Small-scale developers are magical.
They create the change that many urban dwellers want to see in their communities: missing middle housing, walkable pocket parks and infill projects. They tackle the weird lots that the big guys won’t bother to pencil out.
They’re regulars at zoning hearings and community meetings. Some got into this work by accident; others have always been able to see the invisible opportunities that make communities more vibrant and inviting.
So why is “developer” a four-letter word?
Most people don’t know that there’s an option outside of the megacorporations that build the same soulless rectangles over and over again. And the organizations that work every day to change that narrative often fail to break through that bubble. They’re very good at mobilizing advocates, but may not connect with the skeptical neighbor down the street.
The fact is, developers got into this work to build. Not to tell the stories that reveal the impact of their work.
The status quo cannot stand.
If we want more human-centered design, community-oriented development and commonsense permitting and zoning, we need to tell that story. Too often, natural apprehension to change (bolstered by aldermanic prerogative and NIMBYism) wins out against sunny architectural renderings.
Developers — and the organizations that serve them — need a content creator, strategist and marketer who sees the full picture.
Why Lady in a Box Studios?
A few highlights from a career spent telling this story:
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As communications lead for the Chicago chapter of the Congress for the New Urbanism, I launched a Substack where four in ten of our 1,500+ subscribers open every issue, and nearly one in ten engages beyond the open.
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In my years as managing editor for NAR’s flagship magazine, I successfully expanded its commercial real estate coverage and placed incremental development, placemaking initiatives, redevelopment projects and more in front of the association's million-plus members.
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As senior managing editor of Agent Publishing, I launched a new development feature across five metro areas, strengthening the bonds between the broker, developer and lender communities that read Chicago, Atlanta, Miami, Houston and Boston Agent magazines.
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Lady in a Box Studios proudly serves multiple clients in the real estate space, including a strategic communications overhaul and website redesign for a prominent commercial real estate brokerage committed to reimagining investment on the South Side.
Let’s talk
I know your job description is already too long. You don’t have to become a storyteller, too. You just have to want to tell the story the world needs to hear.
Together, we can change the development narrative. Let’s talk about your project.