The December 18th Weekly Market Report

Nicole Buntgen, Contributing Writer

NYC Deli & Juice Bar will hold its grand opening December 19 at 3949 North 132nd Street in a former KFC restaurant building a couple blocks north of West Maple Road. The first 1,000 customers will receive a free sandwich. Menu items include cold-pressed juices, smoothies, milkshakes and house-made gelato.

Guitars & Cadillacs is returning to the Omaha metro area. The live country music and dance hall will open in March at 7401 Main Street in Ralston. Guitars & Cadillacs will take over Bushwackers at The Granary. Bushwackers will likely close in January. Omaha’s original Guitars & Cadillacs was located in Old Mill South and closed back in 2003.

Foxy Sushi has opened a second location inside Brickway Brewery & Distillery at 1116 Jackson Street in the Old Market. Its original location is at 18101 Chicago Street. Brickway is now open daily at 11 a.m. and now serves a Shiki Lager—a Japanese-style rice lager developed by its head brewer.

Hiro 88 reopened its Old Market restaurant on December 8 at 1308 Jackson Street following a planned remodel. The location was temporarily closed for about two months during the renovation.

Major renovations have started on the Dairy Queen restaurant on the southwest corner of 114th & West Dodge Road. Crews recently demolished the second floor/roof of the iconic Dairy Queen store at 404 North 114th Street. The building will be transformed from the historic, barn-style Dairy Queen into a more conventional single-story, fast-food restaurant. In addition to the structural change, the façade will be updated along with mechanical, electrical and plumbing.

Noddle Companies plans to launch a second version of Sonny’s, the outdoor bar that operates out of an Airstream camping trailer. The original Sonny’s is located on a green space in Aksarben Village and is very popular during warm-weather months. The second Airstream would be located in the Builders District on a small park recently completed between 16th and 17th streets a little south of Cuming Street. Pending approval from nearby business owners, the second Sonny’s would open this spring.

USA Today ranked Von Maur as the nation’s number-two-ranked department store in its 2025 Readers Best Choice Awards. Von Maur has a 3-story store at Westroads Mall. JCPenney was number one. Based in Davenport, Iowa, Von Maur has 39 locations in 17 states, while Dallas-based JCPenney has 650 locations nationwide. The top five was 1. JCPenney; 2. Von Maur; 3. Belk; 4. Nordstrom; 5. Macy’s.

Rexius Nutrition is opening its seventh Omaha metro location at 18010 R Plaza, southwest of 180th & Q Street. According to a building permit, the company is renovating 1,200 sq. ft. for a brick-and-mortar store. This will be the sixteenth location, which include several throughout Nebraska and locations in Tempe, Ariz.; Mankato, Minn.; Minneapolis; and Hot Springs, Ark.

13th Street Coffee & Tea permanently closed last month at 519 South 13th Street in the Old Market.

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Revival House Pours Classic Tiki with Intent, Restraint

By Chris Corey

Revival House is a Flagship Restaurant Group tiki bar concept that started in Des Moines, Iowa, just after the pandemic. Earlier this year, the concept opened in The Blackstone District, and just a couple weeks ago, tropical drinks replaced English-inspired ambiance when they took over the former Parliament Pub in the Shops of Legacy. It might be a theme bar, but it’s more a deliberate statement of good cocktails done with restraint.

The cocktail program is focused on classically inspired tropical drinks heavily influenced by foundational figures of tiki culture like Don the Beachcomber and Trader Vic. Revival House presents original versions of tropical classics by using authentic recipes and ingredients as intended. Half of the menu consists of cocktails created by bar manager Dustin Fox, beverage director Shannon Saulsbury and their team. Fox said Revival House intentionally includes cocktails that are a little less tiki to make the bar more welcoming to a broader audience.

“We were inspired by a number of really cool cocktail bars doing tropical and exotic drinks in a modern way,” Fox said. “We wanted to bring something fun to the table that was more approachable and accessible for some of our markets here in the Midwest.”

