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Authors Posts by Brittany Lee

Brittany Lee

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Editorial Intern - Brittany Lee is an editorial intern for Cincy Chic. Contact her at blee@cincychic.com.

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A local stylist and blogger can now add a “podcast host” feather in her stylish cap. Learn more about her newest venture and how it’ll help you meet Cincinnati’s finest one podcast at a time.

Creative City
Tamia Stinson, Creator of Creative City. Photo: Tiernae Salley

Shy as a child, Tamia Stinson, creator of Creative City, didn’t talk to people that much. However, her blog, The Style Sample, and working as a stylist for Cincinnati Magazine put her in contact with all sorts inspiring people – retailers, designers, entrepreneurs, etc. – who were working on interesting things and launching projects that move our city forward.

“I’ve been a stylist for Cincinnati Magazine for the past three years,” says Stinson. “Before that, I was doing anything from project management for a marketing firm to graphic design for a healthcare company. My background is a little mixed up, but I like to think that all of those things put together helped to get me to the point I am at today.”

Originally from Cincinnati, Stinson decided to return to her hometown after graduating from The Ohio State University – and she got caught up in the creative energy that seems to be going on here. “I love finding out what people’s stories are and how their brain works,” she says. “Not even intentionally, I just always have questions. I’m very nosey. I found that I enjoyed talking to people so much that I wanted to do more of it.”

In her job, she certainly talks to many people who are doing creative things around the city – and they all have stories to tell. Unable to recount these stories to other people, Stinson figured that by recording the actual conversation, people could hear it straight from the source.

“I’m a terrible storyteller and I always forget details,” Stinson explains. “So, I decided to create a podcast. Thus, Creative City was born. It’s a casual conversation between me and somebody else who is doing fun, fantastic and inspirational things here in Cincinnati.”

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Since Season 1 launched February 3, Stinson has had the opportunity of sharing many stories through Creative City. Her first guest was Grace Dobush, who started Crafty Supermarket and is a freelance author for publications such as Cincinnati Magazine and Wire.

She has also talked to Micah Paldino of Fallon Thatcher, who created a character called Blaise Bender. In addition, Stinson has spoken with Cincy Chic’s Amy Scalia, Corporate’s Matt Tomamichel, Entertainment Editor Tasha Stewart and AIGA Cincinnati President Ryan Cayabyab. In her most recent podcast, Stinson spoke with James Marable, who owns Original Thought Required in OTR.

“I try to address both people’s professional and personal lives – and that’s been really important to me since launching the podcast,” says Stinson. “It’s really important to know about the person behind the project, and not necessarily what they’re doing, but who they are and what brought them to that point in the first place.”

As for Stinson, she has a ready list of inspirational people that she hopes to get on the podcast. “I actually just talked to Allen Woods of MORTAR, which will be coming up next week,” she explains. “We had a fantastic conversation about inclusion in Cincinnati’s creative community and what it means to people who have come through their program.”

Also coming up on Creative City is Leah Spurrier, owner of HighStreet. “She is a business and creative genius,” says Stinson. “For people who are interesting in design and retail, and basically creating a lifestyle, she would be a fantastic episode to listen to.”

In looking to the future, Stinson’s main goal with her podcasts is to connect people here in Cincinnati. “There are all kinds of people doing wonderful things and every now and then, I’ll see a connection or a possible connection,” she says. “I want to make Creative City an outlet for people to connect with one another and to hopefully work on projects that will further both themselves as well as Cincinnati in both the national and international sphere.”

By showing others the creative things going on here in Cincinnati, Stinson hopes to fuel listeners with inspiration. “Just like you’re a person, they’re a person,” she says. “A lot of people run into ‘but they’re smarter than me’ and that’s not the case. You get to define your own success and you’re able to do so as a human with flaws and still get to the level of those I speak with in my podcasts.”

To learn more about Creative City, visit http://creativecitypodcast.com or click here for e-mail updates. Stinson’s podcasts are also available on iTunes and Soundcloud. Each season is 10 episodes with an episode posted every Wednesday. Season 2 is expected to start June 1.

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The former La Poste Eatery wants to change the way you perceive fine dining through a dual atmosphere that brings healthy, upscale dining to this neighborhood bistro.

Harvest Bistro & Wine Bar
Harvest Bistro & Wine Bar was developed on the concept of fresh and local food.

“Innovative cuisine,” “classic comfort-driven” and “old world meets new world”. These are all phrases that Angela Willett, owner and operator of Harvest Bistro & Wine Bar, uses to describe the new and improved face of La Poste Eatery.

Having been in the Food and Beverage industry in Cincinnati for over 20 years and a previous employee at Tink’s Café, which preceded La Poste Eatery, Willett is very familiar with the neighborhood and all of the businesses around.

“Essentially, we developed the concept of Harvest Bistro on ‘great food, fresh food and local food,’” she says. “It’s fine dining service with a warm and friendly environment. We are very service-focused and value-driven. We host a lot of private events for wedding receptions and wedding rehearsals, but we also want to make sure that we’re being very community minded.”

Willett says she hopes the rebrand will help locals think of them throughout the week instead of just a weekend fine dining destination. “With the whole uptown neighborhood, we want to encourage folks to come in for a family dinner on a Wednesday or before or after a movie on any given night,” she continues. “We’re taking upscale dining and neighborhood bistro, then combining them into one package.”

On February 18, La Poste Eatery officially re-launched as Harvest Bistro & Wine Bar. “Although I had been with La Poste for over a year and we bought it last March, people had an idea of La Poste as being this fine dining destination with French-influenced American cuisine,” says Willett. “We wanted to get a fresh look and fresh eyes on Harvest Bistro, so we figured that the only way to successfully do that would be to change our name and rebrand.”

With a rise in new diners and return customers, Willett says the facelift seems to be working. “In addition to new diners, we’re also seeing people who had tried La Poste once five years ago come back in to take another look at it,” she explains. “I think we’re building a lot of good business with new diners and people who are coming back in and giving us another try.”

Another contributing factor to a rise in business has been an increase in hours and targeting a wider breadth of diners. “When I took over at La Poste, they were only opened Tuesday thru Saturday night,” says Willett. “We are excited to have extended our hours and that we are officially open for brunch on Saturdays and Sundays.”

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Willett also expressed that they are now focusing on serving the Clifton community and other far-reaching neighborhoods, hospitals and universities. “That has been a goal of ours with getting the kitchen in line and finding the best fit for a chef, which was an arduous journey in itself,” says Willett. “We finally found a fit with our chef, Justin Miller, who is such a creative thinker and hard worker.”

Not only is creating an “upscale tablecloth” environment important at Harvest Bistro, but so is smart dining. “We are really passionate about supplying local vendors with business as well,” says Willett. “ We look for the best proteins from Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, as well as the best artisans. We’re very focused on local and natural – so healthful dining is certainly top of mind for us.”

For Willett, the greatest reward is creating a feeling of community with food. “I love to offer the most healthful foods – all-natural, grass fed, local and chemical free,” she explains. “I enjoy taking the best ingredients and putting them into play in a way that is very acceptable for the average diner who wants to walk in and enjoy dinner. I love to create that sense of community.”

In looking to the future, Willett also hopes to team up with her husband, Joseph Clark, Beverage Program Director at Harvest Bistro, to plan more wine tastings, wine classes and cooking classes – all while holding more food-based events. “We do a lot of that already, but we’re looking forward to doing more because we have such a beautiful space for that.”

To learn more about Harvest Bistro & Wine Bar, visit www.harvest-bistro.com or check out their Facebook page. To try it out for yourself, stop in at the bistro located on Telford Street.

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Whether it’s a honeymoon, destination wedding, anniversary trip, romantic getaway or babymoon, there’s one local business that specializes in planning a trip that’ll make you fall in love all over again.

LoveShack Vacations offers destination wedding packages for couples.
LoveShack Vacations offers destination wedding packages for couples.

Destination weddings are gaining in popularity, especially since a lot of couples are paying for their own weddings and honeymoons these days. With a lot of competition out there – store front agencies, online booking engines and even booking directly with the resort – which is the smartest way to go? Laura Rhein, Caribbean Specialist at LoveShack Vacations, knows first-hand the importance of booking through a travel agent. “Prior to becoming a travel agent myself, I had a terrible experience after booking a family vacation online,” she says. “When the eight of us arrived at the resort five hours late at 11 p.m., the resort was crawling with teenage kids partying. The rooms were gross and everything was an upcharge.”

