The Small Nation Podcast

This is episode 50 of the Small Nation Podcast!

This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, investing in real estate, and economic development. This is the final episode of season one of the show. Listen as Jason Duff and Ethan DeLeon reflect on previous episodes and share more information on what is to come for the podcast and for Small Nation as a company.

The Small Nation podcast will return.

Welcome to episode 49 of the Small Nation Podcast!

This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, investing in real estate, and economic development. One of the first things we look for in communities that we work with is a unique food and beverage scene. Are they facilitating live music? We have found that these types of efforts to be the catalyst for development, health, and growth in small town economies. Brad Winner comes from a family business that works with both local grocery stores and restaurants. Listen as he talks about the impact it can have on a community and why it's so important to see these areas thrive.

Welcome to episode 46 of The Small Nation Podcast!

The journey into entrepreneurship looks different for many people, and we love sharing those stories with our audience. In this episode, we cover Joel Holland's journey after a successful 9 figure sale of the business that he built from the ground up. His perspective of unlocking new levels in different seasons of life is consistent with what we see in the lives of many entrepreneurs we interact with. Does a sale like that provide happiness for the long term, and how does one move into the next stage of life after that? These are questions Joel had to face and shared his lessons with us!

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Welcome to episode 45 of The Small Nation Podcast! We are honored to have the President and CEO of the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council, Karen Kerrigan, as guest on the show. In this episode we dive into conversations around why it is important to build relationships with national leaders and how small businesses can have a voice in federal legislation. We also dive into a few trending topics such as the current credit crunch and even how the Metaverse may impact small business at a national level. Guest Links:

Welcome to episode 44 of The Small Nation Podcast! This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, investing in real estate, and economic development. If you love hearing from business owners and entrepreneurs about what drives them, you will love this episode. Listen as Chestly Lunday and Jeremy Candelaria talk about their friendship and journey into entrepreneurship. They talk about their differences and how they are able to work together. We also enjoyed hearing about what matters most to them and how they are able to build businesses around those priorities. Guest Links:

This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, investing in real estate, and economic development. Many times entrepreneurs can get discouraged with the endless setbacks that face them. Listen as Sarah Kelsey shares her story and how she went from pawning off a wedding ring to building a business that is selling in over 20 different countries. Her business, Rhinestone Lipgloss, is located in Wapakoneta, Ohio and is not only creating widely respected product, but also innovating the wedding, pageant, and horse show industries. We also touch on how she was able to purchase a commercial property and create her dream storefront with short term rentals for an amazing client experience without any previous loans. This a great listen for any entrepreneur needing to hear how someone can make it happen!

Guest Links:

Rhinestone Lipgloss: https://rhinestonelipgloss.com

Rhinestone Lipgloss Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RhinestoneLipgloss

Rhinestone Lipgloss Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rhinestonelipgloss/?hl=en

Sarah Kelsey Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=12438472

Small Nation:

This is episode 42 of the Small Nation Podcast!This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, investing in real estate, and economic development. Have you ever wondered where new technologies for vehicles are tested? Transportation Research Center Inc. is North America’s most advanced, independent mobility testing service provider, fulfilling the complex engineering, research, evaluation and testing needs of the world’s leading transportation companies, and the headquarters are located in East Liberty, Ohio. Listen as Brett Roubinek, the president and CEO, shares how this facility is innovating the world of transportation and what economic impact it has on the local area!

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Welcome to episode 40 of the Small Nation Podcast!

This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, investing in real estate, and economic development. This episodes highlights an entrepreneur who has lived on both coasts and ultimately made the decision to move his business to the Midwest. Listen as Anderson Schoenrock shares his story of optimizing his business for cashflow and why he decided to make that move. Engaging community leaders to cultivate and entrepreneurial culture is another point of discussion of this episode and how it can benefit you in practical ways.

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Welcome to episode 35 of the Small Nation Podcast! This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, investing in real estate, and economic development. Conversations around boutiques in the downtown is a common occurrence for us. Why not hear from someone who is doing a great job in not just one store front, but two? Nikki Winner opened unboxed Boutique in Tipp City, Ohio and expanded into Bellefontaine, Ohio. Listen to her story and discover how boutiques can be a powerful tool to drive economic development in the downtown.

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Welcome to episode 34 of the Small Nation Podcast!

This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, investing in real estate, and economic development. If you are from a small town, you know just important the role of the local churches are to the culture of our communities. On today's episode, Pastor Bryan Meadows shares his perspective of the church's role in our communities. How does the church teach leadership, service, and ultimately provide hope to the people in our community? These are all questions that we tackle in this episode.

