We’ve all seen it: a car with its blinkers on, either pulled off on the side of the road or driving eeeeextra slow down a trafficked highway. They’re easy to spot in rural LaGrange County: the tourists. Sometimes they step out of the vehicle to snap a photo of the horse or cow in the roadside pasture. Other times they are squinting at a phone looking for directions. And still in other moments, they’re just on a slowed-down joy ride. Childhood had me believing that tourists were, to some level, an annoyance. And even in adulthood, when I’m trying to get from point A to point B in a certain amount of time, the visitors tend to feel like a frustrating roadblock. As time has gone on, however, I’ve come to understand visitors, instead, as folks who are just plain taking life in. They’re not afraid to slow down, snap pictures, breathe in the fresh country air, and live a little. And if we (I) take an honest look at ourselves (myself) in those moments of frustration, I think a lot of us could conclude that the reason we’re annoyed is because we’ve forgotten the almost unraveling charm of the world around us, found in our own backyard. That’s what visitors long for. That’s why tourists visit LaGrange County. Because the truth is, it’s easy to forget that what feels ordinary to us is actually a destination for literally millions of others. May 4-8 is National Tourism Week, and all month long we are partnering with our friends at the LaGrange County Convention and Visitors Bureau to celebrate and tell the story of why tourism is so vital for our local economy. In 2025 alone, LaGrange County welcomed 3.5 million visitors. Let that sink in for a moment. In a county where life often feels quiet, steady, and rooted, millions of people are choosing–intentionally–to come here. They’re not just passing through, either. Visitors are staying longer than ever, now averaging 2.54 days, up from just a few years ago. They’re coming from major metropolitan areas like Chicago, Detroit, Indianapolis, and Fort Wayne–places filled with options, yet they’re choosing us. And when they do, they’re investing here. Tourism in LaGrange County supports 1,546 jobs and generates $48 million in wages. That’s not abstract. That’s real-time livelihood being supported by these tourists. It’s the barista who remembers your order, the shop owner who greets you by name, and the young professional building a career without leaving home. Even more telling: our visitors aren’t random travelers. They’re families, couples, and professionals with a median household income of $77,000, choosing to spend their time–and their dollars–right here in our communities. So what draws them? It’s not manufactured. It’s not overbuilt or overcommercialized. It’s real. LaGrange County is home to one of the biggest Amish communities in the country, and that influence shapes more than just what visitors see–it shapes how this place feels. There’s a pace here, a purposefulness, a connection to craft, land, and tradition that people can’t replicate where they come from. You see it in the handmade furniture, the fresh-baked goods, the quiet roads, and the conversations that don’t feel rushed. You feel it in places like Shipshewana, where on a busy summer day, a town of fewer than 1,000 residents can welcome tens of thousands of visitors, without losing the very character that brought them here in the first place. That’s not an accident. That’s stewardship. And the impact of tourism doesn’t stop at storefronts and attractions. It ripples outward, supporting local restaurants, fueling small business growth, sustaining events, and helping create opportunities that allow people to build a life and career right here in LaGrange County. Even if you’ve never thought of yourself as part of the “tourism” industry–and even more so, if you’ve tried to avoid it–chances are, it’s working for you. It’s easy, especially when you live here, to overlook what makes this place special. To see the familiar instead of the exceptional. But through the eyes of a visitor, we are reminded: This isn’t just where we live. This is where people come to experience something they can’t find anywhere else. And that should make us proud. Not just proud of what we have–but proud of how we’ve preserved it. Because the real success of tourism in LaGrange County isn’t just measured in visitor numbers or economic impact. It’s measured in something harder to quantify: authenticity. Character. Identity. Those aren’t things you can manufacture. And once they’re gone, they’re nearly impossible to get back. So as we celebrate National Tourism Week, maybe the opportunity isn’t just to welcome visitors. Maybe it’s to see our own backyard a little differently. To slow down. To notice. To experience this place not just as residents, but as stewards of something truly worth sharing. Because the rest of the Midwest already knows what we have. The question is, do we? Looking for ways to engage with our local tourism industry? Say no more! From May 1-31, you can access special deals, discounts, and value-added bonuses at selected destinations just by showing a LaGrange County ID or local employment validation, pay stub, name tag, or business card. No digital pass or printed coupon is required. To learn more and see the full list of locations you can visit this month, visit www.lagrangechamber.org/tourismweek. 

Picture it: Sicily, 1922. (Sophia Petrillo) Let me try that again. Picture it: Miami, 2026. (Sara Patrick) I recently returned from a trip to Miami, Florida for the capstone weekend of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Business Leads Fellowship Program. I’m officially a Fellow! This eight-month program was chocked full of insight, lectures, and peer-to-peer learning on all things workforce development: early learning and childcare, K-12 education, work-based learning, post-secondary education, skills-based hiring, affordable housing solutions, talent pipeline management, and more. It was a momentum-creator for Chambers of Commerce and communities like ours. In my short trip, my days were full of roundtables, homeroom sessions, and presentations on these topics, wrapping up all of the things we’ve learned over the past year. The food was incredible, the ocean was beautiful, and my lifelong network of peers (and friends!) who are doing this work across the country—from Hawaii to New York—have impacted my life and work for the better. As I reflect on my time in the Business Leads Program, as well as my capstone weekend in Miami, I thought I would offer you some insights into Miami and workforce development in this week’s edition. Our country is diverse in landscape, culture, and industry, and we should all commit to seeing it in our lifetime. As I flew from Chicago to Miami on my way down, I was assigned a window seat, which gave me a birds-eye view of the landscape across the country. I saw marshlands, circular agriculture plots, solar fields, wide metro areas and small rural settings. At one point, my phone notified me that we were over Nashville, and I couldn’t help but think about the music industry there and who might be living beneath my plane. This experience has taught me that not everything can be learned in LaGrange County (or even Indiana, for that matter). Go out and experience it, then bring it back to teach others. Bring extra clothes. The Miami coast is FAR bigger from the Lake Michigan coast that is closest to home. And so are the waves. Bring extra clothes, because you will get wet when you dip your toes in the water. (Trust my experience.) Miami metro is a spectrum of economy. And so are our communities. As I “uber-ed” from the airport to our hotel, I watched the landscape change very quickly from cement-brick-built homes and impoverished neighborhoods to very luxurious high-rise hotels with no cares in the world. While I sat in our meeting room, I couldn’t help but think about how the work being done in those spaces and the discussions being had really DO impact our communities for the better. Enhancing childcare or affordable housing is more than putting warm bodies in the workplace. It’s about transforming lives and communities for the next generation, elevating the person living paycheck-to-paycheck into a life of sustainability. Bring an umbrella, and one that won’t break easily. Miami sure does have some warm sunshine, but it also has its fair share of wet, wet rain. Marry that with the wind, and you’ll experience weather not normally experienced here at home. Brace for impact. Bring the umbrella. Skills-based hiring is where it’s at. My eyes were opened in Miami to the value of renaming our positions and roles from the title to the skills required to get the job done. Imagine how we could reinvent hiring and workforce practices when we reimagine agricultural skills that could very easily transfer to manufacturing, or hospitality skills to sales and marketing. When we refuse to limit ourselves by the title, and instead position ourselves in the power of skills-based hiring, our local workforce could be transformed. Try the new food. If you know me, you know I’m a home-cooked, homemade cuisine type of gal. And that’s easy to find around here—noodles, mashed taters, steak, and fried chicken. Yum. In Miami, I had the pleasure of taste-testing plantain, Cuban pork, black and tomatilla (green) rice, coconut flan, and more. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this new menu of tastes. Do it - try the new food! We’ve got to learn to de-silo ourselves and speak a common language. I get it, the system sort of pigeon-holes us into the current system. Education speaks the language of the state and federal departments. Business speaks the language of production and doing business. Intermediaries try to navigate the middle. Imagine what could happen when we sit around the same table, understand the other, and find a common language! More to come on this, and if you want to be a part of the conversation, reach out. It’ll take all of us! And finally, don’t forget to look for Sophia, Dorothy, Rose, and Blanche when in Miami. You better believe that I wore my Golden Girls t-shirt when I was there, but…I didn’t find them. Until next time, Miami. All joking aside, there is so much to unpack when it comes to workforce development. As we closed out our capstone, we each had the opportunity to share our key takeaways and what we plan to do next. Again and again, my peers shared that they learned that there is still so much to be learned. And that we can’t do it alone. Workforce development is ongoing, and it has to be collaborative. From childcare to housing, K-12 education to work-based learning, there is much to be done in LaGrange County. Join the conversation. Become a member of the Chamber. Take the transformation of Miami and bring it back to our home communities for a better LaGrange County. And, don’t forget to be Golden. 

