Inspire(d) Media

Inspire(d) Media We believe there's always magic to be found. Learn more and read our magazine at iloveinspired.com Do you have an idea for a story? Interested in contributing?

Inspire(d) Media is a very small, very independent media company based in Decorah, Iowa. We print Inspire(d) Magazine, filled with stories about amazing people and places in our tri-state area of the Driftless Region. Aryn and Benji Nichols founded Inspire(d) in September of 2007 – shortly after they got married (!) and have grown from printing 3,000 magazines per issue to 15,000+, now published o

n a quarterly basis. Although it’s a two-person show at Inspire(d) Headquarters – Aryn is the editor and graphic designer and Benji heads up the ad sales department – we’d be nothing without our fabulous contributors who come from different areas across the Driftless Region and beyond. Simply said, Inspire(d) in every form is an experiment in the positive. We focus on the good in life because, really, what’s the point in dwelling on the bad? Think we should be doing something differently? Drop us a line…. aryn(at)iloveinspired.com or benji(at)iloveinspired.com

About the founders:
Aryn Henning Nichols grew up in the woods. Not literally – she had a house and a bed and lots of books – but it was still pretty rural. The nearest town – Frankville, Iowa – had less than 100 people living in it and her high school graduating class – one town over in Postville – had only 52 students. She left Northeast Iowa in 1999 to join the world of anonymity… to be “just a number” at the University of Iowa. 30,000 students felt just right at the time. After graduating with a degree in English and journalism in 2003 and post-design magazine internship in Toronto (http://www.appliedartsmag.com), she sought an even denser population: China. She lived there for just over a year, winging it as an English teacher to nearly 800 middle school students and traveling as much and as often as possible. She now believes international travel should be a prerequisite to college graduation. Aryn returned to Northeast Iowa late 2005 doing the typical liberal arts degree thing – living with her parents, waitressing, and applying for jobs. Her parents had moved from the woods to Decorah so she began to re-explore (and adore) this corner of the world – finding that community and a slower pace of life had new appeal. She worked briefly at the local newspaper where she, in a very convoluted manner, met her now husband, Benji. He lived in California at the time but it was still love at first phone conversation. They met in person June of 2006, got married August of 2007, and started Inspire(d) Media that October, just one month after returning from their honeymoon. She might be a little crazy, but she’s having loads of fun. Benji Nichols was born and raised in Decorah, Iowa – home to a ridiculous amount of Norwegian American stuff, and a lot of great people. After graduating high school in 1996 he left for music school in Boston (Berklee), and promptly returned 10 years later – with a six-year hiatus in the San Francisco Bay Area. From playing music, to baking bread, traveling to 49 states, and working with some of the best in the concert industry, it was a decade well spent. These days you’ll find him in or working at Inspire(d) HQ, being a Dad, out making something noisy, or out on the single-track just minutes from home.

We’re dreaming of putting on our snow pants and gear and recreating the cover scene artwork by Winona, Minnesota-based a...
12/12/2025

We’re dreaming of putting on our snow pants and gear and recreating the cover scene artwork by Winona, Minnesota-based artist Jamie Schwaba! You too? Tag us in a pic if you do! We loved learning about Jamie’s journey to art and seeing more of her work in this issue. You can read about Jamie on page 16 in the winter mag, or online here!

iloveinspired.com/jamie-schwaba

Thanks to writer Clara Wodny for her excellent work on this piece!

New Winter Inspire(d) Mags are making their way to stands and into your hands ASAP, but if you just can’t wait, you can ...
12/08/2025

New Winter Inspire(d) Mags are making their way to stands and into your hands ASAP, but if you just can’t wait, you can read everything online too! How about you start at the beginning (a very good place to start), with Aryn’s Editor’s Letter?! (And don’t miss the links to our Winter Playlist and Christmas Playlist after the letter!)

