Summary

In 1926, the Chippewa and Flambeau Improvement Company closed the gates on a newly finished dam at the confluence of the Turtle and Flambeau rivers in Iron County, Wisconsin. This act created a storage reservoir of over 13,000 acres, known today as the Turtle-Flambeau Flowage, whose waters were to be released for the purpose of generating hydropower for downstream industries. What served the state’s industries, however, angered conservationists, for the headwaters of an iconic Northwoods river, the Flambeau, had been replaced by a body of water dotted with standing dead trees and awash in driftwood and slash. But Clio, the muse of history, had a trick up her sleeve. The reservoir quickly became home to an abundant fish population; resorts spring up to meet the needs of anglers and their families; and the flowage gained a reputation for its unique blend of excellent fishing with a wilderness setting. Statewide recognition followed in 1990, when Governor Tommy G. Thompson hailed the flowage as “One of Wisconsin’s Crown Jewels” and announced that the state would be purchasing the bulk of the flowage’s shoreline from the Chippewa and Flambeau Improvement Company. A few years later the Turtle-Flambeau Scenic Waters Area became a reality.

This book tells the story of the creation of the flowage, traces the evolution of its waters, recounts the emerging human presence in the area, and examines the interplay of the various parties that have an interest in the flowage and its future. It also takes a close look at flowage fishing, life at flowage resorts, and some of the colorful people whose lives have become part of the history and legend of the Turtle-Flambeau Flowage.

Summary

The Brander-in-Chief reveals 7 practical, easy-to-understand and yet critical fundamentals for business success. Properly and consistently applied, these 7 proven action steps can literally transform your business—and your life!

Whether you’re thinking of starting a business or trying to grow or improve an existing one, The Brander-in-Chief gets to the heart of what it takes to today to make a small- or medium-sized business successful. Using an entertaining and yet informative fictionalized format, Joe Kiedinger reveals how you can succeed by working on your business instead of in your business.

Kiedinger, brander-in-chief of Prophit Marketing, Inc., a Green Bay, Wis.-based marketing agency, shares his philosophy developed from years of carefully studying successful businesses of all kinds. His insights have provided the foundation for his unique, systematic, 7-step Prophit Marketing system.

Brander-in-Chief – how to properly focus on two essential elements—delegation and vision—in becoming a successful leader.

Market Viability – which key questions to ask to help create a defined position in the market.

Customer Experience – why it is so important to communicate to staff “this is how we do it here.”

Servant Leadership – why it is easier and more effective to get staff buy-in through authority instead of power.

Process Managers and Process Partners – why filling these two crucial roles can jump start and improve your business faster than any other factor.

Mantra – how to determine how your customers define your brand experience—and how to strengthen your business as a result.

Share of Voice – how to understand and apply the three crucial rules for optimal media penetration.

Summary

Joe Kiedinger is the creator of Dignify, a proven, pioneering workplace communication system that enables business leaders to create dignity-based cultures to strengthen understanding and cooperation while increasing employee engagement, improving hiring effectiveness and retention, and ultimately spurring greater innovation and productivity.

At the heart of this system is a unique, proprietary approach for identifying an individual's top motivations or dignity traits, which results in improved communication and reduced workplace stress—which consistently has been shown to be the underlying reason why people quit jobs, departments miss goals and companies fail to thrive. Initially launched in 2009 as the About Me Card system, Dignify has evolved through multiple iterations based on direct client feedback and today is used by business leaders across the country as a practical and efficient activity-tracking tool in driving employee engagement.

As the founder of several businesses including Prophit Marketing, a full-service advertising/marketing firm, Kiedinger has delivered numerous presentations and workshops on dignity-based communication, as well as Servant Leadership, for service businesses nationwide such as Great American Cookies, Pretzelmaker, Marble Slab Creamery, Hot Dog on a Stick, Maggie Moo’s and The Cleaning Authority.

Summary

In Boomerang!, Dave Skogen offers a wealth of no-nonsense, battle-tested insights and lessons that are the result of his experiences in leading Festival Foods, a growing regional chain of supermarket stores. The book’s underlying idea is “the boomerang theory,” the fundamental principle that has guided Dave and his teammates in serving customers successfully. It is founded on the belief that extraordinary hospitality rather than ordinary service brings people back, and that organizations that go the extra mile can inspire customers to go the extra mile for them. It is an idea that essentially comes down to one simple question with each business decision, “Will it bring the customer back?”

Dave Skogen is Chairman of the Board of Skogen’s Festival Foods, a family-owned company originally founded as Skogen’s IGA by his mother and father in 1946 in Onalaska, Wis. Over a period of nearly six decades, Dave has been a driving force in leading the company’s transformation from a single 3,000-square-foot grocery store into a thriving supermarket chain.