July 14, 2025 | BITYS, Hooper Law Office, Appleton Community Music

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:52):
Good morning, Hello everyone, Happy Monday. I hope you're having
the best day of available to you on the heels
of hopefully a great weekend as well. Bouncing around the office,
I'll say, everyone seemed to have visited a different event.
We are so event rich in our community, and the

(01:14):
fun will continue, actually as we head into mid July
and into August. There's so much going on around our community.
That's actually a little bit of what we'll lean into
and talk about today. So fun little teaser for you again,
I hope you had a great weekend. Maybe you made
something delicious if you got any good recipes. Son of
my Way at nine two zero two eight one eleven

(01:37):
fifty Okay. Still going viral, by the way, on our
Instagram account is the lemon dessert video from Kathy Keen.
I think we've I can't even tell you the amount
of comments. We've got almost nearly a million views on
that video and it's still I'm still scratching my brain
on it, and it's quite interesting. People are still fighting
with each other in the comments about whether to buy

(01:59):
cool whip or make it from scratch. A little silliness
for you there, but take a look at it. If
you haven't already, it's on our Instagram page with eleven
fifty whby all.

Speaker 2 (02:08):
Right, this hour of the show.

Speaker 1 (02:09):
It's brought to you by our friends over at Sturdivant
and Associates. They're at five hundred North Commercial Street in Nina.
The old train depot, of course, is that location if
you're looking for it as you're driving around town. And
Eric and Carl are happy to help you out in
the world of medicare or medicaid. They'll answer your questions,
they'll give you some advice. That advice is always free, free, free, free,

(02:31):
so call them today their number nine two zero nine
six nine nineteen fifty six. A couple of things to
highlight on this Monday. We're back with the Flower Power Monday,
and you can text Flower to nine two zero to
eight one eleven fifty for your chance to win a
beautiful arrangement from our friends at Memorial Florist. And for

(02:54):
a limited time you can receive twenty percent off of
their popular arrangements. I'm lovin, had me a blast right,
a dozen roses sun kissed or bright and sunny. And
we'll actually check in with Memorial Flores a little bit
later on in the show to learn more about some
of the events and happenings at their storefront, So stay

(03:17):
tuned for that. Also, stay tuned for your queue to
qualify for our one hundred dollars gift certificate to Fleet Farm.
I'll let you know at some point during the show
when you can call and qualify. Hint, it's not right
now because I can't answer the phone and talk on
the air and take your numbers down all at the

(03:38):
same time. So just wait for that queue to call
later on during the show. All right, on the show today,
your topics for today. It's an hour of bringing it
to you straight with Box Communities Credit Union, and we're
really leaning in remember that teaser at the beginning of
the show. We're really leaning into community events. They are
in your community. They are helping to lift up so

(04:00):
many wonderful events and happenings all over northeast Wisconsin. We'll
tell you more about that. I'll tell you more about
that in a little bit. Also today, Hooper Law Office
is joining us and we are going to learn about
business succession planning. And then finally, Appleton Community Music joins

(04:23):
us today. They are a five oh one c three
nonprofit that helps to support and sustain mile of music.
So we'll tell you more about that coming up in
our noon hour of the show. Right now, though, we
have Fox Communities Credit Union and we'll get to that
in just a moment.

Speaker 3 (04:43):
The following program is hosted by Fox Communities Credit Union.
The views and opinions expressed are those of the hosts, guests,
and callers, and not necessarily those of this station, its management,
or other hosts or advertisers.

Speaker 1 (04:58):
Fox Communit Credit Union. All right, This presentation is brought

(05:37):
to you by Fox Communities Credit Union and is intended
for educational purposes only. It does not replace independent professional advice.
Statements and opinions are those of the presenter individually. Fox
Communities Credit Union deposit products are federally ensured by NCUA
Equal Housing Lender. Of course, if you want more information

(05:57):
from Fox, visit their website at Fox SeeU dot org
or stop into any of their twenty two locations. And
when we talk about twenty two locations, they are all
over northeast Wisconsin, and they are helping to step up,
of course and help you in your financial world. But
they're also stepping up to help coordinate and keep afloat.

(06:21):
So many wonderful community events that happen in our area,
and we are going to talk about a lot of
them today. So who do we bring in to talk
about all the events and the happenings in the community. Well,
it's Heather Wesley, vice President of Community Impact at Fox
Community's Credit Union, where she has proudly served for more

(06:42):
than twenty six years. A lifelong advocate for the credit
union movement, how there has been passionate about building strong,
connected communities. She thrives on creating meaningful relationships, fostering collaboration,
and finding innovative ways to bring people together. Whether she's
organizing local initiatives, supporting community partners, or simply making connections
that matter, Heather is driven by a deep commitment to

(07:06):
making a positive impact where it counts most, right here
at home. Well said, and Heather joins us in studio today.

Speaker 4 (07:13):
High Heather, Hi, thanks for having me. Good morning morning.
You've got a lot to talk about.

Speaker 2 (07:18):
There's always so much to talk about.

Speaker 1 (07:20):
I was peeking through these events. You're really truly everywhere.
And I made a joke earlier with Ben Kamonous I said,
you're helping to lift into the Air a lot of
these events and truly are. There's a hot air balloon
of yours that we'll be talking about today. And you
brought a friend and he's my friend too. We have
Taylor Greenwood in studio with this as well. Hey Taylor,

(07:42):
good morning, how are you today?

Speaker 5 (07:44):
Doing pretty good?

Speaker 1 (07:45):
Now, Taylor is going to help talk about an event
that we like to call Bike to the Beat, and
he's gonna highlight his role in that signature event for Fox.
So Taylor will get to you in just a little bit.
But Heather, let's first highlight again a signature event for
Fox Community's Credit Union Bike to the Beat, which actually

(08:07):
used to kick off right here at Woodward, but it
got too big for us.

Speaker 4 (08:10):
It did, it did, but it was so fun when
we had it here.

Speaker 1 (08:14):
It was really fun. And for those who might be going,
oh yeah, what is that that biking event again, remind
us give us a refresher on what Bike to the
Beat us.

Speaker 6 (08:22):
So.

