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
Good Business Summit: The Power of Local First with Mara and Emma
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Join us for an engaging episode of the Charleston Marketing Podcast, where we explore the vibrant local business landscape shaped by organizations like Lowcountry Local First. Our guests Mara Fields and Emma Giglio share personal stories and professional insights on the importance of community-driven initiatives and the role of local ownership in economic prosperity. This episode highlights the upcoming Good Business Summit, a gathering designed to encourage meaningful discussions and empower businesses with the tools they need for success.
We delve into how AI is transforming marketing strategies for small and medium-sized businesses, discussing practical approaches that can level the playing field with larger competitors. Our guests also reflect on the unique charm of Charleston, the close-knit community that inspires collaboration, and the shared vision of building a thriving business ecosystem. If you're looking to deepen your understanding of local engagement and want to discover innovative ways to leverage technology for growth, this episode is an essential listen. Don't forget to subscribe for more insights and share your thoughts with us!
Presenting Sponsor: Charleston Radio Group
Title Sponsor: Charleston American Marketing Association
Cohosts: Stephanie Barrow, Mike Compton, Darius Kelly, Kim Russo
Produced and edited: rūmbo Advertising
Photographer: Kelli Morse
Art Director: Taylor Ion
Outreach: Lauren Ellis
CAMA President: Margaret Stypa
Score by: The Strawberry Entrée; Jerry Feels Good, CURRYSAUCE, DBLCRWN, DJ DollaMenu
Voiceover by: Ellison Karesh
Studio Engineer: Brian Cleary
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Welcome 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.
Speaker 2:Why let's talk about it. Hello and welcome to the charleston marketing podcast powered by the charleston american marketing association. We're here recording at the charleston media solutions studio. Big supporters of camp gotta give a shout out to charleston's favorite dj. Dj jerry feels good with the beats. I don't know why I have to say it like that every time, but I do With the beats at the beginning.
Speaker 2:Thanks to all our supporters Compton here, co-founder and president of Roombow Advertising, a creative digital production agency located here in Charleston and in Tampa Bay, and I'm also your incoming Charleston American Marketing Association president. I am excited to be joined by two guests today all for myself. Sorry, steph, I got Mara Fields and Emma Giglio. Emma, did I say that right? You did Nice. Say hello, ladies.
Speaker 3:Hi, hello, thanks for having us.
Speaker 2:Oh, thanks for coming. Mara is the Events and Communications Manager for Low Country Local First. Llf advances economic prosperity and local ownership through innovative and inclusive initiatives that build our community's wealth and well-being. That's so poetic, Mara. Did you write that I?
Speaker 4:did not, it was before my time.
Speaker 2:Emma is the co-owner of GCM, an award-winning agency that shows small and medium-sized businesses how to save time, boost efficiency and increase revenue by leveraging off-the-shelf AI. Welcome to the show, ladies, Thanks.
Speaker 1:Happy to be here.
Speaker 2:So we were talking about how and why we were attracted to Low Country Local First, Emma. What was your attraction to it?
Speaker 3:So, yeah, we I'm pretty sure we met Steve who used to be at Low Country Local First.
Speaker 2:Steve Fletcher.
Speaker 3:Yes, because we were, I think we were looking for a co-working space at the time, and that's how we discovered Low Country Local First.
Speaker 2:What year was that?
Speaker 3:It must have been in 2019.
Speaker 2:We live parallel lives, I swear.
Speaker 3:It was right when so we moved to Charleston at the very end of 2018. And so, fortunately, because of Zach's past of kind of doing work in the community and where we were living in Long Island at the time, we really kind of immersed ourselves in the community and membership organizations and everything like that in 2019.
Speaker 3:So in 2020, when COVID hit, we kind of had established ourselves it was it, was it set us up really well actually. But anyway, we met Steve and then, I'm pretty sure, jordan, and we just fell in love with the mission of Low Country Local First and putting businesses first, and we've truly found that within. All of you know, we've been members now for four years I guess four or years and it's just the people at Low Country Local First truly do put their businesses first and not just, you know, not just to support us as business owners and, you know, helping us thrive in the community and to do well, but also personally, like we've.
Speaker 3:I mean mean last year, zach and I and our family went through some horrible stuff and low country local first was there for us and just showed compassion and empathy, and that's the kind of organization that we want to be a part of who wouldn't want to be a part of that, right?
Speaker 2:well, and then that's what was the conversation in the green room was like how do you recruit all these people that care so much? Right, like where, what's the sauce there, you know? How do you find the people that care enough to?
Speaker 4:I think Low Country, local First, definitely attracts people who care about this community. Like before I joined the organization, I always like, said I was like Charleston's cheerleader. Okay, I just love this community so much, and especially local businesses.
Speaker 2:So I think it's just I don't know, maybe there is some magic working that we all get attracted to this place, but I think charleston's the best place I think you nailed it right there, and we are also charleston's cheerleader uh, the charleston american marketing association, the charleston podcast, um, because it's like a love story, like people just fall in love with this place, right, and then I guess the right type of people fall in love and then they grow great organizations like yourself.
Speaker 2:There's the answer, folks all right podcast over I'm just kidding um, I want to talk now, um, and we can get more in a little, a little country, local first, and how you can get involved later, but you have this awesome summit coming up called the Good Business Summit.
Speaker 4:Yep, thank you. Yeah, we like to call it a business conference with soul, so it may not be your typical suit and tie conference.
Speaker 2:Oh, it's not. It's not, no, but it's really cool.
Speaker 4:Yeah, you guys have both been a part of it.
Speaker 2:Keep talking about it, though. When did it start?
Speaker 4:Yeah, so it started 12 years ago. This is my third year working on the event and my first year producing it. It's a one-day conference at the Charleston Music Hall. This year it is March 6th. The morning starts with a couple. There's a creative kickoff, so we have someone coming in to do some meditation and movement to get everything started, and then, yeah, she's the founder of the Works and there's a couple keynotes. There's Lunch by Verde and then breakout sessions in the afternoon and a happy hour at ShareHouse is the kind of format of it. But it's a day to get out of your office or business and work on the big questions why? Why are we in business? What do we want to do, and what does business as a force for good mean to us?
Speaker 2:what do you think, emma? You guys did a panel, didn't you?
Speaker 3:well with. So we are doing um. I think zach did a panel zach did a panel last year. Yep, with george right, the ai business, that's right and then um this year I'm moderating a panel um called. What's it called?
Speaker 4:aligning ai with values. Yes, thank you.
Speaker 3:First marketing in a digital world, thank you aligning values with ai purpose first marketing in a digital world. And um moder Aligning Values with AI Purpose-First Marketing in a Digital World. And moderating the panel. And we have some really, really cool panelists, experts in this area, but we have Michael Gasser from Squeeze Marketing Love Gasser oh really, I haven't met him, love him.
Speaker 2:He's been on the podcast as well, okay. So has Sarah. No, we did a coffee talk or a luncheon with Sarah Frick before.
Speaker 3:Yeah, she's great. All these worlds kind of combined, yeah. And then we have Shanice.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Shanice Cleckley.
Speaker 4:From Melanin Innovations yeah, and she lives in Lexington, so she's traveling to come be at the summit.
Speaker 2:So I haven't met her, but I have met Zach Strelman, who's the chief technology officer of rev federal credit union.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, he spoke at our at the summit right at a AI for SMBs conference and he's awesome, just very engaged was cool, knowledgeable and just yeah, just a really cool person you were there and I think that I mean that's kind of our experience having being at the Good Business Summit. It's just like really cool people who want to do good and they want to do good not just in their own businesses but for the community as a whole and it's just a wonderful vibe, like everyone has just been, this like community feeling, but where you have competitors in the room but, everyone is just, you know, working towards the greater good, and it's it's a really cool environment to be in.
Speaker 2:It really is a lot of note sharing. Going on, my favorite honestly was it's a book story. It was awesome and it kept going right. It was super deep. Yeah, yeah, um. What was the last one was in a bookstore that wasn't a barnes I'm not gonna say it.
Speaker 4:We'll bleep that out.
Speaker 2:Blue Bicycle Books. Blue Bicycle Books was amazing. What a cool book. Or go to the.
