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cityCURRENT Radio Show

cityCURRENT Radio Show

Hosted by cityCURRENT, Jeremy C. Park, Andrew Bartolotta, cityCURRENT, Jeremy C Park

BusinessEducationInterviews guests
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Episodes

600

Latest episode

Jul 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

Our cityCURRENT Radio Show airs each Sunday from 7-8 AM across all four Cumulus Media Memphis radio stations, which reach more than 750,000 listeners each week: Kix 106, 98.1 The Max, 98.9 The Bridge, and 103.5 WRBO and also airs across all five Cumulus Media Nashville radio stations each Sunday from 5-6 AM on 104.5 The Zone, 95.5 NASH ICON, SuperTalk 99.7 WTN, NASH FM 103.3, and 4-5 AM on 92Q. The show is focused on positives and features interviews with a mix of business and community leaders who discuss important trends, efforts, lessons learned, and ways to get engaged and make an impact..…

Listen to episodes

60 recent
October 27, 202620 min

Addiction, Recovery & Second Chances | Will Taylor of Recovery Is The New High

What happens after addiction treatment ends? For many individuals and families, completing treatment isn’t the end of the recovery journey. It’s the beginning of learning how to build a sustainable life in recovery. Host Andrew Bartolotta sits down with Will Taylor , Co-Founder and Executive Director of Recovery Is The New High , for a conversation about addiction, recovery, second chances, and the systems needed to support people for the long term. Will brings both professional expertise and lived experience to this work. He is in long-term recovery from mental health and substance use disorders and has worked as a clinical counselor, helped develop addiction treatment programs, collaborated with faith communities, and contributed to behavioral health initiatives in Tennessee. Today, Recovery Is The New High operates as a statewide Recovery Community Organization with nine locations across Tennessee, providing recovery support, recovery housing certification, and helping communities develop recovery-oriented systems of care. Andrew and Will discuss the difference between treatment and long-term recovery support, the biggest gaps facing people trying to rebuild their lives, recovery housing, employment and community support, the role of churches and businesses, reducing stigma while maintaining accountability, and what Tennessee and the nation can do better. Will also shares what National Recovery Month means and why it’s important to tell not only stories about addiction, but stories showing that long-term recovery is possible. For anyone impacted by addiction—whether personally or through someone you love—this conversation offers perspective on what it takes to move beyond surviving and begin rebuilding a life. Learn more: https://recoveryisthenewhigh.com/

October 27, 202636 min

Faith Through Fear, Grief & Life’s Hardest Seasons | Be Inspired For Real

How do you hold onto faith when life hurts? What happens when fear, grief, loss, self-doubt, or circumstances you never chose begin to reshape the way you see yourself and your future? In this episode of the cityCURRENT Show, host Andrew Bartolotta sits down with Janette Owens , founder of Be Inspired For Real , Nicole Hicks , Certified Biblical Life Coach and founder of Faith Over Fear Coaching ; and Mary Holmström , a coach specializing in anticipatory grief, identity, and purpose after loss. Together, they have a deeply personal conversation about navigating the real stuff of life while holding onto faith—and why struggling doesn’t mean you’re failing in your faith. Janette shares how Be Inspired For Real began in 2017 after she saw friends struggling and becoming discouraged in their Christian walk. What started as a platform for encouragement has since evolved to include faith-based life coaching designed to help people take actionable steps through challenging seasons. Coach Nicole opens up about her own life-changing health crisis and the season of anxiety, depression, chronic insomnia, and other challenges that followed. She shares how that experience transformed her understanding of faith and now informs her work helping women move from surviving to thriving and from fear to faith by addressing identity, self-worth, boundaries, and the negative thoughts that can keep people stuck. Coach Mary introduces an important topic many people may be experiencing without having a name for it: anticipatory grief. The conversation explores grieving a loss before it happens, caregiving, estrangement, losing relationships that still technically exist, and the difficult question of, “Who am I now?” after life has fundamentally changed. Andrew also shares some of his own experiences with grief and family estrangement, opening the door to an honest discussion about the intersection of faith and pain: How do we leave room for grief, fear, anger, and questions while still trusting God—without pretending everything is okay when it isn’t? Ultimately, the conversation comes back to community, grace, purpose, and the reminder that you don’t have to do life—or faith—alone. Life will bring seasons we didn’t choose, and growth doesn’t require forgetting what happened or pretending it didn’t hurt. Sometimes growth is simply taking the next faithful step. Learn more about Be Inspired For Real, meet their partner coaches, and explore coaching resources at: www.BeInspiredForReal.com As Janette puts it: trust God, live with purpose, laugh often, and keep it moving.

