♪ >> CATHY: A NEW MEMOIR ENTITLED "HOW I FOUND MYSELF IN THE MIDWEST" FOLLOWS THE JOURNEY OF A MINNESOTAN FROM HIS LIFE BEGINNINGS IN NORTHFIELD TO GOOGLE EXECUTIVE IN SILICON VALLEY AND BACK TO MINNESOTA WITH A STOP IN STATE GOVERNMENT BEFORE BECOMING THE PUBLISHER OF THE "STAR TRIBUNE."

STEVE GROVE AND HIS FAMILY RETURNED HOME TO THE NORTH STAR STATE IN 2019, AND HE CHRONICLES THAT JOURNEY IN HIS NEW BOOK.

WELCOME BACK TO "ALMANAC."

>> THANKS, CATHY.

GOOD TO SEE YOU.

HI, ERIC.

>> Cathy: YOU KNOW, YOU COULD HAVE STAYED IN CALIFORNIA, FOR GOODNESS SAKES.

>> I KNOW.

>> Cathy: PROBABLY HAD A HECK OF A LIFE THERE BUT YOU CAME BACK.

>> I DID.

WE REMEMBER THAT EVERY JANUARY.

YOU KNOW, WE DID COME BACK.

AND I GREW UP HERE AS YOU MENTIONED THE MY WIFE, MARY, LIKES TO JOKE THAT EVERY MINNESOTAN HAS A HOMING BEACON INSIDE OF THEM THAT GOES OFF AFTER A CERTAIN POINT IN TIME.

FOR ME IT WAS LATER LIFE.

I DIDN'T KNOW WE WOULD COME BACK.

FOR THE TWO OF US, WE HAD YOUNG TWINS, LIVING IN THE VALLEY THERE, ENJOYING IT.

BOY, WHAT ABOUT A CHAPTER HERE?

FOR RAISING KIDS IN MINNESOTA.

PEOPLE HERE KNOW, IT'S A GOOD PLACE TO DO THAT.

WE DECIDED TO TAKE A SWING.

>> Cathy: IS YOUR FAMILY STILL CONVINCED THAT THIS IS A GOOD MOVE?

>> NO, WE'RE ALL IN.

THE BOOK DOESN'T MINCE ANY WORDS ON THAT.

BECAUSE EVERYONE WHO COMES BACK AS HAS A JOURNEY AND THERE'S UPS AND DOWNS, INTEGRATING BACK TO A TOWN IS HARDER.

FOR ME, LEAVING GOOGLE, GOING TO STATE GOVERNMENT, CAME WITH ITS OWN JOYS AND CHALLENGES.

WAS PROUD TO SHARE SOME OF THOSE IN THE BOOK.

HOPEFULLY WE CAN LEARN FROM THAT.

>> Eric: YOU WENT TO THE DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

YOU HAD ROCK 'EM SOCK 'EM ACTION.

>> WE DID.

>> Eric: YOU DID COVID.

TAKE US BEHIND THE SCENES, THOSE DELIBERATIONS, AS YOU WERE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE EPIDEMIC?

>> SUCH A UNIQUE TIME IN THE STATE, AND I AS HIRED BY OUR GOVERNOR TO BE THE JOBS COMMISSIONER AND THE WHOLE POINT WAS TO ATTRACT BUSINESSES, START-UPS, GROW JOBS, OF COURSE, ON THE FIRST WEEK OF COVID, WE OST 417,000 JOBS IN ONE WEEK.

IT WAS SORT OF THE OPPOSITE JOBS IN A LOT OF WAYS.

EVERY STATE WAS FIGURING THIS OUT WITHOUT A NATIONAL PLAYBOOK TO GUIDE US.

AND WE AD TO NAVIGATE IT TOGETHER.

WE HAD LOTS OF INTERNAL MEETINGS, WHICH I CHRONICLE IN THE BOOK, HEALTH OFFICIALS WERE BRINGING HEALTH DATA FORWARD, MY TEAM AND I WERE BRINGING ECONOMIC DATA FORWARD, THE GOVERNOR IS LISTENING TO THAT, MAKING THE BEST DECISIONS HE COULD WITH WHAT WE HAD, TRYING TO MITIGATE THE DAMAGE ON A WHOLE HOST OF FRONTS.

