The Charleston Marketing Podcast
Welcome to The Charleston Marketing Podcast, the podcast that dives deep into the world of marketing, with a specific focus on the vibrant city of Charleston. Join us as we explore the strategies, trends, and success stories that shape the marketing landscape in this historic and captivating coastal city.
Each episode of The Charleston Marketing Podcast brings you exclusive interviews with local marketing experts, industry thought leaders and Charleston entrepreneurs who have harnessed the power of effective marketing in the Lowcountry and beyond. From strategic communication, social media, PR, digital strategy and everything in between, we uncover valuable insights and actionable tips for our listeners.
The Charleston Marketing Podcast
Brae Richardson: Navigating Culinary Marketing with Passion and Purpose
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Join us as we welcome Brae Richardson, the creative force behind the Charleston Wine and Food Festival, to share stories from behind the scenes of one of the city's most celebrated events. Prepare to be immersed in the festival's vibrant buzz as Brae unveils the whirlwind of preparations, including the much-anticipated ticket sales and the culinary village excitement that has become their annual Super Bowl. Alongside Brae, we explore the creative dynamics and marketing strategies that bring this festival to life, highlighting his journey and experiences that shaped him into the visionary he is today.
Discover the magic of connections as we reflect on the decade-long partnership with my guest co-host, Margaret. Our conversation sheds light on the power of community and collaboration in the culinary world, as we share personal anecdotes about growth, mentorship, and the impact of supporting local businesses. From the transformational experiences of events like Tina Singleton’s Transformation Table to managing large-scale festivals, we discuss the meticulous planning that ensures each year surpasses the last, always with a focus on delivering unforgettable experiences.
Finally, we navigate the unpredictable yet exhilarating world of event planning, sharing stories of resilience and adaptability. With a focus on mental health and community support, we discuss strategies for gracefully managing unexpected changes and the significance of a strong, unified team. This episode is packed with career advice for aspiring event marketers, emphasizing the importance of genuine interactions, hands-on experiences, and the passion required to thrive in this dynamic industry. Tune in for insights on marketing trends, the role of authenticity, and the impact of innovative community-centered events.
Title Sponsor: Charleston American Marketing Association
Presenting Sponsor: Charleston Media Solutions
Annual Sponsor: SCRA; South Carolina Research Authority
Quarterly Sponsor: King and Columbus
Cohosts: Stephanie Barrow, Mike Compton, Rachel Backal, Tom Keppeler, Amanda Bunting Comen
Produced and edited: RMBO Advertising
Photographer | Co-host: Kelli Morse
Score by: The Strawberry Entrée; Jerry Feels Good, CURRYSAUCE, DBLCRWN, DJ DollaMenu
Studio Engineer: Brian Cleary and Mathew Chase
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Charleston Marketing Podcast With Bray Richardson
Speaker 1Welcome to the Charleston Marketing Podcast, powered by the Charleston American Marketing Association and broadcasting from our home at Charleston Radio Group. Thanks to CRG, we're able to talk with the movers and shakers of Charleston, from economy to art, from hospitality to tech and everything in between. These leaders have made a home here in the Lowcountry. They live here, they work here, they make change here. Why? Let's talk about it.
Speaker 2Hello and welcome to the Charleston Marketing Podcast powered by the Charleston American Marketing Association. We're recording in the Charleston Radio Group Studios. Big supporters of CAMA Got to give a shout out to Charleston's favorite DJ. Jerry Feels Good with the beats at the beginning. Thanks to all our supporters. Mike Compton here, co-founder and president of Roomba Advertising, and your incoming right Margaret, incoming president for the Charleston American Marketing Association, I have a guest co-host today. Say what's up, margaret.
Speaker 3Hello and thank you for having me. I'm very excited to be here. My name is Margaret and I am the current CAMA president.
Speaker 2Doing a great job, by the way, margaret, thank you very much. Crushing it when is that done, by the way?
Speaker 3So you will be taking over July 1st 2025.
Speaker 2I knew that.
Speaker 3Yeah. Looking forward to that, for sure uh, and I'm the founder of carolina creative marketing and we're very excited to have bray richardson here with us today what's up?
Speaker 2bray say hello hey, I'm excited to be here bray, you know I was thinking we don't need to read your bio right now yeah, right, that's, that's kind of like rookie. You know rookie podcast 101, their bio, your bio, will be in the show notes. Okay, cool. Well, typically we do this Typically, we read the bio in front of you and it's kind of weird, but you know what it's 2025.
Speaker 4Let's avoid the weird it's 2025.
Speaker 2Avoid the weird. First of all, you're sitting next to me. I have a tendency to get weird.
Speaker 1So I do apologize about that.
Speaker 2Ask my wife. She thinks I'm always weird. Uh, awkward, I think, is the word she uses. But anyhow, bray you're. What do you do to introduce yourself?
Speaker 4what do?
Speaker 2you do. Who is bray richardson?
Speaker 4are we gonna get deep or like high level okay?
Speaker 2let's start high level, then we'll dig I like to say I'm a creative?
Speaker 4um. My name is bray richardson. I am the brand and creative manager for charleston wine and food.
Speaker 2Um I like, let's repeat that for the people in the back my name.
Speaker 4My name is Bray Richardson. I am the brand and creative manager for Charleston Wine and Food. Let's repeat that for the people in the back my name is Bray Richardson.
Speaker 2I am the brand and creative manager for. Charleston Wine and Food Brand and creative manager for the giant loved festival here in Charleston.
Speaker 4Yes, yes, charleston Wine and Food.
Speaker 2Nice when is the festival?
Speaker 4So the festival is every first week full week in March. So this year it's march 5th through 9th 2025. So we're coming up.
Speaker 3You know we have like less than two months and did I see that you launched ticket sales online?
Speaker 4yeah, we launched in october. Um, and like I always tell people, I know it says sold out, but like there's a wait list for that. So if you cannot get them, you know when you want to like check back, there's a wait list for that. So if you cannot get them, when you want to check back there's a wait list. But we still have a lot of really great events listed on the website. The day party is my fave. The culinary village is like this historical. Everybody loves it. That's been around for a year. So, yeah, tickets are on sale now. So we're excited we're gearing up Love.
Speaker 4But yeah tickets are on sale now. So we're excited, we're gearing up, love it.
Speaker 2This is our Super Bowl. Well, thanks for etching out some time for us right now. Yeah, I'm excited, I mean.
Speaker 4I've been resting for the last two weeks, so thank you for getting me out of the house. Yeah, I was on the couch Like yeah, watching Grey's Anatomy like I've never seen it before. It's wild times.
Speaker 2What about you, Margaret? What have you been watching?
Speaker 3Mike, you know I don't watch. I don't have the attention span for TV or movies. I wish I did.
Speaker 2Or you know, fixing up the Airbnb that you have.
Speaker 4Or pimping out a Santa Claus. I love that. It keeps me busy.
Speaker 1What did?
Speaker 2the Santa Claus bring in? What's the revenue the Santa Claus brought in for you?
Speaker 3You know that's a great question. Yeah, If anybody listening who needs a Santa Claus for next year, reach out to me. Do you hire someone?
Speaker 1I have a guy that I work with he's got a guy, he's got a guy.
