Small Lake City

A farm kid who learned to “leave the field only when the work is done” found his way into venture capital, helped power Utah’s tech ascent, and said “ok” to a family decision that would change lives at Primary Children’s Hospital. Join us as we sit down with Peleon Venture Partners’ managing partner, Blake Modersitzki, to unpack how unlikely turns—security guard shifts at WordPerfect, a move to New York, mentorship from Eric Schmidt at Novell—shaped a durable investing lens focused on bold founders and real fundamentals.

We dive into the DNA of Silicon Slopes, from ARPANET roots and University of Utah breakthroughs to WordPerfect, Novell, Omniture, Divi, and beyond. Blake lays out five waves of growth and explains what truly differentiates Utah: fierce competition paired with a reflex to help. That community advantage lets founders build global companies without uprooting teams to the Bay. We examine why cycles matter, why 2024–2025 could be prime building years, and how discipline—profitability, cash efficiency, clean unit economics—returns once the “tourists” leave. Blake also shares why Peleon hires like a championship team, bringing in seasoned operators to coach, scout, and scale.

Then we go personal. Blake and his wife Sandy recently made a $10 million gift to Primary Children’s, a commitment rooted in a niece lost to cancer and a family legacy nearly erased by war in Poland. With wise nudges from Gail Miller, they chose to give publicly to spark more giving. It’s a conversation about impact, not optics; about building companies that dent the world and communities that lift the next generation.

If you care about Utah’s startup ecosystem, venture capital, founder traits that endure, and the power of public generosity, this one’s for you. Subscribe, share with a friend who’s building, and leave a review with the insight that challenged you most.

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Get your tickets to Strada Saturdays on Oct. 10th here

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A quick Tuesday update with a lot of heartbeat: we’re celebrating Thanksgiving week with a shot of good news, a big giveaway, and a sharper vision for what comes next. Eric shares how the Small Lake City Podcast is leveling up for Season Two, why community impact drives every choice we make, and how a late-night spark turned into a new format that brings local stories closer to your daily life.

We break down the Jonas Brothers ticket giveaway at the Maverick Center with Postfontaine and Live Nation and tell you exactly how to enter. Then we look ahead: Season Two lands in December with a guest who’s actively moving the needle in our city. Between seasons, we’ve been auditing what resonates, tightening segments, and designing a recurring piece that spotlights one person, one issue, and one simple way to get involved. It’s all about clarity, relevance, and momentum—so you can listen, learn, and act without friction.

There’s joy in the mix too. We’re lacing up for a turkey trot in Cottonwood Heights and inviting you to come run, say hi, and kick off the holiday with some energy. And we take a moment for gratitude—for the growth across the feed, the conversations that stayed with us, and the community that keeps showing up. If you love local stories, live music, and finding practical ways to help your neighborhood thrive, this one sets the table for a strong December.

Subscribe, share this update with a friend who’d love the giveaway, and leave a quick review telling us what you want more of in Season Two. Your feedback shapes the show—what should we build next?

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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/TYNzMhCxeK

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A basement, a sketchbook, and a stubborn belief that boredom can be a gift—that’s where this story starts. John Darley takes us from Florida swamps and Salt Lake basements to New York studios and back again, unpacking how a youngest child with high risk tolerance became a nationally awarded figurative painter. He talks about the ruthless discipline of apprenticeship under Jeff Hine, eight-hour model days at Grand Central Academy, and why craft has to come before concept if you want your work to speak clearly.

We dig into the real economics of a creative career: private commissions vs gallery splits, irregular income, and the two-year, sleep-starved sprint that ended with a hard-won mortgage and a garage-turned-studio in American Fork. John shares the painting “Bearing,” born from that dark stretch, and explains why patrons aren’t “customers” but partners who fund ambitious, guaranteed outcomes—like the large multifigure narratives he’s building now. Along the way, Utah’s quiet art power is revealed: clusters of award-winning painters and sculptors, international recognition, and a landscape that keeps pulling stories to the surface.

On the craft side, John breaks down egg tempera—egg yolk and pigment—for its muted, dreamlike register and the luminous “glow” that cameras never quite capture. He maps how sculpting sharpens drawing, how shape design drives interest, and how portraits can carry dense narratives in a single frame. It all ladders up to a simple credo: master the vocabulary so the work can say something true, then keep moving forward, embracing the unknown. If you’re an artist, collector, or just curious about the grind behind beautiful work, this one will sit with you.

If you enjoyed this conversation, follow the show, share it with a friend who loves art, and leave a quick review with your favorite insight.

