b2bTRIBE v6 preview

PLUS: Promotional Products and Online Lead Generation

the voice of charlotte-area small business owners and entrepreneurs

RISE Shining a Light on Small Business Owners

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If we have a choice, we like to do business with people who are local. From shopping at your local farmer’s market to visiting your local craft brewery, you live your life locally. We hope you’ll choose to do your banking locally!

At Aquesta Bank, relationships matter. Because we know you, you’ll get better, faster decisions.

Come check out our owner occupied Financing special with an attractive 7 Year fixed rate.* Stop by any branch for more information or contact Trey Weir at 704-439-4333 or tweir@aquestabank.com for more details. *Must meet certain requirements.

Other terms and conditions may apply.

Branches in Cornelius, Davidson, Huntersville and Mooresville. Now Open in Southpark and Wilmington.

www.aquestabank.com

Bank Near. Go Far.

table of contents

Good Stuff Inside Features do

18

THE TOP

DO 1 The Top Three

3

18

If you’re responsible for sales at your company, the idea of generating leads online is an exciting one.

It promises less cold calling, easier prospecting, and improved sales. You hear incredible success stories and wish you had a lead‑gen system like the ones you hear about. However, you know such a program can be involved and expensive, and you’ve heard as many stories of failure as success.

What is the critical difference between success and failure when it comes to generating leads online?

Often, the difference is foundational rather than a secret recipe. While digital tactics can sound like alphabet soup (SEO, PPC, SEM, CRO, and so forth) the foundation of converting traffic into potential sales leads isn’t complicated. It’s good marketing and sales—just in a digital format with quite a bit of testing. Ready? Let’s dig in.

Critical Elements for

Online Lead

Generation

Success

Create a powerful positioning statement and value proposition.

Your positioning statement and value proposition are essential elements to your lead generation success. If you can’t explain what you do, why it’s valuable, and to whom, no amount of marketing and sales will make up for this gap. You may get by, but sales and lead generation will always be challenged.

Value proposition is the number one element that determines whether visitors will read more about your product and choose to opt‑in to your sales process.

The better your value proposition, the higher the chances of your company being chosen by buyers.

Your value proposition has to answer the following questions clearly: • What service or product does your company sell?

• Who is your offer for and why does it matter?

• What are the benefits buyers can expect?

• Why choose your company instead of competitors?

Using your value proposition and positioning

Critical Elements for Online Lead Generation Success

By Diona Kidd

statements, you create a compelling case for “why you” that is easy to understand. Use this information to create copy for any product, service, or solution pages on your website.

2

Know thy target audience and ideal lead profile.

If holy commandments existed in marketing and sales, this would be one. If you don’t know to whom you are speaking and selling, anyone is a prospect while no one is a prospect.

The exercise of creating your positioning statement and value proposition will shine a light on your audience and ideal lead profile. You’ll want to document this discovery somewhere because you’ll return to it time and time again.

Marketers use personas to help define the audience,

RISE

FEEL

Promotional Products

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... 44

...... 54

................. 58

By Melisa Graham

Departments ............... 6 Editor’s Note ................... 8 News Briefs .................... 9 Nonprofit Spotlight ........ 20 Book Review ................ 61 Save the Dates .............. 62 TRIBE Index ................. 64 Ad Index ..................... 64 Eye Candy ................... 66 b2bTRIBE Manifesto .... 67 Publisher’s Note 22

48

Has the political climate and civil unrest in Charlotte and NC affected your business?

What is your #1 goal to accomplish by the end of 2017?

Change and Growth in the Charlotte Region

RISE: Change and Growth in the Charlotte Region

Meet Fourteen Members of the TRIBE

..... 14

What is your favorite way to procrastinate?

KNOW

The TRIBE

How would you characterize Charlotte to someone considering a visit or a business relocation?

b2bTRIBE.com

22 28

Special Qs

b2bTRIBE.com

Amy Eran Cervantes Weaver 30

31

Michelle Boller

Brian Mangum 32

29

Zhenia Martinez 42

Bill Franklin 41

Noelle DeAtley 40

The TRIBE We interviewed thirteen East Charlotte small business owners and one nonprofit founder about their businesses and why they chose their locations.

The resounding themes were community and diversity. They want to know their neighbors and be part of something vibrant and bigger than themselves. It’s not an uncommon sentiment among Charlotte business owners. But unlike other areas of the city that have grown around shiny, new development, much of the East Side has grown around historic properties and community values.

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34

Ann Gonzales 35

36

39

28

33

Greg Schermbeck

Syl Paugh

James Schad

28

Kim McClintock

Vanessa Vaughn

37

Fametta Darling

®

On the Cover:

Just like the sun always rises in the east, the Charlotte region and its small business owners and entrepreneurs always rise above troubling times.

At Interact, we will teach you to be a great presenter, but that’s the easy part.

We are after much more.

We want to help you find your voice and grow your influence.

