Latest / WIXN AM 1460 - Shaw Local Radio / Talk Line 09-11-2026: Dallas Knack talks Sauk Valley Area Chamber of Commerce events

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Talk Line 09-11-2026: Dallas Knack talks Sauk Valley Area Chamber of Commerce events · WIXN AM 1460 - Shaw Local Radio

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Hey there, waking crew. Welcome back on FM 95, 1 a.m.,
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: 1460 WIXN. It's 8.15, no, just flipping over to 16
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: on your Friday, September 11th morning, and it's time for
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: your first dose of TalkLine. Dallas Knack joining us from
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  Speaker 1: the Sauk Valley Area Chamber of Commerce. How are you today?
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  Speaker 2: I'm great. How are you?
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: I'm fantastic. It's always temperature control in here. Thankfully, it's
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: been a lot cooler today, looking kind of beautiful. My
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: wife getting to take advantage of the townwide garage sales today.
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  Speaker 1: I'm jealous of that, honey. Find me something cool.
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  Speaker 2: Fingers crossed she's got you.
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  Speaker 1: She usually does. And you guys over at the Chamber
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  Speaker 1: have us covered with everything from events to networking to
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  Speaker 1: just improvement. And I love getting this message out because...
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: especially with what we're starting off with in the younger group,
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: getting them started early. Can't preach that enough. I tell
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  Speaker 1: that with my oldest son. So, Kai, if you're listening
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: this morning while you're working, bud, mark this one on
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  Speaker 1: your calendar. Dallas, take it away.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, on Tuesday, September 22nd, we're actually doing a Lunch
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  Speaker 2: and Learn at Sauk Valley Community College. So, Dr. John Mandrell,
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  Speaker 2: the new president of Sauk Valley Community College, He will
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  Speaker 2: be doing a presentation for us on building your personal brand.
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  Speaker 2: So he's going to talk a lot about LinkedIn and
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  Speaker 2: how to brand yourself in the workplace and with your career.
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  Speaker 2: And then we're going to follow that up with a
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  Speaker 2: panel of three local professionals that are going to talk
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  Speaker 2: about networking, both in person and online. So this is
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  Speaker 2: going to be a really great opportunity, especially for our
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  Speaker 2: Sauk Valley under 40, that kind of age range to
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  Speaker 2: work on branding themselves and getting themselves out there.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, and that's a fantastic thing. And if you're wondering, well,
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  Speaker 1: I know how to set up a LinkedIn profile, Brandon,
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  Speaker 1: and put a picture. If you've never really had somebody
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  Speaker 1: talk to you about the ways you can really utilize LinkedIn,
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  Speaker 1: the different things, the do's and the don'ts, and then
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  Speaker 1: really getting into branding that is so important as part
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  Speaker 1: of networking because it's really it's that first snapshot into
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  Speaker 1: who you are to somebody, right? Um, they, they say
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  Speaker 1: make a great first impression and you only get one
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  Speaker 1: time to make a first impression. Uh, and if that
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  Speaker 1: first impression happens to be with a potential employer, somebody
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  Speaker 1: you want to speak with through LinkedIn, uh, or otherwise
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  Speaker 1: you want to make sure you're doing it right.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah. And you don't know, like maybe you don't need
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  Speaker 2: a LinkedIn right now. You're like, I'm good. I'm set. Well,
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  Speaker 2: you never know what's going to happen. You never know
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  Speaker 2: if you're going to want to make a change. If
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  Speaker 2: you need to make a change in your career. So
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  Speaker 2: it's good to just have that stuff set up and
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  Speaker 2: ready to go for whenever you need to use it.
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  Speaker 2: And you don't know why you might need to use
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  Speaker 2: it either. Maybe you're looking at just getting involved somewhere.
