March 27, 2024 • 33 mins
Have you ever wondered what it feels like to truly belong? Ashley Gore, the VP of Marketing and PR for the Quad Cities Jaycees, joins us to unravel the tapestry of community engagement and how it's not just about the events, but the connections that blossom from them. From teaching to telecommuting, Ashley's journey to find her tribe in her 30s is a tale that resonates with anyone seeking a deeper sense of community. Her insights into the Quad Cities' open-armed approach to newcomers and the Jaycees' ethos of service paint a picture of a place where young professionals can grow and thrive.
Navigating the networking landscape can be daunting, but the Jaycees are experts at creating spaces of connection. We get an insider's look at their standout occasions like the Wedding Expo and the Wine and Chocolate Experience, which are more than just signature gatherings; they're lifelines to local nonprofits supported by the Jaycees' fundraising efforts. Ashley shares how these events are woven into the fabric of the local community, offering both social engagement and the chance to give back.
Embarking on a personal tour of the Quad Cities with someone who's rediscovered her roots, we learn about the magnetic appeal of the area's amenities, like the QC Coffee Trail – a testament to the local culture's richness. Our conversation with Ashley also reveals how the entrepreneurial spirit thrives here, with teaching skills translating into new ventures in the digital world. Looking ahead, we discuss innovative marketing strategies for community events and the importance of recognizing local leaders at the Jaycees Awards Banquet, closing with an invitation to celebrate the remarkable individuals who shape the heart of the Midwest.
QC, That's Where is a podcast powered by Visit Quad Cities. Through the people, partnerships, and personalities woven throughout the Quad Cities region, you'll meet real Quad Citizens and hear the untold stories of the region.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
I think the biggest thing to know is the Quad Cities
is full of groups and eventsthat are so welcoming to get out
and meet people.
I even, almost every week, Iget on Facebook and just click
on events or go to the VisitQuad Cities website and look at
what events are coming up andjust to see what is going on
that weekend, and it's alwaysfull.
There's so many different typesof opportunities and so,
(00:24):
whether it's going to an eventor finding, if you want,
something more formal toactually get to know people,
finding a club like the Jaycees,for example, if that aligns
with you, and just getting outand meeting people, there are so
many different organizationsthat do that.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Where do you find a family of communities connected
by the storied Mississippi River, where young explorers and
dreamers, investors andentrepreneurs thrive?
Where do you find a family ofcommunities connected by the
storied Mississippi River whereyoung explorers and dreamers,
investors and entrepreneursthrive?
Where can you connect with realpeople living and creating in a
(01:00):
place that's as genuine?
Speaker 3 (01:01):
as it is quirky.
Qc.
That's where, Welcome to QC.
That's where I'm your host,Katrina, and today I'm so
excited to be talking to AshleyGore, the VP of Marketing and PR
for JCs of the Quad Cities.
Hey Ashley, Hi Katrina, Thanksso much for having me.
Thank you for agreeing to be onthe podcast.
I'm excited to talk to you andwe were talking a little bit
before and just appreciated thatyou are open to talking about
(01:25):
kind of your entrepreneurshipexperience and the whole like
kit and caboodle of how you gotto where you are today.
So I want to just kind of giveyou the floor to start like walk
us through what you do withJaycees, how you got involved.
Yeah, go ahead and just startthere.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
Yeah, so I have been a member of the Jaycees for just
over a year now, so I am prettynew to the Jaycees of the Quad
Cities sphere, and what made mewant to join is I work from home
, so I work from home.
I used to work in person, I wasa teacher in the Quad Cities,
and so it was a big shift for meand I was looking for that
community piece.
(02:06):
I was looking to form a network, make friends, to be honest,
because, being a 30-year-old,it's hard to make friends
outside of work, you know and soI tried out a couple different
clubs and meetups in the QuadCities and was trying to find
something that clicked with myvalues and the type of people I
wanted to surround myself with.
And beginning of February in2023, I visited a meeting for
(02:31):
the JC's at our hall inDavenport and they all kind of
aligned.
I met some incredible peoplethat really valued service and
getting involved in the QuadCities, like I wanted to do as
well, as they had a communityspeaker from Big Brothers, big
Sisters and I'm also a big withBig Brothers, big Sisters so
that was a cool full circlemoment, like okay, this could be
(02:52):
it.
And they also had a tater totbuffet for our next little tater
tot day.
I'm like, okay, these are somepeople I can vibe with, just
love what we do in the community.
And so I joined that meetingand I've been involved for the
past year.
I was elected our vicepresident of PR and marketing
this past November and startedlast month in January, and just
(03:15):
yeah, excited to be involved.
I've loved all the people andexperiences I've had with it so
far and excited to make us alittle more known for people who
might not know a lot about us.
Besides, we're an organizationin the Quad Cities.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
Yeah.
So you hit on a point I wantedto like kind of dive deeper into
.
So I mean, everybody's heard ofthe Jaycees.
You guys are very visible asfar as, like your brand and the
fact that it's a you know, anonprofit.
I know that it's a kind of anetworking collection of young
adults.
So, like, what are some of thebig events or big pieces that
JC's provides for the QuadCities?
Speaker 1 (03:52):
So the JC's?
So, first of all, we are agroup of 21 to 40 year olds in
the Quad Cities and thesurrounding area.
So even if you live outside ofthe Quad Cities, I live in
Geneseo, for example.
That is A-OK, and our biggestthing is growing personally and
professionally while giving backto the community, and so any
event that we have any of theproceeds goes directly back into
(04:14):
the community.
So organizations can fill outdonation requests on our website
to get funding, to getvolunteers.
They contact us through oursocial media or our website as
well.
But we have some big eventsthroughout the year that make
those funds possible, Ourbiggest of which is our wedding
(04:35):
expo.
That just happened this lastJanuary and we just got the
final numbers in and it was ourbiggest yet Financially, for
attendees, for vendors.
We were sold out with 122vendors.
We had over 1,300 people come,and so that is a big source of
funding for us and all of thatmoney goes directly back into
the community.
We have smaller eventsthroughout the year as well.
(04:55):
We have if you've been here awhile, we were the brains and
the manpower behind Brew Ha Ha,we did Barbecue C for a couple
of years those who know us fromway back.
We did a haunted house.
That has been a while, but westill get people asking us about
our haunted house that we didBring it back.
Yeah, I know.
And so we have smaller eventsthroughout the year that are
(05:19):
really focused on individualdevelopment and just being
social with other young adultsand networking as well.
But our flagship is the WeddingExpo and we have a new one
coming up in November that iscalled the Wine and Chocolate
Experience.
Oh yeah, yeah, we're reallyexcited about that.
One and all of the funds willgo directly back into the
community towards nonprofitsthat need it most.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
Okay, perfect.
So the one coming up inNovember, brand new.
I'm sure a lot of your, youknow, organization and marketing
efforts are kind of goingtoward getting that off the
ground.
So, like you know, what doesthat look like for you as far as
planning something like that?
Speaker 1 (05:58):
Yeah, so I actually am not on the committee for that
, and that's the beautiful thingabout the GCCs is anytime we
have an initiative like this.
So the Wedding Expo, the Wineand Chocolate Experience there's
a committee, so anybody whowants to be involved in the
planning of it can help.
On the marketing side, I amhelping.
I'm currently getting it on ourwebsite.
I they are doing their.
(06:19):
The committee is running theirown socials right now so you can
follow them on Facebook at theWine and Chocolate Experience,
but I'll help amplify it on theGeneral JC's pages as well.
But it's a lot of work.
