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A Place That Says, "I Love You"
I hope you live in a community that says “I love you”.
 • 
Phil Eich
Throwing Pennies at a Parking Ticket
Why the emotional connections between people and a place mean everything
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Phil Eich
20:42
A Message to Saginaw
This keynote was given at the Pride in Saginaw Downtown annual meeting on March 7th, 2024.
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Phil Eich
2
Even if You’re Right
I interviewed a woman on Zoom about the shop she owns in a small town.
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Phil Eich
1
Dirty Parks and Black Eyes
“We want this to be a place where people can drive around and say, ‘This is a pretty cool place to live’, and you can't do that without pride."
 • 
Phil Eich
5:44
We Only Get One
Here’s the thing about kids: some of them...they just don’t care.
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Phil Eich
Imposter Syndrome, Sloppy Seconds, and Fighting Your Way Through
I hadn't heard from a friend who I knew was about to make a big move, so I sent him a text for an update.
 • 
Phil Eich
3:09
Are you a storyteller?
Oh yes.
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Phil Eich
Rose Colored Glasses are a Race to the Bottom
One of the strongest expressions of love for a community is saying, “We can do better.” Bonus love-where-you-live-fuzzy-heart points if you tell us how.
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Phil Eich
Mermaids and Dwarves
I think mermaids can be Black.
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Phil Eich
An Equation for Community Potential, Part I
What 5th grade math, birthday cakes, and a $50 million shrine to comedy can tell us about the future of our places.
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Phil Eich
Seeds of Possibility
"Great cities love themselves," wrote Jane Jacobs, a journalist turned urbanist and activist after a series of stories focused her attention on the…
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Phil Eich
Become a Citizen of Storyville:

Recent posts

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Feats of Strength
Our final group project came with two simple rules:
 • 
Phil Eich
The Hard Work of Love
I gave my first commencement speech yesterday.
 • 
Phil Eich
1
Vulnerability is a shared responsibility
Quick thought for a Friday: vulnerability is a shared responsibility.
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Phil Eich
Whatever your weakness
Two women cry in the corner of a large room with tall windows and one hundred people.
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Phil Eich
1
A Letter to My Community: Don’t Make the Wrong People Suffer
Context: Unable to afford maintenance costs, Bay City, Michigan leased two of the four bridges spanning the Saginaw River to a private company, United…
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Phil Eich
5
Coney Island Cafe Closes after 102 Years
Tomorrow, after 102 years, Coney Island Cafe in Hattiesburg, Mississippi will close its doors for the last time.
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Phil Eich
Flurries
Today’s snowy seven hour drive kicks off a flurry of trips working with communities in Indiana, Missouri, Illinois, North Carolina, South Carolina, and…
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Phil Eich
2
A Place That Says, "I Love You"
I hope you live in a community that says “I love you”.
 • 
Phil Eich
Two People Talking
"Why do I matter?
 • 
Phil Eich
Who do you want in your local government?
Yesterday I asked my Facebook following, "What do you look for in someone running for a spot in local government?" 52 responses, and here's what ya'll…
 • 
Phil Eich
Risers Kitchen
I had an interview on Monday with the young entrepreneurs opening Risers Kitchen in Auburn: Emily Marie Rivard, Andrew Rivard, Ryan Reed, and Ashley…
 • 
Phil Eich
Bright eyed and...
Saginaw, Michigan puts these giant, human-sized and art-covered rabbits all over their courthouse lawn the week of the Old Town Association’s Easter egg…
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Phil Eich

Stories

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Coney Island Cafe Closes after 102 Years
Tomorrow, after 102 years, Coney Island Cafe in Hattiesburg, Mississippi will close its doors for the last time.
 • 
Phil Eich
Risers Kitchen
I had an interview on Monday with the young entrepreneurs opening Risers Kitchen in Auburn: Emily Marie Rivard, Andrew Rivard, Ryan Reed, and Ashley…
 • 
Phil Eich
Throwing Pennies at a Parking Ticket
Why the emotional connections between people and a place mean everything
 • 
Phil Eich
20:42
A Message to Saginaw
This keynote was given at the Pride in Saginaw Downtown annual meeting on March 7th, 2024.
 • 
Phil Eich
2
David
“Michigan had double-digit unemployment when I graduated high school in 1980, so I went to work for a grocery store as a cashier.
 • 
Phil Eich
Lupe
“I had a home for 40 years that was completely paid off, but I lost the house because I didn't have enough money for the property taxes.
 • 
Phil Eich
1
Dirty Parks and Black Eyes
“We want this to be a place where people can drive around and say, ‘This is a pretty cool place to live’, and you can't do that without pride."
 • 
Phil Eich
America's Top Small Business 2023: Elderly Instruments
Congratulations to Lillian Werbin, Stan Werbin, and the entire crew at Elderly Instruments for being named America's Top Small Business of 2023 by the…
 • 
Phil Eich
Plath's Meats
“My grandpa came over here from Germany in 1913 with $50 in his pocket, and all by himself.
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Phil Eich
Cancer, Community, and Happy Meals
In 1967, Henry Marsh became one of America’s first Black mayors.
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Phil Eich
Whitney Gravelle, President of the Bay Mills Indian Community
“Bay Mills Indian Community is a federally recognized tribe located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
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Phil Eich
Maggard Razors
"We're probably the largest traditional shaving store in the world."
 • 
Phil Eich

Articles & Essays

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A Place That Says, "I Love You"
I hope you live in a community that says “I love you”.
 • 
Phil Eich
Two People Talking
"Why do I matter?
 • 
Phil Eich
Who do you want in your local government?
Yesterday I asked my Facebook following, "What do you look for in someone running for a spot in local government?" 52 responses, and here's what ya'll…
 • 
Phil Eich
Throwing Pennies at a Parking Ticket
Why the emotional connections between people and a place mean everything
 • 
Phil Eich
Even if You’re Right
I interviewed a woman on Zoom about the shop she owns in a small town.
 • 
Phil Eich
1
Dirty Parks and Black Eyes
“We want this to be a place where people can drive around and say, ‘This is a pretty cool place to live’, and you can't do that without pride."
 • 
Phil Eich
5:44
We Only Get One
Here’s the thing about kids: some of them...they just don’t care.
 • 
Phil Eich
Big Talk
Let’s go big on big talk.
 • 
Phil Eich
Retribution
"Given the dominant context that values scarcity, leadership, individualism, fear, and fault, anything positive or hopeful becomes an anomaly.
 • 
Phil Eich
“It doesn’t belong.”
Public art, skulls, and three big questions
 • 
Phil Eich
Imposter Syndrome, Sloppy Seconds, and Fighting Your Way Through
I hadn't heard from a friend who I knew was about to make a big move, so I sent him a text for an update.
 • 
Phil Eich
Overcooking the Meatloaf
Tequila-fueled thoughts about community hospitality
 • 
Phil Eich
Become a Citizen of Storyville:
© 2025 Phil Eich
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