Exploring the Valley
Discover the hidden gems, local legends, and can’t-miss experiences in Black Mountain and the Swannanoa Valley as we dive into the perks of Chamber membership and uncover what makes this mountain town a must-visit destination. Whether you're a local business or just passing through, there's something cool waiting for you!
Exploring the Valley
From Rory Gilmore To Chamber Pro
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She packed up her life, moved to the mountains days after graduation, and jumped into a Chamber of Commerce job that didn’t even come with a neat little job description. That’s the kind of real world leap we love, and it’s why our conversation with Sophie Sullivan feels so relatable for anyone starting over in a new place.
We talk with Sophie about growing up in a tiny farming town in northwest Indiana, living in the Tampa area, and then choosing Swannanoa and the Black Mountain NC community as her new home. She shares how meeting her fiancé changed her timeline, what it’s like building a life near family, and the everyday joys that make Western North Carolina stick, including hiking with their puppy, chasing country music concerts, and the very real puzzle of wedding planning. If you’re searching for wedding venues near Black Mountain, Lake Eden and Hidden River come up as memorable options, especially for out of town guests who need cabins and an easy place to gather.
On the work side, we get into what a chamber assistant actually does: social media, administrative support, Canva design, and the kind of careful proofreading that keeps community communication clear and trustworthy. Sophie’s journalism background shines as we talk about learning from volunteers in the visitor center and how one simple question, “Where are you from?” can turn a quick stop into a genuine connection. We also pull back the curtain on Sourwood Festival preparation, from signage and parking passes to handling calls from lost vendors and learning street names on the fly.
If you care about local business, community events, and what makes the Black Mountain Swannanoa area feel like home, you’ll find a lot to love here. Subscribe to Exploring the Valley, share this with a friend who’s new to town, and leave us a review so more people can discover the pride of our community.
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Welcome And A New Role
SPEAKER_02Sophie Sullivan. Let me just tell you that I am really glad you're here this morning, but I'm even more grateful to have you in your new role at the chamber. And I'm really glad to have help. I've been there for a year and a half by myself and um lots of volunteers, lots of people have been very helpful, but nobody who's going to show up for sure and do a specific job every day. So I'm really glad you're here and thank you for coming in today. I appreciate you.
SPEAKER_00Thank you.
SPEAKER_02I want to ask you what's your story and where are you from?
SPEAKER_00Yeah. So I sp I've spent most of my life up in this point in Indiana. I was born and raised in a teeny tiny little farming town in northwest Indiana called DeMott.
SPEAKER_01DeMott.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Okay. No idea where that came from.
SPEAKER_01It's okay.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, whatever. It's really, really small. We lived there till I was 16. My dad
From Indiana To Florida
SPEAKER_00had to switch jobs. My mom really wanted to move to Florida. So that's where we moved, where he got a job. So then we moved to the Tampa area, like 30 minutes outside of it. And I lived there till I was 22. 22. Three months ago. And then after that, I moved here to Swantanoa.
SPEAKER_02So why did you move here other than to come work at the chamber, obviously? But what else? What drew you to Black Mountain Swantanoa area?
SPEAKER_00Well, when I was living in Florida, I met this really cute guy. Boys, they're trouble. Right. So he became my fiance in March. Yay, congratulations. Oh no, best wishes. Go ahead. Oh, that's right. Yeah. Best wishes. And then we his parents moved from Florida to the Black Mountain Swantanoa area. I think, I think they said in like 2018. And so we decided to join them after I graduated. Uh my fiance
Love, Family, And Moving Here
SPEAKER_00is an electrician. What company does he work with? His dad and him are starting a company called Elevation Electrical Contractors.
SPEAKER_02Good job.
SPEAKER_00Going well so far. Good. They've been very helpful at the chamber and my house.
SPEAKER_02I I totally appreciate them.
SPEAKER_00But go ahead. So yeah, we we moved up here in a couple months. May May. Yeah, yeah. After graduation. Right, right. I graduated. We moved here literally a couple days later. That was a very busy week. And yeah, I don't know.
