S6:E13 - How to Harness Creativity to Create Value in Small Towns with Jordan DeGree

Some people are just wired to make things better–in their businesses, their communities, their small towns–even when it's hard, and nobody around them quite gets it. This episode is for those people.

We get it. Today’s guest, Jordan DeGree, gets it. And he has created the Rural Ideas Network to connect you with other people who get it, too. Today’s episode is what support and connection can look like, and where you can find them.

About Jordan:

Jordan DeGree is an entrepreneur, social innovator, artist, and comedian. No, just kidding about the comedian part. He's experimented with several different ventures and enjoys solving problems, creating value, and helping people.

Jordan and his team launched the Rural Ideas Network, a nonprofit organization, in 2021. They continue to evolve how it supports and connects rural innovators in small communities across the country.

Some random stats - Jordan has 3 kids, an $11M real estate portfolio, was awarded a Governor's Volunteer Award, has a 4.96 star host rating on Airbnb, changed his major 4 times in college, has helped hundreds of rural ventures since 2021, teaches a stained glass class most Tuesdays, and has successfully avoided joining LinkedIn.

He's at his best helping people think outside the box and finding new opportunities to create value. You can learn more about Jordan at JordanDeGree.com. 

In this episode, we cover:

• The origin story of the Rural Ideas Network — and what five years of experimenting built into RIN 2.0

• Why "Rural Innovator" is a bigger tent than you might think

• The new Rural Innovator Awards, the wildcard category, and the October 8th Summit date you'll want to save

• Rebecca's honest reflection on almost quitting — and what pulled her back

• Why "where you're standing determines what you see" might be the most useful thing you hear this week
  

Links + Resources Mentioned:

Rural Ideas Network: https://ruralideas.net/

Growing Small Towns Club: https://www.growingsmalltowns.org/club

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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. 
   

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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! 

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