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Becky McCray - SaveYour.Town. Alva, OK, US

Becky McCray

Expert for Small Towns | SaveYour.Town

Alva, OK, UNITED STATES

Practical steps you can put into action right away to shape a better future for your community

Media

Publications:

Becky McCray Publication

Documents:

Photos:

Rural Keynote Speaker Becky McCray at RuralX 2017 loading image Becky McCray presents a virtual keynote to an audience in Manitoba loading image Becky McCray leads a tour of Colfax, Washington. loading image

Videos:

Audio/Podcasts:

Social

Biography

Becky McCray is a lifelong small-town entrepreneur. As co-founder of SaveYour.Town, she shares insights from her real-world experience as a business owner and cattle rancher. Her practical perspective is featured at her highly-ranked website, Small Biz Survival, and in her award-winning book, Small Town Rules. She’s been featured and quoted in books, newspapers, magazines, blogs, podcasts and university publications. She makes her home base in Hopeton, Oklahoma, a community of 30 people. Her goal is to deliver practical steps you can put into action right away to shape the future of your town.

Areas of Expertise (11)

Nonprofits

Entrepreneurship

Social Capital

Community Development

Small Town

Rural

Economic Development

Small Business

Placemaking

Revitalization

Community Vitality

Accomplishments (6)

Small Business Book Awards 2013 (professional)

2013-04-15

A Community Choice Winner in 2013 Small Business Book Awards, Small Biz Trends.

Best Small Business Books Published in 2012 (professional)

2012-09-12

Awarded by National Federation of Independent Business

Top 100 Small Business Influencers, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 (professional)

2014-01-01

As selected by a group of small business experts and online nominations. Quite an honor, considering the competition included many much more "well known" people.

Small Town State of Now Conference (professional)

2010-11-05

An international gathering of hundreds of people from small towns exploring high tech, held in 2010, 2011, and 2012. The State of Now and 140conf events provide a platform for the worldwide online community to: listen, connect, share and engage with each other, while collectively exploring the effects of the emerging real-time internet. The new ideas created by the community are much stronger than the ideas that each person brought with them.

Kauffman Platinum Award (professional)

2007-03-01

awarded by EntrepreneurshipWeek USA, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation

Outstanding Resource Partner, Small Business Administration, 2003 (professional)

Honored in the Northwest Oklahoma Region, nominated by the local Small Business Development Center for our work together on Entrepreneur Days throughout the region.

Education (1)

Northwestern Oklahoma State University: B.S., Business Administration 1993

Minor in Mass Communications. Summa Cum Laude.

Affiliations (5)

  • Rural Renewal Initiative, Oklahoma State University
  • Alva Area Chamber of Commerce
  • Northwest Oklahoma Alliance
  • Shift Your Shopping National Working Group
  • Northwestern Oklahoma State University Alumni Association

Languages (1)

  • English

Testimonials (6)

Mack Collier, Founder | BlogChat

Becky agreed to co-host the 1st Live #Blogchat event at South By Southwest. I threw Becky quite the curveball, as I asked her to join and help facilitate the discussion and flow at this event with only a couple of hours notice. But I did that because I knew that she could handle the event, and she did so flawlessly. Becky is a very polished yet completely natural speaker, and that resonates with her audience. She was a star of our event, and a huge reason why it was so successful.

Cheryl Lawson, Founder | Social Media Tulsa

Becky’s ability to connect the changes in today’s business world to small town rules is phenomenal. When she speaks, you can see the light bulbs going off in the audience as they collectively nod their heads. Becky McCray understands community and seamlessly becomes a part of any audience she encounters. More than just a speaker, Becky is a valued partner and an asset to me as an event organizer.

Kevin Jessop, President | AMAOKC

That Becky McCray knows her stuff. Our AMAOKC surveys indicate she was EXTREMELY well received!

Derrick Parkhurst, Organizer | OpenBeta

I have a sneaking suspicion that you could talk about anything and make it seem interesting.

Deb Brown, Director | Webster City Chamber of Commerce

Outstanding guided brainstorming session today with Becky McCray. She got the entire room to start thinking about working together, sharing our passions and supporting local businesses. Everyone left with a list of things they could go back to work with and install right away. So much better than a one hour lecture and more empowering as well. By the end of the week, I saw businesses changing their marketing, starting to work together, cooperating with the local paper, and a few new people starting to work with the Chamber.

Laura Girty, Regional Director | Northwest Oklahoma Small Business Development Center

Consistently audiences rate her highly and go away energized and excited to tackle their business dreams, and always wanting more. She continues to be one of the most valuable resources I have found for small business!

Media Appearances (4)

Oklahoma Horizon

OETA  tv

2010-10-12

Rural Sourcing: how big city companies are rural sourcing instead of outsourcing, turning to small town service providers for their lower cost of doing business.

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Oklahoma Horizon

OETA  tv

2010-10-08

Social media expert Becky McCray says the key to success on the Web can be found in any small town.

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Geek Beat TV with Cali Lewis

Revision3 Internet Television  online

2012-06-22

Cali Lewis and John P interview Barry Moltz and Becky McCray about their new book "Small Town Rules" at Blogworld 2012.

