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Fully Promoting Your Brand

IN OCTOBER OF 2019, Gabe Frazier and Bethany Cardente purchased the Embroid Me location near the Stones River Country Club on Broad Street. The franchise was soon converted to Fully Promoted and the new owners remodeled the front of the store. A new sign was hung, and the new showroom looked great!

Frazier said he knew “the business would be a success so long as there is not an economic downturn.” Wouldn’t you know it, their unspoken fears were realized.

A couple of years ago, Frazier who is in personal insurance, was looking for another business opportunity which would not take him away from his insurance agency. He spoke with several business brokers about what enterprises were available in the Murfreesboro area. Most did not seem to be a good fi t for him, but he felt promotions to be a safe bet.

“Every business owner is in marketing,” he said. “I also think a lot of people get into business and they don’t necessarily spend an adequate amount of time developing a marketing plan and coming up with a strategy to effectively get the word out to the marketplace.”

As an entrepreneur, Frazier wanted to diversify, and also had a number of bad experiences with marketers in the past that were a source of frustration. Though he owns Compass Insurance Group in town, he felt there was a need for providing good products and great service in the branded apparel and promotional items realm. Functionally, though, he did not see himself running the day-to-day operations of a storefront. He knew Cardente and gave her a call to see if there was an interest in a partnership.

A year prior, Cardente reached out to Frazier to ask for business advice when she graduated from MTSU.

“My degree is in merchandising and buying, so I thought I wanted to go that route,” she said.

Though she was managing another store at the time, she knew retail could be risky for a business owner. Still, like her counterpart, she had that entrepreneurial spirit. So partnering was intriguing to her. They talked about it and the rest is history, as they say. Frazier is more of a silent partner at Fully Promoted, while Cardente manages the dayto-day operations.

When COVID hit, they both knew it was time to quickly pivot from what they thought would be their business model. Fortunately, the Fully Promoted corporation already had strong ties with manufacturers of masks and other forms of personal protection equipment. So, the local franchise was able to provide medical clinics and rest homes with facial coverings that not only performed a function but promoted a message as well. Other franchisees within the FP brand also provided great support, as other owners were very giving with operational ideas during the beginning of the pandemic.

The Fully Promoted store provides businesses, charities and sports teams with thousands of brandable items to help them get their name out. Visiting the showroom at 1818 NW Broad St. in Murfreesboro and looking at all the available options will inspire any marketer or distributor with dozens of ideas, whether or not they know what they are looking for. It really is about the longevity of advertising your brand.

Providing customers and associates with durable goods such as mugs and backpacks means your people will think of your organization every day!

Pens, tablets, water bottles, toys and duffel bags, oh my! Yes, the business still offers embroidery, too. Shirts and caps with a logo are almost like free advertising. This is also the perfect place to incentivize employees or donors with trophies and plaques. Everyone loves being appreciated for their effort.

Blaine Little is the founder and CEO of Momentum Seminars Training and Coaching, helping companies remain profi table by investing in their people. Learn more at momentumseminars.com. Be sure to get his new book Managerial Mistakes, Missteps & Misunderstandings, available now on Amazon in paperback or Kindle format. Check out the podcast at bit.ly/toastcaster143.

Crying Cat Books and Records, Triple Threat, Rock N Roll Sushi, Red Bicycle, Sephora, Ascend

BY DELORES ELLIOTT

TRIPLE THREAT ATHLETIC TRAINING has opened a golf, softball and baseball training facility at 1222 Park Ave. in Murfreesboro. The training facility offers indoor hitting and pitching training for all ages, as well as an indoor golf simulator where golfers can play famous courses from around the world. Batting cages are available for rent with or without pitching machines, and training aids are also available for rent. Facility rental for teams is also an option provided by the business. Triple Threat offers memberships, along with the option to pay by the hour. The business opens at noon daily, and closes at 9 p.m. except on Sundays, when it closes at 8 p.m.

The indoor batting cages feature a padded turf fl oor; cages can be opened to provide room for infi eld, base running and other non-hitting drills.

The indoor golf simulator offers technology with outstanding 3D graphics, a variety of games and swing analytics. Golf balls are provided. For more information on Triple

’BORO BUSINESS BUZZ

Threat Athletic Training, call 615-809-2444 or visit triplethreattn.com.

A new and unique indie bookstore is coming to Murfreesboro. CRYING CAT BOOKS AND RECORDS will open at noon on April 1 at 504 N. Maney Ave. The bookstore will offer new and used books; according to a recent post on the business’ Facebook page, the store, owned and operated by Terri Delong, will carry 95% gently used books and 5% new books. Crying Cat Books and Records’ hours are noon to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

The small business will also offer records, CDs, candles and various other gift items. Art from local artists can also be found at the business, some of which is available to buy. For more information on the shop, visit facebook.com/cryingcatbooks.

A new vape and smoke shop has opened in Murfreesboro. TN VAPE AND SMOKE SHOP is located at 2705 Old Fort Pkwy. near Fu Sing. The vape and smoke shop features products related to CBD, hookah, vape and smoke. The business is open Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

SEPHORA is opening a new location at The Avenue in Murfreesboro. The store will host an event for its grand opening on Friday, April 9, beginning at 11 a.m., and will offer scratch cards with any purchase during the opening weekend. Prizes will include Sephora gift cards for up to $100, sample sets and other Sephora products, while supplies last. Store hours will be Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday noon to 6 p.m. Find more information at theavenuemurfreesboro.com/events/ sephora-coming-soon.

