October YP Connector

OCTOBER 2020

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The Dubuque Area Chamber of Commerce presents Virtual Power Hour, a
program The Dubuque with powerful Area Chamber presentations of Commerce for business presents and Virtual personal Power Hour, success! a
Power program Up, Power with powerful Through, presentations Power Beyond for business and start and personal your day success! with
information Power Up, that Power impacts! Through, Power Beyond and start your day with
information that impacts!
Our next Power Hour event will take place on October 13 from 8:30 - 9:30am
via GoToWebinar and will feature a Political Analyst Panel. Questions will
be fielded during the live presentation, however, we recommend sending any
Our next Power Hour event will take place on October 13 from 8:30 - 9:30am
via GoToWebinar and will feature a Political Analyst Panel. Questions will
questions be fielded in advance during the to live office@dubuquechamber.com.
presentation, however, we recommend sending any
questions in advance to office@dubuquechamber.com.
political analyst panel
Featuring:
Featuring:
Dustin Miller
Dustin Associate Miller Attorney
Associate Nyemaster Attorney Goode PC
Nyemaster Goode PC
Andy Conlin
Andy Principal Conlin
Conlin State Principal Strategies
Conlin State Strategies
Christopher Budzisz, Ph.D.
Christopher Associate Professor Budzisz, of Politics Ph.D.
Associate Loras Professor College of Politics
Loras College
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Power Hour is brought to you by:
Power Hour is brought to you by:
563.557.9200 | www.dubuque .com
563.557.9200 | www.dubuque .com

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Page 3
hrough owerful Presentations for Busiess
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s and Personal Success!
Page 7
Contents
3 // Joni Ernst
Looking ahead towards our October YP
Luncheon presenter
5 // RJ Montes
Reviewing the impact of ourSeptember YP
Luncheon presenter
7 // Five Easy Tips to Grow
Your Professional Network
The Young Professional Blog entry
by Kevin Myers
9 // YP Sponsor Feature
Kintzinger, Harmon, Konrardy
12 // Upcoming Events
View a list of the upcoming YP events
13 // Volunteer
Find out where your YP Board Volunteers
Page 9
Follow Us
www.facebook.com/YoungProfessionalsDubuque/
@ypdubuque
www.linkedin.com/company/young-professionals-dubuque/
JOIN THE CONVERSATION
#YPDUBUQUE

AT THE YP LUNCHEON ON OCTOBER 21
A CONVERSATION ON
LEADERSHIP & SE
Joni Ernst
with
Senator Joni Ernst is looking forward to joining the Dubuque Chamber Young Professionals
Virtual Luncheon on October 21. A combat veteran and the first female elected to federal
office from the state of Iowa, Ernst will discuss leadership and service, and answer questions
from some of Iowa’s brightest young leaders.
Senator Joni Ernst, native of Red Oak, Iowa, has dedicated her life to her state and country,
having served in the military for over 23 years and now in the United States Senate.
In November 2014, Joni was elected as the first woman to serve in federal elected office
from the State of Iowa and also became the first female combat veteran elected to serve in
the United States Senate. In Washington, Joni serves on five Senate committees of major
importance to Iowans: Armed Services; Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry; Environment
and Public Works; Judiciary; and Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
Born and raised on a farm in Montgomery County, Joni’s parents instilled in her the values
important to Iowans: hard work, service and sacrifice. As a mother, soldier and independent
voice, Joni is committed to bringing these values to Washington, D.C.
Joni received her undergraduate degree from Iowa State University where she joined the
university’s ROTC program. After graduating, Joni joined the U.S. Army Reserves. In 2003,
Joni served as a company commander in Kuwait and Iraq, leading 150 Iowa Army National
Guardsmen during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Joni retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Iowa
Army National Guard after 23 years of military service.
Known for her independent leadership and commitment to public service, Joni previously
served as the Montgomery County Auditor where she worked to eliminate wasteful
government spending and protect taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars. As a state senator, Joni
fought to balance the state budget and helped turn Iowa’s $900 million budget deficit into a
$1 billion surplus. In addition to her work to balance the budget, Joni worked tirelessly to
grow jobs and the economy, cut taxes, improve education, and reduce the role of
government in Iowans’ lives.

