Three Questions For Three Entrepreneurs
Interviewed By Maryan Aiken
THE CITYBOX DIARY
The CityBox Diary is collection of mini-interviews spotlighting entrepreneurs + business professionals to help inspire, inform, & connect. It’s a quick glimpse of brief business stories direct from business owners, corporate professionals, and entrepreneurs. It’s a place where they collectively share their business journey, exciting projects, collabs, & experiences that sometime brought hard lessons & setbacks but loaded with electrifying & exhilarating aha moments & of course, those memorable game changers that catapulted their stories to a whole new height of dizzying triumphs. Welcome to the CityBox Diary, a place where you can instantly & meaningfully connect to expand your network.
Maryan Aiken. Founder. CEO. Publisher. CityBox Media LLC
CONNECT. SUPPORT. EXPAND
Photography by Michelle Reed
dawn camarda
A seasoned professional in the Metro Atlanta real estate industry since 1987, Dawn draws from her extensive network and knowledge base to offer her clients an unparalleled customer service experience.
Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby's International Realty
Real Estate Professional
Phone: +1 404.695.8554
Phone: +1 770.442.7300
1125 Sanctuary Parkway, Suite 400
Alpharetta, Georgia 30009 United States
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DIOR
Sauvage is an act of creation inspired by wide-open spaces. A composition marked by a raw freshness, powerful and noble all at once.
CALL DIOR. SAKS FIFTH AVENUE. PHIPPS PLAZA (404) 812-7287 TO HELP YOU SHOP WITH EASE OR CALL MACY’S LENOX SQUARE (404) 834 9817
ABOUT SOTHEBY’S
Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty was founded in 2007 under the extraordinary leadership of Jenny Pruitt and David Boehmig. As the exclusive Sotheby’s International Realty affiliate in Metro Atlanta, with offices in Buckhead, Cobb, Intown and North Atlanta, our company builds upon the 275-year foundation and heritage of Sotheby’s, the esteemed auction house. The collaboration between realty and auction utilizes a combination of unique and exclusive marketing efforts that provide targeted exposure to a coveted and influential audience. Our partnership with this premier brand affirms our commitment toward providing you a superior level of service, marketing and expertise here, and around the world.
In 2009, we expanded our market presence to the North Atlanta area. In 2011 we opened our Intown Office to meet the continued demand for the brand in those neighborhoods and in 2017 we opened the Cobb Office.
ABOUT DAWN CAMARDA
A seasoned professional in the Metro Atlanta real estate industry since 1987, Dawn draws from her extensive network and knowledge base to offer her clients an unparalleled customer service experience. After multiple years of winning awards as the most active sales member, she decided to broaden her real estate influence in an entrepreneurial capacity. In 2003, she opened and successfully operated her own real estate firm as the qualifying broker before expanding into the premium luxury market now offered by Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby's International Realty. With a keen eye for detail and a commitment to excellence, Dawn offers custom marketing campaigns that drive results for sellers. She also consults extensively with buyers to research and select the best properties to meet their real estate goals. Client testimonials continuously highlight her negotiation savvy and efficient communication skills that provide up-to-date market information. Her influential success and relentless energy also allow her to mentor many real estate agents.
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dawn camarda
A seasoned professional in the Metro Atlanta real estate industry since 1987, Dawn draws from her extensive network and knowledge base to offer her clients an unparalleled customer service experience.
Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby's International Realty
Real Estate Professional
Phone: +1 404.695.8554
Phone: +1 770.442.7300
1125 Sanctuary Parkway, Suite 400
Alpharetta, Georgia 30009 United States
Q: Your personal journey is moving and incredibly striking, who inspired you and why?
Dawn: My parents were really incredibly loving, inspiring and encouraging. Always telling me how to do what I most wanted to in life, as long as it wasn’t harmful. Things like encouraging me to play the slide Trombone even though it was a very large instrument, and I was probably the smallest person in my class, of which I did play throughout high school. Also, I always loved working on cars with my father; therefore, when I told them I really wanted to pursue auto mechanics as my high school major, they were 100% supportive, even though I was the first and only girl to do that in my high school. These things made me realize that if I wanted to reach for something, I needed to just do it.
