December 11, 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.
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
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
I grew up in Alexandria, Virginia. I was born in San Diego,
but moved to Alexandria when I wastwo. It's kind of the the the
only home that I consider mine andvery you know, proud to have been
born and bred here in Virginia.I went to school on the West Coast.
(00:23):
I went back out to Los Angelesfor college at cal State, and
then stayed in California to work inthe entertainment industry. I was in the
music industry. I started working ontours and live concert productions and was intending
on staying in that industry. Ibecame the talent buyer at BB King's in
(00:52):
Hollywood, and our staff was sosmall that I ended up doing a lot
of the leg work work around thebuyouts. You know, whenever we would
have a movie wrap party or acorporate holiday party there in the club,
I would do all the logistics aroundthat and kind of fell into special events
(01:15):
through that means. And moved backabout fifteen years ago to the DC area
and started looking for a job doingwhat I had been doing in Los Angeles
and really couldn't find one at thetime. Really, the only jobs that
(01:37):
were available in special events were hotelcatering gigs, those that type of work,
which just was not kind of meetingthe creative outlet that I had found,
you know, with the events thatI had been producing in Los Angeles.
And I always say that if Iwas any smarter or any older,
(01:59):
I probablyrobably wouldn't have done it.But I was running out of money and
he hit a job and thus ourGI Events was born, and fifteen years
later here we are, well,thank you for that origin story, and
it's a lot of fun. AndI got to tell you, you know,
you're in an industry now more thanever. As you know after getting
through COVID, the customer service isjust imperative with everybody. And I mean
(02:22):
when you go out to a restaurant, or if you shop at a store
for clothes or shoes, or ifyou want an event put on, and
I imagine that there's pressures that gowith that. So before we talk about
all the capabilities and the cool thingsthat you and your team do, I
would like to ask you about yourmission statement and what that is. Ourg
Events connects organizations to audiences through thepower of shared experiences. We draw on
(02:46):
our decades of successes and an unshakablebelief in what can be achieved when we
gather together. All right, Solet's talk about capabilities, because when you're
an event company, I think there'sso many tentacles that you can touch when
it comes to different events that itmust blow your top sometimes about there's so
(03:06):
many different opportunities out there. Butif anybody that's put on a party knows
how hard it is, and Iknow you in the thirteen person team that
includes yourself, Rachel, there's alot of work to be done all the
time. But with all that said, why don't we talk about some of
the capabilities with the company that youwork with. The clients are most important,
what people are requesting these days.Yeah, absolutely, you hit the
(03:28):
nail on the head. This isan incredibly multifaceted industry and there's a lot
of nuance between what's a planner,what's a producer. The role that we
fill is really taking a lot ofthose tentacles and bringing them all in one
place for our clients. So weare strategically driven planning, production, design,
(03:50):
and management for primarily corporate, somegovernment you know being here in the
DC area, and nonprofit partners.Basically what we aim to do is to
achieve our client's goals through treating theevent as the vehicle rather than the destination.
(04:11):
So really all aspects of the eventprocess from conceptualization, you know,
and setting those goals, throughout theentire logistical and project management process, you
know, from your venues, toyour attendees, to your sponsors, to
your media partners obviously design. We'vebeen broadly recognized across the country and a
(04:34):
class the world as one of thetop event designers when it comes to how
your room looks and making sure thatthen once everybody is in the room,
making sure it strategically goes off withouta hitch, and that on the backside
of the special event that we're producingfor you, you take away assets you
(04:55):
know that your event keeps working foryou long past when the that concludes.
So, whether your goals are toraise money, to raise awareness, to
educate, to inspire, to galvanizeyour team, whatever those end goals are
for your particular organization, whatever typeof organization it might be, we use
(05:15):
our strategic special events expertise to makesure you achieve those you know, we
had talked off the top that includingyou, 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
field coordinator basically handle everything when itcame to pregame before they kick the ball
(05:39):
to start the game, and mywife and I were remarking, and I'm
in sports too, so I've seenthese people. The communication that you need
to do something like that is incredible, and I throw it at you.
For you and your thirteen person teamthat includes you, I imagine communication is
utmost a top priority, but maybeif you could take it to the next
level, give us a big behindthe curtain kind of scene what it's like
(06:01):
when it comes to communication with yourclients, about what all that entails.
Oh my gosh. Absolutely. Communicationis a pillar of our project management style.
