Welcome everybody to Midday Magazine for this Monday, December 23rd, 2024.
Have your host James J. M. A. Love here at 430 today.
We're going to speak with our friends family, really, from family and natural foods.
Steven and Katrina Hittner are going to be joining us looking forward to that.
Right now in studio, we have our great friend Lacey Ailing events and engagement director
with our heart of Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce.
Lacey, good to see you.
Good to see you.
Thanks for being here today.
We appreciate it.
We know it's a busy week, especially for you guys at the chamber, so thank you for being
able to make the time and getting into the season.
Awesome sweater.
Is an awesome sweater, by the way.
That's great.
Thank you so much for being here, Lacey.
We appreciate it.
Let's get right into it because you guys have a lot going on.
You have some upcoming community events that we wanted to get to, like your annual meeting
and awards nominations that are going out.
Yes.
So annual meeting and awards will take place in March.
However, we are just finishing up the nominations.
So please help us recognize businesses in the heart of Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce area.
Our nomination form can be found at the chamber, obviously, as well as any event.
And then also online at our website.
And it's right on the bottom.
If you scroll all the way to the bottom, there's some little ask your nominees, and then
you can click on that.
Download it.
There's also a fillable option.
If you want to do that, definitely reach out if it's a little bit not user friendly for
you, or if you want to come in and drop one off.
And Lacey, when it comes to like, do we have kind of examples?
We can give people as far as if they haven't done this before.
Yes.
So there's a couple different categories.
And then also it has a list of who there, like the recent winners, the runner up, you
know, things like that for the last couple of years, so that you know, essentially who
not to vote for, because they've already won and they can't win again yet.
So large business of the year, we also have innovative business of the year, entrepreneur,
small business of the year, community impact of the year, and then business professional
of the year.
Like the small business of the year, obviously 10 employees, or less, and then obviously
like innovative business, something different, creative, a past winner for that has been
to call because I'm cues, so just little things like that, something that maybe you don't
think is necessarily innovative, but something that is different than the mainstream.
And keep in mind, everybody, we understand Midwesterners, nobody's going to come out and
say that they deserve this, or they think they are this, necessarily.
That's where it's on us as a community, as people that go to these businesses, the establishments
know these people, and like, hey, they deserve to be nominated.
This is noteworthy.
This is noteworthy.
We want to make sure that this is known and out there.
And it's such a fun opportunity for us to be able to do that, to take our local businesses
and let them know, hey, we appreciate you.
This is really cool what you guys do over here.
Absolutely.
And even just to be nominated, I think is a wonderful way to, you know, even showcase that
on your website as a marketing tool, just, you know, we were nominated as this business
of the year.
I think it's great to obviously recognize businesses as well as, you know, I think when you're younger,
it's easier to just, like, you always, you give out those out of voice.
But then when you get older, you don't, like, you just kind of, like, you're just so focused
on the day to day, that you don't think about the things that necessarily may be happening
in your business or when you're going to work.
And like, I noticed because I work with a lot of chamber businesses and I actually did
nominate a couple just because I was like, they're never, one, they'll never nominate themselves.
But two, as someone that I've worked in nonprofits for a lot, a lot of my life, but I've recognized
like when you're looking at employees.
So when I'm looking at an employee and they're working for someone and they're, like, happy
and they're smiling and they, or they're supported in ways that I think it's very
noteworthy as well as like, they're, it's just, it's great to see that because I think
that there, there's a lot of businesses that are the small local businesses that they
don't necessarily, they're not just a number.
You're important to them.
You're, you're someone that they do check in on you.
If you're sick, they're, you know, they're making sure that they're checking in on you.
I have to go home and I gotta be with my kid and they're, and you're not having that,
that, like backlash or those, some of those feelings that where you have where you work
in those big companies to where here, I think when people say, you know, like, oh, yeah,
we're family oriented, I think people can say it, but I think when they show it and
at the action, smash the words, it's, it's really wonderful.
And I think that a lot of chamber businesses meet that mark.
There is an employee or as a customer, you, you notice, you, there's a difference when
you are appreciated.
There's a difference in your work, there's a difference in the way you, you consume or
you purchase.
So these things have a, a trickle down effect truly do.
