Does this facelift make me look... smart?

PLUS: Anti-networking for the (semi) anti-social, biz lunches, and more!

Author

Jason De Los Santos
April 17, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes

Hey Asheville!

Jason here. You might notice things look a little different – consider this newsletter officially ‘facelifted.’

Why the change? Honestly, I kept wishing for local business events that felt less like a forced meeting with car salesmen and more like… well, fun. Less awkward small talk, more actual connection, more interesting topics.

Since those didn't magically appear, I figured, why not build the resource I wanted to see and create the events I wanted to attend?

So, welcome to the revamped SMB Insider AVL Biz Mag – your weekly dose of actually useful business events around town, marketing nuggets, and maybe a laugh or two.

This week, we’ve got a few things on-deck:

  • 📅 Upcoming Events (The ones worth your time)

  • ⚡ Marketing Quickies (Actionable tips, zero jargon)

  • 🎭 Fun Stuff Around AVL (Because life ain't all spreadsheets)

Welcome to the first edition of…

AVL Biz Magazine

Let's dive in!

Upcoming Events

Running a business is friggin’ hard. Here are a few great places to meet cool people going through the same sht you are.*

🗓️ April 15: Speed (Business) Dating 2.0. A cool event focused on finding business collaborators, advisors, partners, or just interesting people. Hosted by AVL Digital Nomads.

⭐ 🗓️ April 16: I'm hosting an "Anti-Networking" breakfast for Asheville business owners: skip the awkward pitches and make genuine connections with other local professionals.

  • Date: April 16th, 8-9:30 AM

  • Location: Abuela's Little Kitchen

  • RSVP: Meetup Details

🗓️ April 16: Midday Mingle: Jessica Kanupp is hosting another lunch mingle, this time at Salt Face Mule.

🗓️ April 16: It's A Match! Treating Your Business Like Dating. Emily Green will share how mastering relationship dynamics can transform your leadership and approach to business.

⭐ 🗓️ April 18: I’m also hosting this week’s Founder's Lunch at Mehfil's in partnership with ActionCOACH.

  • Date: April 18th, 12 PM

  • Location: Mehfil Indian Restaurant

  • RSVP: Meetup Details

Hosting something cool?

Email me the details below and I’ll try to share it in the newsletter or on LinkedIn.

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.

  • Find New Customers on a Shoestring Budget [+Expert Tips]. You know it’s hard to grow a business as a solopreneur or tiny business. This Hubspot article gives you a few great ideas to build your brand and grow your customers with a minimal budget and whole lotta focus.

  • The 3 Fastest Ways to Get Customers (The Sales Hunter). Cringy name for a website, but good reminders: Your next best customer is probably someone you’ve already met or done business with.

Fun Stuff Coming Up

What’s in the Jukebox

Last year, I listened to over 2,000 hours of music. Needless to say, I love a good song. Here are some tracks to check out this week, not always Asheville related.

  • Lean Into the Wind, Doves. Spotify 

  • Spike Island, Pulp. Spotify . One of the best British bands is back, baby!

  • SABLE, fABLE album by Bon Iver. Spotify 

That’s all for this week!

Email me here and tell me what you think, or let me know about an event you’re hosting.

Until next week,

-Jason

Jason De Los Santos
Pixelated Stories Digital Marketing
(828) 585-4293