durango chamber of commerce announces, “coolest … · virtual lunch & learn wednesday,...
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AUG 20
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BUSINESS CONNECTION
LEARDERSHIP LA PLATA
KIWANIS CLUB OF DURANGO
SKY UTE CASINO
LINKEDIN TRAINING
OUR COVID-19 RESPONSE
VIRTUAL LUNCH & LEARN
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LETTER FROM THEEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
NEWS & EVENTS
NEWS & EVENTSWENDY MOST
NEWS & EVENTSOHANA PHYSICAL THERAPPY
NEWS & EVENTS
TIPS, TOOLS & STATS
NEW MEMBERSRENEWED MEMBERS
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DURANGO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ANNOUNCES,“COOLEST DOG IN DURANGO” WINNER!
More than 160 of the coolest dogs have been vying for the title of “Coolest Dog in Durango” and after 30 days of competitive voting, we finally have our winner! With 5850 votes, top dog Buddy has claimed the title of the Coolest Dog in Durango 2020. Buddy’s photo will be featured on a special run of Steamworks Colorado Kölsch. He will also receive a $500 gift basket from Pet Haus and a professional photo shoot with Allison Ragsdale Photography! Buddy’s human, Cathy Roberts, is excited for the honor bestowed upon her sweet Buddy and Buddy is excited to represent both Steamworks and La Plata County Humane Society. Second Place winner Twizzle and Third Place winner Basher will also be featured on the back of the Steamworks special brew label and receive gift baskets from Pet Haus along with professional photo shoots with Allison Ragsdale Photography. The bigger reason for running the contest was raising money for the La Plata County Humane Society. The Durango Chamber along with its partners Alpine Bank, Steamworks Brewing Co., Four Corners Broadcasting, Allison Ragsdale Photography, The Durango Herald, Marketing Concepts Squared and Pet Haus are proud to present a check to the La Plata County Humane Society for $8,252.00. This money will help ALL the animals of La Plata County and we could not be prouder! According to Jack Llewellyn, executive director of the Durango Chamber of Commerce “Durango loves their dogs and they love their craft beer. This contest combined those two loves by showcasing all the cool and amazing dogs, with the top three dogs featured on a Steamworks special brew! This specially named brew will be unveiled at a Fur Ball Party to be held on Bird’s patio (COVID permitting) at a date ‘to be determined’. The contest was something fun and positive to focus on during a time of uncertainty and we were happy to be a part of it.”
BuddyII
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO ENTERED THEIR DOG AND EVERYONE WHO VOTED!Special thanks to our sponsors who helped make this contest a success!
Twizzle
Basher
From the Executive Director’s pen COVID Pivot Jack Llewellyn, Chamber Director
OK, we’re all trying to figure out how to get beyond “the new normal” (blah, I am rather done with that cliché.) We are all pivoting and starting to explore how to get people back into “working” again – not to mention helping businesses be “in business.” Every day I hear from more owners who are looking for people to hire. “Short staffed” is a new term/cliché that I’m hearing regularly. So here’s my latest “Jack’s world” idea for the business community, consider an intern. Internships are a great way for you to work with someone wanting to gain real world experience. Times have changed and interns used to work for free so they could garner valued experience to add to their resumes upon graduation. However, paid internships are the norm, whether its hourly, stipend, or by the project/job. Fort Lewis College (at this writing) is planning to bring students back to campus for in-person classes in late August. Most people don’t keep this top of mind, but I want to remind you all, because Durango has the college population, our town is more vibrant and has thrived/survived better than most Western Slope towns for decades. We don’t yet know how many students will physically return to campus, but preliminary numbers are looking good. I encourage you to consider an intern. You can create an account on “Handshake” and the program will walk you through the process and match you with the right intern. Having an intern can possibly help you recover from “the Covid challenge.” And there are potential interns
from the other schools at FLC – engineering, technology, art, music, science. Check out the stellar in-coming talent. One thing you can count on, these young adults know technology. As our communication and shopping become more reliant on social media and websites… well, they know how to navigate the various and ever changing platforms better than us old folks. I want to remind businesses that you will have to monitor content. Your student intern can’t possibly know your business’ mission better than you do. But, an advantage an intern has, they can focus on the task at hand and will complete the project quicker than expected. Why? Because they are not interrupted by daily distractions. All that said, these innovative young minds can potentially bring new ideas to your business. Yes, some of the things they come up with might not be feasible, financially or logistically, but they’re looking at things from a new, fresh perspective. Listen to them and you might be surprised at the new ideas that can help propel our community forward in “these challenging times” (blah). Be part of the solution and pass along your knowledge to the next generation through your years of experience and leadership. Internships give someone an inside view of what a career can offer, and it gives you the opportunity to possibly find your next employee. One of the greatest rewards is being a mentor, consider paying it forward with an intern.
