Advertise on podcast: The Found Podcast with Molly Knuth

Picture me on a Saturday night at the end of August: a wig with flips I can only describe as aggressive, a fake mustache I've sweat off more times than I can count, and a hanky in my back pocket assigned to one job. Upper Lip Patrol. I looked like a NASCAR driver who lost a bet. That's scavenger hunt night in Cascade. Every year I write the riddles, laminate everything in sight, glue tiny race car drivers to popsicle sticks, and send my family and friends all over town in teams. It makes me zero dollars. And this year, right in the middle of it, I realized it had taught me more about running a business than a lot of the webinars I've sat through. If you've been quietly running on empty (maybe without even clocking it yet), this episode is my case for play. We talk about writing without AI, looking ridiculous on purpose, why I keep refusing to sell this thing, and the branding, storytelling, and word of mouth lessons I didn't go looking for. I came out the other side remembering something I didn't know I'd forgotten. WHAT YOU'LL HEAR Why I wrote every clue by hand on a legal pad this year, and what writing without AI gave back to me The freedom of looking absurd in public when you usually spend a lot of energy on how you're perceived Why I keep saying no when people ask me to turn the hunt into a kit they can buy How play and silliness make the heavy parts of business more sustainable What a little Jeff Gordon on a popsicle stick taught me about consistent branding Why stories (not the details) are what bring people back year after year Bonus: word of mouth is still the most powerful marketing channel there is, especially in a small town The question to sit with: what's your scavenger hunt?  RESOURCES AND LINKS Back catalog episode: Just Have F*cking Fun Recent episode: Using AI Without Losing Your Voice FREE RESOURCE Grab the free Small Town Founders Workbook, your 2027 business and marketing strategy built for rural and small-town Founders: https://mollyknuth.myflodesk.com/smalltownfoundersworkbook LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5YACTbRulN4NooX32NgzgV?si=eeab33fd432844ee Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-found-podcast-with-molly-knuth/id1530616432 SHARE THIS EPISODE If this one hit you somewhere in the feels, send it to the friend who needs a little permission to play. Then tell me your scavenger hunt. Tag me or send me a message... I'd love to hear it. mollyknuth.com  ·  @mollyknuth  ·  [email protected]

We stopped recording...and then kept talking. (As one does.) In this bonus clip from my conversation with Kristina Heinzen and Gina Martin, co-founders of Moms Connect Dubuque, we get into a question every nonprofit leader, funder, and community builder runs into sooner or later: how do you measure impact when the work is relational and generational? Counting is easy for most of us. A thousand meals served, fifty-five packs of diapers handed out. But Moms Connect is building relationships with moms as they work to break patterns that kept them alive for years, and that kind of change doesn't show up in two months or by the end of a grant cycle. They do have some early numbers, though. Kristina shares what they've tracked informally so far: 17 moms who closed their child welfare cases and haven't had them reopened, compared with roughly 85 Dubuque cases reopened within a year of closing. And not one active Moms Connect mom has experienced termination of parental rights. What you'll hear: Why relational, long-term impact is so hard to fit into traditional metrics The early numbers Moms Connect is seeing on case closures and family preservation Why survival patterns take a lifetime (and a generation) to change What funders, grant makers, and the rest of us could learn about measuring success differently If you haven't heard the full conversation yet, start with their full interview How Two Foster Moms Built a Nonprofit to Keep Families Together: The Moms Connect Dubuque Story. Connect with Moms Connect Dubuque: Website: momsconnectdbq.org Facebook: Moms Connect Dubuque Ask them about volunteering for or donating to the Dignified Christmas Market this December Listen and subscribe: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5YACTbRulN4NooX32NgzgV Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-found-podcast-with-molly-knuth/id1530616432 If you work at a nonprofit or a foundation, or you sit on a grant committee, send this one their way. It might change how they read the next impact report. Now...go find something.

