Change in the Coalfields: A Podcast by Coalfield Development

Ursulette Ward

May 19, 2022 Coalfield Development Season 2 Episode 3
Change in the Coalfields: A Podcast by Coalfield Development
Ursulette Ward
Show Notes Transcript

Original intro/outro music: 
"'Till I See Stars" by The Parachute Brigade

John F. Kennedy:

The sun does not always shine in West Virginia but the people always do. I'm delighted to be here.

Brandon Dennison:

These are historic times in Appalachia. A lot has changed. A lot is changing now and a lot still needs to change. In our podcast we talk with change makers right square in the middle of all of this, working to ensure the changes for the good. You're listening to Change in the Coalfields, a podcast by Coalfield Development. I'm your host, Brandon Dennison. Okay, my name is Brandon Dennison. I'm your host for Change in the Coalfields. This week, we have a friend and a colleague, Ursulette Ward, who is the Executive Director of Unlimited Future, and a close partner of Coalfield for more than a decade now, we've done a lot of work together, and welcome to the podcast.

Ursulette Ward:

Well, thank you for having me, Brandon, I look forward to spending a little bit of time together.

Brandon Dennison:

And we're here on the campus of Marshall University in the iCenter. So we have a nice fancy podcast setup. So we appreciate Marshall University for the support. So we might start from the beginning. Tell us a little bit about your organization and what you do. And then I want to back up and sort of here the long version of your story or how you ended up where you are, where you grew up? What were some of those formative experiences. But before we get into all that, just in case folks don't know, Unlimited Future, what's it all about?

Ursulette Ward:

Unlimited Future is a nonprofit micro enterprise training and development center, we also have incubation space, which helps businesses get a solid foundation to starting their business. We also offer training programs that actually walks people through step by step, what you need to do to actually start a business. And the past couple years, we've had three main pillars that we've been focusing on, which is entrepreneurship, health and wellness, and then also ag, urban ag.

Brandon Dennison:

And those connect to one another as well. Right? And when you say micro enterprise, what does that mean? That's a neat phrase.

Ursulette Ward:

Okay, micro enterprises are small businesses that can start with fewer than 10 employees, and they take anywhere from $25,000 to$50,000. To start now, that doesn't mean that they stay in that range because they can actually grow and become a larger establishment. But we really focus on the real small mom and pop businesses.

Brandon Dennison:

Gotcha. Which, you know, if you were to pull people what's your favorite business or what business has made the biggest impact on you this mom and pops rise to the top quite a bit, right?

Ursulette Ward:

Yes, they do. Actually, I got my first job right out of high school. My first paying job was actually a mom and pop restaurant in Logan County, where I was raised called Chirico's Ristorante.

Brandon Dennison:

I love that perfect segue. So tell us about growing up in Logan County. What were some of the formative experiences there that really made you who you are today?

Ursulette Ward:

Well it is a small, very close knit community. Actually, I was raised about 30 minutes away from the City of Logan in a little place called Omar, West Virginia in Pine Creek Holler.

Brandon Dennison:

Pine Creek Holler.

Ursulette Ward:

Pine Creek Holler. So it actually sits at the bottom of a mining tipple. So our house was actually right beside the train tracks. So, I experienced lots of trains running by at anytime, day or night. So I got used to being able to sleep through loud noises that it doesn't even bother me. My mom says the only thing that'll wake you up is a telephone, that's because you like to talk on the phone. But I can actually sleep through pretty much anything still to this day.

Brandon Dennison:

Would you as a kid, something my brothers and I would do we put coins on the railroad tracks and the train would flatten them out.

Ursulette Ward:

Yes. But don't tell my mom because she used to get upset over that. You aren't supposed to do that. Yes. But me and my cousin Curtis would often do that. Yes.

Brandon Dennison:

It had to have been a really interesting place. If you like to be outside, which it sounds like you did, what a fun place to grow up!

Ursulette Ward:

Yeah, I can remember me and my cousin going up a little ways up the holler[hollow] past where we live and catching tadpoles in the creek and putting our feet in the water, and it was just fun. It was it was a time where our parents didn't necessarily have to wonder about where we were. And what was, or anything happening to us? Because everybody in the holler [hollow] knew who everybody belonged to and what you we were and were not supposed to be doing. Which, for better or worse, better or worse.

