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, lu…

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 substanc…

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…

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 approac…

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 mar…

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 barrier…

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…

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, a…

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 p…

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 …

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 cra…

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 editi…

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 n…

“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 ha…

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 hott…

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 m…

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 ful…

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…

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…

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 pot…

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 opportunitie…

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 continu…

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…

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 emer…

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 c…

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 cate…

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.…

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 …

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 whe…

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, …

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 …

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 …

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 REA…

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 …

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 tak…

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…

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 L…

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…

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 the…

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 r…

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…

“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 afterparti…

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…

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 ye…

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 al…

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 ne…

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 th…

For a lot of people, one of the best things to come out on the other side of the pandemic… was the return to in-person events. The virtual thing was unique for a while, but we’re social beings. We WANT to be around each other and collaborate, congregate, and celebrate. But, getting back to whatever normal looks like has presented plenty of challeng…

There was a commercial a few years back about a company that said they, “quote,” they make a lot of the things you know “better.” Truth is just about ANY product you use is PACKED with pieces and parts. And there are companies that may have never heard of that make those pieces and parts. One of those companies is Sur-Seal. They engineer, design, a…

Garage bands, listen-up! Charlotte has a NEW place to play for musicians and creative noise-makers of all types. No, it’s not a storage shed or your mom’s basement… it’s called Jambox. Jambox is more than 2000 square feed of rehearsal rooms and event space for music videos, photo shoots, meetings, parties, and more. You can even rent amps, sound eq…