iEntrepreneur

The definition of an entrepreneur is quite simple:  A person willing to launch a new business and takes sole responsibility for its outcome.  Meet Brett Westover, owner of iTech, and a great example of what an entrepreneur is and does.

A couple of years ago Brett was cleaning out his truck and accidentally broke his new iPhone.  He called Apple and was told a replacement would cost $450.00.  That was money he simply did not have at the time.  So he did what self-motivated people do, he fixed the phone himself.  And at that moment, he realized there was a void in the local market for smartphone repairs and iTech SmartPhone Repair was born.

He laid a solid foundation for his new business.  He researched and then trained on how to repair virtually every type of smartphone on the market.  He established relationships with suppliers.  And then he went to work.  At first, he offered a mobile service.  You contact him, he drove to your location and performed the work.  Eventually he realized the mobile service limited the number of customers he could reach in one day.  Instead of driving, he could use that time doing more repairs.  So in October, 2011 he opened his first retail store, brilliantly located within 1/2 mile of the AT&T and Verizon stores.  Repairs usually take less than one hour.

Brett is expanding his services and products.  He offers repairs on iPod Touch products, Android products and can personalize your iPhone will custom color housings.  Not too distant plans also include iPad and laptop repairs.  All of this from a 23 year-old self-motivated businessman.  You gotta love it.

iTech SmartPhone Repair is located one block north of SR312 at 1797 Old Moultrie Road.  Brett can be contacted via email:  itechsmartphone@gmail.com or via phone at 904.806.6722.

So the next time you do something stupid to your android or iPhone, my suggestion is to save yourself a lot of headaches, time, and money, and run over to iTech for a quick and very affordable repair.

Good Times

Just a quick tip....

If you love great country music and having a great time with great people, then make a point to check out The Red River Band!  They have been playing together for nearly 25 years and are known for making sure their audiences have as much fun during their shows as they do.

Over the years Red River has opened for the Who's Who of country music - Charlie Daniels, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bo Diddly and Loretta Lynn to name a few.

St. Augustine is blessed with great musicians.  The Red River Band is comprised of four of the most gifted around.  Check them out.  You won't be disappointed.

The Iron Man

Year in and year out, Dirk Bockel travels to the most exotic places on earth - Beijing, Abu Dhabi, Rio de Janeiro - with the simple goal of testing and pushing his body and mind as far as humanly possible.

Dirk is a triathlete.  A world-class athlete.  An Olympian. A take no prisoners, train and compete my ass off, live life to the fullest, everything to the max - athlete.  Oh, and he calls St. Augustine home.

His wife Alicia and her family are from here.  She and Dirk love the vibe of old town, the people, the easy pace, and the ability to hop on their cruiser bikes and grab a beer and burger any time they wish.

Saint Augustine is also Dirk's training base for half the year.  He's easy to spot, especially if he is training on his bike, as his clothes and helmet all carry the national symbol of Luxembourg, a large, red prancing lion.  The bike itself, made by Blue, is the two wheel equivalent of a high-tech Formula 1 car.  A carbon fiber, aerodynamic, custom built rocket ship, designed for maximum performance, and Dirk's office 6 hours every day during his peak training period.

The Super Bowl of triathlons is the IronMan World Championships held each October in Kona, Hawaii.  That's a 2.4 mile ocean swim, 112 mile bike leg, followed by a 26.2 mile run (a marathon).  Dirk finished in 4th place in 2011, with a total time of 8 hours, 12 minutes, 58 seconds.

You can keep track of Dirk on his website www.liveandlettri.com.

A Refreshing Vision

In the hustle of everyday life, it is easy for native Floridians to take for granted the local landscape, or at least not to give it a second thought.  It is not that we don't appreciate our surroundings, we do.  Every now and again we need to be reminded and reawakened to the beauty of northeast Florida.  Claire Jane Kendrick is an artist whose paintings accomplish this.  Originally from Ireland, she moved to Florida in 2006 after stints in France, Belgium, Sweden, and England.

Her paintings reflect Florida with bold, rich, beautiful colors, and subtle textures with an impressionist technique.  "This is a hot climate and colorful coast.  I love the expanse of the marshlands, the big cloudscapes," she says.  "The scenery is dramatic and I try express that in my paintings.  It's a joy to live here."

Collectors respond to the contemporary style and the expressive way in which she paints.  The big open vistas and the marsh views that stretch for miles are among her favorite places to be.  "When you are painting in these isolated places it feels like you have the world to yourself.  The subtle shifts of light can in a moment calm or energize the environment."

