Episodes

We try to plan for everything. Even those of us that don’t like to plan for things still have a vague plan of how things in their day, week, or even life might unfold. These plans make us feel safe and give us the ability to respond quickly to different things that might happen even if they fall just outside the plan. For parents that might mean taking time off from work to be with a sick child or for a business owner it might mean shifting work schedules for an employee that calls in sick. Mos...

As office workers, athletes, and really just people in the world we all probably know a thing or two about aches and pains. It seems that as we get older a little pain here and there is to be expected. It just happens! The real problem comes in though when our healthcare provider can’t explain why we are in pain. Pain without a reason is suffering and unfortunately this disproportionately affects women for a variety of reasons. However, pain should not dictate what you can do! That is one of th...

When you look at a new house it is easy to get caught up in the square footage and whether or not the kitchen has an island. But what about the windows and doors? You might not notice them right away, but if they weren’t there we’d bet a pretty penny you’d have a few words with the builder! Today we are joined by Issie Knapp, Ben Collins, and Ryan Lavelle at Morrison Millwork. At Morrison their goal is to create windows and doors that accent new home builds so well, that they’ll be the first th...

We’ve all had that million dollar idea. The one that kept us up nights because it just made too much sense, and we needed to figure out how to make it happen. That idea that you daydream about and put hours, days, maybe even years into bringing to life. All that work only to realize that you are the only one that knows about your world changing product or service. Ah shoot! Getting the word out can be one of the hardest parts of any entrepreneurial journey and if marketing yourself is beginning...

Can you imagine rolling around town in your car, or spending time with your family in the house this summer? It sounds pretty nice. Now imagine those same scenarios with no air conditioning. Is it getting warm in here? This summer has been pretty hot, and since we know things won’t be cooling down anytime soon a good air conditioning system is a must! Whether it is for your business, your car, or your home, cool air is essential and at the same time we barely think about it. For most of us air ...

When we think about food there are those that eat to live and then we have those that live to eat. People that would fly around the world to try a dish or stay up all night to get reservations at the newest restaurant in town. But who makes all of this amazing food that we can’t get enough of? The Chef of course. Their culinary prowess always keeps us coming back for more! Today we are joined by one of the best chefs that is calling Charlotte home! We are joined by Sam Diminich. You may have he...

When you think of Goodwill, what comes to mind? Maybe that basket of clothes that you’ve been wanting to donate for the past year? The place you find the best thrifting treasures? Well yes Goodwill is great for finding new and gently used clothes a new home, but they do so much more! The original goal was to provide the resources and opportunities for people looking for work to find jobs, but it has expanded even beyond that. Are you wondering what they do now? How you can help? It’s your lucky...

Have you ever wanted to host your own wine night? They always look like a great time in movies but where do you even start? If only there was someone that could help you plan, and not only supply the wine, but recommend food pairings for it! Wait… there is! That’s right, our guest today Edward Kuehnle created Somm for the Day to help create wine-centered events for book clubs, social events, or just groups of friends hoping to have fun and drink great wine!

When you’re getting ready to leave your house in the morning you grab your phone, keys, watch, and wallet. For the sneakerheads and fashion-forward folks among us, your shoe choice is probably also at the forefront of your mind. But have you ever had to think about whether or not you would have shoes to wear? There are millions of people around the world right now that live in that reality. Whole communities that don’t have shoes! Our next guest is on a mission to change that! Today’s guest on ...

Becoming a parent can be the most fulfilling, stressful, heart-warming, and chaotic time in your life. Your whole world, or at least a very big part of it, becomes centered around your kids. Every parent wants the best for their children, the best food, the best schools, and the best future! But for some families that future is cut terribly short. Our next guest has turned their personal tragedy into a blessing for so many others, throughout the Charlotte area. Today we are talking to Rachel Le...

When most people or partners start a business, they’ve usually got an incredible idea, product, or service to bring to the marketplace. What they generally don’t have is all the info or the experience to manage the “business” of owning or starting a business. You know what we mean. The accounting, bookkeeping, taxes and such aren’t the tasks most business owners love to tackle. And it’s precisely how businesses that DO focus on those services provide solutions to companies of all sizes. Gordon...

It was very big news when Food & Wine named Charlotte one of its next great food cities. With new restaurants openings, award-winning chefs, and a world-renowned faculty at Johnson and Wales all getting regular attention… it seems like the options and opportunities are everywhere. With all that, most of our audience – and probably many folks in Charlotte — aren’t worrying about where their next meal is coming from. But there’s a significant number that does. And thankfully, there are folks work...

