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Going It Alone Together

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Artist and entrepreneur Melanie Banayat has emerged victorious time and again as unforeseen challenges disrupted her world and forced new beginnings on the canvas of her life.

Loss of family, scuttled dreams, depression and debilitating physical pain have left their mark, but her buoyancy has encouraged others fighting fear, isolation, loss, loneliness and pain.   

Banayat’s award-winning book, Stretch Your Brave, Hack Your Story, Break Through Chronic Disease with Storytelling, documents her journey with sudden-onset rheumatoid arthritis and inspires forging ahead despite despair.

Writing the book became an impetus to founding WingSpace Coworking, a collaborative professional environment for entrepreneurs. From mastering work/life balance to commanding fear of the unknown, Banayat readily shares her capacity for drawing hope and light.

“Fear doesn’t like anything exciting, new or resembling potential,” she advised. “Fear loves boring and predictable. It likes the way things have been done before. Fear says, ‘Don’t ever change.’ But since life is ever-changing, I like giving it direction.”

Banayat urges fellow professionals to field their own curve balls.

“This modern world in which we live is like walking through a minefield of triggers and distractions that knock us off course at the slightest move,” she said. “So, it’s important to develop awareness of how everything is interconnected and how we impact one another.

“WingSpace Coworking is for people who want to be part of a community of like-minded individuals. We’re a mix of freelancers, small business owners, micro-business owners, remote workers, thinkers, doers and idea makers. We are the misfits of the workforce who finally have a place to call our own in the Prescott area. And there is plenty of room for more.” 
The location offers private offices or open space where members and guests can use a desk, conduct business, attend workshops, teach seminars, reserve conference rooms, book events and mingle.

“We may have to work, but we don’t have to work alone,” Banayat contended. “We spend many hours of our life devoted to bringing home a paycheck, so we may as well set ourselves up to enjoy it as much as we can to keep our mental, emotional, physical and spiritual health in good shape.”

Starting her own career as a freelance artist after studying graphic design and fine art in the mid-1980s, Banayat established a successful business.

A dozen years later, she sold the company and entered resort management with her husband. The couple bought a lake resort in Oregon’s Cascade Mountains, which presented “a rare opportunity to dive into a lifestyle” she anticipated as ideal for raising her children.

“I laugh at myself for that decision because I didn’t even know how to fish, let alone sell fishing tackle,” she chuckled, drawing comparisons to actress Ava Gabor’s city slicker socialite moving to a pig farm in the 1970s TV comedy Green Acres.

“It was hard work and an incredibly beautiful life that I would never trade,” she said. “I jokingly tell my kids that I raised them like Mowgli [the Rudyard Kipling character raised in the jungle by wolves]: out in nature, covered in dirt, where every day was an adventure.”

Later divorced, Banayat became a full-time artist, convincing high end galleries to carry her art. Soon, she “met a man, fell in love, and all was humming along fine until the economic downturn in 2008,” when stress-triggered rheumatoid arthritis toppled her dreams.

“I was no longer able to paint because the joints in my hands, arms and feet were swollen, painful, and I could no longer hold my tools,” she explained. “My fine art career came to sudden halt. I felt blindsided.”

Determined to fight the disease without medication, Banayat completed an 18-month holistic health coach certification, reversed her symptoms, and embraced another career.

“The health coach training really changed my whole perspective on life and work,” she said. “I learned how impactful stress is on humans and how it manifests in us in a multitude of ways mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. That whole experience led me to want to use my skill sets to help others, so I started a private practice out of my home working with clients one on one.”

Banayat “realized how isolated and lonely I felt working by myself every single day. I began looking for ways to collaborate with others because I just knew in my gut that others were experiencing similar problems working from home.”

Thus began the idea for WingSpace: “I have never regretted honoring my intuition or taking the road less traveled, but I take only calculated risks, looking at all sides of a venture to see if it matches up with my values, goals and the lifestyle I want. As long as I can maintain a sense of curiosity, creativity and elements of quirky fun in whatever I do, any hard work is worth doing.”

She derives great joy from “playing matchmaker” between someone who is working on a project and needs help with a logo, branding or coding a website. “I say, ‘Hey, there are a few members here that can help you with those things, let me introduce you.’ I want my members to feel like they are part of a community that cares about them, their work and their life beyond work.” QCBN

By Sue Marceau, QCBN

Considering Life in the Gig Economy

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The term “gig,” or limited engagements booked by aspiring musicians, has aptly been adopted by freelancers, independent contractors and other project-based or temporary workers across multiple industries.

The independent workstyle for business professionals grew into the popularized “gig economy” around 2009 as laid-off workers scrambled to make ends meet during the recession. Today, according to Edison Research, an estimated one-quarter of American workers earn all or partial income from gigs.   

