Inside this issue

Calendar of Events 2

President’s Message 3

Changed & Engaged 4

Overcoming Office Politics 5

Kidwiler Scholarships 5

October 5:01 Surge - Precisely Right Acctg 6

HARP 2.0 Really Works 7

Flu Season Tips 8

History of Chocolate 9

October Forum in Review 10

Top 10 Reasons to Attend LLC Auction 11

5 Tips for Holiday Productivity 12

Business is Booming! 13

Ambassador’s Corner 15

Follow us on:

Design and layout of the Thrive newsletter is performed by Essential Business Support.

T H I N K Chamber FirstChris Lester, Chris Lester Insurance, sent a client to Nicholson and AssociatesGeorge Sharp, Visitor and Convention Bureau, used Creative OfficeMadelin White, Merle Norman Cosmetics, Wigs and Day Spa, partnered with Native New

Yorker to benefit a local charityAndrew Barkis, Hometown Property Management, used 94.5 ROXY to run his County

Commissioner campaign ads

Lacey Chamber AuctionNovember 17, 2012, 5:30 p.m

Thurston County Fair Expo Center

Come meet Sandra Diaz-Twine and Michael Jefferson from the TV show Survivor.

Lacey Chamber of Commerce

thrive!November 2012 / Vol. 13, No. 11

Left: The 1st Corps Command Honor Guard presented the flags and led the Forum attendees in the Pledge of Allegiance. See page 10.

Below: Madelin White, Merle Norman Cosmetics, Wigs, and Day Spa and Cynthia Hancock, Precisely Right Accounting at the October 5:01 Surge.See page 6.

2 November 2012

November Chamber Events

Tuesday—Military Affairs Council7:30 a.m. Hawks Prairie Restaurant 8306 Quinault Drive NE

Wednesday—ForumTopic: Welcome 2012-2013 Board of Directors and Business AwardsSpeaker: 2012 Chamber President, Felix Peguero, Edwards Jones and

2013 Chamber President, Lowell Gordon, The Creative OfficeRegistration begins at 11:30 a.m. Program begins at noon Saint Martin’s Worthington Center Cost: members prepaid online $18/at the door $25 Please prepay at www.laceychamber.com/register-overview/Thank you to our Forum & Media Sponsors:

Port of Olympia D Zines: Creative Solutions and Graphic Designs

Thursday—Member Orientation10:30 a.m.-noon and 5:30-7:00 p.m.Chamber Conference RoomRSVP to Tony Salas, 491-4141

Friday—Government Affairs Council 11:30 a.m. Panorama—Chambers House Restaurant 1751 Circle Lane SE

Monday—Veteran’s Day Office closed in observance of Veteran’s Day

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Saturday—Lacey Chamber Annual Auction 5:30 p.m. Thurston County Fairgrounds Expo Center 3054 Carpenter Road RSVP with the Chamber Office 360-491-4141 or online https://laceychamber.wufoo.com/forms/shipwreck-island/ Tickets: $50 per guest

Wednesday—Education Council 12:00 p.m. (noon) Brandman University 1445 Galaxy Drive NE, Suite 201

Thursday (Nov. 23) and Friday (Nov. 24)—Thanksgiving Office Closed

Tuesday—Ambassador’s Committee 12:00 p.m. (noon) Dirty Dave’s Pizza 3939 Martin Way

Wednesday—Board Meetings Executive 8:30 a.m. Complete Board 9:30 a.m. Chamber Conference Room

Lacey B.A.N.G. (Business and Networking Group) Tuesdays, 11:30 a.m.-1:15 p.m.

Copper Creek Coffee Company 4120 Martin Way E

Wednesdays, 7:15-8:45 a.m.Best Western Suites in Lacey 8326 Quinault Dr. NE

Thursday, 11:30-1:00 p.m.Round Table Pizza 1401 Marvin Road NE

Space is limited in both groups, contact Tony Salas 491-4141 to reserve your spot. Free to attend, just the cost of your meal.

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Executive BoardLowell Gordon, President, The Creative Office, 754-1732Angelique Wilson, President Elect, Professional Temp Staffing Agency, 786-8443Madelin White, Vice President, Merle Norman Cosmetics, Wigs & Day Spa, 491-4911Mike Harris, Treasurer & Board Member, Columbia Bank, 459-3344TBD, SecretaryFelix Peguero, Past President, Edward Jones Investments, 438-0341

Board of DirectorsAndrew Barkis, Hometown Property Management, 456-7368Marny Bright, Business Examiner, 878-2158Casey Cochrane, Puget Sound Energy, 786-5987Tom Carroll, Network Communications International, 701-1532Al Eckroth, Virgil Adams Real Estate, 701-3307Grace Kendall, FASTSIGNS, 438-3800Dan Nicholson, D Zines: Creative Solutions and Graphic Designs, 253-307-4903Courtney Schrieve, North Thurston Public Schools, 412-4418Mike Thompson, Capitol City Press, 943-3556Brent Walz, OBee Credit Union, 528-5361

