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.
In a long career of editing and writing and, with Upsize, even co-founding a business publication, I have gotten a lot of feedback from readers.
But I had never received a comment like this, from the CEO of a franchise company, who told a colleague how much he loves Franchise Times, another publication where I am editor-in-chief.
“One of the trips we did, we took our staff out to a cabin and I brought all the Franchise Times for the last year and everyone had to read through one. So everyone was reading it under a tree in the woods and had to come back to the cabin to give a report on an article for us to discuss,” the CEO said.
Although I’m not sure how this person’s executive team members felt about their assignment, I think it’s about the best idea I’ve ever heard — I strive to make our business coverage at Upsize magazine and elsewhere, about inspiring and informing business owners about how to grow their companies.
I had quoted a restaurant owner in Minneapolis, who had been the target of such a lawsuit, and she described a particular attorney whom she believed was in the game only to unfairly extort money from business owners.
“As a polio survivor who is now in a wheelchair for most of my mobility, I strongly feel that both sides of the issue were not represented.
“As a person who has filed approximately 60 ADA lawsuits in four states, I feel that the article portrayed most who file ADA lawsuits as money-motivated piranhas. I have NEVER received a penny from any of the lawsuits I have filed. I am disappointed that you did not include examples of legitimate complaints/lawsuits so that your article would actually do good by protecting the business owner and provide access for all.”
He makes an excellent point, and one I try to keep in mind whenever covering a controversial issue.
Many comments I get are completely positive, with entrepreneurs thanking me for shining the light on their business, their struggles, their triumphs. One of my recent favorites was from the CEO of a new pickup basketball fitness company, which is right up my alley given my long-ago status in high school as a Red River Valley Conference (North Dakota) MVP (which means most valuable player, I’m just saying).
I’m not saying how big that conference is; I’m just putting out my credentials as a sharp-elbowed low post of the old school, who wracked up double-digit rebounds back … and almost always fouled out late. I had a mean head-fake/1.5-inch jump shot that I taught my son when he was 8, though his awe lessened over time as he grew to 6-foot-five and said my move wasn’t up to modern standards.
Speaking of which: Finally, this email, received just days into the new year of 2017, made me laugh: “Because of your article, I am unsubscribing to this publication. YOU ARE AN IDIOT!!” it said.
I replied the only way I knew how — which article? — but never heard back.
You can’t please all of the people all of the time. (And please, keep your hate mail/fan mail coming. My folder can be infinitely expanded.)
Beth Ewen
Editor and co-founder
Upsize Minnesota
be***@*******ag.com