I'll pull back the curtain a little: I walked into this interview with my questions prepped, sent, and tidy. Then Kristina Heinzen and Gina Martin answered the very first one and the whole conversation went somewhere else entirely. (The good kind of somewhere else.) Kristina and Gina met in foster parent licensing classes in 2019. They went in believing they'd be the ones rescuing kids from hard situations. What they found instead were moms who loved their kids fiercely and had nobody. No support system. No steady people. So they did something that really shouldn't be revolutionary...they sat down with moms who had lived it and asked what would have made a difference. The answer was relationships. That conversation (and some tacos) became Moms Connect Dubuque, now a 501(c)(3) walking alongside moms as they navigate systems, access resources, and build the skills to care for themselves and their families. Fair warning: we go deep quick in this one. There are tears. There's talk of trauma, addiction, and the foster care system. Listen all the way through, because as Gina and Kristina will tell you, hearing someone's story is where empathy starts. What You'll Hear How fostering unraveled everything Kristina and Gina thought they knew about parents in the system The "I'm too late" moment that became Gina's catalyst for change Why Kristina came to see the mom of the boys in her care as those very same children, ten years earlier The May 2023 conversation with two moms that shaped everything Moms Connect does Why proving you deserve help, one transaction at a time, keeps moms stuck (and what a warm handoff looks like instead) Inside a Moms Connect gathering: childcare, a shared meal, a donated party bus, and a new curriculum on survival responses The employment program launching this fall: a cleaning business paired with an education track through NICC and Iowa Works How "let's meet with some moms, let's have tacos" turned into a nonprofit with a board, partners, and two co-executive directors What Kristina and Gina have found about themselves: how much they don't know, and the power of receiving Resources and Links Mentioned Dignified Christmas Market Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) Iowa Works Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque (and catch Ep. 258 with Josie Manternach of CFGD) Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Connect with Kristina and Gina Website: momsconnectdbq.org Facebook: Moms Connect Dubuque Listen and Subscribe Follow the show on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5YACTbRulN4NooX32NgzgV Follow the show on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-found-podcast-with-molly-knuth/id1530616432 If this conversation cracked something open for you, send it to one person who would get it. And if you're anywhere near Dubuque, the Dignified Christmas Market could use your hands (and your gift drive) this December.

You probably couldn't tell me what your county auditor actually does. I couldn't either, until I sat down with Whitney Hein. Whitney is the Jones County Auditor and Commissioner of Elections, and by the end of this conversation I had a whole new appreciation for how much of our daily life runs through that office: elections, property taxes, payroll, budgets, the courthouse itself. It's a job most of us vote on without fully understanding, and that's exactly why I wanted her on. We get into what drew her to the role, what six years in has taught her about resilience, and the behind the scenes work that keeps Jones County elections free, fair, and trustworthy. If you've ever wondered what actually happens to your ballot after you drop it off, this one's for you. Meet Whitney Whitney Hein is the Jones County Auditor and Commissioner of Elections, first elected in 2020 and now in her second term. She's a wife to her husband Ben, a mom to their daughter Laney, and lives in rural Jones County, where her family farms. Before stepping into county government, Whitney worked in ag business and animal science. What You'll Hear Everything the auditor's office actually handles, from elections to payroll to property taxes Why Whitney left a career she loved for a job she had little experience in The behind the scenes security measures that keep Jones County elections accurate, down to numbered seals and hand counted test ballots Why local elections deserve just as much attention as national ones How to plan ahead for early voting, absentee ballots, and Election Day itself What six years in the role taught Whitney about her own resilience Resources & Links Jones County Elections: https://www.jonescountyiowaelections.gov or on Facebook Ballot tracking tool: available here through the Iowa Secretary of State's website Connect with Whitney For the fastest response, call the Jones County Auditor's office directly. Full contact info is listed at jonescountyiowaelections.gov. Listen & Subscribe Spotify Apple Podcasts If this one opened your eyes even a little, share it with someone who votes in Jones County (or wherever they call home). The more we understand these local roles, the more we trust the people doing them.

