.png)
​​​​​​THANK YOU to Occasion for being a sponsor of Navigating The Middle!
.png)
A special thank you to Occasion for partnering with us on this retreat. For studio owners juggling endless scheduling details, Occasion's platform simplifies party and event bookings, creating the kind of organizational breathing room that lets you focus on growth and strategy—exactly what this retreat is all about.
Another big thank you to Kelly Jesson, Jesson Raines Law, for her sponsorship of the retreat!
​​​RETREAT SPEAKERS​​​
​​​Monday, September 14​
​​​Tuesday, September 15​
%20(1).png)
​Dr. Michelle Schmerge, President and Founder, Equity Health
The Second Half Strategy: Health & Wellness for Women Building Legacies
​​​​​
Dr. Michelle Schmerge founded Equity Health to provide patients access to high-quality care, anywhere.
​
After spending over a decade as a front-line nurse practitioner in post-acute care, she knows what truly drives clinical outcomes and patient-centered solutions: placing the patient at the center of the healthcare experience and promoting value for each person. Beyond clinical quality, Dr. Schmerge provides vision, promotes innovation, and creates a positive working environment, because exceptional patient care starts with a culture of wellness and resilience for clinicians.
​
Equity Health bridges the gaps in a fragmented healthcare system by providing accessible primary care, care navigation, and advance care planning in one place. This integrated approach has transformed healthcare delivery, reducing hospitalizations and ER visits while increasing satisfaction for both patients and staff.
MOLLY GRANTHAM
Bet On Yourself: Look Forward, Take Initiative, Lead Confidently
4x-Emmy winner. 3x-author. National speaker. Charity auctioneer. Proud mom.
Molly Grantham has been named “TV News Reporter of the Year” and juggles life with humor and poise, bringing clever wit to diverse crowds. She delivers hundreds of keynotes and has interviewed over 15,000 people in her 25-years of television news.
Molly left her journalism career when at the top of her game—the #1-rated anchor in a top 20 American media market, doing 20 live shows a week—to reinvent and motivate audiences across the country to “Bet On Yourself.”
She is adept at speaking live to 100,000 people a night, sitting beside Hollywood celebrities, NFL stars, and throughout her career worked at ABC, NBC, and CBS affiliates. She appeared on CNN, Today Show, CBS News, the CBS Morning Show, and in Huffington Post and People Magazine. Her social media is its own channel, with more than 200,000 combined followers. In late 2024, she founded the “Bet On Yourself Summit,” a soul-filling experience to help women uncover power in themselves. It made history as the first women’s event inside the Carolina Panthers NFL stadium.
Molly is also a trained and active charity auctioneer, bringing non-profits around the country to earn record-breaking amounts.
Her three books are a popular series described as “raw and relatable” about not losing yourself while loving your career and raising children. She and her husband, Wes, have three children under the age of 14.
In her next life, Molly says she wants to be a mermaid.
More on Molly in her video here.
MICHELE NIDIFFER, The Visibility Stylist
The Visibility Breakthrough Workshop
Mary Michele Nidiffer — The Visibility Stylist™ — is a Master Style & Confidence Coach and the creator of the StyleFinder ID® System. She helps women reclaim their presence by aligning identity, voice, and personal style so they stop shrinking and go from invisible to unforgettable.
A sought-after speaker, author, and podcast host, Mary Michele is the founder of The Art of Becoming Visible, her signature framework for women ready to be seen without performing, pleasing, or apologizing. Her work transforms more than wardrobes - it reshapes how women see themselves and how the world responds to them.
Her message is simple and powerful: You’re not invisible. You’re unexpressed. And it’s not too late - this is your time to shine.
​MARA WHITENER, WHITENER PROFESSINAL SERVICES
Built to Last or Built on You? Your Studio Systems Reality Check and Thursday's bonus workshopping session: The Build-Out Workshop: Your Systems Implementation Plan
​​​​​​
Mara Whitener is a trusted advisor to growth-stage founders navigating the complexity of scaling past $600K–$1M+. With over two decades of experience building and operating successful service-based companies, she helps CEOs reclaim control by tightening strategy, aligning leadership, and stabilizing internal operations for long-term, sustainable growth.
​
Her specialty lies in solving what others overlook: the internal bottlenecks that silently erode momentum: misaligned teams, broken systems, scattered priorities, and founder over-functioning. More often than not, Mara spots the bottlenecks breaking growth that Founders can’t spot on their own. She brings a rare combination of strategic insight and operational rigor, delivering hands-on partnership that moves businesses from reactive to reliable.
