Local. Magazine - January / February 2019

JANUARY /FEBRUARY 2019

Women in Business

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Hear the stories of other Arkansas creatives through the Sustaining Craft podcast on iTunes and Spotify.

TABLE OF CONTENTS EAT LOCAL / SHOP LOCAL 10-11

15 19

Discover local restaurants, shops and services in central Arkansas.

BE A LOCALIST 12

Sometimes the options are overwhelming when it comes to needing some help, and it’s just easier to go with the first option that pops up in a search. But try thinking local.

www.localmag411.com Local. Magazine

Local_LittleRock

PUBLISHERS

Rich Niemeyer Kaitlin Schmidt

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Kaitlin Schmidt

FEATURED FAVORITE: SAUCE(D) 15 FINDING THE WHIMSY IN INK BLOTS 19 EXPERIENCE SEARCY 25

COVER PHOTOGRAPHER

Rebecca Hawkins Photography

STAFF WRITER Adam Cherepski

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Kayla Byrum Elizabeth Silverstein

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

In America today, women own more than 35 percent of all businesses and are starting new ventures at four times the rate of men. Women of color are creating businesses at an even faster rate — growing 467 percent from 1997 to 2017. The most recent data indicates that there are more than 11 million women-owned businesses employing 9 million Americans and generating $1.6 trillion in receipts.

To start off 2019, Local. Magazine wants to focus on some of our own talented women here in central Arkansas. These women have all worked tremendously hard and turned their dreams of starting a business into reality.

The undeniable progress women have made in our communities deserves an immense amount of respect and recognition.

I hope this issue can inspire and motivate any woman that needs a boost to jump start her dreams. You can accomplish anything. You can break through your doubt. Trust your gut, surround yourself with positive, top-notch people who see your potential, and take the risk. We have your back.

I, and everyone here at Local., look forward to seeing all the new ventures in central Arkansas this upcoming year.

“Nothing will work unless you do.” – Maya Angelou Thank you for another year of supporting Local.

-Kaitlin Schmidt co-owner Local. Magazine

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Kayla Byrum Rich Niemeyer Ginnie Oliver

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Local. Magazine is published bimonthly by 411 Publications, Inc. 1100 W. 2nd St. Ste. 1, Little Rock, AR 72201 411publications@gmail.com The contents of Local. are copyrighted, and material contained herein may not be copied or reproduced in any manner without the written consent of the publisher.

CONTRIBUTOR SPOTLIGHT ADAM CHEREPSKI Adam received his Master’s degree in Education from UALR. He enjoys everything there is to do with food, from cooking at home to dining at locally-owned establishments.

Writing is a passion of his. Be sure to check out his blog, oneflewovermyhouse.tumblr. com and on Facebook at One Flew Over My House.

ELIZABETH SILVERSTEIN Elizabeth Silverstein received her first paycheck as a writer in 2006, and she’s been interviewing others ever since. With a background in journalism, she especially loves telling the stories of passionate, local business. In 2018, Sustaining Craft, her interview series about creative business became a podcast. Elizabeth writes at hewandweld.com.

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By Kayla Byrum | Photograph by Rebecca Hawkins Photography

SIOEWAN SUC Susie Cowan, Founder of Local First Arkansas, announced that she will be stepping down as its Executive Director upon the start of 2019. Local First Arkansas is a support organization for independent business in the state. “It’s an amazing organization. I have been the driving force of Local First Arkansas since its inception and even though I am stepping down as Director, I will always be its founder and will continue serving on the Board.” She revealed to Local. that she is beginning a new endeavor as the Director of Marketing and Development for the Arkansas Hospitality Association. “I’m very excited about the new

year and the new opportunities 2019 will bring.”

Cowan, an Arkansas native, grew up in Pine Bluff, resides in North Little Rock today with her husband, child and their pet cat, Evie Bob Valdez. “I’ve been here for the past 12 years.

My family and I have lived in other parts of the country before, but this is our home,” she said. “My husband and I share the same passion; we actually met through a friend in Chicago.” Passionate about the arts, Cowan’s personal mission is to help support independent businesses in Arkansas. “That includes the artists, makers, musicians and independent business owners,” she explained.

In 2013, she started Legends of Arkansas where she initially began noticing what was going on around the state, where consumers aren’t exactly privy to local brands and businesses and what they are doing for their cities. “I wanted to help in making connections in the community by building these community events, to create the environment for magic to happen,” she explained, “Local First: We cause collisions within the community, in a good way!”

Susie spent 2018 working with the Argenta Downtown Council, handling the marketing and development for the Argenta Arts District.

“My favorite days are my days working at the Innovation Hub in the Argenta District.

I actually ran the Artist Inc program as the administrator out of the Innovation Hub. We

were there every Tuesday night, teaching artists the business side of art for eight weeks.”

She told Local. how she and her family also lead a non-traditional life. “My husband and I are both creatives, so sometimes we both work until 2 or 3 AM” she mentioned, “he’s a musician, and I absolutely love live music. We like to let loose and have fun, dance and shake it all off at the end of the day, so to speak.”

Local First will also host the Arkansas Women in Business event, coming up in February.

“We partner with the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas, which is the third continuation of a series of panel discussions to empower the women of Arkansas,” she added, “It’s our largest event of the year!” Susie spoke highly of her friends in the local community as well. “I want to see our friends and neighbors succeed.

I like to shop local because I like to know who I’m buying from, and there’s nothing like knowing they’re back there making everything by hand. It’s unique when things are local because there’s more attention to detail, and the service is usually better. If you strengthen your local economy, it doesn’t really matter what’s going on anywhere else.”

The Black Women in Business event, hosted by Local First AR, Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub, and the Women's Foundation of Arkansas. will be held on Thursday, February 28, 2019 at the Innovation Hub.

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A IX R U LA N When teaching kids about life skills, golf might not be the first thing to come to mind.

But for The First Tee of Central Arkansas, golf is the tool of choice.

Laura Nix, executive director of The First Tee of Central Arkansas (TFTCA), explained that the game is simply the conduit for the nine core values of the nonprofit: honesty, integrity, sportsmanship, respect, confidence, responsibility, perseverance, courtesy, and judgment. “We’re a youth development program,” Nix said. “Golf is a cornerstone of teaching for us, but it’s more a teaching tool to not just help kids become good golfers. Our objective is good golfers, better people.”

Nix had never picked up a golf club before she joined The First Tee in 2014, but she had played volleyball and basketball for years. And she watched golf and tennis with her father.

“Golf was never something that seemed natural,” Nix explained. ”When I became a part of the team here, I was like, ‘I need to take up golf.’”

Nix earned her degree in marketing and found herself in banking after college. She

moved up through the ranks quickly and after sixteen years, had earned the designation of Certified Treasury Professional. “I worked with businesses and organizations to find best practices and products to manage cash flow,” Nix said. “That has served me well here.”

She moved into the nonprofit world to spend more time with her children, and TFTCA came along in 2014. “I applied as the executive director, and fortunately they hired me. I’ve been here ever since,” Nix said. “I love it. I’m not going to say it hasn’t been stressful. When I joined, we had significant debt and no money and we weren’t growing our programming.”

But Nix had a vision, and the staff supported what she wanted to do--remove the stuffiness from golf and open it up to everyone who wanted to grow professionally. “That year we saw 4,000-5,000 kids,” Nix explained. “We weren’t doing a lot of outreach. We weren’t really living up to what we needed to be doing, especially given the beautiful facility that we had. My objective was we needed to do more outreach and we needed to diversify.”

TFTCA grew each year, reaching over 15,000 children in 2018, evening out the balance between male and female and bringing in more minorities through their after school, weekend and summer programming. The nonprofit also won a grant through the Marion and Miriam Rose Fund in 2018 that allowed them to bring their national school program to ten additional schools in the area. Nix hopes to reach over 20,000 kids in 2019. “And that’s a lofty goal,” she shared. “Through outreach, we’re going to where the kids are and hopefully working with that organization to bring them here. Then we’re transitioning kids from outreach to our regular programming over the school week and on Saturdays.”

The fast growth for TFTCA is surprising, given that golf as a sport has faced some recent struggles. The First Tee of Central Arkansas is one of 149 chapters internationally, just one of two in Arkansas. Three of the previous Arkansas chapters all closed in the past four years. “Golf has been declining over the years,” Nix explained. “You can ask anyone in the golf industry.”

It hasn’t helped that it is known as a privileged sport, preventing access for most people. “One thing we don’t worry about is if a kid has a collared shirt on,” Nix said. “Often we give them away. If a kid can’t pay, my job is to find the money.”

TFTCA manages a City of Little Rock golf course, an uncommon setup that relieves some of the financial burdens on the nonprofit. “The City of Little Rock has been wonderful to work with and the city directors has supported us, along with the city manager and previous mayor,” Nix said. “They fund the golf course and we run it.”

And four years in, she’s one of the sport’s biggest champions. “It’s unique with golf and how it translates into life skills,” Nix shared. “You have to have good judgment, sportsmanship, respect. There’s a code of conduct that even our five-year-olds are taught. Respect yourself, respect others and respect your surroundings, and how they can translate that into everyday life.”

Other games have referees or judges right there, calling fouls or penalties. “With golf, you truly are competing against yourself,” Nix said.

“You call your own penalties. You have to be courteous. There are very specific rules. It’s the gentleperson’s game. You do have to be that way. One of the first things we teach kids is how to shake hands and look someone in the eye.

You don’t think about that with other sports.”

By the time they reach high school, students learn things like how to interview for college and how to write a resume. Everything they’ve been taught adds up to contributing to a better community while improving their golf skills, making them eligible for scholarships. “They’re taught information, it’s translated into every day regular life, and then they see it in action on the golf course,” Nix said. “And we do that over and over. Repetition is key for kids. By the time they get to the teen years, they don’t need all that stuff. Instead, they have goal ladders. What are you going to be? How do you accomplish that?”

And it’s a sport that can be played for years. “I can’t play basketball anymore,” Nix shared. “My knees won’t allow it. My shoulders won’t let me play volleyball, but I can still go out and swing a golf club. Not well, but I can do it.”

1 First Tee Way Little Rock, Arkansas 72204

(501) 562-4653

www.thefirstteecentralarkansas.org

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By Elizabeth Silverstein | Photograph by Kaitlin Schmidt

N Y L A JAN S M

IA WILL

Janalyn Williams didn’t intend to own her own business.

She had experience working in the floral industry, which would prove to be helpful when she bought HodgePodge, Etc. but she’d never dreamt of becoming a business owner. “That thought had never occurred to me,” Williams shared. “I’d always worked for very large companies, but now I believe If I can set such a course and do it, I truly believe anyone can.”

She was born and raised in central Arkansas, knowing from an early age that she was looking for something a little different. “I did not want to

go into the family business, which is education,” Williams shared. “Everyone in my family are educators. I don’t know why, I just knew that path wasn’t for me.”

She worked as the marketing manager for a florist chain in Central Arkansas before ending up in Nashville, gaining experience in marketing, corporate events, and nonprofit fundraisers. “I had worked all around the floral world without being in it for a number of years,” she said.

