Strengthening Businesses via Establishing Connections, Community and Trust
One of the most important components of a strong business community is people coming together to forge personal connections, as stated by David Vander Bloomen, who is the CEO and President of the De Pere Area Chamber of Commerce.
In this episode of the *Your Business Tech Podcast*, Conor Jones interviews David about the chamber, faith in work, the significance of creating genuine relationships, and an individual experience of cybercrime that manifests the importance of taking cyber threats seriously, regardless of the size of a company. David is currently acting as the president of the De Pere Area Chamber of Commerce.
Connection and Community
The De Pere Area Chamber adopts an approach that is centered on building relationships to assist local businesses in their operations. In relation to this, David’s vision for the Chamber is that it should strive to create a community that connects people to one another.
<p?Though there is no assurance that a member will be purchasing from another member, you can create the chance for people to meet one another, get to know each other, and learn how they can help each other.
This philosophy extends beyond the boundaries of the city of De Pere. Concerned with this, David talks about the need for collaboration amongst chambers around Northeast Wisconsin, rather than viewing each other as rivals. The more interaction there is among the organizations, the better the chances there are for the creation of more business opportunities.
Introducing the Role of Faith in Business
Conor and David discuss the organization’s program titled the Business with Christ, which makes it possible for business individuals to exchange their business experiences and get to know how their Christian faith affects their jobs.
The number of participants in this group continued to grow, which started with just seven people. Presently, it draws about 40 to 50 participants for discussions with focus on faith, business and leadership and issues that professionals face. This success in growing the community has motivated David’s participation in C-Suite for Christ’s initiative to instill faith in the world of business leadership of the Northeast Wisconsin region.
Any Business is Vulnerable to Cybersecurity Issues
The discussion shifted to a topic that matters: cybersecurity. David discussed how hackers attacked the Chamber after he got an email from someone he knew. After responding to confirm the legitimacy of the email, he was told it was safe to go forward. However, the email account was already hacked.
After David entered his credentials, the hackers were able to gain access and send credible emails to the Chamber contacts. It illustrates a lesson about cybersecurity: smaller organizations are not too small to be hacked. If an email, link or a request seems suspicious, verify it through a different means.
Rather than responding to a suspicious email, place a call using a number you know already. That step can save you from getting into trouble due to a simple phishing email.
The story ends where it started: through building relationships. It does not matter whether one is doing business, strengthening community or protecting an organization.
As David puts it, business in Northeast Wisconsin is not simply about the transaction. It is about relationships, education and being prepared for the challenges that eventually affect organizations of every size.
Watch the full episode of the “Your Business Tech Podcast” above to hear Conor and David’s complete conversation about business, faith, community, cybersecurity and the importance of keeping things human.
