Entrepreneurial Shades of Gray
Oct 7, 2026 · 23 min · 11 segments
Chambers of Commerce do a lot more than ribbon cuttings and networking events. At their best, they help create communities where businesses and the people behind them can thrive. In this episode of…
So tell me from the Chamber's perspective, why is it important to come alongside a business owner like Shane to do an event like this for the community?
A lot of people don't realize that chambers of commerce are nonprofit entities.
We never know what knowledge we have that walks through our door that we have that we need to pass along to somebody else.
A few years back, I had just become aware of a grant that would help in an environmental issue.
And I was out doing my routine membership visits, and I walk into this chamber member, and she is just, she's in tears.
And as she's talking to me, I said, hey, I know about a grant that can help you.
And when all was said and done, it wound up saving her about $100,000 just because I walked in the door that day.
So us having a relationship with our businesses, that's what we're all about.
And we're also about quality of life because people, to have their business, to have their customers, they have to communicate with the community.
And when you've got economic development and you carry the weight of quality of life, too, you've got to give people something to do in the area so that they'll stay and support the businesses.
And we do things like the Dragon Boat Race, Crawfish Cook-Off, Christmas Fest, simple movie nights in the park.
And with what Shane brought to us, It is so big that it's truly going to take a village.
So that's why we do partner with the businesses for different sponsorships and for volunteers to help get the event up and going.
So tell me from the Chamber's perspective, why is it important to come alongside a business owner like Shane to do an event like this for the community?
A lot of people don't realize that chambers of commerce are nonprofit entities.
We never know what knowledge we have that walks through our door that we have that we need to pass along to somebody else.
A few years back, I had just become aware of a grant that would help in an environmental issue.
And I was out doing my routine membership visits, and I walk into this chamber member, and she is just, she's in tears.
And as she's talking to me, I said, hey, I know about a grant that can help you.
And when all was said and done, it wound up saving her about $100,000 just because I walked in the door that day.
So us having a relationship with our businesses, that's what we're all about.
And we're also about quality of life because people, to have their business, to have their customers, they have to communicate with the community.
And when you've got economic development and you carry the weight of quality of life, too, you've got to give people something to do in the area so that they'll stay and support the businesses.
And we do things like the Dragon Boat Race, Crawfish Cook-Off, Christmas Fest, simple movie nights in the park.
And with what Shane brought to us, It is so big that it's truly going to take a village.
So that's why we do partner with the businesses for different sponsorships and for volunteers to help get the event up and going.
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