Organizations & People
While most of Chattanooga lies peacefully asleep in their beds, other workers across the city are waking up bright and early – or working through the night – to keep the city running. From a baker to a morning reporter and more, meet five locals who help take care of the city and its residents when the rest of us are off the clock.
By Ali Lemmons / Photography by Kristina Armstrong
Matthew Martin
No traffic, never having to search for a parking spot, and having afternoons to himself while everyone else is at work – these are just a few of the perks that production manager Matthew Martin enjoys about his early mornings at Niedlov’s Bakery & Café.
Arriving to work anywhere from 3 to 4:30 a.m., Martin starts his shift by readying the kitchen and setting up the production department for a long day of baking ahead.
“Every morning when I show up, I check our long-fermented doughs and adjust temperatures of ovens and retarders to make sure doughs are ready for my bakers when they arrive shortly after me,” he says. “Then, I jump on the bench and begin production – cutting, shaping, and dividing doughs mixed by the baker that arrives before me and the mixer from the afternoon before.”
After handing off to the bakers, Martin spends time creating schedules for the team, inventorying ingredients, and talking to vendors, ensuring the café has everything it needs to produce products for the steady stream of customers who walk through the doors.
“If you want fresh bread at lunchtime, we need to start baking before the sun comes up!” he adds.
While many would balk at the idea of such early mornings, Martin finds that the schedule works in his favor. Starting early means he can focus on production without distractions and finish his workday with time left to enjoy the afternoon.
“The thought of waking up at 3 a.m. sounds rough, but when you start and finish your day earlier, you have much more time for yourself,” he shares. “And nothing beats quiet, meditative mornings with people you consider family.”
As for the rest of the day, Martin relies on two essentials: naps and coffee. With his wife working a conventional 9-to-5, these indulgences allow him to maintain balance between his early schedule and home life. After a solid nap, lunch with his wife, and a nice walk with their dogs, Martin feels ready for whatever the rest of the day may bring.
Martin finishes: “Bread is pretty important to society. Being able to practice a craft that I’m passionate about while providing a nearly indispensable food product to a community that I love makes the hard work easy!”
While other local professionals start each day by enjoying a cup of coffee and turning on Good Morning Chattanooga, most don’t realize that news anchor Hannah Ferrera has been up since 3 a.m. to deliver their morning news.
“I am in ‘go mode’ the minute my alarm goes off – checking overnight breaking news, making my coffee, styling my hair, and starting my full face of makeup,” says Ferrera. “I join a meeting with my team at 4 a.m. to review the day’s shows, and I’m live on air at 4:30 a.m. on the dot.”
Once the show starts, Ferrera sits at the anchor desk for four and a half hours. When she’s not actively on air, she keeps busy by proofreading, correcting, and personalizing the tone of each story, all while keeping an eye on current traffic and any breaking news that may come her way.
“I take a breather after our morning show ends at 9 a.m., and I spend the rest of my day setting up stories, doing interviews, and anchoring our noon newscast,” adds Ferrera.
When explaining her career to those with a traditional 9-to-5, Ferrera uses the analogy of “airport time.”
“You know when you have a fun vacation planned, but the entire family has to wake up in the pitch black at 3 a.m. to get to the airport in time? It’s like that … but you’re about to go on live television – and you do it every day,” she jokes.
Luckily, a steady routine, discipline, and knowing when to let loose and have fun help Ferrera manage her work-life relationship despite her unusual hours.
“When I started this job more than a year and a half ago, I feared for the future of my personal life, but it’s been beyond manageable,” she says. “During the week, I am regimented about getting to bed early, but on Friday and Saturday nights, I don’t have a bedtime. Those two nights give me ‘normalcy,’ and I cut myself some slack before I regroup on Sunday. Life is all about balance.”
Despite the early hours, Ferrera’s passion for keeping the city and its residents informed make it all worth it.
“Local news is more important now than ever. We’re living in a rapidly evolving media landscape with a million places to get our information,” shares Ferrera. “What I believe always rises above the ‘doom and gloom’ we often see in the news is the power of community. I love that my job allows me to tell the stories of our neighbors on a hyper-local level.”
“If we can change someone’s day with a small gesture or smile, we are winning in life,” says Jessica Castaneda, night auditor at The Kinley Hotel.
And from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. each day, Castaneda does just that as she checks in guests, answers calls, runs audits, and keeps the hotel running smoothly during the twilight hours. After six years on the night shift, Castaneda has grown used to – and even appreciates – her unusual hours.
