My Morning Cup

E93 - Stacy Johnson's Morning Cup

A month-long trip to Costa Rica completely changed the trajectory of Stacy Johnson’s career.
In this episode, Stacy shares how a series of career disruptions led her to pivot from graphic design to nonprofits and why a trip to Costa Rica to learn Spanish led her to pursue new passions. Plus, we also discuss how the Latinx community in Chattanooga has changed over the past twenty years and why La Paz has shifted their focus as a result.
Stacy Johnson is the President and CEO of La Paz, an organization whose mission is to empower and engage Chattanooga’s Latino population. You can connect with Stacy on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/stacy-johnson-7bba232b) and you can learn more about La Paz on their website (lapazchattanooga.org).
If you liked this episode, we think you’ll also like:
Candy Johnson’s Morning Cup (E48)
Emily Mack’s Morning Cup (E83)
Keith Sanford’s Morning Cup (E86)
My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by SpeakEasy Productions. 
Subscribe to the weekly newsletter here and be the first to know who upcoming guests are!

E92 - Tasia Malakasis's Morning Cup

Tasia Malakasis’s career can be classified as a series of “happy accidents.” In this episode, she shares how she started in sales (as all CEOs should), then pursued her love of food by acquiring Belle Chevre and taking it to the next level. We also discuss how she landed at The Company Lab, and why the organization has pivoted their focus to sustainable mobility.
Tasia Malakasis is the CEO of The Company Lab, a nonprofit that accelerates early-stage startups in the sustainable mobility space. You can connect with Tasia on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/tasia-malakasis-4829a45)
If you liked this episode, we think you’ll also like:
Craig Fuller’s Morning Cup (E58)
Susan Vandergriff’s Morning Cup (E72)
Emily Mack’s Morning Cup (E83)
My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by SpeakEasy Productions. 
Subscribe to the weekly newsletter here and be the first to know who upcoming guests are!

E91 - Joe Jacobi's Morning Cup

Joe Jacobi is an Olympic Gold Medalist, Performance Coach, and Author. After winning the gold in the 1992 canoe slalom event, he’s dedicated his life to teaching others how to perform well in their own lives.
In this episode, Joe shares what it’s *really* like to win a gold medal, how he got started canoeing at the age of 8 years old, and why he moved to La Seu d’Urgell, Spain.
We also talk about the idea of living well so you can compete well, why he believes in process over results, and how he must learn every single day in order to survive and thrive.
You can subscribe to the Thinking in Waves newsletter (joejacobi.ck.page/921d235cfe) and you can connect with Joe on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/jacobijoe).
If you liked this episode, we think you’ll also like:
Gail Loveland Barille’s Morning Cup (E22)
Scott Martin’s Morning Cup (E31)
Mark McKnight’s Morning Cup (E39)
My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by SpeakEasy Productions. 
Subscribe to the weekly newsletter here and be the first to know who upcoming guests are!

E90 - Paul Leath's Morning Cup

The military is heavily engrained in Paul Leath’s DNA. Following in his dad’s footsteps, he joined the army and served nine years active duty.
In this episode, Paul shares how veterans, nuns, and scouts have been great influences in his life, how he was stationed in Fort Bragg “for love,” what happened after getting the Red Ball Express phone call, and then switching to the private sector and loving the natural gas industry.
Paul Leath is the Regional Director of Operations at Chattanooga Gas, a subsidiary of Southern Company. You can connect with Paul on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/paul-leath-73571413).
If you liked this episode, we think you’ll also like:
Chip Baker’s Morning Cup (E04)
Vance Travis’s Morning Cup (E40)
Sheriff Austin Garrett’s Morning Cup (E71)
My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by SpeakEasy Productions. 
Subscribe to the weekly newsletter here and be the first to know who upcoming guests are!

E89 - Bruce Weiss's Morning Cup

Bruce Weiss is an artist. Most people know him as a sandwich artist because of his deli, but he was a visual artist first.
In this episode, Bruce shares how growing up in the melting pot of New York led to his love of food and cooking, why having chutzpah is important for success, and the events that led to him opening River Street Deli in 1998, including working in sales, owning a graphic design business, and shadowing Chef Neville Forsythe.
Bruce Weiss is the owner of River Street Deli. You can learn more about the deli at riverstreetdeli.com.
If you liked this episode, we think you’ll also like:
Kenyatta Ashford’s Morning Cup (E05)
Chris Lytle’s Morning Cup (E28)
Chris Hopkins’s Morning Cup (E84)
My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by SpeakEasy Productions. 
Subscribe to the weekly newsletter here and be the first to know who upcoming guests are!

