Making Ripples: post-corporate adventures in Floyd County Virginia

Hyperlocal Business Blogging - a new trend?

Australian Blogger and Business Coach Des Walsh read my post about the Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours event in Floyd and wants to see that sort of event in his community.

This is an excellent example of the cascade effect that occurs when bloggers start tossing ideas around. I thought of hyperlocal blogging as a news activity, but Des is a visionary and immediately seized on the potential for hyperlocal business blogging to transform a community.

He makes the point that one person in a small community can use this marvelous technology to communicate to a wider world about that community and its way of life and and about the particular challenges of doing business in small communities.

In the beginning, I thought hyperlocal blogging might be too confining, but I quickly learned that we can see the entire universe in a Chamber of Commerce event or in a potter's attempt to develop a viable business, if we care to look closely.

Vast concerns are sometimes best understood in the context of a local situation involving real people with a problem that we can get our wits around.

I think the next wave, or ripple if you care to call it that, may be this:

blog locally and be read internationally

We all have the same concerns, so sharing observations and solutions to local problems may be helpful on a much larger scale than we intend.

"Hyperlocal Business Blogger"... It does sound impressive, but I'm not sure how it will communicate on a business card. Just make your next Chamber of Commerce event special, and blog it!

A moment for reflection

We were driving home the other night and were treated to a spectacular display of color from an oncoming thunderstorm.

I can remember when weather like this would have elicited a sigh or even a grumble because it would have meant an extra hour of commute time and the possibility of accidents.

Living in the country as self-employed small business owners has altered our perceptions. We welcome rain as a much needed blessing. Even the fall of snow is welcome as it keeps the ecosystem in balance.

Our lives and activities are more closely linked with others than ever before, but the rhythm is different than in years past. We set the times of our comings and goings to make the best use of our time and the times that others can meet with us.

The rigid tyranny of the time clock or the weekly schedule are a distant memory except when we get swept up in some project and find ourselves repeating yesterdays mistakes.

We actually spend more time being productive than ever before although we can spend more time socializing than we did in past years. It is the flexibility of our schedules that makes the difference.

It is not uncommon for me to work for many hours after dinner on some problem that is refusing to bend to my will. I find the challenge of solving a design problem far more absorbing than the hyped up excitement of a TV thriller.

24 and the other dramas are only fascinating until one sees the standard patterns emerging. Life as a designer is continually fascinating as there is an infinite array of problems to solve.

So, back to the weather. We stopped the car and shot photos in the waning light, then we drove further and shot some more as the clouds opened to reveal a flaming heart to the thunderclouds overhead.

We luxuriated in the rush of cool air that preceded the storm and we gratefully accepted the small spattering of raindrops that followed. No storm for us, just a small reminder that there is beauty in everything if we take time to find it.

Just another Saturday in Floyd

Floyd is the kind of small town where a kid's baseball game and a Roni Stoneman concert get equally enthusiastic attention, where a potter can put on a street theater performance, and late-life artists can develop their skills under the tutelage of a highly skilled professional, all in the same day.

I started my day by visiting Dee Dannowitz at her son's baseball game at Check Elementary School in Northern Floyd County. I could hear the enthusiastic moms and dads cheering long before I could see the playing field.

Next, I dropped in on the Still Life Pastel Class at the Jacksonville Center which was being taught by Karen Sewell.

This was the final day of the 3 day course and I was frankly amazed at the progress made by her students in that time. It is a real inspiration to see her working with the students.

I stopped by the Floyd Country Store for lunch and I met the "First Lady of Banjo" and star of TV's Hee Haw, Roni Stoneman, who was in town for a concert, a book signing, and a childrens banjo workshop.

I had the unexpected opportunity to spend an hour with this colorful and warmhearted woman and was totally charmed by her stories about her life and family.

Roni's new book "Pressing On" is fascinating reading. Based on seventy five hours of recorded interviews, it captures her storytelling ability perfectly.

