Auburn Hills – January 20, 2020

Auburn Hills – January 20, 2020

by | Jan 20, 2020 | Auburn Hills News

Friends,

My heart is happy.

I’m a huge advocate for volunteerism. It’s a huge, satisfying part of my life.

With it being Martin Luther King Jr. Day, seeing all the volunteering and giving opportunities makes me proud to be in these communities. While I’m not going to pretend to understand the depth and breadth of what Dr. King means to the African-American community, I truly admire the movement to create something special in his memory. I think that’s one of the most profound legacies a person can leave in this world.

In talking with my aunt last week, she said something that resonated with me: To whom much is given, much is expected. I agree. I’m no millionaire, but I certainly can’t complain about my lifestyle. My family is safe, warm and fed. We have access to doctors and teachers. Life is good.

But others aren’t so lucky.

Time is free and it’s the most important thing you can give. I encourage you to get out there this week, and every week, and lend a hand where you can. You don’t even need to be formal about it. Grab some paper and markers and make cards for kids in the hospital. Pick up litter at your local park. Start a pay-it-forward the next time you’re in the drive thru.

It’s all about kindness, folks. And it’s the least we can do.

Stay warm,

Rebecca

Sock Drive

The Auburn Hills Teen Council is participating in the 3rd Annual Sock Drive and Auburn Hills organizations and businesses and a great opportunity to help

Put out a box in your lobby and begin collecting new socks, gloves, hats and scarves.

Do this until Friday, Jan. 31 and then deliver the items to the Auburn Hills Community Center located at 1827 North Squirrel Road, southwest corner of University Drive and N. Squirrel Road, no later than 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 4.

The company or organization that collects the most will be proclaimed the winner. City staff will create a billboard design with the winner’s name on it and during a one-week period in February, the winner of the 2020 Auburn Hills Sock Drive will have their name in lights.

Click for more info.

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State of the Community

The Auburn Hills State of the Community is a great way to start the new year by meeting more than 250 community leaders and business professionals.

Auburn Hills Mayor, Kevin McDaniel will provide a look at accomplishments from 2019 and upcoming initiatives rolling out in 2020. The Chamber of Commerce will also give updates.

The presentation is Thursday Jan. 30, at 8 a.m. in the Oakland Center at Oakland University. Click for more information or to register.

Kindness Rocks

Kids in grades six through 12 are invited to drop by the library on Thursday, Jan. 31, from 7 to 8 p.m. and help create kindness rocks.

For questions, call 248-364-6706.

Fitness Room

If your New Year’s resolution included fitness, listen up. Auburn Hills residents can work out in the fitness room at the Community Center for free.

The Fitness Room includes treadmills, elliptical machines, a multi-station strength machine, stationary bike and more. Showers and lockers are available, so bring your own lock. Children 12 and under are not allowed in the Fitness Room. Those aged 13 to 17 must be signed up for the Teen Fitness Program to participate. A Corporate Fitness Card is available for those who work in Auburn Hills for $100 annually.

Rebecca Calappi

Rebecca Calappi

City News Editor

To share your news, announcements, and events, please email citynewseditor@localbiznews.net
A Passion for Fashion: Boutique Owner Marks 25 Years in Business

A Passion for Fashion: Boutique Owner Marks 25 Years in Business

by | Jan 17, 2020 | Annabelle's Couture, Berkley, LBN Community Series

A Passion for Fashion: Boutique Owner Marks 25 Years in Business

17

JANUARY 2020

BY HONEY MURRAY

LBN Community Series

Berkley

On an unassuming side street in Berkley, a few feet from 12 Mile Road’s relentless stream of daytime traffic, longtime boutique-clothing entrepreneur Patti Brock has created a cozy, richly stocked space for the apparel shoppers she’s been serving for 25 years — and for those who’ve just discovered her here at Annabelle’s Couture.

“I’ve always loved clothing and fashion,” Brock said recently at her store. “For 10 years, in the seventies and eighties, I enjoyed working part-time at specialty clothing store Patti Smith’s in Royal Oak. I became a buyer there. When I needed full-time work, I went to It Was/It Is, another Royal Oak boutique, where I worked for two years.

PATTI BROCK

PATTI BROCK

OWNER, ANNABELLE'S COUTURE

“I finally realized, ‘I think I could do this myself!’ Was it a leap of faith? Stupidity? Passion? A little of all,” she said with a laugh.

A Ferndale resident at the time, Brock noticed a Pleasant Ridge location for lease on Woodward.

“The landlord did not want a retail business there, but finally relented. That’s when I went to work: knocking down walls, painting, decorating, doing everything I could to open my store on a very tight budget.”

After operating Excelsior! Couture there for fifteen years, Brock downsized to a new location in Royal Oak and renamed the business Annabelle’s Couture, after her first granddaughter.

