Simplifying Life Through Technology
SoundVision LLC is a lifestyle technology company located in Mooresville, North Carolina. We interview vendors, clients and staff with the purpose of demystifying the capabilties of new technologies for your home or business and sometimes highlighting local content that is important to our community.
Simplifying Life Through Technology
QC Exclusive & The Best of the Lake Gala
On this episode of “Simplifying Life Through Technology,” Mark and Andrew sit down with Brett Barter of QC Exclusive and Jenny Pippin of Pippin Home Designs.
Discover the secrets behind the luxury home design industry with insights from Brett Barter and Jenny Pippin. Brett, the visionary publisher of QC Exclusive Magazine, shares his extraordinary journey from commercial real estate mogul to the creator of a magazine that encompasses his passions for travel, home design, and the arts. Learn about Brett’s incredible stories, including a fascinating anecdote about how Hugh Hefner played a pivotal role in his career shift. With his partner JP Grice, the pair opened QC Exclusive in 2010. They focus on finding the most unique and luxurious projects or places to showcase and tell the story behind the work. Through continued success, QC Exclusive just published their 100th issue. Meanwhile, Jenny Pippin, an acclaimed home designer, reflects on her impressive career designing exquisite homes with a view and her experiences as a member of the Lake Norman Home Builder's Association's Gala committee.
Explore the myriad benefits of the Lake Norman Home Builders Association, which supports and uplifts builders, tradespeople, and designers in remarkable ways. We delve into the significance of events like the Best of the Lake Design Competition, which provides unparalleled networking opportunities, advocacy, and education on the latest design trends. Jenny shares important details and dates for the upcoming 2024 Best of the Lake Gala, where awards are given to the winners of the design competition categories. Through engaging personal stories, we underscore the importance of community involvement and how media partnerships can significantly boost the visibility of talented individuals within the industry. This is the second year QC Exclusive will be the media sponsor for the Best of the Lake Gala. Whether you're a builder, designer, architect, or just a member of the community, all are welcome to the event.
Finally, immerse yourself in the latest groundbreaking innovations in home design technology. From voice-activated systems to automated glass walls, we discuss the cutting-edge advancements revolutionizing modern living spaces. We also emphasize the crucial role of lighting design in creating the perfect ambiance and the growing trend of outdoor living spaces post-COVID-19. With a mix of professional insights, light-hearted Marvel movie discussions, and sneak peeks into upcoming events like the Lake Norman Gala, this episode promises to leave you informed and inspired. Don't miss our chat with Brett and Jenny. Be sure to listen to hear important dates and information for the upcoming 2024 Best of The Lake Gala.
To learn more about QC Exclusive:
https://qcexclusive.com/
To Learn more about QC Exclusive's Traveling Tourism Brand:
https://discoverthecarolinas.com/
To learn more about Pippin Home Designs:
https://www.pippinhomedesigns.com/
Listen to our Podcast on Pippin Home Designs:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2014609/14999118
To purchase tickets to the 2024 Best of the Lake Gala:
https://lakenormanhba.com/event/best-of-the-lake-awards-gala-2/
To listen to more “Simplifying Life Through Technology” podcasts:
https://open.spotify.com/show/7fIkJuLZ7lZ8xbafz62muQ
Contact Us Today: (704) 696-2792 Ext. 1 | Info@svavnc.com | soundvisionlkn.com
we work a lot with the home and design industry as a whole. So we do social media management and so I mean we can talk about that a little bit as well, um, but the biggest thing is just kind of being a fan of home and design, um, and working with a lot of different builders, interior designers and through the magazine, so I've got a lot of relationships with them and I know I know the business and the struggle and you know the ups and the downs and so I'm just a fan of it. So I mean that's kind of so why don't we?
Speaker 2:we'll focus on that kind of through our talk and then at the end Andrew's going to come back and he's going to say you know how can people get in touch with you and like, what else do you want to share? You know that sort of thing. Like you're pitching a book and and you can do your elevator pitch. You know, at that point, let's do this, guys.
Speaker 3:So joining us in the podcast studio. Today we have the publisher of QC Exclusive, brett Barter.
Speaker 1:Hello everyone.
Speaker 3:And we're excited to welcome back Jenny Pippin of Pippin Home Designs. Good afternoon, thank you, andrew. Yes, welcome, guys Good afternoon.
Speaker 2:Thank you, andrew. Yes, welcome guys. Returning guest Jenny Pippen on her 21st birthday.
