OCTOBER 2025
COVER STORY
Empowering Rural Voters with Confidence at the Polls, pg.10
Cover Story
Move It Monday: A Free, Low-Cost Wellness Tool Rooted in Rural Resilience pg. 16 GetRuralLeaderMag.com | OCTOBER 2025 1
Contents
4 What you do matters Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Kuanita E. Murphy, PhD Rural Leader Magazine, LLC is a digital publication that highlights every day people doing extraordinary things nationally and abroad. www.RuralLeaderMag.com www.GetRuralLeaderMag.com
About Us
Launched in March 2014, Rural Leader Magazine, LLC is a digital publication with a mission to highlight every day people doing extraordinary things in business, education, music, community, art, sports, and leadership nationally and abroad. Rural Leader Magazine honors exemplary individuals on a variety of levels, such as the 20 under 20 Honors, 40 under 40 Honors, Best Small Town Restaurant, Small Town America’s 100 Most Influential People, the Scholars of Collegiate Distinction, Fifty under Fifty, and the Eagle Elite Club.— Reproduction in any manner, in whole or in part, in English, or other languages, is prohibited without written consent.
7 The ranching life: Stewards of the land, animals and community 9 Give Cancer the Boot: A Women's Wellness Event COVER STORY 10 Barbershop Talks 360: Empowering Rural Voters with Confidence at the Polls 12 Healthcare on the Go: AAPHC Hosts Drive-Thru Health Fair in Albany 13 Forty-four percent of Americans say pumpkin spice now costs more - but they’re still buying: New study
15 Haircuts, Hams, and Health: Men’s Wellness Clinic Returns for Third Year in Cuthbert 16 Rural Leader Magazine Opens 2026 Forty Under Forty Tri-State Call for Nominations Celebrating Emerging Leaders in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia 18 How students can get the internet connectivity they need 22 Barbershop Talks: Teen Edition to be held Oct. 13 23 Trunk or Treat, Barbershop Style: A Safe and Spooky Night for Families in Cuthbert 24 Rural Leader Magazine Expands to YouTube: Real Stories, Rural Voices, Powerful Impact
Send editorial ideas to Kuanita Murphy, PhD, Editor-in-Chief Contact Us ruralleadermagazine@gmail.com Tell us what you think about our publications, if you have a great idea for a story, or to just share. We may print your comments in Rural Leader Magazine. By sending us your comments, you’re giving permission to call you for an interview. Please be sure to include your name, address, email address, and phone number so we can reach you. Write to us at RuralLeaderMagazine@gmail.com— 2
RuralLeaderMag.com | OCTOBER 2025
Editor’s Note
The Quiet Power of Rural Consistency By Dr. Kuanita E. Murphy, Publisher Rural Leader Magazine
In rural communities, we often hear that “slow and steady wins the race.” But after 26 years in the work of connection, I’ve come to believe it’s not just about winning—it’s about building. And what we build together, with faith and persistence, can outlast any single challenge we face. Since founding Rural Leader Magazine in March 2014, I’ve had the honor of documenting what progress looks like in small towns. It rarely comes with fanfare. More often, it comes in quiet, consistent action—the neighbor who shows up, the volunteer who never quits, the local leader who keeps answering the call even when resources are low.
This September marked a personal milestone: 26 years with Randolph County Family Connection. But more than a celebration, it became a chance to reflect on what truly moves communities like ours forward. We saw that commitment in real ways: At the Move It Monday One-Mile Walk, over 100 neighbors showed up for health. At the Wellness Café, people gathered for conversations that strengthen both body and spirit. In every meeting, strategy session, and youth engagement, we witnessed the quiet rhythm of people choosing to act. We’re also preparing for what’s ahead: Give Cancer the Boot, a women’s wellness event focused on early detection. Barbershop Talks: Teen Edition, where youth lead bold conversations about real-life issues. Trunk or Treat and Haircuts & Hams, events that mix tradition with purpose, reaching families, men, and young people alike. What I’ve learned after more than two decades in this work—and over a decade publishing this magazine—is that small, consistent efforts build trust. They create resilience. And over time, they shape legacy. In rural leadership, change doesn’t shout. It whispers. But if we listen closely, those whispers tell powerful stories. So, as fall arrives and we move forward together, I want to thank you—our readers, partners, and neighbors—for being part of this journey. For showing up. For staying the course. And for proving that even in the smallest places, bold futures are being built.— Regards,
What you do matters. @RuralLeaderMag GetRuralLeaderMag.com | OCTOBER 2025 3
What You Do Matters. In the image above, he’s just young, standing on tiptoe, gripping a paintbrush too big for his hand. The wall in front of him is dull gray—blank, forgotten. But with one bold stroke of blue, everything starts to change. This isn’t just paint. It’s possibility. In that small moment, he reminds us of something we too often forget: what you do matters. The choices we make—especially the quiet ones, the unseen ones—have the power to shape the world around us. Whether you’re raising a child, planting a garden, helping a neighbor, or showing up when it would be easier to walk away—every act of effort, care, and courage adds color to the world. It may not feel big. It may not look like much. But it matters. So pick up the brush. Make your mark. Because someone, somewhere, is watching you create hope where there used to be gray.— Rural Leader Magazine
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