News to Elevate Your Summer - Oui Have a New Recipe from JC’s Gourmet
Gas prices are climbing, and for small businesses, the financial sting is only half the challenge — how you communicate those rising costs to your customers is a strategic public relations decision. Summer travelers are acutely aware of rising gas prices, and businesses that communicate transparently about cost increases are more likely to earn customer loyalty and build lasting trust.
We're opening this month's issue with that conversation, plus a curated line-up of ELEVATED NEWS: art highlights from Sewanee to the Emerald Coast, Dog-Harmony's therapy dogs bringing literacy to life for students in Okaloosa and Walton County libraries, community events worth marking on your calendar, and JC's Gourmet's très chic new French egg salad recipe making its debut at the Seaside Farmers Market this summer.
New on the Blog
Rising Gas Prices Are a Marketing Problem, Too
Gas prices have surged 44% year over year, and most small businesses are making the same mistake: staying silent. The financial hit is only half the problem. How you communicate rising costs to your customers is a marketing decision — and your response right now will determine whether you emerge with customer loyalty intact.
Community News
Frame Gallery Gifts & Art
Frame Gallery closed out a busy month of May! Owner, Harriet Runkle, hosted a successful opening reception for A Lamp, a Ladder, or a Lifeboat: Mediations in Paper Inspired by Rumi; sold one of Hattie B. Dale's clay faces (pictured) to a fellow artist, Linda Kerlin, whose fabulous wax batik paintings are also for sale at the Gallery; and opened a part-time position for an Online Shop Manager based in or near Sewanee, TN.
Frame Gallery's upcoming events include art workshops and a new solo art exhibition, To Sit with a Flower: Watercolors by Lendon Noe, in June.
Sewanee Children's Center
Sewanee Children's Center (SCC) is hiring for full-time Assistant Director and Preschool Teacher roles, with openings later this summer.
Located in Sewanee, Tennessee, SCC serves children ages 6 weeks through 3rd grade and is committed to research-based developmental practices and strong family partnerships. Candidates who meet the requirements for the positions are encouraged to apply here.
The Dental Associate Edge: Building Toward Ownership
We designed a digital home for a new podcast co-hosted by Sandy Baird, MBA, and performance psychologist Dr. Dave Striegel, with resources to guide dental associates on the path to practice ownership. Explore the third episode below, or start from the beginning by visiting dentalassociateedge.com.
Baird Dental Business Concepts
Sandy Baird, MBA
Baird Dental Business Concepts
What Top Dental Practice Owners Do Differently Now — And Why the Old Playbook Is Costing You Staff
Sandy Baird, MBA, joined a Thriving Dentist panel of industry experts to discuss one of the most pressing challenges in dentistry right now: why keeping great people is harder than it used to be, and what today's top practice owners are doing differently. Learn why outdated leadership habits and work cultures are quietly driving good dental employees away here.
JC's Gourmet
JC's Gourmet has launched a new recipe this summer: an elegant, French bistro-style egg salad dish. Unlike the heavier, traditional American version, JC's Salade d'Oeufs is lighter and brighter, avoiding sweet ingredients.
The unique recipe features couscous pearls and chunky hard-boiled egg whites tossed in a creamy, tangy filling with fresh herbs de Provence, complemented by earthy black truffle salt and JC's spicy Manipulatin' Mustard.
The new recipe will make its debut this summer at the Seaside, FL, Farmers Market, open on Tuesdays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. from June to July. Be sure to follow JC's Gourmet on Facebook or Instagram to stay up-to-date!
Renee Broxson Fine Art
At ArtsQuest, the Featured Artist of the Year, Renee Broxson, also won the "Best Booth" juried award at the 38th Annual Arts Festival at Grand Boulevard in Sandestin, FL. To learn more about Renee's abstract artwork and view photos from the recent festival, visit her website.
Dog-Harmony
This summer, Dog-Harmony's Paws and Pages program is bringing animal-assisted children's literacy sessions to four public libraries in Okaloosa and Walton Counties — and the science backs it up.
Research identifies four conditions that children require to achieve significant literacy gains: a sense of self-efficacy, motivation, a view of reading as a social activity, and a calm environment. Therapy dogs are non-judgmental, social animals whose calm presence naturally reduces stress and anxiety, making reading a fun activity.
"Paws and Pages is about more than just books — it's about the connection between the child and the dog that opens the door to a lifelong love of reading," said Nancy Bown, CPDT-KA, founder of Dog-Harmony. "We see children who were once hesitant to read aloud suddenly blossom when they have a dog by their side."
Families can sign up now for reading sessions on a rotating monthly basis at libraries in Niceville, Fort Walton Beach, Crestview, and Freeport. To learn more, read the full press release.
The Elevated Experience
A curated collection of upcoming events with our talented clients, partners, and friends
Submit EventCanine Body Language Class with Dog-Harmony
Join Nancy Bown, CPDT-KA, for Dog-Harmony's Canine Body Language Class, designed to teach kids how to safely interact with dogs and understand basic canine body language, including signs of stress.
Developed for children ages 7 to 12, this workshop allows participants to practice what they learn with our very own evaluated therapy dog (and office pup), Chloe!
Families can register to attend directly through the library here.
2nd Annual Pickleball with a Purpose
Housing Hub's 2nd Annual Pickleball with a Purpose returns Saturday, June 6, at Clifftop Courts in Monteagle, TN, and includes mimosas, munchies, and a $10,000 matching gift opportunity.
Whether you're a beginner learning the game, a regular player, or want an excuse to enjoy a mimosa with friends, all are welcome to attend with an RSVP.
Proceeds from the event will go toward building the kitchen for Housing Hub's House #3.
Emerald Coast Public Relations Organization (ECPRO)
Join ECPRO for its next Lunch and Learn with Jen Higgins, CERP, Founder/CEO of Thrive People Services, on June 9, 2026, at the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce. Attendees will learn practical strategies for navigating difficult conversations and communicating with confidence. Register to attend How to Communicate with Difficult People here.
Whimsical Paper Sculpture Workshop
Fold, glue, and let your imagination take over at Frame Gallery's Whimsical Paper Sculpture Workshop, led by owner Harriet Runkle on Saturday, June 13. Using just three simple folded paper shapes — the teardrop, the accordion, and the spiral — you'll explore how far colored cardstock, glue, and a little curiosity can take you.
This workshop is open to all ages (children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult), with a fee of $20 for adults and $10 for children — all materials included.
That's a wrap on June. If any of this month's highlights sparked an idea for your own business — whether that's a community-focused event to promote, an announcement to guide or inform, or a good story worth telling — we'd love to help you share it. Hit reply or click here to connect.
