Shows
WinEH! PodcastEp. 51 - Creating Local Stability, Small-Town Strength with Rebecca UndemIn this inspiring conversation, Winnie welcomes Rebecca Undem to explore what it truly means to build resilience in small towns and rural communities—especially when the world feels uncertain. From navigating economic pressures and emotional tolls to reimagining personal finance through the Infinite Banking Concept, this episode is a call to anchor into purpose, think long-term, and create local impact. We dive into practical strategies for thriving where you are, staying rooted in your values, and taking control of your financial future—no matter what’s happening across North America. If you’ve ever felt like you’re being told...2025-05-0842 min
The Growing Small Towns ShowS5:E10 - Love as a Driver in Small TownsWe underestimate the power of love–or maybe limit the places where we deem it appropriate–but that’s silly because love is the most powerful motivator on the planet. We believe that love can actually be the key to unlocking the answers to some of our biggest questions and challenges in small towns. In this episode, Rebecca talks about all the ways that love can make our communities better places and what it looks like to show up with love. In this episode, we share three challenges for you to start using love as a force for good and ch...2025-04-1537 min
The Growing Small Towns ShowS5:E9 - Small-Town People Problems: CompetitionEach season, we’re going to have a few episodes that directly address *your* small-town people problems. For our first one, we’re starting off with a question from a listener about one of the most common difficulties in small towns: what to do when the neighboring towns treat each other as competition instead of working together. Sometimes we’ll bring in a guest, sometimes it’ll be a solocast with Rebecca like today’s episode. Do you have your own small-town people challenge? Call in to the show and we’ll address it on-air! 701-203-3337 ...2025-04-0735 min
The Growing Small Towns ShowWhy People Matter More Than Anything Else in Small TownsFriends and neighbors (virtual and IRL): we are so excited to share this episode with you. Now, we know we say that every week, and what can we say, we’re excitable folks. But we’re *extra* excited for this one because it’s the first podcast of the rest of our lives, and we’re introducing the new format and components of this show, and giving you a peek behind the curtain into the behind-the-scenes and the future of Growing Small Towns. Instead of a guest, we have a guest host interviewing Rebecca about the changes in the podcast...2025-02-031h 19
The Growing Small Towns ShowMoments of Growth: Rural Mastermind Our last Moments of Growth episode is about another event that will become at flagship bit of programming for Growing Small Towns: the Rural Mastermind. The first Mastermind group was inspired, in part, by Rebecca’s own experience with a Mastermind. Really good Mastermind groups can be pivotal and life-changing, and she wanted to bring that same experience to entrepreneurs and small business owners in Oakes. This episode features perspectives from all sides: one of our beloved coaches, several of our participants, and two of the participants’ mothers. Masterminds bring all kinds of people together to learn and grow. As the parti...2025-01-2759 min
The Growing Small Towns Show145. A Human-Centric Hodgepodge with Rebecca Undem It’s really easy to give people the highlight reel and act like everything is all hunky-dory, but that wouldn’t be authentic, and we’re all about authentic, so this episode is a bit of the Real Reel about some things Rebecca has been thinking and feeling during a bit of a hard season that a) we’ll all resonate with and b) are incredibly wise and things we should all keep in our back pockets. (Remember, Cassidy from our team writes these show notes so this is not Rebecca writing in the third person so she’s allowed to call it l...2024-11-2547 min
The Growing Small Towns Show137. The Neighborly Thing To Do with David Burton Most of us probably think we’re good neighbors. But…most of us probably actually aren’t. The Lost Art of Neighboring is something that David Burton is bringing back to help small towns and the people who live in them thrive. About David: David Burton has been a community development specialist with the University of Missouri Extension since 2001. He is headquartered in Springfield and creates educational programs focused on leadership and becoming an engaged neighbor. In 2021, David created Missouri Good Neighbor Week. The Governor signed a bill making Missouri Good Neighbor Week official in 2022. Then, in 2023, Missouri Good Neighbor Week was n...2024-06-1050 min
The Growing Small Towns Show136. Dreams + Divine Timing with LeAnn Moen Some of our favorite kinds of stories are the ones that feature people with a dream in their hearts to do something amazing in their small towns who then go ahead and get it done. This episode is about a dream, a restaurant, and the woman who made it happen. About LeAnn: LeAnn Moen always wanted to own her own restaurant, but between raising children and being active on the family's farm, the timing was never quite right. Once her children were grown, though, she knew it was time. She started looking for spaces in her small town of Twin Val...2024-05-2727 min
The Growing Small Towns Show135. Small-Town Events with Jeremy Nelson We love small-town events (duh) and we love the people who make those events happen (also duh.) Thus, we love this whole episode. We get to talk to Jeremy Nelson about an amazing market he’s started and grown in his small town of Arthur, ND, and it's become kind of a whole thing. This episode is a transparent, honest look at what it looks like to do something big in a small town! About Jeremy: Jeremy was born in Northfield, MN and earned my BA in social studies secondary education in 2000 from Bethel College in St. Paul. He began his...2024-05-141h 07
The Growing Small Towns Show134. Strategic + Artistic Community Development What does it look like to enhance communities through art, partnership, and general change-making? Well, we can’t think of anyone better than Maggie Strong to talk to about it. Maggie loves to work with communities to spur the change they know they need, and do so in a way that makes communities better and more beautiful for all. About Maggie: Maggie Strong is a community builder. She founded Strong Consulting in 2016 to help organizations and communities think creatively and act strategically. A former economic development vice president and marketing executive, Maggie has 20 years of experience in strategic planning, communications, and p...2024-04-2945 min
The BIO Girls PodcastSmall Towns & Mental Health | feat. Rebecca UndemMay is Mental Health Awareness Month.At BIO Girls, we are committed to helping girls learn about and improve their mental wellness. In fact, mental wellness is one of the four key pillars of the BIO Girls program. During the month of May, BIO Girls Director of Programming and Research, Beth Salafia, will be discussing mental health and wellness topics that are relevant to parents and adolescents in our community. To learn more about BIO Girls visit www.biogirls.org.Thank you to our friends at Bell Bank for making our 2024 Mental Health Awareness Month...2024-04-1749 min
