December 4, 2024 • 20 mins
In this episode of Connect the Knox, host Julia Hurley sits down with Amber Carroll, the new host of Living East Tennessee on WATE. Amber shares her journey from Nashville to Knoxville, her love for the local community, and how she brings a personal touch to her interviews and segments. They discuss the transformation of Living East Tennessee, the importance of supporting local businesses, and the vibrant culture of East Tennessee. Amber also reveals some of her favorite local spots and her vision for the show in the coming year. Tune in to hear more about how Amber is making waves in Knoxville and beyond.
Show Highlights:
(00:00) - Intro
(00:55) - Getting to know Amber Carroll
(02:05) - Amber's favorite segment on Living East Tennessee
(04:11) - What are the new things Amber gets to experience?
(05:48) - The opportunities working for the official home of the Tennessee Vols
(08:08) - Amber's vision for Living East Tennessee in 2025
(09:50) - East Tennessee's best kept secrets shared with Amber
(12:24) - Younger people still encompassing Knoxville's spirit
(15:50) - Amber's favorite things in East Tennessee
(19:18) - Where you can find more from Amber
Links Referenced:
- Amber’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amberlynncarroll/
- Living East Tennessee: https://www.wate.com/living-east-tennessee/
- Contact Amber: acarroll@wate.com
Connect with ConnectTheKnox
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- Connect with Julia -
- Buy or Sell a home in Knoxville -
- Just Homes Realty Group: www.justhomesgroup.com
- Find my Home Buyers & Home Sellers Guide here: https://linktr.ee/thejuliahurley
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:05):
Welcome, everyone, to another episode of Connect.
I am your host, Julia Hurley, connecting Knoxville to the nation.
And today, we have a connector of our own, Amber Carroll.
She is the new hostess of Living East Tennessee, one of the most popular
TV shows letting you know what's going on in the East Tennessee market.
(00:28):
Amber, thank you so much for joining us today.
Thank you so much for having me.
This is a blast.
I'm usually on your end, so this is a lot of fun for me.
You do so many interviews.
You get to talk to so many amazing people
across the Knoxville and East Tennessee market.
You bring a lot of excitement and a lot of personal
touch to what most would say is a boring news day.
(00:49):
So a lot of people tune in to WATE Channel 6 News just
to find out what's going on in Living East Tennessee.
So tell us a little bit.
Let's start with just about you.
I think people in Knoxville would like to get to know who their new host is.
Yeah.
I love this job.
I love what I do.
Originally from Nashville, Tennessee, I was out
in California, actually, and this job popped up.
(01:09):
I was doing medical TV, out of all things.
I went to University of Tennessee, started out in sports reporting
and anchoring, and wanted to kind of get back to that side of TV as
to where you could have a little bit more excitement and personality.
Loved medical TV, but blood wasn't my thing, so
I was watching surgeries and all those things.
It was a blast, a great area in life.
(01:30):
So they got me back from California, and they kind of hit me with it.
You can start going to Tennessee games again in Neyland.
And I was like, hands down, I'll see you in a month.
It's been such a blast and such a huge blessing to not only get to
be back in my home state, which is so close to my heart, but be right
here in Knoxville, where it's growing so rapidly, but in a great way.
(01:53):
And to be a part of that and experience that and experience
it alongside locals here, and it makes me feel like
this is actually home over Nashville, to be honest.
Knoxville's way better than Nashville.
Hands down, hands down.
Hands down.
So how did you facilitate, because I've seen
Living East Tennessee completely change.
The guests have changed, the atmosphere has changed,
(02:14):
the excitement has changed, the interviews have changed.
You're bringing really different aspects and a different community conversation.
What are some of, currently, since you've been
there, you're absolutely like favorite segment?
You know, like today, there was a moment
where I just, I couldn't get my words out.
You can't speak.
So some days you're just like, I'm trying to turn on,
you know, I'm trying to be here with you guys and people.
(02:35):
And I guess that human element, I think that's one of my favorite
aspects in general about lifestyle is having that human element.
But honestly, I don't know if I have like a specific favorite segment,
but one of my favorite things I've been able to do is be able to
connect with local business owners or even like people have my number
and they'll text me and say, "Hey, we've got this new thing coming on.
(02:57):
We'd love to come on and share it."
And I'm like, absolutely.
And so for me, the most important aspect of this show is not
only connecting locally with the viewers, but connecting with
the people around us and to know they have their own outlet and
people to come to that they feel like they can trust with their
business and be able to share that with East Tennessee and beyond.
Because like, you know, people come from all over the place to travel
(03:19):
here, whether it's the Smoky Mountains, whether it's the Tennessee Games.
I mean, Knoxville is just, it's a hub now, you know, for people to
come and travel, and we want to be able to be like, "This is, our town.
Welcome to our place, East Tennessee."
And to me, like I said, I don't know if I have a specific segment in mind.
I just like to have a lot of fun, girl.
Like we, we have a blast.
Sometimes I mess up and I'm like, you know what?
(03:40):
It's okay, but the people here are incredible and to see it come
to life like that, that is, that is the ultimate experience for me.
