Forge News and Updates |
Thanks to Bham Now for another feature! This article was written by Lauren Bedford- focusing on Forge Member Mindy Rohr. Read more about Mindy’s role as the Experience Manager at The Pizitz!
Have you been to one of the recent events at The Pizitz, like Moonlight Movies or Flashback Brunch? Chances are, you had a great time. You can thank Mindy Rohr for that.
Rohr is the Experience Manager at The Pizitz Food Hall. While she has a background in Event Planning, this job takes that to a whole new level. Not only is Rohr responsible for the event itself, she is also responsible for the operations and all the behind-the-scenes work like social media and marketing.
Lexington To Birmingham
Rohr was born and raised in Lexington, Kentucky. Always a fan of finding the best restaurants and shops downtown, she started a successful Instagram account and blog called Love, Lexington that she used to highlight the businesses in town. Eventually, this budded into a pop-up style night market called Market 301. The market highlights local makers and shops and, even though Rohr transplanted to Birmingham, the market is still up and running.
I believe it is her love for local shops and the excitement to highlight small businesses that makes Rohr so successful in Birmingham. Ours is a city that loves to support small business and local shop owners, so she is a perfect fit.
Social Media Maven
As a large part of her career budded out of of her popular presence on social media (namely Instagram), I asked Rohr a few Instagram-specific questions. First I wanted to know what her advice would be to someone who is interested in breaking into the marketing / media field via social media. Here’s what she told me:
- First, pick a platform and stick with it. For her, it is Instagram. For others, it may be Twitter or Facebook. Finding out where you excel and which platform targets your demographic is an important first step.
- Good photography is CRUCIAL. She really stressed this point: “If you aren’t a skilled photographer, do some research and learn how to take great photos. Visual content is so important.” Especially on a platform like Instagram, engagement comes from visual content first and foremost, so make sure it is quality.
“People Want to Feel Comfortable”
Rohr stressed the fact that she always wants her content to have utility. When she started out writing for her own blog, she knew that she wanted to include details in her write-ups. For example, when she visited a new restaurant she shared what was on the menu, what she ordered, what people were wearing, where the parking was, etc. She has taken that mindset with her to The Pizitz Food Hall.
With all of her Instagram posts and social media shares, Rohr aims to answer people’s questions. The day before we talked, she received a question from someone asking about vegan options at the food hall. Rohr is not vegan, but she went around to each food stall and compiled a list of vegan foods that she then shared. The attention to detail that she puts into marketing, events and everything else with the food hall is key to its success.
Foodie First
“The Birmingham food scene is booming. We don’t cook at home a lot so we have gotten to know the local food scene pretty well. Most of our friends turn to us for ideas of where to go when they have a date night or want to try a new spot.”
Rohr
(Note: Rohr and her husband Jesse started the Instagram account @badass_bham. Check out the account for Birmingham food scene highlights!)
In talking to Rohr, it’s clear that she is a foodie. She loves to try new restaurants around town, so of course we got to chatting about food. She and her husband recently moved closer to downtown, so they have much more walkability to restaurants and bars. Lucky for her, she works at the food hall, with a variety of choices at all times. So, what would she eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner from the food hall?
A full day of eating at The Pizitz Food Hall
(Please note: this is Rohr’s ideal eating day. Calories don’t count in dream worlds, thank you very much.)
Breakfast: Croque Madame from Alabama Biscuit Co.
Lunch: A burger with a fried egg on it, plus a side of both tater tots and fries from The Standard.
Dinner: Poke bowl from Ono Poke, dumplings from mo:mo, and a glass of rose from The Louis. If she’s not feeling rose, she loves the $5 happy-hour Old Fashioned.
Birmingham Weather and A Great Job
Of course, Rohr loves living in Birmingham now. Although she was born and raised in Lexington, Birmingham has become her home. What’s her favorite thing about Birmingham? The weather! Apparently, Lexington is one of the most overcast cities in the U.S. — who knew?
“We moved here in early May, and every morning I would walk outside to sit on our porch and drink my coffee because I just couldn’t get over the perfect, sunny weather.”