Okay, let's just say the thing out loud: You've seen the captions that sound like a robot wrote them.  You've seen the flyers that look like every other flyer on the internet this month. Maybe you've decided AI just isn't for you because of it. Here's my confession: I use AI, specifically Claude, in my business every single day. And I still (mostly) sound like me. Not because I found some secret tool nobody's told you about, but because I took the time to actually set it up before I asked it to do anything. So this week I'm walking you through exactly how. No hype, no fear-mongering, just the actual steps I took (and still take) to keep my voice in the driver's seat. What You'll Hear Why AI is already in your toolbox whether you've opened it or not Why leaning on every platform's built-in AI at once quietly erodes your brand voice My "20 Questions" trick for teaching your chat how you actually talk Why guardrails matter more than a good first prompt How I built my own "Molly Operating System" out of my Enneagram, Human Design, and CliftonStrengths results Why you're still the last line of defense, no matter how good the draft looks Listen and Subscribe Spotify Apple Podcasts If this one hit home, send it to the small business owner in your life who's still typing everything into a blank chat box and hoping for the best. And if you try the 20 Questions exercise, message me at @mollyknuth or [email protected] and tell me what your chat figures out about you.

Somebody pulls me aside about once a week now and says some version of the same thing: I've been thinking about starting a podcast. It happens in client sessions, at conference tables, in DMs from people I've never even met in person. And every single time, my gut reaction is identical: just go do it. So this week I'm pulling back the curtain. Not the polished, "look how easy this was" version...the actual seven step process I used to launch this show, the one I'd use again if I were starting from absolute zero today, minus the six months I let a microphone collect dust on the corner of my desk before I did anything with it. This one's part pep talk, part field manual. Numbers, mistakes, the actual tools I use, and the real talk nobody puts in a "how to start a podcast" listicle. What You'll Hear Why the "podcast market is too saturated" fear doesn't hold up (and the stat that proves it) The seven step process I used to launch this show, step by step The three tools I consider non-negotiable (and why I don't overthink the rest) Why I built a list of 30 episode ideas before day one, and why most people skip it The 80/20 truth about launching versus marketing a podcast What changed between 2019 Molly starting this show and the version of me behind the mic today Resources & Links Mentioned The Podcast Lab by Jenna Kutcher Blue Yeti microphone (my mic of choice) Descript (editing software mentioned in this episode): use this link to get 50% off your first 2 months! Libsyn and Captivate (hosting platforms mentioned in this episode) Podcast strategist Jill Carr, for launch support Listen and Subscribe Spotify Apple Podcasts Share the Show If you know someone who has been sitting on a podcast idea for six months (or six years), send them this one. That's how this show grows, one share at a time.

Back in 2022, I had a marker board covered edge to edge with ideas. I'd write a launch date right next to each one, feel the rush of excitement, and sprint at it with everything I had. And then somewhere around week four, I'd realize I was building the plane while flying it. Sound familiar? If you've ever had a big idea that fizzled out somewhere between the excitement and the finish line, this episode is for you. Today I'm walking you through the shift that changed how I plan every launch, every program, every big scary idea since 2022...backwards planning. I'll break down the five steps I use with every client who shows up with a big idea in their head, walk you through Rory Vaden's eight core departments of a business, and take you behind the scenes of something I'm working on right now in my own hometown of Cascade, Iowa, so you can see exactly how this plays out in real time. What You'll Hear The worst business plan I ever made, and what it cost me (credibility, energy, and a little bit of faith in myself) The real difference between forward planning and backward planning Rory Vaden's eight core business departments, and how to use them as a lens instead of a checklist Why naming what could go wrong isn't pessimism...it's leadership Where I still struggle to ask for support (hint: it's a Human Design Manifestor/Enneagram 3 thing) A real, in-progress example: backwards planning a downtown revitalization effort in Cascade, Iowa Resources & Links Mentioned Rory Vaden's eight business departments framework Follow along with Molly: @mollyknuth on social Email Molly: [email protected] Share the Episode If this one hit home, send it to the person in your life with a big idea and no map yet. And if you're backwards planning something right now, I want to hear about it. Message me @mollyknuth or shoot me an email at [email protected].

