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Grow Your Local Business
From Farmer to Sold-Out Success: How Aurora Mastered Local Marketing
00:37:02
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- [00:00]
Leslie Presnol
Hey, really quick, have you been thinking.
- [00:02]
Aurora Schunk
About joining the LocalPreneur Academy? But you want to know exactly what we would do inside to grow your business and how it would work? Click the link in the show notes to book your consult. Call with me and we'll talk one.
- [00:14]
Leslie Presnol
On one just about your business.
- [00:16]
Aurora Schunk
We'll talk about what's working and the exact things we'll implement to help you stand out locally, reach more people in your city, and bring in more clients. Pick the date and time that works for you, and I'll see you there.
- [00:29]
Leslie Presnol
You are listening to the Grow youw Local Business Podcast, where local marketing expert and life coach Leslie Presnol shares the strategies and the mindset to help you reach more people in your city and bring in a steady stream of clients. All right, let's dive in.
- [00:50]
Aurora Schunk
Hey.
- [00:51]
Welcome back to another episode of the Grow youw Local Business podcast. Today, I'm sitting down with one of my incredible localpreneur Academy students, Aurora Schunk. She is a farmer who has completely transformed her local marketing, and she's seen so much recent success in her business. So Aurora sold out her CSA subscription shares in just one week. She recently packed out and sold out a collaborative event workshop with another small business owner in just 36 hours. And then this past November, during Black Friday, she increased her revenue by 70% compared to the November before. And all of this was just by leaning more into selling and into more education and connection in her marketing. So we're gonna dive into how she's really built deep connection with her audience, how she's confidently owned her pricing, something she was not always confident in, and how she's really used social media to make something maybe more unfamilia to her audience, how she was able to make it more accessible and even more desirable for them. So this episode is not just for farmers. If you've ever felt uncomfortable selling or if you've struggled to stand out or really just wondered how to create more local demand, you're going to get so.
- [02:25]
Leslie Presnol
Much out of this. So let's dive in. Okay. So, Aurora, thank you so much for being here. Let's just dive in. Can you just introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about about your farm and where you're located and what you grow and who you serve.
- [02:41]
Aurora Schunk
Sure. So, hi, thanks for having me. I'm Aurora Shunk and I'm a farmer and I own Shul Farmstead. I started the farm in 2021. I grow a wide variety of vegetables, herbs, flowers, and microgreens on about one acre of land in a small town 30 minutes north of Buffalo, New York. I grow everything on my farm without using pesticides or herbicides or fungicides. And I incorporate a lot of regenerative agriculture practices on my farm, which just is a fancy way of saying I give as much care to the soil and to beneficial insects as I do the actual vegetables that I'm growing. And I grow from April to December. And I'm primarily serving the Niagara county community, about 100 families at a local farmer's market and a community supported agricultural program, or csa, who are looking to eat in season vegetables.
- [03:37]
Leslie Presnol
Amazing. I'm so excited to have you on today. I was like, we have to get you on here in between, like your. Your busy season. So we're recording this in February. But tell us, like, how did you get started? Like, what did you do before farming? And then like, what inspired you to start your farm?
- [03:56]
Aurora Schunk
Yeah, so before farming, I worked at a higher ed at a college locally here in western New York, and I worked in their community engagement office. So I worked with college students, faculty, and I worked with nonprofit organizations in the community. And like, what kind of inspired me to start the farm was a lot of just that work of working with people and building community in a lot of different ways, but also just my very real experiences, like with volunteering and doing shoreline sweeps and running a community garden and just volunteering and finding out and being more passionate about ways I could positively impact the environment and the community around me. And then coupled with that, like, I grew up on a dairy farm. And that just experience and that kind of connection to the land, I think is also what really inspired me to change careers completely.
- [04:52]
Leslie Presnol
So such an adventure. Did you know anything about running a business or marketing or anything when you made that shift?
- [05:00]
Aurora Schunk
No, not really. I mean, I. So I always joke and say, like, I did the social media for my office because I was the youngest person in the office. So in 2012 they were like, here you can run our Facebook, because I was the youngest person. So I did start like learning things from that and like kind of trial and error, but that was mainly it. Like when my ran the dairy farm, it was completely different in terms of selling. So I didn't have any real experience in my, from my perspective anyway, of not kidding.
