Welcome, everyone, to Midday Magazine for this January 17th, 2024.
Have your host, James J. Mailoff here, and we are welcoming in some great friends of ours.
First up, we have Lacey Ailing, Events, and Engagement Director with our
Herda Wisconsin Chamber Commerce. Lacey, good to see you.
Good to see you.
Thanks for being here, and Lacey, you brought a great friend over.
I did.
Introduce our friend here, please.
Well, I want her to introduce herself.
Yeah, we should make her do that.
She's so...
Well, she doesn't have to do it very often.
So we got to kind of make her do it a little bit here, but...
I am Tricia Fancher, and I am the Executive Director at the Family Center.
Excited to be here.
Journalistically, I should mention I am a gigantic fan of Tricia.
I am a... I can't say fan of the Family Center, of course, on the board over there as
everything, so I do want to mention that because I have a biased of the Family Center.
I love the Family Center.
I appreciate all the work that you guys do.
Thank you.
And I appreciate... I haven't really got to tell you this, but I appreciate you taking this gig,
coming to this area, doing this job.
I understand... I mean, I understand that I don't understand how difficult the job can be.
For somebody to take this on willingly and wantingly with the passion that you do,
we are so appreciative of that.
And I'm be honest with you, when the position first opened up, I was a little nervous.
I didn't know who the candidates would be.
I didn't know how it would go.
We had great candidates, and we have a great person in the role.
We appreciate you being here.
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
We're here to talk, and not just give her a big head, but we're also here to talk.
We're here to talk a little bit about not only our chamber and some events in this area,
but talk about the leadership class.
So we'll talk about that in a minute with Trisha.
But first, we're going to get to the annual meeting and awards sponsorship opportunities.
Yes, the 76th year, which is... I'm just so excited for that.
Especially, I mean, it's just so much the test to make.
The statistics?
Yes, the 70th year.
That's awesome.
That is impressive.
Yes, I'm so excited for it, especially with just the success of our local businesses,
for us to be able to continue to do this, get the nominations,
get the people that want to come, want to be a part of it,
the businesses that want to support and stay local.
I'm very, very excited.
We only have one gold or one sponsor left that's a silver,
and that's the award sponsor that's for the ambassador of the year.
All the other ones have been sold out, or platinum sold out,
or all of our big ones have sold out.
It's just our smaller ones that I think are still great.
There's a lot of wonderful things that we have on there that you'll be a part of.
For the presentation, from everything from start to finish,
as well as like table tens, our flyers, all our promotional material.
So definitely reach out if you are interested in becoming a sponsor for that event.
It's very, very exciting.
I love it.
I can't wait.
I love planning big events.
So definitely excited.
We have our theme this year as kind of like an Oscar Grammy type feel.
So we have a red carpet.
We have a lot of things that we're going to make this a really elevated event for our community.
Definitely reach out to me.
Communications at Wisconsin Rapids Chamber.com, or by phone at 715-422-4859.
And then if you're wanting to be a part of it,
but you're not sure that those price points are something that can work,
I know it's the beginning of the year.
There's a lot of things that you're going to be reached out to for.
In 2024, we have the Wine Liquor Pull as well as our raffle, donation tickets.
If there's anything that you have questions about,
you're wondering if we could put this in there for a prize.
Definitely reach out.
I'm all ears.
I want this to be a big event.
I want people to come.
I want people to have fun, make memories, take lots of pictures.
So definitely reach out to me.
I'm fortunate as a SAG member,
I get to vote on the SAG in the Oscars every year.
And one of the things that comes up every year about this is not who you're voting for,
but man, where does the event going to look like?
Or what are they going to have there in these things?
We're talking about people that probably are never going to go to the Oscars.
A lot of us get to vote on them,
but cannot talk enough about how the pomp and circumstance are rounding it.
So that right there is going to be very fun.
That's going to be an interesting thing.
And it's very interesting to have our family center here right now,
because any opportunity I have,
I talk about the family center, I talk about donating, investing in the family center.
That's what I think of this donating, is investing.
You're investing into your community.
It's an investment.
And with that, the other side of that,
because you're always going to have people who are good-hearted and want to put back
into their community, and then there's going to be people on the fence about this
that need to know the X's and O's about it, the zeros and ones of it.
