Music City, TN April 2026

Design Matters

The Investments That Compound

This month’s theme is investment—a word most often associated with markets, portfolios, and long-term returns. And while those are certainly important, Kat and I have come to believe that the most meaningful investments in life rarely show up on a balance sheet.

As publishers of this magazine, we are constantly reminded how powerful it is to invest in a community. Every story we tell, every local business we highlight, and every partnership we form is a small way of reinvesting back into the city we love. Nashville is special because of the people who choose to build something here—families, entrepreneurs, artists, and neighbors who believe in the long game of community.

But the investment that shapes me the most happens at home. I’m a father to two incredible daughters—Marni, who is six, and Kit, who is four—and we’re eagerly awaiting another child joining our family soon. Becoming a parent has reframed my entire understanding of investment. The small daily deposits—reading one more bedtime story, answering another curious question, slowing down to really listen—these are the moments that compound over time. They form the character, confidence, and love that our children will carry into the world.

Kat and I often talk about how the same principle applies to life as it does to finance: consistency matters more than anything. The time we spend nurturing our relationships, supporting our friends, building our businesses, and showing up for our community quietly grows into something far greater than we could ever measure.

So this month, as you read about financial investments and opportunities throughout these pages, I hope it also serves as a reminder of the investments happening all around us—within our homes, our neighborhoods, and our city. Because when we choose to invest in people, in purpose, and in the places we call home, the returns are truly priceless.

MATT GIARRATANO, CO-PUBLISHER

April 2026

PUBLISHER

Kat Seaton Giarratano | kat.seaton@citylifestyle.com

EDITORIAL COORDINATOR

Morgan Raum | morgan.raum@citylifestyle.com

ACCOUNT MANAGER

Matt Giarratano | matt.giarratano@citylifestyle.com

Corporate Team

CEO Steven Schowengerdt

President Matthew Perry

COO David Stetler

CRO Jamie Pentz

CoS Janeane Thompson

AD DESIGNER Jenna Crawford

LAYOUT DESIGNER Amanda Schilling

QUALITY CONTROL SPECIALIST Megan Cagle Learn

city scene

WHERE NEIGHBORS CAN SEE AND BE SEEN

1-7: Canopy by Hilton Nashville has opened, elevating the skyline with the debut of COA, a Tulum-inspired rooftop destination in The Gulch. The venue pairs bold Mexican flavors with agave-forward cocktails. Executive Chef Jose Mendoza created shareable plates suited for lively dinners and late-night gatherings, while panoramic city views and an expansive tequila selection draw locals and visitors alike.

8-14: The grand opening of Nashville’s second Next Health location in Green Hills was marked by an elevated social evening showcasing the future of wellness and longevity. Guests toured the innovative space, enjoyed light bites and cocktails, and connected in a welcoming atmosphere. Experiential activations included complimentary IVs, vitamin shots, infrared therapy, and Visia facial scans, introducing the community to personalized, tech-forward wellness.

Kowboy Fence Returns to Support Nashville’s Iroquois Steeplechase Tradition

Kowboy Fence is proud to return as a sponsor of the  Iroquois Steeplechase on May 9. As a locally owned company, they are honored to support a cherished  Nashville tradition and the mission of  Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. They provide premium residential, commercial, and agricultural fencing rooted in craftsmanship and care, protecting the homes, families, and horses that help the community thrive. Learn more at kowboyfence.com & purchase tickets at iroquoissteeplechase.org.

Redefining MVP: TIM TEBOW’S LIFE BEYOND FOOTBALL

An exclusive Q&A with City Lifestyle

ARTICLE BY ANGELA BROOCKERD

PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED

From championship trophies to global humanitarian impact, Tim Tebow’s journey has defied every standard playbook. In an exclusive conversation for the Share the Lifestyle podcast, Tebow pulls back the curtain on the moments that truly defined him, from a humbling middle school church retreat to the life-altering shift of fatherhood. This isn’t just a look back at a career; it’s an invitation into the heart of a man driven by purpose. Read the highlights below, then join us for the full, unfiltered experience by scanning the QR code at the end.

