Episodes

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...

There’s nothing like running in your own hometown. Waking up in your own bed. Enjoying breakfast in your own kitchen. Coming home to crash on your own couch… you get it. It’s also pretty cool to run an out-of-town event, and traveling to someplace you’ve never been, and experiencing everything that “different” place has to offer. But there is, of course, the headaches that come with all of that “unknown territory.” And that’s where Mark Janik saw an opportunity. Mark, welcome to the BrandBuilder...

Pop quiz for you here: This nearly 200 BILLION DOLLAR industry employs is responsible for more than 4 million jobs in the US and generates nearly $70 million in tax revenue every year. Any guesses?? If your answer was the alcoholic beverage industry, you’d be right. And that market is forecast to continue growing, with new products and product categories entering the ring every day. Daniel Sarjeant & Brian Thomason represent two of those newcomers to the market, and they’re here to tell us all a...

North Carolina has come a long, long way since it earned an economic reputation based on tobacco, furniture, and textiles. Agriculture and manufacturing still play a role… but they share the spotlight with aerospace, fin-tech, energy, banking, bio-tech and more, in an a statewide economy that is far more diverse than it was just 10 or 20 years ago. “Business North Carolina” magazine has been following the news, the trends, the ups and downs, and the names and faces that have shaped the state’s e...

For years, SouthPark has had the reputation of being a destination for high-end retail and restaurants, active neighborhoods and desirable schools. SouthPark is, of course, home to one of the most popular malls in the region, several apartment complexes, offices, and restaurants, with more redevelopment coming to the area soon. Adam Rhew is one of the names and faces you’ll see often as this fast-growing area continues to expand. He’s president of SouthPark Partners… and he’s our guest today on ...

If you’ve been in Charlotte for even a few months, listening to the radio or watching local TV, or whatever… you’ve likely heard an ad for one of the Keffer Auto Group’s 8 car dealerships like Hyundai, Jeep, Volkswagen, or Kia – and many more. What you may not know is that the Keffer family has a long, local history of putting people behind the wheel here in the Charlotte area. Jim Keffer is the owner and investing partner in a catalog full of car brands here in the Carolinas… and that’s not all...

Over the years we’ve had lots of new and emerging brands, products, and service providers appear here on The BrandBuilders Podcast. Each of them is unique, but the common thread they share is this: they all recognized there was something missing in the marketplace. And as they say in science class, nature abhors a vacuum. For the makers, creators, and entrepreneurs that “vacuum” means opportunity. The folks behind Run Rak noticed something was missing from their travel and athletic pursuits, and...

Most every parent tries to share some wisdom with their kids; some of it about life, some of it about business. Our next guest here has a real gem from his father. It goes like this: “… after attending UNCW and working 3 jobs throughout college, I thought my dad would hire me in the family business. Instead, he told me that I needed to first learn the business on someone else’s dime.” Now THAT is some sage advice! And it paid off, too. Jeff Owen ran with that advice. And after paving his own way...

You’ve likely heard this one before: Charlotte IS Creative. Just look around and you’ll see artists, musicians, chefs, actors, muralists, sculptors, poets, and more that prove the point. And there folks working in front of and behind the scenes to help those artists connect, be seen — and more importantly – make a living. Matt Olin is one of those people. Matt is Co-Founder of Charlotte Is Creative; Co-Publisher of The Biscuit newsletter; Host of CreativeMornings Charlotte, “musical director” of...

A New York Times article from this summer pointed out what a lot of us probably know already. Social media is a lot less ”social” these days. Between the political commentary and all the ads… many brands are struggling to connect – or reconnect – with their audiences. People and brands are once again seeing the value in creative and engaging IN REAL LIFE events. They key to their success, of course, is the “creative and engaging” part. Stephanie Bingham parlayed a stint with “The Cartoon Networ...

Data released this summer shows that the AIA Consensus Construction Forecast predicts a 20% increase in nonresidential building spending this year — a surge not seen since pre-Great Recession boom times. Spending increases are anticipated across manufacturing, commercial, institutional, and industrial construction – but will it, or can it last? If you look around the Carolinas, there seems to be plenty of work happening… Poettker Construction is in the THICK of this “boom.” Their CEO, Keith Poet...

Parks provide real life environmental, aesthetic, and recreation benefits to everyone. They’re some of THE most-requested amenities in most any community. And for good reason: they enhance property values, increase municipal revenue, they bring in homebuyers, create a sense of community… the list goes on! But, parks can’t do it on their own. It takes folks in the community – and businesses and corporations – to keep parks and green spaces as part of the conversation when budget priorities, land ...

In the more than 300 episodes of the BrandBuilders Podcast, we have had some heavy-hitters here on the program. This is one of those episodes… Very few people PERIOD can boast of a resume that includes: D1 collegiate athletics, modeling, law school, politics, entrepreneurship – work in the US Senate, entertainment, tech, programming, public affairs, advocacy… And this man is FAR from riding off into the sunset. Brandon Andrews is way too young for that, and it is an absolute honor to have you on...

