A Living Experiment in Showing Up for Small Businesses
A 100-day community documentary about what happens when people support the places they’d hate to lose.
Real people, Real businesses, and small actions — recorded as they happen.
The Heart of Business Challenge
What This Is
This isn’t a campaign.
It’s not a contest.
And it’s definitely not about “saving” businesses.
Heart of Business is a shared experiment.
For 100 days, people commit to noticing the small businesses that shape their neighborhoods — and taking simple, doable actions to support them.
We document what happens when care becomes visible.
How You Participate
There are three ways to be part of the experiment:
Nominate a Small Business
Think of a place you’d genuinely miss if it disappeared. Nominate them. That’s it. Some are activated publicly. Some are quietly supported behind the scenes. All nominations matter.
NOMINATE A SMALL BUSINESS
Join the
100-Day Experiment
When you join, you’ll receive gentle weekly prompts through our online program. Things like: Visit once Share a story Leave a thoughtful review Bring a friend Say thank you out loud No pressure. No perfection. Just showing up in ways that feel human.
Join the 100-Day Experiment
Follow the Story as It Unfolds
We share real moments as they happen: •Neighborhood snapshots •Business stories •Community reflections •Unexpected outcomes This is a documentary in motion — not polished, not staged.
HOW WE TRACK INVOLVEMENT
HEARTBUMPS
what are they?
As people participate, we quietly track involvement.
We call these moments HeartBumps.
They’re not a competition.
They’re simply a way for us to notice participation and occasionally say thank you — with early access, small surprises, or invitations to support something meaningful.
You don’t need to chase them.
They happen naturally when you show up.
FOR BUSINESS OWNERS
HEARTPAGES
what are they?
If your business is nominated, you may be invited to activate a Heart Page — a simple, story-based page that helps your community show support during the experiment.
There’s no pressure to perform.
No constant posting.
No gimmicks.
Just a place for your story to live while the experiment unfolds.
This only works if people participate HONESTLY.
No hustle.
No savior energy.
No forced optimism.
Just real people showing up for places they love — and seeing what happens.
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