A well-known Green Bay entertainer, business owner and fundraiser, Frank Hermans is the publisher of Frankly Green Bay and president of Let Me Be Frank Productions theater group. Each endeavor is dedicated to arts, entertainment and culture. Learn about Frank Hermans…
Hometown: Born in Green Bay. Dad was an electrician who worked on nuclear plant shutdowns so mostly Green Bay, Fort Lauderdale, Mears, Pleasant Plains and Denmark.
First job: Eighth grade umping baseball and mowing lawns. First per hour job: 1981 Mills Fleet Farm Green Bay, $3.16 an hour.
Favorite ways to spend your free time in WI: Road tripping all over this great state. We love waterfalls, historic churches, ghost towns and abandoned roads.
Your biggest accomplishment and why: Having seven children, I am so humbled and proud of my kids. My days are filled with adventure and wonder. I hope I give them the same in return.
The biggest obstacle you overcame: Knowing I was in a bad business relationship and got out of it amicably. A partnership that has even ownership and has no one who is the final say is not productive. Agreements must be made but the final say should be the agent or person with the most interest. Every business I am involved in, I am the major owner.
Someone who inspires you and why: I have many. Right now, I am reading David Asprey’s “Super Human.” The dude’s done his research. The late Ed Van Boxtel entrepreneur taught me to ask for the sale which has helped me in so many instances. Don’t be afraid, just ask. What’s the worst thing they say, no? The late Andrew Kruse, my former editor of Frankly Green Bay, taught me mindfulness. Sometimes taking a step back and looking at the big picture is better than just firing back. And lastly, my wife Amy Riemer, who is the inspiration of my peace and my dignity. She has made me a better human and that’s what I strive for every day.
Advice to someone pursuing a career path in what you do: Research! I went in blindly to many businesses with much success and failure. Also, the old cliché: surround yourself with like-minded, talented peeps. The only reason we are a success is because of the team I have surrounded myself with. Negative gets pushed aside, and positive get the apple.
Favorite quote: When my kids hurt themselves: “You know why you shouldn’t do that right? Because it hurts.”
Something someone would be surprised to learn about you: I took fourth place in the Arkansas High School science project of 1980. Paramecium research.
What makes someone fabulous: Prospective and kindness. Sometimes knowing what you want is half the battle and being kind is something you are taught as a child hopefully.