That focus on balance and restraint is shaped in part by Fox’s own path through kitchens and bars. His culinary career began while still in school, starting in fast-service restaurants at age 17. He later attended Metropolitan Community College’s culinary program, where he developed his cooking skills before moving into professional kitchens in Omaha. Those kitchens include the former Vivace and M’s Pub.

“I think the thing that I was most proud of in my culinary career was working as a chef at The Grey Plume under really great chefs and working my way up through that system,” Fox recalled.

Revival House features a lush, modern tiki decor. It’s layered and textured with dark stone walls, rattan furniture and a mix of Island-inspired greenery. It carries just the right amount of transportive polish – immersive, not overbearing.

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Another Victory for Millwork Commons

The Millwork Commons development in North Downtown continues to rack up a series of impressive victories. In recent weeks, the 50-acre development north of Charles Schwab Field was in the news as the chosen site for a planned soccer stadium. Now one of the district’s resident companies is growing its footprint.

Workshop, a local tech company, plans to expand its headquarters in the Ashton Building, a 4-story, 192,000 sq. ft., historic building at 1229 Millwork Avenue. The Ashton Building serves as Millwork Common’s central hub and is home to several restaurants and retailers in addition to office tenants.

According to a building permit for tenant finish, Workshop is finishing an additional 14,005 sq. ft. in the Ashton. It currently leases 10,000 sq. ft.

Workshop is a fast growing, locally started technology company that provides businesses an internal communications email platform to help improve employee engagement. Workshop started in 2020 and moved to its current location in 2023. Since then, Workshop has grown from 30 to more than 100 employees and has opened an office in Dublin, Ireland. Clients include prestigious international brands like Aston Martin and Steve Madden and local powerhouses like Triage, Carson Group and Signature Performance.

But Workshop is just one of many expansion stories happening in the Millwork Commons district north of Cuming Street between 15th and 10th streets.

Late last month, Union Omaha, in partnership with the City of Omaha, announced plans to build a $114 million professional soccer stadium on the eastern edge of Millwork Commons. The project would include an accompanying, 20-acre, mixed-use development that would meld into Millwork Commons.

Several other Millwork Commons projects are already under construction, including two apartment buildings and a 600-stall, city-owned parking garage.

One of the apartment buildings, known as NOVA, is completely enclosed and nearing completion. Located southeast of 12th & Nicholas Street, the 5-story NOVA building will have 74 apartment units and 20,000 sq. ft. of commercial space. One of the commercial tenants will be Rally Cap Brewing Company, a sports bar from Baton Rouge, La.

The other apartment building, The Frame, is under construction on the northwest corner of 13th & Nicholas Street west of the Ashton Building. The $44 million building will have 146 apartment units and a single, 10,000 sq. ft. commercial bay at street level.

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Isaiah Ang, Contributing Writer

Construction is underway on Coffeetree Country Club at 2410 South 217th Street in Elkhorn on the site of the former Skyline Golf Club. The only thing that remains from Skyline is a maintenance shed. Everything else is being built from the ground up. Developed in phases, Coffeetree Country Club will be designed by Jacobsen Hardy, the firm founded by PGA Tour legend Peter Jacobsen. Coffeetree will be a private club and is scheduled to open in November 2026.

Methodist Health System plans to open its next Physicians Clinic on January 5th in a recently completed building northeast of 204th & Q Street. The clinic will offer family medicine, urgent care, imaging services, including X-ray, ultrasound, and mammography, as well as women’s health services. The clinic will open with 11 practitioners.

GreenState Credit Union is building a branch office on the northeast corner of 150th & Highway 370 in the Steel Ridge development. The Iowa-based credit union opened its first Omaha location near 180th & West Maple and plans another once at 204th & Harrison Street. GreenState operates nearly 30 branches across Iowa, Illinois and the Chicago area. It was previously known as University of Iowa Community Credit Union.

The $114 million Behavioral Health & Wellness Center at Children’s Nebraska is almost ready to open. The 4-story, 107,250 sq. ft. building sits on seven acres at 85th & West Dodge Road. The main entrance, for both patients and staff, is on building’s the east side. Children’s Nebraska previously announced it will begin serving patients starting in January.