So I know you have a guest cook who has also been on my
television show and on my podcast, Michael Galeon, Blue Shirt Guy.
So I saw that yesterday and I thought, oh my gosh, how cool is it
that I've had so many different people and we all find a way to
(04:03):
connect, which is exactly why we now have our podcast, ConnectTheKnox.
You are doing the same with television.
You're connecting people in the community.
Some of the best episodes I've seen are definitely brought
by some of our biggest treasures like the Knoxville Zoo.
You get to experience those kinds of things.
Uh, what are some of the new things?
You know, I love, um, Knoxville has opening so many
(04:25):
different, it's Knoxville, not only Knoxville, but like East
Tennessee in general, there's so many different aspects.
Opening up, there's a new place in Clinton actually that's about to open.
Oh yeah, oh my gosh, that place is going to be amazing.
One of my favorite like little hidden gems, a lot
of people coming to the Gatlinburg area, Townsend.
(04:45):
I love Townsend, you know, you've got the beauty out
there, but then also there's so many local makers that come
from Knoxville to whether they're in Townsend in general.
I love that area of the world too, and East Tennessee.
But I would say coming up and stuff, I just think
there's so many different businesses popping up.
Like I've, even recently, I've had a lot of uptick and people texting me
(05:06):
like, this person's starting their own clothing line, different things.
And I'm like, let's do it.
Let's bring each other up.
Let's all connect.
And there's so many great business place like Maker City, for instance, that
connects people, but then also helps you get your business like off the ground.
I think those businesses are so crucial because we're all noticing like, I want
my time, I want to be able to spend time with my family, my kids, I want to
(05:29):
own my own business, and I can do this and having that support system is huge.
And so I love connecting with people like that are encouraging local
business owners, and I've met some of my best friends through this show.
It was just crazy, and I love it.
It's so much fun, but there's so much happening in East Tennessee.
at an incredible rate.
So, WATE is now the station for the University of Tennessee Volunteers.
(05:52):
You all won that contract over Channel 8 this past year.
So, as a former sportscaster and someone who's now back in the spotlight
in the Knoxville, Tennessee market, and Knoxville was just labeled
collegiate sports, Mecca or something like we are now the number
one place for collegiate sports in the United States of America.
How is that like going to play in to all of the things
(06:14):
that you have to offer and what you're able to do?
And they know too, anytime I get to have any kind of like
sports element in this show, I'm like, can we do this?
Can we, you know, do something with homecoming or whatever it might be.
And I think that's the beauty of East Tennessee, even if you're not.
Um, quick story, one of my best friends who I met at an
art gallery down here, he moved here from New Jersey.
(06:35):
They're more of like pro sports fans, and they moved
to Knoxville in January of this year, I believe.
Huge UT fans now.
Huge UT.
They're like, we've never even been college collegiate sports
fans really, but we got here and we were like, this is epic.
You know, and some of us, some, some people might call us friends,
fans crazy, you know, but you know, I, I think that's a part of it.
(06:56):
That's a part of the SEC.
It's a part of the South in general and being able to incorporate
different elements, like things you're interested in, like sports.
And kind of make it approachable for everyone, which I love, you know,
it's not just a guy thing or, you know, someone who likes sports.
It's an, let's get together.
Let's have a really good time and let's support this huge cause that, I mean,
(07:18):
you've seen the videos, the hype videos that the Vol football throws out.
And I mean, I don't care if you're a UT fan or not.
You get excited about it.
So it's, it's so much fun.
And girl, anytime I could throw some sports stuff in
here, they're always like, sure, yeah, you can do that.
And I hear that same thing from people all over the country that we
move here is, "Hey, our pro sport, we're pro, we're pro, we're pro."
(07:39):
And they get here, they experience a hundred thousand.
They experienced 200, 000 fans.
They experienced the camaraderie and the tailgating.
And I took some people from out of state through the tailgates last weekend.
And I said, here, we're going to stop and say hi to these people.
They said, "do you know them?"
I said, "no, I don't have to.
We're all family."
We're at UT Game.
We're just going to stop.
We're going to say, hey, we're going to get you acclimated to the acquaintances.
(08:00):
We'll get you some orange shirts.
Let's go.
Like, let's just go.
And you get to bring that to all the locals that tune in to Channel 6 News.
So what is your, maybe not dream, but vision for where
you're able to go because now you're mobile, you all can
actually leave the studio, you can go interview people.
If you could ask anybody right now for an interview that you
(08:21):
haven't been able to get right now, who would it be and why?
One of the biggest things we want to open up into the next year is
highlighting these like local cities maybe that aren't as much on the map
when people come to the area and highlighting East Tennessee as a whole.
When people are coming in for tourism and, um, really up, uptaking
our social media platform and utilizing that to help build businesses
(08:43):
here in East Tennessee, whether that's, um, we did a special, I
think back in the spring and, and focused on Jefferson County, you
know, in different places like that, where it's like, let's bring
Living East Tennessee in here because this is also East Tennessee.
It's not just the big city you see, maybe not even
around Knoxville, but in the little hidden gems that.
The Pizza Place is a, you know, hole in the wall that people go to that
(09:04):
are stunning and that you might not ever know about unless you ask a local.
