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For the Love of Here is a podcast about Dalton, Georgia and life across Northwest Georgia—from local businesses and entrepreneurship to community leadership and hometown pride.
Hosts Erika Mosteller and Lauren Sneary sit down with founders, civic leaders, creatives, and neighbors from Dalton, Chatsworth, Ringgold, and Calhoun to talk about the ideas, challenges, and opportunities shaping our region.
If you care about small-town business, local culture, economic growth, and building a life where you live, this podcast is for you.
Because you don’t need a bigger city. You just need a better lens.
Produced by Here Local Media.
Ep13
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Welcome And Guest Intro
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[00:00:00]
Lauren Sneary: Well, hello, everyone, and welcome back to the Love Of Here Podcast featuring great stories from northwest Georgia. Erica, you look great today. How are you doing?
Erika Mosteller: I'm doing great, Lauren. I'm excited to be here with our guest, who I think a lot of people know, and I think she has a great story that maybe not everybody knows.
Yeah. So, yeah.
Lauren Sneary: Okay. Well, I'll go ahead and introduce her then. So we have Janie Hayes with us today, and Janie, you know, came across our radar as a great podcast guest because she's been so engaged in our community in so many different ways. She spent some [00:01:00] time with the chamber of commerce and, ~and ~kind of saw our community from that lens, and she has become an entrepreneur times two.
So started a business and then very quickly was like, "I apparently love starting businesses," started another one. ~So, um,~ all while, you know, raising a family in Dalton. So Janie, thank you for being here, and we can't wait to hear more about your Dalton story.
Janie Hayes: I'm excited to be here. Yeah. Thank you.
Lauren Sneary: ~Um,~
Moving To Dalton
---
Lauren Sneary: the way that we always get started is just kind of how did you get here?
So either, you know, what brought you to Dalton, or were you originally from Dalton? Can you just kinda tell us- Yeah ... how did we get here to where we are today?
Janie Hayes: Yeah. So not from Dalton, from south of Nashville in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. ~Um,~ born and raised, and then in college I met my husband. He, ~um,~ went to school at MTSU, Middle Tennessee State, and we met early on in college.
We're best friends and then fell in love, and we wanted to plant roots somewhere, and this is where he was born and raised. ~Oh, okay. He's a,~ he's a Daltonian. ~Um,~ lived in Rocky Face his whole life, and he was shocked by it, but I was like, "Can we move there?" ~Um-~ Oh, so it was you ... it was me. Oh, cool. [00:02:00] I needed a change of scenery, had never left home.
~Um,~ but I didn't wanna leave home or be too far from home. ~Um,~ and his family is just the salt of the earth, and I was like, "Let's go closer to them and see how we feel," and now we'll never leave.
Lauren Sneary: Oh. Did he have, like, reservations about Dalton or warnings? Was he like, you know, "Here's what... There's just no
Janie Hayes: restaurants"-
Lauren Sneary: Definitely
or whatever?
Janie Hayes: We still
Lauren Sneary: Always with the
Janie Hayes: food, right? There was... Yes. There was a little bit of that, but ~um,~ we still see people and they're like, "You live here?" Like, just kind of shocked that he came back definitely, but, ~um,~ we have not doubted it since. Oh, that's awesome. So that was the summer of tw- 2023, ~so.~
Lauren Sneary: Okay.
Finding Home In Patterson Farms
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Lauren Sneary: That's funny 'cause that's a question we typically ask kind of later in the podcast- Yeah ... which is, once you ~kind of~ put your roots in Dalton, have you ever thought about leaving again? And you kinda were like, "No from the outset."
Janie Hayes: No. No, not, no. We've definitely, ~um- Not W-~ we travel a lot, so there's- Yeah
of course any time we leave we're like, "Ah, let's check Zillow." Like n- ... na- naturally. ~Um,~ but never seriously. We just love our neighborhood, we [00:03:00] love, ~um,~ downtown, we love our family. We just couldn't love it more, really.
Erika Mosteller: And you're in Patterson Farms, which I also think is cool 'cause that's kind of like ~a, an,~ a new evolution in Dalton for, like, a work, live, play type environment, so- Really.
Was
Janie Hayes: a huge selling point for moving here, honestly. Oh. ~Um,~ if it weren't for that neighborhood, I don't know if we'd be here, ~so.~
Lauren Sneary: Really? Yeah. 'Cause I was kind of thinking that it was your work with the Chamber that ~kind of~ exposed you to Patterson Farms, 'cause I know, believe Greater Dalton- Yeah ... was kind of involved.
Janie Hayes: No, that came after. We-
Lauren Sneary: Interesting ...
Janie Hayes: yeah, we were looking around Dalton, and obviously where I'm from, south of Nashville, was really growing, so the price range that the Patterson Farms townhomes were in, I was like, "Oh, I haven't seen that number in a really long time."
Erika Mosteller: Yeah, Nashville's a little bit of a different-
Janie Hayes: So-
Erika Mosteller: housing market.
Janie Hayes: Yeah. And my dad's a realtor, and he was so helpful, ~um,~ during the process. But we, yeah, the townhomes really, ~um,~ made it a low barrier to entry, and we, ~um,~ we knew we wanted to buy a home, so, ~um,~ it just worked out. Yeah. And then I actually took a month [00:04:00] off when we moved here and that, and then, ~um,~ saw the Chamber opportunity, or someone sent it to Carter, ~so.~
That's awesome. Yeah, the Chamber came after.
Lauren Sneary: Okay.