THE RED BICYCLE plans to open its second Murfreesboro location this summer on the south side of the Murfreesboro square in the former Bink’s building. The Red Bicycle serves gourmet coffee and scratch-made crepes and will also offer tours of their own roastery.

NATIONWIDE EXPRESS INC., based in Shelbyville, has announced that it will be adding a new service, Nationwide Waste Management, for businesses and residents of Middle Tennessee. The new service will provide improved sustainable options for residents’ waste management needs.

“Nationwide Waste Management is a response to repeated requests from our clients to provide sustainable solutions for their waste and recyclable products generated through manufacturing, building, remodeling and demolition,” Nationwide Express President David Coffey said.

For more on Nationwide Express, visit nationwide-express.com.

The Harvest Club—Farm Direct, created by a Middle Tennessee entrepreneur, has announced its launch of THE HARVEST CHAIN, a blockchain software designed to add transparency and accountability within the legal cannabis industry. The business stated in a recent press release that as the hemp crop prohibition comes to an end and CBD becomes more sought after within the healthcare fi eld, consumers need assurance that the products they purchase have been manufactured safely. The Harvest Chain will track every aspect of a plant’s journey, from the farm to the consumer.

The Harvest Club—Farm Direct is a Nashville-based hemp marketplace founded by a

ROCK N ROLL SUSHI has opened its fi fth location in Tennessee. The new restaurant location is located at 3053 Medical Center Pkwy., Murfreesboro. Rock N Roll Sushi specializes in sushi and seafood dishes with a rock ’n’ roll music theme, featuring items such as the Axl Roll, the Jailhouse Roll, the Sharp Dressed Roll, the Sweet Home Alabama Roll and, of course, the Good Times Roll and the Drum Roll. The business’ hours are Sunday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The idea began in 2010 in Mobile, Alabama, spearheaded by husband and wife Lance and Gerri Mach Hallmark, and the concept has since spread to six other states where more than 40 locations exist. The business began offering franchises in 2015. Visit rocknrollsushi.com for more information.

Austin Betty, parts manager at Murfreesboro Nissan, shows the new check-in kiosk to a customer.

BORO NISSAN, located at 814 Memorial Blvd., has installed a self-service kiosk where customers can check their vehicles in for oil changes and other automotive services.

The dealership, which services most makes and models of vehicles, becomes the fi rst auto dealership in the state to install such a kiosk.

shared commitment and passion for Tennessee agriculture, a love for local farmers, and a belief in the potential benefi ts of cannabis.

As Americans begin to see the health benefi ts provided by various forms of cannabis, it is important that consumers know where the product is cultivated and processed, according to The Harvest Club representatives, especially in a climate where any company can loosely claim that their medicine is “born and raised organic,” “pesticide intolerant” or “intrinsically holistic.”

The Harvest Chain will help consumers make informed purchases through packaging that will feature QR codes. Once scanned, consumers will have access to information about the product’s life from farmer to extractor, to packager and fi nally to the retailer. Manufacturers will be able to create a profi le to verify claims about their products.

ASCEND FEDERAL CREDIT UNION has announced that it will be opening a new regional operations center at 1524 Williams Dr. in Murfreesboro. The new location will occupy 18,000 square feet, and will be Ascend’s fi rst regional operations center. Ascend currently operates six branches in Rutherford County.

The new operations center will have room for up to 100 employees, and will offer space for a talent recruitment and training hub, offi ces for business development, branch operations, information technology and mortgage banking staff.

“Our company’s growth necessitated that we further increase our presence in this market. We also believe providing a desirable hiring, training and offi ce working environment is a sound investment in line with our mission of being an employer of choice, as well as a trusted fi nancial partner,” said Ascend President and CEO Caren Gabriel.

CLOSING CORNER The local coffee shop MORNING BREW COFFEE, located at 405 N. Front St. in Murfreesboro, has closed permanently. The business opened in May of 2019, but could not stay afl oat and announced that their last day in business was Feb. 27.

“Know that we appreciate you all giving us a chance to serve you, get to know you, and be a positive light in our community,” according to a social media post from Morning Brew Coffee.

TEXTBOOK BROKERS has closed its Rutherford Boulevard store. Their location on Greenland Drive remains open.

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Let ROVER take you there!

Want to take the hassle out of driving yourself and finding a parking space? Rover Transit buses can take you to shopping areas such as The Avenue and Let ROVER take you there! Stones River Mall, medical facilities along the Gateway, SportsCom, grocery Rover Transit buses can take you to shopping areas such as the stores, VA Hospital and many other locations along the 7 ROUTES that are Avenue and Stones River Mall, medical facilities along the Gateway, currently offered. Fare is only $1 for adults and kids under 6 are free.SportsCom, grocery stores, VA hospital and many other locations along the 7 ROUTES that are currently offered. Fare is only $1 for adults and kids under 6 are free. For additional information, concerning fares and routes, visit For more information, including routes and fares, visit www.murfreesboro.gov www.murfreesborotn.gov (type “Rover” in the search bar) or call 615-21ROVER (615-217-6837). (type “Rover” in the search bar) or call 615-21ROVER or 615-217-6837