So going into this next year, that's our goal.
We want to spread it far and wide as long as the borders can go.
Even, uh, we've kind of ventured into, like, western
North Carolina a little bit, kind of breathed a little
bit of Middle Tennessee, but, and even Northern Kentucky.
But I think just highlighting those individuals and giving, helping people
(09:27):
get themselves a platform to be able to come out, have the confidence to come
out and, you know, have a great time with it and showcase their business.
And that's, that's really what we want to do in 2025.
Love that idea so much.
I'll give you a first hint for Union County.
It's this little restaurant called Little Joe's.
Best prime rib you're ever going to find.
And they only do it on Fridays.
It's delicious.
Well, Joe's Union County.
(09:48):
All right, girl.
I'm going to give them a call.
That place is delicious.
So when you're out and about in Knoxville, how often
do people recognize you and want to take your attention
and how often do they share things that you didn't know?
I mean, that's something that I have found with people and they
talk with me or they talk with some of our kids that we sponsor
on the football team and they'll say, "hey, can I get a photo?"
(10:08):
And they'll say, "did you know blank?"
And sometimes I'm from here, my family's from here.
Sometimes I'm like, no, I didn't know that.
That's so exciting.
Thank you for sharing.
What have you found has been some of the best
kept secret that the locals share with you?
I think that's one of my favorite things is especially
like being approachable, like in public and stuff, and it
does, it does amaze me because you don't think about it.
And most of the time I am not wearing makeup.
(10:29):
I'm running on Market Square down here.
Like I'm not, don't look like this outside of work
a lot of the time, unless I'm going somewhere.
And it's amazing when people do recognize you.
I was checking out somewhere and a guy looked at
my ID and he said, you look a lot taller on TV.
And I was like, you know, I've never gotten
that one, but I really appreciate that.
You know, cause I I'm 5'10 without heels on
(10:50):
and, um, have to wear heels in the studio.
It makes me look, you know, as they would call Amazon.
Amazon Amber.
Oh my God.
I love that.
That's a, but I'll take it.
You know, I'm like, I've been told my whole life.
And I'm so, I love when people are just
able to come up and talk to you like that.
But honestly, yeah, one of my favorite things is being able to go
even to like markets down here or wherever it might be, Maryville.
(11:13):
And talking to not only the vendors, but then the vendors saying
like, "Hey, have you heard of so and so or they're doing this?"
And I actually had a phone conversation last night.
I got a call at 10 o'clock from someone I'd worked with yesterday and
they were like, I know it's late, but I've got to tell you about this.
And you know, breast cancer awareness.
And so connecting with her today and just like,
(11:33):
I think that's what Knoxville is all about too.
And East Tennessee in general, this.
Connecting people with each other when we all have that like mindset of, and,
you know, personally, you know, being able to empower others and connect each
other and I, you know, There's billions and billions of people for a reason
and it's definitely not made or created I feel like to just be by ourselves.
(11:54):
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(12:16):
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Call Just Homes Group today.
One of our favorites, you know, throughout the history of Knoxville, you
come and go and you see people at restaurants and some of the most staple
places have started to kind of wane off as their owners have aged out.
Some of that je ne sais quoi, I suppose.
(12:38):
Uh, what have you seen that's coming in that's taking younger
people with new ideas and still encompassing that Knoxville spirit?
I love that question because I totally get that because
it is kind of sad when things start to phase out.
Like, I mean, uh, I grew up in Mount Juliet.
Now, Mount Juliet is big now.
They've even got a Costco.
Like, they're living it up out there.
(13:00):
But we were, we, it was farmland.
You know, we would bring our four wheelers out and go mudding and
in places we probably shouldn't have and different things like that.
And, you know, when things start to close,
we Two local gas stations, I remember it.
Both of those are taken over by larger companies now built
on, but I remember like right in the back of my grandfather's
truck and getting like peanuts and Diet Coke, you know, and
(13:21):
it's those memories you make as a kid, those nostalgic things.
And so when we start to kind of see, like you said, like that shift of
the closing and you're like, it's kind of sad, you know, I never took
it for granted kind of, that it was feelings that I got being able
to make memories with my family or myself, enjoying going to a place.
But I think East Tennessee, I love what I've noticed is the
(13:45):
collaboration and the real, what would be the right word, And the
Appalachian culture that has been embraced and then also put out.
So a lot of people are starting to relearn, like, some of the
things that I learned growing up, canning beans, different
things like that, were just a way of life back in the day.
And they were a form of art, room making, different things that you
(14:07):
might not have seen unless you were a kid with your great grandmother.
And people are starting to adopt those again and open that back
up to a new way that's very modern and approachable, but we're all
learning something that's from far back that is huge in our roots.
And I've seen that so much, and I love it, even from people who
we have a guest on here, and she does a wonderful job at that.
(14:28):
That's her whole, uh, bit is about, um, embracing the Southern.
Chicken Librarian?
Yes!
Oh my gosh, she's the best!
She is amazing.
But she was like, I, you know, I'm going to teach people how to do this.
And I was like, I want to make hand pies.
Like, I want to be able to have someone over that's close to me.
