flutes and mad improvisational skills, Denson and his band can jam with the best of ’em, but they don’t just appeal to the jam-band crowd. Their intoxicating blend of funk and jazz will have even the wallflowers at Live on King Street dancing in the streets. majesticmadison.com

Chet Faker

Sept. 17, Majestic Theatre

The Aussie electronica artist who released soulful chart-climbers like 2014’s “Talk Is Cheap” back returns to the States with his latest material, an entrancing blend of moody vocals and trip-hop beats. majesticmadison.com

Omar Sosa Quarteto Americanos

Sept. 21, Overture Center

Sosa’s new ensemble weaves elements of electronic music and hip-hop into AfroCaribbean jazz in ways that reflect the vibrancy of urban life and make sitting still virtually impossible. overture.org

Dehd

Sept. 21, Majestic Theatre

Pitchfork recently likened this Chicago trio’s vibe to that feeling of “stepping outside on the first sunny day of the year.” Let the band’s punk-laced indie rock brighten your night as the autumn days get longer and darker. majesticmadison.com

Death Cab for Cutie

Sept. 22, The Sylvee

Ben Gibbard has expanded the lineup of his emo-tinged indie-rock project since releasing “Transatlanticism,” the 2003 album that turned him into a celebrity, but his sound is as recognizable as ever on 2022’s “Asphalt Meadows.” If you’re eager to tap into memories of side-swept bangs and that early internet meme of 12 dancing Badgers, this concert is one way to do it. thesylvee.com

Madison Symphony Orchestra and Chorus’ “Infinite Joy”

Sept. 23-25, Overture Center

The symphony’s instrumentalists and singers team up to present Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, known for its ebullient finale “Ode to Joy.” Several special guests should take this performance to new

Madison Ballet

heights, including soprano Laquita Mitchell, whose portrayal of Bess in San Francisco Opera’s “Porgy and Bess” earned rave reviews. madisonsymphony.org event/infinite-joy

Marcus King

Sept. 24, The Sylvee King was raised by a touring bluesman, but he isn’t your average blues-guitar virtuoso. Though his songs tend to chart in the blues world, they’re rich in R&B riffs, soulful vocals and Southern-rock sounds that show how much artists like James Brown, Otis Redding and Duane Allman have inspired and taught him. Translation: If you love music bursting with raw passion and vintage flourishes, this is your show. thesylvee.com

Emerson String Quartet

Sept. 24, Memorial Union

It’s not every day that the staff of The Times, one of London’s most-read daily newspapers, remarks that a string quartet has restored their hope in humanity, but this ensemble managed to do it — in addition to receiving nine Grammys, the Avery Fisher Prize and many other accolades. Enjoy an all-Beethoven program at this performance. union.wisc.edu

Lucinda Williams

Sept. 24, Barrymore Theatre

“Car Wheels on a Gravel Road,” the 1998 album that brought Williams commercial

success, routinely appears on critics’ “best Americana ever” lists, but her most recent album, 2020’s “Good Souls Better Angels,” is giving it a run for its money. Expect its highlights to take center stage at this concert. barrymorelive.com

Old 97’s

Sept. 27, Majestic Theatre

This alt-country band has been rocking bars and concert halls for 30 years, but their tunes seem as timeless as ever, thanks to superb songcraft skills and frontman Rhett Miller’s must-see blend of charm and charisma. majesticmadison.com

Dinosaur Jr.

Sept. 28, Majestic Theatre

Extended guitar solos earned a berth in the world of indie rock thanks to this band and many acts that followed in their footsteps, including Built to Spill and Kurt Vile. Here’s your chance to see a living legend do their thing. majesticmadison.com

Grace Pettis

Sept. 28, The Bur Oak

This winner of NPR’s Mountain Stage NewSong Contest will give her Madison audience a taste of her stomping grounds — Austin, Texas — with her superb blend of country, folk and soul. theburoakmadison.com

Manhattan Chamber Players

Sept. 29, Memorial Union

This gifted ensemble performs chamber music by classical greats of yore and contemporary composers of note. The program includes a Mozart clarinet quintet, a Schumann piano quintet and Andrea Casarrubios’ 2017 composition “La Libertad se Levantó Llorando,” which features a

MAKING THE MOST OF MISSTEPS

Power matters: who has it and who doesn’t, how those who have it choose to use it and how those who lack it can get their fair share. These are some of the issues explored in “Sifting & Reckoning: UW-Madison’s History of Exclusion and Resistance” (Sept. 12-Dec. 30), a new multimedia exhibition the university’s Public History Project has prepared for the Chazen Museum of Art.

