NONPROFIT PROFILE: American Red Cross Military and Veteran Caregiver Network
By: Bianca Strzalkowski
There are roughly 5.5 million military caregivers in the United States, with nearly 20% caring for post-9/11 veterans, according to findings by the RAND Corporation. The men and women who find themselves in this new role often provide their loved ones with round-the-clock care, including emotional, physical, and medical support. Research found this level of responsibility can oftentimes lead to social isolation, which led to the creation of a peer-based network to help caregivers feel less alone.
The American Red Cross Military and Veteran Caregiver Network (MVCN) was launched to serve caregivers of all eras, of all relationships, and across all locations. It uses peer-based programs and services to meet caregivers in a way that works best for them, whether that be one-on-one, in a support group, or through an online community.
Director Melissa Comeau explains the top challenges facing caregivers today include employment, mental health, finances, lack of respite, and difficulty accessing VA caregiver programs. MVCN leans on volunteers to create a strong peer support network to address these trends. (more…)
Spotlight on Powerhouse’s Randi Cairns
Randi Cairns is one of Powerhouse’s writers extraordinaire. She pretty much handles it all, from content creation, to technical writing, to grant writing. If one of our clients needs a writer of any kind, Randi is one we go to first! Currently, she turns her talents to clients like Operation: Job Ready Veterans (grant writing), MILLIE/Agent Intel (blog and e-newsletter writing), and Powerhouse (content/resource creation, and blogs/newsletter article writing). So, as you can see, we’re not exaggerating when we say she can write anything.
Randi has been with Powerhouse for three years. She loves that we’re all about our team and that our team is family. She is inspired by the incredibly talented people she gets to call co-workers, and she considers Jessica Bertsch to be “one of the most genuine and caring business owner you could ever hope to know and work for/with.” Yep, we concur 100%. Is it any wonder that in five years Randi sees “total world domination in the best possible way for Powerhouse”? Randi hopes she gets to be along for the ride, and we sincerely hope she is because she’ll be one of the reasons for that domination.
Randi’s professional heart belongs to helping businesses succeed, especially nonprofits or those that have a mission to help others. Personally, she describes herself as “the offspring of a fierce, protective mama bear and a tree-hugging do-gooder.” For her it’s all about advocacy for those in need and all-encompassing love. As she says, “Nobody gets to mess with my village, and my village grows daily.” (May we just interject that we love writing pieces about writers? They have the BEST one-liners!)
Referencing that mama bear side of her, Randi is mom to four of the most awesome military “brats” (we’d humbly like to offer that that term should be “mini-heroes”) of all time who are now 25, 23, 15, and 14 years old. They are the best part of her day, each and every day, even if just seeing those ages in writing causes a gray hair to appear. In addition to being an exceptional mother and a national advocate for military families for over two decades, Randi spends what little free time she has with her children, binging on Netflix/Hulu, reading, cooking, or writing for fun. She also likes “piña coladas and getting caught in the rain” (maybe this is a Powerhouse thing?), though she doesn’t have time for most of these activities right now. She’s too busy advocating for those who can’t speak for themselves and raising productive members of the next fierce generation.
We asked Randi for some tidbits nobody knows about her, and she provided us with two absolute gems that truly sum up who she is. First, while her husband was deployed, Randi spent two hours cutting a cast off her leg with a steak knife so she could drive her kids places and get to work. She succeeded, but admits that the surgery she had to have to repair the damage she caused may not have been as empowering as the act that made it necessary. Two, she delivered her third child by herself in the bathroom of an Olive Garden about 30 minutes after she saw her OB, who told Randi that she was crazy for thinking she was in labor. The only things she regrets? That her son doesn’t get free Olive Garden for life and that there’s no commemorative plaque in that bathroom stall. Yep, this is why we love her.
So, as Randi says, “If you want the world’s best team of highly skilled and amazingly competent professionals to create magic for your business or nonprofit, led by a business owner with a heart of gold and a commitment to providing the best possible service, and you’re not already putting Powerhouse Planning to work for you, you should ask yourself why not and change that immediately.” If you do, it’s entirely likely that Randi will put her immense talents to work for you, and we’re pretty sure her village will grow just that much bigger. After all, who doesn’t want a mama bear/tree-hugging do-gooder on their side?
Spotlight on Powerhouse’s Jennifer Kirkpatrick
At Powerhouse, we are incredibly proud of the amazingly talented people who work here. This year, we’re rolling out a new blog series where we will be sharing some of these powerhouses with you. You’ll get the chance to know a little bit about the fantastic team members who have helped “power” us through to some truly outstanding successes over the last few years. Before we get too carried away with the puns, let us introduce you to Jennifer Kirkpatrick.
