Troup Trends | August 2022 Issue

the sweet side

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August 2022

VOLUME IX, ISSUE III

A publication of the LaGrange-Troup County Chamber of Commerce

111 Bull St./P.O. Box 636 LaGrange, GA 30241 (706) 884-8671 www.lagrangechamber.com

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Chair: Jamey Jackson TalentKinect

Past Chair: Dale Jackson, Jackson Services

Chair Elect: Brandon Eley, EleyDigital

Secretary/Treasurer: John Westmoreland, CPA Boatwright

CHAMBER STAFF

President: Connie Hensler

Director of Member Experience: Leslie Traylor

Communications & Events Manager: Christan Spires

Accountant: Melanie Key, CPA

TO CONTRIBUTE

Troup Trends welcomes your ideas. Please send inquiries to info@lagrangechamber.com for consideration.

DESIGN

Jayme Ogles

This publication is produced by the LaGrange-Troup County Chamber of Commerce. Reproduction in whole or part of this publication without express written permission is prohibited. All claims, materials and photos furnished or used are, to the publisher's knowledge, true and correct. Publication of any article or advertisement is not an endorsement by the LaGrange-Troup County Chamber of Commerce

Troup Trends is published quarterly by the LaGrangeTroup County Chamber of Commerce. Please send news items, suggestions, advertising requests and comments to:

P.O. Box 636 • LaGrange, GA 30241 lagrangechamber.com

Much like the beginning of each year, August brings us a feeling of reflection and looking forward to something new. During this time, we can reflect on what we have accomplished in the first half of the year and plan for what’s to come next. Kids go back to school, summer comes to a close, and things return to a schedule.

We hope everyone had a great summer! We want to thank everyone who participated in our Summer Leadership Series, networked at our Leadership Troup Alumni Event, and listened to the musical stylings of Chastity Brown and Lilli Lewis at our Women in Business Meetup.

Looking forward, fall is a much busier time for the Chamber. We have several events that we are looking forward to, including the 2022 Valor Awards, where we will honor our local public safety professionals, our Annual Peachy Greens Golf Tournament, the beginning of a new Leadership Troup class, HYPE’s Bark at the Park 5k and dog costume contest, and the resumption of Early Bird Breakfast after our summer break. We look forward to seeing you all at these events! For more information on the Chamber’s events please visit business. lagrangechamber.com/events.

Also coming this fall is an update to our Shop at Home Gift Certificate Program. The long-time running gift certificate program will become a digital platform that we hope will be more convenient for our community as well as our chamber members. The platform will be housed on Yiftee.com and will be known as Shop Troup! We look forward to being more accessible to parts of the community that may not be close to the Chamber’s physical location, providing a gift card that won’t get lost, won’t expire, and being able to provide faster payments to our local businesses that participate in the program. Stay tuned for more information as we get closer to

our launch, and remember to Shop Troup.

Reflecting on our halfway point of the year, I am happy to say that the Chamber board and staff have both worked in collaboration to bring the very best to the business community of Troup County. Our DE&I committee is working to bring diversity training to our staff and board, our program and events committee continues to work on the upcoming larger events for the fall and winter, and our marketing committee is working to launch Shop Troup as well as an updated website. Our staff continues to stay diligent in their efforts to provide valuable programming and exceptional communications to create a worthwhile member experience.

In this issue of Troup Trends, we focused on the “sweet side” of Troup County and the recent addition of several local businesses that are concocting confections and dreaming up desserts. From the soda fountains of the late 1800s to designer cookies and upscale desserts, Troup County is a haven for sweet tooths and we think this issue will “hit the spot!”

Contributors

MICHELE BEDINGFIELD

Calumet Center for Healing and Attachment

TODD CARLISLE UGA Small Business Development Center

BRANDON ELEY EleyDigital 2 Big Feet

LAURA JENNINGS LaGrange Art Museum

CAROLINE JOHNSON Troup County Government

ANDREA LOVEJOY Community Member

JAMEY JACKSON Chairman, Executive Committee LaGrange-Troup County Chamber of Commerce

ERIC MOSELY Troup County Government

LEWIS O. POWELL, IV Research Archivist, Troup County Historical Society

SHELLEY STRICKLAND Wellstar West Georgia Medical Center

Special Thanks to Our 1911 Society Presenting Sponsors!

the sweet side

Sweet summer days call for tempting sweet treats. Whether you scream for ice cream, crave a cookie or salivate over decadent desserts, Troup County has an abundance of mouth-watering choices.

Chamber members that specialize in delectable treats take varied approaches, but all agree on one thing: it’s satisfying work to satisfy Troup County’s sweet tooth.

Here’s a look at a few of the yummy options.

Dairy Queen Brazier

When it comes to cool, refreshing treats, Dairy Queen Brazier at 230 New Franklin Road is more than a restaurant. It’s a red-roofed landmark.

LaGrange’s Dairy Queen has been serving the famous “cones with the curl on top” at the same address since 1961. Just two families have owned the business during those 60-plus years. The late Horace Carter opened the DQ in 1961, 20 years after the Dairy Queen chain was founded in Joliet, Illinois. Carter had tried and liked the softserve ice cream while traveling and decided to give it a go in LaGrange.

Two previous locals had opened DQ franchises prior to 1960, according to the Troup County Archives, but neither lasted. Carter made the third time the charm. Assisted by his family, he was owner/ operator until selling to current owners, Taylor and Judy Merrill, in 1981.

Taylor Merrill and his family came to LaGrange with Rubbermaid in the 1970s and took an immediate liking to the community. When the division he was working in was sold, Merrill decided to fulfill his lifelong dream of owning his own business. He used a rental house as down payment and, after completing “Cone College,” as DQ’s training program is jokingly called, moved from marketing floor mats to making ice cream sundaes.

“It’s been good,” said Merrill, who wouldn’t disagree with author Robert Inman’s assertion, in his novel Dairy Queen Days: “The taste of a spoonful of ice cream sliding down your throat is good for the soul.”

Like the Carters, the Merrills are part of DQ history, holding one of the original contracts signed by an early principal of the chain. The local newspaper headline announcing the business’s change of ownership read “City’s first fast-food chain restaurant sold.”

Like LaGrange itself, the Dairy Queen Brazier – now known as DQ Grill and Chill—has grown and changed over the years. The first building was small, with a flat roof, a walk-up window but no drive through and limited seating. Carter added the iconic red barnstyle roof in 1968 and expanded the dining room two years later. Menu offerings have grown and expanded over the years, too.

Three generations of Merrill family members have been part of LaGrange’s Dairy Queen. Owners Taylor and Judy Merrill are surrounded by their daughter Katie Van Schoor, back left, her husband DQ general manager James Van Schoor, back right, and the Van Schoor daughters, from left, Jacqueline, 11, Caroline, 13 and Vivienne, 11.

“Probably the biggest thing was the Blizzard. The Blizzard and the ice cream cakes have been very popular,” said Judy Merrill.

Introduced in 1985 with just four flavors —Oreo, M&M, Heath Bar and Snickers— Blizzards now come in some two dozen flavors, with seasonal offerings, like red velvet cake around Valentine’s, adding variety.

James Van Schoor, husband of the Merrill’s daughter, Katie Van Schoor, came aboard as general manager 14 years ago and says a great part of working at DQ is what he calls “the pass over.”

“When you hold up the cone or sundae to pass it over, you can see the customer’s eyes light up.”

He’s come to expect a surge in business when good things happen in the community or the sports world. It’s become a tradition for people to come to DQ to celebrate.

“We love it when the Braves win and the Bulldogs win,” he said.

In addition to the satisfaction of working in a “happy business,” the Merrills have used their stewardship of Dairy Queen to give back to the community. In addition to being Chamber members since 1983, the business has sponsored hundreds of

events, teams and causes over the years. Along the way, the message board outside the business became a popular spot for reminding passersby of coming events.

Another plus is that the Merrills’ core staff has been remarkably stable. Operations manager Amy Wells has been with them 27 years and kitchen manager Tony Carter has 39 years. They employ about 45 mostly part-time workers, many of them local high school students.

“One way we have been able to give back to the community is by teaching several generations of kids how to work,” Judy Merrill said. “We’ve had several second and third generation employees.”

Many of their teen workers have gone on to highly successful careers, and at least one couple who met at Dairy Queen ended up getting married.

While Dairy Queen is now a global business with about 5,700 stores worldwide, the Merrills and Van Schoors have made it their mission to be locally-focused.

“We want everyone’s experience to be a good experience,” Van Schoor said. “We take it as a compliment to be thought of as a ‘mom and pop franchise.’”

The Soda Shoppe at Medicine Cabinet

Astep into the Soda Shoppe inside the Medicine Cabinet at 205 Vernon Street, feels like a trip back in time.

There’s old-time candy in glass jars, classic tulip-shaped glasses for sundaes and shakes and, best of all, a traditional old-style soda fountain encased in gleaming, richly detailed pine cabinetry.

