In shortWe’ve all had the lightbulb moment—that time when things just click. When this happens for your business, it can take you from good to great.
3 things to know
1We’ve all had the lightbulb moment—that time when things just click.
2When this happens for your business, it can take you from good to great.
3We spoke with a number of successful entrepreneurs from the Fargo-Moorhead metro to learn about the tools, tips, and tricks that have helped them along the way.
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We’ve all had the lightbulb moment—that time when things just click. When this happens for your business, it can take you from good to great.
We spoke with a number of successful entrepreneurs from the Fargo-Moorhead metro to learn about the tools, tips, and tricks that have helped them along the way.
Ryan Fritz, an artist at his core, founded Office Sign Company in 2008, and has built it into a local commerce giant that sells signage all across the country.
What’s new? “We just shipped completed signs to NASA last month. Rockstar Games, Netflix, Activision-Call of Duty Endowment department, Harvard University, Space Force, and Marvel ordering from us in Fargo, ND, has us all very excited here at Office Sign Company. Not to leave out some of the very best local customers we have the opportunity to serve right here in our community. We’re feeling very grateful.”
Andrew J. Young is the founder and creative director of Abovo, a marketing and design agency based in Fargo, ND. His journey to founding Abovo is quite interesting. Initially, he worked as the marketing director for Hatch Realty, a Fargo-based real estate company. During his time at Hatch Realty, the idea for Abovo was conceived when the founder of Hatch Realty suggested that their marketing team evolve into a standalone agency that could serve both Hatch and other clients. This idea came to fruition, and Abovo officially launched. Now, they are a full-service marketing agency.
What’s new? “I think one thing that’s really interesting and kind of new to the services that we provide and/or are going to provide is that we’re spending a lot of time concentrating on how we can help our clients exist in 3D and virtual spaces. The Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest Three are increasingly becoming consumer products. Augmented and virtual reality spaces are places are clients are going to need to be in—as marketers, we need to be prepared for that. So, we’re spending a lot of time working with 3D modeling software and using 3D virtual headsets.”
Sarah West, Owner/Fractional CFO at Light Consulting & Co-Owner of Dale Carnegie of ND & NW MN
Sarah is a wife, mother, Jesus lover, and entrepreneur.
“My life’s purpose is to make life and business Light for those around me, and I am currently doing that by providing consulting services that help organizations with their finances, people, and overall leadership.”
What’s new? “We recently started a nonprofit organization that is developing a Christian business conference right here in Fargo this November. Our mission is to nurture and equip character-driven leaders to live and lead like Jesus. Given the vibrant community and supportive environment in Fargo, we are optimistic about the potential to expand this conference to other cities across the United States.”
Haylee Houkom, Owner, Power Plate Meals
Haylee Houkom is the co-founder and chief marketing officer of Power Plate Meals, a healthy, ready-to-eat meal prep company based in Fargo. Along with her husband, Seth Houkom, she started Power Plate Meals in 2015 with the aim of providing convenient, nutritious, and flavorful meals to busy individuals and families. The company has grown significantly, now operating nine retail locations and offering nationwide shipping, with meals available in over 100 grocery and micro-market sites across the upper Midwest.
What’s new? “We are continuously working on expanding our brand through grocery stores and other wholesale avenues, which has been so much fun! Locally, you can now find our meals in Hornbacher’s and Cash Wise when you do your weekly grocery shopping, in addition to hundreds of other grocery stores in the Midwest!”
Kent Kolstad, President, Livewire Entertainment
Kent Kolstad, the founder of Livewire, has been at the forefront of event production for 25 years, shaping the industry in Fargo and beyond. His passion for technology and live events fueled the growth of Livewire from a small startup into a leading event production company known for its innovative solutions and high-quality service. Kolstad’s expertise has enabled Livewire to handle a wide range of events, from corporate gatherings to large-scale concerts and festivals, consistently delivering memorable experiences. His leadership and vision have been instrumental in adapting to the evolving demands of the event production industry.
