I admit it, I’m an eavesdropper. I’m horrible about it and it makes Sunday brunch a little awkward for my poor wife, who has gotten used to that blank look in my eyes when I’m really listening to the people behind her, not her…

Yesterday was no exception as I got to listen-in on the conversations of two couples next to us for about an hour. Here’s the gist:

Older Man: Upset because the city still hasn’t fixed a series of potholes near his house.
Young Woman: Loved the third book of the Hunger Games but didn’t buy it from the local bookstore, but from B&N.com because parking is a pain.
Young Man: Annoyed about the library’s shorter hours.
Older Woman: Looking forward to her photography class through parks and rec.
Young Man:  Needed to drive to Bremerton next week to get a park for his boat because the local shop was too expensive.
Older Man: Complaining about how TurboTax screwed up his refund this year, having to file an amendment.
All Four: Wondering if the city was going to have enough money for a parade and fireworks this year for the 4th of July.

Well, if you look through some of the key points of this conversation, you’ll hopefully notice a couple of things. In short, without a healthy local economy driven through the sale of local products and services (and sponsorship or volunteerism by local businesses), there simply isn’t the tax revenue needed for things like road repairs, library hours, and fireworks.

Without a healthy local economy, there’s no hope of a healthy community.

Here are some solutions that I wanted to offer:
Older Man’ Curb: First, he needs to understand where the jurisdiction and budgets come for. Second, the last torrential rainfall for the season was about two days ago…
Young Woman’s Book: Stop being so lazy – there’s street parking and all sorts of parking lots within 50-100 yards of the store!
Young Man’s Library Gripe: Maybe if he was buying his boat parts locally (or voting to support the taxes needed), the library would have longer hours.
Older Woman’s Photo Class: Good! She should tank the local business owner who is giving his time to the community in this way!
Young Man’s Boat Parts:  I got the sense that the man had never been to the local boat shop, as, if he had, he’d have known that the parts may have been 5-10% more expensive, certainly not worth a 90-minute round-trip drive and fuel expense (only to avoid one of the more knowledgeable marine store owners that I’ve ever met…)
Older Man’s Taxes: There are plenty of local CPA’s who would have likely skipped those mistakes and done a better job of finding deductions and credits. (All the while, having a portion of their revenue return to the local economy.)
Parade and Fireworks: See above. If you want fireworks, you have to pay for them…

Luckily, my wife has be trained to listen-only in my eavesdropping…

The moral of the story? If you want a healthy community, be a part of it!

- Steve Ramsey
co-Founder of RelyLocal

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Before you dismiss that comment as “fear-baiting”, take a step back and watch this short clip of some of the action that day. Now, imagine it’s you behind the glass, looking up from the half-price rack as a firebomb hits the window followed by an angry mob of hooded thugs appearing out of nowhere, attacking the thin piece of glass that separates you with their clubs – as it shatters… Let’s be honest – it would have been terrifying! (Just watch the clip below and imagine yourself in this scene….)

If the anarchists in Seattle just wanted to make a point without creating terror, they would have vandalized properties under the cover of night, leaving their well-thought messages behind for the news crews to cover in the morning. But no, this was planned and deliberate. You can’t stop us. We are strong, you are weak. We’ll come out of nowhere, wreak our havoc, and disappear back into the crowd. The police are powerless to stop our attacks. You have no control over your safety, your lives… We own the city… We own you…

Well, they are right. They win. Their stunts will cost the city (and residents) of Seattle millions of dollars this summer, as thousands of families will choose a “safer” vacation option – away from the threat of an anarchy (terror) attack at a Mariners game (sponsored by capitalists), at the EMP museum (founded by capitalists), or on a ferry ride (which are full of capitalist commuters). These tourists will simply avoid Seattle all together (taking their money with them… (Who can blame them?)

Seattle Anarchy Was Hilarious (and ironic): In the midst of my fuming anger, I’ll admit that I laughed out loud at a couple of silly screw-ups at the hands of these hooded geniuses. Here are a few tips out of my own anarchy handbook:

1. If you are going to dress up as hoodlums and smash the windows of the Nike Store – you might be taken more seriously if you aren’t wearing brand new Nikes to commit your crimes. (I mean, really… Did your mommy buy those for you so your feet wouldn’t hurt after your big long march?)
2. If you want to get your message out, by spray painting “Death To Capitalism” on private windows, you might want to better coordinate with your cohorts who are trying to smash the windows at the same time. Not the best message longevity. (Plus, it’s just a waste of paint… Come on guys, coordinate, think green!)
3. If you really want to get away with your crimes, maybe your shouldn’t go around the corner and change out of your clothes in plain view of hundreds of witnesses and their cell phones.

