The Voting Issue Report on Business Launch with the Missing Column

The latest issue of Report on Business is here, and the theme is the Voting Issue. We are proud to feature candidate spotlights from select statewide races as well as measure breakdowns.

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

MISSING COLUMN: Playlist on Shuffle!
I grew up with eclectic music taste. Some of this, I think, I can credit to the AM radio that I was forced to endure in the tractors I drove and the ’85 Chevy S-10 that served as my first car. I’m not complaining... anymore. I appreciate the range of music that I listen to, but now I see it as my generational obligation to educate my children.
 
Recently, on a car ride with my husband, my children requested a few songs. He was slightly appalled in his response: “What are you playing for them?!”

• The baby asked for “Yakety Yak—Don’t Talk Back”—where I love when she drops her voice on the “don’t talk back” section.
• The eldest asked for C.W. McCall’s “Convoy,” but she refers to it as the 'Big Ben and Rubber Duck' song.
• The boy will jam out to “Coconut” by Harry Nilsson.

Meanwhile, my husband’s music taste hasn’t changed since college, and he will listen to Green Day on repeat for days.
 
I love that they know songs that aren’t mainstream. I love that we talk about what these songs mean or that they hear remakes and we play the originals, too. Sometimes we talk about cultural things or what the words and phrases mean or allude to—although I haven’t corrected them that Bobby Darin’s “Mack the Knife” isn’t about a real-life swimming shark.
 
I feel like I’m showing them things that I have learned, broadening their view of the world, teaching them history, showcasing different phrases and words… I’m aiming to engage them in different ways in the world. Not dissimilar to how our members interact.
 
Now, I’m not building a playlist to sneak in soundbites, but our members come from so many different industries and sectors. They have different products or outputs, different ownership models, different workplaces, and different cultures. When they come together to network with each other, they share their perspectives and educate their colleagues—oftentimes unintentionally.
 
I see it the strongest in our Board of Directors. It’s not every day that a milling and blending company and a coal miner sit at the same table and begin to get in the weeds about operations and equipment. Both are great people who have an extreme passion for their crafts, and I don’t think their paths would have crossed even a little if it wasn’t for GNDC.
 
We talk about advocacy being a major component of what GNDC does for the business community, and we stand by that. But it’s hard to put a value on the opportunities we create for engagement—and the opportunity to present yourself as a leader of your company, your industry, and in business; to showcase your expertise; but also to learn from peers.
 
So, if you haven’t engaged with us, or if you want to broaden your experience of the diversity that the North Dakota business community has to offer, let us know. We have events that allow you to cannonball into the conversations or toe-dip with committee work. Sometimes you just need someone to introduce you to something you didn't know you'd enjoy.
 
That diversity has helped ensure North Dakota’s economy is resilient and robust, and we are here to serve as a convener (and music curator – just ask and I'll be there for you).


FALL REPORT ON BUSINESS: THE VOTING ISSUE