The gig economy is the primary income source for 44% of its workers, Edison reports. The number rises to 53% among those aged 18 to 34. Overall, 51% say they work harder for their money than people traditionally employed.

Entrepreneurs must have a plan going into the gig world, advises Certified Life Coach Joy Hansen, who formed her own business because she “got burned out living for someone else’s dream. I wanted my own dream.”

Starting a gig profession is not all that different from establishing any other business, Hansen said, since all are “created on a blank slate. Most of us have been educated in a system where we are to follow the rules, so sometimes it’s challenging to create what we want. But we have the freedom to follow our own dreams and make them realities.”

Hansen stressed the wisdom of learning from others. “Follow a successful path that someone else already has walked. Know what your sales goals are and what actions you will take to achieve them. Then, create the support structures that are essential in making sure that happens.”

Data from statista.com identifies an 80% “very satisfied” or “somewhat satisfied” rating with gig career choices, despite workers’ anxiety over non-steady earnings and challenges with benefits and retirement savings. More than half of the U.S. workforce is expected to be gig-based by 2027, according to statista.

“Start now,” urged Theresa Lode, professional organizer and owner of Zany Sage Organizing. Lode helps clients “unclutter their home, head and heart” through what she characterizes as “badass organizing.” Her “deep joy and fulfillment in helping clients live uncluttered” propelled her into the business of addressing the “deeper reasons behind the clutter and therefore bring changes that are sustainable and lasting.”

“Create a plan of action and begin taking baby steps,” Lode cautioned. “Don’t quit your day job too quickly. For a reality check, spend a day (you buy lunch) with someone who is already successfully doing what you would like to do.”

Balancing being her own boss with the reality that her boss “can be difficult,” Bode acknowledges pros and cons. “I love the freedom I have, but the inconsistent cashflow can be stressful, especially when you’re still in the growth phase.”

Josh Bowen began helping people solve business problems with software because there were few tech jobs in Prescott and he refused to take a job merely for income. Bowen added that he prices by the week and is booked about two months out. Above all, he is happy with the work and “takes a lot of joy helping my clients make more money.”

Positives for Bowen include setting his own hours, accepting that accountability starts and ends with him, and choosing people with whom he wants to work. On the negative side, increased responsibility and irregular income can generate stress.

Bowen encourages workers to only go into the gig economy for “a good reason.” Using ride share drivers as an example, he explained, “They often are paid so little, that when the real costs of their time, taxes, depreciation, maintenance, wear-and-tear and other costs associated with using their own vehicle are added up, they make less than minimum wage, even though at face value, it seems like a good deal. It’s one thing to need the cash, but the long-term effects of gig work should not be taken lightly.”

Lars Faye, co-founder and technical director for Chee Studio, a business-to-business web development enterprise, said the three-employee business had a rough start, “but we’re 10-plus years deep and it’s working out great. We have grown from working in a freelance role to growing a small company and a client base that stretches across the globe. We just evolved into an S-Corp and we’re looking to bring on another intern in the next year.”

Faye recommended finding someone with whom to partner, perhaps a personal assistant, who can create and implement processes such as contract development, time management and project management to attract professional businesses and stand out from other freelancers.

“Freelancing has a bad name in many industries, and for good reason,” Faye explained. “Too many people abuse it and don’t bring along a proper sense of business acumen that many industries expect. We’ve encountered so many companies that give up on trying with freelancers because they are inconsistent and unreliable, from quality of work to communication.”

Bowen agreed that it is important that businesses know that they are getting a proven product with an independent contractor.

“If someone is going to hire a freelancer,” he said, “it should be because that person was recommended by someone they know and is treated with the same scrutiny as a full-time hire.”

Shortcomings among some gig workers have provided Chee Studio the opportunity to “bridge that gap between freelancers and team members, offering a happy medium of cost and quality, since we have built up proper systems that enable us to function more like a small business and less like a freelancer. Even though we are a small – but mighty – studio, we still have large clients and take on ambitious projects because our support system can handle them.”

Christopher and Gena Maselli of WritingMomentum.com formed a freelance writing business “using our online presence to train other writers to do the same thing we do, putting them on the fast track to success.”

The Masellis encourage careful scrutiny of individuals and agencies that pitch contracting.

“Don’t be seduced by internet gurus who want to sell you on the freedom of the entrepreneurial lifestyle,” advised Christopher Maselli. “Some people find freedom in an office with a steady paycheck. For 25 years, we did. And for that reason, it was right for us.”

Likewise, Maselli cautioned not to “get caught up in chasing one-off money-makers. A key for freelancers is establishing a relationship with a couple of ‘anchor’ clients that you can trust to provide a steady paycheck as you start your business. Over the years, increase the number of your anchor clients so the ebbs and flows of freelancing even out.”

