Climbing the Charts with Angie Lawless and Brandon Miller

Climbing the Charts sat down with Meg Epstein, Founder and CEO of CA South. Meg launched CA South in January 2016, and despite being just 7 years old now, CA South has over a billion dollars in projects and related real estate assets under its belt, notching a place as one of the leading real estate businesses in Music City.

Meg has garnered numerous accolades along the way, including being a NBJ "CEO of the Year" winner in 2022, and the Entrepreneur Center's Entrepreneur of 2022. Award Category. Meg is one of a new generation of women real estate developers in Nashville shaping the city's skyline and helping write its next chapter.

During our conversation with Meg, we learn about her early years on the West Coast (as a clever listener might surmise, Meg moved to Nashville from California, ergo, CA South), her work as a project manager for Orion & Finton Group, and how she came to found CA South, as well as become the managing member of a private equity fund affiliated with it. Meg explains her commitment to non-profit work, the importance of family, and what has driven her to reach such high levels at a relatively young age. Meg also weighs in about recent events and politics in the city, including the upcoming Mayor's race, and shares what keeps her inspired each and every day.

We promise you will learn some very interesting things in this inviting conversation, as well as hear Meg's advice to entrepreneurs and especially those who want to make a name for themselves in real estate!

Climbing the Charts sat down with Fran Bush, a former Metro Nashville School Board Member and owner and director of Model Kids Learning Academy which, provides childcare services to some of Nashville's neediest families in growing communities.

While some might say that running for Mayor is Fran's biggest challenge yet, it's hard to agree with that after she shares her life story, which is both fascinating and genuinely inspiring. While Fran shares her vision for Nashville and previews what a Mayor Bush administration might look like, including her top priorities as mayor, she also tells us about her youth growing up in North Nashville, what it was like entering the foster care system at age 12, and also what it was like to attend Metro Public Schools – and McGavock High School, in particular – during desegregation and the inception of "busing." For anyone interested in education, foster parenting, foster care, or the outsized influence that teachers can and do have in the lives of their students, this is a must listen.

Climbing the Charts sat down with Senator Heidi Campbell – a Nashville native, former Mayor of Oak Hill, the first Democrat to flip a Tennessee State Senate Seat since 2006, and now a leading candidate to become Music City's next mayor!

Heidi shares her thoughts with us about what it takes to lead in a fiscally responsible, data-based, and compassionate way. She can boast being the only former musician and songwriter in the field (spoiler alert – her band, The Keep, performed at Lilith Fair!). Heidi tells us what it means to her to be the first female Mayor of Oak Hill and the first female elected to the State Senate as the State Senator for Tennessee District 20, also making her the first Democrat to flip a State Senate seat since 2006. Heidi also recently ran a very competitive race for Tennessee's Fifth Congressional District but was defeated by Republican Andy Ogles in a gerrymandered contest that you'll learn more about in today's episode.

Senator Campbell now aims to win her fifth political race, the 2023 election for Mayor of Nashville. Today's discussion covers a wide range of topics (including Heidi's take on solid waste, affordable housing, public education, and gun reform) and delves into the power that the Mayor of Nashville has to effect broader change – and so much more!

Climbing the Charts sat down with Alice Rolli, a serial entrepreneur, a teacher and former special assistant to then US Tennessee Republican Senator Lamar Alexander. Alice has now worn many hats in the private and public sectors, with the common thread among those roles being education and technology, and is currently auditioning for her biggest role yet as a candidate for mayor of Music City. Alice is a believer that education can change the trajectory of lives and even those of cities, in Nashville.

During our conversation with Alice, we hear about her experience deciding to run for mayor, what she's learned from her from her private and public sector experiences, and how she came to serve as the campaign manager for Lamar Alexander's 2014 U.S. Senate campaign. She tells us what it was like to go from Nashville to study at Stanford University and what first sparked her deep and abiding passion for education. We discuss different issues, including reading help for every first grader, school safety, and how her position as a centrist Republican candidate will differ from the rest of the field of candidates vying to become Nashville's next Mayor. We also discuss the critical importance of mentors, role models, and do a deep dive into tax issues and some finer points of economic development.

