October 21, 2026 - Atlanta Wire

Three Things Atlanta Businesses Need to Do to Grow, According to Dr. Celestine O. Chukumba

Atlanta Wire Staff on October 21, 2026

For Atlanta businesses navigating the current economy, growth requires careful decisions about where to invest, how to attract customers and which tools can improve productivity. Dr. Celestine O. Chukumba, founder of Atlanta-based national marketing agency InterSearchMedia, encourages business owners to focus on three priorities: building search visibility, using AI with a clear purpose and measuring the return on advertising.

A Ph.D. economist and author of Digital Marketing Like an Economist, Dr. Chukumba brings an analytical perspective to business growth. His agency, established in 2007, serves clients nationally, including the civil rights law firm Burris, Nisenbaum, Curry & Lacy, whose founding partner, attorney John Burris, was part of Rodney King’s legal team.

That national experience informs InterSearchMedia’s work with Atlanta businesses seeking to attract qualified inquiries and make better use of their marketing budgets.

1. Make Your Business Easier to Find and Evaluate

Businesses need to be visible when prospective customers are researching a service, comparing providers or preparing to make a purchase. Search engine optimization, or SEO, helps connect a company’s website with those searches.

Dr. Chukumba’s approach emphasizes answering the questions that influence a customer’s decision. A website should clearly explain what the business does, whom it serves and why someone should choose it.

For an Atlanta law firm, that could mean developing useful pages about specific practice areas and the communities it serves. For a home service company, it could mean explaining service options, common problems and what customers can expect when they call.

Strong search visibility also requires credibility. Accurate business listings, customer reviews, attorney or leadership biographies, and relevant media coverage can help prospective customers evaluate a company.

InterSearchMedia Atlanta Digital Marketing Agency combines search, AI, content development and digital PR to help businesses build that presence. The objective is to attract people whose needs match what the business offers and give them a clear path to making contact.

2. Put AI to Work on Specific Business Problems

AI offers opportunities to improve productivity, but business owners need a clear purpose for using it. Dr. Chukumba encourages companies to identify tasks where AI can save time, support analysis or improve communication.

In marketing, those tasks can include researching customer questions, organizing content ideas, reviewing campaign data and preparing first drafts for human review.

For a law firm, AI can help organize educational content around questions prospective clients frequently ask. Attorneys must still review that material for accuracy and ensure it reflects the firm’s services and experience.

Other Atlanta businesses can apply the same principle to product explanations, service information and customer communications. Starting with a defined task makes it easier to assess whether the technology is producing a useful result.

InterSearchMedia incorporates AI into its marketing processes to support this work, pairing technology with strategy, professional judgment and review.

3. Connect Advertising Spending to Qualified Opportunities

Business owners need to understand what their advertising generates. Clicks and impressions can help explain campaign activity, but growth depends on what happens afterward.

Dr. Chukumba emphasizes evaluating the connection between advertising costs, relevant inquiries and new business. Google Ads can help companies reach people actively searching for their services, provided the campaigns align with the company’s market and customer needs.

That requires attention to search terms, geographic targeting, advertising copy and landing pages. It also requires reliable tracking of calls and online inquiries, followed by feedback about their quality.

For law firms, an inquiry may fall outside the practice area or fail to meet the firm’s case criteria. For other businesses, a caller may be outside the service area or seeking something the company does not provide. Understanding those patterns helps guide improvements.

InterSearchMedia uses campaign analysis and client feedback to help businesses make more informed decisions about their advertising investment.

An Economist’s Approach to Atlanta Business Growth

Across all three priorities, Dr. Chukumba’s approach centers on making business decisions measurable. Search visibility should help relevant customers find the company. AI should serve a useful operational purpose. Advertising should create opportunities the business can evaluate.

Through InterSearchMedia, he applies that framework to Atlanta businesses and national clients alike, helping connect marketing strategy with the practical work of growing a company.

Wholesale Produce Distribution Across the Southeast From Atlanta

Atlanta Wire Staff 2 on October 21, 2026

J.J. Jardina Company helps retailers, food-service distributors, wholesalers, independent markets, and farmers markets source fresh produce in commercial quantities. From its refrigerated facility at the Atlanta State Farmers Market in Forest Park, Georgia, the company has the capacity to fulfill wholesale pickup and delivery requests across Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, South Carolina, and North Carolina.