I want to be able to do that.
And I remember making pies as a kid, but have I made one as an adult?
(14:49):
Absolutely not.
You know, but it's just so beautiful.
Everyone is starting to, you know, kind of re-embrace
the roots and going back to that tradition.
So although it's changing, it's evolving and coming
back full circle and it's like such a beautiful way.
So I love it.
I love that as well.
The Chicken Librarian is one of my favorites.
I took so many of her classes.
I make cheese.
I learned how to make soap.
(15:09):
I, you know, I learned how to can.
I can make candles, do all these things now.
And I think to myself, this is not as hard as I used to think it was.
This is a lot easier, a lot simpler.
I make jams, jellies, pints of friends.
And she takes two hours to learn a class.
I mean, it's, it's really amazing.
She's now branching out and bringing her gift to the master program.
(15:31):
Really love that for her.
And I love that.
That's what you took away from that.
Because I also take away that culture of, wow, we have so much, we're growing
so much people moving here, want to respect our culture and learn the way
of doing things that's motivating this next generation to learn the old way.
They're not new to us.
I love that.
I love that.
Well, wrapping it up, we've got about three minutes left.
(15:52):
Tell us some of your favorite things, and you are not promoting
any of these people by any means, or saying that anybody else
is bad, or anybody's bad, but everybody has a favorite place.
Everybody has a favorite restaurant, or favorite grocery
store, or something they just frequent on a regular basis.
Can you give me a top five list for you?
I have my top, so it could be restaurants, anything.
Anything!
Okay, so I will say, I absolutely love some of like the local
(16:16):
restaurants that we have here that we frequent like quite often, and
this is just me frequenting it because of the people that are there.
The service, like the food, and you enjoy it.
It's all encompassing number one.
My boyfriend and I go to Harvest probably two or three
times- they have the best Manhattan in town, you guys.
I tell you that much, and I love, I love everyone there.
(16:38):
You know, they get to know you they get to know
your name, and it's such a beautiful place.
You can go watch a game there.
There's so much, I feel like, that's inviting about that space.
I love Harvest.
I meet people there for brunch all the time.
What else do I love?
Downtown Wine and Spirit.
That's another place I have to shout out because they helped me
find the best wine, and I love that their selection is hand picked.
(16:59):
They had a Rioja not too long ago.
Y'all, I love me some wine.
And if you can't tell, I just mentioned Manhattan and wine like back to back.
I apologize.
But you know, you can tell what I like to do.
My spirit's
totally normal.
This is what I like to do in my spare time.
I will say, uh, and I absolutely love, um, they do such a great job
selection wise, and they're always there to help you, and he literally got
(17:20):
the box out last time I was there, and he was like, we just got this in.
I was like, that sounds perfect, you know, and
they know what you like and that local aspect.
I'm trying to think, I'm trying to branch out
past my, my wine and cocktail fetish here.
Um, I would say, uh, I love going to the markets, like, in general, any
market, especially downtown, on Saturdays, The Square, and everything changes.
(17:41):
A lot of the vendors change, too.
That's one of my favorite aspects, because you get to know
people, especially even walking around, and, and through
this show, I've gotten to know a lot of the vendors.
And sometimes I'll just go so I can go, I go grab a bag of coffee from, I
think it's Three Bears, Three Bears Coffee, I think it's what it's called.
And it's very good.
It's my favorite.
And so I'll grab a bag there and I'll just go give hugs to everybody.
(18:01):
That's mainly why I go.
I'm like, my mom will call and she's like,
you're going to see your friends at the market?
Like, yes.
I love my people.
Like, it's so much fun to be able to see that.
I would also say who does my hair and actually who I met through the
show, no joke, Serendipity Hair Salon up here off North Broadway.
She's amazing.
She is incredible.
Like I said, I met her through the show and ended up, I had a hair
(18:21):
emergency one day and I was like, "Hey girl, do you have any time?"
And she is the sweetest soul and is an incredible colorist.
So if you need a great colorist hairdresser in
Knoxville, that is definitely the place to go.
And then I'll say, let's see for my fifth one.
I love the, the Fancy Rascal.
It's um, a boutique, I think it's called Fancy Rascal.
(18:42):
It's off right there off of Kingston Pike going towards, um.
You've got Intrepid Cold Brew, the Nitro Cold Brew place.
It's, yeah, it's going towards Kingston Pike over there, but
they, it's a really, really cute boutique and she has a bunch
of different selections, but she only gets in certain sizes.
So I stop by there.
I try to, try not to, but like every week or
(19:03):
every other week, you know, yeah, exactly.
There's just so many little places that I love and it's so hard
to pick, but like, big wide range variety of different things.
So those are probably the places like that are in the
forefront of my mind right now, but there's so many.
I love it.
Well, we're gonna wrap it up there.
But anyway, please tell everybody where they can find you, when they can tune
in, how they can find all the information and the websites and everything.
(19:27):
We're literally Living East Tennessee.
Well, thank you so much for having me today.
And you can find me on Instagram.
That's where I'm most active on, uh, Amberlynn Carol.
And then, um, find me on, um, I'm not really active on Facebook.
