Ep4 - Building community through connection, curiosity and being her clients’ hype girl with Alex Reichek

4 - Building community through connection, curiosity and being her clients’ hype girl with Alex ReichekIn this episode, Kim and Alex talk about the excitement around building community. Alex committed to meeting everyone in Austin when she moved back and ever since, has built her own PR & Marketing agency. Alex is always asking questions (and not only to her clients) that stem from a deep curiosity to learn as much as possible about her people. She takes pride in being her clients’ hype girl and cheerleader which allows her to get creative in finding the fun and aligned collaborators and partnerships for them. Her mind works through highlighting the juicy story, getting creative, and then she connects the dots through these channels to put on fun events or lands her clients' story on the cover of a local magazine. Alex recently celebrated her business’ 5th birthday and all that she has accomplished along her journey because all of it deserves recognition! Alex is mostly known for her work with restaurants—from boosting brand awareness for 15-year-old Thai Fresh to creating a sold-out Frozen Treat Festival with her pastry chef clients to devising a viral cocktail for Il Brutto—but also advises consumer packaged goods and lifestyle brands. Though she’s become integral to the Austin food and drink scene, the Texas-born PR and Marketing expert got her start in New York City. Before setting out on her own, Alex managed media relations for Manhattan eateries and hotels at Shadow PR and The Door, and then oversaw McGuire Moorman Hospitality’s Austin suite of properties as the company’s first Communications Director.Today, she continues to help her food and hospitality clients meet their goals. Sometimes this is as straightforward as pitching local and national press outlets for coverage, or introducing her clients to other like-minded brands to pave the way for new collaborations and partnerships. Alex digs deeper to help businesses define their stories and distill them into on-brand messaging and authentic experiences. She executes creative ideas for events and campaigns, ensuring they feel cohesive across social, email, brick-and-mortar signage, marketing materials, and website. (While living in Manhattan, Alex’s own website was recognized by Huffington Post as one of “The Best New York Food Blogs.”)For her popular Chekmark Eats brand, Alex Reichek explores the city—getting to know the chefs and restaurants behind each new bite along the way. And with a decade of professional industry experience, she’s a pro at translating what makes them special to her 24K+ Instagram followers and newsletter readers— sign up here!When she’s off duty, you can usually find Alex swimming (more on this in her Austin Guide, which you can order here), diving into a chocolate chip cookie (here are her favorites), or exploring a new town’s best dishes (she shares her travel guides here).Alex' Website https://alexreichek.com/Alex' IG: https://www.instagram.com/chekmarkeats/Sign up for Alex' Newsletter https://mailchi.mp/58cde66339d5/chekmarkeats For leadership coaching and consulting with Kim, visit www.onlyyummyalways.comFor more resources, workshops and community, visit theschool.www.onlyyummalways.com Get full access to Hospitality From Within at kimlerner.substack.com/subscribe