web01.fireside.fm Thu, 30 Apr 2026 10:11:02 -0500 Fireside (https://fireside.fm) Econ Dev Show Podcast - Economic Development - Episodes Tagged with “Local Assets” https://podcast.econdevshow.com/tags/local%20assets Mon, 21 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0500 Dane Carlson explores the strategies, ideas, and insights that are driving economic development forward into the future. You'll hear new insights from passionate ED's about their successes and struggles, and you'll learn from attraction and retention experts about how to apply actionable strategies inside your EDO. We'll help take your organization, your community, and your career to the next level. en-us episodic Actionable economic development strategies and stories Dane Carlson Dane Carlson explores the strategies, ideas, and insights that are driving economic development forward into the future. You'll hear new insights from passionate ED's about their successes and struggles, and you'll learn from attraction and retention experts about how to apply actionable strategies inside your EDO. We'll help take your organization, your community, and your career to the next level. no econ dev, economic development, ed Dane Carlson show@econdevshow.com 183: Small-Scale Manufacturing as Community Development Strategy with Ilana Preuss https://podcast.econdevshow.com/183 ea83373e-c7e8-4624-b51e-c555c3017102 Mon, 21 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0500 Dane Carlson 183 Small-Scale Manufacturing as Community Development Strategy with Ilana Preuss full Dane Carlson Dane Carlson reconnects with Ilana Preuss, founder of Recast Your City, to discuss how economic developers can transform communities by focusing on small-scale manufacturing and engaging directly with local business owners and residents. 31:21 no In this episode of the Econ Dev Show, host Dane Carlson welcomes back Ilana Preuss, founder and CEO of Recast City, for a follow-up conversation four years after her initial appearance on the show. Preuss shares insights on how economic development has evolved and discusses her methodology for helping communities identify and support small-scale manufacturing businesses. The conversation explores how economic developers can create meaningful change with relatively modest investments by focusing on local assets, engaging directly with community members and business owners, and implementing targeted strategies that respond to actual community needs rather than pursuing expensive business recruitment projects. Like this show? Please leave us a review here (https://econdevshow.com/rate-this-podcast/) — even one sentence helps! Ten Actionable Takeaways for Economic Developers Engage directly with small-scale manufacturing business owners to understand their specific needs and challenges before creating programs. Focus on modest, targeted investments ($10K-$20K) rather than expensive business recruitment projects that may not address community needs. Identify and leverage existing local assets and manufacturing businesses already present in your community. Meet with property owners to understand real estate availability and constraints for small manufacturing businesses. Analyze community feedback to prioritize actions that will create the biggest impact based on local goals and beneficiaries. Create short-term wins that build momentum toward longer-term, more complex development projects. Thread the line between community assets, needs, and goals to develop effective priority strategies. Focus on de-risking economic development investments by ensuring projects respond to actual community needs. Build "sticky" communities by creating places where interesting commercial activity takes place and people want to be. Use systematic methods to gather information from stakeholders and translate that into actionable development strategies. Special Guest: Ilana Preuss. econdev, economic development, eco devo, small-scale manufacturing, community development, economic development, local assets, stakeholder engagement, business recruitment, investment strategy, community needs, property owners, neighborhood revitalization In this episode of the Econ Dev Show, host Dane Carlson welcomes back Ilana Preuss, founder and CEO of Recast City, for a follow-up conversation four years after her initial appearance on the show. Preuss shares insights on how economic development has evolved and discusses her methodology for helping communities identify and support small-scale manufacturing businesses. The conversation explores how economic developers can create meaningful change with relatively modest investments by focusing on local assets, engaging directly with community members and business owners, and implementing targeted strategies that respond to actual community needs rather than pursuing expensive business recruitment projects.

Like this show? Please leave us a review here — even one sentence helps!

Ten Actionable Takeaways for Economic Developers

  1. Engage directly with small-scale manufacturing business owners to understand their specific needs and challenges before creating programs.
  2. Focus on modest, targeted investments ($10K-$20K) rather than expensive business recruitment projects that may not address community needs.
  3. Identify and leverage existing local assets and manufacturing businesses already present in your community.
  4. Meet with property owners to understand real estate availability and constraints for small manufacturing businesses.
  5. Analyze community feedback to prioritize actions that will create the biggest impact based on local goals and beneficiaries.
  6. Create short-term wins that build momentum toward longer-term, more complex development projects.
  7. Thread the line between community assets, needs, and goals to develop effective priority strategies.
  8. Focus on de-risking economic development investments by ensuring projects respond to actual community needs.
  9. Build "sticky" communities by creating places where interesting commercial activity takes place and people want to be.
  10. Use systematic methods to gather information from stakeholders and translate that into actionable development strategies.

Special Guest: Ilana Preuss.

