#localcincinnati

We are celebrating everything outdoors as we end this summer! What a fun summer it’s been, however. See below, a few of our favorite (and need-to-do) things as we get back into Fall schedules and enjoy some cooling temps (hopefully)! All of these things below are brought to you by the best of local businesses across the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky area; be sure to tell them scout sent you! ~ McKenna

1. Coppin’s outdoor patio at Hotel Covington // The patio at Coppin’s located inside Hotel Covington in Kentucky is the perfect place for a summer evening get-together with friends.

2. Flower boxes from My Flower Service  //  Any color to any window box or container garden with seasonal arrangements from My Flower Service. My Flower Service will revisit your home or office each season and swap out the previous display with a new seasonal planting perfect for the time of year and temperature!

3. Doggie daycare at Red Dog Resort & Spa // Have your four-legged friend beat the heat during the “dog days of summer” with other canine pals at Red Dog Resort & Spa -- either in Mason or Madison & Red Bank Road!

4. Train for a Fall running race with Tri-State Running Company // Kick off the running season with one of Tri-State Running’s training programs out of their locations in Edgewood, KY and Mariemont, OH.  Their programs are designed to help you get to the finish line but most importantly train in a group setting!

5. Test drive a car at Mercedes Benz of Fort Mitchell  // What a fun experience and smooth ride! Check out all of the new technology as well! Hang on!

6. Exterior Painting by Bristle Painting // Don’t wait until next Spring to spruce up the house and contact Bristle Painting today while the weather is nice for an exterior home paint refresh.

7. Purchase your tickets for Polo for Babies // Support the annual charity polo match hosted by The Leonidas Foundation benefiting Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. The event is back for the 6th year and will be held on September 14th in Loveland. Visit www.poloforbabies.com for tickets & more information.

8. Visit a Cincinnati park // Spend an afternoon at one of the 75 Cincinnati Parks supported by the Cincinnati Parks Foundation. The John G. and Phyllis W. Smale Riverfront Park is one of the largest parks, opened in 2012, nestled on the banks of the Ohio River. The Park offers everything from a carousel to a labyrinth!

Hi! McKenna (MLB) here! We had a really great time last week at our TSG Cincinnati Member Mingle (hosted at the beautiful Hotel Covington) where several talented business owners shared some fantastic insight and a peek behind the curtains of their successful businesses. Not only are they successful business leaders in our Cincinnati community, but they’re all wonderful people who want to support one another and help in any way possible. 

The panel was made up of a diverse group of talented people: Megan Stacey of Megan Stacey Group at Coldwell Banker West Shell , Robin Wood of Robin Wood Flowers, Dr. Carly Rose of Eyecare on the Square ,  Bob Carroll of Carroll Financial and Jonathan Gibbs of Gibbs Insurance Associates. They all do very different different things on a daily basis, and are faced with very different challenges. However, the two things each of them have in common is business ownership and love for Cincinnati. 

Pictured: Dr. Carly Rose, Bob Carroll, Jonathan Gibbs, McKenna Brooks

Here are a few highlights and pieces of advice from them: 

MLB: Robin, How did you take a passion & turn it into a business?

Robin Wood: (Robin Wood Flowers Founder) I came from a long line of entrepreneurs. My dad starting building electronic equipment for fun, then started a radio station (WEBN). One day I thought “I really want to garden. I thought, we really need a florist in Cincinnati”

I wanted to do everything out in the open. In 2001 I was lucky to be invited to join in a space with an interior designer near Xavier. I learned I know nothing about business.

We now have 20 employees and do events all over Cincinnati. We buy flowers from Holland, and flowers from here in Cincinnati. 

Changing careers in the middle of my life, I was able to be on Oprah. She did a show on women who changed careers in the middle of their lives. They called on Valentine’s day asking me to be on the show, and I thought it was a joke. A few days went by and I realized they were serious, so I said ‘ok’ and it was a lot of interviews and a long process. But then they sent me a plane ticket!

But here we are in 2019, and I love what I do!

MLB: How do you find someone as passionate as you are about your business?

Robin: Many of the people we have hired have walked in and said “I want to work for you” - many times this works out, but other times it doesn't and you have to know when to cut it.  Many of our designers have been with us for 10, 15, 20 years. Hiring full-time employees is very difficult. Now we often start with part time and see how it goes. This is the best way to ensure they fit in our culture and are good at what they do.”

MLB: Carly, how do you manage owning the practice with your sister, Ehryn, and live through the challenge of redefining the eye-care experience? 

