Take a look at our May newsletter!
MAY 2022
307-322-2545 • CHBEF.COM
With a Few May Holidays Nurture Relationships
There’s no guidebook for business. Sure, experts and best practices fill pages and pages of business books; after all, there’s a whole section on business in bookstores and libraries. But there isn’t one tried-and-true way to run your business. We all do the best we can, picking up little tidbits and experience along the way. So, that’s where this advice comes from. After decades in the equipment financing industry, CHB has learned a thing or two about how to conduct business successfully. And among these tips, one stands out among the rest: You have to build camaraderie. Whether that connection is between your team, your clients, your peers, or a combination of all three, fostering stronger relationships will only enhance your business. You’ll create connections that will benefit your company, while also learning new approaches and ideas from the people you network with. And the month of May presents the perfect opportunity to do just that. Every year on May Day, tradition dictates that you prepare a little gift for your neighbors and drop it off on their porch. It’s an act of kindness we can all enjoy, but it’s also a valuable tool in business. Taking time to celebrate someone — either internally or externally — creates greater camaraderie and working relationships. And through that, your business will grow. This doesn’t have to be something you wait until the holiday season to do. In fact, May has plenty of opportunities to celebrate your clients, coworkers, and peers. Here are just a few ideas. Mother’s Day: Everyone has a mom, whether biological or adopted. Mother’s Day is an opportunity to celebrate the women who raised us to be who we are, so be sure to honor the moms you work with. Send flowers or cards to let them know you appreciate them! And while you’re at it, don’t forget your own mom.
Cinco de Mayo: This is a celebration of the anniversary of the Battle of Puebla. Celebrated annually on May 5 in Puebla de Zaragoza, Mexico, Cinco de Mayo is a celebration of the defeat of Napoleon III and the French forces. Most of Mexico doesn’t celebrate the holiday, and the U.S. has stereotyped the holiday to include feasts of tacos and margaritas. So, if you honor this day, be sure to recognize the historical significance it has in Mexican heritage, rather than celebrating the U.S. translation. Graduation: Whether from high school or college, graduation is a momentous occasion. And it’s worth celebrating! If you know your clients or employees have graduates in their lives, go the extra mile by honoring them. A handwritten note can go a long way here! Encourage them to do their research and find mentors who are in the career they are interested in. Encourage them to explore and invest in their futures. Cultivating meaningful relationships is a powerful and underutilized tool in business. We hope these ideas inspire greater connection, and if you are searching for another holiday to recognize with your team and clients, we encourage you to turn to Page 3. There, we have a holiday everyone should keep in their hearts and minds this May.
–Kit West & Ed Meyer
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What Are Cravings? How Do I Stop Them? How Playing the Long Game Helps Overcome Cravings
Cravings — they can feel like a comforting friend or a gut-punching enemy, depending on what you’re craving. An estimated 90% of people experience cravings, and, believe it or not, not all cravings are bad. Leaning into our healthy cravings can help establish a healthy diet. Don’t worry, we’re thinking the same thing: “If that’s the case, why do we crave sugary snacks and fatty foods the most?!” It’s complicated, but understanding your brain is a great place to start. What are cravings, really? Decades of research have proven that cravings start in our brain, not our body. This might be shocking for some, since it was commonly believed for a long time that if you were craving a steak, you were probably low in iron. However, the brain connection makes way more sense. Think about it: Does your body love circulating excess sugar that can lead to health complications, or does your brain enjoy sugar more? After all, sugar releases the feel-good
neurotransmitter dopamine, which our brains love. A chocolate milkshake or lemon bar helps us feel good by literally triggering our brain’s pleasure centers. That means when we’re unhappy, stressed, or needing a pick-me-up, we might start craving foods that comfort us, such as ice cream. How do I stop craving unhealthy things? One thing is for sure: Restrictive
chips or another crunchy but healthier alternative that you already enjoy? If you’re craving soda, why not crush some fresh fruit into sparkling water instead? Make it a treat, make it special, but make it healthier. Eating more filling, nutrient-dense food and getting more sleep are also great ways to fight cravings. It leaves little time or room for binging on bad foods. However, a 6-month
diets don’t always work. It’s hard to “rewire” the brain by completely rejecting how it currently operates. Instead, you might want to consider accepting your cravings, but make slow and deliberate changes to how you satisfy those cravings.
2018 study in the National Institutes of Health has
shown that flexibility in your diet can make a difference for making real, meaningful changes to your lifestyle long term.
By overcoming shame and accepting your cravings, you won’t fear making a single mistake as much. It’s all about playing the long game.
For example, if you’re craving potato chips, why not try kale
FREE YOUR TEAM FROM ‘MEETING BRAIN DRAIN’ And Watch Your Sales Soar
Entrepreneur magazine has a few suggestions for how to free your team from this brain drain. 1. Say goodbye to company- and department-wide meetings. Think of building a meeting the same way you’d think of building a team: Add as many people as you need, and only that many. The more you can whittle down the required attendance for meetings, the less you will impact your employees’ productivity. Entrepreneur suggests keeping meetings at 4–6 people when possible. If you have a daily company huddle, consider making it weekly or even monthly to save brain space. 2. When you meet, always set an agenda. We’ve all attended “30-minute” meetings that stretched to two hours as the speakers rambled. Don’t let this become the norm! Instead, set an agenda for every meeting — even a routine check-
in — and stick to it. If you’re a talker, consider including timestamps with each item to really keep you on task and get your team back to work ASAP. (Not sure how to write a fantastic agenda? Visit HBR.org and search “How to Design an Agenda” for an in-depth article on the topic.) 3. Encourage time blocking. Fewer interruptions to your team’s flow means it’s easier to get back in the zone, so try to cluster meetings during one part or “block” of the day/ week. This will help your team build routines around those blocks, and they’ll be able to dive deep during non-meeting blocks without the fear of interruption. Try these strategies today and watch your key performance indicators (KPIs) for lead generation, conversion, and retention closely. You might be surprised at the results!
Here’s a shocking statistic for you: According to a Productivity Trends Report from ReclaimAI, the average professional is spending almost 309% more time in one-on-one meetings right now than they did before the pandemic. That’s crazy! Worse, it’s a waste of valuable time and a drain on your team’s productivity. Meetings can be productive, but there’s a reason why the phrase “This should have been an email” exists. If you pull your best people into Zoom call after Zoom call, they won’t have the focus they need to work quickly and perform at their best. That has implications across every department from marketing and sales to billing.
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One-Pan Baked Salmon and Veggies
Inspired by BBCGoodFood.com
It’s asparagus season! Celebrate with this easy one-pan salmon dish for two.
INGREDIENTS
• 1 lb spring potatoes, halved • 2 tbsp olive oil (divided) • 8 asparagus spears, trimmed and halved
• 2 handfuls cherry tomatoes • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 Ways to Make This Holiday More Meaningful Honor Memorial Day
• 2 5-oz salmon fillets • 1 handful fresh basil
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. 2. In an oven-proof dish, combine the potatoes and 1 tbsp olive oil. Roast for 20 minutes. 3. Remove the dish from the oven and add the asparagus. Toss, and bake for 15 more minutes. 4. Remove the dish from the oven and add the cherry tomatoes. Toss. Drizzle with balsamic, then nestle the salmon fillets into the vegetables. Drizzle with the remaining oil, and bake for 10–15 minutes. 5. Remove the dish from the oven, garnish with basil leaves, and serve! CHB on the Road We’re always looking for ways to improve and network, and this spring, we have two opportunities to do just that. • Office Manager Janie Martines visited
Memorial Day signifies the “unofficial start to summer,” but it is about so much more than barbecues, pool parties, and road trips. This Memorial Day, honor the military members who made the ultimate sacrifice with these three ideas. Attend or volunteer for a ceremony. Many American Legions and veterans groups across the U.S. will host Memorial Day services designed to honor local heroes killed and missing in action. Make these events a priority to attend as a small- business leader in your community, or offer to volunteer or donate pieces to the ceremony. For instance, if your community has a wreath- laying service, volunteer to donate the supplies or ask your team to help. Showing up is more impactful than you may think. Support a military family or service member. Is there a local military family in need of extra support this year? Do you know of a local hero who is deserving of recognition? Then take action! You could ask your customers to nominate deserving families or veterans and choose a few applicants to support. You could pay for a family trip to a local amusement park or provide volunteers for home repairs. You could also talk to your local veterans groups to identify local needs. Maybe veterans in the area are in need of fundraiser support or accessibility accommodations. Now is the time to get involved! Pen your thanks.