PresidentDiana Murray, ASAP Accounting & Payroll
Board Members
Amanda Erickson, Past President, Durango Area Association of Realtors Greg Behn, Bank of Colorado
Suzanne Phare, Real Ideal CoachingBrian Lundstrom, Sky Ute Casino Resort
Steve Elias, Fort Lewis CollegeBob Thom, Kroeger's True Value
Vaughn Morris, Boys and Girls Club Chris Bettin, City of Durango Representative
Durango Land & HomesCharley Kier, Leadership La Plata Representative
Academy MortgageMitch Dye, Diplomat Representative
ImageNet Consulting Dan Knapp, YPOD Representative
Burger Theory
CHAMBER BOARD OFDIRECTORS & STAFF
2020
Staff
Jack Llewellyn, Executive DirectorRita Simon, Chamber Manager
Jennifer Dickens, Communications CoordinatorPeggy McCulloch, Office Assistant
2301 Main Avenue | Durango, CO 81301970.247.0312 | Fax 970.385.7884
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Jack Llewellyn, Executive DirectorRita Simon, Chamber Manager
Jennifer Dickens, Communications CoordinatorPeggy McCulloch, Office Assistant
The Durango Chamber of Commerce in partnership with Jeff Seville, Fort Lewis College Director of Career Services and Laura Ritz, The Durango Wordsmith will offer two Virtual LinkedIn Classes beginning in August.
August 5th, 9am – 10am: Leverage LinkedIn to build your personal brand and your network
In this webinar, you will learn how to confidently use Linkedin to grow your personal brand, your job search skills, and the steps to build a well-optimized profile. We will kick off the webinar by diving right into the basics of profile optimization. These basic tactics will help your profile be found and show up first on Linkedin searches, allow you to connect with more people to build your personal brand, and most of all build credibility with your growing network. We will be sure to leave 15 minutes for Q+A and get all your questions answered. This is one you don’t want to miss.
August 12th, 9am – 10am: How to and the Benefits of publishing unique content on Linkedin We are going all-in on the how-to and what type of unique content everyone should be publishing on LinkedIn. Eight-two percent of consumers feel more positive about a company after reading custom content that the company has published, and 90% of consumers find content useful and makes consumers more likely to take action. We are going to teach you all the ways you can publish short-form and long-form content on LinkedIn. We will show you the brand new “polls” feature and how to take a recent poll you have published and turn it into multiple forms of unique content. It will be an action-packed hour and we will be handing out a check-list that takes you through a step by step process for publishing content on LinkedIn.
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Your $20 entry fee is being covered through the generosity of our sponsor Bank of Colorado, but you must register to reserve your spot and receive your zoom invitation. Please use our convenient online registration at www.
durangobusiness.org or email [email protected]
?Ready to Get
Virtual Lunch & LearnWednesday, August 26th
12 Noon - 1 pm
Presented by Dr. Ashley Lucas Owner & Founder of PHD WeightLoss and Nutrition
Lunch & Learn will be held Wednesday, August 26th, 12 -1pm. The event is $10 for Chamber Members and $20 for Non-Members and you
must register to reserve your spot and receive your zoom invitation. Please use our convenient online
registration at www.durangobusiness.org oremail [email protected].
Join Dr. Ashley Lucas, owner & founder of PHD Weight Loss and Nutrition, as she givesa LIVE talk (via zoom) on lifestyle changes that support optimal immunity, behaviors and healthduring a viral pandemic. There will be Q&A time at the end of the session. Dr. Lucas has her PhD in Sports Nutrition & Chronic Disease, and is also a Registered Dietitian.
Sponsored by
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Click to Register
Optimizing Wellness and Immunity in a Time of Isolation and Fear
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For the recentGovernmental Affairs Coalition
report click here
July Lunch & Learn Thank youThank you to Judy Austin, Director of The Grief
Center of SW Colorado for a very informative and timely Lunch & Learn session on how to deal with
grief and healing during the COVID pandemic. If you would like to learn more about the services offered by
The Grief Center of SW Colorado visitwww.griefcenterswco.org or call 970-764-7142.
