Empowering Small Towns: Success Stories and Practical Steps│Deb Brown

In this episode of Leading Ladies of Economic Development, Deb Brown, co-founder of Save Your Town and author of From Possibilities to Reality, shares her journey from rural Iowa to her national work revitalizing small towns. She discusses the founding of Savior Town and introduces the “idea friendly” approach—a method centered on small, actionable steps and community collaboration. The conversation highlights success stories, the value of kindness and inclusivity, and advice for towns navigating change. Deb also shares insights from her book, emphasizing that rural communities can build a better future by listening to residents and taking practical, incremental actions.

In this episode, we explore:

• Starting with small, actionable steps and focusing on community collaboration can lead to significant improvements.


• Advice for communities feeling stuck between the old and new ways of doing things.


• How rural communities can create a brighter future by listening to their residents and taking incremental actions.

Quotable: “ You get a lot further taking small steps than trying to do it all at once.”

Resources and Links

Connect with Deb Brown on LinkedIn

Save Your Town

From Possibilities to Reality: Save Your Small Town with these Uniquely Do-able Ideas, Projects, and Success Stories

Special Guest: Deb Brown.