Tailored to offer a community of passionate entrepreneurs, creatives and business owners an opportunity to connect and collaborate amongst top names in media, branding and blogging, The Summit has featured editors from Domino, Real Simple, Southern Living, Better Homes & Gardens, Hoffman Media, and Traditional Home among others. Past Summit attendees have heard from successful entrepreneurs like Fine-Art Photographer and New York Times Best-Selling Author Gray Malin, Tibi Founder Amy Smilovic, and key voices from companies such as Pinterest, One Kings Lane, and Land of Nod. Limited to only 300 attendees, The Summit promises to again provide attendees valuable access to presenters on a wide range of compelling topics.
We are presenting two add-on workshops prior to the start of the Summit on Wednesday, February 7 from 8:30 – 10:30 am at The Cloister. Attendees may choose ONE workshop for an additional fee of $200. Limited seating for each and attendees must sign up when purchasing Summit tickets.
8:00 – 8:30 am: Registration for Add-on Workshop Attendees (workshop attendees only)
8:30 – 10:30 am: Add-on Workshops (pre-registered attendees only)
10:00 am – 12:00 pm: Registration at The Cloister Foyer II
10:00 am – 12:00 pm: Swag Market
12:00 – 1:00 pm: Grab your own lunch at Sea Island
1:00 – 1:15 pm: Welcome with Introduction of Cheri Leavy and Whitney Long, co-founders of The Southern C, by Brian Hart Hoffman of Hoffman Media
1:15 – 2:00 pm: “From Startup to Media Darling, Building an International Clean Beauty Brand” with Rose-Marie Swift and Elaine Sack of RMS Beauty. Moderated by Jackie Thomson of Leapfrog PR Co.
2:00 – 3:15 pm: “Securing Press in Today’s Media Landscape” with Kim Alexander of Garden & Gun and Jennifer Condon of Elle Decor, House Beautiful and Veranda. Moderated by Jessica Mischner. Introduction by Jackie Thomson and Libba Osborne of Leapfrog PR Co.
3:15 – 3:30 pm: Guided Meditation with Valerie Langley
3:30 – 5:30 pm: Free time to enjoy Sea Island
6:00 – 9:00 pm: Enjoy cocktails, food, music and conversation at the Summit Soirée at The Vine’s Greenhouse
9:00 – 9:45 am: “Building a Brand…And a Customer Base” with Elizabeth Mayhew of Draper James and Brian Hart Hoffman of Hoffman Media
9:45 – 10:30 am: “It Takes a Village (of Tech, Tools and Processes)” with Mandy Kellogg Rye of Waiting on Martha
10:30 – 11:15 am: “Converting Social to Sales: Creating a Real Return on Investment (ROI) on Instagram” with Ashley Brooke of Ashley Brooke Designs, Monica Lavin of Lavin Label and Stacy Smallwood of Hampden Clothing
11:15 am – 12:00 pm: Small-Group Mentor Round Tables
12:15 – 1:15 pm: Luncheon presented by Sea Island
1:30 – 2:15 pm: “Minds Behind The Mine: Reinventing an Elevated Brand” with The Mine’s Alexa Hampton, Michelle Newbery and Eddie Ross. Moderated by Jennifer Condon, Senior Market Editor at the Heart Design Group.
2:15 – 3:00 pm: “A Case Study: Your Business’ Website is More Than Just a Calling Card” with Natasha Murphy and Alexandra Golden of Nicely Built
3:00 – 3:30 pm: Summit Takeaways with Brian Hart Hoffman and Brooke Bell of Hoffman Media
4:00 – 6:00 pm: Sip, Shop + Socialize at the Sea Island Beach Club
6:00 – 9:30 pm: Dinner on your own
9:30 – 11:30 pm: Silent Disco + Night Cap (cash bar) at Mizner Ballroom
10:00 am – 12:00 pm: Beachside Biscuit Bash with Bake from Scratch and fellow bakers Carrie Morey of Callie’s Charleston Biscuits, Ryanne Carrier of Certified Burgers and Beverage, Vera Stewart of VeryVera, and Matt Hogan, Executive Baker of Sea Island
The world—and your competition—is at your customers’ fingertips. So how does your business stand out and compete? Elizabeth Mayhew, the Brand Editor for Reese Witherspoon’s lifestyle brand Draper James, will share her insight in what it takes to differentiate your business from the competition and build a loyal customer base through focused branding and storytelling. Through a (no doubt, lively) conversation with Brian Hart Hoffman, President/Chief Creative Officer at Hoffman Media, Elizabeth will draw on her current experience at Draper James, as well as her time at REAL SIMPLE, House Beautiful, Woman’s Day and the Today Show.
The media landscape is changing at a dizzying rate and no one knows that better than the principles of leapfrog – Jackie Thomson and Libba Osborne. To tackle some of your biggest questions, they have tapped Jennifer Condon, Senior Market Editor for Elle Decor, House Beautiful and Veranda and Kim Alexander, Digital Media Director of Garden & Gun, to share how brands can best work with editors in the print and digital spaces to garner coverage in 2018.
Moderated by longtime editor and writer Jessica Mischner, attendees will walk away with an understanding of the emerging opportunities for exposure.
The visionaries behind The Mine, a leading home furnishings and décor resource, discuss their brand relaunch in April 2017. This creative leadership team will present their processes in creating & refining a focused brand mission. Be entertained as The Mine execs share their experiences in capturing new consumer audiences, forging exciting new relationships within the design community, and their evolving vision for the future … all while soaring as an online luxury destination in this highly competitive space.
Panelists:
Rose-Marie Swift has been a make-up artist for over 35 years; her work has been featured in countless publications, her portfolio includes many famous faces and she has worked with some of the top fashion photographers.
When Rose-Marie was in her late 30s she began to experience some health issues that were causing many problems physically, mentally and emotionally. After an extensive series of tests, she learned that her blood contained toxic levels of heavy metals as well as high levels of pesticides and other chemicals also used in cosmetics. Until then she had no idea that cosmetics could be a contributor to serious health issues.
After years of rebuilding her own health, Rose-Marie realized that she wanted to help other women claim their right to healthy beauty. To achieve this goal she created RMS Beauty, her acclaimed line of organic color cosmetics.
in a world of big investors, and in an industry of fierce competition, she’s kept her head down and built rms beauty her way. and she’s done it successfully. get inspired by her entrepreneurial journey and learn how to avoid the mistakes she sees many entrepreneurs making.
Monica Lavin of Lavin Label, will lead a discussion on using Instagram to convert followers to customers and how three different businesses maximize the ROI for their brand and partners.
Monica brings experience exponentially growing her consulting business using the platform, and will be joined by Stacy Smallwood of Hampden Clothing, who uses the platform to generate online and in-shop sales at her acclaimed Charleston clothing boutique, as well as Ashley Brooke of Ashley Brooke Designs, who uses Instagram to generate business as a social media influencer (and who is also accountable for generating ROI for her partners). Collectively, they count 161,000 Instagram followers between them, but more important is the thousands they see on their bottom lines.
Just like any job, if you have the right tech, tools and processes in your business, things become more efficient. And with every employee and business facet you add, it becomes even more mission-critical.
Digital influencer and multi-business owner Mandy Kellogg Rye of Waiting on Martha, Inc. will give us a peek behind the curtain as she shares the tech, tools and processes used on a daily basis to run a cohesive team across four business lines – e-commerce, retail storefront, fulfillment center, and lifestyle blog. She will also share the lessons learned while growing her business from a one-woman show to a team of 15, plus tips for managing (more like surviving) the growing pains.
