MKM Blog

Tools, tips, and resources to help your small-town small business stand out online

Josie Manternach had a plan. She knew it from high school, solidified it at Iowa State, and never once wavered: she was going to be an agriculture teacher. She was going to go back to Cascade. She was going to teach in the ag room where she had once begged to spend her study halls, […]

In Order to Succeed, Help Others Succeed First: Josie Manternach

the latest

Stand at Your Full Height: What Serin Silva Taught Me About Energy, Leadership, and Being a Woman in Business

10 Things I Know for Certain About Building a Business (Part 2)

10 Things I Know for Certain About Building a Business (Part 1)

A woman stands on stage in front of a large crowd.

USA Today Bestseller to Director of Leadership Formation: Lindsay Leahy on What It Means to Live with Intention

Stop Tying Your Worth to What You Do with Brooke Fitzgerald

Katrina Klooster on Career Transitions, Burnout, and Trusting Your Non-Linear Path

Woman looks at the camera while sitting backwards in a chair with her hand on her chin

The People Side of Business with Sarah Hermanson

The Stories That Shaped Us

The Leadership Gap We’re Not Talking About (And How to Fix It)

The Secret Sauce No One Talks About in Small Towns with Liesl Seabert

Why Wellness Isn’t Another To-Do List with Dominique Farrar

THIS was Killing My Leadership

The Art of Unraveling with Erin McGuire-Henson

Go First: Courage, Community, and Starting Over with Erin Moore

Your Story Is Your Superpower

Hot Takes v. High Character

The Ecosystem of Opportunity with Amy Lasack

More Than a Title

The Power of “The Pause” with Molly Schreiber

Five Things I’m Embarrassed I Had to Relearn (And Why That’s Actually a Good Thing)

The Capacity of Human Potential with Nancy Lynk

Get Uncomfy: What Liz Garcia’s Story Reminds Us About Reinvention

Just Go For It: Building a Multi-Passionate Life with Carley Kintzle

Less About Proving, More About Impact

One From the Heart

Nourish the Body, Feed the Soul: What One Founder’s Story Teaches Us About Impact

The Quiet Work of Changing Lives: A Conversation with Small-Town Teacher, Sarah Palmer

Small Acts, Big Impact

Things Are Just Better When They’re Fun: A Thanksgiving Giggle Fest with My Mom & Sister

Wildly Intentional Living with Mandy Webber: A Conversation About Motherhood, Homesteading & Choosing a Life That’s Truly Yours

This is Not a “How-to-Marriage” Podcast

Better Together: A Kitchen-Table Ode to Chosen Family

Tradition Keepers & Memory Makers: Why Friendship Rituals Matter for Ambitious Women

Good Movement Starts with Us: Lessons on Self-Awareness, Relationships, and Resilience with Terryn Drieling

Never Wait to Be Invited: Lessons on Friendship for Ambitious Women

I’m Kind of a Bad Friend — Ambition, Priorities & Friendship Guilt

The Must List: 7 Non-Negotiables for Ambitious Women in Business

Q4 Without Burnout

Re-Find: 7 Mini Episodes for the Modern-Day, Small-Town Woman Who Feels Out of Alignment

Roots & Reinvention with Lexi Marek Beeler

Connection, Creativity & Community with Julie Burton

Mental Health at Work with Megan Hammes

Optimizing Your Health and Your Self: A Conversation with Steph Grutz, The Healthy Practitioner

Take Care of Yourself, Lady!

Reconnecting to Your Soul with Anji Antkowiak

Book the Damn Trip with Lea Droessler of Sunny & Turquoise Travel

The Five Best Days of Summer with Abby Jaeger of The Great Jones County Fair

Making Space for People, Community, and Good Food with Sarah Prasser of Frannie’s Market

The Best Things I’ve Said No To

The Power of No with Brooke Fitzgerald

How I’m Preparing for Summer as a Business Owner and Mom (Without Losing My Mind)

The Best Business Moves I Made in 2025 (And None of Them Were What You’d Expect)

T-Shirt Gun Energy with Amanda Hofman of Go to Market Studio

Stories that Sell: Engaging Strategies for the Digital Age with Jenn Hanson-DePaula

The Best Marketing Moves I Made in 2025

Creating Calm, Building Community, and Living with Intention with Sarah Watson

Creating Connection Through Food with Leslie Shalabi of Convivium Urban Farmstead

founder Leslie Shalabi stands in front of Convivium Urban Farmstead

The Power of Place: Why Women Need Physical Community More Than Ever

Finding and Creating Your Community with Emily Reuschel

Finding Your People: The Power of Community for Ambitious Women

From School Counselor to Content Creator: Lauren Trefethren’s Journey to Authenticity

Finding Balance & Building Community with Thea Larson of Cowgirls Over Coffee

Harnessing the Power of Energy, Innovation, and Leadership with Dr. Claire Muselman

The State of Women in 2025: Challenges, Progress, and Moving Mountains

The State of Ambitious Women in 2025

Founder’s Field Notes: Issue 003 “Done Learning”

Creativity as Joy: Embracing the Process with Ana Dellamuth of Lovely Little Light

Founder’s Field Notes: Issue 002 “Stuck Energy”

Creating vs. Consuming – Why Creativity Is Your Superpower in 2025

Finding Yourself Through Words with Poet Jennae Cecelia

Founder’s Field Notes: Issue 001 The Guise of Control

A Kerfuffle: What Women Really Need in 2025

Money’s Mom, Gina Knox

Molly Talks Money

Resilience in your marketing

Resilience in Your Business

Your Marketing Audit Checklist

Marketing Local with Madelyn Victoria

“Social Media is a Dumpster Fire” Quick tips for improving your social media experience

