Lowcountry Revolutionaries

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William James Menius went from homelessness to creating a luxury fragrance that captures the power of rising. In this episode of Lowcountry Revolutionaries, the songwriter of “Ascend” and creator of Roma Ascend shares how faith, purpose, and vision turned adversity into a bold new chapter—and how that journey is being documented in the new reality docuseries Roma Therapy from Charleston’s Roma Parfum. With bright citrus, fresh marine notes, and deep woods, Roma Ascend is more than a scent; it’s a reminder that your past doesn’t define your future. A powerful conversation on resilience, creator entrepreneurship, and the decision to keep ascending.

https://www.romaparfum.com/products/roma-ascend-x-william-james-30ml-eau-de-parfum-preorder-now-ship-tba?_pos=1&_psq=ascen&_psid=98fc566fc&_ss=e

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Wear the Movement
Official LowcountryRevMerch is now live on Etsy: soft tees and mugs built for dock walks, King Street hustles, and the everyday grind of building in Charleston.
Every purchase supports the Lowcountry Revolutionaries movement and helps keep these authentic founder stories free for qualified local entrepreneurs.

Wear the movement. Back the stories that matter.
👉 Shop now: https://lowcountryrevmerch.etsy.com

Also available:
Lowcountry Wisdom — the official book compiled from the best lessons on the show.
Paperback & Kindle → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H2KS5S71

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In this episode of Lowcountry Revolutionaries, Bill Billotte sits down with Jonathan C. Dunsmoor, LL.M., J.D., a lifelong Gamecock (BS ’05) and President of Stand With Crypto South Carolina.

Jonathan leads statewide advocacy and education on digital asset policy and responsible blockchain innovation. His work focuses on two pieces of federal legislation that most founders have heard of but few can explain: the GENIUS Act, the first U.S. law creating a national framework for dollar-backed stablecoins, and the CLARITY Act, the pending market-structure bill now heading toward a Senate vote.

The Senate is expected to take up CLARITY in September. The legislation would establish the federal regulatory framework for digital assets, including clearer jurisdiction between the SEC and CFTC, rules for digital asset businesses, and consumer protection requirements. Jonathan’s job in South Carolina is to translate that complexity into practical language for voters, businesses, policymakers, and the local crypto community.

Stand With Crypto is a national grassroots organization working for clear, responsible rules on digital assets—through state chapters, campus chapters, public education, voter engagement, and direct policy advocacy. Bill and Jonathan talk about why that clarity matters for Lowcountry founders, what “responsible innovation” actually looks like on the ground, and how South Carolina can stay in the conversation as the United States decides whether it will lead—or lag—in blockchain and digital assets.

Intro pre-roll

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Support the show

Wear the Movement
Official LowcountryRevMerch is now live on Etsy: soft tees and mugs built for dock walks, King Street hustles, and the everyday grind of building in Charleston.
Every purchase supports the Lowcountry Revolutionaries movement and helps keep these authentic founder stories free for qualified local entrepreneurs.

Wear the movement. Back the stories that matter.
👉 Shop now: https://lowcountryrevmerch.etsy.com

Also available:
Lowcountry Wisdom — the official book compiled from the best lessons on the show.
Paperback & Kindle → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H2KS5S71

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode of Lowcountry Revolutionaries, Bill sits down with 24Kay (i.e., a Brooklyn-born, Charleston-raised independent recording artist, media personality, and community advocate) for the show’s first music-artist conversation.

24Kay has built his career the same way Lowcountry founders build companies: persistence, strategic moves, and creating opportunities instead of waiting for permission. Known for profanity-free, family-friendly music that still hits with energy and authenticity, he has grown from independent releases into radio exposure, major media moments, live performances, and community work that reaches beyond the stage.

In this conversation, 24Kay shares how he developed his sound; why he chose a clean lane without watering down his identity; and how he uses music as a platform to mentor young people and show aspiring creatives that where you come from does not have to determine where you finish.

