People of Chattanooga
by Luke Swab
"People of Chattanooa" A weekly podcast that interviews the unique individuals that make up this wonderful city. They are the adventurers, risk takers, entrepreneurs, creative thinkers, movers and shakers of the city. They are bold, they have succeeded or failed, they are not the mundane, they have a story to tell and this is where they can do that. Welcome to the People of Chattanooga Podcast, hosted by Luke Swab.
Episodes
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#49 - Lewis Armistead - The Bone Yard Bar + Lewis and Clark Band + The Wreckless Conduct
Today on the show I have Lewis Armistead. Lewis is Lewis. I don’t know anyone else like him. He is a Downhill Skater, Musician, Singer, Mtn Biker and now successful Bar owner with his masterpiece on Station Street named the Bone Yard. My simple words in this introduction can not describe the…
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#48 Blythe Bailey - Director of Design and Connectivity for the Department of Parks and Outdoors
Today on the show I have Blythe Bailey. Blythe works for the city as the Director of Design and Neighborhood Connectivity. In this conversation, we dive as deep into greenways as I could keep up with. We discuss how important green ways are for the community, for health, connectivity and many…
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#47 - Skyler Baker - Hiking the Pacific Coast Trail
Today on the show I have Skyler Baker. Skyer loves to camp and hike. His latest project was completing the famous Pacific Coast Trail. This 2,650 trail from the Mexican Border to Canada was his daily life for a few months and he loved most of it. I had a great time having him on the show to live...
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#46 - Ben VanderHart - Telemonster & Yellow Racket Records
Ben VanderHart is a local Musician from his band Telemonster. He also is the owner of the record label titled: Yellow Racket Records. Yellow Racket also has a brick and mortar storefront on east main which sells turntables and has over 3,000 pieces Vinyl. We talk about his experience going to...
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#45 - Cash Daniels - Chattanooga's Conservation Kid
Cash Daniels, you may have seen him on the Kelly Clarkson Show or talking to former Mayor Andy Berke about Conservation. His resume may be the longest of anyone I have ever had on the show. The following is a list of his current awards and achievements: TruStage Spirit of Community award winner...
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#44 - Jeff Styles - "Chattanooga Drive In Show" Podcast
Jeff Styles has been on local talk radio morning shows for 29 years. He knows the game well and has cultivated a loyal following. I had the pleasure to sit down with him for two hours to discuss leaving radio and switching to podcasting, what fires him up in a conversation, the lost art of…
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#43 - Randy Whorton - The Big Cumberland Loop
Randy Whorton is a legend in Chattanooga. He loves everything outdoors and gives so much back to the community by cleaning up our rivers and trails. His passion for trail running and stand up paddle boarding led him to tackling bigger and bigger projects. For his 60th birthday he trail ran the...
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#42 - Nathan Bird - Chattanooga Civics Podcast
Today on the show I have Nathan Bird. Nathan is the host of the local podcast Chattanooga Civics. In this conversation we learn about the man behind the mic, why he started the podcast, and when and where we can vote. Nathan is passionate about Chattanooga, how our local government works and he…
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#41 - Cameron Muilenburg - Videographer, BMX, Hddn.co, RAD DAD!
Today on the show I have my good friend and colleague Cameron Muilenburg. Cameron and I met riding BMX bikes a few years back and our relationship has grown from friends to working together as journalists for RoadRunner Touring Magazine. Cameron by trade is a videographer, but by heart he is an...
