Great article, Eric. I am one of the young people who has chosen to remain in Michigan out of love for this state and the people here. As the article points out, I was a 20-something who moved away to Chicago, and shock….I came back here within a couple years. Don’t get me wrong, Chicago was great. But, friends, family and the diverse beauty and interesting culture of this state called me back, and I’ve never regretted it. In the last five years, I’ve had two other friends return home to Michigan as well–one from California and the other from Florida. All of us have found that the grass isn’t always greener oustide of Michigan.

I appreciate your comment. I believe that it is almost a right of passage to send away our “brightest and best” to go and experience the world. Many young people that leave do come back once it’s time to settle down and raise a family. However, for those YP’s that stay the opportunities to make real impact and be a “big fish in a relatively big pond” is huge. Feel free to contribute your stories to the site.

Also, we do a feature called “there and back” about people that have left the state and returned to find great opportunities in Michigan. Let us know if you are interested in being considered for the feature.

While I can appreciate the need to try to keep young creative folks from leaving the state, I think you’re limiting your goals by only directing your cause towards the young (as you say, people in their early 20’s). There’s tons of creative talent found in people of all ages - many experienced (older) Michiganders find themselves with loans and family obligations that keep them in ordinary jobs - where can we find to positions where we can better express ourselves? By seemingly limiting the “ability to be creative” to the young, what message are you giving older people who feel alienated, and younger people who feel they have 10 years of “worthwhile creativity” until they themselves are “past it”

Eric (and others),

I think you’re either missing the point or just hopefully ignoring it. Places like Austin, Atlanta, Seattle, San Francisco, San Diego, and even Chicago offer a business environment that currently Michigan cannot come close to matching. While I’m sure there are many talented and creative people there it’s not even close to the same scale. For every one interesting company you can point out in Michigan, there are tens or hundreds in other regions. The talent pools in those regions are also much larger. And while they may have more competition, this usually ends up being a positive trade off. Regions like that also develop an ecosystem of investment and business creation that helps maintain their vitality. If Michigan wants to become a vibrant, growing economic region it needs to recognize this. Michigan may well have low cost of living, good transportation, good weather (ok, that’s a matter of opinion I guess) and a strong educational system, but it’s still not attracting people or businesses.

And for what it’s worth, I don’t believe that this is a “early 20s” thing. I am someone who grew up and went to school in Michigan and then left the state for a job. While change may have been a small motivator at first, for most of us it was, and continues to be, about the job opportunities. Of all of my classmates and friends who did the same (we are all in our 30s now with families), I can think of only one who moved back.

Brian,

I understand what you’re saying about other regions and their respective talent pools. I’m not trying to compare Michigan cities to any other city. I’m simply saying that while most people (like yourself) find little reason to hope for Michigan’s resurgence, many of us (especially those of us that didn’t leave like you did) are very optimistic about our futures here. I’m 33 years old, have started my own company and in less than one year I have an amazing staff of young talented and passionate young people excited about making a difference in Detroit and the State of Michigan. I have a stack of resumes in my inbox every day from people wanting to work for us…not just because of the company but because they want to stay in Detroit. If my story doesn’t convince you then consider this.

The Detroit Regional Chamber anticipates about a 1% increase in job creation this year. At first glance one might think “wow, what a paltry number”. But what we have to look at is that while the state has lost nearly 250,000 in manufacturing we have nearly entirely replaced those jobs in the service and white collar ranks. It’s addition by subtraction.

Michigan’s current economic woes are largely based on the erosion of the manufacturing sector, no one questions that fact. But life often comes from death. While some are leaving the state, many or most are not only staying but starting new businesses, and developing new industries.

I guess it’s hard to understand the under current of what’s happening here in Michigan if you aren’t here and you can’t see it for your own eyes. Feel free to call me the next time you’re in town and I’d be happy to give you plenty of reasons for optimism.

Regards,

Eric Cedo
Publisher MiLife MiTimes
and Unabashed Michigan Cheerleader

Thanks for your great article, it heartens me to see the spirit and energy in Michigan’s young professionals. I work in the nonprofit sector and am very excited about being a part of one of the fastest growing sectors in the state that offers the opportunity for many young professionals to be civic leaders. If we can re-evaluate and improve the primary industries in our state, Michigan is very promising and I’m proud to work with leaders who will make it great.