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Superhosts Share Tips for Short-Term Rental Success

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  Airbnb designation attracts visitors, increases revenue.

Wendy Chavis designed and built her Prescott home to raise her teenaged daughters. But empty nest syndrome began to emerge when they left home after high school. “Airbnb took the empty nest right out of the house,” declared the Airbnb Superhost.

From her four-bedroom home, guests can see the mountains and are close to the Prescott National Forest. “The online description of my Airbnb talks about plenty of peace and quiet, so it brings in the kind of guest that fits right in,” said Chavis, a residential sales realtor with Weichert, Realtors – CLA. “I get many female solo travelers who are attracted to the description.”

And through their glowing reviews, they attract more visitors to her home. “It seems like a blessing for all who come, so it’s an honor to provide a welcoming space. I anticipate my guests’ needs, like bringing a cup of hot tea to a weary traveler arriving late.”

A Badge of Honor

Every quarter, Airbnb evaluates the hosting performance of the past 12 months for all listings on the host’s account. Hosting performance is measured on various criteria, including response rate, cancelation rate and overall rating. Hosts must maintain a 4.8 rating to earn the Superhost badge.

“The Superhost program was created in 2014 to celebrate and reward the top-rated and most experienced Airbnb hosts,” report Airbnb officials in a news release. “Regardless of what kind of space they list on the platform – from a simple spare room to a sprawling estate – any host can become a Superhost by consistently offering exceptional hospitality. And it pays off.”

Indeed, the typical Superhost earned 64% more than a regular host, according to the Airbnb report.

Airbnb identifies its Superhosts with a special badge in the online marketplace for vacation rentals, indicating to potential guests that their short-term homestays have been reviewed and rated positively by previous lodgers.

Providing Comfort

Superhost Beth Tucker of Flagstaff is an 11-year Airbnb veteran with many repeat guests. “I enjoy meeting the guests,” she said. “I meet them and help them have an experience. I want people to come back and dig the area. It gives me great pleasure to hear, ‘I didn’t know there was so much to do here!’”

Tucker worked and traveled in developing countries for her job before retiring. “I feel I gained insight from those travel experiences and can provide comforts. Everybody travels differently, but being able to anticipate the guest’s needs makes me successful.”

One way she makes guests feel at home is to turn the internet radio onto a station streaming from the guest’s home country. “I had people from the Netherlands come in, so I set the radio to an Amsterdam station. Turns out they were getting homesick, so the radio in their native language really helped. You need to think about what kind of situation your guest is in.”

Creating Experiences

Darryl Brown, who rents out two rooms in his Flagstaff home, also earned the Superhost designation. “I made a separate entrance and closed [the rooms] off from the rest of my home. I had a blast creating the space, furnishing and decorating,” he told Quad Cities Business News. “I tried to make each space beautiful, fun and a different experience from what people have in their own homes.”

Brown says Airbnb success comes from “tangible” and “intangible” elements. “Photography catches people’s eye, but before long, people are booking on your reviews, so reviews have to be high. The feedback I get on my place is that people love the interior design and attention to detail. I have unique furniture, art, quality linens, a comfy bed and a beautiful bathroom. I have good coffee, tea and hot cocoa,” said Brown, who has been an Airbnb host for the past five years.

“I have seen short-term rentals done irresponsibly where large homes are rented out and the guests are loud and disrespectful to the neighborhood,” he added. “An aspect of being a good businessperson means respecting the community you are a part of.”

While earning the Superhost designation can pay off with more bookings, Superhosts like Wendy Chavis say they just feel really good about welcoming and taking care of guests. “I like the idea of maintaining my home and yard for people who are appreciative,” she said. QCBN

By Stacey Wittig, QCBN

Stacey Wittig is a travel journalist based near Flagstaff. If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to her website at unstoppablestaceytravel.com.

Photo by Kay Lyons: Airbnb Superhost Wendy Chavis of Prescott enjoys anticipating guests’ needs, providing special touches and making their stay a memorable visit. 

Understanding Your Customers Through Data

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Customer tracking data is extremely valuable, he says.

Knowing where Quad Cities customers are traveling from helps business owners know where to send marketing messages about their products and services. Regional Economic Development Center economist and data analyst Ryan Jones says knowledge about demographics are key to making effective business decisions. He shared information about tools that can help inform businesses with the Chino Valley Chamber of Commerce last month.

Customer tracking data is extremely valuable, he says. Whenever cell phone customers download apps, companies download data about the customers and sell it to other companies.

Buxton and Placer.ai are two companies that capture such information. With information from cell phone apps, these companies can acquire customers’ marital status, income and education level.

For example, the data show that 73% of visitors to the Founding Fathers Collective in Prescott live within 25 miles of the entity, but they also come from Phoenix and Bagdad, Arizona.

“They know where you live so they can tell how much you make and have customer profiles,” said Jones. “They can tell how likely someone is to visit Founding Fathers.”

Jones points out that grocery stores like to serve a population of about 14,000 people. While Chino Valley’s population is slightly below that, the Safeway there remains one of the busiest in the country. Thus, data helps companies determine their market reach based on elements beyond simply the number of people who live in the area.

