S5:E19 - Small Town Talent Attraction with Alissa Henriksen
Release Date: 09/22/2025
S5:E19 - Small Town Talent Attraction with Alissa Henriksen
The Growing Small Towns Show
We’ve heard it, and you probably have too: “People don’t want to move to rural communities.” Or, “Talented people don’t want to live in small towns.” Well, we’re happy to say we know that’s not true, and so does Alissa Henriksen. This episode is all about attracting talent to our small towns, how not to write people off, and why sometimes it’s good for a business to run on vibes. About Alissa: Alissa Henriksen is the co-founder and co-president at Grey Search + Strategy, where she leads the community-centric team culture and drives revenue goals for the...
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S5:E18 - Being a Developer with a Heart with Dylan Cinti
The Growing Small Towns Show
Housing development is a key focus for many small towns, and for good reason: we need places for people to live! But, sometimes development can bring gentrification and sameness, which is not what we want for our small towns. Dylan Cinti combines construction with stewardship to restore and update small-town properties while keeping their heart and charm. About Dylan: Dylan Cinti is co-founder and Head of Operations at Yarrow, a real estate firm dedicated to creating a better renting experience in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Working with local tradespeople, Yarrow buys, remodels, and manages...
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S5:E17 - Engaging Kids to Contribute with Craig Cegielski and Tyson Rohrscheib
The Growing Small Towns Show
We are kicking off the second part of Season 5 with a bang and sharing one of the coolest programs we’ve had the pleasure of learning about: Cardinal Manufacturing. Led by our guests, Craig and Tyson, Cardinal Manufacturing is a high school class *and* a full-fledged business that allows students to not only do actual work but learn the skills involved in running a business, from how to walk through a door with confidence and give a good handshake to how to quote jobs, do the work, and submit invoices. Like…can you even?! It’s the coolest program and we can’t wait to share it with...
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S5:E16 - What Makes Kids Love Their Small Towns with Carter Undem
The Growing Small Towns Show
This is a first on the podcast and a great ending to the first part of Season 5 (we’ll be back in September with more episodes!) One of Rebecca’s children joined us for the funnest episode ever about small towns through the eyes of a kid: what he loves, what he’d like to see, and the frustrations he experiences as a kid in a small town. About Carter: Carter is Rebecca’s 13-year-old son, the middle child, and a small-town connoisseur and font of wisdom about how to connect with and make small towns great places for kids. In this episode, we cover: What Carter loves about his small...
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S5:E15 - Getting and Keeping Rural Lawyers with Hannah Haksgaard
The Growing Small Towns Show
This 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...
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S5:E14 - How to Engage Youth in Small Towns with Karen Pifher
The Growing Small Towns Show
We focus a lot on belonging here at Growing Small Towns, and one of the most important groups (that sometimes gets neglected by traditional community development) is youth. Kids need to feel at home and welcome in our small towns, too, and when our young people are engaged, active, and have good places to hang out with their friends, the effect is like a shockwave in the best way. Today’s episode is with the amazing Karen Pifher, who is helping communities support their youth in very real, material ways. And with lots of food, because apparently that’s key for kid hangouts. ...
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S5:E13 - The Fight for Public Education with Erin Oban
The Growing Small Towns Show
When we think of politics, I think a lot of us feel intimidated or like there isn’t room for us in the process–we’re not “political,” or we don’t have time, or we’re not the right kind of person. Today’s guest shows that being an unlikely politician may actually be the best thing, and why we need more real people in politics (yes, that means you!) About Erin: Erin Oban is a lifelong North Dakotan and proud, Class B kid, raised in a farm family in Ray, ND. Her professional career has included experience as a middle school math teacher, in nonprofit management and educational...
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S5:E12 - Making Room for New People with Meredith McMurray
The Growing Small Towns Show
Meredith is easily one of the most interesting and unusual people we’ve ever had on the podcast, and her story is a testament to just how much small-town living appeals to all kinds of people, even people that you may not expect. This episode is all about how Meredith–a Marin County, California native–found herself in rural South Dakota, and what we can do to make our small towns more welcoming for all different kinds of people who want to make their lives here. About Meredith: Meredith McMurray was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, CA. She was home-schooled for all...