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  Speaker 2: You want a seat on a board. Sometimes having that
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  Speaker 2: profile already set up where you can make a connection
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  Speaker 2: with someone, obviously we prefer you to make those connections
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  Speaker 2: in person, but we know that sometimes people just stumble
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  Speaker 2: upon you on LinkedIn. I mean, when I was looking
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  Speaker 2: at doing the panel for this, I was like, oh,
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  Speaker 2: who on my LinkedIn is very active? And I just
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  Speaker 2: scrolled down and we found people, right? We know it's
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  Speaker 2: people that... Obviously, we've vetted and we know that they're
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  Speaker 2: great at these tools and how to brand themselves and
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  Speaker 2: just network both in person and digitally. Like I said,
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  Speaker 2: there's a lot of tools for just even some tips
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  Speaker 2: on how do you get over that awkward stage of
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  Speaker 2: walking into an event where you don't know anyone? How
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  Speaker 2: do you set that purpose of why I want to
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  Speaker 2: go or be strategic about where we're spending our time
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  Speaker 2: and our energy in networking or in getting ourselves out there?
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  Speaker 2: So I'm really excited for the event on the 22nd.
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  Speaker 2: Like I said, it's at Sauk Valley Community College. Lunch
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  Speaker 2: is provided. It's only $ 20 to attend, but you do
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  Speaker 2: need RSVP. You can find all that information on our
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  Speaker 2: website and on the Sauk Valley Under 40 Facebook, LinkedIn,
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  Speaker 2: or Instagram.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, make sure you sign up. Go attend this. And
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  Speaker 1: I'm going to put my last pin on it and
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  Speaker 1: say this. What is so important about networking is once
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  Speaker 1: you learn to do it right and you get to
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  Speaker 1: a certain part in your networking journey, to see people
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  Speaker 1: reaching out to you for jobs, not the other way around,
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  Speaker 1: not going and applying it, but actually having people, employers
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  Speaker 1: reaching out to you to say, hey, we have this,
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  Speaker 1: we'd like to talk to you. That is a fantastic
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  Speaker 1: place to be, and this is how you're going to
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  Speaker 1: start to learn how to do that. That's all I
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  Speaker 1: want to say about that. You're going to be happy
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  Speaker 1: when you get to that part in your career.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, absolutely. And you never know why you're going to
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  Speaker 2: need those contacts or that outreach. And you know what?
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  Speaker 2: Maybe you're comfy in what you're doing right now. You're
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  Speaker 2: living the dream. You've got it all figured out, right?
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  Speaker 1: That I am.
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  Speaker 2: Maybe that's not what happens tomorrow or next week. And
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  Speaker 2: you never know when you're going to have to tap
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  Speaker 2: into that and need that. And it's just a really
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  Speaker 2: good tool to have in your back pocket.
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  Speaker 1: Absolutely. Professional Women's Network is helping once again.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, another great tool to have in your back pocket,
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  Speaker 2: how to tame your stress.
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  Speaker 1: Oh, I could use two classes on that some days.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, right? So on September 30th, that's a Wednesday, we're
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  Speaker 2: having a Lunch and Learn at Mexicali Rose in Rock Falls.
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  Speaker 2: Natalie Moeller from Moeller, Meyer & Associates will be joining
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  Speaker 2: us to talk about how to manage your stress. She
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  Speaker 2: is phenomenal. If you haven't had a chance to hear
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  Speaker 2: her speak, it's going to be such a great workshop.
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  Speaker 2: And we're also doing a fun activity during it. We're
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  Speaker 2: going to be writing ourselves letters to our future selves.
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  Speaker 2: So all the participants will write themselves a letter that
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  Speaker 2: the chamber will then mail out to you at a
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  Speaker 2: future date. We're not saying when because we don't want
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  Speaker 2: you to have it marked on the calendar. It might
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  Speaker 2: just be a time where you really need to check
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  Speaker 2: in with yourself first. Maybe it's an inspirational quote you
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  Speaker 2: send yourself. Maybe it's something like, hey, do we ever
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  Speaker 2: get around to doing this? Is it still on our
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  Speaker 2: to-do list? Or do we finally accomplish this? Or maybe
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  Speaker 2: it's just, oh, I really like this little tip that
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  Speaker 2: Natalie said. I want to remind myself of this in
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  Speaker 2: the future.
