What I learned from 2 tiny towns in the middle of America
(How to build a successful business in the middle of nowhere)
Last weekend my mom and I joined another mother-daughter duo for a spontaneous trip to Lucas, Kansas - the 2nd best small art scene in America.
Lucas is home to exactly 337 people. It is 115 miles northwest of Wichita, which means it’s a heck of a long way from the nearest interstate or shopping mall. What makes this town so great is that it has a few kooky people who were dreamers. Those dreams are funky little realities living around the downtown, which are now a destination for recycled art lovers around the country.
Here are a few things to see if you ever make it to Lucas, Kansas:
The Garden of Eden
The Grassroots Art Center
Ask for the extended tour so you can see the tin foil house! Incredible!
The World’s Largest Toilet Bowl at “Bowl Plaza”
Located in downtown Lucas, was probably my favorite site on the trip. Definitely take a peek inside the public restrooms; they are gorgeously captivating.
The World’s Largest Travel Plate - a beautiful mosaic welcomes you into town.
World’s Largest Czech Egg (Wilson, KS)
Outside of Lucas we visited Wilson, Kansas and saw the World’s Largest Czech Egg, which is also worth seeing. The whole town has a Czech vibe which is super charming.
Harley on Route 66
As we meandered back toward southwest Oklahoma, we made a stop in Erick, Oklahoma - another speck on the map that is surprisingly a great place to visit, for one major reason. His name is Harley and he’s been entertaining international visitors on Route 66 since the 1980s!
We stopped in Harley’s building (a former meat market) in downtown Erick on a sleepy Sunday afternoon (or so we thought). As soon as we walked in Harley began cracking jokes, welcoming us, telling us to enjoy the thousands of items and antiques all over his building by taking pictures and looking around.
When we sat down, Harley began asking us what each of us did for work. I told him I was a business coach (because that’s my standard “easy to understand for most people” answer. Then somehow yoga came up and he wanted to know more about that. I told him about my art-yoga classes for mindfulness, not expecting him to care much. I mean, this guy has a foot-long gray beard, missing teeth and is wearing denim overalls. To my surprise, he began telling me how important yoga and meditation is to business success and that the biggest hurdles in business are often oneself. He described how yoga is meant to help one connect to their inner self and how that is the most important thing you can do for your own business success and fulfillment.
I stood up, walked across the room and shook his hand. Here sat maybe one of the first people in Oklahoma I’d talked to since I got back, who actually understood what I did. I thanked him for his level of awareness and then began asking him about his own story.
“So, you just opened this building and began singing and entertaining and you’ve sustained yourself and your late wife all these years?”
He laughed heartily. “It’s not that simple, honey!”
After a good chuckle, he composed himself and explained that the first 14 years of business he and his wife had less than 10 people in their store a year. Everything they tried failed. After failure after failure after failure, they threw up their hands and decided to just forget about everything by enjoying themselves with their own music. The two of them started jamming with their own songs they’d written and riffed off guitar notes to go with them. Some guy walked in and said he loved what they were doing and wanted to invite a group in. Harley said that was fine but he wasn't doing anything for this group - he and his lady were having a good time and they weren’t stopping!
Sure enough, a group of tourists came in and absolutely loved the entertainment. They threw more money at Harley and his late wife, Annabelle, than they’d seen in the previous 14 years combined. Hours later, when everyone was elated from such a fun time, the tour group leader said he’d be back next week with another group.
Soon enough, Harley and Annabelle were entertaining tour groups from all over the world. They had over 250 groups a year, with 50+ folks in most groups. People from Spain, England, South America, Canada and all over the world were stopping in little ol Erick, Oklahoma during their tour of Route 66. Who would have ever thought that this would be a destination?
If you’re tempted to call me naive for believing this story, think again. Harley has photos, awards and signs from all of these visitors scattered throughout the store. He’s been on documentaries, videos, live TV, magazine covers and so much more.
The best part? He doesn’t do any advertising. 😳
Before we left, a group of 4 people from Spain walked in. A few minutes later a couple from the UK, and then 6 young men from somewhere else. All gathered in this tiny little building in the middle of nowhere, Oklahoma, Harley picked up his guitar and belted out a song like you wouldn’t believe. Within seconds we all laughed and hooped and hollered. His energy was totally infectious!
I could have gleaned so much more from Harley, but my spiritual business brain took away some key points that I thought I’d share with you all here. His story aligns with what I teach, and I loved seeing it in the raw.
>>Want to learn more about Harley? Simply Google “Harley and Annabelle on Route 66” you’ll be amazed.
I couldn’t help but to feel totally inspired by the end of our short trip.
Here’s what I learned from 2 microscopic towns in the middle of nowhere:
Success is more about alignment than it is doing what you’re told
When you share your most authentic self with the world, everything falls into place. It’s like the old adage, “where your great joy meets the world’s great need is where you were born to shine”
Connection to self is how you find your highest alignment
This is why things like journaling, practicing yoga, meditation and visualization are all so powerful. It’s more than just self-care. It’s taking time to really get back to yourself. To know who you truly are and what you truly feel called to share in this one beautiful life you have.
Anything is possible. Anywhere. Anytime.
Sometimes our biggest naysayers are in our own backyard. The people emotionally and geographically closest to us don't always understand our vision or see our value. If I had a quarter for how many times people told me something isn't possible in this part of the country because of where we are located, I’d be rich. This is a lack mindset though. I choose to believe in possibilities - in the what ifs. If we limit our thinking, we limit our ability to truly express ourselves too, and then we are cutting the world off from the medicine that we were born to share. Open your mind and stay curious to what could happen, then take baby steps toward it. It doesn't matter if you live in the smallest, podunk town in America, or if you live in an oversaturated city like Los Angeles. Anything is possible, anywhere, at any time.
Trust your inner guidance and lean into it.
This is God speaking to us and through us. Your joy. Your bliss. This is nudges from the creator reminding you why you are alive. Follow them. It doesn't necessarily mean you need to build a whole business. Just simply take a step toward that joy. The fun. The playfulness. Yeha, that's the stuff.
Being from a small town it’s easy to think you can’t be as big as you want, can't build an empire as big as you want -but I’m here to tell you that you can! Even if you’re not from a small town - maybe you feel like an outcast or you feel you aren't as good as someone else. It’s all hogwash. You are unique, beautiful and 100% born to do what’s on your heart - so go do it!