Sarah Warmka
Sarah Warmka – Marketing Specialist, New Ulm Area Chamber of Commerce
There are self-help books, motivational blogs and leadership symposiums to help the business and entrepreneurial-minded make the most of each day to maximize productivity. Connect Business Magazine, though, recognizes we have great resources right in our own communities. So we are going right to local business leaders to give all of you a glimpse into how they manage their days. The goal is that readers may be able to take away little tidbits to incorporate into their own lives to be at their best in and out of the office!
It may seem a departure from her original career field as a librarian and archivist, but Sarah Warmka, Marketing Specialist for the New Ulm Area Chamber of Commerce is loving her new role and her new hometown of New Ulm.
“My husband and I are both from small towns (much smaller than New Ulm). I’m from Eden Valley – near St. Cloud, and Eric’s from Wells – south of Mankato. We lived in St. Cloud for 10 years (college and after), but after we had our son, we were looking for a smaller community with small-town values to raise him in (not St. Cloud). We thought about a lot of different communities, but New Ulm was the winner! It’s about half-way between my family and his. We came to Bock Fest back in 2010 (that was our first experience with New Ulm) and we loved how fun New Ulm was! Fast forward and we moved here in 2014. My husband is a funeral director, and there are openings at funeral homes basically everywhere, so we knew we could move pretty much wherever we wanted. Things work out for a reason, I guess, as Eric has worked his way up the ladder here in New Ulm and is now the General Manager of the Minnesota Valley Funeral Homes.”
Sarah graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in history from St. Cloud State University and later a Master of Library and Information Science from University of Southern Mississippi. Today she is the Marketing Specialist at the New Ulm Area Chamber of Commerce and CVB. In a nutshell, she handles marketing New Ulm to tourists, and helping to spread the word about what the Chamber is up to which, she’ll tell you, is a LOT! From Bavarian Blast to Oktoberfest to Schell’s Bock Fest..New Ulm and by default Sarah.. keep very busy!
Is there a certain thing you do each morning to get ready for the day?
At home, I like to workout in the mornings. Just to get it over with! I also like to have coffee in bed with my husband.
At work the first thing I do is make lists and prioritize things. One list is of things that have to get done today, and I have another list of things that can wait but that I need to be mindful of.
What is your favorite way to spend the lunch hour?
I love that I only live about 6 minutes from work! That allows me to get a lot done on my lunch hour! I’ll do laundry, take the dog for a walk, or even take a quick nap.
If you could give one “organizational” tip to other professionals, what would it be?
Make lists! This will help you prioritize. I will also say to delegate when possible. And find tools that will help streamline your job. There are so many available today to help all of us be more productive. I would also encourage others to network with and learn from others in their field to get new tips, tricks, and ideas.
What do you like to do outside of work?
I enjoy spending time with family and friends! And I love to travel! Other ways I relax and recharge include binge-watching Netflix with my husband, working in my garden. Reading with my son is another of my favorite pastimes!
What is the one thing you can’t live without? (A thing…not a person.)
This may be a boring answer, but this has to be my cell phone!