If you’re building something of your own — a company, a brand, or a creative career — this one is about ownership, consistency, and turning a local story into a bigger stage.

Connect with 24Kay:

Website: https://24kay.net

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2vUJkA37IryHDkKKnk5ni3

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/24kay/1203353732

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thereal24kay

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thereal24kay

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thereal24kay

Intro pre-roll

Outro post-roll

Support the show

Wear the Movement
Official LowcountryRevMerch is now live on Etsy: soft tees and mugs built for dock walks, King Street hustles, and the everyday grind of building in Charleston.
Every purchase supports the Lowcountry Revolutionaries movement and helps keep these authentic founder stories free for qualified local entrepreneurs.

Wear the movement. Back the stories that matter.
👉 Shop now: https://lowcountryrevmerch.etsy.com

Also available:
Lowcountry Wisdom — the official book compiled from the best lessons on the show.
Paperback & Kindle → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H2KS5S71

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode of Lowcountry Revolutionaries, Bill sits down with John Henderson, Managing Partner of Henderson & Henderson, the South Carolina law firm built on a simple promise: Dependable by Design. Defined by Care.

John leads the firm’s civil litigation, family law, estate planning, and related practices, having litigated hundreds of cases across the state. With offices serving Charleston, Summerville, Pawleys Island, and Myrtle Beach, Henderson & Henderson has grown by delivering clear communication, practical strategy, and lasting client relationships rather than legal theater.

What makes this conversation especially relevant for the Chucktown Startups community is John’s dual perspective. In addition to his work in the courtroom, he is a part-owner in several business ventures. That experience shapes how he advises both individual clients and business owners by helping them protect what they are building while navigating growth, contracts, family transitions, and the realities of ownership.

Whether you are launching a company, scaling a family business, or simply trying to protect the people and assets that matter most, this episode delivers grounded insight from someone who understands both the entrepreneurial grind and the courtroom.

Intro pre-roll

Outro post-roll

Support the show

Wear the Movement
Official LowcountryRevMerch is now live on Etsy: soft tees and mugs built for dock walks, King Street hustles, and the everyday grind of building in Charleston.
Every purchase supports the Lowcountry Revolutionaries movement and helps keep these authentic founder stories free for qualified local entrepreneurs.

Wear the movement. Back the stories that matter.
👉 Shop now: https://lowcountryrevmerch.etsy.com

Also available:
Lowcountry Wisdom — the official book compiled from the best lessons on the show.
Paperback & Kindle → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H2KS5S71

Send us Fan Mail

Most Charleston businesses are invisible to AI. When someone asks ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or Perplexity for a recommendation, the majority of local companies never appear. Therese Grittner, founder of the ARO Index (https://aroindex.com/), built a live public research platform that measures exactly which businesses those models actually choose and puts small operators on the same board as the big brands. 

Through TaG Makes she turns that data into action, rebuilding websites so AI can find and recommend them. A former equine-assisted learning entrepreneur and working parent based on Johns Island, Therese shares what the research reveals, why traditional SEO isn’t enough anymore, and how Lowcountry founders can stop being left out of the next wave of customer discovery.

Intro pre-roll

Outro post-roll

Support the show

Wear the Movement
Official LowcountryRevMerch is now live on Etsy: soft tees and mugs built for dock walks, King Street hustles, and the everyday grind of building in Charleston.
Every purchase supports the Lowcountry Revolutionaries movement and helps keep these authentic founder stories free for qualified local entrepreneurs.

Wear the movement. Back the stories that matter.
👉 Shop now: https://lowcountryrevmerch.etsy.com

Also available:
Lowcountry Wisdom — the official book compiled from the best lessons on the show.
Paperback & Kindle → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H2KS5S71

Send us Fan Mail

On this episode of Lowcountry Revolutionaries, Bill Billotte sits down with Dr. Alexandra Richmond, founder of Dermhaus, a new Charleston-based practice offering comprehensive medical and cosmetic dermatology. A Virginia native and MUSC-trained dermatologist, Dr. Richmond earned her medical degree and a Master of Science in Clinical Research, then completed her residency and served as chief resident at MUSC. 

