How Listening Turned Into A Movement For A Better Owensboro

Big change doesn’t start with a headline. It starts when neighbors get heard and invited to build the next step together. This conversation digs into how the Building A Better Owensboro effort—powered by the Greater Owensboro Leadership Institute and guided by the Harwood Institute—turns community aspirations into practical action across health, housing and homelessness, arts, and youth.

We talk about why listening comes before planning, how broad wishes become specific moves, and what it takes to replace one-way announcements with two-way dialogue. You’ll hear concrete examples like Walk Owensboro, a coalition-led effort that gets people moving together in local parks to boost health and connection. We unpack common themes that surfaced in dozens of conversations: clearer communication, safer neighborhoods, more opportunities for teens and young adults, and keeping multiple generations rooted in Owensboro. Rather than reinventing the wheel, we focus on connecting the dots—linking people to trusted resources, strengthening collaboration among organizations, and opening easy on-ramps for anyone willing to help.

The heart of it is culture change. When residents step up—joining a walking group, attending a mixer, serving on a board, or emailing to get involved—the city starts to mirror its people more accurately. Progress looks like new voices at the table, partnerships that outlast any single project, and a shared pride that makes families want to stay. If you’ve ever thought, “Someone should fix that,” this is your invitation to be that someone. Subscribe, share this with a neighbor who cares about Owensboro, and tell us where you want to plug in. Ready to help build what’s next? Email GOLI@Owensboro.com and let’s get to work together.

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Transcript

Opening And Purpose

SPEAKER_00 0:00

That here in Owensboro, the people who live here can can do big things that our community needs. Welcome to All Things Owensboro. Today's conversation is about our community, where we are, where we're headed, and how listening can shape what comes next. Because real change doesn't start with a big announcement or quick fixes, it starts with people feeling heard. I'm joined by Travis Williams and Colette Carter, leaders in building a better Owensboro Initiative. This work began by intentionally listening to voices across Owensboro and Davis County, hearing people's hopes, concerns, and aspirations for the future of the place they call home. From those conversations, shared priorities begin to surface health, housing, and homelessness, the arts and our youth. But what you'll hear today goes beyond any single focused area. This is a conversation about ownership, collaboration, and what happens when a community chooses to step up rather than sit back. So as you listen, don't just hear this as a discussion about Owensboro. Hear it as an invitation to be engaged, to be involved, and to believe that each of us has a role in shaping the future of Owensboro, Kentucky. Hey guys, welcome back to All Things Owensboro. Hope you had a great new year and uh very excited to see what you're gonna get into this this year, 2026. And uh, you know, if you you want to put it out there, throw it out there in our comments of what you plan on doing this new year, whether it's a new habit or maybe it's an old habit you're trying to get back into, or I don't know, sometimes that's not good, but uh but we appreciate listening to this podcast. I hope that this continues to be a habit that you make for 2026. So thank you, Blue Bridge crew. Today, though, I have two guests on with me today, and we're we're talking about our community. So, where are we going? What are we doing? And in doing that all together, uh, we're joined by leaders involved in building a better Owensboro. It's an initiative created in partnership with the Greater Owensboro Leadership Institute and the Harwood Institute. So this work began by listening and really listening to a bunch of people around Owensboro and Davis County about what matters most to them, their hopes, and their concerns for the future. Again, we're moving forward, we don't want to move backwards. So through community conversations held throughout our city, residents have shared their stories or challenges and their ideas for creating positive change. And from these conversations, focuses areas like health, housing, and homelessness, the artists and the youth have emerged as priorities for our community. So today's conversation, uh we have Travis on as well as Ms. Colette, and we're talking about how to understand the work, sharing what's been learned so far, and exploring how collaboration across neighborhoods, organizations, and faith-based communities can help make Owensboro stronger and better for everyone. So we're grateful for the chance to share this conversation with you. Travis, Colette, thank you guys for coming on. Thanks for having us. Yes, sir. Yes, ma'am. So, you know, you guys both live in Owensboro, and so before we get into the the nan gritty of things, yeah, I always like to ask every guest for you guys, what makes Owensboro Owensboro?

What Makes Owensboro Unique

SPEAKER_01 2:57

Well, I think that one of the things that we've heard echoed across the conversations that we've had in our community is that really Owensboro is the mixture of all the people who live here. And I think that's realistically true, right? What defines a city or a place is all the people that live there. And so when we talk to people in the community, we keep hearing that same frame from there as well that it's it's just the people who are here in this place.

