Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce Publication December 2014

UPCOMING EVENTS

THE 36 RULES OF SOCIAL MEDIA

TOP 3 WAYS TO STAY CONNECTED

TO YOUR PEERS

MEET THE MEMBERS

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Member Spotlight: Modern Woodman

Meet the Members: Sarah Fauske & Justin Brandt

Business After Hours: Calumet County Bank

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Business After Hours: Calumet County Bank

Great selection of appetizers provided by High Cliff Banquets and Catering. We joined with the Brillion Chamber of Commerce for this event which made for a great evening to make new connections. Thank you Calumet County Bank.

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Mark your calendar for these

upcoming events!

BUSINESS BEFORE HOURS:

BUSINESS CARD EXCHANGE

Tuesday, December 09, 2014 8:00 AM - 9:00 PM

Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce

101 E. Wisconsin Avenue | Kaukauna, WI 54130

Bring your 2-minute commercial, business cards, brochures, samples, etc.

Limit: 1 person per industry.

Contact Kelli at: kclussman@heartofthevalleychamber.com

RIBBON CUTTING:

KWIK TRIP

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM

Kwik Trip - New Location 222 Lawe Street | Kaukauna 54130

Join us for a ribbon cutting.

Registrations are not required but appreciated.

Register at:

www.heartofthevalleychamber.com

RIBBON CUTTING:

GHOST TOWN FITNESS

Wednesday, December 03, 2014

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Ghost Town Fitness 180 Fox Shores Dr. Kaukauna, WI 54130

Join us for a ribbon cutting to celebrate

Ghost Town’s new renovations. Registrations are not required but appreciated.

Register at:

www.heartofthevalleychamber.com

BUSINESS AFTER HOURS

Thursday, December 04, 2014 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

UNO Chicago Grill

W3254 Van Roy Road | Appleton, WI 54915

Our Business After Hours continue to be great opportunities for business people to network, see new

and old friends and make business contacts.

Register at: www.heartofthevalleychamber.com

Epiphany Law Announces Free Informational Meetings Morning Business 60 – Managing Accounts Receivable and

Collections

Appleton, WI - Epiphany Law, LLC, boutique law firm in Northeast Wisconsin, will be hosting interactive monthly

meetings that allow small business owners with 5-50 employ-ees to share ideas, learn about various business topics, and share best practices relevant to business professionals. The

goal is to learn the right and wrong way of doing things to make your business run more smoothly. Meetings will be held

the 2nd

Thursday of every month at 7:30 am at Cambria Suites in Appleton. It’s free advice, possible networking, light

breakfast and coffee!

No matter how hard you work to provide high quality goods or services to your customers, you are bound to eventually be faced with a customer who does not pay on time. Effectively

and consistently managing your accounts receivable can make a big difference in monthly cash flow.

During our next Morning Business 60 meeting, we will dis-cuss the tools available to collect accounts due from your

customers. We will discuss the small claims or litigation pro-cess that is sometimes necessary, but will also focus the dis-

cussion on proactive accounts receivable systems that, if properly executed, can reduce your need to resort to the

courts.

Morning Business 60 will hold their third meeting on Thurs-day, December 11th, 2014 from 7:30 – 8:30 am at Cambria Suites in Appleton, 3940 N. Gateway Drive. Registration is

required by December 6th. Contact Amanda at 920-996-0000

or afredrick@epiphanylaw.com to register or for more information.

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GOVERNMENT RELATIONS ROUNDTABLE GROUP MEETING

Friday, December 12, 2014

8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce 101 E. Wisconsin Avenue | Kaukauna, WI 54130

Each month we bring our members face to face with our Federal and State Legislators, our local elected and appointed leaders and our School Superintendents to engage in dialogue, keeping us informed of the latest

issues. These forums are designed to be a safe, respectful environment for both citizens and our legislators.

Sponsored by:

BUSINESS BETWEEN HOURS:

OBAMACARE AND YOUR TAXES: WHAT

YOU NEED TO KNOW

Wednesday, December 17, 2014 1

1:00 AM - 12:00 Noon

Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce 101 E. Wisconsin Avenue | Kaukauna, WI 54130

Presented by Barbara Bader, Fox Valley CPA and Chris Hanson, Hanson Benefits

Register at:

www.heartofthevalleychamber.com

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If you have ever worked from home for any length of time, you know that feeling, it's that "what is going on over there and am I missing out on something important" feeling. It's scary, it tests your confidence, and most importantly it could get you fired. More than anything it is up to you to take the steps to develop and nurture your connections back to the home office. I spent 6 years working from home a few years back, 3 years as CEO in a 100% virtual office. I found it incredibly productive personally while at the same time always thought we were missing the magic of the water cooler. You know the concept where people naturally congregate around and talk pop culture, TV, sports and business. I love the concept of the water cooler as every one of my ideas come from the accumulation of other people's thoughts. I preach the water cooler effect to all of my investments at The Startup Factory. So, what kind of things can you do to optimize your connectedness to those most important to you? Try these 3 ideas: Drive your water cooler moments. Yep, it's up to you to make this happen. This cannot be one of the regular meetings that are run by your boss. Develop a regular set of trusted and intellectually interesting peers that would be willing to get in-volved in a free-form, non-agenda, group hangout. You have to find & create your social interaction moments. Like it or not, interacting with your peers creates a stronger bond. It's the same difference between email and a phone call. One is im-personal and one is definitely more human. You have to strive for the phone call like interactions. Ironically, the one aspect

we enjoy as a lone operator (disconnected from the bureaucratic crap) can work against us so fight against that impulse. Use video to connect (its deeper than just phone/audio). There is a definite positive psychology to connecting to your co-workers on a regular basis. The advent of video conferencing and the high bandwidth into the home makes this easily possible today. It's not as hard as you think and not very expensive but you need to do it right to optimize the experience. You must have: 1.) Good Internet speed (Up & Down) also referred to as bandwidth. Video produces a lot of data to be pushed back & forth. I would look for 1-2MB minimum. How do you know what you have? Run www.speedtest.net and click the Begin Test button. The issue will be with "Up". 2.) Decent camera/webcam. Most laptops have this built in. If you are running off a desktop and a separate monitor, go get a basic camera that plugs into a USB port. They should run you $15--$150. 3.) There is no need to pay for a video-conferencing service. Google Hangout is free and can support up to 10 people on your video call. You will need a Gmail account (also free). Skype is also free but the free version only supports 1 to 1 video calls. The paid version allows more participants. Connect daily. Lastly and most importantly, you need to have regular interactions to simulate your water cooler experience. Again, you have to drive them and they have to be sanctioned by the team. My favorite story comes from Tom Rose of Testive. When Tom moved to Durham, NC and his co-founder and team were all still in Boston, they set up a system to operate while they are all at work. Each site has a camera and a separate monitor running full-time and at any time any one of them can ask someone a question as if they are sitting in the same room. This might be an extreme example but illustrates how far they are willing to go to create their water cooler effect.

Top 3 Ways to Stay Connected With Your Peers

Telecommuting or locked in a virtual company? You best stay connected.

Contributed by: BY CHRIS HEIVLY

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Schenck is pleased to announce that the following employees have recently been promoted: Benjamin Baker has been promoted to Supervisor. Nicholas Vargosko, CPA, has been promoted to Supervisor. Jonathon Brandt has been promoted to Senior Accountant. Jaclyn Cropp has been promoted to Senior Accountant. Katherine Fisher, CPA, has been promoted to Senior Accountant. Collin Hayes, CPA, has been promoted to Senior Accountant. Chad Janke has been promoted to Senior Accountant. Jason Londo, CPA, has been promoted to Senior Accountant. Laura Osgood, CPA, has been promoted to Senior Accountant. Justin Schmitt, CPA, has been promoted to Senior Accountant. Kayla Krueger has been promoted to Associate Accountant 4. Alicia Cross has been promoted to Associate Accountant 2. Nicole Hoerning has been promoted to Medical Billing Supervisor. Baylake Bank added Anne Denissen to its treasury management team as product manager. Miron Construction Co., Inc. promoted Andre Lorenzen to project executive. A LEED accredited professional, Lorenzen has worked with the company since 2010. Miron also announced the recent hires of: Dan Bice, heavy equipment mechanic; Andrew Garvey, small engine/ small tools mechanic; Collin Hines, warehouse laborer; and Brent McKerchie, warehouse laborer. Fox Communities Credit Union welcomed Julie Montoure Bottois as a loan officer. The Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau welcomed Alison Hutchinson as a convention sales and marketing representative. Butte de Morts Country Club celebrated it 90th anniversary and a three-year, $3 million upgrade to its facilities is under way, including a new pol and pool house, new tennis court, a state-of-the-art golf practice area, new parking lot, an upgraded irrigation system for the golf course and improvements to the locker rooms and pro shops.