She’d also always had a knack for the creative and a love for flowers. So when a friend told her she needed to take a look at a florist shop, she wasn’t surprised. “The original owner was trying to sell her business, and I was in a different career path, but I was unhappy,” Williams said.

“I was traveling a lot for work and caught up in the grind of what is corporate America and conference calls. A friend of mine insisted that I needed to go into business for myself. He told me, ‘I’ve seen your house, and I know you have a knack for design’.”

HodgePodge, Etc., which has existed for the past twenty years, started as a high-end custom gift basket shop. Then, the previous owner expanded into a floral studio. When approached about buying the business, Williams couldn’t stop thinking about it. “I was so intrigued that I couldn’t sleep, and I couldn’t get it out of my brain,” she said. “Six weeks later, I closed on the business. And he was right, this was what I was

meant to do.”

She’s owned the business since 2015, and she particularly loves that her business model includes a local focus. “I lived in Tennessee for 14 years,” Williams explained. “Despite being gone all those years, I was always extraordinarily proud of where I came from. With moving back, I now have even more pride. It’s important to not only support local businesses, but highlight those businesses as best you can because we have a lot of hidden treasures here.”

She’s embraced her new career, which started at a time when she needed to make it work. “At the time I was a single female, and I didn’t have anyone else paying the mortgage or putting food on the table,” Williams shared. “It was a lot of sleepless nights and lot of hard work, but more women should be able to go out and believe in themselves and live their passions. I think more women have the ability to do far more than they think they’re capable of. And if I can do it, anybody can do it.”

2101 Main Street North Little Rock, Arkansas 72214

(501) 372-6501

www.northlittlerockflowershop.com

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By Elizabeth Silverstein | Photograph by Rebecca Hawkins Photography

EL N G N A RSTO

HAI

Angel Hairston wants to build connections.

The co-owner of Argenta Nutrition has a different mission, she explained. “A lot of companies start with finances at the top and customers and community at the bottom,” Hairston shared. “We’ve reversed that. The bottom line of the finances does end up growing.

It’s at a different rate, and it’s the last thing that grows, but it does grow faster in the long term. It’s not a transaction anymore. It’s a full experience and a relationship. We’re good friends with every single person who comes in the door.”

It’s a mission routed in her early career days as a

dance studio business owner, the first venture she started when she was 20. The studio closed three years later, but built her passion for changing and inspiring people, Hairston said. She moved onto operating six locations as the practice manager for a pain clinic and discovered another way to help others. “That’s what motivated me to find something in healing and nutrition and overall wellness,” Hairston shared.

She and her partner, Miles Monroe, opened Argenta Nutrition in August of 2018, wanting to help build Argenta. They’re both from Little Rock, and they’ve watched Argenta become an up-and-coming area. “We wanted to tap into that and help build it,” Hairston explained. “There weren’t a lot of healthy options for food. We wanted to help them make more decisions to live a happier and healthy life. That area thrives with things like yoga and meditation and book readings and icebreaker events where we get a group of people together and ask a lot of questions and get to know each other and play some games.”

Hairston is now adding on additional locations that are all independently owned with different parents. She serves as the president of marketing and overall business operations for Argenta Nutrition, River City Nutrition, Nutrition Revolution in Conway, and, most recently, the Maumelle Hub. “Our focus is nutrition, ultimately,” Hairston shared. “We’re true believers

that you change people and you touch people from the inside out. We do a lot of coaching and mentoring. We host a lot of different book clubs and things like that. Our nutrition element is one element of what we do. That would be our storefront element. But it goes far beyond.”

Hairston makes sure that everyone who enters the door has an opportunity to connect. There’s the monthly calendar, stuffed with events, and there’s the interpersonal connection with a health kick. “We don’t stop there,” Hairston said. “It’s basically our order--we get your gut healthy, we get your mind healthy, we get your spirit healthy.

It’s a mental, healthy spiritual coaching.”

And the core remains on the relationships.

“Across the board, I’m just passionate about people,” Hairston said. “It’s hard to get the point across, but when you come into the space, it’s something you feel. It’s definitely something that when people come in, they get really, really attached to the space and they want to pull into it because they see there are so many good hearts in the space.”

419 Main Street North Little Rock, Arkansas 72214

(501) 766-5328

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Searcy Spotlight Personalize your gifts here!

The Soda Jerk is a new ice cream shop in downtown Searcy serving Loblolly Creamery ice cream. It is a place for people to come and celebrate new adventures, catch up with friends, and make lasting memories. Young and old love coming to The Soda Jerk to try one of the 16 ice cream flavors and freshly made waffle cones.

There are several vegan, dairy-free, and glutenfree options available. Loblolly, located in Little Rock, makes their ice cream batches fresh using local ingredients when possible. The Soda Jerk also serves house-made sodas with Loblolly syrups such as cherry, ginger, vanilla, and more!

Closed for the winter season, The Soda Jerk will reopen in the spring so stay tuned on social media for the opening date!

Beyond Boundaries Outfitters is a lifestyle t-shirt and outdoor brand that challenges the modern adventurer to go beyond. The vision is simple and significant: to make the world a better place by building a brand that will help bring awareness to like-minded organizations.

Beyond Boundaries Outfitters is partnered with several non-profit organizations that are doing great things for this planet. Shop the "Stay Groovy" line that is meant to inspire you to stay positive and fight cancer or the "Move Forward" line that gives back to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.

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Yeti Mugs • Firearms Knives • Flashlights Cutting Boards • Rings Watches • Glasses Wine Bottles • & More!

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Tattoos & Piercings Since 1998

By Elizabeth Silverstein | Photograph by Rebecca Hawkins Photography

IE LOR M A J TAY Entering the real estate world happened quickly for Jamie Taylor, one of the four partners at Blue Bird Realty.

Fresh out of high school, she moved from southern California to Vegas when she was 18 and found a position as a personal assistant for an appraiser.

Her boss noticed that the clients responded well to Taylor, and she offered to pay for three licenses in real estate, property management, and appraisal. “I just fell in love with the appraisal aspect of it,” Taylor shared. “The putting together, the puzzle pieces, the understanding from the bank, the client, the realtor, all that.

I did that for her for years, and I was able to make really good money and buy my first home before I was 20.”

Then Taylor decided to relocate to Harrison, Ark., following her family. She got re-certified in her licenses before founding out she was pregnant. She left real estate until her mother suggested giving it another chance, knowing how happy Taylor had been in the field.

Taylor moved to Little Rock with her son and started making phone calls, snagging an

interview on the third call. “That was it,” Taylor said. “And for the first time in my whole life, there I was, single, raising this kid, in the city, driving back and forth and in complete control of my financial destiny. I’m very young for a typical appraiser. The average age in Arkansas is 64. There are very few females. In a 91 percent male-dominated field that takes years and hundreds of hours of education to get into, one way or another I’ve strung it together over all those years, and I get licensed as an appraiser.”

In 2014, Taylor started to realize that appraising didn’t hold the same appeal as it once did--the hours were catching up to her, she was losing time with her son, and she was ready to get from behind a computer. Then a second push came--her husband, Joey, mentioned that she should look into becoming a real estate agent. An agent himself, he knew she had the people skills and the experience to sell homes.

She became licensed as a realtor that same year but didn’t use the license for two years as she continued her appraisal work. “In the midst of all of these things that had gone over the course of my career, the 10 years I was appraising, people would say, ‘You should do real estate.

You’re very good with people,’” Taylor shared.

“I’m very emotional, as you can tell. When you hurt, I hurt. I immediately feel it, I immediately want to cry with you. It stresses me out when clients don’t get the house that they want.”

She resisted making the full move over until the third push showed up through her mentor and boss, Rick Bertram, who told her she had a chance with real estate. “I tried it,” Taylor said. “I fell in love with this prospect that I could actually make money being honest, being happy, and being helpful. And I never thought those three things could combine into one profession.”

And then everything else clicked. A previous client, Zach Dennis, approached her about working together. Blue Bird Realty became a reality in August of 2018, headed up by Taylor, her husband Joey, and Zach and his wife, Anna.

Zach and Joey handled the business aspect, the black and white, while Taylor and Zach’s wife, Anna, remained in what she calls the gray.

“That’s my thing,” Taylor said. “I will be your gray area. I will be your sounding wall. I will cry with you. ... When Blue Bird came together, it was a total culmination of all the things that the members who own it are good at.”

They moved into their current location on November 12, Taylor’s birthday. The office is located in a historic building downtown, in the middle of everything, as Taylor described it.

And now, Taylor can look back at the bumps she’s encountered along the way and see her own determination at work. “I feel like when women get into business, they have a great idea, a great plan behind it,” Taylor said. “Their vision is so clear and they know it’s going to work. When

they hit that first obstacle, all those little things start to come into play and they start to back up. I think it takes some getting pushed a little bit to push back. In business, it takes a lot of strength and resilience to build it. … You’re not going to come out of the gate and be awesome.

You’re either going to learn, or you’re going to love it. It’s temporary. Understand that you’ll get through it and there’s something on the other side.”

And she’s learned that it’s okay to accept her emotions. “Don’t water down the emotion,” Taylor advised. “Don’t ever try to change who you are to fit a situation. Who you are is how you’re meant to be. How you’re patterned, your DNA, how you react to things, that’s who you are. That is the nature of you, reacting to the situation. So why on God’s earth would you ever want to change that? Find a way to make it powerful. ... If you take gratitude and use it as a tool, it will make you the strongest person in the whole wide world, because nothing can take your gratitude from you. Nothing can change you from grateful to ungrateful. That’s your choice.

It’s your thoughts, and what you give power to is what grows. That’s anything - business, life, whatever. If you take everything you’re paying attention to and make it about gratitude, make it about what you’ve been given instead of what’s been taken, it’s hard to feel weak.”

409 E 6th Street Little Rock, Arkansas 72202

(501) 313-7314

www.bluebird-realty.com

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eat

CafÊ 501 Conway is Conway’s newest dining experience offering several different cuisines from across the globe. It is located in the new Conway Medical Park building across from the Baptist Medical Center and offers breakfast, lunch and dinner. 650 United Drive in Conway. 501-329-4508

EJ's Eats & Drinks specializes in all things breakfast, delicious sandwiches, scratch soups, HUGE salads, juicy burgers and so much more!

Stop by for smiles and beer. Come in and give your inner foodie something special. 523 Center St. in Little Rock. 501-666-3700

Fat Jack's Oyster Bar and Grill provides live music, cold beer and great food. Come try the variety of cajun food, burgers and fish while watching your favorite sports team. Don't forget to try the best oysters in Arkansas! 101 Central Ave. in Hot Springs. 501-623-5225

Brave New Restaurant provides a casual, warm environment, delicious food and excellent service at a reasonable cost with a goal to have every meal be a celebration of food. 2300 Cottondale Ln. in Little Rock.

501-663-2677

Cypress Knee Food delivers a food truck experience like no other around AR; serving scratch made, gourmet southern and Cajun.

Book us for your next event! www.cypresskneefood.com. 870-415-9494

Black Angus is a locally owned and operated restaurant that serves fresh, homemade food including hand cut steaks, catfish, and burger patties using a charcoal grill. 10907 N. Rodney Parham Rd. 501-228-7800

Ohia Poke is bringing healthy Hawaiian cuisine to Little Rock. Try the daily fresh veggies and fish as you build your bowl in an upbeat environment that is fun for the whole family.

