The August 14th Weekly Market Report

Nicole Buntgen, Contributing Writer

Dumpling Empire has opened at 15825 West Maple Road in the former Dickey’s Barbecue Pit space. The Chinese restaurant also operates at 5413 South 72nd Street. Hours are Sunday-Thursday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. (closed Tuesdays) and Friday-Saturday 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Pa Más Kitchen at 220 South 31st Avenue in Midtown Crossing will hold a grand re-opening August 15-17 after a remodel. The restaurant reopened July 9 with brunch, extended hours and an evening bar. Event specials will include food, drinks and buy-one-get-one 50 percent off entrées.

Tipico Helado opened an Old Market store a couple days ago in the former Niche space at 1209 Howard Street. Tipico Helado has existing locations at 15623 West Dodge Road, 5210 South 21st Street and 453 North Main Street in Fremont. The Mexican ice cream shop offers more than 50 flavors and also operates throughout the metro through mobile trailers.

Fifth House, a local vegan restaurant, plans to open soon in the former Get Real Sandwiches space at 3901 Farnam Street in the Blackstone District. The restaurant’s tagline is “the vegan joint of your dreams.”

Izzy’s Pizza has officially retired its mobile pizza bus, which launched in Las Vegas in 2019 and moved to Omaha in 2022. The Detroit-style pizzeria will now focus solely on its brick-and-mortar location at 522 South 24th Street, open Wednesday through Saturday.

Let It Fly Sports Bar is taking over The City Pub, which closed July 31 at 7861 Main Street in La Vista City Centre. Let It Fly, an upscale sports bar, plans to open in the space later this month. Let If Fly has existing locations in The Capitol District downtown and at 1311 South 203rd Street in west Omaha.

The Redfield Building at 1901 Howard Street has started a weekly coffee shop pop-up series in its lobby, formerly home to Kochava Coffee. Cedar Creek Coffee & Art is this week’s vendor through August 15 from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Future vendors will be announced soon.

Santiago’s Mexican Food celebrated its grand opening and three-year anniversary last week at its new location inside Blue Sky Bar & Patio at 10730 Pacific Street. The family-owned business started as a food truck in 2022 near 36th & Jefferson.

The former Johnny Sortino’s Pizza building at 7880 L Street is now home to Metro Motors Auto Sales, a locally owned used car dealership with an existing location at 7802 Military Avenue. Sortino’s permanently closed back on May 31st after 60 years in business.

Fareway Meat & Grocery plans to build a store in Iron Bluff, a mixed-use development southwest of 204th & F Street. Iron Bluff will also be home to a future Omaha Public Library branch, Elkhorn Public Schools’ middle and elementary schools, an assisted living facility, an apartment complex and space for other commercial businesses. Boone, Iowa-based Fareway has six existing Omaha-area stores.

Women Are Rubies, LLC, a jewelry brand serving Omaha for more than years is opening its first showroom inside The Common Wealth at 103rd & Maple Street. Locally owned by Desiree War, the showroom will hold a soft opening from August 30 to September 1.

KFC is bringing back two fan favorites—potato wedges and Hot & Spicy Wings—nationwide starting August 18. The potato wedges debuted in the mid-1990s but were discontinued in 2020 and the wings were last on menus in 2023. Both items will be available while supplies last.

The “Restaurant & Retail Updates” section is sponsored by Anderson Convenience Market, featuring Quality AMOCO Fuels and serving Omaha since 1952, and proud to announce the return of Quality Amoco Fuels. Look for changes this Summer at Anderson Convenience Market – 8 Omaha area locations!

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Star Indian Cuisine Delivers a North-Meets-South Masterclass in Flavor

Star Indian Cuisine opened in 2021, when Rakesh Sahu and his wife, Sipra Sahoo, transformed the former Pepper Jack’s at 2429 South 132nd Street into a warm, inviting space alive with the aromas of North and South Indian cooking. They remodeled the building top to bottom, creating a family-run restaurant that blends tradition, variety and genuine hospitality.

Sahu’s path to Star Indian is deeply rooted in family tradition. His father is a trained chef and introduced him to the restaurant business in 2008 where they worked side-by-side, opening Flavors in downtown Omaha. That hands-on experience taught him the day-to-day aspects of running a kitchen, interacting with customers and properly cooking the family recipes. His father returned to India in 2014, and Sahu decided to look for his next chapter in the food industry.