Sponsored By:

Links:

]]> In this episode of the Econ Dev Show, host Dane Carlson welcomes back Ilana Preuss, founder and CEO of Recast City, for a follow-up conversation four years after her initial appearance on the show. Preuss shares insights on how economic development has evolved and discusses her methodology for helping communities identify and support small-scale manufacturing businesses. The conversation explores how economic developers can create meaningful change with relatively modest investments by focusing on local assets, engaging directly with community members and business owners, and implementing targeted strategies that respond to actual community needs rather than pursuing expensive business recruitment projects.

Like this show? Please leave us a review here — even one sentence helps!

Ten Actionable Takeaways for Economic Developers

  1. Engage directly with small-scale manufacturing business owners to understand their specific needs and challenges before creating programs.
  2. Focus on modest, targeted investments ($10K-$20K) rather than expensive business recruitment projects that may not address community needs.
  3. Identify and leverage existing local assets and manufacturing businesses already present in your community.
  4. Meet with property owners to understand real estate availability and constraints for small manufacturing businesses.
  5. Analyze community feedback to prioritize actions that will create the biggest impact based on local goals and beneficiaries.
  6. Create short-term wins that build momentum toward longer-term, more complex development projects.
  7. Thread the line between community assets, needs, and goals to develop effective priority strategies.
  8. Focus on de-risking economic development investments by ensuring projects respond to actual community needs.
  9. Build "sticky" communities by creating places where interesting commercial activity takes place and people want to be.
  10. Use systematic methods to gather information from stakeholders and translate that into actionable development strategies.

Special Guest: Ilana Preuss.

Sponsored By:

Links:

]]> 140: Transforming Southern Illinois' Economic Development with Deb Barnett https://podcast.econdevshow.com/140 a6d4dca2-6d70-4c8d-8807-57b244b34d57 Mon, 16 Sep 2024 00:15:00 -0500 Dane Carlson 140 Transforming Southern Illinois' Economic Development with Deb Barnett full Dane Carlson Deb Barnett, executive director of SI Now, discusses the organization's regional approach to economic development in Southern Illinois on the Econ Dev Show with host Dane Carlson. 29:42 no In this episode, Dane talks with Deb Barnett, the executive director of SI Now. SI Now is a relatively new regional economic development organization founded in the fall of 2022, serving 17 counties in Southern Illinois. She explains that the organization was created to address the need for a more strategic and collaborative approach to economic development in the region, moving away from the previous model where communities and counties worked in isolation. During the conversation, Barnett highlights SI Now's focus on long-term economic growth and shares insights about their current projects and future plans. She also discusses her involvement in a podcast called "Small Town Big Business," which features interviews with small business owners in Southern Illinois. Barnett emphasizes the importance of storytelling in economic development and expresses optimism about the increasing number of opportunities and projects in the pipeline for the region. Like this show? Please leave us a review here (https://econdevshow.com/rate-this-podcast/) — even one sentence helps! Special Guest: Deb Barnett. Economic development, Southern Illinois, regional collaboration, SI Now, Deb Barnett, rural economy, small business, storytelling, innovation, community partnerships, workforce development, business incubation, strategic growth, local assets, regional marketing, Field Trip Fridays, podcasting, rural revitalization, entrepreneurship, cross-county cooperation In this episode, Dane talks with Deb Barnett, the executive director of SI Now.

SI Now is a relatively new regional economic development organization founded in the fall of 2022, serving 17 counties in Southern Illinois. She explains that the organization was created to address the need for a more strategic and collaborative approach to economic development in the region, moving away from the previous model where communities and counties worked in isolation.

During the conversation, Barnett highlights SI Now's focus on long-term economic growth and shares insights about their current projects and future plans. She also discusses her involvement in a podcast called "Small Town Big Business," which features interviews with small business owners in Southern Illinois. Barnett emphasizes the importance of storytelling in economic development and expresses optimism about the increasing number of opportunities and projects in the pipeline for the region.

Like this show? Please leave us a review here — even one sentence helps!

Special Guest: Deb Barnett.

Sponsored By:

Links:

]]> In this episode, Dane talks with Deb Barnett, the executive director of SI Now.

SI Now is a relatively new regional economic development organization founded in the fall of 2022, serving 17 counties in Southern Illinois. She explains that the organization was created to address the need for a more strategic and collaborative approach to economic development in the region, moving away from the previous model where communities and counties worked in isolation.

During the conversation, Barnett highlights SI Now's focus on long-term economic growth and shares insights about their current projects and future plans. She also discusses her involvement in a podcast called "Small Town Big Business," which features interviews with small business owners in Southern Illinois. Barnett emphasizes the importance of storytelling in economic development and expresses optimism about the increasing number of opportunities and projects in the pipeline for the region.

Like this show? Please leave us a review here — even one sentence helps!

Special Guest: Deb Barnett.

Sponsored By:

Links:

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