400 Life November 2019

400 LIFE NOVEMBER 2019

Helping heroes

Mission overwatch looks out for veterans, first responders

Farm family aims to inspire community What it takes to pull off annual Holiday House organization keeps Forsyth beautiful Plus: Meet Andy Morrison of Hopewell Roofing | New mindset for Keller Williams Community Partners | Bliss Mama offers healing services for women

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from the editor If you could create the perfect community, what would it look like?

Instinctively, your mind probably went to some of the more cosmetic answers: geography, demographics, transportation, schools, etc., etc. And, of course, we’re all entitled to have certain preferences for each. But no matter what combination of those factors you desire, no matter what kind of community your choices would create aesthetically, it needs one more crucial ingredient to be a “perfect” community: generosity.

It needs businesses like Hopewell Roofing & Restoration and Keller Williams Community Partners who have made annual charity events a part of their company culture. It needs people like Troy Embrey and Stephen Maddox, founders of Mission Overwatch, to look out for veterans in need.

It needs organizations like The Place of Forsyth, whose annual Holiday House gives families in poverty a dignified way to get Christmas gifts for their children.

It needs families like the Schusters, whose Sawnee Acres farm raises free-range chickens and Thanksgiving turkeys in a healthy and sustainable manner for Forsyth County. Oh, wait, now that I think about it, Forsyth County sounds pretty perfect already.

— Brian Paglia

inside

contributors Publisher Stephanie Woody Editor BRIAN PAGLIA Production Manager TRACIE PIKE Staff Writers KELLY WHITMIRE Staff Writers ALEXANDER Popp Advertising director nathan schutter Advertising deborah darnell STEPHANIE MCCABE Photographer BEN HENDREN

Mission Overwatch

Helping the heroes when times are tough. Page 4 KCFB Organization celebrates 25 years of a clean Forsyth. Page 6 Sawnee acres Farm to table is key for this family. Page 8 CHRISTMAS Holiday House begins fifth year. Page 12 400 HOMES Keller Williams Community Partners inspiring agents. Page 15 400 HEALTH Bliss Mama a great place for women to relax, heal. Page 18 400 READS What book to pick up this month. Page 20 400 FACES Andy Morrison of Hopewell Roofing and The Roof of Hope. Page 22

Special contributors JENNIFER COLOSIMO J.K. DEVINE DIYA MOHAN REBECCA CAHILL

This magazine is a product of the www.ForsythNews.com Advertising rates available upon request.

Call (770) 887-3126 or email marketing@forsythnews.com

November 2019 | 400 LIFE | 3

Helping with the simple stuff

Mission Overwatch covers little challenges so veterans and first responders don’t have to Story by Alexander Popp | Photos by Ben Hendren

If someone has served their country or community, they shouldn’t have to worry about the little challenges in life when things get tough — that is the goal that drives Mission Overwatch and its founders, Stephen Maddox and Troy Embrey.

Over the last three years Mission Overwatch, a Forsyth County nonprofit aimed at helping veterans and first responders, has been helping out in the Forsyth County community by cutting grass, doing yard work and covering all the things that can fall behind when a person gets hurt and needs time to get back on their feet.

Whether it’s something as simple as lawn care and house work or as specialized as plumbing help or HVAC repair, when it comes to first responders and veterans in the community, Embrey and Maddox say they are willing to do whatever they need to “serve people that deserve to be served.”

“In our mind, those people served our country, those people served the county. Why do they have to have something as simple as their grass serviced, why do they have to pay for that?” Embrey said.

“That’s something the community should just provide.”

According to Embrey and Maddox, the idea for Mission Overwatch arose about four years ago after the two men retired from the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, where they worked together in 4 | 400 LIFE | November 2019

Over the last three years, Forsyth County locals Stephen Maddox and Troy Embrey have been on a mission to help veterans and first responders with the little things when times are hard. Together, the two men founded Mission Overwatch, a nonprofit that provides free yard work and other help for disabled veterans and injured first responders.

the sheriff’s office’s traffic and SWAT units.

Maddox said he made the decision to leave the sheriff’s office and get out of law enforcement after suffering a terrible back injury in 2013, which put him in surgery after surgery.

He said that during his time of recovery, not being able to personally attend to simple things like yard work made him feel helpless, and with medical bills and a law enforcement salary, paying for someone to do those chores for him was out of the question.

“When you get in to law enforcement, you don’t get into it for the money; you get into it because it’s a calling,” he said. “And any little bit you have to pay somebody to do something, especially when you are out of work, that’s money taken away from your family.”

But after recovering from his back injury, Maddox said that he felt like God called on him to step up and help others, and he knew who he wanted to help.

“I had the idea and it was more of a thing that God was leading me to do, to start a nonprofit to help the disabled vets in the community and the injured first responders because every time I had surgery I was down and I was not able to do simple stuff like yard work,” he said.

From his time as a sheriff’s deputy, Maddox says he knew there were disabled veterans all over the community that could use a little extra help and if they heard about a first responder that was injured, Mission Overwatch could step up and pitch in, free of charge, so that person could focus on getting better.

“I hope we never ever have to be called by a first responder to help them because I don’t want any of them to get hurt to that point,” he said. “But if they do, we will definitely step in and help them however we can so they don’t have to worry about simple stuff around the house.”

And when Embrey heard his friend’s idea, he knew it was something that he wanted to get on board with.

“Stephen came to me one day when we were hanging out and said,

‘It’s on my heart to start a nonprofit that serves disabled veterans,’” Embrey said. “When he said that, it kind of set off a lightbulb in my head and that began the journey.”

After the 10-month process of getting their 501c3 nonprofit certification and working with local sponsors to secure funding for the project, Mission Overwatch began working with local veterans in the community, helping with the simple stuff where they could and cutting a lot of grass.

“It’s awesome to help them,” Maddox said. “It’s not about me and Troy, it’s about doing God’s work and going out to help people and showing them the respect they deserve.”

As Mission Overwatch grew and the two men worked with more and more people, Embrey said they began to amass a network of contacts beyond the scope of simple yardwork.

Eventually, they had the ability to help with things like plumbing, roofing, HVAC and other skilled tasks that they couldn’t do themselves.

“I have a guy we can call if we have someone with a vehicle issue, I have a roofer, a concrete guy, an HVAC guy, a plumbing guy. We have someone we can call at a moment’s notice if a disabled veteran or an injured first responder comes to our attention in need,” he said.

“And most of the time those contractors don’t ever want to be named and they will come out and do it for free.”

Today, according to Maddox, the majority of Mission Overwatch’s clients come from referrals via the group’s Facebook page. He said that the number of people they help varies from month to month, but every week, without fail, they are out cutting grass in the community.

“It’s a type of relaxation for me,” Maddox said. “It’s something that we enjoy doing, giving back.”

If you are a disabled veteran or injured first responder or know of someone that needs help, Mission Overwatch can be reached on Facebook or by visiting their website, missionoverwatch.org.

“It’s awesome to help them. It’s not about me and Troy, it’s about doing God’s work and going out to help people and showing them the respect they deserve.”

— Stephen Maddox, co-founder of Mission Overwatch

November 2019 | 400 LIFE | 5

‘Litter Free Forsyth County’ KFCB committed to keeping community clean, beautiful Story by Kelly Whitmire

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hen it comes to nature and the outdoors, Forsyth County has a lot to offer in terms of trails, hiking and enjoying waterways like Lake Lanier and the Chattahoochee and Etowah rivers.

But while many spend their free days enjoying those amenities, a large group of volunteers commit their time to making sure those public areas stay clean and beautiful.

For the last 25 years, Keep Forsyth County Beautiful, an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, has made its mission to clean up the local community through a plethora of programming, many times done in conjunction with other organizations, such as AdoptA-Stream, the Great American Cleanup, Shore Sweep, a Gold Schools program with the local school system and a frog monitoring program, just to name a few.

Tammy Wright, manager of environmental programs for Forsyth County’s Recycling & Solid Waste Department, said over the last twoand-a-half decades, a lot of things have changed, but the mission is still the same.

“We’re focused on the same four basic categories because that’s what an affiliate does. In order to be a Keep America Beautiful affiliate, your categories are waste reduction and recycling, beautification and greening and litter, and here in the state of Georgia we have a fourth, which is water quality,” Wright said.

“Those are constant and always will be, because it determines what an affiliate is, but what has changed under that is the various programs that we do in those areas.”

For example, Wright said in the first year of the Great American Cleanup in 1999, a national roadside cleanup held by Keep America Beautiful, the local group “did good to have 25 people on a Saturday morning.”

“Now, our Great American Cleanups [have] 350, 400 volunteers.

We’ve even had as many as 500 volunteers show up on a Saturday morning to go out and clean up roads,” she said. “So we have those core programs, but I guess we just found different incentives and different ways to market to get more people involved and try to keep up with the changing of the times, trying to stay relevant with the younger generations.”

Keeping up with changing times means hosting events that might not have been needed in 1995, such as electronic recycling events,

which have gotten big responses from the community.

“It’s kind of overwhelming when you look at the numbers of electronics that we’ve collected over the years, and the fact that there’s so much more out there,” Wright said.

It should come as no surprise that it doesn’t take years for electronic devices like phones and tablets, which normally only have an active life of a couple of years, to pile up.

With the hazardous waste recycling events bringing in lines of people, Wright said the group has looked at a center for hard to recycle materials, or CHARM, as a future undertaking, meaning locals could drop off without having to wait for a special event.

Along with more convenience centers for locals to drop waste, letting people know the impact of items in their homes is another component to future plans.

“That is really something over the next few years that we want to focus on, because if we can educate people on not creating all of this waste to begin with, then it makes these events run a lot better,” Wright said. “There’s always going to be waste, but educating people, keeping the numbers down, giving them alternatives … we are really going to try to ramp up our education and outreach over the next few years Going into 2020, Wright said KFCB will localize a push from Keep Georgia Beautiful, which she said had some pretty high goals and would, hopefully, lead to a change in how locals think about litter.

“Our goal, our slogan for that campaign is going to be ‘Litter Free Forsyth County,’” Wright said. “We literally want to get people thinking that way, just imagine, what would our county be like if there was no litter on the road, if there was not litter in our parks, if there was no litter anywhere?”

I think our whole goal is to get people thinking in that mindset because if people think in that mindset, they might start having a passion of that vision, of what that might look like.

For more information, visit keepforsythcountybeautiful.org, email KFCB@forsythco.com or call (770) 205-4573.

Family Farm to Table

The Schusters channel chicken to create community Story by Jennifer Colosimo | Photos by Ben Hendren

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ormal weeknight family routines may include TV, playing in the cul-de-sac and (most likely) eating dinner-onthe-run between practices and play dates. But for the Schusters, life looks a little different.

This family of fives’ afterschool activities include handson time with chickens and turkeys on their farm and family dinner eaten together. When you’re working to raise the chicken you’re all eating for dinner, the importance of sharing that meal starts to inspire some pretty deep life lessons that this family wants to share with others.

It all started in Maryland, where James and Maggie Schuster met and married and put down roots in poultry farm8 | 400 LIFE | November 2019

James and Maggie Schuster own Sawnee Acres farm in Cumming. They run it with the help of their three children, Levi, 6, Maeve who is 5, and Tristan, 2.

“We hope to model and pass on to our children a respect for animals and a healthy awareness of where their food comes from, including team work, hard work, and never giving up on your dreams.”

Maggie Schuster, owner of Sawnee Acres farm ing. James had been in the industry since he was 7 years old, and Maggie was happy to soak up every bit of knowledge she could, adding community education to her teaching repertoire.

The couple made the move to Cumming in 2017, ready to bring a greater supply of turkey farms to the southeast. The original plan was a small batch of chickens and turkeys, but that changed when they received an opportunity to lease the barn and acreage right across the street.

They transformed the old chicken barn into their current turkey barn, and Sawnee Acres was born.

On their own 2.5 acres and the surrounding 25, they raise free-range turkeys at the barn where they have the freedom to go outside during the day and be protected from predators in the barn at night. In addition, the Schusters raise pastured chickens in the spring, summer and fall (some for meat, and others for eggs). Pastured means they’re grass-fed 24 hours a day, kept in a large movable chicken coop (built by James, himself!) and moved 1-2 times per day so that they are ensured fresh grass.

What does this mean for dinnertime’s staple entrée?

“Our products are farm fresh because they are locally raised by our family, fed naturally on grass (we feed our chickens non-GMO, non-soy feed) and ethically and humanely raised,” said Maggie. “We definitely see a difference in the health of our chickens as well as the fresh taste they provide by being on grass, where they belong. Our chickens and turkeys are loved from the moment we pick them up at the post office as little chicks until they are sent to process. We believe that our food is the freshest and healthiest you can get beside raising your own.”

Other healthy benefits include 21% less fat than conventional chicken, 30% less saturated fat (a result of being outside running around all day), 50% more Vitamin A compared to conventionally-raised broilers and three times more Omega 3, because they have a species-appropriate diet (they aren’t vegetarians) and a good life outside.

Another big difference is the installation of family dinner as part of the farm-to-table process — a tradition both James and Maggie wanted to carry on from their own childhoods.

“When we started our family, we agreed that we would do our best to eat dinner as a family together, with no electronics or toys at the table,” said Maggie. “Having three kids in four years made it tough to keep this up; however, we persevered and do our best to do it every day. We hope

Continued on Page 10

James Schuster helps son Levi with the feed for the turkeys.

November 2019 | 400 LIFE | 9

that the chickens and turkeys we raise for other families will bless them with time together around the table.

“It is a process to cook a (whole) bird. When you know where your food comes from, you appreciate those who raised it and the method in which it was raised. That will hopefully encourage those who prepare it to honor the process by sharing it around the table with loved ones.”

And on this farm, dinner isn’t the only thing the whole family does together. Levi (6) is the chief turkey herder, Maeve (5) is the official “vet” and Tristan “Teddy” (2) is hands-down, the boss.

They share jobs like checking for eggs, scooping feed, filling waterers and loving on the chickens and turkeys — especially when there are new chicks in to hold and snuggle. As a family, they’re responsible for checking on the birds every single day, and several times a day.

“We hope to model and pass on to our children a respect for animals and a healthy awareness of where their food comes from,

including team work, hard work, and never giving up on your dreams,” said Maggie. “We hope to share with others our experience of working toward a goal together and not giving up even when sometimes things do not work out as you plan. Sawnee Acres took years to plan and work toward, and we feel so grateful to have this opportunity to serve our community with healthy food from our poultry and eggs.”

You can buy those poultry and eggs on-site at the farm when they’re in stock, at the Alpharetta Farmer’s Market or online, and they’re taking deposits for Thanksgiving turkeys now (don’t miss their holiday photo ops on pick-up day).

But their ultimate goal is more land. More land would mean more poultry, and more poultry sales opens doors for the chance to bring more people to the farm and teach them about where their food comes from. And that means more opportunity to inspire a greater community through the connection eating chicken creates. After all, for most of us, it’s what’s for dinner.

Maggie Schuster with children, Maeve, Levi and Tristan at Sawnee Acres.

10 | 400 LIFE | November 2019

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The Elf Squad to the rescue Holiday House allows families to shop for their own Christmas gifts Story by J.K. Devine | Photos by Brian Paglia

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hile Santa and his helpers aim to spread Christmas cheer throughout the world, one entity in Forsyth County brings the holiday tradition to the working poor.

In its fifth year, The Place of Forsyth will produce its annual Holiday House. Hosted by Freedom Tabernacle Church in Cumming, Holiday House is a Christmas shopping experience for families who are 200 percent above the poverty level, said Joni Smith, president and chief executive office of The Place of Forsyth.

“These are parents who could work in our schools and grocery stores,” she said, explaining many parents worry about finding the extra funds to buy Christmas presents. “Holiday House eliminates that stress by providing a place for parents to select gifts for their children with dignity.”

Heading up Holiday House is Naomi Byrne, youth programs coordinator for The Place of Forsyth, and a dedicated committee described as The Elf Squad. Byrne said she looks forward to coordinating the effort every year.

“It’s my favorite time of year,” she said, explaining the volunteer effort has become a family tradition for her, her husband and her two sons. “My boys come home from college and they help. And my husband helps, too.”

Having helpers is essential to implementing Holiday House since it takes months of planning. More than 700

Holiday House — The place of Forsyth When: Dec. 16-19 Where: Freedom Tabernacle Church, 2160 Freedom Parkway, Cumming Phone: 770-887-1098 Email: HolidayHouse@theplaceofforsyth.org Website: theplaceofforsyth.org/holidayhouse 12 | 400 LIFE | November 2019

“When we think of poverty, we think of people on the street who are begging or living in a shelter. We don’t think of the people checking us out at big-box stores or serving us at our favorite restaurant. But that’s who is here.”

— Joni Smith, president and chief executive office of The Place of Forsyth volunteers create the retail-size store complete with holiday music, decorations and the selections of gifts.

Planning begins in October when families register for Holiday House. To qualify, families provide their income and documents of residency. Once approved, they are given a specific day and time to shop.

On the first qualification day, 117 families registered, Smith said. Last year, Holiday House provided gifts to more than 2,000 children. Smith expects the number to increase to 2,500.

In October, The Place of Forsyth reaches out to churches, businesses, schools and individuals to buy or collect toys for Holiday House. Local elementary schools are enlisted to wrap large donation boxes, which are spread throughout the county.

Hundreds of volunteers are enlisted to help with the pre-planning, actual event days and post-event for cleanup and inventory. Volunteers may sign up online through The Place of Forsyth’s website, which allows them to select a time, date and function. Volunteer categories include set up and toy pickup, snack drop off for the waiting and volunteer rooms, or event positions as greeters, personal shoppers, stockers and room attendants.

A four-year volunteer veteran, Wendy Goodrow has done it all, and one job stands out.

“My favorite part is being the greeter and telling people how it works,” said Goodrow, who serves on the board of directors for The Place of Forsyth. “And I love taking volunteers to their positions and explaining how it works.”

All volunteers for Holiday House are trained before the event, leading to a smooth-run operation.

“And we decorate it from top to bottom to look like Christmas,” Byrne said. “We even play music.”

The difference between a traditional retail store and Holiday House are clients use points instead of money to pick toys and personal shoppers assist clients.

“One person tallies the points for each gift, and another collects the toys and places them inside a large bag,” Smith said. “The bag is put into their car or Uber or taxi, so children don’t see the toys selected. Now they can go home and hide the gifts and wrap them for their children.”

Organizations and individuals set up toy drives or purchase their own and donate them to Holiday House. In recent years, a wish list was established on Amazon to allow donors to purchase gifts online and have it shipped to The Place, Byrne said.

Once donations arrive, volunteers inventory every item.

“We had about 30,000 different items last year,” Smith said.

“We keep them all in a spreadsheet. It helps us to know what comes in and what goes out. The Place is an excellent steward of all donations.”

The inventory list helps volunteers organize the gifts into their separate rooms based on children’s ages and genders. For example, one room will be designated for elementary school boys and another for girls.

“The teen room always needs a little extra, though,” Byrne said.

“It’s always hard to find the right gift for them.”

Gift cards in increments of $25 seem to work well. It allows teens to select their preferred gift.

Holiday House accepts gaming systems and gently used bicycles, both in good condition, Byrne said.

The Place of Forsyth hosts an Open House to showcase the community’s efforts. This year, it’s Friday, Dec. 13.

“Without the community, we could not do this,” Byrne said.

Finally from Dec. 16-19, Holiday House opens its door to let the Christmas tradition begin. It is there that the volunteers see the face of poverty, Smith said.

“When we think of poverty, we think of people on the street who are begging or living in a shelter,” Smith said. “We don’t think of the people checking us out at big-box stores or serving us at our favorite restaurant. But that’s who is here. So when I see that light bulb turn on for our volunteers, it affected me deeply. I see a life changing experience for the volunteers.”

For Woodrow and Byrne, they see the difference they make for the clients. Woodrow said she can imagine children of the clients bounding down stairs and into family rooms to see the presents under the tree.

Byrne agreed.

“It’s a wonderful feeling to wake up and realize all of the families are experiencing that joy on Christmas morning because of Holiday House,” she said.

