For as long as he can remember, Jeff has been fascinated by entrepreneurship. Prior to becoming the Director of Entrepreneurship at Venture Asheville, he graduated from the University of Florida with a Master’s degree in Entrepreneurship. He’s taught entrepreneurship, written a book about entrepreneurship, and is even an entrepreneur himself—selling one of his startups about two years ago.

Considering we’ve had a podcast about Asheville-based entrepreneurs for over a year, we’re about a year late in having Jeff on the show. We hope you’ll agree that the wait has been worth it.

Here’s What You’ll Learn in this Episode:

  • Jeff’s background story and many entrepreneurial endeavors
  • How Venture Asheville fits in Asheville’s Chamber of Commerce (ranked America’s top Chamber of Commerce this past year)
  • What Venture Asheville is, how it helps new businesses scale, and its three main programs, including mentorship, funding, and events
  • The core competencies of successful entrepreneurs based on real case studies that Jeff and his team have conducted
  • Resources for Asheville-based entrepreneurs and which ones are best for different stages of the business
  • What the goal of the Asheville Impact Micro-Grant program is and how to apply
  • Jeff also shares his pitches for three businesses he’s worked on in the past (and one he is currently working on now)

Enjoyed this interview? We think you might also dig this episode with Andrew Nehlig of Sauna House.


Show Notes

This episode is brought to you by Range Urgent Care an Asheville-based clinic that offers affordable healthcare, transparent pricing, and streamlined, friendly service. Learn more about Range Urgent Care.

*Enjoy your first month free of annual membership at Range Urgent Care. Use code ‘makingitinasheville’ at checkout. Offer valid for a limited time only.


About Jeff Kaplan

Jeff Kaplan is the Director of Venture Asheville (more on that below!).

Concurrently, Jeff is leading a startup of his own, JustKibbitz, a new kind of dating site where parents do the matchmaking. He’s also the local director of VentureSouth’s Angel Investment Group, the Asheville Angels.

Prior to leading Venture Asheville, Jeffrey earned his Master’s degree in Entrepreneurship and instructed in Entrepreneurship at the University of Florida. He is a published author in Entrepreneurship Pedagogy, launched and sold pet-tech startup Dogphrendly as an alumnus of the Groundwork Labs accelerator in Durham, and was Product Owner and Consultant in digital product development at Anthroware.

In the community, Jeffrey serves on the State of North Carolina’s Board of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Vice-Chairman on the Mountain Capital Community Fund, Board Member of the Hatch AVL Foundation, Board of Directors Member and Secretary of the Asheville JCC, and advisor to UNCA’s Center of Jewish Studies.

About Venture Asheville

Venture Asheville is the high-growth entrepreneurship initiative of the Economic Development Coalition for Asheville-Buncombe County and the Asheville Chamber of Commerce. The program’s work centers on catalyzing Asheville’s high-growth entrepreneurial ecosystem and connecting entrepreneurs with startup funding, mentors, and talent to scale their ventures.

Other Notes from this Episode

Venture Asheville Programs

Asheville Entrepreneurship Week is an annual, week-long celebration that highlights Asheville’s growing startups, innovative businesses, and entrepreneurs from every industry. The program is hosted by both Hatch AVL and Venture Asheville.

Elevate is a free mentorship program designed to help new businesses navigate the practical, day-to-day challenges of building great companies and develop their skills as effective managers, leaders, and CEOs.

Venture 15 Awards is an annual awards ceremony that honors Asheville’s 15 fastest growing startups and the people and organizations that make Asheville a place for startups to thrive.

Asheville Startup Road Trip helps a small group of Asheville-area startups fundraise for their businesses in surrounding cities such as Charlotte, Durham, and Winston Salem.

Asheville Impact Micro Grant provides $5,000 micro grants for early-stage startups in Buncombe and Haywood County.

Other Resources for Entrepreneurs
ScaleUp WNC provides intensive growth strategy development and implementation assistance to cohorts of 15 small businesses. Western North Carolina businesses with strong potential for growth and job creation have the opportunity to apply to participate in this highly competitive program. The program is hosted by Hatch and Mountain Biz Works.

