The Found Podcast with Molly Knuth

There are just not enough Tuesdays in March to showcase all of the kickass female business owners I wish I could. This week's episode features SIX of my business besties. We have been on a Voxer group chat together since the beginning of 2022 and I am so grateful to have the support of these women in my life. I know you'll love them too. Meet the Badass Midwest Business Babes (We don't have a formal name, so that's what I'm going with today!) Lindsy Trotter of Chilled Freezer Meals in Center Point Iowa. She's been in business five years and sends freezer meals all across the country (and just up the road to Cascade!) Sheila Hansen of Sheila Hansen CPA who has been helping female business owners understand their numbers and make confident business decisions for seven years. Erika Hermsen of Sweat Inspire Sisterhood, an online fitness and nutrition community set to open its first brick-and-mortar this year. Marissa Hoffman, co-owner of The Midwest Girl, a shop with THE BEST apparel and goods with Midwest appeal. Maddie Peschong, a personal brand photographer, coach, and host of the Take It Personally podcast. She also rents out studio space to Souix Falls, South Dakota photographers through White Space Studio. Michelle Myers who creates all the good smells for her company Dirt Road Candle Co. Connect Connect with each of my business besties through the links above. Find me, Molly Knuth, on Instagram and Facebook. Follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram.

Hey listener! This week on the Found podcast I'm so fortunate to sit down with Whitney Kinne and discuss all things fulfillment, intention, and purpose. You know I'm all about that, but Whitney still fills the episode with fresh ideas and advice. She and her husband, Shane, coach professionals on finding the perfect role for them based on their values. She is just a wealth of information and I know you'll get a lot out of this professional who truly cares. Key Takeaways Whitney did our interview from her baby nursery (like, the one she was actually a baby in) turned home office. Her career pivot from higher education to coaching came from a desire to return to her rural roots and live in alignment with her values. She and her husband, Shane, coach individuals and lead team trainings to help people reach harmony between work and family. "Show some leadership:" What started as ordering her own ice cream as a four-year-old became a mantra for Whitney to have courage. She says everyone is a leadership isn't always a big bold move, and little ripples can have big effects. Whitney encourages everyone to evaluate where they can lead: "Where can I have influence and where can I have leadership in the teams or family that I'm a part of?" "Moms are like a thermostat in the home" The first step of coaching with Whitney is asking: What works? What isn't working? What matters to you? Whitney doesn't just list values, she identifies actions that demonstrate that value. She checks in on her actions regularly. Whitney loves working with her husband and appreciates their message coming from a male perspective. Audiences respond well to a man sharing his values of living life with purpose which is a message usually shared by women. Whitney says it's important to establish a routine for checking in with a coach. "Don't mistake movement for progress": Whitney cautions to evaluation if your actions are truly serving your larger goals. What is your first tactical step? Get on LinkedIn if you aren't already, and use something other than your current job title in your bio line. Reach out to Whitney and Shane for coaching using the contact information linked. Connect with Whitney Connect with Whitney on LinkedIn, follow on Instagram, and learn more about coaching on her website. Connect with Molly Find me, Molly Knuth, on Instagram and Facebook. Follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram.

Hey listener! This episode has me FIRED UP and my typical Key Takeaways format for podcast notes won't do it justice. Check out my blog for a full breakdown of this statistics-heavy episode. Sources include: More than a million women have left the workforce. The Fed needs to consider them as it defines 'full employment' (Fortune) Women in the Workplace 2022 (McKinsey & Company) 'It's a huge concern': Senior-level women are calling it quits after decades climbing the career ladder (CNBC) Child care providers can be hard to find and costly in Iowa. Here's what you need to know (Des Moines Register) Women in Iowa 2022 (The Iowa Department of Human Rights' Office on the Status of Women) Connect with Molly Find me, Molly Knuth, on Instagram and Facebook. Follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram.

Oh man, listener, you are in for a treat. I'm so delighted to welcome Emily Reuschel on the podcast today. Emily focuses on habits, change, and the seasonality of life. I so appreciate that she is open to honestly discuss the struggles and downs of life, especially with her focus on rural women. I'm so proud to give this episode to the world. It's a message I needed and is filled with such hope. Key Takeaways Emily grew up in a small community near St. Louis, studied education, and worked for a time as a teacher. She now lives in rural West Central Illinois with her family on her husband's family farm. Emily's mission is to bring together rockstar women from small towns and help them get clear on what they actually want with tools, habits, and a support system. "If we want cool stuff to happen in our small towns someone has to stand up and do something different that's never been done before." Emily loved teaching and surprised herself by leaving just two weeks before the start of a new school year. She worked as a program director at the YMCA and is so grateful for the experiences she had there. She found herself feeling burned out and had a sense of outgrowing the opportunities available to her and she set out on her own health journey. "I am a girl mom now and I need to figure out what it looks like to love myself into feeling better than I feel." As part of her health journey Emily put together a Facebook group of family and friends to focus on habits. That grew into You Do You 82, her habit support community. Based on her own personal habits, she went from a non-runner to completing a half marathon in six months. "You don't always have to be reaching for more, just reach for intention" "A lot of times we look at more as accumulating accolades or accumulating material things or accumulating accomplishments and knowing that you're made for more is really like knowing you're made for more than just showing up and being a passenger in your life" Emily has been open about her mental health journey after she had a feeling of being surrounded by goodness but cracking from the inside out. She sought therapy and is honest about the hard work that comes with unpacking past traumas. "There is going to be lightness and goodness and freedom in digging in to the other side of this crap and getting on the other side." "If we are the generation that's asking 'am I feeling fulfilled' I think we are also the generation that says it's ok to get help when you know you need it" Books we mention The Gap and the Gain by Dan Sullivan Untamed by Glennon Doyle Connect with Emily Emily offers her You Do You 82 community for free. She has a podcast, Gather in Growth. Learn more about Emily and her retreats on her website and follow her on Instagram (her stories are so good!)

Hey there, listener! I'm sure you have heard that you can either spend time or money, and I'm focusing on that sentiment today. Time is your most precious commodity and in this week's quick solocast I'm sharing what I do to buy back time in my business. Invest in education (programs, courses, workshops) You can save time by learning from a program or course rather than learning everything yourself. In my early days I invested in The Social Media Marketer Society for a year and found it to be very helpful for that state of business. I loved Allie Reeves's Hashtag Like A Boss training. It was just 90 minutes but PACKED with value. I did NOT love an email marketing workshop course I signed up for. I ignored the weird tingles and red flags. Don't do what I did! Implement systems and softwares in the backend of your business Set up as many systems as you can to prevent having to make decisions or lose time finding documents and communication. I share some systems for how we get this podcast to your ears and how we work with our Done For You clients Software my team uses: Clickup, Slack, Dubsado Invest in people Have other people get you where you want to go quicker Shoutout to my AMAZING virtual assistant Megan! She specializes in admin tasks in is such an amazing part of my team. Virtual assistants can be generalists or specialize depending on your needs. Definitely do a vibe check before bringing someone on board! Speaking of VAs, they are so helpful and are a great resource when a full employee isn't a good fit yet. Consider outsourcing to a specialized contractor like a coach. Connect with Molly Find me, Molly Knuth, on Instagram and Facebook. Follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram.

Hello listener! I'm so pumped to bring you THE Jillian Murphy to discuss all things sales and business. Like all of her free content, this podcast is packed with value and encouragement. Jillian brings 20 years of sales experience to online businesses through mentorship and educational materials. She's killin' it with just three years in business for herself and prides herself on amazing results for her clients too. Key Takeaways Jillian considered herself a corporate "ride or die" and absolutely loved the career she built from entry level. She was devastated by job loss in 2020 but immediately picked herself up and started her own business. Eight weeks prior to her layoff she attended a Mastermind with Chris & Lori Harder. She turned to a business coach they suggested and started applying her sales experience to mentoring. Jillian recommends staying with one coach and staying laser focused. "Every time you start over, you are literally starting over" Jillian recommends an open cart/closed cart sales strategy. Open cart closed cart "When you are always available there's no sense of urgency to buy" Jillian has been burned by shiny object syndrome. A poor business coach experience led her to scrutinize business coaches more carefully. She says to ask if the wins they are sharing are from clients, or is it always all about them? She says "A ton of my clients make more than me," and she couldn't be happier. Jillian has an amazing social media presence. She wants to be top of mind at all times and achieves that with daily value-packed posting. She points out that if people are winning with her free content, imagine what they could win by working together! How does she come up with all of the ideas for content? She is constantly adding to her notes app questions she gets throughout the day from clients, masterminds, or in podcast interviews. Those questions become content. Jill encourages us to USE social media instead of just scrolling: "This is the power of being social on social media" Connect with Jillian You will love all that Jillian has to share on Instagram. Follow her links to learn more about her Facebook groups and current offers. Connect with Molly Find me, Molly Knuth, on Instagram and Facebook. Follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram.

Hey listener! Thanks for joining me on the Found podcast this week. I know it's February already, but I still think it's a good time to reset. I feel like I spent all of January inundated with everyone else's ideas of how to start the year. Now that we made it through the first month, I'm ready to consider what I want Q1 to look like for my clients and me. This episode will focus on marketing trends I'm leaning in to this year. Key Takeaways "Social media marketing, when done correctly with intention for personal brands, puts you in the driver's seat and you can compete with big names." You don't need to have a huge following for a huge impact and successful business. Link to podcast episode with Nicole Kerns of Hillhouse Diaries "The reason social media was founded in the first place and really took off was that it connected people." Clients demand more now. They expect the convenience that big brands offer along with a personal element. Social media is not just trending, it is necessary. Gone is perfect, polished, and precise. The most effective ads you have interacted with you might not have realized were ads. You don't have to do it all, pick the platform that matches your vibe and meshes well with your business. I've been harping on this for years, but now more than ever: "People are the cornerstone of social media and marketing for 2023" Connect with Molly Find me, Molly Knuth, on Instagram and Facebook. Follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram.

Hey, listener. I just love this week's guest, and if you don't already, you will after this episode. Nicole Kerns is a small town Iowa mom known for her DIYs shared with hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers. She seemed so approachable that I got the guts to DM her and invite her on the show. I'm so thrilled to have her, and yes, she is exactly as awesome as she seems on social media. Key Takeaways Nicole Kerns is a small town Iowa mom of three and self-taught DIYer. She has a mega following, deservedly so, through Hill House Diaries on Instagram and TikTok. Nicole was looking to bring back her identity after years as a stay-at-home mom. She was familiar with Instagram as a consumer but a friend encouraged her to dive in to content creating. She made the goal to inspire others to "just go for it" even if they were scared or nervous. Nicole encourages people to dive in, get messy, and try. Don't wait for the step-by-step tutorial to get something done perfectly, because everything is fixable. From both a strategy and community building standpoint, Nicole says (and I agree!) that followers especially like the not-so-polished stuff. In Social Media 2.0 people are invested. "Day in the life" story series have been very popular for Nicole. Nicole works with a manager and virtual assistant. She says she's willing to hire someone to help than "have a phone constantly in front of my face." But she reminds us she didn't have the help to start, and it's something you can work towards. Connect with Nicole Find Nicole and links to all her socials on her website. She likes Instagram best and has recently started TikTok. Connect with Molly Find me, Molly Knuth, on Instagram and Facebook. Follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram.

