S5:E15 - Getting and Keeping Rural Lawyers with Hannah Haksgaard
Release Date: 05/26/2025
S6:E9 - Growing Entrepreneurs in Small Towns with Andrew Button
The Growing Small Towns Show
What actually moves a small town forward? It’s not a lack of ideas, it’s a lack of execution. This episode digs into the mindset shift from planning to ownership, showing how consistent action, local investment, and focusing on the people who show up can create real momentum over time. It’s a practical, experience-based take on how we make things happen on the ground. About Andrew: After a 15-year career working in rural North America with the various businesses and economic development organizations, Andrew founded Mashup Lab (www.mashuplab.ca); a for-more-than-profit company...
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S6:E8 - Wisdom From 30 Years of Economic Development with Bob Wurl
The Growing Small Towns Show
What actually drives economic development in small towns? In this episode, Bob Wurl shares how community banking, long-term thinking, and a willingness to act—not just plan—have shaped his own small town’s success. It’s a practical look at what happens when people stop waiting for change and start building it themselves About Bob: Bob Wurl grew up in Hankinson, ND. He holds a B.S.B.A. degree with a major in Accounting from University of North Dakota and completed the Graduate School of Banking Program at the University of Wisconsin in 1995. He has 45 years of banking...
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S6:E7- Vacant Properties in Small Towns with Liz Kozub
The Growing Small Towns Show
Vacant and deteriorating properties are a challenge facing communities across the country—but small towns are not powerless to address them. In this episode, Liz from the Center for Community Progress shares practical strategies communities can use to inventory vacant buildings, navigate ownership challenges, and turn neglected properties into opportunities for revitalization. The conversation explores how data, partnerships, and creative thinking can help small towns reclaim the spaces that shape their future. About Liz: Liz Kozub is an Associate Director for Technical Assistance at the...
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S6:E6 - Foodies, Families and Unexpected Paths with Shawn and Aiden Ulmer
The Growing Small Towns Show
This episode features a local Oakes father/son duo and we’re so excited to introduce them to you! Shawn and Aiden Ulmer of the Angry Beaver Lodge share the story of a third-generation restaurant business and the unexpected path that brought Aiden back to Oaks. They discuss generational transitions, evolving bar culture, and the role local businesses play in creating community. This is a conversation about what draws people back to small towns and the active role communities can play in facilitating it. About Shawn and Aiden: Shawn grew up in Valley City, ND. He fell in love with the...
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S6:E5 - How Lack of Accessible Transportation is Impacting Aging in Place in Rural Communities with Nicole Jones
The Growing Small Towns Show
Nicole Jones is the founder of Little Red Riding Hood, Inc., and today she joins us to talk about the hidden crisis of senior transportation in rural communities. Her story shows how one human moment can spark a solution that strengthens healthcare access, local economies, and community belonging. This episode is a testimony to how one moment and one person can inspire change, and a reminder to protect those who came before us so we can be stronger, more whole communities. About Nicole: I am a 35-year-old who has made it her life's mission to help seniors in rural areas after finding a...
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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,...
info_outlineThis episode is about the rural lawyer shortage, why it’s happening, why it matters, and what we can do about it. This is a new-to-us topic, and we’re so excited to share it with you because it’s way more important and impactful than we realized.
Lawyers have a crucial place in our small communities, from providing essential government services like prosecution to supporting small businesses and helping them thrive. Our guest, Hannah, is a law professor and author who took a deep dive into this issue, and we’re so glad she did. We learned a lot, and we think you will, too!
About Hannah:
Hannah Haksgaard is a Professor at the University of South Dakota Knudson School of Law, where she teaches and writes in the areas of property law, family law, and the rural practice of law.
Hannah’s new book, The Rural Lawyer: How to Incentivize Rural Law Practice and Help Small Communities Thrive, is available on Amazon or through your favorite local bookseller.
In this episode, we cover:
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Why do we have a rural lawyer shortage?
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Why that shortage matters
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How can we address it?
Resources Mentioned:
Hannah’s Book: https://a.co/d/1iJyV9j
Small-Town Shout-Out!
This week’s shout-out is to the small town of Burke, SD. We love hearing what different people love about their small towns, and Burke sounds like a fantastic place to live. Meredith loves the Get Fit with Jenny classes, Kelsey’s all about the Farmer’s Market and the town’s gorgeous park space, and Cheyenne appreciates that the town is about love and legacy built on a foundation for the future. Wahoo, Burke, for being amazing in so many different ways!
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
Subscribe + Review
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!