Small Business Saturday: "You've Got To Get Mad"

Note: For those of you who follow this blog, my apologies for my rather long hiatus. It's more difficult than I originally anticipated to maintain a blog about my beloved hometown while living somewhere else.  Life pulls one in so many different directions with work and relationships, that blog often finds itself on the bottom of the priority chain.  And yet, I begin again, because I love it and it's my little piece of putting something positive into the universe on behalf of Hibbing.  :)

I found out this week that Leuthold-Jacobson's clothing store, a fixture on Howard Street for as long as I can remember; is closing. 

Now on a certain level, this is not surprising news.  One could read the writing on the wall, looking at fiscal realities and modern consumer habits.  But it is sad, nonetheless.  I shudder to think of the appearance of the Leuthold's building as another empty storefront downtown. 

And yet, before I let myself wander too far down the path of destructive communal self-pity . . . I remind myself that this is a blog about "hearting" Hibbing, about encouraging positive developments in the community, about cheering it on and fighting the good fight. 

This is not the time to give up, give in, and admit defeat.  This is time to re-energize and re-double our efforts.  And along those lines, I offer up the following video for inspiration:

Indeed, it is time to get mad.  Seize the day.  Never surrender.  Victory or death . . .okay, maybe that's a little extreme, but you get the idea. 

It may fly in the face of all logic, but I truly believe that we "the people of Hibbing" can unite and together revitalize our independent business community.  It's all about getting mad and then channeling that energy into getting organized. 

Target Number 1: Downtown Hibbing, Small Business Saturday (November 24th). 

I'll be there.  Care to join me? 

Reflections on Support Hibbing Independents

Happy Saturday, all.  While those of you in Hib-town may be winding down from the Red Ore Run , gearing up for the Jubilee Parade, or just trying to stay cool at a nearby lake; here I am at my apartment in Iowa taking a chance to reflect on last week’s Support Hibbing Independents Initiative. 

I don’t know about the rest of you, but last Friday and Saturday were definitely an eye-opening experience for me.  Some of my coolest discoveries were as follows:

• The Odd Shop has a great line of greeting cards which use vintage photos as well as an excellent selection of Hibbing postcards. 
• Surprise: Bikes on Howard has popcorn and slushies.  Not sure if this was a special occurrence or everyday thing, but I definitely noted it while pricing bike seats.
• Amateur artists like myself can get great deals on art supplies at SoHo where I picked up a couple of canvases, brushes, and a beginners set of oil paints for less than $15. 

Honestly, I had a number of ah-ha moments experiencing downtown Hibbing last week.  Some delightful, others sobering; but one of my favorites was like visiting an old friend and I’d like to share it with you. 

Howard Street Booksellers

After a quick trip to the Hibbing Historical Society on Saturday morning, I ran over to Howard Street Booksellers.  I feel like I have history with this place and the owners, Joe and Mary.  They’re good people, who know their customers and really know their stuff.  Last year when I was looking to buy some books for my darling little goddaughter they were able to explain transitions in the publishing of my favorite Golden Books and help me select titles with better quality bindings, which I never would have noticed on my own. 

So last Saturday when I walked in the shop, Joe greeted me with a smile.  We exchanged pleasantries a bit and I explained I was looking for a couple of good reads to take out to the lake with me that afternoon.  He gave me my space to browse, but I knew he was ready and willing to offer suggestions or answer any questions.  While I was browsing for “the perfect book” I happened to overhear snippets of Joe’s conversations with other customers. 

Thanks Joe, for being such a good sport and letting me capture  a pic for the blog!

“Well, I know that you like kayaking. . .”

“How’s your mother?”

“Well, it’s similar to the other series you were reading. . .”

Dylan-themed display near the entrance.  

It’s been said in a number of places in a variety of ways, but one of the best things about local shops like this is the personal service.  Of course, I buy great books there like my recent Michael J. Fox memoir-find, but I realize that I go to Howard Street for more than books.  I like that when I walk through the doors they know who I am.  They ask about my family and how I like my job.  They know what I am interested in and it’s not the result of some sort of computer profile based on my web browsing habits.  While I acknowledge the fiscal reality of retail business, when I go into this shop I experience a genuine sense of community caring and I think others do too. 

