The Love of Here | Life and Work in Northwest Georgia

Erika Mosteller & Lauren Sneary
  • 5.0 (15)
  • Society & Culture

For the Love of Here is a podcast about Dalton, Georgia and life across Northwest Georgia—from local businesses and entrepreneurship to community leadership and hometown pride. Hosts Erika Mosteller and Lauren Sneary sit down with founders, civic leaders, creatives, and neighbors from Dalton, Chatsworth, Ringgold, and Calhoun to talk about the ideas, challenges, and opportunities shaping our region. If you care about small-town business, local culture, economic growth, and building a life where you live, this podcast is for you. Because you don’t need a bigger city. You just need a better lens. Produced by Here Local Media.

  1. Sep 28

    Balancing Motherhood and Work with Caroline Frost

    What happens when you realize time with your kids at home is running short — and how do you chase a career you love without losing yourself in the guilt? Caroline Frost is the Development Director for Junior Achievement of Georgia in Northwest Georgia, a wife, and a mom of three. She sat down with us to share her Dalton story — from growing up here and graduating in a class of 26, to chasing something new in Dodge City, Kansas, to coming home with a fresh appreciation for Southern hospitality and the green hills of Northwest Georgia. Caroline opens up about falling into nonprofit work by accident, the mentor who believed in her before she believed in herself, and what it looks like to balance a career you're passionate about with raising three kids across very different stages of life. We talk about mom guilt, imposter syndrome, social media vs. reality, the power of having just one mom friend, and why the queso at El Maguey is impossible to beat. HIGHLIGHTS Caroline's realization that the high school drop-off was harder than kindergarten — because time is passing fastErika's editor's letter concept of "deep time" — we can't control the future, but we can make a huge impact in the presentCaroline's brief but memorable stint in Dodge City, Kansas, complete with tumbleweeds and a meatpacking plant downwindHow a chamber internship and a social media video series led Caroline away from counseling and into philanthropyThe power of mentorship: how Anna Adamson empowered Caroline to step into development work, even when Caroline didn't think she couldCaroline's husband comparing following Anna Adamson's role to "following Nick Saban"Junior Achievement's massive reach — over 11,000 students and 1,600 volunteers last year, including 900+ from Dalton StateFull-circle moments: former JA students now returning as Dalton State volunteersWhat JA BizTown and Finance Park actually look like inside the Discovery Center — a simulated Northwest Georgia village with storefronts, a train tunnel, and nods to the carpet industryShonda Rhimes' perspective: when you're doing one thing well, you're not doing the other — and that's okayJoanna Gaines' story about dropping her daughter at college and the guilt wave that followed — and her daughter's response: "Mom, you taught me I can build anything"Jennifer Garner's rule: never apologize to your kids for having a jobCaroline's son's favorite home-cooked meal: "homemade" chocolate chip cookies (from Toll House) and "homemade" pizza (frozen)Lauren's reminder about social media vs. reality — even the gorgeous homemade pizza posts have kids eating Kraft Mac and Cheese off-cameraWhy having even one mom friend you can be honest with changes everythingCaroline's pick for favorite thing in Dalton: the queso, specifically at El Maguey's downtownCHAPTERS 0:55 — Meet Caroline Frost 1:32 — Motherhood and Time 3:42 — Caroline's Dalton Roots 5:24 — Leaving Home and Kansas 9:06 — Missing the South 11:12 — Finding Junior Achievement 14:50 — Mentorship and Leadership 20:38 — JA Impact and Footprint 24:38 — Inside BizTown and Finance Park 28:12 — Get Involved With JA 28:27 — Volunteering and Tours 29:14 — Balancing Work and Mom Life 31:13 — Mom Guilt and Role Models 34:41 — Home Life Is Humbling 38:27 — Social Media vs. Reality 40:48 — Finding Your Mom Community 44:12 — Dalton Favorites and Queso 45:53 — Follow JA and Final Thanks RESOURCES Junior Achievement of Georgia JA of Northwest Georgia on social media FOLLOW THE SHOW Instagram: @behere.dalton Facebook: Here Magazine LinkedIn: Here Local Media Thanks for listening! Be sure to support the show by subscribing on your podcast player and leave us a review!

