Locala January 2022, Volume 1, Issue No. 8 by Lisa Anderson Media, LLC

ANGIE LEWIS

Highest Peaks: Creating Moments & Experiences with Family

LISA MIDGETT

Pink Cocktails & Dreams: The Lisa Midgett Story

MIMI LEGGETT

Fearless: Century Rider Still Taking On Challenges

Volume 01, Issue No. 08 • JANUARY 2022

LISA ANDERSON, PUBLISHER lisa@lisaandersonmedia.com senior copy editor JODI ANDERSON staff advisor CHAD TAYLOR

ART DEPARTMENT contributing photographer BRETT GOLDIN media manager JOSHUA JACOBS stock photography service DEPOSITPHOTOS.COM stock photography service PEXELS.COM

EDITORIAL contributing writer DR. MANAL FAKHOURY contributing writer CYNTHIA MCFARLAND

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LOCALA DIVERSITY COMMITTEE ANGELA BOONE ESMIRNA CARABALLO DR. MANAL FAKHOURY R.J. JENKINS DAVID LUGO REBECCA POOLE HERB SILVERMAN

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LISA ANDERSON MEDIA, LLC chief executive officer LISA ANDERSON sales & distribution manager DAVID LUGO media manager JOSHUA JACOBS website LISAANDERSONMEDIA.COM © Lisa Anderson Media, LLC and Locala. All rights reserved. January 2022, Volume 01, Issue Number 08. Locala is a monthly publication, which is published by Lisa Anderson Media, LLC, 2320 NE 2nd Street, Unit 5, Ocala, FL 34470. Nothing may be reprinted in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. For reprint or reuse permission, email info@localamag.com. Locally printed at First Impressions Printing, 1827 SW 27th Avenue, Ocala, FL 34471

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER

Dear Ocala What’s on Your Bucket List?

BREAKING SOCIAL NORMS

Fearless: Century Rider Still Taking on Challenges

FOLLOW ME

New Chapter: The Conclusion of Kelly’s Story

Strength: The Inspiring and Relatable Story of One Woman’s Journey to a Healthy Lifestyle

FROM THE EXPERTS

ON THE COVER

Adventure Awaits: International Travel Picking Up Post-Pandemic

Giver & Takers: Reciprocity in Leadership Styles

THE CHEWS LETTER

Happiness & Pizza: Family Works Together to Serve Community

ARTIST CORNER

Story Time: Building a Fantasy World with Ocalian Knights

BUCKET LIST

Highest Peaks: Creating Moments & Experiences with Family

Jump: 60-Year-Old Dives into a New Hobby

30 Under 30: Backpacker Saw 30 Countries before He Turned 30

F E AT U R E

Pink Cocktails & Dreams: The Lisa Midgett Story

GIVERTORIAL

It’s Not Age; It’s Attitude

08 localamag.com

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LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER

LISA ANDERSON DEAR OCALA,

Photo by Lisa Anderson

appy New Year! Welcome to a world of fresh starts and new possibilities! Do you set goals for yourself in the new year? Do you look in on that bucket list? In 2017, I had the opportunity to check off an item on my bucket list. The photography series, Wonderland by Kirsty Mitchell, was scheduled to be at a museum in Wisconsin only a few hours from where I was staying at the time. I couldn’t believe my luck! It was an opportunity to see the work of an overseas artist, whom I had been following for about five years. The experience was once in a lifetime, or so I thought, but in February 2020, the show came to Florida—again, only a few hours away from me. This show filled my cup in ways I can’t even explain, and the joy of experiencing it twice on its tour was unbelievable for me. It was also the first time I could say I completed a bucket list item! This got me thinking about other people who have purposely or inadvertently checked items off their bucket list. In this issue, we have stories from Blake Spires, who traveled to 30 countries before he was 30 years old; at 60 years old, Gary Robles started a new, thrilling hobby; and Angie Lewis climbed the highest peak for a breathtaking view with her family. Since the world is beginning to open and traveling rules have drastically changed, due to COVID-19, we turned to travel expert Kristine Palmer for some guidelines for traveling in a post-pandemic world.

In addition to these and other stories from the Artist Corner and The Chews Letter, I sat down with Lisa Midgett. Surrounded by the art of Grace Netanya displayed in NOMA Gallery, Lisa opened up about what she has done, who she is as a person, and some of the dreams she has for the future. You don’t want to miss it. Thank you for all the support you have shown us since our first issue in June of 2021. May this year bring you good health, great joy, love, and the opportunity for wealth. Most Sincerely,

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It’s Not Age; It’s Attitude

hyllis Silverman wants seniors to find their place in today’s society. She wants them to “be respected for what they are, what they’ve done, and what they’re continuing to do.” It’s why she first created the non-profit Senior Resource Foundation of Cobb County, while living in Marietta, Georgia. The foundation had been a success with raising over $30,000 at their final event, which was donated to Meals on Wheels and the new neonatal hospital. So, when Phyllis found herself back in the Ocala area and sitting endlessly during lockdown, she turned to her son Herb Silverman to discuss the creation of a Senior Resource Foundation of Ocala (S.R.F.O.O.). The non-profit officially formed in February 2021. Their motto and driving force behind all they do is to continuously and positively improve the physical, mental, and social wellbeing of seniors. Their “secret” motto “It’s not age; it’s attitude” certainly showed at their first fundraising event, Bark in the Park, in October of this year. “I want to involve people in the community, who, perhaps, might be sitting at home. I want to give them an opportunity to come out, to enjoy, and to participate,” says Phyllis. The event raised $6,000, which was split between Marion Senior Services and Marion County Animal Services. S.R.F.O.O. also has several projects where volunteers can work with seniors. They include Friendly Visitor Program, Home Repairs for Needy Seniors, Business to Senior Cooperative Program, Senior/Student Lunch Program, and more.