P.S. We are so stoked that our cover (by artist Jamie Schwaba) matches the world outside in the Driftless right now! Happy winter, friends!

iloveinspired.com/winter-2025-26-editors-letter

There are so many great stories in this Winter Inspire(d), and the theme is near and dear to my heart. This piece about ...
12/06/2025

There are so many great stories in this Winter Inspire(d), and the theme is near and dear to my heart. This piece about Bubba’s Fund got me right in that heart. Bubba's Fund is a beautiful legacy for a young life gone much, much too soon. I am amazed at Alex, Moran, and their whole family's resilience and the community that has supported them.

By taking action to ensure the safety, opportunity, and well-being of children, Bubba’s Fund has turned grief into good and heartbreak into hope.

Hey we know that guy! Benji picked up the Winter 2025-26 Inspire(d)s hot off the press from Schumann Printers, Inc. yest...
12/05/2025

Hey we know that guy! Benji picked up the Winter 2025-26 Inspire(d)s hot off the press from Schumann Printers, Inc. yesterday, and he will be delivering them around the region over the next week! Thanks for your patience as he makes his way to your town with fresh positive news!

The last page probituary in each Inspire(d) Magazine is a favorite for many folks, ending the issue with wisdom from our...
12/03/2025

The last page probituary in each Inspire(d) Magazine is a favorite for many folks, ending the issue with wisdom from our readers’ loved ones, neighbors, and friends. We love reading these too! The Fall Inspire(d) features a Q&A with Pat Heying, interviewed by friends at the Ossian Care Center in Ossian, Iowa. Pat's advice for others? "Be honest, appreciate the people you meet, and be kind." Read the whole thing on page 66 of the Fall Inspire(d), or online here.

iloveinspired.com/pat-heying

Tired of all the constant cooking? We hear you. So does Bobbi Jo Berg of Recipes from French Creek in rural Lansing, Iow...
11/25/2025

Tired of all the constant cooking? We hear you. So does Bobbi Jo Berg of Recipes from French Creek in rural Lansing, Iowa! Her business is centered around helping folks learn how to meal-prep, selling prepared meals (plus meats and other goodies from their family farm) online, and sharing tasty recipes on her blog, recipesfromfrenchcreek.com. You can read all about her journey in building this business on page 60 in the current Fall Inspire(d), or online here!

iloveinspired.com/recipes-from-french-creek

We got our Gratitude Garland out today! When we created this Paper Project in 2021, we didn't even think about how it wo...
11/16/2025

We got our Gratitude Garland out today! When we created this Paper Project in 2021, we didn't even think about how it would turn into a keepsake of thankful memories, but revisiting past year's leaves ended up being one of our favorite parts about it! And we look forward to adding more gratitude leaves each year. Want to make one? Download and print leaves at the link below to start your own Gratitude Garland this week, or make it an interactive decoration at your upcoming Thanksgiving celebrations. We are thankful for all of you, dear readers!

iloveinspired.com/gratitude-garland

What is Best to Let Go? A FlowchartFeeling some decision fatigue about life decisions (big and small)? Use Inspire(d) ed...
11/12/2025

What is Best to Let Go? A Flowchart

Feeling some decision fatigue about life decisions (big and small)? Use Inspire(d) editor-in-chief Aryn’s flow chart to help you decide what you should keep on your (metaphorical) plate (the mashed potatoes can stay if you want!) ... and what you should let go.

iloveinspired.com/let-go-flowchart

Check out all the fun things happening this weekend in Decorah for Wellness Weekend!
11/07/2025

Check out all the fun things happening this weekend in Decorah for Wellness Weekend!

The Decorah Area Chamber invites you to celebrate wellness in all its forms November 7th - 9th. To see a full list of events and wellness offerings this weekend, head to https://www.decorahareachamber.com/event/wellness-weekend-3/

The free, three-day wellness-focused effort is a thematic weekend where all businesses and organizations are encouraged to host or share a wellness activity, product, or service. Individuals are encouraged to participate at any level that is right for them - that could be as simple as scheduling an appointment with a provider, supporting a local eatery that serves heart-healthy meals, taking a hike on one of the City of Decorah park trails, or purchasing items at a small business that supports self-care.