Speaker 4:Yay, thank you. Isn't that exciting. It's an awesome day so far.
Speaker 2:And let me just say, because you can't see it, she has got a smashing hairstyle going on right now. It is awesome.
Speaker 3:Yeah and you even mentioned, it matches my car oh my goodness, well welcome you guys.
Speaker 2:Brett, you are new to our podcast tell us, tell us a little about yourself um.
Speaker 1:So I'm originally from michigan. I moved here to Charlotte in 2008. In another life I was doing commercial real estate development, but I started QC Exclusive Magazine here, which is a luxury lifestyle magazine. 2010 was our first issue. We just had our 100th issue come out, which was a big milestone for us.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's cool.
Speaker 1:Okay, so yeah. For me it was really a way to get to know the city and connect with business owners and kind of hear their stories. I was a big fan I've always been a big fan of travel, home design, food arts and culture.
Speaker 1:So I actually saw a kind of the epiphany for me coming out of commercial real estate. I had some stuff go on personally, but I was trying to figure out what I want to do with my life and I saw a biography. It was actually on Hugh Hefner, and Hugh Hefner If you know this or maybe you don't he was kind of a nerd right and he started not later in life.
Speaker 1:But he started playboy magazine because he wanted to connect with beautiful women. So he said I'm going to create this whole thing Now. I don't want to create.
Speaker 2:Andrew's shaking his head, yeah.
Speaker 3:Because, that's the story.
Speaker 1:Yeah true. Like he. Just he had no game whatsoever.
Speaker 1:So he started Playboy magazine and then he, like, created a superhero caricature of himself. My caricature was a cool publisher who liked home design and traveling, food and all that. So I said, ok, this is a way that I could maybe, you know, make some money but also do all these things that I love. So that was kind of the impetus of starting this magazine. I connected with my business partner, jp. He came from I knew nothing about magazines or publishing. He actually designed a custom home magazine up in Boone and I came out of like business development sales and you know, we've come together and we're kind of the two headed monster.
Speaker 2:So that's how we started QC Exclusive. So let me challenge you for a second, because I also started my business Sound Vision here in 2010.
Speaker 4:Okay.
Speaker 2:Do you know the day?
Speaker 1:The day that I started my business.
Speaker 2:Not like a Wednesday. I mean, I should have said the date the date.
Speaker 1:So our first issue came out in the end of September of 2011,. Right.
Speaker 2:Okay, September 2011.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so the day I don't I remember the last meeting I had too, because we bootstrapped the whole print budget I knew exactly the dollar amount I needed to have.
Speaker 4:And I met with.
Speaker 1:The guy's name was Shane McDevitt. He owns a McDevitt agency. He still advertises to this day. He's a great friend of mine. But he said, uh, I'm going to sit this one out. I thought I was going to go close the deal. He's, I'm going to sit this one out. I've gotten burned in the past and I said excuse me for a second. I got up, went to the bathroom, splashed some cold water on my face and slapped myself around. I said you're going to do this.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh classic sales.
Speaker 1:So I went back and I said hey man, you know what You're going to be grandfathered for the rest of your life. There's a decision to make here. You can either be on the ship or off. And he said I'm, I don't care, I don't know, it's probably gonna fail but I like you, let's go, let's do it.
Speaker 2:So very, very nice that's how that started I was august 23rd. I don't have this cool story but uh, jenny, we've had your story before, but for those of you that didn't hear before, just a quick how did you get here? Who are you? I'm jenny pippin you're an all-star in the charlotte area pippin home designs is my company.
Speaker 4:I started it in 1987 actually makes us look terrible by really 84, but when I moved to charlotte was 1987, so I started in this area then on Lake Norman, designing lake homes 1992, the peninsula had the best of had the street of dreams home tour.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh, I do remember that.
Speaker 4:Yeah, so my this was my first opportunity to enter a competition. I had no idea it was a competition. I just agreed with the builder that I would design a home for him to build in this tour. Our home won Best Architectural Design and Best of Show.
Speaker 2:Oh my goodness 1992.
Speaker 4:So those are my first awards.
Speaker 2:That's crazy. Oh, go ahead, I'm sorry.
Speaker 4:My first taste of winning awards, and I've gone for it ever since.
Speaker 2:And you have a very special, unique thing that you do in designing homes Very common. What is that?
Speaker 4:Yeah, so we design for a view, specifically lake views, mountainsides and fully supportive homes. So we're encompassing things like biophilia, neuroaesthetics, accessibility, green building, high performance.