“I took some of the recipes from my dad,” Sahu said. “I love the preparation and the cooking. It’s something I learned by being right there with him.”

In 2019, he co-founded Zaika at 144th and Center. That restaurant offered a menu rooted in North Indian flavors with popular dishes such as butter chicken and chicken tikka masala. It quickly developed a loyal following. By 2020, Rakesh moved on, ready to pursue a new chapter that would allow him to fully shape his own culinary and hospitality vision. That decision set the stage for Star Indian, a restaurant his wife and he could run entirely on their own terms.

The couple met while at school in India and remained in touch when Sahu moved to the United States in 2005. What followed was a 12-year long-distance relationship held together by frequent flyer miles and late night phone calls. They shared a commitment spanning continents, later married in India, and in 2017, Sahoo moved to the United States.

Sahoo had no plans to enter the restaurant business, but after seeing what Sahu had developed, and the local enthusiasm for Indian cuisine, she embraced the idea.

“My wife liked the profession,” Sahu said. “Talking to people, doing these things—so we both decided, ‘Okay, let’s open Star.’”

A defining trait of Star Indian is its focus on both Northern and Southern Indian cuisine. The North is known for dishes that lean more sweet like butter chicken, tikka masala and paneer butter masala. The South is known more for robust dishes that have complex spices and heat such as dosa, idli with sambar and biryani.

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Lanoha Shares Details about Mutual Tower & Plans for Current Headquarters

The Mutual of Omaha headquarters’ shear tower will top out next month, according to the head of Lanoha, an Omaha-based real estate company developing the city’s newest skyscraper. The shear tower is the central core that acts as the building’s spine. It’s now more than 600 feet tall.

Jason Lanoha, president & CEO of Lanoha, was a guest on last Saturday’s Grow Omaha show on News-Radio 1110 KFAB. His company is developing the 44-story office building that will eventually be Mutual of Omaha’s home office. When the building is complete, it will be 677 feet, making it the tallest building in a multi-state region.

The $600 million project is rising on the northwest corner of 14th & Farnam Street downtown. Lanoha said everything is on track, and the project should meet its scheduled completion date at the end of 2026.

Crews are currently working on the shear tower’s 42nd floor. Though only a couple more floors remain, the building will still add quite a bit of height. The 44th floor will have a double-height ceiling, which will allow the top floor to have a visually impactful interior. Additionally, the exterior walls will extend quite a bit higher than the roof. Not only will that increase the building’s height, it will form an architectural crown that will hide rooftop air-handling equipment.

At more than 15 feet, the tower will have a higher floor-to-floor height than many other office buildings. By making each floor so high, Mutual of Omaha will have more long-term flexibility in how it uses each floor. The high ceilings will also bring in more natural daylight. On most of the workplace floors, the building will have an under-floor air system.

The tower crane hovering over the building will go up one more time. It’s a self-jumping tower crane, which means it raises itself up when necessary and will eventually take itself down when the project is done. The crane is currently about 700 feet high and will soon go up to 750 feet.

Tall buildings create a lot of construction challenges, but that’s especially the case in a city like Omaha, that doesn’t have many existing skyscrapers. The city has a lack of tradespeople who have worked on skyscrapers in the past. Though some talent has been imported from out of town, the project retains an Omaha-centric feel.

“We all collectively – Lanoha, the design team, and most importantly, mutual of Omaha – wanted to keep as many of the dollars here locally,” Lanoha said. “That was the biggest challenge. We kept about 73 percent of the dollars spent on the building were with local folks.”

After Mutual moves into its new headquarters, the Fortune 500 insurance company will leave behind its current offices in Midtown. Lanoha will acquire all the land from Mutual in order to redevelop it.

In a project called, “Midtown Forward,” Lanoha is master-planning everything from Interstate 480 to 36th Street. The area includes several under-utilized parking lots, three parking structures that the City of Omaha just acquired and all the existing Mutual buildings.