Your website is the digital arm of your brand, and to be successful it needs to capture your brand’s essence, functionally support your brand’s mission, and convert visitors to customers. Using the recent redesign and development of The Southern C website as a case study, the website professionals at Nicely Built will discuss the process of complete site transformation, current best practices for website design and development, including: considerations when choosing a platform; the importance of information flow; copyrighting, photography and visual balance, including suggestions for photo sizes, word count, key word usage, etc.; considerations when setting up/running online retail storefronts; engaging your audience; SEO tools; and retaining visitors through faster load times and information flow.
Kim Alexander is the Digital Media Director for Garden & Gun, an award-winning national lifestyle magazine that covers the best of the South. She oversees the direction and growth of the brand’s online efforts, tablet development, podcast, and social media strategy. Kim joined Garden & Gun in 2011 from Time Inc., where she worked on the editorial side of several of their online entities such as AllYou.com (Editorial Director), MyHomeIdeas.com (Senior Editor), and CoastalLiving.com (Online Editor). Before working in publishing, Kim paid her dues in Atlanta, Georgia, working in interactive marketing and managing digital creative strategy at 360i.com for such clients as Alamo Rent-a-Car, Disney Home Entertainment, and ToysRus.com. While the bulk of her career has been focused on extending and growing traditional brands online, she has learned to appreciate the smaller things in life, particularly (since joining Garden & Gun) small-batch bourbon. Kim lives with her husband and two newborn twin daughters in Folly Beach, South Carolina, roughly 27 steps from the ocean, but who’s counting.
Jennifer Condon is the senior market editor at Hearst Design Group, where she oversees the decorating and trend pages for ELLE Decor, House Beautiful, and Veranda magazines. Prior to joining Hearst Design Group, Jennifer was a style and market editor at the beloved House & Garden and Domino magazines, as well as Style Director for Brides magazine, where she indulged her love of all things floral and registry.
She is also the founder of Hewitt Hancock, Ltd, an interiors company specializing in residential design and styling that brings together her passion for living beautifully with her expertise creating photo-worthy spaces. Originally from Savannah, GA, she currently resides in Pelham, NY, with her husband and two daughters.
Alexa Hampton, daughter of the world-renowned designer Mark Hampton, assumed ownership and design leadership of his firm upon his death in 1998. Though she was born into design royalty, Alexa Hampton has made a name for herself in the design world.
Hampton has a growing collection of acclaimed products for the home including fabrics and trims for Kravet Inc., furniture for Hickory Chair Co. and Kravet, carpets for Stark Carpet, lighting for Visual Comfort & Co., mantels for Chesney’s, and accessories for Maitland. She has completed of a wide range of designs from New York City to Hangzhou, China and is also a perennial member of Architectural Digest’s AD100 and House Beautiful’s Top Designer. Alexa Hampton is Creative Director, spokesperson and “style guru” for themine.com, a division of Lowe’s, where she guides the product offerings. Hampton is also the author of two critically- acclaimed books: The Language of Interior Design, and Decorating in Detail. When she’s not lecturing on design around the world, you’ll find her sharing her designs on social media.
Elizabeth Mayhew is currently the Brand Editor for Reese Witherspoon’s Southern-inspired brand, Draper James, a contributing editor at NBC’s Today Show and a monthly columnist for The Washington Post. She also is the author of FLIP! for Decorating (Ballantine). She has worked for a number of publications including REAL SIMPLE, House Beautiful, Southern Living, and Woman’s Day. A native of Louisville, Kentucky and a graduate of Georgetown University, she now lives in New York City with her husband and two teenage kids.
(photo credit: Annie Schlechter)
Jessica Mischner has more than 14 years’ experience creating content for national publications and brands, both in New York City and in Charleston, South Carolina, where she currently lives.
A longtime editor and writer, Jessica most recently served as senior editor of Garden & Gun (2009-2016), where she won two National Magazine Awards, helped conceive and produce four bestselling books, oversaw the annual Made in the South Awards, created content for emerging digital platforms, and wrangled celebrities. Prior to 2009, Jessica held staff positions at Travel + Leisure, Food & Wine, and Metropolitan Home. Her work has also appeared in National Geographic Traveler, WSJ, Southern Living, and Domino.
