After interviewing over 20 Asheville-based business owners, we've distilled 21 ideas for growing a business in Asheville. Here are the top five. These five ideas will help your business survive and thrive in Asheville — as demonstrated by our guests! Note: Keep in mind that there are 16 more ideas that we’ve outlined in a 15-page PDF. Access all 21 ideas in a printable, downloadable PDF by visiting our shownotes page. Here's what you'll learn in this episode: Our top five marketing ideas to help...
Nov 12, 2019•35 min
Alyssa Phillips, founder and owner of Amp'd Designs. She's a graphic designer in Asheville specializing in logo design, branding, print design, and Squarespace web design. We worked with her on our new branding! <h4>Here's What You'll Learn in This Episode:</h4> Why Alyssa moved from Brooklyn to Asheville and what the transition was like How Alyssa went from being a freelance designer to a self-employed small business owner The steps Alyssa uses to guide her clients through the brand...
Nov 05, 2019•1 hr 26 min
In this episode, we interview Gabriel Hargett, the founder and owner of Oowee Products . Oowee is a handcrafted leather goods company based in Asheville NC. They create all sorts of custom leather products, from high-quality pint glass sleeves to leather-patched hats and more. And you know what else? They employ a hardworking team of adults that are on the Autism spectrum to help them with hand sewing and packaging up their products. If you think that's pretty rad — we agree. In this episode, he...
Oct 29, 2019•1 hr 28 min
In this episode, we sit down with mustachioed barber Holiday Childress of Holiday Grooms. Holiday Grooms is an on-location wedding and special events grooming service inspired by bespoke men’s tailoring, classic first-class air travel, and speakeasies worldwide. Here's what you'll learn: The story of how Holiday transitioned from being a hair colorist and stylist to owning his own men's mobile grooming shop How the name "Holiday Grooms" was born and the whole branding process Holiday went throug...
Oct 22, 2019•2 hr 41 min
In this episode, we unpack what it was like to plan a wedding in Asheville. Obviously, if you're looking to get married in Asheville you'll want to check this episode out. But you don't need to be newly engaged to find value in this episode. While it's often hidden in the subtext, there's a lot in this episode that can help a business owner to consider their customer's experience. As you might have guessed, a few weeks before recording this episode, we got married! And yes, we did it in Ashevill...
Oct 15, 2019•47 min
Zach is relatively new to Asheville as well. He moved here with his wife and kids after selling a small wine shop in Cincinnati. In this episode, we sit down with Zach at Metro Wine on Charlotte Street in Asheville, drink a glass of wine and ask about his story. We think you'll love his perspective and appreciate hearing yet another example of someone Making it in Asheville. Here's what you'll learn: Why Zach decided to move to Asheville and how he became the General Manager of Metro Wines Zach'...
Oct 08, 2019•2 hr 47 min
This episode has a limited time giveaway from the ladies at Asheville Wellness Tours. To particiapte, visit MakingItInAsheville.com/023 . The two of us attended a sunset Yoga on the Mountain Hike with the Asheville Wellness Tours gang not too long ago and it was truly an incredible experience. We took a short, leisurely hike through a lush forest filled with ferns and plenty of shade. Once we made it to the top fo the mountain, the sun was on its way down, casting purple-pink hues across the hor...
Oct 01, 2019•2 hr 33 min
Emily started as a Barista at High Five Coffee, over the last 9-years she's grown into a manager and now brand director role. You'll love her story. In this episode: You'll hear how and why Emily moved to Asheville and started working in the coffee industry Emily shares insight on what it’s like to work in the food and beverage industry You get a behind-the-scenes story of High Five Coffee’s history in Asheville and how they’ve You'll learn here the name High Five came from Emily shares a glimps...
Sep 24, 2019•2 hr 58 min
“I’m a Ferrari-in-a-bathroom-doing-donuts-kind-of-person,” says Jack. And that he is. Jack is truly a Renaissance man, constantly involved in multiple projects and businesses, always in pursuit of learning the next thing. This conversation was a thrill-ride. Jack has built a business that is both fulfilling and allows him to constantly pursue new curiosities — like sailing from the Caribain to Maine or living in the jungles of the Amazon. We dive into the process of opening, growing, and maintai...
