INSPIREMS

Father's Day at Great Scott {Insider Inspiration}

6/7/2018

Father’s Day is coming up this Sunday, June 17th! Our friends at Great Scott in Jackson have so many great gift options for every type of dad out there. Great Scott carries only the most quality, beautiful lines and is our go-to for all things menswear, grooming, and tailoring. The Barber Shop at Great Scott is located within the store, and gift cards are available for their services. Keep reading for some fabulous gift inspiration!

Make your dad feel like a king with these fragrances from Penhaligon’s London. Penhaligon’s holds two Royal Warrants. Royal Warrants are awarded to vendors who have provided services to the royal family for an extended period of time. This accolade is considered a mark of consistent excellence. If all that wasn’t enough, these colognes smell absolutely incredible. Great Scott carries a range of their scents beyond what is included in the photos above.
|Fragrances pictured (Left to Right): $170, $210, $170 |

For the dad that loves to keep his drinks ice cold (all day long), check out the Sovaro products Great Scott has to offer. Savaro products bridge the gap between technology and style to bring you high functioning, stunning products that are made to work for you. Great Scott carries a range of their products, including soft and hard coolers, and tumblers that are perfect for keeping dad’s morning coffee as hot as it was when he poured it!
|Sovaro: 22 inch soft sided cooler $365 |Sovaro: 28 oz stainless steel tumblers $39.95|

These Barbour swim trunks are sure to make any day at the beach or pool the best one yet. Fun patterns and bright colors are a great update to the traditional swim trunks. Great Scott stocks these in a variety of colors, patterns, and lengths!
|Barbour Swim Trunks $89|

The Twill Garment Weekender Bag and matching Dopp Kit from Hook and Albert make the perfect gift for the dad on the go. The weekender bag is incredibly versatile; it can accomodate two suits hanging and a pair of shoes, or function as a standard duffel. The exterior of both items is water resistant and accented with leather. Additional colors are available at in store at Great Scott.
|Twill Garment Weekender Bag - $395 | Twill Dopp Kit $115 |

Another option for a functional dopp kit is from Peter Millar. We love the green accents against the navy and how well the colors work with the leather trim. Fill the kit with products from Jack Black to complete the gift! Jack Black is headquartered in Carrollton, Texas and uses only the best ingredients for superior skin care.
|Peter Millar Crown Sport Dopp Kit- $98| Black Jack Products (left to right): $35, $23, $18, $14|

Nothing beats the feeling of a new pair of socks! Celebrate your dad with these beautiful socks from VK Nagrani. Made in Italy, these socks feel luxurious and Great Scott carries an array of colors and patterns.
|VK Nagrani Socks $40|

For the dad that fancies himself a chef, these beautiful cookbooks authored by Matt Moore will take his barbecue game to the next level. Filled with pictures, and easy to follow recipes, these cook books are a shelf stable for the southern chef!
|Cook books by Matt Moore $32|

It’s never too early to start thinking about football season. Your dad will be the most spirited (and well dressed) at the tailgate one of these belts from Smathers and Branson. Smathers and Branson creates hand- stitched needlepoint accessories. Great Scot has these great belts, key fobs, sunglass straps and the can coolers you see below all in store in multiple team styles and patterns.

|Smathers and Branson Belts $165| Can Coolers $29.50 | Sunglass Straps $55|

Make sure to stop by Great Scott this week to pick up the perfect gift for the dad in your life! They are open Monday- Friday 9:30 - 6:00 and Saturday 9:30- 5:00.
Great Scott is located at 4400 Old Canton Road in Jackson!
Check out their website for more on this fantastic men’s store.

The Bridal Path {Insider Inspiration}

6/4/2018

This summer we wanted to do a series of posts about some of the most inspiring female business owners around the state. These women have worked hard to operate their own businesses that provide amazing products and services to customers across the state. To kick off this series, we wanted to spotlight our friends and new owners at Bridle Path, Janie, Audrey, and Amelia Jarvis. Keep reading to hear from Audrey!

{Tell us a little bit about y’all!}
Amelia and I have loved growing up in Madison, MS! We both graduated from Madison Central High School and went on to Mississippi State University. Our mom, Janie graduated from MSU as well with a degree in business/finance. I graduated college this past May, with a degree in fashion design & merchandising. Amelia is pursuing a degree in elementary education but plans to work here after she graduates. We’re a family of four, us three + our dad and we couldn’t be closer! As a family, we love to take trips especially to the mountains to go skiing. Our dad is the biggest supporter of all our adventures!

