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AKSARBEN FOUNDATION ALWAYS MOVING FORWARD

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BLAIR FREEMAN BUILDING A LEGACY

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CQUENCE HEALTH/ CASSLING

TOUCHING LIVES THROUGH HEALTHCARE

WHEN THE STARS ALIGN What a privilege to take a 34-year success story to the next generation of marketing communications partnerships.

Zaiss & Company made its mark at its founding with the little-known concept of “account planning,” brought to this market and clients by founder Tracy Zaiss. This practice has been key to our success through the years as it yields smart strategies for brand positioning, media placement and strong, effective creative that builds business.

Today, we have evolved our own brand to reflect a view toward the future, rooted in the deep dives of account planning while offering the services that take our clients’ brands to stratospheric heights.

Only Stars.

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HUB INTERNAT HUB International Great Plains, though a relatively recent name, traces its roots back to 1945 when it commenced operations as a family-owned f irm based in Council Bluffs, I A. With a key acquisition in 1991 in Oma ha, NE the SilverStone Group was formed. SilverStone Group held the distinction of being the largest insurance brokerage in Nebraska and one of the countr y's largest until late 2019 when it became part of the globally renowned HUB Internationa l Limited. HU B Internationa l is t he 5t h largest insurance brokerage organization in the world.

President Grant Matthies emphasizes that, much like its predecessor, HU B Internationa l Great Pla ins rema ins committed to delivering persona lized ser vices for both businesses and private clients. These ser vices encompass commercia l risk & insura nce, employee benef its, a nd retirement & private wealth management, with a dedicated focus on surpassing client expectations on a daily basis.

Andie Gordman, Senior Vice President of Human Resources shared that as a growing organization, HUB creates a positive and energizing culture that attracts and retains top talent. We invest in our team members' professional growth and development by providing training programs, mentorship initiatives, and opportunities for skill-building a nd c a reer adva ncement. Severa l orga niz ations have recognized HUB for its work in Diversit y, Equit y, and Inclusion. We offer several Employee Resource Groups to provide opportunities for team members across the US and Canada to connect around common interests.

According to Chief Sales Off icer Jeff Jorth, HUB's locally and nationally recognized service-oriented approach sets it apart. Jorth notes that the strength lies not only in having the best talent in the geographic region but also in having experts who ser ve as business partners for clients across the countr y. This expertise is evident in the day-to-day interactions with clients, facilitated by strategic account executives, consultants, and account management teams.

These teams aid clients in managing risks, recruiting and retaining employees, and controlling costs associated with recommended products.

Being part of HU B provides the tea m with enha nced resources to cater to a growing client base and tack le the most intricate cha llenges, Jorth adds. Chief Operating Off icer Todd Rogge characterizes HUB as a "boundar yless organization," highlighting the signif icant expansion in resources from being a $50-million f irm to joining a $4 billion entit y. This expanded access allows the team

P1 [inside 8.25 x 10 “Our Employee Benefits team is meeting to review the expanded capabilities we are excited to share with our clients in 2024.

Patrick Fay (left), Retirement Plan Advisor and Executive Vice President and Practice Leader, Jeffrey Sharp (right), Retirement and Wealth Planning Team members, are discussing 2023 results and planning for 2024.

TIONAL

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Some of the members of the HUB Great Plains Leadership Team from left to right: Jeffrey Jorth, Chief Sales Officer; Grant Matthies, President, Todd Rogge, Chief Operating Officer and Andie Gordman, Senior Vice President, Human Resources.

to address a broad spectrum of challenges, drawing on the specialized expertise available within HUB, both by industr y and practice area.

Jorth further emphasizes the team's commitment to being an indispensable partner for clients by aligning their business and personal goals, protecting profits, and enhancing organizational vitality and resilience. With a workforce that has grown from around 225 associates in 2019 to nearly 360, spanning Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, and Western Iowa, the Great Plaines team ref lects HUB International's status as an "employer of choice." Matthies highlights the substantial growth and opportunities provided to both existing and new team members, affirming their commitment to being a trusted partner for businesses and individuals alike.

P1 Foldout 4.25

For more detailed information, please visit hubinternational .com

HUNGRY?

F O O D FE AT U R ES . C H EF P R O F I L ES . R ESTAU R A N T R E V I E WS

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2024

VOLUME 24

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ISSUE 1

FROM THE EDITOR

CLEAN RESULTS.

hen Omaha’s business leaders came together in W 1895, they united across professions to keep

For all of your facility cleaning needs, Jani-King’s trained and dedicated franchisees deliver beyond expectations. It’s all of the efforts behind the scenes that prepare you for success.

EXECUTIVE publisher Todd Lemke

CREATIVE creative director Rachel Birdsall

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sr. graphic designer Renee Ludwick

EDITORIAL managing editor Kim Carpenter

graphic designer II Nickie Robison

associate editor Natalie Veloso assignment editor Claudia Moomey senior staff writer Julius Fredrick

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contributors Leo Adam Biga Tamsen Butler Butch Ethington Holly McAtee Heath Mello Steve Jordon Deborah Ward Chris Wolfgang INFORMATION advertising information 402.884.2000 subscribe online omahamagazine.com/ pages/subscribe

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Telephone: 402.884.2000; fax 402.884.2001. Subscription rates: $12.95 for 4 issues (one year), $19.95 for 8 issues (two years). Multiple subscriptions at different rates are available.

No whole or part of the contents herein may be reproduced without prior written permission of B2B Omaha Magazine, excepting individually copyrighted articles and photographs. Unsolicited manuscripts are accepted, however no responsibility will be assumed for such solicitations.

graphic designer I Joey Winton photographers Katie Anderson Scott Drickey Sarah Lemke SALES executive vice president sales & marketing Gil Cohen branding specialists Dawn Dennis George Idelman Francine Flegg contributing branding specialists Greg Bruns Tim McCormack assistant to the publisher Sandy Matson senior sales coordinator Alicia Hollins sales coordinator Sandi McCormack OPERATIONS business manager Kyle Fisher ad traffic manager David Trouba digital manager Luis De la Toba distribution manager Damian Ingersoll

economic opportunity flowing into Nebraska.

Concerned that the state wasn’t moving forward, they spelled Nebraska backwards to create a witty pun, and the Aksarben Foundation was born. The philanthropic nonprofit has been helping create economic opportunities ever since. As the president of NP Dodge Company, Nate Dodge, who’s been involved with the organization at all levels, has noted: “We work together, and our only goal is community.”

That spirit carries through in so many of Omaha’s professions. Take, for example, Ashley Kuhn and Maranda Adams, the founders of Blair Freeman. They created Nebraska’s only 100% Black woman-owned and led Class A construction company, and associate editor Natalie Veloso met with them to discuss the why and the how of their business. Then there’s someone like Cyrus Jaffery of Jaffery Insurance & Financial Services, who takes time to help refugees like himself flourish and create their own economic opportunities.

And talk about affecting lives! CQuence Health and its flagship company, Cassling, are impacting the health of millions of people worldwide. As of this publication, the screen in its Omaha headquarters projected: “NUMBER OF LIVES TOUCHED: 180,197,914.” The goal is to reach one billion, and Mike Cassling, CQuence Founder and Chairman, and Dr. Kyle Salem, CEO and President of both Cassling and CQuence Health, sat down with B2B feature writer Julius Fredrick to discuss exactly how they are moving resolutely toward hitting that target and touching those lives.

Veteran business reporter Steve Jordon also examines how ethics plays a role in Omaha businesses and their decision-making process. As Dr. AnnMarie Marlier, Executive Director of the Omaha Business Ethics Alliance, stated: “Ethics is doing the right thing, even when no one’s looking.”

This is the kind of attitude that makes our city a phenomenal place to work and do business. As Nate Dodge says, organizations like the Aksarben Foundation are “fundamentally unique.” So, too, are the business leaders who make Omaha and its citizens thrive.

B2B Kim Carpenter is managing editor at Omaha Publications.

Free with an Omaha Magazine Subscription.

OmahaMagazine.com/Pages/Subscribe

She can be reached for story suggestions and pitches at kim@omahapublications.com

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TABLE OF CONTENTS MAIN FEATURE

26

DOING WHAT’S RIGHT WHEN NO ONE’S LOOKING

THE ETHICS OF GOOD BUSINESS FEATURES

14

18

BUILDING A LEGACY

BLAIR FREEMAN BRINGS TRANSPARENCY AND DIVERSITY TO OMAHA’S CONSTRUCTION LANDSCAPE

THE ROAD TO ONE BILLION

MIKE CASSLING AND KYLE SALEM OF CQUENCE HEALTH

22

DEPARTMENTS

04 ROUNDTABLE

10 BIZ + GIVING

34 omAHA!

