When Mia Troy moved to Wilmington in 2017, she already had experience as an entrepreneur.
She had opened a doggie daycare in Vermont back in 2010, a business that is still operating
today. But after moving to Wilmington, she wasn't exactly sure what she wanted to do next.
The Idea Came From an Unexpected Place
While visiting her sister in Denver in 2018, her sister suggested they go axe throwing. Before
they left, she called the local axe-throwing bar to see if they had room.
Mia thought calling ahead seemed a little silly.
Instead, they were basically laughed off the phone—the place had a three-week wait.
They never actually got to throw an axe, but Mia came back to Wilmington thinking there might
be something to the idea. At the time, the closest axe-throwing facility she could find was in
Washington, D.C., so she drove up to try it for herself.
After hitting her first bullseye, she was sold.
In May 2018, Mia signed a lease at the Red Barn Studio in Wilmington. Construction started in
June, and Axes & Allies opened that August.
It Was a Hit Almost Immediately.
Over the next several years, Axes & Allies became a big part of Mia's life. She hosted leagues
and tournaments, built a loyal group of customers and even met her husband through the
business.
She also became friends with Bobby Miller, who had opened an axe bar in Jacksonville a few
months before her. Bobby helped her navigate some of the early challenges of the business, and
years later, he would also help spark her next idea.
Then Came Sugar Buzzed
After several years of running Axes & Allies, Mia started thinking about opening another
business.
Bobby was working with a company selling hemp-derived products at the time and introduced
her to a market she didn't know much about.
Mia took the idea and put her own spin on it: a "grown-up candy store."
Sugar Buzzed opened in June 2023, combining the feeling of an old-school candy store with
infused treats for adults.
Like Axes & Allies, it Found its Audience Quickly
Mia had worked in marketing before becoming an entrepreneur, which certainly helped when it
came to building both brands. But she says the part she enjoyed most wasn't necessarily the
marketing or even the business side of things.
It was making people happy.
"I'm a people pleaser to a fault when it comes to business," Mia says. "Wanting to put smiles on
people's faces is what has always driven me to succeed."
Whether it was someone hitting their first bullseye at Axes & Allies or watching an adult walk
into Sugar Buzzed and immediately feel like a kid in a candy store again, those were the
moments she enjoyed most.
Of course, owning businesses wasn't always fun. Staffing was one of Mia's biggest challenges,
and Axes & Allies went through everything from Hurricane Florence to the pandemic. She
credits her accountant, David Zukerman, along with her employees, customers and league
members, for helping the business make it through some difficult years.
Deciding It Was Time to Sell
By 2024, Mia was ready to start thinking about what might come next.
She had an idea to develop property she owned in Echo Farms into an intentional community
with tiny homes. To make that happen, she needed to free up some of her time and capital.
That led her to consider selling Axes & Allies.
Mia asked her accountant, David, about getting a valuation. He recommended Terry and Kirk at
Momentum Companies.
"He had never steered me wrong in business, so it was a no-brainer to go with his
recommendation," she says.
Initially, Mia wanted to keep the sale confidential because she didn't want employees or league
members worrying about what might happen to the business. About 10 months later, the decision
was made to market the opportunity publicly, and Axes & Allies went under contract shortly
thereafter.
The Sale Closed in August 2025
For Mia, though, selling wasn't simply a business transaction.
"Selling a business felt akin to selling a child," she says. "That's how personally I take my
businesses."
Throughout the process, she worked closely with Momentum business broker Kirk Walsh. Kirk
had owned and sold a similar business himself before becoming a broker, which Mia says gave
him a unique understanding of what she was going through.
"Kirk was just amazing throughout this process," she says. "He implicitly understood all sides of
the process, as a seller, buyer and broker."
She jokes that Kirk became a "confidant, therapist and friend" along the way.
More than anything, Mia appreciated having someone else handle the negotiations, buyer
conversations and countless details that come with selling a business while she was still trying to
run one.
"I could not have done this without Momentum," she says. "They really removed a lot of the
stress and worry from the process."
One More Sale—and a Very Different Next Chapter
After selling Axes & Allies, Mia eventually decided it was time to sell Sugar Buzzed as well.
She came back to Kirk at Momentum for the second transaction, and Sugar Buzzed officially
sold in June 2026.
Today, both Axes & Allies and Sugar Buzzed continue operating under new ownership—
something Mia is particularly proud of.
"I am most proud of starting two very unique and exciting businesses in Wilmington that are still
operating to this day," she says. "I hope the new owners have nothing but success in the future."
As for Mia?
She and her husband have traded Wilmington for Costa Rica, where they're now under contract
on an apartment complex. The goal is a slower pace, more passive income and a little more time
to enjoy life.
It's a pretty big change from opening an axe-throwing business because of a three-week wait at a
bar in Denver.
But looking back, Mia sees the sales of her businesses as part of what made this next chapter
possible.
"I wouldn't be here living the Pura Vida lifestyle without Momentum in my corner," she says.
"What an exciting and wild ride it has been."
Thinking About What Comes Next?
Like Mia, many business owners start with one simple step: finding out what their business is worth. Talk with a Momentum broker about your goals, confidentially.