From News Reporter to PR Pioneer: Giving Topeka’s Small Businesses a Voice | India Yarborough

Knowing that small businesses are what makes our community unique. You know, we wouldn't be Topeka without them.

Printer Right.

Yeah.

It's here. Yeah 3D homes are here. What Are? You kidding, how is?

it different from Applebee's. We've got to fight on this. It's way better than Applebee's. I don't even know.

I want to see Topekans believe in themselves more.

This podcast was made brought to you by Choose Topeka. If you're thinking about making a move, Choose Topeka can get you up to $15,000 to relocate.

Whether you're buying or renting, Topeka and Shawnee County are ready to welcome you. Apply now at choosetopekacom All right all right, india, yarborough.

owner, founder of Local Lens PR, the only, not one of the best, the only and best PR firm in Topeka.

Thanks for being here. Absolutely, this is an honor. Thank you guys.

Absolutely India. Tell us a little bit about you, how you got to Topeka, what you're doing now, yeah, what brought you here, yeah, well, so back in 2019 is when I moved to Topeka. Let's go. So not a Topeka native.

Transplant, transplant, absolutely. There are some great transplants in the area.

That's what we're looking at. Yeah, we moved to Topeka in the same summer.

Yeah, we were just talking about that. That's amazing. So 2019, summer 2019 is when I started at the Topeka Capital Journal and that's really the job that brought me here. So I am from Mississippi, originally went to college in New Orleans, studied journalism and sociology and was applying for newspaper gigs kind of really all over the country my senior year and just I mean it was one of those random jobs you find online, right?

So I was like okay, put my application in at the Topeka Capital Journal newspaper in Topeka, kansas. Never visited Kansas before and thought let's go let's give it a shot and, funny enough, they offered me the best job at the time and I accepted that job the day before I graduated Um again, having never visited Kansas before. So total leap of faith.

But how nervous were you about moving. So nervous, I mean I really I had not.

I mean, I had traveled outside of the Southeast but had never lived anywhere outside of the Southeast before. So um wasn't quite sure what to expect. Um, but it's I mean in hindsight, like it was, it was meant to be, like I've been here for six years now. Um didn't know that was going to happen at the time either. I thought maybe you know, two, three years here and then we'll, we'll see what's next kind of thing. But um, after, after a couple of years passed, I was not ready to leave Topeka. This community just really grew on me and uh, and I thought I've got more work to do here.

What were you thinking? Coming from new Orleans? Not not. What were you thinking Like why? No but like what was your brain?

What were your thought process on Topeka, kansas Were're like? I have no idea what this is. Did you have some pre, uh, some thoughts already? Or what was your thoughts about coming here? I really had no preconceptions, honestly, um I so. I had a journalism professor who told me that, starting out in this industry, you can either choose the job you want or the location you want, but you can't choose both.

And so.

I thought okay, I know the job I want.

I want to be a reporter.

I want to write for a newspaper, um, so I guess I got to be open to location and so. I very much kind of applied to jobs with that in mind and thought, all right, we're just going to cast our net wide, we're going to see you know what, what comes back and and I had gotten a couple offers, uh, but this one was. This one was the best deal.

And so.

I thought I, you know I was doing like the demographic research and looking at the community and all that stuff, with my parents too, and you know cause we were all talking about it and you know they had never spent time in Kansas really, and and I was like I know this sounds crazy and I know it sounds like a total leap of faith, but I can't come up with a good reason not to and so I was like I think this is meant to be, like I think I need to do this.

Unfortunately, when she was doing her research, Topeka Insider didn't exist yet.

Yeah, it would have came across our landing page.

And it would have been a no brainer, that's right, wait.

So the question that I think some of the locals who grew up here, I think that they would immediately want to ask you, saying, when you say, hey, I thought I'd be here for two to three years and then I moved, but then I it grew on me, I stayed. I think the question a lot of locals would ask why? Why would you stay? Like a lot of locals have a hard time seeing the value of like what's going on here, like what what attracted you to stay and put roots?

Yeah, that's a great question. So I, I grew up in a community of about 20, 25,000. And then, of course, in new Orleans, it's closer to 400,000.

And so it's only that big.

Yeah, well it. It lost public population after Katrina, so it did. It did decline some after that. But for me, you know, topeka was kind of right in the middle. It was that perfect small city sort of size and vibe. And when I remember moving here and I cannot count the number of times someone told me this is the biggest small town you're ever going to live in and that was actually really attractive to me. You know, having come from a smaller community not the smallest community I recognize there are a lot smaller places to be. But having come from you know a town and you know, going to New Orleans it was, it was just right in the middle and it was perfect, you know it.

It was big enough to have things to do but small enough to really get to know your neighbors and get to know, uh, the people who you were going to run into on a daily basis, and so I would say the size was really attractive. The community, I mean the people, were really um, it really kept me here as well and and we're a complete draw. And, um, and I will say, like there's some hidden gems in Topeka. Like I, I'm someone who, when I moved to a place, or go to a place for the first time, like I, like to force myself to get out and try new things.

And I will say, like being a reporter too, that is a great way to get to know a community, because you are going everywhere for stories. You know you're interviewing completely random people who you're meeting for the first time.

What are some of the hidden gems of Topeka?

Yeah, I mean, I really appreciate the green spaces that we have here in Topeka. So, love Gage Park. Right yeah, I mean Noto is such a beautiful place too A lot of the small businesses as well. You know, Jong's Thai is one of my absolute favorites, like I have had Thai food in LA and Jong's is still better.

Yeah, totally yeah. They're the only place that has turned us down for an interview.

Are you serious? Oh my gosh. So we're like Gabe. What episode is this?

22?. Respond back and tell us you'll be on here.

We are 22 for 23.

Oh, my gosh this is episode 22. Yeah, you know, it'll happen when it's meant to happen.

That's right we did connect with someone who knows them. So we're trying to work an angle there.

We even thought about just like bringing our stuff and just ordering food and just hey, you're on it. You know we're doing an episode live.

