TK Business Magazine - March 2022 Issue

LEADERSHIP GREATER TOPEKA CLASS OF 2022 | NEXT LEVEL BUSINESSES | BUILDING A LEGACY MARCH/APRIL 2022

JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT

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CONTENTS TK BUSINESS MAGAZINE | MARCH/APRIL 2022

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Taking Businesses to the Next Level See how three local entrepreneurs have strategically enhanced the scale and scope of their businesses to offer complementary services that take them to the next level.

Photos by JOHN BURNS

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CONTENTS TK BUSINESS MAGAZINE | MARCH/APRIL 2022

LEADERSHIP GREATER TOPEKA CLASS OF 2022 | NEXT LEVEL BUSINESSES | BUILDING A LEGACY MARCH/APRIL 2022

72 JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT

HALL OF FAME

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Photos by JOHN BURNS

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JA Topeka Business Hall of Fame

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Building a Legacy

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Learn more about this year’s Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame Laureates: Grant Cushinberry, Marvin Spees, Matt Strathman and Vince Frye.

For more than 100 years, Foulston has helped create “rules of the road” for Kansas.

Leadership Greater Topeka Class of 2022

Washburn University Professor Bob Boncella explains the role data analytics plays in making good business decisions.

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Meet the members of the LGT 2022 class.

The Importance of Beneficiary Designations Restoring a Piece of History While it has opened its doors as Topeka’s newest event space, The Beacon started housing events almost a hundred years ago.

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Let’s Look at the Numbers

Epic Entrepreneur 68

Expert: Brian Casebeer, Wells Fargo Financial Advisor

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Scott Taddiken turned his love of bargain hunting into a profitable business venture.

Last Word Mayor Mike Padilla shares his vision for Topeka.

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Welcome

Spring “The magic in new beginnings is truly the most powerful of them all.”

— Josiyah Martin

Fairlawn Plaza Shopping Center 2131 SW Fairlawn Plaza Drive Topeka, Kansas 66614

reddoorhomestore.com 785.250.7720

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CONTRIBUTORS PUBLISHER

Tara Dimick

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Lisa Loewen

CREATIVE DIRECTOR & DESIGNER MANAGING PARTNER & SALES DIRECTOR

Janet Faust Braden Dimick braden@tkmagazine.com

MARKETING DIRECTOR & SALES Ally Oakes ally@tkmagazine.com COVER PHOTOGRAPHER WRITERS

PHOTOGRAPHER EXPERTS

John Burns Kim Gronniger Lisa Loewen Eric Smith Adam Vlach Kathy Webber John Burns Dr. Bob Boncella Brian Casebeer

DON’T MISS AN ISSUE.

2022 TK Business Magazine is published by E2 Communications, Inc., 7512 SW Falcon St., Topeka, KS 66610, (785) 438-7773. 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.

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JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT OF KANSAS

By LISA LOEWEN Photos by JOHN BURNS

The Junior Achievement Topeka Business Hall of Fame recognizes esteemed business leaders in the Topeka area. Business Hall of Fame Laureates are individuals who have not only forged successful careers but have also helped strengthen the community.

This year’s group of Laureates hail from diverse areas of business: oil and gas; beer distribution; mass media and advertising; and veteran administration service, trash-hauling and community philanthropy. However, they all have two things in common: An incredible work ethic, and a deep love for Topeka.

Marvin Spees answered the call to take over the family business and grew Capital City Oil’s distribution to more than 40 million gallons of fuel each year.

Matt Strathman, who also took over a family business as a third-generation owner of Strathman Sales, set the stage for future success by implementing the latest technology in both the office and the warehouse. Vince Frye used his vast knowledge of media and marketing to drive the momentum needed to revitalize downtown. And Grant Cushinberry showed us all that taking care of those around us makes our community stronger.

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TOPEKA BUSINESS HALL OF FAME

Grant

CUSHINBERRY

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A LIFETIME OF SERVICE Grant Cushinberry’s desire to serve others probably started the moment he was born, but, according to his son, Garry, people really started to notice this trait after his service to his country as a combat medic in WWII. Stationed in the South Pacific, Grant found himself diving into a foxhole during a bombardment of shells by the Japanese. Finding himself already on his knees, he began praying and promised God that if he made it out of that foxhole alive, he would spend the rest of his life doing everything he could to help mankind.

God answered his prayer, and thus began Grant’s lifetime of service.

Grant moved to Topeka after serving in the military and began working for the Colmery-O’Neil VA Medical Center, where he would serve veterans until he retired more than 30 years later. Having grown up during the depression, Grant was no stranger to hard work. He would work the night shift at the hospital from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. and then go home and fire up the trash truck he owned and haul trash from 8 a.m. to noon. In the summer, he also ran a lawn mowing business, often supervising his sons from the shade of a tree.

“I think that might have been the only time dad slept during the summer hours,” Garry Cushinberry said. “I never saw anyone work harder than my dad.”

It was during one of those trash routes that Grant noticed how much food grocery stores were throwing away because the “Sell By Date” had passed. The food was still perfectly good, but the stores had to dispose of it.

Once again, that desire to serve came to bear.

FEEDING THE HUNGRY Grant spoke with the grocery store owners and arranged it so that instead of throwing the food away every day, they would set it aside on pallets for him to pick up. Grant would then distribute the food to those who needed it most.

That endeavor soon evolved into a visit to the local bakeries to ask for their day-old bread. As more food was being distributed, Grant realized a need for more fresh produce. “God’s little half acre” sprang up from there. He planted vegetables in the corner lot where he also passed out the other food items he had collected.

Grant could never stand to see people go hungry and believed no one should eat alone, especially on Thanksgiving.

When he saw people eating from garbage cans along his trash route, he started an annual community Thanksgiving dinner.

About the same time, Pauline Johnson and Addie Spicher began their own Thanksgiving community dinner held in a little church on the east side of town. As word got out that there were two places feeding people during the holidays, they decided to combine the events and thus the Community Thanksgiving Dinner was formed.

“I heard my dad talk the talk his entire life,” Garry said, “but I also watched him walk the walk. He was never one to ask for anything. He used to always say, ‘if you want a handout, it is right there at the end of your own arm—go do something with it.’”

Garry watched his father turn a profession that most people didn’t respect into one that he was incredibly proud

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Grant Cushinberry always looked for a way to serve and provide for others as was evident in a lot he turned into a garden so the needy could have fresh produce.

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of. When people saw that bright purple trash truck with the white wall tires and the sign “Here Comes Cushinberry” on the front bumper, they waved and paid their respects to a hard-working man doing an honest day’s work.

He treated everyone the same regardless of race, profession, or socioeconomic status. Grant was also known for reaching across racial lines.

Even though he was raised during the depression and experienced segregation, he never dwelled on it and never said a disparaging word.

“Dad always used to tell me we are all one race, and that’s the human race,” Garry said. “He used to pick up trash at a hotel that sold rooms by the hour, where local drunks would hang out to get the last dregs out of a bottle,” Garry said. “He would go from there to the governor’s mansion to pick up their trash. He gave those bums in the alley the same respect as he did the governor of the state of Kansas.”

No matter how busy he was, Grant always found time for kids. He was known for filling his old pickup

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truck up with watermelons and taking them to local schools. When school ended for the day, the kids were treated to all the watermelon they could eat.

“Of course, that meant hours spent loading all of those watermelons onto the truck,” Garry recalled. “But that was just part of how he taught us to serve others.”

NURTURING THE COMMUNITY Grant was always a jokester. He loved making fun of himself and was known for having a saying that fit every occasion. That is one reason people always seemed to congregate at the Cushinberry house. The other reason was the basketball court he built in the backyard, complete with goals and a streetlight that allowed the neighborhood kids to play late into the night.

“Dad had a rule that everyone had to leave when he left for work at 10 p.m.,” Garry said. “What he didn’t know was that everyone just went around the corner and waited for him to get out of sight, and then they would all come back and play some more.”

Grant used his sayings as a way to share some wisdom with those around

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him and to instill a sense of pride in a hard day’s work. He used to tell people that the harder he worked, the luckier he became, and that the grass wouldn’t always seem greener on the other side of the fence if they would water their own lawn.

Garry recalls one time joking with his father that in Grant’s effort to serve others, he was giving away his children’s inheritance. Grant simply responded, “I’ve given you a good name, and that is worth more than anything money could buy.”

That good name resulted in numerous honors and awards including the 1975 Humanitarian Kansas of the Year from the Topeka Capital-Journal, The Governor’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Award in 1989 and the American Legion Award. Washburn University conferred an honorary doctor of humane letters on him in 1994, and his name lives on in the historic Cushinberry Park located across the parking lot from the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site.

Grant Cushinberry passed away on July 1, 2008.

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TOPEKA BUSINESS HALL OF FAME

Vince

frye

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Photo by JOHN BURNS

Following a Vision A Kansas City native and star athlete in football, basketball and track, Vince Frye did not have Topeka, Kansas, on his radar of places he would choose to build a career. However, fate sometimes deals us the best hand.

After graduating from The University of Kansas with a journalism degree, Vince went to work at the television station that is now KSNT as an advertising account executive.

“As with most careers in broadcasting, I expected to be in Topeka for a year or two and then jump to a bigger market,” Vince said. “Obviously, that isn’t the way things turned out.”

It wasn’t because he wasn’t offered any positions in those bigger markets; it was because he found connections to people and opportunities in Topeka that made him want to stay. It started out by being asked to join a softball team. The athlete in him could not say no. There he met several other young men in the community from all different professions and his networking circle began to grow.

Vince accepted a job at WIBW-TV in 1973, where he worked as the general sales manager for the next 24 years. After Stauffer Communications sold the station in 1997, Vince decided it was time for him to make some changes as well.

His wife, Dana Rulon Frye, a KU fine arts graduate, had started FryeAllen Advertising in 1989 along with partner Michael Allen, and Vince joined the business as a partner. Having been a sales manager at WIBW for such a long time,

all that networking paid off as new clients starting come through the doors to add to an already successful business.

With the help of Jeff Carson, they started a new company—FryeAllen Films, and then FryeAllen Digital with the animation skills of partner Greg Ready.

Those digital services set the FryeAllen agency apart from other advertising agencies in Topeka. The company steadily grew over the next several years, and Vince once again put those networking skills to work, serving on the Downtown Topeka, Inc. (DTI) board and volunteering for several organizations.

After Michael Allen retired in 2005, and then Dana Frye’s decision to retire in 2012, they made the difficult decision to close the doors of Frye/Allen. But once again, fate stepped in with a new beginning for Vince.

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS DTI just happened to be looking for a new president and CEO. “I always dreamed of being an executive director of some organization that was driving change in the community,” Vince said. “Opportunity came knocking, and I was fortunate to be selected.”

Vince had already been heavily involved in the visioning process in 2008, so once again he put his networking skills to work bringing investors together to revitalize downtown Topeka.

“The timing was great,” Vince said.

“Many of the large companies in Topeka understood the importance of a vibrant

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TOPEKA BUSINESS HALL OF FAME

But the most satisfaction Vince gets is from watching how much people enjoy what downtown now has to offer.

“It is so fun to see people gather downtown,” Vince said. “There is nothing quite like seeing thousands of people filling Kansas Avenue, listening to music and enjoying a variety of food provided by the many new restaurants. This is what a downtown should be, and now we have it.”

Being asked to play on a softball team in the 1970s may have been a defining moment for Vince Frye to choose to stay in Topeka and advance his career.

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downtown for keeping and attracting the next generation of businesses and employees.”

Vince helped facilitate the donation of millions of dollars needed to make that vision come to life. But more than that, he helped create numerous reasons for people to go downtown, building confidence that downtown was an investment worth making. Some of the most notable are the pocket parks, statues, fountains, the Evergy Plaza and events such as Tap That Topeka, Touch a Truck, Bridge to Bridge Run, and of course, the many free concerts.

“A downtown represents a community’s pride and prosperity,” Vince said. “I take personal pride in proving the naysayers wrong who claimed that no one would ever go downtown.”

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FOCUS ON THE FUTURE In 2018, Vince led DTI into a merger with GO Topeka, Visit Topeka and the Chamber of Commerce to form the Greater Topeka Partnership (GTP). He served as president of DTI and senior vice president of the GTP until his retirement in December 2020.

“GTP promotes that you can come to Topeka, get involved and make a difference,” Vince said. “I am a good example of that. I chose to get involved and it has been more rewarding than I could have imagined.”

Looking back at the advancement Topeka has made over the past decade has Vince looking to the future. He would like to see Topeka’s population grow and its business base broaden even more. His biggest hope is that whatever happens, Topeka keeps moving forward.

“It takes time to see positive change,” Vince said. “We just have to keep pushing and keep the enthusiasm for our community high.”

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TOPEKA BUSINESS HALL OF FAME

Marvin

SPEES

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Photo by JOHN BURNS

Answering the Call To find Marvin Spees’ office at Capital City Oil, you have to weave through a collection of “Americana.” Neon signs, pinball machines, a skee ball game, not to mention the classic cars (mostly Corvettes) that beckon you to explore. The collection includes a 1956 Corvette, a 1965 Corvette, a 2016 Corvette, a 1930 Model A tank wagon and a 1948 Ford Woodie.

“I always leave one at home to drive on nice days,” Marvin said.

The other permanent office fixture is Caymus, Marvin’s 5-year-old King Charles Cavalier, who is obviously in charge.

The owner of Capital City Oil looks back on his career, the business and his personal life with a smile because he has no regrets.

Marvin’s father, Glen Spees and business partner, Frank Smith opened Capital City Oil in 1960 as a distributor for Cities Service. Many of Marvin’s earliest memories are those as a 4 or 5-year-old riding around town with his father to meet customers.

“He always said he was going out ‘collecting,’” Marvin said of his father. “But later it dawned on me that those visits were really his chance to get out and talk with people; they were his social life.”

