Category: Partners

It’s time for the world’s largest lionfish tournament, the Emerald Coast Open, held right here at the Destin Harbor. Calling all spearfishermen to join the tournament and remove this invasive species. Participate and win cash and Gear prizes! The more lionfish you remove, the more prizes you can win! There’s huge cash prizes for the Main Tournament. In 2019, ECO had 189 participants and removed 19,167 lionfish throughout the tournament – 14,119 in 3 days! ECO gave away $48,000 in cash prizes, and over $10,000 in gear prizes.

Families will enjoy the Lionfish Removal and Awareness Festival with educational opportunities, lionfish tasting and festivities. Bring the family and learn about lionfish, see lionfish, and even taste lionfish!

Sample lionfish at one of Destin-Fort Walton Beach’s featured restaurants during the Emerald Coast Open Lionfish Restaurant Week! Local chefs will highlight lionfish in unique dishes to help bring awareness to the lionfish invasion in the Gulf of Mexico.
For a full schedule of events visit www.emeraldcoastopen.com.

ECO Pre-tournament:
February 1–May 12, 2022
ECO Main tournament:
May 13–14, 2022, Destin Harbor
Lionfish Removal and Awareness Festival:
May 14–15, 2022, HarborWalk Village
Emerald Coast
Restaurant Week:
May 8-14, 2022 (AJs Seafood & Oyster Bar May 14!)

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By Courtney Lindberg, Director of Innovation, ArborBrook Consultants

“God, if you want me to do this, you’re gonna have to do something.”

This is exactly where He wants us.

Before my time with Arborbrook, my wife and I had a small handmade soap company. We worked the farmers markets in town and were fortunate to land some retail accounts in Seaside and Rosemary Beach. The business was growing fast, and we were very excited.
We started getting calls and emails from stores across the country and even a few international requests. We had no idea what we were doing, but had a passion for business development and startups. So, the risk of the unknown was acceptable. Or so we thought.

Soon enough, we started to feel the pull to take the business on the road. We pushed back for a while, but the feeling wouldn’t go away. In fact, it got stronger. We prayed. At the time, I was driving a small sedan. There was no way we were road-tripping with all our equipment, inventory, setups and personal bags in my small sedan. I justified us refusing the call because of that, but the pull only got more intense, until I finally threw my hands in the air and told God that if He wanted us to do that, He was gonna have to give us an appropriate vehicle.

Somehow, I believed I had put God in checkmate.

The next day, less than 24 hours, my wife gets a call from her mom. “I’m buying a new car. Do you guys want the van?”

Like a teenager whose parent had just won the argument, I submitted. “Fine.”

It was the experience of a lifetime. Our business continued to grow, but we didn’t know from one day to the next where we were going, how much we would sell, if anything, or where we would even sleep. The large increase of expenses due to travel quickly ate up our reserves, and then our cashflow. We’d worry, try to problem solve on our own, ultimately arriving back in the same place; seeking the One who called us there.

The adventure culminated at our arrival in Redding, Ca. Over three weeks, we began to realize that it was never about the business or the money. It was about us learning to trust in God’s provision, understanding Matthew 6:25-34 at a much deeper level, specifically verse 26: “Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”

We work to sow, to reap and then have goals to store away in barns, all the while worrying along the way. So much of our decisions and planning put the focus on money, not on what the purpose of it is. The accumulation of it isn’t what you’ve been called to. It’s the tool to do what you’ve been called to. Go beyond the money.

Arborbrook’s calling is to guide Christians towards greater stewardship. We do that through a very different style of financial planning. Our vision is to see a culture changed, to see people’s relationship with money shift into a stewardship model, recognizing who the True Owner is. If you’re ready to take that first step, we challenge you to put actions to your words and make the commitment by joining our humble movement: arborbrookadvisors.com/gobeyondmoney.

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By Rachel Russell

With the world being on a literal shut down the last few days, many of us have had to come to a place of PAUSE. In this PAUSE, we can fall into the trap of worry and fear and become immobilized. But for those of us whose passion is visioning, there is an excitement that arises, because the PAUSE is allowing all of us to reposition ourselves for greatness.

My name is Rachel Russell and I am an entrepreneur and Vision Coach, because I love to help people on their path to success. My specialty is that I take things from the vision realm, strategize and bring it to a place of execution. Let me tell you why I’m excited for this season.

