Welcome everyone to Midday magazine for this February 27th, 2024.
Have your host James J. Mailoff here at 330.
We're going to speak with our friend Ashley Angle, violence prevention,
specialists and advocate with our Wisconsin Rabbits family center,
looking forward to getting to know Ashley.
Right now in studio, we have our good friend, Lacey Ailing with us events and
engagement director with the heart of Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce.
Lacey, good to see you.
Good to see you.
Isn't that impossible?
It really is.
But it's a lot.
You deserve the title.
You deserve the respect.
I want to make sure to get it all in there.
I appreciate it, James.
And you weren't, you burned it though.
We make sure you brought a friend with you today from Lacey.
I did.
From our community leadership this year.
I brought in Carrie.
Hey, Carrie, Carrie, Carrie Ruffner joining us.
Carrie, thanks so much for being here.
Thanks for having me.
Looking forward to talking with you more and just a little bit.
Carrie about not only the leadership class, but plenty of other very hard,
difficult questions.
I'm going to end up kidding up here.
Now we'll, we'll talk in a little bit, Carrie.
If you don't mind, Lacey, I'd like to kick things off talking a little bit
about the annual meeting and award for the 76th annual meeting and award bank foot.
Yes.
Today is the deadline to register and get your food choice in.
James, have you registered?
Yes.
Okay.
Yes.
I think I have.
No, no, I'm not.
I'm not pretty sure.
No, I, to be honest, we've been working with you guys on a couple of things.
And now I'm, I'm racking my brain, like, which one of it, which one did we do?
I did.
What did I register for?
It's a good reminder to double check.
I thought I'd ambush you.
Yes.
Well, nicely done.
I've been very well done.
But yeah, I, so yes, today is the deadline.
We need food choices.
And then obviously if you're, you know, who you're bringing, if you're bringing a plus
one, what business you're affiliated with, very excited for the event.
We are eight days away.
I feel like it's like my wedding or something.
Like I, I'm checking how many hours there is until I can get into the venue.
It's, it's definitely, I'm very excited.
Doing those little finishing touches, those little things to kind of make it just over
the top.
And the wedding, are you worried about the seating arrangements?
I know.
No, we, I think we definitely tried to like, okay, we want businesses together, we want
to also like have people together that we think would be, I think it's so great to be
in that room.
So then to be at a table, we're like, okay, this is someone that you probably don't know,
but you know of.
So then you can kind of, you know, build a relationship and then you just make those
memories at annual awards.
This is a wonderful opportunity to highlight some of our community to give some, you know,
credit and shout outs to a lot of our community.
But another integral part of this is what you're mentioning there, the connections and the,
the ability to be able to do that and in a great atmosphere and a great time.
In all seriousness, it really does help to pre-register and to get that registration in.
We've got a lot of people that are working behind the scenes on this that need those numbers.
Yes, absolutely.
And the ridges has been really, really great with letting us kind of push until, so that
we, you know, we could try to accommodate people that, you know, oh, you know, I mean, I
know it's hard, especially with it being on a Wednesday and evening with, there's been
so many concerts and solo ensemble and there's been so many things happening this these
last couple of weeks that it's hard to get out there.
And so I, I'm happy that we're able to accommodate people.
But yeah, today is the deadline.
The ridges would not be happy if I was trying to push it when it's, yeah, it's a week
out.
And it's, it's also good for you to have that kind of taking care of you.
You're right.
It's a lot going on right now and it can get pretty busy, especially if you've got
multiple things that you're trying to keep track of or anything getting this taken care
of.
It's one more thing down.
You got it on the count.
You're good to go.
Yes.
And if you are interested in coming, just please reach out to Holly.
She's our office manager.
You can come in or open eight to four or you can register online just on Chambermaster.
You don't have to be a member to, like I have a member log in and things to register
online.
It kind of walks you through it pretty quickly and you can pay there as well.
And then as well as you can also just call and register and that will be 715-423-1830.
The event is coming up March 6th over at the Ridges Bankwood Hall.
It'll be going from five to eight.
We'll meet you there.
It's going to be a fun Wednesday.
Yes.
It's going to be excited.
We have the spring legislative breakfast coming up as well.
Yes.
So we have invited the local mayoral candidates and I know that Stacy's very excited.
She definitely has like, we've been touring some of the local businesses with our
Bob.
So we've toured one of the candidates businesses and we got to learn a lot about just his experience
and things like that.