Board of Directors

Weekly

Forum SponsorPort of Olympia915 Washington St. NEOlympia, WA 98501 (360) 528-8000 www.portolympia.com

Media SponsorD Zines: Creative Solutions and Graphic Designs Olympia, WA 98516 (253) 307-4903 www.dzinesallday.com

Sponsors

November 2012 3

The Lacey Chamber is Thriving!By Lowell Gordon, The Creative Office

Iam excited and humbled to be your new Lacey Chamber of Commerce Board President for

the next 12 months. In preparing for this new responsibility I started to reflect on all the events and services the Lacey Chamber is offering to our members. WOW, it’s amazing to see everything that we are doing. I have always said if you want to get a lot out of your chamber you must get

involved. As you can see by the following list, there are plenty of ways to get involved. So, why is this important? All of us have joined the Chamber for a reason, each bringing different talents with us. What we have tried to do is give people a number of different ways to get involved and contribute as a member. You may join to just have the status of saying you are a member of the Lacey Chamber of Commerce. For others it may be to serve in the community. Many of you have joined to meet more people and to network while others may want to use the Chamber as a tool to advertise their business. Whatever your reason is, the Lacey Chamber gives you plenty of reasons to be a member. Now it’s up to you to use those opportunities. So, get involved and let’s have some fun this next year. I look forward to getting to know all of you better. We all have a chamber we can be proud of.

Monthly Forums5:01 SurgeRibbon Cuttings/Grand OpeningsSummer’s End Car Show (With Lacey Parks)South Sound BBQ Festival

AuctionMilitary AffairsGovernment AffairsLacey Business League (PAC)Health Care DiscountsShredfestJuly 3 Lacey Firework ShowLacey B.A.N.G.Lacey Chamber Golf ClassicThink Chamber FirstKidwiler Scholarship Lacey Loves to Read (with North Thurston Public Schools & Lacey Parks)Lacey Spring Fun Fair (with Lacey Community Events)Children’s Day (with Lacey Parks)Community Resource GuideEducation CouncilWoman’s Day of EmpowermentAmbassadorsMonthly ThriveE-Blurbs

Please, if you have any questions, comments, or ideas about ways we can improve as a chamber please don’t hesitate to e-mail me at lgordon@creativeof.com.

Thank you and I look forward to serving you this next year! Remember to always Think Chamber First!

Lowell Gordon, President Lacey Chamber of Commerce

November 17, 2012—Shipwreck Island AuctionThe theme of the 2012 Auction is Shipwreck Island and the Auction Committee is going full steam ahead. To compliment the theme there will be a variety of island and shipwreck fun & games including an opportunity to see if your message in a bottle can win you some extra cash. On hand will be Sandra Diaz-Twine, the only two-time winner of the Survivor TV series. She will be available for autographs and photos. There will even be a “Big Kahuna” table where three lucky couples have the opportu-nity to dine with her and be up close & personal with Sandra and two other survivor contestants. Don’t get caught on a deserted island, join us on our special Shipwreck Island. Donations, sponsorships and reservations are all available right now! Contact the Chamber office 360-491-4141.

4 November 2012

This is one of the greatest times of the year with the Lacey Chamber of

Commerce. So many activities and functions happen in November and I want to give recognition to some of them.

November brings transition to our Chamber leadership with new officers. This past year with Felix Peguero as president has been nothing short of amazing.

Felix provided outstanding leadership as the Chamber began to shake off the demons of the past and work toward a bright and energetic future. During his term, the Chamber grew by 81 new members, which is an outstanding rate of over 25%. Felix also brought a strong energy and passion for excellence that inspired the staff to accomplish goals that many thought were beyond our reach. Thank you for being an inspiration and for your great leadership over this exciting year, Felix.

We recently held nominations for the annual business awards and the response was staggering. There were over 35 businesses nominated in the categories of New Business, Small Business, Medium Business, and Corporate Business. To see the level of engagement that was displayed by our members toward each other was simply incredible. Congratulations to our finalists and good luck. The award winners will be announced at the November Forum along with the individual awards for Ambassador and Volunteer of the Year, as well as the coveted President’s Choice Award. Make sure you are there as this is an exciting time for our membership.

Once again, it’s auction time, and this year we’ve pulled out all the stops. We have a great meal planned and are procuring outstanding items for attendees to bid on. We still need help with items, and you can be a big part of the auction with an auction item donation—big or small. There will be games,

entertainment, and the most amazing raffle setup in the history of the Chamber auction. Someone will win a men’s wristwatch valued at $1,000 and another winner will walk away with a $3,300 pair of diamond earrings. You’ll also have three opportunities to win cash. As many of you know, we have celebrities with us this year—Sandra Diaz-Twine and Michael Jefferson from the long running CBS show Survivor. Sandra is the only two-time winner of the show and a former soldier at JBLM, while Michael was a contestant and is a resident of the Seattle area. This auction promises to be one of the most exciting events in Thurston County this year and one you don’t want to miss.