Speaker 4 (08:22):
Bike to the Beat is a family friendly bike ride.
You can go as little as seven miles or all
the way up to fifty three miles and everything in between.
So it's for every age, every ability. It's really truly
a fun experience type of event. We've got some of
the hardcore bikers that you know, get up real early

(08:42):
and do the full fifty three, But we have a
lot of people that are like, you know what, this
kind of sounds fun. I want to do something with
my friends or my family, dust the you know, dust
the bike off and give it a whirl and go
out and stop at a lot of really great venues
and try a lot of great food and bike to
the brew beverages. And it's just it's more of an experience,

(09:04):
I would say, than an actual, like endurance event. I mean,
you're definitely getting out there, you're getting healthy, you're doing
a lot of great things. But it's a lot of
fun too. And the coolest thing about this event is
that we partner with our friends at Mile of Music
in bringing live music at each of the seven stops,
so it's.

Speaker 2 (09:23):
Not a timed event.

Speaker 4 (09:25):
So it gives our writers a chance to stop at
all these locations, have a little something to eat and
listen to live music along their bike ride.

Speaker 1 (09:32):
Yeah, maybe you stop at one, maybe you stop at
all six. It just depends on where you're at that day.

Speaker 2 (09:37):
Yep, exactly.

Speaker 4 (09:38):
Some people like they only think they're gonna go so
far and then end up going a little bit further,
or they really like the music at one of the
stops and they just end up sticking around there all day,
and that's okay.

Speaker 1 (09:47):
Yeah. So for people who are very intrigued about just
the event in general and want to register, tell us
about where things kind of are centered. Where's home base
for bike to the beat?

Speaker 2 (09:58):
Sure, home base, Like you said, it used to be
used to.

Speaker 1 (10:01):
Be here, but to be here we're not big enough.

Speaker 4 (10:03):
Yeah, you get a little crazy. Parking was a bit
of an issue over here. So it's actually over at
Christ the King in Combined Locks, So it's that Christ
the King is right in front of Kimberly High School,
So we use the high school's parking lot, which is
very nice of them to let us do that, and
the church is amazing for letting us use their parking
lot and their facility to host the start and finish

(10:26):
line there. So the last couple of years we tried
something new by having two starting locations, one in the
Fox Cities and one in Dee Peer. And for as
much as we try to promote that Green Bay to
Peer area, we only had about ten percent of our
riders that left from that location, So we decided to
go back this year just that one starting location, so
everybody has the same experience, you know, and it's just

(10:49):
logistically and just better for the riders and just to
all be right here, all at the same time, and
we leave in waves. So don't let that freaky out
either or that.

Speaker 1 (10:58):
Like they're ex thing, I'm starting time.

Speaker 6 (11:00):
Everyone.

Speaker 4 (11:01):
There were like thousands of people were leaving at the
same time. No, if you plan I'm going further, we
ask that you leave earlier. If you plan on just
going to Tanner's the seven mile you know route, you
can leave as late as ten o'clock so you sleep.

Speaker 2 (11:15):
In easy to get a little bike ride in.

Speaker 1 (11:17):
I love that aspect though, of trying something out Heather
and getting some feedback and then going, you know what,
we're gonna go back to this way. I love that
flexibility and figuring out how to successfully you know, run
an event.

Speaker 4 (11:28):
This event is for the community, so you know, with
whatever makes it the best for the community and the
safety of our riders and the experience for our riders,
that's what we're gonna go with.

Speaker 1 (11:38):
Cool, We're gonna pause here, We're gonna bring Taylor in
after the break because you mentioned Bike to the Brew
and I think Taylor might have a little something to
do with that. Yeah, oh yeah, yeah, oh yeah. Okay,
we'll talk to Taylor about that and so much more
as we continue with focus Box Sally and bringing it
to your straight, straight answers to your financial questions With
Box Communities Credit Union, We're back with Fox Community's credit

(12:19):
Union on your Monday. We're highlighting so many other wonderful
community events and one that is coming up so so
quickly is Bike to the Beat signature events and the
dates Heather. For those also looking to jot this down
on their calendar, it's just.

Speaker 4 (12:37):
One day, one day only, Saturday, August second, and it's
mainly it just takes place in the morning. Again, depending
on what time you leave. The event starts at seven
in the morning and everything wraps up our own three thirty.

Speaker 1 (12:52):
Okay, yeah, all right, well August second, if you're going
August second, August second, there's something going on that weekend.
It's Mile of Music again, yes, which is what ties
all of this together. And Taylor Greenwood is with us,
who helps with so many things. You wear so many
hats Taylor, But your hats in connection to Bike to
the Beat would be music correct and coordination of the music.

Speaker 5 (13:13):
Yep, that's correct.

Speaker 1 (13:14):
And also some of the brews being served.

Speaker 5 (13:17):
Yeah, a little bit of a brewing too. Yep. I
was actually joking with my daughter this morning about all
the jobs that I have. She's like, I had to
tell one of my friends what you do and I
couldn't figure it out. And I'm like, I can't figure
it out most days either.

Speaker 1 (13:32):
A man of many talents, Taylor. But let's talk about
the music side of this first. So cool you hop
on a bike on August second with Bike to the Beats,
you ride seven, ten, twenty miles, fifty miles if you want,
and you can see some really cool bands that are
part of the Mile of Music weekend. So, Taylor, who
are we hearing? Are you able to share any of

(13:53):
the cool artists or groups that are sharing their talents
with Bike to the Bike.

Speaker 5 (13:58):
Wait, We've got a bunch coming up this year. This
is such a fun event that you know, allows us
to showcase a lot of local talent, but also because
it's happening at the same time as Mile of Music,
we do get some of those touring acts in as well.
So you know, this year, I'm really excited about the
main stage at Christ the King. We've got King Margo

(14:20):
coming up from Nashville. They're pretty well liked band in
the area. They've been coming up for a few years
for the festival. They're actually coming with a full band
this year. They've only been like a duo or a
trio in the past, so that's going to be a
really exciting band for the main stage. We've also got
Dandelion Delivery Service from like Stevens Point area. They're incredible,

(14:43):
kind of a blue, grassy, folky feel, a lot of
a lot of energy there.

Speaker 1 (14:49):
And then we have the name of that band.

Speaker 5 (14:51):
Oh, there's so much fun that band. I'm pumped that
they were willing to take the seven o'clock set. That's
not he is one to convince people to take, but
they're excited about it.

