September 9, 2025 • 21 mins
Boomerangs can be a great talent attraction target – maybe you are one yourself! In this episode, we look at a couple community programs focused on bringing back boomerangs, and hear from some boomerangs themselves about their stories and what drew them back to the cities they’re now based in:
(02:04): Josh, a business owner making a social impact in Colorado Springs, CO
(08:22): Lauren, a veterinarian who wanted to be closer to family in Chattanooga, TN
(12:35): Brian, a lawyer who burned out in big cities + started fresh in Greenville, NC
Resources Mentioned:
At Livability, we highlight the unsung awesomeness of small and mid-sized cities across the country. We also partner with communities to reach their target companies and potential residents through digital content and print magazine programs.
Be sure to subscribe so you’re alerted when we release new episodes. Learn more about us at LivabilityMedia.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Have an idea for an upcoming episode? Email host Amanda Ellis at aellis@livability.com.
Inside America’s Best Cities is produced by SpeakEasy Productions.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Amanda Ellis [00:00:10]:
Hey listeners, welcome back to Inside America's Best Cities. Today we're talking about Boomerangs, those folks who have left your community but made their way back. We're going to be hearing a few of their stories and talking about how you can make targeting boomerangs part of your talent attraction strategy. Check out the timestamps in our show notes to go straight to the parts of this episode that interest you most. As always, you can learn more about Livability and about this podcast at livabilitymedia.com and with that, let's jump in. (00:00):
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Amanda Ellis [00:00:45]: I bet some of you listening today are boomerangs yourselves. Maybe you went to college away from your hometown and came back or lived in some other cities before deciding that you wanted to get back closer to family or your roots, some familiarity or just a place that has meaning for you. Communities are tapping into that desire in recent years as part of their talent attraction work. One of the most well known programs is Boomerang Greensboro out of North Carolina. Their slogan is “You grew up, so did Greensboro,” which I think sums up how a lot of places feel about the growth that they've had in recent decades, especially smaller and medium sized cities. In Greensboro, they've built out an extensive marketing campaign around this idea and they've seen a few hundred people relocate back to town in several years of doing this work. “Love, Kansas” is another example, a statewide campaign that has a boomerang component that I'll link up in the show notes for your reference. But all that said, I want you to hear from some boomerangs themselves about their journeys to give you a glimpse into their thoughts and think about how it could help you and in thinking about how to market your community. Our first boomerang story is from a Colorado Springs boomerang and business owner sharing his journey back. (00:01):
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Josh Franklin [00:02:04]: Hey there. This is Josh Franklin, owner of Icons in Colorado Springs, Colorado. I moved back to Colorado Springs in 2020. If you recall, there was a bit of a pandemic happening, so I left New York City, which I had been living in for nearly 20 years, working as a professional actor on Broadway, and I had planned my return to Colorado Springs for some point in the future. In 2018, my husband and I bought a house here knowing that we couldn't live here because I had a Broadway show coming up. So we Airbnb'd our house for a couple of years and thought eventually we'd like to relocate to Colorado Springs, which is my hometown. Didn't quite realize that it would happen so quickly, but forever grateful for that pivot in our life and career because we created something really magical in my hometown that has created a lot of impact. But I was born and raised in Colorado Springs. I left in 1999, so I was gone for quite some time. (00:02):
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Josh Franklin [00:03:21]: But I found myself coming back probably about 10 years ago. I would come back every year and do something. A lot of the work that I did was with the Colorado Springs Conservatory, teaching and doing masterclasses and directing and workshops for them. And in 2018, we were here for a period of time putting up a new show with the Colorado Springs Conservatory at the Ent Center. And my husband John was an instructor at the school for a semester. So we had several months here and sort of rediscovered the beauty that is Colorado Springs with the hiking and the expansion of downtown and all of the exciting businesses that were happening. And I remember Ivy Wild in particular, you know, the converted school that has become a brewery and great art and shops and performance spaces that in particular, you know, I think that that was the first time that I felt, “oh, we're onto something here, and this could be a great next step for us.” Then the pandemic happened, and, you know, before we knew it, we… (00:03):
