Inside Charlotte’s Business Community with TJ McCullough Publisher of the Charlotte Business Journal

On this episode of Building People, Companies, and Careers, AccruePartners host Amy Pack sits down with TJ McCullough, Market President and Publisher of the Charlotte Business Journal. For nearly 13 years, TJ has had a front row seat to the region's business community, and his path there started at a Burberry counter in SouthPark after a college basketball career. He shares what executives are saying about AI that hasn't made the headlines yet, why the companies that understand the Charlotte market invest first in their people, and how he keeps the Business Journal's editorial independence intact while running the business side.

• Executives are experiencing a form of AI burnout, and they are placing more value on authenticity and human communication.

• AI skills are now expected, but the ability to run a meeting, pick up the phone, and handle a hard conversation is what sets people apart.

• The companies that understand the Charlotte market invest time and resources in their people and culture.

• Charlotte is a large city with a tight-knit business community, so reputation and relationships carry real weight.

• Public and private partnerships, along with growth in healthcare, higher education, and innovation, are helping diversify Charlotte beyond finance.

• Strong leaders are willing to do the work they ask of others and take ownership of their decisions.

• Time is a person's most important asset, and protecting it is a form of respect.

Amy: We're joined today by TJ McCullough, Market President and Publisher of the Charlotte Business Journal. For nearly 13 years, TJ has had a front row seat to the region's business community, and he tends to see who's growing, who's hiring, and who's moving here before the rest of us do. Welcome, TJ.

TJ: Amy, so formal. We've known each other and partnered together for years, so it's funny to be here like this. But I'm excited to be here. Thanks for having me.

Amy: A lot of people might not know your career journey. Give us a snapshot before we begin.

TJ: First of all, I never thought I would be in media. I played basketball in college and had that on my mind the entire time. I didn't go to career fairs or ask anyone for help finding a job because I thought I would play basketball my whole career. My first job ended up being selling high-end luxury handbags at Burberry in SouthPark.

Amy: Wow.

TJ: The reason I tell that story is that I met a friend there who worked at Sports Business Journal, which is still the bible of sports media. He told me they had a marketing position open. I had studied business administration and marketing, and I got the job. After a few years, I realized I wanted to do more than marketing, so I moved into an account executive role selling subscriptions.

Eventually an advertising executive position opened at the Charlotte Business Journal, and I got that job. Two years later, the company took a chance on me as director of advertising, overseeing the entire business side, including print, digital, and sponsorships. Then eight years ago, they promoted me to market president and publisher. The company has been great to me. I never thought I'd be in media, but now I don't know what I would do outside of it.

Amy: I learned something new about you today.

Amy: Through that journey, what defining moments shaped you as a leader?

TJ: I always go back to basketball. If you're asking someone to do something or to follow you, you better make sure you can do it yourself. I would never ask anyone to do something I couldn't do. Whether it's putting tchotchkes out on the table at our events or anything else, if I need to help, nothing is beneath me. It's servant leadership.

The other moment came during my first week as publisher. My editor, Robert Morris, and I are very close, and we had been peers when I was director of advertising. Something came up that we needed to report on, so I went into Robert's office and asked what he thought we should do. He laughed and said, "At the end of the day, this is your decision." It really hit me.

I went into my office and shut the door. The lesson I learned was to think it through, make the right decision, and stand behind it. Trust yourself, trust your team, and trust the organization. If you don't get it right, be man enough to take that responsibility, own it, and move forward. The buck stops with me.

Amy: You had to dive in fast.

TJ: No floaties.

Amy: As the editor, you have a clearer view than most of which companies people want to work for, which ones might be struggling, and what's bringing people to Charlotte. What separates the companies that understand the market from the ones that don't?

TJ: The biggest thing is the time and investment they make in their people and their culture. Best Places to Work is a signature event for us, not just in Charlotte but across the 40-plus markets in the American City Business Journals family. Those companies still innovate, but they empower their people to make decisions, delegate responsibility, make sure the right people are in place, and get out and build relationships.

Charlotte is the 16th largest city in the country by population, but the business community is very tight-knit, and reputation is key. Companies relocate here for a reason. We have a strong economic development network with the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, the city, and the county, and I have to mention the airport. But the companies that do well get ingrained in the community, and business leaders here are willing to connect newcomers with the people they need to know.

At the end of the day, it goes back to the people. Even with everything happening in AI, these companies realize people are still what drive the business forward. That's what sets apart the ones you see thriving year after year.

Amy: You talk to more executives in a year than most leaders do. What are you hearing right now that isn't making headlines yet?

TJ: It still centers on AI, because AI dominates the headlines. But what executives keep coming back to is that we still need people in jobs making decisions. I'm by no means an AI expert, but I listen and ask questions. What you're not seeing in the headlines is a kind of AI burnout.

