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A few years ago my dad's cousin and his family came to our house for Christmas.

They live outside San Francisco and we see them maybe once a year. At the time their kids were 18 and 15.

I made a 'traditional' meal — ham, turkey, mashed potatoes, veggies etc. As we were eating, the 15-year old son asked what "the white stuff was". The rest of us all kinda stopped chewing and looked at him.

"What white stuff?" my brother asked him.

He pointed to the mashed potatoes on his plate. For what felt like an eternity no one said a word.

"They're mashed potatoes." my grandmother told him.

"Oh cool, I've never had them. We don't do home cooked meals, we just always DoorDash."

But the more I thought about it, the more sorry I felt for them.

The even sadder thing? This isn't an isolated case. The disconnect runs deeper than just food.

Last month, I watched my friend’s teenage daughter try to "fix" her torn jacket by taping it with duct tape. She had no idea how to sew a simple stitch. When I offered to show her, she looked at me like I was performing magic (and I’m a really bad sewer!).

We live in an age where:

• People can order groceries with an app but don't know where vegetables come from.

• They can stream unlimited entertainment but can't start a fire without matches.

• They have access to infinite information but lack fundamental common sense.

This is why your rural story matters more than you think.

When you share your experiences — whether it's fixing your own pants growing up that turned into your western jean company, to fixing your leaky roof that turned into your town’s go-to construction business, or simply cooking a meal from scratch — you're not just telling a story. You're bridging a massive gap between the digital world and the real one.

And look, the irony isn’t lost on me that I’m writing this in a newsletter, a one-to-many format. But I’m sharing my experiences and stories from a personal perspective. So here we are.

Bottom line: your audience is hungry for authenticity in a world of artificial everything — they're craving connection.

They want to know what it feels like to create something with their hands, to solve a problem without Google, to experience the satisfaction of true self-reliance.

My dad’s cousin’s teenage son who'd never had mashed potatoes isn't an outlier.

He represents millions of people who have become disconnected from the fundamental skills and experiences that define human life.

When you tell your story, or your brand’s story about building, growing, making, or fixing something, you're offering people a lifeline back to reality.

You're showing them what they're missing and giving them permission to want something more substantial than the convenience culture we’ve been sold.

This disconnect creates an incredible opportunity for those of us who have brands and businesses that are connected to basic human needs.

• Your knowledge isn't outdated — it's invaluable.

• Your skills aren't primitive — they're profound.

• Your stories aren't boring — they're powerful tools to help people remember what really matters.

The world needs more people who can tell these stories well.

Ready to turn your authentic experiences into compelling stories that create real impact?

Join the waitlist for next month's Rural Writing Workshop, where you'll learn how to craft your stories more persuasively to make a bigger difference and generate more revenue.

In this intensive workshop, you'll discover how to transform your practical knowledge and authentic experiences into powerful narratives that resonate deeply with audiences hungry for real connection.

[Get on the waitlist here] and be the first to know when registration opens.

Until next time,
Charlie

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