Editor’s Note: Hold the vision, trust the process

As fluffy as the word “vision” can be, it can also be powerful when used effectively.  

In the summer of 1950, a brash young law student named Charles Fraser first arrived on a remote sea island to work a few months for his family’s logging operation. The 21-year-old was entranced by this hidden paradise he had stumbled upon — the beautiful beaches, virgin pine forests and rich groves of great live oaks. He envisioned houses, streets, marinas, golf courses — a complete community blended into the land and water of this unspoiled island, without all of the ugliness that inevitably follows the flow of traffic.  

Unlike many big dreamers in their early 20s, Fraser formulated a plan to make it happen. After convincing his father to give him a 21-year note on the land and complete legal control, he hit the books at Yale Law School, learning all he could about regulating land use with protective covenants and deed restrictions. He crafted a master plan that was ridiculed by many at the time, but Fraser never lost sight of his vision. 

With the help of locals and talented young professionals from all over the country, Fraser not only built his first-of-its-kind community, he also set the benchmark for his industry in the process. His “Sea Pines Style” has been imitated by land developers up and down the coast. 

We hope Fraser’s vision and this Q1 issue of LOCAL Biz inspire you to hold the vision you have for your small business. Many successful local owners share their secrets for recognizing big ideas, setting a vision, getting team members to buy in and overcoming challenges along the way. You’ll meet local visionaries, discover visionary tools and learn visionary processes and techniques presented in a style that is easy-to-read, informative and actionable. 

With the new year upon us, it’s an ideal time to get out of your comfort zone and reassess the current and future objectives of your organization. The opportunities are out there, as they have always been, but only for those with great vision.

Lance Hanlin 

Editor-in-Chief 

“Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world.” — Joel A. Barker, author