In this episode of People of Greenville, Eric Mitchell sits down with the remarkable Laura Bratton—author, speaker, coach, and true embodiment of courage and resilience. Laura shares her powerful personal journey of losing her eyesight at a young age and how she chose not to let that define her, but instead used it as a platform to inspire others.

Laura is the author of Harnessing Courage: Overcoming Adversity with Grit & Gratitude, a book that blends raw honesty with empowering tools for anyone navigating tough seasons of life. In this interview, Laura opens up about what it truly means to live with intention, find strength in the face of challenge, and practice gratitude when life feels uncertain.

This conversation dives deep into mindset, perseverance, and the importance of shifting from “Why me?” to “What now?” Eric and Laura talk about practical ways to tap into inner strength, the role of community in overcoming obstacles, and how adversity—when approached with courage—can actually lead us to our greatest breakthroughs.

Whether you’re facing your own challenges, supporting someone you love, or just need a boost of perspective and hope, this episode will leave you feeling encouraged and empowered.

The post Laura Bratton: Greenville’s Inspirational Speaker on Overcoming Blindness and Empowering Others appeared first on .

After almost 16 years helping to transform affordable homeownership in our community, Monroe Free will be retiring as President and CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Greenville County this December. His replacement will be LaTonya Phillips, a seasoned professional with more than 20 years of experience in leadership, training and development, team management, healthcare, and philanthropy. “Habitat Greenville has impacted thousands of lives over the years,” Free said. “I am honored to have played but a small part in it. ”Free joined Habitat Greenville in 2009 after serving for more than 20 years in non-profit leadership roles in his native Tennessee. Under his leadership, Habitat Greenville has been honored numerous times for its service to the community earning awards from the Greenville Chamber of Commerce and the SC Association of Nonprofit Organizations; expanded into Laurens County; started a Black Home Ownership program in 2023; added a second ReStore; began a robust home repair program; and celebrated its 300th and 400th homes built.“We have accomplished so much with the support of our many great sponsors and volunteers,” Free said. “But there is much work left to be done and accomplished.”Leading that work will be Phillips, who most recently held the position of Global Leader of the DEI Gender Employee Resource Task Group and was the Healthcare IT Customer Trainer at AGFA Healthcare. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated an ability to create positive change through both professional and volunteer work. She is skilled at building strong relationships with customers and colleagues, fostering collaborative teams and has a proven track record of success in implementing strategic initiatives.Phillips is also active in the community. She currently serves on the board of several organizations aside from Habitat Greenville including United Ministries and Greenville Women Giving. She has also served with the Interfaith Hospitality Network, Girlfriends Inc., and Jack and Jill.She holds a Master’s in Human Resource Development from Clemson University, a Bachelor’s in Occupational Training and Development from the University of Louisville, and an Associate’s in Healthcare from the University of Louisville.For the past three years, she has served on the Habitat Greenville Board’s executive committee and has been the board chair for the past year.. She will spend the next six months working alongside Free during the transition.“I am beyond humbled to be getting this opportunity,” Phillips said. “Monroe has created an amazing legacy and organization. While I have been involved from a Board perspective, I look forward to immersing myself and learning more in this new capacity from our staff, volunteers, donors and the families we serve.”Richard Hagins with US&S will become the new board chairperson.“As the leader of Habitat Greenville, Monroe changed how our community looks at affordable homeownership,” Hagins said. “His leadership has helped make understanding and addressing affordable homeownership a priority for many people.”Habitat Greenville’s board began looking for a new CEO 18 months ago and hired a consultant to assist with the process. Free said when Phillips once told him she wanted to one day lead a non-profit organization, he wanted it to be Habitat Greenville and shared with the transition/search committee his belief that Phillips needed to be considered for Habitat’s future leadership.“Her passion for affordable housing coupled with her leadership skills and professional experience made her an ideal candidate,” Free saidPhillips said she was humbled when Free and the search committee asked her about assuming the role.“I look forward to continuing to build upon the successes of this organization alongside our clients, staff, volunteers and donors,” said Phillips. “I have loved serving with Habitat for the past few years, and this is the ideal next step for bringing my passion for affordable housing together with my professional background. I am honored to carry forward Monroe’s legacy of servant leadership.”

The post LaTonya Phillips CEO Habitat for Humanity appeared first on .

Beau possesses an incredible intellectual passion and curiosity as demonstrated by the variety of his pursuits, which range from an enthusiasm for contemporary art, literature, and science to his presence within the international golf and development community as a designer and innovator to his service on the boards of the United States Curling Association and the Carolina Ballet Theatre.

