TK Business Magazine - Winter 2018 Issue

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THE TOWER GUY

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THE PROFESSOR

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GLOBAL BUSINESS CHALLENGES

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I AM TOPEKA

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GOING GLOBAL TO STAY LOCAL

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BRINGING THE WORLD TO TOPEKA

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20 40 UNDER

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CONTENTS FEATURES

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GOING GLOBAL TO STAY LOCAL

Two Topeka businesses have been able to thrive because they have taken their products beyond U.S. borders.

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Photos by EMMA HIGHFILL

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HEART OF THE ENTREPRENEUR GOING GLOBAL TO STAY LOCAL

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Discover the story of Robert Nall, the “Tower Guy” and owner of TV25.

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TOP 20 UNDER 40

Learn more about the young professionals being honored as the 2018 “Topeka’s Top 20 Under 40.”

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FROM THE PROFESSOR

Dr. Michael Stoica shares his expertise on taking business global.

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PG. Photo by DAVID VINCENT

BRINGING THE WORLD TO TOPEKA

HEART OF THE ENTREPRENEUR

COVER PHOTO PAGE 20

THE TOWER GUY

PAGE 58

THE PROFESSOR

PAGE 70

GLOBAL BUSINESS CHALLENGES

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2018 TOPEKA’S TOP 20 UNDER 40 HONOREES

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GOING GLOBAL TO STAY LOCAL

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BRINGING THE WORLD TO TOPEKA

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20 40 UNDER

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IN EVERY ISSUE TK BUSINESS EXPERTS

I AM TOPEKA

WINTER 2018

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Cover Photo Credit: Nathan Ham Photography

PG.18 Nathan Leadstrom PG.78 Jeremy Graber

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SCENE ABOUT TOWN

Business Unwind Serengeti Nights GOOD Guys hosted by National Conference of Women’s Bar Association

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LAST WORD

Katrin Holzhaus, senior vice president of innovation for the Greater Topeka Partnership

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Area businesses and organizations help make the community more representative of the wider world by offering an international perspective.

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THE CHALLENGES OF GLOBAL BUSINESS

Trade issues and tariffs are affecting businesses all over the country, and SD Engineering in Topeka is no exception.

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I AM TOPEKA

Read the stories of three people who understand the importance of embracing the place where you live and work.

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LOCAL ECONOMIC OUTLOOK

TK shares economic data provided by the Center for Economic Development and Business Research at Wichita State University.

ERIC HUNSICKER, CLU

SCOTT HUNSICKER, LUTCF, ChFC, CLU

TODD ZIMLICH, LUTCF, ChFC, CLU

JP SCHMIDTLEIN

3311 SW Van Buren | Topeka, KS 66611 | 785.266.1200 | www.KFRtopeka.com Securities offered through Securities America, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Securities America Advisors, Inc. Kansas Financial Resources, Inc. and Securities America are separate companies.

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Photo by JD MELTON | 83 PIXELS

FROM THE PUBLISHER

M

Y DAUGHTER, HARMONY, was once fearless and would try anything. Life was simple and uncomplicated to her. And then she turned 5.

At only 5 years old, it was like a switch flipped and she had this new sense of fear. Be it a piano recital or a soccer game, she was suddenly aware.

Aware of the people watching, aware of the fact that there might be a right way and a wrong way, aware of judgement, aware of failure.

She now comes to me with this fear and says, “Mom, I’m scared.” We talk about the fear and then we get to a simple statement of, “I’m scared, but I’m going to do it anyway.”

As rational human beings, we know that fear is an emotion; we know that we can take control of our fears, yet we just keep allowing the fear of people watching, the fear of judgement and the fear of failure paralyze us and keep us from accomplishing our dreams (and sometimes just accomplishing a simple conversation). Because of that fear, we create self-imposed limitations on life.

Do you have something in your mind right now that you want to do, that you need to do?

What are your hopes, your dreams? Now, what makes you feel scared or uncomfortable? What makes you hesitate?

Acknowledge the fear, then throw it to the side, embrace your hopes and dreams, and say along with me, “I’m scared, but I’m going to do it anyway.”

Tara Dimick Tara@TKMagazine.com

@TKBusinessMag

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@TK...Topeka's Business Magazine TK Business Magazine

@TK Business

@tk_business_

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CHECK OUT

magazine.com Check out TKMagazine.com to get expert business advice and up-to-date information on business in Topeka. Send your news releases to braden@tkmagazine.com.

BUSINESS NEWS

BUSINESS GROWTH LEADERSHIP:

Doug Sterbenz Present to Win Leaders

LEGEND SENIOR LIVING™ NAMED A BEST WORKPLACE

BY FORTUNE® MAGAZINE based on employee input on company culture.

STORMONT VAIL HEALTH ANNOUNCES CEO RANDY PETERSON’S PLANNED RETIREMENT by March 31, 2019.

The Stormont Vail Board of Directors has selected Robert Kenagy, M.D., Stormont Vail senior vice president and chief medical officer to succeed Peterson in April.

BLIND TIGER BREWERY WINS AGAIN. John Dean, Brewmaster of the Blind Tiger Brewery, was awarded the Bronze Medal for their Blind Tiger Bock beer at the Great American Beer Festival 2018.

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FINANCES:

THE SEVENTH CURE FOR A LEAN PURSE Mark Reinert, CFP®, RICP®, MBA Reinert Wealth Management MARKETING:

FOOSBALL TABLES ARE NO SUBSTITUTE FOR CULTURE Martha Bartlett Piland MB Piland Advertising + Marketing WORKING CAPITAL is about local and regional businesses within the KTWU viewing area. WORKING CAPITAL showcases entrepreneurship and provides an atmosphere for sharing business concepts and practical business experiences.

Tune in to KTWU-HD, Digital Channel 11.1.

saturdays 10:30 AM - 11:00 am

WIBW 580 AM

TK Business Magazine

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Lisa Loewen CREATIVE DIRECTOR & DESIGNER Janet Faust MANAGING PARTNER & SALES DIRECTOR Braden Dimick braden@tkmagazine.com 785.438.7773 COVER PHOTOGRAPHER Nathan Ham

LONELY AT THE TOP

CENTURY BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES ACQUIRES DYNAMIC COMPUTER SOLUTIONS and launches an expanded managed IT services division.

PUBLISHER Tara Dimick

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Braden Dimick Nathan Ham Emma Highfill Keith Horinek Rachel Lock JD Melton David Vincent CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Erin Aldridge Miranda Ericsson Kim Gronniger Lisa Loewen Enedina Patch Karen Ridder Adam Vlach Kathy Webber CONTRIBUTING EXPERTS Jeremy Graber Jeremy Hill Nathan Leadstrom Dr. Michael Stoica

PUBLISHING COMPANY E2 Communications 7512 SW Falcon St. Topeka, KS 66610 785.438.7773

FOUNDER ǀ Kevin Doel

tkmagazine.com 2018 TK Business Magazine is published by E2 Communications, Inc. Reproduction or use of this publication in any manner without written permission of the publisher is prohibited.

Every effort was made to ensure accuracy of the information in this publication as of press time. The publisher assumes no responsibility of any part for the content of any advertisement in this publication, including any errors and omissions therein. E2 Communications, Inc. makes no endorsement, representation or warranty regarding any goods or services advertised or listed in this publication.

Listings and advertisements are provided by the subject company. E2 Communications, Inc. shall not be responsible or liable for any inaccuracy, omission or infringement of any third party's right therein, or for personal injury or any other damage or injury whatsoever. By placing an order for an advertisement, the advertiser agrees to indemnify the publisher against any claims relating to the advertisement.

growing by caring “When I think back over the years, our business has always been blessed with two invaluable resources: great employees and loyal customers.

Both have fueled our growth.”

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Family owned and operated since 1978 WINTER 2018

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GOING GLOBAL TO STAY LOCAL

By KAREN RIDDER

Photos by EMMA HIGHFILL

Some Topeka businesses have been able to stay local, because they have gone global.

Warehouse 414 and Custom Dredge Works are using the global market to grow beyond what the local market can support. The result of their expanding reach brings money from around the world back home, giving Topeka’s economy a broader opportunity to thrive.

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YOUR STORY is our passion.

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“I didn’t feel like I was going to be just another customer, I felt like I was going to be part of a community. CWC Electric could not have grown to where we are now, without Envista.”

- Natalie Hogan, CWC Electric WINTER 2018

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Photo by EMMA HIGHFILL

Warehouse 414

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Chris Grandmontagne has spent the better part of the last 30 years staying ahead of design trends and having people outside of the Topeka area take notice. As the owner of Warehouse 414, her reach extended across the country from early on by word of mouth. “At first we had pickers come from both coasts and Texas. They would buy a truck full of stuff from our warehouse and take it back to their part of the country,� Grandmontagne said.

Grandmontagne started doing design work in the 1990s. At the same time, she started buying up old art deco furniture and filling up the warehouse she owned at Crane and Quincy.

With over 99 percent of her profits coming from online sales around the world, Chris Grandmontagne, owner of Warehouse 414, is grateful it allows her to keep her shop open in Topeka for local customers.

“We kept busy, and we filled that five story 40,000 square foot building with stuff,” Grandmontagne said.

Hers was one of the first shops in the area to sell mid-century modern, and she helped business owners in Kansas City accumulate the inventory to open their stores. In 2006, she opened Warehouse 414 as a retail store to sell her “stuff.”

They started doing the First Friday Art Walks and the store quickly became a popular haunt for people browsing for unique treasures. Local people loved them; however, business was not sustaining.

“I felt like we had saturated this market. Everybody knew we were here, and we weren’t going to make it selling locally. I was still just selling my own stuff to my own clients. I was struggling,” Grandmontagne said.

The Internet offered an opportunity to change the way she did business.

Grandmontagne realized, given what she already had in her inventory, that she could get a lot more money online for those products than what she could ask of local or regional buyers.

Despite decades of experience and a good reputation for offering quality products, taking advantage of those online opportunities was more difficult than she expected. She researched the best ways to reach online customers and found the First Dibbs website particularly promising. She applied to be a dealer in 2006 and was rejected.

“They just said, ‘We aren’t in your area.’ My first thought when they said that was they just didn’t think that anyone from Topeka, Kansas, could have the inventory they

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Photo by EMMA HIGHFILL

Warehouse 414 is known for its eclectic collection of old art deco and midcentury modern furniture and decor.

wanted,” Grandmontagne said. “They just brushed me aside.”

She tried selling her products online on her own for a while but could not create the reach of an established online retailer like First Dibbs. When she discovered several years later that one of the shop owners she had helped get a start in Kansas City had become a First Dibbs dealer, she decided to try again.

“I figured they could no longer say they were not in my area,” Grandmontagne said.

This time, her application was accepted. She became a First Dibbs dealer in 2015, and since then her business has taken off. Items from the warehouse that she started to fill in the 1990s are now sold and shipped all over the world to places like Japan, England, France, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

“First Dibbs made selling globally so much easier than doing it on my own,” Grandmontagne said.

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Grandmontagne pays for the right to sell her products on First Dibbs. In exchange, First Dibbs provides her with a worldwide audience, takes care of getting the items she sells to their location and insures against damages in transit. While she could probably do the shipping on her own, First Dibbs is able to offer a much lower cost on the shipping. They even send a shipper to her door to pick up the items and start them on their global trek.

The advantage to Topeka is that Warehouse 414 stays open and thriving.

For Grandmontagne, her business has grown tenfold. About 99 percent of her profits now come from online sales around the world.

“I would have gone out of business,” Grandmontagne said. “I’m still here for the local people because of the global market. That’s the bottom line. I could not have maintained the store if it had continued as it was without expanding internationally.”

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Custom Dredge Works President CJ Jones has seen his number of employees grow nearly five times since going global with specialty dredging equipment.

Photo by EMMA HIGHFILL

Custom Dredge Works Custom Dredge Works (CDW) is another local-global success story. The company is an arm of the business Midwestern Metals, which started in 1982.

Company president CJ Jones moved into the specialty dredge building business in the early 2000s.

Dredging is the operation of removing material from one part of the water environment and relocating it to another. It is commonly used in mining sand and gravel and for the environmental purpose of clearing waterways.

CDW designs and fabricates custom hydraulic dredges for all

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types of dredging projects as well as providing refurbishment and repair services.

“We design and build to customer specifications, and then we go and install,” Jones said.

The custom dredge manufacturing took off when CDW started shipping to global customers. In fact, the lion’s share of business has shifted from the metal fabricating business to custom dredge building.

The company has grown to nearly five times the employees since it began. Jones says the business is ideal for going global, particularly since there are many hot spots for dredging around

the world and not many custom manufacturers of dredging equipment.

Jones says CDW benefits from a global marketplace because the company can meet the needs of a very specific niche, but it was only able to achieve that global reach once technology had advanced enough to help make it happen.

“We went through an education process. Some stuff manufactured in this area would do fine in the U.S. but would be hard to make any money on if you exported it,” Jones said.

Even though it has been a good business move for

CDW, not every business fits so smoothly into a global market.

Dredging fits this model in part because what used to be a mining industry has evolved into an industry that works in ports and harbors. Dredging equipment can help make those waterways deeper for bigger ships. Dredges are also now used to help clean up after flooding around the world.