Lacey B.A.N.G. (Business and Networking Group) is launching a new group on November 1. The new group will meet for lunch at Round Table Pizza in Hawks Prairie and will be led by one of the best networkers in the South Sound, Buddy Stevens of 4th Dimension Computers and Technology. The original lunch group at Copper Creek Coffee will still keep its meeting time on Tuesdays and the breakfast group will still be at the Best Western on Quinault Dr. on Wednesdays. Having three groups really gives you the opportunity to focus your networking and gain more value from your membership. Networking is just one of the benefits of your membership with the Lacey Chamber of Commerce and I encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to be involved with the launch of the new Thursday group.

Finally, I want to thank all of you for your support and encouragement over these past 15 months. We have seen growth, changes, successes, and near successes during that time. The focus that has been at the forefront of everything we have done or tried is how this will benefit you, our members—the most important part of our organization. You are what keeps me inspired every day to deliver a high quality and relevant experience. Thank you again for the opportunity to be your Executive Director.

Think Chamber First

Changed and EngagedBy Tony Salas, Executive Director, Lacey Chamber of Commerce

November 2012 5

Overcoming Office PoliticsBy Reid Bates, Owner of Express Employment Professionals

With the November U.S. presidential election, our society has been immersed in political slogans, advertisements, debates and jargon. Election years

are prime time for different sides to expose the other candidates’ weaknesses by exploiting decisions on every political plane and elevating their own strengths in the process. This sleight of hand is deemed negative politics.

Unfortunately, negative politics is not restrained to merely public office. In the workplace, office politics can be a driving force in career advancement and placement. According to a survey by the Gallup Organization, office politics is among the most disliked aspect of the workplace, especially among college graduates. But, if one cannot escape negative office politics, one must overcome it. Understanding office politics and knowing how to choose positive politics can go a long way in helping one’s career.

Great politicians have one thing in common: they are great with people. Hundreds of public servants have been seen shaking hands and holding babies. Moreover, some go into politics to genuinely help their constituents. In the workplace, politics can be used to humbly build one’s self up and help others out. The positive side of office politics can secure and strengthen reputations, earn respect, and build strong relationships.

Reputation in the OfficeOne benefit of overcoming office politics by exuding positive techniques is that it helps to create a strong reputation in the office. No matter what type of employee or coworker, a reputation or brand supersedes. Whether known for working hard, always offering assistance, or back-stabbing, one’s personal brand can help or hurt an employee’s chances of moving up the corporate ladder. Developing a track record as someone who accomplishes goals and gets results will lend itself to more opportunities.

Respect is EarnedStatus and job title only go so far in garnering respect at the office. The old saying is just as true as ever; respect is earned. With a solid reputation, respect is available through constancy and continuous improvement. If an employee is constantly putting others first and helping during a crisis, coworkers will start looking toward that sure-footed person as an expert in certain areas. This goes hand in hand with employers as well. If employees are always producing quality work, doing work outside of their specific pay grade, and are well respected by their coworkers, management will also give respect.

Relationships in the OfficeThis aspect of good office politics is key in career advancement. Being genuine in connecting with others can create strong allies who will be great supporters and advocates in the future. Showing respect for others’ ideas, even when they may not be the best solutions for the company, helps strengthen professional relationships. Nicety and respect are still powerful tools to help influence outcomes at work. A recent poll by Monster, an online employment solution company, concluded that 18 percent of coworkers do not want friends at work. Being friendly with those who do not want to be friends can be tough, but employees who focus on what they can do and bring solutions to the table will elevate their career by standing out as a problem solver.

Office politics can be a minefield to navigate. Some employees feel the need to create alliances against others, gossip, or cut people down to elevate their career. But if one takes advice from the positive side of politics, moving up the office ladder can be achieved with bridges kept intact.

Kidwiler Scholarship Fund Thank Yous

The Lacey Chamber would like to thank these member businesses who donated raffle prizes to benefit the Kidwiler Scholarship at the October 2012 Forum:

A Steve’s Professional Truck Mounted Steam Cleaning—Flowers and 30% Carpet Cleaning

Annie’s Unique Gifts & Gift Baskets—Canister of Tea and Belgian Hot Chocolate and Mug

Cabinets by Trivonna—Gold Brick of CoffeeCustom Security—Fire Extinguisher D Zines: Creative Solutions & Graphic Designs—Space

Pen and Lunch box filled with D Zines swagEdward Jones, Felix Peguero—Stress PigImagine Realty, Hal & Anita Yarber—Halloween itemsProfessional Temp Staffing Agency—Frango ChocolatesRed Lion Hotel—3 One-night Stays and Halloween Bash

PackagesRelyLocal Olympia—Lavender Gift BasketRuddell Road Dental Center—Teeth Whitening KitS. Stewart Ridgeway, CPA—Firebird Blend Coffee

Thank you for your continued support!