Speaker 3So for all of our listeners, I didn't find out until this morning that Bray was going to be here on the podcast today, and it turns out we actually met. What was it five, six years ago?
Speaker 4probably.
Speaker 3Yeah, I been in Charleston for like 10 years, okay, but yeah, yeah, maybe even longer maybe even longer, but uh, when I was the marketing director for David Aylor Law Offices, we worked together yeah, we were babies.
Speaker 4Yeah, we were the, the young bucks, and just outside, yeah, like we were the real outside, the real OG King Street oh, is that right? Talk about it oh yeah, yeah, we were. We knew what nightlife was back then.
Speaker 2Oh, copy that, Copy that. Okay, did you ever run into my buddy? Feels Good.
Speaker 4Yes, yes, and you know, often like he'll randomly see me and shout me out on the mic and they're like oh, my God, I'm like I see cred, Still got your cred. Still got your cred yeah, so I definitely know Jerry.
Speaker 2Well, it's not like you're ancient anyways, right now, like when, when you were.
Speaker 4But coming up in the charleston. You were probably young. Where were you from? So, um, I actually grew up in charlotte. So I like to say that I'm from charlotte, but I was born in charleston so got some, got some history here. My, my father and my mother, um, are born and raised here. I called them burke baby, so they went to burke high school. My grandfather was involved in one of the first like burke sit-ins, so I don't know if you guys, um, are born and raised here. I call them Burke baby, so they went to Burke high school. My grandfather was involved in one of the first like Burke sit-ins, so I don't know if you guys go to the museum, but you'll see that. So I have some. I got some history here, but, um, this is like my first like 10 years actually living in Charleston, so grew up in Charlotte. I always say that I'm from Charlotte, I love Charlotte, but um, but yeah, so I have some family ties here.
Speaker 2Do you know that we're big in Charlotte? I didn't know that. The podcast gets a lot of downloads in Charlotte. The number one downloads we get is Mount Pleasant. And then we got Charlotte and Charleston tied and sometimes Charlotte etches out Charleston.
Speaker 4I can see that Our own namesake for crying out loud, but we love the people in Charlotte. Our own namesake for crying out loud. But we love the people in Charlotte. They're good people. I love them. That's my getaway space when I need a second. But yeah, but yeah.
Speaker 2I have to get there. I have yet to get to Charlotte.
Speaker 4You haven't been to Charlotte. Well, okay, you've been to.
Speaker 3Charlotte, right yeah, it's a quick three-hour drive.
Speaker 2She just seemed to look, she shot, but why I just haven't? Uh, I moved here in 2019 from tampa okay, um, did that tampa for 18 years but from detroit, but, um, just haven't had the chance. You know. Well, let's talk about 2020, right? You know, didn't really get much to do there. We didn't I still feel like I'm a tourist in my own town right now. 2020 was rough you know the the two years of covid and the two years of cancer, whatever, you know, so I've been I'm ready to get out and explore a little bit.
Speaker 2Charlotte's on my list Greenville.
Speaker 4Greenville is nice.
Speaker 2I just hate driving there.
Speaker 1Yeah, yeah, we don't talk about 2020.
Speaker 4enough man Like we the mass the lane reversals in the grocery store, the lifestyle-ing your groceries after you get them. Like that was a hard time it's a weird shit. It was like whoa and you didn't know. No one knew anything.
Speaker 2I know I was just in the airport going up to Detroit to visit some family and I was just thinking to myself. What was it like for those two years?
Speaker 4of travel. Yeah, I still wear my mask in the airport. We're just spitting all over the place. I'm still like a mask early in, there are you. Oh yeah, see, I see, I see that but every time my boyfriend, like we will travel, we'll travel to vegas, like we went to see usher, like two years ago or something, and he got sick and I never get sick, but every time we travel he's always sick. I'm like you should have worn your mask, the airport it's the airport.
Speaker 2Yeah, so you're from charlotte. You moved here you have some roots here, which is really really cool, because I think that that's what charleston's about is the history and just the love of where we are from, like where you're from yeah here. I'm not from here, I'm from detroit, but I can see the people's passion for charleston oh yeah charlestonians love their charleston oh yeah, you cannot mess with charleston.
Connecting Through Food and Wine
Speaker 4Like you know, charleston, I always say local has an impact here. But I know there's some big restaurants that would come here. They just don't survive because people are not messing with it.
Speaker 2Cracker Barrel shut down. How does Cracker Barrel shut down? Because there's a local person.
Speaker 4for that there's lots of local people, you know.
Speaker 2That do the better.
Speaker 4That do it better and give you a little, give you smiles and know your name, you know so you don't love what you do then I hate it, I'm just kidding, I love it, I love it, I love it. I really feel like you know, you know, margaret and I are talking about just like those 10 years ago that we met, like I felt like that set me up for just my trajectory in my career, um what were y'all doing back then?
Speaker 4we were being young professionals no job wise, oh I was the event coordinator for a republic at the time, and then margaret was the marketing director of virginia law offices.
Speaker 3Yeah, and so I think both of us we were doing so much in the community.
Speaker 4Yeah, which is what's really cool to see what we're doing now, because we're still, you know, we spent so much time and like, I guess, like paving the way, I guess, for our career and just like making sure that we make those connections and connecting with people. I don't think it was necessarily, you know, I think that's really the important thing as you build your career, just like making connections and remembering people's names yeah, exactly like people are amazing.
Speaker 3Now, dude, yeah, so many people I still talk to from 10 years ago that I connected with that are.
Speaker 4They've been pivotal in my marketing career or I think it's also important, something that I feel like I've built my brand on, and just like I love to connect people, I love plugging people in, but I don't need anything back you know like I think that's that's important and I feel like you know that's when you have those full circle moments and you're always going to see somebody that you saw five years ago I feel like I'm the og of that it's important thought because, uh, I'm a little bit older than you guys, probably a decade or two, and I've loved that train of thought like just give, give, give community build, community give and then somehow, some way I'll get back.
Speaker 2You might not be able to monetize it right away yeah, but but it always, it always comes back in a city like charleston.
Speaker 3You know, we're kind of a small big city, big small city. Uh, it, just it really does come back yeah, so, um, but yeah to your question.
Speaker 4So started at republic and then there was a gm. Do you remember evan? You remember evan? Yeah, I always give him a shout out because he, he, he really like made me fall in love with wine and he would like I would intern for Evan and then go to work at Republic and then all the things like it was like a whole thing, but he, he really shaped my love for wine and food and pairing and all the things and what I. What I also respect from him is he was a male figure that didn't want anything from me. He genuinely wanted me to learn and grow, and so you know, being a woman in the business, it's like those things are, it's a lot, it's hard, but he didn't want anything. He just wanted to teach me. He wanted me to grow and learn, and he's still like we'll come to events that I have and you know, I see you.
Speaker 2So that's cool. So was it almost like a training, no Somalia, type of thing?
Speaker 4Kind of. I mean, I would say, yeah, but like Evan had me do everything from like I call it interning to, like you know, putting in orders, or like, hey, I need you to go to, you know Krug is having a tasting Like you need to go, you want to learn about it, like he would put me in those rooms. So I would say it was kind of like a training, but I did all the things.
