Issuu

Boys to Men

There is a moment every boy carries with him, even if he cannot name it. It is the first time he fixes something with his own hands, the first time he takes a risk and lands on his feet, the first time someone looks at him and says, you've got what it takes. Author John Eldredge built an entire framework around that feeling. In his landmark work Fathered by God , he maps the masculine journey through six sacred stages: the Beloved Son, the Cowboy, the Warrior, the Lover, the King, and the Sage. Each one matters. Each one shapes the man who shows up for his family, his community, and himself.

This month, we are celebrating men in all of those stages. We're talking drones and horsepower. We're talking about what it means to look good and feel good in your own skin. We're talking about the cowboys still chasing adventure, the warriors who put on a badge and a uniform, the kings who built businesses from the ground up, and the sages who mentor the next generation coming up behind them. Canton has always been a place where real men do real work, and this issue is our letter of thanks to all of them.

I owe a deep and sincere thank you to the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office. Sheriff Frank Reynolds and his team do not just keep us safe; they invest in this community with a level of dedication that most people never fully see. From the cutting-edge technology inside the Shaw-Woodard Real-Time Intelligence Center to the deputies running calls across 434 square miles every single day, these men and women are warriors in every sense of the word. We are honored to share some behind-the-scenes impact in these pages.

To the unique front cover picture and a little news worth celebrating. Engine Bay Barber Co. has officially arrived at the Mill on Etowah right here in Canton. Open to men with or without hair; come for the hot-towel shave. It is the kind of place where a boy can sit in the chair next to his dad, and somewhere in that simple moment, something is passed down. That is what this whole issue is really about.

Boys become men when other men show them how. To every man who leads, builds, serves, and stays, this one is for you.

This is Your City, This is Your Lifestyle.

CHICKA ELLOY,

PUBLISHER

June 2026

PUBLISHER

Chicka Elloy | chicka.elloy@citylifestyle.com

MANAGING EDITOR

Jennifer Elloy | jennifer.elloy@citylifestyle.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

John Eales, Tim Horan, Jason Little

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Naomi Hopkins, Joe Granson, Brittany Merrion

Corporate Team

CEO Steven Schowengerdt

President Matthew Perry

COO David Stetler

CRO Jamie Pentz

CoS Janeane Thompson

AD DESIGNER Mary Albers

LAYOUT DESIGNER Jamie Housh

QUALITY CONTROL SPECIALIST Anna Minnick

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1: Spring Break photos from Holden Beach in North Carolina. It’s always hard to say bye to friends. 2: The Queens of Cherokee County continue to spread joy. Dana, Lindsey and Ashley. 3: Hi Max! enjoying a ice coffee 4: Autumn transformed after going on a Bully Run 5: Alan Flint, Japhet Tegtmeyer, (Essay Winner) and Dr. Cathy Murphy 6: It’s official, Cherokee HS Campus is open and it is beautiful. 7: The Kentucky Derby hat contest for History Cherokee

WHERE NEIGHBORS CAN SEE AND BE SEEN JUNE 2026 Want

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Guarding Your Home This Season

As temperatures rise across Cherokee County, pest activity is ramping up fast. Vigilant Pest Solutions, a veteran-owned, family-operated business, helps homeowners stay ahead with customized treatment plans tailored to their home, yard, and lifestyle. From termite prevention to mosquito control, Lawrence, Ian, and Scott deliver precision care with long-term results. Get on the schedule today at 470-750-2767 and experience the difference of a company that treats your home like its own. Visit: VigilantPestSolutions.com

The Cut You’ve Earned

Engine Bay brings community, craft, and a firehouse pride to the Mill on Etowah

There's a reason the best conversations happen in a barber's chair. Something about the rhythm of the clippers, the real talk, and the mirror that asks you to just sit still for a minute strips away the noise and makes space for something genuine.

Brittany Merrion knows that feeling well. For years, she's built exactly that kind of sanctuary next door at Practically Perfect Salon and Spa, a women's haven that has quietly become one of the most beloved fixtures of the Mill on Etowah community. But when she and her fiancé, Ben Phillips, an active firefighter at Station 19, looked at the space beside her, they saw something more. An opportunity to create that same feeling for the men of Canton. Engine Bay Barber Co. was born.

