HEALTHY LIVING HEALTHY PLANET
CHARLOTTE EDITION PUBLISHER Shannon McKenzie DESIGN & PRODUCTION Patrick Floresca AD DESIGN Helene Leininger
EDITORIAL Jane Aylward Allison Gorman Randy Kambic Martin Miron
CONTACT US P.O. Box 456 Cornelius, NC 28031 Ph: 704-499-3327 • Fax: 866-632-9118 AwakeningCharlotte.com Publisher@AwakeningCharlotte.com Ads@AwakeningCharlotte.com SUBSCRIPTIONS Free subscriptions are available for our digital issue by emailing Publisher@AwakeningCharlotte.com
NATIONAL TEAM CEO/Founder Sharon Bruckman
COO/Franchise Sales Joe Dunne Layout & Design Gabrielle W-Perillo Financial Manager Yolanda Shebert Asst. Director of Ops Heather Gibbs
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Administrative Assistant Anne-Marie Ryan Natural Awakenings Publishing Corporation 4851 Tamiami Trail N., Ste. 200 Naples, FL 34103 Ph: 239-434-9392 • Fax: 239-434-9513 NaturalAwakenings.com © 2021 by Natural Awakenings. All rights reserved. Although some parts of this publication may be reproduced and reprinted, we require that prior permission be obtained in writing. Natural Awakenings is a free publication distributed locally and is supported by our advertisers. Please call to find a location near you or if you would like copies placed at your business. We do not necessarily endorse the views expressed in the articles and advertisements, nor are we responsible for the products and services advertised. Check with a healthcare professional regarding the appropriate use of any treatment.
letter from publisher
To Honest Compliments "Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around." ~Leo Buscaglia
I
recently participated in a virtual UNC-Charlotte career fair. Students and recent graduates queued up to wait for a one-on-one chat with participating companies
about open positions. I felt a little nervous wondering if anyone would join our queue; after all, our demographics skew slightly older. I wondered if younger people would be excited about the magazine. But then I had conversations with one eager student after another, and by the end of the career fair, I felt truly encouraged. It was great talking with so many young people who really appreciated the content of the magazine, and while only one of them said they’d been reading Natural Awakenings for some time—an older student, launching a second career—most of them joined the queue after reading that our focus was natural health and green living. It was clear to me that there are a number of young people who are passionate about health, fitness and sustainability, and who want to be part of promoting these things. As I talked to these students, it also struck me that, like many of you, I haven’t been hearing much positive feedback lately. All the bad news about violence (especially involving young people), the weather, the delta variant, etc., had taken an emotional toll that I hadn’t even realized. Just the sense of excitement I got from a few young people made a world of difference. That has me thinking about what I can do to brighten other people’s day, and the one thing that comes to mind immediately is to make a greater effort to complete company reviews and customer-service surveys. Positive reviews and surveys help small businesses get new customers and help employees get acknowledged for good work. I used to avoid filling them out, thinking I didn’t have the time—even when I’d received excellent service. But now I’m going to make the time, because it’s an honest compliment that could make somebody’s day, and I know how good that feels right now. Wishing you an October of small acts of caring.
Shannon
Natural Awakenings Magazine is ranked 5th Nationally in CISION’S® 2016 Top 10 Health & Fitness Magazines
Natural Awakenings is printed with soy-based ink.
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Charlotte Edition
AwakeningCharlotte.com
