As we have discussed over the last several weeks, restoration work tied to the Great American Outdoors Act of 2021 has resumed along in the Blue Ridge Parkway in Watauga County. This work will impact areas around Boone and Blowing Rock, though detour routes and staggard closures will ensure access to popular attractions like Cone Manor, the Linn Cove Viaduct, and Price Park throughout the duration of the work.

On this week's Mind Your Business, we visit with Leesa Brandon, External Affairs Specialist for the National Park Service. She will provide the latest project details, anticipated timelines, detour information, and plenty more. We encourage you to bookmark www.nps.gov/blri for the latest information on closures, detours, and timing on potential shifts in foucs within the repair areas.

Also on this week's show, we begin our recap of the 10th annual 4 Under 40 Awards, which was held March 18th at the Appalachian Theatre. We'll unveil this year's Respect Your Elder Award winner, a long-time resident who is a motivator and business visionary.

Mind Your Business is written and produced weekly by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. This podcast is made possible thanks to the sponsorship support of Appalachian Commercial Real Estate.

Catch the show each Thursday afternoon at 5PM on WATA (1450AM & 96.5FM) in Boone.

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There are numerous businesses here in the High Country that we all drive by every day and wonder, "what do they do in there?"

This week we continue our 12-part series: Built in the High Country. This monthly feature will take us physically inside some of the most unique and successful businesses in Watauga County, as we examine what got them started and why they chose the High Country as the home for their business.

This week on Mind Your Business, we visit Jackson Sumner & Associates. Established in Boone in 1981, JSA has grown to become one of the top Excess & Specialty Lines Brokers in the eastern United States. CEO Danielle Wade explains the company's origin story, and how Boone's location plays in to their workforce recruitment and retention strategy. We'll also hear about JSA's place as an industry leader, and how they've earned that recognition while being located in rural North Carolina.

We'll also bring you the latest on Blue Ridge Parkway construction tied to the Great American Outdoors Act, including updates on detours planned for Watauga County in the near future.

Mind Your Business is written and produced weekly by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. This podcast is made possible thanks to the sponsorship support of Appalachian Commercial Real Estate.

Catch the show each Thursday afternoon at 5PM on WATA (1450AM & 96.5FM) in Boone.

Support the show

Turning the napkin sketch into a viable business is one of the most exhilarating and equally terrifying tasks in the entrepreneurial journey. Here in the High Country, we are fortunate to have several partner organizations and programs that can help a small business move from theory to reality.

This week on Mind Your Business, we show how these partners work to provide insight and expertise for budding business owners -- through the lens of the food truck community.

Road Ready: Food Truck Fundamentals is an upcoming workshop for those seeking to grow or sustain a food truck business. This two-day experience will be held March 25-26 and is organized through the Small Business Center at Caldwell Community College at Technical Institute, in conjunction with AppHealthCare, Empowering Mountain Food Systems, and the Watauga County Cooperative Extension.

While this conversation may highlight the process of staring a food truck, much of our discussion with facilitator, Dani Black, owner of Bigger Tables Culinary & Service Consulting, centers on the fundamentals of entrepreneurship, with some helpful tips for those considering the creation of a business in any industry.

You'll also hear details about our entrepreneurship local support network, and how partners like the Small Business Center, App State's Center for Entrepreneurship, Mountain BizWorks, the SBTDC, and your local Chamber of Commerce can support the process of turning dreams into business realities!

Mind Your Business is written and produced weekly by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. This podcast is made possible thanks to the sponsorship support of Appalachian Commercial Real Estate.

Catch the show each Thursday afternoon at 5PM on WATA (1450AM & 96.5FM) in Boone.

Support the show

The Olympics may be complete, but this episode of Mind Your Business is all about how we pass the torch. In communities across the High Country, we see the emergence of a new crop of leaders that are ready to make their mark. Events like the 10th annual 4 Under 40 Awards help spotlight those who are ready to do more, whether it's within their own business or industry, or by impacting the community through the giving of their time and expertise.

On this week's show, we visit with two of our past 4 Under 40 Award honorees.

Joseph Miller was recognized in 2019 for his work as a owner of Cobo Sushi Bistro & Bar and Black Cat Burrito, and now nearly seven years later, this restauranter is one of the lead influencers of the Downtown Boone business community. We'll hear how this local product used examples from his business-minded parents, combined with his own unique experiences off the mountain, to create two signature brands within the Boone restaurant scene -- and what it takes to make these businesses work.

Chelsea Helms is a Project Manager for STITCH Design Shop, and was our Rising Star honoree in 2025. She's used her Boonerang experience to establish community roots and fuel growth opportunities within her industry. Today, Chelsea and the team at STITCH are involved in some lasting, community focused projects, and the skills she learned in Boone are helping her shape the next version of this special place.

We will also unveil the 2026 class of 4 Under 40 Award Finalists.