We want our clients to feel asthough we are just at the next
desk. And this is not youknow, a post COVID or a COVID
(06:24):
inspired you know, new way ofworking ethos. You know, this is
always you know, for the lastfifteen years, with clients flung to the
far sides of the country and allover the globe, how we work with
our clients. We I think arevery unique in that we bring a really
(06:45):
very highly recognized and sophisticated level ofproduction to our clients with a boutique style
client management. You know, wesee ourselves very much in the business of
hospitality, in the business of customerservice us and we want our clients to
get that responsiveness from us as thoughyou know, we were just in the
(07:08):
next room rather than across the countryor across an ocean. So I mean,
it's really it's key. There's alot of trust that you have to
have. Special events are kind ofintangible, right It's you know, you
might bring on a production partner foran effort that you might have going on
nine months in the future and saythis is our goal and here is our
(07:30):
budget, and you might write mea check and 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 untilwe bring it across the finish line.
So we want every single second youknow, of our relationship, our interactions
with our clients, and through thatthorough enthusiastic communication to paint this picture of
(08:01):
the end product they're going to getand to build that trust. And that's
one of the reasons why our clientretention rate is so high. We have
held an over eighty percent client retentionrate year over year for over the last
decade. So I really think thatpeople come to us, you know,
(08:22):
for our talent, but stay withus a 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 rach Idid want to ask you about challenges and
success stories. Let's put a pinin success story just for a second.
You can think about that, butI know that today's climate brings a lot
of challenges with that and with allthat said, being a boutique agency like
(08:46):
you are when it comes to ourGI events, what kind of challenges even
though you can get through them andnavigate present themselves today with your clients,
I'm sure our challenges closely mirror whata lot of other business are going through
at the moment. You know,supply chains are less reliable, costs are
higher, so there's a lot ofexpectation again communication, you know, we
(09:11):
it's up to us to manage ourclients expectations, you know, about things
like turnaround time or how much thingsare going to cost. Events that are
annual events who maybe have worked withus for the last ten years, we
might have a completely different budget youknow, these days to put on the
exact same event. I think thatcustomers and consumers you know, an attendee
(09:35):
base are also far more savvy wehave. They have so much information you
know, at their fingertips and usliving in kind of this the age of
the influencer. They also have bombardedby these amazing you know, images,
and so I think their their sophisticationis very high. They expect a really
(10:00):
high level of execution and work product. And to balance that with you know,
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
(10:26):
us to be able to get forour clients faster or at a lower price
point, you know than maybe anewer company or one that hasn't enjoyed kind
of the successes that our gi has. All right, well, thank you
for sharing all that. And asRachel mentioned, I mean when it comes
to life and running a business likethis, you know so eloquently as you
explain, there aren't a lot ofrainbows and unicorns all the time when it
(10:48):
comes to this type of business.But with that set, I would like
you to share maybe one success storythat you were proud of. You don't
have to mention who the client was, but maybe there's something he said.
You know what, we really knockedit out of the park for that client.
It was pretty special and we're prettyproud of what we did. Oh
my gosh. Yeah. You know. One of the things I love most
about this industry, and I thinkthe reason that you know, I'm still
(11:11):
in it after twenty years, isthat there really is a lot of job
satisfaction. The road is not smooth, you know, but when you get
to the end of it, trulymaking an impact that we have made for
Titans of Industry, for some ofthe most well known nonprofits in the world
(11:37):
is really something that I am veryproud of. We say a lot here
that you know, we may notbe the ones to change the world,
but we will build the ones thatwill change it a stage literally and over
the last fifteen years we have supportedraising over a billion dollars for our nonprofit
clients, you know, in theirfundraisers throughout the year, throughout the years
(12:01):
of our fifteen years in business.And I think that is not a small
drop in the bucket. And I'mpretty darn proud of that for sure.
You know, in my series,Rachel, I've had the opportunity to talk
to so many smart, talented womenlike yourself that are now running companies,
are at a manageria role that's veryprominent, and as you as principal and
(12:22):
creative director, we have a lotof women that are listening to this series
and if you were to impart anyadvice on coming up the system, whether
they want to be a CEO andexecutive director of principal or at a manageria
level, and part some advice forour female listeners out there about your experiences
and maybe just some advice that thereare going to be challenges, there's going
(12:43):
to be some doors open and closed, but not necessarily your specific experiences,
but just maybe some advice in generalfor them. I think that's so important
and it has always been really importantfor me throughout my journey of being a
business owner to take part as muchas possible in opportunities to mentor women and
(13:05):
and speak to and encourage women ontheir own journeys. I think that on
one of the most helpful things thatI may be able to to impart to
other women is to to trust yourselfand to lean into the things that make
(13:28):
uh uh a leadership coming from awoman different than leadership that may come from
a man. Don't you know,run from the aspects uh that you know
you don't have to to to fitinto any specific mold. Lean into your
(13:50):
own talents and your own strengths.Diverse leadership is good leadership. And uh
and and and trust yourself. Uh. Don't second guess yourself. The mistakes
that I find that I have madealong the way, we're mostly made in
times where I second guest my gutinstinct. And it really is not easy.