SPEAKER_00 3:25

Yeah, yeah. From Ms. Pillet, what about you? What do you when you hear Owensboro?

SPEAKER_03 3:28

Uh, you know, we're a great community and and proud to have been here for some time. Didn't grow up here, but I've been here longer than I've been anywhere else and love Owensboro. I think the biggest thing about Owensboro is we get things done. You know, I think we have the the history and the ability where people band together and work together, and we've proven that, you know, for a very long time, that folks are here to support each other and they take a lot of pride in our community and and you know, welcoming people and also being just being a great place to live.

How The Initiative Started

SPEAKER_00 4:00

Yeah, exactly. I would agree with that. I think that's been a common theme among most of our listeners. So for listeners uh who we call the Blue Bridge crew, for them who may not be familiar with with what's going on, can you guys briefly explain the building of Better Owensboro Initiative and how it began? Sure.

SPEAKER_01 4:15

So the initiative is based on the work of the Greater Owensboro Leadership Institute, which was established in 2022. It's a nonpartisan nonprofit organization, and they get their support from local foundations, businesses, and community leaders to help foster leadership for a stronger, healthier, and more prosperous community. And what we're doing on a local level is trying to utilize the models of the and trainings of the Harwood Institute, which is a nationwide organization that's helped communities around the country to improve their areas through civic engagement and fostering a more expansive and engaged civic culture in those communities. So we've brought them in to help teach us how they found that to be successful and building that type of a culture in various other communities of all shapes and sizes in all different areas of the country with all different types of people. And so we're trying to learn from their experience and hopefully help emulate that type of success here in Owensboro.

Four Focus Areas Emerge

SPEAKER_00 5:24

Yeah, well, you talked about we or us, and so we talked about that. Uh, I think earlier you guys said there was a certain number of people that's in this group and whatnot. How many people make up the this greater leader of Owensboro Leadership Institute?

Why Listening Comes First

SPEAKER_03 5:35

So the actual with this particular work, um, there was about 50 of us that started out with the original lab, but it has grown to probably double in size overall, just a number of people. And we do have the four working groups now. We're part of the health group, and there are actually four groups. One is on homelessness, one is on arts, then us. And so really we're out there really just trying to make contact and and really talk to people that maybe haven't had a chance to give their voice. And so, I mean, that's what it's really about. So it we're growing and we're continuing to grow. So every day, and you know, that's one thing we want to emphasize here is that you know, we need other folks to join us. It's not about who's currently involved, but we need everybody in the community to step up and get involved to help make the bigger impact.

SPEAKER_00 6:24

Yeah, that's really cool. You know, you guys said you guys are on the health aspect, but there does just because you're not in the health doesn't mean you can't jump on and get involved. And so it seems really neat. It's not just something that's happening with a select group of people, it's really open to anybody, and that's really neat to see. And so, you know, going into community conversations, so right into if you want to get involved, you know, how does how those conversations reveal about how people truly feel about living in Owensboro and Davis County?

SPEAKER_03 6:49

So there's a group of there's a based on the Harwood model, there's there's some core questions that we do that, you know, we go in with no perceived notions because we want to hear from other folks, but we ask them what their aspirations are, what they would like to see, and what their hopes are for the community. And that's kind of how those conversations start out is really going to people in different groups and really finding out what really matters to them.

SPEAKER_00 7:13

Listen, Ian and Travis, what have what have you heard from conversations? Like what are what's been some of the big things that you've been able to draw from that? Hey, quick pause. I'm Brad Winter, host of All Things Owensboro Podcast. If you're looking for a church that feels like home, we'd love to invite you to First Baptist Church Owensboro. We gather Sundays at 10 30 a.m. right next to the Blue Bridge. Info's in the show notes, and if you reach out, my family will gladly sit with you.

From Vague Complaints To Specific Actions

SPEAKER_01 7:46

That people are very passionate about wanting to live in a good space. I think that no matter what age range or gender or affiliation or how long they've lived here, any group that we talk to has some basic core aspirations that they want to live in a good community that has opportunities, that is kind, that is someplace they are proud to be, that has opportunities, that they can keep multiple generations of their family close by and engaged, that they can live in and continue to live in, and that will be safe and thriving. And I think that no matter who we've talked to, we we just keep hearing the same types of things from different venues.