Come join us for the best Poke of your life! 220 West 6th Street in Little Rock. 501-502-6330

Doe's Eat Place features Little Rock's favorite steaks, hot tamales with chili, succulent broiled shrimp, tasty grilled salmon, mouth watering hamburgers and more. It is filled with memorabilia that makes the experience what it is. 1023 W. Markham St. in Little Rock. 501-376-1195

Ann's Health Foods offers award winning health food, vitamins, specialty foods, diet products, and body building products. Come by and speak with our knowledgeable staff Monday-Friday from 9am-6pm. 9800 Highway 107 in Sherwood.

501-835-6415

Southern Table is a boards, bites and bruschetta eatery specializing in seasonal small plates and a shared menu with world dining options. Proudly serving Southern Table produced cheeses and Raimondo Winery wines and products. 323 S. Cross St. in Little Rock. 501-379-9111.

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Reinvented Vintage specializes in bringing new life to worn furniture and accessories. They offer Arkansas made goods, vintage furniture, workshops, chalk paint & so much more! If you would like a piece reinvented for you, come by 1222 S. Main St. in Little Rock. 501-753-4925

shop

Trails End RV Park is located right off of I-40.

Easy in/easy out with full hookups at every site.

LP gas available for purchase, free WiFi , security gate, and laundry facilities on property. We offer daily ,weekly and monthly rates . 14223 Stricklin Cove in North Little Rock. 501-851-4594

Montalvo Interiors & Apparel offers home decor, interior design, womens' and mens' apparel, jewelry, shoes, and more! They carry exceptional pieces and service with customized attention. 201 Edison Avenue in Benton.

501-794-6677

Little Rock Music Academy offers music lessons for all ages and for most instruments.

Piano, voice, orchestral strings, brass,woodwinds, guitar, banjo, mandolin, ukulele, bagpipes, and drums are available. 11220 N Rodney Parham Rd in Little Rock. 501-442-5638

business • home auto • life • health Two Broke College Kids offers a wide variety of moving services including full moves with our own box trucks, rental truck loading and unloading, and furniture and appliance delivery.

They also provide padding, straps, and everything needed for a safe move. 501-548-4510

Thrive Argenta is a luxury community located in the heart of the Argenta Arts District.

Positioned right off of Main Street, dining, shopping and nightlife are literally a few steps away. Apply today at www.thriveargenta.com or give us a call at 501-612-0799. Live Inspired.

Roberson & Associates Insurance is a family owned Insurance Agency serving central Arkansas for 31 years. We offer Personal, Business, Life and Health insurance products that can be tailored to meet your individual needs. Call us today at 501315-8011 www.robersoninsurance.com

Diamond State Restoration provides roof repair and replacement services as well as 24 hour storm damage repair services. Schedule storm damage services immediately to avoid expensive structural damage repairs. Will work with your insurance provider to cover costs. 501-764-2103

Lindsey’s Resort is a full service trout fishing resort located on the Little Red River that has been serving families for more than 50 years. They offer rustic cabins, camping, the Pot O’ Gold Restaurant and nearby attractions. 350 Rainbow Loop in Heber Springs. 501-362-3139

Legacy Jewelers offers a wide variety of unique jewelry pieces for every budget as well as custom design, jewelry and watch repair, battery replacement, engraving and strap adjustment..Over 40 years of experience. 1604 S. Pine St. Ste B in Cabot. 501-941-3003

11

BE A LOCALIST.

By Kaitlin Schmidt

The Cost of Local Products (Part 3) - Elizabeth Silverstein

12

you need help and you need to know how to do it, and you need it now, brick and mortar is your buddy,” Buffalo shared. “If you can build a relationship with a local, the chances of them bailing you out is high. I’ve come to the store plenty of time after hours to help someone.”

Sometimes, the item might actually be cheaper.

Reeves started candle making as a military wife based overseas. She wanted something to do, and the candles that she and her husband, Michael, enjoyed, like pipe tobacco and whiskey, cost $35 and didn’t deliver on the scent. “It smelled like sugar,” said Reeves. “I went and I did research, and I made a bunch for the house, and then people started buying them. The business took off on its own. It went from this hobby to a business almost overnight.”

Reeves now offers 82 scents total, including cedar, sage, red ginger saffron, and even a food novelty line that includes corn chips and beer.

The focus is on unique, and she and Michael developed a price tag to match. There are typically six elements to each candle, which includes

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different, since Buffalo can’t compete with online retailers. “What I can sell is the service,” Buffalo shared. “The service compared to a reasonable price compared to what you can sell on the internet. That seems to be a winning combination. You can’t compete with those online prices.”

Ultimately, the focus is on the community and the relationships built.

When customers come to The Water Buffalo, they can also depend on good, free advice, and the opportunity to take classes without paying a fee. “We enjoy the challenge of fixing the problem,” Buffalo shared. “It’s a hobby shop, you don’t have to buy something when you have a problem. If you have a question, come ask us. People know we know what we’re talking about.”

Reeves has also built up relationships with clients in the past year they’ve been in business.

She can count on customers finding her at craft fairs to stock up. And they keep their product lines interesting, even taking special orders. “We have these really unique niche scents in some of our candles, so they work really well for historical reenactors, but they’re not going to sell to somebody else,” Reeves said. “We have a state park that we contract to that deals with historical reenactors all the time, and one of their properties on the park is a jail. We designed an entire line of candles just for their jail, scents that would have been in a jailhouse in the mid1800s to early 1900s when it was operational.”

"It’s a personalized touch based on

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Tell Tabatha Reeves about a specific scent, and she’s already figuring out how to make the perfect candle to invoke that memory--perhaps it’s combining a metallic base with a little bit of leather.

Or let Nolen Buffalo know about an issue with a home brewing system, and he’ll problem solve right there in the store, no purchase required.

It’s a personalized touch based on building personal relationships that are possible with local business.

A large manufacturing candle company won’t create a special scent without guaranteed buy-in.

But Reeves, who owns Twisted Lane Candles, has the capability in her home-based studio to create just a few. There’s still the testing required, because the scents she uses vary on how they interact with the wax, but she’s always up for the challenge.

Buffalo owns The Water Buffalo and Buffalo Brewing Company, a hobby-based retail store that combines all of his own interests: beer, wine, cheese, pickling, and gardening. “This place is just an extension of my hobbies gone wild,” Buffalo explained. ”I’ve been doing the indoor gardening, and I’ve been doing the beer making and wine making for a little over 20 years. This is just the extension of the things that I like to do. I’ve stocked the store with all of my favorite products and the products that other people really like.”

His deeply vested interest in what he provides at the store has additional benefits -- being able to help others. “When you’re in a pinch and

building personal relationships that are possible with local business."

a wood wick, the labels, the wax, the scents-all for $13. “Candles need to be affordable,” Reeves shared. “Products have to be affordable for the general public. Big manufacturers forget that. Most people, especially here in Arkansas, can’t afford $30 for a candle. If they spend $30 on a candle, that’s $30 that didn’t go in the gas tank, or that’s $30 for animal feed that they didn’t have this month.”

And if it isn’t cheaper, there’s still an interpersonal hand-off that makes up for the cost.

Buffalo opened his store in 2014, and Buffalo Brewing Company in 2016. While there are regulations on how he can price out his beer, there’s also the consideration of the materials, the time to make it, and if it doesn’t sell right away.

The store side of his business is a little bit

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Valentine's Day Ideas

Hey, Locals! My name’s Kayla. It has come to my attention that no one knows who I am, yet.

It’s okay, though; you’ll know me soon enough.

I’ve been blessed with a chance to write for Local.

Magazine, as the newest member of the staff.

Ahh Valentine’s Day...the Hallmark holiday that somehow still tricks everyone into spending extra cash. Oh well, might as well spend it at a local place! I want to help you get the most bang for your buck this Valentine’s Day (no pun intended) and have a great time while you’re at it! Here are 8 ideas that might score you some points this year: Plan a romantic dinner. Cliché, but a classic never dies. Preferably dinner on a rooftop if you can swing it. If not, try a patio if the weather is nice. It doesn’t have to be the most upscale place in town, as long as you put a little thought into it.

Or, there’s always takeout. Nothing like sushi and candles.

Dress up! Make it freaking romantic, already!

It’s not romantic if you look like a slob.

Get away for a day trip or a long weekend trip. V-Day is on a Thursday this year, but if you plan it out in advance, you could ask her/him to try and take off work that particular day or weekend.

Give a gift. Some people like flowers, some like chocolate, some like both plus jewelry and a teddy bear. You could also try sports tickets, a concert, a local event or a movie you know that they’d like to see.

Don’t expect anything in return. It’s supposed to be a romantic evening, so, not expecting anything at the end of the night will ensure that, ladies and gents! If you give a gift, don’t expect to receive one. This is totally by choice.

Do something out of the ordinary. If you’re looking for something different that not everyone would think of, try Google. I hear it’s a powerful tool these days. You might also find that the state of Arkansas can be quite romantic with all its natural beauty.

Be appreciative. If you don’t have a date, you can still have fun. Soak in a bubble bath. Drink a glass of wine or pop some champagne with your homies and celebrate the single life. If you are lacking single friends, hang out with your fur babies and binge eat popcorn, chocolate and pizza this one time. Then hit the gym hard tomorrow.

Love Yourself. Even if you have none of those things, you can still find a way to love yourself. The rest will follow.

13

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Featured Sauce(d) - Adam Cherepski

DA AMAN IVY In May of 2018, Sauce(d) opened up in the Market Place shopping center on Rodney Parham. When I heard the announcement of this new dining destination, I must say the location had me taken aback. I understand that this area of Little Rock has seen a few glimmers in the restaurant scene as of late, but every time one opens, I still see it as a risk. I’m not sure why; it’s just one of those things that I need to work through. Another surprise was that Sauce(d), a restaurant specializing in pizza was going into the exact suite that another pizza place called home – did I mention this previous tenant was where you could eat as much cafeteria pizza as you wanted for less than $3? While Sauce(d) does serve pizza, I can assure you, there are no other similarities to its predecessor.

The space has been completely overhauled.

In fact, there are absolutely no remnants of the previous occupants. The décor is modern and rustic all at the same time, with a wall of pizza peels greeting you as you walk in. This is now a cozy space that is perfect for an intimate date night or a small friendly gathering.

The menu boasts a dozen specialty pizzas (brick oven, of course), a handful of sandwiches, soups, salads, and an array of appetizers, or tapas, as well as a hearty customizable lasagna. Most everything is scratch-made, and you can instantly tell with the quality and freshness of the dishes. From the Meatball in Purgatory appetizer and the House Burger to the Neapolitan style pizzas, you can taste each and every ingredient, which ensures a complete dining experience.

This diligence is due, in part, to Chef Amanda Ivy. Amanda has been somewhat of a troubadour across the Central Arkansas dining landscape. Her stops have included time with Southern Gourmasian, the Yellow Rocket

group, as well as stints with Donnie Ferneau.

This wide-ranging experience and her time as a child growing up on a farm has inspired her quest for quality food using fresh ingredients. But, it is her determination that truly is inspirational.