Just like set up in the park across the street with your mags and like wander over.

No, no, no, no we would get like a reservation at a table and be like hey, sit down for a second. Just give us 30 seconds to answer some questions.

Okay, jongs, any others Hidden gems.

I'm a much a Pika guy.

I've grown up here my entire life, and so I don't know what the hidden gems are, because they're not hidden.

Yeah, that's a good point. Hidden in plain sight, right it's?

like you say, jongs is great.

It's like, yeah, I, I've only been here for six years, but I don't feel like anything's hidden to me really either anymore you know, because I. I was so intentional starting off the bat that I was like I've got to get out, I've got to meet people, I've got to get comfortable being uncomfortable, otherwise I'm not going to get to know this community Like I need to to really like report on it well, you know, and so um.

So I will say, just being able to like be in that profession, I think really drove my interest off the bat. And then as I got to know things a little bit better. I was like there's so much to love here, like why are people hating on this community?

Yep, so you started at the Capitol Journal, but you're not there now. Where what happened? Where are we going?

Where are we?

at now. Was there an in-between?

Absolutely, was there an in-between? Absolutely. So, uh, was at the Capitol journal for about two and a half years, um, and then it was really just starting to ask myself you know, do I see myself in journalism long-term? Is this reporter profession for me? Um, and and I I let me be clear Like I have so much respect for reporters, I think journalism is such a necessary industry. It's, um, it's, it's, it's, I mean, it's so important to have people telling those stories and reporting from the ground and keeping our communities informed.

Because I think, um, you know, our, our engagement in society, our civic engagement, our, um you know, community engagement. It's a direct reflection of of the information we consume, and um, and and the messages we receive. So I think journalism is so, so essential. But I did that for about two and a half years and just wasn't sure that I was meant to do that long-term.

And so I was starting to ask myself some of those hard questions. And you know what's next. And around that time, you know I well, having worked at the paper, I was telling stories about the chamber and, you know, writing about the partnership news, I got to tell some other stories too. That that, um, I think, really did make an impact in the community. Um, but I I was interviewing some of those people who would become my coworkers next.

So um, yeah.

And so um had gotten connected with Bob Ross over at the partnership and um remember having a conversation with him, not the painter Yep. Actually, funny, funny enough, his email, like his photo on his email, is a picture of Bob Ross, because I think people are giving him enough like you know enough teasing about that over the years. Yeah, so it's funny.

But it started. What is it? Asmr Like? These are some happy trees.

I think that would go far.

That would be awesome, that would.

He's got kind of a soothing voice too, like like Topeka's Bob Ross. He's got a great voice. So, yeah, I had gotten connected with him and um, and around the time I was looking to make a move of some sort, the communications manager position at the partnership opened up and so I applied for that um and and became part of the team. So I uh moved over to moved over to the partnership and I was there for three years three months, I think, is the timing there and I, you know, over my time there I mean, had the opportunity to do some amazing things and really help tell Topeka's story, which I think was a cool side of the aisle to be on. So I went from, you know, telling the story of Topekans to telling Topeka's story as a whole and that was really impactful for me, so I went from.

you know telling the story of Topekans to telling Topeka story as a whole. Um, and that was really impactful for me. So I went from, you know, communications manager to communications director and by the time I left I was VP of marketing communications there.

Okay, let's go yeah.

So that was awesome. Um, and I guess another kind of one of those moments of am I meant to do this longterm, is this where I see myself in the years to come, and I, um, was just starting to realize that there was kind of a gap in in the local market when it comes to communications and storytelling. Um, and I well, I guess let me rewind for a second, because when I was at the newspaper, um, you know, I was telling some really cool stories. I mean, like I mentioned the partnership, the chamber news, uh, but then also like covering public meetings, I remember, uh, getting to report on, you know, an investor takeover of our local utility company.

I wrote a story about an out-of-state landlord that was um, really had a history of property neglect and property abuse. And I I think that story has helped. You know, spark some conversations locally about how the community addresses that.

So, um, so, really thankful for that, Um, but I my favorite stories to tell are really the stories of small business owners, you know and um, and I cannot count the number of times I would go to report on one of their stories and just be talking with them, interviewing them, you know, having that conversation, and at some point during it they would say you know, thank you so much for telling this story.

You're the first person to ever reach out to us.

And so I, you know that, that kind of stuck with me. You know, um, knowing that small businesses are what makes our community unique, you know we wouldn't be Topeka without them, um, so I kind of kept that in mind and then, working for the partnership, I also can't count the number of times that a nonprofit or community group would reach out to us saying hey, can you help us spread the word about this thing? And to be honest with you, I think as much as we wanted to help, it wasn't always within our bandwidth or purview to tackle that thing for them.

And so I just started to identify like there's a need here. And so I just started to identify like there's a need here. There's a gap here when it comes to public relations, when it comes to communications specifically for small businesses and nonprofits. And you know, I started to kind of look at like the PR landscape more broadly and you know there's a lot of public relations activity on the coasts, in larger cities. You know Kansas City has several PR firms, but Topeka didn't have a PR firm. And so I thought what if I did that? You know, what if I?

opened.

Topeka's first public relations firm and really tried to do things differently by not serving the big guys. I mean the big guys the corporations. They can hire anybody across the country. They've got the budgets to do that. They understand the value of PR, so they know what they're. They're after the small businesses, the nonprofits.

It's a lot of trying to help them understand what public relations is you know, and and so it's not easy, it's very challenging in a lot of ways, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm glad I did this, and so in in February of this year, after having gone through Omni circles, emerge Community Business Academy too, which was really important for me, but I decided to step out and launch my own public relations firm.

So that's where I am now and that's called Local Lens.

PR Local Lens yeah, and even the name was intentional, so yeah, yeah, Did Gabe do a promo video for you at.

Omni Circle.

Of course he did, of course he did, of course he did. He did a great job too, For those that don't know, gabe does some video stuff with Omni Circle, so that's very cool connection and Omni has been I mean so impactful to my growth and being able to launch this too.

