May 9, 2023 • 19 mins
Rachael Glaws launched RGI Events in 2008 with an ambitious vision: to create a mission-led events firm providing strategy-driven experiences grounded in flawless logistics and beautiful design. She guides each distinctly curated event thoughtfully from concept to completion, navigating the nuances along the way with grace and style afforded by deep expertise. Under her leadership, RGI Events has won an armload of awards, including being honored as one of the Top 100 Events Resources in the country. When not at the RGI atelier, Rachael can be found chasing her three young children and two dogs, restoring her 250-year-old New England farmhouse, and playing an active role in her community, most notably as patron and fundraiser for George Washington’s Mount Vernon.
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Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
M and T Bank presents CEOs.You should know by Iheartmadisha. Lets meet
Rachel Glaws. She is the companyprincipal for RGI Events in public Relations.
Here's Rachel to talk more about whatRGI does. I grew up in Alexandria,
Virginia. I was born in SanDiego, but moved to Alexandria when
(00:21):
I was two. It's kind ofthe the the only home that I consider
mine and very you know, proudto have been born and bred here in
Virginia. I went to school onthe West Coast. I went back out
to Los Angeles for college at calState, and then stayed in California to
(00:47):
work in the entertainment industry. Iwas in the music industry. I started
working on tours and live concert productionsand was intending on staying in that industry.
I became the talent buyer at bbKings in Hollywood, and our staff
(01:07):
was so small that I ended updoing a lot of the leg work around
the buyouts. You know, wheneverwe would have a movie, rap party
or a corporate holiday party there inthe club, I would do all the
logistics around that and kind of fellinto special events through that means and moved
(01:34):
back about fifteen years ago to theDC area and started looking for a job
doing what I had been doing inLos Angeles and really couldn't find one at
the time. Really, the onlyjobs that were available in special events were
hotel catering gigs, those that typeof work, which just was not kind
(02:00):
of meeting the creative outlet that Ihad found, you know, with the
events that I had printed producing inLos Angeles. And I always say that
if I was any smarter or anyolder, I probably wouldn't have done it.
But I was running out of money, and he did a job,
and thus our GI Events was born, and fifteen years later here we are,
(02:23):
well, thank you for that originstore. And it's a lot of
fun. And I got to tellyou, you know, you're in an
industry now more than ever. Asyou know after getting through COVID, the
customer service is just imperative with everybody. And I made when you go out
to a restaurant, or if youshop at a store for clothes or shoes,
or if you want an event puton, and I imagine that there's
(02:43):
pressures that go with that. Sobefore we talk about all the capabilities and
the cool things, that you andyour team do. I would like to
ask you about your mission statement andwhat that is. Our g events connects
organizations to audiences through the power ofshared experiences. We draw on our decades
of successes and an unshakable belief inwhat can be achieved when we gather together.
(03:08):
All right, So let's talk aboutcapabilities, because when you're an event
company, I think there's so manytentacles that you can touch when it comes
to different events that it must blowyour tops sometimes about there's so many different
opportunities out there. But if anybodythat's put on a party knows how hard
it is, and I know youand the thirteen person team that includes yourself,
(03:29):
Rachel, there's a lot of workto be done all the time.
But with all that said, whydon't we talk about some of the capabilities
with a company that you work with. The clients are most important, what
people are requesting these days. Yeah, absolutely, you hit the nail on
the head. This is an incrediblymultifaceted industry and there's a lot of nuance
between what's a planner, what's aproducer. The role that we fill is
(03:53):
really taking a lot of those tentaclesand bringing them all in one place for
our clients. So we are strategicallydriven planning, production, design, and
management for primarily corporate, some governmentyou know being here in the DC area,
and nonprofit partners. Basically, whatwe aim do is to achieve our
(04:17):
clients goals through treating the event asthe vehicle rather than the destination. So
really all aspects of the event processfrom conceptualization, you know, and setting
those goals throughout the entire logistical andproject management process, you know, from
(04:38):
your venues to your attendees, toyour sponsors, to your media partners.