Since CDW does not go through a third party to get goods to global markets, the company

Photo by EMMA HIGHFILL

CDW designs and fabricates custom hydraulic dredges as well as provides refurbishment and repair services.

has had to deal with a variety of communication barriers. Jones says one of the hardest things to deal with in an international market is financing because they are generally dealing with governments or government entities. Figuring out how to get guaranteed money from a world bank can be a challenge.

Jones believes that CDW’s move into the global marketplace has been good for Topeka.

“We put a lot of payroll into the economy, in the Topeka area. We bought the ground and pay taxes on that. I also am able to buy local products, giving business back to local companies,” Jones said.

TK

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GOING GLOBAL WITH YOUR BUSINESS

Nathan Leadstrom PHOTO SUBMITTED

MANAGING PARTNER GOODELL STRATTON EDMONDS & PALMER, LLP

FROM A LEGAL PERSPECTIVE—

FAQs for Global Business Startups If I want to sell products to customers in another country, what steps do I need to take?

Before considering any international distribution, a company should develop a business plan that considers:

the particular market. market-specific requirements such as tariffs or trade barriers. cultural or language differences. the economics and politics of the region. the impact upon the market.

Then put together a marketing and distribution plan for getting the product into the market. If you are uncertain about who to approach as distributors in the market, check out your competition and see who others are using to get their products to market. An international distributor can help shortcut some of the questions about how to get established within a specific market.

With that information in hand, you will then need to complete any legal and trade certifications required by each foreign country (including possible local government requirements) and create international

distribution agreements to govern all product distribution and resolution of disputes with your distributors.

Depending on the nature of the product, you will need to consider: consumer labeling and safety regulations. product liability laws. implications to product distribution. insurance needs for various aspects of the distribution.

It is advisable to have a lawyer specializing in international contract law to advise on the process along the way and to assist with drafting agreements, applications or certifications necessary to distribute within a chosen foreign market. It is often advisable to also hire local attorneys from the specific country to provide country-specific guidance and assistance. You may want to consider a tax lawyer who can advise on any tax law implications for incomes earned outside the U.S. There are several good federal resources to help you get started, including from the U.S. Commerce Department, the Small Business Administration and the ExportImport Bank, which can all be

accessed through www.export.gov, a collaborative governmental website.

Do I need an export license? If so, what are the things people need to know?

An export is much broader than you might think and includes more than shipping or mailing products overseas; it may also include providing information by facsimile, telephone or even downloading software off the Internet. The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security has a set of Export Administration Regulations that must be consulted and complied with when exporting products overseas. The license requirements depend on four criteria, including: 1) the item’s technical characteristics 2) the designation 3) the end use 4) the end user Subject to certain exceptions, there are 10 general prohibitions to exporting without a license. It is recommended that you seek the advice of an attorney to assist in determining if an export license is needed for your specific product and planned export.

For more FAQs for Global Business Startups, visit TKmagazine.com.

GLOBAL BUSINESS 18

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Photo by DAVID VINCENT

Heartland Tower, Inc. & TV25 20

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THE HEART OF THE ENTREPRENEUR

Often referred to as “The Tower Guy,” Robert Nall bought his first tower in St. Marys, mostly because he valued their importance to amateur ham radio operators.

By KATHY WEBBER

Photos by DAVID VINCENT

W

HEN YOU FIRST MEET Robert Nall, you see an energetic, down-to-earth man. Upon getting to know him, you discover a successful entrepreneur who owns two businesses: Heartland Tower, Inc. and Heartland Broadcasting, LLC, branded TV25.

It all started when Nall was working in Kansas City for a company called Compuware as a “highly overpaid project management consultant,” Nall said.

At the time, Nall and one of his brothers were amateur ham radio operators. They not only had fun communicating with other ham operators across the city, the country, the world, and even into space, but also found their skills useful in times of an emergency when normal means of communications were down.

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Photo by DAVID VINCENT

Due to lack of funds in the early years, Robert Nall did the majority of the grunt work on the towers he purchased.

“Bad weather sometimes knocks out the traditional infrastructure of communication, and ham operators step in and help with communications and weather spotting if there is an emergency,” Nall said. “It’s kind of nerdy, but we liked playing with that kind of stuff.”

TOWERS FOR SALE In 2002, Nall heard through his brother that American Tower had purchased a surplus of AT&T towers and was looking for potential buyers for some of the towers. Nall was already familiar with the value of radio towers because ham radio operators use them to communicate with each other, so he immediately took an interest and bought his first tower located in St. Marys, Kansas.

“The existing Topeka tower that had provided ham radio operators coverage was destroyed by weather,” Nall said.

“The St. Marys tower was the closest one available to Topeka, and I had it in my heart to help out the ham community and public by providing space for them on the tower.”

Owners of these communication towers can generate revenue by leasing space on the tower to businesses in the communications industry. Nall said the business model is similar to leasing out apartment space, but on a vertical plane.

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“Think of it like this, it is vertical real estate. The “penthouse” on the top of the tower leases for more money than the space below because it has a better “view” and can serve more people,” Nall said.

With the help of his dad and his two brothers, Nall was able to purchase several other towers. He purchased them in bundles, hoping to get at least one in the group that would be in an ideal location to lease space out to cell phone companies or anyone who had an FCC license that would need a tower to communicate.

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS Soon after Nall started his new business, Heartland Towers, Inc., the company he was working for in Kansas City closed its office, leaving the tower business as his sole source of income.

“Thank God for McDonald’s dollar menu or I would have starved to death!”

Nall laughed.

Because of the lack of funds in those early years, Nall did the majority of the grunt work on the towers he purchased himself. He had to contend with back taxes, utilities, weed control, on-going maintenance and scrap metal thieves.

“The first years were real tough,” Nall said. “Weed control is terrible. If you don’t take care of a tower site for a

TK Business Magazine

season, it gets to be very overgrown. I still have the tennis shoes that are stained blue from the dye in the chemicals I used to spray the weeds.”

THE TURNING POINT The following March, one of the towers Nall had purchased in a bundle turned out to be profitable when AT&T Wireless contracted to lease a tower in Basehor, Kansas. When American Tower discovered the intent of AT&T to lease the tower from Nall, they tried to get it back, but fortunately Nall had already finalized the sale.

“It was frustrating because American Tower was trying to lease space on a tower that they no longer owned,” Nall said. “I had that one tower producing income and 42 other towers that were making zero money. I was excited and then also scared that I was going to mess something up with the 42 vacant towers.”

Nall’s second big break came a few months later in June of that same year. A new cellular company based in Nebraska took some interest in some of Nall’s towers.

“Several of my Nebraska sites matched perfectly with their expansion plans, but they wanted to own the assets and not lease the space,” Nall said. “They told me if I did not sell a chain of five towers, they would build towers right next to mine.”

Nall sold the chain of towers to the company. That sale allowed him to pay off all of his loans and purchase a brandnew truck.

“That really was a turning point for me,” Nall said.

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100+ TOWERS STRONG Today Nall owns or manages more than 100 towers all over the central United States. Even though he has seen significant growth, Nall still helps out his fellow ham operator friends by providing space to them and to many others as well.

“I provide nearly three quarters of a million dollars annually in tower and equipment space to ham radio operators and emergency services, and I provide space to county governments at a discount,” Nall said. “What comes around goes around, and I enjoy paying it forward.”

“We are the only station in the whole United States that is actually transmitting 12 networks on a single TV channel.”

—Robert Nall Owner Heartland Tower, Inc. & TV25 TV25 IS BORN Seven years after purchasing his first tower, Nall was informed by a friend who owns towers in southwest Kansas that the FCC had opened an application window where members of the public could apply for a television broadcast station license. Since Nall already owned towers on which he could easily place television transmitters, the idea of owning a TV station seemed feasible.

The FCC broadcast license application did not include major population areas such as Topeka

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and Kansas City, but Nall had several other options.

“My St. Marys tower was in the perfect spot, just outside of the major population areas. My very first tower I purchased was now the tower I needed to use to put in an application,” Nall said.

Nall put in three license applications, hoping to get at least one, and received all three allowing Nall to create the television station TV25 .

“Part of the expense you have when you build a TV station is the tower. Since I already had all of the tower infrastructure in place, it did not cost me anything additional. It was my ‘you only live once moment.’ I’ve got the means, I’ve got the ability, and I’ve got the knowledge. Let’s start a TV station!” Nall said.

Nall began by placing a transmitter on the St. Marys tower and then moving his transmitters 30 miles at a time, per FCC rules, until the transmitters ended up serving higher populated areas.

Nall did most of this work himself.

“It’s a long process, especially when you are relocating transmitters and equipment. There are all sorts of engineering and field work to get it to the final locations,” Nall said.

With his three transmitters placed in Topeka, South Kansas City and North Kansas City, Nall was able to broadcast signals covering Topeka, Lawrence and Kansas City reaching more than 2.6 million viewers.

Shortly after transmitting his first live signal in January of 2014, Nall decided to ask long-time friend Brian Short to be his TV25 business partner. Since then, Nall

and Short have grown TV25 from broadcasting one network to broadcasting 12 networks.

“The really cool achievement is that we are the only station in the whole United States that is actually transmitting 12 networks on a single TV channel,” Nall said.

TECHNOLOGY NERDS TV25 uses state-of-the art multiplex transmitters to allow reception of multiple networks on a single TV channel, which allows viewers to choose from 12 separate networks. The networks start at channel 25.1 and go through channel 25.12. TV25 is free to the public and provides low cost advertising opportunities for local businesses.

“TV has been around for a long time, and television signals and the frequencies have stayed pretty much the same. It’s the technology behind the scenes that has changed,” Nall said. “The technology today allows you to do so much more. Brian and I are nerds, we like technology.”

Nall said he enjoys both of his businesses, but there will always be a soft spot in his heart for Heartland Towers, Inc., which brought him from relying on the McDonald’s dollar menu to survive to the success he enjoys today.

“It is interesting how I got myself into all of this without even realizing what I was getting myself into.” Nall joked. “I have been very lucky and blessed. I got into the tower business at the right time when technology was changing.

I have worked hard, done a lot of research, taught myself a lot of things along the way, and I am still learning every day.”

TK

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Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays from all of us at

TO

The Topeka Country Club

.

P E K A C.C EST. 1905

Overall Site Plan

membership - golf - tennis - health & wellness - swim - dining Our $7.5 Million Expansion Project

T

is almost complete!

he Topeka Country Club is nearing the completion of a multi-million dollar expansion and renovation project. Improvements are touching every aspect of club life, including a new health and wellness center, a new resort-style pool, dining facility expansions and golf shop renovation.

New amenities and décor will further enhance the club experience and make The Topeka Country Club an even better spot for families to gather and create lasting memories. Plus, with an active social calendar filled with themed dinners, wine tastings, holiday celebrations, family movie nights and more, there’s always something going on at The Topeka Country Club. Working with an award-winning team of architects and interior designers, the new clubhouse and accompanying amenities will provide members with the perfect retreat from the rigors of everyday life.

f o t f i g e h t e v i G mbership! me 26

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Members and their guests will enjoy the following newly renovated and expanded amenities: • • • • • •

Resort-Style Pool - COMPLETE! Health & Wellness Center Youth Room Grille Room Lounge & Board Room Golf Shop

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Dining Members hips

www.topekacc .org Multiple membership options are available to fit your busy lifestyle!

For more information, contact:

TK Business Magazine Gina Patterson at (785) 354-8561 or gpatterson@topekacc.org

RECOGNIZING YOUNG LEADERS

The Jayhawk Area Council, Boy Scouts of America awards the “Topeka’s Top 20 Under 40” to recognize young professionals who are impacting the future of Topeka in a positive way.

Community members nominate young professionals whom they feel are worthy of the honor. Nominees are invited to complete an application, which is

reviewed and vetted by a selection committee made up of community leaders and scored based on personal and professional goals, leadership, professional experience and community involvement.

This year’s honorees serve, lead, give and inspire. Take a glimpse into the lives of these young leaders.

Compiled by LISA LOEWEN, ERIN ALDRIDGE & ENEDINA PATCH Photos by NATHAN HAM PHOTOGRAPHY WINTER 2018

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LINDSAY FREEMAN Age 32 Director of Community Engagement Advisors Excel In her role, Lindsay identifies the needs of community organizations and then works to find solutions, whether by staff volunteer hours or charitable giving. She serves on the Momentum 2022 Implementation Committee and chairs the Community Engagement, Pride and Service Work Group. Lindsay was a member of the 2016 Class of Leadership Greater Topeka and is on the TARC Foundation Board. In addition to her community commitments, Lindsay and her husband became foster parents last year.

“My mission in life is to leave our world in a better place than when I arrived by serving my brothers and sisters of Topeka daily.”

What is the most important characteristic that every leader should possess?

Commitment. I think it’s important to be committed to yourself, your role, and your company in order to earn the respect and trust of others. Commitment also impacts energy among those you are leading or working with by showing your teammates dedication and determination to focus on the opportunity in front of you.

Photo by NATHAN HAM PHOTOGRAPHY

What advice would you give someone in a new leadership position?

Be a good listener. Take the time to get to know your team members and those with whom you will be working. When you listen, you make better, more informed decisions. When people know they have been heard, even if you don’t agree with everything they say, they value the time you spent listening to them.

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What do you hope your legacy will be?

I hope I leave a legacy of serving others.

Volunteerism is a major part of my family. Last November, a telephone call changed our lives.