Speaker 2:all of those things makes a fully supportive home for our clients and the accessibility was the one that that really I remembered from our last conversation, which sounds great if if you have someone that needs the accessibility but you actually do it as just a matter of course because of the way that it makes the home look and feel. Am I saying that right?
Speaker 4:Yes, and because I was 26 years old when I was involved in this bad car accident and I was in a body, cast in a home that couldn't support me. That was not an accessible home, and I found out very early in my career that you don't have to be an old person you know somebody in a wheelchair or using a walker to need an accessible home. So I've been designing accessible um spaces ever since I went.
Speaker 4:I went back to school and learned more about universal design which is accessible and visitable, and I found out that it's it's really important you know for for even little kids. It makes it accessible for little kids as well as any age. I think it's it's really important you know for for even little kids. It makes it accessible for little kids as well as any age I think it's incredible.
Speaker 2:The story is incredible and and we'll put in the show notes in our first, the link to our first uh podcast, where we, you do the entire story, which is thank you definitely take a listen.
Speaker 3:It was a great story.
Speaker 4:Yeah, thank you so it was a great interview.
Speaker 2:Yes, but you guys are here for different reason.
Speaker 4:We are, and that is we are here to talk about the lake norman home builders association and the best of the lake design competition going back to designs and competition, is it.
Speaker 2:Does anybody have a chance of winning this thing if you're in it, or are you not allowed to be in it because you're promoting it?
Speaker 4:no, we can definitely be, oh, gauntlet thrown down. We can be in it because the judges are not from this area, so the judges do and and everything that's entered is synonymous, so the judges have no idea who's entered it where the projects are, nothing about them. You can't. You can't put the designers or architects name the builder. Put the designer or architect's name, the builder's name, the homeowner's name, the homeowner's address, none of that.
Speaker 2:It's totally anonymous so what's exactly entered we? We it just it's pictures of a home, or how does it? How does it work? I don't have an idea it's photography and plans.
Speaker 4:Plans aren't required, but I feel that plans are necessary when you're entering from the design side for people to see how you accomplish the goals. You also have to enter project description, which explains what the project goals are, what the obstacles were and how you solve those obstacles with your solutions, and then the end result is the photography that shows how you were able to accomplish those goals.
Speaker 2:And Brett. So we're here today. You guys specifically, are here today. Targeting I'm asking, not telling targeting like other builders or people that want to be involved in this or want to show off their work? Is that again? I'm assuming that is that true?
Speaker 1:Yes, yeah, I think that's a good place to start. I mean I've really gotten into the Lake Norman Home Builders Association kind of through Jenny. She reached out just from me working with her previously through the magazine. I know how talented she is and she said, hey, you know there's an opportunity here. This is what it is. And she told me about the Lake Norman Home Builders Association. I started to dig. It's really a great organization that you know. It advocates for builders, tradespeople, et cetera, as far as from a political standpoint, you know, for permitting and zoning and all those different things, keeping people up to date on education, you know design trends and that's a. It's a great networking opportunity. So opportunity, so that I mean those three things for me, especially the networking thing, because I just love to network and just shoot the breeze.
Speaker 1:But I mean there's a lot of different things that supported that. And you know I grew I came from michigan, I mentioned I grew up on a lake. I don't currently live on a lake, but that's my goal. I've got two small kids, so so I mean I mean it's another. It's also a way for me to kind of get connected with the lake community. You know the different people that are in the home design community and then also support them through the magazine.
Speaker 1:Our whole goal is we we seek out the most talented, the most unique projects that we can really show off and then kind of tell the story and the ethos behind. You know how it came together, like from Jenny's standpoint, why she designs things the way that she does. We get into that and kind of give the storytelling. Well, this is an opportunity for me to connect with these builders, find out why they're doing it, how they're doing it, tell their story and then also connect them with an audience.
Speaker 1:So that's really why I want to get involved, because I nerd out on design anyway and it's just this is like a good conduit from both sides. So I mean, for me, last year was the first year that we did Best of the Lake and Lake Norman Home Builders Association. We did the gala and I was just blown away by, you know, the production level, I mean the turnout, the quality of the builds and the designers, um, and just how eager everybody was to work together. And you know it's it's a competition, but people are really there, you know, building each other up and cheering for each other and you know, yeah, there was no losers, really like nobody was pissed off.
Speaker 1:At the end of the day, everyone was excited and happy to be there that's what I was gonna say.
