What does it take to build a life — and a career — that touches nearly every corner of one state? This week we sit down with Lori Rogge, one of a handful of female auctioneers in Kansas, to talk about growing up across the state, learning the chant, and how a 22,000-acre Flint Hills ranch ends up on the internet.HighlightsSydney's grandfather was such a loyal auction customer that the auction house retired his bidder number — and it's now engraved on his gravestoneLori's parents, Gene and Connie Francis, founded Gene Francis & Associates in 1984 and have since built a global auction reach — including clients from Belgium, the UK, and Chihuahua, MexicoLori attended Worldwide College of Auctioneering in Mason City, Iowa — and her very first auction as an auctioneer was a $10,000 paintingThe auction industry has moved dramatically online; Gavel Roads Online Auctions launched in 2016 and was perfectly positioned when COVID hit in 2020There are only three or four female auctioneers in Kansas outside of Kansas CityThe SNL skit featuring auctioneer-speak went viral — and Lori loved every second of itThe National Auctioneers Association is actually headquartered in Overland Park, KansasJordy Nelson (Green Bay Packers) grew up in Leonardville, and his family's Nelson Family Community Foundation is active in the communityHistoric Lake Scott State Park in western Kansas sits on the only known Native American pueblo in Kansas, dating to the 1600sFlint Hills Trail State Park is the eighth longest rail trail in the entire United StatesChapters0:00 – Grandpa Auction Hoard1:09 – Bomb Shelter Safe2:21 – Welcome / Intro to Lori3:35 – Meet Lori Rogge4:05 – Growing Up Kansas8:25 – Why Leonardville10:40 – Career Path Shift13:58 – Building Online Auctions16:58 – Learning the Chant27:40 – Chant Mechanics35:51 – Reading the Room36:10 – Auctions Going Online (Estate Sales & Collectibles)33:27 – Estate Plans & Loyal Clients36:04 – From Onsite to Online37:00 – Auctioneers in Small Towns40:40 – Why She Gives Back44:16 – Rural Riley County Community Foundation49:19 – Women Grow the Farm52:02 – Hosts Reflect on Auctions52:54 – State Park Guessing Game44:09 – Historic Lake Scott State Park1:00:25 – Final Wrap & Call to ActionResources MentionedGene Francis & Associates – Lori's family real estate and auction company, founded in 1984Gavel Roads Online Auctions – Online auction bidding platform launched by the Francis family in 2016Worldwide College of Auctioneering – Where Lori earned her auctioneer's license; locations in Mason City, Iowa and ColoradoKSU Foundation – Kansas State University Foundation, where Lori worked in gift and estate planning from 2005 to 2015Kansas 4-H Foundation – Lori has consulted for this organizationNelson Family Community Foundation – Founded by the family of Jordy Nelson (K-State and Green Bay Packers), based in LeonardvilleFlint Hills Discovery Center – Manhattan, KS museum with an exhibit on the auctioneer chantNational Auctioneers Association – Headquartered in Overland Park, KansasRails-to-Trails Conservancy – Organization that rail-banked and helped develop the Flint Hills Trail beginning in 1995Learn more about the podcast at askakansan.com!This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network, for more information, visit ictpod.net

What if your birthday celebration wasn't really about your birthday at all? Jen Christian turned 40 with one of the most intentional, fun, and friendship-forward celebrations I've ever seen — and it started not with a party plan, but with a personal reckoning. After navigating a postpartum fog that hit during COVID, Jen found herself asking: Who am I now? What do I value? And who are my people for this next decade? The answers led her to create "40 Things for 40" — a curated list of experiences, meals, adventures, and connections she organized into a Google site and sent to the people she loves most. No pressure. No spotlight. Just an open invitation to show up and share life together. If you're approaching a milestone birthday — or honestly any season of life where you're ready to come back to yourself — this conversation is going to spark something in you.HIGHLIGHTSJen shares how coming out of postpartum and the COVID season prompted her to ask the big questions: who am I, what do I value, and who are my people?Why loneliness can sneak up on you even when you're surrounded by wonderful people — and what to do about itHow Jen's eclectic friend group actually inspired the format of her celebrationThe four "buckets" she used to organize her 40 things: places to dine, things she loves most, things to discover, and an evolution of JenWhy she chose a Google Site to host the list (hint: her husband's class reunion inspired it)How a Google Form made logistics effortless and her social calendar full for the next decadeWhy celebration isn't about the spotlight — it's about pausing, reflecting, and connectingJen's definition of celebration: "It's about pausing. It's about reflection. It's about accomplishment, and it's about connection and relationship."CHAPTERS0:00 – Welcome and Meet Jen1:04 – Why Turning 40 Matters3:10 – Reclaiming Identity After Motherhood6:47 – Pulling Back and Finding Your People9:57 – The 40 Things for 40 Idea12:07 – Building the List and Buckets17:03 – Sharing It Out and Timeline20:11 – Favorite Picks From the 4021:37 – Why Celebration Matters23:05 – Template Offer and Wrap UpRESOURCESJen's "40 Things for 40" TemplateSaltwell Farm Kitchen — between Topeka and Lawrence, Kansas (https://www.saltwellfarmkitchen.com)Google Sites — the free platform Jen used to build and share her celebration list (https://sites.google.com)Google Forms — used for RSVPs and tracking signups (https://forms.google.com)ChatGPT — Jen used this to help brainstorm ideas for her final bucket of five (https://chat.openai.com)Pinterest — also used for inspiration while building the list (https://www.pinterest.com)Want to learn more?The ThreadBe sure to follow me @audradinell on Instagram and LinkedInThis show is part of the ICT Podcast Network.Disclaimer: we may receive a small commission on any products purchased through the links used in this episode. I only recommend tools and resources I actually use and find valuable.

You're busy — but is your side hustle actually making you money? There's a big difference between being booked solid and being profitable. If you've been afraid to raise your rates, this episode gives you the exact framework to know when it's time, how to do it, and how to silence the inner voice that says you're not worth it.HighlightsWhy being "busy" is not the goal — profitability isHow to calculate your conversion rate with a dead-simple formulaThe 30–50% conversion rate sweet spot and what it means for your pricingWhy a high conversion rate (above 50%) is actually a warning sign you're underchargingThe math that shows how raising prices and working less can earn you the same incomeWhat to do when your conversion rate is too low — and why slashing prices is the wrong moveHow to define your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) to command higher ratesHow to ask clients who say "no" for feedback (without it being awkward)Using your "evidence folder" — testimonials and reviews — to overcome imposter syndromeWhy pricing is not permanent and iteration is part of the processChapters0:00 – Why Raise Prices1:31 – Measure Conversion Rate4:20 – Healthy Benchmarks5:20 – When Yes Is Too Easy9:08 – Test Higher Rates9:57 – Fix Low Conversions14:26 – Imposter Syndrome Proof16:50 – Final ChallengeBe sure to subscribe and leave us a review!For more information about The Side-Hustle Dad, visit our website at https://thesidehustle.dadRemember, build the business, but be the dad!This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network, for more information, visit ictpod.net.

