Small Communities Die Holding Onto Yesteryear!A good friend called me not long ago, frustrated. His town had a real shot at something big, a project that could have changed the traje...
Sell the Experience, Not Just the AddressI remember driving through Lanesboro years ago, it is a small town of 724 people tucked into the limestone bluffs of southeastern Minnes...
Fresh Arrivals Make Communities StrongerThere is an old and antiquated saying in many small communities that goes something like this: "You haven't earned the right to have an ...
Herd Mentality Builds or Buries Communities!Jim Hightower once said, "The opposite of courage is not cowardice, it is conformity. Even a dead fish can go with the flow."I have spen...
Critical Role of Community InformationIf you are reading this column today in a newspaper, you are very lucky, supporting that product as if your life depended on it, it very...
The Clock Is Running. Is Your Community?Your community is losing ground right now. Not next year. Now! While you're reading this, decisions are being made by investors, by youn...
Your Community's Brand: Build It or Die!Here is a number every community leader should know: $2.9 trillion . That is the total economic output generated by the U.S. travel and ...
Local & TourismYour Locals Are Your Tourism Strategy Here is a scenario playing out in communities across the country: the tourism board meets, budgets...
FREE BENEFIT CONCERT TO BATTLE POVERTY!Come join us on May 2nd from 5:30-8:00PM at Tall Pines for a FREE community concert to help tackle poverty in McDonald County. The price...
Trends Are Awesome – Till They Aren't!J. Paul Getty once said, "In times of rapid change, experience could be your worst enemy." That quote has never been more relevant. We l...
Clock Is Running: Your Business Can't Afford to Ignore AIMartha had run her hardware store for twenty-two years. She knew customers by name, kept meticulous handwritten inventory logs, and prid...
Tourism - Visit, Play, Live!It is no longer secret, McDonald County is a tourism and visitor paradise. One can enjoy an afternoon in McDonald County floating the El...