Hi Listener! If you've been around here awhile you have caught on that I'm not always straight laced and professional. I was getting ready to speak once and had to describe my target audience. The best I came up with was like, a teenager business, you know? You can't be a little baby business, you have to know some things. This totally clicked and was such a great way to describe those growing pains we all experience in business. Today's podcast is just me sharing the stages of business with this child development analogy. I hope it helps you to be kind to yourself and find support for whatever stage you find yourself in. It's not super in-depth, just a loose framework, but I think you'll see yourself in one of these stages. Key Takeaways Baby Business These are those survival years! It's time to learn the very basics. If you've seen a baby learn to walk, you know they're going to fall flat on their face a few times. But they pick themselves up and keep trying! I spent a long time in the baby stage as an accidental, even reluctant, entrepreneur. I had a lot of time to play and try new things. I was able to learn from my mistakes and try new things. My journey seeking supplemental income is going to look a lot different from someone seeking startup funding or already working with a team! If you can't spend too much time learning from mistakes, consider getting a coach on board to guide you through. Teenage Business "Okay, I have all of these things that equip me but who am I really? What is the identity that I want to hold?" You are a little more established and confident and it's time to make big life decisions. You're finding boundaries and pushing limits. Young Adults This is me: "I've tested things. I've broken a lot of shit." I've learned that I can't stay out all night without paying for it the next day. There are consequences for my actions and I have to do some un-fun stuff too. According to LendingTree.com, 18.4% of private sector businesses fail in the first year, 49.7% after five years, and 65.5% after 10. It's ok if businesses grow and change! Maybe they took a "gap year" or retrained for a new career. Growth keeps happening. Think of businesses you admire: They all went through tough phases too, we just might not have been paying attention. Connect with Molly Reach out to me, Molly Knuth, on Instagram and Facebook if your young business could use some caregiving (aka mentoring!) through those younger years. Follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram.

Hey listener! I can't wait for you to fall in love with today's guest, Jill Carr. I knew she'd be a fast friend when we first connected on Instagram (with a voice memo, of course! A girl after my own heart!) After our first zoom call I knew I couldn't keep her to myself and had to invite her on the podcast. Key Takeaways: Jill Carr helps rural women extend their voice with podcasting. She offers a variety of services to launch, manage, and grow podcasts. Jill lives with her family on a ranch in the Flint Hills of Kansas. Before launching her own company she discovered podcasts on her 40-minute commute. She became a virtual assistant in 2018 and focused in on podcasting in the last year. Coach Kiah was a VA client and became Jill's first podcast. Jill was hooked! In 2021 she went all in on niching down into podcasting. Jill discusses the challenges of being a mom-treprenuer. She originally became her own boss to have more time with family, but realized it was easy to overextend herself. She learned better boundary setting. Jill says to always remember your "why" by revisiting it every day. It's important to have boundaries and systems. Jill shares three big reasons to consider podcasting. It's so accessible and is always where your audience is. You can take it along with whatever else has to be done like mowing the yard or doing dishes. Connection is the biggest piece of podcasting. You can network with guests, share your voice, and position yourself as an expert. It is so great for building community. Jill says podcasting is the best long-form content tool. You can repurpose content with reels, email newsletters, and blog posts. Jill mentions Emily Reuschel of the Gather in Growth podcast Why bother podcasting when there are millions already out there? Jill says the numbers are deceiving: Only 53% of podcasts produced more than three episodes, 12% have released a new episode in the last quarter, and only 7% in the last month. This leaves fewer than 300,000 "competitors" but remember non all podcasts are for your ideal listener anyway. It's fun to begin but episodes 10-20 are hard! Stick with it and dig in for the long haul. Invest in technical help if you need to. Connect with Jill Find Jill on her website or connect on Instagram Follow for More Follow me, Molly Knuth on Instagram and Facebook. Or follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram.

Hey listeners! This interview has been a bear to schedule but was SO worth it! We finally got our time zones aligned for Kylie Kelly to join us on The Found Podcast. Kylie is a business coach specializing in helping moms have the maternity leave they want and maintaining a healthy balance after baby. Hosting a virtual summit helped build her social media community from scratch, and now she helps others do the same. Key Takeaways You'll figure out quickly that Kylie is from Australia. Although Australia offers better maternity leave than the United States, where most of Kylie's clients are from, moms trying to balance career and kids is a struggle everywhere. Kylie is mom to two boys and had wildly different maternity leave experiences with each. She wants to prevent women from experiencing a leave like her first, and plan a leave on their own terms. Kylie loved her second maternity leave and returned to work feeling ready. Kylie worked as a wedding photographer before 2020 when Covid caused her clients to cancel. She reexamined what she wanted in a career and felt a tug toward helping moms, especially entrepreneurs, plan for their maternity leaves. Kylie started with an Instagram following that was completely related to her wedding photography. She built community quickly by hosting a virtual summit for expecting mothers. Her first summit had 350 attendees! For her next summit, Kylie had 500 attendees. She had 42 speakers over five days and limited them to 10-15 prerecorded minutes. Having sessions rerecorded allowed Kylie to love on attendees and build community. Kylie's social media strategy is to focus LESS on strategy. She pours most of her energy into her podcast, which she loves for its worldwide connection. She loves to send direct messages and voice memos on Instagram. She feels much more fulfilled and has seen better results by focusing on relationships. Kylie is offering access to a free podcast series to build your social media audience. You can find her podcast This Mama Means Business on Spotify. Connect with Kylie Find Kylie's website at KylieKelly.com or connect on Instagram. Follow for More Follow me, Molly Knuth on Instagram and Facebook. Or follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram.

Hey everybody! I'm so excited for the first episode of the new year! The 365 days ahead of us lay out like an open book. How do we do this life ahead of us? Are you, like me, visualizing what could be? This episode focuses in on what we can be doing now to nuture our best year yet as entrepreneurs. 2022 was a great year for me, but had a lot of internal struggle. I'm excited to start 2023 in a more intentional place and I hope this episode helps you join me. Key Takeaways I prefer intentionality over goal setting. James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, says for some, the goal setting process becomes empty when the goal is achieved. Life really begins after the goal. I had a six-figure year, and, newsflash, I didn't fundamentally change. "What really changes us is who we are being in the process of attaining that goal." I'm focusing on how I want to feel as I go through my year instead of external goals. "How do we want that success to feel along the way?" I like to ask myself "What would future Molly do?" In a guided meditation with Kelly Brock of Peaceful Performer I had a clear vision of the Me of 2023. I was so peaceful and totally present in the moment! I'm working on making that vision a reality. Identify and record how I feel. Write it down and solidify it. I need to audit my life to identify things that give me more of that feeling and get me closer to that woman I visualized. "If I want things to be different, then I need to be different." I need to give myself grace, margin, and LOTS of reminders. I'm remembering that baby steps are ok! All the best, and blessings in the new year! Follow for More Follow me, Molly Knuth on Instagram and Facebook. Or follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram.

Hey Listener- can you believe we reached the final episode of the year? It's a solocast after a fall chock full of interviews with amazing female guests. I hope you enjoyed the interviews as much as I have! I hope you enjoy this episode too. I'm recapping the year: The wins, the challenges, and proposals for a new metric to evaluate our year… In ways OTHER than wins and challenges. The Wins I checked a big item off my 100 goals list: I bought a building! When I first started MKM I knew my mission was to highlight small towns and give businesses a voice. This milestone was a way to "put my money where my mouth is" and invest in my small town. (Link to the episode about the building) I became a six figure business owner! There's a big difference between revenue and profitability, but this is still a huge win and personal goal of mine. I redefined the brand and focused in on my why (Link to Mariah Danielson episode). "Some Years give you questions. Other years give you answers." Zora Neale Hurston I took a master class with Melanie Ann Layer and adopted some practices like slow mornings and taking time to enjoy the flexibility I built into my business. Challenges Keeping my vision was a challenge and I really struggled with big existensial questions this year. I only had two hair cut/color appointments this year. Ha! My hair isn't important here, it's that I hustled too hard much of the time and lost sight time for my self, friends, and family. Profitability was a challenge. Inflation kicked everyone's butt this year, and it, among other things, was hard on my business too. Things contributing to growth I worked on developing my leadership skills I looked for places where I can be proactive instead of "living my life as a response" I embraced my status as a "teenager business" after my VIP intensive with Sheila Hansen. New metrics for reflecting on our year When did I feel stupid happy? When did I feel at peace? When did I fulfill my calling (or, when did I think, "Holy shit, this is why I do what I do") What was a moment of clarity? A moment you knew you needed to change something? A moment you realized time is fleeting? A moment you realized you are in charge of yourself? A moment you realized just how frickin' lucky you are? A great book? A great movie? (Or Netflix series, shout out to Bridgerton!) A great friendship started this year? A project you finished and were so proud of? Best and worst purchases? Best and worst courses? Big mistakes made? Big moves made? Best workout? That big brave thing you thought you wouldn't do? We made it! I hope you find peace and rest this holiday season and wish you a very happy new year! Follow for More Follow me, Molly Knuth on Instagram and Facebook. Or follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram.

Listeners, I'm so pumped for this week's podcast guest. If you're a long time listener of the show, or at least for the last year, you know that I feel so strongly about energy work. I had the opportunity to cross paths with Erin McGuire at the Empower Her Summit this year and knew I had to share her with this audience. Erin is a coach and energy healer through her business Pure Light Healing. And if you're not sure what that means, join me for an enlightening episode. Key Takeaways First things first. What is an energy healer? "I free people to be who they really are because trauma makes you out of survival- it makes you live out not out of who your true self is." Erin emphasizes the importance of listening to your subconscious. Erin says her younger self would "never in a million years" believe her life path, but that her life was changed by awakening to her inner sensitivity. Erin says that "yoga was her gateway drug" into the life of healing she leads today. She earned her yoga certification in 2010 and is a reiki master, reiki master teacher, and life coach. After studying theta brainwave healing for a few years, Erin reached a point where she just couldn't keep it to herself anymore. She started casually helping people and eventually built it into her career. Erin suffered from depression, anxiety, and chronic fatigue, but did not find help in typical therapies. Doing deep conscious work, shadow work, and inner child healing brought her healing. A helpful visual: Erin says your subconscious is like a hoarder house, filled with old patterns and belief systems you've picked up in life. We might not even be aware of what we are holding onto that could be holding us back. Erin shares the connection between our thoughts, beliefs, feelings, and actions. Why are you procrastinating? How were you feeling that led you to procrastinate? What thought drove that feeling? On manifestation, Erin says "Simply, just, we create what we think about." And, "You will get more of whatever you focus on" Mentions The book Eat, Pray, Love Holistic Psychologist Nervous System Reset Program The book The Body Keeps The Score Connect with Erin Erin shares most frequently on Instagram and is also on Facebook and TikTok. Find her website at Pure Light Wellness.

Hey there, listener. Join me while I sit back and super fan over today's podcast guest, Whitney Sullivan. At one point I stop and suggest I pay her for a therapy session because she is just that good! We also geek out over our shared interest in (obsession with?) enneagram types and Ted Lasso. Whitney is a motivational speaker and leadership coach based out of Bozeman, Montana. She has a great personal story as a small business owner and has great advice to share. Whitney is a wealth of knowledge and a gift to us listening. Key Takeaways Whitney is a motivational speaker and leadership coach who focuses on topics of connection, purpose, and resilience. She loves coaching new leaders. She is also a certified life coach, enneagram coach, and spin instructor. Whitney spent ten years in higher education and saw herself spending her career there. But the pandemic and changes to her job caused burnout and left her looking for a change. Whitney has been in business for herself for about a year, after an 18-month process of making the switch. "Sometimes it looks like people are making these changes and they just happen overnight but so many things happen behind the scenes before you see the results of those changes." Leaders are important: "70% of employee engagement is based solely on the manager" Whitney reminds leaders to Celebrate. Thank. Praise. "People want to be cared about" A mistake leaders make is not delegating and taking on too many tasks. "We're here to lead action, not take action" People want to be useful and hoarding opportunities can be harmful. Team members see "I can help you all because that's strength but I can't accept help so that's weakness" Resources Closing the Confidence Gap by Kelli Thompson (Whitney's sister!) Atlas of the Heart by Brene Brown Five to Thrive by Enneagram Type Connect with Whitney Follow Whitney on Instagram. Schedule a discovery call and learn more about her services on her website. Follow for More Follow me, Molly Knuth on Instagram and Facebook. Or follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram.

Hey there, listener! This week on the podcast we have Brooke Happe of B. Happe Designs (like "Happy." What a perfect name!) I've followed her for a long time and am a big fan of her hats and RV lifestyle. When I finally got to work with her this year I knew she HAD to be a podcast guest. Brooke's story is so cool. How often do you meet product-based business owners who travel the United States in an RV while homeschooling their three children? Brooke manages this while staying committed to her mission of giving back. I'm so excited to have Brooke share her story and way of life. Key Takeaways Brooke is behind Be Happe Designs, a lifestyle brand known for amazing hats, a mission of giving, and RV life inspiration. She is also a homeschooling mom to three children. Brooke left practice as a Doctor of Physical Therapy in 2016 to stay home with her young children. She picked up crochet to keep her hands strong and was "hooked." She received many compliments on her slouchy hats and friends encouraged her to sell them. She did local markets and always donated one hat for each hat sold. After a health crisis with her son in 2018, Brooke learned that many of the toys and supplies for child life at Blank Children's Hospital in Des Moines were donated. To keep up with demand of her hats, and to give back in a way that was meaningful to her family, she started donating a portion of profits to the hospital. She still does this today. Brooke pitched the idea to sell everything and travel. The flexibility of her husband's work (even pre-pandemic) meant they could live anywhere near an airport. After a 26-day trip to Florida to test the waters, they knew this was the life for them. They're still traveling full time three years later. Brooke loves how RV living has modeled for her kids to follow their dreams and think outside of the box. Her once-shy kids now make friends easily. Brooke says their unique lifestyle brings some challenges, but overall brings the family together and allows them to pick what brings them joy. She regularly shares great tips for overcoming the challenges and embracing the positives on her blog. Connect with Brooke Follow Brooke on Instagram. Find her amazing hats and blog through her website. Follow for More Follow me, Molly Knuth on Instagram and Facebook. Or follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram.

Hey there, listener! I'm so giddy and literally fan-girling over this week's guest, Laurel Smith of Laurel Denise. Laurel started her creative business back in the "dinosaur days" before social media. Guys. She literally had to CODE A WEBSITE. (That stuff just boggles my brain!) Her business has had to make many pivots over the years, and she takes us through that journey in today's podcast. We had good intentions of talking marketing, but ended up having a great chat about self doubt, learning in real time, and embracing change. This one is going to need a part two! Key Takeaways Laurel started her business, Laurel Denise, in 2005. While unhappily working as an investment banking assistant, she had a dream of making jewelry. She became obsessed and worked to make her dream a reality. We chat about how 2005 was a different time: Blogging was new, social media wasn't a thing, and websites meant CODING! There weren't examples of creative business owners like we see today. Laurel worked nights and weekends on her jewelry business and used her vacation days for trade shows. She quit her day job in 2008 to pursue jewelry making full time. It took Laurel having a team of eight people to accept that she was a "real" business owner. "There are these mental blocks that we have, these mindset shifts that we have to make in order to get to what our next level is" Laurel enjoyed making planners but felt like she had to choose, and she chose jewelry. Her business took off "in Covid times" when people were looking for encouraging, inspirational gifts. The busyness of her business made Laurel crave her planner, and she started printing them again. I (Molly) love her planners. She says she makes it for her and how her brain works, but plenty of people must agree! Her planner really took off in 2020: "If we sold out of this when no one had plans… What?!" Switching from jewelry to planners was "a torturous decision" but led to new opportunities… and challenges. Laurel shares how shortages and supply chain issues devastated her and how she showed up authentically for her customers. It was a great learning experience for her. "I'm not playing around with this planner thing anymore and if I'm going to be a planner and a paper goods business, how does that business run? What production schedule are they on? So that this literally never happens again." She's already designing 2024 covers! Connect with Laurel Laurel's Instagram is such a delight, I love "Pattie the Planner Girl!" She has a website and private Facebook group as well. Follow for More Follow me, Molly Knuth on Instagram and Facebook. Or follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram.

I started this year knowing a change or shift was coming. I found myself overcommitting by starting self-help books and courses that I haven't finished, thinking maybe THIS is the shift. I'm closing out the year feeling uneasy with all of these open loops. My message to myself and my listeners is this: Close those loops. Imagine the loop of a roller coaster (even though I don't like roller coasters!). We are going up, approaching the most exciting part that's a little scary. If we get off right then, we never experience that excitement or the resolution that comes afterwards. If you are like me, you have several open loops and lots of unresolved fear and excitement. Join me in taking time to close those loops and close out the year in a more peaceful place. We're doing things a little different at The Found Podcast this week of Thanksgiving 2022. Each day this week, I will be delivering a new mini podcast straight to iTunes or Spotify to give you a short burst of inspiration in what we're calling Exponential Growth Week. For the next 5 days you'll get a 10-20 minute episode with immediately actionable tips that you can apply to your social media, marketing strategy, energy, 2023 planning and more. The purpose of this week is to ground us as business owners and entrepreneurs to evaluate where we're feeling good about our businesses and where we may need to make some adjustments in this season of business and Social Media 2.0. To help us prepare for the new year, I'm leading a masterclass on Thursday, December 1, 2022, at 11 AM CST inside a private Facebook Group so we can break down the elements and energetics you need to know for Social Media Marketing 2.0. We're calling it Marketing Must-Haves Masterclass, and you can go to Mollyknuthmedia.com/masterclass to request to join the Facebook group and get all the details as we get closer to the training date. Exponential Growth Week Episodes: Monday, 11/21: Are You Proactive or Reactive? (Video version available here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jQvdMjSQaU&t=7s ) Tuesday, 11/22: What is Really Working on Social Media Right Now…and Why the Answer May Surprise You (video version available here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uP37pxmOaw&t=284s) Wednesday, 11/23: Has Social Media Marketing Gotten Harder? (Video version available here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tc2yjUypWbY) Thursday, 11/24: How to Show Up on Social Media When You Don't Feel Like It (video version available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPR-JgzVp5A) Friday, 11/25: Close the Loops (video version available here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10cum4CVEpo) Follow for More Follow me, Molly Knuth on Instagram and Facebook. Or follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram.

If you don't feel like posting, to put it simply, don't. Your audience can feel the energy you bring to content creation, and you want to bring your best. It's totally okay to take time to be present in your real life, or to take a break for a season. Do what you can to care for yourself to bring yourself up to a higher energy. Rest, connect with family, journal, etc. Instead of creating content during this time, spend time interacting with similar accounts, interacting on profiles of people who follow you, responding to DMs, or sharing user generated content. As a solopreneur, YOU are your business. Although it is stressful to manage allthethings it is important to care for yourself. You are you business's number one asset! (And, regardless, you are an amazing person deserving of care.) We're doing things a little different at The Found Podcast this week of Thanksgiving 2022. Each day this week, I will be delivering a new mini podcast straight to iTunes or Spotify to give you a short burst of inspiration in what we're calling Exponential Growth Week. For the next 5 days you'll get a 10-20 minute episode with immediately actionable tips that you can apply to your social media, marketing strategy, energy, 2023 planning and more. The purpose of this week is to ground us as business owners and entrepreneurs to evaluate where we're feeling good about our businesses and where we may need to make some adjustments in this season of business and Social Media 2.0. To help us prepare for the new year, I'm leading a masterclass on Thursday, December 1, 2022, at 11 AM CST inside a private Facebook Group so we can break down the elements and energetics you need to know for Social Media Marketing 2.0. We're calling it Marketing Must-Haves Masterclass, and you can go to Mollyknuthmedia.com/masterclass to request to join the Facebook group and get all the details as we get closer to the training date. Exponential Growth Week Episodes: Monday, 11/21: Are You Proactive or Reactive? (Video version available here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jQvdMjSQaU&t=7s ) Tuesday, 11/22: What is Really Working on Social Media Right Now…and Why the Answer May Surprise You (video version available here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uP37pxmOaw&t=284s) Wednesday, 11/23: Has Social Media Marketing Gotten Harder? (Video version available here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tc2yjUypWbY) Thursday, 11/24: How to Show Up on Social Media When You Don't Feel Like It (video version available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPR-JgzVp5A) Friday, 11/25: Close the Loops (video version available here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10cum4CVEpo) Follow for More Follow me, Molly Knuth on Instagram and Facebook. Or follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram.

Not necessarily harder, but definitely more complicated. Remember social media is just one element of a marketing strategy. I encourage you to consider six components. Strategy: Have steps or a plan of what you want social media to accomplish for your business. Content Creation: I find a content calendar helpful in visualizing how to put my strategy into practice. Management: Some folks like to create in real time but it's convenient to use tools to schedule your content ahead of time. Community is key. Consider the conversations you would have at a coffee shop or checkout counter. Bring that energy to your social media. Show that you understand there are people on the other side of the screen and not just customers. Leverage: Use tools like ads, collaborations, giveaways, and tagging to grow your audience. Legacy: Social media is always changing. Consider what legacy content you have to share. For a brick-and-mortar shop, using social media to direct people to shop in person is your legacy. Social media can direct people to your email list, your course, or your online shop. Focus on legacy content to weather whatever changes social media has in store. We're doing things a little different at The Found Podcast this week of Thanksgiving 2022. Each day this week, I will be delivering a new mini podcast straight to iTunes or Spotify to give you a short burst of inspiration in what we're calling Exponential Growth Week. For the next 5 days you'll get a 10-20 minute episode with immediately actionable tips that you can apply to your social media, marketing strategy, energy, 2023 planning and more. The purpose of this week is to ground us as business owners and entrepreneurs to evaluate where we're feeling good about our businesses and where we may need to make some adjustments in this season of business and Social Media 2.0. To help us prepare for the new year, I'm leading a masterclass on Thursday, December 1, 2022, at 11 AM CST inside a private Facebook Group so we can break down the elements and energetics you need to know for Social Media Marketing 2.0. We're calling it Marketing Must-Haves Masterclass, and you can go to Mollyknuthmedia.com/masterclass to request to join the Facebook group and get all the details as we get closer to the training date. Exponential Growth Week Episodes: Monday, 11/21: Are You Proactive or Reactive? (Video version available here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jQvdMjSQaU&t=7s ) Tuesday, 11/22: What is Really Working on Social Media Right Now…and Why the Answer May Surprise You (video version available here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uP37pxmOaw&t=284s) Wednesday, 11/23: Has Social Media Marketing Gotten Harder? (Video version available here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tc2yjUypWbY) Thursday, 11/24: How to Show Up on Social Media When You Don't Feel Like It (video version available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPR-JgzVp5A) Friday, 11/25: Close the Loops (video version available here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10cum4CVEpo) Follow for More Follow me, Molly Knuth on Instagram and Facebook. Or follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram.

