Epic Entrepreneurs
Welcome to Epic Entrepreneurs! What does it take to build a real and thriving business in today’s world? As entrepreneurs and business owners, we went into business to have more freedom of time and money. Yet, the path of growing a business isn’t always filled with sunshine and rainbows. In this chart-topping show, host Bill Gilliland; author of the best-selling book “The Coach Approach” leverages his decades of experience coaching proven entrepreneurs to make more money, grow the right teams, and find the freedom of EPIC Entrepreneurship.
Epic Entrepreneurs
Asheville is Open: How Local Businesses Are Bouncing Back Together
Ever wondered what happens when you join your local Chamber of Commerce but never show up? Jessica Kanupp, Director of Member Marketing and Sales at the Asheville Chamber, calls this the "ultimate missed opportunity" in this energetic conversation with host Bill Gilliland.
As Asheville continues rebuilding after Hurricane Helene, Jessica shares encouraging signs of business recovery throughout the region. "People are pivoting and restructuring," she explains, noting increased inquiries and reopenings in Biltmore Village and the River Arts District. Her message is clear: "Asheville is open!" This resilience mirrors what Jessica witnessed during COVID, providing valuable perspective on how communities can bounce back from successive challenges.
The Asheville Chamber serves as more than just a networking organization—it's an umbrella for economic development, workforce development, entrepreneurship through Venture Asheville, visitor services, public policy, and research. With five networking groups and multiple daily events, the Chamber offers countless ways for businesses to connect. Jessica's advice? "Try different events with different departments. You'll meet different people each time."
Bill introduces his BE EPIC framework for business success: Bring Energy, Education, Planning, Inspiration, and Commitment. Jessica's reflections on each element reveal how her enthusiasm stems from genuine belief in the Chamber's value, how parenthood transformed her approach to planning ("I'm a logistics coordinator now!"), and how her commitment to members manifests in personalized connections despite having over 1,700 businesses to serve.
The upcoming Asheville Business Summit, scheduled near the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene, represents community resilience in action. As Jessica notes, "Our success or your success, their success is our success." Join us at wncsummit.com to be part of this powerful event where business education meets community rebuilding.
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Bill
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Bill
Hey there, welcome to this week's episode of Epic Entrepreneurs. I'm Bill Gilliland, the principal at Action Coach, business Growth Partners and one of the founders of the Asheville Business Summit. And speaking of the Business Summit, it's coming up on the 23rd. If you don't have your tickets yet, get your tickets now. I'll give you a little hint If you can find a sponsor, they might have a ticket for you. So you know it's a thing. Otherwise, you need to go to the website wncsummitcom, get your tickets there. We look forward to seeing you on the 23rd. And if you want to really take advantage of some cool networking, you're going to come out and pay a little bit extra and come to the VIP dinner the night before over at Highland Brewing. So going to be really good on the 22nd. So, hey, I am super pumped today. We've got one of our community partners and sponsors of the summit. We've got Jessica from the Asheville Chamber. So welcome to the podcast, jessica.
Speaker 2:Thanks for having me. I'm happy to be here this morning.
Speaker 2:Yeah, well tell us a little bit about your role and how you got here and what's going on. What's going on at the chamber? Yeah, so my role at the chamber? I'm the director of member marketing and sales. So I'm out in the community talking to new businesses about what we do at the chamber, how to get involved, how to learn more, and I've been with the chamber.
Speaker 2:Gosh, this October it'll be six years Kind of hard to believe and yeah, so we're just out there plugging along. You know we've had a really challenging year this year with the hurricane and I mean none of us expected that. So it's a lot of heartfelt stories when you meet with people and you know really how they've pivoted, what they've gone through. I mean now I've been through COVID talking to businesses. I've been through the hurricane talking to businesses, so it's very emotional and you get very attached to these. So you know when you guys are putting these summits on to help these businesses grow and and learn and help thrive through all of what we've been through, you know it's really, it's really great and really um an up thing, not only with the knowledge that they're getting, but then also the camaraderie and seeing everybody in the place together and I mean that's what I like, and that's what I thrive on.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think you know the speakers are great, we've got a great lineup. It's going to be amazing. It's about how to take you know how to go from here, essentially like how to take what we've learned. I mean, we have been through COVID, we have been through Helene and it's not. We're not going to say it's going to be easy, but what we're saying is that just makes us better and then how do we go from here? But what I've always said about these kind of events is the speakers are great, you're going to get actionable steps from it, but one of the most value is likely going to come in the interim, like at lunch, in the breaks, when you're talking to other business owners, when you're out there networking. So I love that.