6 November 2012

October 5:01 Surge—Precisely Right Accounting

George Sharp, Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater Visitor’s and Convention Bureau, and Robin Link, Link Realty Group providing a comedic moment.

The October 5:01 Surge brought together a perfect blend of old, new, simple, and complex. The host for the event was Cynthia Hancock of Precisely Right Accounting. Cynthia put together a great networking event that allowed her to

announce the new name of her business. The 5:01 Surge also allowed the collection of Chamber members and non members to learn about how easily Precisely Right Accounting can help clients navigate the complex world of accounting and taxes. Cynthia is an enrolled agent with the IRS and has years of experience in representing clients.

This event also allowed guests to marvel at the fantastic location of her business. Precisely Right Accounting is located on the 5th floor of the Security Building. The Security Building, built in 1926, was the first “skyscraper” in Olympia and delivers an opportunity to feel as if you’ve gone back to a time where you fully expect Phillip Marlowe or Sam Spade to walk out of one the frosted glass doors in the hallway.

This 5:01 Surge was a great example of hospitality and ambience that the attendees truly enjoyed. When you have accounting needs, remember Cynthia Hancock of Precisely Right Accounting—your full-service accounting and bookkeeping firm.

Cynthia Hancock (center), Precisely Right Accounting socializing with guests at the October 5:01 Surge she hosted.

November 2012 7

HARP 2.0 Really Works! Here’s How…Submitted by Patrick Davidson, Guild Mortgage Company

Jane bought her dream home in 2008. The home was perfect for Jane and her two children. Fast forward to 2012. Jane and her family have been in the home these

past four years, always making the house payment on time and always on top of other household bills and expenses as they arose. Like all of us, Jane has seen the value of her home erode as the U.S. economy sputtered over these past four years. Even so, Jane was aware that interest rates on home loans are at an all-time low. She wondered if there was any way she could take advantage of the record low interest rates and seize the opportunity to reduce her house payment.

Jane called the mortgage professional she had worked with many times in the past. She was intrigued when she was told about the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP 2.0), the incredibly low rates, and the absence of emphasis on loan-to-value ratio. After a look at the numbers, Jane was excited to discover that with a new loan at today’s low rates she could save over $500 every month* on her house payment! Jane got right to work on a new home loan, and, as a bonus, the process was even faster than usual because Jane’s home did not need an appraisal.

Loan-to-value ratio, private mortgage insurance, and appraisals are all common components to a mortgage that may not be required under HARP 2.0. You read that right—you might not even need to have an appraisal! This means that even if your home has lost some of its “value” from the highs of around 2005 and 2006, you too might be eligible to refinance into a lower interest rate loan! Rental? Some non-owner occupied properties are eligible for refinancing under the HARP 2.0 program.

To be eligible for a HARP 2.0 refinance you must have closed on your current loan prior to June 1, 2009. You do not necessarily need to live in the house; and it doesn’t necessarily need to be a house (your condo may be eligible). The loan must be in a pool serviced by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac and you cannot have done a previous HARP loan. You still need to apply for the loan and show that you can make the payment and you can’t get any money back.

How do you find out if you’re able to give yourself a pay raise by taking advantage of today’s historically low home loan rates? Well, you call Patrick Davidson at Guild Mortgage

Company. He’s at 561-0339 or via e-mail at pdavidson@guildmortgage.net.

Even though everything that you have read to this point already told you the following, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac want me to be sure to say this:

• Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have adopted changes to the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) and you may be eligible to take advantage of these changes;

• If your mortgage is owned or guaranteed by either Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, you may be eligible to refinance your

mortgage under the enhanced and expanded provisions of HARP; and

• You can determine whether your mortgage is owned by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac by checking the following websites:

www.fanniemae.com/loanlookup, orwww.freddiemac.com/mymortgage.

What if for some reason you’re not eligible for a HARP 2.0 refinance? Call Patrick Davidson at Guild Mortgage anyway! At Guild Mortgage we offer both conventional and government insured loan financing. And, because Guild Mortgage is a direct lender for FannieMae, FreddieMac, and

GinnieMae, we can get loans done that other lenders cannot.

Patrick Davidson (NMLS # WA-MLO-114110) has been matching Washington homebuyers and borrowers with the loan program that best meets their needs and circumstances for over 16 years. You or someone you know could immediately benefit by working with Patrick and Guild Mortgage Company.

Guild Mortgage Company is an Equal Housing Lender. NMLS ID#3274.