The Masellis had been living in Dallas/Fort Worth “with millions of people, cookie-cutter houses, and a frustrating 45-minute commute to work.” Recognizing that writing enabled them to work anywhere, they traveled the U.S. last year until they were swept off their feet by Prescott. They “love the closer community, slower pace and simpler life. As freelancers, days are often still stressful and busy, but it’s a life we’re choosing rather than reacting to.”

Workers thinking about freelancing need support, Maselli added. “We’ve chosen to join Wingspace, a local co-working space with a like-minded entrepreneurial community to help us keep our focus.” QCBN

By Sue Marceau, QCBN

Gore’s Global Reach Touching Hearts at Home

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It was 10 a.m. on a Monday morning and Irene Hernandez was still asleep. Her granddaughter phoned for help after failed attempts at rousing her. It had been three days since Hernandez had ankle surgery, but doctors discovered that was not the problem. Irene, at age 62, with no usual symptoms or conditions, had suffered a stroke.

“We’ve long suspected that younger patients, who don’t have high cholesterol and hypertension, are having strokes because blood clots are reaching their brains through a hole in the heart that didn’t close at birth,” said Dr. David Leder, an interventional cardiologist at Mountain Heart in Flagstaff.

The medical condition is called a patent foramen ovale (PFO), or a flap-like hole in the heart. It affects 25% of the population.

Not all, or even most, people with a PFO will have blood-clot problems, but in the last 15 years, the condition has received more attention because young, active people are having strokes.

Jake Goble, the structural heart business leader at the W. L. Gore & Associates Medical Products Division in Flagstaff, heads up the team that has been creating and perfecting a device to keep these PFO-related strokes from recurring. It is called the GORE CARDIOFORM Septal Occluder for PFO Closure.

Preventing Second Strokes

“We wondered if there was a way to prevent strokes in young, healthy patients who have experienced a first stroke,” said Goble. “These patients are not obese, there’s no high blood pressure. It’s scary because these people don’t have typical conditions associated with stroke.”

What was happening, he explained, was a PFO was allowing blood clots to pass from the right side of the heart to the left side, travel to the brain and block a brain blood vessel, which would cause a stroke in a small number of people. Ordinarily, that clot would have been dissolved in the lungs, but the hole in the heart was allowing a passageway to the brain.

Dr. Leder explains that we all have a hole in the wall, the septum, that divides the upper chambers of the heart while in the womb. “When we are born, the tissues between the right and left atria fuse together in most people.”

Gore’s product information describes it like this: “Before birth, a baby’s heart will have a hole with a flap-like covering between the upper two chambers of the heart. This opening (the foramen ovale) allows blood-rich oxygen from the mother to bypass the baby’s lungs, which do not function until the baby is born. After birth, the flap-like covering will typically close the hole permanently. However, in about one out of every four individuals, the hole in the heart will remain open.”

“With these types of strokes, there wasn’t convincing data that would suggest closing the hole would prevent a future stroke,” said Goble. But that changed last year with the conclusion of a decade-long process involving clinical studies for stroke prevention and the benefits of the GORE CARDIOFORM Septal Occluder.

“I was one of the first to see the data,” said Goble. “We were blinded to the outcomes of the trial. In a study like this, you don’t want to have any influence by the sponsor. When we had the big reveal, I almost fell out of my chair to see how positive it was, to see those numbers flash up on the screen and the probability of this being a good benefit, as good as it could be – 77% better – than using only anti-platelet medication, like aspirin, for these patients.”

Late last year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of the GORE CARDIOFORM Septal Occluder for PFO Closure. “It’s a game changer,” he said. “Gore was the first company meeting its clinical endpoints to address stroke prevention in this space. And we are excited to see how this product is inserting itself into clinical practice.”

Device Works Like a Sandwich

The CARDIOFORM Septal Occluder is made of Gore’s patented ePTFE material that has been used in open-heart surgery for more than 40 years. It is supported by a thin wire frame and takes on a sort of butterfly shape with “wings” that close the hole on both sides of the septum.

Goble, whose team designed the delivery system as well as the Occluder, says the device is released and positioned from a catheter inserted into a blood vessel through a small incision in the groin. “It’s very much a straight shot. The tip of the catheter crosses the hole, pushes out the left disc and draws it to the wall of the upper chamber of the heart. It then pushes out the right disc on the other side of the hole. Essentially, it’s a sandwich of left disc, heart tissue, right disc.”

Doctors use ultrasound and X-ray in real time to see the movement as the Occluder is positioned in place. 

“There’s a lot of elegance to the design, which is a tribute to the ingenuity of the engineers and how they organically developed it here inside the four walls of Gore. Also, biocompatibility is one of the unique features of Gore’s ePTFE material,” said Goble.

