My journey of trying to tell everyone why Michigan is such a great place to live and work, got a little easier today.  I had the privilege of  being interviewed today (Monday December 5) for the Michigan in Motion radio show on Michigan Business Network Internet Radio.  The host Tiffany Dowling and Taylor Kelsaw, where a blast to talk to, and really shared my passion for Michigan.  The interview can be heard on Monday December 5th, at 9am, 2pm, 7pm, and 12am at http://www.michiganbusinessnetwork.com/radio/.

I was so excited to start to talk about the great state of Michigan, I am sure that I forgot some of what I wanted to say, and also due to the short time period they could have me on for, I thought I would expand on some of my thoughts from the show.

IDEAS TO PROMOTE MICHIGAN

The path to recovery for Michigan is going to be through jobs.  Michigan has so much to offer it residents but with out jobs there is no reason for anyone to stay in Michigan.  Michigan so many advantages for entrepreneurs already.  The low cost of living, proximity to higher education that is pumping out some of the best minds in the country, a plethora of existing companies to help mentor and breed start-up.  These all make Michigan a great place to start a business.  We need more incubators and ways to help entrepreneurs to decrease the stress of starting a company.

Michigan has done an amazing job with the Pure Michigan campaigns.  I know that whenever I see one, I get goosebumps.  There needs to a campaign that promotes our businesses.  It is great to promote our bigger companies that most people already know about, how about the companies that are growing that many people may not know about.  The people of Michigan are very supportive of their own, lets help them find companies from Michigan that they can support.  It is also important that the bigger companies who already have a national presents, make sure their national customers know they are from Michigan.  Chrysler has been doing an amazing job of this with their “Imported from Detroit” campaign.

We can not just depend on our government and big companies to do our PR though.  It falls on every single person who lives here.  Instead of making Michigan jokes or just staying silent, stand up for Michigan.  When you travel make sure you tell people about the amazing things that are going on in Michigan.  Send your friends and family that are not lucky enouht to live in Michigan presents from Michigan companies.  We as Michiganders are our best PR, lets get to work.

RETENTION OF RESIDENTS

Michigan has two of the best universities in the world  for recruiting talent.  Michigan State University (39) and University of Michigan (52) according to New York Times.  We need to make sure that these students know about the amazing opportunities in Michigan. This needs to start from the day they walk on to campus.  We need to breed an Entrepreneurial culture the entire time they are going to school.  If a student wants to start a company they should have as much support as possible from the school and the state of Michigan.  We need to breed a culture of entrepreneurship.  The truth is that company are not going to just move to Michigan, but why not grow the companies here?    We also need to do a better job of making sure that our students are exposed to everything that we have to offer.

WHAT CAN YOU DO!

So what does it all come down too?  Michigan has a PR problem.  It is too easy for the rest of the country to just continue to put down Michigan.  There are so many positive things going on in our state, that we need to do a better job getting the information out to the rest of the nation.  It is up to all of us to tell the story of Michigan to anyone that will listen.  If we have to change the our reputation one person at a time, that is what has to happen.

What are your ideas of how Michigan can attract and retain people to our state.  I would love to hear them.

Moosejaw is one of my favorite Michigan retailers.  Not only do they have great products, their staff also really knows what they are talking about.  It is always so much fun to be at the stores.  If you have ever to called their customer service, you are always greeted by a resounding MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSEJAW.  If I was looking for a job with a great company culture, Moosejaw would be first on my list.  Well you are in luck.  They are holding a job fair September 16th, for Holiday positions.   See below for more information.

Moosejaw.com Job Fair
Holiday Staff Needed:
Customer Service Representatives • Warehouse Shippers• Lion Tamers

A variety of schedules are available. Dogs.  And parrots.  This is so confusing.

Friday, September 16th
11am – 4pm

Moosejaw
32200 North Avis
Madison Heights, MI 48071

We’re hiring at Moosejaw.com.  You’ll love it here.  You will want to live here.  Sorry.  That can’t happen.  Please don’t bring your own sleeping bag to work.

Customer Service Reps have an enthusiastic and positive attitude while assisting customers over the phone and through IM with internet orders and questions. We have a reputation for giving the finest service in the world and having tons of fun while doing it.

