Since its inception in the 1980s, Farm Aid has always been much more than just a spectacular festival with incredible performers—it’s been a hub of farmer and rural advocacy. Each year before the concert, they host an annual Farmer Forum to convene everyday people and rural advocates in one place to take on the challenges that face us all. The year…

“Billionaire Tears” mug available in Elizabeth Warren’s campaign store. Corporate lobbyists and politicians recently jumped all over Kamala Harris for her proposal to outlaw price gouging by food giants and grocery chains. The partisans piled on Harris, sputtering like old Joe McCarthy that she was pushing “Soviet-style” government price-setting. O…

Meme courtesy LoveAndViscera on Reddit Oh, swell – here it comes again. It’s the “Great Man” theory of history, trotted out periodically by plutocrats, patricians, royalists, and assorted other proponents of an elitist social order. They insist that great progress does not come from political movements, unions, and other grassroots forces, but from…

NOTE: Hurricane Helene has wreaked horrific damage all across Appalachia and the Southeast. Some terrific rural organizers have put together this comprehensive document of resources for people affected, as well as ways to help. Give / Get Hurricane Helene Help Here Perhaps you’ve noticed from the shrinkage (or total elimination) of your local newsp…

Greetings, friends! Deanna the Sidekick here to report in on some great activities that have come across our path in the last few months. I’ve been participating in some remarkable discussions and actions that are lifting up the rural voices in this country, and that are engaging rural voters’ participation in a system that, frankly, hasn’t treated…

Hightower outside the Woody Guthrie Center in Tulsa, OK Woody Guthrie’s prescription for inequality in America was straightforward: “Rich folks got your money with politics. You can get it back with politics.” For Guthrie, “politics” meant more than voting, since both parties routinely cough-up candidates who meekly accept the business-as-usual sys…

An iconic Texas band, the Austin Lounge Lizards, has a song that nails the absurd self-righteousness of Christian supremacists: “Jesus loves me… but he can’t stand you.” I think of this refrain when I behold today’s right-ring proselytizers wailing that the blessed rich should not be taxed to assure that everyone has the most basic human needs. See…

If you name your $4-billion food conglomerate “The Wonderful Company,” you probably should strive extra hard not to let it become the horrible company. This outfit spends a fortune painting itself as an environmentally sensitive purveyor of healthy products – like “POM,” its brand of pomegranate juice and its bottled “Fiji Water.” Moreover, its bil…

Photo courtesy wiscnews.com Baraboo, Wisconsin is known as home base for the Ringling Brothers Circus. But even that extravaganza of acrobats and clowns could not surpass the dazzling tent show playing out in Baraboo this month, starring the Sauk County Board of Supervisors. Only… you couldn’t have seen it, because the tent was zipped-tight to keep…

A farmer was asked what he’d do if he won a million-dollar lottery. “Well,” he said, “I guess I’d just keep farming ‘til the money runs out.” Trying to make a living as a farmer is not for the fainthearted. You have to take out high-interest loans from cold-eyed bankers to put in a crop and buy supplies. Then you’re also at the mercy of everything …

Photo by Ben Rosett on Unsplash It never ceases to amaze me that corporate, political, media, religious, and other power elites routinely speak and act in the name of the masses – without ever consulting us hoi polloi. This disconnect is the source of a lot of the arrogance, stupidity, and inequality afflicting our society. Consider the huge, very …

Every once in a great while, a major media celebrity comes along who puts his or her talent and – well, celebrity – to work for the Common Good. Many generous artistic souls support good causes – and bless them for that! But there are a few who put the public interest at the center of their professional calling, and it’s been my joy to know a coupl…

Seeing two bloated egos like Elon Musk and Donald Trump hug-up recently in their marriage of political convenience, made me think: “Boy, there’s two who really do deserve each other!” The only question is which one will betray the other first. Upgrade your subscription My money is on Musk. Yes, Trump has built his entire career on the art of high-p…

Just before Labor Day, FTC Chairwoman Lina Khan kicked off a momentous antitrust lawsuit, challenging the $24 billion monopolistic plan by grocery giant Kroger to take over the Albertson supermarket chain. The mega-merger would drastically shrivel competition, raise our grocery prices, eliminate thousands of jobs, and reduce bargaining power for un…

Hey y’all, Deanna, here! As someone who grew up in a rural area (where’re my Southern Tier of New York people at?!), it’s often frustrating to see how people who aren’t from the countryside react to rural politics. We make a lot of assumptions, and I’ve long felt like those assumptions have cost us in electoral votes and solid policy. But working w…

Right-wing ideologues are mounting a three-pronged fraud trying to delegitimize Social Security, slash its benefits, then – zzzzzt – kill it. First, they tried to demonize our public retirement program as a socialist horror. That hasn’t worked, since this pension literally works, allowing millions of workaday American families to escape old age pov…

“I’ve got those Payday-Friday Grocery store blues.” That working-class-lament is from an old bluegrass song, but millions of working stiffs are singing it today. While many workers have finally seen an uptick in their paychecks, they’ve been dismayed to see the increase quickly gobbled up by jacked-up grocery prices. What the hell? Kamala Harris ha…

As summer is starting to wind down, our gang here thought we’d share a little bit from what’s been on our radar the last few weeks. What have you been reading, watching and listening to? Let us know in the comments! Leave a comment Read more由Jim Hightower

“Big Boss Man,” an old song by blues legend Jimmy Reed, still packs a potent political punch for today’s working class: You got me workin’, boss man, working round the clock I wanna little drink of water, but you won’t let Jimmy stop Big boss man, can’t you hear me When I call? But then, Reed urges workers to see how small the boss man really is: W…

A 6-Part Series about growing your business in 2023 and beyond. Josh unpacks what he learned at two major marketing conferences recently. On this episode, Josh gives his "Reader's Digest" notes so you can learn fast and prepare for the future. Listen to this episode and learn more about all of the ways Josh and his team can help you. Then you shoul…

A 6-Part Series about growing your business in 2023 and beyond. Josh unpacks what he learned at two major marketing conferences recently. On this episode, Josh gives his "Reader's Digest" notes so you can learn fast and prepare for the future. Listen to this episode and learn more about all of the ways Josh and his team can help you. Then you shoul…

A 6-Part Series about growing your business in 2023 and beyond. Josh unpacks what he learned at two major marketing conferences recently. On this episode, Josh gives his "Reader's Digest" notes so you can learn fast and prepare for the future. Listen to this episode and learn more about all of the ways Josh and his team can help you. Then you shoul…

A 6-Part Series about growing your business in 2023 and beyond. Josh unpacks what he learned at two major marketing conferences recently. On this episode, Josh gives his "Reader's Digest" notes so you can learn fast and prepare for the future. Listen to this episode and learn more about all of the ways Josh and his team can help you. Then you shoul…

A 6-Part Series about growing your business in 2023 and beyond. Josh unpacks what he learned at two major marketing conferences recently. On this episode, Josh gives his "Reader's Digest" notes so you can learn fast and prepare for the future. Listen to this episode and learn more about all of the ways Josh and his team can help you. Then you shoul…

A 6-Part Series about growing your business in 2023 and beyond. Josh unpacks what he learned at two major marketing conferences recently. On this episode, Josh gives his "Reader's Digest" notes so you can learn fast and prepare for the future. Listen to this episode and learn more about all of the ways Josh and his team can help you. Then you shoul…

You want to protect your audience and have control of what they experience. For this to happen, you need to own your own membership site. It's not as difficult as you may think, but it is very profitable. Listen to this episode and learn more about all of the ways Josh and his team can help you. Then you should connect with Josh at GoSocialExperts.…

You should consider having your own Membership Site where you deliver FREE value to your audience. This is a wonderful way to build a community feel and insulate your audience from others. It could be as simple as 3 videos, a masterclass, or some other type of training. Create Your Free Account to Enroll in this Course. By changing the language, yo…

How can you identify your audience when you cannot see them? You should be using pixels on every page of your website so you can continue to market to people who visit your pages. By doing this, you'll stay in front of your audience on a more regular basis. Listen to this episode and learn more about all of the ways Josh and his team can help you. …

Not everyone will like you or how you market. What should you do when you get replies from "the hateful few" without this ruining your day? Don't hit the "unsubscribe" link! Today, Josh shares what you should do. Listen to this episode and learn more about all of the ways Josh and his team can help you. Then you should connect with Josh at GoSocial…

How can you get the Physical Mailing Address of your prospects? Today, Josh shares a great way to ask for their mailing address. Listen to this episode and learn more about all of the ways Josh and his team can help you. Then you should connect with Josh at GoSocialExperts.com

Prospects like to hide their real information from you. What can you do to get them to come out of the shadows and give you their real information. Today Josh shares a strategy to make sure you are getting the BEST email address from ideal prospects. Listen to this episode and learn more about all of the ways Josh and his team can help you. Then yo…

One of the best ways to find words that your prospects will understand is to use the words your audience uses. Do NOT use industry jargon because they don't understand. Translate your jargon OR just use their words in your marketing. Josh shares a couple of pretty funny stories to drive home this point: The Double Wave and How to Outrun Age. Listen…

Finding a consistent flow of ideas can be challenging. In this episode, marketing expert, Josh Hightower, reveals where his "Idea Factory" is located and where you can find what your audience is thinking about. AnswerThePublic.com. Use what others are asking to create your posts. Google Trends is a similart type search that can tell you how many pe…