SPEAKER_00 8:43

Okay, yeah, that makes sense. And so it's interesting because you like you said there's a commonality a lot of times in these conversations and where people are what people are wanting, how they want to see Owensville grow or or even improve. And so, you know, why was it important to listen first before deciding on hey, what groups do we need to make? What what are the changes that we really truly need to make? So why why is it so important to listen first before dreading some action steps?

Communication Gaps And Community Voice

SPEAKER_01 9:08

I think in modern day American culture the does the importance of listening is is matters now more than ever. Most people uh feel that they don't have a voice because the problems are complicated and they seem too big for them to impact because we are surrounded by all of this statewide and nationwide and worldwide news with these huge problems that never seem to be resolved. But in reality, what we want is to have the place we live to be a good place to live, and we can impact things on the local level. So by going and having these conversations, we're letting people have a voice, letting people be heard, um, and hopefully by hearing them, we're able to encourage them to be engaged, to create the change that they want to make, because we can impact things on a local level. I can't always promise that uh that that I or any of us here can change the way that uh things work in the state level or the way things work on the national level. But I know that here in Owensboro, the people who live here can can do big things that our community needs. And listening is important because we so often get into our own specific bubbles, right? Where we we hear one set of problems and we only hear one set of possible solutions for those sets of problems. And so by coming together, we start to hear each other. And by listening, we realize that in actuality, we're not all on these separate polarized paths, but we're all really just neighbors who at the end of the day want the same types of things and would accomplish those same types of things in probably the same manners. Uh so we we all see the same problems, we all would agree on similar solutions. And so I think that in a local context, there's a lot of opportunity to see a lot of big change. Once we start to identify those changes, though, that's where the the key comes in. When we talk to people during these meetings, and this is why having listening, but also having intentional questions during those sessions is important because we really want to help narrow down the uh broader concerns, the generality concerns from people, into helping them think of what's real core identifiable changes that we can impact. Not we want more opportunities, we want better safety, we want a growing area. Those are all broad in general terms. So what we do is we try to help people think about yes, you want those things, but when you say we need those things, what do you really mean? What does that actually look like? And by learning what it actually looks like, we help people identify those local, tangible, small steps that they could actually make a difference in.

Safety, Youth Retention, And Growth

SPEAKER_00 12:28

No, I think it's great because I think a lot of times, like I know I did this right when I first moved to Owensboro, and I was like, hey, what are some things you think would be good for Owensboro to have? Or like I'm just thinking I'm community engagement. How do I like what are some what do people want to do in Owensboro? And a lot of it was very vague, very well, we need less car washes and less coffee shops and or you know, churches, whatever. And so it's cool that we're going past that point and saying, okay, like, okay, we we hear you, but but what are but uh we want you to help us in that solution that it's not just we hear the complaints and we make decisions, but we want you guys to be a part of that as well. And that seems like that's kind of where you guys are going with that.

Collaboration Examples Like Walk Owensboro

SPEAKER_01 13:06

Yeah, we're trying to promote a culture that returns to active civic engagement, which doesn't just mean going to vote at election time, it doesn't just mean complaining to your neighbors, it means actually being engaged, participating, doing the work alongside others who are also doing the work so that you make a difference instead of sitting on the sidelines and letting others make choices for you because people feel as though they aren't empowered. But in reality, it's because so many of us choose to give our power away. Um, and when we choose not to act, we let others then act on our behalf. Or when we choose not to speak, we let others speak on our behalf. I have found it to be so interesting when we've talked to people and asked them for uh specific ways that this community would look different, not vague generalities. Give me a specific way that you would envision exchange happening. So few people have ever sat down and thought about what they could actually see done to impact that change. No one has asked them to think about solutions. And once we we think once we start asking them to think about solutions, they'll get in a mindset where they do think about solutions. And so when they see problems, they'll say, Hey, not only do I see a problem, but I also can think of a solution, and I can think of a way that I can help make that solution happen, and then we start getting lots of stuff done.