Warehouse Shippers pack and ship Moosejaw merchandise to customers, handling each package with care and love. TLC folks.  We also have a reputation of playing great music in the warehouse. And sometimes taking breaks to shoot hoops.

Please tell six friends, one ex-girl/boyfriend and two enemies. If you can’t make it to our job fair, feel free to submit your resume to csjobs@moosejaw.com for Customer Service.  Or whjobs@moosejaw.com for Warehouse. Visit our website for more information or if you’re bored.

Mighty Detroit has done it again.  Just like the rest of the country they have got wrapped up in the amazing story that is the US Women’s Soccer Team.  They are offering a 15% discount on all women’s apparel from Today until Sunday July 17th. All you need to do is use Promo Code Women15.  Cheer on the US Women’s Team and help Support Detroit.

A little about Mighty Detroit:

Through our apparel, we hope to capture and present the love Detroiters feel for their City.  We draw from the City’s culture, grit and hard-work ethic.  We are influenced by our sports teams, our innovative automobile industry and the underlying pride that unites us all.  Our apparel is designed to reflect these influences and to show everyone that Detroit is still Mighty.  Most importantly, a portion of the proceeds from each shirt sold are donated to a local charity.

If you see a quartet band riding down the street being pulled by bicycles, you are not hallucinating. You are witnessing Mr B’s Joy Box Express tour across Michigan. Starting in the beginning of July they will be cutting across Michigan, to help raise money for charitable organizations that help introduce and expand children’s involvement in the arts and athletics. If you have never had the privilege of seeing Mr B’s Joy Box Express, I would highly recommend trying to see one of their events, or cheering them on while they pass through your town. The journey starts on July 1st in
Saugatuck and will be finishing in Detroit on July 15th at the Detroit Institute of Art. During the ride through the state they will have many stops. Check out their schedule here. They still have many dates available, so if Joybox Express is coming through your city, and they may be available for a show or fundraiser.  Joybox Express has raised money for many organizations, to see a list of who they have helped.

As I sat in the Filmore Theater in October 2010 for the 140 Conference Detroit, I had an awaking of sorts. The realization came during Charlie Wolborg’s (@CharlieCurve) presentation “Combating Apathy in an Unsocial Detroit”. Charlie challenged the group to actually do something to make Detroit a better place. In a room with most of the elite social media characters of the Metro Detroit area, he wanted them to get off their high horse and make a difference. I took this message to heart. WonderMichigan is fast approaching our 2nd Birthday. We are still finding our voice and how we fit into the Detroit landscape. In two years we have made some great connections and I hope that we have made some people change their thoughts on Detroit and Michigan. Personally I still feel like I have not done anything to really make a change. That is until this month.

In my professional life, I have been working with a great organization Detroit Nation, which is a group of expatriated Detroit’s who are trying to help their native city. I have been working with them to build a website that will help to spread their message. I am proud of the work that I have done with them, and will be ready to share it with the world in the next few weeks. I still feel like I have more to give, so I went looking for an organization that I could help to make Detroit better from the inside. I am happy to announce that I have joined Detroit Synergy. A completely volunteer group who are working to showcase the beauty of Detroit, improve the city, and share ideas with the community. Detroit Synergy has events going on multiple times a month. Some of the more frequent are Third Thursday, Detroit Bikes, and FAB Detroit. Thirsty Thursday once a month and has two functions. First it introduces people to a bar / restaurant in Detroit, and help supports a charity. Detroit Bikes is a great way to see beauty of Detroit. They have a themed bike ride through different areas of Detroit. FAB Detroit is also once a month and it introduces people to what the best restaurants in Detroit have to offer. I am excited to work with such a great organization, and see a lot opportunities to help the city of Detroit.

It may have taken 7 months to actually get out from behind my computer and do something, but it is better to start late then never at all. I started the WonderMichigan project with one of my favorite quotes “A marathon can’t be run without the first step”. With those words I look forward to working with Detroit Synergy. If you have a project that you would like to work on, or any other thoughts I look forward to hearing from you.

Today on Twitter the Detroit Regional Office of the US Census Bureau ask me what would bring people back to Detroit? We all heard this week that Detroit has dropped to a 100 year low of population living in the city.  Detroit has gone from the 11th largest city in the US, to the 14th.  They are now behind Columbus Ohio.  This is not a new problem for the City of Detroit, they have been losing population for the past 50 years.  Michigan was the only state in the country not to grow in the past 10 years according to the 2010 Census.  There are many reason why this has happened, and we could dwell on the reasons forever, that was not the question.  The question was what is needed to bring people back to Detroit?

