It’s hard to express just how much Marilyn knows about Asheville and it’s history.

We first got to know her over lunch at the Stony Knob Cafe. Between bites, we discussed the podcasting landscape (a shared interest), marketing and advertising industry (a shared profession), and Asheville (a shared community).

When it comes to all three of these topics, Marilyn is a fountain of knowledge. She’s lived here in Asheville for more than 30 years and throughout the decades, she’s carefully observed how Asheville has evolved and used this knowledge to distill important lessons on community development.

Here’s What You’ll Learn in this Episode:

  • The eerie similarities between what Asheville was like 30 years ago and today
  • Marilyn shares highlights of her career, including spearheading major tourism advertising campaigns for Asheville to becoming a podcast radio host
  • Marilyn’s brilliant approach to building effective advertising campaigns (you’ll want to use this in your world)

Enjoyed this interview? We think you might also dig this episode with Kaye Bentley, founder of Asheville Rooftop Bar Tours.

Show Notes

This episode is brought to you by Range Urgent Care, an Asheville-based clinic that offers affordable healthcare, transparent pricing, and streamlined, friendly service. Learn more about Range Urgent Care.

*Enjoy your first month free of annual membership at Range Urgent Care. Use code ‘makingitinasheville’ at checkout. Offer valid for a limited time only.

Speaking of Travel is an iHeart Radio radio show/podcast hosted by Marilyn Ball featuring uplifting and enriching stories about how travel changes you.

12 Marketing is Marilyn’s marketing agency. She offers one-on-one consulting and mentoring programs for business owners, nonprofits and people that would like to begin or grow a business. She helps you brainstorm new ideas to increase your profit and revenues.

The Rise of Asheville is a non-fiction book written by Marilyn Ball about the history of Asheville’s community over the last fifty years. Ball traces the bonds of community that gave rise to the vibrant community that Asheville is today. You can buy a the book online from our local bookstore, Malaprops, or on Amazon.

The Paris Photo is the book Marilyn was reading at the time this podcast was recorded. The book conveys the story of an American soldier and his relationship with a young mother and her son just after the Liberation of Paris in August 1944.

All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten: Uncommon Thoughts on Common Things is a fantastic series of essays by Robert Fulghum.

Kelso Advertising is the marketing and advertising agency that Marilyn worked for about a decade.

Brené Brown is a research professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work, author, and storyteller. She has spent more than a decade studying vulnerability, courage, authenticity, and shame.

Buzz Sprout is a podcasting hosting platform (and so much more). It offers an easy way for people to host, track, and promote their podcasts. Marilyn uses Buzz Sprout for some of her podcast projects.

Malaprops is a locally-owned, independent bookshop here in Asheville.

Music by Commonwealth Choir

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Making It in Asheville is a podcast where we go behind the scenes with artists, creatives, and entrepreneurs in Asheville. We learn about what they’re making and how they’re making it in Asheville.

Making It in Asheville is powered by Making It Creative, our boutique marketing and business consulting agency. We help passionate small business owners build and improve their sales and communication strategies. Learn more here.

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