9 minute read
Game On
LightStyles is proud to be a locally owned company that has been a part of the Cornelius community for more than 37 years. With a beautiful 4500-square-foot Showroom that displays the best selection of lighting, ceiling fans, lamps, mirrors, artwork, and occasional furniture at the lake, you’ll find a variety of styles and price points, along with continually refreshed displays with the most current designs in the area.
The experts at LightStyles always try to stay ahead of the trend to keep the Showroom on par with all the gorgeous things in your Pinterest feed. In lighting and home décor, they’ve been seeing a lot of organic touches this year—raffia, jute, wood, and natural stone like alabaster. Mixed metals are also big—black with aged brass and bronze with antique gold, chrome with white—almost anything goes with finishes these days. They also strive to keep the classics as well—the chic pieces that will stand the test of time. This past year also saw the launch of their own private label brand, Bella Luce, which offers a wide array of lighting with a Lifetime Warranty, and much of it is in stock. 2021 has been an amazing year for LightStyles. In June, they were honored to be awarded the NORTH AMERICAN “SHOWROOM OF THE YEAR” by Furniture, Lighting & Décor magazine. Then, the local community voted LightStyles “Best Lighting” in the 2021 Best of Lake Norman CURRENT Awards.
The business strives for excellence by valuing, serving, and being respectful of people to ensure they visit the Showroom and have the ultimate lighting experience. LightStyles is grateful for the wonderful women on their team who contribute to making this happen every day. From the Showroom, to the back office and warehouse teams, they take pride in having 42 percent of a 33-person team being female. The company culture is one of family, inclusivity and respect for each employee and valuing what they contribute to our team and how they serve customers.
With a strong belief in giving back to the surrounding community, LightStyles has been involved in a food drive for the Ada Jenkins Center in Davidson and are looking forward to doing that again for the upcoming holiday season. They are also the Presenting Sponsor for “Light up Cornelius,” which is their favorite event of the year. Plans for participating in the Lake Norman Hospice Regatta are also in the works.
Your Lighting Team LightStyles
19207 W. Catawba Ave., Cornelius 704.892.3699 www.lightstylesnc.com
Gastroenterology is the study of the normal function and diseases of the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, colon and rectum, pancreas, gallbladder, bile ducts and liver. It involves the action of the gastrointestinal organs including the movement of material through the stomach and intestine, the digestion and absorption of nutrients into the body, removal of waste from the system, and the function of the liver as a digestive organ. All normal activity and disease of the digestive organs are part of gastroenterology.
Piedmont HealthCare Gastroenterology is now open in Mooresville at Exit 33, and it offers consultations on colon cancer screening as well as medical conditions such as GERD, diarrhea, constipation, dysphagia, irritable bowel syndrome, hepatitis A/B/C, liver disease, fatty liver, cirrhosis, abdominal pain, pancreatic disease, and bloating. Dr. Laila Menon, a board-certified physician in Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Internal Medicine, completed her Gastroenterology Fellowship and Internal Medicine Residency at the State University of New York, Stony Brook. Dr. Menon is also a member of the American College of Gastroenterology, the American Gastroenterology Association, and the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.
The practice strives to deliver the highest level of patient care, while treating patients as people rather than a number. Dr. Menon and staff seeks to develop personal relationships with patients while also being efficient and organized.
“I left a large health care system that dictated the way I manage my patients,” says Dr. Menon. “I joined PHC, which is a physician owned practice. PHC allows for more autonomy and allows me to practice medicine the way I want to, to provide the best care for my patients.” She firmly believes in the compassionate nature of the the female employees at PHC Gastroenterology.
“We are considerate, honest, and actually take the time to speak with our patients and get to know them,” she says.
According to the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force, Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death for both men and women, with an estimated 52,980 persons in the US projected to die of colorectal cancer in 2021. With incidents of cases on the rise in younger patients, the American College of Gastroenterology recently changed the age to begin screening colonoscopies at age 45.
Dr. Laila Menon Piedmont HealthCare Gastroenterology
PHC URGENT CARE
From the left, Bethany Hanby, Owner of The Gingered Farmhouse, Kim Atkins, Exec. Director of the MDC, Kim Saragoni, Owner of Four Corners Framing & Gallery, Julie Douglas, Owner of On Tap, Stephanie Hathaway, Owner of Southern Notions, Joyce Templeton, Owner of Tropical Connections and Shawnelle Cherry, Owner of Future Fashion Designers. Not pictured: Jacque Bassett, Owner of Juelerye, Stacy White, Owner of Downtown Famous Toastery, Sue Arbucci, Owner of Sue’s Soap Shop & Boutique, and Kelly Lail and Jessica Leonhardt, Owners of WFV Designs.
Women Owned Businesses in Downtown Mooresville
From gorgeous home décor, works of fine art, unique jewelry, beautiful handcrafted pottery, skin and body care, gifts, fashion and sewing classes, custom framing, design services, restaurants and tap rooms, downtown Mooresville has a plethora of vibrant businesses featuring women at the helm.
