Episode transcript:

Angela Barrett – “Steven Wilson 3 to 1. Hey, guys. And welcome back to top in South Carolina. Do that again.”

Angela Barrett – 3 to 1.

Angela Barrett – “Thanks for joining me for another episode of Talking South Carolina. Now today, guys, I have Steven Wilson with the trolls of Amsterdam band. Now, guys, this. He’s a hoot. I just can’t wait. So y’all hang on one side and I bring you in.”

Angela Barrett – Let’s.

Angela Barrett – “All right. Three. Two. One. Well. Hey, Steven, how are you today?”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Hey, Angela. I’m doing great. Thanks for having me.”

Angela Barrett – “Thanks for being here. How exciting. So, first of all, half Moon Bay. That had to be like heaven to live.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Oh, man. Absolutely. Still, over 18 years of my life there, it was pretty, pretty magical. And, good. Good part of my good part of my history for sure.”

Angela Barrett – “Absolutely. My son lived in California. Not in Half Moon Bay for a while, and I was kind of sad when he moved home, because now I didn’t have an excuse to go over there. It was kind of more in the San Francisco area, but I was like, darn. So Trolls of Amsterdam first. Where did the name come from?”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Oh. You mean he would I like it. So me and my my buddies, the original founding members, Armand and Stephane and myself were sitting in my garage, and, I know Grenada right there and hopping back, and we’ve been playing music together for quite a while, and we’re about to release something. You know, finally going to do like an EP, which came out in 2016.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Well, I guess we need a name of this, of this chaos or whatever. Y’all got. And we shot back a few ideas and then we kind of came up with that. And then somebody said, I think Stefan came up with it because he was he grew up in Germany and, had had some experiences in Amsterdam and, but then our minds as well, how we’re going to call ourselves trolls of Amsterdam, we’re all from California.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “I’m like, who cares? It’s just a name. It’s just a name, you know? Right. He’s not a it just kind of stuck in it. There’s some. It gets a little deeper. I think, Stefan might have had some type of, psychedelic experience in Amsterdam where the troll party started chasing him and thought they were going to kill him.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “And, that’s that’s the real deep meaning behind the story. But, yeah, that’s kind of where it came from.”

Angela Barrett – “Wow. And so, hallelujah, we were playing together.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Oh, man. Oh, well, that’s interesting because, like, right now I’m the only original member. But we started making music together, probably in 2014, 15. And I really only been touring with the band for the last 3 to 4 years. Off and on.”

Angela Barrett – “Gotcha. Yeah. And. Well, I know you off tour. You’ve been back to California. I know that I saw that you had done some shows there, and certainly around in this area. What is your what would you say your biggest, platform has been? Where? I mean, where you played.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Oh, man. That’s a good question. We’ve done some, like, outdoor festivals in California. Not been two huge yet. With this project. We.”

Angela Barrett – “Did, what’s your favorite.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Man? You know, there’s a couple other little gems out there. Honestly, one of my favorite places to see or play a show right now in is actually. Oh, and, in South Carolina.”

Angela Barrett – “Oh, yeah.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – Have you been.

Angela Barrett – “To a show there? No, but I have heard people say.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “It is epic and it’s, really encourage any and all bands to to reach out to Eddy. They’re super, warm and welcoming or not, they’re easy to work with is kind of how it should be for a, for a venue. I mean, it’s I can’t say enough good things about it and it’s not too big. It’s not too small, it’s family friendly.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “The shows are on Wednesday nights and the vibe there is just unbelievable. People are there to have fun. It’s, So that’s one of my favorite places to play in the, you know, in the Carolinas. For sure.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. Now, what would you say? Where would your general be for the band? I mean, because I’ve listened to some of it and, you know, I get a little bluesy feel maybe, we’ll. And then I get a little, what I call shag music kind of feel. And then there’s some horror stuff. So where when you sing along.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Oh, man, it’s, you know, it’s it’s tough to put a genre on it. When people ask me what kind of music is I like, it’s eclectic, you know, it’s, there’s a bit of everything. Just kind of a representative of of, of who I am. I say, you know, and my experiences and just, I think it comes out in the music.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “So it’s all over the place. I mean, it’s rock and roll, it’s fog. It’s a little. Some of the songs are country leaning. There’s even some reggae vibes in there. Yeah. America, I kind of came up in the late 80s and 90s, and I think that’s reflected in the music.”

Angela Barrett – “So tell me, I understand that you played a birthday bash for James Brown. Yes.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – That’s a true story. That’s a true story.

Angela Barrett – I had to be there. Had to be phenomenal.

Stephen Russell Wilson – “It was off the chain. It was one of the. I was so lucky to get to do that, in my late 20s at the time, probably. And that was back in 90 was in 97. We got to play with the band at the time was, one of my first, actually my first band. My first real bad is a band called mother of two, and we got to play, the James Brown Birthday Bash in Augusta, Georgia at the Bell Auditorium.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “You know, thousands and thousands of people. It was, surreal looking back on it, I didn’t realize how fortunate I was that y’all just didn’t realize what was happening. And, but, yeah, it was cool. Got that? Not only play. I’ve got to meet him a few times, and we’d see him in Augusta. Riding around in his Rolls-Royce or at a restaurant.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – It was pretty cool. And I got the birthday cake with them. So. Yeah. But now and I look at.

Angela Barrett – “You know, only I think I would ask this. What kind of birthday cake? Oh.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Yeah. What was it? I don’t know, is it.”

Angela Barrett – It’s long ago. Yeah.

Stephen Russell Wilson – I they go white like cake. Got a little.

Angela Barrett – So now what point was it. Troll of Amsterdam. That was managed by the same people that managed James Brown. Or was it a different brand?

Stephen Russell Wilson – “No. That was that was my earlier band. That was a mother of two. We, you know, one of the guys working with, Mr. Brown’s organization had found us somehow. And then really, how languorous have really launched our career and kind of catapulted us and that was, that whipped us into shape. Really learned to learned so much from being around that organization.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Sure, sure. Just an amazing.”

Angela Barrett – Yeah. Because I would say that’s not small town.

Stephen Russell Wilson – Great. It was great.

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. Now, how many, albums or records do you have published for right now? Okay. All the day, I guess.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Sure. I guess working backwards. I mean, my latest record was, came out in fall of 21. It’s been out about a little over three years. And that was, trolls of Amsterdam Wilson Drive. It’s a full length record, probably. You know, it’s it did good on the college charts there for a minute and, and back up before that.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “2016, we put out an EP, Trolls of Amsterdam. That’s like 4 or 5 songs and really, man, we just put it out, not even worry about anything. It was some of it’s just skits and banter. It’s really kind of quite ridiculous. But, it was fun, you know? That’s where it all began. And, that, that was that’s the only two records that band has out.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “I did some stuff out in California, like I helped produce some records. One of them was a reggae record. It was called culture. Culture Canute and the Rock Stone players. Yes. I got some credits on that one. I did like some background vocals, but it wasn’t really my band. And that’s the legendary artists. His name is Can You Davis.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “And he’s from Montego Bay, Jamaica. And he would tell us stories of when he was younger kicking the ball with Bob Marley. So that was pretty, well, pretty cool. And the funny thing is about that band culture, Canute, those guys, fast forward to now. Some of them, actually, the majority of those guys will come out and play shows with me.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Or if I go to California, some of them will do shows with, oh, neat. It’s pretty. Who knows? Because back then I was kind of like managing them and running sound for those guys, and eventually I become their reggae. I’m sorry, their rhythm guitar player. And it’s just been you never know what these things are going to fall into place.”

Angela Barrett – “That’s right. Never know. That’s for sure. And so how. Yeah. So we’ll say go ahead, tell me about the records and I’ll go about that. And oh that’s.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Not because it never was. That was fun. It was kind of like getting to do some reggae stuff for a while. We did some shows out West and a little bit of Trail of West Coast of that project. But the, the guitar player from that band, Matt Gilbert, who’s actually now my producer out in San Francisco, is the one I produced.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “My last record, Rolls of Amsterdam.”

Angela Barrett – “Nice, nice. And so how old were you? With the reggae band.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Did you do you probably, probably about 3 or 4 year chapter. Maybe a little longer? Yeah. No.”

Angela Barrett – And that’s nice.

Stephen Russell Wilson – Incarnations. Yeah.

Angela Barrett – “One of my favorites is reggae. And my sons, Omar, especially his, technique is a Bob Marley, you know, big done band. Yeah. In fact, we there is a there’s a joke after we saw the Bob Marley movie, we’re like, oh my God, we really did raise a Bob Marley because he is a very piece, you know, everybody just please go along and you know he.”

Angela Barrett – “Is he doing right? He just fits right into that whole thing. Oh my God, we really did reservoir Marley, which is not a bad thing at all. I think we could all use a little more of that.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Oh, yeah? You any more Bob Marley? You’d realize for.”

Angela Barrett – “Sure. That’s exactly right. So from. So let’s do a timeline. Maybe so your first name was way back. Name one you said, I think.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “I went, yeah, by 1991, I would. I got a little time I hear with the started USC Aiken in 91, I think I was in a band by 92, 93. Yeah, that’s kind of where it began. So in and out of bands for the better part of 30 years.”

Angela Barrett – Was the longest band stint you had?

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Probably this one probably. I mean, if you think about when we started Trials of Amsterdam, it’s going on. Wow, over ten years. I’ll get to, you know, quite a while. You think about that.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah, absolutely. Now there is a, encounter or story you have that I can’t wait to hear. Bunny Wailer.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Oh, yeah. Speaking of reggae, right.”

Angela Barrett – Yeah.

Stephen Russell Wilson – “That’s right. Okay. So, yeah, it was, man, it was is too surreal looking back on it too. I was playing a show at the House of Blues in Myrtle Beach. Yes. And we were opening up for The Wailers, which was, you know, out of this world in its own right. Again, just had no idea how amazing back then, you know?”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “You know, just too young and dumb and full of bubblegum to realize what was really happening. And we were, I’m backstage in the in the green room and, or, like, walking to a bathroom, water and in a serious do. Then there’s reggae guy in there. I realized, oh, man, this is this is one of the Wailers, and it’s Bunny Wells.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “And he comes up to me and I say, how’s it going with the all good man? And then he starts asking me if me and my boys had any had any weed. Like, let me get this straight. I said, you’re the you’re you’re in the Wailers, you’re legendary member of the band. And you’re asking me I’m like, oh my God.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “So, I said, let me see what I can do. You def. And so.”

Angela Barrett – That’s very.

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Yeah, it was crazy. It’s just crazy. That’s my Bunny Wailer story. I couldn’t believe it. Wow. You know.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. Well, that’s big down there, too. I like it again. I love those guys for sure. So how did where did you start playing music? And then you learned as a child. Were you live by yourself or were you taught?”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Not really taught. Not classically trained. I made it in college. I took maybe a piano class or two, took a couple of voice classes. And I just kind of had always been into singing and stuff and started singing very. I remember being at USC Aiken in my dorm, and I was so nervous at first. I go in the bathroom and close the door.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “It had the microphone, but then my guitar player and some other, you know, people be out in the living room with, I would be singing, but you could even see me. Then eventually, take I did. My first ever show was at the Fremont Club in, Aiken, South Carolina, probably 1993, and probably stood there were my eyes closed the whole time, but there was, you know, hundreds of people there, and they were pure.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “So no classical training, really just. And mostly I had been a singer and then I, I don’t know, somewhere along the line, I started picking up the guitar just to try to write songs, and I would describe myself as a, a decent rhythm guitar player. Maybe, you know, a not enough to get myself in trouble.”

Angela Barrett – So I ask every musician that I talk with and every answer is different. What comes first? The music or the lyrics?

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Oh, man, it just depends. I think it just depends.”

Angela Barrett – I get that a lot.

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Yeah, it just depends. Sometimes. Sometimes all of it. Sometimes it just depends on how it comes flowing down. You know, a lot of times it’s just like a guitar riff, maybe. And then you just try to put something on top of it. I find for me it’s usually the best stuff is the stuff that comes first, you know, just go try to overthink it.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “So maybe, maybe lyrics, mostly, maybe words, lyrics, melodies and then try to work it out on the guitar. Sometimes a piano.”

Angela Barrett – “Is I know you have like you’ve written lyrics and they stay buried. You know what is more down somewhere down the line. And then you come across some lyric or, you know, I even put something to this, or are you one of those that you kind of write the lyrics and let’s go ahead and think of some, well, how the music’s going to play lyrics.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Yeah, probably have more lyrics laying around than I’ll ever deal with. You know? It’s like I’m probably lost so many stacks of boxes and stuff. But, you know, one good thing about technology, I feel like with the iPhone, you can just put them in there or make the notes and do a quick little. So that’s been that’s kind of cool.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “And I’ll do it. Yeah. I probably got dozens of songs on there that haven’t been released yet and just like ideas and stuff, but, not to mention on my refrigerator, I’ve got probably eight, ten songs that have been up there for about a year, and I want to try to cut somewhere this year. And, that’ll probably be more like my own project.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “I just do Steve and Russell Wilson and, finally be myself all these years later.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah, yeah, I get it. So, somewhere along the way, I heard about you have these crazy dreams. And maybe that’s where song music comes from, but did you actually dream up above Beyonce at one point?”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Yeah, that’s a true story. That’s that’s crazy. You’re asking me that right on. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Power of dreams, man. Don’t underestimate him. I’m not. Yeah. I’m not. Only have I got them like, songs kind of downloaded that way, but, Wow. And moved back to North Augusta from California. Was it? I guess they moved here July 2021.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “And I remember I’d spent 14 days on the road by myself, drive across the country, and I stopped in Nashville to see my album was makes. It hadn’t come out yet. And, I met a songwriter guy there. And next thing you know, on the 5th of July, I’m on stage playing songs off the record before it even came out.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “And, I couldn’t believe how wide open Nashville was in the middle of the pandemic because it way different than the West Coast in their part, you know? So it’s too cool. So that was kind of like my trek across the country, like, well, I could I was like, I could stay on the road forever. But I had to get back to Carolina cause my son Waylon was about to have his, it was his 10th birthday.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – 11th birthday? What are you.

Angela Barrett – Doing?

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Yeah. Thank you. Right. As it is a good neck. Anyway, I, I got to Carolina and I’m sitting in my house out in the country, and I’m kind of like, wow, major changes had happened in my life, and I kind of surrendered and left everything I knew and love kind of behind in California. Kind of let the surfing, living at the beach and following my divorce and the pandemic.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “And it’s July, August, September comes around and I’m just kind of like, still get my bearings. And I had this dream about this woman, and I’m sitting in this classroom like this old school classroom, and there’s this teacher writing on a blackboard. I’m sitting in the classroom and to my left is one of my best friends and the teacher.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “You can’t see her face. And she turns and looks for the first time, and I see her face, and she looks at the class and she looks at me. She says, so which one of you is coming home with me? And I look at my buddy Jamie and I raise my hand. I’m like, I’ll do it. And and I woke up and so I woke up.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “I’m like, Holy, holy moly, what was that? I couldn’t believe it. And I knew immediately who it was. It was, a woman named Marla Gibson, who I hadn’t seen in about 28 years how to talk to her. No contact whatsoever. And I just couldn’t believe it was such a powerful, powerful dream. And I said, man, I gotta find this woman.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “I gotta find her, and I, I like making my coffee, and I’m trying to, like, remember the dream in my head making my coffee. And I finally I get a light and I try to search her up. And I almost gave up because I couldn’t find it. I couldn’t find it. And I said, you know what? You can’t give up.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Let me just try one more time. That I remember. Someone had said she was in the yoga like a yoga instructor. So I type her name in yoga and boom, she pops up, but she’s got like a different last name. I’m like, oh, I’m on zoom in. Like, man, that’s her. I’m oh my God. She’s she’s she’s like more beautiful now than I remember us as crazy as it.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Oh well she’s got a different last name. She’s probably married, but I’m just gonna say hello. We’re old friends, you know, so I find her on, like, Instagram. Two days later, she responds. Long story short, we have talked or zoom every single day sets a year. I’ve been down the matter for our first date in Panama. We just found out an amazing time and proposed to her a year after I found her.”

Angela Barrett – Wow. All from her dream.

Stephen Russell Wilson – Of her dream.

Angela Barrett – “Yeah, yeah. Dreams can be powerful. And in both ways good. And sometimes not so. But, my dad and I have this, through dreams a lot of times, sort of an ESB. And we’ll both wake up, we’ll call each other and go, and I’m like, I know what you’re gonna say. Or he’ll say, I know what you’re right.”

Angela Barrett – “But it’s just one of those weird things between dad and I. So I do know the power of great words. Yeah. It’s like, yeah, it is crazy. So now what do we have? Where are you going next? What’s what’s our next steps?”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Gotcha, gotcha. Right now I’m waiting to hear back for some folks. Looks like we’re for all shakes out. We might have a nice gig right around Masters here in Augusta.”

Angela Barrett – Yeah.

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Yeah, that would be. Yeah. I’m kind of waiting to take some meetings and have some sit down with some folks, but I don’t want to say too much about that. I’m at. It is in development. That that would be. That’d be very exciting and pretty. Pretty big time if, if at all transit, you know, comes to fruition, which I think it will.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Other than that, I’ve got a little, like a Lowcountry run, shaping up in April, April 30th. I could I think we got one on the books and all wind up, and the boys have told me they looks like they can come out from, Louisville, Kentucky and Kansas City. My rhythm section, who I used to play with in California.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “And if they can come, we’re going to try to stitch a 5 or 6 shows together, maybe do all in, Charleston, maybe hit. I would love to hit Hampton where I grew up, but there’s not there’s really no venues there. And probably so that will stop by Columbia, who knows? Waiting to hear from some folks in North Augusta and then probably wrap it up with a Sunday.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “There’s a festival in Augusta called the Somerville Porch Festival, which we played last year. It was it was one of the coolest things I did all year. I couldn’t believe it. You know, people open up their homes and it was just an amazing turnout. And I was like, wow, I just couldn’t believe it.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. That is that’s that’s pretty cool. So now that you mention your band, they’re not obviously in Augusta with you or.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “No, I’m the only one here. I’m the. Yes. That’s, that’s kind of a trip. You know, that’s like my my ATM. My guitar and I reached out. I always usually games with crazy enough. Speaking of dreams, I mean, it’s like I will if I’m doing myself. I’ll book the shows and not have any idea how I’m going to pull it off.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “You know, either get to get the gig, so don’t worry about the details. You know?”

Angela Barrett – “And so where the rest of the band, where do they live?”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “My guitar player and my producer, who was in San Francisco. So that’s.”

Angela Barrett – The whole.

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Yeah, he’s he more or less the other main part of my band. It is a hall and he’s got obligations and you can’t always get away, but, Oh, we we’ll probably go back out in the fall in California. We try to do like five cities out there. Waiting to hear back from there. So he with Matt Gilbert, Rock Stone records, Caesar, phenomenal producer.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “If you know anything out in California, anybody needs a record out there, he can help you. And then we’ve got, one of my bass players. Diego. Rumor also is in San Francisco. And so, guys, we have a drummer. They Wilmer who helps us out. And also Frannie, they’re all San Francisco bass. So that’s kind of my crew out there.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “And then if it’s east of the Mississippi, I’ll do it, of course. And then, my bass player, Rob, Rob Freeland, is in Kansas City, and then Phil Brown lives in Louisville, Kentucky.”

Angela Barrett – “And get a gardens there. So, you know, we are spread out.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “There, spread out. And those guys are bad. Those two are better known as the Blues Brothers. We earned the nickname The Last Tour of the Blues Brothers in the better, for better or for worse, one of them ran into a waffle House neighbor backing up and had a little too much fun.”

Angela Barrett – Oh yeah. Waffle House I was always a good late night place to go.

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Oh yeah, you play. So yeah, the band is scattered. I’m starting to do a few more like solo shows just for the sake of doing shows and, put put myself a little more out of my comfort zone to do stuff like that.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah, well, that’s cool, that’s cool. So you didn’t you mentioned Matt Gilbert and, Rock Stone records. How long have you been working with them?”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Oh, man, I’ve been working with Matt off and on for fantasy, probably 15, 16, 17 years. We used to work together. Matt and I, we did audiovisual and, like, production work and some high end resorts sell the West Coast. And we did union work in San Francisco. We were always musicians and, you know, I, you know, I used to manage his bands and help him.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “And then he offered, after building a recording studio, he said, hey, man, if you ever to record your stuff, you know, you help me build my studio so you can gave me a screaming deal I couldn’t refuse. And sure enough, the pandemic. We worked on my record and he kind of pulled me through and I came out. It just far exceeded my expectations, you know?”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “So I’m so grateful for the time and energy you put into it. So yeah, we’re pretty tight. We’re it’s nice to work with your wood, your friends, you know.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. All right. So I want to know Wilson a Scott Wilson Boulevard. Right.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – What’s his drive.

Angela Barrett – Wilson drive okay. Yeah. So tell me where that song came from.

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Well, Wilson drives the name of the album.”

Angela Barrett – Okay.

Stephen Russell Wilson – “It’s. No, no, there is no song. That’s that’s not the name.”

Angela Barrett – “It’s not the song of sound, okay, I gotcha. I thought that was the name. That was one that I think, didn’t get to listen to. Hey, going on on Instagram, YouTube, listening to some of the others, but I go, oh, that’s interesting. So what is the meaning behind the Wilson drive?”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Okay. So that, you know, and that’s a great question. Let’s see. So the record trolls of Amsterdam Wilson Drive was fully recorded, fully mastered. But I’m sitting around waiting on artwork right. Oh I reached I had artist and at this point, you know recorded everything at West and had it recorded and mixed and mastered in California and mastered and, and at Los Angeles, Burbank.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “So the record is done essentially about a waiting on artwork, waiting on artwork. And I had artists, a couple of artists in California waiting to hear back from a couple of artists in either Atlanta or here in Augusta that I was trying to work with and hoping to work with and, some of them did help me out indirectly, but I didn’t exactly get the full art from the, and I’m talking to a buddy here in here in the CsrA who’s also a musician.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Billy is a very prominent artist and musician in his own right. He’s like, man, you cannot sit around waiting on this. He goes, your record is done, man. You got to get it. You got to let the give it to the people. And it kind of, it kind of stuck with us. Yeah. He’s right. You know what on what am I going to do?”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Wait month and I kid you not like not even a few days later. Bing, bing. I get a text from a buddy down in New Orleans. And what it is is this picture of this wolf dog, his dog who looks like a wolf from, on Wilson drive down in New Orleans. You are honest. And for me, you were like, oh my God, that’s it.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Because I have history with this dog. This very dog actually bit me on the beach in Half Moon Bay, California, running down the beach and bit my jacket, shredded my jacket like a mama was like, literally bleeding. I’m a Jim. You’re dog. You. What’s up? So me and this dog had this relationship and I’m like, you know what?”

Stephen Russell Wilson – I’m putting I’m putting magic on the record. That’s my. That’s it. I’m tired of waiting on art. It’s a really cool picture. So I had that picture that you see actually.

Angela Barrett – “Yeah, it’s black and white right behind.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – Oh yeah. So this dog is a new update. So this is out all this is the picture. The only thing over the logos overlaid troll’s out.

Angela Barrett – “Well it caught my attention. For one it was black and white photography. And I love black and white photography. I used to fool around with it back in the day. It was film. So I called my attention. That was the first thing that caught my attention eyes. But yeah, so that is so that that became the name of the album, the Wilts and Drop.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Yeah, yeah. You know, it’s funny and I actually scrapped the name of my working title for the record, wasn’t it? That was not even it, that just came out on a whim, last minute. The working title for the record was like a real, I didn’t even know if I was going to call it Trolls of Amsterdam before I was going to call Steven Russell Wilson.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “That’s a whole nother debacle. And the working title for the record, was actually EEG by the sea, EEG by the sea, because I used to live in L Grenada where, where the bass were the band started and I’m like, man, no, I’m to I’m and I just grabbed that last minute and went with this.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah, I like it. I like it a lot. Yeah. So, last question. You’re any film or TV hitting your direction? Okay. Yes. Yes, yes. Very. Tell me about that.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Well, we’ve been working for a while, to try to get some play some songs and some, you know, film and TV. And I have been talking to music supervisors and so a few writer directors, just a matter of time, trying to sort it all out. But, definitely, if you’re out there listening to this podcast, I could, I could use a little help.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “And, you know, those side, the business side is always so much you can do it. I mean, I prefer I’m more enjoy, like, writing the music, performing the music and concentrating on that. But, you know, that is kind of the business side, but it would definitely be cool and kind of a dream come true to do that.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “So if you’re listening and you got any, you know, projects you’re working on, do you want to source some authentic original material? Give me a holler. Let’s do it.”

Angela Barrett – “Absolutely. And when you say to play in the film or TV,”

Angela Barrett – Just sort of the music in the background of a scene or a beginning or an indie. Gotcha.

Stephen Russell Wilson – “That’s kind of what I have in mind. But I mean, certainly there’s other ways to do it, but, you know, like soundtrack essentially supper. Yeah, yeah. Or maybe it’s opening scene or somewhere in the movie or the series. You, you know, you hear you hear my song drinking problem in the background or in the bar, I’ll be like that or backroads or, I think it’s I think it’s, calling for that, you know, and certainly there’s a few, series that are filmed here in South Carolina to me.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Be cool to work with some people, you know, like here. Really boots on the ground. Maybe Charleston area. Augusta, Atlanta, but certainly whatever. You know, a lot of has done in California and New York and Canada, actually, a lot of it was done in Canada.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. Well, that is pretty cool. Yeah. So hopefully that will come to fruition soon.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – That’s right. Thank you.

Angela Barrett – “Well, thank you so much for being here today. And this has been a great pleasure and honor. I certainly appreciate it.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Thank you, Angela, for having me.”

Angela Barrett – “Absolutely, absolutely. So, what do you think you’re headed back to? California?”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Oh, probably going to be. Actually, I’m definitely heading back to California. I’m heading back in last week of March, first week of April to take away land out there for spring break.”

Angela Barrett – “Oh, nice.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – Now to go see grandpa.

Episode transcript:

Angela Barrett – “Thanks for being with me today. I like your, partner in crime there, too.”

Roseann Harpold – “Oh, yeah. The kid he came to join me today and.”

Angela Barrett – “So, Rosann. Tell me, what in the world is Heart First, LLC? It’s hook ups, right?”

Roseann Harpold – Sorry.

Angela Barrett – “What was that sound like? A pop up. What we think at Christmas time, like these little pop up things. But this is something planted related.”

Roseann Harpold – “And I, you know, it’s it’s a little bit bigger than a pop up. To me, haunt Fest is kind of like a big Halloween party, but off season. So we do this all different kinds of the year, and have been trying to expand to different places. And so our next event is in Greenville, but there’s live music, vendors, activities, other themed entertainment, but it’s all centered around horror and the horror arts, the macabre.”

Roseann Harpold – Anything related to that?

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. I took a look at the website and the Facebook page. So your your event in Greenville. Is what starts December 13th, Friday 13th.”

Roseann Harpold – Yeah. It worked out perfectly.

Angela Barrett – “Yeah, yeah. So tell me about tell me about that. Particular, event.”

Roseann Harpold – “So this event in Greenville, we’re trying something a little bit new. Nightmare dungeon haunted attraction, of course, is already there. And me and my family have gone for years, and I really enjoyed it. But usually our festivals are different venues, like breweries or sometimes camps in the woods. But this is a new type of venue for us.”

Roseann Harpold – “So we thought maybe it would be fun to kind of combine our markets, because Nightmare Dungeon already has their Christmas event and they do events on Friday the 13th. And so with the addition of Haunt Fest, we’ll be outside of the haunted attraction during the festival with the music and the vendors, etc. on food and drink. And then they will also be hosting their haunted attraction that weekend as well.”

Roseann Harpold – So you could do one or both things if you come out.

Angela Barrett – “So tell me what the haunt fest, what y’all do? I know you said it’s a festival in your event, but tell me what happens with you guys outside of Nightmare Dungeon.”

Roseann Harpold – “Yeah. So basically, it’s a ticketed event. You can come dressed in costume. I like to kind of describe this to people as a Renaissance fair, almost, but with a spooky twist. So you come, you can dress the part, enjoy food and drink that are all themed to the event. Go listen to some music. We have bands pretty much going the whole time and we’ve got flow artists there.”

Roseann Harpold – “All the vendors are, of course themed to the event. So, you know, someone just applied just now, actually, who does glass art? That’s all spooky themed. It’s like organs and things that you can wear as a necklace, which is a little freaky, you know? But, yeah, that’s that’s the kind of stuff we’re into. Sometimes we have animals on site.”

Roseann Harpold – “So this event, there’s actually a petting zoo. Emmett’s farm is coming and bringing various types of animals for the petting zoo. And we’ve had snakes in the past, and kittens dressed in Halloween costumes, things of that matter. But. Yeah. So we’ve got, burgers coming and, barbecue trucks and the traveling tavern is going to be selling beer and wine.”

Roseann Harpold – “So you just kind of come have a good time with your friends and family and hang out with us for a while. And we also have scare actors that walk around during the event to try to spook you while you’re hanging out. So that’s another,”

Angela Barrett – “There’s like live music and vendors. And you said, what kind of artist?”

Roseann Harpold – “Macabre or, sometimes there’s taxidermy. There’s, you know, individual artists that.”

Angela Barrett – Can be scary and.

Roseann Harpold – “Artwork, lots of jewelry artists. There’s also let’s see, there’s one that signed up for this event that I’m really excited about, the shrunk 3D Greenville. I don’t know if you’ve heard of them before. But they I think what they do is they put you in their trailer box and do a scan of your body, and they print a little 3D action figure of you, which that’s really cool, especially if you come, you know, all dressed up in costume, ready for the event.”

Roseann Harpold – “You know, this is it’s to go all out and then get a miniature version of yourself.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. How did y’all come up with this idea? Came up with this idea, I guess.”

Roseann Harpold – “I started the business. I’m a student, undergraduate at UGA, and I’m actually graduating that we can have the event.”

Angela Barrett – “Oh, wow.”

Roseann Harpold – “But it was kind of an accident. I have always loved Halloween. My family’s always done a Halloween party, and we, used to have a hand house in my home growing up. So it’s always just been near and dear to me. And in college, I kind of learn, you know, I love getting together, having gatherings at my house, and, realized that I could kind of combine, you know, having a party and my love for Halloween into one event, and live music, because I’ve always loved live music.”

Roseann Harpold – “So, I ended up going to an after school program for entrepreneurs, and they suggested that I kind of tested the idea to see if people would want to go to a kind of horror event outside of the month of October. So I hosted one in Athens, Georgia, in May and it had an incredible turnout, and people were really excited about it and wanted it to come back.”

Roseann Harpold – “I had no idea it was going to pop off. And, so since then I’ve been trying to grow it.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. And see, I know you have another one coming up. What is it after? This will be sometime in April, I guess. Back in Athens, right? Yes. Yeah. Cool. So now, you’ve got, Well, who are your entertainers? You already have your entertainers lined up for the December 1st in Greenville.”

Roseann Harpold – “Unfortunately, we are not going to be able to advertise them just yet. The books just came out this past week, so we’re still waiting on responses before that will be released. But, I’d say there’s going to be probably 5 to 6 bands a day. And they’ll just be going throughout the event switching out. Lots of different local bands.”

Roseann Harpold – “Some are volunteer, some are paid. You know, they when they sign up, they can choose either or, and some are kind enough to volunteer for the event, which is really awesome, especially for a first year event to get us off the ground.”

Angela Barrett – Yeah.

Roseann Harpold – “But yeah. And that’ll all be released on the entertainer info page of our website whenever it’s ready in our socials. We also would love to share that. So if anyone’s interested in seeing the the music lineup, that’ll be coming out soon.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. So now in combination I guess, with the what was it called? The nightmare.”

Roseann Harpold – Nightmare dungeon.

Angela Barrett – “Dungeon? Yes, yes. So, this is going to be a pretty big event because, I mean, for people who don’t know what that is, help, help them there. Explain what that is.”

Roseann Harpold – “So Nightmare Dungeon is a haunted house that is permanent. It’s been there for years and years. I don’t know when they open, but, every time they have their events, it’s packed. So you go, get your tickets, you stand in line. They have games and things you can play while you’re waiting in line because they, you know, have a lot of people come.”

Roseann Harpold – “But they are one of only a few places that actually does events outside of October, which I think is super cool. Yeah. So they always have their Christmas event. It’s, I think it’s only one weekend. Usually when they do that and then, they’ll have Friday the 13th events, but they have their own website if you’d like to check it out.”

Roseann Harpold – “And kind of see more of what they do. But, you know, they’re professionals and it’s pretty awesome. Haunted house.”

Angela Barrett – Yeah. And.

Angela Barrett – “Y’all will be right outside of there with all the vendors and the music and that kind of stuff. So and the tell me again, the event will be I know it’s that Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Right. The Toms.”

Roseann Harpold – “It’s from 2 p.m. to midnight each night. You know, whatever ends up wrapping up. So, you know, Sunday night may it may end a little earlier. Just depends on how long people want to stay out there. But we’ll have things to do up until midnight.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. Pretty cool. Pretty cool. Now, what do you think? Where are you think this is headed? I know you’ve got another event. Do you think this is you’re going to keep doing this? I mean, are you graduating? But are you on this?”

Roseann Harpold – “The plan is, to see how far this can go. I’d like to make this a national event, if I can. And just, you know, after graduation, go full speed and see if I can get an annual event going in each area. And right now, this Greenville event, I’m hoping, you know, if it catches on, that this could be the annual event for South Carolina.”

Roseann Harpold – “But you know, it all.”

Angela Barrett – In all is Columbia. And by the way.

Roseann Harpold – “We try to avoid, bigger cities.”

Angela Barrett – Because.

Roseann Harpold – “I think that it’s really important to focus on the arts in our, you know, art based areas, music based areas that are kind of mid-sized, versus, you know, we won’t do an event in Atlanta, for instance, because it’s just too big of a city. They have enough going on there. There’s lots of things going on all the time.”

Roseann Harpold – “So we like to find areas that may not have something like this going on already and who people may want to, you know, have it in their backyard versus having to drive hours to go see something like this.”

Angela Barrett – “Right, right, right. Well, for that matter, come to Lexington, which is where I am. We are on outskirts of, Columbia. But, we have, lots of bands, lots of artists. So we’ve talked to many bands, but yeah, you should check us out and I’ll, hook you up with, maybe some people who could help get that started.”

Angela Barrett – “But, yeah, that’s exciting. I mean, I’m a big haunted house person, but I like a real haunted house. I don’t want somebody to really scare me, but. Not down. It’s up to you and I just go out laughing, but, just have that, you know, that thing where I remember taking my son when he was little and he was scared as I had to just hang on to the left or coming out on the left to the right.”

Angela Barrett – “It was just one of those senses that you kind of have, you know? So I’m waiting on the haunted house. That really scares me. But anyway. But I can’t get my husband to go with me, so I’ll have to find the key, but, Yeah, I like the idea. I think this is great. Now, what else can you tell me about the weekend that’s going to be going on?”

Angela Barrett – There at the festival?

Roseann Harpold – Let’s see. One of the.

Angela Barrett – Lot I know.

Roseann Harpold – “So on Saturday, Fridays and Saturdays, they’re more catered to adults. So if you’re looking to come and have, you know, see a lot more gore or have a lot more scares at the event, that’s when we tell our actors, you know, you go crazy. You know, this is the day for adults. Are the two days and Sundays are more family oriented.”

Roseann Harpold – “So if you have kids that you know might be too afraid to go into Nightmare Dungeon, for instance, but you want to come enjoy a Halloween themed event, that’s the day to go, less gore or actors or told, you know, be less scary. Be kind to the kids, you know, they’ll kneel down next to them, take pictures.”

Roseann Harpold – “And we have trick or treating on those days and other, you know, themed events for kids.”

Angela Barrett – The Lord knows if they didn’t get candy.

Roseann Harpold – “Yeah. But yeah. So if if you are interested in coming, just keep that in mind. You know, if you want to decide which days based on that information. But yeah, we also, you know, typically have authors come out that do thriller and horror themed literature. So if you are an author and interested and coming, vendor applications are still open as well as, we’re looking for event staff and things of that nature.”

Roseann Harpold – “But, another thing I had mentioned is we do crafts. So the Hunt Fest merch area, we have, activities like pumpkin painting. And even if it’s off season, we’ll have little plastic pumpkins that you can paint and bring home with you. The little ones are free. And then we have bigger ceramic ones if you’re really into painting, the purchase that at the the merch area.”

Roseann Harpold – “On Sunday we also do a release of The Ghouls. So Friday and Saturday the ghouls are out all day. But Sunday for the family friendly event at 6 p.m., I believe, we’ll have all the ghouls come onto the stage and have a little speech and release them out. So if you have kids that really seriously cannot even look at a scary person, you’re safe, you know, from 2 to 6 p.m. there won’t be any out.”

Roseann Harpold – “And then at six after, you know, well, it’s still won’t be super crazy, but it’ll just be like, here’s everybody that’s going to go out into the crowd and they’ll be released, into the festival.”

Angela Barrett – “And eat and eat meat. Well, now, when you talk about these, actors and actresses do, is there, they just kind of walk around doing their own thing, or they actually put together kind of what they’re going to do together, or is there a practice or it’s just really they just do their own thing.”

Roseann Harpold – “They really kind of do their own thing. I don’t know if you’re familiar with Mad World, but they kind of have, spooks within this area at the end of the haunt where you can just kind of hang out and there’s Fire Pit and they walk around. And that’s kind of what was there. They’re out there to get pictures with people that sneak up behind you when you’re not paying attention.”

Roseann Harpold – “But yeah, I mean, if they wanted to get together, do something, I can’t tell you if they’ve talked ahead of time, but that’s, as far as just, the free roaming, they will just be there for your enjoyment.”

Angela Barrett – “Well, it sounds like a lot of fun. So, again, the 13th through the fifth, December 13th through the 15th, 15th, in Greenville, and in front of the, ninth year dungeon. And where is that located? I was looking for an address.”

Roseann Harpold – I believe it’s 645. Let me double check before I say it. I’ve been typing it a lot over in a recently. Yeah. 645 Old Anderson Road in Greenville.

Angela Barrett – “Yes. Well, I, hope I get to come check it out. I’m not sure I’ll be able to that weekend, team turns out to be, I have a saying of that myself, sir. And a book signing with an author. Children’s books. Not scary. But, hopefully, maybe I’ll be able to squeeze that in, but y’all have a great time.”

Angela Barrett – Sounds like a lot of fun. Thanks for coming. And tell us about it.

Roseann Harpold – “Yeah, thanks for having me.”

Angela Barrett – Absolutely.

Roseann Harpold – “Yeah. If you don’t mind, there’s actually there’s a couple more things. I just remember.”

Angela Barrett – That. Sure.

Roseann Harpold – The big deal.

Angela Barrett – About that was a lot. That’s why I asked.

Roseann Harpold – “And sorry, I ended up needing to scroll through the website. There’s so much to, to remember here. One of the things is we have trivia. So if you’re interested in horror themed trivia, we give out prizes for that. There’s costume contests. So really, we want to encourage you if you want to come out to dress up, cosplay, do whatever you do.”

Roseann Harpold – “Spooky, spooky, the better. But also, it is a Christmas event, so take that as you will. Some people may want to come out of this theme. You know, we’ve got Krampus. Krampus is a big one. And then where is it? We are also doing face painting, so there’s I, there may also be a balloon artist.”

Roseann Harpold – “So if you’re into any of that, you can go get your face painted. And maybe they’re spooky up for the contest. Who knows?”

Angela Barrett –

Roseann Harpold – “And then one other thing is, we do have a haunted car showcase. So there are several people bringing hearses off for display for the event. So if you’re into cars, it’s also something I. Sorry, I should have mentioned earlier. Yes.”

Angela Barrett – “Okay. That’s bull. I’m glad I knew there was a good bit I was, that’s why I was asking. Yeah. Well, the car thing that doesn’t. That does sound cool. Yeah. To fun. Do you think anything else?”

Roseann Harpold – “Right now? No. I’m sure something will come up later, but it’s all right. It’s all on the website. So if you’re interested in learning more about the event, we try to keep that as updated as possible. And our Instagram is at haunt, says Athens. Even though it’s for the Greenville event, I know, but that’s where we will send highlights about specific vendors and things as they come out.”

Angela Barrett – So good.

Roseann Harpold – “Yeah, you shouldn’t keeping up with it. That’s where of like.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah, it’s heart fest dot net. Yes. And then the Facebook is Hunt Fest LLC and then yes.”

Roseann Harpold – “And there is a group. Yeah, there is a group on Facebook, called Haunt Fest, South Carolina. So if you’re interested in joining the group, any time we have an event in South Carolina, we’ll be posting information there.”

Angela Barrett – “Oh, cool. Fantastic. Well, thank you so much. This was great. That that sounds like a lot of fun. Hope you all have a great turnout. I’m sure you will.”

Episode transcript:

Angela Barrett – “Hey, Carol. Thanks for being with me today.”

Carol Davis – “Well, thank you, Angela. Thank you for having me.”

Angela Barrett – “Absolutely. Now, Carol, you’re the location coordinator for, Wreaths Across America for the Fort Jackson. Fort Jackson National Cemetery. Correct?”

Carol Davis – Correct.

Angela Barrett – So what does a location coordinator do? Because it sounds like you do a lot more than tell people where the location is.

Carol Davis – “It’s a little bit a little bit, but our job and there is a group of us, we have a team. Our job is to organize the program, organize as the, wreath purchases, let people know, reach out to the community, to businesses, organizations and individuals and let them know exactly what Wreaths Across America is and why we have it.”

Angela Barrett – “Well, that brings me to my next question. Tell me what wreaths Across America is.”

Carol Davis – “Wreaths Across America is a program to remember and honor our veterans who have passed. Remember, honor and teach is our motto. Remember those that served and had passed. Honor those that are still serving and have served. And to teach our children that freedom isn’t free and it’s at a cost that one day they may be asked to pay.”

Angela Barrett – “Right now, this is, a year long project for you guys to get ready for what is really right at Christmas time. But, tell us when and why this all started. Give me a hint.”

Carol Davis – “Well, some will tell you that it happened by accident. I don’t believe in this type of accident. I believe that was a divine purpose. The Wooster family up in may have been in the wreath business for generations. They have miles and miles and miles of balsam forest and their business. They tip these trees. They’re not cut.”

Carol Davis – “They’re tipped. And the rest are made that way. Will Morrow Wooster, who is head of the family now? About 25 years ago, they ended up with about 5000 wreaths at the end of the season. And he remembered as a small boy winning a trip to Washington from his paper route. And he went to Arlington National Cemetery and was totally impressed.”

Carol Davis – “And it stuck with him. So he thought, you know what? I’m not going to suppose that these wreaths I’m going to call up there. So he called Arlington and he said, hi, I’ve got these wreaths. We would love to get them to you. And they said, well, sure, but you’ll have to come up here and put them out.”

Carol Davis – “We can’t do that. So he packed a man a truck, packed his family, and off he went to Arlington. And for about 5 or 6 years, the family did that. That was their big thing. That family thing. Well, it caught on. People started saying, well, how can we do this for our cemetery? So the family started reconsidering their business and decided that they wanted to give back.”

Carol Davis – “And that’s technically how Race Across America started. People heard about it and saw about it. Now, to be honest, I don’t know anywhere in the world. I don’t know how they do it, but I don’t know anywhere in the world. You can buy a real balsam wreath for $17. How they do it? I don’t know, but they do.”

Carol Davis – “And, so every year nail all across the country and this year it would be in 4800 cemeteries in the in the U.S. and in other countries where we have our veterans buried. We’ll be placing over 4.5 million trees across the country this year.”

Angela Barrett – “Oh, wow.”

Carol Davis – “Yeah. And the thing is, people make the mistake of saying Christmas tree. This is not a Christmas tree. This is a veterans memorial wreath. And it’s to remind us that we are to honor, respect, and know that they are loved and that they are victorious. Now they have passed. But you’ve got to realize and remember that a veteran does twice, once when they draw their last breath and the last time their name is spoken out loud.”

Carol Davis – “So we encourage everyone at every cemetery. When you go and place that wreath, say their name. Say it out loud. It’s important to keep their spirit alive.”

Angela Barrett – Right in there. That brings me to. Because I’ve heard you say this several times. Tell me there’s this important. Someone talk about the importance of one.

Carol Davis – The importance of one is amazing. We are the one. One person tip that tree. One person took those boughs and made a wreath. One person packed that ring. One person put it in a truck. One truck driver drove that truck here. One person unpacked it. One person. Place that wreath. One person sponsored that raid. We are all the ones.

Carol Davis – It is up to us. The ones to remember. An honored veteran.

Angela Barrett – “Yeah, I like always. Like when you tell a story. That’s a good one. And so now back to the wreaths again. We don’t call them Christmas wreaths. You said they’re called. What, again?”

Carol Davis – They are veterans Memorial rates. We are remembering them respecting ban and honoring their victory over death.

Angela Barrett – “And so, for those who’ve never been to one of these ceremonies, can I go over? What happens? And then we’ll get to how we get there to that. You name some of that, but you’re remembering one. But I talk about that day and how special it is.”

Carol Davis – “Well, people hesitate sometimes. They think that you’re going to be depressed coming out to a cemetery. You’re not the. It’s the final resting place for thousands of our South Carolina veterans. And when you step on that property, a calm comes over. You. You know that those veterans at peace are at peace there. We go there to make that happen.”

Carol Davis – “It’s a trick trying to take care of thousands of people. But because of the ones that volunteered. It happens. And it happens smoothly. We had the ones of the military that participate. We have the ones of the Jared season, the scouts and the adults and the organizations. Our sheriff’s department, everybody, all the ones come together to make it happen.”

Carol Davis – “And when you come out that day, you will see what it really means. We have a wonderful program. Music, good people speaking that let you know from their heart what it means to honor of the veteran. I will say that you’ll have a few laughs. The Department of Correction and the Sheriff’s Department have donated busses to help us transport people into the cemetery.”

Carol Davis – “Because we have so many a time, we literally have thousands. We had about 7000 last year. And so we don’t have vehicles in the cemetery for that protection. So the joke is you’ll be riding the prison bus if you had to put it, getting on. Will wonder if you’ve written it before or would they care less again.”

Angela Barrett – When.

Carol Davis – Arts get a really big kick out of it? But it’s because everyone has come together that all the ones. All the ones.

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. Now there is a in an official ceremony. I know, like, for when you go to a funeral. A lot of times you hear taps and, just going to assume that that is played there, as well. And visually.”

Carol Davis – Absolutely.

Angela Barrett – “I got to cry on that one anyway. But,”

Carol Davis – “There is a funny little story about that from the 16th year. And when we had our first ceremony. I was involved with a deployment program, out at Fort Jackson and the 1/71 were the ones that accommodated us for everything that we asked for to help. And so when I approached them and I said, I want taps and I want a 21 gun salute.”

Carol Davis – “They said, no, you don’t. Oh, no, no, no, I want a 21 gun salute. No, Miss Carroll, you do not want a 21 gun salute. Now, I thought, well, what do I want? He said, you want cannons? I want Anna, I want handguns have froze. For the first several years, we had cannons. And then I got a call after the same ceremony one year from the director, and he said, Miss Carroll, we can’t have cannons anymore.”

Carol Davis – “And I went, why not? He said, well, you know that nice new columbarium that we built? He said, well, the cannons repercussion kind of cracked them.”

Angela Barrett – Oh. Whoa.

Carol Davis – So that was the last time we had cannons. But Fort Jackson. And so we’re going to have in place.

Angela Barrett – Of that now.

Carol Davis – We have the 21 gun salute.

Angela Barrett – “All right, so we’re bringing that. All right, for now.”

Carol Davis – “We’re back to the 21 gun salute, and we get that. And, Fort Jackson, McIntyre. Shaw Joint base. Yes. They all participate. They all help. And we had just numbers of that. I’m just oodles of veterans.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. Fantastic. Yeah, I’ve seen videos. I’ve just never personally been. My goal is obviously this year to get there. Oh, you, So now and these, these are the people that place the wreaths on, the grave site. They do that during this ceremony or is that already been done?”

Carol Davis – “Oh, no no no no, the, that’s the wreath placement ceremony immediately follows the actual ceremony program. And the our public is invited to go out and help place raise. Now we do have family placement starting at 9 a.m. that morning until 1130, where families can come in and place their wreaths prior to the ceremony. Okay. They had the honor of placing their wreath and spending a little time there and and with their family and and I don’t want to say enjoy, but feel that closeness with them.”

Angela Barrett – “For sure should be a joyous, to be able to do that. And we’ve been talking about this, but we’ll give everybody it’s December 14th. What? Yeah.”

Carol Davis – Correct. The actual ceremony starts at noon. The busses will start bringing the public in at ten. Yeah. Starting Easter? Yeah. Our parking. Is it the Blue Cross Blue Shield parking lot on Percival Road? You will be directed because you will not be the. The sheriff’s depart will not let you into the cemetery. So you will be directed straight to that parking area.

Carol Davis – “And, there’ll be plenty of people to tell you where to park and hop on a bus. And I will tell you, security is tight, so don’t get upset if a dog sniffs you. It’s a good dog.”

Angela Barrett – “Long as you’re not getting anything wrong, or your.”

Carol Davis – Long as you got nothing on you. You’re okay.

Angela Barrett – “Now, how did you get started in this? How did you get involved?”

Carol Davis – By accident. Again?

Angela Barrett – I don’t believe that.

Carol Davis – “I was working with, Like I said, the deployment program for Task Force Marshall at. At Fort Jackson, and, the cemetery wasn’t even built then, but a friend of mine was working with the program over at Florence National Cemetery. And she said, you know, Carol, she said, you really ought to get the program going here at Fort Jackson.”

Carol Davis – “And that’s about there is a cemetery finished yet. But what we did is she went with me, bless Laurie’s heart. And we talked to Jean Lynch while our. And, I will say he was he was very sweet, very tongue in cheek. When I explained to him the type of program I wanted to do and he said, well, mascara.”

Carol Davis – “Let me just say this. He said, I’ve worked many cemeteries that had had the program, and probably the best you can get is get a few people to help you unload the truck and put out the race as a you do not know the Midlands of South Carolina because we are the most military friendly community there is and people are just waiting for an opportunity to be told what they can do to remember and honor our veterans.”

