This week on the Making It In Asheville podcast, we’re sharing a presentation we delivered to the community at The Lobby, a monthly event hosted by Different Wrld.
We make the claim that audio is a valuable asset for businesses and — more often than not — the fastest media for businesses to create.
If you’re interested in getting the document I offer at the end of the episode. Just email tony @makingitinasheville.com
In this episode, we interview Brook Bolen, one of the editors behind the beloved AVL Today, whose reach is up to 45,000+subcribers per day. Brook has acted as a much-needed internet friend for Ashevillians, especially throughout the pandemic and the community is grateful. We are excited to finally meet the person behind the text and put simply, she’s awesome.
Enjoyed this interview? We think you might also dig this episode with Oby Morgan, founder of Capital At Play.
One generation removed from dirt floors, Brook Bolen is WNC born and bred, and one-half of the AVLtoday team. In addition to her work there, her pieces have appeared in publications including Salon, The Guardian, VICE, Jezebel, Reader’s Digest, Thrillist, and more. She loves rescue dogs, her family, newborn baby-sized burritos, and Waylon Jennings, and the Wu-Tang Clan in equal measure. Brook is constantly creating community and meaning through writing/reading and sharing with others.
To learn more about AVL Today and stay up to date directly in your inbox, check out the links below:
Books & Authors
Music by Commonwealth Choir
In this episode, we interview Jefferson Ellison, the Chief Creative of Jawbreaking.
Enjoyed this interview? We think you might also dig this episode with local photographer & storyteller, Nicole McConville.
Born and raised in Asheville, North Carolina, Jefferson Ellison has been working in fashion since he was 16. After earning a degree at North Carolina State University’s College of Textiles, Ellison moved to NYC and expanded his body of work to include sales strategy, content creation and public relations. Under Ellison’s creative direction, JAWBREAKING, a digital platform offering interviews and investigative reporting, op-eds, fashion editorials and prose, became known for its irreverent sense of youth and boastful hints of Southern charm. Upon his return to Asheville, Ellison founded Jawbreaking Creative, a creative agency that offers consulting in editorial, advertising, events and influencer outreach as well as data analysis, trend forecasting, brand monitoring and more.
“I’m not a cog in the machine, I am the machine”
To learn more about Jawbreaking, check out the links below:
Places
Media
Music by Commonwealth Choir
In this episode, we interview Jason Contreras. He’s one part of the husband and wife duo behind the homesteading project and popular YouTube Channel, Sow the Land.
Jason and his wife Lorraine run a 1.5-acre homestead just outside of Asheville. They grow their own food, which includes everything from raising chickens to preserving the fruits and vegetables that come out of their garden.
When they’re not running the farm, they each follow their own passions. Jason makes beautiful things out of wood, which he sells in their Etsy shop, as well as does all the filming and editing for their YouTube channel. Lorraine homeschools their daughter, cooks homemade meals, and creates products for her apothecary line, Plain Jane Lorraine Apothecary.
“It’s about documenting family, it just so happens we have over 100k people watching.”
Enjoyed this interview? We think you might also dig this episode with Luke McLaughlin of Holistic Survival School.
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.
In 2009 Jason was diagnosed with cancer. He and his wife Lorraine quickly became passionate about growing their own food and knowing what exactly is in our food as use for healing.
In 2016 Jason and Lorraine sold most of their belongings and left the city in southern California to start a small homestead in the mountains of North Carolina. Jason started filming YouTube videos to show their family back home what they were up to. There, they document their life showing viewers how a family from the city left to start a completely different life learning to grow food, start a business, and live a healthier life. Now, Sow the Land’s YouTube following is at 116,000 and counting. Sow the Land also has an online store of the products they make on their homestead as well as a podcast.
To learn more about Jason and Sow the Land, check out the pages:
Music by Commonwealth Choir
In this episode, we interview John Hornsby, a creative graphic artist, organizer of information, strategic thinker, and an experienced achiever. What one might call, a Chief Creative Ninja.
Enjoyed this interview? We think you might also dig this episode with local Asheville graphic designer & business owner of Amp’d Designs, Alyssa Phillips. Alyssa sits on the board of AIGA.
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.
Delivering the rare balance of graphic artistry and business acumen, Hornsby Creative brings to the table a strong background in environmental graphic design specializing in signs and special events marketing, as well as extensive hands on experience in sales, relationship management, business development and workflow solutions.
