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Carmel Magazine January 2026

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THE EXECUTIVE WHO STOPPED REACTING WHAT A YEAR WITHOUT A PHONE REVEALED ABOUT MODERN LEADERSHIP

JANUARY 2026


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TownePost.com | January 2026 | 3


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PUBLISHER DYLAN LEWANDOWSKI dylan@townepost.com 317-552-8605 KEY CONTRIBUTORS ABBIE WILLANS

18

6 18 JANUARY EVENTS FINDING HER VOICE CALENDAR

Monte Parker’s Journey from Lessons to Nashville Recordings

10

THE EXECUTIVE WHO STOPPED REACTING

JANUARY 2026

What a Year Without a Phone Revealed About Modern Leadership

14 STRONGER TOGETHER

/ATCARMEL

FOUNDER, CEO TOM BRITT tom@townepost.com (317) 496-3599 PRESIDENT JEANNE BRITT jeanne@townepost.com (317) 810-0011

20 JANUARY

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER ERIN TURK

21 TOURISM

EDITOR JOSH BROWN

GAME PAGE

SPOTLIGHT

Hamilton County Tourism

Better Bodies Inc. Focuses On Longevity & Life

TOWNE POST NETWORK, INC.

22 BUSINESS

DIRECTORY

/CARMEL_MAGAZINE

CREATIVE DIRECTORS VAL AUSTIN TONI EADS

TOWNE POST NETWORK, INC. 8800 North Street, Suite 117 Fishers, IN 46038 Phone/Text: (317) 810-0011 FOR FRANCHISE INFORMATION, VISIT FRANCHISING.TOWNEPOST.COM CONTACT THE PUBLISHER Have a story idea or suggestion for the magazine? TownePost.com | January 2026 | 5


4

JANUARY

AROUND THE COMMUNITY, 2026

AUDITION FOR THE DROWNING GIRLS THIS JANUARY AT MSP!

220 North Union St. 7–9 p.m. Three ghostly brides rise from their bathtubs to confront the man who drowned them... and the society that let it happen.

5 1

NEW YEAR’S EVE AT 3UP ROOFTOP LOUNGE

3UP, 201 West Main St. 7 p.m. Celebrate NYE at 3UP Rooftop! Bites, bubbly, DJ, cozy fires & heaters in a Winter Wonderland setting included in ticket price.

Cool Creek Park > Cool Creek Nature Center, 2000-1 E 151st St. 9–10 a.m.

7, 14, 21, 28

2, 9, 16, 23, 30 KEYSTONE FRIDAY NIGHTS

Northside, 3720 East 82nd St. 9 p.m. Get here for our KEYSTONE FRIDAY NIGHTS series! Every Friday from 9:00pm – 12:00am we’ve got DJ Lanky live in the house!

2

PAJAMA-RAMA

Cool Creek Park Cool Creek Nature Center, 2000-1 E 151st St. 7–7:45 p.m.

3

CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT HAMILTON COUNTY

Cool Creek Park > Cool Creek Nature Center, 2000-1 E 151st St. 8 a.m.–1 p.m.

RADIO JUNKIES LIVE @ JOE’S GRILLE WESTFIELD

View All Local Events or Submit Your Own

FOREST BATHING HIKE

Joe’s Grille Westfield, 16156 Spring Mill Rd. Ste. A700. 9 p.m. Get ready to dance through the decades!

6 | January 2026 | TownePost.com

BEGINNER UKULELE CLASS

The Center for the Performing Arts, One Center Green. 8 p.m.

7, 14, 21, 28 BINGO!

Northside, 3720 East 82nd St. 7 p.m. Every Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. $4 PBR and $5 New Holland Drafts.

7, 21

READ-IN AT CCPL WITH WORD ON THE SHELF

Carmel Clay Public Library, 425 E Main St. 4:30–6 p.m. Exactly what it sounds like time to read! This volunteer opportunity is open to all interested teens in grades 6-12.


CALENDAR OF EVENTS

9, 23

ANIMAL AMBASSADOR CARE Cool Creek Park > Cool Creek Nature Center, 2000-1 E 151st St. 3–4 p.m.

10

WINE BY THE FIRE

Urban Vines Winery & Brewery, 303 E 161st St. 6–8 p.m. Winter nights are better by the fire! Join us for Wine by the Fire - sip on hot mulled wine, wrap up in your favorite blanket, and soak in the cozy winter vibes around our firepit.

16

17

Upaint Pottery Studio, 643 E State Road 32. 6–9 p.m. Give the gift of a painting experience this holiday season! Get ready to Take Down a night full of painting fun!

thecenterpresents.org 10:30 a.m.

KPOP DEMON HUNTERS PAINTING PARTY

PEANUT BUTTER & JAM: MOVE & GROOVE WITH THE CALL

WINTER TREE IDENTIFICATION Cool Creek Park > Cool Creek Nature Center, 2000-1 E 151st St. 1–2 p.m.

WINTER TRAIL XC RUN 5K

Northview Church, 12900 Hazel Dell Parkway. 9:30 a.m. 5K cross country on the Northview Championship course.

12

HOME SCHOOL ART DAY

Upaint Pottery Studio, 643 E State Road 32. 1–3 p.m. Bubble Painting! Join this fun class where we will learn how to paint the background of our plate using a bubble technique. It is so much fun! Each artist will paint a dinner plate.

NATURE PRESCHOOL EXPLORERS

Cool Creek Park > Cool Creek Nature Center, 2000-1 E 151st St. 10:30–11:30 a.m.

15

POUR YOUR OWN EPOXY™ (JANUARY 15TH AT UPLAND BREWING CLAY TERRACE, CARMEL, IN)

Upland Carmel, 820 E 116th St. 6 p.m. Join us for a fun, informative and hands-on workshop where you’ll craft your very own epoxy river charcuterie board or lazy susan!

TownePost.com | January 2026 | 7


20

FAMILY BINGO NIGHT

4311 E 116th St. 6:30 p.m. Bring the whole family for a fun night!

22

30

INDIANAPOLIS SINGLES MIXER PARTY AGE 39-59 WESTFIELD INDIANA

Urban Apples, 303 E 161st St. 7 p.m. Meet other singles at this fun event. Join the thousands of people that have found LOVE at our events. Will you be our next success story?

30–31 LUCKY STIFF

Actors Theatre of Indiana 7:30 p.m.

30

ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA WITH RAY CHEN

The Center for the Performing Arts, One Center Green. 8 p.m.

31

MANE BASH 2026 TROPICANA THEME LOCAL MIX MUSIC SERIES: TERESA REYNOLDS AND THE SLICKTONES thecenterpresents.org 7:30 p.m.

23

MAC MCANALLY

The Center for the Performing Arts, One Center Green. 8 p.m.

24

WINTER RUN 5K

Northview Church ( Roads ), 12900 Hazel Dale Pkwy. 9:30 a.m. 5K on the roads ! Located on the Northview paved road course.

26

SENIOR WALKING CLUB

Cool Creek Park > Cool Creek Nature Center, 2000-1 E 151st St. 11 a.m.–12 p.m. 8 | January 2026 | TownePost.com

Woodland Country Club, 100 Woodland Ln. 6–11 p.m. The parent night of the year! Save the date for this cannot miss event! Tropical Cocktail Attire Encouraged. Tickets go on sale January 6th.


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UPCOMING RECREATION PROGRAMS: WELLNESS FINANCIAL BASICS FOR YOUNG ADULTS Wednesday, Jan. 28 | Ages 18+ | Monon Community Center | $10 Just like a good coach depends on a solid game plan, your financial health relies on having a strategy. This class teaches young adults the basics of budgeting, saving, credit and long-term planning. You’ll learn to adapt your financial “game plan” as life changes and feel more confident managing your money.

