We're continuing our “Wildly Successful” mini-series with another organization that can help you move your business or start a new one in Hastings County. In this episode, Krystal Campbell, the vice chair of the Bancroft Business Improvement Area, tells us how the BIA supports businesses in downtown Bancroft, and why Bancroft is such a hidden gem for entrepreneurs that she almost didn't want to tell people about it (consider it an I Left the City exclusive). If you're looking to start a business without a clear idea of what it should be, listen to the end for what Krystal sees as gaps in the market.

Check out the Bancroft BIA:

Website: Coming soon!

Facebook: facebook.com/DiscoverBancroft

Instagram: instagram.com/downtownbancroft

About the I Left the City Podcast

If you’ve ever fantasized about moving to cottage country, you need to hear these stories. In every episode of I Left the City, we talk to a talented and skilled professional who moved to Hastings County, Ontario to find a wildly authentic life.

If you’re inspired to make the move and start a business in a place halfway between Toronto and Ottawa with affordable real estate, welcoming neighbours, and four-season natural amenities, visit investinhastings.ca for startup and relocation advice, commercial property listings, and many other helpful resources for business.

I Left the City is an initiative of the Hastings County Economic Development department. It’s hosted and executive produced by Michelle Samson, a former radio broadcaster and economic developer who found her calling when she founded economic development podcasting agency Storied Places Media. As someone who grew up in a small town, moved to the city, then returned, she loves being nosy about where people have lived, and why they chose to build a life and business in Hastings County.

The “Wildly Successful” mini-series continues with another organization that can help you move your business or start a new one in Hastings County.

In this episode,  we're featuring the Municipality of Marmora and Lake’s Community Ambassadors Program, which matches seasoned locals with newcomers to answer their questions about living, working, and running a business in Marmora. Offering their perspectives are Eric Daoust, a municipal councillor and an entrepreneur, and Anne MacNeill, a member of Marmora and Lake's Economic Development Advisory Committee and one of the program’s ambassadors. They explain how the program works, who the ambassadors are, and why Eric and Anne personally wish this program had existed sooner.

Learn more about Marmora and Lake:

Community Ambassador Program webpage: marmoraandlake.ca/community-ambassador-program

Municipality of Marmora and Lake website: marmoraandlake.ca

Facebook: facebook.com/MarmoraAndLake

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCoqnOpIVVJIZ8EAoYjP0ICg

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/marmoraandlake

About the I Left the City Podcast

If you’ve ever fantasized about moving to cottage country, you need to hear these stories. In every episode of I Left the City, we talk to a talented and skilled professional who moved to Hastings County, Ontario to find a wildly authentic life.

If you’re inspired to make the move and start a business in a place halfway between Toronto and Ottawa with affordable real estate, welcoming neighbours, and four-season natural amenities, visit investinhastings.ca for startup and relocation advice, commercial property listings, and many other helpful resources for business.

I Left the City is an initiative of the Hastings County Economic Development department. It’s hosted and executive produced by Michelle Samson, a former radio broadcaster and economic developer who found her calling when she founded economic development podcasting agency Storied Places Media. As someone who grew up in a small town, moved to the city, then returned, she loves being nosy about where people have lived, and why they chose to build a life and business in Hastings County.

We're continuing our “Wildly Successful” mini-series with another organization that can help you move your business or start a new one in Hastings County. The Central and North Hastings Chamber of Commerce helps business owners grow through networking, referrals, and education. In this episode, Shari Pearce explains how the chamber can help you integrate into the local business community, find resources, and even get a personal tour of Hastings County from Shari herself.

Check out the Central and North Hastings Chamber of Commerce:

Website: cnhcchamber.ca

Facebook: facebook.com/centralnorthchamber

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/centralnorthchamber

News On 7 FB page: facebook.com/newsonseven

About the I Left the City Podcast

If you’ve ever fantasized about moving to cottage country, you need to hear these stories. In every episode of I Left the City, we talk to a talented and skilled professional who moved to Hastings County, Ontario to find a wildly authentic life.

If you’re inspired to make the move and start a business in a place halfway between Toronto and Ottawa with affordable real estate, welcoming neighbours, and four-season natural amenities, visit investinhastings.ca for startup and relocation advice, commercial property listings, and many other helpful resources for business.

I Left the City is an initiative of the Hastings County Economic Development department. It’s hosted and executive produced by Michelle Samson, a former radio broadcaster and economic developer who found her calling when she founded economic development podcasting agency Storied Places Media. As someone who grew up in a small town, moved to the city, then returned, she loves being nosy about where people have lived, and why they chose to build a life and business in Hastings County.

