St Pete Soul Brittany Ranew

Have you ever stopped to wonder how far that produce had to travel to get to your grocery store? Did you know that it likely traveled over 1600 miles to get there and exchanged hands 5 times before landing on the shelves? Mind blowing, right? Shannon O'Malley, CEO and Founder of Brick Street Farms, has been disrupting traditional ways of agriculture since she founded the urban farming company right here in our Sunshine City. Shannon's background as an electrical engineer and her husband's background in technology offered the perfect partnership to bring this dream to life. They use innovative technology to automate their large-scale, vertical farming in shipping containers, which provides a soil-less, climate controlled system, operating independently from land, climate or seasons. Their leafy greens are certified non-GMO, chemical free and wash-free, all grown sustainably using 90% less water and 30% less energy. With their unique "Hub" model, they can produce over 60 acres each month on less than a 1/3 acre city lot. That, my friends, is sustainability in action. They are farm to fork in less than 36 hours! I could go on forever with all the details that will blow your mind, but how about we just dive into the episode and hear it from Shannon herself? I promise it will have you thinking differently about where and how you buy your produce.



Want to learn more? Visit their website here.

Shop their Farm Store and get your hands on that fresh produce!

Hours and location:

Brick Street Farms

199 20th St S, St Pete FL 33712 in the Warehouse Arts District

Thursday 10 am to 7 pm

Friday 10 am to 5pm

Saturday & Sunday 10am to 4pm



Membership offerings are detailed here. Memberships support their non-profit, Desert Farms Foundation, bringing the farm directly to communities without access to fresh food.

Have you ever wondered what it means to be truly joyful? What about finding joy and positivity in any area of your life, regardless of your mood or what's going on around you? When Ilene & Alli realized they had a unique approach & "zest" for life, their passions led them to launch The Zest Zone with a focus on health, wellness and the culinary arts using essential oils. Now they are ready to let everyone else in on the secret to their "zest" for the good life. With Joy Coaching, they are on a mission to help stressed out, overwhelmed entrepreneurs & "others-focused" people tap into the best versions of themselves and discover their "good life." Inside coaching, Ilene & Alli will guide you through a holistic approach to uncovering what truly brings you joy and living your life to the fullest.



To learn more about Joy Coaching, visit their website at:

https://www.thezestzone.com/joy-coaching

Follow them on social @thezestzone

Most people would agree that our health is of highest importance in life. That's why there are countless programs and diet options out there, promising you quick results. But like most things in life, good things take time and work, and good health is no different. Have you struggled with bad habits or unexplained health issues? Or maybe you've just been wanting to optimize your overall health, but can't find the best or safest ways to do it? Jennifer Gilman has been in the holistic healthcare space for over a decade. She recently re-launched her business as New Way Health Coach and now has a team of coaches ready to help you all over the world! What I love most about Jennifer's approach is that it's completely tailored to your wants and needs. She never makes you feel like there is only one way to achieve something, but instead provides a safe space to find the best path forward for you. In this episode, we dive more in depth into the importance of living a holistically healthy life and you may even find some tips and tricks you can start implementing today!



To learn more about New Way Health Coach, visit their website at https://newwayhealthcoach.com/

As you know by now, our small businesses are at the heart of what draws people to St Pete and keeps locals feeling so lucky we get to live here. Authors, Meredith Gaunce & Melanie Bowman captured that essence on the pages of their travel book, Traveling St Pete: A Girls Guide. Having done a similar guide for Savannah, Georgia, Meredith was approached by Melanie to create one for the city they had both fallen in love with after moving to St Pete. Add in a pandemic, and it was the perfect time to show our small businesses some extra love. Whether you are planning a girls weekend getaway or a staycation, you can easily craft the perfect outing with a little help from their guide! In this episode, you'll hear about their journey through publishing with a local company, the joys of seeing the finished project on the shelves and how they continue to champion our wonderful community.



Where to buy:

Book + Bottle

17 6th St N St Pete FL 33701

Tombolo Books

2153 1st Ave S St Pete FL 33712

Shop their website for the book and other fun themed merchandise!

https://www.travelingstpete.com/

Follow on instagram @travelingstpete

Those of you that know me really well, know that gift giving is a love language of mine. Well, I can tell you that Allie Padin, owner of The Canary, has this talent in spades. Allie opened her shop in November on the coveted 600 block of Central. She specializes in creative gifts and home furnishing, a "happy store" that is fun to shop and has something for everyone! In our conversation we learned how her background with retail and curating stunning window displays for major retailers along 5th Ave in NYC helped fuel her passion for design and creativity. Outside of the retail space, Allie pursued interior design in Westchester New York. Like so many others, she was ready for a change of scenery and after visiting someone she knew in St Pete, immediately fell in love and quickly moved here. She had always wanted to open a gift and home store and when the opportunity presented itself, she took it. If you have shopped inside The Canary already or even just walked by the window, you've probably noticed her adorable shop cat, Gator. She will jokingly say that Gator is the real reason people stop by, and while that might be true, I also think it's because you can't help but have your mood lightened when you step into the sunny shop, aptly named The Canary.



Visit:

The Canary

655 Central Ave



Follow:

@thecanarystpete

In today's episode we hear from Valhalla Resale owner, Danielle Ferrari, on why sustainability in the fashion world is so important. In a world where we only wear 20% of the clothing in our closets (yikes!), waste abounds as we continue to buy new things and this perpetuates the cycle. Learning this stat sparked Danielle to create a space where all of the clothing in store comes from the community. She has a passion for helping create a circle or share economy in the Tampa Bay area, with hopes that this idea will spark others to think of ways they can contribute to this movement. She even hopes to spread the Valhalla love into other markets around the US in the future! How exciting would that be! You'll learn about the environmental and social impact that a concept like Valhalla offers with their clothing rental membership and even just by simply shopping in store. We can make a difference and look good all at the same! Now that sounds like a win to me :)

To learn more about Valhalla Resale, check out their website: 

www.valhallaresale.com 

Or visit their two locations:

3010 Central Ave,  St Pete FL 33712

6112 N Central Ave, Tampa FL 33604

Follow them on Instagram:

@valhallastpete

@valhallatampa