From the first handshake in Nashville to the last song on Thursday night, there was an unmistakable energy in the air and a sense that this year’s Metro Leadership Visit went beyond just sessions and was truly about building valuable connections.

Each year we travel to a different city with a curated agenda focusing on the key issues our region is facing to learn what has worked — and what hasn’t — from other communities tackling similar challenges. And while that focus remains the same, the real magic lies in the leaders who make the trip.

The connections that are made go beyond introductions. They build trust and understanding. They open new perspectives and highlight commonalities — pieces of insight and inspiration that we carry home with us.

It’s amazing how quickly alignment happens when you share the same table, the same song and the same purpose. There were plenty of those shared moments in Nashville. Sitting shoulder to shoulder at the Bluebird Cafe, listening to the stories behind the songs. Catching up over rooftop drinks as the city lights came on. Finding yourself next to someone new on the bus and ending up deep in conversation. It’s those moments — the ones in between the sessions — that bring us closer together and spark the kind of collaboration that leads to real change.

Key Takeaways from Nashville

• Clarity of identity builds momentum
• Trust is the foundation for progress
• Collaboration across boundaries gets results
• Childcare is workforce infrastructure
• Quick wins keep big visions alive
• Leadership means taking ownership, not waiting for perfect conditions
• Relationships are the real accelerators of change
• Real progress happens when the business community steps up

Vision with Identity

Nashville’s success has come from deciding who they wanted to be and then aligning everything around that vision.

What stood out most was Nashville’s willingness to take big bets — bold choices that reflect who they are and who they want to become. The East Bank development is one of those bets. While Broadway continues to welcome the bachelorettes and tourists who fill its honky-tonks, the East Bank is being built for Nashvillians, a neighborhood centered on housing, walkability and everyday life. It’s a reminder that growth isn’t just about getting bigger; it’s about getting better for the people who live there.

That balance between ambition and authenticity has allowed Nashville to keep growing while improving quality of life for its residents. It was evident that knowing your identity can drive collaboration and progress.

Our region’s next chapter depends on defining who we want to be — not as a collection of cities and counties but as one region with a shared vision and the courage to take our own big bets.

During our Getting to Know Nashville session, we heard how decades of collaboration have fueled the city’s growth. The Regional Mayors Caucus meets monthly to tackle issues that cross county lines, and that spirit of working together has shaped nearly every major decision since.

Trust and Collaboration

In 2018, Nashville’s ambitious transit referendum failed, not because the idea lacked merit but because trust had eroded. After a mayoral resignation and confusion among residents, city leaders could have walked away. Instead, they regrouped.

By 2024, they had reframed the effort entirely, building a new, community-driven plan rooted in transparency and inclusion. This time, the campaign ran like a candidate. It was data-driven, personal and visible.

• Over 370 community presentations ensured residents were informed before they voted
• Mayor O’Connell shared his own story of living car-free and saving for his first home
• The plan focused on tangible neighborhood improvements: sidewalks, signals, safety and service

The campaign’s success showed that trust and collaboration are the real infrastructure. It’s not just concrete and rails – it’s credibility, relationships and the belief that people’s voices matter.

Charleston’s leaders recognized a familiar challenge: rebuilding public trust and proving that regional projects can succeed when business, government and community leaders step up together. And between the formal sessions, over shared meals and heartfelt conversations, that same trust-building was happening among our own group.

Investing in People

One of the most powerful sessions came when we explored Childcare for a Stronger Workforce – a topic Nashville leaders have reframed as an economic necessity.

We learned that 53% of Nashville children lack access to childcare, and 60% of families experience job disruptions because of it. Instead of treating this as someone else’s problem, city and business leaders partnered to create solutions like employer-supported childcare centers, apprenticeship programs for early educators and innovative cross-sector funding models.

This reframing, seeing childcare as workforce infrastructure, resonated deeply with Charleston leaders. It showed that bold action begins when communities align around people-first priorities.

The conversation extended far beyond childcare. Whether discussing workforce development, housing affordability or education pathways, the message was the same: invest in people and progress follows.

The Music Continues

As our group gathered for the final evening in Nashville, there was a sense of reflection, momentum and motivation. The trip reminded us that progress doesn’t come from endless planning or perfect conditions — it happens when we take the first step and keep moving. Nashville showed what’s possible when leaders act while learning, communicate openly and make progress visible to the people they serve.

Attendees felt that for the Charleston region, it’s time to move beyond talking and start doing. These are workforce and competitiveness issues, and the business community must be at the table for meaningful change to happen.

Lasting success will depend on three things: trust, strong relationships and political will. Those are the foundations that turn ideas into action. The question now is, what happens if we do nothing? The opportunity is here, the energy is here and it’s time for Charleston to turn up the volume and take action.

Ready for What’s Next

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When we travel together, we grow together – and the momentum continues.