9.01 day is Coming!

September 1st, 9.01, has become our unofficial (and, in my opinion, should-be-official) holiday for the place we call home.

And I love it because 9.01 Day isn't really about the founding of Memphis or one particular moment in our history. It's bigger than Memphis. It's bigger than Tennessee.

901 represents a region.
A community.
A place whose future we all share.

No matter which neighborhood you live in, where you work, where your kids go to school, or which side of a city or county line you call home, our lives are connected.

We will thrive together.

And, in many ways, we will rise or fall together.

That's why I think 901 Day matters.

Leaders help people celebrate their place.

One of the simplest things leaders can do is help the people around them pay attention to what is good.

There are plenty of days when our attention gets pulled toward everything that is wrong with Memphis and our region.

9.01 Day can, and should, be a day when we intentionally turn our attention toward what we love about this place and then participate in making it even better.

So between now and September 1st, I'd encourage you to make a plan.

If you lead a company, take your team somewhere local for lunch and have them share something they love about this area and a goal they want to experience.

If you lead a neighborhood, host a block party, a front-yard cookout, heck, rent a water slide!

If you lead a family, take everybody to the Redbirds game that night, walk along the river, picnic as you watch the sunset, visit Shelby Farms, grab dinner at one of your favorite local restaurants, or do something that reminds your partner and kids why this place is special.

If you lead an organization, find somewhere your team can volunteer or serve that week.

Shop somewhere local, of course, and tell the shop owner you're grateful they're doing business here.

Invite somebody into your favorite Memphis experience.

Celebrate the people who make this community better. Send them a handwritten note.

Heck, throw a party in your backyard and shoot some fireworks.

There isn't one right way to celebrate the 901. The point is to celebrate it on purpose and with purpose.

We're going to give you a couple of opportunities, too.

On Sunday, August 30, from 11 a.m.–5 p.m., the City of Memphis is planning a big community celebration on Beale Street with live music, activities, and plenty of reasons to come downtown.

And then, if you need a plan for the actual day, Tuesday night, September 1, we're planning another one of our epic 9.01 Day parties downtown. More details on that soon.

No matter what, I hope you won't just wait for someone else to create something for you to attend.

Remember: Leaders take initiative for the benefit of others.

This is our place.

So for you all, my fellow leaders...

Sometimes that means tackling really hard problems.

Sometimes it means building organizations, creating jobs, mentoring young people, or serving our neighbors.

And sometimes leadership looks like reminding people that the place we share is worth loving.

That's what I hope we'll do on 9.01 Day.

For one day, across this entire region, let's celebrate what connects us.

Let's eat here. Shop here. Serve here. Play here. Invite people here. Tell good stories about here.

And most importantly, let's enjoy this place together.

September 1st is coming. Just a few weeks away.

How are you going to celebrate the 901?