So currently, right now, what wedid is we actually had a mini
shark tank of sorts.
We wanted a new fundraisingevent but didn't know what to do
(06:40):
, and so the board put it out tomembers hey, submit your ideas,
submit your proposals, andwe're going to vote on the one
we like the best to actually goforward with.
And so the wine and chocolateexperience is the event that the
board felt was filling a gapthat we had in the Quad Cities
and would be a really greatevent, and we love doing events,
too, that help local businessesand local vendors, and so any
(07:03):
vendor.
Right now, they're currentlysourcing vendors.
So the event is on November 9thand it's going to be held at
the Golden Leaf Banquet Centerin Davenport.
And if you go on our website,if you have any sort of tie in
your business to wine orchocolate even if it's not like
traditional, like littlechocolates, but if you sell
chocolate ice cream, if you dosomething very unique with
(07:25):
chocolate or wine, definitelycheck it out, and people can
come on that day and have allthey can eat or drink or
whatever of wine and chocolate.
And so, yeah, there's a lot ofwork that goes into it.
Yeah, we're really excited forit.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
That's awesome.
So one thing that you kind ofhit on that JC's has provided
you personally and othersobviously as well, is just that
opportunity to network but alsomeet people, maybe make friends.
You know, I mean, it is hard asan adult when you're not in
school anymore and maybe youdon't have a traditional nine to
(08:01):
five office job.
A lot of people work remoteanymore and it's just like where
does the socialization comefrom?
So it's super cool that youwere able to get plugged in in
that way and I think JC's is agreat example of that.
There are other organizationsand clubs and meetups that the
Quad Cities offers and I thinkthat's one really great staple
(08:24):
piece of the Quad Cities that nomatter what your interest, what
your goal is to get out ofsomething, there's something for
you.
There's a way you can come herefresh as an adult and still
make friends.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Yes, there, absolutely is.
And with the GCs, we have a mixof, like, native locals and we
have people who are coming toour meetings and we're like, oh,
how'd you find us?
Well, I found you online.
I just moved here, I'm lookingto make friends.
I work remote, absolutely Likelet's chat, and I completely
agree.
There's so many incredibleorganizations where you can
(09:04):
network and it's all aboutfinding one that fits what you
want, the type of people youwant to be around, your values,
and I'm super happy to havefound that in the GCs.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
Yeah, let's talk about your origin story.
So you're not a QC native.
You come from Galesburg.
Talk about your move fromGalesburg to QC.
How long did you live inGalesburg?
Let's dive in.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
Yeah, so originally I'm from a really small town
near Galesburg called Rio.
If anybody out there has heardof it, shout out to you because
it's a town of 200 people.
My neighbor growing up was acornfield and so I lived in that
area through high school.
I went to Rova High School andI ended up going to Augustana.
So I was an elementaryeducation major at Augie, fell
(09:51):
in love with the Quad Cities.
So I mean, growing up I hadalways been to the Quad Cities,
like we'd come here to goshopping or there are more
restaurants up here than therewere in the Galesburg area.
But being at Augie is when Ireally got to experience the
Quad Cities for like all that ithad to offer and I knew that it
was somewhere that I kind ofwanted to end up in the future.
(10:13):
Like I was open, but I got myfirst job out of college near
Galesburg in Knoxville, so Imoved back home, eventually got
an apartment in Galesburg, livedthere for five years and ended
up.
I feel like this is such acommon story anymore.
Thankfully I met my now husbandon Bumble and he lived up in
(10:35):
Rock Island and so I was likeokay, so maybe this is a little
push to get me back to the QuadCities, because I think that was
a big piece that I was fearfulof is I wanted to end up back in
the Quad Cities.
It wasn't just him, I telleverybody that but I was afraid
of just like moving by myselfand not having a network around
me anymore, like Augie, likecollege is like built-in friends
(10:57):
, like right across the hallfrom you, you know.
And so that was the push Ineeded to get back in the Quad
Cities.
But I moved back in 2020.
I moved to the Quad Cities andtaught as a teacher in one of
the schools here for a coupleyears and continued to want a
remote company now and also runmy own business.
(11:17):
But I'm working in the QuadCities.
So right now I'm in my homeoffice in Geneseo, but you can
find me at least once a weekworking from a coffee shop in
the Quad Cities.
And the wonderful thing aboutthe JCs, too, is we have quite a
few members who do work remote,so we have a little co-working
(11:40):
group that we do.
So, like I plan on tomorrowgoing to work from a coffee shop
and I'm going to write in thegroup.
Hey, anybody want to join me?
At one, I'm going to go to thiscoffee shop, or if anybody
wants to work together.
Speaker 3 (11:51):
So oh, that's so great.
Yeah, that's how I ended upback here.
Yeah, I mean, that's awesome.
And so, like you know, not onlyare you able to work remote and
work on your business and, youknow, do your role at JC's, but,
like there's places where youcan easily go and just enjoy
each other's company.
I love the fact that we have somany coffee shops.
(12:13):
You mentioned coffee shops inthe Quad Cities.
We've got dozens and it's liketo kind of bring in one of our
products that we're super proudof the QC Coffee Trail, one of
our products that we're superproud of the QC Coffee Trail.
Yes, yeah, that free sign-upopportunity.
We just we put it out therealmost two years ago now and it
was basically just anopportunity for people to
(12:34):
explore places that they hadn'tbeen to yet and to really
showcase the fact that, you know, the Quad Cities is a place
where everybody can.
There's room for everybody.
There might be dozens of coffeeshops, but it doesn't mean that
like there's not room enough intown because they're all
frequented, they're all loved.
You know, one vibe is differentfrom the next and I just love
(12:55):
how welcoming that they all are.
You can go and you can take agroup in and, you know, sit and
enjoy each other's company for ahandful of hours without
feeling like, oh, I'veoverstayed my welcome, you know.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
Absolutely, and I love what you said about like
they each have their own vibetoo, because I mix it up where I
go and it depends on how I'mfeeling that day.
It depends on, like to behonest, like if I feel like I
really need to focus in and likeI'm like low energy, I'll go to
one of the like brightly litones I'll go to you know what I
mean.
And if I'm working with otherpeople, I'll go to one that's
(13:28):
more set up for that.
But sometimes I just need tozone in.
For me, I love to go to smallerones, and just there's so much
out there.
Speaker 3 (13:35):
Yeah, so talk about what you're doing.
You're not a teacher anymore,but you're still in the
education field, so can you kindof elaborate on that Cause I
think that's a very cool segmentof the education industry.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
Yeah, so I left teaching in 2022, that June and
at first I feel like a lot ofteachers feel like they either
one can't do anything but teachand that's very false or two, if
you get out of teaching, youhave to go work for like a K-12
curriculum company or something.
But there's so much out therethat your skills can transfer to
(14:11):
, and so I actually ended up ata company.
It's called SPI Media.
Spi stands for Smart PassiveIncome.
We have podcasts, blogs,courses and communities for
digital entrepreneurs, and so myjob is I oversee our learning
community that has all of ourcourses in it, and I also get to
(14:32):
help create new courses, createcurriculum pathways with our
courses and lead cohorts, and itis super fun and it uses all of
those skills that I learned asa teacher and just brings them
to a new space.
And I get to work from home.
I get to stay in the QuadCities.
Because of that, too, I did notwant to leave the Quad Cities
(14:53):
and, yeah, I really love it andI also a lot of that background
too.
I've run my own business it'scalled Learning with Miss LeGrow
, so LeGrow was my maiden nameand teachers if there's any
teachers listening will know theMarketplace.
Teachers Pay Teachers.