“Our main goal is to add real new jobs in the heart of Omaha,” Lanohan said. “There aren’t many swaths of urban land near public transportation and existing employers. It’s some of the best dirt in the state. It might take a while, but we’re focused on bringing in the right (stakeholders).”

The existing Mutual of Omaha buildings will be preserved and incorporated into the redevelopment plans. Mutual’s current south office building at 3333 Farnam Street has tenants in addition to Mutual of Omaha. It will remain an office building.

The current main HQ building – at 285 feet high, it’s the seventh-tallest building in Omaha and eighth-tallest in Nebraska – will be preserved. Because redeveloping that building will be challenging, there had been some concern that it might have to come down.

“It will no longer be an office building, but it’s too important building for it to go away,” Lanoha said. “It will stay.”

Lanoha said it’s too early to know exactly how the entire complex will be redeveloped. The iconic dome on the southwest corner of 33rd & Dodge Street will also be preserved. But it comes with its challenges too as the dome tops off three underground floors and an underground tunnel system.

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Isaiah Ang, Contributing Writer

Crews have demolished a former Family Dollar store and the former Mother India restaurant building north of Leavenworth Street between 35th Avenue and 36th Street. The site will become a $25 million, 5-story apartment building with 85 market-rate units. The City of Omaha agreed to $2.9 million in Tax Increment Financing to support this urban-infill project. There will be one level of structured parking inside the building. Proposed amenities include a lounge area, fitness center, private elevated courtyard and pet facilities. Construction is expected to be completed sometime in 2027.

The Omaha Housing Authority is planning major renovations to Pine Tower Apartments at 1500 Pine Street. Built in 1965, the 13-story apartment building has 144 units. According to a building permit, studio units will be converted to 1-bedroom apartments. Additionally, kitchens, bathrooms, finishes and common areas will be updated. Some mechanical, electrical and plumbing upgrades are planned. The project will cost $8.6 million.

The Omaha Public Power District continues to expand its electrical power generation capacities to keep up with current and future growth. By the end of the decade, OPPD plans to add more than 3000 megawatts in additional generation while diversifying its energy portfolio. Earlier this summer, OPPD announced that the new Turtle Creek Station was officially operational. Located near 168th & Fairview Road in Sarpy County, the station currently has two dual-fuel combustion turbines, with a combined output of 450 megawatts. OPPD is adding a third turbine which is expected to be completed in 2027.

Habitat for Humanity is planning a 7-unit townhome development on a .6-acre site near downtown Council Bluffs. The property is located in the north half of the block bounded by 1st and Willow avenues and South 7th and 8th streets. According the planning documents, each 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom townhome will have a private garage with access from a public alley.

The Council Bluffs Planning Board reviewed a development plan from Lincoln-based Hoppe Development for an undeveloped 2.54-acre site next to the First Avenue Trail. The site is bounded by 28th and 29th streets and 2nd Avenue. Hoppe plans to build an 89-unit, mixed-income, residential complex. The city had previously approved other proposals from Brinshore Development and White Lotus Group. In late 2024, Hoppe was chosen as the developer from the third and most recent Request for Proposal. Hoppe’s plan is named West End Roost and consists of eight buildings ranging from 4-plex style buildings to a 3-story, 47-unit building. In addition to traditional residential units, Hoppe plans to include several live-work units in a building adjacent to the First Ave Trail.

The Nebraska Community Blood Bank opened its Eagle Run Donor Center July 29th in Omaha near 132nd & Birch Street, accepting whole blood, plasma, double red cells and platelets. Executive Director Cheryl Warholoski described it as a vital resource for rapid response to hospital needs, especially amid a severe summer blood shortage.

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Insurance Agency Marketing Services, Inc., an Omaha-based independent marketing organization serving financial professionals nationwide, and New Hampshire-based American Elm Distribution Partners, a FINRA-registered broker-dealer focused on alternative investments and structured annuities, have entered into a strategic partnership focused on expanding access to Registered Index-Linked Annuities and other structured annuity solutions for independent insurance professionals.

ARCO National Construction, a St. Louis-based, design-build, general contractor, has opened an Omaha office at 11717 Nicholas Street, Suite 110. The company has built several buildings in Nebraska over the years, including distribution, cold storage, manufacturing, self-storage and entertainment projects. Most recently, ARCO completed a cold storage expansion project for Performance Food Group in Omaha.