Dr. Leder was the first to use the latest generation of this device in Flagstaff. He has performed three CARDIOFORM Septal Occluder surgeries at Flagstaff Medical Center, including the one for Hernandez in March.

“It’s a procedure patients tolerate well and it’s very rewarding. Being able to use Gore products and treat patients locally is a unique opportunity, so patients don’t have to drive to the Valley,” he said. “Stroke is a debilitating disease and lowering the risk, especially in young, active people, is a great service.”

Dr. Leder was familiar with Gore products before moving to Flagstaff two years ago from Chicago, where he served as an interventional cardiologist at AMITA Health Medical Group Heart and Vascular in Hinsdale, Illinois. He was surprised to learn the medical products were developed here. “Gore is a high-quality company that makes wonderful products,” he said. “This community is very invested in Gore. The employees are good people and represent the company very well. They are very proud to work for Gore.”

Today, Hernandez is still recovering from her ankle surgery as a result of a car accident, but her heart surgery is just a memory. Other than a slight tenderness from the catheter insertion in her leg, the Flagstaff Unified School District special needs aide reports no discomfort. “I had great doctors and I feel good!” QCBN

By Bonnie Stevens, QCBN

For more information about the GORE CARDIOFORM Septal Occluder, click on About PFO on the GoreMedical.com website and hear Kathryn’s story, a compelling testimonial from a young athlete and stroke survivor.

Bashford Courts Renovation Expected to be Completed This Month

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Renovation of the Bashford Courts Atrium Mall in historic downtown Prescott is expected to be completed this month. Located in the Bashford-Burmister building on Gurley Street, the popular retail center of specialty shops is undergoing an estimated $350,000 renovation. 

Craig Hannay, through his Phoenix-based investment and management company, bought the historic property from businessman Richard Calabrese for $4.95 million in July 2018. Hannay, who grew up in Prescott, recalls when the building housed the JCPenney store.   

During the past several months, the interior of the 33,300-square-foot, three-story building has been undergoing significant changes. Renovations include the removal of wallpaper in some areas and placement of brick veneer. Some walls are being repainted in earth tones and cabinetry is being removed to create a more open look. Wood floors are being restored, restrooms are being upgraded, sliding front doors and additional lighting are being added. Efforts have been made to retain the historic character of the landmark building.

Unique shops include spa products, Western wear, Southwestern art and gifts, a foot-spa/reflexology store and a new bakery. An import store on the second floor will feature unusual items from throughout the world. Several new tenants will be opening their shops, too. The center is anchored by the Prescott Brewing Company.

Prescott Mayor Greg Mengarelli applauded renovation efforts in downtown Prescott, saying he admires the vision that will transform the shopping center into an attractive, appealing and customer-friendly retail experience.

The mail is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sunday. QCBN

By Ray Newton, QCBN

Mob Burgers Celebrating Four Years on the Fourth

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Stroll into Marino’s Mob Burgers and Ice Cream parlor and you are not likely to escape the eye of General Manager Esther Mendoza. Elegantly bedazzled in sequence and jewels reminiscent of the Roaring ’20s, Mendoza will have an endearing nickname and a “we’ve-known-each-other-forever” greeting that draws you in.

Nevermind the hand-pressed fresh, never frozen, beef patties or the irreplaceable Thrifty ice cream that make this a local hangout, the secret ingredients that keep guests coming back are the respect, kindness and love that Mendoza and the costumed staff serve up in generous helpings.

“It’s kind of like going into a ‘mom and pop’ place. From the time you walk in the door, you’re treated with a fun time. I like to joke around with the customers, we have names for everyone and we want to play with them. They have names for me, too, like ‘Pearl’ because of the pearls around my neck, or ‘Mama,’” she said.

With all the unbridled spirit of the Old West, Mendoza hands out silverware and cautions diners to be careful with their “weapons.” She trains servers to come to work to play, as well. Dressing the part is in the contract for the front of the house. Mob Burgers provides dresses, jewelry, bow ties, suspenders and fedoras, but Mendoza has learned that staff members enjoy owning and wearing their own costumes.

Dave and Sherry Marino, the owners who previously opened Marino’s Corner Bistro, have enjoyed much success with the restaurant in its five years of operation. “If you believe in God, it was meant to be,” said Dave. “Every door was opened every time we’d come up against an obstacle that would be a show stopper.”

“It’s been fabulous! We have great employees and great food. Esther puts her heart and soul into this place,” said Sherry.

Mendoza, like many locals, grew up enjoying burgers and shakes under the same roof, when the establishment was known as Kendall’s Famous Burgers and Ice Cream. “It brought back so much history when I was a young girl of 13 or 14 years old coming into this location after school.”

