The Found Podcast with Molly Knuth

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

Welcome friends! Before I launch into my LOVE for teachers, I need to get a little sassy about how it is NOT FAIR that so many helpers have to share an appreciation week! To teachers, firefighters, emergency responders, childcare providers, small business leaders, nurses: THANK YOU for all you do for all of us, especially in small towns. Of course you deserve year 'round appreciation, but the LEAST we could do is give you your own week, dangit! Today's episode is all about teachers! They are so revered in our small towns and make such an impact on all of our lives! I look back on teachers who made a difference for me and reflect on my time as a teacher. Key Takeaways I am a teacher by trade and a lifelong lover of reading! No surprise, my favorite teachers inspired my love of reading. My favorite part of teaching was getting students to LOVE reading. We started the term reading for just ten minutes each day. It seems my kiddos who hated reading most in the beginning would beg for more time as the term went on! The best part of being a teacher was my students! I still love running in to former students, even though now it's at our local bar! The best but hardest part of teaching is RELATIONSHIPS! Think about how teachers inspired you to do more, try harder, and see the light inside yourself! My teacher Mrs. McLaughlin sent a postcard to every new student from where she had traveled that summer. She gave us books when we met our reading goals and I especially loved Roald Dahl books. She really encouraged my love of reading. Dianne Knepper let us choose our own assessments as "book reports" and I still remember the Ella Enchanted board game I created. Girl scout leaders, aunts, uncles, we are all teachers. Thank you for encouraging kiddos! Please take a long hard look at how important supporting our small town teachers is! They give our children so much love and support and teach academics too. Definitely get involved in your kids' education, but please keep supporting teachers. Education is especially tough right now with people being super critical. Please, please, show teachers your support. Teachers, you are the best! I'd love you hear your most beloved teacher stories! Tag me (Molly Knuth Media) or the podcast (Small Minded Podcast) on social media to share your stories. Podcast Sponsor MKM Business School is in session! This new business school mastermind is perfect for the female small town entrepreneur in years 2-7 of her business. She's established but wants to grow! Connect with women at a similar stage and elevate your business and brand. It's not just me! I have awesome friends who help provide: Monthly focus topics by experts in the field Office hours calls from service providers Monthly hot seat sessions to learn, grow, and build relationships in-person Access to the MKM video training library Access to the MKM business service provider directory. Shoot me a DM on Instagram an email to hello@mollyknuthmedia,com, 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. This week's episode is super sweet for celebrating you mamas! Thanks so much to the listeners who contributed motherly advice! I'm so blessed to be a mom to four little ones (or… not so little! They grow too fast!). We definitely planned to be parents, but we did NOT plan for it to look like what it does! It's a beautiful little mess that I never could have predicted, but it is my most. favorite. role. Key Takeaways So I'll start it off! New mamas: Get clear with yourself. How I pictured myself momming is SO different than the homemade-snacks-and-hands-on-homework-help mom I pictured! Yup, we have screentime and processed snacks! But believe me, if you let kids be bored long enough, they will find something to entertain them for HOURS. It's like a 30 minute bubble, but they'll forget screentime soon enough! Ok, so I'm going to need another bullet point. It's okay to not read all of the books and research all of the things ahead of time! For myself, it made me more anxious and nervous. Reach out to your support system when you need help. No need worrying in advance! Definitely take time for yourself, your relationship, and your friends. I couldn't agree with this one more! We love our Natalie. She's a junior in college now but has been with our family forever. She's like a big sister and sometimes a more organized mom than me! It's so good to have time for yourself and for have more people for your kiddos to love. Get some great regular childcare in your little villiage! Give yourself grace after childbirth. Oof. I learned this one the hard way. Seriously, your body basically performed a miracle. Go easy on yourself! Rest! Related: As you're resting and relaxin, snuggle those babies as long as you can! They just grow too fast! It's sneaky, but one day you'll look and them and not remember the last time you held them in your lap. Cherish every minute you can! Be present. This is a challenge for me, but I can definitely see the value in really being in the moment with your family. It's hard as business owner with a home office, but I'm really working on it! Get a circle of support you can ask questions to. Being "small minded" I'm definitely going to pump local groups, but online is good too! Think globally! Just remember you're not alone. It's okay to not be okay. Allow others to pour into you. Get the help you need. Care for your mental health. I'm going to need a whole 'nother episode to rant on how it's SO UNFAIR that Mother's Day, Teacher's Appreciation, Childcare Provide Appreciation, Firefighter appreciation all are on the same week. You all deserve your own week! I've got to take a minute to acknowledge that this week isn't always special and sweet for everyone. Everybody's story is different but they are all beautiful. Whether you are struggling with a parent relationship, choosing not to be a parent, or if your childfree life is not by choice, I see you. You are close to my heart this week. So much love this week, everyone! I hope you have a beautiful Mother's Day! Follow for More Follow Small-Minded on Instagram and Facebook Follow Molly Knuth Media on Instagram and Facebook