Growing up in a family business meant Marvin spent more time there than at home. From doing odd jobs and cleaning chores to pumping gas and changing tires at the station as he got older, Marvin learned the business from the inside out and the bottom up. However, he had no plans for taking over the business one day.

CALLED TO SERVE His first passion was ministry. During a two-year break between high school and college, Marvin found himself leading a Campus Life club at Jardine. While everyone was passionate about the work, he soon discovered that they weren’t so ardent about the business aspects.

“I felt like I was being called to help the ministry from a business perspective,” Marvin said. “There were so many areas where an emphasis on better business practices would allow them to grow.”

With that ideal in mind, he headed to John Brown University in Arkansas in pursuit of a business degree. Four years later, he graduated with more than a degree; he had found the love of his life, his wife, Debbie. Marvin dove back into the youth ministry, working at the regional office for a 10-state region for the next three years, helping to coordinate youth activities and trips.

“I was in charge of lining up snow skiing trips, booking hotels, facilitating meetings, reserving ski equipment. It was a lot of work, but I got to ski 40 days a year,” Marvin said.

That all changed with a phone call in 1983.

CALLED BACK HOME His father had suffered a massive heart attack and could no longer be as involved in the business as was needed to keep it going. He asked for Marvin’s help, and because family comes first, Marvin dropped everything to come back and help run the company.

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Marvin Spees, shown here in front of CCO’s original building, left a youth ministry career to return home in the 1980s after his father suffered a heart attack and needed help with the family business.

Two years later, on Jan. 1, 1985, Marvin bought the company outright.

“All they had at the time was one tank wagon and five employees,” Marvin said. “We handled a million gallons of fuel.”

Today, the company has more than 35 trucks, and 40 employees and distributes more than 40 million gallons of fuel each year.

Marvin says the biggest challenge when he took over the business was the lack of capital; however, he didn’t really know how much of a challenge it was at the time. What he did know was an opportunity when he saw it.

OPPORTUNITY CALLS While everyone else was jumping into the convenience store craze,

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Marvin stayed true to the original commercial business vision. He began purchasing tank wagons from those new convenience store owners who wanted to shift their focus.

“I never regretted that decision to stay out of retail,” Marvin said. “We made 15 acquisitions in a really short period of time, which helped take the company to the next level.”

Capital City Oil also added another product line to its services in 1998: propane.

“Everyone said we couldn’t start a propane business from scratch with no existing equipment or customers,” Marvin said. “But we did it anyway.”

They soon had six propane trucks running routes all over northeast Kansas. While the propane business

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was successful, Marvin discovered it got him a little too close to the retail side of the business he tried to avoid.

“The majority of our propane customers were fantastic,” Marvin said. “But for the other 3 percent, it wasn’t about quality, safety or customer service. It was only about price.

Fighting that battle gets tiresome after a while.”

Wanting to shift the focus back to the fuel business, he sold the propane business in May 2008.

“I have never regretted that decision one minute either,” Marvin said.

CALLED FOR HELP Over the years, Marvin says, the driving force behind the company’s growth has been its customer service.

“We earned our reputation for excellent customer service by being on-call to refuel trains coming through town,” Marvin said. “But our 24-hour service has been called upon for many other reasons as well.”

One of those notable times was when the Kansas Avenue Lofts caught fire two years ago. Capital City Oil refueled the fire trucks in the moment to keep them operational and able to fight the fire.

Another emergency call came from the Mars Chocolate Factory.

Chocolate sitting in refrigerator trailers in the factory parking lot was in danger of melting if those coolers stopped running. Capital City Oil answered the call.

“We go out there every day to fuel those trailers,” Marvin said. “We have one simple directive, ‘Whatever you do, just don’t let the chocolate melt!”’

CALLED TO GIVE BACK Looking back with the knowledge he has accumulated through lived experiences, Marvin wishes he could have given his 25-year-old self some advice that he hopes maybe another aspiring entrepreneur will take to heart.

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TOPEKA BUSINESS HALL OF FAME

Marvin Spees plans to one day check off a bucket list goal of taking his 1948 Ford Woodie on a drive across the entire Old Route 66.

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“Spend more time mentoring the people you work with,” Marvin said. “The products and the processes will take care of themselves if the people are taken care of. It goes back to one of my favorite books—Feed Your Eagles. Recognize the people around you who are eagles and take care of them. You have to be willing to shoot the turkeys so the eagles can thrive.”

Marvin is also on a mission to give back locally through the “Fueling Hope” charitable fund set up by Capital City Oil and Fleet Fuels with the goal of donating primarily to faith-based organizations, such as the Topeka Rescue Mission, SENT Topeka and House of Hope Kansas City.

“We’ve been blessed. We want to share some of that blessing in the communities where we do business,” Marvin said.

THE FUTURE CALLS Marvin sees a bright future ahead both professionally and personally. With both of his children working in the business, he hopes to keep the legacy going long after he has retired. Marvin and his nephew also started a similar business in Kansas City. They now have 40 trucks and service Olpe, El Dorado, Pittsburgh, Independence, Coffeyville, Tulsa and Springdale, Arkansas.

But Marvin is most excited about a new job title he added to his resume in December 2020: grandpa.

“It’s a great gig,” Marvin said.

As for his bucket list, once again, Marvin has no regrets.

“I have pretty much done everything on that list,” Marvin said. “Except for one thing. Someday, I plan to take the old Ford Woodie out and drive her across the entire Old Route 66.”

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Six decades of delivering fuel with a fleet of trucks have taught us a good deal more about what drives a happy customer than anything else.

We care how you fuel Call us at 785-233-8008 or stop by M-F 8am - 5pm

911 SE Adams • Topeka, Kansas • 66607 800-211-8008 • capitalcityoil.com

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THE POWER OF PREMIER FUELS AND LUBRICANTS

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Matt

Strathman

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Photo by JOHN BURNS

Continuing a Legacy Matt Strathman is a lifelong Topekan and third generation owner of Strathman Sales Co. It wasn’t until his junior year in college, however, that he decided he would go into the family business.

“When you are a kid growing up in a business, you find yourself thinking you want to try something different,” Matt said. “But I realized sometimes different isn’t better.”

Matt didn’t walk straight into a leadership position with the company.

He began by helping in all aspects of the business from delivery helper, to sweeping the floors and helping out in the office.”

“At first, I just did a little bit of everything,” Matt said. “I had to learn the ropes just like everyone else.”

Matt’s father, Art Strathman, offered Matt and his brother the opportunity to purchase part of the business a few years later, and then Matt became sole owner in 2006. A lot has changed between the time that Matt first joined the business to now.

“Back then, it was just about working hard,” Matt said. “You worked with the customers and sold and delivered a product. Now it is much more complicated.”

GROWING PAINS Business really took off in 1982 when Bud Light hit the market. Growth suddenly hit double digits every year and

even though emerging technology helped, Matt says the company wasn’t really prepared to handle that surge in business.

“We worked long days and long nights back then,” Matt said. “We didn’t add employees as quickly as we should have, so we had to make it work with what we had.”

When Matt first started working at Strathman Sales, they didn’t even have a computer. Everything was done manually.

Customer invoices were handwritten and getting people to accept change proved to be one of the biggest challenges Matt would have to face. However, he knew that staying out front of technology would be the difference between staying status quo and taking the business to the next level.

“When my grandfather owned the business, every case of beer was hand stacked,” Matt said. “The inventory numbers are so much greater now, there aren’t enough hours in the day for that to happen today.”

Instead, they rely on forklifts and other heavy equipment to move inventory and keep products going out the door, and the salesforce team all carry handheld computers for invoicing and inventory management. Although, convincing them to embrace new ways of doing things wasn’t always easy.

“In a pretty old-school blue-collar business like this, change was hard,” Matt said.

Advancements in technology and communication also meant Strathman

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Grayson, Matt, Hunter and Colton Strathman enjoy outdoor and adventurous family outings.

sales needed to shift their marketing focus.

“When I got here, we used local radio ads and billboards to promote our products. You were friends with the local DJ, and everything was a simple handshake. Now we spend most of our marketing budget on point of sale and digital advertising,” Matt said.

As various aspects of the business have changed over the years, one thing has remained the same: quality employees. Many of them have been with the company longer than 10 years, and Matt hopes they will stay many more.

“The legacy I want to leave behind is that my employees feel like they were able to grow while they were here and that they felt like they were part of the team,” Matt said. “We couldn’t have experienced the success that we have without them.”

Matt also wants to leave the business, and the community, better than he found it. An avid supporter of helping make Topeka a place where people want to live and work, Matt has been involved with both GO Topeka and the effort to revitalize Downtown. He also supports many smaller local organizations and fundraising efforts with many of his customers.

THE LEGACY CONTINUES Matt doesn’t see retirement in the near future, but with his oldest son, Colton, already approved as a successor manager, the family business will endure through at least one more generation.

“When my dad retired, it wasn’t like he had a set date,” Matt said. “He just gradually spent fewer days at the office. I assume that is what I will do as well. One day, I just won’t go in anymore.”

When that day comes, Matt will likely be found enjoying the outdoors with wife, Sheryl; somewhere driving faster than he should be, competing with son Grayson in SCCA racing or out hiking with son Hunter in Utah.

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CLASS OF

2022

By ALLY OAKES Photos by BRADEN DIMICK Leadership Greater Topeka is a community leadership program of the Greater Topeka Partnership. LGT identifies aspiring and established leaders from the community and introduces them to the opportunities and needs of Topeka and Shawnee County while also teaching adaptive leadership concepts.

Participants are nominated by individuals and organizations. Nominees who complete an application go through a brief conversation with the LGT selection committee. The committee then selects individuals with the goal to build a class that is representative of the diversity within the community.

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COMING APRIL 15-24TH

TO DOWNTOWN TOPEKA DowntownTopekaInc.com/DTRW SPONSORED BY: THANK YOU TO OUR DOWNTOWN ACTIVATION SPONSORS

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WHAT ADVICE IMPACTED YOU? A friend told me in grad school that you can’t know where you’re going without understanding your own history. Take the time to get to know what and who came before you. I’m a lot more patient today and now I try to learn what’s preceded any issue.

WHAT’S A CRITICAL LEADERSHIP SKILL? Definitely listening.

AN EVERY DAY HABIT? I start the day making my “just do it” list.

TONY WEINGARTNER Assistant Director Kansas Bureau of Investigation

WHAT DID YOU LEARN DURING THE RECENT PANDEMIC? That we can do a lot working remotely. We’re still figuring out how to build culture with new employees in this new hybrid environment.

NAME A SUPERHERO YOU CAN RELATE TO. Definitely Iron Man. I had my kids convinced that I was Iron Man when they were young.

HOW HAS YOUR PROFESSIONAL CAREER INFLUENCED YOU? I’m surrounded by people who are passionate about the work they do. Working at one company for 20 years, you experience a lot of change, and I’ve learned the value of being adaptable but also staying focused on your core purpose.

WHAT IS YOUR PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY? Find where you add value and make that your focus. If you’re not adding value, get out of the way.

WHO WOULD PLAY YOU IN A MOVIE ABOUT YOUR LIFE? Meg Ryan WHAT TRAIT DO YOU MOST ATTRIBUTE TO YOUR SUCCESS? I’m calm in a crisis. I attended a crisis communications workshop early in my career and the speaker said, if you ever want to find a local crisis communications expert, call your electric company. With our Kansas weather, storms offer me and my team mini-practice sessions of crisis communications once or twice a year. In those moments, you have to keep your head and think on your feet.

GINA PENZIG

Manager External Communications Evergy

WHAT GUIDES YOUR DECISION MAKING? Doing the right thing. This is my North Star. I can always defend any decision as long as I know it was the right thing to do in the situation.

WHAT IS A CHARACTERISTIC YOU ADMIRE MOST IN OTHERS? Honesty. The best relationships I have are based on trust and transparency. Personally and professionally, I am a pretty decent judge of character, and I’m naturally drawn to the most genuine people in the room.

BEST ADVICE TO OTHERS? Don’t worry so much about things that are out of your control. Instead, focus on what you can control, look for the positive, work really hard, and good things will come to you.

WHAT BRINGS YOU JOY? My kids and coffee!

ALLY OAKES Marketing Director TK Business Magazine

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WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO TOPEKA? Washburn University brought me to Topeka, After graduation, I began a career I loved and started working with a group of amazing people who called Topeka home. I met my husband here, and we started our family here.

We have grown up with Topeka, and it’s given us our very favorite memories, so I’m excited to pay it forward for future generations to experience the same.

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WHAT IS YOUR THEME SONG? Outstanding by The Gap Band WHY DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR CAREER? I have wanted to be an attorney since I saw the movie A Few Good Men when I was 11. But, if we narrow it down to healthcare, I entered the industry when I was 16 and worked as a dietary aide at the hospital in Onaga throughout high school. Working there was eye-opening in the sense of how important access to healthcare is in rural communities. Ensuring that good health care is accessible to those in rural areas is a passion of mine and I am really thankful that I can engage in that passion through my work at Midwest Health.

CLEOTHA M. DANIELS ESQ. Associate In-House Counsel Midwest Health Inc.

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF YOUR NAME? I am actually named after my paternal grandmother. I never met her as she passed the year before I was born, but I know how important she was to so many people in my family—my father especially. When he lost her, it knocked the breath out of him, so I think the best way he could honor her was to name me after her. I hope that I am honoring her name because it is really important to me.

Here is the pronunciation: Clee-oh-thuh.

BEST ADVICE YOU’VE RECEIVED? After I lost my dad to COVID-19 in 2020, grief hit me like a freight train. I was depressed, anxious and dealing with a lot of internal conflicts. My therapist told me, “Your life is not meant to be lived this way. So many of us think that whatever season we are in will be ours forever, but it’s not.

You deserve to be at peace and happy, but you have to know that yourself.”

