Footnotes

Today on the podcast, we speak with Charlie Banks. He's the Co-Founder of VentureSouth, an early-stage venture capital firm for Southeastern startups. Our convo about startups, fundraising, and financial forecasting led us to note that "passion" is obviously essential in business – but it's smart data and detailed numbers that give actual backbone to any business that wants to grow... or eventuall...

In this episode, we speak with Nick Annan, CPA with Elliot Davis. With nearly 17 years of public accounting experience, Nick spends his days very similar to us – serving as controller and CFO advisor to real estate, professional services firms and not-for-profit clients. We always love the chance to talk business and money with Nick.  John and Nick cover some unique nuances of P&Ls, balance sh...

In this episode, we speak with Mitch Smith, a 4X tech entrepreneur whose had multiple exits and lived to tell about it. Mitch and John discuss the topic of risk in business – what it is, where it shows up, and how to deal with it. We talk about the process of forecasting and seeing around corners, especially when it comes to money. Mitch shares his unique perspectives on how to spend money as an i...

In Episode 58, Kim Smith, founder of Health Evolve Technologies, reveals some startling realities about health inequity and provides us with an optimistic picture of what an equitable care culture can be. According to Kim, only 20% of the health equity gap can be addressed in the doctor's office, yet so many think this is where the solution lies. Kim pulls from her experience in health care admini...

Dr. Aditi Bussells wears many hats, including public health researcher, consultant, mother, wife, and At-Large City Councilwoman. Episode 57 dives into the reality of working in municipal government, from how public health research can apply to policy making, to increasing civic engagement at the local level. Dr. Bussells teaches us how to look at the whole picture, and how to celebrate little win...

Sakhar Jams isn’t just a thriving jam business, it’s also an inspiring story of friendship and motherhood, bound together with a love of food. In Episode 56 of Footnotes, founders Reshma Mahadkar and Jessica Henry share honest, inspiring advice about adding the title of “business partner” to a long friendship. How do you scale responsibly, how do you delineate tasks and collaborate, how do you man...

When Herbert Drayton III was looking for investors to fund promising black-owned businesses, he made a shocking discovery. There was not a single majority-black venture capital firm in the entire state of South Carolina. In Episode 55 of Footnotes , we learn how Drayton built the state's first black-owned VC firm, dedicated entirely to supporting BIPOC and women-owned businesses with not only the...

In Episode 54 of Footnotes , we check in with the Mayor of Columbia, SC, Daniel Rickenmann, after one year on the job. He explains how he promotes the sharing of ideas and resources for the good of the community, reducing barriers to conversations and giving everyone who wants to engage a voice. He shows us how we can make Columbia's assets visible and accessible by connecting our amazing neighbor...

In Episode 53 of Footnotes, we sit down with Greenville entrepreneur, Erin Mehagan, owner of Livi Lu Lane, a company that is redefining women’s intimates. Driven by the passion to make products for real women, Erin turned her own struggle to find a bra that fit her post-pregnancy body into a thriving retail business. We can all identify with her emotional story and remarkable ability to learn on t...

It’s no secret that relationships are a key to a business that lasts, but in no place is that more true than in a family business. Mother-daughter team Lisa Tyson and Leigh Provost of L.A. Barrier & Son Inc. have kept their premier hauling business in the family for four generations, and they’ve found nothing but advantages to keeping it in the family. Leigh shares what convinced her to leave...

Suzanne Brunnemer runs a local business that’s remained in the family for three generations, despite the tough competition in the tool supply market. In our conversation, she credits the success of Mann Tool and Supply, Inc. to the exceptional relationships between her staff and the community. She defines the unspoken benefits of fostering a familial culture in your business while offering valuabl...

In Episode 50 of Footnotes, we have an enlightening conversation with Duke Hartman, co-founder of Integer Technologies, an applied research business that bridges the gap between research institutions and government defense agencies. We discuss how the cutting edge research innovations which arise in theoretical university settings are identified, proven, and brought to life as real-world, usable p...

Heather Leigh, the owner of Greenhaven Memorial Gardens, has spent her career helping people navigate the emotional end-of-life journey. In Episode 49 of Footnotes , she shares the unique and essential lessons she's learned while working in a highly emotional field, lessons that inspired her to found BETR, a community for fellow business leaders who want a better way to network, learn, and grow. W...

