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Tested in Tennessee
A six-year-old boy stands in the yard of a small house in Elizabethton, Tennessee, throwing a baseball against a brick wall — over and over, alone — because his dad is on the road and his mom is lost in the glow of a CB radio. Nobody is coming to play catch.
That boy grew up to become the largest hot tub manufacturer on American soil. No investors. No trust fund. No blueprint. Just stubbornness baked into the red clay of Carter County and a refusal to stay down.
Tested in Tennessee is the story of David Hatley, a self-made entrepreneur who clawed his way from a childhood defined by his father's infidelity, his mother's alcoholism, and his own brushes with the law to building a manufacturing empire that ships products all over the world.
But this isn't a highlight reel. It's the whole truth.
David writes with unflinching honesty about the cracks in his a mother whose CB handle was "Miss Kitty" and whose orange juice smelled like rubbing alcohol. A father who was more punchline than parent. A young man who landed in a halfway house before he ever landed a real job. And the long, winding road of redemption that selling tanning lotions out of a van, hawking tanning beds door to door, and eventually staking $600,000 of his own cash to start manufacturing hot tubs with nothing but a couple of hired hands and a burning need to never depend on anyone again.
When two spa manufacturers cut him off for selling outside his territory, he didn't beg for reinstatement. He became a manufacturer himself. When he lost his Costco account in a bruising early failure, he didn't burn the bridge. He came back years later with a new product, the Whisper golf cart, and won Costco back on his own terms.
Along the way, David built something bigger than three major manufacturing companies. He created a profit-sharing program that puts money in the pockets of the people on the factory floors, not just the ones in corner offices. He and his wife Deborah launched America's Bash, an annual lakeside celebration honoring veterans and first responders, with country music stars like Trace Adkins, Craig Morgan, and Dylan Scott performing for a community that gives as hard as it works. In an industry that's been declining year after year, his company keeps growing. Why? Because the people who build his products believe in what they're building.
Tested in Tennessee is also the story of a mother who died trying to get sober. Of two marriages that didn't make it and a third that changed everything. Of a man who still lives just a few miles from the hollow where he grew up. Because no matter how far you climb, your roots come with you.
For readers who loved Shoe Dog, Hillbilly Elegy, and Sam Made in America, this is the next great American business raw, funny, deeply personal, and unmistakably Southern. It's a story about what happens when you stop waiting for someone to throw you the ball and start building the whole damn field yourself.
David Hatley has been tested by life, by loss, and by business. Tennessee is better for it.
And he's not done yet.
That boy grew up to become the largest hot tub manufacturer on American soil. No investors. No trust fund. No blueprint. Just stubbornness baked into the red clay of Carter County and a refusal to stay down.
Tested in Tennessee is the story of David Hatley, a self-made entrepreneur who clawed his way from a childhood defined by his father's infidelity, his mother's alcoholism, and his own brushes with the law to building a manufacturing empire that ships products all over the world.
But this isn't a highlight reel. It's the whole truth.
David writes with unflinching honesty about the cracks in his a mother whose CB handle was "Miss Kitty" and whose orange juice smelled like rubbing alcohol. A father who was more punchline than parent. A young man who landed in a halfway house before he ever landed a real job. And the long, winding road of redemption that selling tanning lotions out of a van, hawking tanning beds door to door, and eventually staking $600,000 of his own cash to start manufacturing hot tubs with nothing but a couple of hired hands and a burning need to never depend on anyone again.
When two spa manufacturers cut him off for selling outside his territory, he didn't beg for reinstatement. He became a manufacturer himself. When he lost his Costco account in a bruising early failure, he didn't burn the bridge. He came back years later with a new product, the Whisper golf cart, and won Costco back on his own terms.
Along the way, David built something bigger than three major manufacturing companies. He created a profit-sharing program that puts money in the pockets of the people on the factory floors, not just the ones in corner offices. He and his wife Deborah launched America's Bash, an annual lakeside celebration honoring veterans and first responders, with country music stars like Trace Adkins, Craig Morgan, and Dylan Scott performing for a community that gives as hard as it works. In an industry that's been declining year after year, his company keeps growing. Why? Because the people who build his products believe in what they're building.
Tested in Tennessee is also the story of a mother who died trying to get sober. Of two marriages that didn't make it and a third that changed everything. Of a man who still lives just a few miles from the hollow where he grew up. Because no matter how far you climb, your roots come with you.
For readers who loved Shoe Dog, Hillbilly Elegy, and Sam Made in America, this is the next great American business raw, funny, deeply personal, and unmistakably Southern. It's a story about what happens when you stop waiting for someone to throw you the ball and start building the whole damn field yourself.
David Hatley has been tested by life, by loss, and by business. Tennessee is better for it.
And he's not done yet.
196 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 9, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 28, 2026
What a truly amazing life David Hatley is living! This is a sincerely thought-provoking rags-to-riches autobiography, and he’s not finished yet!
From a childhood with an alcoholic mother and an absentee father, and never enough money to pay the rent, David raised himself - by himself - to create the largest hot tub manufacturing company in America. His employees are unfailingly faithful and hard-working, and he rewards them generously. His business model is incredibly successful.
This story is sometimes hard to read. Mr.Hatley is brutally honest about his mistakes, and it was painful to hear how he was dealt with by banks and large corporations and other business owners. But he figured things out and fixed them and is now using his success to give back to his community, his employees, his customers, and veterans and first responders.
I think the America’s Bash he holds every year at his home must be amazing!
Loved the book, and will recommend it highly and often.
From a childhood with an alcoholic mother and an absentee father, and never enough money to pay the rent, David raised himself - by himself - to create the largest hot tub manufacturing company in America. His employees are unfailingly faithful and hard-working, and he rewards them generously. His business model is incredibly successful.
This story is sometimes hard to read. Mr.Hatley is brutally honest about his mistakes, and it was painful to hear how he was dealt with by banks and large corporations and other business owners. But he figured things out and fixed them and is now using his success to give back to his community, his employees, his customers, and veterans and first responders.
I think the America’s Bash he holds every year at his home must be amazing!
Loved the book, and will recommend it highly and often.
September 25, 2026
A different option for governor
I saw Dave's television ads on television. Being disgruntled with the options the two major parties are offering I wanted to know who this outlier is that is seeking the governorship. Dave's openness and transparency about his personal life and willingness to become exposed to all of the mud slinging and lack of declaring what the other candidates want to do to improve the overall health of state is a breath of fresh air in the politics as usual from his opponents.
I saw Dave's television ads on television. Being disgruntled with the options the two major parties are offering I wanted to know who this outlier is that is seeking the governorship. Dave's openness and transparency about his personal life and willingness to become exposed to all of the mud slinging and lack of declaring what the other candidates want to do to improve the overall health of state is a breath of fresh air in the politics as usual from his opponents.
March 14, 2026
I finished the book in one day. He tells his story in such an eloquently, inspirational way.
May 16, 2026
Inspiring
A life built on determation, tenacity and guts. He did it his way. Would most likely do well in politics.
A life built on determation, tenacity and guts. He did it his way. Would most likely do well in politics.
August 28, 2026
True story of a tough childhood, some bad decisions, and strong dedication to making his life better and to help others. Great read!
August 28, 2026
Hatley for Governor
Great read on personal life of our prospective next Governor of Tn
Interesting facts of childhood and adulthood, and new dreams
Great read on personal life of our prospective next Governor of Tn
Interesting facts of childhood and adulthood, and new dreams
September 25, 2026
Interesting autobiography of a contemporary businessman. Recounts how he overcame several incidents of adversity in his life. In 2026, he ran for governor of TN.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews