On Wednesday June 25th, the Town of Boone Council voted to adopt the Boone Next Comprehensive Plan. This document will drive future vision, development ordinances, transportation projects, and economic development strategy for years to come. On this week's Mind Your Business , we talk with Boone Mayor Tim Futrelle about the process that led to the approval of Boone Next. We also discuss what comes next as Town Council and staff work to begin to implement the priorities outlined in this plan. Sti...
Jun 26, 2025•44 min
Chambers of Commerce all over the country host ribbon-cuttings for their members. More than a picture in the paper, these events are the crossing of a finish line for those that are putting their heart and soul into a new professional veture. On this week's Mind Your Business , we take you inside a recent ribbon cutting at The Pottery Lot . From the opening comments to a conversation with owner Emily Roberts, you hear the story behind the cutting of the scissors, and understand all that a busine...
Jun 19, 2025•37 min
Summertime has arrived in the High Country! As schools continue to release throughout the state and region, tourists have heard the #WNCOpenforBusiness message. On this week's Mind Your Business , we will preview An Appalachian Summer Festival , a month-long arts showcase that serves as one of the area's July tourism magnets. An Appalachian Summer Festival is one of several arts events that draw visitors to the region, along with the High Country Jazz Festival , Boonerang , Music in the Valle , ...
Jun 12, 2025•40 min
#WNCOpenforBusiness week rolls continues throughout Western North Carolina, and this intentional effort to bring people to the region got quite the boost from the State's First Family. On this week's Mind Your Business, we recap North Carolina First Lady Anna Stein's visit to Watauga and Ashe counties on Monday, June 2nd , which included the canoe trip seen 'round the world! How does the intentionality of choosing to eat at a local restaurant impact those working to provide your meal and experie...
Jun 05, 2025•40 min
As schools around the region wrap-up their end-of-year testing, perhaps it's only fair for the adults to have some math reintroduced into their lives! On this week's Mind Your Business , we provide the latest update from Jones Street, where members of the NC General Assembly are simultaneously considering Part II of the Disaster Recovery Act of 2025 (Helene Recovery) while also gearing up to move the biennium budget through the conference process . How do Helene relief dollars play into budget p...
May 29, 2025•40 min
This week's Mind Your Business leads off with an important update regarding the Blue Ridge Parkway . Summer and fall travelers love a good festival as much as local residents enjoy the influence and entertainment the arts bring to the High Country. Mark Freed, Director of Cultural Resources for the Town of Boone, previews Boonerang 2025, and provides an update on how Howard Street construction will be handled during the four-day downtown festival. Festivals and events don't happen without the ha...
May 22, 2025•42 min
The 6th-annual Vision Northwest North Carolina economic development summit is just around the corner and will feature a visit and remarks from North Carolina Lieutenant Governor Rachel Hunt . On this week's Mind Your Business , we set the context for the discussion and preview some of the presentations and panels. Much has been discussed about tourism trends in the High County over recent days. We'll visit with Tara Brossa , General Manager of the Hampton Inn & Suites and Courtyard by Marrio...
May 15, 2025•43 min
Celebrated for its scenic beauty and connections to Appalachia culture, the Blue Ridge Parkway stretches 469 miles through Virginia and North Carolina and serves as the longest linear park in the United States. While its footprint is massive, it's impacts are felt on a hyper-local level, with communities uniquely imprinting themselves toward the 1 6.7 million visitors that pass through the park each year . After years spent gathering support, the Blue Ridge Parkway was granted $127M of the $1.3 ...
May 09, 2025•47 min
Agriculture has always been an influential contributor to Watauga County's economic performance. In its 2024 statistics report , the North Carolina Department of Agriculture reported $13.85 million in cash receipts generated by Watauga County farms, with an additional $5 million in economic impact coming from Watauga County Christmas Tree growers. The business of farming has changed a great deal over the decades. Now agritourism is counted on to keep many of these multi-generation family-farms p...
