Third Core Value Drives Grow Clinton’s Success
You don't need a million followers on social media to influence the opinions of others. Sure, many keyboard warriors in your corner help spread the message further. Still, I want you to know that everyone has influence and respect for others that can, when shared, positively impact our community.
Over the last year, I have recorded and co-hosted the Grow Clinton Podcast with my colleague Jenny Holm. Jenny and I seek out those positive influences in our community and offer them an opportunity to join us for a laid-back interview focused on the great things that occur within our region. We cover various topics, from promoting events to announcing grand openings and ribbon cuttings.
Every show has revealed a sense of community pride and an understanding that we all seek the same thing – a heightened quality of life for ourselves, our families, and the future residents who will call the surrounding area home.
What I enjoy most about hosting a podcast is the realization that our message has a broad reach and continues to influence the mindset and actions of our peers, members, and followers. It is inspiring to see the joy in an entrepreneur's eyes when they reveal that opening up about their business model on the podcast changed how they viewed success and have since adjusted their plan. Or the dedicated event host who realized increased attendance by leveraging the power of podcasting and social media to promote her efforts and goals.
I attribute the success of our model to our third core value at Grow Clinton.
Present positivity always.
Negativity breeds negative results. All Grow Clinton staff and volunteers present a positive image when engaging members of the organization and associated communities.
We injected the core value into our strategic plan, believing positivity breeds positivity. We convey that message via our podcast, newspaper articles, ribbon cuttings, and in front of our volunteer and elected leadership.
In the community and economic development profession, we understand that not every decision or topic is "positive." We know irresponsible optimism and a desperate need to find the good in everything is not always the correct approach. However, I have experienced, on several occasions, the persuasive power of remaining positive. As a leader, you must be confident and steadfast, including evoking a smile or a chuckle when one might be hard to muster—your followers, whether online or offline, want to feel secure and cared for.
As we move into a new year, I charge you to help Grow Clinton spread the positive news about our community's growth and development. We continue leveraging our platforms to spread the message. I encourage you to harness your influence and join us as we act to create a community where members feel inspired and hopeful.
You never know who may be listening.
Want more? Be sure to search for the Grow Clinton Podcast on most mainstream apps.
If you would like to be a guest on our show, please email asokolovich@growclinton.com.