Dr. Carly Rose: (Optometrist / Owner of Eyecare on the Square) When I went into optometry, my sister was already in optometry school. We swore we’d never work together, because we had a great working relationship and didn’t want to mess that up. Well, a few years went by and she owned her own practice went on a trip to Ireland and asked me to cover our clients. Things went well and she asked me to come on as an associate.

Now things have shifted and I’m the business owner and she works for me as an associate. It is great!  We don’t work together TOO much and work to keep ownership separate.

I have focused a lot on policies and procedures. This allows me to put the blame on the committee. I lean on our staff a lot for decisions, 

MLB: How are you redefining eyecare? 

Carly: One thing we have different than a lot of people around is technology and eye imaging capabilities. We also treat your whole health as it applies to your eyes (for example, what supplements you should take to help your eye health).

  Pictured: Nora Fink, Megan Stacey, McKenna Brooks, Dr. Carly Rose, Dr. Mona Foad

MLB: How do you juggle two roles - the founder/owner of Carroll Financial & Investment Advisor at Carnegie Investment counsel? 

Bob Carroll: I personally went through a divorce about 16 years ago. It made me realize that financial was one part of the process that was very uncertain. I decided to take this on myself as a financial planner. People are faced with this terrible dilemma: how best to move forward? I like to help them with this.

MLB: How do you attract new clients for your businesses?

Bob: Mostly referral, people see what I do and start asking questions. It has been a bit of a challenge because many people are going through divorce, but few of them realize they need financial assistance. Often people say “I wish I knew this existed when I went through a divorce.” Those are the people I need to connect with - they can’t sleep at night. 

My wife happens to be a couple’s therapist. By day she tries to keep them together, I help them during the worst time of their lives. There’s a lot of good that we’re doing.

Pictured: Katy Casteel, Maria Friday , Anna Zimmerman, Dr. Carly Rose, Robin Wood

MLB: You bought the business from your dad, talk about that business. How do you manage that, and your staff, and keep the brand relevant and new?

Jonathan Gibbs: (Owner Gibbs Insurance Associates) I grew up in a small town. My dad came back from Vietnam, and took over my grandmother’s restaurant. He served breakfast, lunch, and dinner. My brother and I peeled potatoes there. 

When I was about 6 or 7 years old, my dad bought his insurance agent’s agency. He did a lot of farm and contracting. When I was in the 6th grade, we moved to Cincinnati because he had a lot of clients moving this way. 

I moved away, went to DePaul, in Chicago, went to NYC, back to Chicago. My dad said “If you want to move back to Cinci, you can help me with insurance!”

I have now been in the business for 15 years, and we own businesses in all sectors. My dad is still around, to help advise the business he has built for the past 40 years. 

What I enjoy doing is to help explain to people: what do you need, what do you feel comfortable buying, etc. There are new risks out there to small business that were not there 10-15 years ago. I love to talk about the little “Cracks” that things can fall through. I enjoy helping with this and getting the change of scenery.

It has been a great business, and I like working with my dad. We are in two separate offices mostly, so we stay out of trouble. 

Pictured: Megan Stacey, McKenna Brooks, Drew Stacey

MLB: Megan, you have tapped into many others who are specialists in their areas to leverage a group of people’s skills to help you build, so you can focus on the right things. Talk about this - how do you hire these people, where do you find them?

Megan Stacey: (Megan Stacey, Owner + Realtor) I made a major career change about 4 years ago. I learned by doing. I am an educator by training, I have a double master’s degree in education. I am a lifelong learner, but I know I can’t do everything. I am hitting my 4 year anniversary, and there are 5 on my team. 

I want to grow gracefully, and part of that is knowing what I don’t know and bringing on the right people.

For example, I bring in Nest Home Staging. I am NOT a designer - I can’t help you make your home look it’s best. As part of my process, which many other realtors don’t do, I pay them to come in and help the homeowners by giving a staging consultation. I’m not trying to sell them on anything. For example, if a customer’s home smells like dog, they tell them for me! 

In addition to using the Coldwell Banker resources, I hire my own designer so I also have custom branded materials. I outsource a lot and use a lot of contractors. You can find great people this way, but it can also be a challenge to find good small-business owners that are reliable. 

The clients that we serve are really counting on us for great referrals. 

I am really passionate about supporting local and connecting people within our great city.

Thanks to all of the other wonderful supporters of the TSG Community who attended and participated! It was a great evening and we are looking forward to seeing everyone again soon. 

Pictured: McKenna Brooks, Nora Fink

Pictured: Trevor Furbay, Amy Gislason, Karen Rolfes

Want to learn more? Email me at [email protected]! 

Want to support these great people? Visit the Directory and see what businesses are a part of TSG Cincinnati and be sure to tell them Scout sent you when you visit them!