A Letter from the Founder
Why We Are Local Exists
Hi, I’m Jayson Olthoff.
If you’ve spent any time around me, you’ve probably heard me say, “Relationships before Transactions.” It’s more than a slogan. It’s the philosophy that has guided my life, my military service, my business career, and now We Are Local.
For more than 25 years, I owned and operated an insurance agency. Before that—and throughout much of my career—I proudly served in the United States Air Force and Air National Guard, including during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Those experiences taught me lessons I’ll never forget about leadership, service, teamwork, and the importance of putting something greater than yourself first.
Over the years, I watched our communities change. I saw incredible local businesses close their doors while national companies continued to grow. I watched community organizations struggle to find volunteers, neighbors become strangers, and conversations become more divided than united.
At the same time, I also discovered something encouraging.
Every time I sat down for coffee with a business owner, attended a community event, interviewed a local leader, or simply shared a positive story about someone making a difference, something happened.
People connected.
Businesses gained customers.
New friendships were formed.
Ideas became partnerships.
Communities became stronger.
That’s when I realized something.
Our communities don’t need more division.
They need more connection.
That realization became Coffee and Business (CAB), where every Wednesday people gather to build relationships before making business transactions.
It became The Big Sky Standard, where our goal is to provide trusted local journalism, thoughtful opinion, and meaningful conversations that help keep our communities informed.
It became the We Are Local Network, where businesses choose not just to advertise, but to invest in the future of the communities they serve.
And it became We Are Local itself—a community growth organization dedicated to helping people discover, connect, grow, and support the places they call home.
We Are Local has never been about building another website or another media company.
It’s about building stronger communities.
Everything we do is designed to answer one simple question:
“Will this make our community stronger?”
If the answer is yes, we’re interested.
If the answer is no, it’s probably not something we’ll pursue.
My hope is that We Are Local becomes much bigger than me.
I hope it becomes a platform where businesses, nonprofits, educators, veterans, elected officials, churches, volunteers, entrepreneurs, and everyday citizens come together because they believe something important:
Strong communities don’t happen by accident.
They happen when people choose to invest in one another.
Whether you’re a Community Partner, a business owner, a volunteer, a reader, or someone simply looking for ways to get involved, I want to thank you for being here.
You are part of something bigger than a website.
You are helping build stronger communities.
And I truly believe our best days are still ahead.
Thank you for believing in this mission.
— Jayson Olthoff
Founder, We Are Local
A Personal Philosophy
There are a few principles that guide every decision I make:
- Relationships Before Transactions
- Community Before Self
- Leadership Through Service
- Support Local Whenever Possible
- Truth Matters
- Leave People Better Than You Found Them
The Legacy I Hope to Leave
When people look back on We Are Local years from now, I don’t want them to remember a website, a Facebook page, or a business.
I hope they remember a movement.
A movement that helped businesses succeed.
A movement that connected neighbors.
A movement that told the stories worth telling.
A movement that inspired people to serve.
A movement that reminded us that our communities become stronger when we choose to invest in one another.
Because at the end of the day, that’s what We Are Local is really about.
Strengthening Communities Together.
