Brighter future: Meet the Gen Xers and millennials helping to revitalize Rocky Mount

ROCKY MOUNT — A small, but determined group of millennials and Gen Xers has set up shop in the town that raised them with one goal in mind: to transform this once-forgotten rural city into a new business hub and tourist destination.

WRAL TechWire’s Chantal Allam recently had the chance to chat with them about why they decided to settle in this often overlooked rural community that’s having a bit of a renaissance at the moment as part of a three-story series (see links below).

Here’s what they had to say.

David Joyner, owner of Joyner Media & Strategies.

Name: David Joyner, 34

Profession: Media Strategist/Small Business Advocate, owner of Joyner Media & Strategies

Other roles: Served as Rocky Mount Chamber’s chairman of Business Infrastructure and Environment from 2013-2018. Currently serves as promotions chairman on the Central City Revitalization Panel.

Backstory: Back in 2012, his younger brother, Jessie Joyner, died in a drive-by shooting. To honor his brother’s memory, David Joyner set out on a mission: to make his community a safer place by supporting economic development.

On preserving his brother’s memory: Serving your community is something that we had been raised on from childhood. So when that happened to Jessie, it acted like a catalyst for me to increase my efforts. His death really pushed me down being hungry for learning more about economic development, and how it’s directly tied to community development. My mission is to be a part of the team that is moving the ball forward, building a more economically viable community for all of its citizens in a more holistic way.

On the reopening of Rocky Mount Mills: We hadn’t any new market-rate rental properties until they came. That started to get young people excited. All of a sudden, you had rental properties that were nice, and you didn’t have to make a commitment of buying a 4-bedroom home. You can now walk across the street to breweries and restaurants, and to work.

On the local startup scene: “There’s been a big push at every level of our leadership apparatus over the last few years – Chamber, City Hall, the community colleges — to build an ecosystem to support entrepreneurs. It’s also about creating spaces where entrepreneurs can meet, and the mill has helped facilitate that. We can’t just depend on Tire plants, as exciting as all that is. These communities are really going to be rebuilt from the ground up.

On what Rocky Mount needs going forward: Rocky Mount desperately needs unifying leadership that can communicate across all mediums and backgrounds in this community. That’s the biggest challenge we face right now.

Jessica and Michael Hicks. Credit: Tyshon Johnson.

Name: Jessica, 28, and Michael Hicks, 35

Profession: Owners of Bel Air Art Center and Willow Tree Yoga

Backstory: In 2015, Jessica and Michael Hicks moved to Rocky Mount with dreams of starting a business. In the end, they purchased the historic Bel Air Arts Center, a 100-year-old building located on Church Street in downtown Rocky Mount. After almost a year of renovation, it recently reopened as a mixed-use space with an art gallery, workspace, yoga studio, massage room and community area.

On opening their new mixed-used space: We originally wanted to open a yoga studio and coffee shop. But when the building was shown to us, there were artists still working there, maintaining it themselves. We were told if someone didn’t purchase it, the artists would have to move out that summer. We did a lot of talking, and decided that we wanted to keep an art scene in Rocky Mount. It does a lot for a town, offers diversity and brings people together. The idea of a coffee shop fizzled out, which we were fine with. We then tried to figure out a way to [incorporate] yoga into that. We worked with our architect, and he drew up a really good plan. We put everything into it. We took out two loans. We’ve maxed out. We sold our house and some of what we earned from the house went towards it too. We went over budget by quite a bit.

On why they decided to invest in Rocky Mount: It’s going to be a [business] hub. With the Amtrak passing through, we have people coming from up north all the way to Florida. We’re right there on I-95 and 64. We get a lot of out-of-towners. It’s a great spot to stop. There’s a lot of potential isn’t tapped yet. People have had their hopes up in the years past; that’s why there are a few naysayers. But with things starting to pick up, and being educated on other people investing, then people start to come around to “believe in Rocky Mount”-type movement. That just feeds everyone else to start pulling together, and really making the community thrive. I’m not allowing myself to think it’s not going to work. We really believe in it.

On the recent grand opening: [It was great] getting people together at one event with a commonality, and seeing that it’s ok to be together. The age range and backgrounds of people was diverse — black, white, Asian, Indian. You would see these people mingle and talk and it was the most beautiful thing of the whole night. People were just having that connection through art, and that’s what we wanted the space to be. [Since then], we’ve had people coming in and out every day. We’ve had artists inquire about space from studios to gallery, and people buying things, and engaging with the artists that are there. It’s been a happy atmosphere.

Tarrick Pittman, owner of CoolGeeks.

Name: Tarrick Pittman, 45

Profession: Owner of CoolGeeks

Other roles: Serves as president of the Downtown Merchants Association and a member of the Central City Revitalization Panel; also currently running for city council Ward 1.

Backstory: Back in 2009, Pittman was working as a technology manager at Circuit City in Fayetteville. Then he got divorced and his grandmother passed away, forcing him to move back to Rocky Mount. “I thought I’m going to go home and lick my wounds a bit.” On a whim, he fixed a friend’s computer and soon he was getting referrals. Soon after, he founded CoolGeeks, a computer repair shop on Douglas Block, the historically African-American business district in Rocky Mount.

