Episodes

  • Erika Hancock from State Farm

    Erika Hancock from State Farm
    Sep 8 2025

    In this episode of Sidewalk CEO, we sit down with Erika Hancock, owner/operator of Erika Hancock State Farm Insurance, an entrepreneur, Airbnb host, and Kentucky State Representative for District 57. Erika shares her journey from college graduate to one of the youngest State Farm agents in the country, as well as the lessons she has learned along the way.

    What We Talked About

    • Starting young in business: Erika launched her State Farm agency at just 23 years old, balancing training, a wedding, and building a book of business within 18 months of graduation.
    • The value of service in insurance: Why building relationships and prioritizing quality over quantity has fueled her agency’s long-term success.
    • Insurance insights: The difference between captive and independent agents, the importance of renewals, and how she helps clients manage rising premiums.
    • Life as a small-business owner: From early financial struggles to the “5-to-7 year grind” before profitability, Erika explains what it really takes to sustain a business.
    • Workplace culture: Her philosophy of treating staff as equals and creating a family-style environment that keeps employees for over a decade.
    • Airbnb Adventures: How Her Family Turned a Rental Property into a Memorable Guest Experience—Complete with Thanksgiving Dinners Shared with Strangers.
    • Community resilience: Lessons learned from floods, storm recovery, and the importance of green space in mitigating disasters.
    • Balancing roles: Juggling responsibilities as both an insurance agent and state legislator, and why teamwork at home and in the office makes it possible.

    Key Takeaways

    • Business success is about service and trust, not just sales numbers.
    • Small business ownership requires patience; expect a 5– to 7–year period before things truly stabilize.
    • Treating employees as equals and family fosters loyalty and longevity.
    • Community connection, whether through business, politics, or even an Airbnb, creates resilience and joy.

    Links & Resources

    • Erika Hancock State Farm Insurance Agency
    • Kentucky State Representative – District 57
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    41 mins
  • Episode 110 - The 525 Kitchen & The Flying Waffle

    Episode 110 - The 525 Kitchen & The Flying Waffle
    Aug 25 2025
    525 Kitchen in Frankfort is a business incubator offering shared equipment, co-working space, and event space. They are a 501(c)3 project started by Julie Derringer and Cynthia Smith, focusing on fresh food, agribusiness, and education to help local food entrepreneurs succeed. Their own business is the Flying Waffle and Southern Eats food truck. Cindy Smith of 525 Kitchen is managing multiple related businesses.525 is a business AND non-profit.She and her partner began with the Flying Waffle food truck.They needed more kitchen space and a place to park the truck, so they bought their building.Her partner Julie had the idea to set up as a nonprofit to be able to partner with community projects and help others as an incubator space.Flying Waffle began in September 2021, and their commissary kitchen opened in November 2022.Other food trucks do work out of their kitchen, as independent owners and operators.They have helped incubate Matt’s Hot Dog Stand, which operates in Frankfort and Lexington.They do not view the other food trucks as competition, because they are all so different.Some of their tenants are doing their food business full time, while others are part time.Food trucks either must prepare the food on the truck or in a commercial kitchen, so lots of the prep work gets done in the 525 space, and they don’t restrict hours tenants can use the kitchen.They call their truck the Flying Waffle and Southern Eats, because they’ve expanded beyond just waffles. Look for the distinctive pink and flowered wrap on their truck.Flying Waffle is an event only truck. They also use the truck for mobile catering, especially for business clients who are serving their employees.Cindy and Julie have been friends their whole lives.Cindy calls Julie a born entrepreneur. She owned a florist shop, then went back to school to become a nurse, and eventually opened Mulligan’s, an indoor golf facility with simulators.They put a kitchen in Mulligan’s and that is how they met the very helpful Wes Clark with the Franklin County Health Department, who Cindy says anyone wanting to start a food business should call first.Julie closed Mulligan’s in 2013 and started travel nursing, while Cindy was finishing up her bachelor’s degree and changing career paths.The waffle business was inspired by Pinterest scrolling, and Julie taking the initiative to incorporate their LLC and order the food truck.Julie does all their graphic design for their truck, logos, menus, and more.Julie and Cindy’s first year in business, they began to offer a menu and pickups for Thanksgiving, which was popular through word of mouth and Facebook.They did the same for Christmas and Bluegrass Home Chef was born as a meal prep business with people preordering menus and picking up weekly through the winter.As the food truck business picked up, they now only offer Bluegrass Home Chef periodically, and always around the holiday season.525 accommodates some non-food truck businesses, like Tincan Coffee which does its coffee roasting onsite in their own roaster, and Apocalypse Freeze Dried Treats which keeps their freeze dryers there as well. Thyme Together Charcuterie prepares her charcuterie there for pickup and for catering.525 Kitchen has multiple sinks and ovens for tenants, as well as a floor mixer and lots of KitchenAid mixers.Everyone has their own refrigerator space and dedicated dry storage.Some tenants also maintain their own private and separate equipment there.525 has gotten a grant from Kentucky State University to help install a produce washing station, plus two extra stoves in the back for canning so they can work with local farmers.If you have a large garden and need a large space to can, you can use the 525 for $25 an hour, and they will provide all the equipment, except for the jars.For food trucks, it’s a monthly membership fee on a sliding scale, based on storage and kitchen needs.The kitchen is located at 525 Warsaw Street in Frankfort, which is how they got their name.The Flying Waffle name came from the fact that they are mobile.Julie and Cindy have used social media to spread the word about 525, as well as word of mouth.Julie found the once “rustic” building they are using on Warsaw Street, that they’ve put lots of work in.Both women have fulltime jobs in healthcare while running their food businesses.One of their tenants, Chloe Cooks, does some special dietary catering like gluten free.Cindy advises that those wanting to start a food business learn Kentucky food code and how to access it.She also advises contacting your local food inspector who will ultimately permit you to do business.Their newest venture is the addition of a mobile cart that can be rented out for weddings and events to do things like a cupcake or cookie stand, a charcuterie cart, and more.Customers can have the cart manned by the business for onsite service or just drop off and set up.They prefer to work in a radius of less than two hours from ...
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    42 mins
  • 109 - Natalie Wilkerson of River City Provisions