Speaker 2Kind of setting you up for success right now.
Speaker 4Yeah, yeah. So it was really pivotal and impactful for me and you know, Margaret did you know Bray and the wine.
Speaker 3So I don't know if you know this, but I actually worked as a wine portfolio manager for three years before I kind of started my own company, and so very passionate as well about wine and food. I did not know that, yeah.
Speaker 4You have really lived. I did not know that at all.
Speaker 2She's an onion right.
Speaker 4Right.
Speaker 2So every time I talk to her, there's something new or something old that I haven't learned about.
Speaker 3But it's a fun world wine and food Wine, and food is so sexy, right too.
Speaker 2It's just like the wine part of it, and then the food that you eat is just. You get all of the feels when you eat the right food, paired with the right drink, in the right spot at the right you know, yeah, y'all do it.
Speaker 2Yeah, I said y'all. So stop it. Do an incredible job. It um, do an incredible job. How do you step up year after year after year, and and how much pressure is that on you and your team to make sure that it's a top notch? Because this isn't just you're not throwing one show. This isn't a one show pony. This is you have one trick pony, whatever, you have all how many events going on in the three or four day period like yeah, so I mean we're we're at about 80 something.
Speaker 4It's funny too, because we're we were supposed to downsize this year. Um, so the year before we did 100 plus events, now we have 85 plus events, so we're downsizing but it's simple I like it still um, but they're array of events.
Speaker 4So they're. You know. You have your wine lovers, where you have your beverage workshops. You have your wine lovers where you have your beverage workshops. You have your food lovers, where you have your hands-on classes, where you know you can learn from some great local chefs to make things. You have your culinary village, which we call an adult playground. It's wild and fun. And then you have your signature events.
Speaker 4So I mean, in terms of pressure, like for me me, I'm an advocate of like, if it's not broke, don't fix it. So we have some really great things that we've done for years, and so I always advocate like we just gotta make sure that we're doing those key added touches to just make sure that the guest experience is where it needs to be. But, um, we start, we try to stay on top of trends and things like that. But we also have, like, some good things that we just we don't need to fix all the time, and I think COVID, for example, is like one of those things of like let's take it back to the basics, let's focus on community first. Um, so that you know that that era, that year, definitely taught us, taught us something too. But Crazy.
Speaker 2How, what, what year is this?
Speaker 4crazy. How, what, what year is this? So this will this will actually be the 20th, so next year will be the 20th festival, but this is the 20th year as an organization. So yeah, we're working on the 20th like now.
Speaker 2So so the wheels grease like. You guys have a great plan and ahead, like and to your point, you just kind of just make sure it's polished every year, yeah, I mean, and next year being next year being like the 20th festival.
Speaker 4you know, you want to bring in the OGs, you want to bring in the people who started the thing. So we're like literally doing focus groups and talking to past executive directors and all the things, and it's been really interesting because I obviously haven't been there, all you know, all those years. But it's interesting to see, like, the thought process and the why, and I feel like our mission has always stayed the same. We are, we're a non-profit um, and initially we were established to just bring Charleston on the map and I feel like we've done that. But now we're kind of getting more, uh, in the focus of, like you know, we have a culinary and hospitality investment fund, we have externships we work with, with local high schools and do all those things. So it's changed and progressed.
Speaker 2So I know you said, margaret, please jump in.
Speaker 3I was going to say I love how you mentioned getting Charleston on the map. And it's amazing, year after year, to see how many people are now traveling here for this event. What do you see in terms of locals going to the Wine and Food Fest versus?
Speaker 4So we definitely have a lot of out-of-towners. Like we work with a lot of local hotels to ensure that we have like rates and things like that for people that are visiting. But it is a major percentage of out-of-towners. But then locals, we definitely try to do we have Locals Day in the Village, so at a discounted rate you're able to purchase a ticket and that's Sunday on the Culinary Village.
Speaker 1But we try to like. It's my favorite day yeah.
Speaker 4Do you go Really? Yeah, we got to connect, I know.
Speaker 2Yeah, I can't wait to go.
Speaker 4But yeah, I mean in terms of like chef and beverage talent too, like we really try to ensure that we're like focusing on those mom and pops and there is some synergy where we bring out of town talent if it works right. But I would say we have a huge percentage of out of towners but we definitely have a good percent of local too. I mean I've met people who've gone since 20 years Like yeah, and it's been crazy.
Speaker 3But it's amazing, and then so how are you selecting who you're working with in terms of the restaurants and chefs?
Speaker 4um.
Speaker 4I mean. So what? Where it starts is? I have a unique role. I don't necessarily do the programming, but I, from the brand perspective, I make sure our help um, our programming team, ensure that, like it aligns, whatever event that we do aligns with our branding um.
Speaker 4But it starts off actually with programming. So we program the event, so we come up with an event concept. We literally do like two days back to back, like literally writing sticky notes on the wall and like is this lame? Yes, is this cool? Yes, like we are like huddled as a group, we work with our um programming team, which is our, our food and then our beverage, um, and and then from there we kind of like say is this local restaurant fit with this person? Like, fit with this event? Yes, and then we really try to focus on like the up-and-comers and then, just like you know, people who've been here and really like um, I'm trying to think we did an event a couple years ago matriarchs of the low country, and that was like paying homage to just the black women who put, just did so much in the food um component in charleston. So we've done things like that. So we really try to like, I guess, focus on like who's up?
Community Table Collaboration and Event Planning
Speaker 4and coming and then really like those ogs and mom and pops and give love to to everyone in the area I've been to one event which is a vendor, oh, um the transformation table event was tina singleton yeah, so when I first well, it was a few years ago. We, um, we, I did. I was a part of her dinner series. Sure, yeah, and then we did the community table event.
Speaker 2Yep, yep, that community table event. Yeah, we do creative content and video production.
Speaker 4I feel like that's where I remember. Maybe, maybe you might have seen me shaved a little bit more. I don't know, I don't know, but yeah, that's an example of someone that I met in the past, and I was like they. We have this idea, but I can't not bring you to it one of them, so did you connect?
Speaker 2yeah, like all the community tables kind of your idea too. Like you did you help connect that? Yeah, because that's awesome her.
Speaker 4You know her. That was her brainchild like transformation table, so I was like we can't do something similar and not bring the person.
Speaker 2Right yeah. So Transformation Table listeners is Tina Singleton's baby transformationtableorg, I think.
Speaker 4Yeah, I think we, yeah, we can shout out anybody right here. Right, this is our show.
Speaker 2We shout out nonprofits, especially like Tina's because she curates chefs and they go and have dinner at people's homes. People not just like celebrities, but actual people's homes. People not just like you know celebrities, but actual people people's yeah, have strangers come into their homes and have dinner and it's. It's culturally diverse on purpose and you're not gonna sit next to the person that you came with yeah it's really, that's very intentional and and they talk about the food and it's usually she's.
Speaker 2She's an Afghan right now yeah, afghanistan right now yeah, but it's usually unbelievable food from hand-picked chefs, similar to what you guys do, but she does it on a very small scale. And then, what they did was they partnered with? Is it wine?
Speaker 1and wine and food. Thank you, wine before food wine before food.
Speaker 2You think glad I asked. Right, she got hot there for a second.