“[One] program is called The Tapestry of Life,” comments Herb. It’s a video show dedicated to collecting the stories of individuals 55 or older, and it has been very popular. “I think it’s nice for the young people, [too],” he reflects. It’s a way to preserve the lives and impact of those who came before us. “Everybody likes to hear stories—real stories,” states Phyllis. HOW TO GET INVOLVED Learn more about S.R.F.O.O. and how to get involved by going to their website srfofocala.org.

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BREAKING SOCIAL NORMS

Fearless

CENTURY RIDER STILL TAKING ON CHALLENGES

MIMI LEGGETT Story by JODI ANDERSON

Photos by LISA ANDERSON

imi Leggett has been fearlessly charging ahead for over eight decades. She can hardly remember a time when she wasn’t jumping on a horse— any horse. Born and raised in British India, Mimi was eight years old when her Bengali father and English mother started teaching her to ride. “[My friend and I] went to school at the bottom of a steep hill. In the afternoon, a Tibetan man would bring two horses. We would leap onto the horses and gallop up the hill.” Since both of her parents worked—her father was the accountant for the sixth richest man in India—she and her friend would gallop around to their hearts’ content. She also remembers afternoons in a cinema watching American westerns, which piqued her interest in Western-style riding. Both parents had passed away by the time she was 12, and she was raised by her sister. At 21, she set off for England to live with her mother’s relatives and train as a Confidential Secretary (the equivalent of Executive Assistant). She worked

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for a couple of global companies outside of London and made a friend at work, who owned horses. They would sneak off at lunch and go for a ride. “Sometimes, we were a little late getting back,” she says, her eyes twinkling at the transgression. She returned to India after 10 years, where she would

BREAKING SOCIAL NORMS

rent horses to gallop around the track, and then it was back to England.

FINDING LOVE

“[England] was too cold,” Mimi reflects, giving her reason for uprooting once more and moving to Switzerland. Despite not speaking German or French, she got a job in the American embassy, where she met her husband Richard. It was his first diplomatic tour. Shortly after their engagement, he was transferred to Honduras, and he had to fly back to England for their wedding in 1976. Mimi recalls, “The wives of diplomats were not allowed to work.” Not one for sitting around, she roamed the hills of Honduras on her stallion Marfil, accompanied by her boxer Duchess. When Mimi passed the locals, “They would say ‘adios,’ goodbye, instead of ‘hello.’” Just like those vaqueros, she carried a machete and a pistol as protection but never needed it. “We were lucky in that we ended up in places just before things [started to change],” Richard remarks. This applied to his next posting in Portugal, as well. “They still had their traditions.” There, Mimi became enamored by the Lusitano horses and traditional dressage. She began taking lessons with famous trainers, including Luis Valenca. While she and Richard never bought a horse, she would watch the horses for sale at the market and, one day, the owner of a horse she liked offered to let her ride. “I had to meet a friend for lunch, so I just rode it to the restaurant. [The owner] probably thought I was never coming back,” she laughs.

“I probably won’t jump out of a plane or bungee jump. But other than that...” — Mimi Leggett

WELCOME TO FLORIDA

After Richard left the diplomatic corps in the midEighties, the couple moved first to Sarasota, Florida, then to Virginia and the DC area. Mimi worked as a temporary staffing assistant and then began teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) students. They bought horses and had to board them. When thinking about retirement, they considered places with warm weather, where they could keep their horses and continue to be involved in the horse community. They moved to Ocala in 2007. Ever ready to try new things, Mimi got into Western-style dressage and took part in Mounted Cowboy Shooting. “You had to ride and shoot balloons and do obstacles,” Mimi explains. She joined the local dressage club STRIDE in 2008. From there, she racked

up a number of awards, including the 2012 STRIDE Year End Award in Western Dressage Primary, and she placed seventh in Western Basic Dressage at the 2013 Western Dressage World Championships in Tulsa. “[My husband] thought I was going as a spectator!” Mimi credits Richard with being her biggest supporter and her best groom. Mimi completed her first Century Ride on Reynolds Aluminum and her second on his nephew Rapped N’ Painted (aka Ram) in 2018. A Century Ride is a test in dressage, where the combined ages of the rider and horse must equal or exceed 100 years. Ram, a Palomino/ Quarter Horse, was 22, and Mimi was 78. She says it is her favorite

award. “It’s a combination of your careers. It’s great for older riders, because they tend to give up. It encourages them to keeping going. And it gives the horse a job to do,” instead of being put out to pasture. The octogenarian has no plans to retire, “as long as I can keep going.” Mimi recently joined the Southeast Baroque Society and started Working Equitation—a combination of dressage and obstacles—in 2019. And she is still participating in clinics: “You always learn, all the time.” She says riding gives her a reason to stay optimistic and get up in the morning. Mimi envisions herself riding off into the sunset: “My Quarter Horse on the trail.”

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5 COMMON

MYTHS ABOUT TITLE INSURANCE Buying a new home is one of life’s most gratifying experiences. Making sure your right to own the property is protected can be just as rewarding. During the process of purchasing your dream home, you’ll hear two words you’ve probably never given much thought – title insurance. As with the rest of the home-buying process, title insurance can be difficult to comprehend. To complicate matters, the topic is often surrounded by misconceptions that keep home buyers from recognizing its importance. Let Your Place Insurance help dispel some of those myths and put you on the path to protection.