I started this mini episode with a reflection of who I was as a junior in high school and how completely different I was a college freshman. I've grown and changed many times over, as you have too. It's normal and GOOD to change and evolve. Social Media is going to do that too. We need to roll with the changes as social media and digital marketing evolves into "Version 2.0." One thing that hasn't changed is the people on the other side. People can see through posts just meant to sell. Next time you are creating content, consider: What does the person on the other side of the screen need? How can my business provide a better product or service for them to live a more convenient, accessible life? Authenticity always works. Exponential Growth Week: We're doing things a little different at The Found Podcast this week of Thanksgiving 2022. Each day this week, I will be delivering a new mini podcast straight to iTunes or Spotify to give you a short burst of inspiration in what we're calling Exponential Growth Week. For the next 5 days you'll get a 10-20 minute episode with immediately actionable tips that you can apply to your social media, marketing strategy, energy, 2023 planning and more. The purpose of this week is to ground us as business owners and entrepreneurs to evaluate where we're feeling good about our businesses and where we may need to make some adjustments in this season of business and Social Media 2.0. To help us prepare for the new year, I'm leading a masterclass on Thursday, December 1, 2022, at 11 AM CST inside a private Facebook Group so we can break down the elements and energetics you need to know for Social Media Marketing 2.0. We're calling it Marketing Must-Haves Masterclass, and you can go to Mollyknuthmedia.com/masterclass to request to join the Facebook group and get all the details as we get closer to the training date. Exponential Growth Week Episodes: Monday, 11/21: Are You Proactive or Reactive? (Video version available here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jQvdMjSQaU&t=7s ) Tuesday, 11/22: What is Really Working on Social Media Right Now…and Why the Answer May Surprise You (video version available here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uP37pxmOaw&t=284s) Wednesday, 11/23: Has Social Media Marketing Gotten Harder? (Video version available here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tc2yjUypWbY) Thursday, 11/24: How to Show Up on Social Media When You Don't Feel Like It (video version available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPR-JgzVp5A) Friday, 11/25: Close the Loops (video version available here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10cum4CVEpo) Follow for More Follow me, Molly Knuth on Instagram and Facebook. Or follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram.

I was recently in a masterclass with Melanie Ann Layer and she made a statement that has really stuck with me. "In the beginning, before I made this transition in my life and my business, I realized I was navigating my life as a response." We are business owners because we are leaders in our own unique way. Then our lives become a hamster wheel hustle, moving from day to day and task to task. Think about that leader inside you. What do they want to do? What do they want to initiate? Take time to reflect on whether you are living your life as a response. Consider ways that you can initiate and lead instead. Exponential Growth Week: We're doing things a little different at The Found Podcast this week of Thanksgiving 2022. Each day this week, I will be delivering a new mini podcast straight to iTunes or Spotify to give you a short burst of inspiration in what we're calling Exponential Growth Week. For the next 5 days you'll get a 10-20 minute episode with immediately actionable tips that you can apply to your social media, marketing strategy, energy, 2023 planning and more. The purpose of this week is to ground us as business owners and entrepreneurs to evaluate where we're feeling good about our businesses and where we may need to make some adjustments in this season of business and Social Media 2.0. To help us prepare for the new year, I'm leading a masterclass on Thursday, December 1, 2022, at 11 AM CST inside a private Facebook Group so we can break down the elements and energetics you need to know for Social Media Marketing 2.0. We're calling it Marketing Must-Haves Masterclass, and you can go to Mollyknuthmedia.com/masterclass to request to join the Facebook group and get all the details as we get closer to the training date. Exponential Growth Week Episodes: Monday, 11/21: Are You Proactive or Reactive? (Video version available here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jQvdMjSQaU&t=7s ) Follow for More Follow me, Molly Knuth on Instagram and Facebook. Or follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram.

Welcome to our FIRST second-time-appearance guest episode! This one is super special because Andrea Mausser was my first ever guest back in 2020 when this was the Small Minded podcast. We've both grown so much in those two short years, so it is cool to catch up! Andrea Mausser is a mindset and transformational coach through her business Choose Your Journey. It is her first year to be full-time self-employed, and I am so impressed by the success she is finding when she practices what she teaches. She's so inspiring to me personally, and I know our listeners will agree. No notebook and notes for this one, just sit back and receive what Andrea is sharing today! Key Takeaways Andrea is a certified Life and Health Coach through the Healthcoach Institute and launched her business, Choose Your Journey, in April 2020. (What a time, right?) She left her corporate career in January of this year to devote her career fully to coaching. Andrea describes her work as "Teaching adults how they are actually unconsciously placing blocks on what they want to be experiencing." How many of us can related to Andrea's description of the average career? "How much can I be on this hamster wheel and still feel like I've not lost it" Andrea and I both like to choose a word of the year, and Andrea's for 2022 was "Alignment." Mindset matters: "What you think about you bring about" Focus on experiences over outcomes: "It's not about the doing, it's who I was becoming in the journey" Andrea helps us visualize our inner struggles as the ego and the higher self. The ego's job is to keep us safe and in our comfort zone but the higher self is abundant and willing to do what's best in the long term, even if it's really scary right now. It's hard to slow down! Especially as entrepreneurs we feel like we have to work hard and HUSTLE to be successful. Andrea emphasizes the importance of rest and being open to receiving and attracting. THIS dilemma: We women often go into working for ourselves for the time freedom but can easily be overtaken with urgency and drive. Andrea reminds us to slow down and fill our days with the important things first. Working hard doesn't always pay off financially: "If that was in fact true and the hardest workers were the most successful, made the most money, then teachers, nurses, and farmers would be the richest people here in the United States." Andrea shared experiencing the law of compensation, being financially awarded in work that you do when it's purposeful, with her "Pick Your Price" structure for a recent offering. Andrea encourages us to account for our energy and try to add energy giving people and experiences to our day. Andrea is offering a 4-week destress December challenge to close the year and is committed to ending the year in a relaxed space. One more great quote: "We have this Amazon mentality we think it's going to happen in two days. We have to let go and surrender the how, what, and where." Mentions Manifestation Babe Podcast with Kathrin Zenkina Melanie Ann Layer The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks (Book) Mind Your Business Podcast with James Wedmore Connect with Andrea Follow Andrea on Instagram and Facebook. Learn more about Andrea, her offerings, and sign up for her email newsletter on her website. Follow for More Follow me, Molly Knuth on Instagram and Facebook.

Hey listener! Welcome to another episode of the Found podcast. I'm so excited to bring Mariah of Wander Design Co to the podcast. (Although, why has it taken this long!?) Mariah and I go back a ways to when we were put together in a breakout group at the Empower Her Summit. She's a great friend and a highly recommended Instagram follow. It MIGHT seem like I stalk her feed, but it's just so good! You'll see why she's awesome in our chat today. I'm so inspired by her Why and grateful for the wisdom, spark, and energy she shared in the episode. Key Takeaways Mariah Danielsen got her start in graphic design and has grown to offer branding, website design, mentoring for creative women, and why discover through her business Wander Design Co Mariah studied graphic design and marketing and worked her way up to leading a graphic design team for a company. Meanwhile, she started blogging about vintage and indie weddings, which lead to exposure on bigger blogs and speaking engagements. She got a sinking feeling that corporate wasn't where she wanted to be and quit to pursue her own interests ten years ago. She was doing graphic design, blogging, offering vintage wedding rentals, wedding planning, and running an antique shop when she had her second child and realized it was A LOT. She narrowed her focus back to graphic design. "Everything builds on top of each other and the more you can make these conscious decisions in the right direction, there's no telling what your life can end up becoming." Mariah had the opportunity to travel to New York to attend Marie Forleo's B School in 2011. She met Simon Sinek and learned about Start With Why. Marie Forleo B-School Simon Sinek Ted Talks The Golden Circle on YouTube What is our Why? This is our purpose and how we operate at our natural best. What are we striving for? How do we want to impact other? Your Why statement is your overarching theme for life. "If you could wake up and be the absolute best version of yourself, what contribution would you make to the world and what impact would it have on other people in the best way possible" "Your why is only as strong as you can share it with others" "It's a waste to spend your time working on projects that drain you and are going to put you in a bad mood for your family when you get home, or if you feel like you have to work on the weekend so you can finish this project that you don't enjoy anyway, it's just not worth it." Mariah says setting long term goals is more difficult now, but it's due to her confidence in her Why: "I know I am on a path and as long as I can build other people up so they can confidently put themselves forward, I'm happy." Mariah's is a big fan of the Showit design tool for Wordpress sites (me too!) and recently had her work published in their anthology, Spark. Connect with Mariah You've got to follow Mariah on Instagram. You can learn more about services on her website. Follow for More Follow me, Molly Knuth on Instagram and Facebook.

Hey listeners! Welcome back, especially to those of you with service-based businesses. In this podcast I share strategies for packaging and pricing your offers. Ugh. Did your stomach drop? Pricing can be a vulnerable topic, and I've shared my discomfort about money conversations in the past. I'm happy to be much more confident now, and excited to share my answers to this common question. Key Takeaways This topic is taken from my Business Bootcamp module. Find out more about Business Bootcamp at MollyKnuthMedia.com/shop I have a distinct memory of deciding what to charge for what I could do with who needs it. I felt raw, nervous, and too big for my britches. My pricing was based on an hourly rate for what I expected my package to entail. My britches weren't sustainable! After awhile it was necessary to update my pricing to reflect my expertise and efficiency. Consider opportunity cost when pricing. Time you are spending with a client is time you're NOT doing anything else. Same for the client. Time they are getting by hiring you is time they can be doing anything else that could make them more money. Ask yourself how much time you are saving the client. What do they do to earn the money to pay you? What do others in your industry charge? Avoid the comparison game, but it is a nice general guideline. Resist the urge to be driven by fear, scarcity, and powerlessness. Build an offer suite with your middle-of-the-road flagship offer, at least one upgrade, and at least one more affordable option. You're the boss! You get to decide! There are not rules. You make the rules. Think about quality, not quantity of offers. Like… Louis Vuitton, not Dollar Tree. Your pricing should be as unique as you are! P.S. My episode with Sheila Hansen on Money Mindset is so valuable if this is a topic you struggle with! Follow for More Follow me, Molly Knuth on Instagram and Facebook.

