On today's show, Rebecca chats with Adam and Karlyn Armbruster about starting a meaningful, community-focused business in a small town. Adam and Karlyn are both practicing physicians who yearned for some pizzazz for their small-town main street, and what started as a pipe dream ended up as a full-blown business idea and a plan to renovate the town's nearly-century-old movie theater.

Reimaging a Movie Theatre Episode Summary:

Adam and Karlyn Armbruster of Sleepy Eye Coffee Co. and Sleepy Eye Brewing Co. share the story of starting the coffee shop and brewery in the town's old movie theater, and all of the bits and pieces that make it such a meaningful addition to their small town.

About Adam and Karlyn Armbruster:

Adam and Karlyn each grew up in small Minnesota towns and met at the University of Minnesota, Duluth while in medical school. They married in 2009 and residency training took them to Wichita Kansas. After completing residency, they signed on to return to Adam's home town of Sleepy Eye, MN in 2012 as Family Practice physicians providing broad spectrum primary care to the town of 3500.

Together they enjoyed small town life with their 3 children, but missed the variety of restaurants and entertainment available in larger cities. Their interest in travel, food, wine, beer, and small downtowns pushed them to purchase Sleepy Eye's long-shuttered Pix Theater building in 2017 with plans to renovate it into a coffee shop and brewery.

Opening in late 2019, the completely renovated Pix Theater houses the Sleepy Eye Coffee Company and Sleepy Eye Brewing Company and has quickly become a social hub for the small town.

In this episode, we tackle…How can you take a passion that's not your day job and turn it into a business?

Just give it a try. It can be scary, but sometimes you just have to listen to your heart and take the leap. When you share your passion with others, even skeptics might see the amazing potential.

How can a small-town business involve the community? Adam and Karlyn did not take this project on alone. They involved friends and the whole community in the excitement and renovation of the movie theater, and that ownership and passion helped it become a community hub that is so much more than just a coffee shop or brewery.

Listen to this episode to hear more about:

• How to have a small business while also having a full-time job
• How your hobbies can become a business and serve your community
• How we can encourage folks to come back to our small towns
• Why small towns can be the best places to start a small business and a great place to support small businesses
• How involving the community in a project like this can make it so much more meaningful that just the business itself.

Connect with Sleepy Eye Coffee Co.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sleepyeyecoffee/ Instagram: @sleepyeyecoffeeWebsite: https://www.sleepyeyecoffee.com/

Connect with Sleepy Eye Brewing Co.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sleepyeyebrewing/Instagram: @sleepyeyebrewingWebsite: https://sebc.square.site/

On today's show, we're joined by Rebecca's good friend, Patrick Kirby, to talk about how to move forward with purpose during this difficult time. When all our events are being canceled and the "way we've always done it" won't work anymore, we need to get creative and Patrick's a great guy to spitball with. He recently moved up his in-person conference 3 whole months to offer it virtually because he knew his audience needed it. He shares the best of what he learned to help us make a similar positioning.

Purposeful Repositioning Episode Summary:

Patrick Kirby, non-profit organization champion and virtual event pioneer, offers some great ideas for all of us who host events for our businesses or communities to purposefully reposition so we can still serve our people well.

About Patrick Kirby:

Patrick Kirby is the Founder of Do Good Better Consulting and a believer that "we've always done it this way" is the most dangerous phrase in the English language. ​​​​

Patrick has spent over a decade working in nearly every capacity in the nonprofit industry, for organizations of all shapes and sizes, and strives to 'Do Good Better' every day. From organizing $10,000 cure walks to $1 million galas, Patrick's passion lies in creating creative solutions to make fundraising less boring.

He cut his donor relations/fundraising teeth as the Alumni Coordinator at the Academy of Holy Angels in Richfield, MN, before trying his hand as a manufacturing sales rep to companies such as Target and Best Buy. Tired of being yelled at for uncontrollable international shipping issues in both English and Chinese, Patrick re-joined the world of nonprofit work as the Sr. Development Director at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation MN/Dakotas Chapter before taking the Chief Development Officer position at the Anne Carlsen Center.