The short of my answer is Entrepreneurs, Schools, and Neighborhoods. 

I believe that the key to Detroit recovery will lie on the shoulders of the entrepreneurs, who are going to set up their businesses in Detroit.  Let’s face it, Detroit really needs people give it a chance.  Entrepreneurs are the exact type of person who would take a chance on a city that most believe is in decline.  There are definitely political issues that I do not want to get into that can make it hard for big companies to open up shop in Detroit.  Some of the advantages that Detroit holds is that real estate is cheap, labor is cheap, and there are groups out there that are dieing to help people start companies in Detroit.  These entrepreneurial companies are going to bring jobs to the city.  Lets face it, people are not going to live in Detroit if they have to leave to go to work.  These start-up companies also could attract the type of person that Detroit really needs to start a trend of moving back to Detroit.  They are young, risk taking, and are looking for a urban experience.

The second facet of what will bring people back to Detroit is Neighbor hoods.  Cities are built on small neighborhoods.   There is a strength in these small communities that bonds them together and makes it a home.  When I hear my father and grandfather talk about when they used to live in Detroit, most things they did were around their neighborhood.  These neighborhoods need to have local grocery stores, drug stores, parks, and restaurants.  A reason for people to stick around after work.  The would be that these neighborhoods would build up around the new companies.  Detroit has a few areas like this,  Corktown, Midtown, New Center, etc.  We just need a few more.  Once the jobs and the neighborhoods start to pop up, then the stabilizer will be the biggest and hardest to have that is a school system. 

If Detroit really want to attract people who are going to not only move to Detroit but also invest in their homes, and build striving neighborhoods, they are going to need a much better school system.  For Detroit really to make a come back, they need to attract families.  The only way to this is have a school system that rivals those of the suburbs.  Without this, then people will only live in Detroit for 3-5 years, and then will be off to the suburbs.  Once families move into the city they are making a long term investment.  It is hard for families to move all the time, they accumulate much more stuff.  Most families buy a home expect to live in the home for a longer time.  Since they plan to live in these homes longer they have a better sense of ownership, and will improve and take care of the house, which in turn with make the neighborhood better.  Again if the families can send their kids to school in the city, then there is no reason to live in the city.

This is a very simplist view of what will attract people to move into Detroit.  There are a lot of factors that need to be taken in to account, with all these factors that were not discussed in this blog.  The three factors that I think will attact the people to Detroit, will take a period of time that could be as long as 25 years.  I would really love to hear your ideas and thoughts on what will bring people to Detroit?

This post was written by Adam Babcock, my partner with NxtGen Marketing.

A couple months ago, I posted a piece titled “Michigan…Worth Another Look”.   In this post, I talked about how I fell back in love Michigan after getting to spend some time there in between my move from LA to Chicago.  Since then, I have completed my move, and am now residing in Chicago.  While I am no longer back in Michigan, I still want to do my part to support my community back home.  But how?  After all, writing a flattering piece on Michigan is all well and good, but what effect does that have on bringing economic stability to an area that so desperately needs it? Is it possible for someone to be an integral part of the revitalization effort taking place in Michigan without living there?  Thanks to Detroit Nation, the answer is yes!

Shortly after moving to Chicago, one of my best friends, Bryan Fenster, who is a passionate supporter of Detroit, came to me with an opportunity.  He had heard about this organization out of New York called 635 Mile Rd (the name of the organization has recently changed to Detroit Nation to incorporate more of a national theme).  635 Mile Rd (which stands for the number of miles between New York and Detroit) is an organization of Detroiters who have left Michigan, but who remain dedicated to using the energy, creativity, and fundraising potential of the expat community to promote economic development and cultural innovation in Southeast Michigan.  While 635 Mile was started in New York, they had always envisioned it being a national organization.  So after a few successful events in New York, Rachel Jacobs, the founder of the organization, reached out to see if anyone in other states would be interested in expanding the organization.  6 weeks later, Bryan and I, along with the help of fellow ex-Michiganders Tanya Silverstein and AJ Chalom, were hosting the Chicago Chapter Kickoff Event for Detroit Nation!