Rohr
Another one of her favorite things? Her job with The Pizitz. She told me all about the history of the building — did you know that The Pizitz Building was the home of the very first parking deck in downtown Birmingham? And of course, it’s the first ever food hall in Birmingham as well. In addition, there is a basement! Rohr was telling me how excited she is for the new Sidewalk theater to be built downstairs. There will be 2 theaters, and each will seat 100 people and have a concession stand as well as a bar. Construction will start soon (get excited Bham!)
Overall, it is the community aspect of her job that Rohr notes is her favorite:
“I love being downtown and being able to meet and work with the owners of the food stalls. I love being able to share all my favorites with my friends and make connections in the city.”
Rohr
Member Spotlight |
Another feature from
Bham Now focuses on Forge member Suzanne Humphries of Suzanne Humphries Design. Read more about how Forge has revitalized her business!
Suzanne Humphries recently made the move back to Birmingham after a few design stints in Atlanta and New York, just to name a few. She and her husband, a successful chef, both grew up in North Alabama and heeded the call of Magic City, where they are now pursuing personal projects.
Humphries used this move to set out on her own and create her own Interior Design company, Suzanne Humphries Design. Only a year and a half in, the company has had large success in the Birmingham area and beyond, but Humphries was feeling like she needed a change of pace. She had worked from home (and coffee shops) since setting out on her own, but was feeling like she wanted a place to go where she could get work done.
Forge to the Rescue
Humphries actually credits the team here at Bham Now for introducing her to Forge (#humblebrag). When I asked her how she found out about the chic coworking space in the Pizitz building, she said she was scrolling through Instagram one night and one of our posts about Forge caught her eye. She called in for a tour and was a Forge member the next day.
Perhaps you remember Humphries from a previous Forge article for which she gave the following testimony:
“Working at Forge has reinvigorated my business. I am more motivated, productive, and fulfilled now that I have the balance of self-employment and workplace culture. The best professional decision I have made was to move to Birmingham and start my own company…the second was to develop this company while working at Forge.”
Let’s Back Up
What Is Suzanne Humphries Design?
Humphries has worked for several different design firms since her graduation from grad school with a Master’s in Interior Design. These jobs took her from Washington D.C. to New York to Atlanta, and she finally branched out on her own in Birmingham. These opportunities gave her experience in an array of different design styles. In New York, she worked with Ralph Lauren in commercial design. In Atlanta, she gained experience in residential design through her work with Suzanne Kasler and in hospitality design with Smith Hanes. As you can tell, her portfolio is quite varied and broad. With her experience in the different design styles, Humphries has been able to move confidently throughout them, and has empowered her in her current project: opening a restaurant with her husband, Chef Adam Evans.
A New Birmingham Restaurant
There is no doubt that the space will be beautiful. Evans, who formerly worked at The Optimist in Atlanta, has plans for the space to serve gulf-caught fresh seafood and other local ingredients. The restaurant, whose name has yet to be revealed, will be in the Lakeview district. Humphries and Evans are hard at work designing and preparing the restaurant space, which is expected to seat 160 people, for an opening.
Stay tuned for more information on the restaurant!
Humphries’ Focus
While her focus is currently on hospitality, Humphries enjoys each different style of design and is open to projects of all kinds.
“I want to build my business to be open and accepting and excited about any type of project that comes my way. I want to be able to pull from my past experiences from the different places that I’ve been and use that skill set to work with whatever client is a good fit.
Interior Designer vs. Interior Decorator
With her degree in Interior Design, Humphries went through a curriculum in which she learned about construction and building, enabling her to understand the architecture component of the spaces she is working with. I had no idea that interior designers had to know all of the structural ins and outs of the building. When I thought of an Interior Designer, I was under the impression that she was choosing paint colors and focusing on the surface level of the home. However, it’s much more than that. Humphries explained to me that there are three main titles: Architect, Interior Designer, and Interior Decorator; and that each one is different.
Because Humphries’ title is Interior Designer, she has a broad list of responsibilities to the space in which she is working:
“The true Interior Design process includes everything and anything that goes on inside the walls of a home, a restaurant, a hotel — any sort of structure, permanent or temporary. I enjoy doing the full process, but I am also happy doing parts of the process.”