Speaker 6 (15:04):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (15:05):
And then you know we've got returners. You know, Eric
and Marty, they're always such a staple. They hold down
the fort down in Wrightstown and they make it so
much fun and they've built such a great relationship with
the you know, the venue host there too, and they
they love it every year I think I might go
play with them a little bit this year. We'll see.

(15:26):
And then you know, we've got the We've got the
Stone Arch tide House stage and that's going to feature
Isaiah Reeson, who's he performs, but he's also been helping
out with sound there every year, which has been huge.
And following him will be Kristin Ford. She's based in
Nashville now, except she and I did go to elementary

(15:47):
school together in Gill, Massachusetts. Really a town as small
as it sounds.

Speaker 1 (15:52):
That's a cool connection.

Speaker 5 (15:54):
And then Amelia Ford will be at stone Arch tide
House as well. You know, we've got some people coming
in from the Lacrosse area. We've got Marcus Morell and
Simon Crop. They just played at Stone Arch brew Pub
about a month ago. They were incredible and yeah, I

(16:14):
don't know, it's fun. We're loaded Sunday and mister Gessel
this will be their first year doing it and they's
so much fun. They'll be at Tanner USh gosh do
all right, yep, oh gosh, they're amazing. So this year
is going to be loaded with lots of fun, all
different genres. You know, I think a little bit more
energy than the past two that will really keep people peddling.

(16:35):
So I'm looking forward to it and I'm really happy
with how things turned out.

Speaker 1 (16:39):
Yeah, that lineup is fire, and I think too, it's
just cool to see live music in the summer in Wisconsin.
There's just something about it. It just hits it a
little bit different. And to be able to see all
those bands in one day while on your bike too,
it's just what a cool experience to bring. Yeah. Yeah,
and then on the brew side, something a little bit
special over bike to beat in particular, what's the flavor

(17:02):
profile this year?

Speaker 5 (17:03):
So this year we did a West Coast I PA
and it's called Spoke and note see what you did there. Yeah,
we've had some fun fun with the names over the
last few years. But yeah, it's a it's a West
Coast I PA. You know, it's it's gonna have mild bitterness,
but it's still going to be nice and refreshing for

(17:23):
all the writers and anyone who's stopping by to enjoy
some music. I don't know, it's it's always a blast
to be able to offer that as well.

Speaker 1 (17:32):
It is cool, but you still had the familiar favorite
flavor profiles too. If someone's not super adventurous when it
comes to their bruise.

Speaker 5 (17:39):
Yep and the stone Arch root beer will be available to.

Speaker 1 (17:42):
One of our favorites in our house. Actually, the root
beer is one of our favorites, so that's so exciting. Tailor,
have you biked it yourself?

Speaker 2 (17:50):
Are you too busy?

Speaker 1 (17:51):
Kind of Usually, Marr.

Speaker 5 (17:52):
I have not been able to bike it. No, I've
considered it, but just between the festival and working at
the Brew and also playing at the festival, it's it's
been a little bit difficult.

Speaker 1 (18:07):
Again, we go back to that man of many talents,
many hats, right, that's fantastic. Are there anything else you
wanted to make sure we highlighted from from Taylor's I
guess coordination point and the work that he does to
help with Spike to the beat.

Speaker 4 (18:19):
We're just so thankful for Taylor to be able to
arrange all this music and the PA and just having
a dynamite lineup for our riders to keep them, you know,
peddling from stop to stop and just enjoying their day.
We're just so excited and so happy that you're part
of our team.

Speaker 5 (18:36):
I really I appreciate that. I'm so happy to be
a part of it too, and I don't know, at
the end of every year, I'm just blown away by
all the all the pieces that come together to make
something so huge and impactful like happens. It's unreal and
I feel very privileged to be a part of it.

Speaker 4 (18:54):
That's awesome, you know, And you brought up a good
point about how impactful it is. That's one big thing
that we didn't even talk about is that one hundred
percent of the registration fees for this bike ride all
go back to the community, one hundred percent of it.
So the Fox Cares Foundation is the recipient of the
funds of all the registration fees, and so every buddy

(19:15):
that rides, you're helping your community because it all goes
back to the community and grants, so in Northeast Wisconsin.
So that's that's probably the coolest part of this whole ride.

Speaker 1 (19:24):
I like to call that the ding ding ding right there.
That's just that's what it's all about. And as we
talk about more of these events during the hour, Heather,
a lot of that made possible from folks participating in
events like Bike to the Beat yep, exactly, so very cool. Well,
thank you, Taylor, thank you for being here. Good to
see you. We usually connect once a year on the air,
so what a pleasant surprise you to be here.

Speaker 5 (19:46):
Talking about music today. It's been a lot of beer
in the past, so talking about bike to the beat
is this is good, good way to start the day.
Nice Monday.

Speaker 1 (19:54):
Thank you Taylor.

Speaker 2 (19:55):
Great to see you.

Speaker 1 (19:56):
Heather's going to stick around and we're talking about even
more events with Fox Community's Credit Union and a friendly reminder.
If you're looking for some great supports in that world,
you can of course connect with Fox Communities Credit Union.
They're more than just loans and accounts and rates. They're
committed to building genuine relationships and by getting to know
you and understanding what you truly want, Fox can provide

(20:16):
what you need when it matters most. Visit them online
at foxcu dot org or go check out the teams
of smiling faces at any of their twenty two locations.
We'll be back after this peak into the Midwest Garden.
Here we are back again with bringing it to you straight,

(20:45):
straight answers to your financial questions with Fox Community's Credit Union.
A bit of a twist though, today, as we're deep
diving into all of the community involvement that Fox Communities
Credit Union provides how the West with us VP of
Community Impacts and none better to talk about the work
in our community. And you know it starts with the

(21:08):
banners you see at events or at the ballpark or
even at your local ballparks. Right, Fox is there our
partners at you know, other radio stations doing wonderful things
with Fox Communities Credit Union as well. And one thing
that always makes me smile is the plethora of community events,

(21:29):
from a sand sculpting festival to Pulaski Polkla days. Fox
is truly ingrained and involved in so many different things.

Speaker 4 (21:36):
How fun we try to be, Yeah, I mean we're
in so many different communities, so in so many different
communities have their special thing that they just own and
that they do, and we're excited to be part of it.

