by thesavageway | Oct 14, 2014 | services
This past weekend, we had the amazing opportunity to experience a breathwork class with the wonderful Jonathan Winn of Breathe.
Breathwork is an extremely powerful tool that focuses on the breath in order to heal each of us mentally, emotionally and physically. It is more than just everyday breathing. You go through a journey to relaxation and clarity.
Now it must be admitted that we did not really know what to expect walking into this Saturday morning workshop. We kept asking Jonathan and his clients what the breathwork experience was like, and the resounding response was that, “it’s indescribable, you must experience it for yourself.”
We walked into the Breathe studio (located in the Highland Mill Lofts in NoDa), with open hearts and open minds. The space is refreshingly simple and zen-like. We felt at peace. Jonathan talked about creating a refuge, a safe place with his work and he did just that.
Breathe studio located in the historic arts district of NoDa.
We were in a room with 12 other people who were all looking for a relaxation tool. Some were small business owners (like us), others were corporate lawyers and some teachers. Each of us a different walk of life yet each experiencing the stress and anxiety of life.
At the beginning of the workshop, Jonathan walked us through everything we needed to know. He told us of the ladder that we would climb and then descend all while breathing. There was music playing that aided in the experience. Each of us were wrapped in a blanket and had an eye mask over our eyes in order to block out all distractions. It felt safe.
Breathwork Workshop with Jonathan Winn, owner of Breathe.
The breathwork workshop was unlike anything either of us had ever experienced before. It was a moment to be completely focused on yourself and the stressors in your life. You go to a place in yourself that you didn’t even know was there. The root of who you are as a person. It’s true! Jonathan’s teaching of breathwork is indescribable and something that you MUST experience for yourself.
What we learned at the end of the workshop is that breathwork is so much more than learning how to breathe. It was about embracing whatever happened (be it emotional or physical) in that moment and letting it go. Letting go by breathing through it. Life can be challenging and beyond stressful at times. Breathwork is a great, natural way to take an assessment of what you are feeling and using breath to get through.
Most of us are great at helping others and doing what we can to alleviate any stress from our loved one’s lives, but we aren’t so great at stopping and helping ourselves. Breathwork truly is life changing. Do yourself a favor and sign up Jonathan’s for the next workshop on November 8.
Breathe
Website
Location: 2901 N Davidson St #122 Charlotte NC
Next Workshop: Saturday, November 8, 2014, 10:30am-12pm
Twitter: @BreatheRefuge
Facebook: /BreatheRefuge
by thesavageway | Sep 18, 2014 | clean graffiti, services
Picture this. You’re running along your normal running path and you quickly approach that elusive runner’s wall that makes you want to stop and take a break. Then, all of a sudden you come across a message on the sidewalk that pushes you to finish the race.
“Today you will inspire someone. TRi-Yon Performance”
Clean Graffiti campaign targeting runners in the Charlotte area sponsored by TRi-Yon Performance.
This is the scenario that local Charlotte celebrity and WBTV news anchor, Brigida Mack, found herself in a few weeks ago as she was training for a road race.
Mack posted on her hugely popular Facebook and Instagram accounts a Clean Graffiti message sponsored by TRi Yon Performance, “Saw this on my run this morning & it def got me through the second half of my 10K! #wordstoliveby #Hot100 #weberunning”
Charlotte’s WBTV news anchor Brigida Mack spots Clean Graffiti on her run.
Clean Graffiti (also known as reverse graffiti) is an eco-friendly and green form of advertising. These branded, positive messages are strategically placed on dirty sidewalks and a clean message remains. Not only is this an innovative and creative way to get a business’ marketing initiatives out to the public in a place that you typically would not be able to have a logo or message, but there is no use of any harmful chemicals or sprays – It is just water!
TRi-Yon Performance and #thesavageway collaborated on this Clean Graffiti project to put down these inspirational running messages along popular running paths in Charlotte. The message was simple, “Today, you will inspire someone.”
