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/

Mel & Russ Terhaar are the husband & wife team behind The Clean Machine & Public House 421 based in Slater, IA (pop 1,588).

Here's more about them in their own words:

" The Clean Machine, LLC was formed in the spring of 2008 by Russ and Mel Terhaar. Russ's carpet cleaning experience began in 1999 in Charlotte, NC and continued over the years in New York, Colorado, and Montana. Tens of thousands of residential and commercial customers have been served over the years. In 2008, the adventure of carpet cleaning in Iowa would begin. Russ and Mel both have a real passion for customer service and care for their customers. They also love the idea of maintaining control of a small service intensive business.

At the close of 2019, the Terhaar family moved to Main Street in Slater. The commercial space they found is incredibly unique and has everything they were dreaming of in order to take the service experience to the next level. Russ and Mel are embracing this new space as an opportunity to better deliver "Carpet Cleaning and Beyond” to the Ballard community and to the larger communities of Ames and Ankeny. Over the years The Clean Machine has earned the trust of clients as "far out" from Slater as Clive and Waukee. Of all the places Russ has had the opportunity to clean, he would say that central Iowa is his favorite and he and Mel couldn't be more excited about this new chapter for their family and business!"

I REALLY enjoyed getting to know this couple and love what they've built do far.

To learn more:

The Clean Machine:

website: https://www.thegreatcleanmachine.com/

facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegreatcleanmachine

instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecleanmachineofiowa/

Public House 421

facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100081554474253

instagram: https://www.instagram.com/publichouse421/

Aaron Johnson is the founder of Joygrow, a gourmet mushroom farm out of Cambridge, IA (pop 844).

After losing his job on a Friday in 2015, Aaron vowed to never be in that position again. He took to the interwebs and learned about growing mushrooms. As a self-proclaimed science nerd, he took to the process like a duck to water. Over the years he's expanded his customer base, varieties offered, and grow space.

I really enjoyed this conversation and I think you will too.

If you want to keep up with Aaron/Joygrow:

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

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

Hi Friends! Welcome back to Building in a Small Town. My guest today is Hanna Nuss of Denver, Iowa. Hanna is the founder of Local - which I would call a movement more so than just a business. She is a dedicated author, speaker, and social entrepreneur. Starting her journey with a personal journal podcast, she transformed her passion for storytelling into two impactful books and a mission to uplift and empower small towns. Hanna & I probably could have gone on for a few hours and I definitely see recording more episodes in our future. 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.

Bill Frederick & James Holz are owners of Iowa Cover Crop, based in Jefferson, Iowa (pop 4,136).

Here's their story in their own words:

Before they were business partners, Bill Frederick and James Holz were 4-H buddies and classmates growing up in Greene County, Iowa, near Jefferson.

In 2014, they founded Iowa Cover Crop (ICC) as a way to help a few neighbors and diversify their family farm operations. ICC now has a growing dealer network and offers seed and application services throughout Iowa and the Midwest.

Combined, Bill and James have 20 years of experience growing cover crops. They have personally seeded rye grain, rye grass, oats, spring and winter wheat, peas, hairy vetch, common vetch, rapeseed, forage kale, crimson clover, radish, and turnips on their own family farms. Through this diverse first-hand experience, ICC provides personalized farmer to farmer advice to customers.

When they aren’t selling cover crops, Bill and James can be found raising row crops, cattle, small grains, and kids on their respective family farms in Greene County.

This was a very entertaining conversation! If you want to learn more about how you can get involved or keep up with this business as it continues to grow, check them out here:

Website: https://www.iowacovercrop.com/

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

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

Mary Lewellin is the owner of Red Dragon Herbs & Teas based in Polk City, IA (pop 5,751). She also happens to be one of my best friends!

I had a blast sitting down to talk to her about the origins of Red Dragon and the transformation it's been through in recent years. I'm sure this is the first of at least a few conversations we'll have for the pod.