Brandon Dennison:

A lot of eyes.

Ursulette Ward:

Yes, you get in trouble with the neighbor and then by the time you got back home, you got in trouble again with your parents for being an embarrassment of getting in trouble with the neighbor. So we spent a lot of times outside, we had a community basketball court and tennis court, which is where I learned how to roller skate. We played basketball there and tennis. We actually at one point in time had a little arcade room where we could go in do arcade things.

Brandon Dennison:

Was that like it like a community center?

Ursulette Ward:

No, it was just a building with arcade games in it. So we had some really fun, interesting times.

Brandon Dennison:

Fun place to grow up. Was there anything hard about growing up in a holler[hollow] in Logan County?

Ursulette Ward:

I guess the hardest thing there was, which is something that still plagues us today is me and my cousin, were the only African American family in the community. So sometimes that was difficult being different, or the only one.

Brandon Dennison:

Sure. I think a lot of times people who [are] not from West Virginia, just assume there's no people of color in West Virginia. And certainly our percentages are lower than some bigger cities our percentages of minorities, but there's lots more diversity in West Virginia, than a lot of people realize. And a lot of times I've heard minorities who grew up in West Virginia say it's like you're a minority within a minority. So West Virginia is a rural state, small state, we get picked on already, then to look different or be a person of color, you know, I can imagine that could feel isolating at times.

Ursulette Ward:

Yes, it was. And it was really prevalent when I was[being] the first African American cheerleader in 32 years at our high school. So yeah, when I look over, like, when we talk about career-wise, it was kind of like that was my battle cry has been my battle cry before I ever even knew of such a thing. When I was involved in direct sales for over 20 years now, I was one of the first to actually earn a car here in this area, that was African American. That's been over 16 years ago, though. And now I am the first African American leader to lead our organization at Unlimited Future. So that that seems to be the tag I got stuck with...I can't help myself.

Brandon Dennison:

Trailblaizer, that's amazing, and incredible, and I'm sure at times hard, too.

Ursulette Ward:

Yes, it is. But actually being raised in a small area gives, you affords you the opportunity to build skills that you maybe wouldn't in a larger area. And you kind of learn how to work around some of those obstacles and stuff that some people face in a larger area. They don't have the support that they need to be able to really build relationships and bonds and learn how to maneuver in the system.

Brandon Dennison:

Sure. And that speaks to your grit and persistence to learn rather than be beaten down by how hard it is to learn from it, grow stronger from it, that speaks to your character.

Ursulette Ward:

Well, thank you. Well, I hope to be an inspiration to other people. And if I can do it, anybody can.

Brandon Dennison:

Yeah, you're absolutely an inspiration, guarantee it. For somebody who's listening who's maybe never been to Logan County, you talk about being by coal track and near a coal tipple, just how dominant when I say Logan County, coal industry, what does that make you think?

Ursulette Ward:

That's pretty much the economic driver or was at one time when I was growing up. That was actually what brought my family here. My great grandfather was one of the first Black foreman of a coal mine in Logan. So then my uncle was a coal miner. So it's just the heart of the community in Logan and in Omar especially was, that was the coal mining holler[hollow] a lot of the men that worked in that community actually raised their family, there was a General Store at the end of the corner where if you needed something, you could go get things on tab, and Miss Ernestine would actually, you know, you had credit at the corner store. And that was just pretty much the heartbeat of the community there.

Brandon Dennison:

It's just sort of think it's hard for people who haven't been to West Virginia, especially during coal's heyday, it's you know, it's on the decline now, no doubt, but it's just everywhere you look, you know, everywhere you turn, it's just coal. It's just it's like a fact of life.

Ursulette Ward:

Yeah, it is in when when I think about the location of the area, it was like Omar was here. And then 15 or not even 15 minutes up the road, there was a place called Cow Creek, which also was another coal mine was there. So within that, probably, maybe a 20 or 30 mile radius in that area, there was, I would say at least four different coal mines in that area where people raised, you know, raised their family and actually were prosperous. And I can remember kids that I grew up with saying, well, it really doesn't matter what I learned in school because I'm going to go, I don't need this stuff anyway, because as soon as I graduate from high school, my dad or my uncle has a job waiting for me in the coal mines.

