Sunday Afternoon Smokes

Jarrett Forrester joins Sunday Afternoon Smokes to discuss entrepreneurship, customer service, branding, and the unexpected path that led him from full-time musician to business owner. Known throughout the Southeast as a touring Americana and country artist, Jarrett shares how Cowboy Custom Printing was born almost by accident after a frustrating business experience revealed an opportunity to do t...

What does it actually mean to train a horse? Jessica Fry, founder of Wild Hearts Equine Therapy, joins Sunday Afternoon Smokes for a conversation about horses, healing, trust, and the surprising connection between human and animal nervous systems. What begins as a discussion about equine therapy quickly expands into a deeper conversation about emotional regulation, anxiety, confidence, trauma, and...

Eddie King, Editor-in-Chief of Upstate Community Press, joins Sunday Afternoon Smokes to discuss community, entrepreneurship, storytelling, and the winding path that shaped his life. Raised in Belton, South Carolina, Eddie shares how an unexpected end to his plans of joining the Marine Corps sent him searching for a new direction, eventually leading him to Hawaii. What began as an attempt to escap...

Nancy Davis joins Sunday Afternoon Smokes to share her unexpected journey from medical transcriptionist to jewelry artist and entrepreneur. What started with handmade bottle lights and alcohol ink artwork eventually evolved into Nancy Davis Studio, where she now creates custom rings, earrings, bracelets, ashtrays, and other wearable art. Along the way, she learned the realities of craft markets, t...

In this episode of Sunday Afternoon Smokes, Chris sits down with Dallas Vickers, owner of the Greenville franchise of Stunning & Brilliant Events, for a conversation about wedding planning, entrepreneurship, hospitality, and what luxury really means. Dallas shares her journey from culinary school and private chef work to building a career in event planning, discussing the realities of weddings, co...

In this episode of Sunday Afternoon Smokes, Chris sits down with Ryland Rainsford, co-founder of Scout's Doughnuts, for a thoughtful conversation about entrepreneurship, faith, family, endurance, and building a business with intentionality. Before opening one of Greenville’s most beloved doughnut shops, Ryland worked as a mechanical engineer at Michelin while his wife JP taught elementary school....

In this episode of Sunday Afternoon Smokes, Chris sits down with Will Bestermann — recent Clemson graduate, future physical therapist, and creator of Saturday's Best Sports — for a conversation about ambition, entrepreneurship, sports media, discipline, and figuring life out in your twenties. At just 22 years old, Will is balancing college, physical therapy school acceptance at UConn, content crea...

In this episode of Sunday Afternoon Smokes, Chris sits down with local attorney Trey Ingram of Holliday Ingram Real Estate Law for a wide-ranging conversation about family, faith, entrepreneurship, adoption, and building a meaningful life in a rapidly changing world. Trey shares the story behind Holliday Ingram Real Estate Law, why he walked away from the traditional big-firm path, and how he and...

In this episode of Sunday Afternoon Smokes, Chris sits down with physical therapist Collin Beckermeyer, DPT, and physical therapist assistant Michelle Edwards, for a thoughtful conversation about chronic pain, recovery, physical therapy, faith, mindset, and what it truly means to help people heal. Michelle brings more than 34 years of experience as a traveling PTA, while Collin represents a younge...

In this episode of Sunday Afternoon Smokes, Chris sits down with Woody Liles, co-founder of Sauna House Greenville, to talk about his transition from civil engineering and large-scale infrastructure projects to launching a modern European-style bathhouse in Upstate South Carolina. Woody shares how long hours, job stress, and burnout pushed him to rethink his career path—and how a single experience...

In Episode 64 of Sunday Afternoon Smokes, Nico DiNunzio shares a powerful story shaped by family, loss, and resilience. From growing up through divorce to losing his father—and later surviving a life-altering stroke—Nico reflects on the moments that forced him to confront what really matters. We talk about therapy, personal growth, career direction, and what it means to be present as a husband and...

In Episode 63 of Sunday Afternoon Smokes, Chris sits down with Jason Jansen, owner of Broadwater Shrimp Supply & Seafood Market — and the guest of honor for the very first video episode recorded inside the new Sunday Afternoon Smokes Lounge. Jason's story starts with coolers, a truck, and a one-way move from Charleston to Greenville with no customers, no connections, and no plan B. What followed w...