He said the data reveals that 27% of the workforce in Chino Valley and 30% in Prescott and elsewhere in Yavapai County commute to Maricopa County for jobs. Also, the Prescott area is one of the most expensive in the state for cost of living.

One of the reasons for residents working in Maricopa County is the difference in salaries. The median salary 2020, while the national wage average for job postings in the U.S. has gone up 17% during that time. in Chino Valley is $38,200, and Prescott is $38,600, while the median salary in Phoenix is $42,600, compared to $43,400 for the country.

Meanwhile, wages advertised for job postings for Chino Valley and Prescott have increased 33% since 2020, while the national wage average for job postings in the U.S. has gone up 17% during that time.

Jones says Chino Valley has more jobs than expected with workers in government, retail and construction. He said the government jobs are considered secure while construction jobs are risky. Sixty percent of the workers in Yavapai County are employed by small businesses.

Using 2020 census figures, Jones reports that Chino Valley’s population has grown by 21% since 2010, while the state has grown 14% during that time.

Fifty-five percent of the residents are 18 to 64 years old, while 29% are 64 or older.

He also reported a trend that many Chino Valley residents are moving to Wyoming, noting that Chino Valley and Wyoming both have cowboy cultures and an appreciation for freedom.

Jones moved here from Minnesota 18 months ago. His degree from the University of Wisconsin is in financial investments and banking. He also studied business and economics in China. QCBN

By Stan Bindell, QCBN

Photo by Stan Bindell: Regional Economic Development Center data analyst Ryan Jones shared the importance of customer demographics with Chino Valley businesses. 

Former River Runner Develops All-Natural Skincare Products for Arizona Outdoor Lifestyle

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Wandering the West collection available in Prescott and across the country.

Winter conditions in Northern Arizona can be brutal on your skin. DeeAnn Tracy, who has been developing all-natural, plant-based skincare products for the high elevation outdoor lifestyle since 1993, knows that well. The outdoorswoman grew up in the northland’s four seasons.

“Northern Arizona’s sun and wind are particularly brutal on skin because of the high elevation. We’re up on the plateau, and the elements are more intense here,” said Tracy, owner of Peak Scents.

“With so many days of sunshine here, we naturally have more exposure to the sun,” she said. “It’s that sun and wind that makes it so dry here in Northern Arizona.”

Tracy grew up in Flagstaff and spent time under the extreme sun as a river runner in the Grand Canyon. “My background as a rafting guide helped me see the need for non-chemical sun protection. I could wear sunscreen, but it would get in my eyes – I couldn’t see! Also, guests would get rashes [from some types of sunscreen], so I developed something non-chemical.”

Before her river running days, Tracy trained at Winter Sun Trading Company, a Southwest botanical shop owned by her mother, ethnobotanist Phyllis Hogan.

“Growing up in the herbal apothecary, I learned the way herbs could protect and heal our skin,” said the Flagstaff High School graduate. “After school, I ran Winter Sun. Customers would ask me for all-natural skincare products, but there were not many available at that time. So after hours, I started developing my own line.”

After graduating from Northern Arizona University, Tracy studied at the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine to learn more. Today, her experiences with her mother’s herbal apothecary, botanical medicine schooling and a love for the outdoors have come together to innovate skincare products that give people results without harmful chemicals.

“Unfortunately, the outdoors that we love so much wreaks havoc on our skin,” the herbalist said in a video on the Peak Scents website. “I drew on my background in herbal medicine and started making herbal-based, toxin-free skincare products for outdoor enthusiasts who need it the most.”

Tracy designed the plant-based skincare products to protect skin from harmful UV rays while keeping it moisturized and hydrated. The woman-owned business handcrafts creams, mists and facial serums with pure herbs, vitamins and minerals.

“We source from a wide variety of suppliers and try to source as local as possible,” she said. As a result, many of the all-natural, toxic-free ingredients are native to the area.

“A woman on the Hualapai Nation harvests the pinyon pitch [an ingredient in the Pinyon Pine Balm]. The distiller for our sage essential oil is out of Utah. Kate Waters of Wild Heart Farms in Rimrock is growing roses for us next season. I used to do foraging, but I just don’t have time to do it anymore.”

It’s no wonder. Tracy runs a business concurrently with handmaking the plant-based skincare goods and developing formulas for new collections.

Peak Scents offers five collections, including:

Power Repair is her first skincare line, created to help fellow river runners, which has a foaming cleanser, toner, serum, sunscreen and face mist.

Organic Rose Phyto³ is formulated with rare selections of restorative proprietary ingredients like plant stem cells, peptides and powerful superfruit extracts.

Body Nürish offers facial masks, body scrubs and formulas that are created to keep dry, mature, sensitive skin radiant and glowing.

The Super Salve Co., a sister company founded by Tracy’s sister, Denise, in 1990, offers natural herbal skincare for the whole body.

Wandering The West Apothecary is created with plants that grow in the American Southwest. Formulas feature the highest quality herbal extracts, oils and butters that soothe and calm dry, chapped skin.

