November/December/January 2018 B2B

WINTER 2018

WE CAN!

WOMEN ARE A FORCE IN OMAHA ORGANIZATIONS

PRAIRIE FIRE WOMEN HELP SHAPE LOCAL TECH SCENE

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B2B OMAHA MAGAZINE

VOLUME 17 · ISSUE 4

executive editor

DOUG MEIGS publisher

TODD LEMKE

managing editor B2B, Family Guide,

vice president

special projects

GREG BRUNS

DAISY HUTZELL-RODMAN

executive vice president

managing editor

sales & marketing

Encounter

GIL COHEN

ERIC STOAKES

senior sales executive

editor-at-large

GWEN LEMKE

TARA SPENCER

branding specialists

editorial assistant

KYLE FISHER MARY HIATT GEORGE IDELMAN JOSHUA PETERSON

LINDSAY WILSON editorial interns

marketing interns

KATHERINE HARTNER SYDNEY SHELDRICK LIZ STEVENS

MARK MCGAUGH JAMES HILL

creative director

BILL SITZMANN assistant to the publisher

SANDY MATSON senior sales assistant

ALICIA HOLLINS

art director

MATTHEW WIECZOREK senior graphic designer

account assistants

DEREK JOY

DAWN DENNIS SHERRY LORENCE

graphic designers

operations

MADY BESCH KATIUSKA NUNEZ

TYLER LEMKE contributors accounting

HOLLEY GARCIA-CRUZ distribution manager

MIKE BREWER advertising information

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B2B Magazine is published four times annually by Omaha Magazine, LTD, P.O. Box 461208, Omaha NE 68046-1208. 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.

KEITH BACKSEN JASON FOX ROBERT FRAASS KIRBY KAUFMAN BEVERLY KRACHER LISA LUKECART CHARLIE LITTON CAROL CRISSEY NIGRELLI KIM REINER KARL SCHAPHORST DOUG SCHURING KARA SCHWEISS MICHAEL WATKINS LAUREN WEIVODA SARAH WENGERT contributed photography

KEITH BINDER SCOTT DRICKEY SARAH LEMKE JEREMY ALLEN WIECZOREK

OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM

WINTER 2018

| 03

TABLE OF CONTENTS COVER

Collaboration in Action WOMEN ARE A FORCE AT OMAHA ORGANIZATIONS

FEATURES

18

22

PRAIRIE FIRE

Women Help Shape Local Tech Scene

ON TREND

Omaha Banks Hire Women Managers

DEPARTMENTS

42

46 BIZ + GIVING

28 WOMEN IN BUSINESS

10 HOW I ROLL

48 omAha!

38 ASID

Let It Snow! The Stutheits' Winter Passion

26 LEADERS

Air Force Officer Leads Through Service

Business Benefits From a Single-Sex Education

SPECIAL SECTIONS

06 IN THE OFFICE

Planitomaha Works Through Details

SHOWING MERCY

100 Women, 10,000 Possibilties

Rose-Colored Glasses and Sweaters

Sponsored Section

2017 Commercial Award

Nearly 13,000 TREES

have been reforested due to the printing of our publications. More information at printreleaf.com

70 AFTER HOURS

55 BEST OF B2B BALLOT

37 CORPORATE PSYCHOLOGY

41 SALES INSIDER

53 OMAHA CVB

37 OFFICE FURNITURE

41 BRAND BRIEF

53 ETHICS

Lady at the Lounge

Your Choice - Your Vote

COLUMNS

05 FROM THE EDITOR Career-Minded Women

Reducing the Potential for Stereotype Threat

Women in the 21st Century Workforce

Would You Do It If Your Life Depended on It?

Reflections on Reflecting

Women Mean Business

The “F” Word

04 |

B2B OMAHA MAGAZINE

VOLUME 17 · ISSUE 4

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OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM

WINTER 2018

| 05

FROM THE EDITOR DAISY HUTZELL-RODMAN

recently told a colleague the story of how Carmen Clark, former administrative assistant at Make-A-Wish Foundation, told me several times that she was always surprised when she saw me, because she thought of me as a tall woman.

(At 5’0”, I certainly am not tall.) Usually we conducted business via the phone, and apparently I emit a tall presence.

My last name is also frequently mispronounced.

Admittedly, Hutzell-Rodman is a mouthful. Yet a surprising number of people think my last name is Rodham, as in Hillary Rodham Clinton. Politics aside, one cannot deny that she has been a careerminded woman.

Perhaps part of the reason why people mispronounce my name is because my normal attitude towards life is “I can,” as in “Yes, I can find sponsors for an annual car show.” “Yes, I can write another 800-word article and turn it in today.” While I cannot do everything, this attitude has helped many women in their careers.

That’s one common theme with the women in this issue. They can. Our second annual Women in Business edition highlights some incredible businesswomen. They can collaborate, code websites, manage banks, move boxes in high heels, run a bar, head a school, even own a mobile business.

I loved reading about the strengths of the incredible women in this magazine.

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Along with being the Women in Business special edition, this magazine includes the Best of B2B ballot, which can be found on pages 55 and 56.

Now is the business community’s chance to vote on everything from best commercial cleaning service to best place to eat a business lunch. We’ll reveal the results of the contest in April.

B 2B

Daisy Hutzell-Rodman is the managing editor of B2B, a publication of Omaha Magazine LTD. She can be reached at daisy@ omahamagazine.com.

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B2B OMAHA MAGAZINE

VOLUME 17 · ISSUE 4

IN THE OFFICE | BY LISA LUKECART | PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN

WOMEN ARE THE LIFE OF THE PARTY PLANITOMAHA WORKS THROUGH DETAILS

Caitlin Gruis

OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM

WINTER 2018

| 07

o name badges. No paint on a door.

No hot mics.

Small details like these are “throw-up moments” for some of the employees of Planitomaha.

Moments when something bad or out of the ordinary happens that makes the employees want to vomit.

Event planning is not all glamorous parties and confetti. It is a tough, multi-tasking, meticulous business.

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Stephens is motivated when she bites off more than she can chew. The throw-up moments do happen, but she believes it is her “job to find those mistakes and make them seamless.” So when the job is finished to expectations and the client is happy, Stephens falls in love with the business all over again.

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Each name badge stuffed. Check. Correct light color on the podium. Check. Music for each speaker. Check.

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Jaycee Stephens started at the company as an intern her sophomore year of college at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Now an event producer, Stephens became hooked on the fastpace rush of a job well done. She recently finished with backstage management of a 1,000 person day conference. Each client request is kept on a “million notepads of lists” which she crosses off when completed.

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And since the company is all-female-employed, the pressure is on. Stephens feels image is important.

She dresses professionally, wearing suits and heels even when setting up an event means performing manual labor.

She maintains a professional image in order to be taken seriously, which can sometimes be a struggle.

“People are surprised we are young women in this industry because we meet their needs so exceptionally,” Stephens adds.

CONT. PAGE 08

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B2B OMAHA MAGAZINE

VOLUME 17 · ISSUE 4

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402-333-1869 FROM PAGE 07 Plantitomaha bloomed in 1998 when Renee Black and Leslie Brandt developed their event services business. Now, 14 women are behind the successful brand. The company is not averse to hiring men, but the industry is female-orientated.

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“I don’t feel as scared to share my opinion,” six-year veteran Caitlin Gruis says. She adds that some of that may be due more to age rather than gender.

Close personal relationships are developed through a mutual understanding and respect for women’s issues. Whether discussing breast-feeding or a pesky mother-in-law, the office is a bit more relaxed when sharing common ground.

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It does makes the work space unique and collaborative in different ways. Hairspray and dry shampoo are staples in the bathrooms. During their “fish tank” brain-storming sessions, the women are not shy about speaking their minds.

Some admit that, if a male entered the dynamic, they might choose to stay silent.

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After hours, some of the women recently gathered in a meeting room to share slow-cooker tips at a tasting party. Since their working hours mean nights and weekends, they want something easy for their husbands to cook.

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The hard work and flexible shifts have paid off.

Stephens says the company, which does 40 percent of their business outside the Midwest, prides itself on being a woman-run business.

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Katie Sullivan, who has been with the team for 11 years, believes the founders have empowered women.

“It’s cool to see all these younger girls coming in and training the future of our industry,” she says.

One thing is certain: these driven ladies know how to plan. Whether it is an event for Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits, or monthly team outings, each member serves as a cog on a fast-churning wheel. If a speaker or celebrity wants exactly 17 bottles of Mountain Dew, only red Skittles, or only blue M&M’s, the women find a way to be flexible and personalize each client's needs.

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B2B OMAHA MAGAZINE

VOLUME 17 · ISSUE 4

HOW I ROLL | BY KIRBY KAUFMAN | PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN

LET IT SNOW SO WE CAN ROLL! THE STUTHEITS' WINTER PASSION

Kate and Stan Stutheit

OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM

WINTER 2018

ate Stutheit does not often see her husband, Stan, at their business in Syracuse, Nebraska. This dynamic is nothing new to the married couple of 36 years. Kate says they rarely cross paths at Stutheit Implement Co., a John Deere retailer about 34 miles southeast of Lincoln.

She manages the merchandise while her husband makes sure operations run smoothly.

“It can be stressful just like anything else, but it’s a lot of fun,” Kate says. “It’s rewarding.”

After business hours, especially in the winter, the Stutheits devote time to snowmobiling, their biggest hobby. The couple ride Polaris 800 Pro RMK snowmobiles, which Stan says is “definitely a good sled.”

Their ride is a mountain snowmobile, which is long and narrow to allow for riding hillside in mountainous terrain and through heavy powder.