“The nightmare went on and nobody seemed to care,” Rhein continues. “Had we booked through a travel agent, we could have had an advocate to help resolve the issue – and we wouldn’t have paid any more for the trip!”

LoveShack Vacations were formed in 2013 and is part of Host Agency KHM Travel Group out of Cleveland, Ohio. Independent agents that are part of LoveShack Vacations are Romance Travel Specialists with extensive destination expertise, dedicated to designing trips around a couple’s unique needs. While they do focus on romance travel, they are full-service travel specialists offering FEE FREE service to clients.
Since joining LoveShack Vacations in 2014, Rhein has tripled her annual sales. “Romance travel is a great business,” she says. “I love doing bridal shows, meeting future brides and grooms and finding out how I can help. Many resorts, especially in the Caribbean, will offer a FREE wedding and even a FREE honeymoon if the bride and groom can book a minimum number of rooms.”

“I love the independence of being self-employed and being able to work from home,” Rhein continues. “I, of course, love to travel, and there is no better career than being a travel agent. The most rewarding part of my job is happy clients. I love to hear about what a wonderful time my clients had on their trip and of course when they refer their friends and family. To me, there is nothing better than that!”

As for what sets LoveShack Vacations apart from other booking methods, the bottom line is simple: they save you time and money. Not only is working with a LoveShack Vacations agent a fee-free service, but they are available 24/7 and have access to upgrades and amenities that you won’t find on the internet.

According to Rhein, her first step in working with a new client is to really understand their wants and needs.

“In many cases, with younger clients, they may not have a lot of knowledge about destinations, and that’s where I can help,” she says. “I worked onboard cruise ships with Royal Caribbean for over 10 years and have been to every island in the Caribbean and Mexico more times than I can count. I have also traveled to many of the destinations and resorts independently as well.”

“I spend a lot of time working with the client to identify the best fit in a destination and resort and will provide them with several options, including price ranges,” Rhein continues. “Much is driven based on the client’s budget, however, there really is something for everyone! I even run side-by-side comparisons of their favorite resorts, so that it’s easier to make an informed decision!”

In looking to the future, Rhein’s personal goals are to continue growing her business – year after year – while helping as many couples as possible plan the vacation or honeymoon of their dreams. On the near horizon is the Afterhours Bridal Show at Great American Ball Park on Thursday, March 10th from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Here, Rhein will be in attendance and be registering for two honeymoon giveaways.

“Our Corporate honeymoon giveaway, which is drawn in June, includes a five-night all-inclusive honeymoon stay at the El Dorado Royale in Riviera Maya, Mexico – including round-trip airfare,” says Rhein. “I’ll also be giving away a four-day/three-night stay at Couples Luxury All-Inclusive Resorts in Jamaica, which will be drawn the night of the show!”

To locate an agent closest to you, visit www.LoveShackVacations.com or www.LoveShackVacations/LauraRhein to go directly to Rhein’s page.

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What you learned at your mother’s knee might be putting you at a disadvantage in the workplace, so one local expert explains how you can "Kick Conflict to the Curb."

Fittes
Kay Fittes, CEO of High-Heeled Success, LLC.

In today’s workplace, every woman needs a competitive edge to reach her ultimate career goals. Competency, hard work and dedication are no longer enough. With the help of Kay Fittes, CEO of High-Heeled Success, LLC, you can set yourself apart by learning how to create visibility, clout and a commanding presence.

“What’s most important to know is this particular workshop is one piece of a much bigger and broader picture,” says Fittes. “Starting out in the mental health field with great content and years of experience, I made the decision to start my own business. What I found was no doors open. Nobody would return my calls and I hit a brick wall.”

At this point, Fittes began asking herself “what do I need to learn to be successful?” Her answer was High-Heeled Success – a six-part system comprised of Power-Personal Esteem, Power-Professional Esteem, Power-Verbal Language, Power-Nonverbal Language, Power-Presentations and Power-Packaging.

This particular workshop “Kick Conflict to the Curb: Steps for Coping with Conflict at Work,” comes in at the section Power-Professional Esteem. “My target audience is women in the workplace who are experiencing two main things: saboteurs or they know the way they are dealing with conflict is not serving their career effectively,” says Fittes.

