Spectruss Speakeasy Podcast

Jay Shaffer on Community Leadership and Networking

Jay Shaffer has spent his career at the intersection of technology, entrepreneurship, and investing. He got his start at Sun Microsystems during the growth years of the internet, went on to co-found VoiceQuilt, and now serves as Market Director for VentureSouth Chattanooga and Board Member of Atlanta Technology Angels, where he co-leads the screening committee and analyst program. In this episode of the Spectruss Speakeasy, Jay breaks down what he learned building a product customers loved but that still struggled to scale, why the best source of startup funding is almost never the one founders reach for first, and how the Southeast startup ecosystem is creating real opportunities for builders and investors alike. — What we cover in this episode: * What Jay learned at Sun Microsystems about positioning, following your customers, and being willing to disrupt your own product * Why the best funding source for founders is customers first, then partners and vendors, and only then banks, angels, or venture capital * The difference between angel investing and venture capital, and how founders should think about fit and timing * How Atlanta Technology Angels screens companies and what later-stage groups like VentureSouth look for * Why your pitch should work like a movie trailer, not the whole movie * The deceptively simple question that reframes go-to-market strategy: what is your equivalent of Amazon starting with books? * Why networking is a "contact sport" and communication is leadership — Hosted by Spectruss, an award-winning marketing and advertising agency.  📍 Based in Chattanooga, TN | Serving businesses nationwide  🌐 spectruss.com For more information, visit our website www.spectruss.com

Charlie Brock on Family Business and Quantum Technology

Charlie Brock grew up inside Brock Candy Company, a family business that started in 1906 and became one of the largest candy makers in the country. He watched it go public, get acquired, and eventually close its Chattanooga doors. Instead of slowing down, he founded a media company and sold it, co-founded the Chattanooga Renaissance Fund, ran CO.LAB, and led LaunchTN as CEO for five years to help build Tennessee's startup ecosystem from the ground up. Now he's leading the Chattanooga Quantum Collaborative, and in this episode of the Spectruss Speakeasy, Charlie breaks down what quantum technology actually is, why it matters, and why the Tennessee Valley is positioned to be one of the most important quantum regions in the country. --- What we cover in this episode: - What it was like growing up inside the Brock Candy family business and the lessons that came with it - Taking a family company public, selling it, and figuring out what comes next - Why EPB's fiber optic network helped put Chattanooga on the map as an innovation city - What the Chattanooga Quantum Collaborative is and what they've already accomplished - There are roughly 50 quantum computers in the U.S. right now, and soon 5 of them will be in the Tennessee Valley between Chattanooga, Huntsville, and Knoxville - The next big challenge: learning how to connect and network quantum computers together - How quantum computing could help solve AI's growing energy problem - Why culture still matters more than technology when you're building something that lasts --- Hosted by Spectruss, an award-winning marketing and advertising agency. 📍 Based in Chattanooga, TN | Serving businesses nationwide 🌐 spectruss.com For more information, visit our website www.spectruss.com

Dr. Patricia McLelland on Women's Health, Functional Medicine, & Her Upcoming Book

What happens when a doctor with 20+ years of experience stops defaulting to prescriptions and starts looking at the full picture? In this episode of Spectruss Speakeasy, host Sam Silvey, CEO and Founder of Spectruss, sits down with Dr. Patricia McLelland to talk about how functional medicine changed the way she practices and why slowing down often leads to better health outcomes than a quick fix. Dr. McLelland is a board-certified OB/GYN and functional medicine practitioner. In recent years, her approach has focused on treating the whole person through lifestyle changes, nutrition, and education rather than jumping straight to a prescription. Dr. McLelland is currently writing a book on women's health and functional medicine, expected to be published by the end of 2026. --- About Spectruss Speakeasy Spectruss Speakeasy is a podcast hosted by Sam Silvey, CEO and Founder of Spectruss, a full-service marketing and advertising agency based in Chattanooga, TN. Sam sits down with founders, business owners, and experts to talk about the decisions behind the business. New episodes drop regularly on YouTube and all major podcast platforms. For more information, visit our website www.spectruss.com

Matt Hullander on Selling Your Business, Post-Exit Identity & Chattanooga's Next Chapter

Matt Hullander sold Hullco to private equity in 2021. He walked into the Westin Hotel, signed the papers, introduced his buyer to 72 employees, then went and ate lunch by himself. Five years later, he has built V2 Strategy to help other home service owners avoid the mistakes he made, joined Legacy Dental Group as a partner across 7 practices in North Georgia, ran for mayor of Chattanooga, and is now designing $4M luxury condos. In this episode of the Spectruss Speakeasy, Matt talks openly about the part of the exit nobody prepares you for: the identity loss, why he signed an LOI without shopping the deal, and what an advisor could have done differently. --- What we cover in this episode: - Why 75% of business owners report regret or a loss of purpose after selling - How Hullco grew from $4M to over $20M, and what a COVID backlog looked like ($9M in sold-but-not-installed jobs) - How V2 Strategy took one HVAC owner from a $4.7M LOI to an $8.2M close - What private equity actually wants, and what nobody tells you before you sign - Why Legacy Dental's model works: acquire the dentist, run the business, let them treat patients - Matt's plan for luxury condos, and his take on the next chapter for Chattanooga - Running for mayor, and Charlie Kirk's advice he didn't take - The three books every business owner should read before they sell --- Connect with Matt 🌐 v2strategy.com --- Hosted by Spectruss, an award-winning marketing and advertising agency. 📍 Based in Chattanooga, TN | Serving businesses nationwide 🌐 spectruss.com For more information, visit our website www.spectruss.com

Banking on Chattanooga: What 40 Years in the Room Actually Teaches You — with Ron Jones of Southeast Bank

Most business owners treat banking like a transaction. Ron Jones has spent 40 years watching that mindset quietly limit — and sometimes kill — otherwise good businesses. In this episode of the Spectruss Speakeasy, Sam Silvey sits down with Ron Jones, Regional President of SouthEast Bank, for one of the most practical money conversations we've ever had on this show. Ron has been in commercial banking since 1987 — through First American National, First Volunteer, and now SouthEast Bank — and he brings the kind of perspective you only get from actually being in the room when the decisions get made. We get into the real stuff: why local banking relationships change outcomes, what bankers see beyond your credit score, how AI is reshaping lending speed, and what Chattanooga's business climate actually looks like from someone who sees the numbers every day. If you're a business owner between $5M and $50M and you're not having real strategy conversations with your banker yet — this episode is your nudge. What we cover: * Community banking vs. big banks — the practical difference * What kills a loan application before it even starts * How to position your business to borrow better 12 months from now * The Chattanooga market outlook from someone who sees it firsthand * AI, M&A, and what the future of banking means for small business owners The Spectruss Speakeasy is produced by Spectruss — a full-service marketing and advertising agency in Chattanooga, TN. We help growth-ready businesses between $5M–$50M get real marketing leadership without the overhead. Learn more at spectruss.com. For more information, visit our website www.spectruss.com