Fox Communities Credit Union has been a Coats for Kids collection site for a number of years. This year we sent out an ask to our communities to “Warm Our Children One Coat at a Time” and you listened! It was a record breaking year, Fox branches alone, collected 1729 coats which are more than double what we’ve collected in the past years! First National Bank – Fox Valley (FNB Fox Valley) is happy to announce the hiring of four new employees: Erin Jensen, Nate Simonson, Sarah Johnson and Joyce Pindel. BriMark Builders LLC hired Stu Sell as a project manager. Joanne Moehr was promoted to compliance officer at Calumet County Bank. Gary Fisher, assistant vice presi-dent –commercial and consumer lending celebrated 38 years with Calumet County Bank. V&S Midwest Carriers Corp is expanding and are pleased to announce the following new hires & promotions: Michele Griesbach, Driver Manager comes with 4 years experience in the transportation industry. Keith Gornjak was recently promoted to Safety & Compliance Supervisor. Dawn Haessly was recently promoted to Accounting Manager. David Horner and Paul Tank also joined our elite fleet of professional over the road drivers. Keller, Planners, Architects and Builders, a design/build general contractor with offices in the Fox Cities, Madison, Milwaukee and Wausau will design and build a 2,757 square foot professional office for Exclusive CPA under the direction of Keller Project Manager, Mark Nysted, and Architect, Rob Lindstrom.

Good News Is Worth Repeating

Any change or update within your business such as a promotion, new addition, award won, etc. can be included in this section. News must be submitted by the 15th of the month for the following month’s publication.

Send to: bbeckman@heartofthevalleychamber.com

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Everybody knows that good leadership is essential to business success. Until recently, though, leadership has remained an "I know it when I see it" concept rather than something that can be studied and understood scientifically.

For example, every manager (and every parent) quickly discovers that "do as I say, not as I do" never works. Followers inevitably imitate a leader's behavior which is why great leaders are role models first and order-givers second.

The importance of being a role model has been known for millennia, but it's only in the past few years that we've known the scientific reason. Mirror neurons in the human brain cause people to unconsciously imitate the behaviors of those around them.

Similarly, it's common knowledge that a great leader is always good at building strong relationships, not just between the leader and individual team members, but also between the team members themselves.

Put another way, a leader who's good at relationship building acts as a role model (i.e. uses mirror neurons) to show team members how to build better

relationships between and among themselves. The result is a cohesive team that's easily to lead.

How do great leaders build relationships? From the viewpoint of neuroscience, business relationships are just like other relationships and can therefore be fostered and strengthened using the same or similar methods.

With this in mind, leadership guru Jon Pratlett recently pointed out that studies by Dr. John Gottman of the University of Washington shows that relationships are strengthened by positive interactions and weakened by negative ones.

Such interactions consists of comments, facial expressions, gestures and body-language, either by themselves or in combination. For example, a pat on the back would be a "positive" while giving somebody the cold shoulder would be a negative.

For a relationship to remain strong and functional, there must be a ratio of at least five positives for each negative. For example, every time you criticize a team member, you should provide at least 5 compliments on what they're doing correctly.

The same thing is true of facial expressions. If you want to build strong relationships and encourage them among your team, when you're around team members, you should smile 5 times more frequently than you frown.

Maintaining this 5 to 1 ratio of positive/negative interactions creates an emotional climate where team members feel more connected and therefore are more likely to work together well and consider a wider range of ideas and initiatives.

And isn't that what leadership is all about?

