Today we’d like to introduce you to Donna Polizzi.
Donna, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
For 20 years I owned advertising and Public Relation firms. I always enjoyed the work and my clients but had been longing for something a bit less stressful. During the summer of 2015, my husband Tony and I drove to San Diego to attend a graduation. We didn’t know the area well and attempted to find the “best” happy hour, restaurant and hotel on Yelp!, Let me tell you… I would never go back to those places or recommend them to my friends. It made me wonder how many disgruntled employees, or competitors might post negative reviews or conversely, how many business owners and there forty friend and family members place positive reviews. Who knows?
We decided to head north for the last couple days of our trip. Why not spend our time and money going to the places that we know love… Places that we wanted to return to…where we take our friends. That trip was the catalyst for Keys 2 the Coast. With my feet up on the dash of my husband’s Corvette (which he hates) cruising north on the 101, I excitedly stated that I was going to start a new business that featured the best places to wine, dine and explore on the California Coast. He said “Are you nuts?, The kids just moved out. Things are finally settling down a little bit you want to start a new business? I said “Yes, it will be fun.
The business will only feature the best places to go and no one will be able to pay me to recommend them. Honest recommendations… I’m not a critic. The goal is simply to highlight the place where you’ll have a good time, get good value and feel good enough when you leave that you want to come back again. Tony said… “Great babe” how are you going to monetize it?” I didn’t know yet. It was conceptual. A hundred miles further north my wheels were spinning and it stood to reason that chambers and visitors bureaus would see Keys 2 the Coast as a new economic vitality tool driving traffic to these great places. People interested in the traveler would want advertising exposure on the website.
Fast forward three years. I love what I get to do. After spending 18 months curating content, building a website taking 18,000 pictures… no, I’m not exaggerating. Keys 2 the Coast is solidly up and running.
Bill McFayden, co-owner of the Santa Barbara Noozhawk asked me if I could do a travel and lifestyle column that mirrored the places I featured on the website. What a break that was. I didn’t intend to be a travel writer. At this time, my features promoting awesome places on the California Coast and beyond, run in over 20 publications and often shared internationally. I’ve been invited to visit so many wonderful places and have had the privilege to visit over two dozen countries in the last 2 years.
Keys 2 the Coast.com features central coast counties and also an up and away section for outbound travel. Our social media has over 30,000 fans and followers. Best of all, people contact me regularly sharing their favorite spots, community members who say “thanks” I’ve lived here all of my life and you’ve opened my eyes… or stories where someone can’t leave their homes and feel enriched that they get to “feel like” they’re out and about through my writing.
I have totally reinvented my corporate self. It’s a joy to explore the California Coast and beyond, seeking out the best places to wine, dine and explore. My biggest challenge is zipping my jeans since everyone wants to feed me and have me try their new appetizers or signature cocktails. Don’t feel sorry for me. “I’m a tough… did someone say cookie?”
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Starting a new business is never easy. The hard part is the scalability factor… where the business grows to the point where your working your fanny off, yet can’t afford to hire the staff you need. Doing business in California and paying quality people enough to live on the California Coast is expensive.
The challenge is to pay attention to what people need. In my opinion, we need more life with our work. More quality time with the people that we choose to share our lives with. Good value for what we spend our hard earned money on and experiences that will be long remembered.
I meet so many wonderful people with the work I do. People who have put there heart, soul, and savings into a business. It is such an honor to be able to share their stories and great places to experience with our Keys 2 the Coast fans.
Get out there and have some fun! Keys 2 the Coast spotlights the best places to wine, dine, explore and more. The website is set up to showcase Travel columns and blogs by region about restaurants, wineries, hotels, hiking trails, beautiful beach and other ideas to bring a smile to our faces. We share our stories on great finds and hidden gems.
We are very excited to help promote the business’ who want to cast a broad net reaching the traveler and helping ping non-profits meet their goals. We are grateful to our advertisers, sponsors, and fans for allowing us to experience and share there the best things to experience. Get out there and have some fun.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Keys 2 the Coast – what should we know?
Keys 2 the Coast is known for giving honest recommendations and shining the spotlight on the best places to wine, dine, explore and more. Our website is set up to showcase our authentic experiences through Travel columns and blogs about restaurants, wineries, hotels, hiking trails and beautiful beaches. We share our stories on great finds and hidden gems. Our social media platforms highlight upcoming events and the best things to be experienced.
We are very excited to help promote the business’ who want to cast a broad net reaching the traveler and helping non-profits meet their goals by giving them exposure on our platforms. We are grateful to our advertisers, sponsors, and fans for allowing us to share in their journey and experience what they have created.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Building any business is a challenge and there was no blueprint for this one. Keys 2 the Coast was an idea with no model to follow. My husband Tony, was very patient and supportive while my workload was heavy and the paycheck was light. He and my kids offered a lot of support in many areas.
They encouraged me, laughed at me and when I was on the phone or computer too long they told me to put the “crack” down. When you love your work it can be addicting.
Several friends offered their guidance expertise and harsh criticism when needed. One of them called me a Magpie. He explained that a Magpie gets distracted by shiny things and has to focus on the matter at hand. There are so many shiny things to see and do! Too many great ideas and business opportunities can be distracting.
Success to me is a well-balanced life. Enough challenge an uphill struggle to know the view is beautiful at the top.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.keys2thecoast.com
- Phone: 1 805 895-1060
- Email: [email protected]
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/keys2thecoast
- Twitter: : www.twitter.com/Keys2theCoast
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