Elevator, an Omaha coworking office business, opened additional locations in Lincoln and Kansas City on December 1, according to Silicon Prairie News. In 2022, Elevator opened its first location at 1402 Jones Street near the Old Market, bringing a concept that combined traditional office coworking space with amenities needed to meet logistical needs, including warehousing space and docking. A second location opened in Des Moines, Iowa, earlier this year. A 67,000 sq. ft. location is underway in St. Louis.

Gretna Landing apartment complex hit another milestone as the third building of five is now complete, according to Dicon, the construction company building the project. Located northwest of 192nd & Highway 370, Gretna Landing Apartments is being developed by Metonic Real Estate Solutions and will have 220 units when completed.

The City of Omaha Parks & Recreation Department announced this week that Cryer Swimming Pool will permanently close. The 57-year-old pool at 11783 Cryer Avenue will be demolished early next year and replaced with a “spray-ground” water park set to open next summer.

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Union Pacific and Northern Suffolk plan to file the formal merger application by the end of this week to the Surface Transportation Board, the primary federal regulatory agency reviewing the historic merger. The application will be submitted on December 19, triggering a mandatory 30-day review of the application by the STB, after which it may require additional documentation.

This preliminary review is just one step in a lengthy review process that may take up to a year or more before a final decision is made on the proposed merger. The 4,000-page application must be approved by the STB before required review, public comment and investigation take place.

Legacy Collective, a women’s-only club plans to open April 1st at 10730 Pacific Street, Suite 210, in Regency Landing. The for-profit club is being developed by Dr. Sasha Shillcutt, a nationally recognized physician, author and speaker based in Omaha. Legacy Collective will provide women with “a dedicated space for meaningful connections, recharging, relaxing and networking.” Women’s clubs are common in major cities, but nothing like it currently exists in Omaha.

Omaha-based HDR provided design and construction oversight services for the Metro E Line, a bus rapid transit line in the Twin Cities, which stretches 13 miles and connects downtown Minneapolis, the University of Minnesota and the suburb of Edina.

Fluff Interior Design and Fluff Market has relocated from Bel Air Plaza near 120th & West Center Road to 20603 Elkhorn Drive, Suite 100 in Olde Towne Elkhorn. The company is an award-winning interior design firm, providing residential room design, remodel, construction and commercial services.

McCarthy Building Companies is the Greater Omaha Chamber’s small business of the month for December. The company was founded in 1864 and is 100-percent employee owned. The Omaha office has delivered more than $2 billion in building and infrastructure projects.

Union Pacific Railroad recently announced plans to develop the Mainline Texas Industrial Park, a master-planned, 2,000-acre industrial development just outside Houston. The park is located along Union Pacific’s main line with direct access to multiple highways, offering customers seamless transportation across the region’s major population centers and international gateways in Laredo, Eagle Pass and El Paso.

Omaha-based Green Plains Inc. announced this month that biogenic carbon dioxide from all three of its Nebraska facilities – Central City, Wood River and York – is now being captured, transported on the Trailblazer pipeline and permanently sequestered at Tallgrass’ southeast Wyoming sequestration hub.

For only the second time in 2025, Creighton University’s Rural Mainstreet Index climbed above growth neutral, according to the monthly survey of bank CEOs in rural areas of a 10-state region dependent on agriculture and/or energy. The region’s reading for December increased to 50.1, its highest reading since July 2025, and was up from November’s 44.0. The index ranges between 0 and 100, with a reading of 50.0 representing growth neutral.

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Goodwill Omaha has launched Good Threads, a boutique, which aims to support individuals and families facing economic hardship by providing essential clothing and household items, free of charge. Individuals in need are referred through Goodwill’s trusted Community Partners, then are able to set up an appointment to browse the boutique.

Habib Rahmani purchased one of the last available homes in phase one of Habitat for Humanity Omaha’s new Bluestem Prairie development this week. Rahmani served alongside U.S. forces in Afghanistan, and fled to Omaha after the Taliban regained power in 2021. Now, he will live in the home with his wife and six children.

