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Last month Judy Nichols, local CPA, taught members of The Alternative Board how to read their balance sheet. It is surprising how boring that sounds and yet, for this group, how interesting it really was. Look out for Judy teaching this subject again soon. I’ll keep you posted. And a big thanks to Judy for doing this and stopping me from having to do it.

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Cheryl Noble is true to her name. She is a writer, dog lover and has a genuine interest in people too. She and I are fellow columnists for The Nevada City Advocate. When Touchdown Productions was looking to take over their local show “Mission Possible” on NCTV she was anxious to take the reins. The day I came into the studio she interviewed Lew Sitzer and Paul Minicucci the management team who were busy creating a telethon to raise money for the county’s libraries. Then she followed it with to more noble women who promoted the local food bank. Leaving me for last. Here is the video and the links to put you in touch with Cheryl and the show. Thanks Cheryl!

I met Yolanda a year ago and have been smitten ever since. I admit to not following her (or any other) Grass Valley Council member’s track record. I just appreciate Yolanda and her unrelenting focus on transparency and on “doing the right thing.”

That said, Yolanda got nailed for an unwitting Brown Act infraction.  While the DA isn’t pursuing, community members are still uncovering possible FOI infractions. That said, I still admire this young woman, learning lessons the hard way and showing a lot of grace. Here is what Yolanda had to say recently.

I have a name sake in Grass Valley. I’ve know about Ruth for years. Long before I was in the public eye and involved with the business community in Nevada County, she received my email. Recently I get comments directed my way for things she is doing. We’ve never met.

Ruth has come under some scrutiny in the last week in her position as the president of the Nevada County League of Women Voters.  While I am involved in many activities, I am not the president of the League of Women Voters.

I have already been mistaken for her twice this week. I am sympathetic to the public attention she is dealing with. But pass it on: same name, different person.

I am an open book gal. I have practiced running a business in as transparent way as I could and I saw the magic with my own eyes. By that I mean that workers know and understand the vision, the mission and the numbers – all the numbers of the business. I also think that  I understand what makes people feel valued. People want to feel a part of the bigger picture. They want to be listened to. When we are working,  we want others to appreciate us for what we do and what we know.  It doesn’t matter what work you do. It can be highly trained professional work. It can be making pizza. It doesn’t matter. Because in the end our job satisfaction is about the team, not about the money.

But when I am teaching this. Often, business owners don’t believe me. They still want to command and control. They want an army of clones to deal with their business the way they do. So I am so happy to send you to this lengthy article published in this month’s Inc. Magazine. . Kudos to Sarillo for doing it right. And kudos to Inc. for telling the story.

Lessons From a Blue-Collar Millionaire

When Nick Sarillo launched his pizza business, he had one goal in mind: to create a corporate culture unlike any he had seen.

It’s Takeout Tuesday at Nick’s Pizza & Pub, and the air is thick with the smells of hot pizza crust, peppers, onions, and cheese. Eighteen young men and women — most of them high school age — form an assembly line between a row of worktables and a long bank of pizza ovens. The kids laugh and shout, even as they focus intently on their tasks.