Jennifer is Powerhouse’s multi-talented Executive Assistant. Besides keeping all of us in line and on time, Jen has the truly monumental task of keeping up with our president and founder, Jessica Bertsch. If anyone can do that, it’s Jen! Over the past three years that Jen has been with Powerhouse, Jess and Jen have developed one of the warmest and closest professional bonds. So much so that they can practically finish each other’s sentences, especially when brainstorming new, innovative ways for Powerhouse to help our clients. Having Jen as Executive Assistant is really like having a vice president, assistant, creative director, and mom rolled into one, and Powerhouse definitely wouldn’t be the same without her. It’s kind of amazing that this one talented person is a true embodiment of what Powerhouse offers: a team of incredible talent for the price of one employee. Although, if you ask Jen she’s just “blessed to be a member of this dynamic and incredibly talented and inspirational team.” Is there any doubt as to why we hope, along with her, that she never leaves or retires?
As with most of us, one of Jen’s favorite things about Powerhouse is the ability she has to grow into the full potential God has intended for her while still being able to balance family time. Her other favorite thing is getting to work with one of the most talented and inspirational leaders (Jessica) who “is guided by a moral compass unmatched by any other person.” Add in her enjoyment and pride in the work she does and the challenges she’s presented, and is it any wonder she hopes she’s part of the growth and evolution of Powerhouse for a long time to come? She’s already contributed to some of our most successful years yet, so we can’t wait to see how she’ll inspire our future success.
When she’s not devoting her skills and time to Powerhouse, you can find Jen selflessly volunteering in her community or spending time with her retired Coast Guard husband, Mitch, and their two children Michelle, 13, and Joshua, 11. Courtesy of Michelle, who plays violin, they’re treated to some pretty great music while Joshua satisfies their sports-fan hearts by graciously allowing them to cheer him on at his swim meets. Both promise to be wonderfully well-rounded, conscientious people just like their mom.
Jen also loves reading, walking on the Florida beaches, geeking out over space launches, hiking, the art of cooking, and “piña coladas and getting caught in the rain.” Mostly though, she loves to make a positive difference to those around her, which is why she served as the Ombudsman for the USCGC Confidence for two and a half years before her husband’s retirement. She was the recipient of the 2017 Wanda Allen-Yearout Ombudsman of the Year Award, which should tell you exactly how dedicated she is to helping others. You’ll always find a ready ear and a desire to help from the minute you meet her. She lives her life by the Ralph Waldo Emerson quote, “To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded,” and it shows.
We asked Jen to let us in on something that people might not know about her. After she finished laughing (she’s an open book, after all), she told us that her superpower is thinking in song. Seriously. Maybe it’s because she used to sing karaoke three nights a week and maybe it’s because that’s just the kind of creative, uber-talented powerhouse she is. Whatever the reason, should you happen to meet her, ask her what song she’s thinking in at that moment. And then share it with us. Who knows, maybe we’ll even be able to persuade her to sing it for us.
Powerhouse Looks Forward to Good Things in 2019
Can you believe that 2019 is just about one-twelfth over? It seems like yesterday we were celebrating an awesomely successful 2018. Here at PH, though, we don’t like to rest on our laurels, and we want to a take a little time to let you know what excites us about this year.
First, we love having clients we can consistently help and see grow. Really, it’s one of our favorite things! In 2019, we look forward to continued growth among our retainer clients. We offer such a wide variety of services and goodness that our clients can consider us a one-stop shop. We’re launching into 2019 thrilled at the prospect of continuing to grow the relationships we have and foster new ones. Specifically, we’re looking to increase content-driven partnerships. After all, we’re really, really good at creating content, and we’re only getting better. So, should you wish to talk content, let us know—we’d love to help!
Along the same lines, we love our nonprofit clients. They completely own our hearts because each and every one is helping in so many different ways. We’re able to provide them a bevy of services for the price of one full-time employee. From grant writing, to graphic design and IT support, to project management, we’re able to help our clients stretch their budgets so their money can go where it can do the most good. In 2019, we hope to partner with even more nonprofit clients; when we’re an ideal dream team for them, it’s a win-win all around.
As always, our founder and president, Jessica Bertsch, loves to give back. This year, we will continue to give charitable contributions through our Share the Goodness campaign. Check out what we were able to do in 2018 and some of the organizations we helped. As part of our Share the Goodness campaign in 2019, we will continue to grow and give to the scholarship program we established with Indiana State University. Why Indiana State? Well, Jessica is an alumna, and besides, Indiana State is home of the mighty Sycamores! (Yes, we chuckle about that, too.)