After we stopped recording, Will McAllister (our guest on this week's podcast) and I got into additional conversation about his journey through various educational settings post-high school. So I hit "record" again because I thought his message was important about keeping an open mind as youth consider a variety of options post-high school: workforce, community college, state school, and more. Especially in our modern economy with workforce shortages in nearly every community, keeping an open mind about someone's path after graduation can open doors and provide opportunities for our youth. Let me know what you think in this first BONUS EP of the Small-Minded Podcast.

Hey, listeners! I have a super special guest this week in our series on The Learning Center in Charles City, Iowa! Today I share my interview with Will McAllister of Woodruff Construction. At just 23 years old, he is the construction manager of the TLC project! I just love this kid and the love he has for literally building BIG things in small towns. Key takeaways Will started studying engineering but didn't love it and transferred to Kirkwood to study construction management. He later transferred to UNI to complete his bachelor's degree. Along the way he worked part time with Woodruff and has been with them full time since graduation. Will loves that he gets to combine an office job with the in-person visits to job sites. As a construction manager he works with the building superintendent, crew leaders, and more. He's managing a LOT! Will says it's about building a great team, working together, and staying organzied. Will discusses some challenges of the construction industry lately. Access to supplies has inflated budgets and pushed back deadlines which can be very frustrating. Okay, so he's my brother. See why I get to call him a kid? But seriously, can you even believe how poised and professional he is? So proud. Will has enjoyed learning new things with the TLC build like how to have restrooms in the childcare rooms or how each room has its own HVAC system. He loves to remodel old buildings and is excited for the TLC project. Will credits his success to his family (aww!) and their high standard of work ethic. He also says it is hard to get in trouble in a small town because you never know who will see you doing something stupid! Mom and I had some fun thinking of his bonus round questions, including our dad's favorite one-liner. Will's advice for young folks is to give community college some thought! He's grateful for what he learned, but says he felt "too proud" to go straight for community college. He knows he had to try engineering first in order to know it wasn't what he wanted, but that in hindsight, community college so just so great for him. Thanks so much, Will, for introducing me to the key players of the TLC project! (Pam Ost, Dan Levi) Connect with Will Will works for Woodruff Construction. You can contact him personally on LinkedIn or Instagram… Whether with construction questions or to sell him a jet ski! Follow for More Follow Small-Minded on Instagram and Facebook Follow Molly Knuth Media on Instagram and Facebook

You guys. I thought I'd have Dan Levi on the podcast to talk all things TLC. Our conversation turned out to be so much more than I could have imagined! What an amazing advocate for the smallest people in our small towns! Dan Levi is an architect of Dan Levi Architecture and his firm worked with last week's guest, Pam Ost, to build The Learning Center in Charles City, Iowa. We're in a series on the center and how big things happen in small towns. But omigoodness we ended up just talking about the importance of childcare and I am SO here for it. Key takeaways "A rising tide lifts all ships!" Dan is an Iowa State grad (and fan- yuck! Ha!) and architect in the Waterloo/Cedar Falls area. He loves to bring childcare centers to small towns. Next to skilled nursing, childcare centers have the most building regulations! He is SUCH an amazing advocate for CHILDCARE! (He is sure to NOT say babysitting!) Dan points out that young families will not stay in or move to small towns if there is not high quality childcare Iowa, and much of the midwest, is suffering a labor shortage. Childcare isn't just for the little ones, it's to keep parents comfortable too! Dan says old buildings, especially old schools, are a blight on a small town. It's so sad to see them fall into disrepair! It's so important to keep Iowa towns thriving and quality childcare is key for that! Dan discusses how the childcare industry is "upside down." Lead teaching positions can pay less than starting wage at a convenience store and offer no benefits. He's so understanding of making sure projects fit the individual goals of each community and fit the BUDGET! Dan mentions another inspirational project, Little Knights Learning Center, in Dysart, Iowa. He also recommends the resource Child Care Resource and Referral for families looking for high-quality childcare in Northeast Iowa. Connect with Dan Levi Dan's contact information can be found on his company website, Levi Architecture. Follow for More Follow Small-Minded on Instagram and Facebook Follow Molly Knuth Media on Instagram and Facebook