So I think it's really good to kind of know, not just, I think with it being smaller, it's
not like some kind of campaign where it can get, you know, can get like those bigger ones,
but just kind of having a better understanding of what they want to do, you know, what we
need to do, what they need from us, what they want, you know, I think it's definitely
important to be active in this stuff, especially if you have an opinion.
Yeah.
So if you have an opinion on something, you should be there.
This is an opportunity to speak right to the straight to the candidates.
Absolutely.
One of the things that we've enjoyed here for over eight years at WFHR's, whenever there
is an election or anything, we give every candidate equal amount of time.
And we've had the candidates for mayor on the year with us and they had to put up with
me and my questions and they all did a great job and we enjoyed meeting all of them.
It's another opportunity to take this the next step.
Now you know these candidates a little bit better.
Now you have questions possibly for them.
This is the work that goes into voting.
This is what it is to be an American, you know, do your homework and get out there and
vote.
That's just me talking just for myself, but I do think that is important to mention.
I agree.
And I actually, so last week was the first time I have ever voted in my life, never, never
ever done it.
I didn't understand like, okay, why, like, I think I tried to and then I was like, oh,
I didn't go to, I just like wanted to go with my friend.
Yeah, yeah.
And then I didn't realize that it was based off of like, where are you live?
And so I was like, oh, I don't know where I'm supposed to go.
So I think it's just, it's kind of an intimidating thing.
And then when you don't do it and then you're like, oh, I think you just kind of think like,
well, what can I really do?
But then starting at the chamber, I have a much better understanding of like how one person
can make such an effect.
And Stacy is a huge advocate at like.
I don't, like, I know you're working right now.
Go vote.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Like, just get out there.
I'm not going to, you know, you don't need to be, you know, chain to your desk today.
Go out there.
Vote.
Do what you can.
Like, have, you know, make sure that you at least got that choice.
You know, Lacey, I've told you before I appreciate what you bring to this position and how
good you are at it and what you do for our community.
I really appreciate you, the person though too.
Not everybody is brave enough to say something like that.
And we need more of that because there's nothing wrong with that.
But at all, it isn't, it isn't necessarily common knowledge, like some of us that grow
up in like political families or whatever, think that we, oh, I know this, this and this.
There's some basic stuff that you need to know.
And this legislative breakfast is one of those opportunities for you to find those things
out, especially in this year where it is a heavy political year.
If you are somebody that wants to vote, understanding that stuff is key to this.
And maybe even if it isn't your voting this year, you may want to vote eventually.
So this kind of information is important.
And having an opportunity like this to speak to candidates straight up, no middleman,
none of that, we need more of that in our society.
I appreciate the chamber hosting and having something like this.
Yeah, it's exciting because I think even when you're seeing these large, you know, where
they're kind of talking or debates or things like that, it's like, it loses that inclusivity.
And I think that with Mid-State having it, we put the cap at like 65 because we want
to make sure that people have, like if they're like, I really want a question answered.
And we only have a specific time.
It's not fair to promise people to have that platform and then not be able to kind of give
it.
So we're very grateful that Mid-State was able to accommodate, we're able to be, you know,
to have food there and we're able to kind of just, and just, I guess just kind of have
like a safe space to where if you don't know, you can ask questions.
I think asking questions in such a huge thing, it's like, okay, yeah, no, I'm not going
to say anything.
Even if you really do want to know because it just feels like you're going to be judged.
And I think that it's great when it's like, okay, it's a smaller room.
It's, I think it's just different when you feel like, okay, maybe they have the same question
as me.
And I definitely enjoy like the getting to kind of go back and forth and kind of just
have that open space where you can like, okay, I just want to have a better understanding.
I want to know what you want to do.
I want to know how that affects me, how that affects my family, my business, you know,
just things like that.
And you can definitely register online.
We have a QR code to try to make things a little bit more modern.
Yeah.
I know that we still obviously have that, you know, registering online option as well
as calling, as well as coming in.
We try to, you know, have it to where it can definitely be not just for specific demographic.
So it's Friday, March 15th, 7 to 9.30 at mid-state and the cost is $35.
I think the capping it at 65 also not only does it give this community a good amount of
people that can be able to do it, but it also, if you really want to do this, chances
are you're already signed up.
And it kind of gets rid of a, for lack of a better term, any riff raff or people who don't
really have questions, they just want to get out of the microphone and bark.
We don't really need that.
I deal with a lot of that with our representatives and some of our congressmen that join us
and that's not really, we don't, we only have so much time, you touched on that before.