Interact Studio, 210

1435 West Morehead Street Charlotte, NC 28208 704.374.0423 www.interactauthentically.com

For more information, contact julie@interactauthentically.com or visit www.interactauthentically.com

publisher’s note

Welcome

to the sixth issue (v6) where we at b2bTRIBE® magazine share the authentic lives of entrepreneurs and small business owners.

Owners Rise Up

Whoosh, what a challenging past year it has been for our community! But as always, what we know—as folks from all sides of each situation, challenge, nightmare, and disbelief—is that business must go on. Too many lives and mouths need either our services or our revenue. So we find silver linings, we learn new normals, or we create new ways to uphold our beliefs while allowing the beliefs of others to be respectfully expressed.

Most small business owners do not have security nets, so we continue to push our sleeves up and work, create, and make.

If you’ve ever been unclear as to where I stand, please reread the b2bTRIBE manifesto (page 67). I often fall in direct center of many conversations because I believe each person has a right to their beliefs. What has been most difficult about our recent challenges is the lack of respect and the lack of love while expressing beliefs. But as with most challenges, the result is often beauty, kindness, and hope that come shining through.

I personally hope that you fared well and that those who were truly challenged will be able to transform your businesses into something even greater. See page 44 for a few perspectives on the recent political climate and our city’s very public unrest. Huge

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issues need to be addressed in our city and surrounding counties to heal our community. They will not and can not be healed through separatism and hatred. Please take time to learn from other business owners who seem to be very different from you. One thing I know for sure is many of us call upon higher powers (or cross our fingers) to meet payroll, to land that next great client, to keep the great employees, and to keep ourselves healthy through stress and change. So please be kind and show respect and compassion to other business owners. I’ve talked to so many of you since our v5 “crisis” issue, and I am always blown away by what this tribe deals with and thrives through.

Celebrating Growth

Our cover story celebrates a few of the encouraging development projects happening around town.

Through each project I hope more and more of you can create new opportunities for your businesses.

Stories from a great tribe of East Charlotte businesses begin on page 28. I’ve lived and owned businesses in East Charlotte for over thirty years, so I started the celebration there.

Connect and Collaborate

The b2bTRIBE mission to connect, collaborate, and cultivate will again be in full force with the Charlotte-area small business

Fabi Preslar owner community. You are helping small business owners have a more unified voice. We’ll connect again in person at our annual b2bTRIBE LIVE event on July 21 from 1–5 p.m. Early-bird tickets are now on sale, and seating is limited! Let’s celebrate business ownership by hearing the journeys of others who’ve started small and are now super business owners, all while having some fun with RECESS as our event theme this year! Together let’s learn, play, and celebrate business ownership and enjoy the journey.

Together we can keep growing this b2bTRIBE community through questions, answers, and great stories of our experiences.

Please continue to share this resource with other business owners and have them subscribe to b2bTRIBE. With your help, this wonderful magazine will continue to grow and reach even more business owners.

If you have any comments about what you’d like to see in the magazine or at events, please contact me directly at Publisher@b2bTRIBE.com.

With Gratitude,

Congratulations.

You’re a Success!

Certified SCORE Mentors: Dick White, Bill Gill, Jacki Wisler

You’ve Got Five Employees And a Profitable Business. But Wait – What about those cash flow problems—always struggling to pay the bills and no matter how hard you work or cash collected, you’re still juggling.

And those growth spurts—all the extra hours that nearly kill you and your staff. Is it worth it for such a small profit margin? And you hate sales. When will you ever get a salaried sales person?

If This Is You, We Can Help.

As Certified SCORE Mentors, we can help you grow your business, deal with cash flow, understand your financials and workforce needs, and become more profitable and sustainable.

Whatever your business issues, SCORE can help you.

We’re 80 men and women strong, all experienced in business as business owners, high-level executives, IT and digital media specialists, retailers, nonprofit leaders, entrepreneurs, and more.

6302 Fairview Road, Suite 300 | Charlotte, NC 28210

704-344-6576 www.charlotte.score.org

editor’s note

Wanted: Your Expertise In order to make this magazine a valuable resource for our regional business community, I need to hear from small business owners and entrepreneurs like you. What keeps you up at night? What knowledge are you missing to achieve your goals? What roadblocks do you consistently encounter? Who are your business role models?

I’m not talking about you sending me your news releases. We have a content portal where you can submit those. I mean real questions and needs. Only you, Fabi, and I will know who submitted what topics and questions—tribe’s honor. Send thoughts to editor@b2bTRIBE.com.

The flip side of this coin is making sure I know what sort of expertise you have for answering the tribe’s questions. The only reliable way to give me that information is by completing your profile.

Telling me and hoping I remember to put it in the database leaves too much to chance. Help me help you. Log into your account at b2bTRIBE.com or look for the “Update Your Profile” link in the bottom of emails from the b2bTRIBE team. Of course, if you haven’t joined our email lists, you can’t access that link. You’ll have to subscribe at b2bTRIBE.com/subscribe.