We had minutes to decide whether we could immediately begin caring for a young boy who otherwise would’ve been placed in the care of total strangers. The decision to welcome our current foster child into our home and become licensed foster parents has forever changed our lives for the better.

new KIDS on the block

CONGRATULATIONS

LINDSAY FREEMAN

7852351700 RowHouseRestaurant.net

TOPEKA’S 2018 TOP

20 UNDER 40 HONOREE Thank you for being a leader in Advisors Excel’s vision to make a dramatic impact in the lives of many. Whether it’s delivering coats, filling food banks or granting Christmas wishes, your work as our director of community engagement helps each AE employee play an active role in making Topeka a better place to live.

ADVISORS EXCEL IS GRATEFUL FOR THE LIFE-CHANGING WORK YOU DO EVERY DAY.

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LT. AARON JONES Age 35 Lieutenant/Field & Tactical Operations Topeka Police Department Execution and attention to detail are integral parts of being an athlete and a police officer. As Officer in Charge of the Response Team (SWAT), Aaron excels at being precise in how he responds to situations. When looking to build a team, he looks for critical thinkers who can respond to the situation in front of them with respect and care.

Whether it is in the field as the OIC or on the field as an assistant softball coach, Aaron pulls people together.

“I’m willing to set out goals for a team, then get my hands dirty right along with those I’m leading.”

What advice would you give someone in a new leadership position?

Have patience. With new leadership comes high expectations. You may face a followership that expects you to right years of perceived wrongs or mess up years of perceived efficiency. Your demeanor will rub off on others. Show decorum and poise as you thoughtfully address issues. Ask questions. Oftentimes your curiosity will lead your followers to answer their own questions simply by answering yours.

What is your motivation?

My family. I have picked one of the worst careers for such an assertion, but it is true. I work nights, evenings, weekends, holidays without (okay minimal) complaint. Every minute at work, I think about the time I miss with them. It is not easy having two competing addictions—family and work.

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Photo by NATHAN HAM PHOTOGRAPHY

What do you hope your legacy will be?

I don’t really want one. In the end, everyone will know what you have or have not done in this life.

It stems from an old lesson my mother told me: “No one needs to know when you donate, what you donate or how much you donate. The people who benefit will feel it.”

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BRANDON ALDRIDGE Age 37 Agent/Owner Brandon Aldridge State Farm Agent Technical Sargent 190th Air Refueling Wing Kansas Air National Guard As an insurance agent, Brandon is dedicated to providing security and peace-of-mind for those unexpected moments and to help others plan for the future. For the past 18 years, he has served in the Air National Guard as a member of the 190th Air Refueling Wing. Brandon is a founding member of the Greater Topeka Partnership’s Small Business Council, serves on the USD 450 Tecumseh South Elementary Site Council and is a Junior Achievement volunteer teacher. As an Eagle Scout, Brandon knows the importance of giving back and living the Scout Oath and Law in his daily life.

“Leadership isn’t always being out front. Sometimes it’s walking beside someone with encouragement. Other times, it’s being a few steps behind to catch a stumble. No matter the position, I will always be one that others can count on.”

Photo by NATHAN HAM PHOTOGRAPHY

What advice would you give someone in a new leadership position?

Have patience with yourself and with others. You are going to be learning a lot and many decisions will be thrown your way. When allowed, take time to think through your decisions and back them up with evidence and investigation.

What do you do to ensure your growth and development as a leader?

I learned from a mentor years ago to spend time on spiritual and personal development each day.

I arrive at the office earlier than my team each morning to spend time reading devotions and leadership books. I also make time to listen to my team. They need to know that I am aware of their work flow, struggles and success, and when appropriate, their personal lives.

What is your motivation?

My kids. I want Kaitlyn and Reid to grow up with an abundance of opportunities in our community.

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KIM KONECNY Age 38 Supervisor, Talent Acquisition Westar Energy & KCP&L Kim lets her light shine in all areas of her life.

Within the company, she has taken on roles that include partnering with the Greater Topeka Partnership and Forge to expand the TopCity Interns program to incorporate more than 25 companies and 250 interns. Kim has taken an active role in creating opportunities for young women to get involved with STEM careers through the Girl Scouts Spark event. She is also an active member of the Big Brothers Big Sisters Leadership Council. Kim believes that when leaders from local companies are working together towards the same goal, Topeka wins.

“When I think about the leaders I most respect and look up to, it’s those who would never ask me to do something they weren’t willing to do themselves.”

What do you do to ensure your growth and development as a leader?

I do a lot of self-reflection. I look back at how I handled situations throughout the day—did I handle it right? Did I behave and lead in a way I’m proud of? What could I have done differently?

I also seek advice from leaders I trust. I’ve been blessed to be surrounded by great leaders, and I often use their counsel to continue to develop as a leader.

Photo by NATHAN HAM PHOTOGRAPHY

How do you foster creative and innovative thinking within your organization?

I ask for feedback and I don’t get hung up on “this is the way we’ve always done things.”

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What brings you joy?

I find joy in my relationships. My relationship with my savior, Jesus Christ. My relationship with my husband, Jarrod. My relationship with my kids, Sawyer and Hattie. My relationship with my extended family and my friends. Building into those relationships bring me joy. I also find a lot of joy in serving “the least of these.” Those groups of people who I know have nothing to give in return. Being the hands and feet of Jesus— that brings me joy.

TOP 20 UNDER 40 CLASS OF 2018 Taking energy to heart.

Moving our community forward.

Congratulations to Kim Konecny on being a Top 20 Under 40 honoree!

Westar Energy is made up of people like Kim who care about our community and work to move it forward. By forming partnerships and working in the community, Kim and all of the nominees are ensuring a bright future for Kansas.

We are proud of Kim’s recognition as a leader in the community. She sets a great example for us all, and provides positive energy for our community. Congratulations to all of this year’s 20 Under 40 honorees!

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ADAM ROSDAHL Age 33 Chief Processing Officer/VP/Brewer Norsemen Brewing Company Adam understands that quality of life is imperative to the success of a community. He works tirelessly to ensure that small businesses, the NOTO area and Topeka as a whole succeed in creating an excellent experience for all. Adam is a member of the Greater Topeka Partnership’s Small Business Council and the North Topeka Business Alliance. In 2017, Norsemen Brewing, Co. and its owners, Adam and Melissa Rosdahl and Jared and Emily Rudy, were recognized as the Emerging Entrepreneur by GO Topeka.

“Topeka is my duty, my responsibility, my lows, my highs, my career, my greatest accomplishment and most importantly my home.”

What is the most important characteristic a leader can possess?

Empathy. Without empathy, it is impossible to lead people. If you are not actively sharing the feelings of those you are attempting to lead, you will alienate them rather than inspire them.

Photo by NATHAN HAM PHOTOGRAPHY

What advice would you give someone in a new leadership position?

Be sure to establish an appropriate relationship with those you are leading. Whether that is being their friend or being friendly while also maintaining your position of authority. This is an important distinction based on your environment that you need to make before entering into a leadership position.

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How do you foster creative and innovative thinking within your company?

By asking “why not” as opposed to asking “why.” Having to justify a new way of thinking or innovative method makes people shy away from being creative. As long as there is no foreseeable negative impact, why not?

What brings you joy?

Helping others be happy and doing what I can to ensure that those around me are achieving their goals. I feel that it is impossible to be happy if those around you are not.

Recognizing Today’s Leaders to benefit the leaders of Tomorrow.

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Gold Sponsors

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Silver Sponsors Kaw Valley Bank

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TAble Sponsors Advisors Excel, AT&T (x2), Cavanaugh, Biggs & Lemon PA, Clayton Wealth Partners, Colley Family, Greater Topeka Partnership, FHLBank Topeka, Highland Acres NIA, Jeremiah Bullfrog’s Bar & Grille, Norsemen Brewing Co., Dr. Kent Palmberg, Topeka Police Department Selection Committee Sponsor : Stormont Vail Health Nominee Reception Sponsor : Midwest Health, Inc. SPARK! SponsorS: NOTO Arts Center, The White Linen, The Wheel

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KATIE KOUPAL Age 33 Area Manager of External Affairs AT&T Katie knows first-hand that communication is key for a leader. She strives to effectively educate the legislators on how the policies they are considering may affect telecommunications. She is also responsible for the management of the AT&T Foundation in Kansas. In 2016, she and her Leadership Greater Topeka peers formed an initiative they called Foster the Love. It focuses on ensuring children in the Kansas Department for Children and Families’ care have a comfortable and comforting place to stay while awaiting placement. Katie also serves as vice president of communications for the Junior League of Topeka.

“Leadership is about grace, empowerment and trust.”

What is the most important characteristic that every leader should possess?

Flexibility. A good leader should recognize that no one person operates in the same manner.

Expecting people to do so automatically sets the leader and the individuals underneath him or her up for failure.

Photo by NATHAN HAM PHOTOGRAPHY

What do you do to ensure your growth and development as a leader?

I am trying to improve on taking time for selfcare. This is a relatively new one for me, but I’ve come to discover that I can’t be at the top of my game and be a good leader if I don’t take care of myself. Like a light bulb, you can’t expect to stay on constantly without burning out. I am trying to do better in recognizing when I need a break and doing little things to take care of myself like putting down my phone for a day (Instagram and email can wait), working out, cooking or reading a good book.

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What traits do you look for in a mentor?

I’ve been blessed with several mentors. They are all inherently good, selfless people who value hard work, integrity and honesty.

CONNOR ENGLAND Age 26 Entrepreneur Connor is actively involved in making Topeka a great place to live, work and play. As chair of Forge Young Professionals’ Business Development Pillar, Connor has engaged members across the community and encouraged them to grow and thrive. He is currently the youngest partner serving on the Momentum 2022 Strategic Implementation Committee.

“Often, all the pieces needed to create something incredible are already present in an ecosystem. What is needed is something or someone to bring those pieces together, connect them and set them into motion.”

What is the most important leadership characteristic?

Self-awareness. The only reason people follow a leader is because the leader knows where they are going, how to get there and that the destination looks like a great place for the follower to be. If you’re lost yourself, you have no business leading others into darkness. If you know where you’re going, though, the followers will come and join you on your journey.

What do you hope your legacy will be?

In my time here, I hope to convince as many people as possible of a radical notion—that love and kindness are what moves us forward. When people remember me, I want them to say, “that’s what love looks like. That’s what love can do to make the world a better place.”

Photo by NATHAN HAM PHOTOGRAPHY

What brings you joy?

Seeing people doing what they want to be doing and make a living while doing so. When people are aligned with three things: 1) what they’re deeply passionate about, 2) what they’re good at/how they best do work and 3) what the world currently needs, then you have magic.

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MICHAELA SAUNDERS Age 37 Freelance Reporter/Writer Michaela stays up-to-date on trends in destination, community and economic development to sustain the vibrancy of Topeka and Shawnee County. In 2016, she was recognized as a Kansas Destination Specialist by the Destination Marketing Association International for her commitment to the Kansas travel and hospitality industry. Outside of work Michaela is a member of the City of Topeka Sustainability Advisory Board and the Topeka Collegiate School Marketing Committee. Michaela considers recovering from a debilitating injury that required 10 weeks in a wheelchair after surgery to repair her pelvis with six locking screws and a 6-inch titanium plate as her greatest accomplishment to date.

“If my son, and his generation, always can be proud of where they are from, we will have done something amazing as a community.”

What are you doing daily to ensure your growth and development as a leader?

I read a lot—about the industries I work in, the craft I practice and the specific skills I’m working to develop. I don’t go very long before signing up for another class or training opportunity. I also practice listening to those around me, so I can grow from their feedback.

Photo by NATHAN HAM PHOTOGRAPHY

How did you foster creative and innovative thinking within your organization?

We talked a lot as a team about our collective and individual creative processes. Because of the work we did—and the pace at which we did it—each member of the marketing team had to be nimble and ready to think on his or her feet.

The more we each understood our own creative process, the more we reached the goals before us.

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What is your motivation?

My primary motivation is that my son always be proud to call Topeka his hometown. He was born here, not long after Jeremy and I moved to this community. He’s the only one of us who will be a born and raised Topekan.

#TOPCITY PLAY LIST We get it. You need to make the most of your play time, whether with friends, family or just the two of you. Design the right play list for any visit to Topeka.

Join us and see for yourself why we call it #TopCity.

Brown vs. Board of Education National Historic Site & Mural Combat Air Museum Crossroads to Freedom Trail Evel Knievel Museum (including Virtual Reality jump) Grapes & Grains local beer and wine passport Heartland Motorsports Park – Worlds Fastest Race Track Kansas Children’s Discovery Center @ Gage Park Kansas Museum of History Kansas State Capitol & dome tour Lake Shawnee and Paddle Boats NOTO Arts & Entertainment District Topeka Zoo & Conservation Center @ Gage Park

VisitTopeka.com/Plan

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TY HYSTEN Age 32 Financial Advisor Valic Financial Advisors Inc. Ty draws from his experience as an Army veteran to build lasting relationships. He takes pride in providing sound financial advice to his customers, knowing that it will have a lasting impact on their lives. From the time he was a young child, Ty looked for the good in people and found the ones that would be a positive influence in his life. As an adult, he’s determined to influence and guide others in positive directions to make change. Ty serves as the chair of Forge, Topeka’s young professional organization whose mission is to engage, attract and retain people to the Topeka community.

“My goal is to be a positive uplifter and empower people who are around me to follow their passion.”

