The first rule of cool is if you call yourself "cool," you are not. Yet, if someone else tags you "cool," you just might be. Definitions and monikers aside, the following tidbit made me Milwaukee proud.

This weekend, a couple in their early 50s walked into to my wife's boutique in the Historic Third Ward. They were walking and shopping and said that they had flown to Milwaukee from Columbus, Ohio for the weekend simply because they had heard "Milwaukee was pretty cool."

Of course Skybus' no-frills and mega cheap $10 flights didn't hurt. Nonetheless, these tourists came to Milwaukee because of buzz and what they had heard about our fine city. They stayed Downtown, shopped, spent money and flew home on Sunday.

What are the lessons here? First, what we say about Milwaukee means a lot. How we talk about our city to our neighbors and colleagues matters. Sure, everything isn't all roses here, but for the most part Milwaukee's charm is continuing to develop and people are taking notice. Our words carry and they influence perceptions and travel choices.

Another lesson, of course, is that $10 flights work. Wow. The Columbus-based Skybus is new to Milwaukee, so give it a bit of time to catch on. And there are only 10 of the $10 fares on each flight.

There are restrictions, of course, and these cheap flights can only be purchased online. No connecting tickets to other cities are available thorough Skybus either. See the site for all the details. But, this is some darn cheap airfare that makes getting away (or in this case flying to Milwaukee) very easy.

Bottom line, though, talk up our city, be positive and while your at it, how about returning the favor and flying to Columbus for only $10!?