And it's, it's, again, a nice opportunity for employers or for, you know, community members
and, and people buying from these places to be able to highlight them.
And it's a wonderful opportunity if you are a business to sponsor or to be a part of
this event.
There are some different levels for sponsorship as well, Lacey.
Absolutely.
So this, this event has been, I mean, obviously we, we start planning for it a couple, a couple
months ago.
But our presenting diamond platinum and gold sponsorships have all sold out.
So we have silver and bronze left.
And that's going to be business recognition during the presentation, your logo featured
in our marketing and advertising as well as, you know, business logo featured on our
table 10s, our event program, and our event presentation.
This is exclusive to Chamber members.
So where we have a lot of the big companies here that are, you know, getting a whole table.
And so your logo is going to be right in front of them.
And you don't necessarily need to be right in front of them.
But subliminally, you're there.
They're seeing that.
They're seeing that you're supporting local.
They're seeing that you care about, you know, our economic, you know, future or development.
And then the growth in our, you know, hard Wisconsin, obviously our area, as well as our
surrounding areas, where, you know, we kind of touch a lot of different things from
Marshfield to Pitzfeld to Rome, and that you were, that you care about it.
And I think that obviously, like I said earlier, actions speak a lot of the words.
And as long as, you know, those things you're lining up and you're saying, I support local
and you're doing things that support local, I think that it says a lot about your business,
as well as, you know, even if you want to donate and you're not necessarily a Chamber member,
we are open to that.
So maybe you, you know, you just want to, you know, you want to do a raffle basket worth,
you know, worth 20 or 25 dollars, or you want to donate a bottle of wine.
I think that those things are wonderful too, because not necessarily do you need to be in
the room to get recognized.
Sometimes it works better if you're not there.
And you, you know, you're able to, you're able to have that there and kind of show, you
know, this is where we do.
This is our mark.
And we want to make sure that 2025 is a, is a great year for everyone.
It really speaks to how popular and how, how supported the event is that that goal membership
went.
Like right away, that's gone.
That you already took care of that nicely done by everybody and not, and it speaks to
the, how intelligent our businesses are around here in marketing, especially locally here.
We understand that nobody has necessarily a gigantic marketing budget.
You got to be really smart with your money.
And it shows so much, not only of these businesses, but of the Chamber of how good you guys
are, what you do by businesses, taking some of that and, well, I'm going, I'm going
to be associated with this event.
I'm going to make sure my name is a part of this event.
And it does it.
Whatever event we're talking about, everything Lacey just told you is so true.
But with an event like this, I just feel it's a little more, just a little more special,
a little more to it because you have so many businesses coming around.
You have so many different walks of life coming to this event.
So for your business to be seen by these individuals, it's a little bit more than you
may have normally with things.
You're going to be seen by even more people, I think you can make the argument than usual
with this event.
So cannot encourage you enough to be a silver or bronze sponsor with this event coming
up.
Absolutely.
Definitely reach out.
If you want to give me a call and see if, oh, hey, we would like to donate this or maybe
you want to do a silent auction item, please reach out.
I'm open to trying different things.
Obviously last year we did a, you know, we did a pool queue.
And I think that was really, really cool.
I love something different as well as you having an opportunity to maybe win something
worth a couple hundred dollars just by a little bit of a buy-in.
I think that's really great to obviously, you know, you're going to be able to take
that there.
You know, you're going to be able, it's a conversation starter and I think that it's
really great that Jacobi was able to do that last year and they won too.
So that was kind of funny, but yeah, it definitely worked well for them.
Please reach out.
You know, you know, you know, you can also reach out just to my email and that's communications
at Wisconsin Rapids Chamber.com.
Or please just give us a call at the chamber.
I will give you our, just our, our office number, but please definitely don't hesitate
to hit the extension to do the events and engagement 715 4224856.
And this event is about highlighting our area, our businesses and nonprofits and really
being able to take a moment and really highlight them and everything lacy.
But I also, I've been doing this for a while and every year this event comes up.
I also think of it as a way of us, whether we realize it or not, you mentioned a subconscious
kind of having your business out there and it getting into people's heads.
To me, it's subconsciously, I'm always thankful to the chamber as well.