“Not many people do the night shift because they think it’s hard, but I think it’s better. I’m happy that I have the opportunity to make someone’s morning better by doing the smallest things to brighten their day,” says Castaneda. “I aim to give great hospitality and be respectful to each and every guest that I encounter.”
While some mornings at the hotel are slow and quiet, others bring a 5 a.m. rush that keeps Castaneda on her toes as she answers guest questions, valets cars for those in a hurry, and brews coffee for the early risers.
“But with just a smile, it all runs smoothly!” she adds.
Throughout her time at The Kinley, Castaneda’s favorite part of the job has been the people she meets along the way.
“Seeing some of our wedding couples, especially the brides in their unique dresses, or sharing a moment and hearing about life stories from couples that have been married for 50 years reminds me why I love what I do,” she shares. “I’m just happy letting guests vent to me. If they just want someone to talk to, I don’t mind – I’m all ears and willing to listen.”
When she’s not on the clock, Castaneda shifts her focus to family.
“After work, I go home to shower and switch to ‘Mommy mode,’” she says. “When I get the chance, I squeeze in a little getaway with my son. Not everything is work – we have to take care of our mental health as well.”
Castaneda finishes: “I am so grateful to work for Vision Hospitality and for my general manager who has been amazing in every area.”
As the sun comes up over Erlanger Baroness Hospital each morning, Mickey Milita is already hard at work, starting his days at 4:45 a.m. to make sure the campus is safe, accessible, and ready for the day ahead.
“Folks want to arrive at work with everything ready to go,” says Milita, director of guest services and parking for Erlanger. “In the parking and transportation areas, that means making sure my staff have shuttles gassed and ready to go is key. It’s also important to ensure the customers’ first impression of the hospital is a clean and welcoming one.”
While Milita attends necessary meetings and works with a multitude of vendors, working outdoors and preparing for staff and visitors to arrive at the hospital is his main priority – and no two days are ever the same.
“During the day, it’s really whatever comes my way. Working at a hospital with so many visitors and thousands of staff members, there is never a dull moment,” says Milita. “But I have a great crew that works with me.”
When snow and ice are in the forecast, Milita and his crew arrive even earlier – even working overnight shifts – to pretreat the parking garage and hospital entrances and shovel snow when needed, ensuring the safety and smooth arrival of everyone at the hospital. While the hours could be difficult, a steady routine makes sure Milita is prepared for each day.
“I have always been an early-morning person, so I’m just used to it.” says Milita. “I’m usually in bed by 9 p.m. each night with everything ready to go for the next morning.”
Over the years, that steady routine has become a way of life, ensuring that his workdays flow smoothly and that he has the time he cherishes at home.
“It’s just what I know – traffic is mild, you get to see the world come alive, and my energy level is high,” finishes Milita. “I just always make sure I have enough time for the grandkids, and my wife is usually the one that makes it happen for me. I enjoy the work that I do – Erlanger has been so very good to me and my family.”
With 24-hour shifts, an emergency can happen at any hour of the day or night, and Brandon Lozano and his team at the Chattanooga Fire Department spend their mornings preparing for the unexpected.
“Being able to respond quickly could help keep someone alive,” says Lozano.
For the first 30 minutes of each shift, Lozano takes time to gather his gear and thoroughly inspect the fire truck and equipment to ensure it’s ready to respond to calls at a moment’s notice. But from there, he has no idea where each shift might take him.
“There’s no typical day for a firefighter – every day we have something different. That is what I love so much about this career,” shares Lozano. “We respond to all sorts of different kinds of emergencies. The only things that stay the same are our daily station duties, such as taking out the trash, cleaning our station, and most importantly, making sure our fire truck is clean and ready to go.”
Besides protecting the Scenic City and its residents, Lozano also serves the community through public education of fire safety, often visiting elementary schools to give presentations on the station’s truck and gear. Being fluent in both English and Spanish, Lozano helps bridge language barriers and reach every resident of the city.
“At one school, there was a little boy named Nicolas who only spoke Spanish and didn’t want to participate in the presentation as he wouldn’t understand what was being said. I asked him in Spanish, ‘Are you sure you don’t want to join? It’s a pretty cool fire truck.’ His eyes opened wide and I told him I would say everything in Spanish so he could understand. He followed me around the whole time we were there. I made his day just by being there for him. Little things like that are why I love my job,” shares Lozano.
While fighting fires and protecting the city is no easy feat, knowing that he is able to serve people on their worst days makes it all worth it for Lozano.
“Even though these aren’t normal hours, and we see all sorts of traumatic calls, this job is incredibly rewarding,” finishes Lozano. “I am able to help people and make a difference in some of their lives. My crew is a big part of what makes this job easy and a fun experience.”
