Nathan Sparks

I am astonished at the level of participation we have in our Best of the Best voting. One person actually voted in 204 out of 218 categories, and we had a grand total of 191,006 votes cast. To put it simply, we had many more votes than we…

By 2021, video will be responsible for 82% of the global Internet traffic, up from 73% just two years ago, according to networking giant Cisco. Almost everyone consumes some amount of internet video every day. Recognizing this, Cityview…

There is something special about the South Carolina Low Country; actually, there are a lot of somethings. As four of us enter the Beaufort city limits, I know we are near the end of our seven-hour drive. We’re headed to Harbor Island, South…

During the late 70’s I was living in Knoxville, attending the University of Tennessee, and working at Blue Ridge Mountain Sports as a salesman. Often after work we would gather at The Roman Room, a classic little dive next to Sam and Andy’s…

Just before I entered second grade, my family moved to a new neighborhood. It seemed ideal: a double corner lot with a big yard, with streets safe enough to ride my bike on at any time. Freedom! Soon, however, my innocence and naiveté would…

I vividly remember a day in 1974 when I woke not feeling well but not bad enough to miss school. Before we left the house, Mom gave me two aspirin. About 30 minutes later, I began to notice a rash developing all over my body; I had recently…

Shortly after our last issue came out, my friend Mike Faulkner sent me a message saying how much he enjoyed my last publisher’s note, which outlined six ways of becoming the best version of ourselves. He suggested that I had left out number…

In this “Best of the Best” issue, our readers and fans cast votes on how others perform in their careers. Although careers are certainly important, I believe that who we are as a person is even more valuable (important or significant) than …

After two terms as Knox County mayor, Tim Burchett has decided to throw his Carharrt into the ring to replace outgoing 15-term Representative Jimmy Duncan in Tennessee’s 2nd congressional district. As he concludes his final term and…

My father’s recent death has prompted me to think deeply about the mantle that falls upon each of us as we are left to lead our families. The mantle is a hefty honor and responsibility to lead and care for those we love. I have been asking…