These days, in addition to her freelance editorial work, Jessica develops custom content and media strategies for private clients—from publishing companies to restaurants and hotels to visitor’s bureaus to national retail brands—through her Creative Marketing Agency and Content Studio, Ballyhoo.
As President of The Mine, Michelle Newbery leads a team of change-makers who share her passion for helping people create their dream homes. At The Mine, they’re revolutionizing online furniture and home décor shopping by offering access to top-notch designers, a personal concierge service, and innovative 3D product imagery. When she’s not in the office, she’s exploring the PNW, cheering on the Seahawks, and spending time with her two kids.
Michelle Newbery serves as president of The Mine, a Seattle-based online home furnishings company that combines one-on- one Personal Concierge service with a “killer selection” of high-quality products. The Mine partners with leading designers and customer care innovators to take residential and commercial projects from concept to completion by supporting a unique fine
furnishings collection with hyper-personalized service, product assembly and installation.
Michelle joined The Mine, formerly ATGStores.com, in December, 2011, as the company’s chief financial officer. She then assumed the role of president in November, 2013. Michelle is a licensed CPA and holds a master’s degree in accounting from Florida Atlantic University. She
brings more than 18 years of business leadership to The Mine, and has also held roles at Lowe’s, Jarden and Deloitte & Touche. When she’s not working, Michelle enjoys biking, running and taking in the beauty of the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two children.
Eddie Ross has made a career as a design, decorating and food editor for House Beautiful,
Martha Stewart Living and Food Network. Recognized by design aficionados for his inventive, out-of- the-box approach to high-style decorating and entertaining on a budget, Eddie consistently re-imagines the aesthetic possibilities of secondhand finds, imbuing them with a chic and colorful sophistication within everyone’s reach. His sold-out tours of flea markets across the country have empowered legions of devoted followers to find the best things they can and, at the same time, to give new life to what they may already own. Eddie is the Style Director at The Mine—he spearheads the editorial calendar, and delivers a nonstop stream of covetable content and dream home imagery.
Waiting on Martha’s founder and curator, Mandy Kellogg Rye, lives by one mantra, “Life should be lived beautifully every single day.” Drawn to the “finer things” at an early age, her mother taught her how to appreciate beauty while her father how to create beauty.
A Michigan native, Mandy left the mitten behind and headed to Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois where she graduated with dreams of becoming a high-powered attorney. However, her dream quickly fell short when she realized law school wasn’t all about wearing a designer suit and winning arguments with loads of whit and banter. Law school wasn’t a complete bust though; it introduced her to Chicago, her first big city and one she still holds dear to her heart. A city that unknowingly became the backdrop, and beginning of Waiting On Martha.
A bracelet actually started it all. Well a bracelet, an obsession with food, an incessant need to throw a party whenever an opportunity presented itself, and an adoration for all things DIY. But back to the bracelet. One fateful day Mandy ventured into a Chicago bead store while a class was in session. Thinking that jewelry making would be a fun hobby, she began taking classes. To be clear, Mandy had no plans of it becoming anything more than a hobby. You know what they say about best laid plans … in 2011 Mandy opened an Etsy shop and officially launched her Waiting On Martha bracelet collection in April. The response was, and still is, quite overwhelming. Individuals not only loved the bracelets, but they wanted to know more about Mandy and her life. Enter Waiting On Martha The Blog.
As the ultimate creative and personal outlet for Mandy, Waiting On Martha The Blog focused simply on creating a beautiful everyday through fashion, food, décor, and DIY. As the reader’s grew so did the oh-so common question “where do I get that?” And thus, as Mandy puts it, “It only took one reader’s question to push me to indulge my dream of opening a boutique.” Waiting On Martha The Shop opened as an e-commerce boutique in July of 2012 and opened a brick and mortar location in Atlanta in 2015 (where Mandy now resides with her husband and Cavalier King Charles Addison).