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This is episode 33 of The Small Nation Podcast!  This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, investing in real estate, and economic development. We usually like to highlight the high points of being and entrepreneur on this show, but we feel that it would be irresponsible to not acknowledge the true cost and weight that it can have on an individual. Today's guest, Matt Brown, is a former Small Nation employee and went on his own entrepreneurial journey. Listen as he sheds some light on what business ownership cost him along the way of pursuing his dreams.   

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Welcome to episode 32 of The Small Nation Podcast!  

This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, investing in real estate, and economic development. We love the opportunity to sit down with other developers that are making an impact their own community. Luke Henry is taking Marion, Ohio by storm! Listen as he unpacks his journey from pharmacy into real estate and where his journey took him from there. Can you identify some of the parallels between his story and Small Nation's story in Bellefontaine? Could these practices be viable solutions to your communities?   

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This is episode 31 of The Small Nation Podcast!  

This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, investing in real estate, and economic development. If you have ever been confused about the financial world that supports business, you are in good company. Today's guest, Jacob Schroeder, is the founder and CEO of Ascend Consulting, where they believe there is a better approach to traditional accounting. Listen as he not only explains the basics of the financial world, but also dives into the theory behind the way they do business.  

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This is episode 30 of The Small Nation Podcast!  

This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, investing in real estate, and economic development. Today's guest is a very special one. Scott Duff, Jason Duff's father, is President and CEO of Ohio Ready Mix and Vice President of Duff Quarry. This episode is not only great episode because it shares some of the background of Ohio Ready Mix and Duff Quarry, but also because it brings a spotlight to family business. We also briefly touch on the impact of Intel and the housing market on the concrete and cement industry.

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Welcome to episode 29 of The Small Nation Podcast!  

This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, investing in real estate, and economic development. Success in entrepreneurial ventures can largely be dependent on who you decided to work with as you grow and scale your business. Every business has to make decisions that will have legal ramifications. Who you solicit council from on legal matters is a big decision. For several years, Small Nation has worked closely with today's guest, Conner W. Kinsey at Thompson, Dunlap & Heydinger to fill this role of trusted advisors. Listen as we share the impact and significance of having a partner like Conner.  

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Welcome to episode 28 of The Small Nation Podcast!  This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, investing in real estate, and economic development. Today's guest, Andrew Hursh shares his experience as a licensed Real Estate Agent in the rapidly growing Columbus, Ohio Market. Becoming a real estate agent can be a very fulfilling career for many people, but it is not always easy. Listen as Andrew shares his journey and the growing and stretching experiences that came with it.  

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This is episode 27 of The Small Nation Podcast!  

This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, investing in real estate, and economic development. Curt Wisecup is a facility Sales Rep with Cintas and shares his role in supporting the development in Downtown Bellefontaine. Many episodes on this podcast highlight small business entrepreneurs and what they bring to small town development, but we also wanted to highlight someone like Curt who takes pride in the work that he does within a bigger business model. Keeping the big vision of the positive change that is happening in front of all people makes the small and often "mundane" tasks meaningful.  

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Welcome to episode 26 of The Small Nation Podcast!  

This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, investing in real estate, and economic development. The current economic climate has created an employee shortage that has impacted countless businesses across the country. Small Nation has witnessed the impact of this on our own local businesses. Mindi Wells, founder and managing Attorney at Wells Law, shares some of her recommendations for recruiting talent and where to find them.  

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This is episode 25 of The Small Nation Podcast!  

This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, investing in real estate, and economic development. Regardless of where you are in your career, there is always something you can learn. Tarry Summers shares his background and how he got into real estate in the Columbus, Ohio Market. Sometimes failure can be the best teacher, but it is often easier to learn to be coachable and avoid learning lessons the hard way.   

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We hope you episode 24 of The Small Nation Podcast!  

This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, investing in real estate, and economic development. Often, an entrepreneur's journey is very unique, and success does not usually happen overnight. Listen as we highlight a local entrepreneur and how one opportunity led him to the next. Jeremey LeVan shares how getting fired from a position was one of the biggest blessings in disguise he has ever experienced.   

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This is episode 23 of The Small Nation Podcast!  

This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, investing in real estate, and economic development. Educating youth about entrepreneurship is vital to maintaining a vibrant community. On this week's episode, Liz Nusken talks about her work with the Ohio After School Network and how they partner with the Young Entrepreneur Institute to do just that. This episode is a great resource for anyone looking for programs to engage youth in your area!  

