The Best of LKN

Dustin Johnson walked away from a career at Hendrick Automotive Group, bought a piece of land in Mooresville, permitted it himself, and spent 22 months building a dog boarding and daycare. Eight years later, Club Pups Lake Norman is a multi-time Normies winner - and Dustin is opening three more locations and franchising the whole thing.

Dustin walks Jeff through what makes the Club Pups model different (every dog gets its own suite, temperament evaluations for every new client, ten dogs max per staff member, play-rest-play), the new locations coming to North Mooresville, Huntersville, and South End, and...

For twenty-five years, getting found online meant chasing blue links on Google. That era is ending fast - and TJ Todd of Studio 490 is back on the show to explain what's replacing it. Jeff opens with a telling stat from his own experience: at a broker luncheon, five or six hands went up when he asked who'd gotten a lead from AI search in 2025. Zero went up for 2024.

TJ breaks down what actually earns you a citation in an AI answer, from answer engine optimization and directory consistency to why Reddit threads and Google reviews now carry...

Most small business owners don't realize they've built a job instead of a business – and they find out the hard way when it's time to sell. Lynn Bowser and Drew Webster of Elevate Strategy and Consulting join Jeff to explain why a company doing $10 million in revenue can be worth $1.5 million, while a $1.5 million company can be worth far more.

Lynn and Drew get into what they call the "accidental CEO" problem – the attorney, dentist, or med spa owner who suddenly has 20 employees and never went to business school – plus where profit quietly bleeds out, why handing the bu...

Drew Chalfant and his wife brought HAWKs – Hiking Adventures With Kids – to Lake Norman, planting the national brand's first East Coast flag right here in our backyard. A recovering franchise attorney (and former emo-band touring musician) turned hands-on owner-operator, Drew makes a compelling case that the "kick out the front door, come home when the streetlights come on" childhood isn't gone for good – it just needs a van, a trail, and a few naturalist educators to bring it back.

Jeff and Drew get into why "60 minutes a day" outside is the bare-minimum floor, not the goal; how HAWKs...

For twenty-plus years, Brian Park worked title abstracting in law firms – tattoos, white glasses, and all – while a lifelong love of music sat on the back burner. He started DJing on the side in 2016, booked his first wedding in November 2019 (yes, right before COVID), and finally walked away from the corporate world this past February to run Park Place Entertainment full time.

Brian and Jeff get into the long game of building a business on nights and weekends, why he reinvested every dollar he earned instead of going into debt, and how an all-white, furniture-style DJ booth gets...

Lake Norman residents Lisa Schnurr and Kevin Anderson took one bright red school bus, a live comedian, and a whole lot of "well, crap, I guess we're doing this," and turned it into Funny Bus – a 90-minute BYOB comedy tour of Charlotte that's now carried more than 260,000 riders across three cities. This week, Jeff reconnects with the husband-and-wife team to hear how a converted school bus became a decade-long adventure.

Lisa and Kevin share how they pivoted from a food-tour company to betting everything on Funny Bus, what a tour actually feels like as a comedian riffs on...

Jaime Lane is Lake Norman through and through — she's been coming to the lake since 1983 and has called Huntersville home for more than two decades. On this episode, she sits down with Jeff to trace her path from interior designer and nonprofit founder to workforce and cultural strategist, including her formative years at the Lake Norman Economic Development Corporation. When the EDC closed its doors, Jaime didn't wait around for the perfect job to appear — she built it herself, launching Link Lake Norman that very day.

The conversation digs into what Link Lake Norman actually does: connecting loca...

In this episode, Jeff sits down with Krystal Bajkor, founder of Bee Organized Lake Norman, a professional organizing service that helps busy families and professionals reclaim their homes. Krystal shares her path from a career in corporate banking at Citibank to an eight-month, 17-country "mini retirement" that ended with her family settling in the Lake Norman area. She explains why motherhood sparked her passion for organizing, and why she chose the Bee Organized franchise model, drawn to its 2015 roots, 50+ locations, and core values of compassion, confidentiality, and judgment-free service.

Krystal walks through what makes her team's approach...