1. TITLE INSURANCE OFFERS ONLY MINIMAL PROTECTION

When you purchase a home, you receive “title” to the property. Title is your legal right to own it. Title defects can remain undiscovered for months or even years after you purchase the home, but Title Insurance can protect your home from unforeseen dangers.

2. THERE IS ONLY ONE TYPE OF TITLE INSURANCE

There are two types of title insurance policies: an owner’s policy and a loan policy. An owner’s policy protects you, the property owner, and a loan policy protects the lender’s interest in the property, until the mortgage loan is paid in full. The loan policy provides no coverage to the homeowner.

3. TITLE INSURANCE REQUIRES A MONTHLY OR ANNUAL PREMIUM

Unlike most insurance policies, there is no monthly or annual premium. Title insurance is a one-time cost you pay at closing when you purchase or refinance real property, and lasts until you sell it again.

4. HOMEOWNER’S INSURANCE AND TITLE INSURANCE OFFER THE SAME PROTECTION

Title insurance protects a buyer’s right to ownership and a lender’s investment. On the other hand, homeowner’s insurance is a policy that protects you against potential losses or damage you can experience to the structure of your home or its contents during an insurable incident.

5. HOME BUYERS DO NOT GET TO CHOOSE THE TITLE COMPANY

Under the terms of the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA), the buyer generally has the right to choose the title company when the property is purchased with the assistance of a federally related mortgage loan. The property seller may not require the buyer to purchase title insurance from any specific title company, unless it has been instructed that the seller will pay for both the owner’s and loan policies associated with the real estate transaction.

Chad Taylor • Your Independent Insurance Agent

O: (352) 415-4589 • TF: (800) 317-1563 Email: chad@yourplaceocala.com

www.yourplaceocala.com

BUCKET LIST

Highest Peaks CREATING MOMENTS & EXPERIENCES WITH FAMILY

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ANGIE LEWIS

Story by LISA ANDERSON

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Photo by Lisa Anderson

•

Photo by armando_frazao/DepositPhotos.com

BUCKET LIST

ngie Lewis grew up in rural Illinois. She spent her youth in a sleepy town of about 2,100 people, surrounded by farms. “I was such a dreamer. I was constantly writing about all of the places I wanted to go and things I wanted to do. I would go out on my horse for hours in the woods and talk to my horse about adventures.” She married her childhood sweetheart right after high school, and her husband Clint had the same dreams of adventure. They come from a poor background, but those humble beginnings taught them about the important things in life. “When we got married, our bucket list really became about creating memories and experiences together and with our kids.”

I was such a dreamer. I was constantly writing about all of the places I wanted to go and things I wanted to do. — Angie Lewis

Their first vacation fund was a change jar, and as their kids got older, they would ask if they wanted Christmas presents or a vacation. In fact, they spent Christmas Day climbing to new heights in 2017.

THE CLIMB

Angie and her family—which included Clint, their two children and their daughter in-law—headed to Peru for a week. “On Christmas Day, we went to Machu Picchu, and then we hiked Wanu Picchu. It’s a really challenging hike: One, because of the altitude, and then there’s nothing to hang on [to]. You’re doing this hike straight up a mountain.” Angie had a few moments of “mommy anxiety,” even though her kids are grown. “It was just so beautiful to do this with [my family], but it was also scary.” She knew people had fallen and died, but she didn’t let those moments of fear stop her from

enjoying the scenery and bonding experience. “We started out in the morning, and it was really foggy. So, we’re coming up, and we’re seeing clouds. We’re seeing little peaks of mountains. Then, we’d [go] a little bit farther, and the clouds would separate, and it all just started opening up. Every twist and turn, we’re thinking, ‘Oh, this is the perfect picture,’ but then we’d go a little higher. “We got to the top of the mountain, and we all held hands. We were standing at the very top of this boulder looking out on this scene. It was such a joyful experience.” Angie lay down on the rock and said a prayer. Though many people have told her it was just the altitude, for her, it felt like a spiritual event. It was an experience she and her family will never forget. When they returned to their hotel, the family sat down and designed a tattoo. It consists of both Machu Picchu and Wanu Picchu, sitting at the shores of a body of water, which was inspired by the family’s love of water and a favorite song. Angie and her family now have the same tattoo to memorialize their climb. While this was certainly at the top of her bucket list of experiences, Angie has also gone skydiving, crowd surfing, and rock climbing, and she would love to try hang-gliding. So, if she turns down an evening out, don’t take it personally. She just might be saving up for the family’s next memorable moment.

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BUCKET LIST

Jump

60-YEAR-OLD DIVES INTO A NEW HOBBY

GARY ROBLES Story and Photo by LISA ANDERSON

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BUCKET LIST

It’s very weird because you do not have a sense of falling when you jump out of the plane. — Gary Robles

or his 60th birthday, Gary Robles’ children gifted him a skydiving experience. “Like many people, I have always wanted to sky dive, and it was one of my bucket list items.” He chose a drop zone in Titusville so he could enjoy a coastal view. That first tandem jump hooked Gary for life. “My wife jumped with me out of solidarity. She probably wishes she hadn’t.” For his wife, the bucket item was checked, and she was done, but when Gary landed, he was ready to go again—this time without being strapped to another person. “It’s nerve-wracking [the first time], when you’re getting on the plane with the knowledge that you are going to be jumping out of it at two miles up.” A wave of terror hits you as you step to the door of the plane, he says. Then, you jump. “It’s very weird because you do not have a sense of falling when you jump out of the plane.” You fall at about 120 mph and the force of the wind creates a feeling of “laying on the air,” Gary explains. “It’s like Google Earth with sound. It’s noisy. You feel the air pressure as you’re falling against it. You know you’re falling. You see the earth slowly getting bigger, but you don’t have that pit of the stomach feeling of falling that you would if you were on a ladder and got off balance or something like that. It’s very exciting and very exhilarating. It pushed a button inside of me that I didn’t know I had.”