Werner Enterprises, Inc. declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.14 per common share. This dividend will be paid on October 22 to stockholders of record at the close of business on October 6. The Company has paid a quarterly cash dividend to its stockholders every quarter since July 1987.

Scoular had made another investment at its facility in Coolidge, Kan. The Omaha-based company recently completed construction of a 4,000 sq. ft. office and large conference room on site. In 2022, Scoular completed a major upgrade at Coolidge that expanded total storage capacity to 6.5 million bushels, boosted grain unloading speed by 30 percent and added a fifth grain receiving pit.

Green Plains Inc. announced financial results for the second quarter of 2025. Revenues were $552.8 million for the second quarter of 2025 compared with $618.8 million for the same period last year.

Blakeman Engineering celebrated 20 years in business last week. A sole proprietorship civil engineering business Blakeman Engineering has worked on more than 300 civil design projects mainly in the Omaha.

FNTS, one of the nation’s fastest-growing managed service providers, is celebrating its 30th anniversary this month. Headquartered in downtown Omaha, FNTS has grown from a local IT startup into a national leader in cloud, mainframe and secure IT optimization solutions for some of the most highly regulated industries in the country.

The Metropolitan Utilities District was recognized as one of Nebraska’s safest companies by the National Safety Council, Nebraska Chapter. The National Safety Council focuses on addressing preventable deaths and accidents in the workplace and roadways. MUD’s gas department received its second recognition, while the water department received its 12th.

Dean Snyder Construction (DSC), founded in 1958, is a family-and-employee-owned general contractor and design-build firm. We serve the commercial, food and beverage processing, industrial, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and healthcare markets. Our commitment to hard work, direct communication, owner involvement, and exceeding client expectations ensures long-term customer satisfaction. Contact us at www.deansnyder.com

Omaha Community Foundation is partnering with the Claire M. Hubbard Foundation to facilitate a grant program for Kindergarten through 6th Grade public school teachers across the state: The Ignite STEM: Hubbard Classroom Grant. This grant provides up to $500 to help teachers promote STEM education, improve the classroom experience and purchase supplies or training.

The Nonprofit Association of the Midlands is accepting nominations for the 2025 Catalyst Award until tomorrow, August 15. The NAM Catalyst Award recognizes a nonprofit organization that is driving excellence and innovation. It is presented at the Nonprofit Summit of the Midlands on November 6.

Flatwater Free Press is hosting Community Conversations: Maternal Health in Omaha, a free event, which brings together leaders in the health and public service to discuss maternal and infant health in Douglas County. The event takes place at the Benson Theatre on Thursday, August 21 from 6 to 8 p.m. and is sponsored by the Omaha Community Foundation.

CenterPointe is now offering two training programs in Omaha: Integrated Peer Support Training, which prepares attendees to become a Certified Peer Support Specialist, as well as The CenterPointe Person-Centered Trauma-Informed De-Escalation Training, which teaches staff how to reduce tension and avoid crises by using a person-centered and trauma-informed approach in their daily interactions. The first session for the Integrated Peer Support Training takes place October 6 through 10. The De-Escalation Training is scheduled on demand.

The Salvation Army disaster relief crew was at the River View Park Resort & Marina in Blair on Sunday to assist after Saturday’s destructive thunderstorm. The charity served breakfast to storm victims and first responders and also gave out free flood clean-up kits.

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Cole Young, Contributing Writer

 The Omaha Supernovas have been busy to start MLV free agency, which started one week ago. Last Thursday, on the first day of free agency, the club signed former Nebraska All-American Merritt Beason, who was selected No. 1 overall in last year’s draft. Along with Beason, the Supernovas signed 2025 Setter of the Year Sydney Hilley and 2024 Libero of the Year Morgan Hentz.

New General Manager John Cook wasn’t finished stocking the pantry for first-year head coach Luka Slabe. On Day Two of the free agency period, the Supernovas re-signed 2025 Outside Hitter of the Year Brooke Nuneviller and signed Papillion native Norah Sis. A former Creighton Bluejay and Big East Player of the Year, Sis returns to Omaha after spending her rookie season with the Orlando Valkyries.