(14:16):
But if you commit yourself to youknow, seeing the path in front
of you and then walking down thepath, you'll make it. I promise.
That's really good advice. And there'salso a common theme listeners that Rachel's
talked about that we hear regularly fromour leaders and if I could read the
tea leaves and what you're saying,leap of faith. As an entrepreneur,
(14:39):
you really have to take a leapof faith in these situations. Even though
it's scary, just go for it. There's going to be some failing down
there. But you know what,at the end, if you're driven enough
and if you're passionate enough like Racheland her team are, you're going to
get there. So, Rachel,I think that's great advice, and thank
you for sharing all that. Idid want to take a little bit of
break from the business and ask youabout philanthropic and charity work. I know
that the events of business, it'sseven days a week, three hundred and
(15:01):
sixty five days out of the year, so I know that there's not a
little lot a lot of time forsleep and also doing some charity work.
But whether it's through the business ormaybe you personally with your family, what
do you like to be part ofYeah? Absolutely, As I said,
I really do jump at any chancethat I've had to support women in business.
(15:22):
And I have been very active inour local community and associations and organizations
over the years as a board memberor cheering events specifically to empower and support
and educate women in their business journey. I'm also, as I said,
a really proud Alexandria native. Igrew up and now live on the original
(15:48):
five farms of George Washington's Mount VernonI live now. I just back up
right to the mansion and the missionand the preservation of Mount Vernon and of
the legacy of George Washington is veryimportant to me, and we do a
lot of work, my husband andI as fundraisers and patrons of various causes
(16:11):
at George Washington's Mal Vernon as wellas for some of the land preservation you
know, in the state of Virginiain general, and to be good stewards
of our natural resources, especially inthis beautiful state. So yes, there's
not a ton of time for it, but I think it is really really
(16:33):
important to kind of find those causesthat you're passionate about and make sure that
you know you spread the success arounda bit. Wow. I think that's
so cool. I happen to behistory buff and this is my fourth time
living in the DMV, and Ithink that people take for granted the history
that we have around us, andyou're living right on at which I think
is really cool that you and yourhusband do that. So that's wonderful and
(16:56):
thank you for sharing as we puta bow in our conversation and wrap up
a lot of fun talking about RGIevents. Rachel, if you were to
give our listener one takeaway about whatexactly r g I events is, what
would that be? Passionate strategists,I think we really have made a mark
(17:18):
and differentiated ourselves. There are alot of you know, fabulous special event
resources here in the district and acrossthe country. I think what makes us
different is that we truly do obsessour clients' brands. You know, we
want to act just as passionately toachieve our clients' goals as our clients are.
(17:41):
And I think through our strategic mindsetof the power that we know can
be harnessed in these opportunities where youcan bring a group of people into a
room and affect change, or inspireor educate. I know that we do
that at you know, work betterthan almost anybody in the country. That's
(18:03):
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 boot tagebusiness and there's competition out there. So
Rachel, if anybody is interested inworking with you, maybe a career or
just finding more about RGI Events,what's the website and any other social channels
you'd like to give out. Absolutelyyou can find us online at www dot
(18:27):
RGI events dot com and we're superactive on Instagram. At RGI Events,
we do a lot of posting behindthe scenes so you can get a feel
for a little bit of the mechanicsbehind the magic, which is always a
lot of fun. And that's wherewe are on Facebook as well. Is
at our GI events outstanding And Iknow you know this, but for our
(18:49):
listeners, I've been on the websiteand in the event business, you better
have a great presentation. Your websiteis gorgeous and easy to navigate, so
whoever's putting it together has done avery nice job. It's a really good
looking website. Oh thank you,Dennis. That's amazing. Well cool,
Well listen, Rachel, continue success. Give my best to your team there,
and thank you so much for joiningus today on CEOs. You should
(19:11):
know we really appreciate it. Isure will. Thank you Dennis
I grew up in Alexandria, Virginia. I was born in San Diego,
but moved to Alexandria when I wastwo. It's kind of the the the
only home that I consider mine andvery you know, proud to have been
born and bred here in Virginia.I went to school on the West Coast.
