Help Ariel Find Her Voice

The most difficult part about living the dream is finding the funds to do so. In today’s society, many talented and ambitious individuals have the opportunity to pursue their passions through crowd funding. What the heck is Crowd Funding? Yvonne A. Ramsey, writer for Business People, defines crowd funding as the process of raising money to help turn promising ideas into business realities by connecting investees with potential supporters.

Crowd funding is an emerging online trend representing a new potential pool of capital as a source of start-up equity financing. It’s simple; a central tenant of crowd funding is that the crowd funds what the crowd wants. This is a tremendous asset to creative individuals looking to pursue their dreams as crowd funding creates a demand while providing the funds for the supply. Aspiring entrepreneurs are increasingly jumping onboard with sites like Kickstarter, IndieGoGo, Peerbackers and ChipIn. Now, as the concept becomes well known, users have become savvier about creating interesting profiles, targeting their audiences and promoting their offerings. We had the unique opportunity of joining in on the marketing efforts of the Kickstarter campaign for Ariel Hill, aspiring singer/songwriter in Nashville, TN.

To describe Ariel Hill’s music, the best way to put it is a contemporary twist on soul music.  Her bluesy vocals in combination with her Broadway star-like vocal range makes her a rarity in today’s music scene.  Her style is unique and diverse, as shown by whom she draws much inspiration from:  Aretha Franklin, The Beatles, The Strokes, Justin Timberlake, and Coldplay.

Ariel Hill is only 21 years old but has already been on quite the roller coaster ride in her musical journey to Nashville, Tennessee.  Ariel has many friends and great mentors that believe in her talent and want her to follow through on her vision. However, for a singer/songwriter, success only comes from people being able to hear your music. By supporting and successfully funding her Kickstarter campaign, we can send our ears on a magical journey to hear her new EP, Supernova. And for that, we salute you!

Oh My Nosh!

Three years ago, Lindsey and Karman met as dietetic interns at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. After graduating from the internship and beginning full-time jobs as Registered Dietitians, the two found themselves looking for a creative outlet to bring in some extra cash. The duo shared a passion for experimenting with recipes and competed in several recipe contests, but still they wanted something more. With encouragement from family and friends, Karman and Lindsey decided to take a leap of faith and apply as a food vendor for the 2011 Tomato Art Fest. And they were accepted! Since then, Karman and Lindsey have continued to grow their small food venture and bring healthy, handmade, and delicious eats to Nashville.  


 

The ‘Oh My Nosh!’ name was thought up during a brainstorming session at a local sandwich shop, and is reflective of the reaction they strive for when people try their tasty, one-of-a-kind creations (because everyone says ‘Oh My Nosh!’, right?). Oh My Nosh! continues to offer a healthified food experience specializing  in handcrafted and healthy eats that satisfy and fuel their Noshers, such as Caprese Salad Skewers, Kamut Puff Granola Squares, Pumpkin-Chia Bread, and Chocolate-Cranberry Clusters.

Sharing their creations with others is what keeps them motivated to do more events in Nashville, the city they now call home. Since their debut at the 2011 Tomato Art Fest, the two have participated in Porter Flea last June, the East-Centric Music Festival, and the 2012 Tomato Art Fest, where an estimated 28,000 people attended. Oh My Nosh! plans to continue serving up Noshes at local festivals and events, as well as smaller gigs. They pop up at events and gatherings around town, so be sure to like Oh My Nosh! on Facebook for the latest updates or email them at ohmynoshnash@gmail.com. As the great Julia Child said herself, “Find something you are passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it.” Oh My Nosh! did exactly that in hopes to share their passion for healthy, delicious food with you soon! And for that, we salute them!

Isaac Elliott

The New Year is upon us and a fresh start has begun. Over the past few years, many people have exhibited individuality through the fabrication of their unique style. The brothers of Isaac Elliott have done just that by inspiring us to embrace individualism and emulate intellectualism. As we press towards creating new trends, we are constantly facing criticism in regards to how we dress and represent ourselves. By creating and wearing bow ties, Isaac Elliott broadcasts an aggressive lack of concern for what other people think.

“You can never be overdressed or overeducated.”