Buyers can contact the Jardina team with the commodity they need, the approximate case or pallet quantity, the destination, and the requested timing. The team then confirms product availability, pricing, payment details, and the appropriate pickup or delivery plan for that order.

Bulk Produce Orders From the Atlanta Market

Jardina’s Forest Park location gives wholesale buyers access to an established produce market near the interstate corridors that connect Atlanta with the Southeast. The company works with growers and shippers throughout the United States, and in other producing regions to help buyers maintain supply when local seasons change.

Orders may range from cases of a single item to pallet quantities across multiple commodities. Available products include apples, grapes, citrus, berries, melons, and vegetables. Varieties, packs, sizes, origin, and certified-organic status vary by shipment, so the Jardina team confirms the details for each request before pickup or delivery.

That order-specific review matters for commercial buyers. A produce distributor must match the requested item and pack with current inventory, destination, timing, and route capacity. Jardina handles that coordination from one wholesale source rather than asking a buyer to treat every product or delivery lane as a separate transaction.

Refrigerated Warehouse and Delivery Fleet

Jardina operates from a 30,000-square-foot warehouse that is fully refrigerated, including its receiving and shipping areas. Product can remain under refrigeration while it is received, staged, and prepared for pickup or delivery.

The company also operates its own refrigerated fleet, including box trucks and tractor-trailers. Jardina’s fleet supports its regular delivery activity in and around the Atlanta market. For longer out-of-state lanes, the company may coordinate refrigerated third-party logistics based on the destination, order size, timing, and available route capacity.

This combination gives the team more than one way to evaluate a wholesale delivery request. The final plan depends on the actual order. Jardina does not treat every city as a guaranteed daily route, and the team confirms serviceability before a buyer relies on a delivery time.

Wholesale Produce Delivery Across Six States

Jardina’s Southeast distribution area includes six states. The markets below identify where the company is prepared to evaluate commercial pickup and delivery requests. They do not replace order-specific confirmation of inventory, pricing, timing, and capacity.

Georgia Produce Distribution

Georgia is Jardina’s home market. The company serves buyers from its Forest Park facility and can evaluate requests throughout the state. Same-day delivery options may be available for qualifying Georgia orders, depending on the destination, product availability, order timing, and route capacity. Wholesale buyers may also arrange pickup at the Atlanta State Farmers Market after the team confirms the order and pickup details.

Alabama Produce Distribution

Jardina works with wholesale produce buyers in Alabama. For buyers searching for a produce distributor, fruit wholesaler, or bulk produce supplier serving Alabama, Jardina can evaluate case and pallet orders from its Forest Park warehouse. Next-day delivery options may be available for qualifying Alabama orders depending on volume and route capacity.

Florida Produce Distribution

Florida buyers can submit wholesale produce requests for markets including Jacksonville, Tampa, and South Florida. Jardina can review bulk fruit and produce orders for refrigerated delivery using the fulfillment option appropriate to the lane. Next-day options may be available for qualifying Florida orders depending on volume, destination, and route capacity.

Tennessee Produce Distribution

Jardina has the capacity to evaluate wholesale produce delivery requests for Tennessee markets including Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis, and Nashville. Buyers can request apples, grapes, citrus, melons, berries, vegetables, or mixed produce quantities by the case or pallet. The team confirms the available delivery plan for each Tennessee order rather than advertising a blanket statewide schedule.

South Carolina Produce Distribution

Jardina serves wholesale buyers seeking produce distribution into South Carolina, with Columbia and Charleston among the priority markets identified by the company. Next-day delivery options may be available for qualifying orders depending on volume and route capacity. The team confirms the commodity, quantity, destination, and requested timing before finalizing the fulfillment plan.

North Carolina Produce Distribution

Businesses looking for a wholesale produce supplier or fruit distributor serving North Carolina can submit bulk sourcing and delivery requests to the Jardina team. Delivery timing and serviceability are confirmed for the individual order.

