Stand to Serve

Cadey vowed not to become a wedding photographer after inheriting the title of "designated reflector holder" for her mom, who photographed countless weddings throughout Cadey's childhood. Cadey associated wedding photography to her mom being gone and wanted no part of it.

Life had other plans for Cadey.

During college, Cadey decided to start shooting weddings to help pay off student debt. One wedding turned into ten, and ten weddings turned into twenty. Before long, she had a book of business and it all clicked. “It chose me. I didn’t choose it.”

In this episode, Cadey shares how she created an in-demand wedding photography business and continues to set herself apart from the vastly competitive market. She approaches wedding photography as a business, but also comes at it from a bride’s perspective and strives to make a stress-free experience for all of her brides and grooms. My conversation with Cadey is full of laughter, so many golden nuggets of wisdom, and *spoiler* some light rapping. That's right, Cadey raps for us! Listen to the full episode below – you don't want to miss out on this one!

Taryn and Kelsey are a dynamic sister duo who are in the midst of creating something incredible and completely unique to the Black Hills. The two of them saw a need in Rapid City for a place where moms can come to support other moms while their kids play. The idea evolved into an indoor playground where children and adults alike can be present and engage with one another, and it's become the mission of Taryn and Kelsey to bring this concept to the Black Hills of South Dakota. “It’s not a would, it’s not a should; we have to do this.”

In this episode, Taryn and Kelsey chat about this passion project, when they plan on opening their doors (hint: soon!), and how they sought the support of family, friends, other businesses, and community members to make this dream a reality.

I wish everyone could've seen how much I nodded my head during my chat with Taryn and Kelsey because they were right on! It's impossible not to share in the excitement of their new venture when you hear this conversation, so grab a cup of coffee and tune in to the full episode below!

When Kari Doyle learned that her daughter had a peanut allergy at 13-months old, she went on a hunt to find a peanut butter substitute. She and her family tried out other companies but didn't find one they loved until they started making their own. Kari is a self-proclaimed fitness junkie and was doing Whole30 at the time, and started selling nut butter to her friends. Before long, Kari had 75 loyal customers out of her house and knew she could really do this thing and turn it into a full-time gig. Kari quit her job as a medical technologist and started She's Nuts!, a company dedicated to selling nut butter with minimal ingredients and low-to-no sugar.

It all started with the Cinnamon Almond Pecan, the "original gangster", and now Kari offers 7 different nut butter flavors, along with products on her online store. This episode will inspire you and make you hungry for apples and nut butter! Grab your earbuds, and be ready to put an order in for your new favorite nut butter.

Brittany Pruess created a Lifestyle & Design Consulting business from her love of psychology, creative expression, and helping others find alignment with their true priorities. In this episode, we talk about how Brittany practices what she teaches other women, and how she lives a life that is truly in line with her values. Brittany doesn't allow society to define how she lives and has created a life that reflects what's important to her.

You'll learn how Brittany helps her clients start living a life more in line with their value systems, and how you can move forward in your life knowing you're better equipped to make decisions for your own life. This episode will leave you feeling motivated to dig a little deeper and start living a life in alignment with who you are. I can't wait for you to hear more; listen to the full episode now!

Lane Shull is the mother of four, owner of Willow General Store, creator of Vision Piedmont, and a true visionary for her town of Piedmont, South Dakota. Lane's vision for Willow General Store was born from a block of old, dusty buildings, and from that, she has thoughtfully planned and beautifully curated a place of connection and community.

Lane's mantra of "simplicity" has guided the direction of her career, the way in which she curates her store, how she connects with her historic community, and how she lives her daily life. She's intentional about finding joy in her path and having peace with watching it unfold. “The day itself can be hurtful and defeating, but overall it better be filling your bucket and feeding your soul.” 

This conversation with Lane will help you breathe easier as her outlook on life reminds us all to get back to our roots and think about what's really important. I can't wait for you hear from Lane. Listen to the episode now!

Becky Tomac is the founder and creator of Oh Geez! Design, a one-woman graphic design studio located in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Becky grew up on a farm and ranch in South Dakota with three creative sisters and has always had a love for making and creating things.

With a background in graphic design, Becky opened her Oh Geez! Design Etsy Shop in 2007 where she offered her "I love pickles" greeting cards. A few years later, Becky's "I love cheese" and "I love bacon" designs were featured on Taste of Home and Food Network magazines that is when her business really started to take off.

Becky sells her items on Etsy and sells wholesale to local shops in South Dakota and across the country. Her passion for small business, shopping locally, creativity, and building a genuine brand is evident in our conversation, and I can't wait for you to hear all she has to say!

Listen to the full episode here!

Kayleigh Dixon began her career in the coffee industry as a barista at a local coffee shop in Rapid City while attending college at Black Hills State in South Dakota. She has a passion for espresso and healthy alternatives, and an even bigger passion for serving the people of her community.