That's how I got started.
So I create digital downloadsand resources for upper
(15:18):
elementary teachers, and soMonday through Thursday I really
focus on my main job with SPI,and then on Fridays I really
hone in to my own business.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
Thank you for sharing that into my own business.
Thank you for sharing that.
I have teacher friends who Iknow have probably, you know,
utilized some of the likeservices that you, you know the,
the handouts, or just you know,curriculum building that you,
your type of company, providesso super important.
Thank you for sharing that.
And I I wanted to have you onbecause you are a really great
(15:47):
example of like, you know, aninnovative.
You can kind of make yourcareer what you want.
You don't have to have thatcookie cutter like, oh, I grew
up here so I must stay here andlive here.
Like you chose to come here,you saw something bright in the
Quad Cities and you chose tomake it your home.
Do you have any advice for, say, a you know a transplant
(16:10):
situation, whether you knowsomeone came and you know saw
something um bright from a visit, or if they've heard good
things and they just want tocome check it out?
Do you have any advice for kindof overcoming that fear of I
don't know what, I don't know?
Speaker 1 (16:26):
Yes.
So I think the biggest thing toknow is the Quad Cities is full
of groups and events that are sowelcoming to get out and meet
people.
I even, almost every week, I geton Facebook and just click on
events or go to the Visit QuadCities website and look at what
events are coming up and just tosee what is going on that
weekend, and it's always full.
(16:47):
There's so many different typesof opportunities and so,
whether it's going to an eventor finding, if you want,
something more like formal toactually get to know people,
like finding a club like theJC's, for example, if that
aligns with you, and justgetting out and meeting people,
there's so many differentorganizations that do that.
(17:07):
A lot of our members, as wellas JCs, are involved in more
than just the JCs and they'reinvolved in so many different
organizations that help themmake friends and network when
they're not from here.
I have a friend on our boardshout out to Shannon if Shannon
listens to this but Shannon isfrom Huntsville, alabama, and
(17:28):
works at the Arsenal, and so shegot involved with the JCs to
meet people and she's now alsoreally involved with the group
the Quad City Girls who Walk.
I think is what it's called.
Speaker 3 (17:37):
Yeah, I have heard of that.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
Yeah, yeah.
And so there's something foreverybody and you can find
organizations, meetups, whateverit might be, that align with
your interests and values.
Speaker 3 (17:49):
When I first moved here.
I've lived here since 2012.
I was a transplant, grew up inMichigan, came here as like a
young adult, like exactly likewe've been discussing, and you
know, kind of when you come incold, like I knew I had
relatives here but I didn't havenecessarily like a friend base
for a while and it is it is hard.
You kind of come in cold andyou kind of have to get your
(18:10):
feet wet and figure out whereyour niche is.
So using resources like thevisitquetzcitiescom events
calendar is super helpful andlike I kind of got plugged in
with some people through justlike club sand volleyball.
It was just one thing that Ienjoyed doing and kind of wanted
to pick up.
And so from there, once youkind of get plugged into one
(18:31):
thing, then it starts to branchout like a tree.
You talk to people, you learnabout X, y and Z that you didn't
know, and I have to say thisbecause it's just true.
Like our two destinationcenters Visit Quad Cities in
Davenport and Moline.
I can't stress enough Ifsomebody's new here and they
just want a head start and theywant some guidance, like people
(18:51):
are more than welcome to come inhere and just grab one of us on
staff there's 12 people onstaff Like one of us would be
more than happy to come out andchat with you and and lead you
in the right direction, causethere's a lot of like recreation
, you know stuff, but there'sthere's so much more.
You know there's um, you knowthere's.
There's study groups, there'shistory there.
You know you don't have to justcome in and go.
(19:12):
What can I do?
That's fun here this weekend.
It's like no, we can get youplugged into like a long-term um
, stuff that you want to, youwant to do in the QC, yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:22):
Or it's like what is fun for you, like what do you
want to be involved with?
I think it's one great thingabout the Quad Cities is, I feel
like there's such a big varietyof events and clubs and
organizations and initiativesthat go on that there's it just
more so than anywhere else.
Like I even briefly consideredliving like my, my husband and I
(19:44):
, we love to go to Mercado onefifth like in the summer, and so
they're just that's one exampleof like things to experience
and there's something foreverybody.
Speaker 3 (19:53):
Yeah, mercado is such a great example because it's
not a one-off, it's an ongoing.
You can count on it everysingle weekend the entire summer
, and then they kind of endtheir season with that big Dia
de los Muertos parade, new as ofa couple of years ago, and it's
it's just building and building.
One thing that I was likeabsolutely blown away by when I
(20:16):
learned of it was tug fest, withthe tug of war across the
Mississippi river, Like what?
Speaker 1 (20:23):
Yeah, that I have not been to that, but that's
something that I've I learnedabout actually this last year
and I'm like I should probablycheck that out, Like people get
crazy over it.
Speaker 3 (20:31):
Yeah, they do, they work so hard, they, they, they
gather teams, they practice,they meet up, they prepare and
yeah, it's, it's quite a showand it's I love to talk about it
because it's so interesting andpeople hear, like you know what
a I don't know the stats thethere's a certain poundage that
the rope is and it's you know X,y, z long and it's just like
(20:54):
absolutely mind blowing.
So the stuff like that that'sso unique here, you know, we
just love to tout and like ournew I-74 pedestrian walkway
where you can stand on thatreally thick glass Oculus, just
there's a lot of cool likeopportunities to get out and
explore while you're trying tofigure out what you want to do
here.
So I kind of want to funnel itback to talk about, like JC's
(21:18):
events.
You mentioned that your weddingexpo in January was the biggest
one on record.
So I mean there's no right orwrong answer, but like, from
your perspective in marketing,like, where do you go from here?
You know, I mean there's noright or wrong answer, but like
from your perspective inmarketing, like where do you go
from here?
You know, I mean obviously youwant it to be bigger and better
every year.
What's your vision, maybe inthe next one, two, three, four
(21:39):
years of it.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
So thankfully, because marketing is also a lot
and we have such a bigmembership at the Jaycees too.
So we're over 60 members and sowe're the largest Jaycees
chapter in Iowa and we havechairs of the Jaycees wedding
expo that help really drive thatvision.
But I think one thing like weexperienced this year is we're
(22:05):
just constantly trying to figureout ways to innovate, and so
while our attendees were up alittle bit, our vendors were
sold out.
That technically wasn't thatdifferent than the year before,
but we looked at ways tomaximize our profits, because
number one they go back into thecommunity too, and so that's a
huge driving factor is we wantto make as much as we can
(22:25):
because we're going to put itback into the community.
And so one thing we diddifferently this year is we
offered a VIP package, and soinstead of just your standard
$10 ticket where you can come infor half a day, newly or nearly
weds is what we refer to ourbride and grooms, nearly weds
can come in and they could havepaid $40 for a VIP experience
(22:48):
which includes two tickets, it'sall day.
There's special offers andfreebies from vendors that
regular attendees don't get.
They got like a swag bag oflike a cute VIP toe, that kind
of thing, and so just thinkingof ways to really up the
experience for people in waysthat aren't going to break their
bank either and that it'sreally worth it for them.
(23:09):
Like some of the, some of thevendor, like coupons and stuff
they got were wild.
I'm a newlywed myself and justI wish I would have known about
it when I got married, or it wasthere when I got married.
But yeah, we're always justtrying to think of, you know,
new things to include.
I know this one thing we'redoing for this next year is we
(23:32):
have more intricate selection ofbooths for vendors, and so they
can choose.