Speaker 1 (21:45):
Yeah. So we're gonna specifically highlight a couple of events
in August that have to do with hot air balloons,
so stay tuned for that. But right now, this weekend
in particular, you've described it how there as a July
weekend extravaganza, because this weekend of the line nineteenth is
really really busy, and let's get our calendars ready, what's
going on this weekend?

Speaker 4 (22:06):
Well, I hope everybody's calendars are open because I can
fill it up for you, like in the next five minutes.

Speaker 6 (22:11):
Here.

Speaker 4 (22:14):
So, the Credit Union is a new presenting sponsor of
an event. It's it's taken place in Manage, WAK the
last two years, the Wisconsin Stands Sculpting Festival.

Speaker 2 (22:23):
So cool.

Speaker 4 (22:24):
I remember seeing this on Facebook two years ago and
I was like, I want to go to this. This
looks so awesome. If I didn't have baseball every weekend,
I'd be able to go to some of these things
here here right, Yes you're speaking my language, yes, but yeah,
Sands Sculpting Festival. So it's family fun. There's different games
and vendors and there's so much things for families to do.

(22:46):
And so in the past there had been a five
dollars entry feet to go to the event. And so
the folks that are putting this event down reached out
and said, hey, Fox be a presenting sponsor of this,
so we can make this a free event for our community,
and we are like, absolutely cool. So it is now
a free event, so there's no excuses not to go.

(23:07):
I think it's going to be phenomenal. The pictures from
previous years, it looks absolutely amazing.

Speaker 1 (23:12):
Well, talking about sand sculpting for a moment, it's really
wild how they put this all together. People are bringing
in buckets and massive tubs and water and using chisels
and shovels and all sorts of things to make these
immaculate sand creations.

Speaker 2 (23:30):
It's insane.

Speaker 1 (23:31):
People are very talented.

Speaker 2 (23:32):
People are very talented. It's so fun to watch.

Speaker 4 (23:36):
Yeah, I mean even like we go on vacation at
Orange Beach a lot and there's a lady her sole
job is to just teach people how to make sand castles.

Speaker 2 (23:44):
I'm like, oh, do you get a job like that?

Speaker 7 (23:45):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (23:46):
That looks so fun.

Speaker 1 (23:47):
Talent, right, And i'd imagine in addition to the sand sculpting,
there's food, there's music, you can enjoy just the beach
in general if you're looking to do that.

Speaker 2 (23:55):
Yes, exactly.

Speaker 4 (23:56):
So it looks like it's going to be great, great time.
So check it out this weekend in manitak.

Speaker 2 (24:02):
This weekend in Manitowac.

Speaker 4 (24:04):
So they do have a Facebook page Wisconsin Sanin's Sculpting Festival,
So check it out for all the details.

Speaker 1 (24:08):
Okay, So, maybe the beach isn't your vibe. That's okay,
Perhaps we can interest you in a balloon glow.

Speaker 2 (24:14):
I mean, who doesn't love hot air balloons.

Speaker 1 (24:17):
There are a lot of people who pilot hot air
balloons in our area and really when they all gather together,
they make a really magical moment happen they do? Yes,
So this one is also this weekend. There's glowing balloons,
there's live entertainment. What do you know about this one?

Speaker 4 (24:33):
Well, paper Fest is a huge event, multiple day event
they do. There's nothing they don't do that this weekend.
It's crazy. So the part that Fox Communities is the
presenting sponsor of is the Balloon Glow and that is
on Saturday night. So they have a handful of balloons
that are set up at the park where they glow
and you get to talk to the balloon pilots and

(24:56):
see the balloons in the background, listen to live music.
I do believe, but don't quote me, not the gentleman
that we work with. But there's another company that you
can actually go on like a mini like tethered ride.

Speaker 1 (25:08):
Nice.

Speaker 4 (25:08):
I know they did that last year, so I'm assuming
they're doing it again this year.

Speaker 2 (25:12):
But there again, pay per fests is a little bit
for everybody. There's so much to do.

Speaker 4 (25:16):
There's I remember going to pay per fess when I
was in high school. Like, there's just always it's always
been a staple in this community.

Speaker 2 (25:24):
And they just do such a great.

Speaker 1 (25:25):
Job with that event, and they do a lot to
make it affordable and free for families too. They do
so check out the paper Fest website, check out the
balloon glow. Bring your camera. This is a photo opportunity
in a families. This is the Christmas card piece that
you could have that really impresses. Yeah, yes, it's amazing,
it's cool. And then one more for you, a beloved tradition.

(25:46):
It's Pulaski Polka Das also happening this weekend.

Speaker 4 (25:49):
Right, another big tradition that's been going on forever. And
we do have our friends, we have a branch in Pulaski's.
We want to support our friends there and so we
are a big presenting sponsor of that event as well.
And again, music, there's always lots of music around here
in the summer, isn't there.

Speaker 1 (26:07):
That sure is?

Speaker 4 (26:08):
Oh so music activities, food vendors, like there's there's lots
to do this weekend in Pulaski as well, and taking
a little polka while while we're at it.

Speaker 1 (26:18):
There's dancing, there's dancing. Oh my grandparents always had a
little radio in their kitchen set to a polka station,
really growing up always, so when I hear that music,
I think of my grandparents.

Speaker 2 (26:31):
That's so cool.

Speaker 1 (26:32):
Yeah, I love it.

Speaker 4 (26:33):
There's definitely a lot of Polish history here and in traditions,
and so it's really neat that there's a festival dedicated
that here.

Speaker 1 (26:40):
Great in Pulaski, all right. So from stand sculpting to
balloon glows and polka, oh my, there's something for everyone.

Speaker 4 (26:46):
It's a busy weekend, you know. And those are just
those are just a handful of things.

Speaker 6 (26:50):
We know.

Speaker 4 (26:50):
There's it's Wisconsin, it's July. I'm sure there's multitude of
other things going on, but these are.

Speaker 2 (26:56):
Some some really great ones you shouldn't miss.

Speaker 1 (26:58):
Perfect. I also want to pause just a moment on
the events and ask about I'm going to put you
on the spot for this, but you had a partnership
with our media partners Way TV two. You recently collected
nearly five four hundred boxes of cereal. We did that's
a big that's a lot of Cereal?

Speaker 2 (27:16):
Yes, this. I was so excited about this. It was
just an idea.

