In this episode of the Kanawha Valley Hustlers podcast I sit down with Jay Silverman and Joel Bennett to talk about their feature dogumentary on the search for the best West Virginia hot dog.

What started as a short project during COVID turned into a years-long trip across the state. Jay and Joel visited 284 mom-and-pop restaurants and judged each West Virginia-style hot dog by the bun, dog, chili, slaw, onions, mustard, and the way it all came together. Along the way, they learned more about hot dogs than they ever expected.

But the story became bigger than food. Their goal was to support small restaurants during a hard time and show the people, places, and culture that make West Virginia worth celebrating. They met local characters, brought in judges from different regions, ran into surprises, and built a story that could not fit into short YouTube videos.

We also talk about the movie premiere in Saint Albans, complete with a mustard-colored carpet because a West Virginia hot dog does not have ketchup. Bogeys Driving Range, the winner of their top hot dog list, served hot dogs at the event. Friends, family, influencers, and supporters came out to celebrate the project.

Jay and Joel explain that the documentary includes the behind-the-scenes moments, the road trips, the debate, the controversy, and the views of West Virginia that people never saw online. They also share what they learned from the process: stay focused, stay consistent, and keep moving even when the project takes longer than planned.

The movie is not just about finding the best hot dog. It is about how West Virginians support each other, how small businesses matter, and how a simple idea can turn into something much bigger when people commit to seeing it through.

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In this episode of the Kanawha Valley Hustlers podcast, I talk with Edward Yu, principal of Huntington Analytics in downtown Huntington. Ed works in data analytics, and his focus is helping organizations collect, structure, and use data before they try to jump into AI.

We talk about the gap between wanting AI tools and having the data needed to make those tools useful. Ed breaks down why structured data matters. Without it, businesses and nonprofits cannot get clear insights, track outcomes, or explain what is working.

Ed has spent about 15 years in analytics, with experience in credit score companies, hospitals, and telephony systems. That work taught him how data can help leaders see what departments are doing, which products are performing, and where problems need attention.

A big part of our conversation centers on Appalachia. Ed sees a need among nonprofits and workforce development programs that rely on grants. These groups need to show where money is going, what outcomes they produce, and whether their programs are helping people move forward. Good data helps create that transparency.

We also talk about the fear around AI and analytics. Ed does not see technology as a replacement for people. He sees it as a way to free people up to do more human work. His goal is to help the people already tracking data in spreadsheets, notebooks, and back rooms get more value from the work they are already doing.

Ed also shares his belief that technology skills matter for every entrepreneur. He is now working on tools that could help digitize focus groups and test videos or media before they reach the public.

His core principle is simple: goodwill is good business. Give what you can, help people when you can, and trust that doing good work with the right heart comes back around.

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In this episode of the Kanawha Valley Hustlers podcast, I talk with Amanda Franklin to talk about how she built Phoenix Pole Fitness and why she chose to bring that work to Charleston. She shares that pole dancing became part of her life years ago after seeing what was possible and deciding to learn it for herself. What started with a pole at home and YouTube turned into a studio, a business, and a mission to help other women build strength, balance, and confidence.

What stands out to me in this conversation is how honest Amanda is about the cost of building a business. She talks about the pressure, the stress, and the way ownership takes over your time and attention. She also makes it clear that the work feels worth it when students open up about how much the classes have helped them. We get into the shift from having a job to going all in on a business, and she explains how trying to split her focus stopped working once she saw what her students needed from her.

We also talk about the challenges she faces now. A big one is the stigma around pole dancing. Amanda pushes back on the idea that someone has to look a certain way or already be strong before they begin. She wants people to understand that nobody starts at the top and that growth comes through showing up. By the end, she comes back to a simple belief I respect: if you want to try something, do not let fear or judgment make the choice for you.

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In this episode of the Kanawha Valley Hustlers podcast, I break down what I call the trust recession and why it matters to every business trying to grow in 2026. I explain that the issue is not just visibility. The real issue is trust. People are flooded with scams, spam, sales pitches, and mixed signals, so they do not believe what they hear the first time. In many cases, they do not believe it after several exposures.

