Next City isn’t just a news website, we are a nonprofit organization with a mission to inspire social, economic and environmental change in cities. Part of how we do that is by connecting our readers to urban changemakers and holding an annual Vanguard conference bringing together 40 top young urban leaders. Randy Vines is a member of the 2009 Vanguard class.

Name: Randy Vines
Current Occupation: Co-creator, STL-Style.com, a St. Louis-centric design/apparel company
Hometown: St. Louis
Current City: St. Louis
Twitter Tag: @stlstyle

I drink: Coffee, of course!
I am an: Extrovert, for the most part
I get to work by: Usually car, but bus/train whenever practical
The area I grew up is: Grew up in the suburbs, have lived in the city for 14 years

What was your first job? Grocery bagger/pizza delivery boy, real exciting stuff!

What is your favorite city and why? I’m biased, but I love St. Louis. It embodies all the soul, character and possibilities that inspire me about cities.

What do you do when you are not working? I’m active in a number of local/regional boards/organizations and give city tours for various events throughout the year. I’m also a die-hard preservationist, so anytime a significant building is threatened with demolition you can find me on the front lines.

Did you always want to be a design shop owner? Not exactly sure, but I definitely couldn’t be happier now.

What do you like most about your current job? Interaction with people from all walks, I love being a visible part of my community and bringing a sense of “STyLe” to local apparel. I love working in a neighborhood (Cherokee Street) that is revitalizing in a uniquely organic, grassroots way that feels refreshingly inclusive.

What is the coolest project you worked on? So many great ones, but I love being an active member of STL’s preservation community. The fight to save the [now renovated] “flying saucer” in Midtown St. Louis really meant the most, since it resulted in a very rare and distinctive structure being returned to active use.

What are the hard parts about your job? Managing the financials when all I really want to focus on is the creative. People think being your own boss is so easy,
but it’s actually the hardest (and most rewarding) thing I’ve ever done. Who I am is inextricably linked to our brand, so I always have an incentive to work hard and deliver a product everyone can be proud of.

What is the biggest challenge facing cities today? Sustainable growth. In Rust Belt metro areas like St. Louis, there seems to be disconnect between where we want to be as an urban center and what it takes to get there. We need to challenge status quo politics in favor of the innovation, risk taking and vision necessary to keep us competitive with other regions.

What makes a successful leader? Dynamism, charisma, visionary ideas, willingness to take risks. We need leaders who inspire confidence in their constituents vs. merely occupying an office. There are far too many of the latter, especially in America’s aging cities. Real leaders acknowledge that they can’t please everyone all the time, and that’s a good thing.

What’s your BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal)? North Side-South Side MetroLink expansion, which would complete a basic network of rail transit in the City of St. Louis that would serve the most transit-dependent neighborhoods and would incite long-term, sustainable development in the urban core.

What’s the best professional advice you have received? Do what you are.

What career advice would you give an emerging urban leader? Don’t compromise your principles to win people over; that will just happen naturally. People respect leaders who take a stand, even if controversial or divisive. Don’t do it for the spotlight, do because you want to make a difference in where you live.