Appalachian Startup

Whenever we hear someone say “You can’t start a business in Southern West Virginia.” Will Daniels often comes to mind. He didn’t expect what once was a way to earn some extra dollars during his off-hours would turn into a business that would eventually provide 30 new jobs for local folks in under 10 years of operation. What was that business? Cutting grass. Learn the ins and outs of all things blue collar business with Will Daniels from XP Lawn Care. Learn more at AppalachianStartup.com.

Elaine McMillion Sheldon is arguably the most successful filmmaker to come out of West Virginia. Her projects have taken her across the nation telling stories that directly impact a wide range of communities. She discusses her filmmaking process, and what it was like to create one of the most socially impactful pair of documentaries ever made. Learn more at AppalachianStartup.com.

On the final week of Mercer Grassroots March we sat down with Matt Barnett, the owner of Sophisticated Hound Brewing Company. His journey has taken him from a Master's Degree in Business from WVU, to taking his hobby of homebrewing full-time by opening his own taproom on Mercer Street in Princeton. Keeping it local is important to him and we discuss the process of becoming a successful brewer in Appalachia. Grab a cold one, unless you’re driving of course, and hear his words describing his passion. Learn more at AppalachianStartup.com.

This third week of Mercer Grassroots March involves two DIY entrepreneurial machines that took their love for Pinterest projects to the world of Appalachian business. We’re talking about Hammer and Stain. Lisa Christian and Holley Odle came across the opportunity to dive in on the Hammer and Stain franchise and haven’t looked back since. You come in and create a custom piece of art that you’ll not only love the process of making, but will appreciate for decades to come. We spoke about their journey and their love for the world of arts and crafts. Learn more at AppalachianStartup.com.

On a special episode of Appalachian Startup, J.D. talks through his frustrations, expectations, plans, and perspective for his small business during the COVID-19 pandemic. There is also some tips on how to approach a strategy for staying afloat these next few months. Find more episodes of the podcast at AppalachianStartup.com.

We’re kicking off the second week of Mercer Grassroots March with a captivating story of how one man’s beehive turned into a community’s one-stop shop for all things Bee keeping. Blue Ridge Bee Company is a special addition to the Mercer Grassroots District. Will and Emily Lambert turned an almost condemned building into a proud bee keeping, ice creaming, and t-shirt selling establishment. Even when a devastating fall occurred during the renovation process. Hear about their dream that came to life recently during this hour. Learn more at AppalachianStartup.com.

On this first week of Mercer Grassroots March we’re going to hear from one of the original organizers of the Princeton Renaissance Project and the Mercer Street Grassroots District. Lori McKinney is Director of The RiffRaff Arts Collective. She decided with her husband Robert in the mid 2000’s that they wanted to build an artistic scene for folks to enjoy local music and the world of all things creative arts. Fast forward 15 years and they are collaborators with dozens of businesses and leaders in the entrepreneurship movement in West Virginia. Learn more at AppalachianStartup.com.

On this episode of Mercer Grassroots March we set down with Tammy Dotson, owner of The Hatter’s Bookshop. Her childhood memories of her father reading to her sparked the love of literature. It wasn’t until she had an empty nest later in life that she decided to dive into the world of the book business. Upon establishing a storefront in the Mercer Street Grassroots District, she quickly discovered the energy her cozy shop brought to the movement. Learn more at AppalachianStartup.com.

Dave Wertz is CEO and Lead Developer at Infinity Marketing Solutions located in Hurricane, West Virginia. After NASA visited his school in the early days, his passion for programming kicked in full steam, and his path eventually led him to Colorado. It was there that he decided climbing the corporate ladder wasn’t for him, and upon moving back to West Virginia, he took $500 and started Infinity Marketing Solutions in a back office with the purchase of a domain, business license, and two pizzas. We sat down for an honest conversation involving Marketing 101. Learn more at AppalachianStartup.com.

Love film? Here's an episode breaking down the success of the Charleston, West Virginia born production team, Filmanatix. Benjamin Mason and Caleb Akers walk through the early days of developing a passion for storytelling through the medium of video. Then, they eventually charged for it, and Filmanatix was born. Enjoy! Learn more at AppalachianStartup.com.