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400 homes Keller Williams Community Partners

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Keller Williams Community Partners teaching its agents to think like CEOs

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hat do you get when you combine the leadership principles of John C. Maxwell with the real estate systems of Gary Keller?

Keller Williams Community Partners.

The local realty office, at 540 Lake Center Parkway in Cumming, is undergoing a transformation after 15 years in the community by creating a development center for real estate agents that provides culture, training, solutions and support to lift the lid in their personal growth and business.

Maxwell and Keller are two of the most influential figures in their fields. Maxwell is a former small-town pastor who became a No. 1 New York Timesbestselling author and one of the world’s foremost experts on leadership. Keller became a bestselling author himself after he started Keller Williams Realty in 1983 and grew it into the largest real estate franchising company in the country.

Continued on Page 16

Ahndea May, left, team leader and CEO at Keller Williams Community Partners, was mentored by Dr. John C. Maxwell, one of the world’s foremost experts on leadership. May joined KWCP to help implement Maxwell’s leadership principles with the company’s more than 240 agents.

November 2019 | 400 LIFE | 15

Ahndea May has an understanding of both worlds.

May grew up outside the Chicago area and moved to the Atlanta area to work for Maxwell when she was 20 years old. She was hired because of her inherent leadership traits on the DISC personality test, and while at Maxwell’s company she absorbed his primary maxim: “Everything rises and falls on leadership.”

May was recently called a “mini-John Maxwell” by Dr. John Maxwell himself, and when asked how he would choose a realtor to sell his home he said, “First, I would ask if they were being coached by Ahndea May.” Over the 20 years May has been developed through Maxwell’s leadership, May learned the importance of understanding how people are wired and using that knowledge to put people in positions to succeed. May eventually started her own company that coaches entrepreneurs on leadership and brand development.

One of May’s clients was an Atlanta-area real estate team whose leader knew KWCP operating partner Jacqueline Arthur.

They recommended that Arthur bring May onboard. The Forsyth County resident joined the group this past spring as a team leader and CEO. May immediately got to work establishing KWCP’s development center.

First, she created a leadership academy based on Maxwell’s principles, particularly through his coaching methods.

“People get confused: ‘Why am I not doing well?’ My first question is, ‘What is it within yourself that is the gap? What’s the block?’” May says. “It’s finding those inhibitors, those blocks, and creating a plan around that with systems and solutions to

16 | 400 LIFE | November 2019

break through those ceilings and ultimately get you to that next level in your business.”

May adds, “If you’re going to grow your business, you’re going to have to grow yourself.”

New agents enter a “road map to success program” including fundamentals, business planning, mentorship and continued productivity coaching. They’re also provided with daily training on subjects such as technology, branding, social media, marketing and understanding market trends based on Keller’s real estate systems and models.

All of which is helping KWCP spark a paradigm shift for its more than 240 agents. Historically, the role of a real estate agent has largely been subsidiary to his/her company; an agent’s success depended on the reputation of the company he/she worked for. Instead, Keller Williams encourages agents to have their own identity, May says, which made KWCP the perfect place to bring in Maxwell’s leadership principles.

“We’re creating a new conversation in real estate in that we are training our agents to think like CEOs,” May says.

And the best CEOs connect with their local community. KWCP has embedded itself in Forsyth County since it opened in 2004.

KWCP believes all the pieces are now in place to give new and highly-experienced agents a roadmap to new levels of personal success, and in doing so lift the local office to new heights.

“My goal is to bring all of our KWCP agents to a new level, solely because we’re developing people and intentionally designing their lives around their BIG WHY through the power of entrepreneurship, leadership and real estate,” May says.

We are excited to announce a transformation here at the Keller Williams Realty Community Partners office located at 540 Lake Center Parkway. With our doors opening in December 2004, our belief is that real estate is a local business driven by individual agents and their presence within their communities.

After 15 years of service we felt it was time for a complete remodel on our Market Center. Our goal was to offer a collaborative work space for our agents and their clients offering a brand new work center with computers, and a technology driven development and training center.

In May our agents came together with local families and businesses to participate in our annual 5K Red Race. This past Tuesday we celebrated by giving a check for $15,000 to the Bald Ridge Boys Lodge as well as $5,000 to the Reading Education Association of Dawson County.

