Hear from various voices of the Village
For nearly a decade, Village Voices has provided downtown business owners, managers, their staff, and downtown residents with a monthly snapshot of community events, city affairs, development, business promotion, and more, as well as robust networking and relationship building. It is an integral component of the Carlsbad Village Association’s goal to build community and continues to be impactful on so many levels.
In the summer of 2015, the first Village Voices networking meeting was held inside Humble Olive Oils. Zac Markham, the board chair of the Carlsbad Village Association, opened his retail store at 8:00am to what was to become a monthly 90-minute meeting. That first day seven people showed up; now 75 or more people gather in the spacious Dea Hurston New Village Arts Center. When Village Voices started, the association was a one-part-time-person operation, and the board of directors was truly a “working board” filling in where staff would eventually be. Coffee was brewed at home and brought to the meeting in air pots. Morning hospitality was homemade banana bread. One of our very first speakers, Officer Mickey Williams, spoke to the small handful of people in attendance about retail theft and proposed safety measures. Officer Williams would eventually go on to be our city’s Chief of Police.
The concept around Village Voices has always been to inform business owners, and eventually residents as well, about everything possible taking place in their Village. It was also designed to help build connections and encourage collaboration. To help achieve that goal, guest speakers were enlisted in the endeavor. Through this simple process, business owners were able to hear from and get to know city staff and government officials, as well as prominent people in the business community, all while enjoying a cup of coffee and a little bit of hospitality.
Speakers have included our mayors, city managers, the directors of economic development, police investigators, our police chiefs, Homeless Outreach Team officers, property developers, city council members, key staff in the regional Small Business Development Center, retail consultants, human resource specialists, CPA’s, digital marketing experts, and the list goes on. Over the years some of our most impactful meetings have been when fellow business owners spoke about their own journey, what motivated them, what keeps them going, and how they have come to not only grow their business but also find ways to give back to the community. Inspiration of this kind has come from Justin Jachura from Senor Grubby’s, Paola Richard from GelatoLove, John Orndorff from Carlsbad eBikes & More, just to name a few.
During Covid, meeting in person was obviously not an option, so Village Voices went virtual. Through live streaming and Zoom, from locations such as Barrio Glassworks and Pure Project’s brewery, Village Voices was able to continue. And when we were finally able to meet again in person for the first time, we did so on folding chairs outdoors at the Village Faire Shopping Center, with a PA system, for one of our more emotional meetings. It was good to be back together again.
Village Voices has come to symbolize the best of Carlsbad Village Association. Bringing downtown business owners and residents together, hearing each other’s stories, learning how we can help one another succeed, finding ways to collaborate to make one another stronger, and staying informed and educated to make the best decisions possible, has been a cornerstone of the association’s mission.
From a handful of curious people to a committed group of business owners, leaders, and residents, Village Voices has continued to provide a voice to downtown Carlsbad. And it will continue to do so in 2025 with a robust schedule of speakers. All Carlsbad Village businesses, residents, and Carlsbad enthusiasts are invited to join us kick off the new year with a motivational program to help you start 2025!
Join us for a pop-up vendor experience featuring local businesses who specialize in health and wellness including chiropractic, massage, fitness, yoga, naturopathic healing, personal coaching, and more. Our Guest Speaker will be Leticia Gonzalez Pileski (PsyD., LMFT), the owner of Kaia FIT in Carlsbad Village, who is also an AAMFT Approved Clinical Supervisor and Mentor, and a Certified Daring Way Facilitator. She will give us insight into the magic behind “Dare to Lead” by New York Bestselling author, professor, and podcaster, Brene’ Brown, to leave us feeling energized to take on a new year together!