Chamber hosts Gravitate program for students
GRAVETTE — The Greater Gravette Chamber of Commerce hosted its first Gravitate program Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 5, in the library at Gravette High School. The program was held in collaboration with high school administrators and the HIRED program as a means of educating GHS students about possible career paths. The theme was Careers in Business — Startups to Corporate America.
Chamber president Steve Harari opened the program with a slide presentation. Harari explained he has a business background and has been involved in starting and running more than 20 startup businesses. He noted several differences between startups and corporate America and said that, although experience in the corporate world and knowledge gained there may be helpful in a startup, spending more than 20 years in corporate first may make the transition difficult. Harari listed several attributes needed to be successful in business, including strong
communication skills, dependability, willingness to be a team player, being a problem solver, and being a continuous learner.
He suggested that people just starting in business be prepared to fail. He pointed out that knowing where to begin can be difficult. Progress is sometimes slow but can be very rewarding. Be ready to change quickly, he advised, and take advantage of YouTube, Instagram and other social media. Get a LinkedIn profile, he said, and learn to negotiate.
He then moderated a panel of five area business people, including Michael Deniston, department manager for Walmart for more than 15 years; Shawn Carlton, poultry breeding expert with Cobb-Vantress for more than 30 years; Dez Whitten, software developer for Epic Health Systems for more than 10 years; Jeremiah Hilger, partner in Hilger-Cartwright Construction Company, which he started this year after more than 20 years with Crossland Construction; and Jake Latvala, owner of Ol’ Loggin Sawmill, which he launched in 2018 after more than 15 years with Walmart.
The panelists were questioned about their companies, what their jobs involved and how their career paths led them to their current positions. Deniston, who manages a data center and has a crew of 34, said the key to growth is networking. He advised the students to take opportunities whenever they come up but, no matter what, be sure to work at a job they love. He said he veered off from his original career path and only began to thrive when he settled into a field he really enjoyed. When asked about a crisis that might have been especially crucial in his job, he described a time when they lost power to the data center which was especially harrowing for him. He told his listeners to continue training all the time and suggested that, with experience, when they wanted something new for their business, they would learn to produce it themselves. Be willing to take more chances, he concluded.
Carlton said Cobb is a subsidiary of Tyson’s and explained that he deals with the genetics behind the chicken we eat. He said his parents and grandparents had chickens and he was a poultry science major and agribusiness minor. In high school, he was on the FFA judging team and later was a high school agriculture instructor himself. He said you don’t have to have a degree to be successful in business if you can get your foot in the door in a field and prove yourself. Always keep learning and ask questions, he said. Successful business people need to have psychology skills, he advised, and told the students they should be servant leaders. “Be ready to lead but be willing to serve always.”
Whitten has worked for Mercy Health systems, for an airline, and a software company and is now working for a hospital in Wisconsin. She advised the future business leaders to have a good education as a background and then have a choice of occupations. She told them they should continue learning and take information from each job they hold to help them grow. Experience will help you reach a management level, she said. Networking and continuous learning are important, but one also needs a good attitude. Take the initiative, she suggested, if you see a task that needs doing.
Hilger said he has worked mainly in concrete and has absorbed information from others. He advised the students to have a good work ethic. Be on time, follow your interests and don’t be afraid to fail. Both Hilger and Latvala advised students to branch out and start their own businesses, as they did, but only after doing the necessary research and getting groundwork to build on. Latvala said he was “lucky to graduate” and happy to be a laborer. He said to be successful in business, one must be hard-working and focused. Find something to teach you leadership skills, he advised, and be willing to get out of your comfort zone. He suggested using social media to get free advertising for one’s business.
Participants in the program were served refreshments of cookies, chips, candy and soft drinks and Latvala brought T-shirts advertising Ol’ Loggin Sawmill for those who wanted them.