“This comes in two forms,” Fittes continues. “Some people are ‘stuffers,’ which is an individual that hates confrontation and runs away from it. The other end of the spectrum are those women who jump in with both feet and are ready to duke it out with anyone. Both of those behaviors are career suicide.”

While there are conflict resolution programs just about anywhere, one uniqueness with High-Heeled Success is that they are women only. “We look at the foundation of why this is a problem in the first place,” says Fittes. “Many women, myself included, grew up in a way that their entire culture taught them behaviors such as smile, be nice and get along with everyone.”

Fittes has come to learn that this can be a huge set up for women in the workplace because they become so concerned and fearful of being liked, that they often let disgraceful behavior go unchecked. This workshop is geared to teaching behavioral skills so that women cannot only deal with this when it happens, but it prevent it from happening in the first place.

“My goal in any workshop I do is to have women leave there absolutely knowing the first step they’re going to take in changing their behavior,” says Fittes. “With this workshop, I want women to overcome the way of thinking that it’s just ‘the way they are’ – but just because that’s the way you’ve always done it, doesn’t mean that you have to continue henceforth and forever more. You can change.”

Yearly, Fittes holds roughly four to six public workshops and is a presenter of over 2,500 programs – speaking to almost 100,000 women. She also has an executive coaching program and is the author of “Achieving High-Heeled Success: 50 Ways for Career-Oriented Women to Succeed.”

According to Fittes, there are new and exciting things planned for the rest of 2016. “For the first time, we’re going to be doing a full weekend retreat and creating VIP days, where my individual clients can come together for a day and meet in a more intimate setting,” she says. “We also already have our next workshop scheduled for June 18th, which will be “Equilibrium in High Heels: Successfully Balancing Work and Life.”

To learn more about High-Heeled Success Workshops, visit www.highheeledsuccess.com. Here, you can opt in for the mailing list or reserve your seat to the “Kick Conflict to the Curb” workshop on Saturday, March 5 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza Cincinnati Blue Ash. Use the special code “CC149” for the Early Bird price of $149.

As a supporter of Dress for Success, Fittes also encourages all attendees to bring clothing, shoes, jewelry, purses or personal toiletry items that they are willing to donate to help other women thrive in the workplace.

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We chat with Jill Meyer, the new President & CEO of Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber, and her husband Awadagin Pratt, renowned concert pianist, as a sneak peek of their presentation at this week’s Cincy Chat.

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Husband and wife Jill Meyer and Awadagin Pratt are participating in Cincy Chat at HYPE’s lunch-and-learn on Feb. 23 (Photo: Tina Gutierrez, Courtesy of Movers & Makers).

Each Cincy Chat is defined by the conversation – and as a result of the vast offerings now available on the arts and cultural front in Cincinnati – there’s plenty to talk about. Jill Meyer, President and CEO of the Cincinnati Regional Chamber, and her husband, renowned concert pianist, Awadagin Pratt, are opening up this discussion to young professionals at HYPE’s lunch-and-learn on February 23rd, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber.

“Cincy Chat essentially happens quarterly, three to four times a year, and my husband, Awadagin, and I will be kicking off 2016,” says Meyer. “The overall concept for Cincy Chat is just having conversations with various leaders in the city about what makes the city the city, why they’re here and why they do what they do.”

As for Meyer and her husband, they come from two different perspectives in the city. “My husband is an internationally known concert pianist who lives in the city – who is all about the world of art and education,” she says. “Then you have me, who grew up in the city (my husband is not from here) and have been in the business sector my whole life.”

After practicing law for 20 years at Frost Brown Todd and serving as the Member-in-Charge of the law firm’s Cincinnati office for her last six years, Meyer began serving her passions as a dedicated volunteer to many civic and community causes. She also earned her B.A. at Mount St. Joseph University and her J.D. at Northern Kentucky University’s Salmon P. Chase College of Law, both magna cum laude.

As for her husband, Awadagin Pratt, his road to musical genius began when he started studying the piano at age six. He later enrolled at the Peabody Conservatory of Music, where he became the first student in school history to receive diplomas in three performance areas – piano, violin and conducting. He has performed at the White House as well as on TV’s Sesame Street. Currently, he is Professor of Piano and Chairman of the Piano Department at the College Conservatory of Music at UC. “I thought that in coming together, it would be a fun discussion of not only the intersection of those two worlds, but how the intersection of those two worlds is vitally important to what we continue to build in this region,” Meyer elaborates. “We have some great momentum, and we think that there are even greater things just on the horizon.”