Speaker 4:Low Country Local First business directory. You can find other bookstores or any other local shopping and dining needs or professional personal services.
Speaker 2:What's the dot com for that?
Speaker 4:Lowcountrylocalfirstorg will get you there, and then you can click on the business directory.
Speaker 2:And so how many businesses are in the business directory?
Speaker 4:Right around 500.
Speaker 2:So that was the number.
Speaker 4:Yeah, but you can filter it by categories and geographic location.
Speaker 2:Okay, sorry, going back to the Good Business Summit Not to do good business. How do you curate these people? Where are they coming from? Are you getting people that want to be a part of it? And then who says no, right, is there a committee?
Speaker 4:Yeah, so this was my first year kind of being involved in that process, which has been really fun. So the keynote speakers in the morning we try to bring leaders from out of town, and then in the afternoon we try to bring local folks together.
Speaker 2:Okay, what of town? And then in the afternoon we try to bring local folks together for, okay, different. What's the what's the strategy there? Why?
Speaker 4:leaders from out of town just to give us fresh ideas you know there's people doing things other places yes we want to exactly learn and grow from perfect, perfect, yeah, so
Speaker 4:um, we do have two keynotes this year. One is from in town, but our one from out of town is dr lakisha hallman okay she's from atlanta and started a store called the village retail in pont city market that she curated to bring um black businesses and entrepreneurs from across the country into her store and then really grew it into a community from there, where she is now educating and helping people start their own businesses in her community.
Speaker 2:So cool. Do you get a lot of people that want to do these? Do you get a lot of submissions or panelists?
Speaker 4:We do send out a submission for people to fill out and we look through those, but it just kind of depends, I think, for the afternoon sessions we all year long we hear about. We ask businesses what their pain points are, what they're interested in learning. I'm just kind of taking the vibes of maybe what people are interested in learning about, like last year we knew our ai breakout session was like one of the most well attended ones.
Speaker 2:So we're like okay well because zach was there keep going, because zach was there too george was there too, both handsome men by the way, speaking of um signing up for things and submitting for things, I found um something on your website where you could get a marketing grant.
Speaker 4:Yeah, we have right now going on a marketing momentum grant. Submissions may be closed by the time this airs.
Speaker 1:Unfortunately but for next year. But we do it every year.
Speaker 4:And we are so grateful to our marketing and different partners who agree to be a part of this program and offer support and resources to help in whatever way they need. Basically, how I think the process goes is you submit for the grant. There's a panel that reviews it.
Speaker 2:Who submits? Who can submit for this? Marketers Anybody?
Speaker 4:Local independent business.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 4:And this year there was like a specification that you needed to have like an angle of where you are doing good for the community, uh-huh and oh, okay, that's cool Like a non-profit maybe I think Zach was a what do you was a mentor, and Peculiar Pig Farms was one of his.
Speaker 2:Come again.
Speaker 3:Peculiar Pigs yeah.
Speaker 2:Say it again Peculiar Pig. Farms. Okay, what was that? What is that about? It's a local business. It's a pig farm. Yeah, yeah, they raise pigs and they're a very cool company.
Speaker 3:Anyway, Zach was their mentor through this grant.
Speaker 4:I think it was this program. Yeah, I think it depends what the business who's signing up for the grant wants whether they want help with their website, whether they want a social media strategy, or whatever their need is. We try to help connect them.
Speaker 2:I think that's really cool, yeah it's cool, I think that's amazing, and then so, okay, talk about the co-work space. Oh, the co-working space, yeah.
Speaker 4:Local Works. Last year it celebrated its 10th year. Right now we're up on King Street Extension. Uh-huh, it's a really affordable place with limited. There's no contracts for people when they want to sign up. It's a really affordable place with limited.
Speaker 2:There's no contracts for people when they want to sign up to be with us, but you have to be a member. You don't have to be a member.
Speaker 4:You do get a discounted rate if you are a member. Yes, of course, but it's just a great place to work. We have a lot of other businesses in there that work with us.