Andrea Sharp returns for her fourth appearance to talk about a dream years in the making: her own brick-and-mortar gym. She walks Jeff through the Good Gaines Fitness journey – from training clients in her garage, to renting space at a baseball facility, to finally opening a place that's all her own on the corner of Bailey and Old Statesville. Along the way she gets honest about the entrepreneur's tug-of-war between working in your business and on it, and why saying the right "no" is just as important as saying yes.

The conversation then digs into what strength re...

If you've ever stepped into a backyard and thought, this is the best room in the house, you already understand what Wes Priddy is going for. Wes is the owner of Higher Ground Outdoor Living and a founding member of our Best of LKN Business Network, and he took a winding road to get here – from a plumbing, heating, and electrical background up in Boone, to HVAC and interior remodeling around Charlotte, to a stint as a Mecklenburg County building inspector, before landing on the thing he loves most: building backyards. He started the company during the height of th...

In this episode, recorded on the veranda at Safe Harbor Peninsula Yacht Club, Jeff sits down with interior designer Sara Brennan of Sara Lynn Brennan Interiors and builder Connor Ruckman of CTR Custom Homes to talk about a spectacular new construction home on Tinker Place in Troutman. 

Connor shares CTR's story, from its 2015 father-and-son start in Grand Junction, Colorado to its move to Lake Norman, and what drew the company to the area's lifestyle, climate, and waterfront living. A mutual introduction from broker Nicole Leininger of Ivester Jackson Distinctive Properties helped bring the partnership together.

T...

John Finney joins the podcast to talk about the Lake Norman Fondo, now heading into its eighth year. What started as a community ride of fewer than 100 cyclists on the Town Green in Davidson has grown into a 500-plus rider event drawing participants from 14 - 15 states and ranging in age from 12 to 80-something. John shares the history behind the fondo, why all proceeds go back to local charities (including a couple of "secret" charities revealed at the finish), and what riders can expect from the three route options of 35, 50, and 75 miles.

This year's event rolls out from...

In this episode, Jeff sits down with Jessica, a sales manager at Classica Homes, at the Napa model in Stevens Farm, Huntersville. They talk about what sets Classica apart as a locally owned, design-based builder: a custom-home experience and quality without the typical custom-home drama or cost. With 850 homes built to date but only around 40 a year, the small team gives each home and each buyer a level of care, customization, and attention that's hard to find. Jessica also shares the leadership update with Brian Hall now at the helm as owner and CEO, continuing the company's original principles...

Elisa Gillespie returns to the Best of LKN for the first time since November 2022 — and a lot has changed. After years operating as Gillespie Physical Therapy and then Movement Matters, Elisa launched Proactive Motion Physical Therapy in July 2025. With 17 years as a board-certified orthopedic physical therapist and 11 years of dry needling experience, she's built a practice focused on catching aches, pains, and injuries before they become chronic. She's also grown the team, welcoming Dr. Lauren Craig to lead a new pelvic floor and women's health service line.

In this conversation, Elisa shares what Proactive treats beyond the us...

In this episode of the Best of LKN Podcast, Jeff Hamm sits down with Jon House, a real estate broker with Allen Tate covering the North Charlotte-to-Statesville corridor. Jon shares his remarkable journey from chasing a childhood NASCAR dream as a pit crew jackman, to battling stage four cancer, to a career-ending pit road accident in 2016 that led him to real estate — a career he's now thrived in for nine years.

The heart of the conversation is Jon's work with Purple Heart Homes, a nonprofit that retrofits and builds homes for veterans in need. Three years ago, Jo...

In this episode of The Best of LKN Podcast, Jeff sits down with Audrey Pennell and Tim Hyde, co-founders of Surf Wake Ski, a new Lake Norman business launching for summer 2026. Both North Carolina natives who met working at a Mooresville boat dealership and bonded over years spent at a Pennsylvania summer camp, Audrey and Tim share how they turned a shared love of the water into a venture aimed at getting more people on the lake. 

They walk through their full lineup of offerings – kids' summer camps with flexible morning, midday, and afternoon ses...

In this episode, Jeff sits down with Dr. Jonathan Leake, board-certified emergency medicine physician and co-founder of Hydrate Medical, an IV hydration and wellness practice with eight locations across the Carolinas, including Mooresville and Huntersville. 

