Seated - Summer Unplugged

JULY 2023 ISSUE NO. 1 

SEATED 

QUINTA & DREAMS 

DO COME TRUE 

Fleming Street Bakery & 

Southern Cuisine 

SUMMER 

UNPLUGGED 

Making the most of your 

summer unplugged 

while connecting to your 

people. 

12 

places visit this 

summer

SEATED MAGAZINE 

SEATED 

We hold space for you to 

gather around and be fully 

present in the moments of 

joy, peace, & the complexities 

of life. This is our space to be 

seen, felt heard and seated 

together.

ABOUT | PAGE 03 

& MISSION VISION 

Seated with Strangers 

Seated with Strangers was created with you 

in mind. We bring strangers together, over 

dinner + our podcast. We want you to feel 

seen and heard as we have conversations 

surrounding reimagining community. We 

leave people better and their communities. 

We provide space for people through 

our dinner parties. 

We provide tools for healthy 

communication with our signature 

playing cards. 

We connect locally encouraging to 

invest back into our community. 

We demonstrate what it looks like to 

love our neighbor as our self. 

We highlight our strangers via Seated. 

We have fun! 

2,500+ 3,500+ 

LIVES CHANGED IMPACTS MADE 

Scan this QR code to 

listen to our playlist


TABLE OF 

CONTENTS 

Featured: Meet Qunita 6 

Let's Talk Money 9 

Wine Enthusiasts 11 

Summer Hair 13 

Staycation with Bridgett 15 

Self-Care + Mental Wellness 19 

Summer Finds 21 

Treat Your Body Well 22 

12 Summer Spots 24 

Summer Spots Continued 25 

Salon Noa 26

EDITOR'S NOTE | PAGE 05 

EDITOR'S 

NOTE 

Seated is an extension of 

Seated with Strangers. I 

wanted to continue to 

create space for us to feel 

seen, heard, valued, and 

considered. I remember 

the times that I didn’t feel 

any of the abovementioned. 

It wasn’t until I 

decided to pick up my pen 

and jot down my thoughts 

that I was able to find my 

footing in who I was, the 

things I needed to let go of 

and the space I wanted to 

take up. I was seated first 

with myself and then all 

others. This publication is 

here to remind you to have 

a seat with yourself first 

and then to make time for 

community. 

Shivawn Mitchell


Featured 

MEET 

QUINTA 

I 

think I actually fell in love with how people 

reacted to being served food before I fell in love 

with cooking. In 2nd grade I started selling peanut 

butter and jelly sandwiches to my neighbors for $1. 

(They said they were the best. LOL) Creating new 

dishes while at restaurants with family is my next 

memory of this food journey. Once I was done 

eating, I mixed leftovers and “plated” the creation. I 

only got in trouble a few times...;) I recognized my 

passion for cooking as a young teen and it’s only 

grown deeper since. 

Tell us your favorite dish to cook and why it’s 

your favorite? 

My favorite dish is actually a more of a method - 

smoking meats, whether chicken, beef, or pork, is 

what I enjoy the most. The smell of the smoke, 

seeing it rise through the air, the work put in during 

the long smoking sessions, and the end product -it all 

excites me. Smoking meats is a method connected 

directly to my ancestors and how they prepared 

meals and fed the community. The smell brings the 

crowd and meaty prize can feed the crowd.


FLEMING STREET 

SOUTHERN CUISINE 

F 

leming Street is a childhood dream come 

true and my way of honoring the memory of 

my late grandmother, Helen Ellis, who passed 

unexpectedly in 2021. Located in Spencer, NC, 

Fleming Street will daily offer sweet treats, 

lunch and dinner, and brunch on the weekends. 

This modern twist on southern cuisine is 

inspired by my own travels and experiences. 

The name Fleming Street is a nod to the street 

my grandparents live(d) on and where I spent 

many days during my childhood. It’s where we 

ate hot fresh biscuits baked by my grandmother 

for afterschool snacks, played with cousins 

from sunup till sundown, gathered as a family 

for dinners on a seemingly weekly basis. It’s 

where I’ve always felt the most love. Fleming 

Street was birthed during the pandemic. It 

started as a bakery acquisition with two of my 

aunts. I was still teaching high school, but all of 

my free time was spent baking treats and filling 

orders. Initially, orders were for personal pickup 

and eventually were being shipped all over 

the United States. At the end of the following 

school year, after praying and talking with my 

husband, Clyde, I knew the time had come to 

make the transition. 

For someone who doesn't really cook what is 

a dish that you would recommend them 

cooking? 