The Growing Small Towns Show133. Putting People Back in Politics This is an episode about people and why how we treat them matters, as viewed through the lenses of politics and living in a small town. We cannot possibly agree on everything, and it feels as though nothing makes that clearer than politics. Given that we’re headed for another election season (yay*) we wanted to share this reminder that people should be at the center of everything we do, and a better future starts with us, at home, with how we treat one another and how we learn and grow and literally do better. Don't worry--this isn't a high-horse epis...2024-03-1828 min
The Growing Small Towns Show132. Recruiting Young People to Small Towns Young people moving to our small towns—either coming back or relocating from somewhere else—is imperative not only so we know the newest slang but also to keep our towns growing and thriving. Having a person dedicated to bringing in new people and making their transitions easier is a proactive way to achieve this. We’re so excited to share this episode with our very own Relocation Specialist, TJ Roney! About TJ: My name is Taylor (TJ) Roney and I am the Relocation Specialist in Oakes, ND! I graduated from OPS in 2018 and then went on to NDSU for fashion...2024-03-0442 min
The Growing Small Towns Show131. The Value of a Small-Town Chamber with Kausha Magill “Are Chambers of Commerce even relevant anymore?” In our humble (but not too humble opinion:) YES ABSOLUTELY. While the idea of a Chamber of Commerce is an old one, an active, progressive Chamber can be an enormous benefit to small towns. We brought our very own Chamber Director to talk about everything she does and the benefits of an active, involved Chamber. About Kausha: Kausha lives on her family’s farm and ranch about 15 miles north of Oakes. She and her husband Chuck have been married for 30 years and have three children: Dalton, who is married to McKinzee, and their daughter Ne...2024-02-1950 min
The Growing Small Towns Show130. Supporting Entrepreneurs in Small Towns with Kim Nagle We all want our small towns to grow and thrive, but often, we don’t offer enough support to the people who are integral in making this happen: the entrepreneurs. Kim Nagle is an author, coach, speaker, and entrepreneur who helps her clients start profitable businesses, and she’s here to share with us what supporting entrepreneurs could look like in our small towns. Hint: it’s magic. About Kim: Known as The DAMN Plan lady, Kim is definitely a woman with a plan. Her life’s work is evidence of her deep-seated love for all things entrepreneurial. She started her first b...2024-02-0536 min
The Growing Small Towns Show129. Past Guest Status Check with Haley Moen When we last talked to Haley, she was pushing full steam ahead on building the beautiful Hearthside Vineyard & Winery. She’s still going full steam ahead but has had to push through some major, heartbreaking setbacks. This episode isn’t the bright, shiny one she (or we!) was hoping for, but it’s better because it’s real and it shows how hard entrepreneurs work to get their dreams off the ground. Real life is rarely bright and shiny, but hard-won victories taste even sweeter—literally, in Haley’s case, since her hard-won victories will end with a beautiful, amazing winery. This...2024-01-2247 min
The Growing Small Towns Show128. Community Development Reflections for the New Year Instead of bringing on a guest to end the year (or kick off a new one) we’re going to do a yearly recap and reflect on some things we’ve learned. If you’re a doer and a dreamer in a small town, this is for you. 10 Reflections From Us to You (and from us to ourselves because we need to be reminded of these things on the regular) Quit expecting people to behave in a way they don’t. Let them act how they’re going to act. No one is ever unbiased. You included Try to not judge the close...2023-12-2516 min
The Growing Small Towns Show127. Past Guest Status Check with Brodie Mueller We are so excited to start a new kind of episode here on the Growing Small Towns show where we check in with some of our favorite past guests to find out what’s happened since we last had them on the show—which for some of our guests is a whole heckuva lot. Brodie Mueller is the owner of The Market on the Plaza, among being a part of MANY other amazing things in his small town of Aberdeen, SD. This episode is part status check, part business convo, and part therapy sesh (as all the best conversations are.) About Br...2023-12-041h 00
Digital Marketing TherapyBonus: Playing Big in a Small Town with Rebecca Undem | Easy Style with Sami2023-11-0946 min
The Growing Small Towns Show126. The Power of Place We are here with the longest episode in the history of Growing Small Towns because we just couldn’t stop talking to our next guest. Ben Muldrow caught Rebecca’s eye on Facebook, and he happens to have worked with Friend of the Pod Jeff Siegler. This is a long conversation but it’s so good - around every corner is yet another amazing concept or idea and we know you’ll love it as much as we did. About Ben: Ben Muldrow is a place branding and economic development expert who has spent the last 21 years assisting communities develop identities...2023-10-301h 40
The Growing Small Towns Show10 Mindset Reminders for Every Dreamer in a Small Town This episode is for, well, the dreamers. The people who believe big things are possible, even (especially!) in a small town. In this episode, we cover ten mindset reminders to help: Bolster you, our small-town dreamer Help you navigate difficult situations Provide some inspiration and hope And, really, just encourage you to keep those big dreams coming Links + Resources Mentioned Nome Schoolhouse Episode Get In Touch Have an idea for a future episode/guest, have feedback or a question, or just want to chat? Email us at hello@growingsmalltowns.org Subscribe + Review Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The G...2023-10-1634 min
Without the Bank PodcastEp. 134 - Rebecca Undem: Growing Small TownsOn this episode, I interviewed Rebecca Undem from Oakes, ND. We talk about how she is growing her small towns, helping others, her husband farming with her dad, and the challenges of it all. Rebecca is amazing, and you'll love this interview. Audio Production by Podsworth Media - https://podsworth.com 2023-10-061h 08
Farming Without the Bank PodcastEp. 218 - Rebecca Undem: Growing Small TownsOn this episode, I interviewed Rebecca Undem from Oakes, ND. We talk about how she is growing her small towns, helping others, her husband farming with her dad, and the challenges of it all. Rebecca is amazing, and you'll love this interview. Audio Production by Podsworth Media - https://podsworth.com 2023-10-061h 09
The Growing Small Towns ShowStorytelling + Community Building in a Digital Age with Chris Burgess We live almost in two worlds now: the real one that we move around in physically, and the one online. The internet can be an amazing and helpful thing, but it can also be incredibly problematic. How do we navigate that balance and make sure that how we show up in the real world is not overly influenced by the engineered spaces we encounter online? It’s a meaty topic, and we have an extra-long episode to talk about it! About Chris: My name is Chris Burgess. I am a writer, editor, musician, teacher, songwriter, audio producer and a storyteller. I am...2023-10-021h 04