May 01, 2025•40 min
The Boone Area Chamber of Commerce and the Watauga County Economic Development Commission see access to quality and affordable childcare as one of the top economic development priorities in our region. Western Youth Network is in the public phase of fundraising for a project that would provide a significant boost to afterschool and out-of-school care for children across Watauga County. On this week's Mind Your Business , we visit with Jennifer Warren, Executive Director of WYN , to hear more abo...
Apr 24, 2025•49 min
Who are the two people that have the most impact on the High Country's outdoor economy? Mother Nature and Old Man Winter! Our opportunities for recreation are not only a magnet for visitors, but they are also a core component of the quality of life that makes this region so attractive to residents. On this week's Mind Your Business , we hear the latest on the State of the Outdoor Economy. Andy Hill is the Watauga Riverkeeper and Regional Director for Mountain True . He shares the latest on post-...
Apr 17, 2025•40 min
Since when did the stock market start following the High Country weather pattern? If you don't like what you see, wait a few days! The economic ups and downs of today have an impact on the stability and predictability many High Country businesses. On this week's Mind Your Business , we examine the long-term impacts from the daily financial volatility we see every time we look at the news. We define some "terms of the moment," to provide basic understanding of what we are seeing and look at how t...
Apr 10, 2025•42 min
Boone is soon to check another long-discussed project off the list! On this week's Mind Your Business , we share the details of the Howard Street Revitalization Project , including information about the groundbreaking ceremony scheduled for April 14th. Lane Moody , Director of the Downtown Boone Development Association discusses project details, communication plans, and how this project has been designed to enhance pedestrian access for both events and day-to-day use. We also hear the in-the-mom...
Apr 03, 2025•37 min
We recorded this episode of Mind Your Business six-months to the day Hurricane Helene made her way through the High Country. We start the program with a message of hope to sew into our daily conversations along with some updates on where progress is emerging. Earlier this week, Cheap Joes Art Stuff announced its closing the doors on a 40-year run as one of the nation's most popular art supply depots. Joseph Miller joins us to answer the question of why the time to say goodbye is now. We also rec...
Mar 28, 2025•20 min
Mind Your Business is back in your inbox this week with a breakdown of the latest Helene recovery bill passed Wednesday by the NC General Assembly and signed into law by Governor Josh Stein. We'll outline some specific local examples of how these helpful dollars will be allocated. While Helene may still be grabbing the headlines, there are many other core economic and community development projects that are ongoing. This year's legislative calendar could yield some significant progress for the c...
Mar 20, 2025•29 min
Mind Your Business is back and loaded with information this week. We start with a recap of North Carolina Governor Josh Stein's State of the State address, along with updates on Helene recovery activities working through local and State government channels. Speaking of local government, Watauga County has partnered with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Aerostar to expedite debris removal from waterways and private property. Watauga County Emergency Management Director, Will Holt , Darlene Ab...
Mar 13, 2025•43 min
Mind Your Business is back with a new format and a metric ton of High Country News! We start on campus where Dr. Heather Norris was announced today as the 8th Chancellor in Appalachian State University's history . We were granted a one-on-one interview with Chancellor Norris following her appointment, where she talks about her Chamber roots and the role of campus as a positive and supportive partner for the High Country community. In the wake of Hurricane Helene, the snow sports industry has pro...
Feb 27, 2025•26 min
Small businesses throughout Western North Carolina are closer to much needed financial relief. On Friday, January 31, 2025, North Carolina Governor Josh Stein was in Boone and announced the creation of a pool of $30M for the Western North Carolina Small Business Initiative II , a grant program for eligible businesses in Helene-impacted counties. On this week's Mind Your Business , we will hear directly from Governor Stein about this program and we will break down eligibility criteria in great de...
