Siesta Sand Live podcast debuts
Siesta Key now has its own weekly podcast – Siesta Sand Live. Created and produced by the Siesta Sand, Siesta Sand Live will be hyper focused on Siesta Key and will broadcast a new episode every Friday.
Guests will include local government officials, newsmakers, business owners, and other individuals who are influencing life on the island. Some guests you may recognize or may know and some you may never have heard of. One thing they will all have in common is Siesta Key.
Originally set to launch in early October, the Siesta Sand Live podcast was delayed thanks to Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The storms damaged the home of our podcast, Captain Curt’s Village, to the point an audible needed to be called.
Several weeks later, we were finally able to film our first episode, albeit not in our planned location of the Sniki Tiki Lounge in Captain Curt’s Village. Instead, we went inside Captain Curt’s and took to the Crab TV stage for our first three episodes.
The first episode took place on Nov. 15 and featured Siesta Key business owner and Sarasota Tourism board member, Mike Holderness. Holderness has been a longtime advocate for protecting and enriching the quality of life on Siesta Key.
The first episode also featured Jamie Miller, Executive Director for Save Midnight Pass. Miller discussed how “Mother Nature” took it upon herself to reopen Midnight Pass and what needs to happen to keep it open. Also appearing were Brian Wigglesworth, co-founder of the Crystal Classic, who discussed how he became a sand sculptor, the history of the Crystal Classic, and the important role others had in making the event successful, and Siesta Key’s #1 realtor and longtime resident, Judie Berger. Judie shared her own personal hurricane experience and provided an overview of the post-hurricane Siesta Key real estate market.
Subsequent episodes have included County Commissioner Mark Smith, talking about storm cleanup and what the future holds for Siesta Key, Catherine & Robert Luckner, Siesta Key Association president and treasurer, sharing what the SKA is currently working on, and Tracy Jackson, president of Save Siesta Key, sharing the story of how Jennifer Nelson and a group of “new friends” came to Tracy’s rescue during the hurricane. It is quite a story!
Siesta Sand Live is hosted by Natalie Gutwein, Siesta Key resident, realtor for Premier Sotheby’s, and Siesta Sand columnist. The podcast is filmed at Captain Curt’s Village. Podcast sponsors are Gilligan’s Bar & Grill, Beach Bazaar, Judie Berger with Premier Sotheby’s, Altez Vacations, Pham Development, and the Law Offices of Eric C. Fleming.
You can watch Siesta Sand Live on YouTube at youtube.com/watch?v=hn-GOobtX8Y&t=2573s