SPORTS INTERMEDIATE PICKLEBALL Mondays, Jan 5-26 | Ages 15+ | Monon Community Center | $45 Think you know your way around a pickleball paddle? In Intermediate Pickleball, our instructors will help you fine-tune your pickleball skills, as well as share inside tips and tricks to help you dominate the court. Participants must have previously completed Beginner Pickleball or have 25-30 hours of court time. No class 1/19.

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TownePost.com | January 2026 | 9


THE EXECUTIVE WHO STOPPED REACTING WHAT A YEAR WITHOUT A PHONE REVEALED ABOUT MODERN LEADERSHIP Writer / Abbie Willans

10 | January 2026 | TownePost.com


very executive knows the feeling. The meeting ends. A decision is made. And later — sometimes months later — you realize the call was rushed, reactive, shaped by a distraction you never acknowledged. Not because you weren’t capable. Because you weren’t fully present. While Fortune 500 executives check their phones an average of 205 times per day — fueling an estimated $8.9 trillion global productivity crisis — Carmel-based speaker, author, and executive advisor Tommy Short recognized a quieter threat facing modern leadership: The real risk isn’t busyness. It’s reaction masquerading as leadership. So he did something radical. He turned his cell phone off for an entire year. No smartphone. No burner. No landline. Just a laptop, checked once daily. “This wasn’t about disconnecting,” Short says. “It was about reclaiming authority over my attention.”

A QUESTION LEADERS DON’T WANT TO ANSWER The moment that forced his hand came from his four-year-old daughter, Giuliana, on a Saturday. “Daddy,” she asked, “why are you always on your phone?” Short couldn’t remember what he’d been looking at. For most people, that question triggers small rules: no phones at dinner, a weekend detox. Short committed to 365 days — no exceptions. Not because he lacked discipline. But because he understood something most leaders never stop to examine: Leadership isn’t lost in boardrooms. It’s lost in the few feet around you.

TRAINED FOR CHAOS, LOSING TO DISTRACTION Before speaking and coaching executives, Short spent nearly two decades as a Division I Men’s College Basketball referee, including assignments at USA Olympic training camps alongside Coach K, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James. His job was to make irreversible decisions in seconds — under pressure, with thousands of people screaming for him to react. No replay. No second chances. No distraction tolerated. “Officiating trains you to stay non-reactive,” Short explains. “If you react emotionally, you miss the call.” And yet, off the court, he noticed a contradiction. He was applying elite decision-making principles in arenas designed for chaos … and surrendering them everywhere else. “I knew how to control chaos,” he says. “But I was letting distraction control me.” If that tension feels familiar, it should.

THE COST OF REACTION AT THE TOP Executives don’t have an attention problem. They have a decision problem — one quietly worsened every time focus fractures. But the deeper cost isn’t financial. It’s delayed judgment.

WHAT 365 DAYS REVEALED The year without a phone not only slowed Short down. It recalibrated him. He documented the experience daily — writing what would later become his forthcoming book, “The Call I Almost Missed,” structured as letters to his daughters and reflections on how leaders lose clarity long before they lose control. He relearned how to sit with uncertainty without reaching for interruption. There were fewer decisions — but better ones. Less motion — but more direction. “I stopped optimizing my calendar and started designing my consciousness,” Short says. What surprised him most was how common the pattern was.

THE PATTERN NO ONE WAS NAMING High-performing leaders excelling at strategy but drowning in reactive execution. They’d mastered complexity yet surrendered sovereignty over their attention. Executive presence wasn’t being lost in meetings. It was being bled out in the thousand micro-interruptions between them. Since 2020, Short has worked with leaders across technology, healthcare, and finance, helping them distinguish between appearing productive and actually leading. “They’d conquered the boardroom but lost command of the space immediately around them,” he says.

Missed signals. Leadership presence described by teams as “checked out — even when physically present.” “The most dangerous decisions leaders make aren’t made under pressure,” Short says. “They’re made while distracted — often without realizing it.”

