Local Gems Pt.II
“A woman is like a tea bag – you can’t tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.”-Eleanor Roosevelt
Beautiful Photo by Erin Bowman
Charlotte, North Carolina, a southern gem, a place where everyone knows someone who knows someone, who knows someone. Amongst this state of constant familiarity is the essence that birth the beauty of being a local-someone who loves and knows the neighboring restaurants, the famous and historic landmarks, the happenings the ins and outs of a city, and the unique details that make a location special.
This Holiday season, I thoroughly enjoyed a collaboration with two powerhouse entities to share my holiday shopping secrets. The Firm Wins, a full-service management firm partnered with the coveted Charlotte Lately, a community platform sharing the city ventures and stories of locals, the thriving local businesses while establishing a culture of creativity, compassion, and growth throughout the Queen City.
I had the pleasure of visiting one of Charlotte's coolest historic sites, Camp North End, the heart of the North End Smart District, comprised of mixed-use Community Hub spaces for restaurants, retail, and arts & culture.
Minutes from the bustling downtown atmosphere, nothing resonates with a creative spirit like walking through the open terrace of Camp North End, surrounded by shops of local entrepreneurs, being flooded with the history and modern flair.
Beautiful Photo by Erin Bowman
As we prepared for our ultimate girl tribe vibe photoshoot, I felt immeasurable excitement as a stellar group of creative geniuses opened up to formulate content magic. While Joy Davis, CEO of The Firm Wins, corroborated with, Natalie Stewart, Owner & Director of Charlotte Lately, to perfectly capture the essence of what it means to shop local in the #QC, epic stylist Brittany Noble Newcomb, of #bnoblestyled selected my fabulous threads, and uber-talented photographer, Erin Bowman, effortlessly adjusted her lens to capture me in my best light.
Birch Fine Tea is the FIRST exclusively loose leaf tea bar in Charlotte, North Carolina. Two Ukrainian born sisters, Alena and Kristina, dreamed of owning and operating a tea bar to showcase the beauty of the tea leaf, beyond the sweet tea, which is so prevalent here in the South. With pastel pink walls, featuring some of the most aromatic and delicious tea selections throughout the country, Birch Fine Tea brings such a unique experience to the city.
Beautiful Photo by Erin Bowman
The journey to their unparalleled brick and mortar in Camp North End was not an easy one. In July of 2015, Alena was diagnosed with rare chemo-resistant Ovarian Cancer and Heart Failure. After dropping down to 80 pounds, cardiologists were skeptical that her heart would ever recover, and at one point, hospice was recommended. While fighting for her life, she CHOSE to focus on her future and work towards achieving her dreams. During her recovery, between doctor visits, Alena and Kristina researched everything they needed to know to successfully start an online loose leaf tea company.
They poured their soul into every step of the process, from package design to building the website and tea selection. They sampled hundreds of tea until They found the right quality and flavor to showcase to the community!
After launching their online store and participating in dozens of pop-up events, they received an overwhelmingly positive response from the community. They felt THRILLED to take the next step in their business!
Beautiful Photo by Erin Bowman
Last spring, they opened Birch Fine Tea in Camp North End, and they are serving delicious cups of tea alongside decadent lavender loaves, one customer at a time. Birch is the perfect place to just “be.” Be at peace, be busy with work, be glamorous to take pictures while drinking tea. The inspiration of these two sisters extends beyond their courage to thrive as small business owners, and their path is quite inspiring.
My #Clocal shopping experience was perfection. Thank you Kristin Hayes Jewelry for adorning me with her beautiful collection of timeless sentimental pieces with a mix of vintage and modern day edge.
Special thanks to #bossbabe in the flesh, Joy Davis for curating this partnership and beautiful Queen, Natalie Stewart of Charlotte Lately for sharing my #shoplocal love story. I pray that you take time to share your love for the #QC and shop local.
Enjoy these phenomenal photos by @ErinBowman & Discover more amazing #local business leaders by following @Charlotte_Lately today!
