Breakfast Club Beat

Send a textJenn talks with Hood Hargett Breakfast Club member John Gallina. John Gallina is the Co-Founder and CEO of Purple Heart Homes. He is also a Veteran, author, and speaker who continues to serve through action and advocacy. Since founding Purple Heart Homes in 2008, John has led the organization to complete more than 650 housing projects in 38 states, providing safe and accessible homes for Veterans nationwide. Drawing on his own military service and combat injuries, he is dedicated to addressing the unique challenges Veterans face, especially those often overlooked.John co-authored "Wounded Homecoming" with his battle buddy, Dale Beatty, sharing their story of resilience and hope. Through speaking engagements across the country, he inspires communities to support Veterans and emphasizes the importance of connection and service.

Send a textKeva Walton is the CEO of the Mecklenburg County Alcoholic Beverage Control Board. North Carolina ABC Commission is an independent agency housed in the NC Department of Public Safety with a direct report to the Governor’s Office. The Commission provides uniform control over the sale, purchase, transportation, manufacture, consumption, and possession of alcoholic beverages in the state.In North Carolina, spirits are only sold in ABC stores and spirits are all an ABC store can sell. Beer and wine are available at grocery stores and other specialty or convenience stores.  While some counties voted to establish an ABC system, others were established at the city or municipal level.  In Mecklenburg County, the system is operated within the county and is aptly named the Mecklenburg County ABC Board. There are five members of the Board of Directors who are appointed by the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners.

Send a textJenn catches up with a longtime friend of the Breakfast Club. Peter Gorman Leadership Associates LLC, has been recognized nationally as an education leader and for developing outstanding leadership teams with more than 30 years of experience in education and business. He is Superintendent in residence with the District Administration Leadership Institute and also Chief in residence with Chiefs For Change, guiding the Future Chiefs program, working to build a pipeline of “Future Chiefs” for states and districts. He is the author of the book “Leading a School District Requires Clarity, Context, and Candor: An Aligned System to Increase Student Achievement at Scale” and is a contributing editor of “Board & Administrator,” writing the lead column.Under his leadership as Superintendent, the CMS district won the 2011 Broad Prize in Urban Education, which recognizes increases in student achievement and closing of achievement gaps. Twenty members of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Leadership Team during his tenure have been appointed as superintendents nationally.

Send a textJenn talks with long-time friend and advisor Holly Gainsboro, founder of Golden Heart Grief Support and Education, about grief, personal loss, and how to move forward. Holly works with and empowers women who have experienced the death of a spouse or life partner by normalizing their grief and inviting growth and learning by using a heart-centered, holistic approach. This is a heartfelt and personal conversation.https://goldenheartgrief.com/https://hoodhargettbreakfastclub.com

Send a textJenn has a fun and informative discussion with Julie Johnson, General Manager, and Gale Bonnell, VP Business Development of Adams Outdoor (https://www.adamsoutdoor.com/) of Charlotte, and a long-time member of the Hood Hargett Breakfast Club.With over 41 years in business, Adams Outdoor has grown to be the 4th largest and privately held out-of-home advertising operator in the U.S. Their portfolio of 10,000+ displays is comprised of static bulletins, static posters, and digital bulletins dominating the 9 states across the Midwest, Michigan, Northeast, and the Carolinas.https://hoodhargetbreakfastclub.com#adamsoutdoor#jennsnydergibson

Send a textJenn chats with Josh Jones, Co-Owner Jones & Hedges | Spencer Lueders, Founder, 24 Foundation | Katherine Murphy, Executive Director, 24 Foundation. The 24 Foundation's mission is to make an immediate impact on the lives of those affected by cancer. They achieve this by investing in organizations and services that help untangle the maze of appointments, tests, and treatments following diagnosis, and by funding programs to enhance the quality of life for survivors for decades to come.Started in 2002 by founder Spencer Lueders, who had the idea to ride a bike for 24 hours around Charlotte’s famed “Booty Loop” in the Myer’s Park neighborhood to raise money to help cancer patients. The “24 Hours of Booty” ride became a Charlotte institution. The 24 Foundation serves as a celebration of survivorship, the power of peer-to-peer fundraising, and the enduring, spirit that our participants, sponsors and volunteers demonstrate every single day.https://24foundation.org/ 