Q: WE ALL KNOW YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS ON THE FOOTBALL FIELD, BUT TELL US ABOUT THE CURL CONTEST.

A: I was competing for my future high school team (my brother’s team), and I pushed myself way past what was smart. I ended up collapsing and needing medical attention. But what stayed with me wasn’t the pain, it was the lesson. Would I be willing to do something that others aren’t? For much of my life, I strived to bring my best for a game, but I hope that I can say at the end of my life I was willing to do that for things that actually matter.

Q: YOU’VE ACHIEVED SO MUCH IN SPORTS. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS YOUR GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT NOW?

A: Becoming a dad. Nothing compares. From the moment I knew my wife was pregnant, I felt a new depth of love for our child, but when you bring your baby home, the responsibility hits you like nothing else. Suddenly, everything you see, every decision you make, you’re asking, “Is this corner too sharp? What happens if she reaches that drawer?” It changes how you see the world and how you see other people.

Q: YOU’VE SPOKEN OPENLY ABOUT DISAPPOINTMENT, ESPECIALLY AROUND FOOTBALL. HOW DID THAT SEASON OF LIFE SHAPE YOU?

A: I talked a lot about that very thing in my book Shaken . We all go through moments where our faith in our abilities and purpose feels rattled, but I believe it’s often in those storms when God can show us who we could become.

Q: YOU TALK A LOT ABOUT COMPARISON CULTURE. WHY DO YOU BELIEVE COMPARISON HAS BECOME SUCH A TRAP TODAY?

A: Because we’re comparing our real, everyday lives to someone else’s highlight reel. Social media shows people’s “best day,” often filtered and staged, and then we measure our reality against that. There’s a reason filters are so popular—it’s not real. We end up scrolling through images that don’t tell the full story, and without realizing it, comparison starts to steal our joy and our gratitude.

“We’re comparing our real, everyday lives to someone else’s highlight reel... comparison starts to steal our joy.”

Q: YOUR FOUNDATION FOCUSES ON THE “MOST VULNERABLE.” WHERE DID THAT CALLING BEGIN?

A: When I was 15, I met a boy in the Philippines who was treated as a throwaway because he was born with physical differences. That moment changed me. I realized God was calling me to pursue a different kind of MVP, not “Most Valuable Player,” but “Most Vulnerable People.”

Q: FINALLY, WHAT’S ONE THING PEOPLE MIGHT BE SURPRISED TO KNOW ABOUT YOU?

A: I have some weird coffee habits, which include protein powder, collagen, and cream all mixed together. I love golf dates with my wife. And every night, I bring snacks to bed to share with our dogs. It brings me more joy than it probably should.

This conversation barely scratches the surface. Tim goes deeper into the moments that rattled him, the joys of fatherhood, and one story he has never shared publicly until now. Scan the QR code for the full, exclusive City Lifestyle interview on Share the Lifestyle Podcast.

WHERE NASHVILLE COMES TO SMILE

Welcome to our brand new dental office in the Capitol View area (North Gulch) of Nashville. Modern, state of the art practice focused on building relationships and confidence. We meet you where you are and take you where you want to go.

Lotus On Long Ave.

A Look Inside Lotus Building Group’s Impressive New Project Hitting The Market This Month.

Lotus Building Group has taken on an exciting new project: introducing the Long Avenue takeover! Taking a 600-square-foot house and transforming it into a 4,000-square-foot dream home from the ground up, Lotus Building Group explored a new avenue of their creativity, designing this property fully as an investment with their company’s vision, mission, and expertise. With the help of their talented designer, Monica Belanger, the team was able to have full creative vision in each detail.

Located two blocks from the beloved Shelby Park in East Nashville, the five bedroom and five-and-a-half bath home was designed for a young family with an eye for design. It was important for Keegan Fioravanti, CEO of Lotus Building Group, to have stand-out features throughout the house. While most companies lean toward builder-grade finishes to cut costs, Lotus’s unwavering attention to detail truly sets them apart. Rather than using engineered floors, they found the densest cut of white oak flooring on the market to create everlasting floors that are equally as beautiful as they are durable. In addition, they used a lot of marble, limestone, and tile to create one of Fioravanti’s favorite design elements—a checkered flooring with black marble and white limestone in the foyer. Keeping everything clean and cohesive, the textures and tiles reoccur in different spots throughout the home.

