Building In A Small Town – Details, episodes & analysis

Hi Friends! Welcome back to Building in a Small Town. My guests today are Brenda & Neal Schwager of JB Knacker/Gin & Tarnish on Main Street in Jewell. Brenda is an O.G. in the junkin and repurposing industry. You’ll hear all about how the business was born out of necessity and has morphed to fit their lives over the years. She is FULL of knowledge & experience. I really enjoyed this episode, and I know you will too.

A quick note to say, the audio quality of this episode isn’t up to my usual standard - needless to say, the long break has left me rusty. I’m not sure what happened, but the mic track for Brenda’s mic is silent. Thankfully, the other mics were able to pick up what she said, but it might be harder to hear than normal. I’ll be troubleshooting before the next episode is recorded. Please don’t let my screw up keep you from listening to this episode - it’s fully of nuggets!

Before we get into the episode, I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you for listening and ask you to make sure that you’re subscribed on whatever your listening platform. I recently heard a wild statistic that over 50% of podcast listeners start listening to a new podcast after being recommended by a friend. On that note, could you share this show with someone that might enjoy it? It’s a simple, free way to help support the show.

Hi Friends! Welcome back to Building in a Small Town. My guests today are Mollie & Josh Boersma. They are the owners of The Milford Schoolhouse on the outskirts of Ames. In this episode, you’ll find out who started their first business when they were 10 years old, what it was like to walk away from the schoolhouse 3 times, and what their plans are for 27,000 square feet of one-of-a-kind space. I really enjoyed this conversation, and I know you will too.

Before we get into the episode, I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you for listening and ask you to make sure that you’re subscribed on whatever your listening platform. I recently heard a wild statistic that over 50% of podcast listeners start listening to a new podcast after being recommended by a friend. On that note, could you share this show with someone that might enjoy it? It’s a simple, free way to help support the show.

Learn more about The Milford Schoolhouse:

Website: https://www.themilfordschoolhouse.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/milfordschoolhouse

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themilfordschoolhouse/

AirBnB: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1157324431400128259?guests=1&adults=1&s=67&unique_share_id=148a9250-1be2-41a6-983d-e45db9e9c3c1

My guest today is George LaCava of Nevada Barbell. Nevada Barbell is where fitness is approachable with  power Lifting, Olympic Weightlifting, and everything in between. In this episode, you’ll learn about George’s career in the Air Force that took him around the world, his brief stint as a trained meat cutter and butcher shop owner, and his unexpected and unintentional journey into gym ownership. I feel like there is a ton of ground we didn’t cover, but I really enjoyed this conversation and I know you will too. Learn more about Nevada Barbell:

https://www.nevadabarbell.com/

https://www.instagram.com/nevadabarbell/

https://www.facebook.com/nevadaiabarbell

Matt Cleverly is the owner of Gotcha Amusements, a traveling carnival. He is based out of Collins, Iowa.

Matt is born and raised in Ames, IA were he started at a young age building and fixing things. After high school, he dabbled in the construction industry, before becoming a mechanic for Honda. After that, he started working for the Ames School district in the custodial/maintenance department.

While working for the school, he began working for an inflatables company in Ames, which led to him buying his first set of laser tag equipment. The rest is history.

For more info about Gotcha Amusements:

https://gotchagamesiowa.com/

My guest today is Shelly Greving of Em3rge Marketing Solutions. That’s her main project, but you’ll hear that it’s far from her only endeavor. During the episode, you’ll hear what it was like trying to find a job after the early 2000’s tech bubble burst, what a turtle has to do with the beginnings of Shelly’s business, and why there’s a 3 stuck in the middle of her business’s name. Shelly is a true champion of community and is as hands on as they come. Her impact is far and wide and will continue to grow as her business evolves. This is my longest recording so far and is JAM PACKED with insights and actions.

Learn more about all of her projects here:

Em3rge: https://www.em3rgemarketing.com/

Ignite Be the Light: https://ignitebethelight.com/

Evolution of the Heartland: https://www.evolutionoftheheartland.com/

https://www.facebook.com/evolutionoftheheartland

https://www.instagram.com/evolutionoftheheartland/

My guest today is Liesl Seabert from the UNI Institute for Decision Making. Liesl is a serial public servant with a focus on planning & economic development. In this episode, you’ll learn how a Florida girl has fallen in love with all things Rural Iowa, what it’s like to help shape and implement multiple statewide programs simultaneously, and how important leadership is, especially when it comes to rural. I really enjoyed this conversation and really really appreciate Liesl’s passion & enthusiasm when it comes to the wealth of possibilities in Rural America.