“Wandering the West was born out of a gift line for visitors; now it’s in natural product stores across the nation,” Tracy said. That happened in 2016 when an airport gift shop group reached out to Tracy to design a collection of skincare products that would fit the needs of visitors to Arizona.

Wandering the West collection is available at Fite and Son’s Mercantile and Ice Cream in Prescott, airport gift shops at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, Rainbow’s End and Winter Sun Trading Company in downtown Flagstaff, Indian Gardens Cafe & Market in Oak Creek, L’Auberge de Sedona and Xanterra giftshops in Williams and the Grand Canyon. The popular collection is also available online and in the Flagstaff shop.

The five-person team at Peak Scents includes Tracy and her husband, Eric Brown, who is involved in production.

Peak Scents has partnered with American Rivers to help protect wild rivers and conserve clean water for people and nature. The company also partners with Greenspark and Eden Projects to offset their carbon footprint. In addition, Peak Scents donates to Eden Projects to plant a tree with every online purchase.

Last August, as part of Peak Scents’ commitment to reducing waste, the business brought in a line of refillable products, including hand and body soap, lotion, massage oil, dish soap and laundry products. Shoppers can bring their own containers or buy refillable containers at the shop. “It feels good to reuse containers,” Tracy said.

What’s next for Peak Scents? “When I slow down, I want to be a beekeeper,” said Tracy with a smile. “Then we can use the beeswax in our collections.” QCBN

By Stacey Wittig, QCBN

Products can be ordered online at peakscents.com. Peak Scents Plant Based Skincare Collections

1000 E. Butler Avenue, Suite 101, Flagstaff

M-Th 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Fri: 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

Sat: 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

928-556-9499

peakscents.com

Two-Day Pecan, Wine Festival Returns to Camp Verde

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Fifteen of the best local wineries within the Verde Valley will be in attendance, pouring their newest releases by the glass, bottle and case.

Saturday, March 18 through Sunday, March 19 marks the 22ndAnnual Camp Verde Pecan & Wine Festival hosted by the Verde Valley Wine Consortium and the Town of Camp Verde, sponsored by Yavapai College and the Southwest Wine Center, SRP, the Arizona Office of Tourism and Larry Green Chevrolet. Celebrating two of the area’s prime tourism draws – wine and pecans – the free festival will feature 15 Arizona wineries along with a variety of pecans for pairing, a very competitive Pecan Pie contest, a Budweiser Beer Garden, food trucks and 70+ local artisans.

 “The Verde Valley American Viticulture Area (AVA) has achieved so much acclaim since its designation in 2021 that we are expecting a great turnout this year,” said Parks and Recreation Manager Michael Marshall.

Fifteen of the best local wineries within the Verde Valley will be in attendance, pouring their newest releases by the glass, bottle and case.

Wine tasting tickets (for attendees 21+) are available for $20 in advance by visiting www.verdevalleywine.org or https://www.eventbrite.com/e/camp-verde-pecan-and-wine-festival-tickets-479518782587.

Tickets will also be available at the door for $25 per person. Both include a commemorative glass provided by the Arizona Office of Tourism and six wine tasting tickets. Additional wine tasting tickets will be available for purchase at the event.

The festival runs 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday, March 18 and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday, March 19 in downtown Camp Verde (75 E. Hollamon Street). QCBN

For more information, visit cvaz.org or verdevalleywine.org.

Verde Valley Caregivers Driving Healthcare Solutions

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Verde Valley Caregivers Coalition provides transportation for elderly, disabled ‘neighbors’.

Miller Bizardi loves his job as driver for Verde Valley Caregivers Coalition (VVCC), and it’s just as rewarding for him as it is for the neighbors he drives.

VVCC gives clients, fondly referred to as “neighbors,” rides for kidney dialysis, doctor appointments, grocery shopping, medication pick-up, friendly visits and
more.

“We even take care of pets when our neighbors are hospitalized,” said Bizardi. “That includes taking pets to veterinary appointments as well.”

“Caring always comes first, and we are building and rallying the entire community to care,” said VVCC Executive Director Kent Ellsworth. “That’s basically what we do, and we make sure we reach out to every little town throughout the Verde Valley to ensure we are reaching people in need and help to solve problems.”

Realizing that elderly people often want to stay in their home, the place they love, Ellsworth said, “We help those who are trying to make it on their own.”

“We don’t charge the people we serve, they’re struggling right now, they’re unable to drive due to health conditions at an advanced age, the last thing they need is somebody charging them for the next bit of help. So, what we want to do is make sure there are no barriers to getting them the assistance they need.”

Medical alert devices are also provided at no charge. “Our dispatch is available from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m.,” said Ellsworth.

“They are the nicest people and I’m so grateful for them,” said VVCC client Lynn Newman, who has lived in Sedona for 23 years. “If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be able to move. They have been taking me to my physical therapy appointments every week since 2020.”

New to VVCC is a partnership with Northern Arizona Healthcare (NAH) to provide virtual care assistance to NAH patients who need help with telehealth appointments. The program will provide the device, software and volunteer staff assistance enabling patients to have telehealth appointments with their health care providers.

