WOMEN IN BUSINESS 2020

Women Leading the charge

As an advocate for female-owned small businesses and closing the gender wage gap, Illinois Congresswoman Cheri Bustos was thrilled to have the opportunity to meet Lilly Ledbetter, who spearheaded the fight for equal pay that led to the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. SUBMITTED PHOTO Women in Business

in Business Published by Rock Valley Publishing LLC 2020

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2020 WOMEN IN BUSINESS

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Leading digital innovation expert poised to help womenled businesses thrive amid COVID-19 restrictions TransparentBusiness, a leader in providing the software and management platform for remote working, is helping companies transition now and for the future Unlike anything we have all seen in our lifetime, life as we know it has come to a screeching halt.

Schools have closed, all events cancelled, lockdowns and restrictions. Plus, businesses are stumbling.

Whether or not businesses will be able to weather this storm largely depends on how well they can transition to a remote workforce. Millions of people are being told to work from home, and one woman, co-founder of TransparentBusiness, is on a mission to help women-lead businesses make a smooth transition and thrive during this time.

“Work is something you do, it’s not somewhere you go,” explains Silvina Moschini, co-founder of TransparentBusiness, digital innovation expert, international speaker, and entrepreneur. “Right now we are being forced to change the way we work, but that doesn’t mean businesses have to suffer.

Productivity can be just as high and businesses can thrive. Working remotely will save many businesses during this time.”

Moschini is offering unlimited and free access to the TransparentBusiness remote working and management platform while the COVID-19 restrictions are in place to women-led companies. They will also help

the companies to deploy work-from-home programs.

By offering the free service and support people will be able to make a smooth transition to allowing their employees to work from home.

The TransparentBusiness software is an emergency preparedness and pandemic response tool. The software helps companies allow their staff to work from home, and yet still be productive, and have accountability. Companies that use this recessionresilient software will find that it helps them boost productivity and transparency, offers cost-cutting solutions, and provides a real solution to transition people to remote working.

“Women need to support women during this critical time,” added Moschini. “I want to help as many female-led businesses as I can. Not only will I help people transition their team to using the software, but I can answer all the questions people have on how to make that transition a major success.”

While many businesses are scrambling to allow their employees to work from home due to the COVID-19 restrictions, working remotely is seen as the future of business. Increasingly, more businesses are turning to allowing their employees to work at least part of the time remotely. This move helps to provide more convenience, recruit and retain better talent, reduce overall company costs, and improve productivity and team morale.

Moschini is a digital innovation expert, international speaker, and award-winning serial entrepreneur. She also serves as a mentor to young female entrepreneurs around the world. She has won awards for her leadership skills and global initiatives.

Moschini is one of the foremost experts on the digital economy and is a leader in transforming the global workforce. She is also the founder of an ecosystem of companies that are harnessing the cloud to connect businesses.

Working remotely allows more flexibility, as well as protecting people from unnecessary distractions in the workplace. While many companies are aware of some of the benefits of allowing their employees to work remotely, they are hesitant to allow it because they feel there is no accountability.

That’s where TransparentBusiness comes in, providing the solution to that problem by making remote work easy to monitor and coordinate. For more information about the software, visit the site: https:// transparentbusiness.com/.

About TransparentBusiness Designated by Citigroup as the Top People Management Solution, TransparentBusiness offers full transparency and real-time coordination, boosts productivity, and eliminates overbilling. For more information about the software, visit the site: https:// transparentbusiness.com/.