08 AFTER HOURS

30 IN THE OFFICE

36 ON THE RISE

MAKING A DIFFRENCE

VIC PADIOS KEEPS HIS PASSION ALIVE

FEBRUARY · MARCH 2024 | U.S. $4.95

AKSARBEN FOUNDATION ALWAYS MOVING FORWARD

FORGING FASHION BEYOND OMAHA’S CATWALK

BLAIR FREEMAN BUILDING A LEGACY

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CQUENCE HEALTH/ CASSLING

TOUCHING LIVES THROUGH HEALTHCARE

AKSARBEN FOUNDATION

WHERE COLLABORATION MEETS FLEXIBILITY

ABOUT THE COVER Mike Cassling (left) and Dr. Kyle Salem (right) of CQuence Health and Cassling sat down with B2B to share their insights on the future of the healthcare industry and how these two Omaha companies are touching lives around the world.

OMAHA-HEADQUARTERED MILAN LASER HAIR REFUGEE TURNED ENTREPRENEUR CYRUS

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FORGING FASHION

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VOLUME 24

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ISSUE 1

ROUNDTABLE | COMPILED BY KIM CARPENTER | PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

INDUSTRY LEADERS SHARE INSIGHTS

B

usiness is a wide and varied field. We asked three Omaha professionals in vastly different industries to reflect on their areas of expertise. They include: Tessa Porter, veteran confectionary, food scientist, and founder of Sprinkk, a candy development and manufacturing company. sprinkk.com Nick Shannon, CRPC, financial advisor and founder of Prestige Wealth, which specializes in wealth management, retirement solutions, and protection strategies. prestigewealthne.com Danelle Schlegelmilch, founder of Passport Public Relations, a public relations boutique, and cofounder of Maven Media Collaborative, where passionate creatives gather to exchange ideas, master techniques, and elevate their craft. passportpr.com B2B: What are some of the ways your company is making a difference in the industry?

TP: Sprinkk is reducing hurdles in the candy industry by making manufacturing more accessible for smaller brands and for bigger brands with new ideas. We not only offer development services to help bring new product ideas to life, but we also have manufacturing capabilities on a smaller scale for those who truly want to test things out before going big in manufacturing. Sprinkk pulls back the curtain on contract manufacturing, giving our clients ownership of formulas and education on how things are made.

NS: At Prestige Wealth, our mission is to partner with our clients so they can have the financial confidence to live their best lives. We take great pride in spending extra time educating our clients about the complex financial landscape. Financial planning is the foundation of our firm. This planning

process allows our clients to become financially organized and allows them to see how certain decisions will affect their financial future. We have found that confident clients tend to live less stressful and happier lives.

just take a step forward in curiosity to explore it.

Ask questions, make a mess, and determine the next step from there. No one knows the exact right path to take. You have to blaze your own trail sometimes.

DS: At Passport Public Relations, we have the resources, contacts, and experience of larger national agencies with the personalized service and affordable rates of a boutique firm. This opens the door for more brands to be able to have someone on their team with 20+ years of award-winning experience without paying big agency retainers.

There aren’t many PR boutiques in Omaha, and we’re proud of the top-tier results we get for clients.

We’re making an impact for our clients by helping them gain more visibility through both locally and nationally earned media stories, winning industry awards, and gaining thought leadership through speaking opportunities. This year we have helped our clients earn stories in Forbes (5x), Country Living Magazine (3x), Midwest Living Magazine (2x), Martha Stewart Living, Sports Illustrated, US News & World Report, The Food Institute (3x), Garden & Gun Magazine, Parade Magazine, Sunset Magazine, and many more.

NS: I have been very fortunate to work for some of the largest financial institutions in my career. At each stop in my journey, I have proactively found a mentor. The guidance and insight gained from these mentors has been invaluable to the trajectory of my career. I would strongly suggest finding a mentor that has a vested interest in your success. In addition, I have been willing to take calculated risks. I spent several years in the leadership side of our industry, and this experience allowed me to lead, coach, and develop hundreds of top advisors. As a result, I have been able to create a world-class business for my clients based upon integrity, experience, and excellence.

B2B: What has helped you get to where you are and what advice would you have for others who want to set off in a similar direction?

TP: Many people, a lot of curiosity, and grit (and possibly some naïveté) have all helped me throughout my career and the creation of Sprinkk. I have asked “what if ” a lot throughout my life and then can’t help but seek to find out. Luckily, I’ve asked this question enough to mentors, engineers, and people with far more experience than I have and have been pointed in the right direction. My advice to anyone looking to explore new things is always to

DS: A whole lot of wonderful people have helped me to get to where I am today. After graduating from UNO with a degree in journalism/public relations/advertising, I knew I wanted to continue to share stories that made a difference through PR. I started my career at ad agencies and nonprofits, and it really opened my eyes to all that was out there. Thanks to my mentors and supporters believing in me, I had the confidence to start Passport PR in 2016.

My advice for anyone wanting to join me in a similar adventure is: Go for it, you got this!

What are you waiting for? Sure, it’s scary, but we have an amazingly supportive community in Omaha that puts collaboration over competition. We are here to cheer you on.

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Danelle Schlegelmilch B2B: Are there any emerging industries in which you are particularly interested?

TP: There are always new trends emerging within candy, so it is tricky to branch into different industries. However, I’m always on the lookout for new bridges to other industries, such as the beauty and fashion industries and health and wellness. Currently, [I’m] loving the growth of the bridge between sports nutrition and confectionery and creating products to serve that market.

NS: FinTech, or financial technology, has really burst onto the scenes over the past few years. The technological improvements in our industry over the past couple of years have truly been impressive. The financial planning software enhancements and integrations have drastically improved the client experience. We can organize a client’s financial life, help them make informed decisions, and help them understand how those decisions will affect their financial goals.

Nick Shannon

DS: I am really interested in AI and how it is a total game changer when it comes to not only public relations but also every industry.

I have been experimenting with it for almost a year now, and it has been a priceless tool in my toolbox. From being able to quickly gather research and get new inspiration for projects, to helping me put together recipes and travel itineraries, AI is something everyone should check out. It helps me to work smarter, not harder, and maximize my time.

CONT. PAGE 06

Tessa Porter

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VOLUME 24

Thanks Omaha for over 46 Years!

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ISSUE 1

FROM PAGE 05

B2B: Is there something your company does that you wish everyone was doing? Why?

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TP: It is really quite simple but often rare...but at Sprinkk, we genuinely care. Being the founder of Norma’s Handcrafted Fruity Snacks in addition to founding Sprinkk has allowed me to put myself in the position of many of my clients. Not only do we help companies develop new products and scale them into manufacturing, but I’ve also personally experienced all of the other parts of launching a product to be able to anticipate how our process and manufacturing can impact the other moving parts of running a product business. While everyone might not be able to do this exact thing, the main thing that it helps me do is care about the client and the product as if it were my own. If I can help a client avoid a pain point that I ran into with Norma’s, I’ll help direct them in a better direction.

NS: In today’s fast-paced world, we spend dedicated time educating our clients instead of just recommending a plan of action. Here at Prestige Wealth, we have a rule that allows us to have a true partnership with our clients. We won’t move forward on a recommendation until the following three things happen: the client needs to know what we’re doing, why we’re doing it, and how much it costs. We emphasize education, which allows us to build a strong foundation that strengthens our client relationships.

DS: At Passport PR, we’ve learned how to leverage both our business and personal credit card bonuses and benefits to earn free travel. We believe in the power of travel and how it opens your mind to new possibilities and sparks ideas. The passport in our name is a nod to the doors that open to new adventures when you have the right credentials and put yourself out there. You can find us expanding our horizons and networks by staying curious and exploring new places with the help of our credit card points. Life is too short to stay in one place and not experience all this beautiful world and its people have to offer.

B2B

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A L W A Y S L O C A L, A L W A Y S B E A U T I F U L. Included with an Omaha Magazine Subscription— OmahaMagazine.com/pages/subscribe

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“I’VE BEEN PLAYING MUSIC SINCE I WAS A TEENAGER. WHEN I WENT TO LAW SCHOOL IN 2000, IT WAS KIND OF A TIME WHEN I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, I BETTER GROW UP AND GET A REAL JOB, BUT MUSIC NEVER REALLY LEFT ME.” -VIC PADIOS, GENERAL COUNSEL, NEBRASKA FURNITURE MART

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AFTER HOURS | STORY BY CLAUDIA MOOMEY | PHOTO BY BILL SITZMANN

LAWYER BY DAY, ROCKER BY NIGHT

NFM’S VIC PADIOS TAKES TO THE STAGE hat do you do for a living?”

“W This is the most likely question to be asked as part of an introduction. The financial side of one’s life, however, is rarely a representation of identity. Musician Vic Padios understands this well.

As the general counsel for Nebraska Furniture Mart for over six years, Padios handles all the company’s legal matters, including contracts, lawsuits, and management.

Add a wife and five children into the mix, and Padios has his hands full with both business and personal matters.

This does not stop him, however, from engaging with his passion for music.

