Creating Stars
Natalie Hodge grew up in Martinsville, Virginia and, after obtaining her bachelor’s degree from Guilford College and her masters from Cornell University, she lived all over the country primarily working in higher education. She developed a fondness for the film and television industry while background acting at a hobby level in New York City. This inspired her to explore behind the scenes work, writing and producing multimedia projects.
While working on projects in New York and Los Angeles, Hodge was inspired to relocate back to her hometown and founded her company, Rudy’s Girl Media. She put the basic business structure together but, when things started to really take off, she knew she needed support to ensure her company was sound.
Hodge stated, “I knew how to register my business name and set up a company with the state, but there were so many other elements of the process I had not encountered before, so I decided to reach out to the Longwood Martinsville Small Business Development Center (SBDC).”
SBDCs are backed by the U.S. Small Business Administration and help entrepreneurs throughout all phrases of development through one-on-one counseling and business-related training.
In 2019, Hodge started meeting with Michael Scales, a counselor at the center. Scales helped her establish the business with proper licensing including financials and using QuickBooks.
Hodge started her business, Rudy’s Girl, with only her at the helm. Now there are three full-time employees including herself and she has opened a brick-and-mortar studio in the central business district in Martinsville. Also, she launched her first show on the web, “Hometown Hustle” under the Rudy’s Girl brand. The show is broadcasted on the web. In addition, Hodge is the winner of the 2022 “The Gauntlet,” Virginia’s largest business program and competition. It is a proven business development system that connects entrepreneurs to the training, mentorship, and resources needed for success! The program is a 10-week business development program and competition that connects entrepreneurs to business expertise, mentors, and resources.
Hodge stated, “The biggest impact of Hometown Hustle is that people are dreaming and thinking bigger. They are elevating their stories in their local small towns using media.”
Hodge plans to partner with a distribution company to reach a wider audience. She recently released “Hometown Hu$tle: Simple Tips for Entrepreneurial Success” on Amazon.com. The guide provides readers with tools anyone can use to start a business.