Wendy Baumann: My Answer is "Yes"

Today I am chatting with Wendy Bauman, who is the president and chief visionary officer for Wisconsin Women's Business Initiative Corporation. Correct. Hi, Wendy, thank you for how are you?

And that is a mouthful. We usually call the Wisconsin Women's Business Initiative Corporation wibc so you can research that. Okay.

I'm excited to talk to a visionary officer because these are really crazy, uncertain times. But also there's an opportunity to sort of like rethink, retool, reinvent too. So maybe we can talk about that a little bit. But first I just wanted to know, how are you? How is your own mental state of mind when you woke up this morning? Because you know you are leading an organization that is so frontline with entrepreneurs and small businesses, many of whom are really going through some difficult times. So given your interaction with that community, how are you feeling?

No, I'm really doing well. Overall, I'm an optimistic person. I was always. I was born with the glass not half full, but like almost completely full. So that really helps. I know everybody doesn't have that, but it does. I get up in the morning, I don't need coffee, I'm ready to go. I like coffee, but I'm good to go and I'm ready to just start. So even in these chaotic and hard global crisis times, that sentiment still reigns inside of me of, okay, let's get up and let's do whatever we can today to make the world a better place. So personally, I'm doing well. I have moments once in a while like everybody does, and you take that moment, but I'm doing well.

Then what is the biggest concern that's really on your mind right now?

Well, I think a couple things. One is that our piece of the pie at WIBBIG, specifically the organization I've led for 26 years and, you know, worked involved in for over 30 years, we are part of the solution. So that really, really helps. And I think it helps our team of 60 plus staff members that we have a role and responsibility to be part of not the health solution beyond being of course good citizens, but being part of the economic solution. And that's the part that really drives us each day. How can we work with our thousands and thousands of clients that have been through the doors of webec, urban areas, Heart of Milwaukee, statewide, from Farokwa to Minocqua and on. How can we help them keep their business going, survive during this global crisis and once things are come back into a new way of the world where we can talk with each other, hug and shake hands, what will that look like for them. So we're really driven all the time about clients front and center, helping these micro small businesses survive and help them carry through during this time so that when things become a little bit more normal, they'll be able to continue provide the services, products, what have you that they do.

So since the services that you're providing are so incredibly relevant right now, and it seems like your whole team is just laser focused on doing what they do, but probably, you know, and then some and even, you know, the volume of what they're doing, are you noticing anything different in terms of behaviors or how your team is stepping up that might feel different now than it did before this crisis?

I think so we've always called our WICC staff, not the WICC staff, but the Wibbig team. And so really coming around with this sense of team is even better. But we've had practice at that. We didn't have to start becoming a team because of this. We are ready a team. And so, you know, when you're a football team and you're down in the whatever fourth quarter, I'm not good with football terms. What do you do? You rally as the team to bring it home. So we've already are down the rallying part, but with that it's really consistent, constant communication and in different ways. Personally, I have 60 some staff members. So every single day I take five and I write personal notes and send them to their home, personalize thinking about them, thinking about what moves them. And so give them a moment of, you know, we're going to be okay here and I need you to be strong because so many of our clients and business owners need you each week. So far, we're our third week in working remotely. We, we're sending a little whip love to them. So the first week everybody got some nuts from a business in Madison called Nutcrack. Last week everybody got soap from Madison soap. This week, don't tell everybody, but they're getting popcorn from a popcorn business. And next week something else. So again, a little thing goes a long way when we have our all staff meetings. We've been doing one a week. One was hat day and there was a prize for the best hat. Today we had an all staff meeting and was wear green because we're into spring.

So.

So those little things and some might go oh, oh, oh no. Those little things can be everything because we don't know if people have partners with them, if families with them, what are the circumstances. So at least the Wibbig family and the Wibbig team is going to be for them for a moment of smile and a moment of goodness while they're doing 10 times more the work that they were doing before because we're inundated being an economic development corporation.

Yeah, I think you're absolutely right. Those small things go a long way. Simply knowing that someone cares, I mean it's really everything. So I love some of your really creative, very tangible, practical ideas. Those are really, really thoughtful and really nice. What are you noticing that maybe you are doing differently as a leader. Your team is doing differently that you actually hope to maintain even once we go back to normal or a new normal.

I think the virtual part is interesting. A lot of us are heavy in the office. We think work starts in the office. I mean I work again, I'm a little bit of a workaholic, but I work tons from home at this kitchen table already. But a lot of other people did not. There were some staff that were very virtual but a lot were not. They were in the office and leaving the office and that's where work ends. So I think the ability to be able to work virtually all of us will something that will really take advantage and leverage in so many different ways. After again this hard period, I think for a while we'll really want to be in the office, maybe away from some people or away from kids for a moment, just a moment. But I think that's something that we'll definitely leverage. And the other part too is that really felt always everybody at WIPIC is a leader. I'm not the leader, everybody is a leader. But I think we've aligned that leadership. It's like, hey you3, can you really focus on this? The PPP program of banking. Read it all, read the contract, come back, report to others and then we can make decisions together. But not have 10 people read the 30 page, 50 page contract, have three read carry it forward in a cooperative learning style. And so you're the lead. Everybody that has ideas is going to filter to you. You're going to make basic decisions, complete decisions or get back to others to say this is what I think we should do. After we've looked at all of that and I think we can do better. There not so many people in the soup. Fewer people in the soup. Aligned in the soup, but deeper. Richer soup.

Yeah, I like that. Richer soup. Yeah, definitely. I can see where you wake up every morning and it's not the glasses half full. It's like the glass is spilling over. I am definitely getting that vibe. I love It. All right, so as the chief visionary officer, how might. How might you be using this time to again rethink, reinvent for wibic? Is there anything that maybe, you know, seemed like a crazy idea three weeks ago, and it doesn't now that you're really kind of brainstorming something new for the organization?

Well, We've already created two new loans in less than two weeks. We have 126 people that are applying for it. I mean, that's a lot considering we had 350 loan applications last year. So in two weeks, 126. So we're calling them the Fast and Furious. Loans up to $15,000 term loan, up to $10,000 line of credit. We still need this from you. We still need these items. But if we have these items, boom, we can move on it and we can get you the money. Full dispersal at closing. I'm not saying we weren't fast before, but some of our stuff was a little plotty once in a while. In times like this, you've got to move. You've got to do something. If you're sitting on the fence, you're taking up too much space, so you gotta move. So I think those ideas. Careful, still looking at, you know, compliance, looking at doing things appropriately. But move. Do we really need 10 of those things, or are these two the salient items? We need to make decisions and move ahead, and that's how we're moving along. We're being creative. We're trying to get to yes. My answer is yes. Just tell me how we're getting to that yes.

I really can't think of anyone better to be leading this organization, particularly at this time, but I would say pretty much at all time. I love your spirit, and you're sort of like, take charge, move forward attitude challenges aside. So thank you, Wendy, for.

Absolutely pleasure.