- [05:35]
Leslie Presnol
And how far in to that did you join the localpreneur academy?
- [05:40]
Aurora Schunk
So I joined about 15 months ago, so last like November. So that would have been. I was just ending my third year of farming.
- [05:50]
Leslie Presnol
Okay. I love how you were like, 15 months ago. So specific.
- [05:55]
Aurora Schunk
Just count now that I have a toddler. So I like, I know.
- [05:59]
Leslie Presnol
Yes. And you're a mom of a toddler. Even better. Just all this free time you have, I'm just.
- [06:06]
Aurora Schunk
Yeah.
- [06:07]
Leslie Presnol
Okay, so tell us then some of your wins that you've had recently. Like, I know we were just talking before we started recording. You just had this amazing workshop. I know you, like, sell out your CSA subscription. You have this really loyal customer base at the farmer's market. Like, just tell us all of your wins. Brag on yourself really hard.
- [06:34]
Aurora Schunk
But I am happy to share wins because I know it'll help somebody else. So, like, for my csa, I sold it out this year in a week.
- [06:45]
Leslie Presnol
Can you. I'm sorry to interrupt you, but can you tell us, like, just for everyone listening, what CSA is?
- [06:49]
Aurora Schunk
Yes. So a csa, it's community is shorthand for community Supported agriculture. And it's essentially a subscription to the farm for either a certain number of weeks or an entire season or an entire year, depending on where you are in the country. It's like different at every single farm. But basically you're as a customer committing to this subscription. And you know, you exchange money ahead of the season before you actually get your vegetables. So you're kind of like prepaying for the season. Yeah. So, yeah, so I, I start selling my CSA in like these off months and I actually started this year earlier. I wanted to try starting selling it in November and I decided I would use it as like my Black Friday promo. And so I had a goal of like how many people I really would was hoping to get during that time frame. And I actually got double the amount of people signed up than what I was hoping. I like my goal for the Black Friday promo and I actually shut it down. I was like, I've my maximum. So I sold it out in a week.
- [07:57]
Leslie Presnol
Oh my gosh.
- [07:58]
Aurora Schunk
I never thought I would do, but like, you know, going back and like evaluating, okay, what did I do? Like, how did I make this happen? What I started doing was during this past season. So, like in July and August, September, when I had vegetables growing on the farm, I was consistently on my social media, like, telling people, like, this is what folks are getting this week in their share. If you want to be the first to know of when shares open for 2025, like, join my like, first to know list. So I put that in there as, you know, a call to action to folks. And so I got people to sign up for the waitlist or the first to know list. And then starting in October, I would send them an email every single week to like nurture them and talking about the farm, my growing processes and like how the CSA was actually going to like work. And I gave them access to a couple of my free resources so they could really get those quick wins. And then like the week before Black Friday was like happened, I gave them like this is what the offer is going to be from Black Friday. Like you know about it first. And then that morning I had it all scheduled out. They got the email of, here's the Black Friday promo. And I continued to send emails to them during the week long promotion to help them, you know, move them off the fence. And I actually used a lot of the temples templates that you gave us during our Black Friday promo planning sessions and you just modified them to fit like what I was selling so good.
- [09:31]
Leslie Presnol
Okay, so I want to ask you about this because. So how you pre sold your CSA subscription, how long do people have to wait before they actually start getting their vegetables?
- [09:46]
Aurora Schunk
Yeah, so they bought them before December 6th of this of 2024. They're not able to start getting vegetables until April of 19th.
- [09:57]
Leslie Presnol
Oh wow. Okay. So that's, I mean a few months.
- [09:59]
Aurora Schunk
Yeah.
- [10:00]
Leslie Presnol
Okay. So a lot of people I have found, have drama around pre selling things or creating wait list because they don't really believe that their people are going to wait on them or they don't believe that their people want to pay up front and then like have that wait time. So I love that you're just first off proof of that that people are willing to wait. But like what are your thoughts and beliefs about that? Especially now that you've done that and I guess like for you to create that demand, like just tell us your thoughts going into that.