This event really brings that to note of all the work you guys put into a year and all
the things that come together and bring so many different walks of life and so many
businesses together.
This event really, to me, also highlights how important the chamber is in our community.
And something we do a lot with nonprofits, I tend to do especially with the family center.
You would know if they weren't there, you know, imagining your community without this
said business or this nonprofit.
You would know if we didn't have a chamber, you'd feel it.
It gives us an opportunity at the end of the year here to also tip our hat, thank the
chamber and appreciate all the work that you and your team put into this community and
everything.
This event is, to me, as much of a highlight as that as it is our local area businesses
and nonprofits.
Thank you, James.
I appreciate that.
When it comes to people that want to attend this cool event, we've sold this really
good, Lacey.
They want to come to this event.
Can they come to the event?
Is it open to the public?
I do the people need to register.
So this is exclusive to chamber members only.
They will be receiving invitations in the mail.
So if you are a chamber member and maybe you haven't necessarily been active in the 2024
year and you want to start 2025 off on a different foot or you really want to get out
there and network and share your story, share your why.
Please register if you are having some trouble figuring out how to register.
We are absolutely able to walk you through it.
Holly is like a chamber, chamber master, like it's, I mean, that's what website we use,
but she is a chamber master.
She's really, really great at knowing exactly what page you're on without even being next
to you.
Please register.
We, Stacey and I went and hand selected the meal choices as well as, and we tried every
single one of them to make sure that we heard the things that people have been saying about
the food or things that we want to make sure that we are touching everything and that we
are thinking about everything, even the smallest details, even in regards to just the centerpiece.
We went to Red Sands Beach and collected pebbles and pine cones.
We went to San Valley and got sand for, you know, for our centerpieces.
We even cut down some trees that were, I mean, they weren't, they were not alive, but they
were still there.
They were still standing just as like the little tree cookies and our name tents will
be on, you know, little pine cones and acorns from things in our area to just kind of showcase
how beautiful the heart of Wisconsin is and how much we care about it here.
We, you know, we don't need to order all these, you know, cute little things on Amazon
from, you know, from another place we, we have it here.
We just might have to, you know, clean it off a little bit, but yeah, if you saw me
in Stacey on the side of the road with gloves and gigantic garbage cans, we were not doing
community service.
We were absolutely making sure that we were planning for this event and I am very detail oriented.
So when you are there, you're going to see, you know, the orchestra from our, from our
high school, you're going to see the little things because that to me, that's the big, that's
the big stuff.
It's, it's the little things that you put into it that to show that you really do care.
And I think a lot of people, they can say it, but I think just showing that, you know,
we're out there, we're here, we are here for you.
We want to make sure these businesses are supported and that, you know, they're appreciated
as well as, I mean, this, the whole night is going to be about them.
Yeah.
There is no shortage of marketing, quote unquote, experts or businesses or anything out
there.
There's only one that's right in your hometown.
There's only one that's local that knows the, the same people you know that knows your
community, the knows the weather, knows how the local sports teams are doing, like so
many things.
When you, again, comes the marketing, nobody's going to help you like the chamber well and
nobody's going to support your business like they do.
And do the, go the extra mile like they do, like everything that Lacey was just telling
us about there.
And Lacey, as you were mentioning the silver and bronze sponsorships, I think you touched
on this even a little bit and got me thinking more and more.
This is a great opportunity.
If you're not a chamber member, maybe dip your foot in the water, maybe see what the chamber
can offer for you and everything.
Absolutely.
And definitely reach out if you have questions or you want to, you want to kind of tailor
it to where it, it resonates with your mission and what your business is, you know, what
you're focused on.
Because I think that if we're on the same page and we know what you need, as much as we
are here for you, we, we can't work with nothing.
So if you, if there's something that you feel that you want to see and you're not seeing,
please reach out.
Please let us know.
2025, we're definitely focused on making sure that we are growing this community and that
we understand our businesses and what they need and what they want and we do hear you.
We, I mean, we're here and obviously we're an open door.
When it comes to marketing your business, especially if you've been around for a while, it's
nothing against what you've been doing, but everything, every marketing needs to be updated
a little bit.
Even Nike changes their tag lines all the time.
