Exploring the Valley

PC PRODUCTIONS
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Places & Travel

Discover the hidden gems, local legends, and can’t-miss experiences in Black Mountain and the Swannanoa Valley as we dive into the perks of Chamber membership and uncover what makes this mountain town a must-visit destination. Whether you're a local business or just passing through, there's something cool waiting for you!

  1. 3d ago

    The Disco Ball Bathroom And Other Serious Life Lessons

    He went from a business career and a steady paycheck to $400 a month and an extra bedroom, all because he couldn’t shake the pull toward ministry. We’re talking with Josh Grant, pastor at Brookstone Church’s East Asheville campus, about what that kind of leap costs, what it gives back, and how a calling gets tested in real life. We also get practical about what it looks like to build community in Black Mountain and Swannanoa when you’re raising little kids. Josh shares how their family uses farmers markets, CSA boxes (community supported agriculture), parks, and fall festival season to stay outside, meet neighbors, and keep life simple and fun. We dig into why a “third place” matters, from coffee shops designed to defeat loneliness to small details that make people feel welcome. The conversation turns deeper as we connect hurricane experience and disaster recovery to the way communities reset their priorities. Josh talks about the good that can follow real hardship without downplaying the pain, and how showing up for people, even in unexpected places like a festival church service, can open the door to care, prayer, and belonging. We wrap with the practices that keep him steady: silence and solitude through fly fishing, and a refreshing take on networking that feels generous rather than salesy. If you care about community building, local business culture, faith in public life, and finding your place in the mountains, this one’s for you. Subscribe, share with a friend who loves Black Mountain, and leave us a review with your favorite moment from the conversation. Send us Fan Mail Best Buy Metals is the industry leader in long-life metal roofing and siding materials. With seven manufacturing locations, they deliver high-quality products at everyday low prices and at speeds others can’t match. But what truly sets Best Buy Metals apart is their people—a dedicated team committed to providing exceptional service for projects of any size, every single day. Support the show

  2. Oct 6

    What If Authenticity Is A Town’s Superpower

    You can feel it when someone is truly from a place, not just living there, but carrying its stories, its people, and its rhythms. We’re joined by Courtney King, a Swannanoa native with a career path that proves you don’t need a perfect plan to build a meaningful life. We talk about growing up in Swannanoa, graduating from Owen, and how a mountain town stays stitched together through family, familiar faces, and the moments where you realize everyone is connected.  Courtney walks us through the pivots that shaped her work: leaving App State before finishing, getting a real estate license, choosing culinary school, and baking pastries out of her house while raising four kids. That home kitchen hustle eventually becomes Hey Hey Cupcake, opened in downtown Black Mountain in 2012, with her sister’s creativity helping shape the look and feel that locals still remember. She also shares what it’s like to sell a beloved small business and why the timing can be both emotional and necessary.  Then we shift from sweet to practical with We Haul, the local dumpster rental and hauling business that started with a truck and a handful of dumpsters and grew into a reliable service across the area. Along the way, we get into what makes this community work: thank-you notes, showing up for people, and gathering spots like Daymakers that give Swannanoa a much-needed lift. We also dig into why festivals like Sourwood and Holly Jolly matter for local business, local pride, and making room for the next generation.  If you care about small-town life, local business, entrepreneurship, and the real meaning of community in Western North Carolina, this one will stick with you. Subscribe, share this with a friend who loves the mountains, and leave us a review. What’s one place in your town that helps you feel connected? Send us Fan Mail Best Buy Metals is the industry leader in long-life metal roofing and siding materials. With seven manufacturing locations, they deliver high-quality products at everyday low prices and at speeds others can’t match. But what truly sets Best Buy Metals apart is their people—a dedicated team committed to providing exceptional service for projects of any size, every single day. Support the show

  3. Sep 29

    How A Local Nonprofit Keeps A Valley Afloat

    You can learn a lot about a town by looking at how it treats people when life gets hard. We sit down with Savanna Craig, assistant director at Swannanoa Valley Christian Ministry (SVCM), to talk about what community support actually looks like in Black Mountain, NC and the wider Swannanoa Valley and why it works when it’s built on relationships, consistency, and real cooperation. Savanna shares her path from Haywood County to college and divinity school, then back to the mountains, and how SVCM has grown over the past few years from a tiny staff into a stronger team powered by a huge volunteer base. We dig into the core programs that neighbors rely on: financial assistance, a clothing closet, a food pantry, an urgent home repair program, and Neighbor Care, SVCM’s free medical clinic. If you’ve ever wondered how local nonprofits decide what to offer, how they avoid wasting effort, and how they stay responsive to changing needs, this conversation gets specific. We also talk about partnerships across the valley and why avoiding duplicated services helps the whole community carry more of the load. One of the most exciting threads is the plan to expand Neighbor Care with a mobile medical unit, bringing healthcare access to people facing cost and transportation barriers. Along the way, Savannah gives practical tips for meeting people after moving to town, plus a memorable Black Mountain bear story that feels like a rite of passage. If you care about volunteering, community resources in Black Mountain NC, nonprofit collaboration, or expanding healthcare access in rural mountain towns, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a neighbor, and leave a review so more people can find the stories that keep the valley connected. Send us Fan Mail Best Buy Metals is the industry leader in long-life metal roofing and siding materials. With seven manufacturing locations, they deliver high-quality products at everyday low prices and at speeds others can’t match. But what truly sets Best Buy Metals apart is their people—a dedicated team committed to providing exceptional service for projects of any size, every single day. Support the show

