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!
st. pete
Our Summer 2016 Community Cafe Visit
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.
No Religion No Politics No Liars No Bullies No Thieves and No Racists
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)…
When the Cat was away the mice did play
Summertime in Florida is hot and sticky, even here in Downtown St. Pete, aka DTSP, with the cooling breezes off the gulf and bay. So when I can, I escape to somewhere else. Not a vacation, which implies NOT working. Traveling is how I describe it. I know, whaaaa poor me! See we created a digital system to run NOVA 535, my historic wedding and event venue, remotely. NOVA is where most every (physical) Entrepreneur Social Club (ESC) meeting is held. So this week, July 21, 2016, When the Cat was away the mice did play. Play, well mainly some “forgot” to show up for our weekly Thursday night ESC meeting. I mean we’ve only been holding these EVERY THURSDAY night since February 2009. Some habits take longer to sink in I guess…haha! Though some of my favorite meetings have been when there are under 20 guests; it allows for much deeper discussions than where our table is overflowing with 50 and more. Tonight big
Sushi Night at Souzou Downtown St. Pete
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!!
Why we should not discount our pricing
Tonight we are delving into “Why we should not discount our pricing when asked by a prospective client.” Aside from the fact that it’s irritating – like when you’re in Outback Steakhouse and you offer them $15 for their $23 Ribeye. Huh? My mortgage holder, tax collector and insurance men would laugh in my face if I suggested 15% off. When you agree to give a client a discount, you are undermining your business, value and reputation. You are now open to negotiating everything, including the value you place on your time and efforts. Once you know, really know your costs and value, then you set your pricing to where it needs to be at and that’s that.
Where Science meets Science Fiction
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!
Hot Pucks and Cold Fish
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!
Filmmakers, Funny URLs and Getting Drunk with the Queen
Tonight, Thursday May 12, 2016, for the Entrepreneur Social Club, affectionately called the ESC, we had a really good crowd and some Funny URLS. This included a group of local film makers (Ondric Lavon and Daniel Michael, below) of Red Polar Studios, brought in by returning owner Ricardo Duval, below light blue shirt. On their right is the always fun and witty Julia Haddad of Fruityz All Natural Skin Care. Julia’s great, just don’t leave your unfinished wine bottle near her….haaha.
Tonight I’ve titled our Entrepreneurial Adventure “Filmmakers, Funny URLs and Getting Drunk with the Queen”. Read on at your own risk!
ESC enjoys the DTSP 2016 Sunscreen Film Festival
ESC enjoys the DTSP 2016 Sunscreen Film Festival. Tonight, Thursday April 28, 2016, was the opening night of the 11th Annual Sunscreen Film Festival, one where I and my venue NOVA 535 have sponsored since the beginning. So tonight as my fellow Entrepreneurs gathered here at NOVA, for our weekly meeting, I informed them we were going on a field trip. Just around the corner to the Palladium, to enjoy the red carpet and the opening night Film, “Spare Parts“. The carpet was electric, the film charming and delightful. Spare Parts is what all film makers try to accomplish – a film (and story) with heart! We cared about the characters and their struggles. We laughed and cried. We cringed and cheered. What a wonderful film to have shared with my fellow Entrepreneurs – a film about Mexican and Mexican American kids, who were “troubled” each in their own way, that found a bond of friendship and mutual respect via a underwater robotics challenge. Spare parts was based on a true story, and that story and film are certainly worth your time – enjoy it and, you’re welcome!