Carolina Spark Magazine Issue 5: Winter 2022

Monica Rousseau

Realty ONE Group Pivot

monica@rogpivot.com

Office: 828-595-2494

Mobile: 828-676-7264

monica.findhomesinasheville.com

90 Southside Ave. Ste 300

Asheville, NC 28801

319 N King Street

Hendersonville, NC 28792

828-508-8147

www.AvailWeddings.com

Jeff’s Homemade Chili

SERVES: 6-8

2 lbs. ground beef

1 bag frozen Laura Lynn chopped green peppers

1 bag frozen Laura Lynn chopped onion

1 (15 oz.) can light red kidney beans

1 (15 oz.) can chili beans

2 packages Laura Lynn chili seasoning mix

1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce

1 tbsp. pickled diced jalapeño peppers

1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes

ground cinnamon, to taste

sugar, to taste

cayenne pepper, to taste

1. In large pot cook ground beef, onions, green peppers, and jalapeños on high heat, until meat is fully cooked.

2. Add chili seasoning, beans, tomato sauce, and diced tomatoes. Add cinnamon, sugar, and cayenne pepper, a little at a time, stirring and tasting after each addition to get to your preferred heat and sweetness level.

3. Put on high heat, bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to low and let cook for at least 30 minutes. The longer the chili cooks, the more flavorful it becomes.

4. Add a cup of water if you want your chili to have a more soup-like consistency.

5. Top your chili with any of the optional toppings you like.

OPTIONAL TOPPING IDEAS: chopped onions, shredded cheese, sour cream, crackers, corn chips, corn bread

MAKE A DELICIOUS SECOND MEAL USING LEFTOVER CHILI AND A BAKED POTATO!

KELLI SMITH & ERIN BARNETT The Southern Table

For as long as I can remember, I have loved to read and write. When I was a young girl, I would find myself getting lost in books for hours on end. I mostly enjoyed fiction, while nonfiction would easily bore me. After school, there was nothing else I looked forward to more than getting my nose back into whatever book I was reading. The anticipation of finding out what would happen to the characters next was what motivated me to get through my day. As I grew older, I began to take an interest in magazines. When I went to the grocery store with my mother, she would often find me in the magazine section of the store – and it was rare that we didn’t leave without purchasing one (or two). At some point in my life, I realized I wanted to become a writer because I loved stories so much. There is something very special about stories: they inspire people, they impact communities, and they have the power to create change. Storytelling goes back thousands of years, to the times of cave dwellers. Our ancestors would paint the walls of their caves to create stories and myths about what they saw and experienced.

By sharing our own stories, we have the opportunity to not only change the lives of others, but also, our own lives. When we were putting together this issue, we realized that it should revolve around the bravery of the women in its pages who are boldly telling their stories to the world. It takes courage to tell your story. These women are truly Powerful and Remarkable for doing so.

As we welcome 2023, I want to encourage you to think about your own story. What have you been through to become the woman you are today? What seemingly-impossible obstacles have you overcome to be where you are now? What’s your story? Instead of “New Year’s Resolution(s),” think in terms of a “New Year’s Evolution(s)” and celebrate your progress! Even better – if you think you have a story you’d like to share with our readers, email me. I’d love to hear from you. Finally, I have exciting news for you: Carolina Spark Magazine will now be a quarterly publication! We wouldn’t be able to do this without the support of our advertisers and our readers, so thank you for your continued support.

We will also be launching a newsletter soon. Stay tuned!

Sincerely,

Crystal Pressley Publisher

Rosa Linda Fallon Managing Editor

Madi Balman Art Director

Brooke Crawford Account Manager

Meg Hale Brunton Assistant Editor

MEET THE CAROLINA SPARK TEAM

CRYSTAL PRESSLEY PUBLISHER/OWNER

Crystal Clear Marketing, LLC.

Crystal Pressley is the Founder and Publisher of Carolina Spark Magazine and North Carolina Bridal Magazine

She is a WNC native, a wife, and a mother of four boys. She lives in Swannanoa with her husband, two of her sons, and their four dogs. Crystal has worked in the print advertising industry for over 15 years, and is well versed in business ownership. Along with her brother, Austin, she carries on their late father’s legacy of his contracting business, Xtreme Drywall, located in Asheville, NC.

Crystal has a unique ability to be able to take anything life throws at her and turn it into something extraordinary. She is passionate about helping others, especially inspiring, empowering, and lifting up other women around her. Her dream is that Carolina Spark Magazine would be a source of inspiration for generations of women to come.

ROSA LINDA FALLON MANAGING EDITOR

Rosalinda Editorial, LLC., Crystal Clear Marketing, LLC.

Rosa Linda Fallon is Managing Editor of Carolina Spark Magazine and Assistant Editor of North Carolina Bridal Magazine. She has called Western North Carolina her home for the past 8 years and currently lives in Weaverville with her husband, Andrew. Rosa graduated from UNCAsheville in 2019 with her B.A. in Mass Communication and is a licensed real estate broker.

She has written for notable publications such as UNCA’s awardwinning student newspaper The Blue Banner, Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine, and ENSPIRE Magazine. She is the owner Rosalinda Editorial, LLC, and also works as a real estate specialist, helping homebuyers and sellers discover how to utilize “the story of their home” to receive a high return on their life’s investment. She believes in the power of storytelling, as stories impact and inspire change. She declares her foundation and identity in Jesus Christ, and desires to spread joy and hope to everyone she meets. Follow her on Instagram @rosalindafallon

BROOKE FREEMAN ACCOUNT MANAGER

Crystal Clear Marketing, LLC.

Account Manager Brooke Freeman is a native of WNC. Brooke is passionate about supporting and encouraging businesses and especially female entrepreneurs. She is a creative soul with an entrepreneurial spirit herself. A previous business owner with a broad skill set, Brooke has set out to take all that she has learned to coach and mentor new business owners and aid in marketing them for growth. Brooke is a mom of four children and lives in Leicester with her husband, Brandon.

EMPOWERED WOMEN EMPOWER WOMEN

MADI BALMAN ART DIRECTOR, DESIGNER

Mae Creative, LLC., Crystal Clear Marketing, LLC.

Madi Balman is a branding expert, Chief Creative Officer, serial entrepreneur, and plant-mom extraordinaire. She currently resides in Groton, CT with her husband, August. Being stationed in Connecticut gives her the flexibility to work and hustle from the comfort of her home no matter the location. In her free time, she enjoys playing beach volleyball with friends, playing video games, and being crafty.

Her ability to adapt and overcome challenges has brought her great success: she is the Art Director for Carolina Spark Magazine and North Carolina Bridal Magazine, serves as the Marketing Board representative for Focus Up Charleston, and owns 3 businesses. She has over 200 portfolio pieces (& growing!).

She enjoys helping independent small businesses - creatives, specificallylearn how to market their business and create dynamic brands. You can find her on social media @ MaeCreative.graphics.

MEG HALE BRUNTON ASSISTANT EDITOR

Crystal Clear Marketing, LLC.

Assistant Editor Meg Hale Brunton is a North Carolina native and a graduate of UNC-Asheville. She has been a writer her entire life, and has written for local publications including Sophie Magazine, the Hendersonville TimesNews, Mountain Xpress and The828.com.

In addition to writing, Meg sings in a soul/funk band called The Groove Arcade, volunteers with Mountain Pet Animal Rescue, and sits on the board of Different Strokes Performing Arts Collective. She is a big fan of theatre and film, and also enjoys traveling and exploring nature. Meg lives in Asheville with her husband and two sons.

KATY BROCK SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

Brock by Design, Crystal Clear Marketing, LLC.

Katy Brock is a recent college graduate from Charleston Southern University with a degree in Graphic Design and Business Administration. Born and raised in South Carolina, she has had a love for design since she was in middle school. She’s explored dozens of creative avenues, everything from costume design to pet photography, finding a love for social media design and branding along the way.

Katy has worked as a freelancer for the past four years before joining the Carolina Spark team in August 2022. Katy is responsible for our social media design across Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn. She’s focused on showcasing our magazine and growing our social media presence through quality content across all our platforms. You can find her on social media @brockbydesign

Businesses of the Quarter

BAKED PIE COMPANY

of the Quarter

Baked Pie Company is a local bakery offering a wide variety of fresh, delicious pies made with only the highest quality ingredients. After owner Kirsten Fuchs realized that there was no place in Asheville to enjoy a cup of coffee and a slice of homemade, blueberry pie, the idea for Baked Pie Company was born. The bakery is located in South Asheville on Long Shoals Road. Since its opening, Baked has grown in popularity amongst locals and tourists as a place to relax and enjoy a slice of pie, fresh coffee, a good book, and maybe even make a new friend. “There’s something about the taste of homemade pies,” says Fuchs. “The whole concept inside the shops is to make people feel like they are going home.” Give them 48 hours notice, and Baked will make you any of their featured whole pies, just for you. Call to order.

Baked Pie Company

4 Long Shoals Rd Suite A

Arden, NC 28704

(828)-333-4366

www.bakedpiecompany.com

KINDER CONSIGNMENT & BOUTIQUE

In the fall of 2019, Jamie Velasquez opened Kinder Consignment & Boutique in Candler, NC, a consignment shop offering children’s, women’s and maternity clothing at an affordable price. “We’re here to help customers find good stuff at good prices,” Velasquez says, adding that she wants people to be able to buy what they need at Kinder and still afford to do their grocery shopping. On an average day, Velasquez puts 150-300 new items out onto the floor, providing a wide variety of selections for customers. Kinder Consignment also donates items that are over 100 days old to their local chapter of the ABCCM Crisis Ministry, which Velasquez says she loves since the donations go back into the Candler community. “I want to be here for all of the community,” she says. “We want to stay stationary for the rest of our lives here.”

For more information on Kinder Consignment, visit their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/kinderconsignmentboutique

1251 Smokey Park Hwy, Candler NC 28715 828.633.2156

PHOTO CREDIT: MEG HALE BRUNTON

"SHE SAVED MY LIFE"

Asheville resident Linda S. had been experiencing the painful side effects of Peripheral Neuropathy. "My feet and legs were extremely painful and my doctor told me there was nothing they could do and that I would have to take Gabapentin for the rest of my life." Then she met Dr. Kirgan.

Peripheral Neuropathy is the pain, discomfort and numbness caused by nerve damage of the peripheral nervous system. Linda explained that daily tasks like opening doors and using the bathroom were overwhelmingly painful. She asked "How can you live for the next 30 years when you don't even want to get out of bed to do simple things?"

Linda hadn't worn socks in five years and was wearing shoes two sizes too big so that nothing would 'touch' her feet. She was experiencing the burning, numbness, tingling, and sharp pains that those suffering from neuropathy often describe. "The way that I would describe it," she explains, " it's equivalent to walking on glass."

Unfortunately Linda's story is all too familiar for the over 3 million people suffering from Peripheral Neuropathy.

If you are unfortunate enough to be facing the same disheartening prognosis, you're not sleeping at night because of the burning in your feet. You have difficulty walking, shopping, or doing any activity for more than 30 minutes because of the pain. You're struggling with balance and living in fear that you might fall. Your doctor told you to 'just live with the pain' and you're taking medications that aren't working or have terrible side effects.

Fortunately, four months ago Linda read an article about a

new type of clinic in Asheville that works with difficult to treat cases , such as Peripheral Neuropathy, without invasive surgeries and medications.

Dr. Autum Kirgan DACM, L.Ac, founder of South Slope Acupuncture & Wellness is using the time-tested science of Acupuncture and technology originally developed by NASA that assists in increasing the blood flow and expediting recovery and healing to treat this debilitating disease.

"Now when I go to bed at night I don't have those shooting pains. I don't have that burning sensation. I don't have pain coming up my legs," Linda enthusiastically describes life after receiving treatment with Dr. Kirgan. "I can wear socks and shoes!"

Now Linda and her sister operate a senior guiding business, leading seniors on hikes covering up to 5 miles a day.

life altering. As far as I'm concerned, Dr. Kirgan saved my life!"

Dr. Kirgan has been helping the senior community for over 10 years using cutting edge and innovative integrative medicine. Specializing in chronic pain cases, specifically those that have been deemed 'hopeless' or 'untreatable', she consistently generates unparalleled results.

What was once a missing link in senior healthcare is now easily accessible to the residents of Asheville and the surrounding area.

If you missed too many tee times because of pain or you've passed on a hike in these beautiful mountains because you're afraid of falling, it is time to call Dr. Kirgan and her staff at South Slope Acupuncture & Wellness.

It's time you let your golden years BE GOLDEN.

Dr. Kirgan is now accepting a limited amount of new patients. Visit SouthSlopeAcupuncture.com for more information or call (828)575-5904 to schedule an appointment for an initial consultation. For a limited time only, initial consultations are at no cost (normally $240 value) with mention of this ad.

"It's

Does Drinking Water Make Me Beautiful?

BY EMILY MCCOLLIN

If you have any health issues, someone will inevitably advise drinking water as a solution. And when it comes to skin problems, we’ve heard it a thousand times: drinking enough water is the solution for everything from acne to flakes. Surprisingly, while drinking water is important to overall health, the consumption of H2O is not the magic formula for all skin problems.

Don’t misunderstand - staying adequately hydrated is vital for all parts of the human body, including the epidermis. The skin hydrates by pulling from the little capillaries that run through skin, the largest organ of the body. If someone does not consume enough water to provide full body hydration, the skin will begin to dry (along with many other negative side effects!). So the question becomes: does drinking extra water provide any additional health or beauty benefits for the skin? The Mayo Clinic says there is nothing indicated in the research to back up this idea due to the way the body absorbs water.

Topical products are the best solution for effective skin hydration from tip to toe. As the winter months approach, using a high-quality moisturizer is your best bet for keeping your skin soft and smooth. Go one step further by using a gentle exfoliant at least once or twice weekly to slough off dead, impenetrable skin cells, thereby allowing your skin to completely absorb the moisturizing product. An extra gentle moisturizer on your face, and organic shea butter-based products on your body can help you stay flake and itch-free. During the dry months, it can even be helpful to substitute a concentrated hydration facial moisturizer for wrinkle and spot-reducing products often used during more humid months.

A moisturizing product for the face with a light SPF number is a good idea all year round. Even though people are less likely to seek out sun rays during cold winter months, they are still affected by UV rays absorbed just walking to the car, watching a child’s soccer game, or sitting outside for lunch. Sun-damaged skin looks like old skin, so SPF along with hydration is a must to keep skin at its best.

The moral of this story is drink water and use an excellent topical moisturizer. Reading the labels is important. The Mayo Clinic recommends avoiding products that “contain alcohol, fragrance, retinoids or alpha hydroxy acid,” as they are extra drying to the skin, even when found in lotions and face creams. Moisturize regularly and well, and your face and skin will glow year-round.

Consignment Shop Owner Jazmin Whitmore: Always Finding More to Love

WRITTEN BY ROSA LINDA FALLON

Local Consignment Shop Owner Jazmin Whitmore is a unicorn in the fashion world. As a curvy, queer woman of color, Jazmin runs her business as a statement that directly challenges beauty ideals, and she leads her life authentically with “radical honesty.” She maintains a positive attitude, and doesn’t allow space for shame or regrets. “I’m not going to regret what I said ten minutes ago,” she says, laughing.

Her story begins at seventeen years old when she dropped out of high school and ran 665 miles away from her home in Michigan to North Carolina. With an upbringing that left her with minimal skills and significant emotional trauma, Jazmin admits that her life has been far from easy. She spent several years in and out of homeless shelters, trying to work and support herself. She was on disability for a period of time, but never gave up her dream of one day owning her own business. Over time, she learned to tell herself a different story. “Instead of seeing myself as broken because of what I went through, I started to see myself as strong for surviving it,” she says. “I learned to recognize the skills I already had and to place importance on them.” In her mid-20s, she got her GED and her Natural Hair Care License and began working in a salon in downtown Asheville.

One day, while shopping downtown for an outfit, she realized how limited fashion options were for curvy women. She remembers “being so excited” when she finally found one item for a lower price point of $70 after five hours of shopping. An experience that should’ve been fun and pleasant turned out to be exhausting and discouraging. Most American women are a size 14 or larger, yet a majority of the clothing markets stop making clothes at a size 12.

Jazmin recognized the lack of options curvy women had, especially in vintage and consignment shops. She says that long ago, she adopted a guideline: If she finds herself complaining about something for a long period of time, then she needs to start thinking about solutions. Jazmin says she had always loved fashion as a means to express herself, so it made sense for her to open a consignment shop.

In February 2019, Jazmin opened More to Love Consignment, a consignment shop that caters to curvy

women on a budget. But More to Love is much more than just a store – it is a movement – a call to action to directly challenge fashion and beauty ideals and judgmental attitudes towards curvy bodies. It is also a community of loyal and enthusiastic customers, some of which have even committed to “never shopping at Torrid again.” Jazmin says, “I take great pains to make sure our inventory is not only affordable but offers a wide range of price points, so we can accommodate almost any budget.” She adds that affordability is why she chose a more remote location for her shop. “I picked a location further out intentionally so that I could save on rent and therefore offer prices I couldn’t in a busier area. Plus we have parking!”

However, she admits that it can be challenging getting the word out, especially since she mostly relies on word-of-mouth recommendations. She says, “I feel like my biggest challenge is and continues to be getting the word out to people that would shop at about More To Love if they knew about us. I have always operated on a shoestring budget so I have not done a lot of advertising. I advertise when I can but mostly rely on word-of-mouth recommendations.”

While More to Love might operate on a small budget, Jazmin’s heart for the community is big. She and her team support several nonprofits in the area, including Homeward Bound, Asheville Period Project, and several women’s shelters.

Jazmin stresses the importance of “radical honesty” in business in regards to inspiring and supporting an entrepreneurial mindset in ourselves and those around us. As she looks back and thinks about how long it took her to learn how to manage success in her life, she is honest when she says: “I think it was because my idea of what successful entrepreneurs looked like was actually wrong from the start; I thought of them as people who had it together and not people who couldn’t keep a job; I thought they had to be wealthy or at least financially stable and educated.” She adds, “the ideas I had in my head about who I thought I had to be to get where I am today never did anything but keep me blind to my own potential and the possibilities all around me.”

Jazmin is now always open to new possibilities, all while remaining content with where she currently is in her

life and in her business. Perhaps one day, she might open a secondary location, or maybe even start her own clothing line. For now, she is thankful to live out her passion by helping other women feel beautiful.

“My favorite thing about my journey is that I get to follow my passions while doing everything I can to make problems I have struggled with a little easier for others,” she says, adding that she loves seeing the surprise on shoppers’ faces when they find clothes they love for such a low price. “It makes me feel proud that I turned all of my bad shopping experiences and struggles with self-love into a business that exists to help people feel good about themselves. It’s a big reason why I smile so much.”

More to Love Plus Size Consignment

606 New Leicester Hwy Unit B Asheville, NC 28806

(828)-424-7270

PHOTO CREDIT: LIBBY GAMBLE

Photography by Brooke Parker Photography

Hair and Makeup by Fab Flawless Makeup Artistry

Author Mary Beth Stevens

PHOTO CREDIT: AJAX FURTOGRAPHY

Children’s Author Mary Beth Stevens enjoyed a successful career in marketing and PR in New England, but made some big life changes when she met two dogs named Tippy and Suzie. Suzie was Stevens’ first dog, which she and her husband adopted from a rescue group out of Tennessee and instantly fell in love with. They took Tippy in as a foster, and the connection wasn’t as instantaneous. “He was a challenge,” she admits. “Lots of training helped, and now he’s such a funny dog.” Stevens says she got the idea for her first book from those first weeks with Tippy, and when she shared stories of his antics with her friends, they told her she should write a book.

Stevens says her plan was for her first book, Tippy Finds a Home, to be her only book. Then, she started noticing the intrigue with which Tippy watched Suzie as she went to work as a Certified Therapy Dog. This led to the second book in the Tippy series, Tippy Finds His Purpose. Stevens’ latest book, Tippy Learns a Lesson, just hit the shelves in October 2021. “The theme of the book is that actions have consequences,” explains Stevens, “illustrated by having a little dog roll in poop.” She has already begun work on her fourth book, Tippy Makes a Move, about adjusting to their new life in North Carolina.

Twenty percent of the proceeds from the Tippy books goes to Blue Ridge Humane Society, where Stevens volunteers and participates in development activities. Stevens says it has been supremely rewarding to see the effect that the Tippy books have on people. “It’s been fun,” she says, smiling. “I’ve met so many cool people through Tippy.”

1. How did you become interested in writing?

You know, I think I am as much of a communicator as I am a writer. I’ve always loved words. I was a big reader as a child, and I love the challenge of finding just the right combination of words or phrases that will express what I want to get across. I was a classical singer for many, many years and singing is all about communication. Yes, it’s about the glorious sound of the human voice, but that human voice is articulating a text and as a singer, your goal is to open a door for your listener to see something, feel something, and experience something. A dear friend of mine recently told me that I was a natural storyteller –maybe that is a more accurate assessment of me.

2. What initially drew you to writing children’s books?

When the idea for the first Tippy book, Tippy Finds a Home, came to me, I realized how important the story’s themes could be to children. The need to belong and the desire to feel loved are universal, and the heartache that results when those two needs aren’t met is something that young readers can deeply identify with. Though my books are geared toward children, you might be surprised by how many adults have confided in me that the Tippy books resonated with them in a very personal way.

3. Where does your inspiration come from?

I live with my inspiration – Tippy, Suzie and our cat (initially the late Toby, now the very-much-alive Peter) provide lots of great material and story ideas!

4. What is most important to you in your writing?

Writing a children’s picture book is very, very different from other kinds of books, because picture books represent the marriage of images and text. One of the first rules of thumb for a writer of children’s books is to show, not tell, which means that while you’re searching for just the right words to communicate an idea or event, a lot of times it isn’t the job of the words at all – the images will do the heavy lifting if you let them. This can be a challenge for a writer because you have to let go of the idea that you have to say everything. You must give your readers credit

for being able to draw conclusions from pictures as well as words. I actually love that part of the process; it is almost like a game - “what image would tell this story as well as my words?” I am extremely fortunate to be able to work with Susan Spellman, a gifted artist and illustrator with whom I share a fun and satisfying working relationship. Publishers will tell you that children’s books should be no more than 600-1000 words, tops. This brings home the important role of the illustrations, and presents a really fun challenge for me as a writer.

5. What is the most rewarding part of what you do?

I truly love the creative process. Every piece of writing, editing, collaborating with my illustrator, publisher, designers – all of that is incredibly stimulating and fun for me. That said, truly the most rewarding piece of creating the Tippy books is when I get personal feedback on what one of the books has meant to someone, that these little stories have the ability to touch, resonate with, or move someone is an incredible joy and honor for me as an author.

You can learn more about Mary Beth Stevens on her website: www. marybethstevens.com, and be sure to check out Tippy’s Instagram account @Tippytheterrier

Steven’s latest book, Tippy Learns a Lesson, is available on Amazon and at select bookstores.

spark spotlight : FIRST RESPONDER

Henderson County Outreach Coordinator Stephanie Barbosa

As the Outreach Coordinator for Henderson County, Stephanie Barbosa works directly with the police department, as well as the fire department and EMS, to translate for Spanish speakers who are often in crisis. While she also helps to coordinate community events and refers to her professional role as a bit of a “jack-of-all-trades,” her main responsibility is to break down any language barrier that exists between first responders and the people in need of their help.

1. How long have you been in your position?

I have been in my current position for three years now.

2. What initially made you interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement?

I worked at the DA’s office for three years. In that role, I met Sheriff Griffin who was working in Polk County as a detective at the time. One day he asked me that if he ran for Sheriff and became the Sheriff, would I be interested in working for him at the Sheriff’s Department doing something with the Latino community. A couple months after he took office, he offered me the position as Community Outreach Coordinator in Henderson County.

PHOTO CREDIT: HENDERSON COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE

spark spotlight : CONTINUED

3. What is most important to you in your job?

My position was created because at that time there was a fear in the Latino community regarding law enforcement, and the Sheriff wanted to bridge the gap. Having someone that the Latino community could go to for any questions or concerns helps us to bridge that gap. For people who didn’t want to come forward at the time, I could help them do that and feel more comfortable doing so without questioning them. What is important to me is that we do everything we can to assist people when they do come in. Sometimes people will come into our office, and the first thing they say to us is, “I just want to let you know I’m not documented, but I want to report something that has been going on.” That alone for me is a huge step from where we were 4-5 years ago.

4. What is your favorite thing about your job?

There is always something new. I get to do new things every day. And of course, being able to help people is important to me.