  2. Episode 1

    What the Love of Here is All About!

    The Love of Here challenges the idea that northwest Georgia has nothing to do by sharing local stories that matter. You don’t need a bigger city—just a better lens.

  3. Sep 14

    Educating for the Future with Dr. John Fuchko

    What happens when a college president decides that higher education shouldn't just be about degrees — it should be about building a community from the ground up? Dr. John Fuchko, president of Dalton State College, sits down with hosts Lauren Sneary and Erika Mosteller to share how he landed in Dalton, why he sees the college as an economic and cultural engine for Northwest Georgia, and what's driving unprecedented growth and collaboration across the region's educational institutions. From record enrollment numbers and nationally ranked student experience to a groundbreaking charter school initiative that blends classical education with Finnish learning models, Dr. Fuchko makes the case that investing in education is really about investing in people — and that the best way to predict a community's future is to look at how it educates its children. Along the way, the conversation covers everything from coffee shops in libraries to the power of a good story, the art of professional etiquette, and why reading fiction might be the most practical leadership skill there is. HIGHLIGHTS Dalton State College has grown approximately 30% over four years, from about 4,500 students to nearly 6,000 — unusual growth in higher educationFull-time tuition and fees are just $2,030 per semester, and the college distributes over $1 million annually in private scholarshipsThe college ranked #1 in the country for student experience by the Wall Street Journal, and is #11 among regional public colleges in the South per U.S. NewsNearly 1,800 students per year participate in real-world learning — internships, STEM research, and clinicalsThe annual economic impact of Dalton State College on the community is approximately $167 millionDalton State and Georgia Northwestern Technical College raised $8.3 million together for the Northwest Georgia Promise scholarship, covering tuition and fees for high-achieving students across eight countiesArticulation agreements between Dalton State, GNTC, and Georgia Highlands College allow students to transfer between institutions with zero credit lossThe newly renovated Roberts Library features the Rage Cafe, driving library visits from ~300 to ~1,200 per dayA planned $11 million expansion of the Ken White Health Professions Hall aims to address Georgia's projected 10,000-nurse shortageThe Learning Academy of Northwest Georgia — one of the first locally approved charter schools in Georgia in over a decade — will open in fall 2027 at the Boys & Girls Club, combining classical education, dual language immersion (English/Spanish), and Finnish-based individualized learningThe Whitworth Distinguished Chair in Classical Education was established at Dalton State thanks to the Whitworth-Brown family, with Dr. Aquina Sterling serving in the roleDr. Fuchko recommends balancing leadership reading with fiction to develop compassion, humility, and joy CHAPTERS 1:17 — How He Landed in Dalton 2:26 — Vetting the Community 4:18 — Dalton State Highlights 5:04 — Affordability and Scholarships 8:31 — Donors and Campus Legacy 11:24 — College as Economic Engine 13:13 — Workforce Talent Pipeline 17:33 — Collaboration with GNTC 23:00 — New Campus Projects 26:55 — Roadrunner Experience Vision 28:14 — Critical Thinking Matters 29:40 — Integrated Learning Goals 30:42 — Etiquette and Belonging 32:36 — Charter School Vision 37:50 — Reading and Story Love 41:55 — Enrollment and Lottery Steps 44:50 — Favorite Dalton Moment 47:26 — Book Recommendations Wrap Resources Mentioned Dalton State College Learning Academy of Northwest Georgia Books Recommended by Dr. Fuchko The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey Atomic Habits by James Clear Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice, and Leadership by Lee G. Bolman and Terrence E. Deal FOLLOW THE SHOW Instagram: @behere.dalton Facebook: Here Magazine LinkedIn: Here Local Media Thanks for listening! Be sure to support the show by subscribing on your podcast player and leave us a review!

