Advertise on podcast: Mind Your Business - A Podcast Series produced by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce

It's not hard to imagine the color scheme behind the brand of Mountaineer Tavern, one of Boone's newest restaurants, and a business that has attached itself to its core audience -- supporters of App State Athletics. This association is not just about making a wise business decision. The roots of the Mountaineer Tavern project started to grow inside Broome-Kirk Gymnasium, as a young Mark Harrill fell in love with App State sports, in particular the basketball team. Today the Harrill Family, and several investors, have created a business model that drives profit back to the programs that bring customers through the door. On this week's Mind Your Business, we visit with Jay Harrill, son of Missy and the late Mark Harrill, as he talks about how a family connection to sports led to an opportunity to add to the entertainment value and caloric intake that makes gamedays in Boone so uniue. Mind Your Business is written and produced weekly by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. This podcast is made possible thanks to the sponsorship support of Appalachian Commercial Real Estate. Catch the show each Thursday afternoon at 5PM on WATA (1450AM & 96.5FM) in Boone Support the show Support the show

Pull up the headlines from any day of the week, and chances are something related to healthcare is listed among the topics. As part of the 4th annual State of the Community luncheon, UNC Health Appalachian President/CEO, Nathan Nipper, presented on the latest developments within UNC Health Appalachian, and how systems across the country are thinking about staffing and delivery of services. On this week's Mind Your Business, we'll hear Nipper's remarks from the event, and how Western North Carolina's Economic Recovery Plan can fuel future workforce and business development within the industry. A link to the presentation from the event is included here: UNC Health Appalachian - State of the Community Presentation Mind Your Business is written and produced weekly by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. This podcast is made possible thanks to the sponsorship support of Appalachian Commercial Real Estate. Catch the show each Thursday afternoon at 5PM on WATA (1450AM & 96.5FM) in Boone Support the show

October is PRIME TIME in the High Country for visual wonder, culinary joy, and a genuine connection to all of the good that arts and culture bring to our world. October 17-18th is widely viewed as Peak Weekend in the High Country, both for viewing the autumn leaves and experiencing two of the most unique festivals North Carolina has to offer. On this week's Mind Your Business, we give you the scoop on the 47th annual Valle Country Fair, staged annually in beautiful Valle Crucis, and Banner Elk's 49th annual Wolly Worm Festival, two events that bring the world of the creative arts together with the visual beauty of the Western North Carolina mountains in the heart of October. We'll talk with festival organizers from both events about dates, times, artisans, and music, among other details. We'll also explore the philanthropic connection both events have on the High Country well beyond the close of these iconic festivals. Mind Your Business is written and produced weekly by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. This podcast is made possible thanks to the sponsorship support of Appalachian Commercial Real Estate. Catch the show each Thursday afternoon at 5PM on WATA (1450AM & 96.5FM) in Boone. Support the show

The Boone Area and Blowing Rock Chambers of Commerce present the 2026 Watauga County Meet the Candidates Forum. This episode features candidates running for the Watauga County Board of Commissioners District 1 Adam Hege (D) Rick Woods (R) District 2 Savva Kostis (R) Ray Russell (D) All archives for each race are available at boonechamber.com.  Support the show Support the show

The Boone Area and Blowing Rock Chambers of Commerce present the 2026 Watauga County Meet the Candidates Forum. This episode features candidates running to represent Watauga County in the NC Senate & House races. NC Senate District 47 Ralph Hise (R) (I) Frank Hughes, III (D)  NC House of Representatives District 93 Ray Pickett (I) (R) Charlie Wallin (D)  NC House of Representatives District 87 Iris Bender (D) Destin Hall (R) (I) Candidates in bold attended the event. All archives for each race are available at boonechamber.com.  Support the show Support the show

The Boone Area and Blowing Rock Chambers of Commerce present the 2026 Watauga County Meet the Candidates Forum. This episode features candidates running for the Watauga County Board of Education  District 1 Yolanda Adams Ellen Lamont District 4  Chad Cole Megan (Chayyim) Kornhouser All archives for each race are available at boonechamber.com.  Support the show