My Instagram goes to my Facebook though.
So I would definitely say find me on Instagram.
Connect with me, message me.
I'll definitely message back because that's me.
(19:48):
If you need anything news wise or any businesses want
to reach out, it's acarroll@wate.com for my email.
Love it.
Amber, thank you so much for spending time with us and everyone, thank
you yet again for tuning into another episode of Connect the Knox.
I'm Julia Hurley, your hostess with the mostest, and we'll see you next time.
Thanks for visiting.
Thank you for tuning into the show.
(20:09):
Make sure to like and subscribe, leave a five star review
on your podcast player of choice, and if you would like
information on moving to Knoxville Send me a private message.
As always, this is Julia Hurley connecting Knoxville to the nation.
Welcome, everyone, to another episode of Connect.
I am your host, Julia Hurley, connecting Knoxville to the nation.
And today, we have a connector of our own, Amber Carroll.
She is the new hostess of Living East Tennessee, one of the most popular
TV shows letting you know what's going on in the East Tennessee market.
(00:28):
Amber, thank you so much for joining us today.
Thank you so much for having me.
This is a blast.
I'm usually on your end, so this is a lot of fun for me.
You do so many interviews.
You get to talk to so many amazing people
across the Knoxville and East Tennessee market.
You bring a lot of excitement and a lot of personal
touch to what most would say is a boring news day.
(00:49):
So a lot of people tune in to WATE Channel 6 News just
to find out what's going on in Living East Tennessee.
So tell us a little bit.
Let's start with just about you.
I think people in Knoxville would like to get to know who their new host is.
Yeah.
I love this job.
I love what I do.
Originally from Nashville, Tennessee, I was out
in California, actually, and this job popped up.
(01:09):
I was doing medical TV, out of all things.
I went to University of Tennessee, started out in sports reporting
and anchoring, and wanted to kind of get back to that side of TV as
to where you could have a little bit more excitement and personality.
Loved medical TV, but blood wasn't my thing, so
I was watching surgeries and all those things.
It was a blast, a great area in life.
(01:30):
So they got me back from California, and they kind of hit me with it.
You can start going to Tennessee games again in Neyland.
And I was like, hands down, I'll see you in a month.
It's been such a blast and such a huge blessing to not only get to
be back in my home state, which is so close to my heart, but be right
here in Knoxville, where it's growing so rapidly, but in a great way.
(01:53):
And to be a part of that and experience that and experience
it alongside locals here, and it makes me feel like
this is actually home over Nashville, to be honest.
Knoxville's way better than Nashville.
Hands down, hands down.
Hands down.
So how did you facilitate, because I've seen
Living East Tennessee completely change.
The guests have changed, the atmosphere has changed,
(02:14):
the excitement has changed, the interviews have changed.
You're bringing really different aspects and a different community conversation.
What are some of, currently, since you've been
there, you're absolutely like favorite segment?
You know, like today, there was a moment
where I just, I couldn't get my words out.
You can't speak.
So some days you're just like, I'm trying to turn on,
you know, I'm trying to be here with you guys and people.
(02:35):
And I guess that human element, I think that's one of my favorite
aspects in general about lifestyle is having that human element.
But honestly, I don't know if I have like a specific favorite segment,
but one of my favorite things I've been able to do is be able to
connect with local business owners or even like people have my number
and they'll text me and say, "Hey, we've got this new thing coming on.
(02:57):
We'd love to come on and share it."
And I'm like, absolutely.
And so for me, the most important aspect of this show is not
only connecting locally with the viewers, but connecting with
the people around us and to know they have their own outlet and
people to come to that they feel like they can trust with their
business and be able to share that with East Tennessee and beyond.
Because like, you know, people come from all over the place to travel
(03:19):
here, whether it's the Smoky Mountains, whether it's the Tennessee Games.
I mean, Knoxville is just, it's a hub now, you know, for people to
come and travel, and we want to be able to be like, "This is, our town.
Welcome to our place, East Tennessee."
And to me, like I said, I don't know if I have a specific segment in mind.
I just like to have a lot of fun, girl.
Like we, we have a blast.
Sometimes I mess up and I'm like, you know what?
(03:40):
It's okay, but the people here are incredible and to see it come
to life like that, that is, that is the ultimate experience for me.
So I know you have a guest cook who has also been on my
television show and on my podcast, Michael Galeon, Blue Shirt Guy.
So I saw that yesterday and I thought, oh my gosh, how cool is it
that I've had so many different people and we all find a way to
(04:03):
connect, which is exactly why we now have our podcast, ConnectTheKnox.
You are doing the same with television.
You're connecting people in the community.
Some of the best episodes I've seen are definitely brought
by some of our biggest treasures like the Knoxville Zoo.
You get to experience those kinds of things.
Uh, what are some of the new things?
You know, I love, um, Knoxville has opening so many
(04:25):
different, it's Knoxville, not only Knoxville, but like East
Tennessee in general, there's so many different aspects.
Opening up, there's a new place in Clinton actually that's about to open.
Oh yeah, oh my gosh, that place is going to be amazing.