Erika Mosteller: Oh. I didn't
Janie Hayes: know that either. Yeah.
Chamber Sparked Entrepreneurship
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Lauren Sneary: I was wondering about your, you know, career trajectory and how you landed- Uh-huh ... at the Cham- at the
Janie Hayes: Chamber. Mm-hmm.
Erika Mosteller: So did you always know you wanted to be an entrepreneur? It sounds like your dad has some entrepreneurial aspirations- Yes
and experience. Um, yeah. Or did the Chamber kind of expose you to that?
Janie Hayes: Oh, ~uh,~ I would say 20% just naturally have always talked about it, always dreamt about it, ~um,~ but probably 80% confidence-wise came from the Chamber.
Erika Mosteller: That's awesome. Yeah, that's
Janie Hayes: awesome. And just meeting other entrepreneurs and, ~um,~ just the nature of Dalton in general really.
~Um- ~
Erika Mosteller: ~Yeah. Uh,~ Dalton is a phenomenal market for entrepreneurs.
Janie Hayes: It's so, ~like,~ unbecoming. ~You wouldn't,~ you wouldn't know, but, ~like,~ where I'm from, it's chain after chain after chain. Mm-hmm. And here it's mom and pop after mom and pop, and I'd never really seen that before, ~so.~
Erika Mosteller: Yeah, and it's, there's a very strong sense of let's embrace and support these businesses- Yeah
when they start.
Janie Hayes: 1,000%.
Erika Mosteller: Which is different from where I came from too.
Janie Hayes: Yeah. And
Erika Mosteller: I've- And it's very unique to Dalton.
Janie Hayes: Yeah, and that's been my personal experience is [00:05:00] just being uplifted and supported, ~so.~
Erika Mosteller: Yeah,
Janie Hayes: yeah, yeah.
Erika Mosteller: So tell us about your
Janie Hayes: businesses. Yeah, do you wanna get to that story? Yes. Yeah.
Nickel And Hops Origin
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Janie Hayes: Um, so the first one came the fall of last year. actually it would've been, July would've been a year ago that we bought the trailer. Oh, happy one year. Thanks. ~Um,~ and it's been a fun, crazy year. But-
Lauren Sneary: Okay, so tell the audience what is that business?
Janie Hayes: Okay. So the first brainchild is Nickel & Hops, ~um,~ which is our beverage trailer, ~um,~ mobile services, ~um,~ mocktails, teas, coffee, dirty sodas. ~Um,~ and that came actually through Patterson Farms. My neighbor moved in- next door. ~Um,~ and I was on maternity leave, and she moved in, and we just, ~um,~ hit it off. And we joke, we don't know if we became business partners first or best friends, but it was kind of at the same time.
~Um,~ but I sent her a TikTok of another coffee trailer and said, "Ready, set, quit our day jobs," was my
Lauren Sneary: That's so cute.
Janie Hayes: Yes. I quit mine. We're working on hers, but- ~Um,~ but that's how it started. We... I don't know the time between that text and buying the trailer, but [00:06:00] we just started shopping, and there was this couple in Alabama that was, ~um,~ building out trailers ~for,~ for food service, and we went to the lot.
And that's when the tariffs started really ramping up, so they were like, "We're not buying more. ~Um,~ it's too, too expensive and just too unknown." So kind of like hurry, now or never. Yeah. Right. ~Um,~ so our little green trailer was on the lot, and we left with it. Oh, it's so cute. So
Erika Mosteller: cute. So if y'all haven't seen this, follow them on Instagram.
It's @nickelandhops. Mm-hmm. It is.
Janie Hayes: Nickel and hops. Those are our maiden names, Nickel and
Lauren Sneary: Hops.
Erika Mosteller: Okay. Nickel and Hoover. I was wondering where the name came from. Yeah, it's so perfect. Oh, thank you. Okay. It is so perfect. Yeah. And I love the cute green- Mm-hmm ... and the little flag.
Janie Hayes: Stands out, but it's not too much.
Lauren Sneary: We drive by- Right ... where it's parked on the way to school- Mm-hmm ... and Avery is obsessed with it. Oh. And when it's not there she's like, "Where is it?"
Erika Mosteller: Oh.
Lauren Sneary: I'm like, "They're probably out serving people drinks." That's
Erika Mosteller: right.
Mocktails And Event Vibes
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Erika Mosteller: And I'm so curious about the idea behind it because, you know, when you look at trends, ~um,~ there is a trend for non-alcoholic beverages that are on the rise, and there are a lot of people- Totally
particularly under age 35, who [00:07:00] are choosing not-
Janie Hayes: Mm-hmm ...
Erika Mosteller: to drink alcohol. So did that inform you guys, or do you just, like, love these kind of drinks, or?
Janie Hayes: Yeah, we just love them. And we do offer bartending services as well. But really, ~um, the,~ the mocktail market has been really fun- Yeah ... because people who don't drink alcohol deserve a fun beverage, too.
Like- Yeah ... it just adds to any event. ~Um,~ so really that wasn't part of the initial business plan, but it very much is so now.
Erika Mosteller: Yeah.
Janie Hayes: Yeah.
Erika Mosteller: Okay. I didn't realize y'all did bartending too. That's great.
Lauren Sneary: Yeah.
Janie Hayes: Yeah.
Launching Studio Bend
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Lauren Sneary: And then this is the part that really blows my mind. You started this business. It's really, it's doing great.
You guys are awesome, and then you're like, "I'm gonna start another one." I
Janie Hayes: got the itch.