Happy Tax Day! I can almost hear the collective groans and sighs at that opening exclamation. For those accountants out there – you made it!  April 15, give or take a few days, is commemorated as Tax Day across the United States every year. It is the day in which individual income tax returns are due to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The day dates back to the mid-1800s when the Revenue Act of 1861 first introduced the concept of federal income tax. Many different appeals, repeals, and Supreme Court challenges followed suit, especially as federal income tax related to the constitutionality of unapportioned income taxes. The year of 1913 proved to be a year of change when the Sixteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution was ratified, giving the United States Congress authority to tax all incomes. In its inaugural year, the filing deadline for individuals was March 1, and was changed to March 15 in 1918, and then again to April 15 in 1955. The date remains still to this day, unless it conflicts with a federal holiday or a weekend. Taxes are a testy subject. Why? Because it’s a conversation around your money, and your ability to spend your money that you earned. Right? And there are ALL kinds of opinions around that very topic. The reality is that, at the end of the day, taxes are a way to spread the burden of expenses for communal living–think public safety, healthcare, infrastructure, and the like–to be spread across the multitude, with the end goal being that the load is lightened for all while being able to manage the masses. And there are all different types of taxes and structures: Property tax–In the state of Indiana, this tax structure is a bit fluid currently, but it generally taxes one’s property value to cover the cost of local services: schools, police and fire, libraries, towns, townships, and local roads and bridges. Income tax–Depending on which type we’re talking about (local vs. state vs. federal), this tax pays for public services as well, and could also include things like EMS, economic development, and more. Gas tax–Charged per gallon of gasoline (so don’t forget to shop local, even for gas!). This tax goes directly into transportation: highways, bridges, road maintenance, and related projects. Vehicle excise tax, wheel tax, and county surtax–Often these are a part of a vehicle’s registration, and are based on the value or age of the vehicle. The latter two are based on locally adopted rates. Many of these flow back into the local infrastructure. Sales tax–A tax added to many purchases, and is set at a state level. (For Indiana, it is seven percent.) A large share of this goes to the state budget and funds state priorities, education, safety, health, and transportation. Some are shared with local governments. Mom tax–When I get the munchies and also take advantage of a prime opportunity to teach my kids about taxes by taking 10% of their candy stash for myself. (Okay, this one isn’t legit, but I wanted to make sure you were still following along, because, you know…taxes.) I’ll be the first to confess that it’s difficult to wrap my head around taxes. The narrative is: “You mean, I get my salary taxed, only then to pay tax when I spend my already-taxed money, then pay property tax on a property that I already purchased with my money that was already taxed?” What in the tax? Is your head spinning? Mine too. But imagine a world without taxes (aka, shared spending): No police or EMS. Crime rates go up and emergencies go uncared for. Every man for himself. No fire department. Houses and establishments burn down with no way to control the emergency, unless you have lots and lots of buckets. No public healthcare subsidies. Affordable healthcare becomes nearly inaccessible for everyone. No department of transportation. Roads become so full of potholes that you might as well go fishing in them. Bridges go out and we’re forced to become active pole vaulters across the local waterways. No education. Public schools will struggle until consolidations or closures become the only viable option. Or non-educators like me become homeschool teachers, which, if we’re being honest, is not good for me or my kids. So how can we flip the script and climb ourselves out of the confusion of taxes? Allow me to offer a few reasonable solutions: Volunteer for your local fire department. Attend local fundraisers. (Sure, there are a lot of fundraisers to go around, but it’s an easy way to support the organizations you’re passionate about.) Run for local positions, like the school board, a township trustee, town board, or a county government position. Report a road or bridge issue on the county highway department’s website or call their office at 260-499-6353 (because remember, be a part of the solution, not a part of the complaint). Be a sharer of resources. Learn about the local non-profit organizations which offer discounted or free services to the underserved or unserved. (For a list of non-profits in the healthcare, mental health, food insecurity, or housing resources, visit our website.) The lesson in Tax Day is that it is a great reminder of the value of shared caring. When each of us commits to giving just a little, the entire community is elevated for the better. Whether it's our money (sorry if I opened a can of worms this week!), our time, or our talents, we all have something to give to better LaGrange County.

