The Rural Business Show

The Rural Business Show, hosted by journalist and rural business owner Ben Rowley, offers conversations with those engaged in strengthening rural economies throughout the United States. Gain insights from rural business owners and experts that will help you build your business and community in your rural area.

Episode 52: The Rural News Business 11/07/2024

Episode 51: Rural Housing 03/19/2024

Episode 50: Rural Voice 11/08/2023

Episode 49: Rural Business Conference Helping Small Business Owners Connect 10/26/2023

Episode 48: NC Rural Center 09/26/2023

Episode 47: A Small Town's Fight to Save Its Historic General Store 07/26/2023

Episode 46: The Farm Bill with Kalee Olson 05/22/2023

Episode 45: Rural Strategies for Utilizing Federal Funding 05/30/2022

Episode 44: Housing Development Alliance 03/24/2022

Episode 43: Rural Marketing 02/15/2022

Episode 42: Radically Rural 01/13/2022

Episode 41: Leafy Green Farms 12/27/2021

Episode 40: Building a Cider Business in Rural Colorado 09/29/2021

Episode 39: Rural Commercial Real Estate 09/13/2021

Episode 38: Community Heart & Soul 07/20/2021

Episode 37: Rural Grocery Initiative 05/10/2021

Episode 36: The Future of Rural Work 04/16/2021

Episode 35: Resilient Strategies for Rural Economies 02/06/2021

Episode 34: Building Possibility 10/08/2020

Episode 33: Overcoming Challenges in Rural Healthcare 09/19/2020

Episode 33: Overcoming Challenges in Rural Healthcare Michelle Rathman is the founder of Impact! Communications based in Geneva, Illinois. She started her business in 1989 as a Chicago-area public relations, advertising, and marketing firm. The company represented clients from a variety of industries and provided high-level PR services. This included booking published authors on national television shows, like the Oprah Winfrey Show. A stage 3 cancer diagnosis in 1996 and the ensuing successful battle with the disease, provided her first-hand experience with the healthcare system. This generated a desire to change the focus of her business on improving healthcare. Since that time, Michelle has worked with medical organizations across the country, including Rural Health Clinics, State Offices of Rural Health, and Critical Access Hospitals (CAH). Her company has designed, structured, and facilitated hundreds of strategic partnerships and alliances between hospitals and their stakeholders. Michelle’s work in rural healthcare led to an invitation to become the third host of the Rural Matters podcast. This podcast covers issues in rural health, education, and economic development, bringing in guests who are immersed in improving outcomes for rural communities. In this episode of the Rural Business Show, Michelle Rathman talks about her journey and why she is so passionate about rural areas. She discusses how her battle with cancer led to deep soul searching and the life-changing decision to change direction. We talk about why some rural hospitals are doing well, while others are struggling or closing and how the COVID-19 pandemic has presented new challenges to rural areas. We discuss whether policymakers really understand the needs in rural communities and how she works to push policy decisions that close disparities. Finally, Michelle shares advice on how to be successful in a rural business setting. /episode/index/show/ruralbusinesshq/id/16070360

Episode 32: TROTFITNESS 07/23/2020

Episode 32: TROTFITNESS Nisan Trotter is an entrepreneur, public speaker, author and owner of TROTFITNESS in Lewisburg, Penn. (population: 5,730). Trotter grew up in Silverhill, Ala. (population: 997), where he was brought up by a loving support group of family and friends. He said he cut his teeth on the pews of the local church and learned about hard work early on, citing his mother and grandfather as two important examples in his formative years. As a Black person growing up in a majority-white community, Trotter became aware of racial disparities and prejudice that still linger. Relatedly, he saw how hardworking employees like his mother were often at the mercy of others’ decisions. This gave him a desire early on to take greater control of his destiny through business ownership. He learned more lessons on hard work and teamwork as he became a standout three-sport athlete in high school, earning him a football scholarship to the prestigious Bucknell University in Lewisburg. As a first-generation college student, Trotter excelled as an athlete and in the school’s business program and received several honors for his leadership on and off the field. A year after college, Trotter returned to Lewisburg and worked for Bucknell. He eventually became an ACE-certified personal trainer and built a reputation as a top fitness expert in the area – on his way to establishing TROTFITNESS with his wife, Yorelis Trotter. Known as “The Fitness Preacher,” Trotter brings great energy and talent to his work – whether he is speaking to a group, helping his clients get in shape, advocating for racial equality, or being a husband and father of three. Joy, authentic enthusiasm, along with a savvy business sense, are all keys to success as an entrepreneur and in life, and Trotter has those qualities in abundance. In this episode of the Rural Business Show, Trotter discusses what it was like growing up in the rural Deep South and the childhood experiences that influenced him to become a business owner. We discuss some of the racial injustices he and his family went through and the continuing racial disparities in the United States. We talk about his college experience and why he decided to return and build his business in Pennsylvania, another majority-white community. He shares the lessons he is learning as a business owner and new challenges his business is navigating due to COVID-19. Trotter also gives advice to those considering starting a business in a rural location and the important role entrepreneurship plays in race and social justice issues in communities. Learn more about Nisan Trotter at , , and pick up his book, “Born Gifted,” on . /episode/index/show/ruralbusinesshq/id/15333644