These are the kind of places I want in my hometown.  Shops that make you smile when you walk by, even during off hours.  Places you can go to find what you need both in terms of goods and services, but also in the sense of community. These are spaces that celebrate the unique in a world that is often a little too cookie cutter.   

So, in closing, was the Support Hibbing Independents effort a success?  Well, I don’t know.  There was not a literal mob of people at Howard Street Booksellers, but who’s to say that business was not “up” at many of our local establishments?  I do know that my sister’s shop experienced an uptick and I hope others did as well.  I think it’s a step in the right direction, but there’s a lot more that can be done. 

In the end, it’s about getting people’s attention, changing attitudes, and changing behavior.  That’s tough work.  That’s long term work.  Although “Support Hibbing Independents” may be over, I think this movement is really just beginning.  Let’s continue to talk about and work for supporting a growing small business community in Hibbing.  Together, we can make a positive impact!

Please share your experience of Support Hibbing Independents below, along with any questions or ideas you have about moving this initiative forward in the comments below.

A Little Less Conversation, A Little More Action

As I review the posts I've made to this blog over the past year, I realize that I've done an awful lot of talking about supporting local, independent businesses.  Sure, there's a lot of other things to "heart" in Hibbing, but this is something that I am personally passionate about and I believe deserving of a little extra TLC. 

On that note, I am taking the mantra "actions speak louder than words" to heart in this post.  Writing less in the effort to say more. 

During my recent trip to Hibbing, I decided to deliberately put The 3/50 Project into action.  Supporting indies here in Iowa or when I'm back home in Hibbing is something that comes naturally, but for the purposes of this post, I wanted to be particular.

I withdrew $50 in cash from the ATM before I hopped in my old Grand Am and made the great trek north to the Iron Range.  The money remained set aside in my wallet as I cruised through the Twin Cities, Hinckley, and Cloquet.  Those bills were dedicated to being spent in my three favorite Hibbing independent businesses: Moxie, Howard Street Booksellers, and Rhythm Deli. 

I am happy to report that $49.50 bought me:

• Pair of black dress capris (on clearance)
• Greeting card for my mother's birthday
• Hardcover book The Walmart Effect (used)
• Paperback book Committed to Memory: 100 Best Poems to Memorize
• 1 Chicken Alfredo panini
• 2 cans of Diet Dr. Pepper
• 2 small bags of chips

It was a wonderful and delicious experience, which you can see below.  I'm planning on taking the next few blog posts to go into further detail about what makes these Hibbing businesses awesome and also to talk a little bit about the upcoming "Support Hibbing Independents" event on July 6th and 7th.

Festive window displays always make me smile. 

So many choices.  Looking for just the right book is half the fun. 

Perfect late lunch with my sister before heading out to the lake. 

In the meantime, I invite you to think about your favorite Hibbing independent businesses.  Are there three that you would miss if they disappeared?  I'd love to hear about them in the comment box, or--even better--in a guest post to this blog.

As it says on the bottom of The 3/50 Project's homepage: "Number of people it takes to start the trend . . .you!"  

The Power of Perception

Last week over in the Pro-Hibbing Facebook Group there was a very active thread surrounding the idea of Walmart vs local “mom and pop” businesses.  In a sense it very succinctly laid out the fact that small, local businesses close when you don’t shop there because of the solitary pursuit of the lowest price.  Needless to say it’s been a very passionate (borderline nasty at times) conversation. 

Honestly, I have mixed emotions about it.  On one hand, it’s encouraging that so many people care so much about this issue and perhaps all of this anger and frustration can be channeled into a positive, constructive movement to support local businesses.  On the other hand, it also runs the risk of generating nothing beyond a lot of heat and very little light. 

What really worries me is all of these people speaking of downtown Hibbing as dead.  Sure, there are a lot more empty storefronts than I would like to see, but I feel like this kind of language becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy and a slap in the face to those businesses that ARE there.  These past few years have been a rough economic ride and I feel we should put more energy into congratulating and encouraging the business owners we do have rather than lamenting those who are not there.

Picture of SoHo Gallery & Gifts circa Fall 2009 after their fabulous exterior remodel.  One of my favorite shops in town and proof positive that downtown Hibbing isn't dead.  For more info: here's their listing on Made on the Range.

Perception is powerful and when people perceive that “there is nothing in downtown Hibbing” that will fuel behavior to ensure that becomes reality.  Please allow me to illustrate my point with a story. 