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Josh Franklin [00:04:34]: We sort of saw this void in Colorado Springs that in the downtown area there wasn't a gay bar. And we sort of threw it out there a couple times to different friends, and it sort of took off before we were kind of ready for it. So we learned as much as we could about owning a business in a very short amount of time. We got a great deal on a. On a space downtown because there was a pandemic happening. We took what we knew from the entertainment industry and threw that into this business plan and created Icons, that gay bar with the singing bartenders. And it's become this sort of crazy phenomenon that has grown and evolved. We're in a new space now a block away from our original location. (00:04):
undefined
Josh Franklin [00:05:24]: It's a bigger space. It's got three outdoor areas. We have been bringing in all of these famous RuPaul race drag queens to perform. A lot of great touring bands, touring artists have come through. We've sort of become a gay bar / music venue / social impact business, and a staple of the downtown area, which, you know, I couldn't have foreseen back in the 90s when I was coming out of the closet in a very conservative town. So to come back all of these years later and have this sort of full circle moment has been super rewarding, really challenging. You know, any business owner can echo that sentiment. You know, it's been a challenging time to own a business. (00:05):
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Josh Franklin [00:06:13]: But when you've got a business that makes the kind of impact that we've made in this, in this town and means so much to so many people, it makes the hard times a little bit easier. I left because it was not the most welcoming town to live in for a queer person, especially a young queer person in the 90s. You know, I didn't really feel like I had a community to stay here for. And the reason I came back is kind of the same reason. I wanted to make sure that other people didn't feel the way that I felt as a young person and felt like the Colorado Springs could be their home regardless of who they love. It took a long time for me to come to that realization. And, you know, it's. I still have days where I can't believe I'm living in Colorado Springs, especially after, you know, 20 years in New York City. (00:06):
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Josh Franklin [00:07:08]: But we sort of brought all the things that we loved about New York City to Colorado Springs and offered them to a community that's been super grateful and has embraced us and we just feel loved and we love living here. So that's me. If you haven't been to Icons, come check us out. Whether you're an ally or a queer person or somebody who just loves entertainment, you know, we're here to serve this beautiful community that we love so much. So we hope to see you soon! (00:07):
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Amanda Ellis [00:07:44]: Well, now I have to make a trip to Colorado Springs! But I love how Josh's story really highlights inclusivity, the importance of it and the growth that he's seen. I'd like to think that many smaller and mid-sized cities have seen growth in that area in recent years and recent decades. But yes, being welcoming is absolutely important for attracting talent, probably more so than ever in the current talent shortage environment that we find ourselves in. Our next story comes to us from Chattanooga, Tennessee. Local veterinarian Lauren Kennedy shares with us about her return to the area and how it's benefited her family life. (00:08):
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Lauren Kennedy [00:08:22]: Hi, my name is Lauren and I live in Chattanooga with my family, my husband, my three daughters and our two dogs. I actually grew up in the Chattanooga area in Hixson and moved away to go to college. I lived in Knoxville for about 10 years and after that moved around a little bit for my husband's education and then medical school and residency. His residency eventually landed us in Orlando, Florida where we lived for about seven years. We really loved it there. We loved the community, we loved the weather, we loved our kids' schools. We both had great jobs, but we just kept feeling like we were being pulled back to Tennessee. Some of the things we love about our area specifically are the mountains and all the outdoor stuff we can do. (00:09):
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Lauren Kennedy [00:09:19]: We love being able to run up to Knoxville on a weekend to go see a football game. But probably the biggest thing that drew us back home was our family. My family, all of them still live in the Chattanooga area and I live probably within a 5 mile radius of both my parents and my sister. We just felt like as our kids were getting a little bit older, it was really important for them and for our family to be able to build good relationships together. With two full time working parents... My husband is an emergency room physician and I'm a veterinarian… It definitely helps to have people on hand that can help out with the kids with school pickups and drop offs and making dinner and doing all those fun things that full time working parents sometimes have trouble doing. So it's been about two years since we've been back and we can honestly say we don't regret the decision to move home at all. The first weekend I was back, I thought, gosh, why did it take us so long to get back home? It felt like a homecoming, essentially, like I was back where I belonged after growing up here. (00:10):
