“Don’t be fooled by the calendar. There are only as many days in the year as you make use of. One man gets only a week’s value out of a year while another man gets a full year’s value out of a week.” —Charles Richards At the end of a busy workday, do look back…

“There is no way our organization could do what we do without our partners.” —Tony Ramirez Do your partnerships play a major role in your accomplishments? Do you know how to effectively communicate about the projects you are working on? We have all heard that communication is key, but how true is that for economic…

“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” —George Bernard Shaw Is your team struggling with missed deadlines or long back-and-forth email chains getting nowhere? Are there conflicts between team members? Is the team morale less than ideal? These things (and many more) are often caused by ineffective communication.…

“Learning the positives and negatives is so critical for every body, as long as you take away something” —Adam Hess Have you noticed that trends that were on the horizon were accelerated during the last 12 months? How have different areas of economic development been impacted by the pandemic? Adam Hess talks about how the…

“We all want to be a part of teams that are healthy and productive, and it takes leadership to do it.” —Carla Sones Have you witnessed a team in your organization come together and start off rocky? Which team phase is most likely to break a good team’s dynamics? Economic development organizations are constantly putting…

“We’re helping people improve their lives and creating a better economy for them so they can be successful.” —Chris Strayer What has the last 12 months looked like for Economic Development Organizations and Chambers? Have you experienced the constant shifting in work to meet needs? The workplace is ever-changing and we are all feeling it.…

“When you get to a place where there is some healthy tension there, you can make ideas better.” —Carla Sones Have you ever been in a meeting with the business attraction and marketing teams and felt the tension? We see this all of the time between the team that produces the materials to sell and…

“Economic development is everything, everything is economic development.” —Lora Steele When you think of economic development, what do you think is one of the most powerful skills to have? If you thought about the power of relationships, you’re right on the money! No matter what hurdle we are facing, the first step most of us…

“We are always learning and applying it forward. “ —Tim Cowden Is leading your own organization on your list of future career goals? Tim Cowden joins Carla Sones to dive into the lessons learned on the path to point leadership, such as getting the courage to put your hat in the ring for that CEO…

“I’m very passionate and engaged in everything that I undertake and seek that same energy in those around me.” —Jill Marasa What is that one thing about economic development that gets your heart beating faster, that energizes you without the assistance of caffeine? Is it the thrill of landing a new big project? Is it…