Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason Avery.
Hi Jason, 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?
l began to explore the idea of my own business which was an idea l’d been toying with for years. I have worked in the area of public health research for 25 years and currently serve as the director of the data center for an international clinical trial dealing with carotid health and stroke prevention. Although I find this work fulfilling, I also wanted to find ways to be involved on a more local level. In late 2017, I began to do volunteer work with a non-profit named Rev Birmingham. Rev not only is dedicated to creating vibrant spaces and commercial districts in cities, but they mine communities for entrepreneurs. When the pandemic hit, like many folks I was looking for direction and meaning. That is when I decided to explore an idea of my own I had been toying with for years. While the term lifestyle business can have many meanings, I wanted to develop a business that would highlight food, fashion, drink and design. I named this business Cottage Noir after my 1907 cottage in the Woodlawn neighborhood in Birmingham.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road had not always been without obstacles. When your idea is so amorphous, it is often difficult to find direction. Using a business coach, I decided to explore each of the content areas of the business separately. For example, I did catering events featuring Southeast Asian/ Indian cuisine to explore the food arm of the business.
But perhaps the biggest challenge is mental. When one has been on a job for 25 years, it is frightening beyond belief to give up that stability and take a chance on yourself. This is still a work in progress.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
One area of the business concept that has really come to the forefront is design. Through my work with Rev Birmingham, I am afforded many opportunities to work with legacy or existing businesses in the community to design and plan refreshes of the facades of their businesses. Whether it be a full makeover, coordinating signage or landscape planning, we give the existing businesses the ability to be competitive. Of this, I am most proud of winning a statewide award for best design.
My biggest accomplishment to date would have to be the Magic City Mural Festival. I recruited a local mural artist to help me with a project and from that, we came up with an idea to convert an old unused alley in the neighborhood into an outdoor art gallery. This alley, now known as The Way, includes seven outstanding murals from all-female artists. The space has become an instant classic and the businesses that line the alleyway are now able to expand their seating spaces to the alley. This is extremely important during this era of Covid-19
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Resilience and optimism! No matter how bleak things look in life, you must just shake it off and keep it moving. I am also not afraid to fail. An idea or a dream cannot ever be tested if you keep it within. If I fail, there is always another idea to explore.
Contact Info:
- Email: jbird@uab.edu
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cottagenoir149/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jason.avery.9699/
Image Credits:
Jason Avery
