Podcast
Small Lake City
Hosted by Erik Nilsson · EN
Small Talk, Big City
Join host Erik Nilsson as he interviews the entrepreneurs, creators, and builders making Salt Lake City the best place it can be. Covering topics such as business, politics, art, food, and more you will get to know the amazing people behind the scenes investing their time and money to improve the place we call home.
Follow along for more!
35episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
S2, E14: Dan Benshoff & AJ Nielsen - Volunteers of America, Utah
6d ago01:20:04Tap to summarizeHomelessness in Salt Lake City gets treated like a debate, but on the street and inside shelters it’s a web of housing costs, addiction, trauma, mental health, and the gaps between systems. We sit down with AJ and Dan from Volunteers of America Utah, a 40 year nonprofit that works right at those intersections, to talk about what actually helps and what gets in the way.We unpack how VOA Utah operates far beyond “just volunteering” through paid frontline staff, therapists, social workers, and thousands of community volunteers who power meal service, mentorship, and pro bono support. Dan shares how a single volunteer shift at the Youth Resource Center flipped his perspective and eventually pulled him into nonprofit fundraising, plus why recovery often takes more than one attempt and why that’s normal, not shameful.Then we get real about the behind the scenes pressure: unstable government grants, changing Medicaid reimbursements, economic uncertainty, and the constant demand to do more while the need keeps rising. AJ explains why curiosity beats judgment, how small acts of service can rebuild community connection after COVID-era isolation, and what “showing up” looks like when you don’t have a perfect answer.If you’ve ever wanted to help with homelessness, addiction recovery, or mental health services in Utah but didn’t know where to start, this is a clear path forward. Subscribe, share this with a friend in Salt Lake Valley, and leave a review so more people can find the work being done.Have a Question? Ask it here!50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITYMLD Closeout Event: www.MLD.com Get started with Gnarly Nutrition Today: https://gnarlynutrition.sjv.io/m4OMZX Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/RRXGR7kPSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod
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A Giant Data Center Plan And The Fight Over The Great Salt Lake
2w ago00:12:03Tap to summarizeA single vote in Box Elder County just set off one of the biggest Utah fights in years: a proposed mega data center campus on the northern edge of the Great Salt Lake, backed by O’Leary Digital and shepherded by MIDA. The numbers are staggering, from the sheer land footprint to an on-site natural gas plant proposed at up to 9 gigawatts, more than double Utah’s current electricity use. That’s why scientists and environmental advocates are raising the alarm about carbon emissions, water draw, and the lack of independent environmental review at a moment when the Great Salt Lake is already in crisis. We walk through what happened at the commission meeting, why residents feel blindsided, and why the speed of the process has become its own controversy. Then we take the argument seriously from the other side: the jobs and long-term tax revenue being promised, plus the framing from state leaders that AI infrastructure is now part of national security and global competition. If you’ve been wondering how data centers, energy policy, water rights, and local democracy collide, this is the clearest real-time case study Utah has seen in a long time. From there, we shift to Salt Lake City’s fiscal year 2027 budget proposal, including a 12.5% increase in the city property tax rate and what that does and does not mean for your total bill. We also break down where the money would go, why inflation is squeezing basics like firefighter gear and street materials, and how residents can weigh in before the council votes. We close with major City Hall news on the temporary suspension of a councilmember pending an independent investigation, plus quick hits on the Utah Mammoth, a local brewery’s Chapter 11 filing, a new Japantown mural, and Love Your Block mini grants. Subscribe, share the show with a Salt Lake friend, and leave a review.Have a Question? Ask it here!50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITYMLD Closeout Event: www.MLD.com Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/RRXGR7kPSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod
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S2, E13: Tyler Glenn - Neon Trees