Lauren Sneary: Tell me about it.
Janie Hayes: I had to scratch it. ~Um,~ that one- Oh, was much more spontaneous. Um- Did he? Yes. '
Lauren Sneary: Cause it seems like it would require actually more logistics. Uh-huh.
Janie Hayes: No way.
Lauren Sneary: So this is Studio Bend for our audience.
Janie Hayes: Yes, Studio Bend, ~um,~ Pilates and yoga downtown.
~Um,~ this one, no, even lower barrier to entry because- Oh ... food service just has a lot more hoops.
Erika Mosteller: Mm.
Janie Hayes: ~Um-~
Erika Mosteller: Like certifications
Janie Hayes: [00:08:00] and-
Erika Mosteller: Yes ... yes.
Janie Hayes: Yes. Uh-huh. Whereas with Bend, we went to City Hall and got a piece of paper, and we were like, "Is this it?" Like um- Is this all we need? Yes.
Lauren Sneary: Same business partner.
Janie Hayes: Same business partner.
Okay. ~Um,~ same structure. ~Um,~ we're in it together, so which is just so fun to do both- Yeah ... ~um,~ to share a brain with someone.
Erika Mosteller: Right.
Janie Hayes: ~Um,~ but yeah, Bend came later. I just knew I loved owning a business obviously, so that's the hard part, and then I, we had neighbors driving, ~um,~ towns over to take a Pilates class, and I thought, "Why, like why not here?
~Why,~ why is this option not here?" Mm. And now it, it is. I
Lauren Sneary: know you guys led the Pilates revolution in Wichita. Yeah, right. Now there's a ton of them, yeah.
Janie Hayes: Well, what's so fun, three of us opened at the same time. There's a Lagree studio, and then one with, ~um,~ reformers and heated mat, and we all opened at the same time, and, ~um,~ it's been awesome.
But they're all a little bit different, which I think is cool. They're all a little bit different, and variety and options are so important, so, ~um,~ honestly, that's been such a fun part of-
Lauren Sneary: Mm-hmm ...
Janie Hayes: ~um,~ just the business in general. Um-
Lauren Sneary: That's [00:09:00] such a lovely way to look at it ~as,~ as not a competition, but as a- Yeah
as an uplift overall for- Totally ... the community. I
Janie Hayes: just like that. And yeah, and I think it's sweet for each individual business that the people coming to us, I mean, likely have tried the others, and it's just you go where you're comfortable. Right. And if they're not comfortable with us, they're comfortable somewhere else.
Or, I mean, they can just go outside and move, too. It doesn't have to be a Pilates studio, so. Right. The options are fun because the people who are choosing to show up at our business every day know there are options and still-
Erika Mosteller: Right ...
Janie Hayes: show up, ~so.~
Community Inside The Studio
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Erika Mosteller: So I actually took my first class at Studio Bend, I don't know, maybe it was like a month ago.
I texted you after I took it because I got emotional, which is not all that uncommon for me in really beautiful moments, but it was such a beautiful moment because it's this ... Your space is gorgeous. You just have evidently beautiful taste 'cause I, I love- Yes. We love the color of your little cart. It's very calming.
Lauren Sneary: So sweet.
Erika Mosteller: And then I go into the Studio Bend. I had been there before for a member mixer, which y'all are so great about inviting people from the community in- Yeah, that was so fun ... and like hosting it. So fun. ~Um,~ or women's [00:10:00] coffee, I think. It
Lauren Sneary: was so packed.
Erika Mosteller: It was, yeah, we couldn't fit. I've never
Lauren Sneary: seen so many women in
Erika Mosteller: one place.
Lauren Sneary: I know. Let's
Erika Mosteller: do it again. That's right. But, ~um,~ it's just beautiful and calming, and I walk in and there's like free tomatoes on the table, and it was like, "Please take one." So I did. I had tomato sandwich for dinner that night after my class. But it was, it was all women, which I don't think it has to be, but in that particular class it was, and we're all encouraging one another, and like- helping clean mats together.
I don't know. It was just really beautiful. You've created this really beautiful welcoming space for everybody. Thank
Janie Hayes: you.
Erika Mosteller: And ~I,~ I, just those moments of connection and community just make me get emotional- Yeah ...
Janie Hayes: because
Erika Mosteller: that's what life is about.
Janie Hayes: They're so important. Yeah. The space for gathering, to me, is far more important than the workout itself.
Yeah.
Balancing Business And Motherhood
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Lauren Sneary: And as we were getting ready for that women's event that we just mentioned, I remember I walked into the back and, ~um,~ you were putting up the mats so that we had space to stand, and your son was just kind of frolicking- Mm-hmm ... through the space.
Janie Hayes: As he does.
Lauren Sneary: ~Um,~ and it, you know, just made me think about the [00:11:00] flexibility or the, ~the ~space that you've carved out for managing both business ownership and raising a family, and figuring out what works for you.
Janie Hayes: Mm-hmm.
Lauren Sneary: So could you speak a little bit about that, what it's been like raising a family in Dalton, being a business owner, you know, the challenges-
Janie Hayes: Yeah ...
Lauren Sneary: that you've seen there? I think hopefully a lot of our listeners can find that, you know, very relevant.
Janie Hayes: Yeah. I will say every single day is different. ~Um,~ I forget, maybe it was Phyllis Stevens that talked to me about, like, prioritizing things when I worked at the chamber, ~um,~ and, like, work-life balance, but, ~um,~ you're gonna balance all of these things, and the balance is not gonna be the same every day.
