Jump into June! Happy Father's Day & Things to Do Along the Coast this Summer! Meet Sofia!
- Charlsie Pecoraro
- Jun 10
- 8 min read
Updated: Jun 11
On Sunday, June 15th we honor fathers in the United States. I hit the jackpot having my dad in my life. Our bond began shortly after I was born in a small hospital in Mississippi. I had a rough start and it was questionable if I was going to survive. Within 24 hours the decision was made to transfer me to a children's hospital in Jackson. No one wanted to hold a dying baby for the ambulance trip, that is except for my daddy. This former Iwo Jima marine said, "Give me my baby". He held me close and the power of his love for me kept me alive. After a few days in the hospital I was stable enough to go home, in the arms of my dad. My older sister, Mary, told me that Dad was very protective of me and I will concur that this continued until he passed away when I was only 19. He was fully invested in me and told me many times that I could be, have, and do anything I wanted to do in this life. I am grateful that I had 19 years with such a wonderful human being. Happy Father's Day, Daddy, and all the dads out there. Have a wonderful weekend.
Summer Happenings Along the Coast
On June 20th Summer begins and there are so many fun festivals, events, and outdoor activities to enjoy along the coast. Get your calendars out and make some notes!
Time is running out to see the Gulf Coast Chinese Lantern Festival at Belligrath Home and Gardens. This event wraps up on June 15th so the time is NOW to view this spectacular lighting show.
Click here for ticket information. Open Thursday - Sunday, 5PM - 10PM. Buy your tickets online for a savings!
Mobile has some incredible rooftop and patio dining options. RedBar Espresso is a fun-filled patio option for couples and families to unwind after a long day. Ping pong tables and firepits are just a few of the amenitites at this Old Shell Road location. There is a wonderful menu and tasty cocktails available seven days a week.
Some other interesting patio options include Callaghan's Irish Social Club, Grace on Dauphin (rooftop), Squid Ink & Drinks on Dauphin and Ameci in West Mobile. There is something for everyone!
Get out early on Saturday morning to enjoy the Central Midtown Earth & Art Market. Located at 1260 Dauphin Street in Mobile, Alabama.
Join Mobile Museum of Art for an afternoon of local shopping, live music, food trucks, art activities, and free admission to the Museum. Vendors will be offering a variety of handmade items, such as jewelry, pottery, self-care products, and more. Enjoy live, local music, and tasty treats will be available from a variety of food trucks. During the Open House, the whole family can gather in our Education Wing to create an art project together. The Museum will also have galleries full of masterworks by renowned artists in special exhibitions, including JUAN LOGAN: Without Stopping, Vuzumazulu: The Black Solarium — An Abantu Cultural Expose by Abaddon “Apollo” Ben Yakongo, CRYPTIC UNDER WING: Glass and Mixed Media by Rachel Wright, and Fantastical Forest.
Admission to the Museum will be free all day in addition to the afternoon activities.
Friday, June 13th is the monthly LODA Artwalk downtown starting at 6PM.
Saturday, June 28th - Market in the Park, Cathedral Square, Mobile
Blue Angels practice days in June: 10, 11, 17,18, 24, 25 in Pensacola
Boss Partners on the Move!
Lisa Harkey, founder of AlaCoast Insurance Agency has expanded her team of insurance professionals. Brandy Byrd Fitzgerald joined the staff recently. She is an experienced and licensed insurance agent. Brandy is handling everything from auto to home owners to business coverage. Email her at brandy@alacoastinsurance.com.
Customer service is what Lisa built her company upon and having representatives in place to serve her clients is important. Morgan Williamson joined the team several weeks ago and is excited about learning about the insurance industry. This Customer Service Representative aspires to become a licensed agent in the near future.
Congratulations Lisa for the tremendous new growth in your company. Remember her motto, "AlaCoast insures everything under the sun"!
Jessica Zoltek, founder of Zoltek Healthcare Services is excited to welcome her husband, Mike Zoltek to the company. Mike is taking on the role of office manager and is also a licensed insurance agent. He will specialize in Major Medical coverage for those under the age of 65.
Zoltek Healthcare Services is on the move and will be relocating to 885 Hillcrest Road this month The new office will be open for business on July 1st with staff on location Monday thru Friday, 9am - 5PM. Congratulations on this rapid growth of the company!
Meanwhile the Government Blvd. location will remain open through the end of June. Jessica can be reached by calling 251-751-5434. She is your medicare supplemental insurance expert.
Richard Lindsey's"Real World" Business Strategy Note Running a Business From Home: 3 Things That Are Hurting Your Growth
“Working from home is not a luxury, it’s the future of work.” – Alison Green
As you’ve probably figured out, the freedom of running a business from home isn’t frictionless.
Yes, you get perks like flexibility and lower overhead. But behind the scenes, it can look like constantly chasing down team members, struggling to keep productivity up, or having client relationships that feel “off.”
