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Ep. 128 Community Development Reflections for the New Year



Merry, merry Christmas and the happiest of New Years to you, dear listener! Instead of bringing on a guest to end the year (or kick off a new one) we’re going to do a yearly recap and reflect on some things we’ve learned. If you’re a doer and a dreamer in a small town, this is for you. 

10 Reflections From Us to You 

(and from us to ourselves because we need to be reminded of these things on the regular)

  1. Quit expecting people to behave in a way they don’t. Let them act how they’re going to act. 

  2. No one is ever unbiased. You included

  3. Try to not judge the closed-minded people the same way you feel judged by their unwillingness to look at new ways of doing things.

  4. Keep the invitation open.

  5. Community improvement isn’t a project, it’s a long game. It might look like a series of small projects but don’t lose hope if you don’t see immediate results, like you’d want to.

  6. Ideas aren’t enough; we need to execute. 

  7. You can have nice things in your small town. Audacity is aspirational. 

  8. All business is personal; quit saying it’s not. Community development is personal. Art is personal. What drives us is personal. 

  9. Whether you articulate the culture in your community intentionally or not, you DO have one. 

  10. All people yearn to feel important. Treating people as if they are important is not just stroking egos…it’s treating people with the most humanity possible.


Get In Touch:

Have an idea for a future episode/guest, have feedback or a question, or just want to chat? Email us at hello@growingsmalltowns.org

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