No one person gets to decide
We no longer need a few leaders to make all the decisions. All the people get to do things. Got an idea? Go for it. And try, test, try again, test again, and refine until it works. Or it doesn’t. No need for meetings. No need for permissions. No need for drama. The future is now. …
What will the future look like?
Location doesn’t matter in the future. You can work from anywhere. Work will be competitive and informal/hands on education will be valuable. Artists will be in good shape and Dr’s will see more robots replacing them. It will be the networking economy and we will need people who can connect with robots. Empathy, communication skills, management…
Your Gift from Becky and Me
We know that the Idea Friendly method works in small towns just like yours. You can learn all about it by watching this video. You’ve got through December 31 to watch it. Invite others to join you! Happy Holidays!
What story are you telling?
We can be our own worst enemies. It’s time to change that habit. The rural narrative that others are writing about us is just not true. Rural is NOT dying, and they are describing rural based on deficits. Let’s get better about talking about our assets. Our downtowns have changed not because they are rural but…
Is small scale manufacturing a thing for small towns?
Just what is small scale manufacturing? It’s the artisan makers, the prototyping to small scale, it’s the production at scale, the makerspaces and the shared commercial kitchens and workshops. You’d be looking for craft brewers, artisan businesses, contract manufacturing, commercial kitchens, farmers market organizers, and the ‘connectors’. Let’s play a short game of who do…
Running on Fumes
I get it. Everything is coming at you at once. Trying to prioritize becomes an exercise in futility. You’ve lost your grip on being in control. Stop. Breathe. Realize that you don’t have to be in charge. In fact, being in charge and in control is a demon of the past, part of the old…
Raise Your Voice
Paula Jensen is a guest blogger, and I’m thrilled to share this article of hers. (All bolded letters are at my direction.) Raise Your Voice for Rural Communities It seems to me the only voices being heard in this world are from big companies, big cities and big government. The news blasted on my car…
Rebuttal to the New York Times
In 2016 we had a young man who was writing an article for the New York Times come to town. He was ready to tell the story of how our town lost a major manufacturer and it was awful for us. I disagreed and wrote this rebuttal. I like Brendan Hoffman. He first traveled to…
Empty Buildings Tour
We did an Empty Buildings Tour in Webster City, Iowa. It worked! Our next two part webinar is Filling Empty Buildings. It’s geared specifically towards small towns and we give them practical steps they can put into action right away. More info at www.saveyour.town/empty It begins June 12, 2018.
City Codes can be changed
If one city council can write a code, another one can change it! We talk about this a lot when sharing our empty buildings stories. I recently visited with a city clerk in Stanhope, Iowa and she mentioned they are working on changing their code. They are instituting Building Maintenance Code that they got from…