Not So Small

What happens when you trust entrepreneurs to know what their businesses actually need? In this special episode, host Sam Bauman sits down with Shahir Ahmed, Vice President of Business Services at Neighborhood Development Center (NDC), to explore the groundbreaking Minnesota Promise Act, a $72 million grant program providing flexible funding to businesses in historically disinvested communities.

Unlike previous programs, th...

Starting a business is way harder than running a 100-mile ultramarathon and Ryan Hurley has done both! In this episode, hosts Sam Bauman and Adam Rondeau visit Ryan at the Lagoon warehouse to learn about his sleep and fitness company that aims to help athletes optimize their rest through an often-overlooked piece of equipment: the pillow. Ryan shares his journey from NBC Sports to founder, including the moment he realized he needed...

In this episode of Not So Small, hosts Sam Bauman and Adam Rondeau sit down with Joy McBrien, founder of Fair Anita, a social enterprise partnering with 8,000 women artisans across nine countries to create handcrafted jewelry, gifts, and accessories.

Joy talks about why she chose to structure Fair Anita as a for-profit public benefit corporation, how she's reimagining supply chains as communities rather than transactions, and w...

In this special episode of Not So Small, host Sam Bauman is joined by colleagues Adam Rondeau and Andy Bauman for a conversation about why small businesses matter and what we all stand to gain (or lose) by the choices we make as consumers.

They explore the fundamental differences between small and large businesses, from the natural accountability that comes with small business ownership to the way local businesses drive innovation b...

What happens when you design a business around your life instead of the other way around? Dusty Wahl, owner of Cosmic Coffee in Northeast Minneapolis, has built a thriving one-person coffee shop operation that prioritizes sustainable growth, authentic community connections, and work-life balance. From his decision thoughts on staying solo despite growth opportunities, to using music and play to navigate stressful days, Dusty offers...

In this episode of Not So Small, hosts Sam Bauman and Adam Rondeau visit Lauren at Curiosity Studio, a community art studio on East Lake Street in Minneapolis.

After moving to Minnesota Lauren noticed a lack of accessible community spaces that use art for wellness and self-understanding, and from that observation Curiosity Studio was born. The studio focuses on process over product, helping people overcome intimidation around art-ma...

In the second episode of Not So Small season two, hosts Sam Bauman and Adam Rondeau visit Taylor Hall at Evergreen Collective, her sustainable retail store on Grand Avenue in St. Paul. What began as Taylor's personal struggle to find products that aligned with her values has become a carefully curated space where customers can shop sustainably without having to research every purchase themselves.

Taylor shares how reading "...

In the season two premiere of Not So Small, host Sam Bauman and co-host Adam Rondeau sit down with Sarah Lindsay and Adam Steinbach, the duo behind As You Are Therapy, a Twin Cities therapy practice that's revolutionizing mental health care through authentic connection and community building. What started as two like-minded therapists wanting to create a more genuine therapeutic experience has evolved into a practice that prio...

In the season finale of Not So Small, host Sam Bauman sits down with Chris MacLeod, founder and co-owner of Laune Bread, a Minneapolis bakery that has made connection the cornerstone of their business philosophy. What began as Chris' desire to feel more connected to his work has evolved into a thriving business that prioritizes local ingredients, community building, and meaningful relationships at every level.

Chris shares his ...

In this episode of Not So Small, host Sam Bauman interviews Dr. Michelle Haggerty, founder of Fourth Trimester Doc, a groundbreaking medical practice providing in-home care for new parents and their babies during the critical postpartum period.

Dr. Haggerty shares how her own experience as a new mother revealed the significant gaps in postpartum care, where she found herself "leaking from every orifice" yet expected to dre...

In this episode of Not So Small, host Sam Bauman sits down with Dillon Duong, founder of 16ozDays, to explore how weekly coffee shop visits transformed into a thriving community-focused brand. Over the past four and a half years, Dillon has visited more than 263 local coffee shops, documenting their stories and building meaningful relationships with owners and staff along the way.

Dillon shares the evolution of his business, particu...

In this episode, host Sam Bauman sits down with Melissa Seeley, co-founder of Good To Go Cups, an innovative business tackling the enormous waste problem of single-use coffee cups. Melissa and her business partner Michelle developed a circular system using compostable polymer cups that can be reused multiple times before being ground down and made into new cups. Their elegant business model makes sustainability accessible to both c...

In this episode of Not So Small, we sit down with Samantha Hueman, owner of Honour Coffee in Northeast Minneapolis. After years in corporate marketing left her feeling unfulfilled, Sam and her husband Luke took the leap to purchase this beloved neighborhood coffee shop, acai bowl, and raw juice bar, despite having no prior experience in the coffee industry.

Sam candidly shares her experience with impostor syndrome as a first-time bu...

In this episode of Not So Small, host Sam Bauman sits down with Cary Hakam, licensed acupuncturist and owner of The Qi House in South Minneapolis. Cary shares his remarkable journey from studying yoga in Singapore to becoming a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner over 22 years ago.

The conversation explores Cary's unique path, including how he dreamed about his mentors three years before meeting them. He discusses the cha...

In this episode of Not So Small, host Sam Bauman sits down with Andrea Storlie, owner of Nail Ninja, a nail salon in northeast Minneapolis that continues to revolutionize the local nail industry. Andrea shares her journey from being a high school dropout to becoming a business owner who not only provides exceptional nail services but also trains other nail technicians through her apprenticeship program. After 13 years of working fo...

In this episode of Not So Small, host Sam Bauman sits down with Rebecca Sansone, owner of the Mustache Cat, a vintage and modern home goods store in St. Paul. Rebecca shares her journey from corporate life to small business ownership, where she curates a unique blend of vintage pieces with stories alongside products from women-owned businesses.

Rebecca explains her philosophy that objects in our homes should tell stories and engage ...

In this episode of Not So Small, we sit down with Cameron Gillette (Cammie G), co-owner of College Muscle Movers. Cammie shares how he focuses on fostering a culture built on trust, adaptability, and continuous learning. From creating a positive work environment that values every team member’s contribution, to embracing challenges like expanding into a 13,000-square-foot warehouse and transitioning from paper to digital systems, Ca...

In this episode of Not So Small we sit down with photographer Alyssa Lund-Kyrola to learn more about her journey to realizing her dream of being a full-time artist. Alyssa shares how she built two distinct brands: Alyssa Lund Photography, focused on families and weddings, and Illuminate Boudoir, dedicated to self-affirming, inclusive boudoir photography. She opens up about the challenges of navigating the pandemic, the decision to ...

In this episode of Not So Small, we sit down with Sarah Evert, a clinical social worker and the owner of S.E.E. Psychotherapy. Sarah specializes in working with clients struggling with perfectionism, and she shares how her own search for fulfillment and autonomy led her to build a private practice that challenges traditional therapy norms.

Sarah talks about the power of community in private practice, and how social media has transfo...