EMPLOYERS!
Looking for a new job? A better job? Join the workforce in the area!
View available jobs!Submit your resume!
JOB SEEKERS
Is your company looking for good, local employees? Develop your workforce with us!
Members may post jobs at NO CHARGE. We invite you to see how easy it is to post jobs online today!
Post a job, now!View resumes of job seekers!
IMPORTANT NOTE:Members need their ID number and password to submit jobs to the Job Bank or to view resumes. If you have forgotten, click here to request your login& password.
6NEWS &EVENTS Adapt Performance Reviews to the
Reality of the Pandemic Even in the best of times, few managers actually enjoy conducting performance reviews. But during a pandemic, the task is astronomically harder. How do you evaluate employees fairly during such a challenging time? For starters, think about what you want to accomplish. As the crisis trudges on, you can focus on helping your employees build resilience and work through these difficult circumstances. Consider doing away with ratings in favor of a narrative assessment that provides employees with specific and helpful information about what they’ve done well and what they could improve. You also need to acknowledge the
vastly different conditions in which your team members are operating. Some may be juggling client calls with entertaining toddlers. Others may be overseeing projects while caring for elderly or sick relatives, or trying to work while struggling with feelings of isolation. You might need to gather different kinds of data while you’re all working remotely. Request self-evaluations and ask your employees’ peers for their feedback. Your approach to performance reviews during this time calls for a little more flexibility, a little more heart, and a little more leniency.
This tip is adapted from “How to Do Performance Reviews — Remotely,” by Rebecca Knight
Put Your Own Oxygen Mask on First During this challenging historical moment, many of us have been providing unprecedented emotional support to the people in our lives. But you can’t help family, friends, colleagues, or employees if you don’t first take care of yourself. So, how can you do that? Start by checking in with yourself the same way you would with others. Ask yourself questions like: How am I really doing? Am I drinking, eating, sleeping, or crying too much? What will help me combat anxiety? Am I staying connected to others? Then, develop a plan to make sure you’re meeting your own needs. Keep to a routine, and pencil in time for regular exercise or meditation — whatever works for you. Next,
ask for help when you need it — if you don’t, you might find yourself feeling resentful or holding grudges. And return the favor by making yourself available to others who need help. Lastly, look for the positive. Express appreciation, give compliments, and call out triumphs, no matter how small. Not only will these expressions of positivity encourage the people around you, they’ll also help you stay optimistic and hopeful through difficult times.
This tip is adapted from “To Take Care of Others, Start by Taking Care of Yourself,” by Whitney Johnson and Amy Humble
Tips, Tools & Stats
Tips, Tools & Stats: We encourage our members to submit articles that would be helpful to our community. If you would like to submit an article please contact [email protected].
With several states experiencing spikes in COVID-19 cases, businesses are predicting a dim hiring outlook for the latter half of the year with only 35 percent of decision-makers saying their company will increase employees. This is according to a newly released survey conducted by The Harris Poll and commissioned by Express Employment Professionals. A total of 42 percent of hiring decision-makers predict there will be no change in their business, while 16 percent anticipate a decrease in employee count. This is similar to the first half of 2020 when 31 percent of hiring decision-makers said their company planned to increase employees with 41 percent reporting no change and 26 percent decreasing staff. Express experts say that despite the rise in cases, they don’t foresee the country shutting down again and add that businesses must be prepared with increased safety measures for their workers. Express CEO Bill Stoller says he sees signs of life in the workforce, which gives him hope that the worst is behind us. “I am incredibly optimistic better days are ahead,” he said. “We are not out of the woods yet, and the sooner businesses implement measures to protect their workers, the sooner they can safely bring employees back to work, benefiting both American families and the economy.”
Survey Methodology The survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Express Employment Professionals between April 21 and May 6, 2020, among 1,005 U.S. hiring decision-makers (defined as adults ages 18+ in the U.S. who are employed full-time or self-employed or have been laid off, furloughed, or given a zero hour schedule in the past 60 days but worked full-time or were self-employed full-time prior, work at companies with more than 1 employee, and have full/significant involvement in hiring decisions at their company). Data was weighted where necessary by company size to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population.