Randy Meeks, a retired Milliken executive, owns the three local Medicine Cabinet pharmacies with his son, Ryan Meeks, a pharmacist, and daughter-in-law, Isa Meeks. The family decided to include a soda shoppe at the Vernon location to draw traffic and to offer a nostalgic experience.

“From the 1900s to the 1920s, about 75 percent of pharmacies had a soda shoppe. They were gathering places,” Meeks explained. “By the 1950s, many of them were gone.”

Meeks fondly remembers the soda shoppes of his childhood and figured others did, too. The Meekses went to great lengths to replicate the setting and the experience.

“We wanted to bring the feeling back, and we decided to do it nice and do it right and old-fashioned.”

The eye-catching soda bar and ceiling-

high cabinets were built by local craftsmen using heart pine wainscoting, moldings and even a fireplace mantel from the Handley Plantation on Whitesville Road, which was dismantled several years ago.

Meeks counted more than 160 rings on the pine used for the live edge countertop. The tree would have been cut when the house was built in the 1830s.

“That means the tree was older than our country,” he marveled.

There’s also an authentic soda fountain, salvaged from a former store. Meeks went to Slidell, Louisiana to train at a still-active soda shoppe there.

The Medicine Cabinet shoppe offers about 25 flavors of ice cream, all made in-house using a purchased base.

“We use high quality ingredients and fresh, locally-grown fruits in season,” Meeks said.

They have a “parlor” available for parties and a take-out “party-in-a-box” emblazoned with a famous quote by Thornton Wilder: “You can’t buy happiness but you can buy ice cream, and that’s pretty much the same thing.”

The “happy” venture has been successful from the start, said Meeks.

“The store scaled up faster than expected,” he said.

Café Brûlée and Dessert Bar

Local entrepreneur Philip Abbott likes creating new businesses. With his latest venture, Café Brûlée and Dessert Bar at 115 Bull St., he and his team have brought a new vision to the former coffee shop, Sweet Roast Café, which he acquired in late 2021.

“Similar but different” from his first coffeecentric business, Local Groundz on North Greenwood, Café Brûlée offers quality coffee, for sure, but a different variety. There are also way more food options – breakfast, brunch, lunch and evening fare – with an emphasis on ambiance and luscious, even decadent, pastries and desserts.

Think “personal size cakes,” not cupcakes but tiny, elaborately decorated layer cakes. Think skillet desserts, like pecan pie in a pan. Think crème brûlée, the rich French custard which gave the café its name.

With gifted baker Karen Scobee working her magic in the kitchen, Abbott aims to make Café Brûlée a popular spot for brunch or lunch away from the fast food track. It’s also designed to be an after dinner or date night destination, with wine, cocktails, charcuterie trays and an array of elegant desserts.

“Our goal is to make it so good that people from out of LaGrange will want to come and experience it. We focus on quality, consistency and customer experience,” Abbott said. A friendly vibe is important, too, said Tina Ussery, general manager.

“We try to have a positive buzz and the kind of culture where our staff members enjoy their jobs and want to work here,” Ussery said.

Renovations to the building included a tasteful, lighted awning that boosts visibility and provides attractive shelter for the outdoor seating area.

Abbott feels downtown LaGrange has a lot of momentum and is pleased to be part of it. He’s already working on multiple other projects, including an event facility in the atrium of the Abbott building on Main Street.

“I’m excited to see more options downtown for people of all ages. I think we’re headed in the right direction,” he said.

Sip Café and Wine Room

When Jamie and Tiffany Welch opened their fine dining restaurant at 708 3rd Avenue in West Point earlier this year, the former Atlantans knew their carefully curated menu would not be complete without a “happy ending.”

“We definitely wanted our desserts to be special,” Tiffany Welch said. “Our chef is amazingly creative and comes up with outstanding desserts.”

Though the focus at Sip is on out-of-theordinary appetizers, gourmet entrees and fine wines, diners can end their meal with over-the-top treats. Or come in just for dessert and coffee or after dinner drinks.

Welch said one summer option — Warm Peach Cobbler Cake with vanilla ice cream—has been wildly popular.

“With peaches in season, it is so fresh and so good. Everybody loves it,” she said. Offerings change regularly and have included Sweet Drop Biscuit Strawberry Shortcake, a variety of cheesecakes and a

key lime pie that customers have praised as “the real thing.”

One goal at Sip is to offer “dishes missing from other nearby restaurants,” Welch said. That goes for desserts, too. One menu featured fried banana cinnamon rolls with rum chocolate ganache and vanilla ice cream.

"It was definitely a hit,”Welch said. Whether you come in for just dessert or the whole meal, the Welches are happy they changed gears and became restaurateurs after more than 25 years working in engineering and risk management roles. Welch said they hired a “celebrity chef” to advise them on everything from décor to hiring to menus.

“Sip is about the experience. It’s more than great food, more than atmosphere, more than décor. It’s the whole experience.”

As word has spread, guests have made the “easy drive” from LaGrange, Hogansville, Columbus, Auburn, Opelika and Newnan. West Point locals have embraced the business and offered support “beyond our

wildest expectations,”Welch said.

“We love West Point,” Welch said. “The people here are really rooting for us. We are happy to be in West Point and to have brought 20 jobs to the community.”

Crave Cookie Company

Teri Weissert opened her gourmet cookie bakery at 112 Main Street with a heartfelt goal.

“I want to impact and touch people through cookies,” she said.

An avid, lifelong baker and native of Nebraska, Weissert came to LaGrange from Charlotte, N.C. when her husband, Jeff, a physical therapist, took a job with WellStar West Georgia about four years ago. She’d spent some 20 years in various types of ministry, including speaking, writing, radio and a women’s prayer ministry. Even before relocating, Weissert had felt led to expand her love of cookie baking.

“I prayed the ‘What If’ prayer,” she said. “What if God is prompting me to open a cookie store?”

Shortly after getting settled here, Weissert took the first steps, securing a cottage license for a home-based cookie business. Customers responded enthusiastically, and the business quickly outgrew her kitchen.

The Main Street location became available on the very day she called a realtor looking for a place to set up shop. Weissert saw it

as a sign. Even though the pandemic was in full swing, she felt her cookie store was meant to be. She chose the name “Crave Cookie Company” because she liked the alliteration and catchy sound of it.

“We gutted the interior and deliberately made it look like a home kitchen,” Weissert said.

Her aim, in addition to selling delicious cookies, is to make Crave the “most happy place in LaGrange.”

To that end, she chats up customers and tries to make everyone who enters the door feel “absolutely welcome, valuable and loved.”

It doesn’t hurt that everything is made from scratch, and the shop smells heavenly all day long.

“I see people cheer up the moment they open the door,” Weissert said.

Her cookie menu includes traditional favorites like chocolate chip and raisin oatmeal, plus several recipes she’s developed herself, including her bestselling lemon cookies.

“They are very mellow. Even people who don’t like lemon say they love them.”

She also makes custom cookie cakes and decorated cookies for parties, holidays and special occasions. The business recently purchased a digital cookie printer that allows them to duplicate full-color logos and other designs on the cookie surface. For example, she made 150 cookies with the Sweetland Amphitheater logo for a special event.

With 8 to 10 mostly part-time employees, Crave Cookies is approaching its second anniversary in its downtown location. Weissert loves the beauty of downtown and said she gets considerable walkin traffic from out-of-town visitors and regularly serves Great Wolf guests who have ventured downtown.

“We love it. It’s fun, it’s exciting, and since I love baking, the satisfaction brings me joy.”

The Calumet Center for Healing and Attachment

Anon-profit in downtown LaGrange is empowering women and their children to excel and thrive again after addiction and trauma.

The Calumet Center for Healing and Attachment (CCHA) is an advocacy program within New Ventures, Inc, (NVI) that offers residential and non-residential services to individuals that are ready to move forward, break the cycle of addiction and heal the trauma once and for all.

It is not your typical recovery program and it is not designed for individuals with active addiction, but one that connects those in active use to a treatment pro gram while focusing on those in recovery. Located in downtown LaGrange, in a home that was donated to New Ventures Inc. by Bill and Karen Scarbourgh in 2019,

the Thyme Away Bed and Breakfast on Greenville street has now been given new life and a second chance, much like the ladies they serve. With help from local churches and schools, the gardens are alive again with beautiful blooms and the plants are producing vegetables and herbs. The ladies and children that live at CCHA will tell you, the therapy they re ceive doesn’t end in the counseling room, it is extended into the home and garden.

