North Country Media Network

10/02/2026

"Put your email down if you want, but it's just going to sit in my database. I don't send emails."

​Ann actuall heard a business owner actually say this to a prospective client at a local event this week.

​Collecting contact info without an email strategy is like buying a farm and never planting seeds.

​Email is the ultimate Compounded Marketing asset. It’s low-cost, completely automated once built, and yields immediate, measurable returns.

​Case in point: Wednesday's North Country Insider newsletter again achieved an over 40% open rate! 📈

​Our readers don't just open it, they click links, listen to featured episodes, connect, and work with our North Country Media Network members and partners.

​If your email list is currently sitting dead in a spreadsheet, we need to talk.

​Along with podcast production, we offer two distinct email marketing strategies for regional brands:

✅ ​Building out custom, high-converting email campaigns for your brand.

✅ ​Putting your business directly in front of our 40%+ open rate audience by securing your industry's exclusive slot in NCMN.

​Ready to build permanent digital equity for your business? Send a DM today and let's discuss NCMN membership or getting your email marketing set up.

(Thanks again to Janice Durant for the great conversation about business, marketing, and sales!)

​

09/30/2026

"Why aren't they getting along? Why is this still happening?" 🤔

If you've ever said those words out loud while managing your business or team, it’s time for a reset!

Check out this excerpt, from Ann Donnelly's sessions at The Gathering at Moreau Commons, with Karen Carey of Ruby Red Road. Karen has been helping individuals, non-profits, and business teams clear emotional and operational blocks for 17 years.

Check out the clip below to spot the warning signs that it's time to upgrade your support system! 👇

🎧 Stream the full episode here on our website (link in bil) --
📲 Also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and all major podcast platforms.

09/29/2026

A lot of people think, 'I can't afford a financial advisor.' But the real question is: can you afford NOT to use one? 💰

We caught up with Brandon Crist and Max Benedetto from Equitable Financial Advisors live at The Gathering at Moreau Commons! Whether you're just starting to save, trying to optimize your NYS pension and Social Security, or planning to pass down a family business, having a transparent, trusted local advisor in your corner makes all the difference.

Watch the quick clip below for a look at how fee transparency works and why finding the right "groove" with your advisor matters! 👇

🎧 Stream the full episode on our website or listen on your fav podcast app.
📲 Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and all major podcast platforms.

09/28/2026

Adirondack's Got Talent is coming to The Park Theater! Musicians interested in competing must submit their application prior to the deadline on Wednesday, September 30th, 2026, at 11:59pm EST.

For complete rules, eligibility details, and application guidelines, visit parktheatergf.com/adirondacks-got-talent or contact 518-792-1150.

09/28/2026

"When it comes to IT, you've GOT to have backups!" 💾💻

We’re live from Moreau Commons with Nic Molik, Director of Partnerships at Adirondack Technical Solutions! 🚀

If you think IT is only something to talk about when something breaks, think again. Nic breaks down why having a local, trusted team in your backyard makes all the difference for keeping Upstate businesses secure, moving forward, and thriving.

Catch a snippet in the video below, then tune in for the complete interview on the Building Success Stories podcast!

🎧 Listen to the full episode on our website or search for the podcast on your favorite podcast app 📲 Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and all major platforms.

09/27/2026

Did you know that many libraries, like Crandall Public Library have a series of virtual talks with authors, of many different genre of writing? Well, now you do!!!

Courage, Choice, and What Comes Next with Dystopian Icon Veronica Roth #1 New York Times and International Bestselling Author Thursday, October 1st 2026 at 7:00 PM EDT

09/27/2026

Here's a mini-episode with Alison Abbott Falasco Bohannon, who owns Kingpin's Alley Family Fun Center with husband, Doug. Doug and Alison are very community minded and do a great job hosting BBrothers BSisters Southern-Adirondacks Bowl of Kids Sake each year, as well as other fundraisers, but don't forget they have a great place to hold parties -- and not just for the kiddos, they can do corporate events, too!

They are now showing all the NFL games and are setting up to make the most of it with games out front, speakers on all the tables, and much more fun for you football fans. They've also got a Karaoke Lounge and 2 Escape Rooms.

Listen to The Gathering compilation episode on our website or search for Building Success Stories with Ann Donnelly on your favorite podcast app!

09/25/2026

Think 6 months of savings is all you need to start a business? Think again. 🗣️

In this feature from Building Success Stories with Ann Donnelly, Ann and Janice Durant of New Trails Business Consultants dive into the hard truth about Year 1 of entrepreneurship. Having a financial cushion is vital, but without active cash flow, high energy, and realistic expectations, it’s easy to hit a wall.

Replacing your income -- and eventually surpassing it -- is the ultimate goal of working for yourself, but it rarely happens overnight. It takes at least a year to truly know if your business model will hold up.

👉 Watch the clip to learn why passion and cash-flow monitoring go hand-in-hand during your first 12 months.

What was your biggest financial lesson when you first started out? Let us know in the comments! 💬

🎙️ Listen to the full episode now on our website or search for Building Success Stories with Ann Donnelly on your favorite podcast app.

09/24/2026

What truly drives a successful business when times get tough? 🤔

In the recent episode of Building Success Stories, guest host Janice Durant and I discussed the important of passion in your business.

Sure, starting a company because there’s a good market for it makes total financial sense. But when you hit a wall, logic isn't always enough to keep you going—passion is.

Passion generates a distinct type of momentum. As speaker Vasavi Kumar highlighted, "Energy is more important than strategy."

Strategy gives you direction, but the energy created by pure passion is magnetic. It’s what transforms a standard service into a thriving, resilient brand that people genuinely want to connect with.

We want to hear from our local business community:
👇 What was the initial spark behind your business? Pure passion for the work, or recognizing a great market opportunity?

🎙 Listen to the full episode on our website or search for Building Success Stories with Ann Donnelly on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube!

09/24/2026

"Anonymity is the enemy of growth." After reading one of my newsletters, Janice Durant, Chief Franchise Matchmaker at New Trails Business Consultants, Inc., wanted to know more and offered to interview me on the topic.

In this special episode of Building Success Stories, Janice and I discuss how to ensure that your business is not only known, but respected and trusted and uses your passion, and the energy it creates, to attract customers, and other key stakeholders for long-term success for your business.

It turned into a great conversation about many aspects of running a business successfully, and pretty much boiled down to the importance of having the right people in your corner to advise and support you.

Listen to the full episode on the North Country Media Network website or search for Building Success Stories with Ann Donnelly on your favorite podcast app.

DM me if you want to discuss how to ensure you are marketing your business effectively.