My Morning Cup

E65 - Bo Drake's Morning Cup

Bo Drake is drawn to creating opportunities for others, which is what led him to pursue a career in higher education.
 
In this episode, Bo shares how his first career in insurance started by working in the family business (with a warning), how he used LinkedIn to get a foot in the door for higher education, and why it’s important to align your paycheck with your passion.
 
Bo Drake is the Vice President of Economic & Workforce Development and the Tennessee College of Applied Technologies at Chattanooga State. You can connect with him on LinkedIn here.
 
My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by SpeakEasy Productions. Subscribe to our new weekly newsletter here.
 
If you liked this episode, we think you’ll also like:
Dr. Rebecca Ashford’s Morning Cup (E16)
Craig Fuller’s Morning Cup (E58)
Dr. Elaine Swafford’s Morning Cup (E64)

E64 - Dr. Elaine Swafford's Morning Cup

Dr. Elaine Swafford blooms where she’s planted. Throughout her life and career, opportunities have been presented and she seized them each time.
 
In this episode, Elaine shares with us her path from Teacher at Soddy Daisy High School to CEO of CGLA and every stop in between. She also tells us the story of her “Michael Jordan” moment, how 4-H speeches trained her to be an extrovert, and how she turned CGLA around within 9 months after it received an ultimatum.
 
Dr. Elaine Swafford is the CEO of Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy (CGLA), the first all-girls public charter STEM school in Tennessee. You can connect with her on LinkedIn here. You can also watch her OATS series on YouTube here.
 
My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by SpeakEasy Productions. Subscribe to our new weekly newsletter here.
 
If you liked this episode, we think you’ll also like:
Ella Livingston’s Morning Cup (E11)
Dr. Rebecca Ashford’s Morning Cup (E16)
Dr. Ternae Jordan’s Morning Cup (E56)

E63 - Cam Doody's Morning Cup

For Cam Doody, the corporate path was just too clear and unappealing. Instead, he found a solution to a problem, and started, along with his partners, his own company, Bellhop - the fastest-growing moving & relocation brand in the U.S. 
 
Now, 13 years later, he helps other founders “burn the ships” and make it through “the trough of sorrow” - if they’re one of the ten startups that get accepted each year (out of 4,600+ applications).
 
Cam Doody is Co-Founder and General Partner of Brickyard, a first-round venture capital firm and residency. He’s also the Co-Founder of Bellhop, the second-largest moving company in the country. You can connect with him on Linkedin here and learn more about Brickyard here.
 
My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by SpeakEasy Productions. Subscribe to our new weekly newsletter here.
 
If you liked this episode, we think you’ll also like:
Kenyatta Ashford’s Morning Cup (E05)
Felicia Jackson’s Morning Cup (E45)
Patrick Wells’s Morning Cup (E61)

E62 - Marj Flemming's Morning Cup

Growing up on a farm in Iowa, Marj never dreamed of leaving her hometown. Nevertheless, with three babies under the age of 1, she moved across the country to California and began her career.
 
In this episode, Marj shares what it was like “dressing” chickens in Correctionville, how she moved up the ranks at a company for 19 years, and why she started her own Leadership Training business (which is still going strong decades later).
 
Marj Flemming is the CEO of LaunchPoint Leadership, which provides organizational and professional leadership development. You can connect with her on LinkedIn here.
 
My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by SpeakEasy Productions. Subscribe to our new weekly newsletter here.
 
If you liked this episode, we think you’ll also like:
John Germ’s Morning Cup (E35)
Donna McConnico’s Morning Cup (E43)
Matt Rasmussen’s Morning Cup (E57)

E61 - Patrick Wells's Morning Cup

Patrick Wells got an early taste of the startup world when he won a business plan competition in college. From there, he’s grown businesses in the legal, auto salvage, and stone industries.
 
In this episode, Patrick shares how one good idea changed his life’s path, what he learned from pole vaulting (and the adjustments former athletes must make to be successful in business), and how he’s acquired and grown several businesses.
 
Patrick Wells is the CEO of Majestic Stone and StoneLoads. You can connect with him on LinkedIn here.
 
My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by SpeakEasy Productions. Subscribe to our new weekly newsletter here.
 