The Official Do Good Better PodcastCommunity Building Ideas with "Friend of the Show" Rebecca Undem from Growing Small Towns | The Official Do Good Better Podcast #307Today's Five-Star Guest is Rebecca Undem. Our first three-time guest! Learn More About Growing Small Towns: https://www.growingsmalltowns.org/Listen to Rebecca's Podcast (it's great!): https://rebeccaundem.com/podcasterLearn More About Rebecca: https://rebeccaundem.com/about-rebeccaRead Rebecca's Book (it's also great!): https://rebeccaundem.com/authorGet on our waiting list for our new nonprofit & fundraising community filled with on-demand courses and live webinars that are exclusive to members! Learn all about what's in store to s...2023-09-2147 min
The Growing Small Towns ShowGrant Writing in Small Towns with Realizing Rural We love when we find people who support small towns doing big things in ways we’ve never seen before, and this episode features two people and a business that is doing just that. Jasmin and Cassidy are two sisters behind an organization called Realizing Rural that offers important services like grant-writing, project management, graphic design, and marketing to small towns and the organizations in them who may not have the staff to support those tasks but who need them to grow. About Jasmin and Cassidy: Jasmin Fosheim and Cassidy Blade are sisters living in rural South Dakota. Both balancing new f...2023-09-1847 min
Agriculture & Rural Business PodcastA Year in Review: Celebrating 1 Year of My Podcast!Today’s episode is an extra special one - we’re celebrating ONE YEAR of the Agriculture & Rural Business Podcast! In honor of one year of the podcast, I’m going to share the reasons why I started my podcast, where I’m headed with the podcast, and a look back at all the amazing guests I’ve had on the show and the value they shared. Ep #4: 37 Years In Ranch Management with Ray Marxer Ep #10: How My Client Doubled Her Revenue and Is Landing Dream Clients Jacy Bapst Ep #14: Why Personal De...2023-09-0429 min
The Growing Small Towns ShowRethinking Rural Giving We are so excited for another crossover episode with one of our most favorite people: small-town nonprofit expert and fun-haver Patrick Kirby. Hosted by Patrick, this episode is all about how to shift mindsets and rethink rural giving for small-town nonprofits. In this episode, we cover: How the Rural Bus Tour works and… Why you need one of your own Why nonprofits are so important for small towns The thorny problem of self-limitation in the nonprofit world, both financially and… In the way that nonprofits think about the future Links and Resources Mentioned: Uncharitable Movie: https://uncharitablemovie.com/ Do Good Better...2023-08-2843 minAgriculture & Rural Business PodcastGrowing Small Towns with Rebecca UndemOn today’s episode, I am joined by Rebecca Undem as we talk all about growing small towns. We cover so many good topics such as the power of discernment, the level of self awareness that’s needed in leadership and life, how mindset is everything, and that each and every one of us has the power to make a difference. Rebecca’s mission is all about helping people grow; knowing that our communities get better when the people within them get better. Connect with Rebecca: Instagram @growingsmalltowns and @rebeccaundem Faceb...2023-08-2853 min
The Growing Small Towns ShowRural By Choice with Cory Hepola This episode is about dreams, missions, storytelling, and how Cory Hepola combines all of those things into his life as a storyteller and documentarian and how he uses his gifts and skills to highlight small towns. About Cory: Cory Hepola is an Emmy Award Winning TV Anchor and Documentarian. Currently, he serves as the Vice President of Communications, Growth & Strategy at The Brookshire Company where he helps businesses around the world reach their fullest potential through strategic connections, high-impact storytelling and inspiring purposeful partnerships. A dynamic leader led by his core values and mission to empower others, Cory has earned two Emm...2023-08-1448 min
The Growing Small Towns ShowGrowing Communities for Humans with Jeff Siegler Jeff Siegler is back with an incredibly thought-provoking episode about built places, communities, assumptions, and loneliness, and why designing our spaces and cities and towns to promote community is so important. This episode has it all: hot takes, hard truths, hard-to-discuss-but-mega-important ideas, and solutions to forge a better path forward. (Please tell us you also read that last sentence like Bill Hader's SNL character Stefon on Weekend Update.) About Jeff: Jeff Siegler is a writer, speaker, and consultant concerned with the powerful role place plays in our lives. He is the founder of the civic pride consulting firm, Revitalize, or Die a...2023-07-311h 00
The Growing Small Towns ShowBuilding Strong Small-Town Businesses with Aly Robins Strong small-town businesses are the backbone of our communities, and when our local small businesses are thriving, so are we. Aly Robins is a rural resident, business coach, and marketing expert and she joins us in this grab-a-pen episode all about business foundations, marketing, mindset shifts, and how small-town businesses can use all of them to put themselves on a path to growth and success. Seriously, grab a pen and some paper, you’re going to want to take notes! About Aly: Aly Robins is a digital marketing strategist and business coach for agriculture and rural businesses. She grew up on a r...2023-07-0356 min
The Growing Small Towns ShowPart 1: Audacious Value-Added Ag with Hearthside Vineyard and Winery When Haley Moen was getting her master’s degree in plant science, she planned to continue on to get her doctorate—a dream she’d held since 10th grade. But she realized that would likely take her away from her beloved North Dakota, and that it might mean she would have to spend her time in a lab. As a farm kid who loves her roots the wide-open North Dakota spaces, that wasn’t what she wanted. She decided to embark upon a journey to build a vineyard and a winery in her hometown of Oakes, North Dakota, and this episode...2023-06-1945 min
Easy Style with SamiPlaying Big in a Small Town with Rebecca Undem2023-06-0845 min
The Growing Small Towns ShowAddressing Mental Health in Small Towns with Monica McConkey Mental health in small our small towns is one of the issues that is top of mind here at Growing Small Towns, and we know that is true for many of you in your communities, too. It’s an issue that can be really difficult to tackle, and we feel so lucky to have Monica on the show to talk about it with us, share her expertise, and give us all some actionable items and things we can pay attention to in order to help ourselves, our families and friends, and our communities About Monica: Monica Kramer McConkey has 25 years of...2023-06-0546 min
The Growing Small Towns ShowVirtual Assisting in Small Towns with Cassidy Johnston This week’s episode is a special sort of follow-up to last week’s episode about remote work in our small towns, and it’s special because it’s featuring a member of the Growing Small Towns team! Cassidy has been with Rebecca and Growing Small Towns for four years as a remote virtual assistant, and this episode takes our listeners through the whole story and how being a virtual assistant opened the door for so many other things. About Cassidy Cassidy (but call her Cass) is a wife, mother, first-generation rancher, communicator, and yes—virtual assistant! She lives on a large cat...2023-05-2251 min