Produce Sourcing for Retail Food Service and Wholesale Buyers

Jardina supports retail operators, food-service distributors, wholesalers, independent markets, and farmers markets. Some buyers need recurring replenishment. Others need a seasonal item, a specific pack, or additional volume that their current source cannot cover. The team can evaluate both regular purchasing needs and individual bulk requests without promising an item that has not been checked against current supply.

The Forest Park facility holds current PrimusGFS and USDA organic handler certifications. These certifications support vendor qualification and the handling of certified organic product through the wholesale supply chain.

Request Wholesale Produce for Your Market

Businesses in Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, South Carolina, and North Carolina can contact J.J. Jardina about wholesale produce pickup or delivery. To help the team evaluate the request, provide:

the produce or commodities needed
the approximate case or pallet quantity
the destination city and state
the requested pickup or delivery timing
the business name and best contact information

The Jardina team will confirm availability, pricing, payment details, and pickup timing or delivery capacity for the request. Buyers can begin through the website’s sourcing assistant or contact J.J. Jardina at 404-366-6868.

Jeremy Parsons: Ten Years Sober, a Lifetime of Songs, and the Long Road to Finding Himself

Atlanta Wire Staff on October 21, 2026

By: Doug Stevens

For Jeremy Parsons, the road to becoming the man and musician he is today hasn’t always been smooth. There have been wrong turns, uncertain destinations, Nashville dreams, long Texas highways, and difficult personal decisions. But through it all, one constant has remained: music.

Now, the San Antonio-based Americana and alt-country singer-songwriter is celebrating a milestone that carries more personal significance than any chart position or industry award. On October 6, 2026, Parsons marked 10 years of sobriety, reflecting publicly on a decade of transformation, gratitude, and learning to embrace the person he has become.

It’s a milestone that also provides a revealing perspective on his music, particularly his introspective EP, Life, and the autobiographical single “Who Was I.”

Ten Years, One Day at a Time

“Today marks 10 years alcohol free,” Parsons wrote in a heartfelt social media post. “Every second of every minute of every hour of every day adds up. Days become weeks, weeks become months, and months become years.”

For Parsons, giving up alcohol wasn’t simply about abandoning a destructive habit. It meant confronting how drinking affected his relationships, his emotional well-being, and the people around him.

He readily acknowledges that he misses certain aspects of youth, including having fewer responsibilities. But alcohol isn’t among them.

“I don’t miss how it made me feel during or after, or how it affected me and everything around me, especially my friendships,” he explained.

His perspective is refreshingly free of judgment. As a working musician who regularly performs in venues where alcohol is served, Parsons doesn’t criticize those who enjoy drinking responsibly. He simply recognizes that moderation isn’t an option for him.

“I’m an alcoholic, and that’s the way it is for me. I choose to avoid it,” he wrote.

That understanding has helped him navigate a career in an industry where late nights, bars, and social drinking are often part of the landscape.

Perhaps more importantly, sobriety has helped Parsons recognize the value of surrounding himself with supportive people and making decisions that contribute to a healthier, more meaningful life.

From Nashville Dreams to Texas Roots

Long before reaching this personal milestone, Parsons was a young Texan captivated by the power of a well-written song.

Influenced by Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt, Rodney Crowell, Robert Earl Keen, Radney Foster, and Steve Earle, he gravitated toward artists who could transform ordinary experiences into extraordinary storytelling.

Eventually, he moved to Nashville, hoping to build a career in music. Like countless aspiring songwriters, he encountered both opportunity and disappointment.

The journey wasn’t always glamorous. At 32, Parsons found himself back home living with his father, questioning the direction of his life and the sacrifices he’d made pursuing his ambitions.

Rather than abandoning music, he continued writing, recording, and performing.

Over the years, Parsons has developed an independent career that includes multiple releases, extensive touring, international radio and chart recognition, and two finalist appearances in the prestigious Kerrville New Folk competition.

But he considers his continued commitment to music one of his greatest achievements.

“I’m probably proudest of the fact that I’m still doing it,” he said in a recent interview.

“Who Was I”: A Song About the Man He Used to Be

Few songs capture Parsons’ evolution more vividly than “Who Was I,” a standout from his five-song EP, Life.