Speaker 2:Uh, and jenny, I I know that brett just maybe said some of these things, but for builders or designers or architects or people that are not currently involved in the the builders association, but are actually involved in the construction industry here in Lake Norman Like why would the ones that aren't involved want to get involved?
Speaker 4:Well, and I was involved with the Lake Norman Home Builders very actively in 2004, five and six, and I actually was a co-chair of the Green Building Council in 2005, 6, and 7, I believe, and in 2010, I started the Best of the Lake Design Competition for the home builders as a way to help promote the industry and help the community to learn about, you know, the best of the best in our area, and so people who are in this industry that want to get their you know, their name out and to be able to show what it is that they do to the community, this is a great way to be involved. That's a good point.
Speaker 2:You also mentioned the community. So you know, joe Blow, that is not involved in building. Maybe they're looking to build a home, maybe they just live up here and someone's asked them hey, who's builder? How are they? How did they find out about this information either before or after, like, when the winners are announced? How does that? How is that published, or where do they find that out?
Speaker 4:well, one of the ways is is through what brett is doing in terms of being our our media sponsor and promoting the home builders in the best of the lake competition. The other is we're promoting it through our, the home builder social media and inviting the public to come to our awards gala so, so the public is actually invited to be there yes, I would say for the majority, it's the building industry that comes, but the the public is definitely invited to come that's interesting.
Speaker 2:I don't know that anybody really outside the building industry. That's terrible for me to say that I have to cut that because that's an idiot remark, but I'm surprised that that anybody outside of the building community would even know about it or think wow this would be kind of cool to go see.
Speaker 4:Well, you know, there's a lot of people who love touring houses that are under construction, absolutely.
Speaker 3:That's a great point.
Speaker 4:This is like the perfect place to go for that it really is, because then people can see what is really going on out there, because a lot of these homes that are being entered they don't get to go through because they're custom and you know they're not open to the public. What a great point. It really is a great opportunity for people to come and see who are the best builders, who are the best designers and architects. You know what's going on out there, who are the best people to work with and what are the cool projects that are winning awards.
Speaker 2:And Brett, I'm going to ask about technology, but not only limited to technology. When someone goes and sees this kind of level of construction, what are the cool things that they might see that if they go to just any normal track neighborhood around the area they would not find Technology would be awesome. But anything cool like what would you say?
Speaker 1:I mean a lot of the things that you know are kind of wow moments in the house is you know, you've got sculleries, butler's pantries that's one thing that a lot of people aren't used to seeing, and it's the level of finish is crazy, you know, and the stones and the, you know the faucets and everything, and then my wife asked me what a scullery was like within the last year she did, like what is a scullery?
Speaker 2:the dirty kitchen that's everybody's kitchen looks good because all the stuff's in the back.
Speaker 1:It's not dirty, though.
Speaker 1:The today's scullery is not yesterday's you know you don't have, or it's called the butler's pantry or whatever you want to call it, but, um, that's a great one, just kind of wow moments. There's a lot of secret rooms that are being built in. I actually we built a secret room in our office, too that was inspired by some builders that we saw and it's, you know, a false wall or you know storage underneath a staircase that you know is unsuspecting. Um, and then all you know powder rooms. People love a a crazy powder room, or really, yeah, and you see a lot of interior designers, a crazy powder.
Speaker 2:So that's like, yeah, and you see a lot of interior designers, a crazy powder.
Speaker 1:So that's like yeah, so when you have a party right, you're not going to send you're probably not going to send your guests to your, your master or your primary bedroom or you're going to send them to the powder room and that's your opportunity for them to be like. Oh my God.
Speaker 4:Like where, where did?
Speaker 1:I, where did I get blown off to Like it's an escape? You'll see crazy wallpaper or you'll see you know, $20,000 sinks. So I mean there's a lot of different things, but from the technology standpoint, just the intuitive things that people are building in as far as like voice technology or like the, the indoor, outdoor, um, you know, uh, trans transitions to where you have the glass walls or the false walls or whatever, that are just like the infinity doors and stuff where they oh, those things are so cool.
Speaker 1:And a lot of them are automated too. Um so, and then, just you know, somebody gets on their phone and the the best thing is when you go to somebody's house and they have and they want to show off every feature that they've ever had installed, or like. Hey, check this out.
Speaker 1:I've never seen this before and they're turning the water on and off, and but I mean that those are the kinds of things where I think that when you get to a certain level, people are trying to outdo each other. Not only the builders and the designers, but also the homeowners are, like you know, jim and Nancy down the street have this, we gotta, we gotta go bigger.