  4. Sep 22

    From Gold Camp To Social House

    You can feel the moment a “normal” life stops fitting and a bigger idea starts pushing back. We sit down with Kathryn "Kat" Rudasil to trace the path from North Carolina roots to a full year of international travel and back again, where a mix of real estate grit and hospitality instinct turns into two standout destinations in Western North Carolina: a glamping camp in Marion and Perry Social House in Black Mountain. Kat walks us through the practical side of taking risks, from house hacking and learning renovations the hard way to spotting a once-in-a-lifetime listing: 11 buildings on the water at an old gold mining camp. Instead of rebuilding the same tourist routine, they reimagine the property around what modern families and couples actually want: nature, comfort, and time together. We talk glamping basics, why “easy” matters, and how to create a getaway that works for kids, grandparents, and everyone in between. Then we zoom in on Perry Social House, a coffee and cocktail bar that happens to have rooms. Kat explains the branding strategy behind that wording, how an Airbnb-style self check-in micro-hotel supports a local-first vibe, and why events like workshops and themed nights are more than marketing, they’re community infrastructure. The biggest takeaway is simple and powerful: we’re not selling stuff, we’re helping people remember how a place made them feel. If you care about small business growth, hospitality marketing, experiential travel, or the Blue Ridge Mountains tourism scene, this conversation is packed with real examples you can use. Subscribe, share this with a friend who loves a good local spot, and leave a review telling us what makes you come back to a place. Send us Fan Mail Best Buy Metals is the industry leader in long-life metal roofing and siding materials. With seven manufacturing locations, they deliver high-quality products at everyday low prices and at speeds others can’t match. But what truly sets Best Buy Metals apart is their people—a dedicated team committed to providing exceptional service for projects of any size, every single day. Support the show

  5. Sep 15

    What If Your Business Succeeds Because You Notice People

    A store can be more than shelves and prices. Sometimes it’s a place where you notice who looks tired today, who’s celebrating, and who might need a little help and where you quietly know exactly who to call if you can’t be that help yourself. That’s the heart of our conversation with Danette Hopey of Hopey & Co., one of the most talked-about local grocery stores in Black Mountain, North Carolina. We trace the real origin story: selling Beacon blankets at the flea market, scrambling for the next “side hustle” when that market closed, and taking a big swing on coffee beans that became seed money. From there, customer requests reshape everything, turning a small overstock operation into a true neighborhood stop for local products, pantry basics, imported surprises, plus a beer and wine selection that draws people in from across the Asheville area. Danette also shares what makes overstock grocery shopping feel confusing at first and why it becomes fun once you learn the rhythm. Along the way we talk family and longevity: five kids, homeschooling, generational employees, and the kind of community culture that keeps people coming back for decades. We even get into travel stories, including Alaska moments where strangers recognize the store by name, and the local-history murals inside Hoppy & Company painted by an employee whose talent stunned everyone. If you love stories about small business, entrepreneurship, Black Mountain NC, and the power of community, hit play. Subscribe for more, share this with a friend who loves local shopping, and leave us a review so more listeners can find the show. Send us Fan Mail Best Buy Metals is the industry leader in long-life metal roofing and siding materials. With seven manufacturing locations, they deliver high-quality products at everyday low prices and at speeds others can’t match. But what truly sets Best Buy Metals apart is their people—a dedicated team committed to providing exceptional service for projects of any size, every single day. Support the show

