I'm the Mayor of Creston, Iowa

Summary

Podcast Summary

Podcast: Laugh with Me
Host: Jeremy Odem
Episode Title: I'm the Mayor of Creston, Iowa
Date: October 2, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode of "Laugh with Me" features a major—and hilarious—announcement from host Jeremy Odem: his candidacy for mayor of Creston, Iowa. Drawing on his time as the Hy-Vee grocery store director in Creston and his roots in both comedy and community service, Jeremy comedically pitches himself as the town's new leader following the sudden resignation of the current mayor. The episode is packed with Jeremy's signature wit, heartfelt reflections on small-town life, spontaneous musical numbers, and even a message recorded immediately after a colonoscopy—demonstrating how the role of mayor is, quite literally, always on his mind.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Big Announcement: Running for Mayor

• [01:57] Jeremy shares the recent news: Creston’s Mayor Waylon Clayton resigned unexpectedly, announcing his move to Florida.
• Jeremy seizes the moment to publicly declare his intention to become Creston's next mayor.
  • “I, Jeremy Odom, host of the Laugh with Me podcast and former Creston resident, is officially announcing candidacy for mayor of Creston, Iowa.” [04:31]

2. Roots and Reasons: Why Jeremy?

• Jeremy highlights his two-year stint as Hy-Vee store director in Creston (2016–2018) as preparation for public office.
  • “You get everybody coming your way. I feel like that prepared me, like no other job could have, to be the mayor.” [05:02]
• Emphasizes his skills: business management, leadership, budget balancing, and community-building.
• His vision:
  • Building a stronger community
  • Supporting local businesses and families
  • Transparency and open-door policy in leadership
  • Investing in infrastructure and education

3. The Process and Pitfalls of Becoming Mayor

• Discusses Creston's process for appointing a new mayor. Special election was ruled out for budget reasons; candidates must now apply.
  • “My hand is raised. I am ready. I am ready to lead those folks in Creston, and I'm ready to lead all of you listening...” [07:16]

4. The Mayoral Musical Numbers

• The episode features original lighthearted “campaign” songs interspersed throughout, highlighting Jeremy’s comedic approach to leadership.
  • Lyrics celebrate Creston’s small-town charm, Jeremy’s “plan and dream,” and the promise to lead with “a laugh and a cheer.”
  • “With a laugh, with a cheer / Let the banners fly / Creston’s rising / Touching the sky” ([08:43] and reprised throughout)
  • The songs reinforce the tongue-in-cheek tone and manifest Jeremy’s campaign spirit.

5. Post-Colonoscopy Reflections: Leadership, Groceries & Pizza

• Jeremy recounts recording a message for the people of Creston immediately after waking from a colonoscopy, driving home his sincere (and comic) commitment:
  • “When I immediately woke up, I pulled out my phone and I recorded this message because I had Creston on my mind. And I knew in that moment, this was my destiny.” [13:15]
• In the post-anesthesia message, Jeremy playfully references:
  • His dedication to community events and service at Hy-Vee
  • The integral role of small businesses, the local “uptown” area, and even the quality of Angie’s pizza
  • His plan to use skills and “push [his] weight around” for community fundraising
  • Willingness to “Zoom in” to meetings if weather’s bad (“…I’ll be there unless the weather’s bad. And then we’ll zoom it in.” [16:43])
  • Commitment to putting the well-being of Creston’s residents first

6. More Musical Fun and the Episode Close

• Further campaign-themed musical refrains, engaging listeners with the “up, up we’re lifting this town” theme ([18:49], [19:56]).
• Jeremy reiterates his contact for media inquiries and delivers one last pep talk for Creston.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote/Description | |:----------:|:--------------|------------------| | 01:57 | Jeremy Odem | “Creston without a mayor. It got me thinking real hard. What’s a guy like me… always thought at some point… I’m going to look to the public service department...” | | 04:31 | Jeremy Odem | “I, Jeremy Odom… is officially announcing candidacy for mayor of Creston, Iowa.” | | 05:02 | Jeremy Odem | “You get everybody coming your way. I feel like that prepared me, like no other job could have, to be the mayor.” | | 06:55 | Jeremy Odem | “I want to put the people of Creston always in the express lane… always feel like they’ve gotten the best service they could possibly get from the people that serve them.” | | 13:15 | Jeremy Odem | “When I immediately woke up [from colonoscopy], I pulled out my phone and I recorded this message because I had Creston on my mind.” | | 14:19 | Jeremy Odem (post-colonoscopy message) | “People of Creston, I’m your mayor now. People of Creston needed someone that cares… cares about the well-being of the people.” | | 16:43 | Jeremy Odem (post-colonoscopy message) | “I’ll be there unless the weather’s bad. And then we’ll zoom it in. Even sometimes I’ll just be like, I’m busy. So we’ll zoom in. But I’ll come. I’ll stop by that Angie pizza…” | | 18:49 | Narrators/Singers | “Small town streets where the whispers grow… Creston’s rising, touching the sky… He’s got a grin, he’s got a plan, he’s got a dream, a mayoral man…” | | 20:24 | Jeremy Odem | “We’ll see you soon, Creston.” |