Last summer I was staying in Hibbing for a bit and working in my sister’s clothing store.  It had been a pretty quiet evening one day and I was probably about an hour from closing when a rather bubbly woman came into the shop. 

She was a visitor in town from out of state, actually there for a few days in order to investigate/do the paperwork for starting up a business in town.  She was so happy to have found our little boutique as she was looking for a few fun things for herself as well as some gifts for her daughters back home. 

I helped her find some jewelry that was “just right” and a few other things.  It was a pleasure to work with her and a great sale as well. 

However, this encounter almost didn’t happen.  The woman had explained to me when she arrived that she had asked several people in the local hotel where she was staying if there was a women’s clothing or gift shop in town.  She was told that Walmart was really all there was in town.  Lucky she decided to explore downtown herself and discover that this information wasn’t true. 

So, to my fellow Pro-Hibbing people, yes, our economic decisions matter.  If we want local businesses to thrive we need to vote with our pocket books.  However, we also need to watch what we say and the messages we perpetuate. 

This week’s challenge: do you know all of the local businesses we have in town?  The chamber website is a good place to start, although you could also just take a cruise down 1^st and Howard.  Take some time to explore what these places have to offer and if it makes sense, commit yourself to shopping there; but don’t stop there.  Remember how your words and recommendations have power.  Seek out opportunities to remind people of the good things we have here in Hibbing.  Start a positive chain reaction.  You never know where it may lead.  

Happy Birthday, Bob! For What Else Shall We Have Cake?

The other day someone was talking disparagingly about Bob Dylan's singing voice in relation to a recent concert.  This is not a unique comment as I know it's been echoed (and continues to be) in many conversations around the world.  I did respond to this one though, with a good-natured, "Now, really, don't be hating. . .especially this close to his birthday!" 

Of course this became a window to talk about Hibbing and one of my favorite community events that begins today, the annual Dylan Days celebration.  If you've never been to any of the Dylan Days events, you really should go.  Allow me to particularly recommend the singer/songwriter contest, which has grown so popular it's bloomed into two nights and one afternoon.  I went one year when my brother was participating and Zimmy's was never so packed and filled with great music and people.  I've also heard a lot of great things about the bus tour, although I've never experienced it myself. 

But this blog post, isn't about all of the fabulous events of Dylan Days or even about Bob Dylan himself--although I really do enjoy a lot of his music and think he is a fabulous songwriter.

What I'd like this blog post to be about is how a local, independent business and a few people started something with a simple birthday celebration.  As it says on the Dylan Days website, "Dylan Days began informally in 1991 at Zimmy's Bar and Restaurant in Hibbing, Minnesota (Bob Dylan's hometown). The Dylan-themed establishment hosted a small birthday gathering in Bob's honor that included some impromptu musical performances."  In 2001 the city got involved (along with the chamber and educational partners) and eventually Dylan Days grew into the event and non-profit arts organization organization it is today. 

I like Bob Dylan, but I love how this event serves as a spotlight and source of support for "emerging writers, musicians, and artists in Northeastern Minnesota, especially Hibbing."  Through celebrating the amazing accomplishments and talent of one native son, Hibbing can seize the opportunity to recognize and support the grow of artists of all kinds that call this place home. That's pretty powerful.

And to think it all started with a little birthday party.  Inspiration, anyone?  Today, I tip my proverbial hat to all of the fabulous people who started and sustain Dylan Days and I ask those of you who "heart" Hibbing out there on the interwebs--what (or perhaps who) else is out there that deserves a little cake and celebration? It could be the start of something great.

 I encourage you to comment here or continue the conversation at the I Heart Hibbing Facebook page.   

Bringing Fancy Back: The Idea

I love hearing my parents tell stories about what Hibbing was like long before I arrived on the scene.  Stories from my Dad are great and usually involve some kind of shenanigans, but stories from my mom (who is not from the Range originally) also have a special quality. 

One memory from my mother that sticks in my mind is her relating impressions of Hibbing when she was making the decision to take her first teaching job here after graduating from college in the 1960s.  Her face always takes on something of a rosy glow talking about all of the ladies dress shops that were downtown at the time as well as The Golden Door Bookstore (which honestly just sounds enchanting).  Apparently there was a sign up in the bookstore for an upcoming ballet to be held in the breathtaking Hibbing High School auditorium and that sealed that deal. 