Speaker 1I was like the wine and food fest they partnered and had a hundred person yeah dinner at the same table.
Speaker 2A hundred people are sitting at this table. Culture, diverse, uh uh uh. Handicap like whatever, like wheelchair people, like anything there. It was amazing, and it's just the conversations that were had were it's like a really good experience, like if you're able to. It's really good it was really cool. I was really proud of the wine and food fest for for having that yeah, it was.
Speaker 4It was a hard because technically, where we were, it was owned. I forgot the.
Speaker 2We were outside, yeah, really cool.
Speaker 4Yeah, but it's like a government. Yeah, it was like a whole thing, it was a lot.
Speaker 2It was a lot the park that we were at. Yeah, it was by the aquarium.
Speaker 4Yeah.
Speaker 2And that little park right there.
Speaker 4I'm sure the logistics I can only imagine logistics that y'all have to go yeah logistics are fine.
Speaker 2Oh, logistics but you're your brand. Like you don't touch any of that stuff no, not really.
Speaker 4I mean like again, from a brand perspective too, like I am very involved in, like you know, we made certain statements years ago like we wouldn't have events at certain spaces. So I ensure, like okay, is this location in alignment with our brand?
Speaker 1Sure Things like that. Some input yeah.
Speaker 4And then you know, sometimes logistical stuff, it just doesn't make sense, but I don't really do yeah. Yeah, All those things, cool yeah.
Speaker 2So it sounds like you have a I know you're a one-woman team as a marketing department. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you do outsource, I'm sure. Obviously, you know creative and all that. What about the other team like the full Wine and Food Fest? How big is that and when do you start planning for the next year?
Speaker 4Yeah, so honestly it's about eight of us on the team.
Speaker 2That's so small.
Speaker 4We're small but mighty but we contract out. So we have anywhere from event producers logistic team that we contract but they're not really in the beginning stages so we literally take a year to plan the festival. So when we finish in March we do a recap for the. We call it going dark. So we have like two weeks where we just like decompress and then we literally start start the thing over again and we take our learnings and things that worked and didn't work from this past festival and we try to get better.
Speaker 4But we literally like hit the ground running and we start all over. And then my role is I develop our new creative campaign for the year, like, whatever the creative is going to be, um, typically I do, I try to bring in um my programming team, so they're again, they have the food component, the beverage component, just to make sure that we're diverse in that department. But we launch that we do like a photo shoot, big, like photo shoot in july, and then we launch it like august and then october tickets are back on sale and then things sell out.
Speaker 4The next day, god willing you all.
Speaker 2You never know what's gonna happen every time I try to get out, it's sold out for sure. But that's just amazing.
Speaker 4That just says but see, that's that like longevity, where you have people have been going for 20 years and like they know, you know what, they kind of know what to look for and this Tickets go out.
Speaker 2Yeah, yeah, they have it on their calendar. They have it on their calendar.
Speaker 4We release the schedule at a certain time.
Speaker 2Every year same time.
Speaker 4Every year, like at least.
Speaker 2When do you release it, so the listeners know?
Speaker 4So 11 am and then. So typically well, I can't say this year, but typically we do it like tuesday, thursday okay yeah, okay, um, but we try to do the schedule release first and then thursday. That thursday we'll do the tickets on sale. That way you can like map out what you want to do and like your choose your adventure, so to speak. But yeah, we have, we have some people who are like on the website, like like hawking it uh-huh, oh, my gosh yeah, which shout out to our, our website, team um, because they get a lot of traction, but it's been fun.
Speaker 2Yeah, what's going on, margaret?
Speaker 3um. So earlier, when we were in the conference room, we were talking a little bit about pivoting within marketing yeah and especially with, I'm sure, event marketing. There's a lot of pivot that you have to do.
Speaker 4Yeah.
Speaker 3Do you want to touch on that a little bit?
Navigating Pivots With Grace
Speaker 4Yeah, pivoting. I mean, it's no secret, we had to do some moving around of the festival and the 2024 festival, so I would say that was like a major pivot we relied on, like a meteorologist, literally to decide yeah, it's like what's gonna happen um well, we had jim, and then we had from live five I can't think of oh crap, I forget his name too.
Speaker 2Sorry, sorry, sorry, you're amazing um we love you.
Speaker 4Um. I was gonna do like a.
Speaker 2I'm a bravo girly, so I love bravo, so I was gonna do like a bravo line, but it's fine, oh, okay don't worry about it we had olivia flowers on the show we did yeah, we did and yeah, and tina singleton, I'm more of like a housewives, bravo like og.
Speaker 4Yeah, no one else that's all, I can't.
Speaker 2I can't do it a line, but yes, oh, I don't know about that you.
Speaker 1Margaret you don't watch. Brock I know I can't relate I can't chime in on this conversation.
Speaker 3Okay, okay, great.
Speaker 4But, yeah, back to pivoting. So we just didn't know what was going to happen. We tried to follow all the things, but pivots are going to happen. But I think that it's really important to at least, you know, plan, plan. So I, a part of you know, part of my role I also managed um social media and so, like I had all the things written up, I had all communications ready to go just in case Um, and unfortunately during that time I was dealing with a death, so like I didn't know if I was going to be there or not. So I had to really trust in my team. I had um someone I contracted to do social media and I was like, hey, plan A is this and plan B is this. And, like you know, let's just stick to the plan. And when we say go, like I need you to release it. But it's not just social media, so I also do all of our email marketing. So I really like we literally had to dedicate time to just pivot and plan.
Speaker 4And then you ask for grace because we're human and we're not going to get it right all the time. And then there is going to be like some sort of audience that, oh, we forgot to send it to you. Talent that may have not happened, but like just for grace and you know, set yourself up for success. Like we have SMS marketing and all these things. So I mean it was. It was something I've truly never experienced. I even think about the finale. So we had to move it, like literally hours before, and you know you're dealing with chefs that, like are bringing in their trailers of like their pits and all the things and like again, that was a space where we asked for grace. And then, literally what was most beautiful about that, like we moved it? Snyder event company they have like this back lot acres of like land and they were like just come, just come, have it here.
Speaker 4And everybody was working, from our volunteers to our talent, to, like my mom was on the ground, like you know, all these people were just chipping in to make this thing, make this thing go. But it really was like beautiful at the end of it, because it was like a celebration of community. So I mean, yeah, pivot, pivot is the, the main thing, but give yourself grace and breathe, and it's not the end of the world right, you know yes, we're not dealing with like surgery, right?
Speaker 2just you know so exactly, yeah but yeah, that was, that was like you literally have a plan b for oh yeah and this year like we have a plan c, d, e, f, yeah, once you go through that, once it kind of you learn from it, you realize what can we do.
Navigating Event Logistics and Collaboration
Speaker 3All 20 years it's never happened. No kidding. I remember hearing that yeah, it's never happened.
Speaker 4So yeah, so like opening night, um, we usually have it at the cistern, but like if it rains we're going to be at td arena, like we literally have a plan a, b, c, d, e, f, g like and there's plan b's.
Speaker 2They want deposits too, don't they so?
Speaker 4yes, am I getting in the weeds here a little?
Speaker 2bit, so give grace, yeah, um, and I think too, like I think we were very transparent too, so we had to be transparent but like, even like, the in the weeds here a little bit.