Hey there and welcome to this week's episode of The Found Podcast! Today I'm chatting with my longtime social media friend and recent real-life friend, Maddie Peschong. Maddie is a photographer turned brand photographer and coach. She's just so sweet and authentic which really comes through in this week's interview. Her advice is simple and straightforward, and she shares strategies you can apply today to uplevel your own personal brand. So let's dig in to this interview! Key Takeaways Maddie has been a photographer for ten years and changed her focus to branding exclusively in the last 18 months. She summarizes her business to say she takes the photos that help people grow. Maddie has an interesting career path that has followed her big energy. She studied journalism in college and worked for some big brands before returning to Sioux Falls, South Dakota. She worked at a marketing agency while building her photography business up to full time. She loves when clients look behind the camera and see a whole new version of themselves. Ironically, Maddie says brand photography isn't for everyone. The daily things you do to connect are important too! Maddie says choosing between how you show up online for yourself and what your audience needs from you is a Venn Diagram. You need to be in the intersection of both. Personal branding allows business owners to change their minds: "Personal branding is based on people and people change." Maddie discusses her Three Rs: Reputation, Rapport, and Relationships. Her new group coaching program, Rebrand, focuses on these essential elements of a strong personal brand. Two things you can do for your personal brand today: Take some time to imagine and journal your ideal business. A little simpler: Give Instagram stories a try. Maddie mentions Suzy Holman and the podcast Normal Gossip as some personal brands she likes to follow. Connect with Maddie Learn more about Maddie on her website and follow her on Facebook and Instagram. And listen in to her own podcast: Take It Personally on iTunes or Spotify. Follow for More Follow me, Molly Knuth on Instagram and Facebook.

Hey friends and welcome back to the Found podcast! I'm still lovin' the rebrand and hope you are too! Today I'm talking about a newer concept, and even if you haven't heard of the exact term, you know what it is. Thought leadership. Think about who you go to, whether in person or virtually, when you need someone to teach you something or give advice. Those people are thought leaders in their community. And you may not realize it yet, but I believe we are all leaders in our own way. P.S. with the podcast rebranding I'm feeling a little more myself so my barn mouth might slip an f bomb. Key Takeaways I attended a Hannah Nievess Consulting masterclass to work towards my goal of becoming a thought leader. "Thought leadership is what differentiates you from all of the people who do what is you do." Position yourself to get found by your ideal audience "Be THE go to in your industry not just AN option I found the Why Discovery workshop by Miranda Danielson of Wander Design Co to be so helpful in establishing my touch tree. No matter where we pivot we can always ground ourselves in our why. My why is "Helping women in small towns rewrite and redefine what it means to live and work here." Steps To Becoming a Thought Leader Find your why and deep goal. Very specifically define who you most want to help though products and services. Break down your specific tactics, approach, and perspectives that utilize you best. Think about those things you love that are common to you, but that other people might not know. For example, I LOVE Flodesk for my email list marketing and management. Get a little meta about your day to day and document it Create content that shares with your ideal audience. At this moment in October 2022 swipeable storytelling carousels in Instagram are performing well. See my Samantha American Girl post or the story about shaving off my eyebrows (and not for the first time). "Our products and services won't always reach our ideal audience at a time that works best for them to enroll or buy. But. When we present them with unique perspectives or a memorable story or fascinating results, we will be at the top of their mind for the time is right for them to make that purchase or make that investment." Follow for More Follow me, Molly Knuth on Instagram and Facebook.

This week's episode of the newly rebranded pod features my exceptional new friend, Ingela Onstad. Ingela is a high performance coach who helps professionals work through mindset issues to show up as their best selves in the public eye. She has great insights for us to reflect on how our mindset is supports our success. Key Takeaways Ingela is an accomplished opera singer and has travelled the world performing. A divorce led her to ask the big questions about life. She had always been "that friend" who was everyone's volunteer therapist, so she pursued it professionally. She earned her Masters in counseling and became a therapist. Ingela practiced traditional talk therapy but followed her gut to adapt her practice. Because of her active freelance career, she worked with many high performers. She transitioned into more of a future-focused coaching role. Ingela spends a lot of time getting to know someone and understand the greater landscape of their life. She helps her clients accomplish goals and look forward to future achievements. Therapy and coaching helps people understand that they are normal and not weird for feeling how they do. Ingela helps her clients manage anxiety by recognizing negative self talk patterns. She's not a fan of positive affirmations but helps her clients through journaling, routines, rituals, and accepting that it's ok to feel uncomfortable. "Emotions are like the rainbow, we can't wish away the colors. They're all going to be there in some way." Ingela references Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and the human need for love and belonging. Fear of rejection is baked into our biology. We are probably familiar with fear of rejection, but many people, especially women, fear success as well. "We get caught on the tightrope of I don't want to fail, but I also am afraid of being too big and too bold and shining too brightly." Women are socialized to make others feel comfortable before themselves. They might have societal concerns about success, like being the breadwinner in their heterosexual relationship. Books Ingela recommends: Top Five Regrets of the Dying by Bronnie Ware and Mindset by Carol Dweck Coaching is important because you can gather all of the tools and strategies in the world, but nothing will happen if you are terrified of the next step. Connect with Ingela Follow Ingela on Facebook and Instagram, or contact her through her website for a consultation. Follow for More Follow me, Molly Knuth on Instagram and Facebook.

Well, what do you think? I'm so excited to share the podcast rebranding with my beloved listeners. Earlier this year I was struggling to set my intention or word of the year. Which is telling in hindsight. I eventually went with shift, which has characterized this year perfectly. Over 100 episodes and two years later, the podcast is ready for a shift. This is NOT a big 180. It's more like a 10-degree shift. I still love small towns, small businesses, and the stories we tell. But I'm feeling much more of a pull towards female business owners and honing in on the importance of energy, effort, and balance. In this week's episode I'm sharing that lost feeling I felt, how I worked (and am still working) to overcome it, and practical strategies I hope you can use too.

The "call after the call" with guest Nina Gibson was so good we had to record just a little longer...plus a special secret from Molly Knuth about changes coming to the podcast!

Hey, listener. I had the best time with my new friend Nina Gibson for this week's podcast episode and it definitely came through in the recording. Meeting Nina on Instagram was like finding my soul sister. From a commitment to helping female entrepreneurs, to being a little "woo," this girl speaks my language. I love the way Nina speaks and how she is so open and sharing of herself. I think you'll love her too! Key takeaways Nina is a "total beach bum" from Southern Maine where she lives with her family Nina has been working with SEO since 2009. She started working for herself when she became a mom in 2014. Nina said she was running on "not even empty." Her whole background was hustle. She was miserable with zero boundaries. Then, in 2019, after some serious burnout (including shingles!), she changed her business model to focus on small business entrepreneurs. "Are we going to remember that Mommy worked all of the time but we were able to have nice vacations?" Nina learned a lot from Holly Haynes's mastermind (Holly on Instagram) Nina hosts the Elevated Visibility Podcast (Apple Podcasts) "SEO is the original internet hype girl" Nina has is launching her Visibility Club Membership this October "You just need a person you trust and vibe with and understand to help you do it simply" Molly 77% online users read a blog every day Keyword research and understanding is THE most valuable part of SEO Nina learned about energetics with Ash McDonald (Ash on Instagram) "Follow through bitch!" Connect with Nina Find Nina at her website or on Instagram Follow for More Follow Molly Knuth Media on Instagram and Facebook Follow Small-Minded on Instagram and Facebook

Hey everybody it's Molly digging into marketing strategy Love long term planning aligning marketing with business goals Grab notebook and pen What you want to talk about, how, and balance it with what feels right energetically Ho Ho ho three hoes in the house Harness energy, own strengths Hoarding content and organizing it Humanized marketing Outlining plans Ho ho ho here we go Lean into energy Pursue one of the following assessments: Personal development intertwined with business ownership Exploring who you are as a person Three tools: Enneagram Truity Human design Jovian archive Sacred Money Archetype Denise Duffield Thomas money mindset coach denisedt instagram Talents? Shadow types? Own strengths Lean in, incorporate into marketing Part of day get lost in good flow of work "I fucking hate this" Getting in to my inbox Outsource, va, contractor Omit? Lean in that feels right to you and clients Hoarding Don't start from scratch or reinvent the wheel What content went well? Looked back at last year Facebook posts Personal photos and videos Be analytical so you don't have to start from scratch Reuse and repurpose Organize Get a print out calendar How many posts? Long form content? Get main priorities Sometimes feel like post to start or blog post about whatever I want Keep priorities the priority helps organize other things around it Focus on what is the most important Document roll outs, events What do I have time for? Humanize Strategy? quantity? tactical? Focus on people Reflect Anecdotes Throwbacks Ways you feel good? Feel seen, Deeper than surface level How can you show up as a human as social media? Outline Start with content you already have Fill gaps with new content

Listener, I am SO excited for you to hear this episode today. I cannot even believe I manifested this. I have the privilege and honor to welcome my mentor and friend, Allie Reeves. If you follow Small Minded, Allie has probably also been on your radar because I am always sharing her posts and stories! She is truly someone who is an inspirational mentor to women. Allie is so purpose-driven! Her mission in life is to show what women can do in business and to coach other women to find her level of success. In this episode she shares her approach to how she hit huge milestones for herself without compromise of her health and family. She is truly an inspiration. If you haven't heard of Allie yet, listener, prepare yourself. This episode, not kidding, is life changing. Key Takeaways Allie's mission is to help women grow businesses they are obsessed with, especially in online spaces. Her big mission is to show that women can be and have it all, however they define it. Allie started her own social media business in 2016 because she couldn't find a job! Her business grew quickly with great, high-paying clients. But even with hitting 10K months, she felt burnt out. Allie shifted her brand and started over from scratch to build a business teaching women how to do social media. Her brand has since grown to encompass business strategy, mindset, and life. She sold nothing in her first eight months and ended 2018 at -$5,000! But she learned, grew, and ended 2019 at + $190,000! Even though her business was successful she started to have the same burnout feelings. She gave herself permission to try something new, trust herself, and have fun in 2021. Allie is my mentor, and she mentioned her mentor, Melanie Layer. Allie has so many words of advice! One I love is "Play to win, don't play NOT to lose." Allie shared her daily activating ritual: She keeps a page of her journal where she lists everything she is working toward and reads it every day. Then, daily, she writes down her gratitudes, current successes, and the challenges that are making her into the better version of her. She writes down who she is choosing to be, how she will show up, and how she will feel. 2022 has been her best year yet! She had her first six-figure month this last July! Connect with Allie Allie is most active on Instagram. She also hosts the podcast 6 Figure Influencer. Follow for More Follow Molly Knuth Media on Instagram and Facebook Follow Small-Minded on Instagram and Facebook

Welcome back, listener. I sat at my desk trying to record the episode I had planned for like, 40 minutes, but it just wasn't happening. I had the framework and everything but I just couldn't make it stick! I sat quietly and an idea came to me. It's not super polished, but I like to chat, and I hope my intended message comes across. Key Takeaways I've been learning a lot about masculine and feminine energy. So much of how we structure business, school, and professionalism is "masculine." (Like me willing myself to do the episode I had framed out! Go through those notes!) But we need to all have a balance of masculine and feminine. Feminine energy allows us to relax, reflect, and look inward. We need that too! My episode wasn't working because it didn't feel right. It wasn't authentic. My audience could have felt those energetics there. It wouldn't have worked, no matter if I forced my way through. Where do you push that feels like a grind? Like something you have to do? Maybe that's your invitation to slow down and reflect. I give some background on my small business story. When I was first starting out, the simplest things felt so magic! But after a few years, it became same old same. I leaned too much into that masculine energy of strategy! If you are just looking at the likes and open rates, you're missing the point! You have so much intimate knowledge of your demographic that big businesses don't. That's special! Make room for the magic! The relationships! I mention the Empower Her Summit where I got to meet up with 120 women that I know in real life through the power of social media! We can't just have statistics and strategy, but we can't have just relationships either. We need a balance of energy. My episode was super quick and not so polished, but I hope you read to do what feels really good, and follow your energy! Follow for More Follow Molly Knuth Media on Instagram and Facebook Follow Small-Minded on Instagram and Facebook

