Building in a Small Town

09/06/2024

You’re welcome to come record anytime, Senator!

Hi Friends! Welcome back to Building in a Small Town. It’s been a little while since I stepped away for a bit of a summer break, but we’re back in action! To...

08/16/2024

Spooky season is coming ✨😍👻🐈‍⬛🍬

08/14/2024

New occasional shop coming to 222 Main Street. Give the page a follow, please 🥰

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61564509831913

Home Goods & Hangout. Open occasionally. Collins, IA.

08/13/2024

How ADORABLE are these?! 😍 I think they would make a fabulous teacher gift 🎁

Available for sale at The Back Yard next month ✨

08/12/2024

Summer break is over and a new episode is now live ✨ In the latest episode, I sat down for a quick chat with at her second annual Entrepreneur Expo, hosted at

08/06/2024

Snagged a sit down with Senator Joni Ernst today. New episode of Building in a Small Town drops Monday morning.

08/06/2024

New episode drops Monday! I was able to sit down and chat with at her second annual Entrepreneur Expo

07/08/2024

Timing is everything, and right now is a good time for me to take a few weeks away from releasing episodes. I’ll be back with more stories of people building things in communities of 10,000 or less before you know it ✨

Until then, catch up with all of our awesome past guests on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube 🎧

06/24/2024

Episode 26 with Joan & Grant Fairchild of is now live ✨ you’ll learn how Joan got started selling vintage and home goods out of a chicken coop in her back yard, what it was like running an ice cream truck on the summer, and what a conversation over a cup of coffee has to do with buying a Main Street building. This was a really fun episode!

If it doesn’t convince you that you need to plan a day trip up to Jewell, I don’t know what will 😉

Shout out to past guest for being the connector on this one ❤️

06/17/2024

Episode 25 with Susan Frantz, owner & head brewer of is now live. ✨ find out how an architect & biochemist meet and fall in love with each other & making beer, what it was like opening a new brewery months before being shut down due to COVID, and what it’s like to be underestimated as a woman in a male-dominated industry.

06/15/2024

Before and after 😍

06/10/2024

Episode 24 with George LaCava of . Nevada Barbell is where fitness is accessible. There you’ll find powerlifting, Olympic weightlifting, functional fitness and more. Check it out!

06/03/2024

A couple Shirley Howerton Gooch originals finally got framed and hung on the wall by the coffee bar 😍❤️

06/03/2024

Episode 23 with Matt Cleverly of Gotcha Amusements is now live ✨ you’ll learn how Matt got started in the amusements industry, how much it costs to insure a mechanical bull and what impact COVID had on a small business that relies entirely on in-person events.

05/27/2024

Episode 22 with Shelly Greving of and so much more is now live ✨

We cover a lot of ground in this almost 2.5 hour conversation. You’ll learn what it was like trying to find a job in graphic design post-dotcom bubble burst, what a turtle has to do with the beginnings of her business, and why there’s a 3 stuck in the middle of her business name.

Any community that Shelly is in is lucky to have her. She is as hands on as they come and her impact continues to grow. I really enjoyed this conversation, and I know you will too. Check it out! ❤️

05/20/2024

Episode 21 with Liesl Seabert from the UNI Institute for Decision Making is now available ✨ find out how a Florida girl fell in love with Rural Iowa ❤️

05/20/2024

Episode 21 with Liesl Seabert of the UNI Institute for Decision Making is now available ✨ find out how a Florida girl fell in love with Rural Iowa ❤️

05/17/2024

Do you know someone who's innovating in Rural America?! Want them to be recognized by the White House?! Here's your chance to nominate them:

https://www.rural.gov/rural-innovators-initiative

Nominations are due by June 14th

Rural Innovators Initiative

05/13/2024

Episode 20 with Amanda Severson of is now LIVE across Spotify, Apple Podcasts, & YouTube. You’ll hear the story of how a rural, Washington state native found herself cattle ranchin’ in Clarion, IA, why she thinks everyone should spend a day on a farm, and why having a big following isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be. Check it out ✨

05/06/2024

Episode 19 with the Mayor of Collins, Brett Comegys is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. Check it out! 💪🏻

04/29/2024

Community coffee round ✌🏻 full house this morning ❤️☕️

04/29/2024

Episode 18 with Billie Asmus is now LIVE! Billie is the inventor of the Repaint Tray, a reusable paint tray with a lid. Learn how she went from a job in radio ad sales to a furniture flipping business to an inventor. 💪🏻🎨

04/22/2024

Episode 17 with Ross Naylor of based out of Cambridge, IA (pop 831) is now available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. Check it out! 🎙️

04/16/2024

Back by popular demand. ❤️✨☕️ see you Monday morning, April 29th from 7-8:30 am.

04/16/2024

While I was in town recording an episode with Bill & James a few weeks ago, we were able to record an episode of Under the Covers as well. Check it out! Iowa Cover Crop

If you've been looking for Under the Covers content, we know it's been crickets lately...but we're back talking crickets! 🦗🦗🦗

Shelby Smith of Gym-N-Eat Crickets LLC and the Building in a Small Town podcast joined several weeks ago to record a podcast, and we flipped the mic on her after we were done.

Shelby has a cool story of entrepreneurship going from high flying finance to local cricket farming. We first met Shelby when she became the fist winner of the Iowa Farm Bureau "Grow Your Future" award. (We were the second 🥈) We've been lucky to continue crossing paths and cheering each other on!

Stay tuned this week for her episode to drop!

04/15/2024

Episode 16 with Mel & Russ of & is now live across Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. 🎙️

Mel & Russ are building awesome, community driven businesses in small town Slater. I really enjoyed the conversation and I think you will too. Check it out ✨

04/08/2024

The first of what will likely be many community coffees was a great success this morning! Thanks to all who stopped by to grab a cup and have some conversation ☕️❤️

04/01/2024

Come have coffee with me! ☕