We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Blue Weber a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Blue, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today In our experience, overnight success is usually the result of years of hard work laying the foundation for success, but unfortunately, it’s exactly this part of the story that most of the media ignores. So, we’d appreciate if you could open up about your growth story and the nitty, gritty details that went into scaling up.

As most organizational growth happens, you need support from the entire team. I was lucky enough to have the backing of a group to expand. We are a fairly small organization that is overseen by a board of directors as well as myself. We made the decision to be aggressive and analyze how things went. To build our capacity to thus enable expansion, we had to take a leap. That leap has paid off but is something we have to continue analyzing as we have the sustainability to do so. Leaning into skills that compliment and work well with mine were paramount to our organizations success.

Blue, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am one of those people who took the scenic route to get where I am. From managing restaurants, worked retail, writing for our local paper, to teaching snowboarding, my experience led to event organizing and managing non-profits. My demeanor and collaborative nature are things that I am proud of and have guided me to where I am. The DDA is an organization that advocates for, promotes, grows and improves the downtown community. Within that work community building is our primary focus. We do so by working with local businesses and holding events. Getting to live our my favorite activities has been a huge addition to my work. As an avid cyclist, I get to find fulfillment through managing a bike share program. As a supporter of local business, I get to hold meetings and events at their establishments. My passion gets to be part of my job.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

This may sound corny, but I would say staying true to your mission/organizational purpose is key. When people see that you believe in your reason to operate, they want to be part of the outcome. Customers aren’t stupid and so be it a product that you create, a service you provide, or an event that brings you joy, they can sense your passion. We often preach the concept of “get a job you enjoy and you won’t ever work a day in your life” which is vital for our selves, but it’s impact on our firm is huge. People want to be part of something full of joy, so for me, work is that joy.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

The Case of the Missing Cutlery by Kevin Allen helped put words to the way that I approached leadership. One of the biggest takeaways for me was the concept of buoyancy as a team building philosophy. The idea being to bring up everyone on your team will help everyone float. I try to practice this with my team because when they are able to showcase and build on their talents, our entire organization will be better off.

Contact Info:

• Website: downtownforks.com
• Instagram: xanderblue
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blueishgreen.weber
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-weber-008766118/

Image Credits
Grand Forks Herald, Jogus Films, The Fashion Affair, Downtown Development Association