Creating Social Posts does not have to be difficult. Josh shares what he has learned from Frank Kern: The Connect Post. The "How To" Post. The Offer. In this episode, Josh takes a deep dive into these 3 types of posts and how you can implement them this week. Listen to this episode and learn more about all of the ways Josh and his team can help you…

MATH is a 4-Letter Word that you should LOVE. Josh explains his 20/60/20 Formula and how you can use it to grow your business. By understanding "The 3 Temperatures of People" you will more effectively communicate with your audience and gain more clients. Listen to this episode and learn more about all of the ways Josh and his team can help you. The…

Shop Small Fall: a Neighborhood Bakery. On this episode we have coffee and catch up with Kristin at Sugar Momma’s Sweets in Cashmere. Learn about her experiences with the power of local community, social media networking, and partnering with fellow small businesses for events like Scare Crazy… and more!--- Send in a voice message: https://podcaster…

One of the best investments you can make in yourself and your business is to join a mastermind group. Josh explains the different types of mastermind groups, why they are so transformative, and the benefit of surrounding yourself with like-minded people. Listen to this episode and learn more about all of the ways Josh and his team can help you. The…

R Shack is a caterer in East Wenatchee who specializes in events - they also enjoy participating in pop-ups (most recently the Food Truck Knight at WVC; their food goes fast as it is highly recommended). We ask how they persevered as a mobile vendor during wildfire season, as we recorded this episode up at the Supernova Business Launch event - Cong…

What Business Are You Really In? Every business owner is in the same business regardless of your industry. Josh Hightower shares what business you are in and why this is so vital to the success of your business. Listen to this episode and learn more about all of the ways Josh and his team can help you. Then you should connect with Josh at GoSocialE…

“Everybody loves lavender and I have done the work to make good, nontoxic products you can trust…” -Beth Hammerberg, Down By The River Lavender. Are you ready to learn about local small businesses…and take a peek behind the scenes of our VIDEO podcast? Follow Hightower Digital Media on YouTube and hit the bell for notifications so you don’t miss th…

How to engage with your audience with a compelling audience. You may not know what will resonate with them today, but when you communicate regularly you will find an "angle" that gets through to them. This is WHY you need to be consistent and persistent in your marketing. Josh also shares how to create FAQs that will help you gain more clients. Lis…

There are so many ways to communicate today: WhatsApp, FbMsngr, Lin, Phone, Fax, Letter, Text. Be sure you are not limiting yourself to only "old school" channels. Listen to this episode and learn more about all of the ways Josh and his team can help you. Then you should connect with Josh at GoSocialExperts.com…

Are you ready to learn about local small businesses…and take a peek behind the scenes of our VIDEO podcast? Follow Hightower Digital Media on YouTube and hit the bell for notifications so you don’t miss the LIVE PREMIERE Oct 1! WIN PRIZES!--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hightowerdigitalmedia/message…

As you engage with your audience via email, be sure to move them to your social media platforms for further engagement. Listen to this episode and learn more about all of the ways Josh and his team can help you. Then you should connect with Josh at GoSocialExperts.com

When is an unsubribe, not an unsubscribe??? Today, Josh explains a great way to keep people in your audience, even if they unsubscribe from a list. Listen to this episode and learn more about all of the ways Josh and his team can help you. Then you should connect with Josh at GoSocialExperts.com

You have many people in your database. They've opted in at some point, but they aren't really engaged with you or your content. Today, Josh shares how you can re-engage them using an effective strategy, including a Customer Insight Report. Listen to this episode and learn more about all of the ways Josh and his team can help you. Then you should co…

Do you have an email list full of people who are no longer engaged or responsive? Most everyone does. That's why on today's episode, marketing expert Josh Hightower, shares some expert advice on what to do with those unengaged people on your list. It takes more than just sending a random email to them to get them to reengage with you. Josh has a sp…

Email marketing is a powerful tool that can produce great results when done properly. The greatest challenge with email marketing is getting your email delivered. Actually getting your email to show up in the inbox can be a real challenge. That's why on today's episode, marketing expert Josh Hightower, shares some expert insights around email deliv…

Can old school tactics still produce results? Absolutely! In fact, on today's episode, marketing expert Josh Hightower shares how using email (which is an old-school tactic) can produce great results for your business. If you think email is overlooked, dead, and buried, think again. Email is one of the most powerful marketing tools in your marketin…

You've heard of funnel hacking and swipe files. They are common terms to online marketers. Today, marketing expert Josh Hightower shares with us the power of modeling other peoples marketing. You don't have to re-create the wheel - in fact you shouldn't. Look at what other people are doing, and see how you can model it in your business. This is an …