Look at our events. Three years ago, people would accept an award and joke that ChatGPT wrote their notes, and everyone would laugh. Now people say, "I'm a person. ChatGPT did not write this. It might sound horrible, but this is my acceptance speech."

Amy: More authentic.

TJ: More authentic. Executives want people who know how to use AI to drive the business forward. You have to have that. But they also want people who can have a conversation like this one, pick up the phone, run a meeting, and build the relationship. When something is going well, you share it. When something goes wrong, you say, "This is going to be a hard conversation, but here's what happened. How do we get through this together?" The question is how to keep people honing those soft skills while they become experts in AI.

Are jobs being lost? Absolutely. Certain industries more than others. But what I'm hearing across the verticals the Business Journal covers is that while many organizations may not be creating jobs right now, they aren't losing jobs to AI either. That could change quickly, but it's a silver lining.

Amy: I recently listened to a global HR analyst who argued that AI will create more jobs, because you need the people feeding it, the people who serve as the human in the loop, and the communicators. In every conversation I have, technical skills are table stakes. What people are looking for is communication, curiosity, flexibility, and adaptability, because we all still have to communicate, be authentic, and keep learning.

TJ: That's very true. Love it or hate it, AI is at the forefront of everything.

Amy: A publisher carries two jobs at once: running a business with a P&L and a team, and being a steward of trusted journalism. How do you define that role, and how do you hold both together?

TJ: None of that has changed. I tell people it's playing both sides of the fence. I oversee the editorial side and the business side, but we keep a strict separation between them, and that's what makes the Business Journal special. No matter who advertises or partners with us, or how much they spend, it will never control what editorial covers, and we need to make that clear to our readers and subscribers.

It can get tough. There have been times when a great partner, one that spends a lot of money with us, was going to be the subject of a story that didn't show them in the best light. If the facts are there and the sources are checked, it never crosses my mind to stop the story because we might upset them or lose advertising. The goal is to do the right thing and make sure the story is fair and unbiased. When an executive tells me they didn't love the angle but felt the story was fair, that's the biggest compliment we can receive.

Wearing both hats means you're trying to keep everyone happy. As Kevin used to say, sometimes you feel like the chief bootlicker, because you want to make sure the partnerships are still there. I can explain why decisions were made and how they'll be made moving forward. If there was a breakdown in communication, we look at how we can do better as stewards of the community.

Amy: Some people probably confuse the two sides, because you're not pay to play.

TJ: Correct. We do offer sponsored content, but most of the businesses we work with and report on understand it isn't pay to play, whether we're working with their PR team or their executives directly. We still have to explain that distinction so everyone understands it.

Amy: In almost 13 years, you've watched Charlotte become a substantially different city. I've been here 25 years and have seen the same. What has changed most, what's driving growth now, and how do you see the city and its leadership evolving?

TJ: The skyline has totally changed. You look at it now and think, this is a big city. That's great for commercial real estate and the companies moving here, but the biggest change is the public and private partnership. Organizations are working together and are less siloed when it comes to recruiting companies and growing the region. We still have things to get right, including infrastructure, but you see growth across the region in Matthews, Ballantyne, Belmont, Gastonia, Fort Mill, and more.

Companies love the climate and the airport, and we have a great story to tell. But it's really the combined effort of blue chip companies and privately held middle market companies coming together to create a welcoming business environment. Whether people are choosing between Charlotte, Austin, Nashville, Tampa, or Raleigh, Charlotte is at the forefront of those conversations.

It's still finance heavy, but higher education has taken off, especially with UNC Charlotte, and healthcare and innovation are growing with The Pearl innovation district. We have a ways to go, but we're taking the right steps toward becoming a world-class city, and I'm truly excited about where it's headed.

Amy: The city has done a phenomenal job diversifying from an industry perspective.

Amy: Technology has reinvented how media works through digital, events, subscriptions, and now search and AI. What has it taken to keep the business growing, and what needs to be true on the talent side to keep pace?

TJ: That's the question that keeps everyone in media up at night. Our company works to be innovative. We may not move at the speed of light, and I like that because we want to make the right decisions. We're adopting AI tools that make us more productive, but the biggest focus is reaching a newer audience and understanding how they consume media.

This year we hired Delaney as our community engagement manager. We probably should have had that role years ago. I get compliments all the time from people who plan to read the deeper story but enjoyed seeing Delaney's quick updates on Facebook or LinkedIn.

On the talent side, our tenured team members have all been with us five years or more, and our newer team members and reporters come in knowing who they need to get in front of. They carry the Business Journal name, so it's never a true cold call, but they still have to build relationships. We're also keeping up with SEO, changes from Google and Meta, and email filters, because our morning, afternoon, and breaking news emails matter to subscribers. It takes a lot of work from a lot of people.

Amy: What advice would you give someone younger who is thinking about a career as a publisher?

