CityScope Annual Business Issue 2022 by CityScope & HealthScope Magazines

$ 5.95 | 2022

ANNUAL BUSINESS ISSUE

L E A D E R S H I P \ E N T R E P R E N E U R S H I P \ S T R AT E G Y \ I N N O VAT I O N \ C U LT U R E

Photographed at The Edwin Hotel

A convergence of financial knowledge and capabilities. Right here in Chattanooga. We’ve assembled a team of well-established and highly experienced financial professionals. It has given us the ability to address every aspect of our clients’ financial needs. And by limiting the number of clients we serve, it allows us to offer an uncommon level of service and maintain our unwavering focus on helping to create quality financial solutions. This is what we bring to the table – and what will ultimately bring you to us. If you are an individual seeking seasoned financial guidance and the comfort of working with an experienced group of advisors who call Chattanooga home, we welcome the opportunity to sit down together. www.RoundTableAdvisors.com

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877-770-0009

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423-510-8889

Please remember with us our dear friend and colleague, Fran Robertson, who passed away on April 4, 2022. Uniquely special and never forgotten. We love you, Fran.

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1200 Premier Drive, Suite 100

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Chattanooga, TN 37421

Left to Right: Cyndi Scheid, CSA // Julie Davis, FA // Austin Cone, CFP® // Dennis Wolfe, CPA, CFP® Tony D’Andrea, CPA, CFP® // Andy Burnett, CFA® // Amy Bee, CSA // Not Pictured: Lisa Listecki, Registered CSA

Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services are offered through Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. Round Table Advisors is not a registered broker/ dealer and is independent of Raymond James Financial Services.

Residential

SOLD

Commercial/ Investment

Waterfront

SOLD

Land

423-499-9999 • chattanoogalistings.com

We live in what’s known as the Stroke Belt, which makes us twice as likely to die of a stroke. That’s why innovation can’t wait. The need to know more and do more takes precedence—because lives depend on it.

INTRODUCING the CHI MEMORIAL STROKE and NEUROSCIENCE CENTER Where the very nature of stroke care is changing for our region and the world. Nationally renowned stroke specialists who have dedicated their careers to treating and preventing stroke practice here.

Pioneering technology that improves outcomes and preserves quality of life is available here.

We know stroke like no other. Learn more at Memorial.org/StrokeCare

Research and clinical trials that push the boundaries of our understanding of stroke are being conducted here.

PUBLISHER’S LETTER

GEORGE MULLINIX Publisher

Chattanooga’s strong job market, business-friendly government, tech prowess, and remote work have catapulted the city into the national spotlight in recent years. Home to both long-standing family-owned companies and exciting, cutting-edge startups, Chattanooga’s flourishing business community is a testament to the spirit and perseverance of its residents. In November 2021, unemployment in the Chattanooga area dropped to 2.7%, an all-time low for the Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) and one of the lowest levels in the United States. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Chattanooga area employers added more than 2,650 jobs in the month of November alone. Over the last few months, Chattanooga’s business community has garnered attention from publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and Bloomberg Businessweek. Twelve companies based in and around Chattanooga made the 2021 Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies in the nation, with FreightWaves earning the top spot as the fastest-growing company in Tennessee. Also making waves is Chattanooga-based BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, which ranked an impressive 27th out of 500 on Forbes’ list of America’s best large employers. In our 2022 Annual Business Issue, we’re proud to celebrate the innovative spirit, leadership, philanthropy, and many achievements of local businesses. Beginning with our feature “Milestones,” we highlight Chattanooga companies that are celebrating quarterly anniversaries. In “A Lasting Legacy,” local leaders share first-hand accounts of how they’re honoring the founding principles of their businesses. At the heart of our features “From Passion to Profit” and “Choosing Purpose Over Percentage” are local professionals who have pursued their dream jobs, despite obstacles that may have stood in their way. Throughout this issue, you’ll find sound advice from executives of businesses large and small. For example, in “Words From the Wise,” area business owners reveal their top three business tips, and in “Boundless Beginnings,” local executives share what they learned from their very first jobs. Not to be missed, our annual “Gold Club” honors 30 influential business leaders who are making a difference in their workplace and their community. We hope that you will find this publication to be inspiring and instructive, and that you will enjoy learning more about the exceptional accomplishments – both past and present – of our local business community. P.S. Follow CityScope® and HealthScope® magazines and Choose Chattanooga® – Chattanooga Resource & Relocation Guide® on Facebook and Instagram!

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CITYSCOPEMAG.COM HEALTHSCOPEMAG.COM CHOOSECHATT.COM

CONTENTS

Companies

Organizations & People

Milestones Celebrating Chattanooga Companies’ Quarterly Anniversaries

From Passion to Profit How Local Craftsmen Balance Their Artistic Endeavors & Entrepreneurship

Teaming Up at the Top CEOs & Chairs Spill the Secrets Behind Their Successful Partnerships

Choosing Purpose Over Percentage Local Women Leading & Thriving in Male-Dominated Industries

A Lasting Legacy First-Hand Accounts About Honoring Family Legacies

100

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion in the Workplace DEI Leaders Share Their Insights

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CHATTANOOGA’S PREMIER REAL ESTATE BROKER

JAY ROBINSON

CONTENTS Industries & Trends 114

Tour Business Finding Success in the Form of Smiles

122

Bridging the Generation Gap Appealing to Multigenerational Workforces

Sales & Marketing 128

Maintaining Client Relationships Connecting & Communicating With the People Who Matter Most

136

In the Business of Snacks Innovators Sharing Delicious Flavors With Chattanooga & Beyond

Innovation & Entrepreneurship 148

Always Greener Local Businesses Investing in a Sustainable Future for Chattanooga

154

Innovators of the Scenic City 5 Local Companies Paving the Way for the Future

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114

If you’re ready to take the next step in your career… We’re here to help you thrive.

Explore career opportunities in Audit, Finance, Customer Service and more at careers.unum.com.

202 174

CONTENTS Strategy & Leadership

194 “My dad has always taught me to treat every business relationship like a marriage. Through thick and thin, we stand by our people and always aim to place them on a path to success.” Guru Shah CEO, Shah Trucking & Shah Logistics

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160

Words From the Wise Area Business Owners Offer Their Top Business Tips

174

By the Book Favorite Reads From Area Executives

182

Boundless Beginnings How First Jobs Shaped These Chattanooga Executives

Management 194

Holistic Approaches to Teambuilding Local Leaders Encouraging a Unified Company Culture

202

The Business of Expansion The Ins & Outs of Large-Scale Expansion

207

The Gold Club 30 Influential Business Leaders

Life Well Planned. We take pride in supporting the well-being of our clients by providing financial planning and investment strategies based on their specific goals.

First row, left to right: James Phillips, CFP®, Mary Loggins, CFP®, Debbie Brown, Diane Guffey, Betsy Gibson, CFP ®, Tena Kellis, Barton Close, CFP®, Emerson Brown, CFP ® Second row, left to right: Bob Klose, CFP ®, Robin Moldenhauer, Jennifer McIntyre, Mike Brown, Scott Chadwell, Greg Reabold, Michael Cooper, Kyle Cooper, Brad Perkins

Third row, left to right: Tyson Asay, Doyle Attaway, Darin Hurley, CFP®, Joe Johnson, Walter Stamper, John Grzesiak, CFP® Not Pictured: Kellye Phillips, CFP®, Chuck Corey

Downtown office 537 Market Street, Suite 105 Chattanooga, TN 37402 | 423.756.2371

raymondjames.com/chattanooga-branch/about-us/our-team

clevelanD office 3780 Ocoee Place NW Cleveland, TN 37312 | 423.614.1720 raymondjames.com/CooperAndCooper

Raymond James & Associates, Inc. | Member New York Stock Exchange/SIPC Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, and federally registered CFP® (with flame design) in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete the CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.

CONTENTS AN A NNUNAULABLU BS IUNSE ISNS EI S SSUIES S U E

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VOLUME 29, ISSUE 7

| 2022

Publisher

George Mullinix

Sales & New Business Development

Cailey Mullinix Easterly

Sales & Business Development

Amanda Worley

Creative & Art Director

Emily Pérez Long

Sr. Graphic Design Multimedia

Lauren Robinson

Managing Editor

Christina Davenport

Editors

Rachel Coats Chelsea Risley Catherine Smith Mary Beth Wallace

Director of Digital Marketing

Ruth Kaiser

Marketing Assistant

Laci Lanier

Digital Marketing Assistant Madi Taylor Photographers Ryan Long Photography Sarah Unger

Kris Hacker/Hacker Medias Rich Smith Vityl Media

Contributing Writers

Olivia Halverson Camille Platt

Subscribe to CityScope® or HealthScope® magazines: Call 423.266.3440 or visit cityscopemag.com or healthscopemag.com and click “Subscribe.” A one year subscription for CityScope® or HealthScope® magazine costs $18.

Financial Perspectives 220 The Oil Market’s Search for a New Equilibrium Understanding the Current Landscape 224 Anatomy of a Recession Navigating New Market Conditions

$ 5.95 | 2022

ON THE COVER:

ANNUAL BUSINESS ISSUE

Travis Truett, Ish Patel, and Betsy Brown are among the many accomplished leaders highlighted in this year’s business issue.

CityScope® and HealthScope® magazines and Choose Chattanooga ® – Chattanooga Resource & Relocation Guide ® (the magazines) are published by CMC Publications, LLC, a Chattanooga, Tennessee company. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited. Views expressed herein are those of the authors or those interviewed and not necessarily those of the publisher, editors, or advertisers. The publisher, editors, and advertisers disclaim any responsibility or liability for such material. All content associated with and included in advertisements (ads, advertorial, and special promotional sections) placed in the magazines are the responsibility of the respective advertiser. CMC Publications, LLC, cannot and does not assume responsibility for any material contained within or associated with any advertisement. CityScope® magazine Copyright, CMC Publications, LLC, 1993 CityScope® magazine is a registered trademark owned by CMC Publications, LLC HealthScope® magazine Copyright, CMC Publications, LLC, 1989 HealthScope® magazine is a registered trademark owned by CMC Publications, LLC Choose Chattanooga® – Chattanooga Resource & Relocation Guide® Copyright, CMC Publications, LLC, 2011 Choose Chattanooga® and Chattanooga Resource & Relocation Guide® are registered trademarks owned by CMC Publications, LLC

— Photography by Vityl Media, Rich Smith, and Lanewood Studio L E A D E R S H I P \ E N T R E P R E N E U R S H I P \ S T R AT E G Y \ I N N O VAT I O N \ C U LT U R E

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To receive advertising information, change your mailing address, or share your views on editorial: Call 423.266.3440 or visit cityscopemag.com or healthscopemag.com and click “Contact.”

CityScope® magazine Southern Gentleman® is a registered trademark owned by CMC Publications, LLC.

The Southeast region of the United States has a high density of patients suffering from cardiovascular disease.

Peripheral Artery Disease plaque builds up on the inside of the artery walls making it difficult for the blood to flow to the legs and feet.

Critical Limb Ischemia

the advanced form of PAD puts patients at greater risk for amputation. CLI threatens approximately 2 million Americans and is commonly seen in patients with Diabetes, Chronic Kidney Disease, Hypertension, or High Blood Pressure.

VASCULAR INSTITUTE

Chattanooga | Cleveland North Georgia | Jasper | Dayton

423.602.2750

www.VascularInstituteOfChattanooga.com

21.3

MILLION AMERICANS SUFFER FROM PERIPHERAL ARTERIAL DISEASE (PAD)

185,000 AMPUTATIONS ARE PERFORMED IN THE UNITED STATES EACH YEAR AS A RESULT OF PAD.

97.4%

1 in 8

ADULTS OLDER THAN 60 ARE AFFECTED BY PAD

THE VIC APPROACH: • Rapid Triage - within 3 Days • Diagnostic Ultrasound Testing • Appropriate Interventional & Surgical Therapy • Risk Factor Modification

TN STATISTICS:

VIC 60-DAY LIMB SALVAGE RATE FOR CLI

•37% Adults have Hypertension only 54% Adults have it under control •20% Adults & 22% Teens Smoke • 23% Adults are Inactive • 22% Adults have NO Primary Doctor

LIFESTYLE CHOICES:

AN EARLY DIAGNOSIS AND AN ACTIVE TREATMENT PLAN CAN ACHIEVE A SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME VICTORY OVER AMPUTATION!

• Quit Smoking • Manage Diabetes • Eat a Healthy Diet • Exercise Regularly • Establish Primary Care

Companies “Some people dream of success, while other people get up every morning and make it happen.” – Wayne Huizenga, businessman and entrepreneur

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MILESTONES Photo Courtesy of The Read House

Celebrating Chattanooga Companies’ Quarterly Anniversaries BY RACHEL COATS

A mosaic of deeply rooted establishments and fresh-faced endeavors enriches the economic landscape of Chattanooga. Within this lively mix of passion-driven products and services are teams achieving landmark anniversaries. As one honors a centuries-long legacy, another begins to see the fruits of their efforts. Learn the histories and success stories of local companies as they celebrate quarterly anniversaries this year, from 25 years to 150 years.

CITYSCOPEMAG.COM « 2 3

Companies

First Things First EST. 1997 First Things First has been cultivating healthy relationships in Chattanooga since its creation in 1997, when a broad cross-section of civic leaders noticed a need for regional, relational resources. First Things First, a nonprofit, was created by these motivated individuals to rebuild, renew, and revitalize Chattanooga through fostering healthy relationships. Its founder and first CEO, Rae Bond, passed this vision to original communications director, Julie Baumgardner, in 2001. She served as CEO until 2021, when Lauren Hall took over the position. Today, First Things First offers a plethora of accessible, research-based resources for all stages of partnership and parenthood, seeking to build, heal, and strengthen relationships. It has piloted policies and programs, such as Dads Making a Difference – a program that has benefited nearly 600 non-custodial fathers since 2010. Regional statistics and participant surveys report increased marriage rates, marital health, and positive parental involvement, all aided by the organization’s efforts. “The most rewarding part about being at First Things First is seeing someone go from frustrated, lonely, and disconnected to joyful, fulfilled, and connected… It’s truly motivating to wake up every day knowing there’s potential to positively change a family for generations to come. Consistently doing this work will lead to a healthier, more stable community that I am confident will shape the world for good,” says CEO Lauren Hall. The nonprofit holds to its founding vision while expanding avenues through which to offer its resources. The COVID-19 pandemic prompted an increased investment in the organization’s online library, which now includes blogs, videos, e-books, virtual events, digital courses, and more. From the end of 2019 to the end of 2021, its online reach increased from 1.6 million to 10.6 million families nationwide.

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The First Things First team plans to celebrate its first quarterly anniversary with a community birthday bash this fall and a continued push for positive change. Relational dynamics are an ever-changing landscape that the First Things First team is equipped and inspired to navigate. Hall shares, “As our world, our community, our culture shifts and changes, families will always have relationship challenges and needs. We will remain a steadfast presence full of compassion, guidance, and open arms.”

Photos Courtesy of First Things First

Home. No PLace Like it. • Relocation Specialist - Locally or Globally - Coming or Going • National Franchise Agent of the Year since 1999 • Top Residential Agent in Chattanooga since 1999 • Recognized as the U.S. Southern Region Top Selling Individual Agent • Closed over one billion dollars in residential real estate since 2000 • Marketing and selling homes throughout the Greater Metropolitan Chattanooga Area • Recognized as a Chattanooga Times Free Press Best Residential Realtor since 2002

Lee Brock direct office

423.366.8966 423.265.0088

LindaBrockHomes.com

Companies

Astec Industries EST. 1972 Astec Industries was incorporated in Chattanooga on August 9, 1972. Its name is a clever combination of “asphalt” and “technology,” fitting for what began as a manufacturer of asphalt mixing equipment. Astec was founded by Dr. J. Don Brock and four of his friends – Al Guth, Gail Mize, Norm Smith, and Mike Uchytil. A five-year business plan mapped out around a kitchen table 50 years ago has since become a global billion-dollar company and leading manufacturer of heavy equipment for road building and construction-related activities. Groundbreaking innovation and commitment to customers fueled its success. But like any organization that has stood for half a century, Astec experienced its share of growing pains. The company has withstood the test of time, thanks to a focus on manufacturing best-in-class products and providing exceptional customer service. In 1986, Astec Industries became publicly traded on the Nasdaq exchange, expanded geographically, and increased its product offerings through a series of acquisitions. Today, Astec’s Rock to Road® product portfolio offers customers a “onestop-shop” of equipment for the asphalt, concrete, aggregate, and industrial heating industries. The company employs more than 4,000 people, with sales and manufacturing operations located around the world. Barry Ruffalo joined Astec as president and CEO in 2019. With more than 25 years of manufacturing experience, Ruffalo began propelling Astec forward to long-term growth with the new OneASTEC business model. The company had been operating as a set of separate subsidiary businesses, creating opportunity to leverage best practices and unlock additional value. Ruffalo tells us, “We are evolving by investing in new systems and processes to streamline our operations. Coming together as OneASTEC makes us a stronger and more efficient company. We are better able to collaborate and find synergies within the business. It makes it easier for our customers and vendors to work with us. Lastly, our employees have more opportunities to develop and grow their career with us.” Astec Industries is honoring the legacy of its first president by committing $1 million to the Dr. J. Don Brock Astec Industries Inc. Memorial Scholarship Endowment which is awarded to children and grandchildren of current employees. “Dr. Brock had a passion for learning and a reputation for being a teacher, so increasing the scholarship for our employees felt like a good way to celebrate this milestone,” explains Ruffalo. He adds that Astec plans to celebrate its 50th anniversary this August with its thousands of employees worldwide. 2 6 « CITYSCOPEMAG.COM

Photos Courtesy of Astec Industries

Companies

T.S. Raulston, Inc. EST. 1947 T.S. Raulston, Inc. is a Chattanooga-based mechanical contractor whose origins trace back to 1947. Established by T.S. Raulston Sr. only two years after the end of World War II, it originally specialized in plumbing under the name Raulston Plumbing Company. During the following decades, its services expanded to include process piping, air conditioning, and hydronic heating, among others. T.S. Raulston, Inc. was incorporated in 1963 under the leadership of Raulston’s son, Jim Raulston, its new title honoring its founder’s legacy. Since 1940, Chattanooga’s population has increased by more than 50,000. As a result, demand for infrastructure increased. T.S. Raulston, Inc. has played an important role in equipping the schools, hospitals, businesses, and manufacturing plants of the city with the amenities needed to keep its inhabitants safe and comfortable. Significant Chattanooga establishments have benefited from its services, including The Westin Hotel, McCallie School, Chattanooga Golf and Country Club, Volkswagen, Tennessee American Water Company, Children’s Hospital at Erlanger, University of Tennessee – Chattanooga, and the Chattanooga Airport. T.S. Raulston, Inc. has also been involved in some of the largest mechanical and piping projects in the Chattanooga area, installing systems and equipment during its decades of operation.

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The company has withstood economic challenges and supply chain issues through maintaining client relationships and delivering outstanding results. Investing in the community and the buildings its residents live, learn, and work in has given T.S. Raulston, Inc. a respected reputation of reliability. Current president John Raulston says, “Our hands-on approach with customers combined with our quality craftmanship has helped retain clients and build new relationships.” Access to helpful technology has allowed T.S. Raulston, Inc. to expand and improve its services. “We have invested a lot of time and money to incorporate new technology being used in construction design,” Raulston elaborates. “We focus on solving the problems in the drawing stage, so that field work and installation is flawless the first time.” The mechanical contractor is still owned and operated by the Raulston family – John Raulston is T.S. Raulston Sr.’s grandson. Raulston appreciates his family’s legacy and success and hopes to see it continue, sharing, “Being a third-generation owner and getting closer to retirement, my biggest goals are passing the company on to the fourth generation through proper training and maintaining my relationships.”

Photos Courtesy of T.S. Raulston, Inc.

1.13 R ound d iamond I n a ntIque r eproductIon r Ing

Celebrating 85 Ye ars of Selling the Finest Jewelry B rody J ewelers

2.80

ct tw

J.B. s tar

213 Chickamauga Avenue Rossville, Georgia 706.866.3033 Monday – Friday 10am-5pm Saturday 10am-3pm

Companies

The Double Cola Company EST. 1922 Though the Double Cola Company has been acquired several times since its inception 100 years ago, its dedication to producing quality beverages has not – and it all began with a single soda. Charles D. Little and Joe Foster established the Good Grape Company in 1922 to market their newly developed grape soda. They expanded to offer more flavors, and two years later, changed their name to Seminole Flavor Company. 1933 was a monumental year for the company, as it developed the formula for its iconic Double-Cola Soda – the same formula still used today. The soda’s name was also its selling point, being double the size of the six-ounce cola bottles that were the industry standard at the time, yet retailing at the exact same price. In 1953, the company adopted Double Cola as its new corporate name. KJ International acquired Double Cola in 1981 and has owned it ever since. A family-owned business, Double Cola is led by president and CEO Alnoor Dhanani and his wife, COO Gina Dhanani, operating out of the company’s headquarters on Market Street. “We could have our office anywhere in the country, but we choose Chattanooga because we love our hometown and 3 0 « CITYSCOPEMAG.COM

the support we get from our community,” says Gina. “Chattanooga is known far and wide for its innovative spirit, and we’re proud to be an example of that to our customers across the United States and the other countries where our products can be found.” The company has endured for an entire century by sustaining its legacy of creativity and paying careful attention to the market. “Anyone who leads a consumer products business will tell you that anticipating, and then meeting, shifting consumer preferences is a never-ending process,” explains Gina. “From the types of drinks we offer, to the ingredients used, to packaging, we are always on our toes working to get ahead of emerging trends.” Today, Double Cola manages several beverage brands, from its classic Double-Cola and fan-favorite citrus drink, SKI, to adult beverage, BREWSKI, and its soon-to-debut water and ready-to-drink cocktail brands. Its team is excitedly planning a months-long centennial celebration, having kicked off “100 Days of Double Cola” at the beginning of July. They plan on hosting a series of events around the city, which will culminate in a big party on the date of their anniversary in October. Photos Courtesy of The Double Cola Company

Companies

Lodge Cast Iron EST. 1896 Lodge Cast Iron’s history contains a tale of seasoned success in more ways than one. The oldest family-owned cast iron manufacturer in America was founded by Joseph Lodge in 1896, who repurposed a dormant railroad foundry in South Pittsburg, Tennessee, to produce cast iron cookware. Originally called Blacklock, the company saw 14 years of production at this location before it tragically burned down. Lodge was determined to keep his company and its momentum alive, rebuilding and rebranding it under his name. Only three months after the fiery incident, Lodge Cast Iron was born. After surviving the Great Depression by selling animal-shaped doorstops and fireplace irons, Lodge began investing in its foundries. The installation of automated infrastructure in the mid-20th century was revolutionary, replacing hand-pour methods and creating a safer, more efficient workplace. In 2002, Lodge pioneered what is now an industry standard when it began seasoning its products in the foundry. Pre-seasoning cast iron cookware made it ready-to-use and simplified its previously complicated care process. The addition of a second foundry in 2017 allowed Lodge to ramp up production, and today, Lodge ships an impressive 1 million pounds of product each week – all still produced and packaged in South Pittsburg. Lodge Cast Iron originated as a family endeavor and is now in its sixth generation of Lodge family ownership. While Mike Otterman is the first non-family CEO, he carries on the values they have instilled in the company. “Not many companies are six generations strong, in their same location, making the same kind of products,” observes Otterman. “Our values of transparency, treating each other with respect, working together, and learning from each other have stayed the same from the moment that I got here, and the 125 years before, and we’ll continue those values going forward,” he says. Though Lodge turned 125 last year, the celebration continues with the opening of the Lodge Cast Iron Museum this fall. The museum will feature interactive exhibits where visitors can learn about the history of Lodge, its foundry processes, and the culture of cast iron. “I want people to think about the business and the brand as something they want to be a part of, versus just a skillet,” says Otterman. Looking forward, he hopes to see Lodge continue for another 125 years of creating heirloom-quality products that can be passed down for generations to come. Photos Courtesy of Lodge Cast Iron

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Companies

The Read House EST. 1872 A large brick building constructed in symmetrical Georgian style sits at the corner of Broad Street and Martin Luther King Boulevard, an emblem of Chattanooga history. Established only a half century after the city itself, The Read House has endured floods, epidemics, economic misfortune, changes in ownership, and even an infamous ghost story. After the Crutchfield House, an 1847-built hotel with Civil War history, burned down, John Read opened a small, 45-room hotel – The Read House – to take its place in 1872. His son, Samuel Read, took ownership of the property 14 years later, expanding the hotel to four times its original size. Like its predecessor, The Read House was also reduced to rubble, except this time it was intentional. The original building was demolished in 1926 to make way for its current structure, featuring 10 floors and 400 rooms. A gradual removal and construction pace allowed The Read House to remain open every single day of the process. Since then, the hotel has grown under different leaderships. It has hosted world leaders, presidents, celebrities, and other prominent individuals, such as Winston Churchill, Elvis Presley, Ronald Reagan, and Oprah Winfrey. One visitor may have never left – a woman rumored to have been murdered in Room 311 where her ghostly presence reportedly remains.

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Today, The Read House is owned and operated by Avocet Hospitality as a period boutique hotel. In 2016, the group renovated the hotel to restore its original 1926 grandeur while still offering modern conveniences. “We want guests to feel like they’ve stepped back in time,” says Jim Bambrey, general manager of The Read House. The longest continuously operating hotel in the Southeast and part of the National Register of Historic Places, The Read House’s impressive feats result from generations of investment. Bambrey shares, “Thoughtful care and an understanding of the need for innovation have allowed The Read House to maintain its splendor throughout the decades; the hotel was renovated as needed, but never once closed its doors.” The Read House is honoring its 150 years of rich history through a commemorative time capsule, dinners featuring historical menu items, antique displays, branded mementos, and more. “The history of the hotel truly stands out and interests all our guests,” observes Bambrey. “Guests can book a stay at a hotel anywhere across the nation, but there is only one Read House.”

Photos Courtesy of the Chattanooga Public Library and The Read House

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Teaming up at the Top CEOS AND CHAIRS SPILL THE SECRETS BEHIND THEIR SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIPS

BY CATHERINE SMITH

It’s often said that “teamwork makes the dream work.” John C. Maxwell coined the phrase back in 2002, but the message is still relevant for today’s leaders. Successful teamwork starts at the top of an organization’s leadership – often in the partnership between Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chair of the Board (COB). We spoke with several of the CEO and COB teams leading successful operations in the Chattanooga area. What follows is a deeper look into how they work together to further the unique goals of their organizations.

