Making a Name

“You need to put your heart and soul into it.” How did Jackie Griffin’s dream of owning her own business – now known as Jackie’s Dream, Knoxville’s popular soul food restaurant– become more than just a dream? A leap of faith, a thick…
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How gymnastics training can teach success. “It all began with a little camp in Knoxville,” recalls John Macready, co-owner of FlipFest, the Crossville-based gymnastics camp that it arguably one of the nation’s top gymnastics training…
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It pays to surround yourself with the best. “Does it pay to be outstanding at what you do? Absolutely. But, when you’re in business, it’s also extremely important to surround yourself with excellent individuals. For anyone going into…
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Business is a marathon. Magda Smith’s been running for 50 years. One of the sad sights of our modern age is watching small mom-and-pop businesses closing up shop, eclipsed by out-of-town supergiants and online marketplaces. Starting a…
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A business is more than the money it makes. It is a social institution. Sitting down for a pint at Ebony & Ivory Brewing, you find yourself in a comfortable atmosphere in a very new space, indulging in some delicious brew. And let's…
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Innovation takes more than just an idea. But a great idea never hurts. When I think of small business, I most often think of service industries. Businesses like restaurants and handymen, by definition, offer the labor of their staff to…
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It’s not all about growth. It’s about meeting in the middle. Digital media is everywhere, in our personal and professional lives alike. TikTok ads, Yelp reviews, and online marketplaces; even the article you’re reading now is an online…
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It's all about constructing partnerships. Isaac Pannell of Pannell Construction, seems to be a lot of things all at once: a coach, a visionary, a rescuer, a leader, a friend, an entrepreneur, and a family man. His first baby was a…
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