Obviously design. We've been broadly recognizedacross the country in a class the world
as one of the top event designerswhen it comes to how your room looks
and making sure that then once everybodyis in the room, making sure it's
(04:59):
strategu ically goes off without without ahitch, and that on the backside of
the special event that we're producing foryou, you take away assets you know
that your event keeps working for youlong past when the event concludes. So,
whether your goals are to raise money, to raise awareness, to educate,
to inspire, to galvanize your team, whatever those end goals are for
(05:26):
your particular organization, whatever type oforganization it might be. We use our
strategic special events expertise to make sureyou achieve those You know, we had
talked off the top that including you. It's a thirteen person team that you
have, and to relate a storyto you with context. My wife and
I went to a Washington Spirit gameover the weekend and we watch the on
(05:47):
field coordinator basically handle everything when itcame to pregame before they kicked the ball
to start the game, and mywife and I were remarking, and I'm
in sports too, so I've seenthese people. The communicate that you need
to do something like that is incredibleand I throw it at you. For
you and your thirteen person team thatincludes you, I imagine communication is utmost
(06:09):
a top priority. But babe,if you could take it to the next
level, give us a behind thecurtain kind of scene what it's like when
it comes to communication with your clientsabout what all that entails. Oh my
gosh. Absolutely. Communication is apillar of our project management style. We
(06:30):
want our clients to feel as thoughwe are just at the next desk and
this is not you know, apost COVID or a COVID inspired, you
know, new way of working ethos. You know, this is always you
know, for the last fifteen years, with clients flung to the fire sides
of the country and all over theglobe. How we work with our clients,
(06:53):
we I think are very unique inthat we bring a really very highly
recognized and sophisticated level of production toour clients with a boutique style client management.
You know, we see ourselves verymuch in the business of hospitality,
in the business of customer service,and we want our clients to get that
(07:16):
responsiveness from us as though you know, we were just in the next room
rather than across the country or acrossan ocean. So I mean, it's
really it's key. There's a lotof trust that you have to have.
Special events are kind of intangible,right, It's you know, you might
bring on a production partner for aneffort that you might have going on nine
(07:41):
months in the future and say thisis our goal and here is our budget,
and you might write me a checkand I'm off to the races,
but I'm not handing you back somethingthat you can hold. You know,
you're going to be on this ridewith me for the next nine months or
six months or three months until webring it across the finish line. So
we want every single second you know, of our relationship, our interactions with
(08:05):
our clients and through that thorough enthusiasticcommunication, to paint this picture of the
end product they're going to get andto build that trust. And that's one
of the reasons why our client retentionrate is so high. We have held
an over eighty percent client retention rateyear over year for over the last decade.
(08:31):
So I really think that people cometo us, you know, for
our talent, but stay with usa lot for what you just said.
You know that communication aspect. Well, thanks for sharing all that, and
that's about customer service, and Iknow that means a lot, especially in
today's climate. We're at Rachel.I didn't want to ask you about challenges
and success stories. Let's put it. Let's put a pin in success stories
just for a second. You canthink about that. But I know that
(08:54):
today's climate brings a lot of challenges. With that and with all that said,
being a boutique agents, so youlike you are when it comes to
our GI events, what kind ofchallenges even though you can get through them
and navigate present themselves today with yourclients. I'm sure our challenges closely mirror
what a lot of other businesses aregoing through at the moment. You know,
(09:16):
Um, supply chains are less reliable, costs are higher, so there's
a lot of expectation again communication,you know, we it's up to us
to manage our clients expectations, youknow, about things like turnaround time or
how much things are going to cost. Events that are annual events who maybe
have worked with us for the lastten years, we might have a completely
(09:39):
different budget you know, these daysto put on the exact same event.
Um. I think that customers andconsumers you know, an attendee base are
also far more savvy m we have. They have so much information you know,
at their fingertips and us living inkind of this the age of the
(10:00):
luncer. They also have a barretedby these amazing you know, images,
and so I think their their sophisticationis very high. They expect a really
high level of execution and work product. And to balance that with you know,
(10:20):
any client's budget, I think isalso always you know, a challenge
that we navigate through authentic, timelyand transparent communication and leaning on our expertise,
you know, in our relationships inthe industry, and what those relationships
enable us to be able to getfor our clients faster or at a lower
(10:43):
price point, you know than maybea new our company or one that hasn't
enjoyed kind of the successes that ourGI has. All right, well,
thank you for sharing all that.And as Rachel mentioned, I mean,
when it comes to life and runninga business like this, you know so
eloquently as you explain, there aren'ta lot of rainbows and unicorns all the
time when it comes to this typeof business. But with that said,
(11:05):
I would like you to share maybeone success story that you were proud of.