LOVB Nebraska unveiled its 2026 roster last week. Among 11 returners from last year’s team are founding athlete and new co-owner Jordan Larson and libero Lexi Rodriguez. The full roster can be found on LOVB Nebraska’s website.

“Bombs away” for former Bluejays: On Sunday, former Creighton baseball infielder Ryan Fitzgerald made his first career MLB start with the Minnesota Twins after eight seasons in the Minor Leagues. In the third inning, he scored his first career hit and home run when he sent a two-run shot over the right-field wall.

Later the same day, Isaac Collins, now the National League Rookie of the Year favorite, continued his impressive play for the blazing-hot Milwaukee Brewers. Collins went 3-for-5 at the plate against the New York Mets. The final came with the game tied 6-6 in the bottom of the ninth inning, when he hit a walk-off, solo home run to extend the Brewers’ winning streak to nine straight.

Union Omaha played the Chattanooga Red Wolves SC to a draw at Werner Park on Saturday night thanks to a second 96th-minute goal in as many games. Midfielder Stefano Pinho answered a Chattanooga goal in the 85th minute that looked like the nail in the coffin, saving the Owls from a tenth loss this season. Union Omaha now sits tenth in USL League One standings with five wins, nine losses and three draws and will travel to Tennessee to face One Knoxville SC on Saturday.

The Omaha Storm Chasers are hosting the St. Paul Saints this week at Werner Park. Tonight is $3 Thursday, with tickets, Busch Light and select concessions $3 each. First pitch is at 6:35 p.m.

Soccer season is upon us, with both Creighton and Omaha women’s soccer kicking off their seasons tonight. Creighton travels to Kansas City to face Oklahoma at 7 p.m. while the Maverick women will host Northern Colorado at Caniglia Field tonight, also at 7 p.m.

Upcoming Games

• Omaha Storm Chasers vs. Saint Paul | August 12 – 17 | 6:35 p.m. Tonight
• Omaha women’s soccer vs. Northern Colorado | Tonight, August 14 | 7 p.m.
• Creighton women’s soccer vs. Oklahoma | Tonight, August 14 | 7 p.m.
• Union Omaha at One Knoxville SC | Saturday, August 16 | 6 p.m.
• Creighton women’s soccer at Kansas City | Sunday, August 17 | 1 p.m.
• Omaha women’s soccer vs. Green Bay | Sunday, August 17 | 2 p.m.

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The Omaha Conservatory of Music assures their supporters that the String Sprouts program is not going away, and they are currently accepting applications for the upcoming school year. While funding is less stable, they care about the investment and time in music education and still plan to continue serving 850 to 900 Sprouts students effectively and sustainably.

KANEKO’s membership drive ends on Friday, August 15th. With only days remaining until August 15th, now is your final chance to join the KANEKO community and receive your exclusive stuffed tanuki companion. More than just a charming keepsake, your membership opens the door to year-round access to visionary exhibitions, behind-the-scenes artist talks, hands-on workshops, and a vibrant community of art lovers and creative minds.

BFF Omaha’s PETFEST 2025 is this Saturday, August 16th. From punk to pop to experimental noise, PETFEST features the region’s most talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show-stopping, spectacular, never-the-same, totally unique, completely-not-ever-been-done-before music you’ll ever experience at a one-day festival. Every ticket sold directly supports year-round arts programming, emerging artists and creative opportunities in the Benson Creative District.

Lauritzen Gardens has a sculpture exhibit starting on Sunday, August 17, called La Calavera Catrina. Discover the rich history and iconography of La Catrina, one of the most recognizable figures of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), through eight larger-than-life skeleton sculptures by Los Angeles artist Ricardo Soltero. An elegant female skeleton and an icon of Mexican heritage, La Catrina approaches death not through sadness, but as a colorful celebration of life. See these colorful and joyful works, with accompanying signage in both English and Spanish.

Omaha Performing Arts has added two events to the performance calendar:

The Ozark Mountain Daredevils come to Steelhouse Omaha on Saturday, Sept. 20 at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $39.45 and are on sale now through steelhouseomaha.com.