Isaac Elliott is the brainchild of brothers Kevin, Paul and Joe Brisco. While sitting around the breakfast table one Christmas morning, the eldest envisioned excellence. Sparked by the youngest brother’s resourceful Christmas gift for the middle sibling, the intent behind Isaac Elliott was born. A company fostered by the innovation of a traditional men's accessory – The Bow Tie.

The brand name is comprised of the youngest and eldest brother's middle names, Kevin Isaac Brisco and Joseph Elliott Brisco. Not with any intention to leave out the middle brother, Paul Rollins Brisco. The Isaac Elliott name just had a better ring than Isaac Rollins Elliott.

The inspiration of the company comes from the love and knowledge for men’s fashion and design between all three brothers. Along side of that comes the mere fact that all three brothers have a terrible time transitioning into the corporate world and dealing with micro managed, boring jobs. And for that, we salute you!

 "We just want be free to do what we love and making a living doing it"

Hummus Chick

December is upon us and the end of the year is near. If the ancient Mayans are wrong and the world does not end on December 21, 2012 A.D., then you should expect to celebrate a new year. When listing your Top New Year’s Resolutions, we encourage you to formulate a plan to make the best of your todays be the worst of your tomorrows. If your New Year’s resolution is to eat healthier, you’re in luck. We know a friend that produces a healthy snack that is high in fiber, high in protein, and low in cholesterol. In the heart of Nashville, Hummus Chick blends hummus with love.

“Living is the art of loving.

Loving is the art of caring

Caring is the art of sharing

Sharing is the art of living.

If you want to lift yourself up,

lift up someone else.”

-Booker T. Washington

Hummus Chick is the creative venture founded by Javaneh Hemmat. Java is a true believer that food made with love tastes better when it’s shared with others. Java has found that her passion is truly in cooking for her friends and exploring how beautifully spices can compliment one another. The inspiration for these unique flavors began in her childhood. Born to Persian parents in the oasis of United Arbab Emirates, she had the opportunity to interact with cultures outside of her own community by taking trips to exciting locations, making new friends from other countries, and creating family meals using colorful spices from the cultures she encountered. All the while, she never realized just how deeply this exposure to different culinary traditions would impact her life.

It was during her surfing trip to California that she experienced one of those life-changing moments that you often hear about but never expect to happen. While sitting on her surf board in the Pacific Ocean waiting for a wave, she was struck with a sudden realization: if cooking for her friends was her passion, then she should start a company that allows her to share her love of food and flavors with others. And so, Hummus Chick was created. And for that, we salute you!

"Be Kind to your body, eat hummus."

The Neighborhood

Before we know it, the fall and winter season will be behind us and the festival season will be upon us. We are all eager to discover the featured-filled line-ups, and we’re certain that you all have began planning your travel and buying your early-bird tickets. If you haven’t done so, we suggest you get a head start on everyone else to avoid running into any additional cost.

As we progress our efforts to bring you the latest in music, art, fashion, and action, we find it necessary and extremely beneficial to make an appearance in Austin, TX at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Conferences & Festivals, March 8-17, 2013. This unique festival is a melting pot for musicians, filmmakers, entrepreneurs, manufacturers, distributors, and designers. We all have a favorite music festival, but nothing is as sweet as the entertainment industry’s version of spring break.

South by Southwest dates back to 1987 when it was started as just a music festival, and since, it has grown to include film, technology, and interactive categories. As the interactive categories of the festival began to form, it was largely made up of technology start-ups, investment firms and agencies. Last year (SXSW 2011) sparked the first installment of Style X (pronounced “style by”), the first fashion element added to the festival. This year at SXSW 2012, Style X was held at the Austin Convention Center as an SXSW-official event that was free and open to the public.

Unfortunately, Style X has decided to go its separate ways and will not be included in the fashion segment of SXSW 2013. Fortunately, Style X has ventured out to form an independent, unofficial event during the SXSW festival. The founders of Style X, Joah Spearman and Jon Patillo, decided to take the concept for a style program into their own hands and formed The Neighborhood. At the moment, we don’t have many details to share on The Neighborhood; however, as March 2013 approaches, we’ll have more information to share.

We feel that is our opportunity to showcase our talents, gain inspiration, and progress towards setting the standards for our generation and industry. We couldn’t thank the founders of Style X and The Neighborhood enough for having the courage to leave their shores to discover new land (not literally, but metaphorically). And for that, we salute you!

“Opportunities of a lifetime must be seized within the lifetime of the opportunity.”