Speaker 4Yeah, so give grace, yeah, and I think too like, I think we were very transparent too, so we had to be transparent. But like, even like the village, like I told y'all, we were off air. I was explaining to them that we move in to the village, which is our culinary village, like at least two, three weeks beforehand. You can't just pick that up and move it somewhere you know, it's your base camp.
Speaker 1Right, it's your home.
Speaker 4Yeah, it's like people are bringing in things and structures have to be built. So, yeah, we learned a lot and we, you know, I think it's funny. Some of our team doesn't like to talk about it, but I'm a feels girl so I'm like we have to talk about it, but I think we grew closer as a team. I've never seen people cry before that I saw cry so that was like, wow, like we're, we're in this, but it was. It was a. It was a beautiful, but sad, but beautiful.
Speaker 2Everybody changed a little bit after that experience.
Speaker 4Everybody, yes, yes, oh yeah.
Speaker 2Turned up, turned down, whatever the change was, yeah.
Speaker 4Everybody changed um and, like I said, I was like trying to be the the positive one and I was going through something personally, so I was like I am like y'all are crazy.
Speaker 2Yeah, you had a lot going on.
Speaker 4I had a lot.
Speaker 3I had a lot you had some moments, yeah but that's when it's so important to have a team you trust yeah, you know we'll be by your side, and it's important to communicate.
Speaker 4I'm very like in. Like I'm like I'm a person, like I'm happy to talk about my feelings, but like everybody doesn't need to know my business. So I'm like I may not tell you everything, but like that was a time where I was like, hey, I am struggling and I'm in the corner crying right now. I'm going to be good in five seconds, but like I want to let you know.
Speaker 2I'm struggling, so I need you trust you to do it, so like, yeah, it was it was a time, but I think, like communication, was a beautiful word of the of that of that time. You seem to be good at that?
Speaker 4yeah, I think so seem to be a good communicator. We just met yeah, I tried to be. I mean, this is also years of therapy, you know I believe in a therapist. I think the therapist is great, so this is mental health. Shout out to her I'm like you know, sometimes you're like you you're.
Speaker 1I don't want to talk about it.
Speaker 4F it. I don't want to talk to y'all, I'm just going to do my own thing, but yeah.
Speaker 2Good for you.
Speaker 4I try to.
Speaker 2Who chooses the chefs for the Wine and Food Fest?
Speaker 4I think it's like I wouldn't say a choosing thing, it's not on me. So I think it's like I wouldn't say a choosing thing, it's not on me, so don't anyone come at me. But we have a programming team who like literally, like I said, like they look at trends, they make sure that we have a good percentage of local folks that are participating we try to give love to the mom and pops, I mean and then from there, once we kind of like choose the chef or the talent we call them talent that are participating. We ask them, like is there anyone that you'd like to bring out of town to collaborate with? And like, if it's like synergistic and it makes sense.
Speaker 4But I wouldn't say, like you know, I think it kind of develops from that programming concept that I was mentioning. So we start from the programming phase of like what the event concept is going to be, and then from there they kind of kind of like, oh, this person will be great for this. Um, we did like a excursion a couple years ago with Tia. Are you familiar with Tia Clark? She's local um, she has casual crabbing with Tia where she like teaches you how to crab and all the things and like we had, you know, event concept, not around her, but like it was synergistic to invite her. So things like that. Like really kind of like I love our programming team because they they're in it with the trends.
Speaker 2That's curious. Yeah, that could be a whole other episode.
Speaker 4Yeah, I mean there there's Jenna and Anil and they are like they're, they're bomb at what they do and I really appreciate them. Appreciate them too, because they they think from such a diverse lens, which I think is important, and I think, um, you know, the world is changing right and I think they always try to think from a lens of, like, teaching others and teaching our you know our audience and you know if we're able to do that. I think they try to. Yeah, try to do that for sure but they're pretty cool.
Speaker 2cool, I mean, they do an amazing job.
Speaker 3And it's so nice for you know, it's so beneficial for Wine and Food to be able to promote these smaller, up-and-coming restaurants and chefs, and it's beneficial because the guests are able to be introduced to them.
Speaker 4Then it's so great for those up and coming restaurants because they're able to kind of get their name out there and it's just really cool Like we've such a great impact on able to have, you know, people on platforms that we work with today show you know all these things and we're able to to kind of like give them that platform and it's really really beautiful to see and it's like one of the things that I get, you know, excited about. Like we've had Duke's Mayo come into town and we've collaborated with them, or collaborating with them you know this this year as well. Like local TV stations will hit me up like do you have a chef? And like I'm able to like plant that seed. So it's pretty cool.
Speaker 3And then on the wine side of things, do you work a lot with the winemakers and the yeah, and Neil is.
Speaker 4he handles that component, but we definitely do work with a lot of with wine wakers and um, it's pretty cool, it's pretty fun and it's it's also like everybody's passionate about their baby and they're, so you're able to peer people's stories.
Speaker 3I was gonna say that was one of my favorite things about working in the wine industry is the people that I got to meet and the stories and wine and food.
Speaker 4Yeah, it's just such an art I got that's why I think it's important, like because it's you know your community, you're creating community, you're having conversations you wouldn't normally have with people.
Speaker 2So yeah, it's pretty cool no, it's what I was talking about all the feels when it comes with food and the experience and the wine and the you know slight buzz.
Speaker 4Maybe you know we have we and the village we do have our zero proof garden, so we have a lot of there's yeah which is a options growing every year.
Speaker 3So have you offered that every for all 20 years, or did?
Speaker 4last year was our first like year that we did it in the village that we had the zero proof garden, we call it, and we do have like any options on, you know, different festival blueprints, but it's, yeah, that was like our first time in the village and it's it's interesting to see.
Speaker 2Um, that's definitely like trend it's, I'll hope it's more than a trend yeah, I hope it's trending up a cultural shift if you will, where yeah? You know, I'm a drinker yeah right, but sometimes, you know, I might not want to drink and I don't want to talk about not having you don't need it.
Speaker 4Yeah, right, yeah, and you don't need it.
Speaker 2You're having a blast maybe you had a gummy, I don't know whatever, whatever the case may be.
Speaker 3You don't need a booze right um, I better get the fbi at my door here the south carolina ketchup um, oh my gosh, it's like crazy I see mocktails as options more and more and just working in the in the industry, you know, there are so many more options for non-alcoholic beers, and mocktails are on every menu, which it's just so nice to have that it's beautiful to see I appreciate it too, being you know now, two days into dry January.
Speaker 2Oh, you're going to do dry, are you doing it?
Speaker 3I'm a whole two days in. I feel Amazing. Got over my New Year's hangover yesterday, so yeah, I'm feeling great. What's your why in your dry January? It's just a nice time of year to kind of have that reset. You're going into the year and it's a good time to do it, because it's just kind of a slow month in general. Work-wise a little bit. It's good to yeah.
Speaker 2Are you doing it, Bray?
Speaker 4No, I'm not doing it. I just I like my what he's doing it, that like I'm like cool. But like. I'm also. I don't really. I don't drink during the week. I try not to drink during the week and then like Saturday if I want to indulge. That's like my thing. So I'm like life be happening. I might want to have a glass of wine, so I'm not gonna put that pressure on you know, like I already like I feel like I do the things I eat clean, I work out. I'm'm on Peloton.