He earned his B.A. in "B.S." (politics) at Loras College in Dubuque, IA, and is hopelessly addicted to super nerdy Sci-Fi/Fantasy novels and old school SquareSoft ® RPG Nintendo games. Patrick married out of his league to his wife Shannon, has three ridiculously adorable children named Spencer, Preston and Willow, a chunky dog named Grover, and lives in West Fargo, ND.

In this episode, we tackle…

What's a question we should all be asking ourselves right now?

Pulling out the standard "leadership seminar" concept of brainstorming your BHAG (big, hairy, audacious goal) Patrick suggests that this challenging time when everything has slowed way down is a great time to actually do this.

What is it that you really want to accomplish? Define it and then figure out what easy, simple things you can do to get there.

What's the most important thing we can do for the people we serve?

Pick up the phone, reach out, and simply ask, "What can I do to help you?" More important than whether they actually need you or you end up serving them specifically, the fact that you offer is what keeps you and your business top-of-mind.

Listen to this episode to hear more about:

• How to overcome the mental hurdle of accepting this challenging time as reality
• What grace as to do with repositioning your offers
• How to create meaning when the events you always hosted can't happen
• Why purpose matters and how it can open up new ideas for offers/services
• Why now is the best time to pursue partnerships/collaborations
• In what ways virtual events can be even better than in-person events, even though every part of you wants to resist this!
• Why inaction is the only way to fail right now

Links Mentioned

The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker

Priya's podcast: Together Apart

Connect with Patrick

Website: www.dogoodbetterconsulting.com

Book: Fundraise Awesomer: A Practical Guide to Staying Sane While Doing Good

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DGBConsulting/

Instagram: @fundraisingdad

Podcast: The Official Do Good Better Podcast

On the show today, Rebecca is talking COVID-19. In this unprecedented time, we can learn so much about ourselves and there are always bright spots in the midst of hardship (as her yard can attest.) She talks about the clarity this time has brought, how she is recommitting to values and her mission both in her personal life and for her business, and the importance of nurturing what you already have. She also talks about why she is so grateful for her small town (always, but particularly right now) and why the future of small towns could actually be brighter post-COVID.

In this episode, we tackle…

What we can learn about ourselves and our towns from COVID-19

Rebecca has always been about Feeling Your Feelings, and now is absolutely no exception. It's a big thing with big feelings attached, and it's important to both honor those feelings and also find a way forward. Hard times also bring clarity, and Rebecca shares how her mission and values are clearer than ever and what that means going forward. She also offers up so much hope about why our small towns could come back stronger than ever post-COVID, and offers sincere prayers and hope for you and your small town, too.

Listen to this episode to hear more about:

• Honoring your feelings
• Why there's no "right way" to Corona
• Recommitting to core values and looking for opportunities
• Nurturing vs. reinventing the wheel
• Gratitude for small towns
• What the future of our small towns could look like post-COVID.

On today's show, we're joined by returning guest, Lee Schwartz, founder of Small Town Labs, to discuss some ideas that communities could consider when dealing with the economic fallout of COVID-19.

Lee Schwartz, founder of Small Town Labs, a business dedicated to supporting the economic development of small towns, joins us to discuss different approaches that community leaders, individuals, and business owners might try to deal with the challenges of the mandatory business closures due to COVID-19.

In this episode, we tackle…

What has been one of the key lessons you've learned while growing The Midwest Girl?

According to Marissa, it all took a lot longer to build than they originally thought or hoped it would and while that could be defeating if you took it out of context, the way The Midwest Girl has grown over time is a much more accurate portrayal of the journey of building a brand.

Listen to this episode to hear more about:

• The blessings of being in business with a relative (Marissa runs The Midwest Girl with her older sister, Marah)
• What it takes to build a following of people who act like brand ambassadors
• How to grow a brand purposely and mindfully
• How to deal with change as a company

On today's show, we're joined by our guest, Marissa Hoffman, one-half of the sister-duo who founded the brand called The Midwest Girl. She shares the journey of this popular brand's startup and how she and her sister pragmatically scaled it over time.

