S5:E8 - The Opportunity for Returners with Jessica Meyers
Release Date: 03/31/2025
S6:E4 - Bearing the Weight of Expectations with Anna McLean
The Growing Small Towns Show
Many small-town people carry more than their fair share and, in some cases, tie their self-worth to how much they do for others or to their role in their small town (we’re lovingly looking at you, farmers and ranchers and Heads of Everything). In this episode, therapist Anna and our host Rebecca explore burnout, boundaries, and why emotional awareness and resilience can coexist. It’s a grounded conversation about choosing alignment over obligation and building healthier communities from the inside out. About Anna: Welcome! I’m Anna. I am dedicated to helping individuals and...
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S6:E3 - A 25-Year-Old Buys a Quilt Shop with TJ Roney
The Growing Small Towns Show
What happens when a 25-year-old buys a quilt shop in a town of 1,800 people? (Spoiler: awesome stuff.) In this episode, our very own TJ Roney shares how entrepreneurship, creativity, social media, and community support collided to create unexpected momentum. It’s a powerful reminder that rural opportunity doesn’t always look the way we expect it to, and that young people are, in fact, interested in things that aren’t on their phones. About TJ: Hey there, my name is TJ, and I’m a 25-year-old grandma! I love anything creative, and learned to sew when I was 5 years old. Thanks to...
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S6:E2 - Downtown Redevelopment with Luke Henry
The Growing Small Towns Show
Downtowns don’t come back by accident. They come back because someone decides they should, and then acts on it. In this episode, Luke Henry shares how he helped catalyze downtown redevelopment in Marion, Ohio. It involves real financial risk, building an ecosystem of local businesses, and staying committed when the work got hard. It’s a real, honest look into the challenges and joys of community-led revitalization, because, like many things, it’s hard but worth it. About Luke: Luke Henry grew up in Mount Gilead, Ohio and transplanted to Marion with his wife Lindsey in 2006...
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S6:E1 - Microbusiness Development in Small Towns with Marci Goodwin, Katie Kelly, and Leigh Ann Brown
The Growing Small Towns Show
Welcome to the first episode of season SIX of the Growing Small Towns podcast! We’re starting off big by having our first-ever TRIO on the pod, and we’re so excited to share this episode with you. Most small towns aren’t built on startups or corporations; they’re built on small (and smaller!) businesses, and today’s episode is all about those “smaller” ones: microbusinesses. This episode explores how supporting solopreneurs, side hustles, and local makers creates stronger economies, fuller Main Streets, and communities where people can stay, build, and belong. About Marci,...
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S5:E31 - What’s to Come in 2026 Rebecca Undem
The Growing Small Towns Show
In this solo season finale, Rebecca shares an honest reflection on entrepreneurship, community work, and the courage it takes to keep trying when things feel uncertain. It’s a reminder that success doesn’t have to look one way, and that showing up, evolving, and staying in the work matters more than perfect outcomes. This is the final episode of Season 5! We’ll be back in February, refreshed and ready with Season 6! In this episode, we cover: Why most business owners and community leaders quietly want to quit — and why that’s normal The myth that success requires scaling,...
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S5:E30 - Life by Design with Brooke Clay Taylor
The Growing Small Towns Show
Brooke Clay Taylor is a force. We are so excited to have her on the podcast because her story is so darn inspiring, and she’s just a really cool human. In this episode, Brooke shares her journey from growing up in a small town, moving to the big city for college and work, moving back to a small town for entrepreneurship and love, and then becoming an entrepreneur, mother, and cancer survivor. This episode explores what it really looks like to design your life with intention, build community by being a “villager,” and choose authenticity in both business and life. About Brooke: Brooke...
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S5:E29- How Chambers Can Change with the Times with Kausha Magill
The Growing Small Towns Show
We’re back with one of our most very favorite people and Oakes local, Kausha Magill, to talk Chambers of Commerce. This episode explores how Chambers of Commerce can stay relevant by embracing collaboration, experimentation, and a regional mindset. It’s a practical, uplifting look at what happens when chambers evolve with the times instead of sticking to the “Well, this is how we’ve always done it.” 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,...
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S5:28 - Fostering Belonging and Creating Community with Emma McIntyre
The Growing Small Towns Show
Loneliness is a big deal, and it’s become an actual epidemic. And, while it may seem simple to combat (the opposite of loneliness is belonging and community, right?), creating belonging and community can actually be much harder. This is what Emma McIntyre is all about. She builds events that create belonging — from farmers markets to winter festivals to senior socials — and this episode is all about how small towns can replicate these ideas at any scale by focusing on comfort, connection, and purpose. It’s a roadmap for how to build community in ways that actually stick. ...