You don't have to mention who theclient was, but maybe just something
you said, you know what,we really knocked it out of the park
for that client. It was prettyspecial and we're pretty proud of what we
did. Oh my gosh. Yeah. You know. One of the things
I love most about this industry,and I think the reason that you know,
I'm still in it after twenty years, is that there really is a
(11:30):
lot of job satisfaction. The roadis not smooth, you know, but
when you get to the end ofit, truly making an impact that we
have made for titans of industry,for some of the most well known nonprofits
in the world is really something thatI am very proud of. We say
(11:52):
a lot here that you know,we may not be the ones to change
the world, but we will buildthe ones that will change it stage literally
and over the last fifteen years wehave supported raising over a billion dollars for
our nonprofit clients, you know,in their fundraisers throughout the year, throughout
(12:13):
the years of our fifteen years inbusiness. And I think that is not
a small drop in the bucket,and I'm pretty darn proud of that for
sure. You know, in myseries, Rachel, I've had the opportunity
to talk to so many smart,talented women like yourself that are now running
companies or at a manageria role.That's very prominent. And as you as
(12:35):
principal and creative director, we havea lot of women that are listening to
this series and if you were toimpart any advice on coming up the system,
whether they want to be a CEOand executive director of principle or at
a manageria level, and part someadvice for our female listeners out there about
your experiences and maybe just some advicethat there are going to be challenges,
(12:56):
there's going to be some doors openand closed, but not as necessarily your
specific experiences, but just maybe someadvice in general for them. UM.
I think that's so important, andit has always been really important for me
throughout my journey of being a businessowner, UM to take part as much
as possible in opportunities to mentor womenand speak to and encourage women on their
(13:24):
own journeys. UM. I thinkthat one of the most helpful things that
I may be able to impart toother women is to trust yourself and to
lean into the things that make aleadership coming from a woman different than leadership
(13:48):
that may come from a man.Don't you know, run from the aspects
that you know, you don't haveto to to fit into any specific mold.
Lean into your own talents and yourown strengths. Diverse leadership is good
leadership, and and and trust yourself. Don't second guess yourself. The mistakes
(14:16):
that I find that I have madealong the way were mostly made in times
where I second guessed my gut instinctand it really is not easy. But
if you commit yourself to you know, seeing the path in front of you
and then walking down the path,you'll make it. I promise. That's
(14:41):
really good advice. And there's alsoa common theme listeners that Rachel's talked about
that we hear regularly from our leaders, And if I could read the tea
leaves and what you're saying, leapof faith. As an entrepreneur, you
really have to take a leap offaith in these situations, even though it's
scary, just go for it.There's going to be some failing down there
by you know what, at theend, if you're driven enough and if
you're passionate enough, like Rachel andher team are, you're going to get
(15:05):
there. So Rachel, I thinkthat's great advice, and thank you for
sharing all that. I did wantto take a little bit of break from
the business and ask you about philanthropicand charity work. I know that in
the events of business, it's sevendays a week, three hundred and sixty
five days out of the year,so I know that there's not a lot
a lot of time for sleep andalso doing some charity work. But whether
it's through the business or maybe youpersonally with your family, what do you
like to be part of Yeah.Absolutely, As I said, I really
(15:30):
do jump at any chance that I'vehad to support women in business, and
I have been very active in ourlocal community and associations and organizations over the
years as a board member or cheeringevents specifically to empower and support and educate,
(15:52):
you know, women in their businessjourney. I'm also, as I
said, a really proud Alexandria native. I grew up and now live on
the original five farms of George Washington'sMount Vernon I live now. I just
back up right to the mansion andthe mission and the preservation of Mount Vernon
(16:12):
and of the legacy of George Washingtonis very important to me, and we
do a lot of work my husbandand I as fundraisers and patrons of various
causes at George Washington's Mount Vernon,as well as for some of the land
preservation you know, in the stateof Virginia in general, and to be
(16:37):
good stewards of our natural resources,especially in this beautiful state. So yes,
there's not a ton of time forit, but I think it is
really really important to kind of findthose causes that you're passionate about and make
sure that you know you spread thesuccess around a bit. Wow, I
(16:57):
think that's so cool. I happento be history buffa. This is my
fourth time living in the DMV,and I think that people take for granted