Marissa Hoffmann, one of the two sisters behind the brand The Midwest Girl, joins us to share the full story about how they started their brand, the pivots they made along the way, and the challenges they've faced as a small startup brand.

In this episode, we tackle…

What has been one of the key lessons you've learned while growing The Midwest Girl?

According to Marissa, it all took a lot longer to build than they originally thought or hoped it would and while that could be defeating if you took it out of context, the way The Midwest Girl has grown over time is a much more accurate portrayal of the journey of building a brand.

Listen to this episode to hear more about:

• The blessings of being in business with a relative (Marissa runs The Midwest Girl with her older sister, Marah)
• What it takes to build a following of people who act like brand ambassadors
• How to grow a brand purposely and mindfully
• How to deal with change as a company

On the show today, Tara Brandner, nurse practitioner and passionate infertility advocate, joins us to talk about how her own journey of infertility in a town of around 750 people led her to form a non-profit to help other women feel less alone and to reduce the stigma associated with infertility.

About Tara Brandner:

Tara Brandner currently practices at Ashley Medical Center in her rural hometown of Ashley, North Dakota. Tara serves as the co-legislative liaison and president for the North Dakota Nurse Practitioner Association. She also served as the American Association of Nurse Practitioners Fall 2016 Health Policy Fellow. Tara and her husband endured a long road of infertility. This prompted Tara to take action and she introduced a bill to North Dakota State Legislation to mandate insurance coverage for

infertility care and cancer preservation. She soon realized the need for a nonprofit in North Dakota supporting those diagnosed with infertility and from this Everlasting Hope was born.

Everlasting Hope is the first and only in the state raising awareness on infertility, connecting with infertility patients across the entire state, and awarding financial assistance to patients.

In this episode, we tackle...

What effect does being in a small, rural town have on the journey of infertility?

Tara is proud to be back in her hometown of Ashley, ND, and while there are many things to love, she shared how being in a rural community added a degree of difficulty in accessing the medical professionals she needed and she often felt more isolated than she might have living in a larger city.

Listen to this episode to hear more about:

• The stats regarding infertility in the US
• How to advocate for yourself if you end up battling infertility
• Advice for friends and family who are supporting a loved one battling infertility
• The fears most people face when receiving the diagnosis of infertility

Connect with Tara:

• Websites: raisingeverlastinghope.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raisingeverlastinghope/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/raisingeverlastinghope/

On the show today, Jessie Veeder, musician, rancher, and author of a weekly column in North Dakota's largest news publication, joins us to talk about her journey back to her rural community in western North Dakota. She shares about growing up in her community, and how she wasn't encouraged to return due to the belief that there wasn't a future for her there. Now, after making her way back home, she's contributing so much to the vibrancy of her community and she encourages us to do the same.

About Jessie Veeder:

Singer, songwriter, writer and community advocate Jessie Veeder tells the story of Western North Dakota. An Americana musician with heartfelt honest lyrics, Jessie has been singing and talking about the buttes and creeks of her family's working cattle ranch since releasing her first original album at age 16. Since then she has gone on to tour nationally and record four more albums, the latest, "Northern Lights" recorded in Nashville in 2015. Jessie's nationally acclaimed song "Boomtown," a folk ballad about life for people in the Bakken has been featured on area news programs, national and international documentaries and put her on the frontlines of telling the story of community in oil country.

Since 2010 Jessie and her husband, Chad, have worked alongside her father as the fourth generation stewards of the Veeder Ranch where she chronicles life on the land as a weekly columnist for state-wide newspapers and on her popular blog titled "Meanwhile, back at the ranch…Her book "Coming Home," released in 2017 is a compilation of her favorite photos, poems, stories and recipes.

Jessie is currently working on a new album, "Playin' Favorites," due to be released this spring. Jessie is a founding member of McKenzie County's Long X Arts Foundation where she works as Tourism's Art and Event director to help create and promote cultural and arts based activities in her hometown, blending her love and connection to the arts with her drive to make her community a better place to work and live.