2w ago01:11:52Tap to summarizeTyler Glenn (Neon Trees) has lived a version of the Utah story a lot of people only whisper about: growing up Mormon, feeling out of place, and using music as the safest room in the house. We talk about what it’s like to build an identity when your faith, your family culture, and your sexuality all pull in different directions, and why “fitting in” can feel like disappearing. We also rewind the Neon Trees timeline the way it actually happened: busking and garage practice, writing songs on a mission with whatever gear was available, then moving to Provo and finding a real launchpad in the local scene. Tyler breaks down the years of regional touring, early internet momentum, and the moment the band finally got in front of the right people. We get into songwriting craft, collaboration, and why co-writing isn’t a dirty word when you’re trying to make your best work. Then the story turns personal and public. Tyler shares what it meant to be framed as “still gay but still Mormon,” what cracked during his faith crisis, and how he poured that pain into a solo record that continues to help ex-Mormon and LGBTQ listeners feel less alone. We also dig into LoveLoud Festival with Dan Reynolds, why LGBTQ support inside faith-heavy communities still matters, and why funding and corporate allyship feel tougher right now. If you care about the Utah music scene, the reality of the music industry, or the messy middle of deconstruction and healing, this one goes there. Subscribe for more conversations like this, share it with someone who needs it, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway.Have a Question? Ask it here!50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITYMLD Closeout Event: www.MLD.com Get started with Gnarly Nutrition Today: https://gnarlynutrition.sjv.io/m4OMZX Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/RRXGR7kPSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod
Transcribe →Salt Lake City Feels Like A Real Sports Town Now
3w ago00:06:57Tap to summarizeSalt Lake City is moving fast and the headlines prove it. One week we’re celebrating a first-ever NHL playoff win on Utah ice, and the next we’re asking bigger questions about what kind of city we’re becoming and who gets to shape it.We start with a quick nod to the latest conversation with Guy and Debbie Perry of Salt Lake Running Company, because building community in Utah often starts with shared hobbies like road running and trail running. Then we jump into the week’s biggest news: the Utah Mammoth making history and why it suddenly feels like Salt Lake is turning into a real sports town, plus the uneasy spotlight on the Utah Jazz as analysts hammer home the same offseason priority: defense.The most far-reaching story is the proposed Box Elder County AI data center, billed as one of the largest AI infrastructure projects in the country. We talk through why people are pushing back, including concerns about energy demand, water use, air quality, and the pace and transparency of the approval process. From there we hit the full range of local news, including the surreal Harman’s parking garage crash, serious allegations involving a Salt Lake City Council member, and an update on charges filed in a church shooting case. We also touch on Utah cloud seeding technology tests and why water and drought conversations keep coming back.If you want a sharp, local read on Salt Lake City news, Utah politics, AI development, sports culture, and environmental questions, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a friend who cares about Utah, and leave a review with the headline you think matters most.Have a Question? Ask it here!50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITYMLD Closeout Event: www.MLD.com Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/RRXGR7kPSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod
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S2, E12: Guy & Debbie Perry - Salt Lake Running Company
3w ago01:24:05Tap to summarizeYou can buy running shoes anywhere, but you can’t buy real guidance, community, and confidence from a dropdown menu.We’re joined by the people behind Salt Lake Running Company, a Salt Lake City run specialty store that’s spent decades proving a simple point: service still wins. We talk about what it’s like to “wake up and go to work” for 30 years, why focus matters when everyone tells you your niche won’t work, and how a local business becomes a beacon for newcomers who want to run, hike, walk, or train for their first half marathon. Along the way we get practical about shoe fitting, gait and comfort clues, and how the right pair can change your entire relationship with running.We also dig into what makes the running community in Utah feel different, from run clubs and local events to the way outdoor culture shapes fitness. You’ll hear how SLRC thinks about hybrid athletes, cross-training, strength work, and sustainable habits that keep you moving for life. The bigger theme is movement as a tool for wellness, mental health, and resilience, including stories of giving back through nonprofits and programs that support recovery.If you’ve ever said “I’m not a runner,” but still want to feel better in your body, this one’s for you. Subscribe for more conversations like this, share the episode with a friend who needs a nudge to move, and leave a review with your favorite running win so others can find the show.Have a Question? Ask it here!50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITYMLD Closeout Event: www.MLD.com Get started with Gnarly Nutrition Today: https://gnarlynutrition.sjv.io/m4OMZX Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/RRXGR7kPSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod
Transcribe →Utah Wants To Grow Fast But The Tradeoffs Are Getting Loud
