Small Town Girl with Gwen Faulkenberry

In this episode of Small Town Girl, we sit down with Justin McCormick, Executive Director of Main Street Ozark, to talk about the heart, hustle, and hope behind revitalizing small-town Arkansas. From growing up in Altus and Coal Hill to working in larger cities and ultimately returning home, Justin shares his powerful journey of rediscovering purpose in the place that raised him. We dive into the challenges and opportunities facing rural communities, the importance of investing in local businesses, and what it really takes to bring a downtown back to life.

If you care about small towns, entrepreneurship, or creating vibrant communities where people want Connect with Justin & Main Street Ozark:
Main Street Ozark Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mainstreetozark?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==
Web: https://mainstreetozark.com/?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnszNXAOLsNt8-ExWHFCs9id8OSDi5rf_lDMyylJihB1oczaHD8Ouxb9yYVmQ_aem_Q3cT7qhGHx-dkAoszQ2l-w
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MainStreetOzark/
Email: [email protected]
Howdy Co.: @thehowdycompanyAR
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In this episode of Small Town Girl, Gwen Faulkenberry sits down with Colt Shelby, a sixth-generation Arkansan from Cecil who is running for governor as a Libertarian against Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Shelby shares how a proposed 3,000-bed prison project near his hometown sparked his entry into politics. What started as concern over a development in his community led him down a deeper path of researching state government, criminal justice policy, education, and economic challenges facing rural Arkansas.

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Read Gwen’s Column: https://www.arkansasonline.com/staff/gwen-faulkenberry/ 

More on Colt Shelby: https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2026/feb/23/colt-shelby-opponent-of-franklin-county-prison/ 

In this episode of Small Town Girl with Gwen Ford Faulkenberry, Gwen sits down with longtime friend Corrie Radtke, a former missionary whose life journey has taken her across continents, cultures, and through profound spiritual questions. Corrie shares her story of growing up in a charismatic Christian environment, entering the mission field with Youth With A Mission (YWAM), and spending years serving in Europe and the United States. Along the way, she wrestled with deep questions about faith, church culture, and the systems that shaped her spiritual life. Through various experiences, Corrie reflects on the moments that began to shift her perspective and lead her into a process of faith renovation and deconstruction.

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Read Gwen’s Column: https://www.arkansasonline.com/staff/gwen-faulkenberry/ 

Check out Corrie's Work: https://substack.com/@corrieradke 

In this powerful and deeply personal episode of Small Town Girl, Gwen sits down with Emily Waldorf, an Arkansas mother, physical therapist, and plaintiff in a lawsuit challenging the state’s near-total abortion ban.

Emily shares the heartbreaking story of a life-threatening pregnancy complication that forced her to leave Arkansas to receive emergency reproductive care. What began as a hopeful pregnancy turned into a traumatic medical crisis that left doctors unable to act under current state law. After days of waiting in the hospital while her condition worsened, Emily was ultimately transferred out of state for the care she needed to survive.

This conversation explores the human side of a deeply polarizing issue, focusing on compassion, medical decision-making, and the real-life consequences families can face when politics and healthcare intersect.

⚠️ Content note: This episode discusses pregnancy loss, medical trauma, and reproductive healthcare.

Abortion in America
https://abortioninamerica.org/ 

In this episode of Small Town Girl with Gwen Faulkenberry, Gwen sits down with Pastor Brad Elrod, a United Methodist minister and longtime friend, for a thoughtful and deeply personal conversation about faith, politics, and belonging. Gwen shares her own journey through faith deconstruction after a difficult season that included running for public office, facing political backlash, and reevaluating her relationship with the church she grew up in. During that time, Pastor Brad’s leadership and the welcoming environment of the United Methodist Church helped provide a space for healing, reflection, and spiritual growth.

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Read Gwen’s Column: https://www.arkansasonline.com/staff/gwen-faulkenberry/ 

In this meaningful episode of Small Town Girl, Gwen sits down with independent candidates Adam Watson (State Senate District 26) and Laura Marsh (House District 23) for an honest, wide-ranging conversation about the future of Arkansas politics. Both guests share why they chose to run as independents in a state dominated by party supermajorities, and what they believe voters are truly hungry for: good governance, transparency, and leadership that answers to people instead of party platforms.