I have worked in numerous restaurants in my career, and I cannot remember looking back into the kitchen through the expo window and seeing any women. This, unfortunately, is a common theme in a lot of restaurant kitchens, but thankfully, it is becoming more the exception rather than the rule thanks to the fortitude of chefs like Amanda among others.

Restaurants are a tough business, and the stereotypes for women being emotional or sensitive, can often shut the door to them before they are even given the chance to knock.

Amanda deals with this by “letting go of the static”, which means not paying attention to the stigmas. She has had to push through in order to get where she is. Her husband, during her career, has served three tours in Afghanistan, one of which Amanda was attending culinary school and working two jobs. This helped, if not forced, her to stand on her own two feet, which makes it easier to chase one’s dreams.

Amanda also knows the value of a team and the necessity of such to succeed. The kitchen at Sauce(d) is a true all-star collaboration; there are no egos allowed. The importance of a positive culture is not lost on the team, and it shows in what they produce each and every day.

With a quality team, and quality ingredients, you can only expect a quality experience, and that is exactly what you will get at Sauce(d).

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Sauce(d) is located at 11121 North Rodney Parham Road in Little Rock. Hours are from 11a.m. – 9p.m Monday through Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 11a.m. – 11p.m., and on Sunday from 10a.m. to 6p.m. You can find them at saucedlr.com as well as on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Open & serving beer 7 days a week!

106 Rodney Parham Rd. Little Rock, AR 72205 15

By Elizabeth Silverstein | Photograph by Rebecca Hawkins Photography

TS U O SC TUBB S

For ten years, Scout Stubbs had tried it all to quit smoking - the patches, the gum.

She started smoking when she was 16. “They say that 80 percent of people start when they’re under the age of 18 and they can’t stop,” Stubbs shared. “I just gave up.”

Then her husband, Eric, also a smoker, suggested vaping. “I was able to quit,” Stubbs said. “It just happened. I know that’s not everyone’s story. Some people have a lot of trouble quitting. It was a lot easier for me with vaping devices.”

The vape juice contained nicotine instead of

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eliminating it completely, and the vape provided the psychological element of putting hand to mouth and seeing vapor expelled. “It’s the burning of the cigarette that’s bad for you,” Stubbs explained. “With vaping, you’re still getting that hand to mouth and that nicotine you need without all of the bad stuff attached to it.”

Eric started experimenting with vape juice, making up different flavors by combining them with three other ingredients: propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin and nicotine. “You just play around with it,” Stubbs said. “He was doing it at our dining room table for our personal use. I tried it, and I was like, ‘This is really good.’ That’s when we started thinking about opening up our own shop.”

They opened Drippers Vape Shop in 2015, growing to three locations and franchising two more in 2018. “It was so easy for us to switch from cigarettes to e-cigarettes,” Stubbs said. “We wanted to help other people do the same, and it became a business for us.”

They split the duties as co-owners. Eric hand makes all of the e-juice out of their Greenbrier hub for the 103 flavors they carry in stores. And Stubbs handles marketing, promotions, ordering, and human resources. “We did that early on,” she explained. “We said, ‘Look, we’re not going to stay married long if we’re going to step on each other’s toes.’ We have our own offices and that’s where we stay during the day, and then we

go home and we’re a couple again. I feel like that’s the best advice I can give to couples that are married who work together.”

But their stores might not be around for long.

Stubbs devotes her time to advocating for the vape industry, serving as secretary on the board for the Arkansas Vape Advocacy Alliance.

Vaping is coming up against federal regulations set for 2022, facing hefty pre-market approval fees that the cigarette industry, grandfathered in as existing before 2007, do not have to pay. Then there’s the taxation required. “They want to tax us like traditional cigarettes, even though they are 95% safer,” Stubbs explained, a number that comes from the Royal College of Physicians, the same source that provided evidence in 1962 that cigarettes cause cancer.

Stubbs would like to see the vaping industry regulated as its own field, a smoking cessation device. And she’d like to add that vaping should not be accessible to the underaged. “That’s not what any of us want,” she said. “None of us want kids vaping. We want it only for those over the age 18, who just want to switch to something less harmful.”

For now, she’s trying to raise awareness and assist others. “It’s a safer product,” Stubbs added.

“I love what I do, and I want to stay around. I want to be able to help people. I hear success stories from people every day who I’ve helped, and I just love it.”

At 20 years old, vaping was the only thing that helped me end a 7 year smoking habit before it could do any more damage.

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By Elizabeth Silverstein | Photograph by Rebecca Hawkins Photography

LE L E H ON S MIC R E K WIL The dogs come first for Michelle Wilkerson.

It is a belief and practice that she maintains on her 15-acre farm outside of Little Rock, where she lives with her pets, most of whom arrived as neglected strays. Michelle brings the same mentality to her cage-free doggie daycare and boarding facility, Wags and Whiskers, in West Little Rock.

Michelle grew up in Arkansas watching and learning from the sacrifices and efforts her family made to rescue abused animals, including a shelter her grandmother founded in Mississippi. Following the footsteps of her grandmother, Michelle started her own efforts at a very young age, discovering her mission as an advocate for animals.

In 1990, she moved to her farm and continued to help the dogs who needed her. “While rescuing these dogs, I knew I needed to be their

voice and this led me to working with dogs full time,” said Michelle.

In 2008, Wags and Whiskers started as a pet sitting business. “The pet sitting business was very successful but not easily sustained or grown as a sole proprietor,” explained Michelle.

“I started searching for people who had the same passion and love for animals as I do, which allowed me to expand my business to a staff of fifteen pet sitters.”

Michelle’s clients knew her background and saw her dedication, which led to more and more referrals. “Along with happy clients and a lot of hard work, the business boomed,” Michelle shared.

She realized there was a need in the Litte Rock area for a safe and secure social community for dogs to be able to learn and build relationships and become familiar with one another. She continued to work as a pet sitter and dog walker, while also providing fitness boot camps. After seven years of starting the workday at 3 am and ending at 10 pm, Michelle had saved enough start-up capital cost to open her facility in 2015.

“I knew my goal for the future was to offer more for our clients and their dogs,” she said.

As a truly cage-free doggie daycare, Wags and Whiskers caters to clients who do not want their dogs kenneled during daycare hours.

The nontraditional business model reflects the comforts of home, where dogs are able to move inside and outside freely, while providing a safe and secure atmosphere. “I have never wanted to kennel any of my personal dogs,” Michelle shared. “I knew there were dog lovers, like myself, who would rather allow their dogs the freedoms to potty, play or rest at their leisure.”

Currently, Michelle has a staff of nearly 20 employees and operates in a 15,000 square feet indoor/outdoor facility. In addition to daycare services seven days a week, Wags and Whiskers offers overnight boarding with onsite staff, taxi services, training classes, bathing, and basic grooming services, luxury add-ons.

“Our parents love our private parents' page on Facebook which highlights videos and pictures of pups enjoying their activities and visiting with other guests during the day,” Michelle said.

“The feedback I hear most often about our facility is how much our clients appreciate how we strive to know our dogs personally and the above and beyond efforts of our staff. It gives me a great sense of satisfaction that what we are doing works and is appreciated.”

Recently, Michelle hired a dog trainer to offer training during daycare as an add-on, in group classes, private sessions and at home. Services include basic training, behavior modification, and puppy socialization.

Michelle shared that she will always hold true to her beliefs and practices on the care and needs of dogs. “Operating the only cage-free daycare in the Little Rock area, where rotating

the dogs from kenneling to exercising during the day does not occur, takes immense dedication and effort,” Michelle explained. “But in the long run, it has been rewarding and well worth these efforts to see our guests so happy.”

Michelle has also gathered staff that devoted to the care of the dogs. “We are a special kind of people who are hard to find,” Michelle said.

Michelle has hopes to expand within the next year. She feels there is a need for better options for small and geriatric dogs, a bath bar, and enrichment activities for the more energetic dogs. “I will never stop looking for ways to provide a richer experience for our guests,” Michelle said.

9301 Treasure Hill Rd, Little Rock, AR 72227

(501) 221-6913

www.wagsandwhiskerslittlerock.com 17

By Elizabeth Silverstein | Photograph by Rebecca Hawkins Photography

TAIS I N A AV D Anita Davis enjoys using items to share stories.

“I’ve always loved to go and look for old things,” Davis shared. “I ended up with a lot of things that tell stories. I like telling stories.

I like hearing stories from others and telling the stories of popular culture over the last 100 years, and the real history of women and women’s roles and how they changed throughout the decades.”

She owns ESSE Purse Museum, only one of three of its kind in the world, that uses handbags and their contents to reveal the everyday life of women in the 1900s.

The museum originated from a simple interest -- exploring the feminine. She’d moved to Little Rock divorced with two daughters. “Being a single woman during that time in the late 80s wasn’t exactly a real easy time,” she shared. “We weren’t having a lot of conversations about being a woman.”

She hadn’t had much experience with other women besides her mother and her own children, but she found some local women’s groups, including a book club. “These issues

came up,” she said. “It was interesting to me to be around other women.”

She started collecting pieces of life, searching through the abandoned and the antique. Then, in the mid-2000s, she invited two women in the museum world from San Francisco and Portland to look at her collection, which she kept in the attic. That summer, the three climbed the stairs and looked at her purses. “They weren’t sure it would be a real popular thing or that it would fly, but I felt real strongly about it,” Davis shared. “I was always real interested in the feminine. People haven’t been always talking about the feminine. It’s a deeper subject than what kinds of purses that people carry. I think about purses as kind of a thing that holds the feminine. It holds who women are and what influences their lives and what’s important to them that they carry. Women are very complex and it would never exactly explain who a woman is or what’s she’s about exactly, but it gives a lot of hints about what stage of life she’s in.”

A pocketbook for a mother might hold items that an infant needs. Or an older woman might carry pillboxes, Davis explained. “You can look at it singularly or you can look at it collectively,” she added.

The collection started as a tour in 2006, featured at museums interested in borrowing the pieces. It was supposed to last for two years, but the demand increased quickly, even coming to the Arkansas Historic Museum twice. “We did five years instead of two,” Davis said. “It was one of the more popular ones. That told me that it had a little more life to it.”

She’d started purchasing buildings in the SoMa area, and heard from her renters an echo of her own personal sentiments of wanting to have a local atmosphere. “A little place that would give residents in this area things to do and places to go,” Davis shared.

She bought the building, originally owned

by Stageworks, in 2011 and installed the museum in 2012. It’s been a fit. “I think it’s a little ironic but it also feels very special to me that there are so many women in business here on this side of Main Street,” Davis said.

“There are a plethora of businesses that are run by women.”

There have been some misconceptions about what a purse museum might be. “I think so many people can’t visualize what a purse museum is,” Davis shared. “They tell me that, ‘This is so different than anything I ever expected.’ … They think it’s going to be a bunch of old dusty purses in a dark room without any story to tell. They get excited that it is well laid out. It’s encouraging people to understand their grandmother’s lives, their great-grandmother’s lives, even their mothers’ and aunts’. They can relate more than just the history they learned from a book.”

There are photos and encouragement to write down the women who have influenced visitors’ lives and to remember what a mother’s purse might have smelled like. “That takes people somewhere,” Davis revealed.