​
Clients turn to Mara when their business has outgrown its foundation—and their success is creating more friction than freedom. She’s not here to offer advice from the sidelines. She’s a Strategic Growth Partner who works inside your business to implement the structure, leadership clarity, and operating rhythm that drive scale without burnout.
Her approach is sharp, efficient, and always customized. No fluff. No filler. Just the infrastructure, insight, and execution support your business actually needs to grow with confidence.
​
Outside of business, Mara is a lifelong advocate and community leader, with five Congressional Awards for leadership impact. She’s also a foster pet parent and behind-the-scenes introvert who finds joy in turning big visions into clean, scalable systems.
Wednesday, September 16​
Yajaira Tiscareño, MBA, Owner, Titans Consulting
Your Studio's Real Worth: Understanding Business Valuation
Yajaira grew up in California and has made North Carolina her home since 2010. She received her Undergraduate degree from the University of California Riverside and graduated with her Master’s degree in Business Administration from Lenoir-Rhyne University.
At Titans Tax & Consulting Services, Yajaira, fluent in Spanish and English. combines her love of numbers and helping others. She started in Consulting in 2011 and quickly realized how much businesses – especially startups – needed bookkeeping and business tax services. She works closely with each business, creating a plan specifically tailored to their needs.
“It makes me happy to see our client’s stress level drop after they turn over their books to us. It’s like they were waiting for someone to take that weight off their shoulders.”
Kelly Jesson, Small Business Attorney and Estate Planning
​
Kelly focuses on estate planning, probate administration, and business law. She is a seasoned litigator and has tried numerous cases.
Kelly was named to the North Carolina Rising Stars list by Super Lawyers for Estate Planning every year from 2018-2022, and was named a Super Lawyer in the Estate Planning category for 2024. The Super Lawyer recognition is reserved for the top 5% of practicing attorneys who are over 40 and have been practicing for more than 10 years. She was also named to Business North Carolina Legal Elite for Tax/Estate Planning category every year from 2019-2024. Less than three percent of all practicing attorneys in the state were selected as Legal Elite. In May of 2023, The Charlotte Chapter of NAWBO, National Association of Women Business Owners, named Kelly Woman Business Owner of the Year. This award is presented to a member who has demonstrated strong leadership skills in growing and managing a successful business that is more than five years old.
Prior to joining Jesson & Rains, PLLC, she represented local governments and businesses in matters ranging from personal injury suits in state court to discrimination, police liability, and other constitutional law claims in federal court. Kelly served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Angel A. Cortiñas of the Florida Third District Court of Appeal in Miami.
​
In law school, Kelly was very involved with professional ethics and public service programs. She was the recipient of a position in the highly competitive Department of Justice Honors Intern Program, where she worked in the Professional Responsibility Advisory Office.
Kelly volunteers through the NCBA's "Wills for Heroes" program, drafting testamentary documents for firefighters and police officers, and accepts periodic pro bono cases through the Mecklenburg County Bar Association's pro bono program.
Kelly is originally from North Carolina and worked as a paralegal in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina for several years before entering law school. She is also a former dance teacher.
Nicole Malone, Chief Wealth Advisor, Solaris Strategic Wealth
Two Roads to Financial Freedom: Your Business + Your Life
Nicole’s gift lies in her ability to transform complex financial concepts into clear, actionable plans. She doesn’t just manage money; she nurtures dreams, helping clients build wealth in a way that aligns with their deepest values and aspirations.
For Nicole, true financial success means creating a life rich in both experiences and resources. At Solaris Strategic Wealth, Nicole has cultivated an approach that feels more like a heart-to-heart than a typical financial consultation. She works closely with clients to:
-
Craft financial strategies that resonate with their unique life stories
-
Find that sweet spot between savoring life today and securing tomorrow
-
Build genuine confidence in their financial choices
-
Discover the joy in managing wealth, replacing stress with excitement
​
Drawing from a wealth of experience and heartwarming client success stories, Nicole offers practical advice wrapped in genuine care. She doesn’t just inform; she inspires, motivating clients to take those first exciting steps towards their financial dreams.
​
Whether you’re just starting your financial journey or managing generational wealth, Nicole meets you where you are with open arms and fresh perspectives. She works with individuals and couples alike, understanding that each financial story is as unique as the person telling it.
​
Nicole’s approach to wealth services is deeply influenced by her vibrant personal life. As a devoted mother, she cherishes her involvement in her children’s worlds of musical theater and cheerleading. Her love for travel, especially cruising, infuses her financial strategies with a global outlook and a zest for life’s adventures.