Hiring Outlook for Second Half of 2020 Muted as COVID-19 Continues to Impact Businesses
Only 35% of Hiring Decision-Makers Say Their Company Will Increase Employees
Latest Hiring Trends from The Harris Poll
About Express Employment ProfessionalsExpress Employment Professionals is in the business of people. From job seekers to client companies, Express helps people thrive and businesses grow. Providing localized staffing solutions to our community, Express employed 552,000 people across North America in 2019.
The Durango Express office is located at 321 S. Camino Del Rio Durango Co 81303 and serves the Durango, Cortez, Farmington and Pagosa Springs areas. Local businesses and applicants are encouraged to stop by, visit www.Expresspros.com or call 970-403-8780.
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New Members
Albertsons LLCAlzheimer’s Association
ASAP Accounting & Payroll, Inc.Axis Health System
BairdBear Paw Lodge
Bechtel, Santo & SevernButtoned Up Consulting
Clyde ChurchComcast Spotlight
Community Banks of ColoradoConundrum Escape Rooms
Cornerstone Home Lending, Inc.Durango Antique Market
Durango Area Tourism OfficeDurango Glass
Durango HeraldDurango Kennel Club
Durango Nursery & Supply Inc.Durango Outdoor ExchangeDurango Wine ExperienceDurango Wood Company
Elk Point LodgeExpress Employment Professionals
Eytchison Insurance AgencyFastTrack Communications, Inc.
FeeneyArchitectFour Corners Eye Clinic
Four Corners HealthCare/ Junction Creek RehabGCC Energy, LLC
General Palmer HotelGOAL Academy High School
Habitat for Humanity of La Plata CountyHoliday Inn & Suites - Durango
Homewood Suites by HiltonHousing Solutions for the SW
The Juniper SchoolJust Click PrintingKaren J. Thompson
La Plata County Democratic PartyLa Plata County Search & RescueMantell-Hecathorn Builders Inc
Mesa Verde National ParkMild to Wild Rafting & Jeep Trail Tours
Mountain Mesa TrainingMountain Studies Institute
Mountain Waters Rafting & Adventure Company, LLCMutu’s Italian Kitchen
Nature’s Oasis... Durango’s Great Natural MarketOut of the Blue
Over The Hill Outfitters, Inc.Peak Exploration & Production, LLC
ProCorp ImagesReal Ideal Coaching
Reynolds Ash + Associates Architecture & EngineeringSan Juan Regional Medical Center
Seasons Rotisserie-GrillSGM
Soaring Tree Top AdventuresThe Grief Center of Southwest Colorado
Toh-Atin GalleryTomsic Physical Therapy
Ultrasteam & Rugmasters of DurangoVisiting Angels of Southwest Colorado
RENEWED MEMBERS
Brewed Awakenings Colorado, LLCScot Davis
100 Jenkins Ranch Rd, Unit A2Durango, CO 81301
(970) 946-8979Cafe/Bakery
Girl Scouts of ColoradoChristina O’Dell
580 24 1/2 RdGrand Junction, CO 81505
(970) 375-7913website
Non-Profit
Mr. Plant of DurangoJohn Youle
14 Tanglewood DrDurango, CO 81301
(970) 764-4777website
Plant Service
Union Social HouseCarol Clark
3062 Main AveDurango, CO 81301
(970) 759-4144website
Restaurants/Bars
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Sherry Wertz, owner of Liquor World, moved with her family from Chicago to Durango in 1972, when Sherry was in 6th grade. She’s been in Durango ever since. Sherry started her academic education in Durango at Needham Elementary and ended it at Fort Lewis. Sherry expanded her education by working at a variety of jobs around Durango, ultimately ending up at Liquor World in the early 1980s after her dad purchased it. “I wasn’t even old enough yet to drink,” Sherry says. “I inherited the family business when my dad died in 1996 and I’ve been moving forward ever since. What makes Liquor World great is my crew. I’ve got wonderful employees. We’re a big happy family and we have fun - all the local liquor stores carry a lot of the same stuff. But we have the most fun at Liquor World!” Sherry started the original happy hour. “We’ve been doing a happy hour Monday through Friday from 4:00 to 6:00 for years now,” Sherry says. “Our customers get 5% off beer, 10% off liquor and 15% off wine. You can get 20% off a case of wine, and you can mix or match.” Sherry does all the shopping for Liquor World. “We have a very good selection and if there’s something we don’t have I will do everything I can to get it for my customers,” she says. “We carry a lot of hard-to-get liquors, some of them premium. I have a $7000 bottle of Scotch in my store. The bottle may never sell, but I want to have things that bring specialty buyers in. For instance, I have Macallan 18 and Macallan 25. These are eighteen year old and twenty five year old batches of Scotch Whiskey. “I’m very traditional and run my store the old fashioned way. I still don’t even own a computer. We stay
very busy with summer here and people not working, and all the tourists back. I’m a hands on person so I’m down here every day with my guys, tossing boxes around. It’s very physical and I love it.” Sherry has been a member of the Chamber of Commerce for years. “Jack and I go way back. Being a member of the Chamber has been great for my business. I think everybody should be a member,” Sherry says. She’s been involved with the community for many years, donating her time, talent and money for organizations like Habitat for Humanity, the La Plata County Humane Society, the VFW and many other organizations that request her help. Sherry has a son, Stephen, who just turned 24. After graduating from Animas High he headed north to CU Boulder and recently graduated from Aviation Mechanic School. Liquor World is located at 695 Camino Del Rio. You can reach Sherry at 970-259-0144.
