Sunday Afternoon Smokes

About Sunday Afternoon Smokes

Sunday Afternoon Smokes is a long-form podcast hosted by Chris Strother, featuring unhurried conversations with entrepreneurs, founders, business owners, and leaders across the Upstate of South Carolina. Each episode explores business, leadership, faith, risk, and the realities of building something meaningful. Recorded at the table, not the podium. Cigars are part of the setting — never the requirement. Settle in. Enjoy the conversation.

Publisher

Chris Strother

Category

business · leisure

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

25 Feb 2025

Latest episode

8 Nov 2026

Latest episodes

89 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   8 Nov 2026

   More Than Dance: Building Character & Culture | Episode 92 with Zach & Ryn Kennedy

   What if the most important thing a dance studio teaches has nothing to do with dancing? On Episode 92 of Sunday Afternoon Smokes, Chris welcomes husband-and-wife entrepreneurs Zach and Ryn Kennedy, founders of The Complex Dance & Creative Space in Easley, South Carolina, for a conversation about dance, entrepreneurship, marriage, personal development, and building something with purpose. Ryn's journey took her from discovering dance at age eleven to the South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities and eventually to New York City, where she pursued her dream of becoming a professional dancer. But an unexpected change in direction, serious hip surgeries, and a return to teaching ultimately helped shape a very different vision for her future. Together, Zach and Ryn launched The Complex in 2023 with just two guaranteed students and a determination to create something different: a dance studio built around excellence, encouragement, strong values, and a culture free from gossip and unnecessary drama. Three years later, they've grown to approximately 100 students while remaining committed to their original mission. The conversation explores the pressures young dancers face, the influence of parents and instructors, the importance of healthy self-talk, and why developing discipline, resilience, confidence, and character matters more than trophies or competition scores. But the discussion goes well beyond dance. Zach, Ryn, and Chris explore the realities of entrepreneurship, working alongside your spouse, learning through failure, knowing when to relinquish control, and separating personal identity from professional accomplishment. Along the way, the conversation turns toward faith, free will, purpose, and finding meaning in life's unexpected changes. And fittingly for Sunday Afternoon Smokes, Zach and Ryn share how their relationship began over cigars and why the simple experience of sitting together for a smoke has remained meaningful throughout their marriage. ABOUT THE COMPLEX DANCE & CREATIVE SPACE Located in Easley, South Carolina, The Complex offers ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, contemporary and lyrical dance, competition training, and other classes for students ages 18 months through 18 years. Adult classes and date-night experiences are also available through Complex After Dark. The studio serves families throughout Easley, Powdersville, Greenville, and the surrounding Upstate South Carolina communities. Website: www.complexdance.com Instagram: @complex_dance Sunday Afternoon Smokes Instagram: @sundayafternoonsmokes Website: www.sundayafternoonsmokes.com Music License: OXH5QWNRIMOXAVNV

2. 

   1 Nov 2026

   Celebrating 2 Years of Sunday Afternoon Smokes | Episode 91 with Keith Boling

   🎂 TWO YEARS OF SUNDAY AFTERNOON SMOKES! 🥃💨 Two years ago, Keith Boling sat down with me for the very first episode of Sunday Afternoon Smokes. Now, 91 episodes later, he's back in the lounge to celebrate our second anniversary! And this time, we're not following any particular agenda. We're simply celebrating two years of great conversations, friendships, cigars, and whiskey. Keith and I enjoy some excellent cigars, pour a little whiskey, indulge in chocolate fudge and red velvet birthday cake, and talk about whatever comes to mind. From entrepreneurship, taking risks, and betting on yourself to setting ambitious goals, family, football, personal identity, and life in general, this episode is exactly what Sunday Afternoon Smokes was created to be: two friends sitting down and enjoying a conversation. We even managed to turn the lounge into a miniature birthday disco. Keith is the owner of Keyrenter Upstate and has been part of this show since the very beginning. Having him back for our second anniversary seemed like the only appropriate way to celebrate. Thank you to everyone who has watched, listened, subscribed, shared an episode, or joined me in the lounge over these past two years. Here's to another year of great conversations! 🥃 Drinking this Episode: - Maker's Mark - The Singleton Scotch - Bulleit Rye 💨 Smoking this Episode: - Rocky Patel Sun Grown - Alec Bradley Prensado - J.C. Newman Cigars A quick production note: During the recording, I mistakenly refer to this as Episode 94 or 95. It's actually Episode 91! We rearranged our release schedule so this anniversary conversation would publish on Sunday Afternoon Smokes' actual birthday. Find Keith Boling: Instagram: @buysellandrentwiththebeard Keyrenter Upstate: @keyrenterupstate Sunday Afternoon Smokes Instagram: @sundayafternoonsmokes Web: sundayafternoonsmokes.com Music License Codes: G7P2ESDRXHUJCYZS MK7KI6PHT5UPNH5K

3. 

   18 Oct 2026

   Building a Mobile Golf Business | Episode 89 with Scott Sill

   What happens when a love of golf turns into a business you have to figure out as you go? In Episode 89 of Sunday Afternoon Smokes, Chris sits down with Scott Sill, founder of Rollin’ Birdies Golf, a South Carolina-based mobile golf simulator company bringing the golf experience to corporate events, private parties, festivals, tailgates and more. Scott shares how Rollin’ Birdies went from an idea to a working business, the early trial and error of finding equipment that could perform in different environments, and what he learned from taking bookings before he had every detail completely figured out. The conversation also gets into working alongside his wife, Lindsey, growing from one setup to multiple simulators, handling the unpredictable logistics of a mobile business, and deciding how far he actually wants the company to grow. Along the way, the conversation wanders—as Sunday Afternoon Smokes conversations tend to do—into golf trips, cigars on the course, baseball, Greg Maddux, the art of hitting, golf equipment, and why sometimes the only way to learn something is to start doing it. Pour something you enjoy, light a cigar if you have one, and settle in. Rollin’ Birdies Golf Website: rollinbirdiesgolf.com Instagram: @rollinbirdiesgolf Sunday Afternoon Smokes Website: sundayafternoonsmokes.com Instagram: @sundayafternoonsmokes Whiskey Saints License Code: D0R4QEJTJKKS2TAP

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

9 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

14 ratings

Contact Sunday Afternoon Smokes

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.