Golf & Business - Closing the Deal at the Fairway Fore Foundation Golf Classic

This week marks the 3rd annual Fairway Fore Foundation Golf Classic at Jefferson Landing. This annual fundraising tournament fuels the work of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation, providing support for economic development projects and investments in childcare, housing, workforce development, infrastructure, and organizational support.

The Boone Area Chamber of Commerce is not the only organization that does business on the golf course. In fact, 30% of small business owners say they have initiated or closed business on a golf course. This week on Mind Your Business, we are on location for this year's tournament, highlighting the ways golf and business lead to the relationship equity that can move a deal or project across the finishline.

Speaking of business, we have updates on two key project areas -- broadband infrastructure and local convention space. Edward Hinson of SkyLine/SkyBest takes time away from the range to discuss the company's continued Helene recovery efforts along with information about the future of broadband usage in the High Country. 

Then, we visit with the owner of the Graystone Lodge, Justin Patel. In addition to serving alongside Carolina West Wireless as our tournament co-sponsor, Justin's team has been working on a project that could add valuable meeting and convention space inside the Town of Boone. We'll get the latest details on that project, as well as an early look at the performance of the 2026 tourism season.

Mind Your Business is written and produced weekly by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. This podcast is made possible thanks to the sponsorship support of Appalachian Commercial Real Estate.

Catch the show each Thursday afternoon at 5PM on WATA (1450AM & 96.5FM) in Boone.

Transcript

SPEAKER_05 0:00

Some people close the free. Some close them in school. Some of them close them in here from the fairway. Today mind your business. From the Boon Area Chamber of Commerce, this is Mind Your Business.

SPEAKER_06 0:19

Mind Your Business. Brought to you by Appalachian Commercial Real Estate, providing professional commercial real estate services. Visit Appalachian CRE.com.

SPEAKER_05 0:30

Hello and welcome into Mind Your Business. I'm David Jackson, President and CEO of the Boon Area Chamber of Commerce. Thanks for tuning in once again this week, whether that's through the airwaves of WATA here in Boone, or as a subscriber to the podcast version of this program, which is made possible each week by our good friends at Appalachian Commercial Real Estate. Remember, if you're not a subscriber, that is an easy fix. Just search for Mind Your Business wherever you get your podcast. You can gain access to full archives, occasional bonus content, and plenty more as we connect you with the business news that you can use from right here in the mountains of Western North Carolina. We are coming to you today from a little bit outside our usual studio setup. We are on location at Jefferson Landing here in Ash County, where the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting the third annual Fairway 4 Foundation Golf Classic. It's a sold-out field captain's choice format. We've got some great weather and great people, along with some spirited debate already about who is going to win this prestigious tournament. Before the first ball flies, let's talk about why we are here. And I don't just mean the golf. There is a reason that businesses have been using the golf course as a meeting room for over a century. A survey by Golf Digest found that 80% of executives believe that playing golf enhances business relationships. According to the research tied to Fortune 500 companies, more than two-thirds of executives believe golf has a direct impact on business deals. And in a Forbes survey, more than half of executives said they actually made a business decision on a golf course. Roughly 20% of global business activity is estimated to be negotiated on a golf course. Those are not small numbers, and this is not just a C-suite phenomenon. Among small business owners, those who make up the backbone of communities like ours here in the high country, nearly one in three said they have closed a deal after or during a round of golf. One in three. According to a 2025 survey by AIMBOX, that number holds across industries and income levels. This is not a hobby necessarily, it's a strategy. And here's the thing: there is real science behind why shared activities build trust faster than boardrooms might. Four hours on a golf course, four hours in a side-by-side setting where you see someone handle adversity, how they respond when things don't go their way, whether they pick up their shot without telling anyone. That tells you a lot about who you're dealing with. One business networking expert put it this way: a round of golf gives you more character insight than months of conference room meetings. That same logic applies to pickleball, to hiking, catching a game together. The activity is almost secondary. The connection is the point. When you take someone out of a formal setting and put them in an environment where they are just trying not to three-putt, walls come down. Conversations get real and relationships move forward. American businesses invest an estimated$3.9 billion annually in golf events exactly for this reason. And nationally, more than 500 million rounds of golf are played in 2025, the sixth consecutive year at that threshold. Golf is not a shrinking sport. It is growing, and so is the diversity of who plays it. Women now represent 28% of on-course golfers, the highest proportion on record. The young adult segment is one of the game's fastest growing groups. The business of golf and the business of business are connected as they have never been. Here at the Fairway 4 Foundation Golf Classic, it all runs together. Today is about business relationship building. It's also about raising money for the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation, which in 2025 helped distribute over$1.6 million in hurricane recovery support to hundreds of small businesses here in the high country. The Foundation's invested over$300,000 in local child care initiatives and continues to advance projects related to child care, workforce development, housing, and other projects across the high country. The foursome on the fourth hole and the families who benefited from those grants have more in common than they might realize. Now we've got a great show for you today as we do some business on the golf course. Edward Henson from Skyline SkyBest is in this year's field. He's also the chief marketing officer for the 75-year-old telecommunications provider. He joins us to talk about broadband expansion, Helene recovery, and what's ahead for the high country's digital infrastructure. Then we'll talk to Justin Patel of Panoramic Hospitality, which owns Greystone Lodge, one of our tournament sponsors. He'll give us a preview of what the summer tourism season is looking like from a hotelier's standpoint, and he'll update us on an ambitious development project in Boone that has a lot of people talking. And perhaps the most fun, we will get out on the course and hear from some of these hacks, I mean tournament participants, as they forecast their chances for greatness here today. And they'll even share a few business stories that started right here between the teams. We've got a lot to cover. Please be quiet if you're standing near the putting green while you're listening to mind your business.

SPEAKER_06 5:51

Appalachian Commercial Real Estate provides professional commercial real estate services in the Boone area. They provide sales, leasing, consulting, and appraisal services to owners and users of commercial real estate. For more information, go to their website at Appalachian CRE.com.

SPEAKER_05 6:11

Welcome back to Mind Your Business. I'm David Jackson. Before we talk golf and business, let us take a moment to get scoop on this year's field from the one and only.

SPEAKER_00 6:20

Well, it's a great way to start the golf tournament season. Um always grateful to the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation for putting this on. Great way to raise money. Um, who am I looking out for in the field? Obviously, our team uh is a competitive one, uh following the rules. Um, but if I had to pick a sleeper, I would say uh Lisa Cooper and her team usually uh is a surprise towards the end of the tournament.

SPEAKER_05 6:50

Yes, you guessed it. That was James Milner of Appalachian Commercial Real Estate. They solve simple and complex commercial real estate problems in and around the Boone area and beyond. Whether you own or lease commercial real estate, regardless of the property type, have an advocate on your side, along with the expertise and experience to assist you and your business. For more information, check them out on the web, Appalachian CRE.com. All right, out here on the course today, connectivity is something we take for granted when we're posting our scores or checking the weather apps. But the story of how the high country got connected and how it's staying connected after Helene is one of the more important infrastructure stories we have covered on this program over the years. Edward Henson has been a guest talking about that subject frequently. He's with Skyline Sky Best, one of the most deeply rooted companies in this region, a member-owned cooperative with seventy-five years of service to the high country, and one of the most important voices when we think about infrastructure moving forward. So let's get the first question out of the way. Edward, what's your handicap?

SPEAKER_08 7:53

Well, it's um to be determined, I guess to say. You know, handicaps are such a loose, vague term. But no, it's um we're excited to be here today and be supporting the community and and um and the effort, and what a beautiful place to do it. So our our expectation is just to have fun and have great fellowship.

SPEAKER_05 8:12

So Skyline SkyBest has been synonymous with community for so long, uh, in an anniversary year that certainly is highlighted with your Helene response. If you can, tell us how the company is doing in your own recovery from that. Because I know you had a lot of assets that were damaged, but you got service back up so quickly. How much hardening is going on right now?