Brandon Dennison:

Yeah, and that's catching up with us now, you know, I mean, it was true. You could you could earn$80,000 as a coal miner, with a high school degree, and that's less and less true now and a lot of the good paying jobs today do require more education and I feel like we've got some catchup to do.

Ursulette Ward:

Yeah, I do too. And that's one of the things that I'm excited about when we look at our business industry is we're actually starting to go back to our roots and look at other ways to where we can make our economy more green. So I see a larger focus on green solar businesses in the area, which is good. I mean, it's taken us a long time to get there with that mental shift, because everybody just thought coal was was superior over everything, and I think the more education that's been brought to our area, we have started to realize that there's other resources that are are very valuable here that can be found in our area.

Brandon Dennison:

It is a shift, though. I mean, you say it's a mental shift. It's an emotional shift. It's an identity shift. It does not happen overnight.

Ursulette Ward:

Yes, it is. Because coal miners are very proud people. I mean, you've got generations of generations of families, that that's who they are. That's how they identify themselves.

Brandon Dennison:

So what did being a cheerleader teach you about business, and leadership, and life?

Ursulette Ward:

Show up, even when you don't feel like it. That's probably the biggest thing, and also teamwork, because your single part that you play actually impacts the whole entire team. So those are the two lessons I would say. So teamwork, and actually showing up even when you don't feel like it because there's sometimes I don't want, I don't feel like it. Even though I love my job, there's just times you just don't want to get up and do it. But when you're driven with a mission to help other people, and you know that they need you, it helps get your own ego out of the way and it allows you to push forward and continue to do what you know you're supposed to be doing.

Brandon Dennison:

Yeah, absolutely. What are Friday night football games in Logan County like?

Ursulette Ward:

Well, the island, which is where our school is, it's pretty packed. Yeah, Friday night football was a big thing. And so is basketball too.

Brandon Dennison:

Oh yeah, a lot of good basketball players at Logan.

Ursulette Ward:

A lot of athletes, good athletes come from Logan. And actually I have to commend our basketball team. The last time we won a championship, triple A basketball championship was the year that I graduated, which was in 1991. So the girls though, just this year, they did the girls basketball team this year won championships. So we're proud of them. So it's funny, as you look back the things that you remember over the course of time. So I remember cheering to a packed stand, it was nothing to go to a football game in there be standing room only, and even then it'd be packed like sardines on the island. So we always people used to hate to come there because it was one way in and one way out. And we were known to get rowdy every now and then, especially if the game didn't go our way.

Brandon Dennison:

Alright, so you had a good high school experience. And then where did life take you?

Ursulette Ward:

Actually, I went up to the northern part of the state to Fairmont State University, and study there for about a year and a half. And then I moved back down here to Huntington to be closer to my friend. At that time I got pregnant at an early age I was had my first child at 21. So I didn't want to move back to Logan, but I wanted to be close enough to where if I wanted to go get a calzone, I could do so. So this Huntington was an up and coming place. And it was just enough distance from the parenting eye of my mom and dad, but close enough to my girlfriend because she was just crossed the bridge over in South Pointe, Ohio, to where I could be to her quickly, also.

Brandon Dennison:

You have a support system. Do you still have family in Logan?

Ursulette Ward:

No, actually. Finally I got my mom — my dad is deceased — and probably about 10 years ago, I finally got my mom to move out of the holler [hollow]. Not that she wanted to, it was it was a real struggle. She had open heart surgery, and I got a phone call, I was at work at UFI, and they said we're taking your mom to Charleston, and she's got to have open heart surgery. So she came to stay with me for about a year after that in Huntington. I was like, she's like, I want to go home. I don't like it here.

Brandon Dennison:

She didn't like the big city.