Hey, listeners. Today on the podcast I have Pam Ost of The Learning Center in Charles City, Iowa. She is an absolute treat of a guest. She has a kindness in her voice that makes me wish I could be a kid in her care! Luckily she works well with big kids too and is getting stuff done. It's easy to see why the whole community believes in her ideas. She could be the spokesperson for the whole darn city! I promise I didn't set her up for this, but her story fits PERFECTLY into my steps of getting big things done in small towns. I just love her story (their story!) of how Charles City came together to see a need and find a solution. And I just. Freakin. Love. A good persevere-through-hard-times story. Key takeways Pam Ost is the director of The Learning Center, a childcare center in Charles City, Iowa. They are renovating an old middle school to expand their center to address the growing need for high quality childcare. Pam emphasizes the importance of supporting children from birth through graduation. She works with the public school to support child development throughout life. Charles City, Iowa is, by Iowa standards, a big town with 8,000 people and home to some major industries. Great childcare is SO IMPORTANT to support the economy! Covid showed the world how quickly things fall apart without childcare. Pam is a major employer herself with 30+ employees. She is proud to say her center never closed and never laid off workers through the whole pandemic, even when enrollment went from 88 children to 35. Covid also threw some wrenches in their project! They are suffering supply chain issues just like everyone but hope to be in their new location this fall. There are so many exciting things about this project. The students are most looking forward to a gym! The new location will also have a commercial kitchen to make it a true community building. Connect with Pam The Learning Center has an active and adorable Facebook page to check out. More information can be found on their website. TLC is a non-profit and can receive donations through PayPal. Follow for More Follow Small-Minded on Instagram and Facebook Follow Molly Knuth Media on Instagram and Facebook For more about Social or Business School visit mollyknuthmedia.com/shop.

My friends, it's just me today in this week's episode, talking all about YOU. YOU can do big things in a small town. I'm so excited for the upcoming series we're sharing in April. The round about way I found this story is typical of how things get done in small towns! So, my brother Will is a construction manager in Waterloo, Iowa, and connected me with TLC (aka The Learning Center) an AMAZING childcare center in Charles City, Iowa. Pam Ost (who you'll meet in future episodes) saw a need in her community, had a vision for how to complete, found her people who could help, and connected her goals to the entire community. No, I didn't set her up for this, but she happened to follow my blueprint for getting things DONE in a small town. Now Charles City has an amazing childcare center in the works in a renovated historic building. Maybe you've been there. You've seen the cool old building in your downtown and thought "someone should really do something about that." YOU are that SOMEONE! I'll share key takeaways from the episode below, but if you want to narrow it to one thing… "If we want really cool things in our small towns we have to be willing to do them." - Melissa Nelson, Hungry Canyon Key Takeaways I share my blueprint for getting something to the finish line: Cast your vision, find your people, and connect our community. First, cast your vision! Thing globally and don't limit yourself! I mention an earlier episode with Callie Fitzgerald (one of our most downloaded to date!) where she was feeling conflicted imagining what is now Centrally Rooted. She sat down with a journal to sort out her thoughts and LITERALLY the NEXT DAY found the perfect building. DON'T limit yourself here! You can sort out budget and all that later. Dream BIG! THEN it's time to get serious. Seek out those people who can bring this vision to life. Me, I'm a good beginner. I'm not a details person. I'll make all the videos, do all the marketing, but cold calls for fundraising? No. Thank. You. Luckily there are folks who love behind the scenes work! Every project needs leaders, doers, finish liners, and key partners. It's those finish liners who keep dreamers like me on track! Put a PLAN together and market, market, MARKET! Obviously marketing is my jam, but it is seriously so important in small towns. That old building is someone's precious memory! You need a community to support your big idea! Get them on board. This episode is pretty short and sweet but it's leading up to a great series. Come on back next week! There's not a guest this week but I mention Pam Ost and The Learning Center in Charles City, Iowa and the parallels to our childcare center here in Cascade, Aquin Little Angels. Follow for More Follow Small-Minded on Instagram and Facebook Follow Molly Knuth Media on Instagram and Facebook For more about Social or Business School visit mollyknuthmedia.com/shop.