Speaker 2:We have locally roasted coffee, some great conference rooms, conference rooms okay, you sold me on the coffee, come check it out and just a lot of cool businesses that work out of there. You can network with those businesses. Do you have like a weekly or monthly events that happen out of there, maybe some lunch and learns?
Speaker 4:we don't. We maybe once a year host an event ourselves in the space, but we do open it up so a lot of other people will come in to use our space for events or workshops or just to rent out the conference room.
Speaker 2:What don't you guys do for small businesses then? Where do you see the need or where do you see a void we could fill?
Speaker 4:That's a great question and we should find an answer so that we can start filling that need Um I wonder.
Speaker 2:That's probably the hardest question I've ever asked. In all 20 some episodes of podcasts, that was probably the best question what does the small business community need?
Speaker 4:Just kidding guys.
Speaker 2:Just kidding. Um, yeah, so, but you know what I mean. Like you guys touch all the aspects of businesses.
Speaker 4:We represent lots of different industries and ages and stages of business. So, compared to another membership organization, um, that supports all businesses, small and large, and change and everything we really are able to give help to, you know, like the Francis Marion Hotel who's been in business for 100 years, we're going to give the same effort to someone coming in who maybe hasn't even started their business yet and wants to get training for it. So we do have a program called Good Enterprises and the Community Business Academy, which we've graduated about 300 people from. What is this now? The Community Business Academy, which we've graduated about 300 people from what is this?
Speaker 4:now the Community Business Academy. Say more. It's a 13-week program where you can come in. It's for traditionally overlooked entrepreneurs and it's a 13-week program that gives you all the training and resources you need to start your business and then, after that, you're a part of Low Country, local First and can continue to have that support.
Speaker 2:And so the support has a cost to it? Tell me it's not free.
Speaker 4:It is a reduced rate.
Speaker 2:Awesome. Yeah, it's very free Amazing.
Speaker 3:Oh, my gosh Did you know that. Emma, I did not.
Speaker 2:That is very cool yeah no kidding, wow, not, that is, you've been. Yeah, no kidding, wow, that's great. I wonder if the listeners know that.
Speaker 3:Um, because there's a lot of solopreneurs.
Speaker 2:You know, there's a lot of yeah and and a lot of college aged listeners as well. A lot of kids from um charleston southern college of the college of charleston and um and trident, uh, and I want to keep them here, right, we want to keep the talent here, so that that's a huge way of helping that out.
Speaker 1:Thank you for doing that, Mari. You didn't even know. I was so excited about that, did you?
Speaker 2:It's true, we've got to keep, you know, retain this talent Like yourself.
Speaker 4:Where are you from?
Speaker 2:You from here. I'm from Hilton Head, south Carolina, so you kind of are from the low country, I country. I'm definitely a low country gal and I've been in charleston since 2013. Oh, okay that's been a while too over over 10 years. I can do some math roughly um. So why did you choose to live here in charleston then, mara?
Speaker 4:I wanted to stay close to the water. Um, I wanted to stay in state, stay pretty close to home so I can still visit family, and I just fell in love with it. Once I got here I knew I didn't kind of want to go to a bigger football driven school this was more.
Speaker 2:What do you mean?
Speaker 4:kind of artsy some people like, like football, I don't know not not necessarily my jam. I didn't need to align myself. The bigger schools.
Speaker 2:Right, right. Good for you, unpopular. What school did you go to?
Speaker 4:College of Charleston. Oh yeah, Cool.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh, my buddy, his daughter is thinking about going there and I said, hey, if it's not a part of your plan, like if you're, if you're like probably not gonna like you don't want her to go here don't visit, yeah, bye right, yeah, that's exactly.
Speaker 3:Do you know what I mean?
Speaker 2:don't. Don't visit, because she's gonna fall in love with it. And then you're gonna fall in love with it because this place is dope, yeah, especially down there. Like did you probably?
Speaker 4:say it on campus. Oh yeah, I lived downtown for a long time. I'm jealous, yeah.
Speaker 2:I'm jealous. I found North Mount Pleasant, north 41.
Speaker 1:Where the traffic flows like mayonnaise.
Speaker 2:Every way. The traffic's getting bad, but there's traffic everywhere.
