This week, Laura and Sara are joined by Rebecca Pope of RMP Chicago Events and Robyn Lytle of The Lytle House via our first post-hiatus official Zoom Podcast. We, like all of you, have been following the Stay-at-Home orders, so this is a new experience.

Rebecca Pope has worked in a variety of events, hospitality, and customer service positions for the last 23 years, and has a thing for weddings. Founded in 2018, RMP Chicago Events provides wedding planning, design, coordination, and officiating services, and proudly celebrates everyone’s right to love and marry.

In 2015, wedding photographers Robyn Lytle and her wife Michelle transformed a former auto body garage into a secret garden and premier event space. Located at 5517 N Broadway, The Lytle House is 2800 square feet of indoor-outdoor space with high ceilings, exposed brick, and concrete floors. It has called itself home to weddings, rehearsal dinners, baby showers, corporate events, photoshoots, and also Robyn, Michelle, and their two children, all who reside on the second floor.

The Lytle House contains a beautiful and colorful courtyard, that doesn’t need a lot of flowers or decorations.

“We’re all in this neighborhood, we’re all looking to streamline this process for you, make it so easy and special.”

-Robyn Lytle

Listen to Episode 104 with The Lytle House & RMP Chicago Events!

Here are some references from Episode 104 that you may want to check out:

• Robyn Lytle and her wife, Michelle, first met through mutual friends in 2009. They had always dreamed of owning a venue but needed to find the right place. In 2016, during the Lytle’s annual jog, they came across an old auto garage for sale. The seller was willing to sell to them immediately. After a year of renovations, they finally opened up, offering a simple, industrial, and minimalistic look. Almost everything in the building is brand new, including the foundation. The Lytle house is a local landmark where previous clients can walk by and say, “That is where I got married.”
• The Lytle House has a  simple design with white brick walls and many metal beams and other features.  The Lytle’s painted a colorful and bright mural in the courtyard making it easier for clients to forgo decorations or flowers if desired. The goal of The Lytle House is to make weddings and other events easier for its clients.

The Lytle House has a minimalistic and industrial style.

• The Lytle’s first met Rebecca of RMP Chicago Events in 2019. “Events and organizing  events is in my blood.”

Rebecca loves helping couples plan their dream wedding.

• Rebecca started as an event manager and even found herself doing corporate events. She loved taking care of guests and surprising them. However, she missed planning weddings, meeting new couples, and hearing their stories. Rebecca was drawn to Andersonville and claimed it as her “office.” It was a vibrant neighborhood and right by the water. From there, she met the Lytle’s and decided to partner together. She explains that she believes in community over competition.
• Before entering into this challenging time with COVID-19, Rebecca would have been working on 20 to 25 weddings. Reality has shifted, though, and many couples have been forced to cancel their weddings.  Partnering up, Rebecca and the Lytle’s looked for solutions, finding ways to make couples feel like they could still have a real wedding. They have tried to remain optimistic about the “no more the ten” gatherings that will be allowed as Chicago enters Phase III and will continue to serve clients with micro wedding or gathering options.
• Those deciding to move forward had to drop their previous planning and start over. Rebecca and the Lytle’s came up with a solution: the Lytle Elopement Package. This gave couples the option of having more than a courtroom wedding. This package includes a mini ceremony at the Lytle House, one-hour photography, six guests, an ordained officiant, personal flowers, a sweet treat, and champaign. The Lytle Elopement package could help take the hard making decision out of couples’ hands and help them reprioritize what they want. The Lytle’s and Pope want to help as many couples as they can by offering a beautiful space that does not need much done. As of now, the courtyard is in full bloom, and the trees are lush.
• The Lytle’s are also offering couples with Secret Garden Date Night, where their space can be rented out for a few hours. Couples can get take out or choose one of Lytle’s catering options and enjoying the beautiful venue. This is also an opportunity for men and women to propose! Couples may feel stuck in quarantine with one another and feel suppressed about proposing opportunities. This date night allows them to break the mold of proposing by enjoying some new scenery and fresh air. The Lytle house is one of the hidden gems of Chicago and could be used as an opportunity for couples to take the next step.
• The Lytle’s have recreated the Everything Will Be Okay, mural, originally from Atalanta, Georgia. The original artist has been installing them all over the world in different sizes and was excited that the Lytle’s hand reached out. The message is supposed to spread positivity to the community. You never know who might see it or whom it will touch. The Lytle’s started selling Everything Will Be Okay yard signs where 100% of the proceeds go to Care for Real.
• The Lytle’s started the Art Initiative in 2019, with the Dolly Parton Mural. They donate a portion of their revenue every year to this initiative. The work with a nonprofit, The Overhead Projects to fund the Art Initiatives. There are currently on their six installations. It’s fun to design artwork, ask businesses to take part, and offer a “canvas”. Street art is undervalued and can have a significant impact. These are created in the hope of finding hope and joy.
• During this time, Pope says that she is taking this opportunity to take a mental break. She will go on walks with her husband, looking at business doing their best right now. She says we should support the people we love with the local business we love. It is most important to stay connected as human beings at this time.
• Lytle and Pope give parting advice to couples during this time and how weddings will be impacted moving forward

“Letting people know we can step in, take things off their plate, run with their ideas, and make sure they have everything they want without compromising anything.”

-Robyn Lytle

“As far as details and getting overwhelmed, I think its important to start small, start with the priorities, and only build in the direction right for you.”

– Rebecca Pope

Visit The Lytle House on the following platforms:
Online: thelytlehouse.com/
Facebook: facebook.com/thelytlehouse/
Instagram: @thelytlehouse

Visit RMP Chicago Events on the following platforms:
Online: rmpchievents.com/
Facebook: facebook.com/rmpchievents/
Instagram: instagram.com/rmpchievents/

Listen, read, and explore more with #Always Andersonville: The Podcast and Shownotes.