This March at Small-Minded has been all about badass women, and I couldn't let the month pass without inviting my friend and sister-in-law, Amanda Schlemme, to the the podcast. We're both "old" now as we joke throughout the podcast, but back in the late 00s as I was in college and first dating my now-husband, his sister Amanda was living a fabulous big-city life in the Twin Cities (Minnesota). She did the whole high-heels-every-day, great Banana Republic outfits, CPA thing, and loved it. And I loved when we could get up there and visit! Amanda has always been such a role model to me, but as we've grown older and wiser, I admire her more and more every passing day. Our family has been through some STUFF to say the least, and as a result by the early 2010s Amanda, her husband Travis, and their family moved back to Cascade, our hometown. We are SO grateful to have her here, for a wealth of reasons: First off, she's my accountant- and she is brilliant. She keeps me on top of my Quickbooks (thank God), organizes SO MANY freakin' forms for me, and fields all of my "what does this mean?" questions about numbers and government agencies. Okay, so having a CPA for a close friend is AWESOME, but that is just a small part of this amazing woman. Amanda is a Swiss army knife, listeners. She's a key part of the family farm, she and her husband own and operate the local tavern and eatery, she chairs the board of the one of the coolest camps ever, and her efforts over the years have contributed to the community in such a big way. We could have talked about a million things in this episode, but oops! We ended up spending almost the whole episode on just one particular part of her life, which happens to be my personal favorite thing about Amanda - how dedicated she is as a mom. She has two incredible sons earthside, one of whom has Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). At just 14 months old back in 2009, Amanda's son Colin was diagnosed with SMA type 2. This diagnosis not only dramatically altered the trajectory of Amanda's life, but it allowed her to take on big things that have a lasting ripple effect for hundreds of families of SMA. I will definitely need Amanda back for a Part 2 because I just know you will LOVE this episode, my friends. Key Takeaways After college at University of Northern Iowa Amanda worked as a CPA in the Twin Cities. It was a bit of a culture shock but they carved out a little space in the city and made friends that became family. Amanda loved learning about how different companies worked. Amanda is the mom to two boys: Eli and Colin. Colin had an appointment with a neurologist when he missed some milestones by 15 months old. He was diagnosed with SMA, which at that time, had no cure or treatment. She was told he would never walk, and to not look at the Internet for additional information. She made it two days before she deep-dived online, learning everything she possibly could. She has been such an amazing advocate for Colin, and SMA, ever since. The family made the move back to Cascade where Amanda works with the family farm and businesses including Bale Barn and Two Gingers Tavern and Eatery. Amanda chairs the board at Camp Courageous in Monticello, Iowa. They offer year-round camps and respite care for people with disabilities. Colin looks forward to MDA (Muscular Dystrophy Association) Camp every year and has been going since he was six. He gets to zip line, hike, swim, ride the train, and more, with the assistance of Camp and his amazing counselors. Amanda has brought our community together to raise tens of thousands of dollars for Cure SMA through Small Heroes, Mighty Cause. Since Colin's diagnosis, there are now three options for SMA treatment. Colin is an amazing old soul who loves coffee, gambling, and ESPN. He loves all sports, especially baseball, is very observant, and a great listener. He had a major spinal surgery last year but has recovered well and is in good health today. We're so grateful to have Amanda and family back in Cascade! We definitely need her back on the podcast for a Part 2! Connect with Amanda Amanda has so much going on! She is the board chair at Camp Courageous, organizes Small Heroes, Mighty Cause, and is involved in the family businesses Two Gingers Tavern and Eatery and Bale Barn. Follow for More Follow Small-Minded on Instagram and Facebook Follow Molly Knuth Media on Instagram and Facebook For more about Social or Business School visit mollyknuthmedia.com/shop. Podcast Sponsor: School is in session! Be the first to know about our spring program offers by signing up at https://bit.ly/mkmspring Depending on where you are in your small business journey, we have options to meet you where you are and help you grow your woman-owned business this spring. Social School April's focus is on story telling on Facebook and Instagram! What you get: Marketing assistance and education Short daily, easily digestable trainings 100 story starters to plug and play Canva template packs to c

