MY FIVE ASPIRATIONS FOR LOCAL LEADERS AND THE MAIN STREET MOVEMENT
As I mentioned during the opening plenary, I’ve been thinking a lot about how best to steward this movement into a future of very real challenges. Here are five aspirations I’d like to name:
NUMBER ONE—and most important aspiration for myself and this movement—is to stay humble and learn. If there’s one thing that we can expect, it’s that the unexpected will happen sooner or later. Whether it’s something disruptive like a natural disaster, or a new kind of technology, or a major political shift, or just that everyone decides they no longer want craft beer and they only want artisanal bubble gum, there will always be someone who anticipates the shift, sees it coming, and gets it right. There will always be new ways of doing things. Let’s not get so locked into our expertise that we lose sight of this. Instead, let’s keep our eyes and ears and hearts open.
NUMBER TWO: Invite others to the table who might not otherwise volunteer but might be sitting on some truly great ideas. Think about who might have been excluded in the past and do the work of bridging that divide with genuine curiosity. Main Streets are a product of deliberate co-creation that’s rooted in listening and trust. We can only create inclusive places that are welcoming for everyone when we create them with everyone.
NUMBER THREE: Think beyond the ways we usually see ourselves—as engines of local economic development, historic preservation, and small business support—and start thinking of ourselves in new ways that communicate the complexity of our work. We are healers against the epidemic of loneliness, and we are first responders on the front lines of climate emergencies like extreme heat, tornadoes and floods, and we are drivers of a new civic infrastructure of connectedness that’s centered on place, and we are choreographers, and we are storytellers, and we are designers of public space. (I want this list to go on, and I want you to help me create it. My three requests of you are below, but one is related to this item: tell me how you communicate the complexity of this work and of your job.)
NUMBER FOUR: Welcome newcomers, and I mean truly welcome all newcomers. This means local and regional tourists, and it means young professionals and families who are relocating to our communities. But even more it means new immigrants and migrants who come to our communities to work in the service sector, or in our agricultural fields and packing plants. Take the time to get to know these newcomers as people, ask them about their traditions and their favorite foods, and ask them what ideas they have for the place they now call home. These newcomers bring with them a tremendous amount of entrepreneurial spirit. Ask them what they need to help start a business — it just might become your favorite place on your main street!
NUMBER FIVE: Be thoughtful and honest with each other about the intended and unintended ways in which our work shapes our communities. If something didn’t work out as planned, be bold in naming it and be proactive in how we can be better next time. We’re all learning together, and we can learn a lot from each other. And share ideas and opportunities around how we can expand our reach. We have great tools in our toolbox. So how can we apply them toward affordable housing? Toward workforce development? Toward inclusive processes? There’s so much expertise in this room and in our movement. Let’s unlock it together and see what else we can grow.
NOW IT’S YOUR TURN!
Tell me what’s on your mind and what you would add to my list of aspirations. Send me an email (ebarnes@mainstreet.org) or post a video to social media and tag me on Instagram (@erinargyle) or LinkedIn (Erin Barnes).
- Introduce yourself! Tell me about you, your Main Street, and your community. I shared in Birmingham that based on some quick math, it’s going to take me 125 years to visit every Main Street in the network if I visit two per month, so help a sister out, and send me a video so I can get to know your work more experientially.
- Tell me the story of how your Main Street is inclusive and welcoming. Send me a link to a news story about your work, or write to me about it, or take a walk down your main street and make a selfie video showing it to me.
- Talk to me: what metaphor do you use to describe your job? Seriously, give it some thought, and walk me through the metaphor. If nothing is coming to you, tell me how you explain your job to your kid or to your mom. Make a video of yourself explaining it, and send it to me!
I can’t wait to meet more of you!