Speaker 4 (27:20):
Literally, we were watching, like I was doing my daughter's
hair and she was scrolling through YouTube like every twelve
year old does, and I said, what what is that?
And it was a bunch of kids that had all
collected Cereal boxes and line them up along the hallways
of the school and then ended up with this big
domino formation in their gym. And I'm like, we should
do that, So we did. So we worked worked with

(27:43):
our Channel two partners and had a serial box collection.
It's summer, so you know, there's a lot of kids
in this area that don't get a normal three meals
a day, like we hope that they should. And so
we worked with our partners at Feeding America and their
pantry partners and ended up with almost fifty four hundred.

Speaker 2 (28:01):
Boxes in cereal.

Speaker 4 (28:03):
So if you figure out the serving size of like
what's an average per box, that's over fifty thousand servings
that we were able to help with these kids here
right here in northeast Wisconsin.

Speaker 1 (28:13):
And you think Cereal's easy kids, nearly any child can
make a bawl of cereal. My two year old can
put her hand in the cereal box and grab a handful,
and she does, right, she does. So I love that
it's making it accessible for kids to who might not
have stability in the food department.

Speaker 6 (28:29):
Right.

Speaker 4 (28:29):
Yeah, So it was really fun for our first time event,
the branches and our I think our members got into
it to see the domino effect.

Speaker 2 (28:35):
Like if you go on our.

Speaker 4 (28:36):
Facebook page, you'll see the video of the cereal boxes toppling.

Speaker 2 (28:40):
It ended up being a really really fun collection.

Speaker 1 (28:43):
Well, I wanted to just mention it because what an
amazing success and a community event that came together for
this one collecting nearly fifty four hundred boxes. That's one
of her thoughts. That's amazing. All right, Well pause here,
But we've got a few other things to talk about,
even more adventures and also some signature events that happen

(29:04):
every single week, the High Summer Concert Series and the
lovett Amp Music Series also Sunday at the Amphitheater, a
concert series will target and talk about all three of these.
Right after the break, you're listening to Whby good afternoon,

(29:29):
welcome back for more of Focus Fox Valley. I'm Haling
ten Pass joining you from the Myron Construction studio of Whby.
It is Monday, July fourteenth. I'm so glad you've joined
us here today. In this hour of the show, we're
going to welcome in our friends from Cooper Law Office,
also our sponsors of this hour. If you're looking for

(29:53):
guidance in the world of estate planning or elder law,
or in today's topic, business succession planning, turn to our
friends over at Hooper Law Office. Also today, Appleton Community
Music joining us, a nonprofit that provides fundraising support to
help sustain our Mile of Music festival. They also do

(30:15):
a lot to support the artists coming and playing for
all of us during Mile of Music. We'll tell you
more about what their goals are in fundraising this year
and how you can support their work as well. But
like I mentioned, we're checking in with Hooper Law Office
first here today and once again, Attorney Justin Randall joins

(30:35):
us as we highlight business succession planning today. Justin, good
afternoon to you and welcome back to Focus Fox Valley.

Speaker 6 (30:45):
Yeah, thanks for having me again.

Speaker 1 (30:46):
Absolutely, So today's topic is going to help I guess
future maybe business owners plan for the future of their companies,
and I'm imagining there might be a couple of scenarios
that might tie into business succession plan So perhaps maybe
you can set us up a bit here in how
Hooper Law Office might be able to help in business
succession planning and by first helping us understand some of

(31:09):
the situations that this might come up in.

Speaker 6 (31:13):
Yeah, so when there's business succession planning, that can generally
take probably two main forms. You know, there's two main
categories you might go down. There's business succession planning in
the sense of, you know, somebody has a family business
and they want to pass that on to a family
member who maybe is involved in the business, maybe they're

(31:34):
trying to get involved in the business. That succession can
also take the form of, you know, somebody who is
trying to actually ask that onto an employee, somebody who's
not a family member, but somebody who has been an
employee that they're trying to internally transfer that to. So
that's the succession side of it. It can also take
the form of truly just what we would call exit

(31:56):
planning as well, which is where somebody's saying, okay, i've
you know, I've worked in my business, I've built up
its value, there's not really a key employee that I
have that I can transition that too, and there's nobody
in the family who's really interested. So exit planning is
really where you're more looking for a buyer, and in

(32:17):
some cases that can actually be one of the more
straightforward options for people because you're just looking to maximize value.
You're just trying to you know, find that buyer, and
then you're just negotiating with a third party. Succession planning
is really where, at least in my mind, I find
it to be the most interesting because you often have

(32:37):
to get quite creative with how you can make that
transition work. It's not as much about finding the maximum
value for the business and more about how am I
going to make sure that, whether it's an employee or
a family member, how do I make sure that this
person can actually succeed, you know, make this workable for everybody.

Speaker 1 (32:57):
That's a great way to start this off, and I
would imagine, you know, just making sure protection of that business,
but also maybe the family is involved, the employees involved.
That's ultimately the goal here when it comes to succession planning.

Speaker 6 (33:12):
Yeah. Absolutely, if you know you don't have that key employeer,
you don't have that key family member who wants to
succeed you. I mean just business succession planning can be
very hard because you don't want to find that person
internally who you don't think is the right fit either.
So it you know, if you don't have that right fit,
there's something wrong with exit planning and selling the business.

(33:34):
Sometimes that's what's best for you, and what's ultimately maybe
best for the business overall is selling to an outside
third party. But if you have the goal to keep
that business together and you know, maybe family run or
more locally owned, then if you have the right people involved,
succession planning is fantastic.

Speaker 1 (33:53):
Okay, So justin I'm wondering what we can do to
ensure a smooth transition here, maybe key legal documents or
business plans. What should be put in place to have
that smooth sailing.

