Kayla Koger, our Design and Content Coordinator, is from Fort Walton Beach and attended college at the University of South Florida where she majored in Integrated Public Relations and Advertising. Kayla went to Niceville High School where she learned Graphic Design from her one of her favorite teachers and mentors, Ms. Frakes. Shantelle and Hillaree spoke at one of Ms. Frakes’ classes about Frances Roy Agency’s first-ever internship program, and Kayla immediately applied and became one of the first interns of FRA. After her internship ended, Kayla received a part-time position on the team and the rest is history!
One thing that energizes Kayla at work is creativity. She loves creating new content and designs uniquely for each of our clients. To help prevent burnout outside of work, Kayla looks through other social media accounts and businesses. Seeing new ideas, ways to market a brand, and their successes fuels her to create new and unique pieces for our clients.
The best piece of industry advice Kayla could pass along is, “Never be afraid to take chances.” In her role, Kayla feels like she must take chances with new ideas or designs in order to grow. With this growth mindset motivating her, “Don’t be afraid to take chances” is the Frances Roy value that resonates the most with Kayla!
One topic Kayla wishes to learn about this year is how to animate design elements and make GIFs from Janae’s expertise.Come back in two weeks to learn more about another one of our Frances Roy team members as we celebrate the Year of the Team! Learn more about what Year of the Team means to us at https://francesroy.com/year-of-the-team/.
Local Business Gift Guide
In honor of Small Business Saturday, we’ve rounded up some of the finest local businesses where you can purchase one-of-a-kind gifts or experiences to give this holiday season.
Spoil a friend or family member this holiday season with a special trip to Avantgarde Aveda for hair care, nail care, and so much more. Head to Avantgarde’s Facebook or Instagram for full details on their holiday specials, including customized gift sets, bonus gift cards, and more.
Home to a variety of small businesses, Grand Boulevard is a great place to find those special gifts for your loved ones while supporting the local community.
Emerald Coast Indoor Shooting and Sport
An Emerald Coast Indoor Shooting and Sport membership is the perfect gift that your loved ones will enjoy all year long!
Newman-Dailey Resort Properties
Looking for the perfect place to relax and spend time with your loved ones during the holiday season? Take a staycation with Newman-Dailey Resort Properties! With a variety of accommodations including condos, cottages, and beach homes, your vacation rental will be only steps away from the beach, pool, or local restaurants.
A gift for the adventurer in your life. Purchase a membership or gift card to Rock Out Climbing Gym, the premier indoor rock climbing facility on the Emerald Coast.
Driving the RV for a special holiday trip? Make a pit stop at 30A Luxury RV Resort while you’re in Florida. They have a variety of amenities, including a pool, clubhouse, and seasonal beach shuttle. The best part is the longer you stay, the better the deal!
Looking for a gift that’s boldly unforgettable? Truepost has unique, timeless, and thought provoking scriptures and devotions card sets that will be a gift of inspiration to your loved ones.
Donation in their Honor
Do your loved ones always find a way to donate their time or money for a cause dear to their hearts? Make a donation in their name as a special gift to them! A few local charities dear to our hearts include Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation, Florida Audubon, Boys and Girls Club of the Emerald Coast, Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation, Emerald Coast Autism Center, Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance, Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge, Girl Power for Good Foundation, Sinfonia Gulf Coast, and Dog-Harmony.
On this week’s episode of the Hello Frances podcast, Shantelle talks with Kate MacMillan, Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation’s Director of Marketing and Communications. Kate discusses the Foundation’s mission, how they keep the creativity flowing, and so much more! Have questions about this episode? Email he***@********oy.com.
Our Event Coordinator Nicole attended the University of California, San Diego, where she discovered her passion for event planning and social media through her leadership positions for her sorority, Alpha Phi. As the sorority’s Director of Philanthropy, she spearheaded UCSD’s Inaugural Red Dress Gala benefiting both the Alpha Phi Foundation and American Heart Health Association. She was familiar with the work of Frances Roy Agency and when she heard a podcast episode mentioning that the agency was hiring she took a chance and submitted her resume and cover letter. Nicole says, “After a deep dive into the Frances Roy Agency podcast, Instagram, and website I realized there was something special about the agency and I would be lucky to work with such talented people!”
The Frances Roy Agency value that resonates most with Nicole at this point in her life is don’t be afraid to take chances. She feels that both Hillaree and Shantelle have created a safe space for her creativity to flourish when it comes to content creation for our clients.