Now, at age 40, Mendoza wants to repeat the same joy and warmth she felt with today’s kids. “We have a big clientele of students. You should see Fridays and Wednesdays! They write us notes telling us this is their favorite place.”

Before opening, the Marinos renovated the building. “We took down the low ceiling and found the 1900s’ version of the dining room. Everything in there was more than 100 years old. The original tin ceiling had too many holes in it from the old stove that used to heat the building, so we replaced it.”

They found a company on the East Coast that could match the old tin ceiling, complete with the Prescott stamp. They also removed walls, installed a new floor and exposed the brick. During the renovation, they found evidence of the Home Bakery owned by the Hume family from the 1860s. The Marinos are considering bringing back the bakery.

“We love the history of the town and we have the biggest desire to preserve it, not cover it,” said Dave. “We love our customers. Some, who are in their 70s and 80s now, came here when they were kids.”

Marino’s Mob Burger and Ice Cream is located at 113 S. Cortez Street, on the square in historic downtown Prescott. The Mob’s gang is planning to celebrate its fourth anniversary on the Fourth of July in classic all-American style with an ice cream bash. For more information, call 928-515-1690. QCBN

By Bonnie Stevens, QCBN

Local Meadery Gaining Global Attention

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Jeff and Jennifer Herbert of Prescott started with an unknown home-brewing operation and now, just seven years later, have won the federal Small Business Administration (SBA) “Small Business Persons of the Year in Arizona” award

The Herberts, owners of Superstition Meadery, will travel to Washington, D.C., to attend the award ceremony on May 5-6. They represent Arizona among the 53 businesses from all states and U.S. territories to be honored. The week before, on May 2, the Herberts will be recognized at the state level during the 26th Arizona SBA Enterprise Business Awards luncheon in Scottsdale.

Speaking for both, Jeff Herbert told the Quad Cities Business News, “We were stunned to hear we’d been selected from among all the small businesses in Arizona to receive such a prestigious award. We’re humbled that our business, Superstition Meadery, has achieved such high recognition at the national level.”

SBA Administrator Linda McMahon said she is privileged to honor a man and woman who represent the best among 30 million small businesses across the country.

Superstition Meadery Products Now Distributed Nationally, Internationally

In 2008, when they first made mead at their former home in Apache Junction, the Herberts had no idea that their homebrewing adventure would win them national and international acclaim. Jeff explained, “My first homebrew was a stout recipe. Before that first beer was finished fermenting, I visited a homebrew store and asked for a mead recipe. It turned out that my first meads tasted much better than my first beers.” While Jeff and Jennifer did not know it at the time, many of those early homebrew meads evolved into recipes that they make commercially today.

In 2012, one year after moving to Prescott, they established the first Alternating Proprietorship in Arizona, which is where one separate licensed winery leases space from another. At the former Juniper Well Ranch and Vineyards in Skull Valley, they shared production and packaging equipment. In just four bourbon barrels and one stainless fermenter, they made 300 gallons of mead and cider. Two production facilities later, Superstition Meadery had become the largest winery in Arizona by the end of 2017.

“We think by the end of this year, we’ll have produced 39,000 gallons of product, including mead, hard cider and even hard seltzer and zinfandel wine,” said Jeff.

The Herberts’ initial success with those first mead products led them to move from Skull Valley to Prescott. They opened Superstition Meadery as a retail business in a historic downtown building on Gurley Street. Locals tasted the mead and liked it. Its reputation grew. Before long, out-of-towners and tourists helped spread the word.

In less than a decade, the Herberts have expanded the market for their mead to virtually every community in Arizona. They also ship to 37 other states and to Washington, D.C. Sales do not stop at the U.S. border. Now, their products are available at select European retailers in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Belgium and also in Asia in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Thailand.

Jeff grinned when he said, “Mead is the most delicious beverage you’ve probably never had.” He then explained that the variety of flavors is unlimited. “In our production facility, we have made over 200 unique meads and hard ciders. They range from dry to sweet, and can be sparkling. We’re always developing new flavors.”

As founding members of the American Mead Makers Association (AMMA), Jeff and Jennifer played an important role in defining and growing the modern mead industry. Jeff served as a board member and editor of the AMMA journal, and they helped draft legislation that was introduced to the U.S. Congress. When they started Superstition Meadery, about 150 mead makers existed in the U.S. Today, there are more than 600, with 200 more in the planning phase.

What is Mead?

According to the Herberts, mead is an alcoholic beverage that results from fermenting honey with water or fruit juice with the option to blend in other flavors from spices, fruits, grains or hops. Historically, mead is one of the oldest alcoholic beverages known to man. Evidence of honey being used in fermented drinks dates to 7,000 BC in China.

