As we approach the one-year milestone of Hurricane Helene's impact on Western North Carolina, we bring you a special episode of Mind Your Business.

This week we connect with six Chambers of Commerce from across the region to answer some of the most popular questions of the day. We get perspective on how things stand in each community today, what are challenges, the silver linings, how does funding play into continued recovery, and plenty more.

Our chamber guests include:

Kitty Honeycutt, Executive Director, Ashe County Chamber of Commerce

Casey Gilbert, Vice President of Public Policy, Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce

Victoria Bowman, Executive Director, Avery County Chamber of Commerce

Robin Miller, President/CEO, Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce

Kim Effler, President/CEO, McDowell Chamber of Commerce

Hosted by: David Jackson, President/CEO, Boone Area Chamber of Commerce

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 Spirit of Boone serves as the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce annual membership gathering and provides an opportunity to celebrate a group of annual award recipients for their impact on the High Country community.

While this week’s Mind Your Business was recorded just hours before this year’s event, we took the opportunity to build a “pregame show” around some past honorees, to see how the path of leadership has directed some of community’s most influential businesses.

• Tim Herdklotz, Co-Owner of Booneshine, the 2019 recipient of the Alfred Adams Award for Economic Development
• Liz Whiteman, Executive Director of Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture, operator of the High Country Food Hub, 2020 recipient of the everGREEN Award for Sustainability
• Yolanda Adams, Owner, Que Pasa Appalachia, recipient of the 2020 Baker/Jones Woman of the Year award

We will hear from each of our guests about changes to their business over the last five years, how community disruptions have shaped their approach, and what advice they have for those that are approaching significant milestones in their own businesses or careers.

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

Since 1981, AppalCART has been moving people around Boone and Watauga County. As we move into one our highest periods of annual traffic volume, how does public transportation play a role in getting people to and from their destinations?

On this week's Mind Your Business, we'll talk with Craig Hughes, Executive Director of AppalCART, about the system's history and performance, how decisions are made about route destinations and expansions, and what the future of public transportation looks like in rural North Carolina. And yes, we will talk about the double-decker bus and how it's helping bring efficiency to daily routes and special event schedules!

Appalachian State University has released its student censes for Fall 2025. We will dive into the numbers and tell you how the Boone campus is impacted by current enrollment.

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