Photo by Rich Smith

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Companies

In the Business of Better Business

JIM

CHRISTY

CHRISTY GILLEN WATER, CEO & JIM HALEY, COB Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce The Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce partners with a vast group of businesses to promote economic growth in our city and beyond. The partnership between Christy Gillenwater, CEO, and Jim Haley, chairman, began in 2020, and they have proven to be a powerful team as they’ve navigated the challenges of the past two years. Gillenwater is a catalytic, visionary leader with her sights set on a bright future for Chattanooga businesses. Haley is an analytical problem solver who brings others to the table to make things happen. Together, their leadership dynamic has created a powerful force behind the Chamber’s goals for the Chattanooga area. “We want the Chamber to have an earned reputation as a major catalyst for the success of the business community,” Haley shares. Gillenwater agrees, “We want our businesses and our people to thrive.” With these goals in mind, Gillenwater and Haley have worked to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion within Chattanooga businesses under 3 6 « CITYSCOPEMAG.COM

the guidance of Lorne Steedley, the Chamber’s vice president of diversity and inclusive growth. Both Haley and Gillenwater agree that a diverse and inclusive workforce is critical to Chattanooga’s long-term economic growth, and therefore a critical issue for the Chamber to address. “We need to unite our community around the prospect of everyone thriving in order to compete globally,” Gillenwater states. “I believe the impact already has been significant, but with the continued attention of the Chamber, can be long-lasting,” says Haley. Given the one-year tenure of Chamber chairs, Haley stepped down from the position on June 30, but he

and Gillenwater were able to make great strides toward shared goals over the past year thanks to their strong teamwork and commitment. For other leaders working together in a similar capacity, Haley advises, “With trust and candor in the relationship, all things are possible – the successes will come more easily, and the setbacks will be more endurable.” As she prepares to welcome a new chair and form another close partnership, Gillenwater adds, “I believe in surrounding yourself with great talent and working together to find and execute solutions. My intention is to be a collaborative, resultsdriven leader who sees hurdles, not walls, in the path ahead.”

Companies

Partnership in a Pandemic

JANELLE

JILL

JANELLE REILLY, CEO & JILL APLIN, COB CHI Memorial CHI Memorial is a nonprofit, faith-based healthcare system of three hospitals and three health centers serving Southeast Tennessee and Northwest Georgia. With 4,500 employees, 597 medical staff members, and 350 volunteers, overseeing the operations of CHI Memorial is no small feat, but Janelle Reilly, CEO, and Jill Aplin, COB, have proven to be up to the task. The partnership between Reilly and Aplin began in 2016 and deepened in 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic wreaked havoc on healthcare systems around the world. “Jill took over as board chair in the middle of the pandemic,” Reilly recalls. “Her calm leadership style has been very helpful in influencing me, and therefore the whole organization, to stay steadfast as we managed surge, upon surge, upon surge of the virus.” Given the dire circumstances, Reilly and Aplin had to adapt quickly to their new partnership. “COVID-19 changed our focus quickly and dramatically,” says Aplin, who is a registered nurse with a Master

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of Science. “Our open communication and shared vision helped us navigate the uncharted, constantly changing landscape of the pandemic.” Certainly, adaptation has been the name of the game for both women since stepping into their respective roles. “I believe leadership styles need to adjust to the situation. In most normal circumstances, I am extremely inclusive and prefer team-based decision-making. Occasionally, I’ve had to swing to the other side – call the shots, be directive – but that is rare,” Reilly explains. Aplin adds, “Recognizing the changing needs in our community and shifting our focus accordingly has helped us handle

the complex challenges that have come our way during the past two years.” The partnership between Reilly and Aplin has been forged in steel by the challenges of the pandemic, and they have valuable advice about teamwork for leaders facing their own challenges. “It’s through trust and transparency that you can lead the organization together. Be willing to share the good as well as the struggles,” Reilly says. “I know that Janelle will keep me informed of what I need to know in order to function well in my role, and likewise, I keep her informed,” Aplin explains. “I have come to care about her as a person, and I know that is mutual.”

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Committed to Culture

MITCH ISH

MITCH PATEL, CEO & ISH PATEL, COB Vision Hospitality Group Family-owned and operated, Vision Hospitality Group is the Chattanooga-based company behind a number of premium hotels throughout the United States. CEO Mitch Patel founded the group in 1997, and his father, Ish Patel, joined the team in 2002 as chairman of the board. The family dynamic that shaped their core company values has also influenced the people-first approach that the Patels take as leaders. Mitch has always had a reliable mentor in his father, who introduced him to the hospitality industry as a child. “That mentor relationship has continued to develop as Vision has grown from the first hotel to what it is today,” Mitch shares. “A president rarely gives out the title of chairman, but his impact on Vision has been so powerful that it warranted the title of honorary chairman.” Certainly, Ish’s impact on the company’s culture can be felt at every level. “He remains a constant presence within our office and hotels, ensuring our team members feel like a part of our family,” Mitch continues. This family culture is a pillar of 4 0 « CITYSCOPEMAG.COM

Vision Hospitality Group’s success. “Our focus on culture has paved a new path for hospitality that guides us to positively impact the communities we call home, even as our company footprint steadily grows,” Mitch states. Echoing this sentiment, Ish elaborates, “Without culture, we have nothing. Our foundation is strong and based on the Golden Rule – if you are honest, do things with the utmost integrity, and treat everyone with respect, good things will happen.” An unshakable culture like this can help a company navigate even the most unforeseen challenges, and the pandemic certainly proved that. In

order to uphold their commitment to culture throughout the pandemic, Mitch says, “We created several initiatives, such as establishing a food bank for our associates to access, providing lunches for the children of team members during the school week, and having weekly Zoom calls so we could see each other’s faces.” This commitment to culture will continue to guide their leadership in the future. “Our hope is that we continue to build a company that is dedicated to our values as we work toward our shared goal of being the best, most respected hotel company in America,” says Ish. Photo by Rich Smith

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Competence Inspired by Confidence

STEPHEN ANDREW

ANDREW SC ARBROUGH, CEO & STEPHEN CULP, COB Delegator Delegator is a Chattanooga-based, fully integrated digital advertising agency that was founded in 2009. Much has changed in the last 13 years, but co-founders Andrew Scarbrough and Stephen Culp have consistently worked together to ensure that Delegator has kept up with the times. The two first teamed up 15 years ago at Smart Furniture, with Culp serving as CEO and Scarbrough taking charge of digital marketing. As their skill sets expanded, so did the digital world, and with that came the need for a specialized digital marketing agency in Chattanooga. This is what prompted the pair to found Delegator. “We love this community, and we want to do our part in contributing to its success,” say Scarbrough and Culp. “We are all in on helping team Chattanooga win.” United by this goal, Scarbrough and Culp quickly developed trust in one another, maintaining open and honest communication even in challenging 4 2 « CITYSCOPEMAG.COM

times. “When I faced a significant period of health concern with one of my children, I was able to be open with Andrew about it. He stepped up to fill any leadership gaps at the time,” Culp shares. “It was another trust- and bond-builder between the two of us.” This level of trust has guided their core company values and contributed to their success, which can be summed up by what they call a “TIER1” ethos, meaning: one foundation built on Trust, Integrity, Expertise, and Results. For leaders who wish to foster a culture of trust and effective collaboration, Culp advises, “Focus on building trust, and a golden rule ethos, with your team. Everything flows

from that.” According to Scarbrough, this allows leaders to adopt “a more delegative leadership style with the team, confidently relying on their expertise and capabilities.” Confidence in their team has allowed Scarbrough and Culp to focus on innovation and future growth rather than everyday task management. The pair says they don’t have to worry about rules and directives when they have a team they can trust to consistently deliver strong results, guided by their own initiative. As for the future of Delegator, Culp and Scarbrough hope to continue expanding their business ventures without compromising on the fundamental values that set Delegator apart.

Companies

A Mutual Mission

DENNIS

BARON

BARON HERDELIN-DOHERTY, CEO & DENNIS BLANTON, COB YMCA of Metropolitan Chattanooga For 150 years, the YMCA of Metropolitan Chattanooga’s various programs and services have promoted community wellbeing in our city and the surrounding area. Today, Baron Herdelin-Doherty, president and CEO, and Dennis Blanton, market leader and COB, work together to ensure that the YMCA’s legacy lives on. Since 2021, Herdelin-Doherty and Blanton have successfully navigated a number of challenges, particularly those brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Given that the YMCA is a nonprofit organization and relies heavily on memberships to fund their operations, they were dealt a particularly heavy blow. “It was extremely difficult to maintain that membership under the restrictions of COVID-19,” Blanton admits. As a result of this financial strain, Herdelin-Doherty says, “There was some uncertainty about how we would come out of it.” Undoubtedly, their teamwork made all the difference. As they worked to overcome these challenges, Herdelin-Doherty’s enthusiastic 4 4 « CITYSCOPEMAG.COM

leadership energized their team, while Blanton’s diplomacy brought people together to focus on the mission. “Common ground is always more productive,” Herdelin-Doherty explains. “The shared sense of a mission-based organization drives effective collaboration.” Fostering this sense of purpose allowed their team to adapt quickly. “We, along with many of our volunteers and staff, got creative with funding sources, made a lot of tough decisions regarding spending, and figured out a path forward that allowed us to continue our mission throughout our community,” Blanton says. As a result – in 2021 alone – the YMCA’s Community Support Campaign topped $1 million for the first time, and roughly

575,000 meals were served to Chattanooga locals in need. Now, a year into their partnership, Herdelin-Doherty and Blanton remain hopeful for the future as the YMCA continues to evolve. “Through my partnership with Dennis and the rest of the board, my hope is that the YMCA of Metropolitan Chattanooga will grow to serve more families and children in need and provide healthy choices for this community that is active and vibrant,” says HerdelinDoherty. In the same spirit, Blanton adds, “My term is two years, followed by an additional two years as immediate past chair. At the end of that time, I hope Baron and I can look back and honestly say we moved the Y forward.”

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Single-Barrel Synergy

BARRY

TIM

TIM PIERSANT, CO-FOUNDER AND CEO & BARRY LARGE, COB Chattanooga Whiskey In 2015, Chattanooga Whiskey became the first distillery to legally produce craft bourbon in Chattanooga – signaling an end to prohibition-era restrictions that had been in place for 100 years. Since getting the green light to set up shop in the Scenic City, Chattanooga Whiskey has risen to prominence under the leadership of Tim Piersant, CEO, and Barry Large, COB. Piersant and Large connected shortly after Chattanooga Whiskey was founded in 2011, amidst the organization’s Vote Whiskey campaign to legalize liquor distillation in Chattanooga. “It took two years of pushing for the law to change, and Barry was nearby throughout the whole process,” Piersant recalls. “We did not take on any investment until the law passed in 2013, but he was one of the first investors. We’ve been through a lot together since that time.” Indeed, shortly after their legislative victory, one of Chattanooga Whiskey’s co-founders split from the group – an early test of the trust between the brand and their inves-

tors. “The support system could have failed in that moment, but Barry, along with our other investors, not only helped me navigate that split but gave me the confidence to lead, and we wouldn’t be where we are today without that mutual trust.” According to Piersant, after Miller Welborn’s six-year tenure ended, bringing Large on as chairman of the board in 2020 was an easy decision. “We wanted a board chair who was in tune with the organization and in tune with me personally, and Barry is that guy,” he explains. “Barry is very entrepreneurial, so I lean on him particularly in that realm. We want to challenge the status quo by

pushing ourselves and the rest of our team to think outside the box.” In just under 10 years, Piersant and Large have made Chattanooga Whiskey a prominent figure in the Southern distillery scene. “We’ve finally made it onto a national platform, and we’re known throughout the country by craft whiskey connoisseurs,” Piersant says. Looking forward to the next 10 years, he adds, “We hope to continue investing in the brand holistically – building up our team, our community, our facilities, and the overall experience. We have a lot to do, and I hope to keep working with Barry for a long time.” CITYSCOPEMAG.COM « 4 5

Companies

Focused on the Fans

JEREMY

PAUL

JEREMY ALUMBAUGH, CEO & PAUL RUSTAND, COB Chattanooga Football Club Founded in 2009, the Chattanooga Football Club (CFC) has fostered a love of soccer in the Chattanooga area for over 13 years. Since Jeremy Alumbaugh became CEO in 2019, he and Paul Rustand, COB, have worked closely to maintain the community CFC has created here in the Scenic City. CFC joined the National Independent Soccer Association in 2019, but COVID-19 had a number of challenges in store for their first year as a professional team. Pandemic-related restrictions were particularly challenging. “CFC is built on community and was built by the community,” Alumbaugh says. “So much of our interaction with the community occurs at Finley Stadium, so we had to find new ways to engage when that went away.” Increasing the club’s digital presence helped to bridge that gap, according to Rustand. “When games were cancelled, we showed some great games from the past, ran contests, and found ways for fans to get to know the players and 4 6 « CITYSCOPEMAG.COM

coaches a bit more,” he explains. “It wasn’t anything amazingly innovative, but we were consistent and dedicated to maintaining connections with the community.” Despite these challenges, CFC has stayed true to the mission that has guided them from the start: bringing the Chattanooga community together by fostering a love of soccer. “Soccer is a great thing to gather around. It attracts people from all socio-economic backgrounds, all races, and all walks of life that might not normally get together,” Rustand says. “We started this club to give people another reason to cheer for Chattanooga – it’s all about making our community better.” This mission

has empowered Alumbaugh with a clear path forward as a leader. “We hold ourselves accountable to a mission of being authentic, being inclusive, being involved in the community, and working collaboratively,” he shares. “It’s easy for me to maintain that culture in the office when it’s the same culture we have in the board room.” Looking to the future, CFC is poised to grow alongside Chattanooga as our city continues to attract new residents. “Soccer is tribal more than any other sport. The Chattanooga Football Club gives people a place to belong as they acclimate into the culture of our city, and we feel a responsibility to uphold that,” Alumbaugh says.

A Lasting Legacy leg·a·cy noun something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor or from the past

rom tangible items like furniture and estates to those less concrete like values and principles, many things are passed down from one generation to another. But when it comes to running a family business, how do you continue to grow and innovate while not losing sight of the morals and ideas that started it all? Read on for several firsthand accounts of how local leaders are continuing to adapt while still honoring the legacies of previous generations.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KRIS HACKER / HACKER MEDIAS

From day one, Wingard Quality Supply has committed its operations to exceeding the quality expectations of its customers and automotive industry standards. My father, Jesse Wingard, built this business from the ground up after spending more than four decades working in the automotive manufacturing industry. After working for Ford Motor Company for more than a quarter century, he joined New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. (NUMMI), where he served as vice president of plant operations until he retired in 2001. The next year he launched WQS, providing tire wheel assembly for NUMMI. When I joined the company as vice president in 2008, I wanted to carry on my father’s legacy as a go-getter who was always looking for new ways to innovate. I brought to the table a layer of global management experience that my dad wasn’t able to provide, and I made the bold decision to move to the market where our largest customer was located, which is what led us to Chattanooga. The spirit of taking risks and being innovative is a cornerstone of the foundation my father laid when he first started the company, and I strive to emulate that spirit in every decision I make. In order to take risks while at the same time creating sustainable success, you have to have careful strategic planning, a well-trained and informed team, and a willingness to adapt your business operations to meet the growing demands of your customers and the economy. For 12 years, my father served as an active advisor and board member for WQS. With his guidance, we have been able to ensure that the values of this company will stand the test of time. As my four sons continue to come of age, I’m looking forward to hopefully introducing a third generation to the business, and I know they will carry a commitment to quality and spirit of innovation with them into the future.

Wingard Quality Supply, LLC James Wingard President & CEO

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love being an orthodontist. I love interacting with amazing people and being able to help them achieve the smile they have always wanted. I also love sharing the same profession as my father. Growing up as the son of an orthodontist gave me a unique perspective into my father’s character and how he ran his practice. I obviously didn’t know anything about the intricacies of straightening teeth at that time, but what I did know was that people would often stop me and tell me how much they liked my father and how grateful they were for their new smile. Those interactions had a profound impact on me. Years later after graduating from college, I found myself helping out with some lab work in my father’s practice. It was at this time that I was able to truly observe not only how my father ran his practice, but also how he interacted with his patients on a daily basis. One of the first things that I noticed was that people were genuinely happy to be there. In a time when most individuals tended to dislike dental visits, my father’s patients seemed happy during their appointments. They laughed and chatted with my father and his staff like they were old friends and were greeted like family members when arriving for their appointment. I also saw how hard my father worked at his craft and how much personal attention he gave to each and every patient. Those observations inspired me to become an orthodontist, and after 14 years of practice, I am still striving to emulate those characteristics that make Sawrie Orthodontics so special. We are currently in our 52nd year of continuous operation, and I could not be prouder to carry on the legacy of quality orthodontic care for the Chattanooga community.

Sawrie Orthodontics Daniel Sawrie Orthodontist

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MANAGED BY

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n 1968, my grandparents Frank and Wanda bought The Barn Nursery for $1,500.

At the time, it was a side-of-the-road fruit stand known simply as ‘The Barn.’ Following my grandfather’s passing in 1980, my father, at the young age of 19, took over and quickly started growing the business. Over the next 40 years, our small fruit stand became one of the top garden centers in the nation. Growing up, I had the opportunity to experience and play a role in every part of the business in preparation of future responsibilities. As of the beginning of the year, I am honored to serve as president of The Barn Nursery. The principles that The Barn Nursery was founded on are the reason we are where we are today. Our values of customer service, honesty, hard work, a respectful work environment, and always doing the right thing are core to who we are. These values have led us to partner with organizations and nonprofits in the community, and these partnerships are what make us stronger. We convene twice a year for our staff meetings, and they all follow the same format my father Jim Webster used when he first started hosting them. The first line of action is establishing who the boss is, which we always jokingly (but still seriously) say: the customer. Like any good business in the service industry, we are nothing without our customers and employees. I’m also thankful to my father who has taught me everything about his buying strategy, and I’m excited to continue to foster the relationships he’s built over the years. I am proud to carry on the legacy of our founders and to serve Chattanooga. The overall market has and will continue to change, but we will continue to adapt with it. That being said, we will never lose sight of who and what got us here.

The Barn Nursery Cole Webster President

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Any financial advisor can know the markets. We know our clients.

Understanding your goals is the first step in providing personalized financial advice to help you reach them. We take the time to know what you’re looking forward to, as well as what your challenges are, to help you build the financial future you want.

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Riggs & Associates A private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC 423.648.0782 Not FDIC Insured|No Financial Institution Guarantee|May Lose Value. The Compass is a trademark of Ameriprise Financial Inc. Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC. Member FINRA and SIPC. © 2021 Ameriprise Financial, Inc. All rights reserved.

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y parents married in 1943 during my father’s service in the Navy. He piloted landing crafts taking troops to the shores during invasions, the most recognized being Iwo Jima. In 1963, my father began his own business and began cultivating values. Each year he hosted a Christmas party for his employees, and during the month of November, many of them would provide some details on their children. He would then take the proceeds from the vending machine that had accumulated throughout the year, and the company would buy presents. At the Christmas party, employees would dress as Santa and call boys’ and girls’ names and deliver gifts to them. For many employees, this was the biggest gift their children received. Each Christmas we continue this tradition, and during COVID, our office took it upon themselves to have Santa drive to employees’ homes and deliver gifts. My parents’ biggest joy in business was seeing an employee arrive in a new car or hear about a new house they purchased. My parents were invited to several homes over the years, and nothing gave my dad more pleasure. “This is the real reason you do this,” he would tell me many times. “You work for them. They don’t work for you. You are responsible for the gas in their car, their grocery bill, their house payment. How they treat you doesn’t matter. How you treat them is what you should be worried about.” I have not dwelled on keeping a legacy. I think one can only emulate what they see in their parents whom they grow to respect. Because of my dad’s lessons, I have worked with people whom I appreciate deeply and whom I truly revere. For that lesson and much more, I love my parents.

M&M Industries, Inc. Glenn Morris President & CEO

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amily values have always been instrumental in establishing the identity for our business. In 1957, my grandparents led the way with their never-quit and can-do attitude when they founded Hunter Oil Company. No customer was too small, and no customer was too large. Managing their business sometimes required long hours, but they always found a way to complete the tasks for the day. They were able to adapt and transform the business as the markets changed, and when they failed, they corrected it and learned from their mistakes. They taught work ethic through example, and their sons led the growth as the second generation. As they added employees, other family values became equally important. They preached the importance of treating your coworkers with respect and helping each other accomplish difficult tasks. In a family business, you must learn how to do every task. My father always said he would never ask an employee to do anything he would not do himself. His attitude and work ethic were infectious and important to the culture we have today. We try to hire individuals with positive personalities and never-quit attitudes. We want to be known in our industry and by our customers as the company that will go the extra mile. I’ve always tried to apply those values to managing our business. My grandparents, father, and uncle didn’t always have all the solutions, but they always offered assistance. Our business has grown – we have more facilities, more customers, more trucks, more inventory, and more employees – but we have the same competitive never-quit attitude that Jim, Margaret, Mike, and Rick Hunter had years ago.

Hunter Oil Company, Inc. Charlie Hunter President

CITYSCOPEMAG.COM « 5 7

Companies

“

Doing the right thing and doing the right thing right.”

That is a statement said about P&C from a client a few years back. That saying resonates in my ears almost every day. P&C was built on this saying. Royce Cornelison and Estil (Skeeter) Pritchett started the business in October of 1993 with the plan to change the concept of just being a shady general contractor. Our core values stem from this. We also strive to be loyal and true to God, treat every individual with respect, provide honesty and integrity throughout the organization, and present ourselves as good stewards of His kingdom. What is integrity? Doing the right thing even when no one is watching. That rings so true with the statement made about P&C. Having morals and ethics will lead you to be honest and fair, even when you are being pressured to change. Royce (my father) received some advice when he started the business that he has since passed to Nic and me. “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all the things ye have need of will be added unto you.” It is important as we continue to grow the business to keep God first and our integrity and morals to the same standards set before us. My grandfather and mother always told me, “You will always get more flies with honey than with vinegar.” Be kind, be honest, have ethics and morals, and you will succeed!

P&C Construction Jordan Cornelison Vice President

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L ET’S BUILD TOGETHER At P&C, we do not believe in “one and done” relationships. With over 250 years of combined project management experience, we know what our customers hope for in a construction team and we aim to go above and beyond their expectations. We partner with our clients to develop lasting, dependable relationships they can rely on.

www.pc-const.com

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423-493-0051

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ur mission at Southern Champion Tray (SCT) is “to serve customers with great packaging and distinctive service in ways that value people and glorify God.”

Our values statement is, “We strive to follow Christian morals and Biblically based principles: Trustworthy, Servant-Hearted, Relational, and Resourceful.” SCT was started in 1927, and we are thankful to have just celebrated 95 years in business. The foundation of these statements, which we revised in 2015, goes back to my grandfather, SCT’s founder, Milt, and my dad, Chuck. Grandpa was a machinist and full of integrity; he consistently lived out trustworthiness and resourcefulness. When Dad took over the business, he worked hard to continue the legacy of his dad while being more explicit about our family’s desire to glorify God throughout every aspect of the business. When my brother John (President & CEO) and I started leading the business over 25 years ago, we sought to continue the legacy of Grandpa and Dad, while strengthening SCT’s culture and focusing on the three pillars of our mission: serve customers, value people, and glorify God. We seek to provide steady, long-term employment even through the ups and downs of the economy and business conditions, which is why we operate with minimal debt. We are thankful we have never had a lay-off in the company’s 95-year history. In valuing our team, we view each team member holistically, and we strive to invest in each person, professionally and personally. Some examples include on-site wellness centers and an exercise physiologist on staff, free confidential counseling through Shepherd’s Care and Marketplace Chaplains, marriage retreats through FamilyLife, and access to Dave Ramsey’s SmartDollar online financial program and RightNow Media. As we continue the legacies of Grandpa and Dad, our hope is that SCT becomes “a thriving culture of engaged individuals intentionally impacting their families, work, and communities.”

Southern Champion Tray Bruce Zeiser Executive Vice President

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DCF-LLC.COM

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hrough 27 years of serving the Chattanooga community,

Acropolis has continued to preserve its commitment to its founding principles and vision: using fresh, simple ingredients and old-world flavors to create dynamic dishes, to provide a familial atmosphere, and to give back to the community that embraced a Greek immigrant family over 40 years ago. Although my father passed away 10 years ago, we continue to honor him by carrying on his values at Acropolis. To understand these values, you have to know his story. Emigrating from war-ravaged Greece in 1951, founder Teddy Kyriakidis came to the United States with a head for business and a heart toward sharing his passion for food and for life. Teddy’s father always helped hungry and destitute people during the Nazi occupation. Although Teddy didn’t understand it at the time, he caught that same spirit of servant leadership, and it still shows today in how Acropolis continues to pour into its employees and its community. Another value that my father brought with him and instituted in the restaurant is a cultural one and in Greek is called ‘kefi.’ It means zest for life, and it is infectious. Food is more than a meal – it is a celebration, the breaking of bread, the time we connect. At the table we celebrate, we laugh, and we also mourn. You never enter a Greek house and are not offered food. It is an integral part of who we are. Over the years, Chattanoogans have celebrated their birthdays, weddings, and anniversaries at Acropolis, and they have mourned the loss of their loved ones over good food and with consoling hearts. Generations have come and gone through the doors of Acropolis, and we are fortunate to have had the longevity to be there for all of it. It is always nice to hear guests say how they remember my father and how long they have eaten with us. We honor these values by continuing to focus on giving back and being a gathering place where we welcome guests as friends and family.

Acropolis Mediterranean Grill Nick Kyriakidis Operations Manager 6 2 « CITYSCOPEMAG.COM

LIVABLE LUXURY

www.McCoyHomes.com 423 .668.0007 112 Jordan Drive, Chattanooga, Tennessee

The Business of Building

At McCoy Homes, we succeed because we listen to our clients. We collaborate with them and we work to meet their needs. We tailor the homebuilding experience - from design through construction - around them. We invite our clients into our collaborative, multi-media conference

center, we provide a comfortable space for their children to play while they're here, and we make sure that they have access to the industry's best and most current materials and finishes through our comprehensive resource library. The business of building a luxury, custom home really isn't all that complicated. You just have to be fully committed to a customer-first approach. Billy McCoy

President + CEO

TA X | A S S U R A N C E | PAY R O L L | B O O K K E E P I N G

HO OD, CPA & ASSO CIATES MOVES TO NEW LO CATION

Ryan J. Hood, CPA started his accounting firm in 2019 with a goal of one day owning the building where he worked. Thanks to the exponential growth of his firm over the last three years, that dream is now a reality. From their new East Brainerd headquarters, the team at Hood, CPA & Associates will continue to serve their clients with forward-thinking expertise and an unmatched work ethic.

Meet Hood, CPA & Associates With 18 years of accounting experience under his belt, Ooltewah native Ryan Hood founded Hood, CPA & Associates in order to fill a gap in the local accounting landscape. The relationship-focused firm has a simple mission: provide every client with the services available at a large accounting firm, with the personality and service of a small firm. ADVERTORIAL

Hood and his team service businesses of all sizes, from one employee to 50 employees; additionally, the firm services high-net-worth individuals and W2 employees. “Our main services consist of tax consulting, tax preparation, bookkeeping services, payroll services, financial statements, and business valuations,” says Hood. The firm’s expertise is in real estate, contractors, and manufacturing, although Hood also has experience working with doctors, dentists, and several service industries. In 2020 and 2021 – the firm’s first two years in business – Hood, CPA & Associates was named “Best of the Best” by the Chattanooga Times Free Press.

Come See Us! New Loc ation: 7110 E ast Brainerd Road Chattanooga , TN 37421

A New Location for a Burgeoning Business Since 2019, Hood, CPA & Associates’ book of business has grown from zero to more than 900 clients, and seven employees have been added to the growing staff. “The last few years have been exciting, challenging, and successful,” Hood shares. “By trying our hardest to service our beginning client base, we have had many referrals that have led to our growth. With growth comes staffing additions and process changes, and our office at Noah Reid Road could no longer accommodate the needs of our firm.” Fortunately, a perfect fit had just hit the market: the former Hullco building on East Brainerd Road. With four stories and nearly 7,500 square feet, this building offered the space Hood was looking for to expand his business further. “It has always been a goal of mine to own the building where I work, and when the opportunity came up for a landmark location in my hometown, there was no way I could let that property go to anyone else,” explains Hood. “I know the former owners hoped to sell the building to someone local, and I am grateful that was us.” Conveniently located just off I-75, the new location for Hood, CPA & Associates features three conference rooms, an outdoor patio, and a large parking lot. The inviting interior is comprised of hardwood flooring, stone accents, and a cozy fireplace – elements that are sure to make visitors feel right at home.

