Love Live Local 2023 Annual Report

ANNUAL REPORT CELEBRATING THE COMMUNITY SUPPORTING OUR ECONOMY CONNECTING CAPE CODDERS

LOVELIVELOCAL.COM Authored by Amanda Converse | Designed by Jen Villa

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LETTER FROM LEADERSHIP In 2023, Love Live Local celebrated a decade of community dedication, and as I reflect on last year, I am filled with gratitude for the collective enthusiasm, commitment, and encouragement of our supporters that have made our journey truly remarkable. In the spirit of growth and impact, we set ambitious goals for the year, and I am proud to share our achievements with you.

In commemoration of our 10th anniversary, Love Live Local’s board of directors and staff redefined our mission and vision, adding values and purpose to guide our endeavors. Our commitment to this new mission and our continued advocacy remained strong, with editorial content addressing challenges faced by local businesses, active participation in community dialogues with policymakers, and comprehensive reports like "Local Matters: Spotlight on Service Providers" and "Energy Matters," which highlighted the vital contributions of service providers and the importance of energy efficiency in small businesses.

Our Love Local Fests experienced record-breaking attendance during the summer, fall, and holiday events. The Love Local Field Guide and Love Local Gift Guide showcased 175 pages of editorial and visual content, bridging the gap between the community and Cape Cod's local businesses. Our downtown Hyannis retail store continued to be a hub for local makers, sharing our mission and supporting the vibrant community.

Our Boost Your Brand workshops empowered Cape Cod entrepreneurs with the knowledge to thrive as local makers and event vendors, while the Local Business Boost Program provided one-on-one assistance and micro grants to 20 local businesses, contributing to their growth and success.

Collaborating with partners, we highlighted the stories of small local businesses that contribute significantly to the local economy, fostering a sense of community and support, and during the holiday season, we encouraged Cape Codders to pledge to shift at least 10% of their gift-giving budget to locally owned businesses, with the potential to generate millions for the local economy.

We couldn’t have done any of this work without the financial support of our sponsors and donors. The success of our first annual appeal and other fundraising efforts, including our Shop for Local events and Second Summer Cycle team, was made possible by their incredible support and a testament to the strength and solidarity of our community.

Thank you for being a vital part of our journey.

Amanda Converse Co-Founder + Executive Director

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OUR MISSION Love Live Local is a non-profit dedicated to strengthening Cape Cod's local economy by promoting the importance of supporting small businesses and fostering a thriving community.

Through education, advocacy, and direct support, we strive to inspire residents and visitors alike to invest in our unique local businesses and contribute to the sustainable growth of our region.

OUR VISION

Our vision is to create a vibrant and resilient Cape Cod where small businesses flourish and the community thrives. By prioritizing local spending and nurturing entrepreneurship, we will preserve the distinct character of our region and ensure a sustainable, innovative, and prosperous future for all who cherish this special place.

BY THE NUMBERS $277,500 20,000

4,000

Small Business Grants Given

Love Local Fest Annual Attendees

Email Subscribers

17,000

34,000

40

Publications Printed Annually Love Live Local 2023 Annual Report

Social Media Followers

Community Festivals Produced 03

VALUES 1. We know that local businesses contribute to the Cape Cod community on a far greater scale than their corporate competitors, and this knowledge informs all of our work.

2. We define shopping locally as more than just where you spend your money, it is also defined by where you spend your other resources: time, intention, and attention.

3. We recognize that Cape Cod is a unique and extraordinary place to live, work, visit and play, and we are deeply committed to keeping this community strong and vibrant.

4. We believe diversity of thought, culture and demographics is one of Cape Cod’s greatest strengths, and we work toward solutions that eliminate structural and systemic inequalities as it relates to small business ownership.

5. We value the transformative impact of collaboration. By working together, fostering open communication, furthering understanding, and building caring and supportive relationships, we can achieve something bigger than we could alone.

6. We are innovative, creative, and courageous in our pursuit of investing in, supporting and promoting our local business community.

