The Found Podcast with Molly Knuth

You probably couldn't tell me what your county auditor actually does. I couldn't either, until I sat down with Whitney Hein. Whitney is the Jones County Auditor and Commissioner of Elections, and by the end of this conversation I had a whole new appreciation for how much of our daily life runs through that office: elections, property taxes, payroll, budgets, the courthouse itself. It's a job most of us vote on without fully understanding, and that's exactly why I wanted her on. We get into what drew her to the role, what six years in has taught her about resilience, and the behind the scenes work that keeps Jones County elections free, fair, and trustworthy. If you've ever wondered what actually happens to your ballot after you drop it off, this one's for you. Meet Whitney Whitney Hein is the Jones County Auditor and Commissioner of Elections, first elected in 2020 and now in her second term. She's a wife to her husband Ben, a mom to their daughter Laney, and lives in rural Jones County, where her family farms. Before stepping into county government, Whitney worked in ag business and animal science. What You'll Hear Everything the auditor's office actually handles, from elections to payroll to property taxes Why Whitney left a career she loved for a job she had little experience in The behind the scenes security measures that keep Jones County elections accurate, down to numbered seals and hand counted test ballots Why local elections deserve just as much attention as national ones How to plan ahead for early voting, absentee ballots, and Election Day itself What six years in the role taught Whitney about her own resilience Resources & Links Jones County Elections: https://www.jonescountyiowaelections.gov or on Facebook Ballot tracking tool: available here through the Iowa Secretary of State's website Connect with Whitney For the fastest response, call the Jones County Auditor's office directly. Full contact info is listed at jonescountyiowaelections.gov. Listen & Subscribe Spotify Apple Podcasts If this one opened your eyes even a little, share it with someone who votes in Jones County (or wherever they call home). The more we understand these local roles, the more we trust the people doing them.

Okay, let's just say the thing out loud: You've seen the captions that sound like a robot wrote them. You've seen the flyers that look like every other flyer on the internet this month. Maybe you've decided AI just isn't for you because of it. Here's my confession: I use AI, specifically Claude, in my business every single day. And I still (mostly) sound like me. Not because I found some secret tool nobody's told you about, but because I took the time to actually set it up before I asked it to do anything. So this week I'm walking you through exactly how. No hype, no fear-mongering, just the actual steps I took (and still take) to keep my voice in the driver's seat. What You'll Hear Why AI is already in your toolbox whether you've opened it or not Why leaning on every platform's built-in AI at once quietly erodes your brand voice My "20 Questions" trick for teaching your chat how you actually talk Why guardrails matter more than a good first prompt How I built my own "Molly Operating System" out of my Enneagram, Human Design, and CliftonStrengths results Why you're still the last line of defense, no matter how good the draft looks Listen and Subscribe Spotify Apple Podcasts If this one hit home, send it to the small business owner in your life who's still typing everything into a blank chat box and hoping for the best. And if you try the 20 Questions exercise, message me at @mollyknuth or [email protected] and tell me what your chat figures out about you.

Somebody pulls me aside about once a week now and says some version of the same thing: I've been thinking about starting a podcast. It happens in client sessions, at conference tables, in DMs from people I've never even met in person. And every single time, my gut reaction is identical: just go do it. So this week I'm pulling back the curtain. Not the polished, "look how easy this was" version...the actual seven step process I used to launch this show, the one I'd use again if I were starting from absolute zero today, minus the six months I let a microphone collect dust on the corner of my desk before I did anything with it. This one's part pep talk, part field manual. Numbers, mistakes, the actual tools I use, and the real talk nobody puts in a "how to start a podcast" listicle. What You'll Hear Why the "podcast market is too saturated" fear doesn't hold up (and the stat that proves it) The seven step process I used to launch this show, step by step The three tools I consider non-negotiable (and why I don't overthink the rest) Why I built a list of 30 episode ideas before day one, and why most people skip it The 80/20 truth about launching versus marketing a podcast What changed between 2019 Molly starting this show and the version of me behind the mic today Resources & Links Mentioned The Podcast Lab by Jenna Kutcher Blue Yeti microphone (my mic of choice) Descript (editing software mentioned in this episode): use this link to get 50% off your first 2 months! Libsyn and Captivate (hosting platforms mentioned in this episode) Podcast strategist Jill Carr, for launch support Listen and Subscribe Spotify Apple Podcasts Share the Show If you know someone who has been sitting on a podcast idea for six months (or six years), send them this one. That's how this show grows, one share at a time.

Back in 2022, I had a marker board covered edge to edge with ideas. I'd write a launch date right next to each one, feel the rush of excitement, and sprint at it with everything I had. And then somewhere around week four, I'd realize I was building the plane while flying it. Sound familiar? If you've ever had a big idea that fizzled out somewhere between the excitement and the finish line, this episode is for you. Today I'm walking you through the shift that changed how I plan every launch, every program, every big scary idea since 2022...backwards planning. I'll break down the five steps I use with every client who shows up with a big idea in their head, walk you through Rory Vaden's eight core departments of a business, and take you behind the scenes of something I'm working on right now in my own hometown of Cascade, Iowa, so you can see exactly how this plays out in real time. What You'll Hear The worst business plan I ever made, and what it cost me (credibility, energy, and a little bit of faith in myself) The real difference between forward planning and backward planning Rory Vaden's eight core business departments, and how to use them as a lens instead of a checklist Why naming what could go wrong isn't pessimism...it's leadership Where I still struggle to ask for support (hint: it's a Human Design Manifestor/Enneagram 3 thing) A real, in-progress example: backwards planning a downtown revitalization effort in Cascade, Iowa Resources & Links Mentioned Rory Vaden's eight business departments framework Follow along with Molly: @mollyknuth on social Email Molly: [email protected] Share the Episode If this one hit home, send it to the person in your life with a big idea and no map yet. And if you're backwards planning something right now, I want to hear about it. Message me @mollyknuth or shoot me an email at [email protected].

This week I'm bringing you another one from the Molly Invites the Boys to the Podcast series, and this one is personal. Nick Kleitsch has been my coaching client for the past two years, and I have watched him take everything he has learned in that season and turn it into his own coaching practice. That's not a small thing to witness. Nick lives in Marion, works at Cedar Rapids Bank and Trust, hosts his own show called Life with Nick, and just launched his coaching business, Kleitsch's Coaching Collective, through a program he calls The Modern Warrior. In our conversation we get into his CliftonStrengths (Learner and Activator, and yes, you'll hear exactly why that combination makes him who he is), the moment that ended his baseball career and cracked his identity wide open, and the difference between a major failure and a minor one. We also talk about why nobody stays coached past college, the value of a 90-day sprint, and why a one-song dance party in your kitchen might be the most productive thing you do all week. This one is funny, it's honest, and it will make you rethink who's allowed to be your coach. What You'll Hear Why Nick doesn't define his ideal client by age or industry, but by willingness His CliftonStrengths of Learner and Activator, and how they show up (for better and worse) in his coaching What baseball taught him about daily motivation, mental toughness, and the difference between a major and a minor failure The moment that ended his baseball career and the identity crisis that followed Why he believes everyone should have a coach, and what neuroplasticity has to do with it The one-song dance party habit that unlocks his best ideas What he's learned building the Kleitsch's Coaching Collective and The Modern Warrior from scratch His go-to reading list for anyone who wants to understand how their brain and habits actually work Resources & Links Mentioned The Five Major Pieces of the Life Puzzle by Jim Rohn The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg Emotional Agility by Susan David Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz Becoming Supernatural by Dr. Joe Dispenza Connect with Nick Life with Nick Life with Nick Podcast Email: [email protected] Listen and Subscribe Spotify Apple Podcasts If this one hit home, send it to the person in your life who needs to hear that willingness matters more than having it all figured out. And if you've got 30 seconds, leave us a review. It helps more than you know.