Outside the office, Padios serves as a guitarist and vocalist for The Festertones, a band that plays mostly rock-androll covers in various venues throughout Omaha and Benson, including the Reverb Lounge, O’Leaver’s Pub, the Slowdown, and the Shakedown Street Tavern.

“We actually sound tested the Steelhouse before it opened,” commented Pete Festersen, drummer for the Festertones and the band’s namesake. “We played the first note in there before The Killers performed.”

The Festertones have been playing for eight years. All members have musical backgrounds, which, according to Festersen, helps the band’s cohesiveness and creativity when they can only get together sporadically. “Vic is a very accomplished musician,” he attested, “and definitely adds to the overall quality of our sound. He can pick up any song in about 15 minutes.”

“I’ve been playing music since I was a teenager,” Padios stated. “When I went to law school in 2000, it was kind of a time when I thought to myself, ‘I better grow up and get a real job,’ but music never really left me.”

Practicing once or twice a month, The Festertones play around four shows per year when they have time to get away from the hustle and bustle of corporate business life. As City Council president and the vice president of strategy and public affairs at CHI Health, Festersen also keeps a busy schedule. “It is difficult to find the time,” he lamented, “but we make it work, because we love doing it.”

The band has an extensive repertoire of covers, occasionally playing original music as well. “We play stuff from the ’60’s through ’90’s–as long as it’s rock, we play it,” Padios said.

Padios remembers when, back in 2017, the band did a tribute to a late artist. “About the time Tom Petty died, we decided to get together and play a whole set of Tom Petty covers,” he recalled. “We just enjoy playing music together; we’re pretty versatile.”

For Padios, music is a liberating hobby.

“It’s just a great outlet for creativity and stress relief,” Padios said. “It’s an opportunity to do something really different than what I do in my day-to-day work. People like to see other people for only their jobs, but people are so much more unique and multi-faceted than that.”

B2B

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VOLUME 24

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ISSUE 1

BIZ + GIVING | STORY BY KIM CARPENTER | PHOTO BY SARAH LEMKE

“FUNDAMENTALLY UNIQUE” AKSARBEN FOUNDATION’S BUSINESS LEADERS WORK TOGETHER TO BENEFIT NEBRASKA AND WESTERN IOWA

R

ead through the Board of Governors for the Aksarben Foundation, and the names speak to an encyclopedia of some of Nebraska’s most successful and storied businesses: CQuence Health Group, NP Dodge Company, Security National Bank, First National Bank of Omaha, SilverStone Group, Noddle Companies, Physicians Mutual Insurance Company—the list continues.

Such a blend of heavy-hitting corporate involvement on the board of a single nonprofit indicates just how special the Aksarben Foundation is.

In a way, it’s fitting. Business leaders, after all, were behind the organization’s founding in 1895. Twelve of them, all part of the Omaha Commercial Club, which preceded the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, joined forces to save the state fair, which they considered important for Nebraska’s economy. They feared the state was moving backwards, so a witty word play of “Nebraska” became “Aksarben.”

The name stuck. Throughout the decades, the organization, through endeavors such as the Aksarben Stockshow & Rodeo, the Aksarben Racetrack and Coliseum (demolished during the 2000s to make way for present-day Aksarben Village), and of course, the legendary annual Aksarben Ball, has been a source of both economic boon and civic pride to the state. Funding the monuments in Memorial Park, purchasing fire trucks, saving the Orpheum Theater during the early 1970s, building community centers across the state, and awarding over $65 million in

scholarships and community grants are just the tip of the iceberg of what business leaders coming together through the Aksarben Foundation have been able to accomplish.

Changes, naturally, have taken place over a century and a quarter. In 2017, the organization discontinued crowning a “king” and “queen,” deeming the figureheads outdated, and instead made the annual ball a celebration of “Most Honored Citizens,” people from Nebraska and Western Iowa whose philanthropic and civic work embody the “Spirit of Aksarben.”

“The roots of the organization are centered around those leaders who came together as a group,” said Sandra Reding, president of Aksarben Foundation.

“What’s so interesting about that, when you think about what Aksarben is doing today, it’s so similar.

It’s a group of leaders coming together on an issue like workforce development and retaining our talent,” Reding continued. “The organization over 129 years has changed and shifted, but the one piece that’s really remained the same is that it’s about leaders coming together to make a difference and make positive impact for the state.”

N.P. “Nate” Dodge, president of NP Dodge Company, is one of those leaders. His family has been involved with the Aksarben Foundation for generations. “It has a special place in our hearts,” he said, referencing how he grew up with the nonprofit.

“I was a page and an escort. I’ve been on the Floor Committee, a councilor, and on the Board of Governors. I’ve worked through each level.”

Dodge is proud of how business leaders come together in support of the Aksarben Foundation to benefit the people of Nebraska and Western Iowa.

“I’ve never seen a foundation like this,” he said. “You see business competitors come together and drop the guard of competition to better the community.”

He said that the foundation’s success is tied to the ability to adapt to the times. “The key is you have to change and stay relevant,” he said.

“AS WITH ALL THINGS—I THINK THAT’S THE BEAUTY OF AKSARBEN—IT’S CHANGED OVER THE YEARS TO BECOME WHAT’S APPROPRIATE FOR THE TIME. BUT THE ONE THING THAT STAYS THE SAME IS THE MISSION.” -SANDRA REDING, PRESIDENT OF AKSARBEN FOUNDATION “There’s a time and a place where that makes sense,” Reding added. “As with all things—I think that’s the beauty of Aksarben—it’s changed over the years to become what’s appropriate for the time. But the one thing that stays the same is the mission. I think that’s what makes this such an exceptional organization. It’s important for the state that we come together as a group.

Sandra Reding

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“That’s the essence of what this is about; it’s always been about recognizing people—leaders, philanthropists, volunteers—who’ve made a difference in their communities, in the state,” she continued. “That foundation is exactly the same as it was 129 years ago. It may look different; we may have updated the terminology, and certainly, we are becoming much more inclusive, but at the very heart of what the ball is about is recognizing people…I don’t know that there’s an organization like this anywhere else in the country.”

“IT’S A UNIQUE ORGANIZATION. HAVING BUSINESS PEOPLE ON THE BOARD AS WELL AS ACADEMICS MEANS WE LOOK AT ISSUES IN OUR COMMUNITY. WE HAVE TALENTED PEOPLE WHO CARE A LOT ABOUT THE COMMUNITY AND CONNECT OVER THIS PASSION. UNDER AKSARBEN FOUNDATION, WE WORK TOGETHER, AND OUR ONLY GOAL IS THE COMMUNITY. THAT IS FUNDAMENTALLY UNIQUE.” -NATE DODGE Dodge agreed. “Having business people on the board as well as academics means we look at issues in our community. We have talented people who care a lot about the community and connect over this passion. Under Aksarben Foundation, we work together, and our only goal is the community. That is fundamentally unique.”

For more information about Aksarben Foundation, visit aksarben.org.

B2B

[L TO R ] MARANDA ADAMS, ASHLEY KUHN

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FEATURE | STORY BY NATALIE VELOSO | PHOTO PROVIDED

BUILDING A LEGACY

BLAIR FREEMAN BRINGS TRANSPARENCY AND DIVERSITY TO OMAHA’S CONSTRUCTION LANDSCAPE

A

midst Omaha’s towering structures and bustling developments, one company is breaking ground in the construction realm where representation and clarity often fall short.

Blair Freeman stands as a pioneering force, proudly holding the distinction of being Nebraska’s sole 100% Black woman-owned and woman-led Class A contractor. Founders Ashley Kuhn and Maranda Adams are not merely architects of a successful company; they’re the faces behind Blair Freeman, both impassioned and driven by a mission to humanize the construction landscape.

“Too much of the process happens behind a curtain,” Kuhn explained. “We want to add a human face to construction, so that you feel comfortable asking questions and making decisions. Having been on the clients’ side, we want it to be an enjoyable process.”

An alumna of University of Nebraska Lincoln and University of Nebraska Omaha, Kuhn specialized in real estate, land use economics, and investment finance. After 15 years in the development sector, she teamed up with Adams, a fellow UNL graduate in business and finance, who worked for a major bank for 14 years before delving into real estate and construction.

Driven by their shared passion for real estate, the two reunited after college when Adams experienced miscommunication with a contractor. Seeking Kuhn’s assistance to finish the project, they merged over 30 years of experience to address the issues.

Together, they founded Blair Freeman in 2018 with the mission to bring simplicity and transparency to construction.

“We don’t ever want anybody to feel like they’re being taken advantage of,” Kuhn said. “Our goal is to make it so that you never walk away feeling like somebody was hiding something from you, or that you didn’t really understand what all went into your project.”

Co-owning a construction company was a journey that perfectly aligned with their entrepreneurial spirits. Kuhn said she envisioned a career in real estate, and while she didn’t anticipate owning a construction company, both she and Adams felt destined to impact the community through real estate and development. Blair Freeman houses two major divisions: construction and owner’s representation, serving commercial and residential projects alike.

