Curated Convos, Cocktails, and Community: A Business with Passion at the Core with @_thedinnerpartyproject_ - S4:E4

finding fearless podcast. I have a really fun episode in store for you today. And I hope it pushes you in your perspective of what it means to create a company that really integrates together the things that inspire you, and that align the things you love with your sense of purpose and creative passion. Today's conversation is with Dana Marie Rockmore, of the dinner party project. And Dana and I met each other at an event in California, I was lucky enough to indulge in her divine

culinary experiences. And from there, I learned more about her mission, her business, her passion for creating community through bringing groups of individuals together who don't even know each other to connect and conspire and celebrate around delicious food, and storytelling, and really create magical ways for people to connect. What I love most about this conversation is the data isn't shy about talking about all the ways that she had to figure out and find this path

for herself. And you know that this wasn't her first foray as an entrepreneur. I think so many of us think that there's this, you know, set little path we're supposed to walk down that will lead to this ultimate

entrepreneurial journey. But I really appreciate in this conversation how honest Stan is about, you know, the ups and downs that came with not only you know, her career, but but the past couple years of running an event based brand, you know, when a global pandemic was unfolding, so I won't spoil any more of the conversation, but I really hope it ignites your passion and gets your creative juices flowing because it definitely got me inspired to think about how I can bring more

creativity into my company. And also I'll be honest, knowing how amazing of a chef she is. This conversation got me a little bit hungry as well. So I will go ahead and introduce you to this amazing conversation with Dana Marie Rockmore of the dinner party project. Welcome back to the finding fearless podcast. This week, we have Dana Marie rock more of the dinner party project to chat about building a business around

heart and passion. Dana Murray is a social entrepreneur went from being a Stylist for Fashion shows, personal wardrobe consultant and an event planner, to being the creator of an innovative community based concept that took Orlando, Florida by storm. In 2014. Dana created the dinner party project, a food focused social experiment that invites eight strangers to share an incredible four course meal with beverage pairings, interesting conversation, and fantastic

company. Each month, seven guests plus a host gathered to meet people in their city. She uses guest chefs as a way to create amazing food. But the real richness is in the connections that happen during these dinners. Her vision of gathering the community has expanded to private custom dinner parties, corporate events, large scale community events, and the International retreats. The Dinner Party project is available for

nationwide travel. And I had the pleasure of getting to meet Dana Marie last year at an event in California. And I was so excited to talk to her today. Welcome Dana to the podcast. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thanks for having me. I am so excited for a chance to just learn more about your

background. I of course, know about your current business, but knew very little about kind of all these different pieces of your proverbial puzzle that I feel like, let led you to be this creative and build this kind of business. So can you tell me more about your story? And who you were before the dinner party project? Absolutely. Yeah, I knew as like a late teenager that I really wanted to serve people and help people and I didn't really have a very clear direction in which

way that that would happen. So I did several years on and off with like kind of some missions work and ways of different ways of serving people. So long time still didn't know what I wanted to do in my 20s I went to school and I got a degree in like a bachelor's in psychology with a minor and said substance abuse counseling. And I had started therapy, counseling therapy when I was

like 23. So pretty young, and what a blessing in my life was like, the person that I am today would not, I would not be the same person without therapy. And so I was like thinking, I probably would want to be a therapist, that was the only thing that was like resume, like, I want to help people, I love people stories. We all have stories, none of us, you know, get through life unscathed. Or without hardships or, you know, no matter your demographic, or

your age, or whatever. So, my therapist had just really brought me through to some really great healing and health in the mental health space. But as I was finishing up my college degree, while I was finishing up the last two years, I went totally online. And so I had started working for an event company. And I was doing, like, I was 2005. So I was doing a lot of travel for event execution. So I would travel to different cities fly in fly out of

Orlando. And then just learning I just learned so much kind of with these with these people, these friends and learning how to execute events and manage people. And if you're not detail oriented, you're going to be in trouble. And, you know, somewhat people skills.

