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If you've tried to grab a cookie at Crave in downtown Mooresville, you already know. The line's out the door. I sat down with Nekolle Eddy, one of the owners, to figure out how they pulled that off so fast. Turns out she's not just a cookie shop owner. She's a serial entrepreneur, an investor, a nonprofit founder, and a mom who somehow does all of it at once. We get into how they picked the location, why timing mattered, how they got traction out of the gate, and the one piece of advice she'd give any business owner trying to stand out. Plus a side conversation about using AI in business that I didn't see coming. If you're a local business owner in the Lake Norman area, this one's for you. Find Nekolle and Crave: Crave Cookies Mooresville: @thecravecookies.mooresville The Mr. Eddie Foundation: @mreddiefoundation Chapters: 00:00 What AI can never replace 00:43 Everything Nekolle has going on 01:09 Where the Crave idea came from 02:25 How they got so much traction fast 03:10 The location play (and why it beats driving) 04:57 Her background as a serial entrepreneur 07:08 From Arizona to Lake Norman 08:32 Using AI to run a business 14:47 The nonprofit she started 10 years ago 16:43 An idea for training local athletes who can't afford it 22:23 What's next for Crave 24:24 Her best advice: your edge is your moat This podcast is hosted by Ryan Webber. I talk to local business owners in the Lake Norman area to share their stories and what they've learned building something real. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

MaryAshley didn't set out to start a business. She went sugar free. Tried every syrup on the market. Hated all of them. So she started making her own at home — better flavor, less sugar, actually tasted like something. Then people started asking about them. Controlled Chaos Coffee was born out of a simple idea: coffee should be fun, it should taste good, and you shouldn't have to choose between flavor and quality. Mary Ashley brings that idea to a beverage cart that shows up wherever the people are — Walmart parking lots, elementary schools, fundraisers, corporate events, and everything in between. The purists hate it. Her customers can't stop ordering it. In this episode, Mary Ashley breaks down: Why she calls it a beverage cart and not a coffee truck (and why that distinction matters)How her bartending background changed the way she thinks about coffeeThe fluffernutter latte — peanut butter, marshmallow, banana — and why it worksWhat a real day in the life of a mobile coffee cart owner actually looks like (spoiler: it's longer than the internet tells you)How she markets a business with no fixed location using nothing but consistency and social mediaWhy she'll show up anywhere once — including your dog party If you've ever thought about starting something but talked yourself out of it because you didn't know enough about the business side — this one's for you. Find Controlled Chaos Coffee on Instagram: @controlled.chaos.coffee Order online at controlledchaoscoffee.com We Are Lake Norman is hosted by Ryan Webber of Webber Marketing. New episodes every week. 🎙️ Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Anna Stowe just got back from Design Week in Milan. Not a vacation. Research. She goes every year to stay ahead of every trend, every material, every direction that interior design is heading — so her clients in Lake Norman don't have to guess what's next. They just get it. Anna started Great Design 4 U in 2008. The worst possible time to start an interior design business. Nobody was buying houses. Nobody was renovating anything. The market was in freefall. She survived anyway. Then COVID hit. She survived that too. In this episode, Anna breaks down: What she saw at Milan Design Week 2026 and what's actually coming to homes near youWhy gray is out and what's replacing it (hint: think warm, golden undertones)The retro trend making a comeback — and why it actually works with modern technologyWhy she charges a flat rate instead of hourly (and why every client loves her for it)How she "crawls inside your head" to design a space that actually feels like youWhy she fires clients — and why that makes her better at her job Oh and she has her own furniture line. Performance fabric. Kid and pet resistant. Because she gets it. If your house doesn't feel like you anymore — or maybe it never did — this one's for you. Great Design 4 U is located in downtown Mooresville, right behind the ice cream shop. Schedule a discovery call at greatdesign4u.com Call: 704-305-0139 We Are Lake Norman is hosted by Ryan Webber of Webber Marketing. New episodes every week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sarah opened her first Clean Eatz in Cornelius in 2017. It was the 17th location in the entire franchise. No corporate playbook. No opening structure. Everyone was just figuring it out together. Two years in, she finally had a system. Operations were dialed. Meals were consistent. Things were good. So naturally, she bought 2 more restaurants and opened another in sixty days. One in Mooresville. Two in Charlotte. January 2020. Then COVID hit. In this episode, Sarah breaks down: How she went from 1 location to 4 with no partner, no playbook, and no warningWhy her gymnast background and marine corps dad shaped everything about how she runs her businessThe real difference between