My Morning Cup

The military is heavily engrained in Paul Leath’s DNA. Following in his dad’s footsteps, he joined the army and served nine years active duty. In this episode, Paul shares how veterans, nuns, and scouts have been great influences in his life, how he was stationed in Fort Bragg “for love,” what happened after getting the Red Ball Express phone call, and then switching to the private sector and loving the natural gas industry. Paul Leath is the Regional Director of Operations at Chattanooga Gas, a subsidiary of Southern Company. You can connect with Paul on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/paul-leath-73571413). If you liked this episode, we think you’ll also like: Chip Baker’s Morning Cup (E04) Vance Travis’s Morning Cup (E40) Sheriff Austin Garrett’s Morning Cup (E71) My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by SpeakEasy Productions.  Subscribe to the weekly newsletter here and be the first to know who upcoming guests are!

Bruce Weiss is an artist. Most people know him as a sandwich artist because of his deli, but he was a visual artist first. In this episode, Bruce shares how growing up in the melting pot of New York led to his love of food and cooking, why having chutzpah is important for success, and the events that led to him opening River Street Deli in 1998, including working in sales, owning a graphic design business, and shadowing Chef Neville Forsythe. Bruce Weiss is the owner of River Street Deli. You can learn more about the deli at riverstreetdeli.com. If you liked this episode, we think you’ll also like: Kenyatta Ashford’s Morning Cup (E05) Chris Lytle’s Morning Cup (E28) Chris Hopkins’s Morning Cup (E84) My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by SpeakEasy Productions.  Subscribe to the weekly newsletter here and be the first to know who upcoming guests are!

Linda Moss Mines is Chattanooga’s Historian, dedicated to reminding others about the blessings of liberty. In this episode, Linda shares what it was like growing up on the plateau with her favorite person (her Pa), how bedtime stories sparked her love of history, and her motivations for teaching at GPS for 27 years (aside from her love of teaching history).  Plus, we also discuss being a lifelong learner, the changing political climate, and the importance of the Medal of Honor. If you liked this episode, we think you’ll also like: John Germ’s Morning Cup (E35) Jim Kennedy’s Morning Cup (E37) Dr. Elaine Swafford’s Morning Cup (E64) My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by SpeakEasy Productions.  Subscribe to the weekly newsletter here and be the first to know who upcoming guests are!

Captain Richard Simms has an eclectic career path, from Game Warden to Videographer to Executive Producer, and ultimately back to the outdoors.  In this episode, Richard shares how a coin toss influenced where he landed as a Game Warden, why family drives every decision he makes, and how he left his 9-5 to pursue his “weekend gig” - Scenic City Fishing Charters - and is now affiliated with nine additional guides. Richard Simms is the owner of Scenic City Fishing Charters. You can connect with him on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/sceniccityfishing) and you can learn more about his fishing charters on his website (sceniccityfishing.com). If you liked this episode, we think you’ll also like: Mark McKnight’s Morning Cup (E39) Calvin Sneed’s Morning Cup (E77) Tom Henderson’s Morning Cup (E82) My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by SpeakEasy Productions.  Subscribe to the weekly newsletter here and be the first to know who upcoming guests are!

Keith Sanford’s community involvement and love of Chattanooga makes everyone feel as though they’ve worked with him in some form or fashion, despite only working at three places during his 44-year career.   In this episode, Keith shares what it was like working his way up to Market President at First Tennessee (now First Horizon), being expected to be involved in the community (and ending up loving it), and what penguins are really like… hint: they’re not all cuddly!   Plus, we talk about what Keith will be doing once he retires later this year.   Keith Sanford is the President and CEO of the Tennessee Aquarium. You can connect with him on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/keith-sanford-9718981a) and you can learn more about the aquarium on their website (tnaqua.org). If you liked this episode, we think you’ll also like: Tom Griscom’s Morning Cup (E23) Jay Dale’s Morning Cup (E42) Virginia Anne Sharber’s Morning Cup (E59) — My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by SpeakEasy Productions.    Subscribe to the weekly newsletter here and be the first to know who upcoming guests are!

Most people know Gerald McCormick from his time with the Tennessee General Assembly… but he didn’t start there! In this episode, we discuss his early career in the billboard and commercial real estate industries, joining the National Guard, and running for office when he returned from deployment.   Gerald also shares about his infatuation with Elvis when he was a child, why he switched from Democrat to Republican when running for office, and his recent diagnosis of ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease).   Gerald McCormick is a Consultant with The Ingram Group. Previously he was a State Representative from 2004-2018 and held several leadership positions, including House Majority Leader and Chairman of the Budget Subcommittee of House Finance, Ways and Means. You can learn more about Gerald on The Ingram Group website (ingramgroup.com/gerald-mccormick) and you can connect with him on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/gerald-mccormick-733b764b/).   If you liked this episode, we think you’ll also like: Leslie Gower’s Morning Cup (E02) Tom Griscom’s Morning Cup (E23) Bob Corker’s Morning Cup (E52)  — My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by SpeakEasy Productions.    Subscribe to the weekly newsletter here and be the first to know who upcoming guests are!

