2016-09-08-entrepreneur-social-club-at-venue-nova-535-dtsp dinner with spotlight catering

Dining in with Spotlight Catering after another Fabulous ESC

September 30, 2016September 30, 2016 Michael Scott Novilla Leave a comment

Tonight Thursday September 8, 2016 was another gorgeous yet hot St. Petersburg evening as we rolled into historic venue NOVA 535 for another ESC gathering. Instead of heading out after our scheduled ESC meeting, which runs 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm, dinner was in tonight, testing out Spotlight Catering. Hint! Their food was delicious! Who am I? Michael S. Novilla the founder of the Entrepreneur Social Club (ESC), way back in 2009, in honor of Ben Franklin’s Junto Club. Also I own and run NOVA 535 Unique Event Space and DowntownStPete.com. But tonight isn’t about me (below) it’s about my fascinating fellow Entrepreneurs like good old Ben….do read on!

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2016 08 25 ESC afterparty home from mons venus michael holding image one and done

Just One and Done

August 27, 2016September 3, 2016 Michael Scott Novilla Leave a comment

Hey there fellow Entrepreneurs! This is the Entrepreneur Social Club, and I DO warn everyone that Social is in the heart of our name and attitude. Yes we are super productive and helpful. Yes we have lightbulb moments each Thursday night during our meetings. Yes we provide real, honest constructive feedback, starting with your pitch and business card. Yes we create a ton of real value and new business, plus global connections and new friendships. Yes this is a business social club. However, as previously aforementioned, this IS a SOCIAL CLUB and we will get completely dark alley, sideways now and again. Watching a gorgeous downtown St. Pete sunrise on Friday morning, after a hilarious and SAFE uber ride home across the Howard Frankenstein Bridge, enjoying a morning-cap of apples, cheeses, gourmet organic pickles, super hydrating coconut waters and such is the way to complete a night FULL of tom foolery. Especially when we “promised” ourselves that at Ruby’s Elixir, we’d be “Just One and Done” HaHaHahaaaa!! Just One and Done, really, just one and done…. that’s Hilarious!

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Our Summer 2016 Community Cafe Visit

August 21, 2016August 24, 2016 Michael Scott Novilla Leave a comment

Each Thursday night the Entrepreneur Social Club (ESC) meets in person, most always at my meticulously renovated, historic wedding and event venue NOVA 535 Unique Event Space in beautiful Downtown St. Pete, Florida. Last week, Thursday August 18, 2016, NOVA 535 was booked for a WIFT event, that’s Women In Film and TV. It was hosted by Rose Rosen, of Casting by Rose, she’s fabulous! I wrote a story about it, “I Make Films Like a Girl” , if you’re interested. As to tonight, since I was co-hosting WIFT at NOVA, Nick “I’m You When you Can’t Be” Mazeika and Audrey Jennifer, ESC’s new Hostess (with more than the Mostess!) met Jason (it was his birthday, happy birthday Jason!) and Mandy Keys Owners of Community Cafe at their really cute location at 2444 Central Avenue for our weekly planned ESC gathering.

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No Religion No Politics No Liars No Bullies No Thieves and No Racists

August 14, 2016August 25, 2016 Michael Scott Novilla Leave a comment

Hi I’m Michael Novilla. As I travel the world connecting with my fellow Entrepreneurs, I found that we all need a help and support, so I created a system called the NOVA Way. In 2005 is used the Nova Way to built my hometown St. Pete our own unique world-class event space called NOVA 535. In 2009 created a charity, the Entrepreneur Social Club, and now I also own and operate DowntownStPete.com, where everyone goes for the Best of what’s Local in DTSP. Again I’m Michael Novilla. So that is my general social pitch, a quick way of describing me and my enterprises. We always spend about 20-30 seconds each pitching the group (always seated here at ESC, it’s a fun casual SOCIAL club, not a boring seminar with people standing up and droning on and on and zzzzz…) after I’ve explained the Entrepreneur Social Club Rules.

No Religion No Politics No Liars No Bullies No Thieves.

Our group is like a big welcoming family. We are TOUGH, but in the kindest of ways. We are here to help and love and support you and your enterprise(s)…

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Design and Decisions. Good Bad Ugly Beautiful.

July 5, 2016August 25, 2016 Michael Scott Novilla Leave a comment

Design and Decisions. Good Bad Ugly Beautiful.

What goes into decision making? Does it feel good or bad? Is it beautiful or ugly? Would you do it again? Ultimately, for me, it’s would I do it again? Yes or No. It’s a binary answer to a complex set of questions. Would I go back to a restaurant? Take someone out for date #2? Watch a film again? Buy a 2nd bottle of that same wine? Take a 2nd or last bite??