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S5:27 - Cattle, Creativity, and Community with Tesa Klein
The Growing Small Towns Show
This episode dives into the amazing creative journey of Tesa Klein, the cowgirl-turned-entrepreneur behind Wildflowers, who rebuilt her business after years in the rodeo world and rediscovered her spark. She’s deeply rooted in rural (she lives in a NoDak town of 50!) but has had her share of big-time viral moments. It’s an inspiring look at trusting yourself even when your dreams don’t seem to match your zip code, and we love hearing her take on balance and dreaming big from her tiny ND town. About Tesa: Tesa is the owner, operator, and creative artist behind Wildflowers, a western and...
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S5:26 - Generational Perspectives in Small Towns with Jackie Knutson and Lisa Schulz
The Growing Small Towns Show
In this episode, we sit down with “Oakes Folks” Jackie Knutson and Lisa Schulz, a mother–daughter duo who represent two generations deeply invested in their hometown. They talk about leaving and returning, building belonging, showing up for community, navigating change, and why small towns need to both embrace the future and remember the past in order to thrive. It’s a heartfelt, grounded conversation about loving where you live, even when it’s not perfect. About Jackie and Lisa: Jackie Knutson and Lisa Schulz are a mother–daughter pair deeply rooted in GST’s hometown of Oakes,...
info_outlineThe “Returner” phenomenon is a very real thing: people leave their small towns as young people and come back later when they’re ready to settle down, and there is a huge opportunity for both the returners and the small towns they’re coming back to–but we’re not always open to these boomerangs. This episode is about inviting people back, creating spaces, and growing as communities so they everyone is thriving. We think you’ll love it!
About Jessica:
Originally from Winner, SD (pop. 2,852), Jessica Meyers was raised in Winner and Vermillion, SD, and earned her bachelor’s degree at South Dakota State University in Brookings. Jessica and her husband Matt followed the flight pattern of many young adults and left the small towns of SD for bigger cities. After 10 years of living in some of the largest cities in America, she now lives in Sioux Falls with her family. Pairing over 20 years of sales and recruiting experience, Jessica discovered a unique opportunity for the Midwest. She is co-founder and CEO of PorchLight, a talent recruitment firm that partners with rural communities to prepare for the 21st-century workforce and connect rural workers to employment opportunities.
Jessica created the first-of-its-kind PorchLight Certification and created the platform where rural development and job opportunities connect. Personally, Jessica has been married for over 20 years to her high school sweetheart Matt, and they have three daughters, Eve, Grace, and Juliet, who live in Sioux Falls, SD.
In this episode, we cover:
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What is a returner?
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A different approach to thinking about housing (hint: it’s not just workforce housing we need to consider)
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Why “People don’t want to work anymore” is a myth
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Why remote work *works* for small communities
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What every single one of us can do to support our community’s small businesses
Links + Resources Mentioned:
PorchLight’s Website: https://porchlight-services.com/
Small-Town Shout-Out!
This shout-out was blatantly stolen from the webinar with Saveyour.town, and in the chat, Jamie Shanks from Glendive shared an idea inspired by a Reimaginig Rural Event: They’ve recently formed a group focused on action vs meetings, and they call themselves the “VigiPlantes.” Their efforts are centered around planting new ideas, community beautification, planting actual trees and plants, and sometimes doing things in the wee hours so people in their community wake up to a surprise.
Can you even?!
Snaps to Jamie, Glendive, and the VigiPlanties for this very stealable, very amazing idea.
New Segment Alert!
We think some of the best parts about radio shows and podcasts are listener call-ins, so we’ve decided to make those a part of the Growing Small Towns Podcast. We really, really want to hear from you! We’re introducing two new parts to the show:
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“Small town humblebrags”: Call in and tell us about something amazing you did in your small town so we can celebrate with you. No win is too small—we want to hear it all, and we will be excessively enthusiastic about whatever it is! You can call in for your friends, too, because giving shout-outs is one of our favorite things.
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“Solving Your Small-Town People Challenges”: Have a tough issue in your community? We want to help. Call in and tell us about your problem, and we’ll solve it on an episode of the podcast. Want to remain anonymous? Totally cool, we can be all secretive and stuff. We’re suave like that.
If you’ve got a humblebrag or a tricky people problem, call 701-203-3337 and leave a message with the deets. We really can’t wait to hear from you!
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
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Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Growing Small Towns Show! If the information in our conversations and interviews has helped you in your small town, head out to Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or Spotify, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Your reviews and feedback will not only help us continue to deliver relevant, helpful content, but it will also help us reach even more small-town trailblazers just like you!