The Volunteer Roadmap · 2026-05-04 · 51 min
Ten years ago, Lawrence County was on Tennessee's distressed counties list. Today, they're one of the most exciting areas in the state. New investment coming in every month, 1,500 jobs added since 2020, and downtown is filled with restaurants, retailers, and Airbnbs. So… what changed? They started seeing their limitations as opportunities. Ryan Egly is the President & CEO of the Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce. Growing up he was told if he wanted to be successful, he'd have to leave Lawrenceburg. Instead of following that advice, he found a different solution. In this episode, we're discussing: How quantifying work ethic (not just credentials) became their secret weapon for recruiting businesses Why keeping everything under one roof lets a 50,000-person county compete with 100,000+ markets How to build education partnerships that actually serve your local workforce needs You already have what you need. You just have to see it differently. Have a Tennessee story worth mapping out? Reach out at archabouttn.com
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