By Brett Cafferty My dad was a yard guy, spending countless hours outside with a shovel, a rake, and a wheelbarrow. He took great pride and joy in the work as well as the outcome. Years ago, when we bought a house with a big yard, I came to realize I did not get that...

By Dr. Jim Bailey Do you ever get frustrated, discouraged, or even depressed because you have a deep sense, a gnawing in your heart or gut, that you were made for more? I do. I recently read a great book, The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, and only five pages in the...

By Brett Cafferty Ongoing conversations about rising home prices, the boom of new home construction, scarcity of inventory, and our own thoughts of “should I stay?” in our older home with a big yard or “should I go?” to something newer, smaller, easier to maintain...

By Brett Cafferty When we took over Everything Knoxville in the fall of 2020, editor Kendra and designer Meredith thankfully agreed to stay on and trust us going forward. It’s been an education for us, likely a bit painful for them, and a positive lesson in how...

By Brett Cafferty "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat" from a speech by Winston Churchill in 1940, warning the British people of the hardships to come in fighting WWII.  Did you know that small businesses (fewer than 500 employees) make up 99%...

By John Smith I heard a sermon centered on the biblical account of the Apostles asking Jesus, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” There was a bit of competition, and each of these men were hoping to get this recognition; but Christ surprised them by...

By Brett Cafferty We have been reflecting on our first year of publishing Everything Knoxville and are thankful for the new relationships and what we have learned in this new venture. We have also come to recognize - perhaps as a result of our brief time of “returning...

By Andy Barton I recently finished my annual binge of the Band of Brothers miniseries based on the book of the same name by Stephen E. Ambrose. What strikes me each time I watch Band of Brothers is the esprit de corps shared by the men of Easy Company. These men built...

By Brett Cafferty We are excited that this edition of Everything Knoxville is reaching new readers in portions of Oak Ridge and additional neighborhoods in the quickly growing Hardin Valley area. For those who are receiving Everything Knoxville for the first time - we...

An Unlikely Training Ground By Brett Cafferty Last week I was speaking with the general manager of a local restaurant group. He’s in his 20s, and I asked about his background in preparation for his current job. In addition to his business degree, he spent several...

By Brett Cafferty There is a definite air of optimism in the small business community. After an entire year of shut-downs, limited capacities, new ways of conducting business, and interacting (while avoiding) each other, it’s refreshing to hear that business is...

By Brett Cafferty As I write this note to myself, I am reminded of a most basic human character trait we can easily accept as being part of our nature - procrastination. Put if off until later, deal with it tomorrow, awaiting more information, deferring to others, or...

By John Smith Recently, I heard it said, “It’s our definition of great that’s the problem.” While it was shared in a specific context, that statement prompted me to think of how I define other things in my life. Whether it’s greatness, success, wealth, love, or any...

Many Advisers Bring Success By Tom Irmen This ancient proverb goes on to state that “plans go wrong for lack of advice.” It has been two decades or more since the popular Marlboro man commercials were barred from television. The iconic Marlboro man portrayed in these...

Technology Doesn't Replace That Human Touch By Tom Irmen There’s no question that improvements in technology can help businesses enhance the customer experience. But it’s unlikely that this technology by itself will ever replace that human touch. While technology can...

Helping Our East Tennessee Business Community to Expand Their Brand “I believe that what Graphic Creations does best is to help area entrepreneurs successfully differentiate their products,” said Jim Caughorn, owner of Graphic Creations. “By combining our more than...

Plan – Action – Success By Tom Irmen First launched on July 5, 1994, as an online book seller, Amazon founder and CEO, Jeff Bezos, has been at the helm of this incredible success story navigating this garage start-up to the largest online retailer in the world....