Today, Laura, Joelle and Sara are recording #AlwaysAndersonville: The Podcast via Zoom. Like so many businesses, the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce is working remotely due to the mandated shelter in place order and finding new ways to engage in current technology to ensure our messages reach you in an efficient and timely fashion. Although we do not have a new business story to share with you today, we did want to provide you with a quick update on staying active in Andersonville during this time of uncertainty during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sara shares, “At the core of the Chamber’s mission is our support of the small business community that makes Andersonville so special and so strong. This is definitely an unprecedented moment and an uncertain time for small business owners. Small business owners are creative, they’re generous, and extremely resilient. This podcast was created to help tell their stories. However, COVID-19’s impact is going to be unlike anything we have ever seen. Our updates from the Chamber, have been geared toward ways you can support and help sustain our beloved small business community – now and in the days to come, so that this community is here in many years to come. We commonly say when you arrive in Andersonville, you feel you’ve arrived someplace special. And that warm, special vibe – it didn’t happen overnight. It took many years of hard work to create a district anchored by independently owned businesses, to get Andersonville on the national historic register as a historic district, to build our streetscape, to start our farmer’s market. The list goes on. As we entered the year 2020 as Chamber staff, we had worked on setting some goals of sustaining the hard work and achievements of the past few years, while also planning long-term for the future of our district. And although it will be a long road ahead with many unknowns we believe that this community is up to the task. Andersonville was created by local business owners, by mom and pop property owners who above their business or just a few streets away, by residents, by customers who have stayed engaged and invested in this special place for many years, through hard seasons. So, we want to send this messaging – that these goals of our Chamber staff and Board, to the community at large. Please stay engaged, active, and invested in this special place and help us sustain what has been achieved and stay engaged in the work that lies ahead.” 

Daily updates can be found on our landing page at andersonville.org/updates. Here you will find the latest information on Andersonville restaurant delivery and pick-up options, ways to support our retailers and health and wellness service providers, non profits, and the relief funds set up via GoFundMe and other similar platforms. We update this page daily, but welcome feedback and updates at info@andersonville.org

The Andersonville Weekly is a great way to connect with the local business community. It is a highly-curated e-blast that sends every Tuesday around 5pm, containing highlights of the district. The past two weeks have featured free online workout classes, restaurant specials, and special offerings for the Easter/Passover holidays, along with community support highlights including ways to engage and provide for our local healthcare workers at Swedish Hospital. To subscribed, please visit andersonville.org/newsletter. Or, email info@andersonville.org. We’ll get you signed up!

Another fun way to stay engage is our #AlwaysAndersonville: Digital Passport, with coloring passport sheet! Be sure to play and be entered to win local gift cards. A spin off of our holiday season shop local, this passport is all-digital. You can stay active in Andersonville without leaving your house, and give our businesses a much needed virtual boost to amplify their own online messaging. The Passports reiterate our “5 Ways to Love a Local Business.” There are 3 different colorways, and ready to be uploaded to your IG story or Facebook/Twitter. Printable Coloring pages are geared for little ones, but fun for everyone. You can find the passport on our website, and the digital passport is located in a highlight of our Instagram account, @avillechamber. What’s the best thing you’ve seen from your window?!

5 Ways to Love Local Business
1. Shop the Site: Now is a great time to see what retail offers from the comfort of your couch!
2. Love, Like, and Share: What do you love about Andersonville, what businesses do you frequent, and why do you keep returning? Now is that time to show these businesses some love in your social media feeds! Tag the business, tag us, and tag a friend who should check it out in the future. Like their posts and be sure to leave a comment.
3. Order Direct from restaurants and cafes, via apps or a quick phone call!
4. Use Your Voice: Catch up on reviewing your favorite shops, eateries, and healthcare providers with positive reviews. Check out 48th Ward Wellness Wednesdays!
5. Andersonville is Active: We cannot stress enough; Andersonville is still open and active in many online and digital ways, and purchasing a gift card directly from your favorite businesses, or following any of our other four tips, directly supports them during this difficult time. For example, telehealth options via online appointments. 

IGTV Series: Saved by the Watertower
A-la Saved by the Bell! We don’t have a catchy tune, but consider this an open call for all you at home who might like to write a theme song or music video! IGTV is another vehicle for our business owners to tell their stories. We’re following the example of Ridman’s Coffee, Elixir, and Martha Mae. Olin on Olin Sells Chicago does episodes on how to shop for your future home. Be sure to catch Scott Freeman @dancingjeweler from Bryn Mawr Jeweler dancing! Alley Cat Comics also features ordering every day on IGTV. Stay tuned for next week for a self care routine.

In addition to all of this, staff is working behind the scenes to provide daily email alerts to our businesses about relief resources available, like loans and grants, and advocating for certain areas where the relief is not serving our small business owners well. If you are a small business owner, and have questions for our team, please reach out to info@andersonville.org. Additionally, we have a list of all GoFundMe’s and online campaigns to help raise money for our local businesses, be sure to check out that page here. 

There has never been a better time to catch up on #AlwaysAndersonville: The Podcast! With more than 100 episodes in our archive, discover the stories of our beloved Andersonville establishments or revisit a favorite episode. You can find it on Podbean, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. Thank you for joining us for this special episode. Please continue to visit our website at andersonville.org/updates for the latest information. And, stay home, stay engaged, stay connected and stay Always Andersonville.

Today Laura and Sara are joined by James Moriarty of Urban Renewal Brewery. Established in 2017, Urban Renewal Brewery is a craft brewery serving patrons with locally inspired beer brewed with the utmost attention to detail. You can visit their brewery located at 5121 N Ravenswood and beer fans can soon visit their new tap room space coming soon to the former Andersonville Brewing location at 5402 N Clark. Be sure to order online for curbside pick up and delivery!

Just a few of the brews available from Urban Renewal Brewery.

Listen to episode 102 with James Moriarty of Urban Renewal Brewery!