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WHO INSPIRES YOU? My Pastor Jacob Henie because he is constantly helping me to be the best person that I can be.

WHAT BRINGS YOU JOY? My role that I play in the community and the change that I have been able to have on it. My time on the Youth Commission has taught me that even as a youth in Topeka, my voice is still valued and can create change.

WHO WOULD YOU WANT TO PLAY YOU IN A MOVIE? Emma Stone because she is an amazing actress.

BRYNNE LIEDTKE High School Student Shawnee Heights High School

YOUR FAVORITE MOBILE APP? The Papa’s Freezeria game that I recently downloaded because I used to play the game a lot when I was little and completely forgot about it until now.

WHAT’S NEXT IN YOUR LIFE? Graduating high school and becoming a homicide detective, along with also creating a platform that youth feel comfortable sharing their ideas on how to change Topeka for the better.

MARTY HILLARD Director of Workplace Campaigns United Way of Greater Topeka

WHERE IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO VISIT IN TOPEKA? I always feel quite nostalgic when going to Our Lady of Guadalupe church. I have a lot of childhood memories from there and Oakland in general.

HOW DO YOU TRACK SUCCESS? Meeting deadlines, finishing projects, positive feedback from clients and coworkers, and also making sure I learned something in the process. Even if the task was not successful—identifying why so that I can do better next time is important to my overall professional development.

ASHLEY LEHMAN Business Development Manager GO Topeka & Greater Topeka Partnership

WHAT MAKES YOU UNIQUE? My friends would say I’m a conversationalist.

Most of the time I’m pretty good at starting a conversation and making people comfortable enough to keep talking.

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WHAT IS THE BIGGEST RISK YOU HAVE TAKEN? Making the decision to walk away from a financially stable situation that did not contribute to me professionally or my mental and emotional wellbeing.

HOW HAVE YOU EVOLVED IN YOUR CAREER? It is easier for me to ignore self-doubt. Many positions I have had to learn as I go. Through each role, I have developed and grown my abilities. I now have the tenacity to take on new challenges and embrace unknowns with confidence.

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WHAT DO YOU THINK PEOPLE SHOULD BE BOLDER AT? Exposing themselves to something new.

YOUR SING-A-LONG SONG? Seventeen by Cowboy Indian Bear HOW DO YOU SERVE THE TOPEKA COMMUNITY? I’m currently a Friends of the Library member.

I also volunteer for Habitat For Humanity, Scott Dual Language Magnet Elementary School, and ArtsConnect. I’ve previously served with YWCA of Northeast Kansas, Kansas Interfaith Action, and the U.S. Department of Justice.

I’ve been blessed to have an audience for my music and writing for many years.

WHAT ARE YOUR PRIORITIES? I want to continue growing as a husband, father and son. I want to be a conduit for others to access their passions and interests.

I want to be a more prolific artist. I want to help create more opportunities for people to express themselves through music and art.

ADVICE IN A DIFFICULT MOMENT? “Let it go.”

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A LIBRARIAN IMPACTING TOPEKA’S STORY CONGRATULATIONS AUTUMN FRIEDLI Leadership Greater Topeka Class of 2022 ©2022 TSCPL

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WHAT SKILLS DOES A GREAT LEADER NEED? Coaching and mobilizing. I don’t believe in the “lead by example” mantra. You can be a person that does everything “by the book,” but if you can’t mobilize people to follow you, and coach them how to do it correctly, then you’re more of a performer than a leader.

HANNAH UHLRIG Deputy Director of Public Works City of Topeka

WHAT MOTIVATES YOU? Challenge of learning or trying something new, I am most excited and engaged when presented with something that I must push myself to figure out.

THE MOST SPONTANEOUS THING YOU’VE EVER DONE? Changed careers and moved to Topeka!

I lived in Washington D.C. for the last seven years working in medical sales management. After I finished my MBA, my wife and I decided to slow things down a bit and move out of the nation’s capital.

FAVORITE COLLEGE JOB? I worked as a bouncer and bar manager while in college. It was a great opportunity to network with other students and people in the community and also experience managing a small team in a low-risk/stress environment...came with great discounts as well!

IMPORTANT TRAIT OF A LEADER? Being adaptable. Things are always evolving, and a good leader needs to be able to not only recognize these changes but also pivot as needed.

YOUR SECRET TO YOUTHFULNESS? A mix of a good hairstylist, daily exercise routine, and a strong desire to prove my boys wrong when they say I’m old!

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Chief Strategy Officer Capitol Federal®

YOUR TYPICAL WEEKEND ACTIVITY? Golfing or running with our Golden Retriever, Weller.

ADVICE FOR A YOUNG WOMAN ENTERING HER PROFESSIONAL CAREER. Be authentically you—comparison will hold you back from your own strengths. While you may look around and see other women that have other talents you don’t possess, your strengths could be the difference maker. Be smart, but trust your gut. Don’t be afraid to use your voice and your ideas to create new pathways that are different than the way things have always been done.

WHAT IS THE HARDEST THING YOU EVER HAD TO DO? My sister and I lost our father when I was a senior and she was a sophomore in high school.

I had planned on moving to Topeka to attend Washburn, but given the situation, had to decide whether to do a different path. I ended up enrolling at K-State Salina for my first two years and then transferring when my sister could move with me and attend Washburn as well.

Dealing with such a large loss at a young age is hard enough but doing so while also taking into consideration someone else’s needs before your own desires was extremely hard. This experience taught me that the right path is often not the easy one, and that when plans change, you often end up in a better place than you originally planned.

BILLY SKROBACZ

SARAH LUNDRY Culture Specialist Advisors Excel

WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER YOUR CORE STRENGTHS? Encouragement, relationships, and building community. Making people feel good is something that comes naturally to me. I love to see others win and do what they were designed to.

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WHY TOPEKA? I grew up in Topeka (from 6th grade through high school). I moved back, temporarily, as a pit stop before moving out of Kansas for good. “Six months tops” I told myself, but eight years later, I’m still here. I met the love of my life, found a career path I am beyond passionate about and have fallen in love with Topeka.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU? My relationship with Jesus and reminding others of their worth and how beautiful this life is despite their circumstances.

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atstopeka.com

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HOW DOES YOUR CAREER INSPIRE YOU? Watching the joy on customers faces when I am able to put them at ease regarding their finances. Naturally, people have high regards when it comes to their finances, whether it’s a loan or putting them in the type of account that benefits their needs the most. It’s refreshing to see the smiles and relief on their faces.

WHAT MAKES YOU UNIQUE? I know how to “read the room.” I know when to be outgoing and when to sit back and observe. I feel like I can switch back and forth rather quickly if needed. I am not afraid to speak my mind, but I also wear my heart on my sleeve.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE GO-TO PLACE IN TOPEKA? Lake Shawnee. Whether it’s jogging, walking with my family, riding the paddle boats or just having a family picnic, most of our summer days are spent at Lake Shawnee.

QIANA ANTHONY Sr. Branch Sales Manager, AVP CoreFirst Bank & Trust

NAME THREE THINGS YOU’D WANT ON A DESERTED ISLAND. My Bible, definitely a magnifying glass or mirror to start a fire—I am always cold! And a hammock so I don’t always have to be inside the shelter.

YOUR FAVORITE #HASHTAG? #Family. I was raised in a close knit family, and my husband and I are providing the same atmosphere with our children.

LEADERSHIP ADVICE. Remember to lead by example. You need to promote the culture and work ethic you want from others by being an example for them to follow.

WHAT WOULD YOU NEVER TAKE FOR GRANTED? The time given to us to have experiences with our friends and family.

WHAT ADVICE WERE YOU GIVEN THAT STILL STICKS WITH YOU? People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.

WHEN THINGS GET TOUGH, WHAT DO YOU TELL YOURSELF? I remind myself that the adversity I am facing won’t last forever, and the growth I gain from the trials just makes me stronger.

WHAT’S ON YOUR BUCKET LIST? To visit all 50 states with my wife and children. We have a lot of beauty to see across our country and I would love to share those experiences with my family.

JUSTIN DAVIS Director of Operations SE2

WHAT INFLUENCED YOUR CAREER CHOICE? In my first few years of college, my dad was diagnosed with leukemia. He and I became involved in our local Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. It was the first organization I volunteered for and I loved feeling I was a part of something that could impact someone’s life and make it better.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT YOUR WORK? That it doesn’t feel like work. I feel very blessed to work for a company that lets me wear two hats: working with the community and leading a team on the construction project side. I love that every day brings something different, and both roles are rewarding.

WHAT ARE YOU AN EXPERT IN? I would be lying if I said I am an expert in anything, I always feel I can improve regardless of the situation. I am confident, however, in being able to read people and having empathy to help problem solve.

JACLYN MULLINS Director of Community Engagement The MCP Group

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WHAT ARE YOUR CORE VALUES? Being dependable and being accountable. I want people to know if I say I’m going to do something, I will show up and give it 100%. I want my children to know the value of being dependable and the importance of follow through. I know I will make mistakes and fail at times regardless of my good intentions. I will not only own those moments, but also learn and grow from them to become a better version of myself.

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DESCRIBE YOUR VISION FOR TOPEKA. Have you ever listened to teens talk about how bad they want to leave this place?

“I can’t wait to get out of here.” I get that, and I want them to explore the world and realize that Topeka was not only a great place to grow up, but it’s a great place to call home; it’s a great place to live, work and play. I want Topeka to be the place where our youth want to come back and make it even better.

WHAT ADVICE HAS SERVED YOU WELL IN YOUR JOURNEY? “You interview every day.” I heard this from both Marie Pyko and Stephanie Hall and it really resonated with me. Your actions and reactions impact how people see you every day.

AUTUMN FRIEDLI Reader Services Supervisor Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library

YOUR LIFETIME GOAL? Years ago, I read the most amazing obituary. The opening line was “She drank life through a crazy straw.” The whole obituary was a beautiful memorial to a woman I never met and I had total FOMO because of it. This woman’s obituary inspired me to be a bit more daring, to have more fun, to enjoy each and every opportunity and moment. So my ultimate goal is to live a life that inspires others to do more and to keep getting better with time.

MOST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOUR JOB? Have you been to the library? Seriously, if I had to pick a MOST favorite part, it would be the Red Carpet Outreach Services. We take books, movies and other materials, including companionship, out to congregate facilities and homebound people around Topeka. It’s like playing Santa Claus.

HOW DO YOU DEFINE SUCCESS? I’ve always loved Ralph Waldo Emerson’s definition which goes something like this: “To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and to endure the betrayal of false friends. To appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.”

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endeavorpw.com 785.329.2510 MARCH/APRIL 2022

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WHAT’S AN ACHIEVEMENT THAT YOU ARE MOST PROUD OF? In my role as director of Blue Health Initiatives here at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, I had the opportunity to assemble a team of public health and policy experts, design and launch the Pathways to a Healthy Kansas initiative in eight communities across the state in 2016. Since this initiative was launched, we have expanded to 24 communities, given out almost $14 million in grants, passed over 300 policies that support health in schools, worksites, healthcare and government organizations, and built community assets that increase access to healthy lifestyles.

BOBBIE SMITH

Assistant Director Operations Workforce Management BNSF Railway Company WHAT LED YOU TO YOUR CURRENT PROFESSION? Upon completing my master’s in business management, I received a call from a classmate in my master’s program outlining a role at BNSF that he felt embodied my skill set and leadership abilities. What appealed to me most about this invitation was the ability to continue to develop people, the organization’s visions and values, and the endless advancement opportunities. I have held various leadership roles within the organization over the past 21 years and continue to enjoy the opportunities afforded to me within my profession.

INSPIRING LEADER CHARACTERISTICS? I am inspired by leaders that are willing to listen and who encourage their team to speak up when they have an idea or disagree with a course of action. The best leaders I have worked with have inspired leadership as an activity throughout their organizations.

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR FUTURE LEADERS? Don’t be afraid to participate. If you have been invited to the table it is because you bring value, so speak up!

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE HASHTAG? #smithgang is a hashtag that my daughter, Ashanti, came up with to celebrate our family bond. We affectionately utilize it in our family chats, pictures and posts as we celebrate successes, recognize one another’s achievements or make memories.

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MPH Director Blue Health Initiatives Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Kansas

IF YOU COULD OWN STOCK IN A TOPEKA BUSINESS, WHICH WOULD IT BE? I think it would be exciting to own stock in one of the animal health companies that comes out of the Plug and Play startup work that is going on here in Topeka.

BEST PART ABOUT YOUR WORK? Getting to share the stories of our community through a thread that brings so many people together—sports! The more we share, the more we can inspire each other—and the closer we can become.

THE HIGHLIGHT OF YOUR LIFE? Family. The countless memories, quality time and laughs together are priceless.

WHO IS YOUR ROLE MODEL? My older brother Myron. Myron’s passion for developing others is contagious. He has always taken the limits off of what he can achieve and sets goals that require him to leave his comfort zone in order to attain them. He cares for people and treats everyone with dignity and respect, a quality I am careful to demonstrate.

VIRGINIA BARNES

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOUR YOUNGER SELF? Trust in yourself and your hard work. Give yourself grace and have fun along the way!

MARLEAH CAMPBELL Sports Director WIBW-TV

WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND TO A FUTURE LEADER? Identify the values that matter most to you and build from there. Learn from your mistakes rather than being discouraged by them.

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WHAT SONG DESCRIBES YOU? All You Need is Love by The Beatles. No matter where life takes me, I always make sure to come back to what really matters: the people I care about and doing what I can to spread love where I am.

WHAT BOOK INSPIRED YOU? Daring Greatly by Brene Brown. This book gave me an entirely new perspective on vulnerability and imperfection. Those two things are not signs of weakness—they’re the greatest form of strength we can show because putting ourselves in the arena where failure is an option is the best way to grow.

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LISTEN. DESIGN. INSPIRE.

