Find A Way with Matt Lavinder

Trevor Lee is a local advocate and changemaker who turned personal trauma into a powerful shield for the most vulnerable. From surviving childhood abuse to navigating the halls of the state legislature to pass the "Gabby Act," Trevor has spent his life defining what it means to stand up and refuse to "walk by" community injustice. In this conversation, we pull back the curtain on "Empathy as Advoc...

Kacey White is a US National Team veteran and UNC All-American who mastered the "Competitive Cauldron" to become a premier voice in MLS broadcasting. From the championship dynasty of North Carolina to the Apple TV booth, Kacey has spent her life defining what it means to find an "edge." In this conversation, we pull back the curtain on the "Uncomfortable Path to Success." Kacey reveals the mental...

Jared Kreiss is a world-class nature photographer who walked away from a stable career path to follow a silent intuition that led him across the globe. From selling everything he owned for a one-way ticket to New Zealand to standing face-to-face with grizzly bears in the Alaskan wilderness, Jared shares a powerful story of risk, resilience, and the relentless pursuit of a vision. This conversation...

Olivia Bailey is a former television personality and dedicated community advocate who walked away from the bright lights of big-city media to serve the region she calls home. She shares a powerful story of resilience, local pride, and the Herculean effort required to rebuild after the devastation of Hurricane Helene. From the newsroom to the front lines of disaster recovery, Olivia helped lead a g...

Tina McDaniel is a retired corporate professional and community historian who is on a mission to recover the "invisible" stories of Bristol. She shares a moving narrative of the "Village"—the resilient Black neighborhoods of the Jim Crow era where identity was forged on front porches and in segregated classrooms. From the bustling business district of Black Bottom to the 100-year-old oral historie...

Join host Matt as he interviews entrepreneur Allen Hurley about the real challenges and rewards of building businesses from scratch. Alan shares stories from his early days hustling in school to leading successful companies, highlighting the importance of persistence, relationships, and community. Discover why true success is never convenient, and how grit, support, and giving back have shaped Ala...

Manolo Betancur is a Colombian-born, award-winning baker and social activist who founded an allergy-friendly bakery and gelato shop. He shares a heartfelt story of hope, hard work, and the magic of breaking bread together. From humble beginnings, Manolo built a thriving business rooted in passion and community. This conversation explores generosity, resilience, and how one person’s vision can nour...

From Addiction to Connection: Rebuilding Lives and Communities in Appalachia Dustin shares his journey from addiction to recovery, revealing the challenges of rebuilding relationships and the power of community support. We discuss the importance of connection in overcoming substance abuse and how local programs are helping families heal. This episode offers hope, practical insight, and a reminder...

Jackie Thayer Craft, Hall of Fame King University Volleyball Player, is working to get the homeless in Dallas back in the workforce. She talks about the challenges and the way Dallas is coordinating specialty services to make real progress in the lives of the unhoused. From Bristol, we talk about the unique challenges facing Appalachian communities and solutions. 

Josh Holt, head football coach at Tennessee High, explains how the culture trains his three pillars of discipline, simplicity, and consistency. It’s filled with lessons for parents and leaders as he goes deep into the culture they are building, maintaining high expectations, leadership, and the challenges of modern culture. 

Pablo, a professional pickleball player, shares his incredible journey from growing up in a sporty family in Bogota, Colombia to becoming a top pickleball player in the world. He discusses his early days playing soccer, transitioning to tennis, and the challenges he faced, including traveling long distances for training. Pablo reflects on his college experience in the US, his initial struggles wit...

“Don’t let the last point define you.” The PPA #1 ranked pickleball player in the world talks about his journey, what it takes to make it as a professional, and advice for young kids. 

King University Hall of Famer and current Director of the Sporting Kansas City professional soccer academy guides us through the narrow path for young professional players in the MLS Academy program. He explains how talent creates the opportunity, but other important factors determine whether prospects make it to become professionals. This conversation is filled with unexpected insights from the c...

