My Morning Cup

Tom Henderson is a longtime broadcast journalist who now spends his days as a gentleman farmer, where the most stressful part of his day now is tending to tomatoes.   Tom shares why journalists and reporters should want the right people to be mad for the right reasons, how he switched from radio to TV and then left his dream job to come back to Chattanooga, and how he brought the Channel 9 team to...

Peppo Biscarini broke a swimming world record at just 15 years old and felt invincible, but his world came crashing down when he suffered a literal back-breaking accident.   In this episode, Peppo shares how the devastating loss of his swimming career led him to start several businesses, including a shoe-import business and a fin manufacturing company. We also talk about living in some of the most...

Bridgett Massengill has many roots across East Tennessee, which has played a major role in her community development career.   In this episode, Bridgett shares her professional zigs and zags, including the time she was promoted from intern to Executive Director. We also talk about the challenges she faced as a young woman in leadership positions, how a calendar quote put her on a new life path, an...

Jeff Lyash grew up in a small coal mining town and decided to follow in his grandfathers’ footsteps, never imagining that his path would lead him to become CEO of the largest public power company in the United States.   In this episode, Jeff shares which three qualities he implements every day for success, why everyone should be fearless about change, and how if you identify the biggest problems a...

Jay Shaffer has had a dynamic career path, from starting in oil rigging and pivoting to lending, then tech and startups, and now angel investing…    In this episode, Jay shares why he’s always prepared to play the cards he’s dealt, how a 4am realization changed the trajectory of his career, and how connections play a big part in finding new opportunities (but sometimes it’s a whole lot of luck too...

You may recognize Calvin Sneed from his many years as the main anchor on the 6pm news for Channel 9, but he didn’t start his journey there…   In this episode, Calvin shares how he worked his way up from photographer to main anchor, how he’s the only African American man in East Tennessee to be a main anchor on the news (and why that shouldn’t be the case), and why he’s returning to his roots of ph...

Christian Höferle is a native of Germany who made his way to the States through a student exchange program. After returning to Germany and growing a career as a journalist, Christian and his wife made a huge decision to move to Cleveland, Tennessee.    In this episode, Christian shares how he dealt with his family’s disappointment when he didn’t take over the family butcher business, what it was l...

Hal Bowling is on a mission to grow Chattanooga’s entrepreneur community one business at a time with LAUNCH, which makes intergenerational wealth possible for anyone, not just an elite few.   In this episode, Hal shares how after graduating college he went looking for adventure and ended up in Australia, how he spent the beginning of his career working for non-profits but pivoted to starting an ad...

Bill Priestley is a 27-year sports broadcast veteran. His journey started when he was forced to go (at least) five hours away for college and opened the “wrong door.”   In this episode, we talk about taking major gambles with career moves, putting dreams on pause, and the magic formula for finding a job that aligns with your interests and abilities.   Bill Priestley is the owner of The Dream Job F...

This special edition of the podcast was recorded with a live audience during Chattanooga Entrepreneur Week - so of course this week’s guest is Barry Large, the quintessential Chattanooga entrepreneur!   In this episode, Barry shares how he grew up with a front-row seat to entrepreneurship, seeing his parents own and operate a brick business. This sparked something in him, leading him to pitch a bu...

Susan Vandergriff can give us an inside look into what it’s like to work in each of the corporate, non-profit, and small business worlds thanks to her unique blend of career experiences. But that’s not the only thing with a unique blend…    Her business, The Happy Birdwatcher Co., is the only company in the country that uses data to create a unique blend of seeds to attract birds to your backyard....

Sheriff Austin Garrett has had a long career in law enforcement, following (somewhat) in the footsteps of his father, Austin “Cowboy” Garrett.   In this episode, Sheriff Garrett shares his three reasons for doing the job, why the HCSO uses social media to share the good and the bad, and how he maintains a work/life balance despite having to always be “on.”    Plus, he shares behind-the-scenes info...

Unlike many of My Morning Cup’s guests, Jacinda Woodward has worked at the same organization for her 39-and-a-half-year career. However, like many guests, she’s held several different and diverse roles at TVA.   In this episode, we talk about how a co-op opportunity opened the door for her at TVA while she was in college, how she didn’t skip steps as she progressed through the company, and why she...

