The First Sit Down: Why I’m Building Something New
Author: Christopher Stene | Owner & CEO, Montana Envy Digital
Why am I building something new for Montana's local businesses?
Hey folks — Chris here.
If you've found your way here, welcome — and thanks for pulling up a chair. This is the first sit down on From Chris's Porch, and I'm glad you're here for the start of it.
This little corner of the internet is something I've been meaning to build for a while now, and it felt right to finally sit down and do it.
From Chris's Porch is a place for slower conversations. A place to talk about Montana, local businesses, community, and the people who keep our towns running day in and day out. No algorithms to please. No sales pitch hidden between the lines. Just honest words, shared from one neighbor to another.
I started Montana Envy LLC several years ago with hands-on work — designing and making custom gifts like steel signs, blankets, jewelry, and pieces meant to be kept, not tossed aside. Things made with care, for real people. Some of those pieces are still right here at Treasures Out West in Joliet — a local gift shop and museum that does a great job of celebrating Montana makers and Montana history.
As Montana Envy grew, the work started to change — but the mindset didn't.
Over the years, working with businesses through Montana Envy, I've listened to a lot of stories. I've watched good, hardworking business owners do everything right — show up early, treat people fair, stand behind their work — and still struggle to be seen online.
Those conversations kept coming up again and again. How to get found. How to tell their story. How to build something digital that actually works for them instead of against them.
That's what led me to create Montana Envy Digital, a digital marketing company and division of Montana Envy LLC. When I talk about marketing or digital work, I’m not talking about chasing trends or flooding the internet with ads. I’m talking about helping good local businesses show up clearly online — having a website that makes sense, being easy to find, and telling their story in a way that still feels like them. It's where I now focus on building websites for local businesses, along with marketing tools and solutions on my own custom platform, EnvyOS, built with smart technologies — all designed to help businesses show up clearly online, connect with their communities, and grow without losing what makes them local in the first place.
Different tools. Same mindset. Build it right, and build it to last.
Those same conversations made one thing clear to me.
A place to talk.
A place to be found.
A place built for people, not clicks.
That's what this porch is about.
And it's also what led me to start building something new.
Why does Montana need a different kind of local business directory?
I've been thinking a lot about how folks find local businesses these days. More often than not, it means scrolling through ads, fighting search results, or relying on word-of-mouth that never quite reaches far enough.
I've watched good businesses get buried.
Small shops get overlooked.
And communities lose easy ways to support their own.
That never sat right with me.
So I decided to build something better.
The Montana Envy Explorer Directory is a Montana-focused directory and community platform built to help people find and support local businesses — without ads, algorithms, or social media noise.
It's built specifically for Montana businesses and the communities around them. I'm building it on my own custom platform, using smart technology to make it easier for folks to find what they're looking for — without turning it into something cold or complicated.
Alongside the directory, I'm also working on something else that's coming soon — a local community space where Montana businesses and the people who support them can connect more directly.
It'll be built through EnvyOS as a local community app— separate from places like Facebook — where conversations don't get buried, throttled, or lost in the noise. The idea isn't to replace social media, but to offer a space focused entirely on local businesses and local people.
The goal is for this community space to work hand-in-hand with the Montana Envy Explorer Directory — so finding a business and connecting with it feels natural and easy, all in one place.
It's still taking shape, but the idea is simple: give Montana businesses and communities a space that feels local, intentional, and built for connection — not clicks.
Where else does this story continue beyond the Porch?
Along with the Porch and what's coming next, I've also already started showing up in a couple other places under the Montana Envy Explorer name.
There's a Montana Envy Explorer Facebook page, where I share local business highlights, updates, and community conversations as they come up.
I've also started a Montana Envy Explorer YouTube channel, where I'll be sharing podcast-style episodes hosted by Voices of the Trail.
These aren't one-on-one interviews. Instead, the podcast focuses on talking about Montana — highlighting local businesses, sharing community happenings, discussing events, and covering the kinds of local topics folks are already talking about around town.
How will this actually work for businesses and the community?
For local businesses, there will be two options.
Free listings, which include:
Business name
Address
Phone number
And premium listings, which include everything above, plus:
Photos
Website and blog links
Google business reviews
Job applications and job openings
Business information and promotions
No pressure. No gimmicks. Just options that make sense.
For the community, individuals will be able to:
Sign up for free
Follow their favorite local businesses
Stay connected to what's happening close to home
Chat and connect directly through the platform
The technology is there to help — not get in the way.
How do the Porch and the Explorer support each other?
The Explorer Directory helps folks find local businesses.
The Porch helps tell their stories.
Here on the porch, you'll start seeing local business spotlights — stories about the people behind the work, the pride they take in it, and what it really means to build something that lasts in Montana.
What happens after this first sit down?
The Porch, the Montana Envy Explorer Directory, the local community app, and the ongoing conversations through Facebook and YouTube are all still getting their boots on — but they're coming together with care, built slow and built right.
If you're a local business owner and want to be involved before launch, I'd love to hear from you.
If you're part of the community, I hope you'll stick around, pull up a chair, and follow along.
There's a lot worth sharing here — and I'm glad to finally have a place to do it.
Talk soon. I'll keep the porch light on.
— Chris