What energizes Nicole at work is receiving positive feedback from her peers and clients. Nicole thrives with variety in her routine and loves covering social events for all clients. There’s never a dull moment during event season and Nicole loves every second of it. One thing Nicole does outside of work to avoid burnout is to spend quality time with her friends and family, whether it’s a beach day or exploring a new place. As an avid foodie, Nicole is always looking to try new restaurants which leads to her coming back to the office energized and ready to take on a new challenge or event.
A piece of professional advice Nicole would pass along to others is to trust yourself. As mentioned, Nicole most closely resonates with the Frances Roy Agency value “Don’t be afraid to take chances,” which goes hand in hand with trusting oneself to take risks.
When asked what topic she wishes to learn about this year, Nicole has more than just one. Professionally, Nicole hopes to learn more about the ever-changing world of social media to stay on top of trends to use in content creation. Personally, Nicole hopes to learn more about cooking and improve her roller skating skills!
Come back in two weeks to learn more about another one of our Frances Roy team members as we celebrate the Year of the Team! Learn more about what Year of the Team means to us at https://francesroy.com/year-of-the-team/.
The holidays are right around the corner, and what better way to spend quality time with your loved ones than enjoying all of the local festivities! We rounded up the events you don’t want to miss throughout our region this season.
Grand Boulevard Christmas Holiday Lights Kick Off
November 18th, 4:30 p.m. | Grand Boulevard at Sandestin
The Grand Boulevard Town Center will be awash in tens of thousands of beautiful white lights, and Coastal White Christmas officially begins with a parade and Santa’s arrival. Enjoy complimentary photos with Santa, horse-drawn carriage rides, and more during the Holiday Lights Kick-Off!
Grand Boulevard Festival of the Trees
November 22nd, 4 to 6 p.m. | Grand Boulevard at Sandestin
Twelve local non-profit organizations will decorate a Christmas tree and compete to win cash prizes for Best of Show and People’s Choice categories in Grand Park at Grand Boulevard in Sandestin. Don’t miss the chance to see these beautiful trees on display and vote for your favorite!
Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce’s First Friday Coffee
December 2nd, 7 to 9 a.m. | First Baptist Church of Fort Walton Beach
Join the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce for their First Friday Coffee sponsored by the Eglin Federal Credit Union! This is the perfect event for networking with other local professionals, hearing from different local businesses, and learning about upcoming events in our area.
Grand Boulevard Horse Drawn Carriage Rides, Carolers, & Photos with Santa
December 2nd - 17th on Fridays & Saturdays from 5 to 8 p.m. | Grand Boulevard at Sandestin
December 19th - 23rd All Week from 5 to 8 p.m. | Grand Boulevard at Sandestin
Enjoy free horse-drawn carriage rides around the Town Center while taking in the Coastal White Christmas lights and the Festival of the Trees display. To add to the festivities, get a professional photo with Santa while listening to the seasonal sounds of the Emerald Coast Theatre Company's Dickensian Carolers singing popular holiday carols.
Cookie Decorating Class with Sundy
December 3rd, 12 to 2 p.m. | Estelle Studio & Gallery, Freeport
Join Sundy Keichel of Keichel Cookies to decorate Christmas cookies for the holidays! Class includes all decorating supplies, step-by-step instructions, six cookies, and a box to transport home.
Holiday Pops featuring The Doo Wop Project
December 9th, 7:30 p.m. | Destin-Fort Walton Beach Convention Center
The Doo Wop Project boys will get you into the holiday spirit! Hear old-school holiday classics like The Drifters’ White Christmas, The Temptations’ Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, along with “Doowopified'' contemporary hits like This Christmas and Last Christmas. It’s sure to be a jolly good time!
Building Industry Association’s Parade of Homes
December 9th - 11th, 12 to 6 p.m.
It’s no secret – the annual Parade of Homes is the single largest and most important showcase of new homes during the year. Spectacular homes will be rolling out the red carpet for you and showcasing the finest in residential construction, designs, products, and craftsmanship to be had in both Okaloosa and Walton Counties!
On this week’s episode of the Hello Frances Podcast Shantelle is joined by Juan Manuel (JM) Correa, a world-renowned Racecar Driver and Ambassador for Step One Motorsports. In this episode, Juan talks about his journey to becoming a racecar driver at such a young age, his mindset throughout his career, and much more! Have questions about this episode? Email us at he***@********oy.com.
Our Operations Coordinator, Ryan Cobb, was born in Annapolis, Maryland, and raised in Livermore, California. Growing up, Ryan spent most of his time outside playing sports or playing video games with friends. Ryan has extensive experience in the service industry, where he strengthened his work ethic and improved his skills in the hospitality industry. Ryan’s growth mindset and excitement to try new things make him a great addition to the Frances Roy team as the Operations Coordinator. He says, “After years of customer service, serving, and other jobs, I was looking for something to make a career out of. Shantelle reached out to me with this awesome opportunity and I never looked back.”
