Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev

Join Kosta and his guest: Kathryn Wisinger, Director of the Putnam County Library.

In this episode: In this community we’re lucky to have the partnership of local government, education, public resources like the library, non-profit resources like Plenty Book Store and countless businesses and community members working to improve the “book culture” as our friend Lisa Uhrik would say. *However, in Putnam County only 31% of elementary students tested at or above the proficient level for reading. What’s the missing link? As a kid I loved going to the library, now my kids love going to the library, but a lot has changed in the past 20 years. What can parents expect the Putnam County Library of 2024 to have it didn’t before? What are a few small changes we can make as parents, and adults in general to reintegrate reading into our lives and help create that “book culture” for the people around us? 

Find out more about Kathryn Wisinger and the Putnam County Library:
https://pclibrary.org/

Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev is a product of Morgan Franklin Media and recorded in Cookeville, TN.

This episode of Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev is made possible by our partner Sabrina Brazle, The Realty Firm.

Find out more about Sabrina Brazle:
https://www.sabrinabrazle.com/

*More information about Putnam County School System testing scores, finances and other government provided data can be found here. 

Join Kosta and his guest: Ryan Risher, Realtor at Skender-Newton Realty representing The Risher Team.

Like the rest of Tennessee we love following Ryan you on social media. Whether it’s ghost stories, memes about Cookeville or just sharing funny things that happen with your family, he always know exactly the content we want to see.

In this episode we're finding out why Ryan decided to go such a different direction with his social media. How to be ourselves online (or at least try). Why there's so many real estate agents in the Cookeville and what's next for buyers and sellers in Cookeville.

Find out more about Ryan Risher and follow him on social media:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryanwrisher/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ryan.risher/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ryanwrisher

Find out more about The Risher Team and working with Ryan:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RyanWRisher/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-w-risher-36427092/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@risherteamtennesseerealest4095

Skender-Newton Realty: https://www.heathersellshouses.com/

Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev is a product of Morgan Franklin Media and recorded in Cookeville, TN.

This episode of Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev is made possible by our partners at Aspire Barber and Beauty Academy.

Find out more about Aspire Barber and Beauty Academy:
https://aspirebarberandbeauty.com

Join Kosta and his guest: Emily Armstrong, Graduate Student at TN Tech and photographer.

A note for everyone listening to this episode, we’ll be exclusively talking about Emily’s trip to the 2024 Paris Olympics where she photographed the games’ archery competitions. She is an incredibly talented photographer and creator, so we hope you’ll look at her other work, but for now, we are going full gas, no breaks on her Olympic debut. 😀

Find out more about Emily Armstrong:
https://emilyarmstrongphoto.com/
https://www.instagram.com/emgarmstrong
https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilygarmstr0ng/
https://www.tntech.edu/stories/students/emily-armstrong.php

Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev is a product of Morgan Franklin Media and recorded in Cookeville, TN.

This episode of Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev is made possible by our partners at Volunteer State Community College.

Find out more about Volunteer State Community College:
https://www.volstate.edu/campuses/cookeville

Join Kosta and his guest: Téa Phillips. CEO of ATS Innovations Inc., and inventor of MetaFlex Gloves. 

In this episode: Roughly 20% of adults in America are living with an Arthritis diagnosis. When we lose the ability to grip or use our hands as we normally would, with conditions like Arthritis our life changes completely. For almost the past decade you’ve worked on engineering, testing and scaling a glove to help people with such mobility issues. What inspired you to start Metaflex? How does Metaflex work and who does it help the most?

Find out more about MetaFlex Gloves:
https://metaflexglove.com/

Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev is a product of Morgan Franklin Media and recorded in Cookeville, TN.

This episode of Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev is made possible by our partners at Aspire Barber and Beauty Academy.

Find out more about Aspire Barber and Beauty Academy:
https://aspirebarberandbeauty.com

Join Kosta and his guest: Tyler Buck, Owner of Baskin Robbins Cookeville, and coming this fall, Baskin Robbins Algood. Tyler is the youngest Baskin Robbin's franchise owner in the company's history.   

In this episode: Our Baskin Robbins isn’t just in the community, it’s part of the community and that’s something you’ve championed since buying the store. What does it mean to you as a business owner, especially a young business owner to be part of this community? For those that don’t know, Baskin Robbins created the franchisee model and while you don’t own the name you do own the business. How has that helped you develop your locations and what do you wish people knew about franchises? If you’d never got a job at Baskin Robbins what kind of business did you want to open? Where do you think you’d be right now?

Find out more about Baskin Robbins Cookeville:
https://locations.baskinrobbins.com/tn/cookeville/1265-interstate-dr-358846-br
https://www.instagram.com/cookevillebr/

Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev is a product of Morgan Franklin Media and recorded in Cookeville, TN.

This episode of Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev is made possible by our partner Sabrina Brazle, The Realty Firm.