5. What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?

The most rewarding part is seeing people get the help that they need. Half the time, they end up coming back in and bringing someone else with them, and saying, ‘You helped me, I told them you could help them too.’

spark spotlight : VETERAN

US Navy Veteran and Fitness Instructor Corinne Britton Meade approaches life with a positive attitude and a grateful heart, spreading happiness to everyone around her. A true encourager, Corinne cares for each and every person she comes in contact with, and she provides immense value to the Asheville community. Those who attend her fitness classes at AnyTime Fitness on Patton Avenue benefit from her fun-loving personality, positive demeanor, and inclusive spirit. Having served in the Navy for 20 years and retiring with the City of Asheville, Corinne’s passion is to help others stay healthy and happy. Her philosophy, as many of her students will attest, is simple: Keep On Keeping On!

1. How long did you serve in the Navy?

I served 4 years Active Duty aboard the USS Yosemite AD19 Destroyer Tender ship stationed in Mayport, Florida. I completed 16 years in the Naval Reserves while stationed at the Naval Reserve Center in Asheville, NC.

6. How do you handle challenges?

I have definitely had a lot of challenges jumping into this position. Basically, I would say the way I handle it is going with the flow. I figure out what I need to do to make the situation better, make it easier for myself, as well as everyone else involved, and to make sure it goes correctly.

7. What do you want Spark readers to know about you?

Hands-down, I work with the best department that there is. It is a family, and everyone is there for each other, regardless of the situation. My goal is to be able to serve my community better by helping the people who need assistance, or who are scared to ask for assistance.

For more information on the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office, contact:

Johnny E. Duncan Jr. Director of Technical Services Public Information Officer Henderson County

Sheriff’s Office

Office: 828.694.2785

Cell: 828.699.3544

www.HendersonSheriff.com

US Navy Veteran Corinne Britton Meade

2. What inspired you to enlist?

I was born into a military family at a military hospital in France. My dad retired from the Army and I had other family members who were in the Army. Enlisting was a natural progression for me although the Navy was a branch of service that was not familiar to me.

3. How did you imagine military life before you joined?

Strict and structured. I knew self-discipline and tenacity would be essential in various aspects. I expected I would be there with other members going through the same experience. I would also have medical and dental insurance and access to 3 meals per day and a place to sleep! However, I did not imagine being stationed on-board a ship for my 4-year term which was an experience all in itself!

4. What was the most significant experience during your time serving in the Navy?

During my tenure, I passed many written exams and was

promoted to perform my duties as a Yeoman Petty Officer First Class (YN1) in the Captain’s office aboard ship. My time in the Navy began my professional pathway to my retirement from an administrative career with the City of Asheville. Then I became a fitness instructor, an occupation that I truly love.

I was in the second group of females stationed on-board the USS Yosemite AD-19. In the early eighties, it was a really big deal for females to get aboard ships in the military. At that time, the ratio was approximately 500 males, and I was one of 120 females.

5. What occupies your time nowadays?

I maintain my portable certifications as a Group Fitness Instructor (GFI) at Anytime Fitness on Patton Ave. I enjoy spending time with my supportive loving husband Tim, my church family, and our sweet ginger cat Zippy! I dedicate daily quiet time to be thankful and grateful.

6. What are you passionate about?

Wellness – Fitness – Joyfulness! I am also passionate about leading my group fitness classes, exercising, keeping a healthy diet, stewardship and organizing, and my daily walk with my Lord Jesus! Even though I stumble and am flawed, HE continues to help me, guide me, and love me!

7. What is most rewarding about what you do now?

There are countless rewards I receive from being an instructor. I am a happy person by nature, and love to see others in class smiling and enjoying themselves! Exercise is having fun and becoming healthy, and a big reward is when I get feedback that someone has received a good doctor’s report! And when someone says, “I feel better” after class!

8. What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

I enjoy God’s beauty, bike rides, hikes, and spending time with my husband Tim whom I have been happily married to for 36 years. I also enjoy spending time with our ginger cat Zippy, my friends, and neighbors.

9. What do you recommend to women who are interested in enlisting?

Try it! You will grow and learn about yourself while taking care of yourself and having a job/career and opportunity to retire. And have FUN – you have the opportunity to travel and make friends that you may have for years to come. I’ve seen a lot, heard a lot, been exposed to a lot, and experienced a lot. It takes hard work and self-discipline. Your life is a journey filled with mountains, valleys, speed bumps, and detours. Remember it all works together for good if you allow it. Keep On Keeping On!

Anytime Fitness, 805 Patton Ave. Asheville, NC 28806 (SPIN / HIIT/ Circuits / Tabata / Cycle 360!)

Text Corinne (828) 713-6855 to try a FREE class (Why Not!) | Classes Monday – Thursday 5:30 PM

spark spotlight : TEACHER

Buncombe County Schools Teacher Caroline Clark

Buncombe County Schools Teacher Caroline Clark has been teaching fourth and fifth grade for the past ten years, and she loves creating long-lasting relationships with her students. Having come from generations of educators, one might say that she was always meant to be a teacher. Originally from Lawrenceville, Georgia, Caroline attended Montreat College and has called Western North Carolina her home since 2009. We had a chance to meet and catch up with Caroline to learn more about her and how she gives back to the community and her students.

PHOTO CREDIT: JOHN GROVER

PICTURED: CAROLINE AND HER SISTER, MEREDITH

PHOTO CREDIT: KRISTIN CLARDY PHOTOGRAPHY

1. How long have you been a teacher? This is my tenth year of teaching.

2. What caused you to want to become a teacher?

I joke that teaching is “in my blood” because I come from generations of teachers! I have always been drawn to jobs/ activities that help others, especially young people. It’s a calling for me.

3. What do you enjoy most about teaching?

I love forming relationships with my students and their families. It is a privilege to be with my students and help them in their learning journey.

4. What is your favorite subject to teach?

I’ve really enjoyed focusing on math and science these last few years. Our fifth grade science content is especially cool, but I also like changing mindsets towards math. A lot of students (and adults) have misconceptions related to whether or not they are a ‘math person’. It’s wonderful to see students growing in their thinking.

5. What is most important to you as a teacher?

I want each student to know that they matter! More than my students learning math and science, I want each student to know they are loved and cared for.

6. What is most rewarding about being a teacher?

I love seeing how things I say start “sinking in” with my students. For example, I talk a lot about how my students are the future and how we want each student to be successful. I love seeing students support, care for, and

spark spotlight : ARTIST

include each other during the day without teacherprompting.

7. When someone walks into your classroom, what do you want them to see?

I want guests to see my students engaged in learning, usually in small groups, partners or on independent activities, or during a student-led whole group activity. I want guests to see my students as selfmotivated and as self-starters, who care for their learning and care that their neighbor learns, too. I want them to see how my students are comfortable with challenges and mistakes!

In her free time, you can find Caroline hiking and biking with her friends around Black Mountain. She and her husband love food, so they enjoy trying out different restaurants around town. Caroline is also the school’s leader and head coach for Girls On the Run (GOTR), a nonprofit organization that inspires girls to build selfconfidence, decision-making skills, and long-lasting healthy habits for life.

To find out more about Buncombe County Schools, visit www.buncombeschools.org

Leaflin Lore Winecoff

North Carolina native Leaflin Lore Winecoff refers to herself as a purveyor of magic in the forms of paintings, yoga, healing, costumery and performance, poetic scribblings, and the way she dances through life. A resident of Asheville, NC, Leaflin counts herself lucky to know what she is here to do on this planet – and to always have known. “Above all other ideals, I have longed to be a free spirit and embody magic, and to share that magic with the world,” she says. “I am here to shake the shakti and churn the chi on this mad whirling dance-floor of life. I am here in service to my muse, whose mission is to serve all.”

1) How did you become interested in art?

Art was the first thing I was ever interested in. My parents are both artists, and they had artists as friends. I just grew up with it. What a blessing. Appreciating beauty and feeling an urgency to somehow play with it, merge with it, commune with it, express it…

2) What initially caused you to pursue a career in the arts?

I do what comes naturally to me, and I try not to waste too much time or fret too much about what doesn’t. I do what I have had to do for my physical and mental health, and in doing so, have pretty much disqualified myself from any other

career. It’s been a process. I’ve often juggled numerous side hustles and frequently been scraping the bottom of the barrel with regards to resources, but fortunately, I understand that money is not the only or most valuable resource. I had a period of 9 or so years when I didn’t really consider myself an artist and instead became more interested in yoga and meditation. The urge to paint again came one day when I was living in NYC and had an opportunity to talk to a gallery owner about my past work. When I realized that nothing she said would actually have much effect on what I produced, that was the moment the artist in me was sort of “born again.”

3) How long have you been in Asheville?

I moved to Asheville towards the end of 2011. I grew up in these glorious grandmotherly mountains (in Ashe county) and from the ages of 15-35, I followed my wanderlust far and wide.

4) Who is your biggest inspiration?

The first people that come to my mind are my parents. My mom is so naturally non-judgemental, creative, and authentic, and is one of those people for whom art is simply a byproduct of everything else she does. My dad is also a seeker of beauty and a master craftsman. They both have always encouraged me to pursue my myriad art forms. I’m also perpetually inspired by my community here in Asheville, and the “burn” community at large. It’s amazing what humans can do together!

5) What is most important to you in your art?

That it is “good”, whatever that means! That it’s “real”! That I am satisfied with my own efforts. It is difficult to articulate what that means. When I look at a “good” piece of art, whether it’s mine or someone else’s, there’s a feeling of familiarity – a feeling that it always existed. That it had to exist. I want to create the things that must exist, that only I can create.

6) What kind of art do you create?

Painting is my first true love. I started out painting with oils, and I hope to return to that someday. I’ve dabbled in realism, magical surrealism, portraiture and plein air painting. More recently, I’ve been working with acrylics, creating large abstract works. Figures are making their way into some of these, as I’ve been doing a lot of figure drawing these days. I also dabble in performance art, collaborating with my partner and other community members via our mutual project “Pagans & Androids”. I also perform as a stilt walker at numerous events around town.

7) What is most rewarding about the work you do?

The impact I have on kids is very rewarding. Even though much of my art isn’t “for kids,” kids of all ages are my favorite audience. A few months ago, a friend came to my studio with his two kids, and they each picked out a painting. Nothing could have made me happier. I love knowing that my art may imprint on them as the art I grew up with imprinted on me. I’m letting them know that magic is real, and that’s what I’m here for.

Leaflin Lore Winecoff’s artwork can be seen on her Facebook page: Leaflin Lore Winecoff Art and on her Instagram page: @mooonrabbit

PHOTOS COURTESY OF LEAFLIN LORE WINECOFF

Sign up to get info on these upcoming events:

Workshops, March 28 & August 17

Join us for inspiration, engaging discussion and connections.

Webinar Series, April-June

Exploring topics impacting women in business.

Celebration & Awards Ceremony, November 2

Keynote plus presentation of annual WomanUP Awards

Find your inspiration:

ashevillechamber.org/womanup

Congratulations to the 2022 WomanUP award winners!

These outstanding business women excel in their work, serve as strong role models and display commitment to the Asheville/Buncombe community.

Woman Entrepreneur Best in Business: Laura Wagenknecht, Mosaic Business Consulting

Rising Star: Gwendolyn Hageman, Darë Vegan Cheese

Oustanding Woman in Nonprofit Leadership: Teresa Stephens, Givens Communities

Lifetime Achievement Award: Janet Cone, UNC Asheville

Woman Executive of the Year: Carol Steen, Biltmore Farms

Impact Award: Heather Johnson, Kudzu Brands

UNLEASHING THE UNLIMITED POTENTIAL OF WOMEN IN BUSINESS

5 Tips For Creating Your Dream Kitchen

WRITTEN BY LEILA PIERCE

The kitchen can be one of the most exciting rooms to renovate in your home. It is the central hub of the home – the room that brings people together. It is where we spend a lot of our time, from brewing coffee in the morning to cooking dinner for our family in the evening. As exciting as renovating your kitchen can be, it can also feel like a daunting task if you don’t know where to start. We want to help make that process easier with our top 5 tips for creating your dream kitchen.

The first step with any project is to decide the mood and style of the space. Think about how you want the space to feel and what you want to convey to visitors. Each part of the house is an extension of the homeowners’ personality. The style of the kitchen should reflect that personality, as well as be consistent throughout the house.

Tip #1 - Mood/Style

Decide on the overall mood you are trying to create in the space. When you walk into your new kitchen, how do you want to feel? Do you want a relaxing neutral space or pops of exciting color? Do you want a warm traditional feel or a more simple, modern space? Once you determine how you want to feel in your space, then the process of picking out cabinets, paint color, hardware, etc. becomes a whole lot easier.

Tip #2 - Layout

Thinking about the overall flow in the layout is key to a functional kitchen. Not only should the kitchen convey the intended mood, it should also be functional. A good layout will allow time spent in the kitchen to be more efficient and enjoyable. In general, most efficient kitchen workspaces work in a triangular pattern to cut down on the amount of walking from one area to the other. Consider a triangular pattern such as: refrigerator is located on one corner of the kitchen, the stove on the opposite corner, open counter workspace between the two, as well as the sink. If an island is part of the desired plan, it can contain the sink and/or stove and both still remain within the triangular pattern. As that layout is considered and designed, the overall layout for cabinets and their contents can be created.

Tip #3 - Cabinets and Hardware

Once the mood and style is established and the layout is designed, the next step is deciding on cabinets. Keep in mind the overall mood/style you have chosen for the

space. Are traditional cabinets going to continue to convey the style? Contemporary cabinets with a sleek, low profile look? Arts and Craft with more details? Or the warm tones of wood in a more traditional kitchen?

Tip #4 - Countertops

The next step is deciding on countertops. With so many types of natural stone, butcher block, laminate, or manmade stone to choose from, it can be difficult to choose the right corresponding countertop. Think about creating a contrast between your countertops and cabinets. Pair darker cabinets with a lighter countertop. Contrast adds interest to your kitchen and allows the eye to take in the whole space as one. Another approach would be to highlight the cabinets you’ve chosen and choose a countertop that blends into the overall picture.

Another aspect to consider when picking out your countertop is your backsplash. Do you want the backsplash to be a continuation of the countertop and extend up the wall to create your backsplash? Do you want a complimentary tile on your backsplash that enhances the countertop you’ve chosen, or would you rather paint your backsplash?

Tip #5 - Paint and Hardware

In this final step, consider once more the desired style you’ve chosen for your kitchen. At this point, there usually is a natural progression of colors, tones, and textures that can help when deciding on wall paint colors and hardware. You can draw from a particular color in your countertop to coordinate paint color, or maybe you’ve chosen a color throughout your home as your canvas to add color and texture and you continue that color in the kitchen.

When choosing hardware, you want it to be functional and in line with the overall style you created in the kitchen, and most importantly, in line with the style of cabinets you’ve chosen. For example, Arts and Craft style cabinets lean toward dark bronze to complete the look. Contemporary cabinets work well with polished nickel. These tips can be taken in a different order. If you find a

gorgeous, marble countertop you want to create your whole kitchen around, start there and work from that point. You may have seen a cabinet you just have to have. Let it be your starting point. Let the process evolve and develop as you combine different textures, colors, and features.

LK Interiors is a motherdaughter team based in Asheville, NC. Our mission is to help you enjoy your home, it’s as simple as that. From design consultations, renovations, and new construction projects, we are here to assist you from start to finish.

LK Interiors

Kim Pierce and Leila Pierce www.LKInteriorsAvl.com 828-772-7318

PHOTO COURTESY OF LEILA PIERCE

Furniture Flipping: To Flip or Keep – That is the Dilemma!

BY BRITTANEY CORDER

Furniture flipping has become quite the side hustle for this Nursing School student and mama in Charleston, SC. So much to the point that I simply cannot keep all these tips and tricks to myself any longer! Most people see furniture flipping as a long and arduous process. Y’all, they aren’t wrong. It can be time-consuming and if you aren’t careful, it can take a good bit of money to get going. Rather than let you learn the hard way on your own, I’m going to share what did and didn’t work for me. To flip or keep – that is the dilemma! I can’t tell you how many times I snagged a free furniture piece from a curb alert that somehow ended up taking permanent residence in my home. Sometimes you know exactly what you want to do with a piece the second you see it and other times, it sits in your garage for eighteen months before you’re finally struck with the brilliant idea that it just needs a coat of spray paint to sell. If you change your mind on what you want to do with a project – that’s okay! One minute your project piece could pay your light bill, and the next you realize just how perfect it fits in the office. It’s okay to change your mind. The beauty of side hustle is that you are the CEO and you get to call the shots.

What are Mistints?

“Can you help me ring up this mistint?” is like music to my ears and my favorite question to ask at Lowe’s and Home Depot. You may be thinking, what is mistint? This is by far the best furniture flipping tip I can share with you to date. In your local hardware store, there is a paint section. The next time you walk in, ask where the mistints are located. This is my secret weapon. When you have a paint color made in store, the employees always place a small amount on the top of the can before you finalize your purchase. If it’s too dark or too light or just not something you’re feeling, they will place that can of paint to the side and get you exactly what you’re looking for. But what happens to the original can –- the one that was just… not right? Welcome to the mistint section! You can find full gallons, pints, and even five gallon containers of paint for pennies on the dollar. Most refused samples go to the mistint section, too. In the two years I have been flipping furniture I have spent less than $50 on paint. Yes, you read that correctly!

Don’t overthink it – this should be fun! Free pieces are my favorite but with furniture flipping becoming more popular in Charleston, it’s hard to get to them first. Jump on Marketplace, Craigslist, whatever your site of choice is, and just look around. See what’s popular in your area, what styles people are buying quickly, and then start searching for the pieces you want to flip. This is literally my bedtime scrolling routine. Spend twenty minutes just “looking” and you will have five to ten ideas of what you can do in your market.

Brushes for Less

The brushes, the brushes, the brushes! I cannot stress enough how much the brushes do not matter. If you prefer hand-painting like me, the only thing you need to know is foam brushes are best for staining and not painting. Go to Wal-Mart, find the crafting section, and get yourself a 12-brush kit for $4. You do not need to spend hundreds of dollars on brushes. Make sure you have plenty of different sizes and angled brushes, because corners and intricate details of furniture frames are not easily hand-painted.

When it Doubt, Spray Paint

If you can spray paint the hardware – do it! I was appalled at how expensive hardware is for furniture – drawer pulls, knobs and those trendy leather pulls that are debuting in new pieces. The least expensive set I could find on Amazon was almost $30. That’s not an investment I’m willing to make when a brand new can of high gloss or matte spray paint was $2 from the mistint section. Spray protectants are also a personal favorite because this mama does not have the time for a modge podge date. Sticky, stinky and too time-consuming. Also, never throw hardware away. You may not need it yet, but trust me, there’s another project just around the riverbend.

Hopefully this is enough to get you started and not break the bank in the process. Have fun, be creative and always remember when it comes down to flip or keep – the answer is usually keep.

The New Asheville in the Smokies: WAYNESVILLE, NC

BY ROSA LINDA FALLON

Located between the Blue Ridge and the Great Smoky Mountains, Waynesville, North Carolina is a true haven for outdoor enthusiasts, tourists, and history buffs alike. Although Waynesville may be known as the largest town in Western North Carolina, it still maintains a quaint, smalltown atmosphere. Known as “the new Asheville,” the town is brimming with an eclectic art scene, natural splendors, and a rich history. Downtown Waynesville offers plenty of shops, restaurants, and activities, all within easy walking distance. Waynesville is also a short drive to other surrounding towns including Maggie Valley, Clyde and Canton, and only 26 miles west of Asheville. It is also centrally located near the Blue Ridge Parkway and Pisgah National Forest.

WAYNESVILLE’S UNIQUE HISTORY

Waynesville harbors a rich history dating back to the American Revolutionary War. Originally founded in 1810 by American Revolutionary War Soldier Colonel Robert Love, the town is named after the Colonel’s former commander, General “Mad” Anthony Wayne. Love fought alongside George Washington and became the first senator of North Carolina. He also helped to establish the final state boundary line between North Carolina and Tennessee in 1821. Waynesville was officially incorporated in 1871 and comprises six distinct neighborhoods today: Frog Level, Downtown, Hazelwood, Laurel Ridge, Russ Avenue, and West Waynesville.

OUTDOOR ADVENTURES

Waynesville is surrounded by some of the tallest mountains east of Mississippi. In fact, Haywood County boasts the highest average elevation of any county east of the Rockies! In Waynesville, there is an outdoor activity for everyone to enjoy, whether you like to swim, hike, bike or paddleboard.

Lake Junaluska

A popular place for conferences, group retreats, and vacations, Lake Junaluska is an expansive property that includes two hotels, multiple vacation rentals, and the Lake Junaluska Campground. There are plenty of amenities for guests to enjoy, including kayaking, paddleboarding, a lakeside walking trail, tennis and pickleball courts, mini golf, and more.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Including over one-half million acres, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is home to a wealth of trails, waterfalls, culture, and dramatic scenery. For those who might be interested in a taste of history, visitors can drive the gravel road to the historic Cataloochee Valley.

FOOD & BEER

Frog Level Brewing

After a long hike, stop at Frog Level Brewing for a refreshing beer on tap and a bite to eat. Frog Level Brewing is a micro-brewery in downtown Waynesville offering 21 taps, plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, as well as pub fare to satisfy anyone’s appetite. Frog Level also hosts regular live music for customers to enjoy and maintains a casual, dog-friendly atmosphere, so bring your pups along for the fun, too.

The Sweet Onion Restaurant

Located in the heart of downtown Waynesville, The Sweet Onion Restaurant provides upscale Southern comfort cooking served in a cozy, brick-walled atmosphere. From

PHOTO CREDIT: VISIT NC SMOKIES

PHOTO CREDIT: VISIT NC SMOKIES

traditional favorites such as southern fried chicken, to fresh mountain trout, signature pastas, and house-made desserts, there is surely something on the menu for everyone to enjoy. Make sure to call the restaurant between 11:30 and 8:00 to make a reservation, or you can also make one in person.

HISTORIC SITES & TOURS

The Museum of North Carolina Handicrafts

At the Museum of North Carolina Handicrafts, take a one-hour tour of the unique art, handicrafts, and furniture created by North Carolina artists. Located at the historic Shelton House, each room is full of 19th and 20th-century creations by talented artists and designers from around the state. The museum is open during the year from April through October.

The Historic Herron House

If you are looking for a place to stay, consider the historical 1897 Herren House located in the heart of downtown Waynesville. This home provides a peaceful setting for your stay with seven rooms, each with a private en-suite bathroom. The house also offers a large dining table, a garden courtyard, and wrap-around front porch. It is a great location with proximity to restaurants and shops while experiencing a unique, historical getaway.

SHOPS & ARTS

Mast General Store

Open since 1883, the Mast General Store is a nostalgia lover’s paradise. The store features a combination of old-fashioned candies, throwback items, modern outdoor hiking gear, and all kinds of artisan-made gifts. It is an ideal place to find a souvenir for everyone on your list. This is definitely a store you won’t want to miss!

Affairs of the Heart Gift Shop

If you are looking for a fun personality-filled gift, check out this sweet eclectic gift shop on Main Street. When shoppers enter the store, they are greeted with heartfelt cards, beautiful jewelry, and fun and meaningful items at affordable prices.

Haywood County Arts Council Gallery & Gifts

Founded in 1977, the Haywood County Arts Council (HCAC) is a nonprofit organization committed to promoting community art involvement. HCAC supports artists and other art organizations through advocacy, art education, partnerships, and the promotion of innovation in the artistic community. The HCAC Gallery & Gifts showcases rotating art exhibits and hosts a yearround retail space for visitors and locals to shop local art.

The Haywood Arts Regional Theater

Founded in 1985 and inspired by the traditional Summer Stock playhouses of the 1920s, the Haywood Arts Regional Theater (HART) is a semi-professional theater group showcasing renditions of different classic plays and musicals. In addition to putting on its own productions, HART has played host to several events by Folkmoot USA, Voices in the Laurel, the Smoky Mountain Brass Band, and Haywood County Arts Council events. HART’s activities in the community have assisted in spurring economic development in the region and have helped introduce the younger generation to the magic of theater.

Whether you are seeking a weekend getaway, a week’s vacation in the mountains, or are simply curious about Western North Carolina, the town of Waynesville will surely serve as a wonderful backdrop for your mountain escape.

www.waynesvillenc.gov/visitors

PHOTO CREDIT: VISIT NC SMOKIES

PHOTO CREDIT: VISIT NC SMOKIES

how to be first class

In a fast-paced world, air travel is normally an efficient choice. However, in an age of crowds, delayed and missed flights, greasy fast food, and open-mouthed cat naps, it can be very tempting to fly in pajamas. Comfort food, comfort clothing, and messy buns seem like the way to go when facing a potential nightmare just trying to get from one location to the next. Unfortunately, nothing says, “I deserve the last row on the plane” more than showing up full-scale sloppy.

Following are a few notes from observing the first class jetsetters that will help you sail through travel looking your best, and maybe feeling a little better.

1 - Makeup matters. You don’t have to have a full face – that can feel (and look) super grimy after several hours. We all know that smeared eye makeup screams, “I just want to go home!” But a swipe of lip gloss or tinted Burt’s Bees chapstick, a little waterproof mascara, and soft blush help a woman look fresh and alert. These three makeup must-haves are light and easy to carry in your bag, too. You can make it even easier by using a double-duty product such as Milk Makeup Lip + Cheek, a cream blush and lip tint – no messy powders, no liquids to worry about.