Speaker 2Okay, no.
Speaker 4But no disrespect to people who do Like when you do, I'm like oh, that is, I love it. Love that for you, and he like gets like no, I'm like okay, yeah, I mean this is my third time doing Joe January and.
Speaker 3I have not successfully Really.
Speaker 1I mean maybe once or twice.
Speaker 3It's tough when you're doing event marketing and you're you know you're out and about all the time, but I'm not so strict. Where I'm like, okay, I'm out, and if I want a glass of wine, then sure but, but it's definitely more of the mindset of okay, it's a new year I'm gonna.
Speaker 2No, I love that, yeah, I love that I love that so, besides the pivot and margaret, I'm gonna take some of your questions here. What's your, what's the most um proud of in an activation or a campaign?
Speaker 1that you guys came up with.
Speaker 2I mean, I know you're only five years into it, but within that five years I feel like you've grown a lot and done a lot.
Speaker 4Yeah, I think my goal when I started with Charles Wine and Food was I, so I'll give you like personal. You know I'm a black woman, it's pretty obvious.
Speaker 2Not for the listeners. Oh, that's true, yeah, but I, always I, and it's pretty obvious, um, not for the listeners.
Speaker 4Oh, that's true.
Speaker 4Yeah, yeah, we're on.
Speaker 4Yeah, um, but I always I think it's so important to see yourself in things right, and so that was something that I was like I just want to ensure that people see themselves, whether it be like it doesn't have to be black and white, but like different shapes and sizes, and like even when I use I call like the models that I may use in campaigns talent, but even when I try to select different talent, like it's very important that there's different shapes and sizes and shades and ethnicities and you know, we've we've just different gender, all these things, like I think it's really important that people see themselves in things, because that's how you can relate and that's how people want to be a part and that's how you create community.
Speaker 4So that's like been the biggest thing. That's really really important for me, um, and I take pride in that and I take um pride in like just having hard conversations, like we've had hard conversations with people who are like I'll never work with you guys. I'm like I work here. It's like, oh, okay, well, I'm willing to, you know. So I think those things are important. Those have been the things that have meant the most to me.
Speaker 2Love it.
Speaker 4Because I mean, I think too, like you've been in the game for a long time, Not everybody's your friend, but I think if you're willing to have like a conversation and have conversations and, like you know, talk to people and yeah, so I think those are like my proudest moments.
Speaker 2I got a couple of ideas for 2025 for us.
Speaker 1Bray as a team.
Speaker 4We're a unit Right Already.
Speaker 2Already, I mean an hour ago.
Speaker 4Now I'm going to be on you. Now I'm going to be on you.
Speaker 2Love it. Love it, please do. It would be awesome to have you at a sunset session.
Speaker 4Absolutely. It would be awesome to have you at a sunset session, absolutely, ooh.
Speaker 2Yes, what is a sunset session? Well, it's a new thing.
Speaker 4Oh my gosh, it's a new thing, it's coming soon. Coming soon. I got until me off air.
Speaker 2No, you can do your own. It's going to be. We're simplifying things, so it's going to be more of a panel.
Speaker 3This is from the programming side, the programming side for the Charleston American.
Speaker 2Marketing Association.
Speaker 4Sorry, I'm just saying because you got to know before you sign up for stuff. Oh no, You're fine.
Speaker 2I got you. I got you, you're good, just sign right here. So I think that would be an amazing thing for us to do, and then I don't know, just keep in touch, right. Just like. Have you maybe on the team? Let me know we're always looking for board members the smart people. I'm always open so you talked about Margaret. Ask a question, will you?
Speaker 3so yeah, I have a question. We work a lot now with College of Charleston and so many of our members too are. We have people looking to make career changes and, with College of Charleston, students looking to get into event marketing or event creative. What would be your advice for getting involved? Yes, please, charles.
Speaker 4Swan and Food. What was that? Or Charles Swan and Food, or just event marketing, kind of both.
Speaker 3Just yeah, if they're exploring the events marketing.
Speaker 2Everybody wants to work. I'm sure you get a lot of resumes.
Speaker 4Yeah, but like we actually work with the cohort students at charles, at college of charleston. But I would say, in event marketing, like, do the dirty stuff. Like people are not, they're not trying to get their hands, they're like, yeah, like, and I and I think the thing that I say all the time about my job, I think it like looks cute, like, it's, it's cutesy like, but it's not like I work my butt off to get here. You know what I mean and I still am working my butt off. So I would, I would say, do the the dirty stuff, the hard stuff what's an example of a?
Speaker 4um, I'll give an example at republic, like I didn't start off the gate, like being the event coordinator, I was a server sure I was vip hosting like and that really like gave me the art of sales.
Speaker 1Because, I'm going to sell you the $5,000 bottle and you're going to pay for it and we're going to be happy together and you're going to sign, and because I was so great, you're going to tip more than 20% and you build those connections while you're doing that, you're
Speaker 2out and about serving. You're talking to people, everybody needs to have an experience in the food and bev.
Speaker 4Everybody needs to have an experience in the food and bev. Yes, everybody needs to serve tables. Yes, you do, and everybody should do this, because you learn respect. Yes, yeah, you learn respect.
Speaker 2For yourself.
Speaker 4Yeah, mostly right. But I think that's important and I think, like I always say to people, to like introduce yourself as well. Like I think a lot of times, especially the younger generation, like I just feel like we get so well they get so focused on the phones and like, oh, I don't want to talk to this person. Like, no, Shake your hand. Yeah, do two fun facts about yourself. Be memorable. Send a follow-up email. Emails are important too, people. I don't know why people don't like emails.
Speaker 2Follow-up. Yeah, just follow-up, follow up.
Speaker 4But I would really say, like, find something that you really like in terms of like, just go volunteer. You want to be whatever for a festival, go volunteer.
Speaker 3Start at ground, start at the zero. You know I have so many College of Charleston not just College of Charleston but people connect with me over LinkedIn from all over, asking you know they've just graduated from college and they're trying to figure out. They tell me kind of what their dream job is. But you need to do so much before you land that dream job.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 4And I'm like, and I get people too and I'm like I don't really got no deep nothing for you. Go volunteer, you know, like do the hard stuff you never know who you're going to meet. Yeah, you never know who you're going to meet, and I feel like our industry can sometimes be glam and it's like a lot of people who have worked their butt off have really done the hard stuff and they've been intentional and they also love it, like that's another thing.
Speaker 2I love what I do and I feel like it shows what I've done has like built me up to this point.
Speaker 4Like I really genuinely love what I do, you're in your spot right now I've stayed in this community for a reason you know, could have gone back to charlotte. But I really, I really just do believe in the community and it's growing and it has its. It has its things right but it's but I love that.
Speaker 2I love that and it's the fact that you just you kind of mentioned it under breath I could have been back to charlotte, could have right, we could go anywhere we want, but we're here in charleston.
Speaker 4So I really do feel like the love story is the yeah you, it is charleston it is yeah, and you have to pour into your community, and I think like that's something that's like important to me. I I graduated from leadership, charleston 2023 I want to do that.
