INSPIREMS

Drench Day Spa and Lash Lounge {Insider Inspiration}

7/30/2018

Well it’s Monday again y’all!
If you’re anything like us, your skin is in desperate need of some serious TLC after being in the summer sun. Drench Day Spa and Lash Lounge is our go to whenever we need some serious me time. We got the chance to catch up with Lacie Clark, the owner of Drench Day Spa and Lash Lounge and founder of Lacie Cotten, keep reading for more on what she has to say about her experience running her own small business in Ridgeland!

{Tell us a little bit about yourself!}
My name is Lacie Clark and I’m the owner of Drench Day Spa and Lash Lounge and the founder Lacie Cotten, a lingerie and pajama line. I grew up in Madison, Mississippi. My parents moved to Madison after having lived in North Jackson. I attended Madison Central High School where I met my wonderful husband Will!

{Tell us about Drench Day Spa and Lash Lounge!}
At Drench Day Spa and Lash Lounge we specialize in lash and brow services. While we are a small business, we are staffed with some of the most talented estheticians in the state. We are proud to offer great customer service and an unforgettable experience for each client we see.

{What’s your favorite part of what you do?}
I definitely think empowering women is my favorite thing about my job. It is so fulfilling that I can provide them with a sense of beauty, and I love making them feel more confident in their own skin. I also love training new estheticians and helping them see and eventually reach their full potential. I am always encouraging them and constantly hoping they can learn from my mistakes!

{What kind of inspirational women do you work with on a daily basis?}
Each of our clients and employees all have their own story. Learning people’s backgrounds, their stories and goals.. how could you not be motivated by that? My work family is so amazing! They are eager to learn and better themselves; I love teaching them and encouraging them to be their best! We have bible studies and dinners to stay close and on the same page. It really helps when you’re surrounded by such genuine people who all want you to succeed in both work and life!

{What was the inspiration behind starting your own business?}
I just felt God was calling me to this business. I had been an esthetician for about 7 years when I felt that God was calling me to do more. Looking back, I can see how perfectly he prepared me to lead others through my past experiences. As a boss, I knew who I did and did not want to be.

{What’s it like being a female business owner in Mississippi?}
I love the sense of community in Mississippi. I am so fortunate to have family and friends here that have always supported me and my business. As far as being a business owner/entrepreneur, you just have to work hard and stay humble.

{What words of advice would you give to other aspiring female entrepreneurs?}
Set goals for yourself. Work hard. Be kind!

{What’s your favorite part about living and working in Mississippi?}
I love that we can get to know our clients and establish genuine relationships with them.

Lacie Clark is also the founder of the amazing lingerie line, Lacie Cotten. If y’all haven't’ felt these pajamas yet, you’re missing out! Treat yourself or someone you care about and pick up a pair from Drench Day Spa and Lash Lounge, Gifts by KPEP, Taylor Collection in Madison, or Downtown Marketplace in Yazoo City! You can also purchase online at www.laciecotten.com

For more information on Drench Day Spa and Lash Lounge please visit their website. You can call them at 601-707-5656 to book a treatment!

Sarah Chase Dulske {Life}

7/27/2018

Happy Friday y’all!
We hope y’all are heading into a truly fantastic weekend! Today we wanted to introduce y’all to one of the most inspirational young women we are lucky to have gotten to know, Sarah Chase Dulske. Sarah Chase chatted with us about what keeps her running, her biggest inspiration, and plans for her incredibly bright future. Keep on reading for more and let yourself be inspired on this beautiful Friday afternoon!

{Tell us a bit about yourself!}
My name is Sarah Chase Dulske. I was born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi. I graduated from St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in 2015 and then moved to Dallas, Texas to begin studying Biology and Psychology at Southern Methodist University. I will begin my senior year in August and hope to continue on to medical school after I graduate!