It's a story with very little plot and scant detail, but nonetheless I've always found it magical.  I try to imagine what it was like for my mother, the excitement of one's first post-college job.  To be in a little city where rough and tumble mining roots and realities stood side-by-side with beautiful dress shops, ballet performances, and auditoriums with velvet seats and chandeliers made of crystal imported from Belgium. 

The Golden Door Bookstore came and went before my time, as did the multiple fancy ladies dress shops--although I do remember fun trips to Feldman's and staring through the glass at all of the fancy fashions in LaBoutique as a kid. 

There is something inherently fun in getting dressed up, even if there is no preordained occasion.  There's also something pretty fun about uncovering the fancy in Hibbing, especially when many claim it does not exist. 

It genuinely makes me sad to hear women talk about loving a dress or a fancy piece of jewelry only to follow the statement with the idea that they can't possibly wear either around town.  I glance over my shoulder at these comments wondering if some sort of posse has banded together since I've lived out of town that enforces a strict dress code in which blue jeans are queen and dresses are verboten.  I'm pretty sure said posse does not exist, at least not outside our own minds, which perhaps become preoccupied with what those around us are wearing and thinking. 

So, recognizing that pattern.  I'm offering up a challenge.  On the evening of Thursday, June 7, 2012 lets bring a little fancy back to Hibbing.  Take some time for yourself.  Get dressed up.  Feel pretty.  The occasion?  No other reason other than it's Thursday and why not? 

I don't know if anyone else will get on this train, but on that night I'm planning on doing my hair, putting on a dress that makes me feel fabulous, and hitting the streets of downtown Hibbing .  I want to look at the city with fresh eyes and celebrate all of the beautiful things and people that make it great. 

Care the join me?  The more the merrier.  Watch the new I Heart Hibbing Facebook page for event details within the next day or so. 

Collectively Thinking (and Acting) Outside of the Box

My day job focuses on the idea of innovation.  I went to a conference session a couple of months ago where the presenter talked about how organizations do or do not foster or accept innovation.  Generally speaking systems are designed (and perpetuated) to create and maintain stability, and thus when new or different ideas are introduced into the system they are not necessarily well received.  Oftentimes the only way for new and different ideas to avoid being immediately squashed is for them to exist outside of the system for a certain amount of time. In essence, people work around the system to do what they judge needs to be done, whether that is an opinion shared by the "Powers that Be" or not. 

As I pondered how this idea affects my professional life, I also considered how the theory applies to creating positive change in Hibbing.  We often seek to affect change through official channels, through city government and other official entities.  This is great and makes complete sense, but the reality is that oftentimes ideas can stall out and die in these systems.  I've also noticed how it can disengage people from a sense of personal responsibility, thinking that X is the job of so-and-so or a particular group.  It's always easier to complain about the job someone else is doing than to take responsibility for making a positive, consistent impact. 

So, while I believe that political engagement and thinking systematically are essential to long-lasting changes; I also believe firmly in the power of individuals to take action outside of official channels. 

So, instead of pointing the finger at city officials or certain organizations and proclaiming what they should do, perhaps we should practice a little introspection and consider what each of us can do to make Hibbing a better place.  Then, taking it a step further, consider how those individual actions can have power when we join forces as a group of like minded citizens, ex-pats, and Hibbing aficionados. 

A tiny personal example of how this type of action can work happened in Hibbing last Thursday (May 3rd).  Two days prior I networked with some friends via Facebook and together we plotted a cash mob for {moxie}, a women's clothing boutique located in the Reed Building on First Avenue (full disclosure: this store is owned and operated by my sister, hence the personal connection).  The mob was a small success (particularly considering the short time frame), although it did not make the news, it was greatly encouraging for the store and also an opportunity for like-minded people to find each other and consider about how this kind of thing could spread community wide. 

Breaking this event down, it focused on something individuals could do irrespective of politics or the bureaucracy of any particular organization, and it drew its strength from these individuals banding together.  This is the conversation and action that I would like to help facilitate. 

Is anyone interested in joining me?  I plan on continuing the conversation here on this blog, and starting tonight on the blog's companion Facebook page (www.facebook.com/IHeartHibbing).  I hope those of you who *heart* Hibbing will join me.