SPEAKER_02That's good. So your uh your your future father-in-law, Martin Riggs, who is a chamber member, but he also he's become a lot more than a chamber member for me. He's very helpful. He always comes up with solutions for all my problems, well, a lot of them, even if they're not just electrical. He surprises me, but he's helped me a lot. But he came into my office. He's a helper. That is what he does. That is his heart. Yes. And he came into the office and dropped off a resume for some girl. And I looked at it. I'm like, okay, you know, resumes don't mean anything to me. I'm like, give me the person, let me talk to them. And so then he brought you in and said, Can you help us help her find a job? And so I asked you a couple of questions and I thought, you know, I'm going to hire her. I'm not letting her help her find another job. This is my girl. I've been looking for her for a year. So I'm so glad that she, you know, that that all worked out. But then I got home and got worried that I had asked you all these questions and you answered them correctly. And I thought, she was sitting with her future father-in-law. What if she felt awkward or had to answer the questions? So I made you come back in and talk to me again. And we instantly, it was it was great. I mean, it was like, this is my girl. This is who I am. I said to you, I said, Do you want to go out and knock on doors and meet different chamber members? And you said, Well, I could learn to do that. And I said, A lot of times your job is gonna be dis you're gonna be stuck in a desk and you're gonna be doing administrative things. And I mean, are you are you willing to do that? And you said, I would love to do that all the time. And I said, That is my girl, because I hate that stuff. That is what I'm not good at. So absolutely. We have uh different skill sets. So that is super helpful. So you've only been here a short time, and I think you travel half the time. I know. But uh I guess what what what do y'all do when you're not working? I know you work for Martin as well, but what else do you guys do?
SPEAKER_00Well, since being here, we've loved being outside a lot and we've taken a couple hikes, not a ton yet, hopefully. We out. It's been hot, so yes, once it gets a little bit. It's about to be cool, awesome. Right, I know it's gonna be much better. So we'll probably
Hikes, Concerts, And Wedding Plans
SPEAKER_00get out and do that more. We love taking our puppy places. She's our she's our favorite. She is surprisingly really good at hiking. We were not sure about that, but yeah, she was climbing those rocks. We love country music concerts. That's that's one of our big ones. Yeah, okay. We we will travel for for a concert. Yeah. Spending a little time looking at wedding venues, maybe? Yeah. So we've looked, we've been in contact with and looked at a couple. We've been in contact with Lake Eden.
SPEAKER_02It's a beautiful place. We interviewed him on the podcast a few weeks ago. Have you listened to that one yet? No, it's okay if you haven't. Sure, it's on your lead. So, yeah, of course. Fascinating history. But anyway, I keep going. Sorry.
SPEAKER_00So we're excited to be able to look at that. Another one we've looked at is Hidden River. We have not looked at that one yet either, but that one is amazing.
SPEAKER_02I mean, beautiful. And they even have well, Lake Eden does too, but they have cabins that you can rent for people who are from out of town, which is going to be important for a lot of people from either Florida or Indiana or That's right. Wherever. But we'll have to go out there and meet Jeannie because she's amazing. I really, really like her. Well, good. So you've got those two, and you're looking at others too, I'm sure. But it's a lot of work. Planning a wedding is a lot of work.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. We were we were considering doing more of an elopement sort of deal. We're we're still not sure, but we're we're pricing things out and well, I'm just saying elope.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Have a fun party afterwards. That's all right. I mean, that's just I don't, I'm not telling you what to do. I'm just saying I had it all to do over again. That's exactly what I would have done. But yeah. So I guess you went home last weekend, home being Indiana, right? Not really home anymore. But home is here now. And you all live in Swantanoa and you go to a church there. Which one do you go to? We go to Mountain View Baptist Church. Gotcha. Yes. Okay. So that's really sort of between Black Mountain and Swantanoa.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. I had you at a different church in my head. I don't I don't know why.
SPEAKER_00But yeah. We just started doing nursery there. Oh once every month.
SPEAKER_02That is not helpful. That'll that'll give you a baby fever. Be careful. Be careful. I know. Yeah. No. That is very helpful at the church. Don't hear me wrong. Yes. Well, good. Good. What else is going on in your world? What else? Um has have your has your family come here yet?