• James hosts us today from the brewery! Urban Renewal Brewery just finished packing “The Humble Gator,” their double IPA – now available. World Beer Cup would have been in April, with brewers from all over the world convening and sharing beers. This would have been their first year.
• James started home brewing in college, and volunteered for a local brewery where he worked once graduating, with the stipulation that they would have to close at the end of the summer in 2006. He learned as much as he could, and when that brewery closed, he went to the Siebel Institute in Chicago in 2007 and studied brewing. He worked for Pennichuck Brewing in Milford, New Hampshire from 2007- 2009 until the brewery closed. He then went to Cape Cod Beer, and became a consultant and opened Henniker Brewing. In 2014, he and his family moved to Virginia as he was asked to come and expand a new brewery facility. And then, he was asked by an old partner to go to Jacksonville, FL to open yet another brewery. In addition to James’ vast network, we noticed that breweries are constantly evolving. Moving to new projects allowed James to learn more at each brewery, but moreover to be helpful to friends.
• All this movement didn’t happen with the intent of him opening his brewery. Through his moves, James realized he loved the “start up” phase of building a brewery. Which led him to be in-house brewery consultant for a brewing equipment company, Alpha Brewing Operations, in Lincoln, Nebraska. Upon the birth of their third child coinciding with lots of international travel, in June 2017 James saw that a Turnkey brewery was for sale in Chicago. James was familiar with the area, investigated, and made plans to purchase the brewery. James’ family is from Chicago, which made it a great fit. He knew it was time for one more move, and to settle in in Chicago.

Urban Renewal’s Ravenswood location interior – a beautiful space with lots of history.

• Prior to Urban Renewal, Metropolitan had the space prior. They are federally licensed as a brewery, which took 100 days. Then, you get your state license which takes 45-60 days. James used that time to plan, clean, update, and purchase new equipment. They sold their first keg March of 2018 – they’re almost 2!
• The term “urban renewal” – is an interesting phrase about communities being changed. Their corporate name is Wicked River Brewing, but a distillery was already using the trademarked same name. It’s a brewery within the city, and they renewed the space with new life. That’s the story, without much conflict. Go see it for yourself, it’s a beautiful space with a bow truss ceiling built somewhere between 1910-1912. Since then it’s been a lumber mill, t-shirt shop, and factory, and more.
• James has unique experience, with his mechanical engineering and brewing background. This allowed him to manage a lot on his own. Of course, challenges always come up, like plumbing and infrastructure, but his background allows him to tackle these things. And, the customers of Urban Renewal are great. Also, they were able to begin canning and distributing right away through all of Illinois which has benefited greatly. Up next, Andersonville!

“Humble Gator” – get it?

• As for products, Urban Renewal is always creating something new. Urban Renewal offers lots of options. “K.I.S.S. Kolsch” (Keep It Simple Stupid) a light German ale, a touch of fruitiness, and a New England IPA called “Packy.” “Hazy River New England IPA”, is a fresh, seasonal offering. Next up: a Belgian Wit with grapefruit for spring. Then, Lazy River, a hoppy blonde for summer. In the fall, they Orion’s Milk Stout and Schwartzweather Black Lager, both darker beers. Other offerings are Resting Peach Face, Humble Gator, and others. Typically 8-10 offerings circulating.
• With lease in hand, Urban Renewal will open at the Balmoral and Clark tap room space (formerly Andersonville Brewing). They’ll produce and serve their own beers, hopefully this summer. James brought back his old company, Alpha, for new equipment. He has a blank space to work with, with history and connections coming together.
• Currently, at the brewery on Ravenswood you can order a wide array of beers and merchandise online. All beers are canned in 4, 16 oz. cans. They also offer growlers. During a normal season, they see about 200 visitors on the weekends, and have a great neighbor in Koval.
• If James could swap places for one day with another Andersonville business it would be Little Bad Wolf. He loves their space, and especially their mac ‘n cheese. It’s irresistible.

Visit Urban Renewal on the following platforms:
Online: urbanrenewbrew.com
Order online at: urbanrenewbrew.shop/s/order
Facebook: facebook.com/UrbanRenewBrew
Instagram: @UrbanRenewBrew

Today Laura and Sara are joined by Ellie O’Brien, owner, founder, and creative force behind Hungry by Nature. Launched in 2015, Hungry By Nature is a brand about balance and moderation. According to Ellie, it is about feeding your physical hunger with natural foods and wholesome ingredients, and about feeding your intellectual hunger to learn and to grow. You can find Ellie’s granola all over Andersonville at Ridman’s Coffee, Andersonville Galleria and at our farmer’s market or by visiting her website at shophungrybynature.com.

Listen to Episode 101 with Ellie O’Brien of Hungry by Nature!

• Born and raised in Minnesota, Ellie moved to Chicago after college. She took a job at Northwestern University in the medical school as a Design Engineer, a position she still currently holds. As a creative outlet, she began Hungry by Nature as a blog in 2015.One year later, she was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, and because of lack of options at grocery stores, was inspired to create more food options. Which led her to create Hungry By Nature as a food brand and gluten and grain-free snack company.
  
• The intention behind the food that Ellie makes is to bring people together through eating. She remembers always enjoying home-cooked meals growing up, something that remains an important part of her life today. And, regardless of allergies, she believes good food should be accessible to everyone.

“I want to make eating good food accessible to everyone, whether they have a food allergy or they don’t, with the intention of connecting with people over shared space, over good food, allowing people to focus on what’s important.”

• In this new creative endeavor, Ellie didn’t necessarily start with the intention to start a business. She first began with her blog, food, and food photography. Eventually she saw potential to turn it into a food business. The first recipe she posted was salted chunk cookies.

Ellie O’Brien of Hungry by Nature

• Her experience with Celiac Disease (an auto-immune disease, often hereditary). She had already been diagnosed with Raynaud’s Disease, also an auto-immune disease which heightens her likelihood of an additional diagnosis. Eventually she visited a gastroenterologist and confirmed a Celiac’s Disease. There is a wide-range of severity and symptoms, and several family members are affected. Once cutting gluten from her diet, she almost immediately began to feel better.
• Some resources Ellie turned to were other food bloggers. At diagnosis in 2016, the landscape of information and products had greatly grown. At diagnosis she also began The Whole 30 for the first time, and found a really great community.
• The first iteration of granola began as the first recipe on Ellie’s blog. She made it for herself and posted photos online. People raved about it, and at her husband’s suggestion, decided to sell it.