{What can Bridal Path offer brides?}
For the past 47 years, Bridal Path has been selling dresses to women all over the south. We have a wide selection of bridal gowns, mother’s gowns, bridesmaids’ dresses, accessories, and even in house alterations. A few things that stick out about our store is that we have a wide price range no matter your budget. From the highest price to the lowest, we have stunning gowns! We also pride ourselves on our customer service and one-on-one assistance. With each appointment, we have a devoted consultant that is there to serve our brides! Our mission is for every bride to leave with her dream gown and a happy heart!

{What lead y’all to take over as owners of the Bridal Path}
Ever since I was young, I have dreamed of owning my own bridal store. The summer after my freshman year in college, Gail Savage (the previous owner) hired me. I quickly fell in love with this summer job and worked any holidays I was home. Amelia got involved her junior year of high school. I had been selected to serve as an orientation leader for the summer and would not be able to work so I told Amelia to take my place. She also fell in love with the business and worked every day after school. I always figured I’d come back and work here after college, so as graduation approached, Gail reached out and told us she wanted to sell the business. My mom, sister, and I knew how much fun it would be to work together and we decided to buy it! It’s truly incredible having a family that not only supports me but also shares my dreams. I can’t describe the way it feels to wake up everyday so excited to go to play dress up all day. I am so blessed to live my dream right out of college next to my best friends!

Audrey Jarvis

Audrey plays dress up as a young girl.

{What inspires y’all on a day to day basis}
As cheesy as it sounds, the smile on a bride’s face when she sees herself in her dress. Some days are tough and you can imagine the craziness that comes with ordering and alterations at any retail store, but the joy that comes over a bride when she finds her dress is so rewarding. I love to know people’s stories and truly form a friendship with the families I help. It’s those moments that keep us going. This has always been my dream so it doesn’t feel like work to me. Because it is all I ever wanted to do, I honestly can’t ask for anything more! I’m also inspired by fashion and trends which is a lot of what this industry revolves around. Staying on top of these things and offering them to brides of the south is so fun!

{What is it like being a female business owner in Mississippi?}
I think it’s fun to be a business owner in Mississippi specifically, because everyone knows everyone and it’s fun to make connections with the person you’re helping. There’s a sense of small town community, and it’s so helpful being good friends with other people in our industry. We are close with several people who own venues or event planning businesses and it’s fun to refer people to each other!
One of the advantages of being a Bridal Path owner is having people come in from all over the state that are second or third generation Bridal Path brides. Another advantage of being our age and running this type of store is that many brides are around our age, so we relate to them well and we can treat them the way we would want to be treated.

{What’s it like working alongside your family?}
Honestly, it is the best thing we could ask for! It’s great because we understand each other so well and we play off each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Our mom is the backbone of it all. She’s great at managing, keeping tabs on everything, and dealing with finances. Amelia is great at knowing what and how much to order. She is patient when it comes to customers and any problems we run into. I enjoy the creative side of things and tying everything together. The customer service experience is what I enjoy the most. I love hosting people! We are all best friends which makes it so fun. We laugh because at market this past spring, we’d all take separate notes and when we went to compare we’d written all of the same things! It’s easy to work with people who know you and you know them well. We enjoy the job so much we go home and continue talking about it over dinner. Everything just flows together!

Audrey (left), Janie (center), and Amelia (right) Jarvis.

{What woman do you find most inspirational?}
I would say Mayor Mary Butler of Madison. She began her career as mayor when she was around my age and has held that position since. She inspires me in the way that she’s always stuck to her ideals and stood up for what she believed in. No matter who doubts her or disagrees with her, she does what she thinks is best and her success is evident in how beautiful she has kept Madison looking and running! She is also a dear friend of our mom’s and she has been able to speak confidence and encouragement into my life.
{Do you have an advice for anyone considering opening their own business?}
It’s scary but so worth it! I love having control over what we sell, what it looks like, our customer service, etc. If you are someone who enjoys managing and controlling things I say go for it because if you can find a job where you wake up and love it every single day, then do it! It’s twice as much work as you think but it’s 100x more fun!

{What's your favorite thing about working in the wedding industry?}
My favorite thing about this side of the wedding industry is that it’s almost impossible to pick out your own wedding dress (I sure couldn’t!). The customer service side of things I’ve mentioned is so key here because brides trust you to find what is best for them. Building relationships with the brides is so important because you must get to know them in order to truly help them. I love to see each unique vision come to life.
I also love how many ways you can make a white dress look incredibly different! The same dress can look different on any person and with each woman it still looks great! The personality of each bride shines through different dresses, and I love to watch that. The wedding industry in Mississippi is even more fun because a wedding is such a special milestone for a southern woman. Playing a part in that is so rewarding.

