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Jessica Nunemaker, Little Indiana

Congratulations to Jessica Nunemaker
Little Indiana
http://www.littleIndiana.com

Jessica was one of our 5 recipients of the Mom Central Inaugural Grants Program. She received $2,000 to grow her brand, build her platform and ultimately grow her influence!

Read Jessica’s submission!

The vision behind your personal brand:
Unless you live in a small town you don’t even know what’s there. You could stick to the same old places you’ve always turned to when you are on the highway away from home but instead, maybe you remember something you saw on Little Indiana that’s lies on the road right ahead. Instead of the same old big box sandwich, you could eat the most amazing Reuben you’ve ever had at a tiny little sandwich shop packed to the gills with locals. Instead of wasting another Saturday in front of the TV, you could be eating 150 different kinds of chili at a massive small town chili cook-off and laughing at the hilarious costumes and themes. Instead of bumming at the mall, you could be exploring the inside of an incredible forgotten opera house, searching the walls for the signature of James Whitcomb Riley who frequently graced the stage with his poetry. Little Indiana is getting back to the basics: good food, nice people, and more festivals and fairs than you can shake a stick at! We Hoosiers do love our community gatherings. I want to share Little Indiana with the world!

What do you aspire to do next?
As little Indiana, I want to show people that it is okay to go off the beaten path, to slow down, relax, and go with the small town flow. I want to produce a printed small town calendar stuffed with local events and festivals. I want to create a community of small town enthusiasts and be the voice of mom and pop businesses. I want to give local businesses a place to advertise, a way to have a voice, a way to be found, without the headache. I want to make little Indiana my career.

The purpose of this grant is to assist you with your vision. How will you use this grant to better your influence and personal platform?
While some may say it is the thought that counts, that can only go so far. I’ve got BIG plans for little Indiana: a billboard, a more reader-friendly version of my small town festivals and events calendar (that so isn’t happening with my limited html skills), some snappy customization, and a chance to put small towns on the map (literally–I’d love to include a map of the places I’ve been). Winning this grant will enable me to hire someone to make all the little tweaks (and some not so little) to little Indiana that I have been dreaming about since its creation over two years ago. It will create a user-friendly experience and make little Indiana accessible. It’s time that little Indiana went BIG! Will you help me?

How long have you been engaged in creating your own personal brand?
2-3 years

What have you already done to achieve your goals for your blog?
Little Indiana is 1000 Facebook Fans and growing in the year the site has been live! I’ve taken the initiative to travel around the big state of Indiana, promoting little Indiana to every mom and pop shop I run into along the way, all with a toddler who has yet to sleep through the night. I didn’t know html when I began (and I’m nowhere near an expert!) but I’ve managed to get little Indiana up and running–and have kept it going! I’ve learned the art of Photoshop, the importance of fancy pants business cards, and how to handle a crisis, like when your baby has a poosplosion in the middle of the nicest restaurant little Indiana was ever personally invited to, and, perhaps most importantly, how to laugh through the tears and live to blog about it the next day.

What have been your biggest challenges in achieving your goals for your blog and personal brand?
Of course, little Indiana is all about family. With hubs and 2 kids (ages 5 and 17 months) in tow you can bet I’ve had my share of mishaps (just see the poosplosion incident above fora quick little reminder–and yes, it’s also on my blog, just search for Charley Creek Inn). Time and financial constraints go hand in hand. It costs money to travel these small town local businesses and plenty of accessories to do it right! I’m not talking strappy sandals, either. Between web hosting, business cards, photo-editing software, gas, car repairs, and all the other little things that pop up every now and again, you can probably hear my wallet screaming but you can also feel the closeness our family has achieved by traveling and exploring together!

Why should the public vote for you:
Not everyone is a Hoosier (hey, we can’t all be perfect!) but it’s the thinking behind the little Indiana brand that anyone can identify with: small town mom and pop businesses who need our support (especially in this economy).

Top 3 things you would like to share with those just starting out:
Never give up! I learned to stop reading about how to begin a blog and just do it! It’s easy to become sucked in to the endless articles about what you should and shouldn’t do when you start blogging. I’ve learned that it’s okay to to be me. little Indiana is definitely a niche blog but it’s MY niche blog and I’m proud of it! While I haven’t reached the million-reader landmark (maybe next year, ha ha!), I no longer feel intimidated by the big dogs of blogging. I’m proud that I have 1000 engaging little Indiana Facebook Fans. They make me giggle, they make me think, and constantly clue me in to where I need to travel next! I’m talking to you Kevin and Jean, Mark, Whitney, Melissa, Bess, Sherri, and all the others who have taken the time to email (even from Afghanistan) to say how much little Indiana has meant to them. Lastly, I’ve learned the importance of finding something you love. I truly love small towns! I love the people I’ve met on this crazy journey that was a whole year in the making. I love that I managed to launch my blog a week before my due date with our second child and had enough posts pre-scheduled to last a month! I’ve never lost the joy or passion that prompted me to begin little Indiana in the first place. There are a lot of abandoned blogs out there. Pick a topic that you would stand on a soapbox for and you will never get tired of it!

Free text box!
Little Indiana is neighborhood block parties in the street, church chicken dinners, community fundraisers, and the all-American Friday Fish Fry. It’s receiving directions in the form of local landmarks (even for non-locals) and referring to homes by the previous owners even after thirty years of ownership. It’s hand-written signs, cash or check only, and the most unusual store hours you’ve ever seen. It’s porch swings, borrowing an egg from a neighbor, and random acts of kindness. There’s a lot to love about small towns, Indiana or not. A vacation or weekend getaway is so much more affordable than you think! Small towns have so much to offer–will you help me get the word out? Save the small town mom and pop. Think little, think local, think little Indiana!

Thank you & congratulations, Jessica! We can’t wait to watch your influence grow!