Ever wonder what keeps a small town alive when the world seems to be pulling people toward the cities? Simone Elder grew up on a family farm in Atwood, started doing economic development work in high school, and now leads an organization devoted to making sure rural Kansas doesn't just survive — it thrives.  As the new executive director of the Kansas Sampler Foundation, she stepped into the role once held by the legendary Marci Penner and is bringing her own western Kansas perspective, entrepreneurial background, and a whole lot of what she calls "Kansas rizz" to the job. We talk about the Power Up movement — a network of 21-to-39-year-olds choosing rural by choice — what communities need to keep young families around (it turns out sidewalks and salads matter a lot), the eight rural cultural elements that help towns see themselves differently, and why Simone believes the best thing you can do when the doom and gloom gets heavy is walk out your front door and get involved in the community right there around you. Plus, Sydney's Halloween costume saga and a new dart throw that lands us in Rooks County. Highlights Sydney's mom made every Halloween costume growing up — including a monster suit built from dyed green mop heads — and Sydney is keeping the tradition alive with an increasingly specific vampire bat queen costume for daughter Madeline Thrift stores in McPherson delivered $35 worth of Gothic vampire jewelry that would have cost $75 on Amazon Simone got her start in economic development through a youth board program called YCIP (Youth Community Improvement Program) in Rawlins County, which invited high schoolers to answer "What do you want to see in our community?" The Power Up and Go report surveyed nearly 500 Kansans aged 21–39 and found they want basics: fresh food, sidewalks to push strollers on, and a place at the table where their ideas aren't dismissed with "we tried that before" Simone's mailbox initiative in Wichita County gave graduating seniors a literal mailbox with their name on it as an invitation to come home — and some of them did, starting businesses in Leoti The eight rural cultural elements — art, architecture, commerce, cuisine, customs, geography, history, and people — give communities a framework to see what they already have Kansas has 625 incorporated cities, and about 75% of them have populations of 1,500 or less Elkhart, Kansas (Morton County) is closer to three other state capitals than it is to Topeka A young man in LeRoy, Kansas bought an old downtown building, repointed the brickwork himself, turned it into an Airbnb, and has a vision for a walking trail tied to local history Simone's car wouldn't restart at Point of Rocks in the Cimarron National Grassland — no cell service, just her and the pioneer spirit A new term for the movement: "Rural Curious" — urban dwellers who show up to rural programming because they want to understand and connect Dartography lands in Rooks County for next time — home of Stockton and some of Gus and his wife's favorite people Chapters 0:00 — Homemade Halloween Roots 1:59 — Thrifting Gothic Jewelry 3:54 — Guest Intro 5:02 — Simone's Career Path 7:45 — Why Western Kansas Matters 10:36 — Choosing Rural Power Ups 16:05 — Taking Over After Marci 20:08 — Bridging Statewide Networks 22:19 — Gumption and Cultural Elements 24:23 — Programs Kansas Sampler Offers 27:20 — Power Ups Future 28:31 — Team On The Road 29:52 — Message To Rural Expatriates 31:46 — Rural Curious And Coming Home 32:58 — LeRoy Main Street Revival 34:34 — Point Of Rocks Adventure 36:12 — Support Kansas Sampler 37:13 — Host Reflections And Hope 38:54 — Dartography 43:16 — New Dart Throw: Rooks County 44:18 — Stories From A Hat 49:10 — Wrap Up And Credits Resources Mentioned Kansas Sampler Foundation  Kansas Guidebook  Network Kansas Fili Creative  Forge Podcast Learn more about the podcast at askakansan.com! This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network, for more information, visit ictpod.net

What if the thing you want most is the thing you keep talking yourself out of? This weekend, a walk with my husband turned into a full-on dissection of why we resist our own desires. Whether it's a bigger house, a new role, a book we want to write, or even something as simple as ordering a certain dessert — we are so quick to tell ourselves all the reasons we don't really want it. But what if underneath that dismissal is something worth listening to? What if the real reason we push our desires away isn't logic, but fear — specifically, the fear of how we'll feel if we go for it and don't get it? That's what we're unpacking today: how to get curious about what we truly want, examine the stories we tell ourselves, take aligned action, and build the emotional capacity to handle whatever outcome comes our way. Because the journey toward something we genuinely desire? That's what it's all about anyway. Highlights: Why we don't trust our own desires — and how influenced we might be by outside voices The common stories we tell ourselves to talk us out of wanting what we want Using the "bigger house" example to dig down to the real why behind a desire How fear of failure (and fear of the feelings that come with failure) keeps us from trying Why resilience matters — and how this applies to business owners, entrepreneurs, and aspiring authors How emotional agility work (inspired by Susan David) changed the way I see feelings and action The practice of getting curious about a desire, finding the core intention, and taking aligned action Why failure is part of the game — and why the journey itself is the reward Chapters: 1:03 — The Walk That Sparked It All 1:55 — Why Is It So Hard to Admit What We Want? 3:04 — Examining the Stories We Tell Ourselves 3:39 — Fear of Failure and the Bigger House Example 4:10 — Why We're Really Not Trying 5:52 — Resilience, Business, and the Book You Want to Write 6:15 — Emotional Agility and the Power of Managing Feelings 7:55 — Get Curious and Take Aligned Action 8:39 — Failure Is Part of the Game 9:44 — Farewell and Happy October Resources: Susan David — Emotional Agility Want to learn more? The Thread Be sure to follow me @audradinell on Instagram and LinkedIn This 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.