If that’s you, you’re not just dealing with minor hiccups. You’re bleeding efficiency, profit, and trust.
And the three specific struggles I’ll hit on today are what stall most remote businesses from growing. The good news? They’re fixable – with the right systems and structure in place, of course.
So, let’s look at how to turn those friction points into momentum builders – so your remote business can grow faster (and with way less chaos).
Struggle #1: Keeping a team culture.
One minute, everyone’s logging into video calls with pep in their step. The next? Your team is ghosting daily standups, productivity is tapering off, and you can feel the culture dissolving. That’s not a good feeling.
But don’t be discouraged – maintaining strong culture while running a business from home isn’t impossible. Your remote team CAN have a thriving culture – they just need a different kind of nurture.
So start by putting it in writing. Use a slide deck, a PDF, a Word doc – whatever works best for your team – and define:
1. How your business operates (decision-making, workflows, client communication norms)
2. What you value (transparency? autonomy? fast iteration?)
3. What success looks like (what does “great work” mean here?)
This is how your team knows what they’re part of and what they’re accountable for.
Then, build collaboration habits that stick: Daily asynchronous standups via Slack. Weekly video meetings. Monthly virtual hangs (bonus points for playing trivia).
And never belittle feedback. Because most remote employees don’t slack because they’re lazy – they go quiet because they feel invisible. And that disconnection tanks morale and increases turnover risk.
Recognition, praise, even a “just checking in” message are oxygen for a remote culture. I recommend setting up regular one-on-ones for status updates AND relationship building.
Struggle #2: Burnout.
Without the physical separation of travelling to an office building for work, the pressure to “be available” all the time quietly creeps in – and with that dynamic, burnout follows close behind.
And burnout isn’t just exhaustion – it’s a productivity killer, a retention risk, and a business liability.
So, you and your remote team need guardrails. Start with the calendar. Block time for deep work, meetings, admin tasks, AND personal time (including lunch, breaks, and big-picture goal-setting). Because if it’s not scheduled, it’ll get swallowed by the urgent-but-unimportant.
Then move your team toward output-driven performance. KPIs > hours clocked. Not every role will have easy-to-measure outputs, but your aim is to define expectations. Project completions, client satisfaction scores, sales conversions, turnaround times – defining what success looks like is key.
Platforms like ActivTrak or Hubstaff can be helpful to keep an eye on productivity. These tools can flag signs of burnout early – like skipped breaks, missed PTO, or a noticeable decline in focus time.
That’s your cue: check in.
Struggle #3: Building client trust.
When your business is remote, you don’t have lobby chairs or conference room coffee to smooth over service gaps. Client confidence has to be hard-earned in the digital sphere.
So what builds trust in a remote setting? Communication and consistency.
You need to overcommunicate – early and often. That means onboarding guides, welcome emails, project dashboards, and video messages. Clients want to see a face, hear a voice, and feel like there’s a human on the other end. Studies actually show that people are up to 3.5x more likely to become or stay a customer of a brand that uses personalized video.
Next comes experience design. Create a documented journey: what clients should expect in Week 1, Week 2, Month 1, etc. Spell out milestones, deliverables, meeting cadence, and key contacts. Not only does this minimize confusion, but it also preemptively answers the questions they’d otherwise have to email you about.
Another layer of complexity that comes with running a business from home? Handling your business taxes. Multi-state nexus issues, home office deductions, remote employee payroll compliance – these are not DIY territory. Which is why I’m here – to keep your taxes compliant, your books clean, and your stress low.
If you’re thinking, “sign me up,” let’s have a chat:251-633-4070 ~ Richard Lindsey
Lindsey & Waldo
Meet our latest addition to the pack! Sofia Pecoraro was found running the streets, along with a few other Standard Poodles and was rescued by Krewe de Rescue. Her big eyes came across my Facebook feed (I was not following this animal rescue at the time).
I must preface this little story by telling you that we were not looking for another dog. I did take a screen shot of her "ad" and sent it to my hubby. Hours later, he asked me if I thought we should try to adopt her. Later that evening we filled out the application, (I figured she was already spoken for), met the foster momma, Emelie a day later and "Jazzy" became Sofia. When I say the Universe lines things up when they are meant to be, I mean it.
She had her first vet visit with Dr. Jeff & Dr. Jennifer Sutton at Beach View Veterinary Hospital and totally stole their hearts. This mild mannered girl stood on her hind legs to hug Dr. Jennifer for several minutes. She sat on the exam table while Dr. Jeff gave her a thorough inspection and pronounced her healthy. She may not have been planned, however she has added years to our old guy Marcello, who will be 14 in August. Lil' Jack looks at her like his momma. She makes sure to kiss the boys everyday! She has added so much love and joy to our home.
Consider adopting your next pet when you decide to add to your fur-family. I am astounded at the number of dogs and cats available right now.
Have a wonderful month and remember to always support local! ~ Charlsie
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