The StoryConnect Podcast

Scott Meyer is back with more data to share on how younger subscribers feel about broadband pricing, customer attitudes toward satellite and cellular service and more. Recorded LIVE at StoryConnect 2026!Find the full 2026 Rural Broadbrand Subscriber Survey here: https://www.innovsys.com/innovsys/2026-rural-subscriber-study-2/ 

From cross-branding and tournaments to a local college team sporting the utility's name on its arena, Michigan's Midwest Energy & Communications plugs directly into a high-bandwidth internet subscriber audience. Candy Riem shares how Team Midwest turned an esports sponsorship into an effective broadband marketing story.

Erika Nelson of Lynxx Networks talks about the KPIs broadband providers should be paying attention to. From market share and ARPU to digital analytics and customer reviews, Erika shares how her team uses data to guide decisions and measure success. 

Shelly Hansel, public relations director at SCTelcom, discusses creative ways cooperatives can incentivize employees and strengthen company culture. From referral bonuses to “Going the Extra Mile” awards and even monthly half-days off, Shelly shares how recognition, trust and leadership at every level help build a team of people who want to stay at the company for decades.

Andy Johns is joined by Chris Townson, CEO of West Carolina and Upcountry Fiber, to talk about what makes a strong partnership. Chris shares candid lessons from working with telcos, electrics and municipalities—including how to evaluate opportunities, align missions, manage egos and build lasting agreements.Recorded live at the Calix ConneXions conference.

KPIs, NPS, churn—oh my! Data doesn’t have to be daunting. Ty Houglum, CIO at ECE Fiber, shares how his team turns numbers into action, building a culture that makes data meaningful, not mysterious.Notes: Filmed at Calix ConneXions conference.

A blank page can be scary—unless you already know what you’re writing. In this episode, Mt. Wheeler Power’s Christina Sawyer shares how using AI to brainstorm story ideas at the start of the year gave her more time to research, write with confidence and even inspire other utilities through the Ruralite share package.Notes: Filmed at NWPPA's Northwest Innovations in Communications conference.

As a writer on shows like Paw Patrol, Spirit Rangers and Cocomelon Lane, Joey Clift shares some of the keys to reaching the youngest audiences. Joey will be a speaker at StoryConnect 2026.

From teaching 95-year-olds to stream their favorite shows to connecting the 5,000th home to fiber, Beacon Broadband proves inclusion and innovation go hand in hand. Bill Gerski shares how their Connected Senior Program bridges generations and the ways other Utility Pioneers can replicate the success in their own communities.Notes: Filmed at Calix ConneXions conference.

What if every staff member at your utility felt confident answering energy questions? In this episode, Benton PUD’s Jodi Henderson shares how its Empowered program turns staff into energy pros through training built on employee needs. Find out more about the program at bentonpud.org/empowered. Notes: Filmed at NWPPA's Northwest Innovations in Communications conference.

When you walk into a legislator’s office, will your story stick or slip away? In this episode, Inland Power & Light’s Andy Barth shares how utilities can move beyond numbers to craft stories lawmakers care about.Notes: Filmed at NWPPA’s Northwest Innovations in Communications conference.

Getting lineworkers to relax and share stories isn’t easy—unless you’ve got a mic and a clever idea. In this episode, Mason PUD 3’s Asia Cline shares how her award-winning staff podcast, “Over the Line,” opens conversations, builds trust and keeps internal communications fresh.Notes: Filmed at NWPPA's Northwest Innovations in Communications conference.

Casey French, marketing and PR director at CASSCOMM discusses how branding goes beyond a logo to include community engagement, co-branding, locally produced video and creative mascots, like their superhero, “Gigabolt.”

In her recently published book, “Personal Branding for Introverts,” Goldie Chan outlines how to remain true to yourself, while taking strategic steps to improve your network and reputation. Goldie previews the book and her session at StoryConnect 2026 in this episode. Link to purchase the book: https://a.co/d/85WjjJa.

In what's become an annual tradition, hosts Megan McKoy-Noe and Andy Johns share the mics to discuss major takeaways from last week's Calix ConneXions conference. Ding!

HTC has consolidated its broadband speeds to two plans: 1 Gbps and 2 Gbps. How did it get there, and what are the advantages of simplifying its speed packages?

The Electric Cooperatives of Mississippi band together to go beyond Youth Tour with their Learn. Grow. Experience. initiative, including Cooperative University.Notes: Filmed at CONNECT.

Data-driven marketer Tim Gilford shares which metrics and data points he’s watching in order to track progress and make strategic decisions.Special Recording: Live at the NTCA Sales and Marketing Conference

Who is LIAM.Ai, Union Power’s Virtual Energy Specialist? John Huneycutt shares how his utility responsibly taps artificial intelligence to energize efficiency tips.Filmed LIVE at CONNECT.

Innovative Systems’ annual Rural Subscriber Study asked participants new questions about LEO satellite providers indicating growing competition for rural ISPs.Recorded Live at the 2025 NTCA Sales and Marketing Conference

Good storytelling design doesn’t care what platform you use. Listen to Danny Weston's four design principles to strengthen the way you show your story, and hear how he saves time by design.Learn how to link content in Adobe InDesign: https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/using/linked-content.html 

B-4 you C-2 staff storytelling, hear Patrick Wood share how Co-Mo Connect uses fun to figure out what hits, what channels miss and how to tell if the battleship is on the board at all.

Have you held a rural digital equity summit for your community? Hear how Kanokla teamed up with AmeriCorps to identify local technology needs and work together to meet them!

Oregon experienced a record-breaking year for wildfires in 2024, with 1.9 million acres burned. In response, cooperatives across the state teamed up to develop shared wildfire resources. Download a free wildfire communications toolkit from Pioneer!LIVE:Filmed at CONNECT

Bob Dahlstrom launched and co-hosts the Valley’s Bits, Bytes & Banter podcast for Valley TeleCom. He shared the ups and downs of podcasting with our live StoryConnect audience.Special: Live at StoryConnect 2025

Sometimes in his writing career, Craig Reed lucked into finding great magazine stories. Other times, finding great stories depended on effort and a strategy to look in the right places. At StoryConnect 2025 Craig shared those story-searching strategies and what to do with a story when you find it.Special: Live at StoryConnect 2025

East Mississippi Connect has been using digital advertising to surgically target communities and potential subscribers as its fiber optic service rolled out across its service territory. Julie Boles shares what’s worked and what lessons she’s learned along the way.Special: Live at StoryConnect 2025

Art shows, lobby displays, social content and more—Theresa Phillips shares how Lassen MUD works with consumers to showcase their community on the magazine cover and in a much-coveted custom calendar each year!

Whether they're blasting off to space to explore planets or solving mysteries across departments, one Oregon utility hosts an exciting career adventure every spring. Utility Pioneer Sarah Johnson shares how Clatskanie PUD turns Take Your Kid to Work Day into a memorable adventure for employees’ families.

Are you ready to reimagine your annual meeting? In Montana, Flathead Electric’s team was challenged by the board to reach more members. Hear how incorporating an energy expo, interactive videos and staff experts adds value to your event.

How do you get consumers invested in focus groups? Rebrand them as influencers! Anna Politano shares how people are reacting to Oklahoma’s statewide Co-op Influencers Program.

David Naylor co-authored a book about Rayburn Electric Cooperative with a focus on how the cooperative realigned its core values to push for innovation throughout the organization.The book is available on Amazon, https://a.co/d/dYuErZ0.

Debra Weller says stories can not only help you connect with your audience, but can also help them remember what you have to say. Weller, who will be speaking at Pioneer's StoryConnect 2025 in St. Augustine, Florida, also provides tips for overcoming nerves and delivering your message.

In Kansas, one utility is handing out branded cash to use at local businesses during festivals. Hear Erma Ratliff share the idea behind Kanokla Cash to see if the idea could help you cash in on community growth, too!

Seeking to engage younger members, Kankakee Valley REMC launched a Junior Board program to introduce high school students in the co-op's operations.

Business customers need reliability, flexibility and simple billing. Delivering and communicating about those value adds can lead to long-lasting customer relationships.

Calix’s Joe Kohegyi says competing on price and speed is a recipe for failure. Modern consumers want value in their connection and smart broadband marketers are working to communicate the value they deliver.

Clever marketing campaigns are fun, but they are ineffective unless staff and sales processes are aligned behind them.

When you have multiplebroadband competitors pulling potential subscribers away, how do you set your story apart? Hear how Georgia's Tri-CoGo turned powering food trucks, fireworks shows and parks and recreation spaces into a way to build brand awareness in its community.

Facing increasing costs and angry subscribers, many broadband providers are looking to drop TV service. Ending linear video service in a strategic way can leave customers and broadband providers in a better way—as long as it's done in a smart way.

The broadband packages at SCTelcom don’t focus on speed. Instead, they highlight experiences like the connected family, high techies, home tech starter and a package for a simple and secure experience. Wendy Crenner shares how her team uses the power of narratives to connect with subscribers.

Mike Teegarden is retiring from Pioneer after 31 years of telling stories, first through his photography and then through his editorial leadership. Mike joins “The StoryConnect Podcast” to discuss lessons learned from photography to leadership to storytelling.

Is your consumer service team built to care? Scott Paul, of Beacon Broadband, shares how he uses team building and mentoring to turn his frontline team into storytelling specialists!

Incorporating humor into broadband marketing has skyrocketed sales at Co-Mo Communications over the past several years. How did dino-riding Chip Thunder go from a short-lived advertisement to a beloved character among subscribers? Listen to the story on this podcast episode!Find Chip Thunder videos on YouTube.

Every Friday night, stadium lights flash on and fans in purple or red file in. Before the crowd roars for touchdowns, they pull out their phones to connect to free Wi-Fi from the co-op. Pea River Co-op's Brenda Overton shares how this tradition kicked off and why it might score for you, too.

The era of selling broadband based on speed alone is over. At Calix ConneXions 2024, industry leaders focused on subscriber experience and community connection to drive rural broadband success. From outdoor Wi-Fi innovations to strategic planning shifts, here’s what’s next for rural broadband providers.

Clark Public Utilities has been surveying its customers since the 1960s. How have the valuable insights gleaned from surveys helped the utility successfully serve its community? Customer Experience Manager Cameron Daline tells us on this podcast episode.

Hear how Power Eastern Oregon—an economic development summit bringing together regional legislators, nationally known speakers and rural Oregon's business community—has become a way for Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative to strengthen its community's story.

Hydromania may sound like a music festival in the Gorge, but it’s a free summer camp for fourth and fifth graders from Umatilla Electric Cooperative. Weston Putman shares the camp's origin story and how it is building the next generation of co-op members.

How much of the publicly-shared interactions with utility staff is trolling versus investigative reporting by concerned citizens who have a right to hold the utility accountable? We're talking to Ryan Hall about “Getting Out of the Gotcha Moments” at NWPPA’s Northwest Innovations Conference in Idaho.