Act Natural with John and Courtney

Season 2 Episode 4 | How our local town can survive COVID-19.

In Season 2 Episode 4 we talk about The Tennessee Soybean Festival being canceled, a new idea for Martin's Sidewalk Market to boost commerce and some drama around being forced to take down yard signs that promoted our opening after being closed for over a month due to COVID-19.

Local Tennessee coffee shop owner opens up about the effect of COVID-19 and a plan to help other local businesses.

Season 2 Episode 2 | How our Coffee Shop is Dealing With the Coronavirus

We are really excited about season 2 of the Act Natural Podcast!

We have officially moved out of Martin, Tennessee! 

In this episode of Act Natural, your hosts discuss the importance of knowing what your craft is worth. They dive into early stories of pricing dilemmas. Courtney shares her 6th grade self-care routine, and John talks about the pride of Tennessee land. Tune into this episode to hear the rest!

In this episode of Act Natural, your hosts talk about the benefits of working on your business more than working in your business.  They encourage business owners step out of their bubble in order to look for ways to improve their businesses and stay away from becoming a busy bee with no growth! Tune into this episode to hear the rest!

In this episode of Act Natural with John and Courtney, your hosts discuss the healthy relationship people should have with competition. Whether it be a competition between co-workers, businesses, or even yourself, John and Courtney share personal stories from their own experience in the business world of why every person should welcome a little competition in their life! Tune in to this episode to hear the details!

In this episode of Act Natural with John and Courtney, your hosts talk goals. They offer advice on how to set goals that last and when to know if you're facing a mountain worth climbing. Tune in to this episode to hear how you can turn a wish into a will and reach your goals!

In this episode of Act Natural,  John and Courtney are joined with their third parent,  Tanya Chopra, to discuss the issue of expectations in today's culture.  They share personal stories and discuss how having expectations can either help you feel prepared for failure or subsequently lead to a glass half full outlook. Tune in to hear these three hash it out in this episode of Act Natural.

In this episode of Act Natural, John and Courtney share real stories of their pregnancy. They discuss the social pressures of having kids and people's reactions when you share your hesitation with walking into parenthood. Tune into this episode to hear their opinions, their fears, and their reactions to people's pressure to reproduce!

In this episode of Act Natural with John and Courtney, your host interview the man behind the Tennessee Soybean Festival, Dr. David Belote. Tune in to hear the latest updates on musicians, novelty acts, and Magical Martin Day

Episode 17: You’re So Entitled! 

In this episode of Act Natural, John and Courtney offer their own definitions of failure. They unpack stories and feelings of times they have fallen short or made the wrong call and encourage listeners to learn from their shortcomings in order to succeed. Tune in to hear how these two millenials are challenging the word we've all come to fear and are using it to turn failures into victories.

In this episode of Act Natural, John and Courtney discuss the dangers of jumping on an opportunity before you're ready for it. Through personal stories and faulty metaphors, these two encourage listeners to find a buddy the next time you're presented with an open door.

In this episode of Act Natural, John and Courtney update listeners on things to come in the month of August. From new merch, to new drinks, August is full of change. John discusses prepping for the Tennessee Soybean Festival and Courtney gives listeners a peek into how the team will be celebrating their birthday on August 17th. Tune in to hear the rest!

In this episode of Act Natural, John and Courtney offer listeners advice on how to get the most out of their engagement pictures. With personal stories of real couples and 10 years of experience in the wedding world, your hosts break down the process of an engagement shoot and offer tips and tricks to help couples feel at ease, prepared, and excited for their pictures to be made! Tune into this episode the hear the rest!

In this episode of Act Natural, our hosts introduce listeners to Martin, Tennessee's longstanding tradition: The Tennessee Soybean Festival. As an award winning festival, Soybean brings folks from all over to our sweet town. John proposes a new structure for music acts, and Courtney mentions a few of her favorite local musicians. Listen in on their scoop about performing musicians, town regulations, and how John and Courtney are preparing for their biggest event of the year!

In this episode of Act Natural, John and Courtney dive into their history of coffee and share the stories of how they fell in love with it and what ultimately led them to the decision of opening their own coffee shop. Tune in to this episode to hear the whole story of how Martin Coffeehouse came to be! 

In this episode of Act Natural, Courtney dives into her teaching years and shares what ultimately what lead to her leaving. John encourages listeners to persevere and work double jobs while you prepare for a side hustle, and the two reminisce all the late nights they spent working to make their new life possible. Tune in to this episode of learning how to quit to learn if you're ready to leave your 9-5!

In this episode of Act Natural with John and Courtney, your hosts talk about their experience in the wedding industry!

With 170 plus wedding shoots over the past 10 years under their belts, they talk about the 6 Benefits to Having a First Look! They reflect on their own first look and talk about how much they enjoy capturing first looks as photographers. 

You can check out their wedding companies at: FoxWeddings.com and BlackWeddingJournal.com 

In this episode of Act Natural with John and Courtney, your hosts share stories of their experience being business owners in Martin, Tennessee. They offer words of advice to listeners interested in starting a business in a small town and encourage current business owners to respond instead of reacting to the new kids on the block. Courtney ends the conversation with a message to the citizens, encouraging them to shop locally.

In this episode of Act Natural, your hosts take a moment to celebrate their new recording equipment and the decision to invest in the Act Natural podcast. As John and Courtney walk through the different office spaces that have housed them through the years, these two discuss the journey of growing and changing into a bigger pot whenever your roots are ready to spread. From a college apartment, to the corner of a kitchen, and beyond, John and Courtney walk you through the story of knowing when it has been their time to grow and what it costs along the way. 

In this episode of Act Natural with John and Courtney, these two tired parents explain the number one way they handle stress: procrastination. John and Courtney discuss using other tasks to avoid a greater project and the consequences of what happens when you put things on the back burner. Additionally, Courtney’s in denial of being a people pleaser and John admits that he conned his little siblings into paying him to get their stolen toys back. Tune into this episode to hear the deets! 

In this special episode of Act Natural, John is replaced with our good friend Devan Carpenter to join Courtney in discussing today's social pressures of becoming a Girl Boss. These women challenge social norms as they unpack the Girl Boss Complex and share personal stories of burnout, insecurity, and the dangers that can arise when you glorify over doing it to feel empowered. Join these women in the growing conversation of comparison, self-worth, and when it's okay to choose a bag of Takis over starting a side-hustle.

 In this episode of Act Natural, John and Courtney take a step back to reflect on a few of their favorite things, including films, memories, restaurants, and long-term dreams. After analyzing the green giant, Starbucks, these two discuss the effectiveness of large-scale branding and the impact of how atmosphere affects taste. 

In this episode of Act Natural, John and Courtney discuss the shotgun effect with personal stories ranging from Courtney's experience in the classroom to John's impulsive decision to buy more lights for the coffeehouse. Listen in on how these two are going to focus their efforts on problem solving.

In this episode of Act Natural with John and Courtney, John digs into Courtney's past to find the root of her passion for doing nothing. Tune in to hear these two discuss work/life balance, teamwork, and the importance of doing nothing.

In this pilot episode of Act Natural, John and Courtney discuss what it's like to play in the grown up sandbox. They share lessons, opposite views, and memories of their experience navigating this life of networking, responsibilities, and growing up.