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  Speaker 1: So.
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  Speaker 2: It's going to be a good way to kind of
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  Speaker 2: check in on yourself, maybe set some goals or just
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  Speaker 2: set a check in with yourself in the future. But
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  Speaker 2: also work on taming that stress because we all know
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  Speaker 2: we've got it, whether we want to admit it or not.
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  Speaker 2: So let's find some healthy ways of coping with your stress.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely. It's something that everybody deals with, but not
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  Speaker 1: all of us deal with well. And that's not always
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  Speaker 1: because we wouldn't like a better way. Sometimes you just
• 6:16
  Speaker 1: need somebody to kind of suggest some things so that
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  Speaker 1: you can try it out. And I love that. And
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  Speaker 1: I love the setting. Nobody wants another workshop in a
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  Speaker 1: boardroom if they can't. I love that you guys are
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  Speaker 1: going to start off with some food and an activity
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  Speaker 1: and having something. I really like that. I'm always seeing
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  Speaker 1: something like that with the Professional Women's Network is bringing
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  Speaker 1: it together, that collaboration. And that really builds community. And
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  Speaker 1: I think that's what really helps empower each other.
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  Speaker 2: Yes, absolutely. And that community, I mean, we're averaging 100
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  Speaker 2: to 125 women at these events. And it's just growing
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  Speaker 2: because the camaraderie and just the, well, networking that you
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  Speaker 2: get out of these events. I guess that's a common
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  Speaker 2: theme here, right? But it's more than just education. It's
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  Speaker 2: more than just getting out of the office for an
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  Speaker 2: hour over your lunch break. I know a lot of
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  Speaker 2: people are like, oh, it's over the lunch hour. I'm
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  Speaker 2: just going to go and take an extra long lunch. No,
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  Speaker 2: you actually get to meet other people. It's all about
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  Speaker 2: the connections you're making at these events. And we're hoping
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  Speaker 2: to really build that community of women and individuals that
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  Speaker 2: want to come together that are like-minded, that are all
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  Speaker 2: there for a common purpose. We're actually working on our
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  Speaker 2: 2027 planning. So we have a planning committee that works
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  Speaker 2: on all of that. So if anyone is like very
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  Speaker 2: interested and really wants to dive more into Professional Women's Network,
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  Speaker 2: they're welcome to reach out to me and be a
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  Speaker 2: part of that process if they're interested. Otherwise, we'd love
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  Speaker 2: to see them on September 30th.
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  Speaker 1: Do they need to do anything before, any pre-registration, limited
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  Speaker 1: number of spots available kind of thing?
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  Speaker 2: Yes. So because it is growing so much, we do
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  Speaker 2: have to cap how many attend, unfortunately. So they do
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  Speaker 2: need to register by September 23rd. You can do that
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  Speaker 2: on our website. You can go to sockvalleyareachamber.com slash PWN
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  Speaker 2: for Professional Women's Network. You can register right there or
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  Speaker 2: just shoot me an email, give us a call at
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  Speaker 2: the Sock Valley Chamber. Whatever you need to do, we'll
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  Speaker 2: get you on that list.
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  Speaker 1: Do it early rather than late. Make sure you get
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  Speaker 1: your spot. You'll be thanking yourself and Dallas for it.
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  Speaker 1: You know, we're going to keep on this, you know,
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  Speaker 1: lunching and learning kind of theme here with your legislative
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  Speaker 1: lunch and learn. And this isn't local politicians that are
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  Speaker 1: going to be visiting us, right?
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  Speaker 2: Correct. So this is a nonpartisan legislative update that we do.
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  Speaker 2: It is on October 1st. This one is also at
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  Speaker 2: the college. They just have a really nice space for
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  Speaker 2: all of our technology needs. So we appreciate the partnership there.