SPEAKER_00They haven't. I think I know. They've never been up here at all. I think they're thinking about fall break. I have three younger siblings. So my. Yeah. So we're waiting for a good time for everyone's uh school schedule.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00But I'm I'm excited. Hopefully they get to come during fall. Good.
SPEAKER_02That'll be a beautiful time.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Well, fall's the only season I haven't been here yet. I've been here on spring, summer, and winter. Favorite.
SPEAKER_02It is my favorite. I have two sounds that are my favorite noises. One is a baby who's laughing, not loud and obnoxious, just the giggle of a little baby. But also walking in fall leaves. I love the crunch. I get, I mean, I guess they have fall in Indiana. They don't really have it in Florida. That's pretty.
SPEAKER_00So no, not in Florida, but India. I miss, I miss four seasons. So I was happy.
SPEAKER_01Yes.
SPEAKER_00Happy to come back up here. My my Florida boy, we'll we'll see how he does.
SPEAKER_01That's right. He'll be fine. Yeah. We'll get him through it. We'll get him through it.
SPEAKER_00It'll be just my hibernate a little bit, but that's right. That's right. So what do you do at the chamber? What do you know yet? I we're we're calling my position the assistant. So I do I've been helping with like social media stuff and some different like administrative tasks, I guess. Um goodness, what else?
SPEAKER_02You're good on that Canva, and I'm really grateful to have you. Not all Canva is a really cool software for people who are not experts or you know professionals, but you can't anybody can use Canva. I really truly believe that. But you also
Learning The Chamber Job Fast
SPEAKER_02have to have the design eye, and I I don't have that. That is not my oh yeah, I don't like it. It's not fun to me. So I'm really glad that you do have both. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00One of one of my professors in college spent a lot of time with us on Canva. Um and I was in the newspaper in college. So that's right. We we did a lot for that. Yeah. So I bet you did. I've had lots of practice.
SPEAKER_02Lots of practice. Well, and that was another thing is your you have proofreading skills and English is great, all the things that I really needed and needed help with. So glad to have that. What has been your favorite part of being at the chamber?
SPEAKER_00I love sitting in the visitor center and listening to all of the people that come in and their stories and where they're from.
SPEAKER_02I always ask people, where are you from? That's my favorite thing to learn about people. I don't know why, where that comes from. I'm not sure. But well, it's interesting.
SPEAKER_00I like to see there are a lot of people who come from Florida. So I'm always like Scratch, where at? What part? Hello. Yeah. Exactly. Exactly.
SPEAKER_02And our volunteers in there are really, really knowledgeable. And
Visitor Center Stories And Small World Moments
SPEAKER_02I I I swear that's where I've learned everything.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's been very helpful to sit in there and listen to them.
SPEAKER_02I think the first week, the first big project I gave you, you were like, I could do this at home. Can I just do this at home? And I was like, absolutely not. You have to be in there. You're gonna learn everything you need to know from listening to the volunteers. So what days are you there right now?
SPEAKER_00Right now, generally Monday through Wednesday. Right. Yes.
SPEAKER_02And we're hoping to move that a little more closer, a little closer to Full Street as soon as possible. That's but it's we've got this little festival coming up that's taking up all of our time. Right. So it'll be after that before we can figure out exactly what all you'll be doing. Yes. Exciting. Well, have you met any volunte any volunteers or visitors that just jump out in your head like that was a really fun interaction with somebody at the visitor center?
SPEAKER_00Well, I guess maybe it's because I spend the most time with her because of the days I'm here, but I love Margie and Ron. I know. There's something. They're so sweet. Yeah. Ron well, Ron was a journalism teacher, so he and I usually have a lot to talk about, uh, just with my background in journalism.
SPEAKER_02But you two can talk about fonts.
SPEAKER_00Right. Well enjoy that. Go ahead. Yeah, super fun. And yeah, I love I love chatting with Margie and she's she's so detail oriented, and I love how she she's so good at the visitor something.
SPEAKER_02That's right. She really is, and she she trains everybody who comes in with those.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. She was she was the first one I met too. Okay. Okay. Well, good.
SPEAKER_02Anyone come from your hometown that you've been surprised that they were at least really close by?