Speaker 4:Okay, this is the Charleston love story. The will say that the traffic's grown in the past 12 years.
Speaker 2:I'm sure, I am 100% sure. Yeah, sorry, the cum-yas have cummed, you know.
Speaker 3:Yes, we're a company. We like you guys.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Emma, we said we should shut the gates Once we got here. Now we need to shut the gates.
Speaker 2:I know right when did you guys land, emma? I know right when did you guys land, emma.
Speaker 3:So we're in Somerville. Somerville, sure? Oh what a growing cool city that is. It is very cool. We bought our house at the end of 2018. We actually bought the house unseen.
Speaker 2:Love that. I was the same actually. Yes, I didn't see my house before I bought it. Yes, my wife did.
Speaker 3:We had a new friend who she owns an airbnb in somerville and we had her do like a drive-by to just kind of check it out and scope out the neighborhood and it is a totally different place to when we bought five years ago like, or almost six years ago. Now it it is, um, the, even just the family, like the people in our neighborhood it's all like young families now. And when we moved there, it was a lot of retirees and older people.
Speaker 3:And obviously as like you know, we have a young family, so it really fits for us. And then downtown Somerville has just completely transformed. I mean, we have some of the best restaurants there now that you don't even need to drive all the way down to Charleston, like we have it right there, um. So it's awesome, I love it and, like the business community down there is is thriving too, and we have you know the Somerville chamber of commerce does great work um for businesses there. It's. It's very cool.
Speaker 2:They really do a great job. The chamber of Commerce yes, we pay attention to them. I'm on the marketing chair for the Mount Pleasant Chamber of Commerce too, and the Summerville is always that North Star, Like they're just doing something right up there.
Speaker 3:Yeah, they are. Are you part of that, emma? Are you on the committees? We're members of the Chamber of Commerce and we've done a few workshops, like on AI.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you guys are members about everything, aren't? You?
Speaker 3:I mean, we, we actually used to be members of a lot and then we've kind of we've kind of filtered down into the ones that we really um at, you know, like Low Country, local Firsts has added tremendous value for us. We will be. We'll be lifetime.
Speaker 2:We're lifetime members of Low Country Local.
Speaker 3:Firsts for sure.
Speaker 2:Charleston Marketing Association. Eventually, we're lifetime members Nice.
Speaker 4:Of Low Country, Local First for sure.
Speaker 2:Charleston Marketing Association. Eventually we'll get on board what us.
Speaker 3:Eventually.
Speaker 1:Emma and the gig. Well, we're not really I mean.
Speaker 3:Oh, you're supporters, we're AI, you're supporters, and we've kind of shifted from our marketing focus. Uh-huh, you did.
Speaker 2:And you didn't talk about that. Yeah, because I want to talk a little bit about AI and what do you? Think the future of that looks like in your panel.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you want to do it now. Yeah, go for it.
Speaker 2:GCM originally started as a marketing company right we were.
Speaker 3:We were Giglio Communications and Marketing. I actually founded the business a long time ago. It started as a social media marketing company, which actually was Emmama giglio consulting um, where it was in babylon, new york, and I started the business just by knocking on doors and asking companies if they wanted to have a social media person help them with their social media um and built the business that way and then you knock on the door and leave with the job.
Speaker 2:Because Zach told the story on his episode, I'm like, oh man, I can't wait to have Emma on there. She is, yeah no, I went.
Speaker 3:It happened one time and it was the last time, but it was a very good story. I went in. It was a pizza shop. What decade Were you 2010 now, or where are we?
Speaker 2:I don't want to date you too much because you're not as old as I am. Around around then?
Speaker 3:Right.
Speaker 1:A little bit later than that, sure.
Speaker 3:And yeah, I walked into the pizzeria and asked to see the owner Sat down with him in his tiny little office upstairs, the pizza shop oh awkward Told him about what I wanted to do for his business and he was like all right, and he, I left with a signed contract.