7. We do our best work when we do it with a strong sense of purpose fueled by a passion for this place we call home.

8. In this ever-changing world and economy, we seek to be proactive, responsive, and resourceful and to continually evolve in order to meet the needs of our small business community.

9. We are proud to have a reputation of authenticity and credibility, and will maintain it by practicing transparency, honesty, and openness.

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PURPOSE 1. Work with local businesses to achieve their economic goals through grants, education, research, and advocacy, enabling them to innovate, grow, and succeed in an ever-changing market.

2. Educate and inspire consumers of all kinds to shift their spending habits from big box stores and online retailers to local businesses, highlighting the positive impact of these choices on the community and the Cape Cod economy.

3. Foster a strong sense of community connection among individuals and organizations to improve the overall health of our region by promoting and hosting local events, initiatives and collaborations that bring people together, celebrate the unique culture of Cape Cod and contribute to the overall wellbeing of the region.

4. Communicate how, where, and why to shop local through our digital communications and annual publications.

5. Invest in local brands and makers by carrying them in our retail store and providing the community with opportunities to invest in them as well.

"The things people love will not be here if there is not an investment in small business and workforce. Love Live Local provides a voice for small businesses that don’t have the ability to advocate for themselves. Love Live Local is the reminder that these businesses need support."

-LOVE LIVE LOCAL STAKEHOLDER Love Live Local 2023 Annual Report

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Love Live Local was founded in 2013 as a year-round lifestyle guide that has since evolved into a local business movement on Cape Cod. The intention from the start was to celebrate Cape Cod's strong sense of place, highlight positive stories and local happenings and connect local businesses with customers and supporters.

But, as co-founders and small business owners Amanda Converse, Kate Sheehan and Jen Villa had come to learn firsthand the challenges small businesses face due to a variety of market forces, corporate consolidation and appropriation, the rapid upsurge of online commerce, as well as public policy decisions that have favored big business over small mom and pop shops, their mission and messaging grew and evolved.

More and more the organization shared educational messages about the impacts of these realities and in early 2020 this passion project became a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization focused on celebrating the community, supporting the economy, and connecting Cape Codders through events, guide books, and a retail store, along with research, content creation and advocacy for a broader impact.

A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE

Love Live Local works to ensure things like corporate concentration and the massive shift to shopping online with large ecommerce giants doesn’t impact our local businesses to a point of no return, and aims to assist local businesses in their growth and development so they have a fighting chance against their corporate competitors. The organization’s goal is to show people why it’s important to choose local and how to do it, and it is the only one on Cape Cod doing this work.

OUR APPROACH

Behind every "Open" sign lies aspirations and challenges unique to local entrepreneurs. Small businesses across the country and on Cape Cod have articulated that access to capital, access to customers, business services, technical assistance, advisory support, and business ecosystem navigation are critical for their growth and success.

Love Live Local works to address these needs to further the organization’s mission of fostering a thriving local economy by engaging in research and advocacy, technical assistance and capital support, collaboration with small local businesses and organizations, producing community events, publishing annual publications, sharing digital communications, and representing local brands and makers in a retail store.

WHO WHOWE WESERVE SERVE

Love Live Local is not a membership organization, thus provides a voice and opportunities to all locally owned businesses across Cape Cod. Cape Cod isn’t just a sandy peninsula located off the coast of Massachusetts. It is a place filled with people - friends, families, neighbors - and organizations run by people - businesses, farms, nonprofits, and entertainment venues - who are passionate about making this place the most vibrant and thriving it can be. These are the people for whom Love Live Local does the work.

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YEAR IN REVIEW CAPITAL AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

LOCAL BUSINESS BOOST PROGRAM Since 2022, the Local Business Boost Program has offered targeted, one-on-one technical assistance and implementation support to small businesses in downtown Hyannis to assist in their continued growth and help them gain competitive advantage in an increasingly corporatized marketplace.

In 2023, we were able to provide micro grants to 20 local businesses and work with 25 local service providers to provide the work.