My father was also a very supportive “girl’s” dad who always told my sisters and I that we are strong girls who always need to remember to never just rely on being a wife or homemaker. We always needed to achieve our goals and never give up. He also never went more than a couple of days telling us sisters that we were smart and beautiful, and that he was proud of us. Having a strong father figure is something that all girls need. That does not take away from my very strong, five-foot-tall mother who was equally as loving and incredible. But when a father pushes his daughter to do the things she desires, the impact on her is illuminating.
I was very lucky to have been raised in the kind of home that I was with amazing parents. This formed and inspired me to evolve into the woman I am today. It also taught me to be the best parent that I could be with my own children.
Q: How did you balance being a mother and running your business as a real estate professional and creating the app for MyiBrows? What have you sacrificed (both personally and professionally) at each state of your career?
When I became a mother, my priorities changed. My number one focus was my children. Parenting is such an important role, and takes continuous work, sleepless nights, and patience. Throughout my role as a mother, I always worked. Arranging my life as a mother around my employment and my multiple entrepreneurial dealings took some creativity and planning. Definitely learned to juggle many things at once, but I figured it out and just did it.
When I came up with the idea for MyiBrows, my children were all grown up. I didn’t need to juggle a family; however, I am a full-time realtor so I needed to prioritize my schedule. Additionally, I was a full-time college student at the time, as well; therefore, I had to fit that into my schedule too.
College was definitely something personally that I sacrificed when my family was young. I always told myself that I would complete my college education when the time was right, and I did just that. I obtained my Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Organizational Leadership from Valdosta State University in May 2019.
Professionally, I definitely sacrificed my dream career, a real estate attorney. I thought that I would have gone back to school a little sooner in my life but had a late start. Also, I had been grateful for the opportunity to be there to raise my children and develop the tight relationships with them. They were worth the sacrifice, and I am now on a new and exciting adventure with an idea that I took chance on.
Q: As a female leader, what has been the most significant barrier in your career and how did you overcome that?
Throughout my entire career, as a female I experienced some barriers that I did not let stop me. Early on in my career, before I was in any type of leadership position, I experienced sexual harassment. Additionally, having children that relied on me to be there for them, I was not given many opportunities to advance. I was good at my job, however, knowing my commitment was to my children and possibly being called away for a sick child, etc. held me back.
As I grew into my role as a working mom and created my businesses around my family needs, any barriers that arose were quickly squashed. I figured out a way to fix what was broken or overcome an obstacle.
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CALL DIOR. SAKS FIFTH AVENUE. PHIPPS PLAZA (404) 812-7287 TO HELP YOU SHOP WITH EASE OR CALL MACY’S LENOX SQUARE (404) 834 9817
Photo by Stephen Boissy
Jason Drum
Owner. Founder
4365 Lynwood Court Douglasville, GA 30134
678.615.1315
@kandmfloorsinc
www.kmfloorsinc.com
K|M Floors Inc. established in 2008
jason@kmfloorsinc.com melissa@kmfloorsinc.com stephanie@kmfloorsinc.com brittany@kmfloorsinc.com
Number of employees: 5 in house and several specialized crews
Charity Involvement: FCA, Radiant Faces, Pregnancy Resource Center
ABOUT K|M FLOORS INC.
K|M Is open for any challenge. We love assisting with custom projects. If you can dream it, we can help you make your dream become a reality. Together we bring ideas for spaces that will resonate not only for those looking to create a beautifully designed home, but also an elegant and stylish sanctuary.
Grassroots K & M Floors has captured the affections of major players like Belk, Olive Garden, and White House | Black Market. To their A-list clients, they’re known as top-of-the-trade craftsmen, but to husband-and-wife owners Jason and Melissa Drum, it’s simply how they want to raise their family. K & M Floors is, after all, a true family business: Jason is the craftsman, Melissa runs the office, and the kids provided the name. K & M stands for Kaiden and Makayla – who, at 9 and 11, already say they’ll be joining the business one day. And that’s exactly the plan, affirms Jason. Like most great plans, it was birthed during a season of sudden adversity for the Drum family. Jason, a flooring and tile craftsman by trade, found himself without a job when the company he worked for in Douglasville folded under the economic weight of 2008. Rather than put their family’s fate back into someone else’s unsure hands, Jason and Melissa decided to launch their own company.
ABOUT JASON DRUM
“We make things unique,” says Jason, who personally consults with each client and also credits his team for maintaining craftsman caliber. “Building a team to support our vision has been essential. Most of our team members have been with us since day one, and they’re as passionate about each project as the homeowners are. They add those extra touches and go above and beyond, like it’s their own home.”