Take It All Apart with Lindsay Leahy

7 (More) Hard Truths You Need to Hear About Business

7 Hard Truths You Need to Hear About Business

Employer Danger Zones with Kristie McCarthy of Bridge Business Resources

Successes and Struggles of Leading a Team

Kids’ Perspectives on Running a Business

6 Essential Elements for your First $50k in Business with Aly Robins

If I had to rebuild my business all over again…

“How do you keep up with the algorithm?” Coaching Call with Alex Monaghan

Stress, Hormones, and Health with Bri Edwards

Is social media oversaturated? 2024 Online Marketing Trends Question & Answer

Telling the Stories of Gutsy, Rural Women with Jan + Erin of TrailblazherCo

3 Things I Wish Small Business Owners Knew About their Marketing

“Should I add Pinterest to my business’ marketing?” Coaching Call with Natalie Berning

Step into your CEO Era with Holly Haynes

My 10 Favorite Tech Tools for Small Business

“How do I create compelling content for social media?”

Your Merch Mentor with Amanda Hofman of Go To Market Studio

“How do I organize and execute my marketing content?”

Taking Risks in Business and in Life

Climbing to Confidence with Coach Kiah

Action to Trust to Confidence to Self-Belief

Cascade Heights: An Interview with Molly McAllister and her little sister

“Molly, Should I add TikTok in 2024?”

Small Biz, Big Habits: Forming Habits in 2024

MKM Wrapped: 2023 Recap

Action vs. Motion in Business

(no more) Blank Space Miniseries

Story Sticks! Narrative Framework as Your Marketing Plan

Begin with the End in Mind

Perspectives from a “Failing” Business Owner

The Secret to Getting Found

The Success Equation with Ruthie Sterrett

How to Track Your Online Marketing Insights

The Best Damn Coach, Amanda Walker

Carrie Cohen of Carrie Cohen Coaching

How to Create and Use a QR Code for your Small Business

Michelle Myers of Dirt Road Candle Co

Cool for the Summer Marketing

Protect Your Passion with Sarah Waldbuesser of Destination Legal

Wholly Herself with Jada Dobesh of Selah Space

Small Business Owner or Entrepreneur?

Kara Hammes of Brown County Brown Burner

It’s Okay to Change.

Hunger, Integrity and Growing Multiple Businesses with Karoline Rose Bohannan

Squad Goals With my Business Besties

Show Some Leadership with Whitney Kinne

Where are the Women? State of Women, 2023

Emily Reuschel of Gather in Growth

Three ways to get time back in your business

THE Jillian Murphy

Marketing Trends to Implement Before the End of Q1

Nicole Kerns of Hill House Diaries

Baby Biz or Teenager Biz?

How to Start or Grow Your Podcast with Jill Carr

What YOU Want with Kylie Kelly

Who are you Becoming? Intentional Entrepreneurship in 2023

Lessons Learned in 2022

Leadership Lessons with Whitney Sullivan

Intentional Living with Brooke Happe

Planning for Change with Laurel Smith

Exponential Growth Week at The Found Podcast

Triple A with Andrea Mausser

Finding Your Why with Mariah Danielsen

Pricing and Packaging

Personal Branding with Maddie Peschong

Thought Leadership In Small Business

Showing Up Confidently with Ingela Onstad

Lost and Found

Holistic SEO with Nina Gibson

Holiday Marketing Strategy

Declare Your Success with Allie I. Reeves

Make Room for Magic

Business with a Heart: Jamie Gavle of Rendered Unique Decorah

Creating Visibility & Awareness for Your Next Offer

Human Design with Kristin Kilburg

Your Energy And Why It Matters

Making a SHIFT in Your Business

100th Episode!

Linley Cavin of Storied Folk and Company

4 Things (and 1 Bonus!) I Wish I Knew When I Started My Social Media Agency

Growing a Business and a Family with Jenny Roth

Birthday Mailbag Episode

Managing Your Money Mindset with Sheila Hansen

Finding Your Financial Partner with Melissa King

BIG NEWS from Molly!

What’s Working Right Now on Social

Tassel on the Rearview Mirror: Graduation Stories

No Foot Too Small and Honoring Angels with Robin Boudreau

Stories of Small-Town Teachers

Motherly Advice

Will McAllister of Woodruff Construction

Dan Levi of Levi Architecture

Pam Ost of TLC, The Learning Center

You can do big things in small towns with Amanda Schlemme

Mental Health in Small Towns with Dr. Lauren Welter

The Power of Community with Charlotte Knuth

The Gift of Music with Callie FitzGerald

The State of Women in 2022

Let’s Get Woo Woo

Legacy of Business in a Small Town with Alix Ambriz

Small Town Love Stories

The Hard Part of Growing Your Business

Honing Your Strengths with Arica Ohloff

Do I Need a Business Coach?

Building World-Class Business with Jade Boyd

7 Steps to the Best Social Year Yet

Where I Eff’ed Up in ’21

“Best of Week” for your Social Feeds

MKM Social School Student Panel

Mailbag 4.0

Living, Leading, and Working with Meaning with Lindsay and Brooke of The Restoration Project

Launching Something New

Growing as you Go with Kari Jo Kelso

Planning Your Holiday Offer

FarmHer, Sales Woman, and Small Business Owner, Lillie Beringer

Spooky Social Media Stories

Melissa Nelson Hungry Canyon

WTF, Facebook and Homecoming

Branding & Design for your Business

Small Town Social Media Marketing

Hi there! I'm Molly: small town enthusiast, digital marketer, and mom of 4, passionate about helping local, small businesses thrive. Stick around to learn how YOU can flourish while living and doing business in a small town.