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Timestamps of Important Segments

• [00:00] – Jeremy opens and teases the “shocking” news about Creston’s mayor
• [01:57] – Resignation of Mayor Waylon Clayton and Jeremy’s idea for candidacy
• [04:31] – Official on-air mayoral announcement
• [06:09] – Why Jeremy is qualified—grocery store, small-town roots, management skills
• [07:16] – Explanation of Creston’s mayoral selection process
• [08:07] – Start of the campaign musical number
• [12:01] – Jeremy on media inquiries and segue into the colonoscopy story
• [13:15] – Story about post-anesthesia message for Creston
• [14:19] – Full (and funny) “post-colonoscopy” message to Creston voters
• [18:49] – Reprise of the campaign song and comedic mayoral promises
• [20:24] – Jeremy’s closing lines to Creston

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Tone and Style

Jeremy delivers the episode in his signature blend of warmth, tongue-in-cheek self-deprecation, and sincere affection for small-town life. The campaign songs accentuate a mock-grandiose yet heartfelt tone, keeping listeners both entertained and oddly hopeful about Creston’s comedic political future.

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In Summary

This episode of "Laugh with Me" blurs the line between stand-up and civic engagement as Jeremy Odem roller-coasters from comedic news commentary to an “official” campaign launch, complete with musical interludes and a genuinely earnest, if slightly groggy, pitch for the mayor’s office. For listeners, it’s a comedic masterclass in making local politics fun—anchored in real affection for community, leadership, and classic Iowa small-town spirit.

Transcript

[Jeremy Odom]

Foreign. Welcome back. It's a brand new episode. This is Laugh With Me, a podcast with Jeremy Odom. I'm your host, J. O. And we've got a banger, banger of an episode for you. We have a major announcement that is going to shock southwest Iowa and possibly even shock the very, the very state of Iowa. I mean, this may have repercussions that go through the. In. It's not the smallest state, right? Johnny, can we, can we look that up? Iowa is not the smallest state, like, footprint wise, right? It can't be. I know it's, you know, I live there. I've had a couple of stops in the state of Iowa. But particularly the time that is most impactful right now is that time that I lived in a little town called Creston, Iowa, from 2016 to 2018. See, I, my job took me there when I was running Hy Vee grocery stores, became the store director at the Creston Hy Vee. In hindsight, Crescent wasn't that bad. Like, honestly, Crescent is a nice community. A lot of great people met a lot of awesome people there. Some people that I, frankly, I wish we kept more in touch with here after moving away, but life goes on. But something has just happened in the great town of Creston that has really, it's got some people, it's got some folks quite worked up. Their own, their very own. Mayor Waylon Clayton. He announced on September 16 that during the Tuesday city council meeting, he and his family and their business were just moving to Florida. Just like that, just dipping out. Johnny, can you imagine being the mayor and just being like, deuces, I'm going to the beach. I mean, like, maybe on vacation, right? But not like, not to move. He was quoted as saying, it has been the highest honor of my life to serve this community. Which means he's peaked and he's decided to go to Florida where life will only get worse. The Creston. One of my favorite publications, the Creston News Advertiser, had the quotes and you can find the story on their Facebook page. But holy cow, Creston without a mayor. It got me thinking. It got me thinking real hard. What's a guy like me who's always thought at some point in my life, in my professional career, I'm going to look to, to the public service department and say, you know, I've, I've served people as a business leader for over 20 years now. I'd like to serve people in a different fashion. Maybe take some of my business resume and bring it to a community to make it stronger. And not just by selling groceries at a low price. No, it's not just about that. Crested needs more than that. Crested still needs low prices, trust me. But they need a smile back on their face. This community needs a guy like you, Johnny, and a guy like me. So for immediate release, I, Jeremy Odom, host of the Laugh with Me podcast and former Creston resident, is officially announcing candidacy for mayor of Creston, Iowa. Y' all know I lived in Creston from 2016 to 2018. I'm very familiar with the community. In fact, as a store director of Hy ve in a community like Greston, you get everybody coming your way. You just do. You get everybody coming your way. I feel like that prepared me, like no other job could have, to be the mayor. You know, during that time that I lived in Creston, I helped build strong connections with families, the employees of Hy Vee and customers throughout the community. And my background in business, management and leadership will give me the experience needed to guide Creston into the next chapter. You know, it's not just about balancing a budget. We're keeping the shelves stocked, encrusted. People need to make sure that when they. When they live there, when they go to bed at night, they don't have that sour taste in their mouth. I want to put the people of Creston always in the express lane. I want them to always feel like they've gotten the best service they could possibly get from the people that serve them. Okay? My mayor, My campaign for mayor will focus on building the community. Okay? Strengthening neighborhood bonds, supporting local businesses, and creating more opportunities for families to thrive. I want more transparency in the leadership and open door policy where every resident has a voice in shaping Creston future. Okay? I had an open door policy at the Hy Vee. Trust me, a lot of those Crested folks stopped in. They stopped in to see what's up. They can stop by the office. Okay? We want to invest in the future. From infrastructure to education. We want to ensure Crescent continues to grow while maintaining its small town values. Together, we can make Crescent a place where every voice matters and every family can succeed. Now, here's the thing, Johnny. It's not so simple. You can't just run for mayor. I'm. I'm sure you know, as I read in the Crescent News Advertiser, that there's. The board is going to be reviewing. In fact, they. They could have done a special election. They chose not to for budgetary reasons. This would cost well over $10,000 in order to. To Run a special election. So they're going to be accepting applications for anybody who is interested in becoming the mayor of Creston. And to that, I say my hand is raised. I am ready. I am ready to lead those folks in Creston, and I'm ready to lead all of you listening to Laugh with me right now. Because not only is this a comedy podcast, okay, I believe this is a place that we can all come together and be one. We're prepared. When I say we, I mean me, and I mean my producer, Johnny. We are prepared to head to Creston, Iowa, and make a difference.