It's marketing 101.
You don't always have another set of eyes or somebody to look at things a little differently
and bringing the chamber and really does that.
It gives you an opportunity to have a new set of eyes look at this and maybe find a different
angle or a different way to market your business that you haven't thought of otherwise.
It's one of the, I think the cooler creative things we have to offer in this community is
being able to offer businesses that and encourage you to reach out to Lacey and the gang and
find out more about them.
We are speaking with Lacey Ailing, events and engagement director with our heart of Wisconsin
chamber of commerce.
Lacey, I know that you wanted to wrap things up this our last time with us for the year
and everything.
No, it's crazy.
It really does.
I'm very grateful.
Excuse me.
And to all of our wonderful sponsors over the 2024 year, we could not do it without you.
We couldn't do without your support, without your shares, without your follows, without
everything that you guys are putting into it as well.
So without that support, we wouldn't be here.
We wouldn't have lunch by the river.
We wouldn't have the cranberry blossom festival, you know, arts and crafts fair.
We wouldn't have the parades that we have.
We wouldn't have, you know, even just the networking every month, you know, every month.
The things that we that we want to grow it to, we can't do without you guys.
So please, please come, please reach out, please register, please be involved and definitely
make sure that your voice is heard as well.
We want, we want you all there.
We, everyone needs to have somewhere to go and I think that it gets harder as you get older
to put yourself out there and to be vulnerable.
And I think that we are trying really hard to make sure that 2025 is a year where we can
all come together.
I mental health is huge to me.
And I think that you, everyone needs to know they're not alone.
You can come, you know, you can come to these events.
And if you have never been there and you just want, you know, what you want to meet
other people and even if you're not a member and you own a business and you're, okay,
I'm in the beginning part of it.
I have my business card.
I got my business plan.
I got my, you know, I got all my bank accounts.
Now what?
How, like, how do I tell these people?
How do I, do I just keep, you know, I think that you need to be there.
You need to be able to talk to people and obviously just, just talking to people and
building those connections.
It's, it's crazy what that can do with just getting you in the right room.
And if you come to something and you're not necessarily comfortable, please find me.
I have red hair.
I stand out.
I typically, I'm, I'm taller.
I'm the tallest one at the chamber.
So please just come up to me and say, I don't know anyone here.
I don't feel comfortable just walking up to someone and starting a conversation because
Stacy loves to do that.
She likes to just walk out to people.
She is definitely that outgoing personality.
Sometimes I'm outgoing.
Sometimes I'm a little shy.
It kind of just depends on the room.
But come up to us, tell it, you know, like, hey, I would, I'd love to meet this person
or I know who this person is.
But I, like, please just help me get there.
Or, oh, that is not the mayor.
I'd love to talk to him about, you know, something I saw on the street.
Even, even if it's just something like that because it's crazy, the amount of times
that someone's like, hey, isn't that this person?
Yeah.
Oh, I've emailed them, but I haven't heard back from them.
And then we'll just go up to them and they'll start having a conversation and something
that, something that maybe would have been a little bit stuffy or maybe an uncomfortable
conversation.
Now the ice is broken.
And you can get to it without having to, you know, like, you're in more of an atmosphere
where it's open and it's fun and there's people laughing.
And it kind of takes me to my next, my next stuff with, you know, when it comes to our
Houdini's, that's, you know, it's our first, our first networking night of 2025.
And that's a perfect place for you to come out and make sure that you have, you know,
you, it's, it's somewhere that you've been before, maybe I know I've, I've always seen
their food all over Facebook and I have not gotten to eat there yet.
But we definitely want to make sure that you're able to come out.
It's funny when I see their, their term coined liquid activity center.
I think that's just hilarious.
And I think it fits with, we want you to come out.
We want you to come and come to these things.
We want you to network.
We want you to be able to, you know, just kind of like learn about the things coming up
in the year as well as just just getting out there.
It's freezing outside and it's not always, you know, it's not always fun to just hang
out outside.
But please come.
We will have that, we'll talk more about that, but it is coming up January 20th and
that's next networking at night.
And you guys have a flyer coming up as well.
Yes.
So yeah, our flyer is out for that.
We have it.