(00:23):
I went back out to Los Angelesfor college at cal State, and
then stayed in California to work inthe entertainment industry. I was in the
music industry. I started working ontours and live concert productions and was intending
on staying in that industry. Ibecame the talent buyer at BB King's in
(00:52):
Hollywood, and our staff was sosmall that I ended up doing a lot
of the leg work work around thebuyouts. You know, whenever we would
have a movie wrap party or acorporate holiday party there in the club,
I would do all the logistics aroundthat and kind of fell into special events
(01:15):
through that means. And moved backabout fifteen years ago to the DC area
and started looking for a job doingwhat I had been doing in Los Angeles
and really couldn't find one at thetime. Really, the only jobs that
(01:37):
were available in special events were hotelcatering gigs, those that type of work,
which just was not kind of meetingthe creative outlet that I had found,
you know, with the events thatI had been producing in Los Angeles.
And I always say that if Iwas any smarter or any older,
(01:59):
I probablyrobably wouldn't have done it.But I was running out of money and
he hit a job and thus ourGI Events was born, and fifteen years
later here we are, well,thank you for that origin story, and
it's a lot of fun. AndI got to tell you, you know,
you're in an industry now more thanever. As you know after getting
through COVID, the customer service isjust imperative with everybody. And I mean
(02:22):
when you go out to a restaurant, or if you shop at a store
for clothes or shoes, or ifyou want an event put on, and
I imagine that there's pressures that gowith that. So before we talk about
all the capabilities and the cool thingsthat you and your team do, I
would like to ask you about yourmission statement and what that is. Ourg
Events connects organizations to audiences through thepower of shared experiences. We draw on
(02:46):
our decades of successes and an unshakablebelief in what can be achieved when we
gather together. All right, Solet's talk about capabilities, because when you're
an event company, I think there'sso many tentacles that you can touch when
it comes to different events that itmust blow your top sometimes about there's so
(03:06):
many different opportunities out there. Butif anybody that's put on a party knows
how hard it is, and Iknow you in the thirteen person team that
includes yourself, Rachel, there's alot of work to be done all the
time. But with all that said, why don't we talk about some of
the capabilities with the company that youwork with. The clients are most important,
what people are requesting these days.Yeah, absolutely, you hit the
(03:28):
nail on the head. This isan incredibly multifaceted industry and there's a lot
of nuance between what's a planner,what's a producer. The role that we
fill is really taking a lot ofthose tentacles and bringing them all in one
place for our clients. So weare strategically driven planning, production, design,
(03:50):
and management for primarily corporate, somegovernment you know being here in the
DC area, and nonprofit partners.Basically what we aim to do is to
achieve our client's goals through treating theevent as the vehicle rather than the destination.
(04:11):
So really all aspects of the eventprocess from conceptualization, you know,
and setting those goals, throughout theentire logistical and project management process, you
know, from your venues, toyour attendees, to your sponsors, to
your media partners obviously design. We'vebeen broadly recognized across the country and a
(04:34):
class the world as one of thetop event designers when it comes to how
your room looks and making sure thatthen once everybody is in the room,
making sure it strategically goes off withouta hitch, and that on the backside
of the special event that we're producingfor you, you take away assets you
(04:55):
know that your event keeps working foryou long past when the that concludes.
So, whether your goals are toraise money, to raise awareness, to
educate, to inspire, to galvanizeyour team, whatever those end goals are
for your particular organization, whatever typeof organization it might be, we use
(05:15):
our strategic special events expertise to makesure you achieve those you know, we
had talked off the top that includingyou, 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
field coordinator basically handle everything when itcame to pregame before they kick the ball
(05:39):
to start the game, and mywife and I were remarking, and I'm
in sports too, so I've seenthese people. The communication that you need
to do something like that is incredible, and I throw it at you.
For you and your thirteen person teamthat includes you, I imagine communication is
utmost a top priority, but maybeif you could take it to the next
level, give us a big behindthe curtain kind of scene what it's like
(06:01):
when it comes to communication with yourclients, about what all that entails.
Oh my gosh. Absolutely. Communicationis a pillar of our project management style.
