There is no better time of the year for reflection and appreciation than the end of the year, with the warm glow of shared holidays and the hopes of new seasons bringing forth better lives. In charting these courses, we often think first about where we have been and what we have learned and we…Read More from Sound Strategy: Reflecting on the end of 2023 with lessons learned from Wright Brothers, Gettysburg

by Clark Twiddy

In a time of seemingly bewildering technological change, regionally there has been perhaps no more disruptive technological upheaval along our shores than what has become a single word known far and wide: Airbnb. One could make an argument for Google, perhaps, in its fast access to information particularly in our classrooms, or perhaps Amazon in…Read More from Sound Strategy: The yin and yang of Airbnb’s impact on the Greater Outer Banks

by Clark Twiddy

Thinking about the economic well-being of our region in years to come is always a good strategic conversation, and it’s timely at the moment given the recent release from North Carolina’s Commerce Department, of the so-called “Tier” rankings around measured economic stress for 2024. Digging into how the rankings are calculated is always interesting for…Read More from Sound Strategy: Greater Outer Banks economic development tiers for 2024 a mix of good, challenging news

by Clark Twiddy

When you’re writing a weekly column about strategy and in one week we mark the passing of two strategic titans – Henry Kissinger and Charlie Munger – well, there is really no other subject to discuss. With 199 combined years of experience on the international stage, both of these brilliant thinkers saw a remarkably long…Read More from Sound Strategy: Charlie Munger, Henry Kissinger legacies of “duration” can be applied locally

by Clark Twiddy

Holidays have a wonderful way of helping us focus our gratitude, and there is no finer holiday to help us do that than this week’s Thanksgiving celebration – we pause, hopefully, to acknowledge and appreciate the things in our lives that have shaped our blessings and define what it means to live well in moments…Read More from Sound Strategy: Thanks residents & visitors, may we continue to enjoy the Greater Outer Banks together

by Clark Twiddy

Sam Walton, the founder of Wal-Mart, used to say that the only kind of economic research he needed to do was to walk around his stores and look at what people were buying. If there was steak in the cart, they felt good. Ground beef, on the other hand, might mean saving money was important….Read More from Sound Strategy: Despite some times depressing headlines, Greater Outer Banks still great place to live, work, play

by Clark Twiddy

No matter where we look across our region, local debates at the moment tend to focus in many ways on investing for the future with a balance between development and our quality of life.  Of course, there are no clearly right answers as the future development process is highly complex even on a quiet day….Read More from Sound Strategy: Look at international examples to help plan Greater Outer Banks’ future

by Clark Twiddy

It never hurts to pause for a moment and acknowledge a pillar when it comes to keeping the roof from crashing down on us. When it comes to our local workforces, the more we can understand and appreciate the pillars that keep our economic shelters dry and shining, the more we’re able to build for…Read More from Sound Strategy: Celebrating the Hispanic community’s contributions to the Greater Outer Banks

by Clark Twiddy

There is always an interesting puzzle at play when something, in hindsight, doesn’t go right.  The stories, people, and preferences of decision makers make for great learning both in the rearview mirror and, crucially, out the windshield as well.   Staying on the dominant regional theme of housing, perhaps it’s worth looking at other public-private initiatives…Read More from Sound Strategy: Consider innovative solutions to complex issue of Greater Outer Banks housing

by Clark Twiddy

At the regional level, housing remains the topic of the day by almost any headline or policy measure. To be fair, though, it’s also a problem across America going back to the financial crisis of 2008 which ended, for more than a decade, large scale housing investments.  At the local level, some of our communities…Read More from Sound Strategy: Solving Greater Outer Banks housing issue is complex, requires cooperative effort

by Clark Twiddy