This week’s BE&O Show highlights tips on how to turn big events into big opportunities. Our team at WISH-TV recently took advantage of motor racing’s biggest month of the year.

Last week, friends and clients were invited for a behind-the-scenes look at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This opportunity allowed people to talk and get to know one another better.

Director of Sales at Circle City Broadcasting, Jason Hunter, says that people often do business with people they like and respect.

Opportunities like this one also allow you to thank your clients for doing business with you and allow them to talk about doing business with each other.

Networking is an important part of a business. Big events like this one give the chance to build new connections and strengthen old relationships.

It is also important to follow up with the connections you make at these events and to do it in a timely manner. If not, they may move on to the next.

Take advantage of opportunities to get to know people. When you get to know someone, you get to know more about how they like to do business.

Today on Running Your Business Day to Day, it’s halfway through the month of May and time to check in on some of the news businesses in Speedway, Indianapolis.

Brooke Minn, the owner of B.Erin Designs and board president of the Speedway Chamber of Commerce, explains her business has been storefront for seven years and recently moved locations to a building at 1320 North Maine. The store is now located in a more visible location allowing customers to easily access it when visiting Speedway for race weekend.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway attracts thousands of people to the town of Speedway every year, which brings customers to small businesses in the town.

“May is our Christmas, always has been and every year it gets better and better,” Minn said.

Town Councilor of Speedway, Vincent Noblet, introduces the new development on Main Street. It includes a combination of shops, condos, and Airbnb. This change was made possible by the major stakeholders in the town of Speedway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and Allison Transmission, that stay and succeed.

Speedway is nearing its’ 100 year anniversary. Noblet says there is still more change and growth in store for the town as they continue to redevelop.

In this segment of Business Equity and Opportunities, Scott Uecker, the general manager of WICR-FM, talks about the value of career fairs for small businesses.

These fairs are an opportunity to connect with young professionals who are just starting out and looking for job openings or internships.

For businesses, it’s a chance to have quick interviews with multiple candidates and decide which conversations to carry forward.

For educators, career fairs are valuable because they allow students to see what career paths are available to them and prepare them for their future careers.

It’s also an opportunity for networking and for businesses to collaborate on future projects.

Internships are a great way to find and train employees and to give them a trial period before hiring them. Uecker also finds it fulfilling to share his knowledge and experience with the next generation and see them find their own career paths.

When you think of racing, sustainability might not be the first thing that comes to mind, but the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is proving that being earth-friendly is not only possible but also essential.

The track’s president, Doug Boles, shared some of the ways the Speedway is becoming more environmentally conscious.

The NTT IndyCar Series cars at the Speedway now use 100% renewable race fuel, and the trucks that deliver the cars use renewable diesel fuel.

The Speedway has also installed a recharging station for electric trucks, and they’re experimenting with battery-powered trucking to bring in Firestone tires with renewable elements.

The Speedway has partnered with “Keep Indianapolis Beautiful” to help with tree replenishment and biodiversity studies to protect the 200+ species that call the Speedway home. They also implemented recycling and composting programs and encouraged fans to engage in recycling by providing 1000 recycling bins and trash bins around the Speedway.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is setting an example for the racing industry by demonstrating that sustainability is possible and necessary. Their efforts are not only helping to protect the environment but also encouraging fans to get involved in making a difference.

Eskenazi Health in Indianapolis is committed to environmental sustainability and has implemented various initiatives to reduce its impact while providing high-quality healthcare services.

They invest in LEED-certified buildings, including their hospital campus and health center, and have a new location under construction with the same goal.

The hospital has a rooftop farm for nutrition classes and a bio-digester in their cafeteria that breaks down food waste. Their green team engages employees to identify waste reduction strategies and has audited the organization’s waste stream.

Eskenazi Health also encourages outdoor activities and transportation options to reduce environmental impact and provides public spaces for gatherings.

The organization’s sustainability efforts show that it’s possible to prioritize environmental impact without sacrificing the quality of care provided to patients.