“We are grateful to be able to partner with the volunteers at VVCC on this program that will increase access to care for many patients that have difficulties leaving their homes for their medical appointments or experience challenges with technology,” said NAH Director of Telehealth Systems Travis Boren.

Transportation services extend as far north as Flagstaff and south to the Phoenix metro area. Ellsworth estimates that just this year alone, staff and volunteer drivers have driven nearly 500,000 miles.

After retiring, John Wozniak was looking for something to occupy his time, so he volunteered to be a driver with VVCC. “I wanted to help people and this opportunity came up. The people are very grateful and happy to have someone to take them places. It makes you feel like you’re giving back.” Wozniak volunteers three or four days a week and has been a volunteer driver for six years.

“We have so many people we are serving right now who need to get to dialysis. If they had to pay out-of-pocket, it would cost them at least $120 a day for a round-trip,” said Ellsworth.

“We are also funded by grantors and receive governmental and municipal contracts such as from Arizona Department of Transportation and the cities of Sedona and Cottonwood,” said Development and Communications Manager Linda Clark.

The VVCC staff includes 13 and 180 volunteers. “We cater to individuals with disabilities as well as the elderly,” said Ellsworth.

“I just love working here,” said VVCC Call Specialist Veloy Habinck, who has worked at VVCC since 2017. “I’m a team leader and my responsibilities are making sure we’re all on the same page here by keeping systems updated and distributed properly.”

Verde Valley Caregivers was founded in 1992 by a coalition of Sedona churches, City of Sedona, Kachina Point (assisted living facility), and Verde Valley Medical Center. QCBN

By V. Ronnie Tierney, QCBN

To contact VVCC, call 928-204-1238 or go to vvcaregivers.org.

KC HiLiTES: Illuminating Adventure

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Off-road vehicle light company expanding in Northern Arizona.

KC HiLiTES, the shining star of off-road vehicle lights, is moving to Flagstaff, and City of Flagstaff Economic Development Business Attraction Manager Jack Fitchett is thrilled.

“This is the type of company we want to attract to our city,” said Fitchett. “Businesses with high quality products that have low-impact [environmentally friendly] jobs fit nicely into our manufacturing targeting sector.”

As an internationally known and respected business, KC HiLiTES began its humble beginnings in Saugus, California. Founder Peter “Kim” Brown discovered the need for off-road lighting during a camping trip in Parker in the early ‘60s. After almost missing a turn in his off-road vehicle, Brown decided he needed brighter lights, which didn’t exist at the time. He found aircraft landing bulbs, put them in housings, attached them on his truck and, voila, a star by the name of KC HiLiTES was born.

Of course, friends liked the idea and also wanted some lights for their vehicles, so as demand grew, Brown decided to turn his garage into a factory and recruited local stay-at-home moms to work with him while their kids were in school. He also convinced his friends, Bob and Carol DeLander, to help with the business. At the time, they were living in Saugus, California.

Today, the age-old KC branding of the iconic yellow and black smiley face can be seen on off-road vehicles, trucks, snowblowers, construction machinery and military vehicles around the world. KC HiLiTES also caught the attention of professional off-road racers and appear at competitive events.

Early on, Brown developed a partnership with Mike Wang, a supplier from California. The two became good friends and both had sons in the business. Brown’s stepson, Michael DeHaas, started working in the warehouse, eventually stepped into sales, and in 2004, purchased KC HiLites as the next CEO. Wang’s son, Alan, became an investor and partner to KC HiLites and purchased the company from DeHaas in 2015. He is now president and CEO of the company.

“During that time, we started seeing headwinds across the business,” said Alan. “Together, Michael and our family saw an opportunity to leverage our long-standing supply chain relationship to create a run for growth in the years to come.”

Today, KC HiLiTES continues as a family-owned business.

“It has been great seeing the KC history embraced by keeping the company in Arizona, specifically, Flagstaff,” said DeHaas. “They have developed many new products to bolster the KC product offering and really have done a great job in their business expansion efforts. KC HiLiTES is in great hands with a bright future!”

Flagstaff resident Ron Pryczynski has worked for KC for 20 years. “I started in the summer of 1999 and worked with Pete and Michael as sales and events coordinator. I moved into product development and when Alan took over, I moved into the general manager position,” he said. “With the new management, it’s definitely a new company, as it has evolved a lot. It’s more technology focused with the new LEDs and cutting-edge lighting systems. It’s a cool adventure.”

“We are deeply passionate about our products and even more passionate about using them,” said Alan. “At the heart of everything we do lies an authentic desire to connect with ourselves and each other through adventure.”

“Our plan is to move the entire business to Flagstaff. Nothing will be left behind,” said Alan. “The Williams property is a huge part of our legacy that got us here and we do plan to leverage it in the future, but no final plans have been set.”

Built in 1997, the 23,700-square-foot facility is located off Old Route 66 and was the former home of the Arizona Daily Sun. Pryczynski says they will be hiring retail, production, warehouse, marketing and other various positions.

Using High Intensity Discharge (HID), Light Emitting Diode (LED), and Halogen, KC manufactures off-road lights, light bars, rock lights and adventure products for just about any off-road vehicle and or work vehicles such as snowplows and snowcats.

“Our lights are also used for camping and other recreational uses,” said KC HiLites Brand Marketing Manager and Team Lead Taylor Ulrich.  “Our auxiliary lights and fog lights light up the path for those headed to the trailhead to hike, bike or camp.

The recent release of their FLEX ERA 1light is the smallest and most versatile light for off-road vehicles. “This is our new generation of lighting and accessories,” said Ulrich.

Supporting the community is also important to KC HiLiTes.

“KC has been an integral partner of ours and we wouldn’t be where we are without their support,” said Jeff Lehman, who, with his wife, Beth, founded Dirty Hands, Happy Heart, a local non-profit organization that teaches kids skills such as gardening, welding and changing tires.

“They have donated an array of lights, graciously opened their facility for a tour and allowed the kids in our program to build a light bar. They have introduced us to important supporters in the off-road industry and have even allowed us to join them as participants in a car show,” said
Lehman.

“The KC team is amazing and we’re so thankful for the opportunity to partner with them.” QCBN

By V. Ronnie Tierney, QCBN

KC HiLiTes proposed move-in date is Oct. 15. For more information, visit www.kchilites.com or call 888-689-5955.

Photo by V. Ronnie Tierney, Fresh Focuses Photography: General Manager Ron Pryczynski and Brand Marketing Manager Team Lead Taylor Ulrich are looking forward to a bright new chapter for KC HiLiTes. 

Arizona Scientists Working to Control Galapagos Rat Population without Poison

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Rodents threatening survival of species and farms.

The chain of 19 islands that make up the Galapagos archipelago have been called “a priceless living laboratory.” The vast biodiversity of these islands that lie 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador is said to have inspired the theory of evolution.

Now, a Northern Arizona organization is working to help protect the islands from an invasive rat population that is threatening not only many of the endemic species of the Galapagos, but also the farms that are vital to the islands’ 40,000 human inhabitants.

Women in Science Doing Outreach and Mentoring (WISDOM) LLC, co-founded by Flagstaff scientists Dr. Loretta Mayer and Dr. Cheryl Dyer, is providing fertility-control technology to The Galapagos Project (galapagosproject.org), a two-year initiative aimed at restoring ecological balance humanely and without the use of poisons. Among the Galapagos sponsors is the Arizona-based Ramsey Social Justice Foundation, which provides grants and financial assistance to underrepresented communities.

The project is a collaboration between WISDOM; Animal Balance, an international animal welfare NGO; and the Agencia de Bioseguridad Galápagos (ABG), which oversees the archipelago.

“Animal Balance has been working in the region for years, providing consistent spay and neuter clinics, dog training classes and workshops on caring for animals,” said Mayer. “What WISDOM is bringing is a protocol for disbursing oral contraceptives to rodents, to reduce the population without poison.”

Mayer and Emma Clifford, who founded Animal Balance in 2004, have admired each other’s work for years. They first met in 2003 at the first conference of Alliance for Contraception in Cats & Dogs, where Mayer was presenting early findings on the potential for a non-surgical spay approach for dogs and Clifford was preparing to go to the Galapagos to spay and neuter dogs and cats.

As Clifford recalled: “I wanted to use non-surgical means to kindly manage the rats, cats and dogs of the Galapagos, but I was 19 years too early.”

Mayer and a team of WISDOM scientists and researchers recently returned from Isabela Island in the Galapagos, where they confirmed that the rodents – rattus rattus (known as the black rat) and mus musculus (the house mouse), would eat the pellets containing the fertility-control technology from feeding stations placed around farms on the islands.

Most of the feeding stations were made of biodegradable paperboard, selected to not add to the waste-stream of the islands. Two, however, were wood feeding stations constructed by Sinagua Middle School students, who built them in shop class. The Sinagua boxes were tested in the field as a culmination of WISDOM’s partnership with Sinagua Woodshop teacher Amy Dries and the Flagstaff Festival of Science.

“The most important thing is that we accomplished our mission to establish a research beachhead with Animal Balance to collect the data to allow us to lay out the two-year plan in a research protocol,” said Mayer.

The trip also allowed the scientists and researchers to meet and learn from government officials, local farmers and community members, building on relationships that Animal Balance has cultivated for decades. This includes working closely with the ABG. The agency – part of the Ecuadorian Ministry of the Environment – is charged with the biosafety of the islands and reducing the risk of any invasive species that endanger the biodiversity of the islands, the local economy and human health.

If successful, the project will bring greater ecological balance to the Galapagos, benefiting both that biodiversity and the residents of the islands, and also inform better balance solutions for islands worldwide.

Rattus rattus was accidentally introduced into the Galapagos by pirates and whalers in the 17th and 18th centuries. The consequences were devastating; over time the rodent population has resulted in the near extinction of certain endemic species.

Among the creatures threatened by the rat overpopulation are the rare pink land iguana and the giant tortoises of the islands. Rats will dig into the nests of these animals and eat the eggs and hatchlings.

Meanwhile, the rats also feast on local farm goods, which are essential to the residents of the islands. While there is a monthly container ship from mainland Ecuador that provides some foodstuffs, the pandemic showed that relying on these ships is not sustainable. Residents need the produce produced by local farms to survive, and rats are destroying these crops.