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Welcome to episode 22 of The Small Nation Podcast!

This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, investing in real estate, and economic development. Benji Rabhan, our guest for this week's episode is an experienced entrepreneur with a perspective to share about how the mind of an entrepreneur shifts and changes along their journey. We also learn how much the psychological side of leaders bleed into their organizations and teams. How does the way we see the world affect our relationships? Do you ever feel misunderstood? These are just a few of the promptings that led Benji to the work he does today. 

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Aboutly: https://about.ly  

This is episode 21 of The Small Nation Podcast!    

This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, investing in real estate, and economic development. On this week's podcast, Garrett Gatton and Seth Ciminillo share their experience as real estate agents and investors in the greater Lima area with Hartstock Realty.

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Welcome to episode 20 of The Small Nation Podcast!    

This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, investing in real estate, and economic development. For today's show, we are honored to have the Mayor of Bellefontaine, Ohio, Ben Stahler as our guest. Redevelopment and small-town success require collaboration. Often times, public-private relationships can be hard to navigate or even frustrating. Listen as both sides share their experience of working together to Bellefontaine back on the map.

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Welcome to episode 19 of The Small Nation Podcast!    

This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, investing in real estate, and economic development. The conversations on this podcast often include topics surrounding local government, but have you ever wondered how to engage your state government? Why is the term lobbyist often viewed in a negative light? Have you ever wondered how state legislation makes informed decisions on nuanced issues? These are some of the questions we address in this episode.   

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This is episode 18 of The Small Nation Podcast!    

This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, investing in real estate, and economic development. Small Town Success is not achieved alone, and working with your local chamber of commerce is certainly part of our Small Business Success Formula. Logan County Chamber President, Ben Vollrath shares some insight about the role of a chamber of commerce in a community and how they have worked with Small Nation to see success in the small town of Bellefontaine, Ohio. Listen as Ben shares his perspective on working with a private partner and Jason's perspective about working with the chamber!  

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Welcome to the 17th episode of The Small Nation Podcast!    

This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, investing in real estate, and economic development. If navigating building codes, rules, and regulations seems intimidating or frustrating, this is the perfect episode for you. Owner and Principle architect from Revival Design Collective, Cally Lange shares how their partnership with Small Nation has saved numerous old, historic buildings and transformed them into award-winning projects! Current projects such as Bellefontaine's Rainbow Row and the Historic Opera Block are also big topics of conversation for this episode.   

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Welcome to episode 15 of The Small Nation Podcast!   

This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, investing in real estate, and economic development. Jesse Lear is a true entrepreneur and is no stranger to Small Nation. Listen as he shares his journey of starting a business around trash and recycling and how it led to the real estate work that he does today with Epicurean Properties. Themes of partnerships, selling a business, real estate arbitrage, and the effect of short-term rentals on small-town revitalization are sprinkled throughout this episode. As a bonus, you will hear the story about how the Luxurious Loft Above came to be in existence!  

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Welcome to episode thirteen of The Small Nation Podcast!  

This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, investing in real estate, and economic development. After serving on various boards and a creating a successful investment firm, Robert (Bob) Smith is the current chairman of the board for Jobs Ohio, a position appointed by the governor of the state of Ohio. Topics around the current trends for Ohio's economic development, communication while serving a board, and principles of investment are all included in this week's episode. This episode pulls back the curtain for listeners to hear how Ohio's economic development organization is set up, and it may surprise you. There are also some great tips for the leaders and entrepreneurs that are being called on to give back and serve on boards for various organizations. 

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This is episode twelve of The Small Nation Podcast!  This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, investing in real estate, and economic development. John Hall is the President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce in Marshalltown, Iowa.  Many smaller communities across the nation face similar challenges. Listen in as John and Jason share the impact that catastrophic storms had on both Marshalltown, Iowa and Bellefontaine, Ohio. In this episode, we dive into the discussion of how to rebuild the community after catastrophic events, how community development impacts economic development, driving economic development without a large college, and more. 

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Welcome to episode eleven of The Small Nation Podcast!  This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, investing in real estate, and economic development. Hometown Opportunity is a tool that Small Nation has developed to ensure that everyone in a local community is aware of the jobs and careers available in the area. Our local companies are in need of our local talent, who all too often do not realize the great opportunity right here in our own backyard. The guest for this episode, Jared Ebbing, has been the overseer of this tool being implemented in Mercer County, Ohio. Check out the link in the show notes to learn more or how this tool can be used in YOUR community!  