Are they on a corner?
Do they have a double booth inthe middle?
And so that's another way forus to maximize too, because we
can charge a little more forthose like really nice spots
that vendors want to.
So there's a couple things.
Speaker 3 (23:51):
Do you ever find people that aren't nearly weds,
that just kind of come becausethey think it's a fun experience
and they want to just seewhat's new?
Speaker 1 (23:59):
So this was my first year with the Wedding Expo since
I am a new member of theJaycees and number one.
It was wild how big it was,like we had people waiting in a
wraparound line before it opened, and so I ran into a lot of
people.
There was always either like abride or groom, but there were a
lot of people who were therewith them.
(24:19):
I actually ran it and I willleave them nameless.
I ran into a friend and I sawher and I said you're not
engaged and she's like, butmaybe in the future I will be,
you know.
And so we have people that arenot nearly weds that come,
whether it's preparing or justsupporting a friend, or
bridesmaids or groomsmen orother people in the wedding
(24:41):
industry.
Come and get ideas and maybesee how vendors to work with too
.
So there's, anybody is welcome,and that's also why we got away
from the name Bridal Expo.
Oh yeah To Wedding Expo.
So it's, yes, it's an expo allabout weddings.
It's not just for brides.
Speaker 3 (24:57):
Yeah, that makes a ton of sense.
Very cool.
And coming up in November, theJC's Awards Banquet.
Ok, so in prepping for that,what are you asking of the
community?
Speaker 1 (25:13):
So in April, on April 25th is our JC's Awards Banquet
.
Speaker 3 (25:14):
I'm sorry, I said November and I did not mean that
there's something else inNovember.
Speaker 1 (25:18):
Totally fine, there is.
But, yes, we have the JC'sAwards Banquet at the end of
April and what's really cool andI am on a mission as the VP of
Marketing to make this morewell-known because I feel in the
past it has not been superwell-known some of these awards.
So we are looking fornominations from the community
and they can nominate on ourwebsite at jcsqcorg, and there's
(25:41):
also information on ourFacebook page or Instagram as
well, linkedin wherever you areon the internet and you can
nominate for four differentcommunity awards.
So we are looking for youngleaders, so under the age of 40,
and young community leader,young educator, young city
servant and young religiousleader, and so if you know
(26:02):
someone that stands out in oneof those areas, you can nominate
them.
It's super quick and easy.
We just ask for like aparagraph of why they're
deserving of this and then ourcommittee selects people blindly
and they're honored at thebanquet with both.
They get their name on ourplaque center hall, they get
their own award and there's alsoa one hundred and fifty dollar
(26:22):
award that goes to them to putback into their cause.
So, for example, if younominate a young educator, that
money can go back into theirclassroom or really elevate
their teaching experiences.
Speaker 3 (26:34):
So walk me through the nomination process.
It's a form or like a kind of aQ&A, like you know.
Answer.
Speaker 1 (26:43):
It is super open-ended, so you just say who
you're nominating, which awardit's for and why they deserve to
be highlighted as a youngleader in our community, like
what makes them stand out.
Speaker 3 (26:56):
Okay, and what's our deadline for these nominations?
Speaker 1 (27:00):
April 1st is the deadline for the nominations and
then within about a week or sowe'll nominate both you and the
person that, or we'll contactyou and the person you nominated
if they were selected, and thenthey get two free tickets to
the awards banquet, which comeswith food and drink, at our hall
at the end of April.
Speaker 3 (27:22):
Awesome.
So April 1st 2024, just in caseyou are a future person and you
are listening to this podcast,in 2027, April 1st 2024.
So please take a look at thosecategories If you know a great
leader in your life.
Cool that you guys are doingthis.
I'm super excited for you guys.
I'm hoping that it kicks upgreat interest and then let's
(27:46):
scoot ahead to November, becauseI'm practically already at the
end of the year.
Yeah, so what is what's on yourdocket for November?
I know you've got a lot of workand you know we kind of already
touched on what this is goingto entail, but is there anything
that you want the community toknow right now?
Kind of looking ahead, yes sothere's a couple of things.
Speaker 1 (28:08):
So, first of all, if you are a small business owner,
if you are a vendor that hasanything to do with wine or
chocolate and I know I'm reallyexcited to see how creative and
innovative people get go to ourwebsite at jcsqcorg, click on
events and click on the wine andchocolate experience to learn
more about how you can be avendor at this event.
And community members, hangtight, but mark your calendars.
(28:31):
For November 9th at the GoldenLeaf Banquet Center in Davenport
, we will have a Facebook eventcoming this summer.
There's already a Facebook pagededicated to the event, so if
this sounds of interest, followit.
It's the wine and chocolateexperience and you can follow
along for ticket information.
What exactly the day willinclude because that's the great
(28:52):
thing too is this is a brandnew event.
It was created not only to helpthe community but really
filling a gap in our communityof like what could be successful
, a successful event, like Iknow, for example, I love the
wine walk in the village in thesummer, but what could we do in
November?
(29:12):
Like what could we do when it'sgetting a little colder?
And like there's still a way tocelebrate local businesses that
dabble in wine or chocolate.
So definitely follow us andkeep your eyes peeled.
Speaker 3 (29:24):
So what's the best social platform for, like
somebody who wants to justfollow what you guys are doing
or get plugged in with you guys?
Speaker 1 (29:30):
So we are on Facebook , instagram and LinkedIn at
JaceysQC.
So J-A-Y-C-E-E-S-Q-C is ourhandle on Instagram or just
search Jaceys of the Quad Citieson LinkedIn and Facebook.
We make events on Facebookspecifically for anything that
(29:50):
we do.
So we have general membershipmeetings that we post about that
are the first Thursday of everymonth.
So if anything I said hasresonated with you, come check
us out.
There is no obligation to joineither.
Just check out a meeting, getsome free drinks.
We have a social happy half hourat 530 before the meetings
where you can just get to knowpeople, and once a quarter we
(30:13):
also have membership events too,where you can.
Our members will be there, butyou can also just come hang out
with us, meet some people.
If it's right for you, you canjoin, but there's no obligation.
Our next one is at the end ofMarch.
On March 29th, we're going to aQuad City Storm game and you
can get tickets as a non-memberfor $15, which still comes with
(30:33):
$10 towards food and drink,which is awesome and you can
find more information about thatboth on our website and our
Facebook page.
Speaker 3 (30:41):
So I will make sure to link all of your social and
your website in the descriptionof this podcast.
So, whether you're watching iton YouTube or if you're
listening to it on a podcast app, just check out that
description for these links.
So, ashley, thank you so muchfor everything that you've
spelled out for us today.
(31:01):
It was super cool to kind ofyou know, talk, the transplant,
you know life with you and itsounds like you're making really
the most of it and and makinggreat strides in your career.
So, very impressive resume.
Thank you so much and I'mwishing you all the best in the
upcoming events, cause it soundslike you're really you're
really passionate about it andit's paying off.
(31:23):
So, per tradition, on the endof this podcast, I love to have
the guest fill in the blank QCthat's where, and whatever comes
to mind.
There are no wrong answers.
Qc that's where I love to walkmy dog.
Qc that's where I started myown business.
So what is your?
Qc?
(31:43):
That's where.
Speaker 1 (31:46):
I would say QC, that's where I found myself.
To be honest, like I knowthat's really deep, but it was a
time of my life when I movedhere and just all that the Quad
Cities has to offer, like Ifound the GCs, I found new
events, I made new friends andmade connections and it's just
where everything really startedcoming together for me with all
(32:07):
the opportunities out there.