Find out more about Sabrina Brazle:
https://www.sabrinabrazle.com/

PSA: If you get a random Dropbox Link from Kosta, please don't open it! 😬

Join Kosta and his guest: Dr. Muhammad Ismail Director of CEROC and Associate Professor of Computer Science at Tennessee Tech University.

In this episode: This goes without saying, but we use the internet for everything. Even my washer and dryer are hooked up to Wi-Fi. That being said, a cyber attack on the United States could be devastating. In your opinion, would a major cyber attack be more catastrophic than a conventional on-the-ground attack? Generally speaking: in real life, what does a cyberattack typically look like? Who does it normally impact? Who fixes the problem? How do they know how to fix the problem?

Find out more about CEROC and Dr. Muhammad Ismail:
https://www.tntech.edu/ceroc/

Find out more about Plenty Bookshop's Literary Gala (Three Musketeers Masquerade):

📅 Saturday, September 7, 2024
📍 Leslie Town Center

⏰ 6:00 PM - 11:00 PM
🎟️ Buy Tickets Here

Join Kosta and his guest: Dr. Mark Green, educator, community organizer and actor. Currently Dr. Green is a professor of biology at Tennessee Tech University and Vol State Community College where he facilitates a campus community garden and non-credit based outdoor series open to all adventurers of the Upper Cumberland.

In this episode: The first thing you told us when we started working on this episode was that you were the Forrest Gump of the academic world and there couldn’t be a truer statement. From dropping out of school to join the military to later getting your PhD, to being a stand-in for Tom Hanks on Sully, to starting a public outdoor adventure series in the Upper Cumberland, you’ve left no stone unturned. What did you want to be when you grew up? Did you ever think you’d meet the actual Forrest Gump? You currently work as a professor at both Vol State and TTU. At Vol State you've not only started a non-credit based outdoor adventure series, but you’ve also started a community garden for faculty and students. Will you tell us about the outdoor series and how the campus garden works?

Find out more about UC Outdoor Adventure Series and VSCC:
https://www.facebook.com/volstateuppercumberland
https://www.volstate.edu/campuses/cookeville

Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev is a product of Morgan Franklin Media and recorded in Cookeville, TN.

This episode of Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev is made possible by our partners at Aspire Barber and Beauty Academy and Caleb Bates Personalized Learning.

Find out more about Aspire Barber and Beauty Academy:
https://aspirebarberandbeauty.com/

Find out more about Caleb Bates Personalized Learning:
https://caleb-bates.com/

Join Kosta and his guest: Dr. Landon Sears, Pediatric Dentist and Founder of Cavity Commando's Dentistry for Kids.

In this episode: For parents who are thinking about where to take their kids to the dentist, is there a difference between pediatric dentistry and going to a normal dentist? As a parent you might think, okay my kids are going to lose these teeth anyways. What’s the big deal? Of course they need to brush and floss and get check ups, but why would your kid ever need serious dental care or procedures? Is sugar what causes cavities? Is not flossing causing cavities? What’s everyday advice for parents on practical tips to help keep their kid’s teeth healthy and cavity free? 

Find out more about Cavity Commando's Dentistry for Kids:
https://cookevillekidsdental.com/

Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev is a product of Morgan Franklin Media and recorded in Cookeville, TN.

This episode of Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev is made possible by our partners at Miss Sallie's Market.

Find out more about Miss Sallie's Market:
https://www.misssallies.com

Join Kosta and his guest: Jason McCormick, Director of Liquidations at Northstar Recycling Company, and former owner of R-Cubed.

In this episode: The average American creates and discards roughly 5 pounds of trash per day. As someone that’s been at the forefront of recycling and circularity for the past 15 years, what do you think is the most misunderstood part of recycling? One of the top concerns of Gen-Z and the next generation of advocates is climate change and sustainability. What part does recycling on a personal and corporate level play to start slowing these challenges?

Find out more about Northstar Recycling Company:
https://northstarrecycling.com/

Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev is a product of Morgan Franklin Media and recorded in Cookeville, TN.

This episode of Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev is made possible by our partners at Aspire Barber and Beauty Academy.

Find out more about Aspire Barber and Beauty Academy:
https://aspirebarberandbeauty.com/

Join Kosta and his guest: Mitchell White, celebrated artist, designer, and educator.

In this episode: Whether it’s through painting, floral design, events or educating others - your creativity and passion for art is larger than life and larger than you. You build a community everywhere you go, and that’s the throughline of this entire episode. What’s your advice to artists, or simply people in general on how to build a better community around them? You’ve worked in the Putnam County School System for nearly 3 decades, and over the past 30 years a lot has changed. As public schools continue to cut budgets for art programs across the country, what’s your personal testimony to the importance of art curriculums in school? Do you ever worry about the creativity and artistic skills that might be lost in the upcoming generations? How is AI and the internet already impacting the next generation of art?

Find out more about Mitchell White:
https://www.mitchellwhite.com

Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev is a product of Morgan Franklin Media and recorded in Cookeville, TN.

This episode of Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev is made possible by our partners at Volunteer State Community College.

Find out more about Volunteer State Community College:
https://www.volstate.edu/campuses/cookeville