by Ann Marie | Thoughts on Thriving
The word “alley” conjures up images of secrecy, maybe something mysterious, forbidden or illegal. Sneakin’ Sally through the Alley just doesn’t work with “street” or “lane”, would it? Alleys are an integral part of the landscape for cities like Old Town but don’t...
by Ann Marie | Coffee Break
For the last six years, I encouraged CPA business owners to boost their social media presence, demonstrate their expertise and generally bump up their marketing efforts to be more visible and competitive. I was one of many communications angels, dispensing blogs,...
by Ann Marie | Coffee Break
The first time I recycled a piece of aluminum foil, I called one of my sisters because she would understand what a horrifying moment that was. Before recycling was “in’, we thought it was just ridiculous that our mother did this regularly – didn’t she know the...
by Ann Marie | Thoughts on Thriving
Streetsense Marketing Director Heather Arnold gave developers and others a choice at a recent meeting in Alexandria: the hard brutal truth or continually high retail vacancies over the next 50 years. No one at the Southeast Fairfax EDC breakfast summit complained...
by Ann Marie | Thoughts on Thriving
Roanoke’s Rebirth is On Tap (And Brewery Zoning Issues for You to Consider) “In 2000, you were considered a pioneer if you lived in downtown Roanoke,” recalls city tour guide Larry Landolt, founder of Tour Roanoke. It wasn’t a stretch to call it a ghost town,...
by Ann Marie | Thoughts on Thriving
Psst. President Trump, if you’re not happy with your approval ratings, maybe it’s time to turn your focus to roads and bridges and other infrastructure stuff. Crumbling river dam versus health care? This is a no-brainer. Well, not exactly but the odds of getting...