WILMA Summer 2023

WILMA SUMMER 2023

DEPARTMENTS FEATURES

Going the distance

67

science of sleep

guten tag, y'all: Prost's German fusion spotlight on Wilmington Theater Awards

get moving with Bevin Prince

on the cover

report

Leadership + Lifestyle since 2003

PUBLISHER Rob Kaiser

PRESIDENT Robert Preville

EDITOR Vicky Janowski

VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES & MARKETING

Carolyn Carver

SENIOR MARKETING CONSULTANTS

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Lucy Pittman

Craig Snow

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MARKETING CONSULTANT

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DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER

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DIGITAL MARKETING CONSULTANT

Jillian Hon

OFFICE & AUDIENCE

DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Sandy Johnson

EVENTS DIRECTOR Elizabeth Stelzenmuller

EVENTS & DIGITAL COORDINATOR

Jamie Kleinman

CONTRIBUTING DESIGNER Suzi Drake

DESIGNER Tara Weymouth

MEDIA COORDINATOR Julia Jones

FASHION STYLIST Drewe Smith

CONTRIBUTORS

Jenny Callison, Miriah Hamrick, Beth A. Klahre, Samantha Kupiainen, Dylan Patterson, Emory Rakestraw, Katie Schmidt, Lynda Van Kuren, Elizabeth White

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DARIA AMATO is a native New Yorker and School of Visual Arts graduate. Throughout her thirty years of experience, she has photographed a range of editorial, advertising, company branding, and corporate clients in addition to music, fashion, portraiture, weddings, and still life. Amato has been recognized by The Society of Publication Designers and Graphic Design USA and received an Optima Design Award for best cover photography. In this issue, she photographed Bevin Prince in her cycle studio on page 59 as well as runner Ann Marie Pierce on page 68

MIRIAH HAMRICK is a reporter covering restaurants and hospitality for the Greater Wilmington Business Journal. Hamrick grew up working in her family’s restaurants, and although she didn’t continue in their path, she can’t stop thinking, talking, and writing about food. Her career has included stints in news and magazine writing, including for Food Network Magazine. When she isn’t working on a story, Hamrick enjoys reading, cooking, and embarking on endless projects on a historic home she owns with her husband in downtown Wilmington. She talked with the women behind starting up the German-fusion restaurant Prost on page 44.

TERAH HOOBLER is a Wilmington-based freelance photojournalist with over sixteen years’ experience in photography and art. She is a mom of three, an artist, and an avid coffee drinker. Her passion is to capture everyday moments in a way that reveals the extravagance of life! Hoobler photographed New Hanover County’s assistant county managers (page 21), UNCW runner Brynn Sheffield (page 72), Magnolia Sleep Solutions owner Pallavi Saraf (page 74), and Mrs. Wilmington Christina Fulford (page 100). terahhoobler.com

SAMANTHA KUPIAINEN is an Indianapolis native who relocated to North Carolina in October. She holds a magazine journalism degree from Ball State University and enjoys writing about topics related to health, women, and local communities. When she’s not behind her computer, she’s probably at the beach, testing a new recipe, or roadtripping around the state. Kupianen interviewed cover subject Margaret Eubank about starting her Clearly Hooked Apparel company on page 51

LYNDA VAN KUREN , a transplant from the D.C.-metro area, is a freelance writer and content marketer whose work has appeared in national as well as regional publications. She loves connecting with others, whether through writing, ballet, or training her dogs for agility competitions. She talked with three record-busting runners in the area for “Running the Field” on page 67

HERE’S TO SHOWING UP

No one can accuse me of being a quitter. In fact, I can admit to the opposite: dogged determination to the point of diminishing returns. Take volleyball, for example –more on that in a minute.

The summer issue of WILMA includes a special section on health and wellness, and in the pages ahead, you’ll read about women who are pushing boundaries in that space.

There’s Bevin Prince (page 58), who moved to Wilmington during the pandemic and opened an outdoor cycling studio, endured unimaginable personal tragedy, and continues to push ahead.

There’s Pallavi Saraf (page 75), who took her experience as a dentist and furthered her training to help patients with sleep apnea, opening her own practice this year.

There’s Karyn Oetting, Ann Marie Pierce, and Brynn Sheffield (page 67), who collectively have run more miles in a week than I have in years. They’re setting running records left and right as well as expanding the local running community circle.

So, before you jump into their inspiring stories, I can share my record of not breaking records.

For more than a decade, I have played hundreds and hundreds of beach volleyball matches. If I were to tally the scores, we’ve probably lost more than we’ve won. But I keep showing up.

After moving to Wilmington, I scoped around for things to do. It’s a beach town – beach volleyball seemed

promising, even though I hadn’t touched a ball since high school PE class.

Found Capt’n Bill’s. Signed up for a league made up of four-person teams. Quickly got schooled. People here are good, really good.

After an embarrassing learning curve, our team gelled. Over the years, core members have come and gone – moved away, moved onto other hobbies, etc. But the Sandy Bottoms – so named for the sheer amount of time spent flailing on the ground to dig out passes – endures.

We’ve won exactly one tournament trophy in all that time. It gets passed among team members whenever someone has a milestone life event, à la The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. If I count up the amount of money I’ve spent on registration fees, food, drinks, and future knee replacement surgery, it’s one expensive trophy. My 9-year-old started lessons this year though, so the volleyball college scholarship I’m banking on should offset some of those costs.

At the same time, I know I can count on four hours on the weekend (having since expanded to also playing doubles) where I will be moving, raising my heart rate, and my Apple Watch won’t be so judgy.

Over the past decade, we’ve played as young, unencumbered folks. At some point, babies and kids tagged along; post-game Advil and ice packs became more regular. There are good nights and bad nights, if looking only at the score.

But we still fight for each point, even if it means landing on a Sandy Bottom.

Vicky Janowski, WILMA editor editor@wilmingtonbiz.com

RETURN TO STAGE

THE WILMINGTON THEATER AWARDS RETURNED AT THE END OF MARCH, FOR THE FIRST TIME since early 2020, to highlight performances from the area’s stages.

This was the tenth year for the awards, originally created by Jeff Hidek and John Staton. This year’s awards were presented by The Arts Council of Wilmington/ New Hanover County in association with Thalian Hall.

The night included numbers from shows in recent years since the last, pre-pandemic awards, including Myra Quince (right) performing from Dreamgirls.

More than twenty awards were announced.

The winners included School Girls; Or the African Mean Girls Play by Big Dawg Productions for Outstanding Play and Newsies from Opera House Theatre Co. for Outstanding Musical.

SYDNEY SMITH MARTIN took home the Outstanding Actress in a Play award for her performance in Opera House’s With Love, Marilyn And KENDRA GOEHRING won Outstanding Actress in a Musical from Opera House’s Funny Girl. Cape Fear Shakespeare on the Green director CHERRI MCKAY received this year’s Lela Thompson Award for Enduring Contribution to Wilmington Theater.

For a full list of winners, go to artswilmington.org/wilmingtontheater-awards.

photo c/o The Arts Council of Wilmington/NHC

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ROOM TO PLAY

JESSIE GOODWIN WAS PROMOTED TO EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF WILMINGTON.

Goodwin had been acting executive director since last August. She joined the museum in 2019 as the education, membership, and volunteer coordinator and was promoted to director of operations in 2021.

“We interviewed outside candidates but finally realized that our top candidate was already in the job,” says the board’s president, Harriett Loweth. “Jessie has done extraordinary work in the past few months, particularly in the hiring of new professional staff.

Under the direction of Jessie and her team, admissions, memberships, and profitability are at an all-time high.”

Goodwin has taught third through eighth grades; served as a teaching assistant in UNCW’s history department; worked as an archivist for Historic Robeson Inc. in Lumberton; and filled the role of weekend manager at the Bellamy Mansion.

In 2022, Goodwin documented the history of the three historic buildings that comprise the Children’s Museum on Orange Street in downtown Wilmington, resulting in a series of panels highlighting the history of the museum complex.

photo by STEPHANIE SAVAS PHOTOGRAPHY

BROADCAST NEWS

Susan Stamberg, the first woman to anchor a national nightly news program, is the featured speaker for WHQR’s fundraising lunch. Stamberg is a special correspondent for NPR’s Morning Edition and former All Things Considered host.

LOCATION: Hotel Ballast, downtown Wilmington

DATE + TIME: noon | May 22

MORE INFO: whqr.org

TEAMING

PAY PARITY

The year women working in NC are expected to see equal pay under current trends 2060

Source: NC Council for Women and Youth Involvement

UP

LAST MONTH, JESSICA LOEPER BECAME THE LATEST ADDITION TO NEW HANOVER COUNTY’S TOP MANAGEMENT TEAM. Loeper (right), who had served as the county’s chief communications officer, was named assistant county manager.

She joins TUFANNA BRADLEY (from left) and LISA WURTZBACHER, the two other assistant county managers who work alongside county manager CHRIS COUDRIET.

Loeper began working for the county’s communications and outreach office in 2016 and became head of that department in 2019.

“For the last seven years, I’ve been fortunate to develop relationships with so many people throughout our community and within our organization, as our communications team collaborated to share the important work going on in the county,” she says.

A Wilmington native, Loeper is a graduate of WILMA’s Leadership Institute, the UNCW/NHC SERVE Professional Development Academy, and UNCW’s Academy for Strategic Management.

MUSIC UNDER THE OAK

Airlie Gardens’ summer concert series kicks off June 2. The popular, open-air shows run through September 1, and tickets (which often go quickly) go on sale the week of the concerts.

MORE INFO: airliegardens.org

GETTING HEALTHY

Elevate Coworking, a coworking space designed for women, hosts the Women’s Health Summit 2023, featuring vendors and speakers.

LOCATION: Elevate Coworking, 2512 Independence Boulevard, Suite 100

DATE + TIME: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. | June 24

MORE INFO: elevatecoworking.info

photo by TERAH HOOBLER

FILM FRAMING

ACTRESS PAM GRIER VISITS WILMINGTON THIS MONTH TO RECEIVE A LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FROM THE NORTH CAROLINA BLACK FILM FESTIVAL.

The film festival, which marks its twentieth anniversary, takes place May 18-21 at the Cameron Art Museum.

Grier is slated to appear at the event’s opening reception, known as Cinemixer. The night also includes a screening of the 1974 film Foxy Brown, a public Q&A with Grier, and a private meet-and-greet for sponsors and VIP guests.

Grier was born in Winston-Salem and moved to

Los Angeles in 1969, becoming a prominent figure in the blaxploitation genre of action movies in the ’70s. She returned to the main screen with Quentin Tarantino’s 1997 Jackie Brown, for which she earned best actress nominations from the Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild.

“Pam Grier is an icon in American Cinema and paved the way for black women in the industry,” says festival director CHARLON TURNER EVERETT. “We have wanted to honor her for some time, and not many people realize that she is from North Carolina.”

For more info about the four-day film festival and other events, go to BlackArtsAlliance.org.

BACK TO (PREP) SCHOOL

DREWE AND KATE BRANDING CO. AND WAIT. WHAT? CONSULTING have teamed up to offer coaching on the ins and outs of business.

Created to help budding entrepreneurs learn the basics of small business ownership, this one-day workshop covers all the needs-to-know – keeping your books in order, social media, and the how and why behind building a brand.

Whether you’re in the dreaming stage of a new business, looking to morph that side gig into a full-time source of income, or are ready to level up your already-established creative endeavor, this trio of business-savvy, brandbuilding women know how to help.

The next session is May 20 at Elevate Coworking, with more offerings expected throughout the rest of the year.

Go to dreweandkate.com/prep-school for more information.

WHAT IS NEXT?

