Category Archives: Business Resources

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Business Spotlight - Brunk and Laster Orthodontics

October 26, 2008 – 3:19 pm

I am a little behind with my business spotlights as the holiday photo extravaganza has set in but I have a few lined up to share and as always if you have a local business you would like to have spotlighted, please send me a note.

Name: W. Stewart Laster DDS, MS

A little about you and your family: I am originally from Norfolk, Va. My wife Christine and I have been married for 7 years. We met in dental school at UNC-Chapel Hill while working together on a mission project to benefit orphans in Mexico. We have 2 daughters Catie (5) and Caroline (3)

A little about your business: I finished dental school at UNC in 2001 and Orthodontic Residency in 2004. Since finishing residency I have been working for Brunk and Laster Orthodontics with Raleigh and Zebulon offices. We strive to create beautiful smiles for all our patients and provide an exceptional experience to our patients as well.

How would you describe yourself? I am a perfectionist. When I take on an orthodontic case I want to achieve the best possible result, but do it in a way that caters to the patients specific needs. I pay extra careful attention to facial aesthetics and how it is affected by tooth position. Nothing makes me more excited than taking off a set of braces on a patient who is thrilled with their new smile

What are your most and least favorite things about owning a small business? While I love being an orthodontist owning a small business is not without its stresses of having to manage a staff and pay all the bills. If I could focus all my time on straightening teeth rather than running the business I probably would.

Share some of your favorite things: I love athletics and am an avid runner. I have completed 2 marathons and several half marathons. I also play soccer, snow ski, and love to travel, read, and cook.

Do you have any special causes you’re passionate about and would like to share? My favorite causes are mission trips to third world countries. I participated in a trip to Africa last year through Mission to the World and hope to do another dental mission in the near future

Where can we find your business? My practice is located at 7700 Falls of the Neuse Road, Suite 190 Raleigh, NC 27615 - (919) 676-0541 - brunkandlaster.com

And lastly, any specials or promotions for Season Moore Photography blog readers? We offer free consultation, digital photograph, xrays, and study models to all readers. We also offer zero down payment and flexible financing offers to readers of this blog.

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Business Spotlight - Rich, Smith and Tart Dentistry

August 6, 2008 – 7:40 pm

Name: Christine DiBlasi Laster DDS

How would you describe yourself? I would describe myself as a people person who loves to be a full-time mom and also very much enjoys being a part-time dentist. Being part-time allows me to give to my children while still pursuing the career I love.

A little about your business: I am an Associate dentist at Rich, Smith and Tart Dentistry. The practice is a very well established general dental office in the heart of North Raleigh. We see adults and children- very family oriented. I see children starting at age 2 or 3- based on how well you think your children would do. Often we start the first visit with the little ones just having a tour and getting comfortable. The practice started in the 1970’s. I joined as an associate dentist earlier this year.

Share some of your favorite things:

CS Lewis
Facebook
YMCA-working out helps me to keep going……
Running
Redeemer Church
Ann Taylor Loft
North Raleigh Christian Academy

Any secrets for managing life as a Mom and professional? My secret for managing life as a mom and professional- exercise! Running gives me energy and starts my day off on the right foot. Praying helps too……:)

And lastly, any specials or promotions for Season Moore Photography blog readers? Complimentary New patient exam and Xrays - Valid through November 2008

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Slideshows are down

July 31, 2008 – 5:48 pm

Just a quick note that somehow, some way every slide show has been corrupt on my server. So if you’re trying to view yours and it’s not coming up please give me some time to re create them. My husband and I celebrate our 9th anniversary today and the baby sitter is on her way but I am vowing to get these puppies back up before I leave.

Thank you for your patience!

By Season | Also posted in News and Updates | Comments (1)

Business Spotlight - Jammin Baby!

June 25, 2008 – 2:43 pm

Name: Erica Berry - owner of Jammin Baby, LLC

A little about you and your family: I have been married to my husband for almost 15 years and have two beautiful little girls (Lena, 5 and Sophia, 2). Before I had my children I worked as a Corporate Attorney in New Jersey. However, when my first child was born almost 4 months early at 25 weeks it really changed my priorities. It took me a while to decide what I was going to do - but I finally decided upon moving to North Carolina to start my own music education business (www.jamminbaby.com). I had studied music for years and love children so after attending Music Together classes with my little girl in New Jersey I really believed it was something that I could do really well and enjoy doing. It is nice to see a dream come to reality after hard work and determination. Jammin Baby has now been open for a year and it has grown tremendously. We hope to provide Music Together programs to children all over the Triangle.