Listeners, I ALMOST called this a vulnerable episode. I'm talking mental health with Dr. Lauren Welter. But, as we say SO much in this episode, and I truly believe, mental health help is totally normal. So, scratch that! We're not going to feel vulnerable talking mental wellness. We're going to feel empowered, and super lucky to have Lauren here in rural Iowa giving great support. Even if life is going well, it's so great to have professionals like Lauren in our corner. Then when life gets rough… as we know it does… we already know where to turn to get back on track. So many great takeaways from this conversation. Key takeaways: Dr. Lauren Welter started in finance and lived in New York, working on Wall Street, before her "quarter life crisis" brought her back to Iowa City, Iowa, to study psychology. She met her husband, a sixth generation farmer, at the Great Jones County Fair in Monticello, Iowa. She opened her practice, Prairie Home Wellness, there in 2018. Lauren wondered if there was a need for a mental wellness practice in such a rural area but quickly learned: YES! She talks about the stigma mental health gets and barriers that rural folks face to finding healthcare. We chat about how rural women carry A LOT, but have been especially burdened these last couple of years. I share my own experience with therapy and the value I've found. How do you know when it's time to seek professional help? Get help ASAP from 911, our Iowa Crisis Hotline, or the National Suicide Hotline if you have thoughts of harming yourself. Often though the signs are more subtle. Depression doesn't mean you're totally sad all of the time, but it can mean you just kind of feel… nothing. Not really sad, but also not really happy. Losing interest in things you used to like. Feeling like life is just too much and you can't keep up. Feeling like you're treading water, or even worse, going under. Please, please, reach out. Connect with Dr. Lauren Welter Follow Prairie Home Wellness on Facebook or visit their website. Podcast Sponsor: School is in session! Be the first to know about our spring program offers by signing up at https://bit.ly/mkmspring Depending on where you are in your small business journey, we have options to meet you where you are and help you grow your woman-owned business this spring. Social School April's focus is on story telling on Facebook and Instagram! What you get: Marketing assistance and education Short daily, easily digestable trainings 100 story starters to plug and play Canva template packs to customize for our business Monthly Q&A with me (Molly!) Accountability! Three social school "students" with win cash prizes of $222 for sticking with it! Business School is for women in years two through seven of their business and are ready to scale from startup to sustainable. 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 Bonus 1-on-1 coaching with Molly Follow for More Follow Small-Minded on Instagram and Facebook Follow Molly Knuth Media on Instagram and Facebook For more about Social or Business School visit mollyknuthmedia.com/shop.