SPEAKER_08 8:32

Well, you know, it's been a little over a year a year and a half. Uh September will be two years, and it's just it's amazing what happened so quickly overnight, the devastation. You know, um we we started our company started in 1951 to help meet the needs of the community as a service. We brought telephone service and then later on into fiber optics, and little did we know overnight we would go from providing those state-of-the-art services to our rural mountain areas to providing meals and water and helping with shelter and just helping community, which essentially goes back to why we where we started and who we are meeting the needs of the community. But we over you know, overnight we had you know it was devastating. Um we supply so much of the connectivity for our 911 centers, for our hospitals, for our banking systems, for businesses, um, for for you know the residents, and that was just changed overnight. So for us, uh you know, it was all hands-on deck creating bunker houses for people to sleep so we could really work around the clock, everyone, and uh put that together to get the services back online. You know, a lot of our services are buried fiber optics, some of them are aerial. And um, when you have a a telephone pole that where you have fiber optics that's connecting businesses, entities, banks, schools, all those things, but the land where the telephone pole was doesn't even exist. That's pretty dramatic. So where we are today, we you know, a year and a half later, a little over that, um, we're still, you know, we immediately got services, you know, back up and and um and connected. Um and uh as a priority, you know, the the the 911 centers and and those sort of things were first, and the healthcare. Um, but where we are today is we're still doing repairs. We're fixing some of the um final finally taking off the band-aids that we put on in certain areas. Um, but but our services have been back up and back to 59s, you know, very shortly after the storm and as quickly as we could, with a lot of help from other states and you know, and other cooperatives like ours within the state.

SPEAKER_05 10:33

So many people are dealing with the federal process right now, whether that's FEMA, whether that's SBA. I know you all have had to go through some of that too on the reimbursement side. We've talked to other cooperatives and providers. What's that speed like and how does that ultimately impact customer-facing sides of your business moving forward with uh with the speed of those reimbursements?

SPEAKER_08 10:54

Well, um I've heard a little bit about this. Um, we've certainly experienced it, and um, it's never going to be fast enough, regardless of I think there's a lot of lessons learned on both sides for us as a provider from FEMA and delivering in the tougher, more rural environments. Not only do you have devastating flood and damage, but you have the terrain to work across to get the people in to even look at the damage and assess it. So I know that was a that's been a big struggle for everyone. For us, you know, we just immediately um dipped into our coffers and took ever care of whatever we needed to. We weren't thinking about reimbursements whatsoever. We were thinking about getting our customers back online, getting critical communications back together to hold our community together.

SPEAKER_05 11:37

You know, you mentioned some of the the nooks and crannies that you have to go into to provide service, to repair service. You're fresh off of a trip to Washington, D.C., where you continue to be a lead voice in broadband deployment for the state, certainly for this region. How do you weave that message in that that the work that we're doing on a sunny day or a rainy day requires a little bit of patience and and a whole lot of creativity to serve the areas that you all have changed the game and served so well here over the last few years?

SPEAKER_08 12:05

You know, um just got in last late last night from Washington. No, that's why you look like this. Well, I kind of look this way all the time. It's it's the best look I have. But um, you know, we had uh on Tuesday, I think I had it was either seven or eight uh legislative and policy meetings with members of Congress and and telling our story, and some were very familiar with it, um, and some were wanting more insight to understand, you know, they've heard they've heard a little bit, they've seen a few pictures. Unless you've been here and been boots on the ground, I mean you don't know the devastation that our community had. Um but there was overwhelming support that was very positive, it was bipartisan, uh, which was a wonderful direction for us to be in. Um everyone had the same conversations asking about FEMA, asking about reimbursements. So the humanity side of it, putting the politics aside was there, and that was very encouraging for me. And it makes it worth our while to make the investment to go to DC to help tell our story and shape that policy to make sure for not just us if it ever happens again, but for anyone else, that we're on the right path to take care of our community when it's suffering.

SPEAKER_05 13:11

I remember back before COVID, even we were talking about how uh Skyline, uh, Blue Ridge Energy uh and Ridgelink and and some other folks were working together to try to service some of those hard-to-reach areas. Then COVID hits and the way people use broadband services changed dramatically. How much of that foresight back in 2018-2019 do you see in your daily operation now? And what do you feel like is next that is needed that you're lobbying for to service the needs that people expect in their homes and in their businesses?