I mean I office out of the space now. They were one of my first clients, so I mean they do incredible work on the personal development side, on the professional development side, helping people feel confident enough to step out and start a business. So I don't think I'd be doing this today without them.

Yeah, we had Michael on Gosh. It feels like forever ago.

He was like on five or six episodes.

Yeah, that was great getting to know him. Okay, so I'm a marketing guy and I'm still struggling to understand.

I was about to ask the same thing yeah, what is a PR firm? As it relates to Topeka local business, and what's the difference between PR and marketing?

Yeah, because when I think of a PR firm. I think of a PR firm. Is there when a pro baseball player gets in a car wreck?

and they're there to write the statement.

It's like how are we going to handle this? That way, that guy doesn't look like a jack-o'-lantern, but so okay, what are?

you doing, and that's an element of PR right Crisis communications.

That's what that is Okay.

Yeah, but okay, I get this question all the time actually, like what's the difference between marketing and public relations? And it can be kind of confusing because the tools you use to communicate in those realms are similar like social media, for instance, you can use social media for marketing.

You can use it for public relations too, and so the way I kind of think about it and try to describe it is marketing is. I mean, at the end of the day, marketing is really about promoting a product in order to drive sales, drive revenue and grow your business in that way? Public relations is really about communicating about your business a little bit more holistically. Public relations is really about communicating about your business a little bit more holistically, so you're talking about the impact you make. You know the people you employ, the causes you support and care about as an organization, and you might share a little bit about the product too, but it's really not focused on the product. It's focused on who are you as a business as an organization Like people's impression of you.

Yeah exactly which is really that relationship part in public relations, right? And so PR is really about kind of communicating strategically, communicating holistically about your business to inspire trust. Ultimately, you know, you're really trying to communicate about your business in a way that builds relationships with the people who you may come into contact with and who you may serve in the long run. So what does that look like? As far as services, right, so I offer media pitching, so I try to connect my clients with local and regional media outlets, press release writing, general media relations, so kind of being that go-between, that liaison between the client and the media partners in our area. And I also, just given my background, do some general copywriting and communication strategy consulting. You know what is the best way to communicate about what you're doing, the impact you're making and that sort of thing.

So and that some of that involves social media and things like that.

Yeah, so some social media. You know, I I don't formally offer social media management, but who knows, We'll see.

Yeah, so it's kind of a beast. Yeah, public relations sounds a whole. What you do sounds a whole lot like your job is helping them, uh, create a brand.

Absolutely so I, um, you know there, there is at least one other business in the community that does branding in particular. Um, and I, really I think our services kind of are like this timeline. So you, you start with the branding and then you need public relations next, and then, once you have your product, you have what you're selling. Then that's really where marketing comes into play, and so I like to describe public relations as really giving your brand a voice. And as it pertains to small businesses and nonprofits, you know I am helping local nonprofits and local small businesses really find their voice and communicate more effectively with their community at large.

Wow, that's wild, okay Dang.

Hopefully that cleared it up. Did that answer the question? No, it absolutely did.

I guess, I've just always I mean in my line of work my marketing is PR. I feel, like you know, I I guess in real estate, you know, having a billboard with your name and face on it, like that's a good point.

That's not really going to get you a ton of business, because everyone knows four realtors. Yeah, I mean, you know my job is how can I elevate my brand and be in front of people I know, and let them know me better in a sense. So I guess I had always. I guess that was my confusion is I don't view marketing the same just because of the industry I'm in. That's basically what I do, yeah, and there is some overlap, just kind of naturally there right, which I think does make it difficult to kind of pinpoint.

you know what is the difference in that kind of thing? But, um but, but there are some distinctions and I think that that makes what I'm doing very valuable for people. Um, cause I'm, I'm really I'm not trying to duplicate what great marketing firms in the area are already doing. You know, in fact, I'm actually working with some of those marketing firms.

I'm doing some subcontracting work with Compass Marketing. Cohort Digital is actually a recent client of mine, so I'm able to kind of partner with marketing firms to. I think together we can offer something much more comprehensive.

Right, yeah, it makes sense. Yeah, yeah, it makes sense if you're both kind of pieces of the puzzle, making sure you're not doing each other's jobs and that the whole thing is covered. That's interesting. Um, so what kind of clients are you working with now? Your heart was to do like small businesses and nonprofits and things. Yeah, what are some of the clients you're working with today If you can tell us no, absolutely.

Um, and I honestly I'm glad you asked, because I love talking about my clients, because they are the reason I do what I do.

Great question.

So Omni Circle Group was actually one of my first clients which is such a testament to like. Just you know, helping each other Right. Because they helped me, and then I'm now able to turn around and offer something to them, which I think is what the small business community does so well in Topeka.

It's really one of the strengths, but OmniCircle Group Compass Marketing is someone I'm working with. Cohort Digital, like I mentioned, they actually just put out a press release this morning about their new hire, Angie Grau, former owner of Paper June. She's just joined the cohort team. And so they're definitely growing as an organization. Recently got to do some work with the Kansas Department of Commerce around the launch of their Kansas Small Business Office.

So that was a really cool deal and just you know they are really trying to stand up some more resources and platforms to bring kind of the spectrum of resources across the state into one place. Connectksinfo is that website, but it's going to be kind of one central platform, one central hub for small businesses to get better connected with resources more quickly. So that's some work I've been doing. Recently Also got to work with some vendors at the Topeka Farmer's Market.

Tell us about that.

Yeah, so this summer is the 95th year of the Downtown Topeka Farmer's Market. Tell us about that. Yeah, so this summer is the 95th year of the downtown Topeka Farmer's.

Market. Wow, wow, yeah, which makes it the longest running open-air market in Topeka. Really.