Kayleigh met her husband through one of her coffee shop regulars (who just happened to be his dad), and in September of 2014, Kayleigh and Christopher decided to open up their own drive-thru coffee company, Dixon. At the beginning of 2018, they were approached by another couple asking them to partner with them to open Revel Coffee House, their first brick and mortar business.

Kayleigh's love for serving others started at a young age, and looking back on her life she can see this is the path that was intended for her. There are so many beautiful takeaways from this conversation; listen now!

Michelle Kane is a gardener, a Gemini, an autism mom, Director of SDCEO (Center for Enterprise Opportunity), Owner of Black Hills PR, and tries to approach everything she does with enthusiasm and gratitude. She began her career as a "company person" in corporate America. "It's just what you did." Michelle climbed the corporate ladder, eventually landing a gig as Marketing Director in the Sacramento area.

In 1999, Michelle and her husband, Mike, had their son, Jack, who was diagnosed with autism at 22 months old. "Life's irony: here Mike and I, two very extroverted, talkative, outgoing people have a child who is completely nonverbal." This started them on a whole different path.

A few years later in 2005, Michelle and Mike took a quiz on "findyourspot.com" (a site designed to match you with locations that fit your lifestyle and personality), and Spearfish, South Dakota appeared on their list of locations. They'd traveled through Spearfish in 1996 and liked it, so they started to daydream what life would be like in a small town. They traveled to South Dakota, bought a house in Spearfish, and decided they were going to "do this little adventure."

In 2010, Beth Hottle, Executive Director of Downtown Rapid City at the time, asked Michelle to do a presentation on social media, and this began to set her apart as the local social media expert. Kyla Wright asked her to do another social media presentation, and this led Michelle to an epiphany. "Those two women inspired me to say, 'oh my god, what if I did this as my job?'" Michelle started her business, Black Hills PR, at the age of 43.

Michelle's journey is inspiring, and there is so much wisdom in what she's learned along the way. "Our lives, how we get to these seats, there's a lot to unpack." She is truly pursuing her purpose as the Director of SDCEO, helping women take action and accomplish their dreams. "We have to keep encouraging each other, and being there for each other, and being supportive." 

If you've ever struggled with following your intuition, this episode is for you! Michelle has made big leaps, overcome obstacles, and is living out the advice she gives in our conversation. Can't wait for you to hear the full episode — listen now!

Shannon began her career with the Division of Criminal Investigation where she worked for nearly 15 years. While she initially loved her job and excelled as a special agent, she grew complacent and before she knew it she had “lost her spirit”.

It wasn’t until Shannon met her husband, Kevin, in 2013, that she realized how happy life could be outside of her demanding job. Although she struggled with the decision to leave DCI, Kevin and his “you’re not going to fail” attitude was ultimately the catalyst for her leap into the unknown.

Once Shannon left DCI, she was able to “let go of some of her type A personality,” as she put it. She started gardening, learned how to cook, and learned how to sew from her retired next door neighbor. However, the transition wasn’t always easy for Shannon. “I really had to work to stay focused on my path, and not let either judgment that was there or that I was creating in my mind affect me otherwise.”

After some soul searching, Shannon realized she still wanted to investigate and decided to start her own private investigation business. In March of 2016, Shannon began her business, RO Investigation and Research, LLC. She worked hard by knocking on doors and putting herself out there. “It started off with a couple of attorneys giving me a call and a chance and it really just snowballed from there.”

In this episode, Shannon unpacks some of the awkward beginnings of her business, her favorite parts of being her own boss (along with the biggest challenges), the beautiful individuals who changed her life and encouraged her along the way, and how she defines success for herself. This conversation is inspiring and has so many incredible takeaways…you don’t want to miss it! Listen to the episode now!

Nick Hubbard and Kaylee Kalmbach are photographers and videographers based out of the Black Hills of South Dakota, who are bringing their passion, creativity and dreams to this world! Nick and Kaylee have been dating a year and half and their story began on Instagram, believe it or not! They became best friends after Nick reached out to Kaylee on the gram, and they started dating after a trip together to Minneapolis.

They’re both full-time students at Black Hills State University, and decided to start a business together after Nick left his job at a hardware store and Kaylee left her job at a coffee shop. Over the course of their last year in business, they’ve found their unique style and consistently serve their clients with authenticity and a high-touch client experience. “A lot of people can take really good photos, but it means a lot more to the client when they look at it and can say ‘this is me, not them.’”

In this episode, you’ll hear how Nick and Kaylee got started in photography, their biggest challenges in running a successful business, how they create balance working and living together, and how YOU can stay inspired when consuming from others on social media.

What’s next for Nick and Kaylee? You’ll have to listen to find out! There are so many gems in this episode — you don't want to miss it!