12: How Small Business Partnerships Can Help You Win Bigger Projects
The Rural Way
What if growing your business didn't require hiring more employees? In this episode of The Rural Way Podcast, Tracy Schira-Parker discusses how collaboration and strategic partnerships can help small business owners increase capacity, take on larger projects, and create new revenue opportunities. She also shares why handshake deals often create unnecessary risk and how simple written agreements protect everyone involved. This episode explores: Growing your business through collaboration Increasing capacity with trusted partners Winning larger contracts and procurement opportunities Why...
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11: How to Get More Customers Into Your Small Business
The Rural Way
Why should someone stop at your business instead of buying online? In this episode of The Rural Way Podcast, Tracy Schira-Parker explores how customer behavior has changed and why small businesses need to rethink the way they market their products and services. She shares practical ideas for creating a better customer experience, making shopping more convenient, and giving people a reason to choose local. This episode explores: Why today's customers think differently Understanding attention, emotion, and convenience Marketing ideas that attract more customers Creating products and...
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10: Why Customers Can't Find Your Small Business (And How to Fix It)
The Rural Way
How easy is it for someone to find your business when they need what you offer? In this episode of The Rural Way Podcast, Tracy Schira-Parker discusses why visibility has become one of the biggest marketing challenges for small businesses. From social media and websites to Google Business Profiles and local listings, she shares practical ways to help customers find your business before they find someone else's. This episode explores: Why local businesses often struggle to get found online Common mistakes on Facebook and Instagram The importance of Google Business Profile Using SEO and...
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09: Stop Winging It: The secret to getting more done on the farm | Seeding Series #3
The Rural Way
Why do so many farm projects get pushed to next year? In this episode of the Seeding Series, Tracy Schira-Parker discusses a simple project management approach that can help farm families move projects from the idea stage to completion. Whether it's fencing, building bins, fixing infrastructure, or tackling long-overdue improvements, successful projects rarely happen by accident. They happen because someone took the time to plan ahead. This episode explores: • The importance of project planning on the farm • Breaking projects into clear action steps • Identifying supplies, labour,...
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08: The Mental Load of Farming | Seeding Series #2
The Rural Way
Seeding season doesn't just test your equipment. It tests your mind. In this episode of the Seeding Series, Tracy Schira-Parker discusses the mental load farmers carry during one of the most demanding times of the year. From financial pressure and uncertainty to long hours alone with your thoughts, farming can create a level of stress that often goes unspoken. Tracy shares practical strategies for managing that pressure, improving mental clarity, taking care of your health, and knowing when it's time to reach out for support. This episode explores: • The mental challenges of seeding season...
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07: The Simple Farm Tool That Could Save You Thousands | Seeding Series #1
The Rural Way
Welcome to the first episode of the Seeding Series, a short-form series focused on the challenges and opportunities that show up throughout the farming season. In this episode, Tracy Schira-Parker discusses the value of having a written production plan and why it should be more than something stored in your memory. A production plan isn't about creating complicated systems or expensive spreadsheets. It's about making sure the right information is documented, communicated, and accessible when it's needed most. This episode explores: • Why production plans reduce risk on the farm • The...
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06: The Art of Conversations
The Rural Way
Have we forgotten how to have a real conversation? In this episode of The Rural Way, Tracy Schira-Parker reflects on the growing decline of meaningful communication and why curiosity may be one of the most underrated skills in business and life. Drawing from personal experiences, leadership lessons, and research on trust and connection, Tracy explores what happens when conversations become one-sided and why asking thoughtful questions can dramatically change relationships. This episode explores: • What creates a high-quality conversation • Why curiosity builds trust and connection • The...
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05: My stance on AI tools (at this time)
The Rural Way
What happens when AI starts replacing the people behind the content? In this episode of The Rural Way, Tracy Schira-Parker shares her honest thoughts on AI, authenticity, and the growing pressure for creators and business owners to automate everything. This conversation explores the balance between using AI as a helpful business tool versus allowing it to replace real human connection. Tracy breaks down the tools she’s personally using, what she finds genuinely useful, and the areas where she believes authenticity still matters most. This episode explores: · The difference between using AI...
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04: The Mental Load Women Carry
The Rural Way
“Manic May” is what Tracy Schira-Parker used to call the season where everything collided at once — kids’ sports, long drives, farm life, business responsibilities, housework, exhaustion, and the constant mental load of trying to keep everything running. In this episode of The Rural Way, Tracy shares the lessons she learned raising four kids through years of competitive sports while balancing rural life, entrepreneurship, and the pressure to “do it all.” This conversation explores the systems, routines, and mindset shifts that helped reduce chaos, along with the things she wishes...
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03: Why Rural? | The Niche Everyone Told Me Not to Choose
The Rural Way
Why rural—and why build something around it when most people tell you to go broader? In Episode 3 of The Rural Way, Tracy Schira-Parker shares the real reason she chose to focus on rural communities. This isn’t about limiting yourself—it’s about speaking to people whose reality is often overlooked. From access and opportunity to isolation and lifestyle, this episode highlights what makes rural business different—and why those differences matter. If you’ve ever felt like most advice doesn’t quite fit your situation, this will resonate. This episode explores: - Why choosing a clear...
info_outline“Manic May” is what Tracy Schira-Parker used to call the season where everything collided at once — kids’ sports, long drives, farm life, business responsibilities, housework, exhaustion, and the constant mental load of trying to keep everything running.
In this episode of The Rural Way, Tracy shares the lessons she learned raising four kids through years of competitive sports while balancing rural life, entrepreneurship, and the pressure to “do it all.”
This conversation explores the systems, routines, and mindset shifts that helped reduce chaos, along with the things she wishes she had done sooner.
This episode explores:
· The mental load carried by mothers and caregivers
· Decision fatigue and why batching decisions matters
· Creating household systems that reduce overwhelm
· Delegation, responsibility, and raising capable kids
· Managing busy sports seasons and family schedules
· The importance of nervous system regulation and recovery
· Letting go of perfection during demanding seasons
· How to identify what’s truly urgent and important
This is an honest conversation for women navigating busy seasons of life and trying to build systems that support both their family and themselves.
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