We don't have time for that.
That's what emails and letters to your senator are for and everything.
And we did make it a little bit longer because there was so much interest in asking specific
questions like, okay, how does what this law or whatever affect Rome?
How does this law affect, and I think it's nice to be able to break it down to, okay,
how does this affect poor Edwards?
How does this affect the village, you know, like it, I think it's so, it can get so
big that you're like, okay, well, how does that really affect rapids?
How does that really affect where I live?
That's just, that's on a state level to where it's specific counties getting funding,
certain businesses, you know, getting certain things so they can be here.
And if you have a better understanding for your business, for yourself, I mean, even
with, if you work in the school district, if you're, you know, if you're in a position
where you are being asked questions, I think that it's important to educate yourself
on, you know, what's happening in, it's 2024.
It's, it's best for you, the person asking the question certainly, and it's also best
for you in getting the knowledge of these candidates because they should be able to
answer these questions.
If they can't, that kind of gives you your answer.
Again, the spring legislative breakfast coming up Friday, March 15th, 7 to 9 30, over
at mid-state technical college.
I've got some upcoming workforce programs and events, Lacey, look really good.
Yes, so right away tomorrow, we have coffee with the chamber.
The administration has been wonderful for this.
He is launching his own on top of all of the things with, you know, local economic development
as well as, you know, that's a huge thing right there.
But he is now launching his own entrepreneur portal.
So I think it can be, I think there's a lot of things.
It's, it's very intimidating on doing something new, starting your own business, knowing
what step you need to be at, what you need to do first.
Like we get so many questions on like, okay, I want to start business.
I've asked people and they're like, that's great.
We don't have that service here.
We're not duplicating, we're not reinventing the wheel.
Now do I do?
Yeah.
Now I just start.
Like do I, do I make a Facebook page?
Like what do I do?
So I think him having that step so that you're not getting overwhelmed and like, okay,
never mind.
I'm just going to go back and work for someone else.
I think that people should be able to chase their goals.
And I think that it's, to me, it's kind of crazy that we haven't had one, but breaking
it down in regards to like, okay, how do you write your own business plan in just every
single step of that?
How do you make your own logo?
How do you do your own watermark?
How do you, you know, I think it's a lot, it's just this huge, all-encompassing app that
he is creating.
And he's from Wisconsin.
I think it's nice to have those local roots and also like, they don't forget.
And so it's really, really nice that he's going to do that.
Yeah, the registration has been really, really great for this one.
I think especially, and we want to listen.
So we're hearing, okay, we have people that want to serve businesses.
So now we're kind of tailoring our coffee with the chambers to be kind of like a, like
a coffee and learn or like, it's just kind of where we're actually doing something that
we're listening.
We are listening.
So when we're doing these business reach, we're listening to what you're saying and
you want to learn about stuff like this.
So we hear you.
The difference between a small business that succeeds and one that doesn't, it's not
a huge, there's not a lot of different factors.
They're kind of, they stand out and some of that is, you know, having a plan and not
kind of being patient with your business.
And as much as you want to get going and get on the ground, hit the ground running, it's
not oftentimes really able to do that.
You've got to take the, do the baby steps and kind of get through.
He is not only good at like helping you plan this out, but as you touched on, she, I'm
sorry, no, Sam, Sam, he is not only good at this, but he is also a local, like you touched
on there.
And I think that that's key to this conversation too.
He's going to understand things a little differently than maybe some others might in
the area or knowing that kind of thing.
So it's a great guess to have.
That's going to be a nice one and that's going on tomorrow.
Yes, tomorrow at the chamber downstairs in our boardroom.
There is a virtual option.
So once you register, you'll be sent that.
If you are a member, it is free.
If you are not a member, the cost is $10, which you can pay as soon as you register.
We're speaking with Lacey Ailing Events Engagement Director with our heart of Wisconsin Chamber
of Commerce and Lacey, when I get into the leadership class a little bit and put Kerry
on the spot.
I mean, talk to Kerry.
I mean, talk to Kerry.
Thank you again for joining us.
Thank you.
Appreciate the time.
So Lacey, when it comes to the leadership community of this program, why do we have
Kerry in today?
What do you want to discuss when it comes to this program?
So she is probably my favorite person from community leadership.
She knows that.
And I think that she has this energy about her, where she can, even if you're doing something
like you're, we're supposed to be just listening to someone talk, she makes it fun.
She will ask questions that people don't even think that they have.
And she is not shy.
