In the Marketing World with Anna Hartley

Whiskey and Wisdom Podcast: In the Marketing World with Anna Hartley

In this episode of the 'Whiskey and Wisdom' podcast, hosts Chris Kellum and Tyler Yaw talk with special guest, Anna Hartley, who owns a marketing and media agency and runs the popular Instagram account, 'Life on Wrightsville.' Anna discusses her journey into social media marketing, starting with working for international companies before branching out and starting her own agency. She highlights the importance of community engagement and the joy she takes in promoting local businesses through her platform. The conversation also includes discussing favorite spots at Wrightsville, the upcoming Flotilla event, and their different life and health disciplines.

Transcript

Tyler: 0:31

Welcome back to the Whiskey and Wisdom podcast. You have your constant co host Chris Kellum and Tyler Yall. This week we bring on our special guest.

Anna: 0:42

Anna Hartley. And what do you do, Anna? So I run a marketing and media agency and. Most people probably know me more for my Instagram account, Life on Wrightsville.

Tyler: 0:56

Yeah, that's how I first saw you and everything too. And then who was it that introduced us? Past

Anna: 1:05

guest. Maybe Angela. I'm yeah, most of the people you've had on that I've seen.

Tyler: 1:12

Yeah, I was like a lot of people have mentioned you. I couldn't remember the first person who was like, Oh, you need to bring Anna on. And it was, it was Angela. Yeah.

Anna: 1:20

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's all. Yeah. You guys are kind of revealing me. Cause I was like, Oh, people are going to know it's me now.

Tyler: 1:25

I've kind of noticed that too, that you've done a very good job of kind of like hiding behind the Instagram type of thing. Is that what you were trying to accomplish?

Anna: 1:32

Yeah, I think I just wanted it to be like the point of view of Wrightsville Beach more as a whole. So I didn't, but I've kind of slowly shown a little bit more, a little bit more. I think people recognize my dog more than you probably. I can understand that. Or my voice, cause it's Raspi.

Tyler: 1:49

Yeah, I can see, I can see both of those being more, recognizable that's kind of how it was to you like when someone sees like my kid. They're like, oh, hey, that's Tyler's good Yeah, see I like the raspiness Good, you remind like there's somebody you started talking. I'm like this reminds me of somebody and I don't know whom But they have like that same raspy voice to it Yeah, I'm weird like that So what are we sipping on today Chris? we're doing a mix. Santa can't drink whiskey. Long story, unfortunately won So she is drinking some bubbles. We have Segura. Vidos, I think that's what S-E-G-U-R-A-V-I-U-D-A-S. Sounds good enough to me. Yep. I think it's French. But she's drinking the brute. Tasting notes are supposed to be kind of fruit, fresh and complex flavors. Do do do do. Very interesting. Because, I mean, I don't know enough about champagne. What do you think about it? It tastes good to me.

Anna: 2:56

See. I like

Tyler: 2:57

champagne. That's good. So if you didn't know, there is a difference between like just traditional brute and rosé and like just your typical bubbles. It all just depends on like the configuration of the grapes. And where they come from yeah, I knew there would be a difference like a rose a and a brute But I didn't realize the brute as opposed to like a just traditional champagne. Well champagne is only champagne Yeah, so you're a tequila did you only come from Mexico?

Anna: 3:32

No, I didn't but that sounds correct

Tyler: 3:37

No tequila has to come from a specific like prefecture or like county. Right. In

Anna: 3:42

Mexico. Yeah, yeah. It's like Malbec has to be from the mountains of Argentina. Yeah. Oh,

Tyler: 3:49

I learned something new. I don't drink wine, so. Oh. See, there we go. Yeah. Whiz them all around. Perfect. So, Ms. Anna, tell us a little bit about yourself, how you got into this whole social media marketing game.

Anna: 4:04

Well, I went to UNTW. Mm hmm. For swimming and diving. I came here. Oh, wow. I studied international business in Spanish and I actually got a job before I even quite graduated from a German firm here in town. No way. Yeah. So that was very lucky. Like No one else really seemed like they were able to find a career in their field in town Wilmington Small especially with it being international. Yeah. Yeah, a firm called Casa Boomer, they've actually just expanded and built, they've got offices downtown now and they're building, I don't know, a multi million dollar facility like off 17. Oh, wow. They've gotten a lot bigger, but I think part of that was, I was kind of, when I came in was like the youngest person there. Yeah. Yeah. And they didn't. They don't know how to do social media. And the same thing, the Germans they have more rules about sharing photos and all this sort of things that they really didn't know. They had a lot of money, they're a great company, but they didn't, they don't know what they're doing. So they kind of were like, here, you do it. Have fun. Yeah. Yeah. So that's sort of how I got into it.

Tyler: 5:13

Probably a lot of learning on the job at that point, right? Just kind of like, Hey, here you go. Take it and run

Anna: 5:17

with it. Yeah. Yeah. And yeah. And with them being a bigger company, but not really knowing what they're doing that I got to do some fun things, have some bloggers go to Italy and then get content from them and do things like that. And then, yeah, I left them and kind of ended up doing my own thing. It's kind of more fun for me to do the local stuff, you know, where you can see it. I mean, it's great having the big budgets and everything, but it's so far beyond. I mean, they're in 60 countries. You're just not, when you're, when you do something really good, it's just so minimal to each individual person. Right. And I was born on the beach in Florida, so I've always just been drawn to the beach and I finally hustled my way into a place on the beach and just thought, Oh, I'll start this and test some things out and try some things. And it sort of just morphed into a whole thing.

Tyler: 6:09

I love that. Yeah. So, so how'd you find Wilmington, North Carolina fall places?

Anna: 6:14

So I got recruited for diving here. So. Through that, I had come to visit, my gosh, maybe a year before they recruited me, and I just kind of fell in love with it. I like the beach. So, I don't know, it was in, in state, I guess, and they recruited, they wanted me, and I was like, okay, D1, I'll take it. Right.

Tyler: 6:36

What kind of diving did

Anna: 6:38

you do? fOr the college level, they just do the one meter and the three meter like springboards. Oh, okay. I didn't know that. Yeah. Yeah. Cause they just don't have the facilities. True. Yeah. There's no ten meter boards around here. They don't have these. True. The pools aren't deep enough. The, the ceilings aren't high enough to put those. All the concrete in and all that stuff. Luckily for me. I was

Tyler: 7:03

going to say, I'm like, I don't think about that when you're thinking, I'm like, oh hey, that pool is pretty deep. But when you do the counterbalance of like, if you go up 30 meters. Which is, or 10 meters. Which is still 30 feet. Yeah. Yeah. About

Anna: 7:16

35 feet. Yeah.

Tyler: 7:18

Thanks for fixing that. Yeah. That now a hundred feet or, yeah, a hundred feet in the air, right. For 30 meters. I've seen something like that. Like there was, someone posted a video recently about them, like going up to the top and they were like strapped into a, like onto a line as they were crossing. I'm like, Nope. No. Yeah, no, not for me. So when you started doing your own thing out here What kind of made you want to go in that direction and what's kind of like your expertise of what you focus on right now?

Anna: 7:51

so right now I Well, I am I'm a agency. So I have a network kind of any type of marketing or advertising you'd want to do like There's local screens around town. You could be on I think for local businesses, that's honestly probably the one of the very best options. It's just really easy. It's really cost effective Everyone sees you And then I've got on the network a bunch of different social media Avenues obviously mine, but then I got like North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia Charlotte stuff like that but if you radio, magazine, I get discounts for being, you know, an agency. So, and then I do some event stuff too. Like, I want to throw these markets around town and things like that. We've done some music or just. random special events. A friend and I put out, there's a rope swing going from Wrightsville to Carolina Beach. That's kind of just everyone goes and uses it. So I think we're gonna add another one next year and maybe do something a little special. But just, yeah, a bunch of just odd little events.

Tyler: 9:01

Interest. So you have your own marketing agency. Like Interesting. How did you decide that you wanted to be your own boss, I guess? Set things up

Anna: 9:11

yourself. Well, so I was I worked for a couple of international companies and typically we'd end up hiring a consultant to come help. Cause we were doing nationwide and, and to get a little expertise in things and a lot of times with those consultants, cause you know your business the best, you're I basically was working directly with them the entire time. And you do a lot of the work for them to some degree and I was like, if these guys can do it, like they were getting paid more than me for me to basically direct them and do their job. So I was like, well. Why wouldn't I just do that? And then you can get paid by multiple people and I mean, yeah, that was like, how are you? I'm doing more. That's right. Yeah. So that's, I decided to try it and it, it worked out so

Tyler: 9:56

that's awesome. Yeah. And we were talking before the podcast that you've worked with a lot of people that we've had on the podcast before too, which is, which is interesting because we've brought on people from. All over the spectrum of what they do and what they accomplish. So by you being able to work with a lot of them I think that's really neat. Just being able to get in and out of a bunch of different industries.

Anna: 10:16

Yeah, and that's really, really fun too. So yeah, I've kind of moved out of my. doing more and more stuff like that. Or it is fun. You know, a lot of these businesses that are sort of opening or restaurants will have me come out and, you know, check it out before or during or after if they do events. And so, it's fun helping those small businesses and really getting to see the results and they get so much more excited. Or you run into him at the grocery store and they're like, Oh my gosh, we got six people who signed up for this fishing trip after you've posted, you know, and it means so much more than just You know, some guy giving you, Oh yeah, we went up 4 percent right. No one notices or cares. And

Tyler: 11:16

yeah, very true. Which is crazy because depending on how big you are, like 4 percent can be a lot or it can be a little, and like the bigger companies, like you said, don't, I feel like always appreciate that, like small

Anna: 11:29

growth or even if it is big growth, I think too, there's a lot of times, sometimes an age gap there with the bigger ones. So like, if you're a. 55 year old male in a hardware industry. Like I don't know. You don't, right. Yeah.

Tyler: 11:43

What did the 2 million views on Tik TOK do for me type of thing?

Anna: 11:48

And that's where it is. Sometimes they are like pleasantly surprised. They will. Usually they're very against it at first and then they'll come back once they've gotten a call from a distributor or something. Then they'll be like, I don't, I still don't understand what Anna does, but they did ask me about the drawers and I didn't even tell them about the drawers yet. You know, and then they're, then they're sold. They don't understand what I'm doing at all. But whatever

Tyler: 12:09

you're doing in that black magic room back there, just keep on doing it. It's so interesting, like to see that, like nowadays there's so many different generations working together. And to be like, yeah, these people literally don't know what I'm doing, but I'm making them money so they're happy

Anna: 12:26

about it. Right, yeah, yeah. It's, yeah, it's interesting. So what was the

Tyler: 12:30

niche you started out

Anna: 12:31

in? So, I was in the kitchen hardware, niche. So like kitchen manufacturing, European kitchen manufacturing. Oh

Tyler: 12:38

wow, that is very niche. Yes, very niche. So like, cabinets and drawers?

Anna: 12:43

Yes, yeah, like. Like a pull out trash can or lazy seasons, but really fancy European ones, but yeah, little metal parts. Yeah. Like the metal drawers that come out of a desk or anything like that hinges on.

Tyler: 12:57

So not the plastic stuff we have around

Anna: 12:59

here. Yeah, yeah, the Germans are, you know, top of the line engineering. So they have some of the best chrome plating facilities in the world. I mean, they've got Like Ferrari and BMW and some people kind of ended up coming to them and saying hey our pistons keep getting messed up Can you make us some and that sort of turned into a whole division for them that they didn't plan on just because oh wow Their facilities are so good. That's

Tyler: 13:22

amazing. That's

Anna: 13:23

crazy. I think but yeah, so that that guy's from here. They did all the Lidl's I think they're doing the stuff now. Yeah, that's

Tyler: 13:30

crazy Yeah, you would have thought, right?

Anna: 13:33

It's very niche.

Tyler: 13:35

Very. So how was that different kind of making content for them versus doing more? I guess you could say like the, the beach scene for some of the local

Anna: 13:45

places. Well, I would say the other is much more boring. It's harder to make it interesting. And it's a bigger process of like, sometimes I literally have to like build cabinets, custom build a kitchen, did it out of just one or a couple videos. Whereas the beach, it's just so much easier and cool. I think it's really neat to be able to show, you know. There is a little bit of a barrier to entry and access with the boating and all that stuff to be able to show that there's octopus and spiny lobster and all the different things It's just really cool that everybody just sends me. I mean the manatees and all this stuff

Tyler: 14:21

is really neat And i'm sure you get a lot of dog videos sent to you too, right?

Anna: 14:26

Yeah. Yeah the dog. I think the dogs is more me Following them with my camera

Tyler: 14:34

See I always Forget Like I know there's plenty of dogs that wander onto Wrightsville Beach, but the last time I went was like mid summer I'm like, oh there aren't Like I can't have dogs on the beach in the middle of the summer unless they're Can

Anna: 14:49

you have them? Yeah, which I kind of get that during the middle of the season just because dogs kick and yeah, right. Yeah, but it's not sanitary I love Wrightsville Beach because I think it's so funny. No one lets their dog walk Everyone is in some form carrying their dog. So that's what I'm trying to post. There's dogs in coolers and big dogs and backpacks and pushed in, you know, strollers and all sorts of things are in slings or just. Carrying them. I don't know. I

Tyler: 15:18

think every time that I walk the loop, there's definitely a dog in a stroller. Yeah, or

Anna: 15:22

in a basket on a bike. Yeah, dogs in Wrightsville live the bougie life. They don't walk, right?

Tyler: 15:28

They're the kids of these people. They're like, we're not going to let our kid walk this far.

Anna: 15:33

No, it's too hot.

Tyler: 15:35

And there is the signs around the loop too. They're like, Hey, if it's Too hot for you. It's too hot for your dog.

Anna: 15:42

Yeah, they can ticket you if I think if it's over 85 and you're I think if you're walking them, it's fine if you're exercising them because they can't tell you They'll give you a ticket. Oh,

Tyler: 15:51

wow That's crazy, yeah Probably good though. I think it's hot. I think it's hot for them. Yeah. My brain is like, man, I can make, I can work out outside in like a hundred degrees, but I can't shoot.

Anna: 16:05

Well, you also have shoes. I think they're worried that the paws will get burned from the sidewalk. Yeah.

Tyler: 16:11

You can also sweat. Docs can't.

Anna: 16:13

Yeah. You can also stop. I can't tell you they're like overheating.

Tyler: 16:18

Yeah. Hey, I'm hot. So, your love of dogs. Where did that

Anna: 16:24

come from? Oh, gosh. I, well, we had cats when I was little. Oh, really? And I think dog was like my first or second word. My parents, we had two cats. My mom, my brother and my mom were. Talking about getting another cat, allegedly. And I just looked at them and said, Dog! No! We must have a dog. So, It was one word, but a full sentence.

Tyler: 16:46

Yeah. It all depends on how you say it. I have kids now, too. So, when it comes to, They can't say a lot because one's three and one the other one's one and a half So they don't have a lot of words But when they say the words you fully understand what they're trying to tell you,

Anna: 17:00

right?

Tyler: 17:02

So what kind of dog do you have

Anna: 17:03

now? She is a blue pit mix. I'm not sure exactly what she's mixed with. She's a little rescue off of bottom So, yeah, they were trying to say she was a full pit, but I was like I can The mom looked like a lab Or something. I'm not sure.

Tyler: 17:22

Yeah. You know, like she's just beautiful. Yes.

Anna: 17:25

Yes. She's very sweet.

Tyler: 17:26

She ends up on your social all the time. Don't she? Yes. Doesn't she? I was going to say that was some true Southern coming out of you.

POD00099: 17:33

It

Tyler: 17:35

happens every

Anna: 17:36

once in a while. Yeah. Yeah. And Wrightsville is funny too, cause there's, you can't really let the dogs off anywhere. There's no, you know, dog park or anything like that, except for. Inside the bars, except for inside the one place where then you can, you know, just let them off. But anywhere else besides the main street, you gotta have them on a leash.

Tyler: 17:56

So what got you started with the Life on Wrightsville Beach

Anna: 17:59

page? Well, I finally got myself onto the beach and I, I think I wanted to do one experiment for Work like try some different things not on paid accounts, right people were paying me for and then I also figured on my personal page people would be like You know, I don't know my friends from Asheville River big. All right, we're tired of seeing the beach or that sort of thing So I just thought oh, I'll start one and I tried to get a few friends in on it I was like, we'll do this and we'll have all this whole like nice well rounded point of view and I was the only one who stuck with it, but when it's your idea, I guess that's fine. Makes sense. I, you know, I haven't really done it much this year, but in previous years I've really like tried to at least once a month have somebody do like a takeover and show it from their eyes. So I need to get back on doing that maybe for... 2025, we'll try and schedule somebody every month to just take it over. Oh yeah. Cause I think that's fun. I'd be really nice to do a great job. Cause they're like, Oh, excited. It's one day and they'll go do a bunch of stuff. So that's

Tyler: 19:02

true. I talk about this all the time in Wilmington. It's like, Wilmington's not a large place in the grand scheme of areas. And, but when you think about it, the people on like Curry and Carolina beach. Barely leave the island and then you have monkey junction, which I don't think I've been to in the past like three years and There's like midtown then you have downtown Then you have the Wrightsville Beach area and like they did people just don't cross and like experience So if you get like people from different areas It's a whole different view and a whole different vibe of like what people are doing and what they experience every day Yeah,

Anna: 19:36

and honestly everyone I've had do it has done a really good job like Just, I've had some photographers, just some random people, like bartenders business owners, whatever, a couple of the fishermen have done it yeah, which they have a harder time. I would do more of that, but, because when they go, unless they're inshore, if they go outshore, they don't have service, so that means then they're kind of afterwards, they've been out all day on the boat, did it, and then they feel like they have to do so much at one time. Yeah, so I kind of, yeah,

Tyler: 20:06

I can see how that'd be, that'd

Anna: 20:08

be difficult, yeah, but. I should probably still do it. I think they like to do it. Yeah.

Tyler: 20:14

I feel guilty. No, no, no, no, no. So, question, cause you're, you're on the beach. Yeah. I'm gonna have, get you a real, like, pointed question. Okay. Favorite restaurant and favorite bar?

Anna: 20:29

Ooh. Oh, you're So

Tyler: 20:31

now you're making choose favorites. Oh, no.

Anna: 20:35

Well. Restaurant. I'm saying Neptune's. Okay.

Tyler: 20:38

Yeah. I haven't been there since they like did the whole remodel

Anna: 20:40

and everything. Oh, it's super nice. Yeah, they've done a really good job. And then bar, I would have to say Jimmy's though. Of course. Yeah. Which Jimmy's is like, I don't even, I don't know how they do it. They're funny to me because I feel like they're the, They kind of get all these cute younger girls and then somehow all these older men. They have like the most interesting dynamic in there. But yeah, they do a really good job too of just making sure it's... Right, yeah. It's all a good vibe and everyone's being... How they should be. They're on top of it. The staff, they're making sure everybody's having a good time and nobody's doing anything they shouldn't be doing at a bar. So, I appreciate that. Yes, I've

Tyler: 21:18

had a few co workers be like, oh, we're going to Jimmy's and I'm like, I feel like this age disparity should not be working. Like I had some 22 year olds and some like 50 plus year olds. And I'm like, how are all y'all at the same bar and it's not like a cocktail lounge or something,

Anna: 21:35

right? Yeah, that's kind of I don't know It's kind of one of the fun things about it, too I think that it's just you know, you see everybody and they're having a good time and you can chat with each other and

Tyler: 21:44

I Think that's probably why it does work Just because like if you think about it, you have a bunch of college kids out of whatever bar like it's gonna get rowdy But when you have like an age disparity and anything that like You know, you have to kind of mind your P's and Q's at some point. Yeah,

Anna: 21:59

yeah. Yeah, that's true, I guess. And I like that I can kind of walk in there in a bathing suit if I've been out on the beach or I can kind of get dressed up and go have a drink

Tyler: 22:08

and walk through. Yeah, it's good to have that place too. See, I, I don't know what I, I wasn't expecting that. I haven't been to the beach in like forever, so that's why I was like, nice to get your point of view. Yeah. Well, yeah,

Anna: 22:17

you gotta watch the Jimmy's Instagram too, because he's just, he puts up funny stuff of himself. They just put up a video of, for fall of everyone falling and it's like the dogs falling off the bar and you know, Jimmy falling, everybody kind of falling and I just think it's funny.

Tyler: 22:34

They do do a great job on their Instagram too. Yeah. Yeah. Thank you so much. Thank you, George. Yeah. Chris is finding them right now.

Anna: 22:40

Oh yeah, it's hilarious. I think you can make fun of yourself, it makes it fun. You know, it's not too serious.

Tyler: 22:47

I'm like you, I have multiple Instagrams, so that way I have to like make sure I'm on the right one when I follow things. Oh right.

Anna: 22:53

Oh yeah, I've definitely done the wrong one multiple times. I'm

Tyler: 22:57

like, well because I want select ads on this one versus the other one. Right. When you do marketing, do you do anything with ads or do you just like create content for people? Yeah, I,

Anna: 23:11

I do. I don't do as much as I probably should on that side, just because now that the life on rights has kind of gotten so big, it almost, if most of my guys now are local, I've been moving more and more towards that, that it's kind of more effective to just actually put something on there just in the audience. engaged for even the small size that it is. It's kind of crazy. How Yeah, I don't know how many like messages and replies and chairs and people just like get really into it.

Tyler: 23:43

I guess for the local side, it doesn't really make much sense to really buy ads when you have the content and the viewership anyway.

Anna: 23:51

Yeah, well, and that's like I said, I think that the engagement side on that, it's, it's so much. Stronger, which that's where two I could post a lot more and both strategies work like the things to do Wilmington page, they do great we're we've kind of been building at the same time and they post probably three times as much as I do and We've always stayed at about the same amount because I get a little bit more engagement and things aren't per thing and they do more Stuff so it all kind of adds out the whole time. We've always been right Toe to toe with each other and very friendly, share each other's stuff and all that, but they do a really good job too

Tyler: 24:26

yeah. That's something I've noticed, like, even just with what we're doing is the more that you can think are competitors, it seems the better that both of you grow together.

Anna: 24:39

Oh, for sure, yeah, yeah,

Tyler: 24:41

is that kind of what you've noticed to you then with just other Instagram accounts and other marketing?

Anna: 24:45

Yeah. Every once in a while, there's somebody you might not want to line yourself with for, you know, whatever reason, demographics or something like that. Like for example, I don't get, occasionally I'll get some sort of a comment like, Oh, I can't really put this up there, but like if I go in and look at my demographics, it's like. 0. like 0. 5 percent is under 18. So I don't, I think other people worry about that, but I don't, I have every single person who follows me as an adult almost. So, yeah,

Tyler: 25:15

that's kind of where we're at with it too. Cause I mean like almost no one is under 21 cause it's whiskey and wisdom. So like, and there's. The algorithms also see that too. So I'm pretty sure that they like cut it off to make sure Well

Anna: 25:29

separated. Yeah, and I would think the only things the kids are seeing are the animal stuff, right? We

Tyler: 25:35

were talking about this earlier today because we were sitting in a bar and the bartender was like I apologize for cussing so much right now and I'm like Unfortunately, I understand that I'm in an adult establishment and so having adult conversations sometimes leads to cussing. Guess what? You're selling alcohol. It'll happen. And I feel like that's the same way with media. Like, hey, you know what's on this page. Like, I apologize. But like, right, if you don't want to see it, I just switch over.

Anna: 26:11

Yeah, it's Sometimes when I'm at Lagerhead or Jerry's or 22 or wherever and they're good. Someone will say some sort of a crass joke and then apologize to me and I'm always like, Oh, you're right. This certainly isn't the appropriate setting for this. You should do that like, you know, somewhere else. This is the least, you're in a bar. How dare you make a joke to me? You know, so. I'm

Tyler: 26:31

like, good boy. But we're in a

Anna: 26:33

bar. Exactly. I'm like, I feel like this is the place to make those jokes.

Tyler: 26:37

Yes. If you made it to me while I was walking like through the grocery store or something, I'd be like, yeah, that's a little off.

Anna: 26:45

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's, yeah. That's something I've had to learn too. Cause people will like, they don't really know the whole story and they'll get on and Getting better at it, but where, yeah, you kind of want to respond. I'm almost too nice where I want to give them like this very long. No, actually, I did run down that parent. They did say it was okay. You just can't see that in the video, right? And it's like, that's not really worth your time. But or yeah, or sometimes people will occasionally get mad about a bar. Video or something like a girl dancing is what people really get. Oh, really? Oh my gosh, I can't believe you would post that. This is what Wrightsville Beach is about, and I'm not going like you do know there's bars at Wrightsville Beach, right?

Tyler: 27:20

It's like it's connected to a college town. So

Anna: 27:25

Yeah, I don't know and I yeah, generally I'm like nobody's making you watch this over and over again. I don't know.

Tyler: 27:31

Well, at least you know if that's not what you want to see then don't go to that bar Yeah,

Anna: 27:39

I mean, and all those barners do a ton of stuff like loggerheads does, you know, a couple oyster race for a year and you know, I've done stuff with like Jerry's where they throw out jerseys and things, you know, we'll collab and throw out some like soccer jerseys during the world cup or they do the bike drive. I'm like, if anyone doesn't know about the Jimmy's bike drive, that's what you guys should be doing for Christmas. My family does instead of doing stockings. We. Oh, that's smart. So yeah, we put our money, you know, towards a bike for the bike drive. Oh yeah.

Tyler: 28:09

I always, like I've lived here my whole life and I've heard about it as an adult, but one, I'm typically working when it's going on and two, I'm with retail schedule. My brain forgets about things that are like consistent, like flotilla. Still never been to it.

Anna: 28:25

Oh my gosh. You have to go to flotilla. I'd say last year. We did a flotilla boat, and that's a ton of work, but it's super, super fun. Everyone should do that once. And I hear that they still have boat, boats available. You know, so sign up, go! This one's gonna be a bigger one. So it's gonna be really fun. But it's definitely worth doing once, even from the water. And probably every other year or something, because it's a lot of work, but it's so, so much fun. We, I mean, we won a prize last year, so we got all of our money back and made a little bit of money, but it's super, super fun. That is cool. Like

Tyler: 29:00

we're actually, you don't know this yet because I forgot to tell you, but we're, I've been talking to the people that run the flotilla, so they'll eventually come on the podcast too. And I'll talk to them.

Anna: 29:09

Oh, really? Oh yeah. They had talked to me about doing a. For, to get more boats in and I am going to do it. Yeah. But yeah, it's always on the list, but Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. My whole family's coming here for it. We've kind of got everybody awesome coming up. That's awesome. It's, it's really, really fun. You guys should definitely go

Tyler: 29:29

have to make it a point this year.'cause I was, Chris and I worked together for a long time, so it's the same thing and it's like, oh, that was yesterday. Dang it. Like, yes.

Anna: 29:36

Shoot. So Saturday after Thanksgiving, so Oh, okay. That's an easier way to remember. Yeah. So Saturday after Thanksgiving, it's really fun.

Tyler: 29:43

That'll be I mean, I just have to because I'm decent at my job. I'm not gonna hype myself up When you're decent at your job, they typically schedule you for like the mid to the end of the day shift So on Saturday after Thanksgiving, I'm there closing down the store and I'm like man Flotilla,

Anna: 30:05

I miss that. Yeah, and that is the thing. So I think it usually starts at six. You definitely want to get On early because parking or honestly get an Uber true it's, yeah, it's hard to find parking and stuff so that earlier the better. But yeah, I think. I think the bridge goes up at six and they start but then they do it's a really really good firework show, too I'm not into fireworks really but I mean it's better than the 4th of July when they do it. Oh, wow It's really pretty. I'm gonna have to check

Tyler: 30:31

it out one of these years. So is your family still live in Florida?

Anna: 30:35

No, so they're in Asheville. Okay. So yeah, they're all coming up and got a room at the Watt cave this year So nice from there.

Tyler: 30:42

Yeah, it's a perfect spot to be.

Anna: 30:44

Yeah, it's gonna be really fun

Tyler: 30:46

So do you prefer the beach over the mountains? And is that why you're

Anna: 30:50

here? Yeah, yeah. So I was, yeah, I was born in Neptune beach in Florida. I feel like a sea turtle. I'm like, got to get back, right? Back to the beach. So

Tyler: 31:01

that's neat. I'm the same way. Like I've always had people ask like, Hey, why haven't you moved or gone here? Done that. And I'm like, cause there's just something different about being on the beach. Yeah. And then just knowing that the beach is right there too, like anytime, just like knowing that the water is there and especially having the, like the river of. On downtown side and the beach on the rights of each side, it's just nice knowing that the water is around. I don't know. There's just like a different vibe.

Anna: 31:27

Oh yeah. Yeah. The downtown side to you with the river is really pretty and I think having the battleship there makes it really special and the bridge like just they get great sunsets and stuff too. So

Tyler: 31:38

we went out to my wife went out to Colorado recently and I think Colorado is beautiful too. Like just for the mountains and stuff. But like I couldn't live there, like there's no water around at all. I don't know. It just, there is water, just not, not like this water,

Anna: 31:55

moving water I hear makes a big difference. Negative ions are supposed to be good for you and help people not be depressed. I

Tyler: 32:04

think there's truth to that anyway, at least for me,

Anna: 32:07

it's gotta be big moving water. I don't

Tyler: 32:09

think like a

Anna: 32:09

little fountain is not going to work. That's why something like the ocean, right. Makes a

Tyler: 32:14

difference to people. Yeah. Yeah. I can see that. Yeah. I don't hate it. With everything that you're doing right now, what's the one thing that gives you like the most joy that you're doing?

Anna: 32:24

Well, probably the life on right still stuff because it's really like it. I wish I, I need to find a way to make it to consider myself more of a client is what I've been trying to tell myself. Cause I just, it's always last on their priority list. Right. So that I got to kind of switch. And my friend who runs the North Carolina accounts, like just. Do it as a subscription or something so that then you're like, oh this people are paying for this, right? You know, so I got to figure that out, but I have another really big really really cool project coming up That I'm like really excited about but we can't quite announce it yet. Yeah That would be a little more inspiring but it's kind of the things that I like about the life on Wrightsville like just showing like all the positivity and joy in the good culture and I kind of have a good opportunity to Really expand that and make it bigger and kind of have a big reach on that. So that's coming soon. Oh, that's neat. Yeah. So, and I'm excited. We'll get, the community gets so involved on my stuff already. And this will be a good opportunity for the community to say, we want this, this and this. And I'm going to have a good platform to get big events and big things done. So I'm very excited about that.

Tyler: 33:29

Yeah, that is exciting. I'm excited to see that. Yes. I mean, especially. I mean, through our socials, we'll make sure to shout you out whenever you get things rolling on

Anna: 33:38

that one. Yeah, yeah, I'll let you guys know and then we'll, we'll get feedback on what people want and go through, go do that. It's going to be really, really fun. I'm excited to kind of show even more people the culture of this town and bring some fun stuff in here. I like that.

Tyler: 33:54

So my final, one of my last questions for you, what would success look like for you?

Anna: 34:00

I mean, I just, I really like kind of just bringing this community like higher and seeing everybody else 16 like we were talking before. It's kind of like growing together. And they just think it's very rewarding and fun and kind of like showing you that there are or people who don't have access to some of this stuff. Like there is, I'm just kidding. Healthy, happy, joyful things going on if you just look in the right places and position yourself in the correct places and kind of have some patience and keep knocking on the door and keep doing these things until you kind of find it. You know, you kind of have to practice that just looking for joy in the little things. And if you look around, there's just tons.

Tyler: 34:44

That's awesome. I think that's why your page does so well is because you do find those things and you are keeping your eyes open and willing to find them. And I think everyone finds the, finds the joy in it themselves too. So that's really neat. I'm glad that you do that.

Anna: 34:55

Yeah, yeah. It's, it's fun for me,

Tyler: 34:57

right? That's one thing I've noticed, like even with this There's really no rhyme or reason to the people we bring on the podcast. It's just people we think are interesting that are around this area and that have done something impactful to help the community. And I think that's kind of what helped this podcast grow to, and not necessarily there's a rhyme or reason or like a specific niche of like what we're trying to accomplish, but just bringing out the good and the good stories for people. I think that's what people like to listen to. Oh, for sure. So one of my last questions and then kind of build off of Chris's is what would you tell your younger self if you could tell him one thing?

Anna: 35:30

Oh, gosh. Start sooner. I love that one. Yeah. Yeah. Just starting sooner. You know, yeah, I don't know. I think a lot of times we would, which I mean, you got to think things through. I think sometimes you want to be so ready before you start something, but the best way to kind of get it going is to just do it and It's okay to have some messed up, especially in the beginning. Cause people aren't paying as much attention to you until you figure it out at the beginning, no one will even notice. And then

Tyler: 35:56

it's fine. Yeah. That's what Chris and I talked about all the time too, especially with the podcast and just like, you know what, you're, you're never going to be completely ready. It's just like starting a business or doing anything that's worthwhile is the same thing like having a kid like you're never going to be ready for that moment. So like go and do it, especially like having a business like, you know, running your own business is like having a kid. Like it takes the same amount of amount of attention and headspace. And even when you're not at work, you're thinking about work or it's going on and. Need to be ready for it.

Anna: 36:27

Yeah. I'm always so impressed. People who do run their own businesses and have children. I'm like, how are you doing? Maybe some of that gives you some sort of motivation to be really effective in the exact hours you do have, or it's like, Oh, I can look at this for a lot longer and take twice as long to make the decision about it. You know, whereas you guys are like, no, I gotta get home and rest. Yeah.

Tyler: 36:48

One of the things that, that Mike has done in TJ too, is the 75 hard program. And we both did it as well. And. It's one of those same type of concepts where you you need to find time because you need to get all this stuff done. So just having that same kind of pattern of like This must get done because I need to move on to the next

Anna: 37:07

thing. Yeah. Yeah. So I did I did a 30 day cleanse while Mike and TJ and Adam and everyone were doing the 75 hard last time. And the diet was pretty similar, not the exact same. Mine was a little more restrictive on some things, but they had to do the working out twice a day, once outside. So now I'm, I'm not going to do 75 hard, but I'm trying to do just work out five times a week for the year. That's great. Yeah. I'm like, I don't know about twice a day.

Tyler: 37:35

It's one of those things where you either jump a hundred percent into it and you're like, Ooh, that was a lot. Or you do the smart thing and you like slowly work into it. Like if you do, if you try and work out five days a week through the end of the year, well then you're next. Like, well, I'll do five days a week through the winter time. And then maybe I'll be able to do 75 hard or something like that for the spring. Right, right. I will say, my smart ass went and said, Okay, cool, we'll do 75 hard. And I didn't do any exercise prior to it. And then we just started 75 hard. Yeah. And I was like, ho, ho, ho, ho. Yeah, it definitely kicked my ass.

Anna: 38:18

Yeah, but I think even once you've done it once, even if you don't. That's again, where you just want to get started because even if you fail at it some days or some and then you kind of re like, you don't even necessarily have to start over all the way. But then you say, okay, like recommit to it or maybe add a couple of days on the end. And the next time you do it, it's easier because like I did, it was no sugar, no alcohol, no caffeine. I mean, no, all this stuff. Oh yeah. And the sugar was the hardest part because it's for 30 days, I guess you are right. You get cravings for sugar, which was how long I did it. But I already now this whole year have eaten so much less sugar. Of course it's gone up and up, but like, so I know if I did it again, which I'm thinking about starting it maybe soon through the end of the year. And, and I already know it's going to be easier this time because I'm already eating so much less sugar from the first 10 years, 10 months ago. I mean,

Tyler: 39:09

yeah, I think this year is my third year doing 75 hard and it's not that it got. Easier per se because I've made it harder each time I've been able to do it But to the point that what I'm doing or what I did in the third year I never would have been able to accomplish the first year So it's just like the building on top of each other kind of exactly what you're saying It'll be easier the next time because you've already kind of accomplished

Anna: 39:30

it. Yeah, or even this time I'm more okay with modifying it Like I made you I almost want to do it dur I may just say just than or something on a cheat d like the food, no sugar a that I'm not eating cooki on that side, I'm also li want to enjoy a couple of my family here and my boy fellowship of it. So, and my parents don't even drink, but you know, just kind of enjoying that part and saying, okay, well only on our being very specific and mindful about like these days are going to be it for that kind of thing. And just not. Not necessarily having to be so strict on it, but knowing exactly what you're doing, going into it so that you are following a schedule or whatever.

Tyler: 40:18

The thing I like about that too is 75 hard was, wasn't made to be like a weight loss plan. It was made to be a a discipline, a discipline plan. So by doing that during the holiday season is still building that same type of discipline. So like you might go into an office one day and there's a whole thing of Christmas cookies and like, ah, I won't do it today though. Cause I told myself I'm not having sugar.

Anna: 40:38

Yeah. And that's the thing, just lessening the sugar. Now, when I do eat cookies before, I mean I'm, I'm, you wouldn't know by looking at me, but if, if I had one cookie, I was having 12 of them. Yeah. Whereas like saying what now it's like, okay, I can have two or three and be stop eating them.

Tyler: 40:55

Yeah. I just had to give them up. Yeah. Mm-Hmm. Yeah. Like, well, I get these cravings and I joke with my wife. I'm like, I get an ice cream craving like once a month, once every two months. And actually, it's probably like once every two months where I'm like, I want ice cream. But after a week, I'm like, all right, I'm good. So we have like all of these half eaten boombalatis pints like in our freezer because I'm like, oh, I really want it. And then I was like, nevermind. But I'm happy they're just pints instead of like getting the whole

Anna: 41:28

gallon. Yeah. Yeah, I have to be careful with trolley stop. The longer I can go into the summer without having one. Exponentially less that I'll have total longer. I can, cause once I have one, I'm like, Ooh, yeah. I remember why I like these. Are you a

Tyler: 41:47

coffee drinker?

Anna: 41:48

No, no, I'm not.

Tyler: 41:50

The reason why I ask is from people that you've talked about with rights will beach. Since you don't drink coffee, what do you believe the majority of people think is the best coffee shop on right? So beach.

Anna: 42:03

Okay, well they all a ton of good ones, but I think adapt has really good coffee

Tyler: 42:08

I heard about them just recently. I'm like, how

Anna: 42:10

have I never heard about it adapt is fantastic If you haven't you've you haven't eaten it adapt. Huh. You have to go it's in Roberts. Yeah, it's like You know, Rita's ice cream. It's been a bunch of different things. It's been a gap for a while. But adapt. Yeah. Adapt came in and has done really well. The owner's just fantastic. If, if you are looking to be healthier and you don't even know where to start, just going to adapt and get stuff. And just that, like, they know they do their research. They, they have, you know, whatever the local bee. It's it's they're they're so healthy and they do such such a good job and it's such an incredible local organic food and it's it's fantastic. We got their coffee is supposed to be super good. I hear Coles has good coffee too and even and then obviously the workshop everybody. Yeah, right. Yeah. Goo goo gaga for the workshop coffee. But yeah, if you haven't tried to adapt, you have to go in there. Yeah,

Tyler: 43:03

I forget who told me about that the other day but I was like, I didn't even know that existed. Oh, it was like, clearly, I haven't been down there enough. Brittany worked with him. Oh, really? For, yeah, a few years ago. She did some marketing for him, like photos and whatnot. That's when I first heard about him. I was like, who is this place? Good to know. Yeah. So, well, we are coming up on our time. So what are the, what's the best way for people to find you to interact with you and to help you out?

Anna: 43:30

Oh, yeah. I mean, I would just go check out Life on Wrightsville. I have. A number of other little things. I think that's probably the easiest. Yeah. Send me a message and, you know, give me a couple days, because I don't get through them all the time. I need to get an assistant or something for

Tyler: 43:46

that. The assistant's always the best step.

Anna: 43:50

I know. I just, I, I am apprehensive to just give that to an assistant because I really enjoy reading the messages for everybody and interacting and replying to them. So I've got to figure out a way to at least get... I'm going to do some and still do it some myself without missing stuff. I don't

Tyler: 44:06

know. Makes sense. I wish you could hit like an, an unread clip, like in my emails, I can be like, click, click, click, click.

Anna: 44:12

That would be great. Cause I do that all the time. I know. I try and screenshot it, but then. Then he gets

Tyler: 44:17

lost in all the screenshots. Oh my gosh. Yeah, I've done that a few times. Yeah, a couple times. Cool. Yeah, and that's a whole nother story, but I actually just want to say thank you for coming on.

Anna: 44:26

Yeah Thank you so much for having me. I appreciate it. How

Tyler: 44:29

was the

Anna: 44:30

the brood? It was great

Tyler: 44:34

Good do you get to take that home? Yes, mostly cuz we we're not gonna drink

Anna: 44:39

Yeah,

Tyler: 44:44

yes Tyler went went into the stash and pulled out the boo rye. I know I haven't had it for a few months Had to pull it out again. It was, I'm sure it was delicious. I'm just drinking water cause I have to stay awake so I can watch a movie tonight. Yeah, don't drink too much, fall asleep like 8 o'clock. Yeah, we're watching Haunting in Venice, so I'm excited about that.

Anna: 45:07

Never heard of that

Tyler: 45:08

one. It has the same detective from Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile, I think. Okay. So, it's like a, it's a series, but it's not really a series because they always bring in new actors, except for the detective. So, it's an interesting, I don't know, I'm sure it's based off of a book somewhere, but me and my wife like it. Fun. So. Yeah. Well, I will not post about it later, but you guys should check it out. I'm

Anna: 45:39

like, well, for all the whiskey fans, I'm not just a wimp. I'm just allergic to it.

Tyler: 45:43

But yes, thank you for hopping on. Yes. Thanks for having me. We thank you guys for listening to the podcast, you know, as per usual, like comment, share, subscribe, check out us on all of your social media platforms as well as Spotify, Apple podcasts and YouTube. So yeah. Have a good one. Thanks so much again. Cheers. Cheers.