Today, we’d like to introduce you to Barb Miltenberger.
Hi Barb, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I have always been the go-to gal in my group of friends for information on what is going on around town. The love of that role lit the fire behind me turning information spreading into what started out as a daily blog about 15 years ago and is now the Around The Town web page with Facebook and Instagram accounts as well.
It has become my passion to uplift local businesses and their owners, the arts, and local events in our community. In the process, I have formed so many wonderful relationships throughout the years with both the business owners I support and my followers. I absolutely love what I do!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has been a smooth road in the sense that things have continued to evolve and progress over the years. New connections form all the time, and the Around The Town community keeps on growing.
It seems that technology is always the biggest bump in the road. It is always changing and progressing, and you have to keep up!
The way people respond to being communicated with changes as well. I try to identify my audience and what they want and how they want to receive it, while at the same time remaining fresh and innovative and always maintaining my unique sense of self.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Creating and sharing are both a daily effort with Around The Town, and I post what feels right to me and what I feel my followers respond to most. I try to keep things diverse and interesting and my goal is to give people ideas of how to enhance their lives through local activities and events that are available in our community. I never want to give anyone FOMO. What I want is to be their favorite source regarding local businesses of interest and let them know what’s available event-wise so that they can take part in what works out for their schedule. I also hope that my posts encourage people to occasionally color outside the lines and try new things!
Around The Town is very positive, and I believe it is up to me to set that tone. My followers respond in kind and are simply amazing.
I want to have a dialogue with my followers and to hear what they have to say. Not only do we give each other ideas of what’s out there, but we encourage and uplift our local businesses together. Elevating local in a positive way has become important to us as a group and not just me. Each Sunday evening in the “weekly roundup” we share which local businesses and events we supported during the week.
I love a great giveaway, and I host a lot of them. Local businesses believe in what I am doing, so they are willing to step up and partner with me, and it’s a treat for my followers. It’s teamwork at its finest.
Everyone wins.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I have always been a creative person who loves art and creating, and in high school a teacher was kind enough to tell me that I had a skill for writing and communicating. Who knew that this would be my future?
Contact Info:
- Website: www.barbaroundthetown.com
- Instagram: @barbaroundthetown
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BarbAroundTheTown
