What Rural People Say They Need: The Survey of Rural Challenges
We all know what rural towns need, right? They need jobs, and to recruit some manufacturing and they have a huge poverty problem. Right? Well, no. At least that’s not what rural people told us. Becky McCray, my partner at www.saveyour.town, ran a survey of subscribers and visitors on SmallBizSurvival.com. Over 200 people who identified themselves as…
Sunday Update: Depression
It’s winter. You may have heard me talk about my dislike for cold weather. I’m not a fan. When I was a kid, I was good with it. I had the right clothes, I enjoyed playing outside with my brothers and my imagination was ripe for all the fun we had. I also didn’t have…
Sunday Update: Kids
I walked by behind off this weekend. It was our Christmas weekend with the four great nieces and nephews. We went to Mall of America – not to shop, but to play. Maze of Mirrors, Children’s Museum, Sea Life and Legoland were on the hit list. There are 563 stores and those 4 places we…
Sunday Update: Sore Feet
Another quick week – with half of it spent on my feet. That means I walked at least 5000 steps each day – because I wasn’t always sitting at my desk. Three days this week were spent at Leadership Iowa in Des Moines with the focus on State Government. We traversed the State Capitol, the…
You’re the Expert
I flew back to Iowa on Saturday. Seated next to me was a gentleman from Korea and he asked me what I did for a living. I told him I was an Executive Director for a local Chamber of Commerce. Dr. Jeong asked me what was a Chamber of Commerce. I explained I had the pleasure of…
Sunday Update: Alone
It’s winter. It’s cold. Damn cold here. When it gets this cold, I go to work and I go home. When I get home, I find something to eat. Because I’ m bored. Or I’m alone. Or I don’t have anything to do It is seldom because I’m hungry. At least that’s my old pattern.…
Saveyour.town Update
Becky McCray and Smallbizsurvival.com did a survey of rural challenges – they actually went to small towns and asked questions of small town people. Over 200 people in small towns participated and shared what their challenges were and what topics they most wanted help with. This was not a survey conducted by some big company…
Sunday Update: Here’s a Thought
It’s a new year. Typically it is a time we talk about making resolutions and making promises to ourselves and sharing them with the world. This year I will … I promise to … I really want … I read an article this morning where the author talked about what are we willing to suffer…
Three Words: 2016
Usually I have this post written in November. Much has happened this year for me – most of it personally. Thinking about how three words can direct the course and intention of my life in this year has not been at the top of my thinking list. Yet.. yet, those three words and the idea…
Sunday Update: Redefining Normal
I thought the holidays would be a disaster. Oh I had some no bake chocolate cookies and some orange cookies, enjoyed some Pecan Piehole Whiskey, and had three mini lemon biscuits. Those were the treats I had decided ahead of time I was going to eat over the three days of celebration. I didn’t…