Small Town Big Business

EThOs at The Citadel

Entrepreneurship and Business Opportunities in Today’s Small Towns hosted by Russell Williams, Jennifer Olson, and Deb Barnett.

  1. Branch Cafe & Market: Elaine Ramseyer and Nina Donovan

    Jun 11

    Branch Cafe & Market: Elaine Ramseyer and Nina Donovan

    Branch Cafe and Market: Legacy, Values-Driven Food, and Community in Downtown CarbondaleHosts Jennifer Olson and Russell Williams interview Elaine Ramseyer and Nina Donovan about The Branch Cafe and Market (formerly Long Branch), a legacy downtown Carbondale business and regional draw that expanded by merging with Town Square Market. Elaine recounts buying the cafe in 1998, growing from coffee and cookies into a full kitchen, adding a separate bakery/catering kitchen after purchasing the former Tokyo Restaurant, and evolving from a long-time vegetarian menu to include items like grass-fed beef burgers, wild-caught Alaskan salmon patties, and organic chicken, while staying focused on fresh, handmade food and quality ingredients. Nina describes the market’s specialty grocery offerings, prepared foods, local artisan gifts, supplements, and a homeopathic pharmacy, plus its role as a welcoming “third space” hosting meetings, art, memorials, showers, and community events. They discuss post-COVID staffing challenges, changing customer habits, marketing via social media and email, and their service- and relationship-driven mission, including support for international orphanages and local trade scholarships.00:00 Podcast Welcome00:50 Meet The Guests02:05 Branch Origin Story02:46 Growing Into A Kitchen04:26 Bakery Expansion Move05:19 Menu Evolution Values07:14 Market Merge Explained08:52 Entrepreneur Backgrounds12:40 Elaine New York Tales13:27 Nina Community Roots16:29 Third Space Events20:14 Hosting And Staffing20:48 Hours And Rentals21:28 Post Covid Staffing Shift23:29 Slow Food Versus Fast25:54 Marketing And Specials28:30 Artisan Gifts And Pantry29:09 Dietary Needs Focus30:21 Health Shop And Supplements31:02 Finding The Location32:36 Values Over Profit36:25 Community And Giving Back39:36 Connections And Networking42:16 How To Find Branch43:31 Sponsor Thanks And Wrap

    45 min
  2. Taco Trim Show - Auto Upholstery: Brittny Edwards

    May 14

    Taco Trim Show - Auto Upholstery: Brittny Edwards

    Taco Trim Shop: A 65-Year Upholstery Legacy with Brittany EdwardsOn the Small Town Big Business podcast, cohost Allison Hassler joins the hosts to interview Brittany Edwards of Taco Trim Shop, an automotive upholstery business founded in 1960 by her father, Roger “Taco” Loss. Brittany explains the name comes from “Taylor and Cook,” the prior owners, and shares the shop’s moves from Benton to Christopher and then Herrin in 1980. After her brother became ill, Brittany and her husband Daniel moved from Chicago and assumed ownership within a month; Daniel manages installations while Brittany handles customers and operations. They serve customers across Southern Illinois and nearby states, do automotive and commercial upholstery (including medical projects), and are currently not taking couches or most boats. Brittany discusses upgrading equipment, using SBDC workshops and grants for bookkeeping/legal help, building a website and social media presence, using ChatGPT, launching Taco Trim Media to document classic-car stories, and hosting a Herrin car show that drew about 150 cars.00:00 Podcast Introductions00:58 What Taco Trim Shop Is01:18 Origin Story Taylor Cook03:01 Family Legacy Today04:16 Sudden Succession Plan06:06 Learning As New Owner07:32 Service Area And Website08:55 Beyond Cars Commercial Work11:26 What They Do Not Do12:59 Materials OEM Seat Covers14:58 Equipment And Craft Process15:47 Roles Hiring And Care17:50 Apprenticeship And Experience18:52 Husband Joins the Craft20:48 Teamwork in a Tiny Shop21:13 Bookkeeping Grants and Taxes22:35 Marketing and Social Growth24:32 Networking Prayer and AI27:06 Taco Trim Media Stories29:06 Car Show Surprise Success31:12 Favorite Builds and Services32:51 Dad Legacy and Motivation35:01 How to Contact Taco TrimRecorded at EThOs Small Business Incubator and Co-working Spaces in Marion, Illinois.https://members.ethosmarion.org/ SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCASTOur guest: https://www.tacotrimshop.com/

