The Volunteer Roadmap

What happens when your population increases by over 30% in 10 years and the median home price is over $900,000?

It sounds like a success story (and it is), but at the same time the teachers, first responders, and entry-level workers who keep this community running can't afford to live where they work.

In this episode I'm discussing the housing challenges that come with being Tennessee's biggest success story with Bo Patten, the CEO of the Williamson County Association of Realtors.

WCAR’s 2,800 members aren't just selling houses - they're on the front lines of a housing market that's growing faster than anyone expected.

In this episode, Bo shares:

The communities that thrive long-term aren't the ones that grow the fastest. They're the ones that plan for it.

Have a Tennessee story worth mapping out? Reach out at archabouttn.com 

Most people think Tennessee's entertainment industry is just Nashville honky-tonks and country music. It's actually an $8 billion business keeping your taxes low.

Bob Raines runs the Tennessee Entertainment Commission - the state agency that oversees film, TV, and music. The industry he manages generates $8 billion in economic activity across Tennessee, which brings over $400 million in tax revenue into the state every year. That money helps keep Tennessee a low-tax state. 

Tennessee didn't throw massive incentive programs at entertainment companies. We built something better - a talent ecosystem that keeps growing on its own.

In this episode, we discuss:

Entertainment in Tennessee isn't just Nashville's country music scene. It's jobs, tax revenue, and reasons for people to stay, all across the state.

Have a Tennessee story worth mapping out? Reach out at archabouttn.com

Ten years ago, Lawrence County was on Tennessee's distressed counties list.

Today, they're one of the most exciting areas in the state. New investment coming in every month, 1,500 jobs added since 2020, and downtown is filled with restaurants, retailers, and Airbnbs.

So… what changed? They started seeing their limitations as opportunities.

Ryan Egly is the President & CEO of the Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce. Growing up he was told if he wanted to be successful, he'd have to leave Lawrenceburg. Instead of following that advice, he found a different solution.

In this episode, we're discussing:

You already have what you need. You just have to see it differently.

Have a Tennessee story worth mapping out? Reach out at archabouttn.com

Cleveland is thriving. New restaurants, full parking lots, major development happening everywhere.

But six years ago, the city was operating with 65% variable debt - which meant they couldn't predict their budget, couldn't plan accurately, and couldn't attract the kind of investment they needed.

The first thing Mayor Kevin Brooks did? The unsexy work. He got Cleveland's debt under control (from 65% variable to 97% fixed) and created the foundation for everything else.

Kevin Brooks doesn't call himself a politician. He's a public servant who's been serving Cleveland since he was a college student giving downtown historical tours. In this episode, he shares:

When you fix the foundation first, it makes everything else a little bit easier.

Have a Tennessee story worth mapping out? Reach out at archabouttn.com

If Knoxville only had football, they'd have 7 weekends of revenue per year.

Instead, Visit Knoxville generated $2 billion in economic impact by building the infrastructure, bringing in events like the Bassmaster Classic and concerts at Neyland Stadium, and promoting the city's restaurants, arts scene, and outdoor spaces.

In this episode, Kim Bumpas (President of Visit Knoxville) shares:

Your main attraction might get people in the door, but what you build around it can keep them coming back.

Have a Tennessee story worth mapping out? Reach out at archabouttn.com

00:00 - Why we're headed to Knoxville

02:33 - How Knoxville transformed from "college town" to premier destination

04:48 - The Sunsphere takeover: turning a 40-year-old icon into a revenue driver

06:43 - Creating the Visit Knoxville Film Office (and why focused ownership matters)

10:48 - Why being a standalone organization keeps you nimble

13:55 - The Bassmaster Classic: $35M in economic impact over 4 days

17:30 - How tourism creates infrastructure that serves locals year-round

22:41 - When Visit Knoxville and UT are partners

27:11 - Building community buy-in for events that cause inconvenience

29:36 - What's next: future plans and events coming to Knoxville

39:57 - Studio debrief

You don’t get better at sports by playing people you can already beat, and you don’t grow as a leader by staying in rooms where you’re always comfortable.

Some of the most important turning points in my life came from being challenged by people who were smarter than me, realizing I still had blind spots, and hearing perspectives I didn’t expect.

In fact, I spent most of my career telling people who worked for me that they didn’t need a college degree as long as they could sell. But my opinion changed once I went through Leadership Tennessee, and I ended up going back to college.

In this episode, Dr. Alfred Degrafinreid of Leadership Tennessee and I explore:

Have a Tennessee story worth mapping out? Reach out at archabouttn.com

When Tennessee started winning at football, hotels in Knoxville went from $150/night to $800/night on game weekends. The university got 800 new student applications after they beat Alabama. Downtown restaurants set sales records. 

The Volunteer Club (Tennessee's NIL collective) was created when college athletes started getting paid - a change some people loved and others hated. But Hunter Baddour saw an opportunity to partner with the university in a way that helped everyone succeed.

