I was priviledged to be able to visit with the Jaycee members and leaders of the Great Amercia Institute states (Washington, Montana, Colorado, California, Arizona, Hawaii, Oregon) for a couple of purposes.  I was representing President Travis as his Political Advisor and the rest of the Mid America Institute states.  I had the opportunity to discuss issues that are affecting all Jaycees states…looking at ways and ideas for enhancing our organization.  As a candidate for Minnesota Junior Chamber State President, I also was able to have some 1-to-1 conversations with sitting State Presidents and share ideas on what is working and what is not working for them.

This was a great opportunity to gain some new insights that I look forward to sharing with you over the next few months.  It also solidified my belief in our organization and then I do look forward to the opportunity to be your State President.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

I was excited to be able to visit with the Truman Jaycees during their recent chapter general membership meeting.  Brandi Weihe and the rest of the Truman Jaycees were very hospitable and willing shared their ideas for how we can make a positive impact not only their chapter but as a state organization.  I was able to share a part of my vision with them, but I feel I took more than I left through their ideas and confirmation of the vision of developing the avenues of utilitizing today’s technology to power the organization and increase our overall leadership development capabilities.

I also would like to thank Barb Kubly for assisting and sharing thoughts and ideas.  I’m always invigorated to touch base with Jaycee members that I’ve known for awhile and have seen grow through our organization.  That is one of the reasons I look forward to the opportunity to serve as your State President for 2009…assisting others to grow beyond what they thought was possible.

I’ll see you on the road soon…till then, keep the Jaycee spirit in your soul and air in your tires!

Jason Gadd, 2009 State Presidential Candidate

It is amazing how building and managing your business is so similar to family.  I for one, enjoy creating that family environment in my business.  As I go through my business life, I look to treat those I work with as family, people that I listen to, people that I care about, and people that I will go out of my way to help out. 

But once in a while, one does stumble.  Recently I got so focused on the task at hand at work, that I forgot to call my Mom on her birthday.  Now this is a huge “stumble” for a son and I knew it.  It is in the reaction that you can truly understand what happened and grow from it.  I initially felt like all hope was lost.  But after beating myself up, I stepped up and called her.  Yes, I still felt bad, but I wanted to try to make it up.  I went the extra mile and even sent flowers the next day. 

Ok, how does this relate to business?  Just like what happened to me, once in a while you do take a misstep with a client.  Forget a conference call/appointment or miss a deadline.  That doesn’t necessarily mean that you will lose that client.  It is in the reaction, how you react to the incident, which will determine what happens next.  The best way is to be honest with the client and let them know you do understand that you did take a misstep, and you are looking at ways to make a difference.  If you have been building a strong relationship with them like family, then they should understand as well.  Through this process, your relationship will only grow stronger. 

How does this help you?  By sharing personal items with your client and getting to know them on a personal level, this allows you to converse about life outside of the actual business and leads to an understanding of their goals, visions and fears.  This knowledge enables you to tailor your services to match them, which only strengthens the overall client relationship. 

In the same manner that your family grows together by experiencing life’s challenges together, by facing the business challenges with your client instead of against them, allows your business to grow and become stronger.  As with family members, you may not always get along, in fact you may have quarrels about deadlines, invoices, any number of items.  You get through these incidents only if you have at least started building that understanding of each other.  You may not need to send a bouquet of flowers as an apology, yet the contact and the honesty that you show will go just as far.

I enjoy seeing my fellow business and non-profit “family” members at various networking and social events, (including the Minnesota Junior Chamber) and learning what is new in their lives.  Together, we build those relationships that lead to successful business.  I encourage you to visit your business neighbor and become a part of the family.  You don’t even have to bring flowers.

First, I want to thank the St Cloud Jaycees for hosting the 2008 Minnesota Jaycees Caucus.  I had a great time and enjoyed the opportunity to share my ideas with those in attendance.  Thanks to Jaunita Beachamp, Elections Chair and Ketti Green, Minnesota Junior Chamber Administrative Vice President for asking questions and organizing a very smooth caucus program. 