2 - Clothing matters. Your clothing should be neat and tidy, whether wearing leggings and a soft sweatshirt or tailored business wear. Choose wrinkle-free materials, and carry a classic, light jacket – a denim jacket is a favorite that coordinates with almost anything and gives a trim silhouette – for when things turn chilly. Shoe selection might be the next most important thing. From tennis shoes to flip flops to flats, the actual shoe type doesn’t matter, but the stylish jet setters choose shoes that are so well kept, they look fresh from the shoe box.

3 - Luggage matters. People often choose to pack for brief trips in a rolling bag they can carry on to the plane. This bag does not need to be name brand, but if you want to look like you have your travel life under control, be certain your bag is clean and in good repair – no broken zippers, stains, or threadbare spaces. A good bag will keep your packed items safer, too! Choose a bag that is manageable in size so you don’t get red and sweaty while trying to stuff it in the overhead bins. Your personal bag that goes under the seat in front of you should follow the same guidelines. Also, pay attention to the organization of the personal bag. If it is hard to find things in your bag and it pulls your shoulder while carrying it, you will give the impression of a helter-skelter individual, not the seasoned, professional traveler you are.

4 - Disposition matters. No need to start long conversations with strangers. A polite hello or other acknowledgment is sufficient. When working with airline staff, remember that they work with the demands of the first class and economy class for more hours every day than you will likely spend traveling to one destination. They work to find solutions for passengers day in and day out, whether the problems are theirs to manage or not. Treating others with the respect you would like to be treated with is always a good idea and makes you more attractive from the inside out.

Above all, remember when traveling that you are simply not at home. The travel industry works very hard to bring travelers as much comfort as possible, but an airplane lounge will always be a public space. Paying meticulous attention to appearance and how one presents in public is a lifestyle for most first-class passengers, but there is nothing to prevent those of us in row 16 from giving a little extra attention to the same basic principles. Keep yourself together both on the inside and the outside, and you will find yourself looking and feeling better, even if stuck in Terminal 2 of Timbuktu!

Photo Collection

Luck Be a Lady? Hardly – 5 Characteristics of Successful Women Investors

BY LAURA A. WEBB CFP®, PRESIDENT, FOUNDER AND CEO OF WEBB INVESTMENT SERVICES, INC.

Luck plays no role in why women succeed as investors when they exercise well-informed influence over how and where they invest their wealth. Contrary to skeptics who equate investing in the stock, bond, or money markets as gambling, a wise and prudent investor manages the appropriate level of risk they are willing to accept. The most successful investment decisions are data and valuebased – not capricious whims or hopeful – intuitions.

If I could design the ideal investor, she would, over her saving and investing years, develop five characteristics I have observed in the women I advise in my practice – Resilience, Risk Awareness, Patience, Discipline, and Confidence. Understand that these characteristics are acquired over time and not required at the onset of a woman’s journey to build a nest egg for her later years.

Resilience

Despite the obstacles women face as they work to accumulate wealth for a comfortable retirement (lower lifetime wages, lost income due to raising and caring for children and diminished Social Security benefits at retirement) my experience shows women prove to be remarkably resilient and astute in their investment decisions with the money they do save.

Risk-Awareness

Women who consult with experienced investors and build their knowledge base learn to appropriately match their investment portfolios to their risk tolerance and time horizon. They understand the concept of diversification, not placing all their eggs in one basket, and how that strategy benefits them over the long-term.

Absent sound advice and education about investing, women tend to choose rather conservative investment options, such as cash, money market accounts, treasury bills and certificates of deposit. However, a more diversified portfolio holds the potential for greater returns.

Patience

We’re told patience is a virtue. That is especially true in investing where patience means understanding the cyclical nature of the inevitable ups and downs of financial markets due to recessions and unexpected events, such as a global pandemic.

Women know, or have learned, that these swings in the market level out over time. So, they stay the course on how they’ve invested their money. Women avoid potentially permanent losses during a down market phase when they

resist the temptation to make radical adjustments such as pulling their money out entirely, or liquidating. This helps explain why women check their investment account status less frequently than men do. They’re patient and measured with their investment decisions. They take the steps through advice and education to equip themselves with the tools to make wise investment decisions. Women succeed as investors when they appropriately match their investment choices with their needs and risk tolerance.

The recession of 2008 taught all of us a valuable investment lesson. Those who had the advice and education focused on their investment time horizon concluded the likelihood of an economic rebound was worth staying the course and staying with their allocations. Informed and well-advised women reconcile the personal and emotional side of money with the technical, data-based side to reach their comfort zone. These investors recovered more quickly from the down market than those who chose to liquidate their investments.

Discipline

Women are great money savers even though they have less to save due to a lifetime of enduring lower wages in their careers. Remarkably, women save a slightly higher percentage of earnings (about one percent more) than their male counterparts. But, adjusting for the higher earnings of men, women invest an overall net lower amount than men over time. Further, because women typically invest more conservatively, they wind up accumulating substantially less wealth for their nest egg. Coupled with a longer lifespan, the likely need for expensive long-term health care becomes more challenging to afford.[1]

Confidence

Only nine percent of women feel they are better investors than men.[2] A study based on twenty years of research finds that women saved a higher percentage of their earnings and earned slightly better returns than their male counterparts.

[3] Women may initially feel lower confidence in their investing skills, but confidence grows over time as they gain experience over the continuum of their investing timeline.

[4] Further, women are more collaborative and willing to engage and learn from more experienced investors and a Certified Financial Planner® Professional.

Women listen, understand and take advice they trust will help them succeed.

Investing is not unlike fishing: Luck has little to do with either endeavor; both are acquired skills honed by education and guidance from experienced practitioners. I’ve been

aboard all-women deep sea fishing boats. On every trip I took with women who had never fished before, the all-women boats out-fished the men’s charter boats. The reason is we all took the advice and guidance of the captain and first mate and put it into practice to catch a boatload of fish. Men who have fished before thinking they already know how to catch fish don’t ask for advice or for instructions. Women are more interested in listening, collaborating and learning. I can guarantee that all those ladies with whom I fished cultivated the confidence to succeed on their next fishing trip. The same collaborative approach applies to confidence building in investing.

The women I know from my experience as a financial planner exhibit the essential characteristics necessary for success in building, preserving and protecting wealth. But a woman’s (investing) work is never done.

Here are several steps women can take to become even more successful investors than they already are:

• Start saving early in your wage-earning years. From small beginnings at a younger age, potentially big rewards one day come.

• Be more assertive and vocal to help close the wage earnings gap by asking for raises when you objectively determine you are underpaid compared to peers who perform the same role. If you are in a leadership role, advocate for equal pay for women.

• Engage in conversations about money with your mothers, daughters, sisters, co-workers and friends. Men do it all the time. You will be surprised by what you might learn.

• Be more aggressive in your investment decisions, especially during your early wage-earning and investing years, by buying stocks that have a higher potential for greater returns than more conservative options; make sure you are well-diversified.

• Find an investment professional that you are comfortable with, and who can help you build a plan that is all about you, your needs and your goals.

• Remember how financial, physical and mental health all are intimately related and take time to focus on all three. Good things happen when Resilience, Risk Awareness, Patience, Discipline and Confidence accompany women on their journey to financial independence.

Laura Webb is the founder and CEO of Webb Investment Services, Inc., based in Asheville, NC. She is a CFP® Professional and the creator of the Her Two Cents podcast, which focuses on helping women normalize the conversation around money. Her team focuses its efforts on helping women secure their financial futures. For the rest of the story, please visit the Webb Investment Services, Inc. website or email her at laura. webb@raymondjames.com.

Webb Investment Services, Inc is not a registered broker/dealer and is independent of Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. Investment Advisory Services offered through Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. 82 Patton Ave, Suite 610, Asheville, NC 28801. 828-252-5132.

Any opinions are those of Laura Webb and not necessarily those of Raymond James. The information has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but we do not guarantee that the foregoing material is accurate or complete.

The information contained in this report does not purport to be a complete description of the securities, markets, or developments referred to in this material. There is no assurance any of the trends mentioned will continue or forecasts will occur. Any information is not a complete summary or statement of all available data necessary for making an investment decision and does not constitute a recommendation. Investing involves risk and you may incur a profit or loss regardless of strategy selected. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Source/attributions:

[1] [2 [3] [4] Maurie Backman (2021), A Summary of 20 Years of Research and Statistics on Women in Investing

5 Signs Your Business Needs a Rebrand

BY MADI BALMAN, FREELANCE GRAPHIC DESIGNER AT MAE CREATIVE

In this day and age, your brand is the foundation of your business. The power of visual media is a major factor in driving business and reaching the right customers. Many businesses and individuals are struggling to figure out where they are going wrong in marketing, social media, and sales. What they do not realize is that they need to examine the root of their business: their branding.

Why branding?

Branding is everything that encompasses your business: marketing, mission, stance, demographics, voice, you name it. There are several distinguishing factors that can tell you that your business is due for a rebrand.

1. You did not get your logo professionally made. As a business owner, it is understandable to want to do things yourself to save money, but this can hurt you if you do not have what you need to begin with. Using a free, easy-to-use software like Canva is great, but many don’t know that if you create your logo there, you technically do not own it (we love that fine print!). Not only that, but without direction or help from a professional designer, you won’t have all your files in the correct formats or color codes you need. It is always better to have the correct things you need from the beginning, including your logo.

2. It has been 3-5+ years since you updated anything.

When was the last time you changed the content on your website, evaluated your current business strategy, or refreshed your logo to be up to date with the latest trends? If your answer is three years or more (or even worse, never), this is a sign you need a rebrand. Even making small changes can make a huge impact. Starbucks, Apple, and Target are great examples! They remain in line with their brand while still keeping up to trend consistently.

3. Your target market and business strategy has changed.

When starting your business, you want to make as much money as possible, so you take on as much work as you can. Over the years, you start to niche or tend to gravitate towards a certain demographic: this is normal. It is actually highly recommended by marketing experts to be as specific about your target audience as possible. When your brand no longer fits your ideal customer, you will not be successful in winning their trust over a competitor who might suit them better.

4. You don’t have functional marketing. Have you noticed that your website is incredibly slow? Or maybe you are spending money on social media advertising or SEO but not getting results? Marketing that is not functioning means that you are not getting the leads you want. First, make sure all of your technology is working properly. Then, go back to the root of your business and reevaluate how you are targeting your customers. If you don’t, you may hit a plateau in growth. Hitting a plateau is one of the most uncomfortable positions to be in as a business owner, but it is essential to push through and continue to grow. If this means changing your strategy, your verbiage, or updating your mission or goals, then you should do it.

5. You have inconsistency in your visual brand. Do you hate your logo? Does your social media look thrown together? What does your website look like? Your visual brand is supposed to be consistent and cohesive. With your logo being the most important aspect of your visual brand, it needs to pave the way for your “aesthetic.” Inconsistency does not instill trust in your customers, and can be detrimental. Not only that, but it can look clunky

and can hurt your ability to compete with another company that looks more consistent and professional.

Rebranding is not always a one-size-fits-all solution. It takes time and effort to recognize what you want for your business, and furthermore, how to tackle your goals. Remember to persevere through any challenge, as you always have as a business owner. By taking the time to reevaluate and hire a professional to take a look at your current branding, your business will surely benefit in the long run.

Madi Balman is a freelance graphic designer and digital marketing specialist for her company, Mae Creative. Mae Creative strives to provide relationship-built customer service to Creatives and small businesses. She has created over 85 logos and brand suites since Mae Creative opened in 2018. Madi is also the designer for Carolina Spark Magazine and North Carolina Bridal Magazine. She additionally serves as the Marketing Board member of FocusUp Charleston. Madi currently resides in Groton, Connecticut, with her husband and her many houseplants. She has received many honors and awards for her leadership, and enjoys guest speaking for high school and college students.

If you are interested in seeing more of her work or inquiring about a branding project, visit her website at www.MaeCreative.graphics or email her at Madi@MaeCreative.graphics

@maecreative.graphics @maecreative

A Team-Focused Environment at

From its 1980s inception managing one hotel to overseeing five hotels under four different corporate flags, Virtelle Hospitality is now extending its reach into new markets, expanding its footprint and sharing its considerable expertise in the hospitality industry.

Virtelle Hospitality Management Group showcases the achievements of their diverse team of experts in various disciplines within the hospitality industry – from training and development to revenue management to solid operational performance. Leveraging its collective assets of experience and expertise, the Virtelle leadership team is eager to share how its individual-first culture creates an environment where people thrive, businesses grow, hospitality shines and guest satisfaction soars.

At its core, Virtelle is a relationship building organization, key to driving its exceptional performance in RevPAR index growth, operational excellence and outstanding achievement when it comes to surpassing brand service standards. Developing strong, mutually beneficial relationships with their branding partners – Hilton, IHG, Marriott and Choice Hotels – has been a critical component of the company’s success.

Virtelle’s impressive performance as a company can also be attributed to its commitment to being a business where its employees are proud to work – an organization that embraces and celebrates multiple perspectives and points of view. And it is a hospitality company that delivers the best service levels a brand represents to its guests, as well as to its employees.

“Our company culture is family-oriented, focusing on our team first,” says Chief Operating Officer Robert Foster. “We work to ensure every employee has a voice at the table

and that they look forward to being a part of the team and our efforts. We listen to our employees and align their passions and interests with our community involvement.

“We want our organization to offer our employees a job built around their lives – not lives built around their job.” Virtelle Hospitality Management Group CEO Himanshu Karvir leads by example, emphasizing the company’s belief in the power of building relationships, inside and out. Having spearheaded several positive hospitality industry initiatives in Asheville, he honors the power of teamwork.

“Our commitment to the tremendous value of diverse voices, opinions, perspectives and decisions is what makes us successful,” says Karvir. “We invest in individuals, in community and in our teams so our company delivers on every front.”

Being recognized as a leading hospitality management company in a highly competitive destination like Asheville is a testament to Virtelle’s depth of talent and expertise in operations, sales, marketing, human resources and revenue management. The company’s standing as a valuable contributing pillar of the community is a testament to its belief in relationship building. These foundational strengths are at the center of Virtelle Hospitality Management Group’s core competencies and will be the central focus that Virtelle provides for businesses in other markets, ultimately providing economic development opportunities, the creation of diverse careers and the establishment of meaningful connections in their respective communities.

CEO Karvir believes in positive relationship building from the ground up, beginning with playing a role in providing equitable, rewarding educational opportunities. He helped

found the highly regarded Horizons academic enrichment program headquartered at Asheville’s Carolina Day School. A program developed to provide educational growth opportunities to underserved children in the community, Himanshu’s strong beliefs in equity and diversity – combined with the transformative power of early learning – instills promise in future community leaders.

“Virtelle also has long-standing relationships with the University of North Carolina Asheville, AshevilleBuncombe Technical Community College and Western Carolina University,” says Human Resources Director Rayna Lintin. “We offer dynamic internship programs allowing students the chance to engage in reallife situations and challenges in our business so they can learn from those experiences.”

“Our focus on each person’s growth and development creates a ripple effect that boosts the company’s achievements but also the greater community’s vibrancy,” says Karvir. “We are proud to play a role in being an employer of choice and helping our employees excel at their work. Because they do, we are able to exceed guests’ expectations.

“With Virtelle Hospitality Management Group expanding into other markets, it’s an exciting time for our company’s growth,” added Karvir. “We are pleased to offer our experience and expertise as a road map to other travel and hospitality enterprises that want to grow and thrive in meaningful ways.”

Elizabeth Sims, Writer

“We want our organization to offer our employees a job built around their lives – not lives built around their job.”

Photo Credits: Erin Adams

Kalla Hughley

Sheri Ga ney

Alyssa Brewer

Cierra Long

Morgan Ferguson

Anna Sorrells Photo Credit: Sabrina L Greene Photography

Photo Credit: Brooke Parker Photography

Sheri Ga ney - Owner

Our Stories Shape Our Life Strategies

BY SANDRA GRACE

How is it that children are born without language and without narrative skills, and within 24-30 months most have learned the rudiments of storytelling?

There are multiple definitions of the word Story. The following definition best describes my application of the meaning. It is an accounting of an event either internally in thought, or spoken, or written, set in a time and place, about events that happened or might happen to someone. The sequence of events must be meaningful; in other words, there must be a theme that emerges through a chronological account, that includes a joyful or pleasant experience, a problem or a stressor, and a decision made that creates the resolution of that sequence of events.

Stories not only design and define things. Stories narrate our inner life, they create identity and share that inner life and identity with others. They create action and experiences in our lives. When we believe that a story is true, we give it meaning. When we believe our story has meaning, it becomes part of our logic for creating reasons to make decisions.

We begin to develop stories at an early age. Many of these stories begin to shape what we believe. When I was four, I had a closet door that squeaked when it was open. The house we lived in was old and drafty. If it was windy outside the wind would blow through the top of the house and if my closet door wasn’t completely closed the wind would blow it open and it would squeak. My sister told me monsters lived in my closet. I am an adult and I know better, yet to this day I still feel like it is a possibility that monsters live in my closet. Every night I make sure my closet door is closed completely.

Story exists in everyone and everywhere around us. Events that have happened to us in our early developmental years and in our everyday lives today have an impact on what we think, what we believe, and what decisions we make. Every day we are adding to or changing our life strategies based on the stories we believe.

Why do I have a fear of speaking? I’m not good enough. I want my business to make more money; I just don’t

know how to get there. Why don’t I have the love I want? Why aren’t I making more money? Why are other people charging more than I am for my work in the same industry? Why am I afraid to date again after my divorce? Why can’t I ask for what I really want in my life?

I have worked with over a thousand clients in my coaching and consulting practice in the past twenty-seven years. It doesn’t matter if it is in our daily life or in our career or our businesses. We all use our stories to inform the strategies that decide the outcomes of our successes and failures.

I would like to share with you one of my daily practices for discovering how a story is creating my life strategy. When I first get up in the morning and I am having my first cup of coffee, I review my calendar for the day. This is when I journal. (You can do it any time of the day.) I ask myself the question that is most on my mind. Today, it’s “why am I feeling unsure?” The story I’m playing in my mind is this: in the past I wrote a chapter for a book titled Success University for Women. When I received my copies of the book, I felt other chapters that were in this book were so much better than mine. The life strategy I adopted that day was I was going to make sure that I was confident in anything I was going to write in the future. I do all the research I can on my subject. I always employ an editor for content and spelling correction. “When you know better, do better.” This quote by Maya Angelou has become one of my favorite quotes and an important piece of my writing strategy.

Are you ready to start looking for stories in your life that have allowed you to create Life Strategies that are holding you back and no longer serving you?

Sandra Grace is a Life Strategist and Story Coach.

Please visit her website for information about upcoming events where she will be speaking, programs she offers, and how to work with her at www.sandragrace.com

Tamika Scott on Loving Life and Lincolns

BY MEG HALE BRUNTON

“I’m a people person,” says Beach Automotive Group’s Lincoln Specialis Tamika Scott. “That’s why, I think, I’m good at what I do.” Tamika has now been working in automotive sales for eleven years, a role she never predicted she would find herself in. What she loves most about her job is that she gets to meet new people everyday and build relationships with them. Her previous professional endeavors as a real estate agent and CNA also reflect her enjoyment of meeting new people.

Born in Beaufort, South Carolina, Tamika studied both Cosmetology and Child Development in school before she decided to go into real estate. “I just love all sales,” she says of her professional leanings. When the economy crashed in 2011, real estate sales slowed down, too. Seeking a more steady income, Tamika got her CNA license and began working with patients who were suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. She explains that she was able to creatively balance working in real estate with working with her patients. She would often take her patients on ‘field trips’ to the houses she was showing after getting permission from their families, of course.

After a few years, her CNA job became less focused on individuals and more so on groups of patients. This change did not suit Tamika, as it interfered with her ability to form a deep bond with the people she cared for. “I didn’t think I could keep up my mental status, working with multiple patients,” Tamika explains. She began to look for other job options.

Her ex-husband had been a sales manager at an auto dealership and had told Tamika a lot about how the industry worked. “I knew all about the business,” she says, “but I had never done it.” She interviewed at a local dealership and was immediately offered a job. From there, Tamika went on to accept a sales position at Beach Automotive Group in Myrtle Beach, SC. Last year, she became the first woman ever to be made Lincoln Sales Specialist for the dealership. In that position, she says her days are often long, and her daily routine can be a bit erratic. “It’s kind of spontaneous,” she says, laughing. “I’ll have a day that’s planned, but it doesn’t always work out!”

Even though they can sometimes make it challenging for her to maintain a consistent schedule, Tamika says her customers are definitely her favorite part of the job. “I love my customers, and I go one-hundred-percent above and beyond for them,” she says, adding that her commitment to them does not end when they drive off the lot. “As long as you are in that vehicle, I am indebted to you. That’s true for all my customers.” Tamika often gives her customers her personal cell phone number, and has even been known to exchange gifts with them from time to time, whether it is flowers, a gallon of tea, or even a home-cooked meal.

Despite her love of the people she meets on the job, Tamika admits to having one big drawback as a salesperson: “I’m horrible with names,” she confesses, “but I remember details. So, I’m intrigued by the details of people’s lives.” She shares that, though she often forgets the name of a customer she has worked with in the past, she can usually remember what was going on in their lives that they spoke about the last time they met.

As far as having a secret to her sales success, Tamika explains that it’s all in treating people with kindness. “Being personable - that seems to go a long way. Don’t treat a customer like a customer,” she advises. “If you treat me well, I’m going to reciprocate. That’s just me.”

For more information on Beach Automotive, visit their website: www.beachautomotive.com

#1 Best-Selling Author Kate Butler Inspires and Impacts Women and Children Through Her Books

BY ROSA LINDA FALLON

We often have fond memories of our parents reading us bedtime stories when we were kids. Cozy blankets, sitting next to mom or dad, and happy endings are usually what comes to mind. For New Jersey native and mom of two, Kate Butler, she discovered that she wasn’t always pleased with how these stories ended. As she read to her children, she often found herself dissatisfied not only with the stories’ endings, but also with the characters themselves. She started changing the stories as she read them. “I would be putting [my children] to bed at night, and I would read them stories, and I would make up different endings,” Kate says. “There was so much I wanted to [teach my kids] but I wasn’t finding it in these childrens’ books, so I started to make up my own stories,” she continues. She explains that she wanted the characters “to be stronger, to be able to choose their own thoughts and choose their own path.” Kate thought that if she felt this way, there must be other moms out there who felt the same way, too. She also came to the realization that she herself was not going after her own dreams, even though she was telling her daughters, “you can do anything you set your mind to.” So, her journey began.

Kate wrote and published her first childrens’ book, More Than Mud: Muddy Moments Made Magical in 2018. More Than Mud is a book about teaching children how to take the muddy moments in life and turn them into something magical. “In other words, we can’t control what happens to us in life, but we can control how [we respond to them], and we can control the choices that we make around situations,” Kate describes. “Although one person may see it as muddy, you actually have the power to change that, should you desire to, and that book teaches you [how to do that]. It’s something that I wanted to teach my children.”

Kate not only wanted to teach this important lesson to her own children, but also to other children around the world. More Than Mud: Muddy Moments Made Magical became an Amazon Bestseller and stayed on the bestseller charts for one-hundred weeks straight. Kate then released two sequels, More Than Magic and Believe Big.

Kate believes that the power of storytelling is that it connects people and continues to help and serve others. “When people share stories, you feel closer to people, you understand that you’re not alone, and that other people have gone through similar things as you,” she says. “It continues on to help and serve people, and that’s really our mission.”

When Kate first started out writing a childrens’ book, she admits that she had no idea what she was doing. Now, ten years later, she owns her own publishing company, Kate Butler Books. Her children’s books have since gone on to win the prestigious Mom’s Choice Award for Excellence® and the Reader’s Favorite International Book Award®. They have also been endorsed by well-known children’s brands, Kidorable®, and the Garden State Discovery Museum™. While well known for her successful children’s books, Kate also helps women bring their stories to life, a mission she says she is very passionate about. “My passion is helping women really get clear on their story and bring their story to life in a way that is healing for them, in a way that leaves a legacy and leaves a mark on the world,” she says. She does this by offering coaching, mentorship, and writing workshops to help women discover their “core brilliance” and use it to “impact the world.”

Kate also assists women in turning their books into businesses, and she co-writes books with other women.

PHOTO CREDIT: ABBY LYNN PHOTOGRAPHY

Apart from childrens’ books, she is known for the Inspired Impact Book Series, a collection of nine books each telling the stories of inspiring women, including: Women Who Ignite, Women Who Inspire, Women Who Rise, Women Who Empower, Women Who Shine, Leading with Legacy, Women Who Dream, Women Who Influence, and Women Who Illuminate. Each book is a collection of stories from different woman authors. Kate says, “The goal really is to identify with all women so that you can find yourself [in that book]. It is more of a collaborative effort so readers can see what topic we are talking about from different angles.”