FROM RECKONING TO METHODOLOGY That insight became a framework Short calls Own Your 3FT Circle™. Before leading an organization, a leader must command the three feet around them — the space where attention lives, and decisions are born. TownePost.com | January 2026 | 11


“Most executives try to control outcomes 30 feet away while giving up sovereignty over the three feet that matter most,” Short explains. The framework anchors his “NoTech Executive Summit,” a 96-hour technologyfree immersion launching Fall 2026. Participation is capped at 12 executives per session, with a $25,000 investment and application-only admission. All technology is surrendered on arrival — not as a gimmick, but as a diagnostic. “This isn’t about managing devices,” Short says. “It’s about mastering the conditions under which you make decisions.” Participants engage in structured solitude, guided dialogue, and decision-focused reflection modeled on the same nonreactivity principles elite officials rely on when the stakes are highest. “This isn’t for managers looking for balance,” he adds. “It’s for leaders responsible for outcomes.”

PRESENCE AS COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE Short is not anti-technology. He’s antiunconscious leadership. “Your competitors are drowning in digital noise,” he tells executive audiences. “While they’re reacting, presence becomes your advantage.”

WHAT LEADERS REMEMBER Short’s daughters, now four and six, won’t remember the mechanics of the phone-free year. They remember something else.

“They remember a father who stayed for one For leaders willing to stop reacting and reclaim presence, the path forward is clear. more story,” he says. “That’s legacy.” When asked if he uses a phone again, Short nods.

His new keynote, “Reclaiming Presence in a World That Profits From Your Distraction,” “Yes. But it serves me now. I don’t serve it,” he says. reframes burnout not as a wellness issue but as a strategic liability — one boards and organizations can no longer afford to ignore. He pauses. 12 | January 2026 | TownePost.com

“Every leader eventually pays the cost of distraction,” Short says. “The only question is whether you confront it deliberately — or let it compound quietly.”

“The Call I Almost Missed” is set to be released in March 2026. More information is available at tommyshort.com, Instagram @tommyshort86 and LinkedIn @tommyshort86.


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STRONGER TOGETHER BETTER BODIES INC. FOCUSES ON LONGEVITY & LIFE Writer & Photographer / Abbie Willans

With the start of 2026 comes New Year’s resolutions, and for many, that means looking for a new gym or personal trainer. At Better Bodies Inc., new members can get personal training, state-of-the-art exercise equipment, and a personalized plan to help them meet their goals. “As far as the fountain of youth, this is the closest you’re going to come,” says owner and physical therapist Mitch Schroder. 14 | January 2026 | TownePost.com

Better Bodies Inc. offers a wide variety of memberships and programs to suit each client’s individual needs, from golf enhancement programs in the offseason to personal training for longevity or specialized coaching for youth sports. One of the staff members is a former special forces


officer who will soon be teaching selfdefense classes. The gym has recently gone through renovations and major enhancements, including upgrading to shock-absorbent biometric floors and adding more Keiser equipment. “You can adjust it by a fraction of a pound to get the right resistance for a client. I don’t know of any other place in Indy that has it,” Schroder says. “We’ve put a half-milliondollar investment into this place.” He’s been in the business for more than three decades, and his passion for it has only increased with time. “I wake up at four in the morning and can’t wait to get to work,” he says. “There’s a positive energy here, and we love being together.” Schroder is proud of the staff he’s assembled and says it’s the most cohesive team he’s had in 30 years. “I have really good people,” he adds. “They’ve taken ownership. I’m comfortable taking trips and traveling all over the world because I have people here who do a fantastic job, so I’m not worried when I leave that we’re going to lose clients. They’re asking themselves, ‘How do we get better every day?’ and we do get better every day.” It’s important to him that his team is educated and stays up to date on their certifications so they can offer the best training and support to clients and remain well-informed. “We do assessments and reassessments,” he says. “We get a baseline for our clients. It’s not safe if you don’t know their medical history. You can injure someone with an inept trainer. With the tools we have, we can show how people have improved in strength, muscular endurance, body fat and flexibility. We can rate them compared to others of the same age and sex. We’ve had people go from the 5th percentile to the 99th percentile with objective measurements.” TownePost.com | January 2026 | 15


Better Bodies Inc. uses a holistic approach, monitoring clients’ nutrition, exercise, sleep and water intake.

asked myself, if we’re trying to help people, why do we let them have heart attacks? I kept seeing the same group of people, men and women who worked their entire lives, “If they do the things we ask, we have a get to their 50s and 60s, then have a stroke 100% success rate. Some people want to just and are limited for the rest of their lives.” say they have a personal trainer. This isn’t the place for someone who doesn’t want to That’s how Schroder got the idea for Better change their life,” Schroder says. Bodies 30 years ago, and it’s still what drives him and his business today. Better Bodies Inc. has membership plans for individuals, couples, families and college students, as well as corporate-level options.

“This is preventative, and it’s about quality of life,” he says. “What you can do is determined by how well you take care of yourself.” Better Bodies Inc. is located at 12775 Horseferry Road in Carmle. They are open 24 hours a day. To find out more, email betrbodiz@aol.com, visit betterbodiesinc. com or call 317-508-0839.

“Businesses benefit from corporate training and membership. It’s the very best benefit you can give your employees, and it’s very affordable,” Schroder says. “It causes them to be three times more efficient: they’re sick less, they’re more motivated, they notice it directly and appreciate that benefit. There have been studies showing whatever you invest in health and wellness for your employees, you get a three-dollar return. As people are healthier, their risk for heart attack goes down, and that’s the whole reason I started this.” For Schroder, helping people improve their health is a personal mission and one close to his heart. “I was going to go to medical school. I didn’t know much about physical therapy before, but then my grandfather had a stroke,” he says. “I saw what they did to give him back his quality of life, and I thought there’s got to be nothing better on this Earth than being able to do that. “But at some point, I had an epiphany. I

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FINDING HER VOICE MONTE PARKER’S JOURNEY FROM LESSONS TO NASHVILLE RECORDINGS Writer & Photographer / Abbie Willans

When Carmel local Monte Parker went to vocal coach Blair Clark for voice lessons, she knew he had a special talent unlike anyone else. Four years later, they’ve recorded her debut EP with six songs in Nashville, and she’s just getting started. She and Clark spent three days in Nashville over the summer recording her EP with coproducer Michael Whittaker and musicians 18 | January 2026 | TownePost.com

Chris Condon, Dan Needham and James Gregory.

through the collaboration of several very talented musicians.”

“I really enjoy writing songs and seeing them come to life with studio musicians,” she says. “It was crazy to see how they took songs that I’d written on piano and made it into a full sound. I gave them the direction I wanted — the tone and feel and tempo — but then got to see how it kind of morphed

The same musicians who recorded the EP with Parker have also worked with artists such as Nick Jonas, Garth Brooks, Nick Lachey, David Archuleta and Billy Ray Cyrus. “They were so humble about it, just casually


talking about it, because that’s their dayto-day,” Parker says. “That’s their life. It was so cool to see them get inspired to do their own thing with my music concepts. It was just unreal.”

Parker plans to record a music video at the Vogue in February and begin releasing her songs individually after that. They will be available on Spotify, Apple Music and other streaming platforms.

Co-producer Clark has spent the last 30 years making connections in the music industry in Dallas, Los Angeles and Nashville, and he was thrilled to introduce Parker to those who could help further her career.

“My family is so proud of me,” she says. “It’s been funny to see the family members that I didn’t realize would be as excited as they are. I go to Thanksgiving and everyone asks about it.

