Forward Janesville - TheReport - Second Quarter 2024

www.forwardjanesville.com | 17 more people to the cause. What motivated you to join the Ambassadors? People may think I am an extroverted person but really, I am an introvert in disguise who says “yes” a lot. By being an Ambassador, I was hoping to get out of my comfort zone and learn more about how great of a community we all live and work in. One of the things I enjoy most about being an Ambassador is the well of information that you learn about your community. The City of Janesville is thriving. There are so many amazing projects coming to fruition that we all should be proud to call Janesville home. How does being an Ambassador cross over into your role as the Executive Director of ECHO? I started at ECHO in 2004 as a Client Advocate (case manager) and became the Executive Director in November 2020. I have built my entire professional career at ECHO. As an Ambassador, I learned a variety of leadership skills that helped me as I moved into different positions at the organization. ECHO’s mission is dedicated to meeting housing, food and other basic human needs and addressing the barriers to self-sufficiency for local people in our local community. Being an Ambassador has helped me be a more effective community leader because I am connected to what is going on in the wider community and can apply that to work going on at ECHO. It has also provided amazing networking opportunities that have created many new friendships that would not have happened due to my introverted personality. What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not.” That is a quote from The Lorax by Dr. Seuss. You can’t go wrong following any advice from Dr. Seuss. AMANDA STEFL Owner of Timber Hill Winery Active Member and Community Builder Amanda is a well-known local entrepreneur with a passion for people. She built Timber Hill Winery from the ground up by constantly innovating her product and creatively using marketing to connect with customers. You can find Timber Hill wine at almost every one of our BA5 events and Amanda’s always exhibiting the power of community by referring people to FJI member businesses. We’re lucky to have an engaged member like Amanda to support our events and amplify the value of the FJI network. What is your favorite part of being an FJI member? I joined FJI in 2019 after I was approached by an Ambassador about membership. I was already part of the Milton Chamber of Commerce and I really enjoyed it because it was rooted in community and helped me connect to other business owners. When I was approached to join FJI, I already understood the value proposition and was excited to expand my network. One of my favorite parts of being an FJI member is connecting to business owners outside of my own industry. It helps me know who to tap when I need a product or service. I’ve also used it to help others. When one of my employees was moving into the area for a position at Timber Hill, his spouse was looking for a job. I was able to suggest options via the FJI network and she secured a position. It’s great to bring talent here. What motivates you to be an involved FJI member? Being part of FJI is a great way to build relationships and my business. Our wine is often featured at BA5s and we hosted our own BA5 at the new winery last December. I have done customized wine bottles for the Annual Award winners and shared my marketing insight with JOIN Janesville members [JOIN Janesville is an FJI partner organization for young professionals] at a skill-building event last year. Being so involved is a great way to meet other business owners and get the word out about Timber Hill. Did you always want to be an entrepreneur? I have an undergraduate degree in microbiology and thought I would pursue a career in the medical field. Early on, I discovered I really loved working with people and a career in that industry wouldn’t be the best fit. Around that same time, I fell in love with the winemaking process. There is a certain science to it. Then, I had the lightbulb moment. I could merge my interest in science with my love of people and winemaking into a business. Not only did it turn out to be a great fit, it worked with my perspective that business is more than the bottom line. It’s about being part of the greater good. Timber Hill is a platform and with my business success has come the ability to contribute to the community by hosting events like WINEO Bingo, where proceeds benefit a local non-profit and supporting local non-profits through chartiable contrbutions and product donations.