An encourager and a believer that all things are possible, Kate hopes to help as many women as she can discover their potential and fully live it out through the power of storytelling. “It’s really been a wonderful, wonderful journey,” she says. “I just want people to know that if they do have that dream of becoming an author, it can be easier and more fun and more powerful than they can imagine.”

For more information on Kate Butler Books or how you can work with Kate, visit www.katebutlerbooks.com

Co-Author of

Women Who Dream Linda Yang – Helping First Generation Americans Recognize They are Not Alone, and Making an Impact for Generations to Come

WRITTEN BY ROSA LINDA FALLON

Born in California to two Vietnam War refugees, Linda Yang understands perseverance and the challenges of adapting to a new culture. Today, she shares her testimony as a Co-Author in the International Bestseller Women Who Dream by Kate Butler, in hopes that other First Generation Americans will realize that they are not alone. “I recognize that many other individuals in this country are going through the same challenges that I did,” Linda says. “My story in the Women Who Dream book is really the start of sharing my message to the world.”

After the Vietnam War, Linda’s parents relocated to California as refugees of war where they found work in the farm industry. They eventually recognized that working in farming did not provide them with adequate healthcare, so they packed up and left California for North Carolina in the early 1990s. The family settled in Hickory, NC where Linda’s father found work at a plastic packaging factory, and her mother found work in the hosiery industry. Eventually, her parents were able to save enough money to purchase their own sewing machines. They installed the sewing machines in the basement of their home, and it was there that young Linda would sew socks as a source of income to help support her family and to save for her college education. “I did that all through high school, every single weekend,” Linda recalls. Even though Linda had to help support her family growing up, she never resented it, because she says she knew that “it was only temporary” until she left for college.

In addition to earning a college degree, one of Linda’s life goals is to become a published author. Last year, she achieved this milestone. While working with her life coach Jan Edwards, Linda got connected with Kate Butler, #1 International Best Selling Author and Success Coach, who helped her make this dream a reality. “We talked through the ideas that I had, and how that could translate or be part of a project she was working on,” Linda says. Coincidentally, Kate was working on the Women Who Dream book at the time. “We felt, and I also agree, that my story would be a great addition to that book. That’s when I started working with her more directly with her program,” Linda explains. “I think at that point, I didn’t realize what it could transpire to become. Working with Kate, she really opened my eyes to help me see

PHOTO CREDIT: VIRGINIA ROSE PHOTOGRAPHY

that my story should be heard, and that I have messages to share with other individuals who really need to hear this. ”

In the pages of Women Who Dream, Linda shares her experience growing up with her refugee parents. She describes their struggles, their unwavering perseverance, and their ability to overcome and adapt to the challenges of learning a new culture. Linda writes about how watching her parents build from the ground up impacted her in a positive way, encouraging her to strive for her own goals and aspirations. “When they relocated to the United States, [they had] the opportunity to dream; they didn’t have that where they were from where there was war, struggle, death, just a negative environment. I recognize that for my story,” she says.

Linda hopes her story in Women Who Dream will positively impact other young women who may be experiencing a similar situation in their own families. She says, “I feel like, sometimes, there may be other people out there who are doing these things, and they may feel alone, that they are the only ones who would have to go through this challenge, or go through a difficult time, and work hard to help their families, but that’s okay; it’s an opportunity to offer your help,” Linda says. “It’s okay that other families do not require that of their children, but other families do, and it’s okay because it’s temporary.”

Linda is also passionate about healthcare. She grew up listening to her parents’ and grandparents’ stories of how doctors and nurses who volunteered at the refugee camps gave them hope and provided them with medicine when they were sick. She is now a content contributor for the “This Week Health” podcast as a host for the Town Hall Show. Linda and her husband also have three children: 8-year-old Madelyn, 5-year-old Meredith, and 4-year-old Jeremiah. While she admits life can be crazy sometimes, Linda has the support of her family and continues her passion for writing, mostly in the evenings and on the weekends. She intends to eventually publish her own book in which she will talk more about her experiences working as a First Generation American professional in the workforce.

Linda is also making an effort to reach First Generation Americans through the creation of a new website called PositiveScope.org. While it is still in the works, her goal for the website is to share resources, tools, and professional services that can help individuals dealing with challenges as First Generation Americans. “I’m the first to graduate from college; I’m the first to hold a white-collar professional job in my family,” she says. “Many other people in the world are going through that as well. Not only that, people could be the first in their family to break addiction, they could be the first in their family to stop an

abuse cycle that’s been going on for generations,” she adds. “Overcoming those challenges can have a great, positive impact for families across generations; it’s not just for the person who has achieved their dreams, but the impact of that achievement can have generational ripple effects.”

For more information on Kate Butler Books, visit www.katebutlerbooks.com

To keep up with Linda Yang’s new project, visit www.positivescope.org

Purchase #1 International Best-Selling Book Women Who Dream: https://amzn.to/3aYHbvE

To learn more about This Week Health podcast, visit www.thisweekhealth.com

General Contractor Jill Dunlap Wallen Finds the Flow of her Business

BY MEG HALE BRUNTON

“To be honest, I never thought I would go into construction,” says Dunlap Construction President and General Contractor Jill Dunlap Wallen. “I knew I wanted to go into business, just not necessarily construction.”

Over forty-five years ago, Jill’s father Dennis Dunlap started Dunlap Construction, which quickly became a staple construction firm in Henderson County. While Jill was in high school, Dunlap encouraged her to work at his company during her summer breaks. In her role, Jill worked hands-on with the crew as a general laborer working from the ground up. One of her main responsibilities was driving the company dump truck,

PHOTOS COURTESY OF LINDA YANG

For more information on Dunlap Construction, visit their website: www.dunlapconstructionnc.com

hauling construction debris to the landfill. She recalls that she would often struggle to pry the truck’s tailgate off and took this as a sign that construction might not be her calling.

After graduating, Jill attended UNC Asheville and earned her degree in Business Management. Utilizing the knowledge she had already acquired from being in and around construction her whole life, she spent her early twenties fixing and flipping spec houses. “There was something about working for yourself and seeing a project from start to finish,” Jill explains. She did this with four or five houses before deciding that she needed to try her hand at something new.

Jill worked a brief stint at Verizon Wireless, thinking it would be more up her alley. “I wanted to climb the corporate ladder,” she says of her choice. “They kept getting my paychecks wrong, and I thought, ‘If I work for myself, I can write my own checks!’” So, she left Verizon, took a prep course on construction, passed her examination, and became a licensed General Contractor.

Then, Jill went into the family business, primarily working on renovation projects and restoring commercial properties through Dunlap Construction. She also worked on residential properties through Dunlap Properties, LLC. During this time, Jill says she learned a lot from her dad, who advised her not to stay in the office all the time. She took his advice and spent the majority of her time in the field, visiting job sites and interacting with customers.

Jill admits that, as the years have gone by and she has taken the business over from her father, she has shifted to spending about 90% of her time in the office, overseeing the day-to-day activities of the company. “Every day is different,” Jill explains. “That is the reality of construction, and that suits my personality well.”

What started out as a relatively small business has evolved into a multi-million dollar company under Jill’s management. “A female-owned construction company is a minority,” she acknowledges. “There aren’t many of us out there; the construction industry has always been male-dominated.” Jill reports that women make up about 9% of the construction industry nationally, and only 4% in North Carolina. Despite these statistics, she says she has only encountered discrimination a handful of times. “Every now and then, I get a customer who really doesn’t trust what I say or doesn’t feel they work well with me,” she admits, adding that she will generally hand off those projects to her father or her husband in the interest of avoiding a negative work scenario. “There’s a certain level of respect that I demand.”

Jill feels that her personality type makes her uniquelyskilled to do her job. “I’m a planner and a list-maker,” she says, stating that she even keeps a notebook by her bed so she can jot down any ideas that occur to her in the middle of the night. Jill also professes to be a good listener and communicator, which makes her especially good at working with her clients. She particularly enjoys being able to turn a client’s dream into a reality. “Taking the time to make decisions and selections in the beginning helps everything to flow smoothly,” Jill says of such projects. “A well-designed project is my cup of tea. I like a fast pace; I’m goal-oriented. I find gratification in completing lots of tasks.”

She also likes that running a family-owned business gives her the flexibility to devote time to her two sons and her boxer, Sydney. “I get to be my own boss, so that I’m also able to be a mom,” Jill says.

Jill encourages all budding female entrepreneurs to step beyond their comfort zones. “My main thing is: Don’t be afraid to make mistakes,” she advises. “I’ve made plenty of them, and I’ve learned tons from every one.” She also places emphasis on the individuals that make her business run smoothly and successfully. She loves knowing that she always has the support of her team at Dunlap, but she also values the relationships she has with Dunlap’s clients, subcontractors and suppliers.

As a minority business owner, Jill prioritizes honesty, integrity and compassion in her work. She is dedicated to every project she starts and enjoys getting to see them through to their best possible completion. “I love what I do,” she confesses. “Meeting the expectations of my clients by completing a project on time and under budget is always satisfying.”

Founder and visionary of Asheville Tea Company and Western North Carolina native Jessie Dean brings locally and regionally sourced handcrafted teas to the teacups of her customers across the Southeastern region. A tea connoisseur at heart, Jessie has traveled to many places throughout the world and experienced how tea is an integral part of different cultures. When shopping at her local grocery store, however, she could not help but notice that there weren’t many options for local and regional tea products. Likewise, at many of her favorite restaurants, there were elaborate craft beer menus, coffee menus, wine menus, and then the underwhelming option of “hot tea” listed at the bottom. Realizing there was something missing, Jessie entertained the idea of opening her own tea company. Having come from a long line of entrepreneurs, she says she was inspired by her family to start her own business. “I had always seen [business ownership] as something that would be on my journey and in my path,” she says. When the idea hit, Jessie says the first person she texted was her sister, Melissa. “We are very close, and we have kind of talked about different business ideas over the years.” So, Jessie and Melissa worked together, and in 2016, Asheville Tea Company (ATC) was born.

The mission of Asheville Tea Company is simple: to bring a “farm-to-teacup” approach to sourcing and blending teas for customers who share the same values, and to source as many ingredients as possible from growers in the Southeast. ATC works with local and regional farmers to blend vibrant teas without any additives or artificial flavorings. Each tea bag is biodegradable and plant-based. ATC also offers tea in bulk for restaurants. “Our goal is to work with farmers in the Southeast for the majority of our ingredients,” Jessie says. “This is because we believe that this creates the most flavorful cup of tea, supports our community, and creates a positive environmental impact.” ATC’s craft blends are inspired by the characteristics of the Southern Appalachian Mountains. With every sip, you can enjoy a taste of the mountains, no matter where you are.

While Jessie credits much of her entrepreneurial spirit to her family, she spent eleven years working in outdoor education and wilderness therapy before starting her

Asheville Tea Company: From Farm to Teacup

WRITTEN BY ROSA LINDA FALLON

business. In her previous work, she says she learned quite a bit about the practical side of managing a business. “I learned a lot about business, and managing, directing, and running businesses,” Jessie says of the experience. “It’s a huge journey and learning experience, because I had not labeled myself as an entrepreneur prior to starting my business,” Jessie admits. “I learn something new every day!”

Jessie says she feels particularly lucky to be starting a business in Western North Carolina of all places, as there are a plethora of resources for entrepreneurs and women business owners, including the A-B Tech Small Business Center and the Western Women’s Business Center. As a participant of the A-B Tech Small Business Center Incubation Program, ATC has grown tremendously over the past few years and is now going into its third year of the program. “We’ve been manufacturing here for the past several years,” Jessie says. “It’s been amazing.”

ATC’s very first sale was at the West Asheville Tailgate Market. Now, sixty percent of ATC’s business is business-to-business, while the other forty percent of their business is direct sales to the consumers.

The next immediate step for ATC is graduating from the Small Business Incubation Program and finding a location that allows customers to taste their teas and watch the manufacturing process in action. Over the next few years, Jessie and Melissa plan to expand ATC to other parts of the Southeast, while also staying true to a regional sourcing model. “The longer term vision is to scale and to have a measurable impact on the southeast farming community and the agricultural community,” Jessie explains. “We see ourselves growing into a recognized brand in the Southeast and MidAtlantic.”

For those who are interested in starting a tea business (or any business, for that matter), Jessie shares her advice: Seek as much outside mentorship and resources as possible. “I see it as an essential part of our growth, to seek coaching, support and mentorship,” she expresses. “Having that ongoing support is something I am so very grateful for.”

Photo Credit: Aubrie McGuffey

Elizabeth Schane LCMHC, LPC, LMHC

Photo Credit: Aubrie McGuffey

Photo Credit: Nicole McConville

Meghan Marshall Sweetens the Deal with Mary’s Mountain Cookies

BY MEG HALE BRUNTON

Owner of Mary’s Mountain Cookies in Asheville, North Carolina Meghan Marshall knew she had a love of cooking early in life. After college, she considered going to culinary school and worked as a pastry chef and line cook at a local restaurant on the coast of North Carolina. “It was a pretty tough environment,” Marshall says of the restaurant industry. “I was concerned that if I kept doing it, I wasn’t going to love cooking.”

In 2010, she moved to Asheville to attend graduate school and earned her Master’s degree from Western Carolina University in Hospital Administration. From there, she immediately got a job at Mission Hospital in their collections department. Wanting to take on more of a leadership role, she quickly moved up at Mission and was transferred to their Sleep Services Center where she became Regional Manager.

Two years ago, Marshall felt the need to make some big life changes. Her cousin Mike owned a Mary’s Mountain Cookies franchise in Fort Collins, Colorado. Marshall and her brother, Ryan began discussing the possibility of opening their own location in Western North Carolina.

Mary’s Mountain Cookies founder Mary Johns was a single mom who began making cookies when she was a cook on a Dude Ranch in Colorado. Guests at the ranch loved her mountain cookie recipes. So in 1990, she opened her first store and began licensing her brand shortly thereafter. Currently, there are twenty-six Mary’s Mountain Cookies locations across the country, primarily out West. Marshall’s store is the first location on the East Coast.

After making the trip out to Colorado to see how the store operated, Marshall and her brother decided to take the plunge and open their own business. Then, two things happened: the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and Marshall found out she was pregnant with her first child, Ella. While still employed by Mission, she considered her professional options as a parent-to-be. “I would love to change up my life,” Marshall recalls thinking, “and have Ella see me doing something I love, and being an entrepreneur.”

They found a location on the College Street side of the AC Hotel by Marriott building and opened the store in June of 2022. Marshall says that Johns has been very involved in helping to grow the business, but that Marshall retains complete creative freedom, even when it comes to recipes and decor. “She is awesome – just a really cool woman to learn from. I look up to her a lot,” Marshall says of Johns. “The reason I wanted to [open the business] was that I felt like I had so much creative freedom, but enough support and structure that it made me feel like I could do it.”

All the cookies at Mary’s Mountain Cookies are ¼ pound. “We weigh every single dough ball,” says Marshall, smiling. “All day, we’re scooping dough balls and baking cookies, just keeping everything full and fresh. I think that really makes us unique.” On a given day, they have 29 different flavors of cookies available, from classics like chocolate chip and snickerdoodle, to more unique flavors, like S’mores. They have stuffed cookies, ice cream sandwiches, brownies, edible cookie dough, seasonal specialties, glutenfree cookies, party trays and large celebration cookies. All the dough is made in-house by Marshall in their 80-quart mixer. They also offer cookie baskets, online and wholesale

PHOTO CREDIT: MEG BRUNTON

PHOTO CREDIT: SARAH MALCOM

In 1963, Ingles started supporting local producers, growers, and distributers.

We haven’t stopped, and we never will.

orders, and the downtown deals, Buy-Six-Get-Two-Free and Buy-Twelve-Get-Five-Free.

While she is the majority owner, Marshall loves getting to work with her brother and cousin. The shop lead, Gwynn, also used to work with Marshall at Mission. “It’s a family affair for sure,” Marshall says of the business. While they hope to expand and open more locations eventually in Charlotte and Hendersonville, Marshall wants to make sure they don’t trade quality for growth. “I don’t want us to grow too fast,” she explains. “I want to make sure this is functioning well, that our customers are super happy, and that our crew is really happy. It’s really important to me that we have a good work environment and that people feel happy coming to work.” Marshall and the team have also discussed the possibility of a cookie truck sometime in the future.

Now, both a business owner and a mom, Marshall’s life has changed drastically over the past couple of years. Still, she says her daily level of busyness is comparable to that of the hospital. “It’s still super busy,” she says of the shop. “There’s absolutely a different level of stress, but when you love what you’re doing and you’re just making people happy all day, it is really cool. I’ve enjoyed that more than I ever thought I would.”

For more information on Mary’s Mountain Cookies, check out their website: www.marysmountaincookies.com

Or visit them at their location in the AC Hotel Marriott in downtown Asheville (10 Broadway Street, Suite 129).

Recipe: “Tornado”

BY MARY’S MOUNTAIN COOKIES

• 3 scoops ice cream

• 1 large scoop edible cookie dough (Sugar Cookie or Chocolate Chip Cookie)

• ¾ cup milk

• 1 tablespoon vanilla

Blend to your preferred level of thickness.

Top with fresh whipped cream and sprinkles. Enjoy!

PHOTO CREDIT: MEG BRUNTON

PHOTO CREDIT: SARAH MALCOM

PHOTO CREDIT: SARAH MALCOM

Proudly Presents

In 2020, despite Covid-19, the Founder of Blue Ridge Hospitality Group and trained Chef Tom Makowski pursued the launch of his restaurant Eagle Bar & Grill. During a period when restaurants struggled to keep their doors open, Tom's passion outweighed his fear. His mission was to bring patrons a clean, comfortable, and friendly place to have memorable experiences. Eagle Bar & Grill has amazing views of the beautiful blue ridge mountains. It is a must on any trip to the western North Carolina Area. The restaurant offers contemporary, seasonal local cuisine with elements of rustic Italian cooking. An eclectic wine, beer & cocktail list, and knowledgeable staff make perfect pairings.

Eagle Bar & Grill specializes in delicious food featuring fresh ingredients and masterful preparation by the Blue Ridge Hospitality Group culinary team.

Tom Makowski, the CEO, oversees the kitchen, and Zach Bradley, the Executive Chef, works closely with local farmers and fishermen to offer the freshest ingredients available to their patrons.

Whether ordering a multi-course meal or grabbing a drink and wings at the bar, Eagle Bar & Grill's lively, casual yet upscale atmosphere makes it perfect for dining with friends, family, clients, and business associates.

Blue Ridge Hospitality Group doesn’t just have one area of expertise. Clients can also bring culinary delights to their events with Blue Ridge Catering. In addition, Blue Ridge Hospitality Group offers services to help with planning special occasions or corporate retreats with its elegant and spacious meeting facility. Blue Ridge Hospitality Group offers All-inclusive package pricing, flexible meeting spaces, complimentary wireless internet, essential audio/visual equipment, on-site catering, and team-building activities.

When asked about the plans for the company, Founder Tom Makowski said, "I have enjoyed every moment in managing our new restaurant Eagle Bar & Grill and Blue Ridge Catering. We hope to continue growing the Blue Ridge Hospitality Group with new, amazing staff members and provide friendly service, delicious food, and a clean and comfortable atmosphere for our guests to create memorable experiences. Hospitality is the foundation of our business and our mindset. Much like life, it is about how you make people feel; it's that simple and hard."

Entrepreneur and Financial Literacy Expert Brittany Bettini: Helping Small Business Owners Achieve Financial Independence

WRITTEN BY ROSA LINDA FALLON

The subject of financial literacy is oftentimes not routinely taught in the sphere of public education, let alone taught at all. Most of the time, it is something people have to figure out on their own, or even learn the hard way. Western North Carolina native and CEO of Bettini Financial Brittany Bettini has made it her life’s mission to help people and small businesses learn how to repair their credit and manage their finances for longterm financial success. Growing up in an entrepreneurial family, Brittany was familiar with business ownership, eventually taking over the family business, Clean Streak INC, based in Mills River, NC.

Brittany learned from firsthand experience that it was an absolute necessity for her to learn how to manage money so she could get to where she needed to be in her life. Unfortunately, Brittany was a victim of domestic violence in a previous relationship, catapulting her into a series of financial difficulties. Once she got herself and her children away from her abuser, Brittany was ruined financially and couldn’t even find a place to live without a cosigner. She says she became obsessed with credit repair and personal finances and did as much research as she could into the subject.

After spending several years running her family business and repairing her credit and finances, Brittany found herself stuck at home during the pandemic, remarried and pregnant with her son, and needing to find something new to do. She began talking to people online and realized many people were struggling and didn’t know how to protect themselves financially. “I realized many other people were going through what I had gone through – people were struggling financially,” Brittany says. “And here I was: I had figured it out and found financial independence.” She made a post on social media offering to help women who were also victims of domestic violence and who were in need of financial help. She offered to help fix their credit for them for free,

and received a tremendous amount of responses in her inbox. Brittany realized there was a major unmet need.

“Many people were reaching out to me, saying they needed help, but were embarrassed to go to a credit repair company,” Brittany recalls. She says the reason many people continue to have bad credit is because they do not reach out and ask for help, and they continue to make the same mistakes over and over. Additionally, most credit repair companies prey on people who are struggling by taking their money and only making the problem worse. Motivated to help others, Brittany started her own credit repair company, Bettini Financial. Bettini Financial is committed to helping people better their lives through comprehensive financial and credit literacy, empowering them to take back control of their finances.

Most recently, Bettini Financial has shifted to focus more on helping small business owners grow. The company helps them repair their personal credit and also to learn how to build business credit. Most of the process is now completely automated. Bettini Financial also has a program to help small businesses secure funding and grow their business faster and more efficiently. “In this day and age, you can’t start and run a business without funding, so why wouldn’t you finance your dream using someone else’s money to grow it ten times as fast?,” Brittany says.

Brittany considers herself a “serial entrepreneur,” as she describes it. Not only does she run Clean Streak, INC and Bettini Financial, she also recently launched two other businesses: I Need a VA and Bettini Enterprises. I

Photo Credit: Davey Morgan Photography

Need a VA helps connect business owners with personal and virtual assistants, while Bettini Enterprises focuses on coaching people and small businesses. Brittany also does speaking engagements, masterminds, and workshops to help people learn and understand what they are capable of doing.

Brittany is very open and honest about the adversity she has faced and how she has overcome it to get where she is today. She is dedicated to helping fellow survivors of domestic violence in her community, and is happy to be a resource for victims to move forward in life with a solid financial foundation. Brittany finds incredible fulfillment in realizing the positive and life-changing impact her work is having on others, and hopes to continue to touch the lives of more individuals, small businesses, and survivors along the way.

Bettini Financial Solutions

Brittany Bettini

828-549-8316

www.BettiniFinancial.com

www.INeedaVA.com

CHOCOLATE-ALMOND BLUES BUSTERS

By Ellen Minier, ChefPsychNP

These chocolate-almond cookies are vegan, gluten-free, and contain no refined sugar. They contain ingredients that gently and naturally enhance the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin. Believe it or not, they are also easy to make and absolutely delicious!

2 1/2 cups Almond Flour

1/2 cup dark cocoa powder (natural serotonin enhancer)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon Celtic® Sea Salt

1/2 cup raw almond butter, well stirred.

1 cup pure maple syrup (natural dopamine enhancer)

1 cup French Broad dark chocolate chips (natural serotonin enhancer, LOCAL ingredient)

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place all dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk until combined.

Add all wet ingredients and stir until the dough comes together. Add chocolate chips and stir until evenly distributed.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoons onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet, placed 2 inches apart.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Enjoy with those you love! Ellen

Minier, ChefPsychNP

For Thought Mental Health and Wellness Services PLLC

(828)-989-0196

Photo Credit: Davey Morgan Photography

Wintertime Wines

BY ANDY HALE, CSW

As the temperature drops and snow covers the ground, I find myself drinking less of my favorite crisp whites and rosés and switching more towards bigger, richer reds. Here are my wine suggestions that pair perfectly with cold weather and evenings by the fireplace.

Merlot

Yes, Merlot. I said it. Paul Giamatti may not be drinking any more of it but I am, and you should, too. It’s ideal for this time of year, and due to the bad press from the movie Sideways, they are being made better than ever. Merlot tastes like its half-sister, Cabernet Sauvignon, but it’s just a little more fruit forward, softer and generally easier to drink. Try L’Ecole 41’s Merlot from Washington State, around $30. It is everything you like in Cabernet, but you don’t have to have a steak with it to tolerate the monstrous tannins.

I’m also drinking more Bordeaux these days, of which Merlot is the main varietal used. Sure, they can get expensive, but there are some decent ones at very good prices. Try Chateau Coulonge around $15 or for a real treat, try Pentimento around $30.

Port

For me, Port is practically a seasonal tradition. I drink it almost exclusively in the winter because a glass of it makes me feel hot. This dessert wine is sweet, rich, complex and boasts an impressive 20% alcohol, which will warm you up on those cold nights.