The vehicles have specially designed long lug tracks, which allow them to maneuver through deep snow.

The Polaris 800 PRO-RMK 163 features a lightweight AXYS chassis and 800 H.O. Cleanfire engine.

Stutheit Implement at one point sold snowmobiles.

John Deere designed and built snowmobiles from 1972-1984. In fact, the popular company slogan, “Nothing runs like a Deere,” was first used to promote a line of snowmobiles. In the early 1980s, John Deere sold their product line to Polaris.

Kate says the lack of snowmobiles at work has never stopped the couple and more than two dozen of their friends from traveling multiple times a year for an adrenaline rush of winter fun.

They say their hometown of Syracuse used to be a regular go-to spot for snowmobiling, but that changed after the area started getting less snowfall.

CONT. PAGE 12

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B2B OMAHA MAGAZINE

VOLUME 17 · ISSUE 4

Kate and Stan Stutheit

FROM PAGE 11 Part of the allure of snowmobiling is the travel.

The couple have snowmobiled in Colorado and Montana. Wyoming remains their favorite spot for its snowy ranges and sometime challenging terrain.

“I like being out in the open and the scenery,” Kate says. “He usually leads. I usually ride behind. We have a good time. It’s a lot of fun.”

The couple often travel with members of the Nebraska State Snowmobile Association or Syracuse Sno Flakers Snowmobile Club. Kate says the local group is comprised of about 40 members, and Stan says the majority of Sno Flakers also are members of the state organization.

He should know. Stan currently serves as president of the state association. Along with providing fun and friendship, the association has raised thousands annually to benefit individual cancer patients, Toys for Tots, and local back-to-school efforts. At presstime, Stan was busy preparing for the 2017 NSSA Convention Nov. 17 and 18, where Stan, Kate, and other snowmobilers gathered to network and discuss their hobby with fellow enthusiasts.

Kate is also a former officer. She has served various positions with the group since becoming a member in 1981 and especially enjoys the camaraderie with fellow snowmobilers.

“There are always stories to be told on trips,” Kate says. “It’s a whole other family and friends with the state association.”

Stan says the outdoor thrills give them a chance to get away from their business.

“When we’re gone, I don’t worry about it,” he says.

“I know someone is back there doing it.”

Look up Nebraska State Snowmobile Association on Facebook for more information.

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WINTER 2018

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B2B OMAHA MAGAZINE

VOLUME 17 · ISSUE 4

14

FEATURE | BY SARAH WENGERT | PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN

Collaboration in Action WOMEN ARE A FORCE AT OMAHA ORGANIZATIONS

Susan Henricks

OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM

WINTER 2018

| 15

any forward-thinking employers emphasize collaboration. Siloed organizations—those with teams, departments, or groups that do not want to share information or knowledge with other individuals in the organization—are increasingly seen as outmoded and inefficient. Collaboration is not just a feelgood philosophy—bottom lines and output benefit from collaborative environments.

At its root, collaboration is a commonsense tactic that simply means working together to produce, create, or execute something. Forbes, Entrepreneur, Fast Company, and other businesssavvy publications sing the praises of collaboration, and research indicates that women in particular excel in this area.

“I believe that collaboration is key to a successful business or operation,” says Susan Henricks, president and CEO at ICAN, a regional leader development focused nonprofit. “Women, the research shows, are generally better collaborators and more skilled at collaboration than men.”

ICAN offers programs, classes, and events that provide experiential learning. As a happy side effect, participating men and women develop stronger professional networks, which Henricks says often helps them achieve important real-world collaborative efforts.

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“Collaboration is a skill we identified many years ago as a necessary, critical characteristic of successful leaders,” says Henricks. “All our programs, many of our speaker events, and certainly the women’s leadership conference focus on what it takes to collaborate and how to get better at collaborating, whether it’s with women, men, or a [coed] group.”

Jami Anders-Kemp, director at Step-Up Omaha!, a youth employment initiative of The Empowerment Network (TEN), also uses the power of collaboration at her organization, where she unites stakeholders from throughout the community. Though her role has expanded and evolved, she was initially hired to direct Omaha 360, a TEN program, where she aimed to build relationships and collaborations to reduce gun and gang violence in Omaha.

CONT. PAGE 16

Jami Anders-Kemp

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B2B OMAHA MAGAZINE

VOLUME 17 · ISSUE 4

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FROM PAGE 15 “My job was strategizing solutions at a high level and determining who needed to be at the table to address the issue, because we realized we needed to take a holistic approach,” says Anders-Kemp.

“We also agreed that we can’t arrest our way out of this situation; a true solution involves many different strategies.”

For Omaha 360, Anders-Kemp says those strategies include enforcement, positive alternatives, re-entry and recovery, and court services, among others.

She adds that in all of TEN’s efforts they also look at individuals’ needs at “a basic human level”— such as if the lights are on at home and if they have a job. When looking at a problem from so many angles, collaboration becomes essential to the process and Anders-Kemp brings together representatives from community organizations, OPD, OPS, the mayor’s office, the faith-based community, local business leaders, and others to facilitate action and change.

“With that range of strategies in place, you can see how important it is to ensure you have the right stakeholders at the table,” says Anders-Kemp, who employs similarly collaboration-based strategies when managing STEP-UP Omaha! and taking a major role in other TEN initiatives like Women for Peace, Omaha African-American Male Achievement Council, and Cradle to Career.

“It’s not necessarily that men don’t have this strength, but I think women have that desire to build relationships. And we’re often in environments where we’ve had to find ways to collaborate, whether it’s raising a family or doing business,” says Anders-Kemp. “That relationship piece is key for collaboration. All the strong women I know are good at coming together with that ‘it takes a village’ mentality.”

Certainly, collaboration can go wrong, but more often it goes right—especially for women.

According to research from the Women’s Collaboration Project, there are at least five favorable or neutral experiences for every one negative collaborative experience, and 77 percent of respondents said they were “very likely” to employ collaboration again within the next 12 months.

So, what makes someone a good collaborator?

OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM

WINTER 2018

| 17

Celebrating “The No. 1 key strength of an effective collaborator is that you’re not just out for yourself; you desire a good group outcome,” says Henricks. “No. 2 is having empathy, understanding, and willingness to consider other perspectives. Many leaders just don’t want to listen to others, and I really believe that if you’re not willing to listen then you can’t be a collaborator. Third, you must recognize situations where collaboration is needed, and I think women often recognize that faster than some men…the research in this area shows that. While there are certain keys to being collaborative, I also believe an individual can learn to be collaborative even if they aren’t organically collaborative.”

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Henricks also stresses “whole-brain thinking,” or holistic team-building, an important focus at ICAN.

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“You don’t want all creatives, all numbers people, or all strategic people,” Henricks says. “You need to take all of those different capabilities and include people who represent each set of knowledge, then you’ve got a whole-brain-thinking team. It’s a great way to set up a collaborative situation.”

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Anders-Kemp agrees that good collaboration requires a holistic approach.

“There’s no one program or model that fits every need, so it’s crucial to bring the right people together and look at things from all different aspects to accelerate change or success,” she says.

“Everyone’s contributing a little bit, but collectively it makes a huge effect. It’s important to be honest about not being an expert in every area and being able to ask, ‘Who needs to be at this table?’

Particularly when we’re talking about people’s lives, young people, and violence prevention, it’s very important. We have to hear from everyone, put personal feelings aside, and bring everyone in.

No one person has all the answers, but together we can always find the answers faster.”

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B2B OMAHA MAGAZINE

18

FEATURE | BY CHARLIE LITTON | PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN

Prairie Fire Women Help Shape Omaha Tech Scene

VOLUME 17 · ISSUE 4

OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM

WINTER 2018

idden Figures, last March’s box-office hit that grossed nearly $170,000,000, revolved around a group of African-American women working as “human computers.” A study done by the American Association of University Women revealed that, from the 1960s to the 1990s, more than one-third of the employees in computer and mathematical careers were women.

While the same study shows that this number now sits at 26 percent, several key women are a part of what makes the Silicon Prairie a rising star in the tech realm.

Four of these women, all millennials, all leaders in Omaha’s tech industry, recently discussed a clear passion and vision for the future of tech in the area.

Karen Borchert came to Omaha after leading tech startup projects in Austin, Texas, and Washington, D.C. She knows women who remember the day they were first allowed to wear pants to work, who were first “allowed a seat at the table” to make important decisions. Borchert herself sees a different landscape than an older generation who remembers that those groundbreaking moments were “a big deal.”

“It isn’t [a big deal] anymore,” she says of those moments, “and the fact that it isn’t anymore is the biggest deal of all.”

She sits at the executive table of Flywheel. Since starting in 2012, Flywheel has been among Nebraska’s big winners in the startup community.

According to its website, in 2016, Flywheel nearly tripled in size, adding 45 employees and expanding into a new 7,500-square-foot facility.

Borchert partially attributes her success at Flywheel to greater gender equality here in Omaha.

“Is the work that you do, the pay that you get, the roles that you have a chance at, the opportunities that you have to grow—is it as good, and in as welcoming an environment, for women as it is for men in Omaha?” Borchert says. “I’d argue that, in a lot of ways, it is.”

Erica Wassinger

On that point, Borchert might get agreement from Sally Elatta, president and co-founder of Agile Transformation, another Omaha startup that has outgrown its original space. Agile Transformation uses proprietary data and evaluation software to help large and mid-sized companies build better teams and company culture.

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If Elatta ran into any gender bias, she did not notice. If anything, she says, her company lost one bid because the large company felt her startup was too small. She couldn’t think of a time where her gender was an obstacle to overcome.

