Tammy Johnson of High Spirits Hospitality Talks Entrepreneurship With Wendy Lynam

Wendy sits down to chat with entrepreneur Tammy Johnson, CEO of High Spirits Hospitality, about her success as an entrepreneur and her latest business venture here in Greenville.

Who is Tammy Johnson?

Like many here in Greenville, Johnson is a transplant coming all the way from Houston, TX. Back in 2005 while working in Charleston, an old co-worker convinced Johnson to come check Greenville out for herself. “I drove down Main St. on a Friday night, a Friday right before Christmas,” said Johnson. “Drove into town and drove down Main St. and I saw the lights and I just feel in love with this town.”

Since opening her first business here in Greenville back in January 2011, Liquid Catering, Johnson has transformed into quite the successful serial entrepreneur, adding three other local businesses to her repertoire.

Johnson acquired Old Cigar Warehouse back in 2013 after having her own wedding reception there. This event venue is located in the West End and holds over 150 events a year. Venturing into this new sector, Johnson understood that security was an absolute. After having fired three security companies, she decided to simply start her own.

In late 2014, Johnson partnered with a friend who had recently retired from the Greenville Police Department and they started Bravo1 Protection. This private security company provides both armed and unarmed security guards to protect people, places and assets.

“I love how you see a need and then you fill it and then, you expand and again, you see another need and you expand,” I praised. “That’s entrepreneurship,” replied Johnson. Johnson is a great example of someone who isn’t afraid to take leaps and make things happen. We can’t wait to see what this entrepreneur ventures into next!

Topside Pool Club

Did you know their was a rooftop pool right in Downtown Greenville? Well now you do! Topside Pool Club opened in July 2017 and is located right above Jianna restaurant on South Main St. Although it is primarily an adult social club, they do have sanctioned swim times for kids; making them, as Johnson would say, “an urban country club environment.” For a monthly fee starting at $60, members can enjoy all-day pool access on the weekends, happy hours Thursday – Friday starting at 3:00 p.m., a swim-up bar and access to numerous member events like The Bachelorette finale viewing party.

To join, you can go to topsidepoolclub.com/membership to fill out a membership application. Once you apply, they’ll check out your background (confirm you’re no creeper ), pass it along to the membership committee to approve, have you sign a membership agreement then BAM, you’re all set!

Mentioned in Video:

Topside Pool Club

Jianna

Lululemon

Swamp Rabbit Inn

Liquid Catering

Old Cigar Warehouse

Bravo1 Protection

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Best Bike-friendly Bars Around the U.S.

One thing we know for certain when it comes to cyclists is that they love two things: coffee and beer. Whether you’re traveling over the holidays or planning for a trip into the new year, our list of the best bike-friendly bars across the country will come in handy when building your “must-see/must-do” lists.

“The community feel at bike-friendly bars is great,” says Trek Travel guide, Marquette Edwards. “Cyclists love a cold brew at the end of a ride, so it’s nice to find a place where you can go to - decked out in your kit and all - and enjoy the company of other cyclists.”

Bike Dog Brewing // West Sacramento, CA

When you hear about four friends creating their own brewery from their shared passions of dogs, beers and bikes, what automatically comes to mind? For us, brilliant! Located in Sacramento - with two taproom locations - this neighborhood watering hole is a great spot for cycling enthusiasts and local dog owners alike looking to kick back with a cold craft beer. Both locations feature 18 taps - pulls made from colorful rubber bike handles - along with food options ranging from on-site food trucks to a full-service menu.

GESTALT HAUS // Fairfax, CA

Outside Magazine didn’t name it the second best place in the world to have a beer and brat after a ride for nothing. If the giant gear on the sign outside doesn’t scream “bike-friendly place” the bikes aligning the walls inside will. Ride your bike right inside, store it up on the wall then chat with fellow cyclists about your ride over a beer and brat.

Birds Fly South // Greenville, SC

The Swamp Rabbit Trail in Greenville is a must ride for any cyclist, local and tourist alike. The popular 20+ mile paved trail runs between Greenville and Traveler’s Rest, and offers many alluring stops like Birds Fly South. Slightly off the trail sits this local brewery known for its range of inventive and traditional styles. Enjoy indoor/outdoor seating, live music, special events like movie Sundays and food options from either on-site food trucks or next door at White Duck Taco Shop. Also, a new extension is in the works that will connect the brewery directly to the trail, making it convenient for pedestrians and cyclists to get to and from it.

