Speaker, Coach, Author In this episode of People of Greenville , Eric Mitchell sits down with the remarkable Laura Bratton—author, speaker, coach, and true embodiment of courage and resilience. Laura shares her powerful personal journey of losing her eyesight at a young age and how she chose not to let that define her, but instead used it as a platform to inspire others. Laura is the author of Harnessing Courage: Overcoming Adversity with Grit & Gratitude , a book that blends raw honesty wit...
Jun 04, 2025•43 min•Ep. 25
After almost 16 years helping to transform affordable homeownership in our community, Monroe Free will be retiring as President and CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Greenville County this December. His replacement will be LaTonya Phillips, a seasoned professional with more than 20 years of experience in leadership, training and development, team management, healthcare, and philanthropy. “Habitat Greenville has impacted thousands of lives over the years,” Free said. “I am honored to have played but...
Dec 27, 2024•30 min•Ep. 24
Beau Welling, a Greenville-based innovator, designer, and thought leader Beau possesses an incredible intellectual passion and curiosity as demonstrated by the variety of his pursuits, which range from an enthusiasm for contemporary art, literature, and science to his presence within the international golf and development community as a designer and innovator to his service on the boards of the United States Curling Association and the Carolina Ballet Theatre. Beau’s uniquely diverse interests m...
Oct 17, 2024•39 min•Ep. 23
Mario Brown, a Greenville native and co-founder of Affordable Upstate, has been pivotal in reimagining affordable housing. Through N.O.A.H. Property Management, an Affordable Upstate initiative, Brown has launched groundbreaking economic mobility-focused programs that ease economic burdens and enhance accessibility. Among these, the “Flex Pay” Program stands out, allowing residents to align rent payments with their pay schedules. This program, together with Deposit Alternatives, Positive Credit ...
Jun 11, 2024•43 min
Karin Freeland is an award-winning author, Podcast Host, and certified Life Reinvention Coach focused on helping professional women transform their lives by overcoming fears and achieving their dreams without sacrificing time with family and friends, health, or self-care. Her signature program EDIT Your Life combines the lessons she learned during her 15 years in corporate with her signature coaching methodology, which she’s developed and refined over the past 5 years. Karin resides in Greenvill...
Feb 19, 2024•40 min
Our mission at Topsoil Restaurant is to serve our guests with healthy, local food grown in our community in a more meaningful way. Our classroom is our 16-acre farm 2.5 miles down the road in Greenville, SC, and our mentors are a handful of passionate neighboring farmers. This endeavor has given us a valuable perspective and respect for the hard work that small farms do daily to put food on our tables. We have gained a sincere reverence for the local ingredients we choose and we believe locally ...
Nov 13, 2023•30 min
Founder, CEO of Integral Leaders in Health Spence M. Taylor, M.D. is a nationally recognized academic physician leader with 30 years of experience as a senior executive, surgeon, full professor and researcher. Most recently, Dr. Taylor served as president of the Greenville Health System (GHS) — now a part of Prisma Health. He was the first physician to be named president in the 107-year history of GHS — a health system with nearly $3 billion in annual operating revenue, eight hospitals, 1,600 be...
Nov 10, 2023•47 min
I am the owner of KC Ferguson Solutions, a social media management and bookkeeping services company aimed at helping small business owners and entrepreneurs. We run the Hello Greenville, Hello Simpsonville, and Hello Upstate SC pages on social media, connecting with businesses, restaurants, and local activities so we can share with our followers. I live in Simpsonville with my husband and kiddos, but prior to Simpsonville, I’ve lived in multiple parts of the country, including the Nashville, Sea...
Oct 30, 2023•33 min
Dr. Greg Brannon , Medical Director and Founder of Optimal Bio , a Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT) center with seven locations across the Southeast. They just opened an office in Greenville last month, and would love to share their mission with your listeners. Using all-natural hormones that are identical to those made by your body, BHRT helps ease the degenerative side effects of aging and other medical issues, including fatigue, brain fog, anxiety, depression, diabetes, headach...
Aug 10, 2023•34 min
Weight Loss and Fitness Hall of Fame Inductee, John DeFendis is the Founder of the Ultra Fit nutrition and exercise program. In addition to international recognition as a weight loss and fitness expert, DeFendis has been a spiritual and motivational speaker, professional athlete, performance/lifestyle coach for over 34 years, and has guided thousands of Americans in the definition and achievement of their professional and personal objectives. His philosophy of “Relentless Pursuit” can best be il...