The Growing Small Towns ShowHow Remote Work Can Change the Face of Small Towns with Danielle Teigen Remote work is, to use a buzzy buzzword, a game-changer for small communities. One of the only good things to come out of the pandemic, the rise in remote work opportunities means people can move to small towns without having to quit their job or ask their spouse/partner to do the same, which is, well, fabulous for us! Danielle Teigen is kind of an expert in small-town remote work—it’s kind of her actual life—and she’s here to talk us through what that can look like and share the possibilities, and how to highlight what makes our smal...2023-05-0836 min
The Growing Small Towns ShowReframing Either/Or Mentalities in Small TownsIf you have listened to our show for any length of time or follow us on social media, you know that here at Growing Small Towns the traditional approach to economic growth just doesn’t get us real excited. While it’s great if a big business does want to come to your town and build an office or something, we like to think outside that particular box. What we like to focus on is how our communities feel and make others feel and what kinds of mentalities are holding us back from realizing our full potential, both as indi...2023-04-2423 min
The Growing Small Towns ShowSupporting Rural Startups with Margaret HeddermanStartup Colorado is a 501(c)(3) that works with rural entrepreneurs and ecosystem builders throughout the state to cultivate successful environments to start and grow businesses in the places that they call home. They have an amazing, effective approach to supporting entrepreneurs in rural places and if you are involved in this work and their Communications and Editorial Director, Margaret Hedderman, is here to tell us all about it. About Margaret Before relocating to the Front Range, Margaret managed the marketing and events programs for several independent businesses and startups in Durango, CO. She sp...2023-03-0641 min
The Growing Small Towns Show112. The Rural Rebound with Erik Osberg What does it look like to write your own rural narrative, and how can you actively incorporate that idea into convincing people to move to your small town? Well, we happen to have Erik Osberg to tell us all about it. He’s his county’s (and perhaps the country’s only) Rural Rebound Initiative Coordinator and yes, it’s the coolest. About Erik Erik Osberg is the Rural Rebound Initiative Coordinator for Otter Tail County which is in west-central Minnesota. In 2016 Otter Tail County embarked on an effort to create a position that would take advantage of the "Brain Gain" phenom...2023-02-0638 min
The Growing Small Towns Show111. 6 Things to Try in 2023Happy New Year! We’re so excited to be back, although we’re not quite sure how we got here. Because we’re more mindset folks than resolution folks around these parts, this episode is all about things to try this year for all of you small-town changemakers. When we have a new goal or are ready to embark on a new journey, we need to make sure we’re starting with sustainability in mind, meaning that we aren’t setting ourselves too many new things or habits, and that the processes we are using are going to be helpful, b...2023-01-0934 minThe Official Do Good Better PodcastRural Fundraising Challenges & Solutions With Author, Speaker & Entrepreneur Rebecca Undem | The Official Do Good Better Podcast #270Today's Five-Star Guest/Co-Host is author, speaker, entrepreneur and "Friend of the Show" Rebecca Undem. Growing Small Towns is a community development organization creating space for people to grow. Their business and arts center offers coworking space, innovation services, meeting space, and team building activities. Everything they do helps businesses and people in small towns grow. They are headquartered in Oakes, North Dakota.Learn More About Growing Small Towns: https://www.growingsmalltowns.org/Listen to the Growing Small Towns Podcast: https://rebeccaundem.com/podcasterBu...2022-12-151h 00
The Growing Small Towns Show110. 5 Things Holding Small Towns BackHappy December! Today we’ve got a solocast and it’s all about what holds small towns back. There are five things, and Rebecca is here to talk through all of them. So what are those five things that hold small towns back? Constraint-led thinking Underestimating the cost of doing nothing Treating today’s decisions as if they’re only about us An unwillingness to right-size ideas Accepting sliding standards Links + Resources Mentioned How to Combat Apathy In Small Towns with Jeff Siegler: https://www.growingsmalltowns.org/post/episode99 How...2022-12-0534 min
The Growing Small Towns Show109. The Secret to Raising More Money in Small Town Nonprofits We are so excited for another (crossover!) episode with one of our most favorite people: small-town nonprofit expert and fun-haver, Patrick Kirby. This episode is all about how small town nonprofits can raise more money and create a bigger impact. About Patrick 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. Fro...2022-11-2156 min
The Growing Small Towns Show108. Embracing Diversity in a Small TownYou may have heard about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) since it’s a hot topic for many companies today, but how can we apply those principles to our small towns in a meaningful and intentional way? Rebecca and Cecily talk about what embracing diversity in small towns looks like, and how to have these own difficult but valuable conversations in your own sphere. About Cecily Cecily Engelhart is an Ihanktonwan & Oglala mother, artist, coach, media nerd, foodie, bookworm, and kitchen dancing enthusiast. She was raised in South Dakota; her school years spent wit...2022-11-071h 11
The Growing Small Towns Show107. Creative Community DevelopmentMelissa Nelson is a woman after our own hearts here at Growing Small Towns. She is a lifelong small-town girl and rural champion who uses her love of agriculture, community development, and creativity to inspire ways to get involved in small towns. About Melissa Melissa Nelson is a Nebraska farm and cattle gal who transplanted to Northwest Iowa after college to build an agricultural education non-profit and marry an Iowa farm boy. Her farm background and creative, entrepreneurial spirit allow her to put a unique spin on everyday items in her small business, Hungry Canyon. Melissa...2022-10-2425 min
The Growing Small Towns Show106. Storytelling for Small Towns (Part 2)This is the second part of our two-part series with Phil Eich about storytelling. The first episode was the why, and here is the how! This episode is one of the most actionable we’ve ever recorded—it has all you need to go out and start telling your own community’s story. About Phil Phil Eich is the founder of Storyville, an agency born in Saginaw dedicated to telling the stories of our cities to cultivate community pride, support small businesses, and attract and retain talent and investment. Through interviews, writing, photography, videography, and podcasting, Storyv...2022-10-101h 00