Speaker 4Okay, do it yeah, do it um and it it really like helped me fine-tune of like. Okay, this is what I want to focus on, this is what I want to learn more about within our community. Like we visited um al Al Cannon and then from Al Cannon we went to turn 90. Have you heard of turn 90?
Speaker 2Oh yeah, I haven't heard of turn 90 nonprofit downtown. Right, they're cool.
Speaker 4You need to have Amy here, amy like and the reason why she's the executive director.
Speaker 4Like I feel like she's a marketing guru because she busted her butt to get all these grants and all these things for their organization. But basically, like they help once you know the guys get out of prison. They help with, like, job placement. They also have a print shop within their. They have a print shop within their business, like that's one of their, their business business footprints but print shop and then fulfillment and then they help, like I said, with job placement so they don't deduct their hours when they're going. They have to go to interviews they help with, like cognitive skills.
Speaker 4So you have a counselor that helps you like think of, like you know cog, you know just real life scenarios that won't land you back into jail, but anyway I love them but, like her, her name is amy. I'll send it.
Speaker 3I'll send you her, yeah there's so many cool non-profits in charleston. They're so cool. I haven't heard of that one. Yeah, and they do.
Speaker 4They do the work and like if you need a shirt like snyder gets their shirts printed from them. The museum gets their shirts print. Like they are just really cool and they're good. I I make our team go to their facility to just like do a little tour, but it's like a good team building thing too, but they're, they're really cool. But anyway, I love that non-profit and like leadership. Charleston like helped me find them right and you know it was it was. It's a really important organization, but you should definitely do it.
Speaker 2So many great non-profits on the topic of non-profits.
Speaker 3Will you talk about how you get your message across about food and wine being a nonprofit?
Speaker 4Yeah, well, it's a great question, Margaret.
Speaker 3Well, you know, I feel like when you guys had to pivot and you know, with the weather and everything going on, there were so many complaints coming out and I just the messaging that you you're messaging back to people about hey, we are a nonprofit, we're doing our best, and I was just so impressed and now I'm learning it was you the whole time.
Speaker 4But well, I that stuck out to me I was just because, transparently speaking right now, that is my biggest job right now that.
Speaker 4I'm working on is like messaging that we're a nonprofit yeah because before me we did not mess, we didn't use that we've always been a nonprofit, but the message has always been and now that you say that, I feel like I'm seeing it more and more the messaging Girl, because my back is tired because we literally have been working with just trying to get that message across, and you'll begin to see a lot of that. It's weaved in on our website and all these things, but that is that has been the hardest challenge in my job right now, just just ensuring that we're getting that message across.
Speaker 4We actually have um a community impact awards on the 28th of january, um, and we've always done it, but we're promoting that more and that kind of streamlines into the non-profit piece. But it is. It is hard yeah and I would. I would also say to people who are like developing a nonprofit or like need like you got to start with that message, because now we're in the space of we're backtracking.
Speaker 1Right.
Marketing Trends and Authenticity
Speaker 4And we're doing like the focus groups and all the things, and like we're literally we work with. Have you heard of Obviously Marketing?
Speaker 2Yes, yeah, lovely, yeah, great, yeah, lovely, yeah, great love them, love them.
Speaker 4We just did an interview with somebody too, and she was amazing. Maybe I can't remember her name, sorry, I'll have to figure it out, but they're they're amazing, but they have great agency really helped us like okay, I need to take a step back like you know, and I think sometimes, like you're in it so you don't see it, you're just trying to like, sell the tickets, do the things right again.
Speaker 4We're non-profits and just trying to like sell the tickets, do the things Right. Again, we're a nonprofit, so you're just trying to like market, but they have really helped us take a step back and they've done some analysis of the organization and stuff like that. But we're in the trenches of that, just trying to get people to understand that and I think especially because of you know last year and the cancellations and all these things right.
Speaker 3Like that was really really hard to get that message across like we are.
Speaker 4We are literally just trying so well you've been doing an amazing amazing job, thank you, we have been.
Speaker 3That has been like but it's tough, like you said, when you're trying to do so much at once. You're selling the tickets you're planning and marketing the event and then it's easy to have.
Speaker 4Yeah, we had that happen then we had the summer sizzle, which we've never done. So had a summer we had summer events that we did, again nonprofit. So we're trying to think of these things to raise money for the organization.
Speaker 4So this this past year, at 2024, like I just want to publicly shout out our team because we have done things that we've never done and people have worked very hard for you know the organization, but it it's. It's been very interesting but, yeah, I appreciate you all for recognizing that, because we have literally been well trying to get that message across two things.
Speaker 2It was kate schmieding um okay, uh, and she takes care of the, the um, conservation and advocacy for modern marketing. We did a great uh episode with her super smart, super smart group. And then the second thing is margaret sees this because ama charleston is also having a problem. Yeah, uh, we are a non-profit we don't speak enough of, of it.
Speaker 4Yeah, and it's just because you're getting in those cycles of like what you're trying to push and like the we also could probably we probably need to side bar and like have a meeting at the mines or something, because it literally has been, it's been really interesting and it it was a task that I was like this is gonna be hard, but we literally try.
Speaker 4There's just like little things that we put in every email and just trying to make sure. But make sure because, like I said, we have Angel on our team. Her main focus is our externship, that we do with CCSD and basically she's getting content and footage for that. All these things to ensure that people see. Yeah, CCSD.
Speaker 3Is that Charleston County School District? Yeah, okay, yeah.
Speaker 4Yeah, so we she helps um like our talent, so more so like chef talent go into the schools and they basically help teach the kids how to cook. If they're in the culinary Um, so Wando does it. I believe Burke does it, Um, but yeah, they have some really cool students from that.
Speaker 2We've been doing this for a long time yeah, why wouldn't you get the content so many?
Speaker 1moving like a videography team. You know what they say is yes, I do know videography team um, what they say is if it was easy, everybody would be doing yeah so you know, just throw all your ideas.
Speaker 2You don't know what's been done before you know yeah if there's no such thing as a bad ideas, right, there's no such thing as a dumb're bad ideas, right, there's no such thing as a dumb idea. Yeah, that's what's so fun about marketing, right, yeah, yeah and speaking of bad ideas and dumb ideas, do you have any um hot 2025, like topics, trends, foodie type? You're saying for bad ideas?
Speaker 4no, I think he's just saying like ideas, okay, gotcha. Sorry being a weirdo, of course give me some bad ideas, some bad sorry. There goes my bravo. Want to say punchline again, say it I cannot um, but I don't know. I think ai is like a trend. I think just get. I know I was not, I was so against it, but just get with it get with it and like make sure that you alter it for you, your brand, your personality, your business um.
Speaker 4I think people like transparency. Yes, I think we're out of. You know, are you on tiktok? Are you in tiktok?
Speaker 2I was. I got rid of it on my phone why, it's too much, it much, it's too much.
Speaker 4What's too much about it?
Speaker 2I go into rabbit holes and watch, so you liked it. Oh yeah, I liked it too much. For sure, yeah, for sure.
Speaker 4See, that's where I do have to. Like I said earlier, I have a weird relationship with are on, so like yes, that's why I'm like it's not a good way to DM me, to get in contact with me. Um, but then when I'm on TikTok I'm like this is a great app but, I, like it because I feel like people are more transparent there.