Meet Our Newest Team Member

I’d also like to introduce our newest team member, Lynda Kuehni, business development manager for both SPARK Publications and b2bTRIBE magazine.

It’s the first time in SPARK Publications’ nineteen-year history that we’ve had a fulltime sales professional. This means you can expect some exciting new advertising and sponsorship opportunities to promote your business as part of the b2bTRIBE. Lynda will help you reach our audience of 6,000+ Lynda Kuehni small business owners and entrepreneurs in the Charlotte region. Watch your email, our website at b2bTRIBE. com, and our social media channels for announcements about new opportunities. She’ll soon announce sponsorship opportunities for b2bTRIBE LIVE. You do not want to miss being part of the sponsorships for this fun and valuable annual event.

As always, happy reading!

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b2bTRIBE® magazine v6 > Spring 2017 Fabi Preslar, Publisher Melisa K. L. Graham, Editor Larry Preslar, Creative Director Genna Baugh, Art Director Jim Denk, Designer Guru Sofi Preslar, Production Assistant and Photographer Lynda Kuehni, Business Development Manager Karen Alley, Proofreader Extra Special Contributors Janet Denk Kate Eng Design and Production by SPARK Publications SPARKpublications.com Advertise Lynda Kuehni advertising@b2bTRIBE.com or go to b2bTRIBE.com/advertise Provide feedback & suggestions publisher@b2bTRIBE.com To submit content subscribe at b2bTRIBE.com/subscribe and then watch your email for each issue’s “call for content.” Also be sure to complete your profile.

2116 Crown Centre Drive, Suite 300 Charlotte, NC 28227 704.844.6080 b2bTRIBE.com / b2bTRIBE b2bTRIBE® is published semiannually

by SPARK Publications and distributed in the Charlotte region. Subscribe online at b2btribe.com. Acceptance of advertising does not mean or imply the service or product is endorsed or recommended by b2bTRIBE® or SPARK Publications. POSTMASTER: Send corrections to b2bTRIBE, Address Change, 2116 Crown Centre Drive, Suite 300, Charlotte, NC 28227. ©2017. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher.

Share your news, including awards, new products and services, new certifications, and more by visiting our content portal at b2bTRIBE.com/submit-content.

A Cultivated Mindset will host a Tech All Stars Summer Camp Program for rising fourth through twelfth graders. The program focuses on how to create, design, and develop a start-up in the technology space.

Participants receive Chromebooks and daily guides to help students progress through the program.

Ashley Davis has published his first book, A Life Through Letters.

In today’s technology-filled world where soundbites have become the norm, the art of the handwritten letter has nearly disappeared, which this book aims to change. It invites readers to find inspiration in Davis’s father’s words and become part of a movement to create A Life Through Letters.

Affixsol is Charlotte’s new subscription-based, no-contract customer service and content creation start-up, providing live customer service agents to engage with your customers and prospect new ones.

Thanks to a collaborative project between Shopify and Amazon, Arya Creative can now help small business owners set up online stores on their own websites with Shopify and have those product listings appear on Amazon as well. Shopify+Amazon simplifies business by managing inventory and orders in one place from multiple sales channels.

The Martha Stewart organization recognized Bead Me by Linda Minor as “American Made” in a postcard campaign for local hotel visitors. The postcards invited customers to take jewelry-making classes and to shop local with Linda Minor during their visits to Charlotte.

BeeSmart Social Media recently upgraded its software and systems, enabling the company to improve services and deliverables to clients without increasing rates.

Boingo Graphics was named Sustainable Business of the Year at the 2016 Wipe Out Waste Ambassador Awards Banquet. This annual awards banquet recognizes local businesses that demonstrate a commitment to building a stronger community through waste reduction and recycling measures.

Caricatures by Joel has been engaged by The Palm Charlotte to be its artist-in-residence, drawing caricatures of local, regional, and national personalities in business, industry, government, sports, and entertainment to adorn the restaurant’s famed walls.

When looking for love, a lot of things matter, including social consciousness and generosity. Carolinas Matchmaker Laurie F. Berzack,

news briefs

Toot your horn!

MSW, has created Philanthrodating™ to bring together singles who prioritize philanthropic endeavors.

Chloe’s Playhouse was named among the Best Dog Walkers of Charlotte in 2016 by Expertise.com and the Best Pet Sitters of 2016 by reviewers at Thumbtack.com.

Commercial Lending Brokerage Firm, an independent brokerage firm exclusively with 11 Capital Finance, opened on January 1. The company provides commercial real estate loans, capital fund raising, and business loans for people with poor credit, no credit, self-employed, foreign nationality, or other situations that prohibit them from obtaining a loan.

Create-ster is proud to announce its recent certification as an LGBT Business Enterprise (LGBTBE) through the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) Supplier Diversity Initiative. The NGLCC is the nation’s exclusive certifying body for LGBT-owned businesses.