Looking Toward the Future Hood is proud of how far his firm has come over the last three years, but there is still much he hopes to accomplish. “My five-year goal is to employ 20 people, expand our consulting business, create a successful event space within our building, and continue to provide top-notch service to our clients,” he shares. With the opening of a new headquarters, the future for Hood, CPA & Associates looks bright. “We hope that our new location is a place that clients look forward to visiting, whether it be for consulting, IRS issues, payroll assistance, or just to come hang out with us,” Hood continues. “More than anything, we want our building to have a welcoming atmosphere. We plan to host many events for our clients, and we want them to know that they are part of the Hood, CPA & Associates family.”

OFFICE: 423.541.7800 FAX: 423.541.7801 HOODACCOUNTING.COM @HOODACCOUNTING.CPA

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Organizations & People “A company becomes the people it hires, not the plan it makes.” – Vinod Khosla, entrepreneur and founder of Khosla Ventures

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From Passion to Profit Being a craftsman is no walk in the park. From securing customers and clients to fulfilling and shipping out orders, there seems to be a never-ending list of things to do. And this doesn’t count refining the skills needed to make products. Here, seven local craftsmen talk about balancing their creative endeavors with the other requirements of entrepreneurship and how they were able to turn their passion into a profit. PHOTOGRAPHY BY SARAH UNGER

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Organizations & People

Gray Wattenbarger Gray Luxury Scents Aside from creating the product itself, what other aspects of your business do you manage? I assemble, mix, and pour all candles, I manage social media posts and responses, I track and manage inventory, and I keep the website updated. Since I don’t have the greatest graphic design skills, I do have assistance with the graphics for labels, but other than that I’m very hands-on. It has definitely tested my critical thinking when it comes to business-related decisions, and it’s really helped me learn better time management. What are the most rewarding aspects of running your business? The most rewarding aspect of running the business is the feedback I get after customers burn candles. When I see customers smell a new fragrance for the first time, I love seeing their faces light up. Do you have any form of support system in place that allows you to do what you do? The support system I have has been incredible. My friends and family are constantly helping me to promote Gray Luxury Scents by sharing or liking my posts on social media – something that’s very important since it helps grow my business through online engagement. At times, it can be challenging to innovate or grow your business, and there have been a few times I’ve wanted to give up, but with the support system I have, I’ve always been encouraged to keep moving forward. How have the operations of your business changed from when you first started to now? My operations have changed drastically in the almost two years Gray Luxury Scents has been operational. When I started, I was pouring candles in my kitchen with supplies from a beginner’s candle kit. Through trial and error, I’ve been able to change from wooden wicks and smaller jars to updated cotton wicks, natural soy wax, and clean-burning fragrance oils. I’ve added a line of smaller candles, upgraded the labels, and recently introduced a three-wick line. I’ve progressed from selling to friends and neighbors to shipping across the country.

“When I see customers smell a new fragrance for the first time, I love seeing their faces light up.” 7 0 « CITYSCOPEMAG.COM

Organizations & People

John McLeod John McLeod Art Aside from creating art, what other aspects of your business do you manage? Most of the business stuff I do myself, but I do have gallery representation, and they market and sell the work that I send to them. Having good gallery relationships is a wonderful thing, but being a visual artist still requires a whole lot of diverse skill sets in areas you wouldn’t expect. Photography, photo editing, website building and management, financial planning … There’s quite a lot to learn. What are the most rewarding aspects of running your business? The most challenging? The most rewarding aspect is connecting with people through my work. Putting something I have created out into the world and having my art resonate with people is a truly beautiful experience. The most challenging is staying on top of all the moving parts in my career that don’t have anything to do with making the work itself. What advice do you have for someone who wants to make a leap to becoming an artist full-time? A lot of artists tend to want to ‘go at it alone.’ Don’t. Lean into a creative community, and look for positive people. Ask questions, and be willing to share what you learn. Also, watch your expectations. No one is entitled to success (or failure), and being an artist is not an easy career. There have been times in which I’ve had to do a lot of side work to continue doing what I love. How have the operations of your business changed from when you first started to now? The major changes have come with the process of getting clearer and more concise in terms of running the business side of things. Other big changes have come about by exploring multiple materials and processes of making art. Sculpting with wood, stone, and metal. Painting in oil and acrylic. All of these have their own skill sets that take a good amount of time to become fluent with. They require a lot of dedication and focus, but the joy and excitement of exploration drive that.

“Putting something I have created out into the world and having my art resonate with people is a truly beautiful experience.” 7 2 « CITYSCOPEMAG.COM

Organizations & People

John-Michael Forman Forman Pottery What does your day-to-day look like? My studio is right underneath my bedroom, so after getting my children sorted for the day, I’ll walk downstairs and start prepping clay balls. I typically spend about an hour and a half throwing, and in the early afternoon, the mugs are ready to come off their bats and receive handles, thumb rests, and logos. In the spaces in between, I’ll answer emails, schedule social media posts, and pack shipments. What are the most rewarding aspects of running your business? I’ve always loved seeing people respond to the things that I’ve made for them. Pottery plays such a personal role since it finds its way into customers’ daily rituals. I get to engage with such sacred parts of people’s lives in a way that is really gratifying and even humbling. What advice do you have for someone who wants to make a leap to becoming an artist full-time? I always tell people starting out to not get too far ahead of themselves. Take each step as it comes, look for markets that are both ripe and interesting to you, pay attention to feedback from customers, and build organically. A craft business will flare out quickly if you borrow too much money to get going, rent a space that is too expensive, or overextend yourself warranting employees too early on. Start small, start part-time, and grow as each step organically presents itself. What are some common misconceptions that people have about full-time artists? I’ve heard (and felt) people’s doubts that you can support a family off of an artist’s salary. A lot of times this is true, but with careful management, creative strategy, and long-term goals, it’s absolutely possible – it might just take 10 years. I’m incredibly grateful for my wife who has supported and trusted me this whole time and is content living a life without certain kinds of extravagances. We live an incredibly rich life with our three children. How have the operations of your business changed from when you first started to now? A lot of the core functions of my business are the same now that they were at the start but done much more efficiently. I’ve had to learn to change my little micro processes as soon as I realize that there is a more efficient way.

“I get to engage with such sacred parts of people’s lives in a way that is really gratifying and even humbling.”

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Organizations & People

Conrad Tengler Black Sheep Forge Describe your artistic journey. I answered an ad in the paper that said, “Learn to weld art and get paid.” It was in a bronze foundry that was doing a run of Wyland sculptures, so that’s where my love of metal started. From there, I was building furniture and museum exhibits, repairing ski lifts, and building custom orders. I moved to Chattanooga and started Black Sheep Forge as a side project while managing someone else’s shop until I could go full-time with mine. What does your day-to-day look like? I’m always awake by 7 a.m., and I start my day by taking care of pricing, invoicing, drawings – all of the office stuff. I’ll then usually take a hike with the dog and try to have any meetings in the rest of the morning. Then I head to the shop where I can work the rest of the day. Aside from creating the art itself, what other aspects of your business do you manage? I manage a website, meet with clients, and manage my shop and the property it’s on. I have a network of builders who help each other when extra hands are needed, but mostly I work solo. What are the most rewarding aspects of running your business? The most challenging? The most rewarding aspects are clicking on the lights and the welder, firing up the forge, and making some noise. The most challenging is having to do something different every day and sometimes having no idea how I’m going to pull something off. What is the importance of having a support system in place? We rented a space downtown for 10-plus years and then all of a sudden had two months to vacate. Fortunately, we had secured a piece of land where we could move all of our equipment. Just renting space knowing we would have to leave at some point was limiting. Now we have support and solace in that we can invest in our studio.

“The most rewarding aspects are clicking on the lights and the welder, firing up the forge, and making some noise.”

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Loren Howard Loren Howard Arts Aside from creating the art itself, what other aspects of your business do you manage? I have been very grateful recently not to need to manage many of the left-brain aspects of my work like marketing or website maintenance. It has taken a long time to get to where almost all my employment comes from individuals or institutions with whom I have built longterm relationships. What advice do you have for someone who wants to make a leap to becoming an artist full-time? When I made the transition to a full-time artist, I didn’t have a long-term goal, but you should. Schedule your goals for the year along with your expectations, try to keep to your plan, reassess at the end of the year, and remove things that aren’t helping. Time management is important; don’t take that shiny and exciting new job until you are sure you can complete all your current commitments. Learn when to call something finished, and don’t sacrifice your standard of excellence but also don’t overwork a project where it never gets completed. What are some common misconceptions that people have about full-time artists? Many of my non-artist friends assume artists have all the time in the world to sit around and make their own work full-time. The reality is most artists don’t get to do their own personal work full-time, and we are making ends meet any way we can. Do you have any form of support system in place that allows you to do what you do? It takes years to build the foundations of a system that will help sustain you through rough patches. The support I have valued most has not been monetary. Time spent learning from another master, receiving honest – sometimes harsh – critiques, being mentored, or just being reassured by those who have taken stock in my life that I am not wasting my time goes a very long way. What is the importance of having a support system in place? The most important part of having a support system in place for yourself is it allows you to become part of the support systems for other people. I can only hope to pay forward the generosity of those who helped me in my formative artistic years.

“I can only hope to pay forward the generosity of those who helped me in my formative artistic years.”

East Chattanooga LumbEr & suppLy Co. WINDOWS • MOULDING • MILLWORK

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Organizations & People

Andrew Nigh Winter Sun Studio What does your day-to-day look like? My daily routine varies widely depending on my current work. Some days are spent entirely in the studio, while others may include things like materials acquisition or client meetings. Sometimes I feel like I spend more time making sawdust and vehicle exhaust than actual art, but it usually evens out. Aside from creating the art itself, what other aspects of your business do you manage? Aside from woodworking, there are a host of other things to manage such as studio upkeep and improvements, bookkeeping and billing tasks, and the overall organization of the studio to keep things flowing smoothly. Working with wood produces an incredible amount of sawdust and wood scraps, so keeping things clean and organized can feel like a full-time task itself. What are the most rewarding aspects of running your business? The most challenging? The most rewarding part of my work is probably the relationships I’ve made along the way and continue to make. It’s very gratifying to see the progression of an idea from a drawing to a stack of lumber to a finished product that hopefully not just meets but exceeds the client’s expectations. As for challenges, I think competing with a rising trend toward online sourcing of furniture and even ideas has been the most noticeable change. What advice do you have for someone who wants to make a leap to becoming an artist full-time? Having been in business for almost two decades, the best advice I have is to stay adaptable with your work. Flexibility leads to sustainability! Be open to new ideas while continuing to hone the skills you already have. Remember that working for yourself is a privilege that requires time and mental investment outside of normal business hours, but at the same time can be a very rewarding and freeing experience. Do you have any form of support system in place that allows you to do what you do? From the start, I have relied on business growth through word of mouth and building relationships rather than from a marketing or online approach. It takes more time, but generally has kept my schedule filled with the work I love to do and the people I love to work for.

“It’s very gratifying to see the progression of an idea from a drawing to a stack of lumber to a finished product ...” 8 0 « CITYSCOPEMAG.COM

Guiding You to Financial Independence

Forbes Ranked #1 Financial Security Professional in Tennessee • #25 Nationwide 605 Chestnut Street, Suite 320 | Chattanooga, TN 37450 423-385-1411 | SternerFinancialGroup.com

JohnSternerusesTheSternerFinancialGroupasamarketingnamefordoingbusinessasrepresentativesofNorthwesternMutual.TheSternerFinancialGroupisnotaregistered investment adviser, broker-dealer, insurance agency or federal savings bank. Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, Milwaukee, WI (NM)(life and disability insurance, annuities, and life insurance with long-term care benefits) and its subsidiaries. John Sterner, is an Insurance Agent of NM. Investment advisory services provided as an Advisor of Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company®, Milwaukee, WI, a subsidiary of NM and a federal savings bank.

Organizations & People

Mike Kyser Resolute Leather Co. Describe your artistic journey. After 20+ years in the military, my body was trashed. Most of my hobbies were no longer available to me, and I needed something to occupy my mind or it was going to occupy me. I realized that I still had two good hands, and adopted that as my mantra. Aside from creating the art itself, what other aspects of your business do you manage? I currently manage a website, four social media pages, a Google shop, Google Analytics, and an ads site as well. I create all the logos and digital work that goes into maintaining the brand, purchase raw materials and tools, and research the latest prices and trends. What are the most rewarding aspects of running your business? Seeing my hard work get noticed and appreciated by customers, clients, and friends. Watching people get enjoyment out of a product that came from my own two hands with all the hard work that goes into it is very humbling – especially all the behind-the-scenes work that has to be done and knowing that it all started with this purpose to create something. What advice do you have for someone who wants to make a leap to becoming an artist full-time? Start as small as you can and allow it to grow with patience. Try to embrace the journey while looking toward the destination. Write down your goals, keep them in sight, and don’t listen to the negativity. It’s okay to do something others don’t understand. Be prepared to be alone, and learn to thrive in that space. Do you have any form of support system in place that allows you to do what you do? I have been blessed with an amazing wife who has become the master of all things Resolute Leather Co. She jumps right in alongside me on some late nights, printing labels and shipping packages, and she has become an amazing photographer. She’s the business partner driving me to become better and believing in me when I didn’t. Along with that, we’ve been lucky to have friends and family buying and promoting our products who never look for a discount or friend tax.

Photo by Ryan Long Photography

“Watching people get enjoyment out of a product that came from my own two hands ... is very humbling ...”

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The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s Graduate Programs in business:

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Like business itself, current employees and job candidates must improve, upgrade their skills, and add value to get ahead. To help you meet the challenges of the ever-changing business environment, the Gary W. Rollins College of Business at UTC offers graduate programs that provide both theoretical knowledge and practical application. Our engaged faculty and career support will help you reach your goals. We offer a Master of Business Administration, a Master of Accountancy, and a Master of Science in Data Analytics (offered in partnership with the College of Engineering and Computer Science). Start building your future now.

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Choosing Purpose Over Percentage LO C A L WO M E N L E AD IN G AN D THRIVING I N M A L E- D O M IN ATE D IN D U STRIE S

By OLIVIA HALVERSON AND RACHEL COATS Photography by SARAH UNGER

Today, women comprise nearly half (47.7%) of the global workforce. Many have forged successful careers in statistically maledominated industries. Some, like the women whose stories you’re about to encounter, have paved new paths to become leaders, executives, entrepreneurs, and trailblazers in their fields. Here, we learn about the “aha moments” that set these women on their professional paths, the deeper meanings they cultivate in their roles, the legacies they strive to live up to, and the ones they are actively leaving behind for future generations of women in the workforce.

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Organizations & People

Jody Riggs, CPA, CFP®, RICP®, CLTC®, CKA®

– Private Wealth Advisor, Riggs & Associates

Jody Riggs knew from a young age that she would work with numbers. After spending a few years in the corporate finance scene, however, she realized a key workplace value was missing from her life – helping people. “I longed for a way to combine my analytical skills with my love of people,” says Riggs. Shortly after moving to Chattanooga, she answered an advertisement for a financial planner position. “Once I learned that this vocation would provide a framework to help people make wise financial decisions that had a lasting impact, I knew I wanted to build a lifelong career around it.”

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Today, Riggs is among the 27.7% of financial advisors who are women. As that percentage continues to grow, Riggs encourages women in the industry to lean into their empathetic and nurturing instincts in the name of building lasting client relationships. “Financial planners have the rare opportunity to engage with people concerning their most vulnerable information, which includes not only their finances, but often their health and family dynamics, as well,” says Riggs. “While high levels of competency and professionalism are fundamental to serving clients, effective advisors must also be able to offer empathy around client needs, goals, and fears,” she continues. “Although I do not want to overgeneralize, I do believe that women may possess a proclivity

toward relationship-building. It is perhaps our gender’s leaning toward nurturing that creates an environment conducive to building lasting working relationships.” For 30 years now, Riggs has been building just that – lasting relationships with clients and colleagues, as well as mentors and mentees. “It is a joy of mine to talk with young women about their professional futures,” she shares. “I encourage them to be lifelong learners and to seek out a mentor. I still draw from the wisdom of my own professional mentors on matters related to work-life balance, navigating change, managing people, and staying true to my faith in all I do.” At the heart of it all, Riggs believes that the most important part of her work can be summed up in three simple words: “Love people well.”

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Pointe Property Group provides full-service commercial real estate development services including acquisition, site planning, design, leasing, construction, property management, and brokerage. With strong community ties and relationships throughout the country, Pointe Property Group’s expert team can provide real estate solutions for nearly any commercial or industrial user.

A Higher Standard

Organizations & People

From an early age, Louisa “Lou” Parsons was very involved in the church.

Reverend Louisa “Lou” Parsons – Church Rector, St. Francis of Assisi Episcopal Church

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“I joined the children’s choir as soon as allowed,” she recalls. “Church camp and youth groups were an important part of my formation, and throughout my adult years, I was always involved in church and community service.” When Parsons was 16 years old, a clear and unexpected thought came to her that she was called to be a priest. “I sought advice from Chaplain Al Minor at the University of Tennessee Knoxville, and he explained that our church did not ordain women,” Parsons says. “Still, as he believed this was a genuine call, he promised to be available to talk about this and check in with me through the years.” Thirty years later, when the Episcopal Church was welcoming women into ordained ministry, Minor presented Parsons for her ordination to the priesthood. Today, Parsons is among the 12.9% of pastors who are women. Despite the shortage of women clergy, Parsons has been fortunate to grow in wisdom and faith from several female mentors, both ordained and lay ministers. “One woman who had a profound influence on me was Chaplain Aline Summerlin. Longtime head of pastoral care at Hospice of Chattanooga, Aline led by reminding others how important they were and by calling us to be our best selves.” Those lessons live on in Parsons today as she herself strives to lead from a place of love, knowing and showing others how much they are loved by God. For women who desire to follow a similar path as Parsons, she shares this note of advice: “While this is a challenging career path, it is one we do not take alone. While God’s timing is not the same as our hoped-for schedules, God is faithful. By embracing prayer and scriptures, we can make room to listen for God’s guidance and follow that lead.”

Organizations & People

Heidi Hefferlin – Architect, HK Architects

Heidi Hefferlin was drawn to architecture for two reasons. The first is simple – “I love to build things,” she says. “Bringing an idea to life in a permanent, lasting way like architecture always appealed to me.” Secondly, Hefferlin adds, “I saw the potential to change and improve people’s lives through buildings.” These realizations came to her at the age of 11 when she was visiting her uncle, an architect, in Zurich, Switzerland. “I fell in love with his house,” Hefferlin recounts. “It elegantly combined his love of architecture and animals. I got to see the drawings and models in his office. We even went to an architectural exhibit at the polytechnic university and saw what the students were doing,” she adds. It was in those formative moments that Hefferlin knew she wanted to be an architect. Today, a mere 17% of registered architects are women, but the lack of representation in the industry didn’t deter Hefferlin

from her pursuits. “My mother raised me to believe that I could do anything ... Because of this upbringing, I never saw being female as a limiting factor,” she shares. In fact, Hefferlin sees many of the more traditionally feminine qualities as being advantageous in her role. “Women are great listeners and collaborators – two of the main traits needed to be a successful architect,” she says. “Ultimately, to build the best structure for your client, you have to be able to listen and collaborate to fully understand their needs and wants.” Nowadays, with 38 years of industry knowledge and experience under her belt, Hefferlin has the privilege of being the mentor for young female architects that she never had. “I am an open book,” she shares. “Early in my career, people wouldn’t share information about budgets, contracts, or building methods,” she explains. “They kept young architects in the dark, but today I foster the careers of young architects and designers by letting them see all facets of the business.” Hefferlin is proud to say that her firm, HK Architects, is 40% female and majority female-owned.

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Organizations & People

Alexis West has always had a passion for food.

Alexis West – Executive Chef, Canyon Grill

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It was her love of cooking for others that inspired her to become a chef, a plan that was validated during her college search. “When I was researching colleges I might want to go to, I kept finding myself looking at culinary schools instead,” West explains. Taking that as a sign, West decided to move forward with the plan and pursue a future in cuisine. West is among 12.5% of executive chefs who are women. At just 25 years old, she’s also very young for her position. The average age of an executive chef is 40 years old. In spite of the bent statistics around gender and age representation in the culinary arts, West pursued her dream holding firmly to the belief that women should follow their passion no matter what it is. “My biggest struggle in this industry is being a 4’10” 25-year-old woman stepping into a chef position and having the confidence to know that I can handle it,” she shares. “Respect is earned despite your gender. And to be a respected leader, the only thing you can do is work exceedingly hard to show your peers the passion you have for food.” In addition to being her profession, cooking is a source of joy for West. She aspires to model her life after Christina Tosi, an American chef who, according to West, is a “successful, bubbly woman who bakes for the fun of baking.” West explains, “This is what I strive to do: to merely cook for the enjoyment it brings me and my guests.” For all young women looking to pursue a culinary career, West shares a bit of advice. First, she says, “Never act as though you know more than someone else, and always be prepared to learn even if it’s by making mistakes.” She continues, “There are always struggles to overcome no matter your gender, size, or age. Your passion and your support from coworkers and guests is what will help you to persevere.”

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Organizations & People

Stacie Liles – EMS Lieutenant, Hamilton County EMS

Working in Emergency Medical Service (EMS) calls for a lot of quick thinking and acting. For some, that’s what makes the job seem so challenging. For others, like Stacie Liles, it’s that exact high-energy atmosphere that draws them in. “In EMS, you never know what kind of call you will run – you can get anything medical or trauma,” Liles shares. “Most people don’t realize how much we can do during a transport to the ER,” she explains. “Paramedics are true healthcare professionals trained to provide advanced care and treatment for life-threatening injuries and illnesses.”

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Liles benefited from the life-saving care of paramedics herself at the age of 12 when she was in a serious vehicle accident with her dad and brother. “I was transported by ambulance to the hospital, then spent several weeks in ICU,” she shares. “I can remember bits and pieces of that experience, but I mostly recall being amazed at all the people around helping me. I knew then that I was going into the medical field.” It’s becoming more and more common to see women in EMS, but the field remains male-dominated as only 31.6% of paramedics are women. Liles appreciates the different dynamic women tend to bring to EMS. “Women have a different communication style, and we are especially good at multitasking,” she shares. Liles makes

it a personal priority to foster strong communication dynamics in her crews. “I think it’s important to have a good working relationship with your colleagues and develop trust,” she explains. “I make sure I lead by example so that I maintain the respect as their supervisor.” Before becoming a leader in the field herself, Liles trained under the inspiring leadership of EMT instructor Patrice Schermerhorn. “Patrice was one of the first paramedics I did a clinical with. Her knowledge of medicine and her compassion with patients set the tone for how I wanted to be successful in this role,” Liles shares. To all women who are considering a career in EMS or medicine in general, Liles says, “Don’t let fear stop you from pursuing your calling.”

Our Story

endy Shoemaker, owner of Henri’s, is an entrepreneur of many trades and a franchisee. When asked what is the story behind Henri’s, she explains, “On a beach trip, I presented an idea to my friends to bring something to Chattanooga that would require larger number of staffing, which isn’t feasible due to COVID-19 and staffing problems all industries are currently facing. Later in the week, Marisanne Shiver suggested opening a jewelry store. Shortly after the trip, she and I sat down together and dreamed.” Real estate having been her main focus prior to opening Henri’s, Shoemaker wanted to continue doing something that brings happiness to everyone. “When I sell a young couple their first home or when I sell a family their forever home, it’s full of joy and love,” she says. “On the trip, Marisanne said something that just stuck with me.” Shiver, store manager, asked Shoemaker, “Why do you give a piece of jewelry?” “The answer is to show that you value the recipient,” Shoemaker replied. “Giving a piece of jewelry isn’t just about the trinket – it’s the moment you are creating together. That’s why I fell in love with this industry!” Brought together by a common goal, Shoemaker and Shiver began their journey. Together, they created everything from the Henri’s logo to each individual piece of jewelry. “Henri’s specializes in custom designing, and we’re committed to offering high-quality, one-of-a-kind pieces, as well as providing clients options for any budget, no matter what walk of life you come from,” Shoemaker says. So, who’s Henri? Shoemaker replies: “Come to the store, and we’ll tell you!”

423.646.1773 henrischattanooga.com

Marisanne Shiver

Wendy Shoemaker

Winston Shoemaker

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Organizations & People

A passion for people and protecting the vulnerable is at the heart of Chattanooga Chief of Police Celeste Murphy’s service in law enforcement.

Celeste Murphy – Chief of Police, Chattanooga Police Department

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Police dramas and documentaries inspired Chief Murphy to pursue a career as a police officer with the Atlanta Police Department, where she rose in rank for 25 years before becoming Chief of Police for the Chattanooga Police Department in April 2022. “Becoming Chief of Police is a dream come true, as I’ve worked my entire career for this moment. I have a passion for people, and working in law enforcement allows me to touch families and change lives,” she shares. In 2020, only 13.1% of full-time law enforcement officers were female. The number of women in law enforcement leadership is even smaller – 8.3% of all Chiefs of Police are women. Chief Murphy believes the women who make up these percentages bring valuable insight to the cities they serve: “Representation matters, and women are needed in law enforcement to bring perspective.” She reflects on her growth as a woman in law enforcement, sharing, “I used to work to be better than my male counterparts. Now, I work to better myself.” Chief Murphy is encouraged and inspired by colleagues who are defying statistics and forging new paths in law enforcement leadership: “I stand on the shoulders of so many women, including my dear friend DeKalb County Sheriff Melody Maddox, Atlanta’s first female chief, Beverly Harvard, and Atlanta’s first female LGBTQ+ chief, Erika Shields, just to name a few.” As she looks forward to her first year as Chief of Police, Chief Murphy hopes to lead the Chattanooga Police Department to “be a progressive, professional, personable, and polite police department.” She wants to dispel the notion that “police are only working a job” and show the community that, including herself, “Many are here because they care about people.” Chief Murphy hopes to see more women enter the law enforcement field with this authentic care for others, offering wisdom to women who are considering a career as a police officer, or any position they are passionate about: “Work hard to better yourself and go after what you want. But make sure it’s all for the right reasons.”

Organizations & People

Jessica Sebastian Van Mason, MD – Board-Certified Allergist, Chattanooga Allergy Clinic

Growing up, Dr. Jessica Van Mason was always intrigued by her science classes. And caring for people was something Dr. Van Mason’s parents consistently modeled for her growing up. “A career in medicine felt like the natural way to blend those two things,” she shares. During her medical residency, she worked with several patients who had high-risk asthma and other allergic diseases. “I could see that these patients benefited greatly from continuity of care and individualized treatment plans and that there was such a dramatic improvement in their lives when the right plan was made,” she shares. “Helping people breathe better is such a privilege and still one of the most rewarding parts of my job.” Today, Dr. Van Mason is among the 32.6% of allergists who are women. While the number of women in medicine and immunology continues to grow, Dr. Van Mason recognizes the impact that representation can have on improving the culture of a field. “There is still a large gender gap in leadership positions as well as ongoing gender biases,” she says. “The more women practice in

the field, the more opportunities can be available for mentorship and transforming the culture.” Dr. Van Mason knows firsthand the value of having professional female mentors to look up to. “My mom became an attorney in India when female attorneys were definitely in the minority,” she shares. “She has always been my example of how to balance the many facets of life.” Now, after seven years of successfully diagnosing, treating, and caring for her patients, Dr. Van Mason serves as a role model herself for women coming up in medicine. Her advice to them? “Make sure you are choosing a field or specialty based on what is right for YOU. While the opinions of your spouse, parents, colleagues, and the weight of your student loans may try to persuade you, it’s so important to choose what brings YOU joy,” she emphasizes. “Even the most difficult days can be rewarding when you are in your actual dream job.”