Dr. Leake shares how his ER background and a memorable stomach-bug outbreak inspired him and business partner Keith to create a physician-owned alternative to pricey hospital visits – delivering safe, evidence-based IV treatments in a comfortable, relaxing setting. 

The conversation covers what really drives clients to Hydrate Medical (hint: it's mostly wellness, not hangovers), the science behind hydration and vitamin infusions, comm...

Jeff sits down with Mike Feeley of Ivester Jackson Distinctive Properties to talk about the west side of Lake Norman — specifically Denver, Sherrills Ford, and Terrell. They dig into why this part of the lake has long been considered the region’s best-kept secret, what’s changing in the luxury market (including an $18.5 million listing and a $6 million home that went under contract on day one), and how the numbers compare year over year. Mike shares current stats — 295 closings through mid-May, days on market up slightly to 88, and sale-to-list ratios still holding at 98–99% — while making the case that buyers get signific...

Cliff Kinchen, founder of Kinchen Martial Arts in Cornelius, joins the podcast to share his remarkable journey from a tough upbringing in Detroit to 20 years in the Air Force, and eventually to building a thriving martial arts school on Bailey Road. With black belts in multiple disciplines, a background as a professional kickboxer, and experience on the Air Force Taekwondo team, Cliff brings a holistic, self-defense-focused approach that blends physical training with character development and leadership.

In this conversation, Cliff talks about the humble beginnings of his dojo, the mental side of martial arts ("90% mental, 10% physical"), and...

In this episode of The Best of LKN, we welcome back Robin and Jack Salzman to talk about their latest venture, The Serve Pickleball & Kitchen in Cornelius – a one-of-a-kind entertainment complex featuring 10 indoor courts, 6 outdoor courts, 4 Top Golf swing suites, a full-service restaurant, café, bar, and an event space that seats up to 80. 

Robin and Jack share the story behind the build, the experience guests can expect, and the community-focused programming that's already bringing locals together – from music bingo and live jazz brunch to corporate events and milestone celebrations.

We also catch up on the incred...

Jeremie and Briana Evans join the podcast to introduce goGLOW Mooresville, a new non-toxic spray tanning salon opening May 1st in Langtree Village. The husband-and-wife team share how they met in Charlotte's mortgage industry, settled in Mooresville in 2018, and were drawn to goGLOW’s wellness-focused approach after exploring the franchise path. Briana walks through what makes the experience different — a patented half-moon booth, sun-mimicking solution, one specialist from start to finish, and full pre-care and post-care education designed to make the glow last seven to ten days.

Jeremie and Briana also break down pricing and how to get...

Meet Jenny Curran, the brand-new owner of My Gym Lake Norman — the children's fitness center tucked into the plaza by the Harris Teeter on Sam Furr Road (yes, right by Birkdale, and yes, the parking is actually easy). 

Jenny shares the wild full-circle story of how she went from My Gym South Park director in her early twenties to buying the Lake Norman location when her baby daughter was literally five days old. 

We chat about everything the gym offers — parent-child classes starting at three months, ninja and gymnastics progra...

In this episode, Jim Gordon, owner of Peninsula Prime in Cornelius, joins the podcast to share how 2025 became a pivotal turnaround year for the upscale steakhouse. After taking full operational control in January 2025, Jim and his wife Robin rebuilt the restaurant from the ground up — starting with aesthetics, modernizing systems and processes, and redefining the brand's identity.

Jim opens up about the three pillars now guiding Peninsula Prime: hospitality, quality, and community. He shares how the book Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara shaped his approach, why he spent six months listening to guest feedback before rewriting the me...

Mike Feehley is a luxury real estate broker with Ivester Jackson Distinctive Properties, a Christie's International Realty affiliate, and a career firefighter and chief with the Charlotte Fire Department.

In this episode, Mike shares how a spontaneous road trip to Charlotte at age 20 launched a dual career that now spans over two decades – 22 years on the fire department and 21 years in real estate, where he currently ranks in the top 250 agents out of 17,000 in the Charlotte area. 

