Josh Burch, Director of People at the Honor Foundation and a retired U.S. Army Green Beret, joins Spencer and Carli to share his remarkable journey from rural Tennessee to serving 16 deployments in Special Operations. In this episode, Josh discusses how the Honor Foundation helps transitioning veterans find purpose and fulfillment in civilian life …

Sit down with Spencer Patton and Carli Patton as they recap what they learned while talking with Sam Davidson, CEO of The Nashville Entrepreneur Center. Send us a textSpencer Patton

Sam Davidson, CEO of the Nashville Entrepreneur Center (EC), joins Spencer and Carli to discuss how the EC empowers entrepreneurs to grow their businesses. Sam shares insights into the EC’s mission to increase the success rate for startups through education, mentorship, and capital resources. He also reflects on his own entrepreneurial journey, the…

Sit down with Spencer Patton and Carli Patton as they recap what they learned while talking with Melissa Trevathan, founder of Daystar Counseling Ministries. Send us a textSpencer Patton

Melissa Trevathan, founder of Daystar Counseling Ministries, joins Spencer and Carli to share her 40-year journey of bringing hope to children and families in Middle Tennessee. Founded in 1985, Daystar provides counseling, group therapy, and a summer camp in a uniquely welcoming environment. Melissa discusses rising anxiety in younger children, the…

Sit down with Spencer Patton and Carli Patton as they recap what they learned while talking with Chris and Elaine Whitney. Send us a textSpencer Patton

Chris and Elaine Whitney, founders of One Generation Away, join Spencer and Carli to discuss their nonprofit food ministry that began out of the back of a Hyundai Santa Fe and now distributes millions of pounds of food annually. With a mission to bring hope, honor, and dignity through food, the Whitneys share their deeply personal journey from faci…

Sit down with Spencer Patton and Carli Patton as they recap what they learned while talking with Brian Straessle. Send us a textSpencer Patton

Spencer and Carli talk on Signature Required today with Brian Straessle, Executive Director of The Sycamore Institute, about property taxes, housing, and economic challenges facing Tennessee. Brian explains how Sycamore’s nonpartisan research helps Tennesseans understand the real impact of property taxes and highlights the connection between housin…

Sit down with Spencer Patton and Carli Patton as they recap what they learned while talking with Kelly Magill. Send us a textSpencer Patton

Kelly Magill, an eighth-generation Tennessean and founder of a video production company, sits down with Spencer and Carli to share the remarkable story behind her upcoming documentary on the Tennessee maneuvers during World War II. Inspired by her grandmother’s memoirs, Kelly discusses how these forgotten military exercises helped prepare soldiers …

Spencer and Carli talk with Avik Roy, president of the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity (FREOPP), about market-driven economic solutions to challenges impacting Tennesseans. From Bitcoin as a hedge against inflation to Medicare Advantage for All, Avik explores how decentralized finance, healthcare reform, and housing policy can create n…

In this episode of Signature Required, Major General Brian Winski (Ret.), a 37-year U.S. Army veteran, joins Spencer Patton to discuss his post-military mission: the development of the Wings of Liberty Museum at Fort Campbell. The $40 million project will honor the history of the 101st Airborne Division, 5th Special Forces Group, and 160th Special …

Charles Hatcher, a sixth-generation farmer at Hatcher Family Dairy, shares the remarkable legacy of his family's 200-year-old farm in Williamson County, Tennessee. In this episode, Charles delves into the challenges and joys of modern farming, from running a fully integrated dairy operation to the alarming loss of farmland across the state. Passion…

In this episode, you'll hear from Sherry Deutschmann, founder of BrainTrust, a collective of diverse women business owners committed to building financial independence, wealth, and influence. Sherry shares how she and her fellow BrainTrust members leverage their collective experience and networks to help one another scale their businesses. Before f…

In this episode, we sit down with Papa Joe Bradford, founder of Elijah’s Heart, to hear his incredible story of transformation and service. From a promising career in computer programming to serving time in prison, Papa Joe’s life took a dramatic turn when he and his wife moved into one of Nashville's most impoverished neighborhoods. There, they be…

Brian Hicks is the CEO of Harvest Hands CDC and Humphreys Street Coffee Company, an enterprise that began as an after-school program to foster positive behavior in Nashville’s underserved youth. With a mission of using the stunning growth of Nashville to benefit those who might not normally be recipients of the wealth transfer caused by gentrificat…

House Representative Gino Bulso knew as a teenager that something didn’t sit right with him about the United States’ rising national debt. From writing a letter to then-President Jimmy Carter in the 1970s to now pushing for the Supreme Court to revisit a case about the powers of the Federal Government, Bulso is focused on bringing the balance of po…

