Main Street Business Insights

About Main Street Business Insights

Join host Dr. Matt Wagner, Chief Innovation Officer at Main Street America, as he travels the country, taking a deep dive into the personal journeys of downtown and neighborhood entrepreneurs. Each week we showcase a small business owner, who will share the story of starting, maintaining, and evolving their business. These are stories that frequently go unheard and unnoticed but offer us valuable lessons as to how Main Street businesses have overcome adversity, and successfully made business model shifts in ever-changing economic environments.

Publisher

Main Street America

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

1 Aug 2023

Latest episode

7 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

7 of 63 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   7 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Elevating Your Business by Building Community (Agitsi Stained Glass)

   Host Matt Wagner interviews Brandi Hines-Lee, owner of Agitsi Stained Glass, about building community to elevate her business and foster resilience.

2. 

   3 Feb 2026TRANSCRIPT

   8 Predictions for 2026: What Small Businesses Need to Know

   Host Matt Wagner analyzes societal, technological, and economic trends to predict eight key factors impacting small businesses and Main Streets in 2026, including shifts in social media and finance.

3. 

   28 Jan 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Small-Scale Manufacturing on Main Street (The Sweet Granada Chocolate Shop)

   In this episode, host Matt Wagner sits down with Kim Redeker, owner of The Sweet Granada Chocolate Shop in Emporia, Kansas. Over 21 years, Kim has grown from a 500-square-foot storefront with two employees (herself and her mom) to a 3,200-square-foot production facility employing 21-28 people depending on the season, plus two retail locations. In 2025, The Sweet Granada was also voted the #2 best candy shop by USA Today Readers! Kim's journey reveals the strategic advantages small-scale manufacturers have on Main Street: the ability to jump on viral trends (Dubai bars, cocoa bombs) before mass market catches up, the capacity to create custom products quickly using local technology, and how community connection keeps dollars and talent local. Discover Kim's approach to: Expansion decisions and timing: Why she initially expanded too slowly due to brand identity concerns, and how splitting production from retail solved the challenge. Speed to market advantages: Capitalizing on viral trends with six-month windows before mass producers flood the market, generating unexpected revenue during slow seasons. Community ecosystem support: Leveraging Emporia Main Street, the local Small Business Development Center chapter, and the local fab lab for custom mold generation and manufacturing solutions. Navigating cost pressures: Adapting to cocoa price increases (three major increases in 12 months) through loyalty programs, packaging optimization, and strategic pricing. Wholesale growth strategies: How offsite production created capacity for wholesale distribution across Kansas, driving retail traffic from unexpected markets. Technology and scaling: Using fab lab technology for small-run custom molds, exploring AI applications, and planning equipment investments for signature product scaling Labor and hiring evolution: Moving beyond 15-minute interviews to more comprehensive hiring and coaching processes Whether you're a small-scale producer considering expansion, a Main Street director supporting makers and manufacturers, or a business owner wondering how to compete with mass market, this conversation offers practical insights on building a manufacturing business without leaving downtown. Join us as Kim shares why her only regret is not starting sooner, how small makers make communities more interesting, and what it means to stay "light on your feet" as an entrepreneur. This episode also previews Main Street America's new Made Originals initiative, a soon-to-come program supporting small-scale manufacturers and brand creators in the Main Street network through giving access to national markets, education, certification, and access to capital. Get a limited edition box of Made Originals chocolates from Main Street maker, The Sweet Granada Chocolate Shop! Use code MSA26 for 30% off through 2/14. Connect: Learn about The Sweet Granada Chocolate Shop Learn about Emporia Main Street Learn about Made Originals Episode Links: - Watch video interview - Listen on Apple Podcasts - Listen on Spotify - Subscribe for updates Join us next time for more insights into the evolving landscape of Main Street business.

Inside a recent episode

Elevating Your Business by Building Community (Agitsi Stained Glass)

Published 7 Oct 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] And we want them all to know that they have a place to come to and to learn. And if they ever have any questions, this is somewhere they can come to. Could you talk a little bit about, I'm just very curious about what it means to be Cherokee certified. Is that a process? What do you have to go through in order to become Cherokee certified? So to be Cherokee certified, you have to have your Indian card, your CDIB card. And there's a verification where they, you go through and you send them your card, you send them your ID, you show them your word and they say, yes, you are Cherokee and you're an artist. […]

Who has been a guest on Main Street Business Insights

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Brandi Hines-Lee
• Mike Powe
• Rob Tiger
• Holly Tiger
• Lauren Tiger

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.8 / 5

23 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

18 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 28 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

25

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

77

Contact Main Street Business Insights

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Questions about Main Street Business Insights