“Everybody's purses have a different scent.

Back when I was little, people would carry Wrigley’s Gum or a lavender hanky. My mother loved tea rose perfume, so her purse smelled like that. And of course, a lot of women smoked earlier in the 20th century, the middle of the 20th century and women had lovely smoking accessories in the 20s even.

That would affect the scent of their purse.

There are very few places that honor and celebrate women in the United States. This is one of the very few places that honor women and remind others to celebrate us.”

The museum includes three to four temporary exhibits a year, which have included themes like hats, shoes, and even Barbies, focused on the things interesting to women. There’s also a gift shop attached to the museum, which includes a book that tells the story of the museum and other items that reflect the mission. “We have filters for what we buy,” Davis said. “We love to buy things that are handmade. We’re also considered fair trade. We love to have things that are unusual and kind of have a bent for fun. Not necessarily totally trendy, but things that you can wear for a long time. And a lot of things are art pieces as well.”

1510 Main Street Little Rock, AR 72202

501-916-9022

www.essepursemuseum.com 18

Finding the Whimsy in Ink Blots - Elizabeth Silverstein

Sometimes Diane Harper sees critters or monsters in her ink blots. Sometimes there’s whimsy or an element of fantasy.

Harper is a visual artist, using water and ink on paper. “It’s basically using [ink] media on paper and then finding intriguing shapes and imagery inside the ink blots using line work, like marker, pen, that kind of thing,” Harper explained.

Her process causes some unpredictability. “I do a whole bunch of ink blots first, and then I let them dry, and then I look at the stack and decide which one I’m gonna work on and I turn it upside down and sideways and just see if something strikes me,” Harper shared.

“Sometimes when I don’t know what I’m looking at, I go ahead and start making marks and then something emerges. It’s really, really spontaneous.”

Ask her where it all began, and she’ll mention Germany. Harper’s parents met while her father, Hal, was stationed overseas–her mother was French. They became a military family, with Harper the middle child of three. “I was a sick kid a lot and I grew up overseas in the military,” said Harper. “Just past toddler age in Berlin, when the Berlin wall was up, and things were pretty heated for the Cold War at the time.

And I think my boogeyman was born in Berlin.

Everything had barbed wire. There were armed guards everywhere, and so it was just kind of a terrifying place through a five-year-old’s eyes, but you don’t really have the vocabulary to deal with that.”

Art became her way of interpreting the world around her. “I lived in the heart of fairy tales,” Harper said. “We traveled in Bavaria and the Black Forest was around there, and the birthplace of Hansel and Gretel. And all of

these kinds of bizarre folktales that we grew up with that were basically cautionary tales to children to mind their moms, but it was kind of a wonderful place.”

They moved back to the states when Harper was a teenager. “We didn’t get out of the military until I was a senior in high school,” Harper said. “So, it was my life. And reintegrating into the civilian world was not so easy for any one of us.”

Hal was a self-taught photographer, using the dark rooms on base, and then continuing his work at home. “He would have all of us kids sit on the couch and hold flashcards that had shutter speed, film speed, and whatever kind of film he was using, he’d set up lights,” Harper said. “And we were his test subjects, and he would study photography through his portraits of us. I just remember him always being there with his camera. And he saw us in a way — the portraits that he took of us, they don’t look like Olan Mills portraits. They look like a dad would have taken them that had some skill, but he found our personalities in those pictures.”

The photographs became a part of Harper’s Brat project, as she started to catalogue and create, using her father’s work. There’s another element to Hal’s story that continues to connect Harper to her father’s work–he earned his degree a bit late in life. For 17 years, he attended classes here and there until the family moved to Arkansas. He graduated from college at the age of 50.

Before Harper went back to school herself in 2002, she had decided on a career in social work.

“I was interested in psychology and all of that,” she explained. “And social work borrowed from so many fields. It was the most interesting. It had that social justice component. I just enjoyed that.”

She started school part-time. “It took me 11 years, and I was almost 51,” Harper said. “My goal was to get that degree at the same age he got his degree, ‘cause I thought, ‘I might as well do it.’ I’m going to be 50 someday or 60 someday without the degree. I might as well be 50 with it.”

She continues to work part-time as a social worker and varies her income streams through galleries, workshops, and educational programs.

Her goals include wanting her studio to be a spot where people can come and learn, teaching,

connecting with friends while supporting their art, honing her skills, helping at the hospital, and being a good partner to her husband. She also wants to wake up with a sense of purpose every single day. “That’s my big thing,” Harper said.

“Some days I say, ‘I’m not doing anything today.’

And that’s my purpose. One of the things I realized about being a social worker that I realized was different than a lot of other careers is that I have never in my adult life had a day where I didn’t know if I had a sense of purpose in life. That’s really freeing, existentially, because I don’t have to worry about that. So now I feel like, I can approach art with a hedonist fervor if I feel like it, because I’ve really, really been doing the hard work with people all these years. And it feels good.”

And then there’s the attempt to reconcile her art with her social work. “I really had some conflicts, not knowing how to combine social work with art and not knowing how I could be two different people, and I think this is the year that I figured it out that I’m not two different people,” Harper said. “That they work together and I don’t have to separate them.”

Want more of Harper’s work?

See her art at dianeharperart.com, or find Harper on Facebook with @dpharper1 (personal) or @dianeharperfineart (artwork).

She’s also on Instagram under @dianeharperart and around town at Gallery 26 and South Main Creative. Read the full story and listen to Harper’s podcast episode at hewandweld.com/ news.

Want more stories like this?

Sustaining Craft is a weekly podcast hosted

by Elizabeth Silverstein. The new season begins January 7. She interviews those in a creative field or business, sharing their struggles, triumphs and advice for others. Companion articles come with each episode and are published at hewandweld.com. Episodes can be found on iTunes, Spotify, or sustainingcraft.fireside.fm.

Reach Elizabeth at hello@hewandweld.com.

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By Elizabeth Silverstein | Photograph by Rebecca Hawkins Photography

NIIER TO RAZ F

Toni Frazier finds the answer.

A certified insurance counselor at Frazier Insurance, Frazier joined the insurance world 21 years ago when her uncle, William Richard Frazier, asked her if she would help him with the company he started. “He had the business, and he didn’t have a family member to pass it to and so he asked me if I would like to join his team with the knowledge that at some point I would take over and buy the business,” Frazier explained. “I didn’t feel like where I was I had control of my destiny. I worked for someone else and while I was in a good field, I didn’t feel like I

could reach my potential where I was.”

She had a knack for the industry. Frazier had been on the billing side when she worked in the medical field, and that knowledge helped when she made the move into insurance. “It just made sense,” she explained. “It clicked talking with folks about personal or auto or business. I had a good grasp of everything from the very beginning.”

The change, scary at first, proved to be a good choice. “I took a leap of faith,” Frazier said.

“He’s done well with it. Our personalities are very similar. I just thought, what the heck. I’m young.

I want a career. I don’t want a job anymore. He started me off, and I got the insurance tests done very quickly. It just seemed natural.”

Her desire to be a resource has meant she keeps going until she finds what her clients need.

“I’m going to find the answer for someone,” Frazier said. “I’m their first line of defense with the insurance company. I’m the one that’s supposed to know how this works. When I speak on their behalf, I’m going to do my best that they’re getting everything that they’re supposed to.”

Frazier also makes the time to review policies.

“One thing that is always true about me is honesty. If someone wants me to look at their policy, and I don’t think they’re getting what they need, I’ll spend time talking with them about it,” Frazier explained. “But if it’s not in their best

interest to change, I’m not going to do it. I’m not in it for me. When you’re doing what’s right by everyone else, then it’ll come back to you one way or another.”

Frazier maintained her methodology when she became a partner with her uncle ten years ago. She brought some changes to the company, such as diversifying the types of insurance they provided.

Stepping into leadership was a natural move for her. “Some people are just meant to own their own business,” she said. “I’d always been a leader. I’d always been an advocate for people. I don’t like seeing injustice in things. I just want to help people understand.”

Her desire to help extends beyond her clients, “I want to inspire other women,” Frazier said.

“Being a business owner is hard. It’s tough, but it’s worth it. I like to mentor people because this is not an easy business to be in. We’re in a men’s world, typically. To be a business owner in insurance--you don’t see a lot of women business owners.”

808 Reservoir Rd Ste B Little Rock, Arkansas 72227

(501) 225-1818

www.frazieragency.com

By Elizabeth Silverstein | Photograph by Rebecca Hawkins Photography

SA S I L ME EEN GR

Novelty milkshakes, specialty cereal bowls, and the most popular gaming systems make Spec Ops Gaming Lounge a one-of-a-kind entertainment experience.

The three-person team behind the business, Melissa Green, her husband, Kendall Green, and their long-term friend, Jesse Steelman, wanted to provide an inclusive option to central Arkansas. “We want to welcome all families, cosplayers and true gamers,” Green explained. “We started this business to give something to Arkansas that a lot of other big cities have that we’re lacking and to build community and sportsmanship through a love of gaming.”

20

Kendall and Steelman had started planning the venture two years ago, with their dream officially launching in September 2018. The lounge includes over 180 games across PC, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, Super Nintendo and Nintendo Switch.

They also provide novelty food through the cereal bar. Shakes and specialty bowls can be purchased or options may be chosen “Mario A La Kart” and taken to the gaming stations. “You can pick your cereal off of the wall and put on whatever toppings you want,” Green explained. “Our specialty bowls all have game themes. Princess Peach is my favorite; it has dried peaches, almonds, coconut and Frosted Flakes. My favorite cereal shake would have to be the Apple Jacks shakes. We mix apple butter and cinnamon into it with graham crackers.”

They brought on Green to handle the interior design initially before she took on the advertising and operations while continuing to work full-time as a wellness store manager. She has the knowledge, degree, and experience with 20 years in business retail.

But she also had the personal passion for inclusivity.

Green grew up around children with academic and social disabilities, and she treasures being able to provide a unique socialization opportunity for the community. “Gaming gives opportunities to both kids and adults, who may not be athletically or socially gifted, a chance to have something they’re good at and a group to be a part of,” Green shared.

“I was excited about the idea of bringing a diverse community together around something a little different. I think it’s important to have something that can literally include everyone by offering activities that build upon sportsmanship and skill.

It’s a great family and date alternative as well. Instead of going to a movie, you can play together, move around, socialize, and talk to people for the same price or less.”

The lounge offers three membership packages with various benefits, or anyone can come and play by the hour, either by themselves or with a group.

There are also weeknight tournaments, birthday parties, and private events. And then there are the cosplay workshops, where individuals can build their armor or costume. “I’m excited to work with the cosplay community and give them something that helps them improve their craft,” Green said. “And give people an opportunity to be involved in e-sports who didn’t have an opportunity before.”

The business has plans to expand, with an apparel line that Green is designing and a full restaurant addition that will include even more novelty food.

But the main focus remains the people. “Going forward,” Green said, “What we’re really trying to do is build an all-inclusive community through gaming.”

2614 South Shackleford Rd, Suite I, Little Rock, AR, 72205

(501) 904-7177

www.specopsgaming.com

By Elizabeth Silverstein | Photograph by Rebecca Hawkins Photography

T KAIHILL Kait Hill, co-owner of Rock City Digital, says she always had an entrepreneurial spirit.

