🟢 No Phone Allowed

Presented by:

By Ted Williams

Hello Thursday. It sounds weird, but I love a good corporate campus.

Yesterday, I did a speaking gig with the newly created Lowe’s Marketplace team led by VP Michael McCluskey. They’re essentially a 100-person startup within the $144B corporate giant.

After the fireside chat, I gave myself a campus tour while taking creepy videos for Instagram. I got locked out between the Zen Garden and the lake. Very awkward because my badge didn’t reopen doors, but I played it cool.

I’ll be honest, the energy made me miss working with a team. Business is better as a team sport. Anyways.

Creepy selfie inside the Lowe’s campus Zen Garden

💼 Hot job: Account Executive at Lucid Bots ($150K OTE). Hybrid. Robotics startup growing around 250% YoY. $18.5M in funding. Hiring manager NC State grad Nick Ruocco.

🏠 For sale: Painted brick home in Eastover asks $5.3M. Exposed beams. Bougie pool house. 6 beds, 6 baths, 7,816 square feet. $28K under Zestimate. Listing agent Brandon Lawn.

👨Shout-out: Rob Belk, 35-year-old Duke MBA grad, for acquiring a 51-person retail marketing agency. He looked at over 500 companies during his 20-month “ETA” search.

MARKETS: YEAR-TO-DATE

S&P 500

6,869

+0.16%

Nasdaq

22,807

-1.84%

NOW OPEN

Tipsy Pickle co-founder opens $900K “no cell phone” cocktail bar in South End

Famous “Antagonist” like Regina George hang on the walls

New concept: Mike Salzarulo, the entrepreneur behind Protagonist Beer and Tipsy Pickle, opened a new cocktail bar named Antagonist last night. It’s two blocks away from Dilworth Tasting Room.

The hostess provides a Yondr pouch to lock your cell phone.
I ordered the $17 Patrick Bateman Manhattan. Tasty!
$900K build-out. 45 seats inside. Reservations on Resy.

Projections: Mike anticipates the Antagonist will generate $1.67M in annual revenue with $468K in operating income.

“Guests are surprised by how often they go to grab their phones without even knowing it,” Mike told me. “Now our job is to ensure we provide the best hospitality in the city.”

PRESENTED BY RHINO MARKET

Rhino voted “No. 1 Best Deli & Market” 6 years in a row

Chicken Torta with avocado, provolone, and jalapeños on ciabatta

Growth: I’m a huge fan of Rob Rondelez, founder and owner of Rhino Market. He’s grown the popular market to 6 locations!

On Saturday mornings, my 3 kids and I ride our bikes to the SouthPark location. They crush the French toast as I eat the Breakfast Burrito.

Power rankings: My go-to Rhino Market sandwich rotation👇

$10.99 Chicken Torta with melted provolone on pulled chicken
$10.49 Rhino Club with Applewood smoked bacon
$11.49 Reuben with Boar’s Head pastrami brisket

GROWTH MODE

After teaching Mahjong to 6,000 students, Ashley and Leigh launch app across 27 cities

OG Mahjong badasses Leigh Young and Ashley Sigmon

New Venture: Ashley Sigmon and Leigh Young, founders of the popular Mahj In The City, are rolling out their Bambird Scramble scheduling web app across 27 cities.

“It’s Mahjong’s first ladder league,” Ashley told me. “The app provides a Rolodex for players to schedule in-person match play.”

Booming: Mahjong events are growing 179% YoY across the country, with some Southern cities reporting over 800% growth.

And don’t forget, 2 brick-and-mortar Mahjong clubs will open in Charlotte within 6 months — Heron House in Dilworth and The Queen’s Mahjery in Oakhurst.

Early traction: While perfecting the tech, Ashley and Leigh’s app has organically grown to 600 users across 10 cities. User pay $75 per scramble competition (9 weeks or so).

“Over the past 4 years, Mahj in the City has taught more than 6,000 students across 40 cities,” said Ashley. “That growing national community now fuels the Bambird Scramble app.”

TINY MONEY JOB BOARD

Who’s hiring in Charlotte? 5 Trending jobs

Associate Director at Foster Village Charlotte ($65K – $70K). Lead programming growth. Huge fan of Exec Director Becky Santoro.
Brand Manager at Olde Mecklenburg Brewery ($65K – $75K). Oversee social media and marketing budget. COO James Birch.
Associate Director, CRE Debt Investments at Lincoln Financial. Hybrid. Support $17B commercial mortgage portfolio.
Manager, Media Monetization at Lowe’s ($101K – $169K). Retail media division. Employee stock purchase plan. 4.25% 401k match.
Strategic Marketing Specialist at Archroma. Lead packaging tech market insights and growth.

Hiring? Post a job

Hunting? View all 114 open jobs on the Tiny Money Job Board💰

MONEY TALKS

43-year-old wealth manager making $525K says “nutty” advice on TikTok hurting people

$18 Nikkei Tuna Ceviche at Calle Sol, this guy’s No. 1 spot

Money Talks is a weekly series showcasing how real people in Charlotte approach money. Participate.

Job: “Wealth management executive. Total household income is $525K including salary, bonuses, revenue share, and 1099-contract work. I started my career making $26K.”

Net worth: “$2.8M. Split between real estate equity and investment accounts.”

Portfolio: “Probably 90% stock funds, with the remaining 10% in a safe Vanguard money market fund. We’re pretty simple.”

Splurge: “Other people. I am generous to a fault. I remember what it felt like to be young and broke, so I love treating.”

Rich in Charlotte: “I’d have said $5M at one point, but these days it’s probably closer to $15M. It’s quiet money or family money.”

On your mind: “Nutty money advice on social media. People can get hurt. Personal finance should be pretty boring if you’re doing it right. That doesn’t sell ads I guess.”

Full story: 43-year-old pulling down $525K used to keep cash in envelopes

MONEY SNACKS

5 other financial headlines I’m snacking on

CrossFit Gym for sale in Plaza Midwood asking $150K. Revenue $220K. 115 active members. Owner selling due to military deployment.
Charlotte FC home opener on Saturday. Tickets start at $32. First soccer fans receive free limited-edition party shirts.
Golf blogger ranks Charlotte golf logos. CCC in “Elite” tier. Longview described as “Just Plain Bad.”
Grandfather Golf & Country Club condo hits the market at $690K. Renovated this year. 2 beds. Covered porch with lake views.
Norse Brewing Company for sale in Wake Forest asking $995K. $1.7M revenue. $382K cash flow. Real estate available too.

HOUSEKEEPING

Harriet’s Hamburgers opens $900K location in the heart of Plaza Midwood

Harriet’s $11.95 “OG” Hamburger

Now open: Harriet’s Hamburgers opened their 4th location in Plaza Midwood 2 days ago. Davidson is up next.

On a busy day, a single Harriet’s location will do 2,000 fresh, hand-smashed patties.
Fries are cooked in 100% Creekstone Farms beef butter. It takes 200 pounds to fill up a single location’s fryers.

Owners: Given their complementary backgrounds, Harriet’s 3 founders make one helluva team👇

Joe Haubenhofer of Plaid Penguin fame
Brian Stockholm of Papi Queso fame
Collin Ricks of Durban Development fame

Investment: “Build-outs run around $900,000 per location,” Joe told me. “We don’t spare where it counts, because the details ultimately turn a space into a place.”

Happy Thursday! I’m going back to new hotspot Mi Cariño with my wife tonight. I can’t wait to crush their $24 Argentinian red shrimp ceviche.