Episodes

Welcome back to this episode of the award-winning BrandBuilders Podcast! Perk-up, y’all – today we have Mattie Finch, the dedicated roaster and founder of Sage Marie Coffee & Tea, here on the show! (See what we did there?) Based right here in Charlotte, Sage Marie’s is not just a coffee and tea brand; it’s a lifestyle centered around refinement, luxury, and all-natural ingredients. Mattie, along with her childhood friend and Brand Specialist Liza Goncalves, has curated a collection of premium be...

Welcome to this episode of the award-winning BrandBuilders Podcast powered by The Dunstan Group. Today, we are honored to have Ward Blanchard, the founder of The Blanchard Institute, join us. The Blanchard Institute stands out in North Carolina for its comprehensive outpatient treatment services for individuals and families struggling with substance use and mental health disorders, with a unique focus on the family system and co-occurring disorders. With his extensive background and pioneering...

Welcome to this episode of the award-winning BrandBuilders Podcast powered by The Dunstan Group. Today, we’ve got something special teed-up for you, with Daniel Fogarty in the studio. He’s the one of the driving forces behind a remarkable organization called the First Tee of Greater Charlotte. (Could we use another golf pun in here?!) Daniel is the Executive Director of The First Tee of Greater Charlotte. Since 2003, The First Tee has been making a significant impact on the lives of young people...

Founded in 1985 by Landscape Architect Kenny Seamon and Civil Engineer Stuart Whiteside, Seamon Whiteside has grown to become a leader in holistic land design with a focus on sustainability, community, and exceptional site experiences. With offices across the Carolinas and a commitment to giving back to their communities, Seamon Whiteside’s approach to design and engineering sets a high standard in the industry. Frances Yarborough, Trey Little, and Taylor Critcher from Seamon Whiteside join us ...

Welcome to another episode of the award-winning BrandBuilders Podcast. Today, we’re taking a dive into the strategies and insights that drive success in the world of branding and marketing. That’s a VERY big world… more like a universe, actually. Today, we have Alex Moore and Ryan Burkett from Stratagon joining us. Stratagon is not your typical marketing agency; they are experts in crafting customer-centric campaigns that fuel revenue growth for businesses. With a passion for solving comple...

Welcome to the award-winning BrandBuilders Podcast. Today, we are honored to have Michelle Ernsdorff-May, the founder of Compass to Care, join us. We met Michelle at this year’s All-In to Fight Cancer Poker event and we KNEW we’d have to get her on the program. Compass to Care is a nonprofit organization dedicated to removing transportation barriers for children with cancer living in poverty, ensuring they have access to life-saving medical care. Michelle’s personal journey, inspired by her own ...

Most of us probably don’t think about our insurance until we need it. And, the difference between an 800 number and a relationship with a real person is even mpre important when you really need. It. On this episode of The BrandBuilders podcast, we’re talking with Bill & Paxton Laurie, the owners of Laurie Insurance Group, a leading insurance agency with a strong local presence and a regional reach that extends across multiple states in the Southeast. Bill, Paxton, thanks for joining us…

It was one of SouthEnd’s most lovable and iconic eateries… and then it was gone. And after a 6 year hiatus, this beloved burrito joint returned to a new location in the LoSo arean and under new ownership. We’re talking, of course, of the Phat Burrito. The former South End staple is back on the Charlotte culinary map. Michael Cox is the new owner, and he’s here with us on this episode of the BrandBuilders Podcast.

If you think “The Beast from Baku” or the “Magician of Riga” are pro wrestlers or characters from some “Harry Potter” sequel… prepare to be enlightened on this edition of the award-winning BrandBuilders Podcast. Yes, professional chess players carry on with that much swagger. For ten years, the Charlotte Chess Center has been providing a place to play, lessons, and camps for players of the royal game. Peter Giannatos is the Charlotte Chess Center’s executive director and founder. And he’s our gu...

Airo Mechanical is a leading multifamily HVAC and plumbing contractor based in Mooresville, with a remarkable 25 years of experience. The company is licensed in multiple states including North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia… if you’ve seen their work or met anyone on the team, you’ll know they take pride in hands-on leadership, emphasizing business development, education, and the highest quality standards. Andrew Ward is Vice President of Business Development at Airo Mechanical and he’s ...

Like Jimmy McGill said in Better Call Saul: Lawyers; we’re like health insurance. You hope you never need it, but man oh man… not having it? No. Not all lawyering is as strange and unusual as it’s made it out to be in TV and movies. And that lawyer who handled your real estate closing is probably not the same one you’d call if you were in a car crash, selling your family business, or drafting a new will… Or in jail. That’s where relationship with a multi-disciplined law firm comes in, giving you...

Like the cherry blossoms blooming or the first pitch at the Knight’s games… the King’s Drive Art Walk is arguably one of Charlotte’s rites of spring. For more than a dozen years, the folks at Festival in the Park have hosted this unique event that showcases local and national talent – and it’s all free! Put this on your calendar now: The 14th edition of the King’s Drive Art Walk is May 4th and 5th. Mark Boone is the board president of the Festival in the Park. He’s our guest today on the award-w...

