Image taken from http://www.panoramio.com/photo/3024340
On May 22nd, 2014, I was honored to be named one of the Dayton Business Journal’s Forty under 40. I honestly could not believe that I was even thought about for this award. The class I was a part of had many significant community leaders and figures, and in my eyes I was at the bottom of the ranks.
During the evening there were comments, speeches, and of course awards given out to many individuals. One speech caught my ear and has changed my way of thinking ever since. A good friend of mine, Olivia Barrow, was asked to give her comments on Young Professionals and the Dayton Area and one of her comments has echoed in me ever since then.
She said, “When I first moved to Dayton from North Carolina, many people kept asking me why I moved to Dayton. This is completely the wrong attitude to have towards people coming to our city. We should be yelling out, ‘WELCOME TO DAYTON! We are so glad you are here; let me show you around to all that Dayton has to offer’.” Now, that may not have been verbatim what she said, but it was pretty darn close.
Ever since I heard Olivia say those comments, my entire thought process and thinking about Dayton has changed. I wish more Daytonians carried this idea with them. We need to welcome and embrace new residents and companies by saying “Welcome!” instead of “Why?” On what planet would we think starting off a positive, new relationship with a negative comment would ever be appropriate? Be proud of the city you are a part of. Show it off, talk it up, and speak out! Below are some twitter accounts I would suggest following for all your up to date Dayton information. Sadly these are only a few of the many accounts that speak highly of Dayton! This is only the tip of the Dayton Iceberg for information as well!