Grind and Shine: Kaibree Flood’s Journey from Student to Entrepreneurial Storyteller

December 12, 2024 by Ada Jobs

Ada News Digital Economy Economic Development

By: Sunnie Dawn Baker

Sometimes it is the unexpected moments in life that can lead to new and surprising journeys. In the case of Kaibree Flood, the unexpected was a three-hour course that she needed for her minor in Mass Communications. She discovered during her last semester of college, while applying for graduation, that she lacked a single course to complete her minor. There were only two courses that would meet the requirement and only one of them fit with her schedule. So, Kaibree Flood became a podcaster.

When Flood first started the class, she felt a little lost. She didn’t even listen to podcasts and knew very little about them. She had to figure out the subject of her podcast, but she had no clue what she wanted to talk about. At first, she thought about talking about her life as a student and a mom, but she struggled to come up with enough ideas for content. She wanted to do something that could benefit her in the long run and that’s when she came up with the idea of talking to entrepreneurs. It was the perfect fit. Flood was preparing to graduate with a business degree and certificates in entrepreneurship and promotions management. This would give her the chance to get even more knowledge while also building her network. In addition, she would be able to get credit for her class while also helping promote local businesses. And so, Flood created Grind and Shine.

Passionate about marketing and branding, Flood dedicated significant time to selecting the name of her podcast. She wanted it to be, as she says, “punny and cutesy.” She utilized AI to help her brainstorm different names and landed on “Grind and Shine.” The name cleverly played on the phrase “Rise and Shine” while incorporating the concept of the business “grind.” Initially, Flood planned to interview entrepreneurs over a cup of coffee, but when some declined the coffee, she decided to drop that aspect.

The course set a requirement for Flood to produce ten episodes, but she now has more than ten, with additional interviews planned for the future. Flood says, “People continue reaching out and asking about the podcast and as long as they do, I will probably keep doing it.” Flood realized through creating Grind and Shine that there was a need for something like this in our community—a way to amplify the voices of entrepreneurs and small businesses. She says, “I like being a voice for the small businesses. Even in Ada we struggle with people not shopping small because of the internet. I know that small businesses struggle with marketing and media and I have always wanted to help with that. So now I can give people a voice when they are struggling to find it on their own.”

Flood loves that each entrepreneur she interviews brings unique qualities and surprising elements to her podcast. She began her podcast with Ada Music Center because she was nervous and the owners are her aunt and uncle. Knowing a lot about the business made it an ideal starting point for Flood to enter the world of podcasting. She then interviewed Cross Timber Bison, a bison ranch in Davis, and discussed how ranchers operate as entrepreneurs, a concept many overlook. When she interviewed Cup and Crumb out of Sulphur, she learned about how partnerships can be a really good thing. She sat down with Preston Mann, a local author, and convinced him that, as a writer, he was an entrepreneur—a perspective he hadn’t considered before.. She says, “I have learned something from every single person and have been extremely grateful for that.”

Even though each interview is very different, Flood still sees the common denominators: they are all problem solvers, and they are all passionate. While the entrepreneurs have their own struggles, their passion keeps them motivated and moving forward. Flood loves exploring that passion in her interviews, which inspires her to extend the podcast beyond its original purpose.

Her episodes are available on Podbean, Spotify, iHeart, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, and Podchaser. You will have a chance to hear great stories from local entrepreneurs, but also might be inspired to follow your own entrepreneurial dreams as well. Also, Flood adds, if anyone wants to be on the show, or knows a good story, reach out to her on Facebook. Even though she graduates this month, the podcast continues. What was originally an unexpected annoyance at graduation requirements has turned into something so much more, as Flood has found her own entrepreneurial spirit and is applying it to the world of storytelling.

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