In this episode of The Southern Shmooze, Grant sits down with Ester Shamba, founder of Gratitwood, to talk about creativity, entrepreneurship, community, and the story behind the business she’s built.

Ester’s work through Gratitwood is rooted in transforming wood into meaningful, handcrafted pieces, but the conversation goes well beyond what she makes. Grant and Ester dig into how Gratitwood came to be, what it takes to turn a creative idea into a real business, and the experiences that have shaped Ester along the way.

They talk about the realities of building something from the ground up, finding your place in Atlanta’s small-business community, staying connected to the purpose behind your work, and what she’s learned as Gratitwood has grown.

It’s a conversation about craftsmanship and entrepreneurship, but also about the people and stories behind the local businesses we interact with every day.

And that’s really what The Southern Shmooze is all about: getting to know the neighbors behind the businesses, organizations, and ideas that make Atlanta feel like Atlanta.

A little behind-the-scenes note: This episode took almost six months to get on the books. Schedules didn’t line up, life happened, and we just kept following up until we finally made it happen. A pretty good reminder for anyone building a business, a relationship, or really anything: patience and follow-through go a long way.

👉 Find Ester and Gratitwood in The Southern Shmooze Directory: https://pro.southernshmooze.com/pro/gratitwood

👉 Learn more about Gratitwood: https://www.gratitwood.com/

👉 Join The Southern Shmooze Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSouthernShmooze

👉 Subscribe to The Southern Shmooze Newsletter: https://thesouthernshmooze.substack.com/

If you’re enjoying The Southern Shmooze, please take a second to follow, rate, and leave a review. It helps more Atlanta neighbors discover the show and the people, businesses, and stories shaping our community.

In this episode of The Southern Shmooze, Grant sits down with longtime friend and Atlanta City Councilmember Liliana Bakhtiari.

Grant and Liliana have known each other for about 15 years, long before City Hall entered the picture. That history makes this conversation a little different. Rather than just talking politics, they dig into Atlanta itself: how the city has changed, what’s happening in our neighborhoods, what it’s actually like trying to get things done at City Hall, and where Atlanta goes from here.

Liliana has represented Atlanta’s District 5 since taking office in 2022, serving communities across much of East Atlanta. During her time on Council, her work has touched housing, pedestrian safety, parks and greenspace, homelessness, neighborhood infrastructure, access to groceries, and other issues that show up in the everyday lives of Atlantans. Liliana Bakhtiari | Atlanta City Council

Grant and Liliana talk about the wins, the frustrations, the things residents may not realize are happening behind the scenes, and some of the challenges Atlanta still needs to figure out.

It’s also a conversation between two people who have watched Atlanta grow and change together for a decade and a half which means there are plenty of stories along the way.

Whether you live in District 5 or on the other side of the city, this one is ultimately about the place we all call home and the people trying to shape what comes next.

👉 Learn more about Liliana Bakhtiari

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If you’re enjoying The Southern Shmooze, please take a second to follow, rate, and leave a review. It helps more Atlanta neighbors discover the show and the people shaping our community.

In this episode of The Southern Shmooze, Grant sits down with Molly Berg, who helps small businesses navigate the rapidly changing and often confusing world of artificial intelligence.

Even though this episode was recorded only a week ago, the AI landscape is already evolving. New tools, concerns, and possibilities emerge every day, making it difficult for business owners and the rest of us to know what deserves our attention.

Grant and Molly explore the good, the bad, and everything in between. They discuss how AI can help small businesses, where it can create risks, and what people should understand before jumping in. They also examine the growing number of data centers in and around Atlanta and what that expansion could mean for our local community.

Molly shares practical strategies that every business owner and every neighbor should know, even if they have no interest in using AI themselves. Whether we embrace it, avoid it, or remain skeptical, AI is already changing the businesses, workplaces, and communities around us.

👉 Learn more about Molly: mollyberg.co

👉 Connect with Molly on LinkedIn: Molly Berg

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👉 Subscribe to The Southern Shmooze Newsletter: The Southern Shmooze Newsletter

If you’re enjoying The Southern Shmooze, please take a second to follow, rate, and leave a review. It helps more Atlanta neighbors discover the show and the people shaping our community.

In this episode of The Southern Shmooze, Grant sits down with Mark Sayers, a local entrepreneur who somehow keeps finding new businesses to get involved with.

Mark is the owner of Discount Junk Removal, helping Atlanta homeowners and businesses clear out everything from old furniture and appliances to full-property cleanouts.

But junk removal is only part of the story.

Mark also helps run Peace of Mind Recycling alongside Grant, where they've worked together to keep tens of thousands of pounds of glass and other hard-to-recycle materials out of Atlanta landfills. And if that wasn't enough, Mark has become an important part of The Southern Shmooze, helping grow the community and support the local businesses that make it what it is.

Grant and Mark talk about what it's like to juggle multiple businesses, how their partnership came together, and the lessons they've learned from actually doing the work, whether that's hauling junk, recycling glass, building a community, or figuring things out as they go.

They also get into entrepreneurship, family, friendship, and the reality of trying to grow businesses while still having a life outside of them.