So I just had done that for about four and a half years, and I was traveling every month, you know, like, usually several times a month, and I was just so burned out, I was like, if I get on another airplane, or submit another hobo Hotel, which in theory, there's like, oh, that sounds glamorous, but it is very

tiring. And then if you're not seeing your community, like more often, then I just felt like I was missing out so much on like, what's happening, like, everyone thinks I'm out of town all the time. So I quit that in 2009. And then I had started a business called other people's property, which was selling vintage. And I started doing clothing swaps in Orlando, and 2009, and wardrobe consulting, which I really

loved. And I missed that, but just helping people with their own wardrobes, kind of like a closet clean out, then what do you actually need in your wardrobe? Like, do you need a stable wardrobe? Are you just looking for like date night ideas? Do you need something for like a working mom. So it helped people to like, clarify what they needed in the wardrobe and then go personal shopping with them or for them. So I had done

that for several years. And come 2013 I was also getting to a place that was worrying for myself would you just have to sell a lot of vintage skirts at like $26 You know, $60 for a dress, maybe you know, like you're just you're that's a real a real hustle. So I was also working part time event jobs and just like piecing all these different things together to make an income. And I got down to the end of 2013. And I was also burned out again. And I was just like, I'm working

so much. I mean, I'm making money or whatever. But I was just like, so kind of tired of the of the grind. And so I did what any normal responsible adult would do. And I kind of put my responsibilities on hold and put my part time job on pause, kind of like maybe I'll come back. I had no kids, no partner, no nothing. So I was like, I just took my savings balls to the wall. And I took a sabbatical to Australia and New Zealand for three months.

And I loved it. I love to travel, it's still my passion. If I could do anything, I'd probably take people on travel adventures, surrounded by good food and good drink. So I did that in 2013. And then when I got back from that trip, well I went I I was burned out in 2013. I went on a trip starting in February of 2014. Three months later come back into May. And I was in kind of in a weird, funky place. And this is what people don't talk

about. It's like, you know, times that we're in transition in our life, like if you know that you don't want to kind of stay in the role that you have been participating in, how is it that you make that chance to like rip band aid off and do something else? Or? Or do you do a full time job until you start your own thing but I basically was in a place where I wasn't

sure. Like I guess I didn't really want to go back to the vintage I didn't want to go back to the other part time job and I was in a very frustrated place. So I I was talking to some friends, different brands kind of like, here's where I am. Here's what's going on. And a friend of mine asked me what brings you joy in life? And so what are you not doing that you should be doing?

And so around this time, when I got back from this trip, I thought about that, and I was like, Well, I guess what I could do anything. I would throw dinner parties, because I love eating, I love drinking. I love the magic that happens around the dinner table. I love setting the table. And at the time, I was living in this like, incredible house in r1. Manor, which is part of Orlando. And it was like this, almost 100 years old. It was just beautiful. I had my grandparents dining room

table. And it had like these like amazing arches. And it was just such a cool, old house. So I was like, Well, I've got a dinner table that can seat eight people. So myself plus seven other people. I was like, I just I'll just I mean separate clubs. You know, we're really coming into vogue, I think I mean, certain clubs have always been around, but they were definitely coming more so. And I was like, Oh, I got this idea. I'll just put some people around plus myself around and dinner

table. And we'll have amazing food. We'll have lots of drinks, we'll have some questions, we'll do introductions. And I've lived in Orlando since 2000. So a really long time now. And over the years, I would kind of go out to social occasions, and you see the same people and you make small talk and you're like, oh, nice to see you nice chat with you. But you're not really

know them that well. And then I have some really good friends really deep friendships with amazing, generous, kind, talent, talented, innovative people in our arena in Orlando. And so some of those friends didn't know each other. And then I wanted to meet new people myself. So it's like kind of combining all these three different pockets of people and just saying, Alright, well, I'm just gonna put all these people to like when I very first started 2014, I basically had a

lottery system. So everybody that wanted to be a part of it, I just put their name into a hat, quote, unquote, and they would pull out seven names. And then I would email them and say, Hey, you got selected to go to the dinner party project. So who came was up to them, and then we set the table. And then we confirm seven people plus the host. So as eight guests around the dinner table. And that was the beginning of how it all kind of started.

I love that journey, though. And I love the way in which you allowed your personal passion to guide you, I think that there's a lot of, I don't know, like a lot of pressure, especially for those of us who are ambitious, which obviously, obviously you are, you know, to feel like, Oh, we've got to do things a certain way or, you know, follow

society's mold. And I can see in your story, the ways that the things that you know, really interest you and, and are creative and are like he said around, you know, the things you love, like food and good drinks and community and conversation. I love the way that you stitched all those things together to become a business model. I'm curious to know, like, and this is kind of like a counter

question. But like a lot of people feel like, they've got to follow this certain path or like that they, you know, have to, you know, get a real job, whatever that means. And I'm curious, like, it sounds from your story, that you didn't necessarily struggle with that as much. And I might be be like, totally, totally glossing over something here. But like, a lot of entrepreneurs feel this struggle of, Oh, I've got to

gotta have a real job. And I think it's really cool that, you know, this wasn't your first business that you'd been on this path of creating work for yourself for a while. So could you talk about that a little bit? Sure. Um, I think that there's two paths to like, really think about. We're all created and intrinsically very, very differently. So what might be good for one personality type, I think would be the wrong choice for another personality

type. And starting your own business from nothing from the ground up is not easy, and it's still not easy. Some days. I'm like, What am I doing? So I really encourage people like yes, there is a factor of risk, which I personally am a good risk taker. It's just been something throughout my life. Sometimes I jump before I know how I'm gonna land or how things are gonna work out.