Spaces Shape Experiences
Have you ever walked into a restaurant, a hotel, or a store and it feels impeccably designed, yet effortless? That is the work of an Interior Designer. The layout, the colors, and so much more impacts the way we move through a space. Almost even more so, design impacts the way you live in your home. Of course, we never think about this, but the design of our homes impacts our everyday experiences. This is one of Humphries’ favorite things about what she does.
“It’s almost like you are creating this space that shapes the family, person, or couple’s day-to-day life. I think that’s a way in which design is so much more than picking paint colors and fabrics. And that’s why I like it. That is my favorite part.”
Humphries’ work experience is vast and varied. Check out her website and her Instagram.
Member Spotlight |
Our friends at Bham Now featured Forge member Tiffany Martin and her new spin studio! Read on and find out why Tiffany chooses to work from Forge and what her studio has in store!
Ever been to an exercise studio in Birmingham that’s dedicated solely to spin classes? Not yet? Ignite Cycle owner Tiffany Martin wants to change that.
The Cycling Life
A University of Southern California graduate, Martin has always been into the gym scene and has worked in gyms and boutique studios all over the country. Before moving to the Birmingham, Martin and her husband lived in Boston. While there, she started teaching group fitness classes and cycling classes. It was during this time that she discovered her passion for cycling and how fitness can change lives.
“I fell in love with being an instructor and also being a rider. I love being able to create this amazing experience for people.”
Creating Her Niche
When Tiffany found out that her husband’s work would be relocating them to Birmingham, she decided it was time to find her niche in the job world. After some market research, she discovered that Birmingham has plenty of spin class enthusiasts, but no boutique cycling studios that are dedicated just to cycling.
“When I found out that there were no boutique cycling studios in Birmingham, I realized it was something I really wanted to create and bring to the area.”
Doing The Body Good
Tiffany’s studio will be named Ignite Cycle. Tiffany said the mission is, “to be a community for you to discover and become your best self, and cycling is how we do it.” Classes at Ignite will be full of music and fun! So fun that Tiffany describes the classes as a “party on a bike”.
“It’s a party on a bike, but it’s also a lot more than that,” Tiffany said. “It is that feeling where you’re somewhere and you’re dancing with a bunch of people—some you know— some you don’t. There is just this amazing energy among everyone because you are all moving together. Everyone is together feeling free, and with that feeling, you are doing something really good for you and your body.”
No Shame In This Game
Positivity is a huge aspect of Ignite Cycle. While working at other gyms and spin boutiques around the nation (Boston, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Seattle), Tiffany found that there is often a sense of shame, rather than pride, present among fitness centers.
“The environment at Ignite Cycle will be positive,” Tiffany said. “It’s all about living your best life, appreciating your body’s ability to move, choosing the best things for you and enjoying what life has to offer and not feeling guilty or shameful about it.”
It’s this emphasis on positivity that Tiffany hopes will set the “Ignite experience” apart from other fitness experiences in the city.
“Instructors at Ignite will go through a six-week training program on safety, our method, and keeping the culture and brand consistent for everyone,” Tiffany said.
Tiffany plans to carry over her mission of positivity and motivation to her instructors as well.
When And Where
Ignite is set to open late this year or early 2019. The location will be announced soon, and we will bring you that information! Stay tuned for more information regarding when and where.
One thing is for sure, when you take your first Ignite class you’ll wonder if you can take a class everyday — and you totally can!
The Perfect Workspace At Forge
After completing her market research and coming up with the idea for Ignite Cycle, Tiffany began planning. She has spent the last year creating and developing her business model and brand while working out of Forge, a place she says she fell in love with because of its physical space and also the idea behind it.
Tiffany has worked out of the Forge space for a little over a month, and said that she feels like she can be very productive in the space.
What’s an ideal day like for Tiffany while working out of Forge?
“It’s a lot of community, coffee, and skittles,” Tiffany said. “The community is so great, it is really fun being aware of what other people are up to in Birmingham, and it is much more motivating than sitting on my couch with my computer. Forge also has a really great playlist, which is great to work to.”
Check out the original article here!
