For our third installment of our Innovators series, we turn our attention to a young person who had a dream – albeit far-fetched – and made it a reality. In past months, we have focused on Karsten Solheim who influenced the global game of golf through the invention and production process (see January issue,) and Dan Harkins who has prospered nationally through providing a quality experience on every level for movie goers who recognize the difference (see February issue.) Kimber Lanning’s thoughts are both global and national, but they are not of global dominance or national market share. Instead, her thoughts are focused on creating a better place for us all to live. Her thoughts foster free thinking, encourage individuality, and search for solutions in places left behind.

While big boxes and national chains have gobbled up independently-owned stores, technology has made Lanning’s field – the hand-selling of music – obsolete. Yet, she has survived and is, in fact, fortified by the challenge. Her success in this field is a testament to her spirit, but perhaps more of a statement to those who do wish for global dominance: there is a segment of society who will never conform, and it is those people who more often create the solutions.

Kimber Lanning is a self-described “entrepreneur, arts advocate, and community activist who works to cultivate strong, vibrant communities and inspire a higher quality of life in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area.” She is also an observer of people – and she is concerned about the current generation of young people.

Lanning is very familiar with the qualities of young people today – and she should be. She has served more than two generations of teens at her used record store – yes you read it right, a record store -- Stinkweeds, in Phoenix. “This generation wants to be told what to like. They are accustomed to being spoon-fed everything: their ideas, opinions, likes, and dislikes,” Lanning said.

Stinkweeds Record Exchange (12 W. Camelback Rd., Phoenix; 602.248.9461; www.stinkweeds.com) is known for its eclectic selection of vinyl, as well as CDs. They primarily focus on imports and independent labels. They are equally known for their helpful, knowledgeable, music-loving staff, their listening stations, and their discounted used copies.

Some would think Stinkweeds should not even exist in an age of downloadable music and Internet purchases …but Lanning would encourage them to try real record store shopping. “There’s nothing on-line that can replace the community feeling in my store”, she says. Lanning opened Stinkweeds Records in 1987 when she was nineteen. She gave up studying architecture and her full scholarship at Arizona State University in order to join the many entrepreneurs in her family that came before her. Her parents were supportive of her move, as they led largely unconventional lives as a jazz musician (her father) and an owner of an art gallery (her mother). Sadly, one might be hard-pressed to find young people today with the same passion and spirit.

“Kids today have been exposed to more ads and marketing campaigns than any generation before them,” she laments. Lanning opened Stinkweeds in the thick of the underground music trend. “Teens were looking to challenge ideas, beliefs. They were searching for something new and fresh. They bought records because of the possibility that those songs were so different that they would challenge anything that had come before.” Lanning laughs as she reflects on a recent customer, “I had a kid come in to the store and ask if a CD was “good”. I said to him, “Go ahead and listen to it, it’s on the headphones right there,” but he wouldn’t even listen. Lanning was amazed that he just wanted someone to tell him whether or not he should buy it.

Lanning, however, revels in her freedom to make decisions on the fly and she constantly bucks conventional business theory. She goes out on a limb and thinks outside the box, and it works in her favor. “As an owner of a small business, I am in a unique position to implement ideas I have …often within a half hour. Owners and managers of “big box” chain stores may have to work for a year to have the same ideas approved and implemented. Many experts advise not to change your logo and marketing very often. I change my logo and branding every year. My clients expect it …they look forward to it!”

Thanks to her passion and fierce entrepreneurial spirit, Stinkweeds has changed locations four times while firmly establishing itself as a cultural landmark on the local music scene a mainstay of the Tempe and Phoenix business communities. In September 2004, Stinkweeds New and Used Music opened a location in downtown Phoenix.  The new store is located in a formerly blighted storefront that she transformed into a unique retail space with a dynamic community gathering place, complete with a courtyard for hosting live musical performances and meetings.

Lanning has earned the reputation in the media as a tough talking advocate for arts and independent businesses. But with the state of the economy and statistics on business failures not only in Arizona but also across the nation, her brand of spunk may be just what the doctor ordered.

With an arsenal of experience, courage, and just plain gumption, Lanning founded “Local First Arizona (LFA).” LFA is a non profit organization working towards strengthening communities and local economies through “supporting, maintaining, and celebrating locally-owned businesses throughout the state of Arizona.” According to Lanning, the organization “educates stakeholders business leaders, and legislators about the significant environmental, economic, and cultural benefits of strong local economies.”

The cause is not a new one …at least not for Lanning. The organization was originally founded under the name “Arizona Chain Reaction” in 2003, but in 2007 when the organization expanded, they applied for 501 c3 non profit status and changed their name in order to better define the positive messages of buying locally and building “vibrant communities that make residents proud to call their “home.”

Lately, Lanning, her organization, and all that they have been preaching for years have been getting more attention than ever because of a dwindling economy. It is no wonder why organizations like Lanning’s have been popping up across the country, as people seem to be searching for answers. According to Lanning, studies have shown that for every $100 spent in a locally-owned businesses, roughly $45 remains here in Arizona, as opposed to $13 when the same $100 investment is made in a national chain store.

“Consumers have grown leery of the false sense of savings promised by national chain stores and are becoming acutely aware of the homogenization of our communities.” In other words, the deep savings that is promised by the large chain stores that you see in every community, in every state of the nation really contribute to the downfall of your own community – and everything that makes it unique and special. “There’s no savings at all when a giant company brings your community primarily part-time jobs with no benefits and outsourcers all of the “second tier” jobs like accountants, sign makers, and attorneys.”

If those statistics aren’t enough to convince consumers, Lanning focuses on the environmental impact of buying mass-produced consumables from large distributors who spend millions on fuel to bring supermarkets tomatoes, when consumers could instead buy from local growers at farmers’ markets and support the businesspeople in their own community. The good news is that according to Lanning, spending on local foods has quadrupled in the past two years. “Average Americans are beginning to understand the consequences of over-consumption and are seeking out and discovering the benefits of “going local.” It is a hard-learned lesson, but one definitely worth learning.

One thing is for sure: Kimber Lanning isn’t giving up on Arizona’s unique position to be a leader in supporting local economies and the independent businessperson. She is doing everything she can to hit the free-thinking nerve of people young and old in Phoenix – and in the process she’s dancing to a tune of her own!