TJ: You hear a lot of negativity about media, like the idea that print is dying. Print is still important. You're not going to break news in print anymore, which is why we print on Fridays. Our reader surveys show executives want deeper dives, and they want to put their phones down and read something tangible.

There is a lot of opportunity in media. Startups and independent publications are thriving. People still want news from real people, delivered in an authentic and responsible way. On social media, anyone can think they're a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, but audiences and subscribers want true, authentic reporting.

The industry will keep evolving, so you have to be innovative and know who your audience is. There are great journalism schools across the country and great people on the business side who know how to build revenue streams. My three kids all want to be YouTubers, and that works if people want to watch the content. Ask questions, and make sure you're passionate about the work. Every industry has ups and downs, but there will be a lot of change and opportunity in media.

Amy: Charlotte was 16th on the list of the fastest growing cities. When you talk to your peers in other markets, what are you seeing in Charlotte that they may not be seeing in their cities?

TJ: Every market has its own focus. The Triangle Business Journal, led by my counterpart Sugata, has one of the largest audiences in the company, with major coverage of life sciences and government. Tampa covers more tourism than we do. Charlotte will always be strong in finance and fintech, along with commercial real estate and economic development.

What's changing is that economic development reporting has become huge in every city businesses want to relocate to, including Nashville, Dallas, the Triangle, and Tampa. We tell those stories through editorial, so we cover the good, the bad, and the ugly. But readers want to know why a company chose one city over another, and what mattered beyond great restaurants and a great airport. That's a differentiator between markets, and it's also something they share.

Amy: The city only announces the relocations it was involved in, but at AccruePartners we work with many companies moving here that never make the headlines, including a lot of PE-backed companies. When I last looked, close to 26 relocations had been announced in the last 18 months, which is significant, and those jobs will arrive over time. It's a big impact on the Charlotte region and the opportunities here.

Amy: What was your first real career lesson?

TJ: I have quite a few, but the biggest is that you're not always right. Everyone has pride and ego, but you're not the smartest person in the room, and you need to realize that. Be a sponge, keep growing, learn from people smarter than you, and don't die on a hill that doesn't make sense to die on.

Amy: What is one quote you're known for?

TJ: That one's easy, and my team jokes with me about it: time is your most important asset. I say it at our events and in conversations, because if someone spends time with me or the Business Journal, that's worth more than money can buy. It's an asset that depreciates. I tell my team the same thing regardless of title. If you've blocked time on your calendar, respect it and get back to us when you can. I think that's an important message for younger employees. It's okay to own your time.

Amy: Who was your favorite boss?

TJ: That's easy. Kevin Pitts, who took a chance on me when I moved into advertising. I had never sold advertising and had never managed people, but he saw something in me. I looked him in the eye and told him I wouldn't let him down, that I would be one of the best hires he ever made, and that I would work like a dog for him.

Amy: Last but not least, what's your favorite lunch spot in Charlotte?

TJ: I just tried La Lima, the new Peruvian sandwich shop in South End, before taking my family to Discovery Place. The line will be out the door at lunch, but it's top notch. And I'm not being sponsored by them.

Amy: TJ, it's been a pleasure. Thank you for taking the time to share your journey and your perspective on Charlotte.

TJ: Thanks, Amy. Anytime.

What separates companies that succeed in the Charlotte market? 

According to TJ McCullough, the companies that thrive invest time and resources in their people and culture. They empower employees to make decisions, put the right people in place, and get involved in the community, because Charlotte's business community is tight-knit and reputation carries real weight.

What are executives saying about AI? 

TJ hears that leaders are experiencing a form of AI burnout and placing more value on authenticity. They expect employees to know how to use AI, but they also want people who can communicate clearly, build relationships, and handle difficult conversations.

Is AI causing job losses in Charlotte? 

TJ notes that some industries are affected more than others. Across the sectors the Charlotte Business Journal covers, he hears that many organizations may not be adding jobs right now, but they are not losing jobs to AI either.

What is driving Charlotte's business growth? 

TJ points to stronger public and private partnerships, a welcoming environment for both large and middle market companies, and growth in healthcare, higher education, and innovation alongside the region's finance base.

How does the Charlotte Business Journal keep advertising separate from editorial?

TJ explains that advertisers and partners never influence what the newsroom covers. The publication offers sponsored content, but its reporting is not pay to play, and the goal is always coverage that is fair and unbiased.

Phillip Burke is the SVP of Human Resources at Pike Corporation. He spent about 15 years in Walmart store operations before moving into HR, where he has led HR operations, technology, and total rewards for frontline workforces at Walmart, Belk, and Pike.

Building People, Companies, and Careers is produced by AccruePartners, the Carolinas' leading talent advisory and workforce solutions firm. Hosted by AccruePartners Co-Founder Amy Pack, each episode features business leaders sharing insights on leadership, talent strategy, and career growth.

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