DID WE GET IT PERFECTLY RIGHT?

NO.

AS I SHARE IN THE BOOK, WE GOT IT AS BEST WE COULD, AND I THINK MINNESOTA FARED BETTER THAN MOST.

FOR ME, THOUGH, I THINK, FOR A PERSONAL LEVEL, IT WAS REALLY PURPOSEFUL TO BE INSIDE OF STATE GOVERNMENT.

I ENJOYED BEING AT GOOGLE, THERE'S GLOBAL SCALE, FOR SURE.

BUT TAKING A TURN INSIDE THE PUBLIC SECTOR, I THINK, IS SOMETHING I RECOMMEND TO ANYBODY, THE CHANCE TO SERVE IN THAT WAY, ESPECIALLY IN A CRISIS, I WOULD ARGUE, IS REALLY AN ONOR.

AND IT'S A CHANCE TO GIVE BACK IN WAYS THAT I FOUND REALLY MEANINGFUL.

>> Cathy: WHAT SKILLS DOES A TECH EXEC BRING TO NEWSPAPERING?

>> YEAH, WELL, I CERTAINLY PROBABLY WASN'T THE NATURAL CHOICE TO LEAD THE STRIB BECAUSE I HAVEN'T LED OR WORKED AT A NEWSPAPER BEFORE.

GLEN TAYLOR, OUR OWNER, OUR BOARD, WERE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

AS EVERYONE KNOWS WHO'S WATCHING, MEDIA TODAY FACES ALL KINDS OF CHALLENGES, IN MINNESOTA, IN PARTICULAR.

IN MINNESOTA, WE'VE OST 2/3 OF THE JOURNALISTS IN THE STATE, OVER THE DECADE, NATIONWIDE, 75% OF THE FOLKS IN THE POSSESSION WE'VE LOST.

IT'S A CIVIC DUTY.

GLEN AND THE TEAM SAID THEY WANTED TO REINVEST IN THE PAPER, THAT'S A BIG DEAL, NOT MANY OWNERS -- OWNERS ARE DOING THAT, THEY WANTED AN OUTSIDER TO COME IN AND DO THAT.

IT'S A PLEASURE TO GET TO DO.

WE HAVE SOME OF THE BEST PULITZER PRIZE WINNING JOURNALISTS IN THE COUNTRY.

SUBSCRIBERS GOING DOWN 15, 20% EVERY YEAR.

IF WE DON'T PUT DIGITAL AT THE CENTER OF OUR WORK, THIS THING ISN'T GOING INEVITABLY BE AROUND, SO THAT'S THE TASK WE HAVE.

>> Eric: WHAT'S THE STATE OF MINNESOTA, RIGHT NOW, AS FAR AS LIKE A STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS?

YOU WERE PART OF THE GEORGE FLOYD RECOVERY.

>> YEAH.

>> Eric: EFFORT.

AND BRING SOME VITALITY BACK TO LAKE STREET, SO FORTH.

AND I WONDER, AFTER THIS WEEK, I WONDER HOW YOU SENSE WE'RE DOING.

>> YEAH.

WELL, IT'S SUCH A DEVASTATING WEEK, I'M SO LAD YOUR PROGRAM DEMAND WITH SOME RESOURCES FOR FOLKS TO CONSIDER.

IT'S A CHALLENGING TIME FOR OUR JOURNALISTS, TOO, WHO ARE ON THE FRONT LINES OF THIS, TELLING THE STORIES THAT ARE IMPORTANT.

I THINK WE'RE ALL SCRATCHING OUR EADS AND WONDERING WHY HERE, HOW HERE.

I DO THINK THIS IS A STATE THAT MOST DATA WILL TELL YOU, PUNCHES ABOVE ITS WEIGHT IN SO MANY PLACES.