4w ago00:08:09Tap to summarizeUtah can feel like it’s changing by the hour, and this Tuesday update is a quick tour through the stories that reveal what’s really behind that momentum. We start with the AI shift that’s changing how people search for answers and how businesses get discovered, then move straight into the bigger theme I can’t stop noticing: growth that comes with real friction. When Utah talks about becoming a major data center hub, it’s not just a tech story. It’s a water story. It’s an energy story. It’s a question about what an arid place can sustainably support.From there, we get into a tense run of political headlines, including investigations, allegations of fraud, and the broader feeling that power and influence are part of the subtext. We also talk about the DHS property deal in Salt Lake that moves an ICE detention facility forward, plus a detail that hits close to home for neighbors: federal ownership can be tax exempt, which may shift property tax pressure onto surrounding owners. That kind of ripple effect is what makes local news feel personal fast.We lighten the load with stories that still matter: UVU dropping its commencement speaker, Utah tightening e-bike laws as riders get faster and bikes get more powerful, and the harsh reality of scams taking millions from Utahns, especially romance scams amplified by the modern internet. Then we end with the mix that makes Salt Lake City feel like Salt Lake: a new poet laureate, moose struggling with ticks as winters warm, Clean Air Act SLC trade-in vouchers for electric lawn gear, patios coming back, and Salt and Straw landing at Trolley Square. Subscribe for more local reporting and conversations, share this update with a friend, and leave a quick review telling us which story you want us to dig into next.Have a Question? Ask it here!50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITYMLD Closeout Event: www.MLD.com Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/RRXGR7kPSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod
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S2, E11: Dustin Crump - Found for AI
4w ago01:04:23Tap to summarizeGoogle trained all of us to hunt through links. AI is training your customers to ask one question and take one recommendation. That shift is already changing who gets the call, who gets the booking, and who gets ignored even with a beautiful website.We sit down with Dustin, founder of Found For AI, to unpack what “AI search optimization” actually looks like on the ground for local businesses and service providers. He explains how he stumbled into a surprising growth signal: people were finding his company through ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini referrals after he added an AI visibility layer to his site. From there we get practical and specific about structured data, schema markup, and why telling the robots exactly who you are, what you do, where you operate, and what you offer can beat vague copy and pretty branding when the model is choosing who to recommend.Then we go bigger. We talk AI agents, the “we’re all going to be Oprah” future where software handles planning and purchasing based on preferences, and what that means for restaurants, events, venues, and anyone who depends on being discovered. If your site can’t clearly communicate options like location, pricing, or event details in machine readable form, the agent may pass you up without a second thought. We also get into how to embrace generative AI as a copilot without producing soulless output, and why this moment rewards the expert generalist and the fast moving entrepreneur.If you want the DIY steps, grab Dustin’s free playbook at foundforai.com/playbook. Subscribe, share this with a business owner who still thinks SEO is the whole story, and leave a review with the biggest way AI has already changed how you search.More info here: https://foundforai.comHave a Question? Ask it here!50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITYMLD Closeout Event: www.MLD.com Get started with Gnarly Nutrition Today: https://gnarlynutrition.sjv.io/m4OMZX Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/RRXGR7kPSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod
Transcribe →Big Money, Potholes, and a Hockey Goodbye
Apr 1400:08:47Tap to summarizeSalt Lake City can feel calm right up until it suddenly is not, and this Tuesday update is proof. We bounce from serious stakes to absurd little moments without losing the thread: what’s happening in town, why it matters, and what it says about the kind of community we’re building.We start with the Great Salt Lake, where the Miller, Marriott, and Magalit families just committed $30 million toward restoration. It’s a massive gesture, and it also raises the real question: what does it take beyond big checks to keep the lake recoverable and avoid toxic dust storms? From there, we hit the hyper-local wins, like Pothole Palooza filling thousands of potholes in a week, and the debates, like the Red West Music Festival returning after last year’s severe weather, evacuation, and tragedy.Then the grab bag of Salt Lake headlines shows up in full force: Utah landing in the measles spotlight, box elder bugs doing their annual home invasion, and Utah State researchers trying to turn hagfish slime into a silk-like plastic alternative that is either the future of sustainability or the grossest pitch ever. We also talk about the city