{When did you begin running and why?}
I began running during my senior year in high school. There were two driving forces that I believe motivated me to begin my running journey. The first was my decision to pursue a career in medicine rather than a career in dance. I began taking dance classes when I was 6 years old and danced competitively with Xpress Dance Company for 10 years throughout my elementary, middle, and high school years. Once the time came for me to make my college decision, I seriously considered pursuing dance but ultimately decided to study the sciences. Dance was not only an incredible creative outlet, but also a great means of exercise for me for many years. I wanted to make sure that I continued to exercise on a regular basis once I headed off to college, so I downloaded the “Couch to 5K” app and slowly worked my way up to running a 5K.
During that same year, my dad was training for an Ironman triathlon (a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike-ride, followed by a 26.2-mile run). As my mileage slowly increased, I began joining my dad on some of his shorter training runs. This was such a great way for my dad and I to spend time together, and it motivated me to continue running after I began.

EJ Autism Foundation

Sarah Chase after completing the Skyline Half-Marathon in Dallas.

{Tell us about some of the other races you’ve competed in.}
My very first “official” race was the Dallas County Race for the Cure 5K in October 2015. I decided to sign up for this race and raise money for the Susan G. Koman Foundation in honor of my grandmother who passed away from breast cancer in 1997. That same year, my dad and I ran in the Fleet Feet Turkey Trot 8K while I was back in Jackson over the Thanksgiving holiday. In May of 2016, I completed the Magnolia Meltdown half-marathon. Less than a year later, I ran in the Skyline half-marathon in Dallas. My first full marathon was in March 2018 in Modesto, California and I am currently training for my second marathon!!
Throughout my training journey, I have learned so much about self-discipline and work-ethic. When it comes to running, you get out what you put in and improvement requires sacrifice; however, nothing compares to the feeling that comes with achieving a goal that you once thought was impossible. Running has taught me that hard-work, sacrifice, and determination are valuable tools in all aspects of life.

{What is your biggest inspiration?}
Right now, my biggest inspiration is Shalane Flanagan. In November of 2017, I watched as Flanagan crossed the finish line to become the first American female to win the TCS NYC Marathon in 40 years. I honestly cannot find the words to describe how this moment felt, but her victory ultimately inspired me to set a new running goal for myself.

Up until this point, I never had a desire to run a full-marathon. Training for two half-marathons had been hard enough! But watching Flanagan drop to her knees after claiming her new title as TCS NYC Marathon Champion changed everything for me, and I began training for my first full-marathon shortly after I returned to Dallas.

Mike and Sarah Chase Dulske after completing the Fleet Feet Turkey Trot 8k.

{Tell me a little bit about the organization you're raising money for. Why did you chose to support this organization?}
The crazy thing about my story is that I never in a million years would have thought that I would be running in that same marathon the very next year. Let me give you some background: The TCS NYC Marathon is the largest marathon IN THE WORLD! To get a chance to run in this race, you either have to qualify (which basically requires you to be an Olympic athlete, like Shalane Flanagan) or you have to put your name in a lottery with thousands of other people in hopes of your name being chosen. So, you can see why I never thought I would get to be one of the 51,000 runners participating in the race this November.
So, here is my story: The TCS NYC Marathon gives a number of lottery tickets to various charities each year which are then given out to runners that run on behalf of these organizations as a means of fundraising. The EJ Autism Foundation is one such charity. This foundation is extremely important to my family, as it was founded by one of my parents' closest college friends, Bea Huste-Petersen. Bea has four beautiful children, Maggie, Eric, Jack, and Joy, and she and her husband, Pat Peterson, started the foundation after both of their boys were diagnosed with autism. The EJ Autism Foundation is a 501c3 charity that works to increase autism awareness and raise funds for programs that work with children on the spectrum. In 2015, Pat passed away after battling pancreatic cancer. So now Bea runs the Foundation, works as a physician’s assistant at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Clinic, and raises four children ALL BY HERSELF! She is superwoman.
One Thursday afternoon in March, Bea texted my mom and asked her if I wanted one of the EJ Austin Foundation lottery tickets!! It was a no-brainer. I set up my fundraising page the very same day and began training!