By providing a safe space for women and their children that are seeking support for trauma, mental illness, and/or substance use disorder CCHA is impacting lives and future generations. One of the co-found ers, Kelly Camp said, “We recognize that a child lives their best life when they are living with a safe, stable, and drug-free parent. By providing counseling services to not only the mother, but also to the children, Calumet Center works to stop transgenera tional trauma and substance abuse in every family it serves”. Their organization's goals are to provide a nurturing environ ment for women (and their children) to heal from past traumas and assist with reunification, family attachment, and bonding issues. It is also to address lingering and/or problematic behav iors resulting from substance abuse, trauma, and mental illness. Finally, to assist participants in attaining self-suffi ciency and the tools to thrive in recovery.

Of the last ten individuals that were accepted and entered the residential program, nine were employed full-time within 30 days and had reinstated their driver’s licenses. As of May 2022, seven of those clients had transitioned into independent and stable living and have continued to be active participants that receive counseling and support through the outreach program.

The outreach program is able to provide services to individuals that may not need a place to live, but would like the support that our counselors and peer support team can provide. If you or someone you know would like to know more, please call 706.416.2825 or visit our website at www.calumetcenter.org. Non-profit organizations such as Calumet Center are essential to our community. Each has their own special niche, but the work that is being done is with a bigger picture in mind - the betterment of the community we live in. Together, through collabora tion, a framework for healthy families and a healthy future is being established.

THE ARTISTS AMONG US

Many factors contribute to a vibrant community. But one of the essential yet sometimes overlooked

elements is a region’s ability to attract artists and support their work. A community full of artists is a community full of culture. A community full of culture attracts new residents, tourists, businesses and corporations, and contributes to the well-being of its citizens.

Society should encourage and support artists but where do artists go to support one another?

Thanks to a local artists’ alliance, working hard and gaining experience as a visual artist does not have to be a solo adventure. Visual Artists Alliance of LaGrange (VAAL) is a 62-member strong organization. Its mission is to “bring together LaGrange area artists to form a more cohesive and supportive artist community, foster their activities and to amplify their visibility and voice in the wider community.”

While social media connects artists, there is no substitute for engaging in person with a like-minded group who works and lives in the surrounding area.

“VAAL is open to visual artists of all levels of experience,” said Jennifer Emery, president and artist. “Artists should never feel unsure or uneasy about becoming involved with VAAL because they are just beginning or have differing styles. We all learn from one another.”

22.

“Every year artists bring their exceptional work to share with the public. This is one of our best attended exhibitions and a percentage of the art sales go to support the museum’s education programs,” Laura Jennings, LAM executive director, said.

The opening reception, which is free and open to the public, is set for Friday, September 9, 6-8 pm at the museum located at 112 Lafayette Parkway.

The LaGrange Art Museum (LAM) is hosting its annual VAAL exhibition September 9 - October

Emery continued, “Being in such an inclusive group of local artists has been such a great source of encouragement for me. When I joined (3.5 years ago), I was a hobbyist and very unsure of my capabilities. In this group, I found support, networking opportunities, and wisdom from more accomplished artists. Being in the multi-discipline group is also an opportunity for me to learn about other mediums other than the ones I use for creating. Most of all, I have gained friends.”

Prolific artist Cindy Fulks said she has benefitted from being a member because she enjoys the camaraderie of active art participants on a local level.

“VAAL gives us all a chance to keep up with local art happenings and encourages growth and improvement among our local members. It also can help us connect with the local art museum and benefit from their resources and talented staff. We are all very

lucky indeed to be a part of this artistic community,” Fulks said.

VAAL member and artist Sarah Swanson supports the VAAL artists by hosting an annual summer exhibition in her downtown Hogansville studio and gallery Suffering Artist.

VAAL was the brainchild of a group of artists who once had a studio in LaGrange called Artists in Residence. Signe Grushovenko, who now has a studio in Greenville, SC, led the charge along with Cora Waterhouse (currently based in Tampa) and Guthrie Killebrew. The team grew to include Sandy Cox and Dawn Douglas. There were 40 members at its founding. The first exhibition was held at Artists in Residence in the fall of 2007.

Interested in joining? Go to its website www.vaalart. club. Membership is $35 per year and members are guaranteed two group exhibitions featuring all member artists per year.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed)

The Troup County UGA Extension Office is excited to introduce the community’s new Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) Program Assistant, Jessica Spencer. As SNAP-Ed Program Assistant, Jessica provides nutrition and healthy eating programs for SNAP-eligible locations and SNAP beneficiaries in Troup County. These classes are typically targeted toward those looking for non-profit or nutrition training, continuing education courses, or anyone 18 years or older who could benefit from learning more about the program topics. The course subjects can range

from meal planning and budgeting to gardening and farmers’ markets, but all aim to demonstrate the value of saving money and improving health.

Jessica is passionate about food education, and wants to help Troup County citizens learn more about sustainability, homesteading, and affordable selfsufficient food alternatives. She holds an Associate’s Degree in Business Management from West Georgia Technical College and joins the County after working her way through many positions and ranks within the food industry, including hostess, waitress, cook, and manager.

When asked what she’s most looking forward to in her new position, Jessica said she is really excited to get to know the people in the community. “I would love to help others save money and still eat healthy meals,” she explained.

After recently hosting a successful trial class at the LaGrange Active Life Senior Center to gauge interest in SNAP-Ed, Jessica announced an upcoming Food Talks Series to be held at that location from August through September. Each of the six classes in the series will focus on a new and important topic that supports the SNAP-Ed mission. Along with the Active Life Centers in Troup County, Jessica has performed demonstrations at the Market on Main in LaGrange and plans to work with local SNAP-eligible churches and businesses as class sites to expand her reach throughout the area.

Want to learn more? Contact the Troup County Agricultural Education Center at 706-8831675 or send email Jessica directly: Jessica. Spencer@uga.edu. Follow the UGA Troup County Extension Facebook page to keep up with Jessica’s ongoing series and projects! There, you can also find tasty recipes with ingredients that you might already have at home, like the one below that can be found on foodtalk.org!

FRESH SALSA

Ingredients:

Serves 6

2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, no salt added, drained

1/2 teaspoon jarred minced garlic

2 green onions

¼ bunch cilantro

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/8 teaspoon cayenne powder (optional)

2 tablespoons lime juice

Directions: 1. Wash hands with soap and water. 2. Wipe tops of tomato and green chili cans with a damp paper towel and open. Drain tomatoes and set aside.

3. Gently rub green onions and cilantro under cold, running water. Chop green onions, white and green parts, and cilantro. Set aside green onions and measure out 2 tablespoons cilantro. Wash hands with soap and water.

4. Combine all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Stir well and enjoy immediately or store in the refrigerator at or below 40-degrees Fahrenheit until ready to serve.

6 Strategies for Priming a Diverse Talent Pipeline

STRATEGY #1: REWRITING THE PLAYBOOK:

A diversity-and-inclusion-focused approach can change everything about the recruiting and onboarding process. It can cause people to expand beyond their comfort zones of where they recruit, how they recruit, the questions they ask and who’s involved in the interview process.

But there’s work to do before you recruit: You have to assess your current state and define what you want to accomplish. For example, if your board and staff aren’t diverse, candidates won’t believe you value diversity. If your company has prestigious awards, do the winners represent diversity? And take a look at your vendors — do you make an effort to source vendors that meet your diversity objectives?

You’ll need to play the long game. Your marketing objectives and sourcing processes could change, but over time

you’ll discover a range of unique, qualified candidates that disappeared in your previous screening — or never saw your job posting at all.

The goal is to identify and remove potential biases when sourcing, screening, and developing a slate of candidates who might otherwise have been ignored or discriminated against. By doing so, you open your organization up to a whole range of exciting new possibilities.

STRATEGY #2: ARTICULATING A COMPANY-WIDE COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY:

A comprehensive organization-wide diversity initiative should begin with a commitment to diversity and inclusion that is articulated by the highest levels of management in the organization. A comprehensive strategy includes the evaluation of an organization’s recruitment, interviewing, performance management, and promotion processes to identify

potential biases and weaknesses.

While employers can specify diversity goals, employers should seek advice to ensure that the articulated goals are compliant with state and federal antidiscrimination laws.

STRATEGY #3: MAKING DIVERSITY PART OF EVERY CONVERSATION:

Diversity has to be part of your company’s DNA. When recruiting, not only do we target schools and programs with diverse populations, we also make sure at the interview, candidates see for themselves just how much we value diversity of thought. They see this in the hiring panel (where one interviewer will always be diverse), in the benefits we offer for samesex domestic partners and in the ways we’re advocating for social causes and efforts that advance diversity.

STRATEGY #4: PARTNERING WITH MINORITY INSTITUTIONS

Increase diversity recruitment by targeting gender- and minority-specific institutions and associations. For example, partnering with minority colleges will yield strong entry-level candidates who can grow with your team and rise to leadership positions.

STRATEGY #5: STACKING THE DECK

One building block is called “Stacking the Deck,” which means setting yourself up to be dealt a favorable hand. In cards, a “stacked” deck gives one player an advantage. In this example, you are building the advantage for yourself by doing some extra work on the front end to create a situation that lends itself to more diversity and inclusion. A good example is in the hiring process.