Here's the story of Red Dragon in their words:

You might say our story begins back in 2015 with filing some official papers or maybe when we first went in front of the public on a chilly spring morning at the Downtown Des Moines Farmers Market. I think our story goes deeper than that. The real origin of Red Dragon Herbs is the cups of tea we’ve had in exotic locales around the world, the cups of homegrown herbal blends we’ve had in our backyard, the folklore and herbal wisdom we’ve absorbed over the years and the conversations we’ve had together as husband and wife over a kettle of tea.

Red Dragon Herbs is first and foremost a family owned business. Ryan and Mary are the owners, but it’s not uncommon at all to see our kids pitch in to help. We also value the personal relationships we’ve been able to make with our customers and other entrepreneurs as we’ve come along.

Since our humble inception here in Des Moines, Iowa, we’ve made a name for ourselves locally and way beyond by providing high quality, unique and interesting tea blends along with the personal touch that only a small family business like us could provide.

Thank you for checking us out. We hope that you can become part of our story too.

Find them here:

Website: https://reddragonherbs.net/

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

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

Robin Collins & Amy Cox are the mother-daughter duo behind The Vinery. The Vinery Flowers is a flower farm located outside of Nevada, Iowa. Both Robin Collins and Amy Cox are both born and raised in Iowa and descended from a long line of farmers. As the fifth generation on their land, they are proud to be the first in their family to farm flowers.

I really enjoyed this conversation about building a small, specialty farm from scratch (all while working with family!)

Find more about the Vinery here:

website: https://www.thevineryflowers.com/

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

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

Meagan Ausborn is the heart & soul behind Blue Moon Holistic Wellness. Her journey to business ownership begins in healthcare and includes her own trials and tribulations with a sudden-onset, still not-really-diagnosed autoimmune condition. I really enjoyed this conversation and I think you will too.

Here's a bit more about Meagan in her own words:

"My name is Meagan Ausborn and I am the owner of BlueMoon Holistic Wellness. I am a certified Usui/ Tibetan Reiki Ryoho Master- Teacher, a Certified Karmic Reiki practitioner, an Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher (ERYT-200), a Health Coach, a Registered Nurse, and a Licensed Massage Therapist. Every job I have ever loved has involved working with the human body and energy. I am dedicated to improving the lives of those I have the opportunity to serve and I strive to empower my family, friends, and clients to live better, more balanced, healthier lives connecting the body, mind, and spirit through a trauma-centered approach. I am a firm believer in a holistic approach to help you heal your body naturally. I bring my positive spirit and light-hearted approach to my work, combining practical Western modalities and a holistic attitude to whole-body healing. I am committed to the constant refinement of my practice and treatment methods to achieve the highest level of value and efficacy. I formally received my Yoga Alliance teacher training in 2014. I will always be a student of the practice and am deeply grateful for the loving wisdom of many great teachers over the years. In my yoga classes, I aim to link breath with movement through creative sequencing and music that adds a spirit of playfulness and a dose of inspiration to deepen your practice. I have been in healthcare for over 20 years and all of these joys come together for me in massage therapy. My goal is to meet my clients where they are and to provide treatment to help them live the very best life they can. I use a variety of modalities (Swedish, deep tissue, trigger point therapy, sports, myofascial release, lymphatic and neurokinetic therapy just to name a few) depending on the needs of each client in each session.

I am Iowa-born and raised and am passionate about encouraging the growth of the physical and spiritual self, oftentimes exploring the interconnectedness to each other, to the world, and to the universe at large. I provide a safe space where humans of all backgrounds, beliefs, and levels can thrive by nurturing and combining body, mind, and spirit."

To connect with Meagan:

website: https://www.bluemoonholisticwellness.com/

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

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

Jessica Lenahan is the owner of Landy Lou & Devie Too. This all handmade shop started about 12 years ago when her first son was born. Her talents have grown right along side the business. She started with onesies and has moved into full outfits and crib sets. Over the course of the last couple years, she's added women's clothing.

She's also one of the founders and organizers of the Locally Grown Showcase. Locally Grown Showcase is an event that's held 4 times per season. It is an all local, handmade market with only Iowa vendors.