I especially want to thank Jim Renner of Hopkins and Robin Groetch of St Cloud for introducing me.  Both presented very well and I was honored to have you be a part of the presentation.  I was humbled to hear what you had to say and it helped to solidify my presentation to the group present.  I was able to share ideas about what our organization has done for me and why I want to become State President to facilitate that believe in the organization to all our members.  Two items I’ve learned over the years is that leadership is a learned ability provided by the Junior Chamber and that by believing in the Junior Chamber, you will begin to believe in yourself.  When that happens, you begin to accomplish not only your dreams, but achieving new heights that you hadn’t even thought about prior to being apart of the organization.  I am anticipating the excitement in seeing you reach beyond what you thought was possible.

Congratulations to Jason Benton for reaching for the knowledge that comes with announcing for the Community Development Vice President.  I’m excited to see people starting to talk about what they would like to learn from our organization.  I look forward to hearing more from Jason and also encourage others to take the initiative as well.  If you are considering reaching for a Vice President, Program Manager, or Regional/District position, I encourage you to ask questions and to get your name out there.

Feel free to call me and we can talk about options/idea/assistance…

See you on the road!!

Jason Gadd

One of the exciting things about traveling and meeting with members from around the state is that you never know who you may run into.  This past weekend is one that won’t be soon forgotten.  

On Friday, I was thrilled to have numerous Hopkins Jaycees to travel with me to Rush City to help the Rush City Jaycees at their Beer Garden during the Chisago County Fair.  What we didn’t know is that we were heading for an adventure.  Just as we arrived at the fairgrounds, they were being evacuated by the County Sheriff’s office because of a Severe Thunderstorm and Tornado Warning.  We ended up waiting the storm out across the street standing under the front awning of the church that was locked.  We found out later the church we should have headed to was 1/2 block over…It will be an experience that was exciting but not wanting to relive.  After the storm past, we were able to visit with the Rush City Jaycees and had a great time despite the weather thanks to Joe and Darcy and the rest of the members.

Saturday I was honored to assist the Saint Paul Jaycees with the Basilica Block Party event.  I’m always impressed by the events that Saint Paul helps with and the coordination of Tara Broker was great to see.  Thanks to President Spencer for having a very hospitable chater.  We even passed the underage decoys the police sent around…it sure kept us on our toes all night.  I was also able to have some great discussions with the Lake Elmo Jaycees and the South St Paul Jaycees….thanks for your questions.  We finished up listening the the Gin Blossoms play…great night, great questions and great music…

See you on the trail…

Natural born leader.  This is a phrase that has been used many times although it is not true.  Leadership is a skill that is learned.  When you see a leader in business, they worked hard to make it happen.  Being a business owner, you spend what seems like a lifetime focusing on your company and striving to make it the best that it can be.  When you see a leader in the community, many hours were spent working with others and developing the skills that people now see as “natural”.

Becoming a leader takes an investment.  It is an investment in yourself and an investment for your future.  Think of it as a 401k plan for your abilities.  By working on it everyday, putting away a little knowledge, you will see the return over time.

There are four phases of becoming a leader…which one are you in?  Did you even realize that you were on track to develop into a leader?  Education is the key component to leadership.

Phase 1:  You don’t know what you don’t know

Before you are able to begin the leadership journey, you need to first understand that anyone is able to become a leader.  Many feel that leadership is only for a select few and end up missing a lot of opportunities that are presented to them.  What they may not realize is that if they accept the premise that they can become a leader, a whole new world will open up.