What advice would you give someone new to a leadership position?

Try not to be the first person to talk. In fact, ask more questions to understand your team and organization. Second, think like a business owner.

This will give you a better understanding of the entire picture rather than what you see in front of you.

Photo by NATHAN HAM PHOTOGRAPHY

What do you do to ensure your growth and development as a leader?

I like to surround myself with great people. I’m also not afraid to make mistakes. I attack every day with energy and the passion to help people.

My passion helps me become better tomorrow than I am today.

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How do you foster creative and innovative thinking within your organization?

Creative thinking comes with asking great questions. Sometimes the word innovation carries the expectations of monumental changes. But, in my organization I seek small changes that will move the needle.

What is your motivation?

I get my motivation from life, impacting people, being independent and income.

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VINCENT COX Age 38 Attorney Cavanaugh, Biggs & Lemon P.A. For more than 10 years, Vincent has been a member of the Topeka Bar Association and currently serves as president-elect. Also active with the Kansas Bar Association, he served as president of the Young Lawyers Section. Vincent was honored as Outstanding Young Lawyer by the Topeka Bar Association in 2011 and again in 2012 by the Kansas Bar Association. Outside of the courtroom, this Eagle Scout is hard at work improving the lives of the youth in Topeka.

Vincent is the current treasurer of the Topeka 20/30 Club and serves on the Jayhawk Area Council, Boy Scouts of America Executive Board. “I think it is important to always evaluate why you are doing things the way you are doing them and keep an open mind to new and improved methods and processes.�

What is the most important characteristic that a leader should possess?

Integrity. Honesty instills the highest level of trust in others, which is the most important thing that a leader can possess.

Who is your mentor? What traits make a mentor?

Steve Cavanaugh has been my mentor since I started practicing law at Cavanaugh, Biggs & Lemon, P.A. I believe that the best trait to find in a mentor is someone who is willing to give you thoughtful and honest advice.

What is your motivation?

I am motivated by a strong desire to get better every day, to do the best job I possibly can for my clients and my firm, and to provide the best life possible for my family.

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Photo by NATHAN HAM PHOTOGRAPHY

What advice would you give a someone in a new leadership position?

Find a mentor who can be a trusted person from whom you can seek advice. Also, while this seems overly simplistic, keep in mind to treat those who you are leading the way you would want to be treated.

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NIKI MALONEY Age 31 Communications Manager Stormont Vail Health Telling the stories of others through her role at Stormont Vail Health, Niki is contributing to the health of our community. She serves as a cultural ambassador for Stormont Vail, public information officer for the Emergency Management and Safety Committee and is a member of the Society for Healthcare Strategy & Marketing. Niki is a Lunch Buddy through The Bridge of Topeka’s mentoring program. She is passionate about creating an environment for the 96,000 unchurched and dechurched people in our community to learn and grow in their faith.

“Remember that leadership is not a position of authority, it is action. Leaders are always prepared to do the hard work, whether they are leading by title or leading from the middle of the group. Leaders set their eyes on what is unseen, on the changes or differences they envision for the future.”

Photo by NATHAN HAM PHOTOGRAPHY

What do you hope your legacy will be?

Years from now, I hope that people look back on my life and say “Niki was a woman exuberant in her faith, who loved others, and who used her passion for communication to inspire and motivate those around her.” My faith shapes the way I live, the words I say and the actions that I take. I want my life to reflect the love and grace I have been shown and I want to inspire others to show love, mercy and grace as well.

Who are your heroes?

My greatest hero is my granddad. Education was important to him but due to life circumstances he had to drop out of school and work. He worked hard, raised his family, and encouraged his children and grandchildren to get an education.

As a Kansas farmer, life wasn’t always easy, but he relied on his faith in God and a strong work ethic to support his family. At the age of 75, Granddad got his GED. During his graduation ceremony he smiled in a way I had never seen before. I understood in that moment the importance and blessing of education.

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LONNIE WALKER JR. Age 37 Diversity & Inclusion Program Manager FHLBank Topeka Lonnie views his efforts to improve diversity as more than his job description; he considers it his lifestyle. It is a lifestyle of laboring tirelessly to get us all closer to a world of respect, acceptance, diversity, open-mindedness and inclusion. In conjunction with his position at FHLBank, Lonnie was pivotal in launching a local diversity and inclusion consortium known as Launched that serves as a resource to discuss best practices, help solve diversity and inclusion challenges, provide awareness opportunities, and attract and retain diverse talent to and within Topeka.

Additionally, he has served as a member of the Family Service & Guidance Center Works of Heart Art Auction Committee since 2013 and has been the assistant marketing director for El Shaddai Ministries since 2003.

“No matter the industry, it is always beneficial to know someone who has ‘been there and done that’ to help you navigate the waters, problem solve and evolve professionally.”

What do you hope your legacy will be?

Bringing people together. Why? Simply put, we accomplish more working with one another than we do working against each other; which will result in a stronger nation. United we stand, but divided we fall.

Photo by NATHAN HAM PHOTOGRAPHY

How do you foster creative and innovative thinking within your organization?

This is an easy one—diversity. Studies show that the more diverse an organization is, the more creative and innovative it is because of the broad perspectives, experiences and problem-solving techniques that diversity provides.

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What is your motivation?

My relationship with God is what motivates me. As a Christian, my desire is to please Him. I do that through obedience and remaining in His will. He desires that I love and be kind to people, do my best at whatever I set my hands to, be slow to anger and even-tempered, be a conduit of peace, be a voice for the voiceless, live a life of integrity and be a light in a world so full of darkness (among other things).

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BROOKE LENNINGTON Age 27 Evening News Anchor Co-Assistant News Director KSNT News As one of Topeka’s youngest evening news anchors, Brooke gives residents an accurate and compassionate look at the news of the day, as well as provides weekly stories focused on local people who are accomplishing incredible things.

Brooke can be found serving in the community as an emcee for events put on by the Kansas Family Stroke Foundation, Family Service & Guidance Center and LifeHouse Child Advocacy Center.

She also promotes the services of the American Stroke Foundation, serves as a member of the Topeka Heartland Sertoma Club and teaches local students through Junior Achievement.

“It is my goal every day to show people the positive, feel good stories and the great things happening in our community.”

What advice would you give someone in a new leadership position?

Remember it’s not about you. Strive to make your team a success—not you. When they shine, you shine; when they fail, you fail. Being present is key. Be there with your team as much as possible, early mornings and late nights. And remember, mistakes will happen, just learn from them and move on.

Photo by NATHAN HAM PHOTOGRAPHY

Who is your mentor?

My grandpa. He is my #1 fan. Despite living hundreds of miles away, he never misses a newscast. Every day I can count on him to have a review of how I did the night before. He tells me what I did well, and where I can improve. Knowing he’s watching pushes me to try and do the best I can.

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What is your motivation?

Proving to myself that anything is possible if you work hard enough. My childhood was a bit of a roller coaster. We didn’t have a lot of money, my parents were divorced, and there were some pretty dark times. When I was applying for colleges I had no idea what I was doing because no one in my family had ever been to college.

Looking back now, I’m grateful for my past, it made me stronger, and continues to push me to never settle.

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ADAM VANDONGE Age 34 Executive Chef/Owner The White Linen Adam brings an unforgettable dining experience to Topeka. He hopes one day his passion for food will earn him the James Beard Award, a Michelin Star, and put Topeka in the culinary spotlight.

Adam tries to lead by example. He mentors local teenagers by allowing them to shadow him to learn valuable skills they can use in their own careers. Adam is proud of his role in helping to attract more locals and out-of-towners to the hidden magic that is Downtown Topeka.

“I challenge each and every one of my team members to do better than the day before. Every day is a new opportunity to grow and become better.”

What important characteristic should every leader possess?

Each of my tattoos has so much meaning behind them. Two of my tattoos on my hands say “Dedication” and “Hard Work.” I truly believe that those two characteristics are key. You have to be dedicated to what you believe in. And, everyone knows that nothing comes easy, so you have to be willing to sacrifice and work hard.

What do you hope your legacy will be?

My legacy, hopefully, will be to not only put Topeka on the map for restaurants, but to be known for what I did for Topeka as a whole. I want to change how Topeka looks at food, and I want to be a voice for change.

Photo by NATHAN HAM PHOTOGRAPHY

Who are your heroes?

I have two—my father and my wife. My father has taught me to work hard, never give up and take a risk. My wife is probably the hardest working person I know. She pushes me every day to be my best.

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What is your motivation?

Doubters and naysayers. When starting my cooking career, I don’t know how many times I heard “you can’t do that.” I still hear this. I hate it but enjoy it at the same time because it pushes me harder.

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LAURA VAUGHN Age 37 Pediatric Dentist/Owner Pediatric Smiles/Vaughn Pediatric Dentistry As a board-certified pediatric dentist, Laura considers her primary responsibility to be promoting the dental health of children. Laura often visits area schools to promote dental education and has also participated in mission outreach programs including: Colorado and Kansas Mission of Mercy, Chicago Dental Van and Colgate Oral Health Mobile. Laura is a Topeka Symphony League board member and a member of the Junior League of Topeka’s Leadership Council.

“Topeka is great—a wonderful place to live and work, and moving here has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”

What is the most important characteristic that a leader can possess?

Be willing to show up, roll up your sleeves, and do the work. The way I see it, if I tell someone to do something for me, and I wouldn’t be willing to show them how to do it or even do it myself, then I shouldn’t have a high expectation of their success.

Photo by NATHAN HAM PHOTOGRAPHY

What do you do to ensure your growth and development as a leader?

“In the event of an emergency, please put on your own oxygen mask before assisting others.”

I try to lead by example, and that means putting MY best foot forward every day. If I sleep, exercise and show up with a smile, I hope that my positivity is infectious to my team. When the days and weeks get especially stressful, I reach for an “oxygen mask,” take a deep breath and continue moving forward.

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What do you hope your legacy will be?

To get everyone to floss. (The string, not the dance.) It takes less than one minute a day, it costs less than $1 a month and it makes you healthier. I did not have great oral hygiene as a kid, and I paid the price; I’ve had a lot of dental work done. Creating healthy habits often requires time, commitment and consistency, and they won’t stick until their value is seen.

MISTY KRUGER Age 34 Director of Communications Topeka Public Schools Supporting social media, websites, newsletters, media relations and much more, Misty’s leadership has made an impact on the Topeka Public Schools. She has built positive relationships with local media, served as district liaison with Lucky 8 Studio on the A&E network Undercover High docuseries and was also awarded Topeka Public Schools Administrator of the Year. Misty serves on the board of the United Way of Greater Topeka and is a member of the Kansas School Public Relations Association, the National School Public Relations Association, and the Topeka Administrators Association. She supports the Topeka Optimist Club and serves as a leader in the Silver Lake Girl Scouts Troop.

“When a family or a company is looking to relocate to our community, I have the ability to help share the story of what makes Topeka Public Schools such a great choice for education.”

What do you hope your legacy will be?

I hope my legacy will be being kind. I think there are so many things you can work for in life, but if you are not kind along the way none of it matters.

I truly hope when someone looks back on my life, they smile as they remember a time I made them smile, helped them or was just a good person to them.

What is your motivation?

Being successful. I want my kids to see that through hard-work you can do whatever you set your mind to. As a first-generation college student, there were barriers to get where I am today, but it is important you find a way to overcome those barriers. Never allow someone else to determine your future.

Photo by NATHAN HAM PHOTOGRAPHY

Who are your heroes?

My hero is my mom. As a single mother of four kids, she worked hard to provide for us. She pushes me and always supports me no matter what. She never missed an event that one of her kids was a part of, and now as a grandma, she supports her grandkids in the same manner.

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HEATHER CALVERT Age 33 Principal Indian Hills Elementary School Auburn-Washburn USD 437 Heather attended Indian Hills Elementary School as a child; today she walks those same halls as its leader. In 2011, Heather was awarded Teacher of the Year by the Topeka Rotary Club for her accomplishments. She is a leadership mentor to staff members by helping them reach their desired positions. Heather volunteers with Call to Care in Kansas, providing insight into the role foster care plays in a child’s educational journey.

Outside of school, she is a volunteer at Western Hills Church.

“I am motivated by the students who walk into our schools every morning. As educators, we owe it to them to be nothing less than outstanding at what we do.”

What is the job of an educator?

The job of an educator is to prepare students to lead a happy and successful life. This means looking beyond test scores and developing students to be responsible citizens who are prepared to pursue their passions.

What advice would you give someone in a new leadership position?

Prioritize. Your to-do list will be never ending, and tasks will always be left undone. Keep your focus clear and spend your time on tasks that will have the biggest impact. Focus on the mission and the reason you took the position in the first place.

Photo by NATHAN HAM PHOTOGRAPHY

How do you foster creative and innovative thinking within your organization?

I love celebrating staff for taking risks and stepping outside of their comfort zones. I remove barriers when possible to allow teachers the flexibility and freedom to follow their passions and create learning experiences for students.

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What do you hope your legacy will be?

I hope that when people think of me, they think about how much I support others. Whether it be professionally or personally, I am always trying to help others succeed. I hope this comes through in my daily activities when I am able to help staff members grow and become better educators or pursue leadership roles of their own.