Elaine Sack, Chief Operations Officer, has been with RMS Beauty since its inception. Having met Rose-Marie Swift at the product development site where RMS Beauty was originally formulated, she began the journey of introducing RMS Beauty to the public shoulder to shoulder with Rose-Marie in late 2008. In her role, Elaine provides the leadership, management and vision necessary to ensure that RMS Beauty has the proper operational controls, administrative and reporting procedures, and people systems in place to effectively grow the brand and to ensure financial strength and operating efficiency. Through her respectful, constructive and energetic style Elaine has successfully helped to navigate the organic beauty category focusing on growing the strengths of both the brand and the company. With a B.S. degree from Indiana University Elaine worked for years in the cosmetic manufacturing industry before developing RMS Beauty into the respected global brand that it is today.
Rose-Marie Swift has been a make-up artist for over 35 years; her work has been featured in countless publications, her portfolio includes many famous faces and she has worked with some of the top fashion photographers. When Rose-Marie was in her late 30s she began to experience some health issues that were causing many problems physically, mentally and emotionally. After an extensive series of tests, she learned that her blood contained toxic levels of heavy metals as well as high levels of pesticides and other chemicals also used in cosmetics. Until then she had no idea that cosmetics could be a contributor to serious health issues. After years of rebuilding her own health, Rose-Marie realized that she wanted to help other women claim their right to healthy beauty. To achieve this goal she created RMS Beauty, her acclaimed line of organic color cosmetics.
Ashley Brooke began Ashley Brooke Designs in 2008 after graduating college with a degree in Interior Design. Shortly after, Ashley Brooke Designs became a full fledged lifestyle brand that included everything from custom illustrated stationery to drink ware to desk accessories sold in over 700 stores nation wide.
Today Ashley Brooke Designs is a lifestyle blog where Ashley and her husband, Ryan, document their everyday life, style, travels, and Ryan’s home DIY projects, in addition to Ashley’s custom illustration work. Ashley and Ryan live in sunny Florida and love nothing more than a Saturday spent in their own back yard.
ABOUT ASHLEY BROOKE DESIGNS
Ashley Brooke Designs is a lifestyle blog dedicated to elevating the mundane yet finding inspiration in the everyday. In 2008 she started Ashley Brooke Designs as a place to showcase her illustrations and talk about the things she loved.
In 2017, not much has changed. The blog encompasses a life well lived in the mess of the daily grind. Whether it’s encouraging you to find time during a busy week for a girl’s craft night or giving you the confidence you need to finally try out that bold lipstick, Ashley’s hope is that ABD will be a place you go to for inspiration!
Monica is the Founder and Creative Director of Lavin Label, a lifestyle blog that focuses on beauty, travel, fashion, and entertaining through fresh and unique visual storytelling. She is well versed in emerging technology and social influence through her work at NASA and most recently her job as Communications Director for Information Technology at the College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina.
Monica’s knowledge of technology and her well curated taste in all things lifestyle lend themselves naturally to a fresh perspective on storytelling that captivates her followers and inspires them to become part of that story.
Monica now lives on St. Simons Island, Georgia with her husband and two Springer Spaniel pups. Be inspired to join the story by following lavinlabel.com!
Stacy Smallwood founded Hampden in 2007 as a style destination in Charleston that would allow women to fall in love with the most desired names in fashion, and to discover her favorite under-the-radar designers. Stacy travels to New York and London, Milan and Paris each season to stock her store with the best in established and emerging brands. An unerring eye for discovering the season’s most covetable pieces makes Stacy a respected resource for fashion insiders far and wide.
A graduate of Vanderbilt University, Stacy was accepted into the prestigious Neiman Marcus buying program in Dallas, TX where she worked as an assistant buyer & department manager. The retailing tenets she learned from the esteemed store lead her efforts at Hampden today. An elevated shopping experience, high-touch service and relationships – with customers, designers and employees– reign.
In addition to acting as owner and buyer for Hampden, Stacy signed on as the stylist for the female broadcasters at NBCSports and worked on a national TV show as the costume designer. She has appeared on the NBCs TODAY Show, online at Town & Country and The New York Times digital, and in the pages of Coastal Living, Southern Living, Vogue, and more.
Natasha Murphy is the founder and principal developer of Nicely Built. Originally from the tiny town of Between, GA, this double dawg completed both her undergraduate and graduate work a hop, skip, and jump away at the University of Georgia (GO DAWGS!). An active participant in the Atlanta technology and entrepreneur scenes, Natasha teaches coding classes for the Atlanta chapter of Girl Develop It and started organizing the bi-monthly Atlanta Shopify Meetup late 2015. She divides her working hours between working with clients to build beautiful, highly functional websites and expanding the menu of services offered by Nicely Built based on client needs and new technologies. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, shopping, drinking tea, cooking, and spending time outdoors. She currently resides in Atlanta, GA with her fiancee in lovely Candler Park.
Alexandra Golden, a Florida native with deep Georgia roots, has been with Nicely Built for a year and a half. Alexandra serves as the Director of Client Services and is tickled pink to meet new folks with a vision and passion for their business! Along with her husband, Alexandra is a UGA Bulldawg, raising a Bulldawg “hopeful” little girl. She enjoys showing her almost two year old strong female work ethics, attempting to balance work and home! She brings almost a decade of corporate marketing experience to the table. She is most in her element when conducting new client kick off meetings, dreaming up ways to make the impossible a reality!
Brian Hart Hoffman is President/Chief Creative Officer at Hoffman Media, LLC, where he oversees the editorial planning and brand direction for all publications, as well as the public relations and special events divisions. Since joining Hoffman Media, Brian has been the driving force behind the launch of The Cottage Journal, Bake from Scratch, Southern Cast Iron, and Southern Home. His special-event leadership with the company includes planning and executing major consumer events. Prior to joining the company in 2007, Hoffman worked in the airline industry, which allowed him to live in six cities throughout the United States. He has visited all 50 states.
In addition to his professional obligations, Hoffman serves with numerous charitable organizations including the Community Food Bank of Central Alabama, Junior Board and Executive Board; Alys Stephens Center, Junior Patrons Board; MS Society of Alabama, recipient of the MS Leadership Award; Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America; and the American Cancer Society.
Brooke Bell is Vice President Culinary and Custom Content at Birmingham, Alabama-based Hoffman Media, LLC, where she directly oversees the editorial teams of Taste of the South, Louisiana Cookin’, Cooking with Paula Deen, Bake from Scratch and Southern Cast Iron, along with all custom content. Brooke is also editor-in-chief of Cook: Real Food Every Day, which launched winter 2017. Her most recent cookbook, Cast-Iron Baking, was released in summer 2017. Additionally, Fall Baking, which was released in August of 2016, was named to Epicurious’ list of “30 Most Exciting Cookbooks of Summer” and was a “Number 1 New Release” on Amazon. Brooke is a member of the Southern Foodways Alliance and Les Dames d’Escoffier, where she serves as secretary for the Birmingham chapter.
Louise Pritchard is founder and Chief Strategist of Pritchard Volk Consulting, LLC. Whether she is on a mission trip in Africa or traversing the Virginia Capital bike trail, Louise finds creative inspiration. She has over 35 years of experience helping clients hone their brand story. Her successful track record with cross industry market development, relationship management, and creative business problem solving with FORTUNE Magazine, Holiday Inn Worldwide, and Egleston Childrens Hospital have formed the cornerstones of her consulting philosophy.
Ms Pritchard brings her creative problem solving and critical thinking approach to each client. Her passion and drive is evident in helping each client discover their “ah-ha” moment when new ideas and strategies transform their brand strengths into results.
As a graduate of Auburn University, she is an avid SEC football fan. In her downtime, she loves to spend time at her family home on Lake Burton, Georgia and visiting her four grown daughters pursuing their careers in Savannah, Charlotte, Gainesville, GA and Charleston.
Mandy Edwards is the owner of ME Marketing Services, a social media marketing & website design company that provides social media consulting & management and website design services to businesses of all sizes.
A graduate of the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business, Mandy has 15+ years of sales & marketing experience. Past work experience has included print advertising sales and local store marketing for Chick-fil-A. Locally, Mandy is involved in her community through Professional Women of Statesboro, the Lynda Brannen Williamson Foundation, and the Blue Mile Foundation. She is a contributing writer to Business 2 Community and The Southern Coterie. Mandy is a graduate of Leadership Bulloch, a past honoree of the Statesboro Herald’s Top 20 Under 40, and in 2015, she was a StatSocial Top 100 Social Media Power Influencer. In 2016, she was honored as one of the University of Georgia’s prestigious 40 Under 40 Alumni. Mandy is also a graduate of the second co-hort of the Lynda Brannen Williamson Foundation’s Women’s Leadership Academy. She married to State Prosecuting Attorney Ben Edwards and is the proud mother of two redheaded daughters who constantly keep her on her toes.
At Leapfrog PR Co, they have earned a national reputation for thoughtfully guiding clients into the national spotlight, and giving recognized brands a local edge within the Charleston community. Over her tenure at Leapfrog, Libba Osborne has witnessed the genesis of America’s love affair with Southern food artisans and the city of Charleston – an explosion of talented food entrepreneurs, chef-driven restaurants and culinary-minded upstarts.
Libba has guided many of her clients, both large and small, to become prominent brands among the shelves of national retailers. A story-teller at heart, she looks for common threads – a pride in process and an authentic history – in all of the companies she works alongside.
An Atlanta native, Libba found her passion for all things edible as a post-grad student at New York’s French Culinary Institute (International Culinary Center). She segued into restaurant public relations at Baltz & Co. and the Dunn Robbins Group, promoting brands in the food, wine and spirits industries. Following a move to her husband’s hometown of Charleston, Libba joined Leapfrog to continue her craft, becoming an owner in 2009.
Libba is a graduate of the University of the South, Sewanee and serves on the Board of the Charleston Chapter of Les Dames D’Escoffier. Libba and her husband, Chris, are raising their two young sons a stone’s throw from the Ashley River.
Jackie Thomson is a principal at Charleston based, Leapfrog PR Co. Following her undergraduate education at the College of Charleston, Jackie parlayed her innate sense of style into positions in New York with international fashion powerhouse, GUCCI, and celebrity bridal and evening wear designer, Reem Acra. The Annapolis, MD native returned to Charleston and joined Leapfrog, overseeing design-related projects. Her wide-ranging interest in lifestyle brands drives Leapfrog’s expertise in the fields of fashion, interiors, retail and wellness.
Jackie promotes both established brands and new talent, and through her wide network, adeptly organizes events that connect entrepreneurs, influencers and designers around the U.S. Beyond the realm of traditional PR, Jackie enjoys honing brand strategy, creating content for owned media and directing market positioning with long-term clients.
In 2009, Jackie earned her MBA and became an owner of Leapfrog. She and her husband, Neil, reside in Charleston with their young son and daughter.
Valerie Langley is a Strategic Success Coach, Certified meditation teacher, RN, wife and mother to four beautiful children. Valerie has hosted wellness retreats, workshops and often teaches mediation and mindfulness classes in Athens, Georgia where she lives. She has found the amazing tool of meditation to have dramatically changed her life and the lives of her clients.
“When we take the time to slow down and really connect to something greater than ourselves magic happens,” says Valarie. She believes meditation is listening to our own personal guidance from God and the Universe. She helps clients to find meaning and purpose in their lives and teaches them tools for happiness and fulfillment in life while managing stress and overwhelm.
