Episodes
Small Town Business
Catch up with some brave and brilliant business owners who generously share their experiences of building a business in a small town. Then tune in the following week to hear me (Erika) offering more structured business and marketing advice on a topic discussed the interview.
Episode 24. Alex on why safety matters
Rural and remote health and safety is super important but it can be hard to cut through. In this episode, meet Alex Thomas - one woman who is making a difference to farms and families across Australia through her work and her advocacy campaign #PlantASeedForSafety
Episode 23 - Erika on the treechange
Looking at a treechange? What steps can you be taking right now to increase your chance of starting your new business from a position of strength? To have customers lining up before you open the doors. To build community and a network of supporters that will connect you into your new town?
Episode 22. Kristy on the treechange
This episode is for anyone who loves the idea of trading in their City lifestyle for a farm in the country. Kristy is incredibly generous with her knowledge and I think you’ll love hearing about all the learnings that have made their businesses tick.
Episode 21. Erika on ‘not’ social media
There are stacks of ways to advertise and promote your small town business or brand. You don’t have to rely solely on social media and, I wouldn’t recommend that anyway. Here are some different ideas to build community and connection to complement your social media.
Episode 20. Kimberley on ‘not’ social media
Kimberley Furness is based in Bendigo in North Central Victoria. She is an award-winning magazine publisher, podcaster, speaker, social media trainer and passionate supporter of regional women in business. In this episode we talk about promoting yourself and your business in ways other than social media (I know crazy right 😅)
Episode 19. Erika on ‘building in public’
How much do you share of your business on social media? Are you holding back from your audience or are you transparent? In this episode I look into the marketing concept of ‘building in public’, what it means, who is doing it well and how you could use this approach.
Episode 18. Amy on ‘the pivot’
My guest, Amy from The New Red, is no stranger to a good pivot, having traveled a winding road in her career and life. Her honesty about how she recently changed direction to protect her creativity and mental health is inspiring.
Episode 17. Erika on learnings
In this episode I open up about some of my learnings and challenges to date. I hope it helps, even if it just validates some of your challenges.
Episode 16. Jackie on learning
A curious human, compost enthusiast and hair lover…three things that you wouldn’t think you could turn into a business.
Episode 15. Erika on passion
This week I’m talking about passion, giving you lots of thought starters and some tools to find it, keep it and make sure it doesn’t backfire on you.
Episode 14. Alli Walker on passion
My guest Alli will give you just a little bit of insight into how she went from working in healthcare in Melbourne, to running events for thousands of people up in the snow town of Mansfield, Victoria. She talks us through her passion for what she does, some of the highs and lows and we talk about the economic benefits of events and how they contribute to tourism.
Episode 13. Erika on purpose and profit
This episode is about how possible (and awesome) it is to be a business that contributes to a cause or charity with the win-win of it contributing to your own bottom line or brand awareness.
Episode 12. Jason on purpose
Just a few years ago, Jason and Andy Quin conceived, developed and launched a really special range of alcohol-free, inclusive drinks, called ETCH Sparkling, that celebrate health and native Australian fruits and herbs. Special for those reasons alone, but the personal journey that led them here is significant and an important part of their brand story.
Episode 11. Erika on family business
If you are a family business or run your business around family commitments, this episode will give you lots to think about - how you can make it easier and better working together.
Episode 10. Sarah on family business
Are you one of the many people who left their home town seeking greener pastures, fame or fortune only to feel that pull back when the time came to raise your own family? I am and so is Sarah Rowan, my guest in this episode.
Episode 9. Erika on authenticity
Authenticity is such a slippery little sucker. We know it’s important, but what does it actually mean to be authentic when it comes to your business or your social media and marketing?
Episode 8. Doug on authenticity
I’m speaking with Doug Moczynski from Gippsland Adventure Therapy, a wellbeing service working with young people with disabilities or trauma to provide them with a safe space to explore the world, learn and have some fun. Doug is a larger than life character who brings an energy and authenticity to everything he does. This chat covers a lot of ground, but circles back to how he has built this business by being real and honest and authentic.
Episode 7. Erika on community over competition
As this podcast season progresses, I’m realising that everyone I speak with has something in common - the safety net of their own community. If you’ve been listening along, you might have noticed that too.
So in this episode, I’m going to take the learnings from my guests so far, and from my own experience, and look a little deeper at the role that community can play in your business. The different types of community. How you can grow a community and why it’s important that, when you move to a small town, you seek to build your safety net in an authentic way.
Episode 6. Dave on community over competition
Meet Dave, who would talk for days to share his knowledge on what community over competition really means. His willingness to ‘muck in’ and contribute to the overall success of the retailers in his town is admirable and smart - you’ll hear why that investment in time yields such a great return in a physical and emotional sense.
Episode 5. Erika on confidence
I’m back again talking about confidence and how you can channel it if you’ve got it, or muster it up if you don’t.
You’ll hear my thoughts on how to muster up the confidence to ask for what you want and take action on the things you need to do to propel your business forward.