Hello, Ashland Source readers.
I have been commissioned by people who are paid more than me to write a column to all of you. Apparently, I had an OK idea that they want more people to know about.
If you read the weekly newsletter I put together every Sunday, you’ll know that I’ve been setting up shop in Downtown Perk from noon to 1 p.m. every Friday since the beginning of this year.
To be clear, the idea came to me when I realized Ashland Source’s end-of-the-year membership drive came up short in terms of how many new members we gained compared to the two other websites we operate. To put it bluntly, Ashland Source came in last place.
And I get it. Why give money to a website that’s free to use? And who is this skinny bearded dude all of a sudden asking me for money? Hard pass.
The aim for these weekly meetings, for me, is to make myself available to you. The goal is to have coffee, maybe a bite and a conversation. We can talk about anything you like. Eye to eye, peer to peer.
It’s been great. I’ve gotten to know some of you really well in that short hour. One person brought to my attention thoughtful quibbles on recent articles. Another had a literal list of questions she wanted to ask me in order to know my background a bit more.
The conversations, though varying in topic, have one thing in common: they’re refreshing.
So why am I writing this column now?
Well, first, my bosses asked me to. Secondly, I am wanting to let more people know about this opportunity. It’s an open invite. Come on down to Downtown Perk in Ashland and have a chat.
For a friendly reminder, visit the Facebook event page.
I won’t be taking notes or recording our conversation. Reporter hat off. (Unless, of course, I get permission from you to put that hat on.) I also won’t ask you to be a member of Ashland Source. (Unless, of course, you ask me about it.)
Oh and if you’ve made it through this and realized you don’t receive the weekly newsletter that goes out on Sundays and want to start getting them, click here. Every week I write a little something in my own voice to review what happened in Ashland County news over the last week.
And maybe you’ve gotten this far and somehow I’ve convinced you to become a paying member of Ashland Source. If that’s the case, you can go to this link. Memberships, by the way, start at $7 a month.
OK, that’s quite enough. See you Friday. Maybe.
