Oct 30, 2023
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: