Latest / Voices of the Albemarle / Ep. 25: Changer of Commerce—Chamber of Commerce CEO Savannah Winslow

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Ep. 25: Changer of Commerce—Chamber of Commerce CEO Savannah Winslow · Voices of the Albemarle

• 0:14
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome back to Voices of the Albemarle.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_01: I'm here with my co-host, David Prizer.
• 0:18
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, no, you're here with me.
• 0:21
  SPEAKER_01: That's what I just said.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_00: No, you said I'm here with you.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm your host, Izzy Kelly Goss.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_01: In just a few minutes, we're going to be joined by the Elizabeth City Area Chamber of Commerce president, Savannah Winslow.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_01: But first, let's talk about some goings on.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_01: Um, first, Camp Bridges, created by the Ruby Bridges Foundation, completed their second year last week as we're recording, which is the week before this comes out.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_01: July 24th is when we're recording.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_01: July 17th is the week of.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and it says it was a major success.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_01: They had 62 campers this year who all attended on 100% scholarships.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_00: That was a great, that's a great organization.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_01: It is, it's so amazing.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_01: We spoke with the foundation CEO Miles Daniels in episode 15 about the camp.
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_00: I don't think I've ever talked to somebody who is as smart as he is.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_01: He was so, yeah, so well spoken, so intelligent, definitely the right man for the job on that one.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_01: Um, if anyone is interested, feel free to check out the episode or my recent article, Camp Bridges' Second Year of Success, which was in print on Thursday, July 23rd.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_01: Secondly, residents will soon have access to round the clock animal control services.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_01: The county commissioners agreed to on-call pay for animal control officers.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_00: You have to wake up my my dog.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_00: He needs his sleep.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_00: Why would it be around the clock?
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_01: I think we'd be waking up the animal control officers to come take care of your dog.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_01: Not take care of him.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_01: He's a great dog.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_01: He's not going to be able to do it.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_00: I could call them up and say, could you look in on Bo at No, not quite.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_01: Um, if he ran out of the house in the middle of the night to get away from you, Bo wants to order a pizza.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_00: Would you could you bring it?
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_01: I wouldn't suggest that.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I don't know that they'd be too responsive.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_00: He needs to sleep, though.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_00: Why would I do that in the middle of the night?
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_00: He he just doesn't like this.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_00: Does Bo sleep through the night?
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, yes.
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_00: I don't though.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_01: County manager Sparty Hammett said that this was just another thing they had to learn as they continue on their endeavor into running the shelter, which was reopened by the county in January alongside Camden County and Elizabeth City.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_01: Um, the commissioners agreed to the pay during their Monday, July 20th finance meeting.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_00: I'm hearing very I am hearing good things.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_00: As a matter of fact, I met Dana.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_01: Dana Comer.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_01: She's great.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_01: She's a great gal.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_00: I'm hearing some good things.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, they have a lot of really great things going on right now.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_01: She's implementing a lot of new programs, and they're really they're they're killing it over here.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_00: She said feral cats is the biggest.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, feral cats is a big issue around here.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and they've implemented a new barn animal program where you can adopt some of the feral cats from this area.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_00: You said it was like a two for one.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, they did have a two for one during the month of June.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that was really cool.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_00: I I thought feral cats was like a country western singer.
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_01: Anyways, finally, Laverne, Minnesota, a small town in the southwestern part of the city.
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_00: Is that right next to Shirley?
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_01: Perhaps, but this is Laverne, not Levern.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_01: Um, they have claim now over the world's tallest nutcracker.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_01: They um dress like Uncle Sam, the nutcracker sits or rather stands at just under 66 feet.
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_01: Well, uh according to what is sorry.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_00: I I almost said something.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_01: Well, let's not.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_01: According to an article from Associated Press, the nutcracker is named Vern the Patriots.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, they have some big nuts around here.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_01: God, we can't do that, David.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_01: We cannot leave that in.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_01: We're gonna start this part over.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_01: Not the whole thing.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_01: Just just my just we're not doing that.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_01: We can't leave that in.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_01: It's supposed to be family friendly.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, okay.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_00: Sorry.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_00: Which family are you talking about?
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_01: Mine.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_01: My grandma listens to this.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, that's fine.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_01: So does my mom.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, go ahead.
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_00: World's tallest.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_01: What is wrong with you?
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_01: Are you 73 or three?
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_01: Keep it together, man.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_01: Finally, Laverne, Minnesota, a small town in the southwestern part of the state.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_01: Shirley.
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_01: Right next to Shirley.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_01: This is Laverne, not Laverne, but yes.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_01: Now has claim over the world's tallest nutcracker.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_01: Dressed like Uncle Sam, the nutcracker sits, or rather stands, at just under 66 feet tall.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_01: Why?
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_01: Um, because according to an associated press article, they just felt like it.
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_01: He sits atop a shop called Those Blasted Things.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_01: I guess they started collecting small nutcrackers from tourists that would come in through.
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_00: Did anybody really use those nutcrackers that look like people?
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_01: I think that they are mostly just for show these days.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_01: Um, this one certainly is.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_01: His name is Vern the Patriot.
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_01: Like I said, he's dressed like Uncle Sam.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_01: He's 65 feet tall and oh, also seven and a half inches.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_01: Um, he's nearly double the size of the second tallest nutcracker who was previously the Guinness World Record holder.
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_01: It's a nutcracker in Newhausen, Germany that stands at 33 feet tall.
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_00: I'm guessing that they have a lot of time on their hands in Laverne.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_01: I can't say for sure.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_01: Um, never been there, but I do know that Vern cost$600,000 to build.
• 5:54
  SPEAKER_01: The funds were raised through donations and grants, which honestly, I think that's pretty great.
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_01: Um money well spent.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_01: It's it's a great way to celebrate America 250.
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_01: He's Uncle Sam, Vern the Patriots.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_00: It's a big way to celebrate.
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_01: On that note, I think we're gonna crack on over to the interview with Savannah Winslow.
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome again to Voices of the Albemarle.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_01: We are here, joined by the lovely Savannah Winslow, president of the Elizabeth City Area Chamber of Commerce.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_01: Hello.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_01: Savannah, thank you so much for joining us today.
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you so much for having me.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_01: It's this exciting.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_01: We are so thrilled.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_01: Um, this is, I think about this time last year was when you can started at the chamber.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_01: So you've just completed your first full year.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_01: And I did an interview with you then.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_01: I did a feature on you, and we discussed this then, but I loved hearing it because you're such a fascinating person.
• 6:48
  SPEAKER_01: You've led such an interesting life.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_01: So I really hope that you can start us off by talking about your journey and how you ended up um moving back to basically your hometown and and started working for the chamber.
• 7:01
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you so much.
• 7:03
  SPEAKER_02: And thank you again for that article and for everything y'all do with Adams Multimedia into the Daily Advance.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_02: I'm a big fan and we just so appreciate you.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so starting off with that, um, but yeah, getting into a little bit of my background.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I actually grew up here part-time.
• 7:20
  SPEAKER_02: I called this my little vacation house.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_02: So my dad lived in Perquimans.
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_02: I'm a Winslow, so there's a lot of Perquimans, Winslows out there.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_02: And um, so it was my dad and his side of the family always lived down here.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_02: And I grew up in Williamsburg, Virginia.
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_02: So I would come down here every other weekend and then on the summer.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_02: So I had like a small group of friends um down here in Hertford, Perquimmons County, Edenton, and Elizabeth City.
• 7:44
  SPEAKER_02: So it's been near and dear to my heart for a very long time.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_02: And um I went to college in New York City for a musical theater, actually.
• 7:54
  SPEAKER_02: And uh that was one of my biggest passions.
• 7:56
  SPEAKER_02: But over COVID, I moved here and I started working at the Edenton Hampton Inn.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_03: Woo!
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so that was a great experience.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_02: And then from there, I've really got into, you know, welcoming visitors into our community and just saying, like, hey, you know, like this is where you can go to eat and this is where you can go visit.
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_02: And we've got some wonderful opportunities here for tourism and just really deep history within our region.
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_02: So got really into that.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_02: And then um, I interviewed for Visit Elizabeth City in 2022, I believe.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_02: And then I came on with them as their event specialist.
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_02: So back then, um, Visit Elizabeth City was running the Coast Guard Marathon.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_02: So that was one of my primary roles was to work on the marathon.
• 8:47
  SPEAKER_02: And I worked under the amazing Karina Rufier.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_02: She was the tourism director at the time.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_00: And you had any, did you have any prior experience with events like that?
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_02: And a little bit, yes.
• 8:58
  SPEAKER_02: So my mom worked for or still works for Jamestown, Yorktown Foundation in Williamsburg.
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, okay.
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_02: And so she um has always done graphic design for them.
• 9:08
  SPEAKER_02: And so anytime they would have an event, I would be there volunteering and things like that.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_02: So I was really into, you know, brought up with events and tourism and special things like that.
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_02: So I grew up in a tourist town like Colonial Williamsburg, and um just being able to showcase my other home with northeastern North Carolina really came into like my adult interests.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_02: You know, that was one of my special interests was tourism and bringing people here and just, you know, community.
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_02: So um I worked for Visit Elizabeth City and I started working for the Coast Guard Marathon as well as the Hot Cocoa Crawl.
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_02: Have you ever heard of that?
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_02: Elizabeth City is the hot cocoa capital of the world.
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_02: That's what Debbie Malenfunt said.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_00: I challenged her on that, but she proved it was it was the hot cocoa.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_00: It is the hot cocoa capital.
• 9:56
  SPEAKER_01: I believe we own the trademark.
• 9:58
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, yes, yes, we do.
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_02: Um, yeah, so that was just a wonderful opportunity working there, and it really introduced me to so many people within the community and the wonderful programs we have going on here.
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I also started, um, you know, when I was working at Vazillas Vicity, um, Anya Davis was the president of New Chamber.
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
• 10:21
  SPEAKER_02: So I didn't really know anyone, and I was working on these events, you know, always running around with balloons and things like that.
• 10:28
  SPEAKER_02: And I would get a call from Anya, and she'd say, you know, you should really come to our event tonight.
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_02: And I'd be like, Oh my God.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_02: Anya, I can't come, like I'm exhausted.
• 10:39
  SPEAKER_02: But I would go and I would really plug into the chamber and I would meet so I met so many wonderful leaders of our community, and it really set me up for those connections to further my professional development and meet people and just create that sense of community.
• 10:57
  SPEAKER_01: And then Anya retired and you took over for her.
• 11:01
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_00: And that was You didn't just take over.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_00: There were other people being considered in you.
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you were hired for the job.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_00: You were the best person for the job.
• 11:13
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 11:13
  SPEAKER_00: The right term.
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_01: I wasn't trying to imply that she just was thrown in there.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_01: No, no, no, absolutely not.
• 11:20
  SPEAKER_01: I actually spoke with Anya before she retired.
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_01: I did an interview with her as well, and she spoke a little bit about that process, and they were very selective.
• 11:28
  SPEAKER_01: So I have no doubt that you were absolutely the best person in their minds and in their hearts for this job.
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you very much.
• 11:35
  SPEAKER_02: It was such an honor to, you know, get that call.
• 11:38
  SPEAKER_02: And it it was a um difficult process, you know, for the board.
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_02: They had a lot of different rounds of interviews that they had to go through.
• 11:45
  SPEAKER_02: And I was just so blessed to really felt like it was the right time.
• 11:49
  SPEAKER_02: And it um she had spoken to me about it before, you know, just always encouraging me to get out in the community and create those relationships and further um your education by learning from these mentors and leaders in the community.
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna ask you a question, and uh it might put you on the spot for a second, but it's it's not you know, I'm not trying to drag you down around that.
• 12:11
  SPEAKER_00: That's okay.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_00: Anya had her own style.
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm not gonna even talk about what it was.
• 12:17
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I I enjoyed Anya.
• 12:19
  SPEAKER_00: I like Anya a lot.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_00: I respect her.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_00: I think she did a great job.
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_00: So she's fantastic.
• 12:23
  SPEAKER_00: No negatives.
• 12:24
  SPEAKER_00: You have your own style.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_00: In the role that you have.
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_00: Can you describe what your style is for that job?
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
• 12:33
  SPEAKER_02: Good question.
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I think that my style comes from my heart, and where my heart is is community because I see just how much everyone wants the same thing.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_02: We all want to come together to further Elizabeth City and make it a great place to live, visit, and have economic development, you know.
• 12:53
  SPEAKER_02: So everyone's on the same page.
• 12:55
  SPEAKER_02: And if we could just bring everyone together, that's sort of my mission is to really dig into the sense of community and what that looks like for everyone.
• 13:05
  SPEAKER_02: So my style, I think, would stem from, you know, inclusivity, community, and just service.
• 13:13
  SPEAKER_02: You know, a lot of people don't know that um the chamber is not for profit.
• 13:17
  SPEAKER_02: So it's a nonprofit, it's a 501c6.
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_02: Um, the only way we make money is through membership and fundraisers and things like that.
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_02: But um one of the biggest things I think is just acting as a service for the business community because they need someone to lean on.
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_02: They need someone to be able to get them into the rooms and introduce them and make those connections to further their business.
• 13:42
  SPEAKER_02: So I think my style is grounded in community.
• 13:46
  unknown: Okay.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_01: With that style, I mean, first of all, your personality is perfect for it.
• 13:51
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
• 13:52
  SPEAKER_01: You are so outgoing, you're so welcoming and so friendly.
• 13:55
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
• 13:56
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you're such a joy to be around.
• 13:58
  SPEAKER_01: But I'm sure that despite all of that taking on such a big role, you faced challenges.
• 14:04
  SPEAKER_01: What is something that you like really came across that you had to really dig into your relationships with the community and um and your own personal heart and absolutely work towards overcoming?
• 14:19
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, I think a big part when I first came on at the chamber is a sensation called imposter syndrome.
• 14:27
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 14:28
  SPEAKER_02: And that is something I hear a lot of, you know, specifically women CEOs, presidents, leadership roles, um, they struggle with because, you know, you're picked, chosen for this role.
• 14:39
  SPEAKER_02: And it's so important and so much is writing on it that when I first came in, I was like, oh my gosh, I don't know if I can do this.
• 14:45
  SPEAKER_02: I don't know what I'm doing.
• 14:46
  SPEAKER_02: Um, until I've really just honed in on who I am and who I would like to be and who I would like to work with, you know, and how I would like to bring people together.
• 14:58
  SPEAKER_02: And just, you know, reflecting on my time in volunteering for the chamber, even though I wasn't working there, you know, still showing up to events and how what did that feel like for me as a young professional coming in, not knowing anyone, you know, everyone is probably 10, 15 years my senior, they have so much experience.
• 15:17
  SPEAKER_02: But going in with the mindset of like, this is my first year, you know, I'm not expected to know everything.
• 15:25
  SPEAKER_02: But if I go in with an open heart and willingness to learn, that's what has really carried me.
• 15:32
  SPEAKER_02: So my first challenge was definitely imposter syndrome and communications.
• 15:37
  SPEAKER_02: So everyone has a different style of communication, whether it's email, text, phone calls.
• 15:43
  SPEAKER_02: Um, one of my biggest challenges, I think maybe with our age group also, is the phone calls.
• 15:49
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, yeah.
• 15:50
  SPEAKER_02: When I first started at Visit Elizabeth City, I, Karina would have me call people every single day to force me to call people.
• 15:57
  SPEAKER_02: And that was one of the biggest blessings because at the time I was like, oh no, I have to call this partner and I have to sound impressive and I need to not stumble on my words.
• 16:06
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 16:07
  SPEAKER_02: And that was just one of the biggest opportunities for growth for me.
• 16:11
  SPEAKER_02: But even so, you know, coming into the president's role at the chamber, um, you know, giving that stream of communication and really tailoring my communication to specific partners.
• 16:22
  SPEAKER_02: Like, okay, I know this person, this partner um works a really long day, but they're up really early in the morning.
• 16:30
  SPEAKER_02: So can I call them at eight before I go in?
• 16:33
  SPEAKER_02: Or can I call so-and-so in the afternoon?
• 16:36
  SPEAKER_02: You know, sorry, I talk a lot with my hands, so I'm just whacking things.
• 16:40
  unknown: That's okay.
• 16:41
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but yeah, I think my biggest challenge at first was imposter syndrome.
• 16:45
  SPEAKER_02: And that is just where my board of directors and our ambassadors and just, I mean, Anya and um just the community leaders really, really invested in me and helped me through that because they said, no, you have been chosen for this.
• 17:04
  SPEAKER_02: We know you're young, we know that you're still figuring it out.
• 17:07
  SPEAKER_02: And, you know, if you lead from your truest intentions of service, then that has truly carried me.
• 17:13
  SPEAKER_02: So my biggest challenge would probably be imposter syndrome.
• 17:17
  SPEAKER_01: But that's I feel like that's something that's really common, especially like as you said, amongst women in like business industries.
• 17:24
  SPEAKER_01: I definitely experienced that coming on as a reporter.
• 17:26
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I had never been a full-time reporter.
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_01: I was doing freelance work, and then I came on and I'm like, all of a sudden, all of these people think I'm a reporter.
• 17:35
  SPEAKER_01: You are and I am.
• 17:36
  SPEAKER_01: And that's right.
• 17:37
  SPEAKER_02: Are we sure?
• 17:38
  SPEAKER_02: Exactly.
• 17:39
  SPEAKER_02: You have grown so much just to see your journey as well has been so inspiring.
• 17:43
  SPEAKER_01: But it really is the community that that definitely helps uplift you throughout your journey and and kind of take some of that away.
• 17:53
  SPEAKER_01: Like you said, um, your community partners, your board of directors.
• 17:56
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 17:57
  SPEAKER_01: The community is is one of the biggest parts of your job, if not the biggest part.
• 18:02
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
• 18:02
  SPEAKER_02: And there's so many role models that I look up to.
• 18:06
  SPEAKER_02: David Prizer being one.
• 18:07
  SPEAKER_02: Sorry to put you on the spot.
• 18:08
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but you know, there's blushing for the record.
• 18:12
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but you know, just having those role models, even, you know, women-owned businesses.
• 18:16
  SPEAKER_02: We have so many women-owned businesses.
• 18:18
  SPEAKER_01: We do, absolutely.
• 18:19
  SPEAKER_02: Small business, large business.
• 18:20
  SPEAKER_02: We have business, you know, women running our largest institution institutions like our Sintera Hospital, Teresa Watson.
• 18:26
  SPEAKER_02: You know, I look up to her so so incredibly much.
• 18:29
  SPEAKER_01: And we did do an episode with her, so I know I'm be sure to check that out.
• 18:32
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, yes, please tune in because that is a great episode.
• 18:35
  SPEAKER_02: I'm glad you liked it.
• 18:36
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, I want to ask you something about that.
• 18:38
  SPEAKER_00: This is this this is gonna sound I usually ask at least one very stupid question.
• 18:43
  SPEAKER_00: This may be it.
• 18:44
  SPEAKER_00: At least two.
• 18:44
  SPEAKER_00: Um quiet.
• 18:47
  SPEAKER_00: You mentioned there are many women-owned businesses, women run businesses, and and I would agree.
• 18:53
  SPEAKER_00: Um it didn't that didn't dawn on me until maybe a year ago.
• 18:58
  SPEAKER_00: And I've been here, I think, four years now, and you'd think I would have noticed that.
• 19:02
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm not sure why I didn't notice that.
• 19:04
  SPEAKER_00: It just didn't hit me.
• 19:06
  SPEAKER_00: So the question the question I have is you've seen other communities.
• 19:12
  SPEAKER_00: Do we really have more uh d is that more of is there is there a larger preponderance of that here than maybe other communities?
• 19:21
  SPEAKER_02: I think so.
• 19:22
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, the biggest community I can compare it to is Williamsburg.
• 19:26
  SPEAKER_02: That's the one that I'm most familiar with, the business owners there.
• 19:28
  SPEAKER_02: And a lot of them are couples, you know, a lot of them are retirees that retire to Colonial Williamsburg, similarly to here.
• 19:34
  SPEAKER_02: Um, you know, we have a lot of Coast Guard families and Coast Guard spouses that I see opening businesses.
• 19:39
  SPEAKER_02: And that's really unique to our area because of our Coast Guard base.
• 19:43
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but I think, you know, specifically in downtown as well, just that radius of women-owned businesses, I think it's just the close proximity of women-owned businesses just being so populated here.
• 19:56
  SPEAKER_02: But also I I do believe compared to some of the other major tourist destinations, I mean, compared to them, we do have a lot.
• 20:05
  SPEAKER_01: I would say a large majority of the businesses in the downtown area are like women-owned or at least women-run.
• 20:13
  SPEAKER_03: Absolutely.
• 20:14
  SPEAKER_01: And I do feel like that's really that's really unique.
• 20:16
  SPEAKER_01: That's really special.
• 20:17
  SPEAKER_01: It is.
• 20:18
  SPEAKER_01: I feel like just for the the majority that we have, if you think about it, there's two souls, which we also did a podcast with.
• 20:23
  SPEAKER_01: There's Arts of the Album Marl.
• 20:25
  SPEAKER_01: Wow, guys, we are really racking up the women-owned businesses.
• 20:28
  SPEAKER_00: I know, I have another quit another question here.
• 20:29
  SPEAKER_00: It's a follow-up, seeing as how I'm not a woman.
• 20:33
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 20:33
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 20:34
  SPEAKER_01: Tread carefully.
• 20:35
  SPEAKER_02: No problem.
• 20:35
  SPEAKER_02: We'd like men too.
• 20:38
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, so there are pluses and there are challenges to any type of situation.
• 20:47
  SPEAKER_00: Uh I want to throw a softball to you.
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_00: What are some of the pluses about that?
• 20:53
  SPEAKER_00: The nate the nature of the so many women-owned businesses, and then I'm gonna throw you the hard one.
• 20:59
  SPEAKER_00: What are the challenges?
• 21:00
  SPEAKER_00: So, first of all, what are the pluses?
• 21:02
  SPEAKER_00: What are the what are the real pluses that come out of a community when you when you have this large number of women-owned businesses?
• 21:08
  SPEAKER_02: I think matriarchal leadership, um, there are different approaches to things and how they communicate.
• 21:14
  SPEAKER_02: Um, not to generalize for all women, but you know, um, I think there's a certain part of importance in representation for, you know, women-owned businesses, even just 30 years ago, you know, would not have nearly as many women-owned businesses.
• 21:31
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so the representation and, you know, some of the struggles I think the challenges with a women-owned business could possibly be within those business deals.
• 21:40
  SPEAKER_02: You know, sometimes that goes back to my imposter syndrome.
• 21:42
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I'll be, you know, meeting with some really large partners and I'm like, oh, am I wearing too much, too many eyelashes today?
• 21:49
  SPEAKER_02: You know, got my fake eyelashes on.
• 21:51
  SPEAKER_02: You know, am I being taken seriously?
• 21:53
  SPEAKER_00: That affects us all, doesn't it?
• 21:54
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
• 21:55
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 21:55
  SPEAKER_02: You're fair.
• 21:56
  SPEAKER_02: Certainly, yeah.
• 21:58
  SPEAKER_02: I'll drop a tutorial.
• 21:59
  unknown: Um
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_02: You should.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_02: I need it.
• 22:01
  SPEAKER_02: Please.
• 22:02
  SPEAKER_02: But um, you know, I think it really stems into, you know, that um confidence that you get and, you know, growing your business and having that safe space to be a woman-owned business.
• 22:14
  SPEAKER_02: I think that that's just um great representation, you know, as well as black owned businesses, Latino-owned businesses, Vietnamese.
• 22:21
  SPEAKER_02: We have quite a large, diverse group of business owners here.
• 22:25
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
• 22:26
  SPEAKER_02: And that's part of the chamber's um mission is to showcase those businesses and support them.
• 22:32
  SPEAKER_01: So, how many businesses are a part of the chamber?
• 22:36
  SPEAKER_01: As of today, Friday, July 24th.
• 22:39
  SPEAKER_02: Today, Friday, July 24th, we have 547.
• 22:43
  SPEAKER_00: Could you name them all, please?
• 22:44
  SPEAKER_02: Heck yes, alphabetical or by group?
• 22:48
  SPEAKER_02: You probably could.
• 22:49
  SPEAKER_02: I probably could.
• 22:51
  SPEAKER_02: No, I couldn't.
• 22:52
  SPEAKER_02: Let's not.
• 22:53
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, we'll be here for the next hour.
• 22:55
  SPEAKER_00: So over 500.
• 22:56
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 22:58
  SPEAKER_01: So I feel like that's a really big accomplishment if you consider it's the Elizabeth City area.
• 23:02
  SPEAKER_01: So there are gonna be businesses from Camden, there's gonna be businesses from from all over the place.
• 23:06
  SPEAKER_01: It's not just Elizabeth City, but we have members in Texas.
• 23:09
  SPEAKER_02: Really?
• 23:10
  SPEAKER_02: Isn't that crazy?
• 23:11
  SPEAKER_02: How does that work?
• 23:13
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, how does that work?
• 23:14
  SPEAKER_00: That's right.
• 23:14
  SPEAKER_02: So anyone wanting to expand their platform specifically online as well.
• 23:20
  SPEAKER_02: So one of the biggest benefits within the chamber is marketing and um just having your business registered within a chamber of commerce on our business directory on our website, you know, that brings them click rates, you know, all the analytics that y'all go through with your marketing.
• 23:37
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 23:37
  SPEAKER_02: Um, it's just people looking to expand their click rate and their foot traffic via website.
• 23:44
  SPEAKER_02: So anytime someone looks up a business that's a member of our chamber, our chamber website will come up within the first, you know, two or three on Google.
• 23:55
  SPEAKER_02: And then that sort of serves as a landing page.
• 23:58
  SPEAKER_02: And what we can do for the chamber member is, you know, we can pull up those analytics and show them, like, okay, so this many people visited your landing page and this many people clicked straight to your website.
• 24:09
  SPEAKER_02: So it's sort of like a transitional avenue that they can use to further their business online.
• 24:17
  SPEAKER_01: That is so interesting.
• 24:19
  SPEAKER_01: I had not considered that before.
• 24:21
  SPEAKER_02: It's crazy.
• 24:21
  SPEAKER_02: I know I didn't either.
• 24:22
  SPEAKER_02: When I first came on, I was like, who is this?
• 24:25
  SPEAKER_02: And Texas, Greensboro, and like even throughout the state, we've got Greensboro, Greenville, Hampton Road.
• 24:32
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, see, yeah, yeah.
• 24:33
  SPEAKER_02: Lots of Virginia businesses, and we're seeing more and more every day because you know, Hampton Roads is right there.
• 24:39
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 24:39
  SPEAKER_00: And we're we're in the Hampton Roads DMA.
• 24:42
  SPEAKER_02: Exactly.
• 24:42
  SPEAKER_02: Exactly.
• 24:43
  SPEAKER_02: So for more and more businesses from Virginia are coming to join because they want to expand um their clientele into here, because it's nothing for them to just shoot over for a service or like window service, you know, all different styles of businesses.
• 24:58
  SPEAKER_01: So, kind of if someone was interested in joining the chamber, what is that process look like?
• 25:04
  SPEAKER_01: What is how do you guys go about that?
• 25:06
  SPEAKER_01: How does someone go about joining the chamber, especially if they are from Texas?
• 25:10
  SPEAKER_01: They can't exactly walk into your business, your building, and say, hey, I want to join.
• 25:15
  SPEAKER_02: Certainly.
• 25:15
  SPEAKER_02: So um, you know, with the local businesses, we get a lot of walk-ins.
• 25:19
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but we also, you can call us anytime.
• 25:22
  SPEAKER_02: Um, a lot of times we do outreach as well.
• 25:26
  SPEAKER_02: We have our membership director, Tristan Hawley.
• 25:28
  SPEAKER_02: She's been there for about just under a year.
• 25:30
  SPEAKER_02: So we hired her right when I came on.
• 25:33
  SPEAKER_02: And she does a lot of outreach, um, going and visiting businesses, just seeing, like just checking in.
• 25:38
  SPEAKER_02: Like we're not really trying to sell you anything.
• 25:40
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 25:40
  SPEAKER_02: Um, because regardless of membership or not, you know, we're still the Chamber of Commerce for our area.
• 25:46
  SPEAKER_02: So we're still here to back you up.
• 25:48
  SPEAKER_02: Like, what do you what is it that you need?
• 25:49
  SPEAKER_02: You know, how is business going?
• 25:51
  SPEAKER_02: And how can we support you?
• 25:53
  SPEAKER_02: So we do a lot of outreach that way.
• 25:56
  SPEAKER_02: Um, we also have our ambassador team doing outreach as well.
• 25:59
  SPEAKER_02: And a lot of it, you know, within our community and even just the region of northeastern North Carolina is word of mouth.
• 26:06
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 26:06
  SPEAKER_01: That is huge.
• 26:07
  SPEAKER_02: And I was never anticipating that, you know, I was really hitting it hard at the beginning, like outreach.
• 26:12
  SPEAKER_02: You know, we need to get these businesses.
• 26:14
  SPEAKER_02: I want everyone to come together with the chamber and good vibes, you know.
• 26:19
  SPEAKER_02: But even so, like we have had so many more just showing up.
• 26:24
  SPEAKER_02: You know, I'm new to the area and I want to open this business and I want to join the chamber.
• 26:29
  SPEAKER_02: I just want to get plugged in with the community.
• 26:31
  SPEAKER_02: And that's another tidbit.
• 26:32
  SPEAKER_02: Um, you don't actually have to have a business to join the chamber.
• 26:36
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 26:36
  SPEAKER_01: I didn't know that either.
• 26:37
  SPEAKER_01: I didn't know that either.
• 26:38
  SPEAKER_02: I know.
• 26:39
  SPEAKER_02: So um we have quite a bit of um individual members, and I believe we have about 50 of those.
• 26:49
  SPEAKER_02: So people that like retirees, we have retired teachers, retired business owners.
• 26:53
  SPEAKER_02: Maybe they sold their business, but they still want to stay connected with the business community.
• 26:57
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 26:57
  SPEAKER_02: That's something that we see a lot.
• 27:00
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so we do, you know, a combination of outreach, um, people coming in, word of mouth, marketing.
• 27:09
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but you know, once they do get in those doors, we sit down and we have a meeting.
• 27:14
  SPEAKER_02: And that's actually why I was running a little bit late today.
• 27:16
  SPEAKER_02: I was having a meeting with a member, and those can go on for like an hour and a half.
• 27:21
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 27:22
  SPEAKER_02: Um, depending on, you know, how much we want to hear.
• 27:26
  SPEAKER_02: Well, we always want to hear everything about their business.
• 27:29
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 27:29
  SPEAKER_02: But how much they want to share.
• 27:31
  SPEAKER_02: And we sit down and we really connect like on a human level, and then we connect on a business level.
• 27:36
  SPEAKER_02: It's like, okay, who are you?
• 27:37
  SPEAKER_02: What are you about?
• 27:38
  SPEAKER_02: What's your mission?
• 27:39
  SPEAKER_02: Like, what inspired you to open this business?
• 27:42
  SPEAKER_02: And okay, going forward from that, what are your business goals?
• 27:47
  SPEAKER_02: Like what what brings you to the chamber and what is it that we can help you do?
• 27:51
  SPEAKER_02: And here's what I'll share with you that we can help, how we can help support your business.
• 27:57
  SPEAKER_00: I I will vouch for the fact that you do have many meetings.
• 28:01
  SPEAKER_00: I I'm not a big meeting person, but I have to have them.
• 28:04
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 28:05
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm my schedule is kind of tough, but your schedule is it's tough though to get into your schedule.
• 28:12
  SPEAKER_02: I know.
• 28:12
  SPEAKER_02: I'm sorry.
• 28:13
  SPEAKER_02: It's but it it truly is because we're constantly meeting with business owners and even our members already who have been members of the chamber for a while.
• 28:22
  SPEAKER_02: Like, let's just connect and touch base.
• 28:24
  SPEAKER_02: And, you know, it really does matter, I think, in person.
• 28:28
  SPEAKER_02: Um, when we can, we love to connect in person because we can bring them in.
• 28:32
  SPEAKER_02: Let me make you some coffee and let's just chat about your business.
• 28:35
  SPEAKER_02: Tell me like how we can help.
• 28:37
  SPEAKER_02: And, you know, what are the events that are going on?
• 28:39
  SPEAKER_02: What are the promotions that you have?
• 28:41
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so yes, we like to prioritize in person meeting with people and really listening, being active listeners and hearing about their journey, not only in life, but within their business.
• 28:54
  SPEAKER_01: Would you say that's like the biggest part of your day-to-day operations?
• 28:58
  SPEAKER_02: I'd say so.
• 28:59
  SPEAKER_02: I I, you know, we always have we have at least two meetings a day with members.
• 29:04
  SPEAKER_02: But beyond that, we also have events.
• 29:07
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 29:07
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 29:07
  SPEAKER_02: So many events.
• 29:08
  SPEAKER_01: It's lots of wonderful things and get togethers.
• 29:11
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 29:12
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 29:12
  SPEAKER_02: Yep.
• 29:12
  SPEAKER_02: We just had a ribbon cutting on Wednesday.
• 29:14
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you for coming, David Prizer.
• 29:16
  SPEAKER_02: That was for Interbanks Thrift.
• 29:18
  SPEAKER_02: And we had a membership drive yesterday.
• 29:21
  SPEAKER_02: That was really fun.
• 29:22
  SPEAKER_02: That was our first membership drive since I've come.
• 29:25
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 29:26
  SPEAKER_02: And that was just sort of another way to bring people together.
• 29:29
  SPEAKER_02: Like, you know, all business owners, whether they're employers or really leading the business or owners and operators, their time is valuable.
• 29:40
  SPEAKER_02: You know, so it's if they can't come sit down for an hour meeting with me, then, you know, here's a membership drive where we can get you all in together and share about your business, share about what the chamber can do and just get you really plugged in with the community.
• 29:55
  SPEAKER_02: So that was very successful.
• 29:57
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but yeah, you know, we meet with people all the time.
• 30:01
  SPEAKER_02: We're honestly always out meeting with businesses as well.
• 30:05
  SPEAKER_02: So whether we're in the chamber having a meeting or we go to their business, but constantly.
• 30:11
  SPEAKER_01: So, what would you say to someone like at this membership drive?
• 30:14
  SPEAKER_01: You're talking to a lot of people, obviously, maybe there are some people there that aren't necessarily 100% on board, and that's why they're there.
• 30:23
  SPEAKER_01: What does that look like for you when you are talking to someone about joining the chamber if they're a little bit unsure?
• 30:30
  SPEAKER_01: What do you say to them?
• 30:31
  SPEAKER_02: Great question.
• 30:32
  SPEAKER_02: So, our membership drive was actually called on the fence.
• 30:36
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 30:36
  SPEAKER_02: Trish and I, Trish came up with that.
• 30:38
  SPEAKER_02: She was like, you know, I feel like some members are just on the fence.
• 30:41
  SPEAKER_02: They're on the fence about joining the chamber because they don't really know exactly what you do.
• 30:46
  SPEAKER_02: And that's been a huge learning curve for me as well, because it's like, okay, all these counties have chambers of commerce, but what do they actually do?
• 30:54
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 30:55
  SPEAKER_02: And that's something that I've learned as well is that we can do as much as we can.
• 30:59
  SPEAKER_02: Like, you know, we can do the sky's the limit.
• 31:02
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 31:02
  SPEAKER_02: And, you know, providing these resources.
• 31:07
  SPEAKER_02: Let me start over.
• 31:08
  SPEAKER_02: What I would say to someone on the fence about joining the chamber is, you know, we first of all, if the money is the problem, we have payment plans.
• 31:18
  SPEAKER_02: We're not after, yeah.
• 31:20
  SPEAKER_02: Like the main service, like that's where it goes back to my mission and our chamber mission is to serve.
• 31:27
  SPEAKER_02: It is to support, promote, and advocate for the business community.
• 31:32
  SPEAKER_02: So that is anyone within the chamber.
• 31:35
  SPEAKER_02: And the way we do that is, you know, we have a whole list of benefits.
• 31:39
  SPEAKER_02: You can come to our events.
• 31:41
  SPEAKER_02: This can introduce you to important contacts within your sector of business or to expand.
• 31:46
  SPEAKER_02: You know, this can help create jobs.
• 31:49
  SPEAKER_02: We work with um economic developer, Scott Hinton and everyone, we're really plugged in with the new um developments and you know, expansion of Elizabeth responsibly.
• 31:59
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but what I would tell someone who is on the fence about joining the chamber is come talk to me.
• 32:05
  SPEAKER_02: And um not to be intimidated.
• 32:09
  SPEAKER_02: Because, you know, when I first that was part of my imposter syndrome when I first came on, was oh, I'm the president of the chamber of commerce.
• 32:16
  SPEAKER_02: You know, it sounds like it's like a parliament, you know, like from England or something.
• 32:21
  SPEAKER_02: And it's not intimidating at all.
• 32:23
  SPEAKER_02: You know, you come in the front door and it's just a small little house on the edge of McMorran.
• 32:28
  SPEAKER_02: And, you know, it's we're here for you.
• 32:32
  SPEAKER_02: Like there's not a catch.
• 32:33
  SPEAKER_02: If there's a catch, the only thing is membership dues.
• 32:36
  SPEAKER_02: Okay, absolutely.
• 32:37
  SPEAKER_02: But even so, that's not what we're after.
• 32:39
  SPEAKER_02: At least that's not what our mission is now.
• 32:42
  SPEAKER_02: Our mission is now is to support you and advocate for your business.
• 32:47
  SPEAKER_02: So, how do we do that?
• 32:48
  SPEAKER_02: Word of mouth.
• 32:50
  SPEAKER_02: Honestly, constantly advocating for businesses.
• 32:54
  SPEAKER_02: We try to listen, active listening to what they need.
• 32:59
  SPEAKER_02: So, you know, whether there's their parking lot has something wrong with it, oh, that's a DOT problem, let me call DOT.
• 33:06
  SPEAKER_02: You know, that this is um, oh, I'd really like to expand into this and work with some of the school students or something.
• 33:12
  SPEAKER_02: You know, we'd like to bring in internships.
• 33:14
  SPEAKER_02: Okay, great.
• 33:15
  SPEAKER_02: Let me connect you with the CTE program within our school system.
• 33:19
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so really serving as a connector that can be a great benefit within the chamber.
• 33:24
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and just really plugging into community and coming to events gets you into our events.
• 33:31
  SPEAKER_02: Um, it gets you into conversations and business deals.
• 33:35
  SPEAKER_02: Because you know, biz uh something that I've learned is business deals and all of that don't always happen with a formal sit-down meeting.
• 33:44
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 33:45
  SPEAKER_02: They happen after we cut the ribbon for a ribbon cutting.
• 33:49
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 33:49
  SPEAKER_02: And we're all standing in the parking lot eating cookies and eating cookies and lemonade and this would be a great idea.
• 33:55
  SPEAKER_02: You know, I just had this great idea.
• 33:56
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, let me connect you with so-and-so because they had this great idea, and that would be a great collaboration.
• 34:02
  SPEAKER_02: So, so many wonderful partnerships I've seen flourish through events, marketing, all of the benefits within the chamber, you know, just plugging in and meeting people where they are.
• 34:17
  SPEAKER_01: And kind of speaking about sky's the limit.
• 34:20
  SPEAKER_01: You said that earlier.
• 34:21
  SPEAKER_01: I totally agree.
• 34:22
  SPEAKER_01: I think there are so many things that you guys have done and are doing and will do.
• 34:27
  SPEAKER_01: So, what does that long-term goal look like for you guys?
• 34:30
  SPEAKER_01: What is what does that sky look like, that limit?
• 34:33
  SPEAKER_01: Where do you hope to be in the next few years, five years, 10 years?
• 34:38
  SPEAKER_02: So um, something that I'm focused on right now is collaborating with other chambers, which is kind of nuanced and kind of new.
• 34:45
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 34:46
  SPEAKER_02: Um, when I first came in, you know, not like chambers didn't really work together as much.
• 34:52
  SPEAKER_00: What's the benefit of that?
• 34:53
  SPEAKER_02: So I think it's bringing it's more for our members.
• 34:57
  SPEAKER_02: You know, it doesn't necessarily benefit the chamber itself as an organization because we're sharing profit, we're sharing resources.
• 35:05
  SPEAKER_02: But I don't see that as a loss.
• 35:06
  SPEAKER_02: I see that as even more of a gain for our members.
• 35:09
  SPEAKER_02: So whether we're collaborating, like we had a joint ribbon cutting um about a year ago for Blackwater Technologies on Airing House.
• 35:17
  SPEAKER_02: And um, Juanita was the incoming president for Curry Tuck, and we partnered with Curry Tuk for that ribbon cutting.
• 35:23
  SPEAKER_02: And it brought people down from Curry Tuck, it brought people down from the beach.
• 35:27
  SPEAKER_02: And so many of our members within the Elizabeth City area chamber of commerce are also members of the Curry Tuck Chamber of Commerce, as well as the Perquimans Chamber of Commerce in Edenton.
• 35:38
  SPEAKER_02: And until now, you know, I haven't seen like we haven't been partnering as much.
• 35:45
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but now we have a lot of really great conversations and plans in the works to sort of bring us all together.
• 35:51
  SPEAKER_02: Because not only are we bringing together the Elizabeth City area chamber and business community, but that really spans across the state.
• 36:00
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
• 36:01
  SPEAKER_02: And then into Hampton Roads, and then, you know, even to Texas, you know.
• 36:05
  SPEAKER_02: So just having that communication and bringing that much more business to these businesses or foot traffic, you know, it's it's really is about getting the word out and coming together to serve our members.
• 36:18
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 36:20
  SPEAKER_02: Does that answer the question?
• 36:21
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely, it does.
• 36:22
  SPEAKER_00: I I have a a question.
• 36:24
  SPEAKER_00: You I can s I can honestly see the the why that's a good thing.
• 36:29
  SPEAKER_00: You're collaborating with other chambers and you mentioned the Elizabeth City area.
• 36:36
  SPEAKER_00: Now, my question is about that.
• 36:38
  SPEAKER_00: Um when I first got here, let's say four years ago, I would characterize Elizabeth City's image of itself as a little more aggressive than it really should have been.
• 36:54
  SPEAKER_00: It's not a criticism of Elizabeth City, it's more like we were we thought we were here, you know, up on this level, and but maybe we were we should have been trying to we should have been trying to be more like the tortoise rather than the hare.
• 37:07
  SPEAKER_00: That's that's everything.
• 37:08
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 37:08
  SPEAKER_00: That that was my opinion.
• 37:11
  SPEAKER_00: Um I'm still seeing progress.
• 37:14
  SPEAKER_00: So it's not that it slowed down, and I'm seeing very good progress.
• 37:18
  SPEAKER_00: So tell me what d is there an Elizabeth City area?
• 37:23
  SPEAKER_00: I I grew up in Chicago, I can talk about the Chicago metropolitan area.
• 37:27
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not comparing Chicago to Elizabeth City, but it's a metropolitan area.
• 37:32
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 37:33
  SPEAKER_00: Is there an area that's associated with Elizabeth City?
• 37:38
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
• 37:39
  SPEAKER_02: I think so.
• 37:40
  SPEAKER_02: Because um, you know, similarly to you talking about Chicago, when I grew up in Williamsburg, you know, I was technically born in Newport News.
• 37:48
  SPEAKER_02: The Newport News line is only like 15 minutes away from Williamsburg.
• 37:51
  SPEAKER_02: So I would consider that Williamsburg area.
• 37:54
  SPEAKER_02: Same with getting into um like Toano and Warhill counties within Williamsburg, if you're familiar with that.
• 38:01
  SPEAKER_02: I am it's it's all you know very close by and it's very similar to here.
• 38:07
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 38:08
  SPEAKER_02: To where, you know, Perquimans County is just 10 minutes down the road.
• 38:14
  SPEAKER_02: You know, so even growing up part-time in Perquimans, you know, for anything, we're going to the big city, we're going to Elizabeth City.
• 38:23
  SPEAKER_01: And um, you know, I want you to tell that story that you told me last year about your grandma.
• 38:28
  SPEAKER_01: Oh Lord.
• 38:30
  SPEAKER_01: Please, I love that story.
• 38:31
  SPEAKER_01: And I feel like that's such a perfect answer to David's question as well.
• 38:36
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 38:36
  SPEAKER_02: So, I mean, that is.
• 38:38
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you.
• 38:39
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so my grandma Winnie, um, that was short for Winslow, Vivian Winslow.
• 38:44
  SPEAKER_02: She was the um music director at Bagley Swamp Leslie and Church on Bagley Swamp Road in Hertford.
• 38:50
  SPEAKER_02: Shout out.
• 38:50
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so a lot of people knew her.
• 38:52
  SPEAKER_02: She was actually um from Newport News side conversation.
• 38:58
  SPEAKER_02: Um, the shipbuilding and all of that, a lot of our community people from Perquimans were like commuting and they still do to Newport News Shipyard.
• 39:07
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but then there was a wave of those who moved there for the shipyard.
• 39:12
  SPEAKER_02: So they moved there for the shipyard.
• 39:13
  SPEAKER_02: And then um when my grandfather was more sick, they moved to like in his older age, they moved back to his farm, which is in Perquimans.
• 39:21
  SPEAKER_02: All of that to say, she was an icon, um, very dolled up all the time.
• 39:28
  SPEAKER_02: And I would go to her house, and my dad would be at work, he would be, he would commute to Norfolk, he's been commuting to Norfolk for 30 years.
• 39:34
  SPEAKER_02: And um, so I would be with my grandma for the summer, and she would get all dolled up.
• 39:39
  SPEAKER_02: She would have her hair in roller, she'd be, you know, that this is where I get that from.
• 39:44
  SPEAKER_02: Full phase.
• 39:45
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, full phase.
• 39:46
  SPEAKER_02: And she'd be like, okay, Savannah K.
• 39:49
  SPEAKER_02: She'd call me Savannah K.
• 39:51
  SPEAKER_02: That's my middle name, Kay.
• 39:52
  SPEAKER_02: Savannah K.
• 39:53
  SPEAKER_02: We're gonna go to the big city, we're gonna go to Walmart.
• 39:56
  SPEAKER_02: You wanna come?
• 39:56
  SPEAKER_02: And I'd be like, Yes, and we would go to Elizabeth City, and it was the old Walmart first, and then we got the new one, and that was sort of our tradition because there wasn't resources like that in Brookwomen's.
• 40:11
  SPEAKER_03: Absolutely.
• 40:11
  SPEAKER_02: But even so, that still is just a hop and a skip, you know.
• 40:15
  SPEAKER_02: So it's like all of the re like regionally, we're all connected, right?
• 40:24
  SPEAKER_02: So Elizabeth City area, and even in our logo, you can see um underneath it on my name tag, it says Elizabeth City, Pascal Tank, Camden.
• 40:32
  SPEAKER_02: Even so, so many members Brookwomen's Edenton, the Outer Banks, Curry Tuck, Moyak.
• 40:39
  SPEAKER_02: Is it Moyock or Moyak?
• 40:41
  SPEAKER_01: Depends on where you're from.
• 40:42
  SPEAKER_01: That's a debate.
• 40:43
  SPEAKER_01: That is a debate.
• 40:44
  SPEAKER_02: We'll get into that later.
• 40:45
  SPEAKER_01: Off off, I almost said off camera, off the mic.
• 40:48
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, off mic.
• 40:49
  SPEAKER_01: But I definitely, yeah, I agree with that.
• 40:51
  SPEAKER_01: And, you know, as someone who grew up here, I know a whole bunch of people who live out in Camden, who live out in Shiloh, Shawborough, and they don't say I'm gonna go to Elizabeth City, they say I'm gonna go to town.
• 41:02
  SPEAKER_02: Exactly.
• 41:03
  SPEAKER_02: I'm gonna go into town.
• 41:04
  SPEAKER_01: I'm gonna go into Walm, go to Walmart and go into town.
• 41:06
  SPEAKER_02: I love that.
• 41:07
  SPEAKER_02: And I would go with the church that I grew up going to um in Bagley Swamp.
• 41:12
  SPEAKER_02: I was a swamp girl.
• 41:13
  SPEAKER_02: Um, we would go to this sleepaway camp.
• 41:16
  SPEAKER_02: It was like four or five hours away.
• 41:18
  SPEAKER_02: I think it was like Asheville.
• 41:20
  SPEAKER_02: And when we would meet the other camper girls, we'd be like braining each other's hair and be like, Oh, well, where are you from?
• 41:25
  SPEAKER_02: And we'd be like, Hertford, and they'd be like, What?
• 41:28
  SPEAKER_02: And we'd say, Elizabeth City, and they say, Oh.
• 41:31
  SPEAKER_02: So, you know, I think genuinely with us being such close quarters, and you know, our sports teams are playing each other.
• 41:39
  SPEAKER_02: That's a good metric of seeing like the area.
• 41:41
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely, you know, what sports teams are playing who in the school system, you know, we're playing first flight.
• 41:47
  SPEAKER_02: So I I consider that part of our area, just you know, within the region.
• 41:52
  SPEAKER_00: So the so the businesses I don't want to assume this, so I want to ask you.
• 41:56
  SPEAKER_00: Do the businesses that you talk to, do they express to you that they are interested in commerce from Kuratuck?
• 42:10
  SPEAKER_00: Moyak or Moyak.
• 42:12
  SPEAKER_00: Edenton, they're just they're I guess they're just as interested in they they don't they don't really care.
• 42:18
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 42:18
  SPEAKER_00: They they want Elizabeth City, yes, but we want customers, we want business, we want clients.
• 42:23
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 42:24
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, yes.
• 42:25
  SPEAKER_02: So they're just looking for expansion, they're looking to grow their clientele, and this is a great place to start because we're right in the middle of everything.
• 42:31
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 42:32
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 42:33
  SPEAKER_01: Cool.
• 42:34
  SPEAKER_01: Savannah, thank you so much for joining us.
• 42:36
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
• 42:37
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you so much.
• 42:38
  SPEAKER_02: This was such a pleasure and honor, and I just really appreciate the opportunity.
• 42:41
  SPEAKER_02: If anyone has questions about the chamber, please come see me.
• 42:44
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, absolutely.
• 42:45
  SPEAKER_01: Can you give everybody your address?
• 42:47
  SPEAKER_01: You said like on McMorrin Street.
• 42:48
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 42:49
  SPEAKER_02: Okay, wait.
• 42:49
  SPEAKER_02: So it is 502 East Airing House Street.
• 42:53
  SPEAKER_02: So it's technically on that corner.
• 42:54
  SPEAKER_01: It faces Airinghouse and the side of it is on the McMorrin.
• 42:58
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, ma'am.
• 43:00
  SPEAKER_00: I still have to check my phone for my phone number because I just Oh, yeah, no, me too.
• 43:04
  SPEAKER_00: I don't call.
• 43:05
  SPEAKER_00: I don't it's in the phone.
• 43:07
  SPEAKER_02: And it's I I know the I know I know that.
• 43:09
  SPEAKER_01: You know how to get there, and that's what's most important.
• 43:11
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, exactly.
• 43:12
  SPEAKER_00: When I'm telling people that's why I have two phones, because if one of the phones runs out of battery, I'm lost.
• 43:17
  SPEAKER_00: I'm too late.
• 43:17
  SPEAKER_00: I have no idea where to go.
• 43:18
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know where where my home is.
• 43:20
  SPEAKER_00: I get it.
• 43:20
  SPEAKER_01: No, David, I'm gonna buy you a portable charger.
• 43:23
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 43:23
  SPEAKER_01: But on that note, please definitely make sure you check out the Elizabeth City Area Chamber.
• 43:28
  SPEAKER_01: Um, like she said, individual memberships are available.
• 43:31
  SPEAKER_01: It's such a great resource to really connect with your community.
• 43:34
  SPEAKER_01: And Savannah, it's been so great to connect with you today.
• 43:37
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
• 43:40
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, absolutely.
• 43:42
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 43:42
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you so very much.
• 43:44
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
• 43:44
  SPEAKER_01: And thank you so much to all of our listeners.
• 43:46
  SPEAKER_01: Please stay tuned for another episode coming soon.
• 43:49
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you.