“When you are training for a race, a lot of times you forget that what YOU are doing becomes an inspiration to others,” said Mack. “You are so focused on making it another mile, another day and eating clean that you forget the effect that your journey has on other people.”
Exercising is very much a mental activity, and that is exactly what trainer Jamey Yon was targeting when doing this Clean Graffiti campaign. He wanted his athletes to be surprised as they were on their normal running path. Clean Graffiti was an unexpected source of motivation to help push through to the finish line.
Mack agreed, “It was really cool to see! My first thought was how unique it was and once it settled in, it pushed me up the hill.”
The goal of this Clean Graffiti campaign was to give a little inspiration and positivity to Charlotte area athletes in an unexpected way. We would say it was a success! So the next time you are on your daily run, keep an eye out for that unexpected motivation from the sidewalks.
by thesavageway | Aug 19, 2014 | services
NoDa has seen some pretty unique things in its day. Costumed 5Ks during Halloween, Music Festivals at any given time, Gallery Crawls and more. However, nothing is quite as unique as seeing hundreds of men walking the streets in high heels.
That’s right, the time has come again for the second annual Charlotte’s Walk a Mile in Her Shoes ®.
Walking a mile in high heels is more than just a fashion statement. For the participants of this charity walk, it is about men raising awareness to stop gender violence and rape.
To quote Charlotte’s Walk a Mile in Her Shoes ® flyer, “In spirit of the old saying “you can’t understand someone’s experience until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes,” Walk a Mile in Her Shoes ® literally asks men to walk a mile in women’s high heeled shoes. The event is a playful and fun opportunity for men to raise awareness in their community about the serious causes and effects of sexualized violence.”
This year’s event will take place at NoDa Brewing Company on Saturday, August 23. Come out and show your support for the men and women walking for domestic violence awareness. Enjoy breakfast from local food truck Hot Box Next Level Street Food – serving 9am-12pm.
All proceeds from the 2014 walk will directly benefit Safe Alliance. Cost is $25 for Men and $10 for Ladies. Registration opens at 9am and all participants will take the streets beginning at 10am. The route takes the men (and women) left out of NoDa Brewing, up North Davidson Street to Heist Brewery. Participants will then cross the street and heads back down North Davidson towards the brewery – a mile in all!
Back at the brewery, be sure to congratulate the participants for walking/running in those heels and relax with a nice beverage.
Concerned about walking in heels? For a nice tutorial click here.
Walk a Mile In Her Shoes
Date: Saturday, August 23, 2014 at 9am
Location: NoDa Brewing Company
Register Here
by thesavageway | Aug 15, 2014 | services
AIR. Three simple letters. We breathe it. We fly through it. And now, we exercise in it!
AIR® – Aerial Fitness is the newest fitness concept to hit the Charlotte market. Located on Providence Road in the ever-popular Myers Park neighborhood, AIR® is elevating the group class dynamic to a new level (no really, they are taking things into the air).
AIR® is a suspension based fitness program that utilizes aerial silks and body weight to create long, lean muscles. We’re not talking circus tricks or crazy stunts; think beautiful silk hammocks secured to the ceiling that are perfect for elevated planks, pull ups and hanging upside down of course! Elite trainers lead every workout.
On Tuesday evening, the ladies of #thesavageway held a VIP Party for a group of exceptional Charlotte women. These media members, bloggers, fitness enthusiasts and Instagram lovers came together for a sneak peek of this amazing new studio.
The evening began by the ladies getting comfortable in workout clothes and barefeet. Guests helped themselves to some Skinnygirl wine, Mellow Mushroom hummus, Bruks Bars bites and samples of Viva Raw.
As the networking and catching up began, so did the fun in the air. Groups took to the silks six at a time to try their hand at this creative workout regime. Incorporating silks into a workout brings a difficulty level that it not necessarily expected. The ladies swayed, jumped, climbed and flipped in their hammocks – all with huge smiles across their faces.