Carol Davis – “And he just smiled. And the first year, we only had 346 graves out there. But we had more people than that that first year. Each year it has grown. And Jean Lynch, well, I actually retired last year. And he said, you know, I have to admit you did it. He said, never in my wildest imagination that I think this, this ceremony would be the size it is and reach as many people.”

Carol Davis – “He said, you are our number one program. I said, well, thank you, but don’t thank me. Thank all the people, all the ones that said yes. I get to hear all the oh, you did great. I didn’t do great. Our team did great. I mean did great. One person cannot do this that it’s analyzable.”

Angela Barrett – “Right. I agree it does. It does take, more than one, but it does take a leader. And I think you’ve proven that for sure. Now, when did you. You said when you first started there? We. The first time y’all had 16 years ago, the ceremony. There were only. How many graves?”

Carol Davis – “346. And how many do you have now? There I go. This year, 17,000 wreaths. There are 17,000 people buried there, but there are not that many headstones.”

Angela Barrett – “And,”

Carol Davis – “But the reason we set our goal for this number is to keep ahead of the game a little bit each year. Because the cemetery is growing so rapidly, they’re averaging 125 burials a month. And with Florence filling up and Buford filling up, everyone will be coming here that wants to be buried at the national set, a national cemetery.”

Carol Davis – “Now, that’s not to say that all of the graves are filled at Florence and Buford, but they’re all spoken for. Gosh, they’re already been crying. So ours is increasing rapidly.”

Angela Barrett – “Right. Yeah, I would imagine, yes, at that rate. Now, Lewis Carroll, you are a lithium, a cancer survivor, correct?”

Carol Davis – “Oh, yes. I didn’t know you knew that.”

Angela Barrett – “Well, one more, testament to, what a strong person you are. Tell me a little bit about that experience. I know it was when you finally rang the bell. I know that was a probably a.”

Carol Davis – Heck I was. I danced to the bell.

Angela Barrett – “Yeah, I bet you did. Now, And when was that? The. When you, Your last cancer treatment.”

Carol Davis – My last cancer treatment was in August of 19.

Angela Barrett – Wow. Wow. Congratulations.

Carol Davis – “And, so I pleaded my five year.”

Angela Barrett – Yes. Congratulations. And that is a big step. And I.

Carol Davis – “It is mad, not February. My doctor walked in that room, just a few weeks ago with the biggest smile on his face, and I went, is that a good smile? He said, you’re still my miracle patient.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah, because you actually had stage four.”

Carol Davis – I did.

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. Well, I am telling you, I know that people say this all the time, but when you have watched people in your family or friends with cancer and someone like you, is ups, a lot of times it is mind over matter. You have to have that mindset and then obviously a good team of doctors, but I mean good.”

Carol Davis – Team of doctors and the good.

Angela Barrett – “Lord. That’s right. That’s exactly right. A lot of prayers. But, yeah, just one more testament to your, your strength. And, I’m sure that plays a lot with your leadership and how well you, have done there.”

Carol Davis – “There again, a lot of people supporting me.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. In the team. Absolutely. So now you also had something coming up, the night this coming Monday, right?”

Carol Davis – “Is that right? I do have. Well, December 9th.”

Angela Barrett – I was December 9th.

Carol Davis – “That’s right. December nights are is. But I actually do have something coming up. It’s Monday, and I’ll tell you about that in a minute. But. All right, December 9th, we had the Race Across America ceremony at the South Carolina Veterans Memorial on the state House grounds. Yeah. And, and that will be at noon, and the public is invited.”

Carol Davis – “And in keeping with that, on, Monday at 9:00 at the state House of Representatives, Chris Wooten and Representative Micah Caskey will be presenting us with the governor’s proclamation claiming December is Race Across America Month and the state of South Carolina.”

Angela Barrett – “Oh, nice. He’s from Lexington, where I am.”

Carol Davis – So you’re sanctioned to meet her? That’s right.

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. So the nights at noon will be at the state House, and that’s December night. And then December 14th at new the Connecticut there early, like Fort Jackson held at the Fort Jackson. Now, how far are y’all away from the goal that you guys.”

Carol Davis – “Right now. I’m kind of sweating bullets. It’s the same this time. Every all of a sudden. Oh my gosh, I forgot the order. And we have until the 3rd of December. But we’re about 5000 short right now, so yeah yeah, yeah. But there again, we are within 3000 of our actual need. So between that goal and the need.”

Carol Davis – “So, I have confidence I had. I sweat bullets this time every year that the community comes through.”

Angela Barrett – “And so what we need is, people to purchase wreaths and or donate whatever, right?”

Carol Davis – “Yeah. I mean, they can go online and donate. They can, contact me. I can send them a form. On our Facebook page, you can go there and go through, not PayPal. What is it on there where you can donate?”

Angela Barrett – “Oh, okay. I’m not sure which one it is. But. Yeah. So. Okay. So for anybody listening, you need to go right now to the Facebook page. I it is,”

Carol Davis – “There’s a form on the Facebook page where I do a QR code and go straight to our three for two page for every two weeks that are donated. The national organization, will donate a third wreath. Three. And that website is Wreaths Across america.org/fc 0015.”

Angela Barrett – “Right. And so if you’re just typing in it’ll be read across America. Fort Jackson National Cemetery or South Carolina Fort Jackson National Cemetery, I think is how it goes. But if or what, you know,”

Carol Davis – “You come out the Facebook page, other.”

Angela Barrett – “The website, if you just it is.”

Carol Davis – Still in reach across America. Yeah. Wreaths crawl sweetheart. That’s that’s not org and then SC NC will bring you to the that page the main page. Or you can after the.org you can do slash SC 0015 to go to the three for two page.

Angela Barrett – “Perfect. So guys we need some donations and we need some wreaths. But we only have gosh today’s the 12th. So we don’t have very long before the third before the cutoff. So exactly now as far as the public, if people want to go, do they need to purchase tickets or they just just show up at school and get on the prison bus.”

Carol Davis – And there is no age limit. You can be one day all or you can be 250 years. Okay. You can. Everyone is welcome.

Angela Barrett – “Perfect. Now, I know that I think you’re volunteered for physical volunteers to help. I think that cutoff has already come down, so. But if people would like to get involved, maybe for next year, because this does take a enormous amount of people, it does to plan because you’ll no more finish this. And I think I asked you a long time ago, two.”

Carol Davis – “Weeks, we’ll have two weeks to rest, but actually we’ll have four weeks to rest. And then it’s time to clean up the cemetery and start all over again.”

Angela Barrett – Right? So you don’t get a whole lot of a break there. It really does take a full year. So they can also go to the website or on Facebook page to sign up for volunteers for an extra.

Carol Davis – “Scan, and they will be able to sign up that day. When they go to the information tent at Blue Cross and they’ll be able to just sign up at Bud Food, put on our contact list to be notified for next year.”

Angela Barrett – “Perfect, perfect. Well, Carol, thank you so much for, coming on today and talking to us about, Wreaths Across America. This was interesting. I can’t wait to physically get there this year. Again, I’ve seen videos, but never physically been there, and I think this is going to be phenomenal. I encourage everybody to, again, go online right now and, either the Facebook or the, website and donate.”

Angela Barrett – “We’re, we’re kind of behind on our, donations and wreaths that we need. Right. So let’s get on that, guys. Absolutely.”

Carol Davis – I have confidence and faith in everyone that. That’s right. It’s going to happen.

Angela Barrett – “And that’s right. Well, thanks again for coming.”

Carol Davis – “Thank you sweetie, I appreciate that.”

Episode transcript:

Angela Barrett “Thank you so much for being here today, mayor. I’m excited about this.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “Oh, I am too. Appreciate you having me.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah. So my very first, question for you. How does game day.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “Hey, it was unbelievable. I tell you, the excitement that was in Williams Rice Stadium and the excitement around it was incredible. But you know what? Really, I thought was amazing was an opportunity to hear a lot of the conversation going on, between the broadcasters. And it was really, uplifting to hear them talk about what a great environment our community had.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “And, you know, even one of the announcers said, you know, I never thought I’d be in Columbia, South Carolina. Do you guys? God, I’m glad I’m here. You know, and so when you hear that. Yeah. Far.”

Angela Barrett “And then stands, we got the chicken egg with certain serving, sir. Yeah, that was fun.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “But, you know, for us as a community here, that it’s what we know. It’s just we haven’t we haven’t shared it with everybody. So we’re excited to share our story.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah. And, meeting Lee Corso. How was that?”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “You know, the legendary coach, you know, been watching that show forever. It was pretty special.”

Angela Barrett Yeah.

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “I’m sorry. You know, I loved it. The fact that, ESPN, wanted to do something with the community, and I thought it was a great opportunity for us to to showcase who we are.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah, absolutely. Well, enjoyed watching it, and, I was didn’t I had no idea that you were going on. And my husband was like, you know, the mayor. I didn’t get the show. I’m like, what? So that was fun to watch. It was exciting. So, your Columbia streams art. Let’s talk about that. A lot of the project, give everybody sort of the overall, picture of that project.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “The, you know, we wanted to, to get a, a project that was really engaging in the community, you know, and stream art. You know, it was a way for us to to pick all the different media and to promote visibility and conversation. And we’re like, we got to do something to get people excited about. I’ve been in Lexington, Kentucky, and they had the horses.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “You know, I knew as a kid when the cowboy parade started. And places across the globe are doing all types of art like this, and we’re like, well, let’s do something that celebrates our river. You know, we just announced, you know, the collaboration between Lexington County, Richland County, Casey, West Colombia, Colombia, Armada Cape and and Saluda Shoals on where they had 27 miles of riverfront available for walking and biking and hiking.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “And so having that opportunity said, alright, let’s do something. So we got we found somebody who can make four foot trout. We said, so let’s do this and let’s use the fish and decorate and auctioned it off. Not to raise a ton of money, but really to create more awareness and get people excited. A way to put art into promoting.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “And and so we ended up doing, 36, different tryouts. We were able to auction those off. We raised a little bit money that we’re putting back into other programs. So we’re going to do ten turtle sculptures, only allow these artists to do it, and put those turtles out in the riverfront and around town for public display.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “There are about six trout being, going to be displayed publicly. People bought them and donated them back and, to be placed across, the city. So just creating some, some fun around it, you know, and so that was like project one. And then Steven Chesley, an artist in town, had done what they called, canvas art program during so bid and they partnered with the city of Kaiserslautern, which is our sister city in Germany, to, to to cross-pollinate art during this period of time.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “And so what they do is they project this art onto canvases and then you could display it. It’s, a unique and inexpensive way to share art. And so I was like, this is a great idea. Let’s figure out how do we do this and do 5 or 6 of these and spread them around town. So it’s constantly moving.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “And what they were able to do was incorporate poetry and art and other things. So as we do these canvases, you got multiple artists, Symbolist, and our goal is to do a lot of these and just keep rotating them across the city. So you got to kind of it’s kind of a game, figure out where it is, but it also ties you to some artists you may not know of or you never heard of this, this, this artist, this poetry, author who, you know, lives in a neighborhood.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “And it puts everything together. But we’re also partner with Sister cities and and we’re going to do one with Accra, Ghana, which we’re excited. You know, we had the mayor of Ghana here not too long ago just had the ambassador here. It’s our other sister city. So really excited about what can happen with that and do an exchange.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “But it’s opened up our opportunity really to display art in an inexpensive way around town in a bigger way. Just had a conversation with, the folks in the organization they’re organizing, 80th year Holocaust mural. And I’m like, why don’t we do it on a huge canvas that then can be transported to different parts of the community so people can see it, but also it’s something that you can reuse.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “You can roll up, pull out again and take it on a traveling, exposition or, you know, bring it to the university for a while or bring it to a couple of high school. So you. Yeah, that part’s been been pretty cool to watch and see it roll rolling in what it could be. It really opens up the door to sharing more of what’s happened in our community in an inexpensive way, but enough to draw people to it.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann Right. And then we had another program as part of that was called the Mini Libraries program.

Angela Barrett “Yeah, yeah, idea reason. The, newspaper boxes. That was pretty cool.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “You know, try to figure out, you see all these mini libraries, neighborhoods, more like, you know. So we first started off calling local the statewide laugh. We ended up found somebody who recycles and picks some fixes on the map. We got them kind of painted in different colors. Blues, greens, yellows, reds. And then we took them to our part that had the young folks in the summer camps decorate.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “So there was the hands on decoration from, the kids that were taking part in our summer programs. And then we went from there to, hey, we want to, but drop suddenly we are overwhelmed with. But yeah, so we could fill all these and get them in to neighborhoods where there may not be an opportunity for somebody to put in a little library or create access on the wall, come from some of our elementary schools really getting a lot of placed in North Columbia.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “And some of our more challenged. It is a way to just start building out the community in a little different way. You know, hopefully this is the beginning. We want to do some community art on some empty lots there as well, just really trying to build back block by block, one house, at a time. And we also were able to put some funding behind the Finney Center.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “Artist, Benny’s daughter and several other folks created, the fitness center, which is located on Lawrence Street, right over, by Hampton behind railroad barbecue. And it’s really it’s part of a neighborhood revitalized Zation there. Kevin Gray was the founder of Railroad Barbecue Community. This, grew up in Spartanburg, was one of the first kids to integrate in public school, in the 60s.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “And just, you know, all of that incredible individual did not always agree with Kevin, but log cabin energy for the community. And here I got to be great friends. And if you haven’t been in this restaurant, it’s worth checking out. It’s like a museum itself. It has artifacts basically from political, from civil rights, political through the years, basketball.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “But everything’s localized South Carolina. And so you just spend hours in there walking around city. It all the pictures. But it was a way to help that art program and that gallery really kind of grab your hub. Don’t be a multi-purpose space where they can have theater shows, they can do art shows, community programs, but it’s really in the heart of our African-American district and is really going to play a vital role to the future growth in that community.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “So excited. And then we’ve been meeting we did an art artist roundtable and got a lot of feedback from artists about what we could do better. And, you know, pushing. There was a little bit of pushing and pull in there, which is good, but we hope to have a follow up and really engage more. Oh, we get how we can help from a cultural standpoint in our community, really bolster all the arts, you know, and, you know, virtually law for us to have some big festival.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “We taught in music and food and performing arts, visual art and really tired all in together. So you can bring all this, this great creativity, across the city. So, you know, we got to keep try different things. We’re, we got some micro grants for our project. We’re looking to do a holiday market and being more of a gallery market where we can invite all these artists to display for free and give them a place to really kind of showcase their arts, much like Christmas Market, but focused on the arts.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann Can the arts and crafts of our community really looking forward to that?

Angela Barrett “Yeah, that’s a great idea. So I’m sorry. Interrupt that. Yeah. Perfect idea because I know, just trying to chase down the chicken man to get some ice. I mean, so is that a yes? You want to buy a local art? Yeah, you just do. Or most of us do. But sometimes you don’t know where to find them.”

Angela Barrett “If they’re not, don’t have a gallery of their own or you don’t, you don’t know of a gallery that holds that particular, let’s say you wanted something very specific, like an artist. Lee, you know, you were looking for something, but sometimes you don’t know where to go to. So having a one place where you can go around and and look at everybody’s is as great.”

Angela Barrett “Maybe not even a $1 a year if they would have been, that would be, maybe.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “So I’ll take the long term. That would be our goal. You know, I’ve always said, you know, there are other kids have done this, and I’d like, figure out how we do this, you know, have a made in Colombia, you know, store where you’re rotating these different, artist potters, you know, sculptures, everything in and out so that people could really enjoy local art and do that.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “But, you know, it was interesting. Somebody came out with a great idea. And so we’re looking into which is, you know, we get a lot of, hotels and businesses come here and then, you know, they want some type of tax break or incentive and so the trade off should be, well, we’ll do this for you. But you know what?”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “When you go to fill your building with art by local and make that part of the stipulation, just another way to get, you know, a few larger economy, but also, you know, really show the best in the brightest, of Colombia. To all the visitors. I mean, you know, we’re very fortunate to get 16 million visitors a year.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “So, yeah, one more sale, one more day. You know, hopefully we can keep doing things like that.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah, yeah. Great idea. So going back to, I guess, the beginning, where did you come up with this, this idea for, quality streams, art?”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “Well, I think we were a little bit in a transition at time. We did have a permanent director at one Columbia. At that time, they didn’t have a public art, director. You know, since that’s change. But we want a little flexibility where we could do a couple little splash projects, really to to to to uplift people.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “And, you know, my goal really is to create more awareness, but we can raise some money. And while we’re doing it, that means we could get money back out to grants on top of the money that’s already out there and and hopefully pushing harder to get more grant money and opportunities out there, but also another transitional way to to get businesses engaged with our local artists as well, you know, kind of really getting them excited about, you know, maybe our mission stop more, you know, maybe we should buy our arts or there maybe for Christmas.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “We’re giving art, you know, is gifts to our our best clients. Just, you know, look, everybody gets a bottle of booze and a bottle of wine, and Lord knows we can’t eat all that food yet during the holidays. But a nice piece of art or pottery or something, you know, something that lasts for a long time. So just just trying something different, you know, we’re we’ve gotten to the point in Colombia that we’re not afraid to try things that we want to try.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “And the one one thing we’ve always said, we want to promote our small businesses in our community is a small business.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah, absolutely. I totally agree. Love the arts. How about any photography in this country anytime soon?”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “Yeah. As a matter of fact, they’re they’re I think one of the upcoming canvases is going to have some photography art as well. Yeah. So taking advantage, of all arts and visuals, in our community is obviously, important. And we’re trying to get the kids more involved to, you know, getting the high schools. We even had some the couple high schools decorated trout.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “So, you know, that was exciting. So we can keep doing things like that. I think, you know, we’re promoting and get people excited. We just want to plant the seed. You know, we this I don’t know that is our role in our job to to try to sustain it and oversee it. But we certainly can help promote it and, and and feed it and get it and excited and let it grow and morph into its own, really destiny.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “And I think ways we can do that is, you know, have this gallery space. We’ve been talking to, realtors about putting artists into spaces that have at least, you know, and let it be in there from month to month. But at least there’s excitement in there. People walk by and there’s activity and they see something. So then maybe they start to visualize, well, maybe I should go in that space, you know?”