Ever sent a fifth follow-up email about an unpaid invoice and wondered if you signed up to be a freelancer or a debt collector? You did the work. You delivered the results. And now you're the one chasing payments. It doesn't have to be that way. This is the third and final installment of our automation series, and today we're closing the loop — building a payment collection system that runs without you. The goal is simple: standardize everything, automate the reminders, and remove every ounce of friction so your clients can pay you with zero effort on either side. Because you are not a bill collector, and the less time you spend hunting down payments, the more time you have for the work that actually matters. Highlights Why you should pick one payment tool and stick with it — no mixing Venmo, PayPal, and Stripe How to build a single invoice template you can send in under five minutes Turning on automatic payment reminders so the software does the chasing, not you Setting up recurring invoices for retainers so you never touch them again Testing your own payment flow to find and eliminate friction before your clients hit it Four free invoicing platforms compared — Zoho Invoice, Wave, Square Invoices, and PayPal Invoicing Why you should build credit card processing fees into your price instead of surprising clients Requiring deposits before work begins to protect yourself Using auto-pay and milestone payments for larger projects Automatic late fees as a tool for urgency — and how to waive them to lead with generosity Auto-filing receipts to bookkeeping and triggering referral asks after payment Chapters 0:19 — Stop Chasing Payments 2:03 — Standardize Your Payment Tool 3:12 — Invoice Templates and Reminders 5:04 — Recurring Billing and Links 6:05 — Test for Payment Friction 7:55 — Free Invoicing Software Picks 11:40 — Fees and How to Price Them 13:33 — Level Up With Deposits 15:06 — Late Fees and Urgency 16:43 — Bookkeeping and Referral Automations 17:28 — Recap and Next Episode Resources Zoho Invoice Wave Square Invoices PayPal Invoicing  Stripe Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review! For more information about The Side-Hustle Dad, visit our website at https://thesidehustle.dad Remember, build the business, but be the dad! This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network, for more information, visit ictpod.net.

Are you holding on to ways of doing things that no longer serve the second act of your life? The laws that govern business and life don't stop working just because we choose to ignore them — and the law of adaptation is quietly shaping your success whether you lean into it or not. This episode explores what it really means to adapt as a second act business owner: why your experience is your foundation rather than your limitation, how attachment to old identities holds you back, and how AI — yes, AI — might be today's version of the gas furnace your grandparents hesitated to adopt. You'll walk away with a simple four-step framework for adaptation and one practical experiment you can run this week to start leveraging the law of adaptation in your own business. HIGHLIGHTS The law of adaption is about willingness to change — not abandoning who you are, but applying your strengths, experience, and values in a way that fits your current situation What made you successful at 30 or 40 may not create success at 50 or 60 — your priorities, responsibilities, and the marketplace have all changed The biggest barrier to adaption isn't ability — it's attachment to an old identity, career, or routine A simple framework for adaption: Assess, Adjust, Act, Evaluate Your experience is your foundation, not your limitation — adaption makes it even more powerful The story of grandparents who removed a gas furnace because it felt dangerous, and how that mirrors our hesitation toward AI today AI isn't replacing anyone, but competitors who adapt with AI are responding to customers faster, creating content more consistently, and accomplishing more without immediately hiring Adapting with AI is not the law of laziness — you still apply your own judgment, intelligence, and experience A simple place to start: use AI to help write one email a day for the next seven days AI can amplify and multiply your experience — it doesn't diminish it CHAPTERS 1:30 — Introducing Adaptation 2:57 — Identity and Change Barriers 4:10 — Assess, Adjust, Act, Evaluate 4:54 — Experience, Not Limitation 5:20 — Gas Heat Adaptation Story 7:57 — AI as Modern Adaptation 8:47 — Using AI Without Laziness 10:32 — One Simple AI Experiment 12:40 — Wrap Up and Challenge Want to get more help from Lee with your business? Visit her website: https://leegray.actioncoach.com/ Identify your strengths and weaknesses as a second actor with our comprehensive Second Act Assessment. https://secondact.scoreapp.com This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network. For more information, visit ictpod.net.