All of this is underscored by the fact that the couple is also co-chairing the ArtsWave campaign this year. “The premise of why we’re doing Cincy Chat and what we’re talking about is part of the ArtsWave campaign,” says Meyer. “We want to show the importance of the business community supporting, recognizing and embracing our truly unique arts scene in this region as well as the arts community,” she continues. “We want other to understand the breadth of business, understand the importance of a strong and healthy business environment in feeding not only monetarily, but audience wise, the existence of those arts.”

Although Cincy Chat is designed to be a Q&A type of format, Meyer makes a point that their goal throughout the discussion is to open people’s eyes to differences. “We want people to see how things that maybe are perceived to be different really are either not so different, or because of their differences, are more supportive of one another than they might appear at first glance,” says Meyer.

To register for HYPE’s lunch-and-learn, visit http://hypecincinnati.com/cincy-chat/. Cost is $25 for Chamber members and $40 for others.

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They say luck is just a function of being in the right place at the right time. See how that’s ringing true for one powerhouse exec who’s finding herself in a new place: Cincinnati.

Heather Harris of CycleBar.
Heather Harris, President of CycleBar Franchising, LLC.
Empower. Give forward. Mentor. Reach out to other women. Make time for yourself. Not only have these words become a way of life for Heather Harris, President of CycleBar Franchising, LLC, but a lesson she shares with anyone who crosses her path.

However, the full-circle story as to how Harris got to CycleBar is certainly a serendipitous one. After graduating from Denison in 1994, Harris and her sister – both college athletes – decided to run the New York City marathon for team in training. “We went to Denison for parent’s weekend, and I expressed to my parents that I wanted to nail my 20 mile run – since it’s the longest run you do when training for a marathon,” says Harris. “After four miles of our 20-mile journey, I quit.”

The following day, Harris and her sister went to their sorority to collect money for raffle tickets, where ironically, Alex Klemmer, co-founder of CycleBar, was the president of the house.

“Many people came up to me that day asking how my running was going, and I kind of told a fib – I told them it was going great,” she says. “Then for whatever reason, I told one woman that it was going terrible. I told her I had been focusing on getting a job in merchandising and that it had really caught up to me with my running schedule.”

Much to Harris’ surprise, this woman just so happened to be the CEO of Estee Lauder. “From that point on, she helped me navigate through retail,” says Harris. “I was living in Cincinnati, interviewing for jobs in Manhattan and had opportunities between Bloomingdales, Macy’s and Saks Fifth Avenue.”

Harris chose Bloomingdales, and was off to New York. During her time in the big apple, Harris launched one of Calvin Klein handbag businesses, ran Calvin Klein’s jeans business and re-launched Donna Karan Intimates across the globe.

“Then, my hero, Rich Hanson, called me one day and said ‘Heather, you’re so sporty and you love brand development – you need to take a look at this business’,” she explains. “So here is a guy who’s in Pennsylvania, who works in New Jersey, who is telling me about CycleBar.”

“Low and behold, I found that the parent company, St. Gregory Development Group, was freakishly based in Cincinnati,” Harris continues. “I knew something was pulling me to this company, so I sent the CEO a message on LinkedIn.”

The next morning, Harris received a phone call from the CEO about the need for a woman president to run the CycleBar brand. “I came out to Cincinnati and was enamored by the brand and talent I saw,” she says. “I knew they were onto something big. My only filter was whether this was a job I would take in New York – and the answer was yes.”

Since taking the job at CycleBar, Harris expresses that there isn’t much that they HAVEN’T accomplished. “My role is to successfully open the studios – I bring experience of global brand development, a history of solid execution and strong leadership skills,” she says. “Our team’s responsibility lies in the execution.”

As for herself, Harris was just recently nominated for Top 25 Women to Watch in Retail Disruption, which celebrates a group of women who are solving business problems in the areas of operations, marketing, commerce, supply chain, logistics and globalization. However, despite her success, she has never lost her “girl from Cincinnati” mentality.

When asked what she loves most about what she does, Harris explains that it’s all about building teams, birthing and building a strong global – while also being able to get a good, hard workout in between.

“The most rewarding aspect is seeing our studios grow and prosper, and in 2016, our goal is to do just that,” she says. “I hope to successfully open 100 studios by the end of the year, and so far, we are on pace!”

To learn more about CycleBar or upcoming events, make sure to check out the CycleBar App. If you’re interested in becoming a RIDER, Harris encourages you to meet her at the BAR. CycleBar Cincinnati is located in Rookwood Commons, with locations in Kenwood, Mason and downtown set to open this year.

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Learn about this new kind of strategy firm that helps enable brands to innovate and grow like startups. Keep reading for all the inspiring details.

The Garage Group
The Garage Group helps companies – from startups to established brands – with strategy, ideation and insights.
As competition now comes not only from the “big guys,” but also from startups and small, nimble companies that seem to move faster than the speed of light – corporate teams are under pressure like never before.

At The Garage Group, they hang out with startups, but also work with established brands and big companies on strategy, ideation and insights. More than anything, they strive to bring corporate teams back to the heart of that entrepreneurial hunger, drive and agility that builds initiative, brands and companies.

Five years ago, The Garage Group was founded and based on two major forces coming together. “The business landscape has been changing for awhile now, and big businesses are quickly being overtaken by smaller companies that are moving faster,” says Ann Thompson, Co-founder and Innovation & Growth Strategist at The Garage Group.

“There has also been a huge shift in terms of how people want to work, especially amongst the Millennial generation,” she continues. “Younger talent wants to work in a more entrepreneurial environment, so not only are large companies being overtaken by a business standpoint, but they also aren’t able to attract and retain talent like smaller, more agile companies do.”

Since opening, The Garage Group has been able to help clients across multiple industries – nonprofits, household products, beauty care, food and beverage, financial services, athletics and décor. Some of their clients include Fortune 1,000 companies like Heinz, Staples and Reebok, and brands like Pringles, PediaSure and Yankee Candle.

“Our ideal clients are the change-makers within large companies who want to drive a new approach to strategy and innovation,” Thompson explains. “We’re always looking for like-minded thinkers who want to be part of a movement to make corporate America more entrepreneurial.”

So what makes The Garage Group approach different? They introduce large companies to a broader external perspective, blend getting business results with teaching the organization new ways of thinking, and make startup-inspired methods practical for use within a corporate environment.

“We are also authentic, approachable and super passionate about driving our clients’ business challenges,” says Thompson. “Our team really goes above and beyond to make sure our customers are satisfied and that the final takeaway strategy can sustainably help their business over time.”

Aside from impacting more companies and individuals, Thompson expresses that she hopes The Garage Group will also continue providing a great place for their employees to work. “We hope to continue impacting entrepreneurs through our ‘do good’ efforts across the country (and, eventually, the world),” says Thompson.

“On the horizon, we are taking our own medicine by innovating and growing in the same way that we teach companies in our process,” she continues. “Recognizing needs and finding creative, new ways to solve them is very much ingrained in our personal company culture – and we hope to keep living out those values.”

To learn more about The Garage Group, check out their website at www.thegaragegroup.com or visit them on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn. They are located in Cincinnati, based out of Longworth Hall.

“We are so excited to be a part of the startup ecosystem in Cincinnati at such an energizing time in our city,” says Thompson. “Every day, we are reminded of how fortunate we are to be a part of something that’s helping create a collaborative, impactful, entrepreneurial spirit throughout our city, across both startups and corporates.”

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See how this company’s locally cold-pressed juices are helping people focus on good, healthy habits through their unique vegetable-centric superfood smoothies.

The Weekly Juicery
The Weekly Juicery uses locally grown produce for its cold-pressed juice bar.

The Weekly Juicery is a cold-pressed juice bar offering all things healthy! They begin with organic and locally grown produce to create raw, nutrient-dense juices full of life force energy. You’ll also find superfood smoothies, acai bowls and raw foods in their healthy menu line-up.

The Weekly Juicery was founded in January of 2012 by Kimmye Bohannon in her kitchen. She, along with her neighbor, Elizabeth Beal, had been taking turns making juice for each other for about six months when they decided they needed to offer their juice to friends.

“Preparing great juice is time consuming and messy, so I wanted to make juice available and convenient for busy people,” says Bohannon. “I also felt strongly about the health elevation and feel-good power of drinking juice every day. We delivered juice to doorsteps Monday through Friday every week – and so emerged the name: The Weekly Juicery!”

