Why Saying Yes to Everything Is Killing Your Economic Development Success from Day One Misty Mayo

Economic development isn't complex because we don’t know what to do.
It’s hard because everything looks important—and not everything should be.

In this episode of Success from Day One, I sat down with Misty Mayo, President & CEO of DevelopAbilene (https://developabilene.com), to talk about what real resilience looks like in this work—and how results come from saying no as much as saying yes.

Misty has worked in communities with different funding models, leadership structures, and political realities. She doesn't speak in theory. She speaks from scars earned and results delivered.

Core Takeaways

Resilience isn’t grit alone—it’s focus on the right work.

Saying yes to everything is the fastest way to fail quietly.

Economic developers are change agents first, not cheerleaders.

Your customers aren’t all equal—and pretending they are creates confusion.

Results come from clarity, alignment, and disciplined execution.

Sponsor Thanks

This episode is made possible by our friends at Flat Five Marketing, (
https://flatfivemarketing.com) who believe good communities are built through clarity, service, and follow-through.

Episode Chapters (Thematic)

Why Economic Development Looks Easy—and Isn’t

The Cost of Chasing “Good” Instead of “Right”

Customers, Power, and Political Reality

Measuring What Actually Matters

Building Plans That Survive Change

Resilience Without Burnout

If this helped, stay close. We share practical economic development wins at www.D1Experts.com

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