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2016 Entrepreneur Social Club at Souzou DTSP

Sushi Night at Souzou Downtown St. Pete

June 17, 2016June 17, 2016 Michael Scott Novilla Leave a comment

Sushi Night at Souzou Fusion Restaurant Downtown St. Pete

Tonight, Thursday June 16, 2016 we are off-site at Souzou Fusion Restaurant, located at 435 5th Ave N, St. Petersburg, FL 33701. Call (727) 823-4050 for reservations. Typically we are at my historic wedding and event venue NOVA 535, but tonight NOVA is booked for a private affaire, a glamourous wedding ceremony and reception. So we’ve ventured out to my pal Mike Harting’s (owner of 3 Daughter’s Brewing) swanky spot Souzou for our meeting, dinner and drinks. A night filled with sushi and sake! Compi!!

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Where Science meets Science Fiction

June 3, 2016July 14, 2016 Michael Scott Novilla Leave a comment

Tonight June 3, 2016, here in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida at the award-winning, historic venue, NOVA 535 Unique Event Space, we gather once again to enjoy, celebrate, network, schmooze, teach, learn, and blow off steam. Who are we? We are the Entrepreneur Social Club, aka the ESC. We are the risk takers, the dreamers, the inventors, and the doers. Where is the place where science meets Science Fiction? Read on and find out!

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Hot Pucks and Cold Fish

May 26, 2016May 28, 2016 Michael Scott Novilla Leave a comment

Tonight Thursday May 26, 2016 we decided to stay at historic event venue NOVA 535 for our post meeting dinner and drinks so we could watch our local hockey team, the Tampa Bay Lightning, play in game 7 of the Stanley Cup semifinals against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Hence the title Hot Pucks and Cold Fish. This was a smart suggestion made by Nick Mazeika (Business Consulting and NOVA 535 Sales) in our weekly meeting with Chris Jenkins (I’m Their Web Guy and CTO Symphoni Media), so we were sure we’d have plenty of space and be able to watch or schmooze or both, right here in the comfort of our NOVAverse. We love frequenting the many fabulous restaurants, cafes and nightlife options here in Downtown St. Pete, aka DTSP, but it’s also nice not to have to drive anywhere. You all are welcome for the extra 20 minutes and free parking!

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Entrepreneur Social Club in Las Vegas for Catersource 2016

Our Fellow Entrepreneurs at Las Vegas Catersource 2016

March 19, 2016March 19, 2016 Michael Scott Novilla Leave a comment

Every year here in Las Vegas, or as my late father always said, Lost Wages, there is a gathering of business owners and Entrepreneur for a convention called Catersource. This year was March 15 and 16th, 2016, and my long time business associate, adventure chef and brother from another mother Chef Brent Shaver, aka A Chef’s Adventure, decided to join me on this culinary world adventure for Las Vegas Catersource 2016. See my primary business, the historic wedding and event venue NOVA 535 Unique Event Space, located in beautiful downtown St. Pete, Florida, allows outside catering for our events. I want to stay up to date with how the best of the world creates, serves, presents and stores is food offerings, plus I’ve been hankering to do more on-site cooking as well. Las Vegas Catersource 2016 sounded like a great way to accomplish all these goals plus spend some time in a fun city with one of my favorite humans. Here’s the story of Our Fellow Entrepreneurs at Las Vegas Catersource 2016. PS we always review people’s business cards – at least 10 a week since 2009. So please take our advice with a smile, we’re only trying to help. (more…)

Dining in Downtown St Pete DTSP with the Entrepreneur Social Club

Our 2015 Favorite Restaurants in Downtown St. Pete for Dinner After the ESC

February 25, 2016March 18, 2019 Michael Scott Novilla Leave a comment

After our weekly Entrepreneur, Social Club meeting ends, we head further into downtown St. Petersburg to one of our favorite, delicious restaurants, where we eat, drink (more!) and continue to be merry! The ESC is a purely social club infused with strong, real-world business wisdom, mentoring, networking and problem-solving. And all of that work’s up our appetites, so I’ll get right down to the sharing of our 2015 Favorite Downtown St. Pete Restaurants for Dinner after the ESC. They are in alphabetical order for ease and fairness, I’ll note the ones that are member-owned and / or exceptionally great! Keep in mind that we only go to restaurants with adult beverages, though some here only serve beer and wine. Also, a key factor is lighting, ambiance and being able to sit 12-20+ of us all together. No sitting apart, this is a group event, the Entrepreneur Social Club. And yes, it’s ok to buy me, Michael S. Novilla, the founder, dinner. =D

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