Driven By with Sam Coates

In this episode, I sit down with Dana Evans—missionary, adoptive mother, and advocate—to discuss her journey of faith, calling, and resilience. She shares what led her to Russia, the challenges of adoption, and the lessons she’s learned about trust, fear, and perseverance.Episode HighlightsWhen a Calling Won’t Let Go: From childhood dreams to a leap of faith that changed he

In this episode, I sit down with Stephen Shannon—entrepreneur, investor, and family office operator—to discuss his journey across private equity, real estate, and capital management. We explore the principles behind his investment strategy, the challenges of building credibility, and the hard lessons he’s learned about leadership, trust, and execution.Episode HighlightsFrom M

In this episode, I sit down with Jonathan Torres, former CEO of Memphis Athletic Ministries and Frase Protection, and Danny Song, founder of Believe Memphis Academy and CEO of Give Services, to discuss everything nonprofit leadership. With years of experience serving communities in need, they share their journeys, the realities of leading nonprofit organizations, and moving to the

In this episode, I sit down with Daniel Shumate, CEO of Campbell Clinic, to discuss delivering patient-centered care in a country with the most expensive healthcare in the world. We explore the challenges patients face and the bold decisions that need to be made.Episode Highlights:Staying Independent: Maintaining autonomy in a landscape dominated by large hospital systems.Achieving

Hear my conversation with Elizabeth Rouse, the President and CEO of Arts Memphis, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting the arts in Memphis, Tennessee. With over 60 years of impact, Arts Memphis has played a pivotal role in fostering creativity and connection in the Memphis, TN community.Episode HighlightsHistorical Context: Learn how Arts Memphis evolved from the Memphis Arts Council

Hear my conversation with Randall Swaney, the entrepreneur behind Marshall Steakhouse, named the #1 Steakhouse in Mississippi by the Food Network. Located in rural Mississippi, Randall turned what was supposed to be a feed store into a bustling restaurant.Episode HighlightsFrom Feed Store to Steakhouse: How Randall’s idea turned into a steakhouse serving 4,000 people a week.Again

Enjoy my conversation with Nancy Knous, Executive Partner at Benchmark Wealth Management. Nancy built her firm from the ground up, tackling the unique challenges of being a woman in a predominantly male industry.Episode HighlightsBuilding from Scratch: How Nancy structured her business for growth and planning for the next generation.Lonely in the Industry: The unique struggles of b

My guest today is David Wedaman.David began his career as an accountant at Arthur Anderson. He then left to go into the transportation industry, and after his first stop, David was a co-founder in Mark VII, which he and his partners grew to $800 million in annual revenue. After this business was taken public and sold in the late 1990’s, David founded Retrans, which he and his tea

Memphis, TN is where I call home. A city that has much momentum, but also a city that has significant challenges. This episode is outside my normal focus of business and entrepreneurship, but I wanted to sit down with Mayor Paul Young to discuss his journey and these things head on.Discover his vision for transforming Memphis, a city rich in history and culture but also facing sign

Hear my conversation with Rich Johnson and learn how he went from Air Force airman to CEO, building ViaQuest into a leading healthcare provider with 3,500 employees across Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Episode HighlightsCare Trends: Evolution of managing disabilities, mental health, and hospice.2008 Banking Crisis: How Rich steered ViaQuest through financial turmoil.Veteran Prid