Hey there, my fabulous listener, welcome to episode 94 of the Small Business Made Simple Podcast.

Thank you for lending me your ears today – I know you have lots of choices, so I sincerely appreciate me being one of them!

If you’re a first time listener, super super welcome, I am so pleased to have you here.  I am your host Jenn Donovan, and it’s my job, via this podcast, social media and everywhere else actually, to make your business life simpler. 

I’m a thought leader when it comes to marketing here in Australia and I’m a marketing strategist for small business.

Why? Because business can be lonely and hard and complicated and it’s hardly ever easy, but it should be simple or at least simpler, so that’s my commitment you to on the Small Business Made Simple podcast!

This episode is sponsored by Spend With Us – www.spendwithus.com.au an online marketplace for rural and regional businesses.  If you’re already thinking about your Christmas shopping, and want to support rural Australian businesses who have suffered through the prolonged drought, last summer’s bushfires and now Covid – head to www.spendwithus.com.au  Even if you’re looking for gift vouchers, you can buy site wide gift vouchers and support the 500+ small businesses on the platform.  For corporates or bulk order, the gift cards can even be personalised for free! 

I’m not going to say how many sleeps til Christmas because you might turn my off in disgust – so whether it’s Christmas shopping or just a gift for someone special – support rural, shop Spend With Us.

This episode is EPIC – so epic.

I’ve done something I’ve never done before in 94 episodes – today I have lots guests on – yep lots!

You see at the time of this episode’s release – Thursday 15 October 2020 – it’s International Rural Women’s Day. So happy International Rural Women’s Day!

I had grand plans for networking events for this day – but you guessed it – Covid!  So, you are listening to the new plan!

As a rural woman I simply could not have let this day go past without celebrating with it – and I’ve decided having my podcast feature x amount of amazing, kick arse rural business women was the way to go!

So, this podcast is about them.  The rural women in Australia who are paving the way for their children, paving the way for their peers and embracing the lifestyle that living and working in rural Australia has.

You will hear themes of community from almost all the women you are about to hear from on the podcast.

And it’s that exact community that has brought them here onto this episode of my podcast.

Some of these women are old friends, some new friends, some are people I’ve had on my podcast before, some of women who’s podcast I’ve been on – some are in marketing alongside me, some are in totally different market spaces to me, but collectively they all form my tribe.

I am a firm believer in you are the sum of the 5 people you surround yourself with.  Well today I’ve surrounded myself with these amazing business women, all who I admire more than they’ll ever know.

Each of the women you are about to hear from were generous enough to send me up to 90 seconds of voice messages to answer the questions: What does living and working in rural Australia mean to you?

Again, although varied in replies – community is the overarching theme.

So, let’s start – let’s here from some of the beautiful rural women who I surround myself with:

INSERT VOICE OVERS

And mine – what does it mean for me to live and work in rural Australia:

Community – I can’t go past community!  I sent out a message a few days ago to my colleagues and friends saying hey can you help me celebrate International Rural Women’s Day and send me a sound bite – and as you heard many said yes! Because of community!

I know some amazing women who work and live in the cities – and they are brilliant at what they do, but there’s something about having “rural” in common with other business owners.  It’s like straight away you know you’ve got a friend – because they know what it’s like living rural.  The ups the downs and the round and rounds!

Going through hardships like tragedies such as drought, bushfires and floods have banned communities together for many years – something I think we will see seed into city communities too now with Covid19 affecting so many.

For me, right now, it’s what I call “widow season” – it’s hay season and harvest on the farm.  The time that all farmer’s wives know not to expect their hubby home for dinner, breakfast, lunch or really at all – except when he is home!  Again, it’s like our very own secret club of “I know what you’re going through – it’ll pass”.

So, that’s it – raise a glass to all the Rural Women in the world who love what they do and welcome others into their community.

Cheers to that!

Now just before I finish, I wanted to tell you about SpeakPipe – it’s the cool little piece of software I used to have their amazing women send me their voice recordings.  So, if this is something you think would be good for your business – look up SpeakPipe.com – it’s free, it’s easy and it helps make something that should be tech hard, easy! Which is what the podcast is all about!

Thanks for listening.  If you don’t live in rural Australia – maybe raise a glass to the women in business you know – rural or not!

Thanks to Lee, Mell, Melissa,

Of course, I’ll be back next Thursday with another great episode to help you simplify your business in 2020. 

If you’re enjoying this podcast, which if you have listened to here – you hopefully are, don’t forget to subscribe, share this episode with another superstar business owner who’s doing the daily grind and would appreciate someone making their business simpler, and leave a rating or review to show how much you are loving this free weekly content.

See you next week on the podcast for episode 95.  But in the meantime, let’s hang out on social and get social on social – you’ll find me on Instagram, Facebook and my fav LinkedIn.

But whatever you do,

……..remember small business peeps, as my opening song says, there’s no point in dreaming small!