July Trends

T RE N DS

Vol. 39 • No. 4 • July 2026

Nonprofits find opportunities at GMA They say being part of GMA allows them to build relationships, access professional development and share their mission.

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ake-A-Wish Central NC has been around since 1985. But the chapter, whose service area includes the Triad, only joined the Guilford Merchants Association about two years ago.

Like other nonprofits, Make-A-Wish (https://wish. org/nc) has found that being a GMA member provides a range of benefits — from building relationships to providing professional development to allowing them to share their mission.

A relationship MakeA-Wish formed at a GMA event led to a special day for 10 local children and their families at a Greensboro Gargoyles hockey game in March. The Make-A-Wish alumni — critically ill children who have already

received a wish — were able to attend a game, meet players in the locker room and go out on the ice. They also held a “wish reveal,” where a young girl learned at the game that her wish to go to Disney World had been granted.

“The Rosa Jr. whole stadium was clapping for her, and it was just a really sweet moment,” said Gracie Neese, Triad development and operations specialist for Make-A-Wish Central NC. James Rosa Jr., executive director of the Rosa Foundation (www.rosa-foundation.

Photo courtesy of Greensboro Gargoyles Landon Graham, 9, of Kernersville, meets Greensboro Gargoyles players in the locker room. The ice hockey team partnered with Make-A-Wish Central NC to grant the wishes of 10 children at the team’s March 15 game.

com), has lined up two sponsorships in the year that he has been a member.

Rosa said that Michelle Bolick, GMA’s vice president, is always introducing him to people at events. It might take time to make

L OO K I N SI DE

those connections, he said.

Right now, he’s looking for sponsors for a September event called the Mixtape Experience Concert. It will raise money for his organization as well as the Out of the Garden Project. They’ll also

use that event to talk about men’s health.

His advice to nonprofits: “Don’t give up. Keep moving forward. Keep talking to people.”

Making connections Continues on page 5

A light lunch

Participation............ 2 RISERS.................... 3

225 Commerce Place Greensboro, NC 27401

Cinco de Mingle....... 4

An advertising supplement to The Business Journal

Business Success...... 4 Networking.............. 6 New Member........... 7 Trends is a publication of the Guilford Merchants Association.

Elizabeth McKenzie, The Community Resource (guest) (left); Amy Pagano, Grapes and Grains Tavern (center) and Stacy Earl, How2GETALONG (right) enjoy a sunny lunch for the June 3 Meet & Eat at Grapes and Grains Tavern. More photos on Page 6.

Trends – Published for members of the Guilford Merchants Association

GMA involvement leads to opportunities, member says ‘You just don’t realize until you get involved how much it can help you,’ said Grapes and Grains co-owner Amy Pagano.

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eing involved in the Guilford Merchants Association has paid off in multiple ways for Amy Pagano, co-owner of Grapes and Grains Tavern.

Pagano joined GMA about a year ago. Her tavern, which is in a renovated section of Revolution Mill off Yanceyville Street in Greensboro, has hosted several events for GMA. While that has given her an opportunity to mingle with other members, Pagano has also participated in other GMA events, including networking opportunities that aren’t at her business. She also attended the Annual Dinner, which this year featured Tim Tebow, a former football player who segued into sports broadcasting, public speaking and entrepreneurship.

One of the partnerships she’s made has been with the nonprofit Servant Center, another GMA member. Grapes and Grains has been holding events to raise money for the Servant Center to help homeless military veterans.

Rusty Collins, her fiance and co-owner of Grapes and Grains, is a veteran.

There are events planned for July

PARTICIPATION

= SUCCESS 10, Sept. 11 and Nov. 13.

Pagano said fellow GMA member Gene Dolan of Culinary Visions — another connection she made through GMA — is making the food for the July fundraiser.

“It’s a great collaboration,” Pagano said. “It’s a great opportunity to really be doing something profound in the Greensboro area for our homeless veterans.”

Pagano met John Wing, director of development for the Servant Center, at the Annual Dinner. A woman sitting at her table at the dinner ended up bringing her band to play at Grapes and Grains.

“It was just really great to meet all of these people,” Pagano said.

She also met Terry Rose of Fibrenew through GMA. He not only sponsored a VIP bourbon club at Grapes and Grains, he also helped restore the leather stools at the bar.

Pagano’s path to becoming a bar owner in Greensboro was long and winding. She had previous experience in the industry when she was living in Buffalo, New York. When she moved to North Carolina, she worked as a special needs teacher,

President & CEO

G. Mark Prince

Vice President

Michelle Bolick

Membership Development

Sharon Smith

Program/Events Manager

Stacey Speight

Administrative Assistant

Melinda Thomas

Operations Assistant

Timera Poteat

TRENDS is published for the members of the Guilford Merchants Association.

Publication Coordinator – Michelle Bolick Phone (336) 378-6350 225 Commerce Place, Greensboro, N.C. 27401 www.mygma.org The Guilford Merchants Association is a nonprofit organization founded in 1906.

The Association is a business membership organization focused on supporting member companies with educational programming, lead generation activities, marketing opportunities, and overall enrichment while serving as a catalyst for community growth and prosperity.

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Above: Phyllis Dougherty, First Horizon Bank (left); Robin Ratley, First Horizon Bank (center); and Sharon Smith, GMA (right), pose for a photo at Grapes and Grains Tavern, which hosted GMA’s June 3 Meet & Eat. At right: Lisa Pagano and Rusty Collins are co-owners of Grapes and Grains.

Pagano joined GMA about a year ago, and the bar has hosted several GMA events since then.

Photo courtesy of Amy Pagano curriculum facilitator and school principal. Then she was recruited by a health care center, where she organized their educational and enrichment programs. That led to a stint running a health facility in Tennessee.

She returned to North Carolina to sell printer systems to educators.

Revolution Mills was in her service area. When she saw the empty bar, something clicked. She signed a lease the next day, and Grapes and Grains was born.

That was about two years ago.

Since then, Pagano and Collins have been building the business. Making connections through GMA has helped.

GMA member Derrick Brady of RB Media Productions has been friends with Collins’ family for decades. He suggested they join GMA, Pagano said.

Pagano said she always promotes GMA when she is out in the commu-

nity. She tells people that the price of membership is worth it.

“I always tell new people it’s very inexpensive if you plug in and participate in the things they have going for your business,” she said.

“You just don’t realize until you get involved how much it can help you.”

Since joining, GMA has been really responsive, including sharing information about events at Grapes and Grains, she said. Little things like that matter for small businesses, she said.

“That’s what I just love about GMA,” she said. “They actually want the businesses to thrive, and work with you as a business partner to get your business out there.”

Amy Pagano Grapes and Grains Tavern https://grapesandgrainstavern.com paganoamy1@gmail.com 336-601-9292

Trends – Published for members of the Guilford Merchants Association

Name: Kris McCord Hometown: Greensboro, N.C. Residence: Greensboro, N.C. Age: 28 Education: B.S. in business administration with a concentration in supply chain management from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (Class of 2021) Business: The Salem Green Group at Morgan Stanley Role/Title: Financial adviser and financial planning specialist Responsibilities: My role centers around building long-term relationships with families and business owners, helping them navigate important financial decisions. We provide guidance on comprehensive financial planning, investment management, and risk management to help our clients make informed decisions that align their finances with their shortand long-term goals.

On GMA: I was introduced to GMA by my father, and I quickly saw why he spoke so highly of it. The group has a very collaborative and supportive environment with genuinely strong relationships. It’s been a great way to connect with other professionals, build meaningful relationships, and be part of a network that truly supports one another.

On GMA benefits: One of the biggest benefits of GMA is how intentionally it creates opportunities to connect.

I’ve especially enjoyed the “sticker game” at events. It’s a great way to meet new people at events and start conversations you might not have otherwise. It really reflects how the group is designed to be both engaging and inclusive. I’ve also enjoyed being part of the Risers group. It’s a great

opportunity for young professionals to connect and build strong relationships.

On Risers: I joined Risers to connect with other young professionals in the GMA network. It’s been a great way to engage more intentionally with peers who are also growing their careers and businesses. One of the biggest benefits has been the ability to build relationships in a smaller, more focused setting, where there’s a real openness to share experiences, learn from one another, and build meaningful connections.

What piece of advice have you received that has helped you as a young professional?: At the GMA annual dinner, Tim Tebow spoke about the idea of “significance over success” and I think that goes hand in hand with a piece of advice I’ve always heard: be present. As a financial adviser, it can be easy to focus on outcomes or traditional measures of success, but I’ve found that when you slow down and stay engaged in the moment, it changes the quality of every conversation. Whether I’m working with clients or networking at GMA, being present helps create more meaningful interactions and stronger relationships.

Personal: I was born and raised in Greensboro, N.C. My wife Olivia and I have known each other just about our whole lives and have been together since 7th grade. We got married in September of 2024 and have really enjoyed this new chapter of our lives

together. We also have an Australian Labradoodle named Willow, who keeps us entertained and definitely thinks she runs the house. We both attended UNCW, starting in 2016, and after graduating enjoyed a few more years living life on the coast before moving back to Greensboro last summer to be closer to family and buy our first home together. When I’m not working, I enjoy spending time with Olivia and Willow, being with family, and playing golf whenever I can.

Here’s what’s coming up:

Kris McCord kris.mccord@morganstanley.com Office: 336-271-4357 Cell: 910-945-8049

July 15 — Risers Lunch Meet Up, 12:30-1:30 p.m., Taco Mama, 2168 Lawndale Drive, Greensboro. *Attendees responsible for their own checks.

Disclosures: Kris McCord is a financial adviser with the Global Wealth Management Division of Morgan Stanley in the Greensboro Branch.

The information contained in this article is not a solicitation to purchase or sell investments. Any information presented is general in nature and not intended to provide individually tailored investment advice. The strategies and/or investments referenced may not be appropriate for all investors as the appropriateness of a particular investment or strategy will depend on an investor’s individual circumstances and objectives.

Investing involves risks and there is always the potential of losing money when you invest. The views expressed herein are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect the views of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, Member SIPC, or its affiliates.

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC offers a wide array of brokerage and advisory services to its clients, each of which may create a different type of relationship with different obligations to you. Please visit us at http://www.morganstanleyindividual. com or consult with your financial adviser to understand these differences.

Upcoming events

July 16 — Digital Marketing Institute, noon-1:15 p.m., GMA, 225 Commerce Place, Greensboro.

“Quick Wins, Smart Moves: AI-Powered SEO Fixes” presented by Terry Power of TerryPower.com. Registration begins at 11:45 a.m. Lunch provided with registration.

July 22 — Member Orientation, noon-1 p.m., GMA, 225 Commerce Place, Greensboro. Registration begins at 11:45 a.m. Lunch provided with registration.

July 23 — Noontime Network, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Hilton Garden Inn (Airport), 238 NC 68, South Airport at Pai Park, Greensboro. Lunch provided with registration.

July 30 — GMA Night at the Grasshoppers. Pregame picnic is 5-6:30 p.m. in the GMA employee back parking lot. Game time is 6:30 p.m. Cost: $20, includes picnic voucher, game ticket and parking.

Order tickets by July 27.

Registration for events is required.

Register at www.mygma.org.

PARKING MADE EASY.

PTI’s new EasyPark service lets you book your spot in advance.

Reservations must be made a minimum of 24 hours in advance.

LEARN MORE

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Trends – Published for members of the Guilford Merchants Association

AI is answering your prospects’ questions. Is your business part of the answer?

BY ADRIENNE CREGAR JANDLER

I

f you’ve searched for something lately and the search engine gave you an AI‑written answer at the top of the page, you’ve experienced what your prospective clients are seeing. It’s now common to get a full AI answer Jandler without ever clicking through to a website; some people are skipping search engines entirely and going directly to AI tools like ChatGPT or Perplexity with their questions.

That shift fundamentally changes how your business gets discovered.

Showing up on page one of a search engine no longer guarantees a prospect sees you. The real question is: when someone asks “which providers should I consider for this?” are AI tools surfacing your expertise, or a competitor’s?

This is where Answer Engine Optimization, or AEO, becomes relevant.

AEO is the practice of structuring your content so AI tools can easily

single, definitive authority.

BUSINESS

SUCCESS

While there are best practices, anyone promising a guaranteed result is overselling certainty that doesn’t exist.

find, trust, and cite it when answering a question. You may also see this called GEO (Generative Engine Optimization), or just “AI SEO.” Regardless of the acronym (and fine distinctions between them), what matters is the underlying shift.

That uncertainty doesn’t mean you wait. It means you focus on fundamentals that help regardless of which system is reading your site.

What AEO adds SEO has always been about earning search engine ranking for your website so the right people click through.

That still matters. However, AEO adds a layer: structuring your content (clear answers, direct language, logical organization) so an AI tool can lift a fact or recommendation straight from your site for use in generating one of its answers.

Of course, not every AI tool works the same way. Google’s AI Overviews pull from its existing search index, so SEO efforts feed directly into it.

Standalone tools like ChatGPT work differently, and how much they draw from any one website versus general knowledge isn’t fully disclosed. At this point, no one has a confirmed formula for AI citations nor is there a

Practical steps you can take now • Turn real buying questions into clear content. Capture questions you hear in sales calls, RFPs, and onboarding, like timelines, pricing, implementation, and ROI, and answer them directly. Use the question as a heading and answer it plainly in the first sentence or two.

• Add FAQ sections, marked up with schema. Schema is behind-thescenes code that labels content for search engines (“this is a question,” “this is a price”). It’s proven to help traditional search and Google’s AI Overviews.

• Keep your business information consistent everywhere. Name, address, phone, hours,and services should match exactly across your website, social media, directories and review platforms.

• Break broad service pages into focused ones. Instead of one page

covering everything your company does, create a dedicated page for each of your products, services, and industries served, detailing what problem it solves, for whom, and what to do next.

• Build third-party proof. Keep directory and review profiles accurate, and look for chances to publish or get quoted elsewhere. AI tools weigh how often you’re mentioned credibly outside your own site, not just what you say about yourself.

The bottom line None of this requires becoming a technical expert. It requires knowing the real questions your best prospects ask, and answering them clearly and consistently everywhere your business shows up online. The fundamentals here were good practice before AI changed search, and they’ll likely remain good practice as AI continues to evolve.

Visibility hasn’t disappeared. It’s just being earned differently now, and the businesses that adapt early have the advantage.

Adrienne Cregar Jandler is president of Atlantic Webworks.

336-855-8572 www.atlanticwebworks.com

Cinco de Mingle Marriott GreensboroHigh Point Airport May 5, 2026

Alison Schwartz of All Pets Considered (left), and Chris Babcock, Carter Bank, smile for the camera at the Cinco de Mingle.

Nikki Corbett, Precise Creative (left) and Valerie DeFranco, Nailed it DIY Greensboro (center), get new stickers from Wendy Loftis, NorthGroup Real Estate (right), as part of the networking game at “Cinco de Mingle,” the After Work Network at the Marriott Greensboro-High Point Airport in Greensboro on May 5.

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GMA Vice President Michelle Bolick (left) and GMA Board Chair Anita Bachmann pose for a photo at the Cinco de Mingle.

Nonprofits Continued from page 1

and building relationships is just as important for a nonprofit as it is for a business, nonprofit leaders said.

John D. Wing, director of development for the Servant Center (www.theservantcenter.org), has taken part in GMA events as both a businessman and a Wing nonprofit leader.

“I haven’t found any other organization like GMA that really brings people together for engagement,” he said.

Wing said GMA lets him stay involved and share information about the Servant Center’s work with homeless veterans.

“If I didn’t do it, I think my level of engagement in the community would decline somewhat,” he said.

It is really critical for nonprofits to get their name out there, to build relationships and get referrals, said Dr. Kelly Graves, president/CEO and cofounder of Kellin Foundation (www. kellinfoundation.org).

The informal support that nonprofits get from their GMA memberships is also important, Graves said.

“It’s just that intangible, non-financial partnership piece that provides some oomph, some encouragement,” she said. “Because nonprofit work is really challenging.”

While nonprofits aren’t selling a product or service, they can trade something tangible with fellow GMA members — business referrals.

The American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org/about-us/local/ north-carolina.html) has made connections with GMA members to help during fundraisers, and has recommended those businesses to others, said Leah Schomaker, senior development manager.

For example, she’s encouraged several people looking for a caterer to use GMA member Gene Dolan’s Culinary Visions. Dolan recently catered

Trends – Published for members of the Guilford Merchants Association

an event for the American Cancer Society.

Nonprofits can help businesses in another way, by providing opportunities for people to volunteer and fulfill service hours.

“We’re there to help partner with them and see what works best for them, to see if there’s a way their employees might want to get involved,” Schomaker said.

In a 2024 survey by Deloitte, 87% of respondents said workplace volunteer opportunities would be a factor in whether to stay with an employer or pursue a new job.

A lot of businesses don’t know where to start when it comes to volunteer opportunities, said Lesley Hobbs, a small business coach who also serves as the development officer for the Children’s Hope Alliance (www. childrenshopealliance.org).

“By being able to introduce them to ways that they can be donors or advocates or volunteers, GMA has been really nice in that way, to make it feel less scary and easier to get involved and to share that with their em- Hobbs ployees, which helps morale and retention,” she said.

She’s part of BIZ-Links, one of GMA’s networking groups. The group is looking to help her nonprofit during the holidays by providing Christmas presents for all of the foster children in their program, Hobbs said.

“One of the best things GMA does is it gets people from all of these different walks of life — business leaders, educators, nonprofits — and puts us together at the table,” Hobbs said.

That allows for a lot of collaboration that might not happen otherwise, she said.

Employees of GMA’s nonprofit members can also participate in GMA events.

Graves said she always shares the upcoming training and other events with the staff she thinks will benefit the most.

Photo courtesy of Kellin Foundation Kellin Kids at the Kellin Cares Hands of Hope Holiday Gift drive event. Being a member of GMA helps the nonprofit get its name out in the community, which helps build relationships, said Dr. Kelly Graves, the organization’s president, CEO and co-founder.

“GMA offers so much,” she said.

That allows nonprofits to spread the opportunities around to different team members, Graves said.

Anne Morris, executive director of Dance Project (www.danceproject. org), said it’s tough to find professional development opportunities that feel affordable and accessible. GMA makes it easy to give employees a chance to learn something new.

She has attended Center City AM Briefings and found them quite Morris useful for knowing what is happening in the city. Employees have gone to several of the professional development workshops.

Employees at Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Central Piedmont (www.bbbscp.org), a longtime GMA member, have enjoyed training that has helped them both professionally Rivers and personally, said Executive Director Wendy Rivers.

“When times get tough, this is one membership we definitely don’t drop

Leah Schomaker, senior development manager, American Cancer Society, volunteers at GMA events.

because we get so much from it,” Rivers said.

GMA offers a great platform for people who want to be involved in the community, said Jennifer Lawson, senior market director for Make-A-Wish Central NC. “And then, if you show up and put your time in, you get the same back,” she said.

Showing up is just as important for nonprofits as businesses, nonprofit leaders said.

“Every single time we’ve gone to a GMA event, something positive has come out of that, whether that’s something tangible or just a connection made,” said Neese with Make-AWish.

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Trends – Published for members of the Guilford Merchants Association

Longtime CAN member reflects on group’s importance

O

ver nearly 30 years, Marty Heim has seen a lot of people come and go from Competitive Advantage Networking, or CAN, the Guilford Merchants Association’s oldest networking group.

There have been weddings and graduations, births and deaths. The group has weathered a lot together, including a pandemic that forced them to meet remotely, but couldn’t break their connection to each other.

“Being a part of this group, it’s rather remarkable,” Heim she said.

Heim’s Marty Designs provides web design and hosting, and digital marketing solutions, including community advertising and local business marketing.

She also produces the monthly SE Gazette, a community newspaper that reaches more than 60,000 people.

Money raised from the gazette goes back into the community to help chil-

dren and seniors, she said.

Heim started out in corporate America, working for big names like RJ Reynolds and Sarah Lee. “I knew what I didn’t want to do for the rest of my life — cater to brand managers,” she said.

That’s how Marty Designs was born.

Heim never misses a Friday CAN meeting, said GMA Vice President Michelle Bolick.

“Marty has been in the group the longest of any member. She is our goto. Whenever someone has a question or needs help, we always ask Marty,” Bolick said.

The group, which formed in 1994, is GMA’s oldest networking group and one of the first in Guilford County.

Heim tried another non-GMA networking group for a while but it just didn’t click for her like CAN did.

“You go through the highs and the lows together,” she said.

When the group began meeting remotely during the pandemic, many of them had never even heard of Zoom,

Member Orientation GMA welcomed new members and new employees of member companies at orientation on May 13. Seated from left: Kathy Cates, Triad Goodwill; Mark Podolle, Wireless Ventures; Adam Micheels, Brown Creative; Emily Purcell, Freeman’s Grub & Pub; De’Juan Scriven, OrangeBean AgingIn-Place; Jennifer Strickland, Acclaim FCU; Andy Kirkcaldy, US-Enhanced Personnel; and Michelle Bolick, GMA. Second row, from left: Brandon Shanahan, The Resource; Danny Pineda, Krave Kava Bar; Randall Ariail, Sam Howard Men’s Clothier; Kristin King, Schell Bray PLLC; Kim Hall, Kim Hall, CPA, PLLC; RJ Mehrer, Spare Time Entertainment; Amber Fair, The Carolina Signsmith; Kara Merritt, Acclaim FCU; Julie Howe, Carolina Digital Phone and Brandon Williams, Bank of America/ Merrill.

Third row, from left: Jason Cox, 336 Cyber LLC; Rob Causey, NC Farm Bureau Insurance; James Vetter, Organize with Jess; Antonio Williamson, Krave Kava Bar; Jordan Browning, Krave Kava Bar; Greyson Rooks, Krave Kava Bar; Bruce Bradford (guest), PNC Bank; Chad Stafford, First Horizon and Rick Davis, Krave Kava Bar. 6

Heim said. Soon, they were online collaborating, talking about what the next steps would be for businesses.

“After the initial year, we started meeting in [members’] parking lots.

Everybody brought their lawn chairs, kept their distance.”

They used their collective brain power to chart a path through the pandemic and support each other while figuring out how to navigate federal pandemic loans and find needed supplies. Back then, nobody could get hand cleaner, she recalled. One member who has a cleaning business would bring a trunk full of wipes, hand gel and other supplies that CAN members bought at the end of their weekly meetings.

Meeting consistently is important, Heim said.

“If you don’t meet once a week, you will knock your head against the wall when you come across things that you could have handled with someone in the group that you trust,” she said.

Her advice to new CAN members: reach out to other members to get

questions answered.

“It’s like a golden nugget every time you talk to someone in the group,” she said.

When the hot water tank in her home broke, she knew who to call, Heim said.

She said the group is really strong right now, with some new people, new energy and ideas and new tools and technology at their fingertips.

“We’ve gotten new members, we’ve maintained members, but they may have changed who they send, so it brings new energies,” she said. “Thats always fun.”

She loves watching new members flourish. She sends notecards to congratulate them when they give a good presentation to the group, or to share suggestions.

“The CAN group is always there.

It’s constant,” she said. “When you don’t attend, there’s a void and it messes up your step.”

Marty (Martha) Heim 336-674-9399 marty@martydesigns.com

Trends – Published for members of the Guilford Merchants Association

Freeman’s Grub and Pub owner touts GMA’s benefits, support GMA has ‘definitely opened my networking opportunities,’ co-owner of restaurant says

E

mily Purcell started 2026 with a goal to network more and to really get the name of Freeman’s Grub and Pub out in the community more.

Her friend and financial adviser, Kristin Kling with Northwestern Mutual, recommended joining the Guilford Merchants Association.

One of Purcell’s favorite parts so far has been member orientation, where new members learn about GMA and get a chance to network right away. Participants got “hyped up to be a part of GMA” and exchanged business cards at her orientation, she said.

“You could just feel the energy in the room,” Purcell said.

She’s also participated in a luncheon with Risers, GMA’s young professionals group, and other networking events.

“I’m basically just looking at the calendar and any of the events that I can go to, I’m going to try going,” she said.

Purcell and her husband, Kevin, bought Freeman’s Grub and Pub in

NEW

MEMBER 2022. They’re no strangers to the restaurant business. The Purcells worked at Jake’s Billiards and at what would become Freeman’s when the owners of Jake’s Billiards bought the restaurant in 2015.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic took a toll on them and the Purcells decided to quit their jobs and go on a road tour of the United States.

“We hit all of the lower 48 during that trip, about a four-month-long road trip, and it was one of the best experiences of our lives,” Emily Purcell said.

They decided to settle in Seattle in November 2021, but the owners of Jake’s and Freeman’s called to see if the Purcells wanted to take over Freeman’s. In December that year they traveled back to Greensboro.

By March 2022, they had officially bought Freeman’s.

“Kevin and I really love the food aspect of being a restaurant owner, so it kind of worked out well for both of us,” Emily Purcell said.

She said they are grateful to the owners of Jake’s Billiards, who helped train them to be business owners.

“We were really grateful for the

Snapshots

Photo courtesy of Wheeler Media Kevin and Emily Purcell have owned Freeman’s Grub and Pub since 2022.

time spent with them,” she said.

Since joining GMA, Purcell has been promoting Freeman’s as an option for lunch meetings and business events.

She said GMA officials have been great at supporting her business by encouraging members to check out the restaurant. She also is sending Freeman’s catering menu to GMA for use at GMA events.

“GMA has definitely opened my networking opportunities. I’ve met a lot of different people through differ-

ent industries,” Purcell said.

She also praised GMA for keeping new members in the loop with emails, newsletters and other communications. One of the best aspects of GMA is that employees of members can also take part in the training, networking and other events that are available, Purcell said.

She has let Freeman’s employees know they can participate in GMA events and shared the website with them. The free training is a great benefit, she said.

“It’s nice to offer those to people that maybe don’t have the capacity or space to do it at home or by themselves,” she said.

To get the most out of their membership, new members should take advantage of what GMA provides, she said.

“I would definitely suggest going and trying out any of the events that they have to offer,” she said.

Emily Purcell Freeman’s Grub & Pub 336-333-3399 freemansgrubandpub@gmail.com www.facebook.com/freemansgrubandpub/ www.instagram.com/freemansgrubandpub/

Member Orientation

Scenes from GMA events in May and June

Center City AM Briefing

Meet & Eat

Brandon Williams, Bank of America/Merrill (left) and Greyson Rooks, Krave Kava Bar, chat during a break at the May 13 Member Orientation at GMA’s offices in Greensboro.

Emily Purcell, Freeman’s Grub & Pub (left) and Caitlyn Braxton, Greensboro City Lifestyle, get their picture made at the June 3 Meet & Eat at Grapes and Grains Tavern in Greensboro.

Taylor Butler, Robbins Construction Group (left) and Kathy Cates, Goodwill Industries of Central NC, listen to a speaker during the June 9 Center City AM Briefing at GMA’s offices.

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Trends – Published for members of the Guilford Merchants Association

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4/27/26

11:52 AM

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