Headquartered in Chicago, AIR® Charlotte is the third location for owner Shama Patel. Other locations include two in Chicago. Los Angeles, New York City, Dallas and more Chicago studios are opening in the coming months.
The Myers Park location is slated to officially open at the end of August but in the mean time, check out their website to try out some free classes! Full class schedule, membership packages and further details on this new studio can be found here as well.
AIR® is definitely a different way to work out, but give it a shot. You may just soar!
AIR® Myers Park
1043-C Providence Rd
by thesavageway | Aug 12, 2014 | services
What do you get when you combine 34 varieties of craft beer on tap, a delicious chef-driven menu and close proximity to the Bank of America Stadium? You get two very happy #thesavageway ladies!
Last week, we had the honor of attending Media Night for one of the newest spots in the Queen City, Draught.
Draught is located off of Cedar Street in Charlotte’s Third Ward (in the former Hartigan’s location).
When entering Draught, you immediately notice the warm wood walls, industrial lighting fixtures and open floor plan. Turn the corner and you are treated to a beautiful mural on the back wall courtesy of Matt Moore and Matt Hooker. (these amazing artists were painting live during the media event.) Talk about a showstopper.
Head downstairs and you enter the “overflow area” on a busy night / beautiful private event space. A second bar, separate bathrooms and private dining are sure to be key to getting Charlotteans to want to have their next party here. Details on rentals are still being discussed but this appears to be the perfect setting for a rehearsal dinner, birthday party or holiday festivities.
The ambiance is warm and inviting, yet the appeal as a sports bar remains intact. There are plenty of televisions (32 to be exact) to catch your favorite sports team and the addition of the garage style doors will prove to be a huge asset to this Uptown location. Everyone loves a patio here in Charlotte, and Draught is no exception.
When it comes to the food, we were more than impressed. Being a draft beer bar, we expected the usual bar-type foods, however we were pleasantly surprised when deviled eggs and avocado salsa were brought to the table as appetizers.
Deviled Egg Trio: traditional with house dill pickle – avocado stuffed with confit red onion – crab stuffed dusted in old bay with preserved lemon aioli
Avocado Salsa: diced avocado, tomatoes, red onions, jalapenos, cilantro, lime sour cream, house chips
The menu continues to surprise with the likes of Tequila Lime Shrimp with Rice, Hoisin Glazed Scallops, Korean Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps and what seemed to be a huge hit – Kitchen Sink Meatloaf.
Tequila Lime Shrimp with Rice
All in all, Draught has done a great job with renovations and recreating a space that appeals to both men and women. Solid drink and food offerings too! You will definitely find #thesavageway ladies hanging out at this gem! Welcome to Charlotte!
Draught
Address: 601 S. Cedar Street
Website: http://www.draughtcharlotte.com/
Prices Range: $6 – $18
Hours: Sun-Wed 11am-12am / Thurs-Sat 11am-2am
by thesavageway | Jul 24, 2014 | services
Photography. There truly is an art to taking a photograph. Your professionals have gone to school and studied the craft for years to master this art – and it shows. But, in this day in age, most people have a smartphone with a built-in powerful camera. The opportunity to take a beautiful photo is just a finger tap away.
Here at #thesavageway, we watch social media all day long and we notice photos. Some are high quality and creative while others are out of focus or have terrible lighting. We know that not everyone is a professional photographer, but there really is no reason to have a blurry photograph let alone post it to your Facebook page. Knowing how to use your phone’s camera is one of the first things that we teach our clients.
When we are not teaching how to focus on an iPhone, we watch the photo trends (yes, there are trends) as we are scrolling through our news feeds. The easiest portal to analyze is the visually driven Instagram. Past trends that we love include the personal point of view that traveller @MuradOsmann does so well.
We also adore the Where’s Waldo angle of @AndrewKnapp who finds a way to add his dog Momo in every picture.
One of the photo trends we love these days is the foodie “aerial view.” This bird’s-eye view allows the audience to appreciate the overall scene and gives a different angle of food.