Great leaders are role models for building strong relationships. This rule of thumb makes relationship-based leadership easy.

10 Heart Beat | December 2014

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Founded in 1883, the organization was named in honor of

pioneering woodmen who cleared forests to build homes and communities and provide security for their families.

Modern Woodmen of America was created to clear away family

financial difficulties.

While its founding mission has remained,

Modern Woodmen’s products and services have changed to meet the changing needs of today’s families.

Mike Paschen and Jennifer Popek came to Modern Woodmen of America with the passion to build long

lasting relationships and provide services and genuine resources to the fox valley.

Teaming together, Mike and Jennifer bring knowledge

and expertise to the table, all while changing the culture of Financial Services. Working closely with Heart of the Valley Chamber has brought us closer to touching lives

and securing futures.

Financial Planning for all of life’s stages, Life Insurance, Annuities, IRA’s & Retirements, Investments, College Savings Plans,

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Mike and Jennifer are located at:

39 Park Place, suite 200 in Appleton, WI. Your resource for all of your financial needs.

As members of the Heart of the Valley Chamber, Mike and Jennifer are proud of their

involved in the community and excited to be a resource to so many great people. Having fun in the office, meeting the needs of the fox valley.

As a fraternal organization, we have been able to make a difference in our community through matching fund events, youth service clubs and chapter events. Obstacles and

challenges in this business are slimmed down with the membership of the chamber, why you may ask? Because working with such a great team, having the opportunity to sponsor amazing events and being involved in the success of the Heart of the Valley has given us

the chance to build wonderful friendships and mentors.

12 Heart Beat | December 2014

Northstar Contracting has full shop capabilities for cabinets, reception counters, conference tables and custom furniture, dining tables, booths and more. We can work with

any budget with various laminate surfaces, veneers and solid surfaces. Custom woodworking and laminating to

match and enhance any interior. http://www.northstarcontracting.com/

Walter Rasmussen founded Rasmussen College more than a century ago with a vision to provide education for growing careers and impact lives inside and outside the

classroom. Today, 114 years later, our community is made up of 24 campuses across six states and online students

across the country - yet, their focus remains the same. They put their students first and they keep their

commitment to the communities they serve at the heart of everything they do.

http://www.rasmussen.edu/

Their fine reputation stems from the compassionate care provid-ed by the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity since 1943.

From that beginning, they have grown exponentially in all aspects of their operations. They have new and

ever-growing facilities and programs to meet the increased demands of the older adult. Today, they take great pride in the evolution of St. Paul Elder Services. They are no longer "just a

nursing home," but rather a dynamic, thriving retirement community providing a full continuum of services.

http://www.stpaulelders.org/

National Mutual Benefit makes a special point to be active in the communities where their members live. Every member is geographically separated into branches that are

the focal point of NMB’s charitable mission. NMB utilizes internal funds to manage, promote and assist these branches in

completing charitable work in their communities. http://www.nmblife.org/

At Dental Associates, their focus is simple: to make people smile. Part of how they do that is by

continuously investing in their facilities, the latest dental technologies and equipment. The other part, and they think the

most important part, is their people. They look for the best. And they hire the best.

http://www.dentalassociates.com/

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Want your business featured here? Email bbeckman@heartofthevalleychamber.com

Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce Gift Certificates

make the perfect gift for every one. From golf to gas, groceries to lumber, gift

certificates can be redeemed at over 100 area business.

Located in the heart of the Fox Valley, Cedar Creek Marketplace has provided quality meats and service to Northeastern Wisconsin for over 50 years. With an

experienced and knowledgeable staff, old world recipes and an old-fashioned method of production, Cedar Creek offers superior

products, the freshest of meats and is driven to provide a great shopping experience for you.

http://www.cedarcreekmarketplace.com/

Your next company picnic or meeting is more than an expense, it’s a reflection on your organization’s reputation. A-mazing Events will help you create an event that is worthy of your hard-earned image by creating a lasting impression without endless expense.

http://www.a-mazingevents.com/

From errands and quick fixes, personal shopping and special occasion gift assistance, pet services and home

organizing, Daily Details Concierge has got you covered! http://dailydetailsconcierge.com/

Dedicated to providing guests with the best in comfort and convenience, the Country Inn & Suites By Carlson, Appleton

North, WI features a variety of top-notch amenities and an ideal North Appleton location just outside of Little Chute.

