🟢 Six Figure Momfluencer

Presented by:

By Ted Williams

Hello Thursday. Seemingly Overzealous co-owner Garrett Tichy texted me, "We're opening a third ice cream shop in Dilworth because the landlord reached out after reading about us in Tiny Money."

Boom! We're moving markets!

The popular ice cream shop will take the space next to Sunflour Bakery. Build out will be $100K. Garrett is forecasting year 1 revenue of $350K and thinks it could ultimately become a $700K location.

But the big question is whether Garrett or the landlord will Venmo me a 3% commission on the total lease value? Anyways.

💼 Hot Job: Senior Editor at Pickleheads ($72K, plus equity). Remote. Largest pickleball publication and app, reaching 1 million players. Hiring manager is local content badass Andrew Dunn.

👨 Shout-out: Adam Rhew, CEO of SouthPark Community Partners, for spearheading the $21M makeover of Symphony Park. The 7.5-acre park will add 2 restaurants, retail, and outdoor space upgrades.

MARKETS: YEAR-TO-DATE

S&P 500

5,307

-9.57%

Nasdaq

16,493

-14.46%

BULLISH

$3M Leluia Hall will be the hardest reservation in town when it opens May 6

Mezzanine level at Leluia Hall

Leluia Hall will open on May 6. It’s by far the No. 1 most anticipated Charlotte restaurant opening of 2025.

Menu: It’ll be centered around prime cuts of steak, seafood entrées, mini tacos with house-made tortillas, fresh takes on steakhouse sides, and a full raw bar.

Highest-priced items will be their Australian Wagyu Ribeye, lobster thermidor, and two-tiered seafood tower.
Cocktail prices will be between $15 – $20.

Location: It's in the old Bonterra restaurant space (110-year-old church building) on the edge of Dilworth and South End, just down the street from 300 East.

Build-out was around $3M, similar to sister restaurant Supperland.

Profit margin: "The average full-service restaurant profit margin is 3-5%," proprietor Jamie Brown told me. "We set our goal really high (10% if we execute perfectly), so that when we fall short in a few areas, we still can hit the range.”

I'm so bullish that I'm considering buying this funky $475K Dilworth bungalow down the street.

PRESENTED BY MOOD HOUSE

Plan ahead for Mother’s Day with “No. 1 Best Massage” in Charlotte

Cristina Wilson, Mood House founder and mother of two

Growth: Mood House recently hit 1,800 massage members across their Dilworth and Oakhurst locations — but you don’t need to be a member to book.

Featured in Allure Magazine as a “must-visit” concept.
Voted "No. 1 Best Massage" in Charlotte in back-to-back years.
My wife and I are members. We’re obsessed!

Promo: Use code “TINY20” at checkout for 20% off when you book a massage for yourself or buy a gift card for mom.

INFLUENCER ECONOMICS

Plaza Midwood mother of 4 lands $27,500 brand deal for single video as funny Momfluencer on Instagram

Lauren Agans, full-time content creator

35 year old Lauren Agans has a highly engaged 369K followers on Instagram. Her comedy sketch videos, like "4 reasons why moms never die in scary movies" and "my body once a month," have generated 20M views.

"Go all in, own your weird and have fun with it," Lauren told me. "Your audience will feel that authenticity and have fun with you!"

Revenue breakdown: Brand partnerships, platform creator bonuses, and some affiliate links. Split is about 80/15/5.

Lauren made six figures in 2024 and works with the management agency MassInfluence.
"I wasted so much time thinking — I'm just doing this for fun, why would anyone pay me? Your time and effort are worth something so own that!"

Deal size: Lauren recently landed her biggest deal, which paid $27,500 for a single piece of video content 🤯. Her previous record was $24,500.

Advice to creators: "The work is never done, and it will feel like a 24/7 job," Lauren explained. "Each video feels like a crucial, vulnerable part of you, but then every day you have to start over with the next concept and video."

TINY MONEY JOB BOARD

Who’s hiring in Charlotte? 5 Trending jobs

Account Executive at Fastbreak AI ($120K target). High-growth sports scheduling startup.
Manager, Sports Experience & Events at Lowe's. Responsible for curating exceptional experiences at big events.
Creative Director at Axios ($120K – $170K). Remote. Lead storytelling inside their branded content studio.
Senior Marketing Consultant, Publishing at Wells Fargo ($73K – $156K). Hybrid. Produce pitch decks and sponsorship ads.
Associate Brand Manager, 19 Crimes at Treasury Wine Estates ($90K – $100K). Remote. Develop annual marketing plan.

Hiring? Post a job

Hunting? View all 98 open jobs on the Tiny Money Job Board

MONEY TALKS

51-year-old goes from "parents’ basement" to $1.2M with automated budgeting strategy

Book Buyers, this millionaire's pick for a frugal Friday night

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

Salaries: "My husband and I work in marketing. Our combined income is $300K, split evenly. My industry imploded in 2008 and I had to move into my parents' basement."

Living situation: "After we got married 5 years ago, we refinanced the mortgage on my husband’s bachelor pad to a <3% interest rate and switched to a 15-year mortgage term, which will save us over $100,000 in interest."

Budgeting: "We direct-deposit our paychecks into four checking accounts. We loosely follow the 50/30/20 format for budgeting. Needs are 55%, savings is 33%, and wants are 12%. We each have allowance accounts."

Best expense: "Counseling. This is a superior investment because character development translates to better relationships and better career growth."

Worst financial decision: “Buying a BMW on my lunch break because I was too embarrassed to pick up a client at the private jet airport in my 10-year-old Volkswagen.”

On your mind: “With aging pets, we wrestle with the cost of veterinary care. We want to apply the Atul Gawande Being Mortal approach to animals, but there are still some expensive midlife investments.”

Full story: 51-year-old’s investment strategy to grow $1.2M net worth

MONEY SNACKS

5 other financial headlines I’m snacking on

Caribbean couple invests $2.8M in Lake Norman rental dubbed "White Lotus." It rents for about $1,200 per night.
Charcuterie franchise for sale asking $175K. Marketing a "loyal customer base." Revenue is $122K and cash flow is $95K.
Country club for car nerds named Ten Tenths Club, now open near the Speedway. 1.7-mile track, members garage bays, white-glove mechanical support, bourbon bar, cigar lounge, and putting course.
JJ's Red Hots space now available for lease. 3,546 square feet with rooftop patio. My prediction is that Milkbread scoops it up.
Clark's Snack Bar now open in Plaza Midwood. It's an improved version of Good Wurst. Cheeseburger runs $7.95.

HOUSEKEEPING

La Lima Sangucheria sells 860 Chicharrón sandwiches in first 10 days

Chicharrón sandwich with pork belly and sweet potato

Blockbuster start: "Demand has been hot," La Lima Sangucheria co-owner Alvaro Carrillo told me.

The buzzy, new South End sandwich shop served 3,533 guests in the first 10 days with an average ticket of $30.84.
After selling over 800 sandwiches on their first Saturday, they had to close for 2 days because they were out of bread and meat!

Sandwich power rankings: "The Chicharrón sánguche is stealing hearts," explained Alvaro. Sales data from the first 10 days…

860 Chicharrón (pork belly, $16)
750 Tusan (steak, $16)
602 Butifarra (pork shoulder, $14)
594 Sakura (tuna tartare, $17)

Experience: Founders Alvaro and Bruno are 57 and 62 years old. "We’re proof that it’s never too late to start a sánguche revolution!"

Happy Thursday! Yesterday I secured 5 premium Savannah Bananas tickets for their June visit to Charlotte. Only $60 each! I feel like I could resell these and make thousands, but I’m going.

– Ted