Small Lake City

Erik Nilsson

Small Talk, Big CityJoin 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!

  1. 3D AGO ·  BONUS

    The Jazz Land No. 2 And The State Finally Gets A Bit Of Good News

    The Utah Jazz just got the kind of lottery luck that should feel like a party, and somehow it still stings. We break down what it means to jump to the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, why losing out on BYU star AJ DeBanza hits a nerve across the state, and what the next few weeks could look like as the trade-up question hangs in the air. I also look at the roster context and why a top-two addition could finally make the rebuild feel concrete. From there, we shift to a headline Salt Lake City doesn’t get often enough: progress in the homelessness numbers. Utah’s 2026 point-in-time count shows a decline overall, and unsheltered homelessness drops by nearly 10%. I put that in context after last year’s spike, talk through what leaders say is working with a more “human first” approach, and call out the hard part that can’t be ignored, including a rise in seniors experiencing homelessness. If you listened to my recent conversation with Volunteers of America, Utah, you’ll hear the connection between the data and the day-to-day work on the ground. We also hit an end-of-an-era business story as Crumbl Cookies’ founders step back from day-to-day leadership after scaling from Logan to more than 1,100 locations worldwide. Plus: the latest reasons critics are skeptical of the Stratos Project data center in Box Elder County, a new affordable housing complex proposed for the Ballpark neighborhood, and a quick look at Midvale’s Main Street revitalization. Then I tease next week’s interview with Rosie Card on women’s rights and post-Mormon identity, a conversation that feels impossible to separate from life in Salt Lake. Subscribe for weekly Utah news with context, share the episode with someone who loves this city, and leave a review to help more people find the show. Have a Question? Ask it here! 50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY MLD 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 show Join the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/RRXGR7kP Subscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-page Instagram: @smalllakepod Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcast TikTok: @smalllakepod

    11 min
  2. S2, E14: Dan Benshoff & AJ Nielsen - Volunteers of America, Utah

    5D AGO

    S2, E14: Dan Benshoff & AJ Nielsen - Volunteers of America, Utah

    Homelessness 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/SMALLLAKECITY MLD 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 show Join the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/RRXGR7kP Subscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-page Instagram: @smalllakepod Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcast TikTok: @smalllakepod

    1h 20m

  3. MAY 6 ·  BONUS

    A Giant Data Center Plan And The Fight Over The Great Salt Lake

    A 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/SMALLLAKECITY MLD 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 show Join the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/RRXGR7kP Subscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-page Instagram: @smalllakepod Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcast TikTok: @smalllakepod

    12 min
  4. S2, E13: Tyler Glenn - Neon Trees

    MAY 4

    S2, E13: Tyler Glenn - Neon Trees

    Tyler 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/SMALLLAKECITY MLD 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 show Join the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/RRXGR7kP Subscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-page Instagram: @smalllakepod Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcast TikTok: @smalllakepod

    1h 12m

  5. APR 29 ·  BONUS

    Salt Lake City Feels Like A Real Sports Town Now

    Salt 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/SMALLLAKECITY MLD 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 show Join the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/RRXGR7kP Subscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-page Instagram: @smalllakepod Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcast TikTok: @smalllakepod

    7 min
  6. S2, E12: Guy & Debbie Perry - Salt Lake Running Company

    APR 27

    S2, E12: Guy & Debbie Perry - Salt Lake Running Company

    You 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/SMALLLAKECITY MLD 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 show Join the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/RRXGR7kP Subscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-page Instagram: @smalllakepod Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcast TikTok: @smalllakepod

    1h 24m

  7. APR 21 ·  BONUS

    Utah Wants To Grow Fast But The Tradeoffs Are Getting Loud

    Utah 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/SMALLLAKECITY MLD 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 show Join the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/RRXGR7kP Subscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-page Instagram: @smalllakepod Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcast TikTok: @smalllakepod

    8 min
  8. S2, E11: Dustin Crump - Found for AI

    APR 20

    S2, E11: Dustin Crump - Found for AI

    Google 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.com Have a Question? Ask it here! 50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY MLD 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 show Join the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/RRXGR7kP Subscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-page Instagram: @smalllakepod Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcast TikTok: @smalllakepod

    1h 4m
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Trailer

5
out of 5
30 Ratings

About

Small Talk, Big CityJoin 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!

Information

  • Creator
    Erik Nilsson
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    201
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Small Lake City
  • Show Website
    Small Lake City

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