Chris Hopkins is a lifelong learner, committed to helping others and keeping an optimistic view on life.   In this episode, Chris shares his career highlights - all the way back to age 6 when he was selling vacuums with his grandmother, to being a plant superintendent right out of college, and selling his business and getting into the finance industry. We also discuss his passion for music and reading… including his western swing band that played at Riverbend a few times, and how he reads two or three books a week.   Chris also opens up about the massive heart attack he had at the age of 39, how he recovered from it, and what it was like to receive a heart transplant and meet the donor’s family.   Chris Hopkins is the Co-Founder and Principal of Apogee Wealth Partners. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst and has been in the finance industry since 1998. You can learn more about Chris and Apogee on his website (apogeewp.com/team) and you can connect with him on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/chris-hopkins-cfa-7751745).   If you liked this episode, we think you’ll also like: Chip Baker’s Morning Cup (E04) Becky Blaesing’s Morning Cup (E26) Matt Hullander’s Morning Cup (E68) _____________ My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by SpeakEasy Productions.    Subscribe to the weekly newsletter here and be the first to know who upcoming guests are!

From Preservation Planner to Mayor’s Liason in Indianapolis, and now President and CEO of River City Company in Chattanooga, Emily Mack’s contributions have been instrumental in shaping downtown developments in both cities.   In this episode, Emily shares how volunteering at the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio ignited her passion for architecture and historic preservation, why you should say yes to roles you might feel a little unprepared for, and how she draws inspiration from powerful role models like Wonder Woman and Princess Diana.    Plus, she shares what happens behind the scenes with major redevelopment projects like Hawk Hill and the ONE Riverfront Plan.   Emily Mack is the President and CEO of River City Company, the economic development engine for Downtown Chattanooga. You can connect with Emily on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/emilymack/) and learn more about River City Company on their website (rivercitycompany.com).   My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by SpeakEasy Productions. Subscribe to our new weekly newsletter here.   If you liked this episode, we think you’ll also like: Todd Womack’s Morning Cup (E21) Bo Drake’s Morning Cup (E65) Bridgett Massengill’s Morning Cup (E80)

Tom Henderson is a longtime broadcast journalist who now spends his days as a gentleman farmer, where the most stressful part of his day now is tending to tomatoes.   Tom shares why journalists and reporters should want the right people to be mad for the right reasons, how he switched from radio to TV and then left his dream job to come back to Chattanooga, and how he brought the Channel 9 team together after a major loss.   Tom Henderson retired in 2021 from his role as News Director of Channel 9. You can connect with Tom on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/tom-henderson-9789356).   You can read about the Medellin cartel airport bust we discussed here: upi.com/Archives/1982/10/26/Smugglers-fire-at-police/1679404452800   My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by SpeakEasy Productions. Subscribe to our new weekly newsletter here.   If you liked this episode, we think you’ll also like: Jared Stehney’s Morning Cup (E30) Mike Costa’s Morning Cup (E51) Jed Mescon’s Morning Cup (E66)

Peppo Biscarini broke a swimming world record at just 15 years old and felt invincible, but his world came crashing down when he suffered a literal back-breaking accident.   In this episode, Peppo shares how the devastating loss of his swimming career led him to start several businesses, including a shoe-import business and a fin manufacturing company. We also talk about living in some of the most beautiful places in the world: Milan, San Diego, Lake Como, Palm Beach, and finally Chattanooga. Plus, his 3-year involvement with black magic and his religious awakening when he realized greed only leads to melancholy.   Peppo Biscarini is an “elite athlete, turned entrepreneur, morphed into fisher of souls.” He is also the host of the Equipaggiati podcast, a religious podcast that releases episodes daily. The English version of his podcast will be released next year, but in the meantime you can subscribe to the Italian version here: buzzsprout.com/2100258   You can also connect with Peppo on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/peppo-biscarini-061b1b6b)   My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by SpeakEasy Productions. Subscribe to our new weekly newsletter here.   If you liked this episode, we think you’ll also like: Mike Costa’s Morning Cup (E51) Patrick Wells’s Morning Cup (E61) Christian Höferle’s Morning Cup (E76)