Big Scary Fish Tank is a live pitch event in Asheville where local entrepreneurs compete to win a game-changing financial infusion from the city’s top investors.

One Million Cups of Coffee is a free, weekly pitch event that gathers downtown. Each week, one to two founders pitch their business to like-minded entrepreneurs, investors, professionals, and supporters of Asheville’s growing startup scene. And there’s free coffee!

Talent Jam is a one-of-a-kind pitch event that authentically connects job seekers with local opportunities and employers within their community, and beyond!

Dig South Tech Summit is where leading global brands connect with the South’s most innovative tech companies.

Businesses that Venture Asheville has worked with:

Moonlight Makers is a silly puns T-shirt and gift shop. We interviewed founders, Nicole and Claire, in episode 052.

French Broad Chocolates is an Asheville-based chocolate confectionery and bakery.

3 Mountains Tea sources and produces premium, organic, and fair-trade teas from Rwanda.

Other Local Businesses
Aux Bus is a simple & affordable podcast solution that lets you plan, record, and launch all in one place.

Asheville Rooftop Bar Tours is an award-winning rooftop bar tour featuring stunning sky views and fun bits of history.

Dogwood Health Trust s a North Carolina nonprofit corporation with the sole purpose of dramatically improving the health and well-being of all people and communities across Western North Carolina. Dogwood Health Trust is the successor foundation of the nonprofit Mission Health System.

Hatch AVL Foundation is a 501(c)3 uniquely supporting high growth startups with a proven Playbook, Programs, and Partnerships to grow the next $10M companies in Asheville.

Anthroware is a US-based team of brilliant strategists, developers, designers, and engineers who build software for humans.

Jeff’s Startups:
Chef Sleeves
Dogphrendly
Just Kibbitz is a new kind of dating site where parents do the matchmaking,

Principles & Concepts
Intrepreneur vs. Entrepreneur

Corridor Principle is, according to BPlans Glossary, “where an entrepreneurial venture may find that it has significantly changed its focus from the initial concept of the venture as it has continually responded and adapted to its market and the desire to optimize profitability potential.”

Kaleidoscope Thinking is a mindset or strategy that requires you to re-arrange what you see and imagine new arrangements, new patterns, new groupings.

People
Jon Jones is the President/CEO and Founder of Anthroware.
Josh Dorfman is former Director of Venture Asheville, now currently the CEO and Founder of Simbly.
Dan Radan is the founder of Auxbus.

Places
Roswell is a small town located in the north metropolitan suburbs of Atlanta, GA.
All Day Darling is is a cafe’ located in Montford that serves an all-day menu of market-focused food.

TV Shows & Movies
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is comedy/drama TV show about a 1950’s Jewish housewife who turns into a comedian after divorcing her husband.
Star Trek

Music by Commonwealth Choir


Curious to learn more about what we do?

Making It in Asheville is a podcast where we go behind the scenes with artists, creatives, and entrepreneurs in Asheville. We learn about what they’re making and how they’re making it in Asheville.

Making It in Asheville is powered by Making It Creative, our boutique marketing and business consulting agency. We help passionate small business owners build and improve their sales and communication strategies. Learn more here.


We appreciate your support!

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribelikereview, and/or share. Each review means than you might think as they help this episode get discovered on podcast players.

To recommend an interviewee, visit MakingItInAsheville.com/podcast

Here’s What You’ll Learn in this Episode:

  • The story of how and why Matt and Stephanie started Range Urgent Care
  • The details of how they got started (Note: a walk-in clinic was NOT the original business idea!), including the steps they took to open the business (creating a business plan, getting funding, and “first principle” thinking)
  • The meaning behind basic healthcare terms, plus answers to questions like: “Do I still need health insurance if I go to a walk-in clinic?” or “What are affordable healthcare options for small businesses?”
  • How Stephanie and Matt work successfully together as a husband and wife team
  • Tips for motivating employees and aligning incentives

Enjoyed this interview? We think you might also dig this episode with Lisa and Dean Peteet of Atlas Branding.


