This is my interview with Tess Candow in ENT 600-10 Fall 2026. In this interview, Tess walks us through the struggles, rewards, and community responsibilities that come with owning a thriving business.
Thank you, Tess, for sharing your insights and helping to inspire others who are striving to grow their business.
Youtube link – Chris Becker interview
SME Interview for ENT 640. Chris owns and operates Wheelhouse Sports Academy in Granite Falls, NC
I thoroughly enjoyed interviewing Chris Becker. He brings a host of experience in running his own baseball/softball facility, Wheelhouse Sports Academy. Getting to talk shop and pick his brain about what it actually takes to run a facility was definitely a highlight, but hearing his story about how it started was especially interesting. Sometimes, starting is the hardest part, and it’s okay not to have a plan. I now have a much better understanding of what goes on behind the scenes and the biggest challenges in running a facility. Talking to someone who’s already been through the process of starting and running their own facility gave me tremendous insights I wouldn’t have gotten from research alone. Connections matter.
For my Subject Matter Expert interview I had the pleasure of speaking with Waverly Jones, one of the owners and founders of Empyrean Arts in downtown Asheville. Waverly has a long and eclectic history in the world of circus arts and I loved having the opportunity to pick her brain on the topic of being a studio owner and the strategies she’s used through hard times and good to ensure the success of Empyrean Arts.