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PAT COLLEY Age 39 Director of Risk Management, Tax, Compliance, Adjustments and Controls SE2, LLC A lifelong Topekan, Pat uses his more than 16 years of experience managing risk, his Lean Six Sigma black belt training and his passion for service to help SE2 and give back to the community. He is currently the vice president for the Friends of the Topeka Zoo Board. Next year he will step into the role of president, providing guidance and service to the zoo. Pat, with his Leadership Greater Topeka classmates, organizes the annual “Stuff the Bus” campaign—a school supply drive benefiting the Boys and Girls Club of Topeka. He is proud to serve and invest in transforming and improving Topeka’s quality of life.

“No matter how intense a situation becomes, a good leader will respect those involved and slow down instead of reacting too quickly.”

What do you do daily to ensure your growth and development as a leader?

Balance and a daily focus on priorities. As I grow older and more experienced, I feel my growth and development continues and is directly attributed to my focus on self-care, my family and faith.

An exercise routine helps keep me focused and drives my awareness and critical thinking skills at work. Finding ways to better communicate with my kids and inspire them really drives my confidence and ability to lead others. Personal life balance is so important to an individual’s self-confidence and ability to lead at a high level.

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Photo by NATHAN HAM PHOTOGRAPHY

What advice would you give someone in a new leadership position?

Remember that “you can’t manage what you can’t measure” and “communication and respect are key.” There is a way to measure every process or task. A continued focus on data and metrics surrounding key processes will drive quality and success of any organization. In addition, kindness is key in everything that we do. We should always recognize that we don’t know everything about someone else and what might be going on in their life.

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Join us as we transform Life and Annuity Insurance Operations.

Visit www.se2.com/careers or contact hr@se2.com WINTER 2018

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CHAD LOGAN Age 31 President Logan Business Machines Army veteran Chad Logan not only runs a successful business, but he also serves his community as a member of the Greater Topeka Partnership’s Small Business Council, North Topeka Business Alliance, and Great American Financial Dealer Council. Involved in Momentum 2022 and the Buy Local campaign, Chad is passionate about serving the community.

Recently, Logan Business Machines, donated 75 new printers to support more than 50 nonprofit organizations in the community.

“It is vital for a leader to clearly communicate their values to their organization by being an example of their own expectation.”

What fuels your commitment to the community?

At the end of the day, my business is dependent on this community, and I believe it’s my responsibility to give back and take care of Topeka to the best of my ability.

Who is your hero?

My hero is my Grandpa, Hal Logan. He took care of himself and his parents growing up, literally hunting to put food on the table. He did this all through high school while playing football, basketball and baseball. Although he loved sports and wanted to play in college, he decided to leave school and go to work to support his family. While everyone told him he couldn’t do it, he started his own business and 46 years later it’s still going.

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Photo by NATHAN HAM PHOTOGRAPHY

What do you hope your legacy will be?

I hope my legacy is that I approached life and the people in it with enthusiasm, compassion and a determination to help people succeed. If that holds to be true, then the people I was able to help will carry that forward and help countless others achieve success long after I’m gone.

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AMBER MERTEL Age 37 Acting Associate Director, VHA Member Services Workforce Management Department of Veterans Affairs From leading a team of 24 that schedules for six business lines and 1,200 staff to being selected to serve as part of a team tasked with standardizing the way veterans enroll in health care, Amber can be described as determined, persistent and flexible. She chaired the Workforce Management Governance Committee and cochaired the VA2K event for Veteran’s Homeless Programs. In 2017, Amber was selected to lead a workstream to develop requirements for the White House VA Hotline, which was an initiative from President Trump’s 10-point plan.

“People will own what they help to create. If you are connected to your team, they will follow and join in to bring your vision to life.”

What advice would you give someone in a new leadership position?

Do not take feedback as negative. Use it as areas to focus on to be more effective.

Photo by NATHAN HAM PHOTOGRAPHY

How do you foster creative and innovative thinking within your organization?

Focus on keeping people from putting themselves in the solution box while still in development process. Always have a diverse team, which will lead to healthy debates. Empower and support failure. Sometimes the “easy” button would be to just do the work yourself. However, by doing that, you do not allow others to grow, develop and learn from mistakes.

Who are your heroes?

My mother’s parents helped my mother raise me and were great role models. My grandmother was very organized and detail-oriented, always keeping the house clean and welcoming. My grandfather was a hard-working, dedicated employee who would pride himself in giving his all and completing any task he set out to do.

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FROM THE PROFESSOR

Expanding your business worldwide: is it worth it?

By DR. MICHAEL STOICA

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HERE ARE SO MANY CHALLENGES when trying to take your business international. Is it worth the effort, time and money?

The literature is flooded with papers describing the challenges companies face when going abroad: working in different time zones can be frustrating, cultural differences difficult to overcome, problems with logistics, the need for in-depth and costly research (very costly for small and mediumsized businesses), high risk of failure (even higher for small businesses). Below are some of the challenges that are frequently present in literature or consulting and advising settings: Physical distance and time zone differences.

Cultural dimensions and unknowns: language, values, norms.

Tariffs and export/import fees.

Accounting system.

Human resources and local talent management.

Organizational communication.

Supply chain management and risk of labor exploitation.

Choosing the right country: there are so many options, where to start?

Slower pace: the business world is moving slower, at times much slower, than in the USA. Local competition that might be favored (subsidized) by the government.

“When you are an international company and you are trying to compete with a local company, if it means that every time you need to make a decision you need to go back to headquarters and then come However, there are many more success stories than failures back, especially in a space like when discussing the topic of doing business in international ours, in the internet space, settings. U.S. businesses are particularly successful when you’re going to lose to your expanding overseas. The U.S. market is very competitive, and American companies that do well in their local market local competitor.” are strong competitors and, in general, well positioned to do

business abroad. Brands such as Coke, McDonald’s and Apple conquered the world. I recently noticed Hill’s Pet Nutrition

—John Donahoe products in many veterinarian stores in Paraguay and Brazil.

Former President & CEO They are testing global packaging in Europe and South eBay America.

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Reasons companies should start expanding overseas: Doing business internationally is now being regarded by an increasing number of small and medium-sized businesses as an attainable goal. Technological advances such as Internet e-commerce or m-commerce have provided new opportunities that make exporting or other business involvement overseas at least doable or viable options.

Having a presence in more than one country ensures a firm isn’t reliant on the health of just one country’s economy for its success.

HOW TO BEGIN Gather knowledge and experience so you can decide if you should expand overseas:

Travel. The company leadership should encourage and even motivate employees to travel abroad. Every avenue of information gathering should be explored: conferences, trade shows, even vacations. Employees should travel and observe with an entrepreneurial mindset. Be curious and look for business ideas. Learn how others are doing business. This is how Starbucks’ success started.

Make friends overseas. Every travel experience or contact with someone overseas should result in new friends. These new friends might be an excellent resource for information and ideas.

Read. Secondary research (at least in the beginning) will be very helpful in figuring out if and where it makes sense to expand beyond the local market.

Present the idea to as many as possible. Once a particular international opportunity is detected, the business should challenge its employees and/or any stakeholder to give their opinions on the idea. Some might have additional ideas and/or some (even if different) international experience.

Test the market. At the minimum, try some Internet sales and explore foreign customer behavior.

Start sooner rather than later. It is best to start doing business overseas before outgrowing the local market. It provides growth opportunity, allows for diversification, and helps to better manage risk.

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• GROWTH Growth is an obvious advantage. The company has a strong presence in the U.S. market, and the only way to keep growing is to expand to markets abroad.

• DIVERSIFICATION Spreading business risk over different continents might be another reason.

Tobacco companies would have no chance to grow or even to be profitable today had they chosen to do business only in America.

• EXPERIENCE Gaining experience from different markets with different buying habits and different competition. The experience learned abroad might be useful in enhancing the revenue model—adding new streams of revenue due to the experience gained abroad, or even changing the business model. Saint Augustine’s quote is so true for not only individuals, but for businesses as well: “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.”

Companies have to “travel” too… and test their business model abroad. This is the best way to get an experience that might dramatically enhance the business model. McDonald’s and Starbucks learned a lot from their operations abroad. They improved their home operations based on what they learned.

• TALENT Use of local talent. By doing business only in their home country, companies are missing on opportunities to be more creative. Ad agencies are gaining a lot by using local talent that they find abroad. That diverse talent will have an impact on creativity and on the way promotion campaigns could be designed.

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FROM THE PROFESSOR

STARBUCKS The Brazilian coffee customer is sophisticated and demanding. The locals say that selling coffee in Brazil is like selling sand in the Sahara. However, Starbucks managed to win a market segment that was very competitive.

The Brazilian’s way of drinking coffee fits well into Starbucks’ milk and cream based product line. The company localized their traditional cappuccino with a “doce de leite” (traditional Brazilian cream made out of milk and sugar) addition.

Brazilians are warm people and their loyalty to companies that are warm and friendly is remarkable. Starbucks addressed this by hiring and training the friendliest staff from all of the large coffee shop chains in Brazil.

COCA COLA In the last couple of years, Coca-Cola has launched a series of back-to-back campaigns to promote the Sprite brand in Brazil. Market research showed that Brazilians spend more time than Americans or Europeans on social media (see figure), so that is where Coca Cola targeted its messaging. The campaigns used videos in conjunction with ads on both Facebook and YouTube to support both online and offline marketing activities. The campaign then integrated that messaging with indoor and outdoor displays, live events, point-ofsale viewing and merchandising. Of the 14 million Sprite Facebook fans worldwide, Sprite’s Brazilian Facebook fans now number more than 2.5 million, the second largest group after U.S. fans.

Rio de Janeiro-based agency WMcCann released a shared content campaign, modifying the cans of Sprite into blank screens. They challenged people to create new artistic designs that would appear on the cans. More than 250,000 artistic designs were submitted, and four of these were chosen and sold all over the country. For Brazilians, that was a “lovemark,” a proof that Sprite is warm and friendly. Sales of Sprite increased substantially.

Michael Stoica, Ph.D is a Distinguished Professor of Marketing at Washburn University School of Business.

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IN SUMMARY Expanding internationally is one of the most complex business strategies. Different businesses and sectors will have specific rules, which will frequently be determined by the scope of activities, availability of skilled personnel and resources (both financial and non-financial) and actual market conditions. However, while there may be a considerable number of rules and regulations, fortunately there are also a wide range of solutions that can be tailored to the individual company that chooses to expand overseas.

Support and intervention from advisers and organizations familiar with local legislation will often be a critical factor in the success of any expanding overseas plan. There are also possible repercussions of the foreign expansion on domestic activities: reallocation of resources, changes in the philosophy of the decision-making process, changes in the way local markets are served, etc. TK

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STANDARDIZATION VS. ADAPTATION When expanding the business abroad, the “battle” between standardization and adaptation becomes critically important. At times, standardization is the right answer. After the fall of the Berlin wall and the political changes in Central and Eastern Europe, Coca Cola decided to enter those new markets. The company chose not only to offer exactly the same product that was sold in the U.S., but also to use the same ads—in English. Nothing was translated into the local languages. The success was remarkable.

Before this market entry, Pepsi was the dominant seller of soft drinks. In just a few months, Coke managed to outsell Pepsi by three to one and gained up to 80 percent of market share in all of the former socialist countries. Pepsi had been present in all of the local markets since 1974 and were perceived as part of the “old system.”

Coca Cola’s entrance into the market with its messaging in English implied that “finally the Americans are here.”

Examples from Brazil show how American businesses have adapted to the local market.

Brazilians are emotional people and they want a strong and close relationship with their favorite brands. They want “lovemarks.”

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BRINGING THE WORLD TO TOPEKA Area businesses and organizations have an important role to play in making our community more representative of the wider world by bringing people to the table who can share ideas and bring international perspectives that a native to Topeka or Kansas might not have considered.

By MIRANDA ERICSSON

Photos by EMMA HIGHFILL AND DAVID VINCENT

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INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE IN EDUCATION Washburn University brings a global perspective to Topeka by employing many professors who began their lives in other countries and hosting students from around the world. Baili Zhang, director of International Programs at Washburn, was born in China and first came to Topeka as part of an exchange program with Topeka Public Schools to assist and observe in classrooms. He earned a master’s degree at Washburn and has since spent more than 20 years working for the university. Zhang says many Washburn students and residents of Topeka might not have the means or opportunity for international travel, but they can experience the broader world through interaction with international students.

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is the nation’s sixth largest export sector. Think of it as the U.S. “selling” education services to the rest of the world. Around one million international students nationwide—5 percent of overall U.S. college enrollments—contributed nearly $37 billion to the U.S. economy and created or supported more than 450,000 U.S. jobs. Last year, 10,231 international students studied in Kansas, spending more than $261 million in local communities and supporting 2,696 jobs.

David Price, associate professor of marketing at Washburn and Australia native, notes that professors with an international background can help broaden student perspectives.

“Many of our students have not experienced life outside of the United States and even perhaps outside of the Midwest region,” Price said. “International faculty can bring some of that international cultural experience to them in the classroom.”

Price first came to the U.S. to attend Washburn University on a tennis scholarship. He now works with the Entrepreneurship and Innovation department and serves as the assistant coach of the WU men’s and women’s tennis teams. Like Zhang, Price sees value in bringing people from many backgrounds together.

“It changes our perspective, the way we see ourselves and the world,” Price said. “When we look at a challenge, event or a problem, the

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“Our program brings international students and a small sample of the world to our campus and community so that our students and citizens can learn about and from them while they learn about and from us,” Zhang said. “We hope this type of organic interaction can foster intercultural understanding and mutual respect, and enrich our learning and living.”