While she initially imagined academic medicine, her experiences as both a physician and patient led her to build something more personalized: a practice focused on individualized treatment plans and a patient-centered experience. We talk about the work, the mission, and the goal of helping patients feel better in their skin.

https://dermhaus.us

Intro pre-roll

Outro post-roll

Support the show

Wear the Movement
Official LowcountryRevMerch is now live on Etsy: soft tees and mugs built for dock walks, King Street hustles, and the everyday grind of building in Charleston.
Every purchase supports the Lowcountry Revolutionaries movement and helps keep these authentic founder stories free for qualified local entrepreneurs.

Wear the movement. Back the stories that matter.
👉 Shop now: https://lowcountryrevmerch.etsy.com

Also available:
Lowcountry Wisdom — the official book compiled from the best lessons on the show.
Paperback & Kindle → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H2KS5S71

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode of Lowcountry Revolutionaries, host Bill Billotte sits down with Chuck Giroux, founder of Giroux Technologies, a fractional COO and Integrator practice based in Mount Pleasant.

Chuck was born into his family's logistics business, ran operations across the Southeast for five years, and stayed through the integration after it sold to a PE-backed competitor. Plenty of fractional COOs come from the software world. Chuck came from trucks, warehouses, and railcars.

He embeds inside founder-led companies that build, move, and fix things, trucking, warehousing, and field service businesses, and keeps problems off the owner's desk.

Before he changes anything, he asks why it exists that way.

Connect with Chuck:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuckgiroux/

https://girouxtech.com

Intro pre-roll

Outro post-roll

Support the show

Wear the Movement
Official LowcountryRevMerch is now live on Etsy: soft tees and mugs built for dock walks, King Street hustles, and the everyday grind of building in Charleston.
Every purchase supports the Lowcountry Revolutionaries movement and helps keep these authentic founder stories free for qualified local entrepreneurs.

Wear the movement. Back the stories that matter.
👉 Shop now: https://lowcountryrevmerch.etsy.com

Also available:
Lowcountry Wisdom — the official book compiled from the best lessons on the show.
Paperback & Kindle → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H2KS5S71

Send us Fan Mail

After eight years in accounting, Casey moved to Charleston in 2020 and founded Custom Vows by Casey with one clear goal: create wedding ceremonies that genuinely reflect each couple’s relationship and the experience they want on their day.

In this episode of Lowcountry Revolutionaries, Casey shares how that decision has led to nearly 1,000 ceremonies, spanning elopements, vow renewals, micro-weddings, and larger celebrations, each one intentionally unique.

Beyond the altar, Casey has built a vibrant community of roughly 1,000 wedding vendors through regular networking events, happy hours, and full-scale expos. That same community-driven approach now powers a new wedding vendor consulting practice and the launch of The Franke Building, a downtown Charleston venue designed for rehearsal dinners, welcome drinks, corporate events, and social gatherings.

This is a story of reinvention, relationship-building, and turning a passion for meaningful moments into a multi-layered business that strengthens Charleston’s wedding and events ecosystem.

Connect with Casey:

Custom Vows by Casey → https://www.customvowsbycasey.com/

The Franke Building → https://www.thefrankebuilding.com/

Another Lowcountry founder proving that the best businesses grow one genuine connection at a time.

Intro pre-roll

Outro post-roll

Support the show

Wear the Movement
Official LowcountryRevMerch is now live on Etsy: soft tees and mugs built for dock walks, King Street hustles, and the everyday grind of building in Charleston.
Every purchase supports the Lowcountry Revolutionaries movement and helps keep these authentic founder stories free for qualified local entrepreneurs.

