It’s just before dawn. Nobody’s up yet, but me.
I’ve made my way downstairs. Put on the water to make a little coffee. Ground the beans. Set out the French press. The dog whines gently. I ease toward the back door.
And there she is, standing beside me. Twenty pounds of pure energy. Dressed in a jet-black coat of fur. Just dying for me to open that door so she can tear out of there. And whatever it is that’s made its way down from its overnight—squirrels, chipmunks, the random chicken that’s gotten out from the neighbor’s coop too early—it’s all in for a run.
I just pray every morning, every single morning, that there’s not a skunk in the yard.
That’s how most of my days begin: quiet, steady, with a moment of anticipation. And over the years, I’ve come to see how those early hours shape the rest of the day. When everything is still, when the world hasn’t quite woken up, you get clarity. You remember who you are. What matters.
That’s also the moment when you start analyzing your day. Those quiet moments when you can think clearly—so that you know what you need, what’s on the agenda, and where you’re going to find it. And that can be challenging at times: where to find it. What to trust.
I mean, almost everybody Googles it or asks Siri. But those searches often reach regionally—not locally. You get listings from Atlanta, ads from Nashville, and reviews from people you’ve never met. And yet somehow, that’s supposed to help you make a decision today, in Knoxville, about a pediatrician, or a plumber, or where to go for dinner
In a world where information is everywhere, it’s still hard to find what’s truly close—what’s truly trusted. Because let’s be honest: not everything online is true. And for me, that especially applies to social media.
You scroll past the curated lives, the outrage-of-the-day, the “sponsored” recommendations. It’s hard to know what’s real and what’s been paid for—what’s authentic and what’s just noise. So what can you trust?
For most of us, the answer is simple: you trust what’s local. The familiar names. The businesses you’ve passed a hundred times. The folks who go to the same schools, the same grocery stores, the same ballgames. And most people understand that—if you can buy it local, you should. Because local keeps our city strong. It keeps small businesses open. It keeps the dollars, and the relationships, right here at home.
And that’s exactly why we’ve built something new: Find It Knox.
What Is It?
So what exactly is Find It Knox? And why would it be any better than the dozens of search engines, directory sites, and apps already out there?
Simple. First, we live here.
We’ve lived in East Tennessee all our lives. Cityview is now in its 41st year, and I’ve been at the helm for the past 25 of those. Before that, I ran other businesses here in Knoxville. I’ve worked with thousands of business owners—builders, lawyers, chefs, accountants, doctors, and designers. I know their reputations. I’ve watched their work. I’ve heard the stories—good and bad—from the people they’ve served.
And even when I don’t personally know someone, I have the resources to find out. Our team has built a network over decades—one that allows us to vet a company quickly and tell you, with reasonable certainty, whether they are someone you can absolutely trust. That’s whatFind It Knoxis.
It’s not an algorithm. It’s not a popularity contest. It’s not a pay-to-play placement scheme. It’s a local, living directory of trusted professionals and businesses—vetted by real people, based right here in the community.
We’ve taken the trust you’ve placed in Cityview for decades—and built a platform around it. A tool you can use every day. Whether you’re looking for a roofer or a real estate agent, a plastic surgeon or a piano teacher, Find It Knox is here to help you start with confidence.
And unlike national platforms, we’re not trying to overwhelm you with hundreds of listings and ads. We’re narrowing it down. Showing you the best. Giving you the tools to dig deeper if you want—but only after we’ve opened the right door.
How It Works
Find It Knox is built to be simple, intuitive, and above all—trustworthy. At its core, it’s a clean, easy-to-use website and mobile platform where you can find local businesses and professionals across a wide range of categories. From attorneys to electricians, orthodontists to interior designers, if it matters in your life, we’ve likely got it covered.
But here’s what makes Find It Knox different. At the heart of the platform is our Trusted Program—a badge of confidence you won’t find anywhere else.
If a business carries the Find It Knox Trusted badge, it means one of two things: we’ve either worked with them personally or we’ve visited and vetted them directly.
These are companies we know. People we trust. Folks who have built a reputation in our community not just for quality, but for how they show up, treat customers, and stand behind their work.
We’re not just pulling names from a database—we’re putting our name on the line. And for those we don’t yet know personally? We invite them to apply, go through our local vetting process, and meet the standards we’ve developed over decades in this community.
Every listing on Find It Knox comes with a free basic profile page. Businesses can claim their listing, enhance it with photos, services, links to their website and social channels, and even customer testimonials. But only those that meet our criteria can earn the Trusted designation.
This isn’t about being the biggest directory. It’s about being the most useful one.
We’re not aiming to show you every possible option—we’re aiming to show you the right ones.
You’ll also start seeing Find It Knox QR codes throughout Cityview Magazine. In print stories, in ads, in features. Scan the code, and you’ll go directly to that business’s listing. Instantly. No more guessing, no more Googling. It’s our way of making sure the credibility we’ve built in print is just one click away from action.
Where We’re Going
In many ways, this is the most exciting and most important thing we’ve ever done.
For more than four decades, Cityview has been telling the story of Knoxville—through the lens of art, food, business, law, healthcare, education, and the people who make this place special. For the past 25 years, I’ve had the honor of shaping that story, issue after issue, always asking the same question: What does this community need?
Now, the answer is clear.
We need a way to stay connected.
We need a way to cut through the noise.
We need something real, something useful, something local.
We need Find It Knox.
This isn’t a pivot—it’s an expansion. It’s Cityview stepping fully into the 21st century without losing its soul. We’re still going to tell the stories you love. We’re still going to celebrate the chefs, the attorneys, the artists, and the entrepreneurs. But now, we’re also going to help you connect with them. Hire them. Support them. Know who to trust.
That’s what this project is all about, and this is just the beginning.
Find It Knox will launch this summer. In the months ahead, we’ll be adding more categories.
More features. More businesses that deserve to be seen and supported. And we’ll be listening—refining and improving Find It Knox with the same care we bring to every page of the magazine.
Because at the end of the day, this has never been about pixels or paper. It’s about people.
People waking up before dawn.
Grinding beans.
Opening the door.
And trying, day after day, to do something worthwhile. We’re with you. Let’s go find it.
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