  4. Aug 31

    Entrepreneurship and Community with Janie Hayes

    What happens when a Tennessee girl moves to a small Georgia town and discovers it's the perfect place to become an entrepreneur — twice? That's exactly what happened when Janie Hayes relocated from Murfreesboro to Dalton. What started as a move closer to her husband's family quickly turned into a journey of community engagement, business ownership, and a profound rethinking of what it means to be rich. Janie sat down with us to share how a neighborly text message ("Ready, set, quit our day jobs") launched Nickel & Hops, a mobile beverage trailer serving mocktails, coffee, and dirty sodas — and how that first leap gave her the confidence to open Studio Bend, a Pilates and yoga studio in downtown Dalton. Along the way, she opens up about the losses that reshaped her relationship with time, the beauty of gathering women together, and why Dalton's size, location, and people make it a place she'll never leave. HIGHLIGHTS How a single TikTok of a coffee trailer turned into buying a green beverage trailer within weeksWhy Patterson Farms townhomes were the gateway to putting down roots in DaltonThe Chamber of Commerce's role in giving Janie the confidence to become an entrepreneur — she credits it for about 80% of her entrepreneurial leapThe story behind the name Nickel & Hops (it's the founders' maiden names — Nicholson and Hopper!)How the rising non-alcoholic beverage trend found its way into the business plan organicallyWhy opening a Pilates studio required less red tape than a food trailer — just a trip to City HallThree Pilates studios opening in Dalton at the same time, each offering something different — and why Janie sees that as a win, not competitionErika's emotional first class at Studio Bend, complete with free tomatoes on the table and women of all ages moving togetherSolo parenting a toddler and two businesses while her husband travels for work — and the grace that makes it possibleHow losing two brothers and her father reframed time as the most valuable asset she hasJanie's refreshing take on social media: wake up, post what's on your mind, and let authenticity do the marketingThe Canopy Flooring connection that transformed Studio Bend's aesthetic — discovered through an Instagram commentWhy Janie says Dalton has "the coolest women in the world" but many of them don't know about each other yetNickel & Hops heading to Freeman Springs Farm's pumpkin patch in Rocky Face for nine weekends this fallStudio Bend opening a smoothie bar on September 1st, open 7 AM to 1 PM Monday through SaturdayA favorite Dalton day: closing up the studio, walking to Baja Coop for a bowl, and picking up her son from school around the corner CHAPTERS 0:00 — Welcome And Guest Intro 1:21 — Moving To Dalton 2:37 — Finding Home In Patterson Farm 4:08 — Chamber Sparked Entrepreneurship 5:09 — Nickel And Hops Origin 6:48 — Mocktails And Event Vibes 7:28 — Launching Studio Bend 9:29 — Community Inside The Studio 10:45 — Balancing Business And Motherhood 12:43 — Loss Changed Her View Of Time 15:49 — Getting Into Pilates As Owner 17:37 — Pilates Philosophy 18:12 — Social Media Magic 19:39 — Designing the Space 21:07 — Gathering Women Together 23:20 — How to Find Them 25:23 — Favorite Dalton Picks 28:27 — Women Only Vibes 30:07 — Warm Wrap Up RESOURCES MENTIONED Nickel & Hops on Instagram - @nickelandhops Studio Bend on Instagram and Facebook  @thestudio.bend  Studio Bend Believe Greater Dalton FOLLOW THE SHOW Instagram: @behere.dalton Facebook: Here Magazine LinkedIn: Here Local Media Thanks for listening! Be sure to support the show by subscribing on your podcast player and leave us a review!