Zhang says international students enrich our community in many ways. For one, meeting people from different backgrounds increases tolerance.

“When people with diverse backgrounds and viewpoints coexist in the same community and interact, they get to know one another better, which often leads to more understanding and less fear,” Zhang said.

He also notes that interaction between people from different backgrounds can lead to creativity in problem solving. And if that’s not enough, international students also mean some serious cash flow for the community.

“International students impact our economy more than many people realize,” Zhang said. “Through spending on tuition, food, housing, transportation, and many other service products, they contribute to the economic activities in our communities.”

Zhang said that according to the U.S. Department of Commerce and NAFSA, international education

Born in China, Baili Zhang, is the director of International Programs at Washburn University, who first came to Topeka as part of an exchange program.

Australia native David Price originally arrived in Topeka on a tennis scholarship and now serves as an associate professor of marketing at Washburn University.

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more perspectives you get, the more options you have to find solutions. It could shift anything really, from the way we use language, technology, social organization, nonverbal behavior, and the perception of time.”

Price also points out the practical value of international perspectives for business and the Topeka economy.

“A diverse, cross-cultural community provides an advantage when competing in foreign markets,” Price said. “A Topeka business with a crosscultural base increases the likelihood that they will have a competitive edge abroad.”

INTERNATIONAL FLAIR FOR FOOD It is hard to think international without considering food. Specialty markets bring the world of international food to Topeka residents. TT Asian Grocery, located at 2831 SW Wanamaker Road, is an Indian Market with a large selection of imported and fresh goods. Owner Telson Thomas was born in India and has lived in Kansas for nine

Photo by EMMA HIGHFILL

India born Telson Thomas opened TT Asian Grocery in Topeka after learning many customers were driving an hour to his Overland Park location to shop.

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REINDEER IN THE HEAD LIGHTS? Photo by EMMA HIGHFILL

TT Asian Grocery on Wanamaker Road, is an Indian Market with a large selection of imported goods, Indian spices and fresh vegetables.

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years. He opened his first store in Overland Park to meet a demand in that community, and then opened a store in Topeka after hearing from many customers that they were driving an hour to shop. Thomas says the response has been rewarding.

“It means a lot to our customers that they are able to buy all of their Indian spices and fresh vegetables,” Thomas said.

On a recent Friday evening, the Topeka TT Asian Grocery store was lively. A television played an Indian reality show, and customers chatted while they examined produce and queued up in a quick-moving line to buy groceries.

Thomas says he believes that food is a common ground that brings people together.

“We are living in a multicultural world,” Thomas said, “but everyone eats! This way people will be able to try different spices, produce, snacks and sweets, and share something that we have in common.”

Thomas also believes that small businesses are a great way for immigrants to both give back to a community and find their place in its fabric.

“Small businesses give immigrants a chance at a better life and to build friendships, and we also give people a better understanding about the ethnic community that they may not be familiar with,” he said.

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TRANSFORMOTION I N

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Russian born Alexander Smirnov and his wife, Stephanie Heston, from Topeka, connect students to the broader world of dance at their Kansas Ballet Academy.

Photo by DAVID VINCENT

KANSAS BALLET ACADEMY Alexander Smirnov and Stephanie Heston bring the international world to Topeka through the art of ballet.

The husband and wife team own and operate Kansas Ballet Academy, where they teach a Russian training program called the Vaganova Method, a progressive training designed to build strength and skill gradually while avoiding injury. They are the only school in the region that teaches with this method. Smirnov is proud of what the school brings to the community.

“We teach the art form of ballet,” Smirnov said. “It’s not just moves; it’s a language. Our dancers can go anywhere in the world.”

Smirnov was born in Russia, where he began his training as a dancer at the age of 10. Heston was raised in Topeka, and it was here that her passion for dance was ignited.

When she went to New York to pursue her professional career, though, she realized she had missed out on an important aspect of ballet—a connection to the international community of dance. Smirnov and Heston founded Kansas Ballet Academy to connect dancers in Topeka to the broader world of dance. They encourage their dancers to “dream big,” to consider the wider horizons of the world beyond our city boundaries.

One way they share the world with their students and with the community is through their annual presentation of the “Nutcracker” ballet. This worldclass production includes live music performed by the Topeka Symphony.

“We bring in international guests who teach master classes and share the stage,” Smirnov said. “For dancers and ballet fans, this is like sharing space with an NBA star. It inspires our dancers to new heights.”

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The Challenges of Global Business

By KIM GRONNIGER

Trade issues and tariff worries are affecting businesses of all sizes across the globe, and SD Engineering LLC in Topeka is no exception.

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HE COMPANY, owned by Steve and Janney Duncan, designs components for original equipment manufacturers producing primarily large mowers, post hole diggers, tillers and animal feeding equipment.

Established in Dodge City in 2006 and relocated to Topeka in 2011, SD Engineering supplies its customers with gear boxes, drive shafts, wheels and shields, as well as repair and replacement parts for everything they make.

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Photo by BRADEN DIMICK

SD Engineering supplies its customers with gear boxes, drive shafts, wheels and shields, as well as repair and replacement parts.

TARIFFS When the first tariff list was implemented on July 6, 2018, Steve said SD Engineering went from paying zero in taxes to paying 25 percent overnight on spare parts and tail wheels on mowers.

“We tried to help our customers out as much as we could, but we had to pass along some of that added expense to them,” said Steve.

A second tariff list was issued on Aug. 23. “Luckily, we had no products on this list,” said Steve.

A third tariff list introduced on Sept. 24, 2018, has extracted a 10 percent tax “on virtually everything else” that SD Engineering supplies.

Growing concerns about the likelihood of an across-the-board 25 percent tariff by the end of the year has the Duncans, their U.S. customers and their Chinese suppliers all

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assessing the situation and exploring alternatives.

A sweeping 25 percent tariff would not only impact the operations of small specialty companies like SD Engineering but also retail behemoths like Walmart, driving prices up for everyone, Steve said.

The Duncans acknowledge that unfair global trade practices impede the ability of U.S. companies to compete abroad and should be addressed, but enacting countermeasures can be costly.

“We support President Trump’s efforts to level the playing field for trade and to build up American production capacity,” said Steve, “but those efforts will also increase prices for American consumers because wages and other business expenses will go up too.”

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SOURCING The Duncans strive to find U.S. suppliers that can fill the void, but lower labor costs in China and the government’s ability to provide rebates of 18 percent or more to companies exporting products to the United States are factors that hinder entrepreneurs here from entering the market.

On a recent business trip to China to meet with suppliers, the Duncans had candid conversations with their counterparts who are just as frustrated and perplexed as they are about the changing business landscape.

“There are a lot of political games and no one is sure what’s going on,” Steve said. “It’s a tough time for small shops in China too.”

Steve said about 40 percent of the casting and forging factories in China

have closed because of cumbersome environmental standards that are costly to comply with.

“Now that the smaller casting and forging factories are closed, the large factories don’t want to make small orders, and if they do, the price is much higher,” he said.

As entrepreneurs, the Duncans are accustomed to coping with shifting practices inherent in doing business in China, but being unable to secure parts for their customers would be worrisome.

“A lot of our components are used on small equipment purchased by gentlemen farmers,” said Steve. “When the crop price is down, like now, the market dictates that certain items, especially more expensive equipment, won’t sell well, but our spare parts business will be good, keeping things stable. But if we can’t get our customers the parts they need, then that’s bad for business.”

Steve surmised that if a 25 percent tariff gets implemented by the end of the year, then “a lot of Chinese factories will move to Vietnam or Laos or Malaysia not only to avoid the tariff but also the environmental constraints that China’s put in place.”

Although the Duncans said they didn’t base their business plan on continuous growth every year, they’ve achieved it and hope that if another tariff is implemented they can find new products and suppliers to help fill the void.

“At the moment, we’re not seeing anyone wanting to jump in right now,” said Steve. “The reality is that the United States gave away its forging and casting factories to China 30 years ago because the Environmental Protection Agency rules were so strict. It took us 30 years to lose everything and it may take another 30 years and major investment to get it back.”

DOMESTIC OPPORTUNITIES Steve said that “more casting capacity at a reasonable cost” is imperative for the OEM industry and expressed hope that the United States would be able to develop the infrastructure to support domestic production of nuts, bolts, gears and steel products in the future.

“Down the road we believe that some products will be manufactured here and will make U.S.-made products more competitive globally, but it probably depends on which industry you’re in,” he said.

“We’re not sure how the tariff situation will be resolved, but we haven’t seen any slow down in the number of business orders we’ve received,” said Janney.

“In some cases, we’ve even seen customers place larger orders because they wanted us to ship as much product as possible before the deadline.”

}

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Photo by BRADEN DIMICK

A SD Engineering employee tests the finished gearbox using a decibel meter to make sure that it is operating correctly and below specified sound level.

HOW DOES KANSAS STACK UP GLOBALLY?

The latest numbers from the Kansas Department of Commerce show that Kansas companies export more than $10 billion in goods. About half of the exports went to just three countries: Canada, Mexico and China. The state had foreign trade worth nearly $1 billion with China in 2015.

The trade deficit with China (the difference between U.S. exports to China and U.S. imports from China) was $347 billion in 2016.

The state’s top five exported commodities are aircraft and aircraft parts, meat, cereals, industrial machinery and electrical machinery.

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A MULTI-CULTURAL ENTREPRENEUR’S PERSPECTIVE ON CHINESE TRADE Janney Duncan, a Chinese national and U.S. citizen, has worked as an engineer in China and as a banking executive in Dodge City.

In China, she said it is not unusual for the country to assess a tariff of 200 percent or more in an attempt to protect its own industries. Decades ago China aggressively courted companies like General Motors and Volkswagen for joint ventures with 20/80 splits that have evolved into more equal partnerships in 2018.

However, Janney said new regimes implement their own policies and “there’s no continuity on previous promises” made to companies.

Janney drew similarities between the United States and China, noting that in both countries special interest groups compete for power while “the

TK Business Magazine

rich get richer and the poor get poorer.”

Although housing prices in China are four times higher than those in New York City, Janney said, “The Chinese government can control the economy and manipulate the currency to keep costs down and the bubble from bursting.”

Still, she said many Chinese have discovered it is cheaper to fly to the United States to buys goods and ship them home than to buy them in China.

The counterfeit export industry in China is also booming, and Janney attributed the country’s fast growth through the decades to a nimble ability to copy the craftsmanship of others.

“Over the past 30 years, nothing is constant,” she said. “Every time we go to China, policies and regulations have changed, and we must adapt to the new rules.”

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Photo by RACHEL LOCK

The love story behind the business

Husband and wife team, Steve and Janney Duncan, decided to capitalize on their combined skills and international connections to fill a niche in the engineering/manufacturing environment.

However, their story actually began years earlier, on another continent.

As part of his job with ITG, Steve worked with production facilities in China to manufacture industrial equipment designed by engineers in Dodge City. Steve travelled to China two or three times a year to oversee the production of various products and maintain connections with facility personnel. On one such trip in 1999, Steve was enjoying breakfast at a hotel in Tai’an, when a young lady sitting at a table next to him caught his eye. Steve, who doesn’t know a stranger, struck up a conversation and was intrigued to learn that she was also an engineer. They exchanged business cards and went their separate ways.

A year went by.

Then one day, out of the blue, Janney received a call from Steve. He was back in China and wanted to meet up for dinner. Thus, began a long-distance romance that found the couple saying their wedding vows a few years later.

In a whirlwind, Janney found herself transplanted from Beijing to Dodge City, Kansas—a bit of a culture shock to say the least. With an engineering degree that she couldn’t use in America, and a bit of a language

Janney and Steve Duncan, owners of SD Engineering LLC, elevate the meaning of partnership. Their combined skill sets strengthen their business’ success.

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barrier, Janney was at a loss of what to do.

Steve encouraged her to find something she was passionate about. Money and finances fascinated her, so she went back to school and received an MBA degree as well as her CPA and began working for a local credit union.

Janney’s engineering background, coupled with her understanding of the financial aspects required to run a business, sparked her entrepreneurial spirit. She knew that if they could combine what Steve was already doing in the outsourcing of products from China with her understanding of finance and the Chinese culture, they could successfully operate their own business.

“I’m good with strategy and planning,” Janney said, “and Steve can sell anything. So, it just seemed to make sense.”

While still maintaining their existing careers, Steve and Janney opened SD Engineering and began working on sourcing for a company that offered livestock feeding equipment and wanted to reduce the cost of its products.

“Steve designed the product and created a prototype,” Janney said. “And then I used my knowledge of both engineering and the Chinese language to help coordinate the sourcing to manufacture the product in China.”

The combination was indeed successful.

“A lot of business in China is about trust and connections,” Steve said. “Janney’s ability to speak with the factory managers in their own language was critical to our success.”

Slowly the business began to grow as SD Engineering took on additional products. After ITG experienced financial difficulties in 2008, Steve and Janney decided to pour all of their resources into growing SD Engineering. They stepped in to fill the void left behind after ITG went out of business.

“Customers were in desperate need of ways to provide cheaper products,” Steve said.

“We knew we could fill that niche.”

They moved the business to Topeka in 2011 and it has seen continued growth. With 10 employees and an expanding base of loyal customers, Steve and Janney look forward to what the future has to bring.

