STAMOS BELIEVES A SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS EMBRACES GIVING BACK Lisa Stamos, publisher of Quintessential Media Group, believes that to run a sustainable small business, you have to participate in the economic health of your community. That starts, she said, with being part of the Chamber and participating and contributing in the community you serve. That philosophy has guided her since launching Quintessential Barrington magazine in 2005, a publication that has become the mirror of our community. Through the years she has supported many local organizations including the Barrington Junior Women’s Club, the Harper College Educational Foundation, Barrington Area Chamber of Commerce activities, and many more. It’s not uncommon for local organizations to reach out to her as a consultant, troubleshooter, and mentor. In fact, mentoring is where Stamos feels she has the greatest opportunity to make an impact, and where she receives the greatest reward. During her first year of publication, she started an internship program that has since nurtured 75 students from the Barrington community. The program provides a comprehensive curriculum dedicated to journalistic skills, small business operations, ethics, communications, and life skills. “We want them to find their voice,� Stamos said. “They learn how to be assertive and

competent communicators and walk away with the knowledge of how a small business runs.� As a result, she has helped launch many careers. Her interns have gone on to succeed in college, become lawyers, professional photographers and even a digital editor for Rolling Stone magazine. Investing in the community in this way came from a personal perspective. As a student, Stamos was accepted into the Kemper Scholar Program with Kemper Insurance. “I was paid every summer and was assigned a different job each year,� she said. She worked in personnel in Atlanta; then, went to San Francisco to work in personal lines underwriting; and worked locally

in Long Grove in corporate communications and video. The experience was life-changing, Stamos noted. “My first intern at our magazine helped me see the real gap that existed between what was taught in college journalism, and what could be learned through our program,� Stamos said. From that point, her goal was to offer a transparent experience with a local publishing company. “We want them to have an honest, humanitarian look at how to run a small business and reinforce good sustainable values – and that leads back to enriching and giving in your community.�

Because “never� happens all the time. That’s why I’m there.

Jim Dugan, Agent 237 W Main Street Barrington, IL 60010 Bus: 847-381-0891 www.jimdugan.net

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BARRINGTON AREA REGIONAL MAGAZINE & RESOURCE DIRECTORY | 2016-17 EDITION

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