  5. Aug 17

    Vision Dalton and the Future of Community Growth with Anna Adamson

    What does it take to make a small city a place people choose — not just to work, but to stay, to raise kids, and to build something that lasts? Anna Adamson has been wrestling with that question for years, and the answers are more layered than you might expect. From bringing a Junior Achievement Discovery Center to the smallest community in the country to ever open one, to poring over housing data that explains why Target never came to town, to piloting construction technology that can frame a house in a single day — Anna's work with Believe Greater Dalton and the Florin Capital Development Corporation sits at the intersection of data, relationships, and long-term vision. We trace her unlikely path back to Dalton, unpack the housing challenges facing the region, tour the projects going vertical right now, and explore the Vision Dalton Master Plan that could reshape the urban core. Along the way we talk about the "jewels" that make Dalton extraordinary, why connection is the real theme of this conversation, and where to find the best oysters in town. HIGHLIGHTS Anna's circuitous route back to Dalton: born in Atlanta, raised in Dalton, high school in Chattanooga, college in Texas — and a boyfriend from Dalton that pulled her backHow her father's career pivot from Arthur Andersen to building The Farm Golf Club shaped her eventual path into community developmentSix years at Junior Achievement and the realization that workforce preparedness starts in the classroomDalton opening the JA Discovery Center as the smallest community in the country to do so — serving roughly 15,000 students per yearThe housing study that uncovered aging housing stock, no new multifamily since the early 2000s, and lasting damage from the 2008 recession"Retail follows rooftops" — why population decline and stagnant growth affect everything from school funding to restaurant optionsHamilton Village: how land donated by Mohawk became an innovative workforce housing developmentA pilot using structurally insulated panels to frame and dry-in a house in a single day, funded by a grant and low-interest loansThe Vision Dalton Master Plan: 40+ stakeholder interviews, two public meetings, a public survey, and engineering vetting of potential sitesWhy planning is about controlling the quality of growth, not stopping it — from wider sidewalks to tree-lined corridorsThe "jewels in a crown" metaphor from Dr. Venable: Dalton State College, Georgia Northwestern Technical College, a regional healthcare system, and interdisciplinary arts — all in a community of about 100,000 peopleAnna's favorite Dalton things: Friday nights at Burr Park with live music and dancing across generations, breakfast at the Oakwood, and oysters and an old fashioned at Cyra's CHAPTERS 2:11 — Meet Anna Adamson 4:58 — Big Picture Vision 6:28 — Junior Achievement Journey 7:48 — Discovery Center Impact 9:45 — Shift to Housing Work 11:21 — Why Believe Greater Dalton Matters 13:25 — Housing Challenges Data 20:14 — Projects Going Vertical 24:45 — Dalton Secret Sauce 30:14 — Planning Fears Answered 35:49 — Food Scene Favorites 37:03 — Why She Came Back 39:07 — Final Thoughts and How to Connect RESOURCES MENTIONED Believe Greater Dalton FOLLOW THE SHOW Instagram: @behere.dalton Facebook: Here Magazine LinkedIn: Here Local Media Thanks for listening! Be sure to support the show by subscribing on your podcast player and leave us a review!