I walk through the 7-11-4 idea as a way to understand buying behavior. I explain that seven stands for seven hours of engagement, eleven stands for eleven touch points, and four stands for four platforms where people expect to find you before they even consider buying. I use examples like ads, flyers, business cards, networking events, LinkedIn, Google, and in person conversations to show how trust gets built across time and across channels.

My point is simple. One ad is not enough. One post is not enough. One cold call is not enough. Businesses have to stop thinking in single actions and start thinking in systems. I push the idea that modern marketing means showing up in multiple places, staying consistent, and giving people enough proof to feel safe moving forward. That is how attention turns into trust, and trust turns into business.

I also make the case that this is not a reason to quit. It is a reason to adjust. I push business owners to stop fighting the way people buy today and start building around it. Instead of hoping one tactic will carry the load, I argue for a full mix of touch points that work together. The businesses that win are the ones that stay visible, stay credible, and keep showing up long enough for trust to take hold.

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In this episode of the Kanawha Valley Hustlers podcast, I talk with Michael O’Shaughnessy about building a landscaping business that grew from a two-person lawn care crew into a company that handles landscaping, hardscaping, patios, retaining walls, drainage, and outdoor spaces. He makes it clear that this work is about more than mowing grass. It is about solving problems, improving curb appeal, and building spaces people can use.

What stands out to me is Michael’s honesty about business ownership. Even after years in the field, he still talks about the weight of responsibility and the feeling that there is always more to learn. One lesson he learned the hard way is that you cannot wear every hat forever. He found out through experience that a business grows faster when you bring in people who know more than you do in key areas and when you trust them to carry part of the load.

We also get into the problems he faces now. Staffing stays hard, and seasonality shapes the whole business. Winter slows some parts down, even with snow removal, while the busy season brings long days and nonstop work. Still, he leans into that pace because he likes the work and the life that comes with it.

Michael also shares a few sharp lessons. Door hangers were one of the best small marketing investments he made. A used dump truck was one of the worst. He believes every entrepreneur needs hunger, self-awareness, and the ability to keep growing. The skill he is still working on is letting go of control. At the core of his outlook is a simple belief: if you can get up and keep moving, there is still a way forward.

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In this episode of the Kanawha Valley Hustlers podcast, I talk with Colton Jones to talk about money, planning, and how people can make better decisions about their future. He breaks down financial advising in a way that makes sense. It starts with looking at what you earn, what you spend, what you save, and where you want your life to go. From there, you can work backward and make a plan that fits the real world, not guesswork.

What I like about Colton’s approach is that he keeps bringing it back to focus. He talks about learning early that trying to do too many things at once will leave you spinning your wheels. That lesson shaped how he works now, and it applies to business in general. If you spread yourself too thin, you will struggle to do anything well.

We also get into bad advice online. Colton makes the point that social media is full of people giving financial takes without knowing your full picture. Some of it may sound smart, but that does not mean it fits your life. His view is that broad advice can be useful, but real financial guidance starts when someone understands your details, your taxes, and your goals.

By the end, the big takeaway is simple. You do not need to be in the perfect spot to start. Progress compounds. Learn, stay organized, separate business and personal money, and take the next step.

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In this episode of the Kanawha Valley Hustlers podcast, I talk with Mike Means of UKV HVAC about work, risk, and what it takes to build a business that means something to you. Mike explains that UKV HVAC stands for Upper Kanawha Valley Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning, and he lays out the simple mission of the company: when a home or business is not comfortable, they fix it.

What stands out to me is Mike’s path into the trade. He did not start out aiming for HVAC. He planned on a different direction, met the right business partner, and found work that clicked. That turns into a bigger point about life and business. A lot of people do not end up where they expected, and Mike is honest about how long it took him to feel like he was even getting close to the right fit.

We also get into the jump from making a living to building something with purpose. Mike talks about reaching a point where life looked fine on paper, but he was not excited to wake up and do the work. Now he is. That shift matters. It says a lot about why betting on yourself matters.