~Mm. Um,~ and that's definitely true. My husband travels for a living, so there's also a lot of solo parenting in there, ~um,~ which I feel like I'm solo parenting three kids now, a toddler and two businesses. Wow. Um, so it's not all the time, but when it does happen, I just ... There's a lot of grace in there. ~Mm. Um,~ and there's grace from my team, my customers, my business partner, and, ~um,~ where there's not grace, I don't really go anymore 'cause I need it.
Yeah. ~It's,~ it's a lot.
Erika Mosteller: Yeah, and we have that [00:12:00] choice, right?
Janie Hayes: Yes.
Erika Mosteller: For sure. Like, we can choose where we put ourselves and where we choose to spend our time- 1,000% ... and our energy. Yeah.
Janie Hayes: And that's where the entrepreneurship really came from because I needed a little give. Like, there's a lot of comfort in the nine-to-five and a paycheck, but it just wasn't working for us anymore.
~Um-~ I needed to, I don't know. ~ c-~ I had to clock in at my own time because I do have a toddler, ~and, um,~ and my husband is gone for work, and there's just a lot of moving parts, so- Yeah ...
Erika Mosteller: um- And I'm sure when he's home, y'all wanna really concentrate that time
Janie Hayes: together. Yes, and that's really extended probably his life on the road because whenever he's home, ~um,~ he just comes to work with me, and we have a lot more time together, which time is everything, so- Mm-hmm.
Lauren Sneary: Yeah. Yeah. Wow, time is everything.
Erika Mosteller: Yeah. It's
Janie Hayes: everything. Yeah.
Erika Mosteller: Yeah.
Loss Changed Her View Of Time
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Erika Mosteller: So before we started today, we were kinda getting to know Janie a little bit better, and I did not realize, and she did open up this conversation, but this idea about time and this, this view of time and spending time with the people you love sounds like you've had some experiences in the past- Yeah
several years that have helped you kind of [00:13:00] refocus, ~um,~ your time and priorities- Definitely ... um, with some loss- Yeah ... in your life. So I would love to hear kinda the lessons you've learned from that and however- Yeah ... much you wanna share with us.
Janie Hayes: Yeah, definitely. ~Um,~ my outlook on time changed a lot when I was 21, ~um,~ when my oldest brother passed away.
I was living in Murfreesboro at the time. ~Um,~ and ~the...~ He was sick, so it wasn't the most unexpected thing, but you still just think your oldest brother- Mm ... will live forever. Mm-hmm. So that definitely, ~um...~ I don't know. You change after that, and luckily it was in a good way. ~Um,~ it impacted me a lot. ~Um,~ and yeah, time has looked different ever since.
~Um,~ and then as time went on just- loss after loss. Then it was my other oldest brother. I've lost two, and then my dad. ~Um,~ those were recent, when I was pregnant with, ~um,~ my two-year-old. So yeah, time is, like I said, it's everything. And it's- valuable, and you can't get it back. So I use it wisely, and I use it on what I love, which is right now being a mom and owning a business.
[00:14:00] And, ~um,~ yeah, so time, I just can't talk enough about it. Yeah. It's ... I don't- I'm an entrepreneur. I don't make a paycheck right now, but I have time. Right. And that means everything, and that's such a privilege that I can, ~um,~ think of time as the most valuable thing when, and still have a roof over my head, you know?
~So.~
Erika Mosteller: Yeah, and ~I, um, ~Lauren and I have talked about this a lot, like how when we look at jobs or careers or our professional aspirations, like oftentimes we think about the dollar sign- Mm-hmm ... because, you know, there are real life implications behind- Yes ... those dollar signs. Yeah. Yes. And, you know, ~um,~ breadwinning for your family and- Yeah
and all these things that you have to consider, but that there are other ways to measure value- Wealth ... and wealth- Yes. Yeah ... aside from just- Yes ... the dollars, and it sounds like you learned that lesson earlier than a lot of people-
Janie Hayes: Yeah ...
Erika Mosteller: which is awesome. Yeah. I wish I had learned it early.
Lauren Sneary: I feel so lucky.
And have carried that with grace- Yeah ... in conversations like this. Yeah. So thank you so much.
Janie Hayes: Yeah. Yeah. I feel like the richest person alive. Oh. Yeah. And I don't have a paycheck anymore.
Erika Mosteller: Yeah.
Lauren Sneary: That is so moving.
Erika Mosteller: I know. [00:15:00] Yeah, my friend- my kids sometimes will talk about, ~you know,~ being rich, you know, and ~I,~ I always tell them in the United States most people are rich compared to the rest of the world.
Yes. You know, when we look at it. It is
Lauren Sneary: all relative.
Erika Mosteller: It is relative. Totally, in all
Lauren Sneary: of those spaces.
Erika Mosteller: Right. Yeah. ~And,~ and so sometimes we have to kind of have that perspective, but I also have started telling them, and it's so sweet to hear their little voices repeat it, like, "Well, like we're rich in friends," or, "We're rich in family," or, "We're rich in experiences"- It's so true
or, "We're rich in what- Yes ... you know, it's not just money. ~Um,~ and that's just, like been a paradigm shift for me. That's been helpful.
Janie Hayes: Yeah.
Erika Mosteller: Yeah.
Janie Hayes: It's so relevant.
Erika Mosteller: It is. Yeah. I know. Well, I'm sorry for your loss. Thank
Janie Hayes: you.
