While Shop Local campaigns may generate a slight bump in local sales for a few weeks, the results are usually mediocre and temporary. This is not a criticism of the people running these campaigns. The problem is, instead, with the nature of the Shop Local campaign itself. Ditch your Shop Local Campaign for a Discover Local initiative, and see a permanent change in local consumer behavior.
New perspective brings new solutions
Keynotes for
Community Stakeholders
Jason provides compelling, thought-provoking keynote presentations on community-first economic development.
Workshops for
Community Leaders
Jason provides engaging and fruitful leadership workshops on community-first economic development.
Community-First Economic Development
Community-First Economic Development is a new perspective on the work of community and economic development. For too, long we have been solely focused on business recruitment and real estate development. While those are critical components of success, they are subservient to our greater goal: the economic health of the individual people in our community.
When we measure economic development by jobs brought and tax-base created, we are working in silos that make it difficult to see our greater impact and to remember why we are doing any of this to begin with. So many communities are seeing their population getting poorer over time (in relation to life’s big expenses like home ownership, education, health insurance, and more), even while they are landing corporate relos and recruiting manufacturing companies. The problem is not the work of the economic developers. It is, instead, the silos in which they operate. To be successful in the new economy is to crack open those silos and reorient your perspective around community and economic development.
We must start with our why — why economic development exists, why our local government exists at all — for the well-being of the people in our community (the people who are already there). We must build our systems, efforts, and metrics around their individual economic health. Only then will we achieve the types of systems that will generate success for our communities over the next 10, 20, even 50 years.
Keynote Topics
TESTIMONIALS
Visionary Person
“Jason is a visionary person with a remarkable ability to put ideas into action. In supporting economic development, highest recommendations!” — Stephen Turner, Director of Urban and Economic Development, Rock Hill, SC (retired)
Crystal Clear
“Jason’s keynote presentation made Economic Development crystal clear.” — Patty Schmucker, EDC Team Jefferson, WA
High Value
“The one word I would use to describe the actual meat and bones of his talk would be: high-value.” — Leslie Friedman, Executive Director, Elbert County Chamber of Commerce
From the Heart
“Jason speaks from the heart. I would highly recommend him again.” — Anthony Gallo, President, Lorain County Chamber of Commerce
Unreal Good
“This was the best seminar I was privileged to attend in the past two months. The speaker was unreal good and the info he gave us has already had a positive impact on our town. Good job. No, great job. Thank you.” — Bill Beall, Mayor, Federalsburg, MD
Truly Inspirational
“Jason is a seasoned speaker with a charismatic style that blends messaging around economic development, community building and marketing. Truly inspirational!” — Lynn Carpenter, VP Marketing, VisitCalifornia
A Hit for Sure
“Jason provided our group with a great mix of data, humor, and insights that were informative and entertaining at the same time. We’ve received very positive feedback from attendees. He was a hit for sure!” — B Gorman, President & CEO, Tahoe Chamber
Exceptional
“Jason… Your share in Salisbury was exceptional on many levels.” — Bob Rich, Owner, Delmarva Farm Management Services / Land Advisor, Sperry Van Ness
Icing on the Cake
“Your presentation was the icing on the cake. You brought a very inspiring and well thought out message. I would love to see your ideas begin to root here in Nevada.” — Sheryl Gonzales, Project Manager, Western Nevada Development District
Uncanny
“Jason’s ability to convey the message of how crowdsourcing can be used as a tool to spur redevelopment efforts is uncanny. He has made the connection between public engagement and community redevelopment.” — Wade Luther II, Economic Development Director, Camden, SC
Visionary
“Jason is a self-organizing and visionary entrepreneur and a leader in our community.” — Debra Heintz, Executive Director, Arts Council of York County (retired)
Excites the Mind
“Jason excites the mind when he is speaking. He is creative and brings the ever-changing culture to the discussion of long-time problems. He looks through new eyes. Our 60-plus CEO attendees enjoyed his talk greatly…and are still referring to his ideas!” — T. Jan Wiseman, Executive Director, Greater Salisbury Committee
Incredible Ability
“Jason has the incredible ability to take complex, creative ideas and articulate those ideas in a very powerful way. Our community WILL move forward thanks to Jason Broadwater.” — David Bradley, President & CEO, Athens Area Chamber of Commerce
Ideas for Change
Thought-Leadership Articles
Save Your Community’s Small Businesses from Extractive Debt
A Small Business Debt Fund can save your community’s local small businesses from extractive debt cycles that kill small businesses and send money out of the local economy.
Category Marketing: How Small Businesses Win
Category Marketing: How Small Businesses Win The Art If David would have walked out to meet Goliath with sword and…
Extractive Economics: Why communities are getting poorer & what to do about it
Are the people of your community getting richer or poorer? Well, by isolated metrics, like wages and 401ks, one could argue richer. But by lived experience, in relation to the important expenses of our lives and our ability to build wealth over time, the clear answer is poorer. But why? The answer is woven into our economic system.
Kids, Character, and Workforce Economics
There is no better workforce investment than my wife. My wife is a counselor at a small, rural, Title I elementary school in South Carolina. How much money is being spent to address the soft-skills crisis in the US right now? How many billions of dollars? How many employers report that workers struggle with communication, teamwork, adaptability, conflict management, and self-regulation? Working with adults is triage. We must invest in the future of our workforce.
Individual Economic Health
Economic Developers have traditionally focused on business recruitment and real estate development. Now we find ourselves in workforce development, skills training, soft-skills, even transportation and childcare. We need a new perspective on what it means to serve a community in Economic Development.
Shift: Pending U.S. Economic Crisis
More people are getting poorer over time. We must evolve our understanding of the economy so that we can see the pending crisis that lurks underneath. Only then can we design the changes that will avoid calamity and create a better future for all.
The Agriconomy as an Economic Development Strategy for York County, South Carolina
York County should invest significantly in developing the “Agriconomy” (as I call it) – agri-business, agri-tourism, agri-lifestyle, etc. – in the western part of the county.
20 Solutions that You May Not Like for the Economic Crisis in the US
Some of you will not like these solutions… I get it. Some of these are pretty radical. But, the fact remains, doing all of (or even some of) these things that I spell out below would help combat the economic crisis in the US, The Great Slide I call it, of the working class into poverty.
Change Needed in the City’s Approach to Residential Development
Recently, I attended a joint meeting of City Council and the Planning Commission in Rock Hill, SC. I was among the listening public.