Think Local First DC is part of a national network. (Courtesy Think Local First DC)
Today’s talk with Stacey Price of Think Local First DC is part of our ongoing series featuring local people and local businesses. TLFDC is an interconnected community of locally-owned businesses who drive sustainable economic development in the Washington metro area. They are a member of the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE), which helps Think Local First organizations get established.
Check out the TLFDC website for great Localist profiles of your favorite independent business owners, and special deals and events from some of your favorite businesses. Borderstan is a member of TLFDC.
From Ashley Lusk. Check out Ashley’s blog Metropoetrylis and find her on Twitter at @arlusk. You can email her at [email protected].
It’s always surprising to see someone you know in a city of more than 600,000 residents, but for Stacey Price, knowing your local business owners is just part of the community appeal.
Price, the new executive director for Think Local First DC, thinks like a small business owner because she has been one. Her first entrepreneurial endeavor was a gift shop in Radford, Virginia, called Encore Artful Gifts. Today she oversees the relationships and development of the Think Local movement, which provides a community for more than 200 local businesses.
Borderstan: You previously led your own PR agency, which represented many independent businesses–are you still a small business owner as well?
Price: It’s in a bit of a transition. [Being part of Think Local First] is like an extended service to people I was already serving. I actually met the folks at Think Local through my clients who were independent businesses. I was worried about conflict of interest, but… it’s all in support of local businesses.
Stacey Price is executive director of Think Local First DC. (Luis Gomez Photos)
Borderstan: What led you to Think Local First DC?
Price: I owned a gift and clothing store for six years, so I get [small business]. I take the small business owner under my arm. Even the best, the people who have been around for a long time, they want advice, and it’s not even about making money.
For example, we’re holding a workshop about how to have promotions on a shoestring. And you don’t need money — a lot of times it’s about partnerships. A lot of businesses don’t do that and they don’t have the time, money, resources and effort to promote themselves.
Borderstan: How many businesses are part of Think Local First?
Price: We are around 200 businesses, but we don’t like to think of it as just the people who are part of our membership. We think that any independent business is part of our network. We support all local businesses.
Borderstan: So, what are some of the benefits of joining Think Local First?
Price: When you become a member, you get increased visibility. Our membership fee is very low — it starts at $100. And we’re building relationships with businesses based on their needs. For example, Skynear is one of our members and they said, “We see value in your Facebook fans and Twitter fans and some of those things” — if that’s what they need, we can be flexible [with what membership means].
It occurred to me recently that I’m doing exactly what I wanted to do. In 2002, I was working for an economic development organization and I was trying to build communities in Virginia. And I thought at that time that I wanted to start a non-profit that did nothing but promote local business.
I was finding these gems of businesses that had something amazing — a sandwich, or coffee or a product — but their signage was bad, or their façade was bad, or they needed promotional help, and so I thought about how I could start a non-profit that would support them. They had the product, the space, but often forgot the most important part — promotion.
Fast-forward to now and I get to do that almost on a daily basis.
Borderstan: What is success for Think Local First?
Price: We love when we see people we know, but we also love when our events bring in people we don’t know. It means we’ve introduced them to something new. It’s about helping the businesses, but also helping the consumers understand why they should support the business. But it’s more than just promotion that we offer businesses. Our programming works to create “better,” more socially conscientious businesses. In fact, we are holding a Social Venture Institute in May 2012.
Borderstan: What can we see next from Think Local First?
Price: It’s the holiday season and we’re having the Shop Local Day on November 26. We have an entire kit that educates consumers on why they should shop local, especially around the holiday season. I’ve been meeting with Etsy and we’re seeing what we can do to make a local showing. Maybe a “Made in DC” event or perhaps a pop up shop or something. And we just kicked of “Listen Local First,” a partnership between local musicians and local businesses.
Borderstan: What are your favorite spots in the neighborhood?
Price: On U Street… Lettie Gooch: Great shoes, handbags, clothing and an owner that is TLF board member? Yes, please! Bar Pilar: Love that even with popularity and growth this spot feels like a neighborhood bar.
In Logan Circle… Cork Wine Shop: Amazing cheese and wine selection. Stoney’s: Nothing says comfort food like its grilled cheese. On sour dough.
In Dupont… Pizza Paradiso: Hands down favorite bar staff in the city. Amazing pizza, great changing beer list and a bustling neighborhood atmosphere. Yola: Locally sourced yogurt with Counter Culture coffee, great music and a staff that makes me smile.