{How can people support you on this journey?}
Please donate!! I have set a very ambitious fundraising goal of $4,000, so every single dollar helps. To donate visit my website:
https://www.crowdrise.com/o/en/campaign/ej-autism-foundation-nyc-2018/sarah-chasedulske

Here I will also post updates throughout my training process as a way for others to keep up with my training journey! I would also greatly appreciate prayers, specifically that I might remain injury-free and that I will be able to easily keep up with my training once the school year starts again in August.

{What advice would you give someone working towards achieving a goal? }
My advice for anyone working towards achieving a goal would be to not be afraid of failure. There will be good days and there will be bad days, but I have found that I have experienced the most growth during the moments that I have pressed on in the midst of failure.

For more on the EJ Autism Foundation please visit their website here.

Hayley Anna & Zach {Weddings}

7/25/2018

It’s already Wednesday y’all!
We hope y’all are having such a fantastic week so far. We wanted to share this glamorous wedding with y’all to add a little sparkle to your hump day! Hayley Anna and Zach are such great friends of ours and we are completely smitten with the photos from their big day. Unique details, a fabulous theme, and this fun loving couple’s personality came together to result with an unforgettable celebration. Keep reading for more!

Hayley Anna Norris has been a performer her entire life, she even pursued a musical theater career for three years in New York City. When her high school sweetheart Zachary Canoy proposed, the performer side of her really came out when planning her wedding. “I’ve always enjoyed Big Brass Bands and old glamorous black and white films that entailed massive parties. Sort of like Gatsby,” smiles Hayley Anna. “So through that inspiration I came up with a black, white, and gold color scheme with art deco accents and massive floral arrangements. I wanted the reception to look and feel like everyone was at an old Hollywood club or red carpet event. The team Kendall Ellis with Kendall Poole Event Planning helped me assemble definitely made all of my dreams come true!”

{Inspiring Details}
After searching for the perfect ceremony location for several weeks, she knew when she walked into the sanctuary at Redeemer Church that it had to be the location! “I grew up going to Trinity Church when it was located on Northside Drive where Redeemer is located now,” smiles Hayley Anna. “When I walked into the sanctuary at Redeemer it brought back so many memories from my childhood and I could see myself walking down the aisle with my daddy. That feeling brought tears to my eyes and I knew that was where I wanted to marry Zachary,” says Hayley Anna. “Our reception location has always been one of my favorite places in Jackson. The ballroom and courtyard at Old Capitol Inn has always made me feel glamorous and that’s exactly how I wanted to feel on my wedding day.”

Parlours Rentals {Insider Inspiration}

7/23/2018

Happy Monday Y’all!
One of the last true weeks of summer is here and we’re planning on spending it gearing up for back to school and trying to stay cool! We wanted to share an inside look at a really awesome family business, Parlours Rentals, out of Madison, with y'all. Mary Fran and her mother, Christie, have everything you need to take your event to the next level. Keep reading to hear from Mary Fran about their passion for helping you turn your dreams for your event, home, or business into a reality!

{Tell us a bit about how Parlours got its start!}
Our names are Christie and Mary Fran. We are a mother-daughter duo that combined our expertise in real estate, design, and marketing to style the most creative spaces in Mississippi. Our approach to rentals is unparalleled-- one-on one collaboration perfectly tailored to your budget and needs. Our business began as a solution to a problem we faced when planning mine (Mary Fran’s) wedding. The vision for my wedding included trendy lounge seating but it proved almost impossible to find the right pieces to bring this vision to life. After my wedding, my mother and I teamed up to fill this gap in the local event market.

{What kind of business is Parlours?}
Parlours is primarily a family business. My mother and I teamed up to offer one on one collaboration with our clients. With the help of several movers that help us transport our furniture we can help brides create their dream event and help homeowners stage their houses!

{What is your favorite part about what you do?}
I would have to say that my favorite part of doing the work that we do is how creative it allows us to be. Meeting new people and forming great relationships with our clients is a close second! It is such a privilege to be able to help clients execute the event of their dreams or help them sell their home in a timely manner.