SPEAKER_08 13:43

Well, you know, it actually we um we have great leadership. Um both our board of directors, both of our both of our executive teams on Blue Ridge Energy and Skyline had the vision to say, hey, we need to have this partnership together. We're large cooperatives, we have the same mission, the same goals to serve people. So we were working on it prior to to um working in collaboration prior to COVID. COVID ramped things up. Suddenly, you can't go to work, you can't be out in public, you know, we need the better connections. And luckily, we had already started laying the groundwork, um, literally and figuratively, in a partnership to bring our services together to serve more people faster. Ultimately, that would set the model for when Helene happened. We were ready, like, hey, we know how to do this quickly. We can use this from your company, we can use this from my company, we can put our resources together and get our services back up and going. Power critically important, broadband, you know, critically important as well, especially telehealth, telemedicine, all the things that we um that really came to light during the storm, during uh uh not just Helene, but you know, COVID as well.

SPEAKER_05 14:46

You and I are both old enough to remember when speed didn't matter, it was about getting connected. Now speed matters and it matters more than it ever has before. Uh you all have always been on the the technical forefront of of what comes next in terms of delivery. Uh what are some of the the new challenges that that await uh technical expertise and deployment uh to make sure that resiliency is built into the networks that we rely on so much?

SPEAKER_08 15:09

Well, that thank you for that question because it's it's a great one. We actually started connecting our remote facilities with fiber in the 80s. Fiber is not new to us. Everyone talks, you know, that's the the buzzword is fiber optic communications. We've been doing it for a very long time. We have multi-gig services now. So it um you know, back when people were getting, you know, meg and you know uh 24K or whatever, you know, whatever it may be, any random number of 179, then it you keep boosting 256 and um r random numbers would come up from time to time. But now with multi-gig, 100 gig circuits, we're doing all that, and we're doing it over the same fiber um that we've we've had and that we continue to deploy. Um it's it's really future-proofing the network, and we've seen that as the more demand is it keeps increasing for connectivity. AI has done nothing but explode that, and we've not even seen the beginning of it, honestly. But our fiber optic communic you know connectivity, all we have to do is change electronics on both ends. The fiber can still handle the bandwidth, it can handle whatever we put through it. So that's exciting for us to have that, you know, have had that vision to say, okay, it costs more to do this way back when, and no one else was really doing it. Um, and we were, and now we're, you know, we're a leader in that. Ash County, number one in the state in terms of broadband connectivity. Um, our service footprint, you know, we're we have maxed it out. If you're within our service footprint, you you can get service. In our SkyBest territories, you're seeing the grants in Watauga County, Avery County, and other areas that are outside our our ILEC footprint, though those folks are getting connected too. So we're our goal is to ultimately you know have service available for anyone who needs it. There are some small pockets here and there, but in our ILEC territories, you're covered. Um, and with the fiber optic communication, I mean you again, you're future-proof. It doesn't matter if you only need 500 meg or if you need 100 gig, we can deliver it today.

SPEAKER_05 16:59

You know, it's amazing too. We we talked long ago about the real estate component to broadband service and how people would move from areas, especially during the great COVID migration, people would move from areas expecting service and and they might get in the wrong holler and not be able to get it and are trying to hit a satellite that that was a lot harder back then. Um when you look at the economic development component of this too. I don't think that GE makes the kind of investment they do unless they know the place they're moving to has what they need from a corporate standpoint. Where does Skyline fit into those formative conversations, whether that's new developments like we've got plenty of, or those those corporate entities that may be eyeing space in any of your territory to say, hey, you've got what I've got? Where where do you enter into that conversation?

SPEAKER_08 17:44

Well, in every county that we serve, and even the ones that we're surrounding that not currently serving, we're engaged with the in the economic development activities. We sit on a lot of the boards, so we're aware of the um, you know, anything that may be coming in, any opportunities coming to the area. When folks are looking to bring a company, someone like GE, a lot of the conversation is um not so much around can you get me power water and sewer? They want to know about the broadband. If the broadband's not there, they're not gonna do it. I mean, that's just you can't, that's this the world we live in. And um, not that power water and sewer is not important. You have to have those things too. Three-phase power for the big entities, um, but our fiber optic systems um keeps us at the forefront and removes that barrier for someone coming to an area um and helping, you know, make it a better economy for all of our all the local folks as well.

SPEAKER_05 18:33

There's a great picture floating around online right now of Howard Street all opened up and there's miles of conduit. I'm sure one of those is yours, uh not yours personally, but but belongs to Skyline. Maybe you're you're an influential guy. Maybe you've got one down there too. But what it does bring up is the fact that with transportation projects like revitalizing a street and and a streetscape, there are often simultaneous conversations about how broadband and other utilities can be worked into that. Um again, where do you enter into that conversation and and how is this helpful, especially when we're looking at a lot of these transportation projects around areas that are ripe for growth?