The name is no accident. It's a tribute to the engine bay of a fire station, that sacred common ground where brotherhood isn't a concept but a daily practice. Where pride in your work and your community isn't just talked about, it's lived. "We wanted men to have a place that felt like that," Brittany says. "Walk in, exhale, be among your people."

Ben puts it simply. "This place means something. It's not just a haircut. It's the

kind of stop you make because the experience reflects the values and service of Cherokee County’s first responders.

Behind the chairs are Andre, a master barber; Vic, who has been styling and cutting at the salon for years; and Wes, himself an active Cherokee County firefighter, so the Engine Bay identity runs throughout the team. The clientele runs from six to seventy, and everyone feels at home. A boy getting his first real fade, a dad finally taking care of that beard, a grandfather settling in for a hot towel shave. The skill brings them in. The people keep them coming back.

Canton has always taken care of its own. Engine Bay proudly offers standing discounts to Cherokee County's first responders, teachers, veterans, and hospital workers. No fine print, no forms, just a sincere thank-you to the people who show up for everyone else every single day.

Expanding fast, if you know a barber ready to join something special, send them our way. There are a few chairs with their name on them.

Book your appointment at EngineBayBarber.com

Roots, Grit, and Purpose:The Men of Cherokee County

LEADERS, FATHERS, AND NEIGHBORS SHARE THE IMPACT OF LEADING IN OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY

Josh Bagby

Agency Principal, Providence Insurance & Founder of Cherokee Connect

Growing up here, I watched nonprofits, church families, local businesses, and complete strangers step in to help one another for the common good. When I started thinking through Cherokee Connect, I knew how special this place was. One of the goals was to bring that spirit together at scale. Our community is full of people who genuinely want to help, but many times they just don’t know when, where, or how to plug in. Cherokee Connect created a place where people could see needs, meet needs, and support their neighbors. Cherokee

County has been pouring into me for over 30 years. Nothing my family or our team at Providence has built would be possible without decades of people showing up for us as kids and continuing to invest in us as adults. I’m a big “leave the dugout better than you found it” guy. This community has always been special. We’re just trying to do our part to make it even better for the next generation that gets the opportunity to build on what was handed to us. Gratitude. I’m indebted to this community.

One of our core values at Providence is simple: always do what’s right for our clients, our community, and one another. That value was modeled for my wife, Katie, and me early by our parents and grandparents, and it’s ultimately rooted in our faith. Staying close to the Lord helps you hear that still, small voice that guides your decisions and keeps your priorities in order. Doing what’s right isn’t always easy, but our communities need people willing to stand for it, even when it’s inconvenient. I’m still striving every day to be one of those people.

Sports taught me so much about life: how to lead, how to follow, how to handle pressure and adversity, how to work in a team, and how to compete the right way. One of the most impactful coaches I had was Mark Richt, with whom I played for as a walk-on at the University of Georgia. He was operating at the highest level of college football under immense pressure, yet he consistently led with integrity. Watching that showed me it could be done anywhere. When you’re wrong, own it, correct it, and let the Lord guide you forward.

John Blend

Paul Agnelli

Founder of Goshen Valley Homes and Boys' Ranch Owner & Chef, Agnelli’s Meat Market

When Connie and I purchased farmland in Cherokee County, we had no blueprint. We simply saw a sanctuary where others saw an empty field. What I learned early is that you don’t build a mission alone. You show up faithfully, and the right people find their way to you. Neighbors became allies. Churches rallied. Leaders shared the vision without being asked twice. Every decision about Goshen was a response to something I felt God asking of me, and I just tried to stay obedient to that still, small voice. If I could offer anything to the men coming behind me, it would be this: don’t chase the legacy. Chase the need in front of you. Since 1999, over 1,500 children and families have been impacted, and more than 2,500 volunteers pour in every year. None of that was the goal. Serving one child was the goal. This county is extraordinary. From churches and schools to government and business, people rally together in a way that still humbles me. The safe pasture we once imagined is now a living legacy, and it belongs to every person who ever showed up to pour into it.

