Hey y'all,

It was this week last year that things really began to change. I am a person plagued (and lifted) by sensory nostalgia, so everything lately—the scent of the air, the sight of spring blooms, the shade of light—reminds me of those early, bleak weeks when COVID and quarantine were still so new, unknown, and scary. 

But it's a comfort to see how far we've come—especially the ways local businesses have adapted and continued to grow (like Poppy Popcorn, above) despite the restrictions of the pandemic. And as things begin to slowly reopen, I can't wait to see what WNC entrepreneurs have in store. 

Till next week,

• The Craft of Selling 🧾  Mountain BizWorks is preparing to kick off the Craft Your Commerce the Craft of Selling, a workshop series dedicated to helping makers, artists, and other creative entrepreneurs reimagine how to attract new customers and connect more deeply with existing customers. The series will include six workshops, like Selling with Intention and Partner Marketing Made Easy, March 12–April 7. Register here. 
• Vacc Volunteers 🧴 NC-based nonprofit VacCorps is recruiting local volunteers to help administer COVID-19 vaccinations at various vaccination sites across WNC. The org was founded to help North Carolinians get vaccinated faster by connecting non-traditional vaccinators, health science and laboratory personnel, and other volunteer support staff to vaccination providers and centers. They want to enroll 200 local volunteers by April 1. Register to volunteer.
• One Office, Seven Developments 📊 In January, Cliffs Realty became the official brokerage company of the Cliffs at Walnut Cove and now operates an office at 1908 Brevard Rd. servicing all 7 of the Cliffs’ communities. In the first two months of 2021, Cliffs Realty closed 39 sales for $18,046,725, a 105% increase in transactions and a 38.6% increase in volume compared to the same period last year. In 2020, there was an 81% volume increase from 2019 with 320 transactions for $244,099,155 across the 7 communities. Learn more. 

JOBS

• Capital at Play 📖 is looking for a Part-time/Full-time Salesperson.
• B.B. Barns is looking for a Digital Marketing Specialist. 🧑🏻‍💻
• Ecobot 📲 is looking for a Sales Development Representative.

• Eagle’s Nest Foundation is looking for a Part-Time Garden Manager, Part-Time Chef, Math Teacher, and Camp Program Manager. ⛺️

• Housing Assistance Corporation is looking for a Home Repair Construction Manager.  👷🏽
• Nest Realty 🏡 is looking for a Director of Property Management. 
• Asheville JCC is looking for a Communications Manager. 
• East Fork Pottery is looking for a Director of Marketing, Environmental Health and Safety Manager, Customer Care Associate, and Glaze Blending Generalist. 🏺
• Mandara Hospitality Group is looking for an Event Sales Manager. 
• Four Seasons is looking for an Inpatient Unit Clinical Supervisor (RN). 🧑🏽‍⚕️

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• RiverLink’s RiverRATS (River Research and Appreciation Through Science) program is continuing to offer virtual environmental education lessons to schools and community groups. 💦 Register here.   
• NewSong Music is now accepting original song entries for its 19th annual songwriting and performance competition. 🎶 Submit your original music here.
• The Blue Banner, UNCA's student newspaper, earned 8 awards at the annual statewide College Media Association’s conference, including first place in News Writing. ✍🏽 Learn more.
• Poppy Hand-Crafted Popcorn will expand to a new shipping and fulfillment facility in Old Fort, which will allow Poppy to expand kitchen and production space at their existing Black Mountain facility by 2500 sq. ft. and production capacity by more than 25%. 🍿
• After six years of coordination and fundraising, the community-funded solar power system at Isaac Dickson Elementary School is being installed this month by Sundance Power Systems. ☀️ Learn more.
• Mother Earth Food (learn more about the biz in our 2018 profile) is now offering local beer from Highland Brewing and Hi-Wire Brewing as part of their grocery delivery service. 🍻
• Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity and Blue Ridge Hiking Company announced JPD’s Spring Hike Series, a fundraiser for Women Build. Join the series  to support the construction of a Women Build House.

🎹  Music, Makers, & Machines | The Moogseum is participating in Google Arts and Culture’s Music, Makers, and Machines, an interactive online resource on the role electronic music plays within wider culture, which launched yesterday.

💡 After-Hours Networking | Young Professionals of Haywood County will gather at Birchwood Hall today at 5 p.m. for After-Hours Networking. 

🍺 Happy Birthday, Ginger | Ginger's Revenge is celebrating their 4th anniversary March 11–14 with special small batch ginger beers, prizes, giveaways, and limited edition merch. 

🍀  Celtic Celebration | On March 12 & 13, the newly re-opened White Horse Black Mountain will present a weekend of Celtic music in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. 

💭  Words & Worlds | UNCA will host 3 virtual talks with indigenous activists and writers in March as part of its “Worlds ~ Words” multilingual indigenous speaker series, beginning at noon today with a discussion of Congreso de los Pueblos. 

🎨 A New Moment(um) | Following a two-year construction period, Momentum Gallery is opening its two-floor, 15,000-sq.-ft. gallery in in downtown Asheville, Mon. March 15.