And the largest open-air market in Topeka as well. So you know they have so many cool things Saturday morning. They're running right now I think it's 7.30 am to noon roughly, yeah, are there hours?

but um, started in april, uh, going through october, and is that in that?

parking lot downtown. Yeah, yeah, near um, I think. Sixth and harrison or the the cross streets there um. But yeah, they have so many vendors out there. I mean like everything from praline candy with aonola pralines to um linda's afric does uh, she works with artists in Africa to um really curate a selection of kind of fine jewelry and clothing and stuff like that that she brings to the U? S and shares with the Kansas audience, so some really cool stuff there food trucks like the Crepe Rico.

Have you been to the downtown?

I 've actually never been my wife and kids have gone a bunch of times. I've never personally.

You've got to go, I know, yeah, it sounds awesome, I've never been either, and that's really sad from two guys who have a Topeka podcast that we haven't been to down the department. You've got to go.

There's a hidden gem right there.

I know, yeah, there you go, no kidding. Yeah, and you can go, you know, get your coffee from Ground. Oh, that sounds awesome. What is it? It's H&A sourdough.

The eggs are actually a very decent price down there compared to your store-bought eggs.

One of my buddies sells the sourdough bread down there, so he's always doing that. Nice, it's one of those. It's definitely more than vegetables.

You know I think, we think farmer's market and we think just produce, but it's so much more than that. I mean, you've got crafts, you've got um. You you know fresh baked goods, like you said. You've got food trucks, you've got coffee carts. You've got um.

Just so many different things fresh flowers, so it feels like a dangerous place for me to go and spend a lot of money.

Yeah.

Yeah, so what are the hours on it again, um.

I think it's seven 30 to noon. Oh, okay, yeah, roughly every Saturday now through October, wow, so check that out. So downtown to be a farmer's market was a great client and I'm specifically working with a few of the vendors. But then another one that I want to mention recently they did an open house not too long ago is Trident Homes, and they are doing some amazing things because they are actually bringing the first 3D printed housing to Topeka, and I know that sounds wild.

I know that sounds crazy, and you?

might have this image in your head of, like this flimsy plastic, you know, 3d printed item, and that is not what this is at all, or a giant printer Right. Yeah, but they.

But before we get into that, if you've been thinking about relocating to Topeka, Topeka might actually pay you to move. Not even kidding.

That's right. You could get up to $15,000 to move to Shawnee County. Check it out at choosetopekacom.

They print these homes out of concrete, so it's actually more fire resistant than your typical home. It can withstand an F4 tornado.

Wow.

Yeah, it's insane. And they, like I said, this is new technology to the Topeka market. But they had a lot of interest at their open house and people really seem to be, you know, intrigued by what they were here to offer. And so they are. Actually, they're printing their first model home this summer and then hoping to introduce that officially to the Topeka market by by late summer, I think by August.

So how do they print a home?

Yeah, so it's actually printed under this giant climate controlled tent, and it is. I mean, it's a giant printing machine.

Is it one giant piece of concrete? It's not like they don't 3D print concrete blocks and then build it. It's all printed.

Yeah, so it's not like blocks, but they basically they print the foundation, right? So, that's which is typical to your typical foundation, and the 3D printing is really designed to replace the framing of the home.

So, you know we've gotten. The question too is like is this going to replace jobs? Not the case, because you still need someone to man the printer. But then you also, you still need the window installers, you still need the carpenters, you still need the roofers and all, and you know, because these homes can actually be printed much faster than your typical home. It could actually create more jobs in the long run and help address the housing shortage in the Topeka area. But to your question about like, what does that look like to actually print it? They do so just like your typical 3D printer. They do kind of build it in layers and it's, it's. It's just this giant machine that spits out concrete instead of like a different resin type material.

Right.

And it literally just kind of like prints and layers around the outside of the home.

It's like a big CNC thing that just goes like a big, a big.

Yeah, basically it's just a big blown up. Wow yeah Version. That's crazy, but 3Dhomebuildercom.

check them out. Wow so they've been a great client as well.

Yeah, that was quite the buzz in the real estate world when that was announced, because they put out a it's called a phantom listing, where it's not built yet, but they have a rendering of what it's going to look like, and so it hit the market and everyone was like it's here.

The 3D homes are here. Is that happening around the nation?

Yeah, it's happening around the nation. I know one of the owners, or a very part owner, because they have a lot of investors who are doing it and it's it's interesting.

And the company building it. Yeah.

And it's it's very interesting. There's a lot of skepticism right now. That, I think, is as it's they're doing more PR.

Right.

It's becoming more and more like OK, this is happening, they're doing this in other places, this is not crazy. This is not crazy, and just the more that it's kind of nice that there aren't homes built yet, because it's kind of allowing the the word to get out and misconceptions to be able to kind of fizzle and things to kind of get clarified.

And then, people kind of emotionally come to terms with it. Emotionally come to terms with like hey, this is a thing, this is not weird and that's so important.

right, and just like building, building that trust and building that, that continuity between, like okay, this is what I have in my head for what a traditional house looks like. How does this jive with that, that image, you know?

Cause I think if there was, if they were trying to sell one right now or when it was announced you know that when they put the listing out, um, I think if they tried to sell one right then they had one I think it would have had a difficult time because no one had any idea how this was going to work what these were. I mean, I know, back then, if I had a client who said, hey, I want to go buy that home, I'd be like, let's not.

Just because you don't know anything about it. I don't know anything about it.

I'm not going to advise you on this product that I don't know if it's going to be great, but it's starting to come around. People are more. There's more buzz, more articles, more talking about it, so I think it's nice.

Yeah, and the price range you're looking at there too is like $150,000 to $250,000.

Yeah, right where we need it.

I mean very reasonably priced, and they're actually up to 70% more energy efficient, as well than your typical home.

So, like you're going to have savings in the long run too. You said 70%, 70% more efficient. Yep, that's crazy.

So some amazing thing there and one other client I do want to mention too, is Soul Reason. They actually provide new footwear to children in need in the Topeka community as well.

So those are just kind of a sample of the different clients I've gotten to serve so far. How many clients can you take on?

I'm still figuring that out you know, to be determined.

What is the capacity?

to be determined.

