Omaha Staycation

There is a new trend in the travel industry postcoronavirus: staycations. This is good news for people living in and around Omaha and Lincoln because there are so many amazing hotels, restaurants, and entertainment districts in the area, all of which have taken the necessary precautions to ensure a safe and fun experience!

Lodging in Luxury Towering 12 stories high, the

Omaha Marriott Downtown

at the Capitol District delivers that luxury factor. The rooms are sleek with big window walls that give a nice view of the riverfront to the east and the Omaha city skyline to west. The lobby is pristine with its vaulted ceilings and high-end furniture—great backdrops for your next Instagram post! The checkin and parking process went very smoothly thanks to the large portes-cochère in front to unload our luggage and the attached garage we were able to easily get in and out of with our room key. There is just something about staying at a hotel that makes you feel a little bit like royalty, especially when the staff is professional, courteous, and willing to go above and beyond to make sure your stay is fabulous with personalized concierge service. Call (402) 807-8000 or visit www.marriott.com/OMADM to book a room.

Swanky Dining Fancying fresh seafood and crustaceans or exclusively aged USDA Prime grade beef, all unmatched in quality and presentation? 801 Chophouse at the Paxton has earned the rank. Before lling our bellies, we decided to wet our whistles with selections from the seasonal House Crafted cocktail menu. We dubbed the Jackie O's a perfect pre-dinner sip for its bubbly character and use of homemade elderberry syrup. It's a lively spin on the classic French 75. The Nearest and Dearest has a bit more complexity to it thanks to the herbaceous hints from the green chartreuse mixed in with notes of chocolate bitters. The drink gets its name from the Uncle Nearest 1884 Whisky, and it gets two thumbs up from our party. Onto the food, we couldn't resist starting off with the Baked Escargot—a true delicacy. Our wonderful server, Emily, recommended the Seafood Tower for a healthy array of crab legs, lobster, and raw shrimp and oysters. 801 has their own lobster tank in the back, so there is no denying the level of freshness. For beef, we recommend the bone-in let, which exceeded all expectations in avor and tenderness. 801 also offers various preparation options. Our favorite, and a classic, is the Oscar Style—Deshelled Alaskan King Crab, béarnaise sauce, and broiled asparagus spears—an absolute dream combination. In addition, we really 'oohed' and 'aahed' over the Fried Lobster Bites, which were served in the lobster tail to add a little are to the presentation and they were very easy to share. The Scalloped Potatoes were nothing short of magical, and we were impressed by how sophisticated the Creamed Corn and Caramelized Baby Carrots were prepared. Beyond what graced our table, our group was mesmerized by the 1920s nostalgia found in the wooden architecture, romantic lighting, and grand back bar. Call (402) 341-1222 to make a reservation.

Party Igloos There is a new craze sweeping entertainment districts across the country that is not only fitting for the winter season, but also for COVID season: igloos! Now in the Capitol District, you and a small group of friends can reserve your own private igloo for the evening. Each one has comfy chairs, a center table, electric fireplace, and esthetic decorations and lights. Upon check-in in the botanical Ice Lounge, which is located indoors underneath Beer Can Alley, your group can check out complimentary blankets, board games, small televisions with DVD players, holiday favorites, and pillows. There are restaurants and bars in the district that are ready to provide you with their exclusive igloo menu items featuring special deals on apps to share and festive beverages. Annie’s Irish Pub does a $4 YOUCALL-IT, which includes any beer, well, or call mixed drink. We really did feel like we had privacy, especially because the area is blocked off so there is no pedestrian traffic passing by. If you're trying to avoid cold winds and the risk of being exposed to COVID, but you're still wanting to get out of the house, this is it! Each reservation is good for two and a half hours. Call (402) 200-3039 to book your igloo!

Add Storytelling to Your Marketing Strategy

It’s December, the last month of a historical content is not only shared in print, but also online. We’re excited year. Obviously, things won’t magically to be in the process of upgrading our website and strengthening change when we hang up our 2021 our social media presence. These are two areas that we’re focusing calendars, but it’s a reminder that life keeps on going into 2021. A New Year’s resolution, of sorts. on going no matter what the circumstances are—and with life comes change. A big As a business owner, what is your New Year’s resolution? If change for many businesses, including my storytelling isn’t something you’re currently doing as a part of own, is where marketing dollars are being your marketing strategy, please reach out to me. My team would allocated. According to NewsCred Insights (insights.newscred. love to help you get your message to your audience. In these com), “On average, 30-40% of a marketing budget is allocated challenging times, with a fast-changing landscape, communicating for trade show sponsorship, travel, expenses, brand identity and values remains important—now more than attendance, and collateral. With the coronavirus ever. In fact, The CMO Survey this year found blowing up trade show budgets, marketers are that marketers’ views on the importance of challenged to redistribute that budget quickly.” The lack of in-person networking events and trade shows has been extremely tough for me, “Content marketing can become an effective way for you to remain marketing have increased during the pandemic. Just one in 10 (11.1%) believe marketing has decreased in importance, 26.5% believe there has been no change, while 62.3% believe it has personally, because I am a highly social person. Just ask anyone who knows me! It’s been hard for my business as well because those events are in touch with your customers...” increased in importance. As always, I want to thank my current clients for where I’d meet a lot of potential advertisers. partnering with us and allowing Strictly Business This has forced us to get creative with our to be a part of their growth. I’m so grateful to marketing efforts and how we’re reaching new local businesses. be a part of the business community here in This is the case for most business owners. I believe that content Omaha, and it’s always a pleasure to make new connections. Since marketing continues to be an effective avenue of advertising. there aren’t as many events, I’m doing my best to stay actively The NewsCred article goes on to say, “Content marketing over Zoom, over the phone, or in person. can become an effective way for you to remain in touch with your customers and increase pipeline generation during the I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and is able to spend coronavirus pandemic. With the ever-changing digital landscape, time refl ecting on what really matters in life. It’s easy to get caught communicating and engaging with your audience can remain up in all the noise, but we need to allow ourselves some time to undisrupted, no matter what the situation is—as long as you have disconnect and celebrate all the good around us. That is what the the proper content marketing strategies in place.” holiday season is for, giving thanks.

