Austin Daily Herald

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Hooked on hunting

IT TOOK HER 86,000 MILES, BUT SUEOLSON HAS MADE HER MARK AS AN

ATTORNEY AND VOLUNTEER

A black, mutant-phase ringneck pheasant, a rare genetic, color mutation hangs in Sue Olson’s office at Hormel.She is very involved in pheasant hunting and conservation.

Story and Photo by Matt Peterson

Twenty-one years ago, Sue Olson exhaustednearlyallof hertimepursuingalegalcareer.Today, she is just as busy as ever and still

working in the same fieldwhere it all started.And years ago, Olson wasn’t discouraged

by the amount of work that was ahead of her.That work has made her a corporate attorneyat Hormel and the president of a PheasantsForever chapter.

In 1989 Olson began working as a paralegal.After working for a firm for several years, shedecided she needed some time away and wentto work for Mower County human services.

“I just needed a break,” Olson said.She worked for human services for a couple

years, started at Hormel in 1998 as a secretaryin the food service division.

After graduating fromMankato State University in1998, she started her pursuittoward a law degree. Six monthsafter starting at Hormel, shetook a position as a paralegal;then she began her duration atSt. Paul’s Willliam and MitchellCollege of Law. From 2000 to2003, she commuted from Austinto St. Paul on a regular basis, yet she didn’texpect to get into Hormel because they werenot hiring for the position she wanted.

Olson kept a chart of her driving duringthat transition, and she had drove about 86,000miles.

“I’d been in the car more than I’d been inclass,” she said. “That was hard. ... I’m goingto get through this week, then the next week,then the next year.”

Her efforts paid off when she landed herjob as a corporate attorney with Hormel in2003. She works in a department with otherswho are in charge of refining thousands oflengthy contracts, every year.

Many people, even those at Hormel, do notknow what Olson does.

“People really don’t know what we do untilthey come to us with a problem,” she said.“We have seven lawyers who each cover a cer-tain area.”

Olson is in charge of many contracts, about4,000 per year. Some of those include contractswith hog procurement and Jennie-O Turkey.To add to her schedule, she is chair of theMinnesota Chamber of Labor Managementcommittee and was also appointed to theMinnesota Workers Comp. Advisory Councilby Gov. Pawlenty. She looks at issues involvingworker compensation and labor practices andhow to improve them.

Hooked on huntingAside from her extensive legal career,

Olson continues to make time for hunting andworking with dogs. In 1995, she went pheasanthunting for the first time — it was also thefirst time she had ever shot a gun. When shestarted out-shooting most of her fellow trap-shooters, she realized she was good at it. Ayear later she was doing safety training forthe DNR.

“I was hooked,” she said.Olson belongs to a game farm in

Menomonie, Wis. where she enjoys huntingpheasants, chuckars and quail. One of hertakes included a black, mutant-phase ring-neck pheasant, which can be seen in her officeat Hormel.

However, her favorite partabout hunting is the dogs.Although she has done deerhunting and duck hunting,pheasant hunting is herfavorite because the dogsenjoy it no matter the weath-er or situation. She owns twogerman shorthair pointers,her third recently passed

away in March from cancer.That passion for dogs and pheasant hunt-

ing found her another way to get involved inthe community.

Getting stuff doneOlson is the president of the Mower County

chapter of Pheasants Forever. She joined in2003 and has been president for five years. Sheand the volunteers at Pheasants Forever haveworked to improve habitat in Mower Countythrough several land-restoration projects.Furthermore, she is a sponsor for NorthernPraire Pheasants Forever in north Iowa.

The Mower County chapter is one of themost successful PF chapters and has raisednearly $1 million the past decade. It will sur-pass that mark if it completes its next landrestoration project, which Olson expects tohappen soon.

“We have a group of people who want to getstuff done,” she said.

The group meets once a month throughoutthe fall and nearly once a week duringDecember, January and February while get-ting ready for its annual banquet. Olson nowmakes quilts for the banquets — anotherhobby —to auction off and raise money for PF.

“It’s hard to fit stuff in sometimes. ... It’sjust really, really busy, but I like it,” she said.

“It’s hard to fit stuffin sometimes ... It’s

just really, really

busy, but I like it.”