Want to know something about me that you might not already know? I LOVE a good auction. I think it’s because of the adrenaline rush and the search for the best deal of the day. Give me a good auction, and I’ll camp out until my luck comes through.  If you’ve read my column for a while, you probably know that my husband and I built our house about five years ago on a plot of pasture and old corn field. When you build a new homestead in a space like that, it rises up pretty bare, and I’m a girl who loves some good shade trees. So away I went to the best of both worlds: my very first tree auction. I attended, and I was hooked! Year after year, I’ve trekked to the tree nursery to find more mighty maples to line our driveway, our fenceline, and well, just about anywhere else I could find a place to plant another. The unfortunate halt to my tree auction addiction was the year when we had no access to a backhoe. So here I came, gleefully driving home with a trailer of burlapped trees, trying to figure out how I was going to get these root balls into the ground. Luckily, we had access to a skidloader (that might’ve taken an adult or two on the back to balance out the weight), but the hole-digging was all done by pure muscle…very, very sore, pure muscle. I’ve enjoyed watching my auction purchases take root and blossom. Every year, especially about this time of the season, I begin to see the buds turn into glistening baby leaves, ready for another year to offer shade to its inhabitants. In 2025, though, we discovered that one of my prized plants was less-than-beautiful. It began to take a leaned shape, and the buds were few and far between. “Water it!” my husband would say. Week after week, I’d park a four-wheeler trailer with a water basin dumping its contents, to no avail. No matter what we did, we just couldn’t seem to bring back any life into the once lively tree. And now, starting the 2026 spring season, we’ve decided it’s time to rip this one out, with no hope in sight. By the time you read this column, you’ll be in the middle of National Small Business Development Week. In LaGrange County, we are built on the foundation of small business entrepreneurship which innately understands and embraces the “get up and go” that it takes to develop small businesses. Business owner after business owner has rolled up his sleeves to open shop, produce the products, craft the craft, and grow the business. And as small businesses develop, year over year, they deepen their roots and firm up their foundation. They grow, they expand, they provide broader impact to our communities. That’s the beauty of development. However, there’s one piece we often forget when we talk about growth and development. It’s very easy to see the fruit of development, because in business, it often equates to an increase in product output, a growth of the staff, or an expanded workplace–the things we can see. But when true development happens, the roots of the business trench deeper and deeper into the ground in which it started. The business is taken care of, and the products or services blossom, but the unseen work is what happens behind the scenes and underneath the tangible outcomes. Small business development is so much more about the roots than it is about the fruit. Business success happens when the small business owner puts in the overtime to water, fertilize, and support the business, so to speak, when no one else is watching. It takes decisions that evaluate the soil quality (where we do business, how much of it we do, and which employees we start with). It requires an evaluation of the root support (what training to invest in, what processes to implement, and what financing to ensure sustainability). And it takes an intentional, ongoing effort to care for and maintain the roots (who we bring on, when we invest, and when to double down). While my tree-mothering qualities have enabled all others to grow prosperously on our new homestead, this one tree was destined to fail. It was planted in rocky, sandy soil, and its trunk was positioned in the windiest part of our land. And I’ll be the first one to admit that my watering skills for this particular young sapling were less than par. It definitely could have used more fertilizer and attention, too. Fortunately, our local small business owners tend to their shops much more intentionally than I do my tree, and our eyes have the privilege of being witness to that work. Take my tree as this week’s metaphorical example, and pause to reflect on the multitude of small businesses in our communities. Without their blood, sweat, and tears–and I assure you, small businesses don’t develop without a few of each–we wouldn’t have the LaGrange County as we know it. Remember the tree-caring process it takes to develop a small business, and choose to support that effort by shopping local this week. Happy National Small Business Development Week, LaGrange County!

All throughout childhood, my parents intentionally planned a one-week family vacation. In the heat of the moments, we often experienced familial frustration, things breaking unexpectedly, and plans having to be changed on a dime. It was the true picture of family vacations.  But one such vacation, we were packed into the family van, driving down the highway. The year before, I had received my driver’s license (I was a teenager at this time), and I begged my dad to let me drive on the freeway. After I wouldn’t let up on the asking, he finally caved, and we switched seats. He told me where to go, which sign to look for, and said he was going to get some shut-eye. He laid his seat back, covered his face with his ballcap (classic dad-move), and dozed off. I felt like a million bucks! I had the freedom of the driver’s seat, and I was pointing our noses in the direction of our vacation. Time went on, and I drove for 45 minutes to an hour before my dad awoke to check in. “Where are we?” he asked. “I don’t know,” I answered quickly. (Wrong answer, by the way.) Dad started looking around, trying to ascertain where we were and how far we had traveled since he handed over the reins. All of a sudden, he exclaimed, “Sara! We’re driving west. We’re supposed to be going east! How long have you been driving this way?” I panicked a bit inside, not wanting to show that my newfound confidence behind the wheel was quickly crumbling at my amateur mistake. Because while I had big plans for myself as the family captain, the truth was, I didn’t know where I was headed or how I was actually going to get there. Today marks the beginning of a brand new month, and if you are a business or numbers person, you’ll also know it’s the beginning of the second quarter of the year. Oftentimes in business or leadership, this is a checkpoint to review quarter one, and plan for quarter two. It’s a refresher on the