JUST LAST MONTH, A NATIONAL POLL RELEASED SAID THIS IS THE STATE WITH THE MOST STATE PRIDE OF ANY STATE, OF ALL 50.

SO I DO THINK HAT MINNESOTA EXCEPTIONALISM MIGHT SERVE US WELL TO STRIVE FOR BETTER.

BUT I WOULD SAY THERE'S LOTS OF THINGS WE NEED TO TACKLE, THE ECONOMY, IN PARTICULAR, WE'VE GOT TO GROW OUR TALENT BASE.

YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO HAVE MORE PEOPLE MOVING HERE, WE HAVE TO HAVE AN EASIER HOUSING MARKET.

>> Cathy: HATE THAT.

>> I KNOW, WELL, YOU CAN'T GROW AN ECONOMY ONLY ON PRODUCTIVITY.

YOU GOT TO HAVE MORE PEOPLE HERE, TOO.

I THINK THERE'S SOME ECONOMIC CHALLENGES THAT ARE PRETTY SERIOUS.

AND I THINK WE NEED A NEW VERSION OF THE MINNESOTA MIRACLE, IF YOU WILL, FROM THE '70ss TODAY IF WE'RE GOING TO REVAMP OUR ECONOMY.

>> Eric: AUTOBIOGRAPHY, STATEWIDE LISTENING TOUR, GATHERING A BUNCH OF EXPERTS NEXT MONTH, NORTH STAR SUMMIT.

>> WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT.

>> Eric: I WANT TO REMIND YOU THAT THE FILING FOR OFFICE FOR 2026 ENDS MAY 19th, NEXT YEAR.

>> I ENJOYED PUBLIC SERVICE, I CAN SEE DOING IT AGAIN IN SOME FUTURE CHAPTER.

I'LL SAY, THE SERVICE OF THE "STAR TRIBUNE" FEELS REALLY MEANINGFUL.

I THINK WHAT JOURNALISM DOES A PUBLIC SERVICE, AS WELL KNOW.

WE'RE EXCITED TO BE DOING IT.

IT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT TYPE FOR THE STRIB.

>> Cathy: I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE STRIB HERE FOR JUST A QUICK SECOND.

Y'ALL ARE DOING PODCASTS.

I JUST WATCHED RANDY SHAVER OR ATTEMPTED TO WATCH HIM ONLINE STREAMING LAST NIGHT.

DIDN'T EXACTLY WORK TOO WELL IN -- >> WE'RE WORKING THE KINKS OUT.

>> Cathy: I UNDERSTAND.

YOU'RE EXPANDING INTO AREAS THAT TRADITIONAL PAPERS HAVEN'T.

IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WHEN IT COMES TO THE DIGITAL PRODUCT THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT NOW?

>> YEAH, WE'RE TRYING SOME REALLY NEW THINGS.

WE'RE MAKING A MAJOR PUSH IN THE HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS, CALLED STRIB VARSITY, MANY LIKE MYSELF, I REMEMBER GROWING UP WATCHING RANDY SHAVER ON PREP SPORTS EXTRA EVERY NIGHT AFTER THE FOOTBALL GAME, RUSH BACK TO THE HOUSES OF OUR FRIENDS TO WATCH THE COVERAGE.

WE BROUGHT HIM PACK IN A NEW ON-AIR ITERATION.

OUR GOAL, IF WE CAN GET EVERY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT IN MINNESOTA N OUR PAGES, ONCE A SEASON, THAT'S A PRETTY GOOD SUBSCRIBER DRIVER, YOU WANT TO SEE YOUR NAME IN THE PAPER AND A PRETTY GOOD VALUE PROPOSITION FOR PEOPLEMENT WE'RE TRYING TO FOCUS ON WHERE OUR BAILIWICK, HYPER OCAL.

SPORTS IS A GOOD WAY TO DO IT.

>> Eric: AVAILABLE AT ALL YOUR LOCAL OUTLETS.

>> INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORES, IF YOU CAN, YEAH.

AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE, AMAZON, TOO.

>> Eric: GOOD LUCK WITH IT, THANKS FOR COMING OVER.

>> THANKS.