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Get your tickets to Strada Saturdays on Oct. 10th here

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/TYNzMhCxeK

Subscribe to the Newsletter! https://substack.com/@smalllakepod

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Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcast
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50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY

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/TYNzMhCxeK

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What turns a group ride into a real community? We sit down with Stuart Anderson, the steady force behind Mi Duole, to explore how a Utah cycling club built on “suffering together” became a home for riders of every stripe. From CrossFit beginnings to triathlons and, finally, to dawn patrol climbs up Emigration and Millcreek, Stuart shares how the bike became a place to do hard things and talk about real life while doing them.

We get into the origin story of Mi Duole, a team founded by East Bench mountain goats in the ’80s, and how the baton passed to a new generation intent on culture, not clout. Leaders are honored with yellow kits for service and consistency, not just watts. Systems came next—Strava groups, GroupMe chats, and Monday open rides—so anyone could find their level, meet at 6 a.m., and avoid getting lost in the crowd. Winter didn’t slow the momentum: Zwift rides kept the tribe connected until spring’s team camp in St. George, complete with sponsor dinners, raffles, and three big days on the bike.

We also zoom out. Utah’s cycling scene exploded after 2020, and gravel surged as a safer, more flexible way to link mountains and roads. The conversation is rich with details riders will love—LoToJa strategy, Leadville stories, sunrise canyon rituals—and it’s grounded in what keeps people coming back: stopping for a teammate with a flat, delivering a new kit after a crash, and checking in when life gets heavy. Sponsors are fellow riders, not faceless brands, so support stays inside the circle and the impact multiplies.

If you’re ready to find your people on two wheels, this is your map. Tap play, then tell a friend. If it resonates, follow the show, leave a review, and share your favorite moment—what part of the ride are you craving next?

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Get your tickets to Strada Saturdays on Oct. 10th here

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/TYNzMhCxeK

Subscribe to the Newsletter! https://substack.com/@smalllakepod

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Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcast
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A milestone deserves more than a pat on the back—it deserves intention. We just crossed 100 episodes and closed season one, but the path there wasn’t linear. Our live recording with Shireen Gorbani hit a technical snag, and rather than push a fragment into your feed, we pivoted to a conversation that captures what this show is about: building community with craft, care, and consistency. Enter Angela Brown—guiding Slug Magazine with a steady hand and growing Craft Lake City into a home for makers, artists, and innovators across Salt Lake.

We start with a quick Halloween check‑in, then dig into how local culture actually scales. Angela’s approach shows why curation matters, how editorial leadership keeps a scene honest, and what it takes to turn a grassroots project into an institution without losing soul. It’s a case study for anyone who cares about creative ecosystems, from indie musicians and visual artists to small business owners and civic organizers. Along the way, we talk about the value of doing fewer things better, the power of consistent storytelling, and the quiet logistics—volunteers, partnerships, and steady funding—that help a city show up for its own people.

There’s also a peek behind the curtain. Live shows are electric, but they’re messy, and sometimes the tech gremlins win. We own the miss, promise a proper re‑record with Shireen, and use this moment to reset the runway. Season one wraps at a clean 100, we’re taking a short breather, and season two lands in December with conversations already taped and more on the calendar. Until then, we’ll release a few vault episodes and share more clips on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, so you can stay connected to the stories shaping Small Lake City.

If you’re new here, start with the Angela Brown feature—it’s local, practical, and full of takeaways you can apply to your own projects. If you’ve been riding with us, thank you for pushing this show to triple digits. Subscribe, share the episode with a friend who loves Salt Lake’s creative scene, and leave a quick review to help more locals find the pod. What voices do you want to hear in season two? Send us your picks and we’ll make it happen.

50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY

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/TYNzMhCxeK

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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 life-changing conversation with her father redirected everything. She stayed, bought SLUG, and spent years delivering stacks, selling ads, shooting shows, and editing late into the night—while caregiving at home. Along the way, we dig into the post–9/11 Olympics, how Salt Lake’s “underground” expanded, and what it takes to build a publication that still champions outsiders without gatekeeping genre or taste.

Then we pivot to Craft Lake City: why Angela launched it, how it blurs the line between artisan and artist, and the systems that make creativity accessible—affordable markets, hands-on workshops, STEM spaces, and even a fully virtual festival world when the city needed it most. We talk sponsors who believed early, volunteers who became pros, and the small army now powering a statewide ecosystem. Expect candid insights on scaling teams, nurturing writers and photographers, and keeping art in reach for regular people.

If you care about local music, independent media, maker culture, or the future of Salt Lake City, this conversation is a blueprint. Tap play, share with a friend who loves DIY, and tell us the one risk that changed your path. And if you enjoyed the episode, subscribe, rate, and leave a review so more creators can find the show.