Hey there listener! I'm so happy to introduce you to Jamie Gavle of Rendered Unique in Decorah, Iowa. She is just the sweetest person and is such a great example of the kind of women I like to highlight here on Small Minded. The way she lifts others up and just LOVES her small town is so inspirational. Jamie is the owner of Rendered Unique, a truly handmade home decor boutique that features work from 30+ makers from the Midwest. In today's episode she shares her journey of building her business from a little pop up to the community happy place it is today. Key Takeaways Jamie has been married to her husband Joe for 10 years and they have two daughters aged 10 and 12. She grew up in a small town in Northwest Iowa and loved being close to family and both sets of grandparents. But at 18, she couldn't wait to get out and experience the world! Jamie studied Apparel Merchandising, Design, and Production at Iowa State University. She graduated on a Friday. On Monday morning, she and a friend moved to Minneapolis with an apartment, no job, and all of their belongings in a hog trailer! She loved the big city life but wanted to return to small town living when her daughter was born. A job offer for Joe took them to Decorah one week after her oldest was born! Inspired by what her friend Allison was doing in The Cities, Jamie started doing pop up shows and loved it. Soon Rendered Unique was all she could think about! Jamie started renting her space and was open one weekend a month. She decided to leave her job in administration at Luther College in March 2020, planning to open full time in April. She made it ONE popup before Covid hit and she was closed for eight weeks. But the Decorah community continued to support her business by shopping online. Rendered Unique now has four employees and 30+ vendors! Jamie is always open to "keep pivoting" and loves that her makers have become friends. She's in full fall mode and looks forward to taking each January off to regroup and go to market. So many favorites to mention this episode! Doe a Deer Midwest Girl Dirt Road Candle Company Aesthete Modern Clay Skrapwork Allison Marie Design Impact Coffee Connect with Jamie Shop online at RenderedUnique.com, follow on Facebook at renderedunique, or on Instagram at @rendereddecor Molly Knuth Media Fall Offerings I know it's hard to do allthethings as a small business owner, especially going into the fall. How can the team at MKM help? Reach out for tactical hands-on support, admin, graphic design, and more. Or, if you'd prefer, we can chat strategy to be sure the marketing you're doing on your own has a plan and path. Reach out to [email protected] for more. Are you more of the DIY type? Consider Social School! Social School is our signature program at MKM where we share what's working RIGHT NOW in social media. You can join for one month or get a special offer when you join for the rest of the year. Learn more in the shop at mollyknuthmedia.com/shop Follow for More Follow Molly Knuth Media on Instagram and Facebook Follow Small-Minded on Instagram and Facebook

Creating Visibility & Awareness for Your Next Offer Hey there, listener! You're going to want a pencil and paper for this one. I'm answering one of my most frequently asked questions. How do I get MORE People to see my content? People to hear my message? Sales? Clients? Leads on clients? I'll take this episode to share five ways to create visibility and awareness around your next offer. It's not just tips and tricks this time! Short term wins are great, but long-term awareness around your business and brand is our focus today. Key Takeaways If you're on the go and can't take notes, grab my free printable checklist here https://view.flodesk.com/pages/62fd7479a72e507348a31c3b Define First, define this thing you need more exposure around. WHAT is it? WHY is it worth featuring? HOW will followers reach your product or service? Do a big brain dump of everything you can think of related to these questions. Get clear about the problem you want to solve and the people you want to serve. Format Consider all of the potential formats OTHER than social media to get the word out. What about podcasting- either on your own or as a guest? Speaking of being a guest, is there someone you could pair with to do an Instagram stories takeover? Create in-person brand awareness. I have my business logo on my vehicle, for example. I gifted my clients an MKM tumbler for their birthday. It helps to keep you on their mind! Long form first Yes. I, social media strategist, am telling you that long form is the place to start. Create an evergreen piece of content like a blog post or email newsletter to anchor your outside social media. It's okay to only update once a month, but have something there. It's your place to connect on an emotional level. Where can you share? Ask yourself who you could tag to increase visibility. Maybe it is an organization that benefits from your product Just be a person, honestly. Interact genuinely with others on your feeds and channels. Hacks! Okay, so I squeezed some quick tips in. I know my listeners love those! Share to your personal social media. I don't do this often, so when I do, it's a big deal! Jump on a trend if it fits your product or service. I loved the recent "Little Miss" memes. If that's to cutesy for your brand, leave it. Carry a business card. Reach out and ask for a collaboration. Shoot your shot! (Omigoodness guys, I did this recently and have SUCH a great podcast guest coming up!) How can I help? Sign up for Social by MKM! You can participate one month at a time or join for the rest of the year for a great rate. This September we're focusing on getting your business ready for the holidays. Sign up for Social at mollyknuthmedia.com/shop Reach out with an Instagram DM! Follow for More Follow Molly Knuth Media on Instagram and Facebook Follow Molly on Instagram

Welcome back to the podcast! You know I'm a bit woo. Give me all the angel numbers, the astrological signs! I want to know everything about who I am and how I can show up as my best self! Earlier this year I learned about human design and I learned So. Much. about myself, why I do what I do, and why things happened how they did. Cue our guest, Kristin Kilburg! She was a guest presenter in our June business school and I just had to go back for a personal reading. What a gift! This is so meaningful and I think you will agree! Key Takeaways Kristin is from Cascade and now lives in LaMotte. She is also a yoga instructor! Kristin discovered and fell in love with Human Design from a Facebook group conversation and has taken further training to learn everything she can. Human design describes how our energy works. For Kristin it described how she always felt but struggled to explain. Human design helps you understand how you can help the world with your own unique gifts. Kristin recommends using the site Jovian Archive to get your basic reading. Your human design chart will have a lot of numbers, symbols, and colors that take a lot to understand! In this episode we focused on three main items: Type, strategy, and authority. Type is how your energy presents you to others. Strategy is your path of least resistance in the world. Authority is your decision making process. I am a manifester which makes so much sense! I love to help people, explain, teach, and bring people together. Kristin is a reflector which is super rare! Human design is important for business owners to understand how to spend their energy and what to outsource or hire out. As a parent, the best thing you can do is to understand yourself before getting a read on your kids. Kids usually know best because they haven't been conditioned by the world yet! Kristin offers one-on-one readings for adults and would like to help children and small businesses too. Kristin suggests the podcasts Day Luna and The Psychic Scoop for more information. Connect with Kristin Kristin is working on a website and scheduling platform! For now, reach out on Instagram. Follow for More Follow Molly Knuth Media on Instagram and Facebook Follow Small-Minded on Instagram and Facebook

Hey there, listener! Just a heads up before we start today. We have some exciting changes coming! We're going through a divergence of businesses (Yes, that's with an S!). The Small Minded Podcast might have a change in name or maybe a new social handle. We're still sorting out the details. But just so you know, the content you expect is going to continue! We're down 100 episodes and we're not going anywhere! Today we're talking tactical business strategies. Something even more foundational that what you would think of as the basics: Getting an EIN, registering an LCC, or setting up your first bank account. My business boot campers know this one because it's in my first week of training. We're talking ENERGETICS! Key Takeaways Small business dreams are made of the hallmarks of vision, energy, and hard work. This can feel "woo woo" but you've experienced it: Love and joy at a wedding reception or someone who did a terrible job reading their audience. We can't always raise our energy to bright and rosy colored, but we must at least seek neutrality. I made a business offer earlier this year that was personally a stretch. I was being my own negative voice! I said things like, "If that doesn't work it's totally ok" or I directed contacts to a less expensive service. I totally self-sabotaged by putting out bad vibes. I do much better when I'm having a shit ton of fun like with reels or music videos. We all have cycles of energy and that's ok! You don't have to be bright and rosy all of the time, but be aware of how your energy is affecting others. Do your best to come up to contentment. My go-to strategies are listening to great music, walking in nature, or getting a hard ass workout in! Follow for More Follow Molly Knuth Media on Instagram and Facebook Follow Small-Minded on Instagram and Facebook

Hey there, listener. I'm trying something new this episode and sharing a previously recorded live presentation I gave earlier this year. It's just me and my big paper! I'm sharing the process I use to plan and implement change in a way that feels RIGHT. It can be hard to trust yourself! I hope this episode and the strategies I share empower you to make business decisions that feel right. Key Takeaways It is hard to know what shift to make whether slight or major! It's easy to feel all by yourself! My method is to write it out with my Big Paper Moment. When my brain is buzzing with ideas I crank the music, clean my house, and fill out big poster-sized post it notes with random ideas. It's important not to filter yourself! Don't let your subconscious get in the way! People who have been to business school call this a SWOT analysis: Get honest with your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. But… don't focus too much on your competition! The SHIFT model came out of my coaching with Allie Reeves: Select, Heighten, Identify, Follow Through (do the damn thing!) and Test. Podcast Episodes Mentioned International Small Towns with Magdalena Schurmann Small Business Finances with Janey Stahl MKM Business School School is in session, my friend! MKM business school is for the female small town business owner in years 2-7 of her business. She's established and needs guidance to grow! When should you add to your team? How are you setting boundaries? Find a circle that can elevate you to create something that lasts. Business school includes Monthly guest professor visit on a focus topic Two monthly office hours with a service provider Monthly hotseat for members to come together and build relationships Access to the ENTIRE MKM video training library Access to our business service provider directory DM me on Instagram or sign up with an email to [email protected] with the subject line "MKM Business School." Follow for More Follow Molly Knuth Media on Instagram and Facebook Follow Small-Minded on Instagram and Facebook

Here we are, friends! We've reached the 100th episode! Like… HOW??! I wanted a special way to celebrate this milestone and polled the team. So for today's podcast, I have a mix of… How I got started and what I learned Top performers and hidden gems Future plans! Thank you, thank you, thank you, listeners. Not just for listening, but for your feedback, emails, and messages of support. I love getting messages about episodes that hit you in the feels! It keeps me going and I couldn't have reached this episode without your encouragement and support! Key Takeaways I was a fresh little green business owner in 2017: Never took a business class, and CERTAINLY didn't have a degree! I binged the Momentum podcast and loved the 10 minute action packed episodes. The algorithm pegged me and kept suggesting more and more valuable content. Seriously, so much of my business knowledge is from the School of Apple Podcasts! I ordered my podcast microphone a full year before my first episode! Most podcasts last only nine episodes! I went into this knowing the value of momentum and consistency. The name, the niche, the launch… That's just the foothills! I took Jenna Kutcher's podcast course and applied everything I learned to get started! I knew consistency would be important so I scheduled 2-3 months in advance to minimize summer recording. Summer is nuts around here! Find support! Honestly a podcast is a lot of work and I knew I wouldn't be able to do it all on my own! Consider hiring out for editing or marketing if it will keep you behind the microphone. Podcasting does NOT have a quick turnaround. Three months in, I had about 300 downloads a month. Six months in, I questioned whether I could keep going. My accountant gave good guidance. Maybe I couldn't trace my success exactly to my podcast, but it was a valuable investment in the know, like, trust strategy. It's an important lead generator and it's important to me to be of service to others. The last six months have had half of my lifetime downloads! It took 30 episodes to figure out my equipment and find my voice. Four of the top five episodes were from March 2022! Where are they now? Callie Fitzgerald was riding the high of her first three months in business and is now offering amazing summer programming at Centrally Rooted in Dubuque, Iowa. She's added art, painting, and brought in teachers from all over the country. Her flagship curriculum, Mindful Musicians, will be offered in two area schools this fall! Lauren Welter's episode about mental health in small towns brought the most messages EVER. Many people praising the normalization of mental health and folks asking for Lauren's contact information. Other popular episodes included Let's Get Woo Woo, Melissa Nelson, and Do I Need a Business Coach? You guys. My worst podcasts were definitely my "Teen Years." It was past the bubble of my friends listening to be nice but I hadn't quite caught on to a wider audience yet. Go back and give them a listen! I don't think I've "made it" to be at episode 100! I'm hanging on to be the cream that rises to the top. See you at 300! Molly Knuth Media and the Small Minded Podcast are going through exciting changes! We're morphing into a small business hub of resources and support! We might rebrand in the future, but we'll be here offering high value content week after week. Just in case she edits it out, a HUGE thank you to my podcast editing superwoman Miranda Ostwinkle. I seriously couldn't have done this without her! Follow for more Follow Molly Knuth Media on Instagram and Facebook Follow Small-Minded on Instagram and Facebook