Because Amelia and I are young and on top of trends, we know just what today's’ bride wants to see. We provide it all, from the traditional bride to the boho bride and everything in between! We believe in this industry it is important to genuinely care about your brides instead of just trying to sell them something. Bridal retail is different than normal retail because it is all about them and their special day. We’d love for you to stop by the store and meet us or let us know if we can help you in any way! We are remodeling the store this summer, and will have a grand reopening soon. Look out for the announcement! To make an appointment, visit our website www.bridalpathinc.com or call us at (601) 982-8267.

The Bridal Path is located on the first floor of Banner Hall 4465 Interstate 55 N. Jackson, MS 39216
Photos: Allison Muirhead Photography

Tupelo Elvis Festival {Events}

6/1/2018

The 2018 Tupelo Elvis Festival is one of our favorite events of the entire summer. This year, the festival is celebrating it's 20th anniversary and the party kicks off on June 6th and runs through the 10th. Keep reading for an idea of what you can expect at this year's festival!

Cody Slaughter, an Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Winner, takes the stage at his concert at the BancorpSouth Arena.

For the past 19 years, Elvis fans, young and old, have gathered in his hometown for the annual Tupelo Elvis Festival. “The Tupelo Elvis Festival is Tupelo’s annual celebration of our favorite native son. It is the perfect weekend getaway to experience all things Elvis’ Tupelo, especially live music,” says Jennie Bradford Curlee, Public Relations/International Sales Director for the Tupelo Convention and Visitors Bureau. Visitors come from all over to celebrate the life and music of Elvis Presley. The festival draws over 8,000 people to the King of Rock “n” Roll’s birthplace.

The fun and festivities take place at venues throughout downtown Tupelo. You can catch live national music acts in Fairpark, the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist competition at the BancorpSouth Arena, Running with the King 5k race, and the Elvis Look-A-like Pet Parade. The Tribute Artist Contest serves as a preliminary round of the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest. Fans come from near and far to see who will be chosen to represent Tupelo in Memphis during August. In 2017, the Tupelo Elvis Festival hosted 19 competitors from as far as the UK, Switzerland and Belgium. The competition always serves as the most entertaining aspect of Tupelo Elvis Festival as you grow to love the competitors as they perform their tribute to The King.

An actor portraying young Elvis during the living history and reenactment of Elvis purchasing his first guitar at Tupelo Hardware, a highly sought out event for Elvis fans. Here he is singing Elvis’ classic hits with the Tribute Artist Competition contestants.

The Weeks take the stage as the headliner at Music at the Mill.

Performer Thomas Sweat of Light Beam Rider/H.A.R.D. jumps into the energetic and lively crowd during The Weeks’ set at Music at the Mill.

Cote Deonath takes the stage during the finals of the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Preliminary Competition. This is only moments before he is crowned first place

In addition to all of the great music, the festival features a number of local food vendors, a movie poster exhibit, living history on Main Street, and much more! The highlight for many festival goers and the conclusion of the weekend is the Gospel Concert on Sunday. Gospel music was an integral part of Elvis’ childhood into adulthood. The final day of the festival celebrates the importance of gospel music in his life with congregational singing of Elvis’s favorite gospel hymns.
This year’s 2018 festival will be extra special. “In celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the Tupelo Elvis Festival, an extra day has been added to the Festival,” says Curlee. “The festival will be five full days of all things Elvis.”
For more information on the Tupelo Elvis Festival, please visit the event's website.
Article Written by Jill Dale
Photos provide by the Tupelo Convention & Visitors Bureau

Billy's Original Foods {Life}

5/30/2018

We got the chance to talk to Mani Hairston, co-founder of Billy's Original Foods about her journey to success and what inspires her on a daily basis. Billy's Original Foods aims to bring their customers delicious, quality, yet incredibly convenient food products. Billy's Original Foods can be found across the South East in Kroger stores, Mississippi Walmarts, and it is the first Mississippi brand to be carried in Target stores! Keep reading for more on Mani's amazing, inspirational story.

{Tell us about yourself!}
I was born in Laos. I lived in two separate refugee camps in two separate countries for the first three years of my life. My family and I arrived in the United States in 1984 as refugee immigrants when I was 4 years old. I grew up in Northwest Arkansas, where my family and I became naturalized citizens; moved to New York City after college and worked in investment banking; and then moved to Mississippi in 2009. I have a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, a master’s degree in communications from Mississippi College and the CORe Certificate from Harvard University School of Business. I have a passion for working with new and emerging companies on new products, start-up financing, market entry, market research, production analytics, and ownership structure. My mother often said I had the spirit of an entrepreneur. I co-founded Billy’s Original Foods in 2015 and manage product development and business development.

