Episodes

If you picture your average construction worker, he’s probably a strong, sturdy, male figure. But wait – you wouldn’t be entirely right! Women are making big gains in the construction industry, and our next guest on the BrandBuilders Podcast tells us it’s because there are some things women are traditionally very good at. Think about it – organizing, multitasking, and any detail-oriented management fit naturally into strengths commonly possessed by women in the workforce. Christi Powell is the ...

If you want to meet Super Woman, she’s here with us today on the BrandBuilders Podcast. We know her as fitness influencer Emily Breeze Watson – but to her 4 kids, she’s just Mom. And to her husband Montell, she’s “amazing.” They’re both pretty amazing, actually, and have documented practically their whole marriage and family life where you can see it, while encouraging others to get fit and be happy. Now they’re here with us to share their story! Thanks for being with us today, you two!

Nothing sticks in your memory like the scent of perfume. It’s right up there with the smell of fresh-cut grass, flowers in spring, or baking cookies. And the perfume business is worth more than $31 Billion dollars globally! Wow! But in a world of fragrances, how do you find just the right scent for you? Our next guest on the BrandBuilders Podcast has the answer: She makes them! Katrina Sellers is a self-proclaimed “perfume nerd” who started her own custom fragrance business, Jules & Vetiver, ri...

Unless you’re new in town or hiding under a ROCK, you know real estate is hot right now. So SO hot. The inventory is at historic lows and the prices are through the roof. The median home price is in $400,000 range. We’ve got someone here in the BrandBuilders Studio right now who’s in the business of selling homes to talk us through what this means. Steve Lonnen is a Licensed Realtor with Costello Real Estate and Investments and he’s joining us now to talk about a lot of things, not just home sa...

If you’re a woman, or married to one, you probably know about purses. There are probably at least a half dozen (or a few dozen!) in your closet or around your house. And don’t say each one isn’t important – their size, style, and color all have different functions for a day at the beach or a night out on the town. But for most of them, you handle them lightly and store them carefully because they’re just not built to be a durable, one-size-fits-all option. Welcome to Moost Bags. Durable, colorf...

Creativity has always been a valuable commodity in business and marketing, but what that looks like has changed over the years. It’s not enough to go from mailers to TV to social media… you have to make your work stand out in whatever channel you’re using. Lee Calderon is a classically-trained artist and architect who knows how to “build” marketing from the inside out – starting with great visuals and connecting them to great ideas. He has lent his colorful touch to several campaigns in his wor...

If you’ve been in Charlotte for a few years, you’ve probably heard about the social mobility study that ranked the Queen City 50th out of 50 metropolitan areas for upward mobility. In other words, if you’re born poor in Charlotte, you’re likely to remain poor your whole life if you stay here. It is distressing, to say the least. Our next guest on the BrandBuilders Podcast is part of a collaborative effort to change that statistic. Mark Talbot is Director of Economic Development at Freedom Commu...

This is a great time to be a builder in Charlotte. But before any structure can be used, it has to be certified as safe and sturdy. We can thank our engineers for that! And making sure you bring the right engineer to the project is an essential part of doing the job right. That’s why we’re glad to have Mike Iosue with us today on the BrandBuilders Podcast – he’s the guy who connects the right engineers to the right projects. Mike is the Director of Business Development for Ellinwood + Machado –...

Right now we are all filled with the spirit of the season, or as a lot of people like to say, “The Reason for the Season.” But the reason goes beyond the season, and our next guest on the BrandBuilders Podcast is living that every day with his nonprofit for children with incarcerated parents. Cyril Prabhu started Proverbs 22:6 because he saw that prison was breaking families – not just breaking them up, but breaking them. And that children of incarcerated parents had a more than 80% chance of s...

Remember the good ol’ days? Yeah, we all do. Maybe you’re living them now! And maybe you have some great memories from your high school or college days that you love keeping around. For more than a few of us, there’s that T-shirt that brings back the good times, and we don’t hate feeling that vibe again. That’s the idea behind Glory Days Apparel – streetwear that feels good and makes us feel like we’re living the glory days, even if those days are right now. JD Harris is the guy who made his fa...

What are your methods for finding the best employees for your company? Recruiting services? Job postings? A Hail Mary pass to the end zone that you hope gives you a game-winning touchdown employee? Say it with me, ‘There must be a better way.’ Kelly Venable knows that too. As Founder and President of “Your Hiring Coaches,” she likes to “Put Aces in their Places” – as she likes to say. Why take chances on your next hire when data can point you in the right direction, to fill in gaps on your staf...

Staying sober during the holidays can be hard. Everywhere you go, there are parties and cocktails… and more parties. What can you do? Our next guest is not a recovering alcoholic but just decided to stop drinking and pursue life sober. Molly Ruggere is a certified life coach and alcohol freedom coach who leads a club for people who want to be active and do fun things that don’t include alcohol. Simple, right? She’s joining us on the BrandBuilders Podcast just in time for New Years, to give us i...

