Welcome, everybody, to Midday magazine for this Tuesday, February 25th, 2025.
Have your host, James Jamail, off here.
At 430, we're going to talk to our friend, Ashley, from the Family Center, looking forward to talking with her.
Right now, we got our good friend, Promise, and Marketing Communication Director with the Heart of Wisconsin-Chever Commerce.
Promise, good to see you.
Good morning.
Thanks for being here, and we want to welcome in as well, Kelly Kramer, from Aspires Hospitals and Clinics.
Kelly, thanks for being here.
Thank you.
We will be talking with you in a moment.
Promise, we got a number of things to get to here, as you guys are always so busy over at the chamber.
Let's dive right in.
We got our legislative breakfast right around the corner.
It's a big one for us here at the station, and for you guys over there, our community, really.
Yeah, so our legislative breakfast is happening on March 21st, from 7am to 9.15am at Midstate Technical College.
This one's really a great one.
Just come and join us, have some breakfast, and this is the opportunity to hear some updates from legislators and local community representatives.
There's also an opportunity for us to take some questions off the floor for those that are attending.
This is a members-only event, so if you remember, registration is now open.
It does close March 14th.
The sponsors for this one are US Bank, Fendorf, Olchunk Gaming, Nikusa, Enbridge, DomTar, and of course, Midstate Technical College.
We couldn't do this with other sponsors, so thank you guys.
If you need any more information about this one, you can register online at WisconsinRampageChamber.com
or give us a call at 715-422-1830.
When does registration wrap up for this one?
Registration closes March 14th for this one.
So you want to make sure to get on over there and register before then everybody.
We are very proud to be Chamber members here at Civic Media, and with that, Melissa is going to be down there for that event covering it.
A shout out to Melissa Kay in the great work she does, and very proud and very thankful that she is down there,
because this is a big one for our community.
I do want to let the audience know too, though. It's a big one for our representatives.
I have a Senator Teston, a representative crew, gone with me once a month, and talking to them on air,
off air, they love these events.
They love this opportunity to be face-to-face with their constituents.
These two, I cannot speak for all representatives, are all politicians, but I can with these two that I've talked to
for almost a decade now in this show.
And these are guys that, whether you agree with them or not, they want to hear from you.
And they want to have an adult conversation.
And these listening sessions that they are currently going on, including the Legislative Breakfast,
are vital to this whole thing, this whole experiment, this whole thing we're doing here with democracy and our society.
We need this, and we need to get back to talking to each other like adults.
And if anything, not just for democracy and all these other things, just because it's the right way to handle this.
And these listening sessions are just as important to our representatives as they are to us.
Here's an opportunity to look somebody face-to-face and ask them, hey, are you doing this?
Hey, what's going on with this? Why is the sky blue?
Whatever your questions are, everybody.
You can go ahead and ask this stuff, and they want to hear them in a big shot at all these sponsors,
and again, to mid-state as well.
Keep in mind, you got until March 14th to sign up for this one, so be sure to do that.
We'll give you more information on how you can do that, and find out more about what we're talking
about today in just a little bit.
Promise we keep moving, and we want to talk about a big job fair coming up in our area.
Yes, so we have our careers unlimited job fair happening on April 2nd.
We are having this one over at Lincoln High School.
We are now, well, booth registration is now open, so if you're a company or a business out there
that is looking to hire, I highly recommend getting in on the booths at this event,
there's going to be a lot of students coming through in the beginning,
and then we are opening it up to the public for people outside of Lincoln High School to attend
this event as well. The booth registration deadline is March 12th,
and that can be found online at WisconsinRapageChamber.com.
Promise, is there any sponsorship opportunity still available with this one?
No, there isn't.
Actually, we just sold our last one this morning.
Now, for the audience to look behind the curtain a little bit,
this is one of the few times as an interviewer or it's a win-win.
I didn't know the answer to that one.
Usually, don't ask a question, don't know the answer,
but I can play this either way.
We need sponsors.
Hey, we want to bring somebody in.
This event is so popular, you don't even need more sponsors.
You're covered.
That's a good thing.
It just speaks to how popular these job fairs are in the need for them.
I love the, first off, in my old stopping grounds at Lincoln,
so I'm a little biased on that one, but I will say,
I love hosting this at Lincoln.
I know going to Lincoln and them having job fairs,
how impactful they could be and how many opportunities it opened up for me
and a lot of my classmates.
That's still the case to this day.
The uniqueness of this one where it is for them
and then opening it up to the public a little bit later.
So they have an opportunity to kind of make the rounds,
kind of get a chance to, I don't want to say I have first dibs,
but getting an opportunity to get face-to-face with people again
and how impactful that is.
Certainly for any connections, any jobs that they could create.
That's really important.
Yeah.
