Deb Brown

Small Town Specialist | Co-Founder, Save Your Town

Business Strategy Business Leaders Entrepreneurs Female Business Leaders

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Topics

Change Management Community Building Customer Experience Data & Trends Entrepreneurship Leadership Management Strategy Sales & Negotiation Women in Leadership

Types

Female Speakers TED Speakers

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About This Speaker

Deb Brown’s small-town roots have shaped her into a passionate advocate for community revitalization. Hailing from the tiny town of Geneva, Iowa, with only 141 residents, Deb knows firsthand the power of transforming small towns into thriving communities.

Through her captivating storytelling, Deb brings to life the inspiring journeys of everyday people who have successfully reshaped their small towns. With her unwavering enthusiasm, she shares practical advice on how anyone can become a catalyst for change and create a brighter future for their small town.

As a co-founder of SaveYour.Town, Deb Brown has spearheaded numerous programs that empower small businesses, tackle the challenge of empty buildings, elevate customer service, revolutionize marketing strategies, and drive economic development. Her expertise and insight have garnered widespread praise from various industry professionals, including chambers, economic developers, tourism specialists, museum experts, business groups, and small-town conferences.

Deb’s influence extends far and wide, as she has been invited to keynote prestigious events such as the Rural X Summit, TEDx Brookings, Michigan Rural Economic Development Conference, and many more. From Roscommon County Michigan to Central Iowa Tourism Annual Meeting, her dynamic presence has left an indelible mark on diverse audiences. Additionally, she has shared her expertise at notable conferences like NADO, NRECA, Milbank South Dakota Chamber Annual Dinner, and the renowned 140 Character Conferences. Deb is the author of From Possibilities to Reality: Save Your Small Town with These Uniquely Do-able Ideas, Projects, and Success Stories.

With Deb Brown’s infectious energy and invaluable insights, she emboldens individuals and communities to shape their small towns into flourishing havens of opportunity and growth. Get ready to embark on a transformative journey with Deb, as she guides you toward a future where dreams become realities in small towns worldwide.

Videos

Speaking Topics: Deb Brown

Filling Empty Buildings

Why do building owners keep holding on to empty buildings? Why are they so resistant to all attempts to fill them up? It’s frustrating to deal with reluctant building owners, but there are practical steps you can take. In Pullman, Washington, festival organizers borrowed just the windows of an empty building to display event posters. While they were hanging posters, they went a step further: they washed the windows and swept the floor so the building looked better. Their efforts motivated the building owner to finish clean up and put up a “for rent” sign. Within 2 months, the building was filled with an active business. Learn more practical steps you can put into action right away to begin filling your empty buildings.

Tactical Innovation for Small and Rural Towns

Learn the Idea Friendly Method to implement big ideas in your small town. This engaging session with a national small town and rural expert Deb Brown will explain the importance of gathering your crowd, building connections and taking small steps to encourage the growth and success of your community.

Marketing in a Small Town

Online and offline marketing for small businesses, small organizations, small towns and small projects using no or a small budget to market events, businesses, projects and more. It's more than just Facebook! Learn marketing tools you can use for any size project (or business) that will help you with your goals. Want to market an event? Want to bring in more visitors to your store? Want to showcase what you have to offer? There are many marketing tools we will show you to move your forward quickly. It's not about learning a bunch of stuff and then sitting back and waiting for change. It is about putting ideas into action, utilizing the power of your crowd and the connections you build. In other words - the Idea Friendly way to market in a small town.