Growing Destinations
Your go-to source for insightful discussions on destination development. The Growing Destinations podcast delves into the strategies, challenges, and successes that drive community growth. Each episode features in-depth conversations with local and national experts, uncovering universal themes and innovative practices that can be applied to any city or region.
Growing Destinations
The Heart of Local: Becky Montpetit’s Vision for Community Engagement
Have you ever wondered how a simple need can ignite a thriving, community-driven business? Meet Rochester, Minnesota entrepreneur Becky Montpetit, the visionary behind Rochester Local, La Crosse Local, and Twin Cities Mom. In this conversation, Becky shares her journey—from launching the Rochester MN Moms Blog to filling a gap in family-friendly resources in Rochester. What began as a passion project grew into a network of local platforms dedicated to fostering connections and providing accessible community information. She opens up about the challenges, victories, and the driving force behind her mission to make community engagement easier for families and individuals.
The Growing Destinations podcast is brought to you by Experience Rochester. Learn more about Minnesota's third largest city, which is home to Mayo Clinic and features wonderful recreational and entertainment opportunities, by visiting experiencerochestermncom.
Becky Montpetit:My passion lies with connecting communities. I truly believe that a family, a community, an individual feels more connected to their place by how much they know about that place.
Bill Von Bank:Welcome to the Growing Destinations podcast, where we take a deep dive into destination development and focus on a wide range of topics, from tourism and entertainment to economic development and entrepreneur. On a wide range of topics, from tourism and entertainment to economic development and entrepreneurism, and much more. I'm your host, Bill Von Bank, Rochester, Minnesota, native. Becky Montpetit is an entrepreneur and the visionary behind Rochester, Local, Across Local and Twin Cities Mom platforms dedicated to building connections, celebrating local culture and empowering families and communities. In today's episode, I sit down with Becky to explore her remarkable journey as a multi-market entrepreneur. We'll discuss her ambitions, the challenges she's faced and the opportunities she's embraced along the way. Whether you're an entrepreneur, a community builder or simply someone who enjoys stories about fostering meaningful connections, this conversation is sure to inspire Becky Monpetit. Welcome to the Growing Destinations podcast.
Becky Montpetit:Hi Bill, I'm so happy to be here.
Bill Von Bank:Finally, I've been wanting to get you on the podcast. I know, I know here we are.
Becky Montpetit:It's finally happening here we are.
Bill Von Bank:I admire your work.
Becky Montpetit:Thank you and the growth.
Bill Von Bank:I've seen it. I've seen growth in real time with Rochester Local and then La Crosse in Minneapolis. Yes, take us on your entrepreneurial journey.
Becky Montpetit:Well, I have to take us back in time to Collider. When we sat up in Collider?
Bill Von Bank:In Rochester. In Rochester, what's Collider?
Becky Montpetit:Collider In Rochester. In Rochester, what's Collider? Collider is a hub for entrepreneurial efforts and people with creative vision. Amanda Leitner and her team over at Collider are incredible at fostering connections and resources for entrepreneurs in Rochester. So big shout out to Collider and Amanda and her team. But Collider at the time was above Blue Duck and that's when I first-.
Bill Von Bank:Restaurant Beautiful restaurant.
Becky Montpetit:And I think it was 2016, 2017. Really, the site got started when I became a parent.
Bill Von Bank:Rochester local.
Becky Montpetit:Rochester local got started when I became a parent, it became clear to me that the way that I was used to knowing the city, in terms of what to do and where to go, as a person without children was not matching the information that I had as a person with kids. I didn't know. I felt like a. I felt like I didn't know where I was in my own hometown.
Bill Von Bank:So interesting.
Becky Montpetit:I, I, I hated that and I would complain about that. And my husband said to me finally one day he's like either you have to do something about it or you have to stop talking about it. And I said, fine, I will. I started a site called Rochester MN Moms Blog and it was really for moms in the community to share information and stories about raising kids in Rochester and along the way we would share our information about discovering story times or things to do with kids or these sorts of things. And so from there it really grew. It really grew to the point where we had people in the community saying I'm not a mom. I read your website and I'm like I know, I know we're working on it.