SPEAKER_00 14:45

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Arts And Youth Leadership Efforts

Culture Change Over Quick Fixes

SPEAKER_03 15:52

Those were prioritized from some initial work that the Harwood Institute actually did in the community to actually do some focus groups and some conversations initially. And then those were kind of the groups that were given to us, you know, from what they heard initially kind of to work. But the cool thing about it is while we all have different titles, what we found is our work is very it crosses over very intently. And so there's a lot of collaboration that continues to happen. You know, the approach is called turning outward, and that's kind of, I mean, Travis did a great job in describing that. It's kind of being open to the possibility and listening to what people say and and you know, moving on those things that we can we can impact. But it's also about people working differently together. And so a lot of groups work together on a regular basis, and through this process, we're we're called what we say causing ripples. And so maybe they're finding different approaches and even how they work and collaborate and work together, you know, long term. And so that's been the really cool thing is whether it's children and youth and some of those, sometimes each group can help each other. And sometimes there's some crossovers and some same commonalities that we can all work collaboratively, you know, collaboratively on. So that's been kind of a really fun, cool opportunity. But just new renewed relationships, I think, has been really cool as you know, organizations that work together all the time and can come together. One particular that we could talk about with our group is we did what was called Walk Owensboro. And it's an initiative with six community partners. It's the Parks Department, it's the uh River Valley Behavioral Health, Owensboro Health, the Green River District Health Department, the Leadership Institute. And what we did is actually we know that, you know, inactivity in adults stays about 30% in this community. And we also know that physical activity and movement and connectivity makes a difference. So this is modeled after Walk Philly, and we were able to do an initiative that kicked off in the fall, encouraging people to form walk walking groups that meet in local parks. And then the parks department has um, you know, greatly put some of those walking groups on. So the idea is if you don't have someone, you have an interest and you want to make connectivity, perhaps you could go to a Moreland park and walk with a group at nine o'clock on Tuesdays. And you're welcome to do that. So it's really about that initiative was about not only getting people up, get them active, get them into our great built environments of the parks, but also to make that connectivity. Yeah. Because maybe a senior, we've heard seniors say, Well, I'd love to walk in the park, but I'm fearful to go by myself for safety reasons. Well, this is an opportunity that maybe they could find a group that they can connect with. And so it's about building community.

SPEAKER_00 18:31

Okay. I like that. Uh, I actually was born and raised in Philly, so that's pretty cool that you guys got walked off that from walk Philly. So it's neat. I mean at the Greenways, I mean, there's tons of opportunities for people to get out and walk and move around. So that's pretty neat. So uh well, let's go into, you know, there a lot of times when it comes to having four groups, there's still some maybe a group or two that probably feels a little more urgent than the other. And so for you guys right now, like what focus area feels most urgent and why?

How To Get Involved And Contact Info

SPEAKER_03 18:59

I think one of the things that we've been working on is um when you talk about communication and people want to be in the know, they want to have a voice, so that's it's that's that broad, as Travis was talking about. So when you say there needs to be better communication across the community, what exactly does that mean? So we've we've done a a survey that we're continuing to look at and figuring out how to advance forward so we can kind of understand what that means. I mean, we can't boil the ocean, right? And so communication is big, but looking at where people get information, also knowing that our community is pretty rich with resources, and sometimes it's just people don't know where to find them. And making that connectivity with the resources as well.

SPEAKER_00 19:36

Okay. And Travis, what about on I mean, I'm assuming it's probably the same thing, but what were your thoughts on that?

SPEAKER_01 19:43

I would tend to agree. People are looking for ways to stay connected, to communicate, to feel like they have a voice, to feel like they are aware of what's going on around them, and that when they are that one that they're communicated about what's going on around them, and then when that is communicated to them, that then there's a way for them to reciprocate and engage with those situations. So rather than just saying, Here's what's happening in Owensboro, it's a qu it becomes more of a dialogue, whereas then they get a voice in what that's going to look like and how that's going to develop.

Legacy, Empowerment, And A Call To Act

SPEAKER_00 20:24

Yeah, that makes sense. I know I saw someone posts, uh, of course, there's always events going on in Owensboro. That's one of the cool things about Owensboro. And I remember there was like two events in a row where people were commenting, like, like, hey, I didn't know anything about it, like, where is this stuff at? And I was like, and I just comment on it, like, hey, like, I I hear you, but like, what are some solutions to this problem? Like, obviously, there's this there obviously a lot of people are missing out on events happening in Owensboro because they're not seeing that until the last minute. So, like, and that was right after Illuminate, and I think there's another big event. I'm like, so so what what it how do you fix that? Because, you know, if we're missing big events like Illuminate and some others, and we're like, well, we never heard of it, like what where is it where's the disconnection at? And I feel like I didn't get any a lot of responses, but but I I think that's where it is, is you know, people, yeah. I definitely think one of those things is knowing what's going on in the community, but trying to figure it out. And I don't know if it's just because we're oversaturated uh with social media and there's just so much out there now, but I do think communication is definitely huge. Well, that probably fixes a lot of problems, but but for sure that one. And so, you know, you talked about communication, whatnot, but what are some of the common themes or concerns you've heard repeatedly from community members when you've asked those intentional questions and asked them for response?