Caboose Brewing Company // Vienna, NE

After a 45+ mile ride on The Washington & Old Dominion Trail, a cold pint or two sounds just about right, doesn’t it? Luckily, Caboose Brewing Company is conveniently located right on the trail. Not only does Caboose offer an array of beers to choose from, they also serve wine, cider and locally sourced small plates. Caboose strongly encourages healthy living which was a major reason for why they choose to be situated along the W&OD Trail; to encourage folks to walk, run or bike for a beer. They even host running and biking groups as well as yoga classes on Wednesday mornings.

Over the Bar Bicycle Café // Pittsburgh, PA

Don’t be fooled by the cafe part at the end. This cafe isn’t serving up only coffee. Situated a short distance from the Southside Trail and the Great Allegheny Passage, cyclists flock to Over the Bar Bicycle Cafe for coffee AND tasty taps. If the name hasn’t convinced you that this place is about all things bikes then the stunning ceilings decked in bike art, the bike-themed menus and constantly packed bike racks most certainly will.

Flickr: Joe Flood

The New Belgium Brewery // Fort Collins, CO

It all began in 1988 with a man and his bike. After traveling through Europe on two fat tires, Jeff Lebesch, New Belgium Brewing Company founder, returned to Fort Collins inspired and ready to brew. The name of one of those first brews: Fat Tire. New Belgium Brewery’s core values have included bicycle advocacy, literally, from the very beginning. Don’t take our word for it though. They’ve been recognized as a platinum-level Bicycle Friendly Business by The League of American Bicyclists. So ride on over to this cycling-loving business for free taproom tours, various food trucks, live music, quality beer and of course a good ole time at a bike-friendly venue.

If you’ve come across any bike-friendly bars during your travels, we’d love to hear about them in the comments section below. Be sure to check out our previous post on cyclingbnbs.com for a list of the best bike-friendly cafes around the country!

Wendy Chats With Table 301's Kim Eades on Her Greenville Story

Last March, Wendy chatted with Kim Eades, Table 301’s director of sales and community outreach, about her own Greenville beginnings and her favorite things about Greenville. Check out their conversation in the video above and links to places mentioned are included below. Enjoy!

Kim’s Greenville Story

Like many Greenville transplants, Eades was introduced to Greenville by a friend. About 16 years ago, Eades was living in Atlanta after completing a three month backpacking trip through Europe on her own. She reconnected with an old friend who had recently transferred to Greenville and told her she should check it out. “So I came up, it was April, everything was in bloom, live music everywhere … like, love at first sight,” said Eades. “Loved the city.”

After living in Florida for a few months, recovering from a health scare and finding a great career opportunity, Eades finally made the move. 16 years later, Eades is married to the very friend who convinced her to move here, has two wonderful kids and loves the city she lives in.

When asked what her favorite thing about Greenville is, Eades said she loved how philanthropic and community oriented Greenville is. Eades began her community involvement through the Greenville Chamber of Commerce programs: Opportunity Greenville and Leadership Greenville. “You learn about the city, you learn about government, you learn about all the different organizations here … it’s kind of a learning process of Greenville; the good and the bad,” said Eades about the programs.

Along with being an involved member of the community and the Table 301 restaurant group, Eades has a weekly column in The Greenville News. Check out Simply Kiki every Wednesday in the Lifestyle section for some yummy recipes!

To all you Greenville residents: what’s your Greenville story? We’d love to hear it! Share with us in the comments section below.

Mentioned in Video

Soby’s

Table 301

Lazy Goat

Jianna

Passerelle

Nose Dive

Papi’s Tacos

Southern Pressed Juicery

Table 301 Catering and Kitchen

Treehugger Customs

Revel

Saskatoon Steakhouse

Hampton Station

Zen

Leadership Greenville

Greenville Chamber of Commerce

Opportunity Greenville

Swamp Rabbit Trail

Greenville Saturday Market

euphoria

The Greenville News

Simply Kiki

Swamp Rabbit Inn

Local Guidebook and App for Cycling in Greenville

GREENVILLE’S CYCLING CULTURE

The fast-growing city of Greenville, SC - situated between Atlanta and Charolette - has garnered worldwide attention for it’s cycling culture. Over the years, the city has focused its efforts on transforming its downtown into one both locals and tourists alike would flock to. With the addition of the 20+ mile Swamp Rabbit Trail, the superb culinary scene, local breweries aplenty and art galleries to die for, what cyclist could resist coming for a visit.