If you liked this episode, we think you’ll also like:
Brent Burks’s Morning Cup (E10)
Shawn Whitfield’s Morning Cup (E20)
Josh Manning’s Morning Cup (E27)

E60 - Valoria Armstrong's Morning Cup

Growing up, Valoria Armstrong wanted to be an attorney. She never imagined that she would have a career in HR or Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
 
In this episode, Valoria shares how she was elected President of the NAACP board at the age of 26, how she evaluates opportunities before committing to them, and why inclusion comes before diversity at Unum.
 
Valoria Armstrong is the Chief Global Inclusion & Diversity Officer at Unum. You can connect with her on LinkedIn here.
 
My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by SpeakEasy Productions. Subscribe to our new weekly newsletter here.
 
If you liked this episode, we think you’ll also like:
Wade Hinton’s Morning Cup (E09)
Tom Cupo’s Morning Cup (E32)
Candy Johnson’s Morning Cup (E48)

E59 - Virginia Anne Sharber's Morning Cup

Virginia Anne’s career did not start in the art world, despite a passion for the performing arts. She originally followed in her father’s footsteps as a lawyer, but her involvement in the community grew, leading her to the Hunter Museum nine years ago.
 
In this episode, we discuss what it was like to be the second woman ever hired at Miller & Martin, switching her focus from litigation to commercial real estate, and why art is so important. 
 
Stick around until the end to hear a special announcement about an upcoming exhibit at the Hunter Museum!
 
Virginia Anne Sharber is the Executive Director of the Hunter Museum of American Art. You can connect with her on LinkedIn here.
 
My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by SpeakEasy Productions. Subscribe to our new weekly newsletter here.
 
If you liked this episode, we think you’ll also like:
Todd Womack’s Morning Cup (E21)
Vance Travis’s Morning Cup (E40)
Bob Corker’s Morning Cup (E52)

E58 - Craig Fuller's Morning Cup

Entrepreneurship has always been in Craig Fuller’s blood. From a young age, he’s been starting and growing businesses.
 
In this episode, Craig shares the ups and downs of his career, starting with growing Xpress Direct to $140 million in revenue within two years, then getting fired from the family businesses (twice), and now leading FreightWaves and acquiring legacy media brands.
 
Craig Fuller is the Founder and CEO of FreightWaves, the leading provider of global supply chain market intelligence and news. You can connect with him on LinkedIn here.
 
My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by SpeakEasy Productions. Subscribe to our new weekly newsletter here.
 
If you liked this episode, we think you’ll also like:
Brian Elrod’s Morning Cup (E29)
Stephanie Stuckey’s Morning Cup (E33)
Tiffanie Robinson’s Morning Cup (E39)

E57 - Matt Rasmussen's Morning Cup

Matt Rasmussen originally wanted to be an archeologist (thanks, Indiana Jones!) or a forester, but after settling into engineering in college, he never looked back and has had a wildly successful career with the Tennessee Valley Authority. 
 
In this episode, Matt shares his many steps up the corporate ladder and what makes someone stay at one company for 22 years. He also gives the inside scoop on nuclear power and what happens behind the scenes at TVA.
 
Matt Rasmussen is the SVP of Engineering and Operations Support at TVA. You can connect with him on LinkedIn here.
 
My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by SpeakEasy Productions. Subscribe to our new weekly newsletter here.
 
If you liked this episode, we think you’ll also like:
Tom Cupo’s Morning Cup (E32)
Mark McKnight’s Morning Cup (E39)
Mark Reeves’s Morning Cup (E46)

E56 - Dr. Ternae Jordan’s Morning Cup

Dr. Jordan is not a “pulpit pastor” - he’s active in the community. He’s the pastor of Mt. Canaan Baptist Church and some will tell you he is the pastor of Chattanooga. He founded an anti-violence program called Stop the Madness, which combatted the crack epidemic in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1992. Now, Stop the Madness is a national non-profit.
 
In this episode, we discuss gratitude, finding inner peace despite adversity, Stop the Madness, why he refused his life’s calling for so long, and what it was like growing up in the 70s as a black man in Chattanooga. 
 
Dr. Ternae Jordan is the Pastor of Mt. Canaan Baptist Church. You can learn more about him here and you can find his book, Crossing Jordan, here.
 
My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by SpeakEasy Productions. Subscribe to our new weekly newsletter here.
 
If you liked this episode, we think you’ll also like:
Wade Hinton’s Morning Cup (E09)
DeJuan Jordan’s Morning Cup (E34)
Father Dale Hall’s Morning Cup (E49)