Angela Barrett “Yeah, just try and.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “Different things work, you know, across the different community lines.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah. Yeah, I like it, I like it. So now tell me where we where can we find these trout right now. What’s up though a lot.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “We have six of them over in our parks and racks. And all of that is are going to be out on display. They’re being coated with a special weather resistance coating, but you’ll see some at five points. You’ll see something in, the vista you’ll see down at the Riverfront Park. I’m actually got bought the Benedict one, and we’re donating that back to Benedict.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “So that’s going to be prominently, on their campus. So also there’s so there’s a lot.”

Angela Barrett

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “Of unique pieces, that were done that you’re going to see start popping everywhere. And then we’re going to weed in those turtles a little bit. And who knows what’s next.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah. Yeah. That sounds like a good idea. Now, going back to the, Phinney Center. I know that right now they’re housed in what, a big warehouse they, But they’re working on a redoing a form that is going to be to help help me there because I, I sort of lost it in the translation, reading about it.”

Angela Barrett

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “Yeah. They’re, they’re they had bought one of the historic house across the street, and that’s going to be our artist and resident, program, as well as having some, more active space specially to help artists and folks. Yeah, we different funding opportunities and so forth. But I think the artists and residence piece is actually owned by family.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “Who? I don’t think any of the descendants still live here, but I could be wrong about that. And they were able to get that, which I think is a, you know, a great additive to what’s happening in that corridor there. It’s going to be exciting. I’m going to tell you, the artists are building a couple of events there, and the enthusiasm that there is around this, the Penny center and, you know, it’s and it’s in another district, you know, so much of our art is always been centered downtown or in the vista, which was, you know, the original Arts Village.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “And so things are becoming a little more spread out, which is good because I think that gets more people engaged, you know? Yeah. The Chicken man, Andre Street, you know, up there, you.”

Angela Barrett “Know, we’re in that. But yeah. Well that’s.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann Great.

Angela Barrett That’s great. That’s just sweet. All right.

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “But yeah, there’s a, there’s one being, there’s an artist village being built over by, the hangar at OSP. Oh. Do you got, our streams down it, everything happening down it, Yugi Street, you know, you still got a lot of folks. It 701 Whaley said it’s really started going on low Carlyle Street, which is tucked up off.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “No, what has become a little corridor? I think there’s like 6 or 7 different artists that are working out of there as well. So a lot of little pockets everywhere.”

Angela Barrett “Right. And I know that there’s always a big art. Well, it’s kind of like, I guess the Arts and Crafts festival, but it’s mainly some of your, artists down there. And I think that is in Cotton Town, and it’s they usually have that at least once a year.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann Yeah. They had.

Angela Barrett Always been fine.

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “There had their art crawl. They also have a one in Melrose High. So you got into kind of historic neighborhoods. It play a big role and it’s fun because you stroll around the neighborhood and you get to see some really unique art, and there’s there’s jewelry making. There’s a topiary guy there. And, but some really cool, boards.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “The this lady here in town makes that, she gets some unique pieces of wood from around the southeast, makes these beautiful charcuterie boards, which we use for different things. Not just charcuterie, but they’re just all the handcraft stuff just gets you so excited. And then, of course, Soda City can’t forget it. There’s always art down here, especially pottery and other.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “So, you know, there’s a lot of opportunity for people to grasp local art. We just got to keep promoting it, lifting it up.”

Angela Barrett “Right? Right. And and speaking of so the city, I love all the stuff. And I know you’ve had a hand in it, even to the lights. You know that. Now on Main Street and you’re so city and, you know, just the, I don’t know, the, bringing or upcoming or how how you would say that, of how Main Street is.”

Angela Barrett It’s pretty cool. Now.

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “Oh, I think, I think I was so to say city. You know, Emil started that, on Whaley Street with like, ten vendors, and now it’s, you know, 150 to 200 vendors. And what’s exciting is, is how many people I meet. And so to city that are from the city or don’t really have a connection to the city, and they’ve heard about this and they come here and they’ve been exposed to Colombia and they’re like, well, you know, never would have thought about coming to Colombia or stopping by on my way to the beach or on my way to Florida.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “Now it’s become a ritual for us to stop here and spend the night. And we, we love. So to city, you know, we bath all over the place in the music there. Like, there’s so much going on in this town. And it’s it’s things that we did realize. And the hospitality, I think, is what really get people excited about our community is we got a lot of compliments this weekend, not only from, you know, folks who were here visiting for game day, but there also is military graduation this weekend.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “So and all these families in and they they could not stop asking about the fact that this community not only was so embracing, everybody was nice. People like, oh, you should go try this or you should go see this. You need to do this. It just made us feel excited about being here and we want to come back on this.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “So, you know, I think it’s a testimony to who we are in the Midlands. I think we’ve been the best kept secret South Carolina for so long. That’s now the people are starting to realize the value of the Midlands and what we have to offer.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah. As a real estate agent, you know how it pays the bills anyway, it’s not this, but the I tell all of that out-of-state clients as they are not going to believe we really are nice people. I mean, genuinely take the clothes off our back and help you. Whatever you need. You see you in a couple months.”

Angela Barrett “I should have had time to settle in there. You are kidding. And y’all love hugs a lot. Yes, we do, I think we really do.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “And you know what I always tell people? Yeah, you steal this line. Just give me credit for it. But I always tell people nobody retires up north, so why even start your career there? Started here. I tell my young people that I’ll time.”

Angela Barrett “That’s right, that’s right, I love it. It’s so, tell me about this forbidden bourbon.”

Angela Barrett “I read somewhere that you had, co-founding or whatever, this forbidden bourbon. And she was the first female. Or it how do they call it the mass lavender distiller? Yeah. I was like, well, I love it, but it’s an art. That’s an art form, by the way.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “Oh, it is very much an art form. Very, hands on, very exciting. Now there’s some friends of mine and I got together. We really wanted to do, a spirits company, and obviously, bourbon is the only American spirit. Had this idea of using white corn. And winter white wheat is ingredient. And didn’t know that there it really.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “I’m not sure that there’s another bourbon out there. Uses white corn. But we, you know, we first started, you know, trying to use silver Queen and it didn’t work, you know, as a nod to South Carolina. It was too sweet. So we had to get, just a regular white corn strand. But, I read an article about Marianne in her career, and she was in intern at Brown-Forman.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “Ended up becoming their master to blender, like 29. And she left there to be a star castle and key, which is old Arnold Taylor, distiller, reached with two other folks and I reached out to her. I said, I hey, I have this idea. And she goes, well, we’re taking all contracts on our clients. You know how much you want to do something?”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “And we said, yeah. And after about 14 variations, we came to the agreement of a project we like, and we like what we had so much sip. Marianne was actually leaving, Castle and in to try a couple other ventures in. We said, hey, you know, she goes, I want to stay with the brand. I said, we want to stay the brand.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “So she came in and, stayed with us. And as a partner and equity partner, and she’s just doing an incredible job, with the product. And we do the spin out of here. And, you know, it takes a long time in the bourbon industry, you know, working on this nine years. So, got a lot of, juice and barrels, I hope, watching it, mature.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “And she, she’s like, artisan Julien. She’ll tell us when it’s ready to be served. So we wait. We wait. But it’s been fun and it’s been a great project. And, you know, having a product where we were able to just come up with, we got a Grammy nominated designer who helped us design, handcrafted bottle custom made for us, and the labeling and the in the time and the effort nearby put in the fact that we use full quality grains over feed quality grains, just these different nuances.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “Mary and I had a lot of thought of old distilling tricks, but using new products and, you know, different strains of yeast, it really produced a unique blend. And so, yeah, we’re real happy with this fight.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah. The and I brought that up because, yeah, I know your world of art and you are big into the arts, but I thought, well, that is kind of an art form. But I know he’s not physically making it, but it is an art form. And it takes, a lot of patience, I think, on your side and her side.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “Well, there was a lot there was a lot of creativity, a lot of people putting ideas together to get to where we were. So, you know, that that that was the important part. And it it really is an art. I mean, for someone to have the talent to be able to, to know when it’s time and how to blend.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “You know, our small batch is about 48 barrels blended together, and, and create striking that balance in the knowing on a single barrel which one it actually do you release as a single barrel because, you know, you have to blend the others. And so having that, that magic tongue and that sense of smell and you really use in your sets is and I’ve learned a lot over the last few years about that.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “And it I have so much respect for folks who have that talent. You know, and are able to do it because not everybody can do it. And the fact that she’s the first female master distiller in Kentucky is, you know, says a lot. You know, I mean, until 1974, she couldn’t even have sold that business, which is interesting.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “Yeah. You know, so, well, there are there’s a lot of things out of that make you smile.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I loved it. The part about the first female master distiller yet. Distiller? Yes. Now you have a podcast of your own, called Around Town. I enjoy listening to that. And, you do that every other week, right?”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann We did. We did.

Angela Barrett “It. Is that in line with, your spotlights as well? The do you highlight, this is or that different or, you know, they’re they’re a little gem.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “We we try to use the different avenues to highlight, you know, very different folks in, in the podcast really started is because it is always campaign campaigning and, and it was different than campaigning before. I just met so many incredible people. And, and one of the things that that I learned from talking to a lot of people is, is that Columbia’s just such a hit, hit gem, and now we’d never really market ourselves.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “You know, when people are at Columbia, they just assume we’re a college town and that’s all we have to offer. They really don’t understand what we have. And so my goal was always to highlight people from our community and their unique story, its nonprofit or their business or, you know, the things that they’ve done in the community. They are somebody who, like the Boy Foundation had in this Susan Boyd on there, talking about why her family decided to set up this foundation and donate 6 to $7 million a year to projects and enhance our community.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “People really gravitated towards that. And I’ve had a lot of people set up a newcomer and I’ll listen your podcast. That’s where I learned about where all these restaurants are and, you know, learned about different programs, things I didn’t even know about. So really for us, it was trying to highlight, the folks in our community that we use our spotlight either hire, you know, highlight businesses that we also do on highlighting employees.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “We we think it’s a great idea for people to get to know the people behind the seat, and the setting to make things happen.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Good idea, good idea. I might steal it. Doing a certainly appreciate, you coming on today? My final question is, what’s next for the city of Columbia? What you got? What? What you got up your sleeve?”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “Oh, well, yeah, we have a lot of things really focused. Excited about Riverside Tennis Shop. I think that’s for us is a priority. And we’ve got a couple projects that will really help us tie it in. And, you know, I think our goal is to finish a lot of projects that have been, you know, going on for decades.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “And and they’re very important because they’re all connected pieces. And today we hear a lot from folks about connectivity and walkability and downtown living. So that’s where our focus is. And, you know, the other one is is really creating more homeownership opportunities, but also housing. We need about 16,000 units over the next decade. So what can we do to help move that faster and make sure that we’ve got, you know, great properties, affordable, attainable properties in every level across our community so that we can keep, a diverse community, especially in our downtown.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “I mean, I think it’s important we’ve seen some other cities that have struggled with that, and it got too late and a lot of their workforce and other folks might come in, and it’s detrimental to the small businesses. We want to make sure we’re thinking ahead and not reacting, but actually being proactive.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah, yeah. Well, I certainly enjoy, again, your podcast and, pretty much anything that you have a hand in, it is great to watch, it come to fruition. And, I appreciate you being on today.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “Well, I appreciate it. You know, it’s great to work with a great team and have a lot of people, you know, pulling in, I think Columbia, you know, there’s the city itself and the Midlands itself and has gotten out of it’s gotta be your stage. Well, reality we are. You know everybody kept comparing nasty, Charleston and Greenville and they all want to be the one of that is I want to be Columbia, South Carolina.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann I want to be the Midlands. And I think we ought to just keep waving the flag and being proud.

Angela Barrett “Yeah, I think you’re doing a great job of that. That. Well thanks again. Thank you.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “Thank you so much for having us. And, this was fun.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah, it was.”

Episode transcript:

Angela Barrett “Hey guys, thanks for being with me today on top in South Carolina, I have Ashton Reed from the South part South Carolina venue crisis. Thanks Ashton for being with me.”

Asheton Reid Thanks for having me.

Angela Barrett Yeah. So let’s talk about first what the South Carolina venue crisis is.

Asheton Reid “So what it was is a team that we formed back in April of 2023. It was started with three people and went to four. And we had other volunteers on the team as well. But it started because in trouble, your own ship was buying grill and Piedmont, South Carolina received his renewal quote for the liquor liability insurance, and it skyrocketed even more so than the previous year.”

Asheton Reid “He brought it to Sheila marques in my attention, and he contacted his insurance provider, and they said, best thing you do is make some noise. We are rock n rollers promoters. We were like, you know what? We can do that. And so we set out to be, our main goal was to bring awareness to this issue because we, none of us had any political backgrounds, knowledge, very, very disconnected from that world.”

Asheton Reid “But we were all very willing and able to to learn and to bring awareness to this very, very serious topic. And here we are.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah. So, let’s talk about, I guess, where this all started, how it came to how you guys formed or why you formed the South Carolina venue crisis.”

Asheton Reid “So when we started doing more research, we found out that in, 2014, there was a horrific, horrific crash in Dillon, South Carolina, and we’re going county. And, it was a naturally leading a bar, and the bar was uninsured, which technically they should not even been open, because if you don’t have insurance or a bar or liquor liability, we like the license, then you should take may not even be open.”

Asheton Reid “So I’m not quite sure how that fell through the cracks of why the state even allowed them to even be serving alcohol without this, because it’s if you have when you had your liquor license, which is distributed by the state, and you have to have the insurance, it goes along with it that you had to provide to the state showing up.”

Asheton Reid “So some things help from the crash. That’s a different topic, I believe. Sure. But were they the, the patron was intoxicated? I’m not sure if that is due to the bar or if she was maybe possibly drinking from her car or her purse. Something else was going on. There’s so many caveats that can lead to this, but there is a police officer was responding to a call, so he was going very fast, but she was also apparently very drunk.”

Asheton Reid “Hey, why did he has brain damage? Passenger in her vehicle very, very fortunately passed away. So was that leg. It was the catalyst to Bill 116, which in 2017 was but and to act which means every shot which meant that was open after 5 p.m. that serves alcohol. And even though liquor liability you think liquor but it also includes beer and wine.”

Asheton Reid “So it’s more types of up. But you have to carry $1 million policy, which in turn should not be that big of a deal, or that much of a monthly or annual fee for the business. But with there being no percentage, fault or, percentage or personal responsibility attached to that, it has become a a wild, wild west for the trial lawyers.”

Asheton Reid “And so there’s no room in there. There are victims and the actual victims, it’s it’s tragic. And they should become saying that.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah, we are advocating drinking and driving by any stroke.”

Asheton Reid “Absolutely. No. Absolutely not. But it’s more of the frivolous lawsuits that have caused the insurance premiums to completely skyrocket. Back in 2017, the average, liquor liability annual policy was 5 to 7000 or a per year. Now it we’re seeing, like, the cheapest, 35 grand up to 250 plus. And so small business. Yes. During that even it can afford that.”

Asheton Reid You shouldn’t have to because it’s just not it’s not fair.

Angela Barrett “Right. So in other state, how how is this done. Because I understand this is everybody has to have the insurance.”

Asheton Reid But it’s very.

Angela Barrett Differently in other state. In that the laws are more specific as to the percentage of fault and how that’s determined. Correct me if I’m wrong and then explain.

Asheton Reid “So I can’t speak to the other states. I’m not. We’re knowledgeable on that topic on this more. No one was going on within our state. So I don’t but know that we’re one of the few, if not the only, state that is facing this right now. Alabama did have a very have a Siri at a similar situation last year, and they I guess after I had get actually what they did to rectify this issue.”

Asheton Reid “But they, they saw the value in making sure that this, that their issue was no longer an issue because of the tax money that’s coming in just from the tourist industry itself. Sure. And in South Carolina, with the employment, one and nine people are employed through service industry. So think of the limited rate that well, it’s mind blowing.”

Asheton Reid Absolutely mind blowing.

Angela Barrett Right. And so because there are guests. So tell me the reason that y’all are going with or fighting with legislation and and what that is exactly that you’re fighting for.

Asheton Reid “So to our knowledge, what would help rectify this issue is Bill 533. We encourage everyone to educate themselves. Look it up, laugh for yourself in your own words. But also you can visit see venue prices.org and it breaks everything down perfectly. Sheila Merck is a genius when it comes to organization. And she she is she’s the one to thank for the entire website, but it breaks it down perfectly.”

Asheton Reid “But Bill 533 is the SC Justice Act, and it’s gotten several. So talk four, which wouldn’t just be beneficial to the service industry, but the trucking, the housing, manufacturing, everything within the state and it helps it bring it back to a fair trial. So it’s the percentage of faults. And so it’s not just the it’s you are 1%.”

Asheton Reid “As of right now it stands if you are 1% ball, you can be held responsible for 100% of the payout, which is mind boggling to me that if, if when 533 is passed, join several be statewide which be able for you know percentage vote. So it’s the if you’re 1% vote then yeah you’re going to pay for that.”

Asheton Reid “But if you’re only 1% ball, you should not be held responsible for 100% of the damage. When there’s especially when there’s no personal responsibility attached to it.”

Angela Barrett “Right. And so. I’ve got several questions. But I’ll start with let’s talk about what’s the timeline sort of with legislation and where we are right now, because I know they the state you know, the Senate they dismiss for this hour. And and we’ll come back, you know, in the fall of the year. But go ahead and tell.”

Asheton Reid People.

Angela Barrett The timeline.

Asheton Reid “To January through May is when the House and Senate in session, and they are able to come back for an emergency session, which, there was a press conference on June 5th that was at the state House to say, hey, you guys, you’re coming back in for an emergency session for a bill for dick hack that most people don’t even want or is too concerned about.”

Asheton Reid “But this is an actual issue at hand. So it’s you guys can come back or do get the act meeting and the first bill, why can’t you come back or go on several when this is a very serious issue and a lot of people are talking about it. You know, a lot of people are contacting their legislators, which we highly encourage them to do respectfully.”

Asheton Reid “Let them know how this is about you and why it should be at the forefront to be resolved. But they are only in session January to May. But they can be. They can be called back. It’s not super common, but it’s it’s it’s possible.”

Angela Barrett “So as it stands right now, have they turned this down, tabled it, keep tabling it for the next time. I mean how how this what’s been happening there.”

Asheton Reid “So I did make it to the floor with the, the last session. Oh fortunately it was shut down because they tried to add in section F and section F would allow 533 to not apply to any alcohol sales. So there would be completely just it would help, it would help other industries in, in the state, but it would not help be like a liability issue at all.”

Angela Barrett Yeah.

Asheton Reid “So as long we would for about three, three without section F to B B to be passed. But it did make it to the portion master who is I? I have been extremely impressed with him. He is a true advocate. It’s that it’s been amazing to watch. And he has, you know, he has a backbone and I appreciate the heck out of that.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah, I like that explanation of the perfect storm. Yes, yes. Yes. Because less when people think of serving alcohol, they think of the bar. The bartender and the patron, whoever’s you know, being served. But that is not who all this affects. This trickles down to so many people. I mean, it is when bar.”

Asheton Reid “The yes the branches that this reaches from the power companies to the local farmers to the beverage distributions to the cooks. So, I mean, it’s not just the bartenders, most everyone that’s employed from that establishment, it’s it’s just the outreach. And the ripple effect is just is heartbreaking to think that this many people could be impacted if something is not done right.”

Angela Barrett “And I understand the impact of this is Memorial along the lines of not your bigger restaurants that serve lots and lots of food because they make money there, but it is more impacting those bars that just have, a couple appetizer things because I think it’s our food if they have alcohol. But They don’t have they’re not the pin, it turns out.”

Angela Barrett “I think part of it, it’s the drinks and the, you know, that’s the way they’re bringing in their money. And I understand those are the places that it is affecting more so than some of your bigger food restaurants that serve alcohol. Right.”

Asheton Reid “All right. So a bar tavern, they’re they’re playing the margins with any restaurant that sells alcohol. Typically the higher margins are from sales. Sure. So a lot of places and people that, you know, rightfully so, don’t comprehend that part of it, but they’re saying, oh, why don’t you just not sell alcohol? Well, that’s not really an option because the business is going to go under because that’s where the the money in the margins are coming from.”

Angela Barrett But it is mostly one people are there.

Asheton Reid “Oh, exactly. Exactly. And it’s the this isn’t a necessary like drinking thing because a lot of people are like, oh, you’re just, you know, you’re fighting for alcohol. It’s more just a fight for freedom also. But it’s the response for freedom. And so, you know.”

Angela Barrett “And and the way I’m, the way I’ve read it correctly is a fairness, you know, it’s left up to the server, the bartender, whoever, to determine whether somebody is intoxicated or not. And you may not know that in the in, in the initially I’m just going to throw this out, again not promoting or, you know, warning people to drink and drive.”

Angela Barrett “Absolutely not. But what I think I have seen and I agree with is the unfair this of where, first of all, the responsibility lies to that server to decide if that person is in fact intoxicated, because, again, you may not know that initially somebody comes in who’s been drinking all day somewhere not there, they ask for a drink.”

Angela Barrett “You haven’t met them more than three second, you serve them a drink and then they leave. You served one drink. You had no time to make any kind of you know, I think that’s what I got out of a lot of what I was reading in the videos I was watching is where it needs to, percentage wise, means to lie and those kinds of things.”

Angela Barrett Is what I understand.

Asheton Reid “Yes. So it’s saying we we’ve been calling it the million odd mimosa. It’s because it’s the if you go, we have brunch at noon and you have one man. They sir, as a salesman, you go out, you’re on the lake, you go to a friend’s house, you go 13 different places, which I do not condone whatsoever. Because that not smart, right?”

Asheton Reid “By any means. But if you just at that speaking that if you so if you if you’re at one place at 12 p.m. and then you’re at another place and then at 3 a.m. you crash and something just like tragedy happens, that first establishment as the as the law stands right now in be held 100% responsible for one of the those, someone’s personal actions and choices to go gallivant all over drinking.”

Asheton Reid “Right. So it’s it’s it’s hard for me to comprehend and understand how this is even sort thing and why we know that, you know, some trial lawyers are not the most, most ethically driven, but I urge them to maybe be a little smidge more driven instead of just taking on anything and everything and trying to just get a easy and out for themselves.”

Asheton Reid “Because, I mean, typically, trial lawyers are receiving at least 30 to 60% of the pay. It. And so it’s hard for that for me to understand. But when they’re saying, oh, it’s for the victims, well, was truly for the victims. And why are you receiving the exponential amount? Oh, they’re paying. Right. So if you know the math is math and you can just put two and two together and know that.”

Asheton Reid Yeah.

Angela Barrett “The and so the next move for you guys what’s, what’s what’s up next.”

Asheton Reid “So as Zach the line of any crisis stands right now we are we we originally just set out to bring awareness to this issue. We did not have intentions to get heavily involved in politics that we were we saw that you you’re a captain. And here we are the though about some of the teeing. We’re going to, be taking a little bit of a step back.”

Asheton Reid “There is an association that’s being formed. We’ve not been very involved with that association. So I can’t speak a whole lot about where they are in terms of membership or what that really entails. But, it’s the they’re called the South Carolina Bar and Tavern Association. They are there are newer but we we’re not going to be necessarily going anywhere, but we’re not going to be as we’re going to be tearing up the row like we were last year with the town halls and all the time and effort, because this is volunteer work and we’re, we’re we’re tired, we’re burned out or we’ll burn our things, but we’re going to see it through, but not”

Asheton Reid to the time and resources that we were doing the last two.

Angela Barrett “And so if people organize, you know, businesses, whoever it may be, want to be more involved. Where do you suggest they go?”

Asheton Reid “Yes. We, we would love, love to see more business, especially businesses that this has direct impact on to get more involved. I mean, the as even you process work the website it is a tell all, be all answers, pretty much every question that you could imagine. But people have to do that for themselves instead of just, you know, a little bit of effort.”

Asheton Reid “There’s a roll a long, long way, but we encourage them to reach out to their legislators. That’s the biggest thing to say. Hey guys, we know that you guys made this happen and we need you to fix this issue. But again, respectfully, that’s that’s our biggest thing is be respectful because you’re not going to get anywhere by just being mean versus from the get go.”

Asheton Reid “I’m I’m terrible at it for that. But at first please be respectful. But it’s just knowing that this is an actual issue that this will have an impact on at Bar Restaurant Tavern, even if it doesn’t have a direct impact right now. That is that’s we have found out that people are not understanding the severity until it directly impacts them.”

Asheton Reid The service will give you proactive instead of react right?

Angela Barrett “How many? Just off the top of your head if you if you have any idea, have closed due to the increase in, drastic increase in insurance.”

Asheton Reid “So I was I was I was expecting that question. That’s a very, very hard question to answer because there is a vast amount of businesses within the state, and sometimes we’re made aware of them, sometimes we’re not. Sometimes the reason is part of liquor liability was, an added to them closing. But there’s also been some, some pride that has gotten also in the way.”

Asheton Reid “But there’s not been a full. So people don’t come forward and say, hey, we’re closing because we can’t afford this. They’re disclosing or then saying they’re closing. So we’re not really exactly sure, but there’s been at least 10 to 12, I thought in my head so far, but I know there I know there’s more than that. I know there’s more.”

Asheton Reid “And that’s just in the upstate. Right? I’m we’re outside Greenville, South Carolina, so. But within the whole state itself, I, I’m not sure, but I’m, I know it is a hefty numbers of bar.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah. I know there was I don’t I’m not sure which bar it was. And it was a pretty big establishment and, I think people were kind of shocked when it closed. And that’s just been realignment, I guess. Maybe that was it. Yeah. If.”

Asheton Reid “They’re in business for 29 years, it was out of the blue that, you know, they they made the announcement. It was I think it blindsided a lot of people. It sure is understandable. But it’s also a IT guys that we’ve been trying to bring awareness to this and where we got and then crying wolf at. All. Right. The dumb people don’t believe it.”

Asheton Reid “And so it has a direct impact on their business or their local watering hole, which is very unfortunate. Very unfortunate. But, we’re we’re believing that more people are starting to understand and comprehend the severity.”

Angela Barrett “Right, because that’s a good example of how far it reaches, ear musicians and, you know, in the art, you know, the art world that that side of things, not just the employees of that business there, or the people who bring in the alcohol or feed or whatever. But now, you know, throttling musicians as well so.”

Asheton Reid “That the music is my language. And that is why tribal, Sheila, Lauren and myself with the venue processing started this because music is our language and we don’t know where we would be without it. We’re appreciative and it would be just heartbreaking. Detrimental to see venues that support live music fade away.”

Angela Barrett “Right. And you know, I know a lot of these businesses are small, but everybody has to start somewhere, musicians included. They didn’t just walk up almost. They start somewhere at a watering hole. And I mean, nine times out of ten, I mean, you don’t get that lucky usually. And that’s how they build the following as well. So that’s kind of where they want to start is, you know, your local smaller places where people that you know are going to come see them and then it grows so.”

Asheton Reid That that’s how you better fan base.

Angela Barrett “That’s right. That’s right. Well, I thank you so much for, talking with me today. And, you’re definitely going to have to keep me posted as this goes. And, give us, some updates, as it goes along, but, good luck. And, I can’t wait to see how this goes.”

Asheton Reid Thank you so much. I appreciate it.

Angela Barrett Absolutely.

Episode transcript:

Angela Barrett “Hey guys. Thanks for joining me today on top in South Carolina, I have Miss Patricia Goron. She is the owner and operator of Ghost Woke Charleston. Hi, Patricia, thanks for being here.”

Patricia Goron How are you doing? Thank you for having me.

Angela Barrett Absolutely. You’re from South Carolina area?

Patricia Goron “Oh, I’m from Charleston, South Carolina. Born and raised.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah. Same here. So, I recognized the, the dialect there. So tell me, ghost walk. Charleston. Tell me one what it is.”

Patricia Goron “Well, the official name is the original go to walk of Charleston. And we know that the 1979 and I believe we were the very first ghost tour company, maybe in the United States. And we did ghost tours in the evening. And we also do history tours during the day, but mostly ghost tours at night. And we’re all about all things spiritual.”

Patricia Goron “Paranormal activity, because Charleston is a very haunted city and we delve into that.”

Angela Barrett Right. So have you actually seen Ghost?

Patricia Goron “Well, not on who or I haven’t. People say they’ve seen time, but we definitely do have many unexplainable things happen.”

Angela Barrett Sure. So tell me where these tours take place. Like where in Charleston do you go to?

Patricia Goron “We mainly stay inside of the French Quarter area with. With the. Oh, that should look Charleston. You can walk into. We were at Wild City at one time. That we stay in that area. And it’s about three blocks from the city market where everybody that comes to Charleston, they have to see the city market. That’s a really fun place to go to.”

Patricia Goron Right now we’re only three blocks from there and we venture out in that area.

Angela Barrett “So, so give me some. Just give me some I guess you need events I guess that have taken place on some of your tours where people have had encounters of some sort. On these tours.”

Patricia Goron “Well, how can one me think there are so many. Well, recently, there is the parking garage where a fella, he lived and fell off at the top of the garage. And it’s a recent thing, you know, in the last 20 years. And he Ed King called the garage and he messes with the lights and he only messes with the area in the area that he passed away.”

Patricia Goron “It’s just an order of the garage. Well we’re standing there at the end of the tour and the people on my tour, they go, let’s see if you’ll do something again. Some of them, I said, okay, now. I said, okay, parking garage. Go give it to thorn. You’re here. Well, I started hear a noise and I’m like, y’all hear that?”

Patricia Goron “And they’re like, no. I’m like, what then? And then I had a bulging feeling on my backside and it was my own. My own stage of the whole tour. It’s not on. I turn it off. Not the power, but it’s off. You know, I tell them, well, you have to have faith that day, right? The doorbell, was on YouTube playing a song.”

Patricia Goron “I’m like, that’s gotta be a sign. It’s like the song put in and it’s called Hello by Tune, and I’d never heard of that band. And it’s a really good song. And I’m right here saying hello.”

Angela Barrett “Oh, my God.”

Patricia Goron “We couldn’t believe that. And I said, well, hello to you and the out side light on the garage.”

Angela Barrett “You, you bright.”

Patricia Goron “And the little bow fell out. And I’m like, that had never been very active that we end up going up on top of the garage after all of this and and we were on the garage. The picture that I have of them, they were taking pictures by word started flying all around and, they caught it, but they haven’t given me the picture yet.”

Patricia Goron What I wish they would.

Angela Barrett Yeah.

Patricia Goron So we do have quite unique thing that can happen. And I just can’t explain that.

Angela Barrett “Right? Right, right. You, have to get with the, the South Carolina paranormal investigators and have them come join y’all one time on one of your tours.”

Patricia Goron Apathy. I would I would enjoy them that they would do that.

Angela Barrett Yeah. So as a tour you’ve been a tour guide now for how long?

Patricia Goron Legally for 34 years.

Angela Barrett “Right. And when you say legally, there is a licensing for tour guides, although I don’t think the, the laws now require you to, but probably better to go with a license tour guide, right? Yes.”

Patricia Goron “Okay. Yes, ma’am. You always had to have a license, though. When people come to the city and they take a tour, they know that the person, given their tour has credentials and it’s been licensed and studied real hard and taken the test of the hit free at Charleston. However, not long ago, just a few years ago, there was a person that could not pass the test and they said, this is the freedom of speech.”

Patricia Goron “And it ended up going to the Supreme Court. And now you do not have to have a license, meaning anybody coming into the city can give a tour. They can stand on the corner and start a tour from a corner or from anyplace that is in, you know, brick and mortar and come on a tour with me. And they do not have a license.”

Patricia Goron And they the etiquette is not a thing anymore with tours because it’s just something else. I don’t I’m can’t get any more into it all right.

Angela Barrett “Sure you don’t want to get in trouble? That’s for sure. And not only that. Thank you. Yeah. That’s, But now, before you, I guess, open this business. I mean, you are working already downtown, in Charleston light with that, the Old Town Carriage Company, right?”

Patricia Goron “Yeah. Actually, I didn’t open the business route. Miller. He opened the business.”

Angela Barrett “Oh, okay.”

Patricia Goron “And they. I wasn’t old enough to you. I was on my bicycle downtown playing, and they opened the go to. Wow. Well, yeah. When I got old, I did the. So I was the first girl. Rachel, driver and Charles. Then I went, oh, we hung out with.”

Angela Barrett “Tell everybody what a rickshaw is, because unless you’re from the Irish. Yeah.”

Patricia Goron “Yeah, a rickshaw is a bicycle taxi. And it’s a three will bike with a carriage in the back and, you tote people around and I’ll hung out with the carriages to get rides. And I enjoyed so much talking with the tour guides because I learned so much. Right. And Hurricane Hugo hit in 1989, and it stopped everything.”

Patricia Goron “Well, when everything started reopening the carriage company, they said, you have to come and draw the carriages for us. And I did, and I studied real hard and I passed the test. Then it was the most. And that carriage that is so much fun. And the horses are very well taken care of. And then I got older and realized I think I better, you know, walk.”

Patricia Goron “So, I was it I inherited ghost walk.”

Angela Barrett Oh. Nice.

Patricia Goron “Because. Yeah. Because the lady that owned it bought it with Anna Bligh, and she bought it from anyway, and black owned it at that point. And she said, you are the very best tour that Charleston has ever had. You have got to do the ghost tour. You’re the best at it. I can’t continue this. I’m getting older and I’m giving this to you.”

Patricia Goron And it was a big black tree.

Angela Barrett “Yeah, well, well, there is a lot of interesting, history down in Charleston. And there is, from what I’m told, a lot of, paranormal activity in Charleston. So, that has to be when you can combine the two. That has to be, a great, I would say, job, career, great business. Because it is it’s it’s one of those fun things if you’re from South Carolina, if you’re from Charleston, you got to at least do that.”

Angela Barrett “The ghost, and the carriage ride, the ghost walks and. Right, right. Absolutely. So tell me.”

Patricia Goron It is a lot of fun.

Angela Barrett Yeah.

Patricia Goron So tell me the ones that don’t work.

Angela Barrett “Yeah, absolutely. And Gilda tours seven days a week.”

Patricia Goron “You know, we were at their fun day for the Holy Ghost.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah, that’s for that ghost. That’s right. Yeah, yeah, absolutely.”

Patricia Goron Fred.

Angela Barrett “So you, six days a week, you do ghost tours, you can go on your website. I think it’s ghost walk now, that is.”

Patricia Goron Do you know.

Angela Barrett “And sign up for tours now? These tours, how many do you take at one time?”

Patricia Goron “Well, we can legally you you can only take 20 people per tour. And usually we have anywhere from 12 and under that want to go and on the weekends and you know tourist season like June, July and August when it is busy. Everyone has 20 people on the tour but we do offer private tours. If you wanted to take a smaller group out, you can do that and not go with the public, right?”

Angela Barrett “So,”

Angela Barrett The history tours during the day. Tell me a little bit about that. And where are you going?

Patricia Goron “Well, we do two of them a day in the morning, like 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., and I take you wherever you want to go on the tour. And I’ve been I grew up here and I don’t really know the history and what I think is very interesting is what I tell the people, and they really have a good time.”

Patricia Goron “Usually they’re quite a few people that I know that still live in the area, and they’ll see me come in. And my friend that feature, they trust that you want to come out. Y’all come on in and have some, wine and cheese and I’ll like. Well, sure. And we’ll go and visit somebody and then we’ll continue the tour.”

Patricia Goron “But we take you, we start at Tommy Condon’s where the. That’s where the tour begins. And it’s one block from the city market. And it’s about a mile and a half to two miles just to put it in. And it takes a good two hours. And we end up going to the battery where everybody, White Point Gardens, it’s a beautiful place and we weave in and out of the street going south to get to the battery.”

Patricia Goron “And when we get to the battery, when we come back, we weave in and out. So we go down multiple three and it’s just a fun time. And I try to keep within the shade and away from noise in the big street. And we did go through, one secret passageway that no one knows about except for me.”

Patricia Goron It’s really a cool little thing. People don’t want to leave that section.

Angela Barrett “And so you see the tours during the day there, about two hours long. What about the ghost tours? How long were those? I’ve got this.”

Patricia Goron “Well, it is designed to last to one hour and you get about 6 to 8 stories. However, 99% of the time everybody wants it to go a little bit longer because strange things happen. Sure, they know it. Usually I’ll go over anywhere from ten minutes, sometimes 30, but that, you know, that we went up on the parking garage on that one.”

Angela Barrett Yeah. So it.

Patricia Goron Made it prominent.

Angela Barrett Right. So would you say that was probably the strangest thing that you’ve ever had happen on one of these tours? Or can you think of the owner owner? Give me some examples. Yeah.

Patricia Goron “Well, I’ve given many tours and, Demi Lovato, she think heart attack. They were here with Sam and Cal and Randy, and then what’s the name of the house? God. America’s got talent. It they were here. And, farming. Cal called in a private tour beforehand. It ended up being me, Demi Lovato, her bodyguard, her hairdresser, and her best friend.”

Patricia Goron “And when they would go private, you know, and we had the same birthday. I don’t know why kind of the weather wasn’t that great, right? Either way. And it was a totally different tour than the public because we went inside of homes. But we did go to where everyone goes. What is the circular Congregational Church? Yeah. And we get there and I’m telling them everything about, you know, the goal, then everything.”

Patricia Goron “And she just up and said, if anyone is here, give us a sign. Everywhere. The light went out over the whole entire graveyard.”

Angela Barrett Are you kidding?

Patricia Goron “No. And within 30s this huge black SUV, we could hear it coming. And it did a 360 in the parking lot. They threw us in this big SUV, and we took off.”

Angela Barrett

Patricia Goron “And her bodyguard, he said I did not see anyone. How anyone could have done that. I mean, they had people in the parking garage watching us. Sure. He had bodyguards and it was quiet. I was like, that has never happened. So.”

Angela Barrett “Well, that pretty cool. You had the whole experience. I mean.”

Patricia Goron “Yeah, and yeah, I had Andy Warhol, great nephew on the tour. And two years ago and I showed a picture and I said it was taken right here in the white where it was taken, started blinking on and off. And I started talking to it, asking it yes, no question, saying blink once or twice or no. And it did.”

Patricia Goron “And I’m just I don’t understand that. I don’t think it’s an electrical issue. Right. Glass not mature. I had the people at the same spot and I said whenever I blew that picture up, the lights started blinking on that particular tour. And when I blew the picture up and said that the light was off and it turned on.”

Patricia Goron And yeah.

Angela Barrett It’s a pretty.

Patricia Goron Picture.

Angela Barrett “So how did that I mean, other than getting, just kind of growing up working, you know, down there near the tour guides and things. How did you get interested in the ghost part?”

Patricia Goron “I was forced to do it. I never wanted to do it. And I’d say, you’re the best tour guide. I know they would love your ghost tour. I’m like, I don’t want to tell, but don’t worry, that’s too hard. And I started telling them and it was. It’s the getting a ghost tour. Telling the story is extremely hard.”

Patricia Goron “You have to keep people’s attention span, you know, and you’re you’re it’s very hard. Right. And I did a great job at it. And after doing it, but so many years at people were saying, you’ve been out here your whole life. I think they go kind of like you and they want to perform for you. Maybe that. Yeah, I don’t know.”

Patricia Goron “But many things that happen that I don’t have to tell book stories anymore. And I’m very happy because people can go get a book and read them tours or. Yeah, people offer tours, book tours, you know, and you can read the book.”

Angela Barrett That’s right.

Patricia Goron Something different and new. Now that’s what I did.

Angela Barrett “So tell me and I’m going to mutilate this name. Miss Virginia, is it Garrity? Garrity? Okay. Yeah, I would have me like that. And she wrote a book. And tell me about that book.”

Patricia Goron “Well, he’s written. Well, I know he he wrote gala for unknown.”

Angela Barrett Right.

Patricia Goron “And he has a go at dictionary, and he was my librarian and school. I would study hall. I’d stay with Miss Garrity the whole time. Everybody loved their seats from, Well, Manuel, young and well, while she lived here, and she spoke the Gallo language.”

Angela Barrett That is very hard.

Patricia Goron “If you grow up here, it’s not a problem. But. Yeah, well, I don’t know that I’m fluent in Goa, and, Yeah. So there you go with that.”

Angela Barrett Yeah. So a lot of people don’t know what Gullah is. So tell I got that.

Patricia Goron “Well, it’s a it’s a actually an accent. It’s a language. Right. African Americans, when they came here, it’s it’s like it’s just an accent. It is English. Yes, but, oh. Ma in means woman or man and it phrases like up the. When the means open the window. Great. Good means. Oh, Lord. Right there. Did. Yeah.”

Patricia Goron “It’s it’s it’s an accent, really. And there’s pizza as well. And it’s pretty much the same thing. Right. Guy was just flying. More flying, I would say.”

Angela Barrett “So if anybody has ever had anyone read Baraka that Berber in the way it was originally written, which would be get Gullah down, right. Yeah. And if you it it’s very and it’s a it’s but it’s fast talking. So like you and I are very southern so we’re slow talkers, but when I have heard people who still speak, Gullah or Geechee, it’s it’s a fast, very fast form and you have to listen really hard.”

Angela Barrett Or at least I did.

Patricia Goron “Yeah. It is a. Well, I want to say it. You too fast so that you can be better.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah. Right. Right, right.”

Patricia Goron “If you don’t understand it, you’ll think it’s there.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah, maybe. Maybe that’s it. I just wasn’t understanding. But I had a teacher once who, could speak it as well, and she was fluent, and she would always read us, you know, the stories, in that language. And you. I mean, you couldn’t help. Oh, yes. Be enthralled in it, but. Yes. Yeah. All right, so tell me, buddy, how to get in touch with you.”

Angela Barrett “And, Oh. And you need to sign up for tour.”

Patricia Goron “Okay, you can go on the internet and type in, go to Dot net or Ghost Walk. Dot a I we are, in that mode, too. Okay. And you can click to call or you can call us directly at eight, four, three, 7208687. And that spells tour. Yeah. And there are a lot of the older tour companies.”

Patricia Goron “Bob. He oh you are or they’re on last four digits okay. And. Yeah. And the area code for Charleston is 843. So make sure you know that when you’re book and tour you don’t want to book a tour that’s from some other state. You make sure you get it up, get a local when you do your tour in Charleston.”

Patricia Goron Right. You he lived here.

Angela Barrett And you got a Facebook page.

Patricia Goron Right? Yeah.

Angela Barrett “And people can go online and kind of get an idea is, guy smoke Charleston is the Facebook page. Yeah. And again, like you said, people should probably pay attention to their getting for their tours, make sure they’re licensed and, at least, you know, like yourself grew up there, and you’re gonna know a lot more than anybody else.”

Angela Barrett So.

Patricia Goron “Yeah, they should avoid what you need to avoid and, give me a when you do Google anything, the first thing is it pop up are sponsored ads, and those are the people who are trying to get ahead of the good guys.”

Angela Barrett Yeah. And the one I’ve been doing a.

Patricia Goron Little good garage. Right. So cause we don’t I don’t partake in Google AdWords because it is a lot of money and I don’t want to up my price to compensate for that. And that’s exactly what’s going on.

Angela Barrett “Sure, sure.”

Patricia Goron “And also, you see like TripAdvisor, if you did TripAdvisor, just go to the company itself and directly book from the company and not TripAdvisor.”

Angela Barrett “So yes, I gotcha, gotcha, gotcha. Well, thanks for all that advice and thanks for the stories. I’m going to have to come up there and, take one of your tours and see if I take tops.”

Patricia Goron “Guys, we got one that night at 830. If you want to go that well.”

Angela Barrett “It’s a little far drive for me right now, but I’ll call you when, I’m. I am that way. It won’t be long, I’m sure.”

Patricia Goron “Yeah, definitely. Do you have a good time? I promise you that. Absolutely something. Great.”

Angela Barrett “That’s right. Well, thank you so much. And I appreciate you being with us today.”

Patricia Goron All right. Thank you.

Angela Barrett All right.

Episode transcript:

Angela Barrett “Hey guys, thanks for joining today. I have Elizabeth Smith with me today. She is, well a very busy lady. She has a lot of different hats that she wears. Hey, Elizabeth.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith Hey. How are you doing?

Angela Barrett “Good. Yeah, let’s start out. I don’t even know where to start, but, Look, we’ll start with, your photography capture, your happily ever after. Tell me about that.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith “Yeah. So capture your happily ever after. A very newly started photography about ten years ago, but, I think the name and started cap for Happily Ever After about a year, four years ago. It’s photography, videography and coordinating capture happily ever after. I really take that name because I wanted. I felt like the capturing your happily ever has.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith “Like, capturing someone’s happily ever after is very, the cliche happily ever after. Are you sure are. And when you fall in love, you get married. Is normally where that comes from. But happily ever after. I wanted to put in your, happily ever after indicating that it doesn’t have to just be love. That I do admit.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith “Wedding. It could be a number of different things. I mean, people can be nearly content and happy and find their happily ever after within a career path. Sure. Be a graduation. It could be, You like a baby? A new business opportunity. And so I really expanded from there.”

Angela Barrett “Oh, and speaking of having a baby year, do any date?”

Elizabeth Grace Smith “Okay. I am, yeah.”

Angela Barrett “Well, good luck and congratulations. And this will be your second. Right.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith “It is. Yeah. Thank you. He will actually be for a day at the fifth born. Oh, wow. And, I’ll be going in, and would, like, five, seven day.”

Angela Barrett “Oh, wow wow wow wow. And graduations. And excited for you. Sorry to interrupt, but I was like, oh.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith “No, no, no.”

Angela Barrett “No, no. You know.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith “What? He’s very excited, so he digs. I don’t know if this is going to be confusing for him for the next year, but.”

Angela Barrett If.

Elizabeth Grace Smith “That’s that’s, he bakes that for his birthday. He gets a baby sister. So I’m hoping next year he’s not baking. That’s the only birthday he’s going to get. I know there’s no blank because he did. He tells everyone you know he has a sibling coming for its part.”

Angela Barrett “Oh, that’s so cute.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith Yeah. Oh that’s.

Angela Barrett “Right. Yeah. So you sort of, I mean, happily ever after. So you do a variety of different. That is is. Yeah.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith “I don’t work with newborns, so I just find that, you know, newborn photographers enough to have a very, you have to specialize. And I say that because you really need to, I feel like a lot of the newborn photographers have, backdrop and the the lot that goes into it. Sure. Birth is I mean, there’s a lot that goes to the other photography as well, but I just don’t personally specialize newborn photography.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith Anything else? I’m pretty much there.

Angela Barrett “Right. Good. Yeah. And I’ve seen some online. You do a great job. So again, let’s. We’ll switch to another hat. Tell me about this. I’m curious. This empowered, prosperous connections.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith “Yeah. Empowered. Prosperous connections. The networking company that I came up with. And it and it was it was back in August. Of 2023. And right now we have about 40 different, business owner within the networking group.”

Angela Barrett

Elizabeth Grace Smith And then.

Angela Barrett So has it.

Elizabeth Grace Smith Really.

Angela Barrett Has this work. Oh. Where do. Somebody wants to join the networking group. Say let’s just say I want to join your networking group. What do I need to do? What are the qualifications. What are the requirements. Work through there. Kind of. Give me that.

Elizabeth Grace Smith “Yeah. Mainly it’s kind of like a you’d actually probably just reach out to me and we would discuss your profession, making sure there’s not someone else within that same profession within the group. You know how long you’ve actually been doing the company? As well as, you know, insurance license and just making sure everything in, you know, legit, like, kind of the business owner side.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith “We also work with nonprofits and they’re the nonprofits, you know, just finding out learning details. We work with, for example, nonprofit. There’s the, the Hope project with Chad. They’re, a mom’s group, which online. We have some business owners, such as, Ultimate Interior System.”

Angela Barrett

Elizabeth Grace Smith “Yep. And just I can go on and on, but, It seems like around this area, I kind of started doing a little bit of networking. Other group before I guess if I, if that was my group and I noticed a lot of what the groups were about was just meeting, mingling both partners and going, to exchange practically just business cards and think, hi, I’m so and so and I really got tired of it.”

Angela Barrett So.

Elizabeth Grace Smith “My group, we actually picked, a perfect, professional to go ahead and speak within 15, 20 minutes in the group. Really dive in deep to know you know who you’re going to be working with. So, for example, just we’ll say, Kim, who is my admin for the company, he also works for other company, Body Shop.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith “In fact, the we have her speak for about 15, 20 minutes the following, meeting we might have through the, with cleaning talk about her business. And we have a PowerPoint. We might have. We might actually go to their place of business and then some food, some drinks, and then other people will mingle, will share some video.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith “You know, we’ll get into, kind of like business seminar stuff. Go ahead and help with the businesses when it comes to marketing. We have Carly. And she can help out with website design. So it just really offer a lot more, than the E I. Great. Yeah. You know. Net. Yeah. So I really wanted to dive in deeper with businesses to get that connection going from one business to one nonprofit.”

Angela Barrett And so there’s a thi in it.

Elizabeth Grace Smith Yeah.

Angela Barrett Then you can do.