Here’s a number that’s pretty sobering: More than 35% of households with children were considered “food insecure” in Mecklenburg County. Meaning, they did NOT know if food would be available from day to day. Mercifully, there are organizations that are working to help change those numbers. But as Charlotte continues to get bigger and bigger, that need continues to grow with it. Hearts and Hands Food Pantry is one of the only independent food pantries in the area, having served tens of thousands ...

“After an exhausting 16+ years, the founder of the Isabella Santos Foundation needed to make a change. Instead of folding, she’s planning a big expansion.” With THAT headline in The Charlotte Ledger, we knew we’d have to get our friend, Erin Santos-Primis to tell us what this is all about. For folks who don’t know, the Isabella Santos Foundation has donated more than $8 million dollars to cancer trials, research, and patient care. Most of that money, coming from donations from folks like you and...

If you’ve noticed Charlotte streets, restaurants, schools, etc., getting more crowded… it’s not your imagination. You’d literally have to be living under a rock to have missed the news that 100-plus people moving here every day! Charlotte is one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, and the real estate market here is forecast to be the hottest in the US. With all the new people moving to town, that gave one local realtor an idea. Jay Seago from Helen Adams is our guest today on the Brand...

Business-owner and Chef Craig Barbour originally studied mechanical engineering at the University of Maryland before transitioning into the culinary field. After graduating from Johnson & Wales University here in Charlotte, he started his career at Carmel Country Club. From there it was a food truck, event catering, a café in South End, and now a multi-brand food and beverage business. Craig is one of those people – and brands – that we can say, “we knew them when!” He’s our guest today on the a...

Aside from interest rates, real estate may have garnered the most headlines in the US economy over the last several years. If you’ve tried to buy or sell a house, you KNOW how the market’s been lately. Things have been just as interesting on the commercial and industrial sides, too. And that’s where companies like Colliers shine, by providing a full range of services to real estate users, owners and investors. Grant Miller is executive vice president at Colliers – and he’s our guest on this epis...

If you want to raise money to fight cancer in the MOST FUN way possible, the All-In to Fight Cancer poker tournament is your best bet. (Oh, and that’s not the end of our card-playing puns,) With three events across North Carolina, All-In to Fight Cancer has raised more than 2 point 3 MILLION dollars. And here’s the deal: you don’t even have to be a good poker player to get in on the action! Heck, you’ll even feel pretty good about losing – since it’s all for a great cause. Clifton Castelloe is t...

For 20 years, Dress for Success Charlotte has been a champion of women’s economic upward mobility. It’s their vision that all women are economically self-sufficient, treated individually and with dignity and respect… and that they receive comparable pay to their male counterparts as they strengthen and shape their families and our communities. They help hundreds of women each year with job placement, interview skills, financial education, career advancement services. Gale Bonnell is a community ...

If you’ve ever tried to DIY big a project, you’re probably familiar with the feeling that you’ve taken on a little – or even a lot more – than you bargained for. The stakes might not be as high if you’re trying to wallpaper your bathroom. But when projects are really BIG, the margin of error gets smaller and smaller as the stakes get higher and potentially more costly. Strata Project Management Group is Full-service project management and real estate consulting, from feasibility studies and due ...

Covid and the pandemic changed a lot about how we work, shop, go to school –and even how we workout. One of the biggest “booms” during that time was in running. Depending on the report you read, 15 to 30 percent of runners surveyed say they came to the sport during the pandemic! Many of them are still running, and looking for in-person opportunities to get together and run. That’s GREAT news for folks in the events business, you’d think. But there are also new challenges for the events and endur...

Like my old man says, “at the end of the day, it’s all sales.” Whether you’re selling a product, a service, an idea – or yourself. And “sales” (I’m doing air quotes here) continues to evolve. Retail sales numbers are “up,” and consumers have countless ways to engage with potential sellers with technology. The trouble is, not that technology continues to grow and change, making it harder for sellers to meet buyers. Stephen Cozzolongo is the kind of pro you want in your bullpen when your digital m...

If you’re a sports fan in the Charlotte area, you’re probably familiar with the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, the Jumpman Invitational, or the ally Tipoff. Events like this generate MILLIONS of dollars in direct spending and local economic impact, hotel room rental, spending on food, drinks, and entertainment… as well as the millions of dollars that sports and sporting events mean for area nonprofits. One of the drivers behind some of that impact is The Charlotte Sports Foundation. Miller Yoho is Director o...

Everyone loves a comeback story, and our next guest has one you will not want to miss. With a promising future in collegiate and professional sports, our guest had that fairy tale derail when went to prison in his senior year of college as a result of a domestic violence conviction. After receiving mental and behavioral services to recover, he emerged from prison as a “change agent,” charged to help individuals find the root cause of their violent behavior – and to help those individuals and the...