She absolutely will kind of, she just, I think she's kind of just like blossomed.
And I made a connection with her, I think immediately.
So it was, it was kind of funny to just like, okay, you go in somewhere and you're like,
I don't know anybody here.
Because that's kind of, that's the intention that you're going to develop and that they
don't know, they, they know where you're starting.
They're not going to know where you finish.
But I think that she has just been, just, she took everything and stride.
And I also used to work like with her son.
So that was really fun too when I worked at the school.
So it was really nice to kind of like, okay, that makes sense.
I see why he is so, he's just so, he's just so large with a life.
Yeah, so it's like, yep, he's being raised by, by a boss.
So it's, it's really, really nice to get to just make those connections.
And she's been really great to where I'm going to, if I text her, invite her to do something,
she messages me back, deaf, like asking her for support for stuff.
And even like sending snacks with Laura back to the office, so yeah, yeah, she didn't
keep them all.
She shared.
But yeah, it's just been great.
Carrie, what business do you come from?
What, what, what, what, what, what, what, what world do you come from as far as work wise?
Yep.
So I work in HR at Mariani Packing Company.
Okay.
All right.
And with some of the things that Lacey was touching on there, were those things that you've
always kind of embodied or were there things that kind of came out a little bit or blossomed
as you touched?
I said there, Lacey, through the leadership program.
Well, Lacey is very sweet.
I don't, I think a little bit of both.
I've always kind of had a, a knack.
I don't know if that's the right word to say or leadership, but I think it has definitely
helped me learn how to kind of harness that.
Yeah.
Yeah, kind of, because I, I think what you're touching on there, I think a lot of people
agree with and feel even.
I, I generally think that everybody's got a leader in them.
It's just if you hear it or not, if you, if you choose to be it, if you choose to walk
that path or what have you, um, and the different points in time and society and life, uh, we
are asked to be a leader in different moments.
Maybe not always.
It's not a 24 seven job, maybe, um, it sounds like for you, you've not only had those opportunities,
but through this program, you've been able to kind of, again, harness that, that feeling
for future program, future opportunities.
I think it's helped to some of the things that I, I don't already do.
Just to maybe do them a little better or understand why or how, how it affects other people.
Oh, yeah.
That's good.
Yeah.
Uh, and sometimes it, when we're doing something, it takes like kind of, we, we feel like
we're doing the right, we know two plus two is four, but it helps to have the teacher tell
us, hey, that's the correct answer.
Right.
Oh, okay.
Good.
I wasn't sure.
Like, because we, we're, we're doing a lot of what we do, and especially it sounds like
what you do carry is, is a, is, you know, organic, it's natural.
So we don't always know, we don't always have the confidence in that.
Have you found built some confidence built through the leadership program?
It seems like it.
I do.
I do.
I do.
I seem to be the person that when the instructors or whoever's talking to us asks a question,
the entire class looks at me and they're like, okay, I guess I will answer for us.
I'll make, I'll try to answer first.
Yeah.
I usually end up making a, some smart, like, comment, but perfect.
Yeah.
So afterwards sound really great.
Oh, and we're big fans of those are we, I mean, that's half of my responses to anything
in life.
So I'm a big fan of that, but that's a wonderful, thank you very much for sharing that.
I appreciate it.
It's very entertaining, too, because I think with even there being a room full of people
that are leaders, and they're like, okay, so who wants to start?
It sometimes can be completely silent.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And then Carrie will be like, okay, I'll start, because she's like, okay, well, someone,
you know, someone has to do it, and I'm always like the type of person, like, okay,
let's just go first and get it over with.
And then because to get to me, then I've learned, like, okay, they're all not even listening
to me.
They're all like, oh, no, what am I going to say?
Oh, no, what am I going to say?
So they're not even really listening or hearing us, but she is always the one, like, she's
very like, I'll do it, like, she just will jump into something and she doesn't, like,
she doesn't look, I mean, sometimes you can visibly see, well, you can sort of visibly
see, like, oh, their face is red or they look nervous, like, and she's not.
She's just jumps in and she just kind of, like, takes charge.
So I think that's like the leader thing when you're like, oh, I'm not really a leader.
But it's like, I think some leaders, they don't even realize it because they just, like,
they just are.
They don't need to tell anyone.
It's just kind of who they are and people, people will follow you.
People will like, okay, like, they get it because you don't mind sharing or putting yourself
out there.
Leadership is a lot like bragging, like, when you're good at something, you don't have
to do it.
Like, other people will do it for you.
