On this week’s episode of the Hello Frances podcast, our host Shantelle Dedicke breaks down what it means to give feedback that will inspire your team to do their best work and feel good about it. She shares how you can incorporate feedback into one-on-one conversations with your team, how we all have different reactions to feedback, and much more! Have questions about this episode? Email he***@********oy.com.
Fresh from the oven. Fresh on the feed.
Black Bear Bread Co. is 30A's neighborhood bakery, naturally leavened breads, artisan pastries, and a café menu that keeps locals and visitors coming back every morning. Founded in 2016 in Grayton Beach and now with locations in Grayton Beach and Seaside, Black Bear has built the kind of following most restaurants spend years chasing. Frances Roy Agency works alongside their team on social media, photography, and public relations, keeping the brand as craveable online as it is in person.
On this week’s episode of the Hello Frances podcast, our host Shantelle Dedicke interviews Bobby Wagner, Mayor of Destin and Owner of Land Air Sea Productions. Bobby shares his aspirations for the City of Destin, specifically, generational thinking, a way to invest in the families that live here so that they will stay in the area for generations. Bobby also discusses the importance of a fresh perspective in local government, how creativity fuels everything he does, and much more! If you enjoy listening to this episode, keep up-to-date with Bobby on Facebook and Instagram.
Here at Frances Roy, we seek motivation and inspiration through books, movies, podcasts, music, magazines, blogs, and more. Creativity presents itself in many forms and we harness that creativity through these exposures. By sharing our team RWL’s with you, we hope to extend this inspiration and offer it as a platform for contagious creativity. As we present our individual RWL’s, we ask you to share your own RWL’s with us. Where do you find creative inspiration?
Shantelle P. Dedicke, CMP
President/Chief Creative Officer
R: Whole30 Day by Day by Melissa Hartwig Urban and ASU Thrive Magazine
W: Major of Kingstown on Paramount+ and Shrinking on AppleTV
L: Huberman Lab Podcast
Hillaree Durso, Senior Director of Content & Marketing
R: Morning Brew Newsletter
W: The Last of Us and Vanderpump Rules
L: A Bit of Optimism with Simon Sinek Podcast
Janae Erickson, Art Director
R: A Thousand Heartbeats by Kiera Cass
W: The Last of Us, Mandalorian, Shadow and Bone, Shrinking, and Ted Lasso
L: Spotify (Mostly OneRepublic and Imagine Dragons) and the Hello Frances Podcast
Kelsey Doar, Marketing Manager
R: The 12-Week Year by Michael Lennington
W: Frozen
L: The Deck Investigates Podcast
Jodie Warner, Research Coordinator
R: Wide Open Spaces by Aurora Rose Reynolds
W: A Million Little Things
L: The Deck Investigates Podcast
Kayla Koger, Design & Content Coordinator
R: Herding Tigers by Todd Henry
W: The Bachelor on ABC and Survivor on CBS
L: Morgan Wallen’s New Album: One Thing at a Time
Nicole Malley, Events & Content Coordinator
R: Still reading Atomic Habits by James Clear
W: Grey’s Anatomy
L: All of Taylor Swift’s Albums
Ryan Cobb, Operations Coordinator
R: Morning Brew
W: Last Of Us on HBO Max
L: Pat McAfee Show
Jacie Chandler, Junior Copywriter
R: The Marketing Millennials Newsletter
W: Cobra Kai, Shadow and Bone, and Outer Banks on Netflix
L: Social Media Marketing with Michael Stelzner Podcast and Today’s Top Hits on Spotify
Ana Sharp, Graphic Designer
R: Winning the War on Worry by Louie Giglio
W: Epicurious on YouTube
L: Amen Podcast
Luke Sherwood, Intern
R: Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter
W: The Night Agent on Netflix
L: Smithereens by Joji
From local networking events to concerts and fundraisers, we’ve gathered up a few of the most-anticipated events happening in the next few weeks so you can easily add them to your calendar!
April
Spring Fashion Show & Tea Party presented by La Luna Children’s Boutique
April 1st, 3 p.m. | Grand Boulevard at Sandestin, Miramar Beach
Join La Luna Children’s Boutique for a Spring Fashion Show and Tea Party at Grand Boulevard at Sandestin! Enjoy light refreshments, giveaways, crafts, and Easter bunny photos with your family. Plus, all proceeds from the event benefit the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast!
Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce’s First Friday Coffee
April 7th, 7 a.m. | Christian Life Center at First Baptist Church, Fort Walton Beach
Make new connections and build on existing relationships at the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce’s First Friday Coffee sponsored by Bank of England Mortgage. It’s the most highly attended networking event in the area!