Now in its third year, the Public History Project examines the exclusion and discrimination that complicate UW-Madison’s history, grappling with thorny questions about belonging and challenging the public to do the same. “Sifting & Reckoning” presents artifacts that illustrate marginalized groups’ struggles and triumphs over more than a century of campus life.

According to Kacie Lucchini Butcher, the project’s director and the exhibition’s lead curator, “Sifting & Reckoning” is a crucial tool for building a better future for the entire UW-Madison community, especially its most vulnerable and marginalized groups.

“By uncovering our history, we get a better sense for the progress we’ve made and the myriad ways we have fallen short of our ideal,” she says. “Our hope is that the exhibition offers our students, employees, administrators and the broader community ideas for how

violin and cello alongside a voice reading part of a Pablo Neruda poem about the Spanish Civil War. union.wisc.edu

The Deslondes

Sept. 30, High Noon Saloon

Pulling sounds from early rock ’n’ roll, blues, zydeco and other musical traditions with strong ties to the South, this New Orleans act adds a transcendent dimension to their tunes when they incorporate psychedelic elements. Hit the High Noon to hear “Ways & Means,” their first album in five years. high-noon.com

The Head and the Heart

Oct. 3-4, The Sylvee

This indie folk band’s warm, acoustic sound has set the stage for emotional moments on “New Girl,” “New Amsterdam” and numerous other TV shows, and it can do the same in a concert venue. Their new album, “Every Shade of Blue,” is bound to move your heart as well as your body, so bring a pocket pack of tissues and the number of someone you want to thank for being awesome. thesylvee.com

The Black Angels

Oct. 7, Majestic Theatre

Be among the first to hear these psychrockers perform their new album, “Wilderness of Mirrors,” in its natural habitat: a concert hall with a top-notch sound system, a big stage and scores of sweaty, music-obsessed fans. majesticmadison.com

Superorganism

Oct. 8, Majestic Theatre

This lovable indie-pop collective met in New Zealand, live in the U.K. and are touring the U.S. in support of their sophomore album, “World Wide Pop,” a celebration of committee-style music-making that features guests such as Pavement’s Stephen Malkmus and rap sensation Dylan Cartlidge. majesticmadison.com

The Airborne Toxic Event

Oct. 12, Majestic Theatre

Known for blending rock and electronic music in dramatic ways, often in collaboration with orchestras, this L.A.

band knows a thing or two about creating a mood. “Hollywood Park,” the album this tour showcases, explores material from frontman Mikel Jollett’s bestselling memoir about growing up in the infamous Synanon cult. majesticmadison.com

King Princess

Oct. 14, The Sylvee

Calling this 23-year-old artist a rising star doesn’t quite capture the surge of success she’s experiencing. Pitchfork dubbed her a “burgeoning queer idol” back in 2019, the year she appeared on “Saturday Night Live,” and this year Rolling Stone described her as an “indie-pop visionary” before the release of her second album, “Hold On Baby.” Find your own descriptor at this show. thesylvee.com

Lyle Lovett with John Hiatt

Oct. 14, Overture Center

Hiatt, a satire-loving troubadour who has penned songs for Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris and other legends, joins Lovett, a master melder of Texan gospel, blues, country and swing, at this all-acoustic concert. overture.org

Joel Ross’ Good Vibes

Oct. 16, Memorial Union

The vibraphone is making a bid for America’s most exciting instrument thanks to this band’s namesake and leader, who uses it to conduct musical experiments that propel jazz into the future while paying homage to important people from his past. union.wisc.edu

they can take an active role in creating change and achieving a more equitable UW-Madison.”

In collaboration with co-curators Taylor Bailey and Adriana Arthur, Butcher selected thought-provoking objects from the UW archives and crafted descriptions of them to provide context and spark conversations about barriers to inclusion. These objects include the Pipe of Peace, a ceremonial object white students used in a popular mock Native American ceremony, as well as photos and yearbooks, films, athletic memorabilia, protest flyers and other ephemera from 20th-century campus life.

The Public History Project’s website features additional materials, including recordings of oral histories that bring to life the memories, experiences and emotions of people at different points in the university’s struggle to recognize and respect difference. Lucchini Butcher recommends starting your journey with these oral histories, as well as the project’s blog posts about Black Greek letter organizations and the “gay purge” of the early 1960s, and then visiting the in-person exhibit.