meal prepping for bodybuilders and feeding busy professionals in 2025Why she's running 26 miles every single week for 26 weeks straight (and what's making her not quit)How Clean Eatz is feeding NASCAR teams, school athletes, and Duke Energy employees — and why that matters Oh and she opened a fifth location in Concord in 2023. Because apparently four wasn't enough. If you're a business owner who's ever thought "I've finally got this figured out" right before everything changed — this one's for you. Clean Eatz Mooresville is located at 137 Center Square Dr., Unit 6B, Mooresville, NC. Find all five locations at cleaneatz.com Follow on Instagram: @cleaneatzlife We Are Lake Norman is hosted by Ryan Webber of Webber Marketing. New episodes every week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Santos spent 25 years climbing the corporate ladder at places like Bain Capital and TIAA. He managed budgets. He managed people. He flew to India to offshore the jobs of his own coworkers. Then he sat across from a burned-out executive at a fancy restaurant and thought: I don't want to be that guy. So he walked away. His first idea? A running store. It failed before it even opened. Nobody at the industry conference cared. He rode an elevator back to his hotel room defeated. Then a drunk friend at a Christmas party said something so obvious it hurt: "Why open a store 95% of people don't want to walk into?" That one comment changed everything. In this episode, Matt breaks down: How he went from corporate refugee to Main Street Davidson staple in 5 yearsWhy sending out a COVID survey built a better business than any retail expert couldThe real reason Davidson Provision Company is named what it is (and why it was intentional)What "community curated inventory" actually means and why it worksWhy he walks to work and never wants to open a second location This isn't a story about scaling. It's a story about building something worth showing up to every day. Davidson Provision Company is located at 116 South Main Street, Davidson, NC. Follow them on Instagram: @davproco Shop online at davproco.com We Are Lake Norman is hosted by Ryan Webber of Webber Marketing. New episodes every week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cindy spent 17 years building Good Wellness from a 400 sq ft studio into a fully booked practice. Then COVID hit. She retired. Her husband retired. They sold everything, moved to Lake Norman, and thought they were done. They weren't. After driving around Denver, NC and talking to people, Cindy realized something: nobody around here was doing massage the right way. Not the therapeutic, customized, actually-listen-to-your-client way she had spent two decades perfecting. So she and her husband Eric unretired. And built Real Massage LKN. In this episode, Cindy breaks down: Why massage isn't a luxury (and never was)How they run it like a 5-star hotel without the corporate nonsenseWhy their membership has zero contracts, zero commitments, and zero pressureThe one thing that's destroying therapists' careers (and how they're fixing it)If you're 40+, still active, and tired of little aches getting in the way of the life you actually want to live, this one's for you. Real Massage LKN is located at 5206 Slanting Bridge Road, Denver, NC. Follow them on Instagram: @realmassagelkn We Are Lake Norman is hosted by Ryan Webber of Webber Marketing. New episodes every week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michelle didn't plan on pivoting. She planned on selling furniture. Then 2008 happened. One day the store was busy and booming. The next day? People got their pink slips and stopped buying sofas. When you're trying to hold onto your home, the last thing you want to do is decorate it. So Michelle did what survivors do. She pivoted. Fast. Gifts. Because no matter what's happening in the economy, people still need to celebrate each other. You cut corners for yourself. You don't cut corners on the people you love. That decision? It's carrying Sweet Grass Boutique into year 20. In this episode, Michelle breaks down: Why she says 2008 hit harder than COVID for small retailHow she buys inventory the same way she designed homes — personal, curated, never trendyWhy she only orders threes and fours of anything (if you see it, grab it)How Sweet Grass competes with Amazon without breaking a sweatWhy the in-person, touch-it-feel-it-smell-it experience is about to make a massive comebackWhat crossstitching, crocheting, and bold colors tell us about where retail is heading And the gift wrapping thing. Don't get her started. Michelle believes a gift someone actually picked out, wrapped, and handed to you beats anything that shows up in a brown box on your doorstep. Every single time. That's not just a philosophy. That's the whole business model. Oh, and her home at Christmas? Full of boxes headed to the store. Zero decorations. You'd be disappointed. Twenty years in retail is rare. Twenty years in retail that started right before the worst financial crisis in a generation? That's something else entirely. Connect with Michelle & Sweet Grass Boutique: Website: sweetgrassboutique.netInstagram: @sweetgrasshomeLocation: Mooresville Town Square, 146 Mooresville Commons Way Ste H (near Lowe's Foods — skip the 150, take Brawley School Road)Hours: Mon–Fri 10–7, Sat 10–6, Sun 11–4 Connect with Ryan Webber: Website: webbermarketing.comInstagram: @ryanwebbermarketing We Are Lake Norman is produced by Webber Marketing. New episodes weekly. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jim Gordon has spent 20 years buying and selling food manufacturing businesses. He knows what people are eating before they know they're eating it. So when he bought Peninsula Prime Seafood and Steakhouse in 2021, you'd think it would've been smooth sailing. It wasn't. He handed it to partners, came home on weekends disappointed, and finally said enough. In November 2025, Jim took full operational control and spent 90 days just watching. Talking to guests. Reading reviews. And when the reviews didn't match what guests were actually saying at the table? He believed the guests every time. Then he rebuilt the whole thing. In this episode, Jim breaks down: Why GLP-1s (think Ozempic) are quietly reshaping every restaurant menu in AmericaWhy the center aisle of your grocery store is basically dyingHow he built a spring menu by asking his servers — not just his chefsWhy guest count matters more than revenue (and most owners get this backwards)The three pillars Peninsula Prime is built on: quality, hospitality, and community And then there's the autism-friendly program. Jim has a 28-year-old daughter with autism. After 25 years of stressful dinners out, he decided to do something about it. Sensory bags. Fidget spinners. Puzzles. Lights turned down. Music lowered. No questions asked. Three dozen families have shown up since October. The look on their faces when they leave told him everything he needed to know. Oh, and the food? A 12-hour slow-roasted short rib over goat cheese fagottini. A parmesan crusted chicken that guests demanded back. A 12-ounce ribeye with redskin smashed potatoes. And if you want a 48-ounce tomahawk, they've got you covered too. Dinner is the show. And these guys are ready for it every night. Connect with Jim Gordon & Peninsula Prime: Website: peninsulaprimelkn.comReservations: peninsulaprimelkn.com/reserve-your-table Connect with Ryan Webber: Website: webbermarketing.comInstagram: @ryanwebbermarketing We Are Lake Norman is produced by Webber Marketing. New episodes weekly. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jeff Long didn't plan on owning a golf shop. He just knew corporate life wasn't for him. So in 1999, a friend had a spare space in Huntersville, and Jeff took a shot. Literally. He opened All Star Golf with component clubs, a passion for the game, and a dad who loved refinishing clubs. That was 25+ years ago. Since then, he's survived the 2008 recession, watched golf almost die, then watched COVID bring it roaring back. He never closed during the pandemic. Turns out a driving range is about as socially distanced as it gets. In this episode, Jeff breaks down: Why the clubs you bought off the rack are probably wrong for youWhy a "stiff" shaft today isn't the same stiff shaft from 10 years agoWhy 3-woods are dying and 7-woods are taking over (even on the PGA Tour)How to actually get fitted without someone staring at you while you shank itWhy golf is the only sport where you can compete against a proJeff runs All Star Golf out of Mooresville Golf Range on 150. Custom fittings, club building, repairs, and yes — he's got an eBay store if you want to browse before you show up. Oh, and retirement? He laughed at the question. Connect with Jeff Long & All Star Golf: Website: mooresvillegolfrange.com Connect with Ryan Webber: Website: webbermarketing.comInstagram: @ryanwebbermarketing We Are Lake Norman is produced by Webber Marketing. New episodes weekly. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gabby Reising didn't grow up dreaming about pie. She was a childhood education teacher. Her sister was a nurse practitioner. Their husbands work in NASCAR at Joe Gibbs Racing. And somehow... they ended up owning one of the most beloved pie shops in the Lake Norman area. That's the thing about entrepreneurship. It doesn't always look like you planned. In this episode, Gabby shares the full story behind Buttermilk Sky Pie Shop in Birkdale Village — from losing their SBA loan right when COVID hit, to soft-opening in February 2021 and saving their grand opening for Pi Day (March 14th). Because of course they did. We talk about: What it's actually like running a family business with your sister, your husbands, your in-laws, and your kidsHow they go through 500 pounds of apples in two days at ThanksgivingWhy apple and key lime are always fighting for the #1 spotThe "Pie it Forward" program giving back to local nonprofitsAnd the hard lessons — trusting the wrong people, wearing too many hats, and figuring it out anyway Five years in. Thousands of pies. And that Wednesday morning Thanksgiving line still humbles her every single time. This one's good. Like peanut butter chocolate 4-inch good. 🥧 Find Buttermilk Sky Pie Shop: 📍 16836 Birkdale Commons Pkwy, Huntersville, NC 28078 📱 Instagram: @buttermilkskypieshop 🌐 buttermilkskypie.com 🎙️ We Are Lake Norman is hosted by Ryan Webber of Webber Marketing. We sit down with local business owners, hear their stories, and make sure the Lake Norman community knows who's out here doing the work. 🔔 Subscribe so you don't miss the next one. 