The Boone Area and Blowing Rock Chambers of Commerce present the 2026 Watauga County Meet the Candidates Forum. This episode features Chuck Hubbard, the Democratic candidate for North Carolina's Fifth District of the US House of Representatives.  Candidates for Watauga County Board of Education, Watauga County Board of Commissioners, and the North Carolina Senate and House of Representatives were featured as part of our in-person forum on Thursday, October 1st, at the Appalachian Theatre of the High Country. Candidates for Watauga County Clerk of Court, Watauga County Sheriff, and the US House of Representatives (NC-5) were interviewed individually by David Jackson, President/CEO of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. Due to the nature of these individual interviews, candidates were not held to time constraints. All archives for each race are available at boonechamber.com.  Support the show

The Boone Area and Blowing Rock Chambers of Commerce present the 2026 Watauga County Meet the Candidates Forum. This episode features Dr. Virginia Foxx, the incumbent Republican candidate for North Carolina's Fifth District of the US House of Representatives.  Candidates for Watauga County Board of Education, Watauga County Board of Commissioners, and the North Carolina Senate and House of Representatives were featured as part of our in-person forum on Thursday, October 1st, at the Appalachian Theatre of the High Country. Candidates for Watauga County Clerk of Court, Watauga County Sheriff, and the US House of Representatives (NC-5) were interviewed individually by David Jackson, President/CEO of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. Due to the nature of these individual interviews, candidates were not held to time constraints. All archives for each race are available at boonechamber.com.  Support the show

The Boone Area and Blowing Rock Chambers of Commerce present the 2026 Watauga County Meet the Candidates Forum. This episode features Darin Church, the Republican candidate for Watauga County Sheriff. Candidates for Watauga County Board of Education, Watauga County Board of Commissioners, and the North Carolina Senate and House of Representatives were featured as part of our in-person forum on Thursday, October 1st, at the Appalachian Theatre of the High Country. Candidates for Watauga County Clerk of Court, Watauga County Sheriff, and the US House of Representatives (NC-5) were interviewed individually by David Jackson, President/CEO of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. Due to the nature of these individual interviews, candidates were not held to time constraints. All archives for each race are available at boonechamber.com.  Support the show

The Boone Area and Blowing Rock Chambers of Commerce present the 2026 Watauga County Meet the Candidates Forum. This episode features Len Hagaman, the incumbent Democratic candidate for Watauga County Sheriff. Candidates for Watauga County Board of Education, Watauga County Board of Commissioners, and the North Carolina Senate and House of Representatives were featured as part of our in-person forum on Thursday, October 1st, at the Appalachian Theatre of the High Country. Candidates for Watauga County Clerk of Court, Watauga County Sheriff, and the US House of Representatives (NC-5) were interviewed individually by David Jackson, President/CEO of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. Due to the nature of these individual interviews, candidates were not held to time constraints. All archives for each race are available at boonechamber.com.  Support the show

The Boone Area and Blowing Rock Chambers of Commerce present the 2026 Watauga County Meet the Candidates Forum. This episode features Holly Fehl, the Democratic candidate for Watauga County Clerk of Court. Candidates for Watauga County Board of Education, Watauga County Board of Commissioners, and the North Carolina Senate and House of Representatives were featured as part of our in-person forum on Thursday, October 1st, at the Appalachian Theatre of the High Country. Candidates for Watauga County Clerk of Court, Watauga County Sheriff, and the US House of Representatives (NC-5) were interviewed individually by David Jackson, President/CEO of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. Due to the nature of these individual interviews, candidates were not held to time constraints. All archives for each race are available at boonechamber.com.  Support the show