RVICE

Recapping last m

onth’s Luncheon
RJ Montes
with
of Dupaco Community Credit Union
RACE YOUR RACE
Increasing our abilities through Awareness and Intention, to
Lead ourselves and take True Ownership in our Life’s Race
Last month RJ shared with us some of his personal struggles that have
shaped him to who he is today. After college RJs struggled with the loss
of his mom where he was grossly unhappy and unhealthy. He really
wanted to change his life. Soon his first baby was on the way and it
pushed him to make that change for himself and his new family. Realizing
that he needed help and couldn't do it on his own he started to build
his support system and ask for help. RJ repeatedly said through the
luncheon "who I am today is not who I have always been or who we will
be tomorrow". He started to do triathlons and getting his mind and
body healthy. Continuing to grow and be the change to be better every
day. A few tips RJ left us with, "There is no perfect balance in life, we are
all imperfect human beings. Value the process over the outcome. Your
time is valuable make the most of it and don't get discourage things will
go on." All things that helped him choose to change his life and get on a
path that brought him forward.
RJ said that opportunities help us be a part of communities and tribes,
which helps us keep a healthy mental and spiritual wellbeing. Think
about this week what stories have shaped you? What has helped you
grow and take leadership of yourself?

Five Easy Tips
to Growing Your Professional Network
By Kevin Myers

In today’s business world, networking has become an
absolute necessity. We’re all familiar with the saying,
“It’s not what you know, it is who you know.” I am
fortunate to have been given many opportunities for
growth and advancement throughout my professional
career thus far, which I credit [in many regards] to
knowing how to grow my professional network. I’ve
been tasked to provide you with five easy tips (or
steps) to help you grow your professional network.
These aren’t “by the textbook,” but they have all
worked for me and I hope they can work for you too.
Get Involved. Whether you are new to a job, new to a
town, or find yourself caught in the same mundane
schedule, the best thing to do is to get involved. Find a
club, a group or an organization in your community
and become active within it. Joining an organizing
does not mean simply adding your name to an email
list or a roster for resume boosting purposes. My tip is
for you to completely submerge yourself into whatever
it is you enjoy doing. I believe that you get out what
you put into things, so you might as well go all in. By
doing so, you will form relationships with other
members (whom you may have not met otherwise),
learn more about the organization’s mission, and will
find your purpose within the organization.
Social Media. Social media can be a wonderful tool
but also a massive crutch. You need to be wise in how
you use it. One advantage of social media is that we
can connect with people faster and more efficiently
than ever before. Most importantly, we can get
connected to individuals who hold the power in
helping us advance in our lives and careers. I’ve been
at Kunkel and Associates for nearly five years, and I
got here initially because of LinkedIn. One day, I
received a message from the HR Director at Kunkel.
The message stated that she had come across my
profile, and that I looked like someone who would fit
the needs of a position that was currently open at
Kunkel. From that message, we arranged an interview,
and the rest is history. It’s important to be aware of
how you portray yourself on social media. You never
know who is going to come across your profile and
where that connection could lead.
Building Relationships. This might be one of the most
important things to know how to do. Without building
relationships, it will be extremely hard to advance in
your career [or in your personal life for that matter].
Just as you focus on building relationships with those
outside of your network, for the purpose of growing
your business or adding new clients/customers, it is
equally important to strengthen your relationships
with your current coworkers and people you already
know. I believe that you need to get to know your
coworkers on a deeper level than someone you see at
the coffee station or in the parking lot every day. Open
up to them and they will open up to you. You’d be
amazed what opportunities can come from true
friendships that are formed through the workplace.
Connecting with people from other companies and
industries can help bring new ideas into your company.
People outside of your current network also have a
higher likelihood of being able to introduce you to a
future client that you didn’t even know was interested
or in need of the services your company provides.
Help People. People were created to be good and
kind. We are intrinsically rooted to want to help
others. While helping others, your brain releases
hormones that boost your mood and counteract
stress. This extra boost of energy and positive emotion
may allow you to put more effort into helping others in
the work place. By doing so, you show that you are a
“team first, me second” person. Your boss likes that!
Others see you being selfless, which leads to them
wanting to do something for someone else, thus
you’ve created a chain reaction of people helping
other people.
Look at the Big Picture. Networking is not something
that you will notice benefits from overnight. You will
swing and miss many times in your career. You might
develop relationships with the wrong people or invest
time into the wrong situations that never pan out to
anything, but you will at least learn something in the
process. There is no rhyme or reason to how things
work from a timing perspective, but patience is key.
Continue to connect with people, as you never know
who will most greatly impact your career ten years
from now. Trust the process and be patient.

