Epic Entrepreneurs

Buying or selling a home shouldn’t feel like a blindfolded leap. We sit down with Will King—former teacher, now owner of Highside Home Inspections—to unpack how steady maintenance, clear education, and intentional planning reduce anxiety and create real value in every step of the real estate journey. From pre-listing inspections that prevent last-minute chaos to simple fixes that quietly raise sale price, we explore the small moves...

Ever wonder why a $150/hour service call doesn’t mean the owner makes $150? We pull back the panel with Thomas Fleming, president of Strategic Electrical Solutions, to explore the real economics of the trades—7,000 hours of experience, a daunting license exam, payroll and workers’ comp, trucks and tools, and the thin margins that still have to fund safety, training, and great service. Thomas blends three decades in the field with n...

What if your logo could sell for you every day—quietly, consistently, and everywhere your customers go? We sit down with David Riddell of Big Frog Custom T‑Shirts to unpack a decade of growth powered by flexible production, community presence, and relentless follow-through. From single-shirt solutions to thousand-piece runs, David explains why a retail, touch-and-feel experience reduces guesswork, builds trust, and turns branded ap...

What if a remodeling company could also be a recovery engine for families and a launchpad for veterans? That’s the story Brad from WNC Built brings to the table—a ground-up look at how service, sales, and culture can scale a local business while delivering real impact in Western North Carolina.

We start with the work on the ground: additions, kitchens, bathrooms—and the heavy lift of Rebuild Haywood, a grant-backed effort ...

What happens when a banking executive and a registered nurse decide to completely reinvent their lives at age 55? Dale and Stephanie's journey from comfortable careers to launching Cedar Direct, a specialty lumberyard in Western North Carolina, offers a masterclass in mid-life entrepreneurship and business development.

"Pine is fine but cedar is sweeter" might be their catchy slogan, but the story behind Ced...

Justin Berger takes us behind the curtain of home inspection entrepreneurship, revealing how his business evolved from a simple scheduling concept to the comprehensive team-based approach that's driven 20% year-over-year growth for Home Inspection Collective since 2017.

What sets this conversation apart is Justin's refreshing honesty about the entrepreneurial journey. He candidly shares how self-awareness transfo...

What happens when you take a leap of faith, leave behind a successful business, and start over in a new community? Lyn Mabry, founder of Designing Spaces by Lyn, did exactly that when she followed her dream of living in the mountains of Western North Carolina.

After 25 years in the design industry and a thriving business in Louisville, Lyn handed her company to her team and ventured to a place where she knew just one perso...

What happens when you launch an architecture firm on the very day a recession begins? For Brent Campbell, founder of BCA Architecture and Design, that seemingly terrible timing in 2007 became the foundation for a thriving Asheville-based practice that now employs eight people and handles projects ranging from custom homes to commercial buildings across Western North Carolina.

Joining host Bill Gilliland, Brent and fellow a...

What does it take to build multi-million dollar luxury homes in today's challenging market? Doug Peterson of Peterson Builders TX pulls back the curtain on his third-generation construction business that's thriving in the competitive Texas Hill Country.

Doug shares candid insights about the risks and rewards of scaling a construction business, revealing he would have grown faster had he known then what he knows n...

What does it take to transform specialized skills into a thriving business while maintaining your sanity and creating a workplace people actually want to join? Spencer from Coastland Tree Works reveals exactly that in this candid conversation about his entrepreneurial journey.

After honing his craft through a comprehensive apprenticeship in Germany, Spencer returned to America with technical expertise and a vision for a di...

Derek Prince takes us behind the scenes of his entrepreneurial journey as founder of Pro Property Services, Asheville's premier exterior contracting company specializing in deck construction, siding, roofing, and log cabin restoration. But this isn't just a story about building physical structures – it's about building multiple successful businesses with intention and purpose.

What makes Derek's approac...

Carving out a specialized niche might seem limiting, but for Garfield Jones of Paver Perfection, it's been the foundation of his entrepreneurial success. Broadcasting from Palm Beach - what Garfield calls "the paver capital of the world" - this episode delves into how focusing exclusively on paver restoration created a thriving business that commands premium prices while fixing other contractors' mistakes.
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What does it take to build a thriving business in a traditionally blue-collar industry? Jeremy Gunn of JBG Painting reveals the surprising answers in this candid conversation about entrepreneurship, employee retention, and creating real value.

Starting just four and a half years ago with nothing but a desire for independence, Jeremy has built a painting company that stands apart from competitors by focusing exclusively on ...

Brett Hulsey's journey from college newspaper staffer to media company owner defies conventional wisdom about print's demise in a digital world. As owner of Holsey Media Group and WNC Business Magazine, Brett shares how he transformed a small publishing operation into a thriving enterprise with approximately twelve magazine titles serving Western North Carolina and upstate South Carolina.

"I'd worked fo...

Dreams fuel every great business achievement, yet most organizations struggle to bridge the gap between inspirational vision and practical implementation. This disconnect isn't just philosophical—it's costing the global economy $438 billion annually in lost productivity through employee disengagement.

Jacqueline Boone, founder of Dream Academy, joins us to share her revolutionary approach to business transformati...

Successful entrepreneurs know their business is often their largest asset, yet most lack a clear strategy for unlocking its full value when it's time to move on. Jeff McKeehan and Chris Buehler from Viking Mergers & Acquisitions pull back the curtain on the complex world of business transitions, revealing insights that could potentially double what your business sells for.

The conversation exposes a critical misco...

When was the last time your banker gave you a same-day decision? For most business owners, the answer is "never" – but Andy Nadeau and his team at FB Financial are changing that reality in Western North Carolina.

"We tell business owners what they need to hear instead of what they want to hear," explains Nadeau, who brings over three decades of financial experience to his role. This straightforward appr...

What happens when you combine roofing expertise with self-taught digital marketing skills? James from 4 Square Roofing reveals the blueprint that transformed his business from struggling startup to a lead-generating powerhouse without spending a dime on marketing agencies.

After 15 years in real estate's feast-or-famine world, James discovered roofing's potential in 2015 and recognized an opportunity. Rather than...

Ever wondered how to transform your child's gaming obsession into something that actually builds valuable life skills? Meet Cheryl Chambers, who along with her husband Mark, is revolutionizing youth gaming culture through XP League Asheville.

From Minecraft battles to Fortnite competitions, Cheryl explains how XP League creates coach-led, in-person competitive gaming teams for kids ages 7-17. But this isn't just ...