After years in fine dining, steakhouses, and high-end golf courses, I developed a deep respect for quality and a passion for the details that make a meal truly memorable. Whether I was curating a twelve-course tasting menu with a perfectly paired wine selection or serving a single, perfectly prepared prime steak, I wanted every experience to leave a lasting impression. Opening Agnelli’s Meat Market was about bringing that same standard of excellence from sourcing to the final cut directly to the people of Cherokee County. Canton has given my family so much over the last twenty-five years, and the shop is my way of giving something meaningful back to this community I love. To any young man here wanting to leave his mark, I’d say this: be curious, seek mentorship, work harder when no one’s watching, and build mutual respect with those around you. Above all else, do what you love.

Jacky

Cheng

Creative Digital Content Specialist, City of Canton & Explore Canton, GA

Growing up in Asian culture, I was raised to serve others before myself. As a kid, pouring tea around the table before filling my own cup seemed like a small act of kindness. I didn’t realize then how deeply that mindset would shape the way I lead. When I learned my mom traveled at sea for 14 days as a child, fleeing war to reach a refugee camp, everything came into focus. My parents sacrificed everything for my brother and me and never complained. They just kept pouring the tea. That’s the standard I carry. To the young men coming up in Cherokee County, respect your elders and learn to listen before you speak. The older generations around you have lived through things you haven’t even imagined yet. Soak up every story they’re willing to share. That’s where integrity starts.

Dale Alexander

Author and Speaker- “The Talk” (about money)

At age 28, I heard leadership defined as “influence,” that like elevators, we could take people up or down. I knew then I wanted to be a hope-lifter for others. Hope is the greatest antidote to almost every problem people face. That caused me to pursue purpose over goals and changed the course of everything in my life. True purpose is found in the passionate pursuit of our dominant gift in service to others. God put within us a need to serve others; going against that inherent need steals God’s purpose for our gifts and talents. Each day, find some way to bless others. It will be returned a million times. To the young men coming up: be a person of honesty and integrity, because trust is the most important personal quality we can hold. Also, remember that character leaves a wake. As a boat leaves a wake in its path, so does our character. Will you live a life that makes people think the best when they hear your name and your family’s name? It’s easy. But that is why it is also hard. Then...Go be great!

Andrew Rozyskie

Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Rozmith LLC

My sense of purpose was shaped early, watching the people around me work hard, keep their word, and treat others with respect, regardless of title. That left a mark. When I stepped into IT and Cybersecurity services, I thought it was about having the answers. Time taught me it’s really about asking better questions, listening longer, and creating space for other people to do their best work. The calling has grown quieter and steadier over the years. Early on, I wanted to prove something. Now I want to build something, a culture, a legacy that outlasts me. Leadership is stewardship. You’re handed something, you make it stronger, and you pass it on better than you found it. Cherokee County isn’t just where we operate. It’s home, and home asks something of you. I show up because I’ve been on the receiving end of this community’s generosity, and I know what it means. Investing here through mentorship, local partnerships, and the next generation of leaders isn’t an obligation. It’s a privilege. We’re all building something together.

Ramon Benitez

Owner, Dos Margaritas & La Cantina on Main

I have spent decades building more than restaurants. I have been building gathering places where family, flavor, and community sit together at the same table across North Georgia.

When I think about the legacy I hope to leave behind, I go back to something simple. Food is how my culture says I love you. Everything we have built, from Dos Margaritas in Hickory Flat and Crabapple to La Cantina on Main in downtown Canton, has been about sharing that with our neighbors. My son Freddy is part of this now, and that means everything to me. I want people to look back and

say the Benitez family helped make this place feel like home. We celebrate the families in our towns and look forward to being part of their growth and community for decades to come.

When I think about the young men coming up who want to lead with purpose, my advice is simple and steady. Take pride in your work and let your name mean something. Respect the people around you, show up every day, and build something worth passing down. In this community, people remember who showed up for them. Be that person.

PRIVATE PRACTICE OPEN IN CANTON

READY TO Activate

INSIDE THE REAL-TIME INTELLIGENCE CENTER KEEPING CHEROKEE COUNTY’S FAMILIES SAFER EVERY SINGLE DAY.

ARTICLE BY CANTON CITY LIFESTYLE PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHEROKEE SHERIFF’S OFFICE

There's a room on Chattin Drive in Canton that most Cherokee County residents will never see. From the outside, it looks like any other county building. But step through those doors, and you'll find something that feels less like North Georgia and a lot more like a scene straight out of CSI Miami. Screens line the walls from floor to ceiling. Maps pulse with live data. Analysts sit focused at their workstations, eyes moving between multiple feeds at once. And somewhere outside, a drone waits on a docking station, ready to fly at a moment's notice.

This is the Shaw-Woodard Real-Time Intelligence Center, and since opening its doors in January 2026, it has already changed the way Cherokee County keeps its people safe.

Commander Lindsay Harris has been building toward this moment for eight years. She came to the Sheriff's Office from a narcotics background, where the work demanded creative thinking, deep dives into data, and the ability to connect the dots quickly. She brought every bit of that with her. "We had a crime analyst doing traditional intelligence gathering," she says, settling into a chair in the center she helped build from scratch. "Looking at stats, crime trends, trying to figure out what might happen next. That was the old way. The world changed and we had to change with it."

The shift happened gradually. A license plate reader here, a camera partnership with a local business there, a growing relationship with the school district and the hospital. But the real turning point came during a murder investigation at a local business. Harris was pulled in to help the Criminal Investigations Division, and for the first time, intelligence and investigative work fully merged. Tower dumps. Phone records. Surveillance footage. It worked. "Once the detectives got a little bit of it," she says with a smile, "they wanted it on every case. Every theft. Every missing person. Because once you've seen what it can do, why wouldn't you use every tool available to protect this community?"

That question drove everything that came next.

The numbers alone are striking. In its first operational year, the RTIC assisted in 521 public safety incidents. License plate readers logged 569 successes, including locating missing persons, identifying hit-and-run drivers, and tracking down wanted criminals across county and state lines. Drones flew 228 hours in the air and completed 81 missions. These are not abstract statistics. Each one is a real person, a real moment, a real outcome for a family somewhere in this county.

But ask Harris what she is most proud of and she doesn't reach for a spreadsheet. She reaches for a story.

Not long ago, a dangerous inmate escaped, roughly 90 miles south of Canton. Word came in that he had ties to Cherokee County and had climbed into a pink taxi. It was a Sunday, and the center was not yet officially operational. Harris and her team got on it anyway. "We started searching, and within moments we could see that the taxi was traveling all the way from Troup County up to Cherokee County," she recalls. When the vehicle moved into an area without license plate readers, they switched to intersection cameras and tracked him straight into a local trailer park. Deputies went to the door. He was captured.

No one got hurt. A dangerous man was back in custody. And it happened because a small team cared enough to show up on a Sunday.

The center's technology works in ways most people would never expect. Every incoming 911 call feeds directly into the

system, which immediately flags how many camera assets are within a half-mile of the incident. Analysts can read the call notes in real time, pull up nearby cameras, and begin building a picture of what is happening before the first deputy even arrives on scene. A reckless driver on the highway. A suspicious figure near a school. A dump truck with its bed raised, reportedly knocking down power lines. The RTIC pulls up the cameras, takes a look, and gives officers real information, or clears the call entirely. "We use technology to find things," Harris says, "but we also use it to debunk things. Sometimes we can look and tell dispatch that the truck bed is already back down. Everything looks fine."

And then there are the drones. Pilots work from dedicated stations inside the RTIC, flying aircraft remotely from docking stations positioned across the county. The coverage is remarkable. From a single launch point, a drone can reach Cherokee High School in minutes, four miles away, zoomed in close enough to track a vehicle or identify what someone is wearing and which direction they are heading. That kind of overwatch changes everything on the ground. When a deputy approaches a house from the front, an analyst at the RTIC may already be watching someone climb out a back window. It is, as Harris puts it, a completely different view of the same moment.