Later in the afternoon, Roni put on a banjo workshop for children and shared some of her personal tips on playing the banjo. I was impressed by how well she was able to comunicate the nuances of her style to rather young children.

Later that night, several hundred of us saw her perform on stage and enjoyed her unique mix of music and comedy.

As I left the country store, I looked back down the quiet street toward the brightly lit storefront where music and laughter still poured out of the building into the sleeping community

It was the end of another typical Floyd Saturday and I had miles to drive.

On the way home I thought about all of the other people who made this day special.

Mac and Jenny Traynham had opened for Roni and  their infectious good nature  created a wonderful start for the evening.

Woody and Jackie Crenshaw provided the unique venue that is the Floyd Country Store.  Stu Geisbert and  Dylan Locke provided the behind the scenes support and logistics that resulted in Roni Stoneman appearing here in the first place.

Last of all and probably most important were the people from Floyd who come out and support country music and those who perform it.

New Chef Heats up Floyd Food Scene

Scott Hutchinson has taken over the kitchen at Margie Ryan's Over the Moon Cafe and Gallery and he brings new variety to the Floyd County dining scene. I found his entries to be uniformly excellent and the presentation of each dish complemented the quality of the food.

I had the Buffalo Chili Nachos yesterday and they were so good I returned to order them today so that I could photograph the dish and several others.

On this visit, I was able to capture Scott's Sauteed Shrimp and Dirty Rice which was very tasty.

I was also attracted by two other dishes, a chicken salad and a bowl of chili soup. They looked inviting and will be on my list for the next visit.

With Scott's arrival, we have a significant addition to the culinary talent pool in Floyd. Scott, whose resume includes cooking at the White House and a catering business in Salem, VA, favors freshly prepared local food with Asian and Southwestern overtones.

Scott lives in Salem where he and his wife Suzette, own and operate Valley Fresh Gourmet Catering, but he has taken on the challenge of developing a seasonal menu based on Slow Food principles for the Over the Moon Cafe and Gallery.

When Scott was in the Navy, he did a three year stint at the White House Mess as part of the elite team that prepared meals for President Clinton and the senior White House Staff. Following that, he spent several years in estate management and as a private chef before launching his own catering business in Southwestern Virginia.

If you have already sampled the meals in our other Floyd County restaurants, you should take the opportunity to do lunch at the Over the Moon Cafe.

The menu is still evolving so you may not find other meals than the ones I have described and photographed. But I would recommend that you give the Cafe a try.  Call 540-745-2782 for hours of operation.

Floyd Chamber of Commerce changes with the times

According to a reliable source, when it was first started in 1989 the Floyd Chamber of Commerce was populated by  traditional business owners. Then over the years the membership supposedly became dominated by tourist related businesses.

When we came here more than a year ago, the Chamber office was only open one day a week and we heard various and sundry opinions that the Chamber did not accurately represent the entire business community, etc., etc.

We could not really judge whether this was true, but it certainly appeared that the Chamber lacked widespread support.

I think that the Chamber is now making significant moves toward correcting this situation because they just held their first Business After Hours event and attracted a capacity crowd by opening the event to non-Chamber of Commerce business owners.

Eighty people wedged themselves into the Historic Pine Tavern in Floyd Wednesday night and made this Business After Hours meeting a huge success.

I was there as one of the nonmembers and it was a real eye-opener. We enjoyed delicious food, established new business relationships and we all had a marvelous time.

Animated conversations ran non-stop from 5:30 to well beyond 8:00 pm. I saw people from all segments of our Floyd economy. We were all there together, old hippies, old techies, independent crafters, contractors, local business owners and a handful of local government officials.

It was reassuring to see the mutual support that existed and the business opportunities that presented themselves at every turn. If someone didn't find a business opportunity in that gathering, my feeling was that they weren't really trying.

It was a spirited meeting of friends, introduction to new friends and development of future business relationships. It was the natural kind of networking that energizes a business community and can produce lasting results if continued.