[Narrator/Singer 1]

Small town streets where the whispers grow Cornfields stretching where the sunsets glow Creston's heartbeat, it's steady and slow but there's a spark that's the starting to show.

[Narrator/Singer 2]

He'S got a grin he's got a plan he's got a dream A mayoral.

[Jeremy Odom]

Man.

[Narrator/Singer 2]

Up, up we're lifting this town Jeremy's here Turning it around With a laugh, with a cheer Let the banners fly Creston's rising Touching the sky Mic.

[Narrator/Singer 1]

In hand, he's cracked a few jokes but now he's speaking for all the folks from the diner booths to the courthouse stairs He's a man who listens.

[Narrator/Singer 2]

A man who cares with every step the pavement hums A brighter crest and here it comes up, up, up we're lifting this town Jeremy's here Turning it.

[Jeremy Odom]

Around.

[Narrator/Singer 2]

With a laugh, with a cheer Let the banners fly Crescent rising, touching the sky.

[Narrator/Singer 1]

With every step the pavement hums A brighter Creston Here it comes.

[Narrator/Singer 2]

Up, up we're lifting this town Jeremy's turning it around With a laugh, with a cheer Let the banners fly Crescent rising, Touching the sky Touching the sky.

[Narrator/Singer 1]

Mike in hand, he's cracked a few jokes but now he's speaking for all the folks from the diner booths to the courthouse stairs He's a man who listens, a man who cares with every step the pavement hums A brighter crystal Here it comes.

[Jeremy Odom (post-colonoscopy message)]

Oh.

[Narrator/Singer 2]

Up, up we're lifting this town Jeremy, Jeremy's here Turning it around With a.

[Narrator/Singer 1]

Laugh, with a cheer Let the banners fly Creston's rising Touching the sky.

[Narrator/Singer 2]

Oh.

