Here is my conversation is with Steve Laffey. Steve is a politician and businessman who ran for Mayor of his hometown of Cranston, Rhode Island and won. Steve is a former executive at Morgan Keegan and Company, author, and filmmaker. After serving as Mayor of Cranston, Rhode Island, Steve ran for the Republican primary for United States Senate and …

Hey everybody, my guest this week is Chris Mercer. Forty-two years ago, Chris Mercer left investment Bank Morgan Keegan and launched Mercer Capital. Mercer Capital provides Business Valuation and Financial Advisory Services to clients worldwide. To date, Chris says they have served over 15,000 companies. Today, Mercer Capital has 57 associates and …

This family doesn’t care about taking Private Equity money and selling. They are all in on their 75-year history and 3rd generation family business. This family business started with Generation 1. Dr. Lloyd Reed founded this family business right after WW2. 75 Years later, Generation 3 is now running it with Generation 2, and they have no plans on …

My guest this week is Bill Courtney. Bill is the CEO and founder of Classic American Hardwoods. An 80 Million a year global lumber company based out of Memphis, TN. Bill started this company out of his living room in 2001. Bill is also the host of the Army of Normal Folks Podcast, a former High School Football Coach, Featured in the Award Winning D…

My guest this week is Ryan Pryor. Ryan is an educator with Crosstown High School based out of Memphis, Tennessee. The Public School system in the United States is broken. To better understand this why I did a podcast with an educator that’s not scared to do something different. Crosstown High School was started out of the XQ Institute which works d…

My guest this week is Danny Palo. Danny is the CEO of Vital Records Control. This company started in 1988 at $300,000.00 in annual revenue and today is at $300,000,000.00. Windjammer Capital now owns VRC and is in 80 markets with 2,000 employees. What’s even more impressive is that Danny’s only job prior was flipping hamburgers. He then started as …

My guest this week is Andy Heck. Andy is the Co-owner and President of Alpin Haus, an outdoor recreation powerhouse out of Amsterdam, New York. Alpin Haus has 300 employees and does 100 Million in revenue It is a third-generation private family business that started like many other great American companies with entrepreneurs and a dream. The outdoo…

Hey Everybody, my guest this week is entrepreneur and founder of Alma Del Jaguar McCauley Williams. This episode was a blast. McCauley, a former corporate attorney and C.E.O. of Bluenote Bourbon and he went all in on this new tequila company earlier this year. As McCauley says, we’re overloaded with options as consumers, and authenticity and transp…

My guest today is Bill Proctor. Bill is the President of Nexair. Nexair has been one of the largest independent packaged gas distributors in the United States and has a rich 73-year history. In early 2023, Nexair was acquired by Linde, the thirty-three billion dollar global multinational chemical company. Bill remains president through this acquisi…

Hey everybody, I hope you're having a great summer. Today's podcast is one I produced for one of the largest privately owned orthopaedic organizations in the United States. Campbell Clinic is based out of Memphis, Tennessee, and has been a leader nationally and internationally in orthopaedics since 1909. And my guest this week is their Chief of Sta…

Hey Everybody, I hope you're having a great start to the summer. My guest today is Oscar Subrats; a previous guest suggested Oscar, and the more I looked into him, the more I was interested. Oscar is the President of College Prospects of America, a company that has helped over 35,000 students get an education and play college sports in the United S…

My guest this week is the CEO of the nation’s largest three-service municipal utility service Doug McGowen. Former Top Gun Pilot, Navy Captain, City of Memphis COO, (plus more stops along the way) and now CEO of MLGW. I’ve heard many times that Doug simply knows how to get stuff done so it was a privilege to record this with him. His reputation did…

Who would have thought an English mid-19th-century sport would empower inner-city students to overcome? My guest today is Shane Young. Shane co-founded Memphis Inner City Rugby and is a former Teach for America Educator. After working in the inner city school system and knowing there had to be a new way to additionally transform lives, Shane and hi…

My guest today is Candace Steele Flippin, DM. Candace is currently the chief communications officer for Acuity Brands- a 4 Billion dollar revenue organization, and previously served as Chief Communications Officer of First Horizon Bank, a 3.49 Billion dollar revenue bank. Acuity has 11,500 employees, and First Horizon has 7,000 plus employees. She …

My guest this week is Memphis Fire, Chief Gina Sweat. Chief Sweat was selected to be the first female director of fire services in Memphis, TN, and there were only a handful of female fire chiefs nationally when she was selected. The world of fire departments is changing. Chief Sweat says in this episode 80% of their calls are medical, so gone are …

My guest this week is John Carroll. Lately, I’ve wondered how do you confidently promote a city with significant issues. John is behind the highly successful grassroots nonprofit Choose 901 and City Leadership out of Memphis, TN. What started as a bootstrapped nonprofit over a decade ago has now evolved into one of the top promotional brands in Mem…