“Most of my performing was in groups throughout my life before now, so pivoting to being a solo act at the time was daunting,” Parker says. In high school, Parker participated in musicals and choir, and in college, she was the musical director for her a cappella group. After taking a hiatus from music upon graduating, she found that she missed it and wanted to hone her skills further. An internet search led her to coach Blair Clark, who encouraged her to start performing in public and writing her own songs. Her recent venues have included farmers markets, 3UP Rooftop Bar, Peacewater Winery, Meet Me on Main, a holiday show at the Indianapolis International Airport and the Lucas Oil Estate fundraiser.

“I’ve had to keep it a secret from them until I release it,” she adds. “I’ve told them some, but they’re going to hear it when everybody else does. You can’t trust them — they’re going to be too excited. They’re going to spread it everywhere.” Parker plays a variety of genres, but her newest songs are mostly pop. “I have a song called ‘Hurt Like Heaven.’ I wrote that after I got dumped for the first time, and I found that getting dumped felt better than me breaking up with somebody because of the overthinking that can go into it for me if I end it — like I’m worried that I got it wrong,” she says. “I’ll think to myself, I’ve given it six months, but maybe I should’ve held out that extra day, and have that kind of anxiety if it’s my decision. But oh, if I got dumped? Thank God. That surprised me, and I thought it could be an

interesting song topic. “I don’t know that everyone’s going to be like, ‘I just love being dumped,’ but I hope that it piques someone’s interest to think about it,” she adds. “I want some people to resonate with it. It’s exciting for me to share my thoughts on experiences and see how they’re taken.” “One of the things I was really impressed by with Monte, besides her electrifying voice, was that when she started writing songs, I was really moved by the fact that these are stories that will resonate with a lot of other people,” Clark says. “Not just because of what she’s saying, but the way she’s putting it, the way she’s phrasing it, the melodies and everything else. You listen to it and go, ‘Yeah, me too. I can relate to that and I feel the same way.’ That’s what people are going to take to more than anything else. The voice and the melodies are always going to be there to draw people to it, but the story is what’s going to last. They’ll be humming the melody and thinking about the story for the rest of their lives, long after the song is over.” For more information on new releases and upcoming performances, visit monteparker. com or follow @monteparkermusic on Instagram.

TownePost.com | January 2026 | 19


JANUARY

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

ACROSS 1. Novelists

8. Move with effort

15. Issued (from)

21. Cellophane cover

4. Sober

9. Parish ministers

17. Astonished

22. Give birth (of dog)

7. People from Calcutta

12. Earphone units

18. Locates

23. Retaliated for

1. Set in motion

5. Embarrassed

13. Depressed

19. Exchange

2. Aircraft shed

6. Bird of peace

14. Great slaughter

20. Statistics

3. Hit with hand

10. Gun blasts

16. Inn

4. Waist ribbon

11. Bamboo-eating mammal

18. Went by air

DOWN

FRE

(31 E EST 7) 6 IM 50 ATE -32 S 33

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KITCHENS • BARS • VANITIES • FIREPLACES • OUTDOOR KITCHENS


TOURISM SPOTLIGHT

Embrace Winter Wellness in Hamilton County, Indiana holistic wellness centers dotted throughout the county. These spaces provide an escape from the chill and help support respiratory health, muscle relaxation, and mental clarity — essential elements of well-being. Beyond structured activities, simple practices like walking on the Monon Trail’s scenic paths, enjoying a warm beverage at a local café, or cozying up at a local bookstore with a new book can foster a deeper sense of calm and resilience. Whether you’re gliding across the ice, flowing through yoga postures, or indulging in self-care, Hamilton County invites you to make this winter a season of health, connection, and renewal. Learn more about winter wellness in Hamilton County at VisitHamiltonCounty. com/Wellness. As temperatures dip and snow begins to fall across Hamilton County, the season offers more than holiday lights and cozy firesides — it’s the perfect time to prioritize wellness, movement, and mindful self-care. From invigorating outdoor experiences to restorative indoor practices, winter in Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville, Westfield and the Northern Towns has something for everyone looking to stay healthy and find balance in the new year. Winter naturally brings opportunities to embrace the great outdoors. Local parks and attractions such as the sledding and tubing hills at Koteewi Run Seasonal Slopes in Noblesville and the outdoor ice skating rink at The Ice at Carter Green in