The reception of the WISDOM and Animal Balance teams on this project went very well, according to Jessica Gonzalez, who is the program director for Animal Balance in the Galapagos.

“This project brings together science and the community with the support of local authorities in perfect synchrony to implement an effective and sustainable solution for the control of non-endemic rodent populations, which Galapagos deserves,” she said. “I am convinced that we are marking an important milestone in the conservation of the Enchanted Islands.”

The team from WISDOM plans to return to the archipelago later this year. QCBN

By Cindy May, QCBN

Rank Horse Rides into Chino Valley

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New Western women’s boutique offers clothing and accessories for the ‘working cowgirl’.

Chino Valley native Morgan Reid has created and opened an authentic Western clothing boutique for women called Rank Horse Co.

“I built this business around the Western fashion industry and the working cowgirl. A lot of Western boutiques carry glitz and glam. While I have no problem with it, it just isn’t my style,” said Reid. “We sell mostly graphic t-shirts, turquoise jewelry – genuine and faux – hats, purses and a lot more. We are hoping to bring in jeans, dresses, shorts and more accessories come spring.”

After selling online since last March, Rank Horse opened its store in December and has been attracting customers since then. “Everybody that has come in here has been very nice and everyone has wished me luck,” she said.

Previously, Reid owned Rank Horse Aromas. She lived in Texas and sold the popular car fragrances during the pandemic. “They are homemade car air fresheners that you can have in any color, shape and scent, so I made those for a while, up until I launched Rank Horse Co.” She continues to sell them, but just for the store.

“There are a lot of people that helped me get established,” she said. “For starters, my fiancé, Justin, helped me. I had the idea of Rank Horse Co. for a while and he helped me put it into existence. My parents have always supported me from day one, so I have to give credit to them as well. I don’t know if I’d be where I’m at now without them and some close friends that were cheering me on along the way, and still are.”

Reid was born and raised in Chino Valley and graduated from Chino Valley High School in 2019. She moved to Texas shortly thereafter. She planned to stay there, but then met her fiancé and the couple moved to New Mexico for a ranch job before moving back to Chino Valley.

Reid took dual enrollment classes with Yavapai College during high school and earned her welding certification. Her career has been in retail sales, but her hobbies have always been about horses.

“I rode my first horse at the age of 3. I was also in the 2018 Prescott Frontier Days Sr. Court, so rodeo has played a big part of my life.”

Reid is active in the community and attends a lot of vendor events and equine events. She is a sponsor for Olsen’s Grain and plans to attend all of their events, including barrel races, breakaway and team ropings. She is also a vendor for Cattleman’s Weekend in Chino Valley, at the Prescott Livestock Auction on Perkinsville Road, March 17-18. She has helped put on pop-up events in Chino Valley that involve other local, small businesses.

“I think my business is right for Chino Valley, simply because there’s not a business like mine here,” she said. “I think a nice fitting shirt and some jewelry goes a long way. I try my best to make the women that come in feel beautiful and not feel judged for wanting to feel nice about themselves.”

Rank Hose Co. is on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. She also has a VIP Facebook group where she posts exclusive sales and deals.

Most Rank Horse clothing is for women, but her graphic tees are unisex. She also has some accessories like hats and koozies that can be geared more toward men.

“I truly appreciate everyone who has come in to check my business out, shared or commented on my posts, or bought something. Even the smallest gesture goes a long way for small business owners. I really try to give my customers a pleasant experience and build a relationship with them. You won’t usually find that at big box stores. I encourage everyone reading this to go stop in at a small business. You never know what you may find or the relationship you will build.” QCBN

By Stan Bindell, QCBN

Photo by Stan Bindell: Morgan Reid opened the shop in December and continues to build clientele.

Learning Business Skills Early

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Annual Girl Scout Cookie drive trains girls to be entrepreneurs.

You only have 3,484 packages left to sell to reach your goal of 3,500, and the annual Girls Scout Cookie drive has just begun.

For Madisyn “Madi” Van Hemert, a 12th grader in Girl Scout Troop 212, these goals are exciting, achievable and educational.

“After 12 years of scouts, I have learned many valuable life skills,” said Van Hemert. “Money management has been the biggest skill. Additionally, I have learned customer service skills, budgeting and how to grow with the modernizing advances that we have to incorporate.”

Van Hemert is also working on a project for a Gold Award, the highest earned award in Girl Scouts, which must be started in high school and must demonstrate leadership skills and a desire to give back to the community.

Mentoring her on her project will be Nikki Lober, the Troop 212 leader, who has been involved with Girl Scouts for more than 30 years.

Lober recently collected comments to post in the girls’ own words about their goals and what they have learned from the cookie sale.

“I have been privileged to lead this troop and see many girls come and go,” she said. “I have seen each and every one of them grow and leave our troop with more skills and more confidence than when they started.”

Since her scouting daughter, Amelia, graduated from high school, the troop has been limited to older girls in middle and high school, thus “providing a place for any girl who wants to continue but their original troop does not,” she added.