Of course, terms and conditions apply. All loans are subject to underwriter approval.

* Monthly savings for qualified borrowers will vary based upon a variety of factors including but will not be limited to loan amount, existing interest rate, and the new rate for which the customer qualifies.

8 November 2012

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The upcoming fall and winter season is expected to be a wet one, and with it comes colds and flu. The following reminders can help keep you and your employees healthy. Use hand antiseptic lotion.

Wash your hands frequently during the day with soap and hot water.•Use antiseptic spray/wipes to clean your work areas.•Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with your hands.•Limit close physical contact with others (3’ distance is recommended).•Get a flu shot.•Stay at home if sick. •

Protect yourself, your family, and your work place. Getting a flu shot is the best way to fight the flu and stay healthy this season. Lacey Costco Pharmacy offers flu shots and other vaccines. Our flu shot is available for $16.99. Think you can’t fit getting a flu shot in your schedule? This season, protect your health by stopping by our pharmacy Monday-Saturday; we have certified pharmacists to administer walk-ins. It’s more convenient than ever to schedule a pharmacist for an onsite flu-clinic for your business (minimum 30 vaccinations). There’s no reason for your employees to schedule an appointment with their physician and miss work or have you, the employer, pay the high cost of having a nursing service come to your location. Let Costco continue to help your business be successful and healthy too. For more information, please contact the Lacey Costco marketing department at 360.412.3497 .

Flu Season TipsShon Brewster, Costco Marketing Rep.

November 2012 9

Chocolate Has Become One Of The Most Popular Food Types And Flavors In The WorldSubmitted by Annie Cappiello of Annie’s Unique Gifts and Gift Baskets

Gifts of chocolate molded into different shapes have become traditional on certain holidays. Chocolate is also one of the top selling gift baskets due to the variety

of chocolate that can be found in them.

So Where Did Chocolate Come From?Chocolate has been used as a drink for nearly all of its history. The earliest record of using chocolate dates back before the Olmec. In November 2007, archaeologists reported finding evidence of the oldest known cultivation and use of cacao at a site in Puerto Escondido, Honduras, dating from about 1100 to 1400 BC. The residues found and the kind of vessel they were found in indicate the initial use of cacao was not simply as a beverage, but the white pulp around the cacao beans was likely used as a source of fermentable sugars for an alcoholic drink. The Maya civilization grew cacao trees in their backyards, and used the cacao seeds it produced to make a frothy, bitter drink.1 Documents in Maya hieroglyphs stated chocolate was used for ceremonial purposes, in addition to everyday life. The chocolate residue found in an early ancient Maya pot in Río Azul, Guatemala, suggests the Maya were drinking chocolate around 400 AD.

The sweet chocolate residue found in jars from the site of Puerto Escondido in Honduras from around 1100 BC is the earliest found evidence of the use of cacao to date. An early Classic (460–480 AD) period Mayan tomb from the site of Rio Azul, Guatemala, had vessels with the Maya glyph for cacao on them with residue of a chocolate drink.2 The Maya are generally given credit for creating the first modern chocolate beverage over 2,000 years ago, despite the fact that the beverage would undergo many more changes in Europe.3

By the 15th century, the Aztecs gained control of a large part of Mesoamerica and adopted cacao into their culture. They associated chocolate with Xochiquetzal, the goddess of fertility, and often used chocolate beverages as sacred offerings. The Aztec adaptation of the drink was a bitter, frothy, spicy drink called xocolatl, made much the same way as the Mayan chocolate drinks. It was often seasoned with vanilla, chili pepper, and achiote and was believed to fight fatigue, which is probably attributable to the obromine content, a mood enhancer. Because cacao would not grow in the dry central Mexican highlands and had to be imported, chocolate was an important luxury good throughout the Aztec empire, and cocoa beans were often used as currency. For example, the Aztecs used a system in which one turkey cost one hundred cacao beans and one fresh avocado was worth three beans.

South American and European cultures have used cocoa to treat diarrhea for hundreds of years. All of the areas ruled by the Aztecs were ordered to pay a tax, leading those that grew the beans to offer cacao seeds as “tribute.”

Chocolate Has Evolved Over the YearsIn 1847, the Fry’s chocolate factory, located in Union Street, Bristol, England, molded the first ever chocolate bar suitable for widespread consumption. The firm began producing the Fry’s Chocolate Cream bar in 1866. Over 220 products were introduced in the following decades, including production of the first chocolate Easter egg in the U.K. in 1873 and the Fry’s Turkish Delight (or Fry’s Turkish bar) in 1914.