Elatta was born in Sudan, educated in Scotland, and became a proud U.S. citizen when her family applied for political asylum, she says.

“My mother,” she says, “influenced me to not carry that as a chip on my shoulder, to actually know that I am very strong, and that I can balance being a mother and being an entrepreneur all at the same time.”

While the environment in Omaha is perhaps better than it is in places like the Silicon Valley—where there have been recent reports of blatant sexism and harassment—that doesn’t mean all is well.

While hard data is not available, anecdotally, women report that men far outnumber women in Omaha’s Silicon Prairie. Borchert, at Flywheel, is acutely aware of the disparity, expressing chagrin that her full-time development team of 17 has just one woman.

“That’s not what I want,” she says. “We are doing a lot of work on this right now. “ She added: “Our main strategy on recruiting and on building a more diverse workplace is creating wonderful and equal experiences for our team, and making sure we’re doing right by them,” she says. “We really want people to feel comfortable at Flywheel.”

The lack of women at Flywheel hints at a potentially larger issue with the talent pipeline.

For whatever reasons, there may not be as many women available in tech fields. The pipeline problem is one that Rebecca Stavick, executive director at Do Space, is working to change.

“The biggest lie out there is that women don’t like technology,” Stavick says. “The challenge, I think, is that historically there has been a lack of learning opportunities for women. I think we have done some incredible work on that in the past few years.”

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VOLUME 17 · ISSUE 4

Sally Elatta FROM PAGE 19

It’s That Simple.

Last year, Do Space started a recurring program that put 20 girls through a computer coding course. Additional work on a national level has increased interest and awareness for girls in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

A librarian by training, Stavick has a knack for big data and likes to think of herself as an “information activist.”

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“The better info you’ve got,” she says, “the better decisions you make, the better life you can lead.”

What Stavick and Do Space provide for the Omaha community is a level of technical information that is unmatched almost anywhere. A unique library that has been studied from afar by several major American cities, Do Space provides free and easy access to some of the most advanced software and hardware systems available.

Do Space makes an effort to see that its membership numbers match the surrounding community.

For example, Douglas County is approximately 11 percent African-American. Stavick reports that 10 percent of Do Space members are also African-American.

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“My advice then to the startup community, and any other community in town, is to at least start aiming to match the population as a whole surrounding you,” Stavick says. “If women are half the population of Douglas County—I would assume it’s close to half—then they should be half the startup community in Omaha as well.”

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Rebecca Stavick

Getting to half might sound like a tall order. It should sound ideal to Erica Wassinger, co-founder of the Startup Collaborative, an incubator space in downtown Omaha that gives startups a greater chance for success.

“The best thing in my career is partnering with male co-founders,” Wassinger says. “I think if more founding teams are male and female, you’ll have a lot of wins here.”

Wassinger credits Mark Hasebroock, founder of Dundee Venture Capital, as the “greatest feminist influence on my entire career.” He bet on her as startup founder, and proceeded to treat her just as he treated all of his other founders.

She has seen unintended bias that has been unintentionally harming. For example, a male employee might hesitate to invite a female coworker to join male colleagues at an after-work function.

“Yes, I am outnumbered…but I do really feel like I have a ton of male allies,” she says, adding that the key point is equality.

Wassinger’s solution seems simple enough. It involves treating people, male or female, with respect: “Just act like peers.”

Visit agiletransformation.com, dospace.org, and flywheel.com for more information about the companies noted in the article.

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B2B OMAHA MAGAZINE

FEATURE | BY MICHAEL WATKINS

On Trend OMAHA BANKS HIRE WOMEN MANAGERS

VOLUME 17 · ISSUE 4

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D

uring his 40 years in banking, Michael Pate, president of United Republic Bank, has seen his fair share of evolution and change.

The perception and inclusion of women in managerial roles may be the evolution that has had the most long-term, industry-altering effects.

“When I started, there were very few women in banking, and those who did work in the industry were tellers or bookkeepers,” he says. “That’s not the case anymore. Over the past 20 years or so, more and more women have reached manager and higher-level positions, and, in my opinion and experience, that’s made banking better.”

Pate credits this shift largely to a gradual change in the way men in power and decision-making positions see women.

Similarly, as more women became interested in more prestigious roles in banking, young women found more role models to look to in the profession.

In a traditionally male-dominated field, Pate says he’s seeing more and more women interested in, and applying for, internal promotions to managerial roles as well as more external female applicants for open management positions.

“I can only speak for myself and my own experience, but I know we look to hire the most qualified candidates regardless of gender,” says Pate, who’s been president at United Republic Bank since 2006. “Is it difficult to find and hire female bank managers? Not today. But as I said before, that hasn’t always been the case.”

One of those women who has found her way into bank management for the majority of her career, Corinne Safford, says she hasn’t had any personal experience having doors closed to her or not being considered for managerial roles in her 15 years at Great Western Bank—13 of them in management.

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FROM PAGE 23 As vice president, regional retail manager, Safford says she, in turn, has had no trouble finding and hiring females for available management roles.

But when it comes to higher levels—executive levels—the hiring process gets more complicated.

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“It really could be a multitude of reasons, but one that is common stems from confidence,” she says. “Women tend to be more apprehensive about applying for higher level positions. They want to know that they are 110 percent ready for the position and are not realizing their true potential and value they add by growing in and with the role. I’ve always aspired to be in a leadership role where I could help positively impact a team, my customers, and organization.

But, I did not envision myself in banking and happened to stumble [thankfully] into a universal banker position with Great Western Bank. Once I was a part of the organization, I had my sights set on being a manager and leader.”

Pate says he sees different strengths in female leaders at United Republic Bank that aren’t necessarily visible with males in similar roles— adding depth to the bank’s management.

“From my lens, women stay on task better, longer.

Steve Hayes of Aradius Men seem to become more easily distracted, depending on what they’re doing,” he says.

“Women are just better multitaskers and are more thorough in managing tasks and people.”

He added that the very shallow labor pool in Omaha right now has created gaps in finding available candidates, but when someone applies for an open position, gender is never a deciding factor.

“I am definitely seeing more interest in managerial roles among younger women, and I attribute that to the changing attitudes in the industry as well as more women believing they have real opportunities for advancement in banking that didn’t exist in the past,” he says. “I am the chair of the Nebraska Banking Association, and in the

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past—even as recent as 20 years ago—there were very few women on the board. Today, it’s very balanced with men and women, and this is a definite reflection of the industry as a whole.”

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Pate and Safford agree that having diverse leadership teams in banks continues to trend upward, which is a positive for banks.

“In any industry, it’s important to have a diverse workforce and leadership team,” she says. “This is what helps move a company forward. The customers we serve are diverse, and having a team that reflects the same from the top down only ensures we are serving their needs. Diversity and inclusion in general should be a top priority for all companies, and bringing awareness is the first step. I can only speak for my experience with Great Western Bank, and we have a Diversity and Inclusion Council that has committed to this initiative.”

Safford goes even further, offering advice to women currently in banking or planning for a future in the industry who aspire to hold manager and above positions.

“It’s great to see more awareness of the gender gap issue as many are unaware it still exists,” she says.

And for future female leaders of banks: “You get to choose who you are when you step out of bed each morning, so be the best version of you and make it count. Be brave and confident. You have a voice. Don’t be intimidated to pull your chair up to the table.”

Visit unitedrepublicbank.com and greatwesternbank. com for more information.

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VOLUME 17 · ISSUE 4

LEADERS | BY ROBERT FRAASS | PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN

MAJ. GEN. NINA ARMAGNO AIR FORCE OFFICER LEADS THROUGH SERVICE Nina Armagno grew up in suburban Chicago with a poster of Sally Ride in her bedroom and astronaut dreams on her mind. When her plans hit a roadblock, she became a two-star Air Force general who found her true calling—leading people in the service of our nation.

Maj. Gen. Armagno’s passion for hard work, leadership, and country has led her to the Omaha metro. Since June, she has been the director of plans and policy for the U.S. Strategic Command at Offutt Air Force Base near Bellevue.

Serving under Gen. John Hyten, head of U.S. Strategic Command at Offutt Air Force Base, Armagno and her joint staff work to deter and plan for nuclear war.

“It’s an overarching umbrella of deterrence and assurance,” Armagno says. “Implementing those plans is the last thing we want to do. The first thing we need to focus on is deterrence of adversaries and assurance of our allies.”

From Astronaut Aspirations to Air Force General Armagno recalls an early memory of watching the 1969 moon landing with her family. A love of the space program propelled the straight-A student to a degree from the Air Force Academy and a first assignment working with a ground-based radar crew. Weeks before the assignment, the Air Force disbanded its astronaut program. Armagno then pursued a master’s degree on her own dime with the thought of surrendering her commission and joining NASA. Along the way in her Air Force life, however, she discovered her abilities as a leader.

“I fell in love with leading people,” she says. “When I first went to the Air Force, I was not 100 percent sure I would make the military a career. When I started falling in love with leading, then I knew I should stay.”

A Woman in a Man’s World

Such an awesome responsibility requires a thirst and capability for excellent leadership. Armagno sees her role as serving the nearly 500 people she commands, not the other way around.

Aramagno is blunt about challenges women face moving up in the military. Women must prove themselves all of the time in ways most men don’t, she says.

“I envision myself more on the bottom of an upside-down pyramid with everyone else above me in importance,” she says. “I have example after example of coming into a leadership situation, assessing it, and then leading the team to heights that no one could imagine and no one could have done alone.”

“I believe it’s getting better, but it’s still something we need to be cognizant of,” she says. “I’ve felt like I’ve had to work harder than men, just to be honest. But it’s kind of paid off.”