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  Speaker 2: But we bring in representatives from the Illinois Chamber and
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  Speaker 2: the U.S. Chamber so that they give a nonpartisan look
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  Speaker 2: at what is happening currently. They'll be giving updates specifically
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  Speaker 2: for our business owners, things that they should be looking
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  Speaker 2: out for, things that that might be changing, that they
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  Speaker 2: might need to pivot in their businesses. We don't know
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  Speaker 2: exactly what it's going to look like quite yet because, well,
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  Speaker 2: we haven't gotten quite there yet with legislation and what's
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  Speaker 2: going on, but it'll be a live update of what
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  Speaker 2: is currently happening in Springfield and at a national level
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  Speaker 2: as well. and how that's going to affect our local businesses.
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  Speaker 2: So it's a really good time for our business owners
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  Speaker 2: to come out, know what is happening, know what they
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  Speaker 2: need to be looking out for in the next few
• 9:21
  Speaker 2: months as legislation is progressing, things that they might need
• 9:24
  Speaker 2: to be ready to pivot for and make changes for
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  Speaker 2: if there's any new laws or rules that are going
• 9:28
  Speaker 2: to affect them. It's a great time for them to
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  Speaker 2: ask questions of the Illinois Chamber and U.S. Chamber to
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  Speaker 2: know how to best prep their businesses and be ready
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  Speaker 2: to make those changes if needed. And it's also a
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  Speaker 2: good time for them to be heard and have a
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  Speaker 2: say in some of that as well. So again, that
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  Speaker 2: is on October 1st. Like I said, it is at
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  Speaker 2: the college. Registration is open now. You do have to
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  Speaker 2: register about a week in advance just so we have
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  Speaker 2: a head count. Lunch will be provided because it is
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  Speaker 2: over a lunch hour. There should be some really good
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  Speaker 2: updates and it's just a nice time to hear for
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  Speaker 2: yourself firsthand what is happening and be engaged in that.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, very important because a lot of times during my
• 10:10
  Speaker 1: time talking with some state and even the local politician,
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  Speaker 1: they all kind of let you know about the fact
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  Speaker 1: that a lot of times When it comes to some
• 10:19
  Speaker 1: of these bills, you'll get things that'll get added in
• 10:21
  Speaker 1: last minute, very last minute to some of their dismay.
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  Speaker 1: Hundreds of pages, sometimes additions not getting missed by them,
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  Speaker 1: but maybe whether it's the media or whoever that's covering these.
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  Speaker 1: And so it can be very easy to miss things.
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  Speaker 1: some of these nuances that change and go into effect,
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  Speaker 1: but it doesn't matter if you missed it, if you're
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  Speaker 1: not complying with it, or if it's something that could
• 10:45
  Speaker 1: cause you a problem. So it's better just to be prepared.
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  Speaker 2: It is. And I mean, these are professionals that that
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  Speaker 2: is what they do for a living. They go through
• 10:55
  Speaker 2: every single one of those pages. I don't know how
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  Speaker 2: they do it, but that's why they come and talk
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  Speaker 2: to us about it because it is easy to overlook
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  Speaker 2: some of those Maybe the story that the media is
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  Speaker 2: saying is one big highlight, but it's missing some of
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  Speaker 2: those smaller things that are going to affect our local
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  Speaker 2: businesses here. And when you're talking about like missing some
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  Speaker 2: of those things, sometimes that's hundreds of dollars in fines
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  Speaker 2: daily if they aren't doing the right things. So it's
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  Speaker 2: good just to have a heads up, know what might
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  Speaker 2: affect you, and then be able to kind of keep
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  Speaker 2: tabs on those items.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah. Again, you don't want to kick yourself in the
• 11:32
  Speaker 1: butt later. And you're getting to hear it right from
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  Speaker 1: the people who are on the front lines doing it.
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  Speaker 1: So it'd be like me telling you, go ask your
• 11:41
  Speaker 1: doctor about that bump on your arm, not Google. Yeah.
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  Speaker 1: You know, get it.
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  Speaker 2: Don't ask chat GPT. Yeah.