And there's other people that maybe are maybe that's not how their brain works and how their body works and what they would not that they can't be an entrepreneur but it'd be keeping that full time job keeping that steady paycheck until they feel like they can transition To the full time entrepreneur life, some people just kind of like I did, which was just jump in the deep end and kind of how to figure it out

from there. Um, and I think, you know, even if you have a passion, it doesn't not necessarily mean that that has to be your income and your life's work primarily because when you do become an entrepreneur, you are placing a lot of pressure on your passion, something that you love to do, now is becoming a half to do not like, I love to do this not I get to do it, or like I get to cook a dinner party for my friends when they feel like it.

Now, it's like you have a client you have, you have expectations you have people to manage. And so some people, I would say, if that doesn't feel like it's gonna, like, carry you over the lowest of the moments, maybe your passion is your hobby, and that you keep it that way. And you keep like, oh my gosh, I love doing these little pop up dinner experiences, or I love massage, and I would like to be licensed in it, but I'm not going to make that my full time gig, I'm going to be able

to do it on the side. And I know that I can rely on the income of my of my full time regular job. Um, so I think personalities got a big part to play here. And I think really thinking it through whether you have a plan, and I like keeping your own job, and then having a plan to have like a, like a hobby to like, let your creative side out and play and be exercised. Or if you're a risk taker, and that feels like the

right move for you. I also, like, have a hard time working for other people, as I've gotten older. So that has been one reason for me that it has been like, well, this is I get to make all the shots. Yeah, going, being an entrepreneur and not in like going back to working for somebody else would feel like, really, really tough for me. Or you could see that, you know, even though I was on mute, I was laughing because I'm like, you couldn't fucking pay me enough. Like You couldn't pay me enough.

Because I think also, you know, and granted, like entrepreneurs come in all forms and fashion like we you know, and I love that about our community. But, you know, you mentioned some really important things to be, you know, an entrepreneur is not just about being a self starter, it's about being comfortable with risk. And I think that that's really, really important. And if you're not somebody who's risk tolerant, this might not be

the best path for you. But I also think this is of like, knowing yourself, like knowing that you have the ability to like, persevere knowing that you have the ability to like, look at what you're passionate about and decide whether or not it's something that will carry you both financially and emotionally for the long term versus like, should it just that you don't monetize, but also this last piece of like, knowing that you would do better to be in charge of your own show, like, I'm

like, I could not, you couldn't pay me enough to go back and work for somebody else. And part of what I think, at least for me, and I'm curious if this is true for you. Like I've always been somebody who's struggled with even when I was a little kid, I would see stuff. And I would constantly be like they're doing it wrong. Like I could do like that, you know, like it's sloppy like and I just have like a zero tolerance for like, work

done poorly. And so that was often my frustration when I worked for other people was like, You're not doing it right here. Let me do it. I know, I know. I know, the end all I know, the

lies within me. Exactly. But also like the joke about that is like, you know, at the same point, you've said at the front end, like running a business, you know, especially in events, baby's business takes such a level of detail and attention that I've got to imagine for you, you know whether or not I was conscious or not when you were working for those other event, folks, did you have stuff in the back of your brain being like, here's how I would do it better? I should be in charge

like, did you? Yeah, like when did that like realization that like, it would be better for you to be your own boss? When did that start for you? Well, when I worked for the event company, I was one getting my first taste of events in 2005. And just I felt like a newbie, I felt like I was learning a lot. Like I said some of my friends were in it with me. So we were all doing this thing together. Um, and there was definitely like things that were unhealthy within the

company that I worked for. So there was times when I was like, well that's not okay, or that's not great. Um, but I worked for them for like four and a half years. So, I mean, it wasn't intolerable. Um, but yeah, I would always He's kind of like think I would, there's some things that I wouldn't have translated if I ever had my own business. That was for sure. And then when I left that, that job, it was, mostly because I was just traveling so much. I did I think 32 events in 52 weeks in 2009.