Armagno’s leadership mantra is simple: It’s not all about you.

“If you are so busy thinking about yourself and your next career move, you are going to miss something pretty darn important. And you are going to miss it in the lives of your people and in your organization as a whole.”

She advises women who want to lead to “go for it.”

“As long as you care about people and get results, then your personal style or personality should take a backseat.”

Visit offutt.af.mil for more information.

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“I ENVISION MYSELF MORE ON THE BOTTOM OF AN UPSIDEDOWN PYRAMID WITH EVERYONE ELSE ABOVE ME IN IMPORTANCE,” -MAJ. GEN. NINA ARMAGNO

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WOMEN IN BUSINESS

BY KARA SCHWEISS | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEREMY ALLEN WIECZOREK According to a 2010 study by the U.S. Department of Labor, women comprised 47 percent of the total U.S. labor force. That same study found that women comprise 91.1 percent of registered nurses, but also 66.1 percent of tax examiners, collectors, and revenue agents, and 59.3 percent of all insurance writers.

The National Association of Women Business Owners revealed in 2015 that women-owned firms account for 31 percent of all privately held firms.

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HILARY MUHLE LEANNE BATA ALLURE HEALTH & MED SPA Allure Health & Med Spa owners Hilary Muhle and Leanne Bata will say that aging is inevitable.

But they also say that through holistic health care, women of any age, and in any stage of life, can be happy and healthy.

“We are a locally owned clinic and med spa that provides an individualized, holistic approach to health. Our bioidentical hormone replacement therapy fulfills the need for proven, safe, effective management for an area of health care— perimenopause and menopause—that continues to be taboo even in the progressive society we’re living in,” Muhle says. “And even beyond those labels, as hormone decline can start very early in life, as early as our 20s and 30s.”

Allure, which also offers a variety of medical aesthetic treatments, laser treatments and even semi-permanent makeup services, was voted Best Female Hormone Replacement and Med Spa in 2018s Best of Omaha. The accomplishment is especially impressive considering that Muhle and Bata have been in business a little over a year.

“My purpose is to serve others. I genuinely care about doing anything I can to help others and I believe our patients know that,” Bata says.

“I want Allure to be known for the honest, responsible practice of holistic medicine, and for advocacy of health at the highest standard regardless of what is conventional or mainstream,” Muhle says.

Bata and Muhle are experienced practitioners who originally met as co-workers. Muhle’s background includes a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Nebraska Medical Center along with bachelor’s degrees in nursing and psychology. She’s also a nationally board certified women’s health nurse practitioner, an advanced practice registered nurse, and is working towards a fellowship in holistic endocrinology and hormone management.

After receiving her bachelor’s degree, Bata began her career in medicine at a renowned hormone replacement clinic, where she rose through the ranks before returning to school to earn a master’s degree in health care administration.

The women’s personal philosophies are reflected in Allure’s guiding values of compassion, excellence, and integrity. Bata and Muhle say treating patients and staff with empathy, kindness, and sincerity

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creates an environment in which they feel “safe, comfortable, and well cared-for.”

“We are so proud to be ‘mom bosses.’” Muhle says.

“We cultivated an idea that was fed by motivation to do more and be the best. We’re admittedly strong-willed, but we’re also fiercely passionate about what we do and what Allure means to us, our families, and our patients. We’re growing our families while we grow our business and some may say that pressure to succeed is a motivator, but in our minds, it has never been ‘if,’ but ‘when.’”

“At the end of the day, I want to be known for my desire to make those around me better,” Bata says. “That means holding myself to a higher standard and striving to make myself better: A better wife, mother, friend, business partner, owner, and manager.”

“I want to be known for my integrity as a Christian businesswoman, practitioner, wife, mother, and friend,” Muhle says.

13939 GOLD CIRCLE, SUITE 100 OMAHA, NE 68144 402.881.3638 ALLUREHEALTHMED.COM

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DOROTHY TURLEY AMERCIAN LEGACY We have an A-plus rating with the Better Business Bureau, and we get a lot of repeat business and word-of-mouth,” American Legacy Complex Owner Dorothy Turley says of her equestrian center.

It’s a reflection of the family- and childcentered atmosphere she has cultivated.

Turley and her allwoman staff oversee boarding, lessons, and training on spacious grounds north of the city. American Legacy Complex hosts a horsemanship summer camp and three annual horse shows, and is the site for birthday parties year-round. They also provide white horses for Hindu weddings.

Every visit becomes a learning experience.

“It’s all geared toward education,” she says. “Besides the horses we have a donkey, two sheep, two goats, probably 19 ducks, and three alpacas. When kids come out, they can see everything.”

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ASHLEY BATTEN BATTEN TRAILER LEASING, INC. Ashley Batten has served as general manager for Batten Trailer Leasing for two years, but she’s been associated with the business nearly a lifetime, learning from the inside about the many facets of the company her father, Blaine, founded in the mid-1980s.

“This year I’ve really worked on modernizing our fleet and updating.

The industry is becoming more and more regulated,” Batten says.

Batten trailers have carried elephants bound for Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and wall pieces for pools used during the Olympic Swimming Trials.

They have also hauled supplies to hurricane victims and materials to Habitat for Humanity, an organization the company is proud to support. Flexible rental terms, dependable service, and a willingness to work with both large and small enterprises generate steady referrals and year-after-year repeat business, Batten says.

“We have a wide base of customers in a lot of different industries, and much of what we do is seasonal,” she says. “I really enjoy working with a variety of customers.”

Trucking is still an overwhelmingly male industry, but Batten says she’s seen more women enter the field—not so much as drivers but in essential support positions that keep things running smoothly. The work can be demanding.

“This is not a ‘9 to 5,’ it’s a ‘24/7.’ You can’t just clock out when a load has to get there,” she says. “The work/life balance can be challenging.”

But Batten enjoys a challenge.

“We are a small company,” she says. “And there are not a lot of people in this area that do what we do.”

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ERIN STRUNK BETTER HOMES & GARDENS REAL ESTATE Licensed real estate agent and certified interior designer Erin Strunk knows each person’s home is special. That’s why she starts each client-agent relationship by learning about the client, the life they lived in a home, and where they are going in the next chapter of their lives. She then coordinates a home inspection so she can see the house’s potential.

“I walk hand in hand with my clients,” Strunk says. “I want to be a part of this transition where I’m helping them turn up the value on their home.”

Strunk stages each home as a complimentary service to enhance a home's value. She emphasizes each house’s character: Painting walls or purchasing furniture to show off focal points. The end result is that a home’s potential is revealed to buyers and sellers alike, often resulting in a higher sale.

That is why clients put their trust in Strunk. That integrity and emphasis on relationship-building are also why she chose to join Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate, The Good Life Group.

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CINDI INCONTRO COLLIERS INTERNATIONAL

Chris Mensinger, a commercial real estate broker who’s been with Colliers since 2011, says women bring a “new perspective” to the field.

and appreciates those who have struggled before me to give me the opportunity to work successfully in my field,” she says.

Colliers International is the fourth-largest commercial real estate company in the world, so Omaha office associates have the resources to provide clients with a full range of commercial real estate and property management services, and assist owners and tenants with their real estate decisions. They’re also proud to share that, in a field that is still male-dominated globally, the Omaha team includes a female chief financial officer, a female vice president, six female brokers, and two female property managers.

“Women understand what it takes to keep negotiations moving forward. As someone who works between several parties to get the best end result, keeping personalities, emotions, and expectations under control is an important part of brokerage,” she says. “My work is not about me; it is about how real estate decisions best serve my clients. These are important, costly, long-term decisions that make a huge impact on organizations.”

Kristi Andersen, an associate broker who came to commercial real estate after 20 years of working in the communications industry, says Colliers has a reputation for integrity, a characteristic she values highly. But it is up to individual associates to earn repeat business and referrals by making sure clients are satisfied.

Vice president Cindi Incontro, who has 24 years of experience in the commercial real estate business, describes the Colliers Omaha office as “professional, fun, and different every day.”

“Our group is filled with an amazing group of smart people, with multiple women in leadership roles who understand and enjoy helping clients find real-world solutions for their real estate needs,” she says. “Colliers is incredibly family-friendly and work/life balance aware. Our female employees are empowered to be creative, knowledgeable, and leaders in our industry.”

Mensinger says her employer supports the career goals of women and men alike.

“Colliers International is a group of strong and focused professionals that have helped me grow my business and teach me the industry. They have supported my dedication to advancing women in the industry through my participation in CREW (Commercial Real Estate Women), Omaha Metro,” she says.

She is giving others similar support as well. At the end of the day, “I would like to be known as someone of character who promotes other women

“We believe in building relationships and providing our clients personalized service,” she says. “I have built strong relationships in Omaha.

Relationship-building continues to be my primary goal in this field…I want my clients to know that I have their best interests in mind at all times.”

It’s part of a bigger picture, too, she says. “Our community is fortunate to have many women who are business leaders and business owners and they, too, have many reasons to need the assistance of a good commercial real estate broker.”

6464 CENTER ST., SUITE 200 OMAHA, NE 68106 402.345.5866 COLLIERS.COM

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MARY ANN O’BRIEN OBI CREATIVE T he advertising agency world has historically been male-dominated, OBI Creative CEO and founder Mary Ann O’Brien says. But she’s glad to see that changing.

“I like to think that Don Draper is being replaced with Dawn Draper. More women than ever before are interested in marketing and advertising as a career and they should. Marketing and communications is as much for women as it is for men… I have found that women are great communicators and great at multi-tasking.”