By investing in LEED-certified buildings, implementing innovative programs, engaging employees in sustainability efforts, and promoting outdoor activities and alternative transportation options, Eskenazi Health sets an example for other healthcare organizations to follow.

The late Jacqueline Troy was a dedicated champion for women entrepreneurs and a director of the Central Indiana Women’s Business Center. Her inspiring work has led to the creation of the Jacqueline Troy Inspired Fund, which aims to support women entrepreneurs in the Indie region and encourage women to support each other in their business endeavors.

The Central Indiana Women’s Business Center offers a range of services to women entrepreneurs, including coaching, business training, networking events, and mentorship. The Jacqueline Troy Inspired Fund Award is an annual award given to a small business in the Indie region that is making a positive impact in their community and looking to grow and scale their business.

This year, the award was given to Virginia, a small business owner who has shown incredible perseverance and dedication to her community. Virginia’s business, which she started just one year ago, has grown by 400% and now employs six people. Her inspiration comes from her family, particularly her uncle, who taught her the importance of hard work and dedication.

Virginia is committed to helping other women entrepreneurs, particularly those in the immigrant community. She believes that with hard work and the right support, anyone can achieve their goals and dreams. Virginia’s story is a powerful reminder of the importance of supporting small businesses, particularly those owned by women and immigrants, who are often overlooked by big corporations.

Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and make our communities vibrant and unique. By supporting small businesses and women entrepreneurs, we can create a stronger and more inclusive economy for everyone.

Running a business can be satisfying, but can also come with many challenges.

We spoke with Kimble Richardson, Manager of Business Development and Community Behavioral Health at Community Fairbanks Recovery Center, about how to manage stress while running a successful business.

“It’s when it’s either too much or unrelenting that we find ourselves tipping over that edge and then it becomes stressful. I really appreciate it when business owners can not only have intelligence about their business and products, but what we call emotional intelligence which means let’s keep in mind, the health of your employees also has a financial aspect to it,” Richardson said.

Richardson says it’s important for business owners to think about their employees. Many people involved in smaller-sized businesses are usually very driven, but it’s important to not neglect your mental health.

What does it mean to have healthy equity? Darryl Lockett, the Director of Health Equity for Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, has the answers.

“We begin with the data. I drill down into the data to get a better understanding of the disparities that exist and the inequities that percolate in the outcomes that we’re trying to move. We have a fundamental belief that each person has an opportunity and a right to have the best health care that they can possibly have, and live the quality of life that they deserve,” Lockett explained.

Lockett wants to make sure that certain communities and individuals who are interacting with healthcare in different ways and may not be receiving the best experience get the healthcare benefits they need.

He says it’s more than a business initiative. It is a moral and social imperative to take care of the community we live in.

“We really want to make sure that we’re doing all that we can from the managed care perspective to equalize and make equitable the playing field that each individual lives, plays, and enjoys life in Indiana,” he said. “Fundamentally, we believe that we must be good citizens. It’s a part of our corporate and social responsibility to take care of those who live around us.”

Watch the full interview above to learn more about how you can use health equity to run a business.

Kaitlan Vosler, founder and owner of Cream & Concrete, started running her business in a tiny home garage.

She moved her hand-poured concrete goods company to Machyne at 16 Tech as a studio tenant.

This environment gave her the needed tools and mentors to develop and expand her company. 

“I wanted to do something with my hands and just be creative on the side. It was in my garage backyard, just me outside after work going and pouring concrete, making concrete planters for local stores, and things like that. It became a little too much for just the garage, so we were looking for other studio spaces and that’s kind of where the machine came up for us. So that’s kind of the origin of it all,” she explained.

To learn more about her services, visit the Cream & Concrete website.

Dr. David Pierce, Director of the Sports Innovation Institute at IUPUI, joined us to share more information about a recent panel discussion called NextGen Indy. The focus was to shine a light on Indiana’s tourism, sports, and hospitality industry.

The panelists discussed research on Gen Z and what they would like to see as the future of Indianapolis.

For more information on the panel, click here.