shutting down a seven-story hotel proposal above Sugarhouse Park, and what it reveals about how growth and nostalgia collide here.Finally, we sit with a hard goodbye: the Utah Grizzlies playing their last game in Utah after 30 years, and what “affordable hockey” meant to the people who showed up anyway. I also share a quick note on Dirtylicious Dance Fitness closing after seven years, plus a look ahead to my upcoming conversation with Dustin Crump about AI in a realistic, actually-useful way for business.If you like smart local news, Salt Lake City culture, and honest takes on what’s changing, follow the show, share this update with a friend, and leave a quick review so more people can find it.Run Club: https://partiful.com/e/f8et8wrlCiK3u4QoDHu3?c=wFAe6TXLDinner Club: https://partiful.com/e/8OWBe1XLO3axg2abKdP6?c=yS5sEP7XCowgirl(boy) Boots at HK: https://www.hisawyer.com/salt-lake-pottery-studio/schedules/activity-set/1845482?day=2026-04-30&view=cal&source=semestersBook Club: https://partiful.com/e/2FagCDxZpyHmrs1pfFI1?c=rseWI5R8Have a Question? Ask it here!50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITYMLD Closeout Event: www.MLD.com Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/RRXGR7kPSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod
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S2, E10: Erik Nilsson - Small Lake City Podcast
Apr 1301:48:22Tap to summarizeShakespeare is supposed to be electric, so why does it so often feel like homework? We start there, swapping stories about live theater, the Utah Shakespeare Festival, and why great acting can beat big sets every time. Then the conversation takes a hard left in the best way: I hand the mic to Tyson and let him interview me about the parts of my story that listeners keep asking for.We talk about growing up in Salt Lake City, bouncing between friend groups, and how rollerblading and a family divorce shaped the “rebel without a cause” energy that later turned into real curiosity. From missions and Spanish to the ex-Mormon shelf breaking in college, we get honest about faith crisis, therapy, and what it takes to leave the LDS Church without letting bitterness run your life. If you’re searching for conversations about leaving Mormonism, identity shifts, and rebuilding relationships with family, this one goes there.Career reinvention threads through everything: Seattle as a clean break, the prestige and pressure of investment banking, getting fired, and how an ADHD diagnosis finally explains years of stress and struggle. We also talk about grief, losing a colleague, and why loss makes you question what “success” even means. From six months of van life across 36 states to divorce and starting the podcast, the big theme is simple: authenticity beats performance, and community beats networking.If this hits home, subscribe, share it with a friend who’s at a crossroads, and leave a review with the inflection point that changed your life.Have a Question? Ask it here!50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITYMLD Closeout Event: www.MLD.com Get started with Gnarly Nutrition Today: https://gnarlynutrition.sjv.io/m4OMZX Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/RRXGR7kPSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod
Transcribe →Great Salt Lake Water Deals And A City In Motion
Apr 800:06:10Tap to summarizeA drying lake can feel like a distant problem until it starts changing where families imagine their future. This Tuesday update connects the latest Great Salt Lake developments to the real-life stakes people talk about at the dinner table: air quality, dust, long-term health risks, and the question of whether Utah still feels like a safe place to raise kids.We get into a new deal that puts more conserved water back into the Great Salt Lake and why incremental wins might matter more than they look on paper. Then we talk about the big, messy politics hovering over it all, including a proposed billion dollars in federal funding and why so many locals are stuck in “believe it when we see it” mode. If you care about Great Salt Lake restoration, water conservation, and what accountability should look like, this one is for you.Health headlines hit just as hard. Measles cases are surging, with exposure sites stretching from the University of Utah to everyday stops like grocery stores and schools. At the same time, we unpack a study showing Utah air has improved over the last couple decades in some measures while carbon emissions haven’t budged the way they need to. It’s progress and unfinished work sitting side by side.We close with what Salt Lake City feels like right now: KRCL building a west-side community space, spring events waking the city up, James Beard recognition for local chefs, and also the losses that sting, like Doki Doki closing and the end of the Salt Lake School District adult education program. Subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave a review if these local updates help you stay grounded. What story should we dig deeper into next?Have a Question? Ask it here!50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITYMLD Closeout Event: www.MLD.com Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/RRXGR7kPSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod
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