Lana LeGrand, the company’s vice president of operations and leadership, agrees. “We hire high performers. We want people that can work hard, are detail-oriented and strategic-minded,” she says.

“Women, more so now than ever, have been able to step into the limelight and showcase their talents in this client service-oriented industry.”

The industry has taken notice, too. OBI Creative, in business more than 15 years, has received numerous awards like a Best of Omaha designation locally and Company of the Year in its category by the prestigious International Business Association two years running.

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“We are a full-service advertising agency with integrated marketing experts and we specialize in delivering better marketing communications that drive results. While most agencies are started and run by creatives, OBI is an ad agency with market research, strategy and customer experience expertise at our core,” O’Brien says. “We are as much marketers as we are creatives and we joined forces because the outcome is exponential.

Marrying research to strategy to inspire creative that drives results is the niche we fill. We are unlike many others, and we like it that way. The results we drive with our clients speak for themselves.”

“We have in-house research capabilities and a team that’s dedicated to developing research approaches, executing research studies, fullblown brand equity, brand awareness, employee surveys—anything from a research-gathering insights capacity, we have a strong team that leads everything else in our agency,” LeGrand adds.

O’Brien says OBI clients are willing to engage in a customer-centered approach to marketing, “the way that the biggest brands in the world do.” Another factor in OBI’s success is the ability to work with small to very large organizations and initiatives.

“No matter whether it’s an employee messaging or culture issue, or whether you have a new product to launch and aren’t sure what the right message is, or if you’ve had a successful business for years, but know it can be more, we’re the agency to call to help you uncover your unique differentiator and value proposition, package it up from a messaging and creative standpoint and then share it broadly to drive the results you demand,” she explains.

The company is preparing to move into new quarters in the redeveloping Lumberyard district in Millard next year, but O’Brien says the “fun and thriving” environment and culture of engagement will transfer with OBI’s employees.

“Visitors always say, ‘this place has great energy.’

I attribute that energy to our people. They are so talented, smart, insightful, committed and curious,” she says. “And that is what makes us unique.”

2920 FARNAM STREET OMAHA, NE 68114 402.493.7999 OBICREATIVE.COM

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BARBARA CHRISTIANSON INGERSOLL RAND

KELLY BURNS PAYROLL PROFESSIONALS

Barbara Christianson already had industrial sales experience when she joined Ingersoll Rand Compression Technologies and Services in 2000 as a sales coordinator, but her clients—spanning sectors from retail to medical to manufacturing—were nevertheless often surprised at that first meeting or phone call.

Since she founded Payroll Professionals, Inc. in 2004, President/Owner Kelly Burns has offered a full spectrum of services: accounting, bookkeeping, and payroll. She also offers QuickBooks consulting, setup, and training.

“People would say to me, ‘How did a girl like you get to selling air compressors?’” she says.

“We handle full accounting [services], and we can even set up new businesses from the ground up,” she says. Burns—a certified public accountant with a bachelor’s degree from College of Saint Mary—and her all-female staff have decades of collective experience that makes them wellequipped to tailor services for a diverse group of local and regional clients.

Her outstanding product knowledge and exceptional communication and interpersonal skills not only made her a successful salesperson, but led to advancement. Christianson now serves as the business manager for the busy Omaha office, which provides sales and service covering Nebraska, Iowa, and the Dakotas. And Christianson’s title isn’t the only thing that changed in her workplace over the years.

“Back in the days after I was hired, there were only two of us women: the business manager and me. Everybody else was male,” she says. “But now we have more women than men.”

Everyone is treated with respect, Christianson says. “The seven women that are here in the office, we get along well,” she says. “It’s a small office, so we have to.”

Christianson says she’s proud to work for a company that offers both men and women opportunities for career development.

“What I’ve noticed since I’ve been here is that it isn’t a man’s world,” she says.

“There are women in (executive) and management positions, and it’s based off experience and fit, not because a person is male or female,” she says. “It’s the personality, and the experience, and the ability to work with your team.”

13205 CENTENNIAL RD. OMAHA, NE 68138 402.330.5831 INGERSOLLRANDPRODUCTS.COM

Burns has a special understanding of the needs of small business owners, who use her company’s services so they can focus on their day-to-day operations. She also works with corporations and larger businesses. Her loyal clients, big and small, praise Payroll Professionals’ reliability, accuracy, and quality.

“I think what distinguishes us is that we give the client personal attention,” she says. “We’re a smaller office, so when clients call, email, or drop by they’re always dealing with one of the three of us versus always reaching a different person.”

2829 S. 88TH STREET OMAHA, NE 68124 402.618.2804 PAYROLLPROFESSIONALSOMAHA.COM

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CARMEN TAPIO NORTH END TELESERVICES When former call center executive Carmen Tapio founded North End Teleservices in partnership with the Omaha Economic Development Corp., the site location was part of the strategy for success in a competitive, longstanding, and internationally known market. It also fit the company’s mission to create jobs and change lives.

“While there are many great call centers around the city, we were very intentional about placing North End Teleservices right here because this area has one of the highest unemployment rates in the city of Omaha,” she says.

“It’s allowing people to work where they live.”

Less than two years after its September 2015 opening, the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce named North End Teleservices the 2017 Small Business of the Year.

“We fill a high-touch, high-service niche in the contact center industry. We do exceptional work for our clients. That seems simplistic, but we talk about ‘earning the business every single day.’”

Tapio says she is proud of the loyalty and commitment of her team—many of them women—from which she expects to cultivate the next generation of industry leaders.

“It really is a family. We care about how we’re doing as a business, but we care about each other personally as well,” she says. Her employees not only gain marketable job skills, they learn about financial literacy and can access health care, tuition assistance, and other benefits.

“We talk to them about their lives, their hopes, their dreams, their careers.

It’s not just about a job. It’s really about helping them create a vision for themselves,” she says.

1500 N. 24TH ST., SUITE 111 OMAHA, NE 68110 402.934.3624 NORTHENDTELESERVICES.COM

KATHY DAVID REGENCY PARKWAY ART Since Kathy David opened the business with her husband, Michael, in 2016, Regency Parkway Art has gained rapid recognition in a field that’s highly competitive. “We realized early on that we couldn’t just wait for people to walk through the door,” she says.

Regency Parkway Art offers advisory services for, procurement of, and commissioning of original art; special packaging and shipping; and even installation for commercial clients and private collectors. The Davids have cultivated partnerships with local restaurants and groups like the Omaha Symphony and South High School to promote not just their artists’ work, but to bring awareness to the arts in general.

“We’ve worked hard to develop a cadre of artists we represent, and feel that all of their work is of very high caliber—original works and reproductions of their original works. We also work with photographers and have really grown in our appreciation of photography as a category of fine art,” Kathy says. “The most rewarding part of the business has been getting to know the artists we work with.”

440 REGENCY PARKWAY, SUITE 137 OMAHA, NE 68114 402.399.9555 REGENCYPARKWAYART.COM

WINTER 2018

SPONS0RED CONTENT

PAM ALFREY HERNANDEZ THE RIGHT REFLECTION Pam Alfrey Hernandez first came up with “The Right Reflection” as she was finishing her Master of Applied Positive Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania in 2014; it originally served as the title of her capstone thesis.

“I was really fascinated with the idea that we cannot see ourselves directly. We can only see ourselves through reflection, whether it’s a mirror, the eyes of our children, our parents, our work.

So what happens if that reflection is distorted?” she explains.

Hernandez now revisits that concept through her leadership training, coaching and executive seminars and conferences. In 2015, she founded The Right Reflection, a national, Omaha-based consulting firm that facilitates transformation for individuals, teams, and organizations by creating true change rather than simply re-engineering what already exists.

“I think the basis of all our issues is that we’re not seeing things clearly,” she says. “My tagline is ‘See Clearly—Act Boldly—Live Fully.’ So I try to help individuals and organizations see clearly, and that allows them to act boldly and live fully…I help both businesses and individuals improve their leadership.”

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Hernandez certainly knows a thing or two about leadership. She created The Right Reflection after a remarkable and groundbreaking 30-year career at Woodmen Life, where she ultimately rose to the rank of chief operating officer and became the first female executive team member of the 125-year-old firm. She is a community leader who’s been active with Nebraska Humane Society, Women’s Center for Advancement, Tri-Faith Initiative, Omaha Network, Omaha Business Ethics Alliance, Girl Scouts Art Venture, and Go Red for Women, among others. Her education includes two master’s degrees, and Hernandez also has earned multiple certifications and accreditations that ensure she is well-versed in the latest leadership principles and promotes nothing but the best practices through The Right Reflection.

Leadership is more than being responsible for a team of associates, despite the traditional definitions, Hernandez says, and becoming a better leader cannot be accomplished by merely reading a book or declaring a workplace culture change. One of her favorite sayings is “Leadership is as much about who you are as what you do.”

Hernandez says she’s not afraid to tell decisionmakers that leadership development is no quick fix.

“I bring a whole lot of practical experience,” she says of her unique combination of skills, accomplishments, expertise, and knowledge.

“Everything I do is research-based. I layer leadership development on adult stages of development that have been researched by psychologists for years.”

402.871.8424 THERIGHTREFLECTION.COM PAM@THERIGHTREFLECTION.COM

Hernandez’s exceptional abilities as a mentor, trainer, and coach also reflect on her first career.

“I was once a high school English teacher,” she explains. “I love teaching and I love developing curriculum.”

“The only place that makes sense for an organization to invest their dollars if they really want improvement is to invest in developing their leaders to higher levels of consciousness,” she says.

“Leadership is not a coat of skills you put on, it’s a way of being. Leadership is creating outcomes that matter.”