    109 - Natalie Wilkerson of River City Provisions
    Aug 11 2025
    This week, Sheri and Leo talk with Natalie Wilkerson of River City Provisions in Downtown Frankfort. Natalie Wilkerson grew up in Frankfort and moved back in 2003 after getting her master's in historic preservation and civil engineering from the University of Kentucky.She moved back because she had a strong interest in downtown revitalization and historic preservation. In 2003, there wasn't much happening in downtown Frankfort.She and her husband started their first project almost 20 years ago along with a little neighborhood consortium to save the old Noonan's building from demolition. You might know it better now as Jesse's frame shop, which has been there for a long time.She and Layne, along with Ellen and Jim Glasgow, who are also passionate about downtown and revitalizing the neighborhood, bought that project and fully rehabilitated the building. And it's been a good corner building ever since.Her current business partner is Jen Williamson, a registered architect in town who has worked on numerous preservation projects in Frankfort and around central Kentucky.Eight years ago, she and Jen Williamson started a consulting business called Cumberland Ventures. With that, they have been doing historic preservation consulting, doing tax credit applications, and National Register nominations.About three years ago. Jen was the project architect on 311 Saint Clair, which was the first downtown boutique hotel to open, and also owned the rear adjacent building on Main Street. People probably know that as Marshall Steiner. Younger people may know it as Back Street Diner. That building on Main Street had been a diner for several decades. Jen and her husband had bought and rehabilitated the building, and saw the opportunity to develop a little courtyard since the buildings back up to each other at the rear.With more visitors coming into Frankfort post-COVID and with the Bourbon tourist industry taking off, they saw a need for more retail on the first floor. So they relocated some of the office spaces from our prime commercial real estate. River City Provisions just came naturally.Then there were people in town who were going to need places to stay and things to do. They wanted to provide a storefront that would give them a little slice of Frankfort and let them take a little bit of Frankfort home with them on their journey.When they started River City Provisions, they “shop-shared” the space with another business, The Linen Closet, for the first year.Then, a space two doors down became available for rent, so The Linen Closet moved its business two doors down.We had this little incubator space so we could both get up on our feet.They also have a water refilling station in their store for Living Waters Kentucky members.The downtown business community is powerful in partnerships and collaborations.They pride themselves on being open seven days a week because it's not only weekends that people come downtown to shop and have fun.She thinks of them as a kind of modern-day general store. They have provisions, hence the name, for people who are traveling who forgot their toothpaste or need a charger or need a snack on the go.They've got a water refill station in case someone has a water bottle they need to fill up while they're walking. They also have local artists. They have a ceramic artist, a painter, and a leatherworker. They offer handmade leather products and jewelry, all locally made.They try to have small, little things that somebody can pick up and will remind them of their time in Frankfort.They try to meet the needs of a wide range of different types of customers. They're particularly fond of their hometown's proud t-shirts and apparel items.They have hats, shirts, and sweatshirts with the new Frankfort flag logo.They've got some neighborhood t-shirts.They are seeing more visitors because of having places for people to stay overnight, like the 311 Saint Clair, the Ashbrook, and the Delegate.They've noticed a significant increase in traffic during the week due to the foot traffic.They do all the designs themselves, print them locally at CLS, and try to mix it up. They push a design out, and when it sells, they move on to the next thing.They've got another little project in the works for a shirt and a sweatshirt that they're excited about with an image of “a local friend of ours”.The opening of new hotels makes them a considerable part of the Bourbon Trail. The Bourbon Trail attracts many visitors who come in with their Buffalo Trace wristbands.Also, plenty of locals come through because they haven't been downtown in a while.She thinks Frankfort has enough now with the retail, restaurants, and events that lots of people with lots of different interests can come down and have a good time.Natalie also buys and rehabilitates properties, which aligns with her interest in preserving and revitalizing Frankfort to make it a great place to be.Her particular interest is in downtown, where she lives, and that's ...
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    32 mins
  • Heather Cannon of Wicked Whisk Cake Co

