Do you own a small rural or regional business and feel bogged down or just completely overwhelmed by the thought of marketing? Do you use Facebook or Instagram, but aren't sure where to turn, to take your business to the next level and build your community?

Top social media and marketing consultant, Jenn Donovan has recently released a book; Small town, Big impact: 107 Simple Marketing Strategies for Regional Business Success.

Jenn is a country girl, who lives in Yarrawonga, NSW. So she actually understands rural and regional life.  In this episode, we discuss

• Why you should't be afraid of sending emails to your list
• How to create a lead generator (for emails)
• The difference between posting on social media and a social media strategy
• How to decide if you should be adding Tik Tok, a book or even a podcast into your suite of marketing channels
• Is Twitter (or X, as it's known these days) a dead channel these days?!

Would you like to sponsor an episode? Get in touch to promote your business on our podcast. Email: [email protected]
We also do collaboration series  - we'd love to hear your idea!

This podcast is brought to you by the Rural Podcasting Co (We can help YOU make a podcast!)

Send us a text

Is 'volunteerism dead...  or dying'? We know volunteer numbers in the city are dropping, but are our rural volunteers feeling burnt out too? And why is often the same few people doing all the hard work?

Angie Nisbet, host and creator of "Married to the Land" podcast joins us for this special collaboration episode of Ducks on the Pond. 

Angie lives in north-western QLD, 80 km south of Hughenden, where she's a rural mother, wife, grazier, podcast host... and dedicated community volunteer, including at the Fashions on the Field, at the Cloncurry Race Day.

But, with many women now balancing work and family responsibilities, finding spare time to volunteer can be daunting. Yet so many of our schools, sporting clubs, local events and fire services rely on volunteers to function.

Kirsten and Jackie volunteer locally too. All three of us love it. But there have been some tough lessons along the way. So, join us for some very candid conversations about volunteering in the country and the demands of modern life.

This podcast is produced by the Rural Podcasting Co.

***Are you a rural woman looking to get your brand in front of other rural women? Well hello! We're looking for episode sponsors! Email us at [email protected] or send us a DM over Instagram for more information.

Send us a text

Why do we have such a tough time acknowledging that death, is part of life?

If you talk about death, you might be considered morbid, or worry that you'll upset someone. But is our fear of planning for death, actually preventing us from celebrating the life our loved ones lived?

In this episode, we hear from two rural women who are changing the way we approach death, to better honour the lives of the deceased and help those left behind grieve:

* Becky Barry - marriage celebrant turned funeral celebrant, from the Wimmera, VIC.

Becky is breaking away from more traditional services to help families host the kind of celebration their loved one would have loved to attend. From bottles of champagne, to AC/DC music... it's all about celebrating how someone lived, not how they died.

* Colleen Hughson - freelance filmmaker and creator of 'legacy videos' in Warrnambool, VIC.

 Colleen is helping to preserve the stories and memories of loved ones, by creating meaningful videos, by interviewing someone while they're still alive. These videos may be played at funerals, or viewed by families later, as a special keepsake and piece of family history.

This podcast is produced by the Rural Podcasting Co.

***Are you a rural woman looking to get your brand in front of other rural women? Well hello! We're looking for episode sponsors! Email us at [email protected] or send us a DM over Instagram for more information.

Send us a text

Being outspoken in agriculture can mean taking on vegan activists, the Government and even other members of the agriculture industry.... all in one day.

Gillian Fennell is a South Australian cattle farmer who is not afraid to call out misinformation and spin when it comes to  farming.  She has gained a significant following on social media for her ability to cut through the media noise.

In this episode, Gillian discusses some of the major media debates in agriculture at the moment, including:

* Hemp versus cotton
* Whether eating meat is good or bad for the environment
* The ethics of live export.

Gillian breaks down these often heavily politicised topics, with evidence and considered thought... all delivered in her straight-up, Aussie style.

Would you like to sponsor an episode? Get in touch to promote your business on our podcast. Email: [email protected]

We also do collaboration series  - we'd love to hear your idea!

This podcast is brought to you by the Rural Podcasting Co. 

Send us a text

Have you ever felt like you missed the opportunity to chase your big life dream? Perhaps you feel like you're 'too old' now or the juggle of farming life or kids has made it impossible?

This episode is about proving those beliefs wrong.  We meet two women who are building two creative careers, while living rurally and raising children.

* Jasmine Mansbridge -  Artist based in Hamilton, VIC.  Jasmine is known for her striking geometric-style paintings, murals and sculptures. She now showcases her work all over Australia and overseas. Jasmine is also the mother of five and shares how she built a dream career over time, that she can support her family with.

*Maggie Hartley aka Soulty Music- Singer and songwriter,  based in Hamilton, VIC. Maggie started releasing and performing her music just a few years ago (as a 30-something mother of three!). She shares how she thinks of music hooks while playing lego with her kids and how she found the courage to put herself forward for local music gigs.

Jasmine and Maggie are at different stages of their 'big dream' journey - but both offer some practical advice and even 'hard truths'. Pursuing your dream rarely ever easy - but it's incredibly rewarding.

This episode has been sponsored by Farmers2Founders. Applications are now open for their TekWomen program!

Would you like to sponsor an episode? Get in touch to promote your business on our podcast. Email: [email protected]
We also do collaboration series  - we'd love to hear your idea!

This podcast is brought to you by the Rural Podcasting Co.

Send us a text

You can grow up in the country, or choose to live in the country... and still have an extraordinary life. Lisa Millar, host of ABC News Breakfast and former foreign correspondent is a perfect example of this.