But I know this from a lot of the teacher that students that I have teaching
or just in general talking to my kids or any people,
anybody in that 20-year age range,
you know, from 20 on up and younger on up.
They need any reps they can get, any experience they can get face-to-face.
They need more of that.
So while it's great if they can make connections,
maybe they get a spark and they get a new career interest,
or I never even thought about this or something.
Those are all great things.
They can't lose from this one just in that interacting
and getting some experience doing that.
Yeah, I would totally agree with you on that one.
Job hunting nowadays is pretty cumbersome
with all the different apps and the ways to find and look for jobs online.
And this is just an opportunity where there's going to be hundreds of jobs in one room
and you can be, oh, I really want to go work for so-and-so
and make that face-to-face connection right away off the bat there.
And I think that's something very important that the younger generations
should continue developing as well as technology evolves.
So they have so few opportunities.
When we were kids, you know, we thought nothing of going in for a job interview.
You were going to be there.
You're going to see this person and person and everything.
Now there's so much on the phone and so much online
that any reps they can get having some face-to-face,
having some people, it builds those people's skills.
Yeah.
And which they are going to need no matter what job they go into in life.
So there's a win right there with that.
And to these businesses and these people have needs boost,
it's the same for them on the other side of it.
And they have so few opportunities to see people face-to-face or to really build this kind of pipeline
that used to exist a lot more and it's still there.
But just needs to be, I think, you know,
solidified a little bit more of the idea of going from right from high school to a career.
Right.
So much of that has kind of gone to a little bit and some for good, some for bad.
I think this is an opportunity to kind of hit on that a little bit more
and really reach somebody right away
and hopefully spark that interest or give them an opportunity to,
to, you know, hey, this isn't maybe you're the path you want to take
but it can help you get to that path.
And this is a stepping stone in that regard.
There's so many things that you can say that you can't really say in a job resume
or a job posting that you can really talk about in face-to-face.
That's another part of the importance of this.
And again, I really do love the idea of that.
It's kind of two job fairs in a way with one for the high schoolers
and then opening it up to the public.
We all understand that there are people, all age ranges looking for good work
and looking for careers nowadays.
Here's an opportunity for that.
And, and while the sponsorships are taking,
we have all the boost covered as well too, right?
No, we have some openings for booth registrations yet.
You can register online at WisconsinRavisChamber.com
in our Workforce tab.
If you drop that tab down, you'll see where you can select the registration for that.
I don't have the information with me right now,
but I think it might be like $35 fee or if I'm thinking about a different event that we're having.
But then we also do have options.
If you need electricity with your booth,
if you have any kind of equipment that you need to bring in,
we have options where you can select electricity too as well.
And I think there's only like a handful of booth spaces left.
So if you're interested, definitely give us a call and get registered.
That one I feel pretty confident about.
Yeah, I have hope that this fills up really quick.
And there are, there's this combination out there of people looking for good careers
and people wanting people for good careers.
So that's not surprising at all.
I do encourage you if you are a business out there to reach out to the chamber
and get one of those booths before they all wrap up and everything.
Networking at night is one of those events that you guys host
that you do such a great job with.
And it's another one of those events that I hear from the community all the time about.
People usually, even if I didn't remember that you guys had an event the very next day,
I'm hearing about the event.
It's been a lot of fun doing this one.
You got a new one, another one coming up.
Yep, yep.
But I want to go back to the one we just had because I think it's something
worth mentioning.
We did have it at Midstate Technical College in their Wormay Cafe.
And they had their culinary art students make little, what do you call it, appetizers?
Yeah, and then they carried the trays around the room and had us all sampling them.
It was really good and I was very impressed with how they pulled their night together.
I highly recommend going to check out their culinary program.
I didn't even know that they had one until then.
Well, I knew that they had one but I didn't know it had evolved to that point of
curing appetizers out on trays and I was very impressed with that.
Our next networking at night is on March 17th and it's going to be at Paper City
Savings Bank here in Wisconsin Rapids.
Have you had a chance to let's see their new facade?
Yeah, and see the building.
I've been in the building yet but I just go and pass it.
It looks great.
Looks like they did a really nice job with them.
Yeah, I was there for their ribbon cutting when they opened it and it's beautiful inside.
So this is one that I think that everybody should attend as well.
It's on eighth street in Wisconsin Rapids.
It's open to members and future members.
So if you're a small business in town and you're looking to network and make
connections with other business owners or just make connections in general,
this is a really great one to go to.
I don't know how many times I see people
making connections and walking away with like a partnership of sorts or
let's make those plans in the future and let's create this event.
It happens a lot of times at this networking event.
We also have raffle prizes and little snacks and you know,
desserts and stuff like that that I'll be happening.
It's on March 17th from 5pm to 7pm.
It's open to all of our members, future members.
Or if you're looking to start up a business or just don't really know what's
next in life, you stop on in and you know, we'll have a chat with you
and help you make some connections with this one.