In this episode, we tackle...

Why did it seem that you had no future in your small town?

At the time when Jessie graduated, it didn't seem that they were many prospects. Now, with great rural internet, she's living a multi-passionate life that allows her to express all her unique gifts in a way that only she can. This future didn't really exist for her then and now, it does.

Listen to this episode to hear more about:

• How to create a sense of place in your community and why it matters
• Why quality of life and economic development are no longer separate in small towns
• How to make changes without ruffling feathers
• How reconnecting to what you loved as a child can spark ideas
• Why giving others ownership over projects is so important

Connect with Jessie:

• Websites: www.veederranch.com or jessieveedermusic.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/jessieveeder
• Facebook: facebook.com/veederranch

On the show today, Stephanie Wilde, founder of Say Anything Jewelry, shares her entrepreneurial journey of starting and growing her jewelry business. She offers lots of insights and wisdom about how to be a business owner and she also shares how her customers turned her on to a cause that she now passionately advocates for—suicide prevention. Rural America is grappling with an increase in suicide so this timely episode is not to be missed.

In this episode, we tackle...

What was the hardest part about scaling your business?

Stephanie shared that many people tried to tell her that having only jewelry in a brick and mortar store would never work. And while she admits to the need to have an online presence as well—she started her lines on Etsy—she never allowed what other people thought to deter her from what she wanted to create.

How did you become involved in supporting suicide awareness and prevention?

Stephanie shares that her customers really drove this in her life. Because Say Anything Jewelry designs customized pieces often stamped with handwritten notes and/or fingerprints, many people were ordering pieces to honor someone they lost. As more and more customers started sharing their stories of losing loved ones to suicide, Stephanie felt a deep calling to do something more. Listen in to hear what's doing and how you can get involved, too!

Listen to this episode to hear more about:

• Why it's so important to create a business that supports your family and lifestyle rather than trying to make your family adapt to your business
• The importance of asking your friends and family, "How are you feeling?" and being ready to hold space for whatever their answers may be
• Why there is still such a stigma around mental health, particularly in rural areas
• How our businesses can open up our lives to passions we never considered before
• Why the "green bead wearers" are the unsung heroes of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention walks

Connect with Stephanie:

• Say Anything Jewelry Website
• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

On the show today, Terra Cypher, founder of @wildgoatdesign, an Etsy shop where Terra creates hand-lettered signs and other items, joins us to share how she started her business, what it's meant to be really encouraged by her loved ones, and why she thinks small towns are the best place to start a new business.

About Terra Cypher:

Terra Cypher is the artist behind Wild Goat Design, a creative adventure full of painting signs, globes, murals, and teaching.

Apart from managing her studio, traveling to craft shows and teaching classes, she enjoys reading, coffee with good conversation, and finding fun hidden gems in small towns. Or just hanging out at home cozying up with her husband and two obnoxious cats.

In this episode, we tackle...

What was the hardest part about starting an "art-based" business?

Terra said it herself: "Starting!" She talked about how she really needed the nudge to take the leap—and boy, did she get a great nudge!—because she might have continued to wait until the timing seemed better. But there will never be a perfect time...you just have to leap!

Listen to this episode to hear more about:

• Why having our gifts cultivated from early on is so important
• How Terra came to name her business Wild Goat Design
• Why having a "disgustingly encouraging" husband has been such a blessing in her life
• How Terra dispels the prevalent belief that creativity in only given to a select few
• Why small towns are the best place to start businesses

Connect with Terra:

• Wild Goat Design Etsy Shop
• Wild Goat Design Facebook Page
• Wild Goat Design Instagram: @wildgoatdesign

On the show today, Sarah Calhoun, founder of Red Ants Pants and the Red Ants Pants Foundation, which started the Red Ants Pants Musical—the Montana Office of Tourism Event of the Year as determined by the governor of Montana. She shares her passion and love for small towns, along with valuable insights for starting a business and creating a movement regardless of the size of your small town. If you love your small town and want to be inspired to create something that puts your community on the map and gets everyone involved, listen in to this episode!