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#40 - Kim White - River City Company & Mayoral Candidate 2021
Kim White: You all probably have heard her name before as she is a powerful, well-known woman in our community who has quite the running resume. She has held the title of President and CEO of River City Company which is a non-profit responsible for much of the redevelopment of downtown…
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#39 - Paul Mayer - Discovering the WWII U.S.S. Indianapolis - Submersible Pilot for the late Paul Allen
Paul Mayer is one of the best Submersible Pilots in the world. He has over 2,000 dives under his belt, which in layman's terms means that less than 10 people who have ever lived on this planet have dived more than him . He has worked piloting subs for the philanthropist and co-founder of…
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#38 - Scottie Bowman - Scottie's on the River, Big Chill & Grill, The Launch Pad
Scottie Bowman is the owner of two great restaurants in town: Scottie’s on the River and also the Big Chill & Grill. She started The Launch Pad which is a twelve step based sober living house for women in recovery of alcohol and drug addiction. Scottie is about as real as they come and opens…
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#37 - Wade Hinton - Former City Attorney & Mayoral Candidate 2021
Wade Hinton was born and raised in Chattanooga’s west side neighborhood by his single mother. He went to College at Emory University and Law School at the University of Memphis. His resume is impressive as he has been the city’s attorney, the Deputy General Counsel at Volkswagen and Vice…
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#36 - Tim Laramore - Director of North Chickamauga Creek Conservancy
Tim Laramore is an avid kayaker, a teacher at Baylor, and the Director of the North Chickamauga Creek Conservancy. The conversation revolves around water as we discuss access, land acquisition, park creation and maintenance. We talk about the pro’s and con’s of Dams, the different ways to enjoy...
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#35 - Mark Baldwin - Breakdancer, Dj & Founder of L2 Outside
Mark Baldwin has lived a crazy life. In his 20’s he was a popular DJ in the Caribbean Islands. Some of those islands were so dangerous that he had a personal bodyguard. In fact one summer a DJ was murdered and Mark was next in line to fill the vacant position so he did. Mark is also a…
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#34 - Nelson Johnston - Thorough Built LLC
Nelson Johnston is our youngest guest to date at only 24 years old, but don’t let his age fool you. He is in a league of his own when it comes to working hard. He has quite the unconventional success story. He self-describes himself during the podcast as “spoiled rotten.” While attending Mccallie...
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#33 - Sunshine Loveless - Gold Medalist & Outdoor Enthusiast
Sunshine Loveless is a world class athlete who played for America in Women's tackle football. In 2010 she helped the US take home the gold medal against Canada in the first ever IFAF Championship. She also has played competitive fast-pitch softball, worked as a raft guide on the Ocoee river and...
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#32 - Monty Bruell - First African-American Graduate of Baylor, Harvard Alumni, Mayoral Candidate 2021
Today on the show I have Monty Bruell. Monty has a fascinating story as he guides me through his life during this podcast. He was raised in Alton Park by his single mother. He became the first African-American to graduate from Baylor high school. He graduated Harvard with a degree in Economics…
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#31 - Hollee Brock - Walking the Camino de Santiago & Along the Camino Podcast
Hollee Brock recently completed the Camino de Santiago in Spain which means “The way of Saint James.” It is a pilgrimage route of sorts with most people using the trail to grow their Spirituality. Hollee is a wonderful writer and after her trip she wrote down stories from the trail and started…
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#30 - Jim Johnson - Bike Tours & Building Greenways in Chattanooga
Jim Johnson the owner of Biketours.com and overall bicycle advocate. He has been helping people plan European bike tours for 18 years, that was until Covid-19 hit. His business model came to an abrupt halt and now one year before retirement he is completely reinventing his business by switching...
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#29 - Tim Kelly - Chattanooga FC & Running for Mayor
Tim Kelly is the owner of Kelly Subaru, an owner of Chattanooga Brewing Company and a founder of the Chattanooga Football Club. If that wasn’t enough, he is also currently running for Mayor. During our almost two hour uninterrupted conversation, we talk about his childhood and his education, his...
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#28 - Briana Garza - Chatt Taste Food Tour
Briana Garza is one of the most positive person that I have talked to in awhile. She was fired from her 9-5 job due to Covid-19, but as she puts it. Instead of becoming unemployed she became self employed. She chose to not feel sorry for her situation and instead expanded on her two side hustles…
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#27 - Genesis the Greykid - Fine Art Poet
Genesis the Greykid is a Poet, Writer, Artist, Musician who looks at the world differently than anyone else I have ever talked to. The way he thinks can only be described as beautiful. We talk about abstract ideas like changing your age, spirituality and dark matter. His art pieces sell for...
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#26 - Matt McLelland (AKA @chadthevan) - Innovation Strategist
Matt Mclelland is an Innovation Strategist at Covenant Transport Services. He looks into the future to see where the industry is headed and then advises the company how to not be left behind with the changes ahead. He also has a real passion for the outdoors. He sits on the board for the Lula…
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#25 - Stratton Tingle - SoundCorps, Flavorless, Music & More
If you are in the music scene in Chattanooga, you already know Stratton Tingle. If you are not in the music scene, there is still a good chance that you have at least heard his name. He is a man of many talents and is heavily involved with our community in all aspects. He has an amazing story of...
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#24 - Aaron Hoffman - Hoff Sauce
Aaron Hoffman is the mad genius behind his award winning Hoff Sauce. From it’s inception in 2013 as a small boot strap operation, Hoff has grown the business from renting kitchen space at Mean Mug on the weekends to having his products on over 1,000 stores across the country. He did this all…
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#23 - Tiffany Pauldon-Banks - Lil Mama's Chicago Style Hoagy
Tiffany Pauldon-Banks is a serial Entrepreneur and this time around she is bringing Chicago style Hoagys to Chattanooga. Learn with me what exactly a hoagy is and how Chicago sets it apart. I had lots of fun with this conversation as we laugh our way through her amazing story of how Lil Mama’s...
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#22 - Bryan Shannon - Songbirds Guitar Museum
Bryan Shannon is a huge lover of music and history and very so much guitars. He was the director of Songbirds Guitar Museum that unfortunately due to the pandemic of 2020 decided to close their doors for good. Bryan feels blessed to have had a great run working his “dream job” for 3 1/2 years at...
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#21 - Heath Foster - Appalachian Trail, Scuba Diving, Dirt Bikes and More!
Heath Foster is my good friend who I met riding dirt bikes, but it doesn’t end there. The more I got to know him, the more of his stories started coming out. He is the kind of guy who has done everything. He has through hiked the Appalachian trail, traveled via motorcycle throughout Mexico and…
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#20 - C-Grimey - Hip-Hop Artist & Community Activist
C-Grimey is a local hip-hop artist and community activist who took it upon himself to start, coordinate, and execute the current Chattanooga protests. Check out their facebook page, instagram and website site at http://www.icantbreathecha.org where their mission states… “We seek to educate and...
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#19 - Nick Rader - Trekka Designs
This episode is special because it was never intended to be released. This was a practice recording with my friend Nick who was helping me get used to the feeling of asking questions and adjusting audio levels for when I started the podcast. So it is technically the first ever People of…
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#18 - Jeremy Weaver - Atypical Design Build
Meet Jeremy Weaver. He was a co-founder of Wind River Tiny Homes. He completed a one year fellowship with Causeway to work with the city to bring Tiny Homes to Chattanooga. He took off a year to travel the world via planes, trains, and automobile and much much more.
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#17 - Seth Cathy - Ember Studios
Seth Cathy is the grandson of Truett Cathy who founded Chick-fil-A. Seth however chose a different career path than chicken sandwiches. His passion for ceramics drove him to start his business Ember Studios located right on Main Street in the South Side. Outside of work, you can catch him on any...
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#16 - Justin Shipp - Site Seven
Justin Shipp is the artist who transforms the cold steel box of a work van into a cozy getaway cabin on wheels. He has always been an artist and meticulous with his craft. Starting off as a custom bicycle frame builder, he then transitioned to Mercades Sprinter van build-outs. Get to know...
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#15 - Rodger Ling - Caving
Rodger Ling is a lifelong Caver. He pioneered and was a leader in exploring “pit caves” and has explored many “virgin” caves. He was on the cave rescue team for a number of years, and has a lot of history and stories to tell us about the caves in our area as we are a cave mecca in America.
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#14 - Grace Frank - Land to Table Farm & Grace Frank Group
Grace Frank is one of the leaders in the Chattanooga real estate market. She started Grace Frank Group consisting of a team of 10 people and has done every deal you can think of and more. That wasn’t enough so she also started a sustainable farm with a rare breed of pigs called Red Wrottle that…
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#13 - Ed Jones - Nutrition World
Ed Jones is a modern day health guru who has seen and helped thousands of people improve their lives through nutritional information and supplementation. He has been the owner of Nutrition World on Lee Highway for over 40 years. He also runs his own podcast that is highly successful called the...