Cathy McDermott: Collaboration is Rockford Chamber key to supporting overburdened caregivers member you should know More than 41 million between caregivers and Americans have served home health care providers, as a family caregiver to caregivers will be connected someone aged 50 or older with the resources they need in the past year, according to improve patient health to the American Association outcomes.” of Retired Persons. Family Examples of effective caregivers who assist aging communication include loved ones at home after home health care providers a hospitalization are often leaving caregivers with overburdened, putting them written instructions and at risk for greater stress and illustrations after visits so poorer quality of life. that caregivers know how Now, a researcher from the to properly use medical University of Missouri has equipment, monitor patient SUBMITTED PHOTO Women in Business recovery and help patients found that family caregivers want actionable information, Jo-Ana Chase is an perform rehabilitation tailored training and ongoing assistant professor in exercises. the MU Sinclair School of support from home health “Home health care care providers to be effective Nursing. providers can harness their in managing an older adult’s care. expertise to improve clinical outcomes for Jo-Ana Chase, an assistant professor patients and their caregivers,” Chase said. in the MU Sinclair School of Nursing, “In addition to the selfless efforts of doctors, interviewed family caregivers of older nurses and therapists, family caregivers adults who received home health care should be recognized for their tireless efforts after a hospitalization to better understand to positively impact patient care.” caregivers’ experiences regarding training “Caregivers’ Experiences Regarding and support. She found that most family Training and Support in the Post-Acute caregivers receive little formal training, Home Health-Care Setting” was recently and these caregivers need home health published in the Journal of Patient care providers to proactively engage them Experience. The research was supported in planning and decision-making for more by the Agency for Healthcare Research effective and coordinated patient care. and Quality (R24HS022140) and the MU “Caregivers want to know how best to Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Center. care for their loved ones, but they often feel The content is solely the responsibility of the like they are learning on their own,” Chase authors and does not necessarily represent said. “By strengthening the relationship the official views of the funding agencies.

Cathy McDermott Market Association. is the Executive From 2015, Cathy was Director of the Rock named one of Rockford River Development Chamber of Commerce’s Partnership (RRDP), a “20 People You Should 501c3 whose mission Know” and was a recipient is to bring business and of Boylan High School’s people together to create Alumni Excellence Award. place in Rockford’s In 2016, she was named one downtown and older of the “People to Watch” commercial districts. by the Rockford Register The RRDP operates the Star. In 2017, she was an Rockford City Market alumni award winner from (indoors and out), the Rockford College, and in North End and Vintage 2019, she was named one markets. of Northwest Quarterly’s 25 Cathy McDermott Cathy is a lifelong most interesting people.

Rockford resident and has a Business She and her husband Kevin live in Administration degree from Rockford Rockford and they have two married College. She is a board member of both daughters, Sarah and Emily, and a son the National Association of Produce Luke, an MBA student at Dominican Market Managers and the Illinois Farmers University.

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2020 WOMEN IN BUSINESS

Rockford Network of Professional Women Rockford Network of Professional Women (or RNPW) formed in 1981 and is a group of women who join forces to support each other in civic, professional, and personal pursuits.

To find out more about our dynamic group, we welcome you to join us at a luncheon meeting or special event.

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Starting a business? Website trends to consider Starting a business? One of the first things you’ll need to do is build a website. Today a website is not only your brand, but it also provides the tools you need to operate your business, and is the central point for you to communicate with your customers.

Web development platform Wix recently took a look at website creation data for the U.S. in 2019 and found some interesting facts. One significant statistic found is that 38 percent of visitors stop engaging on a site with poor design. That means that if you decide to start a business, it’s important to do it right.

A key website feature to keep in mind when building your site is live chat. Almost half of sites implement a live chat feature to communicate with current customers and attract potential new customers. In any business, it’s important from the beginning to be responsive to customers, and doing so can be a key differentiator in growing your business.

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The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) applauds Walmart as first corporate leader to feature Women Owned logo products The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) is proud to celebrate Walmart as the first retailer to feature Women Owned Business (WOB) products, making them nationally available in-store, online and identified by a unique, universally recognized Women Owned logo. Developed by WBENC and WEConnect International with support by Walmart, the Women Owned logo signifies to shoppers that a product is made or supplied by a womanowned business.