“I took the experience of remodeling and building houses for people and wanted to give a product that someone could move into and just love. Really the only thing that they would need to CONTINUED >

do is maybe [add] some outdoor living stuff… we wanted somebody that [would] walk through this house and go, ‘I love this,’” Fioravanti explains.

The future buyer will also have the option to purchase all the furniture along with the house. Lotus Building Group was very intentional with each detail in the home—the one-of-a-kind paintings on the walls are all done by local Nashville artists, paying homage to the creative arts scene Music City has to offer. Though he has lived in Nashville for fifteen years, Fioravanti has roots in Seattle and Portland, therefore, designing in the eclectic and soulful neighborhood of East Nashville came natural to him.

“East Nashville has always been my favorite…in my opinion, it has the best food and most art culture. It reminds me of home more than anywhere else in Nashville,” Fioravanti says on Long Avenue’s location.

With Long Avenue being an investment property for Lotus Building Group, curating this house into a home has been a fulfilling task. The original property was

falling apart, but the team at Lotus saw potential and wanted to utilize every square inch of the property as possible to get the living space that was needed in the neighborhood. Many homeowners that have moved here from more condensed cities—such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York—tend to look for more design-forward, unique properties, and the Long Avenue project delivers. This home has become a showpiece for the group to prove just how much of a transformation they can perform for their clients.

“We don’t always have the opportunity to fully design every project, but because we are the builder, we’re able to manage the entire process—from hiring the designer and architect to selecting the finishes. This allows us to deliver a thoughtfully designed home with premium finishes while maintaining strong value for our clients,” Fioravanti explains.

Follow Lotus Building Group on socials @lotusbuildinggroup and keep up with their website lotusbuildingtn.com for more updates on the Long Avenue project, hitting the market this month, or any other inquiries.

Investing In Your Future

A Conversation With Family Estate And Entertainment Lawyer, Spencer Lambert.

ARTICLE BY MORGAN RAUM

Spencer Lambert, a Nashville native, brings a unique blend of music industry and legal expertise to his practice. Passionate about serving Tennesseans, he focuses on asset protection and helping clients maximize business opportunities. We sat down with Spencer to uncover the smartest strategies for building a lasting legacy across family, finances, and business.

You have built a successful career as a Trust, Entertainment, and Business Affairs lawyer in Music City. Can you explain how your role supports the careers of creatives and entrepreneurs?

My practice is kind of unique to Nashville in that I do a lot of family Trusts, Wills, and estate work for business owners, but I do a lot of entertainment work as well. I coach people on how to handle their intellectual property and what it could be worth in the market—just like you would want to approach your real estate and tangible business assets, you’d want to purchase intellectual property as well. As property values increase in Middle Tennessee, a lot of people have been surprised to learn that their net worth has grown as well. Nobody should be having to run their assets through probate, ever. I teach a lot of estate planning classes around town and a lot of people say, ‘why wouldn’t I just do a Will? Why would I need a Trust?’ and my line of demarcation is if you own a home, you should have a Trust. You hear the word Trust often, and [many think] that’s only for wealthy families, which could not be further from the truth. A Trust will save you so much money and so many headaches—pushing back on that and educating others is a big passion of mine.

Why is it important to start planning and investing in a family Trust early, and what long-term benefits can this provide for your family?

There is some immediate value in approaching your estate planning… if you put your real property assets in a Trust, those assets receive a level of anonymity and your name is no longer public-facing. It’s good to have those financial Power of Attorney documents in place because you just don’t know… I hate coming back to that point of ‘you just never

know,’ but it’s true! On certain types of asset-protection trusts, assets have to be in there for a certain amount of years before you get the protection. People with public-facing profiles, [or those who work in a riskier field, such as entertainment or construction], probably need some asset protection. It’s best to be proactive.