Speaker 6 (34:08):
Yeah. So the first thing, and this is something that
every business owner should have in place, whether they're thinking
about succession planning or not. The first thing that every
business should have in place is make sure they have
governing documents. And those governing documents it's essentially the rule
book of the business. Right, How is it managed, how
is it taxed? What you know, ownership restriction transfers do

(34:33):
they have can take a variety of forms, and what
those governing documents are are going to differ depending on
what kind of business entity you have. Sole proprietorships, you
really don't have an entity, and oftentimes there isn't that
set of governing documents because you are just you, and
so there's no rules that you can enforce that way

(34:55):
other than the ones you're willing to enforce on yourself.
I suppose with a a partnership, for example, where there's
more than one owner, you know, that's where you should
have a partnership agreement. If you have an LLC, have
what's called an operating agreement in place. If you're a corporation,
make sure you have by laws in place. These are
the documents that help you dictate how you want your

(35:17):
business to be run, and they can also be a
great place to put in, you know, emergency contingencies like
what happens if I become disabled or I you know,
have that sudden incapacity where you haven't had the chance
to do in depth succession planning. So the first step
of succession planning is making sure you have incapacity planning

(35:38):
in place, because it doesn't matter if you have the
best succession plan in the world if nobody can step
in and take care of the business while it's still
you owning it and while you're still alive. In those
governing documents as well, you can put in place a
lot of like triggering events, things like somebody passing away.

(35:58):
If you do have that accessor in place, you can
make sure that they have the right to purchase your
interest in the business, that they're the first person to
be able to do that. What's key in making sure
that that person can do that is working with them
financially to make sure either they have the ability to
just fund that purchase themselves or potentially look into funding

(36:22):
that purchase with something like an insurance policy on yourself.
Making sure that that person will have the cash available
to buy the interest from the surviving family.

Speaker 1 (36:34):
Fascinating. And you know, you did touch on something I
wanted to ask about justin which was what if something
unexpected happens. You know, you mentioned a disability or even
a sudden death. I would imagine things can get more
complicated if you wouldn't have some type of succession planning
in place or that thought process in place.

Speaker 6 (36:55):
Yeah. Absolutely. I mean even even with a good governing
document where it has incapacity planning included, you might have
that key employee who can take over and manage the
business at least in the short term. But that doesn't
always make it a viable succession plan either, because maybe
you haven't found that right employee yet. Maybe you haven't

(37:15):
you don't have the family member yet chosen that's going
to be a good fit. So that's not an end
all be all to make sure that the succession plan
will work. But what it does do is it buys
people time. It buys them time to find that person.
Potentially it allows somebody to continue managing the business, so
it doesn't just go belly up because nobody can operate

(37:36):
it anymore. So it's having incapacity planning is necessary because
it allows you to at least have that option at
the time. But that's also why it's good. Sooner than
you'd ever expect to need to do this to start
kind of figuring out who you want that successor to
be or whether you have a successor at all, because

(37:59):
that always takes more time than people expect. It to
take it often. You want to look ahead five to
ten years to make sure that we can plan this
out thoroughly, that we're not just panicking and transitioning it,
you know, and not planning appropriately.

Speaker 1 (38:14):
Attorney Justin Randall joins us here today with Hooper Law Office.
We're going to pause here, but when we come back
more on the proper steps in business succession planning and
also an event to hopefully see you at, will let
you know about their upcoming complimentary seminar this week Wednesday.
Those details after the break. You're listening to Focus Fox

(38:36):
Valley twelve twenty four On your Monday, don't forget it's
a flower power Monday with Memorial Florists. You can text
Flowers to nine to zero to eight, one eleven fifty

(38:59):
for your chance to win a beautiful bouquet from our
friends at Memorial Florests. Just text Flowers to nine two
zero two eight one eleven fifty. Right now, we're learning
more with our friends at Hooper Law Office as they
highlight what can be a really important step in business
business succession planning, and we'll tell you details about an

(39:22):
event this week as well. But as Justin Randall joins us.
We're highlighting what can ensure a smooth transition of ownership.
So let's talk a little bit more about maybe I
would have to imagine here justin family dynamics or key
employee relationships that might come into play in succession plans.

(39:43):
How can these things, how should they be handled in
succession planning.

Speaker 6 (39:50):
Yeah, So, I mean you mentioned a really good point,
which is just the dynamics that people have personally between
one another, and so I think oftentimes that's more of
an issue when we're looking at like internal family succession
than key employees. Although how those key employees that you
might think will succeed you, how they interact with the

(40:11):
rest of the staff, how they're you know, able to
handle those types of relationships. I think that can be
really important when we're talking about family members. The key
there is making sure that we have family members who
might own it together, that they get along, because if
they just don't get along, they're not going to be

(40:32):
good owners together. I mean, it can be hard to
have that conversation. It can be very difficult to make
sure that somebody has, you know, the right relationships with
their siblings. But I've also seen it happen where you
look at the family and you go, if you guys
can't get along, now, I don't know how you're going
to run a business together. And it's not even so

(40:53):
much their personal relationships. You know, they might get along
just fine when they have, you know, when they're not
dealing with a business, But what's their vision for the business?
Is it the same? Do they view the philosophy behind
it the same? Because sometimes people have very different visions
for the future for that business. And if you're going

(41:13):
to have more than one owner, come on, make sure
that they have a common goal because if they one
wants to expand the business and the other is content
with it being the way that it is, you're going
to have a huge problem when they actually take over together. So,
you know, you have to make the hard choices sometimes
and say, well, these people might both be good owners,

(41:35):
they both might be good successors in some sense, but
are they going to work well together? And even for
the family members that are not going to be owners,
it's important to talk with them in advance and make
it clear to them that if your goal is to
see the business succeed, to see it continue on for

(41:56):
the next generation and the family, but sometimes that might
mean and treating people differently. So we have this very
common thing that we say to clients where there's a
huge difference between what's fair and what's equal, especially when
it comes to family farms or family businesses. And what
that really means is that sometimes in order to see

(42:18):
the next generation succeed, it means giving them a helping
hand where you might not be able to give others
that same helping hand. So the people involved in the business,
they might get more of the estate, they might get
more shifted their way, but they might have also contributed
to the business through their labor during lifetime. They might

(42:39):
have sacrificed more during lifetime to keep that business going.
And if you can equalize things, if that is your
goal and that's what you're able to do, then fantastic.
But sometimes those choices have to be made of what's
more important is that the business and seeing that continue,
or is it making sure everyone is treated the exact thing?

