May 2024 Board Member Newsletter Article

Laura Stein

May 22 2024

Don’t let great opportunities pass by

Tara Bitzan
Executive Director
Alexandria Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce

If you are involved with the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and MCCE, you are aware that a lot of opportunities are offered to you and your Chamber throughout the year. When I was a new Chamber executive, I found myself overwhelmed by “all the things.” I am the type of person who wants to take advantage of everything that is available because… why would you pass up opportunities to learn, grow, and improve your Chamber?

It didn’t take me long to find the answer to that question – time. It seems there is never enough time for Chamber execs to do all the things they need to do, as well as all the things they want to do. There is no limit to what we can do, how we can help our members, and how we can impact our community. That thought is incredibly overwhelming, and as a new exec, I found myself passing up a lot of opportunities, feeling like I simply couldn’t add “one more thing.”

Now that I am eight years into my role, I can tell you it isn’t as difficult as you might think to find the time to take advantage of these opportunities, and when done right, they will save you time and bring great rewards to your Chamber.

A few of the opportunities that I and/or the Alexandria Chamber have taken advantage of once I pushed the words “I don’t have time” from my vocabulary are listed below, along with my original “mythical belief” and my real experience.

  • Conferences. MY MYTH: I can’t afford to be away from the office for one, two or three days. I could get a LOT of work done in that time. MY REALITY: The connections made, lessons learned, ideas “borrowed,” and change in scenery are far more valuable than a few more hours spent at my desk.
  • The Executive Leadership Program. MY MYTH: I can’t afford to be away from the office this many days and travel this many miles over this multi-month program. MY REALITY: The same as for conferences – what I learned and the connections made were more than worth the time away.
  • The Internship Matching Funds Program. MY MYTH: The application is probably time-consuming, we probably won’t get it anyway, and I don’t have time to “handhold” an intern; it would be quicker/easier to just do the work myself. MY REALITY: The application was easy, we were awarded the funds, and we had a fantastic intern tackling projects our existing staff didn’t have time for. With minimal time spent giving him direction and guidance, we got things done that likely still wouldn’t be accomplished today.
  • The David C. Olson Graduate Scholarship Program. MY MYTH: The time it takes to apply and the likelihood we get chosen is probably low, and, like the internship program, I will have to spend too much time with this student. MY REALITY: Wow! I wish I had applied years ago, because we just got an entire program created for us in three months that I have been trying to create on my own for the past four years.

Two disclaimers: First, these things were not all done at once, but were spread out over my eight years as a Chamber executive. Second, it is true that we will never have the time to do everything we want to do. That’s why it’s important to prioritize, pick a focus area, and then take advantage of whatever resources and opportunities are available to you. Sometimes, looking at the opportunities first is key in choosing which focus area to prioritize.

The main thing is – don’t keep letting the opportunities pass by because you are waiting until you “have time.” Just take the plunge. Trust me – you will be thankful you did.