Greater Milwaukee Jobs

Environmental hygienists make a positive impact Jobs in environmental industries abound, as more and more people are interested in protect- ing the planet and reversing the damage caused by years of envi- ronmental neglect. Studying to become an industrial or environ- mental hygienist is an opportunity for eco-con- scious students to do their part. Environmental and industrial hygienists investigate and inspect residences, rental units, offices, workplaces, fac- tories, warehouses, and commercial and public buildings for environ- mental health threats such as toxic mold infes- tation, bacterial contam- ination, lead in paint, lead in drinking water, and radon. When environmental health problems are dis- covered, hygienists pre- pare detailed, step-by- step environmental remediation action plans to get rid of problems such as toxic mold growth hidden inside walls, ceilings, floors, attics, basements, crawl spaces, and heating/cool- ing equipment and ducts. Property owners or managers can then use the remediation plans to correct the problems on their own. Many homeowners choose to hire qualified and certified environ- mental professionals, such as certified mold inspectors and certified mold remediators, to address any issues in their homes. Prospective or current environmental profes- sionals who become members of the Environ- mental Hygienists Asso- ciation enjoy a host of benefits, such as training and certification to become certified envi- ronmental hygienists, professional industrial hygienists, certified mold it's frustration and anger and getting it out, and then it's understanding." When those nine months were over, and Barros had finally reached some level of acceptance, he chose to undertake the risk and strenuous hours of becom- ing a company founder again. This time around, he pledged to lead the company differently. Barros is a serial entre- preneur, a person "addict- ed" to starting companies, according to fellow Seattle serial entrepreneur Sunny Gupta. First ideas are rarely a hit, but serial founders surge forward, each time incorporating what they learned from failures into their next venture. Barros launched his new company, Moment, in August 2013 with a team of three other co-founders. Moment makes lenses that attach to smartphones to improve picture quality and offer a way to give different dimensions to smartphone shots. The startup also makes a photo-capture app and a case that essentially makes phones act like full-size cameras. Barros is no longer the 20-something who started Contour in his garage with a college friend. He is more relaxed, a bit more worn and certainly more prepared. "From the very begin- ning, the purpose of the company is much clearer," he said. "We want to be the best in the world at one thing." Contour kept running full speed ahead even with the future of action cam- eras unclear and its chief competitor, the popular GoPro, taking a signifi- cant market share. Barros said he and the other Con- tour executives just kept churning the machine, thinking "we've got a good idea, we'll work it out somehow." "We were running the company like we were No. 1," Barros said. "But we were No. 2 in the market. A lot was just not under- standing what it meant to be a No. 2 company." GoPro raised $80 mil- lion about the same time Contour raised $5 million. GoPro had the national recognition and partner- ships with the NHL, snowboarder Shaun White and Foxconn. It won the market. Contour eventually went bankrupt in August 2013 and 60 people were immediately 2 GREATERmilwaukeeJOBS • July 30, 2015 entrepreneur . . . from page 1 Liz Reyer is a credentialed coach with more than 20 years of business experience. Her company, Reyer Coaching & Consulting, offers services for organiza- tions of all sizes. Submit questions or comments about this column at www.deliverchange.com/coachscorner or email her at lizdeliverchange.com. Dealing with an obnoxious boss takes some assessment By Liz Reyer Tribune News Service (TNS) & A Q A. Here's my shout out to the world – take the time to be kind. Incivility abounds, with people neglecting the humanity of others in their day-to-day interactions. This can be annoying in a one- time experience, say, when shop- ping or driving. However, it can have a deeper effect when it's part of an important day-to-day rela- tionship, as with your boss. In my view, it's worth it to understand why people behave unkindly and embark on a campaign to change our culture, one interaction at a time. Why do people behave this way? Some people are clueless, oblivi- ous to the effect that their style has on others. This often shows up in casual encounters in which people just don't pay attention to others around them, and uninten- tionally create an abrasive moment. There are also those who equate kindness with weakness, which can yield a boss who blus- ters, demands and shouts. They may use insulting language when providing direction, especially if some correction or training is needed. And, unfortunately, it looks like this is the type of boss you've ended up with. So, what can you do about it? Create a kindness buffer. It's rational to put up walls against people who are negative to you, however, it can feed a dysfunction- al dynamic. So, try countering his brush offs or attacks with a kind but deflecting approach – think tai chi. This also models the type of behavior you'd like from him, and if you can spread this to others on the team, it might turn out to be contagious! If he is abrupt but not vindictive, you could try direct feedback. How do you think he'd react to,"I appreciate that you have valuable feedback on my performance, but I shut down when you raise your voice and it's hard to really take it in." If he's a bully – really a bully – then it becomes an HR issue.You (and your co-workers) do not have to put up with that, and you should document should it esca- late. Outside of interactions with your boss, fortify yourself on other fronts in order to cope with him. Keeping kindness as a theme, let it become your practice. Find easy opportunities to bring humanity to your contacts with people: making eye contact and thanking the barista, letting another driver merge with a smile and a wave, or getting the door for someone with their hands full. The act of being kind will help fill your tank. And don't let his behavior define your self-concept; that's the ulti- mate win for power-driven incivil- ity. If this becomes a pattern, going beyond bad moments or occa- sional bad days, it may be time for a larger change on your part.This type of corrosive behavior truly can be toxic, so be sure to look out for your broader well-being. If you want a deeper read on kindness, check out "How Kind- ness Became Our Forbidden Plea- sure," at the Brain Pickings web- site at: http://tinyurl.com/p3l9jd7. A publication of Conley Media Distributed by: Conley Distribution 262-513-2646 ©2004 by Conley Media, LLC Waukesha County Independent and Locally Owned GREATERmilwaukeeJOBS is published weekly by Conley Media – Waukesha County, 801 N. Barstow St., Waukesha, WI 53186. Contents of this publication may not be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the publisher. GREATERmilwaukeeJOBS assumes no liability for any error in copy or content. It is the advertiser's responsibility to be aware of the laws pertaining to employment advertising. Subscriptions are available for $34 (non-refundable) for a 6-month subscription. Call 262-306-5008 for information. Call Center Director: Cindy Shaske 262-306-5016 cshaske@conleynet.com Account Executive: Julie Sears 262-306-5008 jsears@conleynet.com Story Coordinator: Dan Muckelbauer 262-513-2626 dmuck@conleynet.com Production: Patricia Scheel 262-513-2690 GREATERmilwaukeeJOBS Volume 17 • Number 46 July 30, 2015 To place an ad: Call us at 262-306-5008 or fax us at 262-542-6082 deadline: Noon on Wednesdays see ENVIRONMENTAL . . . page 11 see ENTREPRENEUR . . . page 10 Q. I work for someone who is generally uncivil. If I were calling names, I'd say he was quite a jerk. It's not personal; he is abrupt and abrasive with all of us, and while the substance of his feedback is generally on track, it gets lost in the tone.What can we do?

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