JULY 2019 – President’s Article by Marissa Kramer

Happy July Redlands Chamber Members!

Well, here we are folks, half-way through the year!! We made it, but why does it still feel like someone has pressed the fast-forward button? I can’t seem to catch up! Hopefully with a little of the ‘dust’ settling from the busy spring time months, we can buckle down and start counting down the days until Christmas.

This month we had the pleasure of welcoming and participating in the Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting for Bliss Car Wash and Self Made Training Facility. We are so excited to welcome them to the Chamber and offer all of the benefits that come along with the membership!

The Young Professionals Network hosted Coffee with Fill with Jim Topoleski (Battalion Chief of the Redlands Fire Department) and rather that talking about the upcoming Fire Season (which is what we thought would be the topic of discussion) we discussed Leadership within the Community, the future of Redlands, and how important discipline is in whatever position, job, or career you’re in. As with all these Coffee with Fill meetings, we are getting some of the best and most influential leaders from our Community to provide thoughtful discussion and education on a wide range of topics. This is quickly turning into one of the Chamber events not to be missed!

The State of the Community Luncheon was held on June 21st at the Orton Center at the University of Redlands. Mayor Paul Foster captured all of our attention with news of the future of Redlands and what changes we need to made now to successfully bridge the gap to where we need to be.

Circa 2020 hosted Business to Business on June 25th we got to see many new faces and learn about the upcoming summer events to save the date for. If you’ve got event or meeting space available and would like to showcase your business, please contact the Chamber Office to set it up!

The Executive Search Committee has presented their final candidate for Executive Director to the Board of Directors and the Board has extended the offer of employment to Chris Alvarez. Chris comes to us, as a graduate of the University of Redlands. Chris worked as the Associate Director of Alumni and Community Relations and organized many of the quintessential events at the University including Homecoming and Town & Gown. Chris has worked as a fundraising consultant in many arenas from politics to the Redlands Community Orchestra. We are thrilled to have Chris on board and we are excited to see all of the ideas that Chris has in store for the Chamber and its membership!

Sincerely,

 

Marissa Kramer

2019 Chamber President

JULY 2019 – Lifehouse Productions making a difference

LifeHouse Productions making a dramatic difference

LifeHouse Productions was independently incorporated by Wayne Scott as a non-profit community theater company in 1993, LifeHouse has grown to become an Inland Empire attraction.

Unique in the nation, LifeHouse is an independent, interdenominational theater whose plays and musicals are exclusive, original productions seen by over 30,000 guests each year.  More than 500 volunteer actors comprise our casts of storytellers and join gifted artists, technicians and support staff from all walks of life to stage redemptive, inspirational stories.LifeHouse is an award-winning faith-based theater guided by historic Judeo-Christian perspectives and values.The outreach of LifeHouse includes international broadcasts of original productions on the SmartLifeStyle TV channel, audio drama CDs, the LifeHouse Theater Outreach (LTO) Touring Company, interpretation for the deaf, a college scholarship program, scripts performed by organizations throughout the U.S. as well as internationally and theater classes for youth.

LifeHouse Theater is…

  • A community theater where each musical or play is an original production. More than sixty new works have premiered here.
  • An interdenominational theater where over 500 gifted artists, technicians, and volunteers from all walks of life use their talents to inspire the moral imagination of children and families from all over the Inland Empire.
  • A unique theatrical experience enjoyed by over 30,000 people who pass through the LifeHouse Theater doors each year.
  • A visionary theater whose artistic endeavors are guided by historic Judeo-Christian perspectives and dedicated to excellence.Visit LifeHouse Threater at 1135 North Church Street, call for tickets at 335-3037 or log onto www. LifeHouseTheater.com to learn more about upcoming productions, season tickets and more.
  • LifeHouse has been named as one of the most popular live theaters in the region by the Sun Newspaper’s reader poll.

JULY 2019 – Member Profile – Lamar Advertising Company

Lamar can help you reach your audience

Founded in 1902, Lamar Advertising Company (Nasdaq: LAMR) is one of the largest outdoor advertising companies in the world, with more than 348,000 displays across the United States and Canada. Lamar offers advertisers a variety of billboardinterstate logotransit and airport advertising formats, helping both local businesses and national brands reach broad audiences every day. In addition to its more traditional out of home inventory, Lamar is proud to offer its customers the largest network of digital billboards in the United States with over 3,300 displays.