Before we go, we just want to give you a taste of some of the content you’ll see from Powerhouse this year. We’ll have spring cleaning checklists for your company and for you (because everyone loves spring cleaning…Well, we feel way better after we’ve done it, anyway!) as well as checklists for grant writers and ideas about what you should have in your grant-writing library; we’ll tell you what the top five stressors are when starting a business; we’ll highlight cybersecurity, an ever-growing concern; and we’ll talk about decluttering your website. We will also be highlighting some our team members who produce top-notch, out-of-this-world content and make Powerhouse the success it is. Maybe we’ll even be able to convince Jessica to make a special appearance. One thing we hope you’ve learned by now is that Powerhouse loves to surprise, and 2019 promises to be a year full of (great) surprises!
Powerhouse Celebrates a Fantastic 2018!
There’s really no other way to describe it. Our clients and team members made 2018 a celebration here at Powerhouse Planning. 2018 saw us enjoying our sixth year providing an assortment of services to a wide range of clients, while employing a virtual team that now represents all five military branches, the best talent (regardless of military affiliation), and eleven states (if you think your office conferences are hard to coordinate, try ours!). Despite a fabulous first five years, in 2018 Powerhouse grew our client portfolio by 50% and our team by 41%. In addition, our most impressive statistic is also one near and dear to our president and founder, Jessica Bertsch’s, heart: Our charitable contributions grew a whopping 144%! So join the party as we honor the ways in which 2018 marks our most “accomplished” year to date.
Our clients are incredibly important and impressive. We strive to provide the best, most innovative products, and word is spreading that Powerhouse is the place to go for high-quality, on-time delivery. In 2018, we established partnerships with Jacey Eckhart, Coastal Addiction, MILLIE, and Operation: Job Ready Veterans, just to name a few. From serving nonprofits to government contractors, we provide wide-ranging services that assist our diverse clients in creating the best possible solutions for their clients. In addition, we are proud that longtime client Cape Henry Associates renewed their contract with us for a record fifth year.
Ever heard the phrase, “There is no ‘I’ in team”? Well, at Powerhouse we’re proud to say that we place a high premium on collaboration and teamwork—it’s all about working together to create our POWERful team solutions. But we do believe there is an “I” in our team: Our team is INCREDIBLE. All of our team members are truly spectacular at what they do. Our president has a talent for discovering someone’s “career gifts,” and it shows in the team she’s assembled. Last year we added some dazzling talents to our team such as Meghan Traynor, Julia Clark, and Ariana Detrez.
Powerhouse has been honored to work with some of the best talents in the nation. In a virtual workplace, it can be difficult to create a true sense of community, but Powerhouse has succeeded. While a lot of us here are relatively new (two years or less with the company), there are some who, even in the short six years Powerhouse has been around, have already achieved “legendary status.” Legends like Jennifer McKee, Technical Writer and Quality Assurance Specialist, who is our most senior team member. Jennifer has been with Powerhouse for five years, and her fingerprints are all over the successful projects we turn out. Another example of our spectacular workforce is Bianca Strzalkowski, our e-Newsletter Coordinator. All those newsletters you’ve received and looked at over the last three years are her babies. She makes us look and sound good year-round. From our amazing long-term IT guy to our lineup of graphic designers, technical writers, marketing gurus, and more, Powerhouse employs the best while providing a work/life balance that is second to none. No wonder our team members tend to stick around while continually submitting outstanding work.
From its inception, Powerhouse has been committed to giving back 10% of its monthly profits. In the beginning, that commitment meant sponsoring a child in Africa through World Vision, a sponsorship that still continues today. As Powerhouse grew, so did our charitable offerings. In early 2018, Powerhouse provided funds for a woman to travel to Haiti for humanitarian reasons. Powerhouse’s founder wanted a way to get the team involved in our “Share the Goodness” movement, and in November and December she challenged Powerhouse team members to nominate organizations in our hometowns to receive some of the goodness that comes our way. Our commitment to give back to our communities saw contributions going to the Scentsy Buddy Drive at Florida Hospital for Children; Space Coast Basket Brigade; Jesse Beckius/Casey Owens Veterans Resource Center; Alzheimer’s Association; Foodbank of Hampton Roads; North Carolina Center for Economic Empowerment and Development (CEED); Onslow Women’s Shelter; Fort Gordon Christmas House; St. Anne’s Child Care Center; and Rockledge Professional Firefighters Charitable Foundation. If you asked her, we’re pretty sure Jessica would say that besides the professional success Powerhouse has seen, the ability to give back and “Share the Goodness” is one of her favorite things about starting this company.
So, as we begin to tackle 2019, we thank you for everything. 2018 was a fantastic year, full of growth and exciting new partnerships. Be sure to check out our services. And keep checking back—we’re adding new goodness all the time as we strive to be the one-stop shop for all of your planning and marketing needs. Don’t see what you need? Contact us and we’ll see what we can do. Our goal is to make 2019 even more remarkable. Let’s make a date to meet next year to celebrate again—same time, same place. Deal?