Feb 01, 2025•33 min
On January 16, 2025, the Boone Area and Blowing Rock Chambers of Commerce hosted the 9th annual High Country Economic Kickoff Luncheon , in front of a sold out audience at Appalachian State's Grandview Ballroom. On this week's Mind Your Business , we hear the annual High Country Economic Forecast from Dr. Harry Davis , Regional Economist and Dean of the NC School of Banking. Dr. Davis recaps 2024, discusses the economic impact of hot topics like housing and inflation, and breaks down the impact ...
Jan 23, 2025•38 min
On January 17, 2024, the Mind Your Business podcast was on-location in Swannanoa, NC, one of the most devastated communities in Western North Carolina from the impacts of Hurricane Helene. The Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce hosted a regionally focused panel discussion entitled Business Voices for WNC Recovery . In addition to remarks from Chamber leaders from across the region, the overflow audience heard directly from businesses from impacted areas, about their current realities, immediate ...
Jan 18, 2025•2 hr 1 min
We continue to fill your pre-holiday stockings with year-in-review content -- a perfect listen while you are wrapping gifts or cleaning before the in-laws arrive! This week's Mind Your Business puts the focus on the year that was for Watauga County. Newly sworn Chairman of the Watauga County Board of Commissioners, Braxton Eggers , is this week's guest. As expected, we will discuss the county's role in hurricane relief and we'll also update the list of projects that were in queue prior to the st...
Dec 19, 2024•43 min
Tis the season for year in review content, and we will not disappoint! Over the next few weeks, our Mind Your Business episodes will feature local leaders with conversation around the year in review, but also what is to come in 2025. Our first guest is Town of Boone Mayor Tim Futrelle . We will discuss Helene recovery, the recently approved Howard Street development project, and the approval and eventual rollout of Boone Next . Mind Your Business is a weekly (for the most part) production of the...
Dec 13, 2024•38 min
The question continues to get asked - "What are the current needs in Western North Carolina?" We have dedicated this week's episode of Mind Your Business to answering that question, with discussion straight from the community leaders that are working in the ever-evolving trenches of Hurricane Helene recovery. This week's panel of guests include: Casey Gilbert , Vice President of Public Policy, Asheville Chamber of Commerce Kim Effler , President/CEO, McDowell Chamber of Commerce Robin Morgan , E...
Nov 21, 2024•47 min
So, why not add an election on to the list of "things we are dealing with," in our local economy? Election transition always brings changes that impact our economy, but that is especially magnified when there is change at the top of the ticket. On this week's Mind Your Business , we have our quarterly chat with Jonathan Allen of Allen Wealth Management . We'll discuss the potential economics of a second Trump Presidency, which includes a comparison to the normal influences when a Republican is i...
Nov 14, 2024•22 min
Welcome back!! Thanks for staying tuned to Mind Your Business during this time of hurricane recovery. We are excited to be back on our regular recording schedule. On this week's episode, we will provide updates on the timeline for disaster recovery dollars that are being allocated to our region from Federal and State resources. We'll also provide an update on the application process for the Chamber Foundation's Business Resiliency Disaster Grant progra m . Our guests on this week's show include ...
Nov 08, 2024•52 min
Latest updates from the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce regarding community response needs. Support the show
Oct 02, 2024•32 min
Candidates for Watauga County Commissioners District 3 Braxton Eggers (R) Jon Council (U) District 4 Charlie Wallin (D) (I) Ronnie Marsh (R) District 5 Sue Sweeting (D) Todd Castle (R) Support the show
Sep 18, 2024•1 hr 19 min
Candidates for Watauga County Board of Education Marshall Ashcraft (I) Chad Cole Adam Hege Allison Idol Charlotte Mizelle Lloyd Tom Ross Support the show
Sep 18, 2024•1 hr 19 min
Candidates for US House of Representatives Chuck Hubbard (D) Virginia Foxx (R) (I) Support the show
Sep 18, 2024•32 min
NC House & Senate House District 93 Ben Massey (D) Ray Pickett (R) (I) Support the show
Sep 18, 2024•51 min