Ever wonder what the difference between a fiddle and a violin actually is — or why Kansas has such a rich but largely undocumented fiddling tradition?  We sit down with Derrick Doty, the Flint Hills Fiddler, a musician, historian, and music teacher based in Manhattan, Kansas. Derrick is the 2023 Kansas State Banjo Champion, a former barber in Council Grove who turned barbershop stories into historical research, and — perhaps most unexpectedly — a coffin builder. He treats us to live fiddle and banjo performances, shares the story of a John Henning banjo from 1880s Emporia that may be the first built for steel strings, and even serenades us with a Pete Seeger song updated with his own modern verses. Along the way we explore Kansas's musical history from territorial Free-Staters singing "The Kansas Immigrant" to the tune of Auld Lang Syne, the Exoduster banjo players who toured the state, and why traditional music still matters today. Highlights Derrick explains the real difference between a fiddle and a violin (spoiler: it's mostly about how you use the word, not the instrument itself) The story of how "Flint Hills Fiddler" started as an email address and became a persona Derrick's great-grandfather fiddled for barn dances in Osage County, inspiring him to take up the instrument decades later Live fiddle performance on the podcast — a first in nearly 80 episodes Why Derrick uses black horsehair on his bow instead of white (it grabs the string better and costs less) The Kansas Immigrant: a poem by John Greenleaf Whittier set to the tune of Auld Lang Syne that became the anthem of Free-Staters traveling to Kansas How 12 years of cutting hair in Council Grove turned a fiddler into a historical researcher Derrick is the 2023 Kansas State Banjo Champion, winning with "classic banjo" style instead of the more common bluegrass or clawhammer styles The story of Link and Perry Lowery, Exoduster banjo players from Emporia who toured Kansas in the 1880s and '90s A rare John Henning banjo from 1880s Emporia with its fifth-string tuner on the tailpiece and a steel brace running through the neck — possibly the first banjo built for steel strings Three ensembles: Tallgrass Express String Band, Bodark (an old-time trio named after the Osage orange tree), and Grandpa Snazzy (a mandolin club recreation with a banjorine) Derrick builds handmade coffins — it started with a doll coffin replica from the 1850s and grew into a full-fledged side business A live performance of Pete Seeger's "What Did You Learn in School Today?" with Derrick's own updated verses about AI data centers and senators Maude Wagner of Emporia: the United States' first known female tattoo artist, born in Kansas in 1877 Chapters 0:00 — Auction Bass Case Mystery 2:14 — Today's Guest 4:01 — Meet the Flint Hills Fiddler 5:26 — Fiddle vs Violin Explained 7:03 — Kansas Roots and Learning Fiddle 10:26 — Fiddle Tradition and Dance Culture 12:47 — Derrick Plays the Fiddle 14:28 — Instrument Story and Bow Hair 18:42 — Music History in Kansas 21:18 — Barber Shop to Historian 22:53 — Banjo Champion Origins 25:19 — Banjo History in Kansas 27:01 — Banjo Performance and Gear Talk 30:47 — Teaching Roots and Routine 32:32 — Tallgrass Express Origins 33:48 — Bodark Old Time Trio 34:33 — Grandpa Snazzy Mandolin Club 36:10 — Mandolin Orchestra Revival 36:56 — Weirdest Gig Stories 38:13 — How He Builds Coffins 40:16 — Why Handmade Coffins 42:08 — Pete Seeger Song Performance 45:06 — Future of Traditional Music 46:44 — Episode Reflection 48:28 — Kansas Tattoo Pioneer Tale 52:11 — Kansas Would You Rather 54:16 — Bridge Counting Challenge 54:59 — Credits Resources An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge John Greenleaf Whittier Pete Seeger Humanities Kansas  Flint Hills Academy of Music  Tallgrass Express String Band Fili Creative  Everyday Lights Forge Podcast Learn more about the podcast at askakansan.com! This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network, for more information, visit ictpod.net