A Balance in Leadership
If you asked me to describe how I approach most decisions in one word, that would be it. Balance.
I am an entrepreneur at heart. I started my first unofficial business when I was 13 years old, and for much of my younger life, my mindset was simple: Grow. Grow. Grow. Build something bigger. Accomplish more. Keep pushing forward.
Over the years, though, I learned an important lesson-- bigger isn't always better. When something becomes bigger simply for the sake of being bigger, eventually something else has to be sacrificed to support that growth. I didn't fully understand that until I had a family.
I got married. We had our first daughter, then our second. School, ballgames, activities, work, businesses, responsibilities, and everything else that comes with raising a family began filling the calendar. And, my perspective started to change. Success wasn't simply about building the biggest business or accomplishing the most. It was about building a life that allowed me to be present for the things that mattered most. Being present requires time, something invaluable, but limited in supply. Some of us realize this early, other realize it later than wished.
Those who know me personally know that I rarely sit still. I have what some might call an addiction to pickleball, I enjoy spending time on the golf course, and most recently I've developed an obsession with learning to pilot my way through the skies. But those things are only a small part of a pretty full life.
First and foremost, I'm dedicated to my family and the seemingly endless array of school activities, sporting events, commitments, and everything else that comes with raising a family.
I also have businesses that require my full attention to thrive, businesses responsible for supporting our employees, serving our clients, and providing for our family.
Somehow, I usually still manage to find room in the day. There's nothing magical or mystical about that-- I've simply learned to be organized. To be punctual. To respect other people's time as much as my own. To prioritize what matters. To make decisions and move forward. Most importantly, I've learned how to create balance.
Balance between business and family, balance between responsibility and enjoyment, balance between working toward tomorrow while being present today.
I don't always get it perfect. Nobody does. When something important needs my attention, I've learned not to say I don't have time, but rather ask myself the question, how do I make time for what matters?
And that brings me to Choudrant.
You might be wondering what entrepreneurship, family, pickleball, golf, flying airplanes, and managing a very full calendar have to do with my decision to run for Alderman for the Village of Choudrant. The answer is simple: everything! Because the same principle I've learned to apply to my family, my businesses, and my life is the principle I believe should guide many of the decisions we make about the future of Choudrant:
Balance
More than a decade ago, my family chose Choudrant as the place we wanted to call home. My oldest daughter started at Choudrant Elementary and recently graduated from Choudrant High School. My youngest daughter is still making her way through Choudrant schools today. Over those years, we haven't just lived here. We've built homes, businesses and business relationships here. We've built friendships here.
We have built our life here. And we didn't come here hoping it would eventually become like another place. We chose it because of what it already was, a small town where you can know your neighbors, build relationships, be part of a community, and be proud to raise your family.
That's worth protecting.
But protecting what makes Choudrant special doesn't mean refusing to change. Viewpoints on Choudrant's growth varies, with some wanting new opportunities and some wanting it untouched. Neither are wrong. Most important decisions have more than one side, and the challenge is rarely choosing between someone who is completely right and someone who is completely wrong. The challenge is finding balance.
Times change. Technology changes. Families change. Businesses change. Communities change. And whether we like it or not, Choudrant will change too. If we refuse to adapt at all, we risk falling behind and eventually losing some of the very things we're trying so hard to protect. Then again, if we chase growth simply for the sake of growth, we risk losing the character that made people choose Choudrant in the first place.
I don't want to chase either extreme. My goal will always be for Choudrant to become an even better Choudrant.
That's the balance I want to bring to the Board of Aldermen.
I believe Choudrant should grow better, not just bigger.
Growing better means being intentional-- taking care of what we already have while planning responsibly for what we'll need tomorrow.
It means making thoughtful decisions about infrastructure, development, businesses, services, recreation, and opportunities without sacrificing the small-town character that makes Choudrant special.
Sometimes the right answer will be yes, sometimes the right answer will be no. And still sometimes the answer might be, "That's a good idea, but let's find a better way to do it."
As an Alderman, one question I will ask in every situation is, does this make Choudrant a better place to live, raise a family, build a business, and call home?
If the answer is yes, let's find a responsible way forward! If the answer is no, then bigger alone isn't a good enough reason to do it.
My vision isn't for Choudrant to become another city. Actually, it's almost the opposite. I want Choudrant to become the kind of small town that other communities look at and say, "That's what a small town can be."
A community that holds onto its identity while continuing to improve.
A place where our children can grow up with the same sense of community we value today, and hopefully one day decide they want to raise their own families here.
A place people want to visit.
A place where the right businesses can invest and succeed.
A place families want to call home.
And a place where those who have lived here for decades can still look around and recognize the Choudrant they've always loved.
We don't have to choose between progress and preservation. We can have both.
We just have to find the right balance.
That's why I'm running for Alderman. And that's the kind of leadership I hope to bring to the Village of Choudrant.
~ Corey Martin
Candidate for Choudrant Alderman
Preserve what makes us Choudrant.
Improve what can make us better.
Grow when growth makes sense
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