One of my favorite like little hidden gems, a lot
of people coming to the Gatlinburg area, Townsend.
(04:45):
I love Townsend, you know, you've got the beauty out
there, but then also there's so many local makers that come
from Knoxville to whether they're in Townsend in general.
I love that area of the world too, and East Tennessee.
But I would say coming up and stuff, I just think
there's so many different businesses popping up.
Like I've, even recently, I've had a lot of uptick and people texting me
(05:06):
like, this person's starting their own clothing line, different things.
And I'm like, let's do it.
Let's bring each other up.
Let's all connect.
And there's so many great business place like Maker City, for instance, that
connects people, but then also helps you get your business like off the ground.
I think those businesses are so crucial because we're all noticing like, I want
my time, I want to be able to spend time with my family, my kids, I want to
(05:29):
own my own business, and I can do this and having that support system is huge.
And so I love connecting with people like that are encouraging local
business owners, and I've met some of my best friends through this show.
It was just crazy, and I love it.
It's so much fun, but there's so much happening in East Tennessee.
at an incredible rate.
So, WATE is now the station for the University of Tennessee Volunteers.
(05:52):
You all won that contract over Channel 8 this past year.
So, as a former sportscaster and someone who's now back in the spotlight
in the Knoxville, Tennessee market, and Knoxville was just labeled
collegiate sports, Mecca or something like we are now the number
one place for collegiate sports in the United States of America.
How is that like going to play in to all of the things
(06:14):
that you have to offer and what you're able to do?
And they know too, anytime I get to have any kind of like
sports element in this show, I'm like, can we do this?
Can we, you know, do something with homecoming or whatever it might be.
And I think that's the beauty of East Tennessee, even if you're not.
Um, quick story, one of my best friends who I met at an
art gallery down here, he moved here from New Jersey.
(06:35):
They're more of like pro sports fans, and they moved
to Knoxville in January of this year, I believe.
Huge UT fans now.
Huge UT.
They're like, we've never even been college collegiate sports
fans really, but we got here and we were like, this is epic.
You know, and some of us, some, some people might call us friends,
fans crazy, you know, but you know, I, I think that's a part of it.
(06:56):
That's a part of the SEC.
It's a part of the South in general and being able to incorporate
different elements, like things you're interested in, like sports.
And kind of make it approachable for everyone, which I love, you know,
it's not just a guy thing or, you know, someone who likes sports.
It's an, let's get together.
Let's have a really good time and let's support this huge cause that, I mean,
(07:18):
you've seen the videos, the hype videos that the Vol football throws out.
And I mean, I don't care if you're a UT fan or not.
You get excited about it.
So it's, it's so much fun.
And girl, anytime I could throw some sports stuff in
here, they're always like, sure, yeah, you can do that.
And I hear that same thing from people all over the country that we
move here is, "Hey, our pro sport, we're pro, we're pro, we're pro."
(07:39):
And they get here, they experience a hundred thousand.
They experienced 200, 000 fans.
They experienced the camaraderie and the tailgating.
And I took some people from out of state through the tailgates last weekend.
And I said, here, we're going to stop and say hi to these people.
They said, "do you know them?"
I said, "no, I don't have to.
We're all family."
We're at UT Game.
We're just going to stop.
We're going to say, hey, we're going to get you acclimated to the acquaintances.
(08:00):
We'll get you some orange shirts.
Let's go.
Like, let's just go.
And you get to bring that to all the locals that tune in to Channel 6 News.
So what is your, maybe not dream, but vision for where
you're able to go because now you're mobile, you all can
actually leave the studio, you can go interview people.
If you could ask anybody right now for an interview that you
(08:21):
haven't been able to get right now, who would it be and why?
One of the biggest things we want to open up into the next year is
highlighting these like local cities maybe that aren't as much on the map
when people come to the area and highlighting East Tennessee as a whole.
When people are coming in for tourism and, um, really up, uptaking
our social media platform and utilizing that to help build businesses
(08:43):
here in East Tennessee, whether that's, um, we did a special, I
think back in the spring and, and focused on Jefferson County, you
know, in different places like that, where it's like, let's bring
Living East Tennessee in here because this is also East Tennessee.
It's not just the big city you see, maybe not even
around Knoxville, but in the little hidden gems that.
The Pizza Place is a, you know, hole in the wall that people go to that
(09:04):
are stunning and that you might not ever know about unless you ask a local.
So going into this next year, that's our goal.
We want to spread it far and wide as long as the borders can go.
Even, uh, we've kind of ventured into, like, western
North Carolina a little bit, kind of breathed a little
bit of Middle Tennessee, but, and even Northern Kentucky.
But I think just highlighting those individuals and giving, helping people
(09:27):
get themselves a platform to be able to come out, have the confidence to come
out and, you know, have a great time with it and showcase their business.
And that's, that's really what we want to do in 2025.
Love that idea so much.
I'll give you a first hint for Union County.
It's this little restaurant called Little Joe's.
Best prime rib you're ever going to find.
And they only do it on Fridays.
It's delicious.
Well, Joe's Union County.
(09:48):
All right, girl.
I'm going to give them a call.
That place is delicious.