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Organizations & People

With an affinity for numbers and analytical thinking, working in finance was a natural fit for SimplyBank president Cara Roberson.

Cara Roberson – President, SimplyBank

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“While I didn’t originally plan to work in banking, I was fortunate enough to work as a part-time bank teller at then-First Bank of Tennessee (now SimplyBank) and gain valuable learning experience and exposure to the industry while I studied accounting at UTC,” Roberson recounts. She spent her first two years out of college working with a public accounting firm on audit teams serving various banks in the region. This position deepened Roberson’s understanding of and interest in the financial sector and propelled her into an opportunity to join SimplyBank full-time in 2012. After working there as an internal auditor for six years, and then chief financial officer for four, Roberson was promoted to president, joining the ranks of the 32.9% of bank presidents who are women. She offers sage words of advice to women pursuing a similar career path in bank leadership: “Be intentional about staying motivated to learn as much as you can about all aspects of the industry … Never be complacent to just know how to do your particular current role or do things because ‘it’s always been done that way.’ Challenge the status quo in a traditional banking world for more efficient and innovative ways of doing business. And always operate with integrity and character.” Considering why more women should feel encouraged to pursue careers in the banking industry, Roberson articulates its benefits: “Banking is a specialized industry and affords constant opportunities for learning and growth, broadening skill sets and relationships, as well as creating connectivity to your community and surrounding areas.” Roberson is grateful for her bank’s statistic-defying team makeup and hopes to mentor future women entering the industry. “While banking leadership in general is predominantly male, SimplyBank is uniquely blessed with female owners and leaders … I’m honored to be part of a prestigious group of women in bank leadership and look forward to helping future banking leaders also find a love and career in this industry.”

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DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION IN THE WORKPLACE / DEI LEADERS SHARE THEIR INSIGHTS More and more, businesses are beginning to embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in the workplace. In order to learn more about the benefits of these initiatives, we went straight to the source: our local DEI leaders. What follows are their insights regarding their role, their responsibilities, and their vision for a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workspace.

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Organizations & People

VALORIA ARMSTRONG / CHIEF INCLUSION OFFICER & VP OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS, AMERICAN WATER

How would you explain the importance of DEI in the workplace? Valuing differences across your organization makes a great company. Companies are strong when their employees contribute different ideas, viewpoints, experiences, and backgrounds. Creating an environment where everyone can bring their whole selves to work is essential. Having a workforce that represents the communities we serve and ensuring all employees feel included are key to our success. Our world is more diverse than ever and so is the talent pool of job candidates, and research shows that companies with greater diversity outperform those without.

What has been the most rewarding aspect of this job? Being an advocate at heart, I’ve enjoyed shaping our company’s ID&E strategy and seeing its impact on so many employees and our communities. This work is hard at times. As I reflect back over the past two years – from the pandemic to the social justice issues that arose from George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and so many others – being a safe haven for employees to share how they are feeling and providing resources and comfort during such difficult times has been rewarding. Overall, knowing that the work we do today will shape the lives of so many in the future means a lot to me.

How does having a DEI officer benefit employees? To an extent, an ID&E role can serve as part of the conscience of an organization. There is a person in place who helps shape company culture by integrating themselves into key, critical business areas and asking necessary – sometimes uncomfortable – questions. For example, does a business know how it will address issues related to the emotional and mental health and safety of its employees? Are there opportunities for improving the career path of diverse employees? And how does the business help ensure an inclusive work experience?

What led you to choose this career? I chose it and I believe it chose me; it was a little of both. At my core, I enjoy being an advocate for others and addressing issues of inequity, both professionally and personally, so my professional career path was a natural fit. Over the past 11 years, I’ve been on a non-traditional career path, from HR to operations, to government and regulatory affairs, and then back to HR. It’s been quite a ride, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

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BEN STAPLES / VP OF HUMAN RESOURCES & DIVERSITY, KENCO LOGISTICS

What are the responsibilities associated with your position? In addition to providing strategic leadership for the Field HR team, I am responsible for Kenco’s diversity and inclusion initiatives, including employee resource groups, diversity outreach, education, and overall diversity recruiting strategy. How would you explain the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace? DEI in the workplace leads to better individual employee performance, since employees feel safe, respected, and trusted. It also improves collective performance. Diversity of thought across the organization leads to more successful decision-making. Are there any common misconceptions about this job that you would like to address? One of the biggest misconceptions about this job is that DEI is only an HR issue. While many DEI initiatives are led by HR departments, it is imperative that executive leaders within an organization understand the importance of DEI and help drive it to all levels. What has been the most rewarding aspect of this job for you personally? The most rewarding aspect of this job for me is seeing the changes that this journey has brought to Kenco. We started our diversity journey, in earnest, several years ago. Since that time, I have seen excitement and engagement grow throughout Kenco. Who wouldn’t want to work in a role that helps make our work environment

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the best possible place for our associates, while also positively impacting the bottom line? In what ways does having a DEI officer benefit employees? Having a culture that values DEI allows our associates to show up and be their true, authentic, and best selves. This, in turn, allows them to focus on their jobs and be the best they can possibly be in their current roles. In what ways does having a DEI officer benefit businesses as a whole? In today’s war for talent we must attract, retain, and invest in our associates. A commitment to DEI affects the bottom line in a positive manner because the best associates will want to join, stay, and perform at higher levels. What advice would you give to leaders about hiring a DEI officer for their workforce? Understand that the diversity journey is a marathon and not a sprint. It is easy to get frustrated when you don’t see the changes overnight – just know that the small, incremental steps toward diversity, equity, and inclusion will add up to big, meaningful changes for your organization.

Organizations & People

DR. MARSHA J. DRAKE / CHIEF EQUITY OFFICER, HAMILTON COUNTY SCHOOLS

What are the responsibilities associated with your position? I am responsible for ensuring that the Educational Equity Plan is carried out and followed for the district. I also oversee the district behavior, homeless students, alternative education programs, and advocacy for students and their families. How would you explain the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace? DEI is very important in education. Students need to see teachers and other school leaders who look like them. Students all come with various needs, and DEI champions look at situations through a different lens in order to focus on removing barriers to success for all students. Are there any common misconceptions about this job that you would like to address? Yes. People tend to believe that DEI officers work to make schools and workplaces better for one type of person or one group of people, but that is so far from the truth. DEI officers work for all of the people involved in the school district. We make sure that each person in the school, district, or organization is represented – meaning that they are seen, heard, valued, and given the necessary tools to be successful. In what ways does having a diversity and inclusion officer benefit employees? A DEI officer gives employees a voice at the table – someone who is always thinking of your best interest and asking

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the challenging questions. Someone who is there to make changes that provide those people who are typically marginalized with greater access and opportunities. In what ways does having a diversity and inclusion officer benefit businesses as a whole? This position provides a different way to think about situations and solve issues or problems. Research indicates that racially and ethnically diverse companies tend to perform better. DEI officers assist in recruiting, training, and retaining a diverse workforce. If you want your company to grow leaps and bounds, have a growth mindset that is inclusive for all staff, and provide a caring work community that takes in a diverse viewpoint, a DEI officer can help. What led you to choose this career? I grew up in a single parent home with limited resources, opportunities, and access. I see my adolescent self in the work that I do every day.

Organizations & People

RON HARRIS / VP, CORPORATE WORKFORCE DIVERSITY, BLUECROSS BLUESHIELD OF TENNESSEE

What are the responsibilities associated with your position? My team and I advise on how our business can be more effective by thinking about diversity and inclusion at all levels. Yes, we assist with recruitment and employee engagement efforts, but we also help build relationships with diverse suppliers and promote access to equitable care. Most importantly, through my work, I’m able to help BlueCross create a workforce that’s reflective of our members, equipping us to serve them better. How would you explain the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace? Our world is changing at a revolutionary pace, and I think it’s important to remember that as our society evolves, we need to keep our fingers on the pulse of the changing population. As I look at our company, I see diversity and inclusion at every level – you feel it in the hallways and you see it in our employees’ interactions with one another. We know from our own experience that DEI impacts recruiting, retention, and turnover.

What has been the most rewarding aspect of this job for you personally? I always say that my dream is to work myself out of a job, and I’ve seen glimpses of what that could look like one day. A few years ago, I sat down at a planning meeting for our annual Black History Month event – which typically has a lot of Black employees at the table – but this year, I was the only Black employee there. At first, I was struck by how unusual that was, but then I realized that this event had gone from being a Black employee event to a BlueCross event. It held meaning for everyone, and we all wanted to be a part of it. It doesn’t get much better than that. What advice would you give to leaders about hiring a DEI officer for their workforce? I’d encourage leaders to look for someone who is skilled at engaging in conversations and meeting with people from various cultural backgrounds or organizations that represent differing perspectives. It’s also important to seek out individuals who can serve as real agents of change within the company. In the DEI field, it’s critical to build relationships and broaden the circle of influence within the organization, and this takes a specialized skill set. These professionals need to understand both the strategic and business purposes of the work, not just the social perspective. They’re more than advocates; they must also possess business acumen.

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Organizations & People

STACY GOODWIN LIGHTFOOT / VICE CHANCELLOR FOR DIVERSITY & ENGAGEMENT, UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE AT CHATTANOOGA

How would you explain the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education? To understand DEI in higher education, one must first understand the significance of each term – diversity, equity, and inclusion. Diversity is the presence of differences: race, gender, religion, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, disability, age, diversity of thought, etc. Respecting and valuing diverse perspectives and differences allows the needs of broader groups to be addressed, thus creating an open and supportive environment for all. Equity is the process of fairness. Equity ensures that resources, access, and opportunities are provided for all to succeed, especially those who have been historically disadvantaged. For systems to become more equitable, it is critical to recognize the challenges students, faculty, and staff face and be cognizant of the root causes of those barriers. Equity is achieved when resources are shared based on what each person needs in order to adequately level the playing field. Inclusion is an outcome to ensure everyone feels welcomed, valued, respected, and capable of reaching their full potential. The goal of inclusion is to make everyone feel accepted, comfortable, and ready to contribute their opinions and thoughts without hesitation. What has been the most rewarding aspect of this job for you personally? The most rewarding part of this job is that I wake up every day dreaming of and strategizing ways to better con-

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nect students, faculty, and staff to our campus and the community. Through this role, I am operating and living in my purpose – improving the lives of others! In what ways does having a diversity and inclusion officer benefit businesses as a whole? Research shows that companies with inclusive environments set the stage for innovation and business growth. Companies are more profitable, innovation is higher when diversity is present, and employees feel safe and ready to show up to contribute their ideas. Businesses that focus on DEI have increased job satisfaction and engagement among employees and increased levels of trust. What advice would you give to leaders about hiring a DEI officer for their workforce? Businesses should articulate why they are focusing on DEI and explain the benefits they will gain from a hiring a diversity officer. Before telling people what is being done, make sure they understand why it is being done and why it is needed for the company. Additionally, DEI work should not be the sole responsibility of the diversity officer. Holding leadership accountable builds a foundation for organizational and transformational change.

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Organizations & People

TAMARA STEWARD / CHIEF EQUITY OFFICER, CITY OF CHATTANOOGA

What are the responsibilities associated with your position? As the City of Chattanooga’s first-ever chief equity officer, I serve on Mayor Tim Kelly’s senior leadership team. I oversee the Department of Equity and Community Engagement, and I consider my role to be two-fold. Firstly, I’m tasked with ensuring that the City of Chattanooga’s internal practices are equitable as an organization. Secondly, I’m responsible for making sure that all of our engagement with the community is done with a focus on equity. Any person, regardless of background or zip code, should have ample opportunity for their voice to be heard. Are there any common misconceptions about this job that you would like to address? To someone who doesn’t work in the diversity and inclusion realm, it may come as a surprise that these jobs can be incredibly emotionally taxing. A certain amount of emotional capital is spent each day when you’re fighting for the voiceless, and participating in many difficult conversations that often involve trauma and discrimination. You really have to feel a higher calling to this type of work in order to stay motivated. 1 1 0 « CITYSCOPEMAG.COM

What has been the most rewarding aspect of this job for you personally? I’ve been able to see equity incorporated into processes and initiatives from the highest level. I’ve seen my coworkers challenged, and I’ve seen them step up to the plate to do things equitably, even when it means more work. To see my colleagues earnestly using the tools I’ve been able to provide them in their everyday decisions is incredibly rewarding. In what ways has your work contributed to the evolution of the organization? In my role as chief equity officer, I have had the opportunity to facilitate conversations that steer the overall culture of our organization. I’m grateful for a team that is willing to be challenged and that is eager to try things in a way that may be different from how things have been done historically. We’re all focused on better serving our employees and residents. Is there anything you’d like to add? I understand that some folks may not see the value of this work. If someone hasn’t experienced discrimination themselves, it can be hard to imagine it happening to someone else in their company. I would challenge those individuals to step outside of their own comfort zone and their own experiences, and to have empathy for those who may not have the same institutional support.

Organizations & People

ERICKA DEBRUCE / CHIEF INCLUSION & DIVERSITY OFFICER, UNUM

How would you explain the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace? The importance of inclusion and diversity at Unum starts with our employees. Their unique perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds help us better serve our customers, communities, and each other. Our strategy revolves around harnessing diversity of thought and building an equitable culture, inclusive teams, and a representative workforce. We ask employees to bring their full selves to work. For them to feel comfortable in doing so, we work to provide a psychologically safe environment that fosters inclusion and belonging. What are the responsibilities associated with your position? As Unum’s chief inclusion and diversity officer, my primary responsibility is to implement a comprehensive, enterprise-wide strategy that addresses inclusion gaps and insights through datainformed analysis. This includes: • Working with internal stakeholders to align I&D goals with business goals. • Developing and providing educational programs and diversity initiatives to embed throughout the company. • Providing guidance and support to the I&D team as we assess business needs and collaborate with stakeholders across the company to diversify products and services.

What led you to choose this career? My dad, a Black man, did not graduate college and was a Vietnam veteran. When he started his career in corporate America, it was 1960 and equality was an aspiration. I remember how unhappy he was every time he went to work and came home at night because of the micro-aggressions, micro-inequities, harassment, and discrimination he experienced every day. I didn’t want to grow up because I thought every adult went to work and came home each night unhappy, upset, and deflated. I do this work because no employee should ever feel the way my father did during his career. In what ways does having a DEI officer benefit businesses as a whole? People want to work for a company where they belong. Customers want to do business with companies they trust and value. The community benefits because they become stronger and more equitable when businesses like Unum support local organizations working to end racism, discrimination, and bias like our Social Justice Fund does. It’s my job to educate our leaders and employees on the importance of advocating for equity so all employees can grow and thrive in their careers. It is a critical part of the leadership team. It’s then important to hold leaders accountable and encourage continued progress.

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Industries & Trends “Growth is painful. Change is painful. But, nothing is as painful as staying stuck where you do not belong.” – N.R. Narayana Murthy, businessman and co-founder of Infosys

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Whether you’re heading out to kayak through the Chickamauga Lock with Outdoor Chattanooga or learning the history of downtown’s Dome Building, the business of tours is made magical by the innovtion, business planning, management, and customer service led by local entrepreneurs and executives.

Staffing & Training

Tour Business When your business model is based on providing an experience rather than a product, success comes in the form of smiles. BY CAMILLE PLATT

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The daughter of a veteran, Briana Garza has lived in three different countries and five different U.S. states. The key to finding community when you move somewhere new, she realized, is to find where the locals eat. She founded Chatt Taste Food Tours in 2019, taking guests for tapas-sized tastings at area restaurants during non-peak hours. “Each location offers a signature dish that meets the guests’ dietary restrictions,” Garza explains. Food tours are led by Chattanooga ambassadors who own their own tour experience as an LLC, so they have autonomy to create relationships with restaurants and form their own guest experiences. The Downtown Tour stops at Hotel Indigo Bar, Paloma Bar de Tapas, Old Gilman Grill, and Alimentari Café & Market. The Southside Tour stops at Taqueria Jalisco, Main Street Meats, and Gate 11 Distillery. Training to become an ambassador is a shadowing process. A new ambassador experiences a food tour as a customer, then trains side-by-side with a senior ambassador. The final step is to work as an independent guide while the senior ambassador attends as a guest. After completing the graduated phases, ambassadors operate their tours independently. Located on the corner of Aquarium Way and Walnut Street, Chattanooga Segway Tours has been run by general manager Kevin Shurmer since 2017. Tours are offered four times a day and incorporate historical and contemporary storytelling, plus tips for places to explore and restaurants to try. The Downtown Chattanooga History Tour stops at the Tivoli Theatre, Miller Plaza, The Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel,

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the Dome Building, and the Tennessee Aquarium. The North Shore & Coolidge Park Tour crosses the Walnut Street Bridge to explore the riverfront and shops along Frazier Avenue. Shurmer leads tours with the help of a part-time guide. When he hires, he finds someone with flexibility through the summer, his busiest season. “I’ve hired teachers in the past, university students, people who are more outdoor- or adventure-minded and who have some flexibility through the summer to be able to step in almost at a moment’s notice,” he explains. Learning safety protocol is the number one priority when it comes to training. “There’s a skill set beyond telling the stories and knowing the history and knowing the places to recommend that involves situational awareness at all times.” In addition to being aware of the position of guests on Segways, a guide must be aware of potholes, pedestrians on the sidewalks, and cars on the streets. That’s a skill that takes time to develop.

Innovating Experiences Hosting millions of visitors since the first guided tour in 1930, Ruby Falls is home to the tallest and deepest underground waterfall open to the public in the United States. Guests descend 260 feet by glass-front elevator into Lookout Mountain for a cave tour that includes stories of the cave’s history and a peek at stalagmites, stalactites, drapery formations, flowstone, and the waterfall light show. While many visitors may not notice nature’s subtle changes to the cave itself, they are sure to notice the advancements in new technology. Over time, Ruby Falls has worked to upgrade its audio, lighting, and media, and in 2009, Ruby Falls began updating the 600 light bulbs in the cave from incandescent to LED, according to president and CEO Hugh Morrow. Before the transition, the bulbs near the waterfall would get so hot that they required regular maintenance because water that splashed onto the bulbs would calcify. Formerly a game warden and photographer for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, Captain Richard Simms says innovating new experiences offered by Scenic City Fishing Charters has come in the form of species expansion. When he founded the organization in January 2006, there were few fishing guides working at Chickamauga Lake and Nickajack Lake. Originally, he worked alone, offering chartered trips on weekends. Over time, Simms looked to his network of friends and acquaintances to guide more customers. The fishermen Simms knew weren’t interested in marketing or managing a website, so Simms offered to serve as a booking agent for guides working as independent contractors under the Scenic City Fishing Charters umbrella. “What we consider our bread and butter for the majority of 1 1 6 « CITYSCOPEMAG.COM

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the year is catfishing,” Simms explains, adding that he also has captains who guide exclusively for largemouth bass. In 2011, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency started stocking walleye near Watts Bar Dam. Captain Scott Lillie joined Scenic City Fishing Charters in June 2020 and specializes in trolling techniques for walleye.

Marketing Strategies Shurmer says an online presence is key for advertising Chattanooga Segway Tours, specifically banner ads within a threehour radius of Chattanooga. “We’re drawing from Birmingham, Atlanta, Nashville, and Asheville,” he explains. “We also make a concerted effort to encourage guests to post online reviews if they felt it was worthy of a good review.” Shurmer asks guests specifically to post about their experience on Facebook, TripAdvisor, and Google. When he became general manager more than five years ago, Chattanooga Segway Tours was ranked by TripAdvisor as No. 7 out of 30 different tours in the Chattanooga area. Since actively encouraging tour guests to review their experience online, Shurmer says, the tour has maintained the No. 1 position in TripAdvisor’s recommended Tours & Rentals in Chattanooga. Outdoor Chattanooga also looks to digital marketing, utilizing social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to promote tour opportunities. The company also offers 1 1 8 « CITYSCOPEMAG.COM

introductory skills classes like How to Ride a Skateboard and tours such as the Chattanooga Classic Hike Series. Additionally, Outdoor Chattanooga partners with Get Out Chattanooga magazine and VisitChattanooga.com. Outdoor Chattanooga’s biggest marketing asset, however, is its building in Coolidge Park. Customer relations specialist Erik Hancock says people walking through Coolidge Park will enter the building to ask questions about where to hike, paddle, or ride a bike. The foot traffic naturally brands Outdoor Chattanooga as the information hub for all things outdoors and the place to turn for outdoor experiences. By contrast, Chatt Taste Food Tours has no brick-and-mortar home base. Because each ambassador operates an LLC, Garza gives each Chattanooga ambassador an individual discount code to recruit guests for Chatt Taste Food Tours. As the company owner, Garza advertises primarily through co-op opportunities with the Convention and Visitors Bureau, which matches all of her out-of-town marketing dollar-for-dollar, she says, and her primary market for advertising is Atlanta. Tradition also plays a role in the business of Chattanooga tours. Morrow says Ruby Falls invests in hundreds of billboards in four states, in relationships with tour bus associations, and in print and online media, but it’s the generational aspect of a tour that can bring people back again and again. “If you’ve been here as a child, when you’re an adult, you bring your children back,” he explains. “If you bring your children back, then you’ll bring your grandchildren back.”

(Right) Photo by Rich Smith

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Navigating Challenges Ruby Falls utilizes anywhere from 85 to 100 guides in the summer months, doubling the staffing needs from the wintertime low. However, Morrow says workforce accumulation has been his biggest challenge since just before the pandemic began. “Many members of the Ruby Falls operations team are cross-trained and float between roles based on staffing needs,” says corporate communications manager Lara Caughman. “This agility helps us pivot successfully during peak tourist and high-demand seasons, shoulder seasons, and less busy periods.” Simms, on the other hand, has the guides he needs but simply cannot meet the demand placed on outdoor experiences during the last two years. Scenic City Fishing Charters guides consistently stay booked up two months in advance. “The demand was already big, but it’s grown tremendously, and sadly even booking for five or six other guides, we turn away people routinely,” Simms says. Particularly in the summer, Simms fields calls from tourists who read about Scenic City Fishing Charters on TripAdvisor and would like to fish during their time in town. If they didn’t book in advance, however, they often cannot secure a guide. Hancock says Outdoor Chattanooga’s biggest challenge when it comes to innovating tours is creating an experience that can be attended by anyone in the community. “Accessibility is a huge issue in the outdoor industry as a whole, and that’s something that we’re facing as a city entity. We want to be able to engage our entire community,” he says. “Some people do not have transportation to go to the Ocoee River or to mountain bike on Raccoon Mountain. Sometimes the outdoors almost have to be brought to them.” Crafting tours accessible to guests of all socio-economic backgrounds will remain a focus for Outdoor Chattanooga in the coming years.

Defining Success At times, success in the business of tours means creating an experience that not only provides a positive guest experience, but also allows all Chattanooga tour companies to thrive. Hancock says Outdoor Chattanooga is unique in that the organization intentionally avoids competing with other tour opportunities in town. “Our goal is to be an economic generator. We send people to take tours with other companies, and the tours we do, we try to make them different or unique from other private entities because we want to grow the outdoor industry in Chattanooga, not compete,” he explains. Simms says that in the business of tour operations, success is evident in the photos he takes of his customers. “Happy people. Smiles,” he says. “I want to be able to introduce and share with people our plentiful and bountiful natural resources and impress upon them the importance of those resources and provide opportunities for great photos.” Simms manages his own website and posts photographs of guests with their catches from every tour. Morrow agrees that the responsibility of a tour guide is ultimately to create that magical moment. “When we go down and turn on the light in front of the falls, and I see the children grab their parents’ leg with one arm and point up at the falls with the other one, I know we’ve connected and created a moment they will remember for a very long time.”

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Bridging the Generation Gap From the younger baby boomers to Gen Z, today’s workforce often spans four generations. While there’s proven value in employing multiple generations, a multigenerational workforce also presents a unique set of challenges – specifically, these generations are often looking for different things from their employers, such as retirement options and communication styles. Here, we’ve asked industry leaders how they are designing and operating a company that holds multigenerational appeal.

A multigenerational workplace is at the core of my business. Our team spans the gamut. In an environment where the workplace has shifted due to the pandemic, I recognize the importance of offering a workplace that is flexible and fits the lifestyle of each generation. The first piece I recognize of the multigenerational puzzle is flexibility of benefits and their value to employees. Although we have seen younger generations who don’t necessarily weigh the value of benefits like healthcare plans and IRA accounts as heavily as baby boomers would, it is important for me to offer options to my employees so

they can work and plan for the future. Another piece is access to technology and resources. Some agents on my team can work from smartphones and others prefer to use a desktop or laptop. It’s important that I offer resources and programs that can be adapted for both. Beyond these, there is the increasing need for flexibility with remote work. There are some positions on my team, such as inside sales, that can’t be as flexible as others without diminishing returns, but several of my employees are able to work remotely, hybrid or in-office, depending on their role and preference.

Mark Hite, Real Estate Agent, The Mark Hite Team

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To attract and retain employees across multiple generations, it is essential to provide robust benefits that meet a wide variety of needs. At TVFCU, we offer benefits that center on health and wellness (paid employee medical and dental, on-site fitness center), work-life balance (variety of work schedules, paid vacation and holidays, life assistance program, mentoring program), and financial security (401k matching contribution, student loan assistance, tuition reimbursement, flexible spending

accounts, life insurance, short-term and long-term disability benefits). Our employees are our most valuable asset, so we are committed to maintaining an enjoyable and productive work environment, offering professional development opportunities, and focusing on the overall well-being of new and seasoned team members. Recognizing, respecting, and valuing the differences of each generation provides opportunities to discover the unique skills and experiences of each individual. Fostering

this culture allows us to learn from each other, reduces any focus on generational differences, and allows us to benefit from the strengths and talents each person brings to the team. Every employee at TVFCU has the opportunity to enhance the financial life of those in our community – across all generations. For our employees, members, and the entire community, TVFCU strives to be “A Place for All of Us!”

Janet Leamon, Vice President of Human Resources, Tennessee Valley Federal Credit Union

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Industries & Trends

At Elder’s, we’ve enjoyed a multigenerational workforce throughout our history. Our company employs associates in all life stages - high school students seeking their first job, stay-at-home parents, and retirees who want to use their home repair skills or simply stay connected with people. We find the generations regularly help each other. Baby boomers tend to have had more life opportunities to learn plumbing, electrical, and painting skills, among others. Meanwhile, millennials and Gen Zers have had more access to technology. We’ve designed our training programs to include a mixture of computerbased learning and in-person or virtual seminars to appeal to all generational learning styles. In addition, Elder’s offers flexible work schedules and benefits that address generational issues such as new parents’ leave and a matching 401k with knowledgeable investment advisors to help associates plan for retirement. Employing multiple generations has led to retaining high performers. In fact, many of our senior leaders began working for Elder’s in high school. Longtenured, well-trained associates are a key factor in Elder’s mission to be our community’s most helpful and trusted retail team.