The latest flavor of Hungry by Nature grain-less granola, Lemon Blueberry.

• Let’s talk granola butter. Sara has always hated peanut butter but loves Ellie’s granola butter! It’s amazing. It is essentially a fancy mixed nut butter, with cashews, pecans, walnut, almonds, sunflower seeds, and coconut. It’s essentially her granola, just ground down. It’s addicting because there’s a little maple syrup and coconut oil added. It’s consistency is drizzly. Ellie’s favorite way to eat it is drizzled on George’s vanilla ice cream, and baked into paleo blondies. It was first tested at the Andersonville Farmers Market last summer.
• Sara mentions that she came across Ellie’s posts while exploring the Whole 30 community on social media, and noticed that Ellie tagged the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce from a networking event she attended for the Chamber. Everything came full circle, from experiencing Hungry by Nature first online, and then in person. “Moving here, and being a part of Andersonville and this community was literally life-changing for the business.” At her first Third Thursday event, Ellie met Rick from The Guesthouse and he placed an order that day, an incredible example of support from fellow businesses.
• Different flavors of granola are now offered, after approaching and working with Whole Foods and their suggestion to elevate visibility through more products. She learned a lot about the complex process of offering food through larger markets. She settled on a citrus lemon-blueberry and chocolate cherry. And of course, her original flavor – maple cinnamon. Hungry by Nature features local sourcing, dairy-free chocolate, and cherries from Traverse City, MI. Listen closely for her “2 minute elevator pitch”!

Hungry by Nature “Granola Butter.” It’s so good.

• Ellie works out of a shared kitchen, renting from another gluten free baker in the city. The space has no gluten at all, and has had a very easy experience. The shared kitchen route has been great for them as a small business.
• Ellie’s week looks like a day job at Northwestern, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Tues and Thurs are in-store demos, phone calls, and fulfilling orders. Sometimes they’re lucky and get into the bakery during the day, but usually 1-2 nights. Also, her husband recently joined the business. They self-distribute and take care of that process as well. There is no standard week.
• Ellie has a strong presence on social media, with a great blend of personal and business. She is very good at it, and she has a self-described “love hate” relationship. It’s a powerful tool, and it’s so much work. “It’s a powerful way to reach more people, the awareness and the way you can spread your brand on social media is unbelievable.” She doesn’t have a detailed strategy, but is planning a “behind the scenes” campaign in March. People might like the food, but so many tend to connect with Ellie and her story as a person. She is the brand. Keep listening for inspiring stories!
• Favorite highlighted recipes of Ellie’s are tacos (could eat them every day. No kidding.) She likes to create recipes simple, clean ingredients, and easy. She aims to create recipes that can be made in 30 minutes or less so she can spend more time with her family eating the food. A favorite cook book and blogger is “The Defined Dish,” and “Spice is in my DNA” with a book called “Eat More Plants.” For fancier meals, Ellie visits “Plays Well with Butter.” Her most trafficked recipe on her blog is an apple-cinnamon muffin recipe (pre-Celiac), that features Kodiac pancake mix. Also popular is coconut and cassava tortillas.

Elli’s recipe for breakfast tacos with coconut-cassava tortillas.

• In free time, Ellie has gotten back to baking and cooking just for fun. She loves to read and is a book club, and just read “No Exit” by Taylor Adams. She also loves doing crafts, making homemade cards. She also loves true crime books and podcasts. If she could trade places with another Andersonville business for a day, it would be two: Lost Larson (because she dreams of being able to eat there), combined with Martha Mae.

Find Hungry by Nature on the following platforms:
Online: hungrybynature.com
Facebook: facebook.com/imhungrybynature
Instagram: @imhungrybynature
Pinterest: pinterest.com/hungrybynature

This week, we celebrate our official 100th episode with a special look back at the origins of this podcast including choosing the name, discovering our partnership with Studio C, developing our style of storytelling narrative, and creating plenty of off air bloopers along the way! Plus, our Chamber staff reflects back on memorable episodes and gives a look into their roles at the Chamber.

The Andersonville Chamber Staff (from left: David, Heather, Joelle, Laura and Sara) recording Episode 100 in Studio C.

“There’s nothing we can’t do if we work work hard, never sleep, and shirk from all other responsibilities in our lives.”
-Lesley Knope

Listen to Episode 100 with the Andersonville Chamber Staff!

This episode is full of fond recollections, but here are a few details and sources you may want to check out further:

• The Andersonville Chamber of Commerce launched the #AlwaysAndersonville campaign for Holidays 2017. The podcast name continued the efforts of that campaign and hashtag.
• The first recording Laura and Joelle did in Studio C was with Georgia Jones, former owner of Chicago Mindful Psychotherapy, but it actually aired as Episode 2. Listen now!
• Sara makes a reference to the recent Block Club Chicago article about Bryn Mawr Jewelry coming to the neighborhood. Check it out here.
• Sara also makes a reference to the 2004 Andersonville Study. You can view the study here. 
• We share some fun stats near the beginning of the episode. Our top five downloaded episodes include: Cowboys and Astronauts with Matthew Buccila, Lost Larson with Bree and Bobby Schaffer, Vincent/Episode 1 with Michael Bransford, Scout with Larry Vodak, and Simon’s/Svea with Scott Martin
• This podcast has allowed us to create external partnerships, like our one with WGN Radio’s Outside the Loop. Check out the January 2019 Podcast Summit episode featuring #AlwaysAndersonville: The Podcast, and our recent collaboration over the Holidays in early December 2019.
• This is not a drill! Our podcast is now on Spotify
• What does $5 buy you in Andersonville? Some of our favorites include the lunch special at Ranalli’s Andersonville, two hand pies at Middle East Bakery, a kabob or soup from Taste of Lebanon, any coffee at our nine coffee shops, or a cookie at defloured Bakery. 
• Our staff reflects on some of our memorable episodes. They include:
  • David: Vincent – Episode 1
  • Heather: RAYGUN – Episode 76
  • Joelle: Steep – Episode 47
  • Sara: Rattleback Records – Episode 74 
  • Laura: Terry Opalek and Michael Frontier – Episode 46

We’ve gone through and talked about our favorite podcast moments, and now we are throwing it back to our listeners. We want to hear from you. What stories have inspired you over the last two years? What episodes have been your favorites? What new businesses have you discovered?  Where are you at when you listen? We are looking for listener testimonials! Please email them to us directly at info@andersonville.org

Today Laura and Sara are joined by Rabbi Craig and Leah Jones of Emanuel Congregation. Emanuel Congregation, founded in 1880, is a Jewish Reform synagogue affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism, and was incorporated in 1898 as “Emanuel Congregation of Chicago.” Even after 140 years, Emanuel Congregation continues to grow and emphasize their value of building community. Regardless of what reasons motivate you to pursue your religious beliefs, their goal is to have a place for everyone at 5959 N Sheridan.