SPEAKER_00Actually, there was someone from northwest Indiana. I don't remember when, but yeah, it was I mean, and it wasn't like, of course, my little small town, but like it was maybe a town 40 minutes away.
SPEAKER_01Yes.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, she and everyone always says the Chicago area because it's yeah, it's almost Chicago. We're in the Chicago time zone up there. So she was like, I think she said something about like the Chicago area, and I was like, Which one? Where where exactly? That's yeah, and it turned out really close. So that was hilarious.
SPEAKER_02That's really fun. I I had a a man came in one day and he was talking to me and he said, Well, I was I I lived in northwest Georgia. I said, Where? And he said, Well, it was kind of near Atlanta. I'm like, where? And he said, it it it's just north of Atlanta and between halfway between Atlanta and Chattanooga. I'm like, Cartersville, Georgia. He said, Yes. Oh my gosh. He said, I said, what did you do there? And we figured out we both were from there. And I said, What did you do there? And he said, Well, uh, I was on this radio. I was like, WBHF. He said, Yes. I was the afternoon guy. I said, I was the morning girl. I was like, that is so wild that we knew each other. Such a small one. But he was significantly, he was there significantly years before I was. So it was just, it was just, but we both, and we knew a lot of the same people just because we that they still worked at the radio station. So anyway, so cool. It was really fun. So it is fun to see the people when they come in. Yeah. I wish we could figure out ways to get people to come to the that's something we need to work on is how to get the people who live here to come to the visitor center. There's a whole chamber section. So when you do need an electrician, you know, you can always call the visitor center, but you also can come in and look through the brochures and the flyers and things that are there for the chamber people.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. I always cause there have been a couple times where people have come in, they're like, I live here, I've just never stopped in here, you know, or something like that. I know I we should start asking. So what made you come in here? It's like, yeah, but we're glad you did.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, awesome. I know that you went to a teeny tiny college in Virginia. I know that you went to a teeny tiny college in Florida. What was the name of it?
SPEAKER_00It's called St. Leo University.
SPEAKER_02Where is it?
SPEAKER_00It's in a little middle of nowhere town called Dade City, Florida. Like it's like 30 minutes outside of Tampa.
SPEAKER_02Okay.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. And your major was I double majored in English and history. Okay. I did.
SPEAKER_02I missed the history part. I was just excited by English,
College Newsroom Roots And Big Plans
SPEAKER_02I guess.
SPEAKER_00Right. It was originally a minor, and then I had enough time to spend there. So I made it double major. Uh and I I didn't want to graduate early because I loved the newspapers. That's right. Yeah. And you were the editor of the newspaper. I was. I spent four years on staff. Um, the first two I was a page editor, and then the last two I was editor-in-chief.
SPEAKER_02Oh wow.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Okay.
SPEAKER_02So that's why you're good at all those things that I needed you to be good at.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, exactly. It was I and it was just one of the I was never interested in journalism before. I just wanted to like be involved in something. Yes. And I really love Gilmore girls, and Rory Gilmore was on her school newspaper. So I was like, okay, it can't do that. It can't be that bad.
SPEAKER_02Well, and people can't see your face, but they need to come into the chamber because you are Rory Gilmore. And if somebody doesn't know the Gilmore girls, you're missing out. Great show.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, which I actually told my newspaper advisor professor, and I told her why I joined. She was like, whatever got you here. So whatever got you here. Like that's fine. That's but yeah, no, that was.
SPEAKER_02Did you ever get to interview anybody that stands out in your brain?
SPEAKER_00Every year we did an interview of the president of the university. So I always got to do that, which was usually pretty fun. Was the president interesting? But not always interesting.
SPEAKER_02I don't know how you did that.
SPEAKER_00Not I well, it is kind the story itself was kind of interesting because my four years there, I had three different presidents. Oh wow. Yeah, so I'm not gonna air the schools.
SPEAKER_01No, it's fine.