One of the most common questions Harris gets is about privacy. She doesn't dodge it. She leans right into it. "The number one thing we want to do here is never overstep our bounds," she

Commander

Lindsay Harris

says plainly. "We are very protective about what we do and when we do it."

The school camera program is a perfect example. Cherokee County schools are fully integrated into the RTIC mapping system, complete with floor plan overlays. But those interior cameras are locked and not locked in the way that requires a few extra clicks. Locked, as in Harris herself cannot access them without a 911 call or a formal Code Red declaration. "It will be restricted for me until one of those events is triggered," she explains. When a teacher activates a Code Red in her classroom, only then do those hallway cameras appear on the analysts' screens, and nothing beyond that. "We don't take medical calls, we don't do anything outside of that critical Code Red," Harris adds. In a genuine emergency, responders have eyes inside the building before anyone sets foot through the door. In a swatting call, something the center encounters regularly, they can scan those hallways, see calm and ordinary life happening, and relay that to officers heading in. That information alone can change how a response unfolds.

The facial recognition question comes up too. Harris is clear. There is no proactive face scanning happening inside this center. None. "If you commit a crime and you show up on a Walmart surveillance image, we can use that image reactively to identify you," she says. "But we do not scan faces proactively. We are not watching you walk down the street."

Chief Deputy Thomas Pinyan is equally direct on license plates. "A lot of people think we just sit here scanning plates all day. We do not have time for that.

“Don’t come to Cherokee County and commit a crime. We will find you, and that is a promise.”

— Commander Lindsay Harris, Intelligence Director

These are investigative tools. When something has happened, we go back and look."

Since the Intelligence Division deployed its first license plate reader, it has located missing persons, tracked suspects from neighboring states, and assisted in hundreds of active investigations across 434 square miles of the county. The center now operates Monday through Friday with three full-time analysts and one civilian drone pilot. The goal is 24/7 coverage within five years, a timeline that feels well within reach for an agency serving nearly 300,000 residents and growing. The people running this center are not slowing down.

"Don't come to Cherokee County and commit a crime," Harris says without blinking. "Because we will find you." She means every word. And the numbers back her up.

YOUR CAMERA COULD HELP BRING SOMEONE HOME

Your home security camera or Ring doorbell could one day help bring a neighbor home safely. Signing up does not give law enforcement direct access to your footage. It simply puts your address on the map as a potential resource. If something happens near your home, a deputy may reach out and ask. It is neighbor helping neighbor, backed by technology that works. Nearly 600 households have already signed up.

Will you be next? The Cherokee Sheriff’s Office maintains a free, voluntary camera registry at SafeCherokee.org.

THE CAR THAT CAME HOME

A LOCALS’ FAVORITE’S UNFORGETTABLE QUEST TO FIND HIS DREAM CAR.

ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHY

BY JOE GRANSEN

If you have been lucky enough to catch Canton's Christmas tree lighting celebration in recent years, chances are you heard his voice before you ever saw his face. Joe Gransden, Atlanta's own jazz trumpeter, vocalist, and Big Band leader, has a genuine gift for making any crowd feel like family. He has performed coast to coast, shared stages with Kenny G, and even played live at the White House. But the story that has lately captured hearts far beyond the Atlanta music scene has absolutely nothing to do with the stage.

It started in Buffalo, New York, in 1988. Joe was seventeen and completely taken with a 1979 black Trans Am Y84 Special Edition, the same sleek machine made famous by Burt Reynolds in Smokey and the Bandit. He worked two summers to save the money. When he finally got behind the wheel, the car became his identity. He raced it, showed it at local shows, drove it to gigs, and spent long evenings cruising with his dad. In 1993, with college costs mounting, Joe made the hardest call of his life. He sold the car for tuition and bought a practical Toyota Corolla. "I missed it all the time, constantly," he would later recall. He tried filling the void with other Pontiacs over the years. None came close.