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B2B OMAHA MAGAZINE

VOLUME 17 · ISSUE 4

Thanks Omaha for over 30 Years!

Thank You for Voting Us #1 for 6 Years!

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WINTER 2018

CORPORATE PSYCHOLOGY

OFFICE FURNITURE

REDUCING THE POTENTIAL FOR STEREOTYPE THREAT

WOMEN IN THE 21ST CENTURY WORKFORCE

BY LAUREN WEIVODA

The number of women in leadership roles has increased. In 1995 there were no female CEOs of Fortune 500 companies; in the first quarter of 2017, there were 27, according to Pew Research Center.

Researchers have investigated reasons for the scarcity of female leaders, and chief among them is stereotypes, which can thwart women’s advancement to leadership roles. Female leaders often face the problem of being perceived as either nice and supportive (and thus, not a strong leader) or headstrong and assertive (and thus, not feminine enough). In contrast, people tend to describe both men and leaders in similar ways (e.g., self-reliant, dominant).

Such stereotypes can elicit stereotype threat, which occurs when a group member (e.g., a woman) worries about confirming a negative stereotype about that group, according to a study by Claude M. Steele of Stanford University and Joshua Aronson of the University of Texas. The group member may then experience anxiety over being judged, and perform the task more poorly, conforming to the stereotype.

Research done in the late 1990s by academians Steven J. Spencer, Steele, and Diane M. Quinn showed that when women learn that a math test produces gender differences, they underperform men, but when they learn that a math test does not produce gender differences, they perform equal to men.

One factor that inf luences stereotype threat is the intensity of contextual cues. Research by Diane M. Bergeron, Caryn J. Block, and Alan Echtenkamp of Columbia University demonstrated that women underperform men on a work task when their predecessor

BY DOUG SCHURING

is described as a man with stereotypically male characteristics, but perform equal to men when their predecessor is described as a woman with female traits.

Organizations should consider the language they use when posting job openings, writing job descriptions, and describing eligibility for promotions and awards to ensure the requirements are evidence-based.

Women represent one of the largest groups in the workplace today.

Interestingly, traditional workplace policies and practices are not winning over the most talented women.

Relatable female role models can cultivate a sense of belonging and demonstrate first-hand that female leaders are effective.

Organizations should consider encouraging informal mentoring partnerships, and/or building a formal mentorship program, and encouraging participation in professional associations and organizational committees.

Adaptable Work Policies

Organizations can also educate leaders and employees about unconscious biases and increase the diversity of candidate pools. Reducing the potential for stereotype threat means organizations can increase the likelihood of equal opportunity and representation, thus benefitting from unique perspectives.

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Lauren Weivoda, M.A., is a​ ​human​ ​capital​ ​ strategist​​ at Solve Consulting LLC.

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New research reveals creating flexible work policies and fostering a culture of transparency and collaboration can improve workplace satisfaction and performance.

Flexibility is important to working parents, especially working mothers.

Formalized policies, which remove uncertainty around flexible work conditions, are a great benefit. Too often, employers approach flexibility, parental leave, and communication expectations on a case-by-case basis.

This results in employees fearing they will be slighted in some way by their managers or peers for choosing this route.

Companies should create procedures for employees to notify their managers and team of their core hours… the time they’re in the office or when they will be available. This system aligns employee and manager expectations of how to best ask for and adopt flexible procedures.

Core hours/days are the framework for flexibility options. Ultimately, company cultures should value employees’ work output over time spent in the office.

Honesty and Collaboration Women are also empowered by organizations that value collaboration and communication. Studies have shown that women, when taking time to listen to others, are often viewed as having a weak leadership style. Alternately, men who make decisions individually are viewed as being more decisive and competent.

Companies are showing that they value collaboration and communication by how they are arranging their workspaces. Panels are shorter, workstations are smaller, and open areas are growing in both size and number in the space. Gone are the maze of tall panels and oversized boardrooms. Workstations now adjust in height, have tables that can be grouped together for large group meetings or separated for small discussions, and training sessions to work on collaboration.

The Desired Workplace Policies, places, and practices are changing to align with today’s new way of working. The leading companies today are creating improved workspaces and implementing more flexible practices that promote honesty and open communication. The best companies of tomorrow will understand how to empower the largest segment of their workforce, retain their talent, and most importantly— grow their bottom line.

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Doug Schuring is the director of sales administration at All Makes Office Equipment Co.

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B2B OMAHA MAGAZINE

VOLUME 17 · ISSUE 4

SPECIAL SECTION | CONTRIBUTED BY ASID | PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIPP ABRESCH & PAULA GUERRERO

ASID 2017 COMMERCIAL AWARD

he Nebraska/Iowa Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers recently announced the winners of their annual design contest. Jessica Lindersmith of US Properties won Gold for this space, designed for The Tap Room at The Boiler Brewing Co. in Lincoln.

To reach this area, a person must descend a hidden staircase. A five-panel oak door then leads into the brewery of this 100-year-old building. Significant effort was made to retain and highlight all original elements, each with a story of its own. Original doors and marble were reused, and the boiler doors were hung on the wall. The wood panels of the custom bar mimic the original design of the building. Spotlights focus on the stainless steel tanks behind the bar and the tap tower with its handmade, unique taps. Furnishings were arranged to create a variety of conversational areas, including booths, moveable tables and chairs, and a raised lounge area.

Visit ne-ia.asid.org for more information.

B 2B

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B2B OMAHA MAGAZINE

VOLUME 17 · ISSUE 4

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WINTER 2018

SALES INSIDER

BY KARL SCHAPHORST

WOULD YOU DO IT IF YOUR LIFE DEPENDED ON IT?

I was doing some in-house training for a client recently where we were discussing the elements of success and how can we achieve greatness in sales. This is often a hard conversation if we are honest with ourselves. Success requires us to go above and beyond what has always been comfortable, familiar, and safe.

Most salespeople want nothing to do with taking risks, experiencing failure, and learning from it. Instead, they go to work, do what they are comfortable doing, think very little outside the normal routine, and then go home only to repeat it the next day, week, and year. I believe every one of us was created for much more.

Often in sales, we limit ourselves.

Intellectually, we know what must be done, what calls should be made, what networking events to attend, and which doors to knock on; but emotionally, these behaviors are not supported due to fear, the possibilities of rejection, and failure. The result is self-sabotage.

Unfortunately, almost all of the revenue-generating behaviors in the sales role, like prospecting, asking for referrals, scheduling free talks, etc., are hindered by prevailing non-supportive attitudes regardless of how long one has been in sales.

Success can be achieved if we flip this so that behavior happens independent of emotional fear or non-supportive attitudes.

To challenge my client, I asked them to identify an action or behavior that they knew intellectually would lead to new sales but, because of fear, had Karl Schaphorst is a 27year veteran of sales who now specializes in training other sales professionals.

He is the president of Sandler Training.

not been done. If I challenge my client to something like this, I have to do it, too. So, on a cold Saturday morning in December, I drove to a neighborhood where I believed business owners lived. For two hours, I went house to house knocking on doors looking for those that would listen to a 45-second commercial about Sandler Training. In two hours, I knocked on 45 doors, had 17 people listen to what I had to say, set one appointment, got one referral from a CEO of a large Omaha business, and had a lengthy conversation with a retired CEO of a $150 million manufacturing business who was willing to sit down with me to help with strategic planning.

It wasn’t without fear. In the days and moments leading up to this prospecting event, I felt ill at times and constantly thought to myself “this is stupid.” My emotions and attitude told me to stay at home and enjoy the weekend. Afterwards, however, I saw the benefit of my behavior and my attitude soared. Is there any doubt that I would win business if I kept up this behavior every weekend?

It is because of this experiment that I am certain every sales professional has the opportunity to achieve greatness.

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BRAND BRIEF

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BY JASON FOX

REFLECTIONS ON REFLECTING

In the last edition of The Brand Brief, I was a bit blunt in my dismissal of what I termed “overly earnest advertising.” The type of advertising that is ultra-sincere yet utterly devoid of brand personality.

In closing, I opined that “advertising, if it has any hope of achieving longterm effectiveness, must reflect the personality of the brand as it sells.”

Someone actually had the audacity to ask me just what in tarnation that statement means. Since that someone happens to be my editor, I feel inclined to answer.

One would think that in the wide, wacky world of advertising, finding an example of such work would not be difficult. And one would be correct. However, it is not quite as easy as flipping on the TV and refraining from hitting FF on the DVR. Because it turns out that advertising that truly reflects the personality of the brand is not so common.

Let’s take the consumer insurance industry. We happen to be living in the golden age of insurance advertising. Yes, it may only be 10K plated, but we’ve come a long way from the fear-based, we’re-allgonna-get-in-car-wrecks-while-ourhomes-burn advertising I recall from my youth. In general, the move to better advertising began with Geico. Some of their campaigns rank among my all-time favorites.

But if I do business with Geico, do I expect their agents, or adjusters, or claims officers to reflect the personality of a cave man? No. A

gecko? Well, maybe a little. Or just the campaign’s tone in general?

Not so much. Similarly, Allstate’s “Mayhem” work is outstanding. But I’m not convinced the bulk of the company can pull off Dean Winters’ rakish charm. Perhaps that’s why they keep the more melodious Dennis Haysbert around for voiceover work.

I think both Geico and Allstate have benefited greatly by these campaigns. And I’d give the wisdom teeth I just had surgically removed to work on them. But we’re talking degrees of success here. And I think the current effort by Farmers Insurance beats the competition.

Their campaign features famed character actor J. K. Simmons as the living embodiment of the brand.