These screw-ups reminded me of the words of a family friend who was retiring after years as a circuit court judge. When I asked (in young awe) about the amazing cases he must have seen from the bench over the years, he replied, “It’s not like in the movies. 1% percent of the guys were criminal masterminds, the other 99% were just dumb @&*%s….” (There is a simple/good reason that anarchists won’t end up running our country…)

My questions to these masterminds are simple, What are you really trying to accomplish? What are the ends to your means? What are you ideas for positive change? Or, have you not thought that far ahead (as evidenced by the faux pas mentioned above…)?

The reason that I take this so personally is because while these feckless thugs were doing everything they could to harm a community and economy, my wife and I were on the road throughout Washington state, doing the exact opposite. We had a morning meeting with our partners in Olympia to develop better strategies for local businesses to remain relevant in the new economy. We then moved on to Longview to help organize a hope-filled cash mob for a business that has really been struggling. We then moved on to a local networking meeting where dozens of business owners got together to share ideas on everything from how to work together to build a children’s museum to how to best raise funds for a family reeling from the effects of cancer in their home.

It was a positive day, it was an emotional day, it was a productive day – all because of the people who chose to put their best foot forward on behalf of building better live for themselves and their neighbors. So yes, it infuriates me to juxtapose this sense of cooperation and community with the constructed chaos that was unfolding at the same time, at the hands of these selfish fools on the streets of Seattle just a few miles to the north…

I really feel for mayor Mick McGinn, the Seattle Police Department, and the citizens of one of my favorite cities on earth. On one hand, you have an agitated public who is wary of police action – stemming back to the WTO riots. On the other hand, you have violent hooded idiots roaming the streets – throwing rocks through the windows of the mayor’s own house, leaving 6th Ave looking like a battleground, and terrifying the public. Part of me wants to see the cops arrest these thugs with brutal force, the other part knows that will only escalate a new breed of anarchists… Who will be the first to die in this nonsense? A cop getting in the way of a bat? An anarchist who’s incendiary device explodes in his own face? A tourist who is scared/confused/angry and gets in the way of a hurling rock? Who will get blamed?

Seattle Anarchy Was Terrifying, Don’t Let It Repeat: This may all look like a horrifying scene from something you see on TV from the middle east. Well, it should – it’s not a far cry from it. However, we can’t let these kinds of senseless, selfish acts become an accepted “new norm” of “activism” on the streets of our cities. So, how do we keep this type of “shock and awe” terror from running rampant in our streets? I say round ‘em up, lock ‘em up, they have proven that they have nothing to contribute to a society that is already struggling.

If I were part of the “Occupy Wall Street” movement, I would be horrified, quickly denouncing the actions of this gang of thugs. Instead, all I hear and see is that “peaceful protestors” cheering on the acts of violent vandalism (especially in the courthouse and bank footage). To what end? Shouldn’t it scare OWS’ers? (I mean, if their own mayor isn’t safe – who’s going to protect them from their own splinter cells?)

Don’t mind me. I’ll just keep doing what I do every day – looking for ways to create more opportunities for positive growth in communities like Seattle. Looking for ways to leave the world a little better place than I found it. Hopefully the “99%” will join me in picking up a hammer, instead of picking up a club.

It’s hard work, but it’s gotta beat putting on a black hood and Nikes – only to have your wimpy back-swing documented and mocked by a city that hates you…

Steve Ramsey
co-Founder of RelyLocal

Side Note: I try not to use this blog has an avenue to voice my personal opinions very often, and these thoughts are certainly not those of RelyLocal as an organization – but I’m mad as hell (and you should be, too)!

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Imagine you are Bryan and Gail of Fly-In’ Bean Espresso. After years of owning a successful business, you sell it and open a new location, on the other side of town. However, it’s rainy, nobody knows where you are yet, and you’re lucky to serve one latte an hour… How would your spirits be?

Now, imagine a friendly face shows up at the window, as horns start honking from around the block as a line of cars full of your loyal locals appear to support your business! (Hint: It was a pretty emotional day for everyone…)

For 20 years I’ve driven through little Longview, WA on my way from Oregon up to Seattle without giving it much thought. All I knew of the area was a closed nuclear plant and the huge lumber mills. What you can’t see from the freeway is the spirit of the amazing people who make up the community and drive the ethos of the next generation. People like Jon and Christine – who drive the RelyLocal campaign in their area – looking for innovative ways to help business leaders rebuild their community from the ground up – with a healthy economy. Even it it means putting on a ridiculous costume!

When I got a call from Jon asking if we’d be interested in helping run the city’s first “cash mob”, I jumped at the chance. We gassed up the RelyLocal tour rig, installed some lights and sirens, had some t-shirts made – and hit the road to help bring a little joy to a struggling businesses. What I found was a community full of love, support, and resilience.

As I am sure you can see with the photo of Bryan above, it was a pretty emotional day for everyone. (Yet, I was able to hold back my happy tear for a few hours until we were on the road again…)

I had a chance to chat with the last person in line who waited patiently for over an hour and a half for her latte. She said it was the best drink she ever had…

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Note: We don’t really have a hamster, and doubt his/her name is Hammy.

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In short – the average carrot travels 1,838 miles before it reaches your table. Think about that for a minute… That’s like driving from Portland, OR to Kansas City… For a carrot! Meanwhile – unless you are living in a drought-filled dust bowl, there are plenty of local farmers’ markets filled with local producers (your neighbors) who would love your business!

Aside from knowing your food source (who the farmer is, what chemicals are used in the soil), the idea of spending that much transportation energy and pollution for a carrot just seemed absurd to me (thus my insomnia-induced graphic above…)

Do you want to reduce America’s dependency on foreign oil? Eat a local carrot!

Our less-than-official motto: Your food shouldn’t see more of the country than you do!

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We are excited to announce the expansion of RelyLocal into more than 900 additional communities in all 50 states. This will will help to create more than 3,000 new jobs in America! From our local partners (who own their own business), to their local staff of marketing, business development, and community outreach specialists – we all have the same goal: to rebuild the U.S. economy from the ground up!

If you have a real passion for your community and are interested in making a big change in your life to make a living out of helping others – we want to hear from you. Learn more about what it takes to launch a RelyLocal campaign. We are here to help you and your community succeed!

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Great work, Judy! Keep it up!

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No sooner had the words left my lips that my phone was buzzing with my business partner asking me if I had seen the story of Jim Black in Chagrin Falls, OH. I hadn’t… If you hadn’t either, let me give you the run down.

JIM BLACK FOR PRESIDENT!
Meet Jim Black. He’s a normal guy like you and I. He lives in his community. He works in his community. He has family and friends in his community. And, most of all – he cares about his community’s well being -  the good people (and businesses) that make Chagrin Falls such a great place to call home. (It’s on the the outskirts of Cleveland, OH).

Every town has iconic businesses that everybody just knows, just “there” as part of the ethos of the community. As a result, sometimes these businesses silently become part of the scenery – like the river that passes through town, or a bench in the town square. Unfortunately, people have a tendency to forget about things that aren’t the newest, shiniest, loudest – taking the “old” for granted. Chagrin Hardware is just one of these places, a well respected business that has been in town since 1857, and owned by the same family for last 72 years – a staple in the community, but is no stranger to the challenges that face small businesses today.

Local businesses often fall into the trap of waning popularity (and revenue) as new people move to town, new competition arrives, and new marketing pushes consumers toward other options. It’s just part of the reality that every local business owner understands and struggles with on a daily basis. For owners Schwind and Steve Shutts, this in not news to them – it’s part of the daily struggle of keeping doors open, paying staff, and keeping inventory on the shelves.

JIM BLACK: CASH MOBSTER!
Jim doesn’t seem to want to take credit for unleashing a tremendous outpouring of community support, but here’s what happened: He sent a simple email to about 40 of his friends, challenging, “Let’s show our support for one of our local businesses. I challenge everyone to spend AT LEAST $20 at the hardware on the 21st.” And it had begun – Jim’s email was forwarded, and forwarded again – making it to Facebook where it spawned again and again…

It was like Christmas at a toy store. By early morning, Chagrin Hardware was packed full of smiling, supportive shoppers! From regular locals there to support their long-time friends, to strangers coming from out of state. The phones were even ringing with people wanting to know what the store could ship to them!