  6. Sep 8

    Service Above Self

    You can tell a lot about a town by what happens when you show up every week. We’re joined by Ted Rausch, this year’s Rotary president, to talk about how a life of constant moving (Army brat, preacher’s kid, Army officer) shapes your values and your need for community, and why Black Mountain, NC finally feels like a place to put down roots. We swap local favorites too, from Flat Creek and the Greenway to the Point Lookout Trail, and what it’s like to settle into mountain life after decades somewhere else.  From there, we dig into what Rotary actually is: a service-focused membership organization built on fellowship, integrity, and leadership. Ted breaks down why meetings matter, how great speakers keep people engaged, and how connection turns into action. We talk through service projects and the behind-the-scenes work of raising and distributing disaster grant funding, including support for Community High School and programs where students need real equipment and space to learn. If you’ve ever searched for “volunteer opportunities in Black Mountain” or wondered where to make a lasting impact, this is a practical look at how it happens.  We also spotlight the Black Mountain Citizens Academy and why civic education lowers the temperature on local issues by helping you understand public works, planning, and zoning. Ted shares what the board of adjustment does, why he avoids private conversations about cases, and how residents can plug in without turning everything into a fight. Plus: dogs, bear encounters, and why e-bikes are more workout than you’d think, along with the town’s push for safer biking and walking.  If you like conversations about community service, local government, and how to belong where you live, subscribe, share this with a neighbor, and leave a quick review so more people can find the show. Send us Fan Mail Best Buy Metals is the industry leader in long-life metal roofing and siding materials. With seven manufacturing locations, they deliver high-quality products at everyday low prices and at speeds others can’t match. But what truly sets Best Buy Metals apart is their people—a dedicated team committed to providing exceptional service for projects of any size, every single day. Support the show

  7. Sep 1

    What Your State Representative Actually Does

    Raleigh can feel far away right up until your road washes out, your business paperwork stalls, or disaster recovery turns into a maze. We’re joined by North Carolina State Representative Eric Ager, a Fairview native and former Navy helicopter pilot, to talk about what state-level leadership looks like when Western North Carolina needs results, not headlines. Eric shares his story from growing up on a farm to the Naval Academy and decades of service overseas, then returning home to raise a family, run parts of the farm operation, and help grow a local equine nonprofit. From there, we dig into the nuts and bolts of the North Carolina General Assembly: the part-time schedule, why the state budget is the legislature’s central obligation, and why the “representative” part of the job often means constituent services. When unemployment claims, business licenses, or agency bottlenecks hit, knowing who to call and how to escalate problems can make a real difference. We also tackle Hurricane Helene recovery and the ongoing disconnect between what mountain communities experienced and what much of the state sees today. Eric talks candidly about where relief fell short for small businesses, why loans were often the wrong answer, and what faster grant or forgivable loan programs could have changed. Then we pivot to tourism recovery in Western North Carolina: rebuilding visitor confidence, investing in North Carolina state parks, restoring key routes like Highway 9, and even the idea of trout stream designation for the Swannanoa River to support conservation funding and fishing tourism. If you found this useful, subscribe to Exploring the Valley, share this conversation with a neighbor, and leave a review so more people can find it. Send us Fan Mail Best Buy Metals is the industry leader in long-life metal roofing and siding materials. With seven manufacturing locations, they deliver high-quality products at everyday low prices and at speeds others can’t match. But what truly sets Best Buy Metals apart is their people—a dedicated team committed to providing exceptional service for projects of any size, every single day. Support the show

  8. Aug 25

    How Tourism, History, And Volunteers Keep Black Mountain Thriving

    You can learn a lot about a place by listening to someone who has loved it for decades, then chose to serve it on purpose. We’re joined by Glenn Cox, a Swannanoa Valley local with deep family roots and a lifetime of stories that stretch from Atlanta summers to a full-time home in the mountains, complete with a reservoir view toward Craggy and the Blue Ridge Parkway that still feels unreal.  We also get practical about how a town like Black Mountain gets supported and seen. Glenn walks us through his nonprofit management journey, from Handmade in America to his operational role at Explore Asheville, and what it takes to build systems, separate organizations, and keep the work steady even when politics and funding shift. If you’ve ever wondered whether “Explore Asheville” includes smaller communities, we talk honestly about what gets done, how relationships matter, and why showing up changes outcomes.  Then we dig into the Tourism Development Authority: what it is, how occupancy tax funding works, and why grants and marketing support don’t appear by magic. We connect that to real results like the Sourwood Festival’s demand, and to the community side of the valley: the Swannanoa Valley Museum and History Center, exhibits that hold hard memories like Helene, and hiking programs that turn neighbors into friends.  If you care about Western North Carolina travel, local history, community development, or simply what makes a small mountain town function, this one is for you. Subscribe, share with a friend who loves Black Mountain, and leave a review telling us what topic you want us to explore next. Send us Fan Mail Best Buy Metals is the industry leader in long-life metal roofing and siding materials. With seven manufacturing locations, they deliver high-quality products at everyday low prices and at speeds others can’t match. But what truly sets Best Buy Metals apart is their people—a dedicated team committed to providing exceptional service for projects of any size, every single day. Support the show

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About

Discover the hidden gems, local legends, and can’t-miss experiences in Black Mountain and the Swannanoa Valley as we dive into the perks of Chamber membership and uncover what makes this mountain town a must-visit destination. Whether you're a local business or just passing through, there's something cool waiting for you!

Information

  • Creator
    PC PRODUCTIONS
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    49
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Exploring the Valley
  • Show Website
    Exploring the Valley