Denise Raby Director of Human Resources, Elder’s Ace Hardware

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At Roper Corporation, some members of our team are high school students and others have been here for 40 years. We know the workforce is changing, and that what people want from work is changing. While there are generational differences, there are many commonalities too. The foundation for us is building a workplace that embraces safety, respect, communication, compliance, diversity, and inclusion. Having a strong culture helps us attract and retain diverse talent, and we know that it makes us a stronger company. From there, we back up our commitments with action, from policies to the way we communicate. We’ve even embraced social media and have a TikTok account. We want to make it fun and meet people where they are. We know that flexibility and work-life balance are important to our employees, and this spans different generations. One of the biggest changes we’ve made has been around flexible scheduling. Fulltime schedules simply do not work for everyone. Employees can choose the day or days they work, the length of their shift, and even which line they work on. The only requirement is that they work one four-hour shift per month to remain active. This has been popular with people who are not ready to fully retire, students, and single parents. Time off is also important for younger generations. We’ve changed our benefits so that employees can begin earning vacation time right away and even purchase more.

Darcy DuVall Human Resources Director, Roper Corporation

At Wamack Homes, we strive to provide a remarkable experience pairing people with homes that will come to life for them. Whether you’re listing your property or looking for your dream home, you’ve come to the right place.

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Donations given locally to the American Cancer Society help fund transportation services for cancer patients, along with research needed by our doctors and hospitals to provide the most advanced treatments for all types of cancers.” - AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY CHATTANOOGA CO-CHAIRS ANDY DAILEY & JENNIFER FILLAUER

Sales & Marketing “What helps people, helps business.” – Leo Burnett, advertising executive and founder of Leo Burnett Company, Inc.

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Maintaining Client Relationships

In this chaotic day and age, maintaining relationships with clients and customers has become increasingly difficult. Local leaders have had to be nimble, adopting new strategies and finding new ways to connect and communicate with the people who matter most to their businesses. Here, several local leaders share their thoughts, experiences, and advice with us.

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When the world gets chaotic, we return to the basics to maintain clear communications with our clients. We call it our foundation because it provides certainty in turbulent times. That starts with our purpose, to be people serving people. We lead by example and serve others. Our mission is to deliver an exceptional experience to our clients, partners, and colleagues. We challenge ourselves to focus on our clients, which sets us apart in the industry. Finally, that leads to our values, an enduring set of principles or traits that define what we want EMJ to embody. We aspire to be trustworthy, selfless, and gritty. By returning to our foundation, we can assure our clients that while the construction process is not easy, we will be there with them every step of the way, working to remove pain points and delivering an exceptional experience.

Chas Torrence, Executive Vice President, EMJ Construction

Clear and concise communication is vital to running a successful business. Our employees are the voice of the restaurant, and we are transparent with them to ensure that messaging is properly conveyed to our guests. With supply chain issues it has become more difficult than ever to source a variety of products. Rather than simply letting the servers know that we are out of a certain item, we explain to them why that is so that they are able to translate that to their tables. We also utilize our social

media pages, along with our newsletter database and website to keep guests informed. With products and pricing changing so frequently, we are able to easily relay that information and manage expectations. Using a variety of channels enables us to reach a large portion of our guests and communicate new offerings, events, and other information about the restaurants.

Miguel Morales, Owner/ Operations Consultant, Morales Restaurant Group

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Sales & Marketing

Without a doubt, in the hospitality industry, the relationship between client and service provider has been tested – through pandemic shutdowns, staffing challenges, and supply chain difficulties. Now, more than ever, there has to be a level of trust between both parties that the price being charged is truly a besteffort representation of what it costs to purchase and produce the final product that is being served. For restaurants to survive in this climate, they have had to quickly adjust their prices to keep purchasing power and retain staff. Some people find the increase in restaurant prices unacceptable. Unfortunately, all we can do is accept that they will have to find other uses for their entertainment dollars in that case.

Nathan Lindley, Owner, Public House/The Social/Il Primo

Like many companies coming out of the pandemic, we found that customers want more personalized accessibility. They want simple ways to connect with our teams at almost any time and easy access to key information related to their loved ones. We know that open lines of communication are key to success, so we adapted by adding more of them. By incorporating two new communication platforms, we’ve been able to personalize our communications. The first, called Lifeloop, allows us to share all the details regarding engagement and activity for a resident. This helps us keep families informed about what their senior is participating in. SalesMail is another new tool that allows our team to record a simple video message and then personalize it for every single customer or prospect. In the changing world of senior living, we have found that these tools improved our overall communication, enabling us to better serve our customers while also empowering our associates.

Heather Tussing, COO, Morning Pointe Senior Living

Before 2020, I spent a lot of time creating and honing our processes and procedures with the help of a professional coach. We crafted a customer experience that was reliable and repeatable, focused on the one-on-one relationship between a client and salesperson. We all follow the same process when navigating the sale, which helps us guide the client through the entire process. The salesperson is responsible for the entire job, from selecting materials to installation, and the customer has a single contact with us who knows all the details. In 2020, we had to go to appointment-only showroom hours for social distancing with clients, and we discovered that we could serve our clients more fully this way. With a scheduled visit, we are able to give clients our uninterrupted attention, and they often have the whole showroom to themselves. The best benefit is that we are able to concentrate on the estimating, sourcing, and ordering in the quiet time between appointments. Our sales volumes have exceeded pre-pandemic levels, and we have happier clients and salespeople.

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Sales & Marketing

Providing customer service is key in this day and age. Everything has become so streamlined; it’s not so common anymore. I truly believe people are starved for it. Retaining and acquiring customers is about keeping them happy, so you have to go above and beyond with customer service – give them something you feel they cannot get anywhere else. It is easier to do face-to-face, but we don’t always have that luxury. We have had to incorporate more technology because people always seem to be in a time crunch. We have been utilizing direct messaging, and we even created an online store so customers can shop at their leisure. Giving customers the best product and experience is what we aim for.

Ani Yacoubian Riggs, Buyer, Yacoubian Tailors

All the challenges our communities face these days have made connecting with clients, prospective referrers, and coworkers even more daunting. But with the challenge, creative solutions unfold, sometimes leading to better and more effective ways to communicate our message. At VIC, we have had to tweak how we communicate to providers with so many offices having restricted access. This is where our print messaging, social media, and web presence allow us to be clear, concise, and to the point on the services and care we can provide. It is always important to speak, whenever possible, directly to your client. There is nothing more valuable than face-to-face contact. That personal interaction is truly the difference between temporary and long-term relationships.

Richard Ervin, Director of Finance & Business Development, Vascular Institute of Chattanooga

I once had a CEO who always stressed the importance of maintaining flexibility and a sense of humor in all situations. These two attributes have never been more essential than during recent chaotic times. We need to be nimble and flexible when meeting the needs of those we serve. In order to demonstrate flexibility, we need to be open-minded and listen to truly understand what the client really needs. Along with this comes possessing a can-do attitude, with the goal of always exceeding expectations. A sense of humor and the ability to develop personal connections is also critical. Sometimes you just need to be able to take a step back to reflect on what is truly important for all involved.

Teresa Dinger, Vice President of Patient Access & Chief Marketing Officer, Siskin Hospital for Physical Rehabilitation

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Sales & Marketing

Never let them see you sweat! It’s imperative to remain calm and confident during these unprecedented days. Our patients count on us to partner with them through these uncertain times, so we strive to anticipate their expressed and unexpressed needs. Our team operates under a “generosity of spirit” motto caring for the patients both emotionally and physically. This is demonstrated with clear communication regarding their goals, their concerns, and their futures.

Cindy Wilson, Owner/Founder, Cúrate MedAesthetics

Maintaining client relationships, communicating clearly and effectively, and navigating new challenges with our clients requires listening and understanding. It’s important to be receptive to a client’s wants, needs, and challenges. The relationship we have with our clients is a two-way street that offers mutual gain and benefit. It’s important to always offer multiple solutions to fulfill a client’s needs and give them the ability to make choices that serve themselves. In our present day and age, several forms of communication and technologies have replaced face-to-face meetings, making it more important than ever to understand how a client prefers to communicate and accommodate those preferences. It boils down to the basics no matter how chaotic times may get.

Heath Haley, CEO, Trident Transport

Every challenge presents an opportunity to learn and grow. Regardless of the exceptional times we have recently been through, if you have been in business long enough you have run across challenges. Managing expectations has to start from the very beginning of the relationship. You have to communicate what product or service your business will provide with a specific outline on achieving the agreed-upon outcome. I don’t think you can over-communicate. In this day and age, you need to text, email, and call. Our company’s timeline from initial meeting to completion is approximately 8-10 weeks. We keep the client updated over the extended timeframe so they know we are taking care of them. The follow-up after the work is completed is just as important. It all comes down to letting them know we care that they are happy.

Kim Campbell, Owner, Chattanooga Closet Company

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In the Business of Snacks BY RACHEL COATS / PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICH SMITH

Chattanooga is home to an impressive array of cuisine options for every meal, but what about the stretch between lunch and dinner when appetites act up? Next time you get a mid-afternoon craving for something salty or want to satisfy your sweet tooth, check out these local entrepreneurs who have turned their favorite snacks into successful businesses. From decadent confections to finger foods tossed in savory seasonings, there’s a locally made snack to suit any palate. Meet the innovators behind these businesses and learn how partnering with brick-and-mortar retail stores helped propel their endeavors and share delicious flavors with Chattanooga and beyond.

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Sales & Marketing

Bean Thinkin Thomas Slaugh WHILE CORN-BASED SNACKS CROWD THE SHELVES AT THE GROCERY STORES, THOMAS SLAUGH HAS DREAMED UP A DIFFERENT, HEALTHIER OPTION FROM AN UNLIKELY SOURCE – NAVY BEANS. HIS CHATTANOOGA-BASED BEAN PUFF COMPANY, BEAN THINKIN, OFFERS SNACKS PACKED WITH PROTEIN AND FLAVOR.

Slaugh spent the early years of his career in product research and development, creating a wide variety of snack foods for major brands. “I really appreciated the process and nutritional value for bean puff production, and these types of products became a passion. I decided to turn it into a business venture because of the encouragement from local new business mentors and former colleagues,” recalls Slaugh. The business attracts customers with its punny name, hot pink branding, and witty marketing, and the bean puffs, with their nutritious benefits. Each bag boasts a lower sodium count than popular chip brands and offers four grams of both protein and fiber. The bean puffs provide a blank canvas for flavors, which Bean Thinkin currently offers two of: white cheddar and chipotle. Navigating production limitations, the distribution supply chain, and a slow process to get into major retail outlets have been the business’s biggest challenges as an emerging snack product. Slaugh has persevered through these challenges with an unwavering confidence in his product, which was affirmed when Chattanooga Riverboat Co. saw a Bean Thinkin promotion and inquired about stocking the snacks. Slaugh entered his first retail partnership with the company, and soon, bags of Bean Thinkin were on the shelf. “It’s the same as when I would create other snack foods that ended up on the shelf – it’s like seeing one of your babies grow up. It’s a very long and tedious process from the benchtop to the shelf. Now that the product is from my own company, it also comes with feelings of anxiousness because seeing it on the shelf reinforces the need for it to succeed,” shares Slaugh. Gaining more retail presence is Bean Thinkin’s top priority, as Slaugh aspires to retail his products in every local grocery store outlet and then expand regionally from Chattanooga. Until then, Bean Thinkin continues to grow through direct online sales and incremental placement in local retail channels. “I think partnering locally is critical to building a loyal brand following,” observes Slaugh. “People love to support their local brands. Then you have a stronger identity to grow across a region.”

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Sales & Marketing

Belle Chocolates Brendan Patrick FOR BRENDAN PATRICK, OWNER OF BELLE CHOCOLATES, QUALITY INGREDIENTS ARE VITAL. HIS CHOCOLATE BUSINESS MARKETS ITSELF AS “BEAN TO BAR,” INTENTIONALLY PARTICIPATING IN EVERY STEP OF THE CHOCOLATEMAKING PROCESS, FROM SOURCING THE CACAO TO PREPARING THE CHOCOLATES FOR RETAIL.

After first encountering bean to bar chocolate, Patrick embraced a selftaught season of learning how to make chocolates, quickly becoming proficient in enough basics to open Belle Chocolates for full-time operations in January of 2019.

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Chocolate-making is an involved process, requiring skill and necessary equipment. “The biggest hurdle was the barrier for entry of knowledge and financial investment,” explains Patrick. “It took a lot of work to gain the skills needed to make a consistent, delicious product, and chocolate equipment is not cheap!” Belle Chocolates offers a wide variety of chocolates that can be enjoyed as an afternoon indulgence or decadent dessert. Customers will have a hard time choosing which mouth-watering chocolate to enjoy, as options range from bon bons filled with ganache, caramel, coconut, or peanut butter to single-origin dark and milk chocolate bars with different flavor notes. Patrick partnered with since-closed Plus Coffee to begin retailing these chocolates. “The owner and I were acquainted when I began and were able to work out a deal to

get my products on the shelf as well as provide production space,” he shares. At first, Patrick found the experience to be “nerve-racking,” explaining that he initially worried who would accurately market his products when he wasn’t there. “Thankfully, the group was interested in learning, and it was a great launch overall,” he adds. Now, Belle Chocolates has a brick-and-mortar location of its own while continuing to retail in about a dozen local stores. It shares the space with FarmToMed, a CBD dispensary whose focus on clean sourcing and production mirrors Patrick’s and creates a successful partnership. “FarmToMed and Belle Chocolates have a ton of synergy. Our ethics regarding processing of raw product and ingredients are the same, and our focus on quality is paramount,” says Patrick. As business continues to grow, Patrick hopes to acquire more equipment to ramp up production and expand Belle Chocolates outside of downtown Chattanooga by the end of the year. The care that Patrick puts into his chocolates is evident, his passion for the craft making them that much sweeter.

Sales & Marketing

Seahorse Snacks Stacy Martin FOR STACY MARTIN, THE SEAHORSE IS MORE THAN A QUIRKY SEA CREATURE AND THE LOGO OF HER SNACK BUSINESS. MARTIN IDENTIFIES WITH THESE SMALL AQUATIC ANIMALS; LIKE THEM, SHE DOES NOT HAVE A STOMACH. BECAUSE OF A RARE GENETIC MUTATION AND ITS CONNECTION TO GASTRIC CANCER, MARTIN HAD HER STOMACH REMOVED – A LIFESAVING PROCEDURE THAT LED TO THE CREATION OF SEAHORSE SNACKS.

No longer having a stomach drastically altered Martin’s diet, requiring her to eat at least every two hours to maintain a healthy energy level. After purchasing a bag of nuts at a local market and finishing it within three days, Martin realized that nuts are the perfect snack for her situation – they are nutritious, portable, and don’t require temperature regulation. She recognized that she could help people in similar positions in their health journey, as well as offer anyone a tasty, on-the-go snack by creating and selling packages of seasoned nuts herself. Martin began experimenting in her home kitchen, refining her roasting process and recipes. She recalls, “I started all of this out of my house – that alone was an adventure. Then, I started getting the hang of everything, making and selling at markets.” Seahorse Snacks sells almonds, cashews, pistachios, and pecans tossed in sweet or savory seasonings, like chili turmeric and maple chai. While Martin started

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out making these mixes in small batches, relocating to a commercial kitchen space increased her manufacturing capacity tenfold. “Converting my recipes and wrapping my mind around making 100 bags at a time versus twelve was another learning experience,” she shares. Increasing production allowed Martin to shift her focus to retail and enter her first partnership with Bleu Fox Cheese Shop, which began stocking Seahorse Snacks on its shelves. “It just made sense! We have similar customer profiles. They are all about small businesses, and my products complement what they do,” explains Martin. As Seahorse Snacks grows and shares both her story and products with Chattanooga, Martin is especially grateful for the people who have helped her along the way. “It’s a really great store run by great people,” Martin enthuses about her partnership with Bleu Fox Cheese Shop owners Jesse and Brittany Watlington. “I have been supporting them since they opened, and now, they are part of my success story as well.”

Sales & Marketing

The Chef and his Wife Foods Timothy and Shelley Mulderink TIMOTHY AND SHELLEY MULDERINK ARE COMMITTED TO MAKING PIMENTO CHEESE “GRATE” AGAIN. CHEESY PUNS AND SPREADS ALIKE ARE AT THE HEART OF THEIR CATERING-TURNED-CHEESE SPREAD COMPANY, THE CHEF AND HIS WIFE. AFTER THEIR PIMENTO CHEESE BECAME A SIGNATURE DISH ON THEIR CATERING MENU, THE MULDERINKS DECIDED TO TURN BIG DREAMS INTO REALITY.

“I had always dreamed of taking our Original, Smoked Gouda, and Jalapeño pimento cheese flavors to retail grocery stores,” says Timothy. He approached Food City about retailing containers of The Chef and his Wife’s pimento cheese and was met with a positive response - his first retail partnership. “We owe so much to Food City,” he shares. “We started stocking our pimento cheese in six stores; in five years, with patience and a lot of hard work, it grew to 140 Food City stores.” Timothy felt both thrilled and anxious upon achieving retail status, excited to see his product on a shelf yet aware of the next challenge – getting customers to buy it. “The challenge was and still is how to navigate the grocery industry and networking required to open doors.

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The second challenge is marketing to the public, so they are aware we exist and know to find us in the grocery stores,” he explains. “I always say, ‘It is hard getting it in the back door of the grocery stores. It is equally hard getting it out the front door.’” One of the ways the Mulderinks have worked to gain customers is by offering pimento cheese samples in grocery stores. They enjoy the opportunity to connect with shoppers, share their

product in person, and even change tasters’ opinions. Noticing a need to improve enthusiasm for pimento cheese, the Mulderinks are focused on changing people’s minds. “We are redefining a food that has a rather boring image. Many people who love cheese will say they do not like pimento cheese, until they taste it,” says Timothy, jokingly adding, “We call them converts.” Now, The Chef and his Wife pimento cheese retails in the dairy sections of multiple large grocery store chains in six states, along with local outlets. Looking ahead, the Mulderinks aim to build brand awareness and partner with more stores to achieve national status.

Sales & Marketing

LoLo Bars Lauren Mindermann WHAT BEGAN AS FUEL FOR RAFTERS BRAVING WHITEWATER RAPIDS IS NOW A THRIVING PART OF THE CBD INDUSTRY. LAUREN MINDERMANN CREATED LOLO BARS IN 2018 AS A GRANOLA BAR COMPANY CATERING TO WHITEWATER RAFTERS AND KAYAKERS ON THE OCOEE RIVER, BEING A RAFT GUIDE HERSELF. AFTER THE LEGALIZATION OF HEMP THAT SAME YEAR, LOCAL GROWERS APPROACHED MINDERMANN ABOUT INFUSING FOOD WITH CBD EXTRACT.

A University of Tennessee – Chattanooga alumna with a bachelor’s degree in nutrition and dietetics, Mindermann utilized her education to experiment with and offer CBD-infused products. These quickly gained popularity and launched LoLo Bars’ new identity as a CBD edibles company. Mindermann shares, “By combining food and medicine, I knew I was aligning my passions as a foodie and to help people naturally.” Helping people became a driving force for LoLo Bars, as its customers reported relief from insomnia, pain, and anxiety, and through products made specially for dogs, pet troubles. Mindermann wanted to spread the benefits of her products and knew retailing at nearby shops could do that, already having a first option in mind – local dispensary, the Hemp House. “I very timidly approached the Hemp House, nervous that they may say no,” she recalls. “Dwayne Madden, the owner, was thrilled to have more local products to add to his shelf.” Since its products first hit the shelves at the Hemp House, LoLo Bars has expanded to retail at over

30 locations in Tennessee, as far away as Nashville, along with an online store that ships nationwide. LoLo Bars continues to operate with an emphasis on supporting the community. Products are infused with legal, full-source CBD hemp extract from local farms, thirdparty tested at nearby lab facilities, and retailed in locations across eastern Tennessee. Mindermann has maintained her first working relationship as well, sharing, “The Hemp House is still to this day one of our biggest accounts, and we absolutely love working with them.” Mindermann tells us, “So much hard work goes into every product; seeing it on display at a store feels rewarding. Most people don’t see everything that a product is, but to me, it’s more than a simple rice crispy treat … it’s years of hard work, determination, patience, education, time, money, and the grit to do it all. I now look at products on the shelf differently.”

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Innovation & Entrepreneurship “When you find an idea that you just can’t stop thinking about, that’s probably a good one to pursue.” – Josh James, entrepreneur, founder and CEO of Domo, Inc.

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Always Greener Local Businesses Investing in a Sustainable Future for Chattanooga BY CATHERINE SMITH

A. Boyd Simpson President & CEO, The Simpson Organization

Lisa Maragnano Executive Director, CARTA

Philip Pugliese General Manager of Planning and Grants, CARTA

Adam Kennon Conservation Manager, Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute

Normand Lavoie Co-Founder & Owner, NewTerra Compost

Michael Ryan Co-Founder & Owner, NewTerra Compost

Chattanooga has been a cornerstone of Southern industry and manufacturing since the late 1800s. Industrialization breathed new life into the economy, but environmental tradeoffs like pollution soon threatened to suffocate the city. By the 1950s, our air was so polluted that it decreased visibility – our picturesque landscape hidden from view by the smog. By 1963, Chattanooga residents were dying from tuberculosis at three times the national average rate, and by 1969, the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare named our city the worst in the nation for particulate air pollution. It was clear that something needed to change in Chattanooga, and a community-wide effort to mitigate the impacts of industry on our environment began in the 1970s. Fifty years later, Chattanooga’s skies are clear, our waters are sparkling, and our innovative residents continue to further the cause. Here’s how four local companies are making an impact with sustainable initiatives.

(Left) Photo by Olivia Ross / Courtesy of NewTerra

On a Large Scale… Some companies are choosing to build their offices, storefronts, or other properties with the environment in mind. LEED-certified buildings – buildings that have been optimized to reduce their environmental impact by design and have been proven effective – are becoming more and more popular. When The Simpson Organization decided to build Market City Center – a combined residential, retail, and office space in downtown Chattanooga – they knew they wanted to design it with the health of their clients and the environment in mind. “This building enables us to reduce our energy and water consumption, improve indoor air quality, and achieve reductions in carbon emission and waste creation,” says A. Boyd Simpson, president and CEO of The Simpson Organization. “Additionally, it has reduced maintenance and operating expenditures while increasing the overall value of the property.” These environmentally-friendly buildings often feature windows that are designed to optimize lighting and avoid extra cooling costs in the summer and heating costs in the winter. Many also take water waste into consideration, with retention systems or greywater recycling systems that can be

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Innovation & Entrepreneurship

used to flush toilets. According to Simpson, achieving an LEED-certified building these days is not the daunting task it once was. “Implementing sustainable materials and procedures in the construction of a property, like we did with Market City Center, is a very straightforward process which we would highly recommend,” he shares. “Selecting materials and products to achieve LEED certification has become significantly less challenging, thanks to the large volume of materials on the market currently.” Investments like this won’t be possible for every resident in Chattanooga, but there are other large-scale efforts that make sustainable options possible at various income levels. For example, CARTA has taken an innovative approach to public transportation since the early ‘90s to provide options that grant Chattanooga residents greater access to reliable transportation. From options for renting bikes with the Bike Chattanooga bicycle transit service to publically available charging stations for electric vehicles, this variety of services offers sustainable solutions for varying socioeconomic levels, which increases the possibilities for Chattanooga residents to choose green transportation options. Perhaps not everyone will be able to invest in an electric car, but more people can afford to rent a bike, and more still can take advantage of the free electric shuttle. More options means more accessibility, which means these services will be used more often. “The freedom to move and access services is a fundamental value that affects everyone. The ability to enhance opportunities for people to meet their needs through public transportation is critical for those in need, and provides enhanced value to everyone,” says Lisa Maragnano, CARTA’s executive director. Encouraged by the positive outcomes of their existing green initiatives, CARTA plans to stay on the cutting edge of sustainable public transportation. “Following the success of the Downtown Electric Shuttle program, the desire to create a sustainable transportation ecosystem has fueled the desire to broaden CARTA’s role as a transportation solutions provider,” says Philip Pugliese, general manager of planning and grants. “The continued electrification of our fleet, combined with projects such as public bike share, electric vehicle car share and solar power generation, and ongoing research on how to optimize our system are all elements of this process.” CARTA is actively engaged with the public and stakeholders across the community. From partnerships with local, state, and federal government agencies, to strong support from our local foundation community, CARTA has developed a culture of collaboration and support to meet the needs of our city. 1 5 0 « CITYSCOPEMAG.COM

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And on an Individual Scale… Education is a key factor in any community-wide effort. In order to make a difference, people need to know what to change, why it needs to change, and how they can change it. Educational outreach serves the dual purpose of raising the public’s awareness and sparking genuine interest in sustainable initiatives. The Tennessee Aquarium, for example, is a fun attraction for tourists and locals alike, but the organization itself serves as an educational hub. Similarly, the Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute (TNACI) is a research center that focuses on our regional environment, increasing awareness about what is going on in our backyards and getting locals involved on a more personal level with conservation. TNACI has a team of biologists and biology students who conduct research and oversee conservation programs. Adam Kennon, TNACI’s conservation manager, oversees programs that help to conserve the rich aquatic diversity in our area. “One of the things that really fuels my passion is seeing people light up when they realize they live in a special place,” Kennon says. “Some of the greatest fish diversity in the world

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can be found right here in Alabama and Tennessee. Once people realize that, they start to have an appreciation for it.” “A large part of what we do is education and outreach,” adds Kennon. “Kids start to learn about ecology in sixth or seventh grade. Once they begin to understand it, we can start to have the bigger conversations about conservation – how it is linked to our habits and the things that we do. They start to ask questions and want to get involved. That’s really the driving force for conservation – just getting people interested.” Chattanooga certainly inspires an interest in the outdoors. With natural beauty and a variety of outdoor activities such as hiking, rock climbing, and fishing, it’s no surprise that so many Chattanooga residents make an effort to reduce their impact on the environment we enjoy so much. One popular way to reduce waste is composting, or the process by which organic matter is broken down into nutrient-rich soil and recycled. Unfortunately, composting is not accessible to everyone, so Normand Lavoie and Michael Ryan of NewTerra Compost found a way to help.

“After composting at our homes, we realized that this wasn’t a realistic solution for everyone. But composting needed to be available in our community, so we decided to focus on building a system that reduced the barriers of composting and could allow everyone to participate,” Lavoie explains. NewTerra offers professional composting services for individual households as well as restaurants. “Composting really opens your eyes to the amount of organic material you are throwing in the garbage on a daily basis,” says Ryan. “People also don’t understand the impact of food in a landfill. Food waste is the largest component of landfill waste, and it’s the third largest contributor to human-related methane in America.”

Chattanoogans are Dedicated to Improving Sustainability Sustainable initiatives began in Chattanooga over 50 years ago and have spanned several generations. The need to adapt and innovate will continue for many more generations to come, which is why educational outreach is critical. The children who develop an interest in conservation today might grow up to be the scientist who finds a better solution tomorrow. Today, remnants of our early industrial era harken back to the spirit of ingenuity that Chattanooga was built upon, from repurposed factory buildings to historic industrial sites. But the ways that our city continues to advance are proof that this ingenuity lives on, along with our dedication to preserving the environment.

Photo by Olivia Ross / Courtesy of NewTerra

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Innovators of the Scenic City 5 Local Companies Paving the Way for the Future It’s no secret that innovation is vital in the workplace. In fact, embracing innovation is often what separates the most successful companies from the pack. A groundbreaking idea, if executed well, has the potential to improve the way people live and drive business forward – paving the way for the future. The following five companies have taken groundbreaking ideas of their own and transformed them into first-of-their-kind programs and services. Read about them here.

