Thanks largely to the strong ties between the White House and the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce®, Trevor Yager, principal of NGLCC-certified business, TrendyMinds, was selected to attend President Obama's State of the Union address Wednesday night.
Yager talked to BIZ about his experience from the day he got the call from the White House informing him of his invitation, to the big event, and everything in between.
BIZ: How did the opportunity for you to attend the President's State of the Union address come about?
TY: TrendyMinds is an NGLCC member, and the Chamber has a longstanding relationship with the Obama Administration. The White House reached out to them to identify some members who had experienced growth in the last year and who would enjoy the opportunity of being one of the First Lady's guests. So last week the NGLCC asked us and a few other members to write a paragraph about our businesses, but we didn't hear anything for a few days. Then at a little past 5 p.m. on Friday (Jan. 19), we received a call from [the President's LGBT advisor] Brian Bond at the White House, letting us know that I would be attending the address as the First Lady's guest.
BIZ: What was it like to get that call?
TY: It was quite exciting. If I hadn't already had a call from the NGLCC letting us know of the opportunity, I would have thought it was a trick.
BIZ: Where exactly did you sit during the address?
TY: I was seated one seat up from Michelle Obama. It was pretty intense. It's been a fun day to look at the coverage of the event and some photos, because my friends and family have been able to see me in any shot of her.
BIZ: What was it like being in the chamber during the address?
TY: It was definitely an honor to have the opportunity to be there, and one that I approached with humility.
BIZ: What did you think of Obama's remarks during the address?
TY: The way that he delivered the address was very comfortable. It felt like he was talking to all of us, to every American. So it was a little more relaxed, and I think that set the tone.
BIZ: As a small business owner, which of Obama's proposals stood out to you during the address?
TY: There were definitely some things that stood out to me, like funding for small businesses, and freeing up more credit for small businesses—that's a big thing. It's very important for every business, especially if a small business lands a big account and it needs the funds to complete a project, it's important for them to have access to that credit.
Also, [I liked] Obama's proposal on payroll taxes for small businesses—our company has seven employees, including me, and we look for any way we can to save money.
He also talked about increases in salaries. At TrendyMinds, my business partner and I have committed to helping our staff in any way we can. We want to make sure we take care of them because they do so much for us. I love that we can continue what we're doing for our employees, but now we'll be able to receive some tax credits for what we're doing, so that's very enticing.
I also think the elimination of capital gains for small businesses will help with the entrepreneurial spirit.
BIZ: What did being invited to attend the address mean for you as an LGBT business owner?
TY: It was a humbling experience. I've worked very hard over the last 15 years and made different moves by having a great staff and bringing in a new division at my company. But on the personal side, and growing up as someone who wasn't out—I didn't come out until I was 24—the LGBT portion of it all was a very big honor, especially to know that there are so many people out there that I was representing. I'm proud to be an LGBT business owner, and I'm hoping that others will see this experience as a possibility and that this administration is willing to reach out to the LGBT community and LGBT business owners through the NGLCC.
BIZ: What else did you do in Washington in preparation for the address?
TY: I joined NGLCC leadership for meetings on Capitol Hill with four members of Congress during the day Wednesday—Reps. Tammy Baldwin, Jared Polis and André Carson, and Sen. Evan Bayh.
I talked to Rep. Carson for about 20 minutes. We spoke a lot about things we need help with as LGBT business owners, like having more credit and increasing funding for SBA-backed loans, and about LGBT issues he was aware of and the climate in Indianapolis surrounding those issues.
Sen. Bayh congratulated me for being selected to attend the address, and Rep. Baldwin was interested in hearing about how I got the call letting me know I was invited.
Rep. Polis and I talked about businesses that are advertising- and PR-related, and talked about bringing up credit and his experience as a business owner. I was impressed with hearing about what he did to get to where he is.
BIZ: What do you feel your experience in Washington means for you and your business?
TY: It's evident that the NGLCC has a great rapport with the White House, and we need to make sure that continues to happen. I look forward to working with the NGLCC in the future to get more businesses and sponsors to join the chamber, and to get more businesses and sponsors for my own company as well.
There's a lot we can do to continue building on this experience.
The NGLCC would like to thank Kimpton Hotels, specifically the Hotel Helix in Washington, D.C., for its partnership in helping bring Trevor to the State of the Union. To learn more about Kimpton Hotels and its LGBT program, please visit http://www.kimptonhotels.com/programs.lgbt.aspx.