In this episode, Hunter Baddour of The Volunteer Club joins me to share how they built a product so good they barely had to sell it. Now, 3,000 people show up to their tailgates, members renew without being asked, VFLs get involved without prompting. Plus:

You might not have an SEC school in your backyard, but every community has something they can win at.

Have a Tennessee story worth mapping out? Reach out at archabouttn.com

New bars and restaurants might be sexy, but what's really sexy are the businesses that hold history within their walls.

Gary Meadows is the 4th owner of Wally's, which opened in 1937 and is now the oldest restaurant in Chattanooga. It's a meat-and-three where people from all walks of life come together, business deals happen over cobbler, and they know you by your face even if they don't know your name.

It just so happens to be my favorite restaurant, but that's not why we're visiting it today. Wally's has a story to tell - something that others can learn from.

In this episode, I head to Wally's to find out:

With places like Nikki's, Town & Country, and Zarzours closing, it's more important than ever to support local institutions like Wally's.

And just to be clear: Gary has no plans of closing Wally's any time soon. It's survived two fires, multiple transitions, and the great lemon debacle, so it'll take a lot more than that to shut it down.

Have a Tennessee story worth mapping out? Reach out at archabouttn.com

00:00 - Why We’re Heading to Wally’s

01:10 - The History of Wally’s

11:30 - How They Maintain Affordability Despite Rising Costs

21:35 - Passing It Down: Training the Next Generation

25:00 - When Gary's Brother Closed the East Ridge Location

35:34 - The 1998 Fire: When the Community Rallied for the Staff

41:23 - Tony's Advice & The Lemon Debacle

48:36 - The Staff Who Show Up at 2:45 AM ("We Got You, Boss")

54:25 - Locally Owned AND Operated vs. Corporate Chains

1:01:35 - Studio Debrief: Takeaways

Rural counties across Tennessee look at the big cities and ask: "Why can't we have that?"

Alex Green from Rhea County Economic Development used to ask the same thing. 

He was jealous of West Tennessee's Blue Oval plant, but then he realized he was chasing the wrong opportunity.

Rural counties can't win by copying urban playbooks. They can't compete on scale. But Rhea County has something other places don't: 

In this episode, I visit Dayton to see what happens when a county stops trying to be something it's not and starts leveraging what it actually is. Then I break down the framework so you can apply it to your county or business.

00:00 - Why Rural Counties Are Beating Urban Cities

01:30 - Meet Alex Green: Executive Director of Rhea County ECD

05:40 - Living Between Two Nuclear Plants (And Why That's Good)

11:31 - Why Dayton is Called Monkey Town: The Real Story

15:48 - The Bootstrap Mentality & Looking Ahead

17:13 - Manufacturing’s Misconception

18:58 - Why are young men not working?

24:52 - NIMBYism is Costing You Growth

32:40 - Chasing Every Deal Is Killing Your Town

39:36 - Tourism & The Infrastructure Investment That Paid Off

42:50 - Stackable Credentials: The Future of Workforce Development

48:15 - What La-Z-Boy's Expansion Really Means

56:36 - The Studio Debrief: Is Your Town Competing With the Wrong Places?

Have a Tennessee story worth mapping out? Reach out at archabouttn.com

The downtown square is packed on First Friday. The annual festival brought in a record number of tourists. New businesses keep opening. 

By every metric, downtown is thriving. But somehow... half of the businesses close within 18 months?

Most small Tennessee towns are focused on getting people downtown, but Fayetteville Main Street stopped asking "How do we get more people downtown?" and started asking "How do we help the businesses that are here actually survive?"

The answer wasn't more festivals. It was controversial sidewalks, AI-powered foot traffic data, and creating a physical space for businesses to get the support they need.

In this episode, I visit Fayetteville to see what they're doing differently, then break down the framework so you can apply it to your town or business.

(00:00) - Why We're Heading to Fayetteville First

(02:33) - Meet Aimee Byrd - the Executive Director of Fayetteville Main Street

(05:25) - The Tourism Tax Strategy Nobody Talks About

(06:58) - Anyone Can Open a Business. That's Actually the Problem.

(08:23) - From 650 Square Feet to a Small Business Farm System

(11:47) - The Data That Changed Everything

(16:33) - "We're Not Going After Chain Restaurants Anymore"

(22:47) - Why Local Dollars Keep Your Property Taxes Down

(29:40) - The Sidewalk Fight That Proved 46% Growth

(33:00) - The Four Pillars Every Downtown Needs

(40:48) - $330 Million Leaving Lincoln County Every Year

(43:12) - The Real Reason Your Taxes Keep Going Up

(47:18) - Where Tennessee's Next 20 Years of Growth Is Coming From

(52:30) - What Actually Replaced the Anchor Store Everyone Misses

(54:55) - Building a Town Your Kids Come Back To

(57:33) - The Studio Debrief: What Makes Fayetteville's Approach Different

Have a Tennessee story worth mapping out? Reach out at archabouttn.com