Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Barb Miltenberger. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Barb, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.

My parents taught me that the number one thing in life is your faith. Faith is my foundation. My dad taught me the importance of managing money wisely, living within your means and what leadership looks like. My mom showed me how to be gracious, the perfect hostess and the importance of friendship. She also greatly encouraged my creative side. They modeled community involvement and the need to be helpful and dependable people. They instilled in me the simplicity and beauty of enjoying a meal out at a restaurant and enjoying the conversation and sharing that happens around the table. To this day it is one of my favorite things to do and I’m thankful my family enjoys that along with me. These things they have shown me helped me to become the person I am today and I bring what I have learned into my business, Around The Town.

Barb, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I started Around The Town just as blogs were coming on the scene and just before social media was catching on in a big way. It was sort of a happy accident, and certainly nothing premeditated if you can believe it. While doing casual research on how to start a blog out of sheer curiosity, I rather unintentionally created one as I followed the plan. When it came to picking a theme that I was passionate about, it became obvious to me that it would be a page that I could use to help the community find out what was available to them in San Diego County, and how they could enjoy these things with their family and friends. This was something I already did in an informal sense, so why not make it “official?” Around The Town has grown and evolved over the years of course, and now a big theme for me is supporting local, whether that be businesses, the arts, events, etc. Whether it’s finding out about the newest restaurants in town, what productions are at the local playhouses or what festival is going on in North County San Diego, you can find out about it on Around The Town.

I encourage positivity and community participation on my page. Every Sunday night I check in and ask what local businesses everyone was able to support and what local events they attended over the course of the week, and request that they tag the businesses to show their support. It is so appreciated when people comment and share their thoughts and opinions on my posts. Engagement is key. My goal is for everyone to take ownership of the page and to feel important and involved.

A very important component of what I do is being involved in my community and creating relationship with community leaders and business owners. I want them to know that I am available to help them get the word out about their business and to share my experiences with my followers, through written word and photos. Did I mention, I LOVE to take photos!? So my mission is two-fold. I want to inspire my readers to get out their and enjoy all the wonderful things available to them in San Diego, but I also want to be an advocate and voice to those that provide those amazing things. I hope that what sets me apart is my own personal voice and touch, the attention and care that I give, and the passion I try to communicate through my posts. I really do love what I do! Around The Town is not just something I do, it is truly a part of me and who I am.

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

I like to check in with businesses I have created relationship with from time to time and to see if there is anything I can do to help them, or if there is anything I can share with my audience on their behalf. So many local business owners have become personal friends, which I love. I trust that they can feel my genuineness and sincere desire to see them thrive. I have a long list of Community Partners that I am very proud of, which you can find on my web page. These partners have invested in my followers in some way, whether it is by offering a special discount or they have participated in an Around The Town giveaway. I am always looking for the most effective way to get the word out. Partnering with my page shows that they have both faith in me and that they value everyone in the Around The Town community. These people can be fiercely loyal and supportive.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I like to think of myself as creative in everything I do in life. Creativity brings such inspiration, energy and a sense of accomplishment. It offers many avenues of expression and can be displayed in the smallest of ways such as how you choose to clothe yourself and present to the world, or in more obvious ways like publishing a new article. Being a creator has always kept me interested in life and in process. Interested people are more interesting, don’t you think? I try to say yes more than I say no in life. You never know what you might learn from saying yes, and that opens so many doors.

Contact Info:

• Website: barbaroundthetown.com
• Instagram: @barbaroundthetown
• Facebook: Around The Town

Image Credits
Barb Miltenberger photo cred