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By Ted Williams |
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Hello Thursday. Want to hear something gross? I got lice last week. So did a few of my family members.
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My go-to lice treatment spot is Pediatric Hair Solutions. The lowkey facility has a shocking 812 Google reviews and maintains a 5 out of 5 star rating.
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After a few fancy heat treatments, I got my total bill… $511. I wasn't even mad. I just marveled at such an incredible business. Software margins.
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Shout-out to husband-and-wife owners Sheila and John Fassler! They've now got 5 locations across North Carolina. Did you know the lice market is a $4B industry? I should be a licepreneur. Anyways.
đź’ĽÂ Hot Job:Â Lead Advisor at Verum Partners ($120K – $165K base). Growing wealth management firm. Be the main contact for 25-50 clients, managing $500K – $1M in revenue.
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đź’° For Sale: Portofino's asks $800K for its Ayrsley location. 21 years old. $2M in revenue. Rent is $8,673.
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đź‘©Â Shout-out: NC influencer Magnolia Megan for moving from Raleigh to Charlotte next month! Megan's content generates 12M views/mo. She's pulling down mid 6-figures in revenue.
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MARKETS: YEAR-TO-DATE
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S&P 500 |
6,671 |
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Nasdaq |
22,671 |
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GROWTH MODE
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Foxcroft Wine on pace for record-setting $13M year, debuting duck and cocktails
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New $19 Serrano & Fig Burrata at Dilworth
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Growth: With 6 locations and ambitions for more, Foxcroft Wine CEO Conrad Hunter is adding cocktails, brunch, new dishes, and rebranding to Foxcroft Food & Wine.
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Trending: New trending dishes include their $32 Crispy Duck and $19 Serrano & Fig Burrata. I ordered both last night!
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Classic order: I always recommend Foxcroft’s $13 Truffle Fries, $19 House-Ground Burger, $16 Four Cheese Flatbread, $17 Sliders with bacon jam, and the $25 Rigatoni.
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Fun fact: At Dilworth, Sparkling (31%) and Rosé (23%) combine for more than half of bottles sold. Fancy! I'm more of a $30 Oregon Pinot guy.
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Comp: Don't forget, Del Frisco's acquired Barcelona Wine Bar's parent company for $325M. It had 15 locations doing about $60M in sales with 25% margins.
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PRESENTED BY MOOD HOUSE
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Mood House surpasses 2,000 member milestone — but you don't need to be a member to book
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Oakhurst location giving off Palm Springs vibes
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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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Surpassed 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). It’s def our city’s best massage!
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BOOTSTRAPPED
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TK Mulligan canned vodka cocktails on target for nearly $1M in 2025 revenue
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50-year-old founder Mark Giordano
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Idea: Mark Giordano didn't like the artificial flavors and sweetness in canned cocktails — so 4 years ago, he created TK Mulligan canned vodka cocktails.
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Personally invested 6-figures to get the company off the ground.
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Took 11 months of development with his wife Jenn to get the taste just right.
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Real juice, premium vodka, and small-batch production.
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Revenue: “We’re pacing for roughly $900,000 in 2025 revenue, up almost 200% year-over-year."
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Since launch, they've sold 750,000 cans.
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TK Mulligan is now a top 5 canned cocktail out of approximately 100 brands in North Carolina.
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Growth: “In 2026, we’ll focus on expanding sales and production in our home markets — North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia — supported by a new partnership with NoDa Brewing."
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Entrepreneurship: “Discipline and proof of concept matter more than hype. We invested carefully, tested relentlessly, and built the brand on consumer feedback."
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MONEY TALKS
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31-year-old DINKS making $550K purchase 2 Lake Norman rentals for cash flow
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Local Loaf, this millionaire’s No. 1 spot where he eats the $15 Orange Chicken
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Money Talks is a weekly series showcasing how real people in Charlotte approach money. Participate.
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Rentals: "We purchased our first lake house for $700K. Then a second for $500K. Lived in both while we renovated them. They produce $80K/yr in profit."
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Jobs: “I’m a director of partnerships at a tech company. $170K base, $30K bonus and equity. My wife also works in tech and her total comp is $250K.”
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Work-life balance: “Right now, mine is amazing. I work 30 hours per week, max, and often play golf 3x/wk. My wife has the opposite and regularly works 50-60 hours/wk… does not play golf 3x/wk.”
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Splurge: “I love golf and bourbon. My wife loves rugs. No idea why. If money was no object, I’d love a BMW XB7.”
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Money hack: “Charles Sifford for golf. $25.75 for 9 holes."
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Net worth: “$3M. Breakdown is $1.5M in home equity across our properties and $1.5M that’s liquid (80% index funds, 10% Bitcoin, 10% cash).”
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Rich in Charlotte: “$5M – $10M. Should be enough for a prime property, vacation home, and regular high quality activities.”
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Full story: 31-year-old couple shares step-by-step process to create $180K in STR revenue
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MONEY SNACKS
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5 other financial headlines I’m snacking on
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YUGENN opened last night in South End. The vibey Japanese restaurant serves up $20 cocktails and $30 Red Dragon sushi rolls.
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Lagree Studio for sale asking $455K. Revenue $285K. Cash flow $182K. Over 1,500 monthly fitness clients.
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PoppyCox opens tomorrow inside Optimist Hall. $13 Nashville hot chicken "Sando" has coleslaw, pickles, and comeback sauce.
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Charlotte FC tickets start at $41 for their final regular season home game at 6pm on Saturday. Free t-shirts upon entry.
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Cheat's Cheesesteaks credits local TikToker Papi Eats for selling out of their new $15 Chicken Caesar Hoagie each day.
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BULLISH
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PopUp Bagels opens Friday at 8am and OMG, they really are tasty
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Taste testing with owners Todd, Deepen, & Neesh
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Opening: PopUp Bagels opens at 8am on Friday morning at the Ballantyne Bowl.
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Bagel options: Plain, everything, poppy, salt, and sesame. Schmear options rotate, but they’ll debut with plain, scallion (my favorite), mac & cheese, and truffle butter.
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Pricing: You can’t order just 1 bagel. Minimum order is a 3-pack, which drives up average ticket. Savvy.
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3-pack with 1 schmear $14
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6-pack with 1 schmear $22
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12-pack with 2 schmears $44
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Economics: Build outs range from $312K to $884K and I'm hearing busy units can produce $6M in revenue with nearly 20% margin.
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Happy Thursday! On Saturday night, I’m going on a double date to the No. 1 hottest combo right now — cocktails at Sala and dinner at Stagioni. Say hey if you see me there 👋
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– Ted
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MONEY POLL
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Is $100K in annual income enough to live comfortably in Charlotte?
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Last week’s poll results: Is college essential for career success? (11,339 subscribers)
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