Colby Hall, Executive Director at SOAR (Shaping Our Appalachian Region), joined me for this week's episode!

SOAR is a regional nonpartisan nonprofit that champions local projects, programs, and advocacy for the 54 ARC-mandated counties in Eastern Kentucky. Their mission is to fill the economic gaps left by the decline of the coal industry, and their goal is to rally the communities to help achieve these goals together for the good of all.

We talked:

• Colby's unique journey to Executive Director at SOAR
• SOAR's Blueprint
• Vital importance of getting broadband access for all right
• A 21st Century Workforce
• SOAR Innovation tools and resources
• Upcoming 2021 SOAR Summit
• And much more!

Colby's book recommendation: Ron Chernow's, "Alexander Hamilton" https://www.amazon.com/Alexander-Hamilton-Ron-Chernow/dp/0143034758 

Interested in working with or the resources available through SOAR:
https://www.soar-ky.org
https://www.facebook.com/ShapingOurAppalachianRegion 
https://www.linkedin.com/company/shaping-our-appalachian-region/ 

Shaping Our Appalachian Region
137 Main Street, Ste. 300
Pikeville, KY 41501

Conley Bottom is owned and operated by their family for families.  Their passion is your passion- Lake Cumberland, and all of the beauty and activity that it has to offer. Amber's grandpa, Charlie Denney, started as a dock boy at the age of 14 and worked his way up through the years. He and his wife, Polly, bought into the business and started to operate it together in 1979, even converting part of their home into an office for Conley Bottom. Amber's mom, Robin married her husband Fred in 1981, and they began to manage the marina and worked very hard to make the marina what it is today. They bought into the business in 2019.  Amber's brother, Knox and herself also grew up at the marina and now work very hard along with their spouses, Jeremy and Rachel to keep the family business alive and well. They all take great pride in promoting a family-friendly atmosphere for other families to enjoy.   

We talked:

• Conley Bottom History
• The Fire
• What COVID Looked Like at the lake
• Rebuilding Bigger and Better
• And much more!

Interested in working with or visiting Conley Bottom:
https://conleybottom.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/Conley-Bottom-Resort-103535429689617/?ref=page_internal 

Conley Bottom Resort
270 Conley Bottom Road
Monticello, KY 42633

Tiffany Finley, Executive Director of Master Musicians Festival, joined me for the latest episode.

MMF is a non-profit music festival dedicated to bringing musical excellence to rural Kentucky while making a 3 million dollar economic impact on the Lake Cumberland area. Tiffany currently serves as vice president of the Somerset-Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. During the pandemic, Tiffany also co-founded Black Mountain Management, a music management company that focuses on giving Kentucky artists a voice in the music industry.

We talked:

• MMF's History
• Economic Impact of the annual festival
• Which headline artist they *almost* landed
• Launching Black Mountain Management
• And much more!

Tiffany's podcast recommendation: Dax Shepard's, "Armchair Expert" https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/id1345682353 

Interested in working with or purchasing tickets through MMF:
https://mastermusiciansfestival.org/  
https://www.facebook.com/mastermusiciansfestival 

Master Musicians Festival
PO Box 1212
Somerset, KY 42502
mastermusiciansfestival@gmail.com