“Walmart is bringing Women Owned business products to homes and stores across America – and giving consumers the chance to experience the quality, value and innovation that women’s businesses can deliver,” said Pamela PrinceEason, President and CEO of WBENC, the nation’s leader in women’s business growth. “We applaud Walmart’s significant leadership role in supporting women-owned businesses by making Women Owned logo products more visible and readily available.”

Walmart sells thousands of products from women-owned businesses both in-store and online and this month will place six products on feature with the “Women Owned” logo in store, including Milo’s Tea®, Jelmar CLR Remover™, HMS Mfg. Co Hefty® Wastebaskets, Goldbug Inc. Carter’s Newborn Shoes, Ariela and Associates Smart & Sexy® Bra, and Ziegenfelder’s Budget Saver Pops®. The products will be sold in all Walmart stores nationwide and will have a prominent presence on Walmart.com/WomenOwned, a new page that also launched to showcase products made by women-owned businesses. The online categories range from beauty and clothing, to electronics, health, and home improvement.

“By buying products with the Women Owned label, consumers are choosing to enable Women Owned businesses to grow and the economy to thrive,” said Patricia Birmingham, VP Marketing at WBENC. Women’s businesses nationwide generate $1.4 trillion in revenue, employ nearly 7.9 million employees and have been a source of 274,000 jobs since the recession in 2007, according to the American Express OPEN State of Women Owned Businesses 2014.

“Walmart is throwing open the doors of opportunity for our national and international community of Women’s Business Enterprises,” added Candace Waterman, Chief of Staff, Certification & Program Operations at WBENC. “WBEs can be inspired to take their product to the next level of exposure and volume.”

Any product with the Women Owned logo is produced or supplied by a company that is owned and operated by a woman or women, as certified as a Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) by WBENC in the United States, and by WEConnect International globally. There are over 12,000 WBENC-Certified WBEs in the U.S. The Women Owned logo also taps into the buying potential of women. “Women make over 80 percent of all consumer buying decisions globally. WBENC believes that creating awareness of these products can result in sales growth, increased consumer knowledge and loyalty,” said Laura Rehbehn, Senior Manager, Marketing, Communications & Brand Management, WBENC. Walmart Stores, Inc. is being honored this year as one of WBENC’s America’s Top Corporations for Women’s Business Enterprises, at the March 18-19 WBENC Summit & Salute to Women’s Business Enterprises in Baltimore, Md. There WBENC is convening over 1,500 WBEs, corporations and government agencies to generate business together, acquire business building skills, and learn more about the Women Owned logo opportunities. womenownedlogo.org About WBENC Founded in 1997, WBENC is the leading third-party certifier of businesses owned and operated by women, with over 12,000 WBENC-Certified WBEs. WBENC-Certification is accepted by more than 1,000 corporations representing America’s most prestigious brands, in addition to many states, cities and other entities. WBENC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Five reasons why financial planning is a great career for women As Americans have increasingly realized they need competent, professional advice about how to manage their money, financial planning has grown significantly as a profession over the past several decades.

Yet, only 23 percent of the more than 83,000 Certified Financial Planner (CFP) professionals today are female, even as women control more than one-third of the wealth in the U.S. This means there’s both a tremendous opportunity, as well as need, for more female financial planners.

Here are five benefits of financial planning careers that make them a great fit for women, according to those in the industry: 1. Work-life balance: Financial planning careers offer the flexibility to balance professional demands with your personal life, whether you are making time for family or for other activities that are important to you.

2. Opportunity to make a difference: Financial planners are often key parts of their communities and enjoy the satisfaction of helping people in important, life-changing ways. By taking a holistic look at their clients’ finances, they help families build wealth, manage financial challenges and achieve their goals.

“I think this is such a great field for women because we naturally want to take care of people.

Becoming a financial planner is just another way of helping people out -- but in the money department,” says Brittany Castro, a Los-Angeles-based CFP professional.

3. Financial stability: Financial planning careers offer excellent income potential that is comparable to other distinguished careers. According to the

Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median pay for personal financial planners is $89,000.