-Sue Olson

Personal branding:Standing out in the‘age of information’

(ARA) — In today’s tough job market, it’sessential tomake yourself asmarketable as pos-sible. Even as the economy begins to recover,unemployment rates are resting at more than 9percent nationwide, according to the Bureau ofLabor Statistics — meaning that more than 14.6million people are on the prowl for a limitednumber of jobs nationwide.

This ever-growing pool of job seekers, adownturned economy and the endless amountsof information available online mean 21st-cen-tury job hunters must work harder to stand outin the marketplace. In the age of information,employers are able to gather data on a job can-didate with a simple click of a mouse — whichmeans that nowmore than ever, it’s essential forjobseekers to take control of their online pres-ence by building their own personal brand.

Dan Schawbel, founder of MillennialBranding, LLC and author of the internationalbestselling “Me 2.0: 4 Steps to Building YourFuture,” has made a career out of teaching newjobseekers and established professionals alikehow to leverage the power of online media forpersonal empowerment and career success.“Before beginning a job search or a career, it’simportant to understand the importance of dis-covering your personal brand,” says Schawbel.“You need to identify your unique talents, whatyou’re passionate about, and the type of expert-ise you need to develop in order to reach yourlong-term goals.”

Feeling a little overwhelmed? Schawbeloffers three pieces of advice on how to start cre-ating your own personal brand.

•First things first: Find your niche — anindustry or field you wish to become the go-toexpert in — and become extremely knowledge-able in this field. Before you begin marketingyourself, make sure to develop the relevant pro-fessional skills.

> BRANDING continues on 2

Going back toschool, but notin the classroom

(ARA) — While many parents already takean active role in their children’s education,today more and more moms are going back toschool themselves, particularly in the tighteconomy. The U.S. Census Bureau recentlyreported that women were on track to surpassmen in earning advanced degrees. And theyare increasingly doing so online, at a signifi-cantly lesser cost than the average brick-and-mortar institution.

More than 4.6 million students took at leastone online course this past year. Online degreeprograms are helping working mothers gainan edge in their careers, while allowing stay-at-home moms to expand their knowledge andexperience to prepare for returning to work,all on their own schedule.

A good case in point is Rebecca Roch, a sin-gle mother of three, who put her educationand career on hold to care for her children. In2007, she was awarded service-connected dis-ability while serving in the Army NationalGuard. The award was a blessing in disguise.

“I was given the opportunity to continue myeducation, something I thought I would neverbe able to do,” Roch says.

Roch enrolled at American MilitaryUniversity, an online university that is part ofthe accredited American Public UniversitySystem, to pursue a master’s degree in busi-ness administration with a concentration insecurity management. Her ultimate goal wasto secure a position with the U.S. Departmentof Veterans Affairs to give back to those whohad helped her so much, and to better finan-cially support her family.

> SCHOOL continues on 2

2 WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2010 Women in Business AUSTIN DAILY HERALD

See your audiologist if you suspect you have a hearingloss. When you do not seek help for your hearing lossyou can feel left out in a crowd, wonder what othersare talking about, and begin to have feelings of para-noia. These feelings can lead to depression. Don’twait to treat your hearing loss - see a professionaltoday!!! Dr. Amy Swain is an audiologist with over20 years of experience in helping people hear better,call her today for a free consultation. It could changeyour life!

An advanced degree cangive you an edge too.Schawbel works with sever-al universities, one ofwhich is DeVry University.They offer degree programsin high-growth industriessuch as accounting, infor-mation security and healthinformation technology.

•Once you have the righteducation, market yourprofessional skills — andtake control of your onlineperception. Brand yourselfbefore someone else does itfor you. By establishingyour own website or blog,and claiming your name onsocial networks, such asFacebook, Twitter andLinkedIn, you will havepower over how people per-ceive you online. If youdon’t start controlling your

online perceptions, thenyou will be judged solelybased on popular opinion.

•Network. Put yourself

out there and be consistentin your messaging. Usingyour credentials, knowl-edge and education, build

relationships with boththe niche media that cov-ers your industry and withyour industry peers. Seekout mentors within yourfield and don’t be afraid toask for endorsements fromthem once you’ve provenyourself.

Carrie Rubin, dean ofcareer services at DeVryUniversity, offers anotherway that you can beginyour personal brandingprocess — with the help ofyour university’s careerservices department.“DeVry University is aschool that truly under-stands and appreciates theimportance of personalbranding. We help our stu-dents and alumni get ahead start on their person-

al branding process, boththrough our career-focuseddegree programs and top-

notch career services offer-ings,” says Rubin. “Some ofthe tactics we encourageour past and present stu-dents to implement includejoining all social media net-works available, becomingmembers of organizationsthat are affiliated with theirdisciplines or majors andattending networkingevents or conferenceswhere they can promotethemselves in a positiveway, both online andoffline.”

