Let’s get your core people into immediate action together.
When I come to town, you’ll get your core group excited and taking immediate action. Together, we’ll customize what we do to generate the results that matter most to you.
This focused work respects your own people, your abilities and your own priorities. People feel motivated and energized. They take immediate action in an Idea Friendly way.
This is your Core Group Boost.
You can choose from these options to build the visit that best meets your needs and the needs of your community.
Kick off action with a tour-workshop
A tour-workshop with your core group will give you new ideas and insights for placemaking and downtown development. It’s not about gathering ideas or building consensus or writing a plan. It is more about noticing possibilities than focusing on problems. It’s about unleashing people to take action. You’ll get started right away with ideas we generate together on the spot.
You’ll see the potential in your town and take action immediately when we move through your downtown together. We’ll look for possibilities. We’ll brainstorm specific steps you can take right away. I don’t bring a checklist of 57 ways you don’t measure up. I don’t have a pre-written plan or one-size-fits-all advice. My suggestions are based on what we see right there in your community.
It’s not about gathering ideas or building consensus. It’s about unleashing people to take action.
You’ll get down to earth insights that everyone can put into practice that day. Of course you’ll still have opposition in your town. We’ll talk about what steps you can take without their help and to start changing their attitudes. Everyone who participates will look at their business or organization in a different light and know what steps they can take.
Build community support with a keynote presentation
A keynote presentation gives your people an interactive work session and deep understanding of the Idea Friendly method. Of course I will work in ideas and suggestions based on what you learned in the walk-around and our informal conversations.
This is also your chance to pack the audience with local officials, elected and appointed leaders, sponsors who want to feel like they got a good deal, good people who can’t come to stuff during the day, neighbors from nearby communities, and people you want to impress.
Focus on your top issues with small groups
A guided brainstorming session focuses your best people on your biggest issues. We get 10 to 15 of your core people in a room to talk about the big ideas that are going to require more than grassroots and individual action.
These sessions often tackle housing, internet access, youth engagement, or building community engagement. These are the challenges that can only be addressed together. This session will draw the discussion straight to the resources and connections that make progress possible.
Target specific issues together
Whether it’s a specific location or a potential partnership, sometimes the best thing is to get just a few people together, preferably at the location. Standing on the site together, more possibilities will unfold.
This works especially well for challenges like adaptive reuse of a key building, downtown revitalization strategy, or evaluating a partnership opportunity. I’ve helped communities work out differences on a potential housing opportunity, spot a nascent arts scene, and find ways to overcome obstacles to developing a community center. Being there in person, we can spot assets and opportunities that don’t show up in reports or plans.
These focused sessions typically run 2-3 hours, giving people time and space to be open to new ideas.
Other Speaking Options
You get down-to-earth advice based on my experience as a life-long rural entrepreneur and cattle rancher, including the “get your hands dirty” aspects that others gloss over.
Virtual Speaking
Virtual speaking on Rural and small town development
Running a virtual event? Tap my experience presenting dynamic and engaging remote session
Emcee & Hosting
Host, moderator, emcee to liven up your event
I love live sessions! Keeping discussion flowing, managing lightning presentation rounds, wrangling a rowdy audience
In-person Sessions
Interactive keynote and workshop sessions
Using my real-world perspective as a small business owner, I deliver concrete take-aways to shape the future of your town