“WE PURPOSELY DIVERSIFIED OURSELVES IN THAT WAY; YOU’LL RUN INTO A LOT OF COMPANIES THAT ONLY DO COMMERCIAL OR ONLY DO RESIDENTIAL. WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE WERE AVAILABLE TO EVERYBODY WHO HAS A PROJECT AND A NEED, SO THAT WE’RE ABLE TO MEET THAT NEED FOR THEM.” -MARANDA ADAMS, BLAIR FREEMAN CO-FOUNDER CONT. PAGE 16

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VOLUME 24

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“We purposely diversified ourselves in that way; you’ll run into a lot of companies that only do commercial or only do residential,” Adams explained. “We wanted to make sure we were available to everybody who has a project and a need, so that we’re able to meet that need for them.”

Blair Freeman’s residential division does everything from small bathroom renovations to full new construction homes. Their commercial services range from office remodels to large industrial warehouse spaces, Kuhn added. Their owner’s representation services also grew organically in response to rising demand.

“For owners who would come in with a project, it was just challenging to get from point A to point B,” Adams said. “With our team’s expertise and development, we’re able to stand in for an owner and help them through their entire project—from navigating the city’s permitting process and zoning to finances.”

Kuhn and Adams attribute the company’s success to their capable team. Kuhn said the team’s diverse expertise encompasses architecture, construction, design, finance, and various specialized areas within the construction field.

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Mutual respect within the office stems from Kuhn and Adams laying the groundwork to put their employees in the right place, said Vandra Caldwell, executive coordinator at Blair Freeman.

“I’ve never been in such a healthy work environment where bosses tell their team ‘I love you all’ on the way out the door every day,” Caldwell said. “The culture is rich, and Ashley and Maranda truly invest in their team’s individual growth and professional development. To me, working at Blair Freeman means support, elevation, feeling appreciated, and boundless opportunities.”

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“Our team is what makes our company go,” Kuhn said. “We can’t do what we do day in and day out without them. They are Blair Freeman—I’m just the administrative assistant to all of them.”

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Adams noted that the team’s diversity, primarily comprising women and minorities, provides Blair Freeman with a unique perspective absent in most other construction firms.

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“WE DECIDED, IF WE’RE STARTING AN ALL-WOMAN COMPANY, WE’VE GOT TO KEEP OUR ROOTS. IT WAS FOUNDATIONAL; IT’S WHO WE ARE & WHERE WE STARTED.” -ASHLEY KUHN

“The construction industry has been a white male-dominated industry for forever, and it still is,” Adams said. “To have a team with diverse backgrounds, especially women and minorities, brings a different lens to the process. It makes you relatable, because not everybody doing a construction project looks the same.”

“When my husband asked my daughter, Marlee, what she wants to do when she grows up—which changes a million times when kids are young—she announced that she’s taking over the company,” Adams recounted. “That was news to me! To know that she’s being impacted by what I do and by what Auntie Ashley does was really special.”

Kuhn expressed that this approachability encourages individuals to feel more comfortable about their project needs—a factor that fosters greater client trust and rapport, regardless of construction expertise.

Blair Freeman’s mission to dismantle obstacles and empower clients through a transparent construction and real estate process remains steadfast as the company grows, Adams assured.

“In construction in particular, people like to pretend they know everything,” Kuhn explained, “which intimidates folks, who know they don’t know everything. Whether you’ve been here for 20 days or 20 years, it doesn’t matter in this industry.

“It’s still intimidating for us, and we own the company. Sometimes I’m in my head telling myself, ‘You don’t know this stuff; they know it way better.’

And then I check myself and say, ‘No, let me get in here. Because I do know what I’m talking about.’”

In the early days of Blair Freeman, Kuhn and Adams were actively involved in physical construction work, often the only women on job sites. Kuhn recalled one incident at a commercial project where they faced skepticism over unloading 200pound solid core doors from a semi-truck. Their determination surprised onlookers as they unloaded the items themselves, proving their capabilities despite preconceived expectations.

Adams noted that while defining moments happen regularly in their careers, one recent experience stands out, resonating personally and reinforcing the profound impact of her work.

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“We’re going to be expanding out of Omaha in the next couple months,” Kuhn said. “Maranda and I are steering the ship, but the team is making those next decisions; expansion is just another big check on our box.”

EA SE

Adams and Kuhn’s choice to name their company Blair Freeman held significance from the very beginning—their maiden names. When their passion to work in this industry was sparked, Kuhn explained, they were still Blair and Freeman.

“We decided, if we’re starting an all-woman company, we’ve got to keep our roots,” Kuhn shared. “It was foundational; it’s who we are and where we started.”

The name embodies the bedrock of their company— crafting Blair Freeman’s Class A reputation in the same manner they built the company itself: from the ground up.

For more information, visit blairfreeman.com.

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FEATURE | STORY BY JULIUS FREDRICK | PHOTO BY BILL SITZMANN

THE ROAD TO ONE BILLION LIVES RUNS THROUGH OMAHA FOR CQUENCE HEALTH, THE FUTURE OF HEALTHCARE IS NOW

I

n the ever-changing, fast-paced world of healthcare, it takes someone with a steady hand on the industry’s pulse—and the reflexes to pivot on a dime—to navigate a business landscape known for rapid shifts in technology, specializations, and legislation. And only a select few, like Omaha’s CQuence Health, manage to thrive.

“Back then, it was Cassling Diagnostic lmaging,” Mike said. “We were unique in the capital equipment side, because most distributors out there tended to do low-end ‘rad rooms’ [X-ray rooms] and pretty basic processors. Because my dad came from a major manufacturer, we started right away with cath labs [catheterization laboratories] and mammography and different things like that.

At their new headquarters in West Omaha’s First National Business Park, CQuence Health puts employee experience and customer service first when designing the space’s distinctly modern, yet inviting, atmosphere. The new office is not only reflective of the company’s success, but also its core values.

“I sold the consumable side back to Picker [a medical imaging equipment company] in ‘97—film, chemistry, anything you needed to produce and view X-rays. We saw the writing on the wall was going to digital, which was true.”

Just beyond the reception area, eyes are drawn to an enormous LCD screen that ticks upward by one digit every few seconds. At the time this article went to press, it read: “TOTAL NUMBER OF LIVES TOUCHED: 180,197,914.”

As Cassling began to shift toward a “high-touch, high customer service business” under Mike’s leadership, it was these same instincts and a forward-looking market approach that inspired him to form a holding company, CQuence Health, in 2011.

“Our overarching goal is to impact 1 billion patient lives by 2030,” CQuence Founder and Chairman Mike Cassling said.

“IF YOU STUDY ANYTHING IN BUSINESS, IT’S THAT YOU DON’T WANT ALL YOUR EGGS IN ONE BASKET. THAT WAS A RISK POINT.”

With multiple holdings, numerous portfolio companies—from digital pathology services to AI-enhanced pharmacy operations—and its eponymous flagship company, Cassling, CQuence Health is well on its way toward achieving its goal.

Mike has worked in healthcare for nearly 40 years.

He initially found his footing selling capital imaging equipment and consumables at Cassling, the company his father, Bob, founded in 1984. Mike took the helm as company president in 1996.

-MIKE CASSLING, CQUENCE FOUNDER & CHAIRMAN “If you study anything in business, it’s that you don’t want all your eggs in one basket. That was a risk point,” Mike said. “So, we stepped back and said, ‘What are we good at? Okay, we know the healthcare market.’

And we knew it broadly, from a 10-bed critical access hospital to a 1,000-bed teaching hospital, which are very different animals. Plus, we knew how to market

to them and how to sell to them. And then we had all the support services—marketing, finance, accounting, HR—we have all these services. So we said, ‘Let’s start to look to expand our portfolio and impact.’”

Mike’s successor is Dr. Kyle Salem, CEO and President of both Cassling and CQuence Health.

Salem, who joined the team in 2005, highlighted the unique and perilous market pressures that shaped CQuence Health at the time.

“In 2008, there was legislation that caused global sales of medical imaging equipment to drop by about 30%,” Salem said. “It was a change in the reimbursement rates for physicians outside of hospitals.”

After earning his doctorate in biomedical engineering from Case Western Reserve University in 2002, Salem worked as a research scientist for Cassling’s major partner, Siemens Medical Solutions. “[In 2005] Mike and I had come to an agreement that I’d come work here. I told him that I was a PhD, so I don’t sell, and he said, ‘Okay,’ but I think he kind of laughed inside at the same time,” Salem recalled with a grin. “So, my first job was to teach people about MRI. But fundamentally, in the process of teaching, I was ultimately selling, right? I just didn’t realize it at the time, and I didn’t want to refer to it that way. I hadn’t admitted to myself, but that transition happened pretty quick in my head. It’s one of these things that I look back on now, and I know that it never would’ve worked for me to stay in academia.”

