Mostly Middle Tennessee Business Podcast

In this episode of the Mostly Middle Tennessee Business Podcast, Jim McCarthy sits down with Nashville-area commercial real estate pro and project manager Katelin Ford (Four Points Business, SVN Excel). Katelin unpacks her journey from MTSU sports broadcasting to CMT live shows and Discovery’s HGTV/Travel Channel universe, through layoffs, COVID, and mandates, and into a new chapter helping business owners with property, book...

Luxury spec building can make or break you. Nashville-area builder and developer Josh Hein of Hein Properties joins Jim McCarthy to unpack the real numbers, lender games, rezoning battles, and mindset it takes to survive – and win – in the high-end custom and spec home space. From Tennessee rock and septic nightmares to mid-construction refis and village-style master-planned communities, this is a masterclass for builde...

Nashville wellness entrepreneur Scott Crosbie of Next Health joins Jim to break down the booming longevity space: GLP-1s, peptides, red light, cryotherapy, hyperbaric oxygen, hormone therapy, and why “wellness” is about to go as mainstream as gyms. From franchising and staffing two high-end clinics in the Gulch and Green Hills to practical advice on labs, protein, and biohacking for real people, this episode connects cu...

Entrepreneur and pastor to founders Nick Cavuoto joins Jim to unpack grit, faith, and rebuilding after losing a million dollars in revenue, from growing a megachurch to coaching owner-led businesses through their “evolution,” not crisis.

Timestamps:
02:40 – Middle Tennessee business owners “going through the mud”
03:50 – Nick’s origin story: drug dealing, Jesus, and an entrepreneur...

Host Jim McCarthy sits down with fellow producer and host Nick Hiter (The Hit Streak, The Hit Lab) for a long‑form, no‑BS conversation on the business of podcasting, building real relationships, and leading with faith and family.

They dive into everything from pricing your show like a pro and filtering guests, to why short‑form content exploded, what’s broken in traditional media, and how podcasting became the ultimate net...

In this episode of the Mostly Middle Tennessee Business Podcast, Jim McCarthy sits down with songwriter and artist Jared Rogers, nephew of Kenny Rogers, for a fast-moving, story-packed conversation. They dive into how AI is changing songwriting, why listeners will crave “imperfect” human music, what Jared learned directly from Kenny, and how artists can still stand out in a streaming, algorithm-driven world. Along the w...

In this episode of the Mostly Middle Tennessee Business Podcast, Jim McCarthy sits down with HR and recruiting pro Ashley Pack, founder of Four Point People, to talk about how small and mid-sized businesses can finally fix their hiring, retention, and culture problems.

Ashley shares how she went from teaching to transportation to making 200 cold calls a day during the pandemic, then into payroll and now running a recruiting and frac...

Rebecca Ruiz runs Superior Washing Services, homeschools nine kids, and is still showing up to 7 AM BNI with energy. In this episode we talk about choosing trades and entrepreneurship over the traditional college path, the reality of six-figure student loan debt, raising entrepreneurial kids, and scaling a blue-collar service business in Middle Tennessee.
We also dive into work-life balance, hiring challenges, and what it really...

Publicist and entertainment manager Cathy Cardenas joins the Mostly Middle Tennessee Business Podcast to unpack how real PR works in 2024: word-of-mouth over ads, picking the right clients, protecting reputations in the internet age, and keeping faith at the center through brutal personal seasons.

Cathy and Jim swap radio war stories, talk about WWE and NFL stars, dig into hard lessons from bad clients, and break down what it actual...

John Myers of Alliance Family Services joins Jim to talk candidly about faith, church hurt, and the hard conversations around abortion and real-world ministry.

They dive into John’s journey from missionary kid to youth pastor to working with Alliance Women’s Clinic, why honesty and trust matter more than polished church branding, and how men must step up in the pro‑life conversation. Jim shares deeply personal stories ab...

Jim McCarthy sits down with Babcox Media’s Brian Ankney to talk about how a 106-year-old automotive media company keeps reinventing itself with video, AI search, and niche-focused content. They dive into the real future of car dealerships, F&I, EVs, and what “good” selling actually looks like in 2026.

If you’re in automotive, real estate, or any small business that lives on leads and relationships, th...

Phillip Cantrell went from running a family printing business to building Benchmark Realty into a multi-state brokerage closing over $5 billion a year in sales. In this episode, we talk about pivots, faith, hard times, and why real estate is facing its own “2008 moment” with AI and industry lawsuits.

Phillip shares what he learned from brutal commercial printing, how he rebuilt during the 2008 crash, why he sold Benc...

On this episode of the Mostly Middle Tennessee Business Podcast, Jim McCarthy sits down with longtime Middle Tennessee realtor and 615 Podcast host, Nick Woodard. They dig into what it really takes to stand out in a crowded real estate market, how authenticity online can quietly build a powerful client pipeline, and why Middle Tennessee keeps attracting families from all over the country.

Nick shares stories from 22 years in real es...

In this episode of the Mostly Middle Tennessee Business Podcast, host Jim McCarthy sits down with Greg Oliver and Abigail Garrett of GOA Speakers to unpack the business of booking faith-based speakers, comedians, and artists.

Greg shares how he went from running a massive Christian nightclub in Texas to building a Nashville-based agency that represents some of the biggest names in Christian speaking and leadership, including Joh...

Jim sits down with legendary live-event entrepreneur Scott Scovill to unpack how a kid who flunked out of college, battled crippling fear of failure, and waited tables at Howard Johnson’s ended up pioneering concert video, touring with the biggest acts in the world, and building Moo TV.

Scott shares the true origin story behind his career, the life-changing U2 moment that set everything in motion, the loss of his mentor th...

In this episode of the Mostly Middle Tennessee Business Podcast, Jim McCarthy sits down with mediator and veteran civil litigator Tamara Gauldin to explore what it really means to stay neutral in a polarized world. They discuss mediation, control, apologies, faith, parenting, and how our idea of “good” is often a matter of perspective.

Tamara shares how she left corporate America to start her own mediation practice, ...

From classic trucks and exotics to private car clubs and social lounges, this episode of the Mostly Middle Tennessee Business Podcast dives into the story behind 111 Motorcars in Franklin, TN. Host Jim McCarthy sits down with executive assistant and car enthusiast Taylor Qualls to unpack how 111 is blending high-end automotive storage, sales, service, hospitality, and private membership into a “Four Seasons of the automotive ...

Executive coach, author, and lifelong entrepreneur Marc A. Wolfe joins Jim McCarthy to break down the “Yeah, but…” excuses that keep leaders and business owners stuck. From college vs. alternative paths, intrapreneurship vs. entrepreneurship, and failing forward, to fake gurus, AI, and the power of being a “certified human,” Marc shares straight‑talk insights on creating real options in your career an...

Entrepreneur Ander Sevilla, founder of Black Light, joins host Jim McCarthy to share how he went from selling duct tape wallets in 4th grade to building a fast-growing marketing and private equity hybrid based in Nashville. Ander talks about losing everything (twice), moving cross‑country to start over, turning an Antioch house into an incubator, and raising capital to scale Black Light into multiple markets.

They dive into:

Why he l...