My Morning Cup

This week we board the rocketship that is Callie Starnes’ broadcasting career! She shares how 9/11 piqued her interest in journalism and how she earned promotion after promotion (and you can too)! Plus, a few topics that are often overlooked in the media industry: staying safe in the field as a young female reporter and work/life balance.

Callie Starnes is the President and General Manager of Local 3 News. You can connect with her here.

Ron Harr joins the podcast this week to explain his pinball-esque career and how he “fell” into many of the jobs he held. He shares how he became known as the $2 Million Man, and why you should always eat at the company potluck (or at least pretend to).

Before retiring and becoming a boat Captain, Ron held executive-level positions at AT&T, BCBST, and the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce. You can connect with Ron here.

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

Dr. Rebecca Ashford joins the podcast this week to talk about her journey from student to President of a community college. Plus, the superstitions that brought her to Tennessee, and why discipline, focus, and empathy are the key ingredients to success.

Dr. Ashford is the President of Chattanooga State Community College. You can connect with her here.

Jay Kennamer has a knack for doing what others won’t and he makes major life decisions with a coin toss. In this episode, he shares stories from the courtroom and how he cleans up Chattanooga (literally and figuratively).

Jay is a partner and attorney at the McMahon Law Firm, Chattanooga’s most prolific and largest personal injury law firm. You can learn more about Jay here.

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

Sports, Homeland Security, and health insurance all have two things in common - communications and Dalya Qualls White. In this episode, Dalya shares how her career took her all over the East Coast, why she believes in being a mentor to others, and how to leverage LinkedIn to get recruited.

Dalya is the SVP and Chief Communications Officer at BCBST. You can connect with Dalya here.

In this episode, we talk about the ups and downs of Mayor Tim Kelly’s career - starting with his first job as a dishwasher at the Vine Street Market. We also discuss the influence his parents had on his career (in their own very different ways), his most successful startup, and why drummers don’t name bands.

Mayor Tim Kelly is the mayor of the city of Chattanooga and a successful business owner. You can connect with him here.

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

My guest this week is Rich Mozingo, President of the Chattanooga Lookouts. We discuss the career moves that brought him to Chattanooga (twice) and how the minor league is more so about selling than it is about baseball. Plus the history and future of the Lookouts, including the new stadium and most importantly where Rich stands on the DH and Pete Rose in the Hall of Fame.

Rich is the President of the Chattanooga Lookouts. You can connect with Rich here or learn more about the Lookouts here.

Ella Livingston was born in Ghana into a family of educators, health practitioners, engineers, and cocoa farmers. In this episode, we explore Ella’s experience at Spelman College (a women-only HBCU), how her time spent studying abroad in Japan led her to start a chocolate business while teaching math full-time, and the challenges she faced when starting her business.

Ella is the founder of Cocoa Asante, a brand that handcrafts chocolates that are almost too pretty to eat. You can connect with Ella here.

Brent Burks joins the podcast this week to share the story of cutting his teeth in the courtroom, how family dynamics can shape a person’s career, and learning to adapt and hustle when your plans change beyond your control.

Brent is a partner and attorney at the McMahan Law Firm, Chattanooga’s most prolific and largest personal injury law firm. You can learn more about Brent here.

This week on the podcast, Wade Hinton shares what made him move away from (and come back to) Chattanooga, why he feels so strongly about community engagement, and how international travel has affected his business decisions. Plus, how his interest in music led him to become an attorney, which in turn led to him becoming a DEI consultant.

Wade Hinton is the founder of Hinton & Company, a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion consulting firm. You can connect with him here.

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