She began her life on a dairy farm in the small QLD town of Kilkivan. But she always had big ambitions to be a journalist and to travel the world. And turns out, she did precisely that. But her success hasn't always been easy. In this episode she talks about:

* Some of the big stories she covered as a foreign correspondent, including the devastating and tragic Sandy Hook School Shooting in the US, in 2012.

*Her unique childhood, growing up in rural Australia, but also with a Dad who became the Federal Member for Wide Bay.

* Dealing with social media trolling as a TV host and sexist comments based on appearance.

* Why there's no better advocate in life for you, than yourself (and how to do this!)

APPLY NOW!

This episode re-release is sponsored by Food Futures - check out their Circular Value Program for startup ideas tackling food waste. It's free! (Funded by the NSW Government). You'll also hear from Anna Phillips, Food and Beverage Innovation at Food Futures.

Ducks on the Pond is produced by the Rural Podcasting Co

Send us a text

So what's funny about fertility?  For anyone going through the 'fertility treatment journey',  probably not a lot. But we meet two rural women who are sharing their stories; the ups, the downs... and the downright funny ... as a way to break the silence and stigma around what actually happens in assisted reproduction.

From being told you have 'juicy follicles,"  to having to keep a sperm sample warm while racing down a country highway... these are just some of the strange realities of what it can take to make a baby in the regions.

Hear from:

* Dimity Smith - founder of GRO Group, based in Tamworth NSW. Dimity has decided to freeze her eggs, so she can have the option of having children when the time is right for her.

* Jennifer McCutcheon - ABC journalist in Dubbo, and based on a farm in Gilgandra, NSW. Jen talks about a highway sperm dash to the lab, as the best option they had, due to the lack of fertility services in regional Australia.

Infact, there is a lack of fertility and women's health options across rural and regional Australia. We dive into the deeper issues of healthcare for women... and whether we have a 'right' to have a baby

Would you like to sponsor an episode? Get in touch to promote your business on our podcast which has had 58 thousand downloads.
Email: [email protected]

This podcast is brought to you by Rural Podcasting Co. Want to launch your own podcast? Or want us to make a podcast for you? Book a call or send a message!

Send us a text

Should you go to sleep on an argument with your partner? Why do we sometimes get along better with our partner... when we are away from each other?

Step Schmidt, founder of Farm Life Psych and South Australian farmer, answers these questions and so much more, in this third and final episode in our Dealing With Stress collaboration series.

In this episode, Steph gives us practical tips, to help us turn up as the best version of ourselves in our relationships.

Harvest, shearing, sowing... these are all times when both partners or even the entire family unit is likely to be feeling under pressure. We discuss a realistic approach to nurturing our closest relationships when times are hard.

Steph also has a discount to her coaching program for Ducks on the Pond listeners. Listen to the episode for the promo code!

** Would you like to sponsor an upcoming episode of Ducks on the Pond and get your brand out there to rural women across Australia and NZ? Email us: [email protected]

This podcast is produced by the Rural Podcasting Co.

Send us a text

When it comes to managing your stress levels, do you need to sort yourself out?

We can be so busy with life that we forget to do those little things, that keep us level headed and bring us back to centre, after a stressful time.

So in part 2 of our collaboration series with Steph Schmidt, of Farm Life Pscyh, we discuss how to find the good de-stressing activities that work for you. No, going for the chocolate bar or glass of wine every night is not the answer. Although Steph explains we so often do that.

We also talk about the importance of not taking on too much, knowing our values and how to know whether you're in the right frame of mind to be making those big life decisions like selling the farm or quitting your job.

Steph also has a discount to her coaching program for Ducks on the Pond listeners. Listen to the episode for the promo code!

** Would you like to sponsor an upcoming episode of Ducks on the Pond and get your brand out there to rural women across Australia and NZ? Get it touch! [email protected]

This podcast is produced by the Rural Podcasting Co.

Send us a text

When a small group of farmers put their hands up to say, "Hey, our community needs help." You listen.

So we're supporting the Farmers Helping Our Own initiative, which is running workshops across parts of New South Wales and Queensland.

They say it's a rally cry; to help farmers dealing with the current perfect storm of high input costs, high interest rates, dry conditions, and low cattle prices.  There are tough farming decisions being made right now. Or worse; not being made. People are stuck.

In this episode we speak to one of the organisers, grazier at Chesney Pastoral, Gem Green.

Just 8 weeks ago, Gem along with a few other farmers, noticed the need in the community. So, instead of waiting until crisis point, they wanted to be proactive in creating a safe and open space, to combat decision-paralysis and improve farmer wellbeing.

There are 10 workshops from Roma, down to Cooma:

• Monday, 13 November – Roma, Explorers Inn
• Wednesday, 15 November – Goondiwindi, Gateway To Training
• Thursday, 16 November – Inverell, Inverell Services Club
• Friday, 17 November – Tamworth, Sanctuary Inn
• Saturday, 18 November – Hernani, Hernani Hall
• Monday, 20 November – Narrabri, Crossing Theatre
• Tuesday, 21 November – Walgett, Barwon Inn
• Wednesday, 22 November – Dubbo, Quality Inn
• Thursday, 23 November – Bathurst, Bathurst RSL
• Friday, 24 November – Cooma, The Alpine Hotel

All workshops are free of charge but do require registration, via bit.ly/farmershelpingourown

This is a Rural Podcasting Co production.

Send us a text