The KWCP Market Center has become home to over 240 agents and we would like to invite you into our family. We believe mindset matters and If you don’t decide what you want to be known for someone else will. “KWCP is to be a development center for agents providing culture, training, solutions and support to lift the lid in their personal growth and business.“

540 Lake Center Pkwy, Ste 201 Cumming, GA 30040 (678) 341-7400

400 health

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Bliss Mama Offering healing services for women across the community

midst the everyday stress of motherhood, pregnancy and chronic pain, women of all ages and backgrounds experience the daily struggles of life. Representing the “peaceful center of every woman,” Bliss Mama Wellness strives to address women’s daily stressors through therapeutic massages, skincare treatments and lifestyle counseling.

Jennessa Sabella, founder of Bliss Mama and advocate for natural, balanced lifestyles, believes that her job as a massage therapist is to use the spa’s calming atmosphere with her massage technique to maximize customer satisfaction.

As Bliss Mama’s third anniversary passes, Sabella expresses her passion and gratefulness for their progress. “It’s not just a spa service,” she says. “It’s really an honor to get to serve these women and to do so by providing the most relaxing experience we can.”

The business recently renewed its lease for three more years, and hope they can sustain in their cozy office as the customer base continues to grow.

Many massage therapists have different beliefs on what makes the most effective massage.

Some prefer gentle touches while others opt to perform deep tissue.

“My theory is that you need both. We’re a whole person, not just a physical body. You want to address the deeper tissue issues and nourish the senses so that the customer is nice and calm,” Sabella says.

According to Sabella and her staff, massages hold tremendous healing power, not just physically, but also mentally.

“Many of the women we treat are dealing with severe cases of 18 | 400 LIFE | November 2019

anxiety and depression, even domestic abuse. We work with local charities in the county to bring our services to those who really need it.”

In addition to the emphasis that Bliss Mama places on emotional wellbeing, its most popular services, pregnancy and fertility massages, demand that they normalize body conditions and cycles to create bodily balance that makes conceiving more likely and pregnancy more pleasant.

Bliss Mama’s skincare services are plentiful, and use products that are safe for pregnant and menopausal women. The holistic, custom made formulations are free of parabens, hormone disruptors and other toxins that are found in many of today’s skincare products.

Procedures include the Hydroderm facial, which is like “irrigation for the pores,” microdermabrasion, which sloughs off the top layer of dead skin cells, and microcurrent, a quick face lifting procedure.

Bliss Mama is also excited to introduce their express manicure and pedicure services in the near future, which don’t use any water that could lead to potential cross contamination. The holistic nail polishes that they use are also formaldehyde free, making manicures safe for pregnant women.

“All of us are so passionate about what we do here. Our goal, really, is to please, and knowing that we’re helping so many through our service fulfills our sense of purpose.”

Find out more about Bliss Mama Wellness blissmama.com.

— Story by Diya Mohan

massage, facials, spa services, natural manicure and pedicures Printable gift certificates available online at BlissMama.com

HOLISTIC HEALING FOR WOMEN

110 Samaritan Dr. • Suite 202 • Cumming, GA 30040 • (770) 722-2711

400 reads

with

Becky Cahill Here are a few books you ladies might want to curl up with under a comfy blanket.

G

iving back to those around you is an important part of maintaining strong relationships. The gesture you choose doesn’t have to be a big one — it can be as simple as passing on the right book.

SHORT ESSAY COLLECTIONS FOR THE READERS IN YOUR LIFE I’d Rather Be Reading by Anne Bogel is a set of essays that examines the challenges of the reading life in the modern world.

Bogel tells stories in which readers can recognize themselves, from reading under the covers with a flashlight to the catastrophe of your library holds all coming in at the same time.

Southern Lady Code by Helen Ellis is a series of personal and satirical essays examining Ellis’s life, as well as situations faced by women. She subscribes to the long-held Southern tradition, “If you don’t have something nice to say, you say something not so nice in a nice way.”

As a Northern transplant myself, this book made me think of the years it took for me to understand the multitude of meanings when someone says: “Bless your heart.”

