Valerie Rinehart is the new Sales Director at The Telegraph, Martin City’s hometown newspaper covering all of the Southland. Rinehart is in charge of connecting businesses with valuable exposure only The Telegraph can provide.
“Everybody loves The Telegraph and our readers are loyal,” says Rinehart. “Many read every word on every page, and that creates a unique opportunity for businesses wanting to grow. I help them get the word out about what they offer so that more customers can find them and do business with them.”
The Telegraph delivers the kind of potential so many other small newspapers want, easily reaching over 30,000 readers twice a month from as far north as 75th Street all the way south through Martin City, Leawood, Grandview and even Belton. You can get a copy in the mail, pick one up free at distribution spots all over the area, or read all the latest online — everything from community news, business updates, and politics, to fascinating historical accounts, entertainment showcases, and restaurant reviews.
“I love what Kathy Feist is building and it’s no surprise that The Telegraph is such a success. She gives readers a sense of ownership in their relationship with the paper. She’s open to what works, what’s interesting, and what readers want to know about. People really want hometown news and we’re always working to make our coverage the best it can be.”
Sales Director Valerie Rinehart (left) and Publisher/Editor Kathy Feist of The Telegraph
Chat with Rinehart and you’ll quickly pick up on her easy going nature. She’s not at all the pushy sales type. She’s very approachable, and we’ve seen her around Martin City blending into crowds of new faces like an old friend. A professional background ranging from pharmaceutical sales to rural news media makes her a skilled communicator, and her plain spoken style makes her seem like a neighbor you might chat with over the fence.
“I like to get to know people and build authentic relationships,” says Rinehart over coffee one morning in Martin City. “I want to help businesses succeed by taking time to understand them and what makes them special.”
Getting to know people means touring their businesses, hearing about their challenges, and looking for ways to support them with news coverage and well-designed ads aimed at thousands of subscribers eager to explore. “The hardest part is not having enough time in a day to get everywhere I want to go!”
And nothing gives her more satisfaction than a success story. “Just the other day, a new customer greeted me with the biggest smile. He was so excited about how everything turned out in the newspaper and emphasized to me how much he appreciated our staff’s professionalism and patience. That’s what it’s all about.”
Selling advertising in the local paper is a little easier when you speak the local language, and Rinehart is no stranger to Martin City. She basically grew up here, living many years in a house on Locust Street not far from Martin City Brewing Company. As a little girl, she rode her father’s horses along nearby cornfields and fished the Blue River with her brothers.
Rinehart remembers when the Sidelines building was still a grocery store, RC’s Restaurant was at its old location across the street, and Jack Stack Barbecue was still Smoke Stack. She even remembers the old hotel next to what is now the Coast to Coast Pub, and the little brick house where one of the first female doctors in the area practiced. She can also recall a train wreck in the early 1970s that shook the neighborhood and sent her father, a firefighter, rushing to help.
“Martin City is even more close knit now than it was back then. Revitalization efforts have boosted the sense of community. It used to be more about people from other parts of the metropolitan area coming in to visit, and now it seems like many of the people here are actually part of the community.”
Rinehart grew up near 135th & Locust in the heart of Martin City.
All that time in Martin City probably has something to do with Rinehart’s lifelong love of small towns. She lives in Peculiar, Missouri and loves to talk up the treasures she’s discovered in downtown Harrisonville, Adrian, and other countryside communities. Her husband is the former President of the Missouri Elks Association, which gave the couple a chance to tour every corner of the state.
Now, as a mother of four and a grandmother of three, with all of them living in the area, Rinehart is exactly where she wants to be, doing what she loves at The Telegraph.
“Reputation is everything, especially with a newspaper. Everybody really values The Telegraph. I haven’t heard one negative comment, and I just keep seeing signs that it’s a great fit for me.”
Thanks for coming back to Martin City, Valerie! We’re happy to have you and couldn’t be more excited to watch the future unfold for you and the rest of the team at The Telegraph.
About Workforce Spotlights
Martin City Workforce Spotlights recognize people working in the neighborhood at local Martin City businesses. If there’s someone your company would like to showcase, please send their name, job title or role, photo (it’s okay to send more than one), and a brief explanation of why you want them showcased to mccidmanager@gmail.com.
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