Now, do me a favor and put yourself in the position of a struggling store owner. Whether you own a 150 year-old hardware store in Chagrin Falls, OH, or just opened a new boutique on Bainbridge Island, WA – your pulse becomes connected to the “ring-ring” of the bell, every time a customer walks through the front door. On a good day, the bell rings every few minutes. On slow days, the bell might ring every thirty minutes or so. On bad days, it might be an hour or two… Your pulse stops as the panic begins…

Now, imagine the bell starts ringing faster and faster throughout the day as an entire community appears in support. Instead of sending a “flash mob” to bring joy through singing and dancing, Jim Black unleashed a cash mob, full of supporters saying, “Hey, guys – it’s gonna be okay. Sometimes we just forget to say thanks, but we love you! We’re here for you, too!” And, they didn’t need some predatory “incentive” from Groupon (where 75%+ of the sticker price doesn’t end up in the register) – they put their money where there mouth was. $20 at a time.

Imagining this scene chokes me up a little bit… It’s why we started RelyLocal, and these are the stories that I love to hear every day. And, if you want to see how shifting just $10 of your existing monthly spending can make a HUGE impact in your community, check out our Occupy Main Street Calculator.

I don’t know what Jim Black does for a living, but he’s the kind of guy I’d partner with in a heartbeat. In fact, this story simply reminds me how privileged and honored we are to be partnering with Jim Blacks all over the country who are spending every minute of every day of their lives, working to support their local businesses (in order to strengthen their communities). Here are just a few of the local business cash-mobsters that we are proud to call our team:
Marty & Ellen Koellner – New Braunfels, TX
Joshua Morrison – Cleveland, TN
Mark Bossenbrook – Bozeman, MT
Stephen Orens – Newark, DE
Caressa Flannery – Frederick, MD
Ted Mortenson – Costa Mesa, CA
Sharlene Briggs – Littleton, CO
Sarah Napier – Bend, OR
Thane Bryenton – Olympia, WA
Alyssa Penman – Victorville, CA
Melien Levoie – Granby, CT
Judy McKnight – Hendersonville, NC
Mike Harrity – Parker, CO
Philip Gallo – Newcastle, PA
Choya Harden – Asheville, NC
Michelle Thayer – Kauai, HI
Jon & Christine Randall – Longview, WA
Brian Wilson – Prattville, AL

Alright, I’ll admit it – after scrolling through those names and seeing their smiley faces on their web pages, I’m a little overcome with emotion – thankful for the amazing talent, passion, and dedication coming from each of these phenomenal people. (I wish I had time to list everyone here…)

So, I guess the point of this post is partly to say “thanks” to Jim Black. But, also to tell our partners just how honored we are to be working with them all. Well done, friends – well done!

- Steve Ramsey
co-Founder, RelyLocal

P.S. If you are interested in joining the RelyLocal family, check here to learn more about launching a RelyLocal campaign in your area. We are currently looking for about 600 more partners across the U.S., and we’d love to hear from you!

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Hood River, OR in the Columbia Gorge is one of my favorite areas on the planet. From my early days of windsurfing there as a teenager, to more recent dreams of settling down there with my family, the town and community have always had a huge place in my heart. And, it’s not just the scenery – it’s the people and local businesses that make Hood River so great (and such a drive for tourist dollars).

So, why are my panties in such a knot? Walmart. Well, maybe not Walmart as much as the Hood River City Council who just voted to approve an additional 30,000 square foot expansion to the already massive 72,000 square foot storefront. All I can think of are the amazing views of Mt. Hood being blocked by more giant signs to another unnecessary “SuperCenter” (see my cheesy animation below…)

As I’ve said a number of times in my blogging and interviews, I’m not necessarily anti-Walmart overall. I’m as much of a capitalist as Sam Walton, I guess, so I can at least understand/respect/appreciate the desire for a company to grow, grow, and grow… That said, I’m certainly a bigger fan of small local businesses in Hood River, and here are a few reasons I don’t think Hood River needs a Walmart at all (let alone a 102,000 sqft monster).

