Ryan Sullivan and Jordan Kraley have created a unique niche in the over-saturated world of digital content by keeping things local. That approach is at the heart of their podcast, “Good Morning Marco,” which shines a wide-ranging light on their hometown and its goings-on.
Sullivan and Kraley are the youthful hosts of a series they describe as being about all things Marco and nearby locales. The arts, the entertainment and dining scenes, community events, Marco businesses, its history and landmarks are just some of the territory featured in the roughly one-hour-long episodes.
A look at South Beach, The Otter Mound Preserve, Burrowing Owls, a taste test to determine the best coffee on Marco, and an episode on Christmas Island Style are some of the more light-hearted subjects addressed since the podcast’s launch in late July.
Weightier topics are also covered. Examples include interviewing candidates for the recent council election, the proposed trolley route council rejected in November, and the proposal to build a restaurant with a drive-through adjacent to the Marco Island Cemetery.
Sullivan and Kraley, both 22, are friends who have deep roots on the island, having grown up and attended school here. As a result, they also have in-depth knowledge of the area to share with their audience, while also learning more about the place they call home.
“We’re trying to fill a couple different niches,” said Sullivan. “If you live on Marco, there are always things that you don’t know about, or you want to know more about. We’re keeping people informed about things going on in the community and hidden gem stuff. We’re also for people who are planning a visit to Marco and want to learn more before they come.”
Kraley agreed but also pointed to an additional ambition.
“I feel like our goal with the podcast is to also be very interactive, not only to interact with people of the community but for people of the community to feel they can come to us about things, to kind of form an extra bond,” she explained.
New episodes are usually posted weekly, and they’re available in two formats. “Good Morning Marco” videos can be found on YouTube. The audio version is found on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible, Amazon Music, Podcast Republic and Deezer, among other sources.
As Sullivan put it, “If you can get a podcast on it, we are there.”
The podcast’s technical requirements are handled by the duo, who both possess the needed professional experience. Sullivan works in TV production for Faith Church Naples’ Faith TV channel, while Kraley is a freelance social media specialist.
Episodes are shot all around town, when possible, using locales that are an important part of an installment’s main focus. For example, the episode about the proposed restaurant at the cemetery saw Kraley and Sullivan set up shop there. The underside of the Jolley Bridge served as a studio for an episode on the history surrounding the Bridge and its namesake, the late Collier County Judge S.S. Jolley.
“What’s really cool, I think, and unique for our podcast is that we are on site,” observed Kraley. “That is definitely a crucial beneficial factor.”
At other times, they may be found shooting at Veterans Community Park or at Marco Town Center, with camera and microphones in the courtyard in front of Kava Culture, a business they both frequent.
Some episodes involve interviewing guests, but for others, it’s just the hosts chatting about the topic de jour.
“Most of the time, we just come up with a general idea of what we want to talk about,” said Kraley. “And it is just very natural conversation. It’s not like, okay, these are the five key points we need to talk about, and each one gets ten minutes. It’s nothing like that at all. Which is really cool.”
The podcast has garnered attention on the Nextdoor social networking application, where there’s a “Good Morning Marco” page at nextdoor.com/pages/good-morning-marco-marco-island-fl/. There is also an Instagram page.
Sullivan and Kraley hope “Good Morning Marco” will eventually attract enough followers and advertisers on YouTube and other social media to generate income for them. But right now, they’re hoping to find sponsors to help defray the equipment, advertising and other podcast-related expenses.
To view and listen to episodes and learn more, please visit ryanmsullivan.com/good-morning-marco.
