Chill Pretty is more than a boutique. It is a one-stop salon, boutique, and community space built around style, connection, and making women feel welcomed. On this episode of the Whiskey and Wisdom Podcast, Chris Kellum and Tyler Yaw are on location in Surf City, North Carolina with Amber and Michelle, the owners of Chill Pretty Boutique. Chill Pretty is more than a boutique. It is a one-stop salon, boutique, and community space built around style, connection, and making women feel welcomed. Amber shares how her longtime hair career led her to open a small two-chair salon with a boutique attached, and how rapid growth pushed the business into a larger space. Michelle shares how their partnership formed organically as neighbors and turned into a thriving local brand. In this conversation, we talk about building a salon and boutique business, creating a strong community culture, weekly yoga, supporting military families, buying trips to the Vegas market, boutique inventory strategy, Surf City business growth, loyal customers, Black Friday events, and what success really looks like when you are leading a team and serving your community. Whether you love small business stories, boutique fashion, salon culture, Surf City, Topsail Island, or local entrepreneurship, this episode gives a behind-the-scenes look at how Chill Pretty Boutique is growing with intention. Follow Chill Pretty Boutique online and visit them in Surf City, NC. Subscribe to Whiskey and Wisdom Podcast for more conversations with entrepreneurs, creators, business owners, and community builders. Chapters / Timestamps 00:00 Podcast On Location 01:00 Meet Chill Pretty Owners 01:10 Amber’s Salon Journey 02:17 Finding a Business Partner 04:24 Why Add a Boutique 05:49 Brand Name and Loyal Clients 07:41 Community Vibe and Yoga 09:30 Growing Online the Right Way 11:26 Staying Local Not Franchising 12:27 Surf City Shop Strip Culture 13:59 Buying Strategy and Vegas Market 15:30 Style Aesthetic and Quality 17:19 Merchandising and New Inventory 19:12 Sizing and Future In-House Line 20:44 What Excites Them Daily 21:21 Why Mondays Rock 22:33 Favorite Colors and Neutrals 23:09 Color Theory and Workwear 24:06 Next Growth Ideas 25:30 Manifesting New Businesses 27:30 Kids as Motivation 30:28 Going Viral on Instagram 32:27 Advice to Younger Self 34:10 Black Friday Beach Party 35:41 Defining Success and Team 36:42 Where to Find Chill Pretty 38:11 Wrap Up and Thanks

Kingdom Athlete Founder Kellie Schiller joins Tyler Yaw and Chris Kellum on the Whiskey & Wisdom Podcast to share how a simple faith-based clothing brand evolved into a thriving community movement centered around fitness, faith, and purpose.

Kellie discusses launching Kingdom Athlete during her husband's military deployment, overcoming repeated rejection from local gyms, hosting her first fitness and devotional events, and growing a brand focused on helping people strengthen both their bodies and their faith.

The conversation covers entrepreneurship, event planning, apparel manufacturing, Christian business ownership, handling setbacks, and redefining success through impact rather than income.

Along the way, the crew samples Tapped Maple whiskey and dives into lessons on resilience, marriage, community building, and staying faithful when the path isn't clear.

In this episode:

• The origin story of Kingdom Athlete

• How rejection helped grow the brand

• Building sold-out fitness events

• Faith and entrepreneurship

• The future of Kingdom Athlete apparel

• Marriage, military life, and perseverance

• Why success isn't what most people think

Connect with Kellie Schiller and Kingdom Athlete:

Website: KingdomAthlete.com

Instagram: @kingdomathleteco

Subscribe for more conversations with entrepreneurs, creators, business owners, and community leaders.

#KingdomAthlete #ChristianEntrepreneur #FaithAndFitness #WhiskeyAndWisdom #ChristianBusiness #FitnessCommunity #Entrepreneurship

Chris Kellum and Tyler Yaw welcome back wedding photographer Leigh Roberts for a candid conversation covering sobriety, wedding industry trends, photography hot takes, and what happens when a wedding professional plans her own wedding. Leigh shares her journey of being sober for one year and seven months after a major health scare, discussing the lifestyle changes, nutrition adjustments, supplements, and daily habits that helped her regain her health. She also reflects on her decision to elope after spending nearly 14 years photographing weddings, explaining why she and her husband chose a small, intimate celebration that cost roughly $6,000.

The conversation dives deep into the realities of modern weddings, including rising costs, vendor pricing, wedding-industry politics, and the trends Leigh believes should disappear. She discusses everything from polka-dot wedding aesthetics and intentionally crooked photos to preferred-vendor cliques, DJ choices, and the pressure couples face when planning their big day. Leigh also shares practical advice for couples navigating family dynamics, vendor relationships, and wedding-day expectations.

On the photography side, Leigh offers strong opinions on delivering RAW images, the importance of editing, flash photography, second shooters, drone coverage, venue lighting, and the ongoing Canon versus Sony debate. The episode wraps with memorable wedding horror stories, discussions on AI's impact on photography, and valuable insights for anyone planning a wedding or working in the wedding industry.

00:00 Meet the Guest Leigh

00:53 Sober and Holistic Reset

02:04 Vaccine Injury Recovery

04:37 Lifestyle Changes and Food

05:45 Backyard Gym and Cooking

07:15 Eloping After 14 Years

09:33 Wedding Trends Pet Peeves

12:26 Wedding Costs and Pricing

15:19 Gen Z Vendors and Identity

20:45 Music Choices and DJs

25:03 Preferred Vendor Cliques

28:46 Shot List Hot Takes

28:58 Dress Shot Debate

29:55 Venue Lighting Matters

32:46 Second Shooters Strategy

35:00 Wedding Horror Stories

41:14 Trends, Flowers, and Cake

43:42 Flash, Film, and Gear

47:25 Canon vs Sony Switch

53:58 Pricing RAWs and AI

01:00:53 Family Dynamics Checklist

01:02:27 Wrap Up and Goodbye

• Why Leigh chose to elope after nearly 14 years of photographing weddings.
• The wedding trends she believes are overrated and ready to disappear.
• How sobriety and lifestyle changes transformed her health and daily life.
• The truth about wedding photography pricing and vendor costs.
• Why professional editing is a critical part of photography.
• Her thoughts on second shooters, drones, flash photography, and venue selection.
• Canon vs Sony: which system she prefers and why.
• Real wedding-day horror stories and lessons learned from years in the industry.
• How AI may change the future of photography and creative work.
• Practical advice for couples planning a wedding without unnecessary stress.