Interested in engaging more with John Hornsby?
Instagram: @JohnHornsbyCreative @ConnectionKits
Websites: JohnHornsbyCreative.com ConnectionKits.biz
Music by Commonwealth Choir
In this episode, we interview Jared Kay, the founder of Amplified Media.
If you enjoyed this episode, then we think you might also dig this interview with Lisa & Dean Peteet, of Atlas Branding.
This season of Making It in Asheville is brought to you by Range Urgent Care an Asheville-based clinic that offers affordable healthcare, transparent pricing, and streamlined, friendly service. Enjoy your first month free of annual membership at Range Urgent Care. Use code ‘makingitinasheville’ at checkout. Offer valid for a limited time only.
Jared Kay has been capturing amazing adventure and outdoor photography and videography in the region for many years. He has partnered on campaigns for Explore Asheville, Visit North Carolina, and National Geographic. Jared is rooted in Western North Carolina but is visible globally. When he isn’t behind a camera, Jared spends early mornings exploring the mountains at sunrise, and enjoying the countryside by bike, behind the lens, or on foot with his wife Sonia, and their son River. He can often be found with a cup of coffee and a good book.
Don’t worry, we’ve made sure to include some links to his favorite works below.
Amplified Media is a video production company based in Asheville, NC. They focus on creating compelling, heartfelt video narratives featuring for brands and organizations throughout Western North Carolina. Learn more by visiting Amplified-Media.com or follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Books, Movies & Podcasts
Music by Commonwealth Choir
We hope you enjoy this episode with Aisha!
Enjoyed this interview? We think you might also dig this episode with Up Skill WNC coordinator, Philip Cooper.
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.
Aisha Adams is the blogger, social media influencer, and social justice activist. She is the founder of Aisha Adams Media Group and Equity Over Everything. In addition to writing for her personal blog NappyThoughts.com, Aisha has written for publications like The Asheville Citizen Times, The Asheville Grit, and The Final Call. Aisha has a BA in English with a concentration in creative writing from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). She also holds a Masters in Post-Secondary and Adult Education. Aisha is also a 2016 My Home, My Voice Fellow.
Aisha Adams Media Group is a firm that specializes in assisting small businesses with remaining relevant within their communities as they increase their revenue through marketing. Visit aishaadamsmedia.com to learn more.
Equity Over Everything is an initiative dedicated to advancing equity by helping to close the gaps in homeownership and entrepreneurship within communities of color through learning opportunities and barrier removal. Visit equityovereverything.org to learn more.
NappyThoughts.com is Aisha’s personal blog. She shares stories and points of view on social injustice, community, health, and more. Visit nappythoughts.com to learn more.
5 Ways Show Up as Business or Brand Who Believes that Black Lives Matter (That’s not just posting on social media): Watch the video here.
Sandra Bland was a 28-year-old African American woman who was found hanged in a jail cell in Waller County, Texas, on July 13, 2015, three days after being arrested during a pretextual traffic stop. Check out Aisha’s thoughts on Sandra’s story.
Kindra Chapman was an 18-year-old black woman found dead in her jail cell an hour and a half after being arrested. Authorities said she committed suicide by hanging herself with a bedsheet. Read Aisha’s thoughts on Kindra’s story here.
Co-Thinkk is a group dedicated to social change philanthropy and accelerating positive changes in communities of color in Asheville and Western North Carolina. Visit cothinkk.org to learn more.
The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Association (MLK Association) of Asheville and Buncombe County is dedicated to preserving and advancing the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Visit mlkasheville.org to learn more.
The Lenoir-Rhyne Equity & Diversity Institute is a culturally competent curriculum aimed to equip participants with strategies, tools, and practices to build spaces of diversity, inclusivity, and equity. Learn more about the Equity Diversity Institute program.
The Courage Principle is a workbook that Aisha wrote and published. It challenges communities and leaders to analyze their guiding beliefs and ideals that have shaped their decision-making processes related to social equity and inclusion. Learn more about The Courage Principle.
This Will Be My Undoing by Morgan Jerkins is a collection of personal on pop culture, feminism, black history, misogyny, and racism. View on Amazon (affiliate link) or View on Malaprops.