Carmel encourage active play, heart-healthy exercise, and joyful movement in crisp fresh air. These seasonal activities offer a fun way to beat cabin fever and stay engaged with nature during the winter season. For those seeking indoor tranquility and rejuvenation, Hamilton County’s wellness scene shines with diverse offerings. Yoga studios offer classes ranging from hot yoga and power vinyasa to restorative and gentle flows — perfect for combating blues and stress. Local wellness centers also offer meditation and holistic therapies that nourish both body and mind. Couple mindful movement with restorative experiences at salt lounges, steam spas, and

For a full list of holiday events and festivities, go to VisitHamiltonCounty.com and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. 16 | January 2026 | TownePost.com

TownePost.com | January 2026 | 21


BUSINESS DIRECTORY HEALTHCARE

HOME SERVICES

CERESET

NORTHSIDE WINDOW AND GUTTER CLEANING

(317) 922-7588 160 W Carmel Dr, Suite 186 Carmel, IN 46032 cereset.com/centers/cereset-carmel

HOME SERVICES ADKINS DRAPERY & BLINDS (317) 896-3833 3162 E. St. Rd. 32, PO Box 1073 Westfield, IN 46074 adkinsdraperymakers.com

CLOSETS BY DESIGN - INDIANAPOLIS (317) 779-3212 1810 South Lynhurst Dr., Suite R & S Indianapolis, IN 46241 indianapolis.closetsbydesign.com

HOMETOWN WINDOWS (317) 659-6293 1754 S 10th St Noblesville, IN 46060 hometownwindowteam.com

(317) 966-0212 windowguttercleaning.com

PERSONAL CARE CARMEL EYE CARE (317) 843-2020 14560 River Rd Suite 120 Carmel, IN 46033 carmeleyecare.com

PETS + VETS WILD BIRDS UNLIMITED NOBLESVILLE/CARMEL (317) 334-1883 9873 N Michigan Rd, Suite 130A Carmel, IN 46032 carmel.wbu.com

CARMEL MAGAZINE EMAIL NEWSLETTER SIGN UP TO RECEIVE THE NEWSLETTER EACH MONTH 22 | January 2026 | TownePost.com


317-836-5211

11591 Westfield Blvd., Suite 200 Carmel IN 46032

COMPREHENSIVE DENTAL CARE FOR ALL YOUR DENTAL NEEDS YOUR SMILE IS OUR MISSION At Smile N Style, we’re dedicated to delivering top-tier dental care within a personalized office setting. Our team comprises skilled, sincere, empathetic, and dedicated professionals striving tirelessly to enhance patients’ health, aesthetics, self-assurance, and overall wellbeing. Dr. Bath and associates uphold a daily commitment to offering unparalleled care quality to our valued patients.

SMILENSTYLEDENTALCARMEL.COM


New Event Calendar

SUBMIT YOUR EVENTS TO OUR NEW COMMUNITY CALENDAR - FREE! CONTACT:

DYLAN LEWANDOWSKI dylan@townepost.com 317-552-8605

Join us for food, learning, inspiration & connection

Health Summit Hear Lindy Thackston, Fox 59 anchor, share her inspiring journey through cancer and healing. Gain expert insights on menopause, lifestyle medicine, mental health and more from Riverview Health’s all-women physician panel of experts.

You won’t want to miss it! Register: riverview.org/women4women Cost: $10*

Lin

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Th

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Scan to register

February 5, 2026 | 5:30–8:30 p.m. The Bridgewater Club 3535 E 161st St, Carmel, IN 46033 *Proceeds benefit Riverview Health Foundation Women’s Endowment Fund


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Carmel Magazine January 2026 by Towne Post Network, Inc. - Issuu