Obviously it's on our, on our website, but we also have it in an activity event page part
of our Facebook.
So it shows you all the upcoming networking at nights as well as kind of if you want to,
you want to put your interest in so that you get a reminder from Facebook.
I think a lot of people have so many things going on that it's just, it's something that
you may want to just put your interest in.
And then just, it kind of lets us know, you know, to have that host be ready for the
food and, you know, and ready for appetizers, things like that, as well as we really want
people to come and we want, we want it to be successful.
So we're trying to make sure that we explain that we are open to suggestions if there's
something that you want to see that you're not seeing at these networking at nights or
you want to do some kind of business card thing.
We love doing those fun games and meeting new people and obviously networking with people
that, you know, are definitely essential to this area.
And we want to highlight a good friends of ours, a January member of the month.
Yes.
So we have Wham Incorporated, which that's Phil Hartley.
He also owns Quality Plus Printing.
But he, I love, Phil is such a, he is such a vibe.
Yes.
That would be the best way for me to describe him.
You always know him too because he's always has something like bright on.
Oh yeah.
And he loves his green, but I mean, celebrating your inner, your inner hero.
I think everyone has that inside of them, just like, you know, just being a leader.
You have it inside of you.
Sometimes it just takes certain circumstances for that to kind of come to fruition.
But he, he's great at doing those, the small stuff and the big stuff.
So even if you want a couple shirts made for maybe a baby shower, you know, or a bridesmaid
or wedding things like that, or you want, you know, maybe your small business and you're
like, okay, I want to make couple shirts.
I think that this, I think this is a really catchy phrase.
I think just reaching out to him, he, he's great.
He's willing to work with the small businesses.
I mean, even the humongous orders, he's, he's open to that as well.
So I think it's great to be able to have a conversation with him about maybe where your
business has had it and some of those New Year's resolutions for, for growing your businesses.
We appreciate Phil and the gang over it.
Quality plus printing and of course, when incorporated that, we'll talk more about them
on our shows.
We'll be joining us and everything.
We do as we wrap up, Lacey, want to remind everybody to like and follow you guys on all
social media platform.
Yes.
We are on Facebook.
We are obviously, we have our website and then we also are, are working on Instagram
present.
Cool.
Promise has been kind of working on, you know, just making sure that we're staying relevant.
We're staying with, we, we definitely, we recognize our people that are around my age,
but then I think some of our younger people, like maybe my child who's in starting in the
workforce and obviously if you're a chamber member, so as every single employee, we have
a lot of younger employees that they want to meet people.
They want to get out there.
They want to talk to people and because they're so used to having a phone in their hand,
they're not always the best at social interaction either.
So I think it's great for them to feel welcome to come to these things and we, we want to
make sure that we are getting on the platforms that they use as well because my daughter,
who doesn't even have Facebook, she's like, yeah, it's Instagram and TikTok mom.
None of us are going on Facebook, like, no, we're not, like, it's just not going to happen.
So then she'll, she'll always be trying to like tell us what we need to do for 2025 to
make sure that there are younger people there because I think some of them just have that
outside perspective and I think you can, there's been so many times where we go to something
and then they'll be like, oh, hey, like, have you, have you heard of this app?
This new app, you can share all of this stuff on and it's free and it's crazy, the stuff
that they, they just seem to know.
Yeah.
And I don't know where they got it from, but they, they know it.
Yeah, be sure to follow them on all the platforms and be looking for new ones, everybody.
And real quick, Lacey, I know your office will be closed for Christmas.
So a huge shout out to Stacey for allowing us to be with our families during this time,
as well as the board.
Our office is closed tomorrow, to December 24th, as well as Christmas and then the 26th,
27th, 28th, 29th, we are open on the 30th, and then we are closed from the 31st, and
then we will be returning on the 2nd, so we'll be there January 2nd next Thursday.
And then obviously those are normal business hours.
And find out more by reaching out to the chamber at Wisconsin Rapids Chamber dot com.
And of course, all their social media outlets, Lacey, always good talk with you.
Thank you so much.
Merry Christmas.
Happy holidays to you.
And yours have a great New Year's.
Thank you.
Our midday magazine coming up for you right here at WFHR.