We want our clients to feel asthough we are just at the next
desk. And this is not youknow, a post COVID or a COVID
(06:24):
inspired you know, new way ofworking ethos. You know, this is
always you know, for the lastfifteen years, with clients flung to the
far sides of the country and allover the globe, how we work with
our clients. We I think arevery unique in that we bring a really
(06:45):
very highly recognized and sophisticated level ofproduction to our clients with a boutique style
client management. You know, wesee ourselves very much in the business of
hospitality, in the business of customerservice us and we want our clients to
get that responsiveness from us as thoughyou know, we were just in the
(07:08):
next room rather than across the countryor across an ocean. So I mean,
it's really it's key. There's alot of trust that you have to
have. Special events are kind ofintangible, right It's you know, you
might bring on a production partner foran effort that you might have going on
nine months in the future and saythis is our goal and here is our
(07:30):
budget, and you might write mea check and 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 untilwe bring it across the finish line.
So we want every single second youknow, of our relationship, our interactions
with our clients, and through thatthorough enthusiastic communication to paint this picture of
(08:01):
the end product they're going to getand to build that trust. And that's
one of the reasons why our clientretention rate is so high. We have
held an over eighty percent client retentionrate year over year for over the last
decade. So I really think thatpeople come to us, you know,
(08:22):
for our talent, but stay withus a 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 rach Idid want to ask you about challenges and
success stories. Let's put a pinin success story just for a second.
You can think about that, butI know that today's climate brings a lot
of challenges with that and with allthat said, being a boutique agency like
(08:46):
you are when it comes to ourGI events, what kind of challenges even
though you can get through them andnavigate present themselves today with your clients,
I'm sure our challenges closely mirror whata lot of other business are going through
at the moment. You know,supply chains are less reliable, costs are
higher, so there's a lot ofexpectation again communication, you know, we
(09:11):
it's up to us to manage ourclients expectations, you know, about things
like turnaround time or how much thingsare going to cost. Events that are
annual events who maybe have worked withus for the last ten years, we
might have a completely different budget youknow, these days to put on the
exact same event. I think thatcustomers and consumers you know, an attendee
(09:35):
base are also far more savvy wehave. They have so much information you
know, at their fingertips and usliving in kind of this the age of
the influencer. They also have bombardedby these amazing you know, images,
and so I think their their sophisticationis very high. They expect a really
(10:00):
high level of execution and work product. And to balance that with you know,
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
(10:26):
us to be able to get forour clients faster or at a lower price
point, you know than maybe anewer company or one that hasn't enjoyed kind
of the successes that our gi has. All right, well, thank you
for sharing all that. And asRachel mentioned, I mean when it comes
to life and running a business likethis, you know so eloquently as you
explain, there aren't a lot ofrainbows and unicorns all the time when it
(10:48):
comes to this type of business.But with that set, I would like
you to share maybe one success storythat you were proud of. You don't
have to mention who the client was, but maybe there's something he said.
You know what, we really knockedit out of the park for that client.
It was pretty special and we're prettyproud of what we did. Oh
my gosh. Yeah. You know. One of the things I love most
about this industry, and I thinkthe reason that you know, I'm still
(11:11):
in it after twenty years, isthat there really is a lot of job
satisfaction. The road is not smooth, you know, but when you get
to the end of it, trulymaking an impact that we have made for
Titans of Industry, for some ofthe most well known nonprofits in the world
(11:37):
is really something that I am veryproud of. We say a lot here
that you know, we may notbe the ones to change the world,
but we will build the ones thatwill change it a stage literally and over
the last fifteen years we have supportedraising over a billion dollars for our nonprofit
clients, you know, in theirfundraisers throughout the year, throughout the years
(12:01):
of our fifteen years in business.And I think that is not a small
drop in the bucket. And I'mpretty darn proud of that for sure.
You know, in my series,Rachel, I've had the opportunity to talk
to so many smart, talented womenlike yourself that are now running companies,
are at a manageria role that's veryprominent, and as you as principal and
(12:22):
creative director, we have a lotof women that are listening to this series
and if you were to impart anyadvice on coming up the system, whether
they want to be a CEO andexecutive director of principal or at a manageria
level, and part some advice forour female listeners out there about your experiences
and maybe just some advice that thereare going to be challenges, there's going
(12:43):
to be some doors open and closed, but not necessarily your specific experiences,
but just maybe some advice in generalfor them. I think that's so important
and it has always been really importantfor me throughout my journey of being a
business owner to take part as muchas possible in opportunities to mentor women and
(13:05):
and speak to and encourage women ontheir own journeys. I think that on
one of the most helpful things thatI may be able to to impart to
other women is to to trust yourselfand to lean into the things that make
(13:28):
uh uh a leadership coming from awoman different than leadership that may come from
a man. Don't you know,run from the aspects uh that you know
you don't have to to to fitinto any specific mold. Lean into your
(13:50):
own talents and your own strengths.Diverse leadership is good leadership. And uh
and and and trust yourself. Uh. Don't second guess yourself. The mistakes
that I find that I have madealong the way, we're mostly made in
times where I second guest my gutinstinct. And it really is not easy.
(14:16):
But if you commit yourself to youknow, seeing the path in front
of you and then walking down thepath, you'll make it. I promise.
That's really good advice. And there'salso a common theme listeners that Rachel's
talked about that we hear regularly fromour leaders and if I could read the
tea leaves and what you're saying,leap of faith. As an entrepreneur,
(14:39):
you really have to take a leapof faith in these situations. Even though
it's scary, just go for it. There's going to be some failing down
there. But you know what,at the end, if you're driven enough
and if you're passionate enough like Racheland her team are, you're going to
get there. So, Rachel,I think that's great advice, and thank
you for sharing all that. Idid want to take a little bit of
break from the business and ask youabout philanthropic and charity work. I know
that the events of business, it'sseven days a week, three hundred and
(15:01):
sixty five days out of the year, so I know that there's not a
little lot a lot of time forsleep and also doing some charity work.
But whether it's through the business ormaybe you personally with your family, what
do you like to be part ofYeah? Absolutely, As I said,
I really do jump at any chancethat I've had to support women in business.
(15:22):
And I have been very active inour local community and associations and organizations
over the years as a board memberor cheering events specifically to empower and support
and educate women in their business journey. I'm also, as I said,
a really proud Alexandria native. Igrew up and now live on the original
(15:48):
five farms of George Washington's Mount VernonI live now. I just back up
right to the mansion and the missionand the preservation of Mount Vernon and of
the legacy of George Washington is veryimportant to me, and we do a
lot of work, my husband andI as fundraisers and patrons of various causes
(16:11):
at George Washington's Mal Vernon as wellas for some of the land preservation you
know, in the state of Virginiain general, and to be good stewards
of our natural resources, especially inthis beautiful state. So yes, there's
not a ton of time for it, but I think it is really really
(16:33):
important to kind of find those causesthat you're passionate about and make sure that
you know you spread the success arounda bit. Wow. I think that's
so cool. I happen to behistory buff and this is my fourth time
living in the DMV, and Ithink that people take for granted the history
that we have around us, andyou're living right on at which I think
is really cool that you and yourhusband do that. So that's wonderful and
(16:56):
thank you for sharing as we puta bow in our conversation and wrap up
a lot of fun talking about RGIevents. Rachel, if you were to
give our listener one takeaway about whatexactly r g I events is, what
would that be? Passionate strategists,I think we really have made a mark
(17:18):
and differentiated ourselves. There are alot of you know, fabulous special event
resources here in the district and acrossthe country. I think what makes us
different is that we truly do obsessour clients' brands. You know, we
want to act just as passionately toachieve our clients' goals as our clients are.
(17:41):
And I think through our strategic mindsetof the power that we know can
be harnessed in these opportunities where youcan bring a group of people into a
room and affect change, or inspireor educate. I know that we do
that at you know, work betterthan almost anybody in the country. That's
(18:03):
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 boot tagebusiness and there's competition out there. So
Rachel, if anybody is interested inworking with you, maybe a career or
just finding more about RGI Events,what's the website and any other social channels
you'd like to give out. Absolutelyyou can find us online at www dot
(18:27):
RGI events dot com and we're superactive on Instagram. At RGI Events,
we do a lot of posting behindthe scenes so you can get a feel
for a little bit of the mechanicsbehind the magic, which is always a
lot of fun. And that's wherewe are on Facebook as well. Is
at our GI events outstanding And Iknow you know this, but for our
(18:49):
listeners, I've been on the websiteand in the event business, you better
have a great presentation. Your websiteis gorgeous and easy to navigate, so
whoever's putting it together has done avery nice job. It's a really good
looking website. Oh thank you,Dennis. That's amazing. Well cool,
Well listen, Rachel, continue success. Give my best to your team there,
and thank you so much for joiningus today on CEOs. You should
(19:11):
know we really appreciate it. Isure will. Thank you Dennis
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