Kanawha Valley Hustlers

Joe Justice
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Exploring the Stories and Strategies of Creatives and Hustlers in the Kanawha Valley

  1. 9H AGO

    What Jeremy Learned From Scaling Too Fast

    I talk with Jeremy Myers from Charleston Pressure Washing Services. He runs a roof-first cleaning service that also covers gutters, soffits, fascia, siding, and flat work like entryways. He gets into this business after seeing how many homes in our area have buildup that owners need help handling. He’s in his second year and shares a key lesson from early on: he tries to do too many things at once, moving from mobile detailing into window cleaning, pressure washing, and even thinking about lawn care, and it turns into a mess. He learns to focus, specialize, and dial back scaling. Jeremy tells me funding is a challenge, and so is writing a business plan, understanding websites, and learning how SEO affects how people find you on Google, Facebook, and Instagram. He also clears up misconceptions about damage in this industry and explains why process and standards matter, especially with soft washing and chemical ratios. He’s building better relationships, improving SEO, and invites people to find him online or call if they need help.

  2. 2D AGO

    Charleston Nano Brewery From Kitchen Brew to Business

    I’m at Charleston Nano Brewery with Kenny and Jennifer Graley, and I ask them how their hustle started and what keeps it going. They explain that it begins as home brewing in their kitchen, moves to the garage, and grows into a full business once they commit to a building and start seeing people return after the first anniversary. They tell me their goal is a welcoming, family friendly place, and they notice travelers often seek out breweries while passing through. Kenny points to an early mistake: not advertising enough, and they describe the shift about a year and a half in toward doing more to build awareness, especially since they want people to find them in Elk City. We talk about misconceptions, like expecting a microbrewery to taste like macro beer, and Kenny explains how small batch brewing lets him rotate taps and keep variety. They share the day to day challenge of keeping operations running and getting the word out. They advise new owners to do homework on regulations and location, and they stand by one rule: put out a product you can back.

  3. FEB 12

    Stop Waiting for One Perfect Ad and Start Building a Real Marketing System

    I explain what I mean when I say “Mad Men is over.” People think I am talking about the TV show, but I am talking about the old model of advertising that came out of Madison Avenue: big top down pitches, huge budgets, and campaigns pushed through broadcast, radio, print, and billboards. I argue that model is dead, and I point to the Super Bowl in 2026 as proof. Early numbers show a drop in viewership, and a sizable group watches an alternative halftime show instead of the main one, which signals that mass attention no longer moves as a monolith. I also notice that nobody is talking about the commercials, even though Super Bowl ads used to drive culture and dominate conversations the next day. I connect this shift to my own history in video production, when brands paid tens of thousands for one 30 second spot and ran it for years. Now attention is scattered across phones, tablets, streaming, and feeds. My message is simple: stop chasing one magic ad and start reaching people on digital platforms over time, adjusting your message as you learn.

  4. FEB 10

    The 25% You See and the 75% You Do Not with Bob Bliss

    I talk with Bob Bliss about how first impressions hide most of who a person is. He explains his iceberg inversion idea: when you meet someone, you only see about 25%, and the other 75% sits below the surface. He shares how a friend calls him “lucky,” but that view ignores the setbacks he has pushed through, from being told he would never achieve certain roles to surviving major hardships. He also shows how perception shifts fast, like when people judge a limp handshake until they learn there is a broken hand behind it. We get into how to learn that hidden 75% by asking simple questions and letting people talk about their work, interests, and story. We also talk about the difference between acquaintances and real friends, and how golf can reveal character under pressure, from patience to how someone treats others.

  5. FEB 5

    Jamon Schmidt Explains the Bin Store Outlet Experience

    I’m at the grand opening of Goodwill’s new outlet bin store in Charleston with Jamon Schmidt. He runs marketing and communications for Goodwill and explains why they shifted this location from a traditional store to a bin store, a concept that hasn’t been common in West Virginia. Instead of racks with price tags, the floor is lined with bins, and staff rotates rows about every 15 minutes, so the shopping moves fast and feels like a hunt. You pay by the pound, not by the tag, and he tells people to jump in, grab a cart, and start digging. We talk marketing lessons too, and he comes back to the idea of acting early and pulling the trigger when you think something will work, then reviewing results after. We also address what people miss about Goodwill: the mission is employment, and the retail side supports services that help people get into jobs and careers.

    6 min

  6. FEB 3

    Tony Brown and Lee Ayers on the 2600 Cybersecurity Meetup in Charleston

    I’m at the 2600 meetup at KDE Technology in downtown Charleston. Tony Brown explains it’s a cybersecurity and tech community meet that happens the first Friday of every month from 5 to 7 or 8, and it connects to an international 2600 network that started in 1984, with meetups happening around the world the same night. Lee Ayers frames it as a place to bring the community together, including people who are not in cybersecurity but want to learn. The room covers everything from lock picking to Active Directory, and we talk about hacking history that starts with phone phreaking before personal computers. Tony breaks down what people misunderstand about security: the best defense is basic habits like long passwords, password management, not reusing or sharing passwords, and using two factor authentication. When I ask Lee for a principle he stands on, he lands on zero trust, which means giving only the permissions needed and treating security as a concept, not just code. Tony closes by sharing how to visit at 111 Hale Street and follow the KDE Technology Facebook page for monthly event posts.

    5 min

  7. JAN 30

    Ursulette Huntley Ward Building Entrepreneurs in Huntington

    I chat with Ursulette Huntley Ward, executive director of Unlimited Future in Huntington, a business incubator and economic development center based in the Fairfield community. She explains how they help people in transition, including those coming out of incarceration, aging out of foster care, graduating without a plan, or dealing with major life changes. We talk about a mistake from her own journey when she lost a training program on a thumb drive, and how it pushed her to stay organized, keep backups, and rebuild the program better the second time. She breaks down the challenges she sees most, like limited resources and people feeling punished for old decisions they cannot forgive themselves for. She also calls out a misconception that nobody will help, even though support exists through nonprofits and community organizations, and we agree pride keeps a lot of people from asking. She shares that her best investment is putting money into other entrepreneurs and watching them reach their goals. Right now she is working on fundraising and telling Unlimited Future’s story. Her advice is to talk about your offer with care, without dollar signs in your eyes, and her rule is to stand by your word.

  8. JAN 27

    Accountability and Delegation with Bob Bliss

    I talk with Bob Bliss about delegation and why leaders stay stuck doing everything themselves. He points to fear and control as the root problem, and he makes the case that a CEO has to delegate or the business stalls and turnover goes up. He shares a practical method: give someone real authority while you step away, do not let them call you unless it’s an emergency, then review what happened when you return. Mistakes are part of the process, so feedback matters. He avoids yelling, recognizes what was done right, and treats small errors as learning, not punishment. He also pushes for ideas from every level of the company, because the people closest to the work often see what leadership misses. When an employee’s idea changes a plan or procedure, he gives them public credit to build ownership. For smaller crews, he recommends easing people into responsibility one step at a time, learning who they are beyond the job, and building a foreman through repeat chances instead of a sudden handoff.

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Exploring the Stories and Strategies of Creatives and Hustlers in the Kanawha Valley

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