{What inspirational women do you work with on a daily basis?}
We are fortunate enough to be surrounded by inspirational women in all facets of our business. From the real estate agents and brokers who work so hard for their clients to the wedding planners who work endlessly to execute fabulous events and the remarkable photographers who capture it all!
The women of the Junior League of Jackson inspire us the most. They work hard to better our community in so many different ways and push us to reach our highest potential.

{What was the inspiration for starting y’all’s business?}
We planned my October 2016 wedding entirely on our own. I wanted to create a sense of intimacy at my reception with lounge style seating. I looked everywhere in town for the perfect pieces but couldn’t find anything that I hadn’t already seen. It was important to me for my celebration to be uniquely my own, and through trying to achieve that we realized there was a gap in the event industry. My mother and I decided to fill this gap ourselves and the result is Parlours!

{What’s it like being a female business owner in Mississippi?}
The experience of opening up Parlours Rentals in Madison has been great! This community is incredibly supportive. We love working with other creative female business owners to provide our clients with something amazing.

{Do y’all have any advice for any other aspiring female business owners?}
Spend a lot of time thinking about what you really want your business to provide clients. It is so important to listen to the experiences of other small business owners, both good and bad, and learn from them. Once you have a clear purpose of your business, never stop setting goals and prioritizing what is most important to you and your business.
Ultimately, we say go for it! Take the leap of faith that will allow you to realize your own dreams. You can do whatever you put your mind to. Never forget that owning a small business is not a competition, as women we have to support one each other. After all, we are all in this together!

Parlours Rentals also stages and styles homes and businesses. With an impressive record of 90 percent of houses staged by Parlours Rentals selling within 30 days, they provide their services to the state of Mississippi and surrounding areas. If you’re thinking about listing your house, give potential buyers a reason to feel at home with the comfort and look of a freshly updated home. And if it’s your business you’re thinking of, they do that too. They also offer a variety of services with our rentals for weddings, home staging, as well as updating your business/ office space. Mary Fran and Christie can even help you de-clutter/ organize your home!

For more on Parlours, visit their website here.
Photography by Christina Cannon at Christina Foto.

BRAVO! Homecoming Dinner {Events}

7/20/2018

Cheers to the freakin weekend y’all!
It’s finally Friday afternoon and needless to say that we here at Inspiration are giddy about it! There’s something about a week’s worth of rain that makes you that much more excited for a (hopefully) sunny Saturday and Sunday. Today we wanted to call your attention to a unique event coming up at one of our favorite restaurants in the metro area, BRAVO!

Tom Beck 2012

On July 23rd at 6:00pm, BRAVO! will welcome home six of fabulous chefs with open arms. All six chefs currently work in some of the South East’s best restaurants but all got their start here in Jackson at BRAVO! “With so much talent under one roof, it’s going to be an exciting evening and truly something to remember,” says co-owner Jeff Good, “At BRAVO!, and all of our restaurants, we work to support and empower our employees. You see this in how many successful chefs have gotten their start at BRAVO! over the years. How fun is it that we have six of them coming home to show off their stuff?”

“BRAVO! Does two or three big dinners a year. I had wanted to do a chef’s dinner before but had never had the courage to put it together,” says BRAVO! Chef and Co-Owner Dan Blumenthal (and himself a James Beard award-winner), “So when I was looking for inspiration for our next dinner and got to thinking about our twenty-five year history, I knew it was time. I set the date and sent the email… and here we are.”

A total of six chefs are returning to home to their roots at BRAVO! To prepare an unforgettable evening that is sure to be filled with spectacular cuisine, exceptional hospitality, and lovely company.
Every chef is responsible for preparing a course that represents their own unique culinary style to guests. If that wasn’t enough, all courses will be paired expertly with beautiful wines chosen by BRAVO’s sommelier and owner of Briarwood Wine & Spirits Lesley McHardy.

We couldn’t dream up a better date night! To make a reservation for this spectacular event please visit the following link. 

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Drench Day Spa and Lash Lounge {Insider Inspiration}

Sarah Chase Dulske {Life}

Hayley Anna & Zach {Weddings}

Parlours Rentals {Insider Inspiration}

BRAVO! Homecoming Dinner {Events}

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