Episodes

  • Dave Sandlin of House of Commons Bourbon Library

    Dave Sandlin of House of Commons Bourbon Library
    Jul 10 2025
    Leo and Sheri welcome Dave Sandlin of House of Commons Bourbon Library. · Dave grew up in East Tennessee near Pigeon Forge in the Smoky Mountains. · He went to college in Southeast KY, majoring in elementary education. · After earning his degree, was working as a substitute teacher trying to get hired as a full-time teacher. At the time there were no openings so, with his wife and starting a family, he started working at a luxury resort in East Tennessee called Blackberry Farm. · He enjoyed the hospitality industry and worked with a mentor there who had been head of training for Ruby Tuesdays worldwide. · He fell in love with food and beverage and upscale hospitality. · After a few years, a friend from college asked him to move to Frankfort to help him start a church in June 2021. · He worked at Florida Tile in Lawrenceburg for a few months when he was introduced to Ben Harden who was renovating the building at 245 West Main. · Ben offered for Dave to own the bar he was renovating on the ground floor below the AirBnB’s he had on the second floor. · Dave had never owned a business before but was convinced that Frankfort needed an upscale dedicated bourbon bar representing the bourbon industry in Kentucky. · So even though they moved here to start a church, he and his wife were now owners of a bar. · He hired great team members early on with bartending skills and cocktail background while he brought the bourbon knowledge and the hospitality skills. · The House of Commons was built as the only vintage bar in Frankfort. · The pride themselves on being a bourbon bar but they do make cocktails but with the goal to honor the spirit and those who created the spirit. · They are a Kentucky spirits bar that only serves Kentucky gin, Kentucky vodka, Kentucky whisky. They want those dollars for distillation to go back into the state to support our regional economy. · If someone goes to a distillery and does a tasting, they are only tasting the bourbons distilled there. At HOC, they have the opportunity to taste things that they woudn’t have the opportunity to taste at the distillery. Plus they have vintage at HOC. · They recently had an event with Freddie Johnson and will have more of these types of events in the future. · When customers come in, they will build a flight of bourbons based on what the customer tells them they like and their price point. It’s customized to the customer’s palate. · They pride themselves on providing an experience. They don’t have TVs in their business and don’t use QR codes, so people aren’t on their phones but talking to the staff or each other. They want people to connect. · They also offer seasonal drinks. · As a new business owner, he knew how to be a manager and how to lead a team. But, going from being a manager to an owner-operator is a shift that requires a lot more paperwork. Also, as an owner, he has to take care of other issues that may pop up like a team member is out sick and a replacement is needed. · Starting a business required him to work seven days a week for the first ten weeks. Then he went to six days a week but has hired and trained a good team that he continues to support and coach so now he can work four days a week. · People come in from other states and ask him to build something like this in their states. · Marketing is done by word of mouth. They use social media for communication, not for advertising per se. · His suggestion for someone wanting to start their own business is to be genuine, honest. Under promise and over delivery. Don’t cheapen yourself – for example, they don’t have a happy hour. They aren’t just offering drinks; they are offering experience. Located at 245 W. Main Street, Frankfort, KY 40601 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_bourbon_library/ Website: https://www.hocbourbonlibrary.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086409251144 Hours: Sunday 2pm-8pm; Monday-Thursday 2pm-10pm; Friday-Saturday 2pm-12am Multiply Church: https://www.multiplyky.com/
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    46 mins
  • Carrie Seay from Mantis Creative Wellness