When asked what Frances Roy value resonates with him, he says, “It’s hard to choose just one because all of them resonate with me in some way.” His top two values are ‘Family First’ and ‘Don’t be afraid to take chances.
Everyone needs something to stay energized at work, and the two things that do that for Ryan are learning new things and coffee! Ryan, like the rest of our team, spends time outside of work doing the things that bring him joy and spark his creativity as a way to avoid burnout. He says, “I spend time with my beautiful girlfriend and my crazy dog.”
The best piece of professional advice Ryan would pass along to others is never to stop trying. He says, “Learn from your mistakes. Everything is hard when you don’t try.” Ryan implements this advice in his by trying new things all the time!
When asked what topics Ryan wishes to learn more about this year, he says, “This year has already been full of learning new things.” He is eager to learn as much as he can but specifically wants to learn how to build a website from the inside out and website maintenance.
Come back in two weeks to learn more about another one of our Frances Roy team members as we celebrate the Year of the Team! Learn more about what Year of the Team means to us at https://francesroy.com/year-of-the-team/.
On this episode of the Hello Frances podcast Shantelle is joined by our Art Director, Janae Erickson, to share the news of her recently unveiled mural for the City of Niceville located near Turkey Creek. Janae talks about the process of creating the mural, how exciting it was to watch it unveil, and much more. Have questions about this episode? Email us at he***@********oy.com.
Born and raised in Fort Walton Beach, Jacie is a recent graduate of the University of West Florida with a bachelor’s degree in communications and a digital marketing certificate. She has a background in social media from working at the Emerald Coast Science Center for more than 6 years as their social media coordinator where she creates content, manages social media, and much more. During her last semester of college at the University of West Florida, Jacie interned with us at Frances Roy and expanded her marketing skills. Upon graduation, she accepted a position as a Junior Copywriter and has since focused her time on writing blogs, editing podcasts, and many other projects for our agency.
The Frances Roy value that resonates the most with Jacie is don’t be afraid to take chances. She described our work environment that supports taking risks as a breath of fresh air. “The ability to take chances without the fear of failure allows me to be more creative with my work and be more confident in myself when I succeed,” she says. Taking chances is something that didn’t come naturally to Jacie, but with the help of the Frances Roy team, she feels more comfortable taking a chance.
Something that fuels the fire for Jacie at work is new projects and organization. She says, “If there is anything to be organized, whether that’s on Google Drive, in an Excel spreadsheet, or tangible items, I am down to organize it.” New projects also allow Jacie to be creative and give her something different to do so that every day at work looks different. To avoid burnout, Jacie takes time outside of work to relax her mind and work on her passions. She says, “Doing things like playing on my Nintendo switch, watching Netflix, or reading a good book are great ways for me to give my mind a break while immersing myself in an experience. I’m not always able to just shut my mind off–I don’t think meditation could be my thing for that reason–but doing something that I enjoy that keeps my mind busy is good for me.” Jacie loves the chance to create art in her free time as well, including mosaics, homemade gifts, and the occasional painting. “It’s a bit odd, but when I’m home alone (which doesn’t happen often), I will put on some music and clean around the house. That feeling of a clean space ready for me to accomplish other tasks or to just relax makes me feel great,” she says.
The best piece of professional advice that Jacie would pass along to others is to be confident in yourself. “This is something I struggled with for a long time,” she says, “but as I grew my skills and received feedback from trusted mentors, I became more confident in myself and my work.” Having confidence in herself gives Jacie the ability to accomplish great work and bring new ideas to the table.
When asked what Jacie wants to learn about this year, she says, “There are so many things I want to learn about, but my topic of choice would be branding. Branding affects the entire way your company markets itself, and I want to learn as much as possible about it from Shantelle and the rest of the team.”
Come back next week to learn more about another one of our Frances Roy team members as we celebrate the Year of the Team! Learn more about what Year of the Team means to us at https://francesroy.com/year-of-the-team/.
Joining Shantelle on the mic for this week’s episode of the Hello Frances podcast is special guest Joseph Rogers, Owner and Senior Stylist of Avantgarde Aveda located in Niceville and Destin. In this episode Joseph shares the story of his beginnings as a hair stylist, what it means to be a part of the Avantgarde team, and much more. Have questions about this episode? Email he***@********oy.com.