Whether it be because of the “Great Resignation” or “Pandemic Flux Syndrome”, so many people are experiencing a level of confusion and instability that is intolerable. People leaving their jobs are asking themselves, “What do I really want to do with my life?” People feeling anywhere on the spectrum from anxious to uncharacteristically lazy are asking themselves, “Where do I go from here?” Business leaders struggling to find people to fill jobs are searching for what will motivate people to embrace their mission and vision. These big questions deserve reflective answers.

Adam Grant, organizational psychologist and author said recently in a Wall Street Journal article that, “The Great Resignation isn’t a mad dash away from the office. It’s the culmination of a long march toward freedom. Flexibility is more than choosing the place you work. It’s having the freedom to decide your purpose and your priorities.”

One of my most treasured mentors taught me that “Freedom and accountability are two sides of the same coin. Many people began their careers with the promise working for a company that would secure their futures. Now, people are questioning spending their lives working for an organization that does not give them a sense of purpose. People are not abdicating accountability. In fact, many people are taking accountability for their futures for first time and are willing to take the risk of entrepreneurship to live their purpose.

I was working with a client last week who stepped into the

paddock with my horse, Galen, and put her hands on his neck and back. She closed her eyes and exhaled for the first time in months. Galen leaned his head around her and they just enjoyed a moment of peace and quiet together. Having that moment of stillness allowed her to silence the noise in her head that was preventing her from finding clarity of purpose.

Recently, a client stepped out of her car and just stood there for a second. She looked up at the sky and listened to the simple sounds of birds singing and wind rustling through the trees. She walked up on to my front porch, sat down in a rocking chair, and said, “Wow, it is so peaceful here.” We then proceeded to have a very meaningful conversation about how to bring that calm into how she leads her organization.

To anyone reading this article, this is what TeachingHorse at Double Run Farm in Leland, NC is here to do. We will work with you to lead yourself through the uncertainties of our time. We are currently scheduling individual and group coaching sessions customized to your desired outcomes. To hear more, email me at: junegunter@teachinghorse.com.

June Gunter has worked in the field of leadership and organization development for over 35 years and holds a Doctor of Education degree in the field of Adult Learning from North Carolina State University. She is also the Co-Founder of Go-od Consulting, LLC. In memory of a special member of the TeachingHorse herd, Galen.

THE ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT

SEVERAL WOMEN ARE PART OF THIS YEAR’S GROUP OF COASTAL ENTREPRENEUR AWARD WINNERS.

The awards are a joint effort between the University of North Carolina Wilmington’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) and the Greater Wilmington Business Journal, WILMA’s sister publication.

The annual awards identify and recognize fast-growing organizations and businesses with the potential to make a significant impact on the region.

Judges picked eleven category winners, and the overall Coastal Entrepreneur of the Year will be named this month at an event on May 31 at UNCW’s Burney Center.

Here are women who own or co-own this year’s winning companies and organizations.

PHALLIN SCOTT, who owns On Thyme catering and the Castle Street restaurant of the same name with her husband, COREY. They won in the Minority-Owned Business category.

KRISTEN (above) and WES BECHTEL, owners of the expanding Boombalatti’s ice cream business, won in the Hospitality category.

And DAWN ELLIS is executive director of the Pender County-based Share the Table, winner in the Nonprofit category.

Info: CoastalEntrepreneur.com

photo by MADELINE GRAY

2

W OMEN W ATCH

ON THE AGENDA

Advice and connections from local leaders + the latest on WILMA’s Women to Watch Leadership Initiative

p.30

W2W INITIATIVE UPDATES

p.33

W2W INITIATIVE SPONSORS

p.35

MENTORING ADVICE WITH KIM NELSON

p. 38

PLUGGING IN: NONPROFIT CONNECTIONS WITH QENO’S SARAH DANIELS

p.41

PLUGGING IN: COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ROUNDUP

p.42

TOUGH TALK WITH NATALIE ENGLISH

UPDATES

W2W RECAP:

The latest on WILMA’s Women to Watch Leadership Initiative and its mission to help develop more women leaders in our area

• LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE: The 2023 WILMA’s Leadership Institute class kicked off its year with an orientation at Double Run Farm in Brunswick County. The day included sessions on peer mentorship, team communication assessments from The Forté Institute, and Q&As with former class members. Part of the day also was spent with TeachingHorse facilitators, who led the class through leadership exercises with the help of their four-legged colleagues (shown above) . Learn more about the forty-eight women in this year’s cohort at wilmamag.com/women-to-watch/wilmas-leadershipinstitute.

• GET ON BOARD: UNCW’s Quality Enhancement for Nonprofit Organizations (QENO) hosted our latest board training session and talked about how to plug into area boards of directors as well as the basics about serving as a committee or board member with organizations. (Read more about QENO director Sarah Daniels on page 38.)

• FUTURE LEADERS: Members of our Future Leaders – a group of area eleventhgrade teens – and their mentors participated in the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce’s Work on Wilmington day of community service last month. The team helped clean up and lay pavers at the Stanley Rehder Carnivorous Plant Garden. Thanks to mentor and WILMA Institute alum Leah DeMasters for organizing the outing.

• IN THE LOOP: Keep up to date with these and other Leadership Initiative programs as well as application announcements by going to WILMAmag.com or signing up for the WILMA Leadership email at WILMAmag.com/email-newsletter.

WILMA’S FUTURE LEADERS LEADERSHIP INITIA TIVE

WILMA’S EXPLORE MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO GET INVOLVED

W2W UP NEXT:

to connect with WILMA’s leadership programs

How

• LEADERSHIP ACCELERATOR: WILMA’s annual leadership conference returns to the Wilmington Convention Center on July 13 with a panel keynote lunch, workshops, and networking. Info: W2WLeadership.com

• MENTORING: As a part of WILMA’s mentoring program, up-and-coming women in the community are matched with mentors to assist with their leadership development. Applications will open in August to those who have participated in a W2W program in the past year, and the mentorship will run from October 2023 to September 2024.

• ALUM NETWORKING: The first of two events this year exclusively for Leadership Institute and Awards finalists takes place soon. Keep an eye out for event details.

• WOMEN TO WATCH AWARDS: This year’s awards event is September 8 at the Wilmington Convention Center. Winners in the categories of Arts, Business, Education, Health, Nonprofit/Volunteer, Public Sector, and Rising Star will be announced. Learn about the finalists in the fall issue of WILMA.

“Wilmington Health is proud to be our community’s trusted healthcare partner, serving both locals and tourists for over 50 summers in our region. We are fortunate to live in a beautiful, coastal area where it’s easy to find summer activities, and we strive to make it just as easy to find convenient, high-quality care whenever you need us. That’s care that you can trust. #TRUECare”

ALEXIS HUNTER Community Liaison WILMINGTON HEALTH

FOUNDING SPONSORS

CORPORATE SPONSORS

WILMA mag.com/women-to-watch/sponsors

Mentorship plays a key role in helping women advance at work and climb the corporate ladder.

Research shows people who are mentored make more money and advance more quickly than those who are not.

Mentoring provides an opportunity to practice effective communication skills. The manner in which you communicate can increase your perceived worth within the organization and allow you to articulate your career goals better. A mentoring relationship also provides you a means by which to talk through difficult decisions and to consider perspectives outside of your own.

Mentoring is an ongoing relationship that is intentional and based on moving towards a specific goal. It should encourage the mentee to describe a rich picture of their future success. In other words, how will you be beyond the goals?

A good mentoring relationship should force you to step out of your comfort zone and be curious. It should help you explore the possibilities of doing the things that scare you – learn as much as you can about them until they no longer scare you.

The relationship gives you a chance to talk through challenges with your mentor so that you can turn your fear into excitement. Fear is a huge deterrent to many people, and it holds us back from achieving our full potential. With your mentor, you can talk through, “What is the worst thing that

Level- Up Mentoring: advice from Kim Nelson

happens if I take this chance?” And then, “What is the worst thing that happens if I don’t take this chance?”

In selecting a good mentor, you should be thoughtful and intentional in selecting the right person considering your goal of having a mentor. You can also have different mentors for different goals.

Ideally, you have multiple mentors that serve different purposes.

Think of it as your own personal board of directors. In this case, consider diversity in your mentors. In addition, you are looking for compatibility, which doesn’t mean you and the mentor will think the same way. You are looking for a different perspective.

And finally, be brave and ask.

Once you have identified a mentor be prepared with specific questions, areas for feedback, and requests for support. Share your goals and your personal mission statement.

Unlike traditional mentorship, peer-to-peer mentorship creates an even playing field between two parties who have equal accountability and commitment to one another. It sets up both parties for building a relationship as trusted friends and/or guides. You can think of them as an “accountability buddy” – someone to help keep you on track.

To get the most from your mentoring relationship, the objectives should be well-defined and measurable. You should be purposeful in your discussions. Your mentor is there to help you, and they truly have your best interests at heart.

Be 100% honest and 100% open to feedback. You should feel comfortable enough to fully open up and not hold anything back with them.

Remember, your mentor is there to help you succeed. This may mean that they have to give you some tough love or advice that’s hard to hear. Be gracious and know that they are doing this to help you! It’s not easy to receive criticism, but coming from a mentor it’s meant entirely to help you accomplish your goals.

For mentors, a few things to keep in mind for successful relationships:

• You need to establish the framework of the relationship including frequency of meetings, type of communication, and boundaries.

While a large portion of women agree that mentorship is important, only one out of every five women actually has a mentor, according to a LinkedIn survey.

• To have the relationship be most effective you must be honest with your mentor. Don’t tell them what you think they want to hear. Share the reality of the situation.

• Be open to other perspectives. This is why you looked for a mentor in the first place.

• Active listening is an important part of any mentoring relationship. People who listen actively don’t simply sit back and allow words to hit their eardrums. They take notes, ask questions, and repeat back what they’ve heard to ensure they’ve understood it properly. Active listeners are the ones who provide nonverbal gestures (e.g. eye contact, nodding, etc.) that indicate they’re following (or not following) what you’re saying.

• A mentor’s response should be nonjudgmental:

You should refrain from interjecting your own feelings or opinions (even if you disagree with what they are saying).

• You should also refrain from sharing your own experiences until you have reached the fundamental and common understanding of what your mentee wishes to address or learn.

• Ask open-ended questions to clarify things if necessary, but refrain from asking reflect your opinions and/or worldview.

Remember, this is about the mentee, not about the mentor!

There isn’t a cookie-cutter for success. One important thing to understand about mentorship is that the mentor can’t live your life for you. They’re there to provide advice and perspective and make you think differently – not make unilateral decisions for you. Recommendations need not always be followed but should always be carefully considered.

If you go through life with the perspective that you have something to learn from everyone you meet, you’ll collect a lot of informal mentors along the way. W

Kim Nelson has helped develop mentoring programs over the years and serves as a mentor program adviser for WILMA’s Women to Watch Leadership Initiative. She also serves as co-director of UNCW’s Cameron Executive Network, a mentoring program for Cameron School of Business students.

NONPROFIT NETWORKS: QENO works to strengthen organizations

by JENNY CALLISON | photo by ARIS HARDING

S

She moved to Wilmington in 2009 and enrolled at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, hoping to pursue a career in international development. After completing a bachelor’s degree in political science, however, she shifted gears and opted to enroll in the university’s master’s program in public administration, concentrating on nonprofit management.

“I had moved around a lot my whole life,” she says. “When I came to Wilmington I fell in love with the place; it felt like home for the first time ever.”

Instead, Daniels has brought a world of ideas and best practices to her endeavors in the Wilmington area, most recently through her position as director of Quality Enhancement for Nonprofit Organizations (QENO). Since its founding about ten years ago as a partnership between UNCW and the community, QENO’s mission has been to help strengthen nonprofit organizations in the region.