- [10:36]
Aurora Schunk
Yeah, I mean it's definitely, it's a nerve wracking position for any farmer that does this type of, you know, marketing and program on their farm because you are, you're selling things months before you're actually going to get something out of it. In a lot of cases, especially up here in north where we have a colder climate. And I think because I knew other farms in the area and just in general across the country had done this then like I could do that too. It just might take a while and I might have, it might take longer to sell out and it did. This was my fourth year of having a csa so like I've had a consistent base already and I've continued to get new people that are interested. And I think the other thing That I started doing last year that I think helped was during that like, wait time period, I would send every other week an email to my members who'd already signed up with again, more information, like resources or just information about like, hey, it's the end of February. I'm actually just starting onions right now. But like, those onions are going to be ready for you and in your share in June and July. So like, I was just trying to give them both excitement and build that excitement, but also like educate them on the whole farming.
- [11:59]
Leslie Presnol
Yeah, that's good. Like nurturing those people that are waiting on you and yeah, I love it. Okay, so what, tell us what other wins. I know you just did the workshop. Do you want to talk about that? That.
- [12:09]
Aurora Schunk
Yeah. So I just did a Galentine's Day event with a local bakery at a local brewery. We ended up selling 31 tickets. So we were sold out the event and we sold it out in 36 hours. Like, which is again, it was. I was shocked. The baker that I worked with, she has just an incredible following too and she does a lot of classes too. So I think for me, like collaborating with somebody who's already done this was very helpful. But then we both put out, you know, teaser posts like, hey, we're going to be hosting this class when tickets are available, you know, if you want to know, be the first to know. Like, DM us, send us your information. So that as soon as they were live on the brewery's website, we sent out emails and, you know, messages and posted on our social media. So we really kind of like created this hype of the collaboration and really just talked about the value of the experience of, like, you're going to learn how to decorate cookies and you're going to like, learn how to do dried floral arrangements. So, like, but it's going to be fun. We're going to have charcuterie and beers and, you know, just stuff like that. So we really just tried to sell the event and really focus on what each of the business owners was like bringing to the table.
- [13:31]
Leslie Presnol
I love that. So inside the academy, I teach an entire training on how to sell out your local events. And that's one of the things we talk about is how important the collaboration part is. Whether that's just getting other people to partner with you in some way. But in this case, like, it was a true collaboration where you're literally doing the event together. And. And I don't. You don't see that a whole lot to where it's usually it's Just like you're doing the cookie decorating or you're doing the floral. So I love. Because I saw the story, I was like, oh, there's like, a lot going at this event. And it's, you know, that's fun. Like, gives people, you know, a lot to. To do and hang out. And it's like, you really have something when you leave.
- [14:16]
Aurora Schunk
Yeah, I love that we got to tap into each other's audiences, like all three different audiences, even though we all operate within, like, a very small region. Like, we have different people that are following us or, you know, are our fans. And so, like, it. It tapped into all that. So now we have an even bigger network. And that's also too. Why after the event, we shared and invited each other to be collaborators on the reels on Instagram. Again, extend that collaboration even further out. And I got new followers yesterday just from those reels because one of the other businesses had, you know, tagged me and had me as a collaborator.
- [14:54]
Leslie Presnol
I love it. Are there any other wins that you want to talk about?
- [14:59]
Aurora Schunk
So the other one you mentioned is, like, building, like, a loyal customer base and stuff. So, like, I. I think for me, that one's kind of come from doing a lot of things consistently over the past year. So for me, it's been sharing information out to, like, what I'm bringing every single week to the market so that people could actually have a plan when they come. And then sharing tricks and recipes and storage stuff on my social media and in my emails and things like that. And just sharing my own experiences on the farm. I think just giving people more information and just bringing them along for, like, the story.
- [15:39]
Leslie Presnol
Yeah, I've talked a lot about this with my farmer clients. I have a lot of farmers, flower farmers, but I think it works with a lot of businesses, really. A lot of times our clients just see the finished product and they're like, oh, okay, like, that's cool. Or that's nice. But I think for those of you that do things like farming or, you know, you make products or you have these processes that are really involved, taking people on the journey of that and really showing people behind the scenes. To me, that's like just this instant way to automatically up the value of what you do. It's. And they instantly see your vegetables or all of your products as more valuable as what they would go see at Trader Joe's or Walmart or anywhere else, because they. They've been on the journey with you and they see all of the work that really went into it. And they're more connected to it.
- [16:40]
Aurora Schunk
Yeah, absolutely.