July 20, 202629 min

Inside 4:13 Strong: Helping Men Build Careers, Confidence & Community

What does it take to truly break the cycle of poverty, crime, and dependency? In this inspiring episode of the cityCURRENT Show, host Andrew Bartolotta sits down with Chris Blaney, Development Director of 4:13 Strong , to explore how this Nashville-based nonprofit is transforming lives through faith, workforce development, mentorship, and life-changing relationships. Built around the mission of creating Stronger Men, Stronger Families, and a Stronger Nashville, 4:13 Strong offers a residential workforce development program that equips men with the skills, discipline, confidence, and support they need to build successful careers and meaningful lives. Whether you're a business leader, nonprofit supporter, mentor, or someone passionate about creating stronger communities, this episode offers an encouraging look at what's possible when people are given the opportunity and the support to rewrite their future. Learn more about 4:13 Strong, volunteer, become a mentor, or support their mission by visiting www.413strong.org .

July 15, 202616 min

Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) and EFS ESOP Consultants

Host Jeremy C. Park interviews Kelly O. Finnell , Founder and President of EFS ESOP Consultants and author of "The ESOP Coach: Using ESOPs in Ownership Succession Planning," who discusses the importance and power of Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs). Kelly shares how he accidentally entered the ESOP field in 1979 while working at a law firm in Massachusetts during his first year of law school. After being assigned to research ESOPs for a white paper, he developed a passion for the topic and eventually built his consulting practice around it. Jeremy and Kelly discuss ESOPs, explaining that from a business owner's perspective it serves as an exit and succession strategy alternative to selling to private equity or strategic buyers. Kelly describes how ESOPs function as retirement plans from an employee's perspective, with the company fully funding them and the investment being limited to company stock. Jeremy notes the power of ownership, highlighting how it can transform employee perspectives and create a legacy for business leaders. Kelly discusses the performance benefits of employee-owned companies, citing academic studies and Higginbotham as examples of improved employee performance and business outcomes. Jeremy agrees with these points, sharing his firsthand experience of the positive impact on responsibility and ownership at all levels. Kelly outlines the criteria for determining if a company is a good candidate for an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), including financial metrics like adjusted EBITDA and employee count, as well as subjective indicators such as emphasis on company culture, legacy, and philanthropy. Jeremy agrees, highlighting how outside ownership often leads to changes in culture and philanthropy, making an ESOP a viable option for preserving a business's legacy and values. Kelly advises business leaders that implementing an ESOP or any exit strategy typically requires a minimum of three years of planning and preparation. He emphasizes the importance of becoming educated about different options, including sales to private equity, and involving trusted advisors like lawyers and CPAs in the process. Kelly discusses the positive outlook for ESOPs, highlighting the bipartisan support from both Democrats and Republicans. He explains that ESOPs function as an effective wealth distribution vehicle, offering tax benefits to companies and providing a way for business owners to sell to employees with government support covering 40% of the cost through tax savings. Kelly shares contact information, including the company website www.execfin.com and LinkedIn page for EFS ESOP Consultants. He discusses his book, which was written specifically for business owners and includes case studies in plain English to explain complex ESOP topics. Visit https://execfin.com/ to learn more and connect with Kelly Finnell and EFS ESOP Consultants.

July 15, 202616 min

Tom Barrett highlights Navigate the Journey part 2

Tom shares his background and path from a corporate career with companies like, Deloitte and E&Y, to transitioning from seminary to ministry to business coaching, explaining how he and his wife Traci, who was a member of the original launch team of HGTV, moved from Chicago to Nashville in 2017. He details their six-system framework called the Scaling Results Operating System , which addresses people, strategy, operations, execution, leadership, and finances, and describes working with clients who are typically founders looking to transition leadership teams and scale their businesses. He describes how the framework helps businesses scale results and impact, particularly addressing challenges like market forces and AI automation that require companies to pivot and update their processes. Tom provides examples of his coaching approach, including a success story about helping a marketing agency refocus on fundraising for nonprofits after struggling during COVID, and discusses his life planning process called Strategic Life Map that helps clients gain clarity through examining past turning points. Tom shares recommendations for driving success, emphasizing the importance of a growth mindset and achieving elite performance through intentional choices and addressing "head trash" that prevents organizations from reaching their full potential. He discusses their "Strategic Life Map" process, which involves analyzing past turning points to plan for the future, and explained their philanthropic work with nonprofits through strategic planning and leadership development. Tom recommends visiting navigatethejourney.com for more information about their services and next steps. Visit https://www.navigatethejourney.com to learn more and connect with Navigate the Journey.