Women’s Climbing Circle at Rock Out Climbing Gym
April 8th, 9 a.m. | Rock Out Climbing Gym, Destin
Join other women for a monthly climbing session designed to foster the female climbing community at Rock Out Climbing Gym. This is the perfect opportunity to meet new climbing partners, focus on your climbing goals, and enjoy a safe community space of like-minded women!
Jacobe Turner Teen Center Bowling Tournament
April 8th, 1 p.m. | Fort Walton Beach Bowl, Fort Walton Beach
Join the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast for their inaugural Jacobe Turner Teen Center Bowling Tournament! Team registration includes bowling, shoes, t-shirts for your team, and more. There will be a 50/50 raffle and silent auction at the event, too!
Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce’s Nothing But Networking
April 13th, 11:30 a.m. | University of West Florida Emerald Coast Campus, Fort Walton Beach
Enjoy a delicious lunch, make new connections, and network with other local professionals at the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce’s Nothing But Networking sponsored by the University of West Florida Emerald Coast!
Military Family Appreciation Day
April 15th, 11 a.m. | Fort Walton Beach Landing, Fort Walton Beach
Join the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber for a full day of family-friendly fun, including free lunch and free entertainment, designed to honor the service and the sacrifices made by military families and veterans throughout our area. The event will include military service organization exhibitors and food and drinks from a variety of vendors. There will also be drawings for incredible prizes throughout the day!
Concerts in the Village: Post Modern Jukebox
April 20th, 7 p.m. | MKAF Cultural Arts Village, Destin
One part celebration of vintage music and culture, one part Saturday Night Live for singers, a Post Modern Jukebox show is an unforgettable trip back in time sure to make Pop Music History in Destin. This isn’t just a concert; this is a must-not-miss music experience!
Concerts in the Village: Roman Street Party Band
April 27th, 7 p.m. | MKAF Cultural Arts Village, Destin
Get ready to get on your feet and sway to the beat. Hailing from Mobile, Alabama, Roman Street delivers a lyrical amalgamation of acoustic guitar, classical, gypsy, contemporary jazz, Latin, and nuevo flamenco sounds. There is a reason this mesmerizing music group is a proven local favorite!
South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival
April 27th through 30th | Grand Boulevard at Sandestin, Miramar Beach
A dazzling roster of dozens of celebrity winemakers, distillers, brewmasters, and chefs converge in South Walton, Florida to wine, dine, educate, and entertain guests as part of the three-day celebration of wine. Make your plans now and be prepared to sip more than 600 wines presented by knowledgeable wine industry insiders, savor delectable small bites from Nosh Pavilions, led by the best restaurants South Walton has to offer and stroll the beautiful boulevard!
Beethoven v. Coldplay: A Merging of Musical Giants
April 29th, 7:30 p.m. | Destin-Fort Walton Beach Convention Center, Fort Walton Beach
Beethoven V. Coldplay transforms the Eroica into an oratorio, weaving the melodies and lyrics of Coldplay into the original Beethoven, and pairing them together based on content and context. It is the alternate Eroica Beethoven may have created had he known the music of Coldplay at the time. Many of Coldplay’s most well-known songs are interpolated, including Yellow, Viva La Vida, Clocks, and The Scientist.
18th Annual Destin Charity Wine Auction presented by the Jumonville Family
April 28th through 29th | Grand Boulevard at Sandestin, Miramar Beach
The Destin Charity Wine Auction weekend kicks off with Patron Dinners hosted in private homes and restaurants along the Emerald Coast on April 28th, each dinner supporting one of DCWAF’s benefiting charities. The Destin Charity Wine Auction, hosted on April 29, includes a Reserve Tasting and Live Auction held under an air-conditioned tent at Grand Boulevard’s Town Center. The event will feature distinctive wines from internationally reclaimed vintners, poured and paired with cuisine created by a selection of the area’s top local restaurants.
May
Concerts in the Village: Ozomatli
May 4th, 7 p.m. | MKAF Cultural Arts Village, Destin
A cacophony of sounds melding salsa, jazz, funk, reggae, and hip-hop is Ozomatli. This social-minded ensemble rock band was formed in Los Angeles in 1995 to give voice to Latinos, fight for workers' rights, and promote global unity. After performing around the world, they are ready to rock Destin headed into Cinco de Mayo weekend!
Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce's First Friday Coffee
May 5th, 7 a.m. | Christian Life Center at First Baptist Church, Fort Walton Beach
Make new connections and build on existing relationships at the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce’s First Friday Coffee sponsored by Zerorez of Northwest Florida. This monthly event is one of the most popular networking events in our region!
Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce's Nothing But Networking
May 11th, 11:30 a.m. | The Place on Beal, Fort Walton Beach
Enjoy a delicious lunch, make new connections, and network with other local professionals at the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce’s Nothing But Networking at The Place on Beal!