What if the biggest barrier to improving the health of an entire state isn't a lack of medicine, money, or expertise, but a failure of leadership? In Chapter 7 of Leading Health, we tackle one of the most provocative ideas in the book: Kansas can't climb the health rankings without first confronting the reality that we don't agree on what caused the problem or what the solution is. That makes it a leadership challenge before it's a health challenge.This episode features a special guest — Ben Hutton, President and CEO of Hutton Company — who brings a private-sector perspective to a conversation typically dominated by the public sector. We explore what it means to lead with both humility and bold experimentation, and why getting people focused on the right problems might be more important than having all the right answers.HighlightsKansas has improved its health rankings for three consecutive years, a meaningful milestone that deserves more attention.Leadership is an activity, not a position and authority and leadership are two distinct things.The role of those in authority isn't to proclaim solutions; it's to center the problem and create alignment.Every person in the "30,000" has a part of the mess — defining your part is often the most actionable first step.Goals and strategies are not the same; confusing them is one of the most common traps when tackling adaptive challenges (Medicaid expansion is a strategy; ensuring Kansans have adequate health insurance is a goal).The Hutton Company implemented the Dream Manager program — helping employees name and pursue personal dreams, from climbing Machu Picchu to buying a first home.Discuss why businesses need to think about both  Capital H health (everything we need to thrive) vs. little h health (healthcare).The "$50,000 experiment" framework: big enough to matter if it works, small enough to survive if it doesn't.Third-grade literacy as a leading indicator: solving upstream problems prevents a cascade of downstream challenges.Two people — and two ideas — can both be right at the same time. The tragedy of our era is that we've shifted from advocating for our ideas to advocating against our opponents' ideas.Purpose-driven businesses that invest in capital H health tend to be more profitable in traditional measures too; the data bears this out.Chapters0:48 — Introduction & Chapter 7 Overview4:49 — Leadership vs. Authority: Lessons from COVID11:51 — Introducing Ben Hutton13:27 — Capital H vs. Little H Health in the Workplace15:24 — The Dream Manager Program19:18 — Finite vs. Infinite Games & the Case for Experimentation25:23 — Disrupting Entrenched Narratives35:46 — Goals vs. Strategies: How to Create Alignment37:09 — Closing TakeawaysResources MentionedThe Dream Manager by Matthew KellyThe Infinite Game by Simon SinekMaslow's Hierarchy of NeedsHuttonLeading Health is an invitation to move the needle on Health in Kansas, and we invite you to join us in leading the way. Don’t have a copy of Leading Health? Claim your copy and learn more about the movement at kansashealth.org/leadinghealthAnd be sure to subscribe, and drop a comment to let us know what you think.

Did you file your taxes and think you were done? Think again.Most business owners treat April like the finish line — but the entrepreneurs keeping the most money in their pockets know that's actually where the real work begins. Your 2026 tax bill is being built right now, and whether it's a painful surprise or a manageable number depends entirely on what you do in the months ahead.HighlightsTax season ending in April is a myth for wealthy entrepreneurs — it's actually a scorecard, not a deadlineSeven-figure business owners plan their taxes immediately after filing, not at year-endYour current-year tax liability is being shaped right now, based on your baseline from last year's returnWaiting until December to plan taxes is damage control — not strategyEntity structure matters because each business type is taxed differently, and the wrong one could cost you significantlyMessy books mean missed deductions — clean bookkeeping is a direct path to tax savingsGetting a large refund isn't always a win; it may mean you've been giving the government an interest-free loanChapters0:00 — Tax Season Isn't Over1:12 — Returns Are a Scorecard2:02 — Plan Right After Filing3:38 — Mistake #1: Waiting Until Year-End4:13 — Early Year Planning Moves (Entity Election & Retirement Contributions)6:41 — Quarterly Estimated Tax Payments9:37 — Mistake #2: Never Reviewing Your Entity Structure5:44 — Mistake #3: Ignoring Bookkeeping Until Next Tax Season7:35 — Mistake #4: Never Looking Back at Prior Returns8:41 — Four Mistakes Recap9:19 — Proactive Tax Strategy MindsetWant to keep more of what you earn? If you’re a 7-6-5 business owner ready to move from financial chaos to CFO-level comfort, visit www.simplifymynumbers.com to schedule a call with our team. Subscribe and leave a review on Apple or Spotify to help us grow the community, and be sure to share this episode with a fellow founder.This show is designed to be used for educational and informational purposes. For your own situation, be sure to contact a tax professional directly.This show is part of the ICT Podcast network. For more information, visit ictpod.net