Richmond, Virginia, for the DLS (Dominion Leasing Software) users conference in April. Janie is our go-to expert on this software, and her attendance at the conference in April was valuable for our team!
If money and time are not something you can give away, consider the simple act of saying, “Thank you.” Write notes to your clients who have served, thanking them and their loved ones for their service. Write letters to families of those who have died in active duty, or write a social media message expressing your thanks. The simple act of recognizing this day can create powerful ripples in your community. Founded by a veteran and employing veterans, CHB continually honors and remembers those who have served our country and those who lost their lives doing so. Thank you to all who have served, and may we always remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.
• Development and Broker Relations
Director Kit West and COO Ed Meyer, along with Lender Wyatt Dunlap, will head to the American Association of Commercial Finance Brokers (AACFB) Conference on May 11–13. Hope to see you all in Charlotte.
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PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
C.H. Brown Co., LLC A PLATTE VALLEY COMPANY 20 W. Frontage Rd. • Wheatland, WY 82201 307-322-2545 • chbef.com
Inside
1 Don’t Wait to Nurture Business Partnerships 2 Cravings — And How to Stop Them 2 3 Tips for Boosting Productivity 3 One-Pan Baked Salmon and Veggies 3 More Than Barbecues: Let’s Remember Memorial Day 4 3 Wyoming Spots Perfect for a Road Trip
Taking a Road Trip? Visit Wyoming! 3 STOPS YOU HAVE TO MAKE Wyoming is so much more than cowboys, wide open spaces, and Yellowstone National Park. The vast frontier of the Equality State is filled with must-see stops, perfect for any road trip. If you’re looking for ideas, be sure to check out these places. (And don’t forget to visit Yellowstone and CHB, too!)
Devils Tower. She’s a butte!
Devils Tower Where: 149 Highway 110, Devils Tower, WY Hours: Open every day, all day Website: NPS.gov/DETO This prairie butte is considered a sacred place by native populations, and today, many people traverse to Devils Tower to witness its beauty and strength. There are numerous ways you can experience the tower. Try hiking around it, climbing it, or camping near it, with camping open from May 15 to October 15. Climbers should avoid visiting in June, when climbing operations are closed, while motorcycle enthusiasts should check out the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, which hits the tower in the first week of August. Learn more and plan your trip online at NPS.gov/DETO!
Fort Laramie Where: 965 Gray Rocks Road Fort Laramie, WY Hours: Visitors Center hours vary, but the fort is open every day from sunrise to sunset. Website: NPS.gov/FOLA Dive deeper into the history of the American West at Fort Laramie. This destination opened as a trading post in 1834, and it was often considered a gateway for those traveling westward. While you can’t camp at the fort, there is plenty to explore! Enjoy a museum adventure, explore 12 historical buildings, chat with staff and volunteers wearing traditional garb, or hike along the trails. Plan your visit online by visiting NPS.gov/FOLA!
Thermopolis Where: Thermopolis, WY Hours: Varies by location Website: Thermopolis.com
Wyoming is home to some of the best fishing and hunting in the U.S., and Thermopolis is a great destination to do just that. Drop a line in one of our gorgeous canyons, or book a fishing adventure with one of the local guide groups. After a day of fishing, check out Hot Springs State Park. Water flows from mineral hot springs at 128 degrees F. Find a spot for a dip along one of the 6 miles of trails, or soak in the bath house, where the water is 104 degrees F. Find out more online at Thermopolis.com.
We hope to see you out here!
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