the history that we have around us, and you're living right on which I
think is really cool that you andyour husband do that. So that's wonderful
and thank you for sharing. Aswe put a bow on our conversation and
wrap up a lot of fun talkingabout our gi events. Rachel, if
(17:18):
you were to give our listener onetakeaway about what exactly eye events is,
what would that be? Passionate strategists. I think we really have made a
mark and differentiated ourselves. There area lot of you know, fabulous special
event resources here in the district andacross the country. I think what makes
(17:41):
us different is that we truly doobsess our clients brands. You know,
we want to act just as passionatelyto achieve our clients goals as our clients
are. And I think through ourstrategic mindset of the power that we know
can be harnessed in these opportunities whereyou can bring a group of people into
(18:03):
a room and affect change, orinspire or educades I know that we do
that. You know, we're betterthan almost anybody in the country. That's
a good sales pitch and I lovethat in confidence too. You gotta have
a little chip on your shoulder,folks, That's what it's all about,
especially when you're running a bootique businessand there's competition out there. So Rachel,
(18:27):
if anybody is interested in working withyou, maybe a career or just
finding more about our GI Events,what's the website and any other social channels
you'd like to give out. Absolutely, you can find us online at www
dot RGI events dot com and we'resuper active on Instagram. At our GI
(18:48):
Events, we do a lot ofposting behind the scenes so you can get
a feel for a little bit ofthe mechanics behind the magic, which is
always a lot of fun. Andthat's where we are on Facebook as well.
Is that our GI Events outstanding?And I know you know this,
but for our listeners, I've beenon the website and in the event business,
you better have a great presentation.Your website is gorgeous and easy to
(19:11):
navigate, so whoever's putting it togetherhas done a very nice job. It's
a really good looking website. Ohthank you, Dennis. That's amazing.
Well cool, well listen, Rachel, continue success. Give my best to
your team there, and thank youso much for joining us today and CEOs.
You should know we really appreciate it. I sure well, thank you,
Dennis. Our community partner, MANDT Bank supports CEOs, you should
(19:34):
know, as part of their ongoingcommitment to building strong communities, and that
starts by backing the businesses within them. As a Bank for communities, M
ANDT believes in dedicating time, talent, and resources to help local businesses thrive,
because when businesses succeed, our communitiessucceed
M and T Bank presents CEOs.You should know by Iheartmadisha. Lets meet
Rachel Glaws. She is the companyprincipal for RGI Events in public Relations.
Here's Rachel to talk more about whatRGI does. I grew up in Alexandria,
Virginia. I was born in SanDiego, but moved to Alexandria when
(00:21):
I was two. It's kind ofthe the the only home that I consider
mine and very you know, proudto have been born and bred here in
Virginia. I went to school onthe West Coast. I went back out
to Los Angeles for college at calState, and then stayed in California to
(00:47):
work in the entertainment industry. Iwas in the music industry. I started
working on tours and live concert productionsand was intending on staying in that industry.
I became the talent buyer at bbKings in Hollywood, and our staff
(01:07):
was so small that I ended updoing a lot of the leg work around
the buyouts. You know, wheneverwe would have a movie, rap party
or a corporate holiday party there inthe club, I would do all the
logistics around that and kind of fellinto special events through that means and moved
(01:34):
back about fifteen years ago to theDC area and started looking for a job
doing what I had been doing inLos Angeles and really couldn't find one at
the time. Really, the onlyjobs that were available in special events were
hotel catering gigs, those that typeof work, which just was not kind
(02:00):
of meeting the creative outlet that Ihad found, you know, with the
events that I had printed producing inLos Angeles. And I always say that
if I was any smarter or anyolder, I probably wouldn't have done it.
But I was running out of money, and he did a job,
and thus our GI Events was born, and fifteen years later here we are,
(02:23):
well, thank you for that originstore. And it's a lot of
fun. And I got to tellyou, you know, you're in an
industry now more than ever. Asyou know after getting through COVID, the
customer service is just imperative with everybody. And I made when you go out
to a restaurant, or if youshop at a store for clothes or shoes,
or if you want an event puton, and I imagine that there's
(02:43):
pressures that go with that. Sobefore we talk about all the capabilities and
the cool things, that you andyour team do. I would like to
ask you about your mission statement andwhat that is. Our g events connects
organizations to audiences through the power ofshared experiences. We draw on our decades
of successes and an unshakable belief inwhat can be achieved when we gather together.