Today's episode has someone pretty personal on the podcast- I'm joined this week by my spirited, brave, and courageous daughter, Charlotte. We're four years out from the August our world turned upside down when an overreaction from a cold virus caused Charlotte's immune system to attack her spinal cord. As she should have been starting kindergarten and being a flower girl in her aunt's wedding, Charlotte spent two months at the Stead Family Children's hospital in Iowa City and then in rehab for paralysis she suffered from Acute Flaccid Myelitis. This was the early years of MKM when all of my effort and energy was going into growing a business. Seriously- I brought a tote of client work with to the hospital before we realized how fast Charlotte's condition was deteriorating. The lesson to slow down and prioritize family slammed into me, but it grounded me in a way I'm grateful for now. I appreciated my small town more then ever as they rallied around Charlotte and our family. I became more devoted than ever to small town small businesses. Listeners, this one is a roller coaster. At the time I couldn't believe I stopped to take pictures and journal, but I am so grateful now because without them this time in our lives wouldn't even seem real. Charlotte's journey is filled with blessings and magic that I still struggle to comprehend and explain. Listen along and you'll see why people telling Charlotte she is just like her mama is the best. compliment. ever. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PIBDXrgFlQ& https://youtu.be/-PIBDXrgFlQ Key takeaways On August 11, 2018, we took Charlotte to our regional hospital for her to be rushed to the Stead Family Children's Hospital. We didn't know what was wrong! Charlotte's journey was filled with strange and magic coincidences and one was someone back home catching a Good Morning America segment that mentioned Acute Flaccid Myelitis. Yes, "The Wave" at the University of Iowa Hawkeye Football games is exactly as amazing as it looks. Our family experienced it three times in our stay. Charlotte was sedated for 17 days and stayed in acute inpatient rehab for three weeks. Our family wasn't under the same roof for two months! Charlotte continues to attend therapies and is still making improvements. She is such a trooper and we are so proud of her courage and strength! Charlotte shares her memories of her experience, her favorite people, and the therapies she loves. Charlotte is so proud of the painting she helped "Mr. Gary" make and that raised $10,000 at a gala to improve the therapy center Charlotte attends. ( Much more than the $50 Charlotte estimated paintings to be worth!) The couple who purchased the painting generously gave it to our family and it is such a treasure. Charlotte is sometimes sad that she can't hold planks or do mountain climbers like the other kids, but says that most kids don't notice "righty" and her struggles. She loves art and has taught herself to work with her left hand. Seriously. What a great kid. We would never wish this journey on another family but are so grateful for the love and strength it has brought our family. Podcast Sponsor: MKM Spring Programs Be the first to know about our spring program offers by signing up at https://bit.ly/mkmspring Depending on where you are in your small business journey, we have options to meet you where you are and help you grow your woman-owned business this spring. Option 1: Social School *For the business owner who is just starting out, looking for marketing accountability, or to uplevel their marketing skills. What you get: Tips and tricks for using social media to advertise your small business Monthly topic of focus Workbooks Content Calendars Q&A Sessions Templates and more Option 2: Business School *For the business owner in years 2-7, looking for community and support as they grow from start-up business to stabilizing and scaling. What you get: For the 2-7 year business owner looking for that "something" Bring in monthly experts in various areas like "working in your purpose," "productivity tools," "organizing your business," "hiring," and more A place for you to find inspiration, answers, and community as you grow your small-town small business Follow for More (Obviously no social media handles for today's guest!) Follow Small-Minded on Instagram and Facebook Follow Molly Knuth Media on Instagram and Facebook For more about our Instagram workshops this month at MKM visit mollyknuthmedia.com/shop.