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Lauren Kennedy [00:10:32]: So far, my kids are loving it here as well. They really love having seasons. But when people ask me, you know, what brought you back home? The answer that always comes to the forefront is family. And it's just a wonderful group of people that live here in a wonderful community and we're really happy to be a part of it. (00:11):
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Amanda Ellis [00:10:59]: She addresses something we know is so key with relocation decisions in general, and that is the connection to family. Before we hear our last Boomerang story, I wanted to address how do you actually reach these people? It really goes back to something we say all the time at Livability, that talent attraction is really marketing at the end of the day. And that's just as true here with our Boomerang topic. Digital and social targeting is a key way to reach people who previously lived in your area. That was a big part in particular of the Greensboro campaign we talked about earlier. And I'd also add it's not just marketing necessarily, but storytelling. Just like the stories in this episode, finding the ones in your community that people will relate to and want to share. (00:12):
undefined
Amanda Ellis [00:11:47]: Of course, I know someone you can call if you need help with this. We at Livability, this is exactly what we do. Help push out those positive stories about your community, what really makes you special, and what Keeps people coming back. That said, our last boomerang story for today is from an attorney out of Greenville, North Carolina, sharing his story of coming back to his college town. I love how we've gone from our biggest to smallest cities that we're featuring today. We started with Colorado Springs, of course, which has a population approaching 500,000, then went to Chattanooga, kind of in the middle at about 200,000. And then Greenville, North Carolina does come in at under 100,000, population wise. So we've had a good range there. But here's the final story I'll leave you with. (00:13):
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Brian Meyerhoeffer [00:12:35]: Hi, my name is Brian Meyerhoeffer. I moved back to Greenville, I think, 13 years ago. I am one of those boomerang boys, if you will. I came to school thanks to one of my friends inviting me to come to Greenville, North Carolina to attend East Carolina University. Probably the best decision I ever made, and I'll always be indebted to him for that. But I graduated from East Carolina University and was completely happy with my decision to leave Greenville. It was time to go. Greenville at the time was a great college town. ECU, East Carolina University, is a great university. But it was time for me to go. I never thought that I would move back. Never part of the plan. I had big dreams. I had goals like any young college kid that has just graduated. So I remember packing up my car and I drove straight from Greenville, North Carolina, all the way up to Baltimore, Maryland, because I was going to law school. (00:14):
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Brian Meyerhoeffer [00:13:49]: And then while I was there, I had the honor privilege of interning in the U.S. senate in Washington, D.C. on Capitol Hill, as it happens, for many people. I then got the bug for D.C. so after graduating from law school, I went down to Washington, D.C. got a dream job at a very, very big law firm there. I was there for eight to 10 years, give or take, approximately one of the greatest experiences of my life. It was everything I thought I wanted to do. That's actually where I met my wife. And while in D.C., I was recruited by another big law firm down in Atlanta. So I went from Washington, D.C. down to Atlanta, Georgia, another big law firm representing big giant international companies. And then I was kind of that quintessential statistic that says people get burned out at big law firms somewhere around eight to 10 years. And that was me. I didn't know where I wanted to go, didn't know what I wanted to do. But for about a year prior to moving back to Greenville, I started to get the itch, if you will, to move back here. (00:15):
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Brian Meyerhoeffer [00:15:10]: I had multiple friends still here in town. And the more I came back, the more I saw them, the more I felt an urge to come back here. So when I quit my big law job, my wife says, where do you want to go? And so we discussed moving, staying in Atlanta, moving back to D.C. where we met. We also mentioned all points in between, Charlotte, Raleigh, Richmond. And I just said to her, and I'll still remember her face, I said, how about we go back to Greenville? And she looks at me and says, where you went to college? And I said, yes, can we please go back there? I just need a break. And she was a team player. She said, okay. I said, look, give me a year. Let me just take a year off and then we can go back to D.C. if you want. So we move back here and I don't have a job. My wife keeps her Atlanta job. She's flying back and forth, and then ultimately she lands a job that's her favorite job she's ever had at this company called Hyster-Yale in Greenville, which is a great business in town, one of our largest employers. We have a child. We've been back, like I mentioned earlier, for approximately 13 years. (00:16):
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Brian Meyerhoeffer [00:16:40]: She loves her job. I'm an attorney in town. I have my own little, modest little law practice. So it wasn't how we planned it, but it's everything that we would want it to be right now in terms of what Greenville was and what it is, I think the city was about half the population when I left versus when I came back. And this holds true almost statistically speaking, for the university, you know, it was a nice size school, but now the university is a. I'd say a large university. We've got a massive healthcare system here, which is great for the community. And I think I want to say when I left, the population maybe was around 50,000, and now it's 100,000. So it's a much more separate and defined city than it was back then. You know, I tell everybody, if you want to move to Greenville and you're coming from a big city, you can't expect Greenville to be D.C. it's just never going to be that. It won't be Atlanta. I love those big cities when I live there. But I would argue that there's a bigger community in Greenville. I say that to everybody. You know, you could have all the shiny buildings you want, but without the people here, what would it matter? You know, there are so many great people in the community that seem to be rowing the boat in the same direction. (00:17):
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Brian Meyerhoeffer [00:18:14]: It's kind of exciting to watch a small town grow into a city. There are way more entertainment options than there were, way more shopping options than there were way more health care options. And I think if you move here with the right mindset, I think Greenville is a place that not only would you like to visit, but I think once you get entrenched in the community, you'll realize it's a place you want to stay. You know, I never thought I'd move back and stay here, nor did my wife, but she loves it. I love it. You know, I think with any growing city, there's growing pains. It's not perfect, but Greenville has sort of worked for everything that it has. You know, it wasn't. It's not a community or a city that was already born on third base and acted like it hit a triple. I mean, there isn't a wonderful ocean right next to us. We're not on the top of a mountain peak. But I'd argue that our location is great. We're ideally located right in between our state capitol, Raleigh, and our wonderful coastline, the Crystal Coast. You can get to either in about an hour and a half. So that makes us, in my opinion, ideally located for some people. Not to mention that you've got the interstate coming in. But we could always have more restaurant options, more shopping options, as my wife would tell you. But it's ultimately been a blessing, not only to my wife and I, for our careers, but just personally, it's everything that we could hope for and nothing that we expected. (00:18):
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Amanda Ellis [00:20:13]: Thanks for listening to the Livability podcast, where we take you Inside America's Best Cities. At Livability, we highlight the unsung awesomeness of small and mid-sized cities across the country. We also partner with communities to reach their target companies and potential residents through digital content and print magazine programs. If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, rate, and review this show wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also learn more about us at livabilitymedia.com. Have an idea for an upcoming episode? Email me at aellis@livability.com. Until next time, from Livability, I'm Amanda Ellis, sharing the stories of America's most promising places. (00:19):
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Amanda Ellis [00:00:45]: I bet some of you listening today are boomerangs yourselves. Maybe you went to college away from your hometown and came back or lived in some other cities before deciding that you wanted to get back closer to family or your roots, some familiarity or just a place that has meaning for you. Communities are tapping into that desire in recent years as part of their talent attraction work. One of the most well known programs is Boomerang Greensboro out of North Carolina. Their slogan is “You grew up, so did Greensboro,” which I think sums up how a lot of places feel about the growth that they've had in recent decades, especially smaller and medium sized cities. In Greensboro, they've built out an extensive marketing campaign around this idea and they've seen a few hundred people relocate back to town in several years of doing this work. “Love, Kansas” is another example, a statewide campaign that has a boomerang component that I'll link up in the show notes for your reference. But all that said, I want you to hear from some boomerangs themselves about their journeys to give you a glimpse into their thoughts and think about how it could help you and in thinking about how to market your community. Our first boomerang story is from a Colorado Springs boomerang and business owner sharing his journey back. (00:01):
undefined