Speaker 2:Right. So I have a friend, uh, who's down in Miami, uh, who works a lot with the Jewish community down there, and one of the things they introduced to me that I had no idea existed was Sabbath mode on appliances. So a lot of a lot of-end appliances have what's called Sabbath mode and so, you know, devout Jewish religious folks, they, from sundown on Friday till through the Sabbath sundown on Saturday, they there's very limited to what they can do. They can't turn on light switches, they can't there's. I mean, it's incredible the amount of limitation that goes with it, because they take, don't work on the Sabbath, extremely literally. Well, there are appliances that they can set prior to, you know, the the sundown on Friday. That will, literally the power will go down on them and then they'll come, it'll come back up when it's needed. It's, it's nuts and you're talking about like wow moments and thinking through things to the you know the nth level. It's, it's pretty wild.
Speaker 1:Yeah, uh, I mean, that's just uh. I get excited when I see these things because we also do a lot of um, like short form video for people and we do things for social media. So when we see these things, it's like, oh nobody, people are going to lose their minds. We have a chance to go viral on this, so we're gonna. You know, we're going and getting video and all nice things.
Speaker 2:So what about technology? I'd be uh, I'd be remiss if I didn't talk about that for me.
Speaker 1:For me, I'm a, I'm a a fan of lighting, I mean, I think that I mean, whether I'm going to somebody's home or my own home, or going out to eat, or even in a theater, or whatever, lighting can really make the difference between not only mood, but also experience.
Speaker 2:Sure.
Speaker 1:And it really kind of connects, know, in my opinion, like a, you know, a marginal space, elevated, or vice versa. If you've got something where they spend a bunch of money on everything else and we get really high design but the lighting is not in queue, then it takes away from it. So for me that's always impressive. And then you know the fact of how, you know you can just change different tones and you know different things based on time of the day, for circadian rhythms and all that crazy stuff, and that's a lot of health benefits.
Speaker 1:There's health benefits, and that's the thing like I'm 45 and I'm getting into like biohacking and how I can you know live to 170. So I'm trying to 170? Yeah, I'm trying to. We'll see.
Speaker 3:All right, good luck yeah.
Speaker 2:That's, that's very cool. That is definitely the fastest moving segment in our industry, without a shadow of a doubt. Uh, the lighting, design of lighting, and then the control, to your point, the sort of the elegance, uh the, the mood, um, mood, um. You know it's funny. Forever I'd say it all the time, but forever you would go to a really, really nice restaurant, like a morton's or something, and you walk in and lighting is an enormous part of it. Obviously, food is an incredible part of it, but it's all like this one feeling and just all of it, right, and but yet you come home to these multi-million dollar homes and it well, you know, the lighting's terrible. So we're trying to change that, one home at a time.
Speaker 4:Yeah, lighting design is incredibly important inside and out.
Speaker 3:Inside and out.
Speaker 4:Absolutely yeah, because outdoor living is so big right now yeah, ever since covid right, ever since covid, that's right. Yeah, yeah, and not only the lighting, but you know, outdoor entertainment, you know like, like big right now, yeah, ever since COVID, right Ever since COVID. That's right. Yeah, and not only the lighting but outdoor entertainment. You know, like this new TV you were telling me about oh my gosh, that just folds up or folds out from.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's called the Transformer. Yeah, it's by a company called Stealth Acoustics, just Google Transformer. We'll put the link in there in the show notes. It's unbelievable. It is the coolest thing we're.
Speaker 4:we're working on one right now, so I'm excited to see that and one of my clients spent um. He says it's the most expensive dog door in the world, so he has this most expensive dog door, yeah, so he has this multi-slide sliding door from his great room out to his covered patio and when he's not home there's a sensor on the dog collar.
Speaker 2:The dog can walk up to the door and the door slides open to let him out.
Speaker 4:Yeah, to go outside to do his business and then he can come back to. The door opens to let him back in.
Speaker 2:And you know what's cool on that, that is, with proximity sensors. That's awesome, right. But you may have the dog that just like wants to go out, you know, and the door's opening and closing and opening goes, so you can actually set those things that he has to go back a certain number of times before now. Of course, you'll figure it out eventually, they're smart, but it'll it'll at least kind of, you know, minimize some of that yeah, that is so cool.
Speaker 2:It's super cool are uh going back to the the awards. Are there outdoor space awards too?
Speaker 4:yes, there are there.
