What’s the best thing about doing business in Middle Tennessee?
I love this town! The creativity and “can-do” attitude is insane. As we’re a small business that promotes other small local businesses (food, artisans, beverage, culture, farmers) this is the heart and soul of what we do. Also, due to our moderate climate, we have farmers markets year round which is fantastic for our farm-to-table, get cooking message.
Who is Edible Nashville and what should we know about you?
Edible Nashville is a print, digital, and events brand. Our mission is to promote our local food and economy for a greener, more sustainable city — and world. Good things happen in the kitchen and around the table.
We publish a beautiful print magazine, collected and kept on coffee tables region wide, as well as a robust website with thousands of seasonal recipes and stories. We do cooking classes and farm dinners, which bring folks together at one long table on a farm for a locally inspired meal under the stars.
What is unique about your business that makes you stand out?
Print magazines are a dying breed. Particularly magazines with a point of view that aren’t “pay-to-play” (for their advertisers). With 30 years in the publishing business, Edible Nashville is the real deal. We tell real stories about real people that support our mission and our readers. We are helping to grow the local economy, one small business at a time, to keep Nashville an individual city that respects our roots and our residents. Our editorial is honest, well researched, beautifully photographed, and designed. It offers information our readers should know about. Our recipes are tested and photographed. As a result we have very loyal readers and a big brand following.
What’s your biggest goal for your company this year?
Increased ad revenue which allows us to produce a bigger magazine with higher circulation spreading the local message further. Also increased ad categories. We are a food magazine about people. And our people buy cars, need a doctor, a vet, go to spas, the gym, the mall. Our readers are a great audience to reach for just about anything!
What best business practices did you learn in 2020 during the pandemic and what did you do to be creative?
With more people at home cooking in 2020, it was a huge opportunity for us. Instead of ceasing publication, we buckled down and helped people through our digital and print publications to cook and eat, with cooking demos on Instagram and Facebook. We also created lists of what restaurants were open and how you could get their food, thereby supporting them. Our print magazine pivoted with information relevant to the pandemic. With the supply chain issues, folks turned to local foods. We’d like to think we were a big part of making that happen.
What’s your best piece of advice for other business owners?.
Be true to yourself. Be patient. Be kind. And never sleep. 🙂
How do you stay involved in the community?
Be a part of it! Get off your email and iPhone and interact with folks. As in life, business is about relationships and you can’t create it behind your laptop. Most people want to be a part of something bigger than themselves, but often don’t know how. Talk, shake hands, meet people, and try to help them. That’s what we do every day. And our farm dinners are an excellent way to connect and meet folks!
Click here to learn more about Edible Nashville.