“We have a lot of materials coming together to help welcome people to the exhibit, no matter where they are, but we also hope everyone who is able visits in person,” she says. chazen.wisc. edu, publichistoryproject.wisc.edu

The Knocks with Cannons

Oct. 22, The Sylvee

The Knocks holed up in their studio during the lockdown phase of the coronavirus pandemic and emerged ready to collaborate like crazy. Their efforts paid off when they were featured on “Fireworks,” Purple Disco Machine’s funky megahit from the summer of 2021. Cannons approach electronic music from a different angle, creating dreamy soundscapes and cinematic pop. thesylvee.com

Sammy Rae & the Friends Oct. 27, The Sylvee

With horn and rhythm sections, keyboards and plenty of backing singers, this funky yet folky band packs a punch that’ll take your breath away, especially when frontwoman Rae adds her vocal pyrotechnics to the mix. thesylvee.com

Soccer Mommy

Oct. 29, Majestic Theatre

Though she’s most heavily influenced by

fierce female artists like Mitski and Liz Phair, Soccer Mommy (aka Sophie Regina Allison) isn’t afraid to admit that she’s inspired by pop icons Taylor Swift and Natalie Imbruglia as well. See how these creative reference points shaped her new album, “Sometimes, Forever.” majesticmadison.com

George Winston

Oct. 30, Overture Center

New Orleans R&B piano is Winston’s bread and butter, but he’s also a huge fan of Vince Guaraldi, the jazz pianist famous for his soundtrack to “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and other Peanuts TV specials. In other

OVERTURE CONCERT ORGAN PERFORMANCE: CHRISTOPHER HOULIHAN

OCTOBER 25

madisonsymphony.org/houlihan TICKETS: $25

OCTOBER

14 FRI. 7:30 PM

15 SAT. 8:00 PM

16 SUN. 2:30 PM

John DeMain, Conducting

words, Winston might surprise the crowd with his latest interpretation of “Linus and Lucy.” overture.org

THEATER AND DANCE

“Love’s Labour’s Lost”

Through Oct. 2, American Players Theatre, Spring Green

This early Shakespeare comedy concerns a king who forbids women from approaching his court while he and a trio of buddies attempt to focus on their studies. A French princess and her crew arrive shortly after this new rule is instituted, and hijinks ensue. Directed by APT Artistic Director Brenda DeVita, this outdoor

sublime violin & journeys

I cannot imagine the Barber Violin Concerto more beautifully played than what we anticipate from James Ehnes. Mendelssohn takes us on a Scottish journey with his great third symphony and Strauss’ great tone poem will take us on a spiritual journey as well. Three major works on the same program! — John DeMain

Learn more: madisonsymphony.org/ehnes

James Ehnes, Violin PROGRAM

Richard Strauss, Death and Transfiguration

Samuel Barber, Violin Concerto Felix Mendelssohn, Symphony No. 3 in A minor (Scottish)

PRESENTING SPONSOR

Marvin J. Levy

MAJOR SPONSORS

Madison Magazine

Rosemarie and Fred Blancke

Martha and Charles Casey

Kenneth A. Lattman Foundation, Inc.

ADDITIONAL SPONSORS

James and Joan Johnston

Steinhilber Swanson LLP

Wisconsin Arts Board

View our brochure, subscribe & discover more at madisonsymphony.org

production should put an exclamation point on the end of the 2021-22 season. americanplayers.org

“The Moors”

Through Oct. 9, American Players Theatre, Spring Green

In Jen Silverman’s parody of the Brontë sisters’ oeuvre, a young governess arrives at a manor expecting to find a child to care for and a potential suitor, but what she finds does not meet this description. A quartet of beloved APT actors – Tracy Michelle Arnold, Kelsey Brannan, Jim DeVita and Colleen Madden – bring the major roles to life, filling the intimate Touchstone Theatre with nearly every variety of laughter. americanplayers.org

Madison Contemporary Dance

Sept. 16, Garver Feed Mill

Breakdancing, rave culture, hip-hop dance and more inform this company’s approach to creative expression, which aims to connect people of different backgrounds through physical storytelling. madisoncontemporarydance.com

Madison Ballet “Next Steps”

Sept. 23-Oct. 2, Overture Center

World premieres abound in this program of fresh works by San Francisco choreographer Marika Brussel, Rehearsal Director Richard Walters and brand-new Artistic Director Ja’ Malik, a Cleveland Ballet alum who founded New York City’s Ballet Boy Productions, an initiative that helps young Black men excel in dance careers. madisonballet.org