SPEAKER_01 21:38

Uh people will outside of outside of communication, uh, people will discuss having a voice, feeling like uh they are able to have some input on the choices that happen versus just seeing it in the paper after it's already been decided that this is what Owensboro is doing next. This is our thing. This is our thing. So having a voice, being a part of those decision-making processes, people want us to continue to improve our safety in the community.

SPEAKER_00 22:09

Okay.

Closing And Community Challenge

SPEAKER_01 22:10

Right. So when we improve our safety, obviously that's going to help increase the growth or retention in the area because that's another air aspect that people have a lot of concerns about, is that they when people are coming here to raise families, they want to make sure that we are making an environment that is both safe but also appealing for other families to want to come to. So they want to make sure that we're continuing to bring people in. And if you're going to consider raising your family here, when we talk to parents who have teenagers or who have college age or seniors who have grandchildren, they want us to continue to develop an area that has things that are of interest to teenagers and young adults so that their children or grandchildren aren't always leaving immediately when they turn 18 to go to Louisville or Lexington or Paducah or Evansville or what have you. They want them to find it also appealing to stay here in Owensboro if they want to and pursue opportunities here.

SPEAKER_00 23:14

Yeah, and I've I've seen that a lot. Like I've even had guests on where they're like, I was just ready to leave. I mean, allow them to come back, and that's really cool to see too. But again, we kind of want to get to where instead of you coming back in 10, 15 years after you graduate, staying and like laying roots here is kind of what we're getting at. And I think that's really neat. And so how is the initiative creating opportunities for uh collaboration? I know you talked about Walt Walk Owensboro, so that was obviously a really good example. But how are we doing that across organizations, neighborhoods, and faith-based communities?

SPEAKER_03 23:44

You know, I think I think that some of the other groups, thinking of the arts group, you know, they've created some mixers for folks at any, you don't have to be like a profound artist. It's just anyone that's interested in art and creating those connectivity opportunities. I think of that group. I know the the youth group has really looked at ways to get youth involved in leadership and understanding leadership positions and boards and really working through some of those things. You know, I think overall, again, it goes back to people want to be involved, right? Everybody wants to be in the know, everybody wants to be involved, but sometimes they just don't know how. And so by being an engaged in some of these groups, I think they realize that they can maybe have some another group they can connect with or an event they can go to or a resource that they can have. Because one thing we have heard is, you know, there's a lot of great resources here, like we said, you know, people have confidence in, you know, United Way and you know, some of the great groups that we have, some of our leadership and, you know, in in government. And so the great thing is we've got the basis there. Sometimes, again, it's just connecting the dots and helping people find the resources and and events. So if somebody said, I don't know, an event's going on, and we heard that with some of the groups, then we, you know, some other groups have said, Well, have you looked at this area and that area? And they're like, Well, yeah, it's kind of up to me too to make a step forward to make the effort as well. So, but again, there's it's sometimes looking at building on what you have, and that's really what this effort is really doing is building on what we have, not necessarily creating something from the ground up, but really enriching the the things that we're like don't necessarily reinvent the wheel, right?

SPEAKER_00 25:22

So, yeah, utilizing what we have. Travis, on your end, you know, you obviously have been very much a part of this as well. And so what what else do you what do you always see moving forward, whether it's arts or youth or health or whatever the case would be as far as collaboration goes and initiatives coming up? Craving something sweet, handcrafted, and totally unforgettable? Bluegrass Bourbon Dessert Bar across from Owensboro Christian Church at Williamsburg Square is your dessert destination in Owensboro, Kentucky. From decadent cakes to beautifully made pastries, it's the perfect place to treat yourself or someone you love. Stop in today and taste the creativity at Bluegrass Bourbon Dessert Bar or follow on social media to see what crazy treat Tyler comes up with next.

