B2B Stories

CSRA financial advisors move practice to 128-year-old asset management firm

Local financial advisors, Jason Crane and Gerry Owen, owners and operators of Crane & Owen Financial Solutions in Aiken, have relocated their practice from Edward Jones to Ameriprise Financial. Together, they manage nearly $150 million in combined client assets. Crane and Owen began exploring options for moving their business two years ago and selected Ameriprise for several reasons, including its brand recognition, reputation, and technological resources. “Ameriprise is first and foremost an advisor-friendly firm, meaning we have the company’s full support behind us as we go above and beyond for

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Consumer Stories

Business Lunch Review: Surchero’s Fresh Mex

Editor’s Note: Wes Hennings never met a meal he walked away from and is an opinionated eater! Each Thursday he shares the results of a business lunch he’s had with a colleague as a way to advise our business community on the good, bad, and tasty across the CSRA. He doesn’t let ABD or the restaurant know where he is going and his opinions are his own. He grades the restaurants he visits on a 1-5 scale with “5” being outstanding. We call this our “Real Business Lunch Review”. Food

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B2B Stories

Thoughts from the General: The thirteen “Cs” which help define extraordinary leadership

I believe there are 13 “C” that make a great leader: Compassion, Creativity, Confidence, Consistency, Consideration, Courage, Charity, Competence, Communication, Courtesy, Comedy, Curiosity, and Collaboration. Compassion. Medal of Honor and Carnegie Medal recipients can be our guides. In many cases, these people acted heroically because of the compassion they felt for those in grave danger. Throughout the CSRA, thousands of folks are deeply compassionate as they provide care for others. Creativity. There are four aspects of creativity: Being creative yourself; recognizing creativity in others; operationalizing novel ideas; and protecting creative people from their bad

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Consumer Stories

Restaurateur reacts to closing of neighbor’s business

Tracy Frey had high hopes in the early spring of 2022 when her “Roll On In” sushi roll/bowl and “Buzzed Bull Creamery” ice cream/alcohol franchise concept launched. She waded through the pandemic and waited a year to open. On Thanksgiving Eve, she closed permanently. The one restaurateur, who can truly feel her pain is her next-door neighbor—Renee Hajek of Stay. Social Tap + Table, who’s one phone call away from possibly closing herself. “We are devastated to hear that they are closing. It was a risk that we’ve all taken,

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B2B Stories

Simon Says: Income Inequality

Income inequality, whether measured before or after taxes has been rising over the last 40 years in the U.S. as shown below. The wealthiest 1 percent have seen their share of income increase to 21 percent pretax and 16 percent post-tax. Europe has also seen an increase in inequality however, the increase is less, and income inequality remains way below U.S. levels. Traditional explanations have suggested that Europe redistributes a greater share of income to the poorest citizens. However, a new paper by economists Blanchet, Chancel, and Gethin (https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/app.20200703) turns

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Awards/Celebrations

Downtown restaurant gets honor and expands!

The building may be small and unassuming and a bit off the beaten path, but customers love The Brunch House in downtown Augusta. That love poured out so much that Yelp ranked The Brunch House as one of its 100 Top Restaurants in 2022, including restaurants from across the nation. The Brunch House came at No. 5 on the list. It was one of five Georgia restaurants to make the Top 100, but the only one outside the Atlanta area. Yelp created the list by asking “Yelpers” for their favorite

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Consumer Stories

Downtown comes alive at businesses tomorrow/this weekend

What began as a railroad town in the mid-1800s after the South Carolina Canal and Railroad Companies’ line from Charleston to the Savannah River was built, would become a winter home for wealthy 19th-century equestrians from the north. More than 100 years later, another chapter is being added to Aiken’s history as a Christmas destination. According to Southern Living and an online site, Only in Your State, Aiken is THE place to visit this time of year. The publications describe Aiken as “a holiday extravaganza packed with festivities that are

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B2B Stories

Local entrepreneurs plan to launch farm, event space in Columbia County

As an experienced business owner, Cricket Willis has learned that when something doesn’t work out, you pivot and try something different. Willis, owner of Artsy Me, which has locations in Evans and Grovetown, and her husband, Brad, plan to open event space on an 18.9-acre farm at 6297 Cobbham Road in Appling. In June, the couple bought the property, known as B.C. Kabat Farms, for $525,000. The Willises want to convert the barn into an event space for small celebrations with fewer than 50 guests, such as birthday parties and

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Digital Marketing

Free Access: An AI-Generated Love Story

Last week, we talked about AI chatbots and this week, you will read an AI-generated tragic romance story. The story below was written by AI software. Warning: it does not have a Hallmark ending… Enjoy the read! A Tale of Two College Fans The boy had always been a Georgia Bulldog fan. It was in his blood. His father and grandfather had been season ticket holders for as long as he could remember. Then, he met the girl who would change his life, he was drawn to her immediately. She

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