We’re doing something a little different with the I Left the City podcast. Our new “Wildly Successful” mini-series features organizations that can help you move your business or start a new one in Hastings County. In this first episode, Mary Lynn Rutledge tells us about the Community Futures of North and Central Hastings and South Algonquin’s flexible and affordable loans, free business counseling, and why so many of their clients recommend them.

Check out the Community Futures of North and Central Hastings and South Algonquin:

Website: community-futures.ca

Facebook: facebook.com/CommunityFuturesBancroft

YouTube: youtube.com/user/CFDCBancroft

Instagram: instagram.com/communityfuturesbancroft

About the I Left the City Podcast

If you’ve ever fantasized about moving to cottage country, you need to hear these stories. In every episode of I Left the City, we talk to a talented and skilled professional who moved to Hastings County, Ontario to find a wildly authentic life.

If you’re inspired to make the move and start a business in a place halfway between Toronto and Ottawa with affordable real estate, welcoming neighbours, and four-season natural amenities, visit investinhastings.ca for startup and relocation advice, commercial property listings, and many other helpful resources for business.

I Left the City is an initiative of the Hastings County Economic Development department. It’s hosted and executive produced by Michelle Samson, a former radio broadcaster and economic developer who found her calling when she founded economic development podcasting agency Storied Places Media. As someone who grew up in a small town, moved to the city, then returned, she loves being nosy about where people have lived, and why they chose to build a life and business in Hastings County.

Paul Kite is the owner of the art gallery Quinn's of Tweed. In this episode, we talk about how this former software entrepreneur found himself moving to Tweed and taking over a gallery without any previous experience in the art world, how he managed to quickly settle into a small town after a lifetime of city living, and why he recommends Hastings County to any professional that can work remotely.

Check out Quinn’s of Tweed:

Website - quinnsoftweed.ca

Facebook - facebook.com/Quinns.of.Tweed.Art.Gallery

Instagram - instagram.com/quinnsoftweed

About the I Left the City Podcast

If you’ve ever fantasized about moving to cottage country, you need to hear these stories. In every episode of I Left the City, we talk to a talented and skilled professional who moved to Hastings County, Ontario to find a wildly authentic life.

If you’re inspired to make the move and start a business in a place halfway between Toronto and Ottawa with affordable real estate, welcoming neighbours, and four-season natural amenities, visit investinhastings.ca for startup and relocation advice, commercial property listings, and many other helpful resources for business.

I Left the City is an initiative of the Hastings County Economic Development department. It’s hosted and executive produced by Michelle Samson, a former radio broadcaster and economic developer who found her calling when she founded economic development podcasting agency Storied Places Media. As someone who grew up in a small town, moved to the city, then returned, she loves being nosy about where people have lived, and why they chose to build a life and business in Hastings County.

Tracey Starrett left her corporate HR job to do something many bookish people have fantasized about: open a bookstore. Tracey’s journey with the Stirling Book Company has lots of relatable lessons for anyone with a dream business percolating in the back of their mind. She talks about making the leap into entrepreneurship later in life, how small personal touches are the way to beat big competitors, and why right now might be the perfect time to start a business in Hastings County.

Check out Stirling Book Company:

Stirling Book Company website - stirlingbookco.ca

Stirling Book Company on Instagram - instagram.com/stirlingbookco

Stirling Book Company on Facebook - facebook.com/Stirlingbookco

About the I Left the City Podcast

If you’ve ever fantasized about moving to cottage country, you need to hear these stories. In every episode of I Left the City, we talk to a talented and skilled professional who moved to Hastings County, Ontario to find a wildly authentic life.

If you’re inspired to make the move and start a business in a place halfway between Toronto and Ottawa with affordable real estate, welcoming neighbours, and four-season natural amenities, visit investinhastings.ca for startup and relocation advice, commercial property listings, and many other helpful resources for business.

I Left the City is an initiative of the Hastings County Economic Development department. It’s hosted and executive produced by Michelle Samson, a former radio broadcaster and economic developer who found her calling when she founded economic development podcasting agency Storied Places Media. As someone who grew up in a small town, moved to the city, then returned, she loves being nosy about where people have lived, and why they chose to build a life and business in Hastings County.

Dan Turcotte is a man who's worn many hats: radio host, record producer, professional stunt bicycle rider. These days, Dan is the CEO of Pet Shop Productions in Toronto and TerreMX, a first of its kind all-electric motocross facility in Hastings County. In this episode, Dan shares the TerreMX origin story (which started with buying a farm in Roslin), why running the business doesn't feel like work, and how his family is managing to split their lives between Toronto and Hastings County.

Check out TerreMX and Pet Shop Productions:

Terre MX website - terremx.com

Pet Shop Productions website - petshopproductions.com

About the I Left the City Podcast

If you’ve ever fantasized about moving to cottage country, you need to hear these stories. In every episode of I Left the City, we talk to a talented and skilled professional who moved to Hastings County, Ontario to find a wildly authentic life.