On Tuesday, local leaders and nonprofit organizations like Heartland Workers Center gathered in Omaha from across the state to rally support for and donations to the Lexington Community Relief Fund. The fund will provide assistance for many individuals and organizations impacted by the recent Tyson plant closure in Lexington. More than 3,200 employees of the plant will lose their jobs on January 20.

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Crawford is known to represent his hometown of Omaha on the national stage and show his appreciation for the city he still calls home. Mayor John Ewing paid appreciation back to Crawford, stating that “Bud Crawford made boxing history while wearing his hometown name. Beyond his success in the ring, I have always appreciated Bud’s love for Omaha, his service to youths and the way he brought people together to share in his victories.”

Crawford did not announce what is next in his retirement video, but did state that this is the start of a new fight for him. The world champion is likely to remain in the boxing world in some capacity.

Creighton Volleyball had its season ended on Saturday, falling in three sets to Kentucky. Head coach Brian Rosen ended his first season 28-6, winning both the Big East regular-season and tournament titles. Creighton is still seeking its first Volleyball Final Four in school history, where it would become the first school without football to make the Final Four since Santa Clara in 2005.

Seniors Ava Martin, Kiara Reinhardt and Annalea Maeder earned All-America honors from the American Volleyball Coaches Association on Wednesday. Martin and Reinhardt were named to the Second Team, while Annalea Maeder earned a Third Team nod. Creighton’s three All-Americans were tied for fifth most in the nation, trailing only Kentucky, Nebraska, SMU and Texas A&M, who had four each.

The University of Nebraska Omaha announced last week that it has opted in to the terms of the House case settlement effective for the 2026-27 academic year. Omaha did not opt in for the first year of the settlement to better position its athletic department for future opportunities to do so. The athletic department decided 2026-27 is the optimal time to opt in and improve its ability to attract top coaching and student-athlete talent.

This summer, a federal judge approved a $2.8 billion antitrust settlement that will allow schools to pay student-athletes directly for their name, image and likeness through licensing deals. The decision came from a lawsuit filed by Grant House, a former Arizona State swimmer who sued the NCAA and “Power Five” athletic conferences.

Beginning in the 2025-26 academic year, schools now have the opportunity to opt-in and share up to $20.5 million with student athletes, with that funding coming from sources such as media rights revenue, ticket sales and sponsorships. These funds are to be distributed among entire athletic departments. Omaha did not opt in for this academic year.

Omaha Storm Chasers director of marketing and creative, Alex Seder, has been recognized with Diamond Baseball Holdings’ Triple Play Award for Creativity, Innovation and Problem Solving. The Triple-Play Award recognizes someone who brings a combination of creativity, innovation and problem solving to the table. The recipient, nominated by their coworkers, is someone who thinks outside the box to take on club challenges or reach their goals.

Omaha men’s basketball senior guard Ja’Sean Glover recorded the program’s first triple-double in program history in a 105-58 win over York (Neb.) on Tuesday. Glover recorded 11 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists, with 10 of his rebounds coming in the second half. The Mavericks will head to Beaumont, Tex., on Saturday to face Lamar at 6 p.m.

The Omaha Supernovas will have 13 of their 28 matches featured on national broadcasts this season, as Major League Volleyball unveiled its full schedule Thursday. The Supernovas have announced their local broadcast coverage for next season, with Nebraska Public Media (five matches) and News Channel Nebraska (four matches) providing statewide coverage for nine of their 14 home matches. The 13 national broadcasts will air across CBS Sports Network, VICE TV and the Roku Sports Channel.

Wednesday night, Creighton and Omaha women’s basketball held a crosstown rivalry game at Baxter Arena, and the Bluejays headed back downtown with a 92-48 win. Sisters Neleigh and Nora Gessert combined for 40 points to put Creighton over the top.

Creighton returns to Big East play on Saturday, hosting DePaul at 1 p.m. Omaha will head to Los Angeles for the Loyola Marymount Tournament, where it will face Southern Utah on Saturday at 3 p.m. and Weber State on Sunday at 2 p.m.

Omaha Hockey, following a strong start to the season where it saw itself receiving votes in the USCHO poll, has now lost five of its last six games. Over the weekend, Omaha was swept by No. 4 North Dakota, falling 4-1 on Friday and 3-1 on Saturday. This weekend, the Mavericks will head to Sioux Falls, S.D., to face Augustana. Puck drops will be at 7 p.m. on Friday and 6 p.m. on Saturday.

Creighton men’s basketball began Big East conference play on Wednesday, traveling to Cincinnati, where it handed Xavier its worst ever home loss, 98-57. The Bluejays were led by a career-high 27 points from sophomore transfer Austin Swartz. Wednesday’s game was Creighton’s first win in a conference opener since 2021. Saturday will feature another Big East battle when Creighton welcomes Marquette to the CHI Health Center at 7:30 p.m.

Upcoming Games

• Omaha Hockey at Augustana | Friday, Dec. 19 | 7 p.m.
• Creighton women’s basketball vs. DePaul | Saturday, Dec. 20 | 1 p.m.
• Omaha women’s basketball vs. Southern Utah | Saturday, Dec. 20 | 3 p.m.
• Omaha Hockey at Augustana | Saturday, Dec. 20 | 6 p.m.
• Omaha men’s basketball at Lamar | Saturday, Dec. 20 | 6 p.m.
• Creighton men’s basketball vs. Marquette | Saturday, Dec. 20 | 7:30 p.m.
• Omaha women’s basketball vs. Weber State | Sunday, Dec. 21 | 2 p.m.
• Creighton women’s basketball vs. Seton Hall | Monday, Dec. 22 | 3 p.m.
• Creighton men’s basketball vs. Utah Tech | Monday, Dec. 22 | 7 p.m.

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Omaha’s Dreamland Ballroom and the Rise of North 24th Street Jazz

By Patrick Wyman

Preston Love once claimed that, “If New York, Chicago, and Kansas City were the major leagues of jazz, Omaha was the Triple-A. If you wanted to make the big leagues, you came and played in Omaha.”

Much of the credit for that reputation belongs to the Jewell family. Before opening his namesake building and its famous Dreamland Ballroom, Jimmy Jewell operated the Jewell & Phannix billiards parlor while his wife, Cecilia, traveled Europe as a classical singer and performer. It was their son, Jimmy Jewell Jr., who was responsible for bringing some of the country’s most popular big bands, jazz and blues acts to Omaha.

In 1923, Jimmy Jewell Sr. purchased lots at the southeast corner of 24th & Grant Street in the near north side neighborhood. He hired leading architect Frederick A. Henninger to design a multi-use building that would provide musicians traveling from Chicago, Kansas City and Minneapolis with a venue large enough to perform in while passing through Omaha.

Designed in the Georgian Revival style, the two-story brick building at 2221 North 24th Street was constructed by John Lof & Sons. The ground level featured two storefronts, the one on the north had a corner entrance while the southern entrance was recessed. Between them was a central entrance leading to two rear apartments, as well as a staircase, to a large hall on the second floor. Above the door was an engraving that read, “Jewell Building – 1923.”

The Jewell Building was one of the first substantial commercial buildings built by and for Omaha’s Black community. Jimmy Jewell Sr. moved his family into one of the rear apartments, while the two storefronts became the longtime homes of the Tuxedo Billiard Parlor and the Tuxedo Barber Shop. The second floor housed the legendary Dreamland Ballroom.

In a redlined near north side, the Dreamland Ballroom was envisioned as a space where Black performers could appear before audiences frequently excluded from comparable venues in other parts of Omaha. The ballroom was designed to accommodate these performances, featuring space for a 20-piece ensemble and a dance floor capable of holding up to 200 people.

When Jimmy Jewell Sr. passed away in 1930, the bustling 24th Street corridor had earned the nickname “Street of Dreams.” Dreamland, meanwhile, solidified its reputation as Omaha’s premier nightclub. A talented musician in his own right, Jimmy Jewell Jr. assumed management of the building and ballroom at just 25 years old.