July 15, 202616 min

Directorie and Tiny Superheroes

Host Jeremy C. Park interviews Erika Sinner , who highlights her various entrepreneurial ventures and philanthropic efforts, along with her new podcast, book, and keynote presentation focused on the power of identity and empathy. Erika explains that her childhood experiences inspired her to focus on empathy and kindness, which led to her founding Directorie to help pharmaceutical and biotech companies access top talent and take drugs and treatments to market, and the nonprofit, Tiny Superheroes , to empower children facing illness and disability by helping them discover their inner superpowers. Erika discusses the Tiny Superheroes program, which provides children in hospitals with superhero capes and badges that they earn for each "mission" to help them feel empowered and supported during their medical treatments. The program aims to impact 5 million children over the next 5 years, with starter kits available for $29 that include capes, patches, and a monthly mission program focused on social-emotional learning. Erika explains that the program has expanded coast-to-coast and has received positive feedback from healthcare providers and families, with plans to bring it to Nashville, Memphis, and other locations. Erika and Jeremy talk about the importance and positive impacts of reframing medical experiences as superhero missions and how it also leads to increased hope, healing, and outcomes for the children. Erika highlights the podcast she launched this year, "The Blow Your Mind Podcast" and shares insights from a memorable interview with Mary Seitz, who rebuilt her company after being fired and now generates $100 million annually. Erika explains her "Blow Your Mind" framework, which consists of three steps: deciding who you want to be, building systems to support your future self, and tracking personal progress through evidence, which she shares as a keynote presentation. Erika discusses being founder and CEO of Directorie, which provides commercial services to small to mid-size healthcare companies, particularly those developing treatments for ultra-rare diseases. She explains how Directorie helps these companies by offering flexible commercial teams that can scale up or down based on FDA approval timelines and manufacturing delays. Erika also shares her experience as an author, writing a book about pet bereavement that has led some companies to update their bereavement policies to recognize pets as part of employees' families. Jeremy and Erika discuss corporate empathy and employee support, with Erika sharing insights from her work at Directorie and Tiny Superheroes on communication and performance coaching. Erika emphasizes the importance of building trust within teams, noting that her company made the Inc. 5000 list two years in a row due to these practices. She concludes by advising listeners to bet on themselves and not worry about what others think, encouraging them to pursue growth and fulfillment. Visit https://erikasinner.org to learn more and connect with Erika Sinner, along with Tiny Superheroes, Directorie, or The Blow Your Mind Podcast.

July 15, 202616 min

Tom Barrett highlights Navigate the Journey part 1

He details their six-system framework called the Scaling Results Operating System , which addresses people, strategy, operations, execution, leadership, and finances, and describes working with clients who are typically founders looking to transition leadership teams and scale their businesses. He describes how the framework helps businesses scale results and impact, particularly addressing challenges like market forces and AI automation that require companies to pivot and update their processes. Tom provides examples of his coaching approach, including a success story about helping a marketing agency refocus on fundraising for nonprofits after struggling during COVID, and discusses his life planning process called Strategic Life Map that helps clients gain clarity through examining past turning points. Tom shares recommendations for driving success, emphasizing the importance of a growth mindset and achieving elite performance through intentional choices and addressing "head trash" that prevents organizations from reaching their full potential. He discusses their "Strategic Life Map" process, which involves analyzing past turning points to plan for the future, and explained their philanthropic work with nonprofits through strategic planning and leadership development. Tom recommends visiting navigatethejourney.com for more information about their services and next steps. Visit https://www.navigatethejourney.com to learn more and connect with Navigate the Journey.

July 15, 202616 min

Robyn Householder shares tips to avoid scams, highlights BBB efforts to create marketplace of trust