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Welcome to the tenth episode of The Small Nation Podcast (Previously The Friday Small Talk Podcast)!

This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, investing in real estate, and economic development. This episode of The Small Nation Podcast gives insight into what economic traditional development looks like in one the fastest growing counties in Ohio, Union County. How do major manufacturing plants such as Honda impact the local area? What is the correlation between a local chamber of commerce and economic development? What impact does large markets such as Columbus play on smaller communities? These questions and more are addressed in this episode!

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Welcome to episode nine of The Small Nation Podcast (Previously The Friday Small Talk Podcast)!  

This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, investing, and economic development. In this episode of the Small Nation Podcast, the president of Richwood Bank, Chad Hoffman, outlines his approach on community banking and clears some common misconceptions about financing business ventures. Maintaining a good relationship with you bank is very important in this line of work. Richwood Bank is a trusted partner of Small Nation, not only because of the services they provide to us as a client, but also because of the support they show in our communities.

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This is episode eight of The Small Nation Podcast (Previously The Friday Small Talk Podcast)!  

This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, investing, and economic development. Terri Flood is the Vice President of Business Development for Wayne Healthcare. The conversation in this episode was centered around loving your small town through mentorship, giving back, and through diversity and inclusion. Sometimes these themes can get lost in small towns, but this episode is meant to set the tone for smaller communities approaching these topics.

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Welcome to episode seven of The Small Nation Podcast (Previously The Friday Small Talk Podcast)!  

This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, investing, and economic development. Listen in as founders and owners of Axe Ventura, Shannon and Anthony Taylor share about their experience of working together as business partners and as a couple to expand their axe throwing business into three separate locations. How does an experience based business position themselves as a feature in a downtown area versus a quickly fading fad? For couples looking to go into business with your partner, this one is for you!

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This is episode six of The Small Nation Podcast (Previously The Friday Small Talk Podcast)!  

This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, investing in real estate, and economic development. Founder and CEO of Platform Marketing, Tim Chermak, joins cohosts Jason Duff and Ethan DeLeon to share the story behind his business and his theory on advertising. Platform Marketing is a digital marketing company that specializes in partnering with real estate agents all over the country. Listen as Tim shares their strategy on how to cut through the noise and and keep their clients top of mind. We found it to be not only a great advertising strategy, but also a great way to feed a local economic ecosystem. This episode is a great change of perspective and a small taste of what is to come in future episodes.

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This is episode five of The Small Nation Podcast (Previously The Friday Small Talk Podcast)!  

This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, investing in real estate, and economic development. Bo Alexander is the community manager of BUILD Cowork + Space in Bellefontaine, Ohio. Listen as he joins cohosts Jason Duff and Ethan DeLeon as they discuss the story behind why Small Nation decided to create their own brand for coworking in a town with a population of 14,000 people and how it worked out. 

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Welcome to episode four of The Small Nation Podcast (Previously The Friday Small Talk Podcast)!  

This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, investing in real estate, and economic development. In this episode, local entrepreneur Lyle Endsley joins cohosts Jason Duff and Ethan DeLeon to share his journey and how an Anytime Fitness franchise partnered with Small Nation began to transform the historic downtown area in Bellefontaine, OH. The conversation of comfortability with risk is also a big part of this conversation. Lyle's story is a prime example of how the different pieces of downtown development can begin working together to make a bigger impact.

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Welcome to the third episode of The Small Nation Podcast (Previously The Friday Small Talk Podcast)! 

This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, investing in real estate, and economic development. In this episode, Vice President of Marketing and business owner Adam Rammel joins cohosts Jason Duff and Ethan DeLeon to tell the stories of the early days of Small Nation and how it evolved. Adam now is part owner of Brewfountaine and the Syndicate, both of which have become destination restaurants in Bellefontaine, Ohio. He also describes what restaurant ownership looked like in the middle of a pandemic. This episode is vital to understanding the work that Small Nation has done and how it began.

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This is episode two of The Small Nation Podcast! (Previously The Friday Small Talk Podcast)  

This podcast is created for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, investing in real estate, and economic development. In this episode, business owner Brittany Saxton joins cohosts Jason Duff and Ethan DeLeon to talk about the very first Small Nation project in downtown Bellefontaine, Ohio. 600 Downtown pizzeria has become a foodie destination and the flagship for revitalization in the historic downtown. Listen to stories of being invited to the Whitehouse, competing in pizza competitions, and even being showcased on the Food Network.   

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