Although chocolate bars and candy bars had their beginnings in the 19th century, it was in the early 20th century that this confectionery commercial venture grew most rapidly. The first wrapped chocolate bar, which is still being produced, was the Hershey bar, produced by The Hershey Company in 1900. Today candy bars are made and consumed all over the world and manufactured to local tastes and environmental conditions

www.AnniesUniqueGifts.com360.490.6086

1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chocolate - cite_note-102 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chocolate - cite_note-Riches-133 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chocolate - cite_note-M.26M.27s-14

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10 November 2012

Indu Thomas, Superior Court Judge District 4 Candidate and Mike Thompson, Capitol City Press network before the beginning of the luncheon.

October Forum—Thurston County Power Debate

The November Forum was one not to be missed. The Chamber hosted an exciting event in front of a jam-packed crowd. The Forum opened with a great display

by the 1st Corps Command Honor guard who presented the state and national flags and led the attendees in the Pledge of Allegiance. Lacey Chamber president, Felix Peguero, took the lectern for his last full Forum as president and reported that the Chamber had grown to its highest number of members since August of 2008. During his report, Madelin White, chair of the auction committee, joined Felix on stage to lead the auction committee in Madelin White’s Top Ten Reasons to Attend the Auction! It was a fun skit with some great reasons such as watching the bidding wars, eat a great meal, and spend an evening with celebrity Survivor guests Sandra Diaz-Twine and Michael Jefferson.

The Forum media sponsor was Frontstream Payments. Doug Karmen spoke on behalf of Frontstream Payments to inform the attendees how they are adding new technology and capabilities to the services they provide. These include accepting electronic check payments (ACH), accepting donations via web, mobile, and wireless for fundraising and personal fundraising payments with views of fundraising activity.

Colonial Inn was the November Forum sponsor and Donna Baker, general manager, began their presentation with a short video about the services offered at Colonial Inn with testimonies from residents of their community. Sandy Michael from GCI shared a touching personal story about her relationship with the living community.

Felix Peguero introduced Jon Epstein representing Thurston Public Power and Ross Irwin representing The Alliance to Protect Thurston Power. Then, the debate began and the main event commenced. Each representative took the stage and was given five minutes to make opening remarks, three minutes of rebuttal time and two minutes to make closing statements about Proposition 1. The next 30 minutes were filled with facts, figures, projections, costs, bonds, and much more. The final minutes were open for questions from the audience and many were asked. This was a very informative discussion and those in attendance, as well as the viewers on TCTV, learned a lot about this important topic.

As tradition would have it, the Forum concluded with members, such as Andrew Barkis, Hometown Property Management; Chris Lester, Chris Lester Insurance; and George Sharp, Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater Visitors and Convention Bureau, sharing their Think Chamber First stories of the month. The Forum came to a conclusion with the ever popular Kidwiler Scholarship Fund give-a-way in which $198 was raised.

Ross Irwin, Alliance to Protect Thurston Power and Jon Epstein, Thurston Public Power shared with the attendees information about Proposition 1.

November 2012 11

10. To support the Chamber, local business, Kidwiler scholarship, and Think Chamber 1st!

9. Chances to win raffle prizes including jewelry and cash!

8. I get to take my wife on a date and I don’t have to miss any football games!

7. It is fun to watch the bidding wars!

6. I get to buy Christmas presents for others and buy presents for my husband to give me that I really want for Christmas!

5. You get to bid on decedent desserts!

4. Opportunities to win several luxury getaways!

3. Where else can you get a 3 course meal for $50!?

2. You get to meet Survivor Celebrities Sandra Diaz-Twine and Michael Jefferson!

1. How can you survive Christmas without coming to the Lacey Chamber of Commerce Auction on November 17th?!

Top Ten Reasons to Attend the LCC AuctionBy Madelin White, Merle Norman Cosmetics, Wigs & Day Spa

QuickBooks Tip of the Month

Multiple Bank Accounts in QuickBooksIf you use multiple bank accounts for your business, QuickBooks lets you preselect which bank account to use to write checks, pay bills, pay sales tax, or to make deposits. Setting this up in advance makes it unlikely that you will use the wrong account for the wrong task. To choose which default accounts to use:

1. Choose Edit | Preferences from the QuickBooks menu bar.

2. Click the Checking icon on the left pane to open the QuickBooks Checking preferences, and click the My Preferences tab.

3. Check each QuickBooks activity (Write Checks, Pay Bills, Pay Sales Tax, Make Deposits) for which you want to preselect a bank account.

4. To the right of each QuickBooks activity that you have checked, use the pull-down menu to select which bank account to us

Kelli Hegsted, MBA KDH Business Services, LLC www.kdhbookkeeping.com360.754.9545

Presenting:Puget Sound Energy

Gold Sponsors:D Zines: Creative Solutions

and Graphic Designs

O Bee Credit Union

Pearl Sponsors:ABC Printing

Annie’s Unique Gifts and Gift Baskets

FASTSIGNS

Coral Sponsors:Dirty Dave’s Pizza Parlor

South Bay Press

SuperClean Janitorial

TwinStar Credit Union

Thank you to our 2012 Auction Sponsors!