The projects executed by the service providers ranged from developing a takeout program for a local restaurant, increasing production for a local fashion designer, developing a website for a jewelry store, undergoing a rebrand for a gift shop, adding equipment to increase capabilities for a dog grooming operation, moving along exterior building improvements for two restaurants, replacing a damaged carpet in a retail store, enlisting a local artist to paint a mural on the inside of a restaurant, and investing in new and more efficient equipment for a local market.

The Program began as a partnership between the Hyannis Main Street Business Improvement District and Love Live Local with support from Amplify POC Cape Cod, the Town of Barnstable and MassDevelopment’s Transformative Development Initiative, and two grant cycles have been made possible due to funding received from the TDI Program as well as the State of Massachusetts through the Executive Office of Economic Development, an earmark in the Economic Development Bill made by Senator Julian Cyr, the Cape & Islands License Plate fund and the Cape Cod Foundation.

BOOST YOUR BRAND WORKSHOP SERIES In the second year of the Boost Your Brand Workshop Series, there were two opportunities for Cape Cod entrepreneurs looking to find success as local makers and event vendors. Local experts provided technical assistance on how to get the most out of popup events, connect with customers, raise brand awareness, and take their product line to the next level. 30 local makers and brands were accepted into the workshops.

The 2023 program was free to participants thanks to sponsorship from The Cooperative Bank of Cape Cod and grants from The Cape Cod Foundation and the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

“I feel incredibly lucky to have been selected for the Love Live Local Boost Your Brand workshop. The knowledge shared by the local experienced vendors and creators was invaluable. Not only did we receive insights to how they started their brands, but also learned from what worked or didn’t work for their consumer base. Additionally, if that wasn’t enough, the networking alone was extremely beneficial.

When starting a small company, there’s nothing better than networking with the local community that will stand by your side cheering for your success. That was the true feeling of camaraderie we -Carolina Pinto, Andrea’s Kitchen experienced in addition to the shared knowledge.”

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YEAR IN REVIEW CONNECTING WITH CUSTOMERS

LOVE LOCAL FESTS

It was a record breaking year for the 11th season of the Love Local Fests with over 20,000 attendees celebrating the Cape Cod community for the summer, fall and holiday events where they were able to shop over 130 local makers and brands, eat at local food trucks, listen to local musicians and show their love for Cape Cod and its sense of place and community. The holiday event was particularly special, with 15,000 people in attendance to experience the entire Hyannis Holiday weekend including the Hyannis Village Stroll, the Love Local Fest Holiday Edition and the Hyannis Harbor Boat Parade.

The events wouldn’t happen without our amazing volunteers, incredible vendors and generous sponsors like Cape Cod 5, Avangrid, Devil’s Purse, True North Event, Truro Vineyards, Pina Enterprises and WOMR.

LOVE LOCAL FIELD GUIDE + LOVE LOCAL GIFT GUIDE

Annual publications, the Love Local Field Guide and Love Local Gift Guide, presented 175 pages of editorial and visual content that provide a genuine and authentic bridge between the community and Cape Cod’s local businesses, helping consumers choose local first when searching for places to eat, things to do, places to shop and presents to buy.

BI-MONTHLY EMAIL

Since launching in March 2013, Love Live Local has released monthly emails highlighting interesting community events, celebrating the things that make Cape Cod unique, and sharing stories about local businesses and their community impact. In 2023, the frequency of the emails was increased to twice a month, in order to provide more resources to Cape Codders looking to connect with the local community.

LOVE LIVE LOCAL RETAIL STORE

Love Live Local continues to invest in local makers by stocking them in the organization’s retail store in downtown Hyannis. The shop is the nonprofit’s hub - another spot to share the mission and message - and is always bustling with activity thanks to local shoppers and the other great local businesses with whom Love Live Local shares space: Devinto and Washashore Bakery.

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YEAR IN REVIEW COMMUNICATION AND EDUCATION

LOCAL MATTERS REPORTS Since April 2020, Love Live Local has produced annual studies to quantify and assess the impact of Cape Cod’s locally owned businesses on the local economy as compared to national chains and online corporations. The aim was and continues to be to put a dollar amount on just how much – monetarily - local businesses reinvest in the Cape Cod community.