Speaker 4Like no makeup you know, hey, like this is me. You know the moms are doing their mom thing. You, you know the moms are doing their mom thing. You know you're showing your like life. I think it's pretty cool. So I would say, like transparency is like a big thing. Yeah, I think people like to see the rise and the fall and all the things, or people like having a hard time but like being, you know, working their way up.
Speaker 2So I think those are like the big things. So even when you're saying transparency, you're more putting yourself out there, yeah, being vulnerable perfection ain't cute anymore yes, you know what I mean.
Speaker 4Like, you have to show the real you. People like, people like to see that. Um, people also like motivation, like just just be authentic in yourself. I think that is gonna, that's a trend that I feel like is here to stay again, maybe more of a cultural shift, hopefully you than a trend.
Speaker 2It would be nice.
Speaker 3One thing I've noticed a lot too is a lot of influencer marketing for the festival I've been seeing a lot. Are you partnering with influencers or are they just naturally posting about it? They're naturally posting and shout out to them.
Speaker 4We do have a street team that we work with that we're are actually making like selections when I return to work but they're like naturally doing it. But we work with like a street team, like a local street team that like we they're, we call them like brand ambassadors of the festival essentially, and they like get content, they we share content, they give you know me content to post, like it's.
Speaker 4So it's more organic. Yeah, but we do work with influencers and media. Um, like, we have photographers that'll come into town to like shoot the festival, so it's pretty cool. But, yeah, we do, we do. But right now it's like in the. I feel like it is organic because people like that's what I appreciate too. Just about, again, building those relationships like people just do it and you don't have to ask them right?
Speaker 2well, you got such an iconic product that you're pushing right now yeah wine and food fest wine before food wine before food. Um, thank you. So yeah, it kind of speaks for itself. You know, I, like I said, I've been to the one as a vendor. I can't wait to go to something anything.
Speaker 2I gotta figure that out, I have to make sure I'm not asking for free tickets, but don't worry about it uh, margaret, I'm not afraid to ask um and I'll post about it too. I'll be an influencer no problem. Um, what, what else? What else is on your heart that you could share as far as, like, maybe a tip for an event marketer? Um you know, like don't quit be authentic you already said that you know margaret, help me out here.
Speaker 4What am I trying to say here? Be organized be organized how about that. Know the questions you're gonna ask know the questions that you're gonna ask and the art of the follow-up. Follow up, okay, like send the email. Yeah, I'm, I love a scheduled, like I love to schedule an email. What do you?
Speaker 3I started doing that in 2024 and it was so nice wake up in the morning, kind of I love a scheduled like I love to schedule an email. Do you? What Do you? I started doing that in 2024, and it was so nice. Wake up in the morning, kind of drink coffee, take your time and know that emails are going out and you're just sipping on your coffee, and that is something I'm going to continue in 2025.
Speaker 2Yeah, love a scheduled email. Do you only check social media at a certain time? Do you only check your email at a certain time? Do you do you have? I'm not, I'm not like that. I I got all the things right at once. Um, add and adhd yeah, I can't.
Speaker 4I can't because I can't focus on it. And then I get like this, like anxiety, where I don't respond. I see it there, like, especially with social media, I don't like it, it's just like whatever. And then I try to like if I'm in the bed, I'm like, okay, you're going to bed, like you got to stay off of social media, you can't do the thing and I can't check it.
Speaker 2I'll be in the reading lately.
Speaker 3Yes, for sure yeah but you said you've been reading yeah yeah, me too I don't, I don't take my phone into my room anymore when I sleep. Oh yeah, leave it outside. Yeah, you know what I used to do see that.
Speaker 4Yeah, because I used to well, I used to which I want to do it again, but I used to put it on the other side of the wall oh, okay, that was like you can hear it. Wake up yeah, so I want to get back to that. But yeah, something else I was going to say too. Oh, yeah, but like scheduling stuff.
Speaker 1I love to schedule an email.
Speaker 4Yeah, it's like it saves me. And then my biggest thing is like I don't if I'm in my house and like I gotta go to work, like I don't do work before I get to the office. I have an office in my house but I really try to like the. The hours before work is like break time, peloton time yes need to eat my eggs shower, I want to sing, dance, all the things, and then and then work when I go to work.
Speaker 2Yeah, see, I'm the guy that I check my email before the shower. After the shower, do I miss anything?
Speaker 4right. So that's not good Boundaries you need boundaries 2025.
Speaker 12025. You need boundaries. We're working on boundaries. Yeah, I like it.
Speaker 2Yeah, I like it. I think that we've talked about a lot Bray we have, haven't we Huh, team we good, margaret, is you have one?
Speaker 3Do you have a question?
Speaker 2No, well, now, I can't, because I can't see you over here.
Speaker 3What? Ok Question Like five years what are your big goals with Charleston Wine and Food. Are there any big you know?
Speaker 4plans oh.
Speaker 2Wine and Food Wine and Food first and then Brain X.
Speaker 4You don't matter, wine and food. I hope. Well, I'll say wine and food. I just hope that you know the organization continues to be this thing in the community that like brings people together and like I want people to continue to see themselves in the organization. And you know, I think that's like my five-year dream for the organization. Bray, I'm just trying to be the best me every year, every day. Love it, and you know.
Speaker 2Well, you're coming across authentic and pretty cool to me, so thanks for coming on the show.
Speaker 4I appreciate it. This was great, this was fun, right, we had a good time.
Speaker 2Maybe soon we'll have some snacks In the green room for you If we get some sponsors.
Speaker 4That would be cute.
Speaker 2Maybe a nice little Little something.
Speaker 4Maybe we can have some Experiences like that.
Speaker 2Oh wait, you know some people I was going to say Maybe I can like Connect or people. Oh wait, you know some people. I was gonna say maybe, yeah, maybe I can like connect or we can like figure some things out I love it thanks good uh how can we get a hold of you, bray, if, if, if you want to throw yourself out like who and um, I'm on linkedin and I'm on, so our social, oh, yeah, all my social media platforms, instagram and all the things.
Speaker 4It's bray richardson, so b-r-a-e last name richardson. Um, yeah, hit me up, but just not before bedtime hours. Right, boundaries, people boundaries.
Speaker 2Uh, thanks again, bray thank you margaret, you did good thank you appreciate you some great questions in there happy new year.
Speaker 2this launches february 6th, though you know, uh, it's gonna be, you know, almost like yesterday or tomorrow is when it launches, right? I mean, the time just flies, is my point. Uh, anyways, time flies like. Uh, right now, matt's looking at me like you're gonna wrap this up. Before we leave, we need to talk, uh, about our sponsors charlest Charleston Radio Group. Thank you very much, boy Jerry feels good, thanks for the beats. And, of course, the American Marketing Association. If you want to sponsor or be a guest on our show, reach out to us at podcastcharlestonamaorg and we'll get back to you. Thanks for being with us today. Folks Bray rocked it, appreciate you, I loved it.
Speaker 2This was great. Rocked it. Appreciate you, I loved it. This is great. Now I can go to costco and be great. All right, margaret. All right, charleston, talk to you next time.
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