Signature Required
A podcast for Tennesseans by Tennesseans. We talk with leaders—business owners, policy experts, educators, and more—who champion the entrepreneurial spirit and transform once-small ideas into big impact.
Episodes
113 episodes
Arresting the Problem, Not Just the Person | Sheriff Daron Hall
Davidson County Sheriff Daron Hall joins Spencer and Carli to pull back the curtain on a part of the criminal justice system most people rarely see. From the difference between jails and prisons to rehabilitation, second chances, and the humani...
The Power of a Present Father | Marcus Meneese
Marcus Meneese, founder and executive director of Stronger Than My Father, joins Spencer and Carli to talk about fatherhood, mentorship, discipline, and breaking generational cycles. Marcus shares how the example set by his own father inspired ...
More Than a Foster Home | Kristin Allender
Kristin Allender, Executive Director of Tennessee Kids Belong and CEO of America’s Kids Belong, joins Spencer and Carli to share the stories behind the children still waiting for families and why everyone has a role to play. From foster familie...
Rethinking Tennessee’s Safety Net | Commissioner Clarence Carter
Tennessee Commissioner of Human Services Clarence Carter joins Signature Required to discuss what’s working, what isn’t, and what needs to change about the systems designed to serve Tennessee’s most vulnerable. Drawing on 35 years in public ser...
Restoring Dignity Through Food | Brittney Brown
Season 3 of Signature Required kicks off with Brittney Brown, Director of Mission Advancement at The Store, for a conversation about food insecurity, dignity, and the power of choice. Brittney shares how The Store is rethinking traditional food...
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Tom Morales on The Taxes Killing Nashville's Soul
From catering Hollywood's biggest stars on movie sets around the world to saving one of Nashville's most iconic buildings, Tom Morales has spent his life betting on Nashville — and winning. But after surviving COVID, watching competitors multip...
Commissioner Will Reid on Fixing Tennessee's Traffic Woes
Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner Will Reid breaks down what TDOT actually does beyond paving roads, from operating ferries to inspecting 20,000 bridges to being the state's largest real estate buyer. Reid, the first employee ...
Sen. Jack Johnson on Tunnels, Tolls, and Tennessee Politics
Tennessee Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson breaks down the mechanics behind the Boring Company's underground tunnels, Choice Lanes, and the real drivers of Tennessee's explosive growth. From navigating misinformation to the sacrifice require...
Wendall Hinkle on What It Takes to Manage Film Locations
Location manager Wendall Hinkle pulls back the curtain on how major productions like Superman, Nashville, and 9-1-1 Nashville find and transform real places into the backdrops of our favorite shows. From knocking on doors in neighborhoods to sh...
Lance Villio on the Governor’s Faith Based & Community Initiatives
Lance Villio, Executive Director of the Governor’s Faith-Based and Community Initiative, joins Signature Required to discuss how government, churches, and nonprofits can work together to serve Tennessee’s most vulnerable. Appointed by Gov...
Dr. Candice McQueen on Lipscomb University
This week, we sit down with Dr. Candice McQueen, President of Lipscomb University, to explore the evolving role of higher education in Tennessee. We discuss how Lipscomb is balancing academic rigor with a Christ-centered mission, the importance...
Tiffany Kerns on Building Community Through Music
Tiffany Kerns, Executive Director of the CMA Foundation, joins Signature Required for a grounded and expansive conversation about music education, leadership, and the power of community partnership. While many know the Country Music As...
Mackenzie Steele on Creative Discovery Museum Chattanooga
At the Creative Discovery Museum in Chattanooga, learning looks a lot like play, and play is serious work. From the center of the museum’s atrium, Mackenzie Steele, Director of Marketing and Communications, shares how one of Tennessee’s most be...
Randy Boyd on The University of Tennessee
Randy Boyd, President of the University of Tennessee, joins Signature Required for a conversation about entrepreneurship, public service, and the role higher education plays in shaping the future of Tennessee. From starting busin...
Vernon Shaw on the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee
Signature Required sits down with Vernon Shaw, Manager of Donor Relationships for Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, for a conversation about food insecurity, community care, and the complexity behind feeding thousands of families ac...
Scott Peck on The Loveless Cafe
Signature Required sits down with Scott Peck, Executive Chef of Loveless Cafe, for a conversation about Southern cooking, culinary leadership, and what it takes to steward one of Tennessee’s most iconic restaurants. From biscuits and fried chic...
Chris Fletcher On Inside Jack Daniel’s
Jack Daniel’s is one of the most recognizable brands in the world, but its story is deeply rooted in a small Tennessee town, generations of family legacy, and an uncompromising commitment to doing things the right way. From the Bethel House at ...
CJ Sentell on Nashville Food Project
Signature Required sits down with CJ Sentelll, CEO of the Nashville Food Project, to explore food insecurity from a community and systems perspective. The conversation goes beyond emergency food aid to examine why hunger exists, how food desert...
Andrew Leeper On Nashville Severe Weather
Weather becomes personal when it’s happening over your neighborhood, at night, with kids asleep down the hall. Andrew Leeper, Director of Broadcasting for Nashville Severe Weather, explains why hyperlocal, calm, two-way communication matters mo...
Mark Davidson (DA) on Inside the Role of a Tennessee District Attorney
Public safety looks very different when you move past TV stereotypes and into real communities. Mark Davidson, District Attorney General for Tennessee’s 25th Judicial District, offers a candid look at what the justice system actually does and w...
Patrick Sheehan on Tennessee Emergency Management Agency
Patrick Sheehan, Director of the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, is one of the people most Tennesseans never see but rely on constantly. Drawing on decades of experience responding to disasters ranging from floods and tornadoes to pandem...
Chief John Drake on Keeping Nashville Safe
Chief John Drake, Metro Nashville’s Chief of Police, joins us for a wide ranging conversation on leadership, trust, and what it actually means to serve a city that has changed dramatically over the last few decades. With nearly four decades in ...
Dr. Nidhi Gupta on Tennessee Doctor Leads the Way for Screen Safety
Screens are shaping childhood in ways most parents never connect until something feels off. Dr. Nidhi Gupta joins us for a clear, clinical conversation about screen safety, child development, and what she sees showing up in kids long before fam...
Rory and AJ Vaden on Marriage and Partnership in Entrepreneurship
Join us this week as we sit down with Rory and AJ Vaden, co-founders of Brand Builders Group. We talk about personal branding, entrepreneurship, and what it really means to build a meaningful business together. Tune in today!
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Tasia Malakasis on What It Takes to Scale a Startup
This week, we sat down with Tasia Malakasis, CEO of The Company Lab, to explore her journey from tech executive to entrepreneur. She shares insights on Chattanooga’s startup scene, the importance of tenacity, and how The Company Lab supports mo...