(03:08):
All right, So let's talk aboutcapabilities, because when you're an event
company, I think there's so manytentacles that you can touch when it comes
to different events that it must blowyour tops sometimes about there's so many different
opportunities out there. But if anybodythat's put on a party knows how hard
it is, and I know youand the thirteen person team that includes yourself,
(03:29):
Rachel, there's a lot of workto be done all the time.
But with all that said, whydon't we talk about some of the capabilities
with a company that you work with. The clients are most important, what
people are requesting these days. Yeah, absolutely, you hit the nail on
the head. This is an incrediblymultifaceted industry and there's a lot of nuance
between what's a planner, what's aproducer. The role that we fill is
(03:53):
really taking a lot of those tentaclesand bringing them all in one place for
our clients. So we are strategicallydriven planning, production, design, and
management for primarily corporate, some governmentyou know being here in the DC area,
and nonprofit partners. Basically, whatwe aim do is to achieve our
(04:17):
clients goals through treating the event asthe vehicle rather than the destination. So
really all aspects of the event processfrom conceptualization, you know, and setting
those goals throughout the entire logistical andproject management process, you know, from
(04:38):
your venues to your attendees, toyour sponsors, to your media partners.
Obviously design. We've been broadly recognizedacross the country in a class the world
as one of the top event designerswhen it comes to how your room looks
and making sure that then once everybodyis in the room, making sure it's
(04:59):
strategu ically goes off without without ahitch, and that on the backside of
the special event that we're producing foryou, you take away assets you know
that your event keeps working for youlong past when the event concludes. So,
whether your goals are to raise money, to raise awareness, to educate,
to inspire, to galvanize your team, whatever those end goals are for
(05:26):
your particular organization, whatever type oforganization it might be. We use our
strategic special events expertise to make sureyou achieve those You know, we had
talked off the top that including you. It's a thirteen person team that you
have, and to relate a storyto you with context. My wife and
I went to a Washington Spirit gameover the weekend and we watch the on
(05:47):
field coordinator basically handle everything when itcame to pregame before they kicked the ball
to start the game, and mywife and I were remarking, and I'm
in sports too, so I've seenthese people. The communicate that you need
to do something like that is incredibleand I throw it at you. For
you and your thirteen person team thatincludes you, I imagine communication is utmost
(06:09):
a top priority. But babe,if you could take it to the next
level, give us a behind thecurtain kind of scene what it's like when
it comes to communication with your clientsabout what all that entails. Oh my
gosh. Absolutely. Communication is apillar of our project management style. We
(06:30):
want our clients to feel as thoughwe are just at the next desk and
this is not you know, apost COVID or a COVID inspired, you
know, new way of working ethos. You know, this is always you
know, for the last fifteen years, with clients flung to the fire sides
of the country and all over theglobe. How we work with our clients,
(06:53):
we I think are very unique inthat we bring a really very highly
recognized and sophisticated level of production toour clients with a boutique style client management.
You know, we see ourselves verymuch in the business of hospitality,
in the business of customer service,and we want our clients to get that
(07:16):
responsiveness from us as though you know, we were just in the next room
rather than across the country or acrossan ocean. So I mean, it's
really it's key. There's a lotof trust that you have to have.
Special events are kind of intangible,right, It's you know, you might
bring on a production partner for aneffort that you might have going on nine
(07:41):
months in the future and say thisis our goal and here is our budget,
and you might write me a checkand I'm off to the races,
but I'm not handing you back somethingthat you can hold. You know,
you're going to be on this ridewith me for the next nine months or
six months or three months until webring it across the finish line. So
we want every single second you know, of our relationship, our interactions with
(08:05):
our clients and through that thorough enthusiasticcommunication, to paint this picture of the
end product they're going to get andto build that trust. And that's one
of the reasons why our client retentionrate is so high. We have held
an over eighty percent client retention rateyear over year for over the last decade.