And I was like, I just can't keep this up. Nobody was not keeping up. But yeah, so definitely learning, I definitely kind of keep tabs on things that I see that I'm like, Oh, this is. And now that you're running your own thing, it's like, well, this is how we, this is how we do it. Just a learning curve, I think I think it's a learning curve. But it's also a feedback loop. It's like, you gather these experiences up, and then you, you know, really get to know

yourself. And and then, you know, I think that's so essential as you become an entrepreneur is to know yourself, know your strengths, your weaknesses, know what you should outsource, etc, etc. So, I wonder, could you talk a little bit about the business model as it stands today? You know, I just think that the premise of it is so fun and beautiful. And I think that it's got to be such a great outlet for your creative expression. So how do you do what you do now?

And how does that really create community and culture as an extension of your business? Sure. So it started with dinner for eight, like I said, in 2014, eight people around the dinner table, it wasn't even a business idea. It was like, I'm in a funky spot, I need to something to do that would make me passionate. So that for me was

that outlet. And then that kind of grew and people started coming and then blah, blah, blah, that was like, oh, okay, I think there's something here that people might be enjoying, and my heart has always been for community, and ways to like gather people together. And like, I'm an introvert personally, and that's the way that I get filled up. But I love I'm an extrovert, you know, a lot of the time and a lot of

energy is spent. And that is even if you're an introvert, like there is such power, we're not built for isolation, we are built for, you know, even if you're not like, you know, energized or be or shy around people, the whole meeting one another is so strong and so valid, right, we're no one's an island, we really do need community, whether it's small, you know, handful of friends, and whether you're just somebody that's out every single

night. So it's been a pretty project, we wanted to create like a safe place around the table to meet new folks in the city. And then the guest host is really helping to curate the night. So maybe there's someone that's more talkative, maybe there's someone that's a little bit more shy and reserved. Maybe for that event, if things go towards like political or faith or something like that, we try to keep it like pulled back around. So it's neutral space for everyone to feel comfortable in.

From there, dinner for eight has grown to private events. And so that's a really big chunk of what we do is helping people to have a corporate, like people in the corporate space or in the personal space, any type of custom dinner experience, maybe you're having a team building dinner, or you want to invite your investors to, to gather, you have a Girls Night In, you have a bachelorette dinner or you have a birthday party and do

graduation. Um, anything that is focused on that connection around the dinner table is what we are aligned with helping people to celebrate well, and helping them to be the host of their party. And we get to do all the behind the scenes like things of that nature. So private parties is a big thing that we do corporate events, we're trying to move more into serving their teams better. We also do our own large scale

dinner. So like I said, on Wednesday, we just had women lead Orlando for the fifth year, which is awesome. We had 126 leaders in the Orlando area at a gorgeous venue. And it was just we still did. We had a lot of ladies come but then we did smaller tables. So you still sat at like a table of 10 and there was a guest host and then we had curated questions for the night.

So everyone's getting to know each other know one another and then just ask them some good questions to really kind of dig deep a little bit so women lead Orlando. We did women lead Nashville last year so we'll be back in Nashville and I'm in October, and then we're looking to do women lead Tampa in November this year.

Um, yeah. So any any, we've done other large scale like art, art dinners and different things that are just more community based a little bit in that way, like larger community based, but we want to make it fun and different and interesting. And then I guess the last bucket would be experiences, which is what I am very passionate about as well, dinner party project experiences. Last year, we did a retreat in Mexico City. And I

loved it. It was wonderful. So it was inviting people to take some time for rest for exploring for eating well, we did dinner party down there, we ate out some and we just invited people to connect and have a beautiful experience. And a lot of that was around food. And connection. Yeah. So that's kind of the bigger points of what we are up to. And we're trying to grow and trying to grow to other cities as well. So right now, we're kind of spreading out from Orlando, a

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dinner party for friends and obviously that's part of what you do. But your original model was really you know, an was and still is around connecting people who don't know each other. So why was that so important to you? And what do you think you know is powerful that comes out of that experience? Yes, I would say getting outside of her own social circles is just so wildly important getting it outside of her own echo chambers out of just and I live that way in my

life. I mean I have my my group of friends and people that mostly believe the way I do mostly live the way that I do are in the same socio economic status like there's nothing wrong with have like obviously having your own crew and circle and then having this experience that you attend you know, hopefully a couple times a year is just a way to put yourself out there to have your story be heard to listen to other

people's stories. I think that that is the most it's like wow, I never would have sat down next to this like OBGYN and heard her story and heard how she came to Orlando and why she's passionate about what she does or this graphic designer who's worked for Pepsi and his story and this stay at home mom who's doing the real work at you know for her kids and her family. So like, we just need to be so much more reminded of diversity and just there's so much more that does hold us together than

separates us. And we're in the most polarizing moment of my life of history of whatever. So I think a little perspective is nice to sit with people that maybe you're not totally aligned with. And we're never going to be aligned fully if we only keep ourselves insulated, that we're reminding ourselves like, people are human, you know, they might have their beliefs for reasons like hearing their story, it's hard to hate

somebody across the table. So having that, like face to face interaction, I think has been really good, and fun. I love that perspective. Because I think, you know, even if we, you know, have the capacity to spend social time, you know, outside of our work lives and things like that, we still end up falling in the same categories, the same group of friends, and then we meet other friends from that friend group.