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M O B I L E LU N G C T C O A C H CHI MEMORIAL When CHI Memorial’s Breathe. Easy. mobile lung CT coach was introduced in early 2018, it was the first of its kind in the Chattanooga region and the only fully independent unit in the nation. The mobile coach takes this important screening into communities, which increases access to healthcare and helps reduce common barriers such as travel and time. “Lung cancer is curable when caught early, but it’s often not discovered until the advanced stages when symptoms appear. We saw an opportunity to develop a mobile coach that would take lung CT imaging into communities, especially rural counties, making it easier and more convenient for people to access this important screening tool.

Low-dose lung screening is much more than just finding lung cancer early. It allows doctors to see inside the entire chest, similar to looking under the hood of a car. In addition to the lungs, the image also shows the heart and coronary arteries, allowing doctors to assess the risk of cardiovascular disease. Our goal is to continue growing the lung screening program so that we can find potential health risks in the earliest stages when they are more treatable, thereby improving the health of our community.”

Rob Headrick, MD, MBA Thoracic Surgeon, CHI Memorial Chest and Lung Cancer Center

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Innovation & Entrepreneurship

A D VA N C E D MOLECULAR DIAGNOSTICS ATHENA ESOTERIX

Dr. Elizabeth Forrester and Dr. Dawn Richards established the Baylor Esoteric and Molecular Lab (BEML) during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in order to address urgent regional laboratory needs. Restructured as Athena Esoterix in 2021, the lab specializes in advanced molecular detection of infectious diseases and is the first of its kind in the area. “The pandemic highlighted our region’s lack of access to advanced molecular diagnostics. Barriers to laboratory services limit patients’ ability to receive the care they need in a timely manner. We work closely with local hospitals and clinicians to remove these barriers and expand access to state-of-the-art precision medicine, preventive, and diagnostic test services. We’re committed to providing local clinicians with the most advanced molecular diagnostics available in the world. Our licensure and accreditation allow us to perform tests on the cutting-edge of science. Today, this includes next-generation sequencing and bioinformatic analysis of data. This technology allows us to analyze a single respiratory sample for over 280 pathogens or take a solid tumor of any origin and detect somatic mutations in over 500 genes. There are new discoveries every day in science, so to stay on the cutting edge, we’re always moving forward.”

Drs. Elizabeth Forrester & Dawn Richards Founders, Athena Esoterix

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Katie Espeseth Vice President of New Products, EPB

ACCESSIBLE GIG-SPEED INTERNET EPB

While EPB has been in operation for over 80 years, the company is perhaps best known for bringing the world’s fastest internet to Chattanooga. In 2010, EPB began offering every home and business in its service area access to gigabit-speed internet (1,000 Mbps), and five years later, the company launched the world’s first community-wide 10 gigabit internet service. “It all started with a plan to establish America’s most advanced and highly automated smart grid electric system, which utilizes thousands of smart switches and other devices installed across the service area to automatically re-route power around damaged power lines. In order for Chattanooga’s Smart Grid to have lightning-fast response times, we needed a way for these devices to communicate at nearly the speed of light – that was the starting point for Chattanooga’s community-wide fiber optic network, but then we ‘thought bigger.’ As a result, Chattanooga became the first city in America to make Gig-speed internet accessible to everyone. Five years later, we followed up by becoming the first to make 10 Gig internet speeds accessible to all. Today, EPB is working on a multi-year process to upgrade Chattanooga’s fiber optic network to the latest technology, so we can keep our community on the leading edge. In support of our mission to enhance quality of life for our community, our goal is to future-proof our customers and ensure that they always have world-class energy and connectivity services both at home and work and to keep our local economy growing.”

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Innovation & Entrepreneurship

3D PRINTING B R A N C H T E C H N O LO GY

Denise Rice President & CEO, Peak Performance Inc.

T H E S M A R T FA C TO R Y I N S T I T U T E PEAK PERFORMANCE INC.

The Smart Factory Institute, operated by Peak Performance Inc., helps area manufacturers adopt the newest Industry 4.0 technologies to improve productivity and upskill their workforce to remain competitive. The institute is the nation’s first Deutsche Messe Technology Academy, a joint venture between Deutsche Messe and the Volkswagen Group Academy. “As a former plant manager in the manufacturing industry, I knew that the current technological revolution was rapidly changing the way America manufactured products. At the core of any technical change is people, and how people adapt is crucial. We already have a strained workforce, and the adoption of technology is adding the need for employees to have more skills and a greater span of responsibility. We are passionate about helping manufacturers through this process. As a company, we innovate every day by keeping up with the changing needs of the industry. We have recently implemented an online training portal that has a mobile app so that employers can easily provide training to their employees without disrupting shift schedules or requiring employees to attend large in-person instructor-led training sessions. Employees can complete their required training on an iPad or a mobile phone. This gives employers and employees ultimate flexibility.”

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Branch Technology utilizes 3D printing on a large scale to create commercial building cladding where each panel is bespoke. This innovative approach to manufacturing allows for mass customization, providing architects, designers, and developers unrivaled design freedom within normal construction budgets. “After 15 years as an architect, I was frustrated with normal methods of construction that are prohibitive to true creative freedom. 3D printing offers incredible design freedom as a technology, but it wasn’t available at construction scale. Our innovative approach was to bring 3D printing capabilities to the commercial facade market. By doing so, Branch is able to bridge the chasm between digital design capability and the physical built environment, offering unparalleled design freedom. Of Branch’s six core values, four of them are centered around innovation. In bringing a completely new product to the construction marketplace, innovation is a part of everything we do and almost every conversation we have with clients. Our products serve as the technological platform that allows architects, contractors, and developers to produce truly innovative designs for the built environment.”

R. Platt Boyd CEO & Founder, Branch Technology

Strategy & Leadership “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.” – John Quincy Adams, sixth U.S. president CITYSCOPEMAG.COM « 1 5 9

Words From the

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Wise

So you want to open your own business? From developing your concept to securing customers, the road to entrepreneurship can be laden with stress and uncertainty. Here to help are several area business owners. Read on for their top three business tips that continue to serve them well today. PHOTOGRAPHY BY VITYL MEDIA

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Strategy & Leadership

Travis Truett CEO, AMBITION

Don’t underestimate the importance of clear direction. While this seems (and is) obvious, starting a company is chaotic, and it’s quite easy to get “lost in the business” fighting fires and chasing opportunity. Create a one-page “Company Charter” that explicitly defines your mission, vision, values, annual initiatives (launch X product, sign up Y customers), and one-, three-, and five-year revenue goals. Ensure everybody is constantly referencing this when building roadmaps and making decisions.

Resist the urge to dictate “how” everything should get done. It’s far more effective and scalable to spend your energy ensuring that everybody understands the “why” behind a decision with a clear expectation of the “what” and “when.” Talk about this during the interview process because it’s also how you attract and keep the best talent.

Get out of your comfort zone as early as possible by investing in a business coach and a couple of veteran leaders. Surrounding yourself with the right people once your product or service is starting to resonate with users is easily one of the highest-leverage things you can do. But … be extremely wary … this is not the time to be a naive optimist. The key to getting this right is clarity and transparency. Talk through everything that’s keeping you up at night and how they’re going to help you solve it, then go deep on expectations. Map out and agree upon key activities, responsibilities, and how you’ll measure success. The right leader should be a wealth of knowledge during this process; ideally, they’re two or three years ahead of where you’re at and will be excited to “run it back” with a hard-earned playbook. Be careful not to over-hire, however. It’s important they can still relate to your stage and circumstance, which is rarely the case for candidates coming from much larger companies.

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Strategy & Leadership

Daisy Maurya-Ballard CO-OWNER & REAL ESTATE INVESTOR, WILLOWSTREET PROPERTIES LLC

Learn to move on. Each and every person has a unique perspective and insight that they bring to a project or venture. If, after several attempts, you feel that your input is not being valued or appreciated, you have to find a way to move on. Understand and be confident with the fact that what you bring to the table is valuable. The world needs creative, innovative, and growth-oriented minds.

Remain curious. Learn to ask questions … constantly. Utilize your resources, and experiment with your ideas. Also, don’t be afraid to introduce yourself to someone who is doing what you think you might want to do and pick their brain. Regardless of age or industry, it can be eye-opening to learn how other people achieved their success. And I can’t emphasize this enough – READ, READ, READ.

Strive for innovation. Every time you hear the proverbial “we’ve never done it that way,” ask yourself why? When you hear “we’ve tried that before,” challenge that notion. If things didn’t work out in the past, try to understand why they failed. What did the organization or individual learn through that process? Sometimes all it takes for success is a different person at the helm, and occasionally you can receive resistance because others don’t want anyone to succeed where they have failed. Without taking risks, there is no innovation. Strive to be the first or do it better, regardless of what it is.

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Strategy & Leadership

Tiffanie Robinson CEO/PRESIDENT, SVN | SECOND STORY REAL ESTATE MANAGEMENT AND CO-OWNER, ASLAN HOLDINGS, LLC.

Challenge your fear of failure. As entrepreneurs, our day-to-day successes will come when we can challenge the voice that plants doubt in our minds. We are privileged with creativity and vision. If we choose to give in to the human nature of fearing failure, then we will never experience the benefits of our successes. Being willing to fail is actually what will push you further than your dreams could ever take you. Do not be afraid to challenge the fear of failure.

Surround yourself with people wiser than you. I believe that there is a certain kind of strength that comes with being open to learn and grow and having the willingness to absorb new information. However, what I have learned over time is that there is a difference between knowledge and wisdom. Becoming wise takes experience, and it takes time. By surrounding yourself with people wiser than you, real knowledge can be gained, and you will open doors for yourself to grow past what you could do on your own. Be open to new ideas, constructive feedback, and looking at things through a new pair of lenses.

Set healthy boundaries for yourself. Make it a priority to set healthy boundaries for yourself. As entrepreneurs, we are go-getters with big dreams. Without boundaries and overcoming the fear of saying “no,” we risk experiencing burnout and loss of creativity. Learn to embrace the “yes, but…” mindset and make your work-life balance a priority.

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Strategy & Leadership

Jason Bowers OWNER, THE BITTER ALIBI, THE DAILY RATION, AND CLEVER ALEHOUSE

The great thing about advice is it changes with each new lesson you learn in business, but one thing that always remains the same is to start

small. Too many people see their favorite restaurateurs and business moguls and want to reach their position immediately! Most of those people have spent their lives working to get there. Unless you get lucky, shooting too high can leave you stressed out about juggling a project that’s too large for your expertise.

The second piece of advice that I always give is, “Don’t be afraid to trust people.” While it’s possible for people to drop the ball on something, in my experience, if you train people well and they believe in your vision, they will want things to go well. Plus, it allows you to step away and be able to live a somewhat normal life too!

The final piece of advice I have for any business owner is, “Be a good neighbor!” We can sometimes get caught up in the “dogeat-dog” mindset that we always have to be cut-throat with each other. My team works closely with dozens of other businesses and has had multiple entrepreneurs leave our businesses and start their own. It’s more rewarding to grow your family than to live on an island.

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Strategy & Leadership

Brandon Ellis OWNER, CHATTER BOX CAFE

Set realistic goals. When planning to start a business, we must factor in reality. Know how much time, money, and energy you really have to put into turning this dream into a reality. We all have obligations outside of working and running a business. In order for the venture to work, it must still allow for you to handle current and future responsibilities outside the business. When setting goals, always factor in room for the unknown! Very rarely does everything go perfectly. Planning with that understanding helps provide a cushion, and for the times when everything goes smoothly, enjoy it.

Be consistent. When starting a business, entrepreneurs always hit the ground running. We’re full of excitement, full of energy, and full of hope! After getting into the business, you learn that things may not come together as quickly as you had planned. Even if you become doubtful, keep pushing. Consistency will pay off in the long run. When you don’t hear your fans cheering, just know people are still watching. Learn to be motivated by the hustle and hard work it takes to be great.

Focus on your strengths. Understandably, you may have to start off a business by handling multiple tasks. Very rarely are we as entrepreneurs strong in all aspects of our businesses. I’m good at sales and marketing and cooking, but my wife Natia is the lifeline of the business. She oversees bookkeeping, accounts payable, accounts receivable, contracts, etc. Prior to her coming on board, these were weak points for me. Find out what your strong points are and focus on those, but make sure you have the right people in place to handle the other aspects of the business.

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Strategy & Leadership

Kim Shumpert CEO, CHATTANOOGA WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE

When you’re not sure what to say, ask a question. Questions spark imagination. They slow the pace of conversation. They give us permission to be curious – curious about big issues. They open the door for vulnerability and level the playing field between two people. They minimize the need for competition. A well-placed question opens the door for innovation.

Plan your brain breaks. There are day-to-day pauses that give your brain necessary rest, and then there are brain breaks. These are the times where you unplug entirely and the times that you look forward to. Every January, I reset my desk and purge information I no longer need. But most importantly, I go ahead and place as many brain breaks on my calendar as possible. I schedule my vacation, hair appointments, and dates with my family. I look ahead and “schedule” the fun and spontaneity. If I don’t do this, I will fail to plan time for my mind to heal and restore itself. Scheduling time to pause

Understand preparation is not the same as prevention. I’m

with those who support you is the

a great planner, but I’ve been doing this long enough to understand that all of the preparation in the world does not equate prevention. When unforeseen circumstances arise, you have to summon the confidence to pause and reset and call upon your allies to strengthen the vision. If you spend copious amounts of time preparing because you are trying to prevent something you’re afraid might happen, take it from me that your energy is better spent cultivating relationships with people you can share the load with when what you are attempting to prevent happens anyway.

best kind of medicine. This was good

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advice from a wise mentor, and it has served me well for several years.

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Strategy & Leadership

Wendy Buckner OWNER, THE HOT CHOCOLATIER

Never stop learning. One of the best pieces of advice I can give someone is to do your research and never stop. I feel like I’m always putting myself through my own school. It’s so important to be aware of the current trends, and things are always evolving. That first business plan that you write is going to continue to grow, and when you open your business, it likely won’t look anything like that. Learning to become a lifetime student is so important. Even when I travel, I’m looking at how other shops run things. It could be the smallest little thing that they do differently that could mean the world to me.

Be honest with yourself. Goal setting is really important, but you have to set realistic goals for them to work. Learn to be nice to yourself. You have to think about what you can handle professionally, but also what your limits are personally. Set reasonable business goals, but also set some personal ones too; it could be as simple as taking a vacation. As long as I have a feasible goal and something to work toward, I’m able to stay motivated.

Surround yourself with inspiring people. Being a business owner can be extremely difficult, so you have to surround yourself with positive people. If there are people who are keeping you from looking up, you’ve got to move on. This could be partners, coworkers, employees, you name it. I would be nowhere without the support of my family, and my husband is the reason I’m where I am today. Just having someone you can work through problems with without getting caught up in the challenges at hand is pretty special.

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By the Book Inspiration undoubtedly comes in many forms, and for business leaders, it is quite often literature. But the best books aren’t simply read and set aside; they are referenced time and time again and provide their readers with valuable insight that can be applied to a range of situations. Here are a few favorite reads from area executives that have had a lasting impact on their careers and how they approach not just business, but the world.

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The Go-Giver By Bob Burg and John David Mann I have enjoyed numerous influential reads over my 43-year banking career, which makes choosing one a bit difficult. One of my recent favorites is The Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann. It is a business parable that packs a big idea with its message that shifting our focus from getting to giving is not only a fulfilling way to live life and conduct business, but the most profitable way as well. The Go-Giver shares five simple principles that are the secret to achieving realistic success in life, while also becoming a better person. I have found the book and its laws to be extremely useful in every facet of life. By putting others first, you will not only enjoy business success but also personal gratification. If you enjoy business parables, you will enjoy this uplifting, quick read with a timeless message of generosity.

The New Localism By Bruce J. Katz and Jeremy Nowak

CRAIG HOLLEY Chattanooga Chairman, Pinnacle Financial Partners

TIM KELLY Mayor of Chattanooga

This book really describes a complete paradigm shift in how we think about political and economic power in the world, suggesting that we are far too focused on national politics when the real opportunity to improve people’s lives is at the local level. Cities are where the vast majority of innovation and tax revenue is generated, and thanks to revolutions in technology and finance, cities have more potential now than they’ve ever had to make positive change in the world. Additionally, a local focus is the key to defeating the toxic populism that has plagued our country in recent years. The New Localism was a huge source of inspiration to me in my decision to run for mayor, and it continues to inform the work I do daily in City Hall.

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Strategy & Leadership

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

RANDAL HARRELL Market Executive, Synovus Bank

By Stephen Covey Other than the Bible, I have found myself consistently revisiting Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People over the years, and I almost always find new takeaways that positively impact my personal and professional life. Despite being written 30+ years ago, the principles contained are still very much applicable today. The seven habits laid out in the book are great ways to build character and cultivate resilience. One of my favorite quotes from the book is, “Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny.”

How to Stop Worrying and Start Living By Dale Carnegie

KEN DEFOOR Co-Owner, DeFoor Brothers Development, LLC

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This amazing book is a compilation of stories about people who have suffered tremendous setbacks or tragedies. Their stories tell of how they overcame their setbacks, fears, issues, depression, etc. and how they were able to put themselves on a road to peace of mind and happiness. Not only has it helped me in my life, but through the years, my brother and I have given out hundreds of these books to people who were suffering from serious problems, and in most cases, it was a great comfort to them. One of my favorite parts of the book aims to identify a solution for worry in a four-step process: 1) Write down what your problem really is. 2) Write down the cause of the problem. 3) Write down all the possible solutions. 4) Choose the best solutions and act on them.

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Strategy & Leadership

Big Potential: How Transforming the Pursuit of Success Raises Our Achievement, Happiness, and Well-Being By Shawn Achor I got an opportunity to hear Shawn Achor speak, and I read the book afterward. When the four of us who make up RockPoint Bank’s executive management team were exploring whether to resign from our jobs and start a local bank, several messages from the book helped me frame and get comfortable with the opportunity. I encourage anyone interested to listen to his TED Talks. One of my favorite messages is, “Your potential is way bigger than you. Your success, your well-being, and your performance are all connected to that of the people around you.”

HAMP JOHNSTON President & CEO, RockPoint Bank

Women’s Devotional Bible (New International Version) By Zondervan Publisher The Bible has been a part of my life and upbringing since the age of four, and it’s actually how I learned to read. I was the youngest kid at my church for a while, so I was placed in a Sunday school class with much older kids. My Sunday school teacher, Ms. Carolyn Walker, demonstrated so much patience and created an environment of support week after week. Now, some 30 years later, those vivid stories and teachings taught in Sunday school would be the values that I continue to live by. Every day, I lead my team with respect, trust, and compassion because those were the stories I read about and actually saw within my church, neighborhood, and schools. As each day, week, month, and year pass by, I’m reminded of the challenges faced and lessons learned by reading the Bible! Some of my favorite scriptures are Philippians 4:13, Jeremiah 29:11, Psalms 46:10, and Matthew 6:9-13.

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TOCCORA JOHNSONPETERSEN CEO, Girls Inc. of Chattanooga

Strength

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Strategy & Leadership

The Five Temptations of a CEO By Patrick Lencioni

HIREN DESAI CEO, 3H Group

One of the most influential books I have read might come as a surprise, as it wasn’t written by any of the more well-known CEOs of the world, nor is it found on current best seller lists. However, The Five Temptations of a CEO by Patrick Lencioni is a book that I read very early on in my career and continue to reference to this day. It is a short leadership story that could relate to any supervisor, leader, student, or individual learning about decision-making and the core values of leadership, and it is presented in a very simple, concise way. There are many quotes that I use as guidance, but my favorite is, “Choose results over status.”

Today Matters and Failing Forward: Turning Mistakes into Stepping Stones for Success By John C. Maxwell My goal each year is to read at least two career-oriented books, and I’ve found that I always enjoy reading anything by John C. Maxwell. Two of my favorite books by Maxwell are Failing Forward: Turning Mistakes into Stepping Stones for Success and Today Matters. During my 40 years in real estate, I have returned to them several times or referenced the many dog-eared pages. As humans, many of the things that can paralyze us from taking action in our careers are the same. Maxwell’s books are full of common sense advice about tackling fear, self-doubt, and many other common obstacles, and I’ve found his advice helpful. I regularly share the same advice with the people around me. Some of my favorite quotes include, “Successful people have learned to do what does not come naturally,” “Nothing worth achieving comes easily,” and, “The only way to fail forward and achieve your dreams is to cultivate tenacity and persistence.”

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DARLENE BROWN President & Downtown Managing Broker, Real Estate Partners Chattanooga LLC

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Strategy & Leadership

Boundless Beginnings

A person’s very first job is more than a taste of financial freedom; it’s an arena where lessons are learned, professionalism is developed, and values emerge. Here, area executives talk about their very first jobs and how those early employment opportunities continue to shape their careers today.

Pedro Cherry President & CEO, Chattanooga Gas

At the age of 13, I picked tobacco, which was the cash crop in North Carolina. It was a difficult and manual job performed in sweltering heat. Picking tobacco was a primary source of income for many families in my hometown. I took away several key learnings, one being discipline. Being up early and working late helped me realize that hard work is what it takes to get the job done. I had a newfound appreciation and respect for how hard others worked. In addition, I learned about prioritization and values – my needs versus my wants and that education would provide value for my future. After my first job, I learned to be resourceful and agile by finding other ways to earn money such as mowing lawns and washing cars.

Harshad Shah CEO, Hamilton Plastics Inc.

I came to the United States from India when I was 20 years old. My first job was in a petroleum lab where I worked from 12-8 a.m. During the daytime, I would go to school – which took an hour on public transportation – to get my second degree. My boss was pleased with my hard work and wanted me to succeed. He would let me study at work, he helped me get my green card, and when my dad passed away suddenly, he let me take all the time I needed and sent me advance pay. To have success, you need to help well-deserved people and treat them fairly. I treat my employees the same way my boss treated me, and I’m happy to say that our most senior employee has been with us for 35 years.

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Ron Jones City President, SouthEast Bank

In my sophomore year of high school, a close friend and I obtained jobs working for a gentleman who owned a heavy equipment dealership in Birmingham. He asked us to landscape the entire five acres surrounding his recently completed residence, and he gave us two pieces of heavy equipment to help. We had no idea what we were doing, but after 10 weeks of work, we walked away with a valuable lesson: When faced with a challenge, a teachable spirit and an open mind are two of the most important things you can possess.

Rebecca Ashford President, Chattanooga State Community College

My first job in higher education was as a peer advisor in the College of Education at the University of Central Florida. Even though this job was a student worker position, I learned many things that have informed my career over the years. My biggest lesson was to treat every job as if it is your dream job. I never imagined that a part-time student worker position would lead me to be a college president, and I might not have discovered my passion had I not treated that job seriously.

Ken Shaw, EdD President, Southern Adventist University

All during high school, I worked on a farm. From milking cows to planting and harvesting corn, this practical work taught me a lot about responsibility – after all, you can’t skip a day of milking! I also learned important concepts such as teamwork, taking my work seriously, and looking ahead. The focus I needed in order to plant straight rows of corn with a tractor is demonstrated now in my strategic planning process. When you look ahead and plan for the future, you can more easily measure your successes, better apply resources to what matters, and improve unity among your employees.

Jimmy Patton President & CEO, Patton Albertson Miller Group, LLC

My first job was working in a plastics manufacturing plant during the summer of my junior year of high school. I was given the job of “cooking” powder in a metal mold to produce replacement filters for faucets. Another employee was on a production line next to me. Each time we cooked a batch of filters, we made a tick mark to keep up with our production. I thought it was incredibly boring work, and to make a game of it, I kept trying to beat my record. The employee next to me didn’t want to be shown up, so the faster I went, the faster she went. After several weeks, the plant manager paid us a visit and congratulated us on the highest production ever for that department. That summer I learned the benefits of competition and goal setting. And, more importantly, I learned I didn’t want to work in a hot Georgia manufacturing plant in the summer.

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Strategy & Leadership

Jim McKenzie Market President, FirstBank

My first job was during the summer after I graduated from Baylor School. I was a 17-year-old paid intern working for the largest group of cardiovascular and lung surgeons in Chattanooga. My aspiration at that point was to be a doctor. I scrubbed in and assisted nurses during surgery by holding retractors and helping out with other duties. I did this for three months and witnessed many things that most 17-year-olds don’t get to see … or want to see. In addition to spending time in the operating room, I also went on post-surgery visits with the doctors. I developed a great amount of respect for the group of people for whom I worked – both for their skills and their compassion. I later decided medicine was not the career path for me, but I will always value my time spent with this fine group.

Marc Cromie, MD

Amna Shah

Tom Ozburn

Medical Doctor, Chattanooga Allergy Clinic

Founder & Owner, i-Card & AHS Consulting Inc.

President & CEO, Parkridge Health System

My first job in high school was as a waiter for Po Folk's Country Restaurant. My opening line was, “Welcome to Po folks, We Po but Proud! Can I get you a belly washer (i.e. drink)?” The most important thing I learned from this job was customer service – how to take care of customers, how to make them happy, and how to serve the public. I believe this job taught me a great work ethic and that the customer is always right. This has shaped my belief at Chattanooga Allergy Clinic in that the patient is always right and customer service comes first.

My very first job was at the age of 16. I worked at a silk flower warehouse in Chicago. I was attending college full-time for my associate degree in international business while learning the ropes of managing a warehouse. Even though it was unreal for a 16-year-old to run such an operation, I was confident in my abilities, and it shaped who I am today. The job entailed taking orders, lifting boxes, and managing inventory. I was also to make sure all customers paid their dues. I quickly learned the ropes of the global supply chain world while becoming a good judge of the characters of whoever walked in the door with an order.

My first job was as a teenager working summers as a laborer for T.S. Raulston Mechanical Contractors in Chattanooga. I learned things that have carried me through my professional career like the expectation to arrive and be ready to work each day. I also learned to respect and listen to those who invested in teaching me. I still use the phrase “measure twice, cut once” to this day as CEO of Parkridge Health. Thank you, Jim and Johnny Raulston, for teaching me how to do a job right and with pride.

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Strategy & Leadership

Jay Dale Market President, First Horizon Bank

As a young teen, my dad announced to me one day, “Son, you start tomorrow as a bag boy at Pruett’s.” Like any teen giving up their summer freedom, I thought I’d dread it, but it was just the opposite. I learned the value of hard work, teamwork, and all the different jobs necessary to work in a grocery store. After a few smushed bread loaves and broken eggs, I quickly mastered the art of bagging. I learned that the friendlier you are to the customer in taking groceries to their car, the bigger the tip. I didn’t know at the time, but all those small lessons helped prepare me for a life of customer service and management.

Todd Fortner President & CEO, Tennessee Valley Federal Credit Union

In high school, I started my very first job selling shoes at Cain-Sloan, a department store chain that later merged with Dillard’s. We worked on commission, and I quickly noticed the difference between successful employees and those who had trouble making sales. The best employees would learn everything they could about the products they were selling, and they would intentionally engage with customers to give them a pleasant, convenient experience. Through this job, I learned the importance of proactively looking for ways to make yourself valuable to the people you work with and the people you serve.