    Carrie Seay from Mantis Creative Wellness
    Jul 2 2025
    Leo and Sheri welcome Carrie Seay of Mantis Creative Wellness of Frankfort. Carrie has worked in the service industry since age fourteen, from restaurants to retail to management.She earned her degree in art and photography from the University of Louisville in 1997.Carrie has struggled with severe anxiety and depression and has learned to acclimate to any situation.She moved to Frankfort about thirteen years ago when her husband at the time got a job with the state.She began homeschooling her daughter at her request, and they joined a local homeschooling group for children aged 4-16 that is not religious-based. Carrie taught a lot of the science. Her daughter is now 25.Back in Louisville, when her daughter was born, Carrie began looking into Cranial Psychotherapy, because the baby wasn’t eating and couldn’t stop crying because of sensory integration issues. She is also on the autism spectrum.They saw a cranial psychotherapist who practiced light-touch bodywork, which is excellent for people who prefer not to be pressed. It helped the baby so much that Carrie went for herself to help her nervous system.Carrie worked with the Light Clinic as a practitioner for about ten years.She has an ability to connect with other people’s bodies, and cranial psychotherapy work puts that to use.Math, science, art, and music all complement each other in this work. Carrie has recently opened Mantis Creative Wellness in a spacious location in downtown Frankfort, combining all these elements.After working at the Light Clinic, she had a smaller space in the McClure Building for a while, where she offered cranial sacral work and guided meditation, followed by art sessions to help clients integrate the work they were doing in their bodies.That space was too small, and she closed shop there, went through a divorce, sent her daughter off to college, and had a breakdown.She spent three years looking for the right storefront.Several places fell through after she acquired some infrared sauna pods ,which she then had to move to her home, as she went back to working as a cranial psychotherapist.Carrie is friends with the women owners of River City Provisions. One of them suggested a space right down the street from them.The space was being gutted, and it was huge.After some renovation delays, she moved into the space in March.She delayed her official opening until the April flood.She has hired two part-time employees to help.She is no longer technically working as a cranial psychotherapist, but she does occasionally see former clients at the Light Clinic.She is trying to reach a new demographic with the infrared sauna pods, especially with people who don’t like to be touched, for example, those with PTSD.Carrie uses Instagram and has also started using Facebook, as Frankfort is a Facebook town.Sheri first connected with Carrie after watching her Facebook video about her solstice guided meditation and joined the session on Zoom.Carrie began teaching and leading meditations nearly twenty years ago, with a focus on group guided meditation.Guided meditation gives your brain something to do that’s fun, healing, and healthy.She prefers working with groups to reach more people and cost them less.Currently, she leads guided group meditations every third Sunday at the Light Clinic at 5:30. Please bring your journal.She will eventually be doing this at her site as well.Carrie can also create and record a customized guided meditation for you, based on whatever struggle you have described. This doesn’t require an in-person appointment; you can write or email her.Her business offers meditation, art classes, and an infrared sauna among its services.They use sauna pods made by the company Sun Lighten.The sauna pods help reduce inflammation, regulate sleep, relieve stress and anxiety, and regulate hormones in both men and women.Carrie has used them herself to help with panic disorder and panic attacks.Your head is out the whole time, and you can put your arms out as well. The temperature can be adjusted to your comfort.It feels like being on the beach, because it’s the part of the sun’s infrared rays, BUT YOU ARE NOT TANNING.You may or may not sweat.Sessions are typically 30 minutes but may be 40 minutes or an hour.The sauna pods are also great for kids aged 10 and up, helping with growing pains, stress, anxiety, and sleep issues. The pods are also helpful for muscle recovery.It is not a panacea, but should be used as part of a healthcare regimen under the guidance of your healthcare provider.This is not suitable for people with certain heart conditions or who are pregnant.It is safe for people with things like ankle replacements or breast implants.The art component of the business features an art gallery located as you enter Mantis Creative Wellness, currently showcasing an exhibit by Ellie Hasken-Wagner titled “Cats I Have Known.”The exhibits will change out every three months or so and usually contain an interactive ...
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    52 mins
  • Harry Carver from Bluegrass Realty and Investments

    Harry Carver from Bluegrass Realty and Investments
    Jun 26 2025
    Harry Carver from Bluegrass Realty and Investments moved to Frankfort over 20 years ago for a short-term job, and the rest is history. · Harry is an agent and appraiser at Bluegrass Realty and Investments.· Frankfort resident for 27 years· Been in real estate for the last 9 years but had a real estate license in the early 2000’s before going into state government.· Renewed license after leaving state government and decided to also get his appraiser’s license.· Currently he does real estate sales and residential appraisals.· As a real estate agent and appraiser with Bluegrass Realty and Investments, he is self-employed.· Real estate agents must be affiliated with a broker to conduct business; they cannot operate independently. The real estate agency pays the realtors as independent contractors.· Joe Johnson, the broker at Bluegrass Realty, is Harry’s brother-in-law.· Bluegrass Realty is a nice small local firm.· Starter homes turn over more than larger homes.· In years past, there would be a turnover in houses with the changing state government administrations but not so much anymore.· One of the biggest changes in real estate has been the recent court decision last year regarding real estate agents being able to advertise what they were paying the buyer’s agent (i.e., the commission to the buyer’s agent). This was a state case in another state but had national impact and resulted in a settlement with the National Association of Realtors. So now, it must be negotiated, cannot be stated up front.· Over the years, some of the changes in the market Harry has seen include a few years ago when there were low interest rates and limited inventory in which a house would only be on the market a day before it was sold, with multiple offers, to today with a ton of inventory and houses being on the market longer. Currently, there are about 100 houses on the market in Frankfort.· A few years ago, a starter home was $100,000 to $125,000 and now it’s more like $200,000.· Not a lot of new construction now either. There were several subdivisions planned and approved prior to the housing bust of 2008 but those areas sat vacant. Now there aren’t a lot of approved subdivisions out there so not a lot of construction, not nearly what is needed to keep up with the demand.· Harry has been involved in the community, particularly with Downtown Frankfort.· During his time with state government as a non-merit employee he was a volunteer with Downtown Frankfort and ended up being the director for several years. Since leaving that position, he has continued to be a volunteer.· Downtown is the heart of a community. If you don’t have a vibrant downtown, people spending time together there and doing things downtown, then a community lacks viability. Big companies don’t decide to locate in a town because they have a Wal-Mart on the interstate but because they have a vibrant downtown.· He lives downtown and sees more tourists coming through town and in the coffee shops, etc. As a result of the bourbon tourism, the two new hotels and the plans to redo the Capital Plaza, there are more opportunities for downtown businesses. The retail part of downtown has come and gone but in the last two or three years it is bouncing back.· More people want to live downtown but there are also people interested in buying properties for short term rentals which is creating some angst because with the housing shorting there is competition for properties from people who aren’t going to live in the house. The city took steps to rectify this by limiting in those neighborhoods the number of short-term rentals that each neighborhood could have.· It’s a unique perspective between being a state government employee and working for yourself. There are no guarantees when you are an entrepreneur.· If he were advising someone who wants to be an entrepreneur, one of the issues to consider is affordable health insurance. a lot of people can do it only because they have a spouse who has health insurance through their employer.· Because of the state government, many people in Frankfort can retire at a fairly young age and start a new career. For them, the issue of health insurance is removed because they continue to have coverage as a state government retiree.· Real estate marketing has traditionally used the yard for sale signs. With the internet, you get more exposure, and it is easier to go online instead of looking through the hard copy MLS book. Also, buyers can search for homes themselves online. By the time they call an agent, they have already narrowed down their search.· He hasn’t used social media much in his business ...
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    37 mins
  • Amy Smith from The Evergreen: Southern Kitchen and Gathering Place