Becky Montpetit:We're working on it, and then the plan was, right before the pandemic, to change our name, but we didn't because the pandemic happened, and so instead we changed our content strategy to be resources, information, things to do. People needed things to do during the pandemic and they didn't know quite where that was or where to look, and so that really marked a shift for Rochester Mom at the time. And then, in 2022, we did formally change our name to Rochester Local to more embrace the vision that we had for those that would use the website in the city.
Bill Von Bank:From there, you continued your growth strategy into other communities. Tell us about that.
Becky Montpetit:Yes, Earlier in 2022, there was an opportunity to buy a website that had existed prior to the Rochester Mom website and that was Twin Cities Mom. That site had actually been around longer than the Rochester site. It came up for sale and I have a friend in another market she owns Madison Family and Milwaukee Family and we decided to purchase that site together. That was in May 2022. And so then in November 2022, we changed the name from Rochester Mom to Rochester Local and then in January 2024, I purchased an existing website, again in the La Crosse market, and that website actually had the same name as Rochester Local. It was La Crosse Local. I had no idea, just 60 miles apart, but these same names and kind of these same visions for their communities. And I approached them and they said well, interestingly, our site is for sale. Would you like to buy it? And I said oh, no, no, thank you, no, thank you. And then a week later I owned it Something changed.
Bill Von Bank:Something changed. What was the inspiration to add these additional communities?
Becky Montpetit:My passion lies with connecting communities. I truly believe that a family, a community, an individual feels more connected to their place by how much they know about that place, and sometimes that information is not easy to find for one reason or the other, and so I really wanted to take what I viewed as a skill set of mine which now we jokingly call it I'm a professional know-it-all and make it readily accessible, easy to read, easy to find for families, individuals, residents, visitors to find out things that are going on. And ultimately, my passion lies with finding connections within people. People find things to do through my website, then they meet people that are like-minded, then they build community, and that is just a benefit for all. Strong communities is truly the heartbeat of what I do.
Bill Von Bank:If I go to Rochester Local today, what will I find?
Becky Montpetit:Our website has several different ways to utilize it. The first is our events calendar. We have an events calendar on our website. It's full of things to do for families, individuals, young people, empty, nested, retired, whatever. We're going to be adding events to our calendar that really cater to those who live in the city and who visit the city. That's one of our main ways to communicate with the city. Another way is through our guides, our information, our resources.
Becky Montpetit:We want to put out things that people might be thinking about. I just got cold. Well, what do people want to do when they're cold? Well, they want to go ice skating Maybe not today. They want to go sledding, they want to do something that's outside, they want to do the winter activities. So we'll have, we'll collate all of that information together in a really easy to read guide that is accurate and it is timely, and that is a huge feature of our website. And another thing is we have sponsored resource guides on a certain topic.
Becky Montpetit:Upcoming is our guide to summer camps. So it's going to be time to sign up for summer camps very soon, believe it or not. So it's going to be time to sign up for summer camps very soon, believe it or not, and we're going to have all of the summer camps in the area in one guide. That's super easy for parents to use. They want to click, they want to register, they want to find out more information? Great, and that's also how we work with businesses and organizations. They will purchase an advertising listing in some of these resource guides.
Bill Von Bank:Each of your ventures caters to distinct regions. You have Rochester, you have the Minneapolis-St Paul area you also have La Crosse. How do you ensure each brand remains authentic and relevant to its audience?
Becky Montpetit:Great question. The secret sauce, so to speak, is finding someone local who shares that passion. So it's easy in this market Rochester it's me, I have that passion, but when I was expanding or thinking about expanding into other markets, it's inauthentic if someone from another market is that person to express the passion for that city. I can share a love of La Crosse but I don't live there, I am not from there. But finding someone who is from there, who shares that passion for building strong community and wants to join you in your vision, is the key, is the key to unlocking an engaged and interested community.
Bill Von Bank:What unique challenges have you faced, specifically as you've grown your business?