12 November 2012

Five Tips for Making the Holidays More ProductiveSubmitted by Denise Landers, Key Organization Systems, Inc.

How do you view the holiday season? If you are like most of us, your mind drifts to the idea of shopping, big dinners, and maybe even a long break from the office.

Those can all be great things (with the possible exception of last-minute shopping), but they can also throw a wrench into your productivity and time management goals. Simply put, the four or five weeks that come between the end of November and January bring too many distractions for most of us to be as productive as we would like.

That’s understandable, but you probably still have projects, deadlines, and obligations to deal with. And with the competition for jobs, customers, and promotions becoming more and more fierce by the day, it is important that you be able to balance the line between managing your time and enjoying the season.

With that in mind, here are a few tips for making the holiday season more productive:

Scale back your project list. Rather than expecting to accomplish as much as you normally would during the holidays, and possibly falling behind or being disappointed later, why not try to set the bar a little bit lower for the time between late November and early December? It can be hard to accept that you are not going to get much accomplished during the holidays, but that is much better than trying to do too much and finishing nothing.

Prioritize. The key to that strategy is figuring out which tasks and projects are most important to you (or possibly your supervisors) during the holiday season. See if you can key in on your 4 or 5 most critical items and focus your energy on the areas where it will have the most impact. For best results, get together with your managers, colleagues, or team members. Collectively, you should be able to agree on what is important while working out some realistic holiday timelines.

Leave some time for planning. The end of the year is not just for cramming to finish important projects—it is also a great time to look ahead on the calendar and see what you might like to accomplish for the next 12 months. If you have some freedom and flexibility in your calendar, try to leave a couple of days to take stock of where you’re at, what you’ve accomplished so far, and what you want your goals to be for the coming year.

Coordinate your schedules. Working with, or around, other people on your projects can be difficult in the best of times. At

the holidays, when people are traveling, entertaining relatives, taking vacation time, and so forth, it is even tougher. Just as it is a good idea to work with others to identify a few key priorities, you could also try to coordinate your schedules early on so that you don’t miss even more time to canceled meetings, chronically unanswered calls, and other holiday season delays.

Come back a bit early. While you probably do not want to come back from your holiday vacation too early, you might be able to make things easier for yourself by slipping into the office a couple of days ahead of the time that others are expecting you. That way, you will not have any important meetings or calls on the books, and you will have the opportunity to give yourself a day or two to organize and get back into the swing of things without much pressure.

The holidays can be a tough time from a productivity standpoint, but if you can manage to keep these tips in mind, there is no reason you cannot still make progress toward your biggest and most important goals. Once you do, it will be that much easier to sit back and enjoy some time with friends and family. Happy holidays!

Denise Landers is the author of Destination: Organization, A Week by Week Journey and the owner of Key Organization Systems, Inc. (www.keyorganization.com). She is a national speaker, trainer, consultant and coach providing conference sessions, corporate training, and individual assistance to improve daily work flow and time management skills. Contact her at dlanders@keyorganization.com

November 2012 13

New MembersBelize Tees301 Y St. SWTumwater, WA 98501Contact: Carrie Boyd(360) 359-1967Category: Custom Apparel

Call MD PlusPO Box 1864Olympia, WA 98507Contact: Sam Martz(360) 529-5997Website: www.conciergemdplus.

comCategory: Medical Consultation

Services

College Point Storage4667 Marcus Ln. SELacey, WA 98513Contact: Casey Johnson(360) 459-5555Category: Storage

Empire Office Equipment8300 28th Ct. NELacey, WA 98516Contact: Lee Bowman(360) 491-1854Website: www.eoedigital.com Category: Office – Equipment

and Furniture

Fashionation5831 Lacey Blvd. SE, Ste. JLacey, WA 98513Contact: Forrest Wagner(360) 350-0682Website: www.yourfashionation.

comCategory: Apparel

Business is Booming!

Renewals1-2 Years:

AM 1240 KGY/96.9 KAYO – Boom!

Annie’s Unique Gifts & Gift Baskets

Edward Jones – Paul Muldoon, AAMS

Imagine Real Estate – Spark!