Sep 17, 2019•2 hr 49 min
In this episode, we sit down with Connie Matisse, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of East Fork Pottery. It's almost impossible to live in Asheville and not have heard of East Fork but, just in case, East Fork Pottery East For makes beautiful ceramic dinnerware and pottery using materials from the local Blue Ridge Mountains mountains. Founded in 2009 by Alex Matisse, Connie Matisse, and John Vigeland, the company has grown quickly from a small group of friends and artists who had a good “hu...
Sep 09, 2019•1 hr 18 min
A lot has changed since our first episode: To kick off season two, we spend a couple of minutes discussing where we started, how the show has grown, and where we’re focusing in season two. This's what you'll hear in this episode: Our new intro structure thank you for listening to season one The single word to describe season One Why we’re over the moon excited about what’s in store for Season 2 What might have been the best episode of season 1 (despite the poor sound quality) What we’re focused ...
Sep 03, 2019•24 min
If there's one theme we can highlight from our first 10 interviews with Asheville locals, it's this: Just Start. Throughout the episode, we share the various ways that our interviewees began their journey towards becoming who they are today. We learn that “getting started” looks different for everyone. For some, it’s taking baby steps and dabbling in their curiosities as side hobbies. For others, it’s making a giant leap of faith and quitting their corporate job to start a new business. Although...
Aug 27, 2019•1 hr 8 min
In this episode, we dive deeper into a topic we’ve been talking a lot about recently: The Trusted Advisor Theory . It’s a theme that has come up a lot throughout the Season 1 podcast interviews with local Asheville makers. We figured it was about time to explicitly talk about it on the podcast. The Trusted Advisor Theory says that if you slowly build trust with your tribe over time, it'll pay dividends in the long-run. We explain more about this, as well as seven ways you can build trust with cu...
Aug 20, 2019•43 min
In each of our podcast interviews, we asked our guests the same question: “Where do you take friends when they visit you in Asheville?” In this episode, we share the most recommended places , plus why we (and our podcast interviewees) love them and our tips for visiting. Here’s What You’ll Learn: -The best places to get food in town (and our ordering recommendations) -The best places to grab a drink — based on what you're into -Where to hike and what to consider before you leave -And why two cor...
Aug 13, 2019•46 min
After publishing 14 episodes and 10 podcast interviews, we’re wrapping this season up with just the two of us. We wanted to take a moment to celebrate our three-month milestone of both living and working in Asheville by sharing some insights on how we’ve been measuring success in our new business. Or, if you’ll indulge us, how we’ve been making it. Here’s What You’ll Learn: Why it’s crucial to measure success, no matter what size or stage your business is in The three ways we’re tracking for suc...
Aug 06, 2019•33 min
“It was either I build this at my house or I build a company.” – Andrew Nehlig In this episode, we interview Andrew Nehlig, founder of Sauna House (formerly known as Bada Bastu), a Nordic-style bathhouse located in the South Slope area of Asheville. Sauna House specializes in hot-cold therapy through a unique sauna and cold plunge circuit. So how did this all come to be? Almost ten years ago, a friend recommended that Andrew start using cold water baths to ease his sore muscles after playing int...
Jul 30, 2019•1 hr 13 min
"One of the great fallacies of working and life I find is this work-life balance because there is no such thing as work-life balance because my work is life and life is my work." - Phoebe Esmon We met Phoebe at a bar. After all, isn’t that where some of the best friendships start? She was bartending at Gan Shan Station when Tony walked in and asked about the vermouth selection — using a little trick he learned from a friend when deciding whether or not you should order a Negroni. Phoebe’s respon...
Jul 23, 2019•2 hr 36 min
"Life is so short and we’re not here for very long. Figure out the one thing that drives and propels you. The other things you can delegate — you should let them go." - Kara Candler Enter the Giveaway: One Hour of Personal Concierge Services! *No purchase necessary. Winners will be selected on July 22, 2019. A native to Asheville, NC, Kara Candler founded Tick Tock Concierge in 2013, after leaving her corporate job in pursuit of being her own boss. In this episode, we talk with Kara about how sh...
Jul 16, 2019•1 hr 4 min
“You do it for passion, you do it for love." – Melissa Gray In this episode, we sit down with Melissa Gray, the founder and artist behind Cakes by Gray, to find out how she started and grew her cake business in Asheville. Melissa was a long-time food service veteran who decided to follow her passion for pastry and head to culinary school. In the years since, she’s grown to become one of the premier cake artists in Asheville — a city with a booming wedding industry — and grown her business from h...