4. Freedom to shape your own path: You may choose to work for a large firm, a small company, a bank or a broker dealer. Or, you may decide to start your own business. Roughly one in five personal financial planners are self-employed, according to the BLS. “The beautiful thing about being a CFP pro is that we’re still blazing trails. It’s still a very young profession, so you can make this career anything you want,” says Rianka Dorsainvil, a CFP professional in Washington, D.C. 5. Room for growth: The BLS projects that the financial advisory industry, including financial planning, will grow 15 percent between 2016 and 2026. That’s 4 percent higher growth than other occupations are projected to experience. This high demand for financial planning services, coupled with an aging current workforce, means there is longterm opportunity and room for growth within the profession.

Financial planning is a satisfying career for many women already -- 72 percent of women who earned the CFP certification are very satisfied with their jobs, according to research from the CFP Board Center for Financial Planning. For more information on how to join the ranks, visit: cfp.net/become-a-cfpprofessional.

Offering growth potential, work-life balance and the freedom to chart your own professional path, financial planning is a career that provides many tangible perks.

(STATEPOINT)

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2020 WOMEN IN BUSINESS

Remembering the late Johanna Koslofski REPORTER

Johanna Koslofski was a well-known face in the Stateline area. She and her husband Jerry and their two sons moved from Decatur, Ill, to Rockford in the early 1970’s. While living in Rockford, she worked for Whitehead Realtors. The family moved to Roscoe In 1974, and Johanna opened Valley Realtors, now known as RE/MAX Valley Realtors, 4761 Bluestem Rd. She specialized in selling real estate in the Roscoe area.

Johanna was passionate about improving the community where she chose to live and raise her family.

She and Jerry raised three children: Paul, Scott and LaTavia in Roscoe. All three children attended Roscoe schools including Hononegah High School.

To some, Johanna was a force to be reckoned with. Many saw her as a loyal, compassionate friend and co-worker.

Paul said his mother taught him and his siblings to be self-sufficient as they were growing up. “She could be strict. I had to learn to embrace what she wanted. She did so much for me and was always there when I needed her.”

Always a private person, Johanna didn’t want her friends and associates to know that she was suffering from a terminal illness. However, this was one fight she was destined to lose. Johanna passed away on Oct. 29, at the age of 77, just 6 weeks after being diagnosed with cancer. She left this world surrounded by those who loved her.

No tears no fuss - per orders from Johanna. No funeral, no service. Instead, a few weeks after her passing, friends and family gathered together in

celebration of her life, Thursday evening, Nov. 7, at Louie’s Tap House in Roscoe.

Throughout the evening, old friends, new friends, and employees reminisced and traded “Johanna” stories.

Dave Try, a co-worker at Valley Realtors has known Johanna for over 20 years. “I considered her a great friend. She was extremely knowledgeable about the Roscoe community and seemed to know everyone.”

Twenty years ago, State Farm Insurance Agent Jim Blevins was looking for office space in Roscoe.

“Johanna helped me find my present location, right next to hers, at 4759 Bluestem. After getting to know each other we found out that we were born and raised about 12 miles apart in central Illinois.”

“If you knew Johanna, you knew she was tough as nails and determined.” Blevins said. “She was always promoting Roscoe. If you knew her better you knew she had a heart of gold and would do anything she could for you.”

“She was determined to succeed. She was a pioneer. Johanna paved the way for women to be business leaders.”

Johanna is survived by her sons Paul, and Scott, daughter LaTavia, five grandchildren, her sister Judy and her brother Mark. She is pre-deceased by her husband Jerry who passed away in 2007.

“My family and I would like to thank my mother’s friends and collegues who were kind enough to assist with the memorial celebration at Louie’s Tap House last week.” Paul said. “She would have enjoyed being there.”

She will be missed.

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Roscoe Realtor Johanna Koslofski, owner of Valley Realtors passed away on Oct, 29, 2019. Friends, family and colleagues gathered to remember Johanna at Louie’s Tap House on Nov. 7.