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#12 - Meg Gorman - Running for Congress in Tennessee's 3rd District
Meg Gorman. Running for Congress in Tennessee District 3 under the Democratic Party. Learn more about Meg and what she wants to do and what she stands for. Hear her explain what the position is for, and some of her concerns about the current way our district is being represented, as well as some…
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#11 - Thomas Persinger - Alaskan Fisherman & Float Plane Pilot
Thomas Persinger has had quite the career path so far. It all stemmed from a fishing trip to Alaska when he was young. That trip planted a love for Alaska in his heart that he could not shake which led to him getting his captains license and float plane license to guide in Alaska. Along the way…
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#10 - Andrea Hassler - Executive Director of the SCC
Andrea Hassler is the Executive Director of the Southeastern Climbers Coalition (SCC.) I sat down with her for a conversation about her work for the SCC. Land access, environmental impact, graffiti removal and the SCC’s latest project “Walden's Ridge” on Signal Mtn which will be a multi-sport…
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#9 - Crisler Torrence - Lifelong Kayaker & Head Guide of Rock/Creek Adventures
Crisler Torrence may very well be the 3rd best Kayaker in town. He has worked as a guide on the Ocoee. He has planned and guided custom white water trips out west, and now he is the head guide over at Rock/Creek Adventures. He also recently graced the cover for Get Out Chattanooga magazine for…
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#8 - Nathalie DuPre' - Outdoor Industry Photographer
Nathalie DuPre’ everybody. This girl rocks! She lives for adventure and her photography business showcases that passion. She specializes in the outdoor photography industry, but can do it all. From hanging on a rope at Sunset Rock getting that golden hour shot of the local pro, to shooting…
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#7 - Les Warnock - SORBA Chattanooga
Les Warnock was recently appointed president of SORBA Chattanooga (Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association). I was able to sit him down for a conversation about what they are doing as an organization to grow, build and maintain Mountain Bike trails in the Chattanooga region. Sit back, relax and get...
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#6 - Elizabeth & Wes - Charlies BBQ & Bakery
Elizabeth and Wes are the owners of the BBQ joint on Main Street that we all love, Charlies BBQ & Bakery. In this episode I sit down with Elizabeth to get a behind the scenes look of what it takes to start a BBQ restaurant as newcomers to town. In fact the reason they picked Chattanooga as the...
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#5 - Randy Whorton - wildtrails.org
Randy Whorton is that guy you meet who can and has done everything. From working as a professional high-diver overseas, to a semi-pro Ironman athlete, to juggling like a clown or Stand up Paddle boarding the state of Tennessee from top to bottom, this is just a hint of what he has accomplished.…
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#4 - Andrew Gage - Velo Coffee Roasters
Andrew Gage is the owner of everyone's favorite coffee shop Velo Coffee Roasters. We talk about how he sold his car to start the business, how he used bikes to deliver coffee, and how many bikes he has. It's 14. Everyone, I introduce the mastermind behind Velo, Andrew Gage.
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#3 - Ashley Jones - Love Not Lost
Ashley Jones is the founder of the not for profit "Love Not Lost". In this interview we find out why she started this much needed National nonprofit and what it does to give love during death. Her passion for this is unparalleled and this may be the first People of Chattanooga episode that makes...
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#2 - Edward Yates - Highlining across the Tennessee Aquarium
Edward Yates is the best highliner in the East Coast. In 2014 he rigged and walked a highline across the Chattanooga Aquarium. It takes a unique person to dream, plan, and execute a goal like that. In this interview we tease out just what kind of person it takes to live the "Peter Pan" lifestyle...
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#1 - Jason Bowers - The Bitter Alibi and The Daily Ration
For the inaugural launch of P.O.C. (People of Chattanooga) Podcast I could not be more happy than to have Jason Bowers on the show. He opens up and shares his wonderful story of how he created not one, but two very successful bars/restaurants here in Chattanooga. From growing up as a missionary…
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About this show
"People of Chattanooa" A weekly podcast that interviews the unique individuals that make up this wonderful city. They are the adventurers, risk takers, entrepreneurs, creative thinkers, movers and shakers of the city. They are bold, they have succeeded or failed, they are not the mundane, they have a story to tell and this is where they can do that. Welcome to the People of Chattanooga Podcast, hosted by Luke Swab.
Hosted by
Luke Swab