Ready to Go Again...

Wow, another blog you say!? lol Maybe I'll shoot for once a month.

I have not been present for about a year, off and on, where my website is concerned.  I have always felt strongly about my passion after my friend Judy opened my eyes to so many cool "diamonds in the rough" when we moved to East River.  (Editors note: for those of you who don't know, South Dakota is basically divided by the Missouri River and we consider ourselves either East or West River and yes we are very different from each other.)  In the Black Hills where I grew up, tourism and state dollars promote most small and large businesses.  When I moved to East River I realized that it was sink of swim for many small local businesses.  Entrepreneurs and small business owners are pretty much left up to their own devices to get the word out about their business and passion. It really did kill me that small business owners were pretty much left on their own to market--who was going to help them get the word out about their passion, especially in obscure locations?
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Where I started in 2015...Facebook.

In 2015 is when it hit me.  I had to do something to help, and let others know about these businesses. I'm not sure where my passion came from; but it is felt deeply and very real for me.  Because I was an entrepreneur from a very young age, I'm guessing it caused this passion of mine to grow and be all that much more present in me.  Following that came my loyalty. 

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Have you thought of what it is to be loyal?  As a society, are we loyal to much or of anything?  To be loyal as you know means to have an allegiance or a strong feeling of support.  As a loyal person you are faithful and devoted to someone or something.  You're like a trusty dog and always being true to it. 

My tag line is appropriate as I am "fiercely loyal to driving the passion to go local."  
Here are 8 keys to being loyal in a  relationship.
1)  Be Authentic to Yourself and What You're Loyal About
2)  Never Hide it; keep letting people know
​3)  Keep promises and keep building your passion
4)  Don't judge: your community, the people in it,  trying to leave judgement out of it.
​5)  Don't be afraid to stand up and share with others. 
6)  Be committed 100% to continue to work on the loyalty and passion for what you've chosen.
7) Let the desire to grow within to want to see growth and success.  You've chosen to invest, now be
      determined to do all that you can.
8)  Once you've chosen your passion that you're loyal too,  be it's loudest cheerleader and staunchest advocate. ​
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So, how do we get others, our communities and the people within to become more loyal to their community?  Surely they chose their respective communities to live in for some reason: small population, neighborhood friendly,  low crime, less traffic or add your own to the list.  We need to transfer that loyalty.  But how? And how do we pass it on to our younger generations?  I'd like to think teachers and curriculum could add a bit to help teach students the importance of supporting where they live; I believe it would teach loyalty. OR, perhaps the community's Economic Development directors and boards need to go into the classroom. ​None of this is going to happen by itself. ​

As I've said before, I have made the decision to no longer charge a fee to be a part of Travel Backroads; unless you're a Chamber of Commerce and or "cluster" of communities wanting to become a destination on TB. There is a great deal involved in what I do from videos to gathering information.  It was my original idea when I started.  So I'm pretty excited to get back to promoting these gems. Do get a hold of me if you're a Chamber or a cluster of communities---individuals are moving to our state and moving rural, help them also choose your community to relocate to.  Be sure too to stop by my Facebook page and like the businesses I share (their videos are on YouTube).  
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Joan

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