Join Kosta and his guest: Scott Miller, Founder and CEO of The Poverty Solution. In conjunction with countless partners and community leaders, UCDD and The Poverty Solution are overseeing a region-wide effort to lift 1,600 children and their families out of poverty by 2025.

In this episode: Poverty isn’t a fringe issue. It’s our economic reality. As someone that’s dedicated their life to helping communities alleviate poverty, what opportunities did you see in the Upper Cumberland? Getting out of poverty is hard. That might be the understatement of the century. It costs more to make money than to keep your benefits and not work at all. People want to work, they want to do better, but we’ve created a system completely contradictory to the objective. If we can’t change the system, how do we improve the outcomes? Your ultimate goal is to change how we address poverty. On your website it says “It won’t be easy. But it will change lives.” What do you hope people take away from that?

Find out more about The Poverty Solution:
https://www.thepovertysolution.com

Find out more about Empower Upper Cumberland:
https://empoweruppercumberland.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 partners at Aspire Barber and Beauty Academy.

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

Join Kosta and his guest Chad Mynatt, Director of Manna Global Missions and Co-Director of El Puente Community Center. 

El Puente is a Hispanic Community Center located in Cookeville, TN. El Puente's mission is to create a welcoming community and offer resources that empower and connect the Hispanic community of the Upper Cumberland. In English “El Puente” means “Bridge”. El Puente es un centro comunitario para hispanos en Cookeville, TN.

In this episode: Roughly 10% of people living in Putnam County are hispanic. It’s the fastest growing minority in Putnam County and in Tennessee. Will you tell us about the origins of El Puente and what led you to creating this organization? You’re white. That might be blunt to say, but it’s true. You’re a caucasian person that’s created a community to help our hispanic neighbors. What role do white people play in being of service to minorities and how do we better love our neighbor? What do you wish people knew about the hispanic community in the Upper Cumberland?

📌 Comedy for a Cause - Karen Mills (aka Little Karen)
📅 Friday, January 24, 2025
🕐 7:30 PM
📍 (CPAC) Cookeville Performing Arts Center - 10 E Broad St, Cookeville, TN 38501
🎟️ https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/75284740/comedy-for-a-cause-featuring-karen-mills-cookeville-cookeville-performing-arts-center

Find out more about the El Puete:
https://www.elpuentecookeville.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 partners at Miss Sallie's Market.

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

Join Kosta and his guest: Susan Luna-Hazlewood, Director of Crawford Alumni Center at Tennessee Tech University.

In this episode: Susan, you’re the Executive Director of the Tennessee Tech Alumni Association, you’re the Director of the Crawford Alumni Center and you also serve as the University's Chief Alumni Officer - needless to say, you know TTU alumni. But what do you wish every alumni knew about TTU? Higher education is an entire ecosystem all to itself - and I know that would take another full podcast episode to explain, but if you can condense it down, why does having a strong network of alumni matter for the growth and success of any university? In 2022 your daughter Ellie was diagnosed with Stage 4, High-Risk Neuroblastoma. At only 3 years old cancer had spread and was covering 80% of her body. After 15 months of chemotherapy, surgeries and treatment Ellie is officially in remission as of January 2024. How did this experience change you and your family? 

Find out more about Susan Luna-Hazlewood and Crawford Alumni Center:
https://www.tntech.edu/univadv/cac/

Are you a TTU Almuni? Sign up for the newsletter and update your information here:
https://www.tntech.edu/univadv/cac/alumni-update.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 partner Sabrina Brazle, The Realty Firm.

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

Join Kosta and his guest: David Uhrik, Owner and Director of Franklin Fixtures, US Pillars and Plenty Downtown Bookshop.

In this episode: We’ll start with the most topical question first, Plenty Bookshop moved across the street from 

48 West Broad Street to 41 West Broad Street on January 1st. This is Plenty’s 3rd location, and as an operations expert, I have to ask - what specifically spoke to you about this space?

While many of our listeners might know you from Plenty Bookshop, and owning the company that built the You’ve Got Mail shelving, they might not know how Franklin Fixtures came to be or more importantly how it came to be in Cookeville. Will you give us a brief rundown of the company’s past 50-years and how it made its way from Cape Cod to the Upper Cumberland?

What I find the most fascinating about your story is - this was never the plan. You didn’t go out seeking any of this. What’s your advice to anyone that knows they’re meant for something greater, but has no idea how to make it happen?

Find out more about Plenty Downtown Bookshop:
https://www.plentybookshop.com/
📌 41 West Broad Street, Cookeville, TN 38501

Find out more about Franklin Fixtures:
https://www.franklinfixtures.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: McTelvin Agim, Defensive Lineman for the Tennessee Titans.

In this episode: You know better than anyone becoming a professional athlete takes a lifetime of work and dedication. Let’s go all the way back to the beginning - what was life like for you as a kid?

Over the last two years you’ve signed with the Broncos, Colts, Texans, and now the Titans - you’ve had the opportunity to work with hundreds of world’s most talented athletes and coaches, but of course - all us Titans fans want to know, what makes the Titans the best team in the NFL?

There are unbelievable pressures on athletes of every level. How do you deal with the pressure of being on a professional team and separating yourself from both the wins and the losses?

Find out more about the Tennessee Titans:
https://www.tennesseetitans.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

Join Kosta and his guest: Dr. Chelsea Dowell, Professor of Economics at Tennessee Tech University.

