EVRYBDY in CLT

Robbie sits down with Kayleigh Ruller — Charlotte-raised, New York-based food and travel writer — for a wide-ranging conversation that defies easy categorization. They cover her New Jersey roots, her Charlotte schooling tour (eight schools, no kidding), a gap year in LA chasing acting, and the long winding road that led her to bylines in Food & Wine, Condé Nast Traveler, and Eater. But the rea...

In this episode, we sit down with Rick Thurmond, the driving force behind Charlotte's transformation into a thriving music city. Rick takes us through his fascinating journey from sports writer in Tallahassee to his two decades at Charlotte Magazine, and eventually to his current role at Charlotte Center City Partners where he founded Music Everywhere CLT . We dive deep into the challenges and opp...

Lauren Goodell joins the show to discuss her journey from enterprise sales at Microsoft and Salesforce to founding Zinnia, an AI-powered sales platform built around human-first selling. She and Robbie explore the evolving role of AI in sales, the importance of genuine connection, and why technology should amplify—not replace—human relationships. A thoughtful conversation for founders, sales leader...

On this episode EVRYBDY in CLT, Robbie Shaw sits down with AI expert and StealthX founder, Drew Burdick. Robbie and Drew dive into the future of AI and whether it will be the world changing business tool that many hope for or the not so popular doom and gloom sci-fi movie! Drew is a self proclaimed techno optimist and predicts (and hopes for) the former. Drew expands on why his company chose podca...

This episode features Nicole Sodoma, the founder of Sodoma Law, detailing her remarkable journey of building a regional legal powerhouse. After an unconventional start—leaving high school at 16—Nicole opened Sodoma Law 17 years ago on a whim. She quickly scaled the firm from two people to over 40 lawyers across seven offices. Nicole offers candid insight into the complexity of Family Law, explaini...

This episode features journalist Michael Graff, founder of The Charlotte Optimist. Graff shares his unconventional career path, which began with the ambition to get free admission to Orioles games as a sportswriter. He details his shift from sportswriting to becoming a defining feature writer for Our State magazine, where he traveled North Carolina's 100 counties. Graff discusses how his work is f...

Host Robbie Shaw welcomes Chef Dorji Tshering and Sara Reeves, the creative forces behind the new Charlotte tasting menu restaurant, Sora. Chef Dorji shares his incredible culinary journey, which began in Bhutan, included French and Italian training in Sydney, Australia , and led to learning the detailed art of sushi from a pure master in Connecticut , eventually working for culinary legends like...

In this inspiring episode of EVRYBDY in CLT, host Robbie Shaw sits down with Dr. Joy Davis—author, scholar, and researcher of high-achieving women—for a raw and uplifting conversation on identity, resilience, and growth. Joy shares her personal journey through motherhood, loss, and career pivots, exploring how life’s hardest seasons can become catalysts for reinvention and purpose. From navigating...

In this episode of EVRYBDY in CLT, host Robbie Shaw sits down with Liz Brigham, Director of the Hurt Hub at Davidson College, to talk about her journey from corporate leadership roles to championing innovation, entrepreneurship, and community building in higher education. Liz shares how her experiences in business, the arts, and academia have shaped her vision for creating spaces where students, e...

In this episode of EVRYBDY in Charlotte, host Robbie Shaw, CEO of EVRYBDY Studios, sits down with Wil Brawley, co-founder of Schedulefly, to discuss the art of building authentic connections in the hospitality industry. Wil shares insights from his journey growing Schedulefly, a scheduling and communication platform designed specifically for independent restaurants. The conversation delves into th...

In this episode of EVRYBDY in Charlotte, we sit down with Ashlyn Greer, founder of Fashivly, a platform that’s transforming the online shopping experience. Ashlyn shares her journey from growing up in a small Appalachian town to working in corporate fashion at Belk and eventually taking the leap into entrepreneurship. We dive into how she identified a major gap in the online shopping experience, b...

In this episode of EVRYBDY in Charlotte, host Meredith Dean sits down with Chelsea Blackwell, a content creator, flight attendant, and former cast member of Love Is Blind Season 6. Chelsea opens up about her unexpected journey into the world of reality TV, the challenges of dealing with online scrutiny, and the importance of staying grounded in the face of social media pressure. She shares insight...