Living Water Evangelical Free Church Oskaloosa, KS

ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN MASTER PLANNING & SITE DESIGN SPACE PLANNING & INTERIOR DESIGN

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WHAT LEADERSHIP TRAIT WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE KNOWN FOR? Vision.

WHAT DO YOU ENVISION FOR TOPEKA? To be a community where people want to live and raise their families, but more importantly a place where everyone feels welcome and safe and enjoys life.

BILL COCHRAN Interim City Manager City of Topeka

DEFINE WHAT BEING A GREAT LEADER MEANS TO YOU. Great leaders are self aware and prioritize personal development; they help others become the best versions of themselves; they encourage strategic thinking and demand action; they think ethically and are civicminded; and they practice effective cross-cultural communication.

WHERE DOES YOUR INSPIRATION TO BE INVOLVED COME FROM? My children have inspired me the most to become more involved in the Topeka community. Community engagement will help me better understand the needs and aspirations of those that live here. Which will in turn, have a lasting and positive impact, in the community where they are living!

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HOW DO YOU DEFINE SUCCESS? Success, to me, is a personal thing. Sometimes I think we get too caught up in how we think other people view us and what they think success is. So make success personal, define for yourself what success is and go with it.

WHAT WAS AN AHA! MOMENT FOR YOU? When I realized no matter what you do, no matter how much you prepare and no matter how much you plan, things are still going to happen. How you deal with those situations is really what measures you as a person.

LANE CLOTHIER MCNEIL Executive Assistant for US Marketing Hill’s Pet Nutrition

WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU WISH YOU KNEW THEN THAT YOU KNOW NOW? The number on the scale can never measure your self worth. Oh how I wish I could go back and hug and tell my teenage self that!

AN INSPIRATIONAL MENTOR? Topeka native and self care coach Caroline (Van Dyke) Harris has inspired and motivated me to invest in my own health by teaching me tools to help shift my mindset, build new habits and establish routines that have helped take me from feeling overwhelmed to feeling calm, joyful, and connected.

LESLIE JO DAVIS MEITNER Escrow Officer Security 1st Title, LLC

WHAT CHARACTERISTIC ATTRACTS YOU TO OTHERS? A good sense of humor. Humorous people who do not take themselves seriously are enjoyable to be around and help lighten the mood. I truly believe laughter is the best medicine.

FOR FUN, WHERE MIGHT YOU BE? Spending time with my family, having a night with girlfriends, traveling or watching sports.

WHAT SHOULD NEVER BE TAKEN FOR GRANTED? The sound of our children’s voices (yep, even when they’re driving us nuts!). We waited five long years to hear our miracle babe’s cry. I know many others who are struggling with infertility, longing and praying for the day to hear that sweet sound.

WHAT WOULD YOU CHOOSE FOR YOUR SUPERHUMAN ABILITY? To be able to read people’s minds!

WHAT’S ON YOUR BUCKET LIST? Seeing Adele perform live in concert. Dying to hear Hello in person!

WHAT ARE YOU GRATEFUL FOR? My faith, my loving and faithful husband, and my healthy and happy kids.

WHAT BRINGS YOU JOY? Living room dance parties with my fam. Can’t Stop the Feeling is our jam!

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WHAT HAS BEEN A PROUD CAREER MOMENT FOR YOU? Hitting number one globally on the sales leaderboard in my first four months working for State Farm.

WHAT SHOULD ONE NEVER TAKE FOR GRANTED? Time. It really is the one thing you can lose and never get back and needs to be spent wisely. I recommend balancing time for yourself, family, friends and work.

STANLEY ROBINSON Finance Director, Customer Development Hill’s Pet Nutrition

HOW HAS YOUR JOB AND CAREER ENLIGHTENED YOU? Building a career with an ethical, global company that has allowed me to see much more of the world than I could have ever imagined as a kid.

SHARE A VALUABLE LIFE LESSON. You are you. I know it sounds cliché and right out of a Dr. Seuss book, but it’s true. You can be the juiciest peach and still find someone who hates peaches. So follow the line of those who matter, and those who mind, don’t matter.

GROWING UP, WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE? A State Farm agent and a leader of Topeka’s youth.

WHAT BOOK HAS GIVEN YOU GREAT INSIGHTS? A childhood friend’s mother introduced me to a great book: The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. The principles explained are practical in both personal and professional pursuits…be impeccable with your word; don’t take anything personally; don’t make assumptions; and always do your best.

YOUR LIFE GOAL? Living a life that I am proud to leave behind. I hope to be measured by how I showed up for my family, friends, colleagues and the community.

WHAT SKILLS INFLUENCE HOW YOU DO YOUR JOB? Maintaining a high level of curiosity. Namely staying open to new ideas, listening, avoiding cynicism, and most importantly, not being afraid to peek under the hood.

WHO WOULD YOU CHOOSE TO PLAY “YOU” IN A MOVIE? The Rock…for obvious reasons! He’s a bit older than me, but the brawn makes up for any age difference.

☺

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LEILANI GREY

Director of Admission, Diversity & Social Responsibility Topeka Collegiate School WHAT ACCOMPLISHMENT HAS MADE YOU PROUD? I relocated to Topeka unexpectedly in May 2018. I knew nothing about this city before I lived here. Therefore my proudest professional accomplishment has been how I was able to establish myself professionally in a short span of time.

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CASEY E. VIGUS Office Manager Brandon Aldridge State Farm

WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY? Making people laugh. If I can make someone feel comfortable enough to let their guard down and just laugh then my day is made.

WHAT ADVICE HAS SERVED YOU WELL? As a woman and mom, you can have it all, but not at the same time. Dawn Buehler (Friends of the Kaw) shared that with me a couple of years ago, and it really made an imprint. It also made me slow down my internal timeline. Your kids are only little for a short time, so enjoy it.

WHO IS YOUR ROLE MODEL? My role model is Michael Scaffidi. He was a boss I had in my early 20s and I now call him a friend.

Michael showed me how to be a compassionate but firm leader who was not threatened by empowering all his employees to learn and know skills outside of their job description. He also taught me that working hard can also be fun.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE HASHTAG? #FunnyNotFunny

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WHAT DO GREAT LEADERS HAVE IN COMMON? Strong communication.

DESCRIBE SOMETHING THAT INSPIRES YOU. Taking on and completing challenging tasks and projects, while learning something new along the way.

WHAT WORK ETHIC WAS INSTILLED IN YOU WHEN YOU WERE YOUNG? My parents taught me a lot of great values growing up, but at the top of my list would be to always work hard and do your best, and treat people with respect.

NAME A TOPEKA BUSINESS YOU WOULD BUY STOCK IN. Bartlett and West! I am grateful to be a part of an employee-owned company here in Topeka, which allows me to receive stock in the company.

BRENDEN SHEEHY Senior Project Engineer Bartlett & West

YOUR FAVORITE APP? YouTube. I use it to keep up with things I’m interested in and it’s also been a lifesaver whenever I need to fix something or learn something new.

YOUR SPIRIT ANIMAL? Eagles—because they can rise above storms.

SHARE WHAT MAKES TOPEKA SPECIAL TO YOU. I have lived in Topeka my entire life. I stay because of the slow pace, friendly people and natural beauty. Where else can you get four seasons in one day, be anywhere in about 15 minutes and meet a friend wherever you go!?

WHAT ARE YOUR STRENGTHS? Transparency, because if I can trust myself, I can be trusted by others. Integrity, because I value authenticity and sincerity. And empathy, as I am able to see what others see and feel what others feel.

IF YOU WERE MENTORING SOMEONE IN YOUR FIELD, WHAT WOULD YOU TELL THEM? Serving the community is hard work, but everything hard is worth it. Always leave people, places, and things better than you found them. Practice good self-care! We can’t love and serve others well if we don’t serve and love ourselves first.

NIKKI RAMIREZ-JENNINGS Executive Director SENT, Inc.

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR UP AND COMING LEADERS? You don’t have to be the smartest, strongest, fastest or wealthiest person in the room. As long as you’re willing to work harder than everyone else, have integrity and are willing to sacrifice what others won’t, you will succeed.

WHAT SHOULD NEVER BE TAKEN FOR GRANTED? Freedom or the wisdom of your elders.

YOUR PROUDEST ACCOMPLISHMENT? Serving my nation alongside some of the best and brightest soldiers, airmen, sailors and Marines.

WHAT’S ON YOUR BUCKET LIST? To visit Norway and see the aurora borealis.

TRACY BLOCKER Owner/Operations Manager Technical Applications & Consulting

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YOUR HERO? Francis Marion. During service in the Revolutionary War, he led in extremely challenging circumstances.

Francis employed irregular warfare methods with a great deal of success. Also, known as the Swamp Fox, he is considered one of the fathers of our modern Special Operations Forces. Francis is an excellent example of successfully adapting and overcoming in a seemingly impossible situation.

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SHARE YOUR VISION FOR TOPEKA. I feel so much pride and energy from my friends from Topeka. As a new resident of Topeka, I hope I am able to contribute to the incredible and dynamic vision created by the community. My vision for Topeka is for it/us to be an inclusive community that acknowledges areas of improvement with excitement and possibility; a community which is inviting to the global workforce; and a community that is held as an excellent example of a thriving city.

YOUR LEADERSHIP STYLE? My leadership style is authentic and relational. I have grown to embrace being able to say, “I don’t know” and “Let’s figure this out together.” I have also grown to appreciate how who I am does not need to change to be an effective leader. I can be an effective leader at the same time that I can remain naturally energized by sincerely connecting with others; acknowledging and celebrating diverse ideas, perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds; allowing myself to be vulnerable and awkward as a strength; and being perfectly imperfect in every way.

WHEN DO YOU FEEL LIKE A ROCKSTAR? This is a great question. It makes me want to feel like a rockstar more often! I think what makes me feel like a rockstar the most is watching my small humans become incredible beings with all the potential in the world.

Whenever they look at something critically, or ask tough questions, or want to discuss things they are noticing, my heart swells and I do the happy dance inside my head.

MARSHA LISSETTE CARRASCO Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Manager FHLBank of Topeka

WHAT CHALLENGES YOUNG PROFESSIONALS TODAY? Young professionals continue to have more options of where to find their dream jobs, communities and future career paths. They enter our communities with more expectations of inclusivity, opportunities, accessible social outlets and notable experiences. I believe this can be a challenge as young professionals may not look locally for these things and assume they have to go to larger cities to find these outlets, creating self-imposed limitations.

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WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP? I wanted to be a teacher.

YOUR INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE? “Bloom where you are planted.”

—Mary Engelbreit A VALUABLE LEADERSHIP QUALITY? Integrity.

WHAT IS YOUR PET PEEVE? Insincerity.

MARCUS MILLER Executive Director First Tee-Greater Topeka

AS A CHILD, WHAT INFLUENCED WHO YOU ARE TODAY? Since I was little, I have always heard the phrase “Be the change you want to see.” As a young kid, I really didn’t know what that meant. But as I went through high school and college, I realized that there were a lot of people “talking” about what people should be doing, instead of leading and teaching them in a manner so that they can do it. So every day I wake up knowing the best way to do that is to be passionately involved and help stir the change I want to see.

IF YOU COULD BUY STOCK IN ANY TOPEKA BUSINESS, WHICH WOULD IT BE? Pal’s Restaurant.

WHAT IS YOUR THEME SONG? Count Your Blessings.

REBECCA ROTH Human Resource Specialist II Shawnee County Human Resources

WHAT’S SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE IN THE WORK WORLD? It is better to prevent problems than recover from them. In my current world, this means training. Training is the foundation of what we do and is the preventative measure that keeps us from having to recover from an incident.

WHAT MAKES YOU UNIQUE? I don’t believe that I am unique, I think I just made the life decision to care more about others than I do myself. I truly feel that people can find out so much more about themselves and who they are as a person, when they fully commit to helping others unconditionally.

WHAT CARTOON CHARACTER BEST DESCRIBES YOU? I’m going to say a mix of characters on the Boondocks (except Uncle Ruckus). From Riley and Huey Freeman to Robert Freeman and Tom Dubois, I can be a little bit of everything depending on the situation.

IF YOU COULD SPLURGE ON A PURCHASE, WHAT WOULD IT BE? I have always been firm that I have everything I want, and if I don’t, it’s just because I don’t know I want it yet. I’m extremely blessed and happy to just be alive, honestly. But ever since the Tesla Cybertruck came about, I have not stopped thinking about selling my house to purchase one and dealing with my wife’s repercussions later.

BRIDGET WHITTINGTON Topeka Field Manager Central National Bank

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR PROUDEST ACCOMPLISHMENT? Raising my daughter and now my granddaughter.

WHAT GOAL ARE YOU WORKING TOWARD? Getting more involved in my community.

Photo by JOHN BURNS

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WHAT LEADERSHIP SKILL WOULD YOU CONSIDER CRITICAL TO SUCCESS? Support. In order for me to be successful, my staff has to be successful. They need my support more than anything to be confident in their jobs and their abilities.

WHO IS YOUR ROLE MODEL? My role model is not just one person. It is all the successful people around me that I desire to be more like. I am surrounded by people every day who inspire me to keep reaching for my goals.

YOUR FAVORITE HASHTAG? #pibblelife. I own three pitbulls and post more pictures of them than anyone else in my house.

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YOUR ADVICE TO YOUNG PROFESSIONALS? I think young professionals feel a lot of pressure to have it all figured out early on. The reality is that there is more than one way to reach a destination, and putting too much pressure on yourself to make the “right” decision, whether that relates to a career move or where to spend time and energy in organizations or the community, is wasted energy. Every experience is an opportunity to learn, so we should focus more on constantly growing and less on hitting a certain milestone by a certain time.

WHAT’S ON YOUR BUCKET LIST? I would like to run a marathon. While I have run several half-marathons, the thought of 26.2 miles is really daunting. However, I love a personal challenge, and I love the idea of pushing myself both physically and mentally to achieve something that I know I would be proud of.