SPEAKER_08 19:08

Well, you know, our relationships with uh Blue Ridge Energy certainly if you're if they're putting in conduit or something's being uh put in, got to have the power. Uh working with the entities um New River Light and Power, working with those folks if it's downtown and Boone, um and the being a part of the economic development committees, advisory councils, and that engagement, and certainly with our relationship with the chamber, we're in in tune and in those conversations as they begin in their infancy. So it's not a matter of, okay, well now we need to try to bring these people in. We're all collectively together in moving forward and and in terms of economic development and expansion. And that's, you know, the chamber really leads that in bringing everyone together in those conversations. I've been witness uh to that on multiple occasions.

SPEAKER_05 19:55

I I know we'll talk about some of this at Vision Northwest North Carolina, which you all are sponsoring once again. We appreciate that and look forward to that in a couple of weeks. But it's the the cost of opening up the ground. Uh, when when you do have to either make an install or make a repair, I would imagine that doing all of that at once and servicing all of those needs in an area like Howard Street or somewhere else makes it a lot more cost effective for everybody involved.

SPEAKER_08 20:17

No question. Not just cost effective on day one putting it in the ground, but going back. Say one utility comes in and puts in one service, then the next one has to come in, and then the next one. Well, what happens inadvertently? We're human beings, we make mistakes. Utility lines get marked, but they still get cut. Um, and so by doing that together as a project, you you cut down on a lot of extra expenses and stuff. And our goal, you know, we work on razor-thin margins so that we can offer the lower lowest price possible for the best possible services. And doing that is watching those costs. So the partnerships, the collaboration between the can the municipalities, the county, the towns, the state, um, federal at times, and then our other utilities is key.

SPEAKER_05 21:02

Last question for you, and and I know we'll get into this at Spirit of Boon later this September, which you all are uh also sponsoring, and this is going to turn into a bit of a birthday party. 75 years of skyline in this community. What does that mean to so many of you that have been here for a long period of time and have seen this company continue to evolve with the needs of this area?

SPEAKER_08 21:24

You know, it's it's so wonderful to be a part of an organization whose mission started out. How can we take care of our community? And especially when you're in, you know, the lost province or areas that have been left behind and forgotten in the past, we're able through great community leaders, great community support and collaboration to bring the absolute best technology to the forefront. We lead the state. Allegheny's in the top ten, Avery's getting really close. All the areas that we serve, you know, we have a very competitive and leading the role in in connectivity, which is so key. And AI is taking that, moving that forward. But to have 75 years legacy, contrary to what you may say, I was not here when it started 75 years ago. But I'm honored to be here for the number of years that I have been. I can't think of any better way to get up in the morning and go to work and have a mission that serves people, service above self. And that's that is the theme throughout Skyline is you know, we want to bring state-of-the-art communications enabled by a customer of excellence and customer service. Very proud of all those things. For 75 years we've been doing it. We're going to continue to do it to Infinity and Beyond.

SPEAKER_05 22:34

Thank you, Buzz. Um, we we look forward to seeing your name on the leaderboard a little bit later today. Well, uh, we'll see about that. To be determined. Edward Henson, he's been a top finisher in this field before. Tune in next week as we bring you a quick snapshot of the full field results to see how he and his team perform. We'll take a quick break and continue on right after this. You are listening to MindYour Business.

SPEAKER_06 22:58

Appalachian Commercial Real Estate provides professional commercial real estate services in the Boone area. They provide sales, leasing, consulting, and appraisal services to owners and users of commercial real estate. For more information, go to their website at Appalachian CRE.com.

SPEAKER_05 23:16

Welcome back to Mind Your Business. I'm David Jackson. We are at the Fairway 4 Foundation Golf Classic at Jefferson Landing. We shift our focus now from business on the golf course to conversations about hospitality, summer tourism, and a project on Highway 105 that has generated a lot of buzz since it was presented to the Boone Town Council. Justin Patel is one of the owners of Panoramic Hospitality, a locally based company that operates several hotel properties here in Boone, including Greystone Lodge, La Quinta, and Sleep Inn. Panoramic has been a committed chamber member for years and a sponsor of today's event at Jefferson Landing. They know this market as well as anyone. And earlier this spring they presented a plan to Boone Town Council that would significantly change the hospitality landscape on the 105 corridor.