“The Mole Hill Stories”

Oct. 15-30, Madison Youth Arts Center

In this Children’s Theater of Madison production, Fox tells Mole her molehill needs to move, and Mole’s world is turned upside down. Together, Mole and her friends work together, explore new land and look up to the sky. ctmtheater.org

“Kanopy Redux: No Limits”

Oct. 20-23, Overture Center

This program of new works and old favorites is back on Overture Center’s schedule after COVID-19 forced it into hiatus back in April. The centerpiece is Pascal Rioult’s “Views of the Fleeting World,” which uses Hiroshige’s famous woodblock prints to explore musical themes by classical heavyweight J.S. Bach. kanopydance.org

VISUAL

ART

“Secret Walls”

Sept. 14, High Noon Saloon

Teams of Madison-area artists compete for bragging rights during this evening of high-energy design and illustration battles, complete with live music and a decibel meter that measures the audience’s cheer volume to help the judges choose the winners. high-noon.com

“Imprinted in Madison: Artists Making Their Mark”

Through Feb. 17, 2023, Madison Municipal Building

Madison’s rich history of printmaking, including work created at Tandem Press and UW-Madison’s top-ranked program, is the focus of this exhibition featuring works by 15 local talents.

cityofmadison.com/news/imprinted-inmadison-artists-making-their-mark

COMEDY, LITERATURE AND SPOKEN WORD

Leanne Morgan

Sept. 15, Overture Center

Motherhood is a comedy goldmine for Morgan, who found her calling as a stand-up comedian by telling sidesplitting stories about breastfeeding challenges, hemorrhoids from hell and other occupational hazards at jewelryselling gatherings for moms in her native Tennessee. She’s come a long way since then, leaving audiences in stitches at the Montreal Comedy Festival and netting millions of views with her Dry Bar comedy special, “So Yummy.” overture.org

Andrea Gibson

Sept. 29, Barrymore Theatre

Poetry is both an art form and an activism tool for Gibson, whose spoken-word performances examine gender norms, the concept of love and the marginalization of LGBTQ+ people. This tour stop highlights their new book, “You Better Be Lightning,” a call for people to embrace their imperfections and be themselves unapologetically. barrymorelive.com

Gary Gulman

Oct. 14-15, Comedy on State Gulman thrives at finding the absurd in the everyday, a skill that has taken him to the stage of nearly every major latenight TV program. Much of his recent work, including the muchlauded HBO special “The Great Depresh,” finds humor in unlikely places, such as the hospital where he sought treatment for anxiety and depression. madisoncomedy.com

BY THE BOOK

Local bookshops are bursting at the seams with tomes on every topic possible — all located in inspiring spaces.

BY LAURA ANNE BIRD

Ordering a book online from a mass-market retailer is as easy as clicking a few buttons, but when it lands on your doorstep a day later, you’ve missed out on an opportunity to support our local economy.

Madison is home to an enviable number of independent bookstores, and each one is deeply invested in the community. This means that “shopping indie” offers a meaningful alternative to browsing the internet.

“We live here, eat here and donate here. We care about what happens to our customers,” says Sydne Conant, buyer and bookseller for A Room of One’s Own. “You get more back when you shop local. You get it in taxes, jobs and services — but also in personalized care and curation.”

Charlotte Martin, events manager at Mystery to Me, agrees. “We encourage people to find pleasure and joy in the physicality of a bookstore, including

the smell and feel of tangible books.”

Rick Jacobs, who co-owns The Book Deal, adds, “Independent bookstores have their own way of actively working to enhance the communities they’re a part of. Ours is to foster literacy through affordable and free access to books.”

If you don’t feel like shopping in person, contact any of Madison’s booksellers to inquire about curbside pickup and other helpful services.