The event took place a couple of nights ago and was a huge success.  We were able to raise over $1,000 for Motor City Blight Busters, which is a great organization that has been doing amazing things to help stabilize and revitalize the communities of Detroit for over 20 years.  But I do not want to focus so much on the event itself.  What I want to talk about, and what makes me truly proud and excited, is the unbelievable amount of passion and support that has been expressed towards Detroit, and Michigan as a whole, since we started planning this event.   From the moment we sent out notifications about the kickoff event, the positive sentiments started coming in.  Local business owners who grew up in Michigan were reaching out to see how they could get involved in this and future events.  Friends, and even strangers, were sending emails and Facebook messages saying how great this is and that they can’t wait to get involved.  At the event the other night, I can’t even tell you how many times people came up to me and said “I have been waiting for something like this for years.  How can I get involved now?”  In a time where so many outsiders look down on the State of Michigan, it was extremely refreshing and encouraging to be in a room filled with so many people who not only love Detroit for what it is, but believe in what it can become once again. I have had the pleasure of traveling all over the world.  I have lived in other states, and even other countries, and I can honestly say that the connection and sense of community that people from Michigan feel for their home state is unlike any other.

Now, I am by no means trying to say that Detroit, and Michigan as whole, will be able to get back on its feet without people moving back there, and people not leaving in the first place.  As I said in my previous post, I myself do plan on heading home when the time is right, and would encourage others to do so as well.  But until then, there are still so many ways you can get involved and make a positive impact.  And organizations like Detroit Nation will only help us to get back on track more quickly.  The Michigan expat community is very large and can be an extremely powerful tool in the revitalization effort going on back home.  Chicago and New York have answered the call to show everyone what it truly means to be a “Detroit Nation”.  Who’s next?

If you would like more information on Detroit Nation or have any questions, you can leave a comment or email us at detroitnation@gmail.com.

This post was written by Adam Babcock, my partner with NxtGen Marketing.  Although Adam grew up in Michigan, he has been living out on the West Coast for the past few years, until his recent move to Chicago.

I recently decided to move back to the Midwest, from Los Angeles to Chicago.  While apartment hunting in Chicago, I figured I would just stay with my parents back in Michigan.  I thought, at the most I will be home for a couple weeks, and it would give me a chance to spend some quality time with my family (who all still live in Michigan), which is one of the main reasons I wanted to move back to the Midwest.

My plan didn’t quite work out as I had hoped.  It took me much longer to find an apartment than I originally thought it would.  However, I am glad it did, because during my time back home, something truly great happened.  Something completely unexpected, yet much appreciated.  I fell in love with Michigan…again!

I absolutely loved growing up in Michigan.  And I wouldn’t trade my 4 years at Michigan State University for anything.  But after I graduated, I can honestly say Michigan wasn’t exactly my favorite place.  More and more of my friends were moving away.  I was stuck in a job I didn’t like or want.  There were very few opportunities in Michigan to do what I actually wanted to do, and the years and years of cold, grey winters had finally taken its toll on me.   So I left and didn’t look back.

When you don’t live in Michigan, it is easy to fall into the trap of thinking nothing positive is happening there.  Detroit is practically looked at as a third world country by outsiders.  The only press we get is negative press.  Whenever I would go home to visit, they would be short trips focused on family.  I didn’t have time to get out and see what was going on around the community.  So when I recently came back, I came back with the same mindset I had when I left.  “I don’t want to be here.”

It didn’t take long for that mindset to change.  The very first weekend I was home, there was Arts, Beats and Eats in Royal Oak, the Detroit Jazz Festival, and Eminem and Jay-Z, two of the biggest names in hip hop, were putting on show at Comerica Park.  We played host to a number of high profile events, such as TEDxDetroit and 140 Conference Detroit.  I saw Transformers 3 being filmed in Detroit, and heard countless stories from friends and family of all the stars they have been seeing around town.  And as great as these things were, it was the little things that really helped me fall back in love Michigan.  Taking my dog on walks through all the beautiful neighborhoods.  Seeing the sense of community among the residents.  Even the fall foliage!  These are things you don’t necessarily get outside of Michigan.  And quite frankly, I didn’t realize how much I missed them until I came back.

There were two questions people always asked me when I met them for the first time after I had moved away:

1.)   Why did you leave Michigan?
2.)   Would you move back?

