This week, we’re doing things a bit differently on the podcast! We look back on the past year to celebrate the first anniversary of My Morning Cup. 

In this episode, we discuss the unexpected themes that emerged, what happens behind the scenes to bring the podcast to life, and what’s in store for 2024. 

Stay tuned for the entire episode to hear an exciting announcement and be sure to subscribe to our new weekly newsletter here.

Madison is the owner of SpeakEasy Productions, a podcast production and editing company. You can connect with her on LinkedIn here.

You may know this week’s guest as the “Chaplain of the Streets” - AKA Father Dale Hall, an Anglican Priest who has dedicated his life to serving the homeless. 

In this episode, Father Dale shares the path that led him to the Chatt Foundation, what a day in the life of a Chaplain looks like, and how *everyone* is much closer to being homeless than we’d care to admit.

Dale Hall is the Chaplain at the Chatt Foundation. You can connect with him on LinkedIn here or follow him on Twitter/X here.

My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by Madison McCann.

If you liked this episode, we think you’ll also like:

• DeJuan Jordan's Morning Cup (E34)

Candy Johnson has a “non-traditional” career path which started with aspirations to become a famous supermodel. She won Miss Barbizon in 1994 but after becoming a single mom she decided to go to college instead. She earned her degree as a single mom and went on to get her Masters.

In this episode, Candy shares how she learned to deal with rejection, how moving to Chattanooga from the Nashville area opened her eyes to the work Chattanooga needs to do with inclusion of all citizens, and what the Urban League’s focus is for the future.

Candy is the President and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Chattanooga. You can connect with her on LinkedIn here.

My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by Madison McCann.

If you liked this episode, we think you’ll also like:

• Wade Hinton’s Morning Cup (E09)

Growing up, Tracy wanted to be a psychologist, but different opportunities arose and she found herself with a career in the healthcare industry. After starting and selling her business, she made her way to Chattanooga as CEO of Hospice of Chattanooga.

In this episode, Tracy dispels myths about hospice, answers how healthy Chattanooga is (or rather, how unhealthy it is), and explains which trait all good CEOs should have.

Tracy is the CEO of Journey Health Foundation. You can connect with her on LinkedIn here.

My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by Madison McCann.

If you liked this episode, we think you’ll also like:

• Gideon Thomas’s Morning Cup (E07)

How many people can say they had a revelation to pursue a specific career? Not many, but Mark Reeves can, and it happened in a movie theater parking lot, of all places.

In this episode, Mark shares how teaching led him to the TSSAA, what the TSSAA *really* is, and why you always need to be yourself. Plus, why you should attend the Blue Cross Bowl later this week!

Mark is the Executive Director of the TSSAA. You can connect with him on LinkedIn here and you can find information about the upcoming Blue Cross Bowl here.

My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by Madison McCann.

If you liked this episode, we think you’ll also like:

• Roy Vaughn’s Morning Cup (E08)

The story of CPR Wrap is not as simple as a good idea; it’s a product of hard work and many sacrifices. In this episode, Felicia shares why not all money is good money, how she once turned down a million-dollar offer for her product, and why she includes her health as a KPI in her business.

Felicia is the Founder and CEO of CPR Wrap. You can connect with her on LinkedIn here and you can watch her TEDx talk here.

My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by Madison McCann.

If you liked this episode, we think you’ll also like:

• Gideon Thomas’s Morning Cup (E07)

Most people are lucky to have one or two mentors, but Karen Shostak has been fortunate to have five throughout her career. In this episode, we discuss the lessons she’s learned from those mentors, a traumatic event that shifted her perspective on life, and why the best opportunities come to those in the peripheral.

Karen is the Deputy Director of Parks and Outdoors with Hamilton County. You can connect with her on LinkedIn here.

My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by Madison McCann.

If you liked this episode, we think you’ll also like:

• Chip Baker’s Morning Cup (E04)

Donna McConnico has had a “circuitous” career, which started when she changed her college major five times, graduated, and then decided to go to seminary school instead. In this episode, we discuss her love of learning and helping others, why Signal Centers is so important to Chattanooga, and even how she met Elvis three times.

Donna has been the CEO of Signal Centers since 2005. You can connect with her on LinkedIn here and learn more about Signal Centers here.

My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by Madison McCann.

If you liked this episode, we think you’ll also like:

• Leslie Gower’s Morning Cup (E02)

Jay Dale is one of the few people who chose a career after graduating college and stuck with it. In this episode, we reflect on his path through every position in banking that led him to be Market President for the bank with the #1 market share in Chattanooga. 

We also discuss his impressive bourbon collection, and why he is “obnoxiously” proud of Chattanooga and a self-proclaimed UTC Super Fan. 

Jay is the Market President of First Horizon Bank in Chattanooga. You can connect with him on LinkedIn here.

My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by Madison McCann.

If you liked this episode, we think you’ll also like:

• Brent Burks’s Morning Cup (E10)

Kris and Mandy Simmons join the podcast this week to be the first-ever double guest feature on My Morning Cup! In this episode, we talk about the paths that led them together professionally and personally, what it’s *really* like to work with your spouse, and how to successfully scale a company to a national level. 

Plus, Kris shares what movie surprisingly inspired him to pursue a career in video production, and why Mandy went back to the same employer three times (yes, three!!).

Kris and Mandy are the husband-wife team behind 6 STRONG MEDIA, a creative video agency. You can connect with Kris on LinkedIn here and Mandy here.

My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by Madison McCann.

If you liked this episode, we think you’ll also like:

• Mitch Patel’s Morning Cup (E06)