Ledisi brings The Crown Tour to Steelhouse Omaha on Thursday, Nov. 13 at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $53.60 and go on sale on Friday, Aug. 15 at 10 a.m. through steelhouseomaha.com.

Did you know approximately 1.5 million people live within a 50-mile radius of downtown Omaha?

Did you know that cake mix was invented in Omaha when Duncan Hines was a division of Nebraska Consolidated Mills?

Did you know in 1926, the boys voted to change the name of Overlook Farm to Boys Town? Father Flanagan wrote that he did not like the new name, but he decided to go along with the boys’ wishes.

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Continental Drift Music Festival happening August 16th: Continental Drift Music Festival has relocated in 2025 to The Granary Green in Ralston! Music will run from 3 to 10 p.m., featuring outstanding local bands from the area. Expect this year’s lineup to bring rock, Americana, indie and powerpop to the great Nebraska outdoors with bands Ten O’Clock Scholars, Brothers Tandem, The Farewell Season, Third Frate, Two Drag Club, Fox and more to be announced! You can expect awesome amenities like yard games, plenty of seating area, a bar and food menu and more. Come out to enjoy this free and family-friendly event!

Omaha Chalk Art Festival presented by Metronet happening August 16th & 17th: Get ready to immerse yourself in a world of vibrant colors and stunning creativity! Join us for the 7th Annual Omaha Chalk Art Festival, presented by Metronet, where local artists and enthusiasts alike will transform the sidewalks into beautiful works of art. This family-friendly event is not to be missed – come for the art, stay for the food and enjoy a fun-filled day!

Master Business Storytelling and Content Repurposing in 60 Minutes happening August 20th: Join others for Elevator’s next Lunch & Learn where they’ll explore how to turn one brand story into endless pieces of high-impact content. Led by Allison Brown, founder of Curly Q Media, this interactive session will teach you how to simplify your content strategy by mastering the art of business storytelling. Allison brings over a decade of experience, helping brands like Disney, biBerk and Data Axle find their voice and scale their content across platforms. She has also authored 11 books—so she knows a thing or two about wrangling words. Come hungry to learn and to eat. Lunch will be provided!

Rooted Impact: Nancy Williams on Reimagining Growth, Wealth and Connection happening August 21st: Hear how Nancy scaled mission-aligned ventures, navigated complex systems with creativity and stayed grounded in values through every phase of growth. Expect reflections on leadership, innovation and what it means to reimagine wealth in a way that benefits everyone.

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Baird Holm LLP has welcomed attorneys Andrew R. Biehl and Adam D. Kost to the firm. Biehl practices within the firm’s Finance & Creditors’ Rights section, focusing on representing lenders in financing transactions and enforcing remedies through workouts, litigation, or bankruptcy. Kost practices within the Litigation section, representing both individuals and businesses in a wide variety of commercial disputes, as well as defending third-party insurance claims.

FNBO has added Cynthia Waldrop as senior vice president and head of commercial credit. She most recently served as director, CIB credit risk oversight at Wells Fargo in Charlotte, N.C.

Nebraska Medicine is welcoming nationally recognized leader Dr. Michael Hasselberg to a newly created role: chief transformation and digital officer. He begins Monday, Sept. 1. Hasselberg spent his career at the University of Rochester Medicine in New York. He began as a nursing assistant, before working as an inpatient nurse while pursuing a degree as a nurse practitioner. He would later earn a PhD in health practice research. Recently, his roles centered on research and innovation.

College of Saint Mary has named Laura Tatten as vice president of community partnerships, a recently created position. She most recently worked on the executive team of United Way of the Midlands and Boys Town prior to that.

The Washington County Museum has hired Pamela Eby of Omaha as executive director. She began August first and is taking over for retiring, longtime director Julie Ashton.

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LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT

I enjoy working at coffee shops, but it’s rude if you stay too long. That’s why Starbucks Korea cracked down on so-called cagong customers, people who work for hours on end in cafes. Cagong is a term that combines “cafe” and gongbu, which means “study” in Korean. Starbucks Korea announced that customers are no longer allowed to use desktop computers, printers, partitions or multi-tap power strips inside stores, according to Korea JoongAng Daily. Yep, some customers were actually building their own Starbucks cubicles!