I do not regret my decision to move.  I learned a lot over the past 3 years and they have helped me grow to be the person I am today.  But my answers to these questions have certainly changed. 3 years ago, I would have told you, I left because I wanted to live somewhere I could have fun in the sun, and that I probably don’t see myself ever going back.  While the answer to the first question might be the same, my answer to the second question is dramatically different.  Would I ever move back to Michigan?  I not only hope to, but I plan on it!

My question to you is, have you taken another look at Michigan lately?

After attending the TEDxDetroit conference on September 29th at the Detroit Institute of Art, I left in a daze.  There are so many great things going on in and around Detroit.  The mix of established businesses, up and coming companies along with the artist that inhabit the city, left me with a great sense of hope and excitement  Since the event happened a week ago, I just wanted to give a quick overview of what got me excited.

Artist
Jocelyn Rainey-Founder – J Rainey Gallery:  Jocelyn Rainey teaches art and culture to Detroit Youths, in here looking for the Mona Lisa Project.  Not only are they learning about art and culture but she takes them to see the art in their native land.  So fare they have been to Paris, Spain, Japan, and Egypt.
Joybox Express: In 2010 4 musicians completed the 2nd Annual tour across Michigan hauling instruments on bicycles for 300 miles, raising money for children’s charities.
Anuja Rajendra-Creator and CEO-BollyFit: A great wake up after lunch, she had us dancing in the ailses.  A great story of coming home to Michigan to find yourself.
Dave Blair: My favorite poem of the day, “Detroit while I was gone”.  A moving poem about how Detroit calls to him while he is gone.  He sees beauty is all aspects of Detroit.

Inspiring Businesses
Geoff Horst-Algal Scientific Corporation: A Michigan born company, that is working to clean up our water system through filtering waste water from factories.  The company in their second year, is not only helping to preserve one of Michigan’s natural resources, but also working to make the world a better place with clean energy.
Will Smidlein: He is 13 and building a business.  There is not much more to say.  He mostly talked about the advantage of starting at a young age when he has not financial obligations.  Soon his parents will be asking him for an allowance.
Jerry Paffendorf & Mary Lorene Carter- LOVELAND:This is the presentation of the day.  They used imagination and innovation to sell an inch of Detroit real estate at a time.  They have since moved on to rehabbing two houses in Detroit to an Imagination Station.
Erik Proulx-Flim Maker-Lemonade: The preview of Lemonaid Detroit, how there is great stories in Detroit that just need to be told.  It was very inspiring, and I cannot wait for the movie to come out.

As I watched the premier of Detroit 187 on ABC last night, I had mixed feelings about the show.  The writers did a pretty good job of incorporating Detroit and the surrounding areas into the story lines.  There were a few goofs also, but only native Michiganders would have noticed.  The murder and violence were no worse then other police dramas located in big cities.  I thought the shots of Detroit were respectful, they showed some blight but also showed areas that were nice looking.  With an emerging film industry in Michigan, there are going to be more and more TV shows and movies shot in Detroit.  The question is how should Detroit be portrayed?

For a person who has never stepped foot into Detroit, their only way of knowing is through what they see in the media.  There are a ton of abandoned buildings in the city and it is not economically very strong.  Not all of Detroit looks like this.  There are areas in Detroit that are great areas to visit and live in.  These areas should also be part of what Detroit looks like.  The homes in the Boston Edison neighborhood, are gorgeous and tell a story of our history.  Areas such as Corktown, Fox town, and the River walk, show the beauty of Detroit.  As a Detroit-er I of course want the great part of Detroit to be shown, but is that realistic?  Detroit’s unemployment rate is astronomical, but it even if it 20%, that means that 80% of Detroit-ers are employed.  Shows like Hardcore Pawn on True TV, show the run down beat up side of Detroit, because it emphasizes the point of the show.  Does this make it the true face of Detroit? 

For me Detroit looks like 1989 Bad Boy Pistons team.  From inside Michigan they are one of the best sports teams in our history, from outside the Michigan they are looked at a group of thugs that bullied their way to a championship.  They embodied what Detroit could be while also showing what Detroit was.  We are blue collar get your hands dirty kind of town, we may not be the most attractive city, but we have our own sense of charm.  So what should Detroit look like?