Rule Breaker Award
I’ve been nominated for the Rule Breaker Award! That’s pretty exciting stuff. Just what is the Rule Breaker Award? It’s awards that are given to entrepreneurs who do things differently, who don’t exactly follow the rules as we know them. The website says it best: We think entrepreneurs should be celebrated for the things they…
Let’s Create Our Own Town
What kind of town do you want to live in? I’m talking about a small town – what are your ideas that make a small town a great place to live in? I have an idea! Let’s share articles and images from the internet on a Pinterest board for one month. I’ve created a…
Sunday Update: Friends
I spent the weekend in Grand Marais, Minnesota with a group of friends who like to walk. They don’t care that I walk a little slower, they just slowed up their pace to match mine. They also didn’t mind it when I would say “turn around everyone, let me take your picture.” They just turned…
Solar Car in the Hood
One day I’m in the park just minding my own business, actually working on setting up things for JunqueFest and I see this cool airplane looking car coming down the street. Followed by a truck pulling a trailer and a bunch of college kids. Of course I whipped out my smart phone and shot a…
A Long Way from Home
My mom loved looking at Becky’s iPad. That’s because whenever Becky visited she showed her pictures of animals in Africa. I believe that we are given a chance to share the world with each other. Some of us travel just a few miles away from home, yet can share the stories of our farms, the…
Why We Should Tell Our Stories
I live in Iowa, in a small town of 8000 people, in a rural environment. I grew up on a farm and know what it means to do chores, feed animals and depend on those animals to feed our family and actually, the world. And frankly, most farmers don’t even think about it. They get…
The Ask
You have a business. You need customers. If someone were to ask you “how can I refer people to you?” would you have an answer? The right answer is NOT “we want everyone to come here.” Your perfect customer is not everyone. Take the time to reflect on the products you offer. Who are your…
Community Support
Pamela Slim, author of Body of Work and developer of the Indispensable Community Tour shares these 35 ways to seed and support your community. 35 Ways to seed and support your community Generated by the Sunnyvale Community Tour group 1. Facilitate a LinkedIn introduction for a community member 2. Create a YouTube video with helpful content 3. Follow…
Backcountry Winery
Preston and Amber Gable decided one day they wanted to make wine. They bought an acreage with an old barn, fixed it up, planted some vines and now they have this winery that has a grand opening next weekend. Of course, that’s the short story – and it sounds pretty, lovely and simple doesn’t it?…
Sunday Update: It Is All About You
To often we belittle ourselves. We say things to ourselves we’d never say to our children. We don’t accept compliments well. We continue to talk to ourselves in negative language. We don’t put ourselves first in the list of priorities. We manage to make everything more important. I’m changing that this year. At least for…