SPEAKER_01 26:13

Well, Owensboro is such a unique place in that it's big enough to have a lot of variety as far as organizations and groups and resources, but still small enough that all of those can still collaborate and come together and commingle, and a lot of them know people in other organizations and things like that. So, you know, my my thought is just that as we continue to develop and expand this program, that we're gonna continue to see that grow because the more voices that we get participating in it, the more ideas are gonna come to the table because it's not about um the people who are just participating now coming up with answers and telling everybody what those answers are gonna be. It's about bringing as many people to the table as possible so that we can learn what people really want and the changes that they want to be seen. So it's not just the things that I think would be a good idea, or the things that Colette thinks it would be a good idea, or the things that any other members on any of the teams think would be a good idea, but well, what people in the community really want done, because if it's things that they want done, then they are going to be willing to do the work to make them happen.

SPEAKER_00 27:24

Yeah, and I as a pastor at a church, I've seen that a lot. You know, people come with all these ideas and they're great. I'm like, so how about what if you do that? You know, and they're more likely to have some ownership there going forward to where they're like, they'll just run with it. I'm like, hey, you just you tell me what you need, I'll help you out, you do your thing though. And so I can see that a lot, even where I how I work and where I work. And so, you know, we talk about all these collaborations, all these initiatives, you know, we talk about the future. And so in your in both of your minds, like how what does success look like for this work and how will we know when it's starting to make a difference?

SPEAKER_03 28:00

The biggest thing for us is it's not a one and done. So, you know, two years is getting us started, but I mean, my hope is that this work can continue and these collaborations can continue and continue to recruit people and grow. You know, that's that's really the hope is we've just we're working on a foundation that can that will continue to flourish and help this community flourish.

SPEAKER_01 28:22

It's about creating a a culture change so that it it doesn't it it isn't gonna be dependent on on just this initiative, but that really people in Owensboro will just change the way that we think about addressing problems here. That when we see problems, we'll fix problems, and then when we will we'll participate, we'll feel ownership and pride in our community. And when we are more engaged in that process, then the community will better reflect us because we're the ones building it together.

SPEAKER_00 28:52

Yeah, it's really neat. And I know I guess I know you guys work in both like both of your professions, uh there has to be goals and there has to be, you know, things set out, or you just become stagnant. So it's cool that you guys are even thinking forward, okay, like so what what does this like at the end of the day? We can have all these initiatives. What does it look like to know that we're moving forward with this and having success with it, which is really neat?

SPEAKER_01 29:14

And that's really been why the partnership with the Harwood Institute has been so helpful, because they have created that type of culture in so many communities around the country. Some that are a little similar, some that are bigger, some that are smaller, some that are in this setting or that setting. They have they have done this successfully in other places. So they're able to continue to help guide us, not to make us look like any other project they've done, but to make sure that we create a culture that's right for Owensboro.

SPEAKER_00 29:46

Yeah. Yeah. And that's like you said they had that experience. So they kind of you, it's not just you guys going blindly into like, well, if we just get a new park, you know, in Owensboro, then we're good. You know, there's more than just that, and they know how to kind of get you that area. So it's really cool. Um and I'm glad they're giving their time and their effort to come in and work on making Owensboro even better. And I think Owensboro is great, but we can always improve, right? And so, I mean, no, we're talking about improving, getting better. If somebody's listening to this or like, hey, I want to get on one of those groups, whether it's health, what is it, health, homeless, housing and homelessness, arts, and youth, how do they get involved? You know, what how do they stay informed and how they connect from the dives? Like, what are some ways that they can do that with you guys?

SPEAKER_03 30:25

So we'd love to hear from them. And so they can always email goalie, which is Greater Owensboro Leadership Institute, but G-O-L-I at Owensboro.com and just ask questions. And maybe they're not sure, maybe they want to be involved, they're just not sure how. That's okay. Reach out and we can find a spot and a way for folks to have input and a voice that fits with their their schedules and their lifestyle and those kind of things. So we're not can we're not asking for a lot, we're just asking them to be involved.

SPEAKER_00 30:53

Yeah, no, that's awesome. And so to make sure to do that, I'll actually have the email address in the show notes, and so you can email off of that. So on a personal level, you know, we talk about like one thing I always have to ask all my guests, and we have another question after that that I asked all my guests, but you know, we usually ask about legacy, like what do you want people to remember you guys as, whatever the case may be? You know, as far as so let's switch it up a little bit to where what do you guys put your legacy to be in Owensboro as a result of this work? Like, even if it's not like, hey, I don't want people to remember what we're doing because of me, because of Travis or Colette or Brad or whoever. And so, like, what do you want this legacy to be with this initiative going forward?