SPEAKER_02 24:04

We just uh looking at the market and talking to other business owners in the local community, we understand that it's a need for having a uh a big another venue for having in town conferences, and we think that we can really put it together and bring lots of different um events to town using it.

SPEAKER_05 24:19

So you've uh talked with town officials, you you've gotten some feedback. Um what are the things that you're hearing about that are necessary for a development like that to work for all of the various constituents you're trying to please with something like that?

SPEAKER_02 24:31

Well it's gotta look good and it's gotta be functional. We've gotta manage traffic appropriately, we've heard that loud and clear. Um we've got we've gotta have the capacity and the parking uh to be able to handle everything and um just really work together to figure out what exactly is needed too. We're in the process of planning everything and we're taking everyone's opinion and advice and and bringing it all together and putting it together.

SPEAKER_05 24:56

You know, you and your family have managed hotels for a long time. What's different about this kind of project if it comes together the way you want it to?

SPEAKER_02 25:03

Well, this is a next level project. It would be something amazing for the town, the community, and just everything everybody up in the area. Um this is on another scale to anything we've done before, so it's taking a lot of planning and effort to put together. Um, and it's it's it's it's gonna be massive.

SPEAKER_05 25:20

I I know that you've talked to a number of um constituents like Appalachian State, uh some of the um repeat offenders when it comes to bringing uh events to the community. Um what has been their overall take on the opportunity for a flexible space like this?

SPEAKER_02 25:37

Everyone's really excited. Um everyone we've talked to is just jumping at trying to get involved with this um to help us get it off the ground. Um between Appalachian State and the Caldwell Community College, the ability to help bring up kids that are gonna learn the hospitality program as well and be able to have a venue space for them to learn and grow and potentially stay here long term is something that's exciting for everyone.

SPEAKER_05 26:01

Speaking of the industry itself, you've had a long-term lens on the ups and downs that that the economy that circumstance can bring to the hospitality sector. Nineteen months out from Helene, has the the sector bounced back yet?

SPEAKER_02 26:14

Well, certainly say we we had a uh we had a pretty good year last year. Um first quarter of this year was not as good as we'd hoped. All those winter storms kept hitting right on Fridays, which was unfortunate, but we're seeing strong pickup. April was good, um, May is looking fantastic with graduation coming up in going into June and July. We're just excited for what's here to come.

SPEAKER_05 26:33

Yeah, what what does the summer look like from a hotel year's standpoint? When do things really uh when does the actions uh somewhat start to pick up and get steady?

SPEAKER_02 26:41

See, it it picks up really next weekend with graduation weekend, um, and then uh going into Memorial Day, a lot of people head to the beach for Memorial Day. We try to bring them up to the mountains, but um June, July really picks up with uh Highland Games and all of the different events going on around.

SPEAKER_05 26:56

So when when you see those types of high volume activities, let's go back to the 105 project for a second. How does your past experience and understanding traffic flow help you map out what a new facility could bring and and you know, help continue to bring to this community from uh from an available beds and and amenities standpoint?

SPEAKER_02 27:18

Well, it's really just about bringing the people up here to experience the high country and having the venue space for them to actually meet and gather and all times of the year. One of the biggest things that we think the conference center will bring to the area is more business in the shoulder off season in the December, January, February, March months where everyone does have uh harder time uh with business. So we think that that a lot of the business will be during these seasons or the time periods where there's less less demand anyway, so there will be less issues with traffic because of that, and uh really just help round out the whole year.

SPEAKER_05 27:54

Uh you you've uh really set up well what the what the event goer looks like. What is the summer tourist look like ideally that that comes through your doors, length of stay, uh engagement in in activities? How do you kind of serve as the home base for all of that?

SPEAKER_02 28:10

Say most of our stays over the summer are uh two two to three nights stays is what they're we're looking for. And um we uh we we uh handle a lot of local partnerships and we like to work with all of the different attractions and businesses so that we can send them out into the high country and um visit and experience everything that we have to offer.

SPEAKER_05 28:28

It seems like you guys have also been host to a lot of influencers over the last year or so. How has that impacted traffic?