Elizabeth Grace Smith “Yeah. The fee right now is 150 every six months. And so we usually have two meetings a month. And it normally every second Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. for about an hour and a half to two hours. And then the second meeting is the last 30 of the month, 630, about 830. But normally you don’t have that. And that’s that ends up going from like three to 9 to 30, just because people are still hanging out on to talk to other people.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith “Yeah, I like my Adam. And that’s really, recently changed up the group. And it’s very exciting because we’ll be doing this towards the end of the year. We now have a public page for that, like foster connections on Facebook, not just a private.”

Angela Barrett

Elizabeth Grace Smith “And what we’re doing is actually having the business owners meet the first hour. By the second hour, we’re going to be opening up to the public. In other words, people that might be interested in learning about the business. Would be joining the meetings as well. The second hour.”

Angela Barrett Oh.

Elizabeth Grace Smith “That’s neat. Spotlight member talking. Yeah. So that’ll be closer to the end of 2024. And it’s exciting because, you know, we’re not just going to have the spotlight. What business owners allow for the second hour. It will be maybe people that want to assist in the company in turn potential clients. You know anything from that nature?”

Angela Barrett “Yeah. Well, that sounds pretty neat. Yeah, I like the way you do it. You know, there’s network, network, network. You know, that’s what they say. And what they do. I’m like you. It’s like cheese. If I went to every network right.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith “And yeah, I know.”

Angela Barrett That’s a lot.

Elizabeth Grace Smith “Yeah. That seems like, you know, a lot of them are the meet and greet. That’s right. Get something out there a little bit more different.”

Angela Barrett Yeah.

Elizabeth Grace Smith Hopefully it takes 16th. We’ll see where it goes.

Angela Barrett “Right, right. Absolutely. Well, good luck with that. It sounds like it’s, a great plan, a great program. Now, a different yet again. The Charleston, South Carolina wedding planner.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith “Yeah. Yeah. I am, I’ve actually, I’ve been doing coordinating for some time with Capture Happily Ever After. But I, I wanted to establish a new company with the wedding planning. You know, it’s more so other people working, underneath the Charleston wedding planning company versus more just myself out there. And we have, you know, because I have the empower passport connections.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith “I have a list of business owners as well that we deal deals with underneath the wedding planning. Through empowered prosperous connection. And so, it just seemed to make sense to have a different company with that. And honestly that one has just been established, you know, a couple months ago. The wedding planning can help with just about anything you need.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith “Like I said, I even go beyond a little planning to get, you know, the partnerships and the deal with have like, other vendors to really get the wedding to be smooth, to get within the budget of the bride or the groom or the.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah. And to date, in this, this day and age. Good lord. At the price of a wedding. Oh, Lee, tell us. Well, yeah, I had some.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith Friends recently.

Angela Barrett “Had kids get married, and they were telling me we had to give them a budget. Ni tell me what the budget is. And I’m thinking, oh, dear God.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith “Right. Well, you know, the big thing is, you know, the trick of getting married with it within the budget in this area, it really going to be the time of year number one. And number two, you know, so you actually pick the help you you need the wedding, all that stuff. Because if you have the wedding planner out there that, does it know certain venue, does it know certain vendor.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith “But you’re not going to find the best price. They might be able to help you find people, but they’re not going to be able to find exactly what you want within your budget.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah, I understand that. So to clear something up for me, like there’s a a debate between my sister and I about this, text, texting invitation. And that’s a big thing. And I’m like, how inappropriate. But, I mean, you know, you guys remember how old I am. Is that what a what a.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith “Again, texting.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah, it’s it’s an invitation. Instead of getting a paper invitation.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith “Oh, yeah. That is definitely a thing. Now that, like, more of the digital side. You know, I, I’ve helped out with seating charts and, when I help with the timeline, but, I mean, I really feel like the biggest thing for a wedding that the biggest thing for a wedding. Even if you don’t go with a wedding planner, you still need to have a timeline.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith “So I’ve I’ve worked, you know, having a digital tech timeline, for example, as well.”

Angela Barrett “It just it just baffles me. But again, you know, I’m old school, you know, or, you know, some calligrapher, right? By my hand. All the invitations, Zen, blah, blah, blah. And I’m like, you gotta what? But text.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith “Right? Right. And so, I think, you know, over the years, I think I’ve seen just about half now.”

Angela Barrett Wow.

Elizabeth Grace Smith You have the paper invitations. You have the the text. But I think it’s increasing more with the digital tech.

Angela Barrett “Well, I don’t imagine there’s a big cost me humongous costs and.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith “Right. Yeah, exactly. And I mean, if you have normally people work through Canva. Yeah NBA. Com I think it is. And yeah.”

Angela Barrett That’s what they all.

Elizabeth Grace Smith Did for Titanic.

Angela Barrett Yeah. Yeah yeah. Yeah I love Canva.

Elizabeth Grace Smith No.

Angela Barrett “So the way and most of the weddings that you, help people with are in that Charleston area all the way to, like, Summerville or not that far or.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith But I try to stay within the Charleston limit.

Angela Barrett Gotcha.

Elizabeth Grace Smith I just did a wedding out in Myrtle Beach last month. That was for photography Anthony Walker.

Angela Barrett

Elizabeth Grace Smith

Angela Barrett And then now you’re my stomping grounds.

Elizabeth Grace Smith “Oh, yeah. Where where are.”

Angela Barrett “You? Well, I don’t live there, but I grew up. I grew up near there. And we all my family had a house. They are close to North Myrtle Beach. Yeah. So,”

Elizabeth Grace Smith “Oh, cool. Yeah. I’m.”

Angela Barrett I feel like I lived there.

Elizabeth Grace Smith “Well, yeah. Yeah. I think it was. I grew up until about does one p Conway and Myrtle Beach area. Yeah. And then we came down here. Yeah.”

Angela Barrett “Absolutely. So now, sort of on that coattail of your photography, you, are also a magazine photographer for about four different magazines, right? So this has had a for.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith “Yeah. Yeah. Well currently I am working photography with Western Marvel neighborhoods and that’s like I want to say ten different neighborhoods that were in Dorchester such as legend, Oak, Sparrow, Sparrow, Ethan and number of different one. Then I kind of West or now I have Brownfield living magazine. In Bay living magazine, as well as Low Country Living magazine.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith And that’s what next then.

Angela Barrett

Elizabeth Grace Smith “So if you’re a family out in those areas, you know, we can always go ahead and get your information and maybe go over to see if you’d like to be on the cover of that.”

Angela Barrett Yeah. Yeah.

Elizabeth Grace Smith “I’m not the editor or the publisher, but, you know, we can help you out and get you over there.”

Angela Barrett “Right? Right, right.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith To be on the cover and also get to do an inside article.

Angela Barrett “Yeah. And those magazines, I just they have different criteria for how you get on the cover and we blah, blah, blah, but, that would be a phone call away as well. Yes. Now, a couple other hats you’ve got here. I don’t know when you sleep, but anyway, we’ll get to that in a minute. But.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith Yeah.

Angela Barrett “So, You’ve also written children’s books.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith Yeah.

Angela Barrett And so.

Elizabeth Grace Smith

Angela Barrett How many are there? Three.

Elizabeth Grace Smith Just two. Two.

Angela Barrett Okay. I’m.

Elizabeth Grace Smith “I’m practically done with the third one, but I’m holding off on releasing it until 2025.”

Angela Barrett “Gotcha. And so now tell me, then tell me, the name. I know there’s one, something magical would like.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith “Yeah. That was my first book. And I read this poem by Nathan Colby. And it’s actually when I had my first child,”

Elizabeth Grace Smith “Sorry. He’s actually talking right now. Oh, that’s something about him. Give me one second. Sure.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith “Sorry about that. I’m so good. So a step in magical woodland. Found. Want to know? The book. That was very exciting to get that. Well, I. Left, we dream a thing with TJ Nico, and he really helped put everything together. We were in there for, over 25 hours. I would say. And, that can be found at farms and or both as well.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith “Audio book. And I think it’s, play Store a few other places. I went ahead and picked out some of the care there. Well, I think that all the characters voices and me, the dream. Yeah. And so like, in other words, Dan played grand. Just like then, you know, a few other Ben. I really wanted to bring the book to life.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith “Sure. And, you know, dream. And I feel you’re the define the literary agent who specialized in animation. So I could sell that to be a cartoon.”

Angela Barrett Yeah.

Elizabeth Grace Smith “But, Yeah. And so mainly the the main character of A step in the magical was then resembled my son Benjamin. And, you know, so share the same name. And he meets a bear named Griff in a magical land that came from his backyard. Yeah. So encounters other animals within, the story and. The main lesson is paying it forward.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith “All each, you know, don’t worry. That comes along within the the book. One animal health. Another does it look for anything in return? And it continues on throughout the the forest and the land. Another animal, you know, need help. And so, Benjamin, go ahead and pay it forward as well. So it’s a very selfless story. Lots of kindness.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith “And lots of help without, picking. And it’s just a great adventure. Mainly for 4 to 9 year olds, I would say.”

Angela Barrett “Ni ni. Yeah. And the characters, They’re cute. Cute. But now I do have to say the dancing dinosaur and the stinking, monkey. No. That’s fine.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith Right.

Angela Barrett “Oh, yeah. Yeah. That’s funny.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith Thank you.

Angela Barrett “But so that’s your other book. And so, that came out, I guess, February of this year.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith “I think so it would then. Yeah, maybe February or March of this year. Okay.”

Angela Barrett And tell us a little bit about that one. I love the stinky monkey. It’s the.

Elizabeth Grace Smith “Yeah. Well, pretty much. My son, who is now about to be four. I was really happy taking it in. What makes him finding funny? And of course, something ding stinky. Poor 3 or 4 year old and something hilarious.”

Angela Barrett Absolutely.

Elizabeth Grace Smith “Number two dying of the earth, dancing, being silly and, I wanted to also create a toddler book. You know, maybe has maybe 2 to 3 sentences math on each page. Right. And it goes into like that question repetition, rhyming, something that at that age really makes the the brain development right.”

Angela Barrett And holds intention to learn.

Elizabeth Grace Smith “Right. And hold the attention. So that’s where I went with that book. And there’s also an excavator in it. Okay. Tons of little boys. And you know some girls love excavator that the stage especially though yeah. And it’s, I don’t want to give away the whole story, but I mean, I guess this being a toddler book and it going into running and repetition and all that stuff.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith “It’s completely different from what I’m actually going to tell you about the story from what you read in the story. Sure. For the parents out there, it’s mainly about, you know, dinosaur that love dancing. You get lonely. A stinky monkey comes along. To you try to help the stinky monkey get clean, and they, you know, start dancing together themselves and become best friends.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith So they just got the book.

Angela Barrett “Yeah. Lulu is very cute and, like, I love child, and I love, like I said, the stinky monkey. He’s kind of cute.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith Thank you.

Angela Barrett “So, you have are in charge of again, another hat? I’ve lost track of how many it that despite, a, pickleball tournament coming up in September. Tell me about that.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith “Yeah. So it actually is it’s coming from empowered, prosperous connection.”

Angela Barrett Your networking group.

Elizabeth Grace Smith “Company that, Yeah, that’s the company that chose that. And, I got in touch with the great recreational, and we now are hosting it at the Central Creek Park. 147 Old Monk’s on a road on September 7th, 2 to 8 p.m.. And the backup rain day is that 1028 to the 8 p.m. that if if it rains.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith “Right, you have until, family fun going on within that day. We have. I left a deejay Nico, with me. Drama. He will be out there. Between two now I say six. We have wild current live band between six a And it helps with the Charleston animal. They’ll be having foster dogs out there, I believe between 2 and 4.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith “The meet trio with or which I want to say collection. We’ll be doing a dance perform at around 330. We are in the works, discussing a possible flashmob, which is quite a special area.”

Angela Barrett I love that. Yeah.

Elizabeth Grace Smith Yeah. And.

Angela Barrett “Again, this is to benefit the Charleston Animal Society, right?”

Elizabeth Grace Smith “Correct. Correct. And so, you know, some of the vendors from SPCA will be out there as well. The Epcot that the networking company and, some other vendors, as well as food truck, bartenders. I think that’s about it when it comes to that. It’s called the sweet and sour smack down the hill. While all the family fun is going on, the pickleball tournament, will be in the background.”

Angela Barrett “And for people who want to find out more or sign up for this, how do they do that?”

Elizabeth Grace Smith “Well, you would, I guess, reach out. I have a couple different numbers. The main number for myself would be (843) 345-7854. They could also reach out to Kim, who is the admin, and. Hey.”

Angela Barrett “Is there a, somewhere on a Facebook, more of your Facebook pages that this is,”

Elizabeth Grace Smith “The well, I just got the, the public in our math connection, so I’ll go ahead and share the link. Yeah. And the flier on to that as well. Oh, and it’s also on e w w w dot and powered prop thrift connections.com on the phone page for all the way down. Okay. The link.”

Angela Barrett “Oh cool. So if you are interested in that, pickleball is a serious thing. I know at least it is around here. So we’re Allianz. It’s just a while. And it’s I mean, we have a 24 hour pickleball place now. It’s like what? It’s like it’s playing pickleball at three in the morning. But I guess I did right?”

Elizabeth Grace Smith “Yeah, we actually, I got the entire episode through two different meaning separately to boat, you know, on different sports ideas or whatever. And pickleball was one of them. At that time, I really wasn’t sure what pickleball was to be on. Yeah. And, you know, we wanted to go ahead and advertise epiphany. But also, I have a passion for helping animals and big and animal.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith “Right. So I of the animal society. Yeah. And then now it might admin as well as some of my phone numbers for me, but I really wanted to learn more about pickleball. And so I learned a thing three weeks ago. Okay. So I’m nine months pregnant. I did not run on the court. I didn’t do anything like that, but I.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith “I had to go ahead before I had the baby. Before the tournament, I said to myself, I have to learn how to play pickleball. I have to learn that. And so I wound or I like a little bit here, turn it fly the fun. Or actually, I mean, I was thinking at first, there’s no way I could do that, but, it’s actually you have to bounce the ball, so it’s not like a scary sport being pregnant.”

Angela Barrett Yeah. Yeah. Right.

Elizabeth Grace Smith “You go at your own path because, you know, the ball’s bouncing and you’re tapping it.”

Angela Barrett Right.

Elizabeth Grace Smith “Now versus, you know, some sport for the ball just going howling, being thrown in the air at you. Right. I would never do it right now. Right, right, right. It was it was fun.”

Angela Barrett “The way I described it. The first time, I guess I ever saw it, I was like, oh, it’s like ping pong. I start.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith “Yeah, yeah. Kind of. Yeah, that’s what they said.”

Angela Barrett “Fast paced man, right?”

Elizabeth Grace Smith “Yeah. Like tennis, then ping pong on a court something. Yeah, right. Yeah.”

Angela Barrett “Well, I listen to. So when do you sleep? I sort of know with all this going on because I think we cover so well.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith

Angela Barrett I do. Are you are you really just that organized? And if you are to come help me.

Elizabeth Grace Smith “Yeah, well, I can do that. That’s that’s also another reason why I do coordinate for you. Because they make sure I list down. That’s the biggest thing, is prioritize prioritizing. Every single night before I go to sleep, I write down a list of ten things I need to do the next day.”

Angela Barrett Right?

Elizabeth Grace Smith “I’m balancing a toddler. I don’t put it on a calendar. Surprisingly, I don’t put.”

Angela Barrett It on in a few days like a newborn.

Elizabeth Grace Smith “Yeah. Good luck. And yeah, I know, right? I, I actually already have everything set up, so it should be good to go. I have Kim on the next few UPC, meaning that, you know, for example, already I’ve done the next four months or the magazines right now and they clear that spot hopefully.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah. Well, no doubt it.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith They can do.

Angela Barrett “It. If you can juggle all this, you you’ve got it. You’ve got it down pat for sure.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith “And I also don’t, don’t think the. No.”

Angela Barrett “That’s right, that’s right. Oh. Well, it’s, it’s been a great pleasure to talk with you. And, I am in all, you’ve been able to do all that, and, and, well, I mean, you know, with a many a successful businesses, I, and and absolutely and all and, I thank you so much for, be here today.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith “Yeah. Thank you so much. And then I just wanted to mention that we brought that up the next test. I am very excited to share that, after Happily Ever After is now five star. I want to say just hit 400, star reviews within the social media platforms between Facebook, Instagram, Google.”

Angela Barrett “Oh, that graduations. Wow.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith Yeah. Great.

Angela Barrett “You there? Well, and speaking of pictures, you know, baby, make sure you send me one.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith “Oh, yeah.”

Angela Barrett “And big Brother, take.”

Elizabeth Grace Smith Yeah. Might take me a month. Yeah I imagine I’ll definitely get there.

Angela Barrett Yeah. That’s right. Will you take care.

Elizabeth Grace Smith For that newborn?

Angela Barrett Thank you so very much.

Elizabeth Grace Smith Yeah. Thank you for having me. I really appreciate.

Angela Barrett It. Absolutely.