Podcast 191: The Power of Showing Up in Communities with Jamie Beasley

Episode 191 of the Econ Dev Show Podcast is live. Listen now.

In this episode of the Econ Dev Show, Dane Carlson welcomes back Jamie Beasley, who shares her path from chamber leadership to her current role as a Regional Development Specialist in north central Oklahoma.

Jamie discusses the joys and challenges of working with small towns, the importance of building authentic community connections, and the value of bringing fresh ideas from other places.

She also introduces her new initiative, Econ Dev Ops, a virtual assistant service tailored to chambers of commerce and economic development organizations, designed to help overburdened leaders focus on strategy and growth.

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Ten Actionable Takeaways for Economic Developers

1. Spend time in the field. Nothing replaces face-to-face conversations.
2. Look at how other communities solve problems; good ideas travel well.
3. Small towns often lack staff capacity; find ways to connect them to resources.
4. Collaboration across counties and regions can amplify limited resources.
5. Celebrate small wins to keep communities motivated for long-term goals.
6. Don't underestimate the importance of simply listening to local leaders.
7. Recognize that chamber directors and small-town EDs often juggle multiple roles.
8. Consider outsourcing administrative tasks (like social media, invoicing, and newsletters) to free up strategic capacity.
9. Include small towns in summits and regional events--they often feel overlooked.
10. Focus on relationships and encouragement--sometimes validation is as valuable as funding.

Sponsored By

• Sitehunt: Sitehunt is an AI-enhanced platform that helps economic developers build a comprehensive property database, enabling informed decisions and efficient RFI responses to accelerate site selection and project success.

Episode Links

• Jamie Beasley | LinkedIn
• Chamber Burnout with Jamie Beasley - A Podcast for Chamber Professionals
• Econ Dev Ops LLC
• Sitehunt
• Crowdfund Better
• SmartStart Business Development
• SaveYour.Town – Practical steps to shape a better future for your community, small town, rural or local neighborhood
• Oklahoma Department of Commerce | Building business in OK
• Econ Dev Show Podcast - Economic Development 106: The First Month in the ED Director's Chair with Jamie Beasley