Here's where to find her:

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

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

Website: https://landylouanddevietoo.com/

Locally Grown:

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

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

Website: https://www.locallygrownshowcase.com/

Nathan Tricky Allen is an Iowa-based, nationally-touring comedian / magician for adult crowds. His shows are a blend of sleight-of-hand magic, stand-up comedy, dangerous tricks, stupid stunts, immature pranks, and hilarious (and unpredictable) audience interaction.

We get into Nathan's first paid magic show when he was 12 years-old, his brief stint in college, the shift in his act from purely magic to comedy + magic, and more.

I really enjoyed this conversation and I think you will too.

You can find him here:

Website: adultsonlymagic.com

Facebook: facebook.com/AdultsOnlyMagic

Instagram:instagram.com/AdultsOnlyMagic

SnapChat: snapchat.com/add/AdultsOnlyMagic

Twitter: twitter.com/AdultsOnlyMagic

YouTube: youtube.com/AdultsOnlyMagic

Kimberly Turner grew up in the small town of Colo, IA in a very entrepreneurial family.

She met a marine, fell in love & lived the military spouse wife - following her husband where the Marines told her. After having kids and leaving her nursing career, she started baking for friends on base while living in Hawaii. As more orders came in and another change of station to Virginia had her in yet again a new spot, she knew she was on to something. Though she didn't know how long their stay would be once they got to North Carolina, she decided to take a leap of faith and open a brick & mortar bakery...

I REALLY enjoyed this conversation and can't wait to see what Kimberly continues to build out of her inspected home kitchen in rural Rhodes.

If you want to learn more about Kimberly & her delicious baked goods, here's where you can find her:

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

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

Website: http://getbiscotti.com/

Today's guest is Logan Pejsha-Davis. She's a badass mom-preneur and the soul of Dahlia Darling & Co, The Bus Guys LLC, and now the Shipley School Project.

In this conversation you'll hear how Logan's penchants for hard-work & need to support her family have taken her from college dropout to patient coordinator to building businesses & finding her purpose.

I really enjoyed catching up with Logan after nearly 20 years!

Here's where you can find all of the things she's working on:

Dahlia Darling & Co:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090689385899

https://www.instagram.com/dahliadarlingandco/

Bus Guys:

https://www.facebook.com/BusGuysLLCPartyBus

https://www.instagram.com/busguys_partybus/

Shipley Schoolhouse:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555368518388

Jenny English is the owner of Well+Fed Life based in Maxwell, IA. She is a veteran, former vaccine researcher, and now, a nutrition coach.

You can find Jenny here:

Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/metabolismmakeoverforoverthinkers

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/wellfed_jen/

TikTok:

https://www.tiktok.com/@wellfed_jen?lang=en

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@wellfed_jen

Bill Menner is a man of MANY hats. He's the founder of the Bill Menner Group, the former head of Iowa USDA Rural Development, executive director of the Iowa Rural Development Council, and a contractor with the current Iowa USDA Rural Development administration.

Though not native to a small town, Bill has been living and working in and around small towns in Iowa for over 30 years. He is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to programs that help rural Iowans and connecting the movers and shakers of rural development.

For more info about the IRDC:

https://iowardc.org/

Hi Friends! Welcome back to Building in a Small Town. My guest today is Robin Bostrom. Robin is the Director of Empower Rural Iowa, a program housed within the Iowa Economic Development Authority. Robin was born & raised in Hawkeye and still resides in rural northeastern Iowa. You’ll hear about her time running a rural independent grocery store & how she started looking at data before it was cool, How she got into economic development, and details about grant programs that have just launched for Empower Rural Iowa. Stay tuned until the end of the episode to find out what her side hustle is!

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 it 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.

A special reminder that my next adventure, The Back Yard is opening September 27th, 28th, & 29th. I’m excited to be a stop on the map for the 2024 Fall Central Iowa Junk Jaunt. Come check out the shop & the beautiful back space that is being landscaped by my husband while I record this. Hope to see you there!

Dan Fitzpatrick is the owner of Right Now Powder Coating in Collins, IA (pop 483).

In this episode, Dan talks about his love for anything Chevy, what it was like to work as an auto adjuster, starting a mobile wheel repair business & more.

