The Small Nation Podcast

This is episode 100 of The Small Nation Podcast! This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, economic development, and small town success. On this episode we host Carly Bogard and Hannah Wischmeyer to share their entrepreneurial journey as sisters and how their business has evolved through the years. Today the own and operated The Morning Riot in downtown Bellefontaine out of the Mainstreet Marketplace.

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Welcome to episode 99 of The Small Nation Podcast! This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, economic development, and small town success. On this episode we host health and wellness entrepreneur Donna Krech to talk about how to thrive in 2025 and live your life by design. She shares some of the valuable lessons she has learned from running multiple multimillion dollar businesses and how she helps other business owners take back control of their lives.

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This is episode 98 of The Small Nation Podcast! This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, economic development, and small town success. Public relations can be a difficult part of business to master. On this episode, we speak to the President and Founder of Inspire PR, Hinda Mitchell, to learn the importance of communicating well to the public along with some helpful tips and tricks.

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Welcome to episode 97 of The Small Nation Podcast! This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, economic development, and small town success. Small Nation believes that the arts is one of the things that make our communities vibrant and unique and therefore play an important role in community development. On this episode, music director and conductor of the Lima Symphony Orchestra, Andrew Crust, shares how he engages the community in a small town through music!

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This is episode 96 of The Small Nation Podcast! This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, economic development, and small town success. Many people have a dream to open their own restaurant, but there are often many hurdles along the path to do so. On this episode, we speak to Michelin Star winning restaurateur, culinary entrepreneur, and cookbook author Rose Previte about her entrepreneurial journey and how she continues to grow and expand her businesses!

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Welcome to episode 95 of the Small Nation Podcast! This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, economic development, and small town success. In addition to sharing some of the highlights of his region, Executive Director of the Grand Lake Region CVB, Matt Staugler, shares his hypothesis on why tourism is so important to economic development and growth of our communities.

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This is episode 94 of the Small Nation Podcast! This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, economic development, and small town success. Jeni's Ice Cream is a household brand and a fan favorite throughout the entire country. It was a pleasure to have the former CEO, John Lowe, share the Jeni's Ice Cream story and how it launched his career at Amok Consumer Growth Fund to help founders and CEOs scale their businesses into multiple locations. This is a great inspiring episode for leaders of organizations looking to grow and scale into the next level.

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This is episode 92 of the Small Nation Podcast! This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, economic development, and small town success. Residential real estate development is no easy task and can take a very long time to see through. This is why communities need people like Bart Barok to help navigate the space and bring more housing with intentionality. What are the key ingredients to making a housing development work, and do we overcome the obstacles that often kill these types of projects?

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This is episode 92 of the Small Nation Podcast! This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, economic development, and small town success. Residential real estate development is no easy task and can take a very long time to see through. This is why communities need people like Bart Barok to help navigate the space and bring more housing with intentionality. What are the key ingredients to making a housing development work, and do we overcome the obstacles that often kill these types of projects?

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Welcome to episode 91 of the Small Nation Podcast! This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, economic development, and small town success. The nation has been in a housing crisis for some time now, and the need for affordable housing continues to grow. Unfortunately, building affordable homes comes with some challenges. On this episode Market Lead and Design Strategist for affordable housing at MA Design, Rolando Matias joins us to debunk a few misnomers around the topic and shed light on what the process looks like to get a project done.

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This is episode 90 of the Small Nation Podcast! This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, economic development, and small town success. Change can be a polarizing topic, especially in Small Towns. Listen in as the State Representative of the 83rd district Ohio House of Representatives Jon Cross, shares his professional journey and how being an agent of change has played an important role for him in various points of his professional career.

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Welcome to episode 89 of the Small Nation Podcast! This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, economic development, and small town success. Urbanism and development can often be a polarizing topic and can lead to disagreement and negativity in many communities. However, Jon Jon Wesolowski, otherwise known as "The Happy Urbanist" has set out to flip this narrative on its head and bring more people in on the conversation. Listen as he shares the impact of getting creatively involved by creating the Chattanooga Urbanist Society and starting a journey into content creation.

