#ThankYouMiami Welcomes ClassPass

So you followed our advice, ate your way through half of your Christmas gift cards, and ended up with a few extra pounds - #sorrynotsorry. Most likely your outings ended with a delicious meal, lots of laughs, and a new-found love for Miami. Plus, those extra pounds will disappear in no time thanks to ClassPass, a worthy investment for the remaining half of your holiday gift cards.

For $99 a month, this creative work-out service gives you unlimited access to a network of boutique studios in Miami, including our favorites: Green Monkey, Vixen Workout, Barre Motion, and Exhale. While you can take unlimited classes per month, you can only visit each studio three times a month. This policy encourages you to try new studios and vary your work-outs. As an added bonus, with ClassPass Flex, you can explore studios and book work-outs in any ClassPass city!

We're not ones for resolutions, but we are always up for a challenge. We look forward to starting the new year by incorporating krav maga, crossfit, and spinning into our more passive exercise routine. Find your new year's challenge on the ClassPass website and book your next class via their newly launched iPhone app. Our readers can skip the wait list and join now. Which classes are you most excited to try as a new ClassPass member?

Enjoying outdoor yoga at Exhale in downtown Miami. Photo credit: I Heart Miami 305.

After a tough Vixen Work-Out for the first Racked Fit Club.

Enjoying a barre class for the second Racked Fit Club at Barre Motion in South Beach.

What is your favorite way to stay fit? What is your go-to Miami fitness studio? Is there a class that you do not like? Do you have any health resolutions for the new year? Leave a comment below or send us a tweet @ThankYouMiami!

#ThankYouMiami Welcomes #TastemadeMIA

Did this holiday season bring you more gift cards than you know how to spend? Use them to rediscover Miami via delicious food and drink! Finding the best food in our city is easier now that we have access to Tastemade, a mobile app where foodies can find minute-long video recommendations or "appisodes" of favorite spots. Through the videos, you not only learn what to order, but you also get a taste of the ambiance and receive insider tips.

Earlier this month, Tastemade launched #TastemadeMIA by engaging local tastemakers to create recs of our city's top 400 restaurants, coffee shops, ice cream parlors, and the like. The #ThankYouMiami team heeded their call and created our very own appisodes featuring old favorites and some new finds. Check them out below and make sure to follow @ThankYouMiami on Tastemade for more recommendations soon to come!

Ball and Chain
Bar Crudo

Brio Tuscan Grill
Scotty's Landing
Which restaurant are you most excited to try? Is there a Miami venue you would like us to feature in an upcoming appisode? What would you like to learn about that location? Leave a comment below or send us a tweet @ThankYouMiami!

#ThankYouMiami How-To: A Very Miami Holiday

The past two weeks we've given you a sneak peek of how to dress and shop for the holidays like a Miami local, but we figured you could use a more comprehensive guide. Ergo, this one-stop-shop for a very Miami holiday. We know this is coming in Miami time but, trust us, our recommendations are easy to pull off even in the bottom of the ninth. Without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, here is how to gift, celebrate, and dress as the Miami-ans do.

#ThankYouMiami for Fashion - A Holiday Shopping Hail Mary

Dear Fellow Procrastinator,

Meet the newest post for our #ThankYouMiami for Fashion column, where we share how your unfinished shopping list can get done quickly, efficiently, and painlessly. The secret lies amidst The Falls' lush landscaping and calming waterscapes within the 100 plus stores that call Miami's most zen mall home. Yesterday we invited mom to join us at The Falls to finally finish our Christmas to-do list. Read the excerpt below and click on the photo for our full shopping diary. Happy holidays!

Where do you take care of your holiday shopping? Do you like to do it all at once or bit by bit? What are the must-haves on your wish list this season? Are there any gifts ideas you want to share? Leave a comment below or send us a tweet @ThankYouMiami!

#ThankYouMiami for (Holiday) Fashion

The holidays are here and, like every season, we're here to celebrate it as only Miami-ans do. This year we're advocating for outfits that are feminine, classy, but call upon South Beach's sex appeal. In our latest #ThankYouMiami for Fashion post, we show you how to ace these seemingly contradictory concepts in one look. Read the excerpt below and click on the photo for the full feature!