He opens up about reverse-engineering his career around the lifestyle he wanted, surviving the brutal 2008–2010 housing crash, and the d...

Matt Venuti is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and national touring artist who began his musical journey as a trumpet player before discovering the electronic valve instrument (EVI) in a Boston jazz club. 

That chance encounter launched a decades-long career of exploring groundbreaking instruments – from the hang drum he sourced from makers in Bern, Switzerland, to Himalayan bowls and custom sound-scape instruments – which he layers live on stage using a sophisticated looper he operates with his feet. 

His touring career began about 16 years ago following the passing of his wife, an experi...

Karen Schmidt of Freshwater Design Build returns to the Best of LKN Podcast to share exciting news: Freshwater Shoppe, a retail design studio that opened in October 2025 on Brawley School Road in Mooresville. 

Located next to their full-service design and build studio, the shop brings the same high-quality upholstery, rugs, window treatments, and accessories Karen's team uses in their professional designs — now available to anyone, no full design engagement required. A team of professional designers is on hand to help with everything from furniture selection to bookshelf styling, and appointments are available for more in...

Boxing Legend Christy Martin on Surviving Domestic Violence and Building Christie's Champs

Boxing legend and domestic violence survivor Christy Martin joins the podcast to discuss her nonprofit, Christie's Champs, and her whirlwind 2025 — which included the release of her biographical film Christy, starring Sydney Sweeney. Christy shares how the organization empowers survivors through practical support like laptop computers in boxing gyms, backpack drives, safe house visits, and helping victims transition into independent living. She also opens up about her personal mission to break the cycle of domestic violence, particularly for at-risk youth, and reminds listeners that abuse can ta...

Jeff sits down with Joe Meehan, founder of Optima Vita Consulting, whose path to wellness coaching wound through pre-med studies, a professional basketball career in Switzerland, nine years coaching Division I ball at Bucknell University, and ultimately a master's degree in medical physiology and aging from the University of Florida School of Medicine. Joe shares how all of those experiences converged into a one-on-one wellness coaching practice built around four pillars – nutrition, exercise, sleep, and stress management – and why neglecting even one of them tends to unravel the others. The conversation quickly becomes a candid, practical deep-dive into sleep, as J...

Stephen Grotz, founder of Stephen Grotz Architecture PLLC, joins the podcast to talk about his path from Culpeper, Virginia to building a multi-state residential architecture firm. Stephen shares how his love of home design started early — sketching houses as a young child — and traces his career through firms in Chicago and Charlotte before launching his own practice two years ago.

The conversation centers on a stunning full-home renovation on the south end of Lake Norman in Huntersville, a project Stephen led while serving as in-house architect at Simonini Homes. He walks through how the team reimagined the home...

In this episode, Jeff welcomes Meghan Macy, COO of Alongside Families, and Mary Kay Portaro, board member and former staff volunteer, to share the story behind this Charlotte-based nonprofit. 

Founded in 2017 by Emily Kemmann, Alongside Families works to prevent unnecessary foster care placements by providing temporary child hosting and wraparound support for families in crisis — with a track record of 100% family reunification across 350 child hostings and nearly 5,000 nights of care.

Meghan and Mary Kay walk through the real-life situations the organization steps into — from single moms facing medical emergencies to families experiencing homelessness — and explain how any...

Cindy and Eric are the husband-and-wife team behind Real Massage LKN, a new therapeutic massage studio located at 5206 Slanting Bridge Road in the Denver/Sherrills Ford area of Lake Norman. 

Cindy brings over two decades of experience as a massage therapist, having built and grown a successful practice in Myrtle Beach from 2007 to 2020 before relocating to the area and coming out of a brief retirement. Eric draws on a lifelong career in hotel management and hospitality to handle the business and operations side of the studio. 

Together, they've built a...

Carol White's road to owning Impeccable Closets wound through a corporate PR career at GTE/Verizon, a stint as a stay-at-home mom, and seven years managing sales and training at a big box organization retailer — where she discovered a passion for closet design. A chance conversation at a BNI meeting eventually led to a business partnership, and Impeccable Closets was born two weeks before COVID. She bought out her partner in 2022, opened her first showroom in Huntersville about a year ago, and is now celebrating six years in business alongside her husband Brian.