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EXPANDING YOUR BUSINESS INTERNATIONALLY

Jeremy Graber PHOTO SUBMITTED

PARTNER FOULSTON SIEFKIN LLP

Thinking about doing business internationally?

M

AKING THE DECISION to expand your business internationally opens the door to new avenues of customers, suppliers and even employees to help you and your business. Kansas Global Trade Services reports that companies who export their products grow faster and pay higher wages compared to those who do business only domestically.

However, there is a reason fewer than 1% of the companies in the U.S. conduct international trade. Doing business across borders comes with added complexities. Every country has different laws and local practices that vary based on the nature of your business.

This article will highlight a few key points to consider before engaging in international business.

But most importantly, if you are considering or have already decided to go international, you should engage experts to assist you in this endeavor.

Lawyers and other professionals are often members of global associations which can give local clients access to the help and expertise they need when crossing borders, so ask around.

CONTRACTING: READ MORE THAN JUST THE FINE PRINT Many companies first dip their toe in the water by acquiring goods abroad. Contract terms that seem routine here must be scrutinized in the international context.

When does title or risk of loss pass from the seller to you as the buyer? When the goods leave the port on a cargo ship? When the ship arrives in the U.S. port? Or when the goods arrive at the buyer’s facility? This distinction is critical for several reasons, including insurance and customs.

How can you evaluate the goods in production to ensure they’re being produced to your requirements? Employee safety and other protections that we sometimes take for granted may not be in place in other countries. Your customers care that their products are being made in a safe environment.

These questions must be addressed in the contract.

Likewise, if you are selling goods internationally, when does title and risk of loss pass to your buyer? This is important for taxes as well as risk assessment. Do you have to insure the items only to the U.S. port, or until they arrive at your buyer’s doorstep? Think through the goods’ complete journey, so that you can adequately determine who bears the risks and how to insure. What if the ship is delayed or cargo is held up in port? How will that affect your business?

GOVERNING LAW AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION Another key point of international transactions: Whose law governs? You likely want U.S. law to apply, unless there is some good reason for it not to apply (typically based on a clear understanding of the foreign law and effects on your business).

A related issue is the venue to resolve disputes. Your business partner in Shanghai likely has no more interest in coming to Topeka than you do in going there if a dispute arises.

Parties often agree to international arbitration provisions in a mutually agreeable location, which may not be favorable to any one party.

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CONTRACT TERM AND TERMINATION The contract’s term is important to understand and negotiate. When can you get out, even if there is no breach? If you are not experienced with international transactions, small steps (short-term contracts) might be best at first. Signing a five-year exclusive purchasing contract with a new partner may not be in your best interest.

EXAMPLE— You enter into a multi-year exclusive buying agreement with an agent who handles all your purchasing from eastern Asia. You agree to pay the agent a commission for all purchases. In return, all purchases from eastern Asia must be placed through your buying agent.

After the arrangement starts, you discover it is difficult to locate where the items are being manufactured, and your agent is not responsive to your emails and calls. After reviewing the contract, it can be terminated only for “cause” (meaning you have to prove the agent breached the contract) or with payment of a breakup fee equal to one year’s commission based on projected volumes (even though volumes are now much lower). Even worse, any disputes are to be litigated in Shanghai.

You’re in a tough spot on getting out of this contract cheaply or easily, even though the agent is not meeting your expectations. A shorter term would give you more flexibility.

EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS AND BENEFITS What should you consider before placing your employees in another country or hiring non-U.S. employees in another country? Not surprisingly, other countries’ employment laws can be vastly different.

Some countries provide more rights to employees than “at-will” employment. You may not be able to simply terminate an employee for any reason or no reason at all.

Tax liability and tax reporting requirements can also be affected for both the employer and employee. The United States has tax treaties with many other countries, which will often dictate the tax effects of employees working in those various countries. But find out before you make the decision.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO Jumping into the international waters is an exciting opportunity to grow and expand your business. But tread carefully and select good business partners and advisors to ensure you are adequately protected in making this leap.

TK

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ASHLEY BAHM

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Photo by EMMA HIGHFILL

Photo by EMMA HIGHFILL

Photo by EMMA HIGHFILL

Photos by EMMA HIGHFILL

WINTER 2018

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I AM TOPEKA

Photo by EMMA HIGHFILL

Brady Robb, President, and Becky Dickinson, Vice-President, are the brother/sister owners and managing team at the Robb Co.

BRADY ROBB & BECKY DICKINSON THE ROBB CO.

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It would be easy to assume that in today’s marketplace, profits come before people and closing sales is valued over customer service. In many cases, this may be true—but there still remains those who prize authentic relationships above everything else.

One of these companies, of course, is proud to call Topeka home.

The Robb Co., a real estate and leasing company, has seen its share of changes, challenges and triumphs since its inception in the 1950s. Originally founded as Love, Taggart and Robb, the now-family-owned business is currently owned and operated by Brady Robb (president) and Becky Dickinson (vice president)—the son and daughter of the company’s co-founder Ronald Robb— and is behind some of Topeka’s favorite stops.

The Brookwood Shopping Center (located at 2709 SW 29th St.), the Campus Shopping Center (located at 17th Street and Washburn Ave.), and the 21st and Belle Shops are all owned by the Robb Co. The businesses located within each shopping center are tenants of the Robb Co., renting their respective spaces, while the Robb Co. manages and maintains the properties as a whole.

“On a daily basis, we’re making sure the properties are in excellent shape, fostering tenant relationships, and marketing our business,” Becky said.

With a company size of five people, the Robb Co. enjoys the benefit of having a tight-knit team, yet is still able to drive excellent results.

“We have terrific people,” Becky said.

And like any great team, the Robb Co. has a shared focus: building longlasting relationships in the community.

Brady, who joined the family business 25 years ago, said that is one thing that has never changed. However, he certainly has seen other shifts over the years.

“When we started out, we were the community shopping center, and we provided convenience. Customers could come in, get what they wanted to buy, and go to the next store without having to worry about driving or parking elsewhere. Eventually the malls began showing up in the ‘60s and ‘70s, but now malls are starting to go away, so what we’re seeing is a shift back toward people going to small shopping centers.”

And of course, as in almost every industry, technology has been a gamechanger in local businesses.

While ecommerce companies like Amazon have made their presence felt, Becky and Brady are proud to continue to offer face-to-face

service for those who value a more personal and engaging shopping experience.

“There are still a lot of people who want to go in when they shop, get to know the owner and build relationships,” Becky said.

“They might see an item online, but they want to go into an actual store, check it out and make sure it is what they think it is before buying.

“On a certain level, I think a lot of people are returning to this.”

Among the reasons for this, the power of relationships and customer loyalty would certainly be counted among the top.

“The most rewarding part is just working with people and building the relationships

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through the process. One of the benefits of being an on-site manager is that you get to know the people who own the businesses, and it is very rewarding to get to know them and watch their businesses grow.”

Brady echoed the sentiment.

“We’re with our tenants through the whole process, from opening up shop to becoming a successful business, and our long-term tenants evolve into really great relationships.”

While staying on top of an ever-evolving industry can prove challenging, the Robb Co. plans to continue focusing on what they do best: taking care of their people.

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I AM TOPEKA Ashley Bahm, president of Bahm Demolition, shares that more dismantling than demolition happens on a jobsite as they continually search for ways to recycle or reuse products that might have ended up in a landfill.

Photo by EMMA HIGHFILL

The stories of Bahm Demolition and GreenPoint C&D Processing Center are both ones of persistent innovation, borne out of a desire to find a better way.

Founded in 2002 by David Bahm, Bahm Demolition is a familyowned and-operated company located in Silver Lake, Kansas. Today, David’s daughter Ashley Bahm serves as the company’s president.

Like any company in its field, the business provides demolition and deconstruction services. But Bahm has added its own twist to their services that make it anything but “just another demolition company.”

“On our demolitions, we actually do more dismantling than demolition, and we try to recycle or find a new use for the products that come down,” Ashley said. “A lot of times, people come out to our salvage yard and find products that we’ve demolished or dismantled, and are able to reuse them.”

On many Bahm projects, the team will go to the site and dismantle

ASHLEY BAHM

BAHM DEMOLITION GREENPOINT C&D PROCESSING CENTER

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by hand. This allows the dismantled products to maintain their integrity and continue to provide value in whatever they are used to build next. The number of uses these salvaged materials have is innumerable— including being used to build the very desk in Ashley’s office.

After a few years of providing these environmentally conscious demolition services, Bahm Demolition wanted to open up these waste-recycling services to the public.

“From our experience in demo, there was an avenue to recycle products in demolition. A lot of construction and demolition waste was going to the local landfill, but we knew there was a way to recycle it,” Ashley said.

That insight is what spurred David, in 2007, to found GreenPoint C&D Processing Center—a division of Bahm Demolition that offered a place for the public to bring waste from their own construction or demolition projects, where it could be recycled and used again.

Types of waste that GreenPoint recycles include wood, metal, asphalt, shingles, larger plastic items, and other construction materials that one might otherwise send to be dumped in a landfill.

“The less waste going into the landfills the better—for the environment, and for all of us,” Ashley said. “Our clients love seeing the amount of products and waste from a demolition project that is able to be recycled.”

The materials that get brought in to GreenPoint

get recycled in the more traditional sense, rather than reused. For example, the wood that is brought in by the public gets ground up, and any concrete that is brought in is crushed up and made into new items. On the other hand, refuse from a Bahm Demolition—such as wooden beams—might get stacked on a pallet and then shipped off where the beams could be reused, rather than broken down and formed into an entirely new product.

Certainly, both business models play a pivotal role in reducing waste, but Bahm Demolition’s methods go a step further and preserve more than just the environment. They preserve history.

“We did this really cool demolition for BNSF over 10 years ago, and some of the

pieces out of that building are located in Quinton’s, the restaurant,” Ashley said. “We also have pieces from our demolitions that ended up in The Foundry Event Center and the Topeka Zoo gift shop.

In fact, we have an old safe that came out of a creamery in Abilene, and it turns out that Dwight D. Eisenhower’s first job was at that creamery.

“That is what’s the most fun: seeing products we’ve diverted from the landfill being reused in the community. We have a lot of people that buy material from us, and they ask us ‘Where’d this come from?’ They want to be able to tell that story.”

Through the efforts of Bahm Demolition and GreenPoint C&D Processing Center, these stories not only get retold, but continue to grow.

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I AM TOPEKA

Blessing Boxes of Topeka came to fruition when Donna Rae Pearson saw it as the next evolution of her family’s tradition of taking care of those in need.

The box was modeled after the “Little Free Library” concept, but rather than stocked with books, it was full of non-perishable food and toiletries, serving as a resource for anybody in need to come and take from without charge.

After learning more about this box and its purpose, Donna Rae set out on a mission to create these “Blessing Boxes” as they’re now known, for her own community.

“I had no resources to build my own, but at the time I was taking do-ityourself workshops at Home Depot, so I approached them to see if they would host a workshop to build these boxes,” Donna Rae said. “And sure enough they said yes, and we had 10 to 15 people sign up.”

The first workshop was set for December of 2016. Unfortunately, because of a severe ice storm, many of the would-be attendees were unable to make the drive. Nevertheless, Donna Rae and three others did manage to convene, and together they crafted the first seven Blessing Boxes.

Once those first seven boxes had been completed, the next step was to find a place for them to be set up and people, or “hosts”, who could assist in their upkeep.

“My main focus has been to make boxes free of charge for folks who want them,” Donna Rae said. “I do ask them qualifying questions, but they’re mainly just to make sure that the host agrees to maintain their box and keep it stocked to the best of their ability.”

Of course, being the host isn’t just work. Donna Rae made sure it would be a fun experience that would allow the host to enjoy a real sense of ownership, as well.

“Every host is encouraged to decorate their box as they see fit,” Donna Rae said. “Mine is just white with a red door, but some others have beautiful graphics on them. The box at the Brass Rail is decorated to look like the courtyard at the back of the restaurant, and another is decorated to look like it has stained-glass windows.”

DONNA RAE PEARSON BLESSING BOXES

What began as a small project to honor a family legacy quickly grew into a countywide community assistance organization supported by hundreds of local businesses and individual citizens alike.

When Donna Rae Pearson’s daughter shared a photo to social media of what looked to be a small, houseshaped box filled with food and other daily essentials, inspiration struck the Topeka librarian.

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Unsurprisingly, the Blessing Boxes quickly became a huge hit.

In the spring of 2017, Donna Rae enlisted help from both the United Carpenters Association and the Washburn University Leadership Institute, who helped in spreading awareness for the program and facilitating a hands-on workshop.

“The workshop was great, but after we built more boxes, I had to go out and find hosts for all of them.

So, for the most recent workshop I put on this past July, I secured the funding and hosts ahead of time, and almost all of the hosts were able to come build their boxes themselves.”

Through the efforts and generosity of nearly 70 volunteers and seven sponsors, the July workshop yielded a whopping 21 new Blessing Boxes—all in one day.

Naturally, with such growth, Donna Rae’s program evolved into an official nonprofit organization. Today, Blessing Boxes of Topeka oversees 42 Blessing Boxes throughout the Topeka and Shawnee County area, each with its own host and plenty of volunteers to help with maintenance and stocking.

