About this podcast
Is there an economic development problem that you just can’t seem to make any progress on? Grab your phone and call the EDO Breakthrough podcast! After all, no challenge is unsolvable with a creative solutions team by your side.
In each episode, Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) and host Sandy Dubay welcomes a new business leader, community luminary, and other modern mages to discuss the challenges, joys, and needs of communities across the United States. Sandy and her guest will combine their powers to answer your real-life economic development questions.
When our powers combine, we can make an EDO breakthrough!
Episodes
The newest 20 of 34 episodes
- Retaining Talent Through Belonging · 12 minJobs might bring people to a place, but belonging is what helps them put down roots. In our final bonus episode before Season 4, we're digging into the invisible force that…
- How to Make Shopping Local Irresistible · 7 minShopping locally shouldn't be a guilt trip. It should be an invitation. In this bonus episode, we're flipping the script on how economic developers can activate year-round…
- The 5-Minute Strategy That Strengthens Alliances · 7 minWhile we’re gearing up for Season 4, this bonus mini-episode is here to help you turn appreciation into impact! Giving thanks doesn’t have to be a huge production, so we’re…
- E30 - Why Storytelling Is Every Economic Developer’s Secret Weapon, with Meg Boyle · 47 min · Season 3 Episode 10What if the key to better marketing, stronger partnerships, and more trust in your EDO is simply… better writing? In this episode, Sandy sits down with PPR Strategies’ Creative…
- E29 - Inside Bath’s Business Improvement District: Responsive Solutions, Big Results with Allison Herbert · 44 min · Season 3 Episode 9Some may see heritage preservation as a challenge, but in Bath, UK, it’s an opportunity. With fewer than 90,000 residents drawing 6 million visitors a year, the results speak for…
- E28 - Blending Law, Leadership, and Local Impact, with Tray Hairston · 1 h 3 min · Season 3 Episode 8It’s one thing to land a big project… It’s another to build a legacy. In this episode, Certified Economic Developer Tray Hairston, partner at Butler Snow LLP, shares how he’s…
- E27 - Weather, Water, Workforce: How Detroit Became a Model for Modern Economic Development, with Maureen Donohue Krauss · 41 min · Season 3 Episode 7Once written off, now in demand… Detroit’s comeback offers a blueprint for any community that’s ready to rewrite its story—with strategy, collaboration, and a clear sense of…
- E26 - Building Relationships That Attract Investment, with Chris Knight · 51 min · Season 3 Episode 6What if you could land new foreign direct investment projects *and* keep existing employers happy… without a million-dollar budget? In this episode, Chris Knight, Managing…
- E25 – The Art and Science of Economic Development, with Heather Gramm, CEcD · 36 min · Season 3 Episode 5What happens when you shift from serving one community to supporting dozens? In this episode, Heather Gramm, CEcD, reflects on her transition from the public to the private…
- E24 - How to Make Your Site More Competitive, with Nicholette Ross · 40 min · Season 3 Episode 4It’s not just about workforce and utilities… Companies want to know your community is ready for them, too. Drawing from her site selection experience in the U.S. and Europe…
- E23 - Starting Fresh, Staying Strong: Lessons from 25 Years in Economic Development, with Kelly Robertson-Slagle · 39 min · Season 3 Episode 3What does it take to lead through a crisis, earn trust in new communities, and stay passionate after 25 years in economic development? In this episode, Kelly Robertson-Slagle…
- E22 - Chart Your Course with a CRM, with Lisa DeNoia and Brittany Browning · 46 min · Season 3 Episode 2Is your team drowning in spreadsheets and struggling to sort through all the data? Discover how implementing the right CRM strategy can turn scattered information into actionable…
- E21 - Leading Through Uncertainty: How IEDC Is Reshaping Economic Development, with Nathan Ohle · 57 min · Season 3 Episode 1As economic uncertainty grows, how is the leading organization in economic development positioning its members for success? In this episode, Nathan Ohle, President and CEO of…
- E20 - Rural Economic Development Reimagined, with Jolene Schalper · 33 min · Season 2 Episode 20What happens when economic development spans 44,000 square miles of rural frontier? In our season two finale, Jolene Schalper, CEcD, joins us to share how Great Falls, Montana…
- E19 - Punching Above Your Weight: Fairfax’s Economic Development Success Story, with Chris Bruno · 36 min · Season 2 Episode 19Surrounded by jurisdictions 50 times its size, the City of Fairfax has mastered the art of punching above its weight. In this episode, Chris Bruno shares how this 25,000-resident…
- E18 - Beyond the Cover Story: PR Strategies for your EDO, with Mia Vaccaro · 32 min · Season 2 Episode 18Public Relations isn’t always about chasing the spotlight and making headlines. In economic development, effective PR is about turning your narrative into a compelling message…
- E17 - Small Investments, Big Impact: How to Improve Your Downtown, with Leeann Crews · 44 min · Season 2 Episode 17The most impactful downtown revitalization strategy might just be the least expensive one… In this episode, Leeann Crews shares how the Downtown Frederick Partnership is…
- E16 - Raising the Bar on Your Business Attraction Strategies, with Subash Alias · 38 min · Season 2 Episode 16What if your next big business attraction project started with a mock site visit? In Missouri, that’s not just a theory—it’s a strategy that is delivering real results. In this…
- E15 - Creating a Business Resource Collective, with Sarah Mattson · 39 min · Season 2 Episode 15Is your community’s economic potential limited because everyone works in silos? Today we’re joined by Sarah Mattson, Director of Entrepreneurship with the City of Chattanooga…
- E14 - Social Media for EDOs: Building Two-Way Communication, with Kayla Sherry · 37 min · Season 2 Episode 14Do you feel like you’re shouting into the void every time you post on social media? Today we’re sharing how you can transform your EDO’s approach from broadcasting information to…
