BrandBuilders

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

If you’ve noticed Charlotte streets, restaurants, schools, etc., getting more crowded… it’s not your imagination. You’d literally have to be living under a rock to have missed the news that 100-plus people moving here every day!  Charlotte is one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, and the real estate market here is forecast to be the hottest in the US. With all the new people moving to...

Business-owner and Chef  Craig   Barbour  originally studied mechanical engineering at the University of Maryland before transitioning into the culinary field. After graduating from Johnson & Wales University here in Charlotte, he started his career at Carmel Country Club.  From there it was a food truck, event catering, a café in South End, and now a multi-brand food and beverage business. Cr...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pop quiz for you here: This nearly 200 BILLION DOLLAR industry employs is responsible for more than 4 million jobs in the US and generates nearly $70 million in tax revenue every year. Any guesses??  If your answer was the alcoholic beverage industry, you’d be right. And that market is forecast to continue growing, with new products and product categories entering the ring every day.  Daniel Sarje...

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

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