Donna Rae serves as the president of Blessing Boxes of Topeka, and although she has a small dedicated staff in the organization, much of the work is still done by volunteers who simply take pride in their community and want to help out their neighbors.

That said, the organization is always open to more volunteers.

“One of the biggest challenges is, every day, somewhere in the city, a box is empty,” Donna Rae said.

Even though each box has a host and other volunteers keeping an eye on

it, it is hard to predict what items might be in most need in which area on a given day.

The most common items to be stocked are non-perishable foods, daily hygiene items, toiletries, school and office supplies, and other essentials—or as Donna Rae puts it, “We stock anything and everything someone might need on a daily basis except clothing and cars.”

It would seem, then, that Donna Rae’s vision for the organization might be to have a Blessing Box on every corner that would never run empty.

Quite the opposite, actually.

“My dream is that one day, the Blessing Boxes won’t be necessary,” Donna Rae said. “Someday, we’ll look back on this as part of history as something that had to happen, but hopefully won’t be needed in the future.”

Of course, until that day comes, the business side of

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things and the needs of the organization are always on Donna Rae’s mind. However, her end goal always has been to help create a world in which people always are willing to help out a neighbor and the need for social systems such as Blessing Boxes is no more.

It began with Donna Rae carrying on the work and legacy of her greatgrandmother, who fed the hungry from her personal garden in western Kansas, and of her mother, who was heavily involved in running a soup kitchen in Wichita. The Blessing Boxes are just the next step in the evolution of Donna Rae’s family tradition of taking care of those in need.

“We’re just trying to change the story for one person, for one day,” Donna Rae said. “If we can change that narrative and make their day a little bit better, or their choices a little bit easier, then we’ve made a difference.” TK

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WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY

LOCAL

ECONOMIC OUTLOOK The Center for Economic Development and Business Research at Wichita State University has compiled its October 2018 Kansas Economic Outlook publication. The following graphs taken from this publication include data not only for Kansas, but also for Topeka. For a more comprehensive look at Kansas economic data, visit outlook.cedbr.org.

US

• Q2 growth was as strong as it has been since the cycle began more than nine years ago.

Kansas

KANSAS RETURNS TO AN EXPANDING ECONOMY

• The 2017 slow down in Kansas can be attributed to agriculture, information and government.

2017 Q1 2018 Q1 US 1.8% 2.6% Kansas 0.8% 1.5% Plains 1.8% 1.3% Source: BEA, Real GDP (YR/YR)

• Kansas has lost ground compared to the US last year.

• Kansas grew 1.5% in Q1 2018, which is strong growth for the state.

Wichita

• The region grew faster over this time period than the rest of the state; however, it declined by 1.4% in 2017.

Kansas City

GDP GROWTH VARIED ACROSS THE STATE OVER THE LAST EIGHT YEARS Kansas Kansas City Topeka Wichita

2016 1.7% 0.0% 1.9% 3.8%

Source: BEA, Real GDP (YR/YR)

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2017 -0.1% 1.2% 0.2% -1.4%

• Information (e.g. Sprint) and retail are the primary reason KC had negative growth in 2010 and 2011.

• The annualized growth rate has been 1.4% per year.

Topeka

• Government explains the lack of growth from 2013 on.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

The data is provided by Jeremy Hill, director of the Center for Economic Development and Business Research at W. Frank Barton School of Business.

Kansas

• All the MSAs, except Wichita, have a larger employment base than 2009 levels.

MOST AREAS HAVE EXCEEDED 2009 EMPLOYMENT LEVELS

Kansas City

• Showed strong growth in early 2018.

Wichita Kansas Kansas City Topeka Wichita Source: BLS, CES July (YR/YR)

2016 0.2% 1.0% 1.2% 0.8%

2017 -0.1% 1.6% -1.4% -1.2%

2018 1.8% 2.4% -0.7% 1.6%

• Experienced positive growth every year except 2017.

Topeka

• Has lost jobs over the last two years.

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WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY

GDP

• Growth in professional services appears to be following broader trends.

• State and local government have declined by 1.5% annually since 2008.

TOPEKA’S GROWTH IN GDP AND EMPLOYMENT SHOWED SLOW DOWN IN 2017

• Construction declined after two years of strong growth.

Employment

• Increases in leisure employment is likely from real increases in wages.

• Retail trade explains most of the decline in trade.

Top contributing sectors

TOPEKA SHOWS STRENGTH IN FOOD PRODUCTION AND THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY

Net Employment

NET EMPLOYMENT GROWTH HAS RETURNED TO KANSAS

• Growth is back or above previous peaks for all areas except Topeka.

Labor Conditions

• The market continues to improve even though labor conditions are tightening.

Voluntary Quits

• Nationally, voluntary quits are at record levels.

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WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY

Kansas City

• Has seen small changes in household incomes across multiple groups.

REAL WAGES IN KANSAS ARE GROWING —LED BY TOPEKA

Topeka

• Has added jobs in middle income and upper income households.

Kansas Kansas City Topeka Wichita

2017 $ 45,116 $ 52,120 $ 42,926 $ 44,605

YR/YR 0.1% 0.0% 0.2% -0.4%

Wichita

• Has seen a shift to very low and middle income households.

Source: BLS, QCEW (Current $)

ALL MSA’S ARE EXPECTED TO ADD JOBS IN 2019

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SCENE ABOUT TOWN

PHOTO 1 Stephanie Gassen and Amanda Niemann, Cyrus Hotel

PHOTO 2 Alicia VanWallegham, Leaping Llamas Jake Owen and Pateese Harden, BCBSKS

PHOTO 3

Business Unwind

Ashley Urban, Legacy Solutions Insurance Jennie Bowen, ServiceMaster Restore Elissa Shipman, Shipman & Associates

KANSAS CHILDREN’S DISCOVERY CENTER SEPTEMBER 25, 2018

PHOTO 4 Mo Willems’ characters Piggie and Gerald with Dené Mosier, Kansas Children’s Discovery Center

Photos by KEITH HORINEK

PHOTO 5 Amanda Beach, Historic Harley-Davidson Laura Burton, Kansas Children’s Discovery Center

PHOTO 6 Sam Blasi, Kansas Association of School Boards Melissa Hunter, Capitol Federal Joseph Frobisher, Coldwell Banker

PHOTO 7

1

2

4

3

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Bill Persinger, Valeo Carla Kennedy, Winston Brown Brenda Smith, Quik Print April Jackson, Muckenthaler

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FEATURING

TUE-FRI 10-6 | SAT 10-4 www.shopethanandanna.com ON THE TERRACE IN BROOKWOOD CENTER | 29TH & OAKLEY

WE DON’T CRUNCH NUMBERS WE SAVOR THEM FOR THE DELICACY THEY ARE

Helium @ TCT thru Nov 18 Mo Willems exhibit @ KS Children’s Discovery Ctr thru Jan 4 Salute Our Heroes Festival & Parade Nov 10 Gingerbread Homes for the Holidays @ TPAC Nov 16 - 18 Winter Wonderland Nov 21 - Dec 31 Elf the Musical @ TCT Nov 23 - Dec 23 Shop Small Saturday Nov 24 Miracle on Kansas Avenue Parade Nov 24 The Chocolate Nutcracker Midwest @ TPAC Nov 24 & 25 Oak Ridge Boys @ TPAC Nov 28 Festival of Trees @ KS Expo Nov 28 - Dec 2 WinterFest Dec 1, 8, & 15 Santa Arrives by Union Pacific Train Dec 2 First Friday Art Walk Dec 7, Jan 4, Feb 1 Mannheim Steamroller @ KS Expo Dec 7 The Nutcracker @ TPAC Dec 7 - 9 Topeka Symphony’s Capitol Federal Holiday Concert Dec 12 Wing Fling @ KS Expo Dec 15 Kansas Ballet + Symphony Nutcracker @ TPAC Dec 15 & 16 Nitro Arenacross @ KS Expo Dec 28 & 29 Forge NYE Party Dec 31 Ken Ludwig’s The Fox on the Fairway @ TCT Jan 18 - Feb 9 Topeka Symphony Who Am I, and Where Am I Going? Jan 19

Proactive Accounting Tax Services Audit Services Outsourced CFO

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SCENE ABOUT TOWN

Serengeti Nights TOPEKA ZOO SEPTEMBER 22, 2018

Photos by KEITH HORINEK

PHOTO 1 Garry Cushinberry, CoreFirst Bank & Trust Diana Ramirez, Express Employment Professionals

PHOTO 2 Commissioner Kevin and Julie Cook and Brittany Moore, KSNT-TV

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Ann and Jerry Palmer

PHOTO 4 Cynthia McCarvel, Westar Energy Tammy Dishman, Capitol Federal Foundation Dana Jolley, Westar Energy

PHOTO 5 Mark Feuerborn, Tiffany Littler, Brittany Moore, James Ryan, Hanna Brandt, Willis Scott and Andrew Adams, KSNT-TV

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PHOTO 6 Brendan Wiley, Topeka Zoo

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SCENE ABOUT TOWN

GOOD Guys Hosted by National Conference of Women’s Bar Association RAMADA TOPEKA DOWNTOWN OCTOBER 12, 2018

Photos by BRADEN DIMICK

PHOTO 1 Mayor Michelle De La Isla Jeff Imparato, Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library Commissioner Kevin Cook

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Kathleen McDowell, Munger Tolles & Olson Leigh-Ann Durant, EMD Serono Sheila Willis, Fisher Phillips LLP Shiloh Theberge, Littler Mendelson PC

PHOTO 3 Murray Moore, Caitlin McCarty, Nicole Soriano, Karina Martinez and Peri Bailey, Topeka Public Schools Tara Dimick, Envista Credit Union

PHOTO 4 Angel Zimmerman, Zimmerman & Zimmerman Jenny McCaslin, Midwest Health

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FOR ALL THINGS

HOLIDAY W E S T R I D G E M A L L .CO M |

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LAST WORD

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Katrin Holzhaus serves as senior vice president of innovation for the Greater Topeka Partnership. She brings more than 20 years of innovation and project management experience to the position. Katrin shared her thoughts with TK on what drew her to Topeka and the role of an innovation leader.

KATRIN HOLZHAUS What attracted you to Topeka?

From my first conversations with the selection committee during my extensive interview process I was struck by the level of commitment to Topeka’s growth that everyone brought to the table. I was even more impressed when I realized after I started in my new position that this commitment exists everywhere in the city. Topeka has gained true momentum that brings different stakeholders together under one singular goal.

Where do you see the best opportunities for innovation in Topeka?

Topeka has great assets: seat of state government, corporate partners in fintech, insurance, animal health, leading institutions in healthcare, and Washburn University. The best opportunities for innovation will come from three sources:

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1) Better collaboration of innovation centers that are spread across different organizations.

2) Supporting new innovative businesses.

3) Attracting new innovative organizations to the area, capitalizing on Topeka’s central location in the Animal Health Corridor.

As an organization gets larger there can be a tendency for the “institution” to dampen the “inspiration.” How do you keep this from happening?

When building an organization, it is important to take people along on the ride. That means every member of an organization should have a part in building it through specific initiatives that are integral to the success of the whole team. Clear goals and objectives on an organizational

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level, department level and personal level help translate that organizational success into personal success and a sense of pride in the organization’s accomplishments.

What is the biggest challenge facing leaders today?

You can’t be afraid to fail. It goes against everything we are being taught growing up, but it is the essence of entrepreneurship and leadership. Every failure brings a learning experience, however showing vulnerability as a leader is hard, sometimes controversial. It requires a cultural shift. The most successful organizations have leaders who are not afraid to admit that they don’t have all the answers but who inspire others to work towards a common goal and find the answers along the way.

What is the secret to being innovative?

The secret to being innovative is singular focus. For example, if your goal is to focus on your customer, find new ways to solve problems for your customer. You also need to approach this focus from different angles in an interdisciplinary way. There is a reason why innovation centers all over the country are creating spaces that provide opportunities for serendipitous encounters of people of diverse backgrounds and experiences—and use these connections that no one would have thought of to spark new ideas. That’s what we are building for Topeka.

What can other businesses do to help business growth in our community?

The first thought that comes to mind is for local businesses to get more involved with young people (high schoolers and college students) to show them how they can develop ideas for businesses in the future.

Internships are a great way to accomplish that or mentoring in business plan competitions.

After all, innovation comes from talent and we need to strengthen our talent pipeline in Topeka.

Your continued support, community partnership and friendship means the world to us here at Valeo!

We are proud to inspire HOPE through mental health and substance use disorder recovery every day of the year.

Thank you for allowing us to do what we love, which is to help our consumers live higher quality and more productive lives filled with a sense of purpose.

330 SW Oakley Avenue Topeka, Kansas 66606 Phone: 785.233.1730 24-Hour Crisis Line: 785.234.3300 24-Hour Detox Number: 785.234.3448

CELEBRATING OVER 50 YEARS OF RECOVERY SERVICES Visit us at:

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or valeotopeka.org

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Three-time Magnet® recognition

Emily’s moment “We provide quality care with kindness and respect ... everyone deserves that.”

— Emily Padilla, BSN, RN

Every moment matters.

Stormont Vail Health received Magnet® recognition – nursing’s top achievement – for the third time. Only two health systems in Kansas are recognized by Magnet®, and Stormont Vail is noted for its superb quality care, nurses who lead both in the organization and in the community, and improved outcomes for patients.

stormontvail.org

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