Betsy Brown CEO, Pendleton Square Trust Company

My first job was working at my mother’s gift store on Signal Mountain. From the age of 10, I was running the cash register, wrapping packages, creating displays, unpacking boxes, and pricing inventory. I worked every summer and holidays through my teens. Looking back on my experiences, I developed skills vital to my role today. In that small community store, I learned about building relationships with people of all ages, treating customers with respect, working under pressure, and understanding pricing models and taxes. One of the most important lessons my Mom Boss taught me was to always show up with a positive attitude and a grateful heart.

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Stacy Beaty Owner, Beaty Fabricating, Inc.

Outside working with my dad, my first job was working for WedgeCorp Construction. My dad had, unbeknownst to me, gotten me a job right after graduating from high school. My job was running a jackhammer for 8-12 hours, and when I wasn't jackhammering I was tying rebar. I worked 80 hours my first week and made $560. This was the most money that I had ever had in my pocket in my life, and it was the biggest pinnacle in my life to date because it gave me something called freedom. I realized that if I worked hard, my efforts would be recognized and rewarded. I carried that lesson through life, and I still demonstrate it here at my company. Working hard, problem solving, having the "whatever it takes" mentality, loyalty, honesty, and integrity will be rewarded.

Strategy & Leadership

Lynda Minks Hood Executive Director, Chattanooga Bar Association

It was the summer going into my ninth-grade year, and I thought I was going to have all the fun with friends, but my parents had a different plan for me. My dad was an optometrist and wanted me to help him in his office. Although this wasn’t originally my idea of a fun summer, it turned out to be some of the best summers of my young adult life. While working for my dad, I was given the opportunity to learn the hands-on skills of the medical profession and help manage an office. I saw how Dad and his receptionist Mrs. McDade treated people and learned the value of customer service and compassion for people. Things I learned from working in his office are: always treat people with respect, your word is your word, confidence in myself, and responsibility!

Jim Vaughn Partner, Mauldin & Jenkins

My first “real job” was with Mauldin & Jenkins, a regional CPA firm. I was young and immature, but I learned that hard work pays off, to not inflate your sense of worth, work is rewarding but challenging, teammates are important, and that you get out of things what you put into them. I also learned that iron sharpens iron, being the highest bidder is NOT a long-term solution, serving clients is extremely rewarding, and to ALWAYS leave what you found better for the next generation.

Gena Weldon President & CEO, Goodwill Industries of Greater Chattanooga

My first job was as an accounting assistant at Signal Mountain Cement Company (now Buzzi Unicem). I took away several important lessons that continue to serve me well: 1) There’s opportunity everywhere, even at the bottom of the totem pole. Recognizing this can lead to amazing things. 2) The only boundaries I have are the boundaries I set for myself. 3) Work for leaders who will support and challenge you. 4) Respect and understand all levels of the business. 5) It pays to be self-aware. Self-awareness gives you power and confidence. I take time every day to reflect on how people reacted to what I said or did and what I could have improved.

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Garnett Decosimo Director, Decosimo Corporate Finance

At 14, when most of my friends were at summer football practice, I worked as a tour guide at Ruby Falls. As first jobs go, I can’t think of a better one that lets you earn tips for telling “dad jokes” (thanks to everyone who contributed, except the guy who gave me “the tip” to look both ways when crossing the street). More valuable than the tips, though, was learning public speaking skills, the importance of sincere customer service, and that you can avoid a lot of frustration if you observe and listen to those with more experience.

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Strategy & Leadership

Chris Angel President & Head of School, Baylor School

The lessons from my first job came from the back of a garbage truck. I collected garbage in the summers while I was at Baylor and throughout college, including vacations. I would start my day at 6:30 a.m., work all day, and then arrive at Baylor in the late afternoon for football workouts. I learned the value of hard work and learned not to take what I had for granted. It really made me appreciate my education and the fact that my parents sacrificed a great deal to send me to Baylor.

William Jackson Jr., MD

Jeff Myers

Former President & CEO, Erlanger Health System

I began working when I was 14 years old in a box assembly facility north of Tampa, Florida. When I reminisce on this first job (which paid quite miserably), I am thankful that it taught me the value of hard, laborintensive work – something that has remained with me throughout my career. In the Army, it gave me an appreciation for the sacrifice our veterans make and helped sustain me during long hours at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. As an intensivist, that same energy spurred me to work hard for my patients and colleagues.

President & CEO, Hamilton Health Care System

My father came from the poor side of the tracks and worked 16-hour days, seven days a week for 20 years to start and run a family pharmacy. The whole family had a part in the business regardless of age, and my first job was at the age of 7. My dad was challenged multiple times with situations where he could have made excuses or dodged responsibilities, but in every circumstance, he believed in doing the right thing. Dad taught me that nothing comes easy. You have to work for it. It comes down to commitment, attitude, and putting other people first. He was consistent, hard-working, and had absolute integrity. If I am ever half the man that he was, then I’d be honored to be able to claim that.

John Sorrow Regional Agency Executive, McGriff Insurance Services

My first paying job was when I was 13 years old, and I was a bat boy for the Chattanooga Lookouts. I got paid $5 cash plus $5 in concessions a game. The big payoff was a free road trip to Savannah and Charlotte with the team at the end of the season. This job taught me how to get myself to Engle Stadium (I paid 25 cents to ride the Carta bus from Signal Mountain to the stadium), how to play a small role (dragging the infield, cleaning up the dugout and locker room, soaking up rain puddles, taking out trash) on a team of mostly professionals in their 20s and 30s. I did not want to be viewed as a kid and realized to be treated like a team member, I had to be punctual and dependable and go the extra mile to gain the players’ and management’s respect.

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Strategy & Leadership

Jim Vaughn

Billy Carroll

Market President, Truist

President & CEO, SmartBank

My family was very proud to have a white picket fence surrounding our home. Over time, that fence needed painting. So, while my friends were playing, I was painting. When you’re young, a task like this seems to last forever. As I stood, paintbrush in hand, I relearned the importance of focus and discipline to ensure no slats were left unpainted and no paint drips marred the finish. Setting goals throughout the task helped cut through the monotony, and my father’s inspection of my work was always tense until I received recognition for a job well done. This taught me that encouragement and recognition are critical skills of a manager and a leader, and can result in the successful completion of any task.

My first job was handling lawn maintenance for the building that housed the bank my father ran in Sevierville, Tennessee. I was 14 years old at the time, and the building had just been completed and had newly sown grass. My responsibility was to make sure that grass took hold and grew strong. I watered it every day and trimmed as needed that summer. By the end of the summer, I’d been successful and left the job feeling very accomplished. The lesson learned – consistency matters. Stick to the process and the results will come.

Craig Sarine CEO, University Surgical Associates

My very first job was delivering the New York Daily News every morning from sixth grade through 10th. The paper didn’t care if it was raining, snowing, bitter cold, or if I really didn’t feel like getting up – it just needed to get delivered. From this experience, I learned responsibility at an early age, the need for perseverance through adversity, and the weekly financial reward of getting the job done.

Charlie Rymer Executive Vice President, McLemore

R. Steve Hunt Owner/Principal Broker, Hunt Commercial Real Estate

At 13 years old, I got a job at a longestablished “fruit stand” in Hixson. It was such a small business that everyone did every job. Waiting on customers, running the cash drawer, caring for plants, fruits, and vegetables, selling Christmas trees during the holiday season. It was a great small business training ground. The owner could be a bit crotchety at times but always stressed the importance of customer service and insisted that we were always “pleasant and presentable.” I have grown to understand his crotchetiness and continue to strive to be pleasant and presentable.

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In 1998 I was finished with my short-lived career on the PGA Tour due to bouncing too many tee shots off of houses. Golf had been my only job. I had “worked” on golf since age 4. The late and great ESPN executive producer Chuck Gerber hired me as a golf announcer. We were in Maui for the Tournament of Champions. I had no experience or instruction in television. He came to me right before the show, gave me a nudge, and said, “Rymes, we are live in 168 countries. Don’t mess it up.”

Management “Increasingly, management’s role is not to organize work, but to direct passion and purpose.” – Greg Satell, author, speaker, and innovation adviser

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Management

Holistic Approaches to

Teambuilding Building a strong, unified company culture is no small feat, especially in the current business climate. Yet clear benefits have been linked to fostering feelings of belonging in the workplace – including increased productivity, employee retention, and a healthy work environment. That’s where teambuilding comes in. Creating opportunities for employees to get to know each other, establish connections, and have fun is a vital part of strengthening team unity. Here, we asked local leaders how they approach teambuilding in their organizations, both inside the office and out.

GURU SHAH CEO, Shah Trucking & Shah Logistics

My dad has always taught me to treat every business relationship like a marriage. Through thick and thin, we stand by our people and always aim to place them on a path to success. We are exhaustingly intentional in our hiring practices to ensure that we are bringing in new team members who embody our core values and are prepared to work hard to uphold our mission to be a service-first business. While others utilize kegs of beer, foosball tables, and other gimmicks to retain employees, we, at Shah Logistics, differentiate ourselves through our empathydriven leadership style. We are hell-bent on ensuring the success of every person we bring in the building, and we believe this will lead to sustained growth built on a foundation of the hard work executed by long-term, dedicated, and professional team members.

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Beverly Edge COO, General Counsel, & Partner, HHM

Maintaining and protecting our company culture is one of our most important jobs at HHM, and we have renewed our focus on making team members feel more connected after the challenges of COVID-19. Last year, we organized our inaugural company-wide field day. Everyone had a fantastic time, and it allowed our team members – from interns to partners – to get to know each other on a much more personal level and in a completely different environment. We also design our facilities to be unique, collaborative workspaces for our team members. This fall, we will begin construction on a new office building beside the Freight Depot. The new building has been designed to encourage our team members to collaborate and connect with each other by including a gym, a work café, and outdoor gathering and workspaces. Our belief is that engaged and connected team members will be better equipped to provide our clients with the high level of service they have come to expect from HHM.

Becky Hansard Head of School, Silverdale Baptist Academy

A solid holistic teambuilding opportunity occurred when I encouraged our employees to dream their biggest dream while planning for the construction of a new Fine Arts and Worship Center. After prayer, groups gathered and covered wall-sized sticky notes with ambitious plans for how the new building could best serve students. I was adamant in communicating that no dream was too big! Validation occurred as the teams were able to see their dreams come to fruition with the actual construction of the center. It was teambuilding at its best on our largest project to date! Proverbs 27:17 states, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” We live this truth out daily at Silverdale Baptist Academy, as we believe it’s impossible for one person to become sharper without the other. The end result of spending time together in collaboration always culminates in others feeling heard, valued, and connected.

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Management

Lisa Nausley Owner/CEO, Sandler Training

Scott Rowe CEO, Encompass Health

Creating a feeling of belonging and unity flows directly from the Encompass Health Way – five key values that guide everything we do in our hospital. These values include ‘Setting the Standard,’ which allows us to set common goals that challenge us to be better together for our patients and for each other. ‘Leading with Empathy’ guides our interactions with our patients, their families, and each other, encouraging us to put ourselves in another’s shoes. ‘Doing What’s Right’ means we can trust each other to have principled motives in all our actions and endeavors. Having a key value of ‘Focus on the Positive’ ensures the team keeps the right perspective, even in challenging times. Finally, ‘Stronger Together’ reminds us that a cohesive team that embraces our diversity will be a more successful team. Tying everything we do back to these values helps us build the strong, unified culture that our patients and our team deserve.

Just as flight attendants remind us each time we fly, if we are to take care of others, we must take care of ourselves first. In case of an emergency, we are told to put the oxygen mask on ourselves first to ensure that we can then properly attend to those in our charge. At Sandler, we believe in being our best so that we can better serve our clients. Creating a strong, unified culture starts with a focus on maintaining a healthy mind, body, and spirit. What follows is a sample of the types of things that keep us connected and appreciative of the contributions of every team member to those we serve (including each other): • Intentional communication via team meetings twice a week • Open discussions about behavior/communication styles, which creates deeper understanding of ourselves and appreciation for each individual • Active collaboration and sharing of ideas and resources on direct and indirect projects • Identify strengths and special interests and assign duties/projects that allow those to shine • Encourage individuals to share special knowledge, unique gifts, and advanced skills • Annual holiday dinners and seasonal outings that include significant others • Actively recognize with the team each individual’s successes: big or small, business or personal Be your best to give your best!

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Management

Andrew Ladebauche CEO, Reliance Partners

Reliance Partners is a culture-first company. Our priority is the human experience, evidenced by flat hierarchies, collaborative decision-making, and an emphasis on employee engagement initiatives. We like to work hard and play hard; between employee athletic teams, diversity initiatives, and community service events, we schedule in time to get to know each of our Reliance Partners family members. To promote unity among departments, our opendoor policy extends to our office setup. There are no private offices at Reliance Partners – leadership, sales, service, operations, IT, quality assurance, marketing, and finance all sit together because we all work together. Each employee provides their unique perspective and quality workmanship to the team. We spend a considerable amount of time recognizing strengths and rewarding #extramile attitudes. Success isn’t a one-man-job, and Reliance Partners owes every bit of its progress to the great people we work with every day. We continue to break records by paying close attention to those closest to our process: our team members.

Joey Hogan President, Covenant Logistics

At Covenant, we believe building a strong, unified culture takes time, effort, listening, and intentional actions. One example in our teambuilding, retention, and inclusion strategy started with discovering what our team members actually want by asking for their honest feedback. We started Bi-Annual Team Member Satisfaction Surveys in 2016. The surveys offer anonymous and transparent feedback that allows us to actively respond in ways to ensure team members’ voices are heard by implementing ideas based on their responses. Recent top initiatives Covenant has implemented include remote work options for positions that qualify, town hall meetings conducted with every team member quarterly to promote communication with an effort to minimize silos, vacation and service/tenure enhancements, simplified review process with a career progression section, succession planning process, and wellness credits. Our team member survey is just one example of Covenant’s commitment to foster a culture of belonging and teambuilding.

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Management

Andrea White CEO, Kindred Hospital

The last two years in the hospital environment have given new meaning to holistic teambuilding. At the same time, it has also reminded us to focus the basics of our core values. Some of those values include respecting individuality, creating fun in what we do, being kinder than expected, doing the right thing always, and staying focused on the patient. Cultivating the best in interpersonal behaviors allows us to deliver a better experience for our staff, families, and patients. We recognize our team members publicly for living our values, share compliments from patients, families, and colleagues, and celebrate milestones and accomplishments. We also can’t celebrate without supporting our local Chattanooga businesses. Our annual hospital week is filled with gifts, food trucks, contests, and daily themes. This year, we celebrated Derby Day with pies and fancy hats, Cinco de Mayo with a food truck and gourmet popsicles, and a breakfast bash with croffles.

Shannon Stephenson CEO, Cempa Community Care

I believe that the most impactful things a leader can do to promote a sense of belonging and unity is by clearly defining a mission, hiring people who believe in that mission, and empowering each employee to see how their unique efforts play a consequential role in the team’s ability to champion the mission. When you do that, your people know they’re a part of something greater, and they have a sense of personal agency in the work they perform. Without an organizational North Star focused on the mission and impact in the community, it’s almost inevitable that a team will become unhappy and unproductive. At Cempa, we’ve been able to accomplish so much because we all know what we’re all trying to achieve, and it is only done together as a team.

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celebrating 70 years of growth & excellence!

LEARN MORE AT

bBSCHOOL.ORG/ADMISSIONS

735 Broad Street The James Building Chattanooga, Tennessee 37402 423.265.8821

B R U C E B A I R D.C O M

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The Business of Expansion LOCAL L E ADE R S DIS CU S S THE INS AN D OU TS OF LA RGE-S CAL E E XPANS ION Where there is vitality, there will be growth. Expansion is a key indicator of a successful business, and many businesses in the Chattanooga area have had the opportunity to expand as our market has grown. We spoke with several leaders to learn more about why their businesses have expanded, how they strategically managed the expansion, and what they’ve learned along the way – here’s what they had to say.

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How has your company grown or expanded over the years?

Steam has grown from $33 million in sales in 2019 to $358 million in 2021, with projected sales of $900 million in 2022. We have hired 600 people in the last 12 months, along with opening six new offices outside of Chattanooga.

What prompted this expansion?

Jason Provonsha CEO, Steam Logistics

With the global supply chain disruption of the past few years, Steam has been reinvesting into the company – adding several new offices and recruiting in additional markets – to continue serving our 2,500 customers.

How did you maintain the customer experience throughout this expansion? We have added a ton of great leaders and executives who have been hard at work ensuring we stay focused on consistency around our internal culture and the customer experience. We are very fortunate to have this kind of talent inside our company, and it’s had an exponential impact as we’ve experienced this meteoric growth.

What are some key indicators that it’s time for a company to expand?

Customers will tell you. If you are adding a lot of new business and getting good responses to the work you are doing, then you should double down on that and reinvest for growth.

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Management

How has your company grown or expanded over the years?

Since 2018, we’ve added almost 225 employees, several additional hangars, and a significant amount of floor space for maintenance and back shop support.

How did your company’s administrative structure evolve?

We are actively focused on building a robust admin support team. We’ve invested in front line management training, and we have dedicated trainers on-site who engage in internal development to help identify future leaders. It’s very rewarding to watch our employees develop professionally.

In what ways did your support personnel have to adapt?

We’ve invested in innovative technology, allowing our operations system to be used remotely and on tablets. We outfit each one of our technicians with iPads, giving them accessible technology at their fingertips. We try to engage support personnel and keep it simple.

Were there any unanticipated challenges?

Qualified and skilled labor is becoming more difficult to recruit. Becoming an AMP technician requires a two-year certification or 30 months of on-the-job training. We are always looking to bring in qualified technicians.

Steve Goede General Manager, West Star Aviation Chattanooga

What is your advice for communications teams during expansion?

Internally, thank and praise the current team. The culture and relationships fostered over the years are a reflection of their direct commitment. Externally, highlight partnerships and added value – we like to recognize both employees and customers.

How has your company grown or expanded over the years?

Our restaurants have been in constant states of growth and development over the years. We grow every day, and thus we’re always on the move. This was especially true during the pandemic, when both businesses were able to pivot, adapt, and even grow multiple times. It was exhilarating and exhausting, but in the end, we grew in every fundamental way.

How did you maintain the customer experience throughout this expansion?

The customer is always our North Star ... we exist to take care of them. We stay true to this value, and all of the other stuff takes care of itself.

How did your company’s administrative structure evolve?

We have grown, albeit slowly, our management structure as we have been able to recruit talented people. In what ways did your support personnel have to adapt? They had to pivot and adapt at a moment’s notice. When surges in demand occurred, all of our people had to learn to be faster while maintaining quality.

What is your advice for communications teams during expansion? You have to believe in what you are doing, otherwise no one will get behind you and help push.

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Erik Niel Owner & Chef, Easy Bistro & Bar and Main Street Meats

Management

How has your company grown or expanded over the years?

We have been recognized as a leader in developing and managing hotels since inception, but we have since expanded into additional industries. Our newest venture, Dynamic Labels, is a custom label manufacturing company focused on serving local businesses such as Hutton & Smith, Naked River, Haygood Farms, and more.

What prompted this expansion?

The supply chain crisis caused by the pandemic inspired us to enter the label manufacturing industry. We studied the market and identified areas we could improve, then planned to expand at a manageable pace to maintain high standards.

How did your company’s administrative structure evolve?

Our goal is to create new job opportunities to support more Chattanoogans. Dynamic Labels has already created three gainful employment opportunities, and we are forecasting more growth in the near future.

What are some key indicators that it’s time for a company to take a growth action?

Growth starts with considering our clients’ needs. Many opportunities exist, and so long as we can be nimble and make calculated risks, we shall remain well-positioned for growth.

What is your advice for communications teams during expansion?

The key to success is in the preparation. It is vital to understand every aspect of the expansion and how it will affect your existing system. There will always be growing pains, but do your best to plan well and keep everyone informed for smooth action!

Roshan Amin President & CEO, Dynamic Group

How has your company grown or expanded over the years?

Expansion has been steady and ongoing for us. We moved to bigger offices in 2017, 2019, and again in 2021. We have about 7,300 square feet now, and we may be growing out of that before long! We’ve also expanded our products and our workforce, but our biggest growth is ahead of us. 2022 is a banner year – we’re staffing up, making major product improvements, and on track to triple our customer count.

What prompted this expansion?

We hire (and move offices) when there’s a clear need. Our thought process for product and market expansions is similar. We talk directly to dozens of customers every day to determine their needs and identify opportunities. There’s other work that goes into it, but those customer conversations are the foundation for our decisions.

Were there any unanticipated challenges that took place?

Jamey Elrod Co-Founder & Chief Customer Officer, Text Request

When mobile carriers implemented “10DLC” regulations for business texting in 2021, that brought new fees and processes for the entire industry. We had to adapt internally while also navigating the change for our customers.

What is your advice for communications teams during expansion? You may not have all the answers, but tell your people what’s going on and what you’re trying to figure out. This can also apply to customer communications, particularly if there’s an ongoing shift in your industry or company. If you don’t communicate, no one will know.

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Management

How has your company grown or expanded over the years?

As one of the fastest-growing technology companies in the country, change is part of our business model. Part of our growth involves a sort of rapid experimentation – we lean into what works and quickly scrap what doesn’t. We also continually focus on new iterations of what has worked – optimizing the software, adding features, and improving the user experience. We’re not an organization that sits idle.

How has your company’s administrative structure evolved? When you’re starting a business from scratch, the founding team does everything – you’re the janitor, you’re the accountant, you’re the head of HR … you’re getting the mail, but you’re also coding the software. Then, once you have the resources, you become much more compartmentalized. As the business scales, we’ve been able to attract talent with increasingly specialized skills to keep leveling up our operation.

What is your advice for an expanding company?

Craig Fuller CEO & Founder, FreightWaves

When businesses are afraid to fail, they end up overcomplicating innovation. They might invest all their resources for the year into one big launch – I think that’s actually a mistake, because it limits your opportunities. We’re constantly experimenting with new launches; we’re willing to have something fail, and we welcome those failures. Every failed launch gives us valuable information to improve upon in the next iteration. I’d say it’s the number of times at bat that matter.

How has your company grown or expanded over the years? We have gone from the two owners working every shift to nearly 50 employees on the payroll, and from one location to four. We have also rolled out a monthly Giveback Program where we partner with local nonprofits. Every step we have taken has brought on hardships and challenges, but it has all been worth it because we keep the happiness of our employees at the forefront.

What prompted this expansion?

Vertical integration of our products has always been on our radar, and when we had an opportunity to open a roaster – and were practically forced to open a bakery – the decision was easy to make. This allows us to have a stronger hand in flavors, quality control, and pricing and has opened doors into unique opportunities we would not have previously had.

What are some key indicators that it’s time for a company to expand?

If you are either too busy or too bored, something needs to change. If you do not have enough business, you need to change your marketing, offerings, or branding. If it is too busy for whomever leads the frontlines, then you need to hire more people, change your workflow, or optimize and delegate tasks. There are a ton of ways to “grow” your business, and a good amount of them don’t require any money out of pocket.

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Christopher Wood Co-Owner, (Be)Caffeinated

30 IN

NTI E U L F

DE A E L NESS I S U B

Selected for both their exceptional industry skills and their dedication to their workplace and community, the following business leaders make up CityScope® magazine’s prestigious Gold Club this year. Congratulations to these impactful men and women on this well-deserved honor!

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— THE GOLD CLUB —

Jessica Stack Partner, Tinker Ma, LLC Years with the company: 7 Jessica Stack was recently named Partner at Tinker Ma, LLC, an architecture and design firm. She holds bachelor’s degrees in architecture and construction science & management from Clemson University and a master’s degree in architecture from the University of Kansas with an emphasis in healthcare design. Stack is a licensed architect, an LEED-accredited professional, and holds NCARB and EDAC certifications. She is an active member of her community, serving as chair of the Community Partners Board for the East Ridge Future Ready Institute of Engineering and Design, secretary of AIA Chattanooga, vice president of the TN PKU Foundation Board of Directors, and vice chair of the National PKU Alliance Affiliate Council.

James Perry Owner/Real Estate Broker, The James Company Real Estate Brokers & Development Years with the company: 25 James Perry has more than 35 years of experience in the real estate business and has dedicated the past 25 years to his independently owned and operated real estate firm, The James Company Real Estate Brokers & Development. A top producer in the industry, he puts quality business – not quantity – as his central focus, and he lives by these personal and company mottos: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart,” and “Experience – there is no substitute.” Outside of the office, Perry is a part of a number of missions for Jesus Christ, including IBJM (International Board of Jewish Missions), FCA, and Bible in the Schools.

Dalya Qualls White Senior Vice President & Chief Communications Officer, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Years with the company: 3 Dalya Qualls White has 19 years of communications experience spanning several industries including health insurance, healthcare, state government, and higher education. In her role at BlueCross, Qualls White leads all centralized strategic communications functions, including internal and external communications, brand voice, consumer experience, digital marketing, advertising and design, and community relations. Qualls White serves on the board of Urban League of Greater Chattanooga and is a graduate of its Inclusion by Design Executive Leadership Program. She’s on the board for the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce, serving as vice chair of Diversity and Inclusive Growth. She’s also a member of the Page Society, a community of nearly 800 global leaders in corporate communications and public relations.

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— THE GOLD CLUB —

Nicole Willis Director of Property Management, Urban Story Ventures Years with the company: 5 With over 20 years of hospitality, customer service, and property management experience, Nicole Willis’ valuable skill set has helped position Urban Story Ventures as a leader in the commercial tenant experience. Willis’ role has evolved as the real estate group has expanded from Tennessee to Florida. Today, she handles all aspects of property management in-house. She leads the maintenance and property monitoring teams across the majority of USV’s portfolio, and she oversees facility and suite buildouts throughout the Southeast. Her previous experience with brands like The Ritz-Carlton and the NINE Retreat has helped her thrive in this role where client satisfaction, relationships, responsiveness, and creativity are key.

Antony Sprason Store Manager, Fink’s Jewelers Years with the company: 6 As the store manager for the Chattanooga location of Fink’s Jewelers, Antony Sprason helps people find the perfect ways to celebrate their most cherished moments, whether it be a wedding, graduation, promotion, birthday, or anniversary. He is educated by the Gemological Institute of America on both diamonds and gemstones, and he is also fully trained on timepieces, specializing in Rolex, Omega, Tudor, Breitling, Tag Heuer, and Cartier, among others. Sprason has over 15 years of sales experience and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina in Greensboro. Since living in Chattanooga, Sprason has been involved with the American Cancer Society, Chattanooga Motorcar Festival, and the Porsche Club of America.

John Sterner, CFP® Wealth Management Advisor, The Sterner Financial Group Years with the company: 20 John Sterner is the principal Wealth Management Advisor with The Sterner Financial Group. He was recently ranked by Forbes magazine as the No. 1 Financial Security Professional in Tennessee and No. 25 nationwide. For over 20 years, Sterner has been helping clients reach their goals through comprehensive and personalized planning. After starting his career with Northwestern Mutual as a young college graduate, Sterner’s vision for growth has developed into a team of 10 financial professionals who strategically serve the community through long-term relationships. Sterner is a philanthropic member of the Tocqueville Society, which supports the important work of the United Way across Chattanooga.

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— THE GOLD CLUB —

Lonna Hamblen Owner, Southside Antiques & Décor Years with the company: 6 A passionate hobby turned full-time career, Lonna Hamblen truly turned her antiquing dreams into a reality. After starting at Southside Antiques as a high-end antique dealer in 2016, she was given the opportunity to take ownership of the store in 2018. Since then, Southside Antiques has tripled in size. Since relocating to Broad Street, the shop has been converted from a multi-dealer mall to one full of inventory carefully curated by Hamblen alone. Hamblen has passion and pride for top-of-the-line home décor and interior inspiration. Under her ownership, Southside Antiques has become a premier antique store in the Chattanooga area.