So, yeah, that's where I foundmyself.
Speaker 3 (32:16):
I love that one.
Thank you, thank you, thank youSeriously, and I love how
different they are from personto person.
Yeah, yes, it was a very deep,well-meaning QC.
That's where.
So thank you so much.
Always check outvisitquadcitiescom slash events,
and there are over a thousandevents in the year that the Quad
Cities area hosts, so pleaseenjoy, come visit, stay live,
play with us.
(32:36):
So, ashley, thank you again, wewill see you next time.
Speaker 2 (32:40):
Thanks for listening to QC.
That's when a podcast poweredby Visit Quad Cities Text
VISITQC to 38314 for insiderevents, activities and updates
sent straight to your phone.
That's V-I-S-I-T-Q-C, one wordto 38314.
(33:01):
Message and data rates mayapply you.
I think the biggest thing to know is the Quad Cities
is full of groups and eventsthat are so welcoming to get out
and meet people.
I even, almost every week, Iget on Facebook and just click
on events or go to the VisitQuad Cities website and look at
what events are coming up andjust to see what is going on
that weekend, and it's alwaysfull.
There's so many different typesof opportunities and so,
(00:24):
whether it's going to an eventor finding, if you want,
something more formal toactually get to know people,
finding a club like the Jaycees,for example, if that aligns
with you, and just getting outand meeting people, there are so
many different organizationsthat do that.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Where do you find a family of communities connected
by the storied Mississippi River, where young explorers and
dreamers, investors andentrepreneurs thrive?
Where do you find a family ofcommunities connected by the
storied Mississippi River whereyoung explorers and dreamers,
investors and entrepreneursthrive?
Where can you connect with realpeople living and creating in a
(01:00):
place that's as genuine?
Speaker 3 (01:01):
as it is quirky.
Qc.
That's where, Welcome to QC.
That's where I'm your host,Katrina, and today I'm so
excited to be talking to AshleyGore, the VP of Marketing and PR
for JCs of the Quad Cities.
Hey Ashley, Hi Katrina, Thanksso much for having me.
Thank you for agreeing to be onthe podcast.
I'm excited to talk to you andwe were talking a little bit
before and just appreciated thatyou are open to talking about
(01:25):
kind of your entrepreneurshipexperience and the whole like
kit and caboodle of how you gotto where you are today.
So I want to just kind of giveyou the floor to start like walk
us through what you do withJaycees, how you got involved.
Yeah, go ahead and just startthere.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
Yeah, so I have been a member of the Jaycees for just
over a year now, so I am prettynew to the Jaycees of the Quad
Cities sphere, and what made mewant to join is I work from home
, so I work from home.
I used to work in person, I wasa teacher in the Quad Cities,
and so it was a big shift for meand I was looking for that
community piece.
(02:06):
I was looking to form a network, make friends, to be honest,
because, being a 30-year-old,it's hard to make friends
outside of work, you know and soI tried out a couple different
clubs and meetups in the QuadCities and was trying to find
something that clicked with myvalues and the type of people I
wanted to surround myself with.
And beginning of February in2023, I visited a meeting for
(02:31):
the JC's at our hall inDavenport and they all kind of
aligned.
I met some incredible peoplethat really valued service and
getting involved in the QuadCities, like I wanted to do as
well, as they had a communityspeaker from Big Brothers, big
Sisters and I'm also a big withBig Brothers, big Sisters so
that was a cool full circlemoment, like okay, this could be
(02:52):
it.
And they also had a tater totbuffet for our next little tater
tot day.
I'm like, okay, these are somepeople I can vibe with, just
love what we do in the community.
And so I joined that meetingand I've been involved for the
past year.
I was elected our vicepresident of PR and marketing
this past November and startedlast month in January, and just
(03:15):
yeah, excited to be involved.
I've loved all the people andexperiences I've had with it so
far and excited to make us alittle more known for people who
might not know a lot about us.
Besides, we're an organizationin the Quad Cities.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
Yeah.
So you hit on a point I wantedto like kind of dive deeper into
.
So I mean, everybody's heard ofthe Jaycees.
You guys are very visible asfar as, like your brand and the
fact that it's a you know, anonprofit.
I know that it's a kind of anetworking collection of young
adults.
So, like, what are some of thebig events or big pieces that
JC's provides for the QuadCities?
Speaker 1 (03:52):
So the JC's?
So, first of all, we are agroup of 21 to 40 year olds in
the Quad Cities and thesurrounding area.
So even if you live outside ofthe Quad Cities, I live in
Geneseo, for example.
That is A-OK, and our biggestthing is growing personally and
professionally while giving backto the community, and so any
event that we have any of theproceeds goes directly back into
(04:14):
the community.
So organizations can fill outdonation requests on our website
to get funding, to getvolunteers.
They contact us through oursocial media or our website as
well.
But we have some big eventsthroughout the year that make
those funds possible, Ourbiggest of which is our wedding
(04:35):
expo.
That just happened this lastJanuary and we just got the
final numbers in and it was ourbiggest yet Financially, for
attendees, for vendors.
We were sold out with 122vendors.
We had over 1,300 people come,and so that is a big source of
funding for us and all of thatmoney goes directly back into
the community.
We have smaller eventsthroughout the year as well.
(04:55):
We have if you've been here awhile, we were the brains and
the manpower behind Brew Ha Ha,we did Barbecue C for a couple
of years those who know us fromway back.
We did a haunted house.
That has been a while, but westill get people asking us about
our haunted house that we didBring it back.
Yeah, I know.
And so we have smaller eventsthroughout the year that are
(05:19):
really focused on individualdevelopment and just being
social with other young adultsand networking as well.
But our flagship is the WeddingExpo and we have a new one
coming up in November that iscalled the Wine and Chocolate
Experience.
Oh yeah, yeah, we're reallyexcited about that.
One and all of the funds willgo directly back into the
community towards nonprofitsthat need it most.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
Okay, perfect.
So the one coming up inNovember, brand new.
I'm sure a lot of your, youknow, organization and marketing
efforts are kind of goingtoward getting that off the
ground.
So, like you know, what doesthat look like for you as far as
planning something like that?
Speaker 1 (05:58):
Yeah, so I actually am not on the committee for that
, and that's the beautiful thingabout the GCCs is anytime we
have an initiative like this.
So the Wedding Expo, the Wineand Chocolate Experience there's
a committee, so anybody whowants to be involved in the
planning of it can help.
On the marketing side, I amhelping.
I'm currently getting it on ourwebsite.
I they are doing their.
(06:19):
The committee is running theirown socials right now so you can
follow them on Facebook at theWine and Chocolate Experience,
but I'll help amplify it on theGeneral JC's pages as well.
But it's a lot of work.
So currently, right now, what wedid is we actually had a mini
shark tank of sorts.
We wanted a new fundraisingevent but didn't know what to do
(06:40):
, and so the board put it out tomembers hey, submit your ideas,
submit your proposals, andwe're going to vote on the one
we like the best to actually goforward with.
And so the wine and chocolateexperience is the event that the
board felt was filling a gapthat we had in the Quad Cities
and would be a really greatevent, and we love doing events,
too, that help local businessesand local vendors, and so any
(07:03):
vendor.
Right now, they're currentlysourcing vendors.
So the event is on November 9thand it's going to be held at
the Golden Leaf Banquet Centerin Davenport.
And if you go on our website,if you have any sort of tie in
your business to wine orchocolate even if it's not like
traditional, like littlechocolates, but if you sell
chocolate ice cream, if you dosomething very unique with
(07:25):
chocolate or wine, definitelycheck it out, and people can
come on that day and have allthey can eat or drink or
whatever of wine and chocolate.