Jul 08, 2019•1 hr 6 min
Does starting your own business mean you're more or less independent? In our tenth podcast episode, we take a break from interviewing Asheville locals and share a conversation around the theme of independence while owning a business. In this episode, you’ll: Discover what we mean by the “independence paradox” Hear some of our thoughts (and fears!) around being an independent business owner versus working for someone else Learn about some of the systems we use to keep ourselves on track and keep ...
Jul 01, 2019•37 min
In this episode, we interview PJ Jackson, co-owner of The Chop Shop Butchery in Asheville, North Carolina. PJ and his business partner, Matt Helms, formerly worked as the head butcher and manager at The Chop Shop Butchery, respectively. In 2017, after years of working together, they had the opportunity to buy the shop outright – and so they did. In the years since they’ve made many changes ranging from repainting the bathroom to sourcing different (and perhaps better) pork and beef from local fa...
Jun 25, 2019•2 hr 36 min
In this episode, we interview Sarah Hooker, the one-woman show behind two niche photography businesses located in Asheville: Sarah Hooker Photography and Virago Boudoir. Whether or not her name means anything to you yet, you know her work. She took most of the pictures we post of ourselves on @makingitinasheville, on our website, and even the picture we use for this podcast's artwork. If we look good in the picutures, you can assume she took them. She is an absolute pro behind the camera. In a t...
Jun 17, 2019•1 hr 10 min
Nikki Sciurba is not your average wedding planner. She is somehow magically laid back and calm all the while paying meticulous attention to the details. Or, as we say, she stays cool by sweating the details. As some of you may know, we’re getting married this September in Asheville. Planning a wedding takes way more time and attention than we could have imagined and we couldn’t have planned ours without the help of Nikki Sciurba, founder and owner of one of Asheville’s top wedding planning busin...
Jun 10, 2019•1 hr 2 min
Derek Herre was one of our very first friends we made in Asheville. We met him one night while out at dinner at John Fleer’s The Rhubarb, a farm-to-table restaurant located in Pack’s Square of Downtown Asheville. It didn’t take long for us to realize that Derek had a unique story to tell. In Podcast 006, we chat with Derek on how and why he moved to Asheville (spoiler: he's lived in one of the coldest, largest states in America) and how he worked his way up to becoming Chef de Cuisine at one of ...
Jun 05, 2019•1 hr 17 min
In this episode, we interview one another on the move. You'll hear: the biggest surprises about the move (we didn't use a U-haul) the many lessons from finding an apartment without living here what strategies we've used to "fill" our space without going bankrupt and more! After three weeks in Asheville, we decided to sit down and record a conversation about how things have been going and what lessons we've learned from the move. This episode gives you a closer look at both of us. For show notes,...
May 28, 2019•1 hr 7 min
In this episode, we interview Gillie Roberts, founder and owner of Ware – a sustainable lifestyle store located in the heart of Asheville. Gillie, a Brevard native, opened shop less than a year ago after finally realizing her dream of combining her love of art and fashion with her degree in sustainability. In this podcast episode, you’ll learn: the defining moment when Gillie decided to open a retail front the steps she took to raise capital funds, source products, and find the right name for he...
May 21, 2019•1 hr 5 min
In our first official interview, we sit down with full-time Airbnb Host, John Hopple, in his home in (East) West Asheville. In this interview, you'll learn: why we put buying a home and running an Airbnb on an indefinite back burner great, practical advice if you're hoping to turn your space into an Airbnb John's sage advice on work/life balance and finding contentment and great advice for starting by making small decisions (choices) John is less than one year into owning a home in Ashville and ...
May 14, 2019•55 min
In this Episode you'll learn the problems with "Starting With Why" the "Be, Do, Have Hierarchy" and ways to leverage "Starting With Be" in both your life and your business We recorded this episode as our final act before moving from Brooklyn to Asheville, NC. While the majority of our podcast episode will be interviews with Asheville's local makers, this episode is just the two of us sharing our perspective on the many reasons to Start with "Be" rather than Start with Why. For show notes, visit:...
May 14, 2019•23 min
Meet the creators behind Making It in Asheville, a site featuring interviews, podcasts, and advice on living, working, and creating in Asheville, NC. In this episode we discuss why we decided to move to Asheville, why we're starting this project, what you can expect from the episodes that follow. Visit our site: https://makingitinasheville.com Check out Making It in Asheville on other platforms! https://www.instagram.com/makingitinasheville/ https://www.makingitinasheville.com/youtube/ https://m...
Apr 25, 2019•16 min