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Season 5, Episode 11 - Small Town People Problems: Negative Local Voices with Heidi Kerr-Schlaefer
The Growing Small Towns Show
This episode is a listener-submitted Small Town People Problem, and it’s one we hear a lot: What do we do about local negativity? How do we deal with it when the people in the town are the ones being the Negative Nancies (or Negative Normans), and what can we do about it? We are joined by the amazing Heidi Kerr-Schlaefer, who, as it happens, is someone who knows quite a lot about local apathy and what to do about it. About Heidi: Heidi Kerr-Schlaefer barely escaped law school. She became a freelance writer in 2006, the Mayor of HeidiTown.com in 2007, and a community builder in 2023 when she...
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S5:E10 - Love as a Driver in Small Towns
The Growing Small Towns Show
We 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 change in your communities: Focus on doing more of...
info_outlineWe’ve heard it, and you probably have too: “People don’t want to move to rural communities.” Or, “Talented people don’t want to live in small towns.”
Well, we’re happy to say we know that’s not true, and so does Alissa Henriksen. This episode is all about attracting talent to our small towns, how not to write people off, and why sometimes it’s good for a business to run on vibes.
About Alissa:
Alissa Henriksen is the co-founder and co-president at Grey Search + Strategy, where she leads the community-centric team culture and drives revenue goals for the company centered on personal relationships with clients, partners and prospects. With over 20 years in executive search and recruitment, Alissa guides Grey in serving hundreds of clients, 20+ strategic partners and 50+ community organizations, contributing over 1,000 hours of service annually in the Midwest market.
After working for a large recruiting firm, Alissa founded Grey Search + Strategy with her husband in 2008 and never looked back. Her collaborative leadership fosters innovation and drive while her expertise drives measurable results and a memorable client experience.
The company consistently ranks on the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal Twin Cities Top 25 Search Firms list. It was named one of American’s Top Small Businesses by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for economic and community impact in 2023. In 2024, the company was honored with Twin Cities Business Reader’s Choice in Executive Recruiting, Star Tribune Best of MN awards, and inclusion on the Inc. 5000 and Inc. Regionals Midwest lists.
Currently, Alissa serves on the board for TeamWomen and its executive committee. She was named to Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal 40 Under 40 list in 2019 and inducted into The Reading Center’s Hall of Fame in 2021. In 2024, Alissa was named a Woman of the Year by Enterprising Women magazine and won the Empowering Women award from Finance & Commerce magazine. She is also a two-time recipient of the Twin Cities Business Notables in Executive Recruiting honor in 2024 and 2025.
A graduate of South Dakota State University, Alissa played volleyball on a full scholarship. She was a double major in Business Economics and Spanish.
Outside of work, Alissa mentors young entrepreneurs and enjoys spending time with her family outdoors – especially on one of Minnesota’s 10,000 lakes – and traveling to new places together.
Alissa is dedicated to driving success for women leaders and the broader community. She welcomes opportunities to connect with like-minded, professional women in the Twin Cities.
In this episode, we cover:
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Why the myth that “talented people don’t want to move to small towns” is false
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The role of community “vibe” and culture in attracting talent
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Top workforce trends small towns can leverage, from flexibility to workplace environment
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How authentic leadership helps retain and inspire people
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The opportunities and limitations of AI in recruiting
Links + Resources Mentioned:
Grey Search Website:https://grey-search.com/
Grey Search LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/greysearch
Sponsor Spotlight: Brodie Mueller and The Market on the Plaza
In small towns, coffee is more than caffeine. It’s community! Market on the Plaza roasts beans locally in Aberdeen, in small batches for the freshest, richest cup to start your day or for an afternoon pick-me-up. Stop in to grab a bag for home or linger over a cup with neighbors. Proudly local, always welcoming.
This week’s Small-Town Shout-Out is:
Plankinton, SD! Our friend Carl asked us to shout out his small community because of their small businesses. We know that small businesses are the heartbeat of small towns, and we’re so glad to celebrate when small businesses are flourishing. Way to go, Plankinton!
We Want to Hear From You!
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 have two “participation dance” elements of 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 [email protected]
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!