written by Sara Lynn (Kuntz) Valentine)
Liquor World - Sherry Wertz
Want to Grow Your Business? Join a Chamber LEADS GROUP!Email today to join or find out more [email protected]
BUSINESSCONNECTION
3 Steps to Building Strong TeamsLLP MONTHLY FOCUS
Written by: Stacy Reuille-Dupont To be a good leader, you must know your own strengths. No one is good at everything. A good leader understands their strengths, weaknesses, and growth points then uses those to help put together a strong team ready to create amazing things together. For many this first step is hard. They struggle to admit they have weaknesses. Or they over emphasize personal weaknesses and thus stay focused on what doesn’t work too long. It takes courage to say we aren’t good at something, to admit we fail, fall short, or are confused. It takes courage to humbly own our strong points, too. Yet a good leader bravely embraces both. This leads the way for the whole team to embrace vulnerability. A necessary skill for growth. Second step, letting others shine. A good leader can let other people enjoy the lime light and share the spotlight. For some this is easy, however as a leader you must be able to both shine bright yourself, and let others shine just as bright. A good team has plenty of space for each member to be the shining star from time to time. A good team is full of people willing to let colleagues shine and celebrate their brilliance. A good team wants to participate in celebration and knows the power of acknowledging each other’s strengths. Third, recognize the you, me, and we in any relationship. A solid relationship holds all 3 without difficulty. By allowing each of us to be fully alive in our own personhood, we create something larger than ourselves. You fill in gaps for me and I fill in gaps for you. We support each other’s strength and weaknesses with kindness and compassion. We help each other grow and celebrate each other’s accomplishments without envy. As we participate in these activities, safety in relationship is created. Relational safety is needed to tap the reserves of team member creativity. Every good boss knows the sign of a strong company is creativity and innovation. We build this in our teams by creating safety in relationship and celebrating each member.
Often in relationship we are taught to give up aspects of ourself to fit into the group. If this is happening in your team you are missing opportunities for growth. Of course there will be norms and cultural guidelines in the work place, however a good leader wants to build a culture of acceptance and honor for those employed within the company. All people crave and need to been authentically seen and heard. A good leader knows this and knows how to let each staff member know they are valued for the unique talents and gifts they contribute to the whole. Everyone is different so it is important to build a team balanced in the many aspects of contribution. By filling your team with members who are willing to honor each other’s strengths and weaknesses, show up to balance each other out, and tap creativity your team will be strong and your corporate culture more healthy. If you are wondering how to become a better leader, join the many who have explored these topics in our community by participating in Leadership La Plata. “LLP’s mission is to build a cadre of informed leaders who are committed to broadening knowledge of La Plata County, developing leadership skills, and utilizing them for the benefit of our diverse community”: http://leadershiplaplata.com
AlumniQuote
We are still in vacation season, and as we discussed last month, it is so important for leaders to take breaks.
“I believe vacations have multiple benefits to both leaders and their organizations. Vacations provide time for leaders to “recharge” their batteries. It gives them time to reflect on the organization’s direction and allows them to think strategically without distractions. Lastly, vacations provide an opportunity for junior leaders to have an opportunity to run the organization in the leader’s absence. This provides the junior leaders invaluable experience and provides the avenue for succession planning” ” Eric Eicher, LLP Alum Class of 2009-2010
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