It’s Small Business Week, and right alongside it, Chattanooga Entrepreneur Week is rollin’ through town like when that Onceler feller from the Lorax invited his entire family to setup shop. Everywhere you look, there’s someone takin’ a chance on somethin’ they believe in and turnin’ what ifs into “Yay I did it!”

We’re also testing the waters with Nominate-a-Noogan! So as you read through today’s issue, keep an eye out… and maybe start thinkin’ about who you’d nominate. Chances are, someone’s been quietly rootin’ for you all along too.

Let’s get into it buds.

As always, we’ve added a fresh track to this week’s issue purely for vibes as you read. Click the radio below before ya start reading if you wanna listen!

This week's Front Porch Partner is Marketing Against the Grain. They ain’t from around here, but every lil’ click sends $1.68 jinglin’ straight into the Chattynooga piggy bank. No forms or fuss, just a quick tap that helps keep this porch swing rockin’ and the stories flowin’.

So if you’ve got half a second between sips of coffee, give it a click and consider it your good deed for the day. Appreciate ya, neighbor.

Alright Marketing Against the Grain, take it away!

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It's Small Business Week, y'all, and that means Chattanooga Entrepreneur Week has been in full swing servin’ up all sortsa programs and events for Chattanooga’s business buddies!

Wednesday we’re breakin’ out the paintbrushes and craft supplies over at The Chattery with a whole day built for creative folks who are also tryin' to run a real live business — panels on takin' your work into public spaces, a Lunch & Learn on arts grants, headshots with J. Adams, Improv for Entrepreneurs (which honestly should just be called Mondays at a Startup), and the evenin' caps off with the Periscope Pitch Competition @ R.I.S.E. Chattanooga at 6:00pm, where ArtsBuild and TVFCU cheer on artists takin' bold steps toward their dreams.

Thursday we’re talkin’ all about moolah at Funding Thursday at The Urban League of Greater Chattanooga, with a full day of financial literacy sessions, workshops, and open networking + funding consultations before ethe TVFCU Idea Leap Pitch Competition at The Signal closin’ out the evenin' at 6PM with real startups pitchin' their neato ideas.

Friday mornin' brings us all together with Coffee Break starting things off at 8:30am at the City of Chattanooga’s BRAND SPANKIN’ NEW Small Business Resource Center.

It’s a whole week of warm cups fulla bean juice and Boss Baby energy to complement the caffeine rush. The full schedule and registration links are down below if you’re curious, let us know if we’ll be seein’ ya around at any of the dates so we can say howdy!

Hey y’all, Clementine here! 👋🏻

Don’t worryyyy, I’ll still be chatting in my corner in a bit. However first it’s time for the big reveal from last week’s issue, Nominate-a-Noogan! Since Bubby is back in action this week (Thank Dolly), I’ll let him give the full scoop of neighborly deets that I’ve been stewing on. Back to you, Bubs!

Thank ya kindly, Clem! Anyway, with all of these fancy schmancy Awards and Contests wrappin’ up from last month, we noticed that there’s a whole lotta good goin’ on around here that still deserves a big ‘ole shine.

That’s what Nominate-A-Noogan is all about. Plain and simple. Here’s how it works:

Close your eyes and think of someone in your community who’s done somethin’ good, kind, or plain delightful. It can be as big as a friend turning their passion into a successful business, as small as your neighbor coming through with a cup of sugar when you’re RIGHT in the middle of baking and realize you’re out, or even a little — dare I say it — silly and goofy. If it made ya smile, it’s likely it’ll make another reader smile hearin’ about it too!

Then, you tell us about it and we HYPE ‘EM THE HECK UP. And uh… yeah… that’s it.

We’ll take those stories and start highlightin’ our Nominated Noogans throughout the rest of May (and maybe longer if y’all are enjoyin’ it 👀)

Because if there’s one thing this porch has taught us, it’s this: community ain’t built on big headlines, but the everyday goodness we notice in our city and choose to share with others.

So go on and git to gittin’. It takes like… maybe 2 minutes to do if you’re super detailed. I can’t wait to see these Nominated Noogans roll in.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve gotta go practice sayin’ “And this week’s Noogan is…” in the mirror without gigglin’ (It’s harder than it sounds okay?).

I don’t know if y’all know this about me… but I love love LOVE baseball. Love it. My all time favorite is (of course) the Atlanta Braves. Los Bravos. AMERICA’S TEAM!!!

Sunday, they pulled an 11-6 win to sweep the Colorado Rockies. The boys have one of the best records in the whole stinkin’ league and they’re officially the first team to 25 wins! AND they haven’t lost a single series all season?! Seriously, after last year’s… tough season, new manager Walt Weiss has turned this team around and it’s lookin’ pretty good for Braves Country!

But as y’all also know, I adore all things local and all things Chattanooga. So I’m always rooting for the Chattanooga Lookouts! Yesterday, Bubby and I went to our first game at the brand new stadium! Erlanger Park is absolutely amazing. When Meemaw told us we were gonna get to go and not have to sit in those teeny tiny hard stadium chairs, I could hardly believe it. But seriously, we just rolled out our picnic blanket and sat crisscross applesauce with about 1,000 of our closest friends on this big green lawn. Everyone was cheering, and dancing, and singing, and have the best time. Meemaw said the tickets were a steal, which I’m pretty sure doesn’t mean anything illegal, it’s just a real good deal. 

The game was back-and-forth a little bit and sadly, we did not pull out to win this time. I did, however, meet FIVE Disney princesses at the parks, so that was pretty cool. Also, I got a cool Lookouts ball cap. All in all, it was a good week in baseball, according to Clementine McBride! And if you haven’t been yet, do yourself a favor and check out Erlanger Park! 

And finally (feel free to whisper this part under your breath with me), GO BRAVES AND GO LOOKOUTS!!

Between the builders, dreamers, and brave folks bettin’ on themselves during Small Business Week and Chattanooga Entrepreneur Week, it’s clear this city don’t run on ideas alone, but like those little plastic monkeys lockin’ arms so we can all cross gaps.

Whether you’re supportin’ local, startin’ somethin’ of your own, or thinkin’ about that one person who deserves a little spotlight this week, make sure to celebrate how far you’ve come.

Cha Ching,

— Bubby & Clementine