Becky Montpetit:Yeah, this is non-traditional media. My websites are non-traditional media in a sense that they offer advertising, but it's not in the traditional sense. It's not TV, it's not radio, it's not print. But the opportunity is there and I think one of the biggest challenges has really been expressing and really proving that these resources, these websites, are a very valuable place to put your brand's messaging. That has often taken a lot of education, a lot of patience, a lot of consistency, a lot of repeat meetings and phone calls to explain how this is a marketing opportunity. So that truly is one of the biggest challenges.
Bill Von Bank:Have you conquered it to some extent?
Becky Montpetit:Yes, I would say that, yes, I have conquered it. There are many businesses and organizations that I have worked with for many years and they believe in the vision, they believe in what we're trying to do with these websites, and there are some people who, frankly, they just don't see it, and you know what? That's okay. It's truly okay, because this website doesn't need to be the be-all, end-all, fix-it for modern advertising. It's not that, it's just another non-traditional option, and if that doesn't fit the pace or the style or the tone of what an organization is looking for, that's okay. That's okay.
Bill Von Bank:How do you identify the resources and topics that resonate most with your audience in each location?
Becky Montpetit:Conversations, communication, checking in on what else is going on online, staying up to date on everything that's going on in town. There are other Facebook groups and communities that people will say hey, I really need X or can somebody tell me about Y? And my favorite thing to do is go to my website and copy and paste a post that we have already created for what they're looking for. But if I don't have something, well then file it away. File it away to create a resource because someone is looking for that, and if one person is, that usually means another person is too.
Becky Montpetit:How do you stay innovative? I'll be honest, I don't mind change. I think change is exhilarating, I think it's fun, I think it keeps me on my toes. This sort of sector you have to stay on top of it or you are already irrelevant. You need to know the latest and the greatest, you need to know what the trends are, you need to know the latest tools, and I think it's my passion and my desire to really strive for excellence that keeps me motivated to stay innovative. I love trying new things. I love seeing what really resonates or really hits with the community. So what I would really say is that my hobby. People say what are your hobbies? Well, my hobbies are ensuring that I again a professional know-it-all related to everything that's going on out there.
Bill Von Bank:How do you measure the success of your business beyond just financial metrics?
Becky Montpetit:Anytime I am in the community and I meet someone and the conversation turns inevitably to what do you do? And I say, well, I own a series of you know resource and lifestyle websites in these markets and they're like well, what do you own in Rochester? Oh, I own Rochester, Local, and if they've heard of it, there is some story. They have found something to do for their family, they have shared a resource with someone who needed it. They had an out-of-town family coming to the Mayo Clinic for treatment and they've used the website. Those stories carry me. They truly do. They carry me through challenges and struggles. I keep all of those stories kind of collated. I'll write them down in a little note in my phone. If it's an email, I have a little starred folder. That is, for me, a measure of success those anecdotal stories that I hear from people who have found true value in the websites.
Bill Von Bank:Through my research, I've found that you're a self-described Harry Potter lover. How have your interests and passions influenced your work?
Becky Montpetit:I am a dreamer, I am a visionary. I guess I oftentimes will associate movie storylines or book storylines with real life. I'm like, well, if it can happen in a book, why can't it happen in real life? And I just equate them. They're equal. These grand storylines, I'm like why can't we have that? And storylines I'm like why can't we have that? So I think that that lends a lot of whimsy, it adds a lot of fun to what I'm doing, because truly that's what I want. I want what I'm doing to match these really wonderful, outrageous storylines. And I do love a Harry Potter. I'm reading it to my kids right now.
Bill Von Bank:Very cool, what does? A typical day look like to you, or do you even have typical days?
Becky Montpetit:Well, I have desk days and then I have community days.
Becky Montpetit:Desk days are just going to be sitting down at my home office. I share. Well, I don't share, but my husband and I both have our own home offices His is upstairs, mine is downstairs and we sit down once the kids are to school. And I'll go through my emails. I'll make sure the sites are properly functioning. I'll update plugins. I'll ensure that any team members have their questions answered. I will plan out the editorial calendar, I will confirm appointments, I will schedule podcast guests, I will think about our next resource guide, and that's a desk day.
Becky Montpetit:A community day is when I'm out doing something like this, having a podcast episode recorded, having a meeting with a new client, having a continuing meeting with a long-term client One of my favorite things to do is get content. I love it Just going out into the community and saying to a business hey, we're doing a new resource and we're featuring you. Can I get a photo? Not once has anyone ever said no, thank you. And that just gives me an opportunity to meet people and to get to know people and to make sure that I know what's going on. So days can look totally different than there are the days that just blow my mind, like the days when you are hired to go to Vikings training camp and get content for Vikings training camp. That kind of stuff just is real pinch me moments. Is this what I do? Yes, it is indeed what you do.
Bill Von Bank:You mentioned podcast. Tell us more about your podcast.
Becky Montpetit:I have the Rochester Local Podcast super innovative name. What we do is we feature people who live in Rochester. They could live here for six months, they could live here for six weeks, they could be here for 60 years, it doesn't matter. I want to get a broad view of people who live in Rochester and we took it kind of a step further. A lot of conversation revolves around what do you do, what is it that you do, and we talk about that on the podcast.
Becky Montpetit:But I am 10 times more interested in learning about how people live. How do you live in the city? So again, we'll talk a little bit about what they do if they have a career, what that looks like, what brought them there. But then we dive into a series of questions that I've kind of cultivated and created to see truly how people live in the city. So we ask them things like what's the best adventure you've ever been on in Rochester? Rochester needs a fill in the blank. What's the best burger in Rochester? You have eight hours of uninterrupted time in Rochester. What are you doing? These sorts of things really foster that fun conversation about how people live in this city.
Bill Von Bank:What's next for you in your business ventures?
Becky Montpetit:I tend to shy away from things like five and 10 year plans. I have never really subscribed to that because then I find myself truly with blinders on getting to that five and 10 year goal and I lose, lose that ability to pivot, to see opportunity when it presents itself. What's next for me is keeping my eyes and ears open for opportunity, for excitement, for chances to take. We have some interest in some other markets for bringing something like Rochester Local there. I'm thinking about what that looks like. What does that look like? Do I have the capacity to add four or five, six sites? What does that look like? How can I bring this model to other communities with still maintaining a healthy family life, a healthy marriage, these sorts of things? So I for me, I don't think that my creative energy will ever wane. I don't. It's just, it's intrinsic, it's part of who I am. I don't feel tired, I've got a lot of capacity. So it's just constantly keeping my eye open for that right next fit.
Bill Von Bank:What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs looking to create community-driven businesses like yours?
Becky Montpetit:I would say the number one thing is to do your best to fall in love with where you live, To find other people who not only share that but have a passion for making it better.
Becky Montpetit:Align yourself with the people that truly fit your vision. Not only that, but make your hobby, make one hobby, something that you choose to spend your off time at, related to your business, and then find joy in that, Find some sort of fulfillment in that piece of how you spend your free time that ultimately relates back to your business in a hobby. And I say that because being an entrepreneur is so full on. There's no on or off switches, You're just on and it is a ton of work. And if you can't trick yourself into believing that some of the things that you do in your off time that are fun, that bring you fulfillment, is actually work, then you kind of come to this dichotomy you fulfillment is actually work. Then you kind of come to this dichotomy of like is this work? Is this play, what is it? But if you can somehow make that switch to something that you're doing that relates to your endeavor, it won't be as hard because it truly is all-encompassing.
Bill Von Bank:Well, this has been a great conversation. Love your passion and it sounds like you've truly found your joy.
Becky Montpetit:Oh, thank you, Bill. I love what I do, I do.
Bill Von Bank:Becky Monpetit, thank you for being our guest on the Growing Destinations podcast.
Becky Montpetit:Thanks so much, Bill, for having me.
Bill Von Bank:Thank you for tuning in to the Growing Destinations podcast and don't forget to subscribe. This podcast is brought to you by Experience Rochester. Find out more about Rochester, minnesota, and its growing arts and culture scene, its international culinary flavors and award-winning craft beer by visiting experiencerochestermncom.