Guests with kids are sure to love the indoor water park, while the adults can unwind in the whirlpool tub.

http://www.countryinns.com

14 Heart Beat | December 2014

A successful entrepreneur doesn't only concern herself or himself with the bottom line. Profit is important, of course, as it drives how the business operates. However, to become a leader in your niche, you have to impact others, whether on the local or global level. When you successfully frame your mission around how your business will serve others, you will have what it takes to impact people, communities and probably have a pretty successful business.

1. Serving Others

When you first dreamed up an idea for your business--whether you planned to sell a product or service--what sparked that idea? Chances are, you saw a problem that you could solve. Somewhere along the way, many entrepreneurs shift their focus on how their ideal customer can serve their business, and so spend their time chasing down those elusive "A" clients.

However, if you keep your goals focused on serving others with your business, then the ideal clients will come to you. The real

question is how to implement this practice of serving others?

2. Visualization

Meditation, daydreaming, visualizing, imagining...whatever you call it, spending ten or fifteen minutes each morning thinking about your business serving others will help you keep this perspective in mind. Try to imagine someone coming into your store or visiting your website. Create a narrative for him or her. Why did this potential customer come to you? What do you offer that no one else can give him or her? Visualize helping this potential customer, as though you had all the money in the world and making a sale was not important.

The days of becoming the type of salesperson who can "sell ice to an Inuit" are over--successful businesses serve their clients, not the other way around. Keep this meditation in mind as you work throughout the day, and you will find ideal clients repeatedly drawn to your product or service.

3. Goal Setting

What does success mean to you? If you wish to impact people, communities, and the world, then your definition of success should include how your business serves others--how it

fulfills their needs. After your morning meditation, write out your business goals for that day. How will your company serve others? Set realistic goals and outline action steps to achieve them. Then share them with your team so that they understand the goals and objectives.

Frame your mission around how the

business will serve others.

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There are more than fifty

different kinds of kangaroos.

Jellyfish like salt water. A rainy

season often reduces the jellyfish population by putting more fresh water into normally salty waters where they live.

The female lion does ninety

percent of the hunting.

A group of twelve or more cows is called a flink.

Cats often rub up against people and furniture to lay their scent

and mark their territory. They do it this way, as opposed to the way dogs do it, because they have scent glands in their faces.

Cats sleep up to eighteen hours a day, but never quite as deep

as humans. Instead, they fall asleep quickly and wake up intermittently to check to see if their environment is still safe.

Leonardo Da Vinci invented scissors.

A tiny amount of liquor on a scorpion will make it instantly go

mad and sting itself to death.

In 1386, a pig in France was executed by public hanging for the

murder of a child.

Human thigh bones are stronger than concrete.

You can’t kill yourself by holding your breath.

There is a city called Rome on every continent.

It’s against the law to have a pet dog in Iceland.

Your heart beats over 100,000 times a day.

Most dust particles in your house are made from dead skin!

Women blink nearly twice as much as men.

Adolf Hitler was a vegetarian and had only ONE testicle.

Earth is the only planet not named after a god.

16 Heart Beat | December 2014

Cellcom Tracking Data Use If you’ve ever received an alert that you are approaching your data limit for the month, you’ve probably wondered where that data is going. It is actually very easy to keep track of how much data you are using on your smartphone and which apps are using it. Most smartphones have a built-in tracking system to help you manage your monthly data package. If you have a newer Android device, you can find usage under Settings > Data Usage or Usage. For some versions of Android you may need to tap "More" to view the usage option. From here you can see your data usage, set the dates for your usage cycle (to coincide with your billing cycle), and limit which applications can use cellular data. You can also set your own limit for your data use and receive alerts when you reach that limit. If you have an older Android device, it may not list how much data each application is using. However, a third party application, such as My Data Manager, can be downloaded to help you monitor your usage.