Under his leadership, Dreamland achieved national prominence by hosting some of the era’s biggest performers, including Nat “King” Cole, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie and Ray Charles. It was at the Dreamland that Omaha native Preston Love got his big break, filling in for Count Basie’s saxophonist, Earle Warren. It was a dream come true for someone that once climbed the fire escape behind the building just to listen to Basie and others perform.

During World War II, while Jimmy was serving in the United States Army, the federal government seized the Jewell Building and converted it into a United Service Organizations (USO) facility that provided free entertainment for Black soldiers. While the building was returned within a year, he successfully sued the government as he was not compensated for its use. In addition to the musical acts that performed, he invited civil rights activist Whitney Young to speak before he would go on to become executive director of the National Urban League.

After managing the Dreamland Ballroom for decades, Jimmy closed it in 1965 when it was no longer profitable. The pool hall and barber shop continued operating until he closed the building in 1975 due to health issues. The structure sat vacant for the next decade and quickly fell into disrepair.

The revival of the Jewell Building is credited to civil rights advocate Charles B. Washington, who led the effort to save it from demolition. His work resulted in the building being designated an official Omaha Landmark in 1980 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. After the Omaha Economic Development Council purchased the property, it completed an exterior restoration and interior renovation in 1985. As part of the project, the two rear apartments were restored, and the former Dreamland Ballroom was converted into office space.

The building commissioned by Jimmy Jewell Sr. more than a century ago continues to serve as an anchor of the 24th & Lake Street Historic District and is widely regarded as one of the most important structures in all of north Omaha. Today, it is home to the nationally renowned Great Plains Black History Museum, 100 Black Men of Omaha, Inc., the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Omaha Economic Development Corporation. Meanwhile, Jimmy Jewell Jr.’s legacy lives on through The Jewell on Capitol, Omaha’s premier jazz club, which proudly bears his name.

The Joslyn Art Museum was named a World Title recipient in the Prix Versailles 2025, an annual series of awards honoring outstanding global achievements in architectural and interior design. The Joslyn won the World Title: Special Prize for an Exterior in the museum category for its 2024 Rhonda & Howard Hawks Pavilion expansion during a ceremony held at the headquarters of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Paris on December 4.

The event celebrated a total of 72 “World’s Most Beautiful” projects across eight Prix Versailles categories: museums, hotels, restaurants, emporiums, airports, campuses, passenger stations, and sports. Of those 72 projects, only 10 are located in the United States. Only 24 projects received World Titles, and just four of those titles were awarded to U.S. projects, including The Joslyn.

The Omaha Symphony and First Alert 6 have teamed up to broadcast highlights of the Physicians Mutual Omaha Symphony Christmas Celebration into homes across the community. The broadcast will air live at 7 p.m. on Friday, December 19, and at 6 p.m. on Thursday, December 25, on First Alert 6. The one-hour program will feature selected highlights recorded during a live 2024 performance of the Physicians Mutual Christmas Celebration. Beloved holiday classics included in this year’s broadcast are “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town,” “O Holy Night,” “Jingle Bells” and more. The performance was conducted by Ernest Richardson and directed by Parker Esse.

The Alan J. Levine Performing Arts Theater at JCC Omaha will feature Candlelight: Christmas Carols on Strings on December 21, beginning at 8:45 p.m., at its venue located at 333 South 132nd Street. Experience the timeless magic of the holidays as a live string quartet performs favorite carols by candlelight. Songs such as “Silent Night,” “Joy to the World” and other classics will fill the theater with warmth and wonder this season. Admission is $46 per person.

The Orpheum Theater will feature Mannheim Steamroller Christmas on December 20 and 21 with grand performances of the group’s iconic music. Featuring cutting-edge visuals and modern contemporary interpretations of holiday favorites, audiences can expect a captivating experience. Mannheim Steamroller’s musicians bring more than 50 years of performance experience from venues across the country.