In Episode 48 of Footnotes , Kristian Niemi, seasoned restauranteur, sits down with us in one of Columbia’s most popular restaurants, Bourbon Lounge. He takes us through the steps of building Bourbon from an idea dreamed up in a car to an expanded, hopping location that’s become the heart of Columbia’s food scene. Listen in for restaurant secrets and stay for Kristian’s exciting predictions about...

We've been waiting for Episode 47 of Footnotes because we finally get to sit down with someone who's been with us since Episode 2, Chad Rochester. He is usually behind the scenes, but today he steps in front of the camera to talk about how he pivoted from teaching High School English to running The Pierson Collective, a creative firm that provides top-notch media to a diverse array of companies an...

Episode 46 of Footnotes covers a lot of ground, from corporate sustainability to telling stories with art. Brooks Boland, the founder of MSP Disposal, talks about the ways the future of transparent sustainability has already arrived. He shows us how a company can connect the dots between big manufacturers, overstock, and people, all while adding a powerful new layer of storytelling, art, and recyc...

Episode 45 of Footnotes turned into a masterclass on building and marketing an experience that provides people with what they’ve always loved: community, fresh air, and, of course, shopping. Emile DeFelice is the visionary behind Soda City Market, a weekly event that’s become synonymous with the City of Columbia in South Carolina. He brings some unconventional wisdom to the table, encouraging us t...

We're thrilled to sit down with Jenn Randall-Collins, co-founder and CEO of Proof Alcohol Ice Cream, a visionary company that combines two things everyone loves - ice cream and alcohol. Episode 44 takes us on a journey from a single ice cream machine on Shop Road to filling international shipments and stocking hundreds of grocery stores with a product so unique that it created a whole new market....

Join us for Episode 34, where we share a pilsner with Scott and Darryl, co-founders of Steel Hands Brewing, to discuss a 120-billion-dollar industry – selling beer. They teach us how to grow new local markets to meet the rising demand of a fast-paced industry with a constantly changing pallet. They’re not only masters of brewing—they’re masters of strategic expansion, predicting customer demand an...

In Episode 42, we hear from Bryan Murdaugh, co-founder and CEO of Fivable, a custom software development firm that makes businesses' software dreams a reality. He introduces us to a brand new garage-band business model that goes against the grain, building software from the ground up to bring big ideas to life for businesses in diverse industries, connected by the desire to make things a little ea...

In Episode 41, we meet with our first business run by two brothers, Austin and Thomas Rhodes, founders of Rhodes Branding. Their work is inspired and guided by their shared childhood in rural South Carolina, an upbringing that gave them the values that inform their unique approach to business: work hard, stay humble, and appreciate what you have. They teach us to take time for ourselves, live ever...

Some of the best ideas start in the most unconventional places. For Dr. Jack Neil, the technology business that would change his life (and healthcare) began in a notebook on a flight home from London. In Episode 40, we discuss how Dr. Neil combined a career in the medical field with a love for everything tech to co-found Hank A.I., a software company that helps reduce administrative inefficiency i...

In Episode 39 we sit down with Lance Brown, co-founder of Rhino Medical Supply, who inspires us to find opportunity in crisis. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Lance and his partners recognized a crucial blind spot in the medical supply chain. Drawing from a unique set of skills built in their previous positions, from medical sales to merchant services, they developed a transparent sales model that e...

CEO Ben Rex has taken the community building and tech expertise of Cyberwoven and applied it to Create Opportunity, an initiative dedicated to providing underserved populations with clear pathways to jobs in the knowledge economy. In Episode 38, we discuss how skills training and apprenticeships developed through partnerships between companies and schools can fill the chronic undersupply of tech w...

In Episode 37 of Footnotes, Dr. Kassy Alia Ray, the Executive Director of Serve & Connect, challenges us to find the courage to listen and rewrite the divisive narratives that keep our communities from thriving. We discuss how she took personal trauma and grief and transformed it into a nationally recognized non-profit that builds relationships between law enforcement and their communities. In...