The Growing Small Towns Show105. Storytelling for Small Towns (Part 1)Storytelling is kind of having a moment: everywhere we go, we hear about “sharing your story.” The thing is that it’s really excellent advice—when it’s done well. This is part one of a two-part series all about why storytelling is so important for small towns, and why you should care. About Phil Phil Eich is the founder of Storyville, an agency born in Saginaw dedicated to telling the stories of our cities to cultivate community pride, support small businesses, and attract and retain talent and investment. Through interviews, writing, photography, videography, and podcasting, Storyville...2022-09-2648 min
The Growing Small Towns Show104. Why Locals Need Our LoveWelcome back to the new season of the Growing Small Towns Podcast! Oh man, we are so excited to be back with a routine and a schedule and new episodes and new things in the works, we just can’t even. This episode is a solocast with Rebecca talking about loving on our locals—sure, we want to invite people into our small towns, but are we doing that at the expense of the people who already live there? In this episode, we cover: Why businesses that mean it when they say “Our people are ou...2022-08-2936 min
The Growing Small Towns Show103. Keeping Your Fire Lit in a Small TownRebecca is flying solo today with a podcast version of a recent blog post that took on a life of its own, and talking about how to keep your fire lit while you’re trying to do big things in your small town—the stages you’ll go through, the people you need, and how to prevent burnout (or getting snuffed out!) along the way. In this episode, we cover: Why burnout is a symptom but not a diagnosis, and why burnout may not actually be burnout, but more of a “snuffing out.” What it looks like to be a firestarter2022-07-1834 min
The Growing Small Towns Show102. How to Host a Community Clean-Up EventAaron Baker really loves small towns, particularly his small town of Atlanta, Missouri. He is an expert and community clean-up events, engaging help and funds, identifying creative ways to solve problems, and his enthusiasm and passion are infectious. About Aaron If you know anything about Aaron Baker, you know he is obsessed with his small town. He’s also in constant motion to keep Atlanta, Missouri moving forward. Aaron will tell you his most important job is being a husband to Erica and father to their four children. Then, he’ll tell you about...2022-06-0656 min
The Growing Small Towns Show101. Holding the Vision Rebecca is solocasting about the mental and emotional side of the work she and so many of our listeners do. This episode is about knowing yourself and how you think, how to relate to other people who may think differently than you, and how to experience new things to help you learn and grow. Ideas for Holding the Vision, Even When Others Don’t/Can’t: No story, no problem! Along the same line, assume good intent. Recognize the immense difference between a strong preference for sensing v. intuition. “It’s hard for us to imagine something we’ve never experienced.” K...2022-05-2337 min
The Growing Small Towns Show100. Why We Can’t Shame People Into Shopping LocalWe are so excited to have Charlie Birch on the podcast! She is small town born and bred, and is kind of a shopping local expert. Charlie joins us to talk about making a web presence work for a brick-and-mortar store. About Charlie After living the digital nomad life later popularized by Instagram, our founder Charlie returned home to South Jersey in 2016. Not long after, she founded a web design studio, Charlie Birch Consulting, to help small brick-and-mortar businesses build their online presence. In 2020, this business transformed into Third Eye Web Strategies, which continued to...2022-05-0951 min
The Growing Small Towns Show99. How to Combat Apathy in Small TownsJeff Siegler knows small towns. He loves them. And he wants the people who live in them to love them, too. This episode is all about apathy in small towns--what it looks like, how it starts, how it gets worse--and how we fix it. About Jeff Jeff Siegler is a writer, speaker and consultant concerned with the powerful role place plays in our lives. He is the founder of the civic pride consulting firm, Revitalize, or Die. and a co-founding partner of Proud Places. Having grown up in a struggling rustbelt city Jeff understands the devastating...2022-04-251h 00
The Growing Small Towns Show98. Cottonwood CiderhouseWe are so excited to share this episode with you! This is a story not only about innovative reshaping of a family farm to continue the legacy but also enhancing a small-town community with a new place to gather and eat and drink with friends. About Stacy and Dan: Dan Heising and Stacy Nelson-Heising are Cottonwood’s orchard and cider house lead drivers and co-founders. When one is in the driver’s seat, the other sits happily in the passenger chair, supporting the other. Dan is our head cider maker. Stacy is Cottonwood’s head orchardist....2022-04-1237 min
The Growing Small Towns Show97. How Self-Development Creates Leaders in Small TownsWe hear a lot about less stress, more peace, and creating more balance and more emotional awareness…but how do we do this, and what’s the actual point? In this episode, we’re going to tell you. Well, we aren’t, our guest Kristy is! About Kristy: Kristy Berger Jelinek is the founder and owner of KBJ Coaching & Consulting. She has been referred to as "a bridge between knowing and doing" as she energetically holds space for others so they may see themselves in a new and different way. Kristy is a soul speaker who brings a...2022-03-2854 min
The Growing Small Towns Show96. The New Education Frontier and What it Means for Small Towns This episode is all about education—where we are, where we’re going, and how to get there. Education is foundational to any place but especially to small towns, not only for our small-town schools but because learning and education is lifelong, something we carry with us, and is how we find and create opportunity at every stage of life. About Scott Scott Meyer (@MrScottMeyer) is an entrepreneur and former professor working to scale and democratize education. His experience founding the digital marketing agency 9 Clouds and launching an entrepreneurship center and accele...2022-02-1455 min
The Growing Small Towns ShowChangemaking in Small TownsToday, Rebecca is back with another solo episode--not because we can’t find enough rad people doing rad things, but because of one of her own close-held “truthiest truths,” which is that one of the best ways to support one another is to share the best of what we’re learning and ideally, in as close to real time as humanly possible. She’s also here to share with us some advice she learned in therapy—something she believes in so fiercely—so we can get better, too. And for free, YAY! We’re actually going to share t...2022-02-0232 min
The Growing Small Towns ShowMental Health in Small TownsThis episode is a little heavy, a little funny, and we talk about something we need to have more conversations about: mental health in small towns. This is a crossover episode with the amazing Franne and Becky from Shrink Rap the Podcast and they are so qualified, fun, and experienced in the specific area of mental health in small towns. They are here with us today to discuss barriers to rural mental health and decreasing stigmas surrounding getting help. About Franne & Becky Dr. Franne Sippel is a Licensed Psychologist and a post divorce mediator. She has...2022-01-171h 04
Shrink RapAddressing mental health in small townsFranne and Becky welcome fellow podcaster Rebecca Undem to discuss barriers to rural mental health and decreasing stigmas surrounding getting help.✨ Shrink Rap the Podcast is a mental health podcast where your hosts, Franne & Becky, give proper respect to various mental health issues, with a healthy dose of smart-assery.In each episode, we dive into diverse topics, from navigating relationships to the intricacies of mental well-being. Our mission is to dismantle stigma, foster understanding, and provide you with valuable insights to enhance your mental health journey.Join us as we bring yo...2022-01-101h 02
The Growing Small Towns ShowTen Prompts to Help You Prepare For 2022Our host and fearless leader Rebecca is here to share a few prompts that she’s working through herself this week to prepare for a brand-new year. Each of these things could be have an added lens of home versus work versus community involvement—you can add whatever context you want, but these prompts might be a little different than what you’ve used in the past. Most of these questions are reflections from 2021, prompting you to consider what to either bring into 2022 or just leave in the dust of 2021! We will be sharing more about these on soc...2022-01-0340 min
The Growing Small Towns ShowAttracting People to Our Small Towns Tim Carty and Winona Dimeo-Ediger from Role Call are our guests on today’s episode and seriously, we could talk to them all day long! Overall, the topic today is about attracting people to our communities and how the approach to making that happen is going to look really different from how we’ve traditionally approached economic development. What would it look like to get people to actively choose their community every single day? What makes your community special? These are a few of the questions we talk about and our hope is that this discussion will help you thin...2021-12-201h 09
The Growing Small Towns ShowWorkforce Development Ideas for Small Town Businesses with Rikka BrandonToday’s guest is Rikka Brandon, recruiting expert and all-around fun person. She joins us today to talk about recruiting and workforce development and why that isn’t a concept that’s limited to large or urban businesses—small-town businesses benefit from a recruiting strategy too! About Rikka Rikka Brandon is a serial entrepreneur, recruiter, author, and speaker. She is the founder of Recruit Retain Rock and Building Gurus, and the creator of popular programs like Recruit Retain Rock and Hire Power Live. Rikka’s the go to girl for growth minded entrepreneurs and forward thinking business l...2021-12-0653 min
The Growing Small Towns ShowStarting a Friend and Family-Owned Coffee Company Today’s guests are two of the three founders of the locally owned Dakota Dirt Coffee in Milnor, ND. Landon and Wyatt Mund are also brothers so they join us to talk about how they (and their friend, Beau, who wasn’t able to join us for the episode) started a coffee roasting company alongside each working a full-time job in a town of just under 800 people. They share about their startup journey which is soon to boast a new physical roasting facility and event center. About Dakota Dirt Coffee Dakota Dirt was founded by three friends who were sick of cof...2021-11-2241 min
The Growing Small Towns ShowResourcefulness + Ingenuity in Small Towns with Kendra Rosencrans Resourcefulness and ingenuity are often found in rural America, and the foundation of both of those things are connection and community, and this week’s episode is all about how to go about fostering connection, how we invite people in, and what happens when people feel invested in their small towns. As someone who grew up in a small town (in our very own North Dakota!) but who has lived and traveled in communities of many sizes and is now a researcher and expert in rural resiliency, our guest for episode 89, Dr. Kendra Rosencrans, understands the power of community. In th...2021-11-0844 min
The Growing Small Towns ShowBuilding Social Capital in Small Towns with Rebecca Undem This week Rebecca is sharing her top ideas for better handling the people side of change management—something that she’s dealt with head-on over the past year while building Growing Small Towns. She talks personal growth, the discomfort that comes with that growth, and the critical importance of building and leveraging the social capital in your community or company as you seek to build consensus around ideas. Key takeaway: we can get all the processes, systems, and data right, but if we don’t take the time to truly invest in social capital, our ideas will fall flat. And, the time...2021-10-2527 min
The Growing Small Towns ShowRural Bus Tour with Jodee Bock We're back with the first episode of the new season and we're so excited! Our guest for this episode is Jodee Bock, Director of People Development with BNG Team, and a participant in this summer's Rural Bus Tour. Jodee joins us to talk about the tour, about urban-rural collaboration, and corporate investment in small towns. This episode also includes a little update about what's been going on with Growing Small Towns--big things have been happening while we've been away for the summer! About Jodee Jodee Bock is a dynamic business communicator who encourages people to practice riskful thinking as opposed to...2021-10-1159 min
StartupBREW FargoGrowing Small TownsWelcome to the StartupBREW Fargo Podcast! This week we will be joined by Rebecca Undem, founder of Growing Small Towns.Rebecca Undem has always been passionate about two things: people and talking to people. As an inspirational speaker, community advocate, and host of the podcast The Growing Small Towns Show, she’s put her gift of gab to good use with the creation of Growing Small Towns. Growing Small Towns is a regional non-profit that helps small towns in southeast North Dakota be a place people love to call home.Visit our website to...2021-08-0230 min
The Growing Small Towns ShowBehind the Scenes with The Market on the Plaza Today’s guests are repeat visitors! Brodie Mueller and Carly Pochop, founders of The Market on the Plaza and the Rural Revolution podcast are back to talk to Rebecca about how their first month of business went. We can all watch what gets posted on social media, but as people who want to inspire others to chase their big dreams in their rural places, these two know the value of sharing what happens behind the scenes. About Brodie and Carly Carly Pochop, co-owner of The Market on the Plaza has run Colorful Creations in Aberdeen since 2015. She went to school for A...2021-07-121h 07
The Growing Small Towns ShowClimbing a Mountain Rebecca is flying solo today with something that’s been on her heart and mind for a long time. In February, Rebecca and her family went on a trip to Arizona for a breather, some warm weather, and a chance to connect with family. And maybe an energy vortex. You know. While there, she and her husband and three children went on a hike up Cathedral Rock and she found so many parallels between that amazing hike and doing big things in small towns. In this episode, we cover: How we’re often sold an idea of what something will look...2021-06-2818 min
The Rural RevolutionWelcome Home: Making the MarketA lot goes into starting a new business — that isn't a surprise to anyone. What did come as a surprise to owners Brodie and Carly was how much they learned along the way — about each other, their staff, and — most importantly — themselves. Join them, along with special guest host Rebecca Undem, as they navigate through their first official month in downtown Aberdeen and welcome you home to their own rural revolution.2021-06-281h 08
The Growing Small Towns ShowMeet the Maker — Amanda Hagen of Heartstrings Art Studio We are so excited to share our first Meet the Maker episode with you! Meet the Maker is all about highlighting small-town artists and makers who enrich our communities and make them more beautiful. This episode features Amanda Hagen, an artist that we are so excited to be working with for the Growing Small Towns building. Amanda is an architect by trade who leaned way in to her lifelong love of painting during the pandemic and eventually started Heartstrings Art Studio. This is the coolest story full of God winks and kindness and community! About Amanda: Amanda Hagen was born a...2021-05-1737 min
The Growing Small Towns ShowHow the Media Can Help Small Towns with Amber Schatz When our founder, Rebecca, was invited to be a guest on Studio 701, a lifestyle show featuring all things North Dakota, she knew she wanted to invite the host and producer, Amber, to be a guest on our podcast! Amber shares the story of how she created the show, how she thinks about media now, and offers some great ideas for those of us living in small towns to ensure our stories and voices are heard. About Amber I’m a small-town North Dakota girl at heart who hails from New England, ND. My three siblings and I learned from wonderful teach...2021-05-0330 min
The Growing Small Towns ShowCrossover Episode Part Deux with Brodie and Carly of The Rural Revolution We’re back with Brodie and Carly of the Rural Revolution Podcast for a general life and status update! If you missed the first episode with Brodie and Carly, you can find it here. About Brodie and Carly Carly Pochop, co-owner of The Market on the Plaza has run Colorful Creations in Aberdeen since 2015. She went to school for Art Education and after 2 years of teaching quickly realized there was a gap in the community for students needing more outside school creative outlets. She has learned how to wear many hats and grow her business to a profitable sustainable creative outl...2021-04-191h 15The Rural RevolutionRebecca Undem Does It AgainShe weaves words of wisdom, advocates for adventure, encourages everyone, and cheers for change (and she'll smother you with hugs if you let her). Rebecca Undem is back in the Hub City to share more on how she's Growing Small Towns one rural revolution at a time.2021-04-121h 14
The Growing Small Towns ShowRunning a Global Company from a Small Rural Community with Charissa Rubey When you meet today’s guest, Charissa Rubey, you’ll likely be charmed by her salt-of-the-earth friendliness and unassuming nature. But don’t let that fool you—named North Dakota’s Small Business Person of the Year in 2020, Charissa, alongside her husband, Dave—whom she affectionately refers to as her favorite person in the world—run a manufacturing company with 25 employees and a global dealer network over 700 worldwide. And they do it all from a town of less than 50 people that no longer even has a post office. She joins us to share her incredible story. About Charissa Charissa Rubey is a business owner...2021-04-0552 min
Rural Is CoolA True Passion for Rural with Rebecca UndemThis week I chat with Rebecca Undem. She is an author, a podcast host, a speaker, and an entrepreneur.
Rebecca brings a positive attitude and some great advice to the show as she talks about growing up in a small town, moving to the city, and then returning home. She shares with us her most recent project, Dorthy Jane, the building she purchased on Main Street in Oaks, North Dakota that once belonged to her grandparents.
Rebecca has a vision and a true passion for rural.
If you enjoy our conversation, please be...2021-03-2442 min
The Growing Small Towns ShowStarting a Small-Town Conference with Melinda Padilla LynchOur local law enforcement agencies are the backbones of our small towns and unless we’re part of that world, we often don’t stop to think about the impact on these professionals dealing with people in our communities when they’re at their worst. Today’s guest, Melinda Padilla Lynch, is part of that world and in fact, in her role as an Administrative Assistant to a local police department, she’s an integral part of making everything run smoothly. When she was feeling like she could use more connection, support, training, and education to help he...2021-03-2240 min
The Growing Small Towns ShowWho We Are Now with Michelle FishburneWhen she found herself out of a job in the midst of a global pandemic, Michelle Fishburne got the idea to hop in her RV and travel the country to find out how people have fared throughout 2020. Her oral history project called Who We Are Now highlights the first-hand stories she’s gathered on her journey and today, she joins us on the podcast to share her insights into what she’s learned about people in small towns. At a time when so many things threaten to divide us, this episode reminds us of all the ways in w...2021-03-0837 min
The Growing Small Towns ShowPursuing Personal Growth in a Small Town with Tanner and Jeana Hackel of Hackel ConstructionOur guests on today’s show are a pair we lovingly deemed “Ord, Nebraska’s power couple” but not because of their affluence and important names or titles, but because of their hearts, their mindfulness, and the way they live their lives with complete intention. Together, they run a construction company and a busy household and they join us on the show to talk about the impact a focus on personal development and growth has had on their lives. Talking about topics like a growth mindset, limiting beliefs, and choosing your highest intention are not things that are often...2021-02-2258 min
The Growing Small Towns ShowThe Mission-Driven Small Business with Pam Burch of the Peacock MercantileWhen people start businesses, they usually get the most freaked out about all the decisions and details that the process entails. Finding the right suppliers and vendors, creating a marketing plan, and figuring out who to hire—these are the things we spend most of our time considering. Today’s guest, Pam Burch, founder of The Peacock Mercantile in Hettinger, ND, didn’t approach it this way. Instead, Pam spent the time it takes to really define and clarify her mission for starting her business. It’s common for people to mistake mission/vision/value statements as fluffy, t...2021-02-0845 minThe Official Do Good Better PodcastThe Official Do Good Better Podcast EPISODE 100! WE DID IT!Your organization is awesome.But sometimes you want to be even awesomer!The Official Do Good Better Podcast is here to help!Each episode features (fundraising expert, speaker, event creator and author) Patrick Kirby interviewing leaders and champions of small and medium nonprofits to share their successes, their impact, and what makes them a unicorn in a field of horses. Patrick also answers fundraising questions, and most importantly, showcases how you can support these small nonprofits doing great big things!EPISODE 100! WE DID IT!2021-01-2844 min