Leah Jones and Rabbi Craig Marantz of Emanuel Congregation are featured on this week’s episode of #AlwaysAndersonville: The Podcast.

Listen to Episode 99 with Rabbi Craig and Leah Jones of Emanuel Congregation!

• Rabbi Craig Morantz is originally from LA and is married with 2 kids. They came to Chicago three and a half years ago from Connecticut, seeking a new “mojo.”
• Leah Jones has lived in Chicago since 2002, and studied for conversion at Emanuel Congregation. She has been President of the Congregation since last year, and runs a company called Natiiv, which facilitates and plans staff retreats. Leah was a born-and-raised secular Christian. Because of a romantic interest, she decided to learn more about Judaism. She studied and read about it a lot, which eventually led her to Emanuel Congregation. Leah explains, “Converting usually takes a full year –  to live it and learn it. Or, it could take longer. We welcome but don’t proselytize. In collaboration with your Rabbi, you go before rabbi and clergy, who question/judge your readiness, and make a contract (mikvah) to the Jewish people. If you are in a relationship with a Jewish partner, they will not ask you (to convert) – it’s up to the person to investigate.”
• The history of the Synagogue is that it was founded in 1880 by 18 Russian families as small a orthodox synagogue, then embraced reformed Judaism. The chapel is spiral shaped, which allows it to have a window. Rabbi Craig says, “It allows us to look outside…serves our mission, it’s welcoming but also outward facing…good neighbors, a collective force for good.” He describes their community as offering “audacious hospitality…inclusivity.” When you visit Emanuel Congregation, you’ll find that there are a lot of doors, literally. The main entrance is right off their parking lot. Guests are buzzed in by security, with services in the large sanctuary or chapel just past the sanctuary. Leah shares their vision for the future, “When we look to the future, 2030, we want a space that can accommodate everyone on the holiest days of the year. Bring more energy and people into the building. For 2030, our goal is to be a nationally known venue for really outstanding secular programming that is deeply rooted in Jewish values. Cultural arts, healing, spiritual renewal, faith, justice, hope, and peace.
  

The Chapel facing the lake at Emanuel Congregation.

• Coming up on March 27, 28 and 29 is “140 reasons to celebrate 140 years – Legacy Weekend 2020.” The Guest of honor will be the Congregation, and the celebration will include Shabbat, a Havdalah Dance, and Tikkun Olam Mitvah Day. Join them and learn more here. #140reasons “It’s really important that anyone that is part of our experience feels like they belong in it. They’re not just a spectator, not just a witness. They certainly can choose to be that, but we want to be inviting enough to bring people along. There’s nothing better than music and creativity, and we have that in large supply,” says Rabbi Craig. This comes into play in many different ways, through their religious school, on Sundays and many community events.

Join Emanuel Congregation as they celebrate their 140th anniversary!

• Sara asks about those seeking wholeness, authenticity and place…what does Rabbi Craig say to those who ask if “Is this a place for me?” and what can they expect? Rabbi Craig shares,  “We try to engage the community in meaningful ways with the spirit of invitation, and very rarely, if ever, expectation. People are smart and they know what they want, and it’s important that we help them make a good choice for their spiritual direction, community, or seeking God or wholeness, whatever they need.
• Practical things they do at each service is welcome people with music, or “nigunim” or songs without words. These are important because they lend melody into the experience, and anyone can verbalize along with a simple sound. It’s a great transition from the parking lot to the service. This musical invitation gradually draws people in to connect.
• You can see the schedule of services here. Friday night services are at 6:30PM, and they first have a Pre-Oneg snack, or nosh. Saturday services are at 11AM, and often include Bar or Bat Mitzvah families, and open to the public. Also, Saturdays are opportunities to study with Talmud Class (oral law) at 9am, and Torah Class (5 books of Moses Genesis thru Deuteronomy) with Emeritus Rabbi Zedek. There are many ways to connect during Shabbat.

All are welcome!

• Purim is March 9 and 10. What is it, and what can people expect? In a nutshell, Leah explains, “Purim is the story of queen Esther, who married into a non-Jewish Persian royal family. The King’s top advisor was anti-semetic and decreed all Jews be killed. Esther unveiled herself as a Jew, and shenanigans followed to sway the King and his adviser Haman to change their mind. Esther sways the King, the decree is reversed, and Haman and his sons are killed.” She says with humor, “Purim is one of many holidays where they tried to kill us, failed, so we celebrate by eating.” “The whole Megillah“, phrase common referring to Esther’s story, sometimes using a “spiel,” (a farce play) to tell the story. Every year they try to tell the story in a new and interesting way, last year adapting the music of Grease. They’ve also parodied The Beatles before. This year, 3 events – Children’s Purim Carnival planned by junior youth group teens on March 8, Shabbat-a-Tot program for toddlers, and March 14 Piano Bar Purim sing along. “Spiel is the word!”
  
• Leah and Rabbi Craig talk about a specific food enjoyed in celebration of Purim, hamantaschen –  a cookie pastry in the shape of a triangle, that reminds us of Haman’s (boo- bad guy!) tricorn hat. The cookie can be filled with poppy, chocolate, raspberry, etc.