1. Character and Community
Hood River is a thriving tourist town that has built itself around the outdoor recreation, but is second-to-none when it comes to quaint, small, independent, locally-owned businesses. In order to be part of a community, you have to contribute to its ethos. I don’t see how more Walmart in Hood River is going to contribute to anything except less character and less community.

2. Local Dollars Staying Local
We almost moved to Hood River last year, but one of the reasons we didn’t was because the historic library couldn’t even remain open due to a shortage in necessary revenue to remain operational. For every dollar spent in Walmart, a tiny fraction stays in the community (there are too many studies about this to even mention…) How is a bigger Walmart going to help the Library or Public Schools? (Use this little calculator to see what a $10/mo shift in local spending could mean to the community (using the 22,000 county population as a guide, it’s over $1.5Mil/year)

3. Local Decision Making
With square footage comes money. With more money comes more power (and influence). I’d much rather have my local business owners and residents calling the shots on community issues in Hood River than somebody in a windowless cubicle in Bentonville, Arkansas. Want to keep a voice in the community? Support your local decision makers.

4. Environmental Issues
I’m no hippie, but I have always certainly appreciated the strong stances on environmental issues that have always been a natural fit from the Columbia River Gorge. With the crystal-blue skies, reflecting in the icy blue streams that flow through the rolling orchards and farmlands, it makes sense for Hood River to oppose Walmart’s expansion on environmental concerns alone. (Walmart’s 8,000 drivers burn over 118 Million gallons of fuel each year – over 4x the Exxon Valdex spill.)

5. Product Diversity and Competition
There are already several grocery stores in town. There are a couple of great hardware stores in town. And, heck – if you need 80 rolls of toilet paper, there is already a Costco down the road in Portland. The nice thing about local merchants all competing (against one another) is that is drives innovation for a greater product diversity (that “thing” you can’t get anywhere). With Walmart, you get what you get, wherever you are…

Here’s a great graphic from Frugal Dad that gives some great visual representations of just how HUGE WalMart really is… Rather than spoil the creativity with a summary of the data, check it out for yourself:

Not to mention, why is there a Walmart in Hood River, anyway? The town only has a population of about 7,500 residents, and nearby Portland certainly has enough Walmarts for everyone. ;^>

We would LOVE to partner with somebody in Hood River to launch a RelyLocal campaign in the Gorge. Get a hold of us, if you are interested in getting involved in ways to ensure that Hood River’s local businesses and wonderful community are here to stay.

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Our Partners: We have the amazing honor and privilege to be partnered with hundreds of like-minded individuals across the country who are devoting their lives to rebuilding their local economies in order to help their communities grow and prosper. We had the pleasure to spend time with about fifty of these partners (and their teams) during our fall tour, and – I kid you not – many of these folks have the passion, vision, and support to run for Mayor in their towns! Thanks for being a part of it all with us! We couldn’t do it without you!

Our Members: It’s pretty humbling to have partners join the cause, but it’s a little overwhelming to have tens of thousands of businesses across the country from Hawaii to Florida, joining RelyLocal – not just for the tangible services, but to make a statement, as part of the cause. To put it simply – we are humbly honored by the support of local businesses across the country. It’s why we do what we do every day!

Our Team: We have a fairly odd and distributed team of leadership, management, support, business development, and developers. Some are full time, some are part time, some are freelancers – spread across 10 states. While we all have varied backgrounds, locations, and specialties, we are united by one thing: rebuilding local economies.

Our Own Local Favorites: I live in a small town and I wouldn’t have it any way. This morning I had a quick breakfast at a local diner, only to be greeted by name by both waitresses and cook on my way in and given a “Happy Thanksgiving” hug on my way out the door. I’m just as thankful for my local bookstore who hosts about 14 book clubs each week and supports local authors every day. I’m thankful for the local hardware store that carries the random bits and pieces that I’d never find at Home Depot, I’m thankful for the local barber who’s had his shop on the same corner for 36 years and knows every kid by name. I’m thankful for my local accountant who saves me from grave mistakes that TurboTax can’t touch. I’m thankful for the local coffee shop that supports budding local musicians. I’m thankful for the local movie theater that runs more indie films and documentaries than I ever saw in the “big” city. I’m thankful for the I’m thankful for the farmers and artisans at the Saturday market, helping me eat more freshly and healthily while supporting my neighbors…

So – thanks to all of you who make every day such a joy!
- Steve Ramsey
co-Founder of RelyLocal

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