The track finds him looking back at his 25-year-old self, remembering the reckless behavior, partying, uncertainty, and relentless pursuit of a musical dream.

The song’s emotional centerpiece comes when Parsons questions whether he’s chasing his dream or whether the dream has begun chasing him.

It’s a sentiment familiar to anyone who has devoted years to a goal without knowing where the pursuit might ultimately lead.

But in the context of his sobriety anniversary, “Who Was I” takes on additional meaning.

The younger Parsons was searching for fulfillment while making choices that sometimes worked against his own happiness. The older Parsons understands that personal growth doesn’t require erasing the past. It requires learning from it.

His willingness to examine those experiences without glorifying or condemning them gives the song its emotional authenticity.

Finding Meaning Through Life

That same perspective shapes the entirety of Life, an EP born from the uncertainty and reflection of the pandemic years.

“Tickin’” examines the relentless passage of time, encouraging listeners to recognize the importance of how they spend it.

“The Garden,” inspired partly by Parsons’ father and his horticultural background, uses cultivation as a metaphor for emotional health and personal growth.

“Humanity” addresses empathy, judgment, and the divisions that separate people.

And “Life Worth Dyin’ For” asks perhaps the most important question of all: When everything is said and done, will we be satisfied with how we lived?

Together, the songs form a portrait of an artist increasingly interested in understanding life rather than conquering it.

That perspective also informs Parsons’ next creative chapter. He is developing a new collection of songs featuring a more organic, live-oriented sound reminiscent of his earlier recordings, with plans to introduce the project through several singles.

A Different Definition of Success

At this stage of his career, Parsons is less interested in proving himself than in creating music that genuinely reflects his experiences.

His priorities have changed. Marriage has opened another personal chapter. Sobriety has strengthened his appreciation for relationships, gratitude, and everyday moments.

And the uncertainties that once troubled him have become part of the creative process.

“I used to think success would eventually eliminate that uncertainty,” Parsons explained. “Now I think part of growing up, personally and creatively, has been learning how to live comfortably alongside it.”

His message to listeners is equally straightforward: meaningful change is possible, and nobody has to navigate life’s challenges entirely alone.

“If you’re working toward a change of your own, I’m rooting for you,” he wrote on his sobriety anniversary. “And if you need to talk, I’m here.”

For Jeremy Parsons, the past decade represents more than ten years without alcohol. It represents ten years of choosing growth, nurturing relationships, building a career, and discovering that the most rewarding destination isn’t necessarily fame or fortune.

Sometimes, it’s simply becoming comfortable with the person looking back at you in the mirror.

And for a songwriter who has spent much of his life asking difficult questions, that may be his most meaningful accomplishment yet.

Artlanta Festival Brings Free Art and an OutKast ATLiens 30th Anniversary Listening to Historic Fourth Ward Park October 30 to November 1

Atlanta Wire Staff 2 on October 21, 2026

Artlanta Festival of Culture comes to Historic Fourth Ward Park from October 30 to November 1, 2026, with free admission, murals and installations by Atlanta artists, vinyl DJ sets, and a full, uninterrupted listening of OutKast’s ATLiens marking the album’s 30th anniversary.

Key Takeaways

Artlanta Festival of Culture runs October 30 through November 1, 2026, at Historic Fourth Ward Park in Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward.
Admission to the festival is free.
The festival is hosted by the Atlanta Music Arts & Culture Foundation as the flagship event of its I’M SO ATL public art campaign.
OutKast’s 1996 album ATLiens will be played in full, unedited and uninterrupted, for its 30th anniversary.
The music program also includes an Old Atlanta tribute by DJ Kizzy Rock and a vinyl tribute to Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder.
Murals, artistic builds and exhibitions by Atlanta artists will be installed throughout the park.

Artlanta Festival Puts Atlanta’s Own Culture At The Center

Artlanta Festival of Culture is built around a simple premise: the city’s creative identity is the program. Organizers describe the event as an Atlanta festival rather than an Atlanta-themed one, drawing together the city’s visual artists, DJs, musicians, collectors and culture makers for three days in the Old Fourth Ward.

