Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner Will Reid breaks down what TDOT actually does beyond paving roads, from operating ferries to inspecting 20,000 bridges to being the state's largest real estate buyer. Reid, the first employee to become commissioner in TDOT's history, explains how his department delivers projects at twice the national average and why people judge their government by the quality of their commute.

Tennessee Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson breaks down the mechanics behind the Boring Company's underground tunnels, Choice Lanes, and the real drivers of Tennessee's explosive growth. From navigating misinformation to the sacrifice required for public service, Johnson reveals why state government is where problems actually get solved.

Location manager Wendall Hinkle pulls back the curtain on how major productions like Superman, Nashville, and 9-1-1 Nashville find and transform real places into the backdrops of our favorite shows. From knocking on doors in neighborhoods to shutting down bridges for rescue scenes, Wendall reveals the logistics, relationships, and grit required to bring scripts to life in Tennessee's booming film industry.

Signature Required sits down with Lance Villio, Executive Director of the Governor’s Faith-Based and Community Initiative, to explore how government, churches, and nonprofits can work together to serve Tennessee’s most vulnerable neighbors. The conversation looks at foster care, prison reentry, and poverty through a systems perspective, and why lasting change requires more than policy alone.

This week, we sit down with Dr. Candice McQueen, President of Lipscomb University, to explore the evolving role of higher education in Tennessee. We discuss how Lipscomb is balancing academic rigor with a Christ-centered mission, the importance of preparing students for both career and purpose, and how universities can stay grounded in their identity during times of cultural and institutional change. Dr. McQueen also shares insights on leadership, student development, and the connection between education, community, and workforce needs.

Tiffany Kerns, Executive Director of the CMA Foundation, joins Signature Required for a grounded conversation about music education, leadership, and the power of community partnership. As the philanthropic arm of the Country Music Association, the CMA Foundation works to expand access to music education for students across Tennessee and the nation.

At the Creative Discovery Museum in Chattanooga, learning looks a lot like play, and play is serious work. From the center of the museum’s atrium, Mackenzie Steele, Director of Marketing and Communications, shares how one of Tennessee’s most beloved children’s museums has spent 30 years helping families learn together through hands-on experiences, creativity, and curiosity. The conversation explores what makes Creative Discovery Museum uniquely place-based, how its exhibits reflect Chattanooga’s culture and growth, and why children’s museums are a powerful indicator of a healthy community.

Randy Boyd, President of the University of Tennessee, joins Signature Required for a conversation about entrepreneurship, public service, and the role higher education plays in shaping the future of Tennessee. From starting businesses in his early twenties to serving in state government and now leading one of the state’s most important institutions, Randy reflects on the through line that has connected each chapter of his career: a belief that education creates opportunity.

Signature Required sits down with Vernon Shaw, Manager of Donor Relationships for Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, for a conversation about food insecurity, community care, and the complexity behind feeding thousands of families across the region. What many people think of as simply “passing out food” is actually a massive operation involving logistics, nutrition, volunteers, partner agencies, and strategic support across 46 counties in Middle and West Tennessee.

Signature Required sits down with Scott Peck, Executive Chef of Loveless Cafe, for a conversation about Southern cooking, culinary leadership, and what it takes to steward one of Tennessee’s most iconic restaurants. From biscuits and fried chicken to cast iron, kitchen culture, and the tension between tradition and innovation, Scott shares his journey from a nervous first interview to leading a Nashville institution. As Loveless celebrates 75 years, the episode explores the craftsmanship behind its famous food, the business discipline required to sustain a beloved brand, and the hospitality that keeps people coming back generation after generation.

Jack Daniel’s is one of the most recognizable brands in the world, but its story is deeply rooted in a small Tennessee town, generations of family legacy, and an uncompromising commitment to doing things the right way. From the Bethel House at the entrance of the Lynchburg distillery, Chris Fletcher, Vice President, Master Distiller, and Director of Distillery Operations, shares what it really means to steward a brand that produces every drop of its whiskey in Moore County, one of the smallest counties in Tennessee. The conversation explores how Jack Daniel’s balances tradition and innovation, why Tennessee whiskey is different, and how quality and consistency have carried the brand across nearly 160 years.

Signature Required sits down with CJ Centel, CEO of the Nashville Food Project, to explore food insecurity from a community and systems perspective. The conversation goes beyond emergency food aid to examine why hunger exists, how food deserts and food swamps shape neighborhoods, and what it takes to build long-term access to nutritious food.

Weather becomes personal when it’s happening over your neighborhood, at night, with kids asleep down the hall. Andrew Leeper, Director of Broadcasting for Nashville Severe Weather, explains why hyperlocal, calm, two-way communication matters more than hype when storms hit Middle Tennessee. He shares how a volunteer, donation-supported team built trust by serving first, why tone and clarity save lives during tornado warnings, and what parents, schools, and communities often misunderstand about severe weather, snow events, and preparedness. This conversation pulls back the curtain on the voices many Tennesseans rely on in the most stressful moments and shows how credibility, restraint, and care can turn information into real reassurance.

Public safety looks very different when you move past TV stereotypes and into real communities. Mark Davidson, District Attorney General for Tennessee’s 25th Judicial District, offers a candid look at what the justice system actually does and what it quietly carries. He explains why most of his work is not about locking people up, but about protecting communities, supporting victims, navigating limited resources, and making judgment calls in cases where the stakes are deeply human. From rural courtrooms to violent crime, mental health cases, and victim advocacy, this conversation explores how justice works in practice, why trust and confidence matter, and what Tennesseans often misunderstand about the people tasked with upholding the law every day.

Patrick Sheehan, Director of the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, is one of the people most Tennesseans never see but rely on constantly. Drawing on decades of experience responding to disasters ranging from floods and tornadoes to pandemics and infrastructure failures, Patrick explains what emergency management actually looks like day to day, why preparation is mostly unglamorous and relational long before anything goes wrong, and how leadership, trust, and calm matter more than perfect plans. This conversation explores what government can and cannot do in a crisis, why community readiness and personal responsibility still matter, and what Tennesseans should understand about preparedness in a world where disasters are more frequent, more complex, and rarely look the way we expect.

Chief John Drake, Metro Nashville’s Chief of Police, joins us for a wide ranging conversation on leadership, trust, and what it actually means to serve a city that has changed dramatically over the last few decades. With nearly four decades in law enforcement and deep roots in Nashville, Drake shares how his early experiences shaped his view of policing, why community engagement is not a side project but a core pillar of public safety, and how MNPD thinks about precision policing, transparency, and crime prevention at the neighborhood level. We also talk candidly about moments that have tested the city and its first responders, the mental health toll of crisis leadership, and why the best policing today looks less like force and more like patience, presence, and accountability.

Screens are shaping childhood in ways most parents never connect until something feels off. Dr. Nidhi Gupta joins us for a clear, clinical conversation about screen safety, child development, and what she sees showing up in kids long before families realize technology may be playing a role. She explains why screens are often a symptom rather than the root issue, how device use affects sleep, hormones, behavior, and emotional regulation, and why fear based messaging misses the point. This conversation focuses on earlier awareness, healthier boundaries, and why prevention and education matter more than restriction in a world where screens are not going away.

Join us this week as we sit down with Rory and AJ Vaden, co-founders of Brand Builders Group. We talk about personal branding, entrepreneurship, and what it really means to build a meaningful business together. Tune in today!

This week, we sat down with Tasia Malakasis, CEO of The Company Lab, to explore her journey from tech executive to entrepreneur. She shares insights on Chattanooga’s startup scene, the importance of tenacity, and how The Company Lab supports mobility startups. Tune in today!