Send a textJenn and Lisa Rhyne discuss careers and community giving. Lisa Rhyne is currently the Government & Community Relations Manager at Piedmont Natural Gas. Lisa reflects on her 36 years of corporate giving with Duke and then Piedmont Natural Gas and her 20+ years as a member of the Hood Hargett Breakfast Club. Lisa is a proven professional with expertise in stakeholder engagement, communications, change management, strategic planning, corporate social responsibility and alumni affairs. ‪@LisaRhyne‬ ‪@piedmontng‬ https://hoodhargettbreakfastclub.com/@Jennsnydergibson

Send a textJenn speaks with her friend and nutritionist, Cara Clark, an integrative nutritionist and wellness educator certified in sports and clinical nutrition, blood chemistry, and integrative health. She has thousands of clients nationwide, from group challenge participants to celebrities to Olympic athletes and NBA and MLB draft prospects. Her goal is to help them feel better in their bodies by moving away from “dieting” and instead understanding the connection between what we eat and how we feel.  She is the primary nutritionist for fitness app and online community fit52 and contributed to the book Find Your Path. I co-authored The Wellness Remodel, and now I have my own book, The Feel-Good Way: Simple Recipes for a Better Life, releasing in 2025 from Penguin Random House.https://caraclarknutrition.com/https://www.fit52.com/https://www.amazon.com/Wellness-Remod...

Send a textDaniel Fogarty, executive director First Tee of Greater Charlotte, talks PGA Championship and all things golf!

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Send a textJenn interviews CharBar7 and Goldies owners Tommy and Tyler Hager - “Goldie’s is a celebration of all things Americana — from music flowing from the stage and throughout the space to straightforward but crave-worthy food & drinks, to the laid-back atmosphere where you can have a business lunch, an unforgettable night out or a chill Sunday afternoon,” owner Tyler Hager. Tommy, Tyler's dad, developed restaurants for Hickory Tavern for years and has now created a family enterprise serving 6 Charlotte locations. CharBar is a member of the Hood Hargett Breakfast Club and hosts the club's member receptions and business luncheons.‪@CharBar7‬ ‪@goldies‬ @jennsnydergibson@hoodhargettbreakfastclub

Send a textHeadquartered here in Charlotte, NC The Dunstan Group is a leading provider of customized apparel and promotional merchandise. Jen Snyder Gibson interviews Scott Dunstan, Owner & Founder and Brian Young, Director of Business Development. They created and host the award-winning BrandBuilders Podcast with almost 400 episodes and counting. Their reputation for inventive and thoughtful design, quality product and on-time delivery have driven their success.IG: @dunstangrouphttps://dunstangroup.blubrry.net/IG:@breakfastclubbeathttps://hoodhargettbreakfastclub.com

Send a textJenn spends time with Dan Rajkowski. COO of the Charlotte Knights. They had a fun and broad conversation about the Knights team, the beautiful stadium in Uptown Charlotte, and the exciting events this year.@charlotteknights@charlotteknightsbaseballhttps://www.milb.com/charlotte-knightsIG:@breakfastclubbeathttps://hoodhargettbreakfastclub.com

Send a textJenn Snyder Gibson interviews Dr. Emily Jensen Wheeler, Executive Director for Dress for Success Charlotte. To celebrate Women's History Month, an annual observance to highlight the contributions of women to events in history and contemporary society Breakfast Club Beat is featuring women who are impacting Charlotte, NC.https://charlotte.dressforsuccess.org/‪@dressforsuccessclt‬‪@BreakfastClubBeat‬IG:@dfscharlotteIG:@breakfastclubbeathttps://hoodhargettbreakfastclub.com

Send a textBreakfast Club Beat is hosted by Jenn Snyder Gibson, who interviews the three highest-ranking top female deputy chiefs in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department - Jacquelyn Hulsey, Tonya Arrington, and Jackie Bryley. Together, they talk about serving and protecting the Charlotte community, balancing those responsibilities with family life and navigating the mental health challenges that come with such a challenging profession.IG: @breakfastclubbeatIG: @jennsnydergibson‪IG: @CMPDHQ IG: @CMPDhttps://hoodhargettbreakfastclub.com