Nute Thompson - The Youngest Millennial General Counsel

Nute Thompson has followed a well-trodden path in his legal career, from law firm litigator to in-house general counsel. On thing sets him apart: Nute is 28 years old. I was pleased to speak with Nute about his accelerated career trajectory as well as the generational differences we observe in our profession. It was fun to reminisce about my own start as a young lawyer and hear Nute's insightful observations about the practice today.

Rocky Cabagnot - Attorney and Law Professor

I set out to talk to Rocky Cabagnot about his love of professional wrestling and fighting sports. He's a great follow on social media, keeping his network updated not just on the latest feuds in the WWE, but also in-depth analysis of the Charlotte Hornets and Carolina Panthers.

However, as we started talking, we got sidetracked into a discussion of the Charlotte School of Law, the once-proud institution where he taught as a full-time professor and I did a stint as an adjunct.

I am using a new program to edit the podcast these days and I still have not mastered it. It was useful in taking out a lot of the "umms" and "uhhs" but the result can sound a bit choppy at times. Please bear with me as I continue to learn to use new tools.

James Young - Mediator

James Young is a fully bilingual (English-Spanish) mediator and arbitrator in Charlotte. His broad range of experience includes breach of contract, defamation, personal injury, workers compensation, and estate matters. He is a Certified Superior Court Mediator and has experience mediating a range of cases including guardianships and Medicaid planning, special needs estate planning, breach of contract, defamation, personal injury, workers compensation, and estate matters. He also has extensive arbitration experience in the areas of personal injury, landlord/tenant issues, and contractual disputes.

Josh Van Kampen - Plaintiff's Employment Lawyer

Josh Van Kampen represents individuals in disputes with their employers and former employers. As one of the best known and most successful employee representatives in North Carolina, Josh is the perfect guest to talk about mediation from the perspective of a plaintiff's employment lawyer.

Josh has developed an approach to mediation based on humanizing himself and his clients with the adverse party and attorney. We discussed how to prepare for mediation, deliver an effective opening statement, and work through the range of emotions experienced in mediation.

Greg Parent - How To Grow a Mediation Practice

Greg Parent is one of the most sought-after mediators in Atlanta. His calendar is booked months in advance. This is due in part to Greg's personality, skill, and professional experience. He is one of the few mediators who has worked as an insurance adjuster in addition to representing both plaintiffs and defendants.

But Greg's success did not happen overnight, and it did not happen by accident. He is a tireless networker who takes a genuine interest in everyone he meets and makes a point of fostering those connections over time.

Growing a mediation practice is hard. Few of us have the capacity to network the way Greg does, but we can all learn from his experience. And the basic concept that efforts generates results applies in every field of business.

Jay Ward - Poet and Spoken Word Artist

Jay Ward is a poet and spoken artist currently serving as the Poet Laureate of the City of Charlotte. He is the 2019 Individual World Poetry Slam Champion and the author of two volumes of poetry, Sing Me A Lesser Wound and Composition.

Jay is part of a thriving and supportive spoken word scene in Charlotte comprising nationally recognized poets, including his co-hosts and guests on the Poet Up podcast.

John Miles - CEO of Miles Mediation & Arbitration

Psst... don't tell anyone, but some lawyers do not particularly enjoy their jobs. As an insurance defense attorney experiencing the "Sunday saddies" as each new workweek, rolled around, John Miles decided to make a change into the then-burgeoning field of mediation.

In those days, the typical mediator was an older, white, male, former judge. Under John's leadership, Miles Mediation & Arbitration has grown from a one-man shop to the largest dispute resolution firm in the southeast, with a diverse panel of neutrals reflecting the clients they serve.

We talk about the business of mediation, what makes a good mediator, and how it has changed since John pioneered new ways of thinking about dispute resolution.

Clara Dunn - Paris Spring Break

When my daughter, Clara, was four years old, we decided we would visit the top of the Eiffel Tower when she was 16. This year for spring break, we made it happen.

I took an audio recorder along with us. Each night, we sat down together and went over the day's events. This was an experiment in a different form of podcasting, as well as a document of our long-planned trip.

Stephanie Haynes - Educational Consultant and Coach

Stephanie Haynes works with students and parents to evaluate all the options after high school. While college is the right choice for some, she has found that many individuals can better reach their goals through apprenticeship, the military, community college, or a gap season.

Haynes discusses these options and how to choose among them in her book, College Is Not Mandatory: A Parents Guide to Navigating All the Options Available to Our Kids After High School.

Randy Chen - Duke Basketball Fan

College basketball is almost a religion in North Carolina, so it is not unusual to run into passionate fans of UNC, Wake Forest, Duke, or NC State. It is rare, however, to come across someone who regularly travels from Taiwan to watch his favorite team, or who is on a first name basis with the school's coaches and former players.

Randy Chen is such a fan.

Randy and I met in 1991 in our freshman dorm at Duke. He is from Taipei and I am from Charlotte, but despite our different backgrounds, we quickly bonded as fellow trumpet players in the Marching & Pep Band. We have been friends ever since.

And while many consider me a huge Duke fan, Randy's devotion to the Blue Devils is unparalleled. He has been a basketball season ticket holder for many years, traveling all the way from Taipei every year for the Carolina game and the ACC Tournament. Whenever Duke makes it to the Final Four, Randy will be there.

For more than ten years, Randy has attended K Academy, a fantasy basketball camp and family reunion of Duke supporters, coaches, and former players. While the campers themselves are past their athletic prime, make no mistake: everyone takes it very seriously and the competition is intense.

Randy and I talked about Duke Basketball, but our conversation is about community, commitment, and the lifelong memories we make with lifelong friends.

Landis Wade - Author of "Deadly Declarations"

Landis Wade describes himself as a "recovering trial lawyer" who, after a distinguished career in law, has thrown himself into podcasting and writing. As host of the Charlotte Readers Podcast, Landis speaks with authors about their works and process.

His new novel, Deadly Declarations, is a legal thriller in which attorney Craig Travail finds himself reluctantly dragged into controversy and intrigue surrounding the real-life mystery of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence. Set in a retirement community, Deadly Declarations touches on themes of aging and vitality as its colorful characters are swept up in a historical adventure.

Krystle Baller - We Rock Charlotte

Krystle Baller is the Creative Director of We Rock Charlotte, a nonprofit that provides music education and programming for kids and adults. They are also the bassist and singer of Hey RICHARD, a feminist punk band voted "Best New Band" of 2021 in Queen City Nerve's Best in the Nest.

Krystle is inspiring a generation of young musicians through their music lessons, TED Talk, and setting an example of success in the male dominated world of rock and roll. Krystle's life experience informs their work, having grown up as a kid from West Virginia whose only knowledge of the term "lesbian" is that it was a dangerous thing to be.

We all hope to leave the world better than we found it. Krystle truly is walking the walk, making a positive difference in Charlotte and the world.

Molly Ruggere - Counterculture Club

Molly Ruggere is a Certified Life Coach, Alcohol Freedom Coach and Founder of Counterculture Club, a global alcohol-free community based in Charlotte, NC that offers private and group coaching, monthly membership and virtual and in-person events for individuals who want to build authentic relationships, socialize without drinking and counter the mainstream idea that we need alcohol to have fun, fulfilling lives. 

Molly gave up drinking when she realized alcohol was holding her back from living her life to the fullest. She experienced incredible personal transformation, and in 2019 she decided she wanted to find a community of like-minded individuals interested in growing and exploring new experiences without alcohol together.

As someone who once thought alcohol was a requirement for socializing and fun, Molly’s mission is to show others that removing alcohol from your life is the opposite of boring—it opens up doors and possibilities, allowing you to embrace opportunities with clarity.

Molly firmly believes that giving up alcohol was the single best decision she’s ever made in her life, and is committed to showing others how much fun and freedom can be had once you embrace the idea that you don’t need booze to be your best self.

In addition to working as an entrepreneur and coach, Molly is also a writer who regularly contributes stories to local and national publications about how to live an alcohol-free lifestyle. You can read some of her stories on her website here: https://www.mollyruggere.com/

When she’s not coaching, growing Counterculture Club or writing, Molly enjoys reading, going to concerts, hitting yoga classes, trying new restaurants, traveling and spending time with her friends, family and teacup poodle Ziggy.

Follow Molly on Instagram @mollyruggere and Counterculture Club @countercultureclub 

Matt Cosper - XOXO

Matt Cosper is the Artistic Director of XOXO, a theatre collective a collective of artists/creators who develop original performance in and around Charlotte, NC. XOXO has spent the last decade developing a practice based in generosity, play and deep listening to the natural world.

Matt has been making theatre in Charlotte for over 20 years, always exploring the boundaries of setting, subject matter, and the roles of actor and audience. He achieved critical acclaim for Bohemian Grove, a play that began with the audience aboard a 15-passenger van and left everyone who experienced it permanently changed.

I caught Matt at a moment of ambivalence about theatre. We discussed more enduring forms such as film, Matt's reluctant embrace of leadership, and the burden of expectation.

Josh Jacobson - Next Stage

In Charlotte's non-profit sector, Josh Jacobson needs no introduction. Since arriving in 2008, Josh has worked with non-profits large and small to help them get better at everything they do. I have had the pleasure of working with Josh as a board member of two organizations, and I have always been impressed not only by his knowledge and ability to communicate, but also his genuine passion for the organizations he serves.

As CEO of Next Stage, Josh has been thinking and writing about the social impact of community based organizations and how to ensure their viability in a fundraising environment that is no longer "one size fits all." This includes the changing times in which social media and crowd funding exist alongside the traditional "charity gala" model. It also includes consideration of the unique attributes of Charlotte, a new-money town with few multi-generational family foundations and a changing of the guard away from dominant corporate CEOs.

In this episode of the Steve Dunn Podcast, we talk about Josh's crash course in non-profit fundraising, his move to Charlotte in 2008, and his thoughts about the future including mutually beneficial partnerships between for-profit corporations and community based organizations.

Ryan Dunn - On Quitting Drinking

My brother Ryan and I were heavy drinkers for many years and now we have both quit. Ryan's struggle was dramatic at times, including an intervention, two stints in residential rehab, and consistent participation in Alcoholics Anonymous. My drinking seemed more normal and socially acceptable, but after seeing what Ryan had gone through, I knew where I was headed if I did not make a change.

In this conversation, we talk about our drinking histories, the ups and downs of quitting, and our hopes for the future. We are not professionals and we do not offer advice. We offer only our experience and encouragement. If you are considering quitting and want to talk about it, please feel free to contact us. We are happy to talk.

Alcoholics Anonymous

/r/stopdrinking

I Am Sober for Android and iOS

Michael Elliot - Phish Lover

You probably have heard of Phish and maybe you have a friend or family member who seems strangely fascinated with the band. I fill the role of "obsessive Phish fan" in my social circle, so I thought it would be fun to do a podcast episode discussing the band's music and its dedicated fanbase.

In addition to being a gifted and successful attorney, Michael Elliot is a bona fide expert in the world of Phish. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of the band's music, earned over many years of seeing them perform live. There are Phish fans, and then there are "sold grilled cheese on the lot while doing an entire tour" fans, and Michael falls into the latter category.

Some of the music we discuss:

The Tahoe Tweezer

The Holy Ghost

The Went Gin

Salim Uqdah - Uroboros Mediations

Salim Uqdah is the owner of Uroboros Mediations, a Certified LGBT Business Enterprise which strives to make divorce easy through mediation and coaching. We talk about the business and practice of mediation, including:

  • The purposes of mediation

  • The unique challenges of mediating in a family context

  • Building a practice in gay divorce while gay marriage is still relatively new

  • How growing up as a caregiver in an intergenerational household prepared Salim for a career in mediation