In a normal situation, the hiring manager is encouraged to consider diversity and inclusion when making a hiring decision. This may be difficult to do, particularly when the candidates may not be diverse. The way to stack the deck is to be thoughtful about creating and surfacing a diverse slate of candidates before they ever get to the hiring manager, by making the job description available to certain community groups, non-profit organizations, job organizations, and by buying targeted ads to ensure a diverse slate of candidates. If in a normal situation you might have had one or two candidates out of six meet an inclusion standard, and you can stack the deck so four or five candidates meet those standards, you’ll dramatically increase your chances for a successful hire and take a lot of pressure off your managers at once.

STRATEGY #6: TALK DIVERSITY IN THE INTERVIEW

Research conducted by Yello and The Harris Poll finds more than half of job seekers have asked about an employer’s diversity commitment directly in an interview. As these questions bubble up more frequently in the recruitment process, are you prepared to answer?

Conversations about diversity and inclusion are becoming as commonplace in an interview as “Tell me about your culture” or “How will this role make an impact?” If you don’t have a strategy to address and embrace diversity both in the interview process and in the workplace, you’ll lose top talent.

WEST GEORGIA TECHNICAL COLLEGE

Black Tie & Boots - West Georgia Technical College Foundation’s annual signature event - is our opportunity to raise funds for WGTC and to thank the countless members of our community who continue to show support for the college, our mission, and our students.

This year we will be hosting our 20th Annual Black Tie & Boots event, featuring Mitchell Tenpenny, at the Callaway Conference Center in LaGrange on Friday, September 16, 2022 at 6:00 pm. We are excited to host this event for the first time in LaGrange and bring the party to our partners in our southern service area. Future Black Tie & Boots events will alternate between the Callaway Conference Center and the Murphy Conference Center in Waco, Georgia.

There are several opportunities for partnerships available. Your investment will convey a message of support throughout the communities we serve and increase the number of WGTC students who directly benefit from your generosity. Black Tie & Boots proceeds support students through gap funding, need-based scholarships, and general institutional support.

By investing in the WGTC Foundation, you are a valuable stakeholder in economic and workforce development right in your own community!

You can expect to see big things out of WGTC in the future. We are working to secure a $26.4 million project which will provide a new 52,000 ft2 Logistics, Transportation & Manufacturing Center on LaGrange East Campus, with CDL carousel and canopy, and electrical

lineman field. The new facility will take the place of the current 50-year-old facility that has fallen into ill-repair. Programming at this facility will support enrollment of an additional 750 students annually.

Last year’s Black Tie & Boots event raised more money than ever before, a net profit of $86,000! Will you help us reach our goal of $100,000 in 2022?

We hope to see you September 16th!

Julie Post

Featuring country artist

Presented by: west georgia technical college foundation

HELPING KIDS DEAL WITH BACK-TO-SCHOOL ANXIETY

The new school year comes with a lot of change for children — a different classroom, teacher, peers and learning material. That change can cause anxiety in some children, especially if they struggle at school and are dreading the return. Parents can help their children start the school year with confidence by discussing any anxiety they may feel and talking through what they can expect.

“We have to make sure that kids are ready and comfortable,” said Wellstar Pediatrician Dr. Hebah Pranckun. “We should validate their feelings and let them know being nervous and anxious about school is normal.”

• Encourage conversations. Talk with children about the upcoming school year and some changes they can expect so they feel a bit more prepared. Role play any situations they’re nervous about and brainstorm possible solutions.

• Visit the school. If children are new to a school, especially if they are younger, arrange a time to visit the school and see the classroom.

• Plan ahead. After the first few days of school, check in with your child about how the year is going so far. Then, look ahead at what the rest of the year could be like.

One way to begin the school year with confidence is to have a healthy start and book a preventative care check-up. While wellness screenings are important for helping children grow up healthy, going to the doctor can be a stressful or scary experience for some children.

“I try to do whatever I can to make life better, whether it's treating their acute illness or helping them work through the troubles that they're having, so that when they leave my office, I've given them something to hold onto that is going to

make life better for them,” said Wellstar Pediatrician Dr. Andrew Doyle.

“You have to get down on their level, whether that means squatting on the floor or sitting next to them on the table. Let them know that you're not a threat and this should be their comfort zone,” Dr. Pranckun said. “All the attention goes to them, whether it's a high-five or asking what their favorite sport is.”

Teaching children healthy habits can also help them feel their best throughout the school year.

• Practice good hygiene. Show children how to wash their hands properly and remind them to do it frequently. Don’t send your children to school if they’re sick. If they’re exposed to or test positive for COVID-19, follow CDC guidelines to prevent the spread.

• Get moving. Children should have about 30 to 60 minutes of moderate activity every day. “Sometimes that's as simple as going outside to play or going for a walk and, especially for older kids, staying off screens and getting up to move,” Dr. Doyle said.

• Eat healthy. Teach children about good nutrition by encouraging them to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables and limiting sugary drinks.

• Get plenty of sleep. Children need more sleep than adults do, and unfortunately, just like adults, children are often chronically sleep deprived. Children aged 3 to 5 should get about 10 to 13 hours of sleep a day. Children 6 to 12 years old should get nine to 12 hours, and teenagers need about eight to 10 hours.

FIND THE RIGHT PHYSICIAN FOR YOU.

We have all the care you need.

Olumuyiwa Adeboye, MD, MBBCH

HOSPICE & PALLIATIVE MEDICINE

111 Medical Drive LaGrange, GA 30240 (706) 845-3464

Olumide Ajayi, MD

FAMILY MEDICINE

1497 Lafayette Parkway LaGrange, GA 30241 (706) 880-7335

Coney Bae, MD

GENERAL SURGERY

1600 Vernon Road, Ste. A LaGrange, GA 30240 (706) 880-7321

Joy Baker, MD, FACOG, PMH-C, C-EFM, MT (ASCP)

OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY

1602 Vernon Road, Ste. 200 LaGrange, GA 30240 (706) 880-7252

Cameron Body, MD

GASTROENTEROLOGY

1551 Doctors Drive LaGrange, GA 30240 (706) 880-7311

Srinivas R. Bramhadevi, MD, FAAFP, MBA

FAMILY MEDICINE

1497 Lafayette Parkway LaGrange, GA 30241 (706) 880-7335

Sonia Brown, MD OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE

100 Glenn Bass Rd. LaGrange, GA. 30240 (706) 845-3075

J. Robert Coggins, MD

GASTROENTEROLOGY

1551 Doctors Drive LaGrange, GA 30240 (706) 880-7311

Facia B. Dew, DO

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303 Medical Drive, Ste. 406 LaGrange, GA 30240 (706) 880-7119

Nayab Dhanani, MD

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Rod Duraski, MD

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211 East Broad Street Pine Mountain, GA 31822 (706) 845-3494

Salman Fidahussein, MD PULMONARY MEDICINE

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Alexander Gedevanishvili, MD

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Tom Gore, MD

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Torey Harden, MD

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301 Medical Drive, Ste. 504 LaGrange, GA 30240 (706) 812-2655

Richard Jadick, DO

UROLOGY

1555 Doctors Drive Suite 101 LaGrange, GA. 30240 (706) 242-5201

Samer Kabbani, MD

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1602 Vernon Road, Ste. 300 LaGrange, GA 30240 (706) 242-5100

Ravina Kadam, MD, FACP

INTERNAL MEDICINE

300 Medical Drive, Ste. 704 LaGrange, GA 30240 (706) 880-7361

Robinette King, MD

OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY

303 Medical Drive, Ste. 405 LaGrange, GA 30240 (706) 242-5099

Gail Knight, MD HOSPICE CARE

1510 Vernon Road LaGrange, GA 30240 (706) 845-3905

John Major, MD

GENERAL SURGERY

106 Lukken Industrial Drive West LaGrange, GA 30240 (706) 880-7207

Shawn Mathews, MD

EAR NOSE & THROAT

300 Medical Drive, Ste. 705 LaGrange, GA 30240 (706) 880-7144

Madhavi Naik, MD, FACOG

OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY

106 Lukken Industrial Drive West LaGrange, GA 30240 (706) 880-7207

Sana Makhdoom, MD

RHEUMATOLOGY

1555 Doctors Drive, Ste. 102 LaGrange, GA 30240 (706) 880-7266

Weredeselam Olango, MD

NEUROLOGY

303 Medical Drive, Ste. 401 LaGrange, GA 30240 (706) 242-5161

Ariyo Olobatoke, MD

PULMONARY MEDICINE

1551 Doctors Drive LaGrange, GA 30240 (706) 880-7222

James Parker, MD

FAMILY MEDICINE

599 3rd Avenue West Point, GA 31833 (706) 242-5081

Janese LatimerPierson, MD WOUND CARE

1600 Vernon Road, Ste. G LaGrange, GA 30240 (706) 880-7366

Kalyani Rajeev, MD, FAAP

PEDIATRICS

301 Medical Drive, Ste. 504 LaGrange, GA 30240 (706) 812-2655

Charles Roberson, MD

ORTHOPEDICS

300 Medical Drive, Ste. 707 LaGrange, GA 30240 (706) 880-7320

Vincent Scoglietti, MD

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1600 Vernon Road, Ste. A LaGrange, GA 30240 (706) 880-7321

Richard S. Simmons, MD, FACP, FCCP PULMONARY MEDICINE

1551 Doctors Drive LaGrange, GA 30240 (706) 880-7222

Jingzi Shang, MD NEUROLOGY & SLEEP MEDICINE

303 Medical Drive, Ste. 401 LaGrange, GA 30240 (706) 242-5161

Mandy Snyder, NP

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454 LaGrange Street Greenville, GA 30222 (706) 845-3599

Ashley Stewart, MD, FACS

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1600 Vernon Road, Ste. A LaGrange, GA 30240 (706) 880-7321

Nchang Taka, MD

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1602 Vernon Road, Ste. 300 LaGrange, GA 30240 (706) 242-5100

Robert Taylor, MD, PhD RADIATION ONCOLOGY 111 Medical Drive LaGrange, GA 30240 (706) 845-3544

Karin Whitlock Taylor, MD, FAAPMR REHABILITATION MEDICINE

1555 Doctors Drive, Ste. 102 LaGrange, GA 30240 (706) 298-5592

Venu Thirukonda, MD, FACP HEMATOLOGY & ONCOLOGY

111 Medical Drive LaGrange, GA 30240 (706) 812-2426

MOVERS, SHAKERS, RISK-TAKERS MOVERS,

Noah Zehr Appointed to West Georgia Technical College Board of Directors

step forward and serve on our Board of Directors. The experience and workforce perspective he brings will be fantastic for the future of the college.”

West Georgia Technical College is pleased to announce the addition of Noah Zehr to its Board of Directors, effective July 14, 2022.

Zehr was sworn in at the July Board of Directors meeting and will represent Troup County.

“Noah has already proven to be such an incredible advocate for West Georgia Tech with the abundance of student apprentices he employs at Weiler Forestry,” WGTC president Dr. Julie Post said. “We are blessed that he is choosing to take another

Noah Zehr is the Director of Operations at Weiler Forestry in LaGrange, Georgia. He has been a part of Weiler Forestry as Director of Operations and Plant Manager for two years. Noah holds a bachelor’s degree in Integrated Manufacturing Systems from Illinois State University and an associate’s degree in Industrial Electricity Technology from Illinois Central College. His first introduction to manufacturing was in a work-based learning program with Caterpillar which led to a 14-year career where he gained experience in operations, quality, and manufacturing engineering. Noah is an active member of the Industry Advisory Committee for the welding and machining programs at WGTC.

“I am excited to join the WGTC Board of Directors,” Zehr said. “I look forward to supporting and being a part of the new changes and advancement happening at the college."

New Public Relations & Information Director Named at WGTC

the technical college.

“We are thrilled to have Ashley join the WGTC team! She brings a wealth of experience and has already hit the ground running with creativity and immersing herself in the college family, our mission, purpose and values,” WGTC President Dr. Julie Post said.

For more than 40 years, Dr. George Baker has worked tirelessly in the pursuit of his goal to improve his patients’ dental condition and create for them a beautiful smile. Along with the Cook Dental Care team, he provides a pleasant atmosphere and a learning environment that allows patients to understand their oral health and treatment needs.

Dr. Baker attended LaGrange College for his Bachelor of Arts in chemistry.

His Doctorate of Dental Medicine was completed at the Medical College of Georgia School of Dentistry.

Since completing his formal education, Dr. Baker has gained extensive training in implant dentistry, orthodontics, and hospital dentistry. His advanced training allows him to treat a wide variety of patients in the dental office environment or in an operating setting when necessary.

West Georgia Technical College is pleased to announce that Ashley Copeland will be the new Public Relations & Information Director at WGTC.

As the Public Relations & Information Director, Copeland will be responsible for providing and implementing strategic communications and marketing plans for

Copeland brings more than 15 years of experience in public relations, marketing and communications. She joins WGTC from the Clinical Health Network for Transformation (CHN) where, as Enterprise Communications Manager, Copeland leveraged her communications experience to lead internal and external communications for the organization’s more than 14 affiliate partners.

“I can’t wait to see the impact she has on our marketing and communications as well as public presence in the communities we serve,” adds Dr. Post.

Dr. Baker is an active member of the American Dental Association, the Georgia Dental Association, and the National Dental Association.

Dr. Baker has lived in LaGrange for more than 50 years. He and his wife of nearly three decades, Ann Baker, have three children — Joy, Tracy, and Demetric — as well as grandchildren Marquez, Ardicia, and MacKinzie, great-grandchild, MaKiyah. When he’s not spending time with his family, Dr. Baker enjoys restoring old cars.

Dr. George Baker joins Childress Dental Center

MOVERS, SHAKERS,

Wellstar West Georgia Welcomes New Physicians

Wellstar West Georgia Medical Center recently welcomed several new physicians to the team, including: Dr. Olumuyiwa Adeboye, Dr. Sonia Brown, Dr. Richard Jadick, Dr. Sana Makhdoom, Dr. André Miranda.

Serving as West Georgia Hospice Medical Director, Dr. Adeboye has more than 10 years’ Hospice & Palliative Medicine experience. He completed his residency at St. Vincent’s Medical Center and fellowship at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Dr. Adeboye earned his medical degree from University of Ibadan College of Medicine and is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine – Hospice. For more information, contact Dr. Adeboye’s office at 706-845-3464.

A general urologist, Dr. Jadick treats both men and women with all urologic concerns. He earned his medical degree from New York College of Osteopathic Medicine in Old Westbury, New York, and completed his surgical internship at Bethesda Naval Hospital, Bethesda, Maryland. After two combat deployments to Iraq and Africa, he completed his residency training in urology at the Medical College of Georgia. Dr. Jadick is board certified with the American Board of Urology. For more information, contact Dr. Jadick’s office at: 706-242-5201.

A general urologist, Dr. Miranda graduated from University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, where he received his medical degree. He was awarded scholarships for medical student internship rotations at several prestigious institutions (Harvard University, Brown University and University of Kansas). He completed his internship in general surgery at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, and urologic residency at the University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, Texas. For more information, contact Dr. Miranda’s office at: 706-242-5201.

Specializing in occupational medicine and family medicine, Dr. Brown earned her medical degree from University of the West Indies. She completed her residency at University of Pennsylvania Health System, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and University of Miami/ Jackson Health System. She is certified by the American Board of Family Medicine. Dr. Brown will be working full-time at the occupational medicine clinic in the Industrial Park. For more information, contact her office at: 706-845-3075.

Dr. Makhdoom is a rheumatologist who diagnoses and treats numerous rheumatic diseases. She completed her residency at the University of Illinois and her fellowship in Rheumatology at Emory University. She earned her medical degree from AGA Khan University Medical Center. Dr. Makhdoom is board certified in internal medicine and rheumatology. For more information, contact Dr. Makhdoom’s office at: 706-880-7465.

Holly Roberts

Holly Roberts, Circles of Troup County Coach, has been named to the Circles USA National Board Advisory Council.

In this role, Roberts will work with representative across the country to create dialogue between the Circles USA board of directors and Circles stakeholders. The topics for joint meetings will include reviewing national data; advancing diversity, equity and inclusion; pursuing systemic change; and linking poverty alleviation with economic/workforce development.

Roberts has been with Circles of Troup County for eight years. She leads classes for Circles cohorts and serves as a coach for both participants and volunteers.

Marketing in a Downturn

"My business has been through three recessions –the early 2000’s recession (the bursting of the DotCom Bubble), the Great Recession, and COVID–19. Just as we were starting to see things turning around from the pandemic, it looks like we could be entering into another period of economic uncertainty with record-high inflation and lingering global supply chain issues," said Brandon Eley, owner of Eley Digital and 2 Big Feet. The only thing certain about owning your own business is that you will eventually face uncertainty.

When the economy takes a turn, small business owners understandably look to make our businesses as lean as possible, cutting costs wherever we can. But is it a good idea to cut your marketing budget during a recession?

It depends. If your current marketing is still hitting KPIs and profitably bringing in new customers, you should continue, keeping a

closer eye on it than previously. If, however, your marketing is becoming less effective and is not profitably growing your business, then it may be time to make a change.

Below are four strategies for making the most of an economic downturn:

Evaluate Marketing Based on Metrics

Measuring marketing effectiveness is diffiult especially for small businesses. You may have heard the saying, “Half my advertising spend is wasted; the trouble is, I don’t know which half.” If you don’t have systems in place to track the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns, it can be really hard to decide what to continue, what to stop, and what to increase.

Most forms of online advertising let you track their effectiveness through dashboards and reports, and many integrate with software like Google Analytics to get an overall picture of your marketing campaigns. But even traditional

marketing can be measured as long as you set it up correctly. By using offer/coupon codes, tracking phone numbers, or special website addresses, you can track billboards, radio and newspaper ads, and other traditional media.

During a recession or economic downturn, you should keep a close eye on your marketing campaigns to ensure they continue performing. If they start slipping, be ready to adjust or shift that part of the marketing budget to a different campaign or channel.

Evaluate Your Product Offerings

Rebecca Minkoff started a designer handbag company in 2005, releasing highquality handbags for a fraction of the price of luxury brands. During the ’08 recession, she looked at all the data and determined that even a $500 handbag was too expensive, so they developed a $195 bag that was still high quality and fashionable, and the company grew over 500% in the

following three years during one of the most challenging economic periods of our lives.

Times change, and as business owners we need to be ready to change with them. Look to your customers for new ideas and inspiration – survey them, ask for feedback pre and post-purchase, and keep track of buying habits and browsing trends to anticipate where the market is going. It may mean selling lower-priced versions of the same products, or offering new products or services that you have never offered before.

Focus on Existing Customers

New customer acquisition can cost many times the cost of increasing revenue from existing customers. By focusing on increasing your customer LTV (lifetime value), you can increase profit margins substantially. Below are some ideas for generating more business from your existing customers.

To increase purchase frequency, consider starting a rewards or loyalty program, or

start a “subscription box” or automatic recurring purchase that will ship products to your customers automatically on a specific interval.

Diversify your product offerings to increase AOV (average order value), and offer complimentary products or services your customers need.

Diversify Your Payment Options

During tough times, customers may still want your product or service but may be hesitant to buy right now due to financial uncertainty… especially for more expensive products and services.

Solutions like Klarna, Buy Now Pay Later, Affirm, Afterpay, and Sezzle all let your customers spread out their purchase over several weeks or even months. This can make a huge difference for large purchases, but we even see a lot of our customers using this service for small ($100) purchases, too.

These services typically only charge a

Now Selling!

$11500 $11500

slightly higher rate than your normal credit card processing, and can increase your sales substantially by opening your products or services up to a segment of potential customers that would not have considered purchasing.

The key to marketing in an economic downturn is to not give up. Don’t just throw in the towel, or you will give your competitors a huge advantage to gain market share that will be hard to recover in the future. Be vigilant, and be ready to shift your marketing budget to new channels or create new products and services if needed.

* S e e a g e n t f o r d e t a l s P r i c e s e f f e c t i v e a s o f J u y 1 2 2 0 2 2 a n d s u b j e c t t o c h a n g e a t a n y t i m e w t h o u t p r i o r n o t c e o r o b g a t o n U p t o $ 1 0 , 0 0 0 C o s n g C o s t s v a d f o r f u l p r i c e o f f e r w t h p r e f e r r e d l e n d e r o n y C a n n o t b e c o m b i n e d w i t h a n y o t h e r p r o m o t i o n o r o f f e r T h e i n f o r m a t o n n t h s a d v e r t s e m e n t / p o s t i s p r o v i d e d f o r g e n e r a l n f o r m a t i o n o n l y I l l u s t r a t i o n s s p e c i f i c a t o n s h o m e d e s g n s p r i c e s i n c e n t i v e s p r o d u c t b r a n d s t e r m s a n d c o n d t i o n s , a v a a b i l i t y a n d a m e n t i e s a r e s u b j e c t t o c h a n g e a t a n y t i m e w i t h o u t n o t c e o r o b l i g a t i o n C o m p a n y r e s e r v e s t h e r i g h t t o m a k e c h a n g e s w t h o u t n o t i c e T h i s i s n o t p a r t o f a e g a l c o n t r a c t R e f e r t o o n s t e s a e s a g e n t f o r c o m p l e t e d e t a i l s L b e r t y C o m m u n i t e s 2 0 2 2 ®

Hogansville Mayor JAKE AYERS

Dressed in shorts, casual shirt and ball cap, Jake Ayers leans against the counter at Fuel Coffee Bar in Hogansville, chatting amiably with servers and owner Carlos Cannon, whom he helped recruit to town. A woman approaches, greeting him with “Good morning, Mr. Mayor.”

“Call me Jake,” he said.

And so it goes with Ayers, a high-energy, 34-year-old Newnan native, six years into his residency in Hogansville and eight months into his new role as mayor of the Troup County city of about 3,200. Outgoing and unpretentious, the boyish Ayers may not look like a traditional mayor, but make no mistake. He’s totally into the job.

The top vote-getter in a four-candidate plurality election last November, Ayers campaigned on the slogan, “A heart for the people, a vision for the future.” He went door to door, not touting his credentials, he said, but asking potential voters, “What do you want to see in this community?”

He’s still asking.

“A good leader is a good listener,” he said. “I want people to feel they can come and express their voice and be listened to. I want them to know they have someone on their side. I want to earn respect and be a leader people can have trust in.”

Ayers describes Hogansville as a “unique and special place to call home,” and describes himself as a “people person, a relationship person, with a mentality of genuinely loving people.” He said he’s willing to “rethink what’s possible” and try hard things, even if it means learning from his own mistakes.

“I believe in failing fast,” he said with a laugh. “You learn more from failures than successes.”

Most of all, Ayers said, he ran for mayor because he’s passionate about the next generation. Growth is coming to Hogansville, and he wants to be sure it’s healthy growth.

“We want the quality of growth and the quality of the town to stay high,” he said.

There’s not a lot of time to get ahead of the curve. The postpandemic mindset is already pushing people – young families and retirees alike – to small, well-located towns like Hogansville. By some estimates, the population of Hogansville will double – or more – within the next 10 years.

“We are 100 percent on the verge of change,” Ayers said. “The Hogansville of the past is not going to be the Hogansville of the future, and old decisions won’t make it.”

It won’t be easy, but he believes growth can be achieved “without building thousands of tract homes,” and by focusing on what people want to see in their community – adequate Infrastructure, affordable amenities like city parks and places to work, shop and mingle safely.

That vision, he said, must include Hogansville residents from all walks of life and every area of town.

“When I think about a healthy community,”he said, “it looks a lot like a tribe. Elders are respected and pour their wisdom and discernment into the next generation.”

The tribe analogy is apt. Ayers and his wife, Nicole, had known each other for a while, but romantic interest sparked on a mission

trip to an Indian reservation in South Dakota. Married nine years ago, they came to Hogansville in 2016 and have since had three children – sons Leon and Aidan, 4 and 2, and a newborn daughter Maya, who arrived last month.

“It was not the ideal season in my life to run for mayor,” Ayers said with obvious understatement, “but if I am to call a generation to grow up here, including my own children, I felt I had to do it.”

It helped that Nicole backed the idea and remains his chief supporter. Since their dating days, he said, she knows exactly when to say, “I believe in you. You can do it!”

The tribe comparison also fits his appreciation for older people, in general, and the senior population of Hogansville, in particular. Several people twice his age encouraged him to run and continue to mentor him, he said. And while he defeated incumbent mayor Bill Stankiewicz, several decades his senior, he expresses admiration for the former mayor’s commitment and love of Hogansville.

“I am standing on a lot of shoulders,” Ayers said, adding “It’s not just OK, it’s essential “ to respect older residents and consider their needs in future plans.

Ayers has never been shy about a challenge. One of eight children and the son of a Baptist minister, he moved to Sydney, Australia at age 18 and stayed almost three years, attending Hillsong International Leadership College.

“There’s not a lot better education than being 18 in a different country,” he said.

He later worked on staff at Crossroads Church in Coweta County. His connection to Hogansville grew out of his desire to be involved in bringing new life to a small community. From “just an idea,” he and friends co-founded Pioneer, a nonprofit that seeks to revitalize Hogansville through small business incubator opportunities, youth programs and public/private partnerships. He and Nicole lived in a tiny apartment above the old police station on Main St., where Pioneer had its first office.

He is still a board member of Pioneer and continues to “actively and intentionally recruit” people and businesses to Hogansville, but makes his living these days as a realtor and operator of several small businesses, including a landscaping company.

“I am a true blue capitalist,” he said. Ayers recognizes he still has “barriers” to get through to achieve the level of trust and support he desires as mayor. The early signs,

Jake and Nicole Ayers and sons Leon, 4, and Aiden, 2, welcomed baby Maya in July.

he believes, are positive, and much credit goes to his city council members.

“For one thing, for the first time in a long time, I believe we have a unified vision. We are not always friends, but we share a mindset and heart. We are energized.”

That vision?

Lots of things, but one overarching goal.

“Fifteen years from now, I’d love to see an article on how Hogansville is the most unique and charming city and how it managed its growth and is successful.”

EARLY BIRD BREAKFASTS

MAY JUNE

Georgia State Representative, Randy Nix was our featured guest for May’s breakfast. Nix is the current chairman of the House Ethics Committee and has served his community for 16 years as state representative. Special thanks for our Gold sponsor, Auto Gallery Chevrolet Buick GMC.

Rob Goldstein, co-founder of Wild Leap Brew Co., was our featured speaker for June. Rob, pictured with Chamber Chairman Jamey Jackson and business partner, Anthony Rodriguez, spoke about his career journey, pivoting during a pandemic, and the leap of faith that has taken the brewery from a PowerPoint deck to being nationally recognized in just five years. Special thanks for our Gold sponsor LaGrange Housing Authority.

SMALL BUSINESS SUMMER LEADERSHIP SERIES

Presented by Auto Gallery Chevrolet Buick GMC, this Summer Series helps members gain knowledge from peers and industry professionals through the Chamber's continuing education programs.

Marketing, Sales, and Customer Service featuring Shelley Strickland, Director of Marketing, South Region Consumer Engagement, Wellstar West Georgia Medical Center, Brandon Eley, Owner of 2BigFeet and Eley Digital, and Mike Gilmartin, Retired Head of National Accounts at Kraft Heinz Food Service.

Communication

Financial Management, sponsored by J.K. Boatwright, featuring John Westmoreland, CPA at J.K. Boatwright, Financial Advisors at True North Investments, Summer Deal and Aaron Mabon. Door prize winner Maryanne Lovejoy, with moderator, Mike Gilmartin.

& Negotiation featuring Mike Gilmartin, Retired Head of National Accounts at Kraft Heinz Food Service, Heather W. Graham, Esq., Thornton & Graham, P.C., and Mark Foster, General Manager, Auto Gallery Chevrolet Buick GMC, Inc.

STATE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Hogansville Business Council

We had a great Hogansville Business Council at Continental USA. Before the plant tour, we learned about the history of Continental and their manufacturing process- then we saw it firsthand.

Safety Council Women in Business

Presented by Hyundai-Transys, the Troup County Safety Council heard from Tawana Farley, member of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) board. Special thanks to our Q2 registration + breakfast sponsor, Pike Consulting Group

Music,

tacos and fun was had by all who attended Women in Business at Pure Life Studios. We enjoyed the smooth sounds of Chastity Brown and Lilli Lewis.

Presented by Jackson Services, our quarterly luncheon focused on the state of Troup County featuring the Mayors of Hogansville, LaGrange and West Point in addition to the County Manager.

LEADERSHIP TROUP 2021-2022 CLASS

Freshana Allen

3 Rivers Regional Commission

April Bartley KIA Georgia

Veleka Battle Troup County School System

Melita Bouchet MGroup

Rena Boykin LaGrange Housing Authority

Marco Brown KIA Georgia

Kaylynn Cook

Sheridan Construction

Nate Crawford DASH

Hill Daniel Troup Co. Government Center

Selina Dominguez Thrive Studio

KeJuana Drake Gay and Joseph, CPA

Corey Dunn Troup County Parks & Rec.

Holly Fevos Malone Solutions

Christy Gresley Hills & Dales

Erin Hackley

Troup County Coroner's Office

Brittney Henderson

West Ga. Technical College

Grayson Jones Milliken

Lisa Kelly City of Hogansville

Joseph Kirkland Duracell

Will Locke

First United Methodist Church

Kristin Mallory Emory at LaGrange

Jordan Martinec UrgenCare

Christian Massey Great Wolf Lodge

Kirt Mathes Fokker Services

Starlet Mays Ga. Sheriff's Youth Academy

Kim Myers Get Troup Reading

Amy Rhodes Kimble's

Jeff Sheppard City of Hogansville

Bryce Sillyman Wellstar

Brandon Solomon Wellstar

Tammy Strickland ActiKare

Michael Strickland Troup County Fire Department

LaConnie Woodyard-Brewer Mobis

Aslan USA LLC

Beacon Landscaping LLC c3Counseling, LLC

Cafe Bruleé & Dessert Bar

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS!

Calumet Park Neighborhood Association Inc.

Coach Earl Chambers LLC Continental Crossroads Treatment Center

Ekkebus Family Foundation, Inc. Givorns Foods

Jenna Calleen Photography John's Trucking, LLC

Michelle, RN LLC SMC Corporation America Turnkey Corrections

West Georgia Oral & Facial Surgery

Marketing for Growth

Is your business poised for growth but unsure where to deploy your marketing efforts? With all the different options to choose from it can be challenging on where to start. Developing a laser-like approach and creating a marketing strategy can be extremely beneficial. Word-of-mouth has typically been the “go-to” strategy for most businesses and will continue to be but as you are looking at ways to tweak or change your strategy below are a few questions to consider:

1) Who are your core customers?

As you are looking where to place your marketing dollars, understanding, and analyzing your current customer base is a great place to start. These would be the customers that use your services or frequent your establishment on a regular basis. You may be able to call these people or businesses by name. In some cases, you may know exactly what they order or purchase from your business. Understanding exactly who your customers are will then allow you to determine what marketing mediums are best to more prospective customers just like them.

2) Where are your customers placing their eyes and attention?

What platforms are they using in their leisure to unwind or search for their next purchase? Are they using social platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok?

Are they looking at reviews of products on Amazon or searching Google? One question you can start with is asking yourself, what have been the most successful marketing campaigns or ads you have done in the past 12-18 months?

What was it about it that captivated your audience? What platform did you use?

Can you duplicate it again? Once you understand where your customers eyes are you can meet them there.

3) Are you measuring or tracking your marketing efforts?

Where is your current traffic coming from? Is it your website, where you list on search engines, social media presence, and/or your print mediums? Having a way to track the effectiveness of your current and future marketing efforts is key. There are tools available such as Google Analytics to help determine who is visiting your website. For social

media platforms there are tools such as Facebook and Instagram Insights that will help you better understand who your audience is. Having some type of data will help you begin to validate where you are spending your dollars.

Hopefully these questions will help you maximize those funds your allocate towards your marketing efforts!

NEED HELP WITH YOUR SMALL BUSINESS?

Contact Todd Carlisle with the UGA Small Business Development Center at (706) 569-2651 to schedule a consultation in our LaGrange office.

FOUNTAINS OF BLISS Soda Fountains in LaGrange

Oh! It’s only a dime-a-glass; it is Foaming and sparkling and cool, And the man who can’t see a dime of the bliss Is “not in his ways” like a-oh!stool.

Oh, fill for me higher the bubbling glass; There’s nothing compares to it, For the heart that it gives is as light as the gas, We went to Ware’s for it.

The above bit of doggerel appeared in the LaGrange Reporter in 1869 advertising the soda fountain in Dr. A. C. Ware’s drugstore. It happens to be the first surviving mention of a soda fountain here in LaGrange; the first wave of a deluge that would fill the city with effervescent drinks for years to come.

Since the discovery of mineral springs, humans have tried to replicate the qualities of this water, including its carbonation, which was considered healthy and a curative for a range of ailments. Scientific advances in Europe in the late eighteenth century led to the discovery of a variety of methods of adding carbonation to water and entrepreneurs quickly began to set up operations to sell this new product. Sales of soda fountain equipment in the United States began in the 1830s and grew quickly over the remainder of the century.

Many of the first soda fountains were both decorative and functional. With cabinets made of fine wood with dazzling metal knobs, spouts, and spigots, and marble basins and countertops, these soda fountains were intended to draw in high class clientele with their elegance. Indeed, this first notice of Dr. Ware’s couches this advertisement in the most fantastic of terms, asking if one had tasted “of the fountain of bliss?” and continuing, “From its marble basin flows a continual stream of the veritable elixir of life…”

Spouting the health benefits of these bubbly tonics, pharmacists began to hawk these concoctions containing alcohol and medicinal herbs like coca leaves (from

which cocaine is derived) not only as curealls but for refreshment. These icy drinks were especially popular in the South as a way to beat the heat and humidity and were most popular in Atlanta. In 1885, the citizens of Atlanta voted for prohibition forcing the local soda fountains to scramble to replace their alcoholic tonics with non-alcoholic versions. Among the scrambling pharmacists was Dr. John Stith Pemberton who created a replacement for his popular French Wine Coca by mixing essential fruit oils, kola nuts, coca leaves, as well as adding sugar and citric acid, something he called “Coca-Cola.” After the citywide prohibition went into effect, Dr. Pemberton’s new product quickly became the literal toast of the town. Other similar products, dubbed “soft drinks,” began to flood the market creating the first of many cola wars.