Erika Mosteller: And it seems like you are memorializing them beautifully.
Janie Hayes: Yes.
Erika Mosteller: We're learning to do that in our family, too.
Yeah. So- It's the
Janie Hayes: best
Erika Mosteller: thing you can do ... I'll take all the tips.
Janie Hayes: Yeah. Totally. Yeah.
Erika Mosteller: Yeah.
Janie Hayes: It's a practice every day. It
Erika Mosteller: is.
Getting Into Pilates As Owner
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Erika Mosteller: Okay, so speaking of everyday practices, I wanna hear, were you like into Pilates and yoga before you opened Studio Bend, or is this like
Janie Hayes: a new-
Erika Mosteller: Um,
Janie Hayes: absolutely not. [00:16:00] No, absolutely not. Are
Erika Mosteller: you now?
Janie Hayes: Yeah, well, I'm starting to. I love taking classes. I've just, I just took one yesterday and the day before and I just said to Carter, "When's the last time I took class two days in a row?" ~Um,~ but I'm starting to. Whenever, at the beginning it was hard because I, such an important piece of it is relaxing and turning your brain off and- Mm.
With 11- I need to try it.
Erika Mosteller: Right.
Janie Hayes: Yeah. But when you're doing that with customers-
Erika Mosteller: Right ...
Janie Hayes: it's so hard.
Erika Mosteller: You're playing two roles.
Janie Hayes: Yes. I'm like, "Is everyone having fun? Is everyone comfortable?" It, like, I could not, it was more stressful. Right. Um, and then a fun part of not, the industry was already here in small facets, but of adding an industry to town is that our instructors, there weren't a ton of certifications going around, 'cause no one had anywhere to teach.
Lauren Sneary: Mm-hmm.
Janie Hayes: ~Um,~ especially in the younger, ~um,~ generation. ~Um,~ so our instructors were learning and our customers were learning. Everyone was just kind of [00:17:00] learning and getting the Pilates groove together. Right. So that was really fun, but my instructors, a lot of them were brand new, so it was nerve-wracking for them to have me in here, and little did they know that-
Lauren Sneary: You're like, "I
Janie Hayes: am-" They know way more than me.
Right. I am your boss, but only- Yes ... from the
Lauren Sneary: business
Janie Hayes: perspective. Yes. Totally. ~I will, um,~ I'm just the janitor, ~so.~
Lauren Sneary: That's, I just love ~the, um,~ the lens that you have on all of these things that you could view as a challenge. Yeah. And you view it as instead as, you know, a building opportunity- Yeah ... as something that was fun.
~I, I just,~ I mean, Erika and I talk a lot about looking through, looking at things with the right lens- Right ... or a different lens. Right. Because you can see the good or bad in almost anything. Right.
Pilates Philosophy
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Lauren Sneary: So I just really appreciate that energy. Yeah. It's really nice.
Janie Hayes: Of course, yeah. And it's, yeah, it's so important.
And I'm like, every day there's, on paper is it crazy that I wasn't taking Pilates classes? Yes. But now that I'm inundated with Pilates information, I'm like, everyone has a different opinion anyways. There's no right way. Mm-hmm. Which is so [00:18:00] fun because it allows for variety and I don't have a ton of bias.
My instructors have their own creative freedom and it's their own practice and I don't have a lot of say because- Right ... they are the ones doing it. Yeah. It's their, their class, ~so.~
Social Media Magic
---
Erika Mosteller: So I wanna talk to you about your marketing because your Instagrams are such fun follows. They are. Everyone should be following, ~um...~
Is it @studiobend? Uh,
Janie Hayes: thestudio.bend.
Erika Mosteller: Okay, @thestudio.bend.
Janie Hayes: And then- If you have The Studio Bend Instagram, message me. Yeah.
Lauren Sneary: Oh, somebody has
Erika Mosteller: it. Yeah. Janie's interested. Yeah. You're not the first guest who has actually had that problem. Yeah.
Janie Hayes: Yeah, that's true.
Erika Mosteller: So, ~um,~ but tell me about your... Like, you're just fun. Ah.
It's just fun and people-focused and- Thank you ... relatable, you know? Yeah. Like, I would love to kinda hear, is it kinda spur of the moment? Do y'all plan it out?
Janie Hayes: No, it is... I would love to learn how to plan it out. It is- Well, it's
Erika Mosteller: working for you, whatever you're doing, so. Ah,
Janie Hayes: thank you. It is very much wake up, I need to post what's on my mind.
~What could I take... It's just, um-~ Yeah, that's been really fun. And I give [00:19:00] so much credit to people that do social media for a living- Mm-hmm ... whether personally or for a business, because it is hard. ~Um,~ and I'm still learning every day. ~But I,~ yeah, it's a lot of just my own personal touch. As much as I can highlight the business through it, I just, that's all I know, is to do what I like and reflect the business as well as I can.
And it
Lauren Sneary: just, it's authentic that way. Mm-hmm. Yes. And that, that authenticity, I think, is one of the most powerful marketing tools that you have. Yeah.
Erika Mosteller: And- And we really appreciate how you often sneak your Here magazine into the photos.
Lauren Sneary: Oh, my
Janie Hayes: gosh. Thank you. I'm obsessed with that. I know. I love it. I need the newest issue in there.
Erika Mosteller: Oh. Yes. I know, we need to make sure you get some-
Lauren Sneary: Um- ... before you leave ... I might still have one there. That's
Erika Mosteller: right, yeah.
Designing the Space
---
Janie Hayes: But it's also been fun because it helps me perfect the canvas itself. Like, if I can't photograph it, if it's not worth marketing, then I wanna change it.
Right. So it's also helped me, ~um,~ really tailor the business itself. Um- Like the
Erika Mosteller: aesthetic that
Janie Hayes: you're going for.
Erika Mosteller: Yes.
Janie Hayes: Yeah. Totally.
Erika Mosteller: Yeah. Did y'all put the floors in there, or are they new?
Janie Hayes: They are new. I
Erika Mosteller: mean, or were they there?
Janie Hayes: They were not there. There was, ~um,~ flooring in there that we [00:20:00] pulled out, ~um,~ in the front for the exposed concrete, and we, ~um,~ just lived with it for a second.
And then just as Dalton does, we were connected with, ~um,~ a actually soon-to-be instructor. Her name is Brit Dasha. She will-
Erika Mosteller: Okay, I thought they were Canopy. Are they
Janie Hayes: Canopy? Yes, they're Canopy. Okay. Yes. Yeah. So she'll start teaching in September- Yes ... so she's been in the building a lot, and she actually, ~um,~ posted Canopy Flooring, and I responded and was like, "Give me 10 of 'em right now"- Right
or something. And, ~um,~ she was like, "Do you need flooring, actually?" And it just snowballed. Yeah. And-
Erika Mosteller: I
Lauren Sneary: love the
Janie Hayes: sound.
Erika Mosteller: Yeah. I know, right?
Janie Hayes: It's the best.
Erika Mosteller: But I really... Okay, so shout-out to Canopy, who actually advertise with us in our home- Yeah ... issue, homes issue. And I spend a lot of time editing those pages, and so I, I thought I recognized them- Yes
which is so funny, 'cause I think they use that same flooring. It's like this beautiful, ~um,~ pattern. Like, it's like diamonds. Yeah. And it's like white and- It's
Janie Hayes: like a checkered-
Erika Mosteller: Yeah ... like tile- And, um- ... with
Janie Hayes: random diamond ...
Erika Mosteller: right. It's really beautiful. Yeah. But I was like, "I recognize this"-
Janie Hayes: Yes ... "
Erika Mosteller: [00:21:00] from their ad"- They are the best
"in the March issue."
Janie Hayes: Yes, they're Canopy. They were such great partners. ~Um,~ and it just changed the space-
Erika Mosteller: Yeah ...
Janie Hayes: entirely.
Erika Mosteller: Yeah. ~So. So the,~
Gathering Women Together
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Erika Mosteller: I would love to hear, and then we can actually get into, like, Dalton questions. Okay. But my last question for you is I feel like you really have a gift for gathering people and for creating experiences, ~um,~ where people feel welcomed, like, to be authentically who they are, to celebrate one another, to lift one another up.
And I would just, ~do you,~ do you know that about yourself? And also, like, how do you cultivate that?
Janie Hayes: Yeah. ~I, um-~ I'm trying to think. ~What's so,~ what's so funny is I actually don't see myself as a host at all. Like, I love to send the invite and make everyone feel welcome, and then the second everyone's in the building, I want to hide 'cause I, I just- I get that
once they get there, I'm like, "Oh, no, what do I do with my hands?" ~Um-~ So no, actually, that is Claire's strength. So I guess I just dream up the space, and then once people show up, I'm like, "Oh, my gosh, I actually have to- Yeah ... host."
Erika Mosteller: And then that's where your business partner, Claire, comes
Janie Hayes: in. Yes. Yeah. Which is awesome.
Yes.
Erika Mosteller: Talent.
Janie Hayes: Yes. Knowing your weaknesses, I guess, is the most important part. [00:22:00] Right. But no, I think gathering is so, so important. ~Um- I mean,~ time is valuable and who you spend your time with, ~uh,~ more so is so important. ~So, um, no,~ I love my people and I love meeting new people. ~Um,~ and there's a lot of good people in Dalton to me.
Mm. ~I,~ I said this at the chamber, and it's probably led to Bend now, but Dalton has the coolest women in the world. Like, obviously I'm biased, and that can be true of anywhere, but I am impressed every day with the women in Dalton, and they make it easy to gather 'cause I just meet so many cool ones, and I'm like, "I want everyone together all the time."
~Um,~ but you don't see that a lot. There's a lot of... For such a small town, there's a lot of really cool women who don't know about the others. Mm.
Erika Mosteller: ~So.~
Lauren Sneary: Interesting.
Janie Hayes: Yeah. Yeah,
Erika Mosteller: I know. ~We,~ we share some of the sentiment.
Lauren Sneary: Erika has that same sense ~and, and,~ and has, you know, we've batted around ideas about how to make that happen- I know
so that we can do it. Yeah.
Erika Mosteller: Yeah. I need everybody together. Partnership with Studio Bend. Yes. Yes. But honestly, I think part of it is what you're talking about. It's like all of these women who are [00:23:00] brilliant and visionary and innovative, but they're doing so many things. Yes. And so I think it's just a capacity thing.
Yeah. Oh, totally. Like, we love getting together, but my gosh, when do you have time?
Lauren Sneary: Right. What a fantastic point. Yeah. Capacity is- Spread thin for sure. Right.
Erika Mosteller: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So-
Lauren Sneary: Comes back to the time as a resource- Right ... and, and time as an asset- I know ... conversation. I know. Yeah.