Judge Sheila Calloway graduated from Vanderbilt University, where she earned both her undergraduate and law degrees. After law school, she served as a public defender in Nashville until 2004, when she transitioned into the role of Juvenile Court Magistrate. In 2014, she successfully ran for Nashville’s Juvenile Court Judge and was re-elected for an…

JT Olson founded Both Hands in 2008 to support adoption funding through service projects for widows, having been orphaned as a child himself. The average project raises $22,000. helping over 1300 families nationwide. In this episode, JT Olson and Jared Delong (Executive Director) discuss Both Hands' successes, its business model, and the growing ch…

Rachel Freeman is the President and CEO of Nashville’s Sexual Assault Center (SAC). She leads the SAC in creating a safe, compassionate environment for survivors to begin their healing journey. In this episode, Freeman discusses the SAC's role in the community, key sexual assault statistics, and preventive initiatives like the Safe Bar program and …

Will Acuff is a born and raised pastor’s kid and has long had a servant’s heart. More than a decade ago while on a mission trip to Kenya, Will felt called to return home to Nashville and think critically about how to best love his neighbors. Will and his wife, Tiffany, founded Corner to Corner in 2011 to help underestimated Nashvillians increase th…

Steven Gentile is the Executive Director of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) and also teaches education policy at Vanderbilt University. THEC plays a crucial role in advocating for an increase in the number of Tennesseans who obtain postsecondary credentials. In this episode, Stephen discusses the decision of whether to attend colle…

Jennifer Turner joined TPAC in 2019, bringing over 20 years of nonprofit arts experience to the role of CEO. In her five years, she's guided TPAC through the pandemic, an aging facility, and a business model re-evaluation. In this episode, she shares her journey to becoming CEO, TPAC's developments, outreach and upcoming touring broadway shows. Sen…

Diana Beach Batarseh is an accomplished educator, trainer, and presenter with experience working with students from preschool to high school. Currently, she serves as the Head of School at King's Academy, which offers a Christ-centered classical education as part of its mission to develop a socio-economically and racially diverse school body. In th…

John Hoomes is the CEO and Artistic Director of Nashville Opera. Since 1995, he has guided the organization from a budget of $340,000 to over $3.4 million annually in 2024. Under his leadership, Nashville Opera has staged more than 200 productions of opera and music theater. In this episode, Carli and Spencer talk with John about accessibility to t…

Katie Marchetti connects people with resources with those in need. A deep believer that a rising tide should lift all ships, she's committed to nonprofit work in Middle Tennessee. She is also co-founder of Voices for a Safer Tennessee and a board member at Fisk University. In this episode, Spencer and Carli talk openly with Katie about finding a mi…

Sondra Noble is a Nashville-based entrepreneur who co-founder Hip Hues, a custom event swag business with her sister. In this episode she talks with Carli and Spencer about building a business with a sibling, scaling a business as you grow your own family, and the importance of mentorship for women entrepreneurs. Send us a text…

Spencer and Annalee speak with futurist and nonprofit leader Jason Dukes. In his role at Love Justice International, Jason is at the forefront of using technology to combat the human trafficking crisis at its source. The conversation also covers cryptocurrency and its impact on and applications for nonprofits. Send us a text…

With Benchmark Adventure Ministries, James Evans offers those with military backgrounds a chance to reflect on their lives and future goals. In this episode, Evans discusses the genesis of Benchmark, its goals, and its transformative impact with Spencer and Annalee. Send us a textSpencer Patton

John Staubitz, Director of Behavior Analysis at TRIAD, Vanderbilt University, has spent decades helping children with autism and behavior disorders. In a discussion with Spencer and Annalee, he explores how educators and parents can support autistic children to be happy and engaged at home and school. Discover the essentials and take pride in TRIAD…

In this episode of Signature Required, Jim Ward shares insights from running the 49-bed homeless shelter in Nashville's Vine Hill area for the past four years. He discusses the challenges of helping veterans navigate poverty, addiction, PTSD, and mental health issues to rebuild their lives. From eye-opening statistics on homeless veterans to inspir…

Jim Bartoo, Marketing and Public Relations Director at the Nashville Zoo for the past 25 years, talks with Spencer and Annalee about the zoo's rich history. He shares insights on its founding, conservation efforts, and the sourcing of animals, along with the story behind the giant pumpkin at Boo At The Zoo. Bartoo emphasizes the importance of place…

Dr. Maria Cronley, Provost of Austin Peay State University, talks with Spencer and Annalee about higher education in America. She discusses the university's efforts to provide flexibility for students, particularly military-affiliated students. Dr. Cronley emphasizes the value of a college education, warns of the upcoming enrollment decline in US i…

Tommy Rhodes, founder of Barefoot Republic summer camp, joins us to talk about his mission to build a summer camp population that reflects the diversity of heaven. This Christian camp aims to foster shared experiences among kids of diverse backgrounds, financial situations, races, and ethnicities. Send us a text…