Daniel Shew has become an expert on restoring old and historic homes. He discusses the process, surprises, and purpose behind his restorations. We also dive into the history that these houses have taught us about the lives of the founders of Bristol. It’s a really interesting dive into Bristol’s history, slavery, and Appalachian culture as told by the houses built by Bristol’s founding families. 

Andy Hare is the inspirational principal of Sullivan East High School, a small county high school in Bristol that is doing extraordinary things. Andy discusses the super powers of this generation, their dreams, obstacles, and the intentional work the school is doing to empower them. It’s an inspirational approach that has the community bought into Patriot Pride from kindergarten through high schoo...

Samantha Gray, the executive director of Theatre Bristol and parenting coach, gives valuable insights into parenting, raising resilient children, and the importance of a community. We also talk about her work with Theatre Bristol, the power of theater, leadership, and their recent purchase of the Cameo Theater. Samanha shares valuable insights from her 30 years of instructing parents and building...

There are 67,000 cases of child abuse and neglect every year in Tennessee. Missy Sturgill describes the important work volunteer court appointed special advocates (CASA) are doing for kids in the court system. With 3,000 cases every year in Sullivan and Hawkins Counties, CASA volunteers advocate for abused and neglected children as they navigate the court system. It’s an inspiring story of how nor...

Matt Yelton, 4x National Champion college soccer coach and director of FC Alliance North, discusses the purpose of youth sports. We discuss the development of youth players, what we’re trying to achieve, and what American youth sports often get wrong. Matt goes deep into what a healthy model looks like, the art of coaching, and how it can ultimately develop character.

Margaret Feierabend is a true civil servant and Bristol leader who served as the first female mayor of Bristol in 1997.  She discusses the challenges Bristol faced then and now, walking us through critical moments when Bristol set itself up for success. A true community organizer, she talks in depth about the socioeconomic challenges facing Bristolians, childhood trauma, federal funding uncertaint...

Blake Collins lives what many view as the American Dream as the owner of Goodman Jewelers, a historic storefront on State Street, and a professional mandolin player. Blake discusses so many interesting things, including the apprenticeship required to learn a skilled craft, the satisfaction it brings, the challenges of the business, his passion for music, and a vision for music in Bristol. 

Emory & Henry University Football Head Coach Quintin Hunter on his 9-2 season, the nuances of the game, tough love, and the art of leading college players in today's culture. Coach Hunter explains the culture around Emory & Henry's "Blue Collar, Gold Standard" core value. It's a refreshingly positive approach to leadership and college football. 

Tennessee is the national leader in gambling addiction treatment. Dr. Meredith Ginley is the director of the Gambling Clinic at ETSU. This is a hopeful episode as Dr. Ginley describes the complicated patterns that lead to gambling problems and the typical 10-week recovery plan they've developed from the clinic's years of research and case studies. 

Bristol Motor Speedway's Logan McCabe shares the culture, values, and history that have made Bristol, The World's Fastest Half Mile, the favorite speedway among NASCAR fans. It's a lesson on building an authentic culture around exceeding expectations and empowering teams to solve problems. Everyone knows Bristol does racing differently and Logan shares the ideas and work behind it all.

City Manager Kelli Bourgeois on the way Bristol TN has chosen to embrace the hard things, what she calls "The Hard Right", rather than choosing the safe and easy bureaucratic approach. She gives a compelling argument for why, demographically, cities must choose to grow or die and how Bristol is using creativity and its uniquely positive culture to punch above its weight.  An experienced city manag...

Matt Hawn, recently vindicated by a court decision to overturn his dismissal for assigning controversial materials in a contemporary issues class that has drawn national attention, discusses his own passion for coaching and teaching amidst the extraordinary challenges facing teachers. Matt, born and raised in the same county school system he taught and coached, talks about why it's so important to...