About this episode
The episode discusses a local story about Mike Zeller's vision for the Rock Island Bridge in Kansas City, emphasizing perseverance and self-confidence.
Sometimes a local story is just that - a local story. And sometimes it transcends. Yes, Mike Zeller is very much rooted in Kansas City, and this is a very local story about how to take advantage of our long-overlooked river assets. But this story is really so much more than all that. This is about finding value in what other people might not see; about perseverance; about not giving up when so many others would on a “crazy” idea. More than anything, this is about not giving up on yourself. The Rock Island Bridge in Kansas City may indeed become a local landmark - I believe it’s well on the way. But this is so much more about having confidence in yourself and your ideas, and not assuming the “experts” and the “professionals” have it all figured out. How many times have you said, “someone should do something with that?” Maybe that someone is you. Find more content on The Messy City on Kevin’s Substack page . Music notes: all songs by low standards, ca. 2010. Videos here . If you’d like a CD for low standards, message me and you can have one for only $5. Intro: “ Why Be Friends ” Outro: “ Fairweather Friend ” Get full access to The Messy City at kevinklinkenberg.substack.com/subscribe
People in this episode
Host: Kevin Klinkenberg
Guest: Mike Zeller
Topics covered
- local stories
- river assets
- perseverance
- confidence
- community engagement
Keywords
- Kansas City
- Rock Island Bridge
- local stories
- perseverance
- community engagement
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: The Messy City
Books & works: Rock Island Bridge
Places: Kansas City
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- Midtown KC, Unfiltered · May 19, 2026 · 1h 37m
- Route 66 - America's Main Street · May 12, 2026 · 51 min
- Seeking Faith-Based Solutions to Housing · April 30, 2026 · 52 min
- You Can Just Do Things · April 14, 2026 · 42 min
- Rowhouses for America · April 7, 2026 · 49 min
- The Case for Optimism and Beauty · March 31, 2026 · 1h 8m
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