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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.
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182 Episodes
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What happens when a fifth-generation ranch kid earns a PhD in molecular biology and decides to rebuild the bridge between land and table? We sit down with Keven Johnson to unpack how a century-old Wyoming ranch now feeds Utah families and top restaurants through a modern, transparent, and surprisingly intimate supply chain. Keven grew up branding calves and rolling hay near Lusk, Wyoming, then dove deep into lab life, grants, and postdoc work. Along the way, he noticed what most of us miss: ...
What if your favorite restaurant’s best dish started as a quiet decision at dawn—harvest now, while the sugars are high? We sit down with Andrea Morgan, the farmer behind Moonshadow in Hoytsville, to explore the winding path from ballet shoes to biodynamic soil, from student activist saving UBC’s farm to Utah landowner supplying kitchens like Urban Hill and High West. Her story pulls you into the real engine of “farm to table”: relationships, timing, and the stubborn will to grow food that ta...
A single image. A simple line. And then that face was everywhere. We dig into the story of Julia Reagan—how a quiet memorial spread across Utah and into multiple states, why it captured national attention, and what it reveals about the collision of grief, power, and public narrative. Julia wasn’t a celebrity or a politician. She was the wife of Bill Reagan, whose company, Reagan Outdoor Advertising, shapes skylines across the West. When hundreds of memorial billboards appeared with no URL, no...
Reinvention isn’t always a straight line. Natalie Parkin grew up sweeping hair in her mom’s salon, built a high-performing career in IT and telecom sales, then bought a beauty school and discovered a larger mission: empower people—especially women—to build flexible, credible careers in aesthetics. What started as a business opportunity became a commitment to advocacy, education, and client safety in one of the most dynamic markets in the country. We dive into how technology quietly powers mo...
A phone call during 9/11. A train ride west. A splitboard cut by hand and a whiteboard full of climbs. That’s the unlikely path that led Jessa Munion and Jeff Roche to build Rocksteady Body Works, a place where movement isn’t a trend—it’s medicine—and wellness is a practice you live, not a product you buy. We trace Jessa’s pivot from DC consulting to yoga leadership in Park City, and the moment she chose massage therapy to deepen the work from the mat to the nervous system. Jeff brings the a...
A luxury mountain resort that actually lowers the cost of family time for those who serve—this is the story unfolding at Deer Valley’s East Village. We sit down with Kristen Kenney Williams of MIDA and Grand Hyatt GM Nate Hardesty to unpack how a first-of-its-kind partnership guarantees 100 rooms at the Grand Hyatt Deer Valley for eligible military guests at heavily discounted rates, alongside up to 75% off Deer Valley lift tickets with no blackout dates. The result is more than a nice perk; ...
A coin flip chose Subaru. The rest is strategy. Jeff Miller, fourth-generation owner of Mark Miller Subaru, joins us to share how a family dealership in Salt Lake City rewired the car-buying experience around trust, speed, and community. We dig into the city’s uniquely family-led dealership ecosystem, the moment the Outback transformed Subaru’s trajectory, and why the Miller team embraced one-price transparency and no-commission product specialists long before it was trendy. We get candid ab...
A family secret. A fork in the road. A choice that reshaped Utah’s creative landscape. Angela Brown joins us to share how a canyon kid with a camera became the force behind SLUG Magazine and the founder of Craft Lake City, turning a tiny zine and a DIY idea into two of the region’s most influential cultural platforms. We trace Angela’s path from Emigration Canyon to darkrooms and record stores, where photography and music collided into a calling. When a San Francisco promotion beckoned, a li...
What if your divorce didn’t feel like a war but a turning point? We sit down with attorney Nonie Ferguson, founder of Law Elevated in Park City, to unpack a people-first approach to family law that prioritizes mental health, clarity, and durable outcomes over courtroom theatrics. Nonie shares how years as a South Florida public defender sharpened her litigation instincts—evidence, objections, narrative—while also teaching her that legal victories mean little if clients walk away shattered. W...
A broken heart, a one-way drive to Carlsbad, and a couch full of spare change turned into a first Hurley ad in Japan—and that same relentless “show up” streak later powered neighborhoods during Hurricane Sandy. James Atkin, now VP of Marketing at Nomatic, takes us through the kinetic path from 90s skate grime to global brand building, showing how falling down (and getting up) becomes a lifelong operating system. We trace the early St. George scene where mentors traded ten minutes on a real b...