Judging from the enthusiasm shown by all attendees, this Business After Hours could become a new Floyd tradition. It is a vital step in the right direction and I will do everything possible to support it.

Oh, and did I mention the food? It was the perfect complement to this meeting!

Our host Reed Embrey presented the guests with a stunning array of delectable morsels including fried oysters, beef on skewers, several chicken delicacies, and absolutely marvelous bruschettas. And that was merely the beginning!

I am truly sorry that I was not able to capture a picture of the food, but it was a choice of eating or shooting and my appetite won out.

We scarfed down these tasty morsels and it looked like the late comers were going to be out of luck because the food just melted away, but Reed and his kitchen staff kept the taste treats coming until all were satisfied. He did a fantastic job.

With great food and interesting conversation, this was an evening not to be missed.

The next Business After Hours meeting will be hosted on July 18th by Citizens. If you are in the Floyd area, you should mark your calendar so you can promote your business and meet a dynamic group of people.

The take away lesson for me was that opening social meeting to non-members is a good way to expand your contacts and your membership. It's an application of the most basic rules of business communication.

It goes like this: First get in communication with people and get to know them well as individuals, then find areas of mutual need and interest. After that it's almost impossible to avoid doing business with each other!

If you have an organization that is not growing and attracting support, you might want to consider doing something along the same line as this Chamber did. Make sure that your food is as good as you can manage. It really does makes a difference.

Parting Advice

The Big Picture Guy, one of my favorite correspondents from the corporate world, has finally left the company he called the "Small Office".

His parting advice, delivered in a speech at his going-away party concerned itself with the subject of integrity. He provides an interesting connection to the subject of respect for self and others.

It is incredibly valuable advice, even if you are a person of great personal integrity, because it will stiffen your resolve to maintain your integrity and will give you some ideas you may not have thought of before.

I wish him well.

What's Up in Floyd?

If you know where to look, there are lots of things going on in Floyd every week. The only problem for me has been knowing where to look.

My earlier search for online calendars about arts and crafts events seemed to turn up websites that were 3 months out of date. I was always discovering that some interesting event occurred and I didn't hear of it until too late.

I had what I thought was a really bright idea last week. I was going to invent an "open Source" online calendar for the entire community that would be kept up to date by a team of highly motivated volunteer editors from each of the organizations that feel they are "underreported" by the local newspaper.

Well, it turns out that that situation is already being remedied by others and the best way for me to assist in the effort is to list all current calendars and see what gaps exist in the coverage before creating another, possibly duplicative calendar.

To cut to the chase, I have created a new section on this blog called FLOYD CALENDARS and have placed it at the top of the left sidebar for easy reference.

If you have a calendar for Floyd County and nearby areas that you would like to list here, please send me an email and I will place a link in this list.

If you have a website, feel free to duplicate this listing. The more places it appears, the better chance we have of seeing that all Floyd County events get the audiences they deserve.

Barriers to unlocking your talent

Gretchen and I received a warm welcome at the Jessie Peterman Library in Floyd last night when we discussed the factors involved in "Unlocking Your Talent".

Some interesting discussions ensued when we got into one of the more subtle barriers that can cause you to stifle your creative impulses and keep your talent under wraps.

I mentioned that being employed in a high-paying job has caused people to stifle creative activity because it causes the boss to consider them less "promotable". No employee wants to jeopardize their income stream unnecessarily.

Even when there are no explicit warnings, there is an attitude on the part of some managers that artistic pursuits or even blogging are suspect activities.

After our presentation, one member of the audience said that she had experienced this same management attitude even though she had not been in a high paying job at all.

It was also observed that there are times in our lives when we forego new creative activities in order to care for children or to complete a work or study assignment. These periods can last for years, but the consensus was that in this case, the creative activity was merely on hold, not being stifled. Once the barrier was lifted, creative activity resumed and hidden talents bloomed.

