BusinessApril 29, 2019
Business Notebook: Cocktails & Epic Fails — Business leaders, professionals discuss failures as opportunities to learn, help find success
No one likes to talk about failure, especially when it's their own. But that's exactly what several business leaders and other professionals did last week at "Cocktails & Epic Fails." The program, hosted and sponsored Wednesday evening by BOLD Marketing in Cape Girardeau, featured keynote presentations by several nationally-known business experts. Each told tales of how they turned their failures into successes...
No one likes to talk about failure, especially when it's their own.
But that's exactly what several business leaders and other professionals did last week at "Cocktails & Epic Fails." The program, hosted and sponsored Wednesday evening by BOLD Marketing in Cape Girardeau, featured keynote presentations by several nationally-known business experts. Each told tales of how they turned their failures into successes.
"Its easy to find self-help books, tips and resources, giving you false assurances that if you smile, it will all be okay and success will come if you just work hard," BOLD president Dana Thomas told program attendees as she kicked off the evening. "But here's what I want to share. Life sucks. It gets messy. It's unpredictable and no amount of smiling is going to change that. Failure happens. In business, in life, in relationships. In raising your kids."
She and the program's guest speakers, however, said failure is often a good thing.
"You will have epic fails," she said. "You will be forced to learn from them and you can either move forward, or you can cower and, in turn, end your dreams."
She added "if you are failing, at least you are moving, and if you aren't failing at something, you are standing still."
Among the evening's guest speakers was Josh Linkner, entrepreneur, venture capitalist, CEO and New York Times best-selling author, whose multimillion dollar online business nearly failed during the dot-com crash in early 2001.
"Failure stinks," he said. "We take it personally and we have to decide if it will be our defining moment of defeat or if it will be our opportunity for growth."
Linkner and other presenters told the program attendees "so many of us live our lives playing it safe, but that's the riskiest strategy of all. Persistence, tenacity and grit will determine our successes."
Each failure should be considered a learning opportunity, Linkner said.
"James Dyson failed thousands of times before he perfected the Dyson vacuum," he pointed out. "I've never seen anyone succeed who didn't fail along the way."
Another of the evening's presenters, American Physical Therapy Association CEO Justin Moore, told the group "either you win or you learn." He added "Thomas Edison failed well over 1,000 times trying to invent the light bulb and Abraham Lincoln failed to win many elections before he was elected president.
Quoting Henry Ford, Moore noted "failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently."
The evening was capped by a panel discussion featuring Jay Spoonhour, head basketball coach at Eastern Illinois University; William Kuecker, vice president of marketing for Mondi Group North America; Jackie Smith, NFL Hal of Fame tight end with the St. Louis football Cardinals and Dallas Cowboys; John Gary, executive director of the Gibson Recovery Center; Cindy Gannon, assistant general manager of the Cape Catfish Prospect League baseball team and retired women's associate athletic director at Southeast Missouri State University; and John Mehner, president and CEO of the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce. Each panelist shared insights into the failures they dealt with in their lives, from the playing fields to the boardrooms, and how those failures ultimately led to success.
Carstar Auto Body coming to Cape
Russom's Carstar Auto Body is expected to open by early summer at 450 Siemers Drive in Cape Girardeau in a 16,000-square-foot location formerly occupied by Bluff City Beer's warehouse operations. Tom Kelsey, commercial broker with Lorimont Commercial Real Estate, handled the transaction and said his company is also looking for a suitable tenant for the former Bluff City Beer office building, which is a separate 6,770-square-foot two-level office on an adjacent site.
Carstar is the largest multi-shop operator network of independently owned collision repair facilities in the United States, offering auto body repair, paintless dent repair and vehicle storm damage repair with 24/7 accident assistance. The company is in its 30th year in business.
Bruce and LaDona Russom will operate the local Carstar franchise. They operate two other Carstar locations, in Dyersburg and Rutherford, Tennessee. Kelsy said the Russoms plan to completely overhaul the warehouse, both inside and out, to make it suitable for their business.
Agency earns Apple distinction
Apple Vacations has awarded it's Golden Apple award to 1st Class Travel in Cape Girardeau, recognizing the agency as one of the top sellers of Apple Vacation packages. Apple specializes in all-inclusive vacations to beach destinations throughout Mexico and the Caribbean.
"Golden Apple travel agents deserve much of the credit for making Apple Vacations America's favorite vacation company by embracing our quality products, exclusive vacation flights and value-added incentives," Tim Mullen, president of Apple Vacations, said in a news release.
"We are super excited to have received this recognition from Apple Vacations," 1st Class Travel founder and president Shari Elfrink said in the release. "We work hard for our travelers wherever they may be going."
Buchheit awards scholarships
Buchheit Retail has announced the recipients of the company's 2019 scholarships.
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"Buchheit is proud to support the educational goals of students as we believe this is the best investment to assure a promising future for all concerned," Tim Buchheit, president and CEO of Buchheit Inc., said in a news release.
The company, which operates eight retail stores in Missouri and Illinois, awards scholarships annually to Buchheit employees and/or their children. The 14 recipients of this year's $500 scholarships are Joana Mendez of Cape Girardeau, Layne Wilson of Jackson, Kirstin and Dylan Jannin, Monica Owens, Megan Brown, Gabrielle Roth, Jacob McKinney, Megan and Jonathan Hotop, Kaitlyn Mattingly and Autumn Zoellner, all of Perryville, Missouri, Elizabeth Asher of De Soto, Missouri, and Megan Adams of Carterville, Illinois.
Coding competition
The area's only Youth Coding League for middle-school students is wrapping up its spring semester competition with its "community favorite" category that ends at noon today. Votes can be cast through the league's website, YouthCodingLeague.com/Championship.
The Youth Coding League is an after-school program that teaches computer coding concepts to fifth- and sixth-grade students using Google's CS First curriculum with a competitive element built and run by the Marquette Technology Institute and Codefi in Cape Girardeau.
"Coding fundamentals build problem-solving and logic skills and prepares students for the digital workplace of the future," Stacy Dohogne Lane, community director with Codefi and the Marquette Tech District Foundation, said in a news release. "The confidence the Youth Coding League develops in many of the players is inspiring and that newfound confidence and recognition by their classmates and teachers are daily motivators as we continue to build this program and add more schools."
Ten schools participated in the league during its inaugural season last fall, and this spring, 17 schools throughout Southeast Missouri took part in the program. Schools and organizations that participated this spring were the 32nd Judicial Circuit, Central Middle School, Delta Elementary, Eagle Ridge Christian School, Kelly Middle School, Kelso Elementary, Meadow Heights Elementary, Nell Holcomb Elementary, Oak Ridge Elementary, Prodigy Leadership Academy, Richland Elementary, Scott County Central Elementary, Sikeston's 5th and 6th Grade Center, St. Henry School, St. Paul Lutheran School, St. Vincent de Paul School and Trinity Lutheran School.
License renewal reminder
Business owners and contractors doing business in Jackson are reminded the filing deadline for the 2019-2020 license year is June 30. Anyone conducting business within the city limits of Jackson is required to obtain a business or contractor license, unless specifically exempted by state statute.
Renewal notices and updated application forms were recently mailed to all businesses and contractors who are currently licensed with the City of Jackson, according to Jackson City Clerk/Treasurer Liza Walker.
For more information about contractor licensing requirements, contact the Jackson Public Works Department at (573) 243-2300, and for information on merchant and other business licensing requirements, contact the Jackson City Clerk's office at (573) 243-3568.
People on the Move
Marvin Adams Jr. has been named executive vice president at First State Community Bank in Cape Girardeau.
"We're thrilled about the new addition to our team," First State Community Bank president Henry Holyfield said in a release. "Marvin's commitment to our area and his knowledge of banking will certainly be an asset."
Adams has more than 17 years' of banking experience in Southeast Missouri. He had formerly served as vice president and vice president/senior commercial lender at two other local banks. Adams is a member of the chambers of commerce in Cape Girardeau and Jackson. He also coaches various youth sports teams.
"I'm thrilled to be a part of the great team at First State Community Bank and most excited to continue serving our community and customers for years to come," Adams said in the release of his new position.
Certified family nurse practitioner Katana Alcorn has joined Saint Francis Health System's inpatient rehabilitation unit and concussion clinic.
"I am very excited to begin working for Saint Francis Medical Center and with Dr. Heidi Hunter," Alcorn said in a news release. Hunter specializes in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Saint Francis.
Alcorn earned her Bachelor of Science in nursing from Southeast Missouri State University in 2009 and a Master of Science in nursing from Maryville University in 2016. She is certified through the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. She will be responsible for seeing clinical patients and patient consultations. She will also assist with inpatient rehabilitation admissions and discharges.
Ashley Carter has been named the hospital coding manager for health information management at Saint Francis Healthcare System.
Carter is a certified coding specialist and is responsible for working with physicians on any hospital coding concerns and participating with the Saint Francis clinical documentation improvement team regarding any coding and/or quality documentation issues. She will also help educate colleagues as well as other caregivers regarding coding issues, will be involved with new coding software implementations and will be instrumental in pursuing strategic goals for the health system with regard to coding and reimbursement issues.
Carter has more than 10 years' experience in coding, most recently as a remote inpatient coder for the Saint Luke's Health System in Kansas City and is certified through the American Health Information Management Association.
Got a Person on the Move at your business? Submit online at semissourian.com/forms/peopleonthemove.
jwolz@semissourian.com
(573) 388-3630
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