Stay Authentic to Yourself

April 24, 2016April 25, 2016 Michael Scott Novilla Leave a comment

Another beautiful Thursday night here in Downtown St. Petersburg, Florida, aka DTSP, as we gather once again for the ESC. It’s a great evening to Stay Authentic to Yourself, while learning and growing. The Entrepreneur Social Club, meets every Thursday since 2009 – except when colliding with a major holiday like Thanksgiving – most always at historic DTSP venue NOVA 535. Tonight, Thursday April 21, 2016, NOVA was booked all day for a film shoot with the fabulous Sullivan Productions, So around 6pm, Team NOVA just finishing up and heading out as we Entrepreneurs, business owners, investors, start-ups and students strolled in. My NOVA 535 Unique Event Space project, now 10+ years in the works, allows me the opportunity to give back a bit each week, gathering like-minded humans who want some fun, time to unwind, plus a chance to earn, grow and evolve.
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Entrepreneur Social Club at venue NOVA 535 in DTSP

Entrepreneurs Stick Together in Sickness and in Health

April 16, 2016May 5, 2016 Michael Scott Novilla Leave a comment

Entrepreneurs stick together in Sickness and in Health. Tonight we shared that we’re creating a series of live events here at NOVA 535 called “St. Pete Healthy Lifestyles” while our favorite John with a “Z”, haha, Jzon, has made much progress into his speaking publicly to those also afflicted with MS. We Entrepreneurs, dreamers, visionaries, creators, risk-takers are the ones who push evolution forward, the problem solvers, we who make our world a better, smarter, nicer place to live work and play! That’s why we meet weekly, every Thursday night from 6pm to 8:30 pm, followed by dinner and (more) drinks here in beautiful Downtown St. Pete (also known as DTSP). Speaking of dinner, tonight here in beautiful Downtown St. Pete DTSP we visited the delicious Italian Restaurant, Il Ritorno , owned by hubby and wife team, Erika and David. IL Ritorno is located at 449 Central Ave #101, DTSP, and I’d strongly suggest making reservations via (727) 897-5900, as they are usually quite busy. We rolled in about 9pm, fully lubricated and ready for the 2nd half of our ESC weekly adventure! Oh do read on!!

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Entrepreneur Social Club downtown St. Pete DTSP at Queenshead Restaurant Word of Mouth

Word of Mouth leads into the Tastiest of Ports

April 13, 2016April 14, 2016 Michael Scott Novilla Leave a comment

Word of Mouth leads into the Tastiest of Ports! Huh? Read on my fellow Entrepreneurs, business owners, startups, students and mentors! Welcome to another chapter of the wild, crazy and always fun and productive Entrepreneur Social Club, held every Thursday night, 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm, most always at downtown St. Pete historic venue NOVA 535. We had several newcomers tonight, and I always ask them how they heard about the ESC. Tonight, it seemed that there was a magical hot tub experience where the secrets of the ESC were revealed…

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ESC Advisory Board Entrepreneur Social Club for MIchael 48th

Rainmakers Join our Foolish Celebration

April 7, 2016April 22, 2016 Michael Scott Novilla Leave a comment

Rainmakers Join our Foolish Celebration during our weekly Entrepreneur Social Club gathering here at the historic downtown St. Pete venue NOVA 535. We meet every Thursday night, since 2009, most always at NOVA, occasionally offsite when NOVA 535 Unique Event Space is booked for a wedding or special event. Tonight is March 31st, and since I run the meetings, (tomorrow April 1st being my 48th birthday), I wanted to make this a 100% social event. No sit down meeting meeting, just music and drinks and laughter and friends and food and some QT with my fellow Entrepreneurs. Plus we had just met Architect Larry Ladelfa, of The Rainmakers, another club, a pure business one, last week. He said he’d bring his group here to check out the ESC and NOVA, and so here’s our story of just that! Remember, my birthday is on April 1st, yes April Fools day….you’ve been warned!