As glistening as Greenville is, the city alone can’t take full credit for creating the cycling culture it represents today. Cycling superstar George Hincapie played a major part when he decided to make Greenville his home and training ground in 1999. “I have cycled all around the globe, and Greenville reminds me most of the cycling in California, Spain and Italy,” wrote Hincapie in the forward for Cycling Greenville SC. “The abundance of 4-6 miles climbs, rolling hills and Blue Ridge Mountains are reminiscent of what is found in Tuscany and near my former home in Girona (Spain).” Since then, Hincapie has opened a cycling hotel, started an annual gran fondo, created a high-end sportswear line and coaches his developmental team, all here in … you guessed it: Greenville, SC.

So assuming we’ve convinced you to come to Greenville for a grand cycling adventure (let’s not kid ourselves, we both know you’ve already booked your flight) we recommend purchasing a copy of Cycling Greenville SC: Road Biking, Mountain Biking, Swamp Rabbit Trail, Bike Touring to guide you through some of the best cycling in the country.

CYCLING GREENVILLE SC BOOK

Written by our very own Wendy Lynam and forward provided by Hincapie himself, Cycling Greenville SC will guide you through the best bike rides in and around the city. This guidebook has something for everyone whether you’re looking for rolling hills, steep climbs, flat bike paths or mountain bike tracks. BONUS! Sift through pages on pages of advice and recommendations from leaders of the Greenville community. You want a local’s perspective? This book is just that!

What started off as a list of recommended bike rides for Lynam’s guests at The Swamp Rabbit Inn turned into a guidebook for everyone. Enjoy exploring Greenville on two wheels!

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CYCLING GREENVILLE APP

Do you wish you could take Cycling Greenville SC along on your rides? Now you can with the app version! With the Cycling Greenville app - developed by Swamp Rabbit Inn & Properties - you have the guidebook at your fingertips at all times. Pull up the 20+ trails and routes while on the go with turn by turn directions through the Ride With GPS app. Descriptions, ratings and estimated riding times accompany each. If you need a last minute bike rental, just open the app to book a bike from The Bike Shed At The Swamp Rabbit Inn.

The Cycling Greenville app also lists spots worth stopping at like on the Swamp Rabbit Trail. From the Swamp Rabbit Cafe & Grocery for coffee to Furman University’s idyllic campus to the Swamp Rabbit Brewery in Travelers Rest for a refreshing brew. If you’re headed here for a cycling adventure you might as well stay at the best cycling-friendly hotels which you can also find through the app. All Swamp Rabbit Inn properties are walking distance to downtown and situated on the Swamp Rabbit Trail.

PURCHASE LINKS

Book:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Books-A-Million

IndieBound

App:

Apple App Store

Google Play

Triathlon Training Coach Marni Sumbal of Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition

When it comes to triathlon training there is no one better in our opinion that Marni Sumbal with Trimarni Coaching!  We love hosting her triathlon training camps at our Swamp Rabbit Lodge and her athletes at our Swamp Rabbit Inn TR as they come to train one on one with Marni and her husband Karel in Travelers Rest and Greenville County.

Marni just released her new book, Essential Sports Nutrition, available on Amazon.  Check it out!

Sumbal's Triathlon Experience

Sumbal began as a swimmer; starting out late at age 11 then continuing all the way through college. After missing training for an event when she went to grad school, someone recommended that she run a marathon. Sumbal found the experience to be incredibly enjoyable and the challenge of such an endurance event to be motivating. Sumbal continued on to triathlons which then lead to her first Ironman in 2006. "It was the Ironman Florida," says Sumbal. "The distances for anybody who doesn't know is a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike and then you run a marathon at the end."

Sumbal is now an 11x Ironman triathlon finisher and 4x Ironman World Championship finisher. She holds a 10:06 Ironman PR. Her husband Karel is a category 1 cyclist turned 7x Ironman finisher, with 2 Ironman World Championship finishes and an Ironman PR of 9:13.

Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition

Taking her masters in exercise physiology, degree in dietetics and experience coaching athletes, Sumbal turned her passion into a career. Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition helps athletes reach performance goals without compromising health through effective coaching and nutrition strategies. They offer a variety of services:

Nutrition Services

Training Plans

Coaching

Retul Bike Fit

Speaking and Writing

Trimarni Camps

As the business continued to grow, Sumbal knew she needed more help. In came her husband Karel - a bike mechanic, retool bike fitter and Trek Bicycle Store GM - to help with the coaching side along with their assistant coach. "When we came here, there was so much that Greenville had to offer," says Sumbal. "We wanted to bring people here, so we said it was perfect for private and group training camps for triathletes and cyclists."

Mentioned in Video:

Travelers Rest

Swamp Rabbit Inn

Swamp Rabbit Trail

Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition

IRONMAN Florida

If you enjoyed this video please share it! Thanks for watching and subscribe to our weekly Facebook Live videos by pressing the Subscribe button in any of our live videos or videos that were live on our Swamp Rabbit Inn & Properties Facebook page.

Tips for Cycling Beginners

We’ve all got to start somewhere, right? Edison didn’t build the incandescent light bulb in a day nor did Greg LeMond become the first non-European to win the Tour de France overnight. They - along with everyone else in the world with a dream, passion or hobby - overcame obstacles or failed numerous times before achieving what they wanted to achieve.

Every cyclist out there - from career champions to joy riders - started out as a beginner; learning the ins and outs just like you’re about to do. Whatever your reason for getting into cycling is, we welcome you to the community and we want to help you get started. Check out our tips for cycling beginners that will help ease you into your new cycling lifestyle smoothly.

PICK THE RIGHT STYLE OF BIKE FOR YOU

First things first: what type of riding do you want to be doing? Before you go purchase a new bike and all the goods that come with it, determine which bike will best suit your cycling lifestyle:

Road Bike: light-weight bikes meant for speed along paved surfaces. Ideal riding for recreation and fitness.

Mountain Bike: heavy bikes meant to be ridden off-road for more adventurous riding on varied terrain. These are what you want if you’re looking to climb steep terrain or ride along rugged trails.

Touring Bike: stable bikes meant to travel long distances and carry heavy loads. Great if you’re planning to carry packs of extra clothing or gear.

Hybrid Bike: light-weight bikes made of combined characteristics from road, touring and mountain bikes meant for short distances. Perfect for commuting to work, exploring your city or taking a leisurely ride.

Cyclocross Bike: relatively light-weight bikes meant to handle a variety of surface types such as pavement, dirt, gravel, and grass. A perfect fit for riding at performance and competition levels.

Commuter Bike: sturdy bikes made for urban environments. As in the name, these bikes are ideal for everyday commuters.

Cruiser Bike: comfortable bikes with old-fashioned looks seen cruising around beaches and other flat terrains. If you’re looking to take a cruise on a stylish ride, this one’s for you.

Electric-Assist Bike: these heavier bikes feature battery-powered motors that help make commutes, long distances and steep climbs a tad easier. A really nice option for beginners.

MAKE SAFETY A PRIORITY

We can’t express this enough: stay safe. Whether you’re sharing the roads with automobiles or biking on rugged terrain, you must make your safety a priority. When it comes to riding on the road, it’s all about being seen. Wearing bright clothing or gear (helmets, shoes, gloves, etc.) is recommended and equipping your bike with bike light is a definite.

This could probably go unsaid, but we’re going to say it anyways: wear a helmet! If protecting your head and brain aren’t reasons enough, then it’s just another way for you to be seen. Also, know your verbal and nonverbal signals. Nonverbal cues such as stopping, turning left and turning right are crucial to know so motorists can react accordingly. Being able to communicate those same cues verbally whether you’re riding amongst one cyclist or twenty will help prevent collisions from occurring.

KNOW YOUR STATE’S BIKE LAWS

For drivers, it’s all about knowing the rules of the road to survive. Same goes for cyclists and if you didn’t know, those rules vary by state. These laws cover everything from it being mandatory to ride in a bike lane if it’s provided to if no bike lane, which side of the lane to ride closest to to the number of cyclists allowed to ride side-by-side.

It’s also good to know the bike laws in place for motorists. Be sure to know the distance a vehicle should keep from you and also know that it’s not okay for a driver to yell at or harass you. Not only is that just plain rude, it’s literally against the law.

FIND A RIDING BUDDY OR GROUP

As they say, there’s safety in numbers. Not only is riding with another good for the company, but also in case of an emergency. If you crash or need a hand with bike maintenance, having someone there to lend their assistance can go a long way.

It can also be incredibly motivating riding with a friend or with a group. You’ll have people there to help push you to reach your goals and hold you accountable for sticking with your scheduled ride times.

PREP BEFORE YOU RIDE OUT

You never know what might happen or where you’ll end up out on your ride, so make sure you’re prepared. Always bring money, a form of I.D. and your phone. Most cycling jerseys have pockets built-in for this purpose. If you require more space, there are various bike bags or pouches you can purchase that attach to certain areas on your bike.

Again, welcome to the community! We’re happy to have you with us and hope you enjoy cycling as much as we do. If you have any tips for cycling beginners, share in the comments section below.