- [16:41]
Leslie Presnol
Okay, so tell us those were your wins, but tell us like, what were 15 months ago, what were some of the, the biggest challenges you were really facing before you came into the local preneur Academy?
- [16:57]
Aurora Schunk
So I think my overall challenges and like, why I ultimately joined was because I knew I needed to work on my mindset. I. I understood, you know, generally like how to use social media and like how to send an email out to do things like that and working on like, flodesk and different servers. But like, what I lacked was like, consistent confidence and clarity around who I was and like, what made me different and what value I actually brought to my customer and their life. So, like, one example I could think of was like, I was scared and almost apologetic that I was pesticide free and growing organically. When folks would come up to me at the market and like, just ask me that question innocently. And I had this fear that if I said like, yeah, everything's pesticide free, I grow organically, like, that they were going to be like, oh, your prices are too high. Even if they were exactly the same as the conventional farmer a few stalls down. Like, I just had that huge fear that I would lose the sale if I like, told them that secret. I guess so. But after, like being in the program and you know, working through a lot of that stuff and really digging deeper into like, what value I do bring and the gap that I fill that you talk about, I don't know if it's the first module or. Yeah. But this season, like, I almost unapologetically started like screaming from the rooftops when I was at the market with different signage and things like that. Like, and in all on my social media and in my emails, like, I'm growing without any sort of chemical pesticides and stuff like that, like, I started talking about how my growing practices were different and how that care was really building good things on my farm to be more climate resilient and bringing biodiversity farm and ultimately creating and growing more nutrient dense vegetables for you and your family.
- [18:54]
Leslie Presnol
I love that. And did that kind of naturally help you overcome some of that pricing drama?
- [19:00]
Aurora Schunk
Yeah, I mean, I think it did. And like, I do still get people that I've honestly never seen at the market come up and be like, oh, your green beans are too much for $4. And I'm like, well, I do grow it organically. And like, that's just my like, thing that I say to them. I don't like, apologize anymore. I just kind of say like, this is why they're priced that way. And I just let them look at the table and a lot of times they don't end up buying. And that's. I'm just made it, not a problem. I just say that's okay.
- [19:27]
Leslie Presnol
Like, yeah, well. And you're so sold in your mind.
- [19:30]
Aurora Schunk
Yeah.
- [19:31]
Leslie Presnol
And I think that's important is when you're so sold on your price first. And you know the reason that it's like that.
- [19:37]
Aurora Schunk
Yes.
- [19:38]
Leslie Presnol
Yeah. Okay. So were there, what else were you struggling with? Was there anything else?
- [19:43]
Aurora Schunk
I think so. This was something at the very beginning. I think on the initial consult call we talked about this. Or maybe it was just at the beginning in one of the coaching calls. Like, I remember telling you that it would take me forever to write social media posts or like email, you know, messages and stuff like that because I was always like fact checking and making sure I had like all the details straight. And you told me, like, you already know this information way more than your customer does. Like, so just explain it to them in a language that makes sense to them. Yeah, you're gonna like, tell them something, you're gonna teach them something because they've never heard about it before. So like, I just started when I would have that drama of like, oh, is that really what I'm trying to say? I would say like, okay, like, do you do not need, do you really need to look it up? Because if I really need to look it up, I don't need to post about this today. I can think about something else. And yeah, I can just like take that whole sentence, like out and just make it shorter.
- [20:40]
Leslie Presnol
And yeah, yes, I, I have a lot of people get caught up in that, especially people who may be coming from other industries or very specific, like a people in the medical field, like anything that's very like technical in their industries, getting caught up in wanting to share all of this information with their clients and wanting to include the research and not that there's anything wrong with that, but I think we can get sometimes bogged down and slowing ourselves down and wanting to over explain things and sometimes that could even go like over our audience's head or they, they don't really even care. So we want them to care so much. We're going to talk about that in a second. But we like, want them to care so deeply about all of these things, but really it's like they just want to know, like, what's in it for me? Like, what result am I going to get? What's the impact on my life. And so sometimes it is. And I don't like to say, like, dumbing it down, but, you know, like, how can I say in a way that really is going to be the most interesting or compelling way for my audience? And then you get to decide, like, is this statistic or fact or the thing I need to go research, really the thing they need to hear, or is there a way that I can just show up and explain it that is going to just keep moving them along in the buyer journey or, like, get them a transformation? That's just the way that I think about is, like, can I just, like, put it out there right now quickly, and then still get the value?