Here's a question for you. We only ask the hard hitting questions, but you might have some actual good insight with chat, gpt and AI coming out. Do you feel like that's a threat to your business and that people are just going to try and do this stuff themselves, or do you think that's actually helpful for you? I'm sure you're familiar and you use it in your stuff, but walk us through some of that.

Yeah, that is a great question and you know, as someone with a writing background, it has taken some time for me to get more comfortable with chat, gpt and AI in general. I'll be very honest with that. You know cause I take a lot of pride in my writing and you know I'm. I'm so intentional with every word I write and I it paints this picture. It tells a story and it's an art form and and I hate for that to get lost with AI Um but at the same time right, right, but, but I have become more comfortable with it.

I really have, and I I am using it for myself in some different ways. Um, and I I'll say too I know like some people will use chat to write a quick press release and they don't feel like they need a professional like me, and if that's how you want to go about it, that's okay. I will say you should never let the chat produced press release be your final version of the press release.

Right without some human. Yeah, like some human finagling and some touch ups here and there.

Because it reads like a robot at the end of the day.

And I will say too, you know, part of why I do what I do is to take to free up business owners time, you know. So if you want to do that for free and try to put it out there, no shame, do what you got to do. You know you got limited resources. You got to put those to the best use. I get it, um, cause I'm a small business owner too, you know, and it does cost for that kind of thing. But if you want someone who's going to, you know, operate with a certain level of professionalism and actually free you up to do what you do best and to make some of that PR, um, you know, mess off your plate. If that's how you feel about it, that's really when you hire a peer professional to come in, and I bet it's made you immensely better at your job because you get to take what you're already good at and it gets to help you make it better.

Absolutely I was listening to Cody Foster's podcast. He's got a. It's called the business of advice interviews all sorts of top producers across the country and all different kinds of industries. But, it's not as good as this one. There's no doubt it's not as good as this one. If he's lucky, we'll ask him to come on.

Have you had him on yet? I think we need a little podcast duel.

We're working out the kinks and we're going to make this.

He's not ready for it yet Once he gets the mall figured out, then he's dope know. But you should interview him in the mall once he. Yeah, that'd be sweet, but he had someone on talking about ai and the big takeaway I had from the whole episode is ai is gonna bring these low producers up to mid to above average yeah it's gonna.

You know, it takes someone who doesn't have any skills in writing and they're gonna be above average because of ai, but it's gonna take someone who was already above average and it's gonna put them through the roof absolutely and so there's still gonna be a massive separation, that it's not that we're all, and I think especially in the copywriting world, where it's so apparent that it's not going to water down and everyone's now going to be the same and there's no use for copywriters, or PR.

It's going to take your work and it's going to make it even better.

And so now you're like the robot. Yeah, yeah, and sometimes I will do a first draft of a press release using AI, but I make so many changes, you know update the quotes to make it sound more human, like it's not even close to the final product.

Take out all the dashes Right, right.

And emojis Sometimes right the emojis have no place in a press release Lines dashes emojis galore.

Brains dashes emojis galore.

And I will say too, one cool thing I realized fairly recently is that AI can help me with my reporting too. So when I'm reporting back to a client on, you know, this is where all you appeared as far as article goes. You know this is kind of the estimated reach of those articles and videos. It's been really helpful for that because it can comb the entire internet and say here's all the times your client was mentioned, and that does make me a lot more efficient on that side of things.

Yeah, cause I could be digging for hours just to go through all the stories.

So it sounds like ChatGPT's PR firm won you over, I guess. So a little bit.

Yeah, your connection, the trust that you have with ChatGPT.

Stop it, John. Please stop it you know, and I even-.

No, I love ChatsBT. I think it's awesome.

It has become helpful and, like I said, I've warmed up to it. I've gotten over that hump of like what is this? Is this trying to replace me Like?

I'm over that by now. Should I feel threatened by this, what is happening?

Right. I recently had the opportunity to attend the Global Entrepreneurship Congress, which is this international conference all about entrepreneurship put on by the Global Entrepreneurship Network.

But Kansas Commerce actually took a 50-member delegation to that conference at the beginning of the month in Indianapolis and the keynote kind of fireside chat, for that was Mark Cuban, and so I got to hear from him, wow, and he talked a lot about AI and its power as well. And just you know, he part of his message was kind of like if you are not using AI, you're already behind Wow. And so I think that's something to keep in mind too. You know if we're not willing to open ourselves up to new technology, cause that's ultimately what that is then, we're going to fall behind and that you know you.

You have to be be sure that you're using it ethically and using it in a smart way. But if you're not willing to explore new technology and adopt new technology, then you're not going to evolve as a business owner, as a professional, mark Cuban.

there's a lot of people who binge Netflix shows, and I'm one of them, but I binge Shark Tank like none other you would that checks out, and my wife makes so much fun of me she goes on a walk or whatever, and she comes back and I'm like in the middle of a Shark Tank episode she goes what are you? Doing. But yeah, I see Cuban's ads with Gemini all the time he's a big AI guy is he invested in Gemini? I don't know, because Jim?

well, I don't know but Jim and I is Google, right Google, so I would. I mean and Jim and I does a really cool thing where it can do an audio summary of like if you have notes or you know press release or just you know a variety of documents with information in it, they can do an audio summary of that information and it sounds so convers do an audio summary of that information and it sounds so conversational, almost like a podcast that makes it super easy to listen to, so that's kind of a cool feature of Gemini.

Yeah, stuff like that I think is really helpful, like where it saves you time. That is like this is busy work. I don't really want to have to do this. I have found personally with the way I use it and just seeing other things like to kind of the question that you were bringing up of like does it's not going to? It's not going to take someone with no creativity and create creativity.

Like but it'll take someone with with great creativity and it'll amplify that creativity that someone has, and so even the way that like, even, like just what you're asking for oftentimes is really the difference. It can't like hey, start this business and make me a lot of money, like you can't do that Like you still got to do. You got to do it, you got to like, have the spark and the idea and like what are you even asking him for?

You know, but that input, the prompt, is so important. And that's that's what I found too. You know, like if I, if I'm not prompting it, well, what I get out is not going to be a good final result. But if I am very intentional with the prompt and giving it all this information and maybe uploading a couple of documents to support that information, like what it spits out is going to be pretty comprehensive, right, yeah, if I.

If you use it more as a think tank and less of a. Give me the answer.

Right and like someone who bounce ideas off of Right yeah.

Yeah, I've done a, so I preach almost every Sunday at here at the church and, uh, um, a few times I've been like hey, write me a sermon on this and it's generally trash, like it's just like. This is so boring, like I wouldn't listen to someone saying this you know, that's not even a funny joke.

And uh, yeah, so, but when I will, I'll use it to help me like, I'll use it as, like a research assistant. So, like hey, I'm looking for stories or examples of this in history or whatever. Help me find examples of this, and then I'll comb through the results to find the one that I think is the most helpful. You know, or you know, hey, like, for instance, in the Bible. Like hey, help me find everywhere the Bible says something about this, you know, and so I'm not personally having to like you know, and so it really saves so much time. But then freeze up my thoughts to be creative, you know. So it like freeze up, cause I think so much of like creativity gets lost in like decision fatigue you know, where, like you're spending, especially if you it's like if you're the owner of your business.

You have so many small decisions you have to make every day.

It makes deciding what to eat for dinner horrible.

Cause I get to the end of my day and I'm like I don't want to think about it, oh exactly.

I know I feel bad sometimes. I've tried to get better at this. But my wife the same. She's like what do you want to do for me? And I'm like, okay, like that's probably not helpful, you know, for her. But or different decisions, it's the same way. But I think so much of creativity gets lost in like I have no mental energy left for really what is the most important part of what is like the role only I can do.

Yeah, and you mentioned busy work a minute ago, like it really does replace that which is, or at least like, speeds that up, which is so valuable.

Yeah, absolutely, it's so true Like time really is everything.

Let's go, you know yeah.

Changing gears, maybe to more of Topeka. Now you've been here for six years. We talked about some hidden gems and what is something, and we usually save this for the end, but it feels like you've seen a lot, so you might have some answers. What is something you think maybe Topeka is missing?

Oh, that's a great question. Well, I will say More 3D printed homes Right right, I am going to be so ready when Olive Cafe reopens eventually their restaurant, because I really enjoy Mediterranean food. And we're kind of at a loss for that right now, without all the cafe Um what happened? You know, I I think it maybe had something to do with just that location and the limited parking, and he was wanting to kind of move to a spot that had some better parking options and stuff like that.

Cause that place was fire, we went there a bunch of times.

So I'm I'm Iiterranean food yeah, you know more mediterranean food around here that you eat when they're close, not really, so you're just like because you really have to go all the way to either lawrence or kansas city that's kind of what. I'm sorry mad greek or something.

Yeah, yeah um gosh, what else I mean? I would love to see some more like activity oriented things geared towards adults. You know, I'm I'm trying to figure out what that is exactly, but but that would be something I will say we, we are, we're upping our game in like event space, but I've also been to some events recently where I'm like, oh, this is at another level and I don't know if we have a place in Topeka that could really do that.

So so that's kind of on my mind right now, but that's not necessarily like um like concerts, like what kind of events I mean definitely some more um concerts that speak to like a Gen Z kind of audience. I mean, I don't know if people know this, but I'm the first year of Gen Z actually.

So, uh, are you really? Yeah, so you're the elder Gen Z, I'm an elder Gen Z, are you guys?

millennials.

I'm a millennial.

Gen Z as well. Okay, elder millennial.

And what's that?

I mean sorry, Elder Gen Z yeah.

What's the first year, gen Z?

97, I believe.

Okay, I'm a 98.

Okay, so okay, we're right there on that cusp, yeah, I.

I get.

I don't know what I'd rather be lumped in with, to be honest, yeah, I was going to say some things I relate to Gen Z more and some things I relate to millennials more Cause, you're just like yeah.

Okay, so event space.

Wait. So 97 is the first year of Gen Z. Yeah, will have it slightly different, but that's I liked. I like claiming that, yeah, I paid the way for you guys.

First PR firm, first Gen Z. So um, but yeah, I think some more more like fun activities geared towards um kind of that that young adult audience would be really nice.

Um, I mean, I cannot wait to see what the mall does, because I think that's going to fill some gaps in the market.

I would love to see a Trader Joe's in Topeka.

I've heard that's in the works.

Okay, fingers crossed, because every once in a while I will drive to Kansas City just to go to Trader Joe's.

Someone told me it's coming to the mall. I heard it's coming to the mall. That has not been confirmed Right and this is not what that is.

Can you confirm or deny? This is the only reason we'll have Cody on the podcast, but, trader Joe's, if you're listening. Confirm or deny Right.

I'm sick of going to Dilla's.

Right, right. So I would love to see maybe some stores like that that you know, like we, we and also like this isn't a thing necessarily or like a place, but like I want to see Topekans believe in themselves more, because I think that, like, if we can believe in ourselves and believe that we deserve this, we deserve to have these good things, we can build something great Like that's how we're going to manifest it. When we start to believe that, like Topeka can handle this, topeka needs this and wants it, and when the people can really come to that conclusion, I think we're really gonna be onto something.

That is a great thought, Cause I'm sitting here thinking right now like do we deserve a Trader Joe's? Should we have? One of those or I like. Do we really need a Lululemon?

It's like, yeah, you know, we do.

That would that place would stay. I know my wife would keep that place in business. My pocket would be empty if we had a Lululemon in Topeka, totally unrelated.

Justin really needs to sell a house right now.

Yeah, no kidding, commission check is already spent by that one Dude.

You know what we do need more. We need more brunch places.

Oh yeah.

There's one that just opened up by the lake over on the. What is that? The east side?

We need more brunch spots like Lawrence and like very vibey spots too.

Yeah, there's one every hundred feet in Lawrence. We need some good brunch spots and not like IHOP. First Watch just opened up.

First Watch is great. Yeah, it's true. I've been there several times. I'm going to be hard-pressed to ever go to First Watch because Big Biscuit's just right down the way.

Honestly, big Biscuit to me is like an IHOP. What Are you kidding me? It is the same as IHOP.

No way, yeah are you kidding me the same as I have no way.

Yeah, that is the most preposterous thing you've said. Okay, I'll say, I'll say that it's like a, a baby step above, oh my gosh.

And you probably think el mes is in line with taco bell no, well, that's.

No, that's hilarious, no, that's, I would say, the exact opposite of that unbelievable big biscuit is head and shoulders. No to me to me, this would be like you thinking taco john's is different than taco bell, like it's the same. It's exactly the same. Get out of here, it's it's a. It's a cheap chain that goes around the nation do you want to chime?

in places I mean, I love some authentic mexican food, so I'm gonna point to our taco trucks if we're talking mexican like k tacos over on six el. K. Tacos over on 6th El Guitaron over on the California exit.

Right, yeah, we have some amazing taco trucks in the area. I also love Elmez. Like I'm not a hater on Elmez, I'm just saying when I think of brunch, I'm not thinking of well, Big Biscuit, I'm thinking of like-. You're thinking of like non-chain, non-chain, that's what I'm hearing the one we just talked about that just dropped. What did we just say? First Watch, first Watch is kind of a chain, but it's sort of a local chain, right.

I don't know Whatever you have to say, just fight to yourself. There's one in Lawrence.

But like yeah, I don't know.

As someone who who eats a lot of food, I can tell you Big Biscuit slaps.

But truly some like, some like locally owned, one of a kind very just like experience oriented.

Right, big Biscuit's. Not that, but the fact that you just compared it to IHOP Big Biscuit to me is like Applebee's Just get over here.

How is it different breakfast?

Applebee's. It's just way different. You know it and you're just being difficult right now. Justin has shifted his body language.

Moving on, how is Big Biscuit not just breakfast? Applebee's John there's the door.

That's right, I own this you can leave that door. Moving on.

You didn't actually counter anything.

I said no, Big Biscuit. Okay, like Justin was saying, Big Biscuit absolutely slaps.

I'm not saying it's not good, I'm just saying it's not the type. No one has disagreed with what I said that it's the breakfast of Applebee's no one has disagreed with me.

Fine, let me localize it.

So you can say, hey, applebee's slaps, it's still Applebee's.

You're not disagreeing that it's Applebee's to take us off this slightly, but still on the food and drink kind of topic, um one thing.

So on the last inner city visit, when we went to Boise, one of the things we experienced there was this food hall of all local businesses, and that is something I would love to see Topeka have.

What do you mean by food hall?

So there it's um. I mean a lot like a food court, but it's just all one building dedicated to this food hall. And you've got um all local small businesses in the different you know, storefronts and booths and whatnot, but there's just like open common seating area between them all. So you could you know, maybe you show up with your friends and you say, well, I'm in the mood for this.

I'm in the mood for this, I'm going to go over here. You're in the mood for that? You go over there, and then we'll meet back up and get a table and the whole kind of thing. Is it like a? It's not a permanent spot for these small businesses, but it's like a pop-up, like hey, they're going to be at the food hall.

Well, I've kind of seen it.

It's like actual old, like prep high school looking building, but it's not a school, and in place in all the classrooms are restaurants. It's the same idea. There's a common seating area yeah and then you can go. But it's like all local restaurants. You can get like local pizza, Mexican food. There's like a brewery in one section of the school and yeah, it's, it was awesome. We loved it.

Well, and it's it's like to answer your question like it's there. There are probably like businesses that are there for maybe like a couple of years or something, until they grow out of it.

So it's like it's a great starter spot.

You know for a lot of places that maybe, like, can't afford their full own restaurant yet, but but want to like be out in the public, want to be serving people in that way. Um, and I thought of another restaurant too. We need a great Vietnamese spot as well.

I really enjoy some Vietnamese food, uh, uh, what's the Saigon, saigon.

Are they still open? I have gotten food there. I believe they are. Their hours are kind of funky sometimes.

Yeah, yeah, my wife loves the pho there.

Oh yeah, yeah, it's very good, and I hear Four Guys is opening back up downtown as well, really.

Yeah, okay, yeah, great pho as well.

Well, do we want to keep this hot take rolling? I don't know. I'm sick of you.

I have one. I don't think it's a hot take, but-.

We'll be the judge of that Right. Right, you better be careful.

I think it's a really great take actually.

So I'm a public radio kind of listener and I also watch PBS NewsHour and was listening to a PBS program over the weekend and they they shared this statistic from a study that says you may think I'm going way off the rails by bringing this up, but I think it's relevant to community development, but they referenced a study and in 2023, american adults spent eleven billion dollars with the B on doomsday preparation.

Really, I know you're like what are you saying this is left, that's your generation, but I think it's a few generations older than me but $11 billion on doomsday preparation and I the thought I had after seeing that was can you imagine if we spent that kind of money, like in pouring it back into our own communities, you know, to really create spaces and communities and regions where people don't feel the need to run, you know they don't feel the need to prep for the end and truly are present and community oriented and giving back and serving others. Just, you know, imagine what we could do if that were, if that were more normalized. So that may seem like it's coming out of left field but I think it's relevant to creating some of these things.

we're talking about it does foster local businesses.

If I hire a local construction company to build my bunker, I mean that's giving back to the local economy.

I mean not where I was going with that, but fair.

No, it's a great, great, great point I love that it's not exactly what you're talking about, but there's a very small version of like. Have you guys been to that gas station in Lawrence that always has a little tiny restaurant on the side, inside. It's inside the gas station. Several restaurants have gotten their start inside of this gas station and then launched out. So there's one on mass and I'm blanking. It's a Mediterranean place. I'm trying to remember what it's called, but it started in the side of this gas station on 6th and Wow.