🌐 webbermarketing.com 📱 @ryanwebbermarketing Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most people around here think they know coffee. They don't. And Valentina is very politely about to prove it. Valentina is the founder of Caffeto Specialty Coffee — a Colombian-rooted coffee brand now living inside The Outpost LKN in Cornelius. Her family owns the farm in the Andes. The beans ship every two weeks. And the coffee you're drinking at her shop is about as far from a drive-through window as you can get. In this episode, Valentina breaks down: - How a coffee cart in NoDa turned into a full brick-and-mortar at The Outpost LKN - Why the coffee bean isn't actually a bean (yeah, we didn't know either) - What makes high-altitude Colombian coffee different — and why you can taste it - The grandmother's recipe behind their signature "Pili" drink - Why she's launching coffee workshops so Lake Norman can finally learn to brew it right - What real farm-to-cup actually looks like when the farm is YOUR family's farm This isn't a coffee shop story. It's a culture story. A family story. And honestly, it's going to make you feel a little bad about that gas station coffee you grabbed this morning. Come for the story. Stay for the mango latte. ☕ Find Caffeto Specialty Coffee: 📍 The Outpost LKN — 20910 Torrence Chapel Rd, Unit D1, Cornelius, NC 📸 Instagram: @caffetospecialtycoffee 🌐 caffetospecialtycoffee.com 🎙️ We Are Lake Norman is hosted by Ryan Webber of Webber Marketing. Know a local business with a story worth telling? Find us at ryanwebbermarketing.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What do you get when a former UNC Charlotte event planner sees a "For Lease" sign on an old mattress store and just... goes for it? You get The Outpost LKN. Amy joins us this episode to talk about how she built one of Cornelius's coolest new spots from scratch. We're talking a community space, a curated gift shop, and a specialty coffee partnership she landed with a cold reach out to a Colombian coffee cart she'd never met. (Spoiler: it worked.) We get into what it's actually like going from state-funded event budgets at UNCC to "wait, that's my money on the line" as a business owner. The surprises along the way — like how the event space blew up before she even had a pricing sheet ready. And why she built a kids corner into the floor plan, because not every coffee shop has to be quiet and corporate. If you've been looking for a place in Lake Norman where you can bring your kids, meet your neighbors, grab a great cup of coffee, and actually put your phone down for an hour — this one's for you. Find The Outpost LKN: 📍 20910 Torrence Chapel Rd, Unit D1, Cornelius, NC 📸 Instagram: @theoutpostlkn 🌐 theoutpostlkn.com We Are Lake Norman is hosted by Ryan Webbber of Webber Marketing. Have a local business story worth sharing? Let's talk. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trey and Brent from 760 Craft Works share the story behind their Huntersville brewery—from a 10-year journey to opening day, the meaning behind the name, creating their diverse beer menu, and building a warm, community-focused tap room that's become a local gathering spot. Plus, hear about their upcoming three-year anniversary celebration and what's next for this Lake Norman brewery. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A lot of people don't know where we are or what we do," says Jessica Dehart, and that's exactly why we're having this conversation. As Executive Director of Mooresville Arts, Jessica gives us the full tour—without leaving our seats. From the historic train depot location (corner from Epic Chophouse) to the gallery that changes every 6 weeks, the shop with $3-$1,000 handmade NC art, and classes that serve everyone from kids to retirees. Learn about the competitive winter jury show, opening receptions with hundreds of attendees, and how this 70-year-old organization is keeping art accessible and free to the community. If you've driven past and wondered what's inside, this episode is for you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Gahrmann is the founder of Carolina Cruising Charters, and he's basically the friend with the boat—except you don't have to pretend to like him to get on the water. Matt moved to Lake Norman and realized there was no easy, turnkey way to get on the lake without owning a boat, joining a boat club, or dealing with sketchy rental situations. So he built the solution: all-inclusive chartered boat experiences where you show up, have fun, and leave. No cleaning. No maintenance. No stress. We talk about how Matt went from real estate to running a fleet of tritoon boats on Lake Norman, why he refuses to be the "party boat" company (despite what bachelorette parties might request), and the surprising psychology of why even boat owners end up booking charters. Matt breaks down the business model, the challenges of staffing captains who actually want to work every Saturday in the summer (spoiler: they don't), and why Lake Norman's 520 miles of shoreline makes it the perfect place for this kind of business. Plus, he shares some wild customer requests (no, there are no male strippers on Stripper Island), why locals are finally embracing the "Uber of the lake" concept, and how he's constantly refining what works and what doesn't. If you're a Lake Norman local who's tired of dealing with boat ownership, a business owner thinking about the service industry, or just someone who wants to understand how to build a business around making people's lives easier, this episode is for you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.