Leadership is a little bit like that.
When you are a natural leader and I do again believe everybody has that in them, you
just kind of do it.
You know, I've never met a good leader that, you know, had a business card that said
leader.
Like, you know, I've never met a, like, that's necessarily the thing.
I think that's one of those things that's so in every one of us.
And a program like this really helps people find that.
And as a, Kerry has told us here, harness it a little bit, well, Kerry, just another
quick question for you when it comes to the program.
Was this something your business thought would be a good idea for you or you thought it
would be a good idea and that you went to your business with?
So I've been there about six and a half years now, almost seven.
And it was sent to me probably two years ago and I brought it forward and they just weren't
ready for sure for me to do that yet.
And then this last year, when they signed me up for it, they brought it to me and said,
I think this would be a good program, let's try it.
They started with me and if it's, if they, if I feel like it's a good fit that we would
probably send others to it.
And it seems like you're glad you took the class.
I am.
Not only just the leadership piece of it, but just everything that I've learned about
the community.
So I'm from Steven's point.
My whole life, like I didn't spend, like I lived in a little bubble, I guess, because
then it's been a lot of time in Rapids.
I moved here.
I commuted for about a year at my job and then we moved to Rapids and it's really cool
to see all the things that Wood County has.
I did not know, like I had never been to the library until this, just, you know, they
didn't know they had a theater.
There's just so many things that I didn't know about our community that has really opened
up my eyes.
Oh, I really appreciate that, Carrie.
And it's really great to have you in today.
Thank you so much for joining us.
Thank you.
Appreciate the time.
So Carrie, I understand that you get to tour our new jail recently.
I did.
Cool.
Yeah.
That's cool.
That's interesting.
Yeah, so we don't say that very often in life.
You know, it's cool.
You got to tour the jail.
Yeah.
You don't get to say that very often.
No, and it's probably, I'm hopefully fingers crossed.
It's the one and only time.
I get to tour the jail.
I learned that their current jail holds 132 inmates and the new jail will hold 315 inmates.
So they're almost doubling.
It's a huge improvement for our community.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And I had to meet Lola the service dog.
That was my favorite part.
Yeah, I bet.
Oh, my favorite part, too.
Yeah.
Absolutely.
They lost me after that.
And this is another one of those things that comes through the leadership program is
these opportunities to be able to do something like that.
And your day-to-day life, you probably wouldn't have had an opportunity to do something
like that.
Right.
And it was really neat to see.
I, again, never been in a jail.
So just even to see the old jail, we didn't get to see too much because they're full.
Yeah.
So down safety side.
But the new jail was really cool to see.
Carrie, and I don't, I'm asking and not trying to put words in your heart or or anything
like that.
But when it comes to empathy of something, you say you've never, it's stepped foot in
the jail before.
I imagine you had, you might have had some certain thoughts about that.
Once you do, you might have other thoughts and might create that for you.
Yeah, a little bit.
These are good opportunities.
You don't have as many opportunities as we used to in life for more empathy or to create
empathy.
I think that that's a, while it's not a one A, one B kind of thing, it's another silver
lining added bonus to a program like this.
I truly think so.
You see that you walk in those little rooms and little cells and it does give you a new
thought like how you would feel if you were in there for even a short amount of time.
These are the kind of things that can come with this leadership program.
It's why we encourage businesses and employees out there to reach out to our chamber.
Be a part of this program and find out more and again, Carrie, thank you so much for
being with us.
Thank you for having me.
Really great to meet you.
It was nice to meet you too.
Carrie Ruffner with us.
Thank you again, Carrie.
And of course, Lacey Ailing with us.
Lacey, a people of follow up questions.
One and a more, but some of what we talked about, how can they get in touch with you?
Yes.
We'll reach out to me if you are interested in any of the upcoming events, which we're
almost there.
I mean, right now this weather is giving us, I don't know, I'm, I'm conflicting.
Yeah.
Should I be outside?
Should I be like, is it, it's, it's, it's challenging to put it lightly, but definitely
reach out.
I'm communications at Wisconsin App is chamber.com, and if you are interested in your, anyone
in your business signing up for community leadership, definitely reach out.
We do have the team leadership as well, and she will be unveiling registration for next
year.
And that's going to be Laura Bonna Ridgeway.
And then she is workforce at Wisconsin App is chamber.com or 715, 422, 4860.
Thank you for the time you two appreciate you.
Thank you, thank you.
We'll have more midday magazine coming up right here at WFHR.