SPEAKER_00It was it was kind of interesting that I got almost a new one every year to interview. Well, that worked. Yeah, that's fine. Uh a story you might actually not know. I don't think I've told you this. Tell me. Uh I originally was planning on going to grad school and doing something else. But uh I for like probably a coup mm probably a year or so, I was set on coming to App State for grad school. Oh, how funny. And yeah, and that was like before you met Corey before I met Corey. That's wild. Because I I was starting to get really into Appalachian studies and I was like maybe wanting to teach it or something, but they as soon like when I met Corey and he mentioned that he was he had family up in the mountains of North Carolina, I was like, that is that's it. That is too funny. That's funny. Yeah, so I was I was wanting to come up here before I even met him.
SPEAKER_02And you you hadn't didn't come look at it or anything, you just wanted to go to upstate. You just picked it uh out of the world.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Okay. Do they have a specialty in that?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, they have Appalachian studies. I believe that's it's like a whole master's program, I guess. But okay I didn't I didn't get that far into the looking process, but it was just a it was a thought for well.
SPEAKER_02We all need to go there one weekend. It's a really cool town.
SPEAKER_00Yes.
SPEAKER_02There's a lot of neat things. Go see their chamber, they're great. They're of course. They are really good people, and I enjoy you'll get to meet all of them. It'll be good. Yeah. Well, good. So mostly what we're working on these days, and and it and it it's funny because I really don't like I don't like to talk about things that are time sensitive because I want somebody to listen to this next year and think it's you know still relevant. But but basically, you poor thing, you showed up right in time for the Sourwood Festival. Right. So in your office, which was already pretty much a storage room to begin with, now we have thousands of t-shirts, yeah, piles of paper, piles of envelopes and different things.
Sourwood Festival Prep And Vendor Calls
SPEAKER_02But so what are you working on for Sourwood? What are you not working on for Sourwood?
SPEAKER_00Well, I've spent a lot of time on Canva these past couple of weeks doing like different signage, name tags, parking passes, like everything. Booth signs, yeah. Yes, a million little things like that, which are kind of time consuming. Doesn't sound like it, but I know it it definitely can be. Uh we've gone to meetings every week. So I've been really just trying to listen as much as I can and learn things. And I need to make sure I know the street names is what I realized this morning. Yeah, which is not my strong suit. So I think I need to go study up. Go take a walk.
SPEAKER_02I always say that the uh that the best way to teach somebody chamber world, any chamber, anywhere you work, is to put them on the front desk and make them answer the phone. And guess what we're doing to you at Sourwood? Sophie, you have the phone number that every vendor is gonna have when they get lost, when they can't find their way here, when they're running behind, when they whatever. And they're gonna be calling you. And so you're gonna learn really fast. Next year you'll be the expert on Sourwood because you'll learn all the questions. But don't worry, we have put you with some people who are on the committee who know who've done it for years. So you'll be fine. Yes, you'll do great. But uh, but you yeah, I've got some jobs you should go do, and then you'll learn the streets. I've got two that just popped in my head. See? Perfect. That's what we need to do. Is what do you need to learn? And that's how we can pick what the next job is gonna be. Well, good. Well, we we do need to go walk down the streets this week anyway. A lot of signs to put up and things like that. So you'll learn them.
SPEAKER_00Perfect.
SPEAKER_02And they're not hard, there's only five roads that you have to learn.
SPEAKER_00Like I know the names, I just need to figure out where they are, which ones which. Yes, yes.
SPEAKER_02We will do that. So, is there anything that I haven't asked you or that a shout out to anybody in particular? Mom and dad, Corey, whatever. Anything you want to say?
SPEAKER_00Well, I want to thank you for no, seriously, for this job. I love like I love this job. I wasn't, you know, there wasn't really a job description when I was taking it on, which there still isn't. Yeah, there's we're working on it. We'll we'll make one up,
Gratitude, Closing, And Sendoff
SPEAKER_00but um I know I took a chance on it, and I'm really glad I did because I seriously love this job.
SPEAKER_02Well, good.
SPEAKER_00I love my job too, so that's and I told Corey that we have to stay in the Black Mountains Wananoa area because I just love it so much. And that's that. Good, good. Well, thank you.
SPEAKER_02That was good. What a great way to end the show. Thank you very much. Thanks for coming, and uh, I'll see you back at the office. Thanks for joining us on Exploring the Valley. Until next time, keep celebrating the pride of our community and discovering the magic of the mountains. In the meantime, you're free to move about the valley.