Nick welcomes Michael Ault, the long-serving Executive Director of the Downtown Sacramento Partnership, to the podcast. With an impressive 25+ year tenure leading the charge for California's capital city core, Michael offers a unique perspective on urban development, leadership longevity, and navigating complex challenges. Their conversation explores how downtown Sacramento is successfully bucking national trends, the critical role of collaboration and "social collisions," and the evolution of a Business Improvement District from its inception to a major force for revitalization.

Michael shares his journey from taking a temporary role to becoming a pivotal figure in shaping downtown Sacramento's identity and future. He discusses the importance of aspirational leadership, especially during difficult times like the COVID-19 pandemic, and strategies for building and empowering a high-performing team. Filled with candid reflections on personal growth, the significance of mentorship, and the continuous effort to balance demanding work with family life, this episode provides a masterclass in sustained leadership, resilience, and creating a lasting legacy for a community.

Episode Highlights:

• Sacramento's Success: How downtown Sacramento is bucking national trends with business growth.
• Michael Ault's Journey: From a one-year commitment to 25+ years leading the Downtown Partnership.
• The Power of Presence: Understanding "social collisions" and the value of in-person collaboration.
• Business Improvement Districts: The model, its evolution, and the impact of the Downtown Partnership.
• Leading Through Crisis: Maintaining positivity and an aspirational vision during challenging times.
• Team Dynamics: Strategies for attracting, retaining, empowering talent, and fostering a collaborative environment.
• Avoiding the Bottleneck: Transitioning leadership focus from individual execution to team enablement.
• The Role of Mentorship: Key figures and lessons learned, emphasizing honesty and integrity.
• Vulnerability in Leadership: The importance of asking for help and admitting you don't have all the answers.

Key Takeaways:

• "We've got to be aspirational. I've got to be able to say this is going to be hard... What we're doing here makes a difference."
• "Regions are defined by their downtowns and the identity... what downtown Sacramento's perception is is important to the identity of this region. And we want to be proud of it."
• "Social collisions [are] conversations that wouldn't have happened randomly if you were not in the office together, talking, collaborating, mentoring..."
• "Selfishly, I would tell you I don't know where the downtown core would be without the work that we've done down here over the last 15 to 20 years."
• "This is really legacy work. What we're trying to do... is to create an urban center that this region can be proud of."
• "My job should be here to coach you up, to give you the skills you want, give you that confidence and move on to the next job in your career. I'm proud of you."
• "I really have a tendency to take things far too personally... I have got to switch from taking it so personally to figuring out what things we could be doing differently..."
• "Don't give up just because it's hard... you might end up being more proud of this than anything professionally you've ever done."
• "Downtown is going to be different and being different is great... we may have been over reliant on downtown's only big driver is the office market."

Links:

• Nick Warner Consulting: https://www.nickwarnerconsulting.com/
• Downtown Sacramento Partnership: