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By Ted Williams |
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Hello Thursday. Youth sports are now a $40 billion business. The average U.S. sports family spends $1,016 on their child’s primary sport, up 46% over the past 5 years.
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“Kids feel, and families feel an extreme amount of pressure that if they don’t choose a sport early, it’s hard to keep up,” said Greg Olsen, who coaches middle school football at Charlotte Christian.
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I’m sticking with Charlotte Junior Soccer this fall and coaching my kids’ U5 and U12 teams. The $185 recreational soccer league has a record-setting 312 teams, making it complicated to find park space. Anyways.
💼 Hot Job: Communication Specialist at Movement Mortgage ($59K – $85K). Lead internal corporate comms. CMO is Jake Fehling, who has our city’s best hair. |
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🏠 Investment Property: Fully furnished Lake Lure cabin asks $435K. Hot tub. Fire pit. $10K in Airbnb revenue in last 100 days. Owner is my buddy Dan, co-founder of 2ULaundry, who just had a baby.
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👩 Shout-out: Blair Scheuer, former lawyer turned fashion influencer, for being named Executive Director of the Edit Sale. Savvy hire for this trendy designer consignment pop up!
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MARKETS: YEAR-TO-DATE
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S&P 500 |
6,481 |
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Nasdaq |
21,590 |
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HOT START
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New $1.5M Soul Gastrolounge books 3,000 reservations in first 48 hours
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| Dancing Tuna Roll ($15) at Soul Gastrolounge |
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Now open: Owners Andy and Lesa Kastanas opened Soul Gastrolounge in NoDa on Monday night.
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Total investment in the new space was $1.5M.
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Within 48 hours of opening reservations, over 3,000 covers were booked 🤯
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Catch up: It’s been 3 years since the beloved restaurant closed its doors in Plaza Midwood.
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Menu: About 25 small plates and 25 sushi rolls. A few highlights below.
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Pork Belly Tacos ($18)
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Sashimi Tuna Tacos ($17)
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Gyro Platter ($22)
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Dancing Tuna Roll ($15)
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No. 1 dish: In just the first 2 nights, they’ve sold 358 of their Instagram-worthy Asian-glazed pork belly tacos with watermelon salsa.
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Hot reservation: Zero available this weekend. Just a handful of reservations before 9:30pm over the next few weeks.
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PRESENTED BY MOOD HOUSE
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Mood House nears 2,000 member milestone — but you don’t need to be a member to book
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| Palm Springs vibes at Mood House Oakhurst |
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Awards: Congrats to Mood House for making it on Yelp’s 2025 Top Local Businesses List 🏆!! Only 3 North Carolina businesses made the list.
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Voted “No. 1 Best Massage” in Charlotte in back-to-back years.
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Nearing 2,000 massage members ($92/mo) across their Dilworth and Oakhurst locations — but you don’t need to be a member to book.
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Promo code: Use code “TINY20” at checkout for 20% off services or gift cards (valid only for 24 hours). Book an award-winning massage!
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FREE AGENT
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Katey looking to pivot career from agency ownership to full-time job in corporate comms
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| Katey Shehan, 27-year-old social media pro |
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From time to time, I’m going to highlight job seekers in an effort to help connect local talent with local hiring managers.
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Resume: “Last year, my social media agency grossed $199,130 at a 45% profit margin with 14 recurring clients and 7 one-off projects.”
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Katey also started CLT Social Club, a popular Instagram handle (33K followers) and event organization. “Since 2021, we’ve hosted 37 free events with over 11,500 attendees.”
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Pivot: “Even with a strong team, managing every piece of the business meant burnout or lowering standards, neither was an option.”
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In short, Katey was burned out, often working 70 hours a week.
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Most clients were small businesses, so raising prices wasn’t possible. “The math didn’t support scaling.”
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Search: Katey is looking for a full-time job in corporate events or communications. “I’m very passionate about large-scale event production, brand storytelling, and community building.”
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Fun fact: “I lived in Haiti on and off from 2016-2019 and I’m a licensed EMT in North Carolina!”
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Share: Want to help Katey? Drop her a note on LinkedIn.
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MONEY TALKS
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34-year-old data scientist making $207K may get $2,600/mo pension at “Big 4” firm
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| Albertine, this consultant’s No. 1 restaurant |
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Money Talks is a weekly series showcasing how real people in Charlotte approach money. Participate.
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Job: “Data scientist at a Big 4 consulting firm. Base salary is $180K with an annual 15% bonus. My wife works at a startup making $140K.”
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Best decision: “We bought a home in 2020 in Beverly Woods. Sold it 3 years later for double our purchase price!”
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Living situation: “Then we bought a new house for $850K. We put $300K down, 7.125% APR with a 2% buydown for 2 years. Looking to refinance in the next year.”
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Best expense: “Lawn care. We live on 1 acre. I pay $365 per month which includes grass cutting, blowing, edging, fertilization, seed/aeration, and leaf removal.”
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Splurge: “Wine. I like expensive wine. If money was no object, I would buy oceanfront on Martha’s Vineyard.”
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Retirement: “I’d like to make partner, which has a mandatory retirement age of 65. I’d get $2,600 per month if I retired with the firm.”
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Rich in Charlotte: “The ‘Quiet Millionaires’ with paid off homes/cars, no flashiness, and stacks of cash. Like my grandma, who has a paid off house and just asked me about her $1M CD nearing maturity.”
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Full story: 34-year-old with $700K net worth breaks down exact investment accounts, overweight tech
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MONEY SNACKS
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5 other financial headlines I’m snacking on
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Tap In golf simulator venue opens today in former Weathered Souls Brewery space in LoSo. $3M build-out. 10 bays. $49/hr.
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Alpha School opens this fall for K-3. $40K tuition. AI-driven private school. 2-hour learning model. Teachers paid $100K.
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Greensboro mayor calls out local newspaper News & Record for having a paltry 13,000 subscribers. Offers no solution.
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Edible Arrangements franchise for sale asking $425K. Revenue $651K. Cash flow $175K. Spouse’s medical practice taking off.
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Van Leeuwen Ice Cream opens next Thursday in Plaza Midwood. $400K build out. $1 scoops from 11am-1pm. Sundae collab with The Batchmaker.
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HOUSEKEEPING
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Foxcroft’s priciest home hits the market for $8.5M
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| On Beresford Rd, one of Charlotte’s best streets |
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For sale: This Ken Pursley designed Belgian craftsman just hit the market for $8.5M. It’s 5 beds, 8 baths, and 9,833 square feet.
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Luxury wars: Foxcroft tells Eastover, “Hold my beer,” as it attempts to emerge as Charlotte’s No. 1 luxury neighborhood with tasteful, non-McMansion listings like this one.
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Trend to watch: More buyers are test-driving homes with sleepovers, especially with luxury properties and second homes.
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Happy Thursday! Pro tip, don’t bring a 4-year-old to Soul Media Preview Night, she’ll want to touch the stuffed peacock and completely melt down when she realizes that their $12 Guacamole Stack doesn’t come with chips…
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– Ted
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MONEY POLL
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Is joining a country club in Charlotte worth it?
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Last week’s poll results: Should married couples combine all finances? (10,702 subscribers)
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