How one woman spun fifteen minutes of fame into a career

Good afternoon, everyone.

Hope you can join us tomorrow evening for a beer at Streetcar Taps. As always, there will be an eclectic crowd. We’ll also be giving away ten passes to July’s Bitcoin Conference in Nashville. I mean, I probably shouldn’t say this, but even if you don’t want to go, I wonder what the street value is on those things…. Make sure to RSVP if you plan to come.  

Onward.

--

Among the many business endeavors on which Snoop Dogg has made his mark, maternity wear may not immediately come to mind. But for Caitlyn Schollmeier, the rapper and entrepreneur gave her the unlikely nudge toward an industry she didn’t realize she wanted to enter. 

Awaiting the birth of her twins while on bedrest in the hospital, Schollmeier sent her family and friends a video of her participating in a Snoop TikTok trend. It just so happened she was wearing a birthing gown she had designed while awaiting her due date. “I did it on Tik Tok because I didn’t know how to do it anywhere else like an editing app or something. And, then, I ended up accidentally posting it publicly instead of privately,” Schollmeier said.

“I had no followers. I had no presence online whatsoever. I never intended to have a presence online. But I woke up after my viral videos went off with 165,000 followers overnight. And then I was like, Okay, well, I’ve got to decide, do I want to start a company? Do I want to be an influencer? Do I want to pursue this? Or do I want to just leave it? I’m not the kind of person to walk away from a potential opportunity.” 

Within a matter of days, Schollmeier and her husband, Matthew, formed a business and began a first run of gowns under the label Lila using the last of their savings. Fueled by her surprise TikTok stardom, the online store quickly became a full time job for the new mother as she gained over 900,000 followers on social media and sold more than 50,000 gowns. Now, Schollmeier is celebrating a new milestone with the opening of Lila’s first brick-and-mortar store, located at The Streets of Indian Lake in Hendersonville.

🧼 Washing Clothes for the Greater Good On Tuesday, a NEST bill concerned with updating “confusing, antiquated, and unnecessary building codes” was passed on second reading; initially, those “unnecessary” codes included washer/dryer hookups.

“That’s one of the most oppressive things I’ve heard in a long time,” Councilmember Courtney Johnston said during its first reading, “to say that people who are receiving affordable housing don’t deserve washers and dryers in their own house.” Councilmember Sandra Sepulveda, on the other hand, claimed as a person who lives “paycheck to paycheck” she has no problem going to the local laundromat every Sunday. "That allows me to live in my district and pay a much lower rent."

After extensive deliberations with department heads and colleagues, Segall amended the bill language to ensure every single or multi-family home would be provided with both washer and dryer connections. The council unanimously supported the rewritten bill. MEGAN PODSIEDLIK

🎓 ESA: Where There's a Will, is There a Way? The impasse between the House and the Senate regarding the governor’s ESA bill has stirred up chaotic speculation over the last few days. The bill has been on “life support” and has “died” several times over: Erick Schelzig, editor of the Tennessee Journal, has pre-written the bill’s obituary multiple times, while Phil Williams, investigative journalist for News5, has theorized its potential revival by way of being written into HB390/SB191, “which could become a vehicle for school vouchers, skipping Finance Committee.”

Meanwhile, the rumor mill on the hill is churning: some say House Speaker Cameron Sexton has conveniently fallen ill in order to postpone tomorrow’s floor session and buy some time for backroom negotiations. Others believe the Senate’s solid 17 votes against the legislation are wavering as the governor continues to apply political pressure, potentially withholding funding on certain bills to gain votes for his ESA plan.

All but defeated, those who support ESA expansion have vowed to bring the bill back if it’s not passed during this year’s General Assembly.  But what’s most interesting about this saga is the clear power struggle within Republican leadership. Governor Lee’s lack of influence first became evident when his cornerstone farmland easement bill died last week. Despite recruiting both the lieutenant governor and the Senate Majority Leader to put pressure on Senate Ag Committee Chairman Steve Southerland, to pass the bill through his committee, it wasn’t enough to secure the votes needed. The confusion that has placed the ESA bill in limbo only reveals one thing for certain: the political winds are shifting in the Republican supermajority’s halls of power. MEGAN PODSIEDLIK

📔 Swift's Manifesto? As the hearing over whether to release Audrey Hale’s writings enters its third day, the Covenant families’ attorney, Eric Osborne, made a memorable argument for keeping them under lock and key. Hale's family turned over her estate to the victim's families after the tragedy, giving them ownership of the writings. “Imagine us going to Taylor Swift’s residence and they collect Ms. Swift’s writings and found 10 new songs,” Osborne said. “We are in the same position as Ms. Swift. This is copyright and shouldn’t be public.” Is this a black hat marketing scheme for Swift’s forthcoming album? DAVIS HUNT

DEVELOPMENT

• Newest tenant at Nashville's iconic 'Batman Building' co-created Overwatch, Call of Duty (Tennessean)
• Justin Timberlake-backed 8AM Golf to bring private course, club to Nashville (NBJ)
• Albion Residential begins work on first Beaman site development (NBJ)
• Sylvan Park property could see first new owner in 51 years (Post)

THINGS TO DO

View our calendar for the week here and our weekly film rundown here.

📅 Visit our On The Radar list to find upcoming events around Nashville.

🎧 On Spotify: Pamphleteer's Picks, a playlist of our favorite bands in town this week.

👨🏻‍🌾 Check out our Nashville farmer's market guide.

TONIGHT

🎸 High Fade @ The Basement, 9p, $15.68, Info
+ razor-sharp funk and disco

🪕 Vickie Vaughn Band @ Station Inn, 9p, $20, Info

🍀 Live Irish Music @ McNamara’s Irish Pub, 6p, Free, Info

🎸 Kelly’s Heroes @ Robert’s Western World, 6:30p, Free, Info

🎸 Open Mic @ Fox & Locke, 6:30p, Free, Info
+ vet community here