Speaker 2:There are special feature awards okay, yes, we can special feature like the dog door yeah, yep, can be indoor, outdoor, or you know some design detail so give us like from either one of you from last year, like, or or just the last couple years that you remember. What is a really unique thing, that one that stood out, whether it's a house or a particular special thing. Is there anything that stood out?
Speaker 4:well, for for me, um, one of our homes won last year a new home design. It actually won a trifecta last year. It won a National American Residential Design Award, a State North Carolina Home Builders Stars Award and a Best of the Lake Design Competition Award. All three in one year, that's amazing.
Speaker 2:Thank you.
Speaker 4:The people that judge those I'm asking were different every in every case totally different, totally random, totally from any you know and had no idea you did it. Your name's not involved at all. I'm completely anonymous the whole time. That's pretty awesome.
Speaker 3:They have no clue and the judges are from different areas with their own committees, right, so they're in this world, so it's very fair judging it's just anonymous, absolutely they're not from around here, they're not around here oh, I know that house, I drove by it yeah, right
Speaker 4:they would have no clue, right, but they're familiar with.
Speaker 3:This is something that they do in their own state place, wherever too, yes, so yeah, they're they're involved in the industry in some way.
Speaker 2:Right, but in different parts of the united states and what brett in what he wants it in testament to this.
Speaker 1:So last year was again, was our first year being the media sponsor, and my wife and I went and we were sitting with jenny at the table, um, and she won probably four. How many awards did you win?
Speaker 4:Four or five? I think four.
Speaker 1:Four or five awards and based on all the criteria. I'm like this is insane. But it makes sense because if you've, as I've, met and got to know Jenny, she's one of the most sincere and just best communicators. So her whole approach is she's listening not only to the client but also she listens to you know what's going on Like. She's just very intuitive about things like what's going on in the environment and you know she's keyed into different environmental things and you know health issues and all these things that she takes into account when she's designing a home, which is next level.
Speaker 1:It goes way deeper than a lot of other designers or architects that I've ever dealt with in their process, cause we ask them to tell their stories all the time. She's she's peeling the onion back like nine layers deeper, which is it's crazy to me the level of detail and thought that goes into it. But that's why the end result it's a. It's a functional, functional house, but it's functional in every sense of the word. So it I don't care who you are looking at it. When it's in its setting it's it's like supposed to be there and that. That's where that's what's really cool, and I think that's why she keeps winning these things and I literally sat down like this thing's rigged, you're paying some people, you have to be like there's no way. But then when I really got looking at the criteria and all that stuff and just dealing with her and hearing her story, I know why she keeps winning.
Speaker 2:So it's not coincidence.
Speaker 2:No, it's not. When I was young, my dad used to tell me this story the difference between price and value. And forever I never understood it. And it seems like in most most, I would say more people are driven by price, like what something costs and not what something's worth. And so when you, when you, look at a home, there's the functionality of the home and there's the safety, and there's the familial thing and all that which the lion's share of I mean even track builders, build a product. That's that you know will suffice for that, but it's based on price and it's not what the value is. And my dad used to say as long as you get one dollar more in value than it costs you, then you got a good value.
Speaker 2:Um, and To do what you do, Jenny, and not just to pitch you to do what these builders and the folks that are involved here in the awards ceremony, the stuff that you're going to see is where people did take an enormous amount of time to think through. As you were saying, Brett, you know, peel back the onion to what really matters to people. How does it feel? You know hallway widths and lighting and how stairs look, and all that stuff has to come together and that is an that's an incredible talent to do that.
Speaker 4:Yeah, yeah, really digging into what it is that that is going to make them feel good. You know that they're. They're going to be happy in that home for a long time. What helps inspire them? What um enhances and helps them further their passions? Yeah all of those things are incredibly important and and just a month ago we entered the national american institute of building designs arda awards competition and we won four awards. Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, american Institute of Building Design's.
Speaker 2:ARDA Awards competition and we won four awards. Oh my goodness, oh my goodness.
Speaker 4:She's an awards magnet. We got three ARDAs and one grand ARDA.
Speaker 2:You need to stop because no one's going to come and you're intimidating.
Speaker 4:We're at 76 so far, wow.
Speaker 2:So this is the kind of thing that, whether you're a builder or or a designer, an architect or just a homeowner that it really is interested in design and in walking through homes, this is the kind of thing that you can experience and see what is truly a value difference, a value differentiator, uh, between between one product and another, and that's what's going to be on display at the Lake Norman Gala.