Speaker 3:It was amazing yeah, and now he's a great friend, um, which, which most of those main street businesses I think that's was something that was incredibly special in that time was that the businesses were all like I was at the pulse of seeing, like what the strategies I was implementing, how it was actually affecting business. As we grew, and Zach and I kind of combined forces of his like PR, more corporate communication side. We started getting much larger clients and then to have to like to actually see the return of the work that we were doing becomes a lot tougher when it's bigger companies. But it was awesome, it was really awesome, anyway. So we were, zach and I decided to join our skill sets and we incorporated as Giglio Communications and Marketing in May of 2020.
Speaker 2:Good timing.
Speaker 3:Yeah it was the same month we had our first child oh, it was busy um, and then and then we, yeah, had a really thriving communications and marketing with full comms and marketing agency award-winning.
Speaker 2:Yes, well, we actually won the Small Business Award didn't you?
Speaker 3:Well, that was for our AI work. So we became GCM, where we're just focusing on AI. Basically, what happened was ChatGPT came out in November 22. And I think Zach told you this story when he was on the podcast.
Speaker 2:Probably sounds better.
Speaker 3:And so we sit in at a desk and we sit opposite each other and he had ChatGPT open and then I had it open and we kind of there was just this like moment where we looked at each other and we were like this changes everything and with you know the kind of kind of fit of communications and and using AI for marketing, um, it's a very kind of natural fit, um, and because that was our you know area of expertise, we were just like this this is, this is going to change everything, um, for our industry.
Speaker 2:Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 3:And um, so we started learning everything there was to know about it. Uh, we took courses and then what we found was that a lot of the um conversation around um AI was either very philosophical, like how AI is going to change the world, or was super technical Um, but we were hearing that ai can really help businesses and help you across. You know different workflows and we couldn't. We're like, but how like tell?
Speaker 2:us how, and no one was nobody has to do it, yes we'll do it.
Speaker 3:so we pivoted everything to focus on how businesses like ours can use ai across administrative tasks, across sales, sales across incomes, and that's kind of how we pivoted Specifically for small to medium-sized businesses right, specifically for small and medium-sized, because nobody's talking to them. No, no, I mean, this technology was available for many years for very large enterprise companies.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:And now we all have access to it and it is incredibly powerful technology and it's truly what we believe to be kind of a level of the playing field between small and medium businesses and big companies.
Speaker 2:Yep.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Is LLF taking on AI?
Speaker 4:Yeah, we started taking on AI after we went to GCM's AI for Small and Medium Businesses conference.
Speaker 3:What month was that? September? We plan on doing it again this year, but we're going to do it earlier. Stay tuned for dates.
Speaker 4:It was amazing. So, whatever day after the summit is when I started using AI, that was.
Speaker 2:September 18th.
Speaker 3:Yes, that's right, Because September 17th was my birthday and I was emceeing the event.
Speaker 2:I did a terrible job emceeing the event.
Speaker 3:You did not, oh my gosh, you did not do a terrible job. We had fun, though. Yes, it was a lot of fun.
Speaker 2:It was a great event. Learned a lot. Yeah, um, oh, you said it's to be determined when the next date for that one is it will be um.
Speaker 3:It will be earlier in the year, um, so coming up, but I'm not releasing the dates just yet. Okay, all right, all right.
Speaker 2:Well, when it comes, then you know, tell us first yes hot off the presses I mean, we're not um going back to llf, um localizing your business. How does one go by doing that?
Speaker 4:there's a lot of ways. There is a resource on our website. If you type in low country, local, first localize your business it'll pull up a page that'll kind of go over all the different areas of your business that you can choose to localize whether you want to get someone locally who does your payroll, if you want to get your office supplies locally or the coffee you roast in the office. There's a lot of different ways you can make changes and every one of those dollars shifted goes back more into our community so this is a resource, um database, if you will, of local companies that somebody can use as vendors or products or whatever yeah, services, yeah, all across the board.
Speaker 4:Even well in terms of your business. I was about to say, like you can get your nails done locally, but that's that doesn't have to do with your business.
Speaker 1:I got beautiful, natural, beautiful nails um it's funny.
Speaker 2:Thanks for laughing um so so can anybody um utilize that database?
Speaker 4:yeah, open, open to all okay, that's really cool.
Speaker 2:And then, how do you get onto that database is by becoming a member.