“I had been caring for my mother, who was loved by our customers and had always worked with me as a seamstress,” Brock said. “After she passed away, I took some time off. Eventually, I found my current space on Robina Avenue in Berkley and have been here for three years. And now I’m celebrating 25 extraordinary years of owning my unique clothing business.

“We don’t carry any brand you find in a mall. We work with artistic companies that are able to produce things that are not mainstream, from America and all over the world, including lots of handmade jewelry.”

Shawn Lombardo of Pontiac, a university librarian, has been a customer since 1999.

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“I’d been looking for casual wear,” Lombardo said, “and my boyfriend told me about a place where his co-worker shopped. It was Patti’s store, Excelsior! Couture in Pleasant Ridge. It was an amazing personal shopping experience. Just as it is now at Annabelle’s, there were brands you’d never seen before.

“I’m from Long Island,” Lombardo continued, “and when my sister and mom visit, they say, ‘Where did you get that dress? Do they have any more sweaters like that?’ So, I long-distance shop for them.

“People might think of librarians as conservative dressers, but shopping here has made me take chances in what I wear. Patti is so enthusiastic and encouraging. She’s also the first person to say, ‘Take it off’ if it doesn’t look good.

“Annabelle’s is almost like home,” said Lombardo. “I’ll be running errands, and I’ll stop by just to say hi.”

“It’s a dangerous place! Very dangerous,” teased regular customer Laura Lies of Berkley. “I live a block and a half away.

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“I came to this location when it was previously a Pilates exercise studio,” Lies said. “I wish I had known about her previous locations.

“I get my fun clothes here, my dressy, jazzy, nobody-else-has-it things” she said.

“I love everything from here,” Lies added later. “The velvet skirt I got, which goes with everything; the burned-velvet kimono I wore on New Year’s Eve; all kinds of jewelry, shoes and accessories: in fact, everything I’m wearing right now. And every time you come in, it’s like a little party. Even if you don’t know the other customers, everyone is always having fun.”

 

Nicole Artanowicz, another Berkley resident, has been a customer since 2014.

“I tagged along with my friend, Shawn,” she said, “and I fell in love with Patti and Annabelle’s. I bought a perfect dress for a Berkley school fundraiser. It was an Alembika burn-out velvet cocoon dress. I love the slimming illusion, and I can wear it all year.

“I’m also impressed that Patti is very community-oriented and always gives back. She has become such a bright spot in our community.”

 

Annabelle’s was a dropoff center for the Berkley Moms Club’s diaper drive for the Judson Center, a social services agency, and also has a yearly fundraising fashion show.

“We had an extra-special event recently,” Brock said. “Chemistry Salon, Ullman’s Health and Beauty and Annabelle’s — three business here in Berkley — treated a winning caregiver of a veteran to a fantastic prize of clothing, jewelry, shoes, beauty items and salon services.

“It’s a great community here,” added Brock. “I hope it grows but doesn’t lose sight of the positive impact of retail.”

There is no website for Annabelle’s. “Shopping is an experience you cannot get by ordering online,” Brock said.

However, a visit to the store’s Facebook page is almost like being at a merchant event. Pictures of new arrivals are posted throughout the day, prompting enthusiastic requests that a dress or shirt be put on hold, questions about size availability, exclamations of product admiration, and encouragement for fellow readers’ purchases.

“I also have my ‘first-dibs’ email list,” Brock said. “When items come in, I can let customers know, especially when it’s items I know they like.

“I love helping women feel beautiful in their clothing, jewelry, and shoes. And I love being part of this community. And, best of all,” Brock added, “with Annabelle’s, you definitely won’t see yourself coming and going.”

Annabelle’s Couture is open from noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday. Closed Sunday and Monday.

Annabelle’s Couture
3369 Robina Avenue
Berkley, MI 48072
248.544.9008

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Seeing 2020: Business Cheerleader’s Advice For Success in New Year

Seeing 2020: Business Cheerleader’s Advice For Success in New Year

by | Jan 15, 2020 | Farmington, From Launch To Ascent, LBN Community Series, Small Business

Seeing 2020: Business Cheerleader’s Advice for Success in New Year

15
JANUARY 2020

BY PAMELA A. ZINKOSKY

LBN Community Series

Farmington

Every business needs a cheerleader, and Tisha Hammond has been one for small businesses for the last five years. Her Farmington Hills-based Ascent Small Business Promotion LLC, popularly known as From Launch to Ascent, offers consulting services, online training, inspirational talks, business retreats and more.

While Hammond calls her blog Pep Talk, she’s by no means just a pompom-brandishing cheerleader. She was a badge-and-gun-carrying police officer for 10 years. She spent 21 years working for the government, the last part of that service conducting equal employment opportunity investigations.