BOOKS FOR MOMS AND WOMEN OVER 35 I Miss You When I Blink by Mary Laura Philpott examines the choices the author faces as a woman who seemingly has everything but is still struggling. Philpott shines a light on the common practice of losing sight of who you are when you are responsible for supporting so many other people. Philpott shares the decisions she made to ensure that she maintains her identity within her family, profession, and community.

Why We Can’t Sleep: Women’s New Midlife Crisis by Ada Calhoun (publish date January 2020) is a research-based examination of the life trajectories of women from Generation X (born 1965-1980). These women are the first to deal with new expectations due to the great strides achieved by women of earlier generations, as Calhoun states, “The belief that girls could do anything morphed into a directive that they must do everything.” This book examines the everincreasing demands that Gen X women are facing and delves into these various areas of responsibility (children, aging parents, financial demands, career aspirations, and physical changes).

NON-FICTION FOR FRIENDS DEALING WITH GRIEF AND SELF-DISCOVERY No Happy Endings by Nora McInerny is a memoir about the uncertainty of life and dealing with grief. McInerny became a widow in her 30s and believes that life doesn’t have happy endings, just endings and beginnings. Her path was unexpected, but pushed her to start a foundation, find love again, and form a unique family. She deals with her grief openly, has formed the Hot Widows Club for women and men who find themselves in this difficult situation, and hosts a podcast called “Terrible, Thanks for Asking.”

Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb is a look at therapy from both sides of the couch. The author is in therapy to deal with her recent break-up, but she is also a practicing therapist working with her own patients. Gottlieb’s honest look at dealing with the crises of life shows us that we are more alike than we are different.

Becky Cahill is a career educator and an avid reader. She reads extensively in her free time and tracks her favorites (and those that aren’t even close) on her blog at tobereadlist.home.blog. Becky is the host of ‘Read It or Leave It!’ a weekly reading podcast available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

20 | 400 LIFE | November 2019

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400faces

andy Morrison Hopewell Roofing & Restoration

Andy Morrison’s roofing company, Hopewell Roofing & Restoration, was doing great when a friend in the industry asked him for a favor about six years ago.

His daughter had special needs and worked at Special Kneads and Treats, a bakery in Lawrenceville that employs people with special needs. Their roof was in bad shape, and Morrison’s friend wondered if he could help. Morrison liked the organization’s mission, but he was initially unsure of how to pull off the project.

So Morrison came up with a plan: If he could find companies to donate the materials, he would donate the labor. He called CRS Roofing Materials; they were in. He called Lookout Dumpsters; they were in, too.

Soon enough, the bakery had a brand-new roof, and Morrison had the blueprint for what is now “Roof of Hope,” an annual project to provide a new roof for a local person or family in need who couldn’t otherwise afford it. The company has completed five such projects at the same time that it’s continued to grow its own business and reputation in Forsyth County.

We talked with Morrison about his love of Coastal Oregon, his obsession with shellfish and how more companies could replicate the “Roof of Hope.”

What’s your favorite kind of music?

“I’m a really big fan nowadays of anything Chris Thule does, like Punch Brothers. He does everything from Bach sonnets, he does covers of White Stripes songs. Punch Brothers just completely reinvented the wheel of acoustic music.”

What’s your favorite vacation spot?

“Telluride Bluegrass Festival [in Colorado] once a year; hands down. But we love Coastal Oregon. It’s great. Cannon Beach is awesome. If you’ve seen “The Goonies,” that was filmed there.”

What’s your favorite food?

“I have gone on a complete and total shellfish bender the last seven years. I will seek out a restaurant just because one of the options is a chilled shellfish tower.

If I see that on a menu, I will drive hours across town.”

How do you deal with the stress of owning your own business?

“We try to make humor of everything. We try to keep it funny. It’s a stressful job, and we don’t get to choose the kind of people we deal with. We get to deal with rich, poor, happy, sad, crazy, sane, drunk, sober — you name it, we deal with all of them, and it can be very trying at times.”

Why is “roof of Hope” so important to Hopewell?

“I genuinely want to do it. If I could find every person in Forsyth County that genuinely needed our help, you’d better believe I’d make a list of them and go through it systematically and knock it out.”

— Story and photo by Brian Paglia 22 | 400 LIFE | November 2019

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