Why would you come back to Wichita!?!

Like many of you, I was moved to Wichita by my employer. You may be curious as to what this Midwest town has to offer and why anybody would choose to live here. It's flat, there are a lot of churches and "there's nothing to do" (b.s. btw- that's a different topic all together, get out more.)

Like the Johnny Cash song "I've been everywhere," I too, have been everywhere. My travels in the past year have taken me from Colorado to the Atlantic, from Canada to Florida. I've seen a lot of the country, and it was an amazing time. (If you are ever looking for a career change, look into mobile marketing. It's truly a blast!) I'm originally from Colorado, a state with more to offer me than Kansas simply based on the activities I love doing.

I remember a time I was traveling through New Jersey when the realization hit me that in this amazing society, every town is EXACTLY the same. There are the preverbal big-box stores, the fast-food chains, and the same restaurants everywhere. It's great if you are a major connoisseur of Buffalo Wild Wings like I am, but not-so-great if you like to try new things.

Then I started to think of my daily schedule. I get up, work out, go to work, visit with friends, read, relax and pass out. I do this five days per week. The other two are reserved for chores, church and spending time with my friends and family. It would be no different anywhere else in the country. Call me boring, but that's my rut.

When I gave it some serious thought, I came to the realization that I could start a company anywhere in the US. I have enough contacts in Tampa, New York City, Denver, Chicago, Las Vegas and of course here. Each of these towns has pretty much the same thing to offer me, but why Wichita?

Here's why:

1. It's cheap

My sister and her husband live in Los Angeles. Know how much they pay in rent? $1,500 for 700 square feet! Um, yeah, when I owned a house in Wichita, 1,000 square feet, $650 mortgage, and that was a great little house. Wichita is inexpensive compared to the rest of the country. The median price for a home is $110,700 according to the National Association of Realtors. The national average is $223,500. That's more than double!

2. It's easy to get around

The average commute in Wichita is only 18 minutes according to the Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce. Nationwide it's 25.1 minutes. Okay, so that's only two more songs on the radio, but that's something. There's more to getting around than just getting to work in the morning. I love the way Wichita is laid out. I used to be a West-sider and now I'm an East. Now, I'm not choosing sides, they are both amazing. Everything is so close! I can get to anything within ten minutes, with a parking spot. As a matter of fact, I don't think I've ever had to look for a spot. Ever. In Chicago, forget it.

3. It's open to young people

Before I traveled for a living, I was in YPW and honestly, it's one of the main reasons I'm back. Sure a few things have changed in a year's time, but the organization as a whole is a great place to network with people. When I worked for my first company here, I hung out with my coworkers. When I moved to a non-profit, YPW became my place to meet people that support me. Now, YPW is my network, my coworkers. If I need something either personally or professionally, I can call on one of my fellow YP's and usually get it or get in touch with the person who has it. Pretty amazing stuff!

4. Growth is available

There are eleven colleges in Wichita. ELEVEN. That a lot of places to continue learning! On top of that, there are a ton of initiatives in place to grow via the Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce, the Young Professionals of Wichita and several other organizations. I always want to keep learning. The more I learn, the better I can be.

5. It's got a lot to offer

It really doesn't matter where you live in the city, with the short commute, you are just a few minutes from great food and fun. Wichita has some amazing restaurants spread throughout the city, not to mention great attractions to visit. I personally like Old Town the best. It has a great atmosphere with old brick buildings and music, but it also has some amazing restaurants. My personal favorite right now is Sabor. Try the queso with corn. AMAZING!

While Wichita may not have spectacular mountain or beach views, there is something to be said about a great Kansas sunset. Go to El Dorado and sit at the reservoir. Beautiful, peaceful and only a half-hour drive max.

Wichita is really a great place to be. I have several friends that have been moved to this city and probably won't leave. As we grow up, start families and change our Facebook status, Wichita will still be a great place for us. I believe that organizations like YPW are just beginning to offer great programs to its members. Wichita also has an amazingly bright future with even more to do with a new downtown arena and a new riverfront area, not to mention all the great attractions and new restaurants in the works. It's up to you to view the city you live in as a great place to be. I know I started out thinking it was a bad place to be, but in reality it's almost perfect. I wish you the best of luck in Wichita and I hope to see you out and about at one of our great attractions!