TISHA HAMMOND

TISHA HAMMOND

FOUNDER, FROM LAUNCH TO ASCENT

There’s something both tough and soft about her, though, most likely because of the road that led to where she is today.

In 2014, both her brother and sister, neither of them yet 40, died. In addition, she and her husband mourned the passing that year of 24 other people they knew. It was a tragic year that ended with a “moment of clarity,” she said.

On Nov. 29, 2014 — yes, she recalls the exact date — she had a dream that featured the Ascent logo in its blue and gold colors and the “Small Business Cheerleader” tagline. “It was one of those dreams I didn’t forget,” she said.

Not much later, she took a test at work to find her “dream job,” which came up as either in public affairs — her husband’s field — or as a small-business promoter. “I said, ‘What’s a small business promoter?’ ” she said with a laugh.

Once she learned, she realized that, through all her employee interviews over the years, she encountered so many people who would rather be doing something else for a living. They weren’t living their passions. Ascent Small Business Promotion was born as a home-based business devoted to helping people make money doing what they love.
A place of her own

Hammond ran Ascent out of her home from January 2015 through March 2017 while still working for the government. In 2018, she retired, going full-time with Ascent in March of that year. That’s when she opened her office, an appointment-only consulting space that includes a meeting room for clients and an area for in-person training sessions.

Positive sayings adorn the walls of her office, which features a flat-screen television, plus a small treadmill and a stair-stepper, so she can get in some exercise while conducting calls or catching the news.

Adjacent to her office sits her husband’s photography and videography company. Hammond sometimes borrows his equipment to record videos or snap photos for her business’ social media pages. Before her interview with Local Business News, she posted a video saying she was praying for clarity in conveying her message — an idea that’s relevant for all business owners.

Hammond, who’s a small-business owner herself and an expert in equal opportunity and human resources issues, counsels and trains clients around the world. “My clients are health-care providers, ‘solopreneurs,’ nonprofits, corporations, agencies, small boutiques,” she said. They run the gamut of industries, but all of them can benefit from a few pieces of advice, she said.

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To start 2020, Hammond offered 10 pointers for small businesses:

 

  1. Build community. “Envelope yourself in a community — a team of people who will fuel you, share resources, help you change course when necessary, introduce clients,” said Hammond, who has done this throughout her career. She keeps a networking table with business cards from her clients and associates, and she never discounts the value of belonging to an organization of like-minded people. A fellow member of the Greater Farmington Area Chamber of Commerce, for example, helped connect her to a women’s organization in Bosnia. She formed a partnership with that organization to teach classes for her online training academy.
  2. Know your financials. “The IRS will consider your business a hobby if you’re not profitable,” Hammond said. It’s important to work toward making a profit and know what it takes to get there.
  3. Get a mentor. If a natural mentor hasn’t emerged for you, or if you’re shy about asking someone, check out www.score.org, Hammond suggests.
  4. Build capacity, and prepare for scaling. Hammond tells stories about people who had a product, did a media interview and then received more orders than they could fill. It’s a good problem to have, but it can be avoided, she said. Think in terms of scalability. Devise ways to contract for extra help as needed, or build an inventory you can draw upon.
  5. Invest your own money. “You have to put some skin in the game,” said Hammond, noting that five years ago she would have advised clients not to use their own money for startup costs. With experience, she’s learned that if you have invested dollars, you’re going to work that much harder on your business.
  6. Do your legwork. “I have to find people where they are,” Hammond says. That means email, Facebook, Instagram and even Pinterest. For her part, Hammond is calling people from whom she’s collected business cards and asking for their email addresses so she can send them the weekly newsletter, Inspiration for Your Inbox, she plans to start. That’s something she wouldn’t have done five years ago, but recognizes the need for today.
  1. Use your time wisely. Five years ago, Hammond said, she would have told business owners to go to every networking event they could find. Now, she says, business owners need to be selective and go to those that make sense. She advises putting the phone away, too; mindless Facebook and LinkedIn scrolling wastes time you could be spending on other things.
  2. Understand the importance of self-care. “Self-care is crucial and no less important for entrepreneurs,” Hammond says. She suggests regular exercise — remember, she has exercise equipment right in her office — as well as limiting late-night work and finding inspiration wherever possible. When you need a boost, seek out an inspiring story, call a friend or talk to your mentor, she suggests.
9, Find the right price point, and pay attention to expenses. This goes along with finances, but Hammond advises knowing what you’re worth and being prepared for expenses like office supplies, rent and utilities if you’re in a physical office. Also, be prepared for people to offer you a lower price point, and have a strategy to either say no or find a path to getting the amount you want.

  1. ” ‘No’ is a complete sentence, and there’s always a path to yes,” says Hammond. Hammond advises a succinct “no” when something doesn’t feel right or goes against your values. She also tells people that there’s always a path to getting what you want. If the answer to whether someone will do business with you is no for now, you can find a way to get to yes if you’re creative and smart. If someone won’t pay what you’re worth now, work toward showing your value and finding a path to that amount.

