Grace sits down with glass art visionary Amy Moorefield, Executive Director of the Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass, for a captivating dive into the transformational power of niche focus and community in the business of arts. Amy dishes on resilience, redefining museum missions, and making art truly accessible—all while building an environment where creativity and business thrive together.

Amy brings her signature blend of industry insight and heartfelt leadership, sharing why glass—neither liquid nor solid—illuminates more than just galleries, but entire communities. It’s an episode brimming with energy, practical wisdom, and yes, a little jazz hands magic.

Episode Highlights:

18:23 - We're the largest paperweight displayer in the world, ranked in the top five glass museums, but we also have been accredited by by the American Alliance of Museums since 1974. And that also is something to be very proud of. And what that is, as I like to say, it's the FDA stamp of approval on anything we do.

19:25 - We're seeing more business support, and we're very grateful for it, partially because we spent a lot of time moving on to becoming a glass museum. That was a lot of work on a national level, international level, where the community that really supports this institution felt somewhat neglected in the business community.

21:27 - So they they can be challenged moments, but there's also a lot of getting to know each other for the institution, for us to get to know the business and for the business to get to know the museum and for museums to understand that this is a symbiotic symbiotic relationship.

34:18 - I think that people to this analogy, business people really need to pay attention to those culture shifts and not be on the end of the train on that, having to make those sometimes difficult decisions or changes that need to happen, but to be more proactive and really take it as a I like to use the word not challenge, but an opportunity to either reinvent your business or making those nudge moves, like becoming a glass museum and focusing really on community to really kinda harness that, trying to pay attention in a real focused way on when those changes are going to happen.

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Grace Bruins engages with Chad Schultz, the owner of Innovative Signs in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Unveiling the multifaceted world of signage, Chad elaborates on how signs act as a silent salesman and the diverse services offered by Innovative Signs.

From large format digital printing to outdoor electrical signs and managing installations, Chad shares his journey from finance graduate to successful entrepreneur. This episode provides practical insights into navigating business challenges with resilience and strategies for fostering a collaborative work culture that's built to last.

Listen in to discover how Chad’s leadership and innovative approach drive not just the success of his signage business, but also empower his team to see the big picture—one sign at a time.

Episode Highlights:

07:04 - What's nice about our product with the printing side is that we can be a an annual sponsor and donate all the signage. So, as an example, Commercial Association of Realtors is an association we're a part of and we look at the entire year for what they have coming up for programs. And we'll donate at their events they need like a registration sign, a banner behind the podium, a podium sign, or if it's a golf outing, the golf outing signs that–this whole sponsored by, this tee box sponsored by–so we'll donate all that and we'll become a gold level sponsor. And then for that, we go to all the events and we meet people as a sponsor. And that's been how we've done it for a long time.

16:19 - I'm also looking for ways to make my business more valuable, and that is, in essence, eliminating me. So that's where I hired a business development person to eliminate that side of things. So I was getting to the point where if I had someone doing business development, then I'm just running the company. If I ever wanted to sell it, then it's more valuable because the business isn't just me. The business operates on its own. It's sufficient or efficient.

24:09 - One of our values is integrity, and it's live above the line. So you can live below the line and blame somebody else or hide it, but that's not going to help us long term. Something that drives me crazy is when somebody does something but doesn't tell anybody what the next step is.

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Grace Bruins sits down with Pete Rettler, the dynamic campus dean of Moraine Park Technical College in West Bend. Pete shares insights into the transformative changes happening at Moraine Park and how these developments are equipping the future workforce with essential skills.

They discuss the impact of a $55 million referendum that led to significant infrastructural improvements, highlighting the expanding opportunities in advanced manufacturing and healthcare training. Pete also shares his perspective on the evolving perception of two-year degrees and the growing interest in technical education among young students and adult learners alike.

Learn the importance of embracing change and discovering opportunities in technical education when you tune in. For listeners interested in exploring more, visit morainepark.edu to learn about Moraine Park Technical College's programs and offerings.

Episode Highlights:

08:26 - Parents want their kids to go to college. They don't want them to go to tech school. So I always push people to say we're a two-year college. If you want to choose, we've got articulation agreements with just about everybody. We recently signed 50 some with UWM. So if you want to continue your education, move on then. But I would say the only thing that pushes people now to four-year degrees or pushes students is parents.

14:09 - With the new center now, that's all moving back to campus. Those students now will get the same services that when they're in Jackson, we can't give them all the student life activities and everything. Free meals that we can do at the campus.

17:30 - UWM has bent over backwards for us, and we see them as a real partner. The plan is to have a presence on our campus in West Bend where there could be a university center. I'll say there will be a university center where we're looking at different degrees right now. So two-year degree at Moraine Park in A, B, or C, transfer, and now we can go face to face if that's what the student chooses at the West Bend campus getting UWM credit. So we're looking at 2026 to start some of those classes. We're looking in the area of IT and Business and other areas.

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