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By Mandy Haggerson
For the Clemmons Courier

Jodi Nye grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and spent most of her life in that area. From a young age, Jodi and her sister were encouraged to appreciate having a close family and being active. “In the warmer months, we lived on a lake so we water skied and tubed. In the winter, we did lots of snow skiing. We all enjoyed being outside and the recharge that nature provided,” explains Nye who was also active in various sports like basketball, track, and volleyball.

It was during her sophomore year in high school that Nye really decided that pursuing a career in teaching would be a great option for her. She headed to Western Michigan University to attain that degree. Nye also reconnected with her future husband, Rob. “Our parents had been friends for years. We always had a crush on each other, but it wasn’t until our sophomore year of college that God intervened and he called me to hang out. We were inseparable ever since. My grandmother joked with us that she always knew from a young age that we were meant to be,” notes Nye.

After graduating, Nye had a harder time finding a job in teaching then expected. “I went to work at Kent Rubber Supply in Grand Rapids, Michigan, because it was such a challenge to find a job as a teacher,” explains Nye. Once Jodi and Rob had their first daughter, Alexis, she changed gears professionally altogether when they discovered their new baby was hard of hearing. “Around the time she was 8 months old we realized it. To generate income, I opened a daycare at my house so I could be with her all day,” says Nye. From the very moment Nye became a mom, the life lessons she learned she found to be invaluable. “Kids are incredibly resilient, they teach you way more than you teach them. Although my daughter (now 24 and getting her doctorate at UNC Chapel Hill) was hard of hearing, nothing got in her way or stopped her.”

The Nye family loved being parents so much, they expanded their family to include a son, Noah, now 19, and another daughter, Elizabeth, 13. “We are a very close and active family. We go hiking, fishing, and love to have bonfires where we can sit around and talk. “In fact, one of the reasons we moved down to Clemmons about five years ago is because of how much we wanted to live somewhere that we could be outside a lot in the sunshine. All of our extended family still is in Michigan. We were lucky that when we searched for job opportunities, Rob had three different offers and we picked the one here,” says Nye.

Jodi has found that their new home has been exactly what their family was hoping it would be. Although, Jodi does miss her extended family in Michigan and some of the other amenities that made it special. “One of the really great places we would frequent was a coffee place called Biggby Coffee. Whenever my mom comes to visit she brings us some, so I finally decided that why not open one here. I’m currently in the process of making that happen either here in Clemmons or Advance,” explains Nye. “It’s got such a great family atmosphere and the quality of their products is incredible. I can’t wait to bring it here. It’ll be fun also to get to meet more people in the community once we open.”

As our neighbor excitedly prepares for her next chapter of opening her own small business, she reminds us that it’s important to focus on what brings us joy both personally and professionally.