The Living Room: Building a Place for Sheridan to Connect

In a time when people can be more digitally connected than ever and still feel increasingly isolated, Sheridan entrepreneur Dalton Goodyear believes something simple can make a meaningful difference: giving people a place to be together.

That idea is taking shape at The Living Room, a developing community space in downtown Sheridan built around music, conversation, creativity and connection. Goodyear describes it as a community center that will continue evolving as the people who use it help shape what it becomes. Rather than trying to force the space into one rigid business model, he wants it to respond to the needs and interests of the community.

Creating a Different Kind of Gathering Place

The idea did not begin with The Living Room itself. Several years ago, Goodyear was looking for a larger office for Wyo Stays, along with a place where he could work, meet people and spend time later in the day without the atmosphere revolving around alcohol. He liked the feel of coffee shops and gathering spaces he had visited in other parts of the country and began experimenting with that concept locally through Local Nakamal.

Over time, the idea changed and developed. Goodyear eventually connected with the owner of the building that now houses The Living Room. Years earlier, she had used the space as a small jazz room and coffee shop. With much of the infrastructure already there, the opportunity emerged to bring the space back to life in a new way. Goodyear also saw a need for another place in Sheridan where people could gather around live music and other events.

“Music brings people together more than just about anything,” Goodyear said.

The Living Room has already hosted a broad mix of entertainment. Performers have included Limberlost, Travis Larson, Holland and Cole out of Billings, along with a variety of local musicians. Comedy has also become part of the mix. One comedy event drew approximately 65 to 70 people, while several concerts have brought in crowds of roughly 80 to 100.

Even the somewhat tucked-away entrance has become part of the character of the place. Goodyear said he is less concerned about traditional marketing than he is about creating an experience people want to tell others about. His focus is on the atmosphere, hospitality and energy people experience once they walk through the door.

An Entrepreneurial Mindset That Started Early

That approach reflects the way Goodyear has viewed entrepreneurship for much of his life. His entrepreneurial instincts started early. He lost his father when he was six years old and was raised by a hardworking single mother who worked as a nurse. He credits those experiences with developing a strong sense of independence. His grandmother, a Guatemalan immigrant, also encouraged him to save money and work for what he wanted.

When Goodyear wanted an Xbox at around 12 years old, one Christmas gift helped set him on a different path. Instead of simply receiving what he wanted, he got a lawn mower. He started knocking on doors and mowing lawns, and that experience became one of his earliest lessons in creating opportunity for himself.

He later studied automotive technology at Universal Technical Institute in Arizona. Goodyear said that education helped sharpen his technical thinking, but it also showed him the kind of traditional career path he did not necessarily want. From there, one venture led to another.

As he has gained more experience, his view of entrepreneurship has changed. He now thinks less about simply building businesses and more about what kind of impact those businesses can create. When he sees an opportunity where he believes he can “move the needle forward,” his interest is increasingly in finding the right people, developing ideas and helping others succeed.

Goodyear is also developing the Goodyear Foundation, an effort influenced by his family’s experience dealing with a rare genetic disease and navigating the medical system. His goal is to eventually help other families better understand available resources, navigate complex situations and find support when they are facing difficult circumstances.

Start With the Problem You Can Solve

During our conversation, I asked Goodyear what he would tell someone who wants to make additional income or pursue an idea but has never considered themselves an entrepreneur.

Goodyear believes people often make the process more complicated than it needs to be. Making additional income does not necessarily require immediately forming a company, developing a large business plan or creating something designed to scale. Sometimes it simply means identifying a problem someone has and finding a way to help solve it.

He pointed to consulting, building websites, writing copy, selling handmade goods, working with consignment stores or creating products online as examples of ways people can begin. He also sees potential for The Living Room to eventually offer cooperative space where local creators can display or sell products without the expense of operating their own storefront.

His advice for people seeking mentors is equally practical. Come prepared with questions and, more importantly, some idea of where you want to go.

“You can't hit anything you don't know what you're aiming at,” Goodyear said.

Building Something That Lasts

When asked where he would like to see The Living Room three to five years from now, one word stood out: sustainable.

Goodyear wants the space to serve Sheridan for the long term while supporting nonprofits, musicians, artists, comedians and others who contribute to the community. He acknowledges that sustainability can be difficult in a smaller community. People want the personal relationships and familiarity that come with local businesses, while the businesses themselves still need enough structure and consistency to survive.

For Goodyear, however, the vision for The Living Room goes deeper than entertainment or business.

He remembers nights at Local Nakamal when people walked through the doors during some of the most difficult moments of their lives and found friendship and community instead of turning to alcohol. Those experiences reinforced his belief that places where people naturally connect can have an impact that is difficult to measure.

Goodyear recognizes the importance of crisis-intervention services, but his interest is also in what happens much earlier. What if someone forms the right friendship several months before reaching a breaking point? What if they meet someone over a cup of coffee, hear some music, join a conversation or simply discover a place where they feel welcome?

His belief is that even a small positive influence can change the direction of someone's life over time.

The Importance of a “Third Place”

That is where the idea of The Living Room as a “third place” becomes important. Home may be one place. Work, school or church may be another. But people also need places where they can simply spend time around other people without necessarily having an agenda.

Technology has made it possible to communicate instantly with people almost anywhere, but Goodyear believes it has also contributed to greater separation in everyday life. Sheridan and the surrounding communities have beautiful mountains, open spaces and peace, but that same quiet can sometimes become isolation when people lack opportunities for genuine connection.

Intentional third places, he believes, can help fill that gap.

Sometimes it is as simple as having somewhere to sit, drink coffee, hear music, talk with someone new or spend an evening around other people. There does not always have to be a complicated reason behind it. Sometimes people simply need a place to be.

That may ultimately be what makes The Living Room different. It is not simply another coffee shop, entertainment venue or event space. The larger vision is to create a room where Sheridan can gather, where relationships can develop naturally and where people from different backgrounds can find something increasingly valuable in modern life: genuine human connection.

Visit The Living Room

Want to see what’s happening at The Living Room? Learn more about the space, upcoming events and ways to get involved in this growing Sheridan community gathering place.

Visit LivingRoomSheridan.com to learn more: https://livingroomsheridan.com/

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