Then, in 2005, something far more serious occurred. Joe was diagnosed with cancer and spent eight months fighting through two surgeries and eleven rounds of chemotherapy. During these trials, he made himself a promise: if he survived, he would treat himself to two things. The trumpet of his dreams: a handmade 24-karat gold Monette Prana Bb horn. And his childhood Trans Am. He got the horn. The car would take much longer. With no VIN and no paperwork, the search felt nearly impossible. Joe reached out to Rick Deiters of Trans Am Specialties of Florida, who posted photos of the car online. Within a few months, the man who had originally bought the car from Joe saw the post and reached out. He had kept the VIN. That number

traced the car to Alabama, where the registration had gone dark in 2002.

Joe hired a private investigator. After months of searching, they found her under a tree in the Alabama hills, untouched for nearly two decades. Joe knew her immediately by a buff mark on the right front fender that he had put there in 1988. He stood there in tears.

After months of negotiation with the family of the car's late owner, Joe bought her back in April 2019. Trans Am Specialties of Florida handled the full restoration, with pandemic delays and a shop fire stretching the timeline by a few years. She arrived at his Atlanta home in the summer of 2024, and when his son Joey watched her pull into the driveway, there were tears of joy all around.

She lives in Joe's garage now, carefully protected and ready to pass to the next generation. And when Joe takes the stage in Canton this holiday season, you will hear a little of that love story in every note he plays.

PC: Tracy Hoexter Photography

AN EXCERPT FROM EPISODE 6 OF SHARE THE LIFESTYLE, A CITY LIFESTYLE PODCAST

Photographer: Brittany Dawn Short

Creative Director: Jen Birn

Stylist: Stephanie Coultress O’Neill

Location: Hotel Saint Cecilia, Austin, TX

MIKE JOHNSON HAS BUILT HIS LIFE AROUND ONE QUIETLY RADICAL IDEA: THE STANDARD YOU SET PRIVATELY IS THE ONLY ONE THAT MATTERS.

After eight years in the Air Force, a celebrated run on national television, and a health crisis abroad that sent him deep into supply chains and ingredient certifications most founders never touch, the result is Oshun — a luxury ritual brand built on provenance you can trace and integrity you can verify. In an exclusive conversation for the Share the Lifestyle podcast, Mike shares what it actually takes to build something worth putting your name on. Read the highlights below, then scan the QR code for the full episode.

Q: YOU BECAME A FAN FAVORITE ON THE BACHELORETTE AND THEN LEFT THE SPOTLIGHT. YOU MOVED TO MEXICO, LEARNED SPANISH, THEN COSTA RICA, AND BUILT A COMPANY. WHAT DID THAT EXPERIENCE TEACH YOU ABOUT HUMAN BEHAVIOR?

A: “If you’re a good person going in, that shows. If you’re not, that shows too. I also learned that people form this parasocial relationship with you — they assume things about you. When all actuality, different circumstances bring out different parts of who you are. I was on TV trying to find love. The kindness people were showing after felt a bit fake, because they wanted to be a part of something that isn’t who I am individually, but a part of what they saw on TV. And so I had to get away from everybody and everything and the noise.”

THE QUIET STANDARD:

MIKE JOHNSON

“Too many people have prayed for me. So I’ve got to get up and do the walking.”

— Mike Johnson

Q: YOU JOINED THE AIR FORCE RIGHT OUT OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE. WHAT WERE YOU ACTUALLY RUNNING TOWARD?

A: “There was something in me that was saying: I’m not living up to my full potential. I was being a follower. My uncle said, ‘What’s going to make you become an adult the fastest?’ I said, obviously, the military. The Air Force broadened my thought process more than anything. We’re so caught up in our own perception — when you learn to understand different people’s perspectives, it adds to you in so many ways.”

Q: WITH OSHUN, YOU OWN YOUR MANUFACTURING, YOU EMPLOY A CHEMIST, EVERY PRODUCT HAS A BATCH NUMBER TRACEABLE TO ITS ORIGIN DATE. WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO GO THAT DEEP WITH THE BRAND?