Show Notes

This episode is brought to you by Range Urgent Care (yes, they’re also our guests in this episode!), an Asheville-based clinic that offers affordable healthcare, transparent pricing, and streamlined, friendly service. Learn more about Range Urgent Care.

*Enjoy your first month free of annual membership at Range Urgent Care. Use code ‘makingitinasheville’ at checkout. Offer valid for a limited time only.


About Stephanie Trowbridge

Stephanie is the Medical Director and Co-Founder of Range Urgent Care. She grew up in Virginia Beach and North Myrtle Beach and graduated with a degree in Biology from Clemson University in 2007, followed by a MD from the University of South Carolina. She has more than six years of experience working in Emergency Medical Services.

About Matt Trowbridge

Matt is the CEO and Co-Founder of Range Urgent Care. He grew up in Houston, TX and graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering from Clemson University in 2008. After graduating, he spent several years working in Construction, Project Management, and Land Development Design across the southeast. In 2015, Matt started a professional MBA program at the University of South Carolina. He graduated in 2017, the same year Range UC opened its doors. Matt is passionate about innovation, technology, and improving the healthcare experience.

About Range Urgent Care

Range Urgent Care is an Asheville-based walk-in clinic that offers a simplified healthcare experience, transparent pricing, and an open, friendly environment.

Other Notes from this Episode

Score Mentorship Program is the nation’s largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors. We have helped more than 11 million small business owners since 1964.

https://www.score.org/find-mentor

First Principle Thinking is the practice of questioning every assumption you think you ‘know’ about a given topic, problem, or scenario and then building new knowledge and solutions from scratch. Aristotle was the first to define this first principle as “the first basis from which a thing is known.”

Elon Musk is the co-founder and CEO of Tesla. He’s known as one of the world’s most innovative thinkers and is famous for his “first principle” way of thinking.

A Health Savings Account (HSA) is a type of savings account that lets you set aside money on a pre-tax basis to pay for qualified medical expenses.

Daniel Pink is an award-winning author that writes about business, work, creativity, and behavior. We reference his book, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, during this episode.

Bold Rock: Mills River Cidery is a cider house and taproom located in Mills River, about 15 minutes outside of downtown Asheville.

Sierra Nevada is a craft brewery with a taproom located in Mills River, about 15 minutes outside of downtown Asheville.

The Rise of Asheville by Marilyn Ball is a non-fiction book that outlines the history of Asheville over the last 50 years, tracing the bonds of community that gave rise to Asheville today.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doeer is a historical war novel about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II.

Music by Commonwealth Choir


Curious to learn more about what we do?

Making It in Asheville is a podcast where we go behind the scenes with artists, creatives, and entrepreneurs in Asheville. We learn about what they’re making and how they’re making it in Asheville.

Making It in Asheville is powered by Making It Creative, our boutique marketing and business consulting agency. We help passionate small business owners build and improve their sales and communication strategies. Learn more here.


We appreciate your support!

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribelikereview, and/or share. Each review means than you might think as they help this episode get discovered on podcast players.

To recommend an interviewee, visit MakingItInAsheville.com/podcast

During this episode, Nicole and Claire tell us all about how and why they started this business and the steps they took to get it where it is today.

Here’s What You’ll Learn in this Episode:

  • The story of how Moonlight Makers began (hint: the business looks VERY different from when it first started)
  • How Nicole and Claire knew it was time to start hiring employees
  • What Nicole and Claire do when they disagree about something
  • Why they decided NOT to outsource their production overseas
  • And many other hilarious (and serendipitous) stories from their journey

Enjoyed this interview? We think you might also dig this episode with Gillie Roberts, founder of Ware.


Show Notes

This episode is brought to you by Range Urgent Care, an Asheville-based clinic that offers affordable healthcare, transparent pricing, and streamlined, friendly service. Learn more about Range Urgent Care.