From billboards, to digital billboards, transit and airport advertising Lamar can find you best advertising needs.

Lamar Advertising Company is the nation’s leading Out-of-Home advertising provider. We specialize in outdoor advertising and have been offering our clients innovative solutions for over 100 years.

Looking to reach potential customers and grow your business? Whether you’re a small business owner considering advertising for the first time, or an experienced media planner looking for ways to complement your client’s media campaign, we have a variety of products to help you reach your advertising goals and stand out from the competition.

 

JULY 2019 – Networking: Make the most of being in a room with others

Networking; make the most of being in a room with others

Some of us dread going to an event where we feel forced to interact with others.  It can be awkward, uncomfortable, and outright difficult to just to get the gall to try and start a conversation.  We’ve probably all been there; scanning the room in hopes that someone comes up to us first.

The reality is that networking can be viewed as a necessary pain that one must tolerate, or as a great opportunity to expand their client base, develop business partnerships, find a better job, or simply make a name for themselves within the community.

Whether your intentions are for social or business purposes, networking can be intimidating for even the most extrovert individuals.  Yet the logic follows that the more people you meet, the larger your network grows, which leads to a greater chance of finding the best customers, partners, employers, or employees.

A bit of preparation before your next networking event can set you apart from the rest of the pack. Here are some tips to make your next event a success.

Go with a goal in mind. When attending a networking event, always have a goal in mind. What exactly do you want to gain by attending this event? What is your end game? Maybe your objective is to get information on a specific company or perhaps it’s to meet and introduce yourself to five new people.  Set yourself up with reasonable expectations and take a little bit of time to plan out a strategy to reach these goals.

Do your homework. If there are individuals or guest speakers you would like to introduce yourself to, do some research online and learn more about them, as well as their business.  One of the most effective research and networking tools right now is LinkedIn. Check out their profile to find out some basic information about them and to also look for possible common connections.

Introduce yourself. We’ve established that networking events can be a bit awkward and conversations may not come as naturally as you’d like. However, you’ve got to start somewhere. Before going into the event take a deep breath, relax, and walk in with a smile. Try to make it a point to introduce yourself to at least five people.  If you and all the other attendees are told to wear a nametag, use that to your advantage. A great way to find out more about the networking event, as well as who is involved, is to seek out the event organizer and introduce yourself.  They’ll likely know quite a few people in attendance and can possibly introduce you to others organizations to get you off on the right foot.

Connect others.  Don’t just focus on making our own connections; make an effort to connect others. If you’re speaking with someone, let’s say John, and know of another individual, Jane for instance, who might be interested in what John has to offer, be the mediator and get them together. By helping them both, they may pay it forward in the future, and connect you with an individual or business that could benefit from you.

Don’t be a spammer. Nobody wants to be friends with the person who is shoving their product or business card down people’s throats.  Do not force your product on to people. Networking events should never be used as a way to directly sell or promote your products. Your goal should be to obtain potential leads. Also, if you are just handing out your business card to anyone who looks your way, you’re pretty much wasting that asset.  If you haven’t built enough of a connection with someone that they personally ask for your contact information, don’t just give them your business card.

Be yourself. Never try to be something or someone you’re not.  Be yourself or you’ll be building these new business relationships on a lie. When attending networking events, it is important that you stay genuine and true to yourself. Don’t try to be the person you think others want to do business with.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. The only way to truly get to know someone is to truly be interested in who they are and ask them genuine questions.  After the conversation is over, you can guarantee they’ll feel good knowing that you whole-heartedly listened and were interested in getting to know them a little better than surface level.  Look for common interests to lay the foundation down for future business relationships.

Eye contact.  During a conversation, make sure you remain engaged and attentively listening to the other individual. Nod your head and tilt your body towards them when speaking. Body language and eye contact are crucial in communication; it can either make the other feel like you care or make you seem distant. You always want to seem trustworthy and make others feel comfortable.  This is one of the best techniques to use to build a positive rapport with others.