Create-ster is the first certified LGBTBE in the Charlotte region.

Creative Thinking Group is expanding training and tech support for Apple and Windows.

The firm has also partned with The Blonde Byte to throw parties to teach women to become empowered through technology.

b2bTRIBE.com 9

news briefs

Crowley Assistant Services now offers services to help entrepreneurs figure out their outsourcing needs and build a virtual support team.

Delux Designs is now offering acrylic paintings and custom painting commission services to the public. Prices start at $75.

The 21st Century Cures Act, signed

by President Barack Obama in December 2016, puts into statutory law that companies with fewer than fifty full-time employees can reimburse workers for individual health insurance through health reimbursement arrangements, or HRAs. This is a huge “win” for small employers. Contact Employee Benefit Advisors of the Carolinas with questions about the act.

Foreign Translations was recognized as one of the Best Entrepreneurial Companies in America in Entrepreneur magazine’s Entrepreneur 360™ List, the most comprehensive analysis of private companies in America. Foreign Translations is recognized as a well-rounded company that has mastered a balance of impact, innovation, growth, and leadership.

Forseca Fitness has launched a Bartering for Services program that allows clients to exchange goods for services. The company frequently serves populations at or below the poverty level. The Bartering for Services program provides access to affordable health and wellness programs.

Want to contact a company mentioned here? Visit b2bTRIBE.com/directory to look it up.

Epic Capital Wealth Management has become the first Charlotte-area financial planning and investment management firm to focus on socially responsible, environmental, corporate governance, and impact investment strategies. They have signed on as signatories of the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment and have also become a member of US SIF, the Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment.

Family Heritage won a bronze 2016 Stevie Award for Sales and Customer Service.

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Relationships can feel like you’re having the same discussion over and over again. Harmony Psychotherapy now offers FIGHT FAIR group sessions—a fun and interactive way for couples to get tips and strategies for the most productive discussions.

The Healthy Cells Chick was honored with awards from the eWomen Network of Greater Charlotte for the seventh consecutive year. The awards include Member of the Year, Matchmaker, and Gives First, Shares Always.

Healthy Eaton now offers food sensitivity testing. Nine out of ten people have food sensitivities and don’t know it. This test helps identify foods that are causing inflammation and unwanted symptoms in the body.

The KARS Group has added mini strategic development and action planning VIP sessions to its list of services. The company has also expanded and added five new team members who provide training services, consulting, nonprofit and small business development, and organizational planning services.

LadyRen’s Nook received two awards from the eWomen Network of Greater Charlotte for leadership and team building and working through the odds of small business to build success in 2017.

The Law Office of Bartina Edwards is expanding its practice to include collaborative employment law. The firm focuses on employment law and business law.

Larry Gast of LEG Ventures has launched B2B Solutions Group, an industry-exclusive networking group for business-to-business entrepreneurs and business owners.

Tamela Rich of Minerva Holdings is now operating regional tours. The Appalachian Mountains and Music Motorcycle Tour starts June 18 in Front Royal, Virginia, and will cover the best mountain roads in four states plus two private concerts by award-winning musicians.

Charlotte-based Next Steps is collaborating in the “Now We No” campaign to educate people about the harmful effects sanitary napkins and tampons may have on women’s bodies. The US Food and Drug

special q

Q

How would you characterize Charlotte to someone considering a visit or a business relocation?

“Charlotte has become a melting pot both culturally and for both small and large businesses. It’s a prime location from a cost-of-living standpoint, as well as gaining access to different modes of travel, both domestically and internationally. Charlotte is also thriving as a young city, where there has been a shift toward innovation, public-private partnerships, and an entrepreneurial spirit that blankets a wide variety of industries.”

– Ed Doughty, Epic Capital Wealth Management, EpicCapital.com

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“In the commercial areas the tall office buildings do not obscure the beauty of the trees. Families relocating with children will have an array of educational facilities from which to make a selection. They can select from public, charter, parochial, or private schools to meet their families’ educational needs.

Companies contemplating relocating here can depend on the numerous colleges located throughout the city to provide the skilled workforce necessary for the workplace of the future. Charlotte is a growing city because there is something for everyone.”

– Sheila Capers, Spotless, LLC, allspotless4u.com

do

THE TOP

3

Critical Elements for

Online Lead

1

Generation

Success

If you’re responsible for sales at your company, the idea of generating leads online is an exciting one.

It promises less cold calling, easier prospecting, and improved sales. You hear incredible success stories and wish you had a lead‑gen system like the ones you hear about. However, you know such a program can be involved and expensive, and you’ve heard as many stories of failure as success.

What is the critical difference between success and failure when it comes to generating leads online?

Often, the difference is foundational rather than a secret recipe. While digital tactics can sound like alphabet soup (SEO, PPC, SEM, CRO, and so forth) the foundation of converting traffic into potential sales leads isn’t complicated. It’s good marketing and sales—just in a digital format with quite a bit of testing. Ready? Let’s dig in.