Failing Up is a book by Broadway musical star Leslie Odom Jr., who played the role of Aaron Burr in Hamilton. This book shares personal stories from his life and inspirational wisdom for achieving your goals even when they seem impossible. View on Amazon (affiliate link) or View on Malaprops.
Self Made: Inspired by the life of Madam C.J. Walker is a Netflix series, based on a true story, about an African American washerwoman who rises from poverty to build a beauty empire and become the first female self-made millionaire. Learn more about the show.
Mountain Madre is a Mexican restaurant and bar in downtown Asheville.
Music by Commonwealth Choir
In this episode, we interview Sarajane Case, a coach, writer, and speaker.
We hope you enjoy this episode with Sara!
Enjoyed this interview? We think you might also dig this episode with digital marketing expert, Tyler J. McCall.
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.
Based in Asheville, Sarajane Case is s coach, writer, and speaker. Using research and mindset shifts that she has compiled over the years, Sarajane help women find (and re-find) joy in their work and life. She is the author of The Honest Enneagram, as well as the founder of Enneagram and Coffee and @YourCoffeeatHome. Connect with her at sarajanecase.com
Written by Sarajane Case, The Honest Enneagram is a kinder, more down-to-earth approach to understanding the nine types. The book includes beautiful illustrations (done by Sarajanes husband!) mixed in with highly digestible writing.
If you’re interested in buying this book and you’re from Asheville, we recommend buying it from our local independent bookstore, Malaprops (click this link here). However if you must buy it on Amazon, please use this affiliate link to help support this podcast and project.
Sandra Matri is an artist, an author, an enneagram teacher
Tyler J. McCall is a digital marketing expert. He’s Sarajane’s former business partner—and current friend.
Nespresso Aerroccino Milk Frother (affiliate link) – the milk frother Sarajane uses at home to make her favorite coffee drink: the cappuccino.
Aeropress – the coffee-making tool we use at home and travel with!
Finca El Puente coffee by Counter Culture – Sarajane’s favorite coffee blend right now
The Artist’s Way is a book by Julia Camera about discovering and developing the artist within. View on Malaprop’s or view on Amazon (affiliate link).
Shrill is a memoir by Lindsey West. It’s the book Sarajane was reading at the time of this podcast recording. View on Malaprop’s or view on Amazon (affiliate link).
High Five Coffee – Sarajane’s favorite local coffee shops (the one on Broadway)
Music by Commonwealth Choir
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.
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, like, review, 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
In this episode, we interview Oby Morgan, the founder of Capital at Play.
Oby takes us back to the early days of starting Capital at Play and talks about how he got the idea for the magazine. We learn about the first steps he took to get it off the ground and running, from navigating the world of printing companies to selling magazine advertising.
We also discuss entrepreneurship and the characteristics of successful businesses. Oby has met and profiled hundreds of local entrepreneurs and small businesses, and so he was able to share with us his own insights and observations.
Enjoyed this interview? We think you might also dig this episode with Kyle Brown, founder of Clawhammer Supply.
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.
An Asheville native, Oby Morgan is the founder of Capital at Play magazine. Prior to establishing the magazine in 2010, Oby graduated with a degree in Marketing and International Business from Appalachian State University. In addition to managing the magazine, from 2018 to 2020, Oby worked as the VP of Marketing, Media, and Communications for Carofin, an investment banking firm located in Brevard, NC.
Oby lives in Asheville, NC with his wife and daughter. He continues to help companies teach, sell, communicate, and connect with people.
Capital at Play is a business lifestyle magazine based in Western North Carolina. A print publication, it embodies the idea that capitalism thrives with creativity—that work requires an element of play. In every edition, Capital at Play profiles those who take the risk, those who share that risk, and those who support them—telling the untold story of how capitalists are driven by their ideas and passions.
Oscar Wong is the founder of Highland Brewing and was one of the first entrepreneurs that Capital at Play profiled.
VC: an American History (affiliate link) by Tom Nicholas is a book that explores the history of venture financing in the U.S.
Foothills Meats is a local butcher shop and restaurant. They have one of Oby’s favorite burgers in town
Hole Doughnuts is a local doughnut shop offering a limited selection of made-to-order, handmade doughnuts.
Music by Commonwealth Choir
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.
Enjoyed this interview? We think you might also dig this episode with Kaye Bentley, founder of Asheville Rooftop Bar Tours.
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
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.
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, like, review, 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