goals for the year, and a chance to pivot or adjust where needed. In January, I shared about the value of setting goals, and why fully knowing and embracing your mission and vision matter. (Because without vision, people perish. Without direction, people get lost.) So, here’s a reality check-in: How are things going? When you began the new year, what did you envision for 2026? What things did you hope to accomplish? What changes did you commit to making to reach that vision? And maybe a more honest question is: What haven’t you done yet that you told yourself you were going to do? If you’ve felt off track–or haven’t looked at your goals since January–you’re not alone. Quarter 2 is a second-chance at revisiting goals, and adjusting to get there by December 31. I challenge you to find your 2026 goal list–these can be personal goals, professional goals, or business goals. And if you never set goals this year, what better time than now to do it! Before you push harder and officially start your second quarter, take an hour and walk through this quick audit. Step 1: Start With the End in Mind (Re-anchor Your Vision) Before we look at the details of your goals, take a moment to zoom out and examine the big picture. Ask yourself: ● What does a “win” look like by December 31, 2026? ● If this year is successful, what’s different in my life or business? A lot of goals drift because they were never clearly tied to a bigger outcome. Step 2: Reality Check This is where the rubber hits the road. The success of this audit is entirely dependent upon your willingness to be honest with yourself. Ask: ● What progress have I actually made? ● What’s stalled? ● What have I avoided, and why? (Ouch - that one hurts) Don’t be afraid to look at the data. If you’re a business person, examine your sales, your hires, and your outreach. Look at your cash flow and bottom line. What’s working, and better yet, what’s not? The goal here is to be honest, not (overly) optimistic. You can’t adjust your direction if you won’t acknowledge where you really are. Step 3: Cut or Keep – Simplify Your Focus This is where we stop trying to do everything, and figure out was is top-priority for success to be accomplished. For each of your goals, decide: ● Do I keep this? It’s a yes if it’s working and it still matters. ● Do I adjust this? It’s a yes if it still matters, but the approach isn’t working. ● Do I cut this? It’s a yes if it’s no longer relevant, realistic, or appropriate. The key here? Carrying dead goals is one of the biggest productivity killers. Don’t be afraid to cut a once-great-idea for the sake of ensuring achievement and vision fulfillment in the end. Step 4: Choose Q2 Priorities Don’t be tempted to fix everything at once. (If you are, it’s okay. I’m guilty of this too.) Here is where we identify the absolute top priorities, and set sub-goals to reach that end. What are one or two (yes, 1 or 2!) goals that would make the biggest impact if you actually followed through? Then, define for yourself: ● What does progress look like by the end of June? ● What needs to happen weekly to move it forward? Step 5: Take the Next Right Step (Immediately) This is where thinking is separated from doing. What is one action that you can take this week to move forward? This is not a plan. It’s not a strategy. It’s a step. Examples could include: ● Make the call ● Schedule the meeting ● Test the idea ● Have the conversation Momentum doesn’t come from clarity–it comes from action. Read that again. Momentum doesn’t come from clarity–it comes from action . As you launch your April and quarter two, let it not be a Fool’s Day joke. Breathe deep, and let it be the real deal. Check your signs (make sure you’re actually headed east instead of west), get the right people in the right seats, and make it happen. You don’t need to start over–you just need to make sure you’re still headed in the right direction.

The first time my son brought home a less-than-great report card, I experienced all sorts of emotions. I, of course, was displeased (as a self-diagnosed perfectionist) that I didn’t see all As on the white piece of paper. I also felt sorrow for him, that perhaps, there was some sort of struggle occurring in the walls of school. I experienced curiosity, and a sudden drive to uncover the real happenings behind my boy, who oftentimes, doesn’t love school. As a mom, I experienced an entire array of mixed emotions.  But in these moments, I am reminded of the truth that I’ve had to absorb time and time again for the last nine years as a mom. It’s this: I’m new at this. I’ve never parented a child before, let alone a very energetic, intelligent, different-than-me son. And, the flip side of that truth is this: he’s never been a nine-year-old boy before in 2026. Let that land for a sec. It hits hard every time I swallow it. This is uncharted territory as a mom, as a son, and as a family. You may know that I’ve had the true privilege of taking part in the Business Leads Fellowship program with the United States Chamber of Commerce. I’ve had the honor of meeting and learning from peers from all across the country–literally, from California to New York, and everywhere in between. Our last virtual “homeroom” session happened recently, and I felt myself feeling stuck as we wrapped up our seven-month conversation around workforce development and everything that falls under that umbrella. In that discussion, I confessed that it seems like workforce development is just one roadblock after the other. Here’s what I meant by that: When we finally gain some traction in systems-level solutions, another hurdle comes up. If it isn’t compensation for entry-level workers, it’s insurance and liability, or transportation, or delivering expansive value to the student on very limited school schedules. The list goes on and on. And then it hit me as I listened to my peers on that last homeroom call: I’ve never been in this position, on this day, in this year, tackling these exact roadblocks. It’s uncharted territory. And all it takes is a willingness to take the next right step. It seems elementary, sure, but the saying goes that an elephant can only be eaten one bite at a time. So as I close out a full month of columns about work-based learning, workforce development, and the next generation of LaGrange County laborers, consider it joyful and honest work to engage in the process. It takes all of us taking the next right step to pull off an empowered, prepared, and work-ready generation of students. Here are a few key tips to get involved: For Students: ● Be curious about work, not just jobs. Ask questions when you meet someone in a career field. Commit to understanding the reality of work, because knowing the reality of work is often more valuable than just knowing the job titles. ● Try something–even if you’re