While QENO offers coaching and workshops in such areas as leadership development, strategic planning and goal-setting, and financial management, Daniels also wants to focus also on increasing the capacity of the organizations with which she works. She brings first-hand experience from her previous positions: finance director for Thalian Hall, executive director of Feast Down East, interim director of the North Carolina Blueberry Festival Association, and executive director of the New Hanover Disaster Coalition. She also founded the Cape Fear Food Council, which was integral in coordinating food assistance services across the community after Hurricane Florence and early in the COVID-19 pandemic.

A consistent thread throughout her work with these organizations was the help she received from QENO.

“QENO services were always valuable: lunch and learns, workshops,” she says. “The other side of what (QENO) did was very dedicated support via grants to work with organizations one-on-one on everything from strategic planning to developing employee manuals. For me, both sides were very helpful.”

When Daniels assumed leadership of QENO in 2021, she wanted to help organizations expand their capacity to do more. At the same time, she essentially became a staff of one, so she had to prioritize services.

“I thought, what can I do with my time that might be considered capacity building?” she recalls. “I started with my experience and began to tinker with some broad concepts. I piloted a baby version of what I now do full time, QENO’s bread-and-butter program: GLM.”

GLM stands for governance, leadership, and management, and is a program Daniels sees as a conceptual framework to engage nonprofit staffers and boards to talk about their practices and think beyond their day-to-day tasks and concerns.

Currently, Daniels works intensively with twenty-five area nonprofits, using the GLM framework of setting goals, planning, assessing progress, and reviewing and revising policies.

“This is high-level strategic thinking, a space for the organization to get its head above water,” she says, adding that as she works with a group, they are encouraged to think about what they do well and what needs improvement. Beyond that, they may want to think boldly about collaborations with other organizations, or even about merging with complementary ones.

This kind of thinking, she says, is particularly timely now, with the advent of the New Hanover Community Endowment, created when New Hanover Regional Medical Center was sold to Novant Health.

“Everything about our nonprofit sector is changing, and QENO is part of that,” Daniels says. “I am engaging with our nonprofits to navigate that because what I hear from (endowment) CEO William Buster is the importance of collaboration.”

Daniels also brings her experience and perspectives to WILMA’s Women to Watch leadership program, providing Get on Board participants an introductory training about boards and preparing them to become change agents in the nonprofit community. (Info: wilmamag.com/ women-to-watch/get-on-board)

She’s also an active participant in the arts. An accomplished violist with a bachelor’s degree in musical performance, she’s a member of the Long Bay Symphony in Myrtle Beach.

As part of a complex organization that depends on collaboration, Daniels weaves her thread into a musical whole. W

ARAH DANIELS is a master weaver, skilled at helping nonprofit leaders design and create a fabric that sustains their organizations.

RISK& REWARDS

NETWORK ING | WORKSHOPS | KEYNOTE LUNCH

MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR WILMA’S HALF-DAY LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE. This year we’re providing personalized programming for you to walk away from this jam-packed day with actionable insights, meaningful connections, and the reminder that without the risk there is no reward.

REGISTER & VIEW THE FULL AGENDA

W2WLEADERSHIP.COM

THURSDAY, JULY 13 | 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM

WILMINGTON CONVENTION CENTER

PLUGGING IN NETWORKING

Each issue, WILMA includes a Plugging In directory to help you connect locally. This time, we’re focusing on connecting with area nonprofit groups – of which there are many. Whether you’re interested in volunteering in the field or volunteering with a committee or board, here are some sources that might help you figure out how to get started. Keep an eye out for future lists to tap into support for entrepreneurs, wellness groups, and more. Let us know about your organization by emailing editor@ wilmingtonbiz.com.

Cape Fear Volunteer Center

“Our mission is to match volunteers with meaningful service opportunities in the Cape Fear region. We do this by promoting volunteerism, Big Buddy/Life Guide, National Days of Volunteer Service, Kid’s Voting, CareNet and so much more.” The center also offers contacts for volunteering opportunities with other groups.

INFO: capefearvolunteercenter.org

Connect Cape Fear

“CONNECT Community Involvement Directory of the Cape Fear is an extensive, trusted, and updated list of local organizations, groups, clubs, and more in the Greater Cape Fear region. Our goal is to help you find ways to create connections in our community between individuals and organizations. Whether you're an individual searching for opportunities, or if you’re an organization seeking to get more exposure to attract more members and volunteers, CONNECT Community Involvement Directory is the most beneficial tool for connecting groups with those who seek to be more active in their communities in New Hanover, Brunswick, and Pender counties.”

INFO: connectcapefear.com

The Harrelson Center

“The Jo Ann Carter Harrelson Center Inc. … supports and partners with other nonprofit organizations in the Wilmington community. The Center works with its partners to meet the needs of the community in areas such as safe and affordable housing, education, employment, health care and family support. The Center recognizes the critical needs of others and encourages, uplifts

and assists them in rebuilding their lives through the services provided in the center.”

INFO: harrelsoncenter.org

GuideStar This one’s not a local nonprofit group. But GuideStar is a national informational resource on nonprofit organizations that gathers and provides access to info about nonprofit groups. For example, you can find copies of 990 forms that tax-exempt groups are required to file as you research where you want to spend your volunteering time and support.

INFO: guidestar.org

QENO Quality Enhancement for Nonprofit Organizations is a “partnership between UNCW and the community created to help strengthen nonprofit organizations in southeastern North Carolina through professional, leadership, and organizational development and providing connections to UNCW faculty, staff, and students.”

INFO: uncw.edu/qeno

Share Cape

Fear

“SHARE Cape Fear is a community engagement conduit offering simple ways for neighbors, nonprofits and businesses to come together and strengthen our local community. We make it easy for people to find local nonprofits and engage with them how they choose, whether it’s donating money, volunteering time, attending an event or buying much needed items from nonprofit wish lists. Our open and inclusive platform amplifies the needs of the entire nonprofit community, giving all organizations a chance to be seen and heard regardless of size, focus area or budget.”

INFO: sharecapefear.org

photo by ARIS HARDING

TALKING IT THROUGH NATALIE

ENGLISH ON COMMUNICATING WITH TEAM MEMBERS

ATALIE ENGLISH became president and CEO of the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce in 2017. She has been a chamber executive for more than 20 years, including previously with the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce.

This month, she is a guest speaker to WILMA’s Leadership Institute class, joining LISA LEATH, chief people officer with Vantaca, and RUTH SMITH, president of R2S3, to talk about team effectiveness and managing conflict in the workplace.

In light of the panel’s upcoming talk, WILMA asked English for her thoughts and advice about those topics.

When it comes to motivating teams, what resources do you draw on to help those around you?

“I am intentional about getting to know my team members and what motivates them.

Every one of them is unique. I have team members who like to know exactly what I’m thinking without beating around the bush. That’s my preferred style of communicating.

I have others who like to share their feelings, and I make time for that as well and learn things I might not notice about others without it.

Others on my team like to be given time to contemplate and consider. As impatient as I can be, I know I must give them that time.”

Resource recommendations: “I read Harvard Business Review newsletters

as well as LinkedIn articles that focus on the articles related to leading teams.” Conflict can creep into any group or organization, even with motivated teams. What is your advice for handling those kinds of difficult conversations, either internally with your groups or working with outside groups that want different things?

“I have always found that being gently direct and honest is the best way to resolve conflict.

Indirect communication leads to individual interpretations. I learned from a leadership coach years ago that when people don’t have information, they make stuff up to fill in the blanks.

I don’t always get it right. When I don’t, it’s hard to undo the misinformation train.

There is also a need to understand what’s going on away from the conflict.

None of us is perfect, and things that happen at home can impact how we react everywhere else.”

How would you describe your leadership style?

“My leadership style is to educate and empower my team members.

I’ve always led small teams, and they require self-starters. I love being involved in problem-solving and brainstorming.

I’m creative and entrepreneurial about addressing challenges. I try not to second guess or micromanage because that is so demotivating.

I understand that life brings seasons, and some of those seasons bring distractions. My team members deserve a little more leniency and grace during those times.

I work hard to recognize them and to have relationships with my team members that encourage them to share when they find themselves in one of those seasons.” W

OTHER PROGRAMS ENGLISH RECOMMENDS

“(The chamber’s) Leadership Wilmington and our new program, Encounter Wilmington, are great programs to get involved in. Of course, for women, WILMA and The Inspiration Lab as well as a new group we’re launching this year for women business owners.”

Recent book you’ve read and liked: “Influence, The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Ciadini. It applies not only to leading teams but also advocation with elected officials and raising teenagers (LOL).”

Who is another area woman people should know about and why? “It’s hard to limit to one. Other people should know about: LOUISE MCCOLL and DANA FISHER to learn from their experience in the Wilmington business community; SANDY SPIERS (above) and LISA LEATH for how they give back to our community; JUDY BUDD and TRACEY NEWKIRK for how they network; MICHELE HOLBROOK and CHAKEMA CLINTON-QUINTANA for their thoughtful way.”

German

with a twist

by MIRIAH HAMRICK | photos by MEGAN DEITZ

Prost’s German fusion menu finds instant success

As the sun started to sink into the horizon beyond the Cape Fear River on a warm February evening earlier this year, KYRA TEBO FAINA was peeling the paper off the street-facing windows at Prost, like a child unwrapping a present.

Natural light streamed into the dining room, illuminating the exposed brick walls, custom planters brimming with green tendrils and stems, and warm jewel tones throughout the space. More than a year in the works, the German beer garden was moments away from welcoming its first guests. Tebo Faina remembers feeling excited, seeing the room fully ready for the first time.

“It was beautiful. The sun was right there setting, and it was really magical in here right before we had our first customers,” says Tebo Faina, general manager of the eatery as well as a partner in the Roudabrush Group, the parent company behind Prost as well as Dram + Morsel, The Husk, and YoSake.

And then it was go time. As soon as the doors at 115 South Front Street opened, business boomed. Owner BEKAH SMITH, says she and her husband, JUSTIN SMITH, thought Prost would have some time at the end of the slower winter months to work through the kinks of opening a new restaurant before peak season hit in the spring. Instead, lines formed out the door as soon as Prost was open.

“It was like all the stars had aligned, but we weren’t expecting it,” Bekah Smith says, describing this time as both exciting and overwhelming.

Bekah Smith, Erin Wiley, and Kyra Tebo Faina at Prost

Work on the restaurant began in 2021 when Bekah Smith and her partners realized the historical building on South Front Street was available. They brainstormed a concept worthy of the space, particularly the back courtyard.

ERIN WILEY, who headed the YoSake kitchen at the time, walked through and suggested a German beer garden, and Prost was born. Wiley agreed to join the new venture as executive chef and began crafting a menu of German fusion fare, informed by her own German heritage.

“My family’s kind of German – kind of,” Wiley says. “I mean, my mom cusses me out in German. I’ll put it that way.”

When mapping out the menu, Wiley wanted to create food that was interesting and fun, but accessible. The final product, described by Tebo Faina as “elevated (and) thoughtful,” blends German classics such as schnitzel, spaetzle, and sausages with elements of Southern comfort food.

Pillowy soft spaetzle is dressed in a three-cheese sauce for a spin on macaroni and cheese on the appetizer menu. For entrees, spaetzle replaces grits in a reimagined take on shrimp and grits.

Much of the menu is scratch-made, Wiley notes.

“We really pride ourselves on making all of our sauces and pickles. A lot of these things, there are no shortcuts. You can’t buy spaetzle anywhere,” she says. “We’re in here making 50- to 60-cup batches of flour for spaetzle every other day. I’m going to have Popeye shoulders by the end of it.”

Top sellers so far include the potato pancakes, served with chives-flecked sour cream and homemade applesauce; the schnitzel patty melt, with a crispy pork schnitzel layered with caramelized onions and mush-

rooms and a smear of house dijonnaise on rye bread; and soft pretzels, fried fresh and accompanied by beer mustard and cheese sauce for dipping.

“The beer mustard that Erin makes is a pretty big hit,” Bekah Smith says.

Named after the German word for “cheers,” Prost also offers a full bar of options. About a dozen beers are on tap, many of them German-inspired styles by local breweries. For those who want a truly authentic European drink, the bar is also stocked with cans of beer and bottles of wine imported from across the pond.

For cocktails, a German classic – Jägermeister – makes an appearance in a house sangria, where the herby digestif is mixed with apple brandy, St-Germain elderflower liqueur, red wine, and blackberry syrup.

“It sounds weird, and it tastes delicious,” Bekah Smith says.

Even though the first few months felt like a whirlwind, she says she’s now able to pause and reflect on the restaurant’s instant success.

“It’s a good feeling to see people enjoying themselves, liking the food and liking the atmosphere,” she says. “A year in the making is a lot of pressure, and I feel like we did a really good job.”

Wiley agrees. On particularly pretty days, when she walks through the courtyard to access a walk-in freezer for supplies, she often observes people eating, drinking, and being merry.

“I’m jealous,” Wiley says. “I want to come here and hang out.” W

Berry Season

It’s summer, and that means peak berry time. While nothing beats a classic shortcake or cobber, think outside the box to savory, sipping, and showstoppers. Take inspiration from some local chefs for these makeat-home options (or skip the work and check out their restaurants’ seasonal menus while out and about).

Strawberry Crab Salad

Strawberries from Wilmington’s Lewis Nursery and Farms star alongside coastal ingredients in Catch’s salad recipe from chef KEITH RHODES, who was a James Beard Awards Best Chef: Southeast semifinalist this year.

INGREDIENTS

Salad

2 ounces baby arugula

1 ounce crumbled goat cheese

1 ounce crushed pralines

2 ounces jumbo lump crab meat

4 whole strawberries and 2 sliced strawberries

Dressing

1 c vegetable oil

¼ c honey

¼ c seasoned rice wine vinegar

1 Tbsp St-Germain

1 tsp Dijon mustard

5 strawberries

DIRECTIONS

Add all dressing ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend for 30 seconds.

In a bowl, add salad ingredients to bowl with sliced strawberries.

Add 3 tablespoons of dressing and lightly toss, reserve the 4 whole strawberries to garnish.

Recipe courtesy of Catch, 6623 Market Street (catchwilmington.com)

Rubus Club Cocktail

three10’s spring menu features strawberries and raspberries, with locally sourced strawberries for its Strawberry Salad and Strawberry Cheesecake. “One of my favorites is our Rubus Club cocktail,” says restaurant co-owner JENNIFER CONCKLIN. “The egg yolk creates this silky-smooth texture that elevates the already delicious but simple ingredients.”

INGREDIENTS

0.5 ounce fresh lemon juice

1 ounce raspberry simple syrup

0.5 ounce Chambord

2 ounces gin

1 egg white

DIRECTIONS

Combine ingredients and give a vigorous shake. Strain finely into a glass.

Recipe created by Curran Brierley and courtesy of three10, 1022 North Fourth Street (three10wilmington.com)

Photo c/o Catch

Photo c/o three10

Dallop-A-Doozie Blueberry Cake

The blueberry takes center stage this summer at the annual North Carolina Blueberry Festival in Burgaw. Among the many festival events, which this year take place June 16-17, is the blueberry festival contest. Here is a recent winner in the desserts and best overall categories from BRILEY HUMPHREY, of Burgaw, who is currently a second-year graduate student at the University of Southern Florida at Tampa earning her Ph.D. in chemistry.

CAKE INGREDIENTS

1 c unsalted butter

2 c granulated sugar

1 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

¾ tsp vanilla extract

3 8 tsp almond extract

4 eggs

3 c unbleached all-purpose King Arthur flour

1 c milk

2 c fresh blueberries

CAKE DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease and flour three round, nine-inch cake pans.

In mixer, combine butter and granulated sugar until thoroughly mixed. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition.

In a small bowl, combine milk, almond extract, and vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl, combine sifted flour with salt and baking powder.

Add 1 cup of the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl, followed by a third

of the milk mixture while mixing thoroughly. Repeat this step twice until all dry ingredients and milk mixture are added to the mixing bowl.

Place mixture evenly into three cake pans and add blueberries to each pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until done.

ICING INGREDIENTS

1 block of cream cheese (8 ounces)

1 stick unsalted butter

24 ounces powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

ICING DIRECTIONS

Mix cream cheese and butter thoroughly. Add vanilla extract and mix.

Add powdered sugar slowly until icing becomes thick enough to spread on the cake.

(Optional: After icing, completely cover the perimeter of the cake with blueberries.)

ncblueberryfestival.com

Photo c/o NC Blueberry Festival

WHAT CONSTITUTES A FINE ART GALLERY?

s it live, or is it Memorex?” That famous old slogan was the title I wanted, but thought it would be lost on the younger folks out there. The image, of course, is of a guy in front of a speaker getting blown away by sound waves.

Mentioning it seemed appropriate as it refers to the distinction between a reproduction and something original. This is the main difference between Gallery Verrazzano, our fine art gallery, and theArtWorks™ gift shop, where we have a stage and host live music, sell prints, greeting cards and other collectibles. As a fine art gallery, Gallery Verrazzano is exclusively reserved for original works. There are no prints or reproductions; instead it’s for works that were created solely for aesthetic value and beauty instead of a utilitarian purpose, in keeping with the definition of fine art. So, it’s unlikely you’ll see a Memorex ad here. However, the idea that an ad can be a work of art is open to debate. Who doesn’t remember Andy Warhol’s soup cans?

This flows into another idea, namely, the relationship between artists and patrons. A patron, of course, is an individual who provides financial backing for a cause or a person. The history of art patronage extends for thousands of years and it’s a worth researching if you have time. The example of Gudea, an obscure king who only ruled for 20 years around 4,000 years ago, is worth exploring. Gudea commissioned a number of sculptures of himself in Diorite, an extremely hard stone that was also very expensive. Though unsigned, many scholars believe they were produced by the same artist.

The only reason we know what Gudea looks like or remember him at all is because of the artist. Also, the example shows the importance of patronage. Many have argued that Michelangelo would have had a much more difficult path without the Medici family. Likewise, da Vinci and the Sforza family, Picasso and Gertrude Stein…the list goes on.

The point is we like to think of Gallery Verrazzano like a bridge, for its potential to connect patrons and enthusiasts to

the artists driving our culture forward. Not that there’s a need to justify the existence of a fine art gallery, but we believe the arts have a tremendous potential to make a lasting, positive impact.

Gallery Verrazzano is a huge space with around 7,000 square feet but the fact that we have so much space does not mean we are careless about what is presented. In fact, all of the pieces we display go through an extremely methodical selection process.

It’s a responsibility we have to the Wilmington art community. We never lose sight of this responsibility or the importance of the patrons, as they provide the funding to fuel the aspirations and dreams of the artists, while giving them the opportunity to refine their craft.

Within this context, it’s worth pointing out a recent estimate showed worldwide art sales were in excess of $60 billion in 2021. Investing in art is free from the fluctuations of the stock market and it’s nice to be able to look at something beautiful every day that also has the potential to increase in value.

Patrons have a chance to hit a home run with their investment while also supporting a person they believe in, and we’re proud to connect them with the artists driving our community forward.

For more information, call 910-352-7077 or visit www.theArtWorks.co.

Located at 200 Willard Street, theArtWorks™ is open Thursday through Saturday from 11 to 5, Sundays from 12 to 5, and by appointment. On the 4th Friday of every month, theArtWorks™ hosts Gallery Night from 6 to 9. Through education, advocacy and legislative efforts, theArtWorks™ supports and enhances the community of Wilmington.

For more information, call 910-352-7077 or visit www.theArtWorks.co. Located at 200 Willard Street, theArtWorks™ is open Thursday through Saturday from 11 to 5, Sundays from 12 to 5, and by appointment.

HOOKED totally

by SAMANTHA KUPIAINEN

photos by DREWE and KATE BRANDING CO.

About fifteen years ago, MARGARET EUBANK’s husband first introduced her to fishing, and she quickly fell in love with it. Over the years, the North Carolina native became more involved with the sport, partaking in a number of fishing competitions or just simply fishing with friends and hanging out on the water.

“We fish in a lot of tournaments,” she says. “There is quite a competition, even just with the people that you’re fishing with for the day.”

As she got more and more involved in fishing, Eubank quickly noticed there weren’t a lot of fishing gear options for female anglers in stores. She’d go into tackle shops and only see men’s

After noticing a gap in fishing apparel, one Wilmingtonian took action

clothing options, which weren’t necessarily made for a woman’s silhouette or style. According to Statista, women made up 37% of recreational fishing participants in the United States in 2021.

After speaking with fellow women on the water, Eubank learned many other female anglers felt the same way she did.

“Ten years ago, I saw that there was just more and more women that are participating in the sport of fishing, but you continue to go into a tackle shop these days, you kinda feel like they’re underrepresented or there’s not nearly as many options when it comes to jackets and sweatshirts or just any sort of apparel in general,” Eubank says.

So, in 2021, after a decade of fishing, she decided she’d do something about it.

She founded her own fishing gear line for women, affectionately named Clearly Hooked Apparel. By August of last year, she was ready to launch her debut collection, which consisted of one of the most-used pieces of fishing gear: a rain jacket.

“I always think that’s the best example of a piece of clothing that I end up having to go and find the men’s version,” Eubank says. “My first idea was a rain jacket, something that you could pack in your bag that was lightweight, not necessarily a jacket, and that we can have on the coldest day in January, but something that was a little bit more seasonal. So, year-round it could be worn over a sweatshirt and then lightweight enough to be in your bag if you’re out on the boat in the middle of the summer and you get caught in a rainstorm.”

After starting with just the jacket, Eubank found herself excited by the idea of having a complete outfit in her apparel line. So, she added a lightweight summer hoodie to the collection, then high-waisted leggings – all staple clothing pieces for a day spent fishing on the water.

For now, her line is available online (clearlyhookedapparel.com)

and in a select number of stores in and around the Cape Fear region. She hopes to expand and reach more female anglers on the water.

“That’s another thing, too, that excites me, just for a lady to walk into a tackle shop in her town and be able to see some support or encouragement for fellow lady anglers,” Eubank says. “So, today we are in Island Tackle (& Hardware) in Carolina Beach, and we’re in Eastern Outfitters, which is out in Surf City. And then there’s Rigged & Ready. That’s a tackle shop in Holden Beach.”

Moving forward with Clearly Hooked Apparel, Eubank hopes to one day address all the requests she’s received for youth and junior lady angler apparel. For now, she’s focused on the line she has but is excited with the ideas she has in the works.

In addition to owning Clearly Hooked Apparel, Eubank is a sales manager for a technology company based in Wilmington. When she decided to start the apparel line, it took a lot of research, networking, and time on her part. Eubank credits her “mindset” as the key element for starting her business.

“It’s always scary to start something new,” she says. “I think I was driven and motivated by fellow women that had an idea and took that leap and were successful. At the end of the day, I thought, you know, at least you tried. Try something that you’re passionate about and see what happens. Also completely understand that this is a new adventure, and you won’t have all of the answers.”

As she grows her business and angler knowledge, Eubank hopes to see more women out on the water, sharing their passion for the adventure.