What’s new? “While we produce live events across the US nearly every week these days, we are excited to finally be expanding our brick-and-mortar footprint regionally in two cities, north and south of Fargo! More to come.”
Amanda Shilling, Bodacious Brander/CEO, MINT Brand Marketing
Amanda Shilling is the CEO of her own marketing company which provides marketing strategy, writing, graphic design, event planning, media buying, public relations, and more.
What’s new? “In addition to working with our awesome line-up of clients, we are working on some cool local collaborations that are currently under wraps. More to come on that. On top of that, I’m excited to be bringing a new approach to networking to the area for high-achieving business owners and leaders, focused on knowledge-sharing, and peer-to-peer mentoring, rooted in relationships and trust, for greater local impact, and opportunity for global connections.”
Patrick Kirby, Founder, Do Good Better Consulting
“Patrick Kirby is the Founder of Do Good Better Consulting and a believer that ‘we’ve always done it this way’ is the most dangerous phrase in the English language. Patrick has spent over a decade working in nearly every capacity in the nonprofit industry, for organizations of all shapes and sizes, and strives to ‘Do Good Better’ every day. From organizing $10,000 cure walks to $1 million galas, Patrick’s passion lies in creating creative solutions to make fundraising less boring.” -The Do Good Better Consulting Website
What’s new? “We have expanded our client list that represents organizations from 12 states. We also just celebrated our 320th podcast and re-launched an online learning platform for nonprofits all across the country.”
Jodi Duncan, President, Flint Group
Jodi Duncan’s role at Flint Group involves analyzing data and market research, crafting strategies and proposals, liaising with clients, solving problems with employees, managing internal operations, and planning various projects.
What’s new? “We are constantly looking at consumer behaviors and trends to stay ahead of how people consume marketing messages and interact with brands. That led us to a transformational offering helping our clients analyze and shape their customer experience through journey mapping. By digging into how customers connect emotionally to a brand, we can uncover areas of opportunity to shape and improve that experience from the consumer’s perspective. We are very excited about how this helps our clients develop stronger connections to their customers. It sounds easy but once you start digging in and truly understanding how customers experience your brand, you can really see where there are missed opportunities.”
Game Changing Business Apps & Software
Ryan Fritz
Zendesk
“My team tells me they really appreciate Zendesk. When I used to be more organized, I liked Asana to assign and add deadlines to my tasks and to others.”
Andrew J. Young Andrew J. Young
MeisterTask
“We help a lot of clients with implementing project management software and it’s been a very important part of what we do… We use MeisterTask, but there are so many out there that are great. You just have to find one that works for your business, but you do need one. If you leave all of your things in email, you’re not creating a sustainable business. If someone leaves the business, then all of the information for the projects they were working on is stuck in that email—it’s harder to retrieve. You can eliminate that with project management… It’s nice because there’s no limit on file uploads… It’s also nice to be able to know what hasn’t been completed and what has been completed.”
AI
“We talk about AI every week—we have a meeting dedicated to it. We have implemented AI—one thing we use is Photoshop’s generative AI feature, which allows us to expand photos. We also use ChatGPT and I use a scheduling AI tool called Reclaim AI.”
3D Printing
“We have a commercial 3D printer, which has been really fun for our businesses. It has been really amazing for us to be able to create prototypes. It’s enabled us to create really custom gifts for clients. It’s been able to help us test signage and create signage for clients… The use cases have been really cool.”
Kent Kolstad
Google Suite
“As a tech and audiovisual guy, I’ve got plenty of software recommendations to give, but I’m going to answer this in the opposite direction. I’ve seen many organizations that we work with quickly implement new, trendy software into their workflows, ultimately causing frustration and confusion among their teams. For example, I know of many organizations that have full subscriptions to Google Suite or Microsoft Office, but they still subscribe to and mandate usage of external apps like Slack, Dropbox, and Zoom, when they could be using Google Drive/Meet/Chat, or OneDrive/Teams. Not only could these organizations save money on software, but they could also make their teams’ lives easier, too! Using Google Suite to the fullest extent possible has unified our processes at Livewire and made information sharing and communication a simple process.”