Josh Franklin [00:02:04]: Hey there. This is Josh Franklin, owner of Icons in Colorado Springs, Colorado. I moved back to Colorado Springs in 2020. If you recall, there was a bit of a pandemic happening, so I left New York City, which I had been living in for nearly 20 years, working as a professional actor on Broadway, and I had planned my return to Colorado Springs for some point in the future. In 2018, my husband and I bought a house here knowing that we couldn't live here because I had a Broadway show coming up. So we Airbnb'd our house for a couple of years and thought eventually we'd like to relocate to Colorado Springs, which is my hometown. Didn't quite realize that it would happen so quickly, but forever grateful for that pivot in our life and career because we created something really magical in my hometown that has created a lot of impact. But I was born and raised in Colorado Springs. I left in 1999, so I was gone for quite some time. (00:02):
undefined
Josh Franklin [00:03:21]: But I found myself coming back probably about 10 years ago. I would come back every year and do something. A lot of the work that I did was with the Colorado Springs Conservatory, teaching and doing masterclasses and directing and workshops for them. And in 2018, we were here for a period of time putting up a new show with the Colorado Springs Conservatory at the Ent Center. And my husband John was an instructor at the school for a semester. So we had several months here and sort of rediscovered the beauty that is Colorado Springs with the hiking and the expansion of downtown and all of the exciting businesses that were happening. And I remember Ivy Wild in particular, you know, the converted school that has become a brewery and great art and shops and performance spaces that in particular, you know, I think that that was the first time that I felt, “oh, we're onto something here, and this could be a great next step for us.” Then the pandemic happened, and, you know, before we knew it, we… (00:03):
undefined
Josh Franklin [00:04:34]: We sort of saw this void in Colorado Springs that in the downtown area there wasn't a gay bar. And we sort of threw it out there a couple times to different friends, and it sort of took off before we were kind of ready for it. So we learned as much as we could about owning a business in a very short amount of time. We got a great deal on a. On a space downtown because there was a pandemic happening. We took what we knew from the entertainment industry and threw that into this business plan and created Icons, that gay bar with the singing bartenders. And it's become this sort of crazy phenomenon that has grown and evolved. We're in a new space now a block away from our original location. (00:04):
undefined
Josh Franklin [00:05:24]: It's a bigger space. It's got three outdoor areas. We have been bringing in all of these famous RuPaul race drag queens to perform. A lot of great touring bands, touring artists have come through. We've sort of become a gay bar / music venue / social impact business, and a staple of the downtown area, which, you know, I couldn't have foreseen back in the 90s when I was coming out of the closet in a very conservative town. So to come back all of these years later and have this sort of full circle moment has been super rewarding, really challenging. You know, any business owner can echo that sentiment. You know, it's been a challenging time to own a business. (00:05):
undefined
Josh Franklin [00:06:13]: But when you've got a business that makes the kind of impact that we've made in this, in this town and means so much to so many people, it makes the hard times a little bit easier. I left because it was not the most welcoming town to live in for a queer person, especially a young queer person in the 90s. You know, I didn't really feel like I had a community to stay here for. And the reason I came back is kind of the same reason. I wanted to make sure that other people didn't feel the way that I felt as a young person and felt like the Colorado Springs could be their home regardless of who they love. It took a long time for me to come to that realization. And, you know, it's. I still have days where I can't believe I'm living in Colorado Springs, especially after, you know, 20 years in New York City. (00:06):
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Josh Franklin [00:07:08]: But we sort of brought all the things that we loved about New York City to Colorado Springs and offered them to a community that's been super grateful and has embraced us and we just feel loved and we love living here. So that's me. If you haven't been to Icons, come check us out. Whether you're an ally or a queer person or somebody who just loves entertainment, you know, we're here to serve this beautiful community that we love so much. So we hope to see you soon! (00:07):
undefined
Amanda Ellis [00:07:44]: Well, now I have to make a trip to Colorado Springs! But I love how Josh's story really highlights inclusivity, the importance of it and the growth that he's seen. I'd like to think that many smaller and mid-sized cities have seen growth in that area in recent years and recent decades. But yes, being welcoming is absolutely important for attracting talent, probably more so than ever in the current talent shortage environment that we find ourselves in. Our next story comes to us from Chattanooga, Tennessee. Local veterinarian Lauren Kennedy shares with us about her return to the area and how it's benefited her family life. (00:08):
undefined