In other words, don’t give up.  

Ascent Small Business Promotion LLC is available by appointment only.

Ascent Small Business Promotion LLC
37460 Hills Tech Drive
Farmington Hills, MI 48331
248.987.2865

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Berkley – January 13, 2020

Berkley – January 13, 2020

by | Jan 13, 2020 | Berkley News

Feedback to the Oakland County Executive

Oakland County residents have until Friday to let County Executive David Coulter know just what the priorities for his administration should be for 2020.

The 10-question online Citizen Survey asks residents to rank what is important to them in terms of jobs and the economy, public health, neighborhoods and housing, roads and transportation, among other items. Coulter has made it a priority to meet with residents and businesses to hear from those who want a voice in county government.

To take the survey, go to www.OakGov.com and click on the “Citizen Survey 2020” button. The survey is open until Friday. Coulter’s administration will use the survey results to help the county be responsive to those who live in Oakland County and ensure the policies and strategies of county government are inclusive of all residents.

2020 MLK Jr. Service Day

The communities of Berkley and Royal Oak will honor the life Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for the third annual Day of Service on Jan. 20, at 7:45 a.m. at Berkley High School, 2325 Catalpa, Berkley. For more information, go to romi.gov/mlk.

Berkley and Vinsetta Garage Postpones Decision

Berkley and 27799 Woodward LLC have been working toward finding a resolution to the litigation and parking issues surrounding the Vinsetta Garage restaurant on Woodward Avenue.

Since the business’s inception in 2012, there have been parking difficulties for its patrons. In turn, the neighboring streets have been subjected to an increase in on-street parking.

The city stepped in and worked to negotiate a solution that would have an optimal outcome for the residents in the area.

See the press release for more details.

Getting Started with your Genealogy Research

Want to know more about your family history, but don’t know how to get started? Learn how to fill in the blanks of your family history using what you have in your attic, as well as MyHeritage and other online sources. The class includes an introduction to U.S. Federal census records and vital records.

Register by calling 248-658-3440.

Rebecca Calappi

Rebecca Calappi

City News Editor

To share your news, announcements, and events, please email citynewseditor@localbiznews.net
Royal Oak – January 13, 2020

Royal Oak – January 13, 2020

by | Jan 13, 2020 | Royal Oak News

Isle Royale Nature Talk

On Wednesday, Feb. 5, the Isle Royale: Wolves, Moose, and More” speaker program will be held at 7:30 p.m. at the Royal Oak Senior/Community Center (3500 Marais). Erin Parker, nature centers manager of the Detroit Zoological Society, spent three seasons as a backcountry ranger and biological technician at Isle Royale National Park. She returned there several times to explore, most recently in August as part of the Moose Watch program. Come learn about this beautiful and wild island archipelago, including the ongoing wolf reintroduction project and start planning your own visit. There is no preregistration or cost.

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2020 MLK Jr. Service Day

On Monday, Jan. 20, the communities of Berkley and Royal Oak will honor the life Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for the third annual Day of Service at Berkley High School, 2325 Catalpa, Berkley. For more information click here.

the donation of one or more of the following items.

Feedback to the Oakland County Executive

Oakland County residents have until Friday to let County Executive David Coulter know just what the priorities for his administration should be for 2020.

The 10-question online Citizen Survey asks residents to rank what is important to them in terms of jobs and the economy, public health, neighborhoods and housing, roads and transportation, among other items. Coulter has made it a priority to meet with residents and businesses to hear from those who want a voice in county government.

To take the survey, go to www.OakGov.com and click on the “Citizen Survey 2020” button. The survey is open until Friday. Coulter’s administration will use the survey results to help the county be responsive to those who live in Oakland County and ensure the policies and strategies of county government are inclusive of all residents.

Storm Water Utility Workshop

The city is hosting several meetings in 2020 to help property owners understand the new utility. For residents the workshops will be held:

-Saturday, Feb. 29, at 10:30 a.m. in the Library Auditorium

-Wednesday, March 18, 3 p.m. at the MM Senior Center, rooms 4-5

Tuesday, April 14, 6:30 p.m. in the Library Auditorium

This event is FREE; RSVP.

Rebecca Calappi

Rebecca Calappi

City News Editor

Storm Water Utility Workshop

The city is hosting several meetings in 2020 to help property owners understand the new utility. For residents the workshops will be held:

-Saturday, Feb. 29, at 10:30 a.m. in the Library Auditorium

-Wednesday, March 18, 3 p.m. at the MM Senior Center, rooms 4-5

Tuesday, April 14, 6:30 p.m. in the Library Auditorium

This event is FREE; RSVP.

To share your news, announcements, and events, please email citynewseditor@localbiznews.net