Nov 24, 2025
Loneliness is a big deal, and it’s become an actual
epidemic. And, while it may seem simple to combat (the opposite of
loneliness is belonging and community, right?), creating belonging
and community can actually be much harder.
This is what Emma McIntyre is all about. She builds events that
create belonging — from farmers markets to winter festivals to
senior socials — and this episode is all about how small towns can
replicate these ideas at any scale by focusing on comfort,
connection, and purpose. It’s a roadmap for how to build community
in ways that actually stick.
About Emma:
Emma McIntyre, originally from North Dakota, is the Manager of
Development and Partnerships at Folkways, an organization dedicated
to building community through experiences, placemaking, and
creative programming. After graduating college, she intentionally
chose to return to North Dakota to help strengthen her home state
through meaningful community-building projects.
In this episode, we cover:
How Emma and Folkways use placemaking to combat loneliness with intentional design, not just “fun events”
The real metrics that matter: dwell time, collisions, intergenerational experiences
Why belonging is a public health issue — and what communities can do about it
How small towns can adapt big-city ideas like farmers markets and themed gatherings
The power of personal traditions to build connection at the micro level
Links + Resources Mentioned:
https://www.folkways.org/
https://creativemornings.com/cities/FAR
Sponsor Spotlight: The Yellow Bird
The Yellow Bird is a longtime favorite and friend of Growing Small
Towns and our Executive Director, Rebecca.
The Yellow Bird is a family-owned, all-natural skincare company
committed to keeping things pure, simple, and safe. Their products
are made with real ingredients you can pronounce (and actually read
on the label), free from synthetic chemicals, and gentle enough for
the whole family—especially anyone with allergies or
sensitivities.
Founded by Nicole, who grew up in a home that
prioritized holistic living, The Yellow Bird was born from a simple
truth: what we put on our skin matters. Their mission is to make
effective, affordable skincare using minimal yet powerful
ingredients like coconut oil and essential oils. You can shop their
full line online, including on Amazon.
Use https://www.theyellowbird.co/?ref=REBECCAUNDEM
when you shop!
Want to get your business in front of our audience?
We are looking for podcast sponsors!
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 hello@growingsmalltowns.org
We have a membership!
Join the GST Club — a virtual support community built for those
leading change in small-town America.
For $30/month, you’ll get twice-monthly live calls with Rebecca,
access to a private network of fellow small-town changemakers,
replay recordings, frameworks, and early access to GST events.
It’s for anyone from volunteers and entrepreneurs to city officials
who believe small towns deserve big ideas and better
leadership.
Part think-tank. Part pep-talk. Part creative jam session. All
support.
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:
“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.
“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!
Get In Touch
Have an idea for a future episode/guest, have feedback or a
question, or just want to chat? Email us at
hello@growingsmalltowns.org
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