Partner with Fleming Street for all your 

culinary needs! LOL -I kid...mostly. :) 

I’d say think of a comforting and beginner 

friendly dish, such as roasted chicken and 

veggies, which can be a one pan meal. Also, 

there are many crockpot meals that require 

little experience and few ingredients. Whatever 

dish you choose, remember there are no 

accidents in cooking, only happy new dishes. 

How do you disconnect and make time for 

you? 

I absolutely prioritize self-care. I usually take 

Tuesday or Wednesday as my self-care day. No 

appointments or meetings scheduled, I take 

very few phone calls/emails, enjoy lunch at a 

favorite restaurant or try a new place, and 

binge watch tv -in silence. As the opening of the 

restaurant is fast approaching, I’m certain selfcare 

will continue but unsure how that will look 

with an even more hectic schedule. 

Once we’re open, visit Spencer, NC and let’s eat well! 

FB/IG @flemingstreetnc

MEET QUINTA | PAGE 09


LET'S TALK MONEY 

SUMMER TIME SAVING

MONEY | PAGE 07 

The best way to make sure you're able to enjoy your summer and not stress about how much 

you're spending is to having your activities factored into your budget. Budget for going out for 

drinks, to amusement parks, or on vacation. Don't just go on a whim because you feel like it. 

Don't allow others to spend your money for you and talk you into things that your bank 

account can't afford and they aren't willing to spend on you. Sometimes you have to say no in 

the present, so that you can say yes to your real goals in the future. Since it's hot outside there 

are a lot of fun things that you can do for free or at a low cost. Go to the beach or lake and 

bring your own lunch in a cooler. Explore your city like a tourist and look up some fun things 

near you that are going on within your budget/price range. Just make sure to surround 

yourself with the people that matter most to you. 

Budgeting should not feel like you're depriving yourself of everything, but it does require a 

level of discipline. You don't have to say no to your morning coffee but maybe you can 

decrease how much you spend on eating out each day or start packing a lunch a few days a 

week. Budgeting should be practical with your income and lifestyle. If you work 60-80+ hours 

a week meal prepping may not be practical. However, you can get more $10 meals than $20+ 

meals to help keep your food costs low. For many of us budgeting will require for us to make 

less purchases on Amazon or Target runs. We can do this by creating a list of things that we 

need and setting the amount we will spend on them before we open the app or run to the 

store. This way we're able to hold ourselves accountable and stay within budget. Budgeting is 

about prioritizing your dream goals and not spending money on things that don't have value 

to us in the long run. 

KIDS & MONEY 

The best way to talk to your kids about money is to be relatable. 

Make it into a fun game by playing Monopoly or LIFE. You can 

also teach them about investments by bringing up their favorite 

characters or companies like Disney, Nickelodeon, Busch 

Gardens, etc. 

Bring your kids in on creating family goals and the plan to reach 

them. That way they're starting to see that sometimes sacrifices 

are required and are invested in the process which will make 

everyone happier. Being relatable and including them in the 

decision-making process will help start finance conversations 

that will continue to evolve as they get older. Making it so that 

your kids understand finances when they enter adulthood and 

avoid a lot of costly mistakes in the future. 

Bri Smith, CPA 

A Wealth 

Strategist who 

helps families 

achieve financial 

freedom through 

effective financial 

planning. With 

over 5 years of 

experience 

managing finances 

for high earners, 

Bri inspires 

parents to build 

legacies, achieve 

dream goals, and 

end generational 

poverty. 

WEBSITE

Tell us about becoming a certified 

wine specialist and how did you 

become interest in expanding your 

palate? 

 

I started off by taking the Wine and 

Spirit Education & Trust (WSET) 

Program Level 1 just to have a better 

understanding of how wines should 

be served and a high-level 

knowledge of the basic wine regions, 

but after taking level 1 I was hungry 

for more knowledge and had to 

continue with level 2. This process 

was important to me because the 

wine industry is predominantly 

Caucasian and being an African 

American female in this industry, I 

knew having a certification would be 

important to allow doors to be 

opened for me and for people to take 

me seriously. 

WINERIES & MORE | PAGE 11 

Wine Enthusiast 

After taking this level 1 course and 

during 21 Days of Prayer with my church, 

a vision was downloaded that this would 

become my path to being an entrepreneur. 

After passing WSET Level 1, which was an 

intense 5-week course that went deeper 

into the aromas, taste, and regions and 

passed with merit. 

Deana Tisdal 

@DSipsVino

How can we expand our 

palate when it comes to 

pairing with dinner and or 

lunch? 

WINIRIES & MORE | PAGE 11 

If you really want to expand your 

palate and your taste buds to explode 

with happiness, it’s simple to always 

start with a Prosecco or Champagne 

while you are deciding on your meal. 