Scott Haslam stands at the intersection of entrepreneurial success and community-building creativity as the mastermind behind both King Bee Vans and Ranger Sound Car. From his junkyard office in Salt Lake City, he's crafting a legacy that transcends traditional business boundaries. Starting with a simple question – "how can this scale?" – Scott transformed a small vehicle upfitting operation into a nationwide commercial vehicle empire. King Bee Vans began with just 80 vehicles in 2021 and ha...
After fifteen years as a traditional OBGYN, Dr. Mallorie Cracroft found herself at a crossroads. Despite loving her patients and practice partners, she struggled with the impossible balance between career demands and family life. Exhausted from delivering babies all night, then falling asleep on the floor while caring for her own children, she constantly wondered: could medicine be practiced differently? This deeply personal episode explores how Dr. Cracroft transformed her frustration into ...
Liddy Huntsman brings a unique perspective to Salt Lake City politics as she transitions from comedy stages to the campaign trail. In this captivating conversation, she opens up about growing up as the self-proclaimed "black sheep" of the politically prominent Huntsman family, sharing hilarious stories of hosting High School Musical dancers at the Governor's mansion and navigating life in the public eye. After fleeing Utah to pursue comedy in New York and working at Saturday Night Live, Lidd...
What happens when you move to a new city and can't find the community you're searching for? For Michelda Castro, the answer was simple: build it yourself. In this illuminating conversation, Michelda shares her journey from South Florida to Salt Lake City and the culture shock that inspired her to create Unity Block Party—now celebrating its third year. Drawing from cherished childhood memories of neighborhood gatherings with boom boxes and street basketball, Michelda crafted an event that br...
Donate Here: https://acscan.donordrive.com/participants/3216 Fork Cancer Tickets Here: https://utah.acscanforkcancer.org/food-drink-entertainment-2/ (Tastemaker Erik Nilsson at checkout) Susan Gatrell and Brook Carlisle from the American Cancer Society pull back the curtain on what this 112-year-old organization actually does beyond its familiar name recognition. Their passionate insights reveal how ACS serves as the essential but often invisible scaffolding supporting both cancer patients ...
When Marcio Buffolo arrived in Salt Lake City from Brazil, a career making alcohol wasn't part of his plan. With a master's degree in cell biology, he followed his scientist wife to Utah where he worked in university research. But a chance opportunity to solve contamination problems at Shades Brewing changed everything. Marcio's scientific background proved invaluable as he built a quality control lab, identified bacterial culprits, and eventually took over as head brewer when his predecessor...
Greek food isn't simply a cuisine in Salt Lake City—it's a cultural foundation that has shaped our dining landscape for generations. This week, we sit down with Manoli Katsanevas, the culinary force behind Manoli's and Parea, to explore how his family legacy evolved from Crown Burger to James Beard-nominated fine dining. Born into the family that founded Salt Lake's beloved Crown Burger chain, Manoli shares how scrubbing floors and working the line as a teenager sparked his passion for resta...
Three creative minds, one viral Instagram account, and the unexpected story of how they became NBA YoungBoy's go-to content team in Utah. The SLC Scoop founders—Chris, Dylan, and Jordan—reveal the spontaneous beginnings of what's become Salt Lake City's most talked-about social media presence. What started as a creative outlet for Chris, who was preparing for fatherhood, evolved into a digital phenomenon capturing everything from breaking local news to behind-the-scenes moments with some of ...
What happens when you confront your deepest fears and step into authentic living? Jacob Baadsgaard's journey reveals the transformative power of radical self-honesty. After building a successful marketing agency, Jacob found himself questioning everything when his marriage began failing. Through therapy, he discovered he wasn't showing up as a true partner because of his own self-judgment and inability to be present. This revelation sparked a profound personal transformation that not only sa...
From skateboarding around Sugar House as a kid to brewing award-winning beer in the same neighborhood, Chad Hopkins' journey epitomizes the heart of Salt Lake City's local business renaissance. Growing up in Sugar House during the 80s and 90s when it was "kind of rough," Chad developed a deep connection to this eclectic neighborhood. His first job at Einstein's Bagels sparked what would become a lifelong career in hospitality. While exploring various roles in the restaurant industry, corpora...
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