Speaker 1:What you said was we're out trying to build community. I want to talk about the chamber a minute Um, and that I've always found that there's a group of people that want to pay their membership and then you never see them again. I you know. I'm going to say to you guys that if that's what you're thinking when you join the member, when you join, when you become a member of the chamber, I think that is a massive missed opportunity. I would almost call it a mistake, but I'm going to call it just a missed opportunity. So there are a lot of ways to get involved. What you said was get involved and that's what I think is the. You know, we've noticed a difference since we've stepped up our efforts and gotten involved, and in a bigger way, and participated on some committees and that sort of thing. So talk about maybe some good ways for people to like step up their involvement in the chamber.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely so. We're in a unique situation, especially in our area, where we are the overarching umbrella of economic development, workforce development. We have our entrepreneurship program through Venture Asheville. We also manage the visitor center that has the Asheville shop attached to it. So, like the trolleys that you see going out, some of the excursions that are leaving from the visitor center Like all of those experiences are leaving from the visitor center here, and those are all members of the chamber. So those are all different. Oh, we also have our public policy department. We have a research department through Riverbird Research, so those are all very different parts of what we do, which also means you can get involved in different arms of the chamber.
Speaker 2:So I always recommend like we have our calendar out on the website, especially when you first join like, go to a couple different events that different departments put on. There's always a different audience, so you're going to meet different people. It might not be exactly who that you you're like oh, this has nothing to do with what I do, but you never know who're going to meet different people. It might not be exactly who that you you're like oh, this has nothing to do with what I do, but you never know who's going to be in the audience, who you're going to meet. At least, you tried it out. You know, um, but there's so many different opportunities to get involved in. I mean, I think it's um coming up and we were. We had our fresh faces event, which is our new members that we welcome each month to come. That was yesterday and we were looking at the calendar and I believe it's the day next week. We have something in the morning, something for lunch and then something in the evening. We were like you can just spend the whole day at the chamber and it's all different departments, but you know, there's something for everyone to get involved in and you just have to tailor it for what you're doing.
Speaker 2:But you're right, it's like joining the gym. You can't just join the gym and then feel like you're going to get buffed and lose weight or something and get healthy. You actually have to go, you know. And so, um, dang dang, I can't just join the gym. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you know we have people here that can answer those questions, but we have volunteers that are also members that can speak to. Hey, I tried this, I did this, you know. So we're, we want to be a resource. We don't. We don't want people to be like I couldn't figure out what to do, you know? I mean there's there's lots of different audiences for different businesses. It's not one. One size doesn't fit all you know, and we understand that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, I love that. I love that. I'm going to give everybody a tip here for networking and first of all, show up, go to something. But one of the things you can do is find whoever the chamber person is at that event. There's always a person They'll have a name badge on usually, or they should, and all you got to do is go to them and say, hey, I don't know who's here, who do I need to meet? That's here, can you introduce me? And I've done that hundreds of times.
Speaker 1:I mean, when I first came here, I remember Amy helped me out. I was like, who do I need to meet? She said, come over here, we'll go meet this person, we'll go meet that person, we'll go meet this person. So the first thing is show up. The second thing is ask for help connecting with people that you should. I mean it's a great question, who's here that I need to know? And hey, I do think from the chamber, you know, when you look at the chamber calendar, holy cow, I mean. I mean I mean so my other piece of advice is don't get hung up that you have to go to everything. You can't, you can't do it. It's not possible If you've got a team of about 20 people, you can probably do it. But if it's just you, you know, pick the things, try out a few things, find the things that resonate with you. Right, yeah, yeah and show up to that. So what are you? You're out in the community. I mean, what are you hearing?