And so, yeah, there's a lot ofwork that goes into it.
Yeah, we're really excited forit.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
That's awesome.
So one thing that you kind ofhit on that JC's has provided
you personally and othersobviously as well, is just that
opportunity to network but alsomeet people, maybe make friends.
You know, I mean, it is hard asan adult when you're not in
school anymore and maybe youdon't have a traditional nine to
(08:01):
five office job.
A lot of people work remoteanymore and it's just like where
does the socialization comefrom?
So it's super cool that youwere able to get plugged in in
that way and I think JC's is agreat example of that.
There are other organizationsand clubs and meetups that the
Quad Cities offers and I thinkthat's one really great staple
(08:24):
piece of the Quad Cities that nomatter what your interest, what
your goal is to get out ofsomething, there's something for
you.
There's a way you can come herefresh as an adult and still
make friends.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Yes, there, absolutely is.
And with the GCs, we have a mixof, like, native locals and we
have people who are coming toour meetings and we're like, oh,
how'd you find us?
Well, I found you online.
I just moved here, I'm lookingto make friends.
I work remote, absolutely Likelet's chat, and I completely
agree.
There's so many incredibleorganizations where you can
(09:04):
network and it's all aboutfinding one that fits what you
want, the type of people youwant to be around, your values,
and I'm super happy to havefound that in the GCs.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
Yeah, let's talk about your origin story.
So you're not a QC native.
You come from Galesburg.
Talk about your move fromGalesburg to QC.
How long did you live inGalesburg?
Let's dive in.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
Yeah, so originally I'm from a really small town
near Galesburg called Rio.
If anybody out there has heardof it, shout out to you because
it's a town of 200 people.
My neighbor growing up was acornfield and so I lived in that
area through high school.
I went to Rova High School andI ended up going to Augustana.
So I was an elementaryeducation major at Augie, fell
(09:51):
in love with the Quad Cities.
So I mean, growing up I hadalways been to the Quad Cities,
like we'd come here to goshopping or there are more
restaurants up here than therewere in the Galesburg area.
But being at Augie is when Ireally got to experience the
Quad Cities for like all that ithad to offer and I knew that it
was somewhere that I kind ofwanted to end up in the future.
(10:13):
Like I was open, but I got myfirst job out of college near
Galesburg in Knoxville, so Imoved back home, eventually got
an apartment in Galesburg, livedthere for five years and ended
up.
I feel like this is such acommon story anymore.
Thankfully I met my now husbandon Bumble and he lived up in
(10:35):
Rock Island and so I was likeokay, so maybe this is a little
push to get me back to the QuadCities, because I think that was
a big piece that I was fearfulof is I wanted to end up back in
the Quad Cities.
It wasn't just him, I telleverybody that but I was afraid
of just like moving by myselfand not having a network around
me anymore, like Augie, likecollege is like built-in friends
(10:57):
, like right across the hallfrom you, you know.
And so that was the push Ineeded to get back in the Quad
Cities.
But I moved back in 2020.
I moved to the Quad Cities andtaught as a teacher in one of
the schools here for a coupleyears and continued to want a
remote company now and also runmy own business.
(11:17):
But I'm working in the QuadCities.
So right now I'm in my homeoffice in Geneseo, but you can
find me at least once a weekworking from a coffee shop in
the Quad Cities.
And the wonderful thing aboutthe JCs, too, is we have quite a
few members who do work remote,so we have a little co-working
(11:40):
group that we do.
So, like I plan on tomorrowgoing to work from a coffee shop
and I'm going to write in thegroup.
Hey, anybody want to join me?
At one, I'm going to go to thiscoffee shop, or if anybody
wants to work together.
Speaker 3 (11:51):
So oh, that's so great.
Yeah, that's how I ended upback here.
Yeah, I mean, that's awesome.
And so, like you know, not onlyare you able to work remote and
work on your business and, youknow, do your role at JC's, but,
like there's places where youcan easily go and just enjoy
each other's company.
I love the fact that we have somany coffee shops.
(12:13):
You mentioned coffee shops inthe Quad Cities.
We've got dozens and it's liketo kind of bring in one of our
products that we're super proudof the QC Coffee Trail, one of
our products that we're superproud of the QC Coffee Trail.
Yes, yeah, that free sign-upopportunity.
We just we put it out therealmost two years ago now and it
was basically just anopportunity for people to
(12:34):
explore places that they hadn'tbeen to yet and to really
showcase the fact that, you know, the Quad Cities is a place
where everybody can.
There's room for everybody.
There might be dozens of coffeeshops, but it doesn't mean that
like there's not room enough intown because they're all
frequented, they're all loved.
You know, one vibe is differentfrom the next and I just love
(12:55):
how welcoming that they all are.
You can go and you can take agroup in and, you know, sit and
enjoy each other's company for ahandful of hours without
feeling like, oh, I'veoverstayed my welcome, you know.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
Absolutely, and I love what you said about like
they each have their own vibetoo, because I mix it up where I
go and it depends on how I'mfeeling that day.
It depends on, like to behonest, like if I feel like I
really need to focus in and likeI'm like low energy, I'll go to
one of the like brightly litones I'll go to you know what I
mean.
And if I'm working with otherpeople, I'll go to one that's
(13:28):
more set up for that.
But sometimes I just need tozone in.
For me, I love to go to smallerones, and just there's so much
out there.
Speaker 3 (13:35):
Yeah, so talk about what you're doing.
You're not a teacher anymore,but you're still in the
education field, so can you kindof elaborate on that Cause I
think that's a very cool segmentof the education industry.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
Yeah, so I left teaching in 2022, that June and
at first I feel like a lot ofteachers feel like they either
one can't do anything but teachand that's very false or two, if
you get out of teaching, youhave to go work for like a K-12
curriculum company or something.
But there's so much out therethat your skills can transfer to
(14:11):
, and so I actually ended up ata company.
It's called SPI Media.
Spi stands for Smart PassiveIncome.
We have podcasts, blogs,courses and communities for
digital entrepreneurs, and so myjob is I oversee our learning
community that has all of ourcourses in it, and I also get to
(14:32):
help create new courses, createcurriculum pathways with our
courses and lead cohorts, and itis super fun and it uses all of
those skills that I learned asa teacher and just brings them
to a new space.
And I get to work from home.
I get to stay in the QuadCities.
Because of that, too, I did notwant to leave the Quad Cities
(14:53):
and, yeah, I really love it andI also a lot of that background
too.
I've run my own business it'scalled Learning with Miss LeGrow
, so LeGrow was my maiden nameand teachers if there's any
teachers listening will know theMarketplace.
Teachers Pay Teachers.
That's how I got started.
So I create digital downloadsand resources for upper
(15:18):
elementary teachers, and soMonday through Thursday I really
focus on my main job with SPI,and then on Fridays I really
hone in to my own business.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
Thank you for sharing that into my own business.
Thank you for sharing that.
I have teacher friends who Iknow have probably, you know,
utilized some of the likeservices that you, you know the,
the handouts, or just you know,curriculum building that you,
your type of company, providesso super important.
Thank you for sharing that.
And I I wanted to have you onbecause you are a really great
(15:47):
example of like, you know, aninnovative.
You can kind of make yourcareer what you want.
You don't have to have thatcookie cutter like, oh, I grew
up here so I must stay here andlive here.
Like you chose to come here,you saw something bright in the
Quad Cities and you chose tomake it your home.