At Strictly Business, we believe that original content and storytelling are essential parts of any great marketing strategy. This is what we offer to our clients. Between press releases and feature stories, we give businesses different avenues to share their message. The engaged and seek out new people to connect with. Whether that’s

Let Strictly Business help you lock in your status as THE EXPERT in your industry, utilizing print, the internet, and social media. Find out how by contacting Paige at (402) 466-3330.

CONTENTS NEWS 4 Business 28 Nonprofi t 23 Personnel 33 Health SPOTLIGHTS 1 Omaha Staycation 35 Oasis Senior Advisors 36 North Risk Partners 48 Lincoln Federal Savings Bank COLUMNS 16 River City Six 34 Foster Care: CEDARS 22 Outlook Business Solutions FEATURE STORIES 37 Mental Health Awareness 38 Energy Effi ciency 42 Winter Driving 44 Senior Living Through the Holidays

4 Strictly Business DECEMBER 2020

Hannah Diane Dillon

PRODUCTION TEAM:

Editor/Operations Hannah Hundley - Editor@StrictlyBusinessOmaha.com Copywriter Diane Gumaer - Offi ce@StrictlyBusinessOmaha.com Art Director Dillon Crawford - Design@StrictlyBusinessOmaha.com

SALES TEAM:

President/Sales Paige Zutavern - Paige@StrictlyBusinessOmaha.com Publisher/Founder/Accounting Shayne Zutavern - SZutavern@yahoo.com

STRICTLY BUSINESS is not responsible for unsolicited material. All rights to submission, including letters, will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication and copyright purposes and are subject to our unrestricted right to edit and comment editorially or creatively, unless otherwise negotiated with the author. Nothing may be printed in whole or part without the written permission of the publisher. The publication of any advertisement in STRICTLY BUSINESS is not an endorsement of the advertiser or of the products or services advertised.

Printed in the U.S.A. Copyright ©2020 by PZAK, Inc. Third Class Postage Paid at Lincoln, NE 68505 #PrintProudDigitalSmart

Because You’re Worth It!

Has your routine changed this year? Has your social life been affected? It’s hard to imagine anyone could answer no to both of these questions. The real question is, have you let it affect how you take care of yourself? Beyond basic hygiene, keeping up with the health and look of your hair, skin, and nails is an important part of a dignifi ed life. You might not be “going out” as much as before or seeing as many people, but it’s okay to still treat yourself to things that make you happy, bring out your personality, and help you feel more comfortable in your own skin. At the end of the day, what really matters is that you believe you’re worth it. Even if your husband is the only one who will notice that you’ve changed your hair or your roommate is the only person to show off your manicure to...do it for yourself. So, if it’s time to spruce up your look or you’re in need of a little pampering, go to a place that does it all and does it the best—Creative Hair Design Salon & Spa. Creative Hair Design is located off of 120th and Pacifi c Streets, but you shouldn’t select your salon solely on proximity...the right stylist or esthetician is worth driving across town for. When you call to make an appointment, tell them about yourself and what you’re looking for so that they can pair you with the most compatible person from their team—and Creative Hair Design has over 80 hand-picked stylists, designers, estheticians, and massage therapists on staff! That means you’ve got a high chance of fi nding the perfect match. What’s more, Creative Hair Design is a place where these technicians love to work, which is why many of them have been there for 5, 10, 15 years and even longer! This is signifi cant because it means that you, as a client, can really form a relationship and develop trust. Your technician will get to know you and what you like so that each time you visit, you can be at ease knowing you’ll get exactly what you ask for. Creative Hair Design was founded by John Mangiameli in 1982. John has not only fostered a well-rounded and dedicated team over the years, he’s taken the salon from a 1,200-square-foot space to a 15,000-square-foot luxurious destination for hair, nail, esthetic, and massage services. The fi rst fl oor features more than 30 styling and nail stations that are nicely spread out. Hair services include extensions, coloring, styling, and cuts and trims. Nail treatments, manicures, and pedicures are carried out by professionally licensed nail technicians who will bring your hands and feet to their natural strength and beauty. The upstairs spa takes you into a state of absolute zen. There are many private rooms for massages and facials, along with multiple luxurious men’s and women’s dressing rooms where a gown, robe, and sandals are provided before each treatment. The dressing rooms also have lockers for clients to keep their belongings secure during their spa treatment. Normally, after treatment, a steam room, full shower, products, blow dryers, brushes, and towels are available in the dressing rooms, but not during COVID as a safety precaution. Esthetic services include waxing, facials, CryoClear treatment, acne clearing, glycolic or alpha blend treatment, paraffi n treatment, microdermabrasion, exfoliation peels, brow/lash coloring, and lash lifts. Creative Hair Design also offers a variety of massages and body treatments customized to your unique needs, such as mini, full body, mega, and hot stone massages; salt glow transformation; hydrotherapy tub; vichy exfoliation treatment; couples massage; and pregnancy massage. Book a hair, nail, or spa appointment at Creative Hair Design today, because you’re worth it! CreativeHairDesign.com 402.330.5660

STAY CONNECTED 24/7

Pictured on the cover, the wonderful management staff of Creative Hair Design: Lisa Jensen, Carissa Mangiameli, John Mangiameli, and Brittney Metzler. Not pictured: Sarah Pelster.

Strictly Business Magazine

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