The Business Record is proud to once again produce one of our most popular events and publications: 90 Ideas in 90 Minutes. Nine Iowa leaders will share 10 of their best ideas – both big and small – that can be applied to any organization. The fast-paced event empowers audience members to think boldly.

We’re giving you a sneak peek at one idea from each of this year’s speakers. 

– Emily Barske Wood, Business Record special projects editor

Joshua V. Barr

chief strategist and president, Raising the Barr LLC

The three-legged stool of society

Society is a three-legged stool consisting of government, business and people. Government is the body that holds everything in place. Businesses are the organs that serve a particular function that makes the body move. People are the lifeblood that makes everything work. As part of society, the goal of businesses is more than just making a profit. Businesses have a powerful voice in how the body functions; they are not neutral parties in our communities. Their voice should be utilized for the benefit of the entire stool, not just their leg. If one leg breaks, the entire stool collapses. 

Shekinah Fountain

senior DEI associate, Weitz Co. 

Intentionally seek new experiences regularly. It sharpens your problem-solving skills. 

Moving from Chicago, the third-largest city in the United States, to Des Moines, Iowa, a growing metro built on a bedrock of insurance, was my first step of intentionally seeking new experiences. That move pushed me to grow personally and professionally. Fresh out of college, living with a Sudanese host family for three months in Cairo, Egypt, immersed in multiple different cultures demanded a broader world view. Both experiences shaped me today and add to my ability to work cross-culturally in business.

Rachelle Keck

president, Grand View University

Self-fluency

After your formal education, you will no longer have a predictable road map for growth. You alone are in charge of your evolution. You must know yourself to grow yourself. How do you learn best? Adopt a growth mindset – your capacity to learn is limitless, regardless of what others tell you, regardless of what your past self tells you. Find a therapist, if needed. Develop a personal strategic plan (review and revise often and as needed). Convene your personal board of trustees to show you what you cannot see. Seek intellectual wholeness and agility.

Caleb Knutson

senior planner, Mid-Iowa Planning Alliance

Wisdom from the unlikely place

Brian De Palma’s 1983 controversial masterpiece “Scarface” has a lot of wisdom that translates well to leadership and entrepreneurship (and some not so much). “Never get high on your own supply.” Don’t cut into your own product; you should be moving product, not dipping into it. “You worry too much, you’re going to have a heart attack.” Focus on what we can control. I hadn’t really struggled with this until recently. I can control my attitude and my outlook on life.  

Liz Lidgett

founder, Liz Lidgett Gallery and Design 

Go against the corporate mold and add a splash of color. 

Color, or the lack thereof, can change our mood. In a recent study, monochromatic environments — those with no color — were shown to increase burnout by around 15% and decrease productivity. The color blue helps people feel more creative and helps to generate new ideas. The color red is associated with leadership and power. When art and color are used in an environment, it triggers the brain into stimulation and enhances brain function. 

Dr. Trish Newland

president and CEO, UnityPoint Clinic

Embrace technology that contributes to your success.

The pandemic accelerated change within our clinics to provide more accessible care for patients. We created an online waiting room and provided more virtual care opportunities. We also saw a dramatic increase in scheduling appointments online and patients messaging their provider through our app, MyUnityPoint. We had to pivot many of our processes that no longer fit what consumers wanted and needed for their care, and our team was fantastic at making those adaptations.

Jeff Rommel

senior vice president, Nationwide 

Always be home for dinner.

Throughout my career, I’ve always made it known to my team that I will be home (and offline) for dinner. I may have work obligations after dinner, but, for those 60 minutes, my focus is on my family. Obviously, this is important for my home life, but I hope this example resonates with my team and they feel empowered not to bow to the pressures of work and to make their family a priority, too.

Scott Siepker

filmmaker, “Iowa Nice Guy”

Surround yourself with talented people.

Your success is correlated with the quality of skills in the company you keep. If those you collaborate with do not often impress you, then you have created a space around you that is there to coddle your ego. Put people’s talents in your orbit that you are a little bit jealous of.

Emily Westergaard

CEO, By Degrees Foundation 

Create more equitable opportunities.

Talent is distributed evenly – opportunity is not. Through your business, social and charitable networks, identify ways that you can create learning, mentoring and career exploration opportunities for students across our community. Work to ensure that ZIP codes don’t define future opportunities for students and you’ll eventually have a workforce pipeline that’s more representative of our community.