[Jeremy Odom]

Sky crested I'm here for you all media inquiries, please hit up myself and Johnny at laughwithmepod gmail.com. that's where we will take any media requests and questions at this time. And just to prove. Just to prove that Creston has truly been on my mind as of late. You know, last Friday I had a colonoscopy and I'm not gonna go into Details. Okay. Of the nitty gritty of what went down in there. Although it was. It was good. Everything came out good. For those of you questioning my health there, the haters in Creston, I just want to say the health is getting better. Okay? But what I do want to point out is that I'm laying in bed immediately after I woke up from this colonoscopy, okay. Coming out of the sleep from the. The anesthesia. And I. I will tell you, as a redhead, I love it. It's great sleep. Okay? It's some of the best sleep you're ever gonna get. And I'm. They. They have to really crank through that anesthesia on me because it's. For whatever reason with the redheads with the jeans, it just. It takes a lot, okay? We can handle a lot of pain in that regard, you know? So when they're. They're putting it into my iv, they're like, okay, you're going to sleep here in like three seconds. And I'm like, no, I'm not. No, I am not. I'm staying up. There is no chance. And then, boom, I'm out. Right? So that's. The doctors did their job. But when I immediately woke up, I pulled out my phone and I recorded this message because I had crested on my mind. And I knew in that moment, this was my destiny. This was the direction we need to go. Johnny, this is when I said, it's time to put in our official letter to the city council in Creston to make us mayor. Take a listen.

[Jeremy Odom (post-colonoscopy message)]

People of Creston, I'm your mayor now. People of Creston needed someone that cares. It gets the business side, but more importantly, cares about the well being of the people.

[Jeremy Odom]

I care enough.

[Jeremy Odom (post-colonoscopy message)]

I don't know a lot of you, but I did sell you groceries for a long time, Two years to be exact. And your well being was my top of mind. And then I did that. I did that community event, remember? The big tent? And all the community events came. I didn't make a dime on that. I just want that on record. That was about the people and getting you to come inside the store and see what's up.

[Jeremy Odom]

Ah.

[Jeremy Odom (post-colonoscopy message)]

I'm so tired. And I do all these things and I'm just like, I could be the mayor, so I'm gonna add that to my repertoire. Prep repertoire. And I'm not moving from Omaha, so if anything, you should appreciate big city living. Remember the two years I was there? I was like, I'm from the big city. That meant Omaha, and I live in Omaha, so I'm back from the big city. Farming's cool for you guys. I'm not a farmer, but the people who came and drank coffee at my store loved coffee. Wait, they love farming. So whatever I can do to help there. And then all the little shops. Remember the little shops in uptown? Remember how I've been gone a while and I remembered it's called uptown. I'm the mayor, so I'll be there unless the weather's bad. And then we'll zoom it in. Even sometimes I'll just be like, I'm busy. So we'll zoom in. But I'll come. I'll stop by that Angie pizza. I'll tell you what. Right now. I know there's been some management changes, but if that pizza doesn't taste the same as mayor, we're gonna. We're gonna put it back. I think I'm gonna have to join, like, some of those clubs I was in before, too, as mayor, push my weight around a little bit, because you guys raise money, and we can use those funds to help the community instead of building bridges. Wait, no, I'm building bridges. I think you guys did backpacks. The schools will handle that. We'll get high V to pay for it. I'm the mayor.

[Jeremy Odom]

Johnny. I don't know if you can tell in my. I'm very foggy. Okay? So, like, don't discredit the fact, like, just because I'm. I sound so out of it. Remember, I literally, seconds before, just woke up from a colonoscopy. Okay. And what was the first thing on my mind? It wasn't. Hey, did. Is everything good? What the doc say? What's up? No, it was. I need to speak to the people of Creston right now. They need to know that I care. So there you go, Johnny. I think. I think we're on our way. I think we're on our way. Laugh with me podmail.com for any media inquiries or the community. The community. You got any questions? Remember, I'm your mayor now.

[Narrator/Singer 1]

Small town streets where the whispers grow Cornfields stretching where the sunsets glow Preston's heartbeat, it's steady and slow but there's a spark that's starting to show he's.

[Narrator/Singer 2]

Got a grin he's got a plan he's got a dream A mayoral man up, up. We're lifting this town Jeremy's here, turning it around that's me, Johnny. Let's go With a laugh, with a chee Let the banners fly Creston's rising.

[Narrator/Singer 1]

Touching the sky uh oh.

[Narrator/Singer 2]

Mic in hand.

[Narrator/Singer 1]

He's cracked a few jokes, but now he's speaking for all the folks from the diner booths to the courthouse stairs.

[Narrator/Singer 2]

He's a man who listens, a man who cares. With every step the pavement hums.

[Jeremy Odom]

A.

[Narrator/Singer 2]

Brighter crest and here it comes up, up, up. We're lifting this town, Jeremy here, turning it around with a laugh, with a cheer. Let the banners fly, Creston's rising, touching, watching the sky.

[Jeremy Odom]

We'll see you soon. Crested.

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[Jeremy Odom]

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