In 1925, the Grand Ole Opry was established and set Nashville on its path to becoming the Country Music Capital of the World. Now, 100 years later, The MJ Companies starts its own Nashville legacy with grand hopes that we, too, will enjoy a lasting association with this one-of-a-kind city.  

We’ve had our eyes on Nashville for years, watching for just the right time to grow southward into Music City U.S.A. But maybe you know it better as the Athens of the South, because of its 24 colleges and universities? Or Smashville, if hockey’s your game.  

By any name, Nashville is a thriving city, with 21% population growth and more than 30% job growth over the past 10 years. Southern Living ranked it third in its Best Cities in the South list, and The Wall Street Journal named it the seventh hottest job market in the nation.  

And, of course, there’s the music. A higher percentage of Nashville’s population works in the music industry than any other city in America. That’s no surprise. What might surprise you is that music isn’t the No. 1 industry in the area. That’s health care, although we don’t expect “Health Care City U.S.A.” to catch on as a slogan anytime soon.  

With MJ and Nashville both thriving, 2025 is our moment, and a big part of what makes that true is longtime industry colleague and Nashville-area resident Austin Madison, who was ready for a change when we were. Austin will build our new office as market president, and we’re beyond excited to welcome this experienced coach and mentor to our team.  

Austin joins us after almost 20 years in the industry, where he’s served in various employee benefits and sales leadership positions. He’s obsessed with strategy and with mentoring colleagues to “grow and win,” and he says he’s just as excited about helping MJ “grow and win” as he is “to be part of a company that cares so well for its employees and is so focused on staying independent and providing the most exceptional experience possible to its clients.” 

Austin lives in Brentwood, Tennessee, with his wife of 23 years, their three kids, and three dogs. He gets outside every chance he gets to hunt and fish, is an active member of West End Community Church, and volunteers with the education-related nonprofits Uprise and Hope Haven. He has given up on learning guitar, but is doing his level best to become at least competent at golf.  

With Austin on our team and a new office to fill with people-focused, committed problem solvers, we’re looking forward to building our own Music City legacy. We’d be glad to tell you more. Reach out to Austin or stop by our Nashville office and say hello.