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This is episode 88 of the Small Nation Podcast! This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, economic development, and small town success. Small Nation is a big believer in effective branding and marketing, and we believe that it is a big contributor to the overall success for both businesses and communities. We brought in the Co-Founder and Creative Director of Nonfiction, Neil Wengerd, to discuss the significance of these things and how they approach helping their clients find their identity as a brand.

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Welcome to episode 87 of the Small Nation Podcast! This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, economic development, and small town success. We believe that the strongest communities prioritize economic development not only with major players but also focusing on your downtown district and small businesses. This is exactly what the Tiffin-Seneca Economic Partnership has done. Listen as, former mayor and President/CEO, Aaron Montz and Entrepreneur and Downtown Manager of Tiffin, Ohio, Donna Gross share a few lessons from their success.

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Welcome to episode 85 of the Small Nation Podcast!

This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, economic development, and small town success. The Columbus, Ohio region has had some major wins in the area of economic development over the past few years, and it is making a statement at the national level. That success does not happen by accident. Kenny McDonald, the president and CEO of the Columbus Partnership, is one of the people driving the region toward this success. Listen as he shares his thoughts on what makes Columbus, Ohio so great and what community leaders need to do to continue pushing in the right direction.

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Welcome to episode 85 of the Small Nation Podcast! This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, economic development, and small town success. Many people may be familiar with the YMCA, but many may not be aware of everything they do to support the communities they serve. Listen as President and CEO of YMCA of Central Ohio, Tony Collins, shares the their history, programing, and efforts to support the community through their community centers.

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This is episode 84 of the Small Nation Podcast! This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, economic development, and small town success. Many times life throws curveballs at us, and we have to decide how to respond. Listen as mother and serial entrepreneur, Julie Casiano, shares her journey into entrepreneurship how she has overcome unexpected, life changing circumstances. Listen to the end because Jason also shares some exciting news about a project in Piqua, Ohio!

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Welcome to episode 83 of the Small Nation Podcast! This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, economic development, and small town success. Pharmacies play a vital role in our communities' health and wellness. How can the industry innovate, and what opportunities are there for entrepreneurial minded pharmacist? Listen in as Dean of the College of Pharmacy at Ohio Northern University, Stuart Beatty, talk about the role of pharmacies in our communities and what is happening in pharmacy at a national level.

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This is episode 82 of the Small Nation Podcast! This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, economic development, and small town success. Retailers are a vital piece of the downtown ecosystem of our communities. Listen in as Robert Hamel and Ronnie Rhoades share how their entrepreneurial journey led them to Dresden, OH to open Smore Baskets, Smore Christmas, and Smore Sweets. Listen to the end to hear their exciting announcement about their involvement in downtown Bellefontaine!

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Welcome to episode 81 of the Small Nation Podcast! This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, economic development, and small town success. On this episode, we host the Dean of Engineering at Ohio Northern University, JD Yoder, to discuss his professional journey and relationship to entrepreneurship. What role does higher education play in Economic Development? What opportunities are available to those choosing a path of engineering in this current workforce environment? This episode tackles these questions and more!

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This is episode 80 of the Small Nation Podcast! This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, economic development, and small town success. Entrepreneur and City Manager of Sidney, Ohio, Andrew Bowsher, shares some insight on the role of a city manager. Listen in to hear some of the strategies Sidney, Ohio has deployed to make it a thriving community and what has caused him to start a business venture of his own in the downtown.

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Welcome to episode 79 of the Small Nation Podcast! This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, economic development, and small town success. President of ASH+LIME, Rik Adamski, shares how their bottom up approach to urban planning helps their clients take incremental action on the planning work that has been done in an effort to prevent planning paralysis. He also touches on the value of third places and how they can be a powerful tool in community development and an opportunity for entrepreneurs.

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This is episode 78 of the Small Nation Podcast! This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, economic development, and small town success. If you talk to enough communities, you will quickly identify how beneficial it is to have a local healthcare provider in your small town. Their service usually goes above and beyond providing healthcare. They tend to be one of the biggest employers of small towns and play a big role in community development. In Bellefontaine, Ohio, Mary Rutan Health is no exception. Listen as President and CEO, Chad Ross, talks about his perspective of their role in the community.

