Compass Communications LLC

09/03/2026

A while back, my friend Julie Keller joined me on a work trip to Chicago and met my Value Capture colleague Ken Segel. Somewhere in the conversation, we both strongly suggested he needed to talk to Heather Schimmers from Emplify Health by Gundersen.

If you know Heather, you know why we encouraged this conversation. She’s smart, kind, funny, thoughtful and a heck of a healthcare leader. And she leads honestly and authentically. And with love.

I was excited when Ken invited her to join him on the Habitual Excellence podcast, and, no surprise, the two of them hit it off. (High five, Julie!)

I love their conversation, especially hearing Heather talk about leading with love and joy while doing the very hard work of leading healthcare today.

Please take a listen and share: https://www.valuecapturellc.com/blog/how-emplify-health-leaders-use-a-high-performance-operating-model-to-drive-results-for-today-and-tomorrow

09/02/2026

An hour before this event started, Maria texted me to ask if I was going. She was planning to go too — she just thought it started later. 😂

She made it. And really, what better way to start an event about how you show up than by showing up?

Carrie Rule brought a couple dozen women together for a fun conversation about emotional intelligence, confidence and presence, how what’s happening on the inside affects what people see on the outside, and how the two can work together.

I also reaffirmed something I learned sometime in the 1980s: I am a winter. Apparently, your season doesn’t change! I still look best in those cool, bold colors I was matched with decades ago.

And Janet Elliott gave us some practical tips for looking and feeling more comfortable in photos including what to do with our hands, what to wear, and how to take a better selfie. (Tara took a photo of me taking a selfie with Theresa Menting-Waln. Cannot wait to see it!)

It was a great excuse to spend an afternoon with some friends and colleagues, meet a few new people, and think a little differently about what it means to show up with confidence.

Thanks, Carrie, for creating the opportunity. And yes, Maria and I have photographic proof that we both showed up.

09/01/2026

The school year is beginning, and thousands of teens will soon be driving to school, practices, jobs and friends' houses.

There's no better time to talk about the choices that keep them safe.

Safe Driving Matters is scheduling presentations in Wisconsin for the school year. If your high school is looking for a meaningful program that students remember long after the presentation ends, I'd love to connect.

Know a health teacher, school resource officer, principal or youth leader? Please tag them below or send me an email at [email protected].

Together, we can help more students make it home safely.

09/01/2026

Anyone who has had coffee with Mary Schmidt knows it will include strong opinions, a little sass, some swear words, and a lot of laughter.

Mary and I met first when I was a reporter and have known each other for decades. We've been PR/media relations colleagues and friends, so over coffee we talked shop including communicating through the tornado recovery because we both are helping clients manage their messages. When people are devastated, exhausted, scared, and unsure of what will happen next, every word a crisis communicator and their spokespeople say matters. Be clear. Be compassionate. Understand who the people are who are receiving the information, and don't just focus on the information you want to share.

We talked about puppies (AKA young reporters) and the importance of building relationships with them. We lamented about getting older and how many things we simply care a whole lot less about these days. Mary expressed that sentiment much more colorfully, which will surprise absolutely no one who knows her.

We’re a lot alike, although Mary conceded that I’m more polite.

08/31/2026

After more than 30 years with the same employer, Joanne Troxel (Professionally known as Roxanne Steele) is starting a new chapter and exploring what she wants to do next.

I recently had the chance to meet Rox after Laura Wiegert from the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce connected us. We talked about radio (I purposely wore my Public Radio Rocks shirt), her experience, what she enjoys, and the work that could be fulfilling in this next stage of her career.

She’s exploring opportunities in marketing, administration, process improvement, and building her network.

This community has connected me with so many good people over the years, so I’m asking my network to do the same for Roxanne. Connect with her on LinkedIn. Chat with her. And if you know of an opportunity or someone she should meet, please make an introduction or send her the information.

Sometimes one connection can open a door.

08/27/2026

"Make new friends and keep the old. One is silver, and the other is gold."

That old Girl Scout song has been running through my head lately.

Some of the women in my life have been friends for years. Others came into my world more recently through work, community involvement, a client relationship, or an introduction that became something more.

These two photos bring together a few of them: Julie, Katy, Vikki and Alyson. There is some silver and some gold here, all precious.

Our circles keep growing and overlapping. We introduce one another. Cheer each other on. Open doors. Share advice. Show up. And sometimes a professional connection turns into a friendship you never expected.

I’m grateful for the old friends, the new ones and all the women who keep adding to the circle.

Maybe that’s why I still remember the song all these years later. 💛

08/25/2026

Sometimes belonging can start with something as simple as a soccer ball.

I recently caught up over coffee with Sean, someone I’ve known for decades, and I loved hearing about his dream of creating opportunities for refugee soccer players coming to our area to have a place to play, connect and find support.

For young people adjusting to a new community, and often an entirely new life, a familiar sport can be so much more than a sport. It is a way to make friends, build confidence, find mentors, create a future, and feel like you belong.

Sean and I share journalism roots, and our connection goes back to when I first moved to the area (his wife was my dentist). It was wonderful to reconnect and hear his enthusiasm for using his experience as a soccer coach and his continued education to help others.

08/24/2026

I spotted this monarch in a friend’s garden recently and stopped to watch for a while.

There’s something remarkable about a creature that looks so delicate and has such an important job to do. Monarchs are pollinators, travelers and part of an ecosystem that depends on them, even though most of us rarely think about the work happening as they move from flower to flower.

A lot of important work happens quietly. It doesn’t always draw attention to itself. But it connects things, helps something else grow, and leaves an impact that isn’t immediately obvious.

Who is doing that kind of work around you?

Notice them. Thank them. Support them. The work we don’t always see may be some of the work we need most.

08/22/2026

08/20/2026

Three years ago, Sarah Robertson, and I met at a Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce event.

We commented often on each other's LinkedIn posts and then we saw each other when we were each having coffee with someone else. We laughed and agreed we needed to set our own coffee date.

Sarah is an executive advisor and leadership coach who works with CEOs and entrepreneurs, helping leaders build stronger organizations and develop their people. Our work comes from different disciplines, but we share a belief that nurturing relationships is important, curiosity helps you grow as a person and as a leader and making the time for conversations can lead to new or exciting opportunities.

We talked about business, leadership, entrepreneurship, community, and life. Sarah also shared of her personal journey as a breast cancer survivor. Listening to how that experience shaped her perspective on leadership, resilience, and purpose was inspiring.

Everyone has a story. You may only know the headline, and when you slow down over a cup of coffee, you discover the chapters that made them who they are.