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Food Porn and 5 Dollar Facials

March 26, 2016April 15, 2016 Michael Scott Novilla Leave a comment

One of my favorite components of The Entrepreneur Social Club is my fellow Entrepreneurs and the things that come out of their mouths. We had several newbies tonight, Thursday March 24, 2016. They ranged from pre-start-up to successful business owners. Julia, a newcomer, was offering organic facials, 5 Dollar Facials, and the double entendre was enjoyed throughout the evening. We enjoyed it so much that after several drinks during dinner, we purchased the url http://5dollarfacials.com. Yes we risk takers and visionaries, those of us who create and lead and make the world a better place,we need to blow off a lot of steam and stress, and the ESC is a strong dose of that healing medicine. We need to laugh, and joke and be silly to rebalance our inner cores, from the ever present over-tilt of too much work, not enough play. So tonight I’m titling “Food Porn and 5 Dollar Facials.” Read on at your own risk!

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A Lucky NIght at NOVA 535 with the Entrepreneur Social Club in downtown St. Pete DTSP

Lucky Night at NOVA 535 with Dinner Drinks at Queens Head

March 19, 2016March 20, 2016 Michael Scott Novilla Leave a comment

Thursday March 17, 2016 aka St. Patrick’s Day, was, as these publicly celebrated holiday are, a meeting attendance wildcard. It’s uncertain how many people show up each week for the Entrepreneur Social Club, aka the ESC, as we don’t require any registration. Just show up to downtown St. Pete venue NOVA 535, and enjoy! With these ‘minor’ holidays (we’re closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas, for example) you never can tell who’s gonna show up. I had just literally got off the plane from Las Vegas Catersource 2016, and it was a bit of a late start, then my fellow Entrepreneurs joined in for our weekly fix. And what an excellent night it was. I’m calling this story. A Lucky Night at NOVA 535 then Dinner and Drinks at The Queens Head. Yes I know the English and Irish aren’t historically pals, but Tracy the owner of the always fun and delicious The Queens Head was in attendance, so our restaurant choice tonight was easy peasy!

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2015 Entrepreneur Social Club downtown St Pete

Entrepreneurs bring the Social to the Entrepreneur Social Club

December 10, 2015December 10, 2015 Michael Scott Novilla Leave a comment

Every Thursday night we meet here in beautiful downtown St. Petersburg, Florida for the Entrepreneur Social Club affectionately known as “The ESC”. Most always it’s at my gorgeous modernized historic venue NOVA 535, and when NOVA is rented for a private wedding or event, we find another DTSP location. Yes having the ESC’s home at NOVA is amazing, yet the gathering of my fellow Entrepreneurs is the real secret sauce to this Social Club. People always complement me on how beautiful NOVA is, and after thanking them, I reply that, without them, it’s just a empty building. It’s the life and energy and excitement and new ideas and crazy thoughts and laughter that we Entrepreneurs, business owners, students, start-ups, mentors and even “regular” people with a positive attitude bring to the ESC every Thursday night.

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6 Websites Every Tampa Bay Entrepreneur Should Bookmark

July 1, 2015December 7, 2015 Michael Scott Novilla Leave a comment

Something new is popping up on the Internet every day. Whether it’s a tool or an app or a breakthrough in technology, there’s never a dull moment online. Modern entrepreneurs have to stay on their toes and remain fluid in their business ideologies in order to keep up with the ever-changing digital space. Most small business owners and operators have a few go-to websites that allow them to stay privy to industry news and trends, but modern self-starting entrepreneurs need to stop thinking of themselves as an entity separated from his or her ideas. Your ideas created your business. Your ideas run your business. You are your ideas. Therefore, you are your business.

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Keep St. Pete Local Presents Localtopia 2.0

February 7, 2015February 13, 2016 Michael Scott Novilla Leave a comment

Here we are, one year later, in beautiful downtown St. Pete, Florida. Today’s weather was so perfect, I’d bet everyone up north that’s nearly frozen to death would sell their soul for. Weather so delightfully wonderful that it’s exactly the kind of universal THANK YOU to Olga Bof, founder of Keep St. Petersburg Local that was appropriate. The kind of deserved THANK YOU to Olga and her amazing Team KSPL, for unifying all things local, again today, February 7, 2015 with Localtopia 2.0.

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I Love Downtown Saint Pete

December 4, 2014July 26, 2015 Michael Scott Novilla Leave a comment

I Love Downtown Saint Pete, St. Pete, DTSP.

I really really love living, working and playing here in downtown St. Pete, Florida. Why? Is it because I was born and raised here? Is it because I’ve traveled to over 35 countries on 5 continents and have a global perspective as to what truly makes up a great city? What makes up a wonderful living experience? Certainly some of both.

(NOTE = Since first publishing this blog, we’ve updated our name from I Love DTSP to Downtownstpete.com)

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