(43:02):
And you know, that can be a tough conversation because
nobody wants to treat their kids on you know, what
they view view as unfair, but sometimes it actually is fair.
And we see this a lot with family farms, where
there's somebody who who stay on the farm, who's worked
on the farm, who may have taken less pay than

(43:22):
they could have made elsewhere to help the farm and
to eventually take over, and so they may get what
looks like to the other siblings as a lot more
than those siblings did, or like they might get such
a great deal on the purchase price of the farm.
But what those other siblings don't often see is what
that person sacrificed first. And so I think if there's

(43:47):
anything that you can do, you know, to make sure
that that is known and that it is your known,
that it's your wish, it's talk with the family before
something happens to you, because the people who often have
to deal with the anger when people aren't informed in
advance is not, you know, the third party attorney who's

(44:09):
helping administer the estate. It's the child who has treated
with what looks like to the other kids, as you know,
favorable treatment.

Speaker 1 (44:18):
Well said Justin. And one thing that I can say
Hooper Law Office does such a great job with is
helping with those tough questions and helping you better understand
what your gut reaction might be and putting that into
legal ramifications. You know, you guys do a great job
of helping set us up to make that make those

(44:38):
tough choices in a concise but yet also a gentle way.
I'll say that too. So if listeners are hoping for
that experience, if maybe you have some conversations to have
with your family about the future of your businesses, I
know that there's an opportunity to talk with some of
the attorneys with Hooper Law Office coming up this week
Wednesday at the Culver Family Welcome Center in ash Goosh

(45:02):
justin what are the details on this one?

Speaker 6 (45:05):
Yeah, so we have our two sessions for this at
two pm and six pm, and we call it our
Wills Versus Trust Seminar. We do talk about the difference
between wills and trusts, but we also talk quite a
bit about planning that can help you during lifetime as well,
so you know, things like powers of attorney, things that
will allow people to step in and help make decisions

(45:27):
while you're still around. So sort of related to what
I was talking about with you, incapacity planning for the business.
We also talk a fair amount about long term care
planning and being able to plan to protect certain assets
from having to be spent on things like assisted living
or skilled nursing facilities. And I know for a lot
of business owners this is a huge concern because they

(45:50):
want to make sure that that business is going to
continue on for the next generation, so making sure that
they can protect that business from the unknown of long
term care. And we talk a fair amount about that
in that seminar.

Speaker 1 (46:02):
All right, So if you want more details, I know
you can visit the Hooper Law Office website, but we'll
share them with you right now again this week Wednesday,
Will's Versus Trust taking place at the Culver Family Welcome
Center in Osh Gosh Wednesday, July sixteenth. Sessions are at
two pm and six pm. You can attend either session. Justin,
thanks for all of the wonderful information here today, certainly

(46:24):
something for many of us to think about. Thank you
for your time.

Speaker 6 (46:29):
Yeah, thank you so much.

Speaker 1 (46:31):
Take care. That's Attorney Justin Randall joining us here today
on Focus Fox Valley. All right, well pause and bring
you a first Alert forecast live conversation with Steve Baylon
just thirty seconds away. Welcome back to Focus Fox Valley

(47:04):
on whby Hey, thanks for listening. Scott and little shoot.
He qualified for our one hundred dollars gift certificates to
Fleet Farm. Good luck and keep listening for your chance
again during your News Now with Jonathan Krause. All Right,
Mile of Music is coming up in the month of August,

(47:24):
that first weekend of August. We are so lucky to
have amazing bands, amazing community members and friends from around
the states, around the country coming to Appleton to enjoy
Mile of Music. And while the festival is free for
us to attend, there's a lot of work that happens
behind the scenes to keep things rocking and rolling. There's

(47:47):
also a lot of support provided to those visiting musicians.
One of my favorite parts of Mile of Music is
the Artist Cares program. And we're going to talk today
with Appleton Community Music, who is the heart beat of
helping a lot of that continue to flow as smoothly
as it does. Nancy Kreeger is with us here today,

(48:07):
President of Appleton Community Music. Nancy, great to see you,
good afternoon.

Speaker 7 (48:11):
Thanks, it's great being here.

Speaker 1 (48:13):
Yes, well, we are just weeks away now from Mile
of Music. I know there's a lot of work being
done behind the scenes, and Appleton Community Music has, like
I said really been the pulse of helping to keep
things flowing so smoothly. Tell us about the start of it.
Twenty twenty one was the first year, correct.

Speaker 7 (48:32):
Yeah, twenty twenty one was the year that Appleton Community
Music kind of really started going. It's a nonprofit of
five oh one c three and our purposes to try
to ensure the sustainability of Mile of Music because it's
such a great thing for the Fox Cities to provide
the community with original music experiences throughout the year. Try

(48:54):
to keep this festival free to attend, and the only
way we do that is by getting contribution from community
members and businesses and create outstanding experiences for artists. And
you talked a little bit about the Artist Cares program
and also music education experiences at the festival. So that's

(49:14):
our focus.

Speaker 1 (49:15):
It's a pretty big focus, Nancy, So talk about how
we get there and the fundraising that is needed to
keep this, as you said, a free event to attend.

Speaker 7 (49:26):
Well, this is Applican Community Music's focus is on the
things that I indicated, but of those, we pay artists
fees and that's two hundred and fifty thousand, and this
year we're going to have about two hundred artists attending,
and they come from some of them come from outside

(49:47):
the US and all over the country, and so and
it's we think it's important to pay them. We also
pay their lodging and meal expenses and provide there's volunteers
in the community, different professionals who provide artists care support
and we can talk about that later. And then we

(50:09):
also pay for rental of some portions of the pac
that are involved with this, plus the music education team.
Our total budget for this year's festival is three hundred
and ninety five thousand dollars. So far, we're we have
about seventy five thousand to thirty five thousand left to
raise in order to meet our obligations, and part of

(50:31):
that depends on a pending grant and whether or not
it comes through. So and basically most of this work
is done by our all volunteer board, which is eleven members.
They come from various areas of the community. Most of
them are still employed, and so I really give them
a lot of credit for putting out a lot of

(50:52):
effort to get donations from the community, but that's really
where it comes from. So a lot of members of
the board involved year round trying to make contexts, get grants,
get donations from the community, and there are a lot
of There are hundreds of people who donate between maybe
ten dollars and five hundred dollars, and then there are

(51:15):
some major donors who were really grateful for because otherwise
we would never be able to make this happen.

Speaker 1 (51:22):
Yeah, you know, Nancy, Usually I saved this question for
the tail end, but I think it's okay to talk
about it now. How do we give? Because it's a
free festival, right, so I'm wondering, Okay, I go to
maybe one or two of the concerts where I'm only
able to fit it in for a day, or maybe
I and every single day. Any suggestion on how those
simply stepping into the mile music world can support.