Ursulette Ward:

'I don't like it here. I want to go back to my house.' So I made a deal with her. I said, "Okay, you can go back as long as you do these things, and you know, we talked pretty much every day." And she was like, "Well, there's nothing wrong with my mental faculties, and I can walk and I can still drive and I can take care of myself. She says I'm going back home. So I called my brother my brother was like, well just let her go back home. He's five years older than me, so she listens to him a lot better than she does me. I took her back home, and probably within six or eight months, Logan was hit with a huge flood, and I got another phone call."We have your mother on a boat, she's okay. But it's flooded. And we are taking her to the fire station. And that's where she will be until the water recedes. After that, I put my foot down and I was like, "Okay, I cannot take emotionally I cannot take another phone call with you being almost two hours away from me and you be in an emergency situation and I can't physically get to you to help you." So I called my brother again. We were like, "Mom, you've got two choices. You can move with Timmy and go where he is. Or you can come to Huntington with with me." So she chose Huntington because she said, "My son's not gonna take care of me." She stayed with me for a very short time when she came back. She got her own apartment and she's been on her own ever since, but she does not she still says, "I don't particularly like Huntington, I would like to go back to the holler[hollow]."

Brandon Dennison:

West Virginians are, we get rooted in our places? Yes, for sure.

Ursulette Ward:

And she's very stubborn. And she's very resilient. And I can't say anything because I get some of those attributes from her.

Brandon Dennison:

How scary was that flood though?

Ursulette Ward:

It was very scary. It's not the first time it's the first time in a long time. But the area is known for really bad severe flooding.

Brandon Dennison:

You know, that's an aspect of West Virginia history. A lot of people forget, I mean, a lot of sick, very significant. flooding, strip mining makes it more prevalent, our landscape naturally makes it more prevalent. Climate change is making it more common. So it's an important aspect of Appalachia that maybe gets overlooked. So how did you get into being a business person?

Ursulette Ward:

That's a really good question. So at first, I'd have to say direct sales. So when I had my first child, I began my personal development journey on improving myself, I was raised in a very dysfunctional home, my father suffered from substance abuse with alcohol.

Brandon Dennison:

Mhm, that's tough.

Ursulette Ward:

So I didn't want to pass those traits along to my children, so one of the things that I thought was I wanted to not be the angry person that I was 20 years ago. So oftentimes, when I tell this story by it's like, well, I can't believe that you were ever angry or bitter. But I was I was very hot headed, I would argue and fight at the drop of a hat, which I didn't want to pass those traits along to my child. So that is really what started me on my personal development journey, which ended me up at UFI. Because I wanted to start a business.

Brandon Dennison:

So the business is like an extension of your healing and your development.

Ursulette Ward:

That is how I started a training and development company called Fresh Horizons. And actually, a friend of mine saw the ad in the paper and was like, You need to go take this class. So I went and took the class, and it's funny, but...

Brandon Dennison:

At UFI?

Ursulette Ward:

Yeah, oh, yeah. I was actually when I say I have been in every single position at UFI I have been in every single position at UFI, except for the janitor. And it's not because I don't clean. But I have, from student all the way up. So I started Fresh Horizons, which is a personal development company for women, teaching them how to empower themselves to achieve their hopes, goals and dreams. And out of that I was offered, we used to do, at Unlimited Future what was called a bartering system. So you can come in and do survey calls, follow up phone calls with the businesses that have taken our class, the planning for profit class, and you would get either subsidized or free room space.

Brandon Dennison:

So for providing services to UFI, you could barter for access to the services?

Ursulette Ward:

Right, so I did that for about a year, I did follow up phone calls for a space in the building and people would come and they would have makeovers and my space. So then the secretary left, and the executive director was like, were you here, actually more than some of the people that are on our payroll? Do you would you like to have a part time job and be the receptionist? And I was like, Well, yeah, I'm here. She's like, you can do the same thing you're doing except you can keep your room that'll be a benefit. And you actually get a paycheck. I was like, okay, that's great. Deal. I worked from 10 until 2 p.m., Monday through Friday for a long time. And then the training director left and then my mentor Gail Patton came in and she was the training director. And she taught the training classes. And then our executive director left and Gail took the executive director position and she was like, well, since you already do training and education And why don't you just offer that now for UFI, and we'll give you a little bit of a raise, and you'll go from part time to full time. So I was like, okay, that sounds good. Deal. Good deal. So, um, I did that for several years and just continued to work. And then I became the deputy director, and then after the Deputy Director, I did that I think for three years. And then Gail decided that she wanted to retire, against my will, but she did it anyway. So I've been the executive director now for two years.

