This past Thursday, I joined my lifelong friend Greg Taylor for the ribbon cutting of On Center Yoga art 125 West Center Street, one of Downtown Kingsport’s newest additions. Standing there on Center Street, surrounded by friends, family, and familiar faces, I couldn’t help but think about the long road that brought us both here.

Greg and I go way back—back to when our biggest ambitions were saving up for a car or a new piece of music gear. We earned our first real paychecks together at Captain D’s on Stone Drive. We played in the Sullivan Central Band, shared long shifts that smelled like grease and fry oil, and probably solved the world’s problems more than once driving home after midnight. Over the years, we’ve watched each other stumble and soar, laugh and cry, win and lose. Through all of it, he’s been one of those rare friends who has seen it all—and stayed.

Life took Greg through an impressive professional journey. He began at Kingsport Press, built a successful career as a CPA, and went on to lead in the world of wealth management with UBS and Wells Fargo. Today, he runs his own firm, Center Street Wealth Management, right next door to his newest venture, On Center Yoga.

Now, you might ask: with a thriving business, four incredible daughters, a granddaughter named Savannah, and volunteer work with the Boys & Girls Club—why start another business? The simple answer is that Greg loves it. He loves people. He loves this community. And he believes deeply in what Hot Yoga offers—focus, balance, and renewal, both for body and mind.

Hot Yoga isn’t just a workout; it’s a kind of meditation in motion. In the heat, the distractions melt away, and what’s left is focus—a rare thing in today’s world. The staff at On Center Yoga bring that same warmth into every class: friendly, supportive, and dedicated to creating a space for health and well-being right in the heart of downtown.

Greg and I have a saying we live by: “Why not both?” It started with him, and it’s stuck with me ever since. When life offers two good things, we don’t choose—we find a way to make both work. Maybe that’s why neither of us is slowing down just yet. We’re not ready to retire; we’re still building, creating, and saying yes to the next adventure.

Because there’s nothing quite like that feeling—the quiet satisfaction of doing something really hard and seeing it come to life. It’s a kind of victory that only comes from pushing through, and I think that’s what keeps us both moving forward.

At the ribbon cutting, I caught a glimpse of Greg’s brother Gary chatting with Mayor Paul Montgomery. I didn’t realize they had both worked together at the Kingsport Press years ago. Gary told me that one of the first things Paul ever bought for his mother after starting at the Press was a washing machine. I smiled, thinking, this town has some truly good people.

And that’s what makes Kingsport special. It’s a place where old friends build new dreams, where stories connect across generations, and where the spirit of community never fades.

As I stood beside Greg and his family, celebrating this new chapter, I was reminded once again: my friends are my greatest treasures.

And of all those treasures, the oldest ones are the most precious—the ones that stretch across decades, from the days of high school band camps to ribbon cuttings and grand openings. That’s the beauty of this town, and that’s why, truly, I love this place.