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S5:24 - Learning As We Go in Economic Development with Ashley Geigle


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This week, we’re chatting with an amazing human about amazing stuff.


Okay, fine, every week we talk with amazing humans about amazing stuff, but this episode is a great one. Rebecca visits with Ashley Geigle, Economic Development Director for Murdo, South Dakota, about how she built a brand-new role from scratch. (Like, from scratch, like growing and milling the wheat for the flour level of scratch, not box mix scratch.)


Ashley talks about learning through challenges, building trust, and finding beauty in small progress. She, like Justin Neppl, has reimagined what economic development looks like for her community and understands the importance of partners (like our beloved Dakota Resources!) for making things happen. Ashley proves that revitalization starts with relationships, persistence, and visible hope—even if it’s just hanging garland on an empty building


(Who doesn’t love garland, though, really?)

About Ashley:

Ashley grew up in Murdo, attended SDSU for Hospitality and Hotel Management, spent a year in Hawaii, met her husband, had 4 babies, job hopped a few part-time positions, and began serving as Murdo’s Economic Development Director in December 2020 with a clear goal: to help bring new business to town and revitalize Main Street. Since then, her organization has invested in critical training and development to elevate its impact across the community and region. The journey hasn’t been without challenges, but through hard work, dedication, and a commitment to growth, they’ve continued moving forward. Ashley is especially grateful for the strong partnership with Dakota Resources, whose support has been instrumental through both the successes and the learning moments.

When she’s not doing economic development, Ashley enjoys traveling with her husband to meet up with friends wherever that might be, sitting on their deck with a cup of coffee in hand, or learning more about holistic wellness. She doesn’t know what else to add in here—if you want something specific, shoot her a message 😂


In this episode, you'll hear:

  • How Ashley built a new economic development role from scratch in a town of 465

  • The lessons she’s learned about criticism, collaboration, and community buy-in

  • Why growth in small towns often starts with childcare, housing, and beautification—not industry

  • How Dakota Resources became her professional lifeline and peer network

  • What her dream Main Street project says about small-town pride and persistence


Links and Resources Mentioned:

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Each season, we feature a select group of Small Business Partners—brands that share our mission to celebrate small-town life and big ideas.


With a 4–6% average Facebook engagement rate (well above the industry average), 2,600+ loyal followers, and 45,000 monthly content views, we have an amazing, highly engaged audience of people who can’t wait to learn more about you.


When we feature you, your story, and your product/service, it’s like a friend’s recommendation, because it is. Want to know more? Reach out to us at director@growingsmalltowns.org


This week's Small Town Shout-Out is:

Stanberry, MO! We are so excited about this shout-out because we are going to air an actual voice message from a listener about their small town.


Terri Johnson calls in from Stanberry, MO (population: 1100) about their local coffee shop, Three Point Coffee and Event Space. They are active on social media and have millions of views on their content, thanks to a viral reel from over the summer featuring Terri’s (now-famous) husband, Bruce.


They have been featured on several TV stations, in their local paper, and it’s quite a story of a small business that’s absolutely exploded in their small town.


It’s a bittersweet message because since Terri left us this message in June, they have moved away from Stanberry after living there for 30 years to be closer to their kids and grandkids. But it’s easy to tell that Stanberry will always have a place in their hearts, and we love it so much. 


We want to hear from you!

We really, really do, and if you’ll let us, we’d love to feature your actual message just like we did with Terri’s (with your permission, of course!) 

Some of the best parts about radio shows and podcasts are listener call-ins, so we’ve decided to make those a part of the Growing Small Towns Podcast. We really, really want to hear from you! We’re have two “participation dance” elements of the show: 

  1. “Small town humblebrags”: Call in and tell us about something amazing you did in your small town so we can celebrate with you. No win is too small—we want to hear it all, and we will be excessively enthusiastic about whatever it is! You can call in for your friends, too, because giving shout-outs is one of our favorite things. 

  2. “Solving Your Small-Town People Challenges”: Have a tough issue in your community? We want to help. Call in and tell us about your problem, and we’ll solve it on an episode of the podcast. Want to remain anonymous? Totally cool, we can be all secretive and stuff. We’re suave like that. 

If you’ve got a humblebrag or a tricky people problem, call 701-203-3337 and leave a message with the deets. We really can’t wait to hear from you! 

Subscribe and Review The Growing Small Towns Show!


Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Growing Small Towns Show! If the information in our conversations and interviews has helped you in your small town, please click on the images below for Apple Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Your reviews and feedback will not only help us continue to deliver relevant, helpful content, but it will also help us reach even more small-town trailblazers just like you!




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