Fall means football, the eventual end to major league baseball, NHL and NBA preseason… and soccer! Despite Americans playing soccer for over 100 years, it’s only recently started to really gain real traction. It’s now one of the fastest growing sports in the US. As of Q4 2022, soccer is the 4th most followed sport in the country. Not sure if “Ted Lasso” had anything to do with that or not… We are BIG fans of the game at my house (presuming you’re reading this, Brian!) and we are really excited a...

If you consider yourself a dog “parent,” rather than a dog “owner,” then It’s pretty safe to assume you’re a REAL dog person. If movies like “A Dog’s Purpose,” “My Dog Skip,” or “Marley and Me,” have you clutching the kleenex… well, we have found your tribe. “Paws Social Club,” bills itself as the social club FOR DOGS – and the humans who love them. They host dog-friendly events all over town, and keep tabs on others so you’ll always have a calendar FULL of “to do’s” with your four-legged friend...

LOTS of folks have hidden or underutilized talents. I’ll bet most of our listeners probably don’t know my co-host also plays guitar. Or, that our engineer is also a woodworker… go ahead and let that settle in. Well, not everyone considers themselves creative. Either they never got the opportunity to “get creative,” don’t have the time, or maybe they just never found the right medium to work with. We may have a solution to help you unleash your inner “Jackson Pollack.” Roll up your sleeves, folks...

Charlotte’s got a lot, as the marketing campaign says, and it’s enough to keep drawing people to town. In fact, more than 100 people are moving to town each and every day – that’s great for business and our national reputation, but there’s a yin and yang to everything, of course. More traffic, less affordable housing, fewer seats at your favorite restaurant, longer lines at the grocery store… all that. And it takes smart people to help forecast, design, and engineer solutions that can help fast-...

George Carlin said it best: “All you need in life, is a little place for your stuff… This is my stuff, that’s your stuff, that’ll be his stuff over there. That’s all your house is– a place to keep your stuff. If you didn’t have so much stuff, you wouldn’t need a house. You could just walk around all the time. Think about it.. A house is just a pile of your stuff with a cover on it!” Well said, Mr. Carlin. Well said. And when your house isn’t enough, there’s always storage! This is DCL sitting in...

“Music With Friends” a unique membership that bills itself as a, ”one-of-a-kind experience, centered on legendary musical acts performing in intimate, acoustically superb venues.” The artists they book are based the acts their membership wants to see, in settings that promise no bad seats in the house. Plus, pre-show cocktail parties and afterparties for every show – AND, members can attend meet & greets with the performers themselves! If that sounds like your kind of jam, then you’ll be excited...

If your back hurts, everything hurts. And if you’re one of 65 million Americans who suffer from back pain, you know how important it is to get relief. A chiropractor can help! Whether you’re a serious athlete, a weekend warrior, or somewhere in between, your back is the the foundation of your health and fitness. Dr. Doug Bradberry is a chiropractic physician at Greenapple Sports and Wellness. He’s an athlete himself, who has worked with Olympic-bound athletes from the U.S. and Canada, local spo...

Whether people are coming to visit family, see a ballgame, take in a show, or stay for a convention — tourism means big money. In North Carolina, total domestic and international visitor spending reached over 33 billion dollars in 2022. That is up 15 percent from 2021 according to the CRVA. The Charlotte Regional Business Alliance says that this year alone, the leisure and hospitality industry has added 15,000 jobs since the start of the year. And when people come to town, they’ve got stay some...

Choate Construction Company was founded in 1989, as the economy headed into recession. Talk about great timing, right? Construction projects were few and far between, the team was small, and their “fleet” was just one old truck. But they went ahead with it anyway. Now, they’ve got 6 regional offices, nearly 500 employee-owners, and experience in all kinds of construction. That’s one heck of a foundation for a successful future. (See what we did there?) Adam Hawthorne is in business development w...

Let’s talk about hair. Everybody’s got it. Some have a ton of it, others not so much. Over a lifetime, we wash it, dry it, style it, cut it, let it grow – or not. And, every one of us loses some of it every day. And for some of us, we lose it faster than it grows back. Hair loss can be scary, traumatic, or depressing for lots of people. The good news is, there are LOTS of solutions for thinning hair and hair loss. You’ve probably seen a few ads in your social media feed just this morning… Our ...

Whether you’ve read it or not, you probably know the book, “7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” Steven Covey authored that one along with LOADS of other best-sellers about people, work, and productivity. Covey’s books are as quotable as the movie “Caddyshack,” and packed full of “bottom line” insights like this quote: “So often, the problem is the system, not the people. If you put good people in bad systems, you get bad results.” CTK at Work is a solution from local law firm Conrad, Trosch ...