Marquette sports anchor JB Ricks' podcast, "Ricks’ Review," recently made a new home in the heart of Ypsilanti's Depot Town as part of the new podcast network Food Folks Fun (F3). Network founder and Ypsi local Darius Smith hopes to showcase a variety of local voices in order to promote the businesses, organizations, and people of Depot Town and beyond.

"When Darius explained to me what the F3 network was all about, it was literally a match made in heaven for me," Ricks says. "It was pretty much a case of everything lining up for the perfect timing."

Smith got his start in media production with What’s Up Detroit, a television program he hosted on Detroit's TV20 to promote good news and goings-on in and around the city. The show has since transitioned to a podcast format, but retains its original goal and message of uplifting artists and other creatives in Detroit. When he returned to Ypsi with his family, Smith wanted to bring the energy of What’s Up Detroit to Ypsi, and rebrand it to better fit the Ypsi community. The network and its studio have since moved into a former music studio just behind 734 Brewing Company in Depot Town.

"I’m originally from here, but I wanted to come back and bring the What’s Up Detroit brand out here," Smith says. "The goal is to have a podcast network to empower the people in the area, specifically in Ypsi."

Currently, the F3 network hosts five shows: "Ricks’ Review"; Smith’s ongoing "What’s Up Detroit"; "Motor City Mama," hosted by F3 Network Manager Kara Inmon, which features celebrity actor and musician interviews; a live music show, "Friday Night Live"; and "F3 Weekly Wrap-up," also hosted by Ricks. Ricks says the network has allowed him to venture beyond sports reporting, and to safely take risks with his program.

"F3 has opened up doors to new audiences for me, and has given me the opportunity to speak on different aspects of the industry including food, entertainment, and sports," he says. "The reception has been exceptional."

Inmon started her show in Detroit, and her work in public radio ultimately drove her to the F3 network. She relaunched her show on F3 after a four-year hiatus. She says her audience has come back stronger than ever, and continues to grow with each new episode the network posts. She wants aspiring podcasters to know that, while it is entirely possible to start up and run your own podcast from home, a network like F3 can allow a host to focus on their content while F3 handles things like editing, advertising, and publishing.

"If someone does a podcast at home, they don’t have a network," Inmon says. "With us, we can stream it everywhere, and help give them a platform so they can build an audience."

Smith says the network's goal, as it gains traction and grows, is to create a multimedia community of hosts and other creatives that support one another as much as they support their greater local community. He hopes that with a broad variety of shows covering an array of topics and themes, listeners will be able to find their niche on the network. Smith also hopes more prospective podcasters will be encouraged to reach out and potentially become part of the network themselves.

"As part of the F3 network, you post your show and tag others in the network, so we can all uplift each other," Smith says. "We want as many different shows as possible all working together."

Ricks says his established audience from his previous two podcasting projects has followed him to F3, and that audience has been steadily growing over the last month. He credits some of the success to Smith and Inmon’s marketing skills, as well as their dedication to supporting his creative vision. He feels that F3 is a great place for any prospective podcaster to explore and grow their projects, particularly those who want to share topics and stories that may not be suitable for more traditional news formats.

"It’s a tremendous setup with our studio in Depot Town, and we have an exceptional leader in Darius," Ricks says. "I hope to see the podcast network grow with multiple people pursuing their podcast dreams as part of this team."

Since settling into Depot Town, Smith says that he and Inmon have been hard at work building strong relationships with nearby business owners. Smith explains that forging these connections entails finding unique ways to uplift F3's neighbors. For example, Inmon wants to develop a show for the network that follows local business owners' day-to-day operations. Beyond podcasts, F3 will also publish a print magazine featuring stories on local businesses and advertising opportunities.

"The businesses here in Depot Town have been surprised and very excited about our type of business being here," Smith says. "We’re thinking about different ways to collaborate, and the relationships are forming organically."

In addition to meeting with neighboring businesses, Inmon explains that the network has developed a strong relationship with Ypsi Real staff. She says they've been integral in helping the network keep up to date with goings-on in the community. Both Inmon and Smith hope that the network's impact will continue to extend beyond Ypsi, while solidifying Ypsi’s spot on the map as a center of good food, entertainment, and people.

"We’ve been reaching out to the community a lot," Inmon says. "We want to be everywhere and we want everyone to know us."

All of F3’s shows can be found on YouTube. For more information about the network or to get involved, contact Smith and Inmon at foodfolksfun@foodfolksfun.com or call (734) 373-9330.

"F3 is providing an avenue for anyone to be involved, especially those who are looking to uplift their communities," Ricks says. "There are so many hidden gems within the Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor areas and beyond, and it’s time to show the world what we all have to offer."

Photos by Doug Coombe.