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In this episode of the Kanawha Valley Hustlers podcast I am at the Westside Community Health Fair with Dr. Robert Haley. He tells me the event offers screenings for things like HIV, hep C, blood pressure, and diabetes, along with booths for veterans, disability services, and other community resources. More than seventy medical students from the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine are here to learn how to connect with people and provide real help, and Dr. Haley says they have even identified emergencies like diabetic crises in past years. He explains the fair began around the pandemic to meet needs that were being overlooked and has grown into a trusted annual event. We talk about how many people feel intimidated going to a doctor’s office, but here they can talk freely about what hurts and get pointed toward the right care. Dr. Haley reminds me that screenings can save lives, because ignoring a problem does not make it go away. He hopes people leave saying they found someone who listened and cared in a welcoming space.

In this episode of the Kanawha Valley Hustlers podcast I explain how the advertising blocks we grew up with, like Saturday morning cartoons and TGIF, connect directly to today’s algorithms on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram. I show how ads evolved from newspapers and magazines in the 1800s to radio soap operas aimed at homemakers, then into TV dayparting where families, kids, and dads were targeted at different times. In the 80s and 90s, branded blocks like TGIF, Must See TV, Fox Kids, Disney Afternoon, and SNICK focused even more on specific groups. Cable TV expanded this with whole channels like MTV, ESPN, and Lifetime built for niche audiences, and later blocks like Toonami and Adult Swim zeroed in on young men who had not yet formed long-term brand loyalties. The digital age pushed it further with Google search ads, display networks, and Facebook’s targeting based on likes. Now algorithms recommend content based on every detail of what we watch and engage with. It is all built to capture and sell attention, and if you want to grow a business today you have to understand how to work with these systems.

In this episode of the Kanawha Valley Hustlers podcast I chat with Debbie Kinder about Kinder’s Closet Ostomy Pantry. Debbie tells me the pantry is a nonprofit that provides ostomy supplies to people with limited income or no insurance, and people can reach them online, on Facebook, or by calling United Way’s 211 line. She explains how it started with her own experience living with an ostomy and realizing how many others needed help, which led her to begin the pantry in 2016. Now they serve people locally and across the country, supplying pouches, flanges, paste, and barrier strips that insurance often doesn’t fully cover. Debbie says the average cost of supplies can be up to eighty five dollars every few days, which is out of reach for many, so the pantry steps in and only asks for postage or a small fee to keep it running. She shares stories of people showing up with makeshift bags because they couldn’t afford supplies, and she emphasizes the need for a larger climate controlled space and more board members. I wrap up by encouraging anyone who can help to reach out and support Debbie’s mission.

In this episode of the Kanawha Valley Hustlers podcast I talk with Terrell Ellis about Taste of Appalachia, a new initiative from Advantage Valley that promotes local food entrepreneurs through curated holiday gift sets. Terrell explains that there are eight themed boxes, including breakfast essentials, tailgate snacks, and veteran made products, all featuring West Virginia businesses. The boxes will be unveiled September 18 at J.Q. Dickinson Salt-Works where attendees can sample products, meet the makers, and place bulk or online orders. Fulfillment will be handled by the West Virginia Department of Agriculture so customers only need to order and everything else is managed. The website tasteofappalachia.com shows all available boxes and orders can be made there as well. Sponsors include Marshall University and the West Virginia Manufacturers Association. Terrell says this builds on Advantage Valley’s Foster WV program that supports entrepreneurs with coaching and resources, and now extends their reach to a broader market. I remind listeners this is a perfect way to share the flavors of Appalachia with clients, family, and friends while supporting businesses in our region.

In this episode of the Kanawha Valley Hustlers podcast I talk with Mary Smith, owner of Tipsy Roo’s Barbecue Sauce. She tells me how their sauces stand out by incorporating alcohol, with flavors like B.U.I Bourbon, Plastered Peach, and Brew Berry. Mary shares that the recipes started during her time at Fort Campbell with her husband, making sauce for cookouts, and when they returned to West Virginia friends kept asking for jars until they launched the business in 2020. Now, five years later, Tipsy Roo’s is part of the Taste of Appalachia, an event on September 18th that offers gift boxes filled with Appalachian products. She explains that these boxes give people a way to support local businesses instead of buying generic gifts, and her sauces are included in many of them. When I ask what advice she would give her past self, Mary says to do uncomfortable things and not stay in the comfort zone because growth requires work and risk. She closes by sharing where to find her sauces online and through the event, and I wrap up by reminding listeners to hustle hard, hustle smart, and hustle with a smile.

In this episode of the Kanawha Valley Hustlers podcast I talk with Eric Grandon of Sugar Bottom Farm in Clay County. He tells me they sell raw honey in about 25 West Virginia markets, ship nationwide, and are working with the state Board of Education to get honey into schools. Eric shares how after six tours in the Middle East he struggled when he came home, but working with bees gave him calm and what he calls his new normal. He started the farm business in 2013 and now offers raw honey along with unique single serving honey packets, the only ones of their kind in the country using West Virginia honey. He also talks about the Taste of Appalachia project, which brings together artisans from across the state to create holiday food boxes, and says he’s proud to be part of it. Eric explains that this effort not only connects farmers with new markets but also carries on traditions passed down through generations. He encourages people to search Sugar Bottom Farm online, where they can find his story featured in interviews and documentaries, and learn more about the work he is doing.