My guest today is Will Chase. This is the second time Will is on this podcast. I’ve heard great feedback about his episode #62, so check it out. This episode will be different and much shorter, and I am looking forward to it. Full disclosure, I was hired to produce work for this venture and this interview. But I was not hired to release it here on …

My guest today is Bob Fockler, former investment banker turned Community builder and asset allocator. Americans gave away just over 484 billion dollars last year, so I wanted to know what this looks like when it's done right. Bob is currently the President of the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis, which, as he says, is a billion-dollar financ…

My guest, today for the 2nd time, is Youth Villages CEO Pat Lawler. When someone has led an organization from less than 100 kids a year, a handful of staff, and evolved into an impact of more than 32,000 kids a year and over 3,600 staff and counting, they are going to have something to say that’s important to listen and learn from. It’s energizing …

My guest today is Frank Cianciola. I’m fortunate to interview many people across the country for the corporate interviews I produce. If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the last few years, it’s that if something works in one market, those principles will work in every market. It’s an absolute pleasure to release today’s episode with Banking entr…

My guest today is Duncan Williams. I wanted to have Duncan on this podcast because What started as a small regional municipal bond firm in 1969 grew to be one of the largest female-owned bond broker-dealers in the United States. In addition to this work, this family has a strong presence as a holding company in farmland, apartments, and senior livi…

My guest today is Scott Felsenthal. I wanted to have Scott on this podcast because he and his family are obviously doing something right. Only 3% of companies make it to the 4th generation, and their company Whitmor is one of them. Scott is the CEO of Whitmor, and it's a privilege to have him on this podcast. Whitmor started in Brooklyn, New York, …

My guest today is Eric Barnes. Eric is the CEO of the Daily Memphian, the largest single market digital-only local news site in the United States. Starting his career as a staff reporter and worked his way up as an editorial assistant, editor, publisher, and now CEO, Eric has seen the downward spiral of traditional print firsthand and the digital g…

My guest today is Tim Belk. Tim, his wife Sarah, and his children operate Wild Hope Farm out of Chester, South Carolina. This is a fantastic episode about leveraging your skill sets to make a true family affair. As Tim says, while being CEO of Belk, he and his wife Sarah were like two ships passing in the night. This organic farm allowed them to do…

My guest today is Mason George. Mason is an entrepreneur and business executive with IMC Companies. IMC Companies was started by his Father, Mark George, 40 years ago with just one driver. Today, it is one of the top Intermodal Carriers in the United States. At close to a billion dollars in revenue, it’s quite the story to take a company from one d…

My guest today is Rick Spell. Rick is the owner of Spell Restaurant group. Before acquiring and operating restaurants around the Southeastern United States, Rick spent decades building a highly successful career as an investment banker for Morgan Keegan (now Raymond James). Rick employs over 500 people through their ownership group. As you may know…

My guest this week has a story that’s nuts! So far in my life, I have yet to meet someone who has overcome more obstacles in their life to become an entrepreneur in the United States and benefit from capitalism. My guest this week is Sandra Xing. Sandra’s parents were taken away by Mao Zedong’s red party when she was 8. She raised her brother and h…

My guest today is PGA Tour Champions Golfer Doug Barron. Doug turned pro on the PGA Tour in 1992, played for nine years, and then was out of the game professionally for seven years. In 2019, when everyone thought he was crazy, Doug flew to Europe, qualified, and finished 5th at the Senior British Open. Since then, he has won the Dick’s Sporting Goo…

My guest today is Will Chase. Will is the former CEO of Triumph Bank. Triumph Bank was started right before the Financial crisis of 2008 with just a few million dollars and sold for over 130 million dollars. The number of new banks opening around the United States has drastically changed since the 2008 financial crisis, and I wanted to find out why…

My guest today is Steve Glenn. Steve is an entrepreneur and CEO of Plant Prefab. After closing its series B round at $30 Million, Plant Prefab is locked in on changing the game of how homes are built... Plant Prefab is backed by high-profile investors, including Amazon, Asahi Kasei, Gerdau Paris Ventures, and Obvious Ventures. They recognize the ma…

Who says crowdfunding has to be sketchy? There's a new way to access investment opportunities since the jobs act of 2012, and this real estate family is bringing direct access to the marketplace. My guest today is Adam Kaufman. Adam is the co-founder of ArborCrowd. Based out of New York City, ArborCrowd is the only commercial real estate crowdfundi…

I couldn’t think of a better way to kick off 2022 than with an interview like this! My guest today is Mason George. Mason is an entrepreneur and business executive with IMC Companies. IMC Companies was started by his Father, Mark George, 40 years ago with just one driver. Today, it is one of the top Intermodal Carriers in the United States. At clos…

My Guest today is Garrott McClintock. Garrott is the COO of AcreTrader. AcreTrader is a hot new start-up out of Fayetteville, Arkansas, that recently finished a series its 12 Million Dollar funding round. AcreTrader matches investors with farmland while giving Farmers the land they need to grow their operation. Did you know that In 1935, there were…