TAKING THE LEAP

After his birthday jump, Gary immediately began calling around to schools to find out exactly what it would take to get licensed to jump on his own, but what he discovered was a bit disappointing. “I found out that most drop zones have an age limit, which is 18 to 60. So, here I was, a 60-year-old, wanting to start a young man’s sport.” He did finally find an instructor willing to train him, but only if he was physically cleared of any conditions that would preclude him from skydiving. Rob Laidlaw, founder of Skydive University in Deland, met with Gary and agreed to train him. “I went through the first level of skydiving, which is called Accelerated Free Fall (AFF). That’s a seven-level training that you go through that really teaches you to be safe. Once you achieve AFF, you can then jump out of an airplane by yourself, but most drop zones feel that’s not enough for you to fly safely. So, if you really want to be a skydiver, you get your class A license. I relate [it] to a driver’s license. It’s roughly 25 jumps worth of training.” Once this level is achieved, skydivers can jump anywhere in the world, and Gary plans to do just that. He already knows once COVID travel restrictions have eased, he will be traveling to Panama to jump with a relative, who is one of the top skydivers there. Gary would also like to travel to drop zones in Germany and one just north of Paris.

SAFETY FIRST

“I have two kids that have done tandem jumps. One of my sons tells me he wants to train.” Gary would love to have a ready-made jump partner, but his daughter is less enthusiastic about his new hobby. “My daughter, who is my oldest, seems pretty worried that dad has taken this up.” But Gary knows all of the care and planning that goes into a jump. “It’s safer than you would think,” he explains. Everything is planned from when you jump, he continues, what you’ll be doing in the air, to where you’ll land. Other jumpers

look out for you. They help you check your gear because everyone wants to live to jump another time. Gary feels you are safer jumping out of plane than driving in a car, and with only five accidental deaths in the sport last year, he may be right. There are around 45,000 fun and sport jumpers in the world, and “I’m still an old rookie,” Gary says about the 73 jumps he’s had in the last year. “People I’ve trained with have a couple hundred jumps now.” Gary would jump more often, if he had the time, but he’s not retired just yet. However, being a commercial insurance agent for Lassiterware has its perks. “I am everywhere from Jacksonville to Orlando to City Point. There are a number of drop zones all over this area, Deland being the center of the skydiving universe.” Since investing in his own gear, Gary brings it with him everywhere he goes. If he has two hours and is near a drop zone, he will usually do a couple of jumps. He finds himself looking up at the sky and saying, “It’s a good day for skydiving.” “From bucket list thing to a hobby, I truly didn’t expect it.”

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BUCKET LIST

30 Under 30

BACKPACKER SAW 30 COUNTRIES BEFORE HE TURNED 30

BLAKE SPIRES Story and Photo by LISA ANDERSON

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BUCKET LIST

n his twenties, Blake Spires worked as a brand ambassador for several large companies. His contracts, usually three to four months long, took him all over the country. In fact, he has been to 48 states. He lived in hotels and ate food all paid for by the companies who contracted him. He was earning a lot of money and wasn’t really spending anything. That’s when he started thinking about traveling abroad. Admittedly, he didn’t just jump onto a plane. “It took me two years to make that plunge. I thought about it for way too long,” Blake admits. A friend recommended Brazil. “My first thought was, ‘Where is that? What do they do there?’ I’d heard of the country, but [I] just pictured swamp and things [I’d] never heard of.”

TAKING THE PLUNGE

Despite his lack of knowledge of the country, Blake decided to go. He researched, booked hotels and Air B&Bs, and even met someone online to teach him Portuguese. The three-month trip was planned, and his new friend met him at the airport. “It was one of the first times I put my trust in someone other than myself or a close family member.” The plane landed in Rio de Janeiro. Blake’s online friend picked him up, as promised, took him to lunch at Copacabana Beach, helped him check into his hotel, and then Blake was on his own until the weekend. It was a Tuesday. “I remember, when I checked into the hotel, they took my bags, and I had packed way too much. What a rookie,” he laughs. “I didn’t know the customs about tipping. Do I tip? Do I not tip? Some of that stuff is different.” Blake decided to tip and be the big, wealthy American. He had already exchanged his money prior to leaving for Brazil. He pulled out what he thought was the equivalent to three or four U.S. dollars. Later, he discovered it had only been 12 cents. “I was so embarrassed for a long time.” Once in his room, Blake refused to leave for the rest of the day and night. “I was just freaking out. Like, what am I doing? I didn’t speak the language. How do I eat? How do I order food?” Eventually, hunger won. He left his room in search of a meal, which he did manage to find, but his senses heightened as he went into survival mode. He eventually learned some Portuguese, but he was always having to think about how to get food or ask for a bathroom, if an area was dangerous, or even how to call the police for help. “Fast forward through those three months. My parents picked me up from the airport. When I landed and stepped foot in the airport and everyone was speaking English, it just felt like I got violently woken up from a dream. “The amount of stuff I took away from that experience, that trip, it really propelled me into the next stage of my life. I’m always so curious about what would have happened if I hadn’t done that. I don’t know what kind of person I would have been.” He’s fairly certain that he would not have been as curious or adventurous. His trip to Brazil opened his eyes, and he was addicted to the world of travel. His bucket list went from the abstract travel abroad to traveling to specific countries. He went from too much luggage and hotel rooms to a backpack and hostels. By the time he was 30 years old, Blake had traveled to 30 countries in just five years.