Want more informationon how to kick-start yourjob search? Visit personal-brandingblog.com for addi-tional insight fromSchawbel. For informationon relevant, career-focusededucational programs thatwill help you become anexpert in the field of yourchoice, visit devry.edu.

Branding: Building relationships a career keyFrom Page 1

ARA PhotoA number of techniques, including social networking, can be used to getahead in the business world.

The online formatfit Roch’s life in somany ways. Whileworking as anemployment coun-selor she found timeto study during herlunch hour. She snuckin study time whenher children weredoing their homeworkin the evening, onfamily vacations andeven at Cub Scoutmeetings.

She formed tightbonds with her onlineclassmates who werebased all over theworld.

“I loved that aspect.I didn’t feel like Iwould miss out oninformation like youwould in a traditionalclassroom, where youwould have to raiseyour hand and waityour turn. It was justan open exchange ofideas and informa-tion,” she says.

Roch recently grad-uated with her mas-ter’s degree and hassecured her dream jobwith Veterans Affairs.She is the first in herfamily to earn a mas-ter’s degree.

“I absolutely lovedit. And I have beenable to give my chil-dren more goals tostrive for and moredreams to dream,”Roch says.

Accredited onlineinstitutions likeAmerican PublicUniversity System,comprised ofAmerican Public

University andAmerican MilitaryUniversity, offer thesame, high-qualitycurriculums andrigor of a traditionalbrick-and-mortar uni-versity, and many areexpanding their edu-cational offerings,with bachelor’s andadvanced degrees inliberal arts, businessand information tech-nology.

The affordability ofonline programs, at

$750 per undergradu-ate course and $900per graduate course,ensures students canadvance their educa-tion without breakingthe bank. Morewomen like Roch areturning online toobtain their degreesbecause of the flexi-bility and affordabili-ty they provide, allow-ing them to better jug-gle family and worklife while pursuingtheir career goals.

School: ‘It was just anopen exchange of ideas’From Page 1

ARA PhotoThe U.S. Census Bureau recently reported that women areon track to surpass men in earning advanced degrees, andonline degrees are a key way women are going back toschool.

(ARA) — Studiesshow that the averagejob-seeker will changecareers several timesover the course of hisor her lifetime.Different variables con-tribute to the desire forcareer change, but thecommon threadbetween those seekingto make this transitionis an overwhelmingfeeling of uncertaintyabout how to do so suc-cessfully.

Kimberly Bishop,founder and CEO ofthe career manage-ment and leadershipservices company thatbears her name, is inthe business of notonly helping individu-als find jobs but alsomanage and successful-ly change their careers.

Bishop advises thatpeople looking tochange careers setaside time every day tozero in on what theyare looking to achieveas they begin takingthe next steps to shiftfrom their currentcareer to the next. “It’sreally about taking thebig picture and break-ing it down into small-er, more actionablesteps. It’s very easy tobecome overwhelmed,but individuals mustdo their homeworkfirst before shiftinginto their desiredcareer,” says Bishop.

Not sure where tobegin? Bishop offers

both traditional andnon-traditional careertransitioning tipsbelow.

1. Research,research, research —It may sound tedious,but learning moreabout the career fieldyou are interested in isvital. How muchresearch you do alsodepends on how muchof a change you’remaking. For example,are you transitioningfrom a nurse to a Webdesigner? A great placeto begin your researchis online. Sites like theU.S. Bureau of Laborand Statistics’Occupational OutlookHandbook can provideinsight into a variety ofcareer fields and thepositions they encom-pass. Another keyplace for conductingresearch is to hone inon specific companiesin the industry you arepursuing.

2. Identify yourtransferable skills —You may already pos-sess many skills thatcan be leveraged in anew career. For exam-ple, communications,leadership, budgetmanagement and plan-ning are all transfer-able and applicable towhat you might want todo in your new career.You may be surprisedthat you already have asolid amount of experi-ence to offer.