Concerts in the Village: Lucky Chops
May 11th, 7 p.m. | MKAF Cultural Arts Village, Destin
Lucky Chops has been unleashing high-energy brassy funk on the world since forming in NYC in 2006. The intensity of the band’s energy is fueled by their desire to share the healing and inspirational power of music with others. It’s your lucky day to see Lucky Chops live in concert.
Women’s Climbing Circle at Rock Out Climbing Gym
May 13th, 9 a.m. | Rock Out Climbing Gym, Destin
Join other women for a monthly climbing session designed to foster the female climbing community at Rock Out Climbing Gym. This is the perfect opportunity to meet new climbing partners, focus on your climbing goals, and enjoy a safe community space of like-minded women!
May 13th, 6 p.m. | Emerald Coast Science Center, Fort Walton Beach
Take part in this cocktail mix-off as you sample and vote for the most scientific cocktails in the area. Local bartenders and mixologists will be showcasing the chemistry, biology, and physics behind preparing these cocktails. The evening will also include light refreshments, live music, and chances to win prizes. Get into the spirit at this amazing evening for guests ages 21 and up! All proceeds benefit the Emerald Coast Science Center.
35th Annual ArtsQuest Fine Arts Festival
May 13-14th, 10 a.m. | Grand Boulevard at Sandestin, Miramar Beach
Produced by the Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County and presented by Grand Boulevard Town Center, ArtsQuest provides an opportunity to view and purchase original artwork from more than 100 artists from around the country. You can see artwork in the categories of ceramics, glass, jewelry, metal, mixed media, oils & acrylics, photography, wood, and much more!
Concerts in the Village: Yacht Rock Revue
May 18th, 7 p.m. | MKAF Cultural Arts Village, Destin
This top-notch group of musicians trademarked the term “yacht rock,” both metaphorically and literally (U.S. Registration Number 3834195). From humble beginnings in a basement, they’ve rocked onstage with John Oates, Eddie Money, and now headline sold-out shows across the country. While rising from bars to amphitheaters, they’ve ticked every box on the Rock Star Accomplishments bingo card, except for one: writing and singing their own songs.
Concerts in the Village: Sinfonia Gulf Coast feat. Morgan James and Symphonic Soul
May 25th, 7 p.m. | MKAF Cultural Arts Village, Destin
Sinfonia Gulf Coast featuring Morgan James and special guest Ryan Shaw brings the classic sounds of Memphis to life with soulful new arrangements of classics by Al Green, Otis Redding, Ann Peebles, Sam and Dave, and, of course, Elvis. James rounds out the evening with her own Memphis soul originals and storytelling.
June
Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce's First Friday Coffee
June 2nd, 7 a.m. | Christian Life Center at First Baptist Church, Fort Walton Beach
Make new connections and build on existing relationships at the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce’s First Friday Coffee sponsored by Florida Power & Light Company. Don’t miss the chance to make new connections and network!
Concerts in the Village: Gotta Groove Band
June 1st, 7 p.m. | MKAF Cultural Arts Village, Destin
Gotta Groove Band puts a fresh spin on popular cover tunes from the ‘60s to today. With outstanding vocals and top-shelf musicianship, they feature their own arrangements and mix many popular songs together to create a fun flow of entertaining energy. You will not want to miss the party this Land O Lakes, Florida, band throws down.
Concerts in the Village: Adam Ezra Group
June 8th, 7 p.m. | MKAF Cultural Arts Village, Destin
Fusing folk intimacy and rock energy with soul power and pop charm, the band first emerged from Boston in the early 2000s and quickly garnered widespread acclaim for their bold, insightful songwriting and interactive, euphoric performances.
Women’s Climbing Circle at Rock Out Climbing Gym
June 10th, 9 a.m. | Rock Out Climbing Gym, Destin
Join other women for a monthly climbing session designed to foster the female climbing community at Rock Out Climbing Gym. This is the perfect opportunity to meet new climbing partners, focus on your climbing goals, and enjoy a safe community space of like-minded women!
Concerts in the Village: Journeyman: A Tribute to Eric Clapton
June 15th, 7 p.m. | MKAF Cultural Arts Village, Destin
At just 17, Shaun Hague was named “Best Young Blues Guitarist” by The House of Blues. By 21, he was sharing the stage with the likes of blues phenoms such as Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Amos Lee, John Waite, Terra Naomi, and John Fogerty. In honor of his biggest musical influence (Eric Clapton), he and his three-member band have been making waves with their powerful live music performance.
Concerts in the Village: Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
June 22nd, 7 p.m. | MKAF Cultural Arts Village, Destin
With appearances from the Hollywood Bowl to Lincoln Center, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy continues its decades-long mission to celebrate and revitalize jazz and swing music — America’s original musical art form — and bring joy to audiences around the world. Get ready for a jumpin’, jivin’, wailin’ good time.
Looking for more upcoming events? Sign up for our newsletter here to get the scoop on new events in our area!