A SHIFT IN PRIORITIES

In 2017, he decided he wanted a bit more stability, and he exchanged his contract job for a permanent position in Atlanta. By 2019, he started thinking that it would be nice to have a travel buddy. Then, COVID hit in early 2020 and effectively ended his world traveling and his fulltime, stable job. Though he certainly is not done traveling, Blake feels he has “other priorities now. I came back to Ocala for a reason.” Those reasons actually included a couple other bucket list items: The purchase of a house and owning a business. He’s bought the house, and his business Brilliant Bins, a trashcan cleaning service, is scheduled to launch in January 2022 (as of the writing of this article). “You make sacrifices in your life, and sometimes you don’t know you’re giving up one thing for something else,” Blake muses. When he was working as a contractor and traveling the world, he was sacrificing stability, friends in a static environment, girlfriends, and family life. Now, he’s focused on building relationships and his new business, but he’s still adding things to his list.

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YOU’RE INVITED TO ATTEND THE

OLLIN WOMEN INTERNATIONAL

Wednesday, January 26th 6-8pm

at the Marion Theatre 50 S Magnolia Ave

Free Event REFRESHMENTS ACTIVITIES PRESENTATION DOOR PRIZES

RSVP on ollinwomen.org or eventbrite

Printed Copies

NOW AVAILABLE AT SELECT LOCATIONS

SEE OUR WEBSITE FOR DETAILS www.LocalaMag.com/find-us

FOLLOW ME

New Chapter

THE CONCLUSION OF KELLY’S STORY

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FOLLOW ME

KELLY MCATEE Story & Photo by LISA ANDERSON

elly McAtee broke the local Facebook algorithm with both her yard sale group and the community events page, but what she didn’t expect was how it would launch her back into the workforce. “Shortly after I created [Things To Do Ocala], I became a CEP partner. I presented, for the first time in front of people, at 1 Million Cups. After that, I ended up renting a space in the Power Plant as an entrepreneur business.” This gave Kelly an office space for Things To Do Ocala, and after about six months, she received a part-time job offer with United Way of Marion County, as the community

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impact coordinator. When United Way offered her a full-time position, Kelly closed her office at the Power Plant. She thoroughly enjoyed working for United Way and stayed there for three years. “I think it helped create who I am as a businessperson today.” She now works on her Facebook page at home. In the meantime, Kelly became very involved in the CEP. They asked her to become an ambassador. “I started going to all the ribbon cuttings, and I really got to learn how the Chamber worked and how it benefited our community. It aligned with what I really enjoyed doing with Things To Do Ocala, which was providing the community with the resources and tools and a service where they could go to find things to do with their family. It would keep things local, money would stay local, our businesses in the community would grow and benefit from it. The goal became to bring the business world and the community world together. That has always been my goal for Things To Do Ocala. Now, for the past [several] months, I’ve been working at the Ocala Chamber as their Communication Specialist.” Kelly is also on the board for Young Professionals Ocala. “I wear a lot of hats in the community, I would say. I didn’t do any of this intentionally, but it’s really interesting how it all worked out. And I absolutely love it!”

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Strength

JULIA DOSSANTOS Story by LISA ANDERSON

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Photo by Lisa Anderson

THE INSPIRING & RELATABLE STORY OF ONE WOMAN’S JOURNEY TO A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

FOLLOW ME Julia DosSantos has been doing CrossFit since 2019. Her story isn’t one of extreme makeover or huge feats of strength. It is honest, inspiring, and most importantly, relatable. “I have setbacks all of the time. If I have a bad day, I’m going to eat whatever I want that day, but I know whenever I eat well and exercise, I feel 100 percent better,” she admits. “[My family] has always been overweight. I grew up in Louisiana. We eat when we’re sad. We eat all of the time.”

I have set backs all of the time. If I have a bad day, I’m going to eat whatever I want that day, but I know whenever I eat well and exercise, I feel 100 percent better. — Julia DosSantos

INSPIRATION THROUGH GRIEF

FOLLOW THE STORY

This story concludes in our February 2022 issue of the magazine. Be sure to mark your calendar and follow our social media pages @localamag. #localafollowme

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Julia grew up in a close family with an older and younger brother. In 2003, the family was excited to learn the news that her older brother would become a father. It was only a few months after his daughter was born that Julia’s brother was diagnosed with cancer. In 2007, he passed away due to complications from a bone marrow transplant. “Every year at this time is hard because his birthday was November 15th. So, he would have been 42 years old this year, but, instead, he died when he was 28. “I’m living my life, because he would want us to, and he wouldn’t want us to cry. This time of year, I’m mad. Another year without him. I went to [CrossFit]

class, and then I felt so much better. I’m eating wrong, but at least I got a good workout and spent time with my friends and coach. “That’s where my inspiration came from— through his cancer fight, he was so strong.” In 2019, Julia’s doctor suggested she join a gym with classes available. Until then, she had been in an on again/off again pattern utilizing her home gym equipment. That suggestion changed her life.

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Photo Credit: Dave Miller

www.nomaocala.com

FROM THE EXPERTS

Adventure Awaits INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL PICKING UP POST-PANDEMIC

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FROM THE EXPERTS

Story by CYNTHIA MCFARL AND

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Expect to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination and negative test results within a few days of departure. Travel companies may have additional requirements, such as daily testing. “Most destinations are requiring COVID shots. Some countries are requiring you already have three shots

PROTECT YOUR INVESTMENT

Purchasing “trip insurance” has been common with many international travelers and is especially important now. “A policy for travel protection is highly recommended at this time, so if something happens, you can utilize it,” notes Kristine.

