Both Becky and I got to meet some of you in August! If you see us at a conference, event, or onsite visit in your neck of the woods, come up and introduce yourself! We love meeting you and hearing your stories.
This fall is filling up, and there just might be a chance to see you on the road!
And oh, don’t forget to take the Survey of Rural Challenges and share it with rural people!
https://saveyour.town/survey2026 The survey closes October 31, 2026.
Deb’s Schedule
September 10-13 Dumfries, VA Onsite visit
- In Partnership with Community Economic Partners I’ll be visiting this historic town to capture the history, the stories and wants and needs of the residents.
September 24-25, 2026 Growth Spark Summit Southern Palmetto Chamber & Foundation, South Carolina
- Keynote: Shaping What’s Next. A people-centered approach to shaping what’s next for your towns—tourism, downtown revival, new businesses, and more. Workshop: Idea Friendly Projects
October 23-24, 2026 Minnesota Brownfields Conference Headed to Rochester, MN to Keynote at the Brownfields Conference
- Keynote: You Can’t Just Wait for Someone to Show Up
November 4-6, 2026 Moshannon Valley, Pennsylvania
- Onsite visit with Community Economic Partners to bring together organizations, nonprofits, residents, and businesses for conversations about what they want.
Currently, I am booking for December 2026 and 2027 keynotes and visits. Let’s have a conversation about your event or idea! Just email deb@saveyour.town
Becky’s Schedule
If you’re within driving distance of southern Minnesota, consider joining me at the Rooted & Rising: Rural Forum at Owatonna, Minnesota, September 14-16, 2026.
Complimentary registrations are available as space allows. The Forum is presented by Compeer Financial, and I’ll be the closing keynote speaker on the Idea Friendly Method. Secure your seat at no cost today at www.Compeer.com/RuralForum.
More Oklahoma events this fall, and it’s great to be recognized in my home state.
- Teeny Tiny Town Summit, Northwest Oklahoma Alliance, keynote on Filling Empty Buildings, October 20, 2026
- Rural Renewal Symposium, Oklahoma State University, October 27-28, 2026
I’ve just been invited for another local collaboration event in Oklahoma this November, and I’m excited to work out the details soon!
Where else you can find us:
Breaking Down Barriers Podcast
Produced by Economic Impact Catalyst, host McKenzie Dial-Fritscher interview both of us. Deb’s episode is “Building Small-Town Momentum” and Becky’s episode just released, “Blurring the Lines Between Business and Community”
Rural Strong Podcast
- We’ve partnered with the Rural Strong podcast, hosted by Joe Barker, to be regular monthly guests. September’s topic is our Survey of Rural Challenges
- Look for us on the first Monday of each month, and add Rural Strong to your favorite podcast subscriptions. Here’s the link to Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2dwg1pcuZRmUPaBRkGXqa3 Here’s the link to Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ruralstrong/id1853878133
Invite us to speak on your podcast: We’d love to! Just email deb@saveyour.town or becky@saveyour.town
Find us on Medium
We’re sharing some of our best stories at Medium at Small Towns, Real Ideas. John C. Shepard submits stories as well. Come on over and check it out!
Community builders and entrepreneurs, together in one cohort.
Have you heard about the Rural Action Cohort? We’ve partnered with Andrew Button from MashUp Lab and we tell you all about it here: https://learnto.saveyour.town/webinar-rural-action-cohort
And did we mention books?
Check out our two books on our Idea Friendly Method:
- From Possibilities to Reality: Save Your Small Town by Deb Brown – your graphic workbook, full of repeatable recipes to choose from and try right away, available in paperback. The Burney, CA, Book Club is on fire, creating all kinds of beautification projects using the book. There are 16 book clubs right now!
- The Idea Friendly Guide by Becky McCray – your guide to understanding the Idea Friendly Method and putting it into action, available in ebook, paperback, and large print.
- Ask about the discount for book clubs and other group purchases! It only takes 5 copies to start. Just email deb@saveyour.town or becky@saveyour.town
