Tucson & Southern Arizona

  1. Anyone who’s experienced a summer in Tucson knows the seasonal exodus that occurs each year, leaving the city a virtual ghost town. While locals tend to enjoy the sudden shift to peace and quiet, the slow season isn’t ideal for members our local business community, who often suffer dips in the summer. As a result, […]
    May 11, 2019
    3 min read
  2. The past decade has seen an explosion of growth among women-owned businesses both in Arizona and across the US, creating a more diverse and inclusive economy. According to the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, women-led firms in the US grew by 58%  since 2007, compared to businesses overall at 12%, while contributing over $3 trillion […]
    Mar 5, 2019
    3 min read
  4. Jennifer Radler, co-owner at Popcycle, joined Karla on this week's Thrive Tucson. Popcycle opened in 2008 with the goal of promoting local art made from recycled materials, and now has two in-house brands made by its co-owners. Jennifer describes what it's like to work with her sisters, shouts out the wonderful community on 4th Avenue, and shares her advice for other women thinking of starting their own businesses.
    Dec 10, 2018
    1 min read
  5. Paloma Rodarte and Ludwig Van Castro of Frostings Event Design and Rentals joined Karla on this week's Thrive Tucson. Since opening in 2004, Frostings has provided full-service event design and production for a variety of social and corporate events. They’ve also made their materials and designs available to the public through their Frostings Studio, located in downtown Tucson.
    Nov 7, 2018
    1 min read
  6. America’s romance with blue-collar workers is well documented and varied. The Works Progress Administration made countless posters celebrating laborers with illustrations of broad-shouldered men working in construction, farming, plumbing, and more. Somewhat paradoxically, many films have portrayed blue-collar workers as uneducated men who work hard so their kids can go to school and learn to […]
    Nov 5, 2018
    3 min read
  7. Regret falls across the land Concert tickets that cost a grand People wander in search of cash Buying junk and spending fast And whosoever should be here Spending their savings on tchotchkes and beer Must stand and face the confession booth To teach us lessons and give us truth The stench of green is in the air Thoughts of money no longer there Shiny new products behind every door Lose your mind when entering the store Tempting forces that you can’t see Make you lose your currency For no mere mortal can resist The capital offense of the Spender
    Oct 29, 2018
    1 min read
  8. The past few years saw a flurry of articles breathlessly warning of the death of retail, crediting online shopping for its demise. But this narrative isn’t entirely accurate. Retail actually grew in 2017, with the industry seeing a net increase of 4,000 store openings and a 4.2% increase in sales. Curiously, it seems that the […]
    Sep 27, 2018
    3 min read
  9. Starting college can be one of the most exciting, scary, frustrating, and revelatory times in a young person’s life. While you’re having to adjust to the rigors of university-level work, you’re also expected to magically become an adult at the same time. Oftentimes, academia and social lives become so prevalent that it’s easy to overlook […]
    Aug 27, 2018
    5 min read