And so, you know, we're more, you know, often showing up in spaces where everyone is similar to us, as opposed to, you know, breaking open and befriending or having conversation with people that, you know, don't come from the same walks of life as we do.

And that's such a valuable way to create connection, and to really, just to open people's eyes to to, you know, all of the potential, you know, opportunities, relationships, networking, you know, people you should know, in your community that you don't yet. And I and to do that around food, I think is such a beautiful conduit, because, you know, it's, it's hard to be unhappy when you're eating a delicious meal and having a perfectly paired cocktail. And, you know, being a part of such a

beautiful experience. And I'm, you know, for those of you who don't follow Dana, follow her on social because you're, you're the images you share of Yeah, I just, you can feel the magic in the room. And like, every thing that I thought was so powerful is that everybody I know who has been a part of it, one of your dinners says it was magical. And I'm very curious for you to talk to me about how do you conceptualize, you know, how do you make a party that's magical? And what is your creative

process look like? Because to me, the other thing is, like, every one of these dinners is different. Every menu is curated, like so talk to me about your creative process. And, you know, how do you how do you curate these magical moments? Sure. Um, that's a good question. I think like listening to what people are interested in what they want for our clients, we're also asking them exactly how can we execute this for you to the level that you want it and taking in like, like I said,

it's a lot of details. Um, so for bigger dinners, we have usually concepts like this some past Wednesday, our theme was you belong here. And so that was something that I was like, I would love for us to talk about that. And be reminded of like, why are you here in the central Florida area, like you belong here? What does belonging look like? What does it take to feel like to belong to a

community? So like, getting some good questions together around that take some kind of like, thought and curation in that way? Um, yeah. around the dinner table like, for us, we do Jennifer A, we have a guest host. And so those are people that are on our they're not necessarily like on our employee list. But you can be a host, a guest host. But we go through a very, you know, we have a process and a guide and everything. And so we want the goat, the host for the night, they are the ones that are

helping to set the stage. And so that's our secret sauce is the guest hosting and saying, like I want to take, we want to take care of our guests very well. And so if one person is going on, and on and on, we kind of gently transition because, you know, we want to make sure that everybody, every voice at the table is important. And so for our guest hosts, they're really thinking about that and keeping

that in mind. And they're the ones helping to kind of do the heavy lifting with some of the conversation asking people some fun questions. Like I said, we'd go around and do introductions at the beginning. And once people start talking, you know, it's usually a pretty easy ride, for the most part with with just in people enjoying themselves and, you know, wanting to be heard, I think people really do love to share their own story.

You know, we all have a story so like you bringing your story to the table is so powerful, it wouldn't be the same without have that person sitting in that seat for the night. And so that's what we kind of tell people's like, every dinner is different, but you are adding to this table because x because that's your story. And so having that curation, where it still feels comfortable and safe.

And one of the reasons I started dinner party is like, you know, when you go to your, like friend's birthday dinner at some loud restaurant, and then you're going, you're spending this money, then you're like sitting and talking to the person next to you, for the most of the night, it's loud. It's whatever, you're not really having quality time with a birthday person anyway, and then you're only talking to the two

people beside you. And it's not a group conversation, usually, it's just like a, you're talking, you know, to the person

that's right next to you. So I wanted the, the main point is like, the conversation is about everybody around the table together, instead of like eight people around the table in the you talk to your neighbor the whole night, maybe you have like a little moment where you like chat about a moment or two, but really, the host is there to help to, like, bring the conversation back to, to everybody enjoying time together, learning about each other.

I think that facilitation piece is so key, you know, and we were were joking, you know, before we hit record that like, that's one of the things that a lot of people who don't know, who haven't curated events like that, is that, you know, it takes a lot of intention to make sure that everyone is participating and feeling included, and you know, feels connected to the experience

that's happening. And the bigger the event is, the more likely that you know, things will go wrong or that people will feel checked out. And so, you know, I think that what is really powerful about this model is you are actively building community as part of your business model.