Sarah West
Trello
“Trello has been a game changer in enhancing our project management and workflow. Its intuitive boards, lists, and cards system allows our team to organize projects, tasks, and meetings with efficiency. This visibility has improved our ability to track progress and deadlines and helps us ensure nothing falls through the cracks.”
QuickBooks Online
“The integration of QuickBooks Online has streamlined our financial processes significantly. It provides us with realtime visibility into our financial health, automates everyday accounting tasks, and simplifies payroll, which has been crucial for maintaining our cash flow and budgeting with precision. With QBO, we’ve optimized our financial tracking and reporting processes, enabling more detailed and real-time financial analysis.”
Ramp Credit Cards
“Implementing Ramp credit cards has transformed our expense management. The integration of these cards with our financial software automates the entry and reconciliation of expenses, reduces manual work, and provides real-time spending insights. This not only saves time but also enhances our financial decision making.”
Microsoft Teams
“Microsoft Teams has become essential for our team. It facilitates seamless collaboration through chat, video calls, and file sharing, all integrated into one platform. Teams has enabled us to maintain and strengthen team communication and collaboration regardless of physical location. Microsoft Teams has become more than just a communication tool for us; we’ve integrated it with many of our systems to make our workflows more cohesive.”
Clockify
“Clockify has revolutionized the way we track time and analyze productivity. This tool allows our team members to track their work hours on different tasks and clients, providing insights into time allocation and efficiency. This visibility helps in optimizing workflows and improving time management across the board. Clockify’s features have been expanded within our company to not just track time but also to analyze productivity and project profitability. These continuous improvements in how we use these tools have significantly boosted our efficiency and operational capabilities.”
Haylee Houkom
Microsoft Teams
“We use this for all of our team communications needs—from distribution to operations, marketing, customer service, retail, and wholesale, we have a lot of moving parts, so having a platform to streamline everything and communicate through is key for our team.”
CoSchedule
“CoSchedule is local to Fargo, which we love supporting, of course, but we also love what it has to offer. We utilize this platform to schedule all marketing needs for social media and email marketing purposes. It is super user-friendly and we love it!”
Canva
“Canva is amazing for many different reasons, but our marketing team loves it. We utilize the team feature too, so our team can create projects following brand guidelines and can approve projects right on the app. Plus, the templates and graphic design capabilities are endless!”
Shopify
“Shopify has been amazing for all website needs! From showcasing menus to online shopping, it’s the best website platform we’ve used.”
Amanda Shilling
ClickUp
“ClickUp started as our Project Management system, and recently we uncovered its CRM capabilities. I’m guessing most business owners fall into the tech stack trap, so we continue to assess where we can streamline, where to invest, and where we can save.”
Canva
“We recently shifted over to Canva for our proposals in light of their read receipt capability once a proposal is sent out. In doing so, we canceled a different app that we previously used which will save us $1,200 per year.”
Patrick Kirby
Otter.ai
“We have regularly scheduled, and random out-of-the-blue meetings with current and potential clients all week—and when hopping from one conversation to the next without pausing and jotting down notes on what we discussed or what action steps we assigned out to them or ourselves, it can be overwhelming searching through chicken scratch notes taken on random scraps of paper. But using the Otter. ai transcription service, we can have a conversation and actually look into their virtual or real eyes which is much more engaging than a head-down, note-taking chat. It summarizes the conversation, can be used to track to-do’s for each participant, and has a mobile app to use when you’re at a coffee shop too.”
ChatGPT
“Sure everyone has used this language model to create blogs and social posts, and figure out what to have for dinner, but we’ve taught it to become a research tool and advice-giving robot that speaks and thinks like our brand. It has not only helped shape the way we produce proposals, but helps arrange reports and develop plans that are specific to the clients we work with. The investment in time to engineer prompts that give incredible results and draws on the nearly 10 years of content and experience we have in the fundraising realm is incredibly powerful.”
Jodi Duncan
“As technology advances, we continue to leverage those evolutions to improve everything that we do from strategic planning to media buying to creative and everything in between. It touches every single aspect of our business. We are heavy into project management as we manage thousands of projects per year. Our ability to leverage our project management tool is strengthened by our need to be ‘software agnostic’ by using tools that our clients need us to use.”
Ninety
“We are big believers in Traction and follow that to enhance our leadership and business practices. Ninety is a program that helps you manage Traction meetings and record information and action resulting from those meetings. This has helped us stay organized and accountable as a leadership team.”
ChatGPT
“ChatGPT continues to rock our marketing world. We are constantly looking at this tool and how we can effectively use it to improve efficiency and enhance creativity without adversely impacting uniqueness. We keep a close eye on the legalities of using artificial intelligence so that it’s used in a responsible manner.”
Sprout Social
“Managing social content is incredibly challenging because it moves so quickly and there are many platforms. Using Sprout Social allows us to successfully plan, manage, and measure how multiple social spaces are performing for our clients.”
Media Ocean
“We implemented this platform in 2023. This ecosystem has improved our ability to manage media on behalf of our clients resulting in smarter and more powerful media plans.”
Game Changing Local Service Providers
Ryan Fritz
Dakota Business Lending
“They have always supported us, and this business is run by a great man named Steve Dusek. We could not have accomplished so much without DBL allowing us to grow, from a financial and lending-support standpoint.”
Bell Bank
“Bell Bank has always treated Office Sign Company with such professionalism, especially Doug Burchill. The service is often unmatched.”
AdShark Marketing
“I enjoy the work and the people from Adshark Marketing. Especially when they pay for my golf, which is rare. My greatest fear is sharks, but these guys make me feel safe, most of the time.”
Andrew J. Young
Forum Communications Printing and Short Printer
“We like to use either of these companies for printing whenever we can.”
Marco Technologies
“Marco has been a really valuable partner of ours.”
Daily’s Market
“Daily’s Market is a convenience and grocery store in Downtown Fargo. We do a lot of client gifts and they have been amazing to work with in terms of anything we want to buy in bulk.”
AdShark Marketing
“The only thing we don’t do in-house is digital ad placement. So, we use AdShark and they’ve been a very reliable partner. Our mission and values really closely align.”
Haylee Houkom
BNG Team
“We use BNG Team for our point of sale system for all retail locations.”
ColePapers
“From 2016 to now, ColePapers continues to work with us to help us find better supplies, containers, and products to improve our business.”
Sarah West
Bremer Bank
“Bremer Bank has been a cornerstone for our financial management and growth. Their tailored banking solutions and great customer service have ensured our financial operations are smooth and robust, supporting our business at every stage of growth.”
Short Printer
“Short Printer consistently delivers high-quality printing services for our marketing materials. Their attention to detail and reliability in handling our printing needs have helped increase our brand’s visual presentation and outreach.”
Sign Badgers
“Sign Badgers has been instrumental in boosting our local visibility through creative and durable signage. Their custom solutions have not only increased our physical presence but also aligned seamlessly with our branding efforts.”
North Dakota Women’s Business Center
“The ND Women’s Business Center has provided invaluable support through networking events, workshops, and one-onone advisory services. Their commitment to empowering local businesses like ours has been critical in navigating challenges and seizing growth opportunities.”
Connect Interiors
“Connect Interiors has transformed our workspace with its innovative and ergonomic office solutions. Their focus on creating productive and aesthetically pleasing environments has greatly enhanced our team’s morale and efficiency.”
