The Real Boone Podcast

The Art of Blacksmithing with Coy Baker

Coy Baker, Founder and CEO of Baker Forge & Tool, joins us to talk about building one of America's leading Damascus steel manufacturers in Boone, NC. Coy started his blacksmithing journey in the mountains of Western North Carolina in 2016, engineered his own 25-ton hydraulic forging press, and in 2020 developed a method for fusion welding copper to carbon steel — the breakthrough behind the brand's signature CopperMai and BronzeMai laminated steels. In this episode we cover manufacturing in the High Country of North Carolina, what it takes to run a family-owned operation alongside his brother Jay (Shop Manager) and father Bruce (CFO), the innovation behind proprietary steels like Mosaic Damascus and Stainless SanMai, and how Baker Forge supplies knife makers, artisans, and major knife companies from a single shop on Waterstone Drive — with steel shipping to Asia, Australia, Europe, and across North America. 🔗 ⁠Baker Forge [https://www.bakerforge.com] 🌐 ⁠⁠Real Boone Studios⁠⁠ [https://www.realboone.com/] 📸 ⁠⁠Instagram ⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/realboonestudios] 💬 ⁠⁠evan@realboone.com [evan@realboone.com]

The Story of Common Good Co. with Jacob & Melina Daniels

Description: Jacob and Melina Daniels are the husband-and-wife co-owners of Common Good Co., an artisan gallery and fine art space on King Street in Boone, NC. In this episode, you'll hear how two App State art students went from selling their work at traveling markets to owning and restoring a 100-year-old historic building in the heart of downtown — and what it actually took to build something from nothing. Expect a candid conversation about creative entrepreneurship, the risks of betting on your craft, and what it means to create a space that serves both artists and the community.

How a 26 Year Old Became The Mayor of Boone with Dalton George

Dalton George is the Mayor of Boone, NC and the youngest mayor in North Carolina. Before the title, he's a kid from Midway who came to App State and fell in love with the mountains. In this episode, we get to know Dalton — who he is outside of politics, what shaped him, and how he ended up running a town at 26. We also get into what the job actually looks like day to day, how Town Council works, and what it's like leading a college town where students outnumber year-round residents. We talk housing affordability, student voting, the Howard Street project, and where Boone is headed over the next five years. Support local stories from the High Country—follow and share! 🌐 ⁠⁠Real Boone Studios⁠⁠ [https://www.realboone.com/] 📸 ⁠⁠Instagram ⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/realboonestudios] 💬 ⁠⁠evan@realboone.com [evan@realboone.com]

How To Buy a Business with Chris Grasinger

Chris Grasinger is the High Country Regional Manager for Mountain BizWorks and a co-founder of Center 45 Climbing and Fitness in Boone, NC. He's a Blowing Rock native, App State MBA grad, and has spent the last decade deep in the business development world — from co-founding Startup High Country to managing lending and coaching for small businesses across Western North Carolina. In this episode, Chris talks about his own path into entrepreneurship, what Mountain BizWorks actually does for local business owners, and the work he's leading now through Mountain BizWorks Market Advisors — helping people buy and sell businesses in WNC. The big topic: the Business Buyer Accelerator, a new program designed to help entrepreneurs purchase existing local businesses as Baby Boomer owners prepare to retire. If you've ever thought about owning a business in the High Country, this one's for you. Support local stories from the High Country—follow and share! 🔗 ⁠⁠Market Advisors [http://www.marketadvisors.org] 🌐 ⁠⁠Real Boone Studios⁠⁠ [https://www.realboone.com/] 📸 ⁠⁠Instagram ⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/realboonestudios] 💬 ⁠⁠evan@realboone.com [evan@realboone.com]

The Story of Reid's Cafe, Betty's Biscuits, & More with Tina Houston

Tina Houston is the owner of Reid's Cafe & Catering, The Beacon Butcher Bar, Betty's Biscuits, and Pearl's Kitchen + Tiny Market — four restaurants across the High Country of North Carolina built over 25 years. In this episode, Tina shares how she went from launching a catering company in 1999 to becoming one of the most recognized names in Boone's food scene, what it means to cook with local ingredients and pay livable wages, and how she kept going through COVID and Hurricane Helene. Named the 2024 Citizen of the Year by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. Support local stories from the High Country—follow and share! 🔗 ⁠Betty's Biscuits [https://www.bettysbiscuitsnc.com] 🌐 ⁠⁠Real Boone Studios⁠⁠ [https://www.realboone.com/] 📸 ⁠⁠Instagram ⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/realboonestudios] 💬 ⁠⁠evan@realboone.com [evan@realboone.com]