#3: Brandon Tarpley on Community, Networking & What It Means to Belong in Boise

Some people just make a place feel like home. Brandon Tarpley is one of them.In this episode, Katiuscia sits down with her longtime friend Brandon Tarpley — Account Manager at the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce — for a conversation that goes far deeper than networking tips or business cards.Brandon and his team at the Chamber have spent years helping nearly 2,000 member businesses find their people, their programs, and their place in the Treasure Valley. But what drives Brandon isn’t the metrics. It’s the moment someone calls to say: my business changed because of what we built together here.In this episode, you’ll hear Brandon talk about:Why in-person connection still outperforms every digital shortcut — even AI-How the Chamber team guides new members without overwhelming them-The Leadership Boise program: 50 years, 1,500 graduates, including mayors and CEOs-Treefort Music Fest and its $10–15M economic impact on local business-His networking rule: two or three genuine connections beats a room full of business cards-Why “Boise Nice” is real — and why it changes how business actually works hereThis is a conversation about what it means to truly root into a place — and what opens up when you do.00:00:00 Why Human Connection Still Beats AI00:01:01 Meet Brandon Tarpley — Boise Metro Chamber00:02:39 A Day in the Life of the Chamber Team00:04:48 Connecting the Dots for Local Businesses00:13:06 Events, Ribbon Cuttings & Building Community00:17:24 Leadership Boise: 50 Years, 1,500 Graduates00:26:35 How to Network Without Being That Person00:30:17 Boise: A Vast Small Town Where Everyone's Connected00:35:49 Brandon's Boise: Greenbelt, Treefort & Local Life00:52:00 Growth, Belonging & Reaching Out to BrandonConnect with Brandon Tarpley on LinkedIn.or via email at [email protected] more at https://www.boisechamber.org/If this conversation stayed with you — follow It Stays Here on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen, and leave a review. It helps more people find their way to conversations worth having.Know someone who needs to hear this? Send it to them. Some conversations are meant to find the right people.