Wear the movement. Back the stories that matter.
👉 Shop now: https://lowcountryrevmerch.etsy.com

Also available:
Lowcountry Wisdom — the official book compiled from the best lessons on the show.
Paperback & Kindle → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H2KS5S71

Send us Fan Mail

Dean Martin is back on Lowcountry Revolutionaries — and this time he’s carrying major momentum.

Since we last spoke, the Charleston chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace has hit two powerful milestones: their 800th bed as a chapter and their 200th bed built this year alone. In this update episode, Dean shares what those numbers actually mean on the ground, how the chapter is deepening relationships with local VFWs and the Adopt-A-Community program, and why the work is only accelerating.

Mark your calendars: the next big bed build is Saturday, September 12 (rain or shine) at Lowe’s, 9600 Dorchester Road, Summerville, SC 29485. Dean walks us through exactly what happens on build day and why showing up matters. Sign up to volunteer at: https://volunteer.shpbeds.org/timeslots/7A7E2nLIy0

The chapter still needs:

• Volunteers to help build beds on September 12

• Sponsors willing to underwrite a bed for $250

• Twin sheets, pillowcases, and comforters

• Roughly 2,500 square feet of warehouse space somewhere between West Ashley and Summerville

This episode is both a celebration and a clear call to action. Whether you can swing a hammer, write a check, drop off bedding, or help secure storage space, Dean makes it simple to plug in.

If you want to be part of the next 200 beds — or the next 800 — this is your invitation.

Connect with the Charleston chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace:

https://shpbeds.org/chapter/sc-charleston/

https://linktr.ee/jackoc77

The Lowcountry doesn’t just talk about community. We build it — one bed at a time.

Intro pre-roll

Outro post-roll

Support the show

Wear the Movement
Official LowcountryRevMerch is now live on Etsy: soft tees and mugs built for dock walks, King Street hustles, and the everyday grind of building in Charleston.
Every purchase supports the Lowcountry Revolutionaries movement and helps keep these authentic founder stories free for qualified local entrepreneurs.

Wear the movement. Back the stories that matter.
👉 Shop now: https://lowcountryrevmerch.etsy.com

Also available:
Lowcountry Wisdom — the official book compiled from the best lessons on the show.
Paperback & Kindle → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H2KS5S71

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode of Lowcountry Revolutionaries, host Bill Billotte sits down with Pat Hogan, founder of The Work Society Charleston. A Midwesterner who grew up in Indianapolis and has called the Lowcountry home for 25 years, Pat brings sales and marketing experience—including running six salon suites across the Charleston market and serving as a sales account representative for American Red Cross blood services—to his latest venture.

Living in West Ashley, close to Charleston, James Island, and North Charleston, Pat designed The Work Society specifically for people who want a clean, comfortable professional workspace without ever having to cross a bridge. It’s built for remote workers, freelancers, and entrepreneurs who want more than desks and Wi-Fi: real community through member events, so the workday feels more energizing and a lot less lonely.

Join the conversation as Pat shares his journey from Indiana to the Lowcountry, lessons from previous businesses, the shifts he’s seen in Charleston’s entrepreneurial scene over 25 years, and how The Work Society is giving West Ashley’s independent workers a high-quality place to lock in and get productive.

Connect with Pat and The Work Society Charleston:

https://theworksocietycharleston.com

[email protected]

Intro pre-roll

Outro post-roll

Support the show

Wear the Movement
Official LowcountryRevMerch is now live on Etsy: soft tees and mugs built for dock walks, King Street hustles, and the everyday grind of building in Charleston.
Every purchase supports the Lowcountry Revolutionaries movement and helps keep these authentic founder stories free for qualified local entrepreneurs.

Wear the movement. Back the stories that matter.
👉 Shop now: https://lowcountryrevmerch.etsy.com

Also available:
Lowcountry Wisdom — the official book compiled from the best lessons on the show.
Paperback & Kindle → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H2KS5S71