Beau’s uniquely diverse interests mirror his equally diverse educational and professional background. He has a physics degree from Brown University and an international business degree from the University of South Carolina. He also studied landscape architecture at the Rhode Island School of Design and Irish drama at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. Beau’s first professional experience began with Siemens AG in Karlsruhe, Germany before moving to Charlotte, NC to begin a successful career as an investment and international banker. From there, Tom Fazio asked him to join Fazio Golf Course Designers where, for over ten years, he helped Tom manage all areas of the firm. During that time, the firm completed over 80 new golf courses and was involved in numerous consulting and renovation engagements, including those for major tournament venues. In 2007, Beau left Tom to found Beau Welling Design to take advantage of international and US‐based opportunities in golf course design and development.

Beau’s rich background in art, design, and business create the principle ideology behind Beau Welling Design. Beau created the business with the idea that our diverse backgrounds and different ways of thinking can unlock a truly holistic approach to design, thereby giving us the ability to add value to our client’s projects in new and exciting ways.

The post Beau Welling appeared first on .

Mario Brown, a Greenville native and co-founder of Affordable Upstate, has been pivotal in reimagining affordable housing. Through N.O.A.H. Property Management, an Affordable Upstate initiative, Brown has launched groundbreaking economic mobility-focused programs that ease economic burdens and enhance accessibility. Among these, the “Flex Pay” Program stands out, allowing residents to align rent payments with their pay schedules.

This program, together with Deposit Alternatives, Positive Credit Reporting, and effective tracking, underscores Brown’s dedication to empowering tenants and fostering economic mobility. His innovative approach not only uplifts the Greenville community but also sets a new benchmark for dignified and accessible housing solutions.

Mario serves as the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for Homes of Hope and is a member of the Metropolitan Board of Directors for the YMCA of Greenville.

The post Mario Brown: Co-Founder of Affordable Upstate appeared first on .

Karin Freeland is an award-winning author, Podcast Host, and certified Life Reinvention Coach focused on helping professional women transform their lives by overcoming fears and achieving their dreams without sacrificing time with family and friends, health, or self-care. Her signature program EDIT Your Life combines the lessons she learned during her 15 years in corporate with her signature coaching methodology, which she’s developed and refined over the past 5 years.  Karin resides in Greenville, SC with her husband, two boys and dog, Kobe. In her free time she enjoys hiking, fitness, and dancing.

The post Award-Winning Author Karin Freeland appeared first on .

Our mission at Topsoil Restaurant is to serve our guests with healthy, local food grown in our community in a more meaningful way. Our classroom is our 16-acre farm 2.5 miles down the road in Greenville, SC, and our mentors are a handful of passionate neighboring farmers. This endeavor has given us a valuable perspective and respect for the hard work that small farms do daily to put food on our tables. We have gained a sincere reverence for the local ingredients we choose and we believe locally grown food just tastes better!

Every month our team tours an Upstate SC farm and we walk the fields with the farmer to see what’s growing and what’s coming up.  That farm is then featured in our monthly plant based supper club and on our menu.  

Topsoil Restaurant is something much more than a restaurant, it is a love letter to long growing seasons here in South Carolina and hard-working small farmers.  Our guests can look forward to memorable meals, worth the drive.  We look forward to sharing this with you every time you visit.  We hope you dig it!

The post Adam Cooke: Topsoil Kitchen & Market appeared first on .

Founder, CEO of Integral Leaders in Health

Spence M. Taylor, M.D. is a nationally recognized academic physician leader with 30 years of  experience as a senior executive, surgeon, full professor and researcher.

Most recently, Dr. Taylor served as president of the Greenville Health System (GHS) — now a  part of Prisma Health. He was the first physician to be named president in the 107-year history  of GHS — a health system with nearly $3 billion in annual operating revenue, eight hospitals,  1,600 beds, 2,000 employed providers, 16,000 employees and an emerging academic health  center.  

During his career, Dr. Taylor helped drive the advancement of Academic Medicine in a variety of  roles. In addition to serving as surgical residency program director, department chair, leader of  an employee medical group, Designated Institutional Official for Graduate Medical Education  and research, and chief academic officer, Dr. Taylor was the principal developer and Planning  Dean for the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville – North America’s 136th  medical school. He also was instrumental in bringing the Clemson University School of Nursing  to Prisma Health’s Greenville Memorial Medical Campus which is located beside the medical  school to create the 100th recognized Academic Health Center in the world.  