3. Assess yourtraining and educa-tion — Search theInternet and identifyjob descriptions forpositions in the fieldthat interests you andfind out the educationand training require-ments for these posi-tions. While most indi-viduals do not have theopportunity of goingback to school full-time, many collegesand universities, suchas DeVry University,offer flexible schedul-ing options, allowingstudents to take cours-es online, on campus,or a combination ofboth. Having the abilityto complete yourdegree program whilebalancing your currentjob and family commit-ments can help ease the

stress during yourtransition towards anew career.

4. Think outsidethe box — Get out andabout to do your careerresearch because noteverything can befound online. Attend atrade show or network-ing event in the careerfield that interests you.

Some of these eventsare free, while othersmay charge a minimalfee to non-members forentry. Once you attendthese events, use theopportunity to talk toother attendees and askyourself the followingquestions:

•Do I like the people Iam surrounded byhere? Could I seemyself working withthem on a daily basis?

•Do I like the envi-ronment? What is itthat I specifically like?

•Could I truly seemyself at atradeshow/networkingevent like this in thefuture?

5. Gain experience— Realize you areessentially startingover from square one.By obtaining an intern-ship, part-time job orvolunteering in yournew career field, notonly can you solidifyyour decision, but itcan give you much

needed experience forembarking on yournew career.

6. Know the impor-tance of family —While family maythink they know whatyou do, they may notunderstand your actualskill set. By taking theopportunity to shareyour intentions andabilities with your fam-ily, it may springboarda connection to some-one else they know inyour related field.

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(ARA) — While womenhave struggled historicallywith equal pay and discrimi-natory treatment within theworkplace, national trendsand statistics show thatthere’s never been a bettertime to be a businesswoman.

According to the Bureauof Labor Statistics (BLS), in1950 about one in threewomen participated in thelabor force. But by 1998,nearly three of every fivewomen of working age werein the labor force. In addi-tion, the BLS notes thatwomen’s labor force growthshould be faster than men’s.The Department of Labornotes that women are pro-jected to account for 51.2 per-cent of the increase in totallabor force growth between2008 and 2018.

According to a recent arti-cle in Newsweek titled“Women Will Rule theWorld,” by 2005, women rep-resented more than a thirdof people involved in entre-preneurial activity, and thenumber of women-ownedfirms continues to grow attwice the rate of all U.S.firms. As authors JessicaBennett and Jesse Ellisonwrite, “Indeed, it’s not a leapto say that female entrepre-neurship may help revivethe fortunes of the middleclass in the developedworld.”

Rita Talamonti, a person-al financial advocate whor e c e n t l ylaunched hercompany, GoodEgg LLC, knowsfirsthand aboutsucceeding asan entrepreneurin today’s com-plex economicenvironment.T a l a m o n t i ’ sstory mirrorsthat of manywomen aroundthe country: After severalyears in the corporate world,Talamonti realized that shewanted to venture out on her

own and start a business.With hopes of furthering

her knowledgeand increasingher businessa c u m e n ,T a l a m o n t ireturned toschool, attend-ing DeVryUniversity toearn her mas-ter’s degree inaccounting andfinancial man-agement. “I felt

accounting was a practicalskill that could allow me tobecome entirely independ-ent,” says Talamonti. “My

degree truly prepared me toventure out on my own.”

Talamonti’s success hasled her to encourage herfemale peers to follow theirown dreams. “Now is trulythe best time for women tothink about starting theirown businesses,” saysTalamonti. “When the econ-omy is changing as it istoday, women with entrepre-neurial minds can take alook at the needs of the pop-ulation and ask themselveshow they can help meetthose needs.” She offersthree tips for aspiringfemale entrepreneurs:

•Find a mentor. Talamontiexplains that once she iden-tified the need for financialmanagers within her com-munity, she sought theadvice of respected profes-sionals in her networkbefore fleshing out her plansof becoming a financial con-sultant. “When I startedthinking about launchingGood Egg, I spoke withwomen in several industries,all tangentially related toaccounting. The advice andinsights they gave me wereinvaluable,” she says.

•Further your education.“Making sure you have theappropriate level of certifi-cation is key,” Talamontinotes. “Before beginningyour business, considerreturning to school to get an

advanced degree in yourfield of choice. It’s impor-tant to be an expert in yourindustry — and your cus-tomers will want to knowyour background and cre-dentials.” Talamonti’s almamater, DeVry University, ishome to five colleges ofstudy with a deep offering ofdegree programs that pre-pare students for a multi-tude of in-demand careers.