Hamantaschen

• When asked, “In these times, what gives you hope?” Leah replies, “What keeps me from sinking into nihilism is that I really believe that Judaism is a powerful technology for living your life in the world.” Leah was recently at a retreat, and some of the Torah they studied was Ecclesiastical, focusing on the concept that “Two are better than one.” She further shares that “Judaism forces us to be in community – some prayers require a certain number of people. I cannot imagine what my life would be like today if I had not found Judaism 15 years ago. In community, there is hope.”
• Rabbi Craig shares as well that “Judaism, in a way, is counter-cultural. What I mean by that, is it calls on us to be rugged individuals, to be responsible. But, I don’t think it’s possible to do everything alone, that we can do together.”
• And last but not least, when asked which Andersonville business they would trade with for a day and why, Leah shares that she would choose Octavio. She recently visited on Taco Tuesday, and had a good view of the kitchen and its tortilla making machine, and would like to learn how to use it. Rabbi Craig would choose his friends at Cheetah Gym, a place he loves. It is a spiritual place for him – a place to refresh his mind and body, and be with people who are taking care of themselves. Leah comments it’s important to be in strong physical shape at Emanuel, since they have five Torah scrolls of varying weights. You don’t want to drop one during hagbah (opening the Torah scroll, and then lifting it above your head to show you’ve read from Torah today). Leah wants to learn hagbah but doesn’t want to drop one!

Find Emanuel Congregation on the following platforms:
Online: emanuelcong.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/EmanuelCongregation
Twitter: @emanuelcong

Today Laura and Heather are joined by Briana DeBolt and Chamere Orr, local food influencers for the healthy lifestyle brand, A Full Living. As creators of delicious low-carb at-home recipes and Chicago foodies who love to travel, Briana and Chamere focus on showing their followers how to live a fulfilled life without breaking the bank. They combine their talents for marketing and photography to showcase delicious, globally inspired low carb and keto friendly recipes on their site afullliving.com. We recently invited Briana and Chamere to explore our first ever Coffee and Hot Cocoa Crawl during Hygge Fest, and we are excited to work with them again this month to showcase a few of the local restaurants participating in the 4th annual Andersonville Restaurant Week, kicking off this Friday and running February 21 – March 1.

Briana DeBolt and Chamere Orr of A Full Living are featured on this week’s episode of #AlwaysAndersonville: The Podcast.

Listen to Episode 98 with Briana and Chamere of A Full Living!

• We’ll start off with Briana and Chamere’s background and how they met. This episode is recorded on Valentine’s Day, and we can just tell you, they are the cutest couple ever. They have a “millennial love story” and met on Tindr. After both being on the app for a while and deleting it a few times, they found each other. Briana was drawn to Chamere’s interests in yoga, dancing, and photography, and that “he looked like a really genuine person.” They hit it off right away. Their first date was at Millennium Park, walking around with Chamere’s camera. They hung out all day, went to a show that night, and ordered takeout. Briana shares she was both grossed out and impressed with how much Chamere could eat. Chamere shares he was very nervous on that first date, “I was sweating on the inside,” but that they really vibed.
• Briana is the oldest of four kids, with busy parents who weren’t great cooks (sorry). From a young age, she started watching the Food Network and began experimenting with cooking. When college came around, she initially started in culinary school. But, she found that she enjoyed cooking but not necessarily the food industry setting. After college, she took a job in software marketing and kept cooking as her side passion. She would cook for her friends, they would ask for recipes, which led her to starting a blog. And then she met Chamere, which was the push she needed to start pursuing sharing her food world with others. She grew up in Traverse City, MI but has lived in Chicago for the last 7 years.
• Chamere shares that ever since he was young, he was into artistic things like dance and painting. In high school and college he began exploring photography more, excited about making beautiful images, often inspired by films, Tumblr, Flickr. His first camera was a Canon, and began taking photos whenever he could; still life, portraits, street, anything. When he met Bri, he had never shot food…yet. When he and Bri began creating recipes together, Chamere began getting into the nitty gritty of food photography, considering closely texture, color, and light. Then, he started bringing street photography influences to his work. “Bri makes all these beautiful dishes and I get to eat them, taste test them, and shoot them every morning, so it’s good!” In the beginning, Bri shares that she needed a lot of help with her food photos, and that Chamere’s style has improved a lot as well. Street photography elements that Chamere brings to his food photography are story telling, narrative. He likes to emphasize color and abstraction, bringing in elements of the surrounding environments and the people eating the food. Chamere tries new things everyday, and is excited to see where his photography will be a year from now.