ABOUT KRISTINE PALMER

Kristine is the owner of Finding Wow Travel, established in 2016. She has been traveling the world since she was a teenager. Visit: findingwowtravel.com

Photo by Lisa Anderson

Some methods of international travel are better options than others. Kristine recommends small group tours and river boat cruises. That said, itineraries can change. “Sometimes the areas you can visit change from day to day. Tour companies are doing their best, but the countries are the ones with rules and regulations. Even on the big cruise lines, you have to be understanding that they might have to change stop locations because of country requirements,” she explains. Adjusting your expectations goes a long way. “Be flexible. Don’t expect things to be like they were three or four years ago. You just have to have the attitude, ‘I’m getting away, and I’m going to have fun, even though it’s not going to be how it was before,” Kristine advises. “Hotels and restaurants don’t have the staff they did prior to the pandemic,” she adds. ‘This may

VACCINE REQUIREMENTS

at this point,” says Kristine. “Things change constantly, and it varies by country. As your trip gets closer, you need to keep checking country entry requirements.”

•

REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS

mean some hotels aren’t cleaning rooms daily. If you want to be pampered, try booking with a smaller boutique travel company.”

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oreign travel definitely took a hit in 2020, but adventurous souls are dusting off their passports again. To help navigate, many people are turning to travel companies, like Kristine Palmer’s Ocala-based Finding Wow Travel. Kristine fell in love with exploring the world early in life, thanks to her mother, who came from a Navy family. “She and I traveled together when I was in my teens and into adulthood.” She met her German husband at an art auction in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and they traveled extensively, searching for arts and antiquities. Kristine launched Finding Wow Travel in 2016. Her husband passed last year; she knows how hard it is for a woman traveling alone, which is why she started Finding Wow Gals, offering group trips for solo women travelers.

FROM THE EXPERTS

Givers & Takers RECIPROCITY IN LEADERSHIP STYLES Story by DR. MANAL FAKHOURY

Photo by dima_sidelnikov/DepositPhotos.com

•

Photo submitted by Dr. Manal Fakhoury

hroughout my career, I have observed that, across the spectrum of professions, some people take more than they give, and others give more than they take. Psychologist and Wharton’s top-rated professor Adam Grant discusses this phenomenon in his book Give and Take, where he divides people into three categories: Givers, Takers, and Matchers. • Givers will help whenever the benefits to others exceed the personal costs. As Adam Grant explains: “In the workplace, givers are a relatively rare breed. They tilt reciprocity in the other direction, preferring to give more than they get. Whereas takers tend to be self-focused, evaluating what other people can offer them, givers are otherfocused, paying more attention to what other people need from them.” • Takers are self-focused and only help others strategically, when the benefits to themselves outweigh the personal costs. As Grant says, “Takers have a distinctive signature: They like to get more than they give. They tilt reciprocity in their own favor, putting their own interests ahead of others’ needs.” • Matchers strive to preserve an equal balance between giving and getting. “Matchers operate on the principle of fairness: When they help others, they protect themselves by seeking reciprocity. If you’re a matcher, you believe in tit for tat, and your relationships are governed by even exchanges of favors.” Most people are not locked into one reciprocity style: We use all three styles in certain situations. For instance, you may be a giver when mentoring a lessexperienced employee, act as a taker when negotiating your salary, and be a matcher when exchanging productivity tips with a friend. These types are given to help you assess your natural tendencies. Choosing how we engage with friends and colleagues can be an intentional choice. Adam Grant explains, “Every time we interact with another person at work, we have a choice to make: Do we try to claim as much value as we can, or contribute value without worrying about what we receive in return?” Normally, according to Grant, influential leaders are generally more givers and matchers. What are you?

ABOUT DR. MANAL FAKHOURY For the past 35 years, Manal has been making a difference in Ocala with hard work, generosity, and outstanding leadership. Visit: myfli.com or vestechpartners.com

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pink cocktails

& DREAMS The Lisa Midgett Story Story by LISA ANDERSON

isa Midgett spent her youth in Miami, Florida at a time when it was safe for children to run free outside, and “home by dark” was the neighborhood curfew. “The question I ask myself most often is, ‘How did I get here?’ I don’t mean here in Ocala. I mean here in this gallery, here in this phase of my life, here with these amazing people in my life.” Lisa is the owner of NOMA gallery and a partner with NOMA Records. She’s been a successful retail manager and the youngest employee to earn the title Director of Loss Prevention at Burdines in the early Nineties. She’s owned a gym, a coffee shop, and a hair salon. She even managed Red Fish Farms in Reddick, but Lisa is so much more than her résumé. She is a fierce friend, a loving wife and mom, a strong ally of small business owners, especially women-owned businesses, and a champion for the Ocala community arts scene. She has the flare of a socialite and the

Photos by JOSHUA JACOBS

brain of an auditor, but she’ll tell you her favorite thing to do is lie in bed with a good book, while snuggling her dogs.