Ted and Kelly Alling join the podcast for a double-guest episode to share about the work they’ve been doing at Chattanooga Preparatory School, an all-boys public charter school.   In this episode, they reflect on the steps they’ve taken that got them to this point, including how they both grew up abroad, the success and sale of Access America, and a year-long sabbatical in London. We also discuss...

This week I welcome back our first repeat guest, Matt Hullander, who shares everything he’s been doing since he was last on the podcast in episode 3.    Matt shares how a health scare in 2018 made him realize he wasn’t living his life “on purpose” and motivated him to write his book: The Daily Climb. He also shares advice for business owners, such as what makes a business sellable, why you need to...

No one thinks their marriage will end in divorce, and certainly no one thinks they will turn it into a career - but Brenda Bridges is a successful divorce coach, mediator, and financial advisor.   In this episode, Brenda shares how sometimes you just need to get your foot in the door in order to prove yourself, how her definition of success has changed throughout her career, and how she’s turned a...

Long-time Chattanoogans will know Jed Mescon from his 28 years anchoring the morning news on WRCB-TV. After a brief 7-year break from media, Jed is back on-air… but this time, on the radio (Talk 102.3).   In this episode, Jed shares how he became “King of the Passover Candy Sale” while in school, how he started his broadcasting career at the age of 16 by hosting a children’s game show, and fun ane...

Bo Drake is drawn to creating opportunities for others, which is what led him to pursue a career in higher education.   In this episode, Bo shares how his first career in insurance started by working in the family business (with a warning), how he used LinkedIn to get a foot in the door for higher education, and why it’s important to align your paycheck with your passion.   Bo Drake is the Vice Pr...

Dr. Elaine Swafford blooms where she’s planted. Throughout her life and career, opportunities have been presented and she seized them each time.   In this episode, Elaine shares with us her path from Teacher at Soddy Daisy High School to CEO of CGLA and every stop in between. She also tells us the story of her “Michael Jordan” moment, how 4-H speeches trained her to be an extrovert, and how she tu...

For Cam Doody, the corporate path was just too clear and unappealing. Instead, he found a solution to a problem, and started, along with his partners, his own company, Bellhop - the fastest-growing moving & relocation brand in the U.S.    Now, 13 years later, he helps other founders “burn the ships” and make it through “the trough of sorrow” - if they’re one of the ten startups that get accept...

Growing up on a farm in Iowa, Marj never dreamed of leaving her hometown. Nevertheless, with three babies under the age of 1, she moved across the country to California and began her career.   In this episode, Marj shares what it was like “dressing” chickens in Correctionville, how she moved up the ranks at a company for 19 years, and why she started her own Leadership Training business (which is...

Patrick Wells got an early taste of the startup world when he won a business plan competition in college. From there, he’s grown businesses in the legal, auto salvage, and stone industries.   In this episode, Patrick shares how one good idea changed his life’s path, what he learned from pole vaulting (and the adjustments former athletes must make to be successful in business), and how he’s acquire...

Growing up, Valoria Armstrong wanted to be an attorney. She never imagined that she would have a career in HR or Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.   In this episode, Valoria shares how she was elected President of the NAACP board at the age of 26, how she evaluates opportunities before committing to them, and why inclusion comes before diversity at Unum.   Valoria Armstrong is the Chief Global Inc...

Virginia Anne’s career did not start in the art world, despite a passion for the performing arts. She originally followed in her father’s footsteps as a lawyer, but her involvement in the community grew, leading her to the Hunter Museum nine years ago.   In this episode, we discuss what it was like to be the second woman ever hired at Miller & Martin, switching her focus from litigation to com...

Entrepreneurship has always been in Craig Fuller’s blood. From a young age, he’s been starting and growing businesses.   In this episode, Craig shares the ups and downs of his career, starting with growing Xpress Direct to $140 million in revenue within two years, then getting fired from the family businesses (twice), and now leading FreightWaves and acquiring legacy media brands.   Craig Fuller i...