The Growing Small Towns Show

Housing development is a key focus for many small towns, and for good reason: we need places for people to live! But, sometimes development can bring gentrification and sameness, which is not what we…

We are kicking off the second part of Season 5 with a bang and sharing one of the coolest programs we’ve had the pleasure of learning about: Cardinal Manufacturing. Led by our guests, Craig and Tyson…

This is a first on the podcast and a great ending to the first part of Season 5 (we’ll be back in September with more episodes!) One of Rebecca’s children joined us for the funnest episode ever about…

This episode is about the rural lawyer shortage, why it’s happening, why it matters, and what we can do about it. This is a new-to-us topic, and we’re so excited to share it with you because it’s way…

We focus a lot on belonging here at Growing Small Towns, and one of the most important groups (that sometimes gets neglected by traditional community development) is youth. Kids need to feel at home …

When we think of politics, I think a lot of us feel intimidated or like there isn’t room for us in the process–we’re not “political,” or we don’t have time, or we’re not the right kind of person. Tod…

Meredith is easily one of the most interesting and unusual people we’ve ever had on the podcast, and her story is a testament to just how much small-town living appeals to all kinds of people, even p…

This episode is a listener-submitted Small Town People Problem, and it’s one we hear a lot: What do we do about local negativity? How do we deal with it when the people in the town are the ones being…

We underestimate the power of love–or maybe limit the places where we deem it appropriate–but that’s silly because love is the most powerful motivator on the planet. We believe that love can actually…

Each season, we’re going to have a few episodes that directly address *your* small-town people problems. For our first one, we’re starting off with a question from a listener about one of the most co…

The “Returner” phenomenon is a very real thing: people leave their small towns as young people and come back later when they’re ready to settle down, and there is a huge opportunity for both the retu…

Deb Brown is one of our favorite people in the world, and we’re so glad to have her on the show with us to share her words, her new book (!!!) and all the work she’s doing to help small-town dreamers…

Joy can feel a little soft, or a little touchy-feely, but helping people find joy is a catalyst for positive change. This week’s guest is all about helping teachers and educators with professional de…

Awhile back, we were having a conversation with Brodie on the podcast and he mentioned that he hires based on a “vibe check,” and given his success not only hiring but keeping long-term employees (ma…

It feels like you can’t go five minutes without hearing about AI–and often for good reason! We’re back with our favorite AI expert to talk about a “Hope over fear” approach for integrating AI into ho…

Our small towns are ours to save–no one is coming to do that for us! However, sometimes it can feel nearly impossible to make changes in our small towns. Our guest this week has a different approach,…

One of our favorite things is the impact of great employers on individuals, small towns, and the overall culture of the communities they operate within, and this episode is all about what happens whe…

Friends and neighbors (virtual and IRL): we are so excited to share this episode with you. Now, we know we say that every week, and what can we say, we’re excitable folks. But we’re *extra* excited …