Brandon Dennison:

I've had the luxury of working with Gail, quite a bit to just a wonderful person who's achieved a lot for this community. Can you talk about what you've learned from Gail and what she's meant to you?

Ursulette Ward:

The biggest lessons I, well, a couple, well, one of them, I can't probably share on air. One of the biggest lessons is, don't allow your personal emotions or feelings towards someone else get in the way of achieving the mission. So no matter whether you like that person or not, it's about getting the work done, and helping the people that you are meant to help serve.

Brandon Dennison:

It's a great lesson.

Ursulette Ward:

Yeah, so that was probably my biggest lesson. I still say that today, I find myself saying that to my staff, doesn't matter whether we like them or not, whether they hurt our feelings, we can't allow that to stand in the way of actually achieving the mission, which is to help serve the people that were placed in our path to serve.

Brandon Dennison:

Absolutely. Servant heart.

Ursulette Ward:

Yes.

Brandon Dennison:

And she really just invested in you, your career, as a person who truly cared about you and many others in this community.

Ursulette Ward:

She actually wrote a letter for me like a reference letter for me to get into grad school. That was like one of her last things that she did before she left. But yes, she has we developed more of a friendship than a co worker experience. Yeah.

Brandon Dennison:

So what's going on with entrepreneurship in Huntington and in Appalachia, right now? What's there to be excited about related to entrepreneurship? And what are some concerns that you have?

Ursulette Ward:

There's a lot to be excited about, there's a ton of resources that people can gain access to. And probably the biggest thing that I've noticed in the resource world is actually there's more collaboration, I think, than there has ever been in my whole 13 or 14 year span of working with individuals. When I first started working at Unlimited Future, I noticed things were very territorial, everybody had their own little box, and it was like, "This is my box, and I don't you take your marbles and go over there and you play again, stay in your box." Yeah, don't come here in this space. And there wasn't a lot of sharing and collaboration of resources or capacity in the sense of there's not one organization that can do everything well. I mean, it's just not possible. But people weren't willing to say we'll go over there and see Brandon, because Brandon, does that what you're looking for really, really well, that's not our expertise here at Unlimited Future. So the one thing that I really think that is an asset to us is that we are actually starting to build a collaborative ecosystem, where we are starting to share those resources among our own network, for our clients to better our clients, which is is a great attribute to them. Because you gain more, the more people you can work with the different perspectives that are brought to the table, the greater the client will gain.

Brandon Dennison:

What are you concerned about?

Ursulette Ward:

Well, probably my biggest concern, especially here recently, is the instability of our broadband system. Here in the in the area and still, we have in pockets of our area, a reluctance to change, even though it's not as you know, as big as it was, even sometimes that little bit of resistance, and it seems to be in the with individuals that carry the most influence and authority, and oftentimes, that can be a hindrance and continue to hold our area back I think.

Brandon Dennison:

What do you think's at the root of that reluctance?

Ursulette Ward:

Fear. I think they're afraid that if I allow somebody else and they may, they might get a little bit of what I have or more, and I think our mindset should be we should help always be looking to help someone else gain more than what we did.

Brandon Dennison:

Grow the whole pie right? And not squabble over slices. You've you've worked with a lot of entrepreneurs. Is there a favorite actually, or maybe I shouldn't ask you, that's like asking if you have a favorite child, but is there a...

Ursulette Ward:

I don't like to say I like all of you. I dislike all of you equally. That's what my kids like to ask me that. And I say no, I dislike all of you equally. Yeah.

Brandon Dennison:

Are there some entrepreneurs you've worked with that have particularly inspired you or surprised you?

Ursulette Ward:

Yes. And I probably know their business more so than their name, because I get so entrenched. Part of what you have to do is put that individual, what you see off to the side and really get to the heart of helping them with their business. But there has, there has been a couple very surprising, when people come in sometimes you kind of think, oh, I don't know, that that's going to work. You know, but I've learned over the times, never ever judge a book by its cover, because it's often been those individuals that have kind of had that little thought of, hmm, I wonder if, are they really gonna be able to pull this off? Because they had all the odds stacked against them, for whatever reason. And sometimes it's not even by their own choice. It was just life, or the cards they were dealt, and they're dealing with those cards the best that they can, but those are the ones that have the most grit, perseverance and are the ones in are the ones that stay the course to really get it done.