Leopold's Books Bar Caffé

LEOPOLD’S BOOKS BAR CAFFÈ

“Leopold’s is open until midnight six nights a week,” says bookstore manager Molly Fish. Rather than organizing books by genre, she and owner Sam Brown group them by geographical focus, which makes for a fascinating browsing experience. “Folks often tell us they stumble upon their new favorite titles serendipitously,” she says. Leopold’s, which opened in 2021, also curates a large section on Wisconsin history and culture, with a spotlight on local authors. 1301 Regent St., leopoldsmadison.com

MYSTERY TO ME

“Mystery to Me is the first stop for mystery readers, but we’ve expanded our fiction and children’s sections by an order of magnitude,” says events manager Charlotte Martin. Established in 2013 by Joanne Berg, Mystery to Me is woman- and queer-owned, and it strives to be a gathering space where all people feel welcome. “Bookselling is like being an emotional pharmacist. I’m proud to be a part of a team that are all such excellent listeners,” says Martin. 1863 Monroe St., mysterytomebooks.com

A ROOM OF ONE’S OWN

One of the oldest feminist bookstores in the country, A Room of One’s Own opened in 1975. Owners Gretchen Treu and Wes Lukes oversaw the

shop’s recent relocation to Atwood Avenue, set in a beautiful historic building. “We have long catered to women, progressives, and LGBTQIA communities,” says buyer and bookseller Sydne Conant. “More recently, we’ve also taken a strong stance on abolition and anti-racism as we strive to be as intersectional as possible.” 2717 Atwood Ave., roomofonesown.com

ARCADIA BOOKS

Since James Bohnen opened Arcadia in 2011, the shop has sold all genres: literature, children’s, history, memoirs, biographies, theatre,poetry, mystery, science fiction/fantasy and cooking. “Our customers like the mix, and we can do special orders if there’s a title we don’t stock,” says co-manager Todd Miller. “Shopping at an indie bookstore — in person or online — supports local jobs. Plus, you get so much more customer service.” 102. E. Jefferson St., Spring Green, readinutopia.com

ITTY BITTY BOOKSTORE

Dominique Lenaye opened the only Black-owned business on Stoughton’s Main Street — and one of the few Black-owned bookstores in Wisconsin — in 2021. Located originally in a 120-square-foot office space (she has since upgraded to a larger space), the shop has tons of titles. Every month, Lenaye curates

an exquisite collection of titles that celebrate authors and characters from marginalized groups. “At Itty Bitty, we want you to read, love your skin and repeat,” she says 123 E. Main St., Stoughton, ittybittybookstore.com

THE BOOK DEAL

“We’re a mission-driven bookstore with a quirky location and a warm, neighborly atmosphere,” says Rick Jacobs, who owns The Book Deal with brother Jimbo and friend Josh Derr. Their aim? To positively impact literacy in Madison. “We have over 30,000 used books for under $4. For each one sold, we give a book away to the community.” Since 2018, the Book Deal has offered an extensive assortment of titles, including current, out-of-print and scarce books. 319 W. Beltline Hwy, Madison, thebookdeal.com

A Room of One's Own

Mystery To Me

The Book Deal

KISMET BOOKS

“Kismet stands for everything that makes communities strong,” says owner Rye Kimmett, who opened the bookstore in 2020. “We use our beautiful Brick House Studio upstairs to show off local artists and host community events for free.” Kismet offers titles and unique gift ideas for every kind of reader, with a focus on science fiction/fantasy, young adult and picture books. “Where you choose to spend your money matters,” Kimmett says. “Every dollar you invest in a local indie bookshop is an investment in your community and a step towards a better world.” 101 N. Main St., Verona, kismetbookshop.com

Laura Anne Bird is a middle-grade author whose debut book, “Crossing the Pressure Line,” was released on March 1 and is available at Madison’s indie bookshops.

Kismet Books

THAT FALL FEELING

One of the best ways to celebrate the sights, sounds and smells of autumn is by attending a fall festival. Here are eight within easy driving distance.

BY MELANIE RADZICKI MCMANUS

WAUKTOBERFEST

Sept. 15-18, Waunakee

This multifaceted festival, held at Endres Manufacturing in Waunakee, begins on Thursday night with wine tasting and live music. The Wauktoberfest grounds officially open on Friday, when you can grab some suds and enjoy music from various groups.

Saturday features a pop-up market, beer-blessing and beer-keg race, where two-person teams battle to see who can roll a keg along the ground the fastest. There are even sauerkraut and limburger cheese-eating contests. The bash concludes on Sunday with more beer, music and fun. wauktoberfest.com

WO - ZHA - WA DAYS

FALL FESTIVAL

Sept. 16-18, Wisconsin Dells

One of the more popular fall events, Wo-Zha-Wa Days offers a wealth of diverse activities and events. There’s an antique flea market, arts and crafts fair, carnival rides and Maxwell Street Days bazaar. Live music is playing daily, and Saturday morning features a fun run. The festival wraps up on Sunday with a 100-unit parade. Activities are held throughout the downtown, including Bowman Park. wozhawa.com

WINE & HARVEST FESTIVAL

Sept. 17-18, Cedarburg

Nosh on apple brats, cranberry turkey wraps, jambalaya or maybe “gator on a stick” at this autumnal fest, which is celebrating its 50th year. Specialty beers will be flowing in the Fermentorium Tap Tent, while the village’s Cedar Creek Winery will be selling a selection of tasty wines. Work off any calories consumed by taking part in the grapestomping contest or the charity regatta, which involves paddling a 600-pound carved pumpkin boat. cedarburgfestival.org/wine-and-harvest

Downtown Cedarburg

Wauktoberfest

Wo-Zha-Wa Days Fall Festival

ELKTOBERFEST

Sept. 23-25, Elkhart Lake

The first annual Elktoberfest kicks off Friday night with a stein social and live music throughout the walkable village. Saturday features a Root Beer Garten for the kids, where they can get their faces painted or create a pretzel necklace. Adults can walk or run in the Wine-and-Beer 5K, with participants receiving a wine glass and ticket for a glass of wine or craft beer afterwards. A community breakfast on Sunday closes out the event. elkhartLake.com/event/ elktoberfest

VERONA FALL FEST

Sept. 30, Verona

This family-friendly evening festival boasts plenty of games and crafts for the kids, plus a petting zoo and both train and hay rides. Grab dinner at Food Truck Alley, where there’s something to tempt everyone's taste buds, then enjoy your meal al fresco while grooving to the live music. When the sun sets, warm yourself by the roaring bonfire or catch the outdoor flick. veronawi.com/ events/verona-fall-fest

LAKE GENEVA OKTOBERFEST

Oct. 7-9, Lake Geneva

Head to Lake Geneva’s Flat Iron Park for this entertaining fall fest, which

features a craft fair, live music and tasty treats, like apple cider donuts. There�s also the requisite beer garden, and a special kids’ entertainment area offering activities such as a bouncy house and pony rides. Dachshund owners can enter their pooches in a short — but very entertaining — race. And adults can test their strength and endurance in the stein-hoisting competition, where they’ll fight to see who can hold a giant stein of beer in one outstretched arm the longest. visitlakegeneva.com/event/streets-oflake-geneva-oktoberfest/7850

MONONA FALL FESTIVAL

Oct. 15, Monona

Monona’s fall fest, held in Winnequah Park, kicks off with the Hoot Hoot Hustle, a run-walk event. A mix of paid and free attractions are available,

including balloon sculptures, pony rides, pumpkin decorating, disc golf, arts and crafts, and a cow-milking contest. The highlight of the event is the chili cook-off, where contestants vie to create the tastiest chili, which festival-goers can sample. mymonona.com/443/fall-festival

HALLOWEEN IN DELAFIELD

Oct. 22, Delafield

Get ready for Halloween by strolling through the streets of downtown Delafield, trick-or-treating at local businesses to the music of Ring Tunes, a popular Lake Country DJ. The finale comes at dusk, when the Grand Pumpkin Illumination takes place in Clock Tower Square. Dozens of grinning jack-o’-lanterns are simultaneously set aglow, to the delight of all. delafieldchamber.com/ halloween-in-delafield

Melanie Radzicki McManus is a freelance travel writer and speaker based in Sun Prairie.

Elktoberfest

Lake Geneva Oktoberfest

BEHIND THE LENS | We sent our photographers all over the city and beyond to capture this issue’s stories. Top left: The Little Marketplace in Mount Horeb is an escape from the ordinary, with tableware, home goods, gifts and graphic apparel. A small corner of the shop is devoted to new and vintage gardening items, shown here. Top right: The Tornado Club Steak House’s moody atmosphere is no mistake. Its predecessor was Crandall’s, a longtime, popular supper club. Owner Henry Doane says, “I peeled back the layers of wallpaper and carpeting to reveal the original look and feel of the old restaurant. It wasn’t hard to create that old supper club authenticity.” Right: Michelle Behnke is a successful attorney and owner of Michelle Behnke & Associates. She shared her career insights in our “Women at Work” feature. In 2021, Black women made up only 2% of the student population at the University of Wisconsin Law School. Bottom left: Sip a refreshing Grasshopper at Kavanaugh’s Esquire Club, Madison’s oldest operating restaurant in its original location. The North Side spot opened in 1947.