Hey listener! Today's podcast guest and I go back a few years. We only met once in person, but wow, is she ever an amazing person. I'm so glad to know her, even if it is mostly virtual! Linley Cavin is the owner and artist behind Storied Folk and Company, an apparel, drinkware and modern paper goods company. She has moved back to her hometown and runs her company from her home. You might know her from Matted Ink, her first business, but she rebranded to envision a brand that gave back. Wow, guys. She has quite the inspiring story to help you understand the people she wants to help. Sure, we talk a bit of shop but a lot of our conversation today revolves around Linley's incredible journey to parenthood. Grab the tissues, it's the first episode that made me ugly cry! Key takeaways Linley Cavin grew up in Protivin, Iowa, where her family has a hog and row crop farm. She vowed to get away and she did… for awhile. She studied at Iowa State University and lived in Des Moines for a while. Linley worked at an advertising agency startup and loved it as a first job. When she and her husband moved to Williamsburg, Iowa, her new job didn't use the graphic design she loved. She started her business, Matted Ink, and launched on Etsy. As her business and desire to start a family grew, she took the leap to full time with her business. With her husband working long hours as an agronomy salesman, it was important to them to have a parent with more flexible hours. They also made the move back to Northeast Iowa. Linley has moved away from Etsy and built her own website to promote her own brand. (I'm so guilty of saying "I got this on Etsy! instead of identifying the maker!) In addition to her own website she sells wholesale to more than 175 (!) retail locations around the country! All of this was going on as Linley and her husband worked to start a family which was such an amazing journey. After trying for a year, the Cavins sought medical intervention at the University of Iowa. When moving back to Northeast Iowa, she transferred care to Minneapolis where she had two failed rounds of IVF. She transferred care to Chicago and suffered another failed round. She stepped back and looked at other options from adoption, to choosing not to have children. It took a huge toll on her mental health. In December of 2019, she sought egg donation. Linley describes grieving for her genetics and coming to terms with how, although she would carry her baby to term, they would not share her genetics. This process works! Linley is a mom to a son after her July of 2020 egg transfer was successful. Linley has rebranded to Storied Folk & Company: Inspirational Goods Made With Purpose. She donates 3% of sales to support infertility support and resources and has a donation button on her website. All of this to say, Trust the Journey. It inspired a new just-launched t-shirt design that you just have to see. Connect with Linley Shop her website or follow her on Instagram. Follow for More Follow Molly Knuth Media on Instagram and Facebook Follow Small-Minded on Instagram and Facebook

Hey friends! Thank you so much for being here for this week's Small Minded Episode. We're digging in and I'm ready to deliver a little more on the business side. This episode is short and sweet but I hope you find it value-packed. Key Takeaways Usually when someone approaches me to share they're thinking about starting a small business, they are thinking about a logo or website. Those things are important, but it all comes down to four main things. People will pay you for what you are good at. I used to moonlight as a wedding singer but never charged much. I was good at it, it didn't take much time. But I learned to charge for the value I offered! Think about what you have paid others to do. Someone is willing to pay you! People don't have the skills or bandwidth to do things you perceive to be easy. It's the little things they outsource first. Your skills and talents are unique. Not everyone knows how to do the things you find so, so simple! You don't have to be fancy to be good. I should have charged more earlier, but I didn't realize how unique I was. I just posted what I wanted to know and learn. Now I know it's called content marketing. But it got great results for my clients! If you have a small, service-based business, you should promote your own business AT LEAST as much as the businesses you serve. Your mindset and energy matters. Think beyond "a little side gig" and give your business the respect it deserves! Any time I have felt a nagging that my business needed to change, the thing to change was me. I recently had to flip the script to think of myself as the leader of a team instead of someone on the team doing the work. Follow for More Follow Molly Knuth Media on Instagram and Facebook Follow Small-Minded on Instagram and Facebook MKM Business School School is in session, my friend! MKM business school is for the female small town business owner in years 2-7 of her business. She's established and needs guidance to grow! When should you add to your team? How are you setting boundaries? Find a circle that can elevate you to create something that lasts. Business school includes Monthly guest professor visit on a focus topic Two monthly office hours with a service provider Monthly hotseat for members to come together and build relationships Access to the ENTIRE MKM video training library Access to our business service provider directory DM me on Instagram or sign up with an email to [email protected] with the subject line "MKM Business School."

You guys. My cheeks hurt from laughing and smiling so much with this week's guest, Jenny Roth of Jenny Roth Copywriting. She is such a super mom, wife, and PERSON. Today, though, our talk centers on her small business as a copywriter. She has great experience to share as a small business owner as well as copywriting tips FOR small business owners. We've been "DM friends" for awhile but this is our first time chatting in person! I loved our chat and I know you will too. Key takeaways Jenny lives in a rural South Dakota town with only 300 people. (Rural like 45 minutes from a Walmart rural!) Her husband farms grain and cattle and they have three girls, born within four years! Jenny was a stay at home mom and even homeschooled until a few years ago. She started to wonder how she could contribute to her family's income in the little pockets of time she found. She started by writing one article each month for a magazine and later moved up to editor. People started approaching her for writing help and her business was born. Jenny's focus has always been her family although she feels a little guilty for admitting it. Her first goal was to make just $200 per month to put her girls in dance lessons. Jenny struggles with indecisiveness but realized "You can do things scared." Her biggest business challenges are taking on too much and keeping everything balanced. Jenny realized that hiring copywriters to work under her made her an editor, which she doesn't enjoy, so she switched to hiring copy editors instead. In the future Jenny would like to help others get started in copywriting. Some copywriting tips from Jenny Copywriting is to connect customers with businesses who solve problems. Copywriting is anything you write that connects to your customers. Copywriting should have your voice. Write it for you first, then edit it for your reader. Read it back out loud to see if it sounds like you! Avoid "word salad" copy. Be very specific! What a copywriter can do for you Learn your "voice" to create copy that sounds like you would speak Do a target audience deep dive with market research Give your words a fresh set of eyes Connect with Jenny Find Jenny on Instagram @jennyrothcopywriting or on her website. Join her email list for a free 15 minute master class to create your email welcome sequence. Follow for More Follow Molly Knuth Media on Instagram and Facebook Follow Small-Minded on Instagram and Facebook

Hey there, listener! This episode comes to you from my NEW BUILDING on my birthday! In a previous episode I shared the BIG NEWS that MKM has purchased a brick and mortar location in downtown Cascade. We took possession on June 1 and I'm hanging out here every chance I get! This will eventually include an ACTUAL podcast studio but for today I'm improvising. We're throwing it back to a tried and true mailbag episode! Thanks for sending your questions to me on social media! I got a little enthusiastic about only a few questions, so this might have to need a part 2! Let's dig in. What are you doing with the building? I know, right? Especially when all the rage is to get out of the office and have freedom! It's important for me to put my money where my mouth, and I want to be part of the revitalization of downtown. The new MKM space will facilitate a flexible work schedule. I'm not requiring anyone to come in, but I want the option if they want the option! This HUGE building came up and I'm looking forward to a personal office, flex spaces for my team, and a large conference area. I'd love to host our workshops and programming in person! Not an office-office, definitely more of a hybrid situation. TikToks and Reels? I so empathize with you here! TikTok and Instagram are not friends and don't play nicely together. Short format video is big right now and each platform has something to offer. Some pointers: Even though you can, I don't recommend downloading a video from one platform and posting it on the other. The video quality is poor and the platforms suppress video made in the other. I get around this by editing video in In Shot and uploading it separately to each platform How do I increase engagement this summer? It's such a weird time in the algorithms right now! With 1500 followers I could expect 200-500 reach on Instagram posts and 400-500 posts on Facebook. This year at this time I'm lucky to get 100! I'm figuring out Facebook and but my Instagram is still weird Instagram is going through some stuff right now. I'm calling it their teenage years. Instagram has rolled out some changes that people aren't liking. I think if we stick with it they will roll those back in a few months. Post where your heart is and your people are! Find new ways to measure success like DMs. Success is in engagement, not exposure Show yourself raw and candid. Focus on the people you're helping. Keep Facebook posts simple and start conversations. With all the ways I could be growing, how do I manage my time? Let go of timeframes and established dates: We can rewrite the rules! Priorities shift based on the season How do I avoid shiny object syndrome? Focus your vision and ultimate desire for your business. When opportunities come your way you will be able to identify them as valuable When to pivot without leaving people behind? Take it slowly and surely Reflect on if it's just burnout or if it's a building feeling that you are not where you want to be Remember it's okay to change your mind! Give yourself the gift of time You honor you. It's your business. July Social School MKM is breaking down ads on Meta so they don't have to be so darn tricky anymore! Sign up for 7 days of bitesize trainings and tutorials. This is for the small town business owner who is empowered, excited, and READY to understand paid advertising. You'll be setting up and running your own ads and you'll understand what the heck those stats mean. July's membership is focusing on ads only, but we'd love you to take advantage of the annual membership discount! DM me on Instagram with questions or visit the shop to sign up! MKM Business School School is in session, my friend! MKM business school is for the female small town business owner in years 2-7 of her business. She's established and needs guidance to grow! When should you add to your team? How are you setting boundaries? Find a circle that can elevate you to create something that lasts. Business school includes Monthly guest professor visit on a focus topic Two monthly office hours with a service provider Monthly hotseat for members to come together and build relationships Access to the ENTIRE MKM video training library Access to our business service provider directory DM me on Instagram or sign up with an email to [email protected] with the subject line "MKM Business School." Follow for More Follow Molly Knuth Media on Instagram and Facebook Follow Small-Minded on Instagram and Facebook