Kimmye Bohannon and Elizabeth Beal of The Weekly Juicery.
Kimmye Bohannon and Elizabeth Beal of The Weekly Juicery.

Since opening, Bohannon has learned a lot of practical lessons about running a business. “I think the most impactful lesson we’ve learned is to stay the course and continue saying ‘yes’,” she says. “Yes to new ideas, yes when the times get tough, yes to your original vision, yes to the values that get tested and retested. Yes to moving forward!”

Today, The Weekly Juicery offers twenty cold-pressed juices – half of which have no fruit at all. “We are focused on making our juices as vegetable centric as possible,” says Bohannon. Fruit blends are often a starting point for new juice drinkers, however, the real power in this work is drinking vegetables. We work to raise awareness and knowledge with out customers daily.”

Their most popular juice to date is Green Lemonade – made of Romaine, Kale, Cucumber, Lemon and Ginger – one of the original five cold-pressed recipes. The juices range in price from $9 to $11.

“We use organic and local produce during the growing season,” says Bohannon. “Organics are important, and we have partnered with local, certified organic farms since the beginning. We will be certifying organic with the USDA this year.

What truly sets this juicery apart from others is their emphasis on education. Everyone serving at The Weekly Juicery is an official Juice Guide and ready to guide customers on the path of clean and healthy living.

“We ask every team member to be a student and a teacher – listening intently to our customer’s needs and goals while sharing knowledge about general juice drinking, the mechanics of a great juice cleanse and why to drink a particular vegetable,” says Bohannon.

In addition to education, they also don’t compromise of the quality of their products. “We have not, and will not, add water to our juices – or treat them with pressure or heat,” Bohannon continues. “We thoughtfully source our produce locally and we’re transparent with our customers if a conventional substitution was made.”

Lastly, The Weekly Juicery follows strict truth in labeling their juices by listing ingredients in order of dominance. “We’ll continue following USDA rules of not labeling our juices organic until we have obtained the official seal,” says Bohanon. “Cutting corners in these areas results in the degradation of the produce and the industry in general.”

As for the future, Bohannon expresses that she wants The Weekly Juicery to grow in a thoughtful way – beyond the vain of opening more stores. “I want to see more education, more workshops, expanded product lines, and of course, more locations,” she says. “We have spent considerable time mapping out our 2016 goals and objectives in these areas.”

To learn more about The Weekly Juicery, visit www.theweeklyjuicery.com. They also have a Juice Hotline where customers can call in with questions at (859) 550-3218.

“We’re currently making juice seven days a week at five locations – in Lexington, Louisville and Cincinnati,” says Bohannon. “We offer free juice tastings and a great juice education in all our locations every day. No scheduling needed, just come on in!

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Born and raised in Russia, this artist at heart and photographer by trade explains how she tells each client’s unique story through their personalized photography sessions.

Glossy Pixels Photography
Elena Bakhurin, Owner of Glossy Pixels Photography.

Elena Bakhurin was born an artist.

For Bakhurin, her passion for art started when she was just a child. “I immediately fell in love with art in sixth grade when my mom brought me to Art School for the first time back in Russia, where I was born and raised,” she says.

“Moving to the U.S. was like a dream come true – with all the available varieties of art supplies and mediums you can only think of in the arts and crafts stores,” Bakhurin continues. “Oil painting and simple charcoal drawings enabled me to lose myself outside of reality for hours.

Bakhurin’s passions took a turn in 2010 when she met a friend who was a professional photographer. “She let me play with her old digital Canon and I couldn’t put that camera away for days,” she says. “I could not stop taking pictures of everything and everyone around me, realizing that making art in its digital version gives you mobility, speed and much less of a mess than oil or acrylic.”

When starting out as a hobbyist in 2010, people knew Bakhurin as LenaPhotographer – having done volunteer projects, fashion shows, free photo sessions for friends, hours of online classes and learning how to do photography. “I used to spend hours looking through fashion magazine pages, soaking in the beauty of photography, the play of the lights and shades,” says Bakhurin, who is now the owner and lead photographer at Glossy Pixels Photography.

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While she still enjoys occasional drawing, Bakhurin emphasizes that her primary focus is fashion photography, pageant/beauty headshots and simple portraiture. “I love how I feel at the moment of taking photos,” she says. “Behind the lens of my camera is my happy place – my comfort zone. The most rewarding part of being a photographer, to me, is when my camera helps me make new friends!”