Jul 27, 2023•1 hr 15 min
Kamber Parker started The YoPro Know in 2018, and went full time with the business in the Spring of 2022. Before that she was the interim Executive Director of the Greenville Area Parkinson Society after having served on staff for almost four years in fundraising. In the community, The YoPro Know was named the 2023 Greenville Chamber Small Business of the Year, and Parker has been honored as one of Greenville’s Best and Brightest by Greenville Business Magazine and one of GSA Business Report’s 4...
Jun 22, 2023•40 min
Mayor White has served on City Council since 1983 and as mayor since December 1995. A native of Greenville, Mayor White is a graduate of Christ Church Episcopal School and Greenville High School and attended Wake Forest University and the University of South Carolina Law School. He was a partner in the law firm of Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, where he led the firm’s immigration and customs practices. The post A Conversation with Greenville Mayor Knox White appeared first on ....
May 25, 2023•26 min
Tiffany was born in Greenville and raised around Upstate South Carolina. She graduated from Clemson University, and started her career in marketing communications on Coffee Street at JDPR, before joining The Unstuck Group in 2014. She’s valued by her team for problem-solving and building systems, communications strategy, inbound marketing, and team leadership. She’s obsessed with The Six Types of Working Genius by Patrick Lencioni and talks about it way too much. She’s also a self-taught gardeni...
May 22, 2023•27 min
Lacey Hennessey is a self-taught artist, traveling muralist and entrepreneur based out of Greenville, South Carolina. Her body of work is often a reflection of her personality — colorful and fun, bold and playful, all with purpose. She’s known for being a ‘chameleon of the arts’ because her style and techniques are adaptable, which is a welcomed advantage for her clients who might have their own goals and visions in mind. Her mediums range from digital applications, to acrylic, mixed-media and t...
Dec 15, 2022•32 min
Katie was born and raised in Greenville SC. South Carolina’s unique and storied heritage guides her subject choices. A deep-rooted obsession with time honored southern culture is the essential, emotional connection which pilots each brush stroke. Light is her Muse. It is the emotional layer that informs her senses and emboldens her to create. She likes to use light as the intangible layer that dances across the canvas and creates the first and final impression. Follow on Instagram: @KatieBoltArt...
Nov 17, 2022•30 min
As a sales trainer, manager, and serial entrepreneur, John is known for mentoring sales reps with zero business experience so they become high-six- and seven-figure salespeople. John built software startup DataStream into a publicly traded company that sold to Infor for over $200 million. As Vice President of Sales, John and his team managed acquisitions in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Argentina, Singapore, and Australia, becoming the biggest technology company in South Carolina. ...
Feb 28, 2022•36 min
Sandy Burn traded in teaching children how to read for teaching adults all about olive oil in 2011, when she and her husband, Michael, opened Palmetto Olive Oil on Augusta Rd in Greenville. Having taught at Augusta Circle, she knew that would be the perfect place for a specialty store like olive oil. They have since expanded to open stores in Spartanburg and Landrum. The post Sandy Burn from Palmetto Olive Oil appeared first on ....
Jan 28, 2022•35 min
Learn more about chuckdriskell.com About Chuck The youngest of five children, Chuck’s initial love of fiction was borne out of a lack of money coupled with an overactive childhood imagination. On Sunday afternoons during his childhood, Chuck’s parents would take the entire family to the public library—it was pleasurable and, best of all, free. He credits The Shining , by Stephen King, as being the first novel he ever read. Following high school, Chuck joined the Army after finding little inspira...
Jan 24, 2022•40 min
Today we talk to Jon-Michial and Catherine Carter about wine-making and their winery; Carter Family Wines. About the Winery We are an artisanal Carolina urban winery. We source the highest quality grapes from our California vineyards. Our wines are made at our winery and production facility near downtown Greenville, South Carolina. We are open for private tastings by appointment only. Learn more at https://carterfamilywines.com/ The post Carter Family Wines appeared first on ....
Jan 04, 2022•24 min
James W. Bannister was sworn in as a Commissioner of Public Works during the City of Greenville Council meeting on Monday, October 22. A partner with the law firm Bannister & Wyatt, LLC , Commissioner Bannister is a defense attorney and holds both his undergraduate degree and law degree from the University of South Carolina. He fills the unexpired term of Greenville Water Commissioner John F. Tynan who resigned earlier this year after accepting an out-of-state position. The Commission is com...