Director Washburn University Leadership Institute Washburn University

YOUR THEME SONG? Somewhere Over the Rainbow. I’ve always been a dreamer, and it’s such a hopeful and optimistic song about believing that anything is possible.

DESCRIBE YOUR LEADERSHIP STYLE. My leadership style is largely relational. I believe that leaders can motivate followers by developing meaningful relationships and forging personal connections that inspire people to achieve more than they believed they could.

WHAT’S YOUR LIFE #HASHTAG? #lifelonglearner. It may not be original, but learning is my number one strength. As an educator, I love to learn and am really inspired by the idea that we will never stop growing and improving if we are willing to learn and embrace new ideas.

LAUREN EDELMAN

IF YOU WERE A TEACHER FOR A DAY, WHICH SUBJECT WOULD YOU TEACH? Business Entrepreneurship. If more people treated their day-to-day job like they were working for themselves, we would have more businesses succeed and more effective leaders within those organizations.

YOUR FAVORITE MEMORY OF THIS LAST YEAR? Watching both of my kids graduate, my son from high school and my daughter from college.

LISA BECKER Lead Relationship Manager AE Wealth Management

WHO HAS INFLUENCED YOU THE MOST? My kids. Watching them grow up and navigate this world as young adults amazes me. They make me push myself harder and inspire me to grow and learn more every day. Their level of commitment and grit makes me proud and pushes me to do the same.

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WHAT CHARACTERISTICS DO YOU VALUE MOST IN YOUR COWORKERS? Honesty, efficiency and commitment.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MOBILE APP? Spotify. I love to listen to a wide assortment of podcasts and have all my favorite songs at my fingertips for whatever mood I’m in.

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MICHAEL WILLIAMS Head Boys Basketball Coach & Student Support Coordinator at Highland Park Communities in Schools of Mid-America Topeka Public Schools

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO ENTER YOUR PROFESSION? I’ve always had an extreme passion for the game of basketball, teaching and supporting those around me. I played point guard during my playing days, so I was an extension of the coach on the court and the facilitator to make everyone’s job easier. When the opportunity presented itself years ago to enter education and become a coach, it was a natural transition in my life.

WHAT ARE YOU MOST PASSIONATE ABOUT WHEN IT COMES TO SERVING YOUR COMMUNITY? Representation. I just want all people to be able to see themselves as they look within our community and actually see themselves truly making a positive difference.

WHAT IS YOUR LEADERSHIP STYLE? Servant leadership. I always believed in serving those you are called to lead. I want to be the one who rolls his sleeves up and is actively involved in leadership. I never wanted players to think that Coach Mike would tell but could never do.

WHAT ARE CHALLENGES FACING YOUNG PROFESSIONALS? Understanding that we do not know it all.

Finding true fulfillment.

Opportunities for continuing growth and development.

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JACQUELINE LIGHTCAP Co-President League of Women Voters of Kansas

HOW DID YOU BECOME INVOLVED WITH THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS? I joined the League of Women Voters in 2011 because I wanted to be more involved in my community. I’ve always loved learning about our government and how it functions, and my time with the League has taught me so much about civic life, democracy, and how ordinary citizens can play a positive role.

WHO DO YOU LOOK UP TO? I am drawn to women in positions of leadership in their communities who also prioritize their families—so I look up to those who manage to balance the things I also see as important.

Luckily, there are several who fall in this category so I cannot pick just one!

WHAT AMAZING ADVENTURES HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED? I once drove to South Padre Island to shoot a documentary about swimsuit models. I once flew to New York just to be in a documentary for my favorite band, They Might Be Giants. I once flew to Las Vegas just to attend a taping of my favorite performers’ TV show, Penn and Teller: Fool Us. And I once flew to London just to (apart from being on my honeymoon) see the exterior of the house featured in my favorite TV show, Spaced… and locations from my favorite movie, Shaun of the Dead.

WHAT DO YOU MOST ADMIRE IN OTHERS? I appreciate efficiency and admire those who achieve a good balance between effort and leisure.

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SOMETHING YOU’VE LEARNED OVER TIME? You don’t have to do everything yourself; it’s ok to ask others to help.

HOW DO YOU FILL YOUR EVENINGS? My wife and I design and build the scenery for the wonderful productions created at Helen Hocker Theater in Gage Park.

YOUR THEME SONG? Como la Flor by Selena WHAT IS THE MEANING OF YOUR NAME? The defender of mankind or “She is brave.”

ONE WORD THAT DESCRIBES YOU? Tenacious.

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Creative Service Director WIBW-TV

WHAT’S AN OVERWHELMING CHALLENGE THAT YOU CONQUERED? Coming to a new country and learning a new culture and language was a challenge. It taught me the value of freedom and opportunities that this country offers to anyone who is willing to work hard.

WHAT IS THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED? “It’s okay to feel two things at one time.” The midwife who cared for me during the birth of our firstborn shared that with me 18 years ago, and it has stood the test of time! It has given me “permission” to give myself grace and be patient with myself, whether as a new or seasoned parent, or a person actively working for positive change in her community, with the mix of emotions involved in all of our roles—personal and professional.

WHEN THINGS GET TOUGH, WHAT DRIVES YOU? Growing up here, mostly in Topeka, I have a strong sense of groundedness in this place and its people. This connection has served me well in life by providing me with a true foundation of family, friends and faith that I know will be there for me, no matter what.

DAVID UHLER

SANDRA MUNIZ URIA Customer Advisory Center Dual Manager US Bank

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WHAT BRINGS YOU JOY? My kids, family and friends.

A REWARDING TASK? Helping people in need.

YOUR ROLE MODEL? My mom.

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TAKING BUSINESS TO THE

NEXT LEVEL

By KIM GRONNIGER Photos by JOHN BURNS

After nurturing their businesses and watching them thrive, some entrepreneurs continue to look for strategic alliances that can offer complementary services for customers. Here are the stories of three Topekans who have enhanced the scale and scope of their companies, two through retail acquisitions and one with a reimagined business model that edged away from lawn care into transformative outdoor entertainment areas.

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Tammy Thiessen of Thiessen Design Co. and Home At Last, provides a turnkey process for homeowners seeking solutions for remodeling projects.

SIMPLIFYING THE PROCESS

THIESSEN DESIGN CO. & HOME AT LAST Thiessen Design Co. began in March 2018 as an interior design company, but within six months owner Tammy Thiessen knew she wanted to integrate building expertise into the business and enlisted her brother, Daniel Carlson, a licensed general contractor to fill the role.

Now the siblings, along with Tammy’s husband, Brett, have purchased Home at Last, a Fairlawn Mall retail store offering distinctive furnishings, home décor and gifts.

“Our design-based approach provides seamless integration for homeowners seeking solutions for their remodeling projects,” said Thiessen. “And with the acquisition of Home at Last, we can help them apply the finishing touches to their refreshed spaces.”

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Photo by JOHN BURNS

Thiessen said their affinity for Home at Last was twofold.

“We’ve sourced a lot of furniture there and we are committed to supporting local businesses,” she said. “When the previous owner talked to us about buying the store, we realized it was another opportunity to simplify the home design process.”

Homeowners interested in remodeling kitchens and bathrooms or undertaking additions first meet with Thiessen about their ideas, and then Thiessen gathers Daniel and the team to determine feasibility and costeffective approaches.

“We often work with clients who’ve been told that a kitchen island won’t fit or something desired won’t work, so our goal is to always come back with a solution that makes the project’s outcome

strong and the homeowner happy,” she said. “We have carpenters on the team who can build suspended shelving or reconfigure a fireplace.

We know about real-world execution and see things through to the end.”

Thiessen’s entrepreneurial aspiration to provide a turnkey system for homeowners was honed when she and Brett remodeled a 35-year-old home on five acres.

“Through our experience, I realized that the industry is so fragmented,” she said. “You have to share your vision with the contractor and again at the tile store and the cabinet store, and it’s exhausting.

My goal was to consolidate everything so clients would know that I’m the first and the last person they need to explain their ideas to and

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Photos by JOHN BURNS

“When the previous owner [of Home At Last] talked to us about buying the store, we realized it was another opportunity to simplify the home design process.”

—Tammy Thiessen Co-Owner Home At Last

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Photos by JOHN BURNS

Tammy Thiessen’s graphic design background helps her to combine color, scale and texture in furnishings.

avoid misinterpretations along the way.”

Thiessen’s background is in graphic design and marketing and through work at an agency she honed an aptitude for combining color, scale and texture, a relevant attribute for styling a living room or a showroom floor.

The mother of four boys, Thiessen describes her style as “classic with a light and airy, inviting feel,” which will be reflected in the Home at Last’s selections.

“Some of our store customers may not be ready

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for remodeling but they may still be interested in new furnishings, mantel décor or gifts,” said Thiessen. “We’re keeping many of the previous owner’s legacy items but weaving in our signature look too.”

Thiessen said the store will soon offer curated, themed gifts at different price points to celebrate special occasions.

For Thiessen, the most gratifying aspect of the past four years of entrepreneurship has been “walking alongside homeowners and helping reduce that often overwhelming

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feeling people have with remodels. It can be a daunting process and a lot of money to invest and the results will stay with them a long time.”

The same can be said for establishing a business and then escalating it to a new level.

“When we started, we sought advice and believed our company was needed in the community,” said Thiessen.

“We took big risks, but it always felt like the right thing to do.

We love working with our customers to transform their dreams into something tangible, beautiful and functional.”

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Melissa Bame, owner of JML Engraving, took the jump from a home-based engraving venture to a brick and mortar full-time retail business right in the heart of the pandemic.

CAPITALIZING ON OPPORTUNITY

JML ENGRAVING Melissa Bame, owner of JML Engraving, learned the business under the tutelage of her mother, who owned Westside Stamp & Awards.

After eight years with the company, Bame launched an independent, home-based engraving venture while planning events for Mother Earth magazine.

After the pandemic curtailed events, in September 2020 Bame capitalized on the opportunity to buy a bigger engraving business and become a full-time entrepreneur operating out of a retail store.

“I bought a Yeti dealer and wholesaler business that provided promotional items for different companies, and

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Photo by JOHN BURNS

it was a great complement to the work I was already doing,” she said. “But the decision still involved a lot of deliberation and prayer.”

Referring to the serendipitous jump as a “growing experience,” Bame said working out of her home for 12 years hadn’t prepared her for running a retail store, navigating supply chain issues or learning to be a boss.

She sought advice from her ABWA professional organization colleagues and her lender, Silver Lake Bank, which helped her access a line of credit and Small Business Administration resources.

Although Bame said she struggled with impostor syndrome at first, she has

since gained confidence in her capabilities, boosted in part by surpassing the “huge” first-year goal she had set for herself.

“I realized I can do just about anything if I put my mind to it and if something doesn’t work out, I learn from it, move forward and plan better the next time,” she said. “My network has helped me be more strategic in my approach and afforded an opportunity for my husband to offer metal art signs in the shop. I’m always looking for new inventory to offer my customers.”

Bame’s inventory runs the gamut from crystal awards and laser-cut wooden tribute plaques to tumblers,

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Photos by JOHN BURNS

“I realized I can do just about anything if I put my mind to it and if something doesn’t work out, I learn from it, move forward and plan better the next time.”

—Melissa Bame Owner JML Engraving

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JML Engraving carries an extensive inventory of crystal awards, laser-cut wooded tribute plaques, tumblers, trophies and more. trophies and more. Bame said an extensive inventory and in-house personalization allow her team to meet tight deadlines.

JML Engraving also works with contractors on labels for electrical panels in buildings.

“All these different types of pieces keep the revenue streaming,” she said.

Bame said the most gratifying part of her expanding business is “touching customers” lives with gifts that commemorate career milestones and corporate and team awards or memorialize a loved one.

“It brings me great joy and warms my heart to share in such special moments.”

One of the first things Bame did when she bought her business was engrave a sign with her company’s core values: friendliness, value and innovation.

“I strive to provide gifts that stand out and I put my stamp on whatever we produce and feel proud about the craftsmanship,” she said. “We like working with companies of all sizes that want to promote their businesses and reward their employees with something special.”

Her advice for anyone considering escalating an enterprise is to cultivate confidence, secure the services of an accountant, lender and attorney who can provide additional expertise and establish an informal advisory committee.

“Whenever I have a question or an idea, I rely on people in my network to help me determine how or whether to proceed,” she said. “Having people to lean on is really important to success.”

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Alejandro Mateos joined his dad, Guadalupe, at Naly’s Outdoor Co., when he realized how much potential he saw in the family business.

EXPANDING THE ENTERPRISE

NALY’S OUTDOOR CO. Naly’s Outdoor Co. began as a two-mower lawn care side hustle in 2015 and has now evolved into an expansive enterprise transforming yards into entertainment areas replete with putting greens, pergolas, patios and pool houses.

Alejandro Mateos was a 17-year-old high school student when he first spent summers helping his dad, Guadalupe, a remodeler, maintain a 39-acre section of the Topeka Cemetery and a few residential lawns.

Later as a commuting freshman at Johnson County Community College, Mateos’ disenchantment with college life prompted him to look deeper into the lawn care industry as a lifelong career.

He gleaned inspiration from YouTube videos on how to

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Photo by JOHN BURNS

turn the business into a yearround landscaping company.

“I had a lot of driving time to think about my future and I considered the opportunities I had right in front of me with the business,” he said. “I liked the challenge of making something out of nothing and connecting with people. Customers often asked us if we could do more and my dad had carpentry experience so I got excited about the possibilities.”

He connected with an online platform of professional landscapers willing to share resources along with their successes and mistakes before pitching his plan to his dad.

“My dad was shocked that I didn’t want to go to college, but when he realized that it wasn’t so much about

me leaving college as it was about seeing potential in our business, he trusted the vision,” said Mateos, now 23.