While national businesses have a role to play in every economy, purchases from national corporations typically cause money to leave the local economy, as national chains and online purchases send money outside of the community to the areas where they are headquartered. When dollars are spent locally, they can in turn be re-spent locally, raising the overall level of economic activity, paying more salaries, and continuing to build the local tax base. This recirculation of money leads to an overall increase of economic activity.

These analyses have quantified what the organization already knew - local businesses of all kinds – retailers, restaurants, and personal and business service providers (like fitness centers and accountants) keep up to four times as much money in the local economy as their national chain competitors.

This is due to profits paid out to local owners, wages paid to local workers, procurement of local goods and services and support to local nonprofits, the impact of which cannot be underestimated. The analysis also showed that both local retailers and restaurants need less space and sprawl to generate more revenue per square foot than their chain competitors, and locally owned retail, restaurants, and hotels employ more people per square foot.

Furthermore, Love Live Local’s research showed that, put into real dollars in just the retail market, a market shift of just 10% from corporate stores to independent stores on Cape Cod would retain an additional $112 million in the local economy every year.

Choosing local first is not just about supporting friends and neighbors who own small businesses – it also makes financial and economic sense for the entire Cape Cod community.

You can view all of the Local Matters Reports reports on the Love Live Local website: www.lovelivelocal.com/articles/local-matters-reports

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YEAR IN REVIEW COMMUNICATION AND EDUCATION

EDITORIAL CONTENT

Curating editorial and graphic content that communicates Love Live Local’s mission and highlights the importance of choosing local first is an essential part of the organization’s mission. Educational and shareable graphic content is shared on social media almost daily, and provides Cape Codders with context and inspiration around the shop local movement.

The two most popular editorial pieces in 2023 were “Red flags in your relationship with Amazon,” which outlined some of the reasons consumers dependence on Amazon.com is proving to be a bit dubious and “The domination of Visa and Mastercard means a high cost of doing (local) business”, which highlighted why credit card interchange fees are becoming increasingly problematic for small businesses.

SHIFT LOCAL PLEDGE

The 2023 holiday shopping marked the launch of Love Live Local’s first ever Shift Local Pledge, where Cape Codders were asked to formally pledge to shift at least 10% of their holiday gift giving budget to locally owned businesses. 165 people signed the pledge, and will be reporting their expenditures as well as how many local businesses they patronized.

SHOP LOCAL STORIES

Throughout the year, alongside the Cooperative Bank of Cape Cod and Cape Cod Broadcasting, Love Live Local highlighted the folks behind the small local businesses that contribute more to the local economy than their corporate counterparts, beyond just a single transaction, through the Shop Local Stories series. Whether it’s outstanding customer service, carrying rare or hard-to-find products, creating safe spaces for the community, or going above and beyond for their patrons, the featured businesses show just how far locals will go to support their community

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Hosting and participating in community dialogues and presentations is another way Love Live Local shares its mission and messaging. In September, 2023 alongside Amplify POC, Love Live Local co-hosted an event with the Cape delegation and presented data on the proven importance of local businesses to the Cape Cod economy and highlighted the challenges they face from a national to a local scale, as well as addressed barriers to ownership for people of color. A group of passionate and experienced small business representatives were also given the opportunity to share their own challenges, experiences and stories.

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YEAR IN REVIEW COMMUNICATION AND EDUCATION

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

American Independent Business Alliance Bard College Green MBA Program Barnstable County Commissioners Cape Cod Young Professionals - Shape the Cape Summit The Cooperative Bank of Cape Cod - Community Engagement Seminar Greater Hyannis Civic Association Lower Cape CDP - Art of Branding Orleans Select Board Yarmouth Rotary Club

PRESS

New Report Highlights Local Services, Sunday Journal, Cape Cod Broadcasting, 3.3.2023 What Inspires Us: Love Live Local Aliste Marketing, 6.8.2023 Second Summer, Sunday Journal, Cape Cod Broadcasting, 9.22.2023 A Holiday Pledge for Cape’s Businesses, Lower Cape TV, 12.13.2023