How to Find Them
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Lauren Sneary: Well, again, we're gonna, ~um,~ we want to talk about all the Dalton things, but just real quickly since we've just really done a deep dive on your businesses- Mm-hmm
how do you want people to engage with Nickel & Hopps, with the Studio Bend? You know, do you want people to check out your socials? Do you want people to come in the door? Yeah. Just tell us about how you want people to find you.
Janie Hayes: ~Um,~ both would be different. Nickel is harder because it's not consistent. ~Um-~ Although, will y'all be at festival this year?
Soon. We... No, because we will be- Yes or no? ... at a pumpkin patch for nine weekends. Fun. Um, Freeman Springs Farm in Rocky Face, ~um,~ they are bringing back their pumpkin patch.
Erika Mosteller: How fun.
Janie Hayes: Hayrides, vendors- In
Erika Mosteller: Rocky Face ... corn
Janie Hayes: maze.
Erika Mosteller: That's great. Yes. We don't have to drive all the way to Burt's. You don't have to drive.
I mean, I love Burt's, but it's [00:24:00] far.
Janie Hayes: Yeah. So right here in Rocky Face. ~Um,~ they, the first weekend is September 12th through, I believe, November 8th.
Erika Mosteller: That's so
Janie Hayes: fun. I'm gonna have to note
Erika Mosteller: for- I know, right? ... for your
Janie Hayes: socials. Yeah. Nine weekends, but Nickel & Hopps will be there every weekend. Okay,
Erika Mosteller: tag us when you post it on your socials.
Janie Hayes: We'll have, ~um,~ a fall menu. So Nickel & Hopps is harder. We would love to find some more consistent, ~um-~ ways for people to find us. But for events, ~um,~ you can definitely reach out to Nickel & Hops for your beverage needs. And then for Bend, we are actually opening a smoothie bar September 1st. I saw that.
Lauren Sneary: That's
Janie Hayes: awesome.
So that would be a great, um- You do love a drink. Oh my gosh, it's the best. At all times, three different ones. Yeah. Um, but yeah, I wanted people in the building, ~um, men, uh,~ like we don't have any men in our classes, so I wanted all kinds of people and just the girls in our building more, not just at class time.
Mm. Some people don't work out, and I wanna see them, too. Yeah. So we'll be open 7:00 to 1:00, Monday through Saturday. Um- Awesome. That is awesome ... so that's fun. But-
Erika Mosteller: Ooh, you know what we should do? What? You know Dalton [00:25:00] doesn't have a bookshop. Y'all should have like a book nook where people could buy books. I
Janie Hayes: know.
Erika Mosteller: I mean, just adding to your
Janie Hayes: entrepreneurial
Erika Mosteller: load, right?
Janie Hayes: That'd be so good. No, I know. No, but as much use of the space as possible. I'm really excited. Yeah. Obviously it was, it was a coffee shop before we moved in, so- Right ... the front is meant to be used and sat in. Run that way, yeah, yeah. So yeah, I'm excited.
~Um-~
Erika Mosteller: That's awesome.
Lauren Sneary: Yeah. All right. Should we get, should we get to the Dalton thing? Yeah, let's do the
Erika Mosteller: Dalton things. Yeah.
Janie Hayes: Okay.
Favorite Dalton Picks
---
Lauren Sneary: So one, one thing that we ask all of our, ~um,~ folks, ~and,~ and some people go very profound with their answer- Okay ... and some people are like, "Tacos." ~Um,~ what is your favorite thing about Dalton?
Your favorite Dalton thing? And you can do both. You can go profound and, "Here's my favorite one thing."
Janie Hayes: I feel like it is profound, ~but-~ But I, I touched on the women. That's definitely my, ~um,~ favorite. But also, I just think it's the best size. It's, there's room for growth, but it's not too big. People still don't know of each other.
It's not the smallest town in the world, but, ~um,~ the size and the location, like you are close to the big cities, but you don't have to leave. Dalton has [00:26:00] everything you need. ~Um...~ Okay, no one has said size yet. I love that. Yeah, I know. I, I think it's great. ~It's,~ it's smaller than where I'm from, and people, I mean, called my town a small town, but Dalton doesn't feel that small to me.
There's, ~um,~ corners that I haven't been in yet, so- Yeah ... and I've been here over three years, ~so...~ And it's growing every day, ~um,~ between businesses and people moving here. ~Um,~ we get girls in the studio that just moved here all the time, ~so.~
Erika Mosteller: Yeah. Oh, I bet you do meet some really interesting people- Yeah ... in the studio.
Yeah.
Janie Hayes: Yeah. ~It's,~ it's
Erika Mosteller: the best. Yeah. That is cool.
. We like to ask your favorite Dalton meal, just 'cause Lauren and I really like to talk about food- Oh ... evidently, so. I'm
Lauren Sneary: always hungry when we record this.
Erika Mosteller: Yeah.
Janie Hayes: ~Um,~ Baja Coop is a, we are frequent flyers.
Erika Mosteller: Okay.
Janie Hayes: ~Um-~
Erika Mosteller: Ha. Pun intended. No, I'm just kidding.
Lauren Sneary: Oh my gosh.
Erika Mosteller: Erika,
Janie Hayes: you're in timeout.
Erika Mosteller: Y'all, Jamie is actually hilarious-
Janie Hayes: Oh. ...
Erika Mosteller: when the microphone is-
Janie Hayes: Yeah. ... is sort of hot, staring her down Yeah, my filter's on. Sorry. Yeah. ~Um,~ yeah, but, ~um,~ a bowl at Baja Coop for sure, and then just to walk there after we close up shop [00:27:00] at Bend.