Forge News and Updates |
We wanted to highlight this article written by James Ozment for Bham Now! Learn more about Race Quest and why their co-founder decided to base this global business out of Forge.
RaceQuest orients itself around one idea: “train and race with the pros.” I interviewed Co-Founder Kelli Eldridge to learn how this world-class training camp and race touring company based itself in Birmingham!
Offering training camps, active vacations, retreats, and providing custom training camps for individuals, RaceQuest helps people have fun and enjoy their race day. After training comes travel. A RaceQuest coach goes over the race, especially the cycling aspect with all its twists and turns, and give them an insider’s edge.
The night before Race Day, the coach also leads a guided, calm, visualized mapping of race day so competitors will be mentally prepared. It’s a long day, no matter how gifted you are! But the endeavor doesn’t just challenge the athlete. Their families also need a plan, and often a guide.
“We take care of everything for the athlete and their family, and the only thing we can’t do is race for them.”
An especially popular trip is Challenge Roth, which is the world’s most popular triathlon (it’s like Germany’s Super Bowl). RaceQuest helps people get out of their comfort zone, have fun, and enjoy their race day. The company handles food, lodging, even transportation. And the results are obvious: “Many people have joined our tours and had their best performance, ever. And they’ve generously credited us with being able to help them achieve that.”
When was your company founded?
In October of 2012, I think like any good entrepreneurial endeavour, it started with fulfilling a need, and then sketching it out on a napkin. All our clients say the same thing, “we will never do another triathlon like this without RaceQuest.”
There’s so much around the race that draws your energy away, and you need every bit of energy you can muster for race day. My Co-Founders and I met, actually, in Hawaii. We all happened to be at the IRONMAN world championships, in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.
Krista and I were both there as “sherpas,” helping friends. We had this same idea for the business, and within the hour we had formed our company on the Queen K highway in the middle of a lava field! Just lava and ideas, it was remarkable. Looking back, it means even more.
How long have you been at Forge?
We started a LLC in Virginia in 2012. We went live January of 2013. We based in Virginia because my business partner lived there. We realized quickly that really all we needed was a good internet connection and a good airport. We laugh now because we call ourselves “Two Chicks and a Laptop!” We decided after five years that it was a really great time to move the company to Alabama, and to Birmingham specifically. Birmingham is white-hot, it’s a great atmosphere, it’s a great community.
How has working at Forge helped your business process?
Having some experience in Alabama, I’ve always had a bit of a foot in Birmingham. I saw this starting to take shape, I’ve always had an eye on Forge. When they opened, I thought that when we relocate the business, this could be a good fit.
I came on a free Friday, met people, experience Forge, and was just so productive. It’s a great space to work, but they also provide things like mail retrieval, which as travellers, we have to have that. It’s great to have someone getting our mail, those are practical needs that are being met by Forge. We have the support system in place for us to go out into the world and do our business.
Is there a sense of community working adjacent to other entrepreneurs? Have you collaborated with any of your Forge neighbors?
This is a really great atmosphere. It’s not just a place to work, it’s a real community of entrepreneurs. Our attorney is around the corner, our accountants are around the corner. We have a terrific setup here.
Do you have a favorite restaurant in the food hall?
Absolutely! My favorite place in the food hall is Ono Poke, there’s a place in Kona that’s a poke bar, that serves exactly that type of food. I love going down there for lunch, it reminds me of Hawaii. It’s very fitting, since we first got started in Hawaii.
What’s the biggest challenge of working independently?
It was a big leap, we went all in. We invested our time and money to make this, and it’s a really awesome thing to be a part of. The reward is that I can’t imagine being anywhere else. It’s a real privilege that we get to do this. I can’t believe we’ve come this far.
My advice to anybody who’s out there in corporate America, looking out a window and feeling unfulfilled, my best advice is to organize yourself around what it is you want to do, and surround yourself with like-minded people. Don’t put it off another day, do whatever you have to do to make it happen. We worked side jobs, freelance gigs.
What does 2018 look like for RaceQuest? They’re finishing their official move to Forge. Later this year, over 100 athletes are going with the company to this year’s Challenge Roth!