And I'm very curious to know, like, what are the ways that like, the dinner party project has like led to other connections visit, like this ripple effect of like, how is, you know, coming to the dinner led to things that you didn't expect in your wider community? And I'm also curious to you, as you've built this business, you know, why or how do you believe that that community is really important to to just business and relationships in general? Absolutely, yeah. I think

community is hugely important. I think cities have a responsibility to foster that through different events in green spaces. And then I think businesses really have a creating spaces where people can get together. Even though like we're not like a physical location, we are trying to put on opportunities for people to come meet others, the whole point is to come and meet some new people in your city. So we have this event, women lead Orlando, like I said, and every year we get emails, can I sit

with my friends? And we're like, no, the answer is that always going to be no. Because this night is about you meeting other people and you sitting down and we do or you're doing that these things very intentionally, for people to come. And if you want to have your own private party, invite all your girlfriends, fantastic. That is literally the purpose of

what a private party is. And then dinner for eight, and then some of our other larger, like the women lead events is the very strategic of sitting people next to new people to create that sense of community to be like, oh, like, what do you do like, oh, like I went to a brow bar, or I my, you know, professor at UCSF for whatever people do is just kind of showing other women like we're all in this together, people are

doing amazing work. And we need to be reminded that everyone is playing their part to make the community even better. And so all ships rise. And just, I don't know, hopefully connecting women more in that way, instead of maybe the divisions that can happen pretty easily through social media, or gossip and things like that.

I love that notion of like, No, you can't sit with your friends like, because I think again, it goes back to that that piece we were talking about of like, it's so important to get outside of our circles. And I think that that is even more important.

In the wake of COVID 19 I can only imagine how COVID You know, affected your business model, you know, you and I connected, but I feel like people were just starting to feel comfortable things in like groups of 10 the 20 You know, again, and so I'm curious to know, like two sides of the coin. How did the pandemic affect your business model? What What kind of adjustments did you make during that season? And then now, as we come out of the pandemic, where have you seen

people shift? Like, what do you feel like people are realizing now because because of my gut says that people probably are like, finally realizing how important moments like this are. But I could be wrong. So I'm curious, talk to me about pre or during the pandemic, and post pandemic, you know, what it's been like to run this business? During the pandemic was tough. Yeah, it was it an incredibly hard time, financially, emotionally, and I was like, Oh, it's a vacation, like at the

beginning, when and March? Well, we didn't know anything. And so I was like, Oh, great. Okay, well, I'll just make cookies and watch movies, um, for the time that we were really, really locked down. But as we kept as it kept on going, I was like, this is pretty serious for sure. So yeah, thankfully, we, Florida was not on lockdown for a long time. So we started backup in July of 20. And kind

of like that risk thing. I mean, I was like, putting my resume together, I was on LinkedIn, I was like, starting to think because I was not sure how I was going to pay my mortgage, you know, and it was, it's like a real, you know, reality. For me, no one is supporting me. So, you know, I had to put my mortgage on pause for five months, and went through my savings, you know, just a lot of people had real life. Like that. And I was also in that bucket. So if you were there, I feel you and I'm with

you. And we just tried, I just tried the best that I could in July of 2020. From there on to like, be like, Hey, we're here. Hello, hello, hello. Um, any business that we could get, you know, we were kind of doing. Not even half of I mean, anyway, it just kind of was a slow burn to kind of get back up. And now things are definitely back to our normal kind of schedules. And we did this large scale event, women late last year in

in March, as well. And that was our first big gathering again, for us, and a lot of people are like, not as much now because we've been back at it for a year or so. But they're like, oh, my gosh, we're so excited to be back, like getting dressed up going out seeing other people. Even though I'm an introvert. I mean, I think I'm an ambivert. Basically, I really need time to really fill up by myself. But a lot of my world is extroverted

in this. So I really was missing people during those months of the pandemic, like I just wanted to get out the house and just wanted to go take a walk or just to see somebody to somebody, right, and so, think so thankful that we're back to those those times. And I think that people are also some people were like, um, you know, I've seen some friends that have had become more introverted and more like, they want to stay home and more of those things. And I'm like, okay, you know, like, that's a

part of their life, too. You know, there's things in the pandemic that I have brought with me that have that have changed, and I'm now a different person, as we all are, and I'm, I'm so thankful that we are still in business, because I wasn't sure if we would come back enough. And so now things are more on like a regular schedule your your regular programmings scheduling. Yeah, so I'm so thankful to be to be back kind of like in business. I really appreciate your

candidness about that. Because I think that, like, there were so many people who are just like, and then we pivoted, and it was fine, but it's like no, like, for a lot of us like it was like, Holy shit, like, am I gonna have a business in a couple months, what's gonna happen with the end, then, you know, you've got people who work with you and dependent on you