Ryan is a member of YPW and owns The R Companies. Check out his blog, gearup4urcareer.blogspot.com

Seminar for Women Professionals

Designed for Success: The 10 Commandments for Women in the Workplace

WHAT: Presentation and book signing by Dondi Scumaci
WHEN: Tuesday, September 30 from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm (Presentation begins at 7pm)
WHERE: Larkspur Restaurant & Grill (Private Room)
COST: $15/SWE & NSBE Members and Students $20/Non-Members (Appetizers & Coffee/Soda included; Cash Bar)

Dondi Scumaci is an international speaker, author, and an expert in professional and personal development. She is well known for her high energy on the platform and for the dramatic results that her seminars inspire. Dondi is the author of Designed for Success, a book which helps encourage and advise women in today’s hectic workplace. Dondi will give one of her dynamic presentations and follow with a book signing.

Space is limited, so please RSVP as early as possible to cindy.hoover@swe.org or 316-523-4188. RSVP deadline is Tuesday, September 23rd. Checks, payable to SWE, must be received within a week of your RSVP & no later than Sept. 26th to hold your spot for this event.

Presented by: Society of Women Engineers
Sponsored by: Spirit AeroSystems

Happenings Around Town - August

Looking for something to do around the area this month? Check out some of these events. And make sure you check the YPW Events Calendar as well!

NBC World Series (Baseball)
August 1-15
Lawrence-Dumont Stadium

Chisholm's Bar and Grill, Jazz at the Broadview Hotel
Saturday Nights, 8pm - Midnight

Guitar Shorty - Sounds of Summer Concert Series
(Blues)
Thursday, August 7
6:30pm - Gates Open
7:30pm - Concert
$10 for Adults
Sedgwick County Zoo

KEYN Summer Concert Series
Fridays in August, 8:00pm
Old Town Plaza
Free

Steam and Gas Engine Show
Friday, Aug 15 - Sunday, Aug 17
Winfield Fair Grounds

Seth Walker - Sounds of Summer Concert Series
(Jazz & Blues)
Thursday, August 21
6:30pm - Gates Open
7:30pm - Concert
$10 for Adults

Kansas Aviation Festival w/ Otis Day & The Knights Concert
Friday, August 22 - Sunday, August 24
Jabara Airport

Final Friday Art Crawl
Friday, August 29th
6pm - 10pm
Free
Description:
Various galleries throughout downtown. Free trolley service will take you from venue to venue on a 30 minute route. It will operate from 6:30 to 10:30.
Click here to view the galleries

Age of the Gunfighter
Saturday, August 30 (10am - 6pm)
Sunday, August 31 (11am - 4pm)
Old Cowtown Museum

Diversity Through the Eyes of an Air Force Major

Alaska. Seattle. Colorado. Boston. Germany. Alabama. Wichita. These are some of the places that Major James Eldridge Davis has lived throughout his life and his career in the United States Air Force. Each new place brought with it diversity issues that Major Davis had to deal with. He took time Wednesday evening to talk about these different diversity issues with a group of YPs at the Mosaic Coffee Talk. The setting for the talk was the offices of Diversity Kansas, an organization dedicated to creating more inclusive communities, businesses and institutions. It was a great venue for a lively discussion.

Living in different areas, Major Davis learned firsthand that the concept of diversity goes way beyond simple ethnic and racial differences. Diversity also exists in individual’s backgrounds, faiths, age, lifestyle, career affiliations, education levels, thought processes and political views. Major Davis’ experiences remind us all that diversity is a much broader topic than we might think.

YPs who attended the discussion learned the importance of putting diversity to work. That involves thinking through how diverse people can work together and what individual’s particular areas of diversity bring to the table. Major Davis’ experiences show that there are opportunities for synergy and growth when diverse people work together.

Speaking of Wichita, Major Davis said he was surprised by the warmth and hospitality of people in the community who welcomed him and his family. Major Davis noted that in Wichita he felt like he could be himself and that he was not defined by his job or his color. That is good news to hear for our community. While we still have our challenges related to diversity, Major Davis’ experience shows that we have made progress as a city and that there is great potential for us to continue to become more accepting of new and different people.

So how has Major Davis been able to achieve success in his career with the Air Force and turn diversity into a positive force in his life? Three things:

1. He set goals for his life, wrote them down and consistently worked to achieve them.
2. He knew who he was as a person and that guided him through difficult times.
3. He identified the positive attributes that diverse people can bring to situations.

These are things that we can all do. These steps will help us improve as citizens, professionals and as a community. So what do you think? Is Wichita becoming more accepting to diversity?