Check out Liesl's Instagram dedicated to her love for rural Iowa:

http://www.instagram.com/lets.talk.rural.iowa

Hi Friends! Welcome back to Building in a Small Town. My guest today is Amanda Severson. Amanda is one half of the husband and wife duo behind Grand View Beef out of Clarion, Iowa. In this episode, you’ll hear how Amanda originally dreamed of a career in professional sports, how she went from a small town in Washington state to a small town in Iowa, and how social media has changed their business. I really enjoyed this conversation, and I know you will too

Here's the story of Grand View beef in their own words:

"Knute was raised on a century family farm in Iowa and had big dreams to work for a sports team. Amanda grew up in Washington State with no ag experience and also dreamed of working for a sports team. Our paths led us to the Seattle Seahawks, where we both interned during the 2015-2016 season. Cue falling in love, long distance, and the true definition of the saying “If you want to hear God laugh, tell him your plans.” Knute realized he didn’t like the city and moved home to start a beef business. Amanda realized she loved Knute and moved to Iowa. We married in 2017 and moved into Knute’s great-grandfather’s home on the farm. In May 2020, we welcomed our son, Harbor Jack to the crew. In September 2022, our daughter Luella Lova arrived.
We are blessed God has given us the opportunity to live this life together. We’re grateful we get to share a piece of that with you through Grand View Beef." To learn more about Amanda and Grand View Beef:

Website: https://grandviewbeef.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grandviewbeef/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GrandViewBeef

Brett Comegys is the Mayor of Collins and a big reason that Willie & I landed in this little tiny town (pop 498).

Brett is a veteran, serving several years in the Marine Corp. He is currently an 8th grade social studies teacher in the Marshalltown School district and a major history buff.

Brett's wife, Jenny, is a lifelong Collins resident. Over a decade ago Brett decided to run for mayor after he felt a negative trajectory had overtaken the town. He wanted a positive place for his kids to grow up, so he decided to do something about it.

Brett is proof that one person can be the catalyst for major change. I really enjoyed this conversation and I think you will too.

Find a few of Brett's current ventures and past projects here"

Collins AirBnB: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/44865441?guests=1&adults=1&s=67&unique_share_id=8fae642a-5b71-4b1e-833d-1c17d7627b21

A Teacher's Journey:

https://a.co/d/7tYPKWe

Billie Asmus is an entrepreneur & inventor based in Hampton, IA (pop 4,295). She's the founder of Repaint Studios and the inventor of the Repaint Tray.

Here's Billie's story in her own words:

"In 2021, I had a small business refinishing and refurbishing furniture in my tiny basement studio. I quickly noticed the constant waste I was going through with plastic paint tray liners and knew it wasn't sustainable.

Naturally, I went to Amazon and Google to find a reusable paint tray and much to my surprise, nothing showed up.

So, then what?

It was like a spark went off in my head and I decided to jump on this opportunity that I felt like landed in my lap.

I filed my patent for the Repaint Tray, and that's when the journey began."

Learn more about the Repaint Tray:

Website: https://repaintstudios.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/repaint_tray/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RepaintTray

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the_repaintlady

Ross Naylor is the Co-Founder of Renomads, a design, construction, and handyman services firm based in Cambridge, IA (pop 827).

Ross played college football with my husband at Wartburg College in Waverly, IA before heading off on an international adventure with his younger brother, Seth.

Here's Ross's bio from the Renomads site:

"

Ross Naylor graduated college with an extensive structural understanding. Although he liked numbers, he went back to what he loved, working with his hands, framing new homes.

After a year contracting jobs in Australia, he co-founded Renomads LLC. Ross excels in his ability to visualize a project. Aside from his management roles, he works with clients to design and estimate their projects. He has always had a passion for the building trades and the people who devote their lives to it."

To learn more about Renomads:

Website: http://renomads.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/renomadsllc

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/renomads_thetravelingtradesmen/