Do you have any advice for, say, a you know a transplant
(16:10):
situation, whether you knowsomeone came and you know saw
something um bright from a visit, or if they've heard good
things and they just want tocome check it out?
Do you have any advice for kindof overcoming that fear of I
don't know what, I don't know?
Speaker 1 (16:26):
Yes.
So I think the biggest thing toknow is the Quad Cities is full
of groups and events that are sowelcoming to get out and meet
people.
I even, almost every week, I geton Facebook and just click on
events or go to the Visit QuadCities website and look at what
events are coming up and just tosee what is going on that
weekend, and it's always full.
(16:47):
There's so many different typesof opportunities and so,
whether it's going to an eventor finding, if you want,
something more like formal toactually get to know people,
like finding a club like theJC's, for example, if that
aligns with you, and justgetting out and meeting people,
there's so many differentorganizations that do that.
(17:07):
A lot of our members, as wellas JCs, are involved in more
than just the JCs and they'reinvolved in so many different
organizations that help themmake friends and network when
they're not from here.
I have a friend on our boardshout out to Shannon if Shannon
listens to this but Shannon isfrom Huntsville, alabama, and
(17:28):
works at the Arsenal, and so shegot involved with the JCs to
meet people and she's now alsoreally involved with the group
the Quad City Girls who Walk.
I think is what it's called.
Speaker 3 (17:37):
Yeah, I have heard of that.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
Yeah, yeah.
And so there's something foreverybody and you can find
organizations, meetups, whateverit might be, that align with
your interests and values.
Speaker 3 (17:49):
When I first moved here.
I've lived here since 2012.
I was a transplant, grew up inMichigan, came here as like a
young adult, like exactly likewe've been discussing, and you
know, kind of when you come incold, like I knew I had
relatives here but I didn't havenecessarily like a friend base
for a while and it is it is hard.
You kind of come in cold andyou kind of have to get your
(18:10):
feet wet and figure out whereyour niche is.
So using resources like thevisitquetzcitiescom events
calendar is super helpful andlike I kind of got plugged in
with some people through justlike club sand volleyball.
It was just one thing that Ienjoyed doing and kind of wanted
to pick up.
And so from there, once youkind of get plugged into one
(18:31):
thing, then it starts to branchout like a tree.
You talk to people, you learnabout X, y and Z that you didn't
know, and I have to say thisbecause it's just true.
Like our two destinationcenters Visit Quad Cities in
Davenport and Moline.
I can't stress enough Ifsomebody's new here and they
just want a head start and theywant some guidance, like people
(18:51):
are more than welcome to come inhere and just grab one of us on
staff there's 12 people onstaff Like one of us would be
more than happy to come out andchat with you and and lead you
in the right direction, causethere's a lot of like recreation
, you know stuff, but there'sthere's so much more.
You know there's um, you knowthere's.
There's study groups, there'shistory there.
You know you don't have to justcome in and go.
(19:12):
What can I do?
That's fun here this weekend.
It's like no, we can get youplugged into like a long-term um
, stuff that you want to, youwant to do in the QC, yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:22):
Or it's like what is fun for you, like what do you
want to be involved with?
I think it's one great thingabout the Quad Cities is, I feel
like there's such a big varietyof events and clubs and
organizations and initiativesthat go on that there's it just
more so than anywhere else.
Like I even briefly consideredliving like my, my husband and I
(19:44):
, we love to go to Mercado onefifth like in the summer, and so
they're just that's one exampleof like things to experience
and there's something foreverybody.
Speaker 3 (19:53):
Yeah, mercado is such a great example because it's
not a one-off, it's an ongoing.
You can count on it everysingle weekend the entire summer
, and then they kind of endtheir season with that big Dia
de los Muertos parade, new as ofa couple of years ago, and it's
it's just building and building.
One thing that I was likeabsolutely blown away by when I
(20:16):
learned of it was tug fest, withthe tug of war across the
Mississippi river, Like what?
Speaker 1 (20:23):
Yeah, that I have not been to that, but that's
something that I've I learnedabout actually this last year
and I'm like I should probablycheck that out, Like people get
crazy over it.
Speaker 3 (20:31):
Yeah, they do, they work so hard, they, they, they
gather teams, they practice,they meet up, they prepare and
yeah, it's, it's quite a showand it's I love to talk about it
because it's so interesting andpeople hear, like you know what
a I don't know the stats thethere's a certain poundage that
the rope is and it's you know X,y, z long and it's just like
(20:54):
absolutely mind blowing.
So the stuff like that that'sso unique here, you know, we
just love to tout and like ournew I-74 pedestrian walkway
where you can stand on thatreally thick glass Oculus, just
there's a lot of cool likeopportunities to get out and
explore while you're trying tofigure out what you want to do
here.
So I kind of want to funnel itback to talk about, like JC's
(21:18):
events.
You mentioned that your weddingexpo in January was the biggest
one on record.
So I mean there's no right orwrong answer, but like, from
your perspective in marketing,like, where do you go from here?
You know, I mean there's noright or wrong answer, but like
from your perspective inmarketing, like where do you go
from here?
You know, I mean obviously youwant it to be bigger and better
every year.
What's your vision, maybe inthe next one, two, three, four
(21:39):
years of it.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
So thankfully, because marketing is also a lot
and we have such a bigmembership at the Jaycees too.
So we're over 60 members and sowe're the largest Jaycees
chapter in Iowa and we havechairs of the Jaycees wedding
expo that help really drive thatvision.
But I think one thing like weexperienced this year is we're
(22:05):
just constantly trying to figureout ways to innovate, and so
while our attendees were up alittle bit, our vendors were
sold out.
That technically wasn't thatdifferent than the year before,
but we looked at ways tomaximize our profits, because
number one they go back into thecommunity too, and so that's a
huge driving factor is we wantto make as much as we can
(22:25):
because we're going to put itback into the community.
And so one thing we diddifferently this year is we
offered a VIP package, and soinstead of just your standard
$10 ticket where you can come infor half a day, newly or nearly
weds is what we refer to ourbride and grooms, nearly weds
can come in and they could havepaid $40 for a VIP experience
(22:48):
which includes two tickets, it'sall day.
There's special offers andfreebies from vendors that
regular attendees don't get.
They got like a swag bag oflike a cute VIP toe, that kind
of thing, and so just thinkingof ways to really up the
experience for people in waysthat aren't going to break their
bank either and that it'sreally worth it for them.
(23:09):
Like some of the, some of thevendor, like coupons and stuff
they got were wild.
I'm a newlywed myself and justI wish I would have known about
it when I got married, or it wasthere when I got married.
But yeah, we're always justtrying to think of, you know,
new things to include.
I know this one thing we'redoing for this next year is we
(23:32):
have more intricate selection ofbooths for vendors, and so they
can choose.
Are they on a corner?
Do they have a double booth inthe middle?
And so that's another way forus to maximize too, because we
can charge a little more forthose like really nice spots
that vendors want to.
So there's a couple things.
Speaker 3 (23:51):
Do you ever find people that aren't nearly weds,
that just kind of come becausethey think it's a fun experience
and they want to just seewhat's new?
Speaker 1 (23:59):
So this was my first year with the Wedding Expo since
I am a new member of theJaycees and number one.
It was wild how big it was,like we had people waiting in a
wraparound line before it opened, and so I ran into a lot of
people.
There was always either like abride or groom, but there were a
lot of people who were therewith them.
(24:19):
I actually ran it and I willleave them nameless.
I ran into a friend and I sawher and I said you're not
engaged and she's like, butmaybe in the future I will be,
you know.