The Growing Small Towns ShowAlpacas, Fiber Arts, and an Old Schoolhouse with Teresa and Chris of Shepherd Industries and the Nome SchoolhouseImagine the owner of a fiber mill partnering with a needle felting sculpture artist. Now try to picture that duo finding, buying, and renovating a 100 year-old building in a rural North Dakota town of about 60 people to house a future facility where people can stay, meet the alpaca/sheep herd, watch how the fiber mill works, eat amazing food prepared by a chef, and get their hands into creating your fiber art projects. Can you picture it? Does it sound like a pipe dream? Well, you probably can’t and it’s not. Our podcast guests today are Chris Armbr...2021-01-2553 min
The Encourager Podcast: Equipping Christian Moms to Harmonize Work and HomeEpisode 15-181: Root Yourself in Hope with guest Rebecca UndemWhen you experience fear and uncertainty, do you put down your “roots” in fear? Or are you intentional about putting down roots into hope? Return guest, Rebecca Undem, joins me to talk through this subject and what it’s meant for her and her non-profit work. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us. 2021-01-1844 min
The Growing Small Towns ShowRewriting the Rural Narrative with Ben Winchester of UMN ExtensionAs a research educator with the University of Minnesota Extension’s Center for Community Vitality, today’s guest, Ben Winchester digs into the research data that helps us better understand the truth behind the idea that “rural America is dying”. Not only has he found that the data doesn’t suggest that, he helps us see that we are more in control of re-shaping that narrative than we might otherwise believe. About Ben Ben has been working both in and for small towns across the Midwest for over 25 years. He lives in St. Cloud, Minnesota with his wif...2021-01-1155 min
The Growing Small Towns ShowHow to Be Hopeful Going into 2021Our host, Rebecca is flying solo for this episode, and she’s talking about hope and the new year. 2020 was hard, friends, there’s just no denying it. But this isn’t about looking back on a hard year, it’s about looking forward to what’s coming and some ways that you can keep up your momentum and hope in the new year. This episode is full of encouragement and actionable steps to keep getting closer to your goals, no matter what they are. In this episode, we cover: Why there is no replacement for action The...2020-12-2833 min
The Growing Small Towns ShowCivic Engagement in Small Towns with Jodi Bruns of NDSU ExtensionAs a Civic Engagement and Leadership Specialist with NDSU Extension, today’s guest, Jodi Bruns, knows small towns. She shares her perspective about how to help small communities embrace change, adopt best practices to encourage leadership development, and change the narrative about who we are. About Jodi Jodi Bruns is a Leadership and Civic Engagement Specialist with NDSU Extension. She develops resources for local Extension agents to utilize when working with communities and organizations. Jodi is a certified mediator, facilitator for numerous processes such as The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Real Colors, etc. She trai...2020-12-1453 min
The Growing Small Towns ShowFostering Regional Collaboration with Brodie Mueller and Carly Pochop of The Rural Revolution Podcast and The Market on the PlazaIt’s our first-ever crossover episode! Our guests today are Brodie Mueller and Carly Pochop. Both successful business owners in the rural community of Aberdeen, SD, and are co-hosts of the Rural Revolution Podcast and recently co-founded a brand new company called Market on the Plaza. They join us to talk about the value of collaboration among people and communities because in rural places, no one can do it alone. About Brodie and CarlyCarly Pochop, co-owner of The Market on the Plaza has run Colorful Creations in Aberdeen since 2015. She went to school for Art Ed...2020-11-301h 00The Rural RevolutionThe Power of Small Towns - Rebecca UndemThis week we talked to Rebecca Undem from Oakes ND. She runs the non-profit Growing Small Towns, as well as her own podcast, The Growing Small Towns Show. We talk about how we have tried to grow our communities, how our communities helped us grow, and have some fun as well. https://growingsmalltowns.org/https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-growing-small-towns-show/id1480218358https://rebeccaundem.com/2020-11-231h 09
Nice AlumniRebecca UndemRebecca Undem is the founder of Growing Small Towns, a business- and community-building nonprofit based in her hometown of Oakes, North Dakota. She graduated NDSU in 2003. This is her story.2020-11-1803 min
The Growing Small Towns ShowCreative Placemaking in Small Towns with Judy LarsonJudy Larson, writer, musician, and artist, can remember a time when she wouldn’t have considered herself a “creative”. On today’s show, she shares her journey of embracing her own creativity, nurturing those skills and talents in others, and the impact it’s had on her own life and her community. Not sure what creative placemaking even is? You need to listen to this one! About Judy With a background in healthcare and economic development, JUDY LARSON has found her passion in building healthy communities. She’s a connector and communicator, a listener and lover of peo...2020-11-1645 min
The Growing Small Towns ShowHolding a Vision for Small Towns with Amy Suda of Skin Rehab ClinicFrom an early age, today’s guest, Amy Suda, knew that being an entrepreneur would be her future. Being born and raised in Grafton ND, and marrying her high school sweetheart, she also knew that when the time was right, she’d open her business in her hometown. In this episode, she shares the journey to starting her new skincare clinic (opened in May of 2020) and how owning a small-town business has further fueled her vision for her community. About Amy Amy Suda, MSN, FNP-C,and DCNP, is the founder/owner of Skin Rehab. She has b...2020-11-0236 min
The Growing Small Towns ShowInnovation and Entrepreneurship in Small Towns with Jordan DeGree of The Rural Ideas NetworkAre rural communities the future hotspot for entrepreneurship? Today’s guest, Jordan DeGree, founder of the Rural Ideas Network, sits down with us to share why he believes they are, and what it means for those of us living and working in rural America. We talk about how the network helps small towns to encourage entrepreneurship, foster creativity, and drive innovation. Whether you’re an entrepreneur in a rural community or a person who cares about supporting small businesses in your town, this episode is for you! Be sure to catch Jordan’s Fast Five (we love a solid soapbox!) to hea...2020-10-1951 min
The Growing Small Towns ShowHow to Grow a Small TownWelcome to the brand new Growing Small Towns Show! We are so stinking excited to roll out our first episode of this new season and in today's episode, you get a guest host! Nicole Pond, founder of The Yellow Bird, an online skincare company that makes exceptional and affordable skincare for your whole family, takes over the mic to interview Rebecca Undem, your usual podcast host about the journey of Growing Small Towns, the North Dakota-based 501(c)(3) she founded in 2019. About Rebecca Rebecca Undem has always been passionate about at least two things: people and...2020-10-0548 min