The Durham Museum will present its second Holiday Concert Series performance on December 23, just before Christmas, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Attendees can enjoy local music under the glow of Omaha’s official Christmas tree while listening to talented area entertainers. Admission is $15 for adults, $12 for seniors, $8 for children ages 3–12, and free for children age 2 and under. Admission is also free for Durham Museum members.

Did you know the 2025 Berkshire Hathaway meeting attracted 29,000 visitors with an economic impact of more than $20 million?

Did you know electrical utility rates in Omaha are 30.2 percent below the national average?

Did you know the Omaha Downtown Improvement District added 16 artist wraps on utility boxes this year throughout the Central Business District?

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Farnam Winter Pop-Up happening December 19th – 21st: Discover a handpicked medley of 15 locally owned shops at Omaha’s newest urban holiday destination! Shop handmade goods, artisan foods, boutique finds, curated gifts and more. Open weekends through January 11 at the corner of 33rd & Farnam Street. Join in for the last weekend before Christmas!

Bushwackers Ugly Sweater Christmas Party happening December 20th: Celebrate National Ugly Sweater Day with our Ugly Sweater Contest and win a $50 Gift Card prize! Enjoy Mike Zito Live from 6 to 9 p.m. and DJ Chris 9 p.m. to close! Sip on Wild Cousin Eddie’s shot specials and Christmas Jell-O Shots while you show off your tackiest sweater! As always, there will be hot food, cold drinks, bull rides, darts and pool. Come see your favorite bartenders and get ready for a night of holiday cheer, prizes and good times!

Pancakes with Santa happening December 20th: Bring the kids to visit with the jolly old man in his bright red suit as he stops by the garden to spread cheer (and maybe a little butter) this holiday season. Share your wishes with the North Pole’s greatest ambassador and capture a keepsake photo with Santa Claus. After breakfast, continue the fun by exploring the garden’s holiday show, along with the beautiful indoor and outdoor gardens at Lauritzen Gardens, including Sofia’s Play Garden and the newly re-opened Marjorie K. Daugherty Conservatory!

Cookies with the Clauses happening December 20th: Join Santa and Mrs. Claus at the Zoo for Cookies with the Clauses, a fun-filled holiday experience! Enjoy cookie decorating, crafts, pictures with Santa and more. Pre-registration is required. Space is limited, so reserve your spot today.

Candy Cane Course happening December 20th: Join others for the annual Candy Cane Course 5k/12k! A fun, Christmas-themed event that is perfect for the whole family. There will be swag, photos, treats and plenty of fun! Register today!

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First Westroads Bank has named Dan Murphy as chairman. He succeeds his father, Chris Murphy, who will assume the role of chairman emeritus. Dan Murphy has been with the bank since 2017 and has served on its board of directors since 2014. He most recently served as senior vice president and a member of the senior leadership team. He also serves as president of the bank’s holding company, AmeriWest Corporation.

O’Donnell, Ficenec, Wills & Ferdig, LLP, an Omaha Certified Public Accountant firm, has added five associates: Izzy Holman, staff accountant; Michael Obbink, CPA, senior accountant; Alice Lee Welch, CPA, manager; Jordan Weiss, CPA, manager; and Arielle Robertson, staff accountant.

Danielle Jensen has been appointed to serve as Douglas County Election Commissioner starting January 10th. She is currently serving as communications director for U.S. Rep. Don Bacon. Jensen will replace Brian Kruse, who is leaving to become general manager of Forest Lawn Cemetery and Funeral Home.

The Greater Omaha Chamber is a catalyst and connector, advocating for businesses small and large. Learn, share and grow with more than 12,000 professionals from 3,000 member businesses across Greater Omaha. Click HERE to see our latest events.

LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT

Humility is one of the keys to effective leadership. Being humble is a sign of heightened emotional intelligence. It’s also one of the signs of a great leader, according to Top Work Place. The best leaders treat others as equals, recognize they don’t always have the answers and are open to learning from others.

A sign of the times – A poll of more than 1,020 pickup owners showed that 70 percent of them said they’d begun using their trucks for side hustles over the past year, according to Inc. Both demand for their services and the income truck owners generated were strong enough for 35 percent of respondents to say they planned on turning their four-wheeled work into a full-time business within the next 12 months.