The family business also includes Mateos’ sister, Lariza Chavira, who does design work and handles the company’s human resources and technology needs.

The company’s current business model focuses on providing design and build services for any number of options customers seek to make their outdoor living spaces more inviting and convenient for entertaining, including pavilions equipped with a kitchen, fireplace and television option for game-day viewing.

“Our clients want to enhance outdoor environments for hosting family and friends and

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Photo by JOHN BURNS

“Our clients want to enhance outdoor environments for hosting family and friends and are willing to invest in their backyards instead of looking elsewhere for a place to spend quality family time.”

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Photo by JOHN BURNS

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—Alejandro Mateos Co-owner Naly’s Outdoor Co.

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Photo by JOHN BURNS

Larisa Chavira, sister to Alejandro Mateos works along side him and her dad, Guadalupe Mateos, managing human resources and technology needs.

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are willing to invest in their backyards instead of looking elsewhere for a place to spend quality family time,” he said.

Because of the family’s experience with landscaping, concrete and construction work, Mateo, a licensed general contractor, said his company can typically take on a client’s job start to finish. Subcontractors handle electrical, plumbing and gas line work when required.

Mateos said he is committed to maintaining high-quality standards through continuous training and cultivation of strong supplier relationships.

“I’m always looking for resources and attending expos to learn more and see what’s new,” he said.

Time-lapse videos of projects have been a popular way to engage with the community and highlight the company’s capabilities.

“It’s been really gratifying to see the projects we’ve done come together,” he said. “Our ultimate vision is to be a one-stop shop for whatever customers want so they only have to work with one contractor instead of multiple ones over a period of time.”

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BENEFICIARY DESIGNATIONS

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Why Beneficiary Designations Are Important

Brian Casebeer, CPWA®, CIMA®, AAMS® Vice President Branch Manager Casebeer McCollum Wealth Management Group of Wells Fargo Advisors

Beneficiary designations can provide a relatively easy way to transfer an account or insurance policy upon your death. However, if you’re not careful, missing or outdated beneficiary designations can easily cause your estate plan to go awry.

We often complete these designations without giving it much thought, but they’re actually important and deserve careful attention. Here’s why: Beneficiary designations take priority over what’s in other estate planning documents, such as a will or trust.

For example, you may indicate in your will you want everything to go to your spouse after your death. However, if the beneficiary designation on your life insurance policy still names your ex-spouse, he or she may end up getting the proceeds.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND THEM Here is a sampling of where you’ll find beneficiary designations: • Employer-sponsored retirement plans [401(k), 403(b), etc.]

• IRAs • Life insurance policies • Annuities • Transfer-on-death (TOD) investment accounts • Pay-on-death (POD) bank accounts • Stock options and restricted stock • Executive deferred compensation plans

Investment and Insurance Products are: • Not Insured by the FDIC or Any Federal Government Agency • Not a Deposit or Other Obligation of, or Guaranteed by, the Bank or Any Bank Affiliate • Subject to Investment Risks, Including Possible Loss of the Principal Amount Invested

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Because you are asked to designate beneficiaries on so many different accounts and insurance products, it can be difficult to keep up. However, it is worth the effort; failing to maintain the beneficiary designation on that 401(k) from three employers ago could mean money will go to the wrong place.

When you first set up your estate plan, go over all the designations you previously made and align them with your plan. After that, you should review and update them regularly—a least once a year.

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10 Tips About Beneficiary Designations Keep these things in mind in your estate planning:

1

2

Remember to name beneficiaries.

If you don’t name a beneficiary, one of the following could occur: • The account or policy may have to go through probate court. This process often results in unnecessary delays, additional costs, and unfavorable income tax treatment.

• The agreement that controls the account or policy may provide for “default” beneficiaries. This could be helpful, but it’s possible the default beneficiaries may not be whom you intended.

Name both primary and contingent beneficiaries.

It is a good practice to name a “back up” or contingent beneficiary in case the primary beneficiary dies before you.

Depending on your situation, you may have only a primary beneficiary. In that case, consider whether a charity (or charities) may make sense to name as the contingent beneficiary.

3

Update for life events.

Review your beneficiary designations regularly and update them as needed based on major life events, such as births, deaths, marriages, and divorces.

4

Read the instructions.

Beneficiary designation forms are not all alike. Don’t just fill in names – be sure to read the form carefully.

5

Coordinate with your will and trust.

Whenever you change your will or trust, be sure to talk with your attorney about your beneficiary designations. Because these designations operate independently of your other estate planning documents, it’s important to understand how the different parts of your plan work as a whole.

6

Think twice before naming individual beneficiaries for particular assets For example, you establish three accounts of equal value and name a different child as beneficiary of each. Over the years, the accounts may grow unevenly, so the children end up getting different amounts, which is not what you originally intended.

7

Avoid naming your estate as beneficiary.

If you designate a beneficiary on your 401(k), for example, it won’t have to go through probate court to be distributed to the beneficiary.

If you name your estate as beneficiary, the account will have to go through probate. For IRAs and qualified retirement plans, there may also be unfavorable income tax consequences.

NEXT STEPS • When creating, updating, or simply reviewing your estate plan, pay attention to your beneficiary designations.

• Remember, beneficiary designations take precedence over what you may have specified in a will or trust.

• Put a reminder on your calendar to check your beneficiary designations annually so you can keep them up-to-date.

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8

Use caution when naming a trust as beneficiary.

Consult your attorney or CPA before naming a trust as beneficiary for IRAs, qualified retirement plans, or annuities. There are situations where it makes sense to name a trust—for example if: • Your beneficiaries are minor children • You are in a second marriage • You want to control access to funds Even in cases like these, understand the tax consequences before you name a trust as beneficiary.

9

Be aware of tax consequences.

Many assets that transfer by beneficiary designation come with special tax consequences. It is helpful to work with an experienced tax advisor, who can help provide planning ideas for your particular situation.

10

Use disclaimers when necessary—but be careful.

Sometimes a beneficiary may actually want to decline (disclaim) assets on which they’re designated as beneficiary. Keep in mind disclaimers involve complex legal and tax issues and require careful consultation with your attorney and CPA.

Trust services available through banking and trust affiliates in addition to non-affiliated companies of Wells Fargo Advisors.

Wells Fargo Advisors and its affiliate do not provide tax or legal advice.

Please consult with your tax and/or legal advisors before taking any action that may have tax and/or legal consequences.

This article was written by/for Wells Fargo Advisors and provided courtesy of Brian Casebeer, Vice President—Branch Manager in Topeka at 785-271-2514.

Wells Fargo Advisors is a trade name used by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Member SIPC, a registered broker-dealer and non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company. ©2022 Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC. All rights reserved.

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Courtney & Chris Stemler with son Beckett | Nic & Shelby Irick with daughter Kevan Eileen | Owners | The Beacon Photo by JOHN BURNS

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Restoring a Piece of History

THE BEACON

By KATHY WEBBER Photos by JOHN BURNS

With new owners at the helm, downtown Topeka’s historic Woman’s Club of Topeka building will once again be a gathering place and a hub of entertainment.

With an eclectic 1920s vintage charm, The Beacon, located at 420 SW 9th St., began hosting events last fall, with even more event space opening to the public in 2022. Owners Courtney and Chris Stemler, and Nic and Shelby Irick set about to create a fun and exciting event space for Topeka, while paying homage to the building’s historic origins.

In the 1900s, the Woman’s Club of Topeka was a highly influential group of more than 400 members who fundraised for local schools and institutions, providing books, artwork, musical educational materials as well as providing entertainment to its members. The club was instrumental in raising funds after the 1903 floods, and during World War I, the club members devoted most of their time to “war work.”

The Woman’s Club was thought to be one of Topeka’s most dependable organizations that had the best interests of the community in mind and was ready to help in any given situation. Needing a larger space in which to hold their meetings and events, in 1925 this influential group opened a three story 27,507 square foot brick building at 420 SW 9th St. At the time, this building was one of the largest clubhouses West of the Mississippi River, overshadowing clubhouses in larger cities like Wichita or Kansas City.

After several years of prosperity, the club’s membership started to diminish and they sold the building to MBI, Inc., who eventually leased

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Photo by JOHN BURNS

Demolition of a drop ceiling uncovered this unique barrel ceiling in the former Woman’s Club of Topeka.

the building to the State of Kansas in the early 1980s. MBI, Inc. covered up many of the original architectural features of the building, lowered the ceilings, leveled the floors and constructed cubicles to create office space that would be used until 2019, when the state moved its offices to another location.

In 2020, this historic gem came up for auction, and that’s when the Stemlers and Iricks bought the building and began to restore it to its original state.

“The ladies who built this place were definitely ladies of influence,” Courtney Stemler said. “This type of endeavor was not a normal thing for women of their time to do, but they fundraised and made it happen. They spared no expense, and now, we are bringing it back to life.”

A FAMILY AFFAIR Courtney and Shelby are sisters and would often get their two families

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together to socialize. One evening, as they were chatting about things to do in Topeka, the foursome decided to do more than just talk about pursing their dream of owning an event space.

“We had been tossing around a lot of ideas about business opportunities we could pursue as a group, some of them more feasible than others,” Courtney said. “When the Woman’s Club building came up for auction, it just seemed like the right place at the right time.”

Courtney and Shelby researched the historical aspects of the building while Chris and Nic ran the numbers and worked through the financing options to determine how much they could spend on the project. When they all came back together, it was a consensus: They would bid on the building.

Knowing their financial limitations and facing higher construction materials costs, the couples looked for ways to save money and stay within budget.

One of those cost cutting measures was doing their own demolition work.

It quickly became one of the most rewarding tasks because every time they demolished something, they uncovered unique architectural features like a

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barrel ceiling, a spring dance floor, hidden balconies, and stained-glass windows that could only be seen from the outside.

“When we bought the building, we had the original blueprints. We could see, from an architectural perspective, what was above the drop ceilings,” Nic Irick said. “But it can be hard to picture what that will actually look like. Once we got into the demolition, we found so many really interesting things that make this space unique.”

HISTORY GUIDES RENOVATION Because the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, renovations come with certain limitations. However, the new owners didn’t view these restrictions as hindrances but rather saw them as helpful guidelines.

“We did not come into this project to try and turn this building into something that it was not originally intended to be, for instance, turn the space into condos or something,” Chris Stemler said. “If we had tried to do that, we would have had a lot of issues, but since we are

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The Beacon is intended to be a place where a wide variety of activities can be held that will enhance any Topeka experience.

basically trying to restore it to what it was intended for, meeting the historical requirements has not been any trouble.”

The Stemlers and Iricks purchased the building with the intention of providing Topeka with a unique space that can be used for just about anything.

They want The Beacon to be a space where locals can easily host a wide

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Photos by JOHN BURNS

variety of events from business meetings to weddings or other fun events.

“Basically, we want to have fun, and we want to help other people have fun as well,” Chris Stemler said. “An event space seemed like a great way to do both. People in Topeka have complained for a long time about not having enough to do. Other businesses

TK Business Magazine

are starting to offer more recreational activities, and we’d like to help catalyze that. This building lets us host activities for others and create entertainment and experiences of our own for Topeka to enjoy.”

They also feel that The Beacon’s purpose aligns with GO Topeka and Downtown Topeka, Inc.’s vision for a thriving and growing community.

The key to experience that growth, Chris Stemler says, is to attract young professionals to Topeka and then give them a reason to stay. Part of that attraction is giving people more choices for events and entertainment.

“Topeka needs to offer more options, especially for event spaces,” Chris Stemler said. “We think economically, the city would benefit from people spending money in Topeka instead of going somewhere else for their event. We also think culturally, the more engaged folks our age, or really anybody, can be in staying here, the better off Topeka will be.”

MOVING FORWARD The Beacon has recently held a Halloween Trivia Night and a New Year’s Eve party, as well as private events such as business meetings and weddings. Even groups who like to play board games have shown interest in using the facility.

“We want to be that personal connection for groups and individuals to provide the perfect space for whatever their needs are. We are a blank canvas with the flexibility to help people accomplish whatever they can dream up,” Nic Irick said. “We think that kind of experience is unique for Topeka.”

The Stemlers and Iricks plan to continue their business ventures down the road—but probably in a whole new direction.

“This has been quite a process,” Nic Irick said. “We know it is a marathon, not a sprint, and over time, things will grow. This is step one. We plan to do other real-estate projects.”

TK

Celebrating Community Leadership

JEREMY GRABER

DICK HAY

JAMES RANKIN

JAKE HOLLY

For more than a century, Foulston remains steadfast in its support of organizations that make the communities we serve better places to live, work, and play. Foulston attorneys have joined and lead numerous nonprofit, civic, and professional organizations. As members of the community, Foulston lawyers continue to support initiatives vital to Topeka’s future growth.

Behind every great community are great leaders. Congratulations to the Topeka Business Hall of Fame 2022 Laureates.

Jeremy Graber | jgraber@foulston.com

FOULSTON.COM MARCH/APRIL 2022

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BUILDING A LEGACY MORE THAN 100 YEARS IN THE MAKING

By ERIC SMITH Photos by JOHN BURNS

The capital city branch of Foulston moved into its new offices above Brew Bank in downtown Topeka about a year ago.

Jeremy Graber, the current partnerin-charge in the Topeka firm, said it has been exciting to be part the of the energy happening downtown with Evergy Plaza, the Cyrus Hotel and other new businesses moving in.

“It’s been fun watching downtown come alive,” Graber said. “When I first started here, it was four lanes up and down Kansas Avenue, and it was a ghost town after about 5 p.m. Over the last decade, it’s been fun seeing that all change.”

The Topeka firm has 12 employees and four attorneys. While the firm often deals with clients’ needs as they relate to state agencies, the legislature, the attorney general’s office and other government entities, Graber said, much of their work is similar to that of the other Foulston locations.