Lauren Kennedy [00:08:22]: Hi, my name is Lauren and I live in Chattanooga with my family, my husband, my three daughters and our two dogs. I actually grew up in the Chattanooga area in Hixson and moved away to go to college. I lived in Knoxville for about 10 years and after that moved around a little bit for my husband's education and then medical school and residency. His residency eventually landed us in Orlando, Florida where we lived for about seven years. We really loved it there. We loved the community, we loved the weather, we loved our kids' schools. We both had great jobs, but we just kept feeling like we were being pulled back to Tennessee. Some of the things we love about our area specifically are the mountains and all the outdoor stuff we can do. (00:09):
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Lauren Kennedy [00:09:19]: We love being able to run up to Knoxville on a weekend to go see a football game. But probably the biggest thing that drew us back home was our family. My family, all of them still live in the Chattanooga area and I live probably within a 5 mile radius of both my parents and my sister. We just felt like as our kids were getting a little bit older, it was really important for them and for our family to be able to build good relationships together. With two full time working parents... My husband is an emergency room physician and I'm a veterinarian… It definitely helps to have people on hand that can help out with the kids with school pickups and drop offs and making dinner and doing all those fun things that full time working parents sometimes have trouble doing. So it's been about two years since we've been back and we can honestly say we don't regret the decision to move home at all. The first weekend I was back, I thought, gosh, why did it take us so long to get back home? It felt like a homecoming, essentially, like I was back where I belonged after growing up here. (00:10):
undefined
Lauren Kennedy [00:10:32]: So far, my kids are loving it here as well. They really love having seasons. But when people ask me, you know, what brought you back home? The answer that always comes to the forefront is family. And it's just a wonderful group of people that live here in a wonderful community and we're really happy to be a part of it. (00:11):
undefined
Amanda Ellis [00:10:59]: She addresses something we know is so key with relocation decisions in general, and that is the connection to family. Before we hear our last Boomerang story, I wanted to address how do you actually reach these people? It really goes back to something we say all the time at Livability, that talent attraction is really marketing at the end of the day. And that's just as true here with our Boomerang topic. Digital and social targeting is a key way to reach people who previously lived in your area. That was a big part in particular of the Greensboro campaign we talked about earlier. And I'd also add it's not just marketing necessarily, but storytelling. Just like the stories in this episode, finding the ones in your community that people will relate to and want to share. (00:12):
undefined
Amanda Ellis [00:11:47]: Of course, I know someone you can call if you need help with this. We at Livability, this is exactly what we do. Help push out those positive stories about your community, what really makes you special, and what Keeps people coming back. That said, our last boomerang story for today is from an attorney out of Greenville, North Carolina, sharing his story of coming back to his college town. I love how we've gone from our biggest to smallest cities that we're featuring today. We started with Colorado Springs, of course, which has a population approaching 500,000, then went to Chattanooga, kind of in the middle at about 200,000. And then Greenville, North Carolina does come in at under 100,000, population wise. So we've had a good range there. But here's the final story I'll leave you with. (00:13):
undefined
Brian Meyerhoeffer [00:12:35]: Hi, my name is Brian Meyerhoeffer. I moved back to Greenville, I think, 13 years ago. I am one of those boomerang boys, if you will. I came to school thanks to one of my friends inviting me to come to Greenville, North Carolina to attend East Carolina University. Probably the best decision I ever made, and I'll always be indebted to him for that. But I graduated from East Carolina University and was completely happy with my decision to leave Greenville. It was time to go. Greenville at the time was a great college town. ECU, East Carolina University, is a great university. But it was time for me to go. I never thought that I would move back. Never part of the plan. I had big dreams. I had goals like any young college kid that has just graduated. So I remember packing up my car and I drove straight from Greenville, North Carolina, all the way up to Baltimore, Maryland, because I was going to law school. (00:14):
undefined