CONT. PAGE 20

Mike Cassling

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DR. KYLE SALEM FROM PAGE 18 With Salem on board, and Cassling’s experienced team at his back, Mike would oversee CQuence Health as it expanded its holdings and portfolio year after year, signing contracts with a wide range of innovative medical companies like DocPanel and Intercept Telehealth.

“DocPanel is subspecialty-focused. Inside radiology, there are radiologists who do additional training to focus on either a specific area of the body or a type of imaging,” Salem explained. “So, DocPanel is a subspecialty-focused radiology service that does remote readings for either radiology providers or second opinions for patients.”

Meanwhile, Intercept Telehealth aims to improve patient care at a time when hospitals are dealing with severe staffing shortages in highly specialized spaces, such as neurology, ICU care, and more. Intercept helps address these staffing challenges thanks to 24/7, real-time virtual patient monitoring in hardto-hire, “intensivist” care spaces. Salem describes their service as a “cockpit” helmed by a remote medical professional who helps direct on-site staff.

CQuence has also dipped its toes into artificial intelligence with its investment in InterLink AI, whose scripClip prescription automation system helps make pharmacies more efficient and dramatically reduces wait times.

Salem believes AI will have far-reaching implications, both internally and externally.

“Obviously, AI is taking off. We’ll certainly have a spot for it both in how we operate our company as well as what we’re selling,” he said. “You’ve got this whole confluence of factors that make medicine, and in particular radiology, a very ripe space for artificial intelligence.

“Imaging teams are dealing with higher volume, a labor shortage, and almost too much digitized data.

They are rife with problems around operations. How do they become more efficient? How do they get more done? That’s important for us as a partner and vendor—to help them find the right AI solutions.”

Sustainability is also a hot-button topic in the medical industry, one to which Mike and Salem have paid careful attention. One of CQuence’s cuttingedge portfolio companies is WasteMedX, whose ozone-based medical waste treatment technology helps hospitals save money on waste disposal with a process that’s also cleaner, greener, and safer than decades-old processes.

“OBVIOUSLY, AI IS TAKING OFF. WE’LL CERTAINLY HAVE A SPOT FOR IT BOTH IN HOW WE OPERATE OUR COMPANY AS WELL AS WHAT WE’RE SELLING. YOU’VE GOT THIS WHOLE CONFLUENCE OF FACTORS THAT MAKE MEDICINE, AND IN PARTICULAR RADIOLOGY, A VERY RIPE SPACE FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE. -DR. KYLE SALEM, CEO AND PRESIDENT OF CASSLING AND CQUENCE HEALTH

OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM

“Our overall focus is that we’re looking at businesses that have technology plus services,” Mike said.

“We partnered with WasteMedX, because their solution is innovative and truly sustainable and also because they’ve built a model that allows healthcare organizations to purchase the solution as a service, instead of just a capital investment, which makes it more accessible and impactful.”

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This flexibility, coupled with CQuence’s ability to handle portfolio companies’ organizational and marketing needs, has been vital to the company’s success. But Salem credits the human factor as CQuence’s greatest strength.

“Whether it’s from an organization that we’ve invested in, or whether it’s hiring in our own organization, one of the real lessons [we’ve learned] is that focusing on people first is always super critical,” he said.

“There are a lot of really good people out there who are driven by a passion and purpose of impacting others. And those are the people we want to find and create alignment with our culture.”

As a recipient of the Salvation Army’s Order of Distinguished Auxiliary Service—the highest honor given to non-Salvationists—Mike facilitates and encourages staff to participate in charitable causes. Last March, CQuence employees assembled a collective 1,500 “kids’ kits, hygiene kits, and ‘Be Hopeful’ boxes” to deliver to eight area charities.

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“From the beginning, when my dad started the business, it’s been all about taking care of the customers and taking care of the employees,” Mike said.

For more information visit cassling.com and cquencehealth.com.

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MARCH | 23

FEATURE | STORY BY CHRIS WOLFGANG | PHOTO BY BILL SITZMANN

FORGING FASHION

OMAHA’S GROWING REPUTATION ON THE CATWALK AND BEYOND

I

t’s been 15 years since the first Omaha Fashion Week (“OFW”) shut down Jones Street downtown with an enormous catwalk. Since then, the biannual event has emerged as the fourth largest fashion week in the US.

“There is an actual fashion ecosystem that exists here now. It’s thriving, and there are opportunities for young people, people of all ages, actually.”

-BROOK HUDSON, FORMER OMAHA FASHION WEEK PRODUCER “There is an actual fashion ecosystem that exists here now,” said Brook Hudson, the former OFW producer, who led the organization since 2011 and stepped down in December to oversee the OFW Investors Circle, a grant program for designers.

“It’s thriving, and there are opportunities for young people—people of all ages, actually.”

Omaha has indeed become an incubator for fashion design. OFW attracts designers from all over the world—Africa, Southeast Asia, Europe—and each show receives upward of 500 modeling applications. Aspiring designers can find educational opportunities at Metropolitan Community College and University of Nebraska at Omaha. Even South High School has a four-year fashion program.

But is Omaha capable of moving beyond incubation when it comes to the fashion industry?

Designers like Jared Hall would certainly like it to be the case. The founder of 3AM Luxury, Hall has seen his leather bags shown in fashion weeks around the world—Dubai, Monaco, the south of France— and published in Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar. As this article was going to press, the designer shared that fellow Omaha native Amber Ruffin, an awardwinning writer for television, planned to carry one of his exclusive designs on the red carpet for the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards on January 15 in Los Angeles.

“I get asked, ‘Omaha, where is that?’” Hall shared.

“Then you mention Warren Buffett or Terence Crawford, and people say, ‘Oh, yeah.’ They recognize those names, but they don’t recognize how much other talent we have here. There’s a lot of creativity here.”

Unfortunately, there’s not always sufficient local infrastructure to support a garment industry. After trying to find a manufacturer in the Midwest, Hall eventually found a company in California capable of producing high-end bags with the quality leather he wanted for his product line.

“We have a fashion ecosystem. We have a fashion community. But in no way do we have a vertically integrated fashion industry here,” Hudson said. “I would really like to see us develop manufacturing in Omaha.”

Omaha has never been a textile manufacturing giant.

Targeted web design enables some manufacturers to look like they’re established in Omaha (the garment industry equivalent of “Find hot singles in your area!”), but a little digging often reveals that while they may have a Nebraska business address, it’s actually in Florida or California. Overseas production is still tough to compete with—China is, perhaps obviously, the largest exporter of textiles and apparel. But achieving manufacture at the absolute cheapest rate possible is not necessarily the end goal for every designer.

“Our designers talk about it all the time,” Hudson said. “Literally every pitch we get in our selection panel has a mention of sustainability. You hear that worldwide, with all designers. What do we do with all these clothes going into our landfills? How do we use more sustainable practices in how we dye our clothes and how we get our fibers?”

For Hall, a fashion brand founded in and grown from Omaha is an opportunity to reach a hand out to the next generation. “I think any time somebody gets a glimpse of success, it’s important to somehow give back to your community,” he said. “I feel like if I can build this brand big enough and well enough, it can help our economy.”

The status bag designer isn’t afraid to think big, picturing a flagship store in Omaha, bringing on other designers, and expanding beyond leather goods.

CONT. PAGE 24

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VOLUME 24

FROM PAGE 23 “That has to be the future,” Hudson said. “Otherwise what are we doing? Let’s make this an actual top-to-bottom industry here.”

It’s probably not going to happen by emulating what the fashion industry has done worldwide: focusing on cheap production labor.

But Omaha’s approach to fashion has hardly been conventional, with its free-for-designers fashion week and its grassroots “I’ll do it myself if I have to” attitude.

It’s not like America is completely unequipped for fashion production. The US is the third largest exporter in textiles and the world leader when it comes to textile research and development. Perhaps the secret to more affordable American garment manufacturing is in America’s wealth in technology and automation—industries to which the Silicon Prairie is no stranger.

Of course, prudent investors will still be correct to point out that cheap overseas labor presents less of an immediate upfront cost than outfitting a factory in the US with the latest production technology. But keep in mind that the conversation around fashion as an industry in Omaha will never be about competing with fast-fashion brands such as Shein.

“I’m not talking about an ambitious factory that’s going to produce tens of thousands of runs of garments,” Hudson clarified. “I’m just looking at, ‘How do we take this designer’s sample collection and do five garments in each size?’” A run of 10 designs—a decent collection for an independent designer—in just sizes 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, with five garments in each size, becomes 400 garments.

Those aren’t fast-fashion numbers, but they’re well beyond what one person could produce on their own.”