Phase 2: Realizing that you need to learn

Once you’ve figured out that it is possible to step into a leadership role, what next?  I’ve been in this position before.  When I first moved into a leadership role, I thought that would be all I would need to do.  I was so excited that I started out on my path.  But when I turned around, I didn’t have anyone following.  That is when I realized that I needed to learn even more, watch people I considered leaders, and have patience.  I knew that I needed to learn more, develop more skills and began to search out my mentors that I could follow.

At this point, I fully came to understand that being involved with leadership was not something that you could just step into. It combines my knowledge with experience and time to propel me further along my journey.  I began to invest even more in my leadership future. 

Phase 3: Beginning to grow and show leadership

Once you have spent time learning and working with other leaders, you do begin to form the basis of leadership.  This is an exciting time because you begin to show leadership abilities.  It could be within the work place, your manager is beginning to put you in various roles of responsibility.  It could be within the community, you start to be involved in committees and they start electing you in the leadership roles. 

One characteristic of this phase is that you are beginning to be recognized as a leader, yet you still are working hard to achieve and continue to strive for knowledge every day.  You begin to see that return on initial investment and it motivates you to search for more knowledge.

Phase 4: Leadership becomes second nature

After years of obtaining knowledge, creating experiences and growing through the process, leadership does become second nature.  It is the same with any profession that individual excel at.  The major league baseball player did not just start playing baseball the day before they were drafted.  But after hours upon hours of practice and repetition, their muscles remember the various motions and the art of swinging a bat to throwing the baseball become second nature.  After you have spent hours and hours practicing and learning the various skills of leadership, your mental muscles remember the motions involved and suddenly to other people you have “natural” leadership abilities. 

Another key component of Phase 4 is that because you have strived to gain new knowledge that also becomes second nature.  Your thirst for knowledge also grows which continually propels you to more and more leadership roles.

I encourage you to start on your journey if you have not already.  The world of opportunities that surround “leaders” can be yours as well.  There is no set timetable to achieving leadership; it is a lifelong adventure that allows you to enjoy life along the way.  The one component that remains consistent is knowledge.  Don’t be afraid to ask questions and then ask more questions.

I have enjoyed my first weekend of traveling and spreading the news of my desire to become your next Minnesota Junior Chamber State President.  This was one of the best traveling weekends I’ve been a part of recently.

First we visited with the Bemidji Jaycees during their 64th Annual Bemidji Jaycees Water Carnival.  President Crystal Hegg, along with chairs Will & Carolyn Fisher, organized a great event.  I was able to help serve the visitors from a variety of taps.  Never let it be said that Bemidji does not offer options for beverages.  It was also great to be able to spend time talking about connecting with new members and how important it is to get them out to assist with projects and make them feel a part of your chapter.  Thanks Sam!  A very heartfelt “Thank You” to Tonya Sandbo for opening her home to us to catch a few hours of sleep before continuing.

Next we stopped at the Brainerd Jaycees Corn Feed.  I was able to help finish shucking the corn (brings me back to my childhood on the ranch) and then assist in handing out the great sweet corn to the crowd.  President Sara Thompson was very welcoming and made us feel a part of the group.  It provided an opportunity to visit with members such as Chris Nelson and learn more about them.  It is amazing to see how fast the corn was handed out…I look forward to working with such an exciting group.

From there we traveled to St Cloud to help with the Glow Stick sales for the fireworks.  Chad & Robin Groetsch had such great organization to the process that it was a lot of fun to work the crowd.  I was impressed to also see them start a new relationship with the Becker Drumline as they helped sell in one of the parks.  Creating relationships with other organizations will only make us a stronger organization ourselves.  Another great fireworks were on display in St Cloud. 

On Saturday I was excited to stop in Delano and help with their Softball Tournament.  Martin “Toon” had a well-organized event.  Even with the Jaycees coordinating 5 different booths this year.  President Jodi Baumgard should be proud of what her chapter was able to accomplish.  There was a number of great questions and discussion during the shift about the focus of next year.  I was able to receive some great feedback on ideas that they feel need some focus. 