One in five Americans have a job that didn’t even exist in 2000, according to The Hustle. From online content creators to AI professionals, many find themselves in fields that seemingly appeared out of thin air in the last two decades.

The average wealth gap between homeowners and renters was more than $1.3 million in 2022, according to 1440 Daily Digest. The median wealth gap that same year was closer to $390,000. Over the past three decades or so, the median wealth gap between homeowners and renters increased by 70 percent, while the average wealth gap increased by more than 250 percent.

SALES

Let’s say you’re juggling too many tasks and having trouble making time to prospect. Sometimes it actually helps to use old-school pen and paper for a short “prospecting sprint.” Prep a physical list of 20–25 leads you plan to dial in a short block, says sales author Jeb Blount. Put the CRM away. Jot quick notes in the margins—who picked up, who didn’t, outcome of each call. After you’re done, block 10 minutes to update your CRM. No more toggling back and forth which wastes time and could cause you to get distracted.

Here’s some more advice from Jeb Blount to help you when your prospecting keeps getting back-burnered. Try the “better-than-nothing” approach, which says you make it a habit to achieve some number of outbound calls before lunch even if it’s a small number.

WISDOM

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader” – John Quincy Adams

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Unless you were born on the planet Melmac, you know the story of David and Goliath. David was a lowly shepherd boy, while Goliath was a massive, fully armed warrior. David’s army and Goliath’s army confront each other on a barren, desert plain. Goliath challenges David’s army to send out their best warrior to fight him. Cut to the chase, and the diminutive, unassuming David smacks the giant warrior Goliath in the head with a rock, and the rest is history.

A recent Wall Street Journal article on the investment activities of the Ivy League universities’ endowment funds references the David-and-Goliath story. The title of the article is “Harvard’s Big Wager on Bitcoin Came Right Before the Bust.” All the Ivy League schools have ginormous trust foundations with really big bucks, and they are able to buy the supposedly best and brightest investment types available on the planet.

The most outstanding of this elite coven was David Swenson, the manager of the Yale Foundation. In the early 21st century, he was the poster child for exceptional money management along with Peter Lynch, who managed the Fidelity Magellan fund. Both had annual compounding rates in the low 20s and made other fund managers look like the junior varsity team.

The alleged key to Swanson’s success was a broad diversification into various other assets such as private equity and commodities. Well, the aforementioned article in the Wall Street Journal documents that at the beginning of the year the Harvard Foundation made a huge bet (Yes, they use the word “bet” as opposed to investment) in cryptocurrency.

In order to make this wager, it ventured over into the into David’s realm, and rather than buying cryptocurrency outright, it bought over half a billion dollars in Bitcoin ETFs. I’ll be the first to admit I don’t know enough about cryptocurrency to know if it is possible to buy outright one-and-a-half dollars’ worth of Bitcoin.

The Wall Street Journal reported that over the course of the last 3 months Harvard’s bet on cryptocurrency lost 20 percent. This is not a typo. They lost $120 billion dollars. And they lost it in an ETF that is available to everyday nerds like you and me.

The WSJ article goes on to point out that not only did Harvard lose a chunk of change on the bat s**t crazy crypto thing, but the other Goliaths of the Ivy League also got hit in the head with a rock. Year to date Harvard has an 8.2 percent return, MIT an 11.9 percent, while Brown leads the pack with a 12.3 percebt gain.

Bottom line: while the Goliaths of the Ivy League produce dismal single-to-low-double-digit returns, ordinary Davids, who invested in a cost-efficient Nasdaq index fund, have a gain of 21.9 percent.

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The Grow Omaha radio show broadcasts live every Saturday morning at 9:00, but now you can watch videos of each episode instead of just listening.

Grow Omaha’s brand-new website features video footage shot inside the radio studio during each week’s show!

Videos include News of the Week, Lightning Round, guest interviews, and “Grow Omaha Uncut,” a behind-the-scenes look at what happens during commercial breaks.

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