“I’d rather work with a smaller manufacturer than a bigger one right now,” Hall added. “They can provide the attention that I’m looking for. It’s easy to get lost in the shuffle when you’re not manufacturing on the levels of Coach, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Hermès. For me, it’s important to have that close relationship and attention to detail. So if I grow, you grow.”

“Omaha is uniquely positioned to take advantage of this,” Hudson said, “more so than maybe any other market in the US, given the push for sustainability in the industry. Designers and consumers are much more interested in sustainability and trying to avoid fast fashion and instead buying local.”

What, exactly, makes Omaha competitive for growth in the American fashion industry?

Hudson can give you a list. “We’ve got a much lower cost of living.

It’s relatively inexpensive to buy property. Keeping production domestic cuts down on your shipping costs,” she enumerated.

“We also, interestingly, have a lot of people coming into the city who have worked in textile factories in Mexico.”

The Omaha Design Center, the production company behind OFW, fields requests for donated sewing machines from Omaha’s refugee community for new residents who want to make and sell clothes.

“They already have the skills and are often either unemployed or under-employed,” Hudson said, “so you’ve got an awesome, reliable workforce that’s uniquely qualified and centrally located.

All the pieces are there. We just need to put it together.”

Hall, whose background is in supply chain logistics and industrial purchasing, admitted that “the clothing market is very, very, very tough.” But he added, “I’m from Omaha, Nebraska. I was born here. It’s very important to me to be in Omaha and be recognized as an Omaha brand. When we think about designer bags, we think of Hermès and brands like that, but why can’t an American brand be in the same conversation? We have what it takes to be recognized on a more global scale in the ranks of fashion.”

For more information visit omahafashionweek.com and 3amluxury.com.

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“I’m from Omaha, Nebraska. I was born here. It’s very important to me to be in Omaha and be recognized as an Omaha brand. When we think about designer bags, we think of Hermès and brands like that, but why can’t an American brand be in the same conversation? We have what it takes to be recognized on a more global scale in the ranks of fashion.”

-JARED HALL, FOUNDER OF 3AM LUXURY

·

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25

FEATURE | STORY BY XXXXXX | PHOTO BY BILL SITZMANN

ONE ONE

TWO TWO

A

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“A BIG COMPONENT IN ETHICS IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PEOPLE AND WHETHER THEY FEEL A SENSE OF TRUST AND FEEL CARED ABOUT.” -DR. JIM HARTER, GALLUP

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FEATURE | STORY BY STEVE JORDON | PHOTO PROVIDED

DOING WHAT’S RIGHT WHEN NO ONE’S LOOKING

THE ETHICS OF GOOD BUSINESS

I

t wasn’t our plan to stop in western Nebraska, but a sticky mist from the truck ahead of us meant our car needed a wash. Magic Sudz Auto Wash at the Morrill exit on Interstate 80 came into view at just the right moment.

My daughter pulled into the self-service bay as I fed a $5 bill into the coin changer. No quarters emerged, and the paper money disappeared. “Just great,” I thought to myself. While my daughter drove into the automatic wash in the next bay, I called the “HELP” number on the wall. I didn’t know the fellow who answered, but he took my name, phone, and mailing address and promised to reimburse me. With the sticky mist washed off, we continued on our way.

A few weeks later, “Jay from the car wash” sent me a text: “The bill changer died, I think. I put your check in the mail today. I apologize for the delay.

Thank you for your patience!”

Dietz said he hasn’t studied business or been trained in business ethics.

“I’ve pretty much learned as I went,” he said. “At the end of the day, you’ve got to be good with what you’re doing. It’s the way I was brought up, and it’s the way it should be. You always try to do what’s right.”

Granted, the stakes were not high. That $5 check didn’t make a serious dent in Magic Sudz’s profits.

But the principle is the same with a business decision that would make a difference between a profit or a loss.

As Dr. AnnMarie Marlier, Executive Director of the Omaha Business Ethics Alliance, put it: “Good ethics goes beyond just making sure that the customer is as satisfied as possible. Ethics is doing the right thing even when nobody’s looking.

It’s how good businesses conduct their affairs and what they’re known for.”

Sure enough, a check for $5 arrived the next day.

Even though the odds of my being a repeat customer are infinitesimal, and even though nobody else knew what had happened, Jay Dietz came through.

“If there’s an issue, we try to make it right,” Dietz said via telephone later. “We want people to be coming back.”

Dietz is a partner with a friend in Magic Sudz, plus some self-storage units. It’s a side business: He’s a division manager at a manufacturing plant in Lyman, Nebraska.

Public attention to business ethics and values seems to be growing, because employees and customers can react quickly and publicly on social media to unethical or ethical conduct, she said. “We’re so used to hearing about things in real time.”

A company’s ethical standards can have a lasting effect. Years ago, Marlier was a Disney cast member—actually, an assistant store manager at a retail store in Milwaukee—and still recalls the Disney store’s mission: providing exceptional service, responsible business practices, and fun.

“You don’t start at Disney if you don’t have some alignment with the Disney mission and values,” she said.

Today, as head of the Ethics Alliance, her goal is to provide a safe, non-judgmental way for organizations to look at their own practices and learn from others so they can be sure they operate in line with good values and ethical standards.

The Alliance grew out of early informal discussions about ethics, plus Omaha’s brush with a major business scandal: the fraud-fueled collapse of Enron Corp. “When that debacle happened, the business community here in Omaha said, ‘That’s not who we are,’” Marlier recalled.

Among those discussing ethics several years before Enron was Butch Ethington, then an internal auditor at Union Pacific Railroad whose job included investigating rule violations. He soon learned that the company, like many others at the time, had a policy on conflicts of interest but no clear standards for common “bread and butter” ethical misconduct.

“When you used the word ethics, it was pretty confusing to a lot of people,” he said. “I’d get complaints. Somebody would say, ‘This manager has really foul language, and somebody needs to talk to him because there’s more women in the workplace now.’ So, I’d be the one to talk to him.”

CONT. PAGE 28

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“I’ve pretty much learned as I went. At the end of the day, you’ve got to be good with what you’re doing. It’s the way I was brought up, and it’s the way it should be.

You always try to do what’s right.”

-JAY DIETZ, MAGIC SUDZ

FROM PAGE 27

But managers didn’t seem equipped to deal with situations, such as deciding when to fire someone for improper conduct, Ethington said. “I suggested to senior management that we needed some ethics education, some kind of training.”

Two Union Pacific vice presidents clearly articulated what business ethics means: Harris Wagenseil, a Rhodes Scholar who was vice president of maintenance operations, and John J. “Jack” Koraleski, who later became president, CEO, and executive chairman of Union Pacific Corp.

“Harris just nailed it, and so did Jack,” Ethington said. “Jack’s description was like a Boy Scout answer.

It had all the elements of the Scout Law, so to speak, but very direct at the employee level—being honest and so forth. That gave us a direction for what we needed to do in a program to educate people, give them basic standards of conduct.”

The Enron scandal touched Omaha, because a local company named InterNorth was acquired by a Texas company that soon, too, acquired the name Enron and set up its headquarters in Omaha. But in 1986, Enron’s leaders moved the homebase to Houston. In 2001, Enron collapsed amid an accounting fraud that cost shareholders and employees—many of them Omahans—billions of dollars. Some of its executives went to prison.

“When the Enron scandal came along, everybody got more excited about ethics,” Ethington said.

Then, the discussion about ethics had broadened to include Creighton University professor Dr. Beverly

Kracher, retired Air Force Sgt. Bruce Hamm, and James Swoopes, an executive with First National Bank of Omaha.

The result was the 2008 formation of the Alliance, backed by the Better Business Bureau, the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, Creighton, and the business community.

“Beverly’s strategy was to expand it as much as possible to everybody because the real theme is to get better and have organizations share with one another what they are doing,” Ethington said.

Members learned how to create codes of conduct, open employee hotlines, and take other steps toward encouraging ethical practices.

The motivation goes beyond feeling good about doing the right thing.

Dr. Jim Harter, Chief Scientist of Workplace and Wellbeing at Gallup in Omaha, said good ethics means good business.

“It’s a lot of the day-to-day things that add up,” Harter said, noting car wash owner Jay Dietz’s “internal ethical compass. He just knew the right thing to do,” plus his reputation is important to him and to his business.

In larger organizations, employee perceptions can influence results such as returning customers, quality, productivity, and employee retention, he

said. “We found that when employees perceive their leadership will do what’s right when they bring up an issue, they feel a lot more committed to the organization. They put in the discretionary effort that organizations are looking for.”

Solid ethical standards help employees feel more engaged in the company and its success. “When people are engaged at work, they’re much more likely to report an ethical issue if they see one,” Harter said. “A lot of that has to do with what they think their employer will do in response.”

The opposite is called “interpersonal deviance,” likely caused by a combination of someone’s innate personality and the work environment. “People who are less conscientious will be more likely to deviate,” Harter said. “But even if they have low conscientiousness, if they have a good work environment where they feel their employer has the right standard, where the employer will do what’s right, they’ll tend to do what’s right also.”