In this deeply moving episode of Small Town Girl, Gwen Faulkenberry sits down with her dear friend and “soul sister,” Stacey McAdoo, for an honest, sacred conversation about grief, loss, and learning how to live again after unimaginable pain. Stacey shares her journey following the death of her son in a car accident—a loss that reshaped her faith, her identity, and her understanding of what it means to survive and heal. With remarkable vulnerability and integrity, she speaks openly about the darkness of grief, the anger and confusion, and the slow, intentional work of caring for herself when the world feels shattered. A former Arkansas State Teacher of the Year and current Executive Director of Teach For Arkansas, Stacey reflects on how loss has influenced her life, her leadership, and her commitment to living fully—honoring her son by choosing to live with courage, honesty, and hope.

Content note: This episode discusses the loss of a child and may be emotionally heavy for some listeners.

In this episode of Small Town Girl with Gwen Faulkenberry, Gwen welcomes Dr. Glen Fenter, superintendent of Marion Public Schools and one of Arkansas’s most experienced education leaders, for a wide-ranging conversation about public education in Arkansas.

With decades of experience as a teacher, coach, administrator, and superintendent, Dr. Fenter offers a rare inside perspective on why public schools are often labeled as “failing”—and why that narrative ignores the realities of poverty, state and federal mandates, standardized testing, and education policy.
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Read Gwen’s Column: https://www.arkansasonline.com/staff/gwen-faulkenberry/
Follow Small Town Girl, Gwen Faulkenberry:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gwendolannfaulkenberry?igsh=Mm9iNnNkcjhoMDQ3&utm_source=qr
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gwendolann.faulkenberry?mibextid=wwXIfr&rdid=VOmgTu5JpLnHLqcy&share_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fshare%2F1K7exmtJRN%2F%3Fmibextid%3DwwXIfr#
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@user6617143631818?_r=1&_t=ZT-92dPCrpt4id
X/Twitter: https://x.com/gwenfaulkenber1?s=21
Join the conversation: Email [email protected]

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New episodes drop every other week!

#Education #arkansasstories #politics #publicschoolsystem #arkansas #SmallTownGirl #poverty

Welcome to the very first episode of Small Town Girl with Gwen Faulkenberry! On this podcast, Gwen sits down for thoughtful conversations that move fluidly from politics in Arkansas to big, deeply human questions about love, vulnerability, faith, identity, and what it means to stay connected in a digital world.

In this premiere episode, Gwen Faulkenberry sits down with her childhood best friend, Tony Chapman, to talk about what it was like growing up gay in a small town; Ozark, Arkansas. Raised in a conservative evangelical culture, Tony shares his deeply personal journey of identity, faith, friendship, and the long road toward self-acceptance.

Listen & Subscribe!

Read Gwen’s Column:
https://www.arkansasonline.com/staff/gwen-faulkenberry/ 

Follow Small Town Girl, Gwen Faulkenberry:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gwendolannfaulkenberry?igsh=Mm9iNnNkcjhoMDQ3&utm_source=qr 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gwendolann.faulkenberry?mibextid=wwXIfr&rdid=VOmgTu5JpLnHLqcy&share_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fshare%2F1K7exmtJRN%2F%3Fmibextid%3DwwXIfr# 
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@user6617143631818?_r=1&_t=ZT-92dPCrpt4id 
X/Twitter: https://x.com/gwenfaulkenber1?s=21 

Join the conversation:

Email [email protected]!

New episodes drop every other week! 

Come sit a spell—as my Granny used to say—and let's visit about all things Arkansas. 

Gwen Faulkenberry is a small town girl through and through. Born and raised in Ozark, AR, she’s been everything from school teacher to a state Representative candidate. Gwen is a mother, author, English professor, an award-winning columnist–and now, a podcast host.

On this podcast, Gwen sits down for thoughtful conversations that move fluidly from politics in Arkansas to big, deeply human questions about love, vulnerability, faith, identity, and what it means to stay connected in a digital world.

Vulnerable, true, and deeply small town.

Join the conversation at [email protected]! New episodes drop every other week.

Our first episode drops TOMORROW, January 15th, 2026 at 12:00pm CT. Don't miss it!