If you have an iOS device, usage information is located under

Settings > Cellular. At the bottom of the page you will see each application and the cellular data used by that application is listed. The default shown is for the lifetime of the device. Below the list there is a button labeled "Reset Statistics", which is helpful to help track application data usage for a set period. You can set a reminder in your calendar to reset your statistics each month.

Cellcom users can also download the myCellcom app from the App Store or Google Play to track overall usage and manage alerts for data use.

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS Hope Nutrition

HOPE Nutrition was started out of our passion for helping people live a high-quality of life. We are fortunate to be able to reach out to others in our local community, but also globally. Everyone is treated as family. Clients have an incredible support system, including personal coaching and exciting events for encouragement on their journey. Specialties include: Weight Loss, Improved Energy, Fitness Performance, Targeted Health Needs, On-the-Go Nutrition Current Events: Yoga, Smoking Cessation and Nutritional Classes We also host for businesses: lunch and learns, weight loss challenges, smoking cessation classes and much more. Phone: (920) 759-4469 Address: 208 Main Ave, Kaukauna, WI 54130 Website: https://www.facebook.com/hopenutritionc

Oasis Senior Advisors Oasis Senior Advisors, is a FREE service for seniors and families to help them identify the ‘perfect fit’ senior living option whether it be assisted living, independent living or a memory care community. As a dedicated, compassionate Senior Living Advisor, I will work with seniors and their loved ones to identify health care needs, budget concerns, and personal and geographic preferences, and will work one-on-one with each senior and their family to help them find the ‘perfect fit’ senior living community for their specific situation. I personally understand, by my experience in locating a Senior Living Community for my parents, that later life transitions are especially emotional and stressful for many families. As an Oasis Senior Advisor owner, I will provide education and information on the types of senior living options and what makes them different from each other - price ranges, services included and resources provide. I will also help by scheduling visits and tours, and even accompany a senior and their family if requested. The major purpose of Oasis Senior Advisors is to reduce the stress and anxiety in navigating the seemingly endless maze of senior living communities. Phone: 920-716-9406 Address: 1224 W Summer St. Website: https://www.facebook.com/hopenutritionc

Sarah Fauske Business & Residential Sales Representative TECC Security Systems, INC http://teccsecurity.com/

Give us a brief description/history of your business…. TECC Security Systems, INC has been in business for over 20 years serving the Fox Valley and beyond with residential and commercial security, fire alarm, access and surveillance camera systems. Employees of TECC Security Systems, Inc are actively involved in alarm associations, Chamber, Builders Associations and several volunteer committees. Q: How did you get started in your field? After working as a police officer for 15+ years my career was cut short due to having back surgery. Security is something I worked with for years on the receiving end. Educating people on something you have a passion for is easy, so doing sales is just what seemed natural. I must admit it is much nicer using my experience with the bad guys to protect what’s important to you than showing up to the devastation of intrusion. I enjoy giving people a Peace of mind and a contact to address their security concerns. Q: Who is the one person that helped to make you who you are today? Cliché but I’ll have to say my mom. It’s been close to a decade since her passing and its more and more apparent as I develop how much help she is still giving me. Reflection on her struggles being a successful business woman and the mother of six kids. Time management and the importance of showing face at not only your kids events but also in the business world. She taught me that I can do anything and to keep my core values. Success is not given, it is earned and Success will not come without Integrity. Q: What do you like most about working in the Heart of the Valley area? I really enjoy the relationships gained. The Heart of the Valley is small enough to have the personal connection to the “account” or the business. Recognizing people at sporting events, Chamber events and having that common local community feel to things.

Q: What is the worst job you’ve ever had? I worked a manufacturing job for a short (2 week) period in college. My husband just laughs at me because when I got it I was so excited as it was basically work all you want, put as many hours in as you want…. Thought I’d be rich! LOL. I worked like 2 hours a day for two weeks….. Needless to say I’m not rich yet! Q: OK, now the good stuff. What do you like to do for fun? I am very active in my kids’ activities. I enjoy watching and coaching them. I love going up north to our camper, four wheeling, bon fires and just being away! I used to enjoy playing sports myself before my back surgery, now I play volleyball, golfing and softball on a limited basis! I enjoy tracking with my bloodhound and just being outside. Q: What’s your favorite movie and why? Silence of the Lambs…. Guess I see a little of myself in the character Clarice Starling. Plus who doesn’t like Hannibal?? Q: Is your desk messy or organized? A little of both. In the eye of the beholder……. Q: Green Bay Packers or another team? Is there another? Q: Where was your best vacation and why? Lexington Kentucky. My husband took me there for one of our anniversaries. It was fantastic. We visited the Kentucky Horse Park, went horseback riding and did plenty of golfing. Not to mention the bar scene was pretty fun there. Q: What are the Top 3 items on your bucket list? 1.) I’d love to tour Australia. 2.) Spend a week with my family at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Utah. 3.) Picking the brain of Arianna Huffington. I’d like her personal advice on happiness and being successful in life.