The soda fountain craze took a little bit longer to catch on in LaGrange. Dr. Augustus C. Ware’s drug store lasted only a few years and ended an illustrious career in medicine. Born in Morgan County, Georgia, Dr. Ware moved to LaGrange to study with his uncle, Dr. Hampton W. Hill. During the Civil War he served in the local Confederate hospitals, though his health began to falter in 1864. The following year he retired his medical practice and opened a drug store which he closed in 1871, a year before his death.

The LaGrange Reporter notes two soda fountains “in full blast” in 1872 after the paper’s employees were invited to partake of both. These fountains were located at A. B. Jones & Co., and Dr. Thomas Searcy Bradfield’s drug store. It seems that A. B. Jones took over Dr. Ware’s inventory when he closed his store, so we may presume that he also took over his soda fountain. We know a good deal about Bradfield’s Drug Store which opened in 1868 by Dr. Bradfield and Dr. Elisha Dortch Pitman. Bradfield Drug operated for decades and Dr. Bradfield built a business not only dealing in medications and offering a soda fountain, but selling a wide variety of goods ranging from seeds to paint to housewares and toiletries. His drug store was only a portion of his business dealings and he contributed to public life serving on the City Council a number of times as well as mayor of LaGrange for several years.

This Coca-Cola ad from the 1890s evokes a sense of luxury in an attempt to attract a higher class clientele to soda fountains and other dispensers of Coca-Cola.

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Collection.

Within a few years of the installation of the soda fountains at Dr. Ware’s and Dr. Bradfield’s drug stores, the fad seems to have taken off in LaGrange. By 1879, the newspaper had begun to report that other local entrepreneurs had started opening their own soda fountains, including businessman J. U. Lennard and physician Dr. Enoch Callaway. By the 1890s, it seems that a game of one-upmanship had begun for providing the finest fountains available. In 1892, the Reporter notes that Shaefer & White’s newly install fountain will be “the finest ever seen in this section.”

In 1897, Bradfield’s Drug Company underwent a large renovation to install their new soda fountain. The Reporter announced, “The front of Bradfield Drug Co.’s store has been torn down and that firm is now having put in an elegant iron and glass front, and large show windows… This firm has purchased a handsome $2,000 soda fountain which will soon be placed in position. They are getting ready to quench the thirst of the melting populace during the hot summer months.”

Not only did these soda fountains “quench the thirst of the melting populace,” but they also provided a place for the community to gather. Indeed, they could also be used by community groups for raising money. When Bradfield’s opened

their new soda fountain, they gave the Library Club all their profits on opening day to support the new public library. “On Wednesday, the members of the Library Club gathered at the drug store, and reinforced by a bevy of the prettiest girls in town, began to solicit patronage from the unwary passerby. All of the morning the young men, all unsuspecting, approached and came in with alacrity; but discovering the unquenchable thirst for soda possessed by these young ladies… The day was very pleasant and proved a financial success to the Library.”

Moving into the twentieth century, Bradfield Drug replaced its 1897 soda fountain just ten years later in 1907 that included “every modern equipment and latest improvement” and added an ice cream machine. As the popularity of these soda fountains continued to grow, there

were also concerns about cleanliness and about the ingredients that were used in some of the sodas. One government scientist in 1907 expressed outrage that one tonic owed “its supposed virtues to cocaine and caffeine.” Another report in 1916 worried that the glasses and spoons were unsanitary and that “diphtheria and pneumonia germs and other bacteria were found on quite a number of those examined.” Nevertheless, many stores continued to market their products as sanitary and healthy.

Soda fountains began to dispense refreshments in other retail establishments outside of pharmacies. When the Cash Book Store opened in its new location on the square, it included a soda fountain as well as the new Kress Five and Dime when it opened its doors on Main Street. In addition, the offerings of these soda

Dozier’s Pharmacy, located on North Court Square, placed this ad in the paper in 1911 encouraging friends to meet up there. TCA Collections.

fountains expanded to include savory foods.

As more businesses, including theaters, began to install their own soda fountains, the novelty waned. Throughout the rest of the twentieth century, the soda fountain continued to operate in many drug stores. The soda fountain at Hillside Pharmacy lingered on until it closed around 1993, ending more than a century of popularity.

This postcard, likely from the 1920s, shows the soda fountain at Bradfield Drug on the square. TCA Collections.

Taken by Stanley Hutchinson sometime in the 1930s, this photograph shows two young boys behind the counter of an unidentified LaGrange soda fountain. TCA Collections.

Holmes Pharmacy had a soda fountain in their location on East Court Square. This 1948 photograph shows a group of LaGrange High School students enjoying the soda fountain. TCA Collections.

THRIVING OR SURVIVING?

As we navigate our day, are we thriving or merely surviving? In other words, are we flourishing personally and professionally in every aspect of our life, or are we just hanging on going from one day to another? Take a minute and imagine creating a healthy, thriving life: complete with true happiness and bliss and physical, mental, emotional, and social wellness and well-being.

Most individuals will find that just thinking about it conjures up a sense of peace and relaxation, maybe even euphoria, yet simultaneously perhaps some would consider a healthy life unattainable. But I promise you, it is ours for the taking, and we can manifest it as our reality with a bit of commitment, intention, and awareness. In this article, you will learn about and be encouraged to incorporate some simple tips that will start your journey to transform your health: mind, body, and soul.

First, our mind and body are interconnected and, believe it or not, impact each other tremendously. As an illustration, think about a recent stressful situation that caused some negative thoughts, then ask yourself if it led to any physical pain or illness during or after the problem? Research shows that many people will answer yes. The pain could be as simple as soreness in your neck, shoulders, or back or perhaps a nagging headache or, worse, a migraine headache. Thus, it becomes critically important to maintain a healthy balance between our mind, body, and soul by nurturing the whole self, including our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellness and well-being.

While creating a healthy, thriving life, knowing the difference between wellness and well-being is essential. Wellness is action-oriented and the act of practicing healthy habits daily in the pursuit of happiness and better health outcomes. For instance, dimensions of wellness include social connectedness, daily physical activity, proper nutrition, sleep, and mindfulness. Wellbeing is a state of being and a mindset. It is a person’s perception of their life, such as whether they feel they have achieved their goals,

success, happiness, health, or whether their life has meaning?

Below are a few simple habits to incorporate into your everyday life to begin your journey toward physical, emotional, mental, and social wellness and wellbeing.

1. PRACTICE MINDFULNESS

Mindfulness is a practice of awareness, taking inventory of what we focus on, then bringing our attention back to the present moment with acceptance, without judgment or ridicule. It is noticing the moments when we are stuck thinking about the past or fears about the future. Once we become aware of this pattern, we can gently and effortlessly return to the present moment with kindness and compassion in our hearts.

2. MEDITATE REGULARLY Meditation improves memory, attention, mood, immune system, sleep, and creativity. It takes only a few minutes a day to start reaping the benefits.

3. PRACTICE

GRATITUDE

Take time each day to write or think about the things you’re grateful for, such as family, friends, pets, food, shelter, health, or the beauty of nature.

4.

PRACTICE SELF-CARE

Schedule time to take care of yourself too. Engaging in self-care can relieve the pressures of everyday life and allow time to reset and regain a feeling of health and vitality. For a moment, release the stress, minimize pain, improve concentration, let go of frustrations, increase happiness, and improve energy. Finally, remember that which we do for ourselves, we do for another.

Lastly, if you are interested in creating a thriving life, connecting with others on a similar growth quest, or simply intrigued by the notion of releasing stress and minimizing pain, call me: Selina Dominguez, owner of THRIVE Studio, a wellness studio that uses a whole-person approach to health, healing, wellness, and well-being. Our team is dedicated to transforming and healing the world back to health and love, one person, one community at a time. We collaborate with clients to develop a plan that considers the person’s mind, body, and soul connection. Some of the services we offer are full-body therapeutic massages, reflexology foot massages, healing bodywork massages, and Reiki energy healing. In addition, we offer meditation, training workshops, book clubs, strategy coaching sessions for individuals, teams, and leaders, and consultations.

Current Employer: Troup County

Government

Current Title: Communications Manager

How long have you worked in Troup County: 2 Years

When you’re not working, what do you like to do: I love to read and spend time with friends :)

What is your best personal achievement: Playing tennis in college… Go Petrels!

What are your future plans: I can’t imagine not working in Public Service

Favorite Ice Cream: Ben & Jerry’s Phish Food

All-Time Favorite Movie and Why: Memento because it reshaped my understanding of narrative form. It begins at the end and ends at the beginning!

If you won $1 million, what would you do with the money: I would build a home library (complete with moving ladder) and put the rest into savings.

Favorite “after work” spot in Troup County: The McCluskey Tennis Complex!

HYPE is a high impact group of diverse young professionals working together to showcase Troup County as a unique and fun place to work and live. HYPE provides its members with opportunities for building relationships with community and business leaders and cultivates an atmosphere for building personal relationships and a sense of purpose within the community.

HYPE SPOTLIGHT

Caroline Johnson

Margs at the Museum