Oct 22, 2021•40 min
Aileen serves as the Director of Community Engagement for The Family Effect. Aileen enjoys connecting people to their passion and providing ways to undertake meaningful acts of generosity. Aileen works closely with community donors to ensure they have the best possible experience with our mission. She has a strong history of volunteerism, and previously served The Family Effect by leading our volunteer program. Before joining The Family Effect, Aileen worked in Case Management at Serenity Villag...
Mar 10, 2021•23 min
About JDew By the time he was 30 years old, JDew had entertained and empowered over three million people at live events through speaking, sports entertainment and the stage. His talents and capabilities are most evident in his adaptability to what kind of event he’s hosting, from baseball games to VIP galas, and his flexibility in what services he can provide, from behind-the-scenes brainstorming and promotion to emceeing and handling the spotlight like there’s nothing to it. For ten years JDew ...
Feb 24, 2021•26 min
From Boston originally Tom came to SC in 1971 after being in college for a year in NC. Graduating from Wofford in 1977, Tom went on to work at Liberty Life, and then as a Senior Officer at the following Financial Services firms: Robinson Humphrey in Atlanta: Shearson/ Lehman Brothers/ American Express in NYC; The Metropolitan Life in NYC; Marsh and Mclennan and Marsh USA in NYC; General American in St. Louis; and Merrill Lynch in NC. As a consultant to many of NY’s large and boutique investment ...
Dec 08, 2020•1 hr 4 min
Greenville teenagers Jack & Brad Freeman have taken to high school job model and turned it on it’s head. Learn more at https://www.facebook.com/Southern-Stripes-Lawn-Landscapes-106228247833026/ The post Jack & Brad Freeman/Southern Stripes Lawn & Landscape appeared first on ....
Oct 12, 2020•27 min
Bootie Cothran has competed on American Ninja Warrior since Season Five, although he took a break during Season Six. His performances have been steadily getting better each Season. Bootie Cothran is 51 years old, a native of Greenville, SC, and a 6-time competitor on NBC’s #AmericanNinjaWarrior . He is the North and South Carolina ambassador for Project Fit America. He is an eternal optimist, a deep thinker, a budding gardener, an advocate of kindness and a lover of Life! The post Bootie Cothran...
Oct 08, 2020•32 min
Stewart formed Spinx in 1972 with a home heating oil delivery service and one convenience store in Greenville, SC. Today, Spinx operates more than 80 convenience stores in South Carolina and employs over 1,400 associates through its stores, food operations and related businesses. Learn more at myspinx.com The post Stewart Spinks appeared first on ....
Sep 07, 2020•39 min
Deb Richardson-Moore is the author of four (4) fiction titles and a memoir, The Weight of Mercy , about her early years as a pastor at the Triune Mercy Center in Greenville, S.C. A former national award-winning reporter for The Greenville News , Deb is a popular speaker at book clubs, universities and colleges. She has also won numerous awards for her philanthropy and community involvement, including the 2014 Women Making History Award from the Greenville Cultural Exchange Center and the 2016 Pu...
Jul 20, 2020•26 min
Jeremey Davis has been directing races with Set Up Events since 1997 and currently produces more than 30 events each year. A graduate of Clemson University in Civil Engineering, Jeremey started the Clemson Triathlon Club in 1996 and has gone on to direct events of all distances including the Beach2Battleship Triathlon (now Ironman North Carolina). Jeremey himself has completed two Ironman events and over 100 other endurance races. He is married to Allison Davis and has three children, Caden, Gra...
Jul 09, 2020•48 min
Annette Estes was WSPA’s 1st female news anchor in 1977. She left the station in 1987 to anchor the 6 & 11 PM news with Carl Clark @ WYFF The post Annette Estes appeared first on .
Jul 06, 2020•32 min
About The Davis Law Group We are a boutique civil litigation law firm that represents individuals from all walks of life. The Davis Law Group strives to help individuals create a path forward after a catastrophic loss being tactful litigators who emphasize personal service and achieving results with integrity. With more than 40 years of combined experience, we are litigators equipped to prosecute complex personal injury, workers’ compensation, insurance coverage, and family law disputes. Learn m...
Jun 28, 2020•20 min