If you’re inspired to make the move and start a business in a place halfway between Toronto and Ottawa with affordable real estate, welcoming neighbours, and four-season natural amenities, visit investinhastings.ca for startup and relocation advice, commercial property listings, and many other helpful resources for business.

I Left the City is an initiative of the Hastings County Economic Development department. It’s hosted and executive produced by Michelle Samson, a former radio broadcaster and economic developer who found her calling when she founded economic development podcasting agency Storied Places Media. As someone who grew up in a small town, moved to the city, then returned, she loves being nosy about where people have lived, and why they chose to build a life and business in Hastings County.

Shevon Sigouin is a graphic designer from Toronto preparing to move to Hastings County. In this episode, she shares her long-standing connection to the county, why now felt like the right time to leave the city, and how the move will (and won’t!) impact her work. She also shares free branding advice that could take your small businesses to the next level.

Check out Shevon’s work:

Website: shevonsegouin.com

Shevon’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shevon_sigouin/

Lake Club on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/LakeClub

Lake Club Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lake_club_co/

About the I Left the City Podcast

If you’ve ever fantasized about moving to cottage country, you need to hear these stories. In every episode of I Left the City, we talk to a talented and skilled professional who moved to Hastings County, Ontario to find a wildly authentic life.

If you’re inspired to make the move and start a business in a place halfway between Toronto and Ottawa with affordable real estate, welcoming neighbours, and four-season natural amenities, visit investinhastings.ca for startup and relocation advice, commercial property listings, and many other helpful resources for business.

I Left the City is an initiative of the Hastings County Economic Development department. It’s hosted and executive produced by Michelle Samson, a former radio broadcaster and economic developer who found her calling when she founded economic development podcasting agency Storied Places Media. As someone who grew up in a small town, moved to the city, then returned, she loves being nosy about where people have lived, and why they chose to build a life and business in Hastings County.

Rick Dolishny and Jenn Carr are a world-travelling couple that bought a property in Hastings County and saw an opportunity to build a glamping experience unlike anything in Ontario. But getting Maynooth Station Lodge off the ground turned out to be more challenging than expected. In this episode, we dig into all of the glamorous (and not so glamorous) details of their business journey, why they love Maynooth, and how they became TikTok famous.

Check out Maynooth Station Lodge:

Website - maynoothstationlodge.ca

TikTok - tiktok.com/@maynoothstationlodge

Facebook - facebook.com/maynoothstation

Instagram - instagram.com/maynoothstationlodge/

Twitter/X - x.com/maynoothstation

Email - [email protected]

Phone - (416) 414-9379

Resources Mentioned

Tyler and Todd YouTube Channel - youtube.com/c/tylerandtodd

Jenna Phipps YouTube Channel - youtube.com/@JennaPhipps

About the I Left the City Podcast

If you’ve ever fantasized about moving to cottage country, you need to hear these stories. In every episode of I Left the City, we talk to a talented and skilled professional who moved to Hastings County, Ontario to find a wildly authentic life.

If you’re inspired to make the move and start a business in a place halfway between Toronto and Ottawa with affordable real estate, welcoming neighbours, and four-season natural amenities, visit investinhastings.ca for startup and relocation advice, commercial property listings, and many other helpful resources for business.

I Left the City is an initiative of the Hastings County Economic Development department. It’s hosted and executive produced by Michelle Samson, a former radio broadcaster and economic developer who found her calling when she founded economic development podcasting agency Storied Places Media. As someone who grew up in a small town, moved to the city, then returned, she loves being nosy about where people have lived, and why they chose to build a life and business in Hastings County.

After a three year hiatus, I Left the City is back with all new stories about business owners and professionals bringing their wildly authentic dreams to life in Hastings County. The episodes have a new sound, a new host, and a new option to listen or *watch* on the Hastings County Economic Development and Tourism YouTube channel.

If you’ve ever fantasized about moving to cottage country, you need to hear these stories. In every episode of I Left the City, we talk to a talented and skilled professional who moved to Hastings County, Ontario to find a wildly authentic life.

If you’re inspired to make the move and start a business in a place halfway between Toronto and Ottawa with affordable real estate, welcoming neighbours, and four-season natural amenities, visit investinhastings.ca for startup and relocation advice, commercial property listings, and many other helpful resources for business.

I Left the City is an initiative of the Hastings County Economic Development department. It’s hosted and executive produced by Michelle Samson, a former radio broadcaster and economic developer who found her calling when she founded economic development podcasting agency Storied Places Media. As someone who grew up in a small town, moved to the city, then returned, she loves being nosy about where people have lived, and why they chose to build a life and business in Hastings County.