  6. Aug 3

    Connecting Dots with Heart: A Conversation with Allyson Coker

    Have you ever met someone who doesn't just love a place, but sees its people, its potential, and its story all at once? That's exactly who we're sitting down with today. Lauren and Erika welcome Allyson Coker — former Executive Director of Believe Greater Dalton and current Executive Director of the Whitfield Health Care Foundation — for a conversation about roots, reinvention, and what it really takes to build a community. Allyson shares her family's deep ties to Dalton (including her dad's tenure as mayor), her winding career path from Washington D.C. politics to Fiji Water's early days, and how she found her way back home to raise her kids. She opens up about being a "professional dot connector" behind projects like Walton Fields housing development, and gets personal about her own breast cancer diagnosis and how it's shaping her current work launching a mobile mammography unit through the Peeples Cancer Institute. It's a warm, honest conversation about faith, family, philanthropy, and why Dalton keeps pulling people back home. HIGHLIGHTS Allyson's family roots in Dalton, including her father's 12 years as mayorHer unconventional career path: D.C. politics, the Michigan governor's office, and joining Fiji Water as employee number fiveHow she landed the role that became Believe Greater Dalton, and the "dot connector" philosophy that guided her workThe story behind Walton Fields, a housing development inspired by a trip to GainesvilleComing back to Dalton in 2002 to raise her kids close to familyHer new role at the Whitfield Health Care Foundation and the stories she's uncovering thereHer personal stage-zero breast cancer diagnosis and how early detection saved herDetails on the new mobile mammography unit launching through the Peeples Cancer Institute, including a $1 million matching gift campaignHamilton Medical Center's recognition as Georgia's top heart hospitalBalancing a blended family of five kids with a demanding career in community work CHAPTERS 2:07 – Why Dalton Matters 4:26 – Career Journey to Believe 7:29 – Building Believe Greater Dalton 8:48 – Dot Connector Mindset 9:56 – Housing Win: Walton Fields 13:33 – Dalton Getting Cooler 15:27 – Coming Home for Family 17:41 – Remembering Peeples Stories 18:55 – Foundation Role and New Stories 19:41 – Mobile Mammography Mission 22:04 – Navigating Screening Barriers 23:20 – Keeping Care Close to Home 24:33 – Heart Program Growth and Awards 26:05 – Philanthropy Makes It Better 27:50 – How to Book and Give 28:43 – Favorite Dalton Thing 30:44 – Balancing Family and Calling RESOURCES MENTIONED Vitruvian Health (https://www.vitruvianhealth.com)Believe Greater Dalton FOLLOW THE SHOW Instagram: @behere.dalton Facebook: Here Magazine LinkedIn: Here Local Media Thanks for listening! Be sure to support the show by subscribing on your podcast player and leave us a review!

  7. Jul 20

    Building Community and Connection: A Conversation with David Aft

    What  does it take to build a hometown people can't seem to leave? In this episode, we sit down with David Aft, President of the Community Foundation of Northwest Georgia, to talk about what he calls the "Dalton differences": short commutes, civic engagement, and a town full of people who showed up planning to stay a few years and never left. From building Burr Park with a single donor's million-dollar check to reviving the historic Dalton Depot, David shares the stories behind Dalton's transformation — plus a few unexpected moments from his travels that prove Dalton's reputation truly does get around. HIGHLIGHTS David shares how he moved to Dalton in 1996 for a job with the United Way and never leftThe "Dalton differences": short commutes and how that time gave him decades with his familyDavid's philosophy on civic engagement — you don't start at the top, you just start showing upThe origin story of the Community Foundation of Northwest Georgia and David's nearly 24-year career thereHow the foundation grew from $7 million to over $100 million in assets and has made 1,000+ grants in the past year aloneThe story behind Burr Park: how a conversation with donor Jean Burr led to a $1 million gift and a decade of community eventsThe renovation of the historic Dalton Depot in partnership with Barrett PropertiesA memorable run-in with a stranger in the Toronto airport who knew Dalton for its senior softball sceneDavid and his wife Paulie's story of opening Dave and Paulie's Art EmporiumDavid's reflections on watching the next generation — including his own son and Lauren — grow up and stay rooted in DaltonDavid's favorite thing about Dalton: its growing trail system and vibrant downtown CHAPTERS 1:00 — Meet David Aft 2:03 — Moving to Dalton 3:28 — Dalton Differences 5:01 — Career in Community 7:26 — Civic Engagement Mindset 9:25 — Community Foundation Origins 12:28 — Grants and Growth 17:33 — Burr Park Story 24:58 — Depot Revival and Stories 26:40 — Unexpected Dalton Moments 34:13 — Favorite Dalton Things RESOURCES MENTIONED Community Foundation of Northwest Georgia  https://www.communityfoundationnwga.org/Dalton Depot https://visitdaltonga.com/directory/name/dalton-freight-depot/Dave and Paulie's Art EmporiumDalton Brewing CompanyScoops Ice Cream Follow the show: Instagram: @behere.dalton Facebook: Here Magazine LinkedIn: Here Local Media Thanks for listening! Be sure to support the show by subscribing on your podcast player and leave us a review!