On this week’s episode of the Hello Frances podcast, our host Shantelle Dedicke shares what it is like to have a workplace culture that embraces change and why this is important in the world we live in today. Shantelle breaks down how we expect and embrace change at Frances Roy, what leaders in the workplace can do to support their employees during times of change, and much more! Read our latest blog to learn more about embracing change in your work place.
Email marketing is a valuable tool, but building a list can be a lengthy process. Are you struggling to grow your email list? Here are 7 tips to follow to build an engaged database!
1. Give people a reason to subscribe.
Provide website visitors and customers with an incentive to subscribe to your email list. This can be a discount on a purchase, a free resource from your business, or the insight of being the first to know about new products, promotions, and more. Your subscribers may only sign up to receive that initial incentive, but if you establish a good relationship and provide quality content, they can become loyal customers.
2. Add an email opt-in to your website.
Adding an email opt-in to your website allows visitors to peruse your website and decide whether they want to subscribe to your email or not. Placement is key. You can include an opt-in in multiple places throughout your site including the home page, product pages, blog posts, and more.
3. Encourage your subscribers to share your emails.
Simply asking your subscribers to share your emails with someone they think would enjoy it can go a long way, but to build upon that you but you can continue to grow your email list by giving your subscribers an incentive or added value when they share your content with others. You can offer a discount, free resources, or even free products when someone refers to a friend.
4. Reinvigorate a stale email list.
Do you have a list of subscribers that opted-in years ago? Create an engaging opt-in message to send to this older list and encourage them to re-opt in if they’d like to, but also promise to remove all contacts who don’t respond. Though it may seem counterintuitive to remove people from your email list to grow it, you want to make sure your contact list is engaged. This increases the odds of your email being opened and shared with those outside of your current subscribers.
5. Add an opt-in link to your employees’ signatures.
Hyperlinked email signatures is an easy way for people to land on your website, where they can sign up for your mailing list. Plus, if you’re already in conversation with a customer, subscribing to more emails is a natural next step. Employees can also share a direct call-to-action in their email pointing the customer to the link so they can opt-in to your mailing list.
6. Create a free online tool or resource that requires sign-up.
As mentioned above, potential subscribers may want something in return for subscribing to your emails. A great way to do this is to offer free online tools or resources that would make their lives easier, and all they have to do is give you their email address in return. After they opt-in to your email list, keep them engaged with unique content related to the reason they subscribed in the first place.
On this week’s episode of the Hello Frances podcast, our host Shantelle Dedicke shares her knowledge of ChatGPT, a chatbot developed by OpenAI that launched in November 2022. Shantelle discusses the implications of ChatGPT and other natural language processing tools on certain career fields, how it can be used to spark ideas, and much more! Have questions for Shantelle? Email us at he***@********oy.com.
Learn more about OpenAI ChatGPT: https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt/
Change is inevitable, and all businesses are subject to it – whether new technology, products, services, employees, or clients. A workplace culture that provides the foundation for adapting to change is crucial. If you want your team to feel comfortable embracing change, there are a few ways that you can create a workplace culture to support them. We’ve done the research and have found three key ways to encourage embracing change in your workplace.
Promote Employee Engagement
Promote employee engagement by asking for feedback. Asking for input shows your team members that their opinions matter and gives you a chance to look at situations from their perspective. Receiving feedback also fosters a culture of transparency within your team, which is crucial to maintaining a healthy workplace. In addition, make your employees a part of the process when a change occurs. This will encourage employee engagement and make them feel like you are being transparent, inclusive, and honest. Let your team know ahead of time that change will happen, explain the reason behind it, and ask for their input.
Lead by Example
As a leader, be open to change and model that openness to your employees. If you appear hesitant to accept new technology or strategy, your employees may follow your example and push back on the change. Model flexibility, open-mindedness, and strategic thinking; employees will feel more comfortable throughout the transition.
Support Your Team
Maintain a sense of community with your team by ensuring that your employees know and align with your business’ values. A two-way street of trust between your employees and your company’s leadership creates a foundation for accepting change in your workplace. Mistakes and failures are inevitable when implementing change; therefore you want to make sure your employees feel safe to try something new without being reprimanded. Reward employees for thinking outside the box, even if they fail, so they are not hesitant to try new ways of doing things. Solid training also makes a big difference when transitioning to something new. When you support your team, you give your employees the tools they need to adapt to change and thrive in the new environment.
How do you manage your team during times of transition? Email us at he***@********oy.com. If you enjoy our blogs, sign up for our newsletter here and we’ll notify you when we share a new one!
World-class music. Right here on the Gulf Coast.
Sinfonia Gulf Coast has built something remarkable, a thriving arts community that brings exceptional performers and deeply engaged audiences together, season after season. Their commitment to artistic excellence and community access sets the standard for what a regional arts organization can be.