SPEAKER_01 31:30

I want Owensboro to be a place where everyone in the community feels empowered to make changes when they see them that need to be made. I think we as can be it's we talk about these problems with society so often where people sit behind their keyboards and post on Facebook about complaining about everything that they're upset about, but never do anything about it. And I can't change how this nation as a whole chooses to function. But I think that we can make that difference in Owensboro. And if we are able to create that type of a culture here in Owensboro, that I think people in Evansville will look at it and say, hey, Owensboro, and they're a place where and they get things done. They don't settle, they don't accept less than. People are engaged, people care, people are proud of their city. We should emulate that where Louisville and Lexington and Paducah will look at us and say, Wow, we should be like Owensboro. Their people care, their people are passionate about their city, and and they've made it great.

SPEAKER_03 32:49

And then Miss Collette, you have a just thought of that, you know, this approach with adaptive leadership is leadership can come from any area. And you know, even in an organization, it doesn't have to come from the top. And I think people realizing that everybody's voice matters, everybody's ideas, everybody's input does make a difference. And it would be great to think that, you know, years from now, people were like, wow, you know, this work was done previously, not by an individual, but by a group of people that had passion to make this a better community and people to feel empowered, like Travis said, that they had a part and it's it's Owensboro is their community and they have a part in that.

SPEAKER_00 33:25

That's awesome. I think you guys are doing a great job at that. Before we uh close up, though, I have a question that's everybody else. You know, the Blueberry crew has been listening to this for 31 minutes, but if you're still with us, I think they are. And so if you're like, hey, like we talked a lot about a lot of stuff, but if but if you can walk away with this one thing, I kind of I like to call it a mic drop, but like what is like one thing, encouraging, challenging, inspirational, that you guys would like to leave our listeners.

SPEAKER_03 33:50

I think step up. That's what we need everybody to do. Don't think that someone else is gonna take charge and make it happen. I think we've talked about that throughout this conversation, is that you know, you have the power within you to make a difference. And so step up and and see how you can do that.

SPEAKER_01 34:06

Yeah, I would agree. I think it's you could do, I think that you could look at you could listen to this interview and you could say, well, that's great, but we've seen how things happen and that's no different, it would it's nothing's gonna change. Well, yes, if you have that mindset, then nothing is gonna change. So if you're listening to this and that's your perspective, I would challenge you to say the way that we stop that from being the norm is by you personally have to choose to make that difference. And so if you're willing to switch your mindset, then give us an email us and and just reach out, attend a meeting, participate, get involved. You know, you'll you'll meet some nice people, you'll build some new connections, and you'll better understand what's going on in in your community around you. And then I think for other people, they hear it and they think, wow, that's great. I really hope that those people are successful. Well, we're only successful if it's all of us. So again, we're wanting to build a culture where it's not one group doing it. We want to build a culture where it's everyone participating and doing what they can where they are. So if you're listening to this and saying, wow, I I I hope that group succeeds, it'll only succeed if you become a part of it. So if you're hearing it and you're thinking that, email us at G-O-L-I at Owensboro.com and to say, I'd like to get connected with the work that's going on.

SPEAKER_00 35:41

It sounds great, you know, and I I'm really excited about to see what comes out of this group. I think you guys are doing a good job, so keep it up. Uh, not that my opinion necessarily matters, but I think you did a good job. And you know, it's something good to kind of even think about. You know, we're releasing this in January, and so if you're listening to it, we're recording in December. But but you know, what a better way to start off the new year by thinking like, what can you do for your community? And and where does that start? Well, you guys have opened the door wide open for that. And uh, I'm hoping that our listeners will get involved and and get out there at Owensboro. You know, you're known to be a tight community for stepping up when we need it. I've heard that over and over again by multiple guests. And so let's do that. Let's do that starting today. Like I said, reach out, Travis, Ms. Colette, I've said multiple times, email Go League, G-O-L-I at Owensboro.com, get involved today, and let's make Owensboro a better place together. But know that we all have a part of it. It's not just Travis and Colette, it's not just a part of the 50 that are involved in this. Uh, it's everybody in the community of Owensboro. So, guys, thank you so much for coming on today, and I'm looking forward to see what happens in the future. Thanks so much.

SPEAKER_03 36:40

Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 36:42

Thanks for tuning in to all things Owensboro, where we celebrate the stories, people, and places that make our city special. If you enjoyed today's episode, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who loves this town as much as you do. Until next time, Owensboro, keep loving local, supporting one another, and making Owensboro a place we're all proud to call home.