Speaker 2:You know, I feel like it's really interesting. It's a lot more positive. It's turned in. My personal, you know, I feel like, as of like January, february, it was a lot, a lot more positive coming through. You know, I have a lot more inquiries like in my inbox, like going to certain, like out outside of chamber events, but like outside networking things that I'm doing. Sometimes people are like getting together a little bit slowly but businesses are coming back. People are in my inbox wanting to learn more about the chamber, which is so exciting and I love it, which means they're starting businesses, they're moving to Asheville. It's coming back.
Speaker 2:You know, I think all the efforts that everyone is doing to spread the word about us being open, you know, I think it's just, it's really it's coming. It's coming together slower than we wanted it to, but it is working. So I think it's encouraging. I think we just have to be patient. Had I not been working here as long as I have and again, not to reference COVID, but I did go through COVID as well and so it feels very similar to that, you know, and a lot of people are still paying off, you know, loans or something to do with COVID. That's what I've heard a lot of you know. So it's hard for some of these businesses to you know, regroup again. But people are pivoting and they're restructuring and and I'm still talking to people that are, you know, starting out and and reinventing and and so I think it's really coming back and and as you drive around town you see the reopenings, the rebuilds.
Speaker 2:I mean biltmore village, if you've been down there lately you know things are opening back up and, like the hardys have their ribbon cutting I think it was last week maybe and there's a new artist market that's opening up. The River Arts District is doing all kinds of fun things and opening. You know they have stuff on the weekends and it's really opening back up some too. So there's a lot of good that's happening and a lot of businesses are part of that and a lot of artists, and it's just really encouraging.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I like it. So the message to the world is hey, we're open. Yeah, exactly, asheville, we're. I mean, asheville is open. We have, you know, almost I mean, all the hotels, all the downtown businesses were not flooded. So it's I mean we were all impacted. Obviously, most of us were impacted at our homes and everything, but at the end of the day, some industries were more impacted than others. But there is so much going on in this town to think and that's one of the reasons we planned the summit. When we planned it, it is almost exactly on the one-year anniversary it's a little bit about a week before of Alene and there's a lot of things going on then. But this is a real opportunity to come together as a community and I can't say enough thanks to the chamber for being a part of it, and you know the chamber is involved in a lot of things, but most of it's sort of their own umbrella and they've, but they've come out and said, hey, this is something that we need to get behind.
Speaker 2:Um, so tell us a little bit about the rationale for that well, I mean we just I mean we believe in business and thriving, and our business is growing and that's what we're here to do connect businesses with other businesses within the community. And so you, what better way to help support the business summit? And you know our success or your success, their success is our success. And so we had a lot of members that are attending and want to attend, and you know it's just a real good, feel good community event, you know. You know it's just a real good, feel good community event, you know. And so it's just anytime that you can go somewhere where people are leaving empowered and encouraged and, you know, feel like they've gained, you know, knowledge and just also just get to be around people and, and see, I mean, for the longest time, like we this past year, like there were pockets where none of us could communicate with each other, and a lot of the people that will be sitting in that room are extroverts that like to communicate. You know what I mean.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah.
Speaker 2:We, um, we missed a big part of that, and so it's just a way for the chamber to help support your business and the summit in a way that we feel strongly that it's helping other businesses within our community.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think anytime we can get businesses in the same room, regardless of why you're there, then good things happen. And, like I said, the time, the breaks, the time the lunches, the time between that, I mean it's an amazing opportunity to talk to people that you may have a hard time actually catching up. I mean, we've been making a lot of phone calls and the truth is we leave probably 80% messages. So it's just the way it is in this day and age and you know, every once in a while we'll talk to somebody. But when you can be in a room with other business owners, it's just great things happen.
Speaker 2:So it's good, I think it's unique. I feel like to our area too, like it doesn't matter, even if it's the same industry that you're in, like we're such western north carolina is such a collaborative business environment like any other place would be like, oh well, if there's another you know chiropractor there, like I don't know, you know, or something I don't know. Like we're just such a collaborative area. Everybody getting together is just, I don't know, such a. They all did the same thing.
Speaker 1:I mean, they all carried the same things and what they found was by getting to know each other really really well, they were able to help each other out. Like one of them could write farms, one of them couldn't write businesses on farms. I mean, could write businesses on farms. The other one, the guy who could write farms, couldn't write businesses on farms. And they end up collaborating together to both of them having the same client. It never would have happened if they hadn't have been talking to each other pretty regularly. So, yeah, I know the Chamber's got some networking groups too, some P&G groups. If you're looking for something to do, you should check those out. There's I don't know what, three or four of them.
