- AVL Biz Magazine
- Posts
- AVL Biz Mag – Killer Events for the week of July 23rd - July 29th.
AVL Biz Mag – Killer Events for the week of July 23rd - July 29th.
Plus: 3-minute SEO wins, AI marketing hacks, and where to find your next game-changing connection in AVL.
Jason De Los Santos
July 23, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes
Welcome to AVL BIZ Weekly, your local cheat sheet for what’s happening in Asheville’s small business and creative scenes.
Each Wednesday, I send out hand-picked events, marketing ideas that actually work, and a little local flavor to keep things fun.
My name's Jason and I'm writing this (connect with me here).
On Deck
📅 Strategic Networking: Tech happy hours and business meetups designed for genuine connection.
⚡ Marketing You'll Actually Do: Use AI to create content and simple SEO tweaks to get found on Google.
🎉 Your Social Calendar: Unwind with trivia, karaoke, stand-up comedy, and more low-key local fun.
🎸 The Best of AVL Music: Don't miss these must-see shows happening across town this week.
🙋 Want your biz featured in front of a few really smart AVL business owners? Email me for details
While it might seem like business events slow down this time of year, the opportunities to make real connections don't. In fact, this is the perfect time to get out there. You never know when a casual conversation will turn into a partnership that 10Xes your business. Here’s where to be this week.
Let’s go!
Upcoming Business Events
These aren’t your average chamber mixers. These are where partnerships start, deals get sparked, and you actually enjoy yourself.
📅 AABA – The Nooner Club Networking Meeting | Wednesday, July 23 · 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM · Thrive Co-Working
This mid-day meetup is built for business owners who want real relationships and results, not just another stack of business cards. Expect a mix of open networking, a clever “Club Connect” game, roundtable pitches, and practical referral-building tips you can actually use.
I haven’t been yet, but friends who have say it’s energizing, efficient, and full of genuinely good folks. Should I start listing more events like this? Just hit reply and let me know.
📅 Asheville JavaScript Meetup – July 2025
Wednesday, July 30 · 6:00 – 8:00 PM @ Mojo Coworking
Here's an interesting puzzle: why would you ever want a JavaScript program to call into a Rust program that calls into a Python program in order to compile a C program? If you don’t know what this means, maybe attend one of the other great events on this list.
📅 Coders League Low-Pressure Social Get-Together
Wednesday, July 23 · 6:30 – 8:30 PM @ Asheville Pizza and Brewing
A casual meetup of developers, tech pros, hobbyists, and geeks with a wide range of interests and experience. Newcomers are always welcome.
Hosting something cool?
📬 Hit reply and tell me what you think. Or share an event!
Marketing Quickies
I’m a marketer and educator at heart. Here I’ll share interesting links that you can apply to your business to get more leads, make your life easier, hire better, and grow your business.
⚡️AI Isn't Magic, But It Is Efficient
Most small biz owners are overwhelmed. AI helps you work smarter without hiring a team.
Try this:
Record yourself answering FAQs with your phone.
Paste the transcript into ChatGPT, Gemini of Claude.
Ask it: “Turn this into a service page for my website” or “Summarize this into a 3-paragraph blog post.”
You just turned your thoughts into marketing. No camera crew. No blog calendar. Just leverage.
📍The Simplest Way to Show Up on Google (That No One Does)
Everyone asks, “How do I rank on Google?”
Almost no one does this:
Add your city name to your homepage title tag.
Example:
❌ “Welcome | Acme Heating & Air”
✅ “Acme Heating & Air | HVAC Services in Asheville, NC”
Takes 3 minutes. Moves the needle.
💻 Not sure how to change it? I’ll take a look, just reply with your site and your service area.
🏆 Make Your Testimonials Do Double Duty
Google loves real customer quotes that include local keywords. So ask your happy customers to include:
“Jason’s team built our website for our Asheville Painting company and we saw results in 30 days.”
Now that testimonial tells Google and future customers where you are and what you do. Double win.
🗣 Want help pulling gold like this from past clients? I’ve got a template, reply “testimonials.”
Fun Stuff Around AVL
Monday, July 28 · 5:30 PM @ Highland Brewing
Test your trivia skills and meet some awesome new people at this lively night out hosted by the 20s–30s–40s social crew. One World West offers great brews and a relaxed atmosphere, making it the perfect backdrop for an evening of laughs, light competition, and connection. Whether you're a trivia junkie or just in it for the fun, you're welcome here!
Saturday, July 26 · 5:30 PM @ Shogun Buffet Hibachi Grill
Meet lots of people. Eat lots of food. The end.
Saturday, July 26 · 9:00 PM @ Girl and Goblin
This is a badass comedy showcase featuring the best local and surrounding area comics at a badass tattoo shop venue! This is a FREE show! And it’s also BYOB! It’s a perfect Saturday night good time!
Tuesday, July 29 · 7:00 PM @ Beaver Lake Sanctuary
Join a chill group as they stroll through the bird sanctuary board walk loop, then walk the two mile lake trail.
Saturday, July 26 · 7:00 PM @ Asheville Sports Club Bar
Come play pickleball at The Asheville Sports Club bar or just hang out and have drinks! Hangout 7pm - 8pm, pickleball 8pm - 9pm. We'll have a first come first serve sign-up sheet to play. No prior pickling experience necessary. They have pickleball equipment we can use so no need to bring your own.
Bands on the Horizon
Top picks for live music this week:
Badd Wolf – Jul 23 @ Asheville Music Hall
Old Lady, Nordmoe & The Rodeo – Jul 23 @ Fleetwood’s
Jonathan Scales Fourchestra – Jul 24 @ The Grey Eagle
FREE SHOW: Supernatural – The Music of Vic Chestnutt + Jason Crawford & Save the Bones – Jul 25 @ Grey Eagle Hatch Amphitheater
Big Something (Widespread Panic Afterparty) – Jul 26 @ The Orange Peel
Erick Baker – Jul 26 @ The Grey Eagle
American Aquarium – Jul 27 @ The Orange Peel
John R. Miller w/ Miss Tess – Jul 27 @ The Grey Eagle
Silversun Pickups – Jul 29 @ The Orange Peel
Jules! – Jul 29 @ Grey Eagle Music Hall (lunchtime show)
Want your website to bring in leads while you sleep (no ads, no dancing on TikTok)? That’s literally what I do.
Let’s hop on a 15-minute strategy call. I'll give you at least one actionable tip you can implement immediately. No pitch, just value.
Reply “Let’s Talk.”
That’s all for this week!
🎯 Got a win you’re proud of? A weird niche you’re thriving in? A tiny business doing big things? Tell me; I might feature it.
Until next week,
Jason De Los Santos
Pixelated Stories Digital Marketing
(828) 585-4293