“I think that’s exciting to see, that more and more women are getting out there,” she says. “I’d say long-term, it would be good to just continue to encourage more women to get out there and give it a try – take their kids fishing or friends or mom, and kind of celebrate in each other’s success.” W

Fila yellow Heritage zip back DRESS and K-Swiss deep V pleated DRESS

SINGLES

The active dress will never go out of bounds. These onepieces are lightweight so you can effortlessly glide across the court, serving balls and looks. Blue hues are especially popular, from icy to electric to classic navy. Bonus feature: Most athletic dresses have a built-in short so you’ll be covered at all times while

MIXED DOUBLES

Tennis skirts were all the rage last year, and whether you’re on the green or on the scene, the love is still going strong. From preppy to retro, there’s a match made for you. And having two pieces to play with can lead to some fun pairings. If you’re keeping the skirt simple, go for asymmetrical cuts or lively patterns up top like stripes or patchwork.

Lucky in Love TANK and SKIRT; Tail blue pleated SKIRT; Fila Bevans Park crop TANK; and Tail blue pleated SKIRT

court date

For those of us keeping the "athlete" in athleisure, we’ve got the goods for you. Here’s a look at what to wear when you’re as serious about your courtside manner as you are about brunch.

AD-INS

No game look is complete without the proper accessories. A visor will keep the good vibes in and the bad rays out. The best ones are made of a wicking material to help keep sweat out of your eyes. As for footwear, a mix of function and fashion is key. Court sports have a lot of side-to-side motion, calling for an outsole with lots of lateral stability. Pro-tip: Choose your kicks by what type of court you’re playing on –hard, clay, or grass.

Adidas Adizero

Ubersonic 4

SNEAKERS in crystal white and Adidas

Avacourt SNEAKERS in blue; both available at Tennis with Love

by Drewe and Kate Branding Co. + Nina Bays

Adidas spring floral print VISOR

by EMORY RAKESTRAW

photos by DARIA AMATO and DREWE AND KATE BRANDING CO.

Resistance Resilience Release

Resistance is a word you’ll often hear in a cycle class. Resistance is set by the rider, a turn of the knob to the right ups the resistance, whereas a turn to the left allows the pedals to flow more freely. Instructors refer to resistance like quicksand, your legs heavily pushing against a force that wants you to stop. For Prince, resistance plays a critical role while instructing her riders at her open-air cycle studio, Recess by Bevin.

The motion and method to keep pushing through – even when all forces align to prevent just that – causes one to look within, to find resilience, and believe in themselves for just a bit. Prince knows a thing or two about resilience.

“We lost a (Recess) tent in a tropical storm and obviously the biggest hit to our (Recess) family was losing my husband last summer. I can’t even explain to you the way everyone rallied around us,” Prince says. “The first thing I learned was that you don’t have to do it alone, and that’s one of the greatest things. Wilmington and Recess were there holding my hand, and it

After a devastating loss, Bevin Prince is pushing forward with resilience

made it easier to get up and move.”

In July of 2022, Prince’s husband, WILLIAM FRIEND, was tragically struck by lightning while boating off of Masonboro Island.

Alongside that jarring tragedy, gyms had steadily reopened and COVID regulations relaxed; Recess seemed destined for a new chapter away from its foundation of open-air tents and bikes dutifully placed 6 feet apart during the pandemic. It might have seemed easier to continue Recess in its current form or to shelter from the world amid a great loss. Yet, she chose to pedal against the resistance, carrying her into a season of resilience.

In her journey through grief, Prince credits the strength of community alongside her parents and Recess Community Directors, CALLAN BUSH and EMILY LAWLER. “I’m surrounded by an incredible group of humans,” Prince says. “My parents are amazing and live half a mile down the road. My employees, Emily and Callan, were the ones who slept in bed with me for three-four months. They made sure I ate something and took care of myself. It made it really easy for me to show back up and teach again because I needed Recess more than Recess will ever need me.”

Through her healing journey, which she says will be a lifelong process, she has learned fundamental tools she now brings to each class. Movement and breathwork played a vital role, alongside community.

“I’ve tried to stretch in my own right and learned new skills to grow this business even more than what it is,” Prince says. “Knowing there’s a place where people can heal and celebrate is a lot of motivation to me.”

Community is a word Prince commonly comes back to. During the pandemic, Recess was started by Prince and Friend as a source of togetherness.

Prince, who graduated from the University of North Carolina Wilmington and starred in four seasons of locally filmed One Tree Hill, had returned to Wilmington from New York at the start of the pandemic for a “short trip,” but Friend fell in love with the

indoor CYCLING

Let’s just get one thing straight: In an indoor cycling class your sweat will be flowing like the Kenan Memorial Fountain so choose your gear wisely. First and foremost, you NEED a padded short. And yes, even if you feel you are “naturally padded” in that area, this is a must. These specialized shorts have a thin chamois built-in to cushion your sitz bones and help reduce the dreaded chafing.

You can wear whatever workout top you feel most comfortable in, as long as it is moisture-wicking and breathable. (Note that cotton can get itchy and damp very quickly, two things you don’t want to deal with during your ride.)

If you’re really going Peloton pro, a pair of indoor cycling shoes may be a worthy investment. These shoes have a stiff sole and “clip-in” to the pedals for more control.

Long line energy SPORTS BRA in true navy by Lululemon, LEGGINGS in true navy by Lululemon, and Simply Layer PULLOVER by Free People Movement, all available from THRIVE Activewear

town and atmosphere. Both flexed their creative muscles to create an open-air cycle studio with bikes and speakers in tow.

Recess became a place of community amid a world of isolation. Riders were encouraged to share special details, to form friendships within and outside of class. All levels of athleticism and skill were comfortable in a Recess class. Prince notes attendees continued to show up because they craved and enjoyed their newfound community focused on health and wellness.

“I can promise you no matter what your fitness or cycling experience is, we got you. It’s such an intimidating thing, especially cycling, that’s very niche,” she says. “We will get you set up and comfortable. Our method and thought process is we want you to do what you need today. We don’t have gauges or numbers or ask you to compete. We just ask you to push yourself to breathe and release tension and celebrate all the things; it’s a really special thing that we’ve built.”

Prince is now riding into a new chapter of Recess and relocating to an indoor studio by late summer.

She’s looking forward to expanded class offerings, ten additional bikes, and hiring a few new instructors. She has coined it the “anti-gym” flush with color and exposed wood beams, a place of peace that is inviting to all. As she continues to plant stronger roots in Wilmington, she can’t imagine being anywhere else.

“I’m never leaving,” she says.

The past year for Prince has lent direct opportunities for resistance. Yet, she continues to choose resilience, a lesson one learns intrinsically from cycling, and for Prince, from her late husband. “The thing about my husband, he was an incredibly resilient man and understood that every failure, every adversity is there to guide you forward and help you grow in some way,” she says. “Knowing that and really starting to understand that gave me no other option but to get up and move forward and do what I can to learn and be vulnerable in all aspects.” W

yoga

GEAR

Like any other workout gear, the keys to a good yoga outfit are breathability and stretch. Starting with your basic yoga bottoms, look for a snug pant or short with a foldable or highrise waist. This will help avoid any riding up or rolling down during your asanas. (And make sure to check the see-through factor before you buy!)

For tops, steer clear of anything too billowy, especially if your practice involves a lot of inversions. Consider a form-fitting tank or top with a built-in bra. You can even sport a sports bra solo and layer it with a light shirt, which comes in handy during warmups and cooldowns.

If you like to get extra cozy during your savasana, bring along a pair of thick socks to complete your final moments of Zen.

SPORTS BRA and bike SHORTS in violet dust and outdoor trainer SHELL by Vuori Clothing, both available from THRIVE Activewear; SUNGLASSES, available from Pipton

LOCATIONS:

athleisure WEAR

Athleisure wear is no longer a trend – it is a way of life. The good news is, anything goes here as long as you are comfy and confident. You can easily go from the gym to running a few errands in a great pair of drawstring shorts and a cool quarter-zip.

STYLING: Drewe and Kate Branding Co.

STYLING TIPS: Nina Bays

Perfectly oversized cropped CREW by Lululemon and Clementine SHORTS by Vuori Clothing, both available from THRIVE Activewear

HAIR & MAKEUP: Pipton WARDROBE: THRIVE Activewear

Wrightsville Beach Carleigh Sion mural; Adapt Kitchen & Juice Bar, 32 North Lumina Avenue

LUXURY HOME GOODS STORE

Store Hours:

Monday & Tuesday - By Appointment

Wednesday - Saturday - 11am - 4pm

Sunday - Closed

2007 DAWSON ST. (corner of Dawson/Wrightsville Ave.)

Running

by LYNDA VAN KUREN

the

FIELD

Three Wilmington women are taking the sport of running to new levels. ANN MARIE PIERCE is an elite runner who will be competing in the 2024 Olympic Time Trials. BRYNN SHEFFIELD is one of the University of North Carolina Wilmington’s fastest runners and is making a name for herself and the school. And KARYN OETTING is an avid runner who is building on the area’s ultramarathon scene. Each of these women has overcome challenges and/or forged new paths in running. Their stories can inspire everyone who is pursuing a goal, whether it be in running, another sport, the arts, a hobby, or their profession.

From speed sprints to long miles, these athletes bring dedication and focus to be at the top of their game

UPto speed

photos by DARIA AMATO

One of the tenets ANN MARIE PIERCE lives by is that people should use their gifts and help others to do the same. Guided by that philosophy, Pierce has pursued her talent for running with discipline and passion, and that has led to her latest success: qualifying for the U.S. Olympic Trials in February 2024.

“I believe everyone has a reason for who they are, and if they hone their focus on what they are good at and put effort into it, they can’t go wrong,” Pierce says.

To reach her level of success, Pierce has persevered when others would have given up.

She has overcome multiple stress fractures and tendonitis as well as an eating disorder that impacted her health.

Pierce also had to conquer her belief that she wasn’t good enough to qualify for the Olympic Trials. In fact, though Pierce trains intensely and regularly competes, the trials weren’t even on her radar.

That changed four years ago when Pierce’s time in the 2019 Wilmington Marathon was just 10 seconds shy of the Olympic Trials qualifying time. Pierce, at the urging of her coach, decided to aim for the 2024 Olympic Trials. Then, the Olympic officials lowered the qualifying threshold to 2 hours and 37 minutes for the women’s marathon, 8 minutes faster than what was needed to qualify in the 2020 trials.

“It was crazy to think I could run that much faster,” Pierce says.

Nevertheless, Pierce decided to go for it, and her time of 2:36:17 at the Wilmington Marathon in February put her in the running for the upcoming Olympic Trials (and only 2 seconds behind the top overall finisher at the Wilmington Marathon).

As a mother with two children and a full-time teaching job, Pierce made some major life changes to prepare for this latest challenge. Though she still coaches the student running club she founded, Pierce gave up teaching to work at home. Even so, her days start at 4 a.m., so she can run and do strength training. When necessary, she pushes her kids in a double stroller to get all her runs in. To ensure she’ll be in top form for the 2024 trials, Pierce’s workout schedule will get even more intense in July.

“I had to make changes for it to work for my family,” she says. Pierce’s goals for the Olympic trials are to finish as one of the top fifty runners and to run as well as she possibly can.

“I am excited to represent all the moms out there, and I’ll do my best,” Pierce says. “That’s all you can do. The people who give their best effort are as admirable as the first-place winners.” W

in

theRUNlong

photos by MADELINE GRAY

ARYN OETTING loves trail running and ultramarathons. While trail running brings her that sense of peace and serenity that can only be found in nature, ultramarathons challenge her grit–does she have what it takes to complete those 32, 50, or 100 or more miles? At the same time, ultramarathons give Oetting a sense of camaraderie and fun.

Unfortunately, Oetting often has to travel to South Carolina or Virginia to participate in those extralong races. To remedy that situation, she and her partner, TONY MCCARTY, decided to bring more ultramarathons to the Port City.

