The Pixilated Podcast

Ep. 98 | Interview | Sam Roccapriore | Brilliant Event Box

October 07, 2020 Patrick Rife | Sam Roccapriore Season 1 Episode 98
The Pixilated Podcast
Ep. 98 | Interview | Sam Roccapriore | Brilliant Event Box
Show Notes Transcript

Welcome to another episode of the Pixilated Podcast. I’m Patrick Rife and today we’re going to talk with Sam Roccapriore, Founder of Brilliant Event Box.

Website: https://brillianteventbox.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brillianteventbox/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/brilliantbox_
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brillianteventbox/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sroccapriore/

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Patrick Rife:

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another episode of The Pixilated Podcast. I'm Patrick Rife. And today we're going to be talking with Sam Roccapriore from Brilliant Event Box on another interview here on The Pixilated Podcast. So without further ado, Sam, welcome to The Pixilated Podcast.

Sam Roccapriore:

Thanks, Patrick having me here.

Patrick Rife:

Yeah, it's nice to see you again. It's a it's it's fun, I think that you are, like, maybe the second person that I've spoken to third person I've spoken to, that's completely new to me. And getting a chance to, to meet people and develop business and relationships is super, super fun. So I've been looking forward to this all day, because I needed kind of like a shot enthusiasm. So

Sam Roccapriore:

you and me both.

Patrick Rife:

So Sam, listen, I know you've listened to a few of these. So you probably know what's coming next. Before we kind of get into some chats and questions. Why don't you tell everyone who you are a little bit about your background, maybe MPI and and what you're doing now?

Unknown:

Sure. Um, so my name is Sarah puree, I am an event manager as well as an event planner. So before COVID happens, my whole background is really in food and beverage. So food and beverage being working in the kitchen to being a server, working the front of house as a manager, doing banquet events, things like that, and then eventually moving into the sales side of things for both restaurants and hotels. And then I was one of the very lucky hospitality people that in March had gotten let go,

Sam Roccapriore:

um, just due to everything,

Unknown:

but I mean, it's happened to everybody. And how I viewed it is it was really sort of an opportunity to kind of refocus and see what you know, just refocus, really, and see what I could do with now that extra time that I had. So that's sort of how brilliant box came to be. So at the beginning of COVID, I should mention that I'm very involved with MPI, I serve as the director of member care for the MPI Westfield chapters that covers both Westfield, Westchester County, New York, as well as Fairfield County in Connecticut. And we have these weekly conversations, we call them our weekly lunch bunches where we get together, we have a five minute professional conversation. So there's a specific topic, and then we break out into breakout rooms, we use zoom. So everyone's very familiar with that. And during all those conversations, it really started to be how do we make virtual events a little bit more exciting, you know, not even a lot more exciting, but just to get people a little bit more revved up and engaged or wanting to be a part of it? And the joke would go around, hey, When am I going to get my birth certificate? So I can go get lunch or this and that. So that's sort of how the brilliant box idea came to be.

Patrick Rife:

Awesome. That's great. Well, congratulations. Thank you. What are you calling the What do you call him the birthday? What is the date?

Sam Roccapriore:

The birth, so, I'm calling the day I was actually thinking about this today. I started sending out tests to planners in my area, the first week of August. So if you think about it, it's just been two months, since the idea kind of really came to fruition. So we're still working on it, we're still in, you know, sort of that beginning phase. But I feel really positive about it. Because I don't think a box service is going to disappear. I mean, just think of all the different box services that are out there from makeup to food, you name it, people are getting them. So I think it's just, you know, an a segment that has a lot of opportunity.

Patrick Rife:

Yeah, yeah. So, um, in in getting started from it. I mean, there's so much there's really so much to dig into here. You know, I think in in, in getting started right, so 60 days, like, what is your kind of how have you approached it? How have you, you know, how have you synthesized your ideas and then decided and prioritize like kind of how you were going to start and, and like with which kind of like strategy?

Sam Roccapriore:

Sure. So something that's really important to me is making sure that whatever I do is supporting local companies and local businesses as well as trying to be as with packaging as sustainable as possible. So those are two things that are super important to me. So coming from that supplier, hotel side, and, you know, having to sell to event planners. Hey, these are the breaks We have, most of the time, it was very limited to whatever big corporation was contracted with the hotel that I was at. So for instance, if it wasn't,

Unknown:

I don't want to use any names, like if it wasn't at x company, if this product and it come from this company, I couldn't supply it to them, even though it was in our local area. And I kind of think that was, you know, a downside, but I understood it. So, now that meetings are sort of, a lot of them are out of venues, which is not, you know, it's not great. But I think the opportunity is that some of these local businesses can actually start to appeal to more, you know, event planners and supplying more things for events, because they're not necessarily planners aren't necessarily held on to those contracts, you know, where it's like, Okay, I'm at the Marriott Hotel, they only serve this product, you know, so, anyway, so kind of getting back to it, that was my whole focus was to really start bringing in some local snacks, and coffees and things. And so I'm based in Connecticut, and there are a ton of snacks, okay, you know, you have deeper chips, there's lesser evil popcorn, there's great coffees, and really, a lot of people either don't know about them, or they know about them. But, you know, it's just easier to go get the products that, you know, you're used to, or, you know, being talked to you in commercials all the time. So, really, my whole vision, you know, within these last 60 days, was to make sure that whatever I do, I tried to source locally, so I'm supporting my community as well.

Patrick Rife:

Yeah. So in a lot of ways, you're kind of creating a marketplace. And, you know, I know that, that right now, the focus is on curating collections of things that, you know, are complementary to a specific event or vision, but also in the same sense, you know, like, you're still creating a marketplace that you draw those things down from. So I'm curious, if you think at all about, about the, like, the e commerce potential of, you know, being able to come in and, and, as a person throwing an event, assemble a box, out of all of the different products that you know, like, maybe you have eight and box one, and 12, and box two, and 12. And, you know, box three, and, you know, like, I want to come in and just browse the 32 products that make those up to create my own and kind of almost being like a, I mean, kind of like filling your Amazon cart, but being an extended marketplace.

Sam Roccapriore:

So I have thought about that. So, you know, during those like first couple weeks, in August, I was putting together all these different plans and such, and my partner was like you can get there, you just start someplace first, because what I tend to do is I tend to be like, oh, here's this idea. And then there's this idea, and it kind of Brent like balloons into this huge thing. So it's good that I have him to reel me back in. But that's where I was going, where to start, we'll do you know, three or four collection boxes, eventually moving on to sort of a mix and match your own. So you could really start to curate your own things, which is what everyone's used to doing now.

Patrick Rife:

Yeah. Yeah. You know, I think one of the things that came back, you know, I have since COVID, you know, like I own pets company, we like the whole rest of the events world and the majority of the world in general. So like a lot of creative business ideas, I've come up with a big long list of things that I could build next, should I need to, but one of the things that kept coming up over and over again, is facilitating these services, that there are these bigger versions of it, but they don't serve the maker universe, right? They don't serve the, you know, like beer distributors, you know, that distribute. Anheuser Busch products are not built to work with, you know, like your favorite brewery right down the block from you. So like that distribution network, there's always a place right to be able to come in and offer value to it. And I think that a lot of what you're doing is that you're contextualizing a marketplace by which you can sell something into, but also at the same time, like the ability for either for you to have represented a product just right and have that individual product has some breakout success, and be able to kind of sell and facilitate that. But I also imagine, you know, in thinking about scalability, like if it continues to work for you, and and you're building, then like, how does that look in another second location?

Sam Roccapriore:

Right, exactly. So You know, it just kind of goes back to you can just think of all these great things that are going to happen. But you know, for me starting off, you know, it's reeling back in and seeing what can you do right now and then taking those steps to grow next. And I think, you know, that happens a lot with people starting businesses is they just, they think about what eventually it's going to look like without sort of focusing on how do we actually get this off the ground. Before we we get right there. So that's sort of where I am, I'm still at the starting point. But keeping that big vision, you know, in front of me as well,

Patrick Rife:

yeah. So who is, you know, given how you're growing your business right now, and the type of outreach that you're doing, who's an ideal BrainBox client at the moment.

