Guest Blogger: Warren Call

We're kicking off the New Year with a guest blog from our new Young Professionals Chair, Warren Call. We are so excited to have Warren representing the Young Professionals program and cannot wait for an amazing year! Take it away, Warren:

Warren and his wife

“From Rome to Eden.”  That’s the title of the novel my wife is currently writing.  The title refers to the move I put her through when we decided to get married.  Rome is where we met, I went to school and she lived for eight years (quite happily with no interest in moving to a small cold town in the States).  Eden refers to Eden Hill, a spot on the north shore of Crystal Lake (near Beulah) where I grew up.  And Yes, I did actually ask her to make that move for me.  Luckily for me, she was crazy enough to go for it.  Luckily for both of us, it was a great move to make – eventually buying a house in Traverse City, Beulah would have been too small for her…

Let’s backtrack… After high school I went to MSU, then moved to Utah to be a ski bum, then moved to Rome for grad school and worked a bit in NYC – basically any place more exciting than Northern Michigan.  I travelled the world, prepared for a big-city career and met an exotic woman.  Then something funny happened, when I thought about where I wanted to make a life for my family – I came back here.   

How often have you heard some version of this story and what does it say about this area? 

Obviously we are surrounded by natural beauty and we get the chance to enjoy it.  But the pace of life also allows me to walk my kids to school… and I know my neighbors.  There is small-town character and I feel involved in my community.  My family can enjoy world-class beaches, National Parks, and more year-round outdoor activities that I can count.  This mix of nature (Eden) and quality of life brought me back.

But that natural beauty also makes this area a vacation destination and that influx of diverse people provides us with far more cultural activities, art, festivals, and cuisine than our size would otherwise dictate.  It’s the unique amenities like Interlochen, The Film Festival, and our restaurants and wineries that keep my wife from getting bored. 

So we are very lucky to have an abundance of natural beauty, small-town charm, arts and culture – but good luck finding a job!  And if you a lucky enough to find one, remember a view of the bay is half your pay…

But does that have to be true?  With the changing knowledge-based economy and the advent of mobile technology, the business environment of Northern Michigan may be changing as well.  After all, if you could choose to work from anywhere, many people would choose to work from here.

There are huge benefits to creating a community of smart, young, ambitious, entrepreneurial people centered on Traverse City.  Many young people are choosing “Destination Careers” because where they live is just as important as what they do for a living.  There is a great opportunity to promote this area as a career destination, not just a vacation destination.  We can provide these talented people with the tools and mentoring to be successful here.  We can recruit young professionals here – or bring them back here – or keep them here (keep you here) in the first place. 

It’s with this concept in mind that I’m very excited to be the 2013 YP Committee Chair.  My focus will be to develop what I’m calling the Recruit and Retain Initiative. 

This plan fits with the Chamber’s ongoing program to attract, retain and grow young talent in Northern Michigan.  Last year the Chamber’s Careers Magazine, titled toward a young demographic, got off to a great start and has been very well received.  This year, look for the Chamber to produce a Traverse City Young Professionals promotional video highlighting the successful young professionals of this area and the benefits our area provides to young people. 

In conjunction with the Chamber’s efforts, the Committee’s work regarding the 2013 Recruit and Retain Initiative will focus on three areas:

First, we can leverage our networks to create a team of local people that connect young professionals in our area with young people that are considering making a move to Northern Michigan.

Secondly, we can serve as a conduit linking student and alumni groups from across the Midwest with our business community to highlight the benefits of starting a career in Northern Michigan.

Third and perhaps most importantly for those of us who already live here, we can foster the professional development and career growth of our existing young professionals and our new recruits through the Chamber’s mentorship program. 

I’m really excited about where the Traverse City Young Professionals Program is headed in 2013.  It’s going to be a great year and I hope you will be involved.  I believe we can highlight the attractiveness of this area for “Destination Careers” and build a thriving economy to match our natural Eden. 

Tis the Season

Well Traverse City, this will be my last TCYP blog post for the year 2012. In the holiday spirit, I will be spending my time with family for the remainder of the year and will not be blogging about my Young Professional life from my trip home to Florida.

With that said, we will be back with even more great guest bloggers, random ramblings of my Traverse City adjustments and updates on local happenings the first week of January! We are making the Traverse City Young Professionals program bigger and better than ever before, so get excited for some fantastic new programs and events!

I hope that everyone has a safe and memorable Holiday, whether you're in the Traverse City snow (if it keeps up, that is) or on the beach somewhere in Florida (if you are, feel free to contact me...I'll be the one on the tie dye beach towel). I've had a wonderful first year with you, Traverse City, and I look forward to many new experiences and to creating new connections and memories!

From my laptop to yours, Happiest of Holidays!

Guest Blogger: Andrew Kohlmann

This month's guest blogger is Andrew Kohlmann, owner of Signs Now. I'll let Andrew take it from here!