He’s equal parts knowledgeable, folksy, and supportive. He is never condescending. And, of course, the spots are entertaining. I can also picture them belonging to the same group, having the same motives, and demonstrating the same values as Simmons. The ads give me a sense that I might actually get a good company instead of just good marketing. And that is a combination that actually wins in the marketplace.

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Jason Fox is a freelance creative director and writer.

He can be found at jasonfox.net and adsavior.com.

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B2B OMAHA MAGAZINE

VOLUME 17 · ISSUE 4

FEATURE | BY CAROL CRISSEY NIGRELLI | PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN

Showing Mercy BUSINESS BENEFITS FROM A SINGLE-SEX EDUCATION

Mary Higgins

OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM

C

aroline Hinrichs took her marketing, branding, business development, and sales experience and kicked it up a few notches. She co-founded Omaha’s first experiential marketing firm, where consumers participate directly in a marketing program. She has since positioned herself as a business development leader, finding her niche with architectural and design firms as a go-between—someone who understands the client’s perspective and asks strategic questions that often go unanswered.

Theresa Franco, vice president of Cancer and Radiology Services at Nebraska Medicine, never used her nursing degrees to work in cancer care until the University of Nebraska Medical Center came calling. It hired her to build its stem cell and bone marrow transplant program. That program morphed into the Lied Transplant Center and, more recently, the Buffet Cancer Center, which Franco’s team helped design and develop.

Mary Higgins, president of Marian High School and the first alumna to hold that position, once barged into the office of the director of intramural sports at Creighton University and demanded that he start a women’s sports program. It worked.

In the spring of 1973, the Creighton senior played catcher on the university’s first women’s softball team. After earning a master’s degree in physical education at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, Higgins coached softball at her undergraduate alma mater. She later served as a Creighton administrator.

Three highly successful women in three distinct professions, yet all exhibit similar characteristics: they’re dynamic, easy-going, self-assured, intelligent women who possess impeccable people skills and have learned to juggle the demands of a family with the demands of a high-profile career.

They also share an educational background.

Hinrichs, Franco, and Higgins went to all-girls high schools. The reasons for attending their respective schools differ, but the results echo each other.

CONT. PAGE 44

WINTER 2018

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B2B OMAHA MAGAZINE

VOLUME 17 · ISSUE 4

FROM PAGE 43 “My parents were interested in the benefits of a single-sex education, especially for girls, and they had me tour a couple,” says Hinrichs, who attended Westside schools through eighth grade.

“They sort of let it be my decision, but at the same time encouraged me to make it.”

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Once Hinrichs toured Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart at 36th and Burt streets, the idea of an all-girls school didn’t seem so bad, even though she had no friends or connections there.

“I loved the building, the small class sizes, the formality of it, and its tradition. I really loved the high level of academics. I craved that,” she says.

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“My mom and her sisters all went there, and I had three older sisters there,” she says. “My father made it very clear to me that’s where I was going.”

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But did she like it?

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“Karl and his team do a great job. The training is professional and is already helping grow my business.”

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“I loved Mercy,” says Franco. “I felt at home because I grew up in a home of several women, plus a lot of my classmates from St. Thomas More went there.” From the outset, Franco’s personality began to emerge. “I was determined not to be ‘another Franco girl.’ My sisters were quieter than I was, kind of compliant, but I wanted to carve my own reputation.”

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Franco, who grew up in a devout Catholic family near 48th and Grover streets, says she never really had a choice of going anywhere else but Mercy High School.

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The student known for her spirituality and kindness went on to earn a nursing degree at Creighton in 1978 and a master’s degree in nursing from the University of Texas.

Family ties never entered into Mary Higgins’ decision to choose Marian High School.

“I have no idea why I went there,” she laughs. “We lived fairly close, in St. Bernard’s parish and lots of my classmates from there were going to Marian, so I figured, ‘Well, I’ll just go with the flow.’”

She entered the school at 74th Street and Military Avenue in 1965, a mere 10 years after Marian opened. She “had a spectacular experience as far as involvement and leadership opportunities,” serving as class president three years running.

OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM

Mary wears her passion on her sleeve … make that her arm.

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WINTER 2018

“The only thing I didn’t like was we had no competitive athletics, as was the case in all other high schools, because it was pre-Title IX,” referring to the federal mandate passed in 1972 that equalized the playing field for girls in sports.

The same self-confidence, chutzpah, and conviction of her beliefs that led Higgins to demand women’s sports at Creighton seeped into all three women during their high school years. Each cites the ability to take risks, to speak up in class without feeling self-conscious, to meet high expectations, to have opportunities to lead, and to participate in all areas of school life as the biggest rewards of their education.

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The lack of boys in their classes never registered a blip.

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“I didn’t define my experience at Duchesne as ‘not being distracted by boys,’” says Hinrichs, 35, who holds a degree from Colorado College in Spanish and theater. “I was around strong women, and that set me up for not framing anything around, ‘how do men affect this?’”

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Taking boys out of the equation doesn’t seem to affect performance. All three schools boast a 100 percent graduation rate. College acceptances also reach 100 percent.

“Scholarship money given to our graduates topped $20 million last year,” says Dr. Laura Hickman, Duchesne principal and an alumna.

So why the continued debate over the benefits of an all-girls education?

“I have no idea,” Hickman laughs. “It probably stems from not experiencing it. They have no idea how absolutely transformative it can be.”

Higgins now sees the transformation she underwent from the perspective of an administrator.

“I look across the student body and they’re wearing the same uniform, they don’t have a dollop of makeup on, they haven’t agonized over their hair,” she observes with a sense of pride. “We’re not free from social pressures. We just remove many layers.”

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B2B OMAHA MAGAZINE

VOLUME 17 · ISSUE 4

From left: Regan Smith and Amy Dorton

OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM

WINTER 2018

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BIZ + GIVING | BY DAISY HUTZELL-RODMAN | PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN

100 WOMEN, 10,000 POSSIBILTIES hen the weather reached 91 degrees on July 18 last summer, many people didn’t think of anything other than cool drinks and swimming pools.

Amy Dorton and 59 other women were thinking of something else—specifically, which charity was most deserving of their money this summer. The members of 100 Women Who Care of Omaha gathered at College of Saint Mary for one hour to hear the details about three different charities.

Amberly Wagner Connolly told the group about Healing Embrace, which works to raise awareness and support for families who experience miscarriages or infant loss.

Stacey Goodman spoke about the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization.

Dana Lauritsen presented on Miss Amazing, which provides opportunities for girls and women with disabilities to build confidence and selfesteem in a supportive environment.

The group voted on NAMI, and each member present gave a $100 check to the organization.

“It was a neat experience to have the group select that,” says Goodman, who has been a member of the organization for about two years. “Part of the joy is just sharing the information. It is humbling to be a part of something so much greater than yourself.”

That humble experience is what motivated Karen Dunigan of Jackson, Michigan, to start the 100 Women Who Care in the mid-2000s in her hometown. The idea is for 100 women, who may not be able to donate thousands of dollars on their own, to come together and each donate $100 per quarter to a charity they agree on, turning $100 that may only go towards office supplies into $10,000 that can make a true impact to a local organization.

Dorton and her longtime friend Regan Smith learned about 100 Women Who Care through Reagan’s mother, Marti Doyle, who started a chapter in Fort Dodge, Iowa, in early 2014. By summer that same year, Reagan and Amy had started a chapter in Omaha.

That first meeting included about 50 women.

Their membership now includes 71 women from the metro.

The group presented a check for $6,000 to the board of NAMI on August 23. NAMI is using these funds through the next three years to implement a new program called Ending the Silence, in which NAMI goes into area middle and high schools to give classroom presentations on mental health.

The $6,000 donation brought the total amount 100 Women Who Care of Omaha has given to local charities up to $85,650.

“Regan and I are extremely proud of our members,” Dorton says. “Their generosity and commitment to making a difference are inspiring. When women come together, our impact is unstoppable. Not many of us could do this alone, but as a group we have the power to instill positive and concrete change in our community.”

The winter meeting will be held January 23 in Mercy Hall at College of Saint Mary. This coming April the group will meet for the 15th time, and they hope to achieve the goal of having 100 women at that gathering.

Visit @100womenwhocare on Facebook for more information.

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B2B OMAHA MAGAZINE

omAha! | BY KIM REINER | PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN

ROSE-COLORED GLASSES AND SWEATERS HELLO RUBY FASHION TRUCK

Jill Dudzinski

VOLUME 17 · ISSUE 4

OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM

WINTER 2018

f a mobile business worked for tacos and sliders, why can’t it work for clothing?

In less than a year, Jill Dudzinski has made a name for herself launching Hello Ruby Mobile Boutique in Omaha. On any given weekend, Dudzinski and her truck may be found parked at a festival or in a trendy part of town. Fans find the truck’s next location on the Hello Ruby website.

Dudzinski, a 2011 University of Nebraska-Lincoln graduate, had mulled around the idea of owning a business for some time. The idea to launch a mobile clothing business came to her the way one might decide to purchase a pair of trendy but expensive shoes. Instantaneously.

She was on vacation at Lake Okoboji when she spotted a fashion truck. “I knew literally the second I saw it that I was going to do that,” recalls Dudzinski. “I bought the truck three weeks from that day.”

Customizing the new truck was a challenge of trial and error. The engine and the brakes needed work.

Unique to Hello Ruby, however, was securely installing clothing racks. Two shelving areas became one after discovering a need for more clothing racks. With the help of her husband, Austin, the truck became a playful shop on wheels geared toward fashionable young women.