You will be SO inspired by today's guest my friends. Today I sit down with my friend, Callie Mescher FitzGerald, a licensed music therapist and founder of Centrally Rooted in Dubuque, Iowa. A native of Cascade, Iowa, Callie holds degrees in Music Education, Vocal Performance, and is certified as a Neurologic Music Therapist. She has been passionate about the development of children her entire life and is eager to share her knowledge and joy of music with children and families. Her approach is informed, but informal, and she enjoys wearing her 'therapist hat' to see the developmental milestones expand in little ones. In the midst of personal transformation after losing her partner to mental illness, Callie decided to bring her music back to her hometown to lead children in vocal and instrumental lessons beginning in 2018. In a mere two years, Callie went from a handful of students to now a full roster with a waiting list. And in 2021, Callie and her new husband purchased a building in a historically underserved neighborhood in Dubuque, Iowa, to create Centrally Rooted. Centrally Rooted provides a safe space for creative and self-expression for kids and families of all ages, abilities, and income levels. You will LOVE this episode. Tune in for a few key takeaways, and then go give Callie and Centrally Rooted a follow! Key Takeaways Callie's vision is to create a center for developing and supporting positive mental health via self-expression. Right now, the offerings include a lot of music, but Callie's goal is to bring in yoga, play therapists, art therapists, and more to help people focus on their overall well-being in a variety of creative ways. As a girl, Callie did NOT love music. She says her parents forced her to begrudingly attend weekly music lessons, but it wasn't until joining the theater club and performing on stage in high school that she considered music as a career. In her undergrad, Callie studied musical performance and music education. But she also found that she loved the study of psychology and understanding how the human brain worked. She then decided to pursue a music therapy degree after finding the neurologic, research-based effects of music on the brain. "Music has a way of sneaking into each different area of the brain, and so there's really no limit for what can be reached. New pathways can be merged in the brain via music-making." "It's amazing what music can do in the brain." Callie has worked with stroke victims, autistic children, spinal cord damage, and has helped them recover in fun, effective ways. "The work is hidden; it just looks like play." Callie "hides" the therapy into fun and play to intrinsically motivate her patients and get them to push past some of their perceived limitations. Mindful Musicians is the combination of Callie's personal mission, professional training, and societal need to have constructive conversations about mental health. Presented through music and play to children and their caregivers, Mindful Musicians teaches kids positive self-talk, accepting others, confidence-building, coping skills, emotional expression, and more. With music competence in children's formative years comes verbal development, coordination, and Callie says, "It's about setting them up for the most success they can have." Callie's big goal is to turn Mindful Musicians into a curriculum and make it available to families, schools, and organizations, to positively impact kids in their care. "I was letting the constraints of the world we live in limit my dreaming capability." "All we can choose is how we react to it," Callie shares that pain and suffering is inevitable in life, but through reflection and growth beautiful things can become of it. And so, so much more in today's episode! Follow Callie and Centrally Rooted Keep up on all the happenings at Centrally Rooted on Facebook @centrallyrooted or head to www.centrallyrooted.com to sign up for their programs or contribute to the scholarship fund. MKM Spring Programming Growing your business is hard...trust me, I know. But you don't have to go it alone. So this spring, I'm offering two group programs to support you as you run your small-town small business: 1. MKM Social School: Our 12 week education program to help you learn the platforms, systems, and structures to market your business online 2. MKM Business School: A mastermind for business owners looking for growth beyond social media. A place where we will bring in niched-down experts in areas like messaging, business finance, productivity, etc. and where we can ask other questions as we grow through the "teen years" of our businesses. More info will be released in the weeks to come, but you can hop on the email waitlist now so you're the first to get details: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/620ab3a1e0eda1a0d870aba5

I am so excited to start not only the first day of a new month with you, but to kick of Women's History Month! If you've been here for any length of time, you know that I love to celebrate kickass women, and this month at Small-Minded and Molly Knuth Media, we are sharing some women who are doing great things in 2022. This is the first in a series of episodes and blog entries sharing the stories of women I know who are growing businesses, volunteering in their communities, raising families, maintaining households, and generally just keeping the world turning through the work they do and the love that they share. I've always loved commemorating this month in particular to look back at all the progress we've made, celebrate our accomplishments, and plan for the work yet to do. And today we kick it off with a look at the current state of women in business, in the workplace, in the home, and how we can best support their efforts.

Hey listeners, today is February 22, 2022. If you followed me for any length of time, you know that I'm a tad bit superstitious and repeating numbers are often referred to as angel numbers! So what better time than Tuesday, 2-22-22, to get a little woo-woo here at Small Minded!

Welcome, welcome, welcome, Alix Ambriz to the podcast! Alix and I got to know each other in 2021 when she enrolled in the first iteration of MKM Social School, and over the past few months I've gotten to know her and her business a little better. She joined us in December as part of a panel interview here on Small-Minded, but today I'm so excited to have her with us for a full episode in today's podcast! Alix and her husband live in McCook, Nebraska, where together they raise two boys. In addition, Alix has a 9-5 job where she works as the development team lead for a learning design company and most recently, their family purchased Sehnert's Bakery & Bieroc Cafe, a 500-year-old business, in McCook. Take a listen as Alix shares her story and what she and her husband have learned in taking over this historic brand and their new endeavor as business owners!

Hey listeners, in honor of the Valentine's Day holiday, I asked on Instagram for your submissions of small town love stories. Now, I know what you're thinking…stories of making out under the high school football field bleachers, or prom king and queen, etc. etc. Nope! Not today! For these small town love stories, I just asked to hear what YOU loved about YOUR TOWN. It could be the flower planters that line main street in the summer. Or maybe the way your community rallies when others need help to host fundraisers and meal trains. Or maybe it's the just those wistful, Americana summer memories of riding your bike to the library. Those are the stories we're here for today. I'm going to do my best to share all of your responses because you SHOWED UP with your submissions, listeners! Get ready to smile and get the warm fuzzies because these small town love stories are special.