And as somebody who has studied marketing and sales my,
virtually my whole life and been in this industry for two decades,
I'll tell you, one of the biggest things that is a benefit to any business or any,
any organization is attaching yourself to a nonprofit is being a part of that.
When they see your logo, when they see your name with the chamber,
with the family center of these things,
that is PR, you cannot buy.
There is no price you can put on that.
You are showing not only with the family center that you're standing on the right side of history,
that you support this cause, you support what they do,
but you're also saying, I invest in my community.
I back my community.
What commercial can give that to you?
What commercial, I mean, I write commercials for a living and I couldn't write something like that.
Not that the way that it actually gives you this,
just organically, just by attaching yourself to these things,
being a part of these events.
So when you're being a sponsor and looking at these opportunities,
I hope people keep that in mind as well,
that that's a key part of this.
It's not just the money that you're spending or making sure that you fall in the black and all of that.
It is also the unwordable things,
the things that we can't put a price tag on.
That PR is unprecedented.
You can't come across that.
So be a part of things when you can't have the opportunity with our
Heart of Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce or a family center.
Absolutely. Thank you.
I appreciate that.
Lunch by the river is something we want to be a part of.
We actually had a tea meeting yesterday and the easiest part of the meeting was
being asked, hey, do you guys want to be part of lunch, brother?
Yeah, yeah, the sentence wasn't even finished.
We're like, yeah, we want to definitely do that.
Can we have a day where it doesn't rain, though?
I know, I absolutely agree with you.
Even though it was warm and it definitely cooled it off,
yes, I'm hoping that the Thursdays seemed like the weather.
Mother Nature seems to be on our side and let us have some fun.
Can I say one thing, though?
Even if it does rain, Lacey knows what to do.
She's got this in hand.
I was so worried.
I was so worried about all the equipment.
And just because I was like, I don't want anyone to have, you know,
when they're, especially when they're giving their time,
they're volunteering at these events,
I don't want anything, you know what I mean?
I don't want anything to be too much.
I don't want them to, you know, it's a kind of, you know,
hurt the feeling for it.
So definitely, I'm excited.
A lot of people were like, you're already reaching out.
It's literally negative 28, you know, and you're messaging me
about having us hang out at the room.
I was gone to the room.
I'm like, yeah, because I want things to be really, really,
really, really great.
I have a lot of ideas, as you know.
And I am very, very excited to put those forth.
And it's funny that you're wearing the shirt that you're wearing
because I'm going to reach out to them
and ask them a filibring padstown
that are looking for homes because I just love that.
So if you are interested in being a sponsor,
an entertainer, a food vendor,
we've been talking with the city.
And I, which I think it's crucial, obviously, we just saw the mayor,
to make sure that we have a good relationship with them
and make sure that we can have the space that we,
that we need to foster what I want it to look like.
So I am, we're trying to have it be bigger.
So we can have like wandering games comes down.
And so some older kids can have fun.
We have entertainment.
I want some different kind of food vendors as well as I want to get
dessert, some kind of sweets.
So I'm trying to cover all of the different food that we can have
down there. We've gotten some new new members
that are really excited to have like crab rangoon down there,
which I mean, I could literally 20 crab rangoons.
I don't know why.
It's like, they don't, like, I don't feel full.
I just can keep eating up.
So I'm really excited about covering different kinds of food.
I think that diversity is very, very important in this area.
And there isn't a lot of different kinds of food.
So if I can have all of them be covered at lunch by the river,
we can have a bigger space.
I want to do face painting.
I would love to do caricatures.
If anyone knows, I would, I would think that's great.
Obviously entertainers, we've reached out to people
that did this last year.
We want to give them, you know, kind of the first, right?
Because they've been so supportive in the past.
So definitely reach out.
If you're local, up and coming, you know,
anyone that wants to do something that you can,
you can put on some kind of presentation.
I would love to have martial arts.
I would love to do things that bring people in there,
bring in family and kind of just show what this community has to offer.
That it's not just, you know, some, some band you've never heard of,
but bringing in different things, different things for everyone
because everyone likes different things.
So definitely reach out if you are interested.
Once again, that's communications at Wisconsin App is chamber.com.
Or by phone 715-422-4859.
I was answering calls as I was driving here,
because I want to make sure that this stuff is well attended.
I want to get a drone down there and show things.
So definitely there's big things I want to do for that event.
And I'm really excited for the watch further over.
And Lacey, I think just by giving the description
and you're kind of wish list there,
you gave people in the listeners a lot of ideas.