*Enjoy your first month free of annual membership at Range Urgent Care. Use code ‘makingitinasheville’ at checkout. Offer valid for a limited time only.


Moonlight Makers a T-shirt and gift shop based in Asheville, North Carolina. They make silly, often punny T-shirts, totes, dish towels, mugs, and more. In addition to their brick and mortar store located in downtown Asheville, Moonlight Makers is an Amazon Handmade member.

Salvage Station is an outdoor venue featuring live music, a bar, and small bites. During festivals, Moonlight Makers used to park their bus here and sell products.

Leaf Festival is an annual community arts festival that takes place on the site of the old Historic Black Mountain College. This is one of the many festivals that Moonlight Makers attends.

Tag Gun = the one tool that changed Moonlight Makers forever. For a long time, Nicole and Claire were tagging their T-Shirts by hand using safety pins. When they discovered this tag gun, it drastically improved their production time!

Venture Asheville grows Asheville’s startup community and connects high-growth entrepreneurs to talent, mentors, and investors through unique programming and events. Moonlight Makers if a part of the Elevate Mentorship program. They also ranked #13 in the Venture 15 awards for the fastest-growing startups in Asheville.

Jeff Kaplan is the Director of Venture Asheville and a mentor to Moonlight Makers.

Taco Billy was mentioned during this episode because Claire has a small collection of their taco stickers.

The accounting and finance software, QuickBooks, featured Moonlight Makers is in a special series of video commercials featuring small business. You can watch their episode with Moonlight Makers here.

Amazon Handmade is a brand of Amazon that features unique, genuinely handcrafted products created by artisans around the world. Moonlight Makers is a member.

Derren Brown is an English illusionist and author. During this episode, we talk about his experiment on “The Secret of Luck

Music by Commonwealth Choir


Curious to learn more about what we do?

Making It in Asheville is a podcast where we go behind the scenes with artists, creatives, and entrepreneurs in Asheville. We learn about what they’re making and how they’re making it in Asheville.

Making It in Asheville is powered by Making It Creative, our boutique marketing and business consulting agency. We help passionate small business owners build and improve their sales and communication strategies. Learn more here.


We appreciate your support!

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribelikereview, and/or share. Each review means than you might think as they help this episode get discovered on podcast players.

To recommend an interviewee, visit MakingItInAsheville.com/podcast

It’s hard to express just how much Marilyn knows about Asheville and it’s history.

We first got to know her over lunch at the Stony Knob Cafe. Between bites, we discussed the podcasting landscape (a shared interest), marketing and advertising industry (a shared profession), and Asheville (a shared community).

When it comes to all three of these topics, Marilyn is a fountain of knowledge. She’s lived here in Asheville for more than 30 years and throughout the decades, she’s carefully observed how Asheville has evolved and used this knowledge to distill important lessons on community development.

Here’s What You’ll Learn in this Episode:

  • The eerie similarities between what Asheville was like 30 years ago and today
  • Marilyn shares highlights of her career, including spearheading major tourism advertising campaigns for Asheville to becoming a podcast radio host
  • Marilyn’s brilliant approach to building effective advertising campaigns (you’ll want to use this in your world)

Enjoyed this interview? We think you might also dig this episode with Kaye Bentley, founder of Asheville Rooftop Bar Tours.


Show Notes

This episode is brought to you by Range Urgent Care, an Asheville-based clinic that offers affordable healthcare, transparent pricing, and streamlined, friendly service. Learn more about Range Urgent Care.

*Enjoy your first month free of annual membership at Range Urgent Care. Use code ‘makingitinasheville’ at checkout. Offer valid for a limited time only.


Speaking of Travel is an iHeart Radio radio show/podcast hosted by Marilyn Ball featuring uplifting and enriching stories about how travel changes you.

12 Marketing is Marilyn’s marketing agency. She offers one-on-one consulting and mentoring programs for business owners, nonprofits and people that would like to begin or grow a business. She helps you brainstorm new ideas to increase your profit and revenues.