The defining characteristic of mead is that the beverage’s fermentable sugar comes from honey. The Herberts’ source for pure Arizona honey is Crockett’s Honey in Tempe. When the opportunity arises, they also enjoy working with small local beekeepers to create traditional meads that highlight unique honey varietals like ironwood and catclaw. However, they create many of their dozens of distinctive flavors by identifying and buying the best international ingredients they can find, such as saffron from Morocco, or vanilla beans from Tahiti.

They produce the mead in a production facility they designed and built in 2016 and now are expanding. They have 25 employees, many of whom share round-the-clock duties in supervising the complex production process.

The mead and hard ciders ferment in expensive 1,000-gallon stainless steel tanks. Many of the products are aged in hundreds of toasted and charred oak barrels stacked four high on racks in a carefully monitored, climate-controlled building on the northeast edge of Prescott Regional Airpark. Following the bottling process in the same building, the beverages are boxed and distributed locally, nationally and internationally.

In Prescott, Superstition Meadery has thousands of bottles shelved in a tasting room located at 120. W. Gurley. It is open seven days a week. But soon, the mead will be available in a much larger Arizona market.

“What’s really exciting is that we’re expanding our retail sales to Phoenix. We’ll soon open our new place called Superstition Downtown, which is located between award-winning Chef Chris Bianco’s Pizzeria Bianco and the new Pane Bianco restaurant just east of the downtown core,” Jeff explained. It will be on the northeast corner of 11th and Washington streets. They hope to open in early 2020.

The Herberts are enthusiastic about their business future and are thrilled that six of their brews were recently included in the Ratebeer.com list of the 15 best meads in the world. Jeff added, “We’re proud to share our delicious beverages with everyone.”

For more information, visit Superstitionmeadery.com or call 928-458-4256. QCBN

By Ray Newton, QCBN

Designing a Life; Growing a Business

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“If you put energy, focus and heart into what you desire, it will unfold for you,” said Sadie Sarti, owner of Sadie Sarti Design Co. “So, be positive, think big, believe in people and businesses, and do good in your community. If we believe in ourselves and follow these ideas, we can live a fulfilling life.”

Sarti has applied her philosophy to her career, family and community, and is now leading four employees in web and graphic design.

“It’s a fun and inspiring place to work,” Sarti said. “We are a growing business where each time we hire a new employee it is like adding someone to our family. We have a great time collaborating and discussing our projects as we work together.”

The company helps clients reach target audiences with design and messaging. “I love the word-of-mouth referrals. There is no bigger compliment than someone referred by one of my existing clients calling to ask about a new website. We strive to be really authentic with everyone we work with and help them achieve their goals. It is rewarding to see that we accomplish that and our clients appreciate us for it.”

Cherishing relationships while tending to business, Sarti spends her working hours managing, supporting and interacting with clients, prospects, designers and other professionals.   

“I wake up to my two beautiful boys, now 9 and 11, get us ready for the day and run them to school. When I arrive at the office, usually with a cup of coffee in hand, I look over the email communications for the day. The time I actually get to do design work is limited at this point, but I love providing feedback and pushing my designers in the direction that best fits the client.”

Sarti learned about computer systems from two brothers who tinkered building them. Her   parents had careers as fine artists. The family would travel the country to galleries and museums, discussing composition and design. Those encounters were “very influential in shaping my view of art and design,” she says, and spurred her to study art and art history at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado.

Sarti had no inkling then that she would pursue graphic design, a discipline that beckoned after college and after she got married. With her first son on the way, it also gave her the opportunity to work from home. 

Sarti had performed website maintenance for a fine art print company, which became her first client. She expanded services to Durango-area businesses and designed real estate flyers. When a friend established a rafting company, he hired Sarti to create the website.       

“I had never built a site from scratch, but I took the challenge and learned a great deal from that experience. I found I had a real talent for understanding all the complexities of that field, as well as how to use my artistic background to help businesses visually organize their content in an effective way.”

Businesses had just begun to recognize the importance of a strong web presence, a trend still demanding quality web design 11 years later. 

“It is rewarding to work with so many local businesses and organizations. The work that we do stays incredibly interesting because of the wide variety of subjects we are introduced to. From non-profit missions to selling spices, we never know what our next project will have us dive into.”

Sarti believes success is as much about an owner/manager choosing the right people as the cohesiveness of the group they have become. 

“My design team [was created based on] their talent as well as how I thought they would fit into our team,” Sarti explained. “We spend a lot of time together and collaborate on most projects. I needed a team that would be good thinkers, get along and work together while complementing each other’s skills.” 

Despite the pressure of so much to accomplish during the limited hours of any given day, Sarti said she loves the independence of business ownership. Her downtown Prescott location enables her to walk to many clients’ offices, providing a sense of community.

