Report on Business Launch with the Missing Column

The latest issue of Report on Business is here, and the theme is Economics and Trade. We are proud to feature content from Bank of North Dakota, ND Dept of Commerce, Riverview Farms, and Meg-A-Latte.

As usual, we announce with the missing column of our VP of Strategic Engagement, Amanda Remynse's column.

MISSING COLUMN: The Pizza Guy Videos That Sucked Me In 
Hi, I’m Amanda, and I dead-scroll at night. Yes, I said it. I get sucked in—whether it’s a sheep herder in Scotland, a beekeeper, a space planner, or my newest obsession… a Papa John’s pizza maker.

Come along for the ride. He makes pizza set to music, with full theatrics: flour tosses, dough spins over the shoulder, two-handed, one-handed, cascading from back to front, under a leg, lip-syncing the whole time. It’s complete flair and dramatics in seconds. I appreciate his music choices—Whitney Houston, Scorpions, The Clash, Bonnie Tyler, Rihanna, Ms. Britney Spears—but what really pulls me in is the dough.

My husband is a pizza connoisseur. Through lineage alone, he takes the craft seriously. Because of that, I’ve seen a lot of pizza being rolled out—but never like this. Seconds from dough ball to large pie. The precision of the toss, the instinct for size, the speed. Then add the showmanship. That’s leveling up passion points. That’s taking your craft seriously.

I’ve watched enough that the algorithm feeds me not just the tosses, but his story. This mid-twenty-something wants to learn the business. He wants to understand the operation. He wants to be better. He has pride in the product and in customer relationships—like making 100 pizzas for a school football team 30 minutes before close. I don’t know if he’s management, but I’d bet he’s on an ownership track.

Why does this speak to me? Because it reminds me of our members.

GNDC businesses level up their craft. They combine passion with preparation and show up ready. They may not set their product lines to Marvin Gaye or Bruno Mars on social media, but if you listen closely, you can hear the poetry in their tone. From farm equipment to coal, pipelines to oatmeal, 990s to balance sheets—I hear it from our board members, and I hear it when I visit with members. The pride in what they’ve built. The pride in getting better.

Like my pizza guy, they’ll share their challenges. But if you ask—and if you take the time—they’ll give you a little show and tell.

And it’s always worth watching someone who truly loves what they do.


WINTER ISSUE OF REPORT ON BUSINESS: ECONOMICS & TRADE