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  Speaker 1: Oh, my goodness. No. Get it from the source. Be careful.
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  Speaker 1: Be informed. And then go out with a much better plan.
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  Speaker 1: So I love that. And we're kind of leading off
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  Speaker 1: here with fun times. It's fun for everybody, but for
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  Speaker 1: those behind the scenes, it's also a lot of work.
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  Speaker 1: And I think we need to say that and appreciate
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  Speaker 1: how much goes into it. But we got the Fiesta
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  Speaker 1: Parade coming up.
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  Speaker 2: The big one.
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  Speaker 1: It is almost time.
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  Speaker 2: About a week away. So on September 19th, next Saturday,
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  Speaker 2: Fiesta Parade is going to be stepping off in Rock Falls.
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  Speaker 2: It has a little bit of a different route this year,
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  Speaker 2: so it is going to start, if you're familiar with
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  Speaker 2: where Jimmy John's and First Avenue Barber is, it'll be
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  Speaker 2: starting at that intersection on First Avenue, and it's going
• 12:30
  Speaker 2: to travel across the bridge into Sterling, and it'll end
• 12:32
  Speaker 2: over by County Market. So we are gearing up. The
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  Speaker 2: parade will kick off at 1 o'clock on September 19th.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, everybody's looking forward to this. It's a good time.
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  Speaker 1: Everybody's out, and it looks like beautiful weather so far.
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  Speaker 1: This is the 19th, I think?
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  Speaker 2: This is the 73rd.
• 12:50
  Speaker 1: Or 73rd. No, which I'm getting that. I have too many.
• 12:53
  Speaker 1: Look at this list I have. I keep telling everybody. Oh,
• 12:57
  Speaker 1: I know. I've got two pages of events, and I'm
• 12:59
  Speaker 1: not even all the way into winter yet. I always
• 13:02
  Speaker 1: tell you there's something to do in the Sauk Valley.
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  Speaker 1: If you say you're bored, you're just not trying.
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  Speaker 2: I know. There's always something going on. So this is
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  Speaker 2: the 73rd year of the Fiesta Parade. We are so
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  Speaker 2: honored to continue this tradition. We know that it is
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  Speaker 2: one of the largest events that happens in Sterling and
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  Speaker 2: Rock Falls. It spans both towns, brings out thousands of
• 13:24
  Speaker 2: people for the day, just for a couple hours for
• 13:26
  Speaker 2: the parade. We're very honored to play a part in
• 13:29
  Speaker 2: organizing it. I say play a part. Our Hispanic Business
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  Speaker 2: Leaders Committee organizes the entire event. The proceeds from the
• 13:37
  Speaker 2: event go into their scholarship fund for Hispanic students. It
• 13:41
  Speaker 2: also goes into some of their other programming that they do.
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  Speaker 2: For example, they do a mentorship program with Elevate Youth
• 13:47
  Speaker 2: Center in Sterling where they go twice a month and
• 13:49
  Speaker 2: they mentor high school and junior high kids. They also
• 13:53
  Speaker 2: are doing a bilingual FAFSA completion night for students that
• 13:57
  Speaker 2: their parents might need help interpreting or translating documents for
• 14:01
  Speaker 2: the FAFSA form for their kids to go to college.
• 14:04
  Speaker 2: So we're putting the funds into those programs that they're
• 14:07
  Speaker 2: working on. They're really, really proud of the things that
• 14:09
  Speaker 2: they do, and they want everyone to know it's more
• 14:12
  Speaker 2: than just the parade committee. They have a lot of
• 14:15
  Speaker 2: things going on, and so that's where the funds from
• 14:18
  Speaker 2: Fiesta Parade go, is into all those programs and things
• 14:21
  Speaker 2: that they have going on. So we're really excited to
• 14:24
  Speaker 2: do it again. Like I said, Saturday, September 19th. Mark
• 14:27
  Speaker 2: your calendar. Note that the parade route is just a
• 14:30
  Speaker 2: little bit different this year. I know that a lot
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  Speaker 2: of people are used to it starting by McDonald's. So
• 14:35
  Speaker 2: don't set your chair up by McDonald's because it won't
• 14:37
  Speaker 2: be going that far down. It will be starting down,
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  Speaker 2: not even a half a mile down the road. We
• 14:43
  Speaker 2: did work with Rock Falls PD to make that change.
