Mahin was born and raised in Red Cloud and graduated from RCHS with the class of ‘97. Mahin graduated from North Central Kansas Technical College with an Associates Degree of Applied Sciences in Electrical Technology. He returned home to Red Cloud in 2013 after living in Omaha, where he met his wife Lisa. Mahin resides in Red Cloud with Lisa and their two children: Tallen (12) and Trace (10).
What is your favorite thing about Red Cloud?
The amount of work that people have put in throughout the years to make Red Cloud what it is, is an amazing thing to see and to be a part of moving forward.
You and your wife Lisa own and operate The M Guest House. What has running a lodging facility been like? Is there anything you wish more people knew about The M Guest House?
My wife Lisa handles the operations of The M Guest House. The most challenging aspect of operating the Guest House is getting the house flipped and ready to go for the next guest after the previous guest has checked out. Lately, juggling our schedules has made this even more of a challenge.
The M Guest House was built in 1910 and we decided to make it into a vacation rental to provide a home away from home for people traveling across the country or visiting Red Cloud. It has been interesting to see over the years some of the people that have stayed here that were staying to see family or were passing through.
The amount of work that people have put in throughout the years to make Red Cloud what it is, is an amazing thing to see and to be a part of moving forward.
You and Lisa also recently opened Back Alley Bicycles in your father’s former barbershop in downtown Red Cloud. Can you tell our audience a little bit about your store and why you decided to open a small business in Red Cloud?
After opening Back Alley Bicycles, our primary focus was Bicycle Rentals and Repairs. Since then we have expanded into offering outfitting apparel and supplies. We are hoping to offer E-Bikes, Kayaks and Canoes for rental next season also.
We decided to open a small business in Red Cloud simply because we owned a building here on mainstreet and we couldn’t live with it sitting empty. It's challenging to open a business that will be sustainable in a small town. There are many aspects to look at when doing so but as long as you are surrounded by creative people and an abundance of ideas, everything will work out. You just have to go for it.
You were recently elected to the Red Cloud City Council. What made you decide to run for the position?
After previously finishing my appointed term on the Council in 2020, I decided it was best not to run for re-election that year so I could focus on the construction and renovation phases at 416 N Webster and help develop the planning for opening a business there. While previously being a City Employee for 5 years and serving on the City Council for 2 years, I always enjoyed my time there no matter what role I was in. I decided to run this year because I feel if someone has knowledge and understanding of how things operate and function there is value in that person serving on a Council/Committee/Board. I am excited to be back involved with The City of Red Cloud, there's a lot of important matters happening right now.
I feel if someone has knowledge and understanding of how things operate and function there is value in that person serving on a Council/Committee/Board. I am excited to be back involved with The City of Red Cloud--there's a lot of important matters happening right now.
You work at Great Plains Communications. Is there anything you wish people knew about services Great Plains provides and/or things it supports in Red Cloud and surrounding communities?
Great Plains has a 16,500 mile fiber network that provides internet, cable tv, and voice solutions for residential and business customers. We recently updated our copper infrastructure to fiber to the home inside the city limits to existing customers in 2021.
Tell us a little bit about your job at Great Plains Communications. What do you like most about it?
We do all things from performing the construction of projects, to installing and terminating cable, splicing fiber, and programming devices. Our office in Red Cloud also covers Inavale, Riverton, Huntley/Ragan, Wilcox and the surrounding rural areas of each community.
Do you have a favorite TV show and/or podcast?
My favorite TV show would have to be The Office. I enjoy watching Yellowstone and I also enjoy watching documentaries. I enjoy The Huberman Lab Podcast and The Cooper Stuff Podcast.
If you could have a superpower what would it be and why?
A fun superpower would be being able to scale buildings and swing from building to building--you know the Spiderman way! Everyone has to have a little fun from time to time. A functional superpower would be flying the Superman way--we like to travel, so this would allow more time at our destinations.
Do you have any hobbies or interests you’d like to share?
I enjoy anything outdoors from hiking, mountain biking, camping, going to the lake and boating or fishing. I also enjoy golfing with my family. It's nice having such a nice golf course here.
Do you have any pets?
I have a Maltese named Abbie. We adopted her in 2009.
What would your high school teachers or guidance counselor say about you if we asked?
They would probably say I had some moments here and there as most kids do, but that I worked hard and was a good kid.
What are you most proud of?
I’m most proud of my wife. From running three businesses to keeping me and the boys going in the right direction, she is always working hard to make everything the best and has all the great ideas! She definitely holds everything together.
Do you have a mantra or mission statement you live by?
One day you will wake up and there won’t be anymore time to do the things you always wanted to do--so do them now.
What is your favorite song and/or recording artist?
This depends on the day I’m having and the mood I’m in. Right now I am feeling "Blackbird," by The Beatles. Some of my favorite artists are the Allman Brothers Band, Ryan Bingham, Skillet, Robert Randolph and the Family Band, and Nathaniel Rateliff.
It's challenging to open a business that will be sustainable in a small town. There are many aspects to look at when doing so but as long as you are surrounded by creative people and an abundance of ideas, everything will work out. You just have to go for it.
Who is your favorite actor?
Sam Elliott, and Jeff Bridges (The Dude from The Big Lebowski)
What is your dream vacation?
It would have to have both the mountains and the ocean involved…..Crete, Greece or French Polynesia
What’s your favorite place to visit in Nebraska?
Not sure that I have just one favorite place--there is so much to see here in Nebraska that I haven’t seen yet. I always enjoy going to Omaha, there's so much to do there.
I’m most proud of my wife. From running three businesses to keeping me and the boys going in the right direction, she is always working hard to make everything the best and has all the great ideas! She definitely holds everything together.
Credits:
Lisa Mahin * Todd Mahin * Jarrod McCartney * AJ Dahm/Nebraska Life * Nebraska Tourism Commission/Dean Jacobs * The Willa Cather Foundation