Francie Staub has been at the bleeding edge of every major marketing shift for thirty years — and she saw each one coming before most people believed it was real. From an art gallery in Atlanta to banner ads nobody wanted to touch, from Razorfish at its peak to managing a $175 million media budget at TD Ameritrade and US Card at Capital One, Francie built her career by jumping toward the scary thi...

In this powerful episode of Sunday Afternoon Smokes, Chris sits down with Juliette Pierce—Mrs. Greenville America, athlete, gym owner, and woman of deep faith—for a raw and unhurried conversation about resilience, identity, and transformation. Juliette shares her journey from a difficult childhood marked by instability, addiction, and the absence of a strong father figure to finding purpose throug...

In this episode of Sunday Afternoon Smokes, Chris sits down on the patio with Geoff Rhyne — chef, entrepreneur, father, and founder of Red Clay Provisions and iDefine Foundation. What starts as a conversation about butchery, southern food culture, and building better condiments slowly unfolds into something much deeper. Geoff shares stories from his early years growing up around chaos and violence...

In this episode of Sunday Afternoon Smokes, Chris sits down with returning guest Jake Henderson, owner of the Carolina Barbell Club and a competitive strongman athlete training out of Britt’s Brothers Gym in Greenville, South Carolina. Jake breaks down the differences between strongman, powerlifting, and bodybuilding, what it really takes to train for elite strength sports, and why discipline matt...

In this episode of Sunday Afternoon Smokes, Chris sits down with esthetician and entrepreneur Kimberly Bertrand, founder of SmartFace and SF Ceuticals. Kimberly shares her unexpected journey—from small-town Texas to San Diego and eventually Greenville—and how building a successful skincare business forced her to confront burnout, leadership failures, and ultimately her own need for transformation....

In this episode of Sunday Afternoon Smokes, Chris sits down with Duncan Morrow and Jerry Plumb of Upstate Community Press for a wide-ranging conversation about storytelling, small business, and the role creativity plays in building community. What begins with cigars and conversation quickly moves into deeper territory. Duncan and Jerry share how Upstate Community Press grew from a passion for visu...

In this episode of Sunday Afternoon Smokes, Chris sits down with neighbor and entrepreneur Cody Stinson — founder of Media Lifeline Pro — for a wide-ranging conversation about faith, business, technology, and resilience. Born three months premature and given almost no chance of survival, Cody shares the story of his early life, the vision complications that shaped his childhood, and the unexpected...

On this episode of Sunday Afternoon Smokes, I sit down with Julian Loue, founder of Rise Bakery, for a conversation about craft, restraint, and building something that lasts. Julian’s path to owning a bakery wasn’t immediate or linear. After spending years in the automotive industry, baking began as a personal interest, grew quietly during the pandemic, and eventually moved from a home kitchen to...

In this episode of Sunday Afternoon Smokes, I sit down with Upstate photographer and videographer Josiah Hartline for a relaxed, long-form conversation about work, creativity, and calling. We talk about growing up in Greenville, feeling directionless in school, finding purpose through apprenticeship and discipline, and how his relationship to work — and faith — has changed over time. Along the way...

This episode of Sunday Afternoon Smokes was recorded in April 2025 and, for a long time, I believed it had been lost. It turns out it wasn’t. What you’re hearing is a fully unscripted, early-season conversation with two entrepreneurs who build meaningful work in very different corners of the country — and who both understand what it means to carry responsibility, uncertainty, and care for others....

Episode Clarification: During the conversation, Courtney misspoke when defining acquired brain injury. An acquired brain injury (ABI) refers to any brain injury that occurs after birth and serves as an umbrella term for both traumatic and non-traumatic brain injuries. Traumatic brain injuries result from an external force (such as a fall or motor vehicle accident), while non-traumatic brain injuri...

Sean from Jetline Canine Training returns to Sunday Afternoon Smokes after first appearing back in Episode 2 in November 2024. This time, the conversation isn’t about dog training in theory — it’s about what it actually looks like to start a puppy the right way. Poppi, Chris’ new 5-month-old dog, is only about a week into training, so this episode isn’t a highlight reel. It’s a real discussion abo...

As the new year is upon us, many people begin thinking about goals, plans, and their annual resolutions. While the practice itself is ancient, this episode approaches the topic from a Biblical perspective on planning, purpose, and dependence on God. In this solo episode, I reflect on what Scripture teaches about making plans, committing our work to the Lord, and recognizing the limits of our contr...