{Tell us a bit about Billy's Original Foods.}
Billy’s Original Foods is the answer to getting a homemade meal directly from your freezer. We are a start-up lifestyle food company that is set to change how you think about frozen food.

From its origins as a mom-and-pop restaurant, Billy’s Original Foods was converted over the course of a year to a full-blown manufacturing company. I co-founded the company in late 2015 with Billy and Robin Lieberman, a husband-and-wife team, who had owned an Italian dive restaurant in Vicksburg for about 15 years, and Cook Investments, who financed a part of our operations. The Liebermans built a loyal following in the area and knew that people craved good food and somehow wanted to turn the privilege of dining out into an option that can be easily accessible at home. The Liebermans mastered the recipes and I came up with the business plan and sought out buyers. We set out to make frozen food that didn’t have the infamous frozen taste because the idea of having good food needed to come easy. While we specialize in Italian-inspired frozen entrees, we also make a deliciously prepared Chicken Salad that Billy Lieberman calls his “Original.” The brilliant mix of this poultry salad leaves you wondering “why doesn’t mine taste like this?” As for our frozen products, the Meatballs with Sauce & Cheese have a sharply defined taste and texture that is dramatically different than its competitors in the frozen food aisles and the Lasagna with Meat & Sauce has been complimented as being “better than my Mama’s.”

Our secret that’s not so secret is that we do not add preservatives or any artificial flavors in our recipes. We want you to know that frozen food doesn’t have to taste frozen. Your taste buds won’t feel betrayed.

To produce federal standard and retail-ready products, we had to finance and outfit a USDA-certified food manufacturing facility. We commenced production complete with signature packaging and secured contracts to supply several large-grocery chains throughout a six-state foot print in the U.S. As a result of long hours, countless meetings, comprehensive market research, a well-developed pitch at shark tank like competitions such as the Delta Regional Authority entrepreneurial network and New Orleans Entrepreneur week, we were quite certain we could sell convenience without sacrificing quality.

{How did Billy's Original Foods get to where it is today?}
I have always been a fan of Billy’s food since I was introduced to the restaurant almost 10 years ago. I was the marketing director for the shopping center where the former restaurant was located and knew right away that Billy’s recipes needed to be shared. In December 2015, I left my job and became a part owner in the brand-new start up investing countless resources including my experience in marketing and finance to introduce the brand to markets outside of Mississippi. To ensure our success, I’ve traveled to more than 20 states throughout the country meeting with executives in the c-suites of some of the largest corporations in America (Walmart, Kroger, Lipari, and Target to name a few) in addition to smaller independent grocers. Ironically, I’ve even met in freezers in stores with temperatures below 32 degrees just to get the face-time I needed with a decision maker to close a deal.

{What has made Billy's Original Foods so successful thus far?}
We thrive off our authenticity. From production to the finished product, you can see and taste the authenticity.

{What is the mission of Billy's Original Foods?}
If you tell me that you fed your family our products and don’t feel guilty about it, then my mission has been accomplished. We are proud to make our foods without any added preservatives or added artificial flavors.

{Where can you purchase Billy's Original Food Products?}
We are the first Mississippi company to be sold in Target groceries and that’s significant! We worked with Target for almost a year starting with the initial application. We pitched our products and they immediately liked it. From there, it was a matter of scaling our production, customizing our logistics and retooling our capacity to meet the demand of Target along with the businesses we were already servicing to achieve success. You can also find out frozen products in Kroger stores in the Southeast region and our Original Chicken Salad in Walmart stores in Mississippi.

{Can you speak to your experience as a female entrepreneur here in Mississippi?}
We are very proud to be a certified women-owned enterprise in Mississippi. As a woman in business, a mom, and a wife, it’s gratifying to be recognized in this way in corporate America. Starting a manufacturing company and building a pipeline from the ground up is very tough and many people told us it couldn’t be done. I’ve endured countless rejections, but have also celebrated the many wins. Almost two years into our venture, we’ve been able to reach several goals. In addition to Target, you can find Billy’s Original Foods products in Walmart and Kroger stores in the Southeast region, as well as independent stores in Mississippi. Some days are tougher than others juggling between home and work and home and work again, but the success of the company and the happiness of my family make it all worthwhile. I’m grateful for insightful business partners and a very supportive family. My husband, Tray, is my best advisor in life and work.