“We’re trying to provide an alternative to other running options in Wilmington, one that compliments the running community,” says Oetting, who also has participated in another long-haul local race, the Southern Tour Ultra, which started in 2016.

Now, through their organization, Punk Rock Ultra, Oetting and McCarty are hosting a timed race that is open to runners of all abilities.

The first one takes place in November, and quickly sold out when registration opened earlier this year. Runners complete a 4.5-mile loop winding through Carolina Beach State Park as many times as they wish over 16 hours. Competitive runners can rack up the miles by running the course multiple times; the more laid-back runners can mosey along, enjoy the scenery, chat with their fellow runners, and take a snack break along the way.

The 16-hour finish time is long enough to ensure runners will not face the dreaded “Did Not Finish” designation, and everyone who completes even one loop, whether they run, walk, or crawl it, is a finisher, says Oetting. There are patches for those who complete the race and prizes for those who run the most miles.

For Oetting and McCarty, both of whom work full-time jobs, putting the ultramarathon together has been a labor of love. In addition to setting up logistics and marketing, they had to get the necessary permits for the race. One of their hardest jobs was convincing wary park rangers that the runners would take proper care of the park, according to Oetting. Oetting hopes this will be the first of four ultramarathons that Punk Rock Ultras will host annually.

“This style of race will make the concept of the ultra, which is popular nationwide, more accessible to the average, everyday runner in Wilmington,” Oetting says. “It’s geared to the runners who don’t fit in elsewhere. It’s irreverent and fun. … It’ll be nice to have that in our own backyard.” W

photos by TERAH HOOBLER

F thefast TRACK

or BRYNN SHEFFIELD, UCNW was the perfect place. By signing with the UNCW track and field team, she could participate in a sport she loved while pursuing her major of marine biology.

“I signed with UNCW, and it was the best decision I ever made,” says Sheffield, a graduate student.

Events beyond her control, however, derailed Sheffield’s running career. In her freshman year, UNCW students were sent home for four months when Hurricane Florence hit. That knocked her out of competitions.

Then, in Sheffield’s sophomore year, COVID came along. UNCW students were sent home, and Sheffield was sidelined again. She couldn’t even train properly. As the only track available to Sheffield was made of concrete, speedwork was out of the question. The sprinter’s workouts were confined to jogging. And, Sheffield admits, she wasn’t as disciplined as she could have been.

With her running seasons put on hold for two years, Sheffield was allowed to compete as a graduate student. It’s an opportunity she plans to take full advantage of.

“In the past three years I had a taste of what I’m capable of doing,” she says. “I want to see what I can do with another full year.”

Now Sheffield is facing another challenge – the need to prove her mettle in the short time she has left to compete. As a result, Sheffield puts a lot of pressure on herself, striving for personal bests in every race.

To reach that goal, Sheffield maintains a grueling schedule. She works out with her coach for an hour, then attends two-hour practice sessions, and finishes off with an hour of weightlifting. The next day, Sheffield does it all again.

As a result, Sheffield is sweeping up wins in her specialties, the 200- and 400-meter dash and 4 x 100 relay. This April, Sheffield, with her 4 x 100 relay team, also broke UNCW’s record for the race, and she is on UNCW’s list of top 10 fastest athletes for both its indoor and outdoor track seasons.

As much as Sheffield is personally driven to succeed, she also wants to win in homage to her friends and family who have supported her and because it benefits UNCW’s running program. When she scores big in meets, it attracts donors and trainers, and the team gets better facilities, Sheffield says.

“I like to go to every meet,” she says, “and show that UNCW has a really good track and field program.” W

Info: uncwsports.com/sports/womens-track-and-field

A good night’s sleep

by BETH A. KLAHRE | photo by TERAH HOOBLER

Regulate your sleep cycle. Be consistent with what time you go to bed and what time you wake up. Watch the sun rise and set. The colors help regulate your circadian rhythm. Limit electronic device time to at least 30 minutes before bed. Sleep with no lights at night and get direct sunlight when you wake up in the morning.

That’s wise sleep advice from PALLAVI SARAF, who opened her Wilmington-based practice, Magnolia Sleep Solutions, in February focused on improving sleep through proper diagnosis and treatment of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.

“This specialty is a cumulation of everything I love,” Saraf says.

Her degree in integrative physiology from the University of Colorado Boulder set the stage for looking at the body as a whole. Her doctorate in dental medicine from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston gave her a deep understanding of the head and neck and an appreciation of how tactile and objective dentistry is.

“If there is a problem, I use my knowledge and hands to fix it and see results,” she says.

Her personal journey in health and wellness showed her how imperative it is to take care of one’s own health.

Originally from Marietta, Georgia, Saraf grew up getting a firsthand perspective of medicine assisting her father, an endodontist, who she says has also been incredibly supportive of her journey into sleep apnea treatment.

“I first became interested in sleep because I had many dental patients

with clenching, grinding, and jaw pain. Digging deeper into the causes, I realized that sleep is a huge component in these symptoms and in overall wellness. I became fascinated with the benefits of a good night’s rest,” she says.

Saraf points out that 85% of individuals with sleep apnea don’t realize they have apnea or how it affects their overall health, which can include cardiovascular, immune, endocrine, and mental health issues. Her practice focuses on oral appliance therapy to mitigate mild-to-moderate obstructive sleep apnea using FDA-approved mandibular advancement devices.

Each patient is custom fit to an appliance. After finding the perfect, comfortable spot, the efficacy of the appliance is tested with a diagnostic home sleep test. Saraf pointed out other advantages: The appliance doesn’t require energy, is easy to travel with, is covered by insurance, and can be considered an alternative or adjunct to a CPAP.

Saraf has years of continuing education focused on sleep, breath, and airway from the International Academy of Sleep, The Breathe Institute, Nierman Practice Management, and the American Academy of Facial Esthetics among others. Her aim is to bring well-

rounded custom care to her patients.

“Each program has taught me a valuable perspective and enabled me to form amazing connections with other providers. It takes a lot of training to hone this skill set because there are different types of sleep apnea, solutions, and medical providers involved in diagnosis and treatment,” she says.

Grateful to call Wilmington her home after relocation for a job after dental school, Saraf visited Airlie Gardens, which inspired the name of her practice. “The magnolias looked so beautiful. I learned that magnolia bark was used as an ancient sleep aid and although magnolias are considered classically southern, they actually originated from the East. I put the name to a vote with friends and family, and Magnolia Sleep Solutions won,” she recalls.

DANI HOLCOMB is Saraf’s chief operations officer. Holcomb has worked in the dental field for many years and has clinical and front-office experience.

“Most importantly, Dani is a wonderful person who makes sure patients have a positive experience. She was the first person I thought of when I decided to open my practice. We all need a Dani in our lives,” Saraf says.

Saraf considers herself a lifelong learner in her field. “I always have my nose in a book, a podcast in my queue, and a course to attend on the horizon,” she says.

She intends to learn more about the benefits of good rest in today’s culture and be a part of that dialogue.

“I believe we are an overstimulated and under-rested society. By raising awareness about sleep, we can increase overall wellness,” Saraf says. Saraf also works to educate others on sleep apnea signs, sleep cycles, and overall wellness that can contribute to a better night’s sleep.

“I am looking forward to collaborating with other providers and businesses in town to provide a holistic approach,” she says. “Seeing patients stop snoring, get restful sleep, and move back into the same bedroom as their partner makes me so happy. I would love to help good sleep be a priority for everybody.” W

MARCH 15 • THE WILSON CENTER CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF

WILMA

photo by Madeline Gray

We celebrated WILMA’s 20th Anniversary and launched the redesigned magazine with 300 of our closest friends at CFCC’s Wilson Center on March 15.

The quotes are excerpts from a special anniversary video produced by Honey Head Films. To see the full video, go to WILMA's YouTube channel.

You’ve got health and beauty and fitness, financial information, community information, so that’s a resource. Then, they broadened it into the WILMA Network.”

I arrived to Wilmington by myself for an opportunity at the local university and was looking for a sense of community to ground me, and WILMA has been that anchor for me.”

- Sherri Shaw, WILMA Institute alum

- Donna Esteves, WILMA Advisory Board member

photos by Madeline Gray

It has been the most amazing experience serving on the WILMA Advisory Board, being in the room with a lot of powerful women where we just open up, share ideas, but also celebrate each other. I think that’s what WILMA represents for our community – celebrating women, recognizing women, telling (their) stories.”

- Wanda Coley, WILMA Advisory Board member

I had never envisioned the events that WILMA sponsors. I envisioned a magazine, and it’s much more than that now.”

- Joy Allen, WILMA founder

editors’ picks

Over the past twenty years, WILMA’s covers have covered a range of topics – from art pieces in the magazine’s early years to notable women to fun local spots to stylish looks. Here’s a few of them through the lens of recent WILMA editors and art directors.

Alison Lee SATAKE

WILMA CO-EDITOR

2011-2012, STAFF WRITER

FROM 2009

CURRENT JOB: Mayo Clinic senior communications specialist for biomedical research; Satake now lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana

COVER PICK: July 2012

“I have so many fond memories of WILMA cover concepts and photo shoots. One of my favorites was the July 2012 issue featuring Port City songstress Bibis Ellison for the ‘Dark Nights, Bright Stars’ story featuring some of the soulful musicians who make Wilmington such a special place. I think I remember Nina Bays art directed this photo shoot for photographer extraordinaire Jeff Janowski, who captured gorgeous images of Bibis Ellison around some of our favorite places in town. The synergy of creativity was so fun and inspiring!”

Nina BAYS

WILMA CO-EDITOR/ART DIRECTOR 2011-2017, GRAPHIC DESIGNER FROM 2010

CURRENT JOB: Creative director/production director, Los Angeles Business Journal and San Fernando Valley Business Journal; in Los Angeles

COVER PICK: May 2013

“Part of the excitement of working on WILMA was there was always something new to discover. For this issue, we delved into the world of female boxing with Ebony Marshall and her colleagues at Port City Boxing & Fitness. The cover, shot by Keith Ketchum, was dynamic and visually captivating. Through the accompanying article ‘Pulling No Punches’ and ringside images of bouts, we were able to tell the story of these women who were not only powerful in body, but mind and spirit as well. Truly inspirational.”

WILMA ART DIRECTOR 2017-NOW

COVER PICK: March 2021

“Fresh flowers, vintage dresses, and an eclectic and boldly colorful backdrop – this cover and the interior fashion feature checks so many of my personal style boxes. In March 2021, many of us were still working from home, stuck inside, and responsibly avoiding crowds. This rich scene, deliciously saturated in all things spring, was a visual breath of fresh air. Photographed and styled by Drewe and Kate Branding Co. at the fun and creative home of Chad Keith, the shoot for ‘Retro Revival’ was flooded with fresh florals from Designs by Dillon and vintage florals from Second Skin Vintage and Jess James + Co. It’s like a recipe for happy.”

Vicky JANOWSKI

WILMA CO-EDITOR 20122017; EDITOR 2017-NOW

COVER PICK: April 2022

“Over the past decade, there are many covers that stand out for me, such as the annual Women to Watch Awards covers and a 2013 cover of local film stuntwoman Tina Wanner doing action-packed (and even flaming) shots. That one was memorable because of getting to know Wanner at her home during the shoot, and she was one cool lady. A recent favorite cover is from April 2022, highlighting several local women with successful podcasts. Using a ring light, photographer Daria Amato framed them in a unique way, and story subjects Demia Avery, Ashley Futral Chapman, Stephanie Lanier, and Sheri Shaw were game to play along. It’s always fun for us to go from idea to print and see it work out even better than we envisioned.”