The topic of unlocking talent is a popular one in this creative community. Some of the attendees were still discussing the topic today. Perhaps we can organize a workshop at some future time for those who would like to achieve specific results.

Unlock your Talent - whatever it is

“FLOYD, Naturally!”, a lecture series sponsored by Floyd Friends of the Library presents David and Gretchen St. Lawrence on the topic of “Unlock Your Talent”.

That's tonight, May 17 at 7:30 p.m. at the Jessie Peterman Library, in Floyd

Gretchen and I are speaking tonight on the various factors involved in unlocking your talent and will be drawing upon the experiences of the audience to give the widest possible scope to this vital topic.

We have been very appreciative of our welcome to Floyd County and the encouragement we have received as we have become engaged in community activities.

We have observed the positive effects on our lives and the lives of others who have been exposed to the support and reinforcement that exists within the Floyd County community.

A community can be considered to be the sum total of the expressed talents of its members. Talent that is stifled or repressed contributes little to the well-being and prosperity of the individual or their community.

Talents that are unlocked become the basis of new businesses, happier lives, and this encourages others to unleash their creativity also.

We are addressing a wide range of talent including the ability to farm, to homeschool children, to create a business from scratch, as well as the ability to create art, to produce fine pottery, or to sing and produce music. All of these talents are necessary in a growing and vital community.

We feel that unlocking talent is something that anyone can do, given encouragement and some grounding in the factors that act as barriers to expressing talent.

We feel that it is as important to recognize and overcome barriers as it is to concentrate in the development of talent.

Floyd has an abundance of talent and we would like to see that wealth increase so that the creative character of Floyd is strengthened and is not drowned in a rising tide of cookie-cutter commercialism.

We feel that more talent, freely expressed, is the best answer to survival of this community as an economic unit. When you import franchises, for example, to generate jobs you have removed one more reason for visitors to stop here and visit.

If the state of Virginia becomes one endless strip mall as has happened in some beautiful areas of California, there is nothing that distinguishes on town from another. It is our creative economy which attracts visitors, new settlers and makes this part of Virginia such a great place to live.

We think that unlocking talents will let creative people find their own unique solutions to the problems of life and to community stability and prosperity.

If you are in Floyd, join us tonight for an engaging discussion. It will give us all something new to think about.

Bloggers provide Hyperlocal News in Floyd, VA and elsewhere

From Wikipedia we get this definition of Hyperlocal News:

The term "hyperlocal" is sometimes used to refer to news coverage of community-level events usually overlooked by mainstream media outlets.

There is so much going on, even in a local neighborhood, that it is impossible for a newspaper to provide complete coverage of all of the events worth noting.

In Floyd, our growing number of bloggers have barely scratched the surface in terms of covering the events that describe what is special about Floyd, Virginia.

As much as I try, I can't keep up with the activities I see every day that add meaning and joy to life in Floyd.

For example, I was able to describe a wonderful meal by Natasha, but I should have found time to describe the tasteful set of 1930's Jazz stylings performed by Billy Miller and Chris Luster.

Earlier, I attended a memorable house concert by Mac and Jenny Traynham who have just released a new CD. I was able to take photos, but I was unable to get time to write an article. Fortunately Fred First was able to post an article, Good Time Had by All.

Even earlier, I became a spectator to Mara's Birthday Party and Pants Signing, which happens only in places like Floyd.

Colleen Redman was participating in the event and she nudged me into providing coverage by writing about my non-coverage in her blog. There is no escape when other local bloggers write about your blogging habits.

These are the kind of events that make up the warp and woof of life in a small community. Many of them do get covered in the Floyd Press which does a fine job of providing local news, but some just fell under the radar before the advent of ubiquitous digital cameras and recorders and bloggers who found a purpose in capturing life as it happens.

Most of Floyd's bloggers cover a wide range of news, but there are a growing number of bloggers who are considered to be only hyperlocal.

If you would like to see who they are, read past the jump: