Rural Business Innovators Podcast

Mitchell talks with friends Tyler Gathercoal and Tollef Sorenson about their studio, uniquely situated in Jefferson, Iowa to give music artists and filmmakers in the midwest an opportunity to professionally hone their craft and present their work. They talk about how creativity meets entrepreneurship, and how the friends learned to develop their passion into a business.

Mitchell talks with Titan Immel, the owner of Aghub Midwest, which specializes in seed treatment, fertilizer, chemical application, and even farm equipment. Titan unpacks the intersection of family and business, as well as the importance of being able to replicate something you've done once already as an entrepreneur.

Mitchell meets with Kristin Lang, owner of Warm Wishes, a craft, gift, and stationery store in Jefferson, Iowa. They talk about how managing a card shop means being a part of birthday parties and special announcements in the town, and getting to be a part of special traditions like Jefferson's annual Bell Tower Festival.

Mitchell talks with Chad Rieck about multiple unique business ventures -- specifically working in radio broadcasting communications, as well as Champion Steaks in Creston. He talks about what he hopes to see for Champion in the future, and how doing radio work has permeated his family life in a fun way.

Megan Waters and Nikki Uebel talk about Midwest Wellness + Recovery, their joint effort to have a safe addiction recovery program. They discuss how the pain of addiction has impacted their lives, why this sort of space makes sense for Iowa, and what the future of their mission looks like. 

Meet Allen Thomlinson, the owner of Fish Fix in Thayer, Iowa. Learn about the complications and unique aspects of running a fish store, what kind of customers look for fish, and why Thayer is a good location for providing guests with fish, tanks, and more.

Mitchell meets with CoriAnn Theroux, the owner of The Green Dragon Bookshop in Fort Dodge! They talk about which genres speak to her, as well as how Cori has found a home among the other local bookshops in Iowa by creating the Iowa Indie Bookshop Tour -- connecting The Green Dragon to other local bookshops across the state in a new way.

Mitchell meets with entrepreneur Mark Allen to discuss The Moose Fireplace Grill, an innovative way to combine the campy aesthetic and function of a fireplace with the power and efficiency of a grill! They discuss family, pitching, and finding a release for creative energy in entrepreneurship.

This week, Mitchell talks with Abby McConnell, who turned her love for event-planning into a business reality! She talks about the different aspects of an event-planning business, like where to store materials, what kind of mindset someone should have, and the beautiful legacy that helping one family can grow into.

In this episode, Mitchell Kearns meets with Dr. Frances Johnson, the physician cofounder of Viewpoint Molecular Targeting, now merged with Isoray to become Perspective Therapeutics. They talk about her education at Stanford University, the process of finding angel investors, and the importance of keeping your day job while pursuing entrepreneurship.

On this episode of the RBI Podcast, Mitchell Fox discusses the process of seeking visibility for his app, LogIQ Hunt, and how hunters can utilize innovative technology to change how they hunt. 

In this episode, Mitchell meets with Thuy Nguyen to talk about taking huge risks in her life to leave the career she felt obligated to pursue for the one that she felt more passionate about -- real estate. They talk about the enormous sacrifices she had to make to make her dream a reality, and what real estate means to her.

Mitchell Kearns talks with Aaron Warner, the CEO of Procircular, a cybersecurity consulting business in Coralville. They talk about the trust between clients and businesses, especially when it comes to offensive cybersecurity.

Mitchell talks to mother/daughter duo Lorraine Williams and Isabella Santoro about their effort to build a new social culture in downtown Washington, Iowa by bringing in Italian influence. This effort has led to Café Dodici and Northside Diner in Washington, introducing a new restaurant element to the town. They discuss the struggles of getting residents of Washington to see the vision in this new café culture, and stories of how customers have had an influence on the story of these fun dining spots.

Spring is a season of frequent natural disasters in Iowa. If you are a small business owner, how have you prepared? In this special episode of the Rural Business Innovators Podcast, Iowa SBDC members Mitchell Kearns, Tricia Rivas, and Scott Swenson discuss how unprecedented disasters have impacted small businesses in Iowa, and how you can prepare for unpredictable events like natural disaster, times of civil unrest, and even death.

Mitchell Kearns talks with Nicole Hutchison, the founder of Statera, about the unique take on healthcare that Statera offers the Dubuque community. They dive deep into the daily practices that happen within Statera on the management, team, and client levels, and the wide variety of healthcare services that Statera encompasses!

Host Mitchell Kearns sits down with Scott Putnam, the inventor of the Swat-N-Scoop, which acts as both a swatter for unwanted bugs and a tool to remove them safely from your home! They talk about the process of getting featured on the Amazon Prime Video series "Buy It Now", and the process of patenting a unique product to sell commercially.

Ray Hansen chats with Joe Brincks of Seventy One 30, a drone photography business in Carroll, Iowa. Learn about what drones are the best on the market right now, and what it's like to keep up with an industry that is rapidly growing and changing.

Tomorrow on the RBI Podcast, Mitchell Kearns talks with Jeremiah Wright, a personal trainer who runs Get It Wright Ftiness in Des Moines! They talk about finding motivation for clients, finding motivation for yourself, and the unique perspective that comes from running a personal service-based business.

