Leaven advertisers find that their investment pays off

by Moira Cullings
moira.cullings@theleaven.org

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Growing up, Leo Stone’s best friend’s grandfather was a painter.

“And he had his own business called Rusty’s Dandy Painting,” said Stone, “and he advertised in The Leaven for decades.”

When Stone, now 23, was starting his own painting company a few years ago, he met with his friend’s grandpa to get some advice.

“He was like, ‘Hey, by the way, this might sound silly, but you need to advertise in The Leaven,’” said Stone. “And I thought he said the number 11.

“I was like, what’s the eleven?”

When Stone, a Protestant who grew up in the Kansas City metro, learned The Leaven was a local Catholic newspaper, he took the advice and ran with it.

“I still send him gifts thanking him because I’ve built so much business out of there,” said Stone. “I’ve built so many friends from The Leaven, repeat customers, referrals — just good people.”

The services provided by his company, Stone Painting, include exterior painting, interior painting, decks, fences and stains. Around 75% of his business comes from Leaven readers.

It’s one of several local businesses that advertise regularly in the paper’s classifieds section.

Wrapped in memories

“I don’t do print advertising anywhere else except The Leaven,” said Lyn Heilman, a parishioner at Church of the Ascension in Overland Park and owner of Quilted Memories.

She started making T-shirt quilts in her home in 2005, and about half of her customers came from her ad in the paper.

“We worked out of the house until 2011 and moved to the first storefront, a little shop in downtown Overland Park,” said Heilman.

Now located off 87th Terr. and I-35 in Overland Park, her business makes custom quilts of all kinds. Most popular are T-shirt and memorial quilts, which are made from clothing of deceased loved ones.

“That’s the part of our business that I feel is our ministry,” said Heilman. “We work with a lot of grieving families.

“I feel like it’s the one area of our business that really touches people, comforts them, helps them keep those memories super close — like they can wrap up in them.

“They can cover up with them.”

Quilted Memories also sells quilt batting, thread and supplies to other quilters.

Much of its business comes from Leaven readers and word of mouth.

“There are times that we get five to 10 calls a week that say they’re from The Leaven,” said Heilman, “and we might go a month, and nobody specifically says they’re from The Leaven.

“But either way, I feel like that ad is supporting the paper, supporting the church.”

A reliable lift

Maria Koch and her husband Bill, parishioners at St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Leawood and owners of KC Lift & Elevator, have advertised with The Leaven for years.

“Sometimes, people will tell us, ‘I’ve seen your ad in there for years and have been keeping it in case we ever needed it, and now we need it,’” said Koch.

The couple started their company 18 years ago.

“We help people stay in their homes by installing stair lifts, elevators and wheelchair lifts,” said Koch. “Sometimes, it’s an aging population. Sometimes, it’s somebody younger with some kind of a disability.”

KC Lift & Elevator also installs overhead patient lifts in ceilings to make it easier to move people from space to space.

“A lot of people want to stay in their homes,” said Koch. “They don’t want to move. A lot of people can’t afford to move.

“This makes it very easy for them to [stay].”

Utilizing a reliable source to generate business has been key for KC Lift & Elevator.

“People know that you’re not going to let people keep advertising in there if you’ve had any complaints or if you’ve heard anything bad about the businesses,” she said.

“People like supporting other Catholics and small businesses,” she added. “I do think it makes a difference.”

Stone, who started his company during his 2021 spring semester while playing baseball at a small college in Madison, Wisconsin, has embraced the challenges and joys of starting his own business.

Advertising in The Leaven has allowed him to follow his dream of entrepreneurship.

“I’ve built some great friends from The Leaven,” he said. “And it’s taken me all over Kansas City. I cherish it.”

Heilman is also grateful for the readers she’s worked with over the years.

“Some people really need us to pray with them,” she said. “Some people are perfectly cool. And [for] other people, every garment has a story, and it’s emotional.

“I listen a lot.”

It’s a ministry she’s eager to provide.

“It’s just a fun experience sharing people’s life milestones with them through their quilts,” she said.

Contact these advertisers

KC Lift & Elevator
kclift.com
mkoch@kclift.com
(913) 327-5557

Stone Painting
stonepaintingkc.com
stonepainting1@gmail.com
(913) 963-6465

Quilted Memories
quiltedmemoriesllc.com
(913) 649-2704

Advertise with The Leaven

The Leaven is mailed to more than 48,000 households and offers a full line of newspaper advertising services, including design, copywriting and layout.

For more information, call or email Beth Blankenship at (913) 647-0327 or at: beth.blankenship@theleaven.org, or visit the website at: theleaven.org/advertise.