Becky Cope English Partner & Managing Broker, Scout Realtor Group Years with the company: 4 After 17 years as a successful Realtor, Becky Cope English recognized that many of her peers were working women juggling many roles. To address this issue, she envisioned a real estate firm focused on collaboration. In 2018, English and her partners created Scout Realtor Group, a locally owned boutique firm where agents partner to deliver concierge-type real estate services – resulting in more efficient, less stressed agents who enjoy working and giving back. English has been awarded the 2017 Realtor of the Year Award and the 2018 George Kangles Community Citizenship Award, and she currently serves on the National Medal of Honor Heritage Center Board of Trustees and green|spaces Board of Directors.

Granger Hughes Vice President/Financial Planning, Hughes Retirement Group Years with the company: 14 Granger Hughes has 14 years of experience in the insurance and financial industry. He joined Hughes Retirement Group at age 18, and even then he had a vision to educate his clients with the information they needed to be successful. As a product of Grace Academy, CSCC, and Lee University, Hughes is grounded to this community. This, coupled with the fact that he lost most of his home in the Easter tornado, has given him great resolve to help others. He is newly married and loves being part of Challenge Golf, a ministry that seeks to share the gospel through golfing events.

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— THE GOLD CLUB —

Trae Vaughan Vice President of Commercial Lines, Brock Insurance Agency Years with the company: 12 Having always planned to be in the insurance business, just like his father, Trae Vaughan graduated from Mississippi State University with a B.A. in Risk Management and Insurance. After spending several years working as a construction underwriter with Travelers Insurance Company, he came to Brock Insurance Agency in 2009. As vice president of commercial lines, no two days are the same for Vaughan, but most days are spent taking care of customers, mentoring younger agents, and meeting with insurance company representatives. Vaughan is on the board of the Boys & Girls Club of Chattanooga and has previously served on the boards of the Associated General Contractors and the Homebuilders Association.

Robert Parks Vice President of Operations, T. U. Parks Construction Company Years with the company: 19 Robert Parks is the fourth generation of the Parks family to work for T. U. Parks Construction Company. He started his career on a healthcare project that carried a price tag north of $300 million and continues to help manage projects from their initial concept to the closeout phase. He specializes in commercial and healthcare construction, but also oversees various religious, educational, and even residential projects on occasion. Outside of work, Parks is a member of Chattanooga Rotaract and Chairman of the Education and Workforce Committee for Associated General Contractors of East Tennessee. He also joins forces with the American Heart Association to raise awareness around life-threatening healthcare conditions prevalent within the construction industry.

Maggie Tanner Senior Vice President/Private Wealth Advisor, Synovus Years with the company: 9 Maggie Tanner has 18 years of experience serving families with generational wealth. At Synovus, she spends her time reducing client stress by organizing their complex liability and liquidity needs and partnering with the wealth management team in the areas of trust, estate/financial planning, investing, and risk management/insurance. Tanner and her team tackle big problems and craft creative solutions. Tanner previously served as the president for the Chattanooga Medical Alliance, and she’s a graduate of Leadership Chattanooga, class of 2015-2016. Tanner, her husband Dr. Richard Tanner, and their two children are members of First Presbyterian Church.

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— THE GOLD CLUB —

John Harrison Founding Shareholder, Evans Harrison Hackett, PLLC Years with the company: 12 John Harrison is a founding shareholder of the Evans Harrison Hackett law firm. In his private practice, Harrison focuses primarily on labor and employment law. He spends nearly half of his professional time as a mediator, mediating a wide range of disputes. Having worked with several large law firms in his 42-year legal career, Harrison is proud to say that he has worked for, and with, some of the finest lawyers in this city and strives to be a credit to those who nurtured and mentored him along the way. Harrison is a Master in the Ray L. Brock and Robert E. Cooper American Inn of Court, a former president of the Chattanooga Bar Association, and a member of the Chattanooga Bar Foundation.

Erika R. Burnett Executive Director, Women’s Fund of Greater Chattanooga Years with the nonprofit: 2 A long-time Nashville resident, entrepreneur, educator, and advocate, Erika R. Burnett moved to Chattanooga to lead efforts in addressing the root causes of systemic challenges facing women and girls across our community as executive director of Women’s Fund of Greater Chattanooga. Burnett is a co-conspirator behind the Women of Color Collaborative, embodying her strong commitment to amplifying the voices of women while creating safe spaces for Black women to work, play, and build together. She currently serves locally on the boards of Chattanooga Women’s Leadership Institute and Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy. She’s a proud alumna of Tennessee State University and Vanderbilt University and member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Liza Greever Owner/Creator, Fox & Fern Years with the company: 7 With a passion for bringing fine art and upscale design to the floral industry, Liza Greever started Fox & Fern in 2015 from her home while raising her young child. Four years ago, she was able to move her business to Chattanooga’s West Village, where it serves the community as a creative, nontraditional floral boutique. According to Greever, everything Fox & Fern does is customized and tailored around her clients’ needs while also incorporating a unique twist to floral design. Originally from Maine, Greever has a background in art and design from the University of Maine. She moved to Chattanooga for a winter 11 years ago and never left.

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Mark E. Mendenhall, PhD J. Burton Frierson Chair of Excellence in Business Leadership, Gary W. Rollins College of Business, University of Tennessee, Chattanooga Years with the university: 33 Dr. Mark Mendenhall is recognized worldwide as a pioneer in the expatriate performance and global leadership research fields. He has co-authored or edited 30 books and published numerous scholarly journal articles on these topics, and he has been a visiting professor at the University of Bayreuth, Vienna University of Economics and Business, University of Saarland, and Reykjavik University. However, what has given him the most satisfaction in his career is his coaching of hundreds of undergraduate, MBA, Executive MBA, and Executive students at UTC to help them strengthen their leadership competencies. Seeing these students grow and develop – and often make 180-degree changes to productive and healthy life habits – has been his most gratifying professional experience.

Jay Robinson Real Estate Broker, Keller Williams Realty Years with the company: 8 Jay Robinson has been a real estate broker with Keller Williams Realty for the last eight years and has been in the real estate business for over 34 years. He is currently the team leader of the Robinson Team and recently topped $1.4 billion in career sales. Having experienced a wide spectrum of market conditions, he sees his role as both an advocate and a broker of change for his clients. He is currently serving on the board of the Fuse program and the Chattanooga Zoo and has previously served on the boards for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and Habitat for Humanity.

Neha Shah, DMD Founder, BEAM Pediatric Dental Studio Years with the company: 1 Dr. Neha Shah is the founder of BEAM Pediatric Dental Studio and a board-certified pediatric dentist. After graduating magna cum laude from Vanderbilt University with a degree in biomedical engineering, Dr. Shah completed one of the country’s most prestigious dental programs at Harvard University. Later, she followed her love for helping kids to Chicago, where she trained at the renowned Lurie Children’s Hospital. She is also a proud graduate of Chattanooga’s St. Nicholas School and Girls Preparatory School. Dr. Shah is a member of the American Dental Association, American Board of Pediatric Dentistry, and American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.

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— THE GOLD CLUB —

Laura Prince Executive Office Manager, See Rock City, Inc. Years with the company: 26 Laura Prince manages the day-to-day operation of the See Rock City, Inc. executive office, providing administrative support to the senior leadership team including the CEO and directors. Joining the company 26 years ago, Prince’s early hospitality and travel management and marketing study formed an early love for tourism, which encouraged excellent guest service, in several capacities, to help thousands of guests get away and reconnect with family and friends. Prince prioritizes supporting the See Rock City, Inc. team in any way she can. In her free time, you can find her spending time with her husband and cats, at Sts. Peter & Paul Catholic Church, or hiking in the woods.

Ryan Hood Owner, Hood, CPA & Associates Years with the company: 3 Ryan Hood has been practicing as a CPA in Chattanooga for the past 18 years. Hood, CPA & Associates was founded in 2019 to fill a gap in the local accounting landscape. His goal was to start a more contemporary firm that brought big firm experience with a small firm personality. Voted “Best of the Best” Accounting Firm in 2020 and 2021, Hood has quickly achieved accolades that support his founding vision. The firm serves the customer through tax, assurance, payroll, and bookkeeping services. Hood also provides tax strategy and advice to clients and business owners. Hood is a member of the TSCPA, AICPA, and UTC Alumni Board.

Montrell Besley Director of Community Engagement, Chattanooga Preparatory School Years with the school: 5 Chattanooga native Montrell Besley is passionate about bettering his community, and he uses his experience in youth development and community relations to ensure change in the lives of Chattanooga’s undiscovered youth and underrepresented populations. His current role as director of community engagement at Chattanooga Preparatory School allows him to serve his community in a very tangible way. In addition to this role, Besley is the owner and operator of Chattanooga Rolling Video Games – a mobile video game trailer. He is also one-fourth of The Lighthouse Collective, an executive board member of the Boys & Girls Club of Chattanooga, a 2010 graduate of Leadership Chattanooga, and a 2012 recipient of the Jefferson Award.

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Candace I. Litchfield Public Relations & Advocacy Director, Chattanooga Tourism Co. Years with the company: 18 Candace Litchfield is passionate about the travel and tourism industry and gets to spend every day inspiring people to visit and connecting them with authentic Chattanooga experiences. In her role, she works collaboratively to share the value of tourism and how it contributes to the quality of place for Hamilton County residents; helps gain national coverage in outlets such as Outside, Thrillist, and Lonely Planet; creates the award-winning Chattanooga Travel Inspiration magazine; mentors students and PR professionals; and works with tourism partners to promote their business in creative ways. She enjoys traveling, mountaineering, taking people on outdoor adventures, and volunteering with Crabtree Farms, Red Cross, and other organizations.

Jessica Cliche Director of Community Education & Engagement, La Paz Years with the nonprofit: 13 Passionate about serving Chattanooga’s Latino community, Jessica Cliche joined the team at La Paz in 2009. Her responsibility is to cultivate supportive relationships in a welcoming environment, as well as create and develop programs that support economic and workforce development through individual wealth building. Her primary focus is on providing services that address the needs of today while also educating and enabling people to handle the needs of the future. Cliche currently serves as a board member of the Chambliss Center for Children Bright Start steering committee, and she started her first term at the Regional Health Council.

Amanda Jelks Managing Attorney, Jelks Law, PLLC Years with the company: 7 Amanda Jelks formed Jelks Law to help protect what matters most to everyday people – their family, their dignity, and their business – through tools such as wills, trusts, powers of attorney, guardianships, business entities, and contracts. In 2021, the firm was recognized as the “Best of the Best” Estate Planning firm by the Times Free Press. Jelks is currently on the board for United Way and previously served on the board for the Chattanooga Women’s Leadership Institute. She is a Chattanooga native and a 2010 graduate of the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law.

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— THE GOLD CLUB —

Donna Elle Harrison Director of Cultural Tourism & Inclusive Marketing, Chattanooga Tourism Co. Years with the company: 3 At the age of 13, Donna Elle Harrison became a teen reporter for WJTT, Power 94 – launching her more than 25-year-long career in radio and television. While you can still hear her Saturday afternoons on G93 with Brewer Media Group, Harrison has channeled her talent toward community engagement and marketing as the director of cultural tourism and inclusive marketing at Chattanooga Tourism Co. She is also a small business owner, healthy lifestyle coach, and author of Smokin Cookies. Harrison is a graduate of Leadership Tennessee and Leadership Chattanooga, an UnBought and UnBossed award recipient, and a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She currently serves on the board of the Erlanger Foundation and the Finley Stadium Foundation.

Jackie Howard Proprietor/Kitchen Designer, Scarlett’s Cabinetry, Inc. Years with the company: 32 Following her career in public relations in the athletic department at UTC and auditing for BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, Jackie Howard turned her passion for interior design into a small business, Scarlett’s Fine Interiors, Inc., in 1989. By 1995, she changed the name of her growing business to Cabinetry and Interior by Scarlett’s, Inc., to dedicate her time to kitchen and bath design. Howard also moved in with The Tile Store, which she now owns with husband David Hulse, to provide her clientele the “one-stop” shopping experience when remodeling or buying a home. Howard remains involved in UTC athletics with her recent stint on the UTC Fan Council, and she is a member of the NKBA organization.

Gary S. Napolitan Member, Leitner, Williams, Dooley & Napolitan PLLC Years with the firm: 52 Gary Napolitan is an AV-rated trial attorney with 52 years’ experience. He specializes in catastrophic claims involving the trucking industry, product’s manufacturers, premises owners, and workers’ compensation defense. His career trial results are recognized by election into the American Board of Trial Advocates and Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel. He served as the president of the Tennessee Defense Lawyers Association in 2000, and he is currently counsel for Coca-Cola Bottling Company, United, Inc., Covenant Transport, Inc., and CHI Memorial Hospital. He is also the president of the Orange Grove Center Board of Directors, where he continues their mission to recognize, support, and celebrate the qualities of the individual.

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Joe Saggio Chief Operating Officer, Steam Logistics Years with the company: 3 Joe Saggio oversees operational strategy for one of the fastest-growing third-party logistics companies in the United States. Before Steam Logistics, Saggio spent 13 years working in freight forwarding/brokerage and then three more in the international logistics and drayage division of a Fortune 500 company. Saggio has spent a significant amount of time overseas establishing supply-chain programs, partner relationships, and expanded customer relationships. He places a high emphasis on creating a culture and environment to develop his teams to become dynamic logisticians who rise to any challenge. Outside of work, you might find him coaching his sons’ baseball teams, watching his daughter’s equestrian riding, working out, or planning his next trip.

Alan Doak Principal, Elliott Davis Years with the company: 11 When Alan Doak returned to Chattanooga in 2015, he joined an accounting practice under unique circumstances. His employer in South Carolina, Elliott Davis, had recently merged with Chattanooga-grown Decosimo – of which Doak’s grandfather was a founder. Now, Doak is a principal in Elliott Davis’ assurance practice, working as a trusted advisor for some of the leading companies in Chattanooga and across the Southeast. He currently serves as a board member or in other advisory capacity for AVA (Association for Visual Arts), Warrior Freedom Service Dogs, Lookout Mountain Presbyterian Church, and the UTC Department of Accounting and is a recent graduate of Leadership Chattanooga.

Tara Camp Controller, COS Business Products & Interiors Years with the company: 3 As controller of Chattanooga-based COS Business Products & Interiors, Tara Camp manages the accounting department while also serving as the human resources manager for all COS employees. As part of the Office Depot federation, she serves as an employee of COS and as a direct report to the CFO of the Southeast federation of dealers at Office Depot. Camp has been an active member of the Accounting & Financial Women’s Alliance in Chattanooga for over 15 years. She also volunteers at Kids Quest at Silverdale Baptist Church and coaches both softball and cheerleading for Snow Hill Recreation League and the Ooltewah Youth Association.

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Financial Perspectives “Most people don’t plan to fail; they fail to plan.” – John L. Beckley, author

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The Oil Market’s Search for a New Equilibrium BY RAY RYAN, CFA Ray Ryan is the president of Patten and Patten, an investment management firm, and a registered investment adviser in Chattanooga. Ray is a CFA charter holder, a member of the advisory board for UTC’s College of Business, and an adjunct professor of finance at UTC. He is a graduate of Princeton University, where he had the privilege of taking a course taught by former Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke.

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Global oil demand is approximately 100 million barrels per day (bpd), and the rate of annual demand growth is equivalent to the growth rate of real GDP. The oil market is globally traded, despite various regional grades, and supplydemand imbalances in one area of the world tend to disrupt the entire market. Oil remains in long-term equilibrium, but short-term imbalances often persist. When equilibrium is disrupted, market forces typically respond quickly to reassert balance. For all commodities markets, including oil, price volatility reflects the process to discover new equilibria.

Short-term imbalances are often the outcome of natural disasters (e.g., storms) or geo-political conflict. Supply shortages and demand surges generate rising prices. The market response to restore equilibrium involves a combination of increased production and reduced consumption (i.e., conservation measures). Conversely, excess supply and waning demand are associated with declining prices. The market response to restore equilibrium is often an immediate cut to production. Supply responses are asymmetric. It is much easier to simply shut off a well than to set up a rig and boost production. With respect to demand, food and fuel price increases have the net effect of a consumption tax. Consumers are generally unable to significantly reduce fuel consumption when prices rise. On the other hand, fuel consumption does not increase simply because prices are lower. Volumes do not vary significantly except during recessions. Instead, declining fuel costs create a windfall that typically leads to increased spending on discretionary items. Generally, consumers respond quicker to high food and fuel costs, which tend to crowd out spending on other items. During periods of heightened volatility, therefore, market adjustments are temporally asymmetric – i.e., production increases are slower than production cuts; consumer spending decreases faster than it increases (i.e., relative elasticity). The surge in oil prices during recovery from the Great Financial Crisis attracted massive investment in domestic onshore production (i.e., shale). Energy was one of the few sectors that experienced job growth and recovering credit markets facilitated development of basins that had been considered unproductive. Technological breakthroughs such as horizontal drilling contributed to large production increases. In addition, there were substantial infrastructure investments in transmission and development. Eventually, excessive investment led to a supply glut. Crude oil prices fell to an equilibrium level below the “break-even” points for many of the basins developed from 2008 – 2012. The average “breakeven” price for many onshore basins exceeds $40 per BOE (i.e., barrel of oil equivalent), requiring a minimum price of $60 – 70 per BOE to earn a positive

return on capital. From 2015 – 2021, the average price per barrel of crude oil was $53. The number of rigs in operation collapsed during that period, and valuations of upstream energy companies (i.e., oil and gas production and development) entered a multi-year correction. Initially, the global pandemic was a demand shock. The willingness to consume presumably did not wane, which is atypical when confronted with extreme uncertainty, but restrictions and lockdowns severely curtailed the ability to consume. Crude oil is utilized primarily for transportation, and transportation is integral to global trade. Because of uncoordinated policy responses to new variants of COVID, demand recovery has been gradual and inconsistent. Recent high frequency data, such as TSA enplanements, indicate economic activity in the United States has nearly recovered to pre-pandemic levels. In addition, as more workers resume daily commutes in their RTO (i.e., return to the office), demand for crude oil should continue to grow. During the Cold War, countries formed coalitions and multi-national alliances to avert military conflict. Many alliances were formed under the auspices of trade agreements. The premise was nations would avoid hostilities with trade partners. In terms of direct conflict, that premise has held. However, frequent “proxy” wars reflect methods of engaging in indirect conflict. In response to proxy conflicts, developed nations favored countermeasures such as economic sanctions to impose hardship on aggressor nations. Economic sanctions primarily restrict demand for an aggressor nation’s exports. For a

commodity market such as oil, however, sanctions disrupt the global supply-demand balance, at least temporarily. Depending on one’s perspective, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a proxy war. Insofar as Western nations are concerned, the invasion terminated a multi-decade diplomatic effort to integrate Russia into the global community. Developed nation responses to the invasion were swift, severe, and for the most part, coordinated. They were also typical. Through imposition of sanctions, Western governments effectively restricted demand for Russian exports, similar to the response to Russia’s invasion of Crimea in 2014. Sanctions, in this case, have had a deleterious collateral impact because several key nations in Western Europe had become too dependent on Russia’s energy exports. To comply with strict effective dates of sanctions, certain economies are now scrambling to secure alternative energy supplies. For some, the timetable for a complete embargo, especially for Russia’s natural gas, will likely prove problematic.

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Financial Perspectives

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine exposed the fact that Germany, in particular, had become too dependent on Russian oil and natural gas. Over time, market responses will correct regional imbalances as both global and domestic production should increase gradually. However, there are daunting obstacles to near term resolution of supply shortages, most notably associated with logistics (i.e., transmission and distribution). This suggests some Western European nations will depend on Russian energy exports for the foreseeable future. Under an increasingly probable scenario in which Western nations eventually embargo all Russian energy exports on a permanent basis, global production must significantly increase to offset this unavailable supply. Western European nations will likely engage alternative suppliers before Russian oil/gas production is no longer available for their consumption. These adjustments could recalibrate supply-demand dynamics and create a market for oil that is “less than global.” A discounted price for Russian oil could become a permanent aspect of the market, and governments could use moral suasion and sanctions to further discourage consumption despite lower relative prices. To the extent Western nations withhold demand for Russian energy, oil/gas supply agreements will require renegotiation, suggesting further price volatility. New supply arrangements will also require massive energy infrastructure – e.g., Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facilities. There are near- and long-term trade-offs associated with a transition from an integrated, global oil market to a market that is bifurcated – i.e., Russia and some of its trade partners operate in an isolated manner. In the near term, logistical challenges to securing alternative supply sources and pressures to satisfy demand suggest a focus of capital investment on expanding capacity.

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For the long term, the conflict could accelerate investment in renewables. However, given capacity constraints, current projections for transition to renewables are likely unrealistic. In addition, the conflict will likely first encourage investments in spare oil and gas capacity. Therefore, over the next few years, we anticipate large investments in energy infrastructure as well as supply chain diversification. Absent a deep, global recession, demand for crude oil should increase substantially over the next few years.

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Anatomy of a Recession BY ANDY BURNETT, CFA

Five years ago, I wrote an article for CityScope® about investing during periods of global unease. At the time, tensions between North Korea and the United States were rising, a populist wave was spreading across the Western world, and deflation was a much bigger concern than inflation. Times have changed. On June 13, the S&P 500 closed below -20% YTD, signaling the start of a new “bear market.” What happened? How do we recover? How should we adjust to these new market conditions?

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I believe the primary drivers of this bear market are: • Price inflation, which has caused the Fed to begin raising short-term interest rates. Additionally, the Fed has begun to wind down its bond buying quantitative easing program. • Commodity shock, triggered by the sanctions levied against Russia for invading Ukraine.

Excess Stimulus, Excess Inflation

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the government passed a series of economic stimulus packages that rapidly increased money supply within the United States. These packages, specifically the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA), and the American Rescue Plan Act, added approximately $5 trillion dollars to “M2” money, a measure of the cash people hold in checking accounts plus “near money” like savings deposits and money market securities. These stimulus packages essentially put cash directly into consumers’ pockets at a time when the U.S. service sector was hobbled by forced lockdowns and reopening limitations. Consumers chose to redirect spending of their stimulus cash into purchasing goods over services and put massive strain on global supply chains. This ultimately led to inventory shortages and delivery bottlenecks, putting inflationary pressure on prices (more dollars chasing fewer goods). Initially, the Fed (and many others, myself included) thought this price inflation was transitory and would quickly work its way out of the system as the service sector came back

online and supply chains recovered. Today, the service sector still hasn’t recovered to pre-pandemic levels, and global supply chains are proving more fragile than initially expected. Now that it’s clear inflation isn’t transitory, the Fed has reacted by raising shortterm interest rates. Raising rates increases borrowing costs for both consumers and businesses with the intention of slowing demand for debt and reducing asset price growth. Rising rates tend to hurt financial assets like bonds, due to their fixed payment structure, and stocks, since a component of a stock’s price is the estimated present value of future profits discounted at a business’s “cost of capital,” which generally increases when rates increase. As a consumer, higher financing costs coupled with potentially lower retirement account values can weigh on sentiment and ultimately lead to reduced spending. If the Fed manages to raise rates enough to lower inflation while only marginally chilling aggregate demand, it will have achieved its goal of a “soft-landing” for the economy. If it overshoots, it’s possible the country may fall into a recession. If it undershoots, inflation remains elevated and continues to erode consumer wealth. It’s a difficult task.

Andy Burnett is a Partner with Round Table Advisors and Senior Financial Advisor with Raymond James Financial Services. He holds Series 7 and 66 licenses, as well as the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation.

Russian Commodity Shock The Russian invasion of Ukraine is a “black swan” event for investors. The Western world has now mostly turned its back on Russia, imposing strict economic sanctions, freezing the country’s foreign currency reserves, and striving to dramatically reduce imports of its commodities. These measures will undoubtedly negatively

Growth in M2 Money Supply 24,000

BILLIONS OF DOLLARS

20,000

COVID STIMULUS BEGINS

16,000

12,000

8,000

4,000

0 1985 U.S. RECESSIONS

1990

1995

2000

2005

2010

2015

2020

Source: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (US)

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Financial Perspectives

History of Bull & Bear Markets

impact the Russian economy, with the World Bank predicting a staggering -11.2% contraction in Russian GDP in 2022. While Russia is less connected to global value streams than other large nations (e.g., China), it’s a large exporter of commodities, such as oil, natural gas, fertilizer, grains, and precious metals. Russia is the single largest exporter of wheat in the world and the second largest exporter of cobalt. Additionally, Ukraine is a large exporter of agricultural cereal commodities such as sunflower seeds (and oil), soybeans, and rapeseed. The potential loss of Russian and Ukraine commodity supplies due to sanctions and war has put upward pressure on commodity prices across the world, inflating food costs and increasing fuel prices. There’s never a good time for war to break out, but this commodity shock adds inflationary pressure to already increasing prices from excess stimulus and goods/services consumption imbalances.

How Do We Recover?

In short – reduce inflation, reduce commodity prices. In my opinion, the Fed’s strategy for reducing inflation should err on the side of short-term pain for long-term gain, being more aggressive with rate increases now. Aggressive rate increases may trigger a recession, but without taking the risk, it’s possible that markets may continue to trend downward for an extended period. The longer inflation persists, the more the Fed will raise rates, so more pain now may mean a quicker end to the rate-hiking cycle and provide the market a chance to recover. The global economic outlook is also important to consider when predicting the timing of a recovery,

as many U.S. companies are highly globalized, and the countries they do business with are dealing with their own elevated levels of inflation as well. It’s taken roughly a year for the market to reach the bottom during the last 13 bear markets, with an average drawdown of -32.1% and an average length of 11.3 months. Investors today must now make the difficult decision to reposition their portfolios for the years ahead. Traditional portfolio allocation norms – like owning 60% stocks, 40% bonds – are proving to be ineffective in hedging downside risk. Bonds are performing poorly in the rising rate environment and have become highly correlated with stocks, reducing their volatility-minimizing qualities. When considering a portfolio reallocation, first consider your investing time horizon. If your time horizon is greater than 20 years, you should still likely be invested in all stocks with a tilt toward growth stocks. If you’re closer to retirement and own bonds in your portfolio, consider selling intermediate and long maturity bonds (perhaps 10-15% of your current allocation) and instead buy a mixture of shorter maturity bonds, commodity funds, and real estate funds. With stocks, consider selling high-growth stocks (perhaps 5-10%) and buy more value-oriented dividend paying stocks. Businesses with good cash flow and profitability become more valuable in rising rate environments. Remember that volatility is the price an investor must pay to gain wealth, and downturns are part of the investing journey. Stay informed and be patient, making smart tactical changes to your portfolio, and you will achieve your financial goals!

The information contained in this report does not purport to be a complete description of the securities, markets, or developments referred to in this material. The information has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but we do not guarantee that the foregoing material is accurate or complete. Any opinions are those of Andy Burnett and not necessarily those of Raymond James. Expressions of opinion are as of this date and are subject to change without notice. There is no guarantee that these statements, opinions, or forecasts provided herein will prove to be correct. Investing involves risk and you may incur a profit or loss regardless of strategy selected. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Future investment performance cannot be guaranteed, investment yields will fluctuate with market conditions. Investment advisory services offered through Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. Round Table Advisors is not a registered broker/dealer and is independent of Raymond James Financial Services. Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC.

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