“All the hats that I wear as a business owner gets exhausting sometimes, but we always figure out how to get all the work done,” she added. “Changing technology and troubleshooting challenges are big as well; we have to stay up on these changes so that we can be current with our offerings.”

Despite the intense workload, she also has volunteered for the past nine years with Prescott Area Young Professionals (PAYP) and recently joined the board of Prescott Downtown Partnership (PDP). Yoga and hiking help her stay focused.

Family is Sarti’s greatest reward. “I have to just walk away from my to-do list when it is time to pick up my boys. I really enjoy being a mom, attending school events and watching baseball games. I make sure that I prioritize my family at every important moment.” QCBN

By Sue Marceau, QCBN

Making Later Life Easier

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With the number of people living to the age of 85 and beyond expected to double from more than 6.4 million today to 14.6 million by 2040, companies like Comfort Keepers are expecting the demand to continuously increase for those needing day-to-day assistance.

Comfort Keepers provides as much or as little help required to enable the elderly to live in their homes as long as possible. Services include providing meals, doing shopping, running errands, reminding about medication, performing light housekeeping and laundry, and also personal care.

Owner Cindy Harris says Comfort Keepers strives to get the client involved in life again.

“Like when they [the caregivers] are cooking a favorite meal, they ask the client to help them with the recipe. We try to make it interactive.”

Jim Ellis and his wife, who are in their 80s, have been clients of Comfort Keepers for the past eight years. “I don’t know what we would have done without them,” said the Flagstaff resident. “They have been a lifesaver for us. We started out three days a week and right now, we are having them seven days a week, twice a day. They are the first people here to help out whenever necessary.”

Ellis’s wife has Alzheimer’s, but with the company’s support, she has been able to stay at home. “That has been a real comfort to both me and her,” Ellis said.

Harris, who has been with the company since 2003, is the owner of Comfort Keepers in Prescott Valley, Flagstaff, Payson, Phoenix, Scottsdale and Fountain Hills. She says she is very careful about who she hires. “I am proud of how we hire the caregivers here. There is a huge caregiver shortage and its going to get worse.”

Harris grew up with four stepbrothers and two half sisters. Born in New Mexico, her father’s engineering job took the family to numerous states. “Our last major venture was in Kayenta on the Navajo reservation. My father was the assistant superintendent for the Black Mesa Pipeline. We lived there for five years.

“The boys and girls were all friends who explored this vast area together,” she said. “We made our own fun playing baseball, swimming, riding motorcycles and exploring caves.”

She finished high school in Flagstaff.

Harris loves music, especially country and piano-based blues. “I love to dance and laugh.”

An animal lover, she has had as many as three dogs at one time. For fun, she enjoys time with friends, taking them exploring in her CanAm side-by-side, and having a good red wine with dinner.

“Lake Powell is my favorite place to revisit,” she said, but adds that her heart is with her clients and her business.

“I had always wanted a business of my own. I can go to work every day, but I wanted to do something that makes a difference. If I spend time with a client, it grounds me. It brings me back to life.”

Harris receives letters and thank-you cards from clients and their families. “That makes me realize why I am here.”

Steve Nunn, who lives in Phoenix, has Comfort Keepers watch over his 92-year-old father, Jimmie Nunn, who lives in Flagstaff. For the last five years, the staff has far exceeded his expectations. “Some of the caregivers are particularly good and proactive. They let me know if something might need attention in the house,” he said. “When I found I needed to make changes with what I would like to do for my father, they have been very accommodating.”

Caregivers receive training updates, especially for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients. They learn how to handle different scenarios and help family members, who can sometimes become frustrated.

Harris also works with a company that helps veterans who didn’t know they qualify for free in-home care. QCBN

By Patty McCormac, QCBN

To learn more about Comfort Keepers, call 928-541-0888.

Verde Ranch RV Resort Set for August Opening  

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Reservations are being taken for Verde Ranch RV Resort, located off Highway 260 near Camp Verde. The facility offers more than 400 full hookup RV sites and vacation rental cabins. 

“There is so much to see and do, we can’t wait to share Verde Ranch with our guests,” said Lisa Harold, chief operating officer of Contemporary Resorts and Residences, developer of the new RV and vacation rental community. “Verde Ranch is well under way and it is gorgeous. Our onsite amenities include a pool, two Jacuzzis, pickleball courts, clubhouse, river recreation access, fitness center, pet parks and other features designed to give our guests the royal treatment.” Harold added that firepits, walking trails, concierge kayak and ATV rentals and other services are all part of the Verde Ranch plan. 

The Verde River runs through the Verde Ranch RV Resort, which is scheduled to open in August. For more information, visit verderanchrvresort.com. WCBN 

 
 

Photo caption:  

Renderings show solar-covered RV sites. 