If I'm out there listening, and I hear this,
and I'm like, well, wait a minute.
I didn't think they would, oh, I could fit in there.
Oh, I could work over there.
That reach out.
Find out more.
Absolutely. I want different things.
I want to bring in different ages.
I know we have a lot of things to offer.
And I think that sometimes they don't know exactly
who they should be reaching out to.
Or, oh, okay, well, I think some people are just,
you know, they think, oh, they're always going to do
with what they've always done.
And I am not that person.
So I absolutely want us to be the best we can be.
I want this to rival big festivals.
So I'm really, really excited for it.
Let's help or do that.
Reach out and be a part of this.
Whether you're a vendor or a entertainer,
we want to see it lunch by the river this year.
The business outreach program.
I wanted to touch on that as well.
Yes, absolutely.
So really excited.
A hundred businesses and a hundred days.
We are closing the office every Friday
to go out and be active with our members.
So I think that it's just kind of we want to give back.
We want to show the businesses that we do care.
They do have a voice.
And we get calls every day.
Sometimes they're calls and we don't know exactly
who we should be sending people to.
So the referrals are, I mean,
they're essential for us to be able to support these businesses
and for us to be able to support them in the way that they need
and to advocate for them.
We need to have a better understanding of what they do,
what they offer, their mission,
their why, why they do this, why they're here.
So we want to get out.
Please reach out to Holly Ann.
That's our office manager at 715-422-1830
or info at WisconsinapolisChamber.com.
We are scheduling out,
but we've been visiting businesses.
And it's been, it's been really great to hear.
And we're not going there to do some pitch.
We are listening.
So we are going there with notes to take notes,
get a better understanding of where they're at
so we can meet them where they need us.
And absolutely, just we really want all of our investors
to feel like we are invested in them as well.
So if you are interested,
please reach out.
We want to have a better relationship.
We're speaking with Lacey Ailing,
Events and Engagement Director
with the Heart of Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce.
We also have Tricia with us,
Executive Director with the Family Center.
One of the things I love about talking with people
like yourselves, both of you, is passion.
You can't fake passion.
You know it when you people try.
You've seen it.
You know, there's something
or just real and genuine about it.
And I hear it in both of you
when you talk about your particular non-profits,
your particular places and everything.
And it hits home.
And with what you're trying to do, Lacey,
it's a job and I understand that it's a job
and it pays bills and all of this.
But your approach to it is very passionate
and very, I want this community better.
I feel like whether you were doing this as a volunteer
or doing it as a paid gig,
this is the same person I get.
And the same thing with you, Tricia.
I love that.
And I appreciate that so very much
of you both putting that passion into these industries
and putting it into our community.
That's really, really cool to see.
And it's also noteworthy
because I don't know.
We've seen people in these positions before.
I'm not saying either you're predecessors.
I just mean in jobs like these
where they're kind of phoning it in
or they're kind of, and then we have your examples.
And it's just so staggering and different.
And I appreciate that very, very much.
The round table revitalization
and new network exchange, that's coming up.
I wanted to touch on that with you, Lacey.
So we're really excited to, obviously,
we love the programs that we've had at the chamber.
We are just trying to make them a little bit better,
make them more, I would say, more not just inclusive,
but definitely growing with the times.
It's 2024, things that were important for HR in 1915.
They've changed.
So there's things that need to be updated,
things that some people that are,
I mean, a lot of these local businesses
that are smaller, they are HR.
They are safety.
They are, they are wearing so many hats
that we want to make sure that we give them the tools
so that they can be successful
and that they feel supported.
And these are free things that you get
just by being a chamber member.
So definitely, that's all Laura.
Workforce at Wisconsin after the chamber.com
or by phone at 715-422-4860.
But she's making a lot of changes.
So in, I mean, every part of economic development
and workforce, she is, she's going in.
It's like kind of like operation.
She's kind of just picking up what she needs to,
moving it where it needs to be
and making it so it's kind of streamlined,
as well as that network exchange for women.
So we're trying to get a group of, obviously, women
that want to make sure that they can be as invested as they can.
And then, obviously, we can support them.
So it's going to be quarterly.
But she is, we're in the beginning process of that.
Right now, we have a lot of interest in that networking.
So I think it's really, really exciting
that we have people, you know, you can start something.
But the traction is what you need
to be able to make it successful.
