If you ask anyone about Nashville (or Austin, DC, NYC etc.), they immediately go to the cranes in the sky. Building is happening everywhere. But who are the people behind all this construction? And with all the money required to build all these buildings, what role does entrepreneurship play in all of this? My good friend and Nashville Power 100 lister, Don Hardin, takes us through his career that has led his company to work on some of the most important construction projects in the history of Nashville. We also learn a lot about the importance of betting on yourself.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit marcuswhitney.substack.com

I met Will Acuff five years ago at the prompting of my good friend Nick Holland. We met to discuss his idea for a non profit that he and his wife Tiffany wanted to start to create infrastructure for the work they had already been doing in their neighborhood. Five years later and they have graduated hundreds of their neighbors through their "Academy", a 12 week entrepreneurship program, and have made an economic impact in their neighborhood over $3M dollars a year.

This is a truly inspiring story. It touches on race, faith, economics, and America. And of course the power of creativity.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit marcuswhitney.substack.com

Living in Nashville has a lot of surprises in terms of the people you befriend. I have to say that I didn't expect to become friends with maybe my favorite podcaster, but that's just how things turn out sometimes. Matt Bodnar is an exceptional thinker with maybe one of the fastest working brains I've ever encountered. He is a partner at Fresh Hospitality, home to incredible dining brands like Martin's BBQ, Taziki's Cafe, Greko Greek Street Food and Vui's Kitchen. Matt is also the host of The Science of Success, a podcast with over one million downloads with incredible guests like Grant Cardone. Mark Manson and Brené Brown. The dude is brilliant and his story will give you much to think about.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit marcuswhitney.substack.com

There is only one Mickey Guyton, and we have her on the show this week. Mickey is an incredible talent, a genre bending revelation and one of the sweetest people you will ever meet. Her story reminds me that the path less traveled is the one with all the breakthroughs. She's had hit records but she's also had a very difficult path as a Black female country artist. She found herself through that difficulty, and you can be the beneficiary of what she learned by just tuning in this week.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit marcuswhitney.substack.com

An absolute treat for you all this week. Maneet Chauhan is a dynamo, and Nashville hit the Jackpot when she and her husband Vivek decided to build their culinary empire here. You may have seen her on the Food Network as a regular judge on Chopped, but hearing her story will inspire you to believe in Creative Power and hopefully make a pilgrimage to one of her restaurants if you haven't already.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit marcuswhitney.substack.com

This week's podcast features my good friend Newton Dominey. Newton is the founder of Nashville's original climbing gym, The Crag, now with two locations and an incredible community that it supports. But that's not how Newton and I met. We met in the very early days of Nashville Soccer Club (then, Nashville Football Club). Newton is President of The Roadies, the firstborn supporters club of Nashville SC.

I love this guy, and I'm happy to share this episode with you so you can see just why.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit marcuswhitney.substack.com

I've had some incredible moments in recording the #CreativePower Hour this year, but so far only one has left me absolutely speechless and on the verge of tears. It would be this episode with my sister in spirit, Mignon Francois. Mignon is the founder of The Cupcake Collection and the absolute embodiment of Creative Power, Faith and Purpose. Her story is so moving and inspiring.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit marcuswhitney.substack.com

Amanda Little has been fascinated with how technology would impact society for more than thirty years, and has always been ahead of the mainstream story. Her latest book, The Fate of Food, found its roots in her search for how we were going to sustain the brave new world that we started building with the dot com boom in the nineties, and now asks hard questions with an optimistic view that innovation can continue to solve our biggest problems, even the ones we unintentionally created for ourselves.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit marcuswhitney.substack.com

Every time I speak with Derrick Morgan, it's hard to wrap my head around the fact that he's only 30 years old. In his short time on Earth, he's been a top player in the NFL playing his entire career for the Tennessee Titans, earned his MBA, been inducted into the Georgia Tech Hall of Fame, launched an Opportunity Zone Fund and executive produced "The Game Changers", the best selling documentary OF ALL TIME on iTunes.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit marcuswhitney.substack.com

I like to think that I hustle hard, but there are those people whos hustle makes me tired just thinking about it. Joshua Mundy is a believer in creativity, entrepreneurship, and hustle and has ridden that belief to a string of impactful businesses and an indelible place in the developing culture of New Nashville. Founder of Music City Cleaners, TheLab Nashville and most recently Pivot Technology School, Joshua is a prolific and impactful entrepreneur who finds needs and creates incredible solutions. A true inspiration, I think you'll love hearing Josh's story.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit marcuswhitney.substack.com