The Japanese word for crisis is (危機 = kiki) and it means opportunity. I sense that this time of PAUSE has been set because there are things that we have been designed to do that many of us have been putting on the back shelf, because we were caught up with our everyday lives. Some of you have bestselling books that need to be written. Others need to finish some vital schooling. There are some of you that have million-dollar business ideas but because you have been so focused on your jobs, years have passed by and the ideas are just sitting in the back of your mind waiting to be released.

Some of you haven’t spent much time with your children or your spouse, and now you are getting caught up with some quality family time. And then there are some that need to concentrate on your health.

Whether this PAUSE is meant for a season of creativity, completion, bonding or a restoration, this PAUSE was designed to catapult you to a new place of success.

Taking time to vision in this season of PAUSE will be a beneficial activity. Ask yourself, when this is over, and believe me it’s going to end at some time, where do I want to be? I mean “Netflixing and chilling” was cool for the first week, but what if this lasts for six months?
Are you prepared to “Netflix and chill” or do you want to look back and say thank you for this time of PAUSE?

This crisis hit my country, Trinidad and Tobago, on Monday, March 16, 2020, and all schools had to shut down. I owned a prestige day care and preschool. No school means no income for me. By March 17, I strategized with my team and was able to create three additional businesses. This process was fairly smooth, because these businesses were part of my larger vision from before and I already had the foundation in place. Today is March 24, and we have already launched two of the business initiatives, with the third one coming soon.

How was I able to turn a negative situation around? I asked myself what I was putting off during my busy season and how I can execute it now so that it is beneficial for me, my family and, of course, the wider community.

Take a step back! Look at the bigger picture! Is there an opportunity waiting for you at this time?

Encouragement during this season is, don’t fall into the trap of worry and fear. There is much that can be done at this time to further your path to success. Be safe and remember, this is your time to step into greatness!

Local Rachel Russell is the founder of Full Quiver Services Ltd., services that support families. She is the Visionary on the Board of Directors and spearheads the strategic direction of the company. Rachel has been in the field of small and medium business management from age 18 and has successfully pioneered Full Quiver Services Ltd. for the last 12 years. She has a passion for development, excellence and service, and it is her mission to develop future leaders that people can trust, emulate and follow. She has also launched two catering companies and a holding company, while a proud member of the John Maxwell Team. Her consulting business is designed to help turn big ideas into reality.

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By Chris Balzar

Say goodbye to winter and hello to spring. The official first day of spring is March 19 and summer will follow close behind. If you are looking to save energy and money this spring, here are some tips:

Switch to LED lighting
Consider replacing your incandescent bulbs with LED bulbs, which operate at a lower wattage and produce much less heat. LED bulbs use 75% less energy and last 50 times longer than incandescent bulbs, saving you money on electricity and replacement costs. A 6 -10 watt LED bulb is comparable to a 40- 60 watt incandescent bulb. In fact, 90% of the energy used to light an incandescent bulb is heat and only 10% produces light wasting energy and produces unwanted heat in your home.

Lower water heater temperatures
Many of our water heaters are set to 140° from the manufacturer. Lowering the setting to 120° will save energy and money. When showering, most people start with the hot water turned all the way up and then add cold water for a comfortable temperature. By doing this, you are cooling the hot water which you spent energy and money to heat. Lowering water heater temperatures saves energy and money. Also, by switching on bathroom fans when showering will suck out the hot and humid air from your shower, so your air conditioner doesn’t have to work as hard.

Leaky faucets
My faucets don’t leak. Are you sure? One way to find out is to put a dry cup under the faucet in the sink overnight, when not in use. In the morning check the cup and if there is water in it, your faucet leaks. Well, my faucet only drips a little and I’m not really worried about it. Even the slightest of drips waste energy and costs you money. Let’s say you have a faucet which drips once every two seconds. It’s hard to be precise on volume so we are going to estimate the drip volume at ¼ ml. One gallon contains roughly 3,785 ml. Our leaky faucet will waste approximately 2.5 gallons of water per day and approximately 912 gallons of water per year. Now think if you have two or more dripping faucets. Faucets can easily be fixed and some manufacturers will send you replacement parts for free, you just have to ask.