- [22:10]
Aurora Schunk
Exactly, yes.
- [22:11]
Leslie Presnol
Not that you can't include all the facts, but, you know, don't slow yourself down.
- [22:16]
Aurora Schunk
Yeah. And it was slowing me down tremendously, so. Yeah.
- [22:21]
Leslie Presnol
Yeah. Okay. So were any. Any other struggles, or did we. Do we cover them?
- [22:26]
Aurora Schunk
Those were the basics.
- [22:27]
Leslie Presnol
Okay.
- [22:27]
Aurora Schunk
Overarching.
- [22:28]
Leslie Presnol
Yeah. So then tell us, like, how you have really shifted in your. In your marketing and selling since then. Like, what. What changes have you made? And then, like. Like, just what's made the biggest impact in your business?
- [22:44]
Aurora Schunk
So creating the local marketing plan really helped, not just because I created it, but because I created it and stuck to it for six months. And then, you know, just reminding myself, like, the goal is to be consistent. The goal is to, like, trust the process. And, like, you know, around July, I started tweaking it and, like, just making some minor adjustments and really just kind of evaluating things on a deeper level now that I'd gotten kind of the practice of it.
- [23:12]
Leslie Presnol
Yeah.
- [23:12]
Aurora Schunk
Like, I actually started following through on posting more in the local Facebook groups, which has been a really helpful tool for me in my marketing and. And whatnot. So. And then I think the other thing that's really helped me with, like, shifting and selling was I started educating my audience about how to use the products. So, like, I think before, I was thinking, like, it's a vegetable, like, you eat it. Right. Like, obviously. But I started sharing just how I was doing stuff. So it kind of happened by accident, but I had all of these winter squashes that are these long pumpkins that kind of look like zucchinis, but they're orange and they weren't selling at the market. And I'm like, they're just pumpkins. They're just shaped different. Like, how can I, like, get people to, like, know about them? Like, want to. Want to try them? Right. So I filmed myself making pumpkin puree that I was going to make for make and then freeze for, like, Thanksgiving pies. And the next time I went to the market, I actually had a customer come up to me who said, I, you know, I've only shopped with you a couple of times, but I saw your video and I've totally been influenced. Like, I'm buying these to make pie for Thanksgiving. So just, like, thinking about it and just, like, not stressing myself about, like, the lighting, because that was something I was like, I'm not a food blogger. Like, this is not a fancy studio, but, like, just sharing how I was doing something in my own kitchen, I think actually was what helped and was valuable because my customers could see themselves in making that. Like, oh, that's not that hard. Oh, she was hot. And, like, whatever her ninja thing to, like, blend it all up, have those in my kitchen, I can do that. It's, you know, it's more accessible stuff.
- [25:03]
Leslie Presnol
Yeah, yeah. Like, making it really simple and doable for your people to where they're like, oh, I can get that result too, or I can have that lifestyle.
- [25:10]
Aurora Schunk
Yeah. Yeah. And I really just. I started leaning more into selling, just getting comfortable with making offers. So for me, in November, I had. I made 70% more compared to November of 2023.
- [25:26]
Leslie Presnol
I love how you have that. Wait, you. You made more revenue or you made more offers or both?
- [25:32]
Aurora Schunk
More. Both.
- [25:33]
Leslie Presnol
Okay.
- [25:34]
Aurora Schunk
The 70% is my revenue.
- [25:36]
Leslie Presnol
Okay.
- [25:37]
Aurora Schunk
More revenue in November 2024 compared to November 2023.
- [25:42]
Leslie Presnol
Amazing.
- [25:42]
Aurora Schunk
And that was. I mean, part of it is there's lots of things, but I know I was selling a ton in November. Over half of my, like, static posts were actually me making offers and different offers to my. My audience about, like, the market, my Thanksgiving share, Evergreen arrangements for the holidays, and, like, the CSA and the Black Friday promo. So, yeah, it. It worked. Selling made a difference in making that offer consistently when I had a lot to sell during that time of the year. And I also think it kind of worked because I'd been educating people and giving value, like, before November. So when I was asking people to buy, it was an easier yes for them to themselves because I don't, like, know and trust factor.
- [26:32]
Leslie Presnol
Yeah. Were you always that comfortable selling?
- [26:36]
Aurora Schunk
No, no, no. I mean, I've never liked. I think to me, I was, like, thinking, like, oh, well, selling really only happens when I'm at the market. And, like, I can post and tell them these are the things I'm bringing to the market, but I'm, like, not really selling, selling. So I think for me, I've Gotten more comfortable of thinking about instead of it as selling, it's an offer. I'm trying to help you get a result that you want, and that's eating, you know, more vegetables or eating more healthy or maybe it's having a fresh flower bouquet. So I, I'm. I've gotten past the, like, drama of, like, I'm not selling this, but I am. Yeah.
- [27:16]
Leslie Presnol
Yeah. And for those listening, we. We work so much on our selling mindset inside the academies that we've totally got you. Um, okay. And then you had mentioned too, that the local focus things that you. You started implementing on Instagram. So do you want to talk a little bit about that?
- [27:34]
Aurora Schunk
Yeah. So, like, I, I just really started doing a lot of focusing on local Facebook groups, and that was like the biggest thing that's changed a lot for building customers and talking about where. What you can get locally at different times of the year. I think for us here, again, in a northern climate, we can't necessarily get cucumbers in November or, you know, November, December, because it's too cold here. But I was. I've been trying to just educate people on what's actually, like, available and in season and fresh from local farms at different points of the year just to help folks learn stuff and become more connected to their own community. And, like, what does it mean to eat local or shop local and stuff like that?
- [28:20]
Leslie Presnol
I love that. Okay. Anything else that you've done or do we cover it?
- [28:24]
Aurora Schunk
Yes. Yeah.
- [28:25]
Leslie Presnol
Okay. So I do want to go back because you. You were talking about, like, the, the educating your people around, like, your vegetables. And one thing that people tell me all the time is if they work in an industry that people don't. How do I want to say this? Like, that people, they think they're creating content that people don't want to read about or that they don't know how to create value around. Like, for example, like, I'll have bookkeepers be like, I don't know, like, I just talk about numbers and people aren't interested in numbers. Or I'll have a pelvic floor therapist be like, people don't care about their pelvic floor. How can I create content around this? And like, you literally talk about vegetables all day long and you, like, I follow you on Instagram and I look at yourself every single day. I look at your stories every single day. You make it super interesting. So can you just share, like, how you show up on social media and how you attract customers and share value related to your products and kind of the shift for people who are thinking. I'm literally talking about something that people do not find interesting at all.
- [29:41]
Aurora Schunk
I mean, I think vegetables are the most interesting.
- [29:43]
Leslie Presnol
I love that you do.
- [29:46]
Aurora Schunk
But like, I think what helps me show up that way is by just showing up and being very authentic. Like, I had a friend of mine tell me recently that she thinks my growth is really because the farm and the brand that I have, it's me, it's very personal, which I think relates to a lot of businesses. Right. Like, if you're talking about your pelvic floor, that's a very personal place eating, it's a very personal type of thing. So if I think the way I look at it is if I can share the things that I've done, like step by step with the recipe, they're like, how do I store my microgreens and stuff like that. It pulls back the curtain to not only my life, but it's a way that people can see themselves reflected back in it. Because again, I'm not using anything fancy. It's just a regular kitchen. It's just regular things. And I think that can also like, then help build community. You feel part of something that you don't feel like it's this influencer who's like telling you what to do. It's somebody who, you know in the community, who lives in a place that's similar to yours. I think that that can just be just empowering. And I think the other part, the parts of my life like the farm itself. Right. Like, I know that that's very different for folks who might live in the suburbs or in one of the small towns, but the way I look at it is I'm bringing them along and I'm giving them a story, sharing like the why of things. Even if I'm not using like those words in my actual post, I'm just constantly telling them and sharing things in my day to day on the farm with my tasks or my personal life. And just really trying to show folks that, you know, farmers are not just the guy in overalls and the song.
- [31:34]
Leslie Presnol
Not at all.
- [31:35]
Aurora Schunk
You know, that there's, there's, there's all this constant care that's happening and then that constant care results in this really great nutrient dense fuel for your body and your well being.
