My Morning Cup

E37 - Jim Kennedy’s Morning Cup

With a passion for theater and an English degree, Jim Kennedy followed his brother to Chattanooga in 1974 to work at the Baylor School. He had no idea that decision would lead him to be a part of organizations like Miller Reid Advertising, River City Company, the Chattanooga Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the Chamber of Commerce. 
 
In this episode, we discuss how Jim had a seat at the table for many major developments such as the Aquarium and Chattanooga Venture’s Vision 2000. 
 
After leaving the Chamber as CEO in 2001, he started his own consulting firm along with Ann Coulter, Christian Rushing, and Stroud Watson. Ultimately, his career has come full circle and Jim retired from the Baylor School as Director of Admission and Enrollment. You can connect with him here.
 
My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by Madison McCann.
 
If you liked this episode, we think you’ll also like:
Mayor Tim Kelly’s Morning Cup (E13)
Ron Harr’s Morning Cup (E17)
Todd Womack’s Morning Cup (E21)

E36 - Mayor Weston Wamp’s Morning Cup

From running the halls of the Capitol building at 5 years old to being elected the youngest Mayor in Hamilton County’s history, Mayor Weston Wamp has lived an interesting life in the public eye. 
 
In this episode, we talk about architecture running in the family bloodline and how designing and drawing alleviates the stress that comes with the mayor’s job, who his most influential mentors are, how having kids changed his aspirations, and his thoughts on millennials’ civic engagement.
 
Mayor Weston Wamp is the mayor of Hamilton County. You can connect with him on LinkedIn here.
 
My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by Madison McCann.
 
If you liked this episode, we think you’ll also like:
Gideon Thomas’s Morning Cup (E07)
Brent Burks’s Morning Cup (E10)
Shawn Whitfield’s Morning Cup (E20)

E35 - John Germ’s Morning Cup

If anyone knows about “Service Above Self,” it’s John Germ. He’s been a member of Rotary since 1976 and was the President of Rotary International in 2016, which governs over 46,000 clubs around the world. Not to mention he was a member of the JCs and on many board rosters.
 
Professionally, John was the CEO and Board Chair for Campbell & Associates, an engineering firm.
 
In this episode, we discuss John’s career path which included selling turnip greens and fatback, plotting Hwy153, his close brush with fate, twice, while in the Air Force, and much more.
 
You can connect with him on LinkedIn here.
 
My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by Madison McCann.

E34 - DeJuan Jordan’s Morning Cup

DeJuan Jordan has always had a passion for helping others, but after experiencing a life-changing moment at the age of 12, she realized how much of an impact she could truly have.
 
In this episode, DeJuan shares about the power of words, the importance of doing things that scare you, and how she lives her life with intentionality.
 
DeJuan is the Co-CEO of LAUNCH Chattanooga and Founder/CEO of The DS Firm. You can learn more about her TEDxChattanooga talk coming up in November at tedxchatt.com/2023-flagship or you can connect with her on LinkedIn here.
 
My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by Madison McCann.

E33 - Stephanie Stuckey’s Morning Cup

Stephanie Stuckey is a third-generation family member of Stuckey’s stores, which dotted highways and interstates throughout the southeast. They represented a clean, safe place to fuel up, take a break and stock up on pecan log rolls. When the business was sold to outside interests, Stephanie pursued her law degree and a career in the public sector. During this time, the Stuckey’s brand and their stores fell into disarray.
 
In 2019, Stephanie received a phone call that led to her to change direction; buying her family’s (failing) business and resurrecting the brand, one pecan log roll at a time. She is passionate about restoring this iconic brand and celebrating the nostalgia and charm of Stuckey's.
 
In this week’s episode, we find out how practicing law helped Stephanie turn Stuckey’s into a profitable CPG business. Here’s a hint: Hope is not the strategy!
 
Stephanie is the Chair of Stuckey’s, the roadside chain that has proudly sold Pecan Log Rolls since 1937. You can connect with her here.
 
My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by Madison McCann.

E32 - Tom Cupo’s Morning Cup

When Tom started his career, he wasn’t sure exactly what he wanted to do, but he tried lots of things along the way. He eventually and unexpectedly found his passion in the hospitality industry. After several moves up in responsibility and moves around the country, he became the GM of the Chattanoogan Hotel. 
 
In this episode, Tom shares why you should take every opportunity to learn something new, even if it means working until 2am or moving to another state (when you really just want to be in Chattanooga).
 
Tom recently retired from Benchmark Resorts and Hotels and is back in Chattanooga full-time as the Regional Director of Operations for Dynamic Group. You can connect with him here.
 
My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by Madison McCann.

E31 - Scott Martin’s Morning Cup

With a passion for all things outdoors, Scott Martin’s career has taken him from Virginia to Idaho to Kentucky, and now Tennessee. In this episode, Scott shares how changing a flat tire led to a job offer, how the city of Boise had a major effect on his career, and why he believes parks are so important and can differentiate great cities from mediocre cities.
 
Scott also shares tips on how local residents can make small changes that lead to a positive impact on the outdoors.
 
Scott is the Administrator for the City of Chattanooga’s Parks and Outdoors. You can connect with him here.
 
My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by Madison McCann.

E30 - Jared Stehney’s Morning Cup

Jared Stehney has been pulled into the broadcast radio industry time and time again… could it be the result of falling asleep to the radio every night?
 
In this episode, Jared shares the ups and downs of his career, the surprising skill he learned from sports, and how sometimes to close a deal you have to get on your knees and beg for it (literally).
 
Jared is a respected leader and veteran of broadcast radio, and a now-retired entrepreneur. 
My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by Madison McCann.

E29 - Brian Elrod’s Morning Cup

When Brian Elrod graduated from college, he wanted to work in ANY industry except for transportation and logistics, but he didn’t have much of a choice and he “couldn’t afford to be an entrepreneur.” After years of paying his dues, opportunity knocked and he started the Educational Outfitters franchise with his wife, Jamey. 
 
He’s bootstrapped three start-ups in the franchise and tech industries, two of which have appeared in Inc's 500 Fastest Growing Private Companies list multiple times.
 
In this episode, we talk about Brian’s journey in starting each of his businesses, the successes and failures, how “nothing happens in a straight line,” and why bootstrapping is better than having investors.
 
Brian is the co-founder and CEO of Text Request, a texting software that helps you connect with your customers (est. 2014). You can connect with him here. 
 
My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by Madison McCann.

E28 - Chris Lytle’s Morning Cup

Growing up, Chris Lytle wanted to be one of three things: a politician, a minister, or a lawyer. Instead, he accidentally became a salesman and then went on to write the book on it (literally). For the past 40+ years, he’s been traveling the world teaching others how to sell.
 
In this episode, we talk about how he got to where he is today. Plus, he drops in a few sales knowledge bites throughout the episode too, like: “Selling is earning the right to make a recommendation,” and “It’s not about what you want to sell, it’s about what they need to buy.”
 
Chris is the owner of Instant Sales Training and the author of the bestselling books The Accidental Salesman and The Accidental Sales Manager. You can connect with him here.
 
You can watch his free knowledge bite, “Four Minutes to a Stronger Closing” at instantsalestraining.com
My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by Madison McCann.