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  Speaker 2: They suggested shortening the route just a little bit and
• 14:49
  Speaker 2: changing the lineup area so that it's a more secure area.
• 14:52
  Speaker 2: We had some safety concerns the past couple years with
• 14:57
  Speaker 2: where we were staging the parade. And so just to
• 14:59
  Speaker 2: make sure that it is safe for everyone participating in
• 15:01
  Speaker 2: the parade, we did have to make some adjustments. And
• 15:03
  Speaker 2: we're very grateful for the Rock Falls PD for helping
• 15:06
  Speaker 2: and figuring that all out and making the suggestion and
• 15:08
  Speaker 2: making the recommendation just for the safety of everyone. So
• 15:12
  Speaker 2: we're grateful that they came forward with that information and
• 15:14
  Speaker 2: we're trying to make those changes and we're hoping that
• 15:17
  Speaker 2: it'll be a very fun and safe event for everyone
• 15:20
  Speaker 2: this year.
• 15:21
  Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely. It's still going to be the same wonderful
• 15:24
  Speaker 1: Fiesta parade, just a little bit, just moved up a
• 15:27
  Speaker 1: little bit, just for safety down there by McDonald's intersection. Very,
• 15:30
  Speaker 1: very busy. I could, I could see why they wanted
• 15:32
  Speaker 1: to make the call. So yeah, safety first, go out there,
• 15:36
  Speaker 1: have fun, bring a long chair, bring your friends and
• 15:39
  Speaker 1: your family together. Come join us all. Dallas, anything else
• 15:43
  Speaker 1: you wanted to share while we've got time?
• 15:45
  Speaker 2: Just that we are so grateful for the community support.
• 15:48
  Speaker 2: When we have some of these big events coming up,
• 15:50
  Speaker 2: we just really appreciate all the support that comes out
• 15:52
  Speaker 2: for it. For example, we just had an event last night,
• 15:55
  Speaker 2: the Sauk Valley Grown event, which is our agriculture advancement
• 15:59
  Speaker 2: committee event. worked with the University of Illinois Extension and
• 16:02
  Speaker 2: WACC to put together farm tours throughout the day. And
• 16:05
  Speaker 2: then the kids in the culinary arts program at Whiteside
• 16:08
  Speaker 2: Area Career Center actually cooked dinner with produce from all
• 16:11
  Speaker 2: of those local farms. And we had a wonderful turnout.
• 16:14
  Speaker 2: We're so grateful for it. the community coming out and
• 16:17
  Speaker 2: supporting the kids, the farms, the tours, and then again
• 16:20
  Speaker 2: for the parade, coming out and supporting all the businesses
• 16:23
  Speaker 2: that put a lot of time and effort into their
• 16:24
  Speaker 2: floats and their parade entries. We really appreciate it. It
• 16:27
  Speaker 2: means a lot when people come out and cheer on
• 16:29
  Speaker 2: our businesses and support our local businesses. So thank you
• 16:33
  Speaker 2: so much for all the support.
• 16:34
  Speaker 1: Could not have said it better. Yes, so much of
• 16:36
  Speaker 1: this does not happen without community support, and we're lucky
• 16:39
  Speaker 1: we have that. But it's not just luck. organizations like
• 16:44
  Speaker 1: the Chamber and others making sure working towards these networks
• 16:49
  Speaker 1: get built and just continuing them and growing them is
• 16:53
  Speaker 1: what really keeps it going. So thank you and everybody
• 16:55
  Speaker 1: there for all that hard work, Dallas. We appreciate it.
• 16:58
  Speaker 2: Absolutely. Thank you.