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Welcome to episode 77 of the Small Nation Podcast! This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, economic development, and small town success. This is a great episode for any of leaders that may be listening. President and CEO of Meijer, Rick Keyes shares lesson from his experience growing his career from intern to CEO. He touches on engaging with mentors, posturing yourself for personal growth, and personal discipline.

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This is episode 76 of the Small Nation Podcast! This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, economic development, and small town success. We love it when economic development professionals have entrepreneurs top of mind! Listen as Cole Massie shares how working in his family's small business changed his perspective and is now impacting South East Ohio.

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Welcome to episode 75 of the Small Nation Podcast! This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, economic development, and small town success. Running a business is hard work, and sometimes we face challenges that could have never been predicted. On this episode, Monica Hurst, General Manager at Spend A Day Marina, talks about overcoming these types of obstacles. A community depends on its local businesses and looks to them for leaderships when times get hard.

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This is episode 74 of the Small Nation Podcast! This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, economic development, and small town success. There are many elements that contribute to Small Town Success and healthy communities, but we would be mistaken if we did not talk about the impact local schools have on our communities. Listen as the Superintendent of Indian Lake Schools, Rob Underwood, shares his perspective of the school's role and how it played out in recent events. We are grateful to the educators and administrators working in schools all across the country!

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Welcome to episode 73 of the Small Nation Podcast! This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, economic development, and small town success. We all know how powerful of a tool social media can be, but how do we use it to support small businesses and even economic development in an impactful way? Brandy Gleason, author, Chief Writer at Gleason Family Adventure, and creator of the Ohio Road Trips Facebook group, joins the show to talk about the impact a Facebook group of over a million members can have.

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This is episode 72 of the Small Nation Podcast! This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, economic development, and small town success. One of our favorite things to do is highlight members of the community who have made a positive impact by attracting people to the area. This traffic supports our small businesses such as restaurants and retailers. The Ohio Caverns in West Liberty, Ohio is one of Ohio's most valuable hidden gems. Listen as JD shares why he loves the Caverns and why collaborating with your local attractions is so important.

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Welcome to episode 71 of the Small Nation Podcast! This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, economic development, and small town success. We cannot talk about Economic Development without talking about the impact large manufacturers all across the country have on our local economies. These supporting suppliers are often some of the largest employers in our smaller rural communities and provide the means for locals to support their local business community. Listen as subject matter expert David Deagle unpacks the industry and reveals why they are vital to our communities. Title Sponsor

This is episode 70 of the Small Nation Podcast! This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, economic development, and small town success. On this episode we are honored to host the Lieutenant Governor of the state of Ohio, Jon Husted, along with his wife and fellow entrepreneur, Tina Husted. Listen in as they share a little about what makes Small Town Ohio so special and their approach to leadership and public service. Title Sponsor

Welcome to episode 69 of the Small Nation Podcast! This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, economic development, and small town success. On this episode we talk with the CEO of Quest Federal Credit Union, Matthew Jennings, about how credit unions support their communities and how leaders can get involved. Listen as Matt shares his experience with serving on boards and supporting the community by using your time, treasure, and talent. Title Sponsor

This is episode 68 of the Small Nation Podcast!

This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, economic development, and small town success. We love connecting with individuals who are driving positive change in their community. The work that Tracie Sanchez and her team has done in Lima, Ohio with The Central District is truly incredible. Listen in as she speaks on how she was able to double down on her network to turn some of the most troubled areas of her community into an entertainment district.

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Welcome to episode 67 of the Small Nation Podcast!

This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, economic development, and small town success. Have you ever wished that someone would take more action and invest into the building stock of the your community? Well that is exactly what The Van Wert County Foundation has done. Listen as Seth Baker, CEO of the foundation, talks about how they innovated by moving their traditional investments on Wall Street to investing the money back into the community by purchasing 56 buildings and the impact it has on the community!

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This is episode 66 of the Small Nation Podcast!