    Heather Cannon of Wicked Whisk Cake Co
    Jul 28 2025
    Sheri and Leo talk with Heather Cannon of Wicked Whisk Cake Co. in Frankfort. Heather Cannon has a passion for baking and a love for all things HalloweenHer Halloween decorations stay up all year round, she got married on Halloween, and her birthday is in October.She started out working at Walmar,t cleaning the bathroomsShe liked baking cupcakes at homeWalmart moved her to work in the meat and produce sectionThey found out that she wanted to make cupcakes at home, so while they were down a cake decorator, they moved her to the cake decorating departmen,t and she discovered she had a knack for decorating cakesShe was decorating cakes and cupcakes at Walmart for quite a while when she met her husband.About three or four months after they met, he fell ill, so she moved to Stamping Ground and transferred to the Georgetown Walmart, where she decorated cakes for a while.Later, she transitioned into the human resources department.One day, she came home from work, and her husband told her he had bought her a bakery.She was working 60 hours a week, going to school full-time, but she started the bakery as a home baker for the first year.Susan from Downtown Frankfort told her about the building that was opening at the corner of Main Street and St. Clair.With a partner, Charlie Van Hoose, they went into business in that location.Charlie makes cookies, which are a perfect complement to Heather’s cakes and cupcakes.Charlie lives in Lexington and has a home bakery called V’s Bakery. They thought that would be confusing with B’s Bakery across the street. They decided to name the shop Wicked Whisk Cake Co. because Heather wanted a Halloween-themed bakery.The bakery had its grand opening on January 25th of this year.They have a mix of both locals and tourists visiting. Many tourists ask if they will be opening stores in other cities and states.She studied Psychology and Sociology in college because of her interest in how the mind works.Eventually, she would like to have franchises that are different holiday-focused, but still with the Wicked theme (e.g., Wicked Valentine’s, Wicked Christmas, etc.).She would like to draw more tourism to Frankfort, so she has a lot of plans to make it even more Halloween-like, giant skeletons crawling up the side of the building.They are trying to figure out a way to ship their products.One of the surprises she encountered when they opened the business was that high levels of stress can cause a recurrence of chickenpox. In the first month, she worked every day, taking naps in her car or sometimes not sleeping at all.They decided they needed to hire more people. They are understanding with their employees and recognize that life can be hectic, so they strive to work with everyone and avoid overloading them with excessive tasks.They were lucky not to be affected by the flood this past spring, but they did create care packages and take them to the hotel for those who were affected.Marketing to travelers is primarily achieved through the use of the building's color (lime green), which draws the eye, along with the spider webs in the windows. For the local community, they post on their Facebook every day, including photos, on Instagram, some TikTok, and the Frankfort area Facebook groups. They try to answer questions on social media as quickly as possible.They are usually open seven days a week, but for the summer, they are closed on Sunday and Monday, which are their slow days. Plus, they want to give their employees time off during the summer.They make new items every week. One of their biggest sellers is the “Elvis Last Bite,” which is a banana pudding cupcake topped with peanut butter, cream cheese, and bacon.They are looking into doing a chocolate chip bacon cupcake.They have considered doing a bourbon cupcake, but are trying to find out if they need a liquor license in order to do that.They do have a website through Shopify and were able to allow people to order through there, and they would deliver, but as they are busier, they need to keep the employees in the store, so they are no longer able to deliver.Another lesson she has learned is that it is a lot of hard work. It’s definitely more than working a 9 to 5 job, but it is her dream, her passion, and she loves it.Another lesson is the value of community. She finds that the more you support other businesses, the more they support you.Future plans, in addition to franchising someday, include potentially opening up a theme park.One of her favorite cakes she has done was of the Goat Man of Kentucky.Heather loves to decorate cakes to make people happy.Customers can order their cakes via the website by filling out a form and explaining what they want, and Heather comes up with unique ideas for the design.She stays booked about three weeks out. Currently, she is booked until mid-August.They have started carrying pre-made cakes that people don’t have to pre-order.She has some people contacting her about doing cakes for 2026....
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    36 mins
  • Sarah Begin of Earth Alchemy

