Jay Sachetti joined Jeff O’Brien, partner at Husch Blackwell and Dyanne Ross-Hanson, president of Exit Planning Strategies talked about the market for mergers and acquisitions, exit planning opportunities for companies that don’t end up for sale and how companies can maximize their eventual sale price during an early October panel at the first Upsize on Tap event at Summit Brewing Co. in St. Paul.
When the state Legislature passed a law requiring employers to provide paid leave and safe time for employees, Justin Bieganek started hearing differing details from friends, colleagues and peers.
When a new ad campaign for Pagoda in Minneapolis drew complaints, co-owner Tom Schmidt didn’t panic.
The print materials said going to the spa and hair salon, which opened late last year, is like “going to church, only more fun.” One line: “Not going to heaven? Well, go to Pagoda.”
“I love edgy. I like things that make people think,” says Schmidt. But calls started coming in from plenty of people who took offense. “Boy, did we hear about it.” Schmidt asked his public relations agency, Fast Horse Inc. of Minneapolis, to handle the complaints, assuring callers that Pagoda didn’t intend to offend. But Schmidt didn’t change the campaign.
“You’ve got to be able to laugh at yourself, and if you can’t there’s something wrong with you,” he says. He did learn to be aware when reaching out to new customers. Schmidt also owns Urban Retreat and Schmidty’s, and mailings to those customers didn’t stir up any controversy. It was the mailing to Mpls.St.Paul magazine’s list, “strangers to our business,” that caused the problem.
Tom Schmidt, Pagoda: 612.825.5222; www.pagodaspa.com