This week I'm bringing you another one from the Molly Invites the Boys to the Podcast series, and this one is personal. Nick Kleitsch has been my coaching client for the past two years, and I have watched him take everything he has learned in that season and turn it into his own coaching practice. That's not a small thing to witness. Nick lives in Marion, works at Cedar Rapids Bank and Trust, hosts his own show called Life with Nick, and just launched his coaching business, Kleitsch's Coaching Collective, through a program he calls The Modern Warrior. In our conversation we get into his CliftonStrengths (Learner and Activator, and yes, you'll hear exactly why that combination makes him who he is), the moment that ended his baseball career and cracked his identity wide open, and the difference between a major failure and a minor one. We also talk about why nobody stays coached past college, the value of a 90-day sprint, and why a one-song dance party in your kitchen might be the most productive thing you do all week. This one is funny, it's honest, and it will make you rethink who's allowed to be your coach. What You'll Hear Why Nick doesn't define his ideal client by age or industry, but by willingness His CliftonStrengths of Learner and Activator, and how they show up (for better and worse) in his coaching What baseball taught him about daily motivation, mental toughness, and the difference between a major and a minor failure The moment that ended his baseball career and the identity crisis that followed Why he believes everyone should have a coach, and what neuroplasticity has to do with it The one-song dance party habit that unlocks his best ideas What he's learned building the Kleitsch's Coaching Collective and The Modern Warrior from scratch His go-to reading list for anyone who wants to understand how their brain and habits actually work Resources & Links Mentioned The Five Major Pieces of the Life Puzzle by Jim Rohn The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg Emotional Agility by Susan David Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz Becoming Supernatural by Dr. Joe Dispenza Connect with Nick Life with Nick Life with Nick Podcast Email: [email protected] Listen and Subscribe Spotify Apple Podcasts If this one hit home, send it to the person in your life who needs to hear that willingness matters more than having it all figured out. And if you've got 30 seconds, leave us a review. It helps more than you know.

I have a confession. I've been bragging about our school district to basically anyone who will listen lately (sorry to my friends and acquaintances, you did not ask for this)...and today's guest is exactly why. Dr. Dan Butler is the superintendent of Western Dubuque Community School District, and he's spent 23 years building a career here, starting all the way back at his student teaching days at Bernard Elementary. Teacher. Coach. Assistant principal. Principal. HR facilitator. Now superintendent. Dr. Butler has done basically every job in the building, and you can hear it in the way he talks about this place. We cover a lot of ground in this one: what makes a 555 square mile school district (half the size of Rhode Island, for the record) actually work, why Western Dubuque ranks fourth in student achievement in the state, the real numbers behind school funding, and why Dan believes, without apology, that this district is simply the choice for education in our area.  What You'll Hear: How a 555 square mile district made up of 19 communities functions as one school system Dan's 23 year journey through nearly every role in the district, from student teacher to superintendent What "better every day" actually means as a strategic vision, not just a slogan Why Western Dubuque ranks 4th in student achievement among comparable Iowa districts The NICC and Kirkwood concurrent enrollment partnership that's saved local families roughly half a million dollars in college tuition The real challenges facing public education funding in 2026, explained without the jargon Molly's own story of switching her kids from parochial to public school, and what changed her daughter's mind Connect with Dr. Dan Butler: Website: danpbutler.com District: wdbqschools.org Western Dubuque Schools on Facebook and Instagram Listen and Subscribe: Spotify Apple Podcasts

This month on The Found Podcast, we're doing something a little different. We're bringing the boys in for a few episodes (don't worry, we'll be back to our women founders soon), and first up is somebody I've admired for a long time: my friend Ed Raber. Ed is the Director of Planning and Development for Dubuque County here in Eastern Iowa, but honestly, that title barely scratches the surface. Ed is a connector. A mover. The guy with an $8 Staples name badge who has spent thirty years showing up to Rotary, to library meetings, to coffee shops, to whatever room needed one more person willing to raise their hand. We talk about what it actually means to build an entrepreneurial ecosystem in a place like Dubuque County (spoiler: it starts with "no wrong door"), why farm ground and residential zoning matter more than you'd think, and the advice from a pastor that has shaped Ed's entire career: if you want to make a difference, you've got to stick with it. What You'll Hear Ed's path from urban planner to nonprofit economic developer to Dubuque County's Planning and Development Director Why he still wears a name badge everywhere he goes (and why you should too) What makes Dubuque County's rural population unlike almost anywhere else in Iowa The "no wrong door" philosophy behind a healthy entrepreneurial ecosystem How 1 Million Cups came to Dubuque and why it works The Farley library project that started with one meeting Ed called himself Ed's answer to The Found Podcast's closing question, and the pastor's advice that changed how he shows up in the world Resources & Links Mentioned 1 Million Cups Dubuque Rotary International HACAP (Hawkeye Area Community Action Program) Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation Iowa Rural Development Council Dubuque County Library system (Farley, Epworth, Peosta, Holy Cross) Community Vitality Center, Iowa State University Small Business Development Center, Dubuque The Innovation Lab, Jones Street, Dubuque Connect with Ed Find Ed on LinkedIn Listen and Subscribe Spotify Apple Podcasts Share This Episode If this episode reminded you to go order your own name badge, or hyped you up to finally show up to that thing you've been putting off... send it to a friend who needs the nudge. And tag us. We love seeing who's listening.