Do you have your holiday outfits ready? What outfits are you most excited to wear? What is your go-to Miami spot to buy holiday outfits? Leave a comment below or send us a tweet @ThankYouMiami!

#ThankYouMiami for A Virtual Miami - FlipKey Virtual Tour

 

Have you ever tried to verbally convey the beauty of our city to your friends and family? No matter how detailed your description, we bet you still felt that your words did not do Miami justice. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words. And, if that's true, then a virtual tour must be worth a million. That is why we are excited to announce that Miami is a city now within virtual grasp.

The free virtual tour is the brainchild of FlipKey, a TripAdvisor company that makes it "easy, safe, and fun to find and book the perfect place to stay." Using Google's Street View technology, the tour takes you from Marlins Park in Little Havana to Lincoln Road Mall in South Beach - taking the time to showcase its route as much as its six stops. The online resource also includes a brief description of each attraction and allows users to search for nearby rentals. So this Miami tourism season, when you struggle to describe our city to your prospective guests or to plan an itinerary for your visitors, FlipKey's got you covered.

Click on the image below to be redirected to FlipKey's virtual tour of Miami. Don't forget to check back for more Miami travel tips!

What is your favorite tourist attraction in Miami? Is there a place you would have liked to see on the tour? What is your go-to resource for showing off our beautiful city? Is there a guide or list of attractions that you would like to see? Leave a comment below or send us a tweet @ThankYouMiami!

#ThankYouMiami for Our Growing Start-Up Scene - Part 4: Ethan and Jonathan Denney

Welcome to Part 4 of our 4-part series, "#ThankYouMiami for our Growing Start-Up Scene", where we recount our conversations with Miami entrepreneurs about what Miami is doing right for its entrepreneurial movement, where there is room for improvement, and why they each say #ThankYouMiami. Today we share with you a summary of our interview with Ethan and Jonathan Denney of Webpresario. Access the rest of the series here: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.

The Start-Up

Ethan and Jonathan Denney are the co-founders of Webpresario, a boutique digital marketing agency that specializes in generating more leads for small and medium businesses using conversion-focused web design and other data-driven marketing tools. Running a business is second nature to these brothers who grew up involved in a company started by their family. When the company scaled up, Ethan and Jonathan moved to New York and were exposed to the local entrepreneurial movement. The New York start-up scene opened their eyes to a world of possibilities, but a more laidback culture and an existing network of family and friends drew them back to our beautiful city where, in June 2012, they launched Webpresario.

The Miami Benefits and Challenges

The Denney brothers praise Miami for celebrating entrepreneurship. The Miami start-up scene is young so everything seems new and exciting, unlike New York where novel ideas no longer seem as novel. Despite offering a more experienced crowd than Miami, New York can be a discouraging place for new entrepreneurs because, in Ethan and Jonathan's opinion, the scene tends to be more dismissive. As the Miami scene grows, they encourage it to continue being receptive to new ideas and encouraging innovation because "entrepreneurship is about the journey, the team, the talent rather than a particular idea."

Ethan and Jonathan are Miami people that love the adventurous and exciting lifestyle the city offers. Like us, they are particularly fans of the fact that life does not slow down at 9 p.m. like in other cities. They also like that the start-up scene is still growing so it is easier for entrepreneurs to meet key people (i.e., investors, mentors) and to receive community support. However, they acknowledge that meeting talent here is difficult because they have not found an avenue that connects them all. Their secret is to work at places where the coffee and internet are great, such as Pasion Del Cielo, because they become meeting points for entrepreneurs. Pasion Del Cielo is actually where they connected with Zach Grossman from EnerBee, the subject of yesterday's interview.

Ethan and Jonathan would like to see more and varied entrepreneurial events so they can connect with new talent. Past events have drawn many of the same players, which has allowed them to form long-standing relationships but has limited their ability to make new ones. They would like the scene to focus on drawing talent not attracted by those events. Additionally, they recommend attracting individuals that are looking to enter the scene or the workforce to offer growing businesses an opportunity to meet new talent they can employ.