You know, I was talking earlier about people's skills and building on those.
There's no age that you can't you know, get better at that.
And every one of us can always grow and get better at that.
And that's a nice fun part of this event.
As we're getting closer to warmer weather and everything
and I don't want to say that too loud and mother nature to hear me
and immediately hit us with snow.
But it is getting a little bit better out there
and we're getting out of the house a little bit more.
These events are great for that too.
And then there is the key part of this that you touched on there
about the just the networking and the synergy that can happen from this event.
We've already heard and we've got examples of this on our own radio station
of people that maybe hadn't thought about advertising with us that did
or people that didn't think of working with this business that did
non-profits working together that wouldn't have before.
The conversations that can happen if you're just in the same room together.
Yep.
Oh, and you just never know.
That's endless possibilities when it comes to that.
And I love when this happens with events where there is no downside.
There is no negative side effects.
Man, there is no side effects.
There's none of it.
You get out there and you have fun.
You have a good time and maybe you don't make a connection
or you don't find a new avenue for your business.
You still got out had a great time.
God did some socializing and stuff
and we could all use more of that.
Yeah, and even if you haven't been to one in a while,
I think it's important to show up especially to this one.
It's just your presence.
You know, and it keeps you in people's, you know,
the back of their mind, you know, awareness of like,
oh, yeah, so and so from this company was there
and I just got done talking to them.
And then, you know, it's really,
I've seen great benefits of this on both sides of it.
So it's a great point.
It's a really good point and I don't want to get too far
and not mention raffle prizes.
People love raffles.
Gotta mention that.
Yeah, yeah, we every single time we have networking at night,
we bring two $25 chamber gifts certificates to raffle off
and then the host business,
which this one would be Paper City Savings Bank
also provides raffle baskets.
And I cannot wait because they have some really good swag.
Yeah, yeah, they do.
Yeah, they go all out over there.
Shout out to them hosting this.
And you know, one thing that I don't know if I,
this is on me, I don't bring up enough with you promise.
If I'm a business out there and I'm hearing this
and I'm like, oh, I'm like the host one of those.
That sounds like a lot of fun.
Am I able to do that?
Can I reach out to you and find out more about that?
Yeah, definitely reach out to me.
You can call my line directly at 715-422-4856.
But I do have to mention that the rest of 2025 is booked.
The next available host night is in January of 2026.
I'm sure there's a business out there.
I'm positive there's like, oh darn it, you know, whatever.
But I'm excited for that.
That's a good thing.
That's really good to have here.
And it's, again, speaks to the popularity of these events
and how well they're doing.
That's great.
There is, and keep in mind everybody,
we have scratched the surface of things going on
in our area and events that are going on with the chamber.
Encourage you to find out more.
They got an amazing web page head on over there
to their web page and get under the events tab
and you will see exactly what I'm talking about.
There is so many cool things going on over their promise.
I'm surprised you have time for this interview.
How busy you guys are over there.
I do appreciate the time that you're able to.
And I always appreciate the focus we're able to put
with guests and when you bring somebody in.
And we want to speak with Kelly right now.
And we have Kelly Kramer.
Am I saying that right, Kramer?
Kramer, okay.
Kelly Kramer with us right now.
Kelly, I want to talk to you about cold fusion
and the, no, I'm joking.
We, I'm just messing with you.
I'm so sorry, Kelly.
That's the right attitude.
That's exactly what I deserve.
Kelly is here to speak about the ACE leadership program.
And she is a participant.
And this is something that we've talked about a lot
promise and talking about this great program
that exists in our area and reminding businesses out there
of how helpful this can be.
And I'll let Kelly speak to this a little bit more.
She has actually experienced it.
What are some of the things that you have covered?
Some of the things you were doing as part
of the ACE leadership program, Kelly?
Well, a lot of just different skills and tactics
to help change leadership.
And really help employees be the best that they can be
and just promoting that wellness.
One of the things you're covering,
the government service sessions,
that can tell us a little bit about that.
Yeah, so recently we had our government service
and we had that right at the courthouse.
So we got a tour of the jail
and really learned a lot about local government
as well as the next chain of events
of the rest of government.
And it was really interesting to learn about
how people actually got into government.
That part, yeah, that would be interesting that one.
One of the things that is unique about this too
is the opportunity to kind of dip your foot into other worlds.
I do want to, before I get too far along here,
I do want to thank you and shout you
and your team out over to Spiris.
Anybody working in healthcare,
we appreciate so much the work that's being done there.
It's one of the more vital things going on in our community
is going on in our healthcare system
and we don't shout you guys out of nearly enough.
So I don't want to do that.
But being able to, you know,
here's hoping that you don't have a lot of experience
with this other side of things
and getting a chance to kind of see some of that world.