The Artlanta festival is hosted by the Atlanta Music Arts & Culture Foundation as part of its I’M SO ATL public art campaign. Its format leans on listening and looking more than headline performances. Curated DJ sets, vinyl and 45 record sets, and full-song presentations share the grounds with murals, installations and exhibitions, and the organizer also lists artisan markets and creative entrepreneurship among the festival’s offerings.

OutKast’s ATLiens Turns 30 With A Full-Album Listening

The centerpiece of Artlanta 2026 is a tribute to one of the defining records of Atlanta hip-hop. OutKast released ATLiens, its second album, in 1996, and the festival will mark its 30th anniversary by presenting the complete album unedited and uninterrupted.

The choice reflects how central the record is to Atlanta’s musical self-image. OutKast, the duo of André 3000 and Big Boi, came up through the Dungeon Family collective, the network of artists and producers that helped establish Atlanta as a hip-hop capital. Thirty years on, an ATLiens listening in an Eastside park places the album where it began: in front of an Atlanta crowd.

A Listening Format Built For Full Records

The full-album approach fits Artlanta’s broader philosophy. Organizers say the festival’s sets are curated around full songs and analog sound rather than quick mixes, presenting music the way artists intended it to be heard. ATLiens, played start to finish, is the clearest example of that idea.

Vinyl Tributes And DJ Sets Shape The Artlanta Weekend

Artlanta Festival Brings Free Art and an OutKast ATLiens 30th Anniversary Listening to Historic Fourth Ward Park October 30 to November 1 (2)

Photo Credit: Unsplash.com

Two other tributes round out the Artlanta music program. DJ Kizzy Rock presents an Old Atlanta tribute, which organizers frame as a celebration of the city’s influential 1990s music culture. A separate vinyl-only set pays tribute to Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder, inviting the crowd to dance to analog recordings.

Taken together, the program traces a line from Motown-era soul through the Atlanta sound that followed, with records chosen for how they move a room as much as for name recognition.

Historic Fourth Ward Park Gives Artlanta An Old Fourth Ward Setting

Historic Fourth Ward Park is a fitting stage for a festival about Atlanta’s identity. The park was built around a stormwater retention pond in the Old Fourth Ward, turning a flood-prone former industrial area into green space, and it connects to the Atlanta BeltLine’s Eastside corridor.

The Old Fourth Ward itself carries deep cultural history as one of Atlanta’s older intown neighborhoods, east of Downtown. Hosting Artlanta there puts the festival’s murals and installations in a park that already draws a steady stream of walkers and cyclists from the BeltLine.

I’M SO ATL Campaign Builds Toward Its Fall Showcase

Artlanta is the flagship event of the I’M SO ATL public art campaign, which the Atlanta Music Arts & Culture Foundation launched in May 2026 to place large-scale art in city parks. Organizers set a goal of bringing together 1,000 artists across disciplines, and the campaign’s art is scheduled to remain on display through November.

The festival adds to an active fall for Atlanta’s art scene, which opened with the third edition of the Atlanta Art Fair at Pullman Yards in early October. Where the fair centered on galleries and collectors, Artlanta takes a public, open-air approach rooted in neighborhood parks.

Event listings for Artlanta vary in their posted hours, so organizers’ own channels at ImSoATL.org carry the latest details.

FAQs

What Festival Is Happening At Historic Fourth Ward Park In Late October 2026?

Artlanta Festival of Culture runs October 30 through November 1, 2026, at Historic Fourth Ward Park. The free festival features art installations, DJ and vinyl sets, and an ATLiens 30th anniversary listening.

Is Artlanta Festival Of Culture Free?

Yes. Admission to Artlanta Festival of Culture is free.

Who Organizes The Artlanta Festival?

Artlanta is hosted by the Atlanta Music Arts & Culture Foundation as the flagship event of its I’M SO ATL public art campaign, which launched in May 2026.

Why Is ATLiens Part Of Artlanta 2026?

OutKast released ATLiens in 1996, so 2026 marks its 30th anniversary. The festival is presenting the complete album unedited and uninterrupted to celebrate it.

Where Is The Old Fourth Ward In Atlanta?

The Old Fourth Ward is an intown neighborhood east of Downtown Atlanta. Historic Fourth Ward Park sits within it and connects to the Atlanta BeltLine’s Eastside corridor.