Speaker 4:Absolutely. Yeah, you can see what really stands out, what is not only what the judges liked, but what the community itself. Yeah, what do you like? Yeah, what is drawn to and what is the best in the industry, what's the best in the best. And and working with Brett to be able to promote that has been awesome to have him in in his magazine as our media sponsor. We're, the home builders association is super excited to be partnering with QC exclusive and for our second year in a row.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:We're super excited to go go year two and keep it going. Yeah, well, before we get out of here, andrew, when we have a little fun I know that we've done this with jenny once, but brett maybe things could change.
Speaker 3:Maybe things could change. Let's so every guest we have on. We like to know what's your jam. So who's your favorite band artist? You're a concert guy wow, okay.
Speaker 1:So as far as music goes, I'm a big fan, so I grew up in detroit, so a big motown fan, oh nice uh. When I was five my parents had those little yellow um the 45 holders oh yeah, it might be a little bit dated but there's a handle on them.
Speaker 1:You twist it and then the pot the top pops off. It was all motown stuff so it was like the, the jackson five and you know, the four top. So that's kind of my introduction into music. I used to play that on my little. Uh, it was like a fisher price, uh yeah record player absolutely yeah, um, and I still actually have those to this day.
Speaker 1:So I kind of got into like r&b and blues, um. But and then I actually I was with a band before I started the magazine so and sang a little bit of r&b and blues and funk, um. But I love, I've got two kids, so now I'm trying to expose them. Uh, my, my son's on an acdc kick right now.
Speaker 3:He just turned six.
Speaker 4:He's like dad put on some hype music.
Speaker 2:It's ACDC.
Speaker 1:Thanks, marvel movies, that's right.
Speaker 2:No.
Speaker 1:So um we're, we're big into music. We love, you know, playing music with dinner and all that stuff. Um, but I'm also into uh, you know, a lot of kids stuff. We're playing softball, we're doing baseball, so just enjoying that. My kids are six and nine, so now we're able to travel. They listen sometimes, so they're not going to run off. So we're going to Portugal and Sweden next year, so we're planning that. We're going for two weeks. My brother moved to Sweden.
Speaker 2:With the kids. We're going with the kids. Oh, wow, ok.
Speaker 1:We've been on a plane with them, I think once. So this is like the grand experiment. Um, so we're going to go to portugal for eight days and then we're going to go to sweden, to stockholm, for probably seven days.
Speaker 2:So we want, we want you checking back after that. We we got to hear how that goes. That is pretty uh. Portugal and sweden and sw Switzerland are definitely on our bucket list.
Speaker 4:So, that's pretty, jenny's giving a thumbs up Me too. Yeah, germany's on mine, me too.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Germany is too. Yeah, what about you, Jenny? Music concert experience, I know you did before, but not even.
Speaker 4:I love Marvel movies. Do you really want Marvel movies? I do.
Speaker 2:Yes. What's your favorite marvel? What's your favorite non-avenger marvel movie? Oh, not avengers, like you can have one avenger in it, but not like the avengers or endgame or age of ultron or yeah, would it be like iron man, or would it be uh? Yeah, do you Thor um you said you love them. I didn't mean to put you on the spot.
Speaker 4:I mean it no um, I do love Iron man yeah me that's.
Speaker 2:That's my go to. Yeah, I'm a huge Iron man fan but really all of them.
Speaker 4:That's Ant-Man, ant-man.
Speaker 2:Paul Rudd, if you're listening.
Speaker 3:In fact, if you're listening. In fact, if you're listening, you'll probably call in you're the first person ever to pick Ant-Man, alright, well, that's pretty good did you see the Deadpool?
Speaker 2:oh, the new one.
Speaker 4:I have not seen the new one yet. I heard it was really good.
Speaker 3:I heard it's raunchy too. I heard it was really good. I heard it's raunchy too. Yes, I heard that too.
Speaker 4:That's okay, I heard it was pretty raunchy. Oh my gosh, yeah, our new intern just went to see that and she said it was hilarious yeah.
Speaker 2:I actually just found out that Hugh Jackman is a year older than me. Which, yeah, which I'm going. Oh man, I'm going to call his trainer. I can. Which I'm going, oh man, got to call his trainer. Can't afford his trainer.
Speaker 3:But dang come on, 56 years old, he had a little PCS on his arm.
Speaker 2:I don't know anything about that, Andrew. Well, before we get out of here, is there anything else that we missed? Is there anything else you'd like to? We didn't really talk about the magazine a ton, so why don't you give us a little pitch on that, Brett?
