The Talk Chamber

Some people move to Memphis planning to stay two years and end up building a life here. In this episode of The Talk Chamber, we meet two of the Greater Memphis Chamber's 2026 Next Gen awardees, young professionals who found their place in the city and are putting their talents to work for it. Breeann Wilson of Teach 901 at City Leadership shares how a move to Memphis became a home, and how her team works to bring great teachers into Memphis classrooms and keep them there. Elijah Campbell of FedEx talks about leading from wherever you stand and what it means to show up with the right attitude. Both guests share what leadership means to them and how young professionals can get connected and help make Memphis greater.
 
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🔗 LINKS MENTIONEDTeach 901: https://teach901.com/City Leadership: https://cityleadership.org/Choose901: https://choose901.com/Next Gen Awards: https://memphischamber.com/membership/councils/young-professionals-council/next-gen-awards/
 
📲 FOLLOW US@MemphisChamber on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and X
 
🔔If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend or colleague and subscribe to The Talk Chamber for the latest on the Chamber, economic development, and all things Memphis.

What does it take to build a career in the city you chose? In this episode of The Talk Chamber, we sit down with two of our 2026 Next Gen awardees who are doing exactly that. Lucas Drumond, compensation analyst at AutoZone, shares how a move from Brazil as a teenager turned into a life and career in Memphis. Kirsten Desiderio, marketing manager at Boyle Investment Company, talks about growing up here and the pride she takes in work that becomes part of the city.
 
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This mic is powered by OrthoSouth, world-class orthopedic care across the Mid-South. Learn more at orthosouth.org.
 
🔗 LINKS MENTIONED
Greater Memphis Chamber: https://memphischamber.com
AutoZone: https://www.autozone.com1
Boyle Investment Company: https://www.boyle.com
📲 FOLLOW US
@MemphisChamber on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and X.
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If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend or colleague, and subscribe to The Talk Chamber to keep up with the latest on the Chamber, economic development, and all things Memphis.
 

Some of the best things happening in Memphis are being led by people still early in their careers. In this episode of The Talk Chamber, we sit down with two of our 2026 Next Gen awardees to hear how they are showing up for the city, and what it takes to lead before the title arrives.
Art Richey shares how a path through law  led him to Memphis and to a career helping business owners grow, and why he believes this city welcomes anyone who is ready to roll up their sleeves. Dr. Sara Benson, lead people and programs officer at Peer Power Foundation and director of the Peer Power Institute, talks about growing with one organization for more than a decade, what leadership really asks of you, and her belief in the next generation of Memphians.
Whether you are new to town, new to your career, or ready to get more involved, this conversation is a reminder of what becomes possible when young professionals lead.
 
🎙️ THIS MIC IS POWERED BY ORTHOSOUTH
This mic is powered by OrthoSouth, world-class orthopedic care across the Mid-South.
orthosouth.org
 
🔗 LINKS MENTIONED
2026 Next Gen Awards: https://memphischamber.com/membership/councils/young-professionals-council/next-gen-awards/
Regions Bank: https://www.regions.com
U.S. Small Business Administration: https://www.sba.gov
Peer Power Institute: https://www.memphis.edu/peerpower/
 
📲 FOLLOW US
@MemphisChamber on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and X
 
🔔 SUBSCRIBE
If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend or colleague, and subscribe to The Talk Chamber for the latest on the Chamber, economic development, and all things Memphis.

What makes a hotel stay unforgettable? According to Doug Browne, president of Peabody Hotel Resorts, it isn't the Ducks or the lobby ceiling. It's the people. Doug joins Melissa Kandel of OrthoSouth to talk about how the Peabody has built a team with remarkably low turnover, why hiring for culture matters more than technical skill, and how empowering every associate to make things right keeps guests coming back.
Along the way, Doug shares a few of his favorite WOW stories, the daily rituals that keep the whole team connected, and what it looks like when a service mishap gets turned into a win. Melissa brings it home with what other industries, including healthcare, can learn from hospitality, and both guests share their own recent customer service wins.
 
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World-class orthopedic care across the Mid-South. orthosouth.org
 
🔗 LINKS MENTIONED
The Peabody Memphis: peabodymemphis.comOrthoSouth: orthosouth.org
 
📲 FOLLOW US@MemphisChamber on all social platforms
 
🔔 Subscribe to The Talk Chamber and share this episode with a friend or colleague.

In this episode of The Talk Chamber, the President of Bank of America Memphis takes us back to the grocery store moment that set her on a course to a career in banking. Trevia Chatman breaks down what leading the bank's Memphis market looks like, why Bank of America has sponsored the Greater Memphis Chamber's Women's Business Council, and how the bank supports entrepreneurs at every stage, from getting “bank ready” with partners like Epicenter and Pathway Lending to growing alongside them. She also honors the managers, mentors, and sponsors who poured into her and closes with advice for women leaders on owning your career.
 
🎙️ THIS MIC IS POWERED BY ORTHOSOUTHThis mic is powered by OrthoSouth, world-class orthopedic care across the Mid-South.orthosouth.org
 
🔗 LINKS MENTIONEDBank of America: https://www.bankofamerica.com
Greater Memphis Chamber Women's Business Council: https://memphischamber.com/membership/councils/womens-business-council/
 
📲 FOLLOW US@MemphisChamber on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and X
 
🔔 If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend or colleague and subscribe to The Talk Chamber to keep up with the latest on the Chamber, economic development, and all things Memphis.

Pumps are always in the background working, and so is the manufacturing industry that keeps Memphis moving. On this episode of The Talk Chamber, Jon Shindler, VP of Sales and Site Leader at American-Marsh Pumps, shares how he started at the company in 2007 and worked his way through different departments.
We also break down why Memphis is such a strong home for manufacturing, from our logistics advantage to the career paths the industry opens up for students. October is Manufacturing Month, and American-Marsh Pumps is hosting the kickoff on October 2.
 
🎙️ THIS MIC IS POWERED BY ORTHOSOUTH
World-class orthopedic care across the Mid-South. Learn more at orthosouth.org.
 
🔗 LINKS MENTIONED
American-Marsh Pumps: https://www.american-marsh.com
Greater Memphis Chamber: https://www.memphischamber.com
 
📲 FOLLOW US
Follow us on all social platforms @MemphisChamber.
 
🔔 SUBSCRIBE AND SHARE
If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend or colleague, and subscribe to The Talk Chamber for the latest on the Chamber, economic development, and all things Memphis.

Two Memphis' media leaders sit down with Taylor Ann to talk about how technology has reshaped the way news gets made and the way businesses reach their customers. Mark Russell, executive editor of The Commercial Appeal and regional editor for USA TODAY Co., and Karen McCrary, director of advertising at LocaliQ, share how they each found their way to Memphis, and why local connection still matters in a world where a message can come from anywhere.
 
🔗 LINKS MENTIONEDThe Commercial Appeal: commercialappeal.comLocaliQ: localiq.com
 
🎙️ THIS MIC IS POWERED BY ORTHOSOUTHWorld-class orthopedic care across the Mid-South.orthosouth.org
 
📲 FOLLOW US@MemphisChamber on all social platforms
 
🔔 Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe to The Talk Chamber and share it with a friend or colleague to keep up with the latest on the Chamber, economic development, and all things Memphis.

Memphis has long worn the crown of America's Distribution Center, but on this episode of The Talk Chamber, Gwyn Fisher, the Chamber's Chief Economic Development Officer, explains why that crown looks different in 2026. This year at the Logistics Summit we're answering the question: how is artificial intelligence reshaping supply chains, and where can Memphis lead?
 
The 2026 Logistics Summit, taking place on Wednesday, September 30, from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM at The Peabody Memphis in Memphis, TN and spots are filling fast. Register here.
 
🔗 LINKS MENTIONED
Logistics Summit & Port Night Registration
 
📲 FOLLOW US
Follow us on social media at @MemphisChamber on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and X.
 
🔔 SUBSCRIBE & SHARE
Enjoyed this episode or learned something valuable? Share it with a friend or colleague, and subscribe to The Talk Chamber to keep up with the latest on the Chamber, economic development, and all things Memphis.

This week we sit down with two Memphis entrepreneurs who turned side projects into shelf-stocked businesses through the Greater Memphis Chamber's Shelf Ready pitch program. Erica Sutton, owner of Boss Lady Pickles, shares how a backyard cucumber patch and a late-night snack turned into a business that let her walk away from a 22-year career. Kalilah Sanders, founder of Naked Scents Candle Company, talks about discovering candle-making during the pandemic, the fear she had to push through to call herself a business owner, and how her motto — self-care through aromatherapy — shaped everything from her scent lineup to her brand's name.
 
🎙️ THIS MIC IS POWERED BY ORTHOSOUTHWorld-class orthopedic care across the Mid-South. Learn more at orthosouth.org.
 
🔗 LINKS MENTIONEDCordelia's Market: cordeliasmarket.com
 
📲 FOLLOW US@MemphisChamber on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and X.
 
🔔 Subscribe to The Talk Chamber and share this episode with a friend or colleague who's ready to bet on themselves.

Taylor Ann sits down with Kenon Walker — Memphis's one and only Duckmaster at The Peabody Memphis — for the full story behind the city's most famous residents. Kenon walks through how the tradition began in 1933,  and how bellman Edward Pembroke turned that into the now-famous Duck March ceremony in 1940, coining the "Duckmaster" title itself. Whether you've caught the Duck March a hundred times or have never made it over to the Peabody lobby, this conversation is a joyful, behind-the-scenes look at one of Memphis's most beloved traditions — and the man carrying it forward.
 
🎙️ THIS MIC IS POWERED BY ORTHOSOUTH
This mic is powered by OrthoSouth, delivering world-class orthopedic care across the Mid-South. Learn more at orthosouth.org.
 
📲 FOLLOW US
Follow the Greater Memphis Chamber on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and X at @MemphisChamber.
 
🔔 If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to The Talk Chamber and share it with a friend or colleague. New episodes drop regularly with the latest on the Chamber, economic development, and all things Memphis.