Speaker 2:We have five of them now.
Speaker 1:Five. Wow, okay, that's exciting.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we've got one in South Asheville as well. You know how far it is out there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's a real pain to go to South Asheville, right? It's so so far, right? No, it's like, yeah, no, it's, hey, we're. That's one of the things that's cool about Asheville we're together, but we feel like we're spread out right. We've got east, west, north, south. It's just the way it goes. I want to get your thoughts on something. One of the taglines that I use is BE EPIC, and it's an acronym for success. I want to get your thoughts on the acronym. It's just quick, one or two sentences about each one. The B stands for bring the energy, and I know you're energetic, so let's talk a little bit about energy.
Speaker 2:So, funny story, this office is actually in the way way, way back of the chamber. I like to laugh that I'm like too energetic that they got to put me in the corner, like too energetic that they got to put me in the corner. But yes, I think the energy is contagious. So, as you're, I mean obviously you have to read the room. I mean you know you can't be like bouncing off the walls, but I mean I think I think if people are excited, I mean I believe in the chamber. I believe in everybody's chamber, like not just the Asheville chamber, I love our chamber.
Speaker 2:But if I'm like out on vacation wherever and somebody starts talking to me and they own a business, my first question is are you a member of your local chamber? I mean, they probably think I'm crazy, but like I just am always promoting the chamber. I think it's the best thing since sliced bread, and so I just think your energy is contagious and people feed on that. But if you also believe in your product, like it's going to come across and people are, I mean it's just if you really believe in it and you I mean like that's just what it is and that's part of your energy. And yes, I know I have a lot of energy, so I try to you know.
Speaker 1:No, no, keep it up, man. Enthusiasm is, you're right. I mean energy and enthusiasm are essentially if you're enthusiastic, that is contagious. In fact, I think one of the definitions of sales is a transfer of enthusiasm. So, yeah, I mean people get fired up about things. All right, the E stands for education. Give me a couple of your ideas about education and the importance of that.
Speaker 2:I mean, I think you know, I think you do have to educate yourself on education, I mean in what I do, like the business, what, what, who's coming, who I'm talking to, like what they're doing, you know, or what I'm doing at the time, keeping up with the times, like all the stuff that's going on. You know how that can help me or help others, others. You know we do a lot of educational things here at the chamber that I'm like, oh, I never would have thought of that. Or sometimes I'm like, oh, I don't own my own business, this doesn't pertain to me. And then I'm like sitting there listening. I'm like, but I could use some of this, you know, or something like that.
Speaker 1:So I love it I love it. Got to always be getting better. Yeah, how about? P stands for planning?
Speaker 2:Yeah, how about P stands for planning? Well, it depends on who you ask about planning. When it comes to me, I'm not going to show my desk right now because I'm a little bit of organized chaos, but I actually am a planner. I think a lot of that has come since I've had my child because I feel like I'm a logistics coordinator when it comes to things. But I mean, you do really have to plan. You know where you're headed, what you're doing and have a strategic eye about it.
Speaker 2:You know, I always like to do like when we're at a networking thing, I like to know, do introductions in the beginning, know what the business is, so that once ever, whenever, like, the opportunity is ready to talk to people, I can hone in on who I need to talk to, when I need to talk to them, because time is of the essence. You know, not that I don't want to talk to people that I you know but like not necessarily me, but like people have things that they need to do and you need to know what their business is so that you can effectively use your time while you have it. You know, because there's a lot going on and there's a lot of places to be where shortly after this next meeting. You know you need to use your time wisely and get to. You might not have an Amy Jackson to be like hey, I need to talk with somebody that does X, y, z and she walks you over to it. You know what I mean.
Speaker 1:Right, yeah, that's great I love.
Speaker 2:I love name tags that tell me exactly who you work for, you know um, so that I can know what's going on.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I believe in wearing M-Tags as well. Yeah, it's funny. So having a kid will make you a planner. I love that. Yeah, you have to be. You can't. Yeah, I love that.