Welcome our new sponsor!
Kintzinger, Harmon, Konrardy is a full-service law
firm dedicated to meeting the needs of people
throughout Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin. We are
conveniently located near you in downtown
Dubuque, Iowa. Our attorneys and support staff
are eager to meet all your legal needs. Kintzinger
Harmon Konrardy, PLC has aggressively served
the Tri-state area for over 100 years in personal
injury lawsuits and litigation, divorces and family
law, employment law, criminal defense, bankruptcy,
probate, and estate planning, along with
many other legal areas. Since our inception in
1897, we have prided ourselves on providing
quality representation that is client centered and
results oriented. We recognize that your legal
needs are of the utmost importance and you
deserve the care and attention necessary to
successfully accomplish your goal.

New YP
Board
Members
We welcome 2 new board
members to the Young Professionals
Board of Directors
Wes Hartig
Affiliated under the Dubuque Area
Chamber of Commerce, Young
Professionals Dubuque (YPD) exists
to connect young professionals
with each other, the business
community, and the city in which
we live, work, play and do business.
The members of the YP Board
of Directors are faces behind the
scenes that make that happen. This
month we welcome two new
board members.
Find us on your favorite
social media app.
Wes Hartig
Member Relations
Brock Renbarger
Diversity Focus
Brock Renbarger

Upcoming
Events
Join us at one of our
upcoming virtual events
YP VIRTUAL LUNCHEON
Joni Ernst
October 21
YP VIRTUAL LUNCHEON
TBA
November
YP VIRTUAL LUNCHEON
Chris Houlihan
December 16

Where does your YP B
Connect with them to learn more about volunteer opportunities within our community.
Whitney Sanger
Women's Giving Circle
Dubuque County Food Policy Council
Project Rooted
Nicole Mensen
Dubuque Main Street Puttzin’ Around
Young Entrepreneurs Academy
Wes Hartig
Boys & Girls Club of Greater Dubuque Board of Directors
Camp Albrecht Acres Foundation Board of Directors
March of Dimes Board of Directors Dubuque Chapter
Olivia Burger
Days of Caring
Taryn Kafer
Dubuque Main Street - Farmers Market and Marketing Committee
Mercy Service Club and Gift Shop- Publicity and Social Chai
Brock Renbarger
Junior Achievement – Golf Outing Committee & Classroom Volunteer
United Way – Campaign Cabinet Member & 2-year volunteer for Over the Edge
Young Entrepreneurs Academy
Digger Kurt
Boys and Girls Club
Mentor Dubuque
Urban Bicycle Food Mission

oard volunteer?
Scott McGuire
MercyOne Health Foundation board
DGCC board
100+ Men Who Care board
Jacob Wierzbicki
Junior Achievement
Kevin Myers
Knights of Columbus at St. Columbkille’s Church in Dubuque
McKenzie Kline
Humane Society
Multicultural Center
Rescue Mission
Justin Gonner
Chamber/Days of Caring
United Way
Loras College
Margaret O'Reilly
Liberty Recovery Center
Women's Leadership Network
Anna Johnson
The National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium’s Living Collections
department helping with data organization/entry. Event photographer
for the Dream Center and mentor a student at Kennedy Elementary
through Fourge Social.
Nikki Bauer
Chamber Board of Directors as Ex-Official

For more information on YP Dubuque please contact the Dubuque Area Chamber at
office@dubuquechamber.com or 563.557.9200.
Young Professionals Dubuque is a program of the Dubuque Area Chamber of Commerce