As a nationally recognized physician leader, Dr. Taylor is a member of every significant  academic organization in surgery. He was elected as a director to the American Board of  Surgery (ABS) in 2011 and served as Chair of the ABS in 2018-2019. He also is a past president of  both the Southern Surgical Association and the Southern Association for Vascular Surgery.

Dr. Taylor is the recipient of multiple teaching awards and the author or co-author of more than  120 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters. Additionally, Dr. Taylor often lectures across  the country on clinical outcomes as well as the role of physicians as leaders in medicine and  patient care. 

The post Spence Taylor: Integral Leaders in Health appeared first on .

I am the owner of KC Ferguson Solutions, a social media management and bookkeeping services company aimed at helping small business owners and entrepreneurs. We run the Hello Greenville, Hello Simpsonville, and Hello Upstate SC pages on social media, connecting with businesses, restaurants, and local activities so we can share with our followers. I live in Simpsonville with my husband and kiddos, but prior to Simpsonville, I’ve lived in multiple parts of the country, including the Nashville, Seattle, Los Angeles, Orange County areas, and grew up in the central Valley of California. Greenville is by FAR my favorite place I have ever lived and we have no plans to ever leave.

I got my B.A. in Social Sciences from Washington State University and I have an MBA from LSU. My current business opened a year ago, but I have been a small business owner for over a dozen years.

I have clients around the country but definitely specialize in local businesses for social media because of the ability to capture photos and video for their content. We do short- and long-term social media packages and local promotions on our pages, Hello Greenville, Hello Simpsonville, and Hello Upstate SC.

The post People Of Greenville – Kelli Ferguson appeared first on .

Dr. Greg Brannon, Medical Director and Founder of Optimal Bio, a Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT) center with seven locations across the Southeast. They just opened an office in Greenville last month, and would love to share their mission with your listeners.

Using all-natural hormones that are identical to those made by your body, BHRT helps ease the degenerative side effects of aging and other medical issues, including fatigue, brain fog, anxiety, depression, diabetes, headaches, osteoporosis and more. 

“I have seen those struggling with brain fog and fatigue from everyday life and past illnesses regain their clarity and energy, Veterans with PTSD begin treatment and reclaim their lives, and people dealing with anxiety and depression take back their wellbeing. Everyone truly is a candidate for BHRT, and I have seen it in action as one of the most effective, safe and reliable ways to improve your quality of life,” shares Brannon.

Everyone is truly a candidate for BHRT, and we think Dr. Brannon’s impressive background, outstanding drive and passion for the hormone industry would make him an excellent candidate for a future podcast episode to get involved in the Greenville community. His first book, “The Hormone Handbook” (available on Amazon), provides readers with a great foundation outlining the importance of hormones, and his second book, debuting in 2024, will provide readers with the ability to truly understand the foundation of their own health. 

Thanks and we look forward to hearing your thoughts!

The post A Conversation With Dr. Greg Brannon appeared first on .

Weight Loss and Fitness Hall of Fame Inductee, John DeFendis is the Founder of the Ultra Fit nutrition and exercise program. In addition to international recognition as a weight loss and fitness expert, DeFendis has been a spiritual and motivational speaker, professional athlete, performance/lifestyle coach for over 34 years, and has guided thousands of Americans in the definition and achievement of their professional and personal objectives. His philosophy of “Relentless Pursuit” can best be illustrated by his defined objective of a Mr. USA title, committed to paper at age thirteen, and ultimately achieved in 1988 at age thirty. More than a generation of short-term emotion, DeFendis initiates sustained, quantifiable achievement with the individuals and organizations with which he works.

DeFendis developed Ultra Fit 28 years ago and executes the program through a national team of personal trainers. Ultra Fit is tweight loss, toning and shaping, and anti-aging program available and since its development, has produced tens of thousands of success stories. The program is responsible for results which include the loss of 100 pounds or more by hundreds of Americans in the last 2 years alone, and has been featured on a number of major television programs and networks including Hard Copy (4 times), ABC TV’s 20/20 with Barbara Walters, Fox News, CNN, CBS, & ABC News, ESPN, The Joan Rivers Show, and NBC Sports.

Mr. USA John DeFendis
~ Ultra Fit Founder & Director ~

John DeFendis Bio:

The post A Conversation With John DeFendis appeared first on .