If you are having pasta with a 

creamy or white sauce, you can go 

for a light to medium bodied fruity 

or tropical off-dry white wine. If you 

are having a steak, it’s always safe to 

go with a medium to full body red. If 

you are having a spicy dish, it’s safe 

to go with a light body sweet white 

wine. 

Are there any wineries or 

wine events we should 

attend this summer? 

Old Westminster Winery is in Carroll 

County, MD and they have summer 

cabanas and summer greenhouses that 

you can rent and it’s a vibe. They serve 

pizzas, appetizers, charcuterie boards, 

and delicious pastries and all ingredients 

are local from Maryland. You may even 

run into me working there some 

weekends :). Reservations are highly 

recommended. 

Big Cork Winery is located in Rohersville, 

MD and the scenery, wine, and views are 

amazing. Home - Big Cork Vineyards. 

Wine and Culture Fest is being held 

this year from July 23-30 in Atlanta, GA. 

This event is an inclusive wine festival 

for the Black, Indigenous, and people 

of color (BIPOC) community. 

wineandculturefest. 

 

What is one thing you wish more people 

knew about you? 

 

One thing I wish more people knew 

about me and I’ve become bolder in 

sharing is that above all else my faith 

and relationship with God is the most 

important thing in my life. By putting 

Him first he has restored and 

redeemed me to the person that is 

displayed today.


SUMMER HAIR 

HAIR CARE 

SALON NOA 

I recommend drinking lots of 

water during the summer. 

Drinking water will work on 

the internal and it will help 

keep your scalp hydrated. 

Also, when choosing 

protective styles for the 

summer months make sure 

you shampoo and treat before 

installing. This will help 

strengthen your tresses and 

ensure your hair strands will 

be healthy during your 

braiding process. Don’t leave 

off shampoo and/or treating 

your scalp. 

TRIM + TREAT 

Fawnne has over 18 years of 

experience in the industry with a 

concentration hair treatment for 

natural hair and healthy hair styling. 

She's Wedding Wire rated, Pravana 

Master Colorist Certified and 2017 

Image Award Winning Hairstylist. She 

has published works and competed in 

hair competitions. She's been awarded 

2018 ACHI MAGAZINE Hairstylist of 

the Year and is a National Educator for 

Influance Haircare. 

Use a water-based leave in conditioner daily to mist your 

protective style. A healthy scalp is important to ensure your hair 

will be in its best shape once removed. Lastly, ask your braider 

or stylist for braiding hair options that include toxin/ chemical 

free, hypoallergenic options, when selecting hair and color. This 

type of hair will allow for no skin and scalp irritations during 

your installation process. I strongly recommend to shampoo and 

condition your hair weekly (for those who work out) and 

biweekly for basic hair care steps. This will ensure that your hair 

and scalp are clean and healthy.

SUMMER HAIR| PAGE 13 

NATURAL 

HAIR CARE 

Salon Noa 

My Favorite hairstyle for the summertime 

include individual twist style options, 

knotless braids with extensions, curly wash n 

go services and a protective crown twist style. 

The styles are great to beat the heat and offer 

a carefree and easy or maintenance during 

the busy summer months. 

Hydrating products offer maximum moisture 

for the hair. Use a water-based leave in 

conditioner to mist those tresses daily. Lastly, 

I recommend using a serum or shine spray to 

seal your hair it will be light weight and offer 

maximum shine to your hair. 

Be Seated with me via Instagram: @salonnoa. 

Twitter: @salonnoa Facebook: Salon Noa


Bridgett's Guide to 

TAKING A : 

STAYCATION 

By Bridgett McNeill 

Photos Firstfruits Photography 

How did you determine where 

you were going hotel/location 

(what factors came into play)? 

I first determine my stay in a city 

based on the types of hotels they 

have. When it comes to hotels, 

what is most important to me is 

modernization, cleanliness, and 

how a hotel makes me feel 

overall. I want to feel like I’m 

away from home, but also at 

home! 

Sources: https://www.hoteltonight.com/ 

https://www.instagram.com/bridgeoverwaters_/ 

Secondly, I vet places using Trip 

Advisor. Real, authentic reviews 

don’t lie! using Trip Advisor. Real, 

authentic reviews don’t lie!

Where did you stay & what did 

you enjoy most about the hotel? 

STAYCATION LIFESTYLE | PAGE 15 

My most recent staycation was in Frisco, 

Texas. It is my favorite city in Texas, second 

to Austin. I love the fact that Frisco is full of 

exploration, and it is constantly growing. It 

makes me feel as though I’m in a place of 

expansion when I’m there! Although Dallas is 

near, you literally feel like you you’re 

nowhere near DFW (Dallas, Fort Worth). 

