Rural Revival Rural Revival

On today’s episode of the Rural Revival podcast we’re with Deb McGinn, Ginny Showman, Jacque Andrew, Sara Ostrander, and Peg Raney of Why Not Us — a group of 72 women who pooled their resources to save a historic downtown building called The Centennial on their town square in Jefferson, Iowa (pop. 4,182).
After the building was flooded with several thousands of gallons of water and it destroyed the community’s popular tea room, they wanted somebody to bring it back, and finally decided, why not us? They’re sharing how they pooled their resources, set parameters for the group, found somebody to run the restaurant, and the incredible impact this has had on their community.
You’ll love the model that these ladies have established in working together to bring back this historic building and important business to the community of Jefferson. There is no doubt this is going to spark some ideas for you in how you can pool your resources to do something similar in your community! We’re excited to watch this project continue and to see that second story get finished out.
Thank you to all the ladies for being on the podcast, and to all 72 ladies who make up Why Not Us, thank you for your investment into your community and for inspiring us to do something similar in our small towns. Because hey, why not us?
Check out more on the blog.

SHOW NOTES:Jefferson, IowaPete Franks - Franks Design GroupKevin Conway - Westbrook ConstructionChirpJefferson Matters

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BRANDED BY RURAL REVIVALI have a fun announcement - we’ve now expanded our design services at Branded by Rural Revival to offer logos, branding, and marketing assets! So, if you need a logo or brand refresh, or a new website, we’d love to help you build a brand you love. You can find out more at brandedbyruralrevival.co.

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On today’s podcast episode we’re with Luke and Jennifer Mahin of Irrigation Ales in Courtland, Kansas (pop. 294). They’re sharing how they have built this business over time, starting with the Courtland Fermentation Club and the process of learning how to brew good, quality beer, as well as the cool story behind their branding.
They also talk about the incredible entrepreneurial culture of Courtland, plus what it was like for Luke growing up in a very small town and for Jennifer moving to a very small town.
You are going to love SO MUCH about this interview and there’s so much we can learn from Luke and Jennifer’s story. Whether it’s building your business one step at a time or creating that entrepreneurial culture in your town or the economic development tips — we know you are walking away from this interview inspired!
Check out more on the blog.

SHOW NOTES:Courtland, KansasRepublic County Economic DevelopmentCourtland Fermentation ClubCourtland Fun DaySoul SistersCourtland Town Feature

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BRANDED BY RURAL REVIVALI have a fun announcement - we’ve now expanded our design services at Branded by Rural Revival to offer logos, branding, and marketing assets! So, if you need a logo or brand refresh, or a new website, we’d love to help you build a brand you love. You can find out more at brandedbyruralrevival.co.

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On today’s episode of the Rural Revival podcast we’re with Brett Hubka with A Mural Movement of Clay Center, Kansas (pop. 4,123).
Brett's sharing how a simple service project around one mural turned into a movement that has now brought 33 murals to their town. When this all started, the community had no public art. Now they're drawing in artists from around the nation and expanding their efforts beyond Clay Center to the entire county, and Brett's here to tell you all about it.
This is such a fun project and it’s great to see how the community has rallied around this. I'm excited to share that the new grain bin mural that Brett mentioned is now finished and it is incredible!
I also want to give a shout out to Brett and the Rotary for their leadership of this project. 33 murals in four years is A LOT and they've put a lot of time and effort into this, and it's really great to see all their hard work paying off.
Check out the podcast and make Clay Center a part of your travel plans this summer! This is something really fun to experience and you will not be disappointed!
Check out more on the blog.

SHOW NOTES:Clay Center, KansasMedicine Lodge, KansasOberlin, KansasGN BankClay Center Rotary ClubClay Center Community Improvement FoundationClay Center ZooClay County, KansasKansas Creative Arts and Industries CommissionLive Rural SurveyGrow Clay CountyHiawatha, KansasHolton, KansasHarper, Kansas

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BRANDED BY RURAL REVIVALI have a fun announcement - we’ve now expanded our design services at Branded by Rural Revival to offer logos, branding, and marketing assets! So, if you need a logo or brand refresh, we’d love to help you build a brand you love. You can find out more at brandedbyruralrevival.co/design.