    Amy Smith from The Evergreen: Southern Kitchen and Gathering Place
    Jun 17 2025
    Fran Luscher, daughter of Marian and Buck, and her daughters, Amy Luscher Smith, Jenny Luscher, and Cindy McCann started The Evergreen as a cafe and gathering space to the local community. After 3 to 5 months, it was entirely family run, but now includes “found” family as part-time staff.COVID disrupted Amy’s retirement plans, but she managed to do so when she became eligible as her agency changed retirement systems.Their building had great bones but needed renovations after being rented out to various other businesses after her grandmother’s retirement. They replaced all the electrical components, not an easy task, immediately after the COVID-19 pandemic.Her grandfather owned a construction company, and their barn still had supplies they could use, like two-by-fours and metal.They’ve partnered with paper artist Michelle Sutton, a close friend, to teach classes.Evergreen offers “Crafternoons” one Saturday a month. $5 gets you table space, and you can stay from open to close, bringing in whatever you are working on.At the very first Crafternoon, one participant was arm knitting and ended up teaching others how to do it as well.They’ve taught cookie classes, Michelle teaches card classes, and her mother has taught wreath classes.There is a structure in place for others who may want to teach classes. They’ve also had painting classes.Their internet access is very good, and the Wi-Fi has been utilized quite successfully by larger groups.They have been booking the event center a lot, especially showers, and recently graduations.One wall is wired especially for guests to bring in many crockpots if the group wants to do potluck, but Evergreen’s catering is available as well.The Evergreen’s specialties include Sunshine Chicken Salad and the Breakfast Hot Brown.They are open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 9:30-11:30. The event spaces can be rented 7 days a week.They partner with Karen Van Meter at Cake and Candy Supply in Shelbyville for a lot of their baking supplies.Amy is also an author. Her book is about her breast cancer journey and what to expect from diagnosis through surgery, chemo, and beyond.She kept a blog during that time on Caring Bridge to keep friends updated, and has now turned that blog into her book titled "My Faith Sparkles."The book is on Amazon, but she doesn’t make money from it. For every book sold, she donates a book. She has distributed these to the cancer center in Frankfort and also at Baptist Health Cancer Centers. She will ALSO give you a book at the café for someone you know who is going on that journey.Amy had her book launch at the Paul Sawyier Public Library and has donated several copies there as well.They use Facebook and a dedicated website, although paid Facebook ads have not led to actual sales. Leo explains that the changes Facebook made around 2020 make it more difficult for small businesses to target their local area.Word of mouth drives the majority of their business, but they also have an email newsletter to publicize classes and upcoming events.They do some very targeted marketing. For example, they provided individually packaged sugar cookies for teachers with coupons at the end of the school year.They offer box lunches for Bourbon Trail folks, as well as state government and local businesses.They have partnered with Frankfort Christian Academy and taught a week-long cooking class where students learned kitchen safety and a new recipe each day that they got to eat for their lunch.Evergreen is starting to offer experiences where you can have lunch and learn to make a bourbon ball or put together a Hot Brown.The newly renovated small room is the perfect space for these experiences, as well as pop-ups by local entrepreneurs, or special dinners.They will have a ribbon cutting for the new space later this year.They have spaces that will accommodate 25, 50, or 150.They also have the technology available to enable presentations easily.They offer a variety of coffee drinks and do seasonal offerings as well, for coffee, entrees, and desserts.They are not open for dinner but do accommodate evening events.There are some hurdles to opening a small business in Frankfort, and part of that is the lack of a one-stop shop for permitting and other needs.Amy invites folks to come out for Crafternoon, a meal in the café, catering, or an event space.Evergreen is located at 450 Evergreen Road, off U.S. 60. EVERGREEN - WEBSITE EVERGREEN - FACEBOOK AMY'S BOOK - "MY FAITH SPARKLES"
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    41 mins
  • Double Threat Celia Doss from Living Waters Kentucky & Maui Silver Jewelry

    Double Threat Celia Doss from Living Waters Kentucky & Maui Silver Jewelry
    Jun 10 2025
    Celia Doss is the owner of Living Waters Kentucky and co-owner with her husband of Maui Silver Jewelry. Celia owns two businesses in Frankfort.Her husband is from Frankfort, and she’s been visiting here for 25 years.She grew up in California and met her husband there.She has a master’s degree in Integrative Health Care.They moved to Maui, started a business, and raised two kids there for 18 years.On August 8, 2023, they lost their home and business to the historic wildfire there.The family moved to Frankfort that same month to start over. Their Frankfort home is nowhere near the flood zone.The Hawaiian home and business were rentals, which freed them to come to Frankfort, as the decision to rebuild or not wasn’t in their hands.Maui Silver Jewelry was created in 2006, and they restarted it in Frankfort.They have a pop-up location inside Bourbon Belles and Babes, but mainly sell online through MauiSilverJewelry.com and can be found on Facebook and Instagram. They also do pop-ups at parties and local events.Office Manager Murphy barks out some weekly encouragement.Maui Silver Jewelry began with the encouragement of friends and $10,000 in inventory.COVID-19 presented a challenge to employee retention, yet they managed to do it all themselves in their storefront, located in a highly tourist-driven area.They have maintained a very loyal customer base online, which contributed to their recovery.Her children are 13 and 17, and the motivation to work from home is for a better quality of life.As an e-commerce business, they have faced a few scammers, but work with Square for credit card processing, which has helped.Celia has also learned to spot the signs of scam attempts. Her connections with her customers help.Celia’s second business is Living Waters Kentucky.She recommends getting professional help when designing your website and interfaces.The basis for Living Waters started in 2021, back in Maui, when they invested in a water ionizer for their home, a medical-grade certified machine made in Japan.They tried it for a while as part of a water share before investing in their home machine. The company found out they burned with everything else in the Lahaina fire and sent them a new one free of charge here in Frankfort.The water is purified, then ionized by the machine.The scientific name is electrolyte-reduced water.Celia does demos for educational purposes, so people understand what they are drinking. Customers buy a membership with a glass gallon jug for $35 for unlimited refills. The refill station is inside River City Provisions.Kangen Water in Japanese means “returned to origin.”River City Provisions is open 7 days a week.You must have a demonstration before picking up water, because while it is excellent for drinking, cooking, and cleaning, some medical conditions, like kidney disease, are better off with only neutral water.Glass is the preferred vessel for storing and drinking Kangen Water; however, she also offers a membership with a 3-gallon BPA-free plastic container with a dispenser pump, which may suit families better.Mantis Creative Wellness Center has a 3-gallon dispenser for their patrons.Celia recommends making ice cubes with the water, especially if you like your bourbon on the rocks.You can find Living Waters Kentucky on Facebook or email Celia Doss at yahoo.com.If people want a system in their own home, Celia is a distributor. The $35 membership is a good way to try it out first. Celia is an active member of the Chamber of Commerce, which is how she met Sheri and how this conversation got started. Living Water Kentucky Facebook Maui Silver Jewelry & Custom Fit Toe Rings - Website Maui Silver Jewelry & Custom Fit Toe Rings - Facebook
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    53 mins
  • Sarah Booe from Rebecca Ruth Chocolates