Brandon Dennison:

That's cool. Yeah, you've showed a lot of grit and perseverance. You mentioned a car. So I'm thinking that's got to be Avon.

Ursulette Ward:

No, actually, it was a Mary Kay car.

Brandon Dennison:

Sorry, sorry, I'm confusing, my, I'm not a makeup expert.

Ursulette Ward:

That's okay! It was they don't even offered the car that I want. It was a GrandAm so they don't even make GrandAm's anymore. So that tells you how long ago that was. So yes, and I have earned different types of trips with organizations of that I've been involved with and other direct sales companies as well.

Brandon Dennison:

What does it take to be a good salesperson? What's the, what's the magic?

Ursulette Ward:

Well, you got to really want to help the other person meet a need that they have, and find their need, and then fill that need. And it has to be a genuine need. You can't go in with dollar signs in your eyes, you have to really be there to help and have a service mentality.

Brandon Dennison:

That's great and that might surprise some people, you know, it's not just about getting the sale. You know, it's about empathizing, with the customer and finding a connection point that's actually truly valuable to them.

Ursulette Ward:

And listening in hearing what what it is that they really want, and how what you offer can benefit them. And if it can't be a big enough person to say,"What I offer, it's not going to work that we do is not going to help you." And actually if you know if somebody else is just like within with the nonprofit world, if you know somebody else that does it better send it to them, because you'll get rewarded in the long run.

Brandon Dennison:

So what's on the horizon for UFI? What are some big priorities and initiatives that you have right now?

Ursulette Ward:

Well, we've got urban ag initiative that we just partnered with you, with Cofield Development, that we kicked off, we've got West Virginia faster training that we have still been working on with providing people throughout the region, education and training about starting a business. And we look at our vision is really to see a thriving local economy supported by locally owned businesses. And that is what we truly, my heart's desire is to allow people to know that if you want to own a business and you want to be successful, you have the ability to do so. But and also don't be afraid to ask for help.

Brandon Dennison:

Yeah. Don't let our pride get in the way, right. Yeah. How about for not just in the UFI primarily serves the Huntington?

Ursulette Ward:

Since the pandemic we've kind of opened up to virtual, we've gone virtual to where we will serve anywhere within the tristate. And we've actually had people that have come in the past from Ohio, and also Kanawha City up in Charleston as well. So and now, with things being virtual, we have people all over the place.

Brandon Dennison:

The impact expands. That's great. If you could go back to Omar, and speak to a young girl growing up there, maybe she's a cheerleader. What would you say?

Ursulette Ward:

My advice would be never give up. Know what your dream is, and don't listen to anybody that is going to deter you from your dream.

Brandon Dennison:

It's a great message. And I will ask you, I mean, joy, a lot of successes. You've also mentioned some some hard points as well. But you have such a grace about that. You mentioned you used to have some anger, but now it's like learning in a healing place. Maybe for someone else in Logan or West Virginia, who's in a home where there's substance use disorder. What advice would you have in that situation?

Ursulette Ward:

Not to hide, to talk about it to somebody.

Brandon Dennison:

That's huge, to not bottle it up. Is that what you did? Or did you have to sort of learn that in time?

Ursulette Ward:

Well it was pretty much what we were taught to because what went on in our household was supposed to stay in our household. It wasn't until probably, well, actually, right before I had my son, my oldest child before I ever told anybody what our family life was like.

Brandon Dennison:

Wow, so just a lot of healing to happen there. I just admire your your grit and your grace. It's what gives me hope, you know, people throughout Appalachia showing grit and grace and perseverance and becoming entrepreneurs, becoming leaders. It's amazing Ursulette, honestly.

Ursulette Ward:

It really is when you look at what people have accomplished in this area. And some people don't even realize what they do, is a form of entrepreneurship, and when you tell them, "No, you could make money off of doing that." They look at you, like you've grown a third on your head. They're like, "No, no, why don't you just do this for fun." And so really opening up people's mindset to not only changing their mindset for the positive, but also for them to see themselves as an entrepreneur, because it's not something that we were taught. Entrepreneurship is not a skill. Usually, when people think of entrepreneurship, it's like, okay, if you can't go to college and get a degree, you can always sell something.