Claire is from a family of architects and designers and it seems that artistic impression, a love of design and an eye for detail, were an important part of her upbringing.  She grew up in the Irish countryside and as a child explored painting "en plein air" with local artists.

Her paintings display confidence and purpose.  She reflected upon this recently when she said, "Artists need to have a vision, they have to be fearless and sometimes challenge uncharted territory.  It's having the strength of character to forge ahead with an idea or concept way before the consensus of approval.  It is about taking the time to see the beauty and potential in a fast paced life."  Amen to that.

Claire Jane Kendrick's work is represented by the Worley Faver Studio & Gallery.  It is located at 11A Aviles Street in downtown St. Augustine.

Feats of Clay

A small statue of The Buddha sits on a shelf in the studio of artist Worley Faver.  Perhaps it is a daily reminder of one of the great teachings - of how one thing passes into another thing, that everything and everyone is connected.

"The universe has many lessons to teach us if we will be calm and listen," says Faver.  "I find clay is a portal to expanding my spiritual ties to the earth and all creation."

Worley Faver's art is pottery.  He takes clay and transforms it into the most beautiful and elegant pottery you will ever see.  He does so using techniques that were developed thousands of years ago, long before the introduction of the potter's wheel.  Techniques used by inhabitants of the American southwest centuries ago and of the ancient Egyptians.  His tools include a simple stone for polishing, a walnut shell to add texture, and of course, his hands and him imagination.

His gift of taking the most basic material found on earth and transforming it into pottery connects us all with the wisdom of the ancients and the promise and potential of each new day.

The Worley Faver Pottery Studio & Gallery is located on the oldest street in St. Augustine at 11A Aviles Street in the historic downtown area.  His work is also displayed at the Brilliance in Color Gallery, at 25 King Steet.  And you can visit his web site at http://faverpottery.com.

Tennis Everyone!

Vivi Heil began playing tennis at age 5 in Bogota, Columbia.  Coached by her father, she was the top ranked junior player in her native country for several years, and played well enough to be ranked on the WTA.   She eventually found her way to Saint Augustine, graduated from Flagler College with a graphic design degree, and is one of the best tennis instructors in St. Johns county.

Vivi loves teaching kids to play tennis and heads up the junior program at the Atlantic Beach & Tennis Club (http://atlanticbeachandtennisclub.com).  "I love working with kids and have all the patience in the world to teach them this sport," she says.  "I had a lot of different coaches in my life and I learned at least one thing from almost all of them.  So I want to pass what I have learned in all of these years and help anyone who wants to improve their game."

She also teaches group and individual lessons to adults.

The Atlantic Beach & Tennis Club is great facility.  In addition to 10 hardtru (clay) courts, it has both indoor and outdoor pools, a weight room, snack bar, pro shop, and a laid back and friendly staff.  If your idea of tennis is to show up and show off your latest expensive tennis clothes and hob nob around with a bunch of snooty folks - this is not your place.  If,  on the other hand, you want to play with down-to-earth people,  on well-maintained courts, and hear the ocean waves crashing in the distance, then go no further.

Bikram Yoga Champion

A true local, Joey Carey has been living in St. Augustine for over 20 years.  His parents introduced him to the world of music and performing arts when he was very young.  He has taken that affinity with him from St. Augustine High School, to the University of Florida, where he earned an English degree, to thriving young professional in New York City.  In April of 2009, a friend led him into Bikram Yoga - a sequence of 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises performed in a 105 degree room that systematically works every part of the body, and gives all internal organs, all the veins, all the ligaments, and all muscles everything they need to maintain optimum health and maximum function.

He competes in the Yoga Asana (yoga posture) Championship.  He is the 2010 Florida Regional Champion and finished 12th in the 2010 National Championships.

"I do yoga to keep me mentally clear, emotionally connected, and physically aware," says Joey.  "I compete to strengthen my practice, encourage yogis to participate and inspire newcomers to try yoga.  I hope to one day become world champion and share yoga and my story around the globe."

This discipline of yoga was founded by Bikram Choudhury and his wife Rajashree.  They also started the USA Yoga Federation, a non-profit organization formed for the purpose of developing and promoting Yoga Asana as a sport.  The web site is www.usayoga.org.

You can catch Joey training and teaching classes at Bikram Yoga St. Augustine, which is located at 700 Anastasia Blvd.  The studio offers 28 classes weekly, massage therapy, a retail boutique, and babysitting.  Private sessions are also available.  Visit www.bikramyogastaug.com for more details.