Speaker 7 (51:44):
Sure. We do have a website and it's Appletoncommunity Music
dot org, so you can go there and that gives
you a couple ways to donate. We've got a QR code.
There's also you can send in a check by mail
and that information is there. We have a PO box
also though at the festival we're going to have donation

(52:06):
stations and also some little electronic things where you can
you can donate with a credit card and then also
QR codes. It'll be all over the place. So that's
and we welcome people doing that at the festival because
that makes a huge difference. And if you think about it,

(52:28):
if you went to almost any other festival in the state,
and certainly the big mega festivals in places like Chicago
or the Southwest, I mean, you'd be spending hundreds of
dollars just to attend, and here it's free. But we
have to pay artists, We have to pay for some
you know, Wilhelm's marketing pace, for soundtechs, stages, all of that,

(52:53):
everything that goes into the festival, and it's actually a
couple million dollars to produce this thing. A lot of
it is done by your kind donations. But if the
community wants this, every donation helps.

Speaker 1 (53:07):
I think that's just an incredible thing to keep in
mind as we attend this event. But after the break,
I would love to talk a little bit about artist
cares and where you can see your money at work
truly is in how our hearts are caring for these artists.
We'll talk more about that and the hospitality we bring
here after the break. You're listening to Focus Box Valley.

(53:42):
Welcome back to Focus Box Valley here on wh why
and highlighting the Appleton Community music nonprofit organization the work
that they do as a joint venture with Mile of Music.
Their goals are to keep Mile of Music a free
event to attend, to ensure Mile of Music's future sustainability,

(54:03):
and to also create an outstanding experience for artists that
includes fair compensation. So you're getting paid to come perform here,
which I love. But we also just honestly we take
care of them as if they were coming and staying
in our own homes and they were in need of
a big mom hug. I love it so much Mile
of Music, Hog or mother, either way you look at it. Yeah,

(54:24):
all right, Nancy, So tell us a bit about some
of the love we've given to these artists over the years.

Speaker 7 (54:30):
Yeah. I think one of the things is that they
appreciate and it's it's not part of the real artist
Cares program, but artists again and again say that they
just love that audiences here get to know them if
they've come back from previous Miles and if they're new,

(54:50):
that they get new fans and people actually listen, listen
to the music and appreciate the music, and they say
that's a rare thing these days, and that even you know,
in cities like Chicago, where you'd expect a great music
scene and a lot of these people play at different
venues there, they say, Appleton is the place where they

(55:12):
can come and people listen to them and appreciate the
music and actually get to know their original songs. So
that's great, and you know, there's a couple one one
performer actually said community is really hard to come by
these days, and you guys have it, you know, so
that's really cool. But the Artists Care Program is basically

(55:37):
community professionals who are providing their services free of charge
and providing things that artists on the road who are
touring just don't get the chance to do. Examples would
be dental exams. Romanesque Dentistry has helped us for years
and basically they can sign up for an appointment and

(55:58):
one of their hygienis are will do a basic dental
exam and sometimes fill a cavity if that's necessary. There
have been skin cancer screenings in the past, and a
couple of artists were actually identified as having skin cancer
that was a melanoma and if they had been not
been diagnosed. They actually credit Mile of Music for the

(56:21):
fact that they are alive, so that's amazing. I exams
audiology screenings. Stephanie Long has been doing that. They're also
fitted for hearing protection, especially if they're in a rock
band or a band where there's you know, they're constantly
involved with loud noise. There are substance abuse counselors who

(56:43):
help out artists who you know, may need a session
just to stay clean, physical therapists, chiropractors. There's even a
veterinary service if someone has a problem, you know, with
a pet that needs some extra care. And I mean
they're provided meals breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the pac
and Stone Arch has been really good at providing meals

(57:07):
at low costs and actually, I mean this year, I
think they're they're providing them at cost and then you know,
so we're paying for the cost of the food, but
they are not. They're taking less than what they would otherwise,
so it's great.

Speaker 1 (57:22):
We just really love on them when they come here,
and the community loves on them too. In regards to
just seeing the music, I had a friend who just
sent me an invite come see this band at my
all music with me. I love them so much. You
got to come see them too, you know, we do that.
But this is the program that you're funding with maybe
a ten dollar donation, with maybe a fifty dollar donation,
maybe it's a one hundred dollars donation, whatever you are

(57:44):
able to do. This is where it's going. Yeah. Yeah,
I love the feedback from artists as well. They really
like coming here.

Speaker 2 (57:53):
They do.

Speaker 1 (57:54):
They love it. They love it. Oh man, is there
anything else about Appleton Community Music? I know the educational
experiences And we were chatting during the break about my
kids and you have a grandchild and you know, getting
them involved in music at a young age. You can
give some of those experiences at Mile of Music.

Speaker 7 (58:14):
Yeah, there is a there's a music education team and
some of the people at Lawrence participate in that, as
well as students at Lawrence who are involved in music
education and want to be music teachers eventually. So they
work at setting up They've got about out out. I
think it's thirty five different venues during the festival where

(58:37):
kids of all ages can get involved in interactive music
experiences and they start they can start feeling kind of
how it is like to perform, and then they appreciate
watching musicians much more because they've learned how to, you know,
do a drum beat or play a kazoo or whatever

(58:57):
it is.

Speaker 1 (58:58):
Whatever it is, we just hope that you are learning
about this organization and are compelled to give back so
that we can sustain mile of music for the thirteenth fourteenth, fifteenth,
sixteenth year. Nancy Greeger, thank you so much for being
here today. We're out of time, but once again, what's
the website people can go to if they want to support.

Speaker 7 (59:17):
It's Appletoncommunity Music Dot Org.

Speaker 1 (59:21):
As simple as that. Thank you, Nancy, great to see
you again. All right with that, we'll say goodbye and
part ways for today. We hope you come back tomorrow,
though we've got such a busy show. We'll tell you
about a cupcake, a fundraiser for a great cause. Attic
Theater jumps in with some of their wonderful programs. We'll
hear from the trio of women leading our local United

(59:43):
Ways in Brown County, the Foxities, and in Osh Gosh,
a conversation you won't want to miss. Also, people of
Progression joining us on your Tuesday until Ben my friends
make it a lovely day. Thanks for being here.