The Boone Area and Blowing Rock Chambers of Commerce present the 2026 Watauga County Meet the Candidates Forum. This episode features Charles Haynes, the incumbent Republican candidate for Watauga County Clerk of Court. Candidates for Watauga County Board of Education, Watauga County Board of Commissioners, and the North Carolina Senate and House of Representatives were featured as part of our in-person forum on Thursday, October 1st, at the Appalachian Theatre of the High Country. Candidates for Watauga County Clerk of Court, Watauga County Sheriff, and the US House of Representatives (NC-5) were interviewed individually by David Jackson, President/CEO of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. Due to the nature of these individual interviews, candidates were not held to time constraints. All archives for each race are available at boonechamber.com.  Support the show

It's been nearly two years since Hurricane Helene's impact was felt across Western North Carolina.  In January 2025, Governor Josh Stein appointed a special Advisory Committee for Western North Carolina Recovery and established GROW NC (Governor's Recovery Office for Western North Carolina) to serve as the lead organization to guide immediate physical and economic recovery efforts. In early 2026, a sub-committee was formed to examine the region's long term economic outlook, and make recommendations to Governor Stein and State leaders that would set Western North Carolina down a path toward recovery and future economic prosperity. On Wednesday, September 23, 2026, Governor Stein and GROW NC released the Western North Carolina Economic Recovery Plan, a document that focuses on eight core principles that harness current resources and industry proficiency, while aligning goals that will advance the region's efforts to create economic diversity and resilience across all sectors. On this week's Mind Your Business, we unveil the core tenants of the plan, and how the High Country is poised to benefit from this collaborative effort. We'll also talk with Dan Gerlach, a long-time economic strategist and policy advisor in the State about the research that led to the plan. He'll explain how this framework can build off current regional strengths while protecting a unique cultural experience that separates Western North Carolina from many other parts of the country. Mind Your Business is written and produced weekly by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. This podcast is made possible thanks to the sponsorship support of Appalachian Commercial Real Estate. Catch the show each Thursday afternoon at 5PM on WATA (1450AM & 96.5FM) in Boone. Support the show

Fall color is about a month away from its peak here in the High Country, but the seasonal shift toward autum economic behavior is already underway. The impact on visitor counts, the type of interactions people enjoy during their stay, and how events are communicated business to business all impact the visitor experience. The current date on the calendar matters greatly when it comes to how businesses schedule staff, how they throttle their operational expectations, and ultimately the impact the see on their bottom line for an entire year. On this week's Mind Your Business, we examine the hospitality and event industries, and how they work together to curate exceptional visitor experiences in the High Country. Danielle Neibauer owns The Inn at Crestwood and also leads the management team that operates The Horton Hotel in Downtown Boone. She'll detail the seasonal impacts on the hospitality industry, and even explain a few things locals may not know about the hotels they drive past each day. We'll also hear from Suzanne Livesay, Executive Director of the Appalachian Theatre of the High Country. A major factor in the success of an event is related to when the event is scheduled, as much as the make-up of the act itself. Suzanne discusses how she seeks specific events, what she tends to avoid, and how the collaborative approach of experience planning benefits everyone. Mind Your Business is written and produced weekly by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. This podcast is made possible thanks to the sponsorship support of Appalachian Commercial Real Estate. Catch the show each Thursday afternoon (Friday this week) at 5PM on WATA (1450AM & 96.5FM) in Boone. Support the show

This just in...sometimes it's hard to move around in Watauga County due to traffic congestion! The Watauga County Comprehensive Transportation Plan (CTP) is the steering document that looks at transportation needs for a 25-30 year snapshot, and that document is currently going through a planned revision.  On this week's Mind Your Business, we explain the CTP process, how an important survey is gathering public input that informs this work, and how your experiences can be added to future considerations. Mind Your Business is written and produced weekly by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. This podcast is made possible thanks to the sponsorship support of Appalachian Commercial Real Estate. Catch the show each Thursday afternoon (Friday this week) at 5PM on WATA (1450AM & 96.5FM) in Boone. Support the show