Sam Roccapriore:

So ideally, it's those planners who are still having meetings, right or so really, corporate clients. There's some associations. So also, I do a lot of different things. But so I'm also, I plan with this other Association, who they have a 600 person conference every year, and this year, it was, you know, out the went cancelled because of COVID. So I worked with them to sort of bring it virtually. And what we did, instead of having like a three day conference online, we split it up, where it's still technically going on, and we just have all these different, you know, one hour sessions, you know, once every week or once every two weeks, but people who are still having those meetings is sort of who I'm targeting, specifically those corporate planners, that and even independent planners who I've worked with, through MPI.

Patrick Rife:

So previous existing relationships are going to your community.

Sam Roccapriore:

Oh, 100%. You know, it's, it's great that I'm part of MPI, because I have built so many really great professional and personal connections there. But starting off with the people that you know, is awesome, because they're going to tell you exactly how they feel. If they don't like the color of your logo, they're going to tell you, if they don't like a specific product, they're going to tell you, if they love it, they're going to tell you, so I'm going to your core, even if it's the people that I want to sell to, and asking them what their opinion is, is super important, and just bring so much value to, you know, what I'm trying to create, because in the end, if they tell me, they don't like something, and I change it, and they like it, they'll buy it, you know, so, I mean, so reaching out to your core, or the people that you have done business with in the past, I think is a good strategy, as opposed to reaching out to someone you've never ever met before, because you don't know how you don't know how they react or how they're going to give feedback to you.

Patrick Rife:

Yeah, how have you found, you know, what is it been like to try and try and launch this business from, from, from COVID, from the world of COVID, right? Because, you know, a lot, you know, like going out and networking and you know, like, there's a, there's a certain amount of kicking the tires, that is super helpful. When you're out there trying to get, you know, like, networking is like, part of it is trying out your idea. Part of it is trying out how you convey that idea and watching people's faces and being like, they were smiling or like, they were not feeling me at all, like refigure that whole thing out. But you know, like, in terms of finding, you know, resources, empathy, just, you know, like, getting outside of the box, to, to rethink your strategy, right, getting context from it, you know, like, certainly there, it's, it's widely known that if you can launch business in a time like this, like, there's really good chance that you're gonna make it or you know, their brilliant ideas are produced out of pressure filled periods of time. So I'm curious how that has come into effect for you.

Sam Roccapriore:

So you're asking like, how, how have I actually been able to reach out to the clients and what ways have I used?

Patrick Rife:

Yeah, sure. Um,

Sam Roccapriore:

so you know, I've gone with some traditional ways, you know, just picking up the phone and calling, which, you know, being the director of member care for MPI, that's something that I have to do I have to reach out and talk to members. And the thing is, right now since people are craving that face to face or just any type of personal connection, people are actually more willing to pick up the phone now than six months ago, like six months, seven months ago. You know, it just trying to sell to people with over the phone. was a freaking nightmare because no one wants to pick up the phone. Because they're too busy, they just want to send it an email so they can look at it. But what I found during this time is picking up the phone has been super successful. You know, it's an it's an older method, but because people are craving any type of connection, people will talk to you.

Patrick Rife:

Yeah,

Sam Roccapriore:

So that has been helpful. And then also, I've been sending videos to people. So I've been using loom and just sending short videos like, no longer than a minute, maybe two minutes. And because it's a different way of sending a message, as opposed to just typing out a long email or leaving a voice message, because then they can see your facial expressions, and in person have a lot of facial expressions and all this. So it's like being able for people to see that on video. You know, even though I can't see them, maybe smiling back at me or anything, they'll immediately send me a message or immediately call me and be like, Hey, that was great that made my day or, hey, X, Y, and Z. So those have really been the two methods that I have you used to really try to reach out and connect with people.

Patrick Rife:

That sounds like a strategy that I want to try. I've never really even thought so what is the there's a tool or a platform that you use to do it loom? Is that what you said,

Sam Roccapriore:

loom. So there' loom and there's vidyard. I've een using Luma law and it's, t's great, you can make a video here it's just your face, you an do it where it's your face n this little bubble in the orner. And then maybe there's a resentation behind you or omething else. So like for nstance, someone's birthday utput like PowerPoint in the ack, it says Happy birthday and n my face in the corner or omething like that. But it's ust, you know, something a ittle different. I'm just to ry to connect with people. I ove that that's the biggest hing.