The Rise of Asheville is a non-fiction book written by Marilyn Ball about the history of Asheville’s community over the last fifty years. Ball traces the bonds of community that gave rise to the vibrant community that Asheville is today. You can buy a the book online from our local bookstore, Malaprops, or on Amazon.

The Paris Photo is the book Marilyn was reading at the time this podcast was recorded. The book conveys the story of an American soldier and his relationship with a young mother and her son just after the Liberation of Paris in August 1944.

All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten: Uncommon Thoughts on Common Things is a fantastic series of essays by Robert Fulghum.

Kelso Advertising is the marketing and advertising agency that Marilyn worked for about a decade.

Brené Brown is a research professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work, author, and storyteller. She has spent more than a decade studying vulnerability, courage, authenticity, and shame.

Buzz Sprout is a podcasting hosting platform (and so much more). It offers an easy way for people to host, track, and promote their podcasts. Marilyn uses Buzz Sprout for some of her podcast projects.

Malaprops is a locally-owned, independent bookshop here in Asheville.

Music by Commonwealth Choir


Curious to learn more about what we do?

Making It in Asheville is a podcast where we go behind the scenes with artists, creatives, and entrepreneurs in Asheville. We learn about what they’re making and how they’re making it in Asheville.

Making It in Asheville is powered by Making It Creative, our boutique marketing and business consulting agency. We help passionate small business owners build and improve their sales and communication strategies. Learn more here.


We appreciate your support!

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribelikereview, and/or share. Each review means than you might think as they help this episode get discovered on podcast players.

To recommend an interviewee, visit MakingItInAsheville.com/podcast

We take ideas from people who are in recovery or anyone in the addict community and help make those ideas come to life,” says Nick.

During this episode, we talk about how Nick got the idea for Broken Helm and why he felt compelled to help those suffering from addiction.

The original idea was basically from rehab. I was with a lot of people who would say ‘I wanna do [X] but I don’t have [Y]’ like equipment or a place to do it or somebody to believe in them. And so basically I’m saying ‘Ok now here it is, now do it or shut up.

In the process of building that studio, I figured out that I was just two steps away from music. Then from there, video production was only two steps away from there. And why leave out the people who paint? From there it’s snowballed into what it is today.”

Here’s What You’ll Learn in this Episode

  • How and why Nick decided to start Broken Helm
  • Nick’s favorite types of meditation
  • The process Nick uses for setting simple goals in his business and daily life
  • Useful tips and tricks for podcasters

Enjoyed this interview? We think you might also dig this episode with Chef Derek Herre.


Show Notes

This episode is brought to you by Range Urgent Care, an Asheville-based clinic that offers affordable healthcare, transparent pricing, and streamlined, friendly service. Learn more about Range Urgent Care.

*Enjoy your first month free of annual membership at Range Urgent Care. Offer valid for a limited time only.


Broken Helm is a multi-media production company and support system for people who suffer from addiction and want to create. Visit brokenhelm.com to learn more.

Rooster Teeth is an Austin based production company that Nick gets a lot of inspiration from.

Jackbox Games is an online game platform. They produce fun, virtual games (sometimes with an irreverent twist) that are great for playing in large groups or parties. During this episode, Nick shares his love of Jackbox Games and how he plans to incorporate this in some of his future podcast episodes.

The Honest Guys is a YouTube meditation channel. Since 2009, The Honest Guys have written and created high-quality, free guided meditation videos on YouTube. Nick uses these videos to help in his meditation practice.

Curb Your Enthusiasm is a popular TV show where`Seinfeld’ co-creator Larry David plays a version of himself on the improvised series.

Entrepreneurs on Fire is an award-winning podcast that interviews inspiring entrepreneurs.

Asheville Screen Printing is a local apparel and printing company. Nick works a lot with them to produce Broken Helm’s merchandise.

Amy Winehouse Foundation is a non-profit organization that works to prevent the effects of drug and alcohol misuse on young people through education and support.

Music by Commonwealth Choir


Curious to learn more about what we do?

Making It in Asheville is a podcast where we go behind the scenes with artists, creatives, and entrepreneurs in Asheville. We learn about what they’re making and how they’re making it in Asheville.

