Episode 11!! This series is where I sit down with leaders, innovators, and changemakers over a late-night snack to share real conversations. The goal? To entertain, inspire, and give you authentic insight into how successful people think, lead, and overcome challenges. Today’s Guest: Carmen Lux, GNTC 2026 CIO of the Year! Chatting with Carmen was a real treat! Like a bag of peanut M&M's! Carmen shared her story of going from a D1 college athlete in TWO sports to her technology career and now an esteemed member of the Nashville technology community. She was awarded the Greater Nashville Technology Council's 2026 CIO of the Year Award. She is currently transitioning from CTO of Deacon Health to her next full time leadership opportunity, where she can drive revenue growth, cut costs, and reduce compliance risk. If you know of a fit, I’d love to make the introduction! About TMG At TMG, we help IT leaders save Time, save Money, and play more Golf. We act as a trusted advisor, guiding organizations through complex technology decisions in cloud, mobility, cybersecurity, AI adoption, and beyond — at no direct cost to the client. By cutting through the noise of countless vendors, we help our clients find clarity, confidence, and results. About the Host Frank Rains Jr. is a technology advisor based in Nashville and also an improv comedian, actor, singer, and emcee. By day, he works with business leaders as a trusted advisor at TMG, helping organizations cut through the noise of thousands of IT vendors to make smart choices in cloud, mobility, cybersecurity, and AI. By night, he brings his love of storytelling, humor, and community to projects like Midnite Snack — blending his professional experience with his creative side to entertain, inspire, and connect with audiences.

Episode 10!! This series is where I sit down with leaders, innovators, and changemakers over a late-night snack to share real conversations. The goal? To entertain, inspire, and give you authentic insight into how successful people think, lead, and overcome challenges. Today’s Guest: Eric Snyder, Nashville Business Journal Editor in Chief I was super excited to hang with Eric, learn more about him and share some chocolate caramel cheesecake! He shared some insights on the Nashville Business Journal, the stories that are exciting, how Nashville is growing and his love for live music! There's no better town for that! And, we may have bloviated a little bit! Be sure to check out the journal and subscribe! https://www.bizjournals.com/nashville About TMG At TMG, we help IT leaders save Time, save Money, and play more Golf. We act as a trusted advisor, guiding organizations through complex technology decisions in cloud, mobility, cybersecurity, AI adoption, and beyond — at no direct cost to the client. By cutting through the noise of countless vendors, we help our clients find clarity, confidence, and results. About the Host Frank Rains Jr. is a technology advisor based in Nashville and also an improv comedian, actor, singer, and emcee. By day, he works with business leaders as a trusted advisor at TMG, helping organizations cut through the noise of thousands of IT vendors to make smart choices in cloud, mobility, cybersecurity, and AI. By night, he brings his love of storytelling, humor, and community to projects like Midnite Snack — blending his professional experience with his creative side to entertain, inspire, and connect with audiences.

This is a very special episode! I was able to record ON LOCATION at The Greater Nashville Technology Council Summer Party for 2026! I sat down with four guests to discuss their involvement in the tech council and its benefits!

My guests are:

Brian Adair, VP of Strategic Partnerships, GNTC

Johnny Anderson, GNTC Board Member, Entrepreneur in Residence, Nashville Entrepreneur Center

Lindsey Morgan Rardin, GNTC Board Member, VP of Business Development, VACO

Charlie Apigian, AI Strategist & Practice Lead, LMBC - Founder, Data Inspire

Episode 8!! This series is where I sit down with leaders, innovators, and changemakers over a late-night snack to share real conversations. The goal? To entertain, inspire, and give you authentic insight into how successful people think, lead, and overcome challenges. Today’s Guest: Amy Ware Amy and I sat down over Nilla Wafers and peanut butter! Amy shared insights from her leadership journey in oncology, the importance of compassionate healthcare, and her personal passion for mental health awareness. With May being Mental Health Awareness Month, our conversation explored how leadership, resilience, and human connection can make a lasting impact both inside and outside the healthcare community. Amy's story is thoughtful, inspiring, and a reminder that some of the most important conversations are the ones we're willing to have openly. 🚶‍♀️ You can support Amy's participation in the Overnight Walk in Chicago and her efforts to raise awareness for mental health here: https://www.theovernight.org/particip... About TMG At TMG, we help IT leaders save Time, save Money, and play more Golf. We act as a trusted advisor, guiding organizations through complex technology decisions in cloud, mobility, cybersecurity, AI adoption, and beyond — at no direct cost to the client. By cutting through the noise of countless vendors, we help our clients find clarity, confidence, and results. About the Host Frank Rains Jr. is a technology advisor based in Nashville and also an improv comedian, actor, singer, and emcee. By day, he works with business leaders as a trusted advisor at TMG, helping organizations cut through the noise of thousands of IT vendors to make smart choices in cloud, mobility, cybersecurity, and AI. By night, he brings his love of storytelling, humor, and community to projects like Midnite Snack — blending his professional experience with his creative side to entertain, inspire, and connect with audiences.