Victor Oyervides sits down with Berenice Valderrabano in the 25th episode of the RBI Podcast -- our second Spanish episode! They talk about Mr. Burrito Mexican Food, which has served Iowa State students for years.

Mitchell Kearns chats with Ashley Stout from Stitch N Sew Cottage about helping customers discover quilting, and managing a business in one of Iowa's coziest small towns.

Mitchell sits down with Howard Urnovitz, the co-founder of FBB Biomed, to discuss the process of looking for a cure for cancer, innovative HIV tests, and relearning what it means to be an entrepreneur.

Mitchell Kearns meets with Janey Stahl, the founder of People and Profit System, where she consults small businesses with the unique perspective of seeing the people involved and building trusting relationships. They talk about her story of learning to balance family life with business life, and what she has learned along the way.

Mitchell Kearns chats with Emily Steele, the founder of Hummingbirds, a social media marketing platform that highlights small businesses!

The Iowa SBDC's Ray Hansen chats with Dakota Belling, the inventor of Bovi-Jet, an applicator for pour-on products for cattle that maximizes efficiency when it comes to breeding cattle!

Mitchell chats with Matt Curtis, the owner of Wayne's Ski, Cycle & Fitness in Mason City, about taking over a business from a previous owner, getting help from the SBDC, and taking care of both employees and family.

Mitchell Kearns sits down with Cat Dow, the owner of Instatat and Henna with Cat, an 18-year-old entrepreneur and the youngest on the RBI Podcast, who specializes in semi-permanent body art and works for the SBDC as a counselor.

Mitchell Kearns talks with Billie Asmus, the inventor of the Repaint Tray, a reusable paint tray. She talks about the struggle of getting a patent filed, starting a business from scratch with a brand-new product, and participating in high-stakes pitch competitions.

Mitchell Kearns sits down with Holly Neuberger from Lake Animal Clinic, where she works as a veterinarian. Holly talks about the experience of leaving corporate veterinary work to pursue a more fulfilling lifestyle starting her own vet clinic with help from NIACC.   https://lakeanimalcliniccl.com/

Dean Sonquist meets with Mitchell Kearns, and they speak about Dean's business, Plas-Tech Tooling. They talk about the experience of managing a business with his spouse and making tough calls for the sake of both the business and his family.   https://www.plastechtooling.com/

Mitchell speaks with Taylor Borkowski, who runs The Cottage in Denison, Iowa, with her mom. They talk about the struggles of taking over a business during COVID, and learning more about business management through the process of managing The Cottage.   https://www.thecottagedenison.com/

Mitchell Kearns and Molly Angstman talk about beers and books in relation to Molly's business, Three Bells Books, in Mason City.   https://threebellsbooks.com/

Mitchell Kearns chats with twins Jennifer and Jessica Zupp about their law firm, the process of opening the firm, and how the SBDC helped them get started.

Mitchell Kearns meets with father-son duo David and Chandler Horak to talk about their part in the railroad industry, American Railcar Repair.   https://americanrailcarrepair.com/

Mitchell Kearns sits down with Lorrie Popik and Rae Guillermo -- the Dessert Mixologists, who have created a business out of their college friendship combining quick and easy desserts with alcoholic beverages.  https://www.dessertmixologist.com/

Mitchell Kearns talks with Paul Richardson, CEO of Tumbleweed, which specializes in providing families with virtual materials to ease the process of mourning their deceased loved ones.

Ray Hansen and Mitchell Kearns meet with Adam Schweers to talk about creating and selling his business, Computer Concepts of Iowa.

Mitchell Kearns chats with Denae Rosdail and Chelsea Bissen from I Saw the Sign LLC about their business which prints signs and apparel in Carroll, Iowa.  https://isawthesignllc.com/

Mitchell Kearns talks with Tripp Hudson, the CEO of The Way Automation in Adel, Iowa about his business in the automation and technology industry. https://www.thewayautomation.com/

Mitchell Kearns speaks with the current owners of Billy's Ice Cream Store in Adel, Iowa, Eric and Anna Trout. https://www.billysadel.com/

Mitchell Kearns chats with Calvin Smith from Perry, Iowa, about Millennial Roots Farms, which focuses on hydroponic produce farming. To sign up for no-cost business counseling services, please go to our website and request counseling: Home - Iowa SBDC

Meet Ray Hansen and Mitchell Kearns, the hosts of the RBI Podcast, as they speak with SBDC Iowa marketing student worker Grace Estenson about the purpose of the RBI Podcast and how it was conceived. In this special introductory episode, Mitchell and Ray shed light on the process for selecting podcast interviewees as well as what the future of the RBI Podcast holds. To sign up for no-cost business counseling services, please go to our website and request counseling: Home - Iowa SBDC

Ray Hansen sits down with Julie Johnson from Bode, Iowa to talk about the Savvy Feeder, a slow hay feeder for horses. https://savvyhorseproducts.com/ To sign up for no-cost business counseling services, please go to our website and request counseling: Home - Iowa SBDC