LocalShops1 Best in Biz Awards
Presented by C1 Bank
5-8 pm Thursday Aug. 6, 2015
Fine Arts Museum, 255 Beach Drive NE, St. Petersburg
Info: events@localshops1.com or 727.637.5586
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Aug 3, 2015
ST PETERSBURG, Fla. – Fulfill Your Destiny is proud to announce that they are one of 41 local businesses and non-profit organizations in the running for LocalShops1’s annual Best in Biz awards. The finalists were selected from hundreds of businesses and non-profits nominated by local shoppers and business owners.
Fulfill Your Destiny congratulates all 41 finalists in the five categories and is honored to be one among them. Fulfill Your Destiny is thrilled to be a finalist in the Best Non-Profit category.
Finalists and winners will be honored on Aug. 6, 2015, during a cocktail reception and awards ceremony at the Museum of Fine Arts in downtown St. Petersburg. There will be two winners per category: judges vote, selected by an independent panel of journalists; and the people’s choice, selected through an online poll at LocalShops1.com/Awards.
The evening’s keynote speaker is St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman, who took office in January 2014 and literally hit the road running with his Small Business Tour to follow through on his campaign pledges to help cut the red tape and make St. Petersburg a friendlier place for small businesses.
The show’s emcee is 10 News award-winning journalist Noah Pransky. He joined 10 News in 2009 and has since won several awards for news and sports reporting, including national recognition in 2013 for exposing safety issues on youth soccer fields and in 2014 for exposing red light camera abuses.
THE FINALISTS!
BEST ESTABLISHED BUSINESS
Bella Babies
Big Sea Design & Development
Grand Kitchen And Bath
Jessi’s Restaurant
Rick’s Home Theatre Store
Rubin Health Center
The Peaceful Warrior Massage
BEST NEW BUSINESS
Big T Printing
Central Oddities
Enigma
Johanna Turner, Chiropractor
La V
Locale Market
Mangia Gourmet
Out of the Weeds
Roadside Attraction
St. PetersBARK
BEST AT GRASSROOTS MARKETING
Degrees of Success
Pipo’s Cuban Cafe
Richter Publishing
Stash, a Place for Yarn
The Fashion Movement
Michele Tuegel Contemporary
MOST COMMUNITY-MINDED
Backyard Getaway
Cerulean Blu
Fresh Threads
Gallerie 909
Gold & Diamond Source
Gulfport Area Chamber of Commerce
Smokin’ J’s BBQ
Time Systems
BEST NON-PROFIT
Birds of Paradise
CASA – Community Action Stops Abuse
Creative Clay
ERA
Fulfill Your Destiny
Grand Central District Association
Limbo Chihuahuas
Paws for Friendship
The Kind Mouse Productions
Toastmasters District 48
The event is open to the public. For tickets, go to LocalShops1.com/Events
LocalShops1’s Best in Biz: Small Business Awards is presented by C1 Bank with the support of photography sponsor Moorman Photographics.
CONTACT INFORMATION
For media inquiries about Fulfill Your Destiny, please contact Karen Mertes at karen@fulfillyourdestiny.org or karen.mertes@yahoo.com or 813.481.9895.
For media inquiries about the Best in Biz Awards, please contact Ester Venouziou at ester@localshops1.com or 727.637.5586.
ABOUT FULFILL YOUR DESTINY
Tampa-based Fulfill Your Destiny was founded in 2010 as a 501c3 non-profit, but the mission began February 7, 2007 when its founder, Karen Mertes, a lieutenant colonel with the Air Force, was struck by a drunk driver along Interstate 75. Karen turned a life altering tragedy into a life purpose with her organization, Fulfill Your Destiny. As Karen’s life hung in the balance, she promised that if she were fortunate to live, she’d spend the rest of her life helping others. Fulfill Your Destiny’s mission is to financially help people in the greater Tampa Bay community whose careers have been altered by injury or other unforeseen circumstances. Special consideration is given to survivors living with a traumatic brain injury.
Founder Karen Mertes uses an entrepreneurial business model that she’s overlaid onto a non-profit organization, raising money for Fulfill Your Destiny in 11 ways, five of which involve her offering a professional service or product for donation. Karen’s philosophy is that we’re able to assist more people, have more meaningful, deeper connections and a farther reaching impact in positively impacting people’s lives by working together. Karen tells other non-profits not to view Fulfill Your Destiny as a competitor for precious fundraising dollars but as an asset and partner. We’ve heard the acronym for TEAM – Together Each Accomplishes More. Fulfill Your Destiny inspires us to work together for the greatest good. Fulfill Your Destiny is dedicated to enriching the lives of others by bringing business and community together.
ABOUT LOCALSHOPS1
LocalShops1 is a coalition of hundreds of independently owned businesses and tens of thousands of energetic shoppers with the mission of advocating, promoting and offering support services to companies throughout Tampa Bay. Founded in August 2008, LocalShops1 is the region’s most active voice for small businesses.
ABOUT THE BEST IN BIZ AWARDS
LocalShops1 celebrates its birthday by honoring the small businesses and non-profit organizations that make Tampa Bay such a great place. After an open online nomination period, businesses are pared down to a list of finalists in five categories: Best New Business, Best Established Business, Best at Grassroots Marketing, Most Community-Minded, and Best Non-Profit. Winners are selected through an online poll and by a panel of judges.