Making It in Asheville is powered by Making It Creative, our boutique marketing and business consulting agency. We help passionate small business owners build and improve their sales and communication strategies. Learn more here.


We appreciate your support!

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribelikereview, and/or share. Each review means than you might think as they help this episode get discovered on podcast players.

To recommend an interviewee, visit MakingItInAsheville.com/podcast

At the end of every podcast season, we like to go back and recap all the episodes. We find that doing this can help you decide which episodes you want to listen to next. Think of it as a “sampler” episode!

We hit a lot of important milestones in Season 3:

  • We started dabbling with creating more video content. In fact, you can check out all Season 3 episodes on our YouTube channel.
  • We interviewed 11 local Ashevillians, all in very unique industries.
  • We also began hosting events! Check out our events page to learn more.
  • We reached over 12,000 podcast downloads. Whew! Thanks, y’all!

Here’s How This Episode Works:

  • You’ll listen to a single meaningful sound bite (about 1-2 minutes) from each episode.
  • You’ll also hear us give about 2 minutes of commentary on each episode where we share our favorite parts about the episode.
  • You’ll learn about what’s to come in Season 4.

Show Notes

Episodes Mentioned:

Music by Commonwealth Choir


Curious to learn more about what we do?

Making It in Asheville is a podcast where we go behind the scenes with artists, creatives, and entrepreneurs in Asheville. We learn about what they’re making and how they’re making it in Asheville.

Making It in Asheville is powered by Making It Creative, our boutique marketing and business consulting agency. We help passionate small business owners build and improve their sales and communication strategies. Learn more here.


We appreciate your support!

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribelikereview, and/or share. Each review means than you might think as they help this episode get discovered on podcast players.

To recommend an interviewee, visit MakingItInAsheville.com/podcast

We realize that there are a lot of people out there experiencing some kind of suffering, loss, or pain during this pandemic. It may be financial, physical, or even mental.

As a way of supporting and loving this community, we want to take a moment to share with you three important philosophies that have really helped shape our thoughts and responses to what’s happening around us. Although we know we are speaking from a place of multiple types of privilege, these teachings have helped our minds stay positive and be optimistic. These counter-intuitive mental frameworks have helped us cope and continue to work toward our goals.

And although some of these teachings are, let’s say, strange, our hope is that you’ll find at least one of them helpful. No matter what you’re going through right now, whether it’s a financial loss, the feeling of failure, or a sense of loneliness, we hope this episode will help you in some small way.

Here’s What You’ll Learn in the Episode

  • Why we’re going on the offensive during COVID-19 (and some of the ways we’re doing so)
  • How these frameworks have affected the way we’re showing up with friends, family, and this community.
  • The three philosophies or teachings that have impacted the way we see the world (and are especially important as we consider the effects of COVID-19 on our business and our personal lives)
  • For each teaching, we also share resources and books where you can learn more about them
  • Why some of these teachings might be “triggering” or difficult to hear for some people

P.S. We recently put together a list of resources for small businesses in Asheville to help during these uncertain times. Read Coronavirus: Resources for Small Businesses in Asheville (and Beyond).


Show Notes

Below we provide some more information about each of the philosophies we covered in this episode. Please note: some of these links are Amazon affiliate links. We appreciate your support!

To learn more about stoicism, we recommend the following:

To learn more about Byron Katie and “The Work,” we recommend the following:

To learn more about Busting Loose theories, we recommend:

We’ve built a resource page for Coronavirus/COVID-19 support for local businesses

MakingItInAsheville.com/coronavirus

We’re hosting a week of live-streamed conversations to support the community called, “What Now, Asheville?”

MakingItInAsheville.com/what-now

 

Music by Commonwealth Choir


Curious to learn more about what we do?

Making It in Asheville is a podcast where we go behind the scenes with artists, creatives, and entrepreneurs in Asheville. We learn about what they’re making and how they’re making it in Asheville.