and things like that. And so that pressure is really real, but I, in addition for having gratitude for having a business, so I also feel like, at least when I've been out at events, I feel like people are a lot more, at least myself and my close, you know, folks that I'm connected to, you know, we have a deeper level of gratitude for those experiences and the people who are working to make them

happen. Like, there's, you know, people people's opinions are a spectrum, but for me, it's like when I go out to eat and I get great service now. I'm so much more grateful for that, like I'm so much more aware of like somebody's taking their energy to make sure I have a great experience. I went to a concert this last week, and I was like, so grateful one that just like, we could go to a concert, and I was yes, I could dance and we could vibe and moodily Have a

good night. But I'm also so grateful to like the bouncers and the bartenders and like everybody who is making that

experience what it was. And that's my biggest hope, as we like, make our way towards this new world is that we recognize and honor and acknowledge that like, these things don't just happen, like people like you, like show up and like put in the work to make it something that we want to be a part of, and that these events are not something that we take, you know, for granted anymore, either, you know, that it's just like, oh, yeah, I'm going to this thing like, no, like, this

is really something special. And, and it brings me to this piece of like, you know, it's interesting to hear you say, you know, some people are more introverted now, post pandemic, I think we all got an opportunity to really assess ourselves and figure out like, what do I want to be doing? How do I want to spend my time, but ultimately, at the end of the day, I strongly believe that humans, we are wired for connection, we're social

species. And we've seen you know, this really huge uptick of one like social loneliness, and to, you know, people really making these cries and pleas for connection on social media on Tik Tok. And, you know, people want to connect and feel seen, but I don't know about you, but I just don't think that social media is the same as being

connected in person. And I'm curious to know, from your perspective, you know, why do you think it's more important now than ever, that people, you know, make a point to connect with each other in person and really build connection in their own life? Oh, gosh, 100% Social media is like a double edged sword for sure. It's such

a strange beast right now. Um, I think I have to encourage myself in everybody to remind myself that oftentimes, this is not real life, like looking through is often a highlight reel of someone's world, or a business trying to sell you something. So there is, like you mentioned, like the the amount of loneliness and the amount of Yeah, people feeling isolated, or taking their own life or things of that nature is so

heartbreaking. Even though we're more collected, connected globally than we ever have been. But there's, there's nothing like being with somebody in person. There was like a some kind of study done that, that showed kind of like how much more like FaceTime, like alerts things neurons in your brain, more than a call or a

text message. So even if you are connecting in those ways, there is something about either seeing somebody's face, having that actual conversation, like this conversation, I think is so much better, because we can see each other right and see those cues, those those dynamics, the facial connection, um, even though we're not same room, but like, to me, that's a much better experience and like, just like

on a phone call. And so being together in person is so vitally important as well, because our brains and our bodies and like, learning the art of conversation of how to how to come to a dinner table, how to have a conversation, how to be altruistic, how to be thinking about other people. Those are social skills that we

need now and forever. And so we want to keep on encouraging people to be in person, at least with some things not, you know, if you're not like an 11 with people, that's fine, but still, we still need at some moments, to be around other people and, you know, people that we can trust and or people that we want to grow to be a person as a community player, and a community member where they're where they're not just looking after their own interests, but being and being like, I want to, like, know,

more people, I want to have more diverse friends, like, the more different we are, in a sense, like sometimes that is better, because it's like, I know, like, I don't have all the answers. I've grown as a person. And the person that you are five years from now is right, the books you read and the people you meet. So these are the important things to be always exploring, always learning and growing.

I really appreciate that last piece, in terms of cultivating these skills because I think that I think that they were lost in the pandemic, you know, I've noticed that at least in the first few times, I've been back to any sort of in person networking, or, you know, gathering or things like that. And I noticed it in particular in young people as well, you know, yeah, especially, you know, when I talk, you know, my,

my oldest is 11. But I have a lot of friends who have kids more in this teenage range, and they, you know, talk about this kind of, like, I'm worried about them, like, I'm not sure that they're going to build these skills needed to, like really connect, go out in the world, because, you know, they were already so into social media, and then the pandemic happened.