WHAT TO DO IF A FACELIFT IS OFF THE TABLE

ealizing that 80 percent of aesthetic treatments are non-incisional, meaning surgery is not required, Aleta Sloan - PAC has built a small, but mighty practice. Tucked away on the second floor of Lumina Station, United Medical and Aesthetics (UM&A) could rival most of the ‘medspas’ in Beverly Hills. Aleta strives to offer the most advanced laser technology and innovative injectables available to clients in Wilmington, which is the hometown of her husband, Timothy Sloan DVM, MD.

With a variety of skin care treatments and lasers available, it can be difficult to figure out which ones are worth your time and money. To provide game changing results, Aleta helps you decide what treatments are best to achieve your goals if surgery is off the table. So what are your options?

Aleta breaks down aging into two major areas. Skin quality is the first major area, and around 50 percent of facial aging is related to it. The second major area is the structure of the face, and in this case, facial aging is related to volume loss and laxity.

At UM&A, we focus on enhancing the skin quality of our patients by emphasizing sun protection, active and prescriptive ingredient skin care, and by combining lasers with injectable treatments. If the treatments are started in your 20s, it’s possible to completely change the trajectory of your aging. But regardless of your age, it’s never too late to return to a more youthful look.

chin, temples and jawline. Laxity, however, cannot be truly remedied by fillers alone. The risk of overfilling and ending up with a puffy appearance to the face is real. Depending on the degree of laxity, certain lasers using radio frequency, micro needling and biostimulators—or a combination of these—can be used to deliver excellent results, whether you’re in your 30s or your 80s. There are before and after photos on Aleta’s Instagram, @ aletasloanthepa, and the results are compelling.

When there is moderate to severe laxity of the face and neck, non-surgical techniques are not always satisfactory. In cases where Aleta believes the Morpheus8, CO2, fillers or biostimulator treatments she offers will be ineffective, she refers patients to a board-certified plastic surgeon.

If a facelift is truly off the table, there are multiple modalities that can be used to achieve near-surgical results for appropriate candidates. A few of these include skin tightening with Morpheus8, skin resurfacing with TetraCO2, for fine and deep wrinkles, pigmentation, poor texture, and acne scars, and Nordlys IPL and Frax for vascular changes, scars, and wrinkles. By combining these options with biostimulators, hyaluronic acid, filers, and medical grade skin care, it is possible to achieve amazing results.

UnitedMedicalAndAesthetics@gmail.com

UM&A offers Elta MD, Revision's Skin Care, Obaji SkinCeuticals, Anti-Age, PRP, stem cells and exosomes. Aleta offers all the neurotoxins and FDA fillers on the market. To provide her clients with the best possible benefit, she prefers fillers with less cross-linking and inflammatory actions, along with bio simulators that provide maximum lift, but also help build collagen and elastin, such as Radiesse and Sculptra. A variety of methods can be used to address volume loss and laxity. When used appropriately and modestly, these can reduce the negative appearance of volume deficits in the mid-face,

Aleta trademark is “Where Medicine Meets Beauty,” and she leverages 30 years of medical knowledge in aesthetic care to make you beautiful from the inside out.

Aleta Sloan, Founder, Owner, and Chief Practitioner for United Medical and Aesthetics. Aleta graduated from one of the country's original PA programs and, at 23, became the first PA in Eastern NC. She has maintained her privileges at Carolina East Medical Center for 30 years and has been committed to serving her community in Internal Medicine, Cardiology, and Aesthetic medicine.

EMBODIED HEALING

Lemon Tree Wellness launches accessible wellness studio

by LYNDA VAN KUREN photo by ARIS HARDING

STEPHANIE VLAD, the owner of Lemon Tree Wellness & Consulting, uses mindfulness and movement as well as cognitive therapy to help people overcome the hardballs life throws their way.

Vlad, who is trained in acceptance and commitment therapy, also offers embodiment classes – classes that use movement to foster self-growth – to community members.

“It’s a way to help people who can’t afford therapy or don’t have the time to have regular sessions,” Vlad says. “It’s a way for them to feel and process their emotions in different ways. They get the benefits of therapy but not therapy.”

As Vlad is naturally empathetic and

has always been intrigued by the brain and how it works, she decided early on to pursue psychotherapy as a profession.

Vlad earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Georgia Southern University and her master’s degree in clinical psychology from the University of North Carolina Wilmington.

Upon graduation, Vlad treated patients in community mental health agencies, substance abuse treatment facilities, and eating disorder treatment centers.

However, Vlad wanted to offer more in-depth assistance to her patients than she could in those settings, and in 2017 she opened Lemon Tree Wellness & Consulting.

“I noticed a lot of gaps in treatment,” Vlad says. “There were gaps in services and educational opportunities.”

At Lemon Tree, Vlad uses numerous therapeutic strategies to fill in those gaps. In addition to analysis, she incorporates

meditation, breathing exercises, and yoga or other movement exercises into her clients’ treatment.

She also teaches her clients new, constructive ways to handle negative or harmful thoughts.

“My clients learn to observe their thoughts without judgment,” Vlad says. “Instead of saying, ‘I need to change this thought,’ they learn to reframe it, to say, ‘This thought doesn’t define me,’ and then to shift their focus to another thought that better serves them.”

Using these techniques, Vlad helps patients struggling with a wide variety of issues, including anxiety disorders, addictions, life transitions, entrepreneurship, and perinatal and other issues that can impact women (self-confidence, body image, boundaries, assertiveness, and achieving balance).

Though Vlad offers individual, couples, family, and group therapy, she found

that she couldn’t fit more patients into her schedule – a fact that was unacceptable.

To remedy the situation, Vlad launched the Lemon Tree Wellness Collective Embodiment Studio this year.

There, she, along with other mindful wellness practitioners, offers workshops and classes that use the body and movement to help community members increase self-awareness and self-acceptance.

Vlad’s classes, which consist of mindful movement, journaling or painting, and discussion, are a place where participants can safely deal with past trauma and any difficult emotions that may emerge.

“If something is really heavy, I will work through things with that person,” Vlad says. “Or, if everyone feels that same way, it makes sense to talk about it together.”

Vlad currently teaches a mindful mornings and a self-compassion class, and she plans to add a mothers’ support group.

The biggest benefits of the embodiment classes are that they are supportive and they let people know they are not alone, according to Vlad.

“This isn’t called therapy,” Vlad adds. “It’s community and support.”

Vlad’s profile appeared in a recent WILMA Wellness newsletter. Here are some other stories that have been featured in the daily newsletters. To sign up for the free emails, go to wilmamag.com/email-newsletter.

This new startup tackles food waste

RACHELLE MCCRAY’s various former roles, from Miss Arizona to NFL cheerleader to host of a QVC show, have set her up for her newest endeavor as the founder of a new startup tackling food waste.

The Phoenix, Arizona, native and Wilmington resident founded Wisely Inc. in 2021. The company’s origin comes from what she describes as a problem in her kitchen prompting her to seek a solution.

“I had just gotten married, and I was only cooking for two people. I found that I would go to the grocery store, and I would come home with the same items I already had. Things were getting shoved in the back of the fridge, and I couldn’t remember when we put away the leftovers,” McCray says. “I was frustrated because I don’t like throwing food away.”

Turning Clicks Into Clients.

That’s when she started searching for a way to track her leftovers.

Wisely creates a smart, food storage container system with the goal of reducing food waste. The first iteration of the product is aimed at helping consumers track their perishables and their dietary habits.

What makes the containers “smart” is the use of hardware, software, and IoT sensors.

“We have a smart storage container that you can use in your kitchen to track the time your leftovers have been stored. We also took our product one step further by adding a software product, known as our companion app, which enables users to see what’s going on with their leftovers when they’re not in the kitchen,” McCray says. “And then we have the IoT sensors that are helping us track what’s actually going on inside of your storage container.”

Carolina Candy builds sweet traditions

At Carolina Candy Company, a love of baking, cooking, and creating incomparable sweets is a family tradition.

Owners KIMBERLY and CHARLES SMITH opened the shop doors in 2007, and the space has become a place to discover the latest in the chocolate, toffee, and confection trade. Originally a baker, Kimberly Smith ran her own bakery for many years.

The Smiths’ daughters LAUREN RICH and BROOKE HARRELL soon caught the baking bug, learning the trade – and the business – by following around mom’s apron strings. The mother-daughter trio, as they call themselves, have been creating gourmet toffees, chocolates, and innovative candies for almost two decades.

The original plan, says Kimberly Smith, was to open a bakery/candy store combo. The candy went so well, however, that they decided to expand to chocolates and confections.

These days, Carolina Candy Company, at 1045-B South Kerr Avenue in Wilmington, is best known for a wide array of gourmet toffees.

Packaged in-house and delivered near and far, the shop’s wares are finding a wider and wider audience. Local traffic abounds at the South Kerr location, but Carolina Candy Company is shipped both nationwide and overseas.

spring, tree leaves unfold and flowers blossom and plants thrive with daylight in the summer. These seasons also bring lots of outdoor air inside and with it dust, pollen and allergens. The Maids of Wilmington is a residential cleaning business with professionals aimed at getting your house sparkling clean. The Maids franchise utilizes a deep cleaning process and consists of a four person team to divide the cleaning functions and make homes sparkle.

Andrea Caro is a co-owner with her husband John in The Maids of Wilmington which has been in business since 2013. Andrea invested in the franchise as she wanted to build a business that she is proud of while helping families have access to convenient and time-saving services. Her goal is to help families keep their homes clean and free up their busy schedules. As a result of this goal, Andrea and John were awarded one of the highest revenue growth in 2022 by The Maids International. The Maids International is the franchisor of the home service brand “The Maids.” The Maids is the quality leader among house cleaning services in the industry, with franchise and companyowned locations in over 40 U.S. states and three Canadian provinces.

Andrea has a professional background in Organizational Change Management and provides leadership, mentoring and direction to business leaders on how to influence behavior. She believes in enabling organizations to collaborate and foster diverse and inclusive work environments which is her approach with The Maids. She has a Masters degree in Education and Bachelors degree in Spanish and Sociology with a minor in psychology both from Virginia Tech. She is a native of Chile and bilingual and has found her background to be invaluable to helping mentor the staff of The Maids.

The Maids International approach divides the cleaning functions into

kitchens, baths, vacuuming and dusting from top to bottom. The staff removes buildup from kitchen and baths and pays special attention to high touch areas where families gather and spend most of their time together. Andrea ensures that the cleaning products are environmentally friendly and safe for families and pets.

It’s important to Andrea to offer flexible services year round so The Maids has seasonal, regular maintenance or just one time deep cleans. There are no contracts required and cleanings can be set up on a recurring day and time frame. In addition, The Maids extends promotional cleanings throughout the year which can be extended to friends and families. We will customize cleaning services to meet your family’s needs and make your house sparkle.

Giving back to the community is also important to Andrea and John as business owners. The Maids partners with Bread For Life, an all volunteer organization in Wilmington, which focuses on helping seniors in the community to enhance their health and well being. The Maids provides free cleaning services to seniors in need. In addition, The Maids Wilmington franchise supports the Maid to Care non-profit which supplies resources to employees who have financial emergencies.

Andrea has a passion for helping others develop and enhance their skills and adapt to changes in their lives. She is an Organizational Development professional and is known and appreciated for driving and influencing cultural initiatives. Andrea enjoys walking on the beach with her husband John and their puggle Hudson.

A CLEAN HOUSE IS A HAPPY ONE

WILMA Online

Keep up with WILMA all week long, through our website, daily emails, and social media.

Sign up for WILMA’s daily emails at wilmamag.com/email-newsletter. Here’s the weekly lineup:

MONDAY IS WILMA LEADERSHIP, with profiles on the region’s leading women, their business, personal, and career advice, as well as highlights on women who are making moves.