She calls it the business kind of mind, encouraged by her parents throughout her childhood. “If I wanted something, I was taught that I had to work for it,” Hill explained. “I worked extremely hard throughout high school and college, most of the time working seven days a week. Working from a young age taught me a lot of valuable life lessons and showed me how to manage my money more efficiently.”

Hill even started her first business as a child.

“In elementary school, I would make little bracelets and sell them to get money for snacks and I would set up lemonade stands in front of our house on Saturday mornings,” Hill said. “So I just always had that mindset that if I wanted something, I would truly do what I needed to do to be able to afford it on my own.”

She took a detour through a political campaign and a corporate digital marketing agency, both of which cemented her desire to work for herself and taught her valuable skills, including how to handle rejection. “Starting out in a sales role at a digital agency taught me a lot of necessary skills,” Hill shared. “I got a

lot of ‘no’s’ in meetings and had to continue to refine my processes. I was quickly able to figure out the numbers behind what I was doing and know how long it would take me to get where I wanted to go.”

But when a coworker caused some problems, she found she had no recourse. “With the corporate agency, I remember coming to my bosses about someone who wasn’t necessarily the nicest person,” Hill shared. “They didn’t really look too much into it because that person was bringing in a lot of revenue for the company each month. Personally, I did not feel like that was the type of work environment I wanted to invest my entire life into, which made me start looking into other options.”

She wanted flexibility and creative control, while providing a safe work environment. “I wanted to be able to create a company culture where that was not tolerated or accepted,” Hill said. “I wanted everyone to feel happy with what they’re doing.”

She decided starting her own digital marketing business matched up with her career goals. “I went to people who were very successful in business, asked them for a meeting, laid out what I wanted to do, and asked them to tell me why I shouldn’t do it,” Hill said. “Fortunately, every person I talked to supported what I wanted to accomplish and gave me the push I needed to get the ball rolling.’”

Then she met Clay Mosley, who started his boutique web design company, Rock City Digital, in 2015. “After the networking event, I legitimately cornered him for four hours and asked him so many questions,” Hill said.

“I wanted to know how he started his own company, how he learned how to do some of the backend creative processes and everything in between. By the end of the conversation, he told me he was actually wanting to grow the company and that our skillsets would work well together.”

They became partners, using her vision and previous experience to make some changes to Rock City Digital, including the business structure, services, and ability to scale. Now, Mosley handles the client-facing aspects and creative vision, while Hill takes care of management, operations and finances. “Clay and I are exact opposites on every single level imaginable,” Hill explained. “At the time, I was extremely naive and I wouldn’t have known that our differences would have gone so well together but having a business partner with entirely different skillsets honestly goes a long way.”

And it’s been working-- the company grew quickly, but it took a year to see if it would be successful over the long term. “We never truly knew the potential of Rock City Digital and we are still in awe of everything we have been able to accomplish is such a short amount of time.”

Hill explained. “There is a lot of competition in Little Rock, and we knew we had to be different if we wanted to succeed. In order to invest in some of the areas we thought were extremely important to our success, we didn’t draw a salary for over nine months.”

Rock City Digital found its niche helping mom-and-pop shops, and, three years later, has about 20 employees in three locations; Little Rock, Columbia, Mo., and San Francisco. Hill and Mosley also recently branched out with Web Ignite, a month-to-month website service made for solo entrepreneurs.

As the company grows, Hill wants to make sure their staff comes first. “Work takes up the majority of your life and I want to be able to create a space that each and every person who works on the team truly loves what they do,” Hill explained. “We offer perks such as unlimited vacation, work from home, and dogs being allowed in the office. Over the past three years, we haven’t lost a single employee, which is pretty unheard of in the digital marketing world.

We strive to continue that trend.”

Hill shared that the past three years have been a whirlwind while showing her that anything is possible. “I am so grateful for everything that has happened in my life to get me to where I am today,” Hill said. “I truly believe that you create your own happiness and I just love being on a journey with others to help them create their own happiness, too.”

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(501) 420-3577

www.rockcitydigital.com 21

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By Kayla Byrum | Photograph by Rebecca Hawkins Photography

AER D N I L EAV W

Linda Marie Weaver has lived in Arkansas for over 46 years. Although she grew up in Melbourne, Florida, she calls Arkansas her home.

In 1985, she began working with her husband, Charlie Weaver, in the construction business that he owns. Six years later, they were married.

In 2016, Mrs. Weaver decided to open her own retail business, Linda Marie’s Gift and Fabric Store, in Vilonia where it continues to grow. “My sweet husband, Charlie, is my biggest inspiration,” she said. After 27 years together, they have four children, ten grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, with the fourth greatgrandchild on the way due in February.

Linda revealed to Local that her husband was also her main inspiration for her store’s new addition, Charlie’s Corner. She joked, “the guys got a little jealous of the women’s store, so I thought I’d add a little something for the fellas, too.” Now with the men’s store as well as the new shoe store add-on, Shoes & More, customers can find a little something for everyone.

Local went in to check things out for ourselves, and we were pleasantly surprised at the wide variety of unique gift items to choose from. “We opened Charlie’s Corner around November 1, 2018. We carry Natural Gear Hunting clothes, Muck Boots, CEBU work boots in Steel Toe & Composite Toe. We carry a variety of men’s shoes in Vionic, Sketcher, Hush Puppies, Hey Dudes.

We have lots of Razorback items, and men’s accessories such as watches, wallets, knives, and fun items such as light up bait buckets, gadgets and of course crazy socks. We carry Speckle Bellies and Critter Brook tees as well as long sleeve tees.” She also plans to add more items into the store as we go into Spring.

Passionate to help the community smile, Linda Marie carries mostly Arkansas-made products, different and unique to the area. She also keeps a special “wish list” for ladies to fill out with their birth date, anniversary date, spouse’s name and information, favorite colors, store items and sizes. “...A few days before their special day, we call up her spouse and let him know what she

picked out. Then we have it specially gift wrapped and ready for him to pick up. Men just love that!”

When she’s not at her store helping people find the perfect gifts for their loved ones, Weaver is usually helping her local community in other ways. “We give out gift cards for teachers on special occasions, help schools with events and donate silent auction items to our local schools.

We have also put together an endowment fund to help college students pay their tuition.” Mrs. Weaver explained that she and her husband, Charlie, are also active members in their church as well as small business networking organizations.

“I love the community here. The people are so caring for one another, so we try to help each other out when it’s needed.”

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128 So Mt Olive Rd. Vilonia, Arkansas 72173

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By Elizabeth Silverstein | Photograph by Rebecca Hawkins Photography

AEMHYEAD R

MOO

Amy Moorehead is in the storytelling business.

The vehicle consists of coffee, the venue focuses on the creative.

Moorehead, owner of Nexus Coffee and Creative and the newly opened second location, the Nexus Nook, first dreamed of the concept in 2016. “I was at a hard time in my life,” Moorehead shared. “A lot of personal things had happened.

I just didn’t feel like myself, and it was hard. I was trying to fake it. I always had this dream of bringing people together into a place. I didn’t

know what the place would look like.”

Sitting at a cafe with her father, she jotted down the idea on a napkin. “Some of the craziest ideas start on a napkin,” Moorehead said. “I just had this stirring on my heart.”

That quick jot turned into reality on July 15, 2017. “When I realized I could make this place happen, I left my job and the security,” she shared.

“It takes a village to dive headfirst something.

Gathering that team gave me that confidence-this dream is going to become a reality now. I was going to be able to bring a team together that would feel very valued and very needed. That’s very important to me. Especially in this industry.

I really felt there was a calling on my life for that.

It really just started with a little thought in my head that turned into several thoughts that turned into a dream on paper that turned into a series of events that happened over the course of a year.”

They found the location downtown in January 2017 and invited the community to the grand opening seven months later. The coffee shop grew quickly into a central place for connection and even utilized local partnerships with other small businesses, like Leiva’s Coffee. “When I visualized the space, it actually formed into something even more I could have dreamed of in my head,” Moorehead said. “We needed to support our local artists and our local musicians.

We have that in Local Rock but there’s not enough

of a platform for them to share their stories.

We’re not a large space, but we’re one space, so we can be that venue, that avenue for them. We get to do local art shows every few months and have live music and local artists come out. And just support them. It’s really about storytelling.

Sharing our customers’ stories, our own stories.

That’s marketing to me, storytelling. We just have to do it in a genuine way.”

The dream was always meant to be bigger than coffee. “Everyone wants to be seen and heard,” Moorehead shared. “No matter who you are, you want to be seen and heard. There are not always places you can go and feel that. Our whole team values each person’s story, each customer’s story. We can be everything to someone, but not everything to everybody. If we can capture that, we can better represent our story by knowing who our audience is and serving the community, being a comfortable safe place for people, and growing local partnerships.”

301 President Clinton Avenue, Suite B Little Rock, Arkansas 72201

(501) 295-7515

www.nexuscoffeear.com 23

By Elizabeth Silverstein | Photograph by Rebecca Hawkins Photography

NS A G I A V E A M D During the week, Meagan Davis practices law and studies for her MBA. On the weekends, she paints commissions and live paintings for nonprofits and weddings.

It’s almost a contradiction in interests, or at least a rare combination, but for Davis, there’s nothing unusual about being both an attorney and an artist.

Davis grew up in Cove, south of Mena, a town in southern Arkansas with less than four hundred people. She and her older sister grew up painting and drawing, encouraged by their mother with supplies and an art area they could mess up however they wanted. “She was always very supportive of us being weird, creative kiddos,” Davis shared. “I thought it was normal. … I was always doing art. I didn’t ever sell artwork, but my friends had art of mine all over their houses.”

Her friends began asking for more, letting Davis know that they enjoyed her work. “When your friends say it’s good, you don’t really

know,” Davis said. “Then friends started asking, ‘Can you do this pet portrait so I can give it to my mom or this person?’ That’s when I knew I must be at least kind of good, if they were willing to give them to people.”

When she was approached to donate to a fundraiser in the fall of 2017, Davis had a creative suggestion. “I didn’t have money, but I had a painting,” she explained.

She finished her first live painting in her usual medium, acrylic, for Women and Children First Vegas on the Rocks Event in the fall of 2017. “I was like, I can do that, I can paint at an event,” Davis shared. “I was terrified at the first live painting. Now, they don’t bother me at all to do, and they seem to bring in more money for the organization. I’m happy to donate a painting or if they want, I can do a live painting at the event because they tend to sell for more. Especially for an event where people are drinking, it’s an auction item and entertainment. They can watch a painting happen. They come back and check, come back and check, and keep bidding.”

Since then, she’s created five more live event paintings for fundraisers and donated even more for silent auctions, including custom pet portraits. She completed 18 commissions for Christmas, and she has six live wedding paintings scheduled in 2019 so far.

Davis explained that she didn’t come up with the idea of live painting, but she was drawn to the concept, which is common in other parts of the country. She brings a completely blank canvas to the venue and paints while the event happens. She has painted a few Little Rock skylines, bringing a unique spin to each one, and she recently started offering live portraits, starting with Ruth Bader Ginsburg for an Arkansas Association of Women Lawyer’s event. “Ruth was really popular,” Davis said.

