embedded community experience
Small town ideas for Gowrie, Iowa
I attended the Chamber Dinner in Gowrie, Iowa and talked about small town ideas they could use. It was my pleasure to spend a couple of days there. This article talks about small town ideas for the community and by the community. Got empty buildings? Every small town has empty buildings and empty lots. Gowrie…
Read MoreAkron Iowa onsite visit update
Several years ago, I was in Akron, Iowa, population 1,558, for an onsite Idea Friendly visit for one week. They’ve been gathering their crowd, building connections, and taking small steps. Their former mayor, Sharon, sends updates periodically. The following is from her latest email update. We now have seven businesses serving food: Casey’s. Chubs is…
Read MoreWho are your newcomers?
I was in Mt. Ayr, Iowa and had the opportunity to meet with a group of people who had moved back to this small town of 2,500. They brought with them technology, a large network of professional friends and their families. It’s not a beach town, there’s no mountains and people don’t go there to…
Read MoreWhere are they now?
Embedded Community Experience in Columbiana, Ohio Visit by Deb in February 2019. Columbiana, Ohio is a small town Deb visited in February 2019 for an Embedded Community Experience. 6,400 people live in the town Harvey Firestone called home oh so many years ago. One focus was on the downtown area because there quite a few…
Read MoreSay Thank You
Support your businesses with a thank you. A small group of us stopped in to the Pancake House in Paulding, Ohio just to tell them thank you! They are more than a pancake house, they serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. And they are local business owners providing a much-needed service in your community. I get…
Read MoreUsing the Entire Town to Fundraise
Akron, Iowa has a big idea of building an aquatic center. They knew it would cost a lot of money. They will write grants and apply for different kinds of funding. However, without full support of the community, those requests won’t go very far. Some of the small steps they are taking to raise funds…
Read MoreEmbedded Community Experience Follow Up
Six Months Later in Belle Fourche “It’s because you told us to take small steps, and we did,” said Gary Wood, Chamber Director at Belle Fourche, South Dakota. I visited there in October of 2017 for an Embedded Community Experience. Since my visit, much has happened! BUSINESS UPDATES Cowboys Too! Moved across the street from…
Read MoreA Few Ideas from Bennettsville, SC ECE
I had the pleasure to visit several small towns in March on my Massive March Road Trip. I’ll be writing more about it, but today I’m sharing ideas from Bennettsville, SC you can put to work right away! Newcomers Gathering Bennettsville, SC had me come to town for an Embedded Community Experience. One cool thing…
Read MoreA Visit to Akron, Iowa
Embedded Community Experience Sharon Frerichs, the mayor of Akron, Iowa invited me to come and be a part of the Embedded Community Experience in September. I spent three days there. WHAT HAPPENED: I told the mayor, that once I stepped out of my car, I was hers. She took me at my word. The embedded…
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