The company designs and in...

Sarah Conrad, owner of Clean Eatz Lake Norman, returns to The Best of LKN podcast to share updates on the brand's expansion to five Charlotte-area locations — Cornelius, Mooresville, Charlotte, and Concord — and what's new on the menu, from turkey burnt ends to lobster mac & cheese and a fan-favorite ramen dish. 

She also opens up about the risks of opening the Concord location post-COVID, how Clean Eatz serves the local NASCAR community through catering, and why stepping away from her phone during her daily runs has become one of her most important habits as a busin...

Jeff sits down with Joanie Baker, President of Executive Women of Lake Norman, and Kellie Grutko, the organization's Director of Communications. Together they share the story of a group that's been connecting Lake Norman's women in business since 2010 — built not around leads and referrals, but around genuine education, mentorship, and community. 

With monthly socials and luncheons featuring guest speakers, a growing membership back in the 30s after COVID, and a flexible (not cutthroat) seat structure, Executive Women of Lake Norman is the kind of organization you actually look forward to showing up for.

If you're a w...

Jeff sits down with Charlene Ferrell White, a veterinarian with Homeward Vet, to discuss the growing demand for mobile, in-home veterinary care across Lake Norman and the greater Charlotte area. Charlene shares her path from Northern Virginia to NC State Vet School, followed by experience in emergency and general practices in Colorado and California, before discovering her passion for house-call medicine. 

The conversation highlights how mobile care creates a calmer, more personal experience for pets and owners alike—especially for busy professionals, work-from-home households, anxious dogs, and cats that struggle with traditional clinic visits.

They als...

Logan Sandate rejoins the podcast to share what's happened since her first appearance last summer. Girl Power Carolinas Flag Football launched its inaugural season in Mooresville with over 80 girls, wrapped up an eight-week fall run complete with Super Bowl rings and weekly core value awards, and has already expanded into Fort Mill, South Carolina. A Banner Elk league is on the way this summer through a partnership with Lees-McRae College coach Mike Brown. 

Logan has also taken on a new role as Director of Development at The Carolina Factory in Cornelius, where she's helping c...

Garrett joins The Best of LKN podcast to talk entrepreneurship, community, and how Seemingly Overzealous Ice Cream grew from a pandemic-era experiment into one of Charlotte’s most distinctive food brands. He shares his early days in SEO and agency life, what pulled him into coworking with Hygge, and why proximity to other builders was always the secret sauce—being close enough to ask questions, share ideas, and solve problems in real time.

The conversation also digs into modern small-business marketing, especially the shift toward PR and relationships over shiny, overpromised tactics. Garrett makes the...

Meet Mackenzie Murphy of Eternal Elegance Salon in Cornelius, NC. Learn about her personalized salon experience, entrepreneurship journey, and upcoming Lake Norman events.

In this episode, Jeff sits down with Mackenzie Murphy, owner of Eternal Elegance Salon in Cornelius, to talk about entrepreneurship, intentional beauty services, and building a client experience that goes beyond hair.

Mackenzie shares how growing up in a family of entrepreneurs shaped her work ethic and inspired her to launch her own salon in 2023. Rather than creating a rushed, high-volume environment, Eternal Elegance focuses on...

There's something special about meeting a builder who actually lives next door to his clients — and means it when he says, "We build it like we own it."

In this episode, Jeff sits down with Stephen Chuilli, founder of Lagniappe Homes, to talk about his family's stunning mountain-style residence on Schooner Drive in Cornelius, the story behind the company name (it's a New Orleans thing — and yes, everyone mispronounces it), and what's trending in custom home design heading into 2026.

What we cover:

Some people grow an audience.
Others grow a community.

In this episode, Jeff sits down with Cayce Blackley—the creator behind the wildly popular Instagram account Living in Lake Norman—for a warm, honest, and genuinely fun conversation about what it really means to share local life with heart, consistency, and purpose.

Cayce opens up about how the account started (spoiler: her husband secretly created it), how it grew organically to nearly 8,000 followers, and why championing small businesses has always been the heart of the page. What began as casual local sharing turned into a fu...