I don't know, 6th and Lawrence or Monterey or something like that. But yeah, no, never heard of it.

Nope.

At one point they had this chicken restaurant. They would this chicken restaurant. They would do fried chicken sandwiches and it would be fried chicken with a donut as the bun.

I feel like I've seen that before, but it might've been on. Tiktok, so I don't know. I think, I saw it on Shark Tank. Of course you did. Yeah, yeah, anyway, rapid fire. So do you have a favorite coffee place? Oh, that's good. I mean, circle Coffee is such a good one. I also really enjoy Blackbird over that's near where.

I live, but over by.

Gage.

Park. Yeah, that's awesome.

Yeah, those are great, do you golf?

I have golfed before, but I wouldn't say I golf, you know what?

I mean, do you have a favorite golf course?

The only one I've actually played at is Cypress Ridge. All right, there you go, cy Um, the only one I've actually played at a Cypress Ridge, all right. Yeah.

Cypress Ridge, cypress fire. Yeah, you want to ask her. The hottest of the hottest takes question.

Actually let me rescind that. T-box is my favorite there we go Okay, that's a good answer.

That is a great answer. Great answer. All right, you're doing a home project.

Okay.

You have to go and get some supplies. Okay, Lowe's Home Depot, Menards. Where are you going?

Oh my gosh. Okay, fun fact, the first time I went to Menards was here in Topeka, like I had not been to Menards before moving to the Midwest, so naturally that's not the first one I think of. That's just my little caveat.

Bummer, I feel like I grew up going to.

Lowe's, which is probably the least interesting of those, but I grew up on a Lowe's.

That is the most neutral of the three options. In this room, anything but Home Depot.

What's wrong with Home Depot? Nothing, we just have a feud.

I will say I shouldn't say this on record, but so this is being recorded. The Monday after Father's Day, for I don't know when this will release, but my wife got my Father's Day gift at Menards Absolutely, and I immediately I was like you know why?

Cause it just makes sense.

I know I was like broken. I was like you can never tell anyone this. You can't, you cannot tell Justin that this is where you got this and it was a great gift. It was a great gift. It was definitely like something that Home Depot wouldn't sell, you know, wouldn't sell. You're a doer, aren't you? I?

am Doers get more done. That's exactly I will say. The first time I went into a Menards I was very impressed. I was like they have all of this in one room Absolutely Cereal. I was like I can get my food, do my grocery shopping and my home improvement.

You're going out for a date night. Where do you want to?

go. I mean, I'm not going to lie, I love a like a hole in the wall casual date night. Um so, like boyfriend and I recently did like taco truck taco night.

Like that was a lot of fun.

Let's go Um but I do, I do enjoy, like John's ties, A good one If you can get a reservation in advance. Um, yeah, I'll stick with that.

Love it, yep, love it, uh. Dessert place.

Ooh Um, I really enjoy the carrot cake at Blackbird.

Have you ever had it? I think I have had the carrot cake. I love carrot cake, yeah.

Carrot cake is so good.

That's a unique answer I like that.

That is a very unique answer.

Yeah, I like that a lot. Uh, add, like instead of golf course, like which is your favorite pickleball courts? Yeah, because they're.

I've actually never played pickleball before. I'm probably really in the minority there, but it's never played.

I'm gonna say Urish or Orleans Orleans well, I've never played pickleball that's what? Oh yeah, that's true, but we're gonna have to add that that's a good one.

That's good yeah that's a good one. Oh, another date night spot Topekaeka Civic Theater. All right, that's a good one. Love a local play.

Yeah, nice Great.

Yeah, potholes. How many did you hit on the way over here?

Okay. So, having gone to college in New Orleans, when I hear people complain about potholes, I'm like go drive in New Orleans.

All right.

It will take your bumper off.

Okay, topeka's got it good.

Because of like the saltwater nearby. Well, I think it does.

I mean New Orleans is below sea level, like the entire city. And so I think that does have something to do with it. I think. Don't quote me on this. I may be totally off base here, but I think also their funding for roads has not always been consistent over the years.

But the puddles are something else People in Topeka just need to quit complaining.

That's my take.

They don't have it as bad as they think they do. It's all about perspective.

I heard it's all because of all the doomsday preppers building bunkers and they're ruining the ground. You need to get your generation in line. All the millennials who can't afford a home. I don't think they're building bunkers.

No, the New Orleanians are drinking instead of building the doomsday bunkers. I don't know if you heard about Cinco de Mayo. Several years back, there was a sinkhole on Canal Street and instead of addressing it immediately, they called it Cinco de Mayo and like threw a party around it Cinco de Mayo and like threw a party around it Cinco de Mayo.

That is hilarious.

So that's how they turned that around.

Now that they had a great PR firm.

They did. They spun that that's Cinco's PR firm was top notch.

Oh, that's awesome man. Is there any question you wish we would have asked you?

Oh, oh, my gosh Is there? I don't think so you guys covered it. Where can people find you at? Yes, so people can find my business at locallensprcom. Yep. Um, I am on Facebook, as you know, india Yarbrough, and as local lens PR, um, local lens PR, on Instagram, on LinkedIn. So, yeah, they can. I also office out of Omni Circle Group.

So come find me there, pop in, come, say hi, wait. So as an elder Gen Z, you're not on TikTok.

No, I mean I have a TikTok account, but I've never posted to it before, so I just discreetly watch from the background.

As an elder Gen Z, what's the primary social media you're personally using?

Honestly, the past year I feel like I've been like kind of reeling back a little bit from social media. Like if it's not for business type stuff.

Okay, I like it.

Yeah, I just it can be such an attention suck and and honestly I think it it increases our anxiety and increases, like these, feelings of restlessness.

So true.

And that's not what I need in my life right now.

Yeah, love it. Love it, india. Thank you so much for joining us. Thank you so much for having me.

This was awesome, thank you so much Even if there were some feuds in the mix, you know it was a great time.

We'll figure it out off air Sick of this guy.