A few of the Instagram accounts that do this overhead view very well are national accounts @SweetGreen and @ThugLifeForevs .
Left: SweetGreen Right: ThugLifeForevs
Locally we appreciate what the guys at @ThePlaidPenguin are doing and love how @KeiaIsHungry utilizes this angle.
Left: The Plaid Penguin Right: Keia Mastrianni
These images always get us to stop scrolling and look. They are clever and memorable. Exactly what a photo on Instagram is supposed to do. This bird’s-eye view is a great way to showcase food pictures. It shows the beauty of food that a close up doesn’t always capture. Photo trends come and go, as all trends do, but a quality picture lasts forever.
by thesavageway | Jul 1, 2014 | clean graffiti, services
How many people ever have the opportunity to meet the leader of their industry? The “Steve Jobs” of what they put their heart and soul into? Well #thesavageway had the opportunity to do just that this past weekend. We (Torrie & Paula) headed to Nashville, TN to meet the European “Godfather” of reverse graffiti, Jim Bowes.
Jim Bowes , Sustainable Advertising Pioneer, has been practicing natural media in the Netherlands and throughout Europe for over a decade with his company Green Graffiti. They offer a huge range of natural techniques including sand stamping, moss graffiti, milk paint, reverse graffiti and more!
When #thesavageway started doing Clean Graffiti over two and a half years ago, we did some research online to see if other people were doing this around the world. Sure enough it was an established art form in Europe . There were not many companies to be found, but one of the biggest and most active online was Green Graffiti. We would see Jim comment on articles and give his insight ANYTIME reverse graffiti came up in an online post. He was obviously knowledgeable and had a voice in this “green” movement. Seeing natural media from his perspective was very insightful from our location in Charlotte, NC.
Finally, after admiring his work from afar we decided that we were going to reach out. We said, “Screw it, let’s email him and see what happens.” Sure enough, he emailed back, we set up a Skype session and Jim started interacting on all of our social portals. We were blown away at how receptive he was to what were doing here in Charlotte.
Oddly enough, Jim, who is based in the Netherlands, was going to be in the States at the end of June – Nashville, TN to be exact. There was not even a question for us; we were about to take a road trip! We were going to meet the “Godfather.”
Road Trip.
7 hours outside of the Queen City, we get into the heart of Downtown Nashville and settle in for what was sure to be an experience. It felt a little strange to be in another state, meeting a person that we did not know nor did we ever think we would have the opportunity to meet. Imagine meeting Richard Branson or Bill Gates – that just doesn’t happen everyday. He lives and operates on the other side of the world! Regardless, we knew that we were there for a reason and that we were going to embrace whatever knowledge this man was about to drop on us.
The Meeting of the Minds.
We met in a suburb of Nashville called Franklin (think what Ballantyne is to Charlotte). The hustle and bustle of this little city during lunch rush did not stop us from grabbing a cold beer at a local brewery.
It must be noted that there’s never been an instance where three strangers were more excited to meet over beer and talk about a city’s dirt!
The conversation flowed really well. We talked dirt, concrete, city laws, billboard waste – the topics were endless. We discussed #thesavageway, Clean Graffiti, our experience and challenges and he did the same. It was nice to chat with someone who has walked in our shoes. Someone who sees Clean Graffiti as we see it – a HUGE asset!
It is not often in life that you are given an opportunity to sit down in a business conversation with a person who is not only a competitor but also a cheerleader. To sit face-to-face with a guy who BELIEVES in Clean Graffiti the way that we do was a pretty awesome feeling.
After the Dirt Settled.
We walked away from our meeting with the “Godfather” more confident and assured that we are doing what we are supposed to be doing in this life. We felt proud of our Clean Graffiti journey knowing he has gone through some of the same things and has come out stronger and more innovative in the end.
Jim brought up a fact that we have continued to reflect upon. He said, “It takes a brave soul to do what we do.”