Back in May, I was on a Zoom with my friend Jill Carr, mapping out where this podcast is headed in 2026 and 2027, when something clicked. Not a big dramatic moment. Just that quiet click where somebody sees something about you that you're too close to see yourself, and the fog lifts. Then I got off the call and went right back into the middle of a website rebuild, a personal brand strategy session, a discovery call with a stranger, and a late night typing my Human Design and Enneagram into Claude trying to figure out who I even am these days. That's what rebuilding a business actually looks like. Not the shiny, wrapped-with-a-bow version I usually give you after the lessons are learned. This week I'm taking you into the messy middle while I'm still in it: four things I've been doing since April to lead myself, stay curious, get creative, and define my core. What You'll Hear Why I decided to rebuild Molly Knuth Media in April after my role at The Restoration Project came to a close What "leading yourself" actually looks like when you're rebuilding (hint: it's not about how many posts you publish) The client relationships that shaped this season, including a personal brand project with Lindsay Leahy and closing out my role at The Restoration Project alongside Brooke Fitzgerald Why I applied for Leadership Iowa and what a few curiosity-driven coffee conversations have taught me about my own community How I used Human Design, Enneagram, astrology, and CliftonStrengths (with an assist from Claude) to build myself a personal operating system The "one new thing a day" challenge I started for my 39th year, and what it's taught me about staying creative Resources & Links Mentioned Leadership Iowa CliftonStrengths Assessment Human Design Jessie J Home's Yap Challenge Lindsay Leahy The Restoration Project Gravel Grading & Excavating Listen & Subscribe Spotify Apple Podcasts Share This Episode If you know someone in their own messy middle right now, send them this one. Sometimes the reminder that scattered still counts as progress is exactly what someone needs to hear today.

We're over halfway through the year, which means I'm having two feelings at once: "how did we get here already?!?!" and "okay, let's actually get moving on the goals I set back in January." If you're feeling that same tug of war, this episode is for you. I'm setting aside the usual format this week...no interview, no list of tactics, no client wins. Just five questions I need you to actually sit with, notebook in hand if you've got one nearby. Because here's the thing about being a founder, whatever you founded (a business, a farm, a nonprofit, a family): nobody sends you a calendar invite to check in with yourself. So we skip it, quarter after quarter, until it's suddenly the end of July and we haven't stopped to ask if any of this is still working. What You'll Hear Why "stop, start, continue" might be the most useful three words in your midyear toolkit The difference between tracking your time and tracking your energy and why one of those metrics lies to you How to figure out if your definition of "good work" is even yours Why founders are notoriously bad at celebrating their own wins (and how to fix that) The one-degree-off-course story that will change how you think about small drifts in your business Listen and Subscribe Spotify Apple Podcasts Share This Episode If this episode gave you even one minute of honest reflection, send it to a fellow founder who needs the same permission slip. And come back next week for more of The Found Podcast.

