PRstore of Lake Norman

Lake Norman’s Best Kept Secrets: 2008 Edition

Welcome to the 2008 Edition of PRstore's Favorite People & Places. We hope you'll find some time in the New Year to explore the diverse Lake Norman area and share your favorite discoveries with us too! Enjoy!!

 

Best Burger: Five Guys (Exits 23 & 36)

 

Best Pizza & Best Penne a la Vodka: Brooklyn South & Brooklyn Boys (Exits 25 & 33)

 

Best Mexican (three way tie): Qdoba - go naked! (Exit 25), Tijuana Flats (Exit 23), La Costena (Exit 25)

 

Best Cookies & Pastries: The Bakery Shoppe (Exit 25)

 

Best Weekend Breakfast: Acropolis Cafe (Exit 25)

 

Best Place to Get Healthy & Balanced: Best Acupuncture & Yoga (Cornelius)

 

Best NY Style Italian Bread: Food Lion Bakery (Exit 28)

 

Best Shabby Chic Finds: Big Lots, Rugged Warehouse, Dollar Store (Exit 36)

 

Best Home Decor on a Budget: Homes Goods, Kohls (Exit 25)

 

Best Date Atmosphere: North Harbor Club (Exit 30) & Mickey & Mooch (Exit 25)

 

Most Innovative Dining Concept: T1 Tapas (Birkdale Village)

 

Best Place for After Work Drinks: Corkscrew (Exit 25) & Legends (Exit 33)

 

Best BBQ: Macs (Exit 28)

 

Best Mac & Cheese: Toast Café (Exit 23 & Davidson)

 

Best Publication for staying Up-To-Date on the Lake: Lake Norman Currents

 

Best Publication for Women on the Move: Lake Norman Woman

 

Best Publication for Lake Norman Business News: Business Today

 

Best New Retail Concepts: AuthorSquad, Wild Birds Unlimited (Exit 25), One Neighborhood (Birkdale Village)

 

Best Boutique Shopping on a Budget: Francesca’s, Belle Ville (Birkdale Village)

 

Making a Difference

Best Global Effort: Rotarians Sowing Seed to Fight World Hunger (North Meck Rotary Club)

Best Local Effort: Lake Norman Wild Life Conservationists

 

Most Promising Business of 2009 (tie): Rainbow INK Cards & High Intensity Teambuilding

 

Best New Idea Incubator: Charlotte Inventor's Group

 

Best Way To Get Your Home Looking Fabulous: Starr Miller Interior Design

 

Best Place for Casual/Active Wear: Manipura Activewear

 

Best Website for LKN Events: lknsavings.com & 704events.com

 

Best Business Resource: Pre-Paid Legal

 

Best Place to see a NASCAR driver at the lake: Tuesday Night – Sushi at the Lake, followed by Rusty Rudder

Best Page Turner: The Twilight Saga (you might need a cold shower after reading though!)

 

Best Way to Get over Sex & The City ending: watch Lipstick Jungle, Fridays on NBC

 

Best New Business Co-op Group: Destination Huntersville

 

Best Value Shopping: Walmart in Denver

 

Best Motivational Quote: "Men are made stronger on the realization that the helping hand they need is at the end of their own arm." - Sidney Phillips

Best Marketing Effort for 2009: Social Media!! (Facebook, LinkedIn, Blogs, Twitter, Forums, etc.)

 

That’s Our List, What’s Yours??

 

Join the conversation here, or on the PRstore of Lake Norman FaceBook Page.

 

Here's to Mind Over Matter in '09! - CSR

Floating Thru The Holidays

"No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted." - Aesop

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How We Discovered Grassroots Giving

So, if you haven't noticed, in the last week the economy has either hit rock bottom or else the nearing Holidays have made us all painfully aware of just how different the economic situation is this year. Maybe it's both. Most of us aren't used to choosing between paying bills and giving gifts. And it's making us grumpy, cranky, impatient and just downright rude to each other. Scrooge would be proud.

PRstore worked off-site on Friday after a long week of the aforesaid grumpy exchanges with clients and vendors.  The North Mecklenburg Christmas Parade was Saturday and we had lots to do to be ready. I had decided last year that starting in '08 PRstore should be a permanent participant in the parade - Grassroots at its finest. It was a ton of work to build our own float though and coming on the heels of a rough week, there wasn't much hop in our step.

Saturday morning was filled with rushing around, re-gluing pieces that had fallen during the night and figuring out how to transport the float 10 miles without losing the entire thing along the way. Whew! More than once I questioned why in the world we were even doing this. Bah Humbug!

Then we were finally there, finally all ready and finally lined-up in our designated spot. And an amazing thing happened. As the procession began and we started to pass the people lined-up to see the parade, I noticed how sad so many of them looked. They probably had a rough week too - many much worse than mine. So we started smiling and waving. Making eye contact. And simply saying "Merry Christmas!" "Happy Holidays!"

The reaction was instant and always the same. Faces lit up. Smiles overturned frowns. They waved back and wished us the same. It was inspiring. After the worst economic year in recent history. After so much fear and uncertainty. The power of a smile and a Holiday Wish is still more powerful than all the bad stuff. The human spirit is ever hopeful, ever optimistic. Lying right under the surface, is our desire to rise up, try again, beat the odds and surge forward. 

And so my Grassroots Marketing idea to have a PRstore float in the Holiday Parade - for my company to have community exposure - turned out to be about Grassroots Giving instead. We didn't give much, just our energy to build the float and then brave the 40 degree weather, a smile and a Holiday Wish. But judging by how good it made us feel and by how many smiles we received in return, I have to believe that good 'ole Aesop was right. Even small acts of kindness can turn around someone's day.

So Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! Wishing you joy, peace and hope during the coming week! No more Scrooge for PRstore - we're back in Santa's Camp and loving it!- CSR