​
When autumn rolls around, you might catch Nicole cheering enthusiastically for her beloved Huskers, bringing the same energy to football stands that she brings to her client meetings.
​
In Nicole’s world, financial planning isn’t just about numbers – it’s about crafting a life story you love. She doesn’t just talk about financial freedom; she walks alongside you on the path to address it, ensuring your financial future is as bright and fulfilling as you’ve always imagined.​
​Jamie McGarity, Client Experience and Business Development, Solaris Strategic Wealth
​
Meet Jamie McGarity, originally from New Jersey, spent much of her life in Florida and earned her BA in Resort and Hospitality Management from Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers, FL.
​
In 2007, Jamie relocated to Charlotte, NC, and soon after built her first home in Fort Mill, SC.
​
By 2010, Jamie embraced motherhood with the birth of her son, Ryan, and chose to stay home to raise him while starting her own portrait photography business. Her family grew with the arrival of her daughter, McKinley, in 2012. Juggling the roles of mother, wife, and entrepreneur, Jamie successfully developed her photography business to support her family.
​
As her children grew, so did Jamie’s desire to return to the professional world. Her professional network led her to Nicole Milone, a Financial Advisor at Solaris Strategic Wealth and a former photography client. Nicole recognized Jamie’s natural talent for building relationships and encouraged her to explore the financial industry.
​
In August 2017, Jamie joined Solaris Strategic Wealth as a Client Relationship Manager. Her background in hospitality, expertise in client experience, social and digital marketing skills, and talent for building lasting client relationships made her a natural fit for the Solaris Strategic Wealth family.
​
In 2024, Jamie took on the role of Business Development and Client Experience at Solaris, where her mission is clear: to ensure every client feels valued and cared for. With a keen ability to listen and adapt, she makes every interaction memorable.
​
From photographing precious moments to nurturing client relationships, Jamie’s journey is a testament to the power of passion, adaptability, and a relentless drive to succeed.
​
-
Jamie’s Life Motto: “Be where you are.”
-
Jamie’s Favorite Pastime: Sipping a latte at a cozy coffee shop.
Alex Owings, Head of Social Media, Notoire Media House
​Coming soon!
Hillary Moulliet, The Creative Retailer
Your Best Marketing Assets Are Already in Your Life
Hillary was raised in New Hampshire by parents who owned several small businesses. (Their ski shop was her favorite; it was their greatest accomplishment, running it for over 20 years. Sidenote: the winter coat displays were the perfect hiding spot for Hillary and her sister and their fierce hide-and-seek games.) Growing up in small-town New England in the 70's and 80's there were no big box stores; neighbors and friends ran businesses. She truly only knew small business as a way of life.
​
Her first studio, Pottery Works, opened in Jacksonville, Florida in 1997, after a honeymoon in Canada and the discovery of a small, slope-side studio. She sold Pottery Works five years later when a move with her Navy husband took them around the US for a bit. She was painting custom handprint pieces and started consulting with new studios (her first was a great shop in Ocean Springs, MS). The couple eventually landed in Charlotte, NC where Hillary opened her second studio, Art Space Studio. She sold Art Space Studio in late 2019, after running it for over twelve years.
​
The Creative Retailer represents:
1 - Over 25 years in the pottery painting industry as a business owner, teacher, speaker and leader
2 - Love of graphic design, creativity, innovation and learning
3 - Passion for small business - because literally, that's been her life
​
These three, as represented by TCR's logo, create the Sweet Spot that is The Creative Retailer.
Thursday, September 17​
Randy Mitchell, Senior Advisor, VR Business Sales
​
Achieving the American Dream: Bringing buyers and sellers together in business transactions.
It's not just business, it's personal: You want someone working for you who is accomplished at executing the business transaction flawlessly. Who can strongly represent you in the negotiations, who has the mind for attending to the details, and who is backed up by a team of transaction experts with years of experience.
But when it comes to buying or selling a business or property, you also need an empathetic partner who will take the time to listen to you and understand what is important to YOU. After all, the business is your lifeblood and your source of financial strength.
Sure, it's "only" a business transaction. But it's also so much more than that.
• Business: Certified Business Intermediary with IBBA.
• Real Estate: licensed in NC and SC.
• Past President of local Chamber of Commerce.
• Named 'Business Person of the Year' in 2018 by Matthews Chamber of Commerce.
• Volunteer leader in area non-profits.
• Facilitator of small groups and teams to help them get things done!
• Eagle Scout (and father of one too!)