Fuse Blog

Oops. My Bad. Here is the desktop file.

Last week in Fuse News I got everyone excited about the brand new Fuse Duluth desktops for your computer.  I told everyone to go to the new website and get your desktop. But alas, it was not there.  My bad.  I have attached it to this blog for you to download.

There will be new desktop designs available every few months so check back frequently.  Thank you for your patience!

Read the full blog to download files

Corporate Ladder vs. Career Pathway

Oh how the times have changed.  Back in the day, you got a job after college or high school and you worked your way up the company ladder.  People used to work  for 30+ years and retire from the same company.  Getting a promotion did not happen without years of experience.  In other words, a part of earning more responsiblity and more pay meant just being there for a certain amount of time.  This process may sound painful to you if you are in the X or Y generation. 

These days, it's a whole new world out there.  Gen X and Y will have an average of 3-5 years with a company before moving on to another one.  They are not moving up the ladder, they are designing a career pathway which hopefully goes uphill.  This may sound a little more comfortable, but there are some drawbacks.  When you design a pathway you have no example to follow.  Your destiny is your own and there is no manual or user's guide.  The good thing is, you are constantly growing as an individual.  Adding tools to your toolbelt and gaining experience in several different areas.

When working with people of different generations, be mindful of these two methods.  If you are younger, be respectful of those that have put their time in to earn their positions.  If you are older, keep in mind that several job changes are not always an indication of instability but could in fact be a sign of determination for personal growth and a search for something more challenging.

What Are You Wearing?

In today’s world “professional dress” seems to not have clear cut rules anymore. Many young professionals are wondering just what is “professional dress.” I have seen body alterations (piercings and tattoos), open toed shoes, skirts with no pantyhose or tights, jackets with no ties on men, and jeans jeans jeans!

Over the last 50 years workplace attire has changed dramatically. That’s fine, but what happens when companies have not updated their dress code policies in the last 50 years? There are many websites and seminars available to help guide you on how to dress professionally for your industry, company or job. Rule number one should be, look at your current dress code policy. If it seems outdated share your thoughts with your boss. You can also research the updated policies of similar companies.

Just for fun, here is a table of companies, their policies on tattoos and comments clarifying what the policy means.

-- “Professional Dress Code and Tattoos” by Burleson Consulting; Oracle Consulting.

It Takes a Village

An African proverb reads, “It Takes a Village to Raise a Child.” If Duluth is a village then I am one of those children. I have told many friends and colleagues of the struggles I faced growing up in a low income household with drug addictions, alcoholism, and mental illness. However, what many of my friends and colleagues might not know is that I am who I am today because of this “village” called Duluth. I am the recipient and participant of many nonprofit services and programs in our community including, but not limited to:

• Food Shelf
• Safe Haven Shelter
• Human Development Center
• Damiano Center
• School Lunch Summer Program
• MADD
• DARE
• Ordean Foundation
• Community Foundation
• Habitat Day Care Center
• Little Treasures Child Care Center
• St. Louis County Child Care Assistance

Today I live in a household free of drugs, alcohol and mental illness. I have a college degree and a great job that puts food on the table. In my work with Fuse Duluth I am proud to help nonprofits. We connect Fuse members with civic engagement opportunities including serving on nonprofit boards. In my work with the Chamber, I am helping nonprofits use their Chamber membership to promote their services and help them raise funds. As a current participant in Leadership Duluth I will use the knowledge I receive to help me find ways to give back to this “village” that helped raise me. Whether you were a recipient or not, please give to the community. Learn about nonprofits today.

Promoters Wanted!

As it relates to Fuse Duluth, a promoter is someone who loves Duluth and tells other people how great it is and why they should move here.  A detractor is someone who is unhappy with some aspect of living in Duluth and tells other people why they should move away or not move here from somewhere else.  I can’t help but feel that it is even simpler than that.  A promoter is an optimistic person and a detractor is a pessimistic person.

Is the glass half full or half empty?  It depends on how you look at it.  Back in the late 70s when the steel plant closed and Duluth lost 20,000 people from its population total it was the detractors that fueled the fire for a slowing local economy.  What we need right now are promoters.  We need optimistic people to call their friends and let them know why they choose Duluth.  We need promoters to help develop our local economy.  Start a company and create jobs.  Finally, we need promoters to get together and meet one another.  There is power in numbers.  Fuse Duluth is 415 members strong and more promoters are wanted!