My favorite hotels to stay at are: 

Canopy by Hilton, AC Hotel, and the Omni. 

These are all near (and walkable) the Ford 

Center which is central to all restaurants and 

shopping. Super fun and full of things to do 

and see. 

Were there any restaurants or 

amenities that you enjoyed? 

My favorite nearby restaurant that you can 

bike to from the hotels or drive to is Tricky 

Fish. The food is amazing, especially the 

calamari! And don’t forget the bourbon 

banana pudding, oh my! It does not 

disappoint. 

Perks: Canopy by Hilton bikes. Great for 

exploring. Ac Hotel for the Starbucks in the 

lobby. Omni— the entire hotel is gorgeous! A 

glass of wine by the fireplace is a must!

Why is it important to take staycations ? 

STAYCATION LIFESTYLE | PAGE 15 

I’ve always believed in traveling ever since I 

experienced my first, in-state flight during 

my senior year in high school. There are so 

many people who have never left their city, 

let alone traveled 2-3 hours away from home. 

This is especially true for people who tend to 

live in small cities and towns. 

When I lived in NYC, I never understood why 

locals never explored their own city. Most 

leave it up to the tourists. This goes to show 

how we take for granted our city, region, and 

state. We leave imagination and exploration 

on the table, which leads to limitation. 

Allowing your mind to take in new 

information just by doing something 

different allows you to see past your own 

horizon. 

Tips you would give someone when 

planning a staycation? ? 

Highly recommend using the app, 

HotelTonight. I’ve been a member since 

January 2016, and I am currently at level 8 

(woot!). When it comes to a staycation, I 

honestly like picking a hotel in the moment— 

meaning, the day of or the day before. A 

Staycation isn’t all about heavy planning but 

rather leaving the opportunity to be a tourist 

in your own city/state.


Seated with Strangers is known for 

bringing strangers together to have 

healthy conversations. What is one 

thing you wish more people knew 

about you? 

If you leave the hotel picking to 

me, I will not disappoint! 

 

I’m most active on Instagram, 

bridgeoverwaters__. Come, have 

a seat, and check out my travel 

highlights!

SELF CARE WELLNESS | PAGE 19 

SELF CARE 

GWEN MBUVI, LMFT 

 

We’ve heard take care of ourselves and how important it is to pour into ourselves. Give us three action steps 

that we can incorporate in our everyday lives. 

 

 

First, have someone who you can talk to. We were not created to be alone. This doesn’t 

necessarily mean that you have to be coupled up. It means that you have a person that 

you can be yourself with. Someone you can call that can talk you off the ledge when 

you need it. Someone that will be gut-level honest with you. Everyone needs that type of person in their life. 

 

Second, do not take life so seriously. Life is meant to be enjoyed. Take a few moments each day to think of something 

or do something fun. Get your grind on but find time for fun. 

 

Finally, be grateful. There are a lot of people in this world that has it worse than you do. 

We tend to get caught up in our “stuff” that we forget to be grateful for what we do 

have. Every night before going to bed, you should list three things for which you are 

grateful.

SELF CARE | PAGE 17 

Self Care & Mental Wellness 

 

During the pandemic we saw people start to invest in their mental health. How can therapist, 

counselor make sure that they unplug and take care of themselves as they serve their clients? 

 

A counselor should have a counselor or that friend that I referred to in the first question. We have to 

learn that we are people too. We listen to a lot of people’s “stuff”, we have to know how to distance 

ourselves from people’s stuff. The phrase that we need to leave work at work is very true for the 

counselor. 

 

This is our unplug series how do you unplug and show up for yourself? 

How do I unplug? I do counseling! When you know that you are born to do something, you enjoy doing 

it. I was born to do therapy. I love it. It gives me great pleasure to watch as someone’s life is changed. 

Now, to be completely honest, I absolutely abhor the paperwork that goes with it, so I unplug from it by 

doing something with my family/friends or read, which is my other fun thing to do. Another way I 

unplug from the dreaded paperwork is to play spades on my iPad. 

 

How can we stay connected with you? 

You can go visit my website


SUMMER 

MUST HAVES


TREAT YOUR 

BODY WELL 

By Ginger Fitchett 

We all want summertime fine bodies but it’s 

important to equally care about our 

bodies 365. What are your three go to home 

workouts? 

As new mom, I started implementing home workouts into my routine more regularly. 