The #ThankYouMiami Statement

Ethan and Jonathan Denney have moved many times, but they always return to the city they call home base: Miami. So, for what are these charismatic and hard-working locals grateful? Jonathan says, "#ThankYouMiami for the awesome weather because it has a positive impact on community morale and ultimately on businesses." Ethan says, "#ThankYouMiami for providing a great city to live in and work in, to play hard and work hard."

Are you a part of the Miami entrepreneurial movement? What do you think Miami is doing right to support its future growth? Where do you see room for improvement? Which local entrepreneurs would you like to see give their opinion on this subject? Leave a comment below or send us a tweet @ThankYouMiami!

#ThankYouMiami for Our Growing Start-Up Scene - Part 3: Zach Grossman

Welcome to Part 3 of our 4-part series, "#ThankYouMiami for Our Growing Start-Up Scene", where we recount our conversations with Miami entrepreneurs about what Miami is doing right for its entrepreneurial movement, where there is room for improvement, and why they each say #ThankYouMiami. Today, we share with you a summary of our interview with Zach Grossman from EnerBee. Access the rest of the series here: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 4.

The Start-Up

Zach Grossman is a co-founder of EnerBee, a company that produces an organic, lightly-carbonated energy drink that contributes to the protection of the honeybee. Zach always knew he wanted to be an entrepreneur and received a degree in Entrepreneurship and Marketing from Northeastern University. Post-graduation, he channeled his background as a certified personal trainer and began working on a variety of health and fitness ideas. When a family friend approached him with the idea for EnerBee, he knew he had found the perfect concept on which to focus his talents.

Since they launched in June 2014, Zach and his business partner Paul have been diligently working toward expanding the reach of their product, which you can now purchase on their website or at Whole Foods Markets throughout Florida. They are passionate and excited about the future of their company and the positive impact they hope it will have on "nature's most energetic worker", the honeybee. They understand that honeybees are not only vital to their product (the formula contains organic honey, bee pollen and royal jelly), but also to the entire food chain. Their collapse is a scenario that Zach's company and the human race cannot afford. Learn more about the honeybee here.

The Miami Benefits and Challenges

Zach is a Miami native that left to pursue his college degree but, thanks to the cold, came to his senses and returned after graduation. He and Paul decided to launch EnerBee in Miami because they grew up here and were familiar with the area. With their insider knowledge, they already knew which stores were ideal for retailing their product. They were also drawn to Miami because it is a health conscious community in terms of diet and fitness. After all, staying bikini ready year-round is no easy task.

Although many people recommended that they launch in California, they chose to be a big fish in a small pond. Comparatively, Miami has a smaller number of companies that sell all-natural and organic products and a smaller number of entrepreneurial ventures. For these reasons, Miami allows new companies like EnerBee the opportunity to stand out rather than get lost in the crowd. Furthermore, they have the support of the local community which likes that the company was founded by two of their own.

Miami has thus far proved to be the perfect place for EnerBee. Miami's diversity has been great for obtaining product feedback. Its international appeal also makes money from the international community available to our local entrepreneurs. However, Zach acknowledges that we also have some challenges - traffic is his primary concern. Since the company has only two full-time employees at this time, he and Paul are the brains behind the operation, as well as the work force. When they make product deliveries, they have learned to be productive by scheduling phone calls or having meetings in the car so they do not lose valuable work time in traffic.

The #ThankYouMiami Statement

Everyone Zach has met in Miami, from bloggers to local store owners, has been extremely helpful and supportive. So for what is this socially-conscious entrepreneur most grateful? "#ThankYouMiami for being supportive of local entrepreneurs and for being such an incredibly diverse and exciting city that is doing a great job at growing the entrepreneurial community!"

Are you a part of the Miami entrepreneurial movement? What do you think Miami is doing right to support its future growth? Where do you see room for improvement? Which local entrepreneurs would you like to see give their opinion on this subject? Leave a comment below or send us a tweet @ThankYouMiami!

#ThankYouMiami for Our Growing Start-Up Series - Part 2: Lucy Rodriguez

Welcome to Part 2 of our 4-part series, "#ThankYouMiami for Our Growing Start-Up Scene", where we recount our conversations with Miami entrepreneurs about what Miami is doing right for its entrepreneurial movement, where there is room for improvement, and why they each say #ThankYouMiami. Today, we share with you a summary of our interview with Lucy Rodriguez from LRBrows.com. Access the rest of the series here: Part 1, Part 3, and Part 4.

The Start-Up

Lucy Rodriguez is the founder of LRBrows.com, a company through which she has offered top notch eyebrow shaping, tinting, and transformation services for over 10 years. Growing up, Lucy studied nursing and gravitated toward work in dermatology where she gained experience in cosmetic procedures and learned about the intricacies of tailoring beauty services to bone structure. When she left the medical field, Lucy tapped her dermatological know-how to develop a signature brow shaping method that is based on each client's facial structure.

Lucy is currently based at Hair by Hisham in Coconut Grove and is available for hire for photo shoots, weddings, and other special events. Most recently, Lucy expanded her company's services to include the production of a 100-percent natural nightly nourishing treatment that adds length and volume to brows and lashes called Enhance Brow Oil. The brow oil, which she developed in collaboration with a University of Miami chemist, is available for purchase on her website and at select Miami boutiques, salons, and doctor's offices.

The Miami Benefits and Challenges

Lucy is a Miami native that hails from the up-and-coming South Miami neighborhood and lives in Brickell. She decided to start her business here because it is home base for her family. Additionally, Lucy recognizes that the city has a stable beauty market due to the community's emphasis on beauty and its reputation for having beautiful people. Through LRBrows.com, Lucy is working to make a positive impact on the community and to enhance Miami's existing beauty.

Despite these benefits, Miami does pose some obstacles for Lucy's growing business. The city's fast-paced lifestyle is matched by local's expectations for instant gratification. This reality is a particular challenge in the success of her brow oil which produces fabulous results but cannot provide them as quickly as non-homeopathic counterparts. Additionally, as with all communities, there is a percentage of the population that doubts the efficacy of all-natural products. Lucy has faith that, in time, the public will recognize the benefits of using a non-chemical formula to grow healthy brow and lashes. For the forseeable future, she plans to continue to grace Miami with her brow savvy here in our sunny shores.

The #ThankYouMiami Statement

Lucy's father left Cuba for Miami at the age of 13 without knowing a lick of English. Here he managed to successfully grow four companies with the support of the local community. Lucy looks forward to seizing the same opportunity with LRBrows.com. For what is Miami's "brow ninja" most grateful? "#ThankYouMiami for giving everyone, including minorities, an opportunity to grow and live the American dream."

Are you a part of the Miami entrepreneurial movement? What do you think Miami is doing right to support its future growth? Where do you see room for improvement? Which local entrepreneurs would you like to see give their opinion on this subject? Leave a comment below or send us a tweet @ThankYouMiami!

#ThankYouMiami for Our Growing Start-Up Scene - One Year Later

Welcome to Part 1 of our 4-part series, “#ThankYouMiami for Our Growing Start-Up Scene". In the second iteration of this series, we recount our conversations with three new Miami entrepreneurs about what Miami is doing right for its entrepreneurial movement, where there is room for improvement, and why they each say #ThankYouMiami. Access the first iteration of this series here and the rest of this series here: Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4.

If you're an O.G. #ThankYouMiami reader, you remember that in November 2013 we put on our big boy birches and we tackled Miami's burgeoning entrepreneurial movement with a four-part series: #ThankYouMiami for Our Growing Start-Up Scene. The series featured the prominent leaders of three Miami tech-based start-ups who shared with us their experience starting a company in Miami and their thoughts on what our city is doing right or could do better to support them and their businesses.

Back then, this site, our business savvy, and the local start-up scene were all arguably in their infancy. Nevertheless, the resulting articles were some of our favorite to date. Not only did they delve into a topic closely tied to Miami's future, but they also introduced us to some of the movers-and-shakers within our community. As an added bonus, it was an absolute thrill watching their companies evolve for the last year.

This time we come to you, our growing audience, as owners of our own developing business eager to delve back into the conversation. Check back each day this week as we recount with you our conversations with:

• Lucy Rodriguez of LRBrows.com
• Zach Grossman of EnerBee.com
• Ethan and Jonathan Denney of Webpresario.com

Are you a part of the Miami entrepreneurial movement? What do you think Miami is doing right to support its future growth? Where do you see room for improvement? Which local entrepreneurs would you like to see give their opinion on this subject? Leave a comment below or send us a tweet @ThankYouMiami!