In this episode: It was the most Googled question on November 6th, the day after the 2024 United States Presidential Election, and we’re here to ask you (a much more qualified resource than Google) what is a tariff?

James Carville said it best, “It’s the economy stupid.” We’re all worried about the economy, but what exactly are we worried about? What’s made our groceries, housing and everything we spend our paycheck on, especially here in the Upper Cumberland so much more expensive? 

We’re told daily our economy in the State of Tennessee is one of the best in the United States. According to the published budget on our state website we have a rainy day fund of $2,070,000,000.00. However, Tennessee is ranked in the top 10 states for poverty, and the median income is $33,901.00. How can the economy be thriving, and our state has billions in savings, while the average Tennessean is making roughly $16 an hour?

Find out more about the Economics program at Tennessee Technological University:
https://www.tntech.edu/majors/economics.php

https://www.tntech.edu/directory/business/chelsea-dowell.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 Miss Sallie's Market.

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

Join Kosta and his guest: Zakiya Roberts, Master Gardener, Director of Growing Garners and Owner of Pots of Peace.

In this episode: Through Pots of Peace you’re not only able to interconnect our community through generations, you're able to bridge the information gap that’s expanding from generation to generation. What skills are you teaching that most Millennials, Gen Z, and even some Gen Xers didn’t grow up with? Teaching families how to be more self-sufficient is a cornerstone of your brand and mission. What does self-sufficiency mean to you? Why should it be important to all of us? Let’s talk about Growing Gardeners and bringing kids into the garden. What do children learn from being in the garden they aren’t learning at home or school?

Find out more about more about Zakiya Roberts, Pots of Peace and Growing Garners:
https://potsofpeace.square.site
https://www.instagram.com/pots_ofpeace
https://www.facebook.com/PotsofPeace/

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: Hailey Sullivan, Upper Cumberland CTE Consultant for the Tennessee Department of Education.

In this episode: For parents, especially in the Upper Cumberland, it feels like we’re being pulled in 20 different directions to figure out what’s “best” for our children. Whether it’s going to college, getting a technical certificate or entering the workforce right out of high school, the goal post is moving everyday. What’s your advice to parents on how to prepare their children for success? Most middle school students are between the ages of 10 and 14. The majority of these kids are more worried about getting their braces off than getting a job, and understandably so. How do you get 12 year olds excited about career development and why does it matter at this age? When we’re looking at the Upper Cumberland, and what’s to come - what do you think the most valuable career paths over the next decade will be and what industries will be fading out? 

  
Find out more about Upper Cumberland CTE:
https://www.tn.gov/education.html
https://www.facebook.com/people/Upper-Cumberland-CTE/61559875886783/?_rdr

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/

Join Kosta and his guest: Lisa Mackie, Executive Director of Deeper Still Upper Cumberland. The mission of Deeper Still Upper Cumberland is to bring healing and lasting freedom to abortion wounded hearts of women and men.

The Upper Cumberland chapter was founded by Lisa Mackie after she attended a Deeper Still retreat. This chapter is an affiliate of the founding Deeper Still based in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Find out more about Lisa Mackie and Deeper Still Upper Cumberland:
https://www.deeperstilluppercumberland.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 partners at Aspire Barber and Beauty Academy.

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

Join Kosta and his guest: Shaun Scantland, Business Development Consultant at Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development.

This week we're celebrating Thanksgiving, biscuits and gravy, and all the ways we're better together.

We’re honored to host Shaun on this special Thanksgiving episode, because he makes this community and podcast better everyday. Thank you to our guest host of Questions from a Cornucopia, BTwKY Producer Morgan Franklin and special guest Finn Scantland.

Shaun's Dressing Recipe:

Step 1: Cornbread

Ingredients

• 2 cups White Lily white cornmeal mix
• 1 1/3 cups whole milk
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 egg, beaten

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal mix, milk, canola oil, and beaten egg until smooth.
3. Pour the batter into a greased black iron skillet for best results.
4. Bake at 450°F until the top is golden brown.

Step 2: Cornbread Dressing

Ingredients

• 1 batch cornbread (6 cups crumbled)
• 3 cups bread crumbs (use wheat bread)
• 2–4 chicken breasts, boiled until done and drained (set aside)
• 2 cups onion, sautéed in butter until tender (set aside)
• 3–4 cups chicken broth (2 large cartons; add as needed for "soupy" consistency)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 heaping tsp ground sage
• 1 tsp dried marjoram
• 1 1/2 tsp dried rosemary

Directions

1. Prepare the Ingredients:
   • Boil the chicken breasts until done, drain, and shred.
   • Sauté the onions in butter until tender.
   • Crumble the cornbread and bread crumbs into a large mixing bowl.
2. Mix the Dressing:
   • Add the shredded chicken and sautéed onions to the bowl.
   • Sprinkle in the salt, pepper, thyme, sage, marjoram, and rosemary.
   • Stir in the beaten eggs.
3. Add Chicken Broth:
   • Begin by adding 1 carton of chicken broth, then gradually add more until the mixture is "soupy."
   • Mix thoroughly to ensure all ingredients are evenly combined.
4. Bake:
   • Preheat the oven to 400°F.
   • Spray your baking dish with non-stick spray.
   • Pour the mixture into the prepared dish.
   • Bake for about 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown.

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