Author Archives: Ethan Avina

Timing: The Unseen Art Behind Every Moment

Timing isn’t just something I learned in music (though that is what laid the foundation of the importance of timing), it’s the invisible thread woven through every arena of my life. In life, in business, in conversations, it plays such an important role in making or breaking your moment(s). Music: Rhythm, Expression & Flow AsContinue reading “Timing: The Unseen Art Behind Every Moment”

High Winds, Higher Neighborliness

Yesterday’s high winds in Cary took us all by surprise. We were at a block party on the other side of town when the storm rolled in. One minute we were laughing, the next we were soaked through, scrambling to hold down our Saintly Cinnamon Rolls tent and collapse it so it didn’t fly intoContinue reading “High Winds, Higher Neighborliness”

A Chapter a Day

When I was a kid, one of the most consistent things I saw my dad do was read a chapter of the Bible every day. It wasn’t loud. It wasn’t flashy. Just quiet, faithful discipline… day after day. At the time, I didn’t realize how much it was shaping me. But about half way throughContinue reading “A Chapter a Day”

Morning Rhythms

Building Discipline One Sunrise at a Time I used to think discipline came in big, dramatic changes: late-night breakthroughs, intense sprints of motivation, summers on the farm, and all-nighters fueled by determination. But I’ve learned it’s built in the quiet hours, in the way you start your morning. Back in undergrad, I had a morningContinue reading “Morning Rhythms”

From Green Rooms to Cinnamon Scenes: How Touring Artists Prepared Me for Farmer’s Market Weekends

I’ve worked in a number of venues, as well as on the road for touring individuals. I think back to some of the shows and working with touring artists, weekends were a blur of load-ins and load-outs, sound checks and catering calls. Everything had to be set up just right, with everyone in place beforeContinue reading “From Green Rooms to Cinnamon Scenes: How Touring Artists Prepared Me for Farmer’s Market Weekends”

Behind the Apron: Life with a Cottage Baker Pt. 1

Most mornings, my alarm goes off before the sun’s fully up; I have always been a lark, a morning person. For half the week these days, I’m wake up with the smell of cinnamon, butter, and something warm that says home. It’s not a candle… it’s my wife and I, already elbows-deep in dough andContinue reading “Behind the Apron: Life with a Cottage Baker Pt. 1”

The Handy Husband: DIY Farm Stand

In high school, I built skateboard ramps in my barn; measuring boards, cutting angles, drilling through pipes, working with any scrap piece of wood we could find. Later, teaching theater classes in a school with a full scene shop, I learned to read CAD (barely), manipulate power tools, and collaborate creatively around a workbench. ThoseContinue reading “The Handy Husband: DIY Farm Stand”

Five Things I’ve Brought from My Events & Music Background into a Cottage Bakery

And Where It Has Gotten Us After 2 Months in Business About two months ago, my wife received her official registration number from our county health department as an official cottage bakery. Which came actually rather quickly after she expressed her interest in starting something new — maybe selling baked goods from our home. AfterContinue reading “Five Things I’ve Brought from My Events & Music Background into a Cottage Bakery”

Top 10 Things Learned Watching Toddlers for 10 Days

Well, here we are. For 10 days I have watched my two children, two and four years old, while my wife has been out of the country. No babysitters, no going out on my own to run a quick errand, just me and the kids. 10 Days.   Here’s a list of 10 things thatContinue reading “Top 10 Things Learned Watching Toddlers for 10 Days”