Making It in Asheville is powered by Making It Creative, our boutique marketing and business consulting agency. We help passionate small business owners build and improve their sales and communication strategies. Learn more here.


We appreciate your support!

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribelikereview, and/or share. Each review means than you might think as they help this episode get discovered on podcast players.

To recommend an interviewee, visit MakingItInAsheville.com/podcast

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization characterized COVID-19, the novel coronavirus, as a pandemic.

Needless to say, this announcement sent a shockwave around the world, leaving many of us wondering what’s going to happen next, especially when it comes to our business.

Here at Making It in Asheville, both Tony and I (this is Sarah by the way) began deeply pondering how this might affect our own business and local Ashvelile community. We started asking ourselves things like, “What tools can we use during this time? What new skills can we learn? How can we continue talking with local businesses, customers, and friends?”

Then we noticed that Tyler was offering a community for online business owners to come together and ask questions related to coronavirus and how it impacts there business. And we knew we had to know more.

Whether you’re a purely online company or a brick and mortar store that relies on foot traffic, you’re likely thinking about what’s going to happen to your business over the next coming weeks and months. We hope that this episode gives you some new and productive ideas to reconnect with your online audience.

Here’s What You’ll Learn in the Episode

  • The number one thing Tyler says NOT to do during this time period
  • The five main social media platforms Tyler recommends to most businesses and ideas for the type of content you can be sharing right now
  • A game-changing switch you can make on Instagram to increase engagement and gain more followers
  • Ideas on how your business can go digital, even if it has traditionally been brick and mortar
  • How you can use Facebook groups to reconnect with your audience
  • Why finding your niche is important (especially in a time like this)

P.S. We recently put together a list of resources for small businesses in Asheville to help during these uncertain times. Read Coronavirus: Resources for Small Businesses in Asheville (and Beyond).


Show Notes

Tyler J. McCall helps online business grow their business using Instagram. Learn more at www.tylerjmccall.com

Tools & Resources

Places

  • White Duck Taco
  • Smoky Park Supper Clube
  • Pescados Burritos
  • West Asheville Yoga

Miscellaneous

Music by Commonwealth Choir


Curious to learn more about what we do?

Making It in Asheville is a podcast where we go behind the scenes with artists, creatives, and entrepreneurs in Asheville. We learn about what they’re making and how they’re making it in Asheville.

Making It in Asheville is powered by Making It Creative, our boutique marketing and business consulting agency. We help passionate small business owners build and improve their sales and communication strategies. Learn more here.


We appreciate your support!

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribelikereview, and/or share. Each review means than you might think as they help this episode get discovered on podcast players.

To recommend an interviewee, visit MakingItInAsheville.com/podcast

I’ve always tried to relentlessly focus my thought process to [something that is] reality-based. Get out of your own head and see what the world is valuing.

– Clint Spiegel

When we met Clint for the podcast interview, we began by taking a tour of his 70,000 square feet factory. There are big machines and lots of metal parts everywhere you look. In between each machine, is a handful of employees wearing protective face gear, working away to keep the parts moving through the system. The floor is covered in what can only be described as “metal sawdust.” Oh, and it’s loud. Very loud.

Clint yells over his shoulder, “I’ve been walking on metal shards all my life.”

He’s not joking.

Since the day he was born, Clint has been surrounding by manufacturing. Many years ago, his dad had established a machine shop in Asheville that manufactured parts for a variety of industries throughout the world. At age five, Clint began to join his dad at work, learning the ins and outs of the industry. After graduating from college with a degree in Computer Science, Clint found his way back to his family’s business, eventually taking it over and making it his own. Although the business has evolved since then, he and his dad continue to work together on certain aspects.

Clint identifies as a “constant innovator” with an “overactive mind.” Over the years, he’s started numerous businesses, from manufacturing knives to building engineering software and industrial robotics. Some of these businesses failed and faded away, but some of them—like Industry Nine (appropriately name “nine” because it was his ninth business)—have been wildly successful.

During our interview with Clint, which feels like an MBA-level course on entrepreneurship, we try to unpack what he thinks has contributed to Industry Nine’s success and how he’s thinking about the future.