From a legal perspective, what does “investing in yourself” actually look like?

Having your estate plan in order. It’s along the same line of thinking of, ‘why do I need life insurance?’ If something happens to you, this could really be a good resource for your family in picking up the pieces and setting them up for good. It’s the same for your estate plan… you want to have that stuff in order, especially if you have a business, but double as important if you have a family and children. Signing a Trust isn’t going to feel like Christmas morning for a client, but they’re getting peace of mind, and that’s intangible. So much of what I do is a common sense check: if something happens to you, who has access to those business accounts? Who knows what’s going on in your business? Who knows what’s happening in your

CONTINUED >

“There are things you can do today that your future self will thank you for a decade from now...Entrepreneurship is a team sport—you need the right advisors around you from day one.”

personal financial affairs? It’s an annual thing. I talk to each client every twelve months—just like you’d have a physical with your doctor, there should be somewhat annual conversations because life changes… people have new kids, open up new businesses, and there are new assets.

At what point in an entrepreneur’s career should they begin thinking about legal guidance, even if they’re just starting out?

Day one. The entrepreneur is the hero in the story, but they’re going to build out a team. I think that first call should be the attorney… that way, you are setting up the right kind of business in making sure your operating agreements are sound and you’ve got a good tax resource… often times, business owners call me because they’re forming their business, or maybe they’ve had it formed for a couple years, and they realize they rushed the process when they started and need to get their legal affairs in order. I’m very commonly handing those clients off to a tax professional because we have to be wise about how they’re approaching their tax affairs now. I’m very rarely serving a client where it’s just the two of us—it’s usually a square between me, the financial advisor, the client, and a tax professional. Just like in sports, you have to have the right coach, the right trainers, the right dietitian—or in music, you have to have the right manager, tour manager, attorney… entrepreneurship is a team sport.

What are some of the most common legal mistakes you see artists, founders, or creatives make when they’re first building their brand or business?

Trying to step outside their area of expertise and taking the do-it-yourself approach too far. I see a lot of

business owners set up a $300 LLC and then they’re off to the races… especially if you have business partners, that’s just going to cause you so many headaches from a tax and liability perspective. I also see a lot of people wanting to do too much too soon, so I would focus on keeping expenses low and focus on profit. That doesn’t mean you should skip out on legal expenses, but I see a lot of owners wanting to pump their money into marketing and be at every networking event in town, but let me tell you this: there is no shortage of resources for entrepreneurs. You could spend all day listening to podcasts, going to happy hours, reading coffee table books, but none of that is fundamental. Fundamentals are calling people back, having mentors, doing really good work… if you say you’re going to do something, you do it. It’s really easy to get distracted by all the other stuff, [but I think it’s best] to make money and focus on your clients.

How does having the right legal structure actually create more opportunity for long-term career growth?

I think, more and more, when business owners come to me, they may be on first base in their business, but they’re already thinking through what third base could look like. We’re in the age of merges and acquisitions where people build businesses and sell them...  that makes doing things right from day one so important. There are things you could be doing right now in 2026 that your future self in 2036 will really be thanking you for.

What advice do you have for anyone that has been putting off the hard conversations of planning for the future? How would you encourage them to start tomorrow?

There are a lot of good estate planning attorneys in the Middle Tennessee area, so the process should be pretty

painless. Now, I’m not saying it will be like being on the beach… but I would say go do it tomorrow because we’ve got a lot of good attorneys in this market that would love to help your family and your business. I mean, it’s corny, but if not tomorrow, when are you going to do it? There’s going to be value even in that initial meeting [with your attorney] and you’ll learn something that will likely save you money and protect your family. Tennessee is known as one of the small business capitals for business owners, so we want to balance that out and make it true from an estate planning perspective as well. [We

are] also looked at as one of the most advantageous estate planning states in the country. We have what is called a Tennessee Community Property Trust, which can provide a lot of advantage to married couples here, and also have a trust called the Tennessee Investment Services Trust, which can be really advantageous to business owners. Tennessee, specifically, has been very intentional about getting certain tools in place for people who live here and move here.

For more information & to schedule a consultation with Spencer, visit lambertfirm.org

Now Catering!

From our farm to your fork, Smokin Oaks Organic Farms is your one-stop shop for wholesome, delicious food. We’re proud to offer:

• A full-service butcher case stocked with 100% pasture raised meats

• A deli with house-made favorites, perfect for lunch on the go

• Local produce straight from the field

• Pantry goods, specialty items, and more

• Now offering catering!

Whether it’s a family gathering, corporate lunch, or weekend celebration, let us handle the food so you can enjoy the moment.

Come visit us, stock up on the good stuff, and let Smokin Oaks feed your next event. 2116 8th Ave, S. Nashville | (615) 649-8162 smokinoaksorganicfarms.com | Vsmokinoaksorganicfarms

ARTICLE BY ALLISON SWAN PHOTOGRAPHY BY JANIE JONES

Inquiring Chef

START WITH A VEGETABLE

Jess Smith is the founder of the popular food blog InquiringChef.com, which she started in 2010 after moving to Thailand with her husband. She explored Thai cuisine, took cooking classes, and documented her experiences on the blog. Over time, her passion for cooking grew, leading her to focus on quick, easy meals for families. Today, Inquiring Chef receives over 5 million page views annually and supports a small team. She shares new recipes weekly through email, her blog, and social media, helping home cooks simplify mealtime without sacrificing flavor.

Smith is now an author. Her debut cookbook,  Start with a Vegetable, published in 2025 reimagines meal planning by putting vegetables at the center of the plate.

“Start with a Vegetable was the result of a natural transition in the way I started thinking about preparing dinner for my family. At the end of a busy day, I often didn't have the energy to think about dinner in parts by preparing a separate protein, vegetable, and starch,” says Smith. “I realized that if I put a vegetable at the center of the dish, the rest was easy to fill in.”

The book features 100 flexible recipes proving vegetables aren’t just a side— they’re key to simple, satisfying meals.

As chief recipe developer for the Cook Smarts meal-planning app, Smith worked closely with families struggling to get dinner on the table. She noticed a common challenge: people wanted to eat more vegeta bles but didn’t know how to build meals around them.

“As I started planning and testing recipes for the book, I just loved how easy it made dinnertime feel. Are there carrots in the fridge? Here are a bunch of ways to turn them into dinner. Nearly all of the 100 recipes are complete meals and include easy swaps to make them vegetarian. The book is truly flexitarian, with vegetable-forward recipes for all types of eaters.”

Unlike most cookbooks,  Start with a Vegetable is organized by ingredient. Each chapter focuses on a different vegetable, offering multiple ways to turn it into a meal.

“The concept is resonating with many readers who tell me they love that the chapters are orga nized by vegetable, making it easy to use whatever they have on hand.”

Smith went through a rigorous testing process, starting with over 300 ideas before narrowing them down to 100.

GET LIVING.

“I always have running lists of recipe ideas. I started sorting recipes into categories, making sure there was variety for each vegetable. I wanted differ ent cooking methods and types of dishes, so each chapter might have a soup, a salad, a roasted dish, a stove-top dish, and a sandwich or pasta.”

After perfecting the recipes in her own kitchen, she passed them to a trusted friend, an everyday home cook, to ensure they worked under realworld conditions.

“I want to know how these recipes worked for a home cook who was shopping at regular grocery stores and trying to make dinner for a family on a weeknight. She sends me feedback on any ingredi ents that are hard to find, anything that is unclear in the recipe, and tracks how long it takes her to make it with real-life interruptions.”

To further refine the book, Smith enlisted 30 volunteer home cooks through Instagram and her email list to test the recipes.

“My goal was to ensure that the recipes in this book are reliable, easy, and adaptable. I wanted this to be a cookbook for real home cooks. I'm so grateful to that team of volunteers for helping to ensure that it is.”

To order a copy of the cookbook visit:  InquiringChef.com