This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, economic development, and small town success. We have found that many entrepreneurs open more than one business somewhere along their entrepreneurial journey. Andrea is a Bellefontaine, Ohio champion and has seen success by doubling down on her T Shirt side business and growing it into something truly impressive. Listen as she shares this journey, and how it has opened doors for her expand into her second, third, and fourth businesses and make a significant impact on her community.

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Welcome to episode 65 of the Small Nation Podcast! This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, economic development, and small town success. Sometimes, as entrepreneurs, we need to check to see if the work we are putting in aligns with our goals, values, and where we want to go in life. We have found that some of the most successful entrepreneurs have had moments in their lives where they've made major changes and became very intentional about thinking about how they think. Listen as Michael Simmons share's his story and how he made the changes necessary for his life with some practical pieces of advise for those going through a similar stage in their journey.

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This is episode 64 of the Small Nation Podcast!

This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, economic development, and small town success. Tax season is upon us, and it can be a very stressful time for many business owners. However, the right accountant can make all the difference. Listen as Jacob Badenhop talks about some best practices for entrepreneurs when working with their financial professionals as well as his own entrepreneurial journey.

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Welcome to episode 63 of the Small Nation Podcast! This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, economic development, and small town success. If you are curious about how state policy is made or how to get involved in your state's legislation, this episode is for you. State Representative Susan Manchester shares her story, how she works to represent her district, and a few lesson's she's learned from her time in leadership.

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This is episode 62 of the Small Nation Podcast! This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, economic development, and small town success. This episode is packed with great ideas to make your community a destination. Our guests are two of the best that has to offer and are vital pieces of the success we have seen in Logan County.

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This is episode 61 of the Small Nation Podcast! This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, economic development, and small town success. The Crooked Can Brewing Company in Hilliard, Ohio has truly become a destination and an attraction for the area. On this episode, we dive into how Megan and Rob Fry along with their other partners, used a licensing agreement to bring a thriving business to central Ohio. We believe that their success can be used as a case study for many of our listeners to see a big vision come to life. Title Sponsor

Welcome to episode 60 of the Small Nation Podcast! This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, economic development, and small town success. We know that insurance can be difficult to understand and even frustrating at times. This is why we are are thrilled to share this conversation we had with the Matt Simon, the president of Coverlink Insurance. Listen as he explains the insurance landscape and challenges our listeners to think about the importance of having the right coverage. Title Sponsor

This is episode 59 of the Small Nation Podcast! This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, economic development, and small town success. You have heard us talk about the need for housing on previous episodes, but on this episode we were hosting two guests that are tackling this problem head on. The President and Owner, Doug Fosnaugh, and Sales Manager, Lauren Newsom, of Monticello Homes share the landscape of the home building industry and some of the challenges that are playing into the current situation. They also share some valuable insight into how communities might attract builders like them to combat this housing crisis.

Welcome to episode 56 of the Small Nation Podcast! This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, economic development, and small town success. One of the trends that we have noticed when interviewing podcast guests is just how many start down the path of entrepreneurship and find themselves developing real estate. Many times, it is more than one project. Listen in as we hear how Jamon Sellman began his entrepreneurial journey that led him to not only open his own insurance agency and brewery, but also to make intentional real estate plays that are positively impacting his community.

This is episode 55 of the Small Nation Podcast! This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, economic development, and small town success. Local markets such as farmer's markets and similar concepts have a huge economic impact on a community. Listen as Brad and Christina tell the story of why their business is so important to them and how they are helping entrepreneurs in their area get in front of customers.

Welcome to episode 52 of The Small Nation Podcast!

This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, economic development, and small town success. This week are excited to share the conversation we had with Shary Duff, Jason Duff's mother. Listen as she shares her experience coming back to entrepreneurship in a new season of life to open not one, but two stores in Downtown Bellefontaine.

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Welcome to episode 51 of The Small Nation Podcast!

This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, economic development, and small town success. Listen as the Executive Director of the Springfield Small Business Development Center, Rob Alexander, shares some of the resources that are available to aspiring entrepreneurs all around the country. From business plan formation to special financing, SBDCs have several free programs that may surprise you. In this episode, we talk through a few success stories of the program and how to strategically take advantage of these programs to see your community win.

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