COLLABORATORS

American Independent Business Alliance Amplify POC Cape Cod Chamber Cape Cod Maritime Museum Cape & Islands Workforce Board EforAll Cape Cod Hyannis Main Street Business Improvement District Low Country Local First Mashpee Chamber of Commerce New England Local Economies Coalition Open Cape Orleans Chamber of Commerce Second Summer Cycle Small Business Rising Town of Barnstable WE CAN Love Live Local 2023 Annual Report

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STRONGER TOGETHER THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE WORK Executive Director Marketing Director Program Director Sales + Distribution

Amanda Converse Jen Villa Kelly O’Brien Ian Lee

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Kate Sheehan, President Claudia del Castillo, Vice President Megan Anttila, Clerk Heather Swett, Treasurer Amanda Catania Jennifer Clinton Sarah Colvin Pelinda Deegan Liz Digirolamo James Goodin Charlie Hoad Christine Hornby Renee Lett Rodrigo Passos Mary Catherine Starr Kyra Travis Carolin Walters

LLL Co-Founder, Media Relations Manager Chipie Designs Executive Producer + Project Manager Cape Cod Home Remedies Catania Hospitality Group Trust for Public Land; Saltwater Palette Cape Cod Commission Lower Cape CDP, Mom + Pops, Aplaya Kitchen Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce Free Spirit Originals Nauset Rentals Dennis Police Department Cape Cod Broadcasting Web Developer Two Bloom Creative Changing Tides Consignment Cove Road Real Estate

ADVISORY COUNCIL Beth Colt Dan Dewey Maria Ferguson Shayna Ferullo + Manuel Ainzuain Ami Jeffries Donna Kutil Brian + Monila Junkins Denice LaPierre Karryn Lewis John Martinez John Miller Jason + Ali O'Toole Kristen Roberts Lisa Sue Smedberg Wendy Taylor David Troutman Love Live Local 2023 Annual Report

Inlet, Quick's Hole Taqueria, Treetop Lodge, Woods Hole Inn Dewey Landscaping Fig Tree Cafe Snowy Owl Coffee Roasters Mass Bay Company Scenic Roots Friend's Marketplace F/V Isabel + Lilee Whole Health Pharmacy Johnny the Bartender J Miller Picture Framer Pizza Barbone Truro Vineyards Story Up Front Clothing Scargo Cafe 12

WITH GRATITUDE

Love Live Local would not be able to do the work it does without the generosity of our sponsors, volunteers, donors + supporters!

2023 SPONSORS

2023 SPONSORS

2023 VOLUNTEERS Aiden Furget Aiste Zitnikaite Alexa Garthee Alexandra Pratt Alexis Agaman Alexis Charles Amanda Catania Angela Bergonzi Angela Bucar Becky Taber Beth Johnson Blane Toedt Caitlin Ward Prior Carolin Walters Casey Chatelain Charlie Hoad Chris O'Brien Christine Hermes

Claudia Del Castillo Courtney Wittenstein Crystal Peichel Darlene Hoyt Dianna Smith Eden Schwenk Elena Lynch Erin Andrews Geoffrey Converse Greta Georgieva Heather Hunter Heather Swett Ian Lee Jaime Shortall James Goodin Jayna Dolby Jayne Lemon Jeanne Morrison

Love Live Local 2023 Annual Report

Jen Clifford Jen Clinton Josh Scott Kate Sheehan Katie Collins Katie Getz Bifano Kelsey Ellis Kristin MacDonald Kyra Travis Lillie Peterson -Wirtanen Liz DiGirolomo Luke Machnik Maddy Swett Maddy Ward Mary Catherine Starr Mason Swett Matt Bechard Meaghan Donnelly

Meg Anttila Megan Garthee Nate Collins Pelinda Deegan Phyllis Villa Renee Lett Rodrigo Passos Rory Slye Sarah Colvin Shannon Bechard Siobhan Clune St. John Paul II Golf Team Suzanne O'Brien Tara Vargas-Wallace Tina Divitantonio Victoria Diann Zach Swett 13

WITH GRATITUDE In honor of our 10 year anniversary we set a goal to raise $10,000 and received a generous match to double our impact. Thanks to initiatives like our Love Local Fest community mural we were able to raise over $20,000 to support our mission!