Speaker 2:And then you plan it and then it goes out the window. I mean like let's be honest.
Speaker 1:Well, yeah, there's an. You know I have some Marines for clients and they say that you know, they teach you in the Marines that you've got to make a plan, but as soon as the plan changes, as soon as you get shot at, so yeah, yeah, I mean, you know it's life or death, right?
Speaker 2:As soon as you get that stomach bug.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah that's exactly right, exactly right. Something goes sideways. So the I stands for inspiration. Tell us your thoughts, or where do you find inspiration?
Speaker 2:Well, you know, since I had my son, a lot of my inspiration really comes from him. Like you know, I wanted to see that I'm a hard worker and you know I can still have fun, but you know, we've got to get, we've got to get our work done so that we can have the things. But also, you know, a lot, of, a lot of personally, my inspiration like just comes from my parents, you know, raising me and they just instilled in me to work hard and, you know, be sincere, which is how I talk to people when they're doing things. Like I mean, I might be talking to somebody about the chamber for like a year or more. You know, and that's fine with me. I just want people to do good with their business and join the chamber when they're ready.
Speaker 2:You know, honestly, and that's the truth, and a lot of my inspiration too, too, comes from the people that I work with. I mean, we're a tight knit, working, you know, group of people. A lot of us have been here for many years and really, you know it's just a great environment to work in, very supportive. You know new ideas come through, you know, we talk through them and we're like, hey, let's try it, you know, and it's just great. I worked in a very corporate environment for many, many years and that just wasn't. That wasn't something that we did Like. Everything came from corporate, and so it's very nice and refreshing to have those ideas and then have a team and a support to be able to do those. I mean, they might not always work out, but at least you gave it a shot, you know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's exciting, that's good stuff. I love that. I love that Finding inspiration all over the place, just in everyday stuff. I love that. Okay, c stands for commitment, which obviously you are committed, so yeah. Yeah, I mean, that came out in your last thing. So tell us a little bit more your thoughts on your commitment.
Speaker 2:I mean it's like I said earlier. I mean I'm talking about the chamber all the time, you know, and I really am committed to our members growing their businesses and connecting people. You know, I mean a lot of them like there'll be like texting me, like, hey, I need to do that, hey, can you connect me with this, or emailing me over something. You know, I mean it's just I want them to get what they need. I might not be able to even help with something at the time, but I can get it over to whoever needs it.
Speaker 2:And when, when I first started this job, I was like there's no way I'm going to. I mean we have over. We have like over 1700 members, almost. You know, like I was like there's no way I'm going to remember all these people and I mean it's amazing how connected you get with everybody, with that many people. And then, as you are out and about and getting connected, and then it's just I don't know, it's just so fulfilling and to know that I mean obviously you're not working in their business but you do have a little hand in it to help promoting it. And I was just talking with somebody the other day and they expanded a portion of their business and I was like, hey, we need to help promote this, you know. And so next thing, you know, we've got some information going out to to help with that for ribbon cutting, and had I not been where I was when I was there, that probably wouldn't have happened, you know. So it's just nice to to help in any way that we can.
Speaker 1:I love that. I love that, so you're easy to find. But let's tell everybody what's the easiest way to get it Am I? I don't know Well, you might not be easy to find geographically, but you might be easy to find online or by phone. So how do you? What's the best way for people to get ahold of you, jessica?
Speaker 2:So the best way to get a hold of me is probably via email at jkanupp. That's J-K-A-N-U-P-P at AshevilleChamberorg, and you can send me an email. We can schedule a time to talk about the chamber. If you want to check out anything related to the chamber, it's AshevilleChamberorg. Our calendar is listed there. Information about all of our events, membership, any kind of details about our other departments are on there as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I love that. I love it Listen. Thanks for being on here. This is great.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm happy to do it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, hey, remember, the Chamber is a big supporter of the Asheville Business Summit and they're going to be there, and you can probably see Jessica there. Yeah, folks, and it's going to be amazing. It's going to be an amazing networking event, it's going to be an amazing educational event, it's going to be an amazing business event. So, if you haven't already gotten those tickets, go out to WNCSummitcom and get them. We look forward to seeing you there. Hey, and until then, all the best.