126. The Power of Place

We are here with the longest episode in the history of Growing Small Towns because we just couldn't stop talking to our next guest. Ben Muldrow caught Rebecca's eye on Facebook, and he happens to have worked with Friend of the Pod Jeff Siegler. This is a long conversation but it's so good - around every corner is yet another amazing concept or idea and we know you'll love it as much as we did. About Ben: Ben Muldrow is a place branding and economic development expert who has spent the last 21 years assisting communities develop identities that attract investors and encourage private and public organizations to commit to community development projects that lead to economic vitality, environmental stewardship and social advancement. As a partner at Arnett Muldrow & Associates and founding contributor at Proud Places, Ben has designed creative branding and marketing systems in over 800 communities across 40 states and 5 countries, making him a true global leader in place branding and cementing his ability to combine strategic planning, brand development, interactive marketing, public relations, and social media capabilities to preserve and promote the power of place. In the Main Street world, Ben is known as a true innovator. Not only has been introduced the main street world to branding, he has introduced the ideas of Micro-retail incubation, Public Arts Master Plans, the Five Audiences of Main Street, and most recently he has created a template adopted across the country to communicate the effectiveness of our local programs. Ben has spoken at 15 National Main Street Conferences, Keynoted numerous State and Regional Main Street Conferences, and has spoken to over 250,000 people about the importance of America's downtowns. In this episode, we cover:

• Why the first thing he looks for in the communities he serves is passion
• The power of the "first slow clapper"
• What to do about the wet blankets - and how they can be an indicator of when you've arrived
• Gender roles and economic development
• Investing in schools vs. invitations

Links and Resources Mentioned: Arnett Muldrow website: http://arnettmuldrow.com/ Your City is Sick: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/your-city-is-sick-jeff-siegler/1143949924