    Sarah Booe from Rebecca Ruth Chocolates
    Jun 3 2025

    The Sidewalk CEO podcast talks with Sarah Booe of Rebecca Ruth Chocolates in Frankfort, Kentucky. Sarah is the 4th generation of her family to work in this iconic small business known around the world for its bourbon chocolates.

    • · Sarah talks about growing up around the business.
    • · She is a 2020 graduate of the University of Kentucky
    • · Started working in Rebecca Ruth’s office during COVID, as everything switched to online
    • · She is now the Vice President of Rebecca Ruth
    • · The company was founded in 1919 by Sarah’s great-grandmother, Ruth Hanley Boo,e and friend Rebecca Gooch
    • · They began at the Frankfort Hotel during Prohibition, using the closed bar
    • · Edna’s Table, a marble slab named for a longtime employee, survived a fire and will soon be part of Rebecca Ruth’s new tour experience
    • · Sarah’s mother has recently opened Miss Risa’s Restaurant for lunch Monday through Saturday inside the Rebecca Ruth store at 629 Versailles Road in Frankfort
    • · Another store is located on the other side of I-64 at 3295 Versailles Road
    • · The main store and factory is located at 116 East 2nd Street in Frankfort
    • · Sarah just developed a new candy, Bourbon Black Forest Truffle
    • · Ruth invented the bourbon ball, inspired by a conversation with Eleanor Hume at Frankfort’s sesquicentennial, in 1938
    • · Preparation for Christmas begins in July
    • · They managed not to lay off anyone during COVID, even as foot traffic slowed drastically, because their online sales boomed
    • · They still accept phone orders, mostly from loyal, longtime customers who have left KY
    • · They employ around 35 people without a lot of turnover
    • · Facebook is an essential tool for connecting with Frankfort locals
    • · They aren’t using much technology throughout the business, and still write paper checks
    • · They came through the recent flooding with only some water in their basement
    • · Use several different Kentucky bourbons as they make bourbon balls for local distilleries like Buffalo Trace
    • · One line operation, centered around the extruder that forms the candy dough or center into pieces, which are then chocolate-coated
    • · One batch weighs 60 pounds
    • · They try to keep suppliers as local as possible
    • · Sarah has upgraded the business to Shopify
    • · New tourism site will be 5000 square feet, located at the 2nd Street site, and will include historic equipment, vintage advertising, a history video, and a look into the factory
    • · A new tourism experience is expected to open mid-June
    • · Besides the 3 Frankfort stores, their candy can be found across KY
    • · Traditional bourbon balls are the core of their business, but they do experiments and add new products

    Rebecca Ruth Chocolates- Web Site

    Rebecca Ruth Chocolates - Facebook

    Rebecca Ruth Chocolates - Instagram
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    47 mins
  • The Sidewalk CEO Podcast Coming June 2025

    The Sidewalk CEO Podcast Coming June 2025
    May 19 2025

    The sidewalk CEO is a podcast created by small business owners... For small business owners.

    Sheri Donahue is the CEO and Chief Cyber Security Evangelist at Commonwealth Sentinel. Leo Haggerty is the founder of TCHQ Communications.

    Each week, they talk with small business owners in and around Franklin County.

    If you are a small business owner or thinking about diving into the turbulent waters of entrepreneurship, there is no better way to learn than from people who have “been there and done that.”

    Get the latest updates from The Sidewalk CEO Podcast!

    The Sidewalk CEO airs weekly and can be found wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.
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    1 min