140: Print Isn't Dead. We've Just Been Doing It Wrong. ft. Christy Ford & Susie Matheson

In this episode, host Alex sits down with Christy Ford and Susie Matheson — co-founders of The Scout Guide, a nationally recognized franchise publishing company now spanning more than 100 markets across the country — for a conversation about what it really means to build something deeply human at massive scale, and why the most powerful things are often started over a cup of coffee with no money and no plan.Christy, a former New York City photographer, moved to Charlottesville, Virginia, opened an antique home store with her mom, and became a small business owner almost by accident. Susie, a former magazine sales rep turned stay-at-home mom, started a blog called The Local Shopping Scout because she couldn't stop asking people the one question nobody else was asking: why did you start this? Together, in 2010, they launched The Scout Guide — a print publication celebrating the faces and stories behind local businesses. Within a year and a half, the demand to bring it to other cities was so overwhelming, their lawyers told them they had to become a franchise. They had nine markets before they even knew what a franchise agreement looked like.Today, The Scout Guide is in over 100 markets, has created a nationwide network of over 100 women-owned franchise businesses, and has become one of the most intentional media brands in the country — built entirely around the belief that local businesses deserve to be seen, celebrated, and told in a way that does them justice.They didn't build it to be proud of it. They built it because it had a good mission. And that, as it turns out, is exactly why it worked.💬 Topics we cover:Why Christy and Susie believe this is actually one of the best moments in history for small local businesses — and what changedHow they went from a blog and a cup of coffee to a nationally franchised media company in under two yearsWhat becoming a franchise forced them to build — and why that structure saved them from themselvesWhy they tell every founder to build their business like they're going to sell it — even if they never doWhat it actually takes to delegate, trust, and let go when you're a woman who built everything from scratchWhat their franchisees have taught them about confidence, community, and what it means to come back to work on your own termsWhy doing things that move the needle beats every creative idea that doesn't make moneyWhat they both think about print, quiet, and why the magic only happens when you stop filling the spaceIf you've ever wondered whether something small and scrappy and deeply human could actually scale — this is the episode for you.New episodes drop every Monday. Ready to Cultivate? Hit Subscribe.Learn more about The Scout Guide⛺️ Learn more about ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Camp Collective⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠📝 Follow Cultivate with Alex Canavan on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🎥 Follow Cultivate with Alex Canavan on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apply⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to be a guest on CultivateConnect with Alex Canavan, the host of Cultivate on her ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Diam Media Group⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