So when you're out and about in Knoxville, how often
do people recognize you and want to take your attention
and how often do they share things that you didn't know?
I mean, that's something that I have found with people and they
talk with me or they talk with some of our kids that we sponsor
on the football team and they'll say, "hey, can I get a photo?"
(10:08):
And they'll say, "did you know blank?"
And sometimes I'm from here, my family's from here.
Sometimes I'm like, no, I didn't know that.
That's so exciting.
Thank you for sharing.
What have you found has been some of the best
kept secret that the locals share with you?
I think that's one of my favorite things is especially
like being approachable, like in public and stuff, and it
does, it does amaze me because you don't think about it.
And most of the time I am not wearing makeup.
(10:29):
I'm running on Market Square down here.
Like I'm not, don't look like this outside of work
a lot of the time, unless I'm going somewhere.
And it's amazing when people do recognize you.
I was checking out somewhere and a guy looked at
my ID and he said, you look a lot taller on TV.
And I was like, you know, I've never gotten
that one, but I really appreciate that.
You know, cause I I'm 5'10 without heels on
(10:50):
and, um, have to wear heels in the studio.
It makes me look, you know, as they would call Amazon.
Amazon Amber.
Oh my God.
I love that.
That's a, but I'll take it.
You know, I'm like, I've been told my whole life.
And I'm so, I love when people are just
able to come up and talk to you like that.
But honestly, yeah, one of my favorite things is being able to go
even to like markets down here or wherever it might be, Maryville.
(11:13):
And talking to not only the vendors, but then the vendors saying
like, "Hey, have you heard of so and so or they're doing this?"
And I actually had a phone conversation last night.
I got a call at 10 o'clock from someone I'd worked with yesterday and
they were like, I know it's late, but I've got to tell you about this.
And you know, breast cancer awareness.
And so connecting with her today and just like,
(11:33):
I think that's what Knoxville is all about too.
And East Tennessee in general, this.
Connecting people with each other when we all have that like mindset of, and,
you know, personally, you know, being able to empower others and connect each
other and I, you know, There's billions and billions of people for a reason
and it's definitely not made or created I feel like to just be by ourselves.
(11:54):
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Whether you're looking to buy or sell a home, right here
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(12:16):
the expertise throughout every Knoxville surrounding area.
Call Just Homes Group today.
One of our favorites, you know, throughout the history of Knoxville, you
come and go and you see people at restaurants and some of the most staple
places have started to kind of wane off as their owners have aged out.
Some of that je ne sais quoi, I suppose.
(12:38):
Uh, what have you seen that's coming in that's taking younger
people with new ideas and still encompassing that Knoxville spirit?
I love that question because I totally get that because
it is kind of sad when things start to phase out.
Like, I mean, uh, I grew up in Mount Juliet.
Now, Mount Juliet is big now.
They've even got a Costco.
Like, they're living it up out there.
(13:00):
But we were, we, it was farmland.
You know, we would bring our four wheelers out and go mudding and
in places we probably shouldn't have and different things like that.
And, you know, when things start to close,
we Two local gas stations, I remember it.
Both of those are taken over by larger companies now built
on, but I remember like right in the back of my grandfather's
truck and getting like peanuts and Diet Coke, you know, and
(13:21):
it's those memories you make as a kid, those nostalgic things.
And so when we start to kind of see, like you said, like that shift of
the closing and you're like, it's kind of sad, you know, I never took
it for granted kind of, that it was feelings that I got being able
to make memories with my family or myself, enjoying going to a place.
But I think East Tennessee, I love what I've noticed is the
(13:45):
collaboration and the real, what would be the right word, And the
Appalachian culture that has been embraced and then also put out.
So a lot of people are starting to relearn, like, some of the
things that I learned growing up, canning beans, different
things like that, were just a way of life back in the day.
And they were a form of art, room making, different things that you
(14:07):
might not have seen unless you were a kid with your great grandmother.
And people are starting to adopt those again and open that back
up to a new way that's very modern and approachable, but we're all
learning something that's from far back that is huge in our roots.
And I've seen that so much, and I love it, even from people who
we have a guest on here, and she does a wonderful job at that.
(14:28):
That's her whole, uh, bit is about, um, embracing the Southern.
Chicken Librarian?
Yes!
Oh my gosh, she's the best!
She is amazing.
But she was like, I, you know, I'm going to teach people how to do this.
And I was like, I want to make hand pies.
Like, I want to be able to have someone over that's close to me.
I want to be able to do that.
And I remember making pies as a kid, but have I made one as an adult?
(14:49):
Absolutely not.
You know, but it's just so beautiful.
Everyone is starting to, you know, kind of re-embrace
the roots and going back to that tradition.
So although it's changing, it's evolving and coming
back full circle and it's like such a beautiful way.
So I love it.
I love that as well.
The Chicken Librarian is one of my favorites.
I took so many of her classes.
I make cheese.
I learned how to make soap.
(15:09):
I, you know, I learned how to can.
I can make candles, do all these things now.
And I think to myself, this is not as hard as I used to think it was.
This is a lot easier, a lot simpler.
I make jams, jellies, pints of friends.
And she takes two hours to learn a class.