18 Heart Beat | December 2014

Meet The Members

Give us a brief description/history of your business…. Amplitel Technologies specializes in working with computer and network in small- to medium-sized business — typically businesses with less than 50 computers on site.

We'd like to be the IT department for our customers — to be a source of reliable advice that merges the businesses objectives and operations with its data equipment and network.

Q: How did you get started in your field? Pure luck and now I am the Business Manager for Amplitel Technologies.

Q: Who is the one person that helped to make you who you are today? My mother….she made me finish everything I started and strive to be better!

Q: What do you like most about working in the Heart of the Valley area? I was born in Kaukauna, grew up in Kaukauna, and love everything about this place…… I bleed Orange and Black!

Q: What is the worst job you’ve ever had? I worked in a butcher’s shop.

Q: OK, now the good stuff. What do you like to do for fun? Spending time with my family and coaching my kids in their sports.

Q: What’s your favorite movie and why? See No Evil, Hear No Evil….it was the real start of comedy movies.

Q: Is your desk messy or organized? It is organized my special way and has a lot of post-it notes.

Q: Green Bay Packers or another team? GREEN BAY PACKERS…..Of Course

Q: Where was your best vacation and why? My honeymoon.

Q: What are the Top 3 items on your bucket list? Little League World Series, Hawaii and Disneyland with the family.

Justin Brandt Business Manager Amplitel Technologies http://ampliteltech.com/

* If you are a Chamber member and would like to be featured, email Jamie! It’s free! *

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20 Heart Beat | December 2014

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How to Cure Your Workaholic Addiction

Do you work from vacation? Do you check emails on your phone at dinner? Do you squeeze in one last phone call before leaving the office? If you're in an unhealthy addictive relationship with work, you're far from alone; so many of us now are working such long hours that it's hard to know what's even normal. Working hard is a good thing--up to a point. Overwork doesn't help your productivity, and it's harmful to you. It's time to learn how to get back in balance--here are some pointers. 1. Learn to shut it down. Make a pact with yourself that you will not work past a certain time, and honor that time to shut everything down. Learn to shut it down and walk away. 2. Give yourself a break. Learn to give yourself breaks during the workday, even if they're small ones. Go out for lunch instead of eating at your desk. Take a short walk around the office or a quick trip to a nearby park--anything that changes the scenery. Even 10 minutes away can make a world of difference. 3. Change your mindset. You may be among the many people who believe that long hours demonstrate your great work ethic and those who take breaks (or spend evenings, weekends, and vacations disconnected) are lazy or less committed. But that way of thinking is both inaccurate and unhealthy, so push back when you catch yourself giving in to it. Remember, what you think is what you are.

4. Treat it seriously. When you are consumed with work and act as if your life is dependent on your job, you're likely damaging your health and relationships. You need to take change seriously. If need be, consider getting help to learn better skills for balancing your life. 5. Don't bring it home. The hardest test of all! When you go home, make a point of turning off your phone and disconnecting from your e-mail. Instead take time for friends and family members. It's time to be the person who just might be unreachable for work for a while--and unless you're literally saving lives with your job, that's OK. 6. Meditate on it. More than most people, workaholics need to learn to turn off their thinking mind. The practice of meditation is a great way to make that happen. Take some time every day and consciously slow down, breathe, relax, rest your mind and feed your heart. 7. Set healthy boundaries. Many people who are prone to chronic overwork also have trouble setting and maintaining boundaries. As a starting point, make a work schedule and commit to it. If you need to include some late evening or weekend hours, that's fine--but do it intentionally, based on schedules and patterns, not just because you're already there and you haven't yet dropped from exhaustion. Being a workaholic doesn't benefit anyone--not you, not your team, not your organization, not the world. You'll be much more effective--not to mention happier--with adequate rest, sleep, breaks, and time to cultivate relationships and interests outside of work. Self-care keeps you on top of your game and in the game..