A Full Living’s Blood Orange Serrano Ginger Fizz

• The Chamber started working with Briana and Chamere two years ago in 2018 for Andersonville Restaurant Week. At that time, their brand was called Pantry Grubs, but has since changed names to A Full Living. We’ll be honest, we may have read “Pantry” as “panty,” and apparently are not the first people to say that…hence one reason they decided to change their name. Pantry Grubs was very food specific, but A Full Living includes more about their lives, travel, and other lifestyle elements. “A Full Living means living a fulfilled life, your best life,” Briana says.
• Travel-wise, last year Briana surprised Chamere with a birthday trip to Mexico City. She found a crazy good deal on a Southwest credit card with points and a companion pass, and worked her dad to rack up points so she could surprise Chamere. Chamere may have shed a tear or two when Briana surprised him with the trip and says, “I did. I was super excited, because that’s one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me.” They have also been to Norway for a wedding, and Thailand. “We want to go anywhere and everywhere…and eat all the food.”
• For Andersonville Restaurant Week on February 21 – March 1, we asked Briana and Chamere to visit a couple of participating restaurants and preview their featured menus. The night before this podcast was recorded, Chamere and Briana set up in Uvae Kitchen and Wine Bar for a preview tasting and photo shoot. Uvae will offer a $30 three-course prix fixe, with each course offering four different options and 3 oz. wine pairing per course. They tried the duck liver pâté and a salad to start, with “really amazing, perfectly cooked” mango chutney scallops for the main course. Chamere ordered a pasta dish, served with mushrooms and ricotta cheese. For dessert, they ordered apple cinnamon bread pudding and panna cotta. Briana says, “I want to go back for Restaurant Week!” View the full Restaurant Week menu here.
• They also previewed and enjoyed Oda Mediterranean Cuisine’s exclusive Andersonville Restaurant Week menu. Chamere shares it was such a pleasant experience, as they got to meet Tamte, the owner. The offering includes Georgian cheese bread served on a skewer, which they describe as a “foodie’s dream, with cheese for days…one of the best things we’ve eaten.” Appetizer platter hummus, baba ganoush. A flavorful Georgian eggplant with walnuts and pomegranate dish. “Everything is made with love, and you can tell,” says Briana. They also tried Georgian wine, which is very on-trend right now. It’s a beautiful amber color, and offered at $30 per bottle for Restaurant Week. For entree, they had a combination platter, served with salad and hummus. “Fantastic, I can’t wait to go back.” You can view Oda’s menu here. “Uvae and Oda are two really great, really beautiful spaces that would be really good for date night, or going with your friends or family. Friendly owners and staff who make you feel really welcome.”
• At Uvae and Oda, Chamere had a large lead light and they got the shot, but it is super stressful! They are very conscious and careful to be as discreet as possible. Exploring the nuances between shooting food in their own kitchen vs. shooting in a restaurant, Chamere shares that he likes to use mainly natural light, and sets up by a window whenever he can. In restaurants, especially at night, it can be nerve wracking to set up a lightbox when everyone is eating. Part of their “Full Living” philosophy is to be healthy, but to also fully enjoy each experience. This means not requesting edits to menus or dishes, and planning special meals, dining out, and trying new things as a part of healthy living.
• Outside of Restaurant Week, are there any favorite Andersonville restaurants dishes? Chamere immediately answers Little Bad Wolf, the Wolf Burger. He celebrated his birthday there twice, and loves that restaurant. For Briana, Vincent is a favorite. As a weekend local Uber driver (she’s given 9,500 rides!) Briana recommends Vincent to her passengers often. Her Favorite Vincent dish? It’s hard to pick. Maybe the pate? “It’s to die for.” She loves that the restaurant is always trying new things, even down to the decor.
• Just a few weeks ago, Briana and Chamere took on Full Cup Route on our first ever Coffee & Hot Cocoa Crawl. Favorites were Ridman’s Coffee at Lawrence and Clark, which they enjoyed for their beautiful space and abundant natural light – a great place to work and photos. They visited Kopi Cafe for the first time, which is warm and cozy, living up to its reputation for being a truly international cafe. They discovered Lost Larson’s back patio and enjoyed the fire pit as well.
• The mastermind behind most of the recipes is Briana. “We’ll be driving, and she’ll be spouting off eighty different ideas. It’s constant, it’s all her, that’s her domain!” says Chamere. Briana didn’t used to consider herself a creative person, but then realized that her creativity shines through her food. She tries not to use dyes and use natural ingredients. If she doesn’t know how to do something, she watches YouTube to figure it out.

A Full Living’s Low Carb Turtle Vanilla Cheesecake (no sugar!)

• Chamere asks Bri, “What are some of your favorite things you’ve made in the past year?” She answers, “Low-Carb Turtle Vanilla Cheesecake with candied pecans, chocolate crust and caramel sauce from scratch. And it’s SUGAR FREE. People can’t believe it’s sugar free, so that’s a big win.” Other favorite recipes of Briana’s include Low-Carb Death by Chocolate Pumpkin Brownies, and a Jalapeno-Popper Chicken Skillet with chicken thighs cream cheese, bacon, jalapenos, onions, garlic. She also created a Low-Carb Reuben Skillet with corned beef, mustard, swiss cheese and homemade thousand island dressing with sauerkraut, which blew up on Instagram. A favorite Briana created cocktails of Chamere’s is the Blood Orange Serrano Pepper Cocktail (see above), with infused Serrano tequila.

A Full Living’s Jalapeno Popper Chicken Skillet

• Partners in both life and business, their lives have been enhanced by one another. (Queue romantic Mary J Blige tunes). It’s definitely given me a lot of confidence in starting another business, just being OK with the unknown and doing something with Bri that isn’t always certain. Some months are good, some months are not. But it’s a lot of fun, and it’s made me pick up a lot of skills like local design, coding a website, more photography skills, and a lot of marketing.” “Being with somebody, and working with somebody every day that I can really rely on – he’s such a hard worker, and he always comforts me. Being able to rely on him is just really really nice. I’m really grateful for that.”
• Another hobby of Chamere’s is his music, and he recently released an EP. House, hip-hop with ambient, jazz, video games, and films are all influences. He has gone by the artist name Minus One (one less thing you’re missing out on.) He’ll go by Chamere going forward. You can find his photography on IG as well, under @minusoneofficial.
• If Briana and Chamere could trade places with an Andersonville business for a day, it would be Little Bad Wolf for Chamere so he can learn how to make the Wolf Burger: a three patty with house-made pickles, fried onion straws, egg and bacon. “A delicious, well-made burger.” Briana would love to be at Vincent for a day, with their fun cocktail and menu offerings. She would love to see their creative process, and adds that she is especially a fan of their mussels. “They are always reinventing the wheel, but at the same time making you feel at home.”

Visit A Full Living on the following platforms:
Online: Afullliving.com
Instagram: @afullliving
Facebook: www.facebook.com/afullliving
Twitter: @AFullLiving
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/afullliving

This week Laura is joined by Valerie Friedlander. Valerie is a Certified Life Leadership Coach specialized in helping highly-motivated, social-justice oriented women create a life of impact AND enjoyment. Clients have called her a little love-vitamin for your soul, a mindset magician, and a motivational unicorn. Valerie can help you uncover your subconscious mindset blocks and create alignment between you, your goals, and how you achieve them.

Valerie Friedlander, certified life coach, is featured on this week’s episode of #AlwaysAndersonville: The Podcast.

Listen to Episode 96 with Valerie Friedlander!

