Climbing the Charts with Angie Lawless and Brandon Miller

Ep. 55: Tennessee's Childcare Conundrum

Childcare in Tennessee isn't just a family issue—it's an economic one, a workforce one, and increasingly, a political one. Across the state, parents are struggling to find affordable, reliable care. Providers are stretched thin, and employers are feeling the ripple effects as workers are forced to make impossible choices between their jobs and their families. In this episode of Climbing the Charts, Angie Lawless and Brandon Miller sit down with Melanie Shinbaum, Executive Director of Nashville's Early Education Coalition, to understand what's driving the shortage, why costs remain so high, and how it's impacting communities from Nashville to rural counties across the state.

Ep: 54: Is Gino's Bulso's Bible Bill Constitutional?

There's a bill of biblical proportions in the Tennessee Legislature. Some are questioning its constitutionality. State House Rep. Gino Bulso filed HB1419. The legislation, which Bulso refers to as the "Protecting Religious Liberty and Expression in Public School Act" would require religion to be taught in Tennessee schools and permits prayer on campuses. In this episode of Climbing the Charts, Angie Lawless and Brandon Miller sit down with Sara Mayeaux, a Vanderbilt Law professor to discuss whether or not it's a violation of separation of church and state.

Ep. 53: Addressing Nashville's Affordable Housing Crisis: An Interview with Angela Hubbard, Director of Metro Nashville's Housing Division

Nashville has a cost of living crisis. Less than 9% of Nashvillians can afford a typical home in Nashville. It's even worse for minorities. Less than 1% of Black and Brown communities can afford a typical home. The crisis has been exacerbated by our city's zoning code which limits affordable and middle income housing. There's a new push by the Planning Department to amend it. The enthusiasm comes after the recent release of Nashville's Unified Housing Strategy. The document outlines code reforms addressing affordability. In this episode of Climbing the Charts, Angie Lawless and Brandon Miller sit down with Metro Nashville's Director of Housing Angela Hubbard to understand Nashville's Unified Housing Strategy and how it could be implemented.

Ep. 52: A Crypto Conversation: An interview with Rod Roudi, Founder of Bitcoin Park

Nashville has taken on many titles — Music City, Athens of the South, Smashville and Cashville, but tech bros have coined a new name, "Bitcoin City," in honor of the thriving crypto community that has formed. The city is home to Bitcoin Magazine, the world's largest web3 media outlet and Bitcoin Park, a globally renowned grassroots crypto community. Last year, Nashville even hosted Bitcoin Conference, the largest crypto conference in the world. In this episode of Climbing the Charts, Angie Lawless and Brandon Miller sit down with the Founder of Bitcoin Park, Rod Roudi, to explore just how Nashville became "Bitcoin City."

Ep. 51: The Face of Nashville Business: An Interview with Stephanie Coleman the CEO of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce

Nashville is more than a hub for musicians. It's a hub for business. Over the last decade, corporations like Amazon and Oracle have flocked to the southern city. Pro business politics and tax incentives are part of the allure. But business isn't the only thing ballooning in our sunbelt city. Housing costs have skyrocketed. More than 50 percent of Nashvillians are cost burdened by housing expenses — meaning they spend more than 30-percent of their monthly income on rent or a mortgage. In this episode of Climbing the Charts, Angie Lawless and Brandon Miller sit down with Stephanie Coleman the CEO of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce to understand how the public and private sector are working together to address the city's cost of living crisis while continuing to attract new companies.