And I think within like 20 minutes,
she had like 17 emails saying, like, we want to do this.
This is something that we need for our area.
We need more networking.
It's not just marketing and, you know, with digital
and radio and all that stuff.
You have to be able to like connect with people.
And you can put someone in a room.
But if there's no one in there that has that same,
you know, has that same feeling,
it's not going to go very far.
So you need to be able to make those connections
and to put you in a room where you can, you know,
you're on the right ear.
You're, you know, you're not just like,
okay, I'm just preaching to all these people,
but, you know, it's not going anywhere.
So very excited for that, as well as our diversity
in business luncheon.
So we are, that's going to be April 9th.
So we are going to bring together professionals
in different walks of life, different, you know,
and have a panel so we can have a better understanding
of things happening in this area as well as, you know,
diverse workforce issues that are happening
with people with, you know, physical issues
and any kind of things.
We need to be, we need to be a better understanding
at like the bias we have
and how that we can grow.
And I think that that's essential for this area.
There is a lot of people that want to work.
I love the ODC and I think that they're going to be,
you know, they're going to be there.
We have a lot of people that want to be a part of this.
But I think if you can understand,
even with community leadership, we've talked about this
with understanding our own biases
and growing from that.
So be it if someone, you know, is a different ethnicity.
And I think there's some subjects people don't want to touch on,
but not just sex, but just like, you know, age.
Yeah.
With, you know, better understanding if you have a record.
There's so many different things that make you diverse
and that does not mean that you cannot be successful.
So we want to make sure that we are reaching out
and listening.
So that's, it's important.
And obviously Laura's pioneering this.
She's very excited about making these changes to update
and things that are definitely relevant and crucial.
I'm imagining that the majority of our listeners
have not all of them out there.
Are very proud Americans are very proud to at least be
in America, be in this country and everything.
And everything you're just described is America.
It is our country that we are a tapestry.
We are many, many different colors,
many different races and creeds and sexes
and different sexual preferences and all these different things.
And it's a big part of our superpower as a country.
It's a big part of what makes our country beautiful
and amazing is that we have all of these things together.
But it also can lead to, you know, confusion
or some misunderstanding.
I genuinely think most, most racism anti-semitism sexism
begins with misunderstanding.
And the more that you understand of a person,
like for me, I've always used myself
like an example, an Italian, Jew, Egyptian.
You know, you get to know these creeds
and these things about me and hopefully eventually
you'll just dislike because I'm a jerk sometimes,
not because of those things.
Like we can hope to get to that point
and liking somebody for the same reasons.
Yeah.
Great program.
How can people find out more about being a part of that?
That's gonna be posted on Facebook as well as
with workforce.
She's very excited.
She's all ears.
So if you have something where you're like,
okay, I'm working on this.
I know we've had a lot of businesses
that we're like, we wanna be a part of this.
This is something that we, especially if you are a business
that is struggling with diversity
or that's been something where you've had
some kind of strategic plan where it's like
you have no diversity at all.
This may be something that you wanna come to
that you wanna, I think education is key.
If you are educated on all these different things,
I think you're gonna be more well-rounded
if you're at any profession,
if you're the business owner, HR, any of those things,
I think, especially with having to wear so many hats,
it's crucial to have about our understanding
and understanding your own biases, understanding
what we need for this community to be more successful.
Let's talk about the community leadership program.
Yes.
That is, so that's also lower us.
So a lot of plugs for Laura today.
But yeah, definitely very, very exciting.
I'm a participant as well as she is.
So I'm gonna let her kind of talk about her experiences
with that.
Obviously I could talk here off all day
about what I've been learning and things
I've been understanding even about myself,
but we'll let her take it over.
Trisha, well, first up,
am I saying your name in the first name right?
Trisha.
Trisha, it's Trisha.
I have one of my best friends growing up,
is named Trisha, and she spells her name differently.
So I keep seeing your name and it throws me.
I apologize so, so, so much.
Nope, totally okay.
Trisha, I think of you and I think of,
well, your leader.
Like I've seen your resume.
I've seen your background and everything.
I know you know how to do that job.
You know how to lead and all this.
But then to see you as a part of this program,
that's even a leadership move to me.
That's a leadership move.
Why did you want to be a part of this program?
So a lot of my professional experience
has not been in the Wisconsin Rapids area.