People who are treated with respect develop relationships with each other, both among co-workers and with their bosses, he said. “A big component in ethics is the relationship between people and whether they feel a sense of trust and feel cared about.”

For more information about the Omaha Business Ethics Alliance, visit businessethicsalliance.org.

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OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM

When Weighing Ethics, Remember, “Eddie Would Go”

By Butch Ethington As I was driving down Center Street in Omaha, I saw a bumper sticker that said, “Eddie Would Go.” The message referred to Eddie Aikua, a legendary lifeguard and surfer on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii. Eddie saved more than 500 people and became famous for surfing the big waves. When the waves were very high, most surfers would hesitate to venture out, but everyone said, “Eddie would go.”

In 1978 at the age of 31, he and a dozen others were on a voyaging canoe that sank 12 miles off the island of Moloka’i. Eddie paddled on his surfboard toward Lanai Island to get help and was never seen again. (The others eventually were rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard.)

Eddie was the embodiment of selflessness, bravery, and dedication in his lifeguarding service. Whether one is a lawyer, bus driver, doctor, electrician, pilot, financial analyst, or in any service occupation, you can learn from Eddie’s selfless dedication. Selfless behavior is a cornerstone of ethical leadership.

When we say, “Eddie Would Go,” we are describing the fearless integrity of an individual when faced with adversity or barriers that normal people would not challenge. In business, sometimes individuals and leaders face difficult ethical issues and decisions.

Making the effort, stepping up, trying to make a difference, is what is important...because “Eddie Would Go.” Eddie’s unwavering dedication and accountability to the community and its welfare was the bedrock of his life. He took risks. Looking at the world, the situation, the waves, and seeing the dangers is one thing. Going after solutions and improvements and addressing problems when faced with pushback in business, is hard.

Eddie took on the difficult challenges with integrity and energy. Executives, supervisors, employees, and managers face difficult business issues. It is easy to look the other way, but “Eddie Would Go.”

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IN THE OFFICE | STORY BY TAMSEN BUTLER | PHOTOS BY BILL SITZMANN

COBANK’S WORKSPACE

WHERE COLLABORATION MEETS FLEXIBILITY

T

wo words recur frequently when speaking with anyone involved with CoBank’s new workspace: collaboration and flexibility. The local leaders of Omaha’s cooperative financial institution serving rural industries realized as their lease was ending that it might be time to create a workspace more conducive to the postpandemic way of working.

“COVID changed the way we worked,” Marcus Wilhelm, CoBank’s regional president, said. “We now have a heavy hybrid model,” he added, explaining that since so many people work remotely, they no longer needed all the space their previous location on 138th and FNB Parkway had. They went from an office space of an estimated 8,500 square feet to around 5,500 square feet in the new space on Capitol Avenue.

Downsizing was a challenge for which SCOPPA architecture principal and co-founder Daniel Bolt was prepared. He quickly realized that there were plenty of spaces CoBank’s people didn’t frequently utilize, such as a large conference room that basically took up space and wasn’t used very often. He also noticed that storage took up a large portion of the space throughout the office. It didn’t take long for everyone involved to come to the same conclusion: “We had to ditch all the storage,” Bolt said.

Wilhelm enthusiastically agreed that a more efficient space could translate into less storage, so when they made the move, they eliminated a great deal of items that were in storage. The new office makes better use of the space and only boasts one main storage room and a mail room adjacent to receptionist Colleen Schmidt’s desk. The small mail room is kept tidy and well organized, devoid of clutter.

Design Consultant Amber Gustafson with Colliers International also had a hand in helping create the new, efficient office. “They wanted to create a space that was inviting and could host all the employees at one time, which was tricky to do in their previous space,” sje said. “Then, they wanted to have some space for hybrid employees.”

Beyond needing a flexible workspace that encouraged collaboration, the leadership at CoBank wanted one important feature: natural light. The new office has an abundance of it spilling in from the large windows, granting everyone from cubicle dwellers to private office folks ample outdoor light. The space is inviting, with numerous breakout rooms of varying sizes. The thought put into the breakout rooms is obvious. For example, easy-to-use tablets are stationed outside each room, which make it simple to reserve them.

The positioning of webcams and monitors help remote participants feel as though they’re part of the conversation instead of just having a partial view of the participants in the room.

Above, an exposed ceiling and linear baffles help make the space feel more open while helping control the noise level. Below, patchwork carpet features a design reminiscent of the view of farmland seen from an aerial view. Art displayed throughout the space references farmland, while breakout rooms feature names with nods to agriculture.

Indeed, the living room is Wilhelm’s favorite feature of the new office, although the eye-catching wooden wall in the entry also sits toward the top of his list.

“WE TOOK A RISK. WILL THIS WORK? IS THIS TYPE OF WORK HERE TO STAY? WE BUILT THE SPACE WITH FLEXIBILITY THAT WILL ALLOW US TO CONVERT IT BACK TO A TRADITIONAL WORKSPACE IF WE NEED TO.” -MARCUS WILHELM, REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENT, COBANK “We took a risk,” Wilhelm admitted. “Will this work?

Is this type of work here to stay? We built the space with flexibility that will allow us to convert it back to a traditional workspace if we need to.” But with this thoughtfully designed space, and the current trend of hybrid work, it’s likely CoBank’s new office will serve its purpose for years to come.

CoBank, SCOPPA, and Colliers were all involved in creating this flexible space of collaboration. For more information, visit cobank.com, scoppaarch.com, and colliers.com/en/united-states/cities/omaha.

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An inviting “living room” area features couches and a coffee table. A suspended light fixture hangs in the center of it all. “We tried to make it relaxing and comfortable,” Wilhelm said. “It’s smack in the middle of everything that’s going on.” He enjoys being able to relax in the space while inviting collaboration.

IMAGES CONT. PAGE 32

[L To R] Shikhar Saxena M.D., Colleen Papek

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omAHA! | STORY BY HOLLY MCATEE | PHOTO PROVIDED

LASER FOCUSED

OMAHA-HEADQUARTERED LASER

W there is often one fateful event that

hen you talk to many entrepreneurs,

changed the course of their career path.

This was the case with Shikhar Saxena, CEO and co-founder of Milan Laser Hair Removal.

Saxena attended Creighton Prep, where he met Abe Schumacher at tennis tryouts. The two didn’t make the team, but they became great friends. They remained close over the years, and both became board certified physicians.

One day Saxena was working in his Papillion Urgent Care when the doctor from Milan Laser Aesthetics stopped into the clinic and asked him if he wanted to buy the business. At the time, purchasing the aesthetics company was a big step to take on his own, so Saxena called Schumacher to ask if he wanted to partner in this new venture. Schumacher agreed, and they bought the location in 2012.

This small stroke of fate set them on a different life trajectory.

There were growing pains in the beginning. “It took us a while to learn the business. There were four employees: two were Abe and me. We did every job, including the treatments,” Saxena said. “Abe coded our first website. We created the protocol.”

Being focused on just one service has made them an industry leader. “We were incredibly big on customer service, and we found that other services didn’t have high customer ratings. So, we focused on laser hair removal,” Saxena explained.

“I’M A STRONG BELIEVER IN DOING ONE THING AND DOING IT WELL. WHEN YOU HAVE MULTIPLE SERVICES, YOU ARE A JACK OF ALL TRADES AND THE MASTER OF NONE.” -SHIKHAR SAXENA, CEO, MILAN LASER “I’m a strong believer in doing one thing and doing it well. When you have multiple services, you are a Jack of all trades and the master of none,” he added.

Providing only one service to clients has made them successful in their field. For example, Schumacher and Saxena designed a membership with unlimited treatments for one price. Most of their competitors sold between three and six treatment packages.

Milan Laser provides as many treatments as clients need for that flat rate.

Saxena is proud of Milan Laser’s core values. The company works to satisfy customers with worldclass customer service.

The vision is to be one of the best laser hair removal companies in the world. Milan Laser is on track to achieve that goal with an explosion of growth in recent years. In 2017, Saxena left his full-time cardiology practice. That year, the company hired Colleen Papek as chief operations officer. Now president of Milan Laser, she said, “As we grow rapidly, we move fast, so you must have a team that moves successfully. Collaboration and trust are critical to our growth.”

By 2019, seven years after Schumacher and Saxena purchased the business, Milan Laser had grown to 50 locations. Today, there are 300 in 31 states totalling 1,900 employees. All clinics are company owned, and employees are trained from their Omaha headquarters. The goal for the next 10 years is to have a total of 1,000 locations with a presence in every state.

Bettia Williamson, Milan Laser’s senior brand strategist, said that Saxena believes in and cares about his people. During the pandemic, all locations had to close. Not one employee lost their job—or a paycheck. “As a single mom, that meant so much to me,” Williamson said. “To not have to worry about anything—it showed that our CEO really cared.”