  8. Jul 6

    Hurry to Murray: From Local Gems to National Highlights with Barry Gentry

    Ever wondered what it takes to put a small county on the map — not to mention get the attention of Hollywood, HGTV, and out-of-state investors in the process?   On this episode of the Love of Here podcast, Lauren and Erika sit down with Barry Gentry, president of the Murray County Chamber of Commerce, to talk about how one "wrong turn" led to a mission of building up Murray County from the ground up. Barry shares the real story behind Murray's growth — from landing a Taylor Sheridan film production and HGTV star Chip Wade's tree house Airbnbs, to recruiting national retailers, building a new hospital, and creating a slogan ("Hurry to Murray!") that's stuck ever since. It's a candid, funny, and heartfelt conversation about grassroots economic development, believing in your community before the world does, and building something for the next generation — not just for today. Highlights Barry's journey from a chamber in Iowa to becoming president of the Murray County Chamber of CommerceHow Murray County landed a Taylor Sheridan production (Rescue) and became a hotspot for HGTV star Chip Wade's Airbnb developmentsThe behind-the-scenes story of investing in a retail recruiter to bring in brands like Dunkin', Waffle House, and Factory ConnectionMajor healthcare investment coming to Murray County from Hamilton and AdventHealthThe origin story of the "Hurry to Murray" sloganA look at downtown Chatsworth's revival, driven by local investors like Holly MyersNew restaurant openings, including a wood-fired concept from Brooklyn transplant Dominic NapolitanoThe growth of the Murray Arts Council and community-sponsored music eventsWhy Barry believes you have to "build for the youth" to sustain a community long-termUpcoming events: the Teardrop Marathon, Black Bear Festival, and Dancing with the Murray Stars fundraiserThe economics of shopping local and why it matters for community wealthMurray County's ambitious housing growth plans, including 1,000 new homes and affordable housing developments Chapters 1:12 – Meet Barry Gentry 2:51 – Why Murray County 5:31 – Hollywood and Chip Wade 11:02 – Getting Murray on the Map 12:07 – Retail Recruitment Wins 15:26 – Discovering Murray Outdoors 16:00 – Here Murray Magazine News 17:07 – Downtown Chatsworth Tour 18:50 – Investors and New Restaurant 21:28 – Downtown Restaurant Buzz 22:10 – Wood Fired Game Changer 22:35 – Arts Council Momentum 23:50 – Chamber Events Community 25:36 – Can't Miss Murray 26:57 – Grassroots Local Wins 28:01 – Hurry to Murray Origin 31:19 – Build for the Youth 33:28 – Teardrop Marathon Boost 35:55 – Fall Festivals & Fundraisers 38:22 – Regional Partnerships & Daycations 39:58 – Housing Growth & Affordability 41:34 – What's Next Resources Mentioned Murray County Chamber of Commerce https://www.murraycountychamber.org/Red Eyed Rooster https://redeyedroosterco.com/Murray Arts Council https://www.murray-arts.com/Crown Craft Market https://crowncraftmarket.com/Teardrop Marathon http://www.teardrophalf.com/ Follow the show: Instagram: @behere.dalton Facebook: Here Magazine LinkedIn: Here Local Media Thanks for listening! Be sure to support the show by subscribing on your podcast player and leave us a review!

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About

For the Love of Here is a podcast about Dalton, Georgia and life across Northwest Georgia—from local businesses and entrepreneurship to community leadership and hometown pride. Hosts Erika Mosteller and Lauren Sneary sit down with founders, civic leaders, creatives, and neighbors from Dalton, Chatsworth, Ringgold, and Calhoun to talk about the ideas, challenges, and opportunities shaping our region. If you care about small-town business, local culture, economic growth, and building a life where you live, this podcast is for you. Because you don’t need a bigger city. You just need a better lens. Produced by Here Local Media.

Information

  • Creator
    Erika Mosteller & Lauren Sneary
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    16
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Here Local Media 2026

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