By the end of 2015, Bakhurin decided to officially open her business. “It seemed like all of the great, catchy names and domains were already taken,” Bakhurin explains. “After endless head scratching and sleepless nights, I came up with the name Glossy Pixels. I like the way it rolls off the tongue.” Since opening, Bakhurin has had the honor of being chosen as a finalist in a worldwide photography contest and has been published in Perspective Fashion Magazine as well as Surreal Beauty Teen Magazine. A couple of her photos were also chosen for a showcase on the big screen in Times Square.

“Anyone can be a photographer,” Bakhurin explains. “The most important thing is to have a true passion and willingness to not only learn, but use your imagination to keep your work unique from one client to another.”
As for pricing, Glossy Pixels ensures affordable professional photography to their clients – customizing any photo package individually, depending on the client’s needs.

In looking to the new year, Bakhurin has her sights set on making Glossy Pixels Photography much better than LenaPhotographer was. “There is always room to grow,” she says. “I consider 2016 to be filled with new photography challenge projects. Pushing myself to try new things or to seek out new subjects sounds like an exciting plan for my newly opened business.”

To view Bakhurin’s work and to follow her on her journey, visit www.glossypixels.com, www.facebook.com/glossypixels or www.instagram.com/glossypixels.

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The local entrepreneurs behind Bee Haven and Chocolats Latour are joining forces to create Northside’s newest sweet spot, The Chocolate Bee. Read on for all the delicious details.

Chocolate Bee
The Chocolate Bee is the home of Bee Haven and Chocolats Latour.

Need a sugar fix? The Chocolate Bee, home of Bee Haven and Chocolats Latour, has you covered.
Since Shalini Latour, owner of Chocolats Latour, and Samantha Gordon, owner of Bee Haven Honey, decided to partner in opening a commercial and retail space last November – their business has literally been “buzzing”.

The 800-square-foot space has a commercial kitchen, which is now occupied by Latour to make her handcrafted chocolates. The other portion is dedicated to retail, where both Chocolats Latour and Bee Haven Honey products are sold. Bee Haven Honey, Samantha Gordon Zurek’s company, is a home-based family business founded on the passion of providing naturally healthy products (and gifts) to its’ customers.

“What I enjoy most is tending the bees and using their gifts to make Bee Haven’s products,” says Gordon. “We create unpasteurized honey, creamed honey, beeswax skincare products, hand salves, decorative candles and other products straight from the hive.”

As for Chocolats Latour, Shalini Latour’s artisan chocolate company, she creates chocolate bars in various unique flavors, hand-painted truffles, caramels, hot chocolate, brittle and seasonal items for Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, etc.

“I love the artistic aspect of making the chocolates,” says Latour. “Creating new flavors and decorating each individual piece is especially rewarding. It is a meditative, joyful process for me. Quality control (and a lot of tasting) is also a great part of my job!”

After building a strong business selling her products at Findlay Market, Gordon found herself in search of a brick and mortar location. Latour, having built a strong following selling her goods at locations around the city, was also in search of a bigger space.

“I wanted to move my production from my home kitchen to a commercial space,” says Latour. “Not only this, but I had a vision of a retail space where people would be able to more easily find my confections.”

It was this shared mission and passion for providing natural products that inspired building owner, Janice Young, to bring the two together. On November 14, The Chocolate Bee – a combination of both business names – opened its doors.

After opening and a strong start during the holiday season, Latour and Gordon are in the midst of playing catch up. “We are getting the finishing touches on the store together and building strong systems for day-to-day running of the store,” says Gordon. “We’re just proud that we got our doors open before the holidays!”

To learn more about The Chocolate Bee, check out www.beehavenhoney.com or www.chocolatslatour.com. You can also visit their new Northside location at 4037 Hamilton Avenue, next to Collective Expresso.

Their hours are as follows: Wednesday thru Saturday 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Chocolats Latour is currently sold at Coffee Emporium in both Hyde Park and OTR, College Hill Coffee Company, Jungle Jim’s, Melt, Park + Vine and Sidewinder as well as at the Northside Farmers Market on Wednesdays. Bee Haven Honey is available at Findlay Market and online.

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