SPEAKER_02 28:35

Uh uh influencers have been amazing for us. It's uh bringing them in just to show what we have to offer and what the community has to offer and get out to their followers, and we target the Charlotte Raleigh, Greensboro, Atlanta, even Texas and Florida for those influencers to um to to get out to their uh their audience to bring them up to us.

SPEAKER_05 28:55

In order to service the the needs of your customers as well as you're able to, you've got to have a pretty solid hand in the recruitment of staff and the retention of staff. What does the industry need most right now and in terms of that and and how are you trying to stay at the forefront of making sure you get who you need?

SPEAKER_02 29:13

So I mean affordable housing, affordable housing, affordable housing is the number one, and we all know that. Um but the the biggest thing that we're doing to ensure our staff is we are paying higher wages. Wages is the biggest key for us in this market right now, um, until we can get more affordable housing where people can live easier up in the town.

SPEAKER_05 29:32

Uh last question for you. Um you know, tourism stirs the drink up here in so many ways. Uh, in your experience in this market, what does a strong tourism season do for the rest of the economy here?

SPEAKER_02 29:44

Uh the tourism season is the bread and butter of the economy up here. Without with we we saw that with Hale post-Helene. We need the tourism, and the tourism is basically keeps us alive all winter. Um, all of the visits during the summer and the fall just bolster everything and make it so that we can survive in the winter.

SPEAKER_05 30:04

Uh, quick aside off of that, you've seen times where gas prices have been low, gas prices have been high, the economy's been hot, it's been cold. Is there consistent with a place like this that's a little bit more of a destination, or do you see different patterns come with those different experiences?

SPEAKER_02 30:18

I don't think the gas prices are a big worry for us. I think that with uh the way the world is right now and the economy today, I think we are gonna be strong this summer with the tourists coming from Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro. It's not a long drive. It's easy for them to get up here, and even if it costs a couple more dollars, they I think they'll be fine.

SPEAKER_05 30:35

We'll keep tabs on the summer tourism season as well as Justin's project on Highway 105 as we move throughout the summer. For now, it's time to get in the carts and hear what these players think of their chances. The Fairway 4 Foundation Golf Classic. You are listening to Mind Your Business from Jefferson Landing.

SPEAKER_01 30:55

Are you a young professional looking to expand your network? The High Country Young Professionals, affectionately dubbed the High Country YoPros, is a dedicated group of 200 plus professional young adults under the age of 40 serving in various industries across the high country. Join us for our casual networking event on the first Tuesday of each month from 5 to 7 p.m. As we visit locations across the high country. Events are free of charge. However, donations are appreciated. Not a chamber member? That's okay. No membership needed to join us. You just have to be under 40. Learn more about High Country GoPros at boonchamber.com slash H C Y P.

SPEAKER_06 31:37

Mind Your Business. Brought to you by Appalachian Commercial Real Estate, offering sales, leasing, consulting, and appraisal services. Visit Appalachian CRE.com.

SPEAKER_05 31:48

I'm digging the feel of the on location episode here. Something a little bit different for us here on Mind Your Business. We're out here at Jefferson Landing. Players have warmed up, or in some cases, they are already practicing their excuses. We took some time before today's shotgun start to have a few quick conversations with some of our participants. We asked them three questions. We'll call this segment Talking Before Your Swing.

SPEAKER_04 32:14

Hey, I'm Bill Caraselli with Blue Ridge Realty and Investments. Uh golf's a good networking experience. You get to see a lot of folks out in the golf course. Everyone's kind of uh big family up here, so it's been really good for networking. Um, what is the best deal that you have either started talking about or closed on a course? I talked about a five million dollar construction loan a couple years ago, and we were able to close that one down. So that was one of my biggest I ever had. That was great on the golf course. Close that on the front nine or the back nine? The back nine after we were all drinking.

SPEAKER_05 32:42

All right. With that said, what's the strangest thing in your bag right now?

SPEAKER_04 32:46

I got a six-pack of white claws. Never a bad time for a white claw. Never too early either.

SPEAKER_03 32:52

Uh Mark Gould playing with the Mass General store. I think a lot of it is in the tournament setting, just you're riding along in the cart, you've got an opportunity to chat and talk about things. Um laid back setting, so no pressure. Um folks are able to just open up and talk a little bit.