How to Set Realistic and Attainable Goals in Business
Whether it’s January 1st or December 31st or any of the days in between, there’s never a bad time to set business goals for yourself and your company. Businesses are living, breathing entities. They change and grow, or they die. And what breathe life into and give direction to a business’ future? Goals. But not just any goals—goals that are realistic and attainable. So how do you set realistic and attainable goals?
Be (brutally) honest. How has the past business year been for you? Revisit both your successes and the times your company has fallen on its face. The things you rocked and the things that got away from you. Where did you knock it out of the park? How did you misstep? Both your successes and your failures can (and should) inform the path moving forward. Learn from both.
Do your homework. What’s the latest, greatest in your industry? How is the way people do business in your field shifting? What are your competitors and peers doing that’s working? Not working? How is customer behavior changing and how might that impact how/where you find and engage with them? Setting yourself up for success in creating and meeting goals starts with you arming yourself with as much information as possible.
Be SMART. The philosophy of SMART goal setting isn’t new; it’s been around since the 1980s. Its staying power is because it works. You want your goals to be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.
Specific – Pretend you’re a newspaper reporter and answer the W’s: Who’s going to be
involved? What are you trying to accomplish? When will you do this by? Where are the relevant events/locations? What obstacles might you face? And the most important question—Why is this a goal that matters?
Measurable – How will you know if you’ve reached your goal? What metrics will you use? Dollars spent/earned? Number of sales, customers, locations?
Achievable – Can you realistically do what you’re setting out to do? Do you have the skills, time, and resources? If you don’t, can you acquire what you need?
Relevant – Does the goal align with your business plan/strategy? Just because you can do something doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a good use of your time and attention. Does it make sense to your broader vision for your business?
Time-bound – Remember when you just asked yourself when you’d do this by? (See above.) Set a deadline or target date, not just for your goal, but also for all the milestones along the way. For instance, if your goal is to bring in 100 new customers by the end of the year, where are you at three months in? Six? Nine? Not only should you have a deadline for your goal, but you should also be monitoring your progress toward that goal year-round. That gives you the opportunity to assess where you’re at routinely and to make any adjustments as necessary.
Get your team involved. The view from a leadership role is not necessarily the same as the view of the people taking calls, knocking on doors, fielding complaints, or working the systems you have in place. Sure, if you’re a great leader, you’ve got your finger on the pulse of your business. But you’re likely not interacting with customers and vendors, etc. Ask the people who are working the plan.
When your team responds, don’t just listen—commit to making changes to the things that need to be fixed. And this commitment doesn’t just apply to the troubleshooting part of your business. Ask your team members what their hopes and dreams are for the company. What their brilliant ideas are that might just take your business to the next level. When team members have buy-in, they will work harder for a company that values them and solicits their feedback.
Have a plan for your plan. Written goals are great. Know what’s better? The plan to implement those goals and the follow-up along the way. What will it take to get those goals off paper and have them work to grow your business?
Name the responsible people, teams, or departments. Grace is setting up the new
CRM system that manages information regarding customer engagement. Joe is communicating with team leads monthly for updates and feedback. Sarah is coordinating the celebration lunch if you’re on target with your numbers. Whatever the goal is, someone should be tasked with taking responsibility for each piece of the puzzle.
Put it on your calendar. When are you meeting to check in with each other and report on progress/obstacles? When are reports due? What’s your deadline for meeting your goal? When’s that celebration lunch? Put it all on the company calendar where everyone can see what’s being tracked and by when. Scheduling time for such things conveys the urgency and priority of your goals to your whole team.
Allocate the necessary resources. What do you need to set your goals in action? Budgeting more money for social media? New equipment or software? Specialized training or a staff retreat? Employee incentives? More employees? Look at what you’re hoping to accomplish and assess what resources will be required to make it happen. If you can’t find or create what you need to pull it off, perhaps this isn’t the time for this particular goal. If that’s the case, put it on your goals bucket list and go back to the drawing board to determine what’s possible with what you have available to you.
Big dreams. Little steps. Dream the biggest possible dreams. Want it all for your business and believe that all is possible. But a goal isn’t a dream; it’s the vehicle that turns dreams into reality. The trick is to create goals that are bigger than where you currently stand, but not so big that you’re done before you’ve started. So be honest with yourself. Do your homework. Be SMART. Get your team involved. Plan to work your plan. Put the necessary resources in place. And get to work on those attainable and realistic goals that are going to propel your business ahead.
Need some inspiration for where to start with your goals for a new business year? Click here.