Ceiling fan directional settings
Most, if not all ceiling fans have a directional setting. This setting is normally a small switch located on the side of the fan motor. In the spring and summer, the fan should spin in a counter clockwise direction to push cool air downward. In winter, fans should move in a clockwise direction. Using ceiling fans can save energy by making you feel cooler. Ceiling fans do not actually cool rooms, they make you feel cool by producing a breeze over the skin which evaporates the moisture on our skin making us feel cooler. By using ceiling fans we increase our air conditioner setting a few degrees warmer which saves energy and money.

By just following a few simple steps you can increase your comfort and save energy. It is always a good idea to consult with a professional when looking to be more energy efficient when it comes to larger projects. The DOE (Department of Energy) states that properly insulating and weatherizing your home can save up to 30% on heating and cooling.

Chris Balzer is Founder and President of Emerald Coast Energy Solutions which is a Smile Provider Company. We provide smiles to our customers after installing our high energy efficient products, increasing comfort and lowering energy bills. For more information on how to save this summer and become energy efficient, schedule an inspection by calling (850) 588-2870, visit www.trusteces.com or email wecare@trusteces.com and Beat the Heat.

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By Sheila Mohammad, MD PHD

More than 50 million women in the United States ranging from young female athletes to post-menopausal women, are bothered by urinary incontinence, vaginal dryness, painful intercourse, and scarring and thickening of the vaginal folds. Treatments offered in conventional medicine include vaginal estrogen, topical testosterone, or psychotherapy which are seldom helpful.

Likewise, more than 30 million men in the United States have erectile dysfunction (ED) or an inability to sustain an erection to have intercourse. Medications and penile prosthesis are offered to men and have helped somewhat. While ED statistics increase with age, this common condition does not have to be part of the aging process.

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) is a revolutionary rejuvenating treatment that addresses all of these concerns. More than seven growth factors from blood plasma are used in women to alleviate stress incontinence, dryness and sexual dysfunction (such as difficulty reaching orgasm, painful intercourse and low sexual desire). PRP is in the category of regenerative autologous treatments, which means it comes from your own blood and can stimulate cellular regeneration and tissue repair. Platelets are one of the cells in our blood and when activated, they can release growth factors and other proteins.

When platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is injected, the stem cells multiply and grow new younger tissues. PRP regenerates vaginal tissues and penile tissues the same way is rebuilds cartilage in the knees and younger looking tissues in the face. The growth factors and proteins released by high concentrations of platelets in PRP, activate stem cells and stimulate cellular repair and regeneration wherever they are applied in the body. In addition, collagen production and the formation of new blood vessels occur that further aids in tissue repair. PRP treatments are non-surgical and drug free. Up to 95% of patients experience resolution of urinary incontinence. In women, mesh pain can improve, the vaginal skin becomes tighter, there is relief from painful intercourse, and women enjoy a healthier sexual response.

Men’s health plays a large role in intimate relationships. Difficulty achieving or maintaining an erection and/or concerns about penile size, shape and curvature, with or without pain, can affect one’s self-esteem and create significant stress among partners.

The body has a remarkable capacity to heal itself. Regeneration of new tissues is accomplished by the natural production of stem cells. PRP involves concentrated platelets, rich in bioactive proteins, which release growth factors to stimulate cellular regeneration and accelerate tissue repair. The benefits of PRP were initially used in wound healing, dentistry and the treatment of sports injuries, but now have evolved to address aesthetic concerns and sexual dysfunction (erectile dysfunction and Peyronie’s Disease for men). PRP is one of the most advanced, effective natural treatments for cellular repair and rejuvenation throughout the body.

Benefits of PRP treatments for men include stronger and firmer erections, it becomes easier to achieve and maintain erections, penile length and girth are increased, there’s improvement in penile curvature from Peyronie’s Disease, or complete resolution, and also increased sensitivity and better overall blood flow to the penis.

The procedure involves applying a potent topical numbing cream and a local anesthetic to the genitalia. Blood is drawn and both blood stem cells and platelet rich plasma are extracted using a special centrifuge machine. After the tissues are numb, a very fine needle is used to place the PRP in certain spots on the genitalia. The process is tolerable and patients report feeling little to no discomfort or pain. PRP has been used effectively for a variety of treatments for more than 20 years. Over 500,000 procedures involving the injection of PRP into various parts of the body have been performed with no significant side effects, or complications reported.

Please call 850-281-8186 for a consultation.

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