Betsy Alper Rachel Anderson Catheren Andrade Margaret Andrews Delia Anttila Vinnie Arnone Danette Atsalis Jenny Avellar Molly Avellar Sheryl Baba John Barley Grace Barter Erin Beasley Sebastian Bergman Andrea Besse Katherine Bifano Mandee Blair Christina Bologna Wendy Bornstein Meghan Boudreau Jennifer Brann Pamela Brown Jane Brown-Boolhack Catherine Burgoyne Heather H Burk Lindsey Burns The Cookie Caper Mara Card Julianne Cardoni Meghan Carr Amanda Catania Colleen Cathcart Amy Chase Kathleen Clancy Matthew Clark Siobhan Clune Gregg Cole Kristie Comer Amanda Converse Kristen Corbett Jayne + Dan Coyne Eugene Curry Linda Darmon Diane Daszuta

2023 DONORS

Katharine Davis Jessie Decker Claudia Del Castillo DArcy Demianoff-Thompson Stephanie Dennehy Marsha Dilk Alexander Donald Ali Donargo Christina Donnelly Kalliope Egloff Rob + Kathy Ellis Kelsey Ellis Alison Elsman Lauren Erickson Liz Fallon Linda Fleming Deb Foley Elizabeth Fort Kimberly Gainey Gabriela Galvin Kimberly Gazal Jessica Gomes James Goodin Adam Gracia Meghan Green Lisa Guyon Brooke Handel Holly Heaslip Lindsay Holt Charles Huber Pat Hughes Heather Hunter Elizabeth Hurley Ashley Irene Boutique Kathleen Kane Laura Keefe Michele Keeney Kerry Kew Jamie Knisely Christine Knowlton Kyle Kochiss Pamela Kukla Susan Kurtzman Donna Kutil Ross

Love Live Local 2023 Annual Report

Connie Lacharite Sarah Lapsley-Martin Mark Law Caroline Laye Michael Lee Renee Lett Maria Elena Lynch Stephanie Manning Ryan Marsh Jesse Masterson Alison Mawrey Mairead McGonagle Whitney McNamara Amber McNamara Ann Miller John Miller Mary O Mills Molly Mitchell Jean Mojo Mel Morency Denise Moriarty R. Patrick Murphy Patricia Murray Hannah Narkon Joe Neimann Lori Neviackas Paul Niedzwiecki Chris O’Brien Liz O’Malley Justin Ossolinski Allison Paine Judy Palnick Mahtab Parham Rodrigo Passos Kyle Pedicini Simone Pereira Nanette Perkins Bio Perkins Jenny Perreault Lynne Pleffner Linda Poole Lynne Poyant Joyce Reardon Ann Richardson

Francoise Rocher John Rogol Lori Ruggieri Kim Rumberger Venus Sanford Frances Sawyer Michelle Schultz Midnight Our Seafood Cheryl Sedaker Susan Shaw Marie Sheehan Tom Sheehan Nina Sheehan Kate Sheehan Jaime Shortall Jenn Shurkus Valerie Silva Samantha Smith Molly Smith Diane Stansbury Mary Catherine Starr Antonia Stephens Jamie Stiely Andrea Stone Heather Swett Brian Taranto Karen Teeley Changing Tides Kyra Travis Matthew Travis Benjamin Travis Nevada Trepanowski Jen Villa Phyllis Villa Miriam Voros Tara Wallace Christopher Ward Joanna Weinreich Carolyn Winn Lynda Wood Shelly Woolf Betsy Young Niamh Zeghibe

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HOW WE FUND OUR WORK SPONSORSHIPS PRIVATE SPONSORSHIPS DONORS GRANT FUNDING

AD SALES

Love Local Field Guide + Love Local Gift Guide

VENDOR FEES

Three annual Love Local Fests

RETAIL STORE SALES

100% OF EVERY DOLLAR RAISED GOES TO IMPACT

join the movement LOVELIVELOCAL.COM Follow along @lovelivelocal

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