Hey there listener! I'm so excited to introduce someone I love and admire. Sheila Hansen is on the podcast! We're chatting money mindset. Ooo. Did you cringe? Did your gut drop a little? Why IS it that money can make us feel so weird? That's why Sheila's work is such a gift. She focuses on mindset around money instead of just dollars and cents. Sheila has her own business, Sheila Hansen LLC, that helps small businesses, especially service-based businesses, make sense of their money. Key Takeaways Sheila and her husband, Bo, live on five acres near Omaha, Nebraska with their three kiddos. Sheila loves country living but still being close enough to a city to enjoy all it has to offer. She originally thought she'd be a teacher, but loved her high school accounting classes. She enjoys her position now and personally teaching people about their finances. Sheila studied accounting at UN Lincoln and climbed the public accounting ladder. Starting a family changed her career outlook! A miscarriage shifted her focus and gave her the courage to start her own business. I mention a previous podcast guest: Robin Boudreau of No Foot Too Small and Honoring Angels Every business has a different start! Sheila worked as an assistant with her husband while she built her business. Money mindset is so important to Sheila! She challenges us to think about money messages we observed growing up and how they affect us today. Sheila says to turn into your body's intuition and to question that "icky" feeling you get when you think about money. "Money comes money goes but it will always flow!" There are a couple of steps to get started before reaching out to a professional like Sheila. You need basic data so someone can help! Get a business bank account Get some way to track data (A spreadsheet at the very least but she recommends Quickbooks) When should you hire a professional for money matters? Reflect on the value of your time. Just because you can do something yourself doesn't mean you should! Sheila says that anyone with needs beyond basic W-2 tax preparation should hire a professional for their taxes. When should you hire an employee? This depends on your model. Consider the potential of growth by bringing someone on. You don't have to go all in! You can start with a contractor, or hire someone who wants flexible hours. Price on your value, not your hours. Know your ideal audience. Sheila recommends the Biz Chicks Podcast and was a guest on the coaching episode. She said the book The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks helped her mindset. Connect with Sheila Contact Sheila through her website or Instagram. Follow for more Follow Molly Knuth Media on Instagram and Facebook Follow Small-Minded on Instagram and Facebook

Welcome back to the Small Minded Podcast, listener! I'm excited to welcome my friend Melissa King of Dupaco Credit Union. It won't take long into the episode for you to see how we always have fun together! We giggle as much as we talk shop, but we DO talk shop. Melissa is here to talk about her career in financial services. She emphasizes the importance of forming a partnership with your financial partner and makes finances make sense. Key Takeaways Melissa King lives with her family on an acreage near Bernard, and Cascade, Iowa. She was raised on a beef farm just a few miles away where her parents live now. Melissa says she is the "Queen of Pivoting" along with many entrepreneurs! Yes! Volunteering and hard work was important to Melissa growing up. She continues to stay involved in the community. She found her position at Dupaco as a temporary employee at age 18 and has been with them since. She originally didn't think she would do college but now holds an MBA! Community is important to Melissa and one of the best takeaways from business school was the connections and friendships she made. Melissa loves meeting with small business owners in every stage of the game and following their progress. Your relationship with your financials is an important one! Check in at least as often as you connect with your accountant or attorney. Melissa says your financial should get to know you and discuss custom solutions. Look to America's Small Business Development Centers for professional business advice by state. Melissa has become a small business owner herself! She and her family raise miniature golden doodles. Connect with Melissa You can reach Melissa by phone at five-six-three-581-9081 or email at [email protected] Follow for More Follow Molly Knuth Media on Instagram and Facebook Follow Small-Minded on Instagram and Facebook

Hey there, listener. Welcome to this BIG episode of SMALL Minded! I think this will be the first in a long series of big news and updates. It's so exciting because my dreams are happening in real time! This episode is a little shorter than usual, but it is so big it needed a space all its own. Listen to the episode and DON'T skip ahead on the notes! Key Takeaways Before I share our BIG NEWS let's take a journey back in time to my beginnings as a business owner! I loved my job as a middle school English Language Arts in 2013 but when I found out I was pregnant with our third baby I really wondered if I could balance my job with teaching. I finished out the school year and had our baby in August 2014. 2014 was a blur! In addition to adding Baby #3 we built a house! My littles kept me plenty busy! In 2016 I had our fourth baby and started to wonder if there was an identity for me beyond "Mom." I wanted to make some money for our family so I took on some subbing jobs and helped with administrative help in my dad and cousin's business. Part of my administrative tasks was marketing. I didn't really know what I was doing but made a Facebook business page. I just shared what I wanted to know about businesses: What projects were they working on, stories and faces behind the business, etc. Whatever I did must have worked! They got great results! By late 2016 a third person contacted me and I made the leap to becoming a "real" business. March 2017 was my official launch. I continued to grow and in November wrote a 5- and 10-year plan. It seemed SO far off at the time, but for my five years I dreamt of: A historic brick-and-mortar location in my hometown Employing moms in a flexible setting Childcare Boutique coffee A one-stop shop for small business startups with service provider recommendations, digital marketing services, and a startup sector You guys. I can't believe how much of this is coming true! MKM has added podcasting, graphic design, copywriting, web design, and as of June 1, 2022: A BRICK AND MORTAR LOCATION!! Seriously. In early 2022 I noticed the beautiful old bank next to my coworking space up for sale on a Tuesday and we had an offer in by Saturday morning! Last week it officially became ours! Follow on the socials for lots of updates on the renovation process! I'm so excited to bring you along. Mailbag episode scheduled for later this month! Submit your questions! (Business) School is Session! MKM Business School Mastermind is for women in years two through seven of their business who are ready to scale from startup to sustainable. Connect with a circle ready to elevate you to create something that lasts. What you get: Guest "professor" with a focus topic each month Two guest experts ("adjunct professors") throughout the month with a special focus. Hear from HR professionals to start hiring, attorneys to answer legal questions, and more Monthly Hot Seat Session Bonus 1-on-1 coaching with Molly Access to MKM video training library DM me on Instagram or shoot me an email at [email protected] with subject MKM Business School. Follow for More Follow Molly Knuth Media on Instagram and Facebook Follow Small-Minded on Instagram and Facebook

Hey friends! This podcast tackles a common topic… What the HECK is working right now on Social in spring of 2022! You probably noticed major shifts on Instagram and Facebook earlier this year. With access to client accounts I could extract common themes across the board. I reached out to my network, ran some experiments, and I feel like we have it down. For now. I shared what I learned in a Facebook Live training and have that recording for you today. I'm a total talker and explainer, but I think I have it down to 45 minutes! Key Takeaways This session focused on six main topics. Strategy Back when I started in 2017, social media was as simple as posting a video! But as more and more people shared content, the algorithm started to pick and choose what to promote. Now it's important to strategize so more people see your posts. It's not as simple as just showing up. Watch your stats to figure out what your followers like and interact with. Map out what you will post each day to make customers know, like, and trust you Make a quarterly and monthly map Photos I love brand photos and recommend having at least one head shot and maybe a few more. But don't feel like you always have to be beautiful and branded! Balance perfection with reality. Multi-image posts are getting great engagement. Not collages, but photos for people to swipe through. This increases your engagement. Show yourself! Viewers interact more with people than products. Video Video is so hot right now! You don't have to record a video. Consider just adding a video instead of static background to the content you already have. Storytelling Storytelling always works! Book recommendation: Building a Story Brand by Donald Miller Even if someone doesn't need your product or service in the moment, stories make you memorable. Bring viewers into your life and through your day. Think about parts of your day that can inform and guide. Platforms Don't try to be everywhere at once! You will burn out and it's just too much work! Consider owning a space away from the platforms with a blog, website, or email list. "Keep your platforms simple but drive them to the big goals for your business" Relatability "If you wait until you are ready you will always be waiting" The perfect polished post is not really what's working right now Dive into what you are doing today and document it! Follow for More Follow Molly Knuth Media on Instagram and Facebook Follow Small-Minded on Instagram and Facebook

Hey, listeners! In this episode I'm sharing high school stories, especially from my senior year. It was just graduation weekend here in Cascade and there is excitement in the air! I hope the kiddos (young adults?) who graduated appreciate what a special time this is! There is a reason we call those years the best of our lives (which I don't full-on agree with… more on that later)! This was super fun. I had a great time making the episode, and I think it will be super relatable for elder millennials! Remember burning CDs? Or the first iPod and how dumb everyone thought they were… until they didn't? I don't think 17-year-old me could have imagined using a digital camera ON MY PHONE to take pictures of these old pictures to share on a BLOG for my PODCAST! I would love to hear more about your small-town high school days! I'll link up the socials below! Key takeaways Senior year is so special in pop culture and it was for me too! My high school had 7-12 in the same building and I remember thinking the seniors were just so cool! I share some of my favorite outfits. Remember how everything in 2005 was 70s inspired? I'm cool with bell bottoms coming back around but low rise jeans need to STAY AWAY! My school had a tradition of a senior skip day and senior prank but my class was a buncha' rule followers! I spent so much time grounded my senior year, which was no fun, but then I somehow didn't get voted most likely to get grounded? I was so upset about that! I share some of markers of the time… My Dodge Intrepid, hanging leis from the rearview, burning CDs, and the first time I saw an iPod! I don't think high school makes the best years of your life, but they are certainly the beginning! There is just something magical about being old enough to really get out there and have real fun but not the responsibilities yet! June Social School It's June and school is JUST getting started! Social School is now enrolling for June! This month we're focusing on captions that convert. What is working for captions right now? How the heck should you format them? This month's Social School includes: Bite-sized video trainings Access to supplemental materials A Q & A with me Sign up at my website here. You can sign up for June or jump in for the whole year! An annual membership gets you two free months! Follow for More Follow Molly Knuth Media on Instagram and Facebook Follow Small-Minded on Instagram and Facebook

Hey, Listener. It literally took me 11 tries to get an intro recorded and it still isn't great! I am just so humbled by today's guest and honored to have her on the podcast! Robin Boudreau and her husband Ryan started No Foot Too Small to draw attention to pregnancy and infant loss. We're proud to have her here in Iowa but their mission has expanded across the country! Her mission is just so necessary and needed. I just cannot put into words the importance of today's conversation. But I will try. Key takeaways: Robin and Ryan are from small-town Wisconsin. They went to college at the University of Minnesota and moved to Iowa City for Ryan's Post Doc program. I love how Robin asks, "How am I going to build MY small town in THIS community." How cool to make the most of where life takes you? And build community everywhere? Robin had her first daughter, Bella, in 2011 and got pregnant shortly after with her son Beau. At her 20-week ultrasound, immediately after finding out he was a boy she learned he had many life-threatening abnormalities. Beau was born that January and went immediately to heaven. Robin and Ryan knew they always wanted to honor Beau but weren't sure how. They had a birthday party for him but invited the whole community. They honored 12 angels that day and over 100 guests! After their amazing event, people asked them to continue hosting, so they did! After three years the Boudreaus and their contributors donated $100,000 to March of Dimes. Robin loves March of Dimes but recognized the difference and importance of her mission too. They started No Foot Too Small to specifically recognize pregnancy and infant loss. By 2019 the organization was so busy that Robin left her career to grow NFTS full-time. The mission of No Foot Too Small is to celebrate, unite, and build. They celebrate angels, unite families, and build bereavement birthing suites. Robin wants her support groups to feel like a circle of girlfriends! Their organization hosts meetups in fun and welcoming spaces. Learn more about their Mom's Groups and Men's Social Clubs on their website. The pandemic caused their group to "pivot" and host online meetups. Her stories are heartbreaking but she loved to meet people across the country. When Robin first lost Beau, all she wanted was to cuddle up with a cozy blanket! She searched far and wide for the perfect item to wear to honor Beau. That inspired their line of angel-inspired gifts, Love Beau. 11% of profits go back to No Foot Too Small. Connect with Robin Email Robin directly at [email protected] or message their Facebook page to seek support. Learn more about No Foot Too Small and their events on their website. Follow for More Follow Molly Knuth Media on Instagram and Facebook Follow Small-Minded on Instagram and Facebook