PINK COCKTAILS: A DAIRY DELIGHT

Born in 1969, Lisa was an only child. “[My parents] tried for six years to have me, but I wouldn’t come. So, they were filing adoption papers to become adoptive parents, and my mom got pregnant. I was loved. I was the center of their world, but at the same time, they didn’t want a spoiled child. I was taught at an early age to share. I battled a lot with my cousin. She was nine months older than me, and we were raised like sisters.” She grew up in a modest home with a small bedroom that might as well have been Carnegie Hall to Lisa. “I was an entertainer from a very young age.” The five-year-old Lisa would spend her days rehearsing songs and, in the evenings, she would

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require her parents to attend a show. She even handed out playbills. “It was like dinner theatre,” she giggles. “I would make [my parents] cocktails out of milk. I remember them being pink. So, maybe, I had some pink Nesquik. I don’t know. “My poor father, who was a cable splicer, would come home [from work], filthy, dirty, and in his big work boots. It’s Miami Beach, he’s in a manhole all day, but he would dutifully come and have his milk cocktail. He’d watch my show, which consisted of Disney songs that I sang along with on my record player. That was life in [my] house!”

A LOVE STORY

At 11 years old, Lisa met David Midgett. “I hated his guts,” she admits, but the families’ friendship had ties back to the 1950s, which meant Lisa was stuck with him. By the age of 16, the couple began a courtship. They graduated from high school, in 1987, and began attending college. David moved to Gainesville to attend the University of Florida, while Lisa stayed in Miami. She focused on her career and eventually dropped out of college. The decision was not well-

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received by Lisa’s parents or by David, but she was advancing quickly in retail management. However, when David proposed in 1989, Lisa chose to leave her career and move to Gainesville. They were married two years later. “My husband is my best friend. In him, I found a lover, a companion, a mentor, a partner, and a life full of adventure.”

UNEXPECTED CHANGES

When David graduated from law school, he applied for a job thought to be in Gainesville. It turned out to be in Ocala.

Lisa was upset. “Full truth, I didn’t want to come, and for six months he commuted.” Around 1995, she finally agreed to move to the Ocala area. The couple knew it was important for David to be a part of the community, as a young lawyer. It was difficult for Lisa, at first. She couldn’t find a position that paid her anywhere near what she was making, and she finally settled for a part-time receptionist job at Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church. Admittedly, this was a blow to her ego. She had spent seven years building a career she

thought she wanted, but in the end, it was a blessing in disguise. “Taking that job was one of the best things I’ve done for myself in my whole life. That change I thought was a life-ending change really brought love and beauty into my life.”

HEALING

In 2002, David and Lisa adopted their two children, ages five and eight, and Lisa chose to become a fulltime mom. “I joke that most of my thirties are a total blur because I was raising children. I think, for a lot of women, we look back and think, ‘Wait! Where did that 10 years go?’” The time may also have been fuzzy because her mom passed away only six months after the adoptions. Lisa was devastated. “I couldn’t stop crying for two years. I finally found Marion Therapeutic Riding Association, and I went through the therapeutic riding program with them and got better.” It was through that program she found a love for horses, but her mom’s death also triggered another journey for Lisa. She had been over 300 pounds at the time, and she realized how important it was to be healthy. She worked hard and lost 140 pounds and kept it off for 10 years. Lisa knows much of the reason she struggled with losing weight was due to her fear of gyms. This was the main motivation for opening a gym with her personal trainer. Their gym catered to small classes, and Lisa taught classes focusing on obesity and seniors. “It was a really fun five years!”

TO RETIRE OR NOT TO RETIRE

“David and I tried to retire at about 44/45. It didn’t stick,” she laughs. So, in August 2020, they created a pop-up art gallery called ArtCastle. They did not take any commissions or fees until they re-opened in February 2021 as a for-profit gallery called NOMA Gallery. “The support and embrace we’ve gotten from the community [have] been almost overwhelming.” Lisa and David are committed to the arts, and they utilize The David & Lisa Midgett (DLM) Foundation to help create a stronger arts community in Ocala. The NOMA Gallery quotes them as follows, “Art provides us unique perspectives, inspires personal creativity, and allows us to experience universal emotions in new ways. Real art ties us to our senses and humanity like nothing else. There is so much beauty in the world, and the artist who taps into unconscious wisdom, or communicates timeless feeling, or expresses new thoughts, will always deserve our support and admiration. Community support of the arts fosters creativity, goodness, and beauty. It brings us together, builds bridges, and reinforces our values.” One of Lisa’s greatest wishes is to see her “favorite person,” now three years old, grow up to be a happy and successful person and, perhaps, help Lisa run the DLM Foundation one day.

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THE CHEWS LETTER

Happiness & Pizza FAMILY WORKS TOGETHER TO SERVE COMMUNITY

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THE CHEWS LETTER

DAVID & JODI ALEXANDER Story by CYNTHIA MCFARL AND

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Photos by JOSHUA JACOBS

THE CHEWS LETTER

hen David and Jodi Alexander left south Florida and moved to central Florida in 2019, they were eager for a more rural and family-focused place to call home. They also found a business opportunity in Ocala that perfectly fit their family. Florida Pizza Stop originally opened in October 2020; the Alexanders purchased and re-branded the eatery in May 2021. “We are Christians and wanted to be in a business that brings people together and makes them happy. Food does that,” says David.

“We have customers who avoid carbs most of the time but on their ‘cheat day,’ they come to us and love the garlic knots,” smiles David.

SMALL HELPING HANDS

In addition to providing a fun spot with satisfying meals, the Alexanders are enthusiastic about contributing to their community. They recently sponsored a teacher appreciation day with free pizza and salad for Creative Beginnings, a preschool in the neighboring plaza. They invite schools to hold family nights at Florida Pizza Stop and plan to provide local schools with meal vouchers. The Alexanders are currently writing and filming a reality show for kids; they just shot the pilot in midNovember. With plans to post it on YouTube and social media, their dream is to partner with Food Network or another broadcast company to get it televised nationally.

