saveyour.town
They put a restaurant in a roofless building
I created the Tour of Empty Buildings ten years ago, in 2013. There have been many towns that ran with the idea and host tours too. Natchez, MS, Danville, KY, Jefferson, IA, Oglesby,Il are just a few of them. The Texas Historical Commission has been hosting Imagine The Possibilities Tour in small towns state wide…
Read MoreMost of us are just curious (snoopy) by nature
Ten years ago I made up the Tour of Empty Buildings. I had moved to a town with 14 empty buildings downtown and was the new Chamber of Commerce Director. I knew it would be my job to fill those buildings. But how? I wanted to know what was in those buildings, what had been…
Read MoreLooking for the easy way?
Aren’t we all looking for the easy way to get things done? One of the great things about the Idea Friendly Method is it is the Easy Way! The old way of doing things, the piles of paperwork, the endless committee meetings, the heavy decisions that need to be made – is no longer the…
Read MoreCatch up with Deb at Building Possibility
Hi all, It’s been a while since I’ve shared with you what it is I do, and what’s coming up. There is a lot of work going on in growing the business! Let me catch you up on the last two years. Onsite Visits: I just finished a 2-year onsite project with five counties in…
Read MoreIt’s always been about you, my rural friends
2022 found me on the road a lot, visiting rural small towns, sharing stories and giving presentations. I’ve added a recap to my speaking site here. I love my work, and it’s because I get to work with people just like you. You are: The dreamers who want to build their community, the folks who…
Read MoreGreat use of an empty building
Kathy Bohn-Bagley of Bohn’s Bones Arts, LLC and Art Spot located at 46 S 1st St E, Malta, MT 59538 shared a story with me about an empty building. I thought you’d like to hear it too! Milk River Contractors, Inc., headed by Mark Ereaux, conceived of taking an empty building in Downtown Malta, Phillips County,…
Read MoreWall Crawl
I recently spoke at the Mid States Conference and Cheyenne McGriff was in attendance. She shares the following story with us about a project they’re doing in Wall, SD. Deb, It was wonderful to see you yesterday. Thank you again for your inspiring words. I am actually meeting with someone this afternoon to discuss creating…
Read MoreWhat Happened One Day in LA
The Western Association of Chamber Executives came together in LA and for the first time ever, they spent an entire day with the opportunity for small chambers to learn things that related specifically to them. Small Chambers: A League of Their Own. I started the breakout session as a speaker and shared ways to update…
Read MoreI Quit My Job
My brother called me and said “Did you quit your job?” I answered him “Sure did. If not now, when?” I’m the Executive Director of the Webster City Area Chamber until March 24. It’s been four years in this position and I’ve come to love this town I live in. I’ve met amazing small town…
Read MoreEasy Peasy Promo Pieces
Easy Peasey Promotion We’ve been having some fun here with two websites that are free to use. The first one is www.unsplash.com It’s a repository of images that anyone can use for any purpose. Lovely, hi resolution photos that can you help you tell a story. The second one is www.canva.com It’s a great site…
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