Brian Meyerhoeffer [00:13:49]: And then while I was there, I had the honor privilege of interning in the U.S. senate in Washington, D.C. on Capitol Hill, as it happens, for many people. I then got the bug for D.C. so after graduating from law school, I went down to Washington, D.C. got a dream job at a very, very big law firm there. I was there for eight to 10 years, give or take, approximately one of the greatest experiences of my life. It was everything I thought I wanted to do. That's actually where I met my wife. And while in D.C., I was recruited by another big law firm down in Atlanta. So I went from Washington, D.C. down to Atlanta, Georgia, another big law firm representing big giant international companies. And then I was kind of that quintessential statistic that says people get burned out at big law firms somewhere around eight to 10 years. And that was me. I didn't know where I wanted to go, didn't know what I wanted to do. But for about a year prior to moving back to Greenville, I started to get the itch, if you will, to move back here. (00:15):
undefined
Brian Meyerhoeffer [00:15:10]: I had multiple friends still here in town. And the more I came back, the more I saw them, the more I felt an urge to come back here. So when I quit my big law job, my wife says, where do you want to go? And so we discussed moving, staying in Atlanta, moving back to D.C. where we met. We also mentioned all points in between, Charlotte, Raleigh, Richmond. And I just said to her, and I'll still remember her face, I said, how about we go back to Greenville? And she looks at me and says, where you went to college? And I said, yes, can we please go back there? I just need a break. And she was a team player. She said, okay. I said, look, give me a year. Let me just take a year off and then we can go back to D.C. if you want. So we move back here and I don't have a job. My wife keeps her Atlanta job. She's flying back and forth, and then ultimately she lands a job that's her favorite job she's ever had at this company called Hyster-Yale in Greenville, which is a great business in town, one of our largest employers. We have a child. We've been back, like I mentioned earlier, for approximately 13 years. (00:16):
undefined
Brian Meyerhoeffer [00:16:40]: She loves her job. I'm an attorney in town. I have my own little, modest little law practice. So it wasn't how we planned it, but it's everything that we would want it to be right now in terms of what Greenville was and what it is, I think the city was about half the population when I left versus when I came back. And this holds true almost statistically speaking, for the university, you know, it was a nice size school, but now the university is a. I'd say a large university. We've got a massive healthcare system here, which is great for the community. And I think I want to say when I left, the population maybe was around 50,000, and now it's 100,000. So it's a much more separate and defined city than it was back then. You know, I tell everybody, if you want to move to Greenville and you're coming from a big city, you can't expect Greenville to be D.C. it's just never going to be that. It won't be Atlanta. I love those big cities when I live there. But I would argue that there's a bigger community in Greenville. I say that to everybody. You know, you could have all the shiny buildings you want, but without the people here, what would it matter? You know, there are so many great people in the community that seem to be rowing the boat in the same direction. (00:17):
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Brian Meyerhoeffer [00:18:14]: It's kind of exciting to watch a small town grow into a city. There are way more entertainment options than there were, way more shopping options than there were way more health care options. And I think if you move here with the right mindset, I think Greenville is a place that not only would you like to visit, but I think once you get entrenched in the community, you'll realize it's a place you want to stay. You know, I never thought I'd move back and stay here, nor did my wife, but she loves it. I love it. You know, I think with any growing city, there's growing pains. It's not perfect, but Greenville has sort of worked for everything that it has. You know, it wasn't. It's not a community or a city that was already born on third base and acted like it hit a triple. I mean, there isn't a wonderful ocean right next to us. We're not on the top of a mountain peak. But I'd argue that our location is great. We're ideally located right in between our state capitol, Raleigh, and our wonderful coastline, the Crystal Coast. You can get to either in about an hour and a half. So that makes us, in my opinion, ideally located for some people. Not to mention that you've got the interstate coming in. But we could always have more restaurant options, more shopping options, as my wife would tell you. But it's ultimately been a blessing, not only to my wife and I, for our careers, but just personally, it's everything that we could hope for and nothing that we expected. (00:18):
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Amanda Ellis [00:20:13]: Thanks for listening to the Livability podcast, where we take you Inside America's Best Cities. At Livability, we highlight the unsung awesomeness of small and mid-sized cities across the country. We also partner with communities to reach their target companies and potential residents through digital content and print magazine programs. If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, rate, and review this show wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also learn more about us at livabilitymedia.com. Have an idea for an upcoming episode? Email me at aellis@livability.com. Until next time, from Livability, I'm Amanda Ellis, sharing the stories of America's most promising places. (00:19):
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