Create a powerful positioning statement and value proposition.

Your positioning statement and value proposition are essential elements to your lead generation success. If you can’t explain what you do, why it’s valuable, and to whom, no amount of marketing and sales will make up for this gap. You may get by, but sales and lead generation will always be challenged.

Value proposition is the number one element that determines whether visitors will read more about your product and choose to opt‑in to your sales process.

The better your value proposition, the higher the chances of your company being chosen by buyers.

Your value proposition has to answer the following questions clearly: • What service or product does your company sell?

• Who is your offer for and why does it matter?

• What are the benefits buyers can expect?

• Why choose your company instead of competitors?

Using your value proposition and positioning

18 b2bTRIBE.com

By Diona Kidd

statements, you create a compelling case for “why you” that is easy to understand. Use this information to create copy for any product, service, or solution pages on your website.

2

Know thy target audience and ideal lead profile.

If holy commandments existed in marketing and sales, this would be one. If you don’t know to whom you are speaking and selling, anyone is a prospect while no one is a prospect.

The exercise of creating your positioning statement and value proposition will shine a light on your audience and ideal lead profile. You’ll want to document this discovery somewhere because you’ll return to it time and time again.

Marketers use personas to help define the audience,

Small business owners interviewed Debbie Peterson of Money Counts on her solutions for small businesses.

the money you have? That’s why I started Money Counts. Many small businesses do have CPAs and tax accountants helping out, but they’re just looking at historical records, not necessarily looking toward the future or getting in your head to help you plan toward your goals.

As a small business owner, how do I best manage my cash flow?

At Money Counts, we use large corporation planning principles to help individuals and small business owners understand their cash flow and get beyond just working for a paycheck. We help them work for themselves and their futures without it causing them a lot of stress in their everyday lives.

What do you mean by large corporation planning principles?

Larger businesses have whole teams of people doing forecasting, accounting, strategic planning, product development ... you name it. For small business owners, all that is happening in their heads.

They think they can’t afford the same sort of comprehensive strategic financial planning and implementation that big businesses have. But that’s not fair. How are you going to make money unless someone teaches you how to use

We work with our clients on a forecasting worksheet that is similar to the one I’ve used for many years in my businesses. It plots all income and expenses—including personal, family, and business fixed and variable expenses—on a projected timeline. It shows when money is supposed to come in and when it’s supposed to go out. Then we help them minimize the ones they have the most control over. As actual numbers come in, we update the worksheet, and the worksheet keeps a running forecast of cash resources.

is interactive and also helps you see when you’re making progress.

When you see that your cash resources are lasting longer than a few cycles, you can think about what you might do with the extra cash on hand. Maybe you’ll expand your business. Or maybe you’ll pay yourself more money.

You can make more money once you know how to better use the money you have.

Can you give an example?

Sure! Let’s say you need to buy inventory to complete a job. You need to know if it’s best to pay it with a credit card or out of your bank account. You plug it in the spreadsheet and see that you won’t be able to meet payroll in two weeks. Well, then you know that inventory better go on the credit card for now. So the worksheet

Disclosure: Money Counts, Inc., is an independent company with securities offered through Summit Brokerage Services, Inc., Member FINRA, SIPC. Advisory services offered through Summit Financial Group, Inc., a Registered Investment Advisor.

moneycounts.biz info@moneycounts.biz 704.315.5623 11121 Carmel Commons Blvd., Suite 355 Charlotte, NC 28226 b2bTRIBE.com

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b2bSOLUTIONS

An interview with Debbie Peterson

PAID ADVERTISEMENT

Forecasting for Small Businesses

know

RISE

Change and Growth in the Charlotte Region

By Melisa Graham Doodles By Jim Denk

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L

ast year was rough for a lot of people in a lot of places. From our contentious presidential race to the Brexit vote in the UK and all the issues surrounding both votes, the whole world seemed split into separate camps.

The Charlotte region did not buck the trend.

Many of us have never seen our city so divided.

And we’re still feeling the consequences from businesses and large events taking their projects elsewhere to avoid our mess. No matter where you stand on the issues, the loss of potential business hurt—a visceral pain right in the gut.

But you can’t keep a good city down.

Cornwallis didn’t call us a hornet’s nest for nothing. Small businesses in particular keep right on trucking. Resilience is part of that special brew that sets small business owners and entrepreneurs apart from others. Finding opportunities amid a great big heap of crap is another—a sense of optimism that says the sun will always rise tomorrow.

Charlotte, and by association the region surrounding it, shares many traits with the entrepreneurial leaders who have made their home here. This can‑do city always seems to find a way to dream big and make its dreams happen.

So despite a rough year, the region has much to celebrate and many exciting projects peeking over the horizon. Let’s take a look around town.

