Rural Business Innovators Podcast

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/