A: “The EU bans 1,100 ingredients in personal care products. The U.S. bans nine. That’s my starting point. Oftentimes, it might be the same ingredient, but it comes from a place where it doesn’t have the highest purity. And 60% of what we put on our skin is absorbed. Every product Oshun makes carries a batch number that goes back to the exact day it was created — I can show you every single supplier, the date, the origin. I own more than one part of the supply chain because that’s the only way I can stand behind what’s in the bottle.”

This conversation is just the beginning. Mike goes deeper into why he’s buying land up north, the family in the Philippines who prayed over his factory floor, and what he’d tell every person ready to stop performing and start building. Scan the QR code for the full, exclusive City Lifestyle interview on the Share the Lifestyle podcast.

MIKE JOHNSON

STAY CONNECTED TO YOUR

Age is just a number, right? While mindset does matter, physiological changes and risks may develop as we get older. Luckily, we can mitigate this effect by making choices early on and throughout our lives. Although some factors remain beyond our control, such as genetics and life circumstances, there are still many ways to improve our quality of life and longevity.

In your 30s

“I am too young to worry about this.”

In your 30s, you may believe that you’re too young to worry about chronic illnesses. The reality is that many chronic diseases may start to form during these years, such as prediabetes, high cholesterol and elevated blood pressure. This is the best time to work on having a wellbalanced diet and a consistent exercise routine. Also, visiting your primary care physician and receiving the appropriate screenings based on your risk factors will be key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Additionally, this is the age when social media exposure is most influencing people's health choices. You should always be skeptical of information online. There is no magic vitamin that will cure everything. I recommend always verifying credentials, and if someone is trying to sell you something, beware.

In your 40s

“I feel completely fine!”

In your 40s, you may feel the best you have ever felt — what is there to worry about? Many people assess their health based on how they feel. However, many do not have symptoms until it is too late. This is why cancer screenings are so important, especially for breast and colon cancer. For women specifically, they may start to notice mood changes, menstrual cycle changes and hot flashes suggestive of perimenopause around their late 40s.

The sooner something is identified, the sooner it can be addressed. Allowing time and space for these changes and discussing a proactive plan with your doctor will be important. Additionally, knowing your family history can give you a picture of what you may need to worry about or whether you need to be screened earlier. Prevention and early detection can make the difference between life and death.

In your 50s

“This has never happened to me before.”

In your 50s, you have a pretty good idea of who you are and know your body well. You have built your community and have your habits down pat. However, you may start to notice subtle changes in your body, which can be a result of natural aging, genetics and hormonal shifts. You will start to see more skin changes, experience bodily aches and pains or hear that your friend developed shingles. You may develop arthritis over the years from wear and tear, and it is important to remain active and strengthen your muscles. The risk of skin cancer increases after age 50, with one in five people developing skin cancer by age 70. I recommend scheduling a yearly skin check with your doctor. There are also vaccines you qualify for after 50 that prevent shingles and pneumonia, which many should consider. Embracing your body changes and meeting yourself where you are is an important part of aging.

At the end of the day, what you do now can influence your life for years to come. I recommend scheduling a doctor’s appointment to ensure you are on the right path. As they say, health is wealth.

JUNE 5TH

Southern Honor Wrestling

Reformation Brewery, 225 Reformation Pkwy, Canton | 7:00 PM

Southern Honor Wrestling brings high-energy, action-packed matches to the Reformation Brewery space, with matches starting at 7:00 PM. This crowd-favorite recurring series brings professional wrestling excitement to The Mill on Etowah for an evening of adrenaline and entertainment. Perfect for families, friend groups, and anyone who loves live action close enough to feel the ring ropes shake.

JUNE 6TH

NextGEN Expo

The Mill on Etowah | 12:00 PM

NextGEN Expo at The Mill on Etowah takes place June 6 in Canton. This expo brings together the next generation of entrepreneurs, innovators, and creatives for a day of collaboration and community at one of Canton's most vibrant venues. A chance to discover emerging local talent, connect with forward-thinking businesses, and experience The Mill's unique energy in a new way.