I’m Joe Ahrens and This is How I Work

• Location: Rochester, MN
• Current Gig: Director of Finance at Boys & Girls Club of Rochester
• One word that describes how you work: Entrepreneurial

What apps/software/tools can’t you live without? Why?

Honestly, I am a bit of a technology novice. I like to live simply without a lot of distraction. In one of my undergrad classes in the early 2000s, the professor asked anyone who doesn’t own a cell phone to raise their hand. I was the only one to raise my hand.

That said, QuickBooks and Microsoft Excel are essential to my job. I also like iTunes and Words With Friends. :)

What’s your best time-saving shortcut/life hack?

Not really a “life hack”, but I’m a planner and a schemer. If I can formulate a plan in my head beforehand, I feel it saves me time in the implementation.

What everyday thing are you better at than everyone else? What’s your secret?

Scheming. I am a thoughtful, analytical person, a planner like I mentioned in the prior question. My secret is I go to what I like to call my Mind Palace. A trick I learned watching the BBC series Sherlock staring Benedict Cumberbatch. For example, if I’m driving someplace vaguely familiar, I like to go to my Mind Palace to figure out how to get there rather than just simply pulling up Google Maps on my phone.

What do you listen to while you work?

Usually it’s silent in my office except for my pencil drumming. When I do listen at work, it’s almost exclusively MPR’s The Current. My wife and I have recently gotten into vinyl records. So while working at home, I’ll often put a record on from our eclectic and ever-growing collection.

What are you currently reading?

I just finished R.T. Rybak’s Pothole Confidential: My Life as Mayor of Minneapolis. It’s ironic that I literally just finished it the week prior to starting this class because it would be the perfect book for leadership communication. I recommend it for others in the class. Currently, I’m looking into books that will be interesting and applicable to this class.

Are you more of introvert or an extrovert?

Definitely an introvert. Introverts often get a bad rap in business. But I feel they bring some uniqueness to relationships. I’m generalizing, but it’s my observation that extroverts develop broad relationships with many people. Introverts develop deeper relationships with a select few.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

“If someone is walking behind you, invite them forward.” Taken from Dr. James Levine’s book, Get Up! Why Your Chair is Killing You and What You Can Do About It.

I like to think it has both a literal and figurative meaning. Literally, invite the person forward and start a conversation. Make a new friend. Figuratively, if someone is disadvantaged, give them the tools and support to succeed. I use this as a guiding principle in my work at BGCR.

Where do you find inspiration and new ideas?

Collaborating with a variety of people.

What kind of leader are you?

Lead by example. If you want people to behave a certain way, you have to first behave that way yourself.

Is there anything else you’d like to add that might be interesting to readers?

I love entrepreneurship. Not just owning your own small business, but utilizing creative solutions in your current job. It’s a major influence in how I approach my work at BGCR. It also spills out into my everyday life, things like buying local and supporting independent businesses.