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Greater Beloit, Stateline Chambers of Commerce host Influential Women in Business Luncheon

By Jean Seegers REPORTER

The second annual Influential Women in Business Luncheon presented by Greater Beloit Chamber of Commerce and the Stateline Chamber was attended by over 600 women and men, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2019. The sold-out event was held at the Eclipse Center in Beloit.

The theme of this year’s program was “Dare to Dream” and featured Diane Hendricks as the keynote speaker.

Hendricks and her late husband Ken co-founded ABC Supply, a wholesale distributor of roofing supplies, in 1982.

After the death of her husband in 2007, she became the chairwoman and sole owner of Hendricks Holdings Co., Inc. The company owns and manages properties and businesses, including Hendricks Commercial Properties and North Star Medical Technologies in Beloit.

Hendricks was recently named #1 on Forbes Magazine’s 2019, America’s SelfMade Women list.

Hendricks related her life story of growing up on a dairy farm in Mondovi, Wis. She was one of nine daughters.

Pregnant at 16, she married her son’s father.

“It was the right thing to do at that time.”

The marriage lasted three years.

After her divorce, she raised her son alone, got her education by reading books

and worked at a variety of jobs including the real estate business.

“I met Ken and we found that we shared a vision.” The couple eventually married and blended their families. “We became the Brady Bunch: my son, his four children and then our two daughters. “We have raised our family ‘country style’. I’m very proud of my kids.”

The couple began buying properties and fixing them up, with the help of BlackHawk Bank. “We took lots of risks, but made sure we would be able to recover. We learned from our mistakes.”

Hendricks said their net worth in 1982 was $26 million. In 1998, their net worth was $1.1 billion.

She was unsure what to do when her husband died. “I was still standing.” She decided to keep going. “It ended up being all about the people.”

“I parked my gender at the door and got to work. My job then and now is to set an example and to lead.”

She claims that ABC Roofing Supplies puts on 25% of roofs in the nation. The company employs over 20,000 people.

Hendricks has increased her philanthropy efforts recently. She founded The Hendricks Family Heart Hospital (the fourth floor at Beloit Hospital), and Career Tek, a program that prepares 7 through 12 grade youth for future careers through

Diane Hendricks

workshops with the guidance of volunteer business mentors. Career Tek is located at 625 Third St. in Beloit.

Hendricks said she wants to give back to the community of Beloit. “I’m working on my city. I love it.”

She also loves America.

“There is opportunity everywhere. How

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Winnebago award winner

Congratulations to the 2019 Winnebago Chamber of Commerce Community Betterment and 4 under 40 Awards Stephanie King.

One to watch

fortunate we are to live here. Everything I have accomplished in life was possible because I live in America. It’s been a wonderful life.”

In her closing remarks, Hendricks said the patriotic song “Proud to be an American” by Lee Greenwood, has become a favorite song in her family.

“My 15 grandchildren call it the ABC song.” As the video began, Greenwood walked onto the stage bringing the surprised crowd to their feet.

The Stateline and Greater Beloit Chamber presented three area women who have shown leadership and excellence in business roles: Angie Koltoff, Greater Beloit Planning Committee Chair presented the Next Gen Award to Sarah Millard. Millard is the Director of Strategic Communications for the City of Beloit.

Stateline Chamber member Ryan Rydell – presented the Role Model Award to Anabel Toye – The Roscoe businesswoman owns Anabel Toye Cleaning Service.

Kassie Strahlow presented the Executive Influencer Award to Mary Fanning-Penny, CEO – United Way, Black Hawk Region.

The Stateline Chamber and Greater Beloit Chamber jointly plan the yearly Influential Women in Business Luncheon and alternate hosting each year.

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Congratulations to the Winner of the 2019 Winnebago Area Chamber of Commerce One to Watch Award - Erica Kielty.

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2020 WOMEN IN BUSINESS

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