Ruby Ports tend to be fruitier, darker and pretty affordable. They can also be a little simpler and straightforward. Tawny Ports are lighter and more complex, but they can get very expensive the older they are. I’d go for Quinta Noval’s 2014 Late Bottled Vintage. It’s around $30, but worth it!

Tempranillo

One of my happiest memories is drinking a gorgeous, old Rioja on a snowy Christmas night with a standing rib roast. It really couldn’t have been better. Tempranillo, the grape of Rioja, is a versatile wine that will pair with many heartier foods, but is very easy to drink on its own as well. They often see a good bit of oak too, which adds a toasty, spicy flavor.

For a great Rioja, seek out El Domador del Valle’s Riserva. It has 6 years of bottle age and 2 years in oak. It’s outrageous that this wine is under $20!

Valpolicella

Valpolicellas, the baby-sister to Italy’s big, bold Amarones, are great for this time of year. These are from West of Verona in North Eastern Italy, and can range from easy drinking and fruity, to big and bold and spicy. It is the second kind that I’m suggesting.

Amarones start off as Valpolicellas, but then get their power and weight by drying the grapes out in barns, concentrating the grapey-goodness and making the wine richer than any wine grown in Europe has the right to be. But those will usually set you back $50 or much more. Fortunately, there is a third way to make Valpolicella, called Ripasso. These are aged on the leftover gunk from Amarone, and they pick up some of its richness and power. The best of these are partially dried out as well.

Try the Bussola “Ca de Laito” Valpolicella Ripasso. It will set you back around $30, but it is so, so worth it. Rich,

velvety, spicy and powerful. It will stand up to a steak dinner but you can drink it on its own, too.

Monastrell

AKA Mourvèdre. This spicy red is especially suited to cold nights when it comes from Jumilla, Spain. Big, plummy, spicy and just a little bit earthy, think of this one like a spicier, exotic version of Grenache. Try the Juan Gil Monastrell – it should be less than $20.

Cabernet Sauvignon

This one is probably pretty obvious, but there is definitely a reason that Cabernet is so popular. It’s big, brawny and powerful, and it is perfect for a rich dinner and sitting by the fire afterwards. I have been drinking more Cabs from Washington State recently. They aren’t as famous as the ones from California, and for that reason they are still very affordable. Sure, there are some very expensive ones out there, but overall, I feel like my money goes further when I’m shopping in the Pacific Northwest section.

Recently, the winemakers from the famous Quilceda Creek winery in Washington State jumped ship and started working at the small, considerably more affordable, Matthews winery. I had a bottle of the Matthews Cabernet Sauvignon last night, around $30. It was like drinking a

dark chocolate bar with cherry and plum flavors. It even snowed a little. I really couldn’t have asked for anything better!

Andy Hale is a Certified Specialist of Wine and was a professional Sommelier in Charleston until he moved to Asheville. He is now the Wine Buyer and Education Director at Metro Wines.

Ivory Road Cafe - Chef Interview and Restaurant Review

BY EMILY MCCOLLIN

Entrepreneur, Caterer, and Sole Owner of Ivory Road Cafe, Chef Jill Wasilewski, says she is “totally normal,” a beautiful understatement that belies the truly extraordinary person she is. She carries with her confidence and a sense of calm that only the pros possess. I recently joined Jill over an iced chai latte with vanilla syrup and oat milk (my all-time Ivory Road favorite menu item) to ask a few questions about her life and career.

Q. Where did you come from?

A. I’m from Maryland. I’ve lived and worked in kitchens since I was 14 or 15, starting in a little corner cafetype restaurant. I’ve spent my entire career in the food industry, including time working in Washington, D.C. I moved to Asheville in 2015 and purchased this wreck of a vacant building that I found on Craig’s List. After several months of hard work, I was able to turn it into my dream for a restaurant, opening in 2016.

Q. Why did you choose Asheville?

A. You can be a normal person and break into the food scene here, to a certain extent. I am serving Appalachian-inspired homemade dishes which is a popular theme for our region. My approach is to prepare them in a clean, refined way. We don’t even have a fryer!

Q. Favorite ingredients?

A. My favorites depend on the season. This summer, it’s peaches, Sungold tomatoes, basil, and leeks. I want to put leeks in everything!

Q. What is your specialty dish?

A. Tomato Pie. People fight down the door for tomato pie. Our secret ingredients include horseradish, Duke Mayo, and of course, homemade pie crust.

In spite of visiting Ivory Road Cafe multiple times in the past, I clearly needed to make an official visit to re-experience Chef Jill’s take on the modern, Appalachian-inspired dishes. Being the stealthy restaurant reviewer that I am, I returned on a different day from the original interview and invited my adventurous mom along so we could try several items. We toured through the absolutely adorable restaurant space, avoiding Chef’s watchful eye, and finally seated ourselves on the patio. Our server was one of the most

delightful people I have ever encountered working in the food industry. She cheerfully offered suggestions and gave us plenty of time to consider our options. My mom and I have visited many restaurants together in many cities, and time to consider our menu options is a big ‘Must’ for us!

We selected the trout reuben with a side of spinach artichoke dip served with carrot sticks and Colette’s salad topped with avocado, served with a side of gazpacho and crisp sourdough toast. Colette’s salad was my favorite thing – crispy and sweet with finely chopped jicama, corn, pickled green tomato, and fresh basil. The buttery rich avocado was just the right choice for a clean protein addition. I could eat this salad for lunch every day for a week straight! Mom got to try a couple of bites of the salad, but mostly I devoured it alone. Mom, however, took over the gazpacho soup. She loved the cold creamy cucumber with a spicy tang that came from jalapenos and garlic.

But back to the sourdough bread used in both our toast and the reuben? 10 out of 10 – buttery, toasted sourdough for life! The trout reuben itself? Not a favorite for either one of us. It is a bit of an unfair judgment, though, because neither of us actually appreciates the flavor of trout! We just really wanted to expand our horizons and try something new. I can say, the trout tasted like trout with a mild kraut, sandwiched between the fish and sourdough bread. I love kraut, and if there had been tons more of it, I would have forgotten all about the trout and loved this sandwich.

To top off our meal, the chilled spinach artichoke dip was rich, creamy, and tasted healthy – like a vegetable! Normally this type of dip is hot and has little pools of melted oil from the cheese, but since this dip was chilled, it was somehow hearty and light all at the same time. Though the dip was one of the daily specials, it’s a top recommendation on the daily menu for me.

When I originally interviewed Jill, she had to pause our conversation for a quick trip to remove a cake from the oven which meant I was dying to try the baked goods on my return! Mom and I selected (at our server’s recommendation) the earl gray lavender scone. Y’all – this scone was 1. Huge and 2. Amazing! We loved it so much – moist, delicious, and big enough to share. A second scone would not have hurt our feelings, just our daily calorie count!

Ivory Road Cafe is a precious, secret garden of a restaurant on 191 North in Arden. The sign is a bit tough to see when driving north, but just drive a little slower and keep your eyes peeled. Whether you’re looking for breakfast (served all day), lunch, or dinner (wine selection is on point!) Chef Jill has prepared something savory and something sweet that is sure to please.

Ivory Road Cafe & Kitchen

1854 Brevard Rd

Arden, NC 28704

www.ivoryroadavl.com

FOOD PHOTO CREDITS: EMILY MCCOLLIN

PHOTO CREDIT: ZACH HEATON

Three Ways for Foodies to Stick to New Year’s Resolutions After the Holidays

During the last two to three months of the year, letting habits and goals slide isn’t just easy – it’s almost expected. Consistency fades away for any number of reasons: There’s too much to do, too many goodies that only come around once a year, and so on.

So, how are you supposed to go straight into a resolution the week after all that ends?

Here are three ways to keep your resolution on the rails this winter.

If your goals are more than you could handle back in December, slow down.

Nothing feels impossible at a New Year’s Eve party with all the sparkle of a fresh start in the air. It’s exciting to make big plans when you’re toasting with your friends – but how do you feel right now while you’re in the thick of it?

Here’s a thought: Structure your resolution as if you had to keep it up during the holidays. We all know that the season from October to December is usually one protracted, sparkly blur. Thinking back, what could you have committed to?

Instead of cutting out sugar entirely, would you simply have cut sugar from non-social events? Instead of working out every day, would you plan for once or twice a week? And maybe you don’t actually need to meal plan three meals a day for the whole week.

You are still recovering from the craziness of the last few months. Give yourself grace – which brings us to the second point!

Prepare to fall off the bandwagon –and get back on anyway.

Does missing one day of your resolution typically make you throw up your hands in defeat? Like you’ve completely wasted your fresh start? You’re definitely not alone. This is especially difficult with food, because our bodies are

WRITTEN BY SUSANNAH HORNBACK

in a limbo state of craving more sugar than usual, and also just begging us to eat a vegetable.

To help guard against the total burn out, consider putting your resolution in a cycle. Maybe it’s daily, weekly, or monthly – anything but yearly.

That way, when you miss a goal, you get to restart sooner than, I don’t know, 2024!

Get ahead of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) by planning things to look forward to.

Why is it even legal to have so many holidays full of good food, friends, and festivities right before plunging into the bleakest months of the year?

Many of us experience Seasonal Affective Disorder (also known appropriately as SAD) during the winter. According to the Mayo Clinic, “If you’re like most people with SAD, your symptoms start in the fall and continue into the winter months, sapping your energy and making you feel moody.”

No wonder resolutions typically fizzle out so quickly! Make a list of things that boost your serotonin (animated movies and hot chocolate, anyone?), and put those things on the calendar regardless of where you are with your goals. If you frame them like rewards, you’ll likely suffer the onetwo punch of falling short of your goals and then losing the chance to do something you enjoy.

The bottom line? Adjust your goals to be realistic, give yourself grace, and plan to do things that make you happy. This is about getting through the cold months, friends –use all the tools at your disposal!

We hope these tips inspire you to have a healthy relationship with your goals this winter! It’s high time we set ourselves up for success in the early months of the year, and we believe 2023 is going to be a great one!

Planning, Purpose, and Prayer : A Teacher’s Strategy for Balanced Living

WRITTEN BY LORI BROWN

With ten years of classroom experience, elementary teacher Lauren Beck knows a thing or two about children and the compassion they need to thrive as learners and leaders. In addition to serving as a hard-working second grade teacher in Buncombe County Schools (Asheville, NC), Lauren is a busy mom whose home is filled with the delightful squeals of laughter and love from her nine-year-old twin girls, Ryleigh and Braelyn, and four-year-old son, Liam. With Caleb (her best friend, husband, and encourager) by her side, Lauren is also the proud parent of three dogs whose demands focus on toys and treats.

As is often the case in education, Lauren comes from a family of successful teachers. Lauren’s aunt, grandmother, and great grandmother were public school teachers, serving children in Western North Carolina. As a rare fun fact, each generation of teachers in her family has, at some point, worked at the same elementary school – West Buncombe Elementary School.

But teaching has changed significantly since Lauren’s great grandmother first held the title of “teacher,” as today’s young learners experienced a global pandemic that for many, haltered or hindered their developing literacy and social-emotional skills.

Today’s students present highly diverse learning needs, and it is this commitment to addressing the multi-faceted needs of young learners that drives Lauren to give 110% of her effort to students. Whether it’s an academic, behavioral, or social-emotional need requiring support, she will go the extra mile to find the solution that empowers each student to thrive. Lauren learned from the best, as she spent much time alongside her beloved Grandmother Sue, absorbing impactful strategies to serve others well. Her level of compassionate care does not go unnoticed, as evidenced by the fact that prior students often return as young teens to see their beloved “Ms. Beck.”

But teaching and parenting both take extra doses of time and energy. Between papers to grade, lessons to plan, laundry to fold, and yards to mow, it would be easy for Lauren to feel overwhelmed and exhausted, as there is rarely enough time for everything that needs to be done. Yet Lauren is making her busy personal and professional schedule work so that she is not destroying her own wellness and sanity. She does this through purposeful planning and relationship-building efforts.

When she is at school, Lauren pours deeply into her students, addressing their needs, and spending before and after-school time engaged in comprehensive lesson planning, grading papers, and more. She builds an intentional, trusting relationship with students so they can communicate truthfully, which helps avoid major behavioral blow-ups and builds longterm confidence for learning. As she explains: “When your students trust

you, they will learn and grow in the classroom.” Intentional relationship-building empowers Lauren to work successfully toward broader, long-term student support for learning.

But at the end of a busy day of teaching, as she reflects on the day’s challenges and sets up resources for a new day of learning, Lauren purposefully turns off the lights, grabs her bag, and switches gears to intentionally engage with the ones she cherishes deeply – her family.

Much like she plans purposeful classroom lessons, Lauren and Caleb jointly plan their family schedule with precision, engaging in a true partnership to address individual and family needs, and to make intentional decisions about how they spend their time and energy.

As Lauren pulls in the driveway each evening, she is reminded of advice provided by a wise mentor in the early days of her career: “Family first. Don’t leave your family behind in this job.” Although it is tempting to continue her school day at home, she intentionally makes herself present for her family. She is eager to experience the school day again through the eyes and experiences of her twin daughters, while also watching the evolving spirit of inquiry in her growing fouryear-old son.

From lunch prep to laundry, Lauren and Caleb have modeled for their children how to become young leaders, how to help with chores, and work in partnership with mom and dad to keep the home tidy. As coach to her daughters’ travel softball team, Lauren is able to continue her love of the game by mentoring young players and using her full toolkit of teaching skills in an outdoor classroom.

Whether in the classroom at school or church, on the softball field, or nestled under her children’s blankets, Lauren admits that finding balance and being intentional about her time at home or school is not an easy challenge. Yet she has found deep joy in this life journey by appreciating her family’s support, through intentional school and home planning, and with the loving partnership of her husband, Caleb. Covering each day in prayer, Lauren acknowledges that she is busy, but so very blessed.

Hendersonville Pet Shop is a unique vintage pet shop located in the historic and charming city of Hendersonville, NC. We are a full-line independent pet shop, offering various pet services, pet food and supplies, as well as a wide array of pets. Our puppies and kittens come from local individuals and loving homes, never mills or farms!

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Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorders Drinking During Pregnancy – Know the Risks

WRITTEN BY EMILY EUCHNER

Before I met Western North Carolina residents Annette Melton and Gaile Osborne, the topic of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) was not something that came up in conversation much. Previously, I thought it was just an obvious concept: don’t drink while you are pregnant. But I was left wondering why we don’t talk about alcohol consumption and pregnancy more.

Drinking while pregnant can have life-long adverse effects on the wellbeing of a baby. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs) are a group of conditions that can occur as a result of prenatal alcohol exposure that may affect an individual for life. Physical, mental, behavioral, and learning disabilities are among the symptoms a person with FASDs will experience.

For Annette Melton, who adopted her child, it wasn’t until her daughter was asked to leave several daycares that a doctor finally asked about the birth mother’s alcohol consumption and they were referred to a neurologist. She says, “when she was diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, I didn’t know what it was. I had no idea. So, I’ve learned a lot from this journey.” For foster mother Gaile Osborne, four of her six foster children were diagnosed with FASDs after years of misdiagnosis and trying different medications. “It affects every part of their body,” she says, “once you have that information and you’re able to reflect back and say ‘yep, that was there, that was it, etc.’” Yet, a proper diagnosis early on is essential to helping parents understand their child’s limitations and how to care for them.

FASDs are commonly confused with ADHD or other mental disorders, as they can cause a child’s behavior to be bewildering at times, which can be frustrating for guardians and teachers. According to ProofAlliance.org, in North Carolina, an estimated 19,600 babies are born with FASDs each year. In the United States, up to 1 in 20 children have FASDs, making the conditions more common than autism, which affects 1 in 59 children.

While some might think that it is okay to drink a little while pregnant, the research suggests otherwise. More than 50 years of research has shown that drinking any amount of alcohol during pregnancy can be unsafe. Possibly only one drink can be detrimental and can have lifelong effects on the person.

While there is no proven safe time to drink during pregnancy, some studies, including those from the Center for Disease Control, suggest that the impacts of alcohol are most severe in the first three months of pregnancy. If no amount of alcohol is safe when pregnant, then the question arises: what about the alcohol that is consumed before your first missed period, or positive pregnancy test? It is true that even those drinks could play a role in the development of FASDs. It is unclear why some mothers who drink the occasional glass of wine during pregnancy have babies without FASDs, while others do. Some women who have never even consumed alcohol give birth to children with FASDs. There are some studies that suggest there may be a gene that makes the child more susceptible (Stoler et al., 2002).

Women may not be alone in the responsibility of creating a healthy child, either (Ernest Abel, 2019). More studies are suggesting that drug and alcohol use in men before conception can also have an adverse effect on their offspring, although more research is needed.

In serious cases, individuals with FASDs have to live with supervision their whole lives to prevent them from the outcomes of poor impulse control and lack of understanding of consequences due to brain damage. This in turn creates many emotional and financial challenges for parents who find that their child will need a caretaker for life.

The signs to watch out for include hearing or vision problems, difficulty in school, poor coordination, sensitivity to light, touch, or sound, hyperactive behavior, difficulty paying attention, memory issues, poor social skills, impulsivity, and poor reasoning and judgment skills. In 10% of people diagnosed with a FASD, there may be physical markers such as eyes that are wider apart, a thin upper lip, minor ear abnormalities, and deformed limbs or fingers (Daley Beth, 2018).

“Currently, there are only a couple of doctors in the Western North Carolina region who can diagnose FASDs, and few training programs are available to educate parents,” says Gaile Osborne. The nonprofit Creating a Family in Brevard, NC provides training and resources for foster parents. The organization recently hosted a wellattended workshop to educate families on FASDs. You can find information and support at CreatingaFamily.org.

Proof Alliance is another nonprofit organization that provides awareness and education to identify and prevent problems associated with prenatal drug and alcohol exposure in North Carolina.

There is limited public awareness of the seriousness of drinking while pregnant or the effects of FASDs. Further research on FASDs is currently being conducted but right now, the condition is still widely misunderstood. Even teachers are not necessarily knowledgeable on FASDs and their symptoms. There are many children out there who are labeled as ‘bad kids’, repeatedly getting in trouble and not correcting their behavior, or experiencing academic or social challenges. These children could very well be suffering from a FASD. Without a proper diagnosis, they will continue to be misunderstood and misdiagnosed.

There could be more public awareness of the seriousness of drinking while pregnant and the effects of FASDs, and hopefully in the future, there will be. The population of women in childbearing age (15-44) in North Carolina was 2 million in 2020 (marchofdimes.org). If you are planning on starting a family, the only way to completely prevent FASDs is for both parents to abstain from alcohol well before conception.

Reference List:

Stoler JM, Ryan LM, Holmes LB. Alcohol dehydrogenase 2 genotypes, maternal alcohol use, and infant outcome. J Pediatr. 2002;141:780–785. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Earnest, Abel. (2009). Paternal Contribution to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Retrieved from: https://onlinelibrary.wiley. com/doi/abs/10.1080/135562104100017

16980

Daley, Beth (2018) https://theconversation. com/the-truth-about-fetal-alcoholspectrum-disorder-103240

Blue Thread Solutions Protects Your Treasured Keepsakes in the Comfort of your Home

BY BLUE THREAD SOLUTIONS

Nancy McDonald turns 70 this year. She is the proud mother of five children, fourteen grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. When she lost her mother about six years ago, Nancy took possession of the large collection of photos and genealogy records which grew her pre-existing collection to over 11,000 photos. She recently began to worry about the vulnerability of these boxes stuffed in closets and what would happen to them if her health suddenly took a turn. Nancy felt a heavy responsibility to protect her precious family memories and became even more concerned after hearing about two families losing everything in a house fire. Then she heard of another family going through great turmoil during a father’s funeral where adult siblings in their 60s were fighting over photo albums.

She found some options on the internet, but they required her to ship boxes of her photos to a far-off location. Nancy also thought about doing the photos herself one by one on her desktop scanner but that would have taken more time than she had available, and she wasn’t sure she had the right kind of equipment. Then she was blessed to find the in-home family archiving services of Blue Thread Solutions. After her free consultation, the Blue Thread team arrived with high quality scanning equipment that was easily set up on the dining room table. Nancy was so impressed with the professionalism of the Blue Thread team and the beautiful digital images now available on her phone and computer. The greatest surprise was how easily

she could now send digital copies of her favorite photos to friends and family. She had the images saved to a flash drive that could be stored in a fireproof safe and had them uploaded to a private cloud storage service.

These photos give a glimpse of Nancy’s collection during the consultation, and you can see the overwhelming concern on her face. There was so much to do, and she just didn’t know where to begin. The second photo was just a few days later where she is smiling and amazed at how easy it was to work with the Blue Thread Solutions team. Nancy said, “my new peace of mind is so comforting knowing that no matter what happens to my home, I have my most precious memories preserved and protected in a way that can be saved for future generations.”

Blue Thread Solutions LLC is a family-owned business run by brothers Zac and Kyle Towner. Kyle is leading the Fort Wayne, Indiana market and Zac has recently brought this service to Asheville, NC. Blue Thread Solutions offers local in-home services, so you don’t have to worry about sending your precious keepsakes anywhere.

Zac can be reached for questions or to book a free consultation in the Asheville region by calling 828-3679548 or emailing ZacTowner@BlueThreadSolutions.com. Check out their website www.BlueThreadSolutions.com and follow them on social media Facebook: Blue Thread Solutions or Instagram: @bluethreadsolutions.

PHOTOS COUTESY OF BLUE THREAD SOLUTIONS

Unstoppable French Broads

Brunch Member Clinical

Psychologist Dr. Rhonda Karg: Warrior for Mental Health

BY ROSA LINDA FALLON AND MEG HALE BRUNTON

Clinical Psychologist and researcher, Dr. Rhonda Karg, has fought her way to where she is but loves the warrior spirit that it has instilled in her. “I’ve basically got a black belt in coping skills,” she says, laughing. “I’ve had to be a warrior in my life. I just kept fighting and thank God I did! Believe it or not, I do feel like the struggles that I’ve had make me a much better person.”

Originally from Hialeah, Florida, Rhonda was a single mother, living completely on her own at seventeen. “I would not wish single-parenthood or teen parenthood on anybody,” she says. “It was really hard. I raised my son single-handedly. I put myself through school.” She relied heavily on scholarships, grants and other programs to help single parents get through school, of which she says many moms may not be aware of. Today, one of Rhonda’s hopes as a psychologist is to encourage single moms to never give up on themselves, and to know they have the power to achieve their dreams.

In 2002, Rhonda earned her degree in Clinical Psychology from Auburn University. “I wanted so desperately to be a Clinical Psychologist. It was a very hard road, but it was the only thing I could be,” she explains. “I’m just fascinated by human behavior, psychopathology and the different ways that it could prevent itself. My work is so exciting that I literally wake up every morning, excited to work. That is no exaggeration.”

To gain more experience as a psychologist, Rhonda has been volunteering her time since she was 23. When she was still a student, she worked at hospitals and even at a super-maximum security men’s prison. Rhonda professes to be undaunted by situations fraught with conflict, or even danger. She even plans her vacations in environments that could potentially be life-threatening, such as seeking out the Kodiak bears in Alaska and exploring the remote jungles of Costa Rica. “For better, or worse, I kind of like adventure,” she says. “I feel awestruck just by the amount of strength that I’ve been able to walk through so many traumatic, freaky, scary situations.”

Thriving on thrills and priding herself on her survival skills has given Rhonda a unique attitude both in her professional and personal life. “I kind of have a different relationship with trauma – my own personal and other

peoples’ trauma,” she explains. “Trauma changes our DNA. And I definitely identify with a warrior. Because of that, for better or for worse, I find myself in situations where I need to be. I’m not saying that I consciously seek out conflict, because I don’t. But I do have to admit that I kind of wake up each morning with this attitude of whatever you’ve got for me today, life, I’m going to kick your ass.”

In January 2015, Rhonda started her own private practice in Asheville, New Leaf Psychotherapy, where she sees about 25-40 patients each week. “My goal is to really help people get better, feel better and live their lives as quickly as possible,” she says of her practice, which she refers to as solution-focused. “I just feel very fortunate that I get to witness the miracles that unfold in the lives of the patients that I serve.” In addition to that, she is a researcher and consultant for RTI International, and she develops instruments to assess psychiatric illness for Columbia University, through which she has co-authored structured clinical interviews for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV).

Rhonda is also host of her own podcast, “Help Me, Rhonda with Dr. Rhonda Karg,” which can be found on Spotify, Buzzsprout and other podcast apps. She started the podcast partially in an effort to make mental health support free and more accessible to people, but says that a lot of her patients watch her YouTube channel to remind them of the skills they have learned while working with her. She says that, despite how much she works, she never runs out of energy to put towards the podcast. “I love what I do; it doesn’t feel like work,” she says. “It is my purpose and my meaning.”

Rhonda always finds a way to make room for fun in her

PHOTO CREDIT: IVANA DESANCIC

life. She spends a lot of time with her now-grown son and grandson. She also continues to do charity work, including her work with the Unstoppable French Broads Brunch, an inclusive group to all women, trans women, non binary folk, and gender fluid individuals in the Asheville and WNC community.

She feels that a lot of people, especially women, have difficulty making themselves a priority in their own lives. “Self-care is so important, and holding space for our feelings, because throughout the day we’re so busy that we just push feelings down,” Rhonda explains, adding that empowering women to take care of themselves is one of the central focuses of her practice, and has been since 2003, when she began working with a talented group of women that organized interventions for sex-workers regarding: substance abuse prevention, HIV prevention, and domestic violence prevention. Since then, Rhonda feels her work has continued to be women-focused. “I know that it’s not popular with everyone for [women] to put our health and wellness first, but it is absolutely essential to living a good life. Nobody is more important than you – no one!”

Rhonda advocates taking a day to pamper yourself, be luxurious, or even just lazy every once in a while. She also recommends doing a five-minute daily emotion meditation, to let out all the feelings that you don’t

have time to fully process during your day. Rhonda says research done by Duke University has found that these meditation sessions are excellent ways to release serotonin in the brain.

Rhonda shares that she is continually inspired by those who have experienced so much tragedy, loss and trauma, yet still manage to keep pressing on. This triumph is what propels her in her everyday work-life, and in her own personal life. “It’s inspiring to see people that have been through so much tragedy and yet they continue to keep getting up and fighting,” she says. “That is one of the most beautiful things that you can see, and I get to see it every day.”

For more information on New Leaf Psychotherapy and Dr. Rhonda Karg, visit her website: www.rhondakarg.com

PHOTO CREDIT: IVANA DESANCIC

Other services offered to fair workers include:

1. Break Tent: Workers are offered three free meals daily and a late-night snack served at 10 PM when they complete their day’s work.

2. Haircut and Manicure Tent: Providing services that help workers feel special.

3. Comfort Items: Providing hygiene kits, blankets, towels, shoes and socks and coats to fair workers.

4. Courtesy Carts: In partnership with the Agriculture Center, they provide golf carts on the fairgrounds for attendees at the fair.

5. Fair Attendee Services: Fair attendees can stop by the booth to learn more about the ministry efforts and to pick up items that include “Jesus loves you” teddy bears, Bibles, tracts, and stickers.

The number one question that Norma receives is “Why?”

– Why are you providing this ministry at the fair?”

Without hesitation, she explains that this ministry is an extension of her faith. She is putting her Christian faith into action by loving and serving others like Christ, starting with basic needs for food, comfort, and rest. In fact, over the years, many fair workers have become a part of Norma’s extended family, with frequent notes, cards, or even in-person visits after the fair has moved on to another city. Fair workers state they have never been so well loved or served as they are in Asheville.

Although Norma took a brief break from the fair ministry while serving as a caregiver for Randy (who passed away from complications of Parkinson’s), she explains that Randy was a man of deep service, and she honors his life’s work by continuing to be a missionary servant at the fair today. She is supported in this effort by her grown son and daughter and multiple grandchildren who bring an added layer of joy to her busy schedule.

Although the fair is only one component of Norma’s broader ministries, including the Red Box Christmas Ministry that collects gift items for incarcerated women, the fair holds a special piece of her heart, because it is the full embodiment of putting feet to faith.

If you’d like to learn more about opportunities to serve, reach out to Norma at the BBA.

Norma Melton

Interim, Missions Mobilization Coordinator

(828)-252-1864 ext. 108

nmelton@buncombebaptist.org

PHOTO CREDITS: LORI BROWN

FocusUp Founder Stephen Slappey on Teaching Today’s Youth How to ‘Adult’ in Charleston, SC

BY MEG HALE BRUNTON

Before he founded FocusUp Charleston, Stephen Slappey recalls people complaining to him about “kids today not knowing anything,” referring to basic life skills. “Who’s going to teach them?” Slappey would counter. The parents say, ‘The schools.’ The schools say, ‘The parents.’ He observed that everyone shifted the responsibility to somebody else.

“I’ve never been the type of person who says, ‘Someone has to do something,’ and then just puts it down. Let’s actually do something instead of just complaining about it,” Slappey says. He goes on to say that it is unfair for adults to dismiss important skills as ‘common sense.’ “It’s common sense because someone taught you it’s common sense, so I’ve been challenging that; nothing is common sense.”

Prior to starting FocusUp, Slappey and his now-wife founded and ran a marketing firm for eight years. While he felt he provided a good service to his customers, Slappey found himself feeling bogged down by his work life. “Everyday, I was going home, thinking, ‘Did today matter? Did today make a difference?’” he explains.

In late 2021, when his wife decided she wanted to leave the company to become an elementary school art teacher, Slappey took it as a sign that it was time to move in another direction. He spoke with one of his mentors who commented that young adults were not being educated in the ways of the world. Something clicked for Slappey. “I’m the sort of person who feels the best when I am helping someone out, when I am making a difference in someone’s life, and I always have,” he explains. “So, I sold my company and I formed FocusUp.”

Before formally establishing the 501c3 nonprofit FocusUp in April 2022, Slappey did his market research. “I interviewed one-hundred different young adults in the Charleston area,” he says. “And across the board, everyone was like, ‘No one teaches us how to budget; no one teaches us soft skills, or introspective learning, or anything like that – all of these things which are so needed to succeed. That is really why I felt I had to do something about this.”

Slappey’s research shows that 45.3% of students in the

Charleston area come from economically disadvantaged households. “Our main focus is people that are underprivileged and under-served,” Slappey explains. He adds that 20% of high schoolers drop out before graduation in South Carolina. “Here in Charleston, that’s 6,000 kids a year,” Slappey says. “So, not only are they not going to have a high school degree, they’re not going to have any of these lessons. How are they supposed to succeed? How are they supposed to get ahead?”

Slappey is also very concerned about the suicide statistics among young people today, and that it is the second leading cause of death for people between the ages of 15-24.

“More than anything, what I want most to convey is that these young people aren’t alone,” he says, adding that he hears that more than anything else from young people today. “That comes from feeling not heard. Who’s talking to these kids? Who’s there for them?”

Slappey says that one of the first things he told his board was that they had to find other ways of monetizing this because he will not charge young adults or their families for the knowledge. FocusUp is funded primarily through sponsorships, fundraising, and donations. “It’s amazing how quickly people came out to support this idea when I started it, and the amount of people that were willing to give their time and energy to this project was astounding to me,” Slappey says of FocusUp’s board members.

FocusUp’s curriculum focuses on three pillars of education: Life Skills, Soft Skills and Introspective Learning. The program offers two options to its students. The first is a virtual resource library through their website, in which students can watch videos of interviews (based on questions from local young adults) with local professionals on topics like Credit, Taxes, Budgeting, and Job Interviews. They even cover issues such as Nutrition and the Best Way to Handle Yourself during a Police Traffic Stop.

Featuring over thirty videos, the site will also have a section where young adults have the opportunity to discuss topics that they find to be particularly pressing in their lives, like Road Rage, Littering, Online Trolling and

how the community reacts when they see a young person doing these things. The library will be free to anyone who simply goes to the website, fills out a form, and signs up.

The other option is that of weekly mentorships. “I start the mentorship by saying one thing: ‘What do you want? What is your goal?’” Slappey says. “If they go ‘I don’t know,’ well, then I know where to start.” He tries to help the mentees achieve their goals by highlighting the steps that will lead them there. For instance, if they want a good-paying job, they need to improve their communication skills and practice interviewing. Slappey begins by having his pupils fill out questionnaires about their skills and goals, and establishing what their current status is and what is most needed.

Slappey discusses one of his mentees, who came to him for help in starting her first bank account. She had been working for six months, and had been cashing her paychecks and keeping the cash in her room. He also commented that he’d heard of some third-grade students returning to school after Covid who could no longer hold their pencil properly. “It’s so disheartening, which is why organizations like mine are so needed right now,” he says. “Ten years from now, when those kids are entering the

workforce, they’re going to feel even more behind.”

After the yearlong program ends, FocusUp graduates will be able to add this achievement to their resumes and job applications in the future. “It means that these people are going to be really good employees and really good to work with,” Slappey explains. “Everyone that graduates from our program is going to be qualified to get an entry level job. They’re not going to not show up for work, or show up late, or show up in bedroom slippers. They know what is appropriate for business, because they’ve been taught that.”

For his mentorships, Slappey has lofty aspirations. “My projective goal is 20,000 young adults in ten years,” he says. “That’s a very specific number for a very specific reason.” He says that by their tenth year, that would be 6,000 people per year to counteract the 6,000 kids in Charleston that drop out of high school every year. He also hopes to spread FocusUp to other locations, and hopefully someday, have a presence in every city across the country.

For more information on FocusUp Charleston, visit their website: www.FocusUpCharleston.com

PHOTO CREDITS: FOCUS UP CHARLESTON

Feeling Gloomy? 5 Ways to Beat the “Winter Blues”

WRITTEN BY: SHELBY LYNN BRAMLETT

As the weather turns colder and days get shorter, many individuals experience a drop in their mood and energy, often referred to as the “winter blues.” Maybe it’s the lack of sunshine or the time spent indoors due to the bitter cold, but let’s face it: wintertime is not all it’s cut out to be for some of us. Winter blues affect millions of people, and it is considered a form of depression. It is described by low mood, fluctuations in hunger, and heavy sleeping. The blues usually peak in January and February each year and can hang on till March or even later, depending on where you live. So, what can you do to avoid cabin fever?

1. Make plans with friends and family

Chances are you have friends and family who are feeling just like you. Studies suggest spending time with loved ones and establishing a strong social connection can relieve stress and enhance your immune system. To beat the winter blues together, you could:

• Catch a movie.

• Go shopping, even if it’s to look around.

• Plan lunch/dinner or, even better, cook and enjoy a meal together.

• Enjoy the elements, build a snowman, and go skiing or sledding if you feel adventurous.

• Have a game night, invite people over, and have them bring games or puzzles to enjoy.

2. Exercise

Get moving. Exercise is excellent for lifting your spirit and reducing stress. It promotes weight loss, boosts

cardiovascular health, and improves general health, particularly the immune system, which needs to be in tiptop shape to fight those winter colds and flu.

• Take a walk – a bonus if it’s in the sunshine, allowing your body to benefit from the natural sunlight. Just 30 minutes a day can make a huge difference.

• Join a friend at the gym or go to a fitness class.

• If it is safe, go on a hike.

• If all else fails, look into getting a treadmill, peloton, or elliptical.

3. Now is a good time to watch what you are consuming

Increase the “real food” in your diet and limit refined sugar. To be transparent, restricting or prohibiting food has no place in your pursuit of wellness. You can go for that candy or cookie, but make sure you are also getting your fruits, vegetables, and protein in.

• Make sure you are drinking enough water.

• Eat complex carbs.

• Take your vitamins; now is an excellent time to ensure you get enough vitamin D.

4. Get enough sleep

• Avoid consuming sugar and caffeine too close to bedtime.

• Take a hot bath to relax before turning in.

• Avoid looking at bright screens while in bed, as they can arouse your brain and keep you from resting.

• Get plenty of exercise throughout the day, so your muscles and joints can relax at night.

• Keep your bedroom a restful place. Do not do homework, pay bills, or do any other stress-causing things there. Preserve that space for rest and relaxation only using soft lighting and clean linings.

5. Other helpful tips to beat seasonal depression

• Volunteer with an organization or cause.

• Find a hobby such as painting, crafting, or sewing.

• Read or watch a tv series.

• Organize and clean out your home.

• Pick up a scrapbook or organize your photo albums.

When feeling down, spend a little extra time caring for yourself. Spend time doing something you love that makes you happy or relaxed. If all else fails, talk to someone. You probably have more time in the winter to fit in a helpful therapy session. Don’t be ashamed to speak to your doctor; you may want to discuss your options, including antidepressants, to help boost your serotonin and other effective treatments.

Last but not least, try to stay positive. After all, it won’t be long until we bounce back to the heat, late nights, and sunshine.

Blackford Wellness Helps You Get on the Right Track

BY MORGAN H. HOLDEN

Set in the heart of the mountains of Western North Carolina, Blackford Wellness is an up-and-coming body contouring and health spa on a mission to help women of all ages and sizes on their journey to reach their health and beauty goals. Led by lifelong North Carolina resident and medical professional Priscilla Hendrix, Blackford Wellness offers a myriad of non-invasive, pain-free treatments focusing on fat loss and contouring in addition to wellness treatments such as detox sauna therapy, LED light therapy and teeth whitening.

With a passion for education and a dedication to providing the best services, Priscilla uses gentle techniques such as cavitation, laser lipo and cryolipolysis to improve body contour and create a more sculpted appearance.

• Cavitation utilizes ultrasonic waves to break down fat, and is a great option for those looking to reduce size in larger areas.

• L aser Lipo treatments use heat and light therapy to break down fat in smaller areas and are great for smoothing or tightening those stubborn areas like love handles, chin and arms.

• Cryolipolysis, commonly referred to as coolsculpting, destroys fat cells in targeted areas by freezing them.

All three of these treatments are gentle experiences, taking around an hour in the office. No needles or drainage are required for these treatments, as they each allow your body to eliminate the fat cells naturally through your lymphatic system over time.

My experience with Blackford Wellness started with a cavitation appointment. I had been feeling stuck in a depressive slump since the quarantine had mostly shut down my ability to work as a freelance artist, and had packed on the pounds over those years. I have struggled with weight and self image for years, and when the quarantine was beginning to end, I found myself feeling hesitant to leave the house and be seen by others publicly. I saw an ad for Blackford Wellness, a new local business at the time, offering unheard-of deals on body contouring services, and made an appointment. I walked in skeptical, feeling the most unhealthy I have ever felt in my life, unsure that the treatments would be intensive enough to be effective at my current size, and doubting myself and my ability to take control of my health and appearance. Priscilla quickly put me at ease about the options for someone at my

current size and assured me I would see results.

My session started with twenty minutes in the detox sauna bag, a simple insulated unit similar to a sleeping bag, with multiple zones of infrared heat incorporated to heat the body quickly. I despise being hot and was sure this was about to be torture, but the design of the bag leaves your face out of the heat and was actually quite soothing to my muscles and joints. I also suffer from early-onset arthritis and swelling issues as a result of an injury many years ago. I never dreamed that I would find relief from something so simple.

By that evening, I was noticing a huge difference in my achiness, as well as my mood, and awoke the next day to discover the typical morning swelling was nowhere to be seen or felt. I was so surprised that I instantly started doing some research into the detox sauna treatment and learned that it has a long list of benefits, including improved mood, improved circulation and improved sleep, which were all contributing factors to my overall feeling of wellness. From that point on, I was sold on the benefits of detox sauna therapy!

For the remainder of my session, Priscilla used cavitation to break down fat cells in my abdominal area by using a wand-like device that uses ultrasonic waves to penetrate the skin and destroy the outer cell wall of fat cells. It was entirely painless, the only indication I was receiving a treatment being a low occasional vibration sound from the wand. This treatment is followed by RF (radiofrequency) skin tightening, which is also administered with a gentle wand-like device without any pain or discomfort. I left the first session feeling an instant improvement in that puffy, bloated, uncomfortable feeling I had often suffered from, and trying to decide if my waist band was really looser or if that was my imagination. I increased my water intake as suggested, and felt an immediate energy boost from the vitamin B-12 injection I received in the office. By that evening, I was feeling much more optimistic about being able to regain control of my health and scheduled a series of sessions.

Over the next two months, I was able to shrink my waist

size almost eight inches and noticed a huge improvement in the smoothness and firmness of my skin in the area treated. The swelling issues I had been battling became a thing of the past, my body pain levels decreased, and my general feeling of well-being returned to me. This huge improvement was just the boost my mental health needed to drag me out of my slump and have me feeling like myself again for the first time in many years! These days, I continue to receive treatments from Blackford Wellness about twice a month, and always look forward to my days in the office there.

During her time as a wellness practitioner, Priscilla has found that the quick results from treatments, such as cavitation, cryolipolysis and laser lipo, has been a great catalyst for those on a health or weight loss journey. She encourages these clients to stick to healthier eating plans and reasonable exercise habits, resulting in greater overall weight loss and health improvements without medications or surgery. A variety of wellness treatments are available to help improve the body’s ability to detoxify, increase circulation, naturally boost your mood, improve sleep cycles and enhance the results of the body contouring services as well.

Priscilla’s thoughtful and nurturing nature shines through in her treatments in the office, allowing her to put clients at ease and give them peace of mind that she has their

health and best interests at heart. When she isn’t in the office, Priscilla enjoys spending time with her family and driving her classic 1966 Mustang. Raised by a Ford enthusiast, Priscilla’s love of Mustangs comes from her father and the company’s name honors him today, as their family cars are traditionally black Ford vehicles, giving the name ‘Blackford’ a personal meaning she takes great pride in. Priscilla also loves animals, and helps rescue cats and care for animals in need in her spare time.

Whether you’re hoping to feel healthier, regain your energy, or improve your appearance, Blackford Wellness is committed to helping you reach these goals without strict diets, medications, or expensive surgeries. Priscilla strongly believes that wellness should be accessible to everyone, and is committed to providing that to her local community. Consultations are free, and appointments are available by phone or through Vagaro. Reach out today to find out how Blackford Wellness can help you!

For more information on Blackford Wellness, visit their website: www.blackfordwellness.net

To book your appointment today, go to: www.vagaro.com/blackfordwellness

Reframing Resolutions for 2023

BY SAMANTHA NIVENS

Ah, the New Year. It is a beautiful time to take a moment to reflect and to renew our focus on what we really want our lives to look like. It truly is a very special time that comes but once a year. This year, I want to help you reframe the typical New Year’s resolutions and actually use that renewed energy and vigor to dream again, as well as give you the tools to take action. This is going to be your year. This is YOUR time. Before we get into the juicy reframing details, let’s review the three things that typically happen that set us up for failure (meaning never fully reaching our goals or dreams).

1. Goals based on what we should do versus what we really want.

2. Too many “all in goals,” high level goals set in every area versus one or two big goals.

3. Unrealistic time frames and expectations versus understanding the level of work, time, effort and money to achieve said goal.

First of all, we tend to set goals based on what we think we should do, be, or have instead of what we really want. For example, as moms, we might think we should stay at home instead of work, or work less, or do all the mom activities instead of work. We may think we should have a fancy car, a big home, kids in private school, that we should dress like this or that, that we should run, work out five times a week, etc. An example: “I should work out.” When you think you should work out, it feels like a chore, and you don’t do it. It’s time to throw every “should” out the window.

The second part of the reframing process is shifting from setting high level “going all-in” goals in every area of life to focusing on one or two of these goals. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t set goals in all areas of life. Instead, you need to choose one or two main goals to focus on, and let the other goals be “sidekick” goals for now.

For example, let’s say that your goal is to lose 30 lbs this year. Imagine if you decided to make this one goal nonnegotiable. This means all your time, resources, energy, effort, and attention is focused on that one goal. Instead of spreading yourself thin by focusing on losing 30 lbs, gaining 30 lbs of muscle and switching to a plant-based diet all at once, your main focus is losing 30 lbs, which is a realistic and manageable goal. Once you have achieved

this major goal, you can focus on gaining muscle mass, or converting to a plant-based diet, etc.

The third part of the process is having unrealistic time frames and expectations around reaching goals. In today’s day and age, we have developed a culture of instant gratification. Everywhere we turn, there is a solution to “get rich quick” or “lose weight fast.” To make matters worse, we constantly compare ourselves to everyone around us who appear to “have it all.” This makes us feel like we should be able to get the results in 30 days, 90 days, or a year. The reality is that most likely, it will take much more than that to create a true lifestyle change that is sustainable.

Imagine instead of beating yourself up for not hitting an unrealistic goal, you were celebrating win after win, growing and learning, feeling empowered about your progress, and saying encouraging words to yourself.

So this year, give yourself more than enough time to hit your goals. For example, consider the goal of losing 30 lbs. Give yourself an entire year or two to lose it. It might sound crazy, I know. However, when life happens, when you go on vacation, when you hit a plateau, or you have a bad week, instead of feeling guilty, you know you are on track because you prepared to give yourself time and grace for the unexpected nature of real life.

Let’s review how to reframe your goals going into this year:

1. Make goals based on what you really want.

2. Decide on one or two big goals and make the rest smaller goals.

3. Expand your timeline and expectations to something where it would be unreasonable for you not to hit that goal in that new timeframe. Can you feel your possibilities brewing already?! I can.

This is your time. This is your year. Decide what you want, unapologetically, and use the above advice to create your best year yet. I’ll leave you with one last thing – what if

PHOTO CREDIT: EMILY NICHOLS

these three tweaks were literally the answer to you achieving your goals? Like this is the lottery winning formula, and there is no way you don’t achieve your goals if you decide to make these changes?! I’m cheering you on and can’t wait to hear and see what you create in 2023!

Samantha is a Health and Life Coach. She helps busy women ditch the weight for good through the simplest approach ever and helps them make those big badass life goals become a reality. She is a top-placing ultra marathon runner, speaker, a mom of two little dudes, and loves to empower women. You can connect with her on social media or book a free consultation call on her website.

Website: SamanthaNivens.com

Facebook: Samantha.nivens.9

LinkedIn: Samantha Nivens

IG: @samanthasreallife

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LIMITED TIME ONLY: CAROLINA SPARK READERS GET $100 OFF THEIR NEW OR EXISTING LOGO DESIGN UNTIL MARCH 31, 2023

PHOTO CREDIT: EMILY NICHOLS

Actress Maddie Casto on Loving Theatre, Loving Herself, and Defining Her Own Success

BY MEG HALE BRUNTON

For Actress Maddie Casto, musical theatre wasn’t a career choice, it is simply who she is. Growing up in Columbus, Ohio, while most kids her age were watching cartoons, Maddie was singing along to Rodgers & Hammerstein’s musicals with her mother, who was a singer. “We would just sing together,” she recalls, nostalgically, “and we would harmonize, especially the later it got in the evening.”

When Maddie showed up for her first day of Kindergarten, she knew she was a little different from the other kids in her class. “I said, ‘I like South Pacific and Carousel,’ and they said, ‘We like The Little Mermaid,’” says Maddie, admitting that she had not seen the Disney movie at the time. “That just wasn’t the big thing for me.” She also remembers dressing up as The Phantom of the Opera every Halloween for about nine years during her childhood.

Maddie found solace in the choir at her church, which she says had a great music program. Then, she joined Kinderchoir, a professional year-round children’s choir that operated out of Otterbein College. Through Kinderchoir, Maddie was able to go on tour and got the opportunity to sing in incredible performance spaces around the world, including Carnegie Hall and The Vatican.

Maddie was also quick to dive into the local theatre scene, doing productions since she was a child. In high school, she got involved in the drama department and before she knew it, was President of Thespian Society and participated in local theatre competitions. Maddie also acted in Summer Stock, and was even invited to perform in the All Ohio show. “I was very, very lucky growing up; my parents were very supportive,” Maddie says, adding that she also gained a great deal of support from teachers, directors, and peers in her profession. “I got a taste of professional shows, and thought, ‘Oh, I can do this for a living.’”

For college, Maddie’s dad took her to audition at the top ten theatre schools in the country. “I’m not your typical chorus girl at all,” the 5 ‘5 actress says referring to her curvy frame and moderate dance skills. She recalls auditioning with 5’9 girls in leotards, wearing 4-inch character shoes. “That was my first eye-opener of what the industry was that I was about to hop into.”

Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio had been recommended to Maddie, as a particularly good musical theatre school. So, she auditioned there as well and was accepted. “I could not have been luckier,” says Maddie. “It

was the greatest program for me at the time. All of our professors were professionals. They had amazing insight and were very real people, but they didn’t let us slack.” The school also offered periodic Master Classes taught by guest professors like Tom Jones and Sutton Foster.

During college, Maddie continued doing professional theatre performances, including Annie with the West Virginia Public Theatre, and August, Osage County with The Human Race Theatre Company in Dayton, Ohio. She went on to do two other productions with The Human Race after graduating college: Change, and Tenderly: The Rosemary Clooney Musical. Those were to be her last two productions before heading to New York.

Maddie started her New York journey the summer between her junior and senior years of college after landing an internship at Binder Casting. “It was my first time living in New York,” she says. Her big project was helping them cast the children in The Lion King. “I had no idea what I was doing,” she admits. Maddie spent all summer reaching out to elementary schools in the New York boroughs, letting them know about the auditions. She also handled all the mail and remembers seeing hundreds of headshots come in every day, and how many photos of beautiful people ended up in the garbage.

“I got to be a New Yorker,” Maddie remembers. “I saw a show every Friday. I was getting paid peanuts, but I would save all of my money and go see one show a week.” After graduating from Wright State in 2011 with her BFA in

PHOTO CREDITS: NICK FANCHER

Musical Theater, Maddie officially moved to New York with a friend from school where she shared an apartment with seven other girls.

