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Inspiring Conversations with Nicole DeWard of RISE Coffee & Tea + SHINE Health & Wellness

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole DeWard.

Nicole DeWard

Hi Nicole, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
After owning a wellness center for seven years, we obeyed the calling on our hearts to open a coffee shop that would employ young adults with special needs the week COVID hit. Literally. After three years of making a difference in the lives of so many young adults with special needs through employment and social activities, we decided to become a nonprofit so that we could have an even greater impact. We officially launched RISE Coffee & Tea as a nonprofit and are hopeful to spread the mission of RISE throughout the area and beyond….to create amazing opportunities for extraordinary individuals with special needs by providing them a bigger stage to SHINE.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Set to open the week of COVID and then pause for a month…navigating the difficult road of what to do not only in the climate but as a new business was extremely challenging. As a destination coffee shop, there was no competition with the reputation and quick service of our nearby coffee competitors. However, once people experienced our community and our mission, they fell in love with RISE. Being in a culture that demands speed and efficiency, this continues to be an ongoing challenge for our shop in real-time. Relocating our seven years old wellness center 4 miles away to be next door to the shop presented its own challenges before COVID was ever a reality. Learning how to take a fitness business virtual was difficult but we managed to come out better for it on the other side!

We’ve been impressed with RISE Coffee & Tea + SHINE Health & Wellness, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Next door to RISE is our wellness center, SHINE Health & Wellness. Opened in its original location off Shallowford in Marietta in 2013, then relocated to its current location next to the coffee shop in 2020. We focus on holistic health care through fitness, nutrition and therapy. All of our trainers are certified through NASM and are required to uphold the standards of the NASM optimal performance training model. This, along with our focus on alternative health care like foot baths, vibration therapy, nutrition response testing and cupping, sets us apart from other “gyms”. Our private personal training studio has been called a hidden gem for over a decade as we have served our community with excellence in coming alongside hundreds of people to reach their health and wellness goals.

So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
It is in my heart that our customers in RISE and clients in SHINE would feel known, loved and served at the highest level. I believe this is our unique offering. As we SHINE our light, we believe that other people will go SHINE in others’ lives as well!

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Image Credits

Gina Cellino

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