As always, we end our insightful conversation with some fun questions. If you want to hear her 2033 Nashville vision, do not miss out on this new episode of Climbing the Charts!

Climbing the Charts sat down for an engaging, and wide-ranging, conversation with Tennessee State Senator Jeff Yarbro (District 21) who is now running to become Music City's next Mayor. In this episode, we find out why Senator Yarbro is running for Mayor, catch up on some important legal developments (mini-spoiler alert—the State bill to eliminate runoff elections in Tennessee has been successfully quashed, and the court challenge to prevent the state's forced shrinkage of the Metro Council has also been successful – two developments Senator discusses from his front row seat to these developments). This episode was recorded just after the tragic shooting at The Covenant School, and Senator Yarbro also shares how the event affected both he and his family, as well as offers a first-hand account of the response in the Tennessee legislature, including its consideration of red flag laws. Tune in to hear our guest's take on the role and responsibility of a mayor, the type of action that needs to be taken regarding gun violence, how Nashville citizens can be supported amidst the city's exponential pace of growth, as well as his considered take on the "Tennessee Three."

Climbing the Charts sat down with Natisha Brooks, a retired educator and former Republican candidate for the fifth congressional district of Tennessee, who recently entered the 2023 race for Nashville mayor. Natisha has occupied various teaching roles but is best known for her position as the owner and director of Brooks Home School and Tutoring. We learn about Natisha's decision to enter the mayoral race and the issues she is most passionate about. She breaks down her top three priorities as a mayoral candidate and explains what she plans to do to address excessively high tax rates, empower teachers, and increase access to mental health. Natisha also expands on why she describes herself as a Christian Conservative Constitutionalist (and it's probably not what you think!), her profound respect for all religions, and why she believes the US Constitution is meant to serve all Americans. Listen in to learn more about Natisha, including her top book recommendation and her favorite breakfast spot in Nashville.

Climbing the Charts sat down with Metro Council Member Sharon Hurt, the current Executor Director of StreetWorks, the retired CEO of the Jefferson Street United Merchants Partnership (JUMP) and a recently announced candidate for the 2023 Nashville Mayoral race.

Council Member Hurt shares some of the fascinating history of Jefferson Street (including tales of Jimi Hendrix's visits when he was stationed at Fort Campbell) and her incredible work as the CEO of JUMP, shares her thoughts on the differences between politicians and leaders, and also offers her candid assessment of the recent decision by that the State of Tennessee to reject federal funding from the CDC for HIV/AIDS prevention and outreach. Council Member Hurt makes it clear that Nashville needs all of its people, just as Jordan needed his team, to be a success; and she makes it clear that she is a truthteller, unbossed and unbought.

Climbing the Charts sat down with Jim Gingrich, a Nashville Business Journal Newsmaker of the Year and former COO of Alliance Bernstein. Jim gives an insider's account of what attracted both he and Alliance Bernstein to Music City, and offers thoughts about the importance of civic engagements and what is so special about Nashville's nonprofit sector. Jim also shares his thoughts on productivity and business books (spoiler alert: there's only 1 business book he finds to be worthwhile).

Climbing the Charts sits down with Gray Sasser, Executive Director of The Vanderbilt Project on Unity and Democracy, and TJ Ducklo, Chief Communications Officer and Senior Adviser to Nashville Mayor John Cooper and former National Press Secretary for the Biden 2020 Campaign and Deputy Press Secretary to the President.

Listen in as these two gentlemen share why writing well is one of the most important skills any high school student with an interest in politics could possibly learn, why we should all be paying attention to the Vanderbilt Unity Index, why college students are yearning for the next Robert Kennedy, what the 2022 mid-term elections tell us about the state of democracy in America today, and how reality itself is constructed in the age of social media.

Climbing the Charts sits down with Bob Freeman, a buzzed about 2023 Nashville mayoral candidate, the current Tennessee House Representative for District 56 and the Executive Vice President of Freeman Webb Co. Bob shares his advice for young entrepreneurs with no capital or connections, his advice on how to stay motivated in Nashville real estate even in a tough market and shares his perspective that bipartisanship is the only way to properly serve the people of Tennessee.