#ThankYouMiami for Parks, Gardens & Other Natural Attractions

If the overwhelming traffic hasn't been sufficient indication, let this serve as your official notice that Miami tourism season is upon us. Season means enduring an extra long commute, pushing through an overstuffed social calendar, and playing host to a flurry of visitors. Who can blame our friends and family for wanting to visit our beautiful city? We don't - but we do stress at the thought of entertaining. Despite our insider knowledge, it seems every time we have to play host we come up blank with what to do, where to go, what to see in Miami.

To help us all get through another season, each Friday in December we'll be sharing one favorite Miami travel resource. We hope these visitor tools and lists help you develop exciting itineraries for your guests when you need a little push to get started. This week, we kick-start this effort with a compilation of Miami's best parks, gardens, and other natural attractions that we prepared for the Greater Miami and the Beaches Convention and Visitors Bureau. Read the excerpt below and click on the image for the full feature. Don't forget to check in next Friday for more Miami travel tips!

What is your favorite park or garden in Miami? Is there are a place you would have liked to see on this list? What is your go-to resource for showing off our beautiful city? Is there a guide or list of attractions that you would like to see? Leave a comment below or send us a tweet @ThankYouMiami!

#ThankYouMiami for A Social December - Beyond Basel

December in Miami is most notable for Art Basel, but the month usually offers much more than this jam-packed first week. This year, between store openings and one-of-a-kind shows, Miami's social calendar proves just as promising as years past. Today we share with you the three events beyond Basel that we are most excited to attend. However, in case your focus is still on that first week of December, Soul of Miami has one the most comprehensive Art Basel guide on the market.

1. Snow Happy Hour at the Conrad Miami
December 1 - December 31
1395 Brickell Avenue

Pining for a white Christmas but staying in Miami? Conrad Miami is making all of your dreams come true. Every day this month they are bringing snow and drink deals to The Bar from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Enjoy festive cocktails like peppermint martinis or reduced bottles of Veuve Cliquot Yellow Label and Rosé as you watch glittering snow flurries fall every 30 minutes or take in their incomparable city views. What a fabulous way to get into the holiday spirit!

2. Cirque du Soleil presents Amaluna

December 11 - January 25

The Blue and Yellow Top at Sun Life Stadium

Amaluna, one of Cirque du Soleil's newest touring shows and its 33rd production, will debut in Miami on December 11. The show, which takes place on a mysterious island governed by Goddesses, will celebrate the work and voice of women using the circus-style theatrics and intricate costumes for which the company is recognized. Additionally, for the first time in Cirque du Soleil history, the cast for the show compromises 70% women, with a 100% all-female band. We look forward to experiencing first hand the magic of Cirque du Soleil and to exploring Amaluna's themes of femininity and environmental stewardship.

3. Borscht Film Festival

December 18 - December 21

Click here for the event schedule.

This semi-annual Miami festival provides an outlet for emerging artists to share Miami's story via film. The goal of Borscht Corp, its producer, is to form Miami's cinematic identity and show that Miami is more than the South Beach of pop culture. This year we are most excited to see the crowd-sourced remake of Scarface for which the public was invited to submit their own interpretation of 15 second clips from the movie. Scarface Redux gives the world an opportunity to tell one story about Miami's violent past and puts Miami at the epicenter of an international dialogue. Don't forget to buy tickets!

4. Lululemon Athletica Lincoln Road Opening Weekend

December 19 - December 21

846 Lincoln Road, Suite 1A

Lululemon Athletica is integrating itself seamlessly into our tight-knit Miami community and they are bringing local love, art, and culture. Their fast-approaching opening weekend is no different. The weekend of December 19, to celebrate the arrival of their Lincoln Road outpost, Lululemon Athletica invites you to explore their new digs with food, music, free workouts and prizes. We look forward to seeing you at #SweatBeach!

Which of these events will you be attending? What non-Basel event are you looking forward to this December? Is there an event you would have liked to see on this list? Leave us a comment below or send us a tweet @ThankYouMiami!