So far, Troop 212, which has been active for 19 years, has welcomed girls from six troops. There are 16 registered girls this year.

Lober also is the cookie manager for the Sunny Peaks Service Unit and trains all the Girl Scout leaders in Sedona, Flagstaff, Williams, Winslow and Page on the procedures for the cookie sale and how to teach the girls and parents how to have a successful cookie sale.

“Most of these girls have been selling for years, so I support them by training them on new information for the year and making sure they have the resources they need. Each year, the older girls plan a Cookie Kickoff or Cookie Rally. At this event, they have activities to teach the younger girls the skills needed to be successful in the cookie sale.”

This year, the troop goal is to sell 12,000 boxes. There are 12 girls selling and their goals range from 250 to 3,500 boxes, depending on the time they have to put into the sale.

The girls train with a cookie booth. They take turns sharpening their professional behavior and sales pitch. They also engage in a door-to-door sales practice to help them become more comfortable talking to customers.

A cookie-tasting session teaches them about the cookie varieties, so they know their products.

They also learn about goal setting for themselves and their troop and play a business ethics game to learn how to live by the Girl Scout Law throughout the cookie sale. “The older girls make sure that each activity has some fun to go with the learning,” Lober said.

On the cookie website, Emma Hirning, an 11th grader, wrote that she completed her Gold Award in 2022, and that she has enjoyed being her own “cookie boss.” She states that she is “hoping to sell 350 boxes this year to be able to make wonderful memories with some of my best friends in Troop 212! I am so happy to have the opportunity to raise money to go on fun trips with some of my favorite people!”

The history of the Girl Scout Cookie is long. It began in 1917 with home-baked cookies made by scouting girls with the help of their mothers as baking advisors. These early baking endeavors began about five years after Juliette Gordon Low started Girl Scouts in the U.S., as an effort to raise money to finance troop activities.

The simple sugar cookie was the first product. Today, there are 13 kinds, from the classic Trefoils (shortbread) and Thin Mints (mint chocolate dipped), to newer Adventurefuls (brownie cookie with caramel crème and sea salt) and Raspberry Rally (crispy raspberry flavor dipped in chocolate).

Alexis Velazquez, a ninth grader in Troop 212, posted about the cookies and the sale: “Being my own cookie boss with special needs for the past seven years has taught me to have more confidence in myself,” she wrote. “As well as learning to work as a team and getting to eat some yummy cookies.”

This year, the website for the cookie sale reminds customers of the benefits to the girls from their selling efforts: “When you make a Girl Scout Cookie purchase, you’re helping the next generation of girl entrepreneurs get an important taste of what it takes to be successful – teamwork, planning and a positive outlook.”

The success of the cookie campaign each year is aided by a Family Guide, published by the Girl Scouts – Cactus Pine Council, which serves more than 90 communities in Central and Northern Arizona.

“It helps the families help their Girl Scouts,” said Lober. “There are also lots of resources on their website to help the girls with skills and also help them earn a Family Cookie Entrepreneur pin and badges.”

The troop earns $0.95 per box sold, which the girls decide how to spend. “The remaining proceeds from the cookie sale stay with our Arizona Cactus Pine Council to support our camps, girl programs and activities, and for volunteer support and training. The cookie sale is not a competition between girls or troops. It is an opportunity for the girls to learn how to be businesswomen and support the programs they love.”

“Troop 212 gives back to the community each year. “We have adopted a trail, and we take advantage of many different volunteer opportunities. We always help out at Riordan Mansion events. Our favorite is the Tea on the Veranda.”

The role of volunteers has always been vital to the success of scouting. Coconino County Board of Supervisors Chair Patrice Horstman has acted as an informal volunteer “whenever the Arizona Cactus Pine Girl Scouts have reached out to me,” and was honored by the group as a “Woman of Distinction” in 2018.

With Liz Archuleta and Kerry Blume, she helped establish Troop Pearl, an adult Girl Scout Troop dedicated to assisting the Girl Scouts. “I was a Girl Scout in my youth and have tried to live the Girl Scout creed of ‘building a better world,’” Horstman said.

She has also been assisting girls in developing business skills for successful cookie drives, the largest girl-led entrepreneurial program in the world, she noted.

“The Girl Scouts are dedicated to building courage, confidence and character in girls,” she said. “The cookie drives helps to further this mission. Money earned can allow the girls to embark on wonderful adventures. These cookie drives teach the girls important financial, organizational and marketing skills.”

Horstman has assisted some scouts with perfecting their techniques and in developing a “sales pitch” for in-person sales. “Since we also live in a virtual sales world, I have reviewed some Girl Scout cookie sales videos,” she said. “Each girl has their own approach that reflects their personality. Cookie sales give the girls real life leadership experiences and provides an opportunity to contribute to the financial benefit of their troop, so that together the girls can engage in projects, travel or community programs.”

Troop 212 meets once a month for planning that includes deciding how to spend the money they earn.

For Troop 212, goals include horseback riding and travel. “We have been planning for their Costa Rica trip for five years. They set aside some of their cookie money each year, and we are going this summer. As for giving back to the community, we donate cookies to first responders. Last summer, we were able to thank the firefighters on the Tunnel Fire with several cases of cookies,” said Lober.

