09/03/2026
A fellow Arkansas āMain Streeterā and friend, Kayla with Glenwood Downtown Network, said three words to us during the Main Street America conference that I have carried with me ever since:
PURPOSE OVER PROFIT.
Glenwood Downtown Network is much like Main Street Waldron. We share the same renewed hope for our communities, similar goals, and a commitment to the same four-point approach recommended by Main Street America.
We were in the lobby of our hotel, talking about our successes, our struggles, our wins, and our frustrationsā¦the things that come with trying to breathe new life into a small-town downtown. At the exact moment, we may have been discussing vacant properties that current owners refuse to sell or maintain (or they want well over the property value), or rehabilitating dilapidated buildings.
And then Kayla said those three words.
Purpose over profit. She said itās a phrase they live by and say often.
Those words were everything I had been feeling but didnāt know how to put into words (well, not three summed up words).
That phrase refers to more than the buildings and rehabilitation. It has great meaning for our businesses as well. Because the truth is, many of our Main Street businesses barely get by.
I promise you, no one is getting rich from having a small business on our Main Street. Most probably donāt even break even. Most aren't truly self-sufficient/self-supporting. Their owners pour their own money, time, energy, and heart into them simply to keep the doors open. Many business owners work other jobs, have other businesses that supplement their Main Street business, or draw from their personal finances to keep the doors open.
And yetā¦
They stay.
They open their doors every morning.
They show up.
They provide goods and services our community needs.
They sponsor your kids' teams.
They support your schools.
They donate to local causes.
They hire local people.
They participate in community events.
They invest in this town.
And they do it because they believe this community is worth investing in.
Purpose over profit.
I think almost every small business on our Main Street understands that phrase, even if they've never actually heard it.
Because sometimes the purpose of a business isn't simply to make money.
Sometimes it's about preserving a downtown.
Sometimes it's about providing something our community would otherwise have to drive somewhere else to find.
Sometimes it's about creating a place where people know your name.
Sometimes it's about giving a young person their first job.
Sometimes it's about keeping a historic building occupied and cared for.
Sometimes it's simply about refusing to give up on your hometown.
So when you see an open door on Main Street, please remember there is a person behind it who is taking a chance on this community.
Support the purpose.
Support the people and businesses who continue to support you, your children, your family, your schools, and your community.
Visit your local businesses. Tell your friends about them. Share their posts. Show up.
Because if we want a thriving Main Street, it can't be built by a handful of business owners alone. It takes a community that believes its Main Street is worth fighting for.
Here in Waldron, we believe it is!
PURPOSE OVER PROFIT. ā¤ļø