SPEAKER_05 33:12

Best deal or potential deal that you've either started talking about on a golf course or closed on a golf course?

SPEAKER_03 33:19

For me, it it it would have been uh a big loan and getting a good rate with Wells Fargo back in the day.

SPEAKER_05 33:26

All right. What's the strangest thing in your bag right now?

SPEAKER_03 33:30

Probably a finished loan drink.

SPEAKER_05 33:33

All right, I'm David Still with imprint screen printing and embroidery, and we are on the Creekside Electronics team today. All right, so tell us a little bit about why you think golf works for business. It's about building relationships. I mean, I think that's probably the answer you're gonna hear from a lot of people, but you get to spend multiple hours in a row, not only with your team and who's in your cart, but socializing with others before and afterwards, and and of course giving everybody a hard time on the course. There's nothing that breaks ice better than making fun of somebody's swing that you don't know that you're trying to do business with. All right. So uh with that said, what is the best business deal you have closed that is either started or maybe actually closed on a golf course? A great question. Um probably some relationships that led to the to where I'm working now. So there you go. That's that's the best. Employment always uh always takes the cake. Strangest thing in your bag today? Nothing too strange, but it's always a good idea to keep a little muscle ache relief around. So the strangest thing I would have is a roller ball of uh biofreeze. And I and I do uh rent that out too if anyone needs some. Is that legal to carry in Ash County? We won't go there today.

SPEAKER_07 34:41

Brian Greer with Life Store Bank.

SPEAKER_05 34:44

All right, uh tell us a little bit about how golf helps you and your business.

SPEAKER_07 34:50

To me, it's all about the relationships and the camaraderie. Get out there away from the office and um spend some time together, get to know somebody, and it just kind of, you know, it it relieves any kind of pressure.

SPEAKER_05 35:04

Tell us about a business deal, protect the innocent, of course, that you have closed or at least uh started a conversation on a golf course?

SPEAKER_07 35:12

Good question. Um we have gotten some deposit relationships from uh the golf course and also some equipment deals and potential real estate deals. Nothing's closed, but still working on it. Need to play some more golf.

SPEAKER_05 35:30

Uh what's the strangest thing in your bag today?

SPEAKER_07 35:34

Probably I was telling um one of my teammates here earlier, I everything everything golf related I own is in there. So there's probably two extra jackets in there, a few drinks, three cases of balls, an umbrella, ten towels, you name it.

SPEAKER_05 35:49

You've heard it from the quasi-professionals themselves. We'll see how this all unfolds and report results to you here on the show next week. Back with a chamber calendar update right after this. You are listening to Mind Your Business. Back to close out this episode of Mind Your Business, Few Calendar Updates first mark May 14th for Business After Hours at Grandfather Mountain. If you have not been to a multi-chamber event before, make sure you check this one out. Members of the Boone area, Blowing Rock, Avery County, Ash County, Banner Elk, and Burke County Chambers will be in the house. Great opportunity to expand your business outside the normal footprint. You can register online. Business After Hours again. May 14th at Grandfather Mountain. Come up and see Yanni's Clubhouse. Get signed up today at Boonechamber.com. May 21st, Vision Northwest North Carolina back to the Wataga campus of Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute. This year's focus transportation, its future, its funding, and how we move people across the region and beyond. We talked a little bit about infrastructure and transportation coming together with Edward Henson a few minutes ago. Lots more discussions like that one. You can register online for that at Boonchamber.com. And while we're at it here today, thanks to the folks that have made the Fairway 4 Foundation Golf Classic happen, our presenting sponsors, Carolina West Wireless and Greystone Lodge, additional sponsors, ERX Emergency Restoration Experts Beach Mountain Resort, and all of the players that have come out here as well today. It helps us fuel the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation for years to come. That does it for this episode of Mind Your Business, a little different than our usual studio setup. Hopefully you enjoyed the program. It's written and produced each week by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. Thanks to WATA for putting us on the airwaves each week. And also, thanks to James Milner and the team at Appalachian Commercial Real Estate for making the podcast version of this program possible as well. If you have not yet subscribed to the show, do it now. Search Mind Your Business wherever you get your podcast. You can visit us online anytime at Boonechamber.com. Good luck to all these players. We'll tell you how they did next week. So long, everybody.