Usually, I do full body HIIT workouts from the Orangetheory app. They’re all under 25 

minutes and included with my membership. I also look on Pinterest for workouts. I’ll 

include keywords like “no weights” “upper body” “lower body” etc. YouTube also has tons 

of great workouts. Sometimes, I’ll do rebounder workouts (mini trampoline workouts) 

from the San Fran Fitness channel. Netflix also recently added some fitness content with 

Nike. I actually do not create my own workouts. I highly prefer guided workouts or 

workouts I find online. 

P.S. I’m rarely ever “feeling it” but I put mind over matter. I remind myself that I have 

goals. You never regret a workout after it’s finished. 

Tell us about your defining moment when you 

decided you needed to be consistent with your 

fitness? 

My defining moment actually came in my junior year of college. Up 

to that point, I’d been a student athlete my whole life. I realized that 

was coming to an end and my health and fitness would now be my 

responsibility. So, I got into taking classes at local gyms and looking 

up workouts on social media. Shortly after I graduated college, I had 

three gym memberships and I was using them all.

BODY WELLNESS | PAGE 21 

We are all busy – and you are a mom of a 

toddler. How do you find the time to 

stay consistent with working out? Do you 

have a scheduling cheat code? 

Definitely no cheat code. (lol) When my daughter was a baby, I looked up 

workouts I could do using her as weight or with the stroller. I have found 

workouts I can do while she’s at the park (those are great). I try to work off 

her sleep schedule. She likes to 

sleep in late, so I try to work out earlier in the morning. My family is a huge 

help with watching her, so that I can leave for an hour or two and hit the 

gym. I also have goals in mind. At first as a mom, I started working out 4 

times a week. Now, I try to work out five 

days a week. You have to find what works for you. 

You attended SWS dinner party in Texas…tell 

us one thing you walked away 

with that still sticks with you today? 

I loved that I went to dinner with strangers, and after a few 

minutes I could see multiple similarities and connections 

amongst all of us. As much hate and division that we see on a 

regular basis, it was a great reminder that we all have more 

in common than you’d 

think. 

Website: www.gingerfitchett.com 

IG: gingernfit 

TikTok: 

You can also check out my podcast Get Up Ten on 

most major streaming platforms.

1 

SUMMER 

SPOTS TO VISIT 

2 

Book Club Bar 

The East Village's boozy 

bookstore! Open 9ammidnight 

Su-Wed, until 

1am Th, Fri, Sat 

Riverboat Tour 

Take a leisurely 

ride down the 

Delta River, part of 

the Nashville 

motorcoach trip. 

Sober Social 

Cocktail culture with 

handcrafted nonalcoholic 

cocktails. 

Recommend 

reservations Wed-Sun. 

Ruby Scoops 

Ruby Scoops uses 

ingredients from local 

farms to bring you the 

finest, richest ice 

creams, sorbets, & 

baked goods. 

Black Boy Joy Art 

A Marvelous Black Boy 

Art Show is an 

exhibition tour that 

features the work of 

black male visual 

artists and artisans. 

Blanket Bingo 

Bring your blanket, 

lawn chairs or snag one 

of the tables at the park 

for a night of fun, 

music and prizes.

1 

2 

SUMMER 

SPOTS TO 

VISIT 

Indie House 

Using professionalgrade 

perfumers notes 

& accords, you will 

handcraft a custom Eau 

de Parfum. Classes for 

men & women. 

Rocky Mountaineer 

Rail journeys through 

the Canadian Rockies 

and American 

Southwest are 

scheduled to show 

guests all of the scenery 

Taste of Chicago 

Returns to Grant Park 

with three days of food, 

music, and dancing. 

Enjoy dozens of 

Chicago’s top food 

vendors 

Stax Museum 

The Stax Museum of 

American Soul Music is 

a museum located in 

Memphis, Tennessee. 

The Family Reunion 

Was created to 

celebrate the Black and 

Brown contributions to 

the food industry. (sold 

out but put a pin in it) 

Good Times Jazz Bar 

Was born out of a 

desire to bring Great 

Southern fare, Fine 

wines and the best in 

Jazz into one relaxing 

atmosphere.

Advertisment | PAGE 23

collaborate@shivawnmitchell.com 

6802 Paragon Place Suite 410 

Richmond, VA 23230 

Seated is a quarterly published magazine that 

allows strangers to stay connected beyond our 

dinner parties and podcast. We want to share 

with you what you find important in our 

community. Seated is made with you in mind. 

 

 

Copyright 2023. All rights reserved. 

 

 

 

www.seatedwithstrangers.com 

instagram.com/seatedwithstrangerspod

Seated - Summer Unplugged

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