“We are here to help people,” Graber said. “Just like Foulston Siefken has been doing for the last 100 years. We show up every day and help our clients get through what may be a challenging time for them, whether it’s litigation or the loss of a family member. We take on the weight of our clients’ problems and do what we can to make their lives a little better.”

Photo by JOHN BURNS

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A 100-YEAR-OLD STORY The year is 1919. Woodrow Wilson is president.

World War I has just ended. Prohibition and women’s right to vote are on the forefront. And in Wichita, Robert Foulston and George Siefkin joined up to form what is now the largest Kansas-based law firm, Foulston Siefkin LLP. Today, the widely respected regional firm has nearly 90 lawyers—about 55 of whom are partners—serving local, national and international clients with offices in Wichita, Topeka and Overland Park. The full-service firm offers legal services in nearly all areas of law except for family law and criminal law.

But like many storied institutions, things started small for the law firm well over 100 years ago.

As the firm tells it, Foulston was up on a ladder one day learning carpentry when he thought, “There has to be a better way to make a living than this.”

He climbed down off the ladder, told his family he was doing something different with his life, and began taking classes at the University of Kansas.

After graduating law school, a Wichita businessman offered Foulston a small law office but no clients. A short time after that, Foulston began serving as city attorney for the City of Wichita.

counsel for Boeing’s Wichita division, which later became Spirit AeroSystems.

As for Foulston, he knew W.C. Coleman through Bible study class and helped found the Coleman Company, which was initially known for its lanterns, and today has become a well-known international outdoor recreation product manufacturer.

Foulston and Siefkin’s strengths included the ability to attract and train talented lawyers. From the start, the firm was known for having attorneys serve in the community and on charitable boards to give their time, talents and resources.

“When I started, I was amazed at the reverence with which everyone talked about Robert C. Foulston and George Siefkin,” Oliver said.

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SETTING A PRECEDENT Foulston’s first big case came when the Wichita Water Company sued the City of Wichita for more than $2 million. A New York City firm defeated the city and the young attorney at trial, but on appeal, with his new partnership with Siefkin, the up-and-coming duo had the verdict overturned. History shows this to be an important win for the young firm.

“They established the culture of the firm early on, which was, we work together as a unit,” said Tammy Allen, the firm’s chief marketing officer. “We don’t compete against each other. We work together to benefit our clients. That’s something that carries through today.”

“When you go back to when this first started in 1919, there were no zoning laws in Wichita at that time,” said Jim Oliver, a partner who has been with the firm for 46 years. “Foulston and Siefkin handled some of the first zoning cases on what you could do to keep a hog lot out of your backyard, and how you develop a modern city. We represented the city for many years back in those days.

And we still continue to do a lot of work for government.”

Both attorneys had a hand in the formation of major local companies. Siefkin co-founded and incorporated Stearman Aircraft Company until it was acquired by Boeing in 1934. At that time, Siefkin became general

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Foulston’s attorneys in Topeka are Dick Hay, Jake Holly, Jeremy Graber and James Rankin (standing).

Oliver told of how Foulston always wore his suit coat in the office.

“He thought it was too informal to take it off and hang it up behind the door,” Oliver said. “Can’t be casual in the office. This was formal; this was serious business. He was such a great lawyer and such a wise man.”

Oliver described George Siefkin as a hugely talented lawyer with exceptional legal writing and argument skills, factfinding, logic, and business skills.

The firm withstood the obstacles of the war and Great Depression, but heart attacks took the lives of Foulston (age 58) and Siefkin (age 59) within seven years of each other in 1947 and 1954, respectively. The losses had many in the community calling into question whether the quick loss of leadership and reputation would be the end of the firm.

“For many firms, that would’ve shut it down,” said Tammy Allen. “That was a real turning point in the firm. It could’ve gone the other way. (The founders) were very young and had many years of leadership left. So that was a real shock.”

NEW LEADERS EMERGE The firm needed strong leadership to survive, and it found it in partners

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like George Powers, John Eberhardt and Robert (Bob) C. Foulston II, son of the founder.

It was still a relatively small firm through the mid-50s. The firm hired Robert Siefkin, the son of George Siefkin, as well as a future managing partner, Jerry Sawatzky. And then, in 1959, the firm recruited Don Cordes and Bob Howard, from KU School of Law. “They became the best lawyers of their generation for miles around,” Oliver said.

The practice of law changed continually in the 60s, 70s and 80s with lots of legislative enactments; people had to figure out new laws, Oliver said, referencing new legislation like the Truth in Lending Act, civil rights laws and employment laws. People had to become employment lawyers and tax lawyers and teach themselves to do securities law and represent public companies.

“We had people who became self-taught, top-level experts,” Oliver said. “And we’re able to pass it on to subsequent generations of lawyers.”

In 1975, the firm began to handle more and more larger transactions—

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like the sale of Cessna to General Dynamics—as mergers and acquisitions became common.

By 1980, the firm had 36 lawyers, four of whom were female. In the next two decades, Foulston litigators worked on several notable cases that the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals described as “the most complex litigation in the court’s history.”

FURTHER EXPANSION AND INNOVATION Foulston is known for creating what some call the “rules of the road” for Kansas.

“We’ve tried to do various things over the years contributing to the development of the law in the state,” said Jason Lacey, partner with Foulston.

“Whether that means helping to draft legislation or handling significant litigation that established legal principles. We’ve done that as part of our public service or as part of our interest in seeing the law develop in helpful and important ways.”

One example of this was with limited liability companies, which is a business structure that generally protects its owners from personal

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Photo by JOHN BURNS

In 1991, Foulston opened its Topeka office, in response to client demand in the community and at the Kansas Capitol.

responsibility for its debts or liabilities. In 1990, Foulston’s Stan Andeel participated in the drafting and promotion of legislation for a professional LLC statute. Kansas was one of the first states to adopt the measure, and the firm’s health care practice expanded as a result, as it formed numerous LLCs for health care clients.

Since 1990, Foulston has seen much expansion and innovation: • In 1991, attorney Jim Rankin, joined later by Jim Oliver, Tom Theis and Dick Hay, opened the Topeka office, thanks to client demand in the community and at the Kansas Capitol, as well as for state administrative and regulatory agencies.

• In 1995, a merger with a law firm in Dodge City established a branch for a time in western Kansas.

• In 2001-02, Doug Reagan opened the Overland Park office and was joined there by Jim Oliver, Jim Logan, Bill Trenkle and John Peck (splitting time as a KU law professor).

• In 2005, the firm moved from its longtime downtown Wichita home to the new Commerce Bank Center in the Waterfront development in Wichita.

During the 2000s, the firm expanded and deepened its work in many emerging

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areas of practice, including trade secret litigation, intellectual property, cybersecurity, and wind energy. The firm built one of the only full-service health law teams in Kansas, advising on regulatory, licensing, compensation, litigation, mergers and acquisitions, general business and tax matters for health care organizations.

Today, the firm is on strong footing and well-positioned, Lacey said. The strategic question the firm often asks itself is whether they get bigger to compete with massive firms or if they should focus on legal work that allows the firm to be nimbler and more flexible.

Competition for talent has grown both for legal talent and nonlegal staff, Lacey said, and Foulston is always trying to look ahead and anticipate what the firm needs so it doesn’t get caught flat-footed.

“Twenty years ago, if you wanted to live in Kansas and work as a lawyer, you worked for a law firm in Kansas,” Lacey said. “But now, if you want to live in Kansas, you may be able to work for a law firm in New York or Florida or L.A. or Chicago because remote work has changed the traditional workplace.”

Regardless of the evolving landscape in business and law, Lacey is optimistic about the future of the firm.

“Taking an organization-first approach has been key to why we’ve gotten to be where we are today and hopefully why we’ll be here another 100 years,” he said.

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Foulston welcomes experienced governmental affairs consultant Eric Sexton to our governmental affairs and public policy team.

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MEET FOULSTON’S GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS TEAM

Bringing relationships at the local, state, and federal level to the table for our clients, we offer assistance in monitoring, shaping, and supporting legislative initiatives.

785-232-3266 716 S. Kansas Ave., Topeka, KS 66603 claytonwealthpartners.com T O P E K A • K A N S A S C I T Y • W I C H I TA For more information, please contact James Rankin at 785.233.3600 or jrankin@foulston.com.

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FROM THE PROFESSOR

“Let’s look at the numbers before we decide...”

“The analytics say we should…”

Business Data Analytics

PHOTO SUBMITTED

By DR. BOB BONCELLA

Dr. Bob Boncella is a Professor of Computer Information Systems at Washburn University School of Business.

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“Let’s look at the numbers before we decide…” or “The analytics say we should…”

How often have we heard these or similar phrases before or during a decision-making process? The decisions being made range from simple operational decisions like daily inventory restocking of a supermarket’s shelves; or tactical decisions of when is the best time of day to do the restocking; or strategic decisions of when to expand the store’s retail space.

Decisions Need to be Made

Managers are paid to make decisions, so they should make good ones. A good decision is one whose outcome meets the expectations of the future. If we could only predict the future, decisions would be much easier.

Whether the decision is operational, tactical or strategic, there will always be the risk of making an unwise decision. However, that risk can be minimized by analyzing data that is relevant to the decision being made. Data analytics helps to predict the future or at least reduce the risk of making a poor decision.

Data Analytics

Data alone is not sufficient to allow for a good decision; analysis of the data is needed.

As Wikipedia states: analytics is the systematic computational analysis of data or statistics. It is used for the discovery, interpretation, and communication of meaningful patterns in data. It also entails data patterns towards effective decisionmaking.

These patterns are useful in creating a model or a rule that can be used in the decision-making process. An example of this is a supermarket scenario where the data collected by checkout scanners is analyzed and useful correlations may be found. For example, data shows that most of the time when a customer buys a ready-to-cook pizza, they also buy soda drinks. So, the tactical decision to be made by the manager is to stock soda next to the pizza display.

Types of Analytics DESCRIPTIVE ANALYTICS Descriptive analytics encompasses a set of data analysis techniques that describes what has happened in the past by applying those data analysis techniques to past data.

Data analysis techniques include: • Traditional data reports • Data queries • Descriptive statistics (e.g., mean, median, mode, standard deviation, etc.)

• Data visualization (including data dashboards) • Basic what-if spreadsheet models • Data-mining techniques such as the Shopping Basket Algorithm—used to find the relation between the purchases of ready to cook pizza and soda DATA MINING Data mining is used to find patterns or relationships among elements of the data in a large data set. It is often used in predictive analytics to create models (e.g., linear regression models) to predict the future. For example, the selling price of a newly listed property.

In addition to predicting data values, these data analysis techniques help classify outcomes—for example, predicting whether a bank customer will repay a loan.

The classification of a customer as a potential defaulter or non-defaulter can be based on the features of the new borrower compared to all past borrowers.

PREDICTIVE ANALYTICS Predictive analytics use models constructed from past data to predict the future out comes. As an example, survey data and past purchase behavior may be used to help predict the market share of a new product to be offered in the supermarket.

Data analysis techniques include: • Linear regression • Time series analysis • K-nearest Neighbors • Neural networks

PRESCRIPTIVE ANALYTICS Prescriptive analytics indicates a best course of action to take. Optimization models are created in this analysis process. These types of models give the best decision subject to constraints of the situation.

Data analysis techniques include: • Simulation optimization which combines probability and statistics with optimization techniques to find good decisions in complex and highly uncertain circumstances.

• Decision analysis which uses utility theory to develop an optimal strategy for choosing among several decision choices and an uncertain set of future events. Examples of decision analysis: the development of portfolio models, supply chain models, or price markdown models.

Summary of Analytics Types

FIGURE 1

Figure 1 is a graphical review of the data analysis tools of the types of data analytics. The figure illustrates the relationship of data analysis tools to its degree of implementation complexity and the degree of competitive advantage it affords a business who deploys a data analytic of a given type. Note there is overlap of analytic types and the data analysis methods used for analytic types.

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FROM THE PROFESSOR

Ways Businesses Use Data Analytics FINANCE Financial analytics use predictive analytics to: • Forecast future financial performance.

• Assess the risk of investment portfolios and projects.

• Construct financial instruments such as derivatives.

• Construct optimal portfolios of investments.

• Allocate assets.

• Create optimal capital budgeting plans.

• Simulation is used to assess risk in the financial decisions.

HUMAN RESOURCES The HR function is charged with ensuring that the organization meets certain goal. HR analytics is used to answer: • Is our mix of skill sets necessary to meet our needs?

• Are we hiring the highest-quality talent and providing an environment to keep that talent?

• Has the organization achieved its organizational diversity goals?

MARKETING Marketing is one of the fastest growing and effective areas in the application of analytics: • By using scanner data and data generated from social media leading to a better understanding of consumer behavior.

• Real time digital marketing campaigns by analyzing real time data collecting during the digital campaign.

HEALTH CARE ANALYTICS Descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive analytics are used to improve: • Patient, staff, and facility scheduling.

• Patient flow.

• Purchasing.

• Inventory control.

• Diagnosis and treatment.

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SUPPLY CHAIN ANALYTICS Analytics is used to achieve efficient delivery of goods.

• Data analytic techniques applied vehicle and staff scheduling, and vehicle routing increases the efficiency of deliveries.

• Optimizing inventory and processing control create efficient supply chains.

ANALYTICS IN GOVERNMENT • Drive out inefficiencies.

• Increase the effectiveness and accountability of programs.

• Decide their effectiveness and accountability to nonprofit donors and clients.

SPORTS ANALYTICS Professional sports teams use analytics to: • Assess players for the amateur drafts.

• Decide how much to offer players in contract negotiations.

• Aid with on-field decisions such as which pitchers to use in various games of an MLB playoff series or whether to try a fourth down conversion.

• Sport franchises can dynamically adjust ticket prices to optimally price the relative attractiveness and potential demand for sporting contest.