It would be hard to argue that Charlotte isn’t a bike town. From the world-famous Myers Park Booty Loop, Orr Road, miles of greenways, and successful charity rides, and great bike shops, to boot. And, even if you know cycling, you may not know that one of the sports internationally-known brands is right here in Charlotte. The name Giordana is synonymous with top-of-the line cycling clothing and accessories. Seriously, this is great stuff.

Arguably, no one loves coffee like our guest host here. BUT, our guests on this episode are real professionals. Let’s set the stage here: two successful Charlotte coffee shop owners decide they’ll try their hand at a JOINT venture in the local coffee space. Enter: Night Swim Coffee. James Yoder and Todd Huber met up at a coffee convention – how do we get a ticket to THAT show – and hatched this plan that is now four full-service cafés and a roastery. And all of those locations have come online ...

Most everyone remembers a line or two from that old “Dry Bones” song, right? Or maybe you’re a, “head, shoulders, knees, and toes,” type… Either way, all this stuff we’re made of is connected. And if you’ve ever been on the receiving end of great chiropractic care, you know what we’re talking about. And like any type of service, not all are created or provide care in the same way. On this episode of the award-winning BrandBuilders podcast, we’ve got Doctor Grant Lisetor from Greater Life Chirop...

We all dream of hitting it big with what we do – so it’s always a pleasure to meet someone who’s living that dream. Canaan Cox is a musician from right here in North Carolina, who grew up in a musical family and hit his stride after a lot of hard work and a little bit of luck. He’s got a fun mix of musical styles and a few singles already called hits – and he’s joining us right now on the BrandBuilders Podcast so we can learn more about him.

Charlotte once earned the designation of “Tree City USA” – but we have lost a significant part of our canopy to development in the last 10 years. The city is working on saving trees as part of its comprehensive plant, but a local organization has been at it for a while. Trees Charlotte is a public/private nonprofit whose mission it is to grow and diversify the city’s tree canopy through education and TONS of planting projects. And when we say education – we mean it. Not only does Trees Charlott...

Writing is a gift. It shares what you know, or, even better, what you’ve just made up but sounds really convincing because – you’re a good writer. It’s a form of communication that can either draw you in to stay up late, or put you to sleep. And let’s face it – social media would not have taken off the way it did if not for clever quips to convey thoughts in 280 characters or less, or with just the right pictures, because of writing. And we tell you this not just to praise people who write grea...

Cancer research is a big deal to us here at The Dunstan Group, because of how cancer has touched our lives personally. Our next guest on the BrandBuilders Podcast has also seen the devastation of cancer – she lost her husband, Chris, to Acute Myeloid Leukemia a little over a year ago in January 2021. Since then, Stephanie Perri has made up her mind to fight back, just like her husband Chris did and has put her hat in the running for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Woman of the Year. Stephanie j...

When we talk about the environment, we talk a lot about our limited resources and how to preserve them: clean water, clean air, and agriculture for our growing populations. All three conversations eventually come around to this: sustainability. How do we give back resources for the ones we use? Our next guest on the BrandBuilders Podcast doesn’t have ALL of the answers – but he has some good ones when it comes to sustainable farming. Sam Fleming of 100 Gardens is a hydroponic farmer, who grows ...

So you have a renovation! Where do you start? Maybe it’s just a kitchen counter for your home or 100 kitchen counters for an apartment complex. You need someone who can do a lot of work or just a little – and we know some folks who can do that. For the last few years, while everyone was in a lockdown renovation frenzy, there was a company already at work making great transformations a reality. But they ran into a problem – how do they find the products and people they need for so many large jobs...

We all love a good story, but we also know delivery makes all the difference. It needs a beginning that reels in the audience, just enough content to keep their attention, and an end that gives them a “Wow” moment and a satisfying ending or call to action. Our next guests on the BrandBuilders Podcast learned to tell stories a minute and a half at a time – how’s that for being concise? – and turned that skill into a multi-media business that has thrived and “created a buzz” around Charlotte for ...

If you’ve been to the Whitewater Center during the winter the past couple of years, one of your highlights has surely been the Whitewater “Lights” along their wooded trails. The popular exhibits have brought in thousands of visitors to the center during colder months when whitewater rafting is not top-of-the-list outdoor activities. Now the same artist is lighting up a couple of popular public exhibits around town – like the Rail Trail in SouthEnd and, in April, Charlotte Shout. These are excit...

Let’s be honest – how many of you adopted a pet during the pandemic? It may have been your first pet, and you had a learning curve for how to take care of it. Specifically, what do you feed it? What’s IN what you feed it? Our next guest on the BrandBuilders Podcast wants you to think more deeply about that very topic. Christi Busch is a former insurance risk manager and successful mother of four – past and present – happy, healthy basset hounds. Where did that take her? Well, “We’re all ears,” ...