I mean, it's, it's really amazing.
She's now branching out and bringing her gift to the master program.
(15:31):
Really love that for her.
And I love that.
That's what you took away from that.
Because I also take away that culture of, wow, we have so much, we're growing
so much people moving here, want to respect our culture and learn the way
of doing things that's motivating this next generation to learn the old way.
They're not new to us.
I love that.
I love that.
Well, wrapping it up, we've got about three minutes left.
(15:52):
Tell us some of your favorite things, and you are not promoting
any of these people by any means, or saying that anybody else
is bad, or anybody's bad, but everybody has a favorite place.
Everybody has a favorite restaurant, or favorite grocery
store, or something they just frequent on a regular basis.
Can you give me a top five list for you?
I have my top, so it could be restaurants, anything.
Anything!
Okay, so I will say, I absolutely love some of like the local
(16:16):
restaurants that we have here that we frequent like quite often, and
this is just me frequenting it because of the people that are there.
The service, like the food, and you enjoy it.
It's all encompassing number one.
My boyfriend and I go to Harvest probably two or three
times- they have the best Manhattan in town, you guys.
I tell you that much, and I love, I love everyone there.
(16:38):
You know, they get to know you they get to know
your name, and it's such a beautiful place.
You can go watch a game there.
There's so much, I feel like, that's inviting about that space.
I love Harvest.
I meet people there for brunch all the time.
What else do I love?
Downtown Wine and Spirit.
That's another place I have to shout out because they helped me
find the best wine, and I love that their selection is hand picked.
(16:59):
They had a Rioja not too long ago.
Y'all, I love me some wine.
And if you can't tell, I just mentioned Manhattan and wine like back to back.
I apologize.
But you know, you can tell what I like to do.
My spirit's
totally normal.
This is what I like to do in my spare time.
I will say, uh, and I absolutely love, um, they do such a great job
selection wise, and they're always there to help you, and he literally got
(17:20):
the box out last time I was there, and he was like, we just got this in.
I was like, that sounds perfect, you know, and
they know what you like and that local aspect.
I'm trying to think, I'm trying to branch out
past my, my wine and cocktail fetish here.
Um, I would say, uh, I love going to the markets, like, in general, any
market, especially downtown, on Saturdays, The Square, and everything changes.
(17:41):
A lot of the vendors change, too.
That's one of my favorite aspects, because you get to know
people, especially even walking around, and, and through
this show, I've gotten to know a lot of the vendors.
And sometimes I'll just go so I can go, I go grab a bag of coffee from, I
think it's Three Bears, Three Bears Coffee, I think it's what it's called.
And it's very good.
It's my favorite.
And so I'll grab a bag there and I'll just go give hugs to everybody.
(18:01):
That's mainly why I go.
I'm like, my mom will call and she's like,
you're going to see your friends at the market?
Like, yes.
I love my people.
Like, it's so much fun to be able to see that.
I would also say who does my hair and actually who I met through the
show, no joke, Serendipity Hair Salon up here off North Broadway.
She's amazing.
She is incredible.
Like I said, I met her through the show and ended up, I had a hair
(18:21):
emergency one day and I was like, "Hey girl, do you have any time?"
And she is the sweetest soul and is an incredible colorist.
So if you need a great colorist hairdresser in
Knoxville, that is definitely the place to go.
And then I'll say, let's see for my fifth one.
I love the, the Fancy Rascal.
It's um, a boutique, I think it's called Fancy Rascal.
(18:42):
It's off right there off of Kingston Pike going towards, um.
You've got Intrepid Cold Brew, the Nitro Cold Brew place.
It's, yeah, it's going towards Kingston Pike over there, but
they, it's a really, really cute boutique and she has a bunch
of different selections, but she only gets in certain sizes.
So I stop by there.
I try to, try not to, but like every week or
(19:03):
every other week, you know, yeah, exactly.
There's just so many little places that I love and it's so hard
to pick, but like, big wide range variety of different things.
So those are probably the places like that are in the
forefront of my mind right now, but there's so many.
I love it.
Well, we're gonna wrap it up there.
But anyway, please tell everybody where they can find you, when they can tune
in, how they can find all the information and the websites and everything.
(19:27):
We're literally Living East Tennessee.
Well, thank you so much for having me today.
And you can find me on Instagram.
That's where I'm most active on, uh, Amberlynn Carol.
And then, um, find me on, um, I'm not really active on Facebook.
My Instagram goes to my Facebook though.
So I would definitely say find me on Instagram.
Connect with me, message me.
I'll definitely message back because that's me.
(19:48):
If you need anything news wise or any businesses want
to reach out, it's acarroll@wate.com for my email.
Love it.
Amber, thank you so much for spending time with us and everyone, thank
you yet again for tuning into another episode of Connect the Knox.
I'm Julia Hurley, your hostess with the mostest, and we'll see you next time.
Thanks for visiting.
Thank you for tuning into the show.
(20:09):
Make sure to like and subscribe, leave a five star review
on your podcast player of choice, and if you would like
information on moving to Knoxville Send me a private message.
As always, this is Julia Hurley connecting Knoxville to the nation.
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