So being in Wisconsin Rapids
and seeing this community leadership program
and all of the pieces that it entails,
it was, I just really felt it was a great way
to deep dive into that world in Wisconsin Rapids
and get to know our community on a different level
to be able to better serve
and be able to better lead in this area.
How have you been enjoying it?
It's great.
It's been really, really fun.
And I'm excited because the December class
is probably one of my favorites that we've had so far.
So yeah, it's been really good.
Have you been able to make those connections
from meet people, get to know the community
a little bit better?
Yes, absolutely.
Even from, you know, we have,
the chamber is participating and there.
And so all of the people in the class,
all of the other leaders in the community,
I have met so many new people
and made so many good connections.
And out to the chamber teaching us
about all of the different things
through the classes that are available in the community.
And yeah, it's been wonderful
and a great piece for connection and resources.
Is the program, or how does the program
help a nonprofit or the family center in particular?
Yeah, one of the best ways is that connection point.
So I just had conversation with one of our other participants
in the community leadership class
and she's bringing in some donations
that she has for the family center.
If we're looking at board members,
this is a great place that I am out meeting
prospective board members
and having conversations with the leadership community
and even the schools.
So the family center does a lot of outreach work
in our community.
And so I'm meeting people where we can be going in
and providing the outreach services
that we have at their businesses or at their locations.
And I think that there might be some parallels
with some nonprofits out there,
but in particular with the family center,
as we go more and more into a day and age
where we're talking out loud,
we're not hushed voices anymore on that subject.
I think that's all the more important
with that organization in particular,
being out there, being able to talk about it.
Here's the family center, not here's the family center.
Being able to really be out there
and talking a normal voice with it on this topic
and about this subject,
even if you're not bringing up domestic violence
who hear the family center,
it's going to pop in your mind pretty quickly
and that normalizes, but normalizes
talking about it a little bit more,
getting the conversation out there more.
And while we've come a long ways with that,
we got work to do.
So that goes a long way I imagine as well.
Yeah, and bringing awareness,
that's one of my, one of my huge goals
coming into the family center and into this role
is really bringing community awareness
that they know we exist, what we do,
and how they can help, how they can get involved
from volunteering to donating to,
there's so many different ways.
And this community leadership class
has done phenomenal things
to help with those awareness pieces.
Is this something if we had the resources
you would want other family center members to do?
Yes, absolutely.
I've already been thinking about,
oh, next year I should send program services
to the manager, this person,
because it is going to enhance every single staff member
that we have, it will just help in so many different ways.
I really appreciate the time, Trisha.
And I want to talk again real soon.
We got to get you back here a lot, very soon.
You got some connections here.
So that shouldn't be too hard to do.
But you can find out more about the family center
at familyctr.org, familyctr.org
and encourage it to follow them on social media.
It's a great follow, keep up to date
and all the things that they have going on over there.
Before we wrap up, one of the talk about
January investor of the month.
Yes, very, very excited for them.
That's Jacobi custom cues.
So we actually just had our networking at night there.
But yeah, American owned an operated company
based out of Nekusa.
So they make a worldwide impact.
They are sending those custom pull sticks
and things out all over, as well as when we went to
the Madison days for business.
They were nominated for like a Wisconsin business
just because they really stay close to those local
small town values.
And they really do give back in this community.
And they are very active in supporting people.
I mean, when I went in there on networking
and I was just like, I was blown away at like the people
that were there, all the diverse people that can bond
and make those connections there.
Because the rest of people from the airport,
there was, you know, accounting people.
It was so crazy to see that.
Just the different kind of people that typically
wouldn't be around each other.
They're so creative over there too.
They do, so they come up with some interesting ideas
for those cues and they've been doing it for so long.
One of my early memories is moving to this town.
My Nana Papa wanting to getting a pool table.
We need a cues.
When right over there, we got them.
Like, you know, the good people over there too.
Appreciate that.
I mean, it's a good choice.
Lacey, if people have follow-up questions,
one of them more about some of what we've talked about today.
How can they reach you?
Yes, absolutely.
Call anytime.
I always have my phone on me and also email.
I'm always checking it.
Communications at WisconsinRapidsChamber.com
is the best way to get a hold of me any time.
Appreciate the time, both of you.
Thanks so much.
Thank you.
We'll take a break.
We'll come back with more Midday Magazine tomorrow
right here on WFHR, locally grown radio.