The day ended in Austin at their street dance.  I want to thank Chair Jackie and President Danielle Nesvold for allowing us to partake in this fun event.  I am truly impressed by the Austin Jaycees and the member turnout for the event.  When you get that many members together, including ensuring the newly signed members feel a part of the group, it feeds on itself.  Others see the fun of the large group and want to be part of it and look for a way to join.  Once again I enjoyed meeting a lot of you and hearing your ideas for our organization. 

I thank everyone who helped make the 4th of July weekend a great traveling experience…it just reinforced within me the impact that our great jaycee State has within our communities and for our members.  I look forward to seeing more of you soon.

–Jason

How do you build appreciation for your local community?  I’ve been doing some travel recently for business and I’ve come to a few realizations.  First, with today’s technology, we are truly a global business community. Like you I’ve heard that said many times, but until you experience it first hand, it just sounds a marketing campaign.  I’ve come face to face with it recently and now I’m a believer.   

Even though my company is based in Hopkins, I work with companies around the country.  Through technology I am able to make connections, provide services and maintain a level of customer service from Hopkins.  Sometimes, the best customer service is face to face, so I do travel to client locations on occasion.  While sitting in the airport or my hotel room, I’m connected to my email and conducting business.  I even ran a board meeting of a foundation in the Twin Cities even though I was sitting in my hotel room in Salt Lake City.  It was an eye-opening experience.  As I wait in the airport, I’m surrounded by a number of business people working on their computers, phones, and blackberrys to coordinate their operations.

What does this have to do with appreciation?  Each time I travel, I return to Hopkins with a renewed appreciation of our community.  One tends to take what is offered in town for granted and only realize the unique aspects of our City when you spend some time in other communities.  I’m sure that is true for wherever you call home, but I believe the way we do business in Hopkins building personal relationships is the strongest way to ensure we all have success in all our endeavors. 

I encourage you after exploring what the world has to offer, return to Hopkins and renew your appreciation for our community — a great place to work, live and play.  Appreciate business growth with new companies to our area, Cargill and LA Fitness.  Appreciate the numerous opportunies for enjoying a play, dance recital, movie or socializing.  Appreciate the family offerings presented through our numerous schools and early childhood programs.  Appreciate doing business in a community where people know your name.

The image portrayed by a business or organization may be created through a planned marketing and branding campaign.  By putting out specific information about your business through print materials and advertisements such as billboards, brochures, and handouts, you are able to present your visions and philosophies to the public. 

A different type of company image may also be created by building relationships within the community through the various projects in which the company is involved.  I’m not referring to paid sponsorships or advertising, rather to events and projects in which your employees are activly involved that allow the public to see a different side of your company.  By displaying concern and dedication and being associated with positive events in our community, people will begin to associate your business or organization in a positive way also.  Although it may not be immediate, you will see a return on your investment.   

I’ve been honored to be a part of the Think Hopkins.com effort, helping to spread a positive image of our community.  We are creating various initiatives to highlight Hopkins in a unique way, such as our Historical Walking Tour Brochure or the new Shopping/Dining Guide for Hopkins.  We have exciting events occurring around our community all the time – annual celebrations like the Raspberry Festival and unique events such as the 2008 US Women’s Open at Interlachen Country Club.  Along Excelsior Boulivard in Hopkins we are seeing flags that promote the Open.  People who aren’t going to the Open will see the flags, and that can affect their perception of Hopkins in a positive way.  And people who are going to the Open might not visit Hopkins during the event, but with the flags and shopping/dining guide we can encourage them to come back afterwards. 

We will see a return on investment by building a positive image through association with quality and exciting events.  The Hopkins Business & Civic Association continually encourages business and organizations to be involved in the community activities, which will build their own operations.  For more ideas, I encourage to stop by our website at HopkinsBiz.com or visit ThinkHopkins.com to see events in which you may want to get involved. 

- Jason Gadd, Candidate for State President