And so I just, I really think the more opportunities we can create, to really learn to be in connection with each other and to hold space for each other and to hear each other is so vital, and obviously is so core to the work you're doing. So I just, I strongly want to encourage anybody who who doesn't know Dana yet to follow her on social media so that you can be a part of the work she's doing because like she said, you know, she's spreading this work around the

country. So Dana, will you share the best ways for somebody to find follow you? You know, check out your work all other things. And then also feel free to shout out anything you got. You have upcoming that you're super excited about? Like for me, I was like, Ooh, maybe I need to go go to Nashville, like I, I've got family there. So I'm like, when does that event? I want to go? Yes. Thank you. Yes. So we would love I mean, the more I mean social medias to wild weird

thing. But that's definitely a big way of knowing what's coming up with the dinner party project. So we are have X underscore the dinner party project underscore on Instagram. So love a follow there. Our website is the dinner party project.co.co. My personal email, I will give it to you as Dana Marie at Hello tdpp.com You can always shoot me a message. We are mostly in the Central

Florida area right now. But like I said, How I met you was coming out to California to chef for a private retreat out there, which was amazing. I learned a lot for sure. So we are available for like I said, nationwide travel in that way. We've done retreats, I'm not sure if we're doing one late this summer or not another one. But that's we're also kind of moving into corporate retreats.

So if like kind of like the one that you went to, if there was like a situation where people wanted us to really put together a retreat or to facilitate the cooking and the the drinks and that kind of nature, we are really trying to grow that as well, because that is something that really lights up my world. And when I got to go out to California and like I've done other things like that across the US, like when I get to travel, and then also do dinner parties that really makes

me feel encouraged. And it's a lot of fun. So I think those are the main ways to get a hold of us and find out we have a newsletter you can sign up for our newsletter every other week will tell you that's really the best way to kind of keep tabs on when tickets go live. And we're doing womanly Nashville. Like I said, we're confirming the venue at this moment. So we don't know the exact date, but it will be mid to late October for that one. And then Tampa will be in November, early November for

that one. So we are planning all that kind of stuff right now. That's amazing. You're gonna have to win that national day gets locked in, send me a note, I want to be there. Yes. And I will just say you know, as somebody who has personally experienced, you know, your work and what you do and your food multiple times, I just I highly, highly recommend, you know, if you want to be a part of what Dana is up to, or if you're creating any sort of event

retreat, what habit? What have you like this, this is something so magical to bring to your community and to create connection. And, you know, obviously Dana uses a whole variety of chefs, but she the one thing we didn't talk about is what an amazing cook you are. Oh, that's so kind. That that was definitely one of those the big highlights for me about that retreat was just to feel so cared for by the food that you curated for all of us.

So, so I just want to say, absolutely go find and follow this woman stay up to date with all the amazing work she's doing. And thank you. Thank you so much Dina, for coming by the podcast. It's my pleasure. Thank you isn't she just the sweetest? Isn't she so warm and friendly. I feel like when you heard this conversation, you will absolutely understand why she is the kind of woman that folks want to gather around and get together.

around the table with. And I just love the way her business is about bringing beauty into the world and bringing connection into the world and curating community. And I also love what she's doing, particularly for women in business, she's created so many different events that are around connecting women, leaders, women entrepreneurs, and I just am so so inspired continuously by the

work that she is doing. If you are not connected to Dana Marie yet, please, please go find and follow her on social media and check out the dinner party project. She is an amazing curator of experiences. So if you're thinking about hosting something special, and you want some help in it, I definitely definitely recommend bringing this woman into your fold. She is a talent, she is a connector.

She is a culinary artist, and she is really somebody who is just bringing her passion and purpose into the work she's doing in the world. And I really really love the way that she's thinking about this and thinking about the ways in which being intentional about creating connections can really really transform you know, the world one dinner party at a time. But with that being said, I just want to thank you all for coming

back this week. Please please please take a moment to pass this episode along share it with a friend who loves creating magical moments and you think could benefit from the conversation. And of course just you know keep coming back here we love hearing from you all I'd love to hear that how this impacted you this episode you know what did it inspire in you? What did it make you want to go

out and do or create? You know, what ideas or assumptions did it maybe help you get rid of like, Oh, I've got to only do one thing for the rest of my life. No, you can take multiple passions and brand blend that into a business and a way of being in the world. So if you've got thoughts and ideas you can hit me up on social media at it's Mattie Reeves and fearless foundry Of course those things are in the show notes as well.

But I am so glad that you tuned in for this episode and I will be back in touch with y'all in just a couple weeks. Take care y'all you've just listened to another episode of the finding fearless podcast. Finding free list is available on all streaming platforms and is released every other Wednesday. If you enjoyed the show, please rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform so that other people

can find us. You can also learn more about how to become a sponsor of the show and about our company fearless foundry by visiting fearless foundry.com/finding Fearless if you have a minute also make sure to connect with us on social media platforms by looking for us and our handle at Fearless foundry. This episode of finding peerless was produced and edited by fina valance suela. And all music is owned by premium beats. This has been a fearless foundry

production. All audio is recorded and owned by fearless foundry. I'm your host, Madeline Reeves, and I'll be back to chat with you all in two weeks.