The Charleston Marketing Podcast

How are we doing? Who do you want to learn from next? Text us with notes and ideas. A great drink story is never just about what’s in the can. We’re joined by serial entrepreneur and attorney Toni Gilliard, the founder behind Tipsy Lady, a Caribbean-inspired ready-to-drink canned cocktail line built from her own recipes and backed by a clean-ingredient mindset. We talk about what it really takes to turn a 20-year rum punch tradition into a premium RTD brand at 12% ABV, why that alcohol volu...

How are we doing? Who do you want to learn from next? Text us with notes and ideas. Want to see what credibility looks like under pressure? We sit down with broadcaster and FEMA reservist Leyla Gulen to unpack the real work behind “overnight” stories, the human stakes of crisis communications, and why attention without accuracy is a losing game. Layla traces her arc from ballet hopeful to radio grinder to TV anchor in Los Angeles and San Francisco, revealing the invisible disciplines that b...

How are we doing? Who do you want to learn from next? Text us with notes and ideas. What if thinking about death could make your life and work lighter, clearer, and more intentional? We sit down with life and death coach Merridith Crowe to explore how memento mori—the simple, ancient reminder that we will die—can sharpen your choices today. This isn’t a gloomy detour. It’s a practical map for how to love better, lead with empathy, and build a business that matches your values. Meredith sha...

How are we doing? Who do you want to learn from next? Text us with notes and ideas. What happens when a poet decides to film an entire album live, open a song to the internet, and then knit twenty artists into a single five‑minute piece? We invited Charleston’s own Christian Morant to share how he balances heart‑first art with smart, sustainable marketing without losing the soul of the work. Christian takes us inside I’m Not A Rapper and the Snappin’ open verse challenge that drew thousand...

How are we doing? Who do you want to learn from next? Text us with notes and ideas. What happens when the spirit of Christmas meets the grit and growth of Charleston? We sit with Santa Smiley to explore how a city of parades, tree lightings, and school snow machines turns tradition into connection. From Hotel Bennett teas to James Island’s lights, we map the rituals that make the Lowcountry feel like home, then dig into the deeper current beneath the glitter: storytelling as the engine of c...

How are we doing? Who do you want to learn from next? Text us with notes and ideas. Come for the bass lines, stay for the blueprint of a modern creative business. We sit with Umphrey’s McGee bassist Ryan Stasik to trace how a college-born jam band built a 27-year career on improvisation, fan collaboration, and unapologetic DIY marketing. If you’ve ever wondered how to grow without giving up control, this conversation shows the moves: own your masters, design experiences your audience can sh...

How are we doing? Who do you want to learn from next? Text us with notes and ideas. Big ideas rarely arrive fully formed—they grow from a single conversation, a brave email, and a room full of the right people. That’s the heartbeat of this episode with Angel Holmes, a Charleston native whose fingerprints are on the city’s culinary rise, women’s leadership networks, and a new purpose-driven hospitality venture. We unpack the origin of Charleston Wine & Food, from a sustainable seafood i...