We know full-well the Kentucky Derby is no longer the only time our city finds its way into the national spotlight. When Traveler magazine listed Louisville as one of its “Best of World” locations, we weren’t surprised. And when GQ named Louisville America’s manliest city, we wore our beards a little prouder. We are gratified to be Louisvillians, because Louisville is a great city—gratified, but not content.

In fact, we’re always talking about change. We have websites, and meetups, and government initiatives. We look to shining cities on hills like Austin, TX and Boston, MA. We celebrate innovation and incubate the innovators. And we tweet a lot. A lot. It is hard to say how soon we will see the fruits of these efforts. Perhaps they are already growing right in front of us. But regardless of how many words we throw at the problem, or how many metrics we track, there are a couple of constants that must be present to induce progress. These include education and action.

Both geographically and socially, Louisville sits on a border between the American South and the rest of the world. We are a design-centric community, and that is great for growth. Because growth is a thousand times more exciting when it’s lathered in an attractive brand. But design runs deeper than the placement of pixels and growth occurs faster in the midst of rich soil. With that, we have arrived at the thesis of this post; you are the rich soil and I am a gardener.

My garden is small, and so is my request. I simply want to borrow one of your problems. I know you’ve got them—we all do.

Here is how it will work: You sign the deed to one of your problems over to me for two months. I carry it back to a small group of seedlings who are eager to sit around and dream up a solution. Then we package our findings into a snappy proposal and return it to your doorstep with much love and care. At that point, you are not obligated to do anything but offer your feedback. You may implement the solution if you choose, or you may politely file it away.

Why?

I believe tackling an existing problem is an excellent way to sharpen young talent. Outsourcing your problem will result in a great learning experience for some rising stars, and a sharp solution for that one thing that has been nagging you for months (but wasn’t high enough priority to demand your full attention).

What?

Maybe you need a better UI for a part of your service, or you do, but you don’t know it yet. Perhaps customers have trouble understanding what you do. Or maybe you need to solve an internal communication problem amongst your employees. Any of these could be a great problem to throw our way. We will be approaching the challenge with our sights set on design functionality and visual aesthetic.

How?

If this proposition seems at all exciting to you, please email me. I would love to chat, or even sit down with you, and discuss how we might work together toward a better Louisville.

My email is: mike@thenarrativecollection.com

To learn more about our summer education initiative, visit: http://learnlouisville.com