Speaking at In-Person, Virtual & Hybrid Events

My signature topic: The Idea Friendly Method

The Idea Friendly Method: Open Up to New Ideas

You don’t have to know all the answers. You just have to be open to new ideas. Today you can put your ideas into action with less overhead, less drag and more meaningful participation by more people. It’s designed specifically for small towns and rural communities to strengthen community ties and overcome old-way thinking. Say goodbye to endless meetings, negativity, and conflict, and say hello to actionable steps to bring your ideas to life! Learn three practical ways the research-backed Idea Friendly method will help you improve the climate for new ideas and position your small town to thrive, no matter what the future brings. By the end of this session, you’ll have specific actions to take tailored to your own idea and your own town.

This topic shakes up old approaches so we can better adapt to the future. Audiences leave feeling measurably more optimistic (16.8% more optimistic in one survey) because they see exactly how they can shape a better future for their town. Many take action before the end of the talk!

Original Research: The Survey of Rural Challenges

10 Years, 2,200 Rural Voices: What Small Town People Say

Discover what’s changing—and what isn’t—in small towns and rural places since 2015, the assets and the challenges, straight from the people who live there. The Survey of Rural Challenges has collected on-the-ground insights from over 2,200 people. Learn what issues shot to the top, the assets rural people value, and the hardest barrier to overcome. Get specific action steps for governments, agencies, funders, media and local leaders.

This topic acknowledges our challenges, and balances them with our assets. Audiences get a long view of the changing landscape along with practical steps they can use immediately. An infographic version of this topic is also available for poster sessions.

Rural and Small Town Topics

Choose from these interactive and practical topics packed with straightforward advice that can be put into action immediately. I refresh my topic offerings based on the Survey of Rural Challenges results and what Deb Brown and I are hearing from rural people. We are constantly collecting new examples and new findings to share with your audience. Any of these can be a remote session, an in-person keynote, a breakout session, or a workshop.

Fill Empty Buildings with Your Own Entrepreneurs

Sick of looking at those empty buildings downtown? It’s easy to feel stuck between searching for the money and dealing with owners who won’t sell, rent or even talk about it. This session helps you get started with real stories from towns as small as 300 people: patient relationship building that pays off, funding sources most towns don’t know to look for, and small steps you can take without waiting for the full renovation budget. Learn how to turn just one building or empty lot into a stream of emerging businesses ready for their own spaces downtown. Come prepared to take a lot of notes!

People are often surprised when I share our Survey of Rural Challenges result: small business owners said that finding a usable building is a more common challenge than finding a business loan.

Find More Volunteers: Beyond the same ten people who try to do it all now

Small towns run on volunteer power, but finding volunteers has turned into a major challenge. How do we get more people excited about it rather than burning out the same 10 people over and over again? The secret to finding volunteers in small towns today is to let go of old ways that no longer serve us. Discover things you don’t have to do anymore, and new Idea Friendly ways that will attract more new volunteers. You’ll learn from a variety of real examples, including ways to make volunteer training a benefit instead of a hurdle and work with older volunteers without getting caught in inflexibility.

When the International Association of Fairs and Expos asked their members to vote on hundreds of topics, this was one that people were most interested in. When I led the session at their Convention, the audience stayed over by 15 minutes to keep the discussion going. Then IAFE requested a follow-up article for their Fairs & Expos Magazine.

Other Speaking Options