For more on Billy's Original Foods please visit their website and make sure to pick up some of their products to try next time you head to the grocery store!

Graduation Gifts by Gifts by KPEP {Insider Inspiration}

5/28/2018

The month of May is an extremely busy time of the year for almost everyone. Between weddings, the start of summer, birthdays, and graduations, many of us have a long list of loved ones we need to find that perfect gift for right about now. We sat down with the Gifts by KPEP team to brainstorm some ideas for the perfect graduation gifts for your favorite graduates. Graduation gifts can be tricky, you always want to strike the right balance between useful and fun, and we think all the items below do that perfectly! Most of the items below can also be customized with a monogram!

A major key to being successful in college is staying organized. Gifts by KPEP has so many items that are super functional, but also cute that make staying on top of your schedule fun and easy!

From left to right: DesignWorks Ink "Every Day I'm Hustlin'" notebook ($16)|Rifle Paper- Pencils ($12) |Thimble Press- Celebration Perpetual Calendar ($38)|Thimble Press- The Prayer Partner Notebook ($32) | Thimble Press- Day Dreamer Planner ($50) | Good Vibes Only notepad ($12) | DesignWorks Ink No. 2 Pencils ($10) |

For the grad that is constantly on the go, Boulevard leather goods would make the perfect gift. We are in love with the versatility of all of these products. All of these bags can be personalized with your grad's monogram and ready for pick up in just about a week! The tote bag on the far right is perfect for going from class to class or from work to home; it has a laptop/tablet pocket, a water bottle pocket on both sides, a phone pocket for easy access and made of waxed canvas so it's extremely durable!
Large Duffel ($155) |Tote Bag ($55)- also available in Nylon | Pink Bag ($35) | Yellow Bag ($38) | Wallets ($60) | Striped Cosmetic Bag ($40)
Monogram Prices will vary.

For all the guys out there, Gifts by KPEP carries some awesome dopp kits that can also be customized with their monogram! All three kits are made of waxed canvas and leather, plus they're lined on the inside for easy clean up! Additionally, the store stocks Olivina men's products you could place inside the kit to add something extra to the gift!

Olivina Dopp Kit in Navy and Tan ($25) | Jon Hart Leather Dopp Kit ($132) |
Olivina Men's Products: Shave Cream ($5) | Body Wash ($5) | Shave Prep and Beard Oil ($20) | Hand Rescue ($11) |
Price of monogram will vary.

Fun art work always livens up any dorm room or apartment and is a great way to send a piece of home to school with your grad! Gifts by KPEP has a wide selection of art done by local artists, above are just a few of the very many options in the store.
Signet Sealed Starkville Print ($30) | Signet Sealed Oxford Print ($30 | Miriam Shufelt Heart ($30) | Miriam Shufelt Ole Miss Campus ($55) | Signet Sealed Jackson Cards - also available in a print ($16) |

Football season will be here before you know it, and these bags are all SEC approved and ready for game day! We love these stylish and creative designs!
Jon Hart Maroon Tote (embossed with the MS State Logo) ($99) |Packed Party Confetti Tote ($32) | Jon hart Blue Cross Body Bag ($95) | Packed Party Cross Body in Gold and Black ($32)|
Monogram price will vary.

These items are perfect for the grad that loves a little sparkle! The confetti zip pouches make for a perfect pencil bag, makeup bag, or a catch- all bag!
Packed Party Confetti Zip Pouches ($22 small, $32 large) | Disco Cups ($22) | Slant "Sip Happens" Plastic Cups ($12) |

Last but not least, everyone needs to keep Thank You notes on hand. We love these simple designs, that make writing Thank You notes a snap!
Crane Bee Thank You Cards ($19) | Crane Navy Thank You Cards ($19) | Crane Pineapple Cards ($24) | Standard Issue Supplies Navy and Gold Thank You ($13) | Crane Initial Cards ($24) | Crane Teal Thank You Cards ($14) |

Gifts By KPEP is located in the Renaissance Shopping Center in Ridgeland, Mississippi right across from Libby Story and Panera Bread.
Gifts by KPEP is open 10-7 Monday- Saturday, and Sunday 1-6 can gift wrap just about anything, and can ship something anywhere you need it to go! Make sure to stop by and find the perfect gift for your loved one (or yourself!)

<<Previous

Forward>>

Father's Day at Great Scott {Insider Inspiration}

The Bridal Path {Insider Inspiration}

Tupelo Elvis Festival {Events}

Billy's Original Foods {Life}

Graduation Gifts by Gifts by KPEP {Insider Inspiration}

Archives