- [31:46]
Leslie Presnol
Yes. So, yeah, we need more farmers like you to go on like Ms. Rachel, because right now my baby just thinks like, oh, McDonald is the only farm. So that's what she's learning right now. So we do need more farmers like you to be out there and more visible. So we know. But I think you. You said it, like, as soon as you answered that question, you said the most important thing too, because you were like, well, I love vegetables. Or you said, I think they're interesting. And to me, that is the most important part because your energy matches that whenever you show up online and. And you can just tell. And you bring that energy to all of your content. So I think when you're showing up, no matter what your topic or your niche or your industry is, when you're like, I love this. Everyone's gonna love this. They have to know about this. Then, you know, you just show up, up in that, like, energetic element and other people receive it like that. To where when you're thinking, like, oh, my gosh, nobody's gonna care about this. This is so boring, then your content kind of reflects that. Like, it's just kind of like, blah, blah, you know? So, yeah, I think you can just tell that, like, you're so passionate about what you do and you love it and you love sharing about it, and it definitely shows.
- [33:01]
Aurora Schunk
Thanks.
- [33:02]
Leslie Presnol
Okay, so, yeah, so what would you. Our last question. We'll wrap it up. What would you say to someone who is on the fence about joining us inside the localpreneur Academy?
- [33:15]
Aurora Schunk
So I would say joining is actually an investment you will not regret. I've invested in other courses before, and I didn't get much out of them, but this one, I have on so many in so many different ways. So, like, I have the modules, and I've gone through the modules last year and I'm going through them again now. And after being in the program for 15 months, like, I see things differently both in my business and just like, as a business owner. So even though the video might be the same, I'm hearing it different because I'm in a different space. My business is in a different space. So, like, there's constant value that I'm getting out of that. And I love that it's a lifetime investment because then I can go back to those things and relearn or just be retaught or rethink about how, you know, how. What I thought about before with those different marketing pieces and then the coaching calls, I really appreciate. Even during the summer, when it's harder for me to join, I go back and I listen to the recordings because I know that if there's someone else who's having a problem or a struggle and needs coaching, I probably have something similar or I can take something away from like your coaching because I can apply it to my own business or even if I'm having just a really sucky day and I'm not feeling it about my business or something, going into those calls and re listening to things, it can just help me pull myself out of the funk and make me more solution focused and thinking about, okay, how can I solve this versus I'm stuck in being upset about it or mad about it or whatever the case might be. And then having the Facebook group is really beneficial because I get to hear what other people are doing in their businesses. I can think about how the responses that people give or that you give, how I can apply that to my own business. And it's really nice to see other people's like wins and what they're doing and just get feedback on things because I don't have tons of business owner friends. So it's really nice to have that like community and to share experiences with other people.
- [35:20]
Leslie Presnol
Yes. Thank you so much for saying that. And I, I agree with all of that. And I'm very much the same way even for with you know, programs or things that I do, like anytime that I am in a funk or just like not feeling it that day or you know, didn't get the result I wanted, I'm the same way. I'm like, let me just go for a walk and listen to. Even if it's like 10 minutes of a coaching call replay or something like just to shift my mindset. So I'm like, okay, I need a belief I can latch onto. I need a thought that's going to serve me right now just so I can get like back in my office and like do the thing that I need to get done today. That is so helpful for me. And I just love having access of to something that I can just like energetically plug into like all the time. I think that's such a, a game changer for me just on a, on a daily basis. Okay, so let's, let's tell everyone where they can find you and I will link all of it up in the show notes for us.
- [36:17]
Aurora Schunk
Yeah, so I am on Instagram and Facebook at Shulfarmstead, but my website also has a lot of really great resources and blog stuff related to vegetable content if you're interested.
- [36:28]
Leslie Presnol
Love it. We all are now.
- [36:29]
Aurora Schunk
Yes. And that's w www.shulfarmstead.com.
- [36:35]
Leslie Presnol
Thank you so much for being here.
- [36:37]
Aurora Schunk
Thank you for having me.
- [36:39]
Leslie Presnol
Hey, if you enjoyed today's episode, I want to invite you to check out my program the LocalPreneur Academy. This is the only program for small business owners who want to become the local go to in their industry with a steady stream of clients. You can find more information@lesliepressnell.com and I'll see you inside.