Andrew and his family

I am a "transplant" from Flint, Michigan.  I moved up with my mother at the end of my 5th grade school year. Upon arriving, I quickly came to appreciate what Traverse City had to offer and especially loved the outdoor activities and closeness to nature. During junior high and high school I decided that I wanted to pursue a career in something related to fine arts or graphic design. A family member recommended that I look into the sign business as they thought it would be a good fit to my creative side. In 1996, while attending high school I started my career with Signs Now. As it turned out, it was a great fit -- I truly enjoyed seeing my creativity as a graphic artist come to fruition as signs that I designed were being installed all over our community.

Fast-forward seventeen years: Still with the same company but now with a new title -- owner. Four and a half years ago, my wife and I purchased the business and have never looked back. My role with the company has, of course, changed and I wear many "hats" but I enjoy this business without end. We're proud to say that we've grown the business in a down economy, been named as a Top 10 Traverse City area Small Businesses by the Chamber of Commerce in 2011 and 2012 and have enjoyed many other milestones such as the birth of our daughters Annabelle and Alissa.

I share my history with you as a testament to two fairly straight-forward but sometimes overlooked concepts:  "going the extra mile" and building relationships.

Earlier this year, I came across an article online that was inspired by the teachings of Napoleon Hill -- "Habits of Going the Extra Mile". It gave many examples of how important this practice is to the success and growth of individuals. While the concept seems very basic and simple, I think it's the small things as demonstrated in the article that can make the biggest difference in a person, a business, a city and more. While reading the piece, I found many parallels to times in my life in which I went the extra mile and how, later, the impact became more apparent that my success was due to these efforts. I've found the article's examples to be so impactful that it's become a standard part of our hiring process -- It's a required read for potential job candidates prior to starting the interview process.

Building relationships for me has been the more challenging of the two. Being a "typical" right-brainer, early in my career, I found it very challenging to muster up the courage to get involved in the community and to go to events and network. However, knowing that it was a “must” to build a successful business and to help build our community, I forced myself to “come out of my shell”.

I think that Traverse City has become such a vibrant and dynamic city largely due to these two aforementioned concepts. We are part of a city that's built on relationships and we welcome all of those who want to contribute to make it a better place for all. We have amazing organizations such as the Young Professionals, TC Chamber, the Rotary and many more that help us to build relationships and encourages “keeping it local”.

I also think that we're a community of people, businesses and organizations that “go the extra mile” – which has helped our area remain relatively isolated from the effects of the recession. We're lucky to have such an amazing mix of strengths, positive community members, a beautiful natural resources and a growing number of Young Professionals relocating to Traverse City that all help to make our community “the place to be”.

Take a minute to enjoy the winter winds.

Knock knock. Whose there? Winter.


In case you were still in denial/living under a rock/still holding on to the hope that there will be a beach day sometime soon...I have an awakening for you: Winter is no longer headed our way. Winter is here and it is not going anywhere.

So enjoy it. Breathe it in. Break out those scarves and long winter coats. Throw on some warm gloves and fashionable-yet-functional hats. Drag your skis and snow shoes out of storage.

We live in Traverse City. We are building relationships and raising families in a place where you can drive twenty minutes and arrive at a ski resort. Our streets are decked out with lighted trees and gorgeous store fronts.

I've almost lived here for a year now. I've experienced actual seasons (no offense, Florida...but you only have one season: summer.all.year.round). I've survived a busy season in the event planning world. So, now here I am: almost a year of Traverse City living later -- and I plan on enjoying every second of this winter.

So do yourself a favor. Take a minute to walk outside and look around. Take a deep breath or two and be grateful for everything that is surrounding you. If you're like me, you'll probably stand there and think to yourself, "Wow. How could anyone not want to live here?"

Maybe you won't have that same feeling of happiness when you embrace your surroundings, but at least you'll enjoy a breath of fresh air. What I'm really getting at is that the seasons are changing, the holiday season is upon us, and sometimes everyone needs a second to sit back and enjoy the things that they have.

What Traverse City YPs are Thankful For

When you ask someone living in the Traverse City area what they're thankful for, you're likely to hear the following:

"My wonderful family."
"Being lucky enough to live in such a gorgeous and thriving place"
"To have a job that I enjoy"

While those are all valid and extremely important things to be thankful for (and believe me, none of us take them for granted -- I'm thankful for all of the above every single day), they're, to put it bluntly, expected. So, we reached out to some of our Young Professionals to offer some more personal and creative "things they're thankful for."

So, enjoy the following answers from your local Young Professionals while you spend time enjoying the things you're thankful for. 