And since these two spend a lot of time working together already, this episode is probably less of an interview and more like somebody accidentally left a microphone running during one of their conversations.

👉 Visit Discount Junk Removal: discount-junkremoval.com

👉 Learn more about Peace of Mind Recycling: pomatl.com

👉 Join The Southern Shmooze Facebook Group The Southern Shmooze Facebook Group

👉 Subscribe to The Southern Shmooze Newsletter The Southern Shmooze Newsletter

If you're enjoying The Southern Shmooze, it would mean a lot if you took a second to follow, rate, and leave a review. It helps more Atlanta neighbors discover the show and support local businesses.

In this episode of The Southern Shmooze, Grant sits down with Grant. Yes, there are two Grants. We promise you'll figure out who's talking.

Grant Wallace joins the show to talk about the unconventional path that led him from farming to creating Our Apothecary at Bremen Farms and becoming the owner of Moonie Mart, a modern country store in Buchanan, Georgia.

They talk about growing herbs, fruits, veggies, you name it! We get into what it takes to build businesses that connect farming, creativity, retail, and community.

They also get into entrepreneurship, fatherhood, following your curiosity, and the challenge of building something of your own while still making time for the people who matter most. Grant shares what he's learned from wearing a lot of different hats, both in business and at home, and why some of the most interesting local businesses don't fit neatly into one box.

And somewhere along the way, Grant and Grant attempt to figure out which Grant we're talking about.

👉 Visit Our Apothecary at Bremen Farms Our Apothecary

👉 Visit Moonie Mart Moonie Mart

👉 Join The Southern Shmooze Facebook Group The Southern Shmooze Facebook Group

👉 Subscribe to The Southern Shmooze Newsletter The Southern Shmooze Newsletter

If you’re enjoying The Southern Shmooze, it would mean a lot if you took a second to follow, rate, and leave a review. It helps more Atlanta neighbors discover the show and support local businesses.

In this episode of The Southern Shmooze, Grant sits down with Jacob Fuchs of Frazer Roofing. They discuss what it takes to build a trusted roofing company, the importance of quality workmanship, and what homeowners should know when it comes to maintaining, repairing, or replacing their roof.

Jacob shares his experience in the roofing industry, his approach to customer service, and some of the most common roofing issues homeowners face in Atlanta. They also talk about entrepreneurship, growing a local business, and what it takes to earn the trust of homeowners through honest advice, reliable service, and quality work.

👉 Check out Frazer Roofing on The Southern Shmooze Directory

https://www.thesouthernshmooze.com/directory#!biz/id/67b7a67ae5a0edff5f015724

👉 Visit Frazer Roofing

https://www.fraserroofingllc.com/atlanta-ga/

👉 Join The Southern Shmooze Facebook Group

https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSouthernShmooze

👉 Subscribe to The Southern Shmooze Newsletter

https://thesouthernshmooze.substack.com/

If you're enjoying The Southern Shmooze, it would mean a lot if you took a second to follow, rate, and leave a review. It helps more Atlanta neighbors discover the show while supporting great local businesses.

In this episode of The Southern Shmooze, Grant sits down with Raul McCoy, owner of Safety 1st Electrical Services. They discuss what it takes to build a trusted electrical company, the importance of quality workmanship, and why homeowners should never cut corners when it comes to electrical safety.

Raul shares how he got started in the industry, his approach to customer service, and the most common electrical issues he sees in Atlanta homes. They also talk about entrepreneurship, growing a local business, and what it means to earn the trust of homeowners through honest work and reliable service.

👉 Check out Safety 1st Electrical Services on The Southern Shmooze Directory

http://thesouthernshmooze.com/directory#!biz/id/696859b220dc3d85f10e7902

👉 Visit Safety 1st Electrical Services

https://safety1stelectrical.com/

👉 Join The Southern Shmooze Facebook Group

https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSouthernShmooze

👉 Subscribe to The Southern Shmooze Newsletter

https://thesouthernshmooze.substack.com/

If you're enjoying The Southern Shmooze, it would mean a lot if you took a second to follow, rate, and leave a review. It helps more Atlanta neighbors discover the show while supporting great local businesses.

In this episode of The Southern Shmooze, Grant sits down with Savannah, founder of Halo House. They talk about creating beautiful, intentional spaces that truly feel like home, the power of thoughtful interior design, and how great design can improve the way we live every day. Savannah shares how she got started, her design philosophy, and what it’s like building a business centered around helping clients love where they live.

They also discuss entrepreneurship, balancing creativity with running a business, and why investing in a well-designed home is about more than just aesthetics, it’s about creating spaces that reflect the people who live in them.

👉 Check out Savannah and Halo House on The Southern Shmooze Directory

https://www.thesouthernshmooze.com/directory#!biz/id/67d08208fdb7475da30de308

👉 Visit Halo House

https://www.hailohouse.com/

👉 Join the Facebook Group

https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSouthernShmooze

👉 Subscribe to The Southern Shmooze Newsletter

https://thesouthernshmooze.substack.com/

If you’re enjoying The Southern Shmooze, it would mean a lot if you took a second to follow, rate, and leave a review. It helps more Atlanta neighbors discover the show and support local businesses.