During the course of this interview, I jokingly called Butch Rigby the George Bailey of Kansas City. But the more I reflect on this, the more true it rings. Butch talks about how he started with nothing, got his hands dirty for years, and slowly but doggedly created a successful development business. And, how he did it almost exclusively by working with small, local businesses. There’s so much to learn here, and if I had the power, I’d have every 20-something that’s looking for something meaningful to do in life to listen to this episode. I wish I could go back in time and make the 20-something version of me listen to it.

Butch shares an awful lot of pearls of wisdom, born from deep experience over four decades of work. When you talk with Butch, you also can’t help talking about the movies, since he has such a deep passion for film. But unlike most people who have passions, Butch actually found a way to marry his with another interest - beautiful, old buildings and how to make them viable again. We talk a lot about Film Row in Kansas City in this piece, and here’s a link to some more information on the history.

This is about the long, slow and patient process to improving your community and ultimately achieving success. It’s about remaining positive and optimistic in the face of difficulties. And it’s about how to use your creativity, wherever it comes from, as an advantage.

Key links:

Brookside East, Butch’s primary area of emphasis now

Screenland Armour

Find more content on The Messy City on Kevin’s Substack page.

Music notes: all songs by low standards, ca. 2010. Videos here. If you’d like a CD for low standards, message me and you can have one for only $5.

Intro: “Why Be Friends”

Outro: “Fairweather Friend”