Episode 7!! This series is where I sit down with leaders, innovators, and changemakers over a late-night snack to share real conversations. The goal? To entertain, inspire, and give you authentic insight into how successful people think, lead, and overcome challenges. Today’s Guest: Gabe McCauley. Gabe McCauley is an actor and film director as well as the founder of the production companies, Soul Feather Studios and lilDRAGON. He has directed over eight seasons of television, feature films, commercials, and music videos. Gabe lives in Columbia, TN with his wife Mandy, the music supervisor of Reconnecting Roots, and is a proud daddy to Scout and Ash. As the host of Reconnecting Roots, Gabe combines his own comedic personality with his passion for telling stories with purpose. Gabe strives to use media to shape the culture for tomorrow. In this episode, we learn about Gabe's background, his creative journey and his lack of Midnite Snacks! About TMG At TMG, we help IT leaders save Time, save Money, and play more Golf. We act as a trusted advisor, guiding organizations through complex technology decisions in cloud, mobility, cybersecurity, AI adoption, and beyond — at no direct cost to the client. By cutting through the noise of countless vendors, we help our clients find clarity, confidence, and results. About the Host Frank Rains Jr. is a technology advisor based in Nashville and also an improv comedian, actor, singer, and emcee. By day, he works with business leaders as a trusted advisor at TMG, helping organizations cut through the noise of thousands of IT vendors to make smart choices in cloud, mobility, cybersecurity, and AI. By night, he brings his love of storytelling, humor, and community to projects like Midnite Snack — blending his professional experience with his creative side to entertain, inspire, and connect with audiences.

Episode 6!! This series is where I sit down with leaders, innovators, and changemakers over a late-night snack to share real conversations. The goal? To entertain, inspire, and give you authentic insight into how successful people think, lead, and overcome challenges. Today’s Guest: Denis O'Shea Denis O’Shea is the Founder and CEO of Mobile Mentor, where he helps organizations simplify and secure their mobile environments at scale. With a strong focus on enterprise mobility, Denis works closely with IT leaders to improve device management, strengthen security posture, and reduce the operational burden that mobility can create. In this episode, we learn about Denis' background, more about Mobile Mentor and his personal aspirations! About TMG At TMG, we help IT leaders save Time, save Money, and play more Golf. We act as a trusted advisor, guiding organizations through complex technology decisions in cloud, mobility, cybersecurity, AI adoption, and beyond — at no direct cost to the client. By cutting through the noise of countless vendors, we help our clients find clarity, confidence, and results. About the Host Frank Rains Jr. is a technology advisor based in Nashville and also an improv comedian, actor, singer, and emcee. By day, he works with business leaders as a trusted advisor at TMG, helping organizations cut through the noise of thousands of IT vendors to make smart choices in cloud, mobility, cybersecurity, and AI. By night, he brings his love of storytelling, humor, and community to projects like Midnite Snack — blending his professional experience with his creative side to entertain, inspire, and connect with audiences.

Welcome to "Midnite Snack"! This series is where I sit down with leaders, innovators, and changemakers over a late-night snack to share real conversations. The goal? To entertain, inspire, and give you authentic insight into how successful people think, lead, and overcome challenges. Episode 5’s Guest: Andrew Kerr Andrew Kerr is the CEO and Managing Partner of FortyAU, a Nashville-based technology consultancy, that helps organizations solve complex business challenges through thoughtful, custom software solutions. With a background spanning healthcare, enterprise technology, and leadership development, Andrew has spent his career working at the intersection of people, process, and technology. Beyond leading FortyAU, Andrew is an author, speaker, and educator, known for his emphasis on humility-driven leadership in an era often defined by ego and noise. His work challenges conventional ideas of what it means to lead well—focusing less on titles and tactics, and more on trust, clarity, and long-term impact. In this episode of Midnite Snack, Andrew joins us to talk leadership, technology, life lessons, and why sometimes the best conversations (and the best snacks) are the simplest ones—hard pretzels included. Midnite Snack is brought to you by TMG - The McCracken Group At TMG, we help IT leaders save Time, save Money, and play more Golf. We act as a trusted advisor, guiding organizations through complex technology decisions in cloud, mobility, cybersecurity, AI adoption, and beyond — at no direct cost to the client. By cutting through the noise of countless vendors, we help our clients find clarity, confidence, and results. About the Host Frank Rains Jr. is an emcee, facilitator, actor, singer, and technology advisor based in Nashville. By day, he works with business leaders as a trusted advisor at TMG, helping organizations cut through the noise of thousands of IT vendors to make smart choices in cloud, mobility, cybersecurity, and AI. By night, he brings his love of storytelling, humor, and community to projects like Midnite Snack — blending his professional experience with his creative side to entertain, inspire, and connect with audiences.

Welcome to "Midnite Snack"! This series is where I sit down with leaders, innovators, and changemakers over a late-night snack to share real conversations. The goal? To entertain, inspire, and give you authentic insight into how successful people think, lead, and overcome challenges. Episode 4’s Guest: Shauna Sprague Shauna Sprague is a seasoned technology and business leader known for building high-performing teams, driving innovation, and translating complex ideas into real-world impact. Based in Nashville, she brings a thoughtful, people-first approach to leadership, blending strategic vision with a genuine passion for mentorship and growth. With a career rooted in technology and operations, Shauna has played key roles in helping organizations scale, modernize, and adapt in fast-moving environments. She is widely respected for her ability to connect the dots between technology, culture, and customer experience—always keeping people at the center of progress. Outside of work, Shauna is known for her curiosity, authenticity, and belief in lifelong learning. Whether discussing leadership lessons, emerging technology, or the importance of community, she brings insight, humor, and heart to every conversation. We also learn that she is very talented at making annual Christmas Creatures! About TMG At TMG, we help IT leaders save Time, save Money, and play more Golf. We act as a trusted advisor, guiding organizations through complex technology decisions in cloud, mobility, cybersecurity, AI adoption, and beyond — at no direct cost to the client. By cutting through the noise of countless vendors, we help our clients find clarity, confidence, and results. About the Host Frank Rains Jr. is an emcee, facilitator, actor, singer, and technology advisor based in Nashville. By day, he works with business leaders as a trusted advisor at TMG, helping organizations cut through the noise of thousands of IT vendors to make smart choices in cloud, mobility, cybersecurity, and AI. By night, he brings his love of storytelling, humor, and community to projects like Midnite Snack — blending his professional experience with his creative side to entertain, inspire, and connect with audiences.