An AccelerateUs: Dispatches from the Front Lines of the Local Industrial Revolution conversation.    I can't think of many planning consultants who commit more to helping their communities than my dear friend Danielle Steinhauser of CT Consultants.  From her early days as a Main Street manager in Toledo through over a decade of consulting, Danielle … Continue reading Find (and apply) the money: On grants and changing public priorities →

An AccelerateUs: Dispatches from the Front Lines of the Local Industrial Revolution conversation.    When you are a leader of a local economy organization, and you're hit with a massive disaster that's beyond your control, what do you do? Panic and run around in circles isn't a good answer.  But the five steps that Isaac … Continue reading What you can do, NOW, to help your community →

An AccelerateUs: Dispatches from the Front Lines of the Local Industrial Revolution conversation.    This conversation gave me time to talk with one of my dear friends and a woman that I so admire for her skills, her insight, her resilience and the authenticity that she brings to everything she does.  I had wanted to … Continue reading Leading in a crisis with emotional intelligence →

Talking to Anatalio Ubalde of SizeUp and GISPlanning is like taking a master class in the future of economic development.  No one, in my experience, has a better command of how modern data systems change -- and should change -- how economic development is done.  Anyone trying to figure out how to adapt the work … Continue reading The future of BR&E: Data tools for direct impact – and the future of economic development. With Anatalio Ubalde, CEO, SizeUP →

Today's video gave me a chance to reflect on the movement that many of us are undertaking at the moment: from Panic, to Purpose, and ultimately to Planning. Panic, of course, is where a lot of us have been lately -- "What's going on?  All these people are looking for help??!  What can I do?? … Continue reading Good Ideas for April 3: The Map’s where it’s At →

Sometimes, when you're a mom, you can't help but Mom.  Today's video started with a reminder to get some exercise, which is... hysterical coming from me.  As I noted, my preferred workout could be described as the Run, Pant, Stagger triathlon.  Especially when choking on pollen.  So don't expect any yoga videos on Wise Economy … Continue reading Good Ideas for April 2: Business survival, connection opportunities, and Eat Your Vegetables (or something like that) →

Hi, all.  After the high-level thinking challenge presented by yesterday's Good Ideas post, today's is simple: Today is Census Day -- the date that the U.S. Census is supposed to represent. Census questions ask you about where you live, who is in your household, etc.  as of April 1, 2020.  Of course, lots of Census … Continue reading Good Idea for April 1 (without fools): Census Day edition →

Today's video used a few broken-stemmed hyacinths to make a point about things that seem to be healthy but end up not being strong enough to withstand the storm We have unfortunately received a pretty unavoidable object lesson about the limits on our small businesses' resilience -- and learned that even a short term loss … Continue reading Good Ideas for March 31: featuring flowers and avoiding unintended consequences →

Every once in a while having an English degree comes back to haunt me.  Today as I was trying to figure out what to say, I noticed that the tree outside my bedroom window is just getting its leaves.  They're in this stage when they first come out of the bud where they're first sort … Continue reading Good Ideas for March 30, 2020 →