“I was nervous because it was the first portrait I’d done live. And sometimes they look really bad for a while when you’re in the process. I tell people, ‘It will turn into something.’ … That’s a fun aspect of live painting when things look a mess. It doesn’t look pretty the whole time.”

The wedding live paintings are a little different because she is painting what’s actually happening. She still starts with the blank canvas, and arrives two hours early, so she can get the background in and the guests as they arrive.

There’s the flexibility, too -- she can add in a cake or make sure a particular guest has been represented. Because it is live and fast, however, it’s a very stylistic format, she cautions. The experience is part of what makes the painting come alive.

The ceremonies happen quickly, so she captures what she can with a quick sketch and relies on her memory if people move. She’s also learned to ask how many bridesmaids there will be. “I’ve had up to 12 and it’s hard to count from the back,” she shared. “I get them in as fast as I

can, and then spend the most time on the bride.

Even when they move, I have the idea in my head and have the rough sketch up. People get in the way. I just smile and keep going.”

When the background is completed and the guests added, by the time the wedding starts, the preacher has arrived, and she’ll sketch him in before the wedding party arrives. It’s quick and fun, providing a special spin on the classic wedding. “I think it’s almost like entertainment,” Davis said. “You’re getting the painting, but also getting the entertainment value of it while it’s happening. I’m back there painting before or when the event starts, guests come in and either see the canvas completely white or in progress. I never go in with anything on the canvas.”

Guests at weddings or fundraisers will also ask lots of questions - which she loves. “Weddings are so happy,” Davis said. “Who doesn’t like to go to weddings? I am always in a great mood when I leave a live wedding painting. Flower girls are always the most complimentary of my work.”

One inevitable question revolves around the location of her studio. “I say, ‘I’m actually an attorney,” Davis said. “That really throws people for a loop.”

And she will keep that day job -- as Assistant In House Counsel for RichSmith Development, a position she’s held for nearly two years.

She was a history major as an undergrad and took the LSAT on a whim. When she learned she’d done well enough to earn a scholarship, she enrolled in law school. Her position with RichSmith Development is mainly transactional, she explained. She works mainly with contract negotiations, real estate transactions, and project management. “What I like about it is that every day is different,” Davis explained. “And that’s what I wanted.”

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By Elizabeth Silverstein | Photograph by Rebecca Hawkins Photography

TI N S I R K TTO PA

Kristi Patton found NeurOptimal in 2017.

She shared that she found herself unable to enjoy life the way she used to after a difficult 2016.

“It was a very tough year for me both personally and professionally,” Patton explained.

“I was suffering from depression and I was having a hard time coping. The corrective action that was presented to me was to increase my dosage of antidepressants. I decided that was not a good option for me.”

She explained that unlike traditional linear

neurofeedback, NeurOptimal uses Dynamical Neurofeedback® to take advantage of the brain’s natural learning processes. “There is no diagnosis and no direction,” Patton explained.

“Through that feedback, the brain is able to self-correct and become more optimal, so to speak, functioning as it was designed. The good thing about it is it’s not invasive. There’s nothing I have to do specifically as a trainer and there’s nothing the client has to do specifically.

The brain and nervous system is a self-healing system.”

She went through the process herself, finding that it took about eighteen sessions to feel like her old self. “After about the first three or four sessions, the little things that would put me in a complete, full-out meltdown, I would let them roll off my back and I wouldn’t get as uptight about it,” Patton said. “I started having more energy, more interest in getting out of the house and seeing people and going for walks. I started getting ambitious again.”

She decided to start her own NeurOptimal business, after going through the training in 2017 and launching in August of 2018 with her own system. With a background in sales, marketing, and management, she’d worked in corporate for 20 years before becoming self-employed seven years ago. It was a natural move. “I was feeling good and ready to do more,” Patton said. “The logical thing for me was to do this.”

NeurOptimal is not a medical treatment, Patton would like to clarify. “People that see me are not patients,” she added. “This is not invasive, and there are no side effects. It is really and truly giving the brain the feedback it needs to work in its most optimal form. The results of training can vary - helping pull someone from depression, helping a child with ADHD, or helping someone with severe anxiety and panic, to working with someone who doesn’t have any issues at all, but would like to function at a higher level. … There’s no downside to it and there’s no one who couldn’t benefit from it.”

The results of the training are evaluated through checklists and journaling. “It’s measured in really and honestly in how the person feels,” Patton shared.

She wants to spread the word about NeurOptimal and its benefits. “Not many people know about it,” Patton shared. “It’s only been in Arkansas for about six years and only a few of us do it. It’s a very powerful tool and I’d like people to know about it.”

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By Adam Cherepski | Photograph by Rebecca Hawkins Photography

Vianca Jordan serves as an inspiration in more ways than one.

connection at 360Fit Nutrition that sets it apart.

For Vianca, her vision goes beyond shakes and teas. For Vianca – and her clients – what they receive at 360Fit Nutrition is authentic and meaningful. The store is service-oriented and community-focused.

The staff at 360Fit Nutrition are often out in the community handing out samples and informing neighbors of various wellness opportunities that are offered. Free fit camps, fundraising, meal plans, wellness evaluations, and other classes are available for all. The store is there to sell teas and shakes, make no mistake, but that is not the primary focus. The mission of 360Fit Nutrition is to connect with people to help them achieve their goals, and this is not limited to wellness. Vianca and staff pride themselves on offering a transparent positive environment where people can come and engage in conversations that inspire, empower, and motivate. As you walk in, you notice a large mirror on one wall where positive quotes and messages are written. As you see yourself in this mirror for who you are, the messages serve as encouragement to show you who you can be.

She has always been one to focus on her health and fitness, but over time, as it is with most people, life got in the way. She is a mother of five children ranging from 5 to 16 years old. I have two children, and my life got in the way real quick; I can only imagine the toll that five would take on a fitness regimen. Her unselfishness does not stop here. She needed another way to give, and she found that need fulfilled in becoming a surrogate to give other women the opportunity at motherhood. During this time, she had to do everything she could to ensure a healthy pregnancy, therefore she ended up taking medications that, as a result, led to unexpected weight gain. It was a sacrifice that Vianca was willing to make, but it was not one that she would live with after giving birth.

During this surrogacy, she gained almost 60 pounds and went up 12 sizes. For someone that had previously been a runner and a healthy eater, this took quite a toll physically and emotionally.

Vianca knew that she had the resolve to return to the identity she once had, and she took it upon herself to devise a plan.

Vianca followed a program to lose the weight, and she loved the experience. In fact, she loved it so much, that again, she wants to help and motivate others in similar journeys. She knew the struggles she went through, and it is this empathy that drives her to assist others. She and her husband, a Little Rock firefighter joined forces with friends and family and opened 360Fit Nutrition in Lakewood Village in summer of this year. As of late, there have been numerous nutrition stores popping up across central Arkansas. Most of these stores offer various teas and shakes just like 360, but it is the

The store also serves as a hub for surrounding businesses. Vianca does what she can to make sure that other business owners succeed by providing networking and marketing opportunities to bring a positive impact in the community. Another testament to her selflessness and generosity. 360Fit Nutrition is also partnered with area fitness centers including LA Fitness, the North Little Rock Athletic Club, and Orange Theory. This collaboration helps give customers a better path to wellness success.

Back to the shakes and teas. Shakes are high protein, low calorie, low fat, and low sugar.

While this does not scream “shake” as far as what we might be used to, I can assure you the flavors do. From Chunky Monkey, Dreamsicle, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch, to Caramel Macchiato and Brownie Batter Cheesecake, the flavors would have you thinking you are standing in 31 Flavors. Teas have you covered for energy and metabolism boosting, and flavors include almost every fruit under the sun. Add-ins are available on both menus. Teas and shakes both start at $6, and combos (tea and shake) start at $11 – not bad for a meal replacement.

A DAN C N VIA JOR

There are also membership possibilities at 360Fit Nutrition. Becoming a client includes one-on-one consultations every other week, workout classes, and program enrollment based on your needs. Programs consist of weight loss, weight gain, and muscle development.

Challenges and communities are ongoing at 360Fit Nutrition as well. One such challenge, The Choose to Lose Challenge, begins in January and ends the first week of February. To give you an idea of what these challenges entail, the Choose to Lose includes accountability chats, workouts, grocery lists, nutrition programs, and 24/7 coaching, all for only $10 to enter.

Be on the lookout for the second location for Vianca and team. Capitol Nutrition opens soon at 124 West Capitol, Suite 101 in downtown Little Rock.

Vianca Jordan has always been selfless. She wants to see the achievement of others in overall wellness and happiness. She has even started a non-profit, God’s Beautiful Jewels, Inc. It was started to provide resources and tools in low income areas to help with overcoming the impoverished mindset. Using the proceeds from her businesses, she hopes to open a bustling community resource center as well to aid in her community-forward mission.

As a mother, a wife, a coach, and now a business owner, her focus has always been on others, and she seems to have found a great recipe for success. To learn more about 360Fit Nutrition, look for them on Facebook and on the website. Hours are Monday through Thursday, 7:00 a.m – 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.

– 6:00 p.m. and on Saturday from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. They are closed on Sundays.

2311 Lakewood Village Drive North Little Rock, Arkansas 72116

(501) 916-2202

360fit-nutrition.business.site 27

By Elizabeth Silverstein | Photograph by Mariposa Photography

DY N A BRN MCNAIR

ASO

M THO

Brandy Thomason McNair loves build stories with her craft.

The owner of Bella Vita Jewelry started making jewelry at age 10, turning it into a lucrative hustle when she was a teenager.

McNair then started working a bead store at age 14 in Eureka Springs, Ark., learning more techniques and growing her skills. “It all just flourished from there,” McNair said. “The bead store was a really big inspiration.”

She used elements of antiques, inspired by both sets of grandparents, who owned

antique businesses. But by the time she was 18, she was ready for something different, and she left jewelry behind. “I was kind of over it, after working in a tourist town for so long, and making so much jewelry,” McNair said.

She earned her degree in interior design and started working in an office. “I hadn’t worked in an office before so I didn’t realize how unhappy I would be in one,” she shared.

McNair was on her second office job when she decided to make jewelry again, pulling out her box of tools and supplies. She started doing holiday shows and craft fairs and launched Bella Vita Jewelry in 2008.

McNair worked two jobs and she invested as much money as she could into her business for the next six years. “None of this has ever been easy,” McNair shared. “I wasn’t able to be a fulltime business owner until 2014 when I moved back to Little Rock. It took five or six years doing odd and end jobs and teaching classes.

You can’t just open the door and make it big.

Some people can, but that’s not the norm.”

She continues to focus on vintage elements, gemstones, and hand-stamped jewelry pieces, crafting them in small batches. “We don’t mass produce anything,” McNair explained.

“The most we might make of something is a few hundred, and that’s a lot for us. Generally most designs are done 30-50 piece runs of that design. We always have a bunch of one of a

kind pieces in our brick and mortar shop.”

The unique aspects of the jewelry she creates allows her to create customized pieces. A recent design was created as a memorial to a client’s grandparents. “It was so personal for her and I was able to create that,” McNair explained. “It’s so special for me.”