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This week we have a very special episode of the podcast featuring the OABCIG Middle School TAG students from right here in my hometown! I had the honor of getting to speak to them last week about my career path, and then we turned the conversation to them and talked about THEIR dreams for our small towns. We decided it would be fun to record this and share it with you here on the podcast!
I loved this discussion so much and that so many of them have dreams for their future that involve staying right here! And that means we, as the generation going before them, have the responsibility to do our part to make it possible for them to live out their dreams here.
I also want to direct you to an essay written by their teacher, Mrs. Masters, called What Rural Gets Right — expanding on the idea that RURAL schools aren’t completely disadvantaged, as some may think they are, and if we can look at the ways rural schools are positioned to meet individual student’s interests and learning needs, we can change that narrative. We’ve linked to that in the show notes and I would encourage you to check that out. 
Check out more on the blog.

SHOW NOTES:OABCIG Community School DistrictEssay: What Rural Gets Right

RAISED TO STAY:We’re challenging small towns to create opportunities and shift the mindset of our kids so they choose to stay in our rural communities instead of leave. We’re surveying high school juniors and seniors across the country to gather important data. This data will give us the information we need to:
Make our communities a place where young professionals can be successful
Offer amenities important to this demographic (coffee shop, brewery, gym, housing, etc.)
Better understand the needs and wants of the next generation
Sign up to be included in our free survey. We’re also offering a limited number of in-person workshop opportunities. Get more info here.

BE A PART OF OUR BOOK!Yes that’s right, we’re launching a book! And we want YOU to be a part of it! Imagine all the Rural Revival stories you love, now all together in the form of a beautiful coffee table book! Over the years we’ve collected so many great stories and we know there are so many more out there, so we’re asking you to submit YOUR Rural Revival story to be included in this new book. We want this to be a source of inspiration that you can keep going back to, or that you can give to help inspire someone else’s story! We are accepting submissions through May 31, 2024. Submit your rural revival story here!

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On today’s episode of the Rural Revival podcast we’re with Eddie and Julie Flores of Nursing Back to Life, which follows their restoration of an old house in Lincoln, Kansas (pop. 1,171) that is now their home.
It all started when a free house in Julie’s hometown went viral and they decided they just might be the ones that wanted to save it! Eddie and Julie are sharing how they got the house and moved it to its new location and are taking us through the restoration process. You’ll learn how they repurposed different elements of the house, why this was important for their community, and how this project has given them a fresh perspective on small towns and inspired them to get involved in the community.
This is such a fun project and fun conversation! We share a similar part of our story where covid was the catalyst to getting us back to our hometowns, and I know we’re not alone in that, so it’s nice to see some good things come out of that season. Be sure to go check out Eddie and Julie’s episode on In With the Old and follow along with them on social media. I’m excited to see what happens next for them!
Check out more on the blog.

SHOW NOTES:Lincoln, KansasCheap Old HousesFor the Love of Old HousesIn With The Old - HBO Max and Discovery+

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BE A PART OF OUR BOOK!Yes that’s right, we’re launching a book! And we want YOU to be a part of it! Imagine all the Rural Revival stories you love, now all together in the form of a beautiful coffee table book! Over the years we’ve collected so many great stories and we know there are so many more out there, so we’re asking you to submit YOUR Rural Revival story to be included in this new book. We want this to be a source of inspiration that you can keep going back to, or that you can give to help inspire someone else’s story! We are accepting submissions through May 31, 2024. Submit your rural revival story here!

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On today’s episode of the Rural Revival podcast we’re with Dakota Dawn Johnson, host of the Cowgirl Confessions podcast, in Mound City, Kansas (pop. 647). Dakota is a ranch wife, podcast host, and successful saleswoman and is sharing with us about her wonderfully wild and western life, as she likes to call it.
We’re talking about sales and sponsorships and why that doesn’t have to be as hard as you think, and Dakota’s giving us some great keys to making ourselves better in these areas by making sales skills life skills. She’s also talking about the cowgirl state of mind and inviting other people into this lifestyle, and what it looks like to find your calling and live that out.
Dakota truly is one of the most encouraging people I know and I love the way she champions women and shares their stories to inspire us. She talks about being a light, but we are so thankful for her bright light and positive outlook on our rural way of life!
And be sure to check out her podcast because if you love this podcast, I have a feeling you’re gonna love her podcast, too!
Check out more on the blog.

SHOW NOTES:Mound City, KansasAriat InternationalThe Kickstart Guide to SponsorshipsOf the WestCowgirl Confessions Podcast

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BRANDED BY RURAL REVIVALI have a fun announcement - we’ve now expanded our design services at Branded by Rural Revival to offer logos, branding, and marketing assets! So, if you need a logo or brand refresh, we’d love to help you build a brand you love. You can find out more at brandedbyruralrevival.co/design.

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