“I auditioned like a crazy person,” Maddie recalls of that period. “I’d get up at the crack of dawn, drag myself downtown with my audition bag and wait in line to maybe get seen.” She would keep her catering uniform in her audition bag so she could go to her catering jobs straight from the audition (or leave before auditioning if the line was too long).

In March of 2012, Maddie got her first New York acting gig doing a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream with a Shakespeare company in the East Hamptons. This started off a whirlwind score of acting roles across the country. Her next show was a yearlong national tour of a children’s play called How I Became a Pirate with The Rose Theatre out of Omaha, Nebraska. That was followed by a show called The D-Word (Ditched, Dumped, Divorced and Dating), which she did for four months in Las Vegas, Nevada. Maddie also did a year and a half stint as a Springhouse Entertainer at The Greenbrier in West Virginia. In 2016, Maddie did a world premier of a remake of the 1950s film The Brain that Wouldn’t Die!

She got her first gig in South Carolina at a theater called 34 West in Charleston. The show was called Boogie Woogie Bugle Gals, and Maddie particularly enjoyed it because it reminded her of the old Hollywood musicals that she used to watch with her mom. “The 40s and 50s are probably my favorite time,” she says. Maddie went on to do six shows with 34 West, during which she would move back and forth between New York and Charleston for work. In 2015, while doing a Christmas show with 34 West, Maddie met her husband and decided to stay in Charleston.

For the past five years, Maddie has been working with a company called The Black Fedora, a theater company that does murder mystery comedy shows in Charleston. “It is silly, it is funny, I love working for them,” she says. Maddie also gigs around town doing her own one-woman vintage show, in which she sings in 40s costume and hair. A few years ago, she also started her own social media company, 193 Media Management.

“I’ve dug into the Charleston theatre community here and I’ve met some really amazing people,” says Maddie. “It’s a blast!” Last year, she partnered with Charleston friends, Brandon L. Joyner, Kirsten N. Granet, and Brooke Rash, to create Shortwave Kitsch, a theatre company that produces a 1940s style radio show live on stage. Featuring six half hour episodes (one being released on YouTube each month), the show is complete with songs and commercials. Now, ten years after graduating from college, Maddie offers this recommendation to all budding young actors:

“Make sure you want to do this and nothing else,” she says of theatre. “If there is any question, then it’s not for you.” She encourages them to take as many lessons as possible, including voice, dance, and acting lessons.

She also says that moving to New York or Los Angeles can be great for your career, but it’s certainly not a necessity. According to Maddie, it is much more important to surround yourself with a strong network of people to support and love you no matter what. “You can live anywhere and make a living doing theatre,” she says. “You have to find your own definition of what it is to ‘make it’ and be proud of that.”

“I’ve struggled, but I’ve been incredibly lucky,” says Maddie, looking back on her journey. As an actor, she says she has learned one lesson that has gotten her through when she has doubted herself: “Embrace yourself as a person, no matter what your type is, just be proud of what you have to offer.”

To learn more about Shortwave Kitsch Theatre Company, or to follow them on Instagram, go to: www.swkradio.com and @swkradioshow

PHOTO CREDITS: MYERS DINNER THEATRE

PHOTO CREDITS: ATLANTIC STAGE

Boone Docs Film Festival Zooms in on its Second Year

BY MEG HALE BRUNTON

Last year, the combined efforts of the Appalachian State University faculty and the Appalachian Theatre brought Western North Carolina a taste of local heritage, culture and talent with their documentary film festival Boone Docs For 2023. The event’s lead organizer Beth Davison is expecting it to be just as big of a hit as last year.

The festival will showcase the short-form documentary films from regional filmmakers, and/or films that tell stories focusing on the Appalachian region. Last year’s festival debuted eleven documentaries. This year, Beth says she and the fifteen other judges have already begun the arduous task of going through the submissions to select this year’s films. The films will be judged based on story quality and production quality. “We think about the audience,” Beth explains of the judging process. “Will this play well, resonate with people?” The chosen films will be up for two awards: Audience Choice and Judges Choice.

“There’s so many great stories of the region,” Beth says. “The film festival is about lifting up stories of the Appalachian area. This is a great way to hear those stories.” She feels that there are often a lot of stereotypes regarding Appalachia, and that documentary-filmmaking is an excellent way to truly showcase the complexities of the region and celebrate the people who live in it. Beth says that this area is well-known for its music, plays and other types of performances. Through Boone Docs, she is hoping to help move documentary arts to the forefront.

The festival will consist of a three-hour screening of this year’s films, as well as a Q&A with the filmmakers and some of the film’s subjects. “What’s cool about the festival is most of the filmmakers attend; I think that’s what makes the festival interesting,” Beth explains, adding that the audiences will get to hear a lot of the behind-the-scenes stories from the filmmakers themselves, as well as get a sense of their emotional connection to the work. “I feel like it’s a fun, family event and a great way to celebrate the region,” Beth remarks.

She feels that, particularly on the heels of the pandemic, many people have been craving a scenario like this event in which they have the opportunity to share an emotional experience with others. Beth goes on to say that most of the films being screened will never be aired on television or streaming services, so this is one of the few opportunities for audiences to see them.

As a filmmaker herself, as well as a professor of

Interdisciplinary Studies which includes documentary filmmaking and media studies, Beth is uniquely in touch with what goes into making a documentary. “I’m always aware of films that don’t necessarily get seen,” she says, adding that there are so many filmmakers today because the genre is so accessible. It is the goal of Boone Docs to serve as a creative platform for these artists to help them bring their authentic stories to the world. “The power of documentaries to change hearts and minds – it’s a very powerful way to move people. That’s what we’re ultimately about,” Beth says.

There will be a kickoff event on February 9th at 6pm at the Blowing Rock Art and History Museum (BRAHM), during which an encore screening of last year’s award-winning films: Bright Morning Stars: The Johnsons of Hemphill, directed and filmed by Ethan Payne (Judges Award), and Alchemy directed and filmed by Bridgett Fitzgerald (Audience Award) will be held. The festival itself will be held from 2-5pm on Saturday, February 26th at the Appalachian Theatre in downtown Boone, NC.

While Beth likes that the festival is a small-scale event, she says she wouldn’t mind seeing the festival continue to get bigger incrementally. “I would love to do a whole weekend, multi-day event,” she says. “That’s what I hope with Boone Docs – that it’s something that the community members of the High Country look forward to every year.”

DETAILS:

What: Boone Docs Film Festival

When: (2-5 pm) Saturday, February 25, 2023

Where: Appalachian Theatre of the High Country, 559 West King Street, Boone, NC 28607

For more information on Boone Docs Film Festival, visit: www.facebook.com/BooneDocsFilmFest/ www.filmfreeway.com/BooneDocs or www.apptheatre.org/new-events/2022/2/26/boone-docsfilm-festival

Ceramic Artist Meg Thompson: The Act of Creating

WRITTEN BY EMILY EUCHNER

In 2020 when the pandemic hit and people were learning to adjust to staying home, many turned to art for comfort. Meg Thompson, hailing from Charleston, SC, has always been an artist interested in many mediums, but she had a special interest in ceramics.“With ceramics, I can take an idea that I was holding in my brain and physically create it so someone can hold it in their hands,” she says.

Meg was introduced to ceramics in high school and became fascinated by the art. She eventually asked her parents for her own potter’s wheel. When she received this gift, she set out to teach herself the craft – and she did through much hard work and many tutorials on YouTube. Unfortunately, the college she planned to attend did not have a pottery studio, so she sold her wheel and focused on other forms of art, such as painting.

During the pandemic, she purchased another potter’s wheel, all the necessary tools, as well as some clay, and got back to practicing the art form in her garage. The world wide web became nearly the only connection to the outside world during the pandemic. During this time, Meg found inspiration from other potters on Instagram and Tiktok who shared their art through photos and short videos. She already had a natural desire to create beautiful things, so showcasing her pottery journey online made sense.

In the beginning, Meg would do live videos of herself throwing clay (a method for forming pottery on a potter’s wheel) and talking about her other great passion: Dungeons and Dragons. Her videos got a lot of views, which helped her social media following. She started making Dungeons and Dragons-themed pottery items and selling them. The online sales market is competitive, however. Fortunately, she was able to lean on her experience with graphic design to create her own beautiful and professional website where she could sell products, take orders, and even get commissions.

Meg markets her work through Instagram and TikTok, sharing videos to get people’s attention. Using tricks of the online marketing trade, like adding trending sounds and showing behind-the-scenes peeks at an artist’s lifestyle, more traffic began to come through her online shop. What was a hobby soon turned into a full-time job. Thanks to the internet, her mugs and ramen bowls have reached all over the country and even across the globe. The thoughtfulness, persistence, and creativity she has put into utilizing online platforms is apparent and is most likely the key to her success.

Maybe most important of all, though, is the passion that drives her to create. Meg knew that she wanted to be a full-time artist since she was young. The urge to create and share has driven her to follow her desires and creativity to experiment with new ideas, such as making ceramic dice, an art form that can be particularly challenging. After a year of experimenting, she figured out how to make it work, and the results are pleasing. Paired with her ceramic dice towers, the dice make a pleasant sound as they tumble down the stairs of the tower and into the holding tray. This sound is what inspired her to create the dice. For Meg, the act of creation is what is important.

You can learn more about Meg Thompson and her work by visiting her website: www.iampickledtink.com, and her Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok through the name “iampickledtink” inspired by her favorite classic crayon color “Tickle Me Pink.”

Concert Review: Carolina Concert Connections:

WRITTEN BY AMY GARVEY

The car was all gassed up, and snacks and water bottles were packed. I had the tickets, my immunization card, and my driver license. I even had my clothes picked out. There was just one problem.

The friend I’d invited to go to the concert had an emergency and wasn’t going to be able to make it – yikes! There was no way I was letting this ticket go to waste. I’d seen this band last year at the Radio Room in Greenville, SC, and I knew it was going to be an incredible show.

My niece Rayney immediately came to mind. As a member of her high school band and one of the most fun gals I know, I knew she would get a kick out of this concert. So, I called her mom, arrangements were made, and we were set.

I knew I wanted to write about the experience, so I got in touch with the band manager Grant Gravitt to see if the guys in the band would mind answering a few questions by email. But he upped the ante and invited us to the “meet and greet” before the show – talk about being blown away!

So, with a little finagling, we made arrangements to leave earlier, and off we went to The Grey Eagle in Asheville, NC to see The 502s!

The trip up I-26 from Spartanburg was remarkably uneventful with only a tiny traffic jam as we got close to town. With construction a constant on this highway, it was a miracle we made it on time.

We found The Grey Eagle easily enough and were immediately impressed. Parking was a breeze, and we received a warm welcome upon arrival. We were given access lanyards and bought t-shirts for the band members to sign as we entered this classic venue.

A moderately-sized space with a max capacity of 550, The Grey Eagle is the perfect locale for an up-and-coming band. It is large enough to provide a party atmosphere, but small enough to retain that intimate feel. I spoke with

Nick Marshall, a long-time employee. He told me that this location has been open for 19 years as an all-age friendly music room and Latin eatery with a spacious outdoor patio.

Before the show we got to meet and chat with the band, take pictures, and we were allowed to hang around for the sound check. These self-proclaimed “Undeniable Rays of Florida Sunshine” enjoy writing their music, then bringing it to life for audiences.

Ed Isola, the banjoist and lead vocalist had just flown in from a wedding and remarked that, “It’s always nice to be back in the Carolinas.” I was also able to catch a quick word with keyboardist, guitarist, and harmony vocalist Matthew Tonner who noted that, “The music scene here is in the water – everywhere you go, you can find great music. We’ve been coming here since 2017, and it’s one of our favorite places.”

“The friendships that have resulted directly because of our music are truly life changing,” says Guitarist and Vocalist Jake Isola. Rounding out the sound are drummist Sean Froehlich, horn (and anything) player Joe Capati, and bassist Nicholas Dallas. And as a listener, I can absolutely say that their music is life-changing, too.

No surprise, the opening acts were as much fun as the headliners. Samuel Herb, a Jacksonville, FL native now hailing from Nashville, has an acoustic vibe created with a guitar, a ukulele, and killer vocals. Not only that, he also plants a tree (over 800 so far) for every piece of merchandise bought at his shows. It warmed this self-proclaimed hippiechick’s heart, to say the least.

Happy Landing, the second act to the stage, was equally as vibrant. Coming to us all the way from Oxford, MS, they packed a punch with creative costumes and a spirited, contagious energy. With songs like “State Line” and “Eloise,” they fired up the crowd with raucous rock and an unbeatable style.

Then came the 502s! Their unique, wholesome, joyous sound

PHOTO CREDITS: AMY GARVEY

PHOTO CREDITS: AMY GARVEY

combines with the energy they bring to create an experience like no other. They dance, bounce, sing, and play like they’re on fire, and the crowd can’t help but join in.

What started out as some cousins sitting around and playing favorites by the Avett Brothers and Lumineers on Sundays quickly evolved as friends who told friends, and the band grew and transformed into their distinctive sound that’s celebrated today. In their free time, the guys like working out, rockclimbing, Foot-Golf, and even a Tough Mudder (perhaps) later this year.

They love the feedback from the crowd, allowing the excitement to translate into their playing and stage presence. And what a presence it is! The 502’s leave 100% on stage, and I, for one, look forward to years of musical magic to come! A cross between folk, rock, and pop, this group just flat-out knocks your socks off!

PHOTO CREDITS: WOLFE ELLIOT

The Artful ChairJenny Gifford Ellis Brings a Creative Twist to Chairs

WRITTEN BY ROSA LINDA FALLON

“I love making things look more beautiful,” says Jenny Gifford Ellis, owner and creator of The Artful Chair in Asheville, NC. With a diverse 30-year background in fabric art, interior decorating, and upholstery art, Jenny is now a maker of upcycled chairs with a unique artistic flair. She collects furniture orphans, broken furniture frames that would otherwise be discarded and designs each chair as if she were making a beautiful dress. Fun, whimsical, and otherwise unexpected designs, her creations bring a long-lasting presence to any space they occupy. Jenny says her talent for constructing creative objects began to reveal itself at a young age. She knew she was really good at constructing things, as she always loved working with her hands; however, back then women usually didn’t go into fields of construction, so constructing clothing became her only option. Her parents, recognizing her talents, bought her a sewing machine so she could practice creating pillows. “I remember my very first project was a pillow with a monkey on it. It had a monkey with lace and trim” Jenny says, laughing.

During her childhood, Jenny’s interest in creating clothing only grew. She says she remembers “riding her bike to the [local fabric store] just to go inside and feel the fabrics.” Jenny also recalls when she lived in South Florida, she would visit Lilly Pulitzer’s store: “I would go to her little store, which was near my house at the time…I would go [in there] because the fabrics were so bright, so colorful, and I was so drawn to that,” she says, reminiscing.

As the time for college grew near, Jenny decided she wanted to become a dress designer. She graduated with her degree in Home Economics with a concentration in Dressmaking from Texas Christian University in 1980. Soon after, she realized that in order to be successful in the field, she would have to live and work in either New York or Los Angeles, so she naturally moved in a different direction. After buying her first house, she decided that she wanted window treatments for her home. As she began to explore window treatments for her own home, her interest in the trade grew, and she discovered that she could make a career out of it. Jenny then took the required classes and became a certified Window Treatment professional.

She worked for Macy’s Furniture Homestore while also running a window treatment business on the side.

After moving to Asheville, Jenny’s husband asked her: “what have you always wanted to do, but never had the opportunity to do so?” Her response was that she always wanted to upholster furniture in a more creative way than what she was used to seeing at furniture markets, like dress-making. Jenny enrolled in upholstery classes at A-B Tech; the rest is history.

She has since been enjoying recreating upholstery for the past 10 years, capturing people’s imaginations with her “chair art.” Jenny says about her creative chairs, “there is such a variety, such [a unique thing]. I can do any themed chair; the possibilities are endless.”

Earlier this year, Jenny sold seven of her beautiful chairs to the Biltmore Estate. The chairs can be found for sale in any of the several gift shops in and around the estate and the Conservatory. A few of the chairs to note in particular are the Jenna Rose Chair, the Blue Ridge Chair, and the Giant Tulip Chair.

While she says she loves serving people by creating chairs that they love, Jenny admits that staying true to herself and her own designs is what brings her the most satisfaction. “I think what’s most important to me is staying true to what I love,” she expresses, wholeheartedly.

“I love creating; I love coming up with new ideas and trying new things, even though they may not necessarily be what others might like.”

This year, Jenny says she will be focusing more on creating her own designs to showcase in her studio, something she is really looking forward to. She is also excited to be offering creative upholstery classes sometime in the future. In the meantime, you can find Jenny and her lovely chairs at Marquee in the River Arts District in Asheville, NC.

Jenny

POWERFUL & REMARKABLe

Financial Analyst Lisa Weaver

Just Keeps Rising

BY MEG HALE BRUNTON

Ingles Financial Analyst Lisa Weaver has always had a predisposition towards both the arts, as well as more analytical skills. “Both sides of my brain fire equally, and they talk to each other,” she says about herself. “But I have the blessing to be able to tap into both of those [sides].” As a child growing up in Western North Carolina, she always hoped to become a writer and photographer. Although she is now a successful financial analyst, Lisa also managed to achieve her childhood wish.

In just three years, she earned her business degree from Western Carolina University in Computer Information Systems. “I’m an overachiever,” she admits. “I love to learn. If I could have been a full-time student, I would have found my calling.” After graduating, she got a job with a local software firm, where she says she earned much of her accounting ‘street cred.’

After getting married and having children, Lisa shifted her focus and started handling the accounting for her father’s business, Terry Brothers’ Construction. She eventually became the company’s Safety Director and Equal Opportunities Manager as well. “I wore a lot of hats,” she says of her versatility. “Whatever the need was, I helped fill it.”

Lisa eventually left her father’s business to start a utility construction business with her husband and served as the company’s office manager. After the couple divorced, she wasn’t sure what direction to take, so she decided to go back to school. She began taking programming courses at Asheville-Buncombe Technical College despite the fact that she already had a degree in what she was studying. “I needed a refresher because programming evolves,” Lisa explains.

After her first year in school, Lisa was offered a job as Business Manager for Tom Coleman of Coleman Development Group. Shortly after accepting the position, she was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer and given

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a low chance of survival. During the twenty-four weeks of chemotherapy and the entire year of treatment, she still managed to work full-time and even worked weekends to make up for any days she missed. “I never missed a beat,” Lisa says, remembering. She was even included in a study for an experimental treatment, in which all the subjects showed a vast improvement… all the subjects, except her. “I hit one roadblock after another.”

Lisa adds that so many people, although well-intentioned, can be somewhat flippant about a breast cancer diagnosis, because it so often treatable. “I don’t want people to become complacent, because it still is deadly” she says, referring to the importance of early cancer screenings. She also recalls the support she had from her loved ones and what a difference it made in her recovery. “The people that are fighting with you, that love you, struggle more than you know and their battle is as great as yours.”

Despite the bleak prognosis, Lisa made a full recovery and has now been cancer-free for over ten years. Although grateful, she says that cancer is never far from her mind. “When the fight is done and the battle is over, living as a survivor is powerful, wonderful and meant to be celebrated, but it’s a struggle because it never leaves you,” Lisa says of the experience. “It’s something that is always with you and you grow with it, you learn from it, you fight

PHOTO CREDITS: BROOKE PARKER PHOTOGRAPHY

your battles based on that because you realize that there are so many things outside your control and you take control of what you can.”

After working with Coleman for eleven years, the owner decided to sell his business. Lisa took this as an opportunity to start her own photography business, Lisa Weaver Photography. She worked all the time, finding she had a particular propensity for portraiture. Her new career was put on hold to some extent, when Lisa reconnected with her best friend from high school and the two fell into a whirlwind romance and got married in Las Vegas. With her new husband working in the film industry, Lisa spent the next two years traveling with him from place to place to film on-location. All the while, she was doing portrait work with models to build up her portfolio. Sadly, the couple had problems and the marriage ended after only two and a half years. Lisa returned to North Carolina at a particularly low point, feeling utterly disconnected from her previous life, both personally and professionally. “I couldn’t get my roots dug in photography,” she says after such a long absence. She applied for a job as a financial analyst for Ingles Markets, where she already knew a few of the employees in the corporate office. While she had concerns about her qualifications in a corporate environment, those who were familiar with her knew of her work ethic and her ability to quickly pick up new skills, and reassured her. “I’m stubborn,” Lisa admits of her dedication to work, “and it was in my wheelhouse.” Lisa got the job and took to it almost instantaneously.

“I love the job I have,” Lisa says of her job at Ingles. “If my younger self was thinking ahead, deep down this is really what I would have envisioned for myself. I just didn’t know that at the time.” She does admit that her job is not what most people think a financial analyst does. According to Lisa, she does a lot of tracking trends, analyzing expenses and debts, budgeting, and lots of reporting and documentation. “It’s different every day,” she says, adding that she counts Microsoft Excel as a friend. “I couldn’t ask for a better job, honestly.”

Working in a male-dominated field for much of her early career, Lisa encountered a great deal of chauvinism. She says she never dreamed that a company as big as Ingles could feel so welcoming and supportive. Lisa also feels incredibly lucky to be a member of Ingles’ female-heavy financial department, and loves being part of a team. “Coming to a place that honors, respects and celebrates women gives you a chance to grow and learn and support that,” she says of Ingles. “I just feel like I’m where I belong.”

Now, having been with Ingles for over three years, Lisa feels a true connection to her worklife. “I feel like I finally

found my purpose,” she says, adding that she plans to stay in her current role as long as Ingles will have her. “This is what feeds my soul. To me, connection to people is where it’s at, and I work with incredible people.”

As with many things in life, when it rains it pours, and Lisa’s photography career took off at about the same time that her job at Ingles did. “I work all the time, but I like it,” Lisa says. “Balance is the word that I’m really looking toward in the new year.” Now a grandmother, she continues to struggle with maintaining a Work/Life balance, or rather a Work/Work/Life balance.

After all her trials and tribulations, in the end, Lisa boils it all down to one key lesson. “When you get knocked down, you just keep rising,” she says. “My daddy taught me that, and he taught me well.”

For more information on Ingles Markets, go to: www.ingles-markets.com

For more information on Lisa Weaver

Photography, visit: www.lisaweaverphotography.com

PHOTO CREDITS: BROOKE PARKER PHOTOGRAPHY

Ashley Wingard Reveals the Heart of MAPS

BY MEG HALE BRUNTON PHOTO CREDITS: BROOKE PARKER PHOTOGRAPHY

“Do you understand what is going on?” the doctor asked Ava, Ashley Wingard’s oldest child. “I have a boo-boo on my heart,” answered the three-year-old, “and you’re gonna fix it.”

The ‘boo-boo’ that Ava was referring to was Atrial Septal Defect (ASD), a birth defect in which there is a hole in the wall that divides the upper chambers of the heart. Ava was diagnosed when she was seven months old after her pediatrician heard a murmur-like sound while examining her for a cold and ear-infection. From then on, Wingard and her daughter went through a barrage of ultrasounds, and EKGs, seeing specialists and cardiologists from Asheville to Charlotte, NC.

She was deemed a good candidate to receive a corrective device that was, at the time, still being tested by the FDA. Wingard recalls the agony of waiting in the hospital while her daughter underwent heart surgery, and the terror that followed when the surgeon appeared in front of her long before the surgery should have been completed to tell her that the hole in her baby’s heart was too large and the wrong shape for the device to fit into. “I had been through the crying process already since she was seven months old,” Wingard remembers. “I was all over the place at this point.”

The family was referred to another doctor, who assured her that, although there are undeniable risks associated with open-heart surgery, he hadn’t lost a patient yet. This doctor was able to repair Ava’s heart with bovine material instead of a device. The operation corrected the issue and allowed Ava to live life with no restrictions. Today, she is an average thirteen-year-old with the exception of a scar on her chest. “We tell her, ‘Don’t hide it,’” says Wingard, referring to Ava’s scar. “‘That’s part of you.’”

After that experience, Wingard was relieved to say that her second child was born with no defects, save knock-knees and intoeing. After her marriage to Ava’s father ended, Wingard went on to get remarried to her husband, Bob, who was twenty-three years her senior. Despite the age gap, the couple decided they wanted to have children together.

After getting pregnant, Wingard immediately went to MAPS. Mountain Area Pregnancy Services (MAPS) is a provider of compassionate prenatal and postnatal services, including free pregnancy tests and limited OB ultrasounds, parenting education, support for families who receive a life-limiting prenatal diagnosis, and grief counseling for pregnancy or infant loss.

Sadly, Wingard suffered a miscarriage shortly before her eight-week ultrasound. She recalls how supportive and sympathetic the staff at MAPS was, telling her to give her body time to heal and offering her access to their grief counseling services. “I sometimes wish I had taken advantage of that,” Wingard admits.

