🟢 Blackberry Farm

Hello Thursday. Drew Williams, my 46 year old brother, has been doing 5:30 a.m. classes at MADabolic Elizabeth, owned by Davidson grads Finley and Landon Funsten.

He’s starting to look kind of jacked and I’m very concerned that people are going to start thinking he might be younger (I’m 40). My 250 daily pushups and 20 minute Peleton rides with Kendall Toole aren’t getting it done. Anyways.

💼 Hot Job: Social Media Growth Manager at Ally Financial ($90K – $125K). Hiring manager is 5’3” Olivia Bacon and the team ladders up to Jim Bentubo. An insider told me, "best place I’ve ever worked."

👩 Shout-out: Laura Barrero, my friend and Axios Charlotte editor, for getting engaged at Customshop! Credit to her fiancée Elliot Tousley for tricking her with an "exclusive interview.”

MARKETS: YEAR-TO-DATE

PRICE CHECK

3-night Blackberry Farm stay cost me a ridiculous $7,838… but it's so damn good

I looked at Blackberry Farm prices and thought — I just can't do this. I even called the concierge and ask, "Do you have nice guy specials?" She laughed and replied, "No."

But after selling Charlotte Agenda to Axios, I decided YOLO.

Location: Blackberry Farm is in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains in Walland, TN, a 4.5 hour drive from Charlotte.

Booking: 3-night minimum. They have 68 guest rooms.

Service: My wife told the bartender she enjoyed a puzzle (very nerdy move, btw) and when we got back to our room, there was another puzzle waiting for us.

Food: It's the best food I've ever had. Eat at The Barn every night.

Don't go: If you're an "explorer" type traveler, this place would be your hell. It's a spot you go to chill.

Full story: Quick review of Blackberry Farm with 15 photos and exact prices

PRESENTED BY MAMA RICOTTA’S

Need a casual date spot or takeout for the family? Go Mama Ricotta’s

My Mama Ricotta's power ranking:

Fun fact: "Each week, we go through 300 pounds of Pecorino cheese and 850 pounds of mozzarella," owner Frank Scibelli texted me.

Order: Mama Ricotta’s menu. And don’t forget to order extra creamy gorgonzola dressing for dipping purposes (I could bathe in that stuff).

LAB RAT

26 year old fitness dude tapes mouth shut every night for benefits of nose breathing

Breathing from your mouth can be bad for you, so there’s a growing wellness trend of people taping their mouth shut at night. Not kidding.

After listening to several podcasts, my friend Christian DiMonda, director of marketing at The Health Club, decided to do it.

Do people think your nuts? “Oh yeah — 100%. My fiancée thinks I’ve lost it. Imagine saying ‘Goodnight, love you’ to someone only for them to mumble nonsense back at you with a piece of tape stuck to their mouth.”

Experience: "It felt weird and a little scary, but I got the hang of it after a couple of weeks. That's when the magic started. I noticed more deep sleep, my REM sleep doubled from 1.5 hours to over 3 hours, and my recovery scores on WHOOP were off the charts. Now I wake up feeling like a new person."

Book: I’m a mouth breather too and my doctor recommended I read the New York Times bestseller Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art.

TINY MONEY JOB BOARD

Who’s hiring in Charlotte? 5 trending jobs

Hiring? Post a job

Hunting? View all 53 postings on the job board

MONEY TALKS

Software owner in his early 30s goes from food stamps to $15M

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

Salary: “This year it'll be $900,000. I started my career working as an IT help desk tech, then learned coding and cloud systems engineering. During COVID, I quit my job (making $100,000) and started to focus on my software business.”

Work/life balance: “Sucky. I quit my 40 hour a week job to work 100 hours. LOL. I'm basically online 24/7.”

Charlotte money hack: “If you're on the salary train — job hop early and often. Several of my friends work at the banks and every 18-24 months, they bounce between Bank of America and Wells Fargo to increase their salaries.”

Splurge: “Luxury watches. They hold their value pretty well and I like wearing watches. Rolex, AP, and Cartier are my favorite.”

Financial goals: “Grow and sell my current company for over $100M. Give each of my three kids a $10K/month cash flowing business as a ‘welcome to adulthood’ gift.”

Full story: Software owner goes from food stamps to $15M

MONEY SNACKS

Other financial headlines I’m snacking on

HOUSEKEEPING

Albertine now allows you to book their semi-private dining table overlooking the restaurant

Book it: Albertine’s 10-person table elevated above the dining room is the most prominent spot to have a power meal in town.

Insider Tip: Reservations are booked out, but use the “Notify Me” button on Resy and they’ll try and squeeze you in.

Happy Thursday!

– Ted

MONEY POLL

Last week’s poll results: Best bagels in Charlotte? (4,329 subscribers)