Summer tourism season is in full swing in the High Country! Yes, there may be extra traffic, but in a community that's built on volume, the summer dollars mean our favorite local businesses can afford to operate year-around.

On this week's episode of Mind Your Business we examine the impact of the tourism economy on our local community. How do tourism partners work together to create "experiences." How do tourism dollars benefit our community all year long? What are the impacts of the summer season on the local workforce? We answer these questions through the perspectives and experiences of three guests:

Wright Tilley, Executive Director, Explore Boone
Steve Moize, Operations Director, Sky Valley Zip Tours & Mountain Cat Offroad Adventures
Tara Brossa, General Manager of the Courtyard by Marriott of Boone & Hampton Inn & Suites of Boone.

Mind Your Business is a weekly production of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. The program is made possible thanks to the sponsorship support of Appalachian Commercial Real Estate.

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Integration of AI and emerging technology are on just about every channel, pretty much all the time! How do small businesses and their employees begin to use these tools to their advantage? What are the simplest ways to turn efficiency into effectivness when it comes to "learning new things," in the technology arena.

We got to these questions and many more during last month's Vision Northwest North Carolina summit. On this week's Mind Your Business, we recap the "best of the best" conversations from that event including portions of:

• Crafting an AI-Native Business: Essential Skills for the New Frontier - featuring Keynote Presenter: Zach Giglio, GCM
• The Impact of AI & Technology on Workforce Readiness - featuring panelists Panelists Lane Freeman, Director of Online Learning, NC Community College System; Rick Shew, Associate Dean Business & Career Services, Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute; Lucas Underwood, Owner, L&N Performance Automotive Repair 

Mind Your Business is a weekly production of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. The program is produced thanks to the sponsorship support of Appalachian Commercial Real Estate.

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There's a new bank in town!

A few weeks ago, we celebrated the grand opening of the new full-service branch of New People's Bank in Boone. After operating a loan production office in the High Country for a few years, they have settled into their new location on Wilson Drive in the Winkler's Crossing shopping center!

On this week's Mind Your Business, we speak with J.W. Kiser, President of New People's Bank, about the bank's attraction of North Carolina and the Boone market. We'll also get an update on important economic trends and influences to consider as we move into another busy time in our calendar.

Mind Your Business is a weekly (for the most part) production of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. The program is made possible thanks to the sponsorship support of Appalachian Commercial Real Estate.

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Spring has arrived in the High Country and that means festival season is here!

Boonerang is back for year three, with new and expanded features that will bring thousands of festival enthusiasts to the streets of Downtown Boone, June 13-15, 2024.

On this week's Mind Your Business we visit with Mark Freed, Director of Cultural Resources for the Town of Boone, and Boonerang's lead organizer. He'll discuss the festival's new features for 2024, which include an expanded schedule for the popular ECRS South Depot Stage. We'll also hear more about the artist lineup, volunteer opportunities, and how the festival continues to attract "Boonies" to the High Country beyond just this one weekend.

Mind Your Business is a weekly production of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. The show is made possible thanks to the sponsorship support of Appalachian Commercial Real Estate.

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Ater several months of research and over 700 points of stakeholder engagement, the Watauga County Childcare Study is complete.

On this week's Mind Your Business, we breakdown the numbers that relate to the key county demographics and trends that fuel the need for early childhood and afterschool care in Watauga County. We'll then get further context on the numbers from Cyndi Dancy, Founder & Principal of Dancy Research, which is the firm that conducted this important study. Hear about trends, updated information on gaps in childcare, how many workers would return to the workforce if capacity and affordability are addressed, and how the community can move forward with solutions that will have a positive impact on this key community resource.

Mind Your Business is a weekly production of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. The show is made possible thanks to the sponsorship support of Appalachian Commercial Real Estate.

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We are inching closer to the 8th annual Boone Area Chamber of Commerce 4 Under 40 Awards. This year's event takes place at the historic Appalachian Theatre of the High Country, Wednesday, April 24th, with a full red-carpet experience beginning at 5:30PM. You can read more about this year's event and our 16 honorees here.