If you feel good, you want to look good too. Our next guest on the BrandBuilders Podcast will have you looking good in your suit, but only if you’re accepted off his waiting list. William Wilson makes custom men’s suits and clothing, and not everyone can have one. But the man is as unique and diverse as the suits themselves – an 8-year Navy veteran, who became the first African American man to win a NASCAR race, who became a successful customer builder, who became an upscale clothier and sought...

If you’re a runner, you know running can save lives. There are a number of running nonprofits for kids in the Charlotte area, and even more running clubs and groups to get you up out of your chair and into a healthy, active lifestyle. But one running nonprofit will inspire you beyond just a smile – it will make you want to get up and help! That nonprofit is RunningWorks – a program designed to promote healthy lifestyles for our neighbors experiencing homelessness and poverty. It not only foster...

It’s no secret that Charlotte is in a building boom. Everywhere you look, there are cranes and construction companies busy at work. They’re as varied as letters of the alphabet, too, so how do you choose one that fits your own project? Gary Olnowich and Karen Yoder are here on the BrandBuilders Podcast to give us some insight, and about how they grew their company to become established so quickly in Charlotte’s construction scene. Catalyst Construction launched in 2018, but Gary’s experience go...

Nothing touches our hearts more than a child with special needs. Sometimes it’s a terminal disease like cancer, or a physical disability, or even a lifelong chronic condition created by a birth defect. We often find ourselves opening our hearts to them through various charities like Make A Wish, Special Olympics, or a local group, started right here in Charlotte, that arranges Sports-themed wishes — called Dream On 3. Dream On 3 arranges VIP experiences for their “Dream Kids” with favorite spor...

When your love of bourbon goes beyond just needing a good, stiff drink — to wanting a smooth taste and a history lesson — Charlotte Bourbon Society is the place to go. Ken Bernardo, a banker by trade, and his wife Tracey love a good bourbon — but they go beyond just taste-testing bottled drinks into a full-fledged discovery of flavors and where to find them. The Charlotte Bourbon Society started 4 years ago as a way to raise money for a cause near and dear to Ken, and has grown to more than 2,3...

We all want to be at least a little bit greener. And you’ve probably seen solar panels popping up on homes and businesses in your neighborhood. Is it right for you? And how does solar even work with Charlotte’s tree-lined streets? Our next guest is here to help. Matt Stavis is director of utility, commercial, and industrial solutions for Powerhome Solar – and he knows a thing or two about residential solar. And when he’s not busy with solar solutions, he’s probably watching his kids play soccer...

You know that when the Realtors Association wants YOU to build their new office, that says something. I mean, these are the folks who sell buildings for a living! Well, the company that built the new Charlotte Regional Realtors building in Midtown Charlotte has been in business for nearly *70 years*. That’s a long time, and you’ll see their work around the region in Atrium Medical offices, Cannon School, Quail Corners shopping center, the new Charlotte Humane Society Animal Resource Center, and ...

Charlotte’s got Major League Soccer! We got the announcement a couple of years ago, and while the pandemic has delayed the launch of the “Charlotte Football Club” games, the fans have not taken any time off getting ready for the inaugural season. That’s why the club’s “CFO” — which in this case, means “Chief Fan Officer” — is already hard at work. Shawn McIntosh brings over a decade of pro sports experience to Charlotte, after sales and service jobs with the Norfolk Admirals hockey team, the Ho...

We’d all like to sleep in once in a while — it’s a great way to “rest up” when your mind or body is exhausted, and it’s something we just don’t do enough (ask any parent of young kids!) Adequate sleep is also important for mental health! How many of us get grouchy or short-tempered when we don’t get enough sleep? That’s most of us. And sleep really goes beyond just daily temperament when it comes to your mental health, too. So if you throw a fundraiser to benefit the National Association on Men...

It’s a race local runners look forward to all year: the Novant Health Charlotte Marathon. In fact, this year, they’ve waited TWO years to run it in person! The pandemic canceled last year’s marathon, just one year after so many people signed up that they exceeded the number of finishers’ medals available. That was a nice problem to have. On Saturday, November 13th, they’re back and better than ever. Tim Rhodes is the Race Director who has shepherded the last several years’ marathons to the fini...

Starting your own small business can seem like an overwhelming task. First, you know your product — it’s that thing you know you can make money doing or selling. But what about the rest? The details? Those little things that seem to take away so much time from the business *you know you could grow exponentially* if you could just. get. the details. done? That’s the whole idea behind BC Creative — a service to take the devil out of the details by organizing the tedious time-suckers in your busin...

In the land of fried chicken and juicy pork barbeque, it’s not every day you hear someone extolling the virtues of a meatless diet. I mean, we grew up with the food pyramid that had protein as the top tier, usually as a lean cut of meat like chicken or beef. Our next guest on the BrandBuilders Podcast, though, says you can re-think that top triangle on your food pyramid, and it could be a healthier choice for you — even if you’re an athlete. Matt Frazier is the author of No Meat Athlete, and wr...