Become "Locally Known"

Welcome to your 30s, and here's my best piece of advice, as someone at the other end of the spectrum (39!) - become "locally known."

One of my best friends said that this is what she's aiming for, and it has stuck with me. What she meant is that she wants to use her expertise to make the couple of miles around her better, and for people to know to turn to her for her expertise. She owns a sustainable engineering company, which runs our town's rainscaping program. She's on the board for a local clean water non-profit and our bike/walk advocacy group. She is your go-to person for all things hardscape sustainability!

I took her idea and did this myself. I am an affordable housing developer, so I joined the board of our town's housing programs committee and I co-chair our affordable housing task force (new! scary!). It's sometimes annoying and frustrating, but ultimately good.

You are in your 30s now, you have skills and expertise! Become locally known! Or, larger subtext, it's a great decade to become useful to / engaged with / HAVE FUN IN your community. We are meaning seeking animals that want to connect and build things, and it's a good decade to get started.

Pictured: neighbors becoming locally known for the best chili at the cookoff.