About Sarah Calhoun:

Sarah Calhoun has two decades of leadership experience in both the non-profit and small business sectors, working in the outdoor education industry before founding Red Ants Pants in 2006.

Raised on a farm in rural Connecticut, Calhoun was inspired to move to Montana by Ivan Doig's This House of Sky. From her home in the small town of White Sulphur Springs, she has become an inspiration to entrepreneurs nationwide and is known for her dedication to supporting rural communities.

Tired of wearing men's work pants that didn't fit, Calhoun designed pants that would fit, function and flatter working women. Red Ants Pants are made in the USA and that will not change. Red Ants Pants is based out of White Sulphur Springs, Montana where the storefront, distribution center, and international headquarters all reside in an historic saddle shop. Known for their grass roots marketing efforts, including 'Tour de Pants,' the direct sales business model is proving effective.

To show support for the hard-working side of Montana and beyond, the Red Ants Pants Foundation was born in 2011. The Foundation supports women's leadership, working family farms and ranches, and rural communities – the three things most important to Calhoun and the Red Ants Pants Community. That same year the Foundation launched its first program – the Red Ants Pants Music Festival. In 2011, over 6,000 fans came to celebrate rural Montana in a cow pasture. Over the years, attendees have enjoyed headliners including Merle Haggard, Emmylou Harris, Dwight Yoakam, Wynonna Judd, and Keb' Mo. The festival continues its success into its tenth year on July 23-26, 2020 aiming to improve upon the authentic, rich community culture the 16,000 attendees enjoyed during the 2019 festival.

Calhoun's grit has brought her enterprises national recognition over the years – in 2018 she was named to the Montana Business Hall of Fame and the Festival received the prestigious Event of the Year award from the Montana Office of Tourism and Business Development. In 2016, featured in The New York Times and The Huffington Post. In 2015, selected as one of only 100 businesses nationwide to participate in the Small Business Majority's Small Business Leadership Summit in Washington, DC. In 2012, named the National Women in Business Champion for the Small Business Administration. In 2011, invited by President Obama to attend a White House forum on jobs and economic development after serving as a US Delegate to the APEC Women in Business Summit in San Francisco. Closer to home, she was honored when Governor Schweitzer named her the 2011 Entrepreneur of the Year for the State of Montana. Calhoun and her company have been featured in many national publications including Entrepreneur, National Geographic, Delta Sky, Country Woman, and Sunset.

Calhoun has been called a "revolutionary figure in rural business today" and a "powerhouse of inspiration for women in business." Her dynamic style and inspiring experiences as an entrepreneur make her a highly sought after keynote speaker. She has given two TEDx talks, dozens of keynote addresses, and has been featured on national television programs such as CNBC, CNN, and Bloomberg.

As Calhoun has risen to the top echelons of success as a rural entrepreneur, she is paying it forward by actively encouraging and mentoring other women starting their own businesses.

Calhoun spends her free time enjoying Montana's great outdoors, cutting firewood, hunting, and camping. She lives in White Sulphur with her dog Nellie.

In this episode, we tackle...

What makes being a transplant difficult for people?

Sarah personally didn't struggle with this, but how she assimilated into a the town she chose with no natural network offers lessons for all of us. It starts with how you view the community you're joining. If you come into a community roaring to change it because of all the experience you bring, you'll likely create walls that never come back down. Sit back. Slow down. Observe your town. Immerse yourself in it as it is, before you set to the work of trying to change. Bottom line: if you believe that where you came from is "better", you're setting yourself up to create more enemies than community-altering changes.

Listen to this episode to hear more about:

• How to create something that people really want to be involved with
• Why small towns can create things of significance more easily than large cities
• How transplants can become assimilated into their new small town
• Reasons to find ways to make your spot on the map bolder
• What mindset you really need to pull off big things in your community

Connect with Sarah:

• Red Ants Pants Website
• Red Ants Pants Music Festival
• Red Ants Pants Foundation