If you're working long hours night after night, you may be in trouble.

22 Heart Beat | December 2014

How Well Do You Know Other Chamber Members?

5 Things You Didn’t Know about Competitive Strategies…..

Started in 1997 by Steve Engmann and Jackie Lingg.

5 of the 6 employees have been with CSI for over 15 years.

Have assisted over 375 small businesses with software support and management reporting projects.

A majority of those are located in the Fox Valley.

Develops custom software applications for order entry, time collection, scheduling

and unique processes. Latest app called Meat Order Pro automates wild game and custom cuts meat

order processing.

Team members enjoy participating in chamber events and sponsoring an annual 80’s party fundraiser for Cystic

Fibrosis and the YMCA.

About Competitive Strategies, Inc.

Competitive Strategies, Inc. is a unique organization with a focus on Planning, Systems and Success. We specialize in un-

derstanding how your business functions and how software can be used to enhance efficiency, increase return on in-

vestment, increase profitability, enhance decision making and gain competitive advantage.

www.WeMakeSoftwareWork.com

Oregon police agree it was a bad first date.

They say a 23-year-old man met a woman for the first time in person Monday night after they talked online. She hopped into his vehicle at a drive-through restaurant in Wilsonville, south of Portland, and suggested he buy her a milkshake.

Sgt. Dan Kraus says the man got two $1 bills in change and put them into his wallet, which he left on the center console. Kraus says the woman grabbed the wallet, got out of the car and ran off.

The Oregonian reports the man called 911 and provided the woman's cellphone number. Officers called her to

arrange a meeting at the same restaurant.

They arrested her early Tuesday and recovered the wallet — with the two $1 bills still inside.

P: (920) 993-1077

F: (920) 993-1079

2631 N. Meade St., Suite

202 Appleton, WI 54911

www.comstrategies.com/

23

After analyzing hundreds of TED talks, communications coach Carmine Gallo noticed an obvious trait that the best presentations shared: they were funny.

This makes sense, Gallo concluded, even within the discussion of some pretty weighty issues. Why?

"Because humor lowers defenses," David Nihill explained Tuesday during a presentation at RocketSpace, a technology campus that offers co-working space in San Francisco. Nihill is co-founder of the FunnyBizz Conference. His talk, which drew a crowd of about 20 people, focused on several transferrable techniques that comedians use to improve their public speaking skills.

Nihill aimed to convince the audience that you don't have be a natural comedian to get laughs. The best standup comedy is often developed using a writing formula--just like the best business presentations. That's not to say that your next public speech should sound like a comedy act from beginning to end. But your presentation will shine with four to five good jokes throughout.

"Every single person in this room has had a mad funny thing happen to them at some stage in their life," Nihill said. In other words, you already have the material you need to get your audience laughing.

The Art of Crafting a Joke

The trick is to find the funniest personal experiences that relate to your topic. First, write down as many of these memories you can recall. You might have to think way back.

"Then link them to your topics. Whatever you're presenting company-wise, there's a problem there and you want to link that ultimately to a funny story that's already happened to you," Nihill said.

After you've decided which story you want to tell, you can script it using a formula to ensure your delivery is just right. Structuring a joke involves starting general and getting more specific. Try following these three steps:

1. Set up the story in a relatable way. "You ideally want everyone in the room to be like, 'yeah, that happened to me,'" Nihill said.

2. Get specific and make it about it you. Start telling them about your own crazy experience.

3. Deliver the unexpected. At this point, the audience assumes that they know where you're going with this. But you're most likely to get a laugh if you can surprise them.

How to Be Truly Funny in Your Next Presentation Not a great joke teller? Not to worry. A stand-up comic explains how anyone can (and should) weave comedy into a presentation.

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