Speaker 4:Yes to be on the business directory.
Speaker 2:Correct To be on that, because that would be a nice little resource for a new business coming into town. Headquartered here in Charleston, right, because that's another preference that you have to have, right.
Speaker 1:Yes, what is?
Speaker 2:that? And what are all the other little preferences that you am? I saying preferences? You know what I'm trying to say. Yeah, the criteria for being local businesses, Thanks so much.
Speaker 4:There are a few, like you mentioned, you have to be headquartered locally and you have to be able to make decisions for your business. Like you can't be a franchise where, even if you're located here, if you can't say, oh hey, I want to change my logo or change something about my storefront, and there's someone somewhere else, in another state, another country, who's like no, you, you can't do that, then you're not really local so you have to have your own llc, you have to have the headquarter.
Speaker 2:Is there a um, a revenue?
Speaker 4:limit max.
Speaker 2:No, no, no. What other parameters?
Speaker 4:just the the seven or seven or eight counties of the low country. Okay to be headquartered there super cool man.
Speaker 2:Um, I was really looking forward to this, um, because steve did a great job, right, right. But Steve just he talks, man.
Speaker 4:He goes on tangents. He's great. He can talk about anything and laugh all day.
Speaker 2:But we got a lot more notes out of this one, I think, Mara.
Speaker 4:Thank you very much. Thank you, I'm happy to be here.
Speaker 2:So you know, kind of putting a nice little wrap around our conversation, I'm going to shoot you guys something that I just came up with.
Speaker 4:Oh great, around our conversation, I'm gonna shoot you guys something that I just came up with.
Speaker 2:Oh god, I'm putting myself out there right now, right, and I just came up with it on the way here, um, and it was going to be a part. I'm thinking about adding it to my intro or outro, maybe my outro, and it's something like you know, uh, charleston is a marketer's playground right uh, it's a city small enough to get things done, yet big enough to make change I I totally agree huh did everybody get goosebumps or?
Speaker 1:am I the only one? Yeah, yeah, probably I didn't really get goosebumps but I was just all right.
Speaker 2:I wonder if there's something else I could add to that. You know what I mean, but that's the kind of vibe that we have here, right? Yeah, people care, people with heart. What keeps you, what wakes you up in the morning and keeps you working there?
Speaker 4:Yeah, I'm super excited about, like our two signature events of the year, which is the Good Business Summit and Chef's Potluck.
Speaker 2:Chef's Potluck is another one.
Speaker 4:Very good one um chef's potluck is another one yes, we do have a date for that, so it's may 18th at the porter room at holy city brewing um. But we bring together, you know, about 20 local restaurants and we pair them with fishers, farmers, purveyors from around town cool and so it's like a mini wine and food where you can get like the most hyperlocal dishes and drinks entertainment.
Speaker 2:It's a lot of fun oh man, I've got to go to that. Yeah, you mentioned Wine and Food. You guys are partnering with them too, aren't you? Didn't you do something with them?
Speaker 4:Yes, so if you do want to get your Good Business Summit ticket before February 10th, you'll be entered to win two tickets to the Culinary Village's Sunday Local.
Speaker 2:Edition. That's a pretty cool partnership. Was that your idea, Emma? No, it wasn't. You can take it if you want.
Speaker 4:But yeah, my favorite part of my job is getting to work with the coolest business owners in town and every event.
Speaker 2:I put on. She didn't include you in that, Emma.
Speaker 4:She didn't look at me.
Speaker 1:She definitely didn't look at me.
Speaker 4:Yeah, there's just so many amazing people. So every time I'm putting together an event and once it comes to fruition, I'm in that room and all these great people are here. I'm like this is what it's all about, and you see everyone making those connections and those connections just continue to carry on through the life of the business.
Speaker 2:Love it. It's cool. Love it, emma. Cool, love it, emma. What are you excited about the future and Low?
Speaker 3:Country.
Speaker 2:Local and the good business.
