Travel: The North Carolina Mountains

The past few weekends we have really taken things back to our roots...the mountains of North Carolina. For several reasons/opportunities/commitments, we have made the trek to the Boone/Blowing Rock area, and so wanted to make sure we gave due credit to the place that has been such an influential inspiration for OLE MASON JAR.

When you think of mason jars, we hope the first thing that comes to mind is the mountains, as it is such an authentic piece of where Filipe and I are from. Filipe grew up in the small mountain town of Franklin, NC and we both spent our college years in Boone attending Appalachian State University. You could definitely say the mountains are in our blood. As an avid photographer, I would also have to mention there isn't a place in the world more amazing than fall in the mountains while the leaves are changing.

October 3, 2014

The first weekend in October, we had the incredible honor to speak at the annual Carole McLeod Entrepreneur Summit. As a young business starting out, you always remember when you get that first call from your alma mater. For us, that call came a couple months ago from the Appalachian State University College of Business, and so naturally we jumped at the chance.

The all day event featured business owners from across the state presenting on various entrepreneurial issues and topics. For us it was an easy choice to present on social responsibility and the importance of giving back. It was incredibly satisfying to see a packed room of engaged students and fellow business owners also partake in the discussion of such and important topic (we are pretty sure Ray from www.raysweather.com became an adamant OMJ supporter after our presentation, and was really digging the Yadkin River Plaid tie I was wearing)! It didn't stop with presentations, as in the afternoon we got a chance to be a part of a panel of judges for a "pitch your idea" contest featuring 10 student business ideas. I must say, we certainly came away inspired by the entrepreneurial spirit that is becoming more prevalent across the campus at Appalachian State University.

October 11, 2014

A yearly tradition for us is heading back to Boone, NC for Homecoming. It is always a great weekend, as it is a chance to catch up with friends we haven't seen in a while, watch some football and additionally always seems to correlate well with the time of the year that is prime leaf changing season. Throw in a little overcast, and I was one happy photographer (this did not translate into a happy football game goer, though, as sitting in the rain is not so much fun). Our cabin for the weekend had a great view, and I was able to get a few decent shots, so well worth the trip in itself!

*A special thanks to my wife for letting me stop multiple times on the side of the road to get some of these shots.

Additional fall pictures can be found out my website www.bradleyrhyne.com

As you can tell, the mountains hold a special place in our hearts, and will continue to be a driving influence for our design, style and the overall theme for OLE MASON JAR. We are already looking forward to the next time we get a chance to visit!

Best,

A native of NC, Bradley Rhyne is OLE MASON JAR's Co-Founder and CEO, as well as chief editor for all content and social media. With his extensive experience in the finance and accounting industry as a Vice President for a fortune top 10 company, Brad brings a wealth of knowledge, creativity and business acumen to OLE MASON JAR.