You can find him here:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RightNowPowderCoating

Website: https://www.rightnowpowdercoating.com/

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

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

Today's guest, Robbie Erickson is the owner of Small Town Tattoo in Collins, Iowa (pop 483).

Hear how Robbie got obsessed with art & gave himself his first tattoo in middle school (!!!), why he decided to make the move to a small town, and what his upcoming racing season is looking like.

I really enjoyed this conversation. If you want to check out some of Robbie's work, follow Small Town Tattoo on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/SmallTownTattoo.Collins.IA

In this episode, I sat down with Willie Beeler of Beeler Lawn & Landscape, based in Collins, IA (pop 483). He's a former college football player, turned PE teacher, turning landscaper. He also happens to my husband.

Interviewing people is hard. Interviewing your spouse is harder. I tried out my set of questions and fair to say there will be some adjustments.

Meet your host, Shelby Smith. Find out how I wound up living in a tiny Iowa town with less than 500 people.

I am excited to talk to other builders and find out what they're doing to thrive in small towns.

After talking about it for months, I am FINALLY starting my podcast about building things in small towns.

I am super excited to talk to entrepreneurs, community leaders, policy makers and more to find out what's being built in small towns.

Do you know of someone building something in a small town?! Please let me know!

It's another husband and wife special! We update you on the crime situation in Collins, tell you about a recent land acquisition, and the upcoming opening for The Back Yard.

Hear the story of us waking up to our loaded truck and trailer missing. We still can't believe it happened, but we're glad it's mostly taken care of.

Thanks for listening!

Hi Friends! Welcome back to Building in a Small Town. It’s been a little while since I stepped away for a bit of a summer break, but we’re back in action! Today is a quick episode with a very special guest - Senator Joni Ernst. I first connected with someone from her staff back in May when I was in DC for a Meta event. That staffer thought she would be a great fit for the podcast and I absolutely agreed! I was finally able to catch up with her at her 2nd Annual Entrepreneur Expo at the Memorial Union at Iowa State. Special thank you to Grace for finding some time in the schedule for me to sit down with Senator Ernst for a conversation. I really enjoyed it and I think 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. While you’re at it, if you could also drop a quick rating and review, that’s a simple, free way to support the show and It helps others find the show. Thank you again and let’s get into it!

I have some pretty big news: I'm no longer The Cricket Lady.

Listen for the deets.

Hi Friends! Welcome back to Building in a Small Town. My guests today are Joan & Grant Fairchild of Gravy Home Goods in Jewell, Iowa (1,187). Gravy Home Goods is a brick & mortar shop on Main Street in Jewell. It’s full of vintage, new, repurposed, upcycled, fun, eclectic home items ranging from custom built barnwood tables to sassy textiles and everything in between. In this episode, you’ll learn how Joan got her start with her Old Lady Stucco pop-ups, how a conversation over a cup of coffee turned into buying a main street building, and how they’ve been able to collaborate around the region to grow their business. I really enjoyed this conversation, and I know you will too!

Learn more about Gravy Home Goods:

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gravyhomegoods.jewell

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/gravyhomegoods/

Central Iowa Junk Jaunt:

https://www.centraliowajunkjaunt.com/

My guest today is Susan Frantz the owner & head brewer at Fenceline Beer Lab in Huxley, Iowa. Fenceline Beer Lab is a nano-brewery and they want you to Meet your neighbor at your fenceline. They have a rotating lineup of beers brewed in-house and some PHENOMENAL eats that incorporates those beers. I 10/10 recommend their sourdough pretzels with the mustard sauce. You wont regret it! This episode was a first as it required a pause for an unexpected equipment delivery. Not going to lie, the whole thing threw me off my game a bit, but opened a cool conversation about being underestimated as a woman. I really enjoyed this conversation and if you’re in central Iowa, PLEASE make sure you stop in and give Fenceline a try!

Learn more about Fenceline:

https://www.fencelinebeerlab.com/

https://www.facebook.com/FencelineBeer

https://www.instagram.com/fencelinebeer/

Learn more about Friends of Huxley:

https://www.instagram.com/friendsofhuxley/

https://www.facebook.com/friendsofhuxley

https://friendsofhuxley.org/