E88 - Linda Moss Mines's Morning Cup

Linda Moss Mines is Chattanooga’s Historian, dedicated to reminding others about the blessings of liberty.
In this episode, Linda shares what it was like growing up on the plateau with her favorite person (her Pa), how bedtime stories sparked her love of history, and her motivations for teaching at GPS for 27 years (aside from her love of teaching history). 
Plus, we also discuss being a lifelong learner, the changing political climate, and the importance of the Medal of Honor.
If you liked this episode, we think you’ll also like:
John Germ’s Morning Cup (E35)
Jim Kennedy’s Morning Cup (E37)
Dr. Elaine Swafford’s Morning Cup (E64)
My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by SpeakEasy Productions. 
Subscribe to the weekly newsletter here and be the first to know who upcoming guests are!

E87 - Richard Simms's Morning Cup

Captain Richard Simms has an eclectic career path, from Game Warden to Videographer to Executive Producer, and ultimately back to the outdoors. 
In this episode, Richard shares how a coin toss influenced where he landed as a Game Warden, why family drives every decision he makes, and how he left his 9-5 to pursue his “weekend gig” - Scenic City Fishing Charters - and is now affiliated with nine additional guides.
Richard Simms is the owner of Scenic City Fishing Charters. You can connect with him on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/sceniccityfishing) and you can learn more about his fishing charters on his website (sceniccityfishing.com).
If you liked this episode, we think you’ll also like:
Mark McKnight’s Morning Cup (E39)
Calvin Sneed’s Morning Cup (E77)
Tom Henderson’s Morning Cup (E82)
My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by SpeakEasy Productions. 
Subscribe to the weekly newsletter here and be the first to know who upcoming guests are!

E86 - Keith Sanford's Morning Cup

Keith Sanford’s community involvement and love of Chattanooga makes everyone feel as though they’ve worked with him in some form or fashion, despite only working at three places during his 44-year career.
 
In this episode, Keith shares what it was like working his way up to Market President at First Tennessee (now First Horizon), being expected to be involved in the community (and ending up loving it), and what penguins are really like… hint: they’re not all cuddly!
 
Plus, we talk about what Keith will be doing once he retires later this year.
 
Keith Sanford is the President and CEO of the Tennessee Aquarium. You can connect with him on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/keith-sanford-9718981a) and you can learn more about the aquarium on their website (tnaqua.org).
If you liked this episode, we think you’ll also like:
Tom Griscom’s Morning Cup (E23)
Jay Dale’s Morning Cup (E42)
Virginia Anne Sharber’s Morning Cup (E59)
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My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by SpeakEasy Productions. 
 
Subscribe to the weekly newsletter here and be the first to know who upcoming guests are!

E85 - Gerald McCormick's Morning Cup

Most people know Gerald McCormick from his time with the Tennessee General Assembly… but he didn’t start there! In this episode, we discuss his early career in the billboard and commercial real estate industries, joining the National Guard, and running for office when he returned from deployment.
 
Gerald also shares about his infatuation with Elvis when he was a child, why he switched from Democrat to Republican when running for office, and his recent diagnosis of ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease).
 
Gerald McCormick is a Consultant with The Ingram Group. Previously he was a State Representative from 2004-2018 and held several leadership positions, including House Majority Leader and Chairman of the Budget Subcommittee of House Finance, Ways and Means. You can learn more about Gerald on The Ingram Group website (ingramgroup.com/gerald-mccormick) and you can connect with him on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/gerald-mccormick-733b764b/).
 
If you liked this episode, we think you’ll also like:
Leslie Gower’s Morning Cup (E02)
Tom Griscom’s Morning Cup (E23)
Bob Corker’s Morning Cup (E52) 
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My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by SpeakEasy Productions. 
 
Subscribe to the weekly newsletter here and be the first to know who upcoming guests are!

E84 - Chris Hopkins's Morning Cup

Chris Hopkins is a lifelong learner, committed to helping others and keeping an optimistic view on life.
 
In this episode, Chris shares his career highlights - all the way back to age 6 when he was selling vacuums with his grandmother, to being a plant superintendent right out of college, and selling his business and getting into the finance industry. We also discuss his passion for music and reading… including his western swing band that played at Riverbend a few times, and how he reads two or three books a week.
 
Chris also opens up about the massive heart attack he had at the age of 39, how he recovered from it, and what it was like to receive a heart transplant and meet the donor’s family.
 
Chris Hopkins is the Co-Founder and Principal of Apogee Wealth Partners. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst and has been in the finance industry since 1998. You can learn more about Chris and Apogee on his website (apogeewp.com/team) and you can connect with him on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/chris-hopkins-cfa-7751745).
 
If you liked this episode, we think you’ll also like:
Chip Baker’s Morning Cup (E04)
Becky Blaesing’s Morning Cup (E26)
Matt Hullander’s Morning Cup (E68)
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My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by SpeakEasy Productions. 
 
Subscribe to the weekly newsletter here and be the first to know who upcoming guests are!