The Alexanders’ oldest son Jaelen (21) is in the U.S. Navy, while their three youngest children—Paris (15), Milan (14), and David III (6)—enjoy being involved with the family restaurant. “We have other staff, but our kids definitely like helping at the

Our customers love seeing the family dynamic in action. This shop is a lot of long days and late nights, but it’s been a complete blessing. — Jodi Alexander

shop. It’s really life lessons for them. They’re learning about the importance of serving customers and the community, as well as entrepreneurship,” says David. “Our customers love seeing the family dynamic in action. This shop is a lot of long days and late nights, but it’s been a complete blessing.” Paris and Milan are thrilled that their first jobs as teens are in the family business. “We make our marinara and dough fresh daily, and Milan helps make the dough,” says Jodi. “She wants to open a bakery, and this has sealed her passion for that.”

NEW YORK, NEW YORK

The Alexanders pride themselves on offering delicious food, excellent customer service and great value. “Our customers are able to come in with their families and walk away with leftovers, feeling they got their money’s worth,” says David. As Jodi is originally from New York, the Alexanders make New York-style pizza, featuring thin, crisp crust with just the right amount of cheese, sauce, and toppings. With 17 different pizzas, the menu includes traditional options, such as their heavily-loaded, sandwich-style pepperoni, as well as more unpredictable choices, like Jerk Chicken, Shrimp Scampi, and even Mac and Cheese pizza. The menu also features strombolis, calzones, baked subs, pasta dishes, salads, low-carb bowls (featuring meat, veggies, and sauce), garlic knots, and cinna knots.

COMMUNITY SERVICE

LEARN MORE

myfloridapizzastop.com

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TAKING A GIRL’S VOICE IS THE SAME AS TAKING HER POWER A compelling, lyrical memoir that will rip your heart open and then stitch it together again, page by page.

AVAILABLE ONLINE • WHEREVER BOOKS ARE SOLD @authorricakeenum • RicaWrites.com

ARTIST CORNER

Story Time

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BUILDING A FANTASY WORLD WITH THE OCALIAN KNIGHTS

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ARTIST CORNER

DAVID LUGO & RYAN MACE

itting down to talk with David Lugo and Ryan Mace about Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) was a bit like starting a complicated TV series in the middle of season six. I was a deer in headlights, as they began telling stories and slinging terms. That is, until I said, "I know very little about D&D. I need it explained in layman's terms." Suddenly, their faces lit up with the prospect of educating a newbie. After all, inviting people into their game and teaching them how to play is part of their future plans for their weekly live stream of the Ocalian Knights. "It's collaborative storytelling," explains Ryan, owner of Zeneration Media, the company producing the show. "You are living in a story," continues David, "almost like a book, where every page you turn, you get to tell a story based on the decisions you make." Most games have three components: Role play, combat, and a puzzle to solve. The game is played with a set of dice—with the 20-sided used the most—a character sheet, and a world built by a dungeon master (DM). David is the DM for the Ocalian Knights, and he's responsible for running the game. The players build their own characters. "Your character is not supposed to be you," Ryan tells me. "Most people's first characters are a better version of themselves."

TEAM BUILDING AND FRIENDSHIP

In fact, creating a character that is opposite of you is part of the fun. It can also have a practical side to it. "Dungeons and Dragons has so many applications," states David. You can take a business group and give them roles that are opposite of what they do in the business."

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Put a manager in a non-leadership role and make them rely on the other characters, for example. Whether the game is taught to the youth, played with just a group of friends, or utilized as a corporate training day, there is always a bonding element that comes with it. "Some of the best relationships I've had in town came from D&D," claims Ryan. "This game honestly saved my life on two occasions." Ryan is referring to a time in 2017 when playing the game helped him to find a reason to take control of his health and lose 50 pounds. Later, in 2020,

Photos by Lisa Anderson

Story by LISA ANDERSON

ARTIST CORNER

when his mental status and social anxiety were at a tipping point, D&D helped him to find his way back. If he hadn't played and found a way to bond with people again, Ryan may not have opened Zeneration Media. "I love playing with Ryan," says David. "He's a dungeon master, so he understands the behindthe-scenes stuff, and he does a great job of building characters."

OCALIA AND ITS KNIGHTS

Each week, Ryan and David sit down with their regular players to stream the game live on YouTube. They aren't the first group of players to do this, but one of the things that sets them a part is the building of their own world and props, instead of utilizing professionally made items already available. They're building the fantasy world of Ocalia, with many adventures taking place at familiar landmarks from the Ocala area. They also plan to include personality traits from some of the city’s more infamous citizens. Currently, their game is streamed on Wednesdays and available to watch at your leisure. Zeneration Media then breaks down the video into more digestible

DAVID LUGO

segments of 30 to 45 minutes The plan is to also offer five- to 15-minute summaries and several how-to videos that explain some of the nuances of the game. For someone not familiar with D&D, watching a small group of people play a game for three hours or more might seem a little boring, but breaking up the content and putting the focus on teaching makes it a lot more appealing. It gives viewers a chance to learn and become invested in the action and characters. Ryan, David, and the rest of the Ocalian Knights want to bring

more people into the world of D&D. It's personal to them, because it has helped all of them in many different ways— from building long-lasting friendships to learning leadership skills. This fantasy world has a lot of real world benefits.

HOW TO SUPPORT THEM • Find them on

Patreon, Facebook, and YouTube: Ocalian Knights • Volunteer to be a guest player and learn the game live. • Interact with their contact and ask questions online or in person.

RYAN MACE localamag.com

TELLING THE STORIES

THAT CONNECT US.

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MAGAZINE

EVERYONE HAS A STORY.

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Locala January 2022, Volume 1, Issue No. 8

Articles inside

Letter from the Publisher