Champion the Cause

Thanks to JustMyMemphis's Jerome Robinson for his coverage of the progress we've been making at BVO! See link in comments. Before these storms hit, it'd been SO gorgeous outside... lots of families and tourists alike have been walking the 'ol River Walk, which got power-washed this week, btw! We had our friends at New Memphis out on Wednesday night to host their Memphis Black Restaurant Week pre-party, and our River Room was packed. It was so nice outside, though, that people naturally spilled outside onto the rest of what is still an incredible park. Thank you, New Memphis! It's not hard to imagine BVO's progress helping advance everything else that goes on the Mud Island... what's there now (Shout out, Mahogany River Terrace!) and what is sure to come!

Thanks to my friend Kontji Anthony for having Kathryn Hicks and me on WREG-TV's Live at 9 to talk about the progress we've made at BVO, an immersive experience we're building inside the old Mud Island river museum. See link in comments. Mud Island's comeback has begun at BVO, but to *finish* the job and be the catalyst for the rest of the island, we need more investors! You can invest in BVO through our Wefunder campaign, which ends on April 29.

New episode!! When our Champions of the Lost Causes podcast summer road trip passed through Wilbraham, MA, I talked with Muck Rack Senior Director of Communications Linda Zebian at her home. We discussed championing the cause of the free press in a polarized age of disinformation, and how, by developing relationships with journalists and PR pros alike, Muck Rack plays a unique role in fostering a dialogue between these increasingly connected and interdependent professions, and in ensuring news outlets are able to publish accurate information. As a former full-time journalist turned PR pro, I care about the cause of the free press. A free society needs unbiased finders of fact to be a watchdog and tell our stories. This is the third episode I've done on this theme, and I'll put the others in the comments. In the interest of transparency, Muck Rack is a sponsor of my podcast. However, this episode is not something I was obligated to do. I wanted to have this conversation, as I have long been a fan of the platform. Not only does Muck Rack help me pitch relevant journalists, but it has looked for ways to elevate the conversations that really matter to journalists and PR pros. #journalismmatters #PR #PRpro #publicrelations #freepress #podcast #newepisode #roadtrip #roadtripusa #COTLC #backtothelight

For a man lost in the multiverse, the Baron seems to show up in the press a lot talking up Saturday’s Halloween Rock-n-Romp at BVO’s new Mud Island digs! Thanks to The Daily Memphian’s Stevie Paige for this great feature about the concert and the progress we’re making at BVO! Come get a sneak peek of our progress and see one of Memphis’ best bands, Hope Clayburn’s Soul Scrimmage!

Thanks to Kacky Walton for having Christopher Reyes and me on WKNO-FM's Checking on the Arts last week to talk about this Satrurday's Memphis Rock-n-Romp at our new BVO space on Mud Island! Hope Clayburn's Soul Scrimmage, BVO sneak peeks, arts and crafts, food trucks, and more! And immediately following the show, historian Jimmy Ogle is going to lead a free Mud Island walking tour! It's gonna be a good one, y'all! See you soon! Special thanks to our sponsors, Downtown Memphis Commission and Memphis Made Brewing Co.

When our Champions of the Lost Causes podcast summer road trip stopped in Salem, MA, I talked to Christine Lutts, board chair of FRIENDS OF GREENLAWN CEMETERY FOUNDATION, at her home. Over the last 12 years, Christine and her board and volunteers have made steady progress in restoring Dickson Memorial Chapel & Conservatory, and Greenlawn Cemetery as places of peace and beauty in Salem. When people champion causes, they reboot their factory-settings belief in goodness – mine, yours, and in the inevitability of goodness winning out in the end. When you believe something is true, you look for evidence of it. Mr. Roger's advice to “look for the helpers,” has been a consolation to many when reeling from a shared tragedy. The idea endures because it's still good advice. When we are overwhelmed with seeing hate, greed, envy and unkindness seem to win the day, we can focus on the people showing kindness and love. It is always good to “look for the helpers.” They are always there, often unnoticed… just doing what they do without fanfare. People who champion causes are helpers. I asked Christine why she thought people champion causes. “Because people like to see things get done,” she said. It struck me as too simple of an answer, but there is a deep truth in it. We want to put our beilef in goodness to the test and see that belief bear out in the world. Christine told me that she stays at it because she knows that restoring a neglected cemetery, arboretum and chapel will provide so much peace, goodness and joy to people in her community. She believes in goodness, and she works to bring it forth. #podcast #roadtrip #roadtripusa #roadtrip2024 #cemeteries #sacredspaces #cotlc #backtothelight

Things at BVO are starting to take shape, and the vision that was first only in the head of Christopher Reyes, then in slide decks full of maps and renderings, is now being fleshed out in creative reality! We had a first event a few weeks ago... a party with fellow Wefunders, cxffeeblack, but we're gearing up to really activate the space more often and invite more of you to come see our progress up close! Thanks to reporter Bill Dries at The Daily Memphian for his in-depth reporting on our ongoing work and the incredible space and history we get to work with! #adaptivereuse #MudIsland #immersiveexperiences #immersiveart #BVO