My Guest today is Gary Wunderlich. Gary is an entrepreneur and investor. At the age of 26, Gary founded Wunderlich Securities and he and his team turned Wunderlich into a national full service and investment banking firm. 400+ employees and two decades later, Wunderlich Securities sold to B. Riley for 67 Million Dollars. In 2020, Gary Co-Founded Li…

Before we get started, I want to share a few things about the value with this week's episode. Over the last 20+ months, the world has been in a unique place. There's been a record number of people quitting their jobs, and our country's supply chain has been challenged in extreme ways. Even with these challenges, there are men and women across the U…

My guest today is Sam Sawyer. Not many would leave their career at the top of their field to launch a startup disrupting the space they once built their career in. After leaving Dallas, Texas, and working for Silicon Valley Based ZeroDown Sam launched Archetape, where he is Founder and CEO. After an early-stage investment round by Mucker Capital, S…

My guests today are Patrice and Jerry Thompson. Patrice and her family own and operate the legendary Four Way Restaurant out of Memphis, TN. The Four Way attracts visitors from all over the world. In addition to being known for its famous soul food, the Four Way is also a place with rich history and significance. In this interview, you’ll hear how …

My Guest today is Harry Smith. Harry is an author, former public accountant, entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist. Can you imagine moving to a new city at the age of 37 and taking over one of the largest private companies in that city while it’s facing chapter 7 bankruptcy? After growing up in Florence, Alabama, Harry was recruited to Memphis…

My guest today is Andy Cates. Andy is an entrepreneur, investor, and community activist. Here’s a little about Andy... - Founder and CEO of RVC Outdoor Destinations - Managing Member of the Value Acquisition Fund - Founding Chairman and President of the Memphis Fourth Estate (Daily Memphian) - Founding Chairman of the Soulsville Revitalization Proj…

My guest today is Karen Carrier. Karen is an artist, chef, and entrepreneur. Karen began her career in New York City after dropping out of college and enrolling in culinary school. She got her start working with Chef Susan Trilling, and the rest is history. Karen is nationally recognized by publications such as New York Times, Food and Wine, Nation…

My Guest today is Hilliard Crews. Hilliard is an entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist. Hilliard left his family's business and started MCR safety in 1974. As of 2019, MCR had sales of 255 Million dollars worth of Personal Protective Equipment. You may not know that Hilliard's first year in business, he made just $3,000 and got a job working a…

My Guest today is Scott Sauls from Nashville, TN. Scott is the Senior Pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville. Prior to moving to Nashville, Scott served on staff under Tim Keller in New York City at Redeemer Church. You may ask, what prompted me to ask a pastor for the first time on this podcast? I wanted to have Scott on this podcast be…

My guest today is Steve Nash. Steve is the founder of Advance Memphis. Advance Memphis was founded over 20 years ago when Steve had it on his heart to help men and women find financial stability through work. There was no elaborate plan, and Steve’s work started when he left his job and drove his grandmother’s Toyota Camry picking up people and dri…

Hey Everybody, I’m doing a re-release this week. I am going to air one of the episodes I have heard the most feedback from since this one was released on the last day of 2020. My Guest today is Jean McGhee. Jean and her Husband Shawn acquired Hollywood Feed in 2005, and it is the fastest-growing pet retail store in the Country with 106 stores. As y…

My guest today is James Maclin. James is out of Memphis, TN, where he is the founder of M&M Enterprise, a multi-family real estate company. Before founding M&M Enterprise, James spent 20+ years working for the extremely successful Mid America Apartment Communities. Mid America was founded by Memphian George Cates and is an incredible success story.…

My Guest today is Garrott McClintock. Garrott is the COO of AcreTrader. AcreTrader is a hot new start-up out of Fayetteville, Arkansas, that recently finished a series its 12 Million Dollar funding round. AcreTrader matches investors with farmland while giving Farmers the land they need to grow their operation. Did you know that In 1935, there were…

My guest today is Brent Beshore. If you haven’t heard of Brent before, I bet you’ll be impressed with his story. After starting and acquiring companies in his 20’s, he now is CEO of Permanent Equity, where he and his team currently own 11 plus companies and oversee the deployment of 300 million dollars in capital. Brent and his team believe in owni…

My guest today is Dr. Dennis Black. Dr. Black is one of a kind. I heard of Dr. Black from a listener to this podcast, and once I heard how established he is as an accomplished researcher and award-winning physician while also being an avid fan of Bonnaroo- I couldn’t resist asking him to be on the show. I had a great time with Dr. Black where we co…

My guest today is Ken Masterson. You may know Ken from FedEx, where he built the legal department and was the General Counsel for FedEx from 1979 - 2005. Ken tells a one-of-a-kind story when Fred Smith wanted him to build a value-added legal department. But Ken didn’t stop there; when Ken retired in 2005, he founded Masterson Farms, where he and hi…

Sam Coates