    38 min
  3. M.A's Filipino Cuisine: Aicy Munsell

    Apr 23

    M.A's Filipino Cuisine: Aicy Munsell

    Small Town Big Business podcast with guest co-hosts Alison Hasler and Russell Williams interviews Aicy Munsell, owner of M.A's Filipino Cuisine in Marion, Illinois. Icy shares how she moved from the Philippines at 21, started the business as a food truck during COVID in 2020 because Filipino food was missing locally, and later opened a restaurant now in its fifth year. She explains Filipino cuisine as a unique blend of influences (including Chinese and Spanish), notes it’s generally not spicy, and highlights popular items like lumpia, chicken adobo, and a top-selling spicy pork belly adobo. The discussion covers sampling to help new customers, made-in-house items sold in a small grocery cooler area, catering options up to 250 people, marketing via Facebook, Google and reviews, and the challenges of getting customers in the door while relying on family and a chef for support.00:00 Podcast Welcome Sponsors00:49 Meet Guest Host Alison01:11 Introducing Aicy Munsell01:49 From Food Truck To Restaurant02:56 Why Start During COVID06:14 Filipino Cuisine Basics08:03 Menu Tips Samples Fusion09:33 How The Kitchen Runs10:48 Team Culture Hospitality16:19 Making Marion Home18:34 Serving The Filipino Community19:57 In Store Grocery Corner20:09 House Made Menu20:55 Local Grocery Partners21:20 Catering Options22:34 Unexpected Best Sellers24:02 Restaurant Challenges25:54 Marketing And Reviews27:25 Serving Students29:48 Supporting Local Eats30:27 Advice For New Owners32:08 Hours And Workload34:55 Why She Keeps Going35:46 Finding Filipino Community36:58 Final Thanks And Wrap Recorded at EThOs Small Business Incubator and Co-working Spaces in Marion, Illinois.https://members.ethosmarion.org/ SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCASTOur guest: https://www.facebook.com/m.a.sfilipinocuisine/?tsid=0.12392617292112218&source=result&_rdrSPECIAL THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:Watermark Auto Group: https://www.watermark.auto/Fowler Heating & Cooling: https://fowlerheatingandcooling.com/Swinford Media Group: https://swinfordpublications.com/Arcadia Wealth Group: https://www.raymondjames.com/arcadiawealthgroupBanterra Bank: https://www.banterra.bank/Southern Illinois Now: https://southernillinoisnow.org/Produced by Union Street Artshttps://www.unionstreetarts.com/Russell Williams: https://www.facebook.com/RussellDeanWilliams/Jennifer Olson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferolson618/Deb Barnett: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborahrbarnett/#podcast #smalltown

    39 min
  4. Art Snacks: Bits & Pieces Art and Antiques

    Apr 9

    Art Snacks: Bits & Pieces Art and Antiques

    Art Snacks: $5 Local Art Vending Machines Coming to Marion’s Civic CenterHosts Jennifer Olson (City of Marion) and Russell Williams (Ethos) welcome back Jennifer Colboth of Bits and Pieces Art & Antiques, now located at 204 Tower Square Plaza sharing space with Milkweed Provisions. Colboth discusses receiving an Illinois Arts Council grant to launch Art Snacks, a $5 art vending machine program featuring work from 20 local artists, with artists receiving the full vending amount; the first large machine will be placed at the Marion Cultural and Civic Center with a public launch event on April 12. The project also includes two small traveling machines to rotate through area businesses and Art Snacks Junior, low-cost art supplies and learning materials for kids, for which she is seeking family-friendly locations and donated supplies. Colboth invites artists, host sites, and donors to contact her via Facebook pages or email.00:00 Podcast Welcome01:22 Meet Jennifer Colboth02:16 Art Snacks Grant03:29 Vending Machine Details05:46 Launch Event Info06:23 How It Started08:39 Grant Application Lessons11:06 Traveling Machines Plan12:58 Art Snacks Junior14:22 Partners and Callouts16:07 Donations And Funding18:29 Kid Friendly Supply Range19:44 One Year Program Model21:20 Building An Art Community23:43 Showcasing Kids Creations25:08 Downtown Collaboration Spirit26:09 Rollout Dates And How To Help27:26 Contact Info And Store Hours28:55 Wrap Up And SponsorsRecorded at EThOs Small Business Incubator and Co-working Spaces in Marion, Illinois.https://members.ethosmarion.org/ SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCASTOur guest: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063552012481

    30 min
5
out of 5
14 Ratings

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Entrepreneurship and Business Opportunities in Today’s Small Towns hosted by Russell Williams, Jennifer Olson, and Deb Barnett.

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