Fall Report on Business Launch with the Missing Column

By now you should have our newest Report on Business in your hands! If not, the electronic version is available. The theme of this issue is DEI - we are thrilled to feature content from Sanford Health, First International Bank & Trust, Bismarck Boss Babes, and introduce our new Membership Director!

As usual, we announce this with the missing column of our VP of Operations and Outreach, Amanda Remynse's column.

Missing Column from GNDC's Report on Business:   My daughter hates red lights

Of my three children, I spend the most time with the youngest/smallest. The 4.5 year old is who I drive back and forth to preschool each day. If you’ve met this one, you know this girl has more personality than pounds. To quote Shakespeare – though she be but little, she is fierce. Now my drives are conversations and navigation between her sass and sweetness. We discuss daily musings, who brought specific snack items, who was kid of the day, and critiquing the current curriculum provided by Ms Lacey, her teacher. For the most part she’s easy going but the girl gets fired up over stop lights. Her road rage usually comes with heavy sighs, cries of lamentation, and encouragement of illegal activity… running the red. We go through 10 stoplights one way and she notices if we aren’t getting the green and makes me aware of her observation.
 
Her unending exasperation required addressing so I told her about a conversation I remember with my grandmother. My grandmother was the quintessential grandmother – cookie baking, best fried chicken of my life, crosswords, card parties, and has baked more bread in her life than I will ever eat in mine. She was a farm wife – dedicated to God, her family, and the land. Also, she could wring two chickens at a time and I’m still fascinated and frightened by that. She didn’t drive in the “big city” very often and because of that she once confessed to me that she liked red lights. This flabbergasted me. My feelings back then were not as strong as my preschoolers but I liked green lights and I remember thinking it was like winning the lottery if you could hit all greens on the one ways.
 
Her appreciation for red lights was with reason. Red lights forced her to stop – to pause, gather her bearings, assess where she was at, course-correct if need be, and ensure that she was headed in the proper direction. How simple and beautiful. I have loved this and think that maybe we all need an occasional red light – not just for our daily activities but the for the bigger things in life – even running our own operations and businesses. If we are always go – go – go are we taking the time to ensure that the means matches the ends we WANT. Are the right people on the bus, are we inventory actions with goals? Going full bore with a gusto is great, unless you don’t realize that you are off track. A red light to breath isn’t a stop – it’s a moment to provide certainty of direction.
 
Now my daughter didn’t appreciate or see the point I was making. In fact, I believe she’s still in the flabbergast mode – how can anyone like red lights – unfathomable. However this foresight has provided her some contemplation and perspective to accompany her road rage. We discuss where we are going at red lights, take in the changes in the daily scenery, and appreciate the pause. We welcome you to plan a few stops in your path too – remember, they don’t have to be permanent. 


FALL ISSUE OF REPORT ON BUSINESS: DEI