Small Town Girl with Gwen Faulkenberry

From Springdale to the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, IN and back to Arkansas, Dr. Alejandra Campos shares her family’s powerful immigration story and how it shaped her work as a political science professor at the University of Arkansas. In this episode of Small Town Girl, we talk about immigration in Arkansas, growing up as a Latino family in Northwest Arkansas, the poultry industry, vot...

From rural Arkansas to international law and academia, this episode features an in-depth conversation with legal scholar and author Lisa Pruitt about education, class, politics, identity, and the growing divide in America. Lisa shares her journey growing up in Jasper, Arkansas, becoming a first-generation professional, studying law at the University of Arkansas, and eventually building a career te...

Welcome back to Small Town Girl! In this special episode, we step out of the studio and into a breathtaking lavender field just outside Eureka Springs. And trust me, it’s as magical as it sounds. I’m joined by my longtime friend Kat, who shares the incredible story behind her journey from art teacher to lavender farm owner and entrepreneur. What started as a simple dream turned into a full-blown p...

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...

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 researc...

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 ser...

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 preg...

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 reevaluatin...

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: g...

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 mea...

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 sch...

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, T...

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 c...