She and her husband were devastated, and had no luck getting pregnant for months after that. “I was sick of taking pregnancy tests that came up negative,” recalls Wingard. “I said to my husband, ‘If it happens, it happens. If not, we’ve still got each other.” Convinced that she had suffered some internal damage during her miscarriage and couldn’t get pregnant, Wingard was stunned when she finally took a pregnancy test that came up positive.

“My first pregnancy, I was completely lost, and had no clue where to go or who to call,” Wingard explains, recalling suffering awful Braxton-Hicks contractions during her pregnancy with Ava that had her scared she would go into labor at any moment. “I was in a straight panic.” She was also terrified of having another miscarriage after the loss of her 3rd pregnancy, and starving for the level of support and educational services that MAPS provides. MAPS confirmed her new pregnancy at four weeks with a free pregnancy test and limited OB ultrasound, and stayed by her side throughout her pregnancy, as well as the one that followed it. Now, a mother of four, Wingard cannot imagine going through another pregnancy without MAPS.

“I absolutely love the ladies they’ve got there. They’re extremely supportive of everything. They’re always making sure the family is doing okay,” she says of MAPS. “They have gotten to know my family so well that the kids have started inviting them to their birthday parties.”

Other than MAPS’s fantastic team, Wingard also says she found their free BrightCourse Parenting Curriculum to be invaluable to her skills as a mom. She started the course during the seventh month of her pregnancy with her daughter, Harley. Wingard watched her first 20-30 minute video on her computer and took the multiple choice quiz at the end. She liked it so much, she continued the course throughout the remainder of her pregnancy. “The parenting program really helps and takes a lot of stress off,” Wingard says. “They offer so much, and each client is provided a mentor to discuss the videos and their pregnancy journey. They keep adding more and more videos! I have used so much from those videos. It opens your eyes! You can modify it to fit your every-day life.” Wingard says that the courses progress beyond pregnancy to cover toddlers, potty training, and even blended families.

Besides providing legitimate parenting tips, parents who complete the BrightCourse classes earn points that can be redeemed for rewards like diapers, baby bottles, Graco Pack ‘n Plays, nursing supplies and backpacks. Through MAPS, Wingard also found a welcoming community of parents. She says that the MAPS mothers are extremely supportive of one another, and are always there to share advice, as well as hand-me-downs. “It’s almost like having another family, is the way they make me feel,” Wingard says.

Although MAPS does not offer abortion services, Wingard says that their main goal is to help parents who are confronted with an unplanned pregnancy through support, rather than judgement. “They do not discriminate,” Wingard explains. “They discuss everything with the parents that come in because they believe women and men need and desire truthful and accurate information to make a healthy decision for their family. Yes, they are Pro-Life, but they provide the best care for everybody with no judgement. They are a Christian facility, but they do not judge.”

Though she is a stay-at-home mom for the second time in her life, Wingard is an avid volunteer with her church and within her community. She is also a very active bowler, stating that she was almost born in a bowling alley. Looking back at all the hardships she’s suffered as a mother, Wingard feels a supreme sense of gratitude that groups like MAPS were there to help mothers like herself. “MAPS is there,” Wingard says. “The amount of support that they provide to anybody that walks through those doors is overwhelming. They always greet you with a smile, and you leave more knowledgeable and at ease. They are just the sweetest people in the world.”

For more information on Mountain Area Pregnancy Services, visit their website: www.mtnpregnancy.com | 828.252.1306

PHOTO CREDITS: BROOKE PARKER PHOTOGRAPHY

Principal Broker of Realty ONE Group Pivot Monica Rousseau:

Never Been Afraid to Make a Mistake”

WRITTEN BY ROSA LINDA FALLON

Principal Broker of Realty ONE Group Pivot, Monica Rousseau, believes that when you come from a place of gratitude, it will ultimately change your life. “When you change what you are thinking, your life will change,” she says. “You can’t change without changing your mind; the great thing is that you are in control of what you think.”

As the owner of two very successful Realty ONE firms in Asheville and Hendersonville, Monica is a manifestation of her statement. To her, success is a mindset. “Real estate is a mindset. All business is mindset. And if you’re not in a great space in your mind, then you need to get into one,” she says. For her, there was no other option apart from success, which she says is a culmination of the people she surrounds herself with, the relationships she has invested in, and the mistakes that she has learned from.

“I’ve never been afraid to make a mistake,” she shares. “And I’ve made a lot of mistakes. I don’t think you can be successful or grow without being willing to make mistakes.”

Monica got into real estate in an unconventional way. While living in Wilmington, North Carolina, she started her own parking management company that served the beaches. “Everybody loved me,” she says, sarcastically. In order to manage parking, Monica had to deal with commercial leases, her segway into the real estate world. After moving back to her hometown of Asheville, NC eight years ago, she joined a real estate company and went through extensive training. She became interested in the low-cost and market-resilient model that Realty ONE Group Pivot offered, one that allowed the agent to remain in the driver’s seat of their career. Three years ago, she took the risk and opened her first franchise a few months before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. “We started in November 2019 – that was our grand opening, just a few months before the onset of the pandemic. I bought the franchise for all of Western North Carolina. The structure, the reason I was interested, was because it was created during the downturn, so it works in every cycle of the real estate market,” Monica explains.

An Asheville native, Monica is a graduate of Clyde A. Erwin High School and UNC Asheville. She earned her bachelor’s

degree in Political Science and Economics and eventually completed her degree in Education prior to getting into real estate.

She worked in the education field for years at both the school district and university levels. Monica describes working in education as “very fulfilling” because everyday, she knew she had made a difference; it makes sense that she places a strong emphasis on educating the agents in her firm. “That’s really what helped me create my ‘why,’” she explains. While she is a great agent, she says her highest and best use is in running her business and developing others. “I look to leave everyone better for having encountered me,” she says. “I want to inspire people to want to learn and get better at their craft every single day.”

Education is the foundation of her business now. Monica believes very strongly in educating her agents and making sure they have the knowledge they need to succeed. “Educating them makes for a smooth transaction on both sides,” she explains, adding that she wants to create an environment where her agents feel excited and inspired to come to work. In the future, she says she wants to expand Realty ONE throughout other areas of Western NC and partner with agents who align with the firm’s values.

Outside of business, Monica is a mom of five children, three daughters and two sons, who are her pride and joy, though she admits she can be tough on them. She manages to keep a work life balance while also including her children in the business to help them learn the ropes.

“I’ve

PHOTO CREDITS: BROOKE PARKER PHOTOGRAPHY

When she is not with her family or mentoring the agents on her team, Monica remains actively involved in her local community. She participates in the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce and supports initiatives designed to support small business development and entrepreneurship, including WomanUp – a program hosted by the Chamber that promotes women in business in Asheville.

“My journey has just been so awesome,” Monica says, “to have met so many people that have made me better, and that I have learned from, and that’s what I hope to provide to those I am working with.”

Ultimately, Monica believes that together, we are better. Her motto: “A Rising Tide Raises All Ships.” “The better we do, the better the people around us do. We lift each other up.”

Monica Rousseau

90 Southside Ave. Ste 300 Asheville, NC 28801 & 319 N King Street Hendersonville, NC 28792

Office: (828) 595-2494

Mobile: (828) 676-7264

Email: Monica@rogpivot.com

Avail Weddings Owner Ashley Taylor Finds Her “Something Good” in Wedding Planning

BY ROSA LINDA FALLON

Owner and visionary of Avail Weddings Ashley Taylor says wedding planning was never the career she dreamed of. “It was never my dream to do this as a career; it was just something I did for fun; for me, it was just a break from dayto-day office life.” The seed of her passion, and what would soon become a blossoming career in wedding planning, was planted at a young age. At fourteen, Ashley began working events with her aunt – setting tables, decorating, and serving guests, which ignited her interest in the event planning industry. For her senior project in high school, she developed a wedding planning guide for WNC and fell

PHOTO CREDITS: BROOKE PARKER PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTO CREDITS: BROOKE PARKER PHOTOGRAPHY

in love with the process. “It was an industry that I felt like there was so much to learn from,” she says. “There are so many creative ways to bring a client’s vision to life.”

Ashley’s creativity eventually merged with her newfound ability to build relationships and her passion to empower women. She became a Mary Kay Consultant during her junior year of college at Western Carolina University (WCU). What she didn’t realize was how achievementmotivated she was. She jumped headfirst into Mary Kay and before she knew it, she had earned her Pink Cadillac and her team became a Top-Recruiting Unit in their national area. But being in front of crowds wasn’t always easy for Ashley. She describes herself as “a really shy extrovert” because she draws energy from being around people, but prefers not to be the center of attention. Despite her shyness, Ashley persisted. Her time at Mary Kay helped her discover that she felt truly fulfilled when she was helping others. “I learned that I needed to help people,” she says. “I thrive on that. Helping others makes me feel like my cup is full.” She later went on to create the Stuff the Bus program for Jackson County Public Schools. The program was centered around serving the basic needs of students by connecting them, anonymously, with amazing people in the community who were eager to help. She says, “God placed it on my heart to take an active role in serving others,” and she emphasizes the importance of being a good steward in her community.

In 2018, before launching Avail Weddings, Ashley had been doing wedding planning on the side under the name of Taylor Wedding Company. At the tail end of the COVID-19 pandemic, wedding bookings started picking up, and Ashley could no longer keep up with her daytime office job. In January 2021, she took a leap of faith, quit her job and officially launched Avail Weddings. The company provides wedding planning services for full-service planning to elopement planning and coordination, and everything in between. Depending on the package level, brides can choose Avail’s level of involvement. Within the company’s coordination and planning team, it also has venue managers who fully operate on location. Additionally, Avail has an on-staff officiant, esthetician, calligraphy artist, professional photographer, and a full team of insured bartenders.

The company has expanded exponentially – last year, they successfully booked and planned 100 events. Although she is no longer with Mary Kay, Ashley attributes the company’s success to the values and principles she learned while she was a consultant. She says, “All of that training, and all of those little tidbits of life advice that I got from their organization has poured over now into my own; it has really shaped the way that we work as a team, how we

treat our clients, and how we treat each other. We work a lot like a family.” She emphasizes that she cannot do any of this without her team, particularly her Chief Operating Officer and Lead Coordinator, Teresa Vreeland, who she calls ‘her human sticky note’. “I could not do this by myself, and I wouldn’t want to,” she says. “I don’t want our success to be about me. I want people to see how great my team is, and how lucky I am to get to do life with them.”

While Ashley attributes most of the credit to her team, she admits that she is the one who puts most of the fires out. “If there’s a disaster, you get me. If there is a cake on the floor or burned food, I get the call,” she says. But for Ashley, perceived chaos is clarity, thanks to her natural gift of problem-solving. “Somehow, in those moments, things are just clear. It doesn’t feel like chaos at the time. It feels like an opportunity to fix a problem before it gets to the bride.” That’s something the Avail team is known for. Ashley says, “we talk with wedding party groups during every rehearsal to make a special request — if something goes wrong behind the scenes, call us, not the bride or groom.” The goal is to allow couples to live in a state of bliss on their wedding day, creating memories that will be treasured forever.

Ashley has built her business as a single mom. While she loves being a wedding planner, she says her children

PHOTO CREDITS: BROOKE PARKER PHOTOGRAPHY

come first. She has a seven-year-old daughter and a fiveyear-old son, who are both active in sports and love to go on adventures. They have a daily routine of sharing their “something good” as a family, because even on bad days, there are things to be happy about. Ashley is engaged to her best friend and biggest supporter, Kevin, and is excited that the combining of their families gives her two more daughters to love. Ashley shares that Kevin’s oldest daughter loves working weddings with her and has been interning with the team to learn coordination skills. For their 2023 wedding, Ashley’s team at Avail Weddings will handle most of the planning phase, but she plans to delegate the day-of coordination to allow her team to take the day off and be fully present with her, “because that’s where family should be on a wedding day.”

As for the future of Avail Weddings, Ashley says they are continually building the team. By the end of 2023, their goal is to add five more coordination positions and further grow their east coast division. Every single day, Ashley awakes with a grateful mindset and a positive attitude. She says, “Finding your something good is what’s going to get you up the next day to do it again.”

PHOTO CREDITS: BROOKE PARKER PHOTOGRAPHY MAKEUP: FAB FLAWLESS ARTISTRY | VENUE: LORALEI INN

For 125 years, the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce has been committed to building a stronger community. Our initiatives and projects have stimulated economic development and supported the growth of thousands of local and regional businesses.

Today, we are the local champion for a balanced, thriving economy and connect businesses, large and small, to the resources they need to be successful.

We believe that together, we are more.

Join

www.ashevillechamber.org

Jennie Harpold, Director of Lees-McRae College’s New Opportunity School for Women: Helping Women of Appalachia Achieve Success

BY MEG HALE BRUNTON

Jennie Harpold has been the director of Lee-McRae College’s New Opportunity School for Women (NOSW) for over ten years, yet she has been helping women achieve their professional goals for her entire career. Originally from a small town in East Virginia, Jennie grew up in a family of teachers. “I thought I would always be teaching or doing something in education,” she says.

She received her degree in Social Psychology and worked as a student teacher with plans to teach middle or high school. She quickly realized she preferred working with a different type of student. “I found a real love for working with adults,” she explains. “They are motivated and unfortunately, a lot of them have been failed early on by the education system.” Jennie feels that, if the education system were better, there would be no need for programs like the New Opportunity School for Women (NOSW).

NOSW was founded in 1987 at Berea College in Kentucky with the goal of helping low-income Appalachian women who found themselves without skills and having to enter the workplace. In 2005, Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, NC became the first school to expand the program. The program’s founder Jane Stephenson was a native of Banner Elk and a Lees-McRae alum. Jennie was hired as an instructor to teach a course on resumes and employee abilities. In 2012, she became the school’s director. As the director, Jennie says that her job is part program

manager, part grant writer, part administrator, and part recruiter, depending on the day. Recruitment is definitely her favorite part, though. “I think it’s important to go out and meet these women and know their purpose,” Jennie says. “It energizes you – seeing them excited about college. They begin to believe that college could be for them.” Jennie also says she loves watching the women have that ‘Aha moment,’ in which they can see a path towards success.

In her early forties, Jennie worked with a domestic violence crisis line, an experience she feels now helps her in her current role at NOSW. Having been a victim of domestic violence herself, she was eager to receive the training to help women escape the situation they were in. “Every time the phone rang, you wouldn’t know what you would be dealing with,” she recalls. “Would it be a bad call?” She became the volunteer coordinator, and eventually went on to become the director of the program.

Jennie feels that her current role at the NOSW combines the two aspects of her expertise from previous career experience to some extent, since many of the women who attend the program are victims of domestic violence. “I think having that diverse background makes me better able to serve them,” she explains.

While Jennie says she does miss the teaching aspect of her role at the NOSW, she is still able to stay involved with her employee ability course. “I think if you begin as a teacher, you always miss that interaction,” she shares. “I think it’s so important for our women to know all the resources they have available to them.”

The three-week program is run out of a restored Appalachian house on the Lees-McRae campus. Students live and attend classes on the premises, all at no expense to them. “It’s unique in that it is residential,” Jennie says. “By bringing the women to the campus, they have the opportunity to thrive.” Jennie feels that this sort of structured and scheduled learning environment gives the students the opportunity to gain some clarity while they plan for their future. “Until you know where you’re going and how you’re going to get there, it’s hard to know what your next week, month, or year is going to look like,” she says.

The NOSW curriculum is designed to foster skills that will help its students approach life and work from diverse perspectives. The courses cover everything from financial literacy, to computer skills, job-seeking skills, leadership development, and even Appalachian literature. Jennie explains that the program puts a lot of emphasis on Appalachian heritage. “Too often, women are running from their roots,” she says of the students, “and we want to help them to embrace that culture.”

The school also takes the students on field trips to great

PHOTO COURTESY OF LEES-MCRAE COLLEGE

Appalachian sites, such as Grandfather Mountain. Working with their many partners, like NC Works and the local government, the NOSW hosts a range of speakers on topics such as “You are the CEO of Your Life,” and “Everyone’s Government.” They even have Mary Kay representatives come in to do makeovers for the women to go along with the internal makeover that is happening in the classrooms. At the end of the term, each woman gets to create a quilt square that is sewn into one big quilt by one of their former graduates.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the school learned that many aspects of the program could be done remotely. While students couldn’t attend classes on the premises, Jennie feels that the NOSW’s scaled-back version of its program continued to achieve the school’s core goal: to improve the educational, personal and financial standings of the women of Appalachia. Jennie credits the positive energy of the school’s faculty with their success. “We have a great staff,” she says. “We build on their enthusiasm.”

The school’s term runs from early June to July 1st, and is funded primarily by grants and donations. Jennie recommends that anyone who is interested in the program come visit the campus to see what it’s all about, and if it is a good fit for them.

Whether teaching classes, or working one-on-one, Jennie has been working with women on their career or personal development for over thirty years. She says that she loves getting to watch the women that attend the NOSW experience their success, and knowing that they leave the program better equipped to go out into the world.

For more information on the New Opportunity School for Women at Lees-McRae College, visit their website: www.lmc.edu/academics/nosw/index.htm

So You Want to Learn to Fly Fish

WRITTEN BY DIANE LUEBBERS

Every fly fisher has a story of how they discovered the sport. Some were introduced to fly fishing by a family member. Others were taught by a generous friend willing to share their knowledge and gear with a newbie. Still others, after watching the movie A River Runs Through It were instantly smitten, enchanted by the spectacular beauty of the rivers and mountains, and the graceful artistry of the fly fisher as he cast his line over the cold, clear waters of the Gallatin River. These fans bought all the necessary gear and promptly packed up and moved to Montana where the movie was filmed. I took the longer method – after being smitten with the sport in Michigan, I didn’t move to Montana for two more years.

Whatever the method, each newly hatched fly fisher has had to somehow acquire the gear and learn the basics of the sport in order to be successful on a trout stream. As for me, I’ve gotten a lot of advice over the years, taken lots of classes, watched many hours of video, and read tons of books on the subject. Instead of following in my footsteps and spending all that effort and all those years (20 to be exact) to get good at fly fishing, I’ll give you the short version of how to best learn to fly fish. Ready? Here we go.

You’ll need some basic equipment, but before spending any money, consider taking a class through your state wildlife resources commission or a local fly shop or outfitter to see if you really like the sport. Most classes have equipment for students to use if they don’t have their own. These classes are typically inexpensive, some are even free.

If you decide to take the next step and buy your own gear, here’s a list of the basic items you will need: A fly rod, a fly reel, a fly fishing line that works with the rod you’ve purchased, flies, nippers to cut tippet, and hemostats for removing hooks from the jaw of the fish after you’ve landed it.

If you’re going to wade fish, as most fly fishers do, you’ll also need waders, a wader belt, gravel guards, and wading boots. Be sure to get your waders before you purchase boots since you’ll need to make sure the neoprene socks attached to the waders will fit in the boots comfortably. Put on some thick socks, then the waders, and then step into the boots to make sure the boots will not feel too tight. You may have to go up a size or two from your regular shoe size. Other handy items include a hat with a brim or a baseball cap, a pair of polarized sunglasses, and last but certainly not least, a wading staff.

In my opinion, a wading staff is the most important piece of equipment to have if you step even one foot in a river to fish. Why? Because the strength and power of currents may cause you to lose your footing when trying to get to a particularly fishy spot, and jagged rocks in a stream or river bed can

be treacherous to navigate. Roots in the trail by the river can be problematic as well when you are wearing those awkward wading boots. Case in point, last month I fell and sprained my left arm on dry land. While hiking a trail by the river, my left foot caught a root and I went flying. I spared my rod but spoiled my left arm and ended up at Emerge Ortho for x-rays because I wasn’t using my wading staff at the time.

Other additional gear: A vest or pack with lots of compartments for all the small tools of the trade, a net for landing trout, a rain jacket, an entire change of clothes in case you fall in and water gets inside your waders (it happens more often than you’d think), plenty of bottled water, snacks, and a pair of warm socks.

Once you have your gear and have taken a couple of basic instruction classes, it’s almost time to get out on the water. But wait, don’t you want to be successful? Sure, you do. Take a good entomology class from a local fly shop or outfitter. The more you know about what bugs the trout are eating, when and where they are in the river, the faster you will become competent.

The last thing you may want to do is find a fishing buddy. It’s best to go fishing with a friend, since there are no cell signals in a lot of these wild places, and if you run into trouble, it would be handy to have someone with you to go to for help.

Now you’re ready! Get out there and start practicing your skills. Don’t worry about catching fish at first. Just focus on learning and enjoy yourself. Take time to drink in the beauty around you and the thrill of a river babbling and swirling at your feet.

Diane Luebbers is a local fly fisher and real estate broker. When she is not out on the river, she is helping her clients sell their homes or properties, finding them the perfect home, or advocating for wildlife conservation. Please feel free to reach out to her for assistance with your real estate needs.

Diane Luebbers

The Luebbers Team | BluAxis Realty®

Your Concierge Realtor® Team!

We tailor our services to fit your needs!

(828)-785-8551 | www.RiverstoPeaksRealty.com

www.jimanddianeluebbers.com

PHOTO CREDITS: REBECCA MURRAY

A-B Tech Nursing and Allied Health Programs - Achieving a Higher Standard of Quality Education and Career Advancement

WRITTEN BY ROSA LINDA FALLON

Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College is committed to providing meaningful, valuable, and equitable educational opportunities for its students and the communities in which they serve. Currently, all of A-B Tech’s health and nursing programs are led by women, including newly named Dean of Allied Health Angie Goodwin and Nursing Chair Christy Andrews. Goodwin previously was the longtime chair of Radiography. Both women led the division through challenging times during the COVID-19 era and are planning for the future. Andrews attributes much of the programs’ success to its highly qualified faculty and staff members. “We have very qualified, very educated, and very experienced faculty who truly prepare students to enter nursing at a level where they can actually practice,” says Christy Andrews. The college’s Allied Health division and Nursing programs

have educated thousands of healthcare workers in Western North Carolina since the college’s founding more than 60 years ago. “As a college as a whole, we are really focusing on diversity, and actually understanding students in order for them to succeed,” says Angie Goodwin.

All of the programs are capped and admit students through a selective admissions process. This year, students must apply for 10 highly competitive programs between February 6 and March 17 for admission in Fall 2023. The other Allied Health programs open for admission in April. The Nursing program admits cohorts during the fall and spring semesters every year. Andrews says more than one-hundred students graduate from the nursing program each year, and many live and work in the Western North Carolina community. “There are thousands of healthcare workers out there who work in this community who

graduated from A-B Tech; many of our graduates are faculty members here,” Goodwin remarks.

Last year, A-B Tech’s Nursing Program achieved national accreditation by the National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (NLN CNEA), an accomplishment which Andrews says demonstrates that they have achieved a “higher standard.” “Earning national accreditation shows the community and the nursing world that we meet [those standards]. It tells the nursing community and students that we are a quality program,” she says. This accomplishment makes A-B Tech the first community college in the Western North Carolina region to achieve accreditation for its nursing program. This achievement also benefits graduates of the program by facilitating access to additional academic and employment opportunities.

Several other A-B Tech Allied Health programs also received top national and state rankings last year from Nursingprocess.org. The college’s Phlebotomy program was ranked second in the nation among more than 363 phlebotomy schools across the country. The Dental Assisting Program at A-B Tech was ranked first in the state, while Dental Hygiene and Medical Sonography were both ranked third.

While the COVID-19 pandemic may have slowed student applications, Goodwin is optimistic about continued growth in both the Allied Health and Nursing Programs going forward. “I think a lot of people were scared to go into healthcare because of COVID,” Goodwin acknowledges, “but as we come out of that, once people learn that it is safe to go into healthcare, that will catapult our departments even further.”

A-B Tech’s educational opportunities are only expected to grow in response to community needs. Goodwin says, “There may be a couple of new programs we may open up

based on community needs, which we look at continuously. We’ll just always do better. We strive to do better every year.”

Goodwin shares that she is proud of the college’s and the community’s support of its students. “I just want to say how proud I am of the college and their support of our programs, and the community and their support of our programs. What we do here is for the students because we want to make them successful, all while supplying the community with educated healthcare workers that we so desperately need.”

A-B Tech’s School of Nursing includes Associate Degree Nursing and LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse) programs, as well as an advanced placement option and a fouryear program in conjunction with Western Carolina University. Allied Health programs include Cardiovascular Sonography, Dental Assisting, Dental Hygiene, Medical Assisting, Medical Laboratory Technology, Medical Sonography, Occupational Therapy Assistant, Phlebotomy, Radiography, Surgical Technology, Veterinary Medical Technology.

For more information on how to apply for Fall 2023 admission, visit abtech.ed/selective-limited-programs or call 828.398.7900.

A-B Tech Allied Health and Workforce Development

10 Genevieve Cir

Asheville, NC 28801 (828)-398-7900

A-B Tech Nursing Program

340 Victoria Rd

Asheville, NC 28801 (828)-398-7900

www.abtech.edu/nursing

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