The Sun Rises in the East

Native Charlotteans of a certain age, as well as citizens who have gone native, may feel a bit nostalgic about Eastland Mall. The iconic sunburst logo brought to mind warm sunshine on a beautiful Carolina day, and the mall directory boasted “every kind of store under the sun.” From the mid‑1970s to early ’90s, it was the place to be. In addition to two levels of shopping, it had a food court, a movie theater, and an ice‑skating rink, features that not only made it an entertainment destination, but also set the benchmark for malls that came after.

In the 1990s, a variety of factors contributed to the decline of the Eastland area and the mall

along with it. As areas like Plaza‑Midwood and NoDa became trendy destinations and Matthews and Mint Hill became family‑oriented suburbs of choice, what was once the heart of East Charlotte shriveled up into a dry, concrete hole that has lingered for too long.

Pat Mumford, director of neighborhood and business services for the City of Charlotte, thinks it may feel longer than it has actually been because the slow demise of the mall was ongoing for years—at least a decade by b2bTRIBE’s account. J.C. Penney, one of the original anchor stores, departed in 2002. The city purchased the property in 2012, demolished the buildings in 2013, and spent two years considering alternatives for redevelopment, including a movie studio and various other entertainment‑related ideas. In 2015, city planners finally realized that selling the entire property to a single developer wasn’t going to work, so they presented a plan that incorporated public green space, recreation, housing, and commercial space. City Council approved the plan, but nothing happened for another five months.

Astrid Chirinos of the Latin American Economic Development Corporation believes redevelopment of the Eastland Mall site is crucial to promoting change and growth in East Charlotte. She often says the property is even shaped like an uppercase delta (∆), the Greek letter used in math to indicate difference or change. Frustrated with false starts and what felt like a slow pace of redevelopment from city government, in 2016 Astrid raised funds to bring Alejandro Aravena, 2016 Pritzker Prize laureate and principle of Chilean architecture firm Elemental, to Charlotte to create a plan for the site. (The Pritzker Prize is the international architecture industry’s highest professional honor.)

Elemental’s plan was presented to City Council in June 2016. It was similar to the city’s plan in many respects: public green space, a mix of residential and commercial space, and transportation infrastructure that made

b2bTRIBE.com

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the tribe

Amy Eran Cervantes Weaver 30

31

Michelle Boller

Brian Mangum 32

29

Zhenia Martinez 42

Bill Franklin 41

Noelle DeAtley 40

The TRIBE We interviewed thirteen East Charlotte small business owners and one nonprofit founder about their businesses and why they chose their locations.

The resounding themes were community and diversity. They want to know their neighbors and be part of something vibrant and bigger than themselves. It’s not an uncommon sentiment among Charlotte business owners. But unlike other areas of the city that have grown around shiny, new development, much of the East Side has grown around historic properties and community values.

38

28

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Greg Schermbeck 34

Ann Gonzales 35

36

39

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33

Syl Paugh

James Schad

28

Kim McClintock

Vanessa Vaughn

37

Fametta Darling

index

ad index 3 Key Marketing.................. 43, 51 Acuity........................................ 59 Aquesta Bank............................. 3 BeeSmart Social Media............ 43 Carmella Jarvi........................... 43

b2bTRIBE® Index A Cultivated Mindset............................. 9 Affixsol.................................. 9, 46, 56, 59 Travis Johnson................. 46, 56, 59 A Life Through Letters............... 9, 16, 54 Ashley Davis...................... 9, 16, 54

Charlotte Christmas Village....... 63

All City Studios.................................... 66 John Hairston, Jr......................... 66

CPCC Small Business Center................................... 57

Allegra.................................................. 52

David Allen Capital.....................11 Evergreen........................... 43, 51 Hero Fitness............................. 43 Interact Authentic Communication....................... 5 International Minute Press............................... 43, 51 Latin American Chamber of Commerce of Charlotte......... 43

AlphaHound................................... 36, 49 Syl Paugh............................... 36, 53 Arya Creative.................................... 9, 60 Carly Gardner............................... 60 Asfalis Consulting................................ 38 Vanessa Vaughn..................... 38, 53 Association Management Solutions.............................................. 58 Alan Staten................................... 58 Aviation Camps of the Carolinas........ 12 Brenda Robinson......................... 12

McLynn Group, The.................. 45

Bead Me by Linda Minor..... 9, 15, 46, 56 Linda Minor.................. 9, 15, 46, 56

Michael LoBiondo Photography.......................... 13

BeeSmart Social Media............. 9, 56, 58 Julie Bee................................. 56, 58

Mimi Vollum.............................. 65

Blonde Byte, The.................................... 9

Money Counts.......................... 21

Boingo Graphics.................................... 9

Moyer, Smith & Roller, P.A........ 17

Boller Logistics.............................. 29, 50 Michelle Boller....................... 29, 53

NR Creative........................ 43, 51 Pegasus Promotional Specialities...................... 43, 51 Perry’s Fine, Antique & Estate Jewelry................... 52

