Scott’s Turn: A Conversation About Building Stronger Communities

When the Royal Examiner asked if I’d be interested in writing a regular column, my first reaction was surprise.

My second reaction was a simple question.

What do I want this column to become?

The answer came quickly.

I don’t want this to be a political column.

I don’t want it to become a place where people are criticized.

And I certainly don’t want it to contribute to the division that seems to surround so many conversations today.

There are already plenty of places for that.

Instead, I hope this becomes a place where we ask better questions, challenge assumptions, share ideas, and explore practical solutions that help build stronger communities.

Our communities face real challenges.

They also have incredible opportunities.

My hope is that this column encourages us to spend a little more time exploring what’s possible and a little less time explaining why something can’t be done.

Whether you agree with me or disagree with me, I hope every article leaves you with something to think about.

A Few Ground Rules

Before we begin this journey together, I think it’s only fair that you know how I approach these conversations.

First…

I’m direct.

If you’ve read my writing before, heard me speak, talked to me in person you’ve probably already noticed that.

I believe clarity is respectful.

I don’t believe difficult conversations should be avoided simply because they’re uncomfortable.

At the same time, I also believe there is an enormous difference between challenging an idea and attacking a person.

Ideas should be questioned.

Assumptions should be challenged.

Data should be tested.

People should always be respected.

If I disagree with an idea, it should never be interpreted as criticism of the person who proposed it.

Those are two very different things.

Second…

I’m driven by data.

Not because data is perfect.

But because it’s better than guessing.

Throughout my career I’ve spent thousands of hours working with analytics, automation, artificial intelligence, website strategy, search engine optimization, digital marketing, consumer behavior, and business intelligence.

Whether I’m helping a business understand its customers, building systems that scale, studying search behavior, or analyzing tourism trends, the process is always the same.

Start with the data.

Understand what it’s actually telling us.

Then ask better questions.

Sometimes the data confirms what we already believe.

Sometimes it challenges us.

Sometimes it tells a story we weren’t expecting—or perhaps one we’d rather not hear.

That’s okay.

Data isn’t personal.

It isn’t political.

It simply helps us make better decisions.

You won’t always agree with my conclusions.

I won’t always be right.

But I promise I’ll do my best to let facts guide my thinking rather than assumptions.

Third…

I’m much more interested in tomorrow than yesterday.

History matters.

We should absolutely learn from it.

We should celebrate what worked.

We should acknowledge what didn’t.

And we should understand how we arrived where we are today.

But communities aren’t built by spending all of their energy looking in the rearview mirror.

They’re built by looking through the windshield.

Let me reiterate that again because it is an important point.

Communities aren’t built by spending all of their energy looking in the rearview mirror.

They’re built by looking through the windshield.

You’ll find that this column spends very little time assigning blame.

Instead, I’d rather ask:

What can we build next?

Because no community can change yesterday.

Every community can shape tomorrow.

Fourth…

I don’t claim to have all the answers.

In fact, many of the articles I write begin with questions instead of conclusions.

What if we’ve been measuring success all wrong?

What if we’ve been solving the wrong problem?

What if there’s a better third option that no one has considered?

Those questions don’t come from certainty.

They come from curiosity.

And in my experience, curiosity is usually where innovation begins.

Finally…

Everything I write comes back to one simple question.

How can we build a stronger community?

Sometimes that conversation will be about tourism.

Sometimes it’ll be about entrepreneurship.

Sometimes it’ll be about artificial intelligence.

Or technology.

Or downtown revitalization.

Or economic development.

Or leadership.

Or something entirely different.

The topic may change.

The mission won’t.

Why This Matters To Me

I’m not writing as a politician.

Nor do I have any desire to become one.

I’m writing as someone who genuinely loves this community.

I’m a small business owner.

I employ local people.

I pay local taxes.

I work with visitors every day.

I’ve spent much of my career helping businesses grow through technology, data, automation, digital strategy, and scalable systems.

I’ve learned that the same principles that help businesses succeed often apply to communities as well.

Good leadership begins with listening.

Good strategy begins with understanding.

Good decisions begin with good data.

And meaningful progress usually begins with someone willing to ask a different question.

I don’t expect everyone to agree with everything I write.

Honestly, I hope you don’t.

Healthy communities aren’t built because everyone thinks the same way.

They’re built because people are willing to respectfully exchange ideas, challenge assumptions, and occasionally change their minds.

If this column encourages even a few of those conversations, I’ll consider it worthwhile.

What You Can Expect

Some weeks we’ll explore tourism and destination development.

Other weeks we’ll talk about entrepreneurship, technology, artificial intelligence, downtowns, leadership, retail, or economic development.

Some articles may challenge conventional thinking.

Others may simply encourage us to look at familiar issues from a different perspective.

Regardless of the topic, you’ll notice one common thread.

I’ll do my best to bring data, experience, curiosity, and practical thinking into every conversation.

Not because I think I have all the answers.

But because I believe asking better questions is often the first step toward finding better solutions.

One Final Thought

The name of this column is Scott’s Turn.

I love the name because it reminds me that this isn’t the final word.

It’s simply my turn to contribute to the conversation.

Next week it may be someone else’s.

That’s exactly how healthy communities should work.

The goal isn’t to have the last word.

The goal is to keep moving the conversation—and our community—forward.

If these articles encourage us to ask better questions, think a little differently, and work together to build an even stronger community, then they’ll have accomplished exactly what I hoped they would.

Because stronger communities don’t happen by accident.

They happen by design.

I look forward to the conversation.