And not just that, but I imagine Kelly
some similarities, some parallels
between what you do and what they do,
whatever what they might do.
Seeing that connection, that empathy there
hopefully exists both ways
and they get a little more understanding
of the healthcare industry
and some of the work that you do.
Absolutely, totally agree.
Kind of the foundation of any sort of organization
has the same organizational structure to a point
and just figuring out how that relates to what you're doing
and you can take little pieces
always from different things
and use them in your day to day.
This is a really cool program
and a really great opportunity
for people in our community.
It is one of those things
when we talk about leadership
or talk about growth,
there's not necessarily a test you can take
or a number count or something like that.
You were at this percentage
and now you're at this percentage.
It's something you feel.
So when it comes to that, Kelly,
do you feel that you have grown from this
or taking these classes
and being a part of this session in this?
Oh, I definitely have grown exponentially
since starting this class.
I am new to leadership.
So taking this class has really helped me
communicate better with my staff
and just be the best leader that I can
even though I'm still learning myself.
If you don't mind, I don't like to pry too much
but what kind of work do you do?
What can tell us a little bit about the work that you do?
Yeah, so I'm the imaging manager
at a Spiro's Riverview.
So all of the imaging tests,
X-ray CT that you may have done.
All of those things kind of go under my leadership abilities.
Pretty much any time someone may come through the ER
or has any hospital stay,
they likely have had some sort of imaging
and so that would be under my department.
Appreciate that work and thank you for sharing that.
I think for some people out there
that might be new or something
that they hadn't thought of before
and everything in the healthcare system.
So right there is an opening
not just for this class but for even our audience.
Understanding a little bit more of the different layers
there is in this industry and understanding a little bit more
of that only helps I think.
Only helps create more empathy and more understanding
when it comes to it and especially when we're talking
about the healthcare industry and how important that is,
that empathy and understanding.
We have an opportunity with the program like this
to let people into windows and avenues promise
that they normally might not see.
Very similar to networking and night
and some of the other things that you guys do over there.
I know I remember I did actually take this course
when I first started working at the chamber
and I remember feeling like I crawled out
from underneath a rock by all the exposure
that this program provided me and it was
it was a well-rounded program at the time
and I know they've made some changes
like adding the accreditation for a mid-state
technical college.
I'm tempted to take it again
because I want that accreditation
but yeah I've definitely learned a lot
from the program as well.
I've thought about it myself.
I've thought about it quite a bit
especially we've been talking about it
for years on this show.
It feels like one of those things
I almost have to do a little bit.
There is, I love learning.
I don't care what the subject is.
I don't care what it's about.
I just love to learn.
So that part of it seems very intriguing to me
but honestly it sounds like so much fun too.
Like the learning part of this
and learning about these different things.
There's no downside to a program like this.
This is a great one
and when it comes to this program
we do want to encourage people to be on the lookout
for when it comes back around
because registration for this current run
is wrapped up, wrapping up
but there is going to be other opportunities.
Right, yep.
So we'll probably launch the registration forms
for next years when we get closer to
the end of this program.
I think that's April-ish if I'm mistaken.
April May, April.
I need two months mixed up.
Well, and like you said,
as we get closer to it
we'll be certainly encouraging people
to look more into it and to register for it.
But it doesn't hurt to keep this
in the back of your mind
and be ready for this one when that does come around
because if you want your employees
or you yourself
want to be a part of this program
it does fill up quick.
I do want to let people know that.
It does fill up pretty quick.
It doesn't understandably so.
Kelly, when it comes to doing this
and in your experience with it
would you recommend it for other individuals
and other people to be a part of?
Oh, absolutely.
I've learned so much from it
but then also the networking piece.
Just getting out there
putting myself into different things
that I wouldn't have signed up for in the past
or even socializing with different people
at different companies
that I didn't really think I had anything
to relate to them with.
We've learned so much of how we all
are very interconnected within the community.
Now you got radio credit.
Now you say you did radio.
You got to check that one off the list.
You're also, she's almost too naturally good at this.
I need this job, Kelly.
You stay in your industry.
I'll go stay in my, no.
We do appreciate the time so much.
Thank you again for everything you and your team
are doing over there in the healthcare industry.
We appreciate promise.
We appreciate bringing Kelly in
and of course all the great information
you bring to us.
If people have follow up questions
and they'd like to know more about
some of the events we talked about
and everything, how can they reach you promise?
They can always check out our website
at WisconsinRavisChamber.com
or they can give me a call directly
to my office line at 715-422-485-6.
Be sure to do that everybody.
Be sure to bookmark their web page
and go ahead and like their stuff on social media
share their stuff on your pages.
You just never know who might see it otherwise.
Promise Kelly, thank you again for the time.
Thank you.
Thank you.
We'll be back with more midday magazine
coming up right here at 97-5 FM 13-20 AM.
WFHR, we are locally grown radio.