Pictured left to right: Marcie Sextro and Sheila Jenkinson
If you love your small town and are looking at ways to make it even better, join Sheila Jenkinson and Marcie Sextro in their Growing Small Town Nebraska Podcast. In this podcast, they talk to community leaders and business owners about their efforts in revitalizing smalls towns in the Cornhusker State and the definition of “The Good Life”.
The Growing Small Nebraska Podcast has featured over 30 communities since 2022. They currently have over 6,400 downloads and are continuing to grow. They started the podcast out on two platforms, Google and Apple. By the eighth episode they had so many listeners that they are now on most of the podcasting platforms.
Jenkinson and Sextro started discussing the podcast in August 2022. Sextro was on the revitalization committee to revitalize the Heritage Park in Battle Creek, Nebraska. She presented the idea to Jenkinson, who has over 20 years of radio experience. From there, they premiered the first episode in October 2022. New podcast episodes are launched the second and fourth Tuesday of each month.
Jenkinson said they have a mix of communities reaching out to them to be highlighted and they also reach out to communities to invite them to the podcast. Prior to the podcast recording, they prepare the guest with questions ahead of time. They want it to be a fun and comfortable atmosphere.
The results speak from the testimonials they receive. Cheyenne County was highlighted in September 2023.
“In every chat, you could see they took the time to be part of our community, learning about and sharing the stories of our local entrepreneurs. They also did a great job talking about our new economic development programs. Their thoughtful interviews with key figures involved in these programs provided valuable insights into the challenges and triumphs of revitalizing a small-town economy. Their dedication to sharing these stories not only made a connection with our community but could also encourage other small towns facing similar challenges,” said Kendra Mitchell, Cheyenne County Tourism Director.
The Growing Small Town Nebraska Podcast is supported through sponsorships and tourism packages. Since they are a for-profit entity, they are not eligible for many grants, so they rely on the sponsorships as it takes a lot to keep a podcast going. To inquire on sponsorship pricing, visit Growing Small Town Nebraska Podcast.
As an added bonus, Jenkinson has started recording “Sheila’s Shoutouts”. These are launched on the first and third Tuesday of each month. Jenkinson talks about her favorite places, food, events, activities and more that she has discovered either from growing up in Nebraska or traveling around the state.
Jenkinson was recently asked to speak at the Midwest Travel Network Conference in Indiana June 13-15. This shows that the podcast is reaching more than just Nebraska and is helping give the state positive press.
Through this podcast they use a lot of collaboration. Jenkinson said, “Small towns are the heart of Nebraska. It is ok to cheer each other on, it’s a win for all involved to prop each other up”.
Upcoming Growing Small Town Nebraska Podcast episodes –
April 9th – David Branch, Cuming County Economic Development
April 12th – Jody Lamp, National Legacy Tour
April 16th – Sheila’s Shoutouts
April 23rd – Scott Asmus, SourceLink Nebraska