With a strong team in place, K & M has been able to expand beyond flooring, too – their bathroom remodels in particular have taken off. “We install frameless glass showers and retile entire master baths and showers. The results really are stunning,” says Melissa.
Q: What inspired you to start your own business?
The 2008 recession inspired/forced us to start our own business. We both found ourselves unemployed from a family-owned flooring company due to the economic housing crisis in 2008. Even amongst one of the scariest and trying times in history we had a deep knowing that if we listened to that inner voice that one day we could help to change/improve the industry.
Q: Who are your ideal clients?
K|M Floors ideal clients are the designers, the dreams, the visionaries, the stay at moms who love designing with heart and soul, and anyone who owns a home or business that is looking to put their own authenticity in their own personal space.
Q: Do you provide services outside Atlanta?
K|M Floors, Inc. services inside and outside the Perimeter. We will also travel throughout the Southeast depending on the job. K|M has completed multiple jobs in different states that have consisted of malls, department stores, hotels, fast food chains, and retail spaces.
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K|M Floors, Inc.
4365 Lynwood Court Douglasville, GA 30134
678.615.1315
@kandmfloorsinc
www.kmfloorsinc.com
K|M Floors Inc. established in 2008
jason@kmfloorsinc.com melissa@kmfloorsinc.com stephanie@kmfloorsinc.com brittany@kmfloorsinc.com
Eric Williams Photography
Jessica Lewis
CEO
MOBU Enterprises
Colorado Technical University
Master’s in Business Management
Mobu Enterprises LLC
Company Established: November 2018
Number of Employees: 42
1700 Northside Drive Northwest, A7 #1118, Atlanta, Georgia [30318]
888-412-8362 x 3
www.shippingliving.com and www.shippingliving.net for project quotes
Social Media Handles: IG and FB: @shippingliving; Mobu Enterprises on Linked in and YT: Shipping Living
Charity Involvement: Mobu Enterprises Foundation
We provide residential and commercial structures out of shipping containers in “real” life and “virtually.”
Year company established: 2018
Number of employees: 42
ABOUT MOBU ENTERPRISES
MOBU is a Woman and Minority owned business with combined project, operations, construction, and development experience of over 40 years. Vision: We want to restore communities by educating, advocating, and improving our environment with sustainable products and self-sustaining designs that literally fit together like Lego (Shipping Container, Smart Steel, Geodesic domes).
Starting with a small set of apartment buildings, we have grown from residential and commercial high rises to building out urban and rural communities just to name a few. We offer the highest quality in green building for both residential and commercial spaces. If your mind can imagine it, we can make it. Inquire today.
ABOUT JESSICA LEWIS
Founded in 2018 on the principle notion of "Save our community, Save our planet, by helping our customers and their future generations create green spaces that withstand the test of time." Each building will reduce carbon footprints and reduce overall out of pocket cost for our company, our customer, and our future generations.
Jessica comes from a family of developers and knows what it takes to build. She has over 20 years experience in business, project and construction management skills sets. Combined with the Co-owner Ibrahim's hands-on experience these two are a great duo for your green construction needs.
Q: Who’s your favorite entrepreneur that inspires you and explain why?
Master P is my favorite entrepreneur. He takes Art of War by Sun Tzu to a whole new level. What I appreciate the most about him is how he is a collaborator, but he was wise enough to know when those partnerships are not working and once, he cut ties he realized how his vision can catapult his strategic plan to the highest levels. I feel like the greatest challenge for some of us is that we do not know how to separate our emotions from business. We also do not know how to set healthy boundaries that help us grow and foster healthy esteem within ourselves. We allow people, places, and things to beat us down so much that we lose motivation and self-esteem.
I challenge anyone who has that as an issue to self-reflect and take inventory by creating a pros and cons list of personal and business relationships. The list should be easy to create, you should not have to think hard or reach for something good in a situation or person. If the cons outweigh the pros, then politely pull back, your absence will be felt and missed, but you need to move on.
Q: What's been a game changer for you and your business?
Our game changer is our pivot. Moving from just another green construction firm to a green tech construction firm is going to be fun and allows us to take our creativity to new heights. Our partnerships and projects are going to be award winning and history making. When we see our company’s future, it aligns right with our motto of “The sky is not the limit,” now Earth is not the limit with us moving into the digital space and partnering with companies who can make that happen for us is life changing and we are honored to have them as our partners. We also will be launching an electric car rental company in collaboration with a few Melanated Founders to bring EV’s to our community development projects for our customers.
