St Charles Area Chamber Newsletter - August 2023

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES ON THE ‘ROAD TO EXCELLENCE’

Put on your seatbelts and get ready for an exciting line-up of events from now through the end of the year as we continue the Chamber’s theme of the “Road to Excellence.”

The journey continues with our “Road Rally” adventure scavenger hunt launching during Illinois Chamber of Commerce Week, Sept. 10-16, 2023. The Chamber will have a week’s worth

of networking, encouragement and fun from Monday, Sept. 11 through Friday, Sept. 15. Your “Road Rally” trip involves visiting the different businesses throughout the week participating as hosts. Members are encouraged to visit each of these businesses, where you will receive a different free “gift” from each for taking the time and effort to drive and stop in during the scavenger hunt.

On Tuesday, Sept. 12 from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. you can sign up and attend a morning of education at Elgin Community College, sponsored by our Leadership and Development Committee. You’ll hear from seven different inspiring speakers and keynote speaker Mary Kay Slowikowski, an international known speaker training countless

u Continued on page 3

Photo Credit — Matt Warren Photography

DEBORAH GURLEY Executive Director St. Charles Area Chamber of Commerce

Fortune 500 companies like Kraft, McDonald’s, Sprint, Pepsico, DuPont, as well as dozens of women’s groups, etc. Mary Kay is listed in Who’s Who of American Women for the past 25 years.

The “Road Rally” trip wraps up on Friday, Sept. 15 at the Chamber office. We’ll have some fun and add up the number of people who visited the most businesses. You’ll share the number of “gifts” you’ve tallied for the week and will have a chance to win a free Chamber membership, valued at $375, for 2024.

The remainder of the year is chock-full of can’t-miss events, too. The Annual City Update luncheon will take place at the Hilton Garden Inn on Oct. 11.

Chamber members and the public are invited to hear Mayor Lora Vitek, City Council members and other city officials talk about updates throughout St. Charles, including the Downtown One Plaza, Randall Road corridor, Pheasant Run and Charlestowne Mall property, among others.

Don’t miss the Nov. 9 Chamber annual membership breakfast at the St. Charles Country Club. Guests will be the first to receive the new Chamber directories amid the creative decorated tables decked out by various Chamber members. The highlight of the event will be the five Chamber member awards

given to deserving members, including: Rookie, Member and Chairman’s Award, plus new this year, Ambassador and Young Professional.

Finally, the closing event of the year is our Annual Christmas Party on Dec. 7 at the Balmoral Restaurant. Usually a sell-out, capacity is limited to 120 people. Don’t wait long to sign up with your RSVP. Enjoy fabulous hot and cold appetizers and delicious drinks from the cash bar.

So much more is happening!

We’d like to congratulate our latest Business of the Month honorees:

n April: Heinz Brothers Greenhouse

n May: Larimar Med

n June: Affordable Party Tent Rental

n July: Fox River Harley- Davidson

n August: M.K. Movers

CGI Communications is helping update our website with video highlights and will be reaching out to members who are willing to provide a testimonial on our website.

And last but not least, thanks to our members, golfers, sponsors, and Prairie Landing for making our Chamber golf outing a hole-in-one! The “Road to Excellence” is paved with success together!

CHARLES MURPHY Midwest Compost, LLC

NICK BROOKS Treasurer DHJJ, Certified Public Accountants and Business Advisors

LAURA SHAW Chair Shaw Media

JOSHUA FEAGANS Vice Chair Feagans Law Group

NIKKI NELSON Office Administrator

DIRECTORS

DAVE FROLICSTEIN Frolicstein Financial Wealth Management

DEE JOHNSON Supporting Strategies | Chicago NW Suburbs

PAULA PRICE Batir Architecture Ltd

RACHEL SCHUCK Edward Jones

MICHAEL SHOULTZ Spirit Rising Coaching

CHRIS SCHEJBAL AAA Schejbal Insurance Agency

DEREK CONLEY City of St. Charles Non-voting member

GINA GROVEAU Membership Engagement & Relations Manager St. Charles Area Chamber of Commerce  NEWSLETTER 630-549-5360 www.DockNational.com SM-CL2095998