How would you describe yourself? I would describe myself as extremely outgoing and motivated.

What is your most and least favorite things about owning a small business? I love owning my own business because it gives me the flexibility I need to raise my kids. The only thing I do dread about owning my own business is the bookkeeping - I hope that I will be able to hire an assistant to help me with this in the future.

Share some of your favorite things: I love finding little places to go with my daughters and with friends. I like to take mini-road trips and discover new places.

Any secrets for managing life as a Mom and business owner? I have a little secret about managing life as a Mom and business owner. I think it is most important to create “Office Hours” and get a live answering service for when you are unavailable. People respect that you will call them back at a certain time or get back to them within that time. All the other time I am either teaching or with my kids.

And lastly, any specials or promotions for Season Moore Photography blog readers? If you email me at eberry@jamminbaby.com and say you are a Season Moore Photography blog reader - I will send you a Free Music Together sample CD and/or a Jammin Baby T-Shirt (supplies and sizes are limited).

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Local Business Spotlight

June 17, 2008 – 8:28 pm

(If you or someone you know has a local or national small business that you would like to see spotlighted please email me or leave a comment here!) You guys are going to love this one - a friend told me about a locally-run organic produce retailer so I had to check them out.

Papa Spuds.com - They deliver to your door people, how awesome is that! Triangle residents can wake up to a crate of fresh produce on their doorstep once a week. It’s a great way to support local farmers and so super easy. Since we made the switch to eating preservative/chemical/food dye/general chemical yuckiness free several months ago I am always looking for ways to make it just a little *easier*. Plus you incorporate foods that you may not generally eat and you never know when you might find a new favorite for your kiddo!

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Children’s Fitness and Nutrition - Fitwize 4 Kids

May 1, 2008 – 10:29 am

I have added a new category to the blog for sharing local and national businesses that I think may be useful for my clients and other readers. I love supporting small (or not so small!) businesses so I will try to post at least once a month - send me information about your business or one that you recommend and I will do my best to share the love!

I am starting with what I think is a brilliant, brilliant concept - a fitness center for kids! How many of us Moms and Dads have gym memberships to keep ourselves fit; just imagine if you had learned to exercise and eat properly as a kid how much easier it would be to do as an adult. A brilliant idea! It’s called Fitwize 4 Kids and a location has opened in Cary, NC. Below is a press release sent to me by a client:

Fitwize 4 Kids, Inc., the nation’s leading innovator in children’s fitness and nutrition education is proud to announce the arrival of a Fitwize 4 Kids “Lifestyle Center” in Cary. Owner and Cary resident Kelly Duffey opened the doors to her new Fitwize 4 Kids facility earlier this month. The Cary Chamber of Commerce sponsored ribbon cutting will be held on Friday, May 2, 2008.

Fitwize 4 Kids Lifestyle Centers provide a fun filled environment, where kids ages 6 to 15 learn about fitness, nutrition and living a healthy lifestyle. Everything is planned with kids in mind - from the lively décor and energetic music, to fitness equipment specifically designed for the physiology of children’s growing bodies. The open program allows for kids to be conveniently dropped off and to join the supervised, 45-minute, full-body, circuit- style workouts. Additionally, membership includes a world-class nutrition curriculum, a motivation and rewards system, Kid’s Night Out events, field trips, summer camps, birthday parties, school assemblies and other fun activities for kids and their families.

Fitwize 4 Kids was created to help address the rising epidemic of childhood inactivity and the increasing need for youth sports strength training by providing an educational environment where kids can learn life-long habits.

Kelly noted that Fitwize 4 Kids is a place where kids in the Cary area can have fun while getting and staying fit. “Our goal is to empower our local youth to take ownership of their health and fitness lifestyles.” She said “it is our hope and expectation that they will achieve new levels of academic and sports performance, overall health stabilization and increased self-esteem as a result.”

Whether for general health improvements or for enhanced sports strength training, Fitwize 4 Kids is a place where kids can “get away from it all” and have fun getting fit.

www.fitwize4kids.com

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