Rural Marketing
Building Character
OUTdrive Episode 101 with Gary Wheeler To put it simply, the rural American lifestyle builds character. The people raised in rural America are often the ones who go on to feed, lead, and serve our country. Today’s guest, Missouri Soy’s CEO Gary Wheeler, has done all three. In his role, he continues to spearhead legislation…
Read MoreThe Do’s and Don’ts of Working With Media
College Basketball Hall of Fame Coach John Wooden once famously said, “Confidence comes from being prepared.” Just like Coach Wooden prepared his teams for success, media training can help prepare you to speak to the media or give a public presentation about your company. Our at-a-glance do’s and don’ts will give you the confidence to…
Read MoreMarketing, Business, and Life Lessons
OUTdrive Episode 100 with Cliff Callis Happy 100th Episode! We’re celebrating the big 1-0-0 with a very special episode of OUTdrive. This week, we’re turning the mic around to interview our host, the founder and CEO of Callis, Cliff Callis. In this episode, we take an in-depth look at Cliff’s story, the origins of Callis,…
Read MoreThe Story of a Local Legend
OUTdrive Episode 99 with John Kehde Small business owners have an inherent responsibility to be active and invested in their community. That’s especially true for OUTdrive guest John Kehde, who took his passion and civic duty to the highest commitment, serving and eventually leading the local government for the city of Sedalia. In this episode,…
Read MoreCelebrating the History of Family Farming
OUTdrive Episode 98 with Bonita & Taylor Riley Now more than ever, people are invested in where their food comes from. Those who frequent local farmers’ markets have the luxury of knowing exactly where their food is grown and how it’s raised, and they have a chance to connect with the people who produce it.…
Read MoreConsistent and Quality Branding
OUTdrive Episode 97 with Brooklyn & Larry White There is no shortage of beef producers in Central Missouri, but Brook and Larry White of White Angus Ranch are doing things a little different: raising grass-finished beef. Unlike “grass-fed” beef, “grass-finished” means corn and grain are never part of the animal’s diet, resulting in a leaner…
Read MoreSupporting Local Farmers’ Markets
OUTdrive Episode 96 with Bev Rollings, Brenda Raetz, and Matt and Kim Tennill Did you know that the produce in grocery stores travels an average of 1,500 miles before it ends up on your plate? Furthermore, the USDA estimates that on average, a farmer only earns 17.4 cents for every dollar spent on a food…
Read MoreProviding Quality Health Care
OUTdrive Episode 95 with Dr. Stuart Braverman Access to quality health care is at the core of a healthy community. Rural area hospitals play a vital role in attracting new families and businesses to small and mid-size cities. Sedalia, Missouri is home to a number of care facilities, including the community-owned Bothwell Regional Health Center.…
Read MoreDriving Tourism to Trail Towns
OUTdrive Episode 94 with Kim Henderson The Katy Trail State Park is the longest developed rail-trail in the country, spanning 240 miles between Clinton and Machens with 26 trailheads and four fully restored railroad depots along the way. Whether you are a bicyclist, walker, equestrian, nature lover or history buff, the trail offers opportunities for…
Read MoreLesson 11 – Pray About It
In the late ’90s, one of our clients asked if we could design and manufacture a product that they could sell to their customers to commemorate their 50th anniversary. I really think they could have built it themselves but staying true to their business and products, they wanted someone else to do it. What an…
Read MoreThe Path Less Traveled
OUTdrive Episode 93 with Rob Hughes Some of us chose our own paths in life. For others, the path is chosen for us. And if you’re Rob Hughes, the senior minister at Broadway Church in Sedalia, Missouri, the path will call you to ministry after years of working in a completely unrelated career field. In…
Read MoreLESSON 10 – IF YOU WANT SOMETHING BAD ENOUGH…
For many of our agency staffers who grew up in Sedalia, they’ve been going to the Missouri State Fair since they were kids. Some showed livestock there. Some worked there and others just enjoyed all the many things you can do there. Simply put, we love the fair! Once our agency proved that it knew…
Read MorePursuing Opportunities
OUTdrive Episode 92 with Cesar Marin Community is defined as “a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.” A strong sense of community is part of what makes rural America a great place to live, work and raise a family. In this episode of OUTdrive, our guest…
Read MoreLesson 9 – Marketing Works
This may go without saying, but we know that marketing works. Over the years, when the right and appropriate approach and budget were put into place, we saw the results first hand, and our clients did too. We also saw them in our own marketing efforts. Back in 1993, we were actively doing direct mail…
Read MorePropane: Resilient & Clean Energy
OUTdrive Episode 91 with Joe Calhoun Alternative energy solutions are a major point of discussion these days. One solution that is often overlooked is propane. Propane is being used across all industries to meet the need for a resilient, cleaner, greener energy solution, and the need for remote power where it isn’t readily available. In…
Read MoreLesson 8 – Learn the Business
One of our goals with every client relationship is to learn their business. Obviously, we need to understand the specifics about their products and services to be able to promote them, but it goes well beyond that. We always want to know what their long-term objectives are so we can help them achieve them. Do…
Read MoreBuying, Building, & Developing Real Estate
OUTdrive Episode 90 with Russell Childers Entrepreneurship has evolved over the years, but one thing is for certain, the American Dream is still alive and well for those who are willing to work for it. In this episode of OUTdrive, I sit down with business owner Russell Childers to learn more about what it takes…
Read MoreLesson 7 – Know Your Team
As our agency grew, taking on new clients, looking at new opportunities, and selling new projects, finding new people to join us became paramount to our success. When you’re a small business, every employee has to be an A player, and we had them, and we added more of them as we needed them. We’re…
Read MoreSpeaking to Your Audience
OUTdrive Episode 89 with Ben Frederickson Sports columnist Ben Frederickson returns to OUTdrive to chat about all things sports and writing. Ben shares his hot takes on Mizzou Basketball, the possible outcomes of the MLB lockout, and the Blue’s chances at another playoff run. We also dive a little deeper into storytelling, such as creating…
Read MoreLesson 6 – Carve Out a Niche
Throughout our agency’s history, we have ebbed and flowed in and out of certain markets and industries, based on our clients, always looking for the opportunity to identify and expand on a niche. One of those niches was economic development, working with cities and chambers of commerce around Missouri to help them tell their stories.…
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