NEW CHAMBER MEMBERS

n C&N Construction, Inc.

n Dear Donuts

n DEW Design Company LLC

n Down Range LLC

n E & J Painting & Decorating

n Enthusiast Auto Detailing

n Groot

n Kindred Pet Care, Inc.

n Mind Tree Marketing

n Mion Artisan Soap

n Morgan StanleyBrandon Burriss

n Morgan StanleyKyle Mackey

n Northwestern Mutual

n Nowling Law, LLC

n Oscar Swan Country Inn

n Prairie Community Bank

n Rohde Strategic Communications, LLC

n Shannon Obrecht Design & Branding

n Taylored Realty

n Thryv, Inc

n Vote for Linda

224.269.1284

rzonts@blackhawkbank.com

dgarcia@blackhawkbank.com

Keep up with the latest trends at Boost Your Business Growth symposiusm

The St. Charles Area Chamber of Commerce Learning & Development Committee presents the 2023 Boost Your Business Growth Symposium at Elgin Community College on Tuesday, Sept., 12 from 7:30 a.m. to noon. Today’s business owners, entrepreneurs and professionals face a complex landscape characterized by fierce competition, economic uncertainty and the need to adapt to a continuously changing market. This event is for business professionals who want to remain on top of current business trends and position their companies for success.

In addition to breakfast, networking and a keynote address, the symposium will offer various interactive workshop opportunities conducted by subject matter experts who will focus on equipping businesses with the insight, tools and strategies to promote business growth.

Increase Your Optimism & Improve Your Response to Challenges

Optimism cultivates a culture of creativity and innovation in the workplace. A positive outlook influences a wide range of behaviors such as visualizing the big picture, being receptive and open to exploring new ideas from team members, removing fear from taking risks and facing difficult tasks by eliminating perfection and procrastination.

Unlocking the Power of Persuasion

This workshop introduces Dr. Robert Cialdini and his six principles of influence— Reciprocity, Scarcity, Authority, Consistency, Liking, and Consensus — to help you gain valuable insights into the factors that drive customer decision-making.

DR. MICHAEL SHOULTZ AND DR. BEATRIZ (TIZA) PYLE

KEYNOTE SPEAKER MARY KAY SLOWIKOWSKI

French Fry Leadership

“French Fry Leadership” presents a practical guide for managers seeking to unleash the full potential of their employees and ignite their enthusiasm for their daily tasks.

People

McDonald will speak about how business leaders can build a massive amount of ideal clients by shifting their mindsets from selling to serving.

Utilizing Library

Resources to Build a Leads List

Flood will provide training on how to navigate library resources to create a free leads list using AtoZ Databases, one of St. Charles Public Library’s electronic databases.

Full Throttle Leadership

Break free of the old leadership model and become a visionary servant leader. Mellen will share how to inspire your team to perform at a level they never dreamed possible with the ultimate KPI (key performance indicator).

Build Your Business Competitive

Advantage & Increase Revenue

Jakel will discuss how to win new customers, retain existing customers and transform loyal clients into champions for your business.

Way to Wealth

Steele will provide instructions on how business leaders can attract new clients, drive revenue growth and generate more profits in their businesses.

“CAFE 53”

A FAST-CASUAL STYLE LUNCH MENU OF ARTISANAL SANDWICHES, SIDES, LUNCH CHEESE PLATES, AS WELL AS WINE, BEER, AND SOFT DRINKS.

AVAILABLE WED-SAT FROM 11AM-2PM. ORDER AT THE FRONT REGISTER AND GRAB A SEAT!

BRUNO HILGERT

BRYAN MCDONALD Sales For Non Sales

CHRISTINE FLOOD

DENNIS MELLEN

ILIA JAKEL

PATRICK STEELE

#2 The Benny: A nod to our Italian lineage; Prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, pomodori tomatoes, and fig balsamic glaze.

Proudly serving the City of St. Charles, St. Charles Township, Village of Campton Hills & surrounding communities

1601 East Main Street, Suite D, St. Charles, IL 60174 (630) 584-8384 • Fax (630) 584-6065

www.stcharleschamber.com