~Um,~ and then my son's school is around the corner, so, ~um,~ yeah, to just end our day.
Erika Mosteller: That
Lauren Sneary: is a wholesome day.
Janie Hayes: Yeah, truly. It
Erika Mosteller: is a wholesome day.
Janie Hayes: Yeah. Um-
Erika Mosteller: I know. I've been trying to walk more in Dalton because it, I think we always complain about how it's not very walkable, but there, it is walkable in some places.
Janie Hayes: Yeah.
Erika Mosteller: So I've been trying to, to engage with that a little more, and I see you and your husband walking sometimes- Yes ... around downtown, and I
Janie Hayes: love it. Yes. We love a walk. ~Um,~ and we love downtown a lot, so it's been so fun to be a part of it. ~Um,~ and Yeah. ~Uh,~ walk to coffee, walk to breakfast, walk to lunch, say hi to Bobby.
It's the, the whole downtown-
Erika Mosteller: Oh, yeah ...
Janie Hayes: experience. I
Lauren Sneary: know.
Janie Hayes: The best.
Lauren Sneary: That's awesome.
Janie Hayes: Yeah. Yeah.
Lauren Sneary: Well, do you wanna tell us the socials that you want our audience to check out one more time- Yeah ... just to make sure we got them?
Janie Hayes: Definitely. Bend's is the studio.bend. ~Um,~ that is our Instagram. We're on Facebook as well, Studio Bend, and then Nickel & Hops is @nickelandhops.
~Um-~
Lauren Sneary: And how do you spell Nickel? 'Cause I get
Janie Hayes: that a lot. N-I-C-K-E-L. Okay. Like you would the coin.
Lauren Sneary: Got it.
Janie Hayes: Yeah.
Erika Mosteller: I always thought Hops had to do with beer, but then I was like, wait, they don't sell [00:28:00] beer.
Janie Hayes: They don't. So- We would love a Nickel & Hops beer one day, but- Yeah ... no, my maiden name is Hopper,
Erika Mosteller: so. Okay.
Janie Hayes: Perfect.
Nicholson and Hopper, Nickel & Hops.
Erika Mosteller: That's great.
Janie Hayes: Yep, we love her.
Erika Mosteller: I love it. Well, thank you for being here.
Janie Hayes: Thank you for having me.
Erika Mosteller: And thank you for- Yeah ... believing in Dalton and your vision for Dalton and- Yep ... just, like, creating beautiful opportunities here for-
Lauren Sneary: You are ... Yeah, you're a creator here. Oh. Mm-hmm.
You're creating spaces, you're creating opportunity, and it's just awesome to see, so thank you for what you're doing.
Erika Mosteller: Yeah.
Janie Hayes: We're here to stay.
Women Only Vibes
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Erika Mosteller: Okay, and one plug I wanna give, 'cause I saw this on your Instagram. I think you had, like, a dinner out on the sidewalk in front of Studio Bend for your- Yes
instructors. Let's, ~like,~ just do that for women sometime. Oh. Wouldn't that be fun? Good
Janie Hayes: time. Fill the street. Yeah. A, a grateful down the street, but just
Erika Mosteller: women. I think that'd be so fun.
Janie Hayes: Yeah. I don't know. I never know with the discriminatory, discriminatory- I know, right? ... ways, if I can say.
Erika Mosteller: Yeah.
Janie Hayes: I, I wanted to put a sign that said, "Men welcome, women preferred," but- Oh, my gosh
I don't know if that's allowed.
Lauren Sneary: The best.
Erika Mosteller: Well, the funny thing is when I went to take that yoga class, ~um,~ my husband and I actually love to do yoga together, but I told him, I invited him and then I uninvited him- [00:29:00] Oh ... 'cause I was like- I don't know ... I actually don't know if- I don't know ... men are allowed here, and he was like, "You know what?
~If,~ if you're not sure, I'm good."
Lauren Sneary: I think it's more about vibes- Yes ... and so it is- Yeah ... for women and people who love women and-
Janie Hayes: Yes ... that's what it is. Which is, like, obviously inclusivity would include men, but how many just women spaces do we get? Right. It's not that many. Right. ~So, um,~ yeah, comfort is a huge piece, and even when I think about, like, why
~Like,~ obviously Pilates is not the only workout in the world, but just the comfort of, ~like,~ not having to watch your back when you're on a run or like- Mm-hmm ... there's so many ... Like, even down to safety, like a, a women-
Erika Mosteller: Mm-hmm ...
Janie Hayes: space is really important, so we're happy- Yeah ... to offer it.
Erika Mosteller: Yeah, and I love ... When I took my class there was
I was in there, there was somebody, there were, I think there were two women in their 20s. There was, ~um,~ maybe two women who were in their, like, 60s. Yeah. I mean, it's just all ages and we're all just moving our bodies together at our own pace and level. Yeah. And there's just encouragement. Yeah. There's, like, zero judgment.
It was great. It's the coolest. It [00:30:00] was very cool. Yeah. And I was really tired afterwards. It was a good workout. Good.
Lauren Sneary: Yeah. Good. I, I need to go. Right.
Warm Wrap Up
---
Lauren Sneary: Well, thank you again so much. Janie, this conversation just really felt like a warm hug. Aw. So. Thank y'all for
Janie Hayes: having
Lauren Sneary: me.
Janie Hayes: Yeah. Thanks, Janie. So fun. .