Saxena’s passion for his purpose and people has helped the company become the powerhouse that it is today. Yet even with the expansion, he still fosters a personal connection with his employees. “I love working at Milan. Even though I’m the co-founder, I come in to work as an employee,” Saxena said. “I just got done playing a doubles ping pong game with coworkers. One of our core values is fun. We work hard, but we have a great time.”

Saxena is proud that Milan Laser is headquartered in Omaha. “This city is where I grew up. It’s where I met my wife and raised my four kids. Omaha has given me everything; building a business and giving back to this city is important.”

For more information on Milan Laser Hair Removal, go to milanlaser.com.

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ON THE RISE | STORY BY LEO ADAM BIGA | PHOTO BY BILL SITZMANN

INSPIRING OTHERS

REFUGEE TURNED ENTREPRENEUR CYRUS JAFFERY

R

esilience goes with being an entrepreneur, but in his journey from Afghan refugee to serial entrepreneur, Cyrus Jaffery has endured more than most—and thrived.

The business exploits of the 35-year-old netted him Entrepreneur of the Year from the Midlands Business Journal at its 40 Under 40 Awards on November 1, 2023. He hopes his story inspires other newcomers.

“I know the United States has welcomed many Cyruses lately, and I want to be an example to show them they can come here, make a life for themselves, and give back to a country that has given them freedom,” Jaffery said.

He persevered through losing family members to war, suffering abuse, and having an older brother paralyzed. When things didn’t work out with an employer, he severed ties and started over from scratch during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In his forthcoming memoir, “Triumph After Trauma: How a Scrappy Battle-Scarred Refugee Insured His Own Success and Can Inspire Yours,” he shares personal stories of overcoming challenges as guideposts for achieving one’s best life. The book from Concierge Marketing and Publishing of Omaha releases in winter 2024.

The Kabul, Afghanistan, native was two years old in 1990 when a rocket hit the family home during the first Taliban uprising. He and his pregnant mother suffered injuries and fled to Pakistan. After living briefly in refugee camps and other temporary housing, his family’s application for an American visa was granted. They arrived in the US in 2002. In the two decades since starting a new life here, Jaffery has leveraged

hard work, natural charisma, and driving ambition to escape poverty and overcome trauma.

He earned his chops in banking before becoming an independent insurance broker. Siblings Ahmad, Bobby, and Suman work alongside him. Under the flagship business Jaffery Insurance & Financial Services, he employs dozens of associates and cultivates a workplace culture that helps people reach their potential. Reflective of his own minority experience, he hires many nontraditional candidates.

Retired University of Nebraska at Omaha Center for Afghanistan Studies director Thomas Gouttierre, who wrote a foreword for “Triumph After Trauma,” said his journey constitutes “a quintessential refugee and immigration success story.”

The Millard North and Nebraska Wesleyan graduate has achieved a multi-million dollar business portfolio in an adopted country whose language and ways he had to learn, sometimes facing ethnic discrimination. He’s managed with the support of his wife and best friend, Michelle Jaffery, a certified life coach and published children’s book author. The couple have three young children.

Through everything, the Jafferys stayed together. He values loyalty in business, too. Playing competitive soccer gave him an appreciation for teamwork. The strong work ethic modeled by his parents guides him in setting the tone at the office.

Jaffery wants it known that newcomers like himself not only contribute to making America strong but also have stories and strategies that can help others realize their dreams. In his book, he lays out an informal system for achieving success that works for him and can inform others. It’s his way of paying forward what he’s been given.

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Cyrus Jaffery

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FROM PAGE 36

AT THE INTERSECTION OF

“I know the United States has welcomed many Cyruses lately, and I want to be an example to show them they can come here, make a life for themselves, and give back to a country that has given them freedom.”

-Cyrus Jaffery, Entrepreneur, Jaffery Insurance & Financial Services He also shares his insights as host of the Insurance Producers Podcast and as a guest commentator on others.

As an expression of the gratitude he feels for the opportunities he’s had, his companies support charitable community causes. Jaffery himself aids Afghan refugee families who settled in Omaha after US forces withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021.

Independently Owned and Operated / A Member of the Cushman & Wakefield Alliance

2023 Winner

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The entrepreneur hopes his book becomes a resource in people’s personal tool box for learning how to use adversity as a catalyst to turn obstacles into stepping stones and lean times into prosperity.

“You will deal with adversity daily through your business, family, life, [and] relationships. But just know that it’s God’s way of making you stronger,” Jaffery said. “Adversity makes you the person you’re looking to become. On the other side of adversity is success. You can’t go around it; you’ve just got to deal with it and go through it.”

Through positive mindset mantras and practices, Jaffery provides a formula for “winning your day, your life, and your career and making your passion your livelihood.” The results, he suggested, will set you free as it did him.

“If you love what you do,” he said, “you’ll never work a day in your life.”

For more information, visit jafferyinsurance.com.

Writer Leo Adam Biga collaborated with Cyrus Jaffery on his forthcoming book, set to publish late 2024.

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OMAHA CVB BY DEBORAH WARD

EVENT PLANNERS GET FAMILIAR WITH OMAHA the tourism industry, a simple I nvisit can create long-term economic gains. But a visit isn’t always simple. It’s often about playing the long game, especially when it comes to attracting conventions to Omaha.

Hosting familiarization tours, or “fam tours” for short, is one tactic that Visit Omaha strategically employs to win convention business. The tours invite a select group of decision makers to Omaha to highlight the city’s attributes and show meeting planners firsthand why Omaha would be a good location for their meeting.

Last spring, Visit Omaha hosted a twoday tour for 10 national association CEOs with the Association Forum, an organization that represents more than 2,500 members in 1,600 Chicago associations. This was a first-time trip to Omaha for the majority of attendees.

The visit revolved around a session on leadership at Gallup, Inc., known for its CliftonStrengths assessment.

The planners were able to experience how an Omaha company could benefit their organization’s meeting by incorporating an educational session into their next conference.

Our team welcomed the Trust for Insuring Educators (TIE) 50th Annual Meeting in September 2023. The milestone event brought 58 attendees representing 35 national education associations to Omaha. The visit included tours of education-focused locations such as the University of Nebraska Omaha Research Labs and

Kiewit Luminarium. Attendees experienced the city and saw how Omaha could be a good choice for their upcoming meetings or conventions.

Then, in November 2023, the Visit Omaha sports team invited 17 sports planners from across the country to tour Omaha sports venues and facilities. The tour gave the sports planners an opportunity to see what the city has to offer for their events.

Fam tours plant the seeds for future business that can pay dividends in the form of booked businesses and new revenue for our city. While the dividends for these most recent fam tours may not be felt for years, the Visit Omaha team has secured more than $111 million in meeting and event business for 2024. And you guessed it, many of those event and meeting organizers originally learned about Omaha after a “simple” visit.

For more information, go to visitnebraska.com/ omaha-convention-visitors-bureau.

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GREATER OMAHA CHAMBER BY HEATH MELLO

YOUR HOME FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

he Greater Omaha region is T composed of dreamers, doers, and leaders who drive our cities to new heights each year. In order to champion our thriving business community, the Greater Omaha Chamber provides excellent professional services to help individuals and businesses succeed—no matter the challenge.

For those looking to advance their skills and become leaders in their organization, the Greater Omaha Chamber has a variety of programs tailored to fit each individual’s needs.

From our two-day Leadership Lab to our 10-month Leadership Omaha program, we assist those progressing through their careers with the latest research, tools, and expertise to help them reach the next level. These programs focus on personal and professional development in management change, conflict resolution, leadership priorities, and more. Participants walk away with a support network of other local leaders and a toolkit to help them further their careers in the metro region.

For senior-level executives who are new to the area, our Omaha Executive Institute is a great platform to make critical connections and understand the issues, challenges, and opportunities in the Greater Omaha region.

This leadership program leaves participants with a better understanding of Omaha’s unique layout, including the civic and political structure and key decision-making entities in the region, and also provides new executives with connections to other playmakers in the business community.

We also provide member organizations with a variety of tools to increase their business acumen, including

Deborah Ward is the executive director

Heath Mello is the CEO for the

of Omaha Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Greater Omaha Chamber.

our quarterly business retention and expansion surveys and access to annual and monthly research centering around changes in Greater Omaha’s ever-expanding business economy. Networking and educational events also provide pathways for connection across industries and those providing key business services.

Our team is consistently updating Greater Omaha Chamber programming to better serve the metro region.

Each year, we evaluate our offerings to ensure members and the community at large receive access to education and programming that utilize the latest research and expertise. We understand the importance of staying ahead of the competition and what that means for your business.

From those just entering their career to those stepping into prominent leadership positions, the Greater Omaha Chamber is here to help you every step of the way. In the last 130 years, we’ve served thousands of community members and businesses through our professional services, helping Omaha become the thriving business community it is today.

For more information, vist omahachamber.org.

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