Q: How did the idea for your business come about?
Mobu Enterprises began when we kept seeing the news and seeing the floods in Texas, the Fires in California, and the Hurricanes in Louisiana and other places. We were devastated by all the catastrophic damage we saw and wondered how these communities build back better and faster sustainably. I become a project manager on container projects on the west coast and realized that these employers did not care about these same things. So, I left my employers and started MOBU, which stands for modular building units. I begin alone, but Ibrahim and I eventually became partners because he valued green practices as much as I did, and we collaborated and have been partners ever since. I remember him saying, “I should have been asked him to be his partner.” It was hilarious. He is the best!
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MERCEDES BENZ EXPERIENCE CENTER BY RBM OF ALPHARETTA LOCATED AT HALCYON FORSYTH
This experience center is the first of its kind in the U.S. It will echo the layout of successful Mercedes-Benz pop-up stores like the one that debuted in Atlanta in 2017, and will allow customers to interact with Mercedes-Benz technology and vehicle features for the ultimate user experience. What to look forward to at the RBM Mercedes-Benz HALCYON store.
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A place to celebrate, to unwind, to step away from the noise of life. An unexpected escape from the routine. Lush florals and innovative cocktails filled with whimsies warmly welcome you, while the sense of community and euphoria captivate one’s sense of belongingness. Welcome to The Garden Room.
88 West Paces Ferry Road NW, Atlanta, GA 30305
Located at Buckhead Plaza (404)600-6471
gardenroom@thegardenroomatlanta.com
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PALM 78
Palm 78 is an elegant, sophisticated, and more refined restaurant for lovers of Tropical- infused cuisine. Diners in the affluent Alpharetta community seeking a fine dining experience that incorporates deliciously prepared steak and seafood entrees infused with the taste of the tropics, can now find it at Palm 78 Restaurant. Palm 78 is a family-friendly, fine dining restaurant, which caters to all customers looking to enjoy a delicious steak and seafood dining experience at lunch, brunch or dinner.
5325 Windward Pkwy, Alpharetta, GA 30004
Photo Credits: Kong Studios
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Upscale, light-filled cafe & white-tablecloth restaurant featuring traditional French cuisine.
3027 Bolling Way NE, Atlanta, GA 30305
(404) 869-9944
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MOBU ENTERPRISES
We provide residential and commercial structures out of shipping containers in “real” life and “virtually.”
1700 Northside Drive Northwest, A7 #1118, Atlanta, Georgia [30318]
Company Phone Number: 888-412-8362 x 3
www.shippingliving.com www.shippingliving.net
CityBox diary is a shared article feature. it’s a Quick Glimpse of Mini Business Stories Of Corporate Professionals, Business Owners, and Entrepreneurs
ABOUT CITYBOX DIARY
The CityBox Diary is a collection of mini-interviews spotlighting entrepreneurs + business professionals to help inspire, inform, & connect. It’s a quick glimpse of brief business stories direct from business owners, corporate professionals, and entrepreneurs. It’s a place where they collectively share their business journey, exciting projects, collabs, & experiences that sometime brought hard lessons & setbacks but loaded with electrifying & exhilarating aha moments & of course, those memorable game changers that catapulted their stories to a whole new height of dizzying triumphs. Welcome to the CityBox Diary, a place where you can instantly & meaningfully connect to expand your network.
Maryan Aiken. Founder. CEO. Publisher. CityBox Media LLC
CONNECT. SUPPORT. EXPAND
Elevate + Amplify Your Brand. Be the NEXT Interview on CityBox
For details email cityboxdaily@gmail.com
Listening to SpotifyjAMES hYPE fERRARI
Executed on a grand scale the likes that Atlanta has never seen, Little Alley Steak Buckhead welcomes you to 9000-square-feet of understated, intimate opulence, boasting a seductive lounge and bar with over 400 bottles of the finest bourbon, whiskey and Scotch, multiple dining rooms, an outdoor climate-controlled bar and sprawling terrace as well as a secluded private dining room. Menu highlights include a wide variety of wet-aged, dry-aged and USDA prime steaks as well as the freshest hot and cold seafood in the southeast.