(08:31):
So I really think that people cometo us, you know, for
our talent, but stay with usa lot for what you just said.
You know that communication aspect. Well, thanks for sharing all that, and
that's about customer service, and Iknow that means a lot, especially in
today's climate. We're at Rachel.I didn't want to ask you about challenges
and success stories. Let's put it. Let's put a pin in success stories
just for a second. You canthink about that. But I know that
(08:54):
today's climate brings a lot of challenges. With that and with all that said,
being a boutique agents, so youlike you are when it comes to
our GI events, what kind ofchallenges even though you can get through them
and navigate present themselves today with yourclients. I'm sure our challenges closely mirror
what a lot of other businesses aregoing through at the moment. You know,
(09:16):
Um, supply chains are less reliable, costs are higher, so there's
a lot of expectation again communication,you know, we it's up to us
to manage our clients expectations, youknow, about things like turnaround time or
how much things are going to cost. Events that are annual events who maybe
have worked with us for the lastten years, we might have a completely
(09:39):
different budget you know, these daysto put on the exact same event.
Um. I think that customers andconsumers you know, an attendee base are
also far more savvy m we have. They have so much information you know,
at their fingertips and us living inkind of this the age of the
(10:00):
luncer. They also have a barretedby these amazing you know, images,
and so I think their their sophisticationis very high. They expect a really
high level of execution and work product. And to balance that with you know,
(10:20):
any client's budget, I think isalso always you know, a challenge
that we navigate through authentic, timelyand transparent communication and leaning on our expertise,
you know, in our relationships inthe industry, and what those relationships
enable us to be able to getfor our clients faster or at a lower
(10:43):
price point, you know than maybea new our company or one that hasn't
enjoyed kind of the successes that ourGI has. All right, well,
thank you for sharing all that.And as Rachel mentioned, I mean,
when it comes to life and runninga business like this, you know so
eloquently as you explain, there aren'ta lot of rainbows and unicorns all the
time when it comes to this typeof business. But with that said,
(11:05):
I would like you to share maybeone success story that you were proud of.
You don't have to mention who theclient was, but maybe just something
you said, you know what,we really knocked it out of the park
for that client. It was prettyspecial and we're pretty proud of what we
did. Oh my gosh. Yeah. You know. One of the things
I love most about this industry,and I think the reason that you know,
I'm still in it after twenty years, is that there really is a
(11:30):
lot of job satisfaction. The roadis not smooth, you know, but
when you get to the end ofit, truly making an impact that we
have made for titans of industry,for some of the most well known nonprofits
in the world is really something thatI am very proud of. We say
(11:52):
a lot here that you know,we may not be the ones to change
the world, but we will buildthe ones that will change it stage literally
and over the last fifteen years wehave supported raising over a billion dollars for
our nonprofit clients, you know,in their fundraisers throughout the year, throughout
(12:13):
the years of our fifteen years inbusiness. And I think that is not
a small drop in the bucket,and I'm pretty darn proud of that for
sure. You know, in myseries, Rachel, I've had the opportunity
to talk to so many smart,talented women like yourself that are now running
companies or at a manageria role.That's very prominent. And as you as
(12:35):
principal and creative director, we havea lot of women that are listening to
this series and if you were toimpart any advice on coming up the system,
whether they want to be a CEOand executive director of principle or at
a manageria level, and part someadvice for our female listeners out there about
your experiences and maybe just some advicethat there are going to be challenges,
(12:56):
there's going to be some doors openand closed, but not as necessarily your
specific experiences, but just maybe someadvice in general for them. UM.
I think that's so important, andit has always been really important for me
throughout my journey of being a businessowner, UM to take part as much
as possible in opportunities to mentor womenand speak to and encourage women on their
(13:24):
own journeys. UM. I thinkthat one of the most helpful things that
I may be able to impart toother women is to trust yourself and to
lean into the things that make aleadership coming from a woman different than leadership
(13:48):
that may come from a man.Don't you know, run from the aspects
that you know, you don't haveto to to fit into any specific mold.