The collective marketing effort to benefit all wellness businesses is possible through generous sponsorship support from Drift: Strength + Yoga Center, Oneota Valley Family Eye Care, and Kelly Real Estate

----------------------------
Participating Locations:
Drift: Strength + Yoga Center
Salú Sauna + Wellness Studio
Winneshiek County Celebration of Life
The Well at Crater Fitness
Oneota Valley Family Eye Care
Decorah Farmers Market
Root 43 Juicery
West Side Dental
B. Fit Studio
Decorah Counseling Collective
Chiropractic Offices of Dr. Kelly Reagan
Vitality Wellness Coaching - Karen Berland
Decorah Parks and Recreation

Address

412 Oak Street
Decorah, IA
52101

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm

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Our Story

Inspire(d) Media is a small, independent media company based in Decorah, Iowa. We publish Inspire(d) Magazine four times per years, with a focus on the positive people, places, and events of the Driftless Region. Aryn and Benji Nichols founded Inspire(d) in September of 2007 – shortly after they were married and have grown from printing 3,000 magazines per issue to upwards of 20,000 on a quarterly basis. Inspire(d) – pronounced in-spy-erd… you know: inspired – stands for both inspire and inspired. The idea is that person one inspires person two. That person is now inspired. Then that person inspires person three (or person one again), who is now inspired. Then the cycle continues! That’s what those arrows around the (d) are about! Inspire. Be Inspired. Our mission is, ultimately, to change the world… starting with our own community! Simply said, Inspire(d) in every form is an experiment in the positive. We focus on the good in life because, really, what’s the point in dwelling on the bad?

Do you have an idea for a story? Interested in contributing? Think we should be doing something differently? Drop us a line…. aryn(at)iloveinspired.com or benji(at)iloveinspired.com About the founders: Aryn Henning Nichols grew up in the woods. Not literally – she had a house and a bed and lots of books – but it was still pretty rural. The nearest town – Frankville, Iowa – had less than 100 people living in it and her high school graduating class – one town over in Postville – had only 52 students. She left Northeast Iowa in 1999 to join the world of anonymity… to be “just a number” at the University of Iowa. 30,000 students felt just right at the time. After graduating with a degree in English and journalism in 2003 and post-design magazine internship in Toronto (http://www.appliedartsmag.com), she sought an even denser population: China. She lived there for just over a year, winging it as an English teacher to nearly 800 middle school students and traveling as much and as often as possible. She now believes international travel should be a prerequisite to college graduation. Aryn returned to Northeast Iowa late 2005 doing the typical liberal arts degree thing – living with her parents, waitressing, and applying for jobs. Her parents had moved from the woods to Decorah so she began to re-explore (and adore) this corner of the world – finding that community and a slower pace of life had new appeal. She worked briefly at the local newspaper where she, in a very convoluted manner, met her now husband, Benji. He lived in California at the time but it was still love at first phone conversation. They met in person June of 2006, got married August of 2007, and started Inspire(d) Media that October, just one month after returning from their honeymoon. Benji Nichols was born and raised in Decorah, Iowa – home to a ridiculous amount of Norwegian American stuff, and a lot of great people. After graduating high school in 1996 he left for music school in Boston (Berklee), and promptly returned 10 years later – with a six-year hiatus in the San Francisco Bay Area. From playing music, to baking bread, traveling and touring 49 states, and working with some of the best in the concert industry, it was a decade well spent. These days you’ll find him in or working on Inspire(d) HQ, being a Dad, out making something noisy, or out on the single-track just minutes from home.

We invite you learn more and be inspired about our beautiful corner of the world!