WEB ANALYTICS Web analytics is analysis of data collected on online activity. For example, visits to web sites or visits social media sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn. Businesses apply descriptive and predictive analytics to this data to decide the best way to: • Configure web sites.

• Position ads.

• Use social networks to promote of products and services.

• Improve the “stickiness” of a web site or increase viewership of a post or tweet.

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Growth of Data Analytics

Data analytics is used in many business and non-business fields. The reasons for the rapid growth of data analytics is a result of four factors.

1. The ease of collecting data (e.g., user OCR scanners in retail business).

2. The ability to store and easily access massive amounts of dates (e.g., the use of “the cloud”).

3. The ability to process the data faster (growth of CPU capability).

4. Most importantly, the utility of results of data analysis in making better decisions.

Conclusion

The foregoing was a “25,000 foot” view of data analytics, mostly from a business perspective. Hopefully, you will come away with a better understanding of this decision support process. And appreciate its range from simple techniques, like creating charts and drawing trend lines when performing descriptive analytics; creating linear regression models when performing predictive analytics; and develop complex data analysis needed when performing prescriptive analytics.

And finally, remember, if you are going to make a decision, then it is best to “look at the numbers” and do the analytics. One cannot underestimate the importance of data and its analysis when making decisions.

TK

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EPIC

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

By ADAM VLACH Photos by JOHN BURNS

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An attorney by training, Scott Taddiken is no stranger to hard work. In addition to practicing law full time for Stevens & Brand, LLP, Taddiken keeps himself plenty busy by providing business consulting services, periodically serving as an adjunct professor at Washburn University School of Business, and by doing work with the Small Business Development Center. One would think that any spare time of his would be spent as far from businessoriented activities as possible, and one would be mistaken in thinking so.

“One of my hobbies that I absolutely love is going to garage

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sales, estate sales and auctions, buying things, and then reselling them on eBay or other places,” said Taddiken.

Taddiken first delved into the world of bargain hunting and then selling his finds—or reselling, as it’s formally termed—in 2002, right around the time he and his wife, Gina, moved to Topeka. As time went on, Taddiken’s hobby picked up steam. His volume of eBay sales was increasing with each passing year, and he needed some help.

Fortunately, Gina was happy to step in and help him ramp up the business. It wasn’t long after that when Taddiken found himself out

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www.bartlettwest.com

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of inventory. He and Gina were selling items faster than they could find them, and they needed some fresh ideas.

So, to find a solution to his problem, Taddiken turned to one of the greatest resources of modern times.

“I started watching YouTube videos on how people grow an eBay or Amazon business as a reseller,” he said. “I stumbled onto people who were buying liquidation merchandise by the pallets or truckloads. I started watching people who were doing that, and then a couple years ago, for my birthday, I decided, ‘Hey, I’d like to buy one of these pallets.’ So, we did.”

OVERSTOCKED For Taddiken’s birthday in September 2019, he and his wife purchased a pallet of returned and overstocked products and brought it home.

“We cut the pallet open and started digging into it. It was a total mystery

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what would be in that pallet,” Taddiken said. “We had a blast, and I sold a lot of that on eBay, so I got more serious about buying in volume and ramping it up some more. Then Covid hit and everything on eBay started selling like crazy.”

Shortly following this boom in business, Taddiken found himself discussing his new side hustle over coffee with Joe Tongish, a business acquaintance of his.

“Over a period of a few months, we decided to form a partnership and to rent a warehouse to grow this ecommerce business,” said Taddiken.

And just like that, Scott Taddiken, Gina Taddiken and Joe Tongish formalized the business partnership and Epic Overstocks was born.

“I have a full-time job I really enjoy, but Joe was primarily a retired business owner and had a lot of experience, so he was able to alleviate some of the challenges of trying to run

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the business,” Taddiken explained.

In October 2020, the three co-founders rented a warehouse in downtown Topeka with the vision of buying liquidation merchandise by the truckload, storing it in the warehouse, and selling it via ecommerce platforms, as well as on their own website.

Following a friends-and-family event hosted on Black Friday of 2020, Epic Overstocks celebrated the grand opening of its warehouse in January 2021.

“We got down there, hired a couple employees, and started going,” Taddiken said. “Not long into it, one of the first things we had to deal with was this huge basketball goal. We were looking at each other thinking, how in the world are we going to ship this? It didn’t seem like something that would go on eBay.” The solution?

“We decided to put it on Facebook Marketplace, and we immediately got a

Buying truckloads of liquidation inventory allows Epic Overstocks to sell merchandise at discounted rates to consumers.

response and sold it,” Taddiken continued. “So, we put a few more things on Facebook Marketplace and before long, we had a steady stream of customers coming to our warehouse interested in the items we had.”

FROM ECOMMERCE TO RETAIL Quick to capitalize on the potential of this new revenue stream, Taddiken and crew wasted no time in converting their warehouse into a bona fide retail store.

Today, the Epic Overstocks warehouse-turned-retail location, located at 108 S. Kansas Ave., is open to the public during regular business hours, Monday through Saturday.

The option to purchase products online remains a cornerstone of the business, but the brick-andmortar element allow Taddiken and team to offer some experiences that simply aren’t feasible online. Most notable among these is what’s known as their bargain bins, or “Amazon bin stores.”

“One of the things we do in our store is what’s sometimes called an Amazon bin store,” Taddiken explained. “We have an area where there are wooden bins and we put several thousand items in there each week, and then the price on them gets cheaper every day. We restock the bins with fresh items on Friday mornings. On Fridays you can walk in and dig through it, and everything back in that room is $10 each. Then on Saturday, everything back there goes down in price to $5, and by Wednesday, anything that’s left is only $1.”

This bin model allows customers to decide at what price point they feel an item is a good deal. Each passing day sees the price of items drop, with the risk being that many other prospective customers are browsing the bins as well, meaning there’s no guarantee an item will be in the bin the following day. And from Taddiken’s end, it’s more cost effective to sell these relatively inexpensive items from the bins than it would be to ship them out to customers, especially when rising shipping costs cut into profit margins that are thin to begin with.

The warehouse and the bargain bins created new opportunities for the business, but Epic Overstocks will always face the task of procuring its products. Virtually every item sold by Epic Overstocks, whether it be on eBay, Amazon, or in their warehouse, completed a long journey through a process known as reverse logistics.

“When you’ve got Amazon, Target, Walmart or other big chains that have either overstock, items with damaged boxes or even customer returns, the big retailers have to send those items back out

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Scott Taddiken hopes to expand Epic Overstocks’ footprint by opening additional locations locally and elsewhere. somewhere, and that’s called reverse logistics,” Taddiken said. “Retailers typically have contracts with brokers who take the liquidation merchandise and sell it by the truckload to people like us. We had to develop relationships with the brokers so we could buy the merchandise.”

When a reseller such as Epic Overstocks agrees to purchase a truck or pallet of liquidated merchandise, the reseller either commits to a “blind” purchase, in which the reseller has no visibility into what products will be in the shipment, or to a manifested shipment, where the reseller can view a list of the description and condition of each item in the shipment.

“But I still won’t know exactly if it’s a good shipment until I get it,” Taddiken said. “We try to track which products came in a certain truckload so that we can determine whether we’d want another truckload from that same broker.”

Based on Taddiken’s experience, some brokers and retailers consistently deliver excellent merchandise, whereas with others, the overall quality can be hit-or-miss.

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“It’s definitely been a lot of trial and error,” he said. “I think that the industry in general has become a lot more difficult in terms of finding good buys because more and more people are getting into this business. I’ve definitely made a lot of mistakes in buying things I wish I hadn’t, but we’ve gotten to a point where we’ve built some good, established relationships with brokers I trust.”

Nevertheless, the business is typically able to sell most of what it procures. In cases where an item isn’t selling, they will usually donate it to a mission or nonprofit rather than be thrown away.

TOP-NOTCH EMPLOYEES Profit margins and supplier relationships aside, as challenging and exciting as those elements of business are, what provides Taddiken with the most fulfillment has nothing to do with dollars and cents.

“I think developing a good employee team has been the most rewarding,” he shared. “I know that a lot of businesses are struggling to find help right now, but we have been

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really blessed. The first people who worked with us were people we just knew through friends or family, and the ones who we didn’t know have become family.

Epic Overstocks is run by a staff of nine employees and managers, plus the three co-owners. Given his “day job” practicing law, Taddiken entrusts much of the day-to-day operations to his staff, Gina, and Tongish.

“I am able to do this because of a super supportive wife who works there, a great business partner, and some topnotch employees. They’re what makes this happen,” he said.

On top of building community in the form of a team, Taddiken has found many opportunities to help out his local community simply by providing essential items at more affordable prices, and at a location that’s fun to frequent.

“We’ve got a lot of customers who are regulars that just get everyday items they might need, but at a discounted price, which everybody needs right now with everything getting more expensive,” he said. “When you see customers buying something as simple as laundry detergent for half of what they would have paid somewhere else, you feel good about that.”

FUTURE AMBITIONS Taddiken envisions a future for the business and hopes to expand the business’s footprint by opening additional locations, both in Topeka and elsewhere. He also makes a point to look back and give a hand up to anyone who might be thinking of following in similar steps. To the aspiring entrepreneur he offers two pieces of advice.

“Go out and talk to other people who have done it,” he said. “Travel around and visit places that are doing it. Just gather and learn as much as you can. Secondly, tap into good business resources like GoTopeka and the Small Business Development Center where there’s business consulting and people who have experience and can save you a lot of mistakes.”

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PUTTING THE “CARE” IN AUTO CARE SINCE 1993 Doug’s Service Center has been taking care of all your automobile service needs for more than 29 years. From oil changes and factory scheduled services, to tire replacement, brakes and wheel alignments, to major engine work or replacement Doug’s Service Center does it all.

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When you need honest and reliable auto repair, call Doug’s Service Center, a local family owned and operated business, to schedule an appointment. Doug’s skilled technicians have a deep understanding of vehicles, formal training and the newest technology to ensure you can trust their service. www.dougsservicetopeka.com 785-271-6757

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Photo by JOHN BURNS

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LAST WORD

MIKE PADILLA Mayor City of Topeka

Interview with LISA LOEWEN Photos by JOHN BURNS

What are you most proud of from your time on the City Council?

Things that get a lot of splash are the first to come to mind, like finally coming to a resolution with White Lakes Mall. This issue was on my to-do list from the moment I took my seat on the council, and I am happy to see that my focus on cleaning up this part of Topeka has paid off.

But sometimes the things that you are the proudest of are those little things that don’t garner much coverage. I tried to represent not only my constituents but the entire population of Topeka. For example, I helped create the Three Shields Boxing Club that resides over at the Salvation Army on East Sixth Street. This was nowhere near my district, but I knew the people there from my time as a police officer. When I took office, they came to me with the idea for an afterschool boxing program for underserved youth in that community. I connected them with Mr. Alcala, who in turn, helped connect them with the resources and ideas to move the project forward. I then used my connections to bring in people knowledgeable about the boxing world.

That program has become quite robust with 25 to 30 students attending each class.

This project goes beyond just helping the kids who attend learn to box. It introduces them to other services provided by the Salvation Army that they can take advantage of including mental health services, vaccinations, food programs, clothing resources, and more.

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LAST WORD What do you hope to bring to Topeka as the Mayor?

My vision is to continue the work that I see is being done between the city and the Greater Topeka Partnership (GTP) to reignite the pride and energy in our community. We have a lot of wonderful things here. I have been invited to several ribbon cuttings in the past four years. That may not sound like anything special, but every ribbon cutting means a new small business is getting started here in Topeka. I also want to show those larger corporations that are looking for that sweet spot to build their next location that Topeka is the right choice. I want to highlight what we already have and bring in even more opportunities for growth.

Photo by JOHN BURNS

What is Topeka doing right?

The combined efforts of the county, city and GTP have brought together several professionals from a variety of disciplines to collaborate on ways to improve Topeka. There seems to be a more cohesive effort toward improving all aspects of life in Topeka. Momentum 2022 brought together people who were all working on the same issue, but all within their own silos to collaborate toward a more effective outcome.

Where can Topeka improve?

We can be more deliberate about who we engage with in the vision for Topeka’s future. There are too many people still within our city that don’t believe their voices are being heard. If you are not involved with proposed changes or are not really affected by any of those changes, then it is hard to find a reason to care. We must do a better job of including all the population demographics in our plans so that no one feels left out.

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What do you hope to focus on in 2022?

We need to do a better job of communicating our vision to all stakeholders in Topeka. We need a better elevator pitch to help people understand the changes we are trying to make and how it will improve their lives. It must be more purposeful and focused. We also must do more than just ask people to come to meetings. We must go out to where they are and ask them to engage with us at all levels.

What is your favorite place to spend time in Topeka?

I love the Topeka Zoo. It is amazing how great this zoo is for a city of this size. I brag about it all the time.

What advice do you have for Topekans?

Don’t sit back and watch others make decisions about the place you work and live. Be part of the conversation so it ends up being the future you dream of as well.

What Superhero would you want to be?

Any superhero that can fly. The closest I have come to flying is hang gliding in Colorado. It was so quiet and serene, moving from one side to the other.

I could do it every weekend if I had the chance. TK

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• Depression can occur to anyone, at any age, and to people of any race or ethnic group.

• Only about a third (35.3%) of those suffering from severe depression seek treatment from a mental health professional.

• Too many people resist treatment because they believe depression isn’t serious, that they can treat it themselves or that it is a personal weakness rather than a serious medical illness.

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Colon Cancer Awareness Month Colon cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Age, race, family history and an unhealthy lifestyle may lead to an increased risk of developing colon cancer. A colonoscopy is the best way to check for irregularities in the colon, including cancer.

The expert gastroenterologists at Stormont Vail Health are prepared to walk you through every step of your colonoscopy. Don’t let the fear of getting screened cost you your life. Learn more about colon cancer, colonoscopies and our gastroenterologists by visiting stormontvail.org.

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