Mind Your Business is written and produced weekly by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. This podcast is made possible thanks to the sponsorship support of Appalachian Commercial Real Estate.

Catch the show each Thursday afternoon at 5PM on WATA (1450AM & 96.5FM) in Boone.

Support the show

North Carolina has been named by CNBC as the #1 State for Business in the country in three of the last four years. The State's success is not just about its running list of economic development wins, but how those projects are boosted by our business climate, workforce pipelines, and quality of life. It takes all economic strengths and assets along with regional partnership to deliver the world-class experience that impacts business recruitment and retention.

So how does North Carolina stay on top of the charts? What are the key issues that will drive the State's success in 2026? How do the State budget and the upcoming elections impact economic opportunity? This week on Mind Your Business, we pose these questions and more to Ben Kinney, Publisher of Business NC. For 45 years, North Carolina's magazine of record has kept readers informed about key trends, breaking economic development news, and how what happens in the Triad, or Raleigh, or Charlotte, could impact us in the High Country.

It just so happens Business NC also has a podcast! While Ben Kinney appears on this week's Mind Your Business, David Jackson visits as a guest on this week's Chatter with BNC. Subscribe to both programs wherever you get your podcasts.

Mind Your Business is written and produced weekly by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. This podcast is made possible thanks to the sponsorship support of Appalachian Commercial Real Estate.

Catch the show each Thursday afternoon at 5PM on WATA (1450AM & 96.5FM) in Boone.

Support the show

Everyone that happens to own a small business will tell you a different story when it comes to the concepts, creation, and execution involved in turning their dream into reality. Each will also admit that small business success is hard to achieve, with constant variables and market influences -- and then occasionally it snows! The opportunity to keep the dream alive keeps small business owners motivated to clock in each day, no matter the circumstances, and when they achieve a milestone, it's time to celebrate!

On this week's Mind Your Business, we take a look back at 10-years of The Cardinal, as popular for their cheeseburgers and Bisbee rolls as they are for creating community for their customers and staff. Co-owner Seth Sullivan tells us the origin story the restaurant we know today, how much of the initial vision is still prevalent 10-years later, and how they have managed to manage the ebbs and flows of business management over a tricky decade. This conversation is part inspirational, part motivational, and an examination of the traits that make small businesses stick in the High Country.

Also on this week's show, we share a few long term Helene Recovery updates, including news about new leadership for the Watauga Long Term Recovery Group.

Mind Your Business is written and produced weekly by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. This podcast is made possible thanks to the sponsorship support of Appalachian Commercial Real Estate.

Catch the show each Thursday afternoon at 5PM on WATA (1450AM & 96.5FM) in Boone.

Support the show

Workforce Development has been a popular topic of focus for the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce as 2026 gets started. While we celebrate programs tied to the recruitment and retention of talent, we must not take for granted the system that creates the classroom experience that seeds important workforce pipelines.

Education is Everyone's Business is an upcoming community conversation and workshop that will highlight the K-12 public school system's role in workforce development, while also highlighting funding challenges that are making it harder to maintain education related to regional workforce needs. This workshop is scheduled for February 17th, from 11AM-4PM at the Meadowbrook Inn in Blowing Rock. Registration is available at this link and is free of charge for those that would like to participate in this important dialogue.

On this week's Mind Your Business, we visit with Jennifer Rifkin, Senior Coordinator for Policy & Research for the Public School Forum of North Carolina. She provides a snapshot on where North Carolina ranks among surrounding states in funding for public schools, how funding discrepancies impact rural communities, and what role the business community can play in terms of advocacy to help retain and grow key workforce and community development pipelines.

Mind Your Business is written and produced weekly by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. This podcast is made possible thanks to the sponsorship support of Appalachian Commercial Real Estate.

Catch the show each Thursday afternoon at 5PM on WATA (1450AM & 96.5FM) in Boone.

Support the show

In late 2025, Jon Dalton George was sworn in as Mayor of the Town of Boone, succeeding Tim Futrelle. In making this move, George vacated his seat on Town Council to assume the Mayor's chair. The town has recently opened the application process for those who wish to be considered for that vacant seat.

On this week's Mind Your Business, we discuss why Dalton George sought this new leadership perspective. We also discuss his vision for the town moving into 2026, how the Boone Next Comprehensive plan is helping guide key decisions, and how relationship equity with other regional partners can benefit the Town of Boone as we move into the future. Mayor George also will provide updates to key projects like Howard Street revitalization, downtown parking, stormwater management, and plenty more.

Later in the show, we give you the details on the nomination process for the 10th annual 4 Under 40 awards and we'll have the latest on the fundraising efforts to support the staff of Bistro Roca and Antlers Bar after fire destroyed the business last Sunday.

Mind Your Business is written and produced weekly by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. This podcast is made possible thanks to the sponsorship support of Appalachian Commercial Real Estate.

Catch the show each Thursday afternoon at 5PM on WATA (1450AM & 96.5FM) in Boone.

Support the show