The Mooresville Downtown Commission (MDC), a non-profit organization founded in 1988, champions these business owners in multiple ways throughout the year.
The MDC is part of the NC Main Street Program, which provides valuable guidance on downtown revitalization within the context of historic preservation. It supports the Downtown Mooresville small business and these female business owners through marketing efforts, events, educational opportunities, and promotions, and encourages creative entrepreneurship. They also work on development/ redevelopment opportunities and support upper floor redevelopment and housing opportunities.
Kim Atkins, Executive Director of the MDC, says the non-profit is focused solely on the locallyowned small businesses. They utilize social media extensively and have an amazing following of people interested in what’s going on along Main Street and Broad Street. The working Board of Directors for the MDC volunteer at various Downtown events, providing guidance, direction, and supporting one another’s small businesses.
“Our Facebook following is approximately 16,000, our newsletter open rate averages 35 percent, and our ‘Google my Business’ page has actions taken 597 percent more than similar pages,” she says. “This has all been done organically through marketing and branding.”
While the pandemic did provide its challenges to the small businesses in downtown Mooresville, Atkins notes it only inspired owners to get more creative by offering online sales and curbside and delivery services.
“Downtown Mooresville is proud to have so many women-owned and managed businesses,” says Atkins. “Owning your own business is a difficult endeavor and usually comes from a place of passion or area of high interest, but you are never truly away from the business, even if you aren’t physically there. You think about it, you live it, you breathe it, all the time,” she adds.
Upcoming events include the Downtown Mooresville Wiener Race, Uncorked & Artsy and Candy Grab this month and the Holiday Light Show beginning Nov. 22.
Main and Broad Streets, Downtown Mooresville 704.662.3336 www.downtownmooresville.com
Beth Preston Realtor® with Lake Norman Realty T he country may be experiencing a nationwide housing shortage, but that didn’t keep Beth Preston from having her best year in 2020 with $6.3 million in home sales. She’s on track to increase that number in 2021, and she believes that’s because she puts her clients’ dreams and goals first.
“My clients know that I am there for them for whatever they need,” says Preston. “These relationships are what matters to me most in my business, and I strive to be there for my clients long beyond the closing table. I enjoy celebrating my clients with fun events and social gatherings throughout the year to stay connected.”
Preston has been a realtor in the Lake Norman area since 2007 and offers full-service real estate services, from explaining the initial buying/ selling process along with assisting the process all the way to closing contracts and beyond.
“My real estate experience includes luxury properties, new construction homes, first time home buyers, move up buyers, investment properties, foreclosures, relocations, and short sales. I believe in continual professional development, and through this I am able to ensure my clients are served at the highest level,” says Preston.
Community support is a high priority for both Preston and Lake Norman Realty. She volunteers with The Exchange Club of MooresvilleLake Norman, which supports veterans, youth, the local community, and the prevention of child abuse. She also works with The Fuzion Teen Center, an after-school program for Mooresville teens.
Katie Stankiewicz Founder of Willow Equine & Soul to Soles Connection
www.Willow-Equine.com www.s2sconnection.org
Katie Stankiewicz knows horses hold the power to heal. She founded Willow Equine, which offers ground-based mental health treatment, team building and business coaching, with horses, on a spacious 40-acre farm in Mooresville.
“We collaborate with freely moving horses to deepen the experiences, personalized insights, and outcomes,” Stankiewicz says. “Clients learn from the horses’ natural instincts and communication skills. They meet us in the moment, as we are, creating heartfelt awareness. This offers the opportunity for clients to ‘get out of their heads’ and rewrite their stories. The horses are the agents of change!”
Willow Equine works with clients of all ages with an array of challenges. The team of five therapists have diverse areas of expertise including trauma, depression, anxiety, grief and self harm. Brain Spotting, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), can also be incorporated into the sessions. There are also two experienced business coaches for leadership and corporate events.
Stankiewicz is an Advanced Eagala certified equine specialist with her Eagala Military Designation as well as her ARCH Designation in coaching, mental health, and the military. Their 501 (c) 3 organization, called Soul to Soles Connection, offers mental health treatment, with horses, focused on reducing the impact of trauma while rediscovering confidence, compassion and trust. Participants, suffering from trauma, PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) or Military Sexual Trauma (MST), are offered the time to heal, overcome challenges and discover new solutions. Active-duty military, retired, reserves and their families/caregivers receive services at no cost.
704.237.0644 info@Willow-Equine.com
The Education of Evy
Leibfarth started attracting the attention of sponsors once she started placing at National-level events. The youngest competitor in Tokyo Olympic Games paddling competitions to study at Davidson College
Interview by Renee Roberson photography by Brian Hall/Red Bull
Evy Leibfarth may not have medaled in this past summer’s Olympic Games in Tokyo, but this 17-year-old paddler is only just getting started. She placed 12th in the kayak slalom K1 category and made history as the first American to compete in the new women’s canoe slalom C1 race, placing 18th. She was also the youngest competitor in both of her paddling competitions at the games. She is the daughter of Jean Folger and Lee Leibfarth, a former U.S. Team kayak racer who also serves as her coach.