Host Jeremy C. Park talks with Robyn Householder , CEO of the Better Business Bureau Serving Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky , who highlights the organization’s efforts and mission “to create a marketplace grounded in trust, guiding people toward the best experiences while fostering stronger relationships between businesses and consumers.” Robyn provides an overview of the organization's efforts to build trust in the marketplace through pre-purchase education and dispute resolution, processing approximately 3 million information requests and 12,000 disputes annually with a 98% success rate. The organization hosts various community events, with Songwriters Night on October 1st at Marathon Music Works being their largest annual event that raises funds for educational services and small business grants, particularly supporting veteran-owned businesses this year. Robyn highlights the upcoming Nashville event and notes that tickets can be purchased through bbb.org/Nashville under the events section. She describes various educational initiatives including Coffee and Connections events and an upcoming September event in Clarksville with the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. Robyn emphasizes their mission of helping businesses grow and advised consumers to check with them before doing business with strangers to avoid potential scams. Robyn then starts discussing some of the different scams taking place and shares helpful tips to avoid them. She reports that nearly 5,000 consumers are scammed daily through online purchase scams, highlighting how scammers use technology and AI to target specific shopping behaviors. She provides specific safety tips including avoiding pop-up ads, verifying secure website indicators, checking URL spelling and grammar, and using credit cards instead of debit cards for online purchases. She talks about employment scams, noting that legitimate jobs are not offered to unsolicited applicants and advised checking company websites directly. She also discusses debt collection scams, which use fear tactics to intimidate victims into paying alleged debts, with Robyn sharing a personal example of someone who verified their warrant claim was false. Robyn also talks about government agency imposter scams that target the elderly. She emphasizes the importance of being cautious about sharing personal information on social media and warns about sweepstakes and lottery scams that aim to capture personal information under false pretenses. She highlights the resources available through the Better Business Bureau, including their ability to verify legitimate businesses, provide guidance on licensing requirements, and help connect with government agencies, with Robyn encouraging people to report scams through bbb.org/spamtracker to help track and combat fraud. Visit https://www.bbb.org/ to learn more or for additional questions email info@gobbb.org or call 615-242-4222.

July 15, 202616 min

Betsy Wright and Brandon Holley highlight IT Solutions, one of the fastest growing IT firms

Host Jeremy C. Park talks with Betsy Wright , Partner, and Brandon Holley , Regional Vice President of Sales with IT Solutions , who both highlight how the company has become one of the fastest-growing IT firms with 14 locations across the country and Canada, specializing in small to medium-sized businesses with 50-300 employees. The company focuses on managed IT services, cloud solutions, and strategic technology guidance, particularly in areas like AI, LLMs, and cybersecurity. Their key verticals include legal, healthcare, manufacturing, and financial sectors, with special expertise in compliance areas like HIPAA, CMMC, and governmental contracts. During the interview, Betsy discusses her transition from running a small IT company in Nashville, Tennessee, to merging and joining IT Solutions, which has more than 500 employees compared to her previous 25-person team. She highlights the company's culture of clear objectives, metrics, and accountability, noting how she has learned from her sales leader Brandon. Betsy emphasizes the benefits of having specialized experts across different areas like cybersecurity and AI implementation, which was a key reason for selling her company to provide enhanced client services that would have been impossible to achieve otherwise. Brandon emphasizes the importance of understanding client needs before implementing AI solutions, highlighting the need for secure and effective AI implementation while addressing data protection concerns. He identifies key trends including cloud adoption, cybersecurity, and maximizing ROI, while Betsy notes that new regulations like HIPAA changes and CMMC are driving compliance-related conversations with clients. The discussion focuses on the challenges of helping clients navigate these complex technological and regulatory landscapes effectively. Betsy and Brandon discuss the unique culture and support system at IT Solutions, emphasizing how the diverse team, spanning different experiences and locations, collaborates effectively to solve challenges and drive growth. They highlight the remote work capabilities and the team's ability to support each other and clients alike, particularly in the growing Middle Tennessee market. To learn more and connect with IT Solutions, start by exploring their website at www.itsolutions-inc.com or engaging on LinkedIn. Visit https://www.itsolutions-inc.com or www.PickITS.com to learn more and connect with IT Solutions.

July 15, 202616 min

Jeremy Apple and Matt Lloyd highlight Magic Apple Technology

Host Jeremy C. Park interviews Matt Lloyd , co-founder and CEO, and Jeremy Apple , co-founder and CTO of Magic Apple Technology , who highlight their telecom company founded in 2008 and their expertise in phone systems, cloud-based solutions, and their specialized work in hospitality including hotel phone systems that integrate with property management systems. The company offers a comprehensive range of services including phone systems, data management, texting, and reputation management, with everything running on a cloud-based platform. Matt and Jeremy explore how the company assesses client needs, particularly focusing on how businesses communicate with their clients. Jeremy and Matt discuss some of their newer telecom offerings, focusing on reputation management and branded caller ID services. The reputation management product proactively tests phone numbers daily to verify if they appear as spam on different carriers and initiates remediation if issues are found. The branded caller ID service allows businesses to display their logo and phone number when calling from office numbers to cell phones, helping establish trust and differentiate from competitors in the market. Jeremy and Matt explain the complex regulations surrounding business texting, which evolved from robocall issues to strict compliance requirements including brand verification, content restrictions, and explicit permission requirements. They describe how Magic Apple Technology helps clients navigate this process by handling the complex forms and requirements, including guidance with website modifications and campaign setup. The discussion concludes with information about connecting with Magic Apple Technology through their website at magicapple.com. Visit https://magicapple.com to learn more and connect with Magic Apple Technology.

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