Brandon Dennison:

It's like a fallback thing, right.

Ursulette Ward:

Right, it's like a fallback thing. So, but there's pride in being able to provide absolutely yourself based off of your own hands and resources and things that you have put together yourself. And the knowledge that you have just your personal life experience could be something to help somebody else going through a troubled situation, or just being able to manage your time, somebody else needs to know that skill set. And you may be able to provide that testimony.

Brandon Dennison:

At conferences and such, I've talked about entrepreneurship as like the future of Appalachia, the hope for the Appalachian economy, and sometimes I get skepticism and pushback. People say,"Well, you know, West Virginia has one of the lowest startup rates in the country," you know,"Capital is not available in West Virginia," you know, the you don't have a population base in West Virginia that you need, you know, for a lot of different business guys, you don't have the infrastructure, you mentioned the broadband, that you need to be, you know, have viable markets. But a lot of times what I feel like, maybe we don't have a lot of business owners with resources. But I think we really do have that entrepreneurial mindset and that entrepreneurial spirit that says, "I'm going to use what I do have, maybe it's not much, maybe it looks like a pile of junk in a yard to a visitor, but to me, I can put that together in some interesting ways and...

Ursulette Ward:

Create something something out of it. Yes. And, and my pushback always is, you know, West Virginia has everything every large city urban city has, it just has it on a smaller scale. We have the same entrepreneurs that you have in your city, it may be on a smaller number. But for our area, they're making the greatest impact.

Brandon Dennison:

And it's important to local economy.

Ursulette Ward:

And one of the things I have to say is that during this pandemic that has been brought out is our small businesses are truly the heartbeat of our economy, not only here in West Virginia, but worldwide. And I think people really started to see that.

Brandon Dennison:

We take them for granted.

Ursulette Ward:

And we often take them for granted. Because the real driving force of our economy is through small business.

Brandon Dennison:

Amen. And you're a leader, and you're a force behind that drive. So I just admire everything you're doing. My final question, I ask all guests, what are the biggest changes you've seen in Appalachia over the course of your life and your career? And what are the biggest changes you've not seen yet, but you hope to see, you know, things that still need to change.

Ursulette Ward:

Probably the biggest change, like I said, is the move towards green energy and solar. That has been a huge change. And I say that it's not just our residents changing, it's actually moved up to the legislative level. Now there's laws being put into place of benefits where business owners if they actually do certain things and their business is more green friendly. They actually can gain tax benefits. So it's actually progressed up the chain of command, which is a real eye opener to people in the areas when the legislative starts paying attention to what it is that you doing. Probably what I'd like to see more of is individuals here in this area not beating themselves up, and having a more positive outlook on life, and being proud that they're from West Virginia, because it is something to be proud of, and the grit and determination, you don't find the grit in other areas that you do here. You don't find that will and desire to do and to be to have and to show up no matter what you do find that here. And I think that's a cultural thing.

Brandon Dennison:

Thank you for everything that you do for our community. You are an inspiration. You're an incredible leader. I love working with you. I value our collaboration. I look forward to many more years of it.

Ursulette Ward:

I do too, thank you so much.

Brandon Dennison:

All right, this has been Change in the Coalfields. We've had an incredible guest Ursulette Ward, Executive Director of Unlimited Future and your website is?

Ursulette Ward:

unlimited future.org.

Brandon Dennison:

Go there to learn more, and we'll look forward to next week. Thank you.

Ursulette Ward:

Thank you.

Brandon Dennison:

Change in the Coalfields is a podcast created by Coalfield Development in the hills and hollers of West Virginia. This episode was hosted by Brandon Dennison, and produced and edited by JJN Multimedia. Become a part of our mission to rebuild the Appalachian economy by going to our website, coalfield-development.org. To make a donation, you can email us anytime at info@Coalfield-development.org and subscribe to our newsletter for more information on the podcast. You can follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn by searching Coalfield Development. Check back soon for more episodes.