Speaker 1:Sure, sure, anything you want. So, yeah, qc Exclusive has been my baby. We started 11 years ago. Like I said, we had our 100th issue. That's kind of been the flagship. Through that we've gotten relationships with builders, designers, restaurateurs, et cetera, and we've since kind of evolved into an agency. So we are doing, we're helping with everything from social media management to content development, whether it's writing, seo, short form video, etc. So we're we're kind of now taking our experience with the magazine, creating our own content and websites and social media channels, and now helping others do that. Builders are great because, you know, most of them are amazing builders. They know what they're doing, they love it, but they don't know two things about social media.
Speaker 1:Sure they want to but they know it's important, so that's something that just we're doing anyway. So as far as, like the copywriting and you know just um, just kind of selecting photos, what's going to work, we've kind of got that down. So that's been great because they can continue doing what they're doing and we do what we're doing and you know it's a, it's a good synergy, um, but yeah, I mean it's how do people get in touch with you if they'd like to reach out?
Speaker 1:So I mean they can reach me at brett, at qcexclusivecom is my email, and that's a good way to get a hold of me. And we love to help people in the design industry to really kind of connect with an audience, because there's so many talented people out there and they don't even know how to put it out there or package it, and you know that's something that we help with and that's something that we kind of do. We love to, you know, discover gems or things that people are going to want to see.
Speaker 1:So I mean it's a lot of fun and you know, please reach out.
Speaker 2:Website, instagram, anything like that, yeah, at.
Speaker 1:QC Exclusive. Also, we started a travel and tourism uh brand called discover the carolinas. So we're on tiktok uh instagram as well. We also have a website, discover the carolinascom. We work a lot of tourism boards and we're basically a connection for people that are, you know, wanting to get out um go somewhere, explore north or south carolina. We tell them where to go. You know, h hikes to do, where to stay.
Speaker 2:We do.
Speaker 1:Airbnb reviews. So, yeah, that's been a lot of fun too.
Speaker 2:And Andrew will capture all of that and we'll make sure that's in the show notes. Absolutely, and what about you, jenny? Anything you'd like to add?
Speaker 4:Well, yeah, Brett has really done a great job in promoting my company, Pippin Home Designs, as well as promoting the Lake Norman Home Builders Best of the Lake competition winners over the years since our first media partnership last year and their social media is phenomenal, as well as the publication Love that Nice plug no-transcript.
Speaker 2:But just because I don't think we touched on it, that ticket you go to the gala and what can they expect for the night? Just a quick you know. Is it a dinner? Is it just the award, like what's involved? When do they show up? How long is it typically? Just a quick elevator on that.
Speaker 4:I think we start around 5 5 30 in the afternoon and, um, it's around 200 people, generally somewhere around 200 to 200 225, and we have some drinks, appetizers and dinner and then we have an mc that will then bring up the different winners and have a lot of fun during the evening is bill gallagher gonna mc again?
Speaker 1:I believe that he's on tap to do that is that the mc um, even if he doesn't do it next year, bill gallagher he might might have heard him from superior school of real estate. He actually was my instructor at superior school of real estate. He's one of the funniest, most entertaining human beings on the planet, and I mean the commentary that he puts into the description to these homes is like other other level. It's hilarious.
Speaker 1:I was smacking the table and in tears. This guy talk about these homes. So it's as much entertainment as it is. You know design.
Speaker 2:So it wasn't that you couldn't get Jimmy Kimmel, it was that you would rather not.
Speaker 1:Honestly he's. He's far funnier than Jimmy Kimmel, and I'll go to my grave with that.
Speaker 2:No offense, Jimmy, if you're listening.
Speaker 1:He's funnier than Jimmy Kimmel.
Speaker 4:And the venue is the venues at Langtree and it's decorated beautifully and you get the big screen with pictures and video of the awards and, of course, everybody's dressed up Dressed to the nines.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's really a fun evening.
Speaker 2:Just a fun night out.
Speaker 4:A really fun evening yeah, very cool.
Speaker 2:We'll make sure we get all that in the show notes. You guys have been awesome. Thank you so much, jenny, for coming back, of course.
Speaker 3:Happy birthday. Thank you, yes, happy birthday. Happy birthday, brett. Happy birthday.
Speaker 2:Brett, thank you, you were a blast. Thanks for coming in and we'll take it from here, andrew.
Speaker 4:All right, we appreciate the opportunity.
Speaker 3:Thank you.
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