• Valerie is originally from Tennessee. She is married, has two boys, and moved to Chicago five years ago. Her background is in corporate management. A self-described person who “followed the rules,” Valerie thought that she had it all – a spouse, a good job, two kids, and and a house in the suburbs. She followed a certain path, one that was influenced by society, family, and generations of tradition. She worked at managing the “life she wanted,” but realized she often found herself feeling like she wasn’t happy or good enough. This led her to explore options.
• In 2015 she decided to follow a path of career coaching. She maintained her day job and got certified as an iPEC Professional Coach and Energy Leadership Master Practitioner. When beginning the program, she somewhat unexpectedly connected with a spiritual component, which helped her to self-realize what steps she wanted to take to move forward in life. Raised in the Quaker tradition, Valerie was able to connect her training as a career coach with aspects of her faith tradition.
• Valerie addresses a common struggle that people have, negative mental circles. She talks about confronting this by shifting the way we think  – for permanent, good, change. “All feelings are valuable. ‘Thinking positive’ is not just about thinking happy, it’s about looking for what you want instead of sitting, staring at the problem.”
• Laura and Valerie chat about each having two kids, with very different personalities and reactions to situations. They discuss how their emotions differ in different situations. Laura remarks that it’s helpful to approach her child’s day past just the binary, each day is more than just “good” or “bad.” Valerie adds that it’s helpful to assess why you’re having the kind of day you are, then you can create a mental reminder for acting “as if” you are having a good day. This is shifting focus so you’re working on what you want.
• Touching on judging others by how they look, appear, and how that can set up for failure, Laura asks Valerie if she posts often to social media. Does she show her truth or lies on social media? Valerie started her business online, after only being in the city for about a year. However, after a year, she realized that a different approach was best for her. So, she then looked inward and used the tools she had, that she encourages others to use as well. She remarks it’s a lot easier to do this for others and help them see their right path that it is to do for oneself! Realizing she was getting in her own way, she hired a life coach for herself. “Coaches coaching coaches,” if you will. Continuing her online business, but also reached outward utilizing local in-person workshops.
• Valerie offers One-on-Ones, DIY Flow Program. She begins her process with an Energy Leadership Index Assessment (recognized by Forbes), or Mindset Assessment, which allows her and her client to see what their goals are, and how much time approximately it will take. Assessments help identify patterns in one’s thinking, and whether they are helping or holding a person back. Once that’s done, she works with clients anywhere between 1 and 3 months. First month is momentum, second month is sometimes regression, and third is sustaining success. From there, people might stick with maintenance meetings for support, accountability and encouragement. Her Create Your Flow program,developed from these maintenance groups (videos and exercises made to explore who you are, and being able to uncover and shift rules and develop healthy actions in thought and action.) “Any time you can give yourself more options, then you have access to more choices. When you have access to more choices, you’re able to engage more consciously and create something.”
• Similar to science, question, get curious, and take information and determine what worked and what didn’t. You have to take the time to choose an experiment, engage and assess. Specific workshops that Valerie offers are Retrain Your Brain – understanding framework that you can utilize to start making shifts. Other workshops dig in further, as well as collaboration. Coming up this month, Valerie offers sessions with a sex and intimacy coach to reboot and revitalize intimate relationships and its dynamics, both with individuals and couples. Another workshop will be “Setting Intentions in Chocolate,” at Helix Cafe, which will be creating your intentions, and then rolling them out in truffles, and consuming it. Which combines ritual and tangible.

Finding simple joy in a daily cafe au lait!

• Valerie’s work as a life coach differs from a traditional psycho-dynamic therapist is largely the clinical component. Also, her work more so identifies patterns and validates, helping to explore shifting focus and taking action. She is less past-experience oriented, and certainly, she recommends her work along with traditional therapists. She adds that we often need a team and community of support. “I’m here to hold your agenda and help you stay accountable to that agenda.”
• Whether it’s dishes, laundry, or some other never-ending task that can weigh on a spousal relationship, Valerie remarks that it’s in these situations too that one can take a step back and identify what needs to change. “Stress is necessary for growth, it’s just how much stress you have in your life and how you’re utilizing the stress effectively to move yourself forward, or whether it’s breaking you down because it’s too much.”
• Since 2015, Valerie’s own change and growth stemmed from her training program. She had a new way of looking at her life, a way to “show up” where she didn’t feel like she was failing. She was better able to handle and react to, and advocate for herself difficult situations, like a boss who caused serious stress every week. The next step in growth was that she decided to be an entrepreneur and look for help to achieve her goals. Challenges there included navigating a new system of finances, and re-evaluating what financial security looked and felt like.
• As Valerie gives examples of every day family and relational stress, she remarks on her training that “With all of this work, it’s helped me show up more true to myself, while allowing the people around me to be more true to themselves and have their life as much as I’m owning my life. Together we’re able to come up with more creative solutions.” It doesn’t always work, but when it does, it’s so cool!

A fulfilling side hustle and hobby for Valerie is face painting.

• A totally different hobby Valerie has is that she is a face painter. A need came up at a block party, and she really enjoyed it. It was such a great feeling that she pursued it further. She uses non-toxic professional paint meant for skin, and face painting has turned it into a really fun side hustle, energizing other areas of her life, helping her to be well-rounded. In a comparable exercise, she has clients write down their top 5 values, along with their actions, and match them to one another. This helps people realize they need to honor their actions with their values. For Valerie, face painting is part of that process, nurturing her whole self. Also, she loves lattes and regularly enjoys making a cafe au lait every morning. Other personal hobbies include collecting unicorns – who might someday magically learn to do the dishes.
• If Valerie could trade places with another Andersonville business for a day it would be Hamburger Mary’s, because they have so much fun. She loves the dresses, the music, and the singing (she’s all about karaoke.) Being a server would be great! Valerie’s go-to karaoke song is “It’s My Life,” by Bon Jovi. 

  Find Valerie Friedlander Coaching on the follow platforms:
  Online: www.valeriefriedlander.com
  Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheUnlimitedMom
  LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/valerie-friedlander-cpc-eli-mp-7a13463/
  Twitter: www.twitter.com/theunlimitedmom