Today on Below the Surface, we sat down with Clarke Merrell — the man behind some of Eastern NC's most recognizable restaurants: Prime Bistro, Wine Bar, Circa, Dank Burrito, Merrell Estate & Gardens, Social Q, and Beaufort Olive Oil Company. 
In this episode, Jared and Clarke get into what it really takes to build a hospitality empire from scratch, the brutal reality of tight margins in fast casual, what "dank" actually means as a brand standard, and why he believes you're in the people business first, no matter what you're serving.
They get into franchising Dank Burrito, navigating economic uncertainty, knowing your numbers when commodity prices are moving, how Clarke builds and keeps loyal teams.
----------
Topics covered:
-Opening Circa at 28 with no capital and no experience
-Franchising Dank Burrito — the lessons learned in the last 12 months
-Why Dank doesn't have a microwave (and barely needs a freezer)
-Managing tight margins when beef prices double
-"Management is an action sport" — what accountability actually looks like
-Handling Google reviews without losing your mind
-Building culture through the human element
-Why every chart has red candles

Jared Shepherd built ProServe from his garage with nothing but a truck, some tools, and his wife Maria saying "okay." Now he's responsible for 50+ employees and their families — and for the first time, he's talking about what actually sits underneath all of it.
In this unfiltered episode, Jared introduces himself, brings on co-host Matt Wiggins, and gets real about anxiety, panic attacks, work-life guilt, loyalty, and why the "grind 24/7" message is BS.
Drop your questions in the comments — next episode is all Q&A.

Brian Saunders is known all over New Bern — from teaching for 26 years to Victory Fishing to Neuse River Fishers of Men. But most people have no idea what built him.

In this episode, Brian gets raw about the three things he worshipped before God — football, alcohol, and women — and the wild night at ECU that changed everything. He also opens up about almost dying in 2019 during a routine surgery, the pain of his father's alcoholism, his regrets as a dad, and what it finally took to stop chasing his father's approval.

This one goes deep. Enjoy it. 🎣

📲 Follow Brian: Victory Fishing Custom Charters — facebook.com/VictoryFishing | 📞 252-626-6006 Neuse River Fishers of Men Inshore Trail

🎙️ Below the Surface — where depth matters more than image, truth matters more than comfort.

Josh Sutton is one of the top speckled trout guides in North Carolina — but the journey to get there? Nothing short of wild. From racing go-karts up and down the East Coast, to a dirt bike wreck that changed everything, to finding his calling on the water — Josh keeps it real about all of it.
We talk racing, machining, faith, the pressure of being a guide, social media killing the fishing world, and what it actually takes to catch big trout. This one hits different.
📍 Book a trip with Josh:
🌐 fishpamlico.com
📞 252-640-7561
📱 Pamlico Point Guide Service on Facebook & Instagram

Tim Eskew grew up poor in King's Crossroads, NC — and didn't even know it. Now he's a pastor, founder of Eastern Carolina Inshore Club (ECIC), and a man whose name has become synonymous with community, purpose, and giving back.

In this episode of Below the Surface, Tim opens up about the moments that shaped him: realizing at 13 that he wanted more out of life, learning that failure is the only real teacher, battling depression most of his life, and what it really costs to carry a community on your back.

This one goes deep.