50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY

Get your tickets to Strada Saturdays on Oct. 10th here

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/TYNzMhCxeK

Subscribe to the Newsletter! https://substack.com/@smalllakepod

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Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcast
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Big milestone, bigger conversation. We tee up Episode 100 with Shireen Gorbani, CEO of Planned Parenthood Utah, while keeping the local energy high with a Halloween kickoff, a listener discount, and a nudge to get those costumes ready. It’s a quick update that sets the scene for a meaningful, wide-ranging story about leadership, identity, and impact in a place where opinions are strong and community ties matter even more.

Shireen’s path runs from a diverse childhood in North Dakota to academic pursuits, Utah roots, and a leap into public service through local races and nonprofit leadership. We talk about what it means to run a mission-driven organization in a conservative state, how to stay grounded when controversy finds you, and why community care is built on trust, not slogans. The preview highlights the human side of policy: access to care, courage in the public square, and the choices people make when values and daily life intersect.

We also spotlight local culture with the GraveShift Halloween party and a 15% discount using code Small Lake City, plus a look back at our recent conversation with Noni Ferguson of Law Elevated. These threads tie into the show’s core promise—connect listeners to real people doing real work, from law and advocacy to neighborhood events. If you’re curious about Utah politics, nonprofit leadership, reproductive health, and how stories shape civic life, this milestone is a must-queue moment.

Tap follow, share this with a friend who cares about Utah’s future, and leave a quick review to help more neighbors find the show. Your support keeps these local conversations alive and puts thoughtful voices in more ears.

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50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY

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/TYNzMhCxeK

Subscribe to the Newsletter! https://substack.com/@smalllakepod

Instagram: @smalllakepod
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcast
TikTok: @smalllakepod

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.

We talk through the nuts and bolts of a holistic model: pairing legal strategy with therapy, financial planning, and co-parenting tools so clients make calm decisions under pressure. Nonie explains why the “bulldog lawyer” myth often raises costs and conflict, and how firm, persuasive advocacy can achieve better results without burning the bridge you’ll need for years of co-parenting. When cases must go to court, her trial background becomes an advantage; when they don’t, problem-solving and clear communication keep families out of the fire.

Utah’s landscape adds a unique twist—early marriages, early divorces, quick remarriages, and blended families with intricate schedules and shifting loyalties. We explore why retribution rarely delivers closure, how to set boundaries that stick, and what judges actually find credible. Along the way, Nonie reveals how Law Elevated dropped the obsession with billable-hour quotas to build real relationships and deliver steadier outcomes. If you’re navigating separation, considering mediation, or preparing for court, this conversation offers practical steps to protect your rights and your wellbeing.

Subscribe for more conversations on modern family law, mindset, and making change stick. If this resonated, share it with a friend and leave a review to help others find the show.

50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY

Get your tickets to Strada Saturdays on Oct. 10th here

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/TYNzMhCxeK

Subscribe to the Newsletter! https://substack.com/@smalllakepod

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Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcast
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A festival high, a hard pause, and a guest who reimagines what “family law” can feel like—this week brings all three into sharp focus. We relive Red Westfest’s standout sets (Ian Munsick’s ease, Ella Langley’s spark, Sam Barber’s grit, a live‑better‑than‑album turn from Noah Kahan, and Kacey Musgraves casting a twilight spell) before confronting how fast celebration can flip when weather goes sideways. With care, we acknowledge a tragic loss during the windstorm and talk plainly about event safety, community responsibility, and holding space for joy and grief at once.

Back in Salt Lake, fall arrives like a door swinging shut. We talk about the tiny window of gold leaves, the comfort of soup, and why leaning into seasonal ritual can steady your mind as winter creeps in. That spirit of honest transition informs our big news: season one is a wrap after a live conversation with Shereen Gorbani. Two years and a hundred episodes later, we’re taking a deliberate breather to reset, raise our standards, and return with sharper sound and even more useful conversations. We’ll stay active on Instagram, keep events going, and send the Thursday newsletter, so the community stays connected while we rebuild.

We also unpack how we choose guests—and why vague “expert” pitches don’t make the cut. Then we preview this weekend’s feature: attorney Nonie Ferguson, founder of Law Elevated in Park City. Nonie’s approach to divorce, custody, and support puts people first, pairing solid legal strategy with mental health awareness and child‑centered practices. It’s a pragmatic, trauma‑aware model that aims for durable outcomes instead of pyrrhic wins, and it reflects what we want this show to stand for: clarity you can act on, stories that make the city feel closer, and voices that earn your time.

If this resonates, hit follow, share with a friend who needs a steadier take on family law or festival life, and leave a quick review to help others find the show. Your support shapes what we build next.

50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY

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/TYNzMhCxeK

Subscribe to the Newsletter! https://substack.com/@smalllakepod

Instagram: @smalllakepod
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcast
TikTok: @smalllakepod