Join in. There is nothing wrong with easing yourself into a conversation and using this to lead into an introduction.  This is a networking event.  People may in fact enjoy the change in direction and the chance to meet someone new.  If you sense that you’ve accidentally entered into a serious or personal discussion, it’s okay to politely excuse yourself.  Keep in mind that spending time engaged in meaningful conversations with a few people can be better than floating around the room and spending time on superficial ones.

Prepare your elevator pitch.  Be prepared for questions like, “What do you do?” or “What are your future goals?”  You don’t want to be caught off guard so make sure you already have a few ideas lined up that you can use to accurately describe yourself or your business.  Practice what you want to say beforehand, but when it comes to the day of the event don’t sound like you’ve been rehearsing for weeks.  Do not be a robot.

Also, take into consideration why the person you’re speaking to should care about what you’re saying, and then craft your pitch accordingly. This is your time to really shine and leave an impression, so make sure you take advantage of this moment.

Follow up within 72 hours. If you have made a business connection and promised to send information, do so within 72 hours after the event.

Networking, like any other professional skill, requires constant training and development.  Don’t beat yourself down if you haven’t mastered it yet.  Networking isn’t just something that you can perfect over night.  Also, don’t be intimidated by others who seem like natural born “networkers”. They aren’t and probably just had a lot of practice. The more events you attend the better you’ll get at it.

 

 

 

JULY 2019 – New Chamber Members June 2019

AASI SERVICES
Billy Lindsey
1020 Nevada Street, Suite 200
Redlands, CA 92374
Phone: 307-5848

CALIBER HOME LOANS
Patsy Sweet
3990 Concourse Street, Suite 300
Ontario, CA 91764
Phone: 744-4451

CYCLES OF LIFE FAMILY COUNSELING
Ryan Voth
20 Nevada Street, Suite 100
Redlands, CA 92373
Phone: 353-7080

DELTA RESTORATION SERVICES
Justine Jensen
580 N. California Avenue
Beaumont, CA 92223
Phone: 951-769-3005

DON ORANGE TACOS & TEQUILA
Karim Benjamin
14 E. State Street
Redlands, CA 92373
Phone: 793-3383

FLOAT EVOLUTION
Joseph Lidy
1845 W. Redlands Blvd, Suite 104
Redlands, CA 92373
Phone: 747-9472

HANDS ON KNITTING CENTER
Molly Conroy Ungerecht
912 New York Street
Redlands, CA 92374
Phone: 793-8712

LOMA LINDA BROADCASTING NETWORK
Bob Blancato
11201 California Street, Suite F
Redlands, CA 92374
Phone: 651-5542

MEXICO CAFÉ
Amy Gaitan
892 E. Highland Avenue
San Bernardino, CA 92404
Phone: 882-3000

MY ADDICTION SKIN CARE & EYELASH STUDIO
Savannah Carmichael
405 W. Redlands Blvd, Suite B
Redlands, CA 92373
Phone: 335-9180

PAYCHEX BUSINESS SERVICES
Craig Rice
1420 Iowa Street, Suite 100
Riverside, CA 92507
Phone: 951-776-7984

SEPHORA
Shauna Sanchez
27514 Lugonia Avenue #C
Redland, CA 92374
Phone: 570-0326

SILVA & SILVA ATTORNEYS AT LAW
Patrick & Megan Silva
205 E. State Street
Redlands, CA 92373
Phone: 798-1500

STRENGTH INDUSTRY INC.
Ryan Brandao
1460 Mountain View Avenue
Redlands, CA 92374
562-366-0885

 

JULY 2019 – Renewing Chamber Members June 2019

AMERICAN LEGION POST 106
Sam Irwin
814 W. Colton Avenue
Redlands, CA 92374
Phone: 792-4523

CALIBER COLLISION CENTERS
Eric Wells
450 Nevada
Redlands, CA 92373
Phone: 793-3442

CHILD CARE RESOURCE CENTER
Megan Sack
1111 E. Mill Street, Suite 100
San Bernardino, CA 92408
Phone: 890-0018

CLARK’S NUTRITIONAL CENTERS
Tracy Clark
11235 Mt. View Avenue
Loma Linda, CA 92354
Phone: 478-7714