"I’m thankful for when I’m transitioning my business for bigger and better things, that other businesses, non-profits, and friends I’ve met through work have offered to step up and help me pack and move KidzArt to our new location over their Christmas breaks. Taking time that normally goes to their family to help their community family. I’m so blessed to work with amazing organizations that believe in what I do and support me unconditionally."
-Kate Daggett, KidzArt

"I'm thankful that each day I get to make an impact on someone's life.  From helping people determine their dream job to giving people the encouragement to finish that last math requirement, I leave work everyday knowing I've made a difference."
-Shannon Owen, Northwestern Michigan College

"I am thankful to have a boss who not only taught me how to use my brakes when driving in snow(after I drifted us into the division of Grandview Parkway and Union...more than once), but also one who has taught me at least six ways to tie my scarves, let me know that I will probably freeze if I did not purchase outerwear that goes down to my knees, that Gobblers are the best turkey sandwich ever and who surprises me with gifts like obnoxious colored nail polish and Hello Kitty Make-up holders."
-Meaghan Jameson, Events North

'I’m thankful for the red-brick paved streets in the old town section of TC.  I just think it’s good character - If it were up to me, all the streets downtown would be brick."
-Warren Call, Huntington

"I am most thankful for three things (in no particular order):

1.       Mary’s Kitchen Port

2.       Frozen yogurt

3.       Meeting Allison Beers when I moved to Traverse City!"

-Kelly Schramski, Traverse City State Bank

"I'm thankful for Shorts microbrews. Where else can you find such unique, tasty concoctions with memorable hand-drawn labels and silly names to enjoy with loved ones during the holiday season?"

-Andrew Kohlmann, Signs Now

Well, there you have it! I hope that your Thanksgiving is wonderful and that you have some great things in your life to be thankful for (whether it be your job or your favorite microbrew)!

Keeping it Local...Because You'd be Silly Not to do So.

One of my closest friends from Florida came to visit this past weekend and I was so excited to show her my new city. I wanted to make sure to take her places that only Traverse City offered...which was probably the easiest goal I've ever achieved.

The main reason that showing my friend the best of Traverse City was so simple was because local Traverse City businesses are fantastic. The businesses of traverse city offer such great products, food, drink, etc. that making sure to show off what we offer locally was a breeze.

We started off at Firefly on Friday night and had a wonderful dinner (and far too many pita chips), which included a lot of locally grown ingredients. We went back to my apartment and snacked on some Great Lakes Potato Chip Co. Tortilla chips...yes. I even keep it local at home.

Saturday began with some Higher Grounds coffee and a trip to the Commons. The commons did not disappoint - especially High Five Threads, which even had free (yes, you read that correctly...free) North Peak Siren on tap. Quality local goods...and local brews? We were sold.
We grabbed some so-delicious-that-I'm-still-thinking-about-it whitefish dip at Mackinaw Brew Co. before changing and driving over to The Jolly Pumpkin for dinner. The Jolly Pumpkin was beyond-words delicious. Where else can you get a side of truffle fries with your turkey sandwich topped with cherry pesto? Probably not many places...except for Traverse City.

Saturday night finished off with a trip to the new and improved Right Brain Brewery. If you have not taken a trip to their new location you need to go. right now. It has all of the charm of their last location, but with around four times the space. Plus, they always play the best music, not to mention have the most creative names for all of their beverages (who doesn't want to tell people that they had a wine called "The Betty White" the other day?!)

Sunday morning included a walk by the bay, a lot of touristy photos, and a brunch stop at Morsels, where my friend claimed that she had "the best breakfast sandwich in the world" and that her latte was "as close to perfection as humanly possible."

What I'm getting at is that we have such amazing locally owned businesses. It is really great to be able to allow our out of town guests to really experience what Traverse City has to offer...and that we get to enjoy these places on a daily basis.

Making Sure Your Voice is Heard.

I'll be honest, I was under the impression that as a 22 year old who was new to the Traverse City community, no one was really that interested in what I had to say.

For a few months, I kind of just kept my mouth shut (which, if you know me personally, you know is not an easy feat). I attended meetings, conferences, events and networking nights, but I tended to only speak when spoken to and stayed inside of my shell when it came to local issues or questions where I wasn't 100% sure I knew the answer.

In my mind, I was positive that not one of these local leaders or business professionals actually cared about the opinions of a young professional, especially one who did not have much (no, really...I hadn't even been out to the dunes at this point) experience with the area.

...then the Young Professionals asked me to write this blog. My first thought was What?! Who wants to hear about a girl who moved from Florida to Michigan and her adventures adjusting to snow and thoughts on Traverse City?"

Well,  I've been writing this blog for a few months now. I've been planted in Traverse City for 10 months. I've attended countless meetings, networking nights, events and conferences. I can even give someone directions on how to get to the dunes. Most importantly, I now realize that Traverse City cares a lot about what the Young Professionals in the town have to say.

I speak up in meetings and find my opinion on local issues and how to find solutions is actually valued. Local leaders are are listening to what the Young Professionals in the area have to say because they are interested and want to hear from us, not because they're simply being polite.

The Young Professionals program is continually changing for the better, and 2013 is going to bring a lot of improvements and involvement opportunities. Why? Because the YP's of Traverse City have a lot to offer, and Traverse City's leaders are taking notice.

So, if I could go back to the beginning of this year and tell myself one thing, it would be to speak up. We're lucky to live in a place where the opinions of Young Professionals matter, even if they are from 22 year old Florida transfers.