•Put your plan in writing.Talamonti stresses that hav-ing an idea isn’t enough. It’sessential to put a strong,thoughtful business plandown on paper before exe-cuting anything. “Once Ideveloped my initial busi-ness plan, I asked my men-tors, both professional andeducational, to review myideas before I implementedthem,” she says.

Talamonti is passionateabout the opportunitiesavailable for women intoday’s economic climate.“Whether you’re just start-ing your education, you’vebeen laid off or you’re con-sidering a career change,now is the time to reassessyour options and consideropening your own business,”says Talamonti. “Ask your-self what you’re passionateabout and where the needsare in the marketplace —and then begin to take own-ership of your career.”

No better time to be a female entrepreneur

ARA PhotoUnlike any time in the past, women are defining the business world.

“My degreetruly

prepared me

to venture out

on my own.”

-Rita TalamontiBusiness Owner

ARA PhotoChanging careers doesn’t have to be a stressful time inlife. Easy steps can be used to make the transition smoothand simple.

Changing careers can be easy with small, actionable steps

4 WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2010 Women in Business AUSTIN DAILY HERALD

Serving the people of Mower County inareas of Employment and Contracted

Services by building business partnerships for over 48 years.

www.cedarvalleyservices.org

• Community or Supported Employment

• School to Work Transition• Center-Based Employment• Mental Health Services• Specialized Transportation

(ARA) — Efficiencymeans two things for asmall business owner: get-ting things done and con-serving resources. Ever-changing technologyallows small business own-ers to improve their effi-ciency, organizationand multi-taskingskills, which can leadto growth and suc-cess in the corporateworld.

“Small businessesare always lookingfor ways to maximizetheir resources andenhance productivi-ty, and technology isone of the easiestways to do that,” saidDenise O’Berry, small tomedium business bloggerand author of “SmallBusiness Cash Flow:Strategies for Making YourBusiness a FinancialSuccess.”

“There are a number ofwonderful innovationsthat help employees con-tribute more, even whenthey are on the move anddoing other activities.”

When seeking toimprove efficiency insideand outside your office,consider these gadgets andprograms:

•Tablet computers allowyou and your employees totake your business any-where, which means youaren’t tied down to a deskor an office. Many small

business owners alsoinvest in smart phonesthat allow them to accessthe Web, call customersand check their e-mail. Thesmart phones can be a lit-tle slower than tablet com-puters, but they are easier

and lighter to transport.•The phone is very

important to your busi-ness, especially when youare able to multi-task withcordless office headsets.One great example is theAT&T TL7611 cordlessheadset, featuring unsur-passed sound clarity and45 percent better rangethan competitive headsets,according to independentlab studies. In fact, youcould still take a phone callusing the remote dial-padat least 500 feet away fromyour desk — virtually any-where in your home oroffice. These featuresmean never missing a callwhile away from yourdesk, and being able tograb coffee, make copies,

organize files and more —all while staying produc-tive on calls.

Open range test was per-formed by WyleLaboratories, an independ-ent commercial test facili-ty. “Up to 500 feet” cordless

headset range refersto the maximumopen field range.Actual range mayvary depending onintervening obsta-cles. Maximum oper-able range distancesare based on all-indoor use.

The AT&T TL7611cordless headset andfull line of productaccessories can be

found atwww.telephones.att.com/smb.

•Dealing with clientscan quickly become over-whelming if you’re tryingto keep track of sales, pro-motions, customer con-tacts or conversations. Acustomer relations man-agement program will helpyou grow your business —and the information you’recollecting about your con-tacts — by tracking andorganizing everything youneed to know about yoursales associates and cus-tomers.

•If you, or your employ-ees are frequently out ofthe office, set up a remoteoffice access program, sothey can easily work while

on the road or from home.This will allow everyone toaccess their e-mail andfiles saved on the officecomputer system, commu-nicate with fellow employ-ees and handle all businessmatters while away from

the office.Small business and

home business owners canstruggle in the corporateworld, but many helpfultechnological devices canhelp turn that struggleinto success.

ARA PhotoTechnology is a key way for businesses to improve productivity, effi-ciancy and profit.

Communication can drive efficiency

“Small businesses arealways looking for ways to

maximize their resources

and enhance productivity,

and technology is one of

the easiest ways to do that.”

-Denise O’BerryBusiness Author