Girl Scout cookie season in Arizona usually runs for six weeks. The Arizona Cactus-Pine Council, which serves Phoenix as well as greater Central and Northern Arizona, began the cookie drive officially on Jan. 16, with cookie delivery closing on March 5.

The link to find cookie booths is  https://www.girlscouts.org/en/cookies/how-to-buy-cookies.html. QCBN

By Betsey Bruner, QCBN

Courtesy Photo: Madi Van Hemert, left, a 12th grader in Girl Scout Troop 212, is pictured with her sister, Peyton, selling Girl Scout cookies during the annual drive last year in front of Sportsman’s Warehouse in Flagstaff. 

Mental Toughness is a Dance of Rituals, Rhythm and Rest

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“The hallmark of a competitor is their intensity, relaxation and calmness,” said Frampton.

Tennis Pro Mark Frampton says when you’re a beginner, 90% of your focus is on the physical aspects of the game. But after your body has grasped the mechanics, most of your success shifts to the mind. “For top players, the game is 85% mental,” he said.

Frampton, director of racquets at the north Scottsdale Terravita community, breaks it down like this: In any game, any match, any set, the time spent actually playing the game is only about 25%. Thus, he created his Mental Toughness Workshop to train players for the other 75%.

Winners, he says, are determined by how well they handle adversity. In fact, they thrive on it. “The difference between the Top 10 tennis players and everybody else is that they are more mentally tough.”

And this, he says, can be applied to other areas as well. So, if mental toughness is a key determiner of a positive outcome and thriving on adversity is part of the formula, Frampton poses this question to his workshop participants: “How do we learn to love the battle?”

The answer is in our brains, including the superpowers of rituals, rhythm and rest.

Rituals

We all have them, and whether we know it or not, they are important for setting us up for the day, preparing us for a big moment and even settling us down for sleep. This became painfully clear recently when I headed for the kitchen to make coffee. My morning routine involves the perfect latte with just the right amount of steamed vanilla-flavored cream crowned with exquisitely fluffed foam. But in the Zen-like moment of my deeply ingrained ritual, the electricity turned off. I can still hear the click followed by silence after pressing the button on my Nespresso. In that moment, all the subtle humming of machines that make my world right stopped at 5:51 a.m. I was momentarily stunned. Without my morning ritual, I was stuck. I could not think of what to do next.

In tennis, the mentally tough have their rituals, too – they examine their racket in between points, bounce the ball before a serve, tug on their clothes or touch their face. Rafael Nadal is famous for his rituals. He tucks his hair behind his ear, pulls on his nose, adjusts his shorts and bounces the ball – perhaps 17 times – before he serves. He says it puts him in the right frame of mind. “When I do these things, it means I am focused,” Nadal is quoted as saying in an Essentially Sports article by Varun Khanna. “It’s a way of placing myself in a match.”

Rhythm

Watching a new-to-tennis player reminds me of watching my grandson, Jackson, learn to walk. It’s awkward, sloppy and kind of funny and sweet. We’re not born with great rhythm; we have to work at it by practicing. To make this point, Frampton showed a video of a player who was out of sync with his rhythm. There seemed to be a disconnect between his arms and the rest of his body. He was jerky and his energy wasn’t centrally harnessed – it was all over the place. He appeared distracted and frustrated.

Just as dancers practice by counting their steps out loud, Frampton trains tennis players to give auditory cues, which create rhythm for breathing and action. In preparation for a ground shot, for example, he asks players to say the word “bounce” as the advancing ball hits the court, then “yessss” as the racket makes contact. The body responds by setting up for the shot with “bounce” and executing with “yessss,” which also triggers the body to exhale. It’s a dance.

Rest

I think we can all agree, it’s difficult to create a relaxed climate of calm and control, which Frampton says is the goal for optimal performance, when our hands are tightly gripping something like a tennis racket or a coffee mug. He wants his players to “dissolve the tightness.” Here’s his measure: “If a strong handshake is a 5, the ideal tennis grip is a 3.”

If you think about it, that’s probably the way you perform at your best, too. Creating a relaxed climate doesn’t mean you are not intensely focused. But it does mean you are in for the long game – you’re not going to burn yourself out, get tennis elbow or make your head hurt.

In between plays, he wants players to switch the racket to their non-dominant hand. It gives those hard-working muscles a break, a moment of rest, a mini vacation. Similarly, when we are struggling to solve a problem and scrunching up our face to force an answer, that’s a good time to relax and give our mental and physical muscles a break.

Leadership and performance experts are big on breaks – take a walk, do some pushups, play with your dog, meditate or go to sleep already. How many times have the answers come to us while we aren’t thinking about them? Similarly, walking away from the game, or the computer, for a while can make us a better performer.

“The hallmark of a competitor is their intensity, relaxation and calmness,” said Frampton. Mental toughness is the game changer, which we can build through rituals, rhythm and rest, and also with some packets of Starbucks Via Instant French Roast and a propane grill for boiling water in a power outage. QCBN

By Bonnie Stevens

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