not sure it’s “the one.” A job shadow, internship, or part-time job isn’t a lifetime decision. It’s an experiment. Every experience teaches you something about what you enjoy, and what you don’t. ● Show up like a professional. Be on time. Ask good questions. Follow through. All of these things will set you apart quickly. For Parents: ● Help your student explore, not just decide. Many parents feel pressure to guide their child to the “right” career path. Instead, encourage exploration–job shadows, part-time work, conversations with local professionals. ● Use your network. You likely know someone in a field your student is curious about. A simple introduction or workplace visit can unlock the world for your child. ● Value experiences as much as academics. (Can I say this one louder to myself??) Grades matter, sure, but so do work habits, communication, and real-world exposure. Work-based learning builds those skills in ways a classroom alone cannot. For Business Owners: ● Start small. You don’t need a formal internship program to get involved. A one-day job shadow, facility tour, or short-term project can make a meaningful impact for a student. ● Show the “why” behind your work. Students connect when they see the purpose behind what your company does–how your work serves customers, build community, or solves problems. ● Invest in your future workforce. Today’s students are tomorrow’s employees. A small investment of time now can build awareness, interest, and relationships that benefit your business for years to come. The simple truth is this: It takes one person to make a difference. When one person is willing to roll up their sleeves and get involved, even in the smallest way, a ripple begins to play out. It’s the multiplication effect–when you impact one person, they impact another, and another, and soon, you’ll have touched an entire community of students by taking the right next step. We’re here, today, in 2026, living a life we’ve never lived before. Every day is a new opportunity to navigate uncharted territory in order to impact the future of our communities. Are you in? Take the plunge, because the future of LaGrange County is counting on it.

I recently had the privilege of assisting in the funeral of a community and church member I’ve known for many years. What made it sweet was that, not only did I know him and his wife, I also have known his daughter and his granddaughter for many years. It was a sweet time of reflection that the end of a life brings.  As I sat and listened to the numerous (and quite comical) stories about his life, a theme began to emerge for me. My friend was a decades-long farmer in our community, and he was known for his farm suspenders and his ag-centric adages. The pattern that was so intricately woven throughout every story was this firm belief and behavior in him that said: “When you’ve got a job to do, you just get up, and you do it.” That was his way of life–he inherently knew how to work hard and get the job done. And it was equally quite clear that he instilled that work ethic in his children, his grandchildren, and even his great-grandchildren who spoke about his life. As does any funeral service for most folks, this one caught me hanging on these shared words most of the weekend that followed. I found myself pulling many nuggets of wisdom. They included: 1) We are fortunate for the farming community found in our midst. 2) We are fortunate to have an integral work ethic here that is, at times, hard to find in other communities. 3) We are fortunate to have men and women who understand and live out community–caring for those both within and outside of their families. 4) We are fortunate to have people here who teach the next generation, both through their words and their actions. If you’ve read my column long, you’ve probably read a few articles around the idea of career readiness and career awareness, particularly for our next generation of workforce (i.e., our youth). As I often do (perhaps because of my line of work), I tie many life experiences back into this strategy, because our work is not linear or done singularly. Agriculture is the undercurrent of our way of life here. From gardening to thousand-acre corn fields, we know how to sow and harvest our land. But where career preparedness meets the farming industry is in the people. It’s the “ole farmers” who carry the wisdom of sunbeat life and hundreds of hours of tractor-driving that trickle down into the next generation. While they may not realize it in the process, their actions, their responses, their words, and their gestures are teaching the young farmers and agriculturalists coming behind them in more ways than one. This concept trickles right into every aspect of life, especially for those of us who have a younger generation following us (i.e., kids, grandkids, students, neighbors, nieces and nephews, or children of friends). Everything we do and say is teaching a lesson. So, how will we leave our legacy, and how will we choose to intentionally water the next generation? The truth of the matter is, everyone’s a teacher, whether we own it or not. Everyone has a lesson to give, a life experience to share, or some words to depart. How can you invest by giving what you have? Here are a few tips to consider: ● Slow down . I bet if you take a few minutes every day to intentionally stop, breath deeply, and look around, you’ll find an opportunity to talk to someone you wouldn’t normally have time for. Who is that person (or persons)? ● Be willing to be the conversation-starter . The best way is to ask a genuine question. Enough of this shallow “How are you?” conversation. Ask a question that pulls back a layer, and be honestly willing to listen (and ask more questions!). ● Lend your experience. It won’t cost you a thing to share a story from your past. What happened, and what did you learn? Your experiences carry value. Share them before you get to the end of your life! ● Walk in relationships . I am who I am today because of people who saw something in me that I didn’t yet see in myself. They took me for car rides, they bought me coffee, they took me to lunch. All because they wanted to speak into and develop me. Find those around you who need someone to do the same, and then do it for them! Take them for a walk, have them over for dinner, or sit on the porch with them. Invest your time into another. I will miss my friend. But what I will remember is how he encouraged, and he was willing to stop what he was doing to say hello and check in. When I left a conversation with this old farmer friend of mine, I felt empowered to take on the task at hand. Who can we give the gift of encouragement and development to today? Be like our farmers, and be willing to sow today for a harvest of next-generation workers and community members tomorrow.