COVENTRY PET RESORT & TRAINING CENTER
Deborah Salow
412 Tennessee Street
Redlands, CA 92373
Phone: 792-1163

CRAIG & SONS TERMITE & PEST CONTROL
Christine Cornejo
481 Business Center
Redlands, CA 92373
Phone: 335-1486

DOCUMEDIA GROUP
Jim Nolin
384 Los Robles Crest
Redlands, CA 92373
Phone: 792-9595

DYNASTY SUITES REDLANDS
Anil Patel
1235 W. Colton Avenue
Redlands, CA 92374
Phone: 793-6648

FIRESTONE COMPLETE AUTO CARE
Christopher Kerr
300 W. Redlands Blvd
Redlands, CA 92373
Phone: 793-3373

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF REDLANDS
Angel Florence
51 W. Olive Avenue
Redlands, CA 92373
Phone: 793-3289

HUB INTERNATIONAL INSURANCE SERVICES, INC.
Beth Kolpien
470 E. Highland Avenue
Redlands, CA 92373
Phone: 793-2373

HUDCO HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING, INC.
Doug Hudec
P. O. Box 309
Yucaipa, CA 92399
Phone: 797-2298

HYUNDAI INLAND EMPIRE
Joe Borges
25072 Redlands Blvd
Loma Linda, CA 92354
Phone: 796-1600

GOOD-NITE INN
Pamela Vengarick
1675 Industrial Park Avenue
Redlands, CA 92374
Phone: 793-3723

JAM SPORTSWEAR, INC.
Mike Sullivan
325 Alabama Street, Suite 1
Redlands, CA 92373
Phone:  798-4552

KIWANIS CLUB OF REDLANDS
Rick Foster
Box 1102
Redlands, CA 92375
Phone: 748-0637

MAIDS 2000
Chanel Eren
1508 Barton Road, #288
Redlands, CA 92373
Phone: 793-1493

MAUPIN FINANCIAL ADVISORS
David Maupin
310 E. Citrus Avenue
Redlands, CA 92373
Phone: 798=1712

NATIONAL ORANGE SHOW
Leslie Bischoff
689 South “E” Street
San Bernardino, CA 92408
Phone: 888-6788

PAGE LOCKSMITH
David Page
Yucaipa, CA 92399
Phone: 556-3270

PAULSON ORTHODONTICS
Marcus Paulson, DDS MS
219 Cajon Street
Redlands, CA 92373
Phone: 793-2603

REDLANDS AIRPORT ASSOCIATION
Ted Gablin
1745 Sessums Drive, Suite 1
Redlands, CA 92374
Phone: 557-5292

REDLANDS ANIMAL HOSPITAL
Kathleen Blanchard
1093 W. Colton Avenue
Redlands, CA 92374
Phone: 793-2181

REDLANDS CYCLERY USA
Craig Kundig
415-A Tennessee Street
Redlands, CA 92373
Phone: 792-2444

REDLANDS ELKS LODGE #583
Sam Trad
663 New York Street
Redlands, CA 92374
Phone: 793-4211

REYNOLDS LAW, LLP
Scott Reynolds
300 E. State Street #450
Redlands, CA 92373
Phone: 798-3190

RUSS HUSTON REAL ESTATE
Russ Huston
312 Brookside Avenue
Redlands, CA 92373
Phone: 792-2748

SMART INVESTMENTS ADVISORY, INC
Ali Arciniega
1849 W. Redlands Blvd
Redlands, CA 92373
Phone: 335-8565

T.A.B.S., INC
Ron Drake
155 W. Hospitality Lane, Suite 123
San Bernardino, CA 92408
Phone: 890-2434

THE EATING ROOM
Martha Green
106 E. Citrus Avenue
Redlands, CA 92373
Phone: 792-5400

TRIPLE EDGE FINANCIAL SERVICES
Lujan Catuegno
710 Brookside Avenue, Suite 9
Redlands, CA 92373
Phone: 748-5747

UNITED PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
Mary Shaw McMinn
10535 Anderson Street
Loma Linda, CA 92354
Phone: 796-2897

VIEWPOINT FINANCIAL
Marvin Hudson
127 E. State Street
Redlands, CA 92373
Phone: 335-7100