Before we recognize the 4 Under 40 class of 2024, we thought you might find inspiration from hearing an update on some of our honorees of the past. On this week's Mind Your Business, we connect with:

• Dr. Caleb Marsh, 4 Under 40 Class of 2017, and current Dean of the Ashe Campus of Wilkes Community College.
• Danielle Wade, 4 Under 40 Class of 2019, and current President/CEO of Jackson Sumner & Associates.
• Anthony Brumfield, 4 Under 40 Class of 2017, and current owner of Infinite Scope
• Caroline Poteat, 4 Under 40 Class of 2022, and law student at the University of North Carolina.

We'll hear about what's transpired professionally for each since being recognized, how their leadership style has evolved, what do they study to continue pushing their own leadership journey forward, and what advice they have for the leaders of tomorrow.

Mind Your Business is produced weekly by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. The program is made possible thanks to the sponsorship support of Appalachian Commercial Real Estate.

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The health and wellbeing of employees and their families is an essential part of a high-functioning business. The realities and experiences of life during the pandemic brought new focus toward how business owners can prioritize employee well-being, while also shining light on the available heathcare resources in our region.

UNC Health Appalachian, formerly Appalachian Regional Healthcare System, has worked to evolve their services and facilities to meet the ever-changing healthcare needs in the High Country. How has the system adapted to demographic changes to our community? How are they addressing efficiency through technology? What are the driving forces behind hiring staff for one of the High Country's largest employers?

On this week's Mind Your Business, we tackle these questions and more as we visit with Chuck Mantooth, President/CEO of UNC Health Appalachian, as we ask, "What's Going On with Healthcare in the High Country."

Mind Your Business is a weekly production of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. The program is made possible thanks to the sponsorship support of Appalachian Commercial Real Estate.

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Financial information comes at you from many directions and in many flavors in today's economy. What are the indicators and trends that speak best to the day-to-day realities of business and personal life in Watauga County? What trends should we pay attention to as it relates to the next big shift? Simply asked, "What's Going On with the Economy?"

On this week's Mind Your Business, we present our quarterly check-in with Jonathan Allen of Allen Wealth Management. We talk taxes, interest rates, inflation, and we even work in some discussion about the value of cold, hard cash in today's economic landscape. We'll asl discuss indicators, and what we should be paying attention to here in Northwest North Carolina as it relates to our individual financial picture.

Mind Your Business is produced weekly by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce and made possible through the sponsorship support of Appalachian Commercial Real Estate.

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BONUS CONTENT!!!

On this special episode of Mind Your Business, we visit with Matt Snyder, Director of the Watauga County Board of Elections about the upcoming 2024 Primary election. Hear specifics about early voting ahead of the March 5th election, polling site and voter ID information, changes to districts for the upcoming Watauga County Commissioners races, and plenty more.

Mind Your Business is produced weekly by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce and is made possible through the sponsorship support of Appalachian Commercial Real Estate.

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Positive connections between communities make a region like the High Country stronger. Partnership on one project can lead to future dialogue about other collaborative opportunities. The more we work to connect our local towns, counties, and their governmental entities, the better the chance for businesses and individuals to find similar ways to work with one another.

The Blue Ridge Conservancy works each day to protect and preserve the places we love throughout the High Country. Unique projects like the Middle Fork Greenway, which will connect Boone and Blowing Rock with 6.5 miles of greenway trail along the middle fork of the New River, bring a physical connection to two towns that already work with one another on a variety of projects. The physical linkage between the two will only enhance the case for future partnerships between Watauga County's two largest municipalities.

On this week's Mind Your Business, we learn more about a similar project, the Northern Peaks State Trail, that will one day connect Downtown Boone to Downtown West Jefferson. This project includes the permanent protection of an important High Country viewshed and will foster more access points to public lands that include several of the area's most scenic settings. Jordan Sellers, Northern Peaks State Trail for Blue Ridge Conservancy, tells us how the project came together, how environmental stewardship plays into the trail's development, and how the trail will positively impact the towns of Boone and West Jefferson.

Mind Your Business is produced weekly by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce and is made possible through the sponsorship support of Appalachian Commercial Real Estate.

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