Lean into your own talents and yourown strengths. Diverse leadership is good
leadership, and and and trust yourself. Don't second guess yourself. The mistakes
(14:16):
that I find that I have madealong the way were mostly made in times
where I second guessed my gut instinctand it really is not easy. But
if you commit yourself to you know, seeing the path in front of you
and then walking down the path,you'll make it. I promise. That's
(14:41):
really good advice. And there's alsoa common theme listeners that Rachel's talked about
that we hear regularly from our leaders, And if I could read the tea
leaves and what you're saying, leapof faith. As an entrepreneur, you
really have to take a leap offaith in these situations, even though it's
scary, just go for it.There's going to be some failing down there
by you know what, at theend, if you're driven enough and if
you're passionate enough, like Rachel andher team are, you're going to get
(15:05):
there. So Rachel, I thinkthat's great advice, and thank you for
sharing all that. I did wantto take a little bit of break from
the business and ask you about philanthropicand charity work. I know that in
the events of business, it's sevendays a week, three hundred and sixty
five days out of the year,so I know that there's not a lot
a lot of time for sleep andalso doing some charity work. But whether
it's through the business or maybe youpersonally with your family, what do you
like to be part of Yeah.Absolutely, As I said, I really
(15:30):
do jump at any chance that I'vehad to support women in business, and
I have been very active in ourlocal community and associations and organizations over the
years as a board member or cheeringevents specifically to empower and support and educate,
(15:52):
you know, women in their businessjourney. I'm also, as I
said, a really proud Alexandria native. I grew up and now live on
the original five farms of George Washington'sMount Vernon I live now. I just
back up right to the mansion andthe mission and the preservation of Mount Vernon
(16:12):
and of the legacy of George Washingtonis very important to me, and we
do a lot of work my husbandand I as fundraisers and patrons of various
causes at George Washington's Mount Vernon,as well as for some of the land
preservation you know, in the stateof Virginia in general, and to be
(16:37):
good stewards of our natural resources,especially in this beautiful state. So yes,
there's not a ton of time forit, but I think it is
really really important to kind of findthose causes that you're passionate about and make
sure that you know you spread thesuccess around a bit. Wow, I
(16:57):
think that's so cool. I happento be history buffa. This is my
fourth time living in the DMV,and I think that people take for granted
the history that we have around us, and you're living right on which I
think is really cool that you andyour husband do that. So that's wonderful
and thank you for sharing. Aswe put a bow on our conversation and
wrap up a lot of fun talkingabout our gi events. Rachel, if
(17:18):
you were to give our listener onetakeaway about what exactly eye events is,
what would that be? Passionate strategists. I think we really have made a
mark and differentiated ourselves. There area lot of you know, fabulous special
event resources here in the district andacross the country. I think what makes
(17:41):
us different is that we truly doobsess our clients brands. You know,
we want to act just as passionatelyto achieve our clients goals as our clients
are. And I think through ourstrategic mindset of the power that we know
can be harnessed in these opportunities whereyou can bring a group of people into
(18:03):
a room and affect change, orinspire or educades I know that we do
that. You know, we're betterthan almost anybody in the country. That's
a good sales pitch and I lovethat in confidence too. You gotta have
a little chip on your shoulder,folks, That's what it's all about,
especially when you're running a bootique businessand there's competition out there. So Rachel,
(18:27):
if anybody is interested in working withyou, maybe a career or just
finding more about our GI Events,what's the website and any other social channels
you'd like to give out. Absolutely, you can find us online at www
dot RGI events dot com and we'resuper active on Instagram. At our GI
(18:48):
Events, we do a lot ofposting behind the scenes so you can get
a feel for a little bit ofthe mechanics behind the magic, which is
always a lot of fun. Andthat's where we are on Facebook as well.
Is that our GI Events outstanding?And I know you know this,
but for our listeners, I've beenon the website and in the event business,
you better have a great presentation.Your website is gorgeous and easy to
(19:11):
navigate, so whoever's putting it togetherhas done a very nice job. It's
a really good looking website. Ohthank you, Dennis. That's amazing.
Well cool, well listen, Rachel, continue success. Give my best to
your team there, and thank youso much for joining us today and CEOs.
You should know we really appreciate it. I sure well, thank you,
Dennis. Our community partner, MANDT Bank supports CEOs, you should
(19:34):
know, as part of their ongoingcommitment to building strong communities, and that
starts by backing the businesses within them. As a Bank for communities, M
ANDT believes in dedicating time, talent, and resources to help local businesses thrive,
because when businesses succeed, our communitiessucceed
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