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In this episode of the Kanawha Valley Hustlers podcast I am at the second annual Salvation Army Red Kettle Classic in Charleston. I talk with Amy Shuler Goodwin who shares that her team with Booth, Jim Strawn, and Renee Keeley had fun in the heat and that while competition was light she held the longest drive for a while. She says the Salvation Army is vital to family focused efforts in Charleston and tells me to watch for an upcoming economic development announcement and the holiday season events she loves. I then meet Marc Beacom who retired this year after forty years in technology and says retirement is filled with golf, friends, and service. He praises the Salvation Army’s work and offers a tip on staying cool with electrolytes in the heat. Finally, I talk with Keith Lewis who says his team played as one and valued supporting the Salvation Army’s broader mission beyond the red kettles at Christmas. He says their focus was teamwork more than competition and looks forward to future events. I leave the course reminded that golf, community, and service come together to make a lasting impact.

In this episode of the Kanawha Valley Hustlers podcast I talk with Captain Mike and Captain Cathy Michels at the second annual Salvation Army Red Kettle Classic. Mike tells me they have nearly 20 teams on the course enjoying the day and raising money for programs across seven counties, including youth centers, rent and utility assistance, and homeless outreach. Cathy shares that last year’s tournament was hit by a hurricane but supporters still came, and she is grateful to see them return in good weather. We discuss how the golf tournament started when board members saw success in other areas and decided to bring it here, and Mike explains that while Christmas kettles are their biggest fundraiser, events like this keep the work going all year. Cathy says Charleston feels like home since both she and Mike are from West Virginia, and they understand the people they serve. Mike closes by previewing the opening of the youth center in Saint Albans, volunteer and sponsorship opportunities for kettle season, and their focus on helping families and children through the holidays while supporting programs year-round.

In this episode of the Kanawha Valley Hustlers podcast I talk with Zach Sandy from Job Squad Incorporated to talk about how they help people with disabilities find meaningful work. He shares how Job Squad provides training and support to overcome barriers like transportation or licensing and creates lines of business that employ people directly. One of their best known operations is mail sorting, where teams collect, organize, and deliver mail while saving customers money and creating steady jobs. We also discuss their warehouse partnership with West Virginia state parks and tourism that allows them to manage ecommerce orders, pick and pack products, and ship them to customers. At the expo where we meet, Job Squad has brought together employers, government programs, and community organizations to give families and individuals access to resources that are often hard to find. Zach tells me his hope is to raise awareness in the community and with businesses that Job Squad is not just a nonprofit but a partner that delivers real value while building skills and careers. I close by thanking him for the work he does and reminding everyone to hustle hard, hustle smart, and hustle with a smile.

In this episode of the Kanawha Valley Hustlers podcast I explain how I use battle cards to help businesses refine messaging and support sales teams. I first saw them in the IT industry, where companies gave sales reps concise sheets outlining key talking points, benefits, features, competitive comparisons, and common objections. I don’t like the term because selling isn’t about defeating someone, it’s about helping them solve problems. The process of creating these cards is where the real value is—it forces you to define the problems you solve, identify the emotional benefits for customers, and connect those to the technical features that make them possible. Once those are clear, I compare our offer to competitors, prepare responses to likely objections, and role play with the team to make sure answers sound natural and confident. I stress test messaging with tough scenarios so the team is ready for anything. I keep the cards updated as products, competition, and objections change. The goal is to communicate clearly, consistently, and effectively so prospects see why choosing us is the right solution for their needs.

In this episode of the Kanawha Valley Hustlers podcast I talk with Aly Mullins, an insurance agent with Morris Insurance Services, where she handles property, casualty, and life insurance, with Erie as her main carrier. Aly grew up in Milton and now lives in Hurricane, close to the office. She says recent hailstorms tested the industry, but Erie’s catastrophe teams stepped up, keeping customers from feeling most of the impact, even as she returned to work after an emergency appendectomy. Aly spends her days writing new policies, servicing existing ones, and staying connected with clients through life changes like new homes and cars. Networking is a big part of her work—she often refers clients to trusted contacts in fields like car sales, pet grooming, and accounting, people she knows personally and can vouch for. She compares it to being an in-person Google review, helping people make informed choices through real relationships. Aly says events like Up Next Charlie West are essential for meeting other professionals, learning what they do, and finding ways to connect them with the people she serves.

In this episode of the Kanawha Valley Hustlers podcast, I talk with Linda Matheny, owner of Hagy’s Irish Pie Pub in Charleston. Linda shares how her trip to Ireland inspired her to bring authentic Irish food to West Virginia. After discovering pastie pies in Galway, she and her husband decided to open the pub, serving dishes like shepherd’s pie and pastie pies. The pub’s opening on Saint Patrick’s Day was a success, and they’ve continued celebrating Irish culture with live music, including a local dulcimer band. Linda explains how they stay true to the Irish pub tradition by avoiding typical American fare like cheesesteaks and chicken wings. Instead, they offer honest Irish dishes alongside local favorites like pepperoni rolls. Linda also opens up about the challenges of entrepreneurship, particularly the paperwork required to get an ABC license. Despite the struggles, she’s managed to balance running the pub with her day job as a hairdresser. Linda’s advice to other entrepreneurs is to hire carefully and be prepared for the long hours. Hagy’s Irish Pie Pub has quickly become a local favorite, offering a taste of Ireland in downtown Charleston.