It’s part of the storytelling process that McNair treasures. “Everyone has a story and everything has a story,” McNair said. “I guess I’m just a very curious person. If I find something I like, I want to find out all about it.”

And she’s decided to expand her love of stories by sharing those of others through her Boss Lady series, available on her website.

“I’ve had so many amazing mentors, business contacts, and friends in the 10 years we’ve been in business,” McNair said. “I looked around one day and realized that I know all of these amazing people doing their thing.”

523 S Louisiana St, Ste 175 Little Rock, Arkansas 72201

(501) 396-9146

www.bellavitajewelry.net

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11321 Markham St. · Little Rock, AR

501-224- 2010

By Elizabeth Silverstein | Photograph by Rebecca Hawkins Photography

N Y L O ES R A C ON J Carolyn Jones, an Executive Broker with First National Realty, considers herself a real estate counselor.

It’s been a culmination of her pursuits over the years, based on a childhood dream. “Even as a little girl, I’ve always wanted to work for myself and have my own business,” Jones shared.

She became a nail technician in college, at the suggestion of her own nail tech, Karmen Hart, while pursuing a double major in psychology and business. “I was always in love with skin care and beauty products,” Jones said. “I never thought about being a massage therapist or a nail tech. I didn’t even like filing my own nails.”

She gave it a shot and ended up opening her own Aveda Concept salon. She grew the business and when another, bigger salon moved into the area, Jones sold the rights and worked there before managing another start-up spa.

Then with her massage license, she focused on in-home care, doing massage and nail care in her clients’ homes. “It was incredible,” Jones said.

“It was a very wonderful time, and I loved what I did.”

After ten years, she decided at age 33 that it

was time for a career change--still helping people, but with their homes instead. “I always wanted to go into real estate, but I didn’t think I had enough financially set back to do that because it’s straight commission,” Jones explained.

In 2003, she told her husband, Eric, that she wanted to go to real estate school. He told her that he wanted to do it with her. The next year, they received their real estate licenses.

They were born and grew up in Benton, Arkansas, meeting first in elementary school, becoming friends in high school, and casually dating in the last year of college. In April, they will celebrate 22 years of marriage, bringing their unique strengths to their real estate work.

“His strong points are my weak points and vice versa,” Jones said. “I’m very visual with an eye for details and the ability to verbalize all aspects of the process while Eric is extremely structured and great at making lists of everything our clients need to do to prepare their home for resell. I am more social and better at bringing in business, and Eric’s strong points are tech and taking care of the contracts and time management. Nothing falls through the cracks.”

There’s a lot of “hurry up and wait” in the industry, Jones explained. But the pair does their best to make sure that closing doesn’t have any surprises, like termite inspections or repairs, that are hard to complete quickly. “When choosing a realtor, I would always choose a team over an individual realtor,” Jones said. “A team is only as good as how well they communicate. I always know what’s going on, because I’m married to Eric, and our clients trust us to take care of their most valuable personal asset, their home. Our strongest point in our marriage relationship is of course love, but second is communication.”

That communication and level of detail assist in Jones’ other projects, most notably through the invention of the PediSand. Her friend, Hart, who suggested she get her nail license, came to her with an idea for a hands-free foot file. They applied for the patent in 2010, receiving the utility patent in 2012 with the intent to license.

PediSand officially launched in 2015, proving to be a more difficult process than Jones had anticipated. The foot file is manufactured in Arkansas, and despite some setbacks, Jones and Hart continue to push forward. Jones explained. “Everyone who’s ever invented is never successful constantly or does it perfectly.”

She continues to work on PediSand, moving it forward, one step at a time, while listing homes and finding clients their dream home remains her main focus with Eric. They joined First National Realty five years ago, looking for the sort of set up the business could provide. “We wanted a place to hang our licenses without our own brick and mortar,” Jones explained.

Now, doing business all over central Arkansas and calling Little Rock home, they are a onestop opportunity, handling everything from

contract to closing. They even help with staging, interior design, and assistance with repairs and contractors, while charging a flat fee.

The pair also makes sure that sellers don’t lose thousands through strategic pricing, maximizing value, negotiating contracts and coordinating the closing process. “We are able to save clients money and protect their assets,” Jones said.

“There are so many important details that people aren’t aware of.”

And their mission is to find their clients the right home -- for now and the future. “I think my strongest aspect as a realtor is I try not to sell houses that I do not like or are not easy to resell,” Jones said. “I tell people that from the get-go.”

She considers it part of the consulting services that they offer. “I would have so much more volume and sell so many more houses if I weren’t so picky for my clients,” Jones said.

“It’s more important to not sell a house then sell people the wrong house. Realtors aren’t just opening doors and writing contracts. Basically, a real estate counselor is what I am. Nobody can predict the future, but we can look at the past and make decisions based on the facts of the market.”

(501) 317-5138 (501) 317-7673

www.realtorjones.com realtorjones1@gmail.com

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By Kayla Byrum | Photograph by Rebecca Hawkins Photography

Y E L ASHHON LAW Ashley Lawhon wants to help people get their lives back.

“I have always loved people in general.

I enjoy working with all personality types and walks of life. Seeing people grow far beyond what they thought possible,” she says. “It’s extremely rewarding.”

Lawhon grew up in the rural area of Benton, Arkansas and started out in the healthcare industry as a scrub tech at the age of 19 while completing her coursework at Baptist School of Surgical Technology.

She later graduated from Baptist School of Nursing in 2006. With a background in the surgery specialty, Lawhon became a charge nurse at Arkansas Surgical hospital. That’s where she built a strong relationship with medical sales rep, Bill McCrary, who later hired her as a surgery administrator at Pain

Treatment Centers of America.

As the company grew, so did Ashley’s career. By the young age of 33, she was promoted to Chief Operations Officer.

She now oversees 10 locations in the state of Arkansas, including Conway, Searcy, Jonesboro, Bentonville, two Little Rock locations, onw in North Little Rock, two in White Hall, and one location in Round Rock, Texas. “Pain affects everyone, in one way or another. Our goal is to improve quality of life. We want to be part of the solution, rather than the problem, providing alternative solutions to opioids as we combat the opioid crisis,” Lawhon said, “it’s a national epidemic as well as a local one that we are very well aware of.”

At the beginning of her career, Ashley suffered a devastating loss due to her brother’s suicide, however, that private struggle only made her stronger as a person and as a professional in her industry. She describes her loss as a defining moment in her career. Pain Treatment Centers of America saw Ashley’s potential right away.

Her leadership ability and love of people, her humility and relatability are just a few of her strengths. “I’m surrounded by people I respect and admire. They make me want to be a better leader and better version of myself. Lucky for me they saw the potential in me, and I think they would’ve seen that regardless of being male or female.”

Misconceptions often attached to pain management, as mentioned above, are commonly thoughts of dependence and abuse of opioids such as pain pills. “I would love to remove the stigma of pain management as being a pill mill. We are largely focused on compliance, and we offer many alternatives to opioids, such as intervention and physical therapy as well.”

Interventional Pain Management techniques have been proven to be one of the best treatments for chronic pain. Pain Treatment Centers of America will treat anything pain related, ranging anywhere from severe headaches to cancer pain. The bulk of patients seen are being treated for arthritis, degenerative disc, neuropathy, neck and back pain related to spine. “The ultimate goal is to put our patients back in control of their lives,” she added, “to enable parents and grandparents to play with their kids and grandkids again.” PTCOA offers cutting edge pain management techniques by trained professionals, in one of the most advanced Surgery Centers in the state.

Now, at the age of 35, Ashley says she’s still learning every day. “As a leader in any industry, it’s important to take risks, make mistakes and learn from them. I rely heavily

30

on those around me to get things done. One of the keys to my success is having a sense of humor. I try to find the good in everyone and every situation.” She also stressed the importance of leading with humility and integrity, first and foremost.

When she isn’t busy leading her team in the medical arena, this Benton, Arkansas native keeps busy at home with her husband, two children, Emma and Wyatt, ages 6 and 9, and their three dogs. “We have Hank, Shelby and Piper. We like to load them and the kids up and go to the lake in the summertime. We absolutely love Arkansas.

I wouldn’t choose to live anywhere else.”

As for her future in pain management, Ashley hopes “...to accomplish more rapid growth so that Pain Treatment Centers of America can serve as many communities as possible.” To learn more about Pain Treatment Centers of America or their methods of treatment, please visit their website at www.ptcoa.com. You may also contact their offices at 844-215-0731 to speak with a representative.

The Pain Treatment Centers of America headquarters is located at 108 N. Shackleford Rd, Little Rock, AR.

108 N. Shackleford Rd Little Rock, AR 72211

844-215-0731

www.ptcoa.com

By Elizabeth Silverstein | Photograph by Rebecca Hawkins Photography

D

Amanda Denys knows firsthand how food brings people together.

She’s now the General Manager/Chef of Cafe 501, but Denys has been cooking most of her life, growing up in a large Catholic family.

“It all started when I was a young girl standing on a stool,” said Denys. “I was always fascinated with food and the science behind it.”

She watched her grandmother, Barbara Nabholz, and her mother, Susan Nabholz Denys cook, learning as much as she could.

“Needless to say, I was bitten by the food bug very young,” Denys said. “I always wanted to

EPIZOOTICS OF THE BLOWHOLE

the park, especially as a woman. “It’s long hours, hot kitchens, seeing more of your kitchen staff than your own family or loved ones,” Denys explained. “There is a lot of behind-the-scenes things that go on just to make some delicious food.”

She relies on her team to help. “To me having a successful place is not only just yummy food, or an inviting atmosphere but having a great team in the kitchen,” Denys said. “I always took great pride and making sure that my team is taken care of. They are the ones in the trenches with you when you have 30 tickets on the board and more coming in “ And she hopes to keep encouraging others to try something new. “One does not have to be a trained chef to make a delicious homecooked meal,” Denys, who hopes to offer classes one day, said. “Also bringing the family to cook together is really awesome to me. Food bonds people.”

650 United Drive Ste 100 Conway, Arkansas 72032

(501) 329-4508

www.cafe501conway.com

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AS DY N A AM EN

cook professionally even as a young girl but never really considered it as a career choice till my late 20s.”

She moved to Atlanta to attend Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts program. “It was a very exciting and scary time of my life since I have never lived anywhere outside of Arkansas,” Denys shared. “But hands down, it was the best decision I ever made.”

Since 2006, she’s worked in various positions from banquet chef at a large hotel to smaller bistro-style restaurants. “At every place I have worked at over the many years, I have taken a little bit from each one,” Denys shared. “Like growing pains, I learn what works what doesn’t work.”

She’s now at Café 501, a more recent addition to the Conway scene. “My main focus is creating fun yet classic dishes with my twist to challenge people to try new things or even simple comfort foods,” Denys explained. “Also I believe heavily on using local farmers such as Strack Farms or local pastry shops like Julie’s Sweet Shop. This is very important to me not only for high-quality food but to support the local people. One of main focus as well as using fresh produce, making sauces, dressings from scratch, which is, yes, a bit time consuming but well worth it in the end. I feel that giving that extra effort really makes the dishes come to life.”

And being a professional chef is no walk in

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