He also breaks down a few hard truths about the HVAC business. Customers often do not understand pricing, equipment costs, and what it takes to stand behind the work. He says the bigger challenge right now is not finding people who can do the job, it is finding people who share the company’s standards and care enough to do the work the right way.

In the rapid-fire part, Mike talks about lessons from advertising, sharpening sales presentation, and the kind of outlook entrepreneurs need if they want others to believe in their vision.

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In this episode of the Kanawha Valley Hustlers podcast, I break down a mistake I see all the time. People treat advertising and marketing like they are the same thing, and they are not. Advertising has one job. It gets attention. That is it. If people notice it, the ad worked. But that does not mean the business will win.

I use the Bud Light and Dylan Mulvaney example to make the point. That ad got a huge amount of attention. By that measure, it worked. The problem was not the ad getting seen. The problem was that the message did not line up with the brand Bud Light had built over time. The audience they had trained for years did not match the direction of that campaign. That is where things broke down.

I am not making a moral argument about Bud Light or Dylan Mulvaney. I am talking about fit. If you build a brand around one kind of customer, one kind of image, and one kind of promise, then your advertising has to match that. If it does not, people get confused, push back, or tune out.

I also explain that marketing is the bigger system. It is your messaging, your offer, your pricing, your brand, your look, your sales process, and the result you promise. Advertising brings attention. Marketing turns attention into customers. If you do not know your audience, your problem, your offer, and your positioning, no ad is going to save you.

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In this episode of the Kanawha Valley Hustlers podcast, I talk with Tara Martinez to talk about the work she is doing in Charleston and across West Virginia. She helps with workforce development, fractional executive work, and nonprofit grant writing and management. What stands out is her focus on helping people move toward work that gives them a path to support themselves and build the life they want.

We get into some of the barriers people in our region still face. Tara points to childcare and transportation as real problems, especially for people outside Charleston. In West Virginia, travel is part of life, and if you cannot get where you need to go, it can block access to work and opportunity.

She also clears up a major misunderstanding about nonprofits. Nonprofit does not mean free, and it does not mean money is not needed. It means resources have to go back into the mission so the organization can keep serving people and keep operating. We also talk about the shift she made from state government into nonprofit work. That move taught her that nonprofits have to adjust fast and stay flexible.

Tara breaks down the value of a SWOT analysis, talks about building a business platform, and makes the case for understanding accounting. She is also working on showing up more in interviews and on social media. What I respect most is her belief that face-to-face connection still matters. In a world full of texts and Zoom calls, she still believes real trust is built in person.

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In this episode of the Kanawha Valley Hustlers podcast, I talk with Robert Huffman, one of the owners of UKV HVAC, to talk about how he built a business around keeping homeowners comfortable when the weather turns hot or cold. He traces it back to high school at Carver, where HVAC became the path that stuck. What started as a trade turned into ownership because he wanted control of his time and wants to be there for his kids and their ballgames. That drive for time with family sits at the center of why he does what he does.

Robert is direct about the early days. The first problem was simple: pay the bills. He starts in May, so the work is mostly air conditioning, and he grows the company by fixing systems, getting his name out there, and building from there. One lesson hits hard. Hiring the wrong people costs money fast. He learned that negligence will hurt a business, and that attention to detail matters because every worker represents the company and their own name at the same time.

We also get into what people get wrong about HVAC. Robert pushes back on the idea that every system over ten years old needs replaced. He explains that many systems can still be repaired, and his team gives homeowners the choice instead of pushing them into one outcome. He also points to the real challenge in the trade right now: finding the right people to do the work. That shortage helps explain the long wait times people run into when heat or AC goes down.

Toward the end, Robert talks about the value of a good tool bag, the money wasted on bad advertising, and the skill he is building now: learning how to present himself in public as the business grows. He also shares what he told students at Carver and leaves entrepreneurs with a simple principle: be a giver. It is a grounded conversation about work, family, faith, and building something that lasts.

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