We agree! Non-traditional marketing is not suited for everyone. It takes the right person for Clean Graffiti to succeed: it takes ethics, long term vision, a passion for sustainability, a little bit of risk taking, and most importantly gusto!
Who knows if we will see Jim again or what collaborative projects may be in our future – be we do know that we went to good ole Music City in order for our path to cross with the Godfather’s. That reason may not be perfectly clear just yet – but we do know that we will continue to live our lives with gusto until we figure it out!
by thesavageway | May 28, 2014 | services
Here at #thesavageway, we work with a wide variety of business owners in a range of different industries. A common thread we see between them all is that small businesses rarely have a large marketing budget, let alone a strategic plan behind how they plan to get the word out about their company. When an owner is working to get their doors open, making time for marketing is often their last thought. In fact, an owner is a specialist in their industry, typically not a marketing specialist so thinking about flyers, social media pages, websites, etc is beyond overwhelming. Hesitations to dive into the online world of Social Media are understandable.
Enter #thesavageway. We work with business owners to help make the intimidating social media world make sense. Depending on their specific industry needs, we work one-on-one with owners on either a training program or ongoing consulting services at an extremely cost effective level.
Over the past 4-5 years it has become more and more imperative for businesses to utilize social media in order to get the word out about their company. According to Business Insider , “Social is now the top Internet activity: Americans spend an average of 37 minutes daily on social media, a higher time-spend than any other major Internet activity, including email.”
With all of those active, potential consumers online waiting to engage with your company, how is your brand being perceived? The thought with owners has always been, “If I build it, they will come,” well that is no longer the case. Consumers want to know more than just your hours of operation, they want to know your story. Social media is the perfect portal to show life and engage with your consumers. So are you still asking why do I need social media?
Social media is the modern day branding tool that small businesses should capitalize on and embrace. There are a plethora of reasons but here are our Top 5 Reasons to Use Social Media:
- Create a Brand Presence Online: In today’s technology-driven, immediate satisfaction world, consumers are more likely to look a company up on Facebook or Yelp before going to their website. It is important to brand your social pages so that your message is consistently received no matter what portal your customer prefers to use.
- Engage With Customers: Scott Cook, the Founder of Intuit said, “A brand is no longer what we tell the customer it is – it is what customers tell each other it is.” Social Media allows a business to set the tone for their image. Encouraging engagement with consumers (asking questions, complimenting, talking back) will prompt them to return the favor – in turn growing your brand awareness. As a small business you need the platform to be able to proactively respond to both the positive and negative feedback. Customers are talking about you regardless – might as well join in the conversation!
- Tell Your Story: Let customers in on your daily life. Social media allows an opportunity like never before to show your company culture and put out there what you want the world to see. Before a customer ever steps foot inside your door, you are able to create an experience and give them an idea what they will expect from your brand. You can show them that you support local or carry boutique brands. Show consumers what makes your business tick – show them why they want to be a part of what you are doing!
- Drive Website Traffic: Creative and strategic posts will lead your customers back to your website – where they will hopefully be a step closer to making a purchase of your product or further trust your brand. Overall, social media is gaining more and more importance for SEO rankings – especially Google+. Google is weighing every time you are talked about online – being a content creator on social media helps your brand be more authoritative.
- Listen to Customer Insight – Your loyal followers watch what you are doing in the brick-and-mortar part of your business as well as online. Listen to what they say – they are telling you what they are looking for from your brand. Your next big campaign could be an idea from a Twitter follower.
As you can see, social media is a tool for business, just like that Point Of Sale system or employee manual. It is important to learn it inside and out enough to make the best of each portal. Look what your industry leaders are using and focus your efforts there.
Twitter and Instagram may be intimidating and the last item on that to-do list but as a small business, it is imperative to understand that online communication and non-traditional mediums are only going to grow. Embrace it now and take your business to the next level. And if you are struggling to master your social media, you can always take #thesavageway.