Here’s What You’ll Learn in this Episode

  • How the idea for Industry Nine came about
  • Clint’s insight on innovation, invention, and entrepreneurship
  • What makes Industry Nine’s cycling parts different from others in the industry
  • What client identifies as “the perfect mix” for entrepreneurship
  • Key milestones and turning points in Clint’s business
  • The importance of focus and keeping your edge when running a business
  • Tips for managing employees (Clint has about 90 currently)

Show Notes

Industry Nine manufactures and hands build custom cycling components. They’re based in Asheville, NC. Connect with them via their Website, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube page.

Places

Miscellaneous

Music by Commonwealth Choir


Curious to learn more about what we do?

Making It in Asheville is a podcast where we go behind the scenes with artists, creatives, and entrepreneurs in Asheville. We learn about what they’re making and how they’re making it in Asheville.

Making It in Asheville is powered by Making It Creative, our boutique marketing and business consulting agency. We help passionate small business owners build and improve their sales and communication strategies. Learn more here.


We appreciate your support!

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribelikereview, and/or share. Each review means than you might think as they help this episode get discovered on podcast players.

To recommend an interviewee, visit MakingItInAsheville.com/podcast

I am stretched by play.

-Nicole McConville

In this episode, we interview Nicole McConville, an Asheville-based photographer and artist. She specializes in portrait, food, fashion, and product photography while also focusing on themes of visual storytelling and connection.

Throughout this podcast interview, Nicole shares with us her background and personal making it in Asheville’s story. Although today Nicole is considered one of the top business branding photographers in town, this wasn’t always her profession.

One of her first careers in Asheville was working for a publishing house that specialized in producing craft books. During her 16 years there, Nicole learned the value and importance of visual storytelling through imagery.

When her publishing career came to an end, Nicole suddenly felt out of place. What was next? On a whim, she took a trip to Morocco and enrolled in an instant photography workshop. A self-described perfectionist, Nicole recounts the feeling that overcame her:

“I am stretched by play. And I can’t control this as much as I might want to… I need permission to release and let go and try things and understand that out of ten images only one may good. And that’s okay. All of those images had value, [as well as] simply stretching myself and trying something new.”

It didn’t take long for her to discover her new passion: photography.

Over the years, Nicole McConville has developed her unique photography style, testing out different ideas and subject focuses. Today her emphasis is on helping entrepreneurs make first and lasting connections through portrait photography.

“This isn’t just about taking pretty pictures,” says Nicole. “This is about honoring certain people in a certain place and time. And knowing that what we’re doing is allowing them to meet other people.”

Here’s What You’ll Learn in this Episode

  • How Nicole went from a long career in publishing to discovering her passion for photography
  • Why Nicole’s photographic style is less focused on tech and gear and more focused on connection and storytelling
  • The importance of listening to your own internal compass and how this very act has impacted Nicole’s success
  • Why sharing your work just might be the most important thing you do
  • Tips for developing your own creative style
  • Why, according to Nicole, all businesses should take their own photos and her advice for doing so

Show Notes

Nicole McConville Photography offers portrait, food, fashion, and product photography with an emphasis on visual storytelling and connection. Connect with her via her website, Instagram, and Facebook page.

You can learn more about her upcoming Capture and Convey Workshop here: POSTPONED UNTIL A LATER DATE

People:

Events:

Books:

Places:

Miscellaneous:

Music by Commonwealth Choir


Curious to learn more about what we do?

Making It in Asheville is a podcast where we go behind the scenes with artists, creatives, and entrepreneurs in Asheville. We learn about what they’re making and how they’re making it in Asheville.

Making It in Asheville is powered by Making It Creative, our boutique marketing and business consulting agency. We help passionate small business owners build and improve their sales and communication strategies. Learn more here.


We appreciate your support!

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribelikereview, and/or share. Each review means than you might think as they help this episode get discovered on podcast players.

To recommend an interviewee, visit MakingItInAsheville.com/podcast