Eric Smidt

Episode #023 of the AREA Podcast is live! Thanks to former Iowa State basketball player turned author, Paul Shirley, for taking the time to join me on the podcast. This was one that resonated with me as we talked about loving the process to be creative. amesalliance.com/podcast/

I’m excited to share that our short doc, Urban Mining, has officially been accepted into the 2026 Interrobang Film Festival, part of the Des Moines Arts Festival. The film will screen June 26–28. We’ll share more details as they become available. desmoinesartsfestival.org

Over the past year, we’ve brought the brand to life through print publications, large banners, social media content, and even wrapping a Fareway semi trailer. Seeing the platform grow to more than 300K social media views has been exciting! Cheers to year two!

One year ago today, we launched the Live Work Play in Ames brand, a concept adapted after our visit to Fargo, ND. It has been an incredibly fun brand to work on from a design and content development standpoint, while also creating a new avenue for @AmesAlliance storytelling.

Thanks to former ISU Cyclone basketball player Paul Shirley for recently joining me on the AREA Podcast. One of my favorite parts of the conversation was discussing the discipline and consistency it takes to be creative. Habits and focus matter. The new episode drops next week.

Night one of Pizza Pie Looza is in the books with Fuel rocking Nevada. Karen and I first saw the band in 2001, and although some of the members are different, including their lead singer who was on The Voice, it was a lot of fun.

It was some serious work and a lot of fun at the Heartland Red Foundation Charity Golf Tournament.

On location recently at Technical Services of Iowa with Vice President Grant Simpson. We toured the entire manufacturing facility and got a behind-the-scenes look at how they custom design machines and parts in a high-mix, low-volume environment. Traction story coming in June.

It was an absolutely beautiful morning for the opening day of the Ames Main Street Farmers' Market!

Episode #022 of the AREA Podcast is live! Thanks you to Brent Shanks, Co-Founder and Chief Technical Officer at Pyrone Systems, for taking the time to join me on the podcast. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! amesalliance.com/podcast/

It was great to connect with Iowa State Football players yesterday to talk marketing and communications at their annual Professionalism Pro Day. We had a great conversation about life after football and they had some really engaging questions.

The number of national brands inside American Packaging’s Story City facility is impressive. Their new $8 million, 20,000 square-foot expansion highlights their growing ability to serve clients across the country. The Traction story is now online. amesalliance.com/uncategorized/…

It was fun to host John McGivern’s Main Streets last fall on behalf of the @AmesAlliance, in collaboration with @DiscoverAmesIA. Looking forward to the episode airing later this week. The trailer looks great! youtube.com/watch?v=8Zb_nK…

More highlights from last week's adventures in Washington, D.C.

Nate Bargatze was great last night from start to finish at Casey’s Center!

It was incredible to spend a few days in D.C. alongside such a strong group of community leaders, all working toward a shared vision for our region’s future. It’s not just the opportunity to engage with our elected officials, but also the conversations throughout the week.

It was a great week in the nation’s capital, with the Smidt family logging more than 65,000 steps over four days while taking in the monuments, National Archives, several Smithsonian museums, the Library of Congress, Arlington National Cemetery and more.

On location today on Capitol Hill for the 2026 Ames Regional Economic Alliance Washington D.C. Fly-In. @AmesAlliance

Kicking off Drake Relays week early, playing with The Weasels at the Earth Day Jam at Drake University.

Thank you to Brent Shanks, Co-Founder and Chief Technical Officer at Pyrone Systems, for coming on the AREA Podcast today. They recreated the molecule in the patchouli plant that has repellent properties and are looking to scale. Episode out soon. amesalliance.com/podcast/