Courtesy image 

 

Volunteers are Not Free

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It’s been said that time is our most valuable asset. So, it’s an incredibly precious gift when someone volunteers to give it away. It may be providing labor for a project, like building a home in a developing nation; or offering expertise, like when retired business people volunteer for organizations like SCORE to mentor budding entrepreneurs; or serving people in need, like dishing up meals at the Flagstaff Family Foodbank.

Volunteers are found in non-profit organizations and for-profit businesses. But Keith Davenport, a public relations executive who has been in charge of massive events for Disney and the Olympics, reminds us that volunteers are not free. “They need food, t-shirts, praise. Moments before the event should be the most exciting and inspirational,” he said. “I want this to be an amazing experience for everyone involved.”

Fill a Sandbag, Change Your Life

There are many reasons why people volunteer. Here are three:

1

It’s good for your health. Global Vision International (GVI) says studies show that helping others takes our minds off of our own problems. The GVI website states, “Your stress levels start to decrease, your immune system is strengthened and your overall sense of life satisfaction increases.” A friend of mine reports she pulled herself out of depression by exiting her pity party and volunteering for a mental health facility to listen to others who were suffering. She says that’s the moment her healing began. 

2

It’s an opportunity to give to a cause in which you believe or something for which you have a passion. Animal lovers on the island of Kauai volunteer at the local shelter to take a dog on a hike. Surfers in California and New Jersey take kids with cognitive and/or physical disabilities out on their boards through The Best Day Foundation.

3

  It builds skills and can boost your career. Volunteers come with a wide variety of talents or none at all. It’s likely you’ll learn some things that can be listed on your résumé later, and it could be a great networking opportunity. Relationships happen while filling sandbags.  

Costs Associated with Volunteers

The idea of recruiting volunteers always seems to sound great – especially for organizations that are low on funds and have work that needs to get done. But managing volunteers is a job. Plenty of organizations have paid positions, “Volunteer Coordinators,” who do this. When volunteers are out building trails around Flagstaff, Williams or Sedona, you can be sure someone in the Forest Service has set up the trail-building event, has identified tasks and locations, is providing tools and safety gear, has arranged transportation, put together a risk assessment report and will have first aid, water and snacks available. And no doubt, someone in HR has written a job description for both the coordinator and the volunteer. All of this takes time, expertise and money.

If you haven’t thought through the process of organizing volunteers and assigning specific tasks, you’ll learn in a hurry that you’ve asked people to stand around and look at you, waiting for direction. This is a pretty uncomfortable position to be in and a horrific waste of human resources.

Volunteers need and want something in return. it might be free admission to a concert, exercise in the outdoors, a meal, time with a Disney princess, a merit badge or class credit. They most certainly may also need and want a motivational talk and a celebration at the completion of the project. Sometimes a verbal thank you is enough; often, a volunteers’ lunch and awards ceremony is in order.

When Volunteering Doesn’t Work

Volunteering is a wonderful thing, but volunteering does not work in the workplace. For example, when someone says, “I’ll watch the phones for you while you go to a doctor’s appointment, or attend a workshop, or visit your grandmother,” it doesn’t really matter what the reason is, when someone “volunteers” to fill in for you at work, the stage is set for payback or resentment.

 I’ve worked for more than one organization that gives the “teamwork” speech at the annual company picnic about how we’re all in this together and how we help each other out because that’s our culture. That’s a setup for failure. It leads to unrealistic expectations and what I call “assigning responsibility without authority.” 

 Let’s say your job description requires you to accomplish some task, but your position is not equipped with staff to get the work done or funds to pay for hired help. Reminding co-workers about the field day where everybody bonded over rope climbing drills and thus, “you need to stop doing your job and help lead a factory tour for a troupe of traveling mimes from our sister city because the company says ‘we’re a team,’” won’t get the job done. You have no authority to expect others to participate in accomplishing the goal; yet, it’s your responsibility to lead the company in international mime visits and you will be held accountable.

 I can only remember one supervisor in 25 years of public relations jobs who had the foresight to add “public education and outreach” into everyone’s job description. Even if you worked in computers and rarely spoke to humans, you could be held accountable in your annual evaluation for participating in activities that engaged with the public about the company’s mission, products or services. It became everybody’s responsibility because everybody’s job description said so. Some charter schools require students to perform so many hours of public service before they graduate. Sure, they are volunteering, but they are also receiving something in return.

 Volunteers are wonderful, but they aren’t free. It’s important to think through the true costs before posting the recruitment fliers, or asking a co-worker to attend that meeting for you while you’re doing so. QCBN

 By Bonnie Stevens 

Bonnie Stevens is a public relations consultant. She can be reached at bonnie.stevens@gmail.com.