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Small Town Greatness, AARP Live

RFD-TV  tv

2021-06-01

Rural towns are not small versions of urban cities. They have unique qualities and challenges. We'll address these issues tonight and we want viewers to call and share what’s great about their town and what they feel needs to happen to create a community for all ages.

Becky McCray joins Sean Voskuhl and host Christina Loren on the RFD-TV show AARP Live

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Event Appearances (13)

Current list on my speaking site

Over 200 events  

Do small towns have a future?

TEDxGympie: Innovation in Rural Communities  Australia

2012-10-23

Small Town Rules

BlogWorld Expo  New York City

2012-06-06

Small Town Rules -- Keynote

Michigan Small Town and Rural Development Conference  Thompsonville, Michigan

2012-04-17

What we can learn from small town entrepreneurs

SXSW Interactive  Austin, Texas

2011-03-12

Social Media: Linkage to Multiple Markets

International Economic Development Council Conference  Columbus, Ohio

2010-01-01

Small Town Rules - Keynote

Norfolk County Tourism and Economic Development Symposium  Canada, Norfolk County, Port Dover

2013-01-23

Event host/emcee

SOBCon  Chicago

2013-05-03

Small Town Rules - Keynote

Locally Energized: Community Futures Development Corporations Conference,   Sarnia, Ontario, Canada

2013-09-25

Keynote speaker

Rural Pathways to Prosperity Conference  12 locations across rural Washington, USA, via remote video

2013-11-15

Tackling Rural Entrepreneurship Challenges

National Summit on Rural Entrepreneurship  Washington, D.C.

2014-10-14

10 Trends in Rural's Favor, and Why Small Towns Need Social Media

Rural Development Conference, USDA, TVA  Murfreesboro, Tennesse

2015-04-29

Broadband Access as a Basic Service panel

Public Knowledge Policy Panel  Washington, D.C.

2015-08-03

Sample Talks (3)

Small Towns Have a Future: 10 Trends in Our Favor

All your life, you’ve been told that small towns are dying, drying up, and disappearing, and that there’s nothing you can do to change it. What you don’t ever hear is the good news. Big trends are moving in our favor: brain gain, changing retail dynamics, new travel motivations and more. Learn why we have a future and how to shape the future of your town. Rural audiences love this topic because it is a breath of fresh air: the good news about small towns!

Developing Resilient Communities: The Idea Friendly Method

You don’t have to know all the answers. You just have to be open to new ideas. Today you can put your ideas into action with less overhead, less drag and more meaningful participation by more people. Learn three practical ways the research-backed Idea Friendly method will help you improve the climate for new ideas and position your small town to thrive, no matter what the future brings. This topic shakes up old approaches so we can better adapt to the future. Audiences leave feeling measurably more optimistic (16.8% more optimistic in one survey) because they see exactly how they can shape a better future for their town.

Refilling the Business Pipeline: Expanding Economic Opportunity with the Innovative Rural Business Models

The old way of going into business doesn’t fit today’s economic crisis realities. Entrepreneurs will need new, more accessible business formats and new ways of doing business, including pop-ups, shared buildings, businesses inside of other businesses and more. Find out how entrepreneurs are already using these smaller scale experiments and tests to learn what works before making a huge investment. Learn how you can adapt them for your community and pull down the barriers to entry. Not only are entrepreneurs interested in these potential models, but local leaders also can put them to work spurring new business development and supporting fuller participation in the local economy.

Style

Availability

  • Keynote
  • Moderator
  • Panelist
  • Workshop Leader
  • Host/MC
  • Author Appearance

Fees

6500 to 9000 *Will consider certain engagements for no fee

Research Focus (1)

Survey of Rural Challenges

Since 2015

Since 2015, over 1400 people answered the Survey of Rural Challenges. It uncovered big disconnects between what rural people want and what media, service providers and policy makers provide. Services and assistance commonly offered to rural people don’t match up with what rural people say they want help with. Common themes in media coverage and policy conversations around rural communities don’t match rural views. What urban and suburban people think of rural challenges is tinged by stereotypes that don’t agree with what rural people are thinking.

Survey of Rural Challenges logotype

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Courses (2)

Quality Leader Certificate

Workforce Development, Workforce Oklahoma Training Institute, Nov 2002, University of Oklahoma College of Professional and Continuing Studies

Facilitating for Results

Zenger-Miller Achieve Global, Feb 2002, 12 hours, Francis Tuttle Tech Center

Articles (3)

Email newsletter archive

Becky McCray

Practical steps you can take to shape the future of your town and news when I offer products and services to help you do it. "I love you more than my granny’s baked country ham! You sit down and think, 'what does Joe need to hear right now?' and then send it to everybody. You’ll never convince me otherwise! Keep doin’ you, Becky! And THANK YOU!" -Joe Crawford, Kentucky

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Small town business blog posts

SmallBizSurvival.com

The rural small business blog with how-to articles since January 14, 2006. "It's our 'go to' site for information on rural and small town businesses and we highly recommend it." Small Business Labs

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Complete list of media mentions and articles

BeckyMcCray.com

Print media, TV and radio, books, and academic research citations Because of my unusual focus on rural business, you’ll find my contributions and mentions of me in more than a dozen books, as well as countless blogs, magazines, podcasts and university publications. It’s not just the US; mentions come from Romania, Denmark, the Netherlands, Ireland, Belgium, Spain, the Dominican Republic, the UK, Canada and Australia.

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