Patrick Rife:

I love that I was looking at, I got served an ad again recently. For cameo, you know, where you can hire, you know, celebrities to like, send messages to your Oh, yeah. And I was like, Oh, you know, we're finally at a place where like I could actually see, like, on social like in our stories, you know, if we had like Kevin from the office being like, you know, like, tell people to get pixelated or something like that.

Sam Roccapriore:

And I'll bring the chili,

Patrick Rife:

I see that that could really start resonating for us. But I'm on the whole other side of it to what what you just brought up with loom you know, like, I am a highly verbal, visual person. And I am not a great writer like I really, you know, I do not, do not love to have to commit to writing anything much less longer emails that explain something or try and like connect with someone. But I can do it all day long. All I have to do is like look at something and talk about it. So I think I'm going to try that out with some of my people Pixilated people out there. Don't be surprised if I send you a sweet Hello video instead of an email next time. So All right, great, I'm really we've got a pretty good basis for it. I want to know, like what your goals are, for the last quarter of the year. So it's event season, if there's going to be any event season in 2020 like this is it certainly there are going to be like there's more than enough activity happening. You know, obviously, there's a ton of people that never stopped doing everything, they just shifted effortlessly. They're the people that held off. But now they know that like this, you know, virtual events and hybrid events are just going to have to be we have to figure out how to do them. And really the late bloomers that are like, wait, we look ridiculous for not having tried to do this, like we got to get it together. So there will be a pretty serious events season coming period, which it wouldn't you know, what's the plan for brilliant box? What would you like to see happen that you'll be, you know, checking back in January and be like, we executed on that on that quarter the way we wanted to?

Sam Roccapriore:

Sure. So just being you know, new right now, my goal and it might not seem like a big goal, but I think it's a good goal for me is just to have do one event per month. Now really, that's only three orders. But events aren't five people, you know, virtual events are some of them aren't even aren't 10 people, they're way more than that. So that is really my goal. I think my stretch goal, if I could hit six, that would be really great. And I know it doesn't sound like a big job. But the thing is you don't have to set goals that are out of reach, you know, you can set goals that you can achieve well and then once you achieve that, then you can move on so that those are that's my goal for the rest of the quarter.

Patrick Rife:

Yeah, I think that that's an excellent goal. So from an operations point of view is that all you now as well as it a one woman show, so you're doing all the outreach, ideologically creating the products and doing the thing. And then what like Pfizer's, like we've got a 700 person conference when we want this for all of it. You're like, Oh, okay. provisioning, and then you're like that. It's like box build day, right? I guess maybe, maybe for those first big orders. It's like a Ladies Night with pizza and wine. And please come help me. Like, you wanted to see me succeed. Now. I need you to help me from drowning. Yeah,

Sam Roccapriore:

exactly. Yeah. So I am, it is a one moment show right now. And we'll see what, what comes to me.

Patrick Rife:

That's exciting. I mean, all of the best memories. For me in the early days, we always built everything ourselves. And my business partner is we're both fairly handy with so it allowed us to do a lot of that stuff. But there's nothing like you know, like, selling things out and not having the infrastructure to fulfill it and then being like, Alright, like, it's go time. And we're like, buying what you need and like, digging in deep, and then coming out of it and being like, we did it, like we did it. And then like you like we've grown, like, all of a sudden you look back and you're like, wait, that's not us anymore. Like, now this is us, and the whole thing is changed. That's awesome. So this has been really, really fun. Um, I was hoping before we go that you would be willing to let everyone out there know, where they follow you. How do they get in touch? How do they? How do they go and peruse the boxes that are available from brilliant box and an order some for their conference or their meeting?

Sam Roccapriore:

Sure. So the best way is to follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/brilliantbox_.

Patrick Rife:

Perfect. That's simple and straightforward. Well, Sam, thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to be our guest. It was really wonderful speaking with you.

Sam Roccapriore:

It was great speaking with you. Thanks for having me.

Patrick Rife:

All right, guys. So that's it another awesome interview with an event professional in our community. So I hope you all enjoyed it. If you could please remember before you go to rate review and subscribe. Your reviews help us find more listeners for our podcast and your subscription ensures you get notified each day when we post a new episode. So until tomorrow