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. 2d ago

    A Childhood Across Continents Leads Back To Black Mountain

    You can tell a lot about someone by what they remember first. For Matthew Daughtry-Grubbs, it is the taste of fresh mango and papaya, hot bread carried home in Bulgaria, and a childhood shaped by missionary life that moved him across the Philippines, the Black Sea coast, and back to Eastern North Carolina. Those memories are more than stories, they are clues to why he now builds spaces where people can breathe again.  We talk with Matthew about coming full circle as the executive director of Cragmont Camp and Retreat Center in Black Mountain, NC, a place tied to his family for four generations. He shares what it is like to lead a Christian summer camp that has grown into a year-round retreat center, and why “camp first” can still mean opening the gates to serve locals through community use of the chapel, dining spaces, and a large gym. If you are searching for a Black Mountain meeting venue, a group retreat facility near Asheville, or a calm spot for a weekend reset, his behind-the-scenes perspective is genuinely helpful.  We also get practical about visiting the town itself, from walkable shops and art galleries to favorite food stops, plus a surprisingly refreshing idea: rooms without TVs and extra distractions so you can actually disconnect. If you have ever wanted an unplugged mountain getaway in North Carolina but did not know where to start, this conversation points you in a clear direction.  If you enjoy community stories and local leadership that feels real, subscribe, share this with a friend who needs a reset, and leave a review. What is the place that helped make you who you are? 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 27

    Take A Stick Leave A Stick

    Two emaciated geckos in a pet store triggered a question that still drives everything Joe Richichi does as a veterinarian: what happens when an animal’s life gets weighed against a price tag? Joe walks us from his early years as a working artist in upstate New York to veterinary school in the Caribbean, intense clinical training at Purdue, and finally the leap into building a private animal hospital in Black Mountain, North Carolina. Along the way, we get a clear look at what “practice ownership with values” really means.  We dig into the details of the new clinic design and why it’s built for both speed and calm: exam rooms arranged around a central treatment area, a bigger lobby meant to feel welcoming, and an art wall that showcases local artists while funding a pet emergency pool. That emergency fund is more than a nice idea, it’s a practical tool to reduce the number of times families feel forced into medical decisions based only on cost. If you care about independent veterinary medicine, exotic pet care, and community-centered small business in Western North Carolina, this one hits home.  Joe also shares the part of vet care most people dread, and how he’s trying to do it better: a dedicated euthanasia room in the back of the hospital with privacy features like its own entrance and exit, its own restroom, and space to take the time you actually need. We close with a candid breakdown of “why vets are so expensive,” what pet insurance can cover (including some exotic pets), and why education over judgment helps animals get treatment sooner.  If you enjoyed the conversation, subscribe, share this with a fellow pet lover, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What would you change about the way vet care works today? 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. Oct 20

    Getting Laid Off Became The Best Business Plan

    He asked to be the one who got laid off, then turned that moment into a 25-plus-year business story. We’re sitting down with Rob Atema, a lifelong builder of teams and systems who went from diesel technology and heavy equipment work to founding Rivertop Contracting, a commercial landscape management and landscape construction company serving large properties across the Asheville area. If you’ve ever wondered what it really takes to grow a local company from scratch, Rob’s path is equal parts practical, honest, and motivating.  We talk about what “commercial landscaping” looks like when it’s industrial parks, municipal spaces, and major community projects and how seasonal staffing, equipment, and culture shape the day-to-day. Rob shares how many of Rivertop’s employees live right here in Swannanoa, Black Mountain, and East Asheville, and why that local workforce connection matters when you care about regional growth and a healthy business community.  The conversation goes beyond work, too. Rob opens up about family life, becoming a granddad, resetting at Lake James, and the kind of simple mountain routines that keep life grounded. We also dig into service and leadership through boards, including advocacy connected to dyslexia and ADHD, and what it means to keep showing up for your community even when you’re busy.  If you enjoy Asheville entrepreneurship stories, leadership lessons, and real talk about building a business without losing your people, you’ll want this one. Subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave us a review with your biggest takeaway. 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. Oct 13

    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

  5. 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

  6. 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

  7. 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

  8. 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

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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
    52
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Exploring the Valley
  • Show Website
    Exploring the Valley