My kids go to school in Shipshewana, so I get the advantage of a 15-minute drive of solitude every morning. This time is a great space for me to prepare my mind for the work laid out for the day, and I do a lot of my thinking during that drive into the office. One day a couple weeks ago, I was driving on the old Mishler’s Packing road–because if you’re a local, you know we name our roads by establishments, not by numbers–and I drove by a sight to see. The weather was one of those first spring-like days we experienced. The sun was shining, the sky was blue, and you could tell in the local livestock that it just felt different. It felt fresh and uplifting. As I drove by a flock of sheep, I caught a peculiar glimpse of the smallest lamb I’d ever seen. The lamb wasn’t what was comical. No, it was where the lamb was. The babe had to have been no more than a few days old, and it was confidently standing on new legs–on top of its mom lying in the sun! I chuckled to myself, because that mama sheep cultivated some validation within me. I said out loud in a quiet car, “Yep, I’ve been there too, mama.” You know the feeling? Kids pulling on your arm, jumping on your back, at your side. It’s a blessed feeling like none other, but sometimes, the mom just wants a moment without the lamb on its back! It was a pure picture of motherhood on my way to work. My brain translated this into a metaphor real quick. I thought, “Boy, what a great glimpse into the work we do in workforce development.” Because sometimes, getting involved in this work–even if it's for the greater good–feels like a heavy lift. Let’s be real…volunteering your business or your team takes time, it costs money, and it sometimes can take precedence over your own company’s productivity and performance. And it’d be really easy for me to sit here and tell you just how great it is to get involved, but ultimately–you're a business owner or a leader or someone with other responsibilities. Right? I’ve heard it all–the reasons why businesses hesitate to get involved. These include: ● It’s expensive. “You mean I have to pay a kid to come into my workplace?” (Answer: No, you don’t have to pay, but sure, it does have the possibility of additional cost.) ● It’s a time-sucker. “You mean I have to pay one of my employees to babysit a student in my workplace?” (Answer: It’s not babysitting. It’s not even supervising. It’s mentoring and investing in a possible future worker who will stay for the long-haul. And who might even bring better ideas or processes to your business you hadn’t previously considered.) ● It’s a liability. “I can’t afford the possibility of what this added liability will bring.” (Answer: Yep. I can empathize with this one too. It’s actually something our state legislature is working on actively. More to come on this.) Listen, I get it. You should always keep your business at the front of mind and make decisions that better your operations. It’s good business! It takes me back to that mama sheep. Sometimes, we just want our space. We just want to stay in our lane. We don’t have time or energy to add to our already-heavy lift we’re trying to manage every single day. Yet…that mama sheep still did it. And moms everywhere still do it. How? Because while the days are long, the years are short, and our work today isn’t about today. It’s about tomorrow. It’s about the next generation. We’ve had the privilege to work alongside some highly-qualified organizations recently who are leading the charge in identifying easy “on-ramps” for businesses and employers to get involved in workforce development, especially with today’s youth. Those organizations, including our LaGrange County Chamber of Commerce, include the Horizon Education Alliance, the Northern Indiana Educational Service Center, the Region 8 Education Service Center, the Indiana School Counselor Association, and the South Bend Regional Chamber of Commerce. The output of that work is a Northern Indiana Work-Based Learning Toolkit. What is the Northern Indiana WBL Toolkit? It is a regional resource which makes the case for financial and strategic business advantages found in WBL partnerships, while also providing actionable opportunities for businesses to get involved. Consider some very easy steps that take minimal time, money, or energy which support local workforce development and future employability that come directly from that Toolkit: ● Volunteer to speak in a local classroom. (Translation: Tell kids about your business, how you started, what you do every day, and answer questions. Talk about yourself!) ● Offer to help with mock interviews. Students need the skills to interview well, and land the job that fits. You want better, more-prepared workers, and this is an easy way to grease that pipeline. ● Register for our Field of Dreams Career Expo happening on March 25 at the Michiana Event Center in Shipshewana. Students need to know about the careers available here locally, or they’ll go elsewhere. They don’t know what they don’t know. Your involvement in this type of event ensures that they know they can find work here. ● Open your doors to a job shadow, a workplace tour, or a teacher externship. (Teacher externship = allow a local teacher to “intern” at your place of employment for a couple weeks this summer to learn more about local industry and employment opportunities.) ● Want to dive deep? Consider hosting an intern, an apprentice, or partnering with schools to establish long-term programs and career pathways. (Reach out to us to learn more.) Workforce development in rural LaGrange County is a work in progress, and it’s a big lift. But, the hope in the hustle is that, if all of us get involved, the lift doesn’t seem quite so heavy. So, you sheep out doing your thing, day in and day out…consider the lamb. Let’s lift together and get those legs confidently under our future workforce, today.