On owning a computer shop in Rocky Mount: When I first started, I had to overcome a certain mindset, especially being downtown. But I blocked out the noise. My staff and myself took it on our back to tell people that we sell good, refurbished products and show them a different way. It’s an opportunity for me to show people in the community that a person of color can be a rose that grows from concrete. You can do other things other than be a barber or a beautician. You can actually have a hand in technology.

On celebrating the 10th anniversary of his business: The goal was to make sure that everybody in the city had access to a computer, or was able to purchase a good quality computer at an affordable price. I look around 10 years later, and see some of the people that I met starting out, and now I see that they have become proficient. When I see that, my job is fulfilled.

On the startup scene in Rocky Mount: We’re starting to attract quite a bit of diversity in the city. A lot of people are moving back — college graduates, people who grew up in the area – and starting to give back to the community. There’s really a subculture of young professionals that are here, a diverse group of people, who all want to work together and share ideas and thoughts. The future is very bright for Rocky Mount.

On running for city council: Rocky Mount is where I’m from, and where my business is. I want to make a difference and bring both sides together to create one Rocky Mount platform. I care about the community, and I want to be at the table to have the ability to grow and develop small businesses over in some of our impoverished areas in Ward 1. I want to help decrease the unemployment rate and give people a sense of pride.

Ryan and Sarah Hicks, owners of Bin & Barrel.

Name: Sarah, 34, and Ryan, 35, Hicks

Profession: Owners of Bin & Barrel

Backstory: After graduating from Johnson & Wales Culinary School in Charlotte, Ryan moved to learn from some of the countries greatest chefs in Sonoma, Calif. After college, Sarah also moved there to start in career in hospitality. They met working at the same restaurant. Years later, with Ryan yearning for his roots, they couple settled in eastern North Carolina. They opened Bin & Barrel located off the Courtyard at Station Square on Nash Street in November 2018.

On why they decided to relocate to Rocky Mount: Ryan is originally from Rocky Mount, so when we married in 2012, and trying to decide where we wanted to start our married/adult life, Rocky Mount seemed like the perfect fit. It was near one side of the family, it was close to a big city (Raleigh), and close to the beach, and the cost of living was incredible. We also saw a lot of opportunity in Rocky Mount. We both come from huge families of entrepreneurs, so our end game was always to own our own business. We saw that goal achievable in Rocky Mount.

On opening a wine shop: We opened Bin & Barrel in November of 2018, and have been busy since opening day. We always wanted to open a wine shop. Both of us carry backgrounds in wine. Sarah worked for Duckhorn Wine Company in Napa, CA, as well as managed a small wine boutique in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Ryan has his Level 2 Sommelier credentials, and specializes in food and wine pairings. It seemed like a natural fit for us to open something surrounding the wine industry. We truly believe wine, and the sharing of wine, brings anyone and everyone together. It makes us smile when new friends, business connections, and old acquaintances come together at our bar over a glass of wine.

On their vision: For ourselves, we would love to expand into a larger space, if the need continues to call for it, or potentially open a second restaurant/bar concept. As for Rocky Mount, we would love to continue to see growth with new businesses and projects coming into town.

Sarah Dixon, owner of Taylor Financial Services.

Name: Sarah Dixon, 38

Profession: Owner of Taylor Financial Services

Backstory: After graduating from UNC Chapel Hill, Dixon returned home to Rocky Mount to work for her father’s financial services firm. She eventually earned her license and bought out the firm in 2016 – the same year the business celebrated its 40th anniversary.

On her decision to settle in Rocky Mount: Initially, it was comfort. Rocky Mount is home. Now what keeps me here is that a smaller city affords me more time (no traffic, commuting time, etc.), connection (very collaborative community, actions seem to have a bigger impact), money (cost of living), and balance. If I crave something in a larger city, Raleigh is 45 minutes away.

On the new developments coming to the area: The positive energy of Rocky Mount has increased tremendously over the time I’ve been back home, and especially over the last five to eight years. It makes me so happy. We are feeling the momentum of many years of dedication to recruit business to our area. This has not happened overnight.

On the local entrepreneurial scene: Many young business owners are taking more risk to invest in the area – specifically in our downtown. Individuals in our area have good access to resources that empower anyone wanting to start their own business or cultivate their existing new business – through programs at local community colleges, NC Wesleyan College, Young Professional Chamber groups and a non-profit entrepreneurial resource hub, SpringBoard NC. If you’re interested in creating your own business, you don’t have to navigate it alone.

On her vision for the future: I’d like to see continued growth for both the business and Rocky Mount. Taylor Financial Strategies will continue to focus on our clients’ needs, along with their children and grandchildren; we have several third-generation clients, which is really amazing. As for Rocky Mount, I’d love to see more citizen involvement and less complacency. We’re getting there. We need more job creation in the tech industry to recruit people to our area, along with workforce readiness programs. I would also love to see my husband continue to grow his software company, www.zynbit.com.