TUESDAY IS WILMA PLUGGING IN, with ways to connect, from getting involved with groups to creating stronger engagement. On Tuesdays, as WILMA celebrates twenty years, we also look back at previous stories to see where people are now.

WEDNESDAY IS WILMA WELLNESS, where you can read about the latest fitness and health trends, as well as profiles on women in the wellness industry and get recipes and workouts from chefs and trainers in the community.

THURSDAY IS IN THE LOOP, highlighting WILMA’s upcoming events and Women to Watch Leadership Initiative announcements and programming to keep on your radar.

FRIDAY IS WILMA DOWNTIME, where we give you a backstage pass to upcoming shows and events in the community. You can also expect profiles and Q&As with local artists and highlights on the latest entertainment and leisure activities around town to get ready for the weekend.

RECENT Email stories

Art film of

THE LOCAL TEAM BEHIND A NEW DOCUMENTARY SHORT

by ELIZABETH WHITE | photo by ALLISON JOYCE

CHRISTINA CAPRA, KAREN PADEN CROUCH, and JESSIE ROBERTSON are the names and faces behind such a project. They are all artists associated with Wilmington’s Art in Bloom Gallery, owned by AMY GRANT and producer of the documentary.

Capra, who served as director, came to the Wilmington area because of her dad, Frank Capra Jr., who ran EUE/Screen Gems Studios. She attended the University of North Carolina Wilmington and graduated as a film studies major. A California native, Capra decided to stay in the area after graduating.

She spends her time at Art in Bloom mentoring interns, promoting local artists, and working as a videographer on the side. Her “dream is to be a director,” which was no doubt influenced by her childhood. She fondly remembers “running wild around the studio as a little girl.” Film sets were a magical experience for her. “I especially enjoyed the set of Black Knight, because they built a life-size castle and moat on the back lot,” she recalls.

Capra made her directing debut with a short film about Art in Bloom painter and collage artist

Elizabeth Darrow in 2020. The documentary was accepted into both the Cucalorus and DocuTime film festivals.

Her next big foray was the Karen Crouch documentary, which she began working on in 2022. The film presents an “honest reflection on how welding transformed a former trial lawyer after several traumatic experiences.” Crouch decided to make a major life decision switching from lawyer to artist almost twenty years ago. Her “office” became her studio, and she continues to transform bronze, copper, and steel into unique, organic pieces for the house and garden. A passionate gardener, Crouch bases her work around the structure and movement of living things.

Capra had admired Crouch’s art for a while and was drawn to telling her story. “I was thrilled when Karen agreed to be a participant in the film,” Capra says. “Karen makes her art by welding bronze, which is not something you see every day. She speaks so eloquently about her work and was incredible on camera.”

Crouch was genuinely surprised and pleased that Capra and editor

A public screening of the film short, Karen Paden Crouch: In the Land of Make Believe is part of an Art in Bloom Gallery special event, which also includes a question-andanswer session with the artists and filmmakers along with a reception.

INFO: aibgallery.com/events/film-screenings

OPPOSITE PAGE (from left): Karen Paden Crouch: In the Land of Make Beliver director Christina Capra, artist Karen Paden Crouch, and film editor Jessie Robertson at Art in Bloom Gallery

Making a film requires a group effort, and the locally made Karen Paden Crouch: In the Land of Make Believe reflects just that.

THALIAN HALL | 2-5 pm | JUNE 25

Robertson, two younger artists, “found something interesting in my work.

Christina and Jessie exude enthusiasm and promise,” Crouch says. “It was great fun to watch them work and see their world through younger eyes.”

The sculptor says she was truly humbled to be featured and let Capra and Robertson follow their creative vision. Crouch did not see the film until it was done and submitted.

“It was their work, and I trusted them,” she says.

Robertson met Capra in 2019 as an intern at Art in Bloom. The UNCW student credits Capra with introducing her to the field of filmmaking. Robertson has since worked with Capra making artist videos and documentary shorts, including the Karen Crouch documentary. Having met Crouch and being familiar with her work, the film project gave Robertson the chance to dig deeper into who Crouch was as an artist and bring the audience along on her journey.

“Karen had such vivid stories to tell about her work,” Robertson says. “Truly, mine and Christina’s greatest difficulty in creating the film was having to cut so many excellent narratives.”

The film was selected to premiere at the Cucalorus Film Festival and has been accepted to the LA Independent Women Film Awards among other film festivals. The project took a few months to make, including numerous sessions of Robertson interviewing Crouch, filming at the sculptor’s studio as well as Airlie Gardens for the nature shots.

“It means a lot to me to be the director on this project, and I am blown away by the reception it has received on the film festival circuit,” Capra says.

“I am delighted for Christina and Jessie. Out of hours and hours of interviews, they chose what resonated with them. This is truly their art,” Crouch adds. “Mine was just the story they chose to tell, and they are being honored because of how they decided to tell it.” W

Idle Talk

IT’S A QUIRK OF HUMAN NATURE THAT WE’RE NOT-SO-INTERESTED IN OTHERS’ EASE. TELL THE STORY OF YOUR OCEAN CRUISE WITH GOURMET DINING AND PERFECT WEATHER, AND YOU’RE MET WITH YAWNS AND RESENTMENT. BUT RECOUNT A CRUISE WHERE THE TOILETS QUIT WORKING AND YOU WERE FORCED TO DO YOUR BUSINESS IN A 5-GALLON BUCKET, AND YOU’RE GUARANTEED A RAPT AUDIENCE.

So, if you’re a teacher who takes summers off (like me), you walk a razor’s edge. You can’t openly celebrate the joys of not working for three months. Trust me, your friends don’t want to know you were surfing sweet morning swell while they were lint-rolling their work slacks before yet another division meeting.

But you also can’t bemoan the challenges inherent in taking so much time off: The strict budgeting required to go three months without a paycheck or how by the end of 90 days with no fixed schedule, you tend to get a little out of sorts. Because you will receive exactly zero sympathy. It’s like a lottery winner complaining about her sudden windfall. Despite high rates of depression, addiction, and bankruptcy among jackpot winners, we all know that if we won that $100 million, we’d handle it just fine, thank you.

I don’t blame my working friends for their mixed feelings about my annual break from wage earning. In late July, when the Wilmington heat cranks up to Dante levels and my schedule consists of a morning surf sesh and an afternoon nap in the AC, if I run into a friend who did something productive that day, like close a big real estate deal or have a colonoscopy, I too question my idleness.

My feelings are further complicated by the fact that I teach a course in early American literature. As another summer nears, I can’t help but consider what our American literary ancestors might think of my annual season of leisure.

Early in the course, my students and I read accounts from Pilgrim and Puritan settlers. True, there were privileged loafers among the Pilgrims, men who’d ventured to the New World motivated by false reports of easy gold, who eschewed the hard work vital to establish a new settlement. As a result, almost half of the Pilgrims didn’t survive the first winter. Would the survivors have seen my time off as an existential threat?

And what about during the Salem witch hysteria? Would an overworked and resentful neighbor have accused me of putting my free time to wicked ends? Would I have been hanged or crushed by rocks with the other “witches”?

Mid-semester, we read from the autobiography of that early-to-bed, early-to-rise, original self-improvement guru

by DYLAN PATTERSON | illustration by MARK WEBER

Ben Franklin in which he shares the thirteen positive qualities, including industry, that he systematically strove to perfect in himself.

Franklin not only prized hard work but understood the value of demonstrating one’s industry to others. Rather than outsource delivery of his printing jobs, young Franklin carried his wheelbarrow through the streets himself to virtue signal his industriousness to his Philadelphia neighbors.

Would Franklin view my leisure as a personal weakness? Proof of moral imperfection? As anti-American? All of the above?

Thankfully, as summer nears, we turn our attention to American Romantic writers like Walt Whitman and Henry David Thoreau. Now here were guys who could appreciate the value of leisure. Uncle Walt openly celebrated unemployment in ecstatic free verse: “I loafe and invite my soul, / I lean and loafe at my ease observing a spear of summer grass.”

Thoreau famously lived for two years in a simple cabin by a pond doing a whole lot of nothing. In Walden, he espouses notions that to Franklin might have sounded positively un-American: “I wish to suggest that a man may be very industrious, and yet not spend his time well. There is no more fatal blunderer than he who consumes the greater part of his life getting his living.”

Thoreau’s neighbors dismissed him as a slacker. They didn’t use that word, of course, but we sure do now, and it’s instructive to break it down.

“Slack” means to have looseness, as in a rope or sail. Is it really so bad, when possible, to leave a little slack in your schedule? Must we always be so tight, so strained, so just-onthe-verge-of-breaking?

“Grind” is a hot word these days. Pop on social media for three minutes, and you’re bound to see a post from a friend at the gym or on the job celebrating their willingness to grind their way to success. What could be more antithetical to grinding than slacking?

In my defense, despite my appreciation of leisure, I have no plans to quit work entirely at sixty-five. I know from experience there’s no perfect happiness waiting for you when your working days are done. Instead, take work away, and you’re suddenly left with big chunks of free time during which you come face-to-face with the disquieting thoughts you’d used busyness to ignore for decades.

It seems to me that the answer isn’t to blindly follow either Franklin or Thoreau. Instead, in this overworked age, it’s to learn that there are times for slacking and times to grind.

Summers off or not, perhaps one true mark of wisdom is the ability to tell the one from the other.

Dylan Patterson is a writer and filmmaker who teaches English at Cape Fear Community College.

This month, CHRISTINA FULFORD – mom to four, business owner, and postpartum health advocate – goes for the crown. Fulford, who is the current Mrs. Wilmington America, competes for the state title and the chance to represent North Carolina in the Mrs. America pageant in Las Vegas in August. The UNCW international business alum started Fulford Construction in 2021, specializing in custom homes, new construction, and remodels for both commercial and residential projects.

HOW AND WHEN DID YOU FIRST GET INVOLVED WITH PAGEANT COMPETITIONS? “I was introduced (to) this particular pageant system by my friend, but I have been interested in participating in a pageant and representing my state ever since I was nominated for homecoming queen in high school. Having a successful business, a loving family, and a ton of support, now is just the perfect time to be able to live this dream in my life.” WHAT ARE SOME THINGS YOU’VE PERSONALLY TAKEN AWAY FROM THE EXPERIENCES? “I have gained self-worth, confidence, so much personal growth, and lifelong friendships.” HOW DID YOU GET TO WORK IN THE CONSTRUCTION FIELD? “My husband, Justin, is the owner of Fulford Heating & Cooling, so we already have a lot of

relationships with other subcontractors and builders. I worked with him a little bit in the industry, and we actually built our first house together in 2012 so I already had an understanding of what this industry requires. After my fourth baby, I decided to take the exam to become a licensed general contractor so that I can empower women to have confidence in making decisions for their home.” WHY IS REPRESENTING THE 4TH TRIMESTER MISSION GROUP IMPORTANT TO YOU? “I personally experience postpartum depression, and I understand how dark and lonely that can feel. It is my mission to help 120 women over this next year and eventually make 4th Trimester Mission a nationwide brand so that we can provide true healing and support, like mental health counseling, to new moms so that they can be better and feel better during motherhood.” CONFIDENCE IS IMPORTANT TO YOU AT WORK AND ON STAGE – WHAT ARE YOUR TIPS FOR OTHERS FOR PROJECTING CONFIDENCE IN WHAT THEY DO AS WELL? “Be confident in who you are! I am a firm believer that we are each created to be unique and exactly who we should be. An action step to increase confidence is to do something that you have always wanted to do, even if it feels a little scary. Reach for a big goal and work hard until you achieve it!” W

CHRISTINA FULFORD’s full profile will appear in an upcoming WILMA Roundup email. To sign up for daily WILMA emails, go to WILMAmag.com.

photo by TERAH HOOBLER

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