Neat and organized, there are racks of soft shirts, baskets of accessories, and the words “Go play, gorgeous” written in script on a wall. The truck includes a fitting room, and when the weather cooperates, she can wheel the fixture outdoors.

For Hello Ruby’s first winter, Dudzinski is temporarily storing the truck and opening a pop-up storefront in Aksarben Village.

Dudzinski’s store will be open seven days a week from Oct. 13 through Dec. 30—much longer than she’s able to manage on her own—so she hired three seasonal employees. The truck will return to the scene in the spring.

With a knack for engaging her audience through social media, Dudzinski has made connections with local businesses who host the truck in their parking lots. Sometimes the customer bases of these businesses align with Hello Ruby, like a hair salon, and other times, it’s a way to introduce new people to her fashion truck.

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Hello Ruby has parked at the downtown and Benson shops of Ted & Wally’s, once timing a pop-up at the Old Market location during the College World Series. Joe Pittack, owner of these ice cream shops, welcomed the chance to have a unique vendor share real estate for short stints.

“We both benefit…from the exposure of her customers following her on social media to her pop-up and our customers discovering new experiences at our locations,” says Pittack.

Since the demographic of her shoppers changes depending on where she parks in the city, Dudzinski maintains a versatile stock of clothes at home in order to change the stock in the truck as needed. Clothing for sale at a vintage market, for instance, will be different from the clothing for sale when the truck is parked in front of Ted & Wally’s. Pittack commends Dudzinski’s ability to bring the goods her customers want to Omaha.

“She is very personable, perceptive, and has a passion for current fashion trends,” says Pittack.

Shalene Oropeza agrees. While shopping for a sweater during Farnam Fest in September, Oropeza, a Hello Ruby regular, says the boutique’s collection suits her.

“I have an eclectic style, so I like to mix trendy and classic,” says Oropeza. “This truck fits me perfectly.”

Visit shophelloruby.com for more information.

B 2B

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B2B OMAHA MAGAZINE

AFTER HOURS | BY KARA SCHWEISS | PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN

LADY AT THE LOUNGE CINDY VANCE

VOLUME 17 · ISSUE 4

OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM

WINTER 2018

orget about Ladies Night. Cohen & Kelly’s Lounge promotes ladies’ day each Tuesday.

“There’s not a specific time,” says co-owner Cindy Vance, adding with a laugh: “Actually, the whole day is ladies’ day.”

That’s not the only perk at C & K’s. Drink prices are fair any day of the week, but C & K’s hosts happy hour on Tuesday and Wednesday, and they also host a men’s night on Mondays.

Vance began working at Cohen & Kelly’s Lounge when she was 20 years old. She assumed ownership (with husband Frank) 10 years later. The couple, who also own The Dubliner in the Old Market, have owned C & K’s for nearly three decades.

Cindy, specifically, has made a point to maintain a casual but appealing “neighborhood bar” environment for the cozy lounge that’s long been a mainstay in the retail plaza at the southeast quadrant of 132nd Street and West Center Road.

That also means creating an atmosphere where female patrons feel as much at home as any of the men who frequent C & K’s.

“I try to make all women who come in here feel comfortable,” Vance says. “I try to make everyone in here feel comfortable.”

The lounge hosts many women customers, and the employee team is mostly women. Servers and bartenders are held to high standards of making customers feel welcome while serving them efficiently, so Vance is personally involved in hiring every member of C & K’s team.

Patrons from 30 years ago, or even from the lounge’s late '70s beginnings, would readily recognize C & K’s today, Vance says. The biggest change came after the Nebraska Clean Indoor Air Act of 2008 required indoor workplaces in Nebraska to be smoke-free as of mid-2009. “There was a huge resistance at first. But now everything looks brighter, and it’s so much easier to keep clean,” she says.

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A variety of seating options accommodate couples, small groups who want to focus on conversation, larger parties who want to make an occasion of it, and even solo patrons looking for some friendly company.

“I like how you can carry a conversation across the bar and see everybody,” Vance says.

While in many neighborhood bars regulars become the bartenders’ friends, Vance says regulars here become like family, even contributing to potlucks during popular televised sporting events. Those include all of the televised Nebraska football games, all Creighton basketball games, and the College World Series along with NASCAR, dirt racing, and hockey. And if someone gets tired of their own family during the holidays, they can join the C & K family—the lounge hosts regular special holiday celebrations; it is open every day of the year.

Keeping her employees happy is important, she says, and although the dominate-female team already gets along well, Vance encourages camaraderie through occasional fun outings that allow the team to bond outside the on-thejob pressures of their busy bar. Vance and her staff in turn provide unfailingly great service, she says, that encourages patrons to come back again and again.

“We like knowing our customers by name,” she says.

Because of these factors, Vance says she doesn’t feel at all out of place as a female in an industry that’s still heavily dominated by men. “It’s actually more uncommon for any bar to make it as long in one location as we have,” she says.

Visit cksloungeomaha.com for more information.

B 2B

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B2B OMAHA MAGAZINE

VOLUME 17 · ISSUE 4

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OMAHA CVB

WINTER 2018

BY KEITH BACKSEN

WOMEN MEAN BUSINESS

Omaha’s tourism industry has come a long way since the Windsor Hotel, a three-story brick building constructed in 1885 in the Old Market, welcomed railroad workers coming into the city’s train station.

The Windsor was designed to be a “working man’s hotel,” and back then Omaha businesses, restaurants, and hotels were all led by men. Oh, how times have changed.

Today, women touch every aspect of the business world, including Omaha’s tourism industry. Major tourist attractions such as The Durham Museum, Omaha Children’s Museum, and El Museo Latino are all led by women. These women, along with their staffs, offer creative insight into the world of art and history. The organizations they lead offer relevant, imaginative, and often touchable exhibits that are enjoyed by some of the 12.3 million people who visit Omaha every year.

And it’s the direction and artistic vision of women who provide Omaha with some of the best onstage performances in the country.

Women who lead the Omaha Community Playhouse, Blue Barn Theater, and Omaha Performing Arts inspire the cast and crew to create magical theatricals that transports guests to another time and place.

Today, unlike the Windsor Hotel built more than 130 years ago, there are four female general managers running some of the city’s largest hotel properties. Every day, their teams welcome guests to the city and are often the first impression visitors have of Omaha. Local businesses play a big part in the success of Omaha’s tourism industry, too; restaurants where visitors eat, and boutiques where they shop, are many times now owned by women.

Omaha’s attractions, performances, restaurants, and hotels attract visitors to our city—and keep them coming back. It has experienced seven straight years of tourism growth, thanks to all of the women who are helping to shape and lead the industry here in Omaha.

B 2B

ETHICS

BY BEVERLY KRACHER

THE “F” WORD

I’ll never forget the first time I signed into a hotel in Dhaka, Bangladesh. I couldn’t get a room unless I wrote down my father’s name, my weight, and my height.

I wonder, would the women who are honored in this edition of B2B Magazine call themselves feminist?

Would you? If so, why? If not, why not?

I thought about protesting out of principle. Like when someone in the United States asks me for my social security number, I say, “Why do you need it? I’m not going to give it to you unless I have a good reason.”

I have found that for some people, the word has a radical connotation.

A recent Doonesbury cartoon describes one understanding, from the mouth of a millennial female: “feminism is the belief that women are superior to men” because if it were just about gender equality then there wouldn’t be anything to disagree about, just as there isn’t anything to disagree about when it comes to understanding gravity.

And a recent New York Times article describes another radical understanding, namely, “feminism conjures up a caricature of lesbians in motorcycle gear who are very, very angry and don’t like men.”

But when I travel out-of-country, I’m less sure of my status and legal protections. So, I kept my mouth shut and wrote, “Klem.” (I provided my weight and height, too, but reporting these here aren’t relevant to this story. Really.) This whole situation railed against my worldview. Primarily because, while standing at the hotel counter in Bangladesh, I was led to believe that if I were a male I wouldn’t be asked for my father’s name and other personal information.

I believe that the global feminist movement is an objection to gendered double-standards. It is grounded in the principle that double-standards are unfair, and that all people should be free to develop their abilities to their fullest and equitably rewarded when they succeed.

However, my understanding of feminism is not universally accepted.

In my recent unscientific, informal poll, more respondents would not call themselves feminists than those who would. This is consistent with a national poll done by research firm PerryUndem in the last couple of years, where only 15 percent identify as feminist.

Keith Backsen is executive director of the Omaha Convention and Visitors Bureau.

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I guess, if we understand the word these ways, I wouldn’t call myself a feminist either. Though I do like motorcycle gear, I don’t think I’m superior to or dislike men. Maybe the best thing to do in this evolving, crazy, mixed-up world is to forget about the feminist label (I rip labels out of my clothes—why wouldn’t I do that here?). Let’s assume, as the millennials do, that the belief that women should have the same rights and opportunities as men is obvious.

Let’s advance gender equity and reject gendered double-standards when we have the opportunity. Let’s not worry about whether we call ourselves the “F” word or not.

B 2B

Beverly Kracher, Ph.D., is the executive director of the Business Ethics Alliance and the Daugherty Chair in Business Ethics and Society at Creighton University.

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B2B OMAHA MAGAZINE

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WINTER 2018

CELEBRATING BUSINESSES THAT HELP OTHER

Vote for those vendors you call time and time again. Businesses anxiously await the results of this popular vote contest and celebrate them all year long. Results will be published in the April/May 2018 issue, which should be delivered by April 1. Only the ballot printed in this Winter 2018 issue will be accepted. We will not accept copies, faxes, or scans. A minimum of 10 categories must be filled out. Ballots must be postmarked by Dec. 31, 2017.

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