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Tanner Montague came to town from Seattle having never owned his own music venue before. He’s a musician himself, so he has a pretty good sense of good music, but he also wandered into a crowded music scene filled with concert venues large and small.But the owner of Green Room thinks he found a void in the market. It’s lacking, he says, in places serving between 200 and 500 people, a sweet spot he thinks could be a draw for both some national acts not quite big enough yet for arena gigs and local acts looking for a launching pad.“I felt that size would do well in the city to offer more options,” he says. “My goal was to A, bring another option for national acts but then, B, have a great spot for local bands to start.”Right or wrong, something seems to be working, he says. He’s got a full calendar of concerts booked out several months. How did he, as a newcomer to the market in an industry filled with competition, get the attention of the local concertgoer?

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by Beth Ewen
August 2005

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2-minute meeting

Move closer, stare: How to ‘be’ is St. Kate’s topic

Cheryl Alexander believes that leaders aren’t born, they’re made. With two associates, Dean Lincoln Hyers and Pete Machalek, she trains people to enhance their ability to influence.

“It’s not what you do, it’s how you ‘be’ that inspires others to listen, follow and perform,” says Alexander, an executive coach based in Maple Grove.

At a sold-out training at the College of St. Catherine’s StayConnected! series this spring, she coached attendees on the art of being.

When you meet a new person, it’s a little uncomfortable, right? Alexander advises you should “mentally check out” when meeting someone new, as a strategy to respond to that discomfort.

Then, you should focus on the new person, making eye contact and stepping in a bit closer than is comfortable.  You should “gradually move into a state of appreciation for him or her.” At the workshop, she asked people to express gratitude for the new person without using words.

“It’s getting them to strip away some of the things going on in their head, and just connect with people,” Alexander says.

Sound goofy? It’s actually wildly popular with attendees, who are filmed during the sessions to make them aware that leaders are always being observed.  They’re asked to practice with family and friends afterward.

“What is it that’s so powerful about what we call charisma,” Alexander muses, adding that the training shows  “how to manage and work with emotions in an intentional way.”

Cheryl Alexander & Associates Inc. and partners present the Chemistry of Presence training several times a year through NPP Training: 612.384.0763; info@npptraining.com; www.npptraining.com

Try to make it to: The International Institute of Women Entrepreneurs hosts StayConnected! the third Thursday of each month at the College of St. Catherine. The Aug. 18 presentation is about understanding financial statements. Contact Lynn Middleton: 651.690.8665; www.stkate.edu/stayconnected

Hair braiders are first cause of Institute for Justice

The Minnesota Chapter of the Institute for Justice launched with a bang this spring, filing suit on behalf of local hair braiders protesting the state’s insistence that they get cosmetologists’ licenses or close up shop. In June they reported a preliminary victory in the case.

The cause is perfect for the institute, started 14 years ago in Washington, D.C. It has three local chapters, in Arizona, Washington state and now Minnesota. It’s described as a “public-interest litigation firm” that fights for “freedom and individual liberty.”

“We defend the basic tenets of the American dream,” said Chip Mellor, president of the national organization, and keynote speaker for the launch reception in April of the local chapter. “When entrepreneurs encounter arbitrary government barriers, we will be there. When the Legislature enacts a new school choice program and it’s dragged into court by the teacher’s union, we will be there.”

Mellor continued, after pointed applause on his school voucher remark. “The Constitution doesn’t have the same interpretation as it once did. Rights intended by the Constitution have been read out. Our goal is to restore to the Constitution the original meaning of the founders.”

Try to make it to: Lee McGrath is executive director of the Institute for Justice, Minnesota Chapter, in the Rand tower in downtown Minneapolis: 612.435.3451; lmcgrath@ij.org; www.ij.org

Heckler targets Strib at SME media panel

There’s one in every media-related crowd, a critic of the Star Tribune and its supposed lefty slant.

And sure enough, a heckler asked this question of the media panelists assembled in the spring by the Sales & Marketing Executives Minnesota: Why did the “Star and Sickle” cover the day’s Northwest Airlines story by leading with the news of 600 mechanic layoffs?

“I don’t know why you call it the Star and Sickle. I’m a capitalist,” shot back Greg Patterson, a business editor at the Star Tribune in Minneapolis and a panelist.

The Strib has extensively covered Northwest Airlines’ problems, Patterson added, and the layoffs were the newest and biggest development that day. News that the questioner said was buried in the story, that Northwest Airlines was also upgrading its fleet, had been reported before.

Other questions covered the basics of getting stories told in the local media:

Get to know individual publications and what they cover by reading and taking note of bylines. Don’t send product samples or other items unless requested, because most are sent to the trash or charities. Other panelists were from Upsize Minnesota (guess who), One Nation News and The Business Journal.

SME news: The Minnesota chapter unveiled its new logo, featuring two connected circles that replace the old generic skyline.

Try to make it to: SME Minnesota’s next breakfast event is Aug. 18: 763.746.3400; info@smemn.org; www.smemn.org

Corporate bigwigs display prowess at gorgeous new Walker

Don’t go to the new Walker Art Center in Minneapolis if you want to feel the power of being a small-business owner. Huge corporations dominate, with naming rights sold for everything from the Best Buy video kiosks to the General Mills lobby to the Target gallery.

On the opening party for the public April 17, Meredith Monk was among the performers, vocalizing her songs about the North country in an unusual way. Her songs don’t use words, but rather pops, sighs and buzzings.

She was showcased in the William and Nadine McGuire Theater, the former of whom runs United HealthGroup. He probably needed a little positive PR about his philanthropy that week, since his annual compensation had just been reported at a cool $124 million. Included in his and his wife’s numerous gifts are $10 million to the Walker.

(Hmmm. Since the Informer paid for tickets to the Meredith Monk performance, perhaps she could purchase rights to the Upsize Cup Holder halfway down Row 17.)

The hit of the day was the talking robotic dolphin that appears onscreen in the Best Buy gallery. Visitors can type in questions, such as “what’s your favorite color.” The dolphin answers, “green, like money.”

Reached after the event, the Walker’s Christopher Stevens said the capital campaign raised $93.7 million. It had $2.8 million to go, and he points out that any individual or corporation can still contribute. The Walker sold seven named spaces to corporations, which all cost in the seven figures, and seven to individuals. He said that’s not so much named space given that it’s a 260,000-square-feet expansion.

Try to make it to: The Walker Art Center is open Tuesday through Sunday, with free Thursday evenings. Those are sponsored, of course: by Target Corp: www.walkerart.org