The list of “quiet” things in the workplace is getting out of control. You’ve heard of quiet quitting, quiet vacationing and quiet firing. Now there’s “quiet cracking,” a persistent funk in which employee satisfaction erodes slowly into disengagement and subpar work – a feeling of trudging through each work day. According to The Hustle, 54 percent of workers report feelings consistent with quiet cracking.

Have you ever been on a “workation?” It’s when you travel but you still put in full-time hours working remotely. It’s like when you take a business trip and add in a little extra time for fun.

We found a company that doesn’t hide from the truth! Cognition CEO Scott Wu told employees in an internal email, “We don’t believe in work-life balance.” After buying another company recently, Cognition gave the acquired employees a choice: commit to an intense schedule of six days in the office and more than 80 hours per week, or accept a buyout worth nine months’ of salary, according to Yahoo! Finance.

SALES

Best-selling sales author Anthony Iannarino says that 79 percent of a salesperson’s opportunities are lost. Want to improve your win rate? 1. Position yourself as a strategic expert right from the start. 2. Deliver a unique perspective that reframes the client’s understanding of their challenge. 3. Identify all decision-makers and influencers early, map their priorities and secure micro-commitments throughout the process.

Don’t be you! – One of the most destructive phrases in sales is “I can’t do that.” If you ever find yourself saying that, you might want to take advice from sales coach Steve Chandler: “Don’t be you!” If you can’t do something, then don’t be you. What’s the most common advice you get if you tell someone you’re nervous to speak in front of a large crowd? “Just be yourself!” But if your natural self is nervous, you actually don’t want to be yourself. If you’re nervous about public speaking, don’t be you during the speech!

In a recent article, Jeb Blount, Jr. writes that you can overcome sales doubt by adopting a sales alter-ego. If you’re a reluctant prospector, observe someone who is a confident prospector and create your own little persona based on that effective person. To use this technique, identify your limitation/fear, create the persona in your head of a person who transcends the limitation/fear, and then adopt that persona (or get into character, as actors would say) when it’s time to start selling.

WISDOM

“There’s no way around hard work. Embrace it.” – Roger Federer

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Remember when Barack Obama and Joe Biden held a press conference to announce additions to Obamacare? Biden leaned over, and unaware of his hot mic, whisper into to Obama’s ear: “This is a big F—ing deal.” The same crude expression applies to our current 401(k) program and its cousin, the rollover IRA.

Ninety million American workers currently participate in their companies’ 401K plans. Their combined investment in the stock market totals $14 trillion.

The 401(k) dollars that retired workers have rolled over in to IRAs, brings the total of self-directed retirement funds to $35 trillion. That’s five times greater that the federal budget and one half of the American stock market.

Whenever the Wall Street mavens see these numbers, they begin to salivate and lust after control of these investable dollars. Thus, I was not surprised when I read in the Wall Street Journal that President Trump has signed an executive order directing the Department of Labor to open up these retirement dollars to more risky, previously unavailable investments such as private equity, real estate and cryptocurrency (which by the way, pay significant fees to their Wall Street manufacturers).

When the 401(k) program were first introduced, the response was underwhelming. Participants were forced to build their own investment portfolios from a list of mutual funds prepared by a stockbroker, who was compensated by the funds they recommended. Initially, most of the mutual funds on the 401(k) investment lists carried big fees. Then along came the U.S. Supreme Court, which in 2015, ruled that employers had to provide reasonably priced mutual funds or be fined to make up the difference.

I don’t know where Trump’s motive for this executive order came from. Was it from 401(k) participants, who we’re lusting after risky, potentially high return investments or from the Wall Street profiteers lusting after bigger fees?

But the devil is in the details. Trump’s order directs the Department of Labor to open the flood gates with more questions than answers. Number 1, permission to access off line investment products has to come from the SEC. Number 2, how is a 401(k)-participant going to be able to purchase small increments of private equity, real estate and cryptocurrency. My best guesstimate is some form of packaged vehicle which has a high fee associated with it?

So, what about the Supreme Court’s mandate on reasonable fees? Not to worry, Trump’s executive order carves out an exemption of the fiduciary responsibility of the employer and the broker. Translation; We are back to square one, and the burden is on 401(k) participants to read the fine print.

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