When you’re invited to a person’s home for a business or more formal meeting, do you take your shoes off at the door, or do you keep them on?  The psychology of this amuses me, because you typically get a mixed bag. Some are super casual–kicking off their shoes and displaying their socks with pride. Others are more reserved, keeping shoes tied, zipped, and firmly on. Either way, it was a great introduction to our Chamber board’s annual retreat a couple of weeks ago, and it set the stage for a diverse mosaic of conversation. Every year, we host this gathering to achieve several goals: (1) introduce new board members to the leadership team, (2) allow for non-business time together to build positive team culture, and (3) intentionally and strategically discuss our mission and vision while developing our path forward for the coming year. I love this time, because it leaves me feeling energized and interconnected with those who lead alongside me and our Chamber. (If you’re curious who these bold leaders are, head to our website to meet the faces of our board!) This year, we honed in on our three strategic pillars: Next-Level Workforce, Advocacy & Policy, and Local Commerce. The one that left me reeling–even after the retreat concluded–was the first. The discussions were broad yet real. Visionary, yet rooted in our current moment. Questions like the following were brought up: How does our community show young people there is a meaningful place for them here? How do we invite post-secondary students and professionals back home into our workforce? Where can the Chamber play a catalytic role – supporting Young Professionals, housing conversations, and pathways that make staying (or returning) an easy “yes”? Perhaps these questions pricked me a bit because of the stage of life I’m in. I’m a YP (young professional) – one who is leading while also building her career, skills, and experiences. I understand the tension of earning a living while balancing the costs of “adulthood” – housing, childcare, living expenses, you name it. It’s the very balance that leaves many YPs hanging in the wind, trying to keep it from tipping upside down. I’m also a hometown girl who innately understands what it means to love this community–and the value of sharing that message with others. And finally, I’m a mom with young children, and I aspire to create a place where they, too, will one day desire to live here, work here, and enjoy our communities. But here’s the hard truth: my heartbeat in this space has to beat louder than my own season of life. Because this conversation isn’t about me. It’s about multiplication. How does this vision expand beyond one person, one board, one organization? That’s the pinnacle of the conversation. It’s not a solo effort–it’s an “all of us” movement. We collectively decide to build today the workforce we need tomorrow. It’s celebrating things like National Careers Week (which is this week, by the way). It’s about opening your business doors to internships, job shadows, workplace tours, and guest speaking opportunities. Because when the rubber hits the road, and students are making career decisions that will impact the next 10, 20, or 30 years of their lives, it’s a non-negotiable for us to be at the table with them. Here’s how we can do that, together: ● Parents: It starts with you. Commit to open dialogue. Explore interests that might fall outside of the careers found within your home. Be willing to connect your children to jobs, industries, and career pathways that are different from your own, so their passions can align with their future. ● Community Leaders: Collaboration is king. If we try to do this alone, we’ll silo ourselves into oblivion. Before launching a new program, pathway, or opportunity, ask questions. Pull stakeholders together. Choose collaboration over isolation. ● Business Owners and Local Employers: Share your voice. Let us know about your workforce needs and employment challenges. Connect with local schools and partners. Consider hosting an internship, apprenticeship, or workplace tour. Step into a classroom and tell your story. (It matters!) We cannot build tomorrow’s workforce without all of the pieces of the puzzle. Without all of the voices at the table together. Our upcoming Field of Dreams Career Expo is the perfect start (or continue) of that conversation. It pulls together employers of all industries, military branches, and colleges and universities under one roof–conecting directly with students as they begin to shape their futures. We’re actively looking for more employers willing to build tomorrow’s workforce. If that’s you, reach out to us. So let’s build it–together. Let’s be the generation that didn’t just hope young people would stay–but showed them why they should. Let’s create clear pathways, real opportunities, and visible support. Let’s choose collaboration over competition and action over conversation. Because one day, our children–and their children–will inherit the workforce culture we’re shaping right now. The question is simple: what will we leave them?