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What: Are You a Localist? Happy Hour… a meet-and-greet to benefit Think Local First DC
When: Wednesday, October 12, 5:30 to 7:30pm
Where: RIS, 2275 L Street NW
Why: A happy hour hosted by Chef/Owner Ris Lacoste, in support of the “Think Local” movement. Drink and food specials will be available and RIS will donate a portion of the proceeds going to Think Local First DC.
About Think Local First
Think Local First DC is a 501(c)3 not for profit organization that works with independent businesses, consumers and policymakers to grow a sustainable local economy in Washington DC. Initiatives include Eat Local First, Listen Local First and a Social Venture Institute planned for May 2012.
Borderstan is a member of Think Local First DC.
From Laura’s Weekend Picks… Eat Local First Week concludes Saturday with a street party on the 1300 block of V Street NW. Time is noon to 5 pm.
Eat Local First Week is on! The week-long campaign focuses on spotlighting local farms, local restaurants and the organizations and people that are making locally-grown food more accessible through out the DC community. Check out the full schedule and support local businesses, farms and the Eat Local First campaign at Saturday’s Farm-to-Street Party from noon to 5 pm on V St between 13th and 14th Streets NW. Expect lots of local food, craft beers, wines, local bands, a dunking booth, pie eating contexts and games galore. Buy your $15 tickets (gets you a lot of great food) in advance here. We heard they are roasting 16 lambs.
Eat Local First Week kicked off Sunday with a pig roast at Local 16 on U Street NW. There is a Vegan Food Demonstration on Thursday. (Luis Gomez Photos)
Borderstan welcomes Ashley Lusk to our team of writers. She is an active member of D.C.’s food community and writes for her own blog Metropoetrylis. She does digital marketing and social media for a youth development organization by day, but you can find her eating her way around The District at night and interpreting the movement of the city populous. You can find her on Twitter at @arlusk.
Knowledge of District institutions like Kramer’s Bookstore, Busboys and Poets and Ben’s Chili Bowl may make you a regular, but knowledge of the best place to get a ripe tomato or a good cut of beef make you local.
Now through July 16, celebrate D.C.’s vendors who support local sourcing at the Eat Local First Week. The week kicked off last Saturday with a live pig roast at Local 16, featuring pork from Highview Farm in Berryville, Virginia.
Eat Local First Week closes Saturday, July 16, with a Farm-to-Street Party on the 1300 block of V Street NW. The party will include roast lamb, and is scheduled from noon to 5 p.m. Tickets are $15.
In addition to the farm tours and “local-preneurs,” select restaurants will also be participating in the eat local movement this week; Logan Tavern, Cowgirl Creamery and Commissary will all be offering featured menus that highlight the best of their local products. For a full list of participating restaurants and events and their costs, visit www.eatlocalfirstdc.com.
Eat Local First kicked off a week of events with a Sunday afternoon pig roast at Local 16 on U Street NW. The event is sponsored by Think Local First DC, a non-profit organization that works with independent businesses, consumers and policymakers to grow a sustainable local economy in D.C. Check eatlocalfirstdc.com for more information. (Luis Gomez Photos)
From Mike Kohn. Got some news for Mike? Drop him an email or find him on Twitter @mike_kohn.
Temple Garden Open House
We reported a few months back that the Temple Garden, “a local community garden on property owned by the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry at 1733 16th Street NW, will be closing after the 2011 harvest.” The Temple Garden will be hosting an open house next Saturday, July 16 and is inviting the whole neighborhood to come out for tours and samples of the garden’s produce. It’ll be a family friendly event too, so bring the kids. All of the proceeds from the event will go toward the effort of saving the garden. You can learn more about how the community is striving to work with the Temple to preserve the garden on their Facebook page.
Eat Local First Week is a week-long campaign focuses on spotlighting local farms, local restaurants and the organizations and people that are making locally-grown food more accessible in the DC community.
Today Deals For Deeds has discounted tickets for Sunday’s Local Pig Roast (just $10).
Support local businesses, farms and the Eat Local First campaign at Sunday’s Local Roast from noon to 5 pm. A $15 donation will get you local food, two drinks (including local beer!) and a fun afternoon on Local 16’s rooftop, as well as a chance to win tickets to the July 16 Farm-to-Street Party which sounds amaaaazing. Learn more about Eat Local First Week (events all next week!) and get tickets to the kickoff bash at Local 16 here.
Eat Local First is sponsored by Think Local First DC, which is a non-profit organization that works with independent businesses, consumers and policymakers to grow a sustainable local economy in Washington DC. Borderstan.com is a proud member of Think Local First DC.