Bright Blessings................................... 30 Amy Cervantes...................... 30, 53 BrightFlow Technologies............... 32, 51 Brian Mangum....................... 32, 53

Crowley Assistant Services...............................10, 16, 56, 59 Yolanda Crowley.............. 16, 56, 59 Delux Designs...............10, 15, 49, 56, 58 Keara Douglas.................. 15, 56, 58 Discover Love Studios......................... 12 Employee Benefit Advisors of the Carolinas...................10, 16, 44, 56 Suzy Johnson.................. 16, 44, 56 Epic Capital Wealth Management...........10, 14, 45, 52, 56, 59 Ed Doughty................ 14, 45, 56, 59 Family Heritage...................10, 15, 46, 57 Adam Blaser..................... 15, 46, 57 Family Wealth Partners....................... 49 Foreign Translations..................10, 15, 57 Bill Labbon............................. 15, 57 Forseca Fitness.............10, 16, 44, 57, 59 Ilya Parker....................16, 44, 57, 59 GreerWalker......................................... 50 Harmony Psychotherapy..................... 10 Harwell Law Firm........................... 15, 57 Helen Ruth “HR” Harwell...... 15, 57 Haute Dauge Portraits............. 46, 57, 59 Karen Dortschy..................46, 57, 59 Healthy Cells Chick, The................ 10, 60 Nancy White................................. 60 Healthy Eaton................................. 10, 54 Samantha Eaton.......................... 54 heyRED Speakers Agency............. 50, 52 Interact Authentic Communication.... 50 International Minute Press.................. 49

Personal Success Partners....... 45

Brisbane Academy Preparatory School.................. 15, 56, 60 Geri Brisbane Crooks...... 15, 56, 60

ProForma Think Ink............. 43, 51

Business Sorority................................. 51

Promotion Magic................ 43, 51

Captured by Kevin............................... 12

SCORE Charlotte........................ 7

Caricatures by Joel................................ 9

LadyRen’s Nook........................10, 16, 55 Renate Moore........................ 16, 55

SPARK Publications........ 2, 60, 68

Carolinas Matchmaker.............. 9, 45, 60 Laurie Berzack.................... 9, 45, 60

Las Delicias Bakery.............................. 42 Zhenia Martinez..................... 42, 53

Charlotte Bridge Home........................ 20 Tommy Norman........................... 20

Latin American Economic Development Corporation.................. 23 Astrid Chirinos............................. 23

Tactical Pest and Termite Solutions............................... 43 Visual Caffeine.......................... 47

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Charlotte Dog Runner....... 15, 46, 49, 56 Suzanne Phillips.............. 15, 46, 56

KARS Group, The................10, 16, 55, 60 Keisha Rivers................... 16, 55, 60 Knowmad Digital Marketing.............. 19 Diona Kidd.................................... 19

Chloe’s Playhouse...................... 9, 56, 59 Heather Bishop...................... 56, 59

Law Office of Bartina Edwards, The..........10, 15, 46, 51 Bartina Edwards..................... 15, 46

Commercial Lending Brokerage Firm....................................... 9

Law Office of Chris Clark, The............. 16 Chris Clark.................................... 16

Create-ster...........9, 15, 35, 46, 49, 50, 56 Alyssa Kibiloski............................ 35 Ann Gonzales....... 15, 35, 46, 53, 56

LEG Ventures........................................ 10 Larry Gast..................................... 10

Creative Thinking Group..... 9, 40, 54, 59 Noelle DeAtley........... 40, 53, 54, 59

Massage Sanctuary....................... 17, 57 Lisa Lane.................................17, 57

CREO..................................................... 61 Wendy Laxton.............................. 61

McClintock Heating and Cooling....... 33 Kim McClintock............................ 33

Lyerly Agency....................................... 50

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Miller on the Go .................................. 52

Queen City Reporting......................... 50

Tier One Services................................ 12

MindSet ............................................... 41 Bill Franklin.................................. 41

Queen City Yoga .......................11, 46, 55 Vani Brown ............................ 46, 55

Tuxedo Lady .................................. 12, 55 Lashanda Millner-Murphy .... 12, 55

Minerva Holdings.................... 10, 45, 55 Tamela Rich ..................... 10, 45, 55

REDDjobb ...................................... 15, 57 Glenn Proctor ........................ 15, 57

Underdog Business Strategies .......... 55 Steve Gatter ................................ 55