The OlympianOwens Davies Fristoe

Taylor & Schultz, PS

3-4 Years

Coffee NewsCynthia Pratt

5-9 Years

Guild Mortgage

10-14 Years

Al Eckroth – Virgil Adams Real Estate

Faith Lutheran Church & School

Heritage BankLacey Community

EventsMountain View

Veterinary HospitalOffice Depot

15-19 Years

Casa Mia RestaurantThe GuardsmanMorningsideO Bee Credit UnionPrime LocationsThurston County

Auditor’s Office

Hampton Inn & Suites800 Station DriveDuPont, WA 98327Contact: Katherine O’Connell(253) 912-4444Website: www.dupontsuites-

hamptoninn.comCategory: Lodging

Health Whiz Fitness Studio4848 Switchback Loop SELacey, WA 98513Contact: Kasey Louis(360) 349-7889Website: www.healthwiz4life.

comCategory: Health/Fitness

Kiwanis Club of North Thurston —Lacey

PO Box 5607Lacey, WA 98509Contact: Don Sattelberg(360) 491-2019Website: http://

norththurstonkiwanis.org/drupal/

Category: Service Organization

Kourageous Kids Storybooks

Lacey, WA 98516Contact: Matthew Drake(360) 250-7834Website: www.facebook.com/

kourageouskidsstorybooksCategory: Non-Profit

La Quinta Inn Lacey4704 Park Center Ave NELacey, WA 98516Contact: Andrew Shin(360) 412-1200Website: www.lq.comCategory: Lodging

Pellegrino’s Italian Kitchen205 Cleveland Ave SETumwater, WA 98501Contact: Pam Pellegrino(360) 709-9055Website: www.

pellegrinositaliankitchen.com

Category: Restaurant

Precision Time DirectLacey, WA 98516Contact: Morton Shecter(425) 591-6732Website: www.

precisiontimedirect.comCategory: Watch Maker

Sugar Canvas Boutique Bakery

Lacey, WA 98516Contact: Colleen Head(360) 456-4579Category: Custom Cookies

Westfield Capital Mall625 Black Lake Blvd., Ste. 324Olympia, WA 98502Contact: Leta Hankins(360) 754-8098Website: www.westfield.com/

capital Category: Commercial

Property Lessor

14 November 2012

redlion.com • 800-Red Lion

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CONVENIENTLY LOCATED IN THE HEART OF WASHINGTON’S STATE CAPITOL• Free high-speed wireless Internet access• 16,500 square feet of meeting space• Full-service restaurant and lounge• Seasonal outdoor pool and whirlpool• Military rates available• Pet friendly

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www.fisherjonesfamilydentisry.com

Where Family Means Everything.

2415 Pacif ic Avenue SE u OlympiaSupporting Families and Education

(360) 943-4644

We make a donation to education for every new patient.

www.f isherjonesfamilydentistry.com

How many of us leave our windshield wipers in the on position and just turn off the ignition and go inside? This is a bad

practice that can harm wiper motors and linkages. The reason is that when you turn your wipers off, current runs through what is called the “park” circuit, which parks the wiper blades at the bottom of your windshield. The danger occurs when the blades are left in the middle of the windshield for the night. If the temperature drops below freezing, when the car is started with blades frozen to the windshield, the wiper motor will draw high current and try hard to “park” the blades. It doesn’t matter if you turn off the wiper switch because the “park” circuit will still try to do it’s job. If this situation happens to you by mistake (like it still does to me), the best thing to do before starting your vehicle is to get the ice scraper and loosen the blades. You may damage the wiper blades, but

Hmmm... Didn’t Know That!

The Creative Office sells over 14,000,000 sheets of copy paper every month. Placed end to end that would reach from Lacey to Walt Disney World in Florida.

November 2012 15

The Ambassador’s Corner

Bio StuffFavorite Sport?

College football

Favorite Actor?

Jimmy Stewart

Favorite Movie?

Back to the Future (number 1)

Favorite Vacation Spot?

British Columbia, Canada

Favorite Childhood Toy?

A football

What is the first thing you recommend someone new to Lacey to do?

Stop in at Sterling Bank to open your account.

How long have you been an Ambassador?

I believe since 2006.

Why did you choose to become an Ambassador?

For networking….plus it’s the fun group of the Chamber.

What benefits does your business get from you being an Ambassador?

Name recognition for my company and an opportunity to work together with community leaders.

What do you enjoy the most about being an Ambassador?

After hours events, it’s great to meet other business leaders.

What is your favorite Ambassador memory?

Each after hour event provides an opportunity to reconnect with friends and fellow business leaders, so I really don’t have just one favorite.

Ray FoisySterling Bank

Olympia: 1625 Cooper Point Rd. SW • 360.357.6683Lacey: 5210 Corporate Center Ct. SE, Ste. A • 360.459.2108

Life’s moments are precious.Keeptheminfocus.

OLYMPIA VISION

C L I N I C

www.olympiavision.com

PRSRT STDU.S. Postage PaidOlympia, WAPermit No. 60

The Lacey Chamber of Commerce8300 Quinault Dr. NE, Suite ALacey, WA 98516Phone: (360) 491-4141Fax: (360) 491-9403E-mail: info@laceychamber.comWebsite: www.laceychamber.com

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

BOOM! IGNITE!

SPARK!

Mike WolfeORIGINAL

HEAVIER OUTLINEORIGINAL OUTLINE

“Local branding on a world of products.”