Paper Trails

In Episode 5 of Season 5 of the Paper Trails podcast, Nick Kalogeromitros sits down with Tiffany Sears, owner of the real estate firm Sears Group. Listen as Tiffany shares her story as a Charlotte native, how she got started in the real estate world, her journey to launching her own firm, and what it takes to be a business owner.

In Episode 4 of Season 5, Nick Kalogeromitros catches up again with Jeff Tonidandel and Jamie Brown, owners of the Tonidandel-Brown Restaurant Group. They discuss what it’s like to own multiple restaurants, their PBS show Fork and Hammer and how it came to be, writing a book, and the current state of the restaurant industry and where they see it heading.

In Episode 3 of Season 5, Nick Kalogeromitros sits down with Zach Current, owner of Painted Rooster and Moo & Brew. Zach talks about his early days growing up working in restaurants, what he learned while growing and developing at Fuel Pizza, the lessons learned from building Moo & Brew, and his new concept, Painted Rooster.

In Episode 2 of Season 5, Nick Kalogeromitros catches up with Cam Shulz, owner of HopFly Brewing Company. Cam talks about his early days at Duke, his time in the fashion industry, and how that experience unexpectedly laid the groundwork for his path into craft beer.

An all-new season of the Paper Trails podcast is here! In the first episode of Season 1, Nick Kalogeromitros sits down with Chef Darius Johnson, owner of Noelle’s Catering. Darius shares his journey from being inspired by his father’s cooking at a young age, to joining the military and the lessons it taught him, overcoming adversity, and unveiling his new concept coming to Charlotte: Sage & Ci...

In Episode 8 of Season 4 of the Paper Trails Podcast, Nick Kalogeromitros sits down with Will Jones, CEO of Thompson Child & Family Focus. Tune in as Will shares his journey in the nonprofit sector, how he has grown as a leader, and the mission behind Thompson’s work to support children and families in need.

In Episode 7 of Season 4 of the Paper Trails Podcast, Nick Kalogeromitros sits down with Conrad Hunter, owner of Foxcroft Wine Co. Tune in as Conrad shares his journey from pursuing his early passion for music, to discovering a love for wine and building a career in the industry, to ultimately developing the Foxcroft brand into what it is today.

In Episode 6 of Season 4 of the Paper Trails Podcast, Nick Kalogeromitros sits down with Tony Salerno, President of Mac’s Hospitality Group. Listen as he talks about how he got into the restaurant industry at a young age, his experience working for companies during both expansion and contraction phases, and what makes Mac’s Speed Shop so special.

In Episode 4 of Season 5 of the Paper Trails Podcast, Nick Kalogeromitros sits down with Charlotte FC player Brandt Bronico. Listen as Brandt talks about going the extra mile early in his development as a player, how he ended up playing for Charlotte FC, his entrepreneurial journey, and what 'grindest' means to him.

Nick Kalogeromitros sits down with Brandon Cullen, Co-founder of MADabolic. Listen as Brandon talks about his time as a semi-professional hockey player, his understanding of being a driven individual, what led him and his partner to start MADabolic and expand quickly in the market, and where the brand is heading.

In Episode 3 of Season 4 of the Paper Trails Podcast, Nick Kalogeromitros sits down with Aimee Larson, President of Conway Restaurant Group. Listen as Aimee shares the origins of the Napa brand and provides insights and strategies on how they created a successful brand.

In Episode 2 of Season 4 of the Paper Trails Podcast, Nick Kalogeromitros sits down with Chase Hazelwood, owner of Go Forth Services. Listen as Chase shares what his life was like growing up in the Triad area, the early days of his business working for his dad, and how he developed a high-performance culture at Go Forth.

In this new season of the Paper Trails Podcast, Nick Kalogeromitros sits down with David Hamme, owner of Lost Worlds. Listen as David shares his journey from the consulting world to launching Lost Worlds, the challenges of opening during COVID, and how he expanded to multiple locations in just five years.

In the 18th episode of Season 3 of the Paper Trails podcast, Nick sits down with Frank Scibelli, the owner of Mama Ricotta's. Listen as Frank shares his start in the restaurant industry in the '90s in Charlotte, the lessons he has learned from opening various types of restaurants over the years, and the importance of building a company with good people.

In the 17th episode of Season 3 of the Paper Trails podcast, Nick sits down with Karma Murillo, Executive Chef at Barcelona Wine Bar. Listen as Karma talks about his beginnings as a dishwasher, the growth process of being young in the restaurant industry, and the experience he wants people to have when they visit Barcelona Wine Bar.

In the 16th episode of Season 3 of the Paper Trails podcast, Nick sits down with Courtney Evans, Chef at 3rd and Fernwood. Listen as Courtney talks about growing up between South Carolina and New York, becoming a Chef de Cuisine at a young age and the challenges and successes that came with it, and why she chose to take on a new Chef role at 3rd and Fernwood.

In the 15th episode of Season 3 of the Paper Trails podcast, Nick sits down again with Frank Kaltsounis, the owner of Ilios Crafted Greek, following Frank's first appearance on the podcast in Season 1. Listen as Frank talks about his background growing up in Charlotte, his perspective on the restaurant scene, the importance of culture in business, and what the future holds for Ilios Crafted Greek,...

In the 14th episode of Season 3 of the Paper Trails podcast, Nick sits down with Andres Kaifer, the owner of Custom Shop. Listen as Andres talks about attending the Culinary Institute of America, growing up in Miami and working in that food scene, and how Custom Shop was established.

In the 13th episode of Season 3 of the Paper Trails podcast, Nick sits down with Steven De Falco, co-owner of Pizza Baby. Listen as Steven talks about growing up in a family of food entrepreneurs, the influence of independent, chef-driven restaurants in his life, and how Pizza Baby came to be.

In the 12th episode of Season 3 of the Paper Trails podcast, Nick sits down with chef Rayana Radcliff. Listen as Reyana talks about how she got her culinary bug, what working in corporate catering taught her, and her dive into business ownership.

In the 11th episode of Season 3 of the Paper Trails podcast, Nick sits down with Samantha Ward, the owner of Wentworth and Fenn. Listen as Samantha talks about her early love for pastries, the importance of grinding and working hard, and how she started Wentworth & Fenn.

In the 10th episode of Season 3 of the Paper Trails podcast, Nick sits down with Michael Pruitt. Listen as Mike speaks on his early days playing collegiate baseball and moving to Monroe, NC, the success principles baseball taught him, and the life lessons he’s learned from business ownership.

In the 9th episode of Season 3 of the Paper Trails podcast, Nick sits down with Jasmine Macon, the owner of Beyond Amazing Donuts. Listen as Jasmine talks about how her grandmother introduced her to cooking, what pushed her more towards breads and cakes over meats, and her love of donuts and what made her start Beyond Amazing Donuts.

In the 8th episode of Season 3 of the Paper Trails podcast, Nick sits down with Carlos Abrahams, the owner of Crav’n Caribbean. Listen as Carlos talks about how his mother influenced his passion for food, his transition from the car business to the food industry, and what Crav’n Caribbean is all about.

In the 7th episode of Season 3 of the Paper Trails podcast, Nick sits down with James Yoder, the owner of Not Just Coffee. Listen as James speaks about his upbringing in Japan, moving to North Carolina, his beginnings in business ownership, and what it means to stay in your strengths.