Money Counts..................................... 51

Remi ................................................11, 48

Monroe Road Advocates .................... 24

RU Seeing Red Technology Solutions ......................... 50

Valarie R. Brooks Real Estate Connection ................ 49, 50

Moyer, Smith & Roller ........................ 49 My Darling Doula ................................ 37 Fametta Darling .....................37, 53 My House Fitness of Matthews ........ 59 Mark Davis .................................. 59 Namaste Green ............................. 16, 55 Merritt Tracy........................... 16, 55 Next Steps................................10, 15, 46 O’Connor Insurance Associates....11, 59 Michelle O’Connor ...................... 59 Ossa Studio ....................................11, 60 Jack Ossa ................................11, 60 Pentagon Group, The .................... 17, 55 Chuck Wiedenhoeft ................17, 55 Perry’s Jewelry .................................... 49 Promotion Magic ...............11, 16, 49, 60 Michael Orzech ................ 16, 49, 60 Queen City Plastic Surgery .................11

SBN Marketing...................11, 15, 46, 57 Stephanie Nelson ......11, 15, 46, 57 SchermCo ............................................ 34 Greg Schermbeck.................. 34, 53 Search Solution Group ............................12, 16, 44, 57, 58 Jeremy Gnozzo ..........16, 44, 57, 58 Simple Self-Care by Rita .............. 12, 60 Rita Garnto .................................. 60 SPARK Publications ........................ 8, 50 Fabi Preslar.......................... 6, 8, 53 Spotless ......................................... 12, 14 Sheila Capers .............................. 14 Synthetic Human Studio Fine Art and Comics ..................... 12, 60 Jeremiah Ray .............................. 60 Take Control of Your Days................... 52 Tangles Knitting on Main ................... 50

Visual Caffeine ........................ 12, 45, 55 Cheale Villa ...................... 12, 45, 55 Walker PR Group................................. 60 Jenni Walker ................................ 60 Weaver, Bennett & Bland .........................12, 17, 31, 51, 60 Eran Weaver .....................17, 31, 60 Heather Hobgood ....................... 12 White Glove Effect .............................. 12 Curtrina Pharr.............................. 12 Xtend Barre Charlotte................... 12, 55 Shawna Baker ............................. 55 YOLO Insights ................... 12, 17, 55, 60 Rebecca Barnes-Hogg .....17, 55, 60 Your Equipment Guys ........................ 39 James Schad ......................... 39, 53 Zone 7 Foods................................. 12, 55 Emily Russell ............................... 55

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eye candy

“I was fortunate enough to be raised in a household where creativity and hard work were celebrated. It was only a matter of time before I tried my hand at something funky. Being a natural-born Generation Xer, most of my influences came from cartoons, comics, and whatever other disposable pop culture was found floating around my periphery.

“Another perk of being a child of the late 1970s and early ’80s is being fortunate enough to witness the introduction of hip‑hop and growing closer to her older cousin, funk music. I would spend hours rummaging through my parents’ record collection, marveling at the old P-Funk albums in the attic.

“Visually, I was drawn into the cover art with its nonsensical illustrations, and once I got a listen, I was hooked. I could only hope that I would be able to evoke the same feeling for my viewers that I get when I hear a thumping bass line of a super-dirty drum beat. I’d like to create something that the viewer connects with on a primordial level—a soul connection that can’t be ignored. Something that you’ve got to ugh your face up to and bob your head in agreement.”

– John Hairston, Jr., All City Studios, allcitystudios.com

Reach by John Hairston, Jr. acrylic on canvas, 30” x 40”

66 b2bTRIBE.com

We are

This manifesto was written by the publisher and is used diligently to develop each issue of b2bTRIBE magazine. If these words describe or inspire you, please sign up for your complimentary subscription to the magazine and encourage your business-owner colleagues to do the same.

Sign up to keep receiving the magazine and for invitations to be in it.

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Independents, Democrats, Republicans, and Unaffiliated.

We are multi-dimensional, MULTI-CULTURAL, multi-racial, multi-ethnic. We are straight, gay, married, single, divorced, widowed, wounded, and EMPOWERED. We’re a rainbow of PERSONALITIES peppered with type A and high D—and various degrees of ADD.

We are

introverts who have been transformed to functional extroverts; we are extroverts taking relationships to new heights. We are dreamers with goals. WE ARE POSITIVE AND ENERGETIC. We love technology, simplicity, complexity, and nature. We thrive to challenge the status quo; BREAKTHROUGHS and DISRUPTIONS are our norm. WE EXEMPLIFY COURAGE.

We are

manifesto b2bTRIBE

is a community of ENTREPRENEURS and SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS —supporting, uplifting, educating, and laughing with other entrepreneurs and small business owners. We work hard, build smart, and play harder. We’re CREATIVE and RESOURCEFUL.

mostly unemployable, yet we know how to work for thirty bosses at once. WE ARE SERVERS to our clients, our staffs, our communities. We charge fairly and give genuinely. We laugh often and deeply. We are PASSIONATE.

We differ

in practices and opinions; we are unique. We infuse our unique beliefs into our businesses, and our businesses are viable and profitable. WE ARE THE BACKBONES of our cities and our countries.

We are

united as a tribe. We are entrepreneurs and small business owners SERVING ONE ANOTHER and the community. We strive for and obtain EXCELLENCE

We are the b2bTRIBE!

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