If you've been sitting on an idea for your small town, a business, a side hustle, a project you keep circling back to, and something keeps stopping you every time you get close to pulling the trigger... this episode is for you. This week it's just me. I'm walking you through six reasons why right now, in this economy, in your small town, is actually the best time you'll ever have to start building something of your own. Not hype. Data, stories from my own backyard here in Cascade, and almost ten years of running my own business to draw from. We're talking security, income, community, access, opportunity, and identity. Six reasons, one big permission slip. Grab your coffee (or your feed bucket, no judgment) and let's get into it. What You'll Hear Why 5.2 million new business applications were filed in 2024 alone, and what that means for you The real math behind small town word of mouth, and the Creator Club story that proves it Why 92% of entrepreneurs say they don't regret starting, even the ones whose businesses didn't go as planned Local small business shoutouts: Rotunno Auto Detailing, Something Sweet Bakery, and Totes McGoats The one thing Molly wants you to do before this episode even ends Resources & Links Mentioned Ana of Lovely Little Light and Creator Club (referenced episode from early 2025, linked on the website) Rotunno's Garage Auto Detailing Something Sweet Bakery Totes McGoats Share the Love If this one hit home, send it to the person in your life who's been sitting on an idea. Screenshot it, tag me, or just send it in a text that says 'this is us.' Let's get more small town dreams off the ground.

I'm angry this week. Not flip-a-table angry. The kind of angry that makes you sit up and say: this is wrong, and I want to be part of the solution. Rural America has been talked about, talked at, and politicized for years...by people who don't actually live here. So this week, I'm doing something different. Seven truths about rural America, backed by real data and real stories from my own small town of Cascade, Iowa. No spin. No agenda. Just the truth about a people and a place that deserve better than they've been getting. This one isn't political. It's personal. Grab your coffee (or your chore gloves) and let's get into it. What You'll Hear Why rural America's $2.7 trillion GDP contribution tells a different story than the one you've heard The truth about small town business owners as some of the most underestimated entrepreneurs in the country Why community isn't a soft value...it's an economic strategy How rural values got mistaken for political ones, and why that's a tragedy What it really means that rural America feeds the world and funds the country Why the next generation of rural leaders isn't leaving, they're choosing to stay The ripple effect of one small town business growing, and what it costs a community when it closes Resources & Links Mentioned Join Molly's email list for what's coming this fall: mkm.myflodesk.com/email Berning Acres Farm Camps (Western Illinois) Listen and Subscribe Spotify Apple Podcasts If this one landed somewhere in your chest, do me a favor: send it to somebody. Somebody in a small town who's never heard their story told with pride instead of pity, or somebody in a city who thinks they already understand rural America. And leave a review while you're at it. It's the easiest way to help this conversation reach a bigger room.

This one is personal. Episode 260 is a solo cast, and it's the episode I've been sitting with for a while. I'm sharing what's been happening in real time in my career this year, not as a pivot story or a comeback story, but as a self-leadership story. Because I think a lot of people listening right now are living inside someone else's version of success and just don't have the language for it yet. This episode is that language. I'm talking about what happened when I chased bigger clients, bigger cities, bigger budgets...and why something still didn't feel right. I'm talking about the small moments of friction that accumulated until I couldn't ignore them. And I'm sharing the four-step self-leadership framework that helped me stop asking how do I get to the bigger table, and start asking what table was I actually built for. In This Episode: The honest truth about what I was chasing when I stepped away from Molly Knuth Media in 2025 Why "bigger is better" is a societal signal that hits especially hard when you're from a small town of 2,000 people What it actually felt like to sit in those bigger rooms with bigger clients and still feel something was off Why coming back to small town small business was not the easy choice, and why I had to own it as a decision and not a fallback The difference between settling and deciding, and why that distinction changes everything The 4-step self-leadership framework for naming, noticing, asking, and choosing What I want every small town business owner to hear before the back half of 2026 The 4-Step Self-Leadership Framework: Step 1: Name whose definition of success you've been chasing Step 2: Notice the signals that tell you when you're in alignment and when you're not Step 3: Ask the real question: what table was I actually built for? Step 4: Choose it on purpose, with full information and without apology Find Molly: Website: mollyknuthmedia.com Instagram: @mollyknuth Email: [email protected] Listen and Subscribe: Spotify Apple Podcasts I want to hear from you after this one. What are you choosing for yourself in the back half of 2026? Reach out on Instagram or send me an email to discuss!