In this episode, we explore two key ideas. The first is one of the ideas we’re most fond of: the principle of starting small, but starting. Nowhere is that more true than in rural communities, where often a group seeking to make change is largely, if not entirely, made up of volunteers. In this episode, I talk with Rob O’Brian, a consultant whose work in Missouri includes this rural focus.

The second idea is something Rob encountered that's also a frequent theme in Strategic Doing: the element of surprise. There’s great potential in surprise, but it can also present the risk of stalling or even halting progress completely. In this case, Rob as well as the group he was working with encountered some unexpected twists and turns.