And so we have people that arenot nearly weds that come,
whether it's preparing or justsupporting a friend, or
bridesmaids or groomsmen orother people in the wedding
(24:41):
industry.
Come and get ideas and maybesee how vendors to work with too
.
So there's, anybody is welcome,and that's also why we got away
from the name Bridal Expo.
Oh yeah To Wedding Expo.
So it's, yes, it's an expo allabout weddings.
It's not just for brides.
Speaker 3 (24:57):
Yeah, that makes a ton of sense.
Very cool.
And coming up in November, theJC's Awards Banquet.
Ok, so in prepping for that,what are you asking of the
community?
Speaker 1 (25:13):
So in April, on April 25th is our JC's Awards Banquet
.
Speaker 3 (25:14):
I'm sorry, I said November and I did not mean that
there's something else inNovember.
Speaker 1 (25:18):
Totally fine, there is.
But, yes, we have the JC'sAwards Banquet at the end of
April and what's really cool andI am on a mission as the VP of
Marketing to make this morewell-known because I feel in the
past it has not been superwell-known some of these awards.
So we are looking fornominations from the community
and they can nominate on ourwebsite at jcsqcorg, and there's
(25:41):
also information on ourFacebook page or Instagram as
well, linkedin wherever you areon the internet and you can
nominate for four differentcommunity awards.
So we are looking for youngleaders, so under the age of 40,
and young community leader,young educator, young city
servant and young religiousleader, and so if you know
(26:02):
someone that stands out in oneof those areas, you can nominate
them.
It's super quick and easy.
We just ask for like aparagraph of why they're
deserving of this and then ourcommittee selects people blindly
and they're honored at thebanquet with both.
They get their name on ourplaque center hall, they get
their own award and there's alsoa one hundred and fifty dollar
(26:22):
award that goes to them to putback into their cause.
So, for example, if younominate a young educator, that
money can go back into theirclassroom or really elevate
their teaching experiences.
Speaker 3 (26:34):
So walk me through the nomination process.
It's a form or like a kind of aQ&A, like you know.
Answer.
Speaker 1 (26:43):
It is super open-ended, so you just say who
you're nominating, which awardit's for and why they deserve to
be highlighted as a youngleader in our community, like
what makes them stand out.
Speaker 3 (26:56):
Okay, and what's our deadline for these nominations?
Speaker 1 (27:00):
April 1st is the deadline for the nominations and
then within about a week or sowe'll nominate both you and the
person that, or we'll contactyou and the person you nominated
if they were selected, and thenthey get two free tickets to
the awards banquet, which comeswith food and drink, at our hall
at the end of April.
Speaker 3 (27:22):
Awesome.
So April 1st 2024, just in caseyou are a future person and you
are listening to this podcast,in 2027, April 1st 2024.
So please take a look at thosecategories If you know a great
leader in your life.
Cool that you guys are doingthis.
I'm super excited for you guys.
I'm hoping that it kicks upgreat interest and then let's
(27:46):
scoot ahead to November, becauseI'm practically already at the
end of the year.
Yeah, so what is what's on yourdocket for November?
I know you've got a lot of workand you know we kind of already
touched on what this is goingto entail, but is there anything
that you want the community toknow right now?
Kind of looking ahead, yes sothere's a couple of things.
Speaker 1 (28:08):
So, first of all, if you are a small business owner,
if you are a vendor that hasanything to do with wine or
chocolate and I know I'm reallyexcited to see how creative and
innovative people get go to ourwebsite at jcsqcorg, click on
events and click on the wine andchocolate experience to learn
more about how you can be avendor at this event.
And community members, hangtight, but mark your calendars.
(28:31):
For November 9th at the GoldenLeaf Banquet Center in Davenport
, we will have a Facebook eventcoming this summer.
There's already a Facebook pagededicated to the event, so if
this sounds of interest, followit.
It's the wine and chocolateexperience and you can follow
along for ticket information.
What exactly the day willinclude because that's the great
(28:52):
thing too is this is a brandnew event.
It was created not only to helpthe community but really
filling a gap in our communityof like what could be successful
, a successful event, like Iknow, for example, I love the
wine walk in the village in thesummer, but what could we do in
November?
(29:12):
Like what could we do when it'sgetting a little colder?
And like there's still a way tocelebrate local businesses that
dabble in wine or chocolate.
So definitely follow us andkeep your eyes peeled.
Speaker 3 (29:24):
So what's the best social platform for, like
somebody who wants to justfollow what you guys are doing
or get plugged in with you guys?
Speaker 1 (29:30):
So we are on Facebook , instagram and LinkedIn at
JaceysQC.
So J-A-Y-C-E-E-S-Q-C is ourhandle on Instagram or just
search Jaceys of the Quad Citieson LinkedIn and Facebook.
We make events on Facebookspecifically for anything that
(29:50):
we do.
So we have general membershipmeetings that we post about that
are the first Thursday of everymonth.
So if anything I said hasresonated with you, come check
us out.
There is no obligation to joineither.
Just check out a meeting, getsome free drinks.
We have a social happy half hourat 530 before the meetings
where you can just get to knowpeople, and once a quarter we
(30:13):
also have membership events too,where you can.
Our members will be there, butyou can also just come hang out
with us, meet some people.
If it's right for you, you canjoin, but there's no obligation.
Our next one is at the end ofMarch.
On March 29th, we're going to aQuad City Storm game and you
can get tickets as a non-memberfor $15, which still comes with
(30:33):
$10 towards food and drink,which is awesome and you can
find more information about thatboth on our website and our
Facebook page.
Speaker 3 (30:41):
So I will make sure to link all of your social and
your website in the descriptionof this podcast.
So, whether you're watching iton YouTube or if you're
listening to it on a podcast app, just check out that
description for these links.
So, ashley, thank you so muchfor everything that you've
spelled out for us today.
(31:01):
It was super cool to kind ofyou know, talk, the transplant,
you know life with you and itsounds like you're making really
the most of it and and makinggreat strides in your career.
So, very impressive resume.
Thank you so much and I'mwishing you all the best in the
upcoming events, cause it soundslike you're really you're
really passionate about it andit's paying off.
(31:23):
So, per tradition, on the endof this podcast, I love to have
the guest fill in the blank QCthat's where, and whatever comes
to mind.
There are no wrong answers.
Qc that's where I love to walkmy dog.
Qc that's where I started myown business.
So what is your?
Qc?
(31:43):
That's where.
Speaker 1 (31:46):
I would say QC, that's where I found myself.
To be honest, like I knowthat's really deep, but it was a
time of my life when I movedhere and just all that the Quad
Cities has to offer, like Ifound the GCs, I found new
events, I made new friends andmade connections and it's just
where everything really startedcoming together for me with all
(32:07):
the opportunities out there.
So, yeah, that's where I foundmyself.
Speaker 3 (32:16):
I love that one.
Thank you, thank you, thank youSeriously, and I love how
different they are from personto person.
Yeah, yes, it was a very deep,well-meaning QC.
That's where.
So thank you so much.
Always check outvisitquadcitiescom slash events,
and there are over a thousandevents in the year that the Quad
Cities area hosts, so pleaseenjoy, come visit, stay live,
play with us.
(32:36):
So, ashley, thank you again, wewill see you next time.
Speaker 2 (32:40):
Thanks for listening to QC.
That's when a podcast poweredby Visit Quad Cities Text
VISITQC to 38314 for insiderevents, activities and updates
sent straight to your phone.
That's V-I-S-I-T-Q-C, one wordto 38314.
(33:01):
Message and data rates mayapply you.
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