Patrick Kirby
DonorDock
“When we have questions about CRM’s for nonprofits, or need a bit of information on trends in data or reporting, there is no better business to work with. They have carved out this amazing position in the world of donations, communications, and data mining for small and medium-sized nonprofits better than anyone else, and are an incredible resource.”
Mobile Pro
“Never have I ever worked with an AV Company that has had better perspective, creativity, and passion for what they do to create remarkable events. Brian Bestge and his team develop amazing chemistry with their clients and understand the art and science behind curating a memorable experience for guests. And they understand the nonprofit fundraising event landscape better than anyone else.”
Kient Kolstad
United Rentals
Sunbelt
Choice Bank
Visto’s Trailer Sales
Wallwork
Penske
Amanda Shilling
Nexus Consulting LLC
“We have worked with Craig Johnson for IT consulting and he has been great.”
DevelopHR
“Cristy Jacobson has been our go-to here for everything HR.”
Jodi Duncan
MindShift
“We love the work that MindShift does leveraging the strengths of people on the autism spectrum and have had great success working with them in our business.”
Allegro Group
“We’ve worked with Allegro Group on employee coaching and recruitment. They are fantastic at building high-performing teams and bringing calm to the storm that is typical in the agency business.”
Game Changing Book Recommendations
Ryan Fritz
“Good to Great” by Jim Collins
“Traction” by Gino Wickman
“The Count of Monte Cristo” by Alexandre Dumas
“Who” by Goff Smart and Randy Street
“The Art of War” by Sun Tzu
“Creativity, Inc.” by Ed Catmull
“Meditations” by Marcus Aurelius “This is a great book that has me really looking into stoicism.”
Andrew J. Young
“Influence, The Psychology of Persuasion” by Robert Cialdini “Without a doubt No. 1 for me. I was introduced to this book in college. I often say the contents in this book are ‘the only things I learned in college’ as I reference this book so often (to our team and to clients).”
“Beyond Order, 12 More Rules for Life” by Jordan Peterson “This is just a great book to help give you context and insight for life.”
“Radical Candor” by Kim Scott “This is definitely a great book that addresses the question you asked me, ‘Found any good ways to motivate team members?’ Be honest. Be real. Get candor. Fun book to read.”
“Hug Your Haters” by Jay Baer “Again, not the BEST book I’ve read by any means, but a GREAT book to equip businesses with something ‘they can implement tomorrow’ around embracing customer complaints and keeping customers happy. I’d have to think the ROI for anyone who reads this is huge.”
Sarah West
The Bible “The Bible, particularly the New Testament, has been foundational in guiding our leadership style toward servant-based leadership, which has proven very effective in today’s work environment. It instills values that promote humility, service, and valuesbased leadership, which resonate deeply with our team and clientele.”
“Traction” by Gino Wickman “Adopting the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) from this book has transformed our organizational structure. It has provided us with a powerful framework to stay focused, clarifying our company’s vision, mission, and goals in a straightforward manner. This system has enhanced our internal communications and operational efficiency, ensuring everyone on the team is aligned and moving in the same direction.”
“Stories that Stick” by Kindra Hall “As a yearly read, this book continuously reinforces the power of storytelling in our communication strategy. Kindra Hall, a Concordia College alum, illustrates how engaging stories can captivate audiences and make our messages more memorable.”
Amanda Shilling
“The Gap and The Gain: The High Achievers’ Guide to Happiness, Confidence, and Success” by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy “‘The Gap and The Gain: The High Achievers’ Guide to Happiness, Confidence, and Success’ by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy was recommended to me by my husband Jon Shilling, who has his own company. It has shifted how I think of where I am and where I want to be when it comes to scaling my business.”
“10x Is Easier Than 2x: How World-Class Entrepreneurs Achieve More by Doing Less” by Dan Sullivan and
Editor of Fargo INC! — covering the founders, companies, and ideas shaping business in Fargo-Moorhead. Eleven years in, still no opinions, no politics, all business.