    Sarah Begin of Earth Alchemy
    Jul 17 2025
    Sheri and Lei talk with Sarah Begin of Earth Alchemy and Frankfort Suites. Sarah was born in Frankfort and has lived here most of her life, except for a stint in the Army from which she was medically discharged.She studied Psychology and Sociology in college because of her interest in how the mind works.Her first job after the Army was working for Ann Wingrove at Completely Kentucky.Ann and Liz Taylor at Poor Richard’s Books had her open up Kentucky Coffeetree Café for them, and introduced Sarah to her first husband.Sarah learned the ropes of running a small business from them.She decided to become a stay-at-home mom with her first pregnancy and later opened her own in-home daycare.She also worked as a bridal consultant at Elder-Beerman part-time as well, eventually becoming an assistant manager.When her child entered school, she got her real estate license.She helped her now ex-husband start his own piano service business locally.She worked her way up in management at Elder-Beerman, then got married and had a second baby on the way, and decided to pull away from working for others.She decided to open her first business, Frankfort Suites, doing AirBnBs.They owned a fourplex that was a money struggle and they were close to bankruptcy, when she had the idea to furnish a unit for short term rental.They became the first Airbnb in town, which meant a lot of explaining and patience with City Hall.She has answered a lot of questions for others wanting to open their own rentals, including some who needed the financial boost during COVID.Sarah does all the rental cleanings herself.She and her husband both grew up poor, and growing up, she would say she wanted to be happy when asked about future plans.During COVID, she realized that she wanted something more satisfying as she spent more time at home working with herbs and natural things.She became certified in crystal therapies and began doing treatments out of one of her Airbnbs when it was available.She decided she needed a more purposeful space and looked at the developments on Taylor Avenue, landing a much bigger space that offered room for more, like her husband’s artwork, an alumnus of Berea.During Covid, she encouraged him to do sidewalk art in Frankfort to raise people’s spirit,s and all of this came together in Earth Alchemy, wanting to help people and feed their souls.She brought in her friend, who does several different forms of massage, to use some of the space.The retail space evolved when Nature’s Way closed, and Frankfort no longer had a provider for natural remedies.When the owners were trying to sell the Taylor Avenue space, she was told she would need to move out, so she took Earth Alchemy to the largest of her Airbnbs, the house at 511 W. Broadway, right across from the Farmers Market Pavilion.Retail is downstairs, with therapies and classrooms upstairs.She has since dropped her Airbnb inventory by half and sold the smaller houses back to the community.Sarah describes crystal therapy as physics, synchronizing your energy.Your chakras are your vibrating energy centers that go through the middle of your body.Entrainment is the scientific term for the synchronization of movement, which happens when Sarah aligns crystals down your chakras to reset them.Clients can react very differently to treatment, feeling hot or cold, weighted down or floating.Besides crystals, Sarah uses aromatherapy, plants, sound therapy, and grounded meditation during treatment.She only touches clients twice during the process.Eastern medicine works by prevention, so typically regulars come in every 2-3 months, and Sarah finishes sessions by discussing with clients what she has found in terms of energy and blockages.Earth Alchemy is a safe community space for those who come in. There are other helpful things on offer besides crystal therapy, like sound therapy and massage.The shop carries all natural healing supplies, like salves, ointments, sprays, oils, butters, soaps, face care, and more.Sarah demonstrates using crystals as a filter for different forms of imbalances.Sarah is an advocate for supporting local businesses!Her sons are 13 and 17, and she is running two businesses while raising them.She uses FaceBook as her primary means of advertising for her holistic business.Her husband, an engineer with Lockheed Martin, helps with the website and maintenance around the Airbnb and Earth Alchemy.Sarah clearly states that she is not a doctor and she does not give medical advice.She believes that Eastern and Western medicine can work together.Sarah’s advice to those wanting to open their own business is start from the heart—ethics and truth, with love. WEB SITE FACEBOOK
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    48 mins
  • 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