Speaker 3:I think I just am amazed by the ongoing growth that we have here. You know we're talking about the traffic, so there's obviously that side of it, but there's really there's traffic everywhere. There is traffic everywhere, but it's really Traffic everywhere. There is traffic everywhere. But it really is a testament to organizations like Low Country, local First that we're bringing in businesses who want to do well and do good and kind of build this ecosystem.
Speaker 3:And even when we're talking about AI and tech. We're becoming I really do believe we're becoming that kind of tech hub with the amount of companies that are starting up and growing, and I think one of your questions that you haven't asked me at least you haven't asked me yet was about women in tech.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, thank you for bringing that up.
Speaker 3:There's a number of incredible organizations that are kind of cultivating that for women in our communities, like there is, I think it's just called Women in Tech, then there's I'm speaking on a panel for the Carolina Women in Computing at the College of Charleston, and then there's a number of others, but anyway it's, it's just a testament to how, um, there's just so much growth and potential and people are seeing that and and wanting to be based here yes that's an awesome place to be.
Speaker 3:You know, there's so many, so many states where people are leaving and they're settling here.
Speaker 2:And that's really cool, oh it's the best. Other women-thriving-based organizations thrive RISE.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 2:Mount Pleasant Chamber has one called RISE. You're the woman in my eyes. Let's go 2025. I mean, but Charleston's full of outgoing. I just said this. This morning I had a meeting with a marketer for a bank, female new to town. I'm like you need to join AMA because you're going to find like-minded people. There's a lot of smart humans here.
Speaker 3:Actually I spoke with someone yesterday, A lot of women. It's called Like-Minded Charleston.
Speaker 1:Ooh.
Speaker 3:Also, yeah, about women business owners and networking and resources, and they're having a whole month, actually in March, focused on AI. So I'm doing something with them, but there's so many doing really cool things.
Speaker 2:Very cool things, yeah Well, I want to talk to all of them. I do.
Speaker 4:So connect me.
Speaker 3:Emma with that one. What is it called? Again Like-minded Charleston.
Speaker 2:Love it Angel.
Speaker 3:Okay.
Speaker 2:Well, we're in heaven.
Speaker 3:We're in a studio, so she'll fit in heaven. Yes, there we go.
Speaker 4:That's weird anyways it looks quite like a playground, you know, a marketer's playground uh, love it, love it.
Speaker 2:So, um, thanks for joining me. You guys, thanks for doing this.
Speaker 4:Yeah, sorry, miss jordan, but mara stepping in hit a home run for sure she should uh, I'm sure jordan's busy anyways, whatever she's with the mayor, I knew it had to be something big. If she's missing me, it must have been the mayor.
Speaker 2:I'm the future mayor anyways all right, folks, mara, thank you. How do we get a hold of you? Is your um? Give me your cell phone number and your. You know social security? No, like your tagline, or handles, social handles.
Speaker 4:Yeah, you can find me if you go on our website lowcountrylocalfirstorg. I have a little bio there and then my email is my name, mara at lowcountrylocalfirstorg. Lovely, and then yeah definitely follow us Low Country Local on social media.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, and that's the handle is at Low Country, local, cool, local on social media.
Speaker 3:Yes, yes, and that's the handle is at low country local cool. Emma, how do we get hold of you? Um?
Speaker 2:you can get hold of me through my you can't, you can't, don't do it yeah I mean, do you have to? No, no, you don't um linkedin.
Speaker 3:I'm just um linkedin. Emmalio and then GCM is whoisgcm on Instagram, linkedin and whoisgcmcom.
Speaker 2:Awesome Super talented folks on the brink of AI and super talented folks on the brink of growing Charleston. Thanks for all you do, guys.
Speaker 3:Thank you. Thank you for having us.
Speaker 2:Of course, before we leave, we need